HeySeuss

Soviet Amerika - Red Dawn-Inspired Alternate History

Dan didn't even want to know what happened to Fenway Park. He got the feeling Morse was holding out on him there, and probably for good reason.

Joe was already muttering about killing every communist he could find.

--

The meeting was the leadership of the larger bands or the entirety of a smaller band like theirs, riding in on the SUV. They'd packed the gear in there and drive, though not with the getaway vehicle from the killing. These days, the Vermont State Police patrolled two to a car and stuck to the highways, mostly due to desertions. The countryside was not, currently, under surveillance from aircraft or restricted for movement, but they had an old Toyota pickup fitted with off-roading gear to get them where they needed to go.

The countryside was no man's land for right now, with the operative philosophy being 'search and avoid' and 'don't observe and don't report' where the KGB didn't get much out of the Vermont State Police unless they were directly supervising and micromanaging, and micromanagement wasn't an efficient use of resources. There was an assumption that a similar dynamic prevailed in the more heavily occupied parts of the US where the Soviets had to do it themselves if they wanted it done, as there were few Americans that would willingly and enthusiastically cooperate with the commies...though Dan's brother was certainly one of them. Jeffrey Douglas seemed to be unwilling to disrupt his life and decided to go along with the Soviets, figuring perhaps that they would not dare to make extreme reforms in order to keep support. And he'd advise them on that.

But he didn't think of the family rat that much as they drove through the countryside. Instead, he kept his eyes sharp out for any trouble, watching the sky for aircraft and generally staying alert. But they managed to make it to the rendezvous point for the meeting, where they'd find things out. They were getting out of the SUV, Nari and the Giguere Brothers already started to unload when Dan leaned over for a quiet word with Joe, breaking his silence on the ride.

"Joe, this shit is gonna get real. I want you to promise me something. Whatever happens, if I am hit and I gotta be left behind, I want you to put me down. I don't think I can pull the trigger on myself and these KGB fuckers have a way of making you talk no matter what. I don't want to be a hostage. My mom won't understand, but my dad will."

Grim stuff, but practical.

Nar Mat Kordh-Ishi - The Orcish Mercenary Saga

Also, my feeling is that Lord Arad might have hired some barbarians to stiffen up the infantry. So tougher melee fighters to help support the line. They're still cavalry heavy and facing a warg cavalry that has serious advantages against bunny heavy cavalry.

The human mages are probably softening up the ground to bog down the orcish infantry, as well, as they are heavily armored and this would give advantage to the barbarian infantry.

Gutcheck

Bob Duncan was showing Jared around; Lyon went back to his job and Gatti went off to do something else after there were handshakes. Inking the contract was the GM's end, now that they had an understanding and everyone was on board.

Bob was younger, a sharp Stanford business guy that was, as expected, a fanatical hockey fan. Analytics, numbers, discipline and process, those were words that came up in conversation. "We're really excited to see what you can do with the Sabres, Jared. I mean, you were just peaking with the Caps, but the fitness wasn't what it needed to be. We've got this lady that really knows what she is doing, and I think we'll be able to tune you up so you can stay on the ice."

Same thing that Jared was hoping for, in all honesty. His workouts, for better or for worse, focused on upper body strength, "It looks like you want the play to go by process around here," he observed.

Duncan nodded as they walked down the hall, gesturing in animated fashion, shirtsleeves rolled up. He wore a button down and dress pants, but with an Apple watch on his wrist rather than something fancy, "We can train people up in the technical skills, and we're gonna emphasize it, and we can get everyone physically fit, and that's a religion here. But you can't train people for guts and fire, and that's what you have. Everyone saw that power play in the fall of 2016, and everyone saw what you were doing in the playoffs. You don't like to give away the puck and you don't make a lot of fouls. You're a rock out there, but the training we're going to do will focus on building on what you have; faster, better skating, flexibility and resilience. The puck to the thigh was a fluke, but the recovery work done at Washington, at least from what Em says, was not the best, and the injury in the playoffs shouldn't have happened."

Jared nodded, as they rounded another corner, along with some introductions and waves in the hallway. He was smiling already, because guys in the hall were nodding in respect, obviously pleased to see him coming on board with the Sabres.

"I'll do whatever it takes. First match is Montreal. We need to wipe the Habs off the fuckin' ice. I want to play that game. And if you are saying you want to throw me forward and have me play center or d-man, I'm your guy. Whatever it takes." As a Boston guy, he had no love for the Canadiens, and it showed. No one liked Pittsburgh, but Boston guys hated Montreal.

"Good to hear. You'll be working with Em. She's gonna make you sweat until it's blood out your pores and is going to work on building up flexibility." When they got to the rehab room, Bob Duncan called out, "Em, we're signing this guy and we need him for the opener. This is your special project!"

Gutcheck

@Lola

Gutcheck

The Sabres had an awful year that saw the GM and Head Coach sacked at the end of it. That meant that Jared Landry, late of the Washington Capitals, was sitting in a hot seat in a meeting with an owner that was laying it on the line, a GM that needed to build a new unit fast, and a head coach that was under the gun.

He was coming in as a player that had lots of potential and showed a flash of it last year in the playoffs for the Division against the Pittsburgh Penguins. One of the other shifts needed a D-man and he showed a brief blaze of glory in the playoffs. Before that, limited stick time. His second season, the last, was supposed to be when he rolled out, but he took a slapshotted puck to the thigh that created a break...and that during a powerplay, a man down. Instead of switching out and creating another man down, even for fifteen seconds, he finished his shift in an excruciating haze of pain.

That was early season. He came back for the playoffs with a new intensity to his play, but pushed it a little too hard. Nothing big, but the medical history showed that he was still fragile, even if he was lucky. Maybe it was the training, maybe it was the rehab, but Landry was not all there in fitness.

But he was the right stuff. A thick-necked, blonde haired half-French Canadian, half-Boston Irish kid that played smash-mouth hockey at Malden Catholic and for some of the Boston area junior teams before being drafted into the Caps. Like most hockey players, he was a pretty casual dresser, with a t-shirt tucked into jeans. He sat in the spartan office with the cheap furniture and the minimalistic decoration, lots of laptops, cables and TV screens, a place of intensity and focus. Stacks of paper, guys working their asses off on every element of the game. And the new GM and coach were being worked. The pressure was on, like ozone after lightning strikes in the room.

His physical training involved a lot of weight lifting, using a guy the team set him up with, and it hadn't worked out too well. Talented guy, talented enough on that hot playoff streak that when he got injured on Game 6, it was considered a huge loss to the Caps' Stanley Cup chances. For a young guy coming in to replace a more experienced guy on the third shift, he quickly established himself with the control of the puck, the technical play.

He had ferocity, and that's why Gennaro Gatti, the owner, said that he wanted a guy like Landry. The Caps had enough D-Man talent that they were willing to trade and Bob Duncan, the GM, and Eduoard Lyon, the new Head Coach, were sold on the idea. Not only that, this was a guy that the fanbase wanted -- Buffalo was a hardscrabble city with a reputation for guts. A working class crowd wanted to see a team that would fight, with guys like Landry in there bringing steel to the spine of the unit. They'd even forgive that he was a guy that would rather be playing for the Bruins -- he played like a Boston Bruin, with ferocity, unafraid of getting in the mix. But, the playoffs showed something else; assists and goal scoring, Bobby Orr stuff.

But the trade wasn't inked yet. The Caps wanted it, because it was a good trade for them. But the GM and the Coach had to meet the guy first. They wanted to figure out the man's mindset, whether or not he had it in him to do more of that. If not, they weren't going to waste their time.

"So how do you feel about being here? Especially given the fuckin' season we just had?" Gatti was a notorious straight shooter, a squat man in exquisite clothing that did nothing to dispel the pitbull manner he engaged people. You could throw a hair treatment on a guy, but that changed little.

So Jared told him, "I came here to play hockey. I will do whatever it takes on the ice. Last season doesn't matter, because this is the next season. And nothing matters but the Stanley Cup."

"Yeah, but you just got traded by the Caps. How does that feel? They're a good team," Lyon asked. Quebecois, graying panther type, big lumnberjack shoulders in a polo shirt with a bit of gut.

"Coach, they weren't good enough to beat the Penguins, who won the Cup. They don't want me, and I don't wanna be where I'm not wanted. Hell, they don't need more defensemen, they have plenty. I want time on the stick, and if you're giving it to me, I'm your man." He had some heat and some strength to him, intensity.

That caused an exchange of glances between Lyon and Duncan; the GM made the decisions on this stuff.

Landry was great in the playoffs, coming in for someone else that took an injury, but he was fragile. He'd racked up a huge performance in the playoffs, but he needed work. They saw it in the meeting that the kid meant was going to leave it all on the ice. That spirit was what got the nod.

"That's awesome, Jared, and we're really happy to have you. But we're worried about the shape you're in. We're rebuilding this team," the Duncan laid out with nods from the other two -- they were in accord and they were going to; it wasn't like this was news, "And your problem is fitness. I want you to meet one of our best physical rehab and workout people, because I think you'll like her."

He gestured to the door. And that was the trick, women were kind of rare in this line of work.

Gutcheck

Placeholder for the OOC?

Nar Mat Kordh-Ishi - The Orcish Mercenary Saga

Yes. Given how gloriously I might imagine it, it may not be entirely conform to reality or.. your plan for the end of this battle?... O.o

@Samdragonx

They might be a little hard to hold because the magicians are supporting them. Fair fight for the moment, thanks to bunny magic.

Nar Mat Kordh-Ishi - The Orcish Mercenary Saga

Yes, sir!

I'm trying to put ours together.. it's just a bit questionable as we don't know the specs.

@Samdragonx

You mean about the enemy? I can provide that if you don't want to devise it for what you need.

Nar Mat Kordh-Ishi - The Orcish Mercenary Saga

Hello folks, if anyone is on today and wants to get collabs moving, I am going to try to start them beyond the prompts. I would welcome the interaction.

Mobile F.R.A.M.E. - Seeking partners for development. (Real-robot mecha with an 80's/90's anime/RPG flair, space opera and cyberpunk elements)

Hard yes on interest for this.