Fiction

Mood: 

Die Apocalyptischen Reiter - Hört mich an

In February, during the first, most severe winter of the "year without a summer," the troops of the Moksan Khanate crossed the borders of the Hetmanate of Rusyns from the north and east. Intelligence reported to Khan Velmes II that the Rusyns were waiting for "liberation" from the rule of Hetman Vasilenko and would meet the Khan's troops with bread and salt. There were expectations of a "lightning war" and an easy victory.

But reality turned out to be quite different. Instead of joyful crowds of "liberated brothers," the Moksans were met by a desperate and organized force consisting of the regular army, local territorial defense, and hunter detachments from the public organization "Vilni Myslyvtsi" (Free Hunters). Every village, every farmstead, every small forest became a trap for the advancing hordes. People dug wolf pits into which enemy infantrymen fell, and used heavy machinery to dig kilometers-long lines of deep ditches that delayed the avalanche of the Khanate's armored vehicles.

In the first days of the war, the Moksan command neglected reconnaissance, which often led to a mechanized column running into such an obstacle and stopping. Commanders, not accustomed to showing initiative, simply waited for orders from the main headquarters. At this time, Rusyn artillery struck the column, corrected by small groups of "Plastuns"—special forces detachments of the Hetmanate army. The fiery tornado brought chaos and death, panic began in the column, soldiers abandoned equipment and scattered across the surrounding fields. After the artillery raid, "Plastuns," mobile territorial defense units, or free hunters entered the fray. They ruthlessly destroyed the scattered remnants of the Moksan troops, trying not to take prisoners—after it became known what atrocities the invaders were committing in the occupied territories.

The Rusyn army used old Cossack tactics: "Strike where it is weak, retreat from the strong." Small, highly mobile units equipped with the latest communication means delivered pinpoint strikes, quickly escaping return fire. It was a true network-centric war, where mobile groups acted like packs of wolves, tearing apart and destroying the huge, clumsy columns of Moksan heavy equipment. For tens of kilometers along the roads stretched the charred, smoking skeletons of the Khanate's self-propelled forts and armored cars.

The lightning war failed; the slaughter dragged on. The Moksan Khanate's main export product—grain—was lost due to the climate crisis. The exhaustion of the economy and resources forced the Khan to negotiate. The Moksans entrenched themselves in the territories they managed to capture and declared this a Great Victory. A grand military parade was held in the capital, designed to demonstrate the power and triumph of Khan Velmes II. After that, the Khanate preferred not to recall the war, which brought more losses than gains.

The Hetmanate also suffered huge human and material losses: cities were destroyed, many regions lay in ruins. Particular horror was brought by attacks of Moksan airships of the "Hadji Barak" type, which dropped incendiary bombs on peaceful cities. Poland provided great assistance in repelling these attacks. Despite formal neutrality, the Polish government sent volunteers, ammunition, and airplanes. Polish pilots became an important part of the Rusyn air force, forming the legendary air regiment Gryf.

After lengthy negotiations, a peace treaty was formally signed, but sabotage and spy sorties did not cease on the border. The Moksan Khanate used proxy forces for political pressure on the Hetmanate of Rusyns. In response, unconventional counteraction strategies had to be created.

For Rusyn society, the war became a heavy but unifying tragedy, after which a new generation of people grew up, knowing how to protect themselves and their land, ready to take up arms again at any moment.

However, the chaos caused by the Terrible Decade was not limited to Europe. The flames of catastrophe and social upheaval also engulfed the New World, where the United States faced an internal conflict unprecedented in cruelty, forever splitting the country into two irreconcilable camps.

The conflict between the North and South of the United States flared up with furious force and lasted four years. One of the most terrible civil wars unfolded on the country's territory, the battles of which were distinguished by unprecedented bitterness and ruthlessness toward the enemy. Farms and plantations burned, entire counties were ruined completely. Railways, the most important infrastructure, were subjected to systematic destruction. Rails were torn from the ground, heated, and twisted into knots, forming the so-called "ties of death," symbolizing the mercilessness of this war. Armies of both sides often shot hostages, staged mass executions, and brutally suppressed any manifestation of disloyalty.

The South, despite fewer resources, managed to attract thousands of volunteers inspired by the fight against slavery. The North, on the contrary, faced internal problems: slave revolts and mass strikes paralyzed industry and logistics. As a result, the Northern states found themselves in complete economic and social isolation and were forced to admit defeat.

After the war ended, a wide demilitarized zone arose between the two sides—a lifeless strip of land separating the once flourishing federation. In the North, power was seized by a harsh Protestant tyranny, which introduced a system of brutal segregation—"separate living." The black population was driven into controlled reservations, from where exit was permitted only with special passes to perform heavy labor. These reservations turned into real concentration camps where people were kept in inhumane conditions.

The Southern states also plunged into the darkness of repression, falling under the rule of generals who established a dictatorship with iron discipline and uncompromising cruelty during the war. After the war ended, they decided that the next war was inevitable and now was not the time to hand over power to civilian institutions. The wave of repression and cruelty made life in both states unbearable, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee.

Meanwhile, on the southern continent, Argentina chose a completely different path. Under the leadership of the charismatic and visionary President Alvaro Millares, the country adopted a progressive constitution based on the ideals of personal and economic freedom. Millares decisively reduced the state apparatus, destroyed bureaucratic barriers to economic development, and guaranteed the rule of law. Argentina became a beacon of hope for hundreds of thousands of refugees from the North and South of the former United States. The openness of society, low taxes, and the fairness of the judicial system attracted a multitude of talented and hardworking people. Thanks to this, Argentina rapidly turned into a leading world power, embodying dreams of freedom and prosperity.

Harada shifted his gaze to the right part of the map, and his heart beat faster. He examined the scattering of islands, his beloved and currently distant home.

Waves of upheaval reached East Asia, where the Celestial Empire was engulfed in the fire of internal conflicts. The failure of imperial reforms caused mass discontent, culminating in the Yihetuan Uprising (Boxer Rebellion), which flared up with furious force and quickly engulfed the Chinese provinces.

Observing the weakening of the metropolis, its most developed provinces—Tayoan and Japan—decided to seize the moment and proclaimed independence. These lands were linked by deep economic ties, and their inhabitants shared a desire for progress and modernization, which contrasted sharply with the stagnant foundations of continental China.

Realizing that open war and troop landings were impossible due to internal upheavals, the Chinese government tried to suppress the rebellious territories economically, establishing a tight naval blockade. However, Japan quickly found an original answer to this threat.

Using old armored cruisers, the Japanese created an entire fleet of blockade runners. These ships were converted into high-speed but well-protected transports capable of breaking through the barriers of Chinese patrols. Experienced captains were hired to command the vessels—fishermen and former skipper-smugglers who knew every bay, every shoal, and were capable of evading pursuit in any conditions.

The fleet of blockade runners became the artery supporting the economic life of Tayoan and Japan, allowing the supply of vital goods, weapons, and provisions. Despite the constant threat and risk, these daring voyages became a symbol of the struggle for independence and resilience of spirit.

Continental China proved powerless against the resourcefulness and bravery of those who were ready to defend the freedom and future of their countries at any cost.

Harada smiled as a stirring melody suddenly sounded in his head. He could almost hear the words:

«Kol od balevav penimah

Nefesh Yehudi homiyah

Ulfa'atey mizrach kadimah

Ayin l'Tzion tzofiyah…»

He looked at a tiny dot on the map, barely distinguishable among sands and mountains. The Republic of Israelites. His heart filled with warmth. He remembered the quiet, kind voice of Yakov Zusya humming this tune, long night watches on the captain's bridge of the ship, friendly conversations about life, history, faith, and politics. It was then that he realized he had fallen in love with this small but proud people with a history of thousands of years, a hard core inside, and a bleeding wound of exile in their heart.

When the Terrible Decade spread famine, wars, and chaos around the world, the Ottoman Empire, an ancient multinational power that had held on for centuries by military force, trade, and religious doctrine, began to decompose rapidly. Corruption, the weakness of central power, and the growing fatigue of the peoples led to its gradual but irreversible disintegration. It unraveled like a rotten sack filled with stones, and efforts to preserve its integrity only accelerated this process.

Twenty years before the start of this catastrophic period, Zionists held their First Congress. Then the idea of returning to the historical homeland seemed too distant: Jewish communities were well established, many lived in relative prosperity. But it was the consequences of the Terrible Decade—mass famine, wars, pogroms, and outbreaks of antisemitism—that triggered the start of mass Aliyah. Jews began to leave places where they were strangers to build a home where they would be their own.

The flow of settlers caused alarm in the weakened but still zealous Ottoman government. Jews did not accept Islam, did not swear allegiance to the Sultan, and—most importantly—did not intend to be vassals. The Empire began to block the arrival of ships, detain settlers in ports, and confiscate property. But the Aliyah did not stop. The settlers created self-defense units—Haganah—and for maritime operations, established an underground network capable of bypassing the blockade.

At this moment, a man appeared who changed the course of history. French by origin, Protestant by faith, and a professional soldier, Captain Gérard de Vigner became the one who created one of the most effective armies out of scattered groups of enthusiasts without any military experience. He believed that the return of the Jews to the Promised Land was part of a divine plan and dedicated his life to helping the young Israeli state. Gérard trained, fought, led the first raids, and laid the foundations of professionalism for the future Army of Israelites.

When the Republic of Israelites proclaimed independence, the Ottoman Empire tried to regain control, but it was too late. The Israelites already knew how to defend themselves. The war was fleeting and brutal. Victory brought not only independence but also confidence. A stream of exiles from all over the world poured into the country. Israel accepted everyone.

They drilled wells, built an irrigation system, and the desert bloomed. Scientists, engineers, medics, and farmers created a thriving state, small in territory but great in spirit.

Interaction with local Arab communities was built on a pragmatic basis: Arabs, few in number in these sparsely populated areas, valued the technological contribution of the settlers, and Jews, as "People of the Book," were not considered pagans in the Islamic tradition, which contributed to mutual understanding.

The first Prime Minister of the new republic was Solomon Ben-Zion — a man of iron will and prophetic vision. He was not only a politician but also the father of the nation. Under his leadership, a stable political system was built, the foundations of progressive education were laid, agrarian technologies advanced, and an army was created that even the strongest powers came to respect.

For the Jewish people, it became more than a state. It became home — a place where those who had survived persecution and fear could finally breathe freely.