[b] The Night Before [/b] 
Things were all normal within the Union, things moved on people died and babies were born. Spirits were high seeing as once again The Ashland River Dragons had just beat the Fort Knox Goldiggers in their much smaller version of the super bowl, so people who didn't come from within the Capital were feeling ten feet tall. Throughout the streets of many settlements people celebrated. Hooting and howling, as well as getting drunk on homemade moonshine or the much more expensive "Kentucky Hooch" They were allowed to celebrate but their protectors sat upon the walls watching wishing that it was them their machine guns pointing out of the wall looking for threats outside of them unaware of the ones within.

In one of the more popular bars in the capital a place where senators frequented due to the expensive array of alcohol and the loose women who inhabited it. A large bag chimed loudly and then there was a loud explosion that consumed half of the bar in a large fireball, the shockwave blew out windows and killed many who were in it's path, those further away from the blast were deafened momentarily. Almost instantly the military was in action, filling up buckets with water and throwing it on anything that caught fire. Making a line and passing up buckets, and that was the night things changed. 

[b] The Next Day [/b]

The weather was mild and the sun still rose on the streets before them were a gathered array of people, the ones in the first few rows were senators, and behind them were widows and orphans dressed in black. Travis Knight sat to the left of Claira the leader of the outriders and his boss, and on her right sat a general who was wearing the pure black dress uniform his father had made for officers. They sat on a stage overlooking the gathered crowd, waiting for his father to emerge from behind the curtain. When he did emerge it was to a entire band playing him off and everyone in the audience bowing down to him head to the ground, when he didn't do it Claira shot him a look and Travis quickly bowed down to his own father. "You may rise my people." His father said, speaking into the microphone that had been provided for him on a podium. Hesitantly they rose and Joseph Knight spoke again. "The Lords of Ruin are claiming this attack! They killed good men and women, they've caused us nothing but grief." He said, and paused looking to the crowd for subtle cues. "I say no more will we let them get away with this, no more will they plague us and cause us harm. We will kill them, and hang their bodies in the streets so we can show anyone like them that we will not take this anymore!" He shouted, his voice speaking with passion and fervor that even the most devout priest would be hard to match. "We go to war today! And we will kill any who oppose us!" He shouted, and there were claps and whoops among the crowd. "This will not stop until they lie broken at our feet." He said, and turned away from the podium people now clapping and hollering. The sound was deafening as Travis watched his father walk off the stage and into the horse drawn carriage he rode around in. Gently he rose and Claira met his eyes and nodded.

It didn't take long for the officers to meet, they were sat around a large oaken table in a meeting room within Fort Knox itself, they had been talking about what they were going to do for over half a hour and they finally agreed on a plan of action. So they were just starting to file out of the room, soon enough it was just Travis and Claira sitting alone in the meeting room and she turned to him. "So you think you're actually fighting don't you?" She asked him, Travis tensed and looked to her. "I'm not fighting?" He asked.
"And risk the life of the presidents only child? You think i enjoy the thought of dying. No instead me and you are going on a nice little road trip to Missouri. We got some things to trade off, perhaps we can get something good out of them. We are still looking for a old world flag after all."
"I guess that sounds alright."
"Hah it will be fun, riding the worms. Making camp under the stars, much better than being shot at constantly i assure you."
Travis said nothing, instead he rose and walked out of the room without waiting to be dismissed. He was pissed, people had coddled him for all his life because he was the presidents son and now even his commander was doing it he should of been fighting but he would go along with this mission, perhaps something would happen to him anyways. 

[hider=Progress report]
Other than the bombing things are all good within the union, a state of total war has been declared though and all production has gone to making bullets,bandages, and weapons for the new surge of recruits signing on from the bombing by the lords of ruin.

[list]
[*]There is a surge of recruitment within the union, more people are being placed into uniforms
[*] Production switched to wartime production.
[*] Trade mission to be conducted into Missouri.
[*] Morale is at a all time high.
[/list] [/hider]