Soldiers of Crossman/History/2009 Operations
The following accounts provide some details over our operations that took place during the year 2009. Unlike other groups, the Soldiers of Crossman do not recount their history as a series of cold facts and figures, with hard dates, counts, and targets. Instead, we choose to pass on our history as a series of stories, told by our own soldiers.
Each of the following sections provides one such story, and they are arranged chronologically, from earliest to latest. Our members voluntarily provide whatever details they want, from whatever perspective they deem most appropriate. Many are told from the perspective of their character on the field, but, as with war, not all parts of it are equally memorable, so not all of our operations are detailed here. There are most certainly gaps in our history, but we accept these gaps as part of our mythos.
If you are a member and would like to help fill in any gaps that you believe we may have, please contact one of the officers on the forum. We'll be happy to help you contribute to the group's ongoing history.
Northern Watch
With the fall of LCD and CDF, it's remaining members organized and formed SoC in the north-east part of Darvall Heights. The suburb was ruined, dark and devoid of life, full with feral zombies ready to slaughter anyone they managed to find. The immediate priority was to find anyone alive, assist them and persuade them to join the cause. Unity and brotherhood was needed. This search brought to the current SoC roster and sparkled a new hope. With fresh reinforcements and supplies from Shuttlebank the troops gathered in the north-east part of the hood - the Goodson Motel and the Dustan Towers. From there on every building in the vicinity was barricaded and guerrilla tactics were employed due to the number of zombies around. After weeks of endless fighting, numerous sieges and take-over of buildings SoC has retaken and powered up most of the neighborhood. The battle for Darvall Heights continues.
Saving Private Rev
Our fellow brother Rev went into St. Pius's Hospital to help and rescue a trapped civilian woman. With the charnel smell that filled the hospital, it was clear that only zombies roamed this deserted place. Upon finding her location, a gruesome battle ensued, which resulted in the successful rescue of the woman. Unfortunately for Rev, on the way back a wall collapsed right next to him, breaking his leg in the chaos that followed. Slowly making his way to the roof of the hospital his radio transmission was picked up by Nervous Harold who organized the operation. SoC shock troops quickly organized, prepared essential supplies and moved in on his position. Meeting relatively low resistance, they quickly found their teammate. After damage assessment was done by the SoC medic it was deemed that Rev would have to stay immobile for 5 days or his leg would be untreatable in the present infested and quarantined conditions, making his chances for survival equal to zero. SoC troops quickly made a camp on the roof, setting up defenses determined to stay and hold for the 5 days necessary for their teammate to be carried and moved to a safe location. The operation quickly gathered zombie attention and soon almost every single zombie in the hood gathered outside the hospital. The unprecedented numbers surprised SoC defenses but everyone stayed firm and 4 days passed. It was deemed necessary that if the fifth night was to be survived local support would be needed as well as fresh SoC reinforcements. As the battle on the fifth night started few survivors showed up to help boost the defenses. With barricades broken and zombies quickly coming in, SoC shock troops found themselves outnumbered, out of ammo, out of luck- but not out of dedication nor tenacity. Rev died the best death an SoC can die - death in combat, death amongst brothers. Inspired by the private's actions the SoC shock team went out in a blaze of glory staying until the end. For we SoC stand together, through victory or defeat, never leaving anyone behind.
In the words of Lieutenant Bromhead whilst fighting:
- To mangle a famous Shakespeare quote...
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in Malton now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon this gallant day"
Awaken
With Darvall Heights a ruined shell of its former self, the suburb howled in pain. Gunshots were a rare sound to be heard throughout the desolate streets, another reminder of the downfall of the once prominent suburb. Feeding groans and the melody of frenzied feeding was the song of doom throughout 'The Heights', as the locals called it.
Ferals roamed freely through buildings while a player killer could perform unspeakable deeds without consequence. Caiger Malls sliding doors gaped openly, an eerie whistle sounding as the wind blew through the empty mall. Crossman PD, the stronghold of The Heights lay silently within the northern stretches of the suburb. Suddenly, a new sound could be heard from within Crossman PD. A quiet buzzing, unnoticeable to a mere zombie. A crackle of static followed. Then a positive click.
“This is the Soldiers of Crossman. We are looking for able recruits throughout Darvall Heights. The suburb needs you, we need you, we need to stick together. If we can gather enough able bodied survivors, we can restore this once thriving suburb to its previous state. We are the Soldiers of Crossman, and we will die for Darvall if necessary.”
Survivors scattered amongst the buildings of The Heights listened with undivided attention to the broadcast. A glimmer of hope could be seen amongst the darkness, a shot in the dark almost. SoC was the name on everyone's lips throughout Darvall Heights. Soon enough, survivors were flocking under the Soldier of Crossman banner, their goal being to re-establish the historical suburb of Darvall Heights, and eventually, the North West of Malton itself.
Weeks past and while SoC grew in strength. Once a small group of 10, was now a large group of 50 plus. The Soldiers of Crossman had become one of the strongest survivor groups in Malton, and their numbers kept growing. Of course, such a group could not escape the eyes of the enemy: The Feral. As Darvall Heights became united under the SoC flag, all possible zombies flocked to The Heights. Not deterred at all, SoC powered on. Buildings were eventually becoming fully operational, such as the Trinity Hospitals and the Herman NT building. Crossman PD was returned to stronghold status amongst the locals as the Soldiers of Crossman embarked on their town-wide clean up.
The SoC suddenly hit a speed bump. Organisation. The ranks of SoC were great in number, but they lacked the organisation to mobilise amongst The Heights efficiently and with finesse. Cortonna called the most trusted of the SoC to Crossman PD, where they would discuss the tactical structure of their group. After hours planning, the armoured door to the Crossman PD chief office swung open and emerging one by one came Frank Burn, The Reverend Ed Dooley, John Spiro and Cortonna. Each person being assigned a squad to command. The squads were Delta Squad, Phi Squad, Omicron Squad and finally, Theta Squad. Each Squad Captain had their names engraved into the annals of SoC history after that day. The first of the squad leaders. Their squad legacies being passed down from captain to captain.
Soldiers of Crossman mobilised throughout The Heights, securing locations, installing generators, clearing out undead hives.
The Soldiers of Crossman look for dedication, loyalty and brotherhood amongst its comrades. Their professionalism is undisputed. Their comradeship is unquestionable. Their dedication is paramount. Their tenacity is unrivalled.
We are the Soldiers of Crossman, and we are the Defenders of Darvall. Live for Darvall. Die for Darvall. Fight by your comrades. Die by your comrades. We shall never surrender. You will never defeat us, for the brotherhood of steel amongst us is unbreakable.
Spring Cleansing
During one of the many sieges of Caiger Mall, Soldiers of Crossman began to mobilise their squads and initiated Operation: Spring Cleansing. These squads had been formed amongst the ranks of the Soldiers of Crossman and each one had been given a difficult and dangerous task. The squads were equally balanced, with the members ranging from the elite, to the trainee. First there was Delta Squad. Delta had been assigned the task of keeping the siege of Caiger Mall under control and zombie free. Second was Phi Squad. They were to be sent back to the homeland of Crossman PD to keep watch of the surrounding area and to maintain its well being. Third was Theta Squad. Their orders were to secure the trio hospitals of Darvall Heights as well as the surrounding area. St. Pius, St. Eutychian and St. Matheos were the targets names. Last but not least, there was Omicron Squad. Running between each of the squads, Omicron were to support the each group as well as the general public of Darvall Heights.
As the siege on Caiger Mall began to falter, the Soldiers of Crossman awakened. Delta squad fortified its position within the mall and quelled the zombie incursion into Caiger Mall. Reports from that day say that the zombie numbers outside Caiger Mall split in half.
Phi locked down Crossman PD and re-established the North Eastern corner of Darvall Heights. Every building was rebuilt and the barricade plan which had been established but lost, was restored back to its rightful place. The blinding speed in which Phi carried out its orders was astounding. It was said that on that day, there were nothing but bodies throughout the North Eastern Corner of Darvall Heights. Not even a standing zombie could be seen.
Theta moved into the hospitals, immediately making an impact with the number of first aid kits given out as well as ridding every zombie from each hospital. The locals were exhausted but were relieved that the Soldiers of Crossman had returned. As soon as the zombies had been dealt with, fresh and fuelled generators were installed within the building, giving a light to the survivors within the hospitals which they hadn't seen in a long time. As each hospital gained power, the infections within the suburb dropped 25%, due to the powered hospitals.
And all this wouldn't have been possible without Omicron squads assistance. The highly mobile strike teams which had been gearing up for almost any situation moved out in force that day, securing buildings, clearing zombie infested buildings, handing out medical aid. Due to their efforts, the free running chain between the buildings had been set up and allowed each of the squads to move through Darvall Heights with ease.
Ryan coughed up blood as he shuffled through the trashed mall. The survivors within Caiger Mall had been holding out for days against the zombie threat outside and with the arrival of the Soldiers of Crossman the week earlier, he felt relieved and content now that he could get a wink of sleep. Settling himself down amongst an overturned trolley and several shelves, Ryan looked back towards the barricades. He hadn't seen such the barricades like that for a long time. The entrances had been completely sealed up. Vending machines, shelves, wooden planks with nails and all had been jammed into the doorway.
Not even a bulldozer would be able to get through that, Chuckled Ryan, wiping the blood from his mouth with the cuff of his sleeve.
As Ryan's eyes drifted over the barricade, his gaze fell upon the people sitting at the foot of the barricade. He recognised them immediately as Soldiers of Crossman. Each soldier wore a grim look upon their face but just by looking at them, Ryan could perfectly see the fiery determination which burnt in their eyes. Deathly silent they were, only occasionally talking amongst themselves quietly. Sometimes a brief chuckle could be heard but from Ryan's previous observations, they were rare. A thump and clawing noise sounded at the door suddenly, Ryan almost fell from his sitting position from the fright of the sound. Without a moments hesitation, each and every Soldier of Crossman flew into action. Some were already reaching for material for barricades, whilst others were climbing the barricade armed with pistols and shotguns, peeking out over the very top of the barricade. The noise came again and this time it was answered by a loud shotgun blast, delivered by one of the soldiers who had already climbed to the very top. The noises stopped outside for a moment... and a quiet gurgle could be heard from where Ryan sat.
Clear! Shouted the soldier who had fired the shotgun. With a quick step, the soldier jumped from the top of the barricade and landed with a loud thud onto the tiled floor below, recovering and standing upright as if they had only taken a single step.
Ryan squinted his eyes so he could make out who the person was. Ryan could make out that the soldier was tall. Frustrated, Ryan rubbed the grit from his eyes, peering closer once the flecks of dirt had left his eyes. To his surprise, the soldier before him was a woman! She had raven black hair and was of thin build, but Ryan could tell that she was very strong and dexterous from the way she had handled that last zombie situation. She was very white which wasn't unusual for someone who lived in the current Malton but her skin was more white than usual, and he could clearly make out the eye liner around her eyes. Ryan stared into the eyes of the woman before him for a moment until he realised that she had noticed him. Looking away in embarrassment, Ryan bit down on his lip. Waiting a few seconds before stowing another glance across his shoulder, Ryan felt the uneasy nature about the woman. Ryan was surprised as he received a small smile in return, he himself slightly blushing at the fact that he himself had been noticed. The woman gave a quick rub of her SoC badge and she plucked out a cigarette from behind her ear, quickly lighting it up with a match she had on her. She lent back against the barricade and took a long drag before blowing out a long plume of smoke.
Obviously an expert... Thought Ryan, feeling that slight bit better knowing that he had people like the Soldiers of Crossman, and that woman in particular, watching over him.
The weeks carried on and the zombies tried to unsettle the Soldiers of Crossman, but to no avail. The Soldiers of Crossman had cleaned up and rebuilt ¾ of Darvall Heights within 2 weeks.
Blazing Heat
As summer begins to reach it's peak and the heat becomes almost unbearable, SoC troops continue to engage day and night the zombie ferals still ravaging in Darvall Heights. Situation has improved vastly over the months and from a deserted, dark wasteland, the neighbourhood is now mostly lighted up buzzing with radio-transmitions, survivors going back and forth repairing the damage and rebuilding the barricades. Caiger has been retaken yet again and SoC is doing it's best to hold ground there. Most of the ferals have gathered outside the Mall and there are a number of zombies who have assaulted the three hospitals south from Crossman PD and overrun successfully Taylor PD. The fight continues in an effort to fully reclaim Darvall Heights. As our numbers rise, structure and order improves. Tactical analysis suggest that the area pacification will be soon complete.
Engagement and Unyielding Determination
Despite the sudden and surprising rise of enemy numbers, the collapse of Caiger and most NecroTech structures in the neighborhood, SoC continues to engage the enemy on multiple fronts with unyielding determination. The conflict has been so far relentless, with neither side conceding without a good fight. Theta, Phi and Talon have been stationed around Darvall, each assigned with different tasks, where they continue to work non-stop. At the same time the remaining Soldiers of Crossman carries on with it's expansion as Delta and Omicron set up in key positions in Judgewood in an effort to build up and unite the neighborhood, thus officially starting a second base of operations in another part of North-West.
The Cold Steel of Northwest
Autumn approaches, and with it the temperature starts to become cooler, while the leaves of the trees become a mix of red and dark yellow. The heavy rains and the wind have made survivors seeking shelter more common, with many of them gathering together around the camp fire to share their war stories. The occasional mists have lowered visibility, making survival even more difficult. But while some things change due to the natural elements of life, others remain the same - our tenacity and determination. As another month has rolled by, Darvall Heights has been completely reclaimed and restored. Caiger Mall, Crossman PD, and the trio-hospitals have been retaken, with the whole suburb lighted and buzzing with radio-transmissions going back and forth. With Omicron, Phi and Delta squads now defunct, the focus has been shifted to Theta and Talon and making them as efficient as possible. A Boot Camp has been introduced, marking the first generation of officially-trained recruits who will become full soldiers (of Crossman). With our numbers rising constantly, our strength and organization have increased over the past month. This is not our peak, however, and there is a lot more to work on, improve on, and expand. There will be no decline – no erosion – only improvement. With Darvall Heights secured, SoC's primary focus has shifted north, and soon the first soldiers will set foot and begin to fight in Gatcombeton as part of our goal to restore the North-West of Malton. While Theta and Talon will be hitting key locations with the Vanguard's support, the rest will continue to protect Darvall Heights, providing revives, medical attention, and, of course, music and parties as we have always done in the past.
No law ever written is as powerful as cold steel.
