Bienville, Alabama, the United States of America
September 13th, 1834
"Move out of the way!" Lance Corporal Aston Davidson pushed another soldier out of the way as he entered the city of Bienville and rapidly moved towards the port. The Alliance, after two shattering naval engagements, was now in a full-retreat and every soldier on the North American continent was scurrying to escape from the hellhole that was known as the United States. While the United States had metal monstrosities that could blow any wooden ships out of the water, a few ships had managed to slip through the blockade and flee across the Atlantic. Of course, just as many ships were sunk (with thousands of British, Portuguese, French, and Spanish soldiers unaccounted for due to the United States Navy), but almost all the surviving soldiers were willing to take a risk to return home. His regiment, the 4th King's Regiment of Foot, was already scattered and broken due to previous engagements and a breakdown in supplies. Many of them had been stricken with diseases as well, which meant that he was able to flee from his unit with very little trouble. Technically, he was deserting, but considering that tens of thousands of other British soldiers were also deserting to escape the United States, there was very little chance that he would be caught and court-martialed.
Especially since the American soldiers were becoming more and more brutal to their opponents.
The death of America's first president had radicalized the Americans. They were already hardy and stubborn but now, they were extremely motivated and determined to wipe out their enemies. There were rumors of American soldiers shooting surrendering prisoners, especially if they were found anywhere near the concentration camps. And Corporal Davidson had personally seen thousands of Americans charging into flying bullets and shells screaming, "Semper Fi!" even if they were not in the Marines. He had learned in the early days of the war that the American Marines were some of the toughest soldiers the United States had to offer, but now it seemed like all American soldiers were now the toughest soldiers the British Army had ever faced. The Americans were advancing faster and faster and now, only a month after the old "Hun's" death, the United States was on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and the Alliance had its back to the wall. Behind the invaders were invulnerable American metal warships that sank anything they saw. In front of the invaders were hundreds of thousands of angry American soldiers (rumored to number at least 300,000) armed with the best weaponry and equipment in the world.
The thought of earning riches and returning to Britain as a moderately wealthy man flew out the window a long time ago. Now, he was bent on surviving and making sure that he didn't die in this wretched, foreign land. The American Army was already on the outskirts of Bienville, so he only had mere hours before he would either be captured or shot at by a group of disgruntled American troops. He barely held onto his rifle as he breezed through the ruined streets of central Bienville and made his way down south. As he was running, he saw a large group of Alliance soldiers hiding behind rubble and buildings while shooting their firearms. Most of them were British, but there was a mix of Portuguese and French soldiers as well (though, no Indian troops as many had been sent to the front to delay the Americans). When Davidson moved closer, he saw that several American soldiers were in front of them and firing indiscriminately into the Alliance ranks. He swore as he slid into cover and fired back with his breechloader.
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"How the hell did they get over here?" Corporal Davidson asked as he shot one of the exposed American soldiers.
"The Indians!" One of the British soldiers shouted back with a noticeable Welsh accent, "Bloody traitors opening up for that damned Winfield to flank us! Every port from here to Okafi is swarming with American troops!"
"The Indians betrayed us?"
"What do you think? The lot surrendered in mass numbers!"
Corporal Davidson cursed his rotten luck and the Indians as he ran into a building to take cover and have a better position to fire on the American soldiers. He promised to God that if he managed to return home safely, he would never touch a firearm again and repent for forgiveness. Just anything to escape and return home, even with only the clothes on his back.
However, just as he entered a partially destroyed building, he spotted a black American Marine enter into the building as well. The Marine's uniform proclaimed him as a member of the famed Marine Recon Battalion and a dozen other Marines flanked the black Marine as well. Right as Corporal Davidson was about to throw down his weapon and surrender, the Marine frowned and fired his rifle.
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Private Leonard Vital of the 1st Marine Recon Battalion, United States Marine Corps, watched as the British soldier crumpled onto the ground with a gaping hole in his head. He saw the British soldier react to his presence and responded instantaneously, due to his previous experience as a partisan and training from the Gurkhas. He had joined up with the Marines after the United States Military liberated Florida, as he discovered his father had perished in the Tallahassee Concentration Camp. Discovering that his father had been killed by the invaders made him enraged and he joined up with the military to cleanse the United States from the stain of the invaders. Oh he was definitely "young," but his combat experience, along with his training (directly under Gurkha special operators), was second to none compared to many of the American troops and he had been placed in the special 1st Marine Recon Battalion after enlisting. He and his unit were one of the first troops within Bienville after General Winfield Scott managed to create a breach in the final Alliance defensive lines due to the defection of thousands of Indian troops.
"No time to stand around, private," His sergeant evenly stated, narrowing his eyes as he saw the dead British soldier, "We have work to do."
"Yes, sarge."
With that, the small group of American Marines moved forward to completely cut off the Alliance troops from retreating. If they liberated Bienville, then the only other port the Alliance soldiers could escape from was New Orleans, which was already under siege from General Harrison in the west...