Matthew S. Williams's Blog, page 156

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 33

“If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.”

-Sun Tzu

They sat their together – the LT, Grayson, and her squad – and watched as the status of Warlock’s and all still inside unfurled in front of them. The building had never looked particularly impressive on its own, a squat red-brick structure some three stories in height. A converted building everyone knew, something the Mage had insisted on in order to give their forces a commanding presence in town.

But in the past year it had taken on a significance that few other place in their world could rival. The world had shrunk considerably in order to make that happen, but in the midst of that, Warlock had stood as a beacon and a reminder that someday, they would open it back up again.

And now, someone else had kicked in the door and expanded their world by several orders of magnitude. In one fell swoop, they had forced every Rattlesnake their was to think beyond the borders they knew, to consider the enemy they did not know, and to fear the things they had no accounting of.

They sat and watched, the enemy before them. And still they couldn’t fathom who they might be.

“I see three Blackhawks landing at the edge of the parking field,” said Saunders. “They’ve taken over the barracks and the North Wing, that’s much for sure…”

“Do you see any insignias?” the LT asked, sitting close by, looking on as Vasquez waited with the radio.

“Yes, sir,” she said, though it was one she did not recognize. “All the choppers appear to be bearing the same one – a fist sitting between Eagle Wings. Nothing I’ve seen before.”

The LT hummed thoughtfully. Apparently, he hadn’t either, given that response.

“We got attack choppers too,” she said, a tad mournfully. “AH-64′s, must have been providing escort. Same insignia, no change there…”

“What about the ground forces?”

Saunders panned around the general vicinity of the parking area. Troop vehicles and armored personnel carriers were peppered throughout the area, most concentrated near the barracks, which the troops had taken possession of.

Bastards! Who knew what they were doing in there? No doubt grabbing a hold of her and other people’s stuff. She shuddered to think of what they might be doing to the contents of her footlocker…

“I got M2′s and LAV’s, all bearing the chevron,” she said. “Apparently, these guys were Coalition at one time.”

“Hoo-wah,” Braun muttered, his voice bereft of enthusiasm. Such designations were almost meaningless now, in the midst of this fight. “Anything else?”

She wavered for a second, unable to discern anything more of value. And then she spotted the small cluster of men wandering about the troop truck, clad in black vestments and carrying MP5′s. Even their faces were decked out in black, black helmets and goggles, and face paint and to match. The only thing that stood out from this monochromatic pattern was the badges on their shoulders.

“I got some troops wearing color patches…” she said uncertainly. The distance made it hard to make out exactly. “Looks like a blue shield with a red line across.”

“What?” Braun said, moving in very close to her.

“That’s what it looks like. Blue shield, rounded bottom, red stripe cutting from right to left, top to bottom.”

“Are you sure?” he said forcefully. “Be sure!”

“See for yourself, sir,” she said, offering him the binocs. He grabbed them eagerly and peered through. For several tense seconds, Braun stared at the formation of men that she was watching seconds before.

“I know these men,” he said quietly, but menacingly. “Special Forces, based out of Birmingham.”

He lowered the binocs and sighed deeply. Somehow, he looked to be relieved. She wasn’t sure why exactly, but she could assume that there was some measure of relief in finally knowing something about who was attacking them. It didn’t last though. As he handed the binocs back to her, an expression of anger quickly took him over.

“Vasquez,” he said, turning to his radio operator. “Get on the horn with Haynes. Tell him I have an intelligence update on -”

“Hold up!” Saunders interrupted. The sound of new rotors could be heard coming from the distance. She looked back to the sky and scanned for the signs of it. Whitman quickly pointed her in the right direction.

“Ten o’clock high,” he said, pointing in the direction of an obscuring tree. She rolled to her right and spotted the culprit, an Osprey that was coming in for a landing. The pilot eventually picked an open spot several dozens meters from where the Blackhawks and Apaches had landed in their tight formation, at the very edge of the parkade.

It was white, freshly painted and opulent in the morning sun. On the sides, black lettering and numbers were painted on, but it was the insignia on the tail fins with interested her right now. She knew the LT would be extremely interested himself in just a moment…

“I got a sphinx sitting on a shield. Looks like half a globe on the bottom… and a sword over them both.”

She was right. The LT was all over that the moment she was finished describing it. She was sure to have the binocs ready to hand off this time, as he snatched them up very quickly.

“Motherfucker…” he breathed. Behind him, Vasquez was holding the receiver in his hand.

“Sir? Do I still place the call, sir?”

He lowered his head and gave it a slow shake. This was bad, Saunders could see. Whoever these men were, the LT was not feeling better about the fact that he could identify them. And no doubt he wasn’t too crazy about the task of having to parlay this on up the line. If he wasn’t happy, the Colonel would be downright pissed.

Such was the way of things when it came to operational intel. The farther up the line the revelation went, the worse it was received. It was like introducing ripples into a pond, she’d learned long ago.

Taking the receiver in hand, he began to elucidate: “Rattlesnake, this is Viper One Actual. We have eyes on Warlock and have ID’d hostile elements.”

“Rattlesnake to Viper One, go ahead, over.”

It was not the Colonel’s voice on the line. Some lower comm officer was handling the phones right now.

“We have eyes on elements of the 902nd Military Intelligence Group on site, just arrived by means of an Victor twenty-two. Special forces units bearing insignia of 20th Special Forces Group. Armored elements bearing Coalition chevron, choppers bearing unknown insignia. However, all indications seem to be 29th Infantry Division – the Bravo Golf’s – based out of Virginia, Maryland and Alabama, over.”

The radio operator took it in all in, replied eventually: “Affirmative, Viper One Actual. Thank you for the intel. Rattlesnake Actual sends his thanks, over.”

Braun handed the mike back to Vasquez and stewed quietly on the line for a moment. Saunders handed Whitman the binocs and stewed with him. She couldn’t imagine what was going through his head at this moment, but she enough to know he was deeply concerned. For one, she knew since LA that the people he was staring at were his  former peers and comrades. She also knew something else particularly chilling, and it was no doubt what was preoccupying Braun at this very moment…

“Sir?” she whispered. “These forces. Same people we met in LA?”

He nodded his head, his lips curled tightly. She lowered her head and emitted a quiet curse.

“So it is because of our op…” she concluded. “They’re here for him.”

“Seems that way,” he confirmed. “Only question is, do they got him? And if so, what’s that mean?”

Saunders shook her head. She was sure she could offer a cogent answer if Braun were truly expecting one from her, and the full weight of recent realizations weren’t already weighing her down. But alas, she knew the question was rhetorical. Right now, none of that even mattered. All that mattered was their next move. Whatever that was…

They all looked up with a start when the radio came back on. “Viper One Actual, this is Rattlesnake. Respond please.”

Braun reached out for the receiver and grabbed it hastily when Vasquez unhooked it from the pack. He seemed eager to talk to speak to command for a change, not a good sign under any circumstances. At least Haynes wasn’t on the line again, which was perhaps a positive sign in itself.

Pressing the device to his ear, Braun keyed the mike and replied: “This is Viper Actual, go ahead Rattlesnake.”

“Viper Actual, what is the status of your transport, over?”

“Functional, sir. Our compliment of heavy truck was destroyed, but we still have four Hector Mike Victors in working order, over.”

He released the mike and waited eagerly. Was Haynes asking them if they would be capable of mounting a rescue op? Not the most ideal mission, considering their enemies disposition, but Saunders could tell he was eager to get a look inside HQ, see if the Mage was still alive. On some level, he must have been concerned about Mance too, whether or not his vaunted remains were still inside and unspoiled…

“Viper Actual, be advised, you have received no order. Your unit is to reroute to sector Whiskey Echo and assist in the seizure of a High-Value Asset. Coordinates to follow…”

Saunders and her squad all looked at each other, waited as the communications officer rattled off a series of coordinates and Braun repeated them back to him. When he was finished and had handed the mike back to Vasquez for the last time, a slew of questions followed.

“High-Value Asset?”

“Reroute?”

“What was that shit about special forces?”

Everyone looked at Whitman with scorn in their eyes. He shrugged. They’d all kept their questions to themselves until now, what was he to do? When Saunders looked back at Braun, she noticed a smile forming on his face.

“Son of a bitch…” he breathed.

“Sir?” she asked, not yet in the know herself. He looked at her, the smile getting bigger and exposing all his pearly whites.

“He got out… clever son of a bitch got out!”

3-D Printed Guns. The Future is Frightening!

In what has proven to be a frightening development to many, it now seems that it may be even easier for people to get their hands on guns without background checks, identification, or licenses. All you need is a computer, an internet hookup, and access to a 3D printer. It might sound like the stuff of science fiction, but thanks to at least one group of people who have all three, it appears to be entirely doable.

One such group is Defense Distributed, an online, open-source, non-profit organization that seeks to create a “Wiki weapon” – i.e. a weapon downloaded and printed with 3D technology. The group recently claimed to have downloaded the specs for a weapon from the internet, inputted them into a 3D printer, assembled the resulting plastic pieces, and then used it as one would a regular gun.

According to Cody Wilson, a University of Texas law student and the  “Wiki Weapons” project leader, the group last month test fired a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle which was built with parts created on a 3-D printer. The gun was fired six times before it broke. Though no independent observers were on hand to verify the test, but a short video was posted to Youtube to back up the claim.

Naturally, the news has a number of people nervous, not the least of which are gun control advocates. Not only is an AR-15 an automatic weapon that was used in last week’s Connecticut School Massacre, the technology could also give countless people the ability to generate deadly guns in a way that remains unregulated and unmonitored. With gun control already at the top of the US government’s agenda, this news is expected to influence the debate.

What’s more, the fact that the issue of gun control has been gaining so much momentum in the last week  could be seen as a likely influence for the group’s efforts. Wilson, who apparently expressed concern over the recent shootings, is motivated by his belief in the Second Amendment. In the end, he claims, free access to firearms is far more important than a single terrible tragedy, which he also characterized as an inevitable result of having the right to bear arms.What’s more, his group made it clear that though they discussed stopping in the light of the recent tragedy, they have no intention of stopping, believing their work to be “too important to stop.”

I imagine they would feel differently if they had children that were amongst the victims.

So I put the question to others, is this a development which holds frighten the general citizenry? Are tougher gun control laws, should Congress approve them, coming at a time when they are in danger of becoming obsolete? And if so, what’s to be done about it?

Personally, I am quite worried. For some time I have been extolling the virtues of new media, the internet, and the freedom it engenders, specifically in terms of information. When it came to 3D printing and other revolutionary fabrication processes, I figured the potential for good outweighed the potential for harm. But at Wilson and his compatriots at Defense Distributed may have demonstrated, bad people, or simply misguided people, can use it for entirely harmful purposes!

Source: CBC.ca

Happy Post-Apocalypse Day!

End of Days by taenaro

Hello folks and welcome to the post-apocalypse. For those of you who didn’t sell your possessions yesterday and head for the hills, might I offer my congratulations. As for the rest, I’m sure they’ll trickle back when they realize the sun is still rising in the east and setting in the west. I have to say though, now that we’ve reached the point in our cosmic cycle where the Mayan Calendar is now done – a dating system invented by people whose concept of time went far beyond our own – I do feel a bit sad.

Seems like whenever one epoch ends, things seem a little open and uncertain, the future somehow more free. And I do worry what the Apocalyptics will be tapping into next to feed their End of Days frenzy. If I had to guess I’d say it will be personal branding and implants, since there’s already plenty of folks out there who insists this is the “Mark of the Beast”.

But hey, count your blessings, right? We’re all still here, still breathing, and the world is still spinning. And I for one am pretty happy about that, even if it does mean we’re all still prone to the heartache and the thousand natural shocks the flesh is heir to, some of us more than others! The only thing it really means is that we’ll have to deal with said problems, and work hard to ensure that the world doesn’t end by the slow, natural causes we’ve spent many millennia unleashing.

And on another happy note, I just bought a new computer! My old one was already slouching towards its inevitable demise when a little accident involving some beer and too many glasses caused some of the keys to stop working. So as an early Christmas gift, the wife took me shopping and I scored a new one. Expect plenty of productive weeks and months ahead as I exploit the speed and capacity of this new machine to its full potential. I might be a little slow at first, as it is the holidays, but come January 2013, expect to hear plenty from me!

Oh, and of course, Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013! Hope you all have a lovely holiday filled with plenty of friends, family, fun, holiday eats, and some precious swag! See you all in the New Year and hope to have plenty for you

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 32

“Join the army, meet interesting people, kill them.”

- Graffiti At Bromley

The going was slow, moving up the streets between people’s backyards and back alleys. As the point squad, they were the first to encounter all the obstacles, which at this point constituted a tall fence. Whitman was the first to jump over, waiting on the other side as Mill tossed his SAW over and then proceeded to jump.

Saunders went over next, Jones giving her a boost by taking hold of her foot and giving it a good shove. As Sergeant, it was a privilege she was entitled to, mainly because she went in the middle. Jones and Majorca followed, the same SAW pass taking place before the latter jumped over. With the entire squad clear, they pushed ahead, moving through a set of hedges and a picket fence with a man sized aperture.

In the next yard, things proved a bit easier. They had a clear view to the street as soon as they were through the bushes and onto the grassy lawn. Keeping low, they moved ahead two by two to a small set of trees at the edge of it. Evergreens, their branches just bushy enough to hide one person at a time from any passerbys who might be using the street ahead.

Saunders moved through the yard, crouched low and holding her SCAR by her side. She made it halfway through when from up ahead, Whitman raised his fist.

“Get down!” she called back. Everyone dropped flat where they lay. The sound of a diesel engine and the rumbling of treads against asphalt became unavoidable up ahead. She hugged the earth and waited for whatever it was to come and go, praying that they weren’t planning to stop.

It appeared suddenly and moved quickly by. An M2 from the look of it, the chassis higher and heavier than the LAV they had encountered earlier. A crew member had their head sticking out of the roof, eyes trained straight ahead. When they were gone, Saunders breathed a sigh of relief and waved Majorca and Jones forward. Slowly, they crawled forward to the evergreens and nestled in close to Whitman and Mill.

Saunders jumped on the comm. “Viper One Actual, this is One One. We have enemy contact ahead, Mike-Two armored vehicle moving north along San Juan. Be advised, over.”

Braun came back, whispering through the comm. “Acknowledge, Viper One One. Proceed when you’re clear.”

Saunders crept forward to the nearest car, crouched behind its bumper and checked the length of the street. No foot mobiles appeared to be following in the M2′s wake. No additional vehicle either. She could hear voices not too far away, but they barely audible over the sound of loud clinks and thuds. Someone was setting up a defensive position not far away from the sound of it.

She looked back at her squad and raised her arm, hand open. “First Squad, move up,” she whispered.

Majorca and Jones were first, moving from the tree to the car and waited at her side. She gave a nod and they moved quickly to cross the street. They made it to the nearest house across the way, sidled up to another set of hedges and hunkered down. Saunders waved Whitman and Mill up next.

“On you, Sarge,” Mill whispered as soon as they were by her side. “We got you covered.”

“Good, I’m getting tired of hospital beds,” she replied. She waited three seconds, then pushed forward. Her boots slapped the asphalt and she made it across the street in no time, though it felt like entirely too long. At moments like this, every second exposed and out of cover felt like a lifetime, every bit of flesh itched like it was covered by a giant bulls eye.

Safely on the other side, Saunders checked the street again for hostile and then waved the last two over. Assembled, they proceeded past another house, through another back yard, and to another fence.

“Fuck, this is getting tiring,” Jones complained.

“Price of staying hidden,” Mill replied, eyeing the fence. He quickly shook his head. “Ma’am, that fence has got to be ten feet high.  Recommend we go around.”

“Sure thi-” she began to say, then stopped in mid sentence. A few feet away, eying them from a set of sliding glass doors, was a tiny set of eyes. A child that couldn’t be much older than five was staring at them. She also noticed that between them lay a large plastic jungle gym. No doubt the little tike was wondering why they were able to go out and she couldn’t.

“Ma’am?” said Whitman.

“Sorry,” she said. “Just noticing our little watcher over there.” She looked to their right and spotted the fences that separated them from the next few properties, also saw how the fence was lower a few doors down. “Let’s proceed that way,” she waved with her weapon.

Two by two, they began to move again. They reached a waist high chain-link a few properties down and paused. Aside from a few trees, the adjacent grounds looked clear, and dropped off into what appeared to be an open field. Saunders moved up to reconnoiter and looked out on a large property, unpaved dirt and a small smattering of trees. A few properties lay between, but beyond the treeline, she could see Warlock pretty clearly.

Saunders keyed the comm. “Viper One Actual, this is One One. We have eyes on Warlock and have scouted an approach vector. It’s covered all the way in, and it doesn’t look good.”

“This is Viper Actual. Elaborate, One One,” Braun replied. Saunders did her best to characterize what she saw.

“I’m spotting several smoke plumes, sir.” She also heard the sound of rotors, and several more diesel engines. “Enemy choppers and vehicles appear to be on site. Suspect enemy is fortifying the position, over.”

Braun delayed for a second, no doubt processing the bad news. “Roger that, Sergeant. Hold your position, I’m is coming up.”

Saunders released the mike and breathed an unsteady sigh. The other members of the squad were watching along with her. The sight of their HQ burning and being overrun in the distance wasn’t exactly inspiring confidence. She could see her own thoughts plastered on all of their faces.

Is this happening? they seemed to say. That was the way of it, she knew. The mind just seemed to real at the sight of something precious and venerated being so despoiled. After all they’d done to make their world a little more secure, it seemed unbelievable that their own kind could be doing such a thing.

The world’s become a terribly uncertain place again, she concluded. Seems we can’t count on anything anymore…

3M’s Flexible Transparent Touchscreen!

Welcome back for another installment in this ongoing series on future tech! Today, we have 3Ms proposed lineup of flexible display and touchscreen devices! This video was first featured at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas of January, 2011, the same place where Samsung unveiled its revolutionary AMOLED flexible displays.

Of the proposed devices, we have a wafer-thin, touchscreen gaming system, a revolutionary washing machine with a single transparent touchscreen/display, a transparent gaming tablet for connect-four (and presumably other kid’s games), and my personal favorite; a wristband that acts as a PDA device.

Check it out, and marvel at the future of commercial electronics! I imagine we’ll all be emptying our pockets to pay for some of this stuff real soon, and probably wracking up our credit card debts just to make sure its the latest version. Damn techno-vultures!

SpaceShipTwo Makes First Flight!

For years, Richard Branson has been promising the world commercial spaceflight with his proposed aerospace line, Virgin Galactic. And with the advent of SpaceShipTwo, the rocket-powered vehicle designed for this end, the company has been promising to conduct a successful test flight by the end of the year. This past Wednesday, Virgin and the development company – Scaled Composites – delivered on that promise, as SS2 conducted its first fully-loaded glide test successfully and landed safe and sound.

Granted, the company has yet to test out the ship’s rocket motor, the propulsion that will be used to put the ship into the Earth’s atmosphere. However, it was the flight where the space craft was deployed with by itself, without assistance from its carrier, WhiteKnightTwo. It was also the first time the vehicle conducted a glide test with all its components and fuel tanks installed. By showing that the vehicle is capable of gliding while fully-loaded, Virgin Galactic has proven that the ship is capable of making safe landings.

“It was also the first flight with thermal protection applied to the spaceship’s leading edges,” said Virgin in a press statement. “It followed an equally successful test flight last Friday which saw SpaceShipTwo fly in this configuration but remain mated to its WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft.”

Virgin also claims it intends to conduct two more glide tests before attempting a powered flight, where the rocket motor will be put to the test and the ship will finally acheive suborbital flight. And once all the bugs are ironed out, Virgin Galactic will then be able to finally offer the sub-orbital rides that have been the subject of talk for many years. One of the first to go with be Branson himself, along with five others who will travel aboard SS2 as it acheive a suborbital flight which will take it over 115,000 meters (350,000 feet) above the Earth and acheive weightlessness for the crew.

Source: Wired.com

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 31

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”

-Cynthia Ozick

Braun walked amongst the vehicles, checking to make sure everyone was taking proper stock of their travel kit. As ordered, each squad procured an AT-4 from their weapon caches and enough ammo to carry. Nothing more. Once that was done, the vehicles were covered in their cammo netting and left in the thick of the trees.

The one exception to the rule, and only in his squad’s case, was the heavy radio. He needed comms with HQ, even if he was working under the assumption that anything coming out of there was to be treated as suspect. In the end, the only way they were even going to know if the Mage was even alive was if they kept monitoring command’s frequency.

Vasquez and Grayson formed up behind him, the latter carrying the radio on his back. Grayson snapped a quick salute.

“Sir, fourth squad stands ready to move with you.”

“Good, what’s the status of fifth?”

“Shaken, but functional, sir. Sergeant Greeley managed to get their shit together in a hurry.”

Braun nodded and cast a look in his direction. Greeley stood amongst his newly-formed unit, now half-stocked with men from the sister squad. All of them looked bagged, but he knew they were still high on adrenaline. He knew how they felt.

They were awakened in the wee hours of the morning and told to double-time it home, only to find home was being overrun by people they, in another lifetime, would have been friends and allies with. To top it off, one of those jerkoffs tried to kill them all, and had even succeeded in taking out a few…

But they weren’t done yet, not by a long shot.

“Alright,” he said. “Get em together, Sergeant. We’re Oscar Mike in sixty seconds. Vasquez, as my radio operator, you’re on me and I want you monitoring the base’s frequency for any trace of comm traffic. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” said Vasquez. Grayons echoed his sentiments and took off to rally the others. Braun moved on ahead to inspect first, who as usual were at the front of the line. They had had their own close brush with death, and he needed to have a few words with the NCO. He wasn’t sure when he’d get the chance again.

With Vasquez in tow, he found his way to their Humvee, netted, covered, and under its tree. In front, Saunders and her squad were busy gathering their kit together. M203′s, spare mags, suppressors and AT-4s. Everyone was loaded up and Jones snapped to attention when he came walking up.

“Lieutenant!” he said, loud enough so that everyone else would hear. All the other squad members came to attention and saluted.

“At ease,” he ordered. “Sergeant, everybody ready?”

“Yes, sir. Only the bare necessities, as ordered.”

“Good,” he said with a nod. “A word.” He waved Saunders aside and stepped a few feet away. Telling the rest to continue, she joined him and the Private. He was sure to send him off too before he began to address her.

“Sergeant… I wanted to see how you’re doing…” he began. Saunders waited for him to finish, then realized he was.

“Ah, well we’re fine, sir.”

He cleared his throat. “Are you sure? We have a pretty close shave there. How’s the squad functioning?”

“Peak shape, sir,” she replied.

“And how are you?”

She hesitated for a second. Their talk had started off officious but sounded like it could easily turn personal. She proceeded as if it was still the former.

“Uninjured, sir. We took no flak or shrapnel.”

“Not what I meant,” he said firmly, then promptly softened. “How you holding up?”

Saunders bristled. This was all beginning to grow a bit tiresome. The overt level of concern her was showing her ever since her brush with death. Was it worry on his part or guilt? Either way, it seemed excessive.

“I’m fine, sir. I don’t need my hand held.”

“It’s not that,” he said, raising a hand defensively. She tried to keep her tone gentle as she issued the balance of her rebuke.

“Then what is it, sir? We’re good to go, and it would be better for all if you didn’t worry so much.”

He took a deep breath. “I’m concerned about the well-being of my entire platoon, Sergeant, not just the people I happen to care about personally. We lost several people back there, but your squad was also very close to being engaged. You pulled through, showed grace under fire, and that was commendable.”

Saunders ducked her head momentarily and replied apologetically. “Yes, sir.”

“And as usual, your squad is heading up the advance. There’s likely to be a lot more close shaves before this is over. I just want you to know that I appreciate the level head you’ve been showing.”

She wasn’t sure what do with that. This sounded like general concern and congratulations, but she could tell there was more to it than that. As usual, he was burying the real stuff within a whole lot of army-talk. She guessed that was the best he could do, and wanted her to acknowledge the lengths he was going to. All this private chatter was sure to be kicking up rumors, far more than their earlier dalliances ever had.

She looked to her squad and tried to keep a civil face on. “Don’t worry, sir. We won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t,” he said with a nod and a wink. “I’ll be right behind you the whole way.”

She smiled, despite all her efforts not to. She could read between the lines well enough to know he wanted to get behind her in other ways too. If only they weren’t being shot at, she might consider letting him to.

“Sir!” Vasquez yelled from behind them. Braun turned and looked at him sharply.

“What is it, Private?”

He approached, hand outstretched holding the radio’s receiver. “It’s the line, sir. We got command on, demanding to talk to you.”

Braun quickly saluted Saunders and grabbed the offered receiver. “The Mage is on the line?”

“No, sir. Colonely Haynes, sir. He’s in charge now, right?”

Braun scowled and put the receiver to his head. Once again, the Private was being a real pain in the ass, his every utterance a reminder of things he didn’t want to know. Colonel Hayne’s being in charge was just the latest in a long line of such things. He pressed the reciever to his ear and listened in.

“… to Viper One, respond please. This is Rattlesnake Actual, please verify your location, over.”

He took a deep breath and keyed the mike. “Rattlesnake Actual, this is Viper One Actual. We are within enemy zone of engagement, one klick from Warlock, over.”

The reply was a second in coming. Braun could imagine Hayne’s face going red on the other end. He steeled himself for the backlash which was coming.

“Viper One Actual, say again, you are within the enemy zone of engagement?”

“That’s affirmative, sir. One klick west of Warlock.”

Another second for a reply. This time, he could see the face of Haynes in his mind’s eye, swollen, red and engorged with angry blood. “Viper One Actual, what the fuck are you talking about?! You were ordered to return to your previous post and await further orders. Why have you not complied?”

He took a deep breath and answered as calmly as he could. He knew any utterance of the convenient explanation he had fashioned for his own people would not go over well, but at the moment, he had little recourse.

“Sir, the order did not come from Rattlesnake Actual. There was no way to determine the veracity of the order. Enemy may have our comms and be distributing false orders, over.”

“That bullshit, Viper One Actual. That order came from Command direct and you were obliged to obey!”

“Sir…” he paused. “There was no way to determine the status of the Rattlesnake Actual or Warlock.”

“So you chose to engage the enemy and determine their status for yourself?”

“That’s affirmative, sir.”

As usual, there was a delay, followed by the long-expected tirade. “Lieutenant, you are in dereliction! By engaging the enemy at this time you are risking the lives of your personnel and plans for a counterattack! You are to pull back immediately and avoid any further engagement with the enemy. Do-you-understand?”

Braun lowered the receiver for a moment and looked at Vasquez. Did he detected the slightest note of disapproval, or was he beginning to think he might be in the wrong after all?

“Sir, that is not possible at this time. Enemy air cover has the perimeter of the city covered. We cannot withdraw safely, over.”

That really cut it. Braun lowered the mike and waited for the next volley.

“Lieutenant! You are endangering the lives of every man and woman in your platoon! If they die, it’s on your hands! Acknowledge, now!”

“Acknowledging…” he stopped short again. “Sir, I repeat, withdrawal is not possible. We have no choice but to cover our transports and proceed on foot. We have an opportunity to provide vital intelligence on Warlock and the enemy’s whereabouts. Requesting permission to provide recon at this time…”

He released the mike and waited. No telling if Haynes would get the picture and oblige. But at this point, as he said, there really was no choice in the matter. But of course, that was entirely his fault and the Colonel knew it. By disobeying that one “questionable order”, he had placed the entire platoon in a situation from which they couldn’t be extricated anymore. He had no illusions about that fact, so why would Haynes?

And clearly did not given what he said next. “I will have you ass for this Lieutenant! If you do make it out in one piece, I will be holding you responsible for every life lost in your unit!” He waited, knowing there had to be something on the tail end of it. “You are to proceed to Warlock and provide updates on the status of Rattlesnake. Do-not-engage-the-enemy, is that clear?”

“Yes, sir. Perfectly clear, sir.”

He handed the mike back to Vasquez, who looked especially embarrassed at the moment. Luckily, Grayson was on hand in short order.

“Sir!” he said, saluting. “All squads are good to go. Ready to move on your order, sir!”

“Alright, bring fourth squad up,” he said, turning to look at Saunders. “First Squad, you’ve got point. Fourth will follow you in.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, rallying her boys and taking the lead.

Here goes nothing, he thought. With any luck, no one else would be dying because of him. And in the meantime, maybe they would find something that justified the loss…

Thoughts On The Recent Tragedy…

For days I’ve been wondering what I could say, or even if I should say, anything about the recent tragedy that took place in a small school in Connecticut. Many of my friends were speaking out on this atrocity almost immediately after it happened, offering their condolences and speaking out against the issue of gun violence and the need for tighter gun control measures. I was sure to be there to add my voice to theirs however I could.

When something terrible happens, its only natural to want to speak out. But when its a symptom of a larger problem, people need to speak out. It’s not enough that a “conspiracy of silence” can allow these things to continue unabated, but the prevalence of people out there who will try to exploit it for their own ends also makes it that much more necessary.

But until now, I’ve remained silent as far as my own site was concerned. Somehow, writing about didn’t seem appropriate. The words just wouldn’t come. But as the days went on, a number of things began to urge me to do something. As if the shooting in Newton CT wasn’t enough, another shooting take place at a mall in Clackamas Oregon, killing two people and wounding a third before taking his own life.

My sister, I should note, lives in Oregon and I immediately wrote to her to make sure she was okay. After confirming that she was nowhere near the incident and none of her friends were either, I breathed a slight sight of relief, but it didn’t last. Somehow, with all the violence taking place in 2012 alone, I began to wonder when the hell people were going to decide they’d had enough!

So let me be frank. The United States suffered through one of the worst mass shootings in its history on Dec. 14th 2012. Not only did the senseless act of violence lead to the deaths of 28 people, most of them children, this event occurs amidst a backdrop of violent crime which is spiraling out of control. To illustrate this trend, consider some of the following facts:

16 mass shootings have taken place in 2012 already, resulting in the deaths of least 88 people dead and untold numbers  wounded and psychologically scarred for life.
In the vast majority of shooting sprees that took place between 1982 to 2012, the killers obtained their guns legally.
An average of 10,000 people die ever year from gun-related violence in the US.
From 1976 to 2004, the number of homicides in the US committed using handguns outnumbers all other forms of homicide combined
Of the 142 mass shootings to take place in the last 30 years, 103 involved a semi-automatic handgun or an assault weapon

Sources: Citizens Crime Commission of NYC, Mother Jones.com, The Wall Street Journal, Wikipedia (Gun violence in the US)

However, despite the obviousness of this problem and the availability of information that makes it abundantly clear that access to  guns is a major problem, any and all attempts to push forward with gun control measures have been hampered. It’s gotten to the point where liberals and advocates have thrown up their hands and have all but admitted defeat, citing lobbyists, special interests and partisan obstruction for the failure to get even basic legislation passed.

But, as it happens, this may be the one good thing to come from this tragedy. After going to Avaaz.com and starting a petition to ban hang guns and assault weapons, I noticed from a friend of mine the White House already had such a petition going. As it turns out, it is the largest petition they’ve had to date, breaking all records for most number of signatures. Apparently, American citizens are demanding, in record numbers, that the Obama administration do something about gun violence in America.

At times like this, it feels weird to look for a silver lining, best to just acknowledge the tragic circumstances and offer condolences. But considering that the issue might finally come to a head and future tragedies like this and other such shootings could be prevented… well, that gives me hope! And it makes me want to ditch my previous efforts to hold my tongue and speak from the heart, let everybody know where I stand and hope they will join me in this!

I know I speak for more than just myself when I offer my condolences to all the families in Newton, Connecticut who lost someone they hold dear. I can only hope that their deaths weren’t in vain, and that the tragedy has finally sent the message home that something needs to be done and there are rights more important and sacrosanct than the 2nd Amendment. And to all the victims of gun violence, rest in peace and know that you are not forgotten! This fight will not be over until we get the last of the guns out of the hands of psychos and the madness of the gun culture is finally reigned in!

Peace!

Here’s a link to the Whitehouse Petition for those who are interested: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition

And if you feel like signing two, here’s the Avaaz one I started: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 30

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”

-Mark Twain

The report came in from the front of the line. Braun looked to their right and saw the F-18 descending on them. Flying into the sun, he got a clear view of the ordinance it was carrying. Both wing mounts were loaded for bear with five hundred pounders.

Just enough firepower to clear the road…

Unfortunately, the bad news didn’t end there.

“Viper Actual, I say again, enemy LAV has us sighted. Requesting orders, over!”

“Son of a bitch!” Braun grabbed the mike. Any second now, they would either be opened up by twenty-millimeter fire or bombed to hell. The only question was which would come first, and what the hell they were going to do to stop it.

“Viper Actual to One Three, light up the LAV! I say again, light up the LAV!”

Ahead, the sound of third squad’s grenade launcher sounded, the familiar pop pop of air burst shells being shot off. First’s fifty-cal sounded a second after, the rattling din of metal on metal and large caliber slugs cutting through the air.

Then all hell broke loose! Several loud explosions, followed by return fire, and then the shrieking noise of a plane kicking in its afterburners. Braun took one look at the F-18 and signaled the platoon again.

“All Vipers! Evasive maneuvers! Fast mover coming in hot!”

*               *               *

The vehicle that looming in front of them a second before became a leaping fireball. Their shots had hit home and the resulting wreck slammed down on the road, belching fire and black smoke. What was worse, the wreck was now dead in the middle of the road and they were coming up fast on her.

“Private! Look out!”

“I got it!” He was already veering the car sideways. Behind them, third squad had to slam on the breaks to avoid them. The entire convoy went into panic maneuvers shortly thereafter, and the LT began screaming at them. She half suspected he was yelling at them for pulling a sloppy maneuver, but it was much worse than that.

“Fast mover coming in hot!”

Saunders looked to the west, saw the F-18 approaching and coming in for a low dive. Her heart leapt and she was yelling at Whitman again.

“Faster! Back on the road!”

Whitman yelled and slammed the gas. The Humvee shot forward and everyone in the cabin was thrown back into their seats. They were all thrown forward a second later when the shockwave hit, a massive thud silencing all noise around them and sucking the air out of their cabin.

The world went black for just a moment, Saunders coughing as wind blew back in their direction, blowing dust and ash in all directions. When Saunders looked up, she was shocked to see that they were still on the road and headed in a relatively straight line. Whitman’s head was down, but his hands had never left the wheel.

Not bad, white trash, she thought and looked ahead. They were within range of the housing development of El Lano and Whitman began to slow down. Saunders grabbed the mike and awaited for the inevitable report, eyeing her sideview mirror for any traces of the rest of the platoon.

It didn’t look good. Aside from third squad pulling up on their right-rear, all she could see was flame.

“Viper Two One to Viper Actual, do you read?”

No reply. She slapped Whitman’s thigh.

“Private, stop the vehicle!”

“Ow!” he yelled, pulling them to the side of the road. “Quit fucking hitting me!”

She ignored him and opened the side door, keeping the mike in her hand. She looked back and saw third sqaud pulling up behind them, followed shortly thereafter by the two other Humvees. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized the LT’s vehicle was just fine, and the others of course…

But no trace of the fifth and sixth’s truck or the supply vehicle. Spotting Braun, she let go the mike and made a dash over with her rifle in hand. The LT was in the process of getting on his feet too and did the same thing she did a second earlier. He spotted the fireball, and immediately cursed.

“Sir, are you alright?” she asked. He waved her off and reached back inside the cab. Grabbing hold of his mike, he began signalling to the missing troops.

“Viper One Actual to Viper Five. What’s your status, over?” he waited on the reply and called again when he didn’t get one. “Viper Six, this is Viper Actual, respond, over!”

Saunders waited anxiously in front of the LT’s vehicle, Rickson and Lindsay both coming to her side and waiting on an update as well. Both men looked how she felt, haggard and strung out. Almost being blown to hell was known to have that effect on people. But at the moment, none of them looked as bad as the LT. With two squads unaccounted for and a missing supply truck, he was carrying the greatest burden right now. As such, everyone hung back and let him do him try to find his people.

A reply finally came through. “Viper One Actual, this is Viper Five Actual. Six is on us and we are mobile but half the squad is down and six has lost its NCO! I repeat, half the squad is down and Sergeant Bonham is down!”

Braun’s face registered initial relief, but it quickly turned to anger. Already, they had lost a handful of good people, and they had barely made it in the front door.

“Roger that, Five Actual. Where’s your transport, over?”

“Our transport took damage from the bomb blast and we were forced to ditch. We need a rally point to rejoin the platoon, over.”

Braun snapped at his driver to turn their nav display to him. He quickly consulted it and nodded.

“Proceed to the junction at Valley and Sunset. The rest of the platoon will meet with you. Use the houses for cover, no telling if that fast mover will try to make another pass.”

Fifth’s NCO took a moment to consult his own map and promptly replied. “Roger that, Lieutenant. We’re Oscar Mike.”

Braun hung up the handset and slammed his door shut. He presented himself to the other, his weapon in hand and a look of barely concealed fury on his face.

“Alright, listen up because I only have time to say this once. We just took in the pants from that fighter and we aren’t out of the woods yet. Fifth and the balance of six are still lost in the woods and our cover is officially blown. Our best hope now is to stow our vehicles and proceed on foot.” He looked in the distance and took a deep breath. “Way I see it, our rendezvous point will be a good place to conceal our Humvees, then we can proceed to Warlock with a modicum of stealth.”

“Sir?” said Rickson. “We even sure the Mage isn’t compromised?”

Braun looked at him deadpan. “We’re not sure of shit anymore, Sergeant. Which is why we’re going in to make a confirmation. If Warlock is overrun, we double back to the west side of town and secure the armory. Our boys are most likely holding it as we speak, and if there’s nothing to save at HQ, they’ll need our help.”

“Yes, sir,” said Rickson. Braun looked around at the others, his face still ice cold and stoney as hell.

“Anybody else got any doubts about the Mage’s whereabouts, that’s just fine. You got doubts about the plan, suggest a better one. But if anybody’s gonna suggest we pull back, I’ll have their ass!”

Saunders looked around. Every head ducked, not a single person prepared to suggest such a plan. Besides, after the hell they’d endured on the way in, it was clear that they wouldn’t be making out anytime soon. Not without some additional firepower…

“Alright then,” he said, satisfied that no one had a better plan. “ We’re Oscar Mike for Warlock , and let’s pray that fast mover doesn’t come around for another pass.”

Timeline of Game of Thrones

Not too long ago, I realized just how immersed I was in the universe of A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s a funny experience, getting into a series, realizing you’ve finally got some understanding of the universe contained within, and you find that you really like it! As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I really haven’t experienced this since reading Lord of the Rings or possibly Dune.

And in the course of my latest bit of research into the ASOIAF universe, I came across a helpful timeline. This, much like the geography of J RR Martin’s world, was something I had been pondering by the time I got to the fifth book. As anyone’s who read the series knows, there’s plenty of references to historical events which can be a bit confusing, at least if you’re the kind of person who likes to know how everything fits together.

And much like Tolkien, Martin’s timeline is very inspired, dense, detailed, and draws on a great deal of real history. And knowing it is quite helpful in establishing the deep background of the series and understanding the interplay of characters and events. So here is what I found, condensed and abridged for your reading pleasure! Enjoy!

The Dawn Age:

This is the prehistoric age of A Song of Ice and Fire, where the important factions know as the “Children of the Forest” and the “First Men” are introduced. The former are a race of magical creatures who feature quite prominently in the later volumes of the story, where Greenseers and prescient dreams start to come up more and more. They inhabited Westeros in the prehistoric period along with giants and other magical creatures only live in the north anymore. The Children of the Forest are also credited with forging the religion of the “Old Gods” which the Northmen still worship in the story.

ca. 12,000: The First Men invade Westeros across a land-bridge from the east, using bronze weapons to conquer and colonize Westeros. The Children of the Forest fight back and cast a spell to break the land-bridge, giving rise to the island formation known as the Stepstones (Echoes of the Bering Land Bridge here!) However, the First Men rely on ships and complete their conquest after generations.

ca. 10,000: The First Men and Children sign the pact of Isle of Faces, agreeing to coexistence after generations of warfare. This pact gives the First Men dominion over the open lands and lets the Children keep control over the forested areas. In time, the First Men adopt the worship of the Old Gods of the Forest.

The Age of Heroes:

Much like the age of same name in Greek mythology, this age is so named because it encompasses a number of great figures who accomplished noteworthy deeds. These include the founding of many of the Great Houses, who trace their lineage in the story to this period. The include Brandon the Builder, founder of House Stark; Lann the Clever who formed House Lannister; and Garth Greenhand who founded House Gardener of the Reach. Also, this was the time of the Stork Kings who arise in the stormlands, and the Grey King of the Iron Islands.

ca. 10,000-8,000: The peace between the Children of the Forest and the First Men endures for thousands of years. The houses of Stark, Lannister, Gardener and the Storm Kings are established in the North, Casterly Rock, the Reach and the stormlands respectively.

ca. 8,000-6,000: Period known as the Long Night in Westeros, a time of the coldest, darkest winter where a single night seems to last a generation. Ice spreads from the North, leading to the advance of the Others. It comes to an end following the Battle of the Dawn, where the First Men united under Azor Ahai (referenced in the text by Melissandre and the Red Priests) to repel the Others back to the north dragonglass weapons. Ahai also wields of a sword of fire known as Lightbringer.

After the defeat of the Others, Bran the Builder leads the raising of the Wall, a massive fortification of ice and ancient magic to shelter realms of Men. The Night’s Watch is formed to man and guard it against Others, Wights and Wildlings who live to the north. Bran then goes on to build Winterfell and becomes first King In The North. Not long after, a Black Brother betrays his oath and tries to install himself as king. The Starks of Winterfell and King Beyond the Wall Joramun join forces to destroy him. Joramun uses the Horn of Winter to summon giants from the earth to help him fight (the horn is buried, not to be found again until Mance Rayder uncovers it in A Storm of Swords)

The Andal Invasion:

The second of three major invasions of Westeros happens in this time period, leading to the Faith of the Seven and the tradition of chivalry being adopted. The divide between North and South is also rooted thanks to the failure of the Andals to conquer north of Moat Cailin.The Children of the Forest also begin their slow withdraw further from the lands of men in this period, retreating deeper into their forests and North of the Wall.

ca.6,000-5,000: In the Hills of Andalos on the eastern continent of Essos, a new religion called the Faith of the Seven emerges. Supposedly, the supreme deity of the Andals appears to them and instructs them to cross the Narrow Sea and invade Westeros. They come under the banner of the Faith of the Seven, with seven-pointed stars carved into their chests, wielding weapons of steel.

The war endures for centuries and leads to the fall of the six southron kingdoms fall and the destruction of their weirwoods. The kingdoms of the North remain under First Men rule, thanks to the strategically placed fortification of Moat Cailin which resists multiple attacks, thereafter serving as the door between North and South.

Age of Valyria:

This period is characterized by the rise of the Valyrians as the dominant power in Essos and the many wars of expansion in Essos. These wars lead to the fall of the Ghiscari Empire, the Rhoynish cities, and the conquest of the Free Cities and the cities of Slaver’s Bay. Other Noble Houses are created during this time, most notably, House Martell of Dorne. It ends with the third and final invasion of Westeros, this time by House Targaryan, and the establishment of the Iron Throne.

ca. 5,000 – 700: On the eastern continent, the sheep-herding folk of the Valyrian peninsula find dragons lairing in the volcanoes that extend across the neck of the peninsula. The Valyrians tame the dragons with magic and gain influence over the area. The Valyrian Freehold is established and Valyrian steel, a magical metal renowned for its sharpness, light-weight and flaming properties, is forged. The Freehold goes to war with the Ghiscari Empire, the greatest power on the eastern peninsula. Valyria wins with the help of its dragons, destroys Old Ghis, and exerts influence over the cities of Slaver’s Bay.

ca. 3000: The Wildlings Invasion takes place as the northern men unite under the brother Kings-beyond-the-Wall Gendel and Gorne, manage to evade the Night’s Watch and bypass the Wall in great numbers using a network of tunnels that extend under the Wall. However, they are met by the Stark King on the other side and are eventually thrown back.

ca. 700: In the North, House Stark finally subdues House Bolton, their primary antagonists for dominance in the North. Karlon Stark defeats sea raiders from the east and founds the cadet branch of House Karstark. In the West, the Ironborn of the Iron Islands rise to power. At their peak, they control most of the western coast from Oldtown and the Arbor in the south to Bear Island in the North.

ca. 700-500: Valyria’s expansion beyond Old Ghis brings it into conflict with the great cities along the Rhoyne and manages to subdue them, again because of their dragons. Nymeria, a Rhoynish queen, evacuates the survivors and takes them to Dorne where she forms an alliance with Lord Mars Martell and form the ruling house of Dorne.

ca. 500-200: Valyria expands once again and conquers much of the southern Free Cities. A religous sect known as the Moonsingers leads refugees to a remote lagoon concealed by mountains and mist to found the secret city of Braavos. They build the Titan of Braavos to serve as a defensive fortification. The Valyrian Freehold, under the Targaryens, annex a small island at the mouth of Blackwater Bay, and build a castle whose tower is shaped to look like Dragons, giving its name: Dragonstone.

ca. 350: The Storm Kings expand their control of the Westerlands north to include the territory of the Riverlands up to the Neck. Over time the Ironborn lose many of their possessions but, some three generations before Aegon’s Landing, conquer the territory of the Riverlands from the Stormlands. The Ironborn king, Harren Hoare builds Harrenhal.

ca. 100: The Doom of Valryria begins. The volcanoes known as the Fourteen Fires erupt and shatter the Valyrian Peninsula and laying waste to the city of Valyria. The dragons of Valyria are virtually wiped out and the Valyrian Freehold crumbled apart, its various cities becoming independent city states. Braavos reveals itself to the other Free Cities and eventually becomes the most powerful due to its vast fleet and economic power.

The cities of Slaver’s Bay become independent again and Ghiscari power begins building again in the south. The warrior-nomads of the vast eastern plains arise thanks to the fall of Valyria and their dominant tribe, the Dothraki, begins raiding the surrounding lands. The Targaryens remain safe on Dragonstone, the guardians of possibly the last three dragons in the western world.

Targaryen Dynasty and Roberts Rebellion:

Events of this period direclty precede events in A Song of Ice and Fire. These include the Targaryan conquest of the Seven Kindgoms by Aeon the Conqueror and his three dragons, the death of the last of the worlds dragons, the unification of the Seven Kingdoms under the Iron Throne, and the fall of the Targaryen dynasty during Robert’s Rebellion.

ca. 1 AL*: Aegon the Conqueror invades Westeros, conquers and unites six of the seven kingdoms of Westeros under his banner and constructs a new capital city at King’s Landing. He is unable to conquer Dorne and allows it to remain sovereign. Control of Highgarden passes to House Tyrell, House Tully of Riverrun takes control of the Riverlands and House Greyjoy become the rulers of the Iron Islands. Later Targaryans add Dorne and the Seven Kingdoms are united under the Iron Throne.

282-283 AL: Rhaegar Targaryen abducts Lyanna Stark. Lyanna’s brother and father (Ned Starks uncle and father) demand that Aerys discipline his son, but instead the Mad King kills them both. Aerys demands the heads of Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark from their ward, Jon Arryn. Instead, Houses Arryn, Stark, and Baratheon raise the standard of rebellion. Robert’s Rebellion, also called the War of the Usurper, begins.

The Hand of the King, Jon Connington, is defeated in the Battle of the Bells and is sent into exile in the Free Cities. The rebel army defeats the royalists at the Battle of the Trident where Prince Rhaegar is killed. The Lannisters apparently march to the aid of King Aerys, but instead turn against him and sack the city. King Aerys is killed by Jaime Lannister.

Princess Elia Martell and her children, Aegon and Rhaenys Targaryen, are brutally murdered by Lannister bannermen, causing a rift between Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. Robert becomes King of the Seven Kingdoms and marries Cersei Lannister. Ned returns home to Winterfell with his bastard son, Jon Snow. Loyal Targaryen retainers carry Aerys’ two youngest children, Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys, to safety in the Free Cities.

*After Landing: The year that follows after Aegon lands in Westeros, establishing the “common era” of the Iron Throne.

Yes, its long, detailed and dense, and that’s just the stuff I chose to include. But you gotta admit, it does fill in the blanks and answer a whole lot of nagging questions! And of course, there are all those allegories I mentioned earlier. First there’s the invasion of the First Men across the land bridge calling to mind the migration of human beings across the Bering Land Bridge, giving rise to the First Nations and the establishment of American civilizations.

You also have the successive invasions of Westeros calling to mind the invasion of Britain by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Normans. The Children of the Forest also call to mind the systematic destruction of native populations the world over, and the division between the Old Gods and New is very similar to the conquest of Christianity over the “pagan” religions of the Old World.

And on top of that, there’s a very rich history taking place in the East, where Valyria resembles ancient Rome, who’s power base (in this case Dragons) allows them to conquer the Free Cities (similar to the Greek city-states), the Empire of Old Ghis (Persia and other Empires of the East), and whose fall creates a power vacuum that leads to the rise of “Barbarian Hordes” – aka. the Dothraki.

I tell ya, the historical metaphors are thick. THICK!

Source: awoiaf.westeros.org