Setting Sun

Overlord

Everyone on Soldat knew the story from beginning to end. It was like a never ending ringing in your ear, or and itch you can't scratch. When Melrose invaded Synoble the planet was on edge. The two Nations had been on a collision course with each other for over 7 years. Still, nobody expected Synoble to launch nuclear strikes as their way of evening out the war.
Synoble President Cain Warsof had immediately sent nuclear strikes against the Nation of Melrose as soon as the invasion was underway. Already the planet was lay waste from the sheer power of the two countries, pulling both Nations allies into the fight, and assuring their mutual destruction as well.
The once strong, proud people of Synoble were desecrated by Melrose's overwhelmingly large attack. The buildings cracked and crumbled under their own pressure, the waters were turned into a sickening brown color, and worst of all innocent civilians were forced to watch as their families were killed slowly by the nuclear fallout.
In Synoble's capital city of Lyndom, the people were left to die without any food or water, because all the money was being directed at the war effort. The food, shipped to soldiers in need of it.
Daily you could hear the explosives going off not far from other main cities, and the civilian casualties were outstanding.

The Synoble military had launched a major counter offensive, and leading the offensive was Captain Wade Grogan. He was a tall man, rather muscular from his active and often grueling lifestyle. His hair was brown with dirty blond highlights, except for the greying on the sides. The 37 year old Captain fought in the first Synoble-Melrose war, which was not a nuclear effort, nevertheless he had experience fighting this enemy.

The first war ended in ceasefires and eventually begrudging peace treaties. Everyone remembers those wars as resembling proxy wars, more than flat out war.

The Military leader for Melrose was 42 year old Chenk Ren, a man with a rundown face, and far too much on his plate at once. He too fought in the first Synoble-Melrose conflict, and was one of the few soldiers against a peace treaty. He begrudgingly followed the orders of Melrose President and dictator Diane Schism, who had certain of his family members killed for apposing her leadership.
Ren, a 3rd generation military leader, was raised always to hate and kill the enemy. His father told him it was better to die fighting the Synoble scum, than live a life of prosperity.

It was on the second day of the fourth month that President Schism had given out direct orders to protect the northern border, as it was the direction facing Synoble. She was a very competent military leader once herself in the Melrose navy, and after being injured in the leg she ran for President of the Nation. She boasted a high approval rating, but even if she didn't, numbers are flexible when you're a dictator.

The two Nations were preparing for decades of war as no end appeared to be in sight. Each combative stacked their borders with antiaircraft artillery, armored vehicles, mortars, and land mines. Of course, they also had approximately 3 million men each on the border facing closest to the other.
The bridge that connected the two Nations before the start of the war was barricaded, something that not even the first war between the opponents brought about.

Three days later, Captain Grogan was ordered to launch his massive counter attack on the neighboring state. After seven long days of fighting their way through Melrose forces, Captain Grogan had advanced his forces deep enough into Melrose territory that they were now positioned to launch a full fledged counter invasion, as apposed to just a counter attack. Really, the goal was locate and disarm, and destroy as many or all of Melrose's nuclear weapons.

In the newly setup camp Captain Grogan and his men had decided on launching a two pronged attacked, when He noticed a Silhouette up on the mountain.

"The fuck is that up on the mountain?" He whispered, keeping quiet.
"Sir, looks like it might be a Melrose spy. Should we check it out?"