The Siege of Akbar Bay

## Prelude: December 1905

It was cold but that wasn't why it was quite. Cities in the Shelter Islands were used to the cold, they were quite for another reason. Five thousand children of the shelters island, took up the name of a dead house and boarded the ships that would take the across the seas. The crowds gathered to watch the embarkation, some had dared to hope the new millennia would be different then the old, the hopes died in the well ordered crescendo of marching boots. When they had boarded the Monitors with their breastworks fitted took their place in line Behind the Transport Liner and ahead of the Collier.  A full battle squadron escorted the out. Half would turn back, firing a full salute the rest would stay until Drakenstaat. None who witnessed the sight remained unmoved. The Chattering of engines and the crash of boots had begun once again.

It had been a long march across most of the empire for the 20,000 soldiers of the Mon Caln 103rd Combat engineering Division, but the coast of Waziria was in sight. There for on that night they made their final preparations. of the force better than three quarters were tribals of one sort or another, only half were considered "Mon Caln" proper. Five hundred years ago the Mon Caln would have made wars on these tribes, three hundred and they would have tried to erase these traditions, less than a century and they would have mocked them. But theses were new times, and the light of knowledge had touched them, and in it they found joy in the histories of their cousin kin. Now none of them would leave the shore of their home without woad on their skin. The Steelfangs took it the furthest and painted cermonialy painted the skulls on their faces their people had for generations when ever war loomed. Bonfires blazed as chants rang through the night Chants and drums rang out. Never before had so many been gathered in one place like this, 16 tribes were represented: Bone hounds, Cold waters, Tree Runners and so many more. In the past they had mad war on each other and the Mon Caln but they too had seen the light and in it found purpose, unity and hope. whatever they were before, and who ever they might be on their return home, they were now the Wolves Of Saddia and the Hunt called to them.

It had been three months since they had been taken off the Maoudian/Arkadyetsiya Border Garrison. The 25,000 men of 10th Riverine Division hadn't wasted it. They were drilling and training. They were now better with their boats then ever before. Most had lived their entire lives on the water but training and had still found thines to teach them. Most had spent their lives with a pistol in hand, but training had made them better. The Maoudi did not have uniforms the same other nations did an no two of her soldiers look the same. The pistol was always there but what it was and where it was worn changed, some had quickdraw rigs others protective cases. Some belts were etched with the Glories of the past, others were blank, their only story being efficiency. The Hats each man wore were even more unique each a story of the man it belonged to Some were crudely patched other bore elegant feathers that would delight a noble woman. Together they formed a living tapestry of the nation. The most uniform thing to them was the rifles, and it was here they had spent most of their time on drill. Pistols may be the favored weapons but rigels were thee weapon of war and so each man relearned the gun inside and out.The transports they had been waiting on had arrived just as they had feared they never would and even now they loaded their boats onto the boats to take them to the ships. Flags waved above them, Their Kingdom, the neighboring princedom, The L'acquan. Many of their fathers or grandfathers had fought one of those but here they were boarding ships in high spirits to meet on the fields of battle as brothers.

## The Offer & The March

### January 1906

The fleet arrives in correct are and takes port in Choir. Maoudian officers have taken the trip to familiarize and practice the method of flare and flag that will bu used to communicate with their House Rukarra artillery support. Training continues after arrival.

### February

The march begins, Minfeg has been given every opportunity to deal with this situation on her own merits they have failed. The chosen point is some six miles distant from the fort. Well outside the range of it's guns. From there on the rockshore of the beach a great work would be wrought. While three quarters of the Mon Caln elements dug in and fortified the beach head the remaining five thousand poured concrete and laid rail track. Three times did a sniper take a shot, hidden in rock. three times did the twenty heavy guns thunder roar and break another spar of land. There was not a fourth. Nine days past, the fishermen on the sea and nearby river gew bold and began hawking the outsiders their clutches, Mon Caln were wary for their part but the fresh food was ever persuasive and baterer they. The locals proved equally fond of the tinned beef they were offered, so rare was red meat. On the ninth day the work was complete enough to progress. Fisher men who only sparing heard the growl of a steam engine stood in amazement as the the specialist barge was unwound from the transport ship and mighty cranes placed up on it a pair of rail guns and their tenders. Such equipment was rare even on a global scale. They had thought they under stood what was about to happen, they though it would be like all the other times foreign armies came to Minfeng. Now they saw differently. Still, they came back fear and superstition will only stand in the way of profit so long.

### March

A response was always coming. The eleventh day brought it forth. There weren't many of them, only about five thousand all told. the were the Local militia from the area north. They were observed from another marvel, the spotter Ballon.
A single shell from a 76 mm gun fell near them as the cautiously marched. Near, not on, a deliberate difference. It was enough as predicted the concripts began firing wildly to drive off imagined ambushers. It took less than a tenth hour for them to exhaust the munitions. At which point their officers saw no choice but to withdraw. They would not return before the matter was settled. They weren't paid enough to hurry.

From His fortress some six miles distant the disgraced Warlord Wattana Nguyen watched as the situation grew worse. His stronghold protected one of the wishbone ends of the River as it flowed to the sea. His enemies controlled the other. He has a sloop, they had cruisers. He had rifles, they had more, he had machine guns they had auto cannon. He had cannons theirs were bigger than his mobile guns and out of range of the fort big stuff. But they had railguns, he had no answer to those. So he did the only thing he could and ordered an attack.