Monday, April 12, 2010

The Pacification of Morocco II

In the high mountain passes of the region of Alizal, a rebellious band of Taureg were attempting to hide from the pacification forces of the French. The French had more technology and called upon an aeroship to land troops high in the mountains and take the battle to the Taureg.



The Taureg, feeling jaunty, decided to push the French out of the mountain pass and they made a scrap out of the encounter. They could have retreated into any number of hidden passes and elude once again the encroaching European forces. But on this day, Abdula-Jabbar-Faruq heeded the advice of his henchmen, Baka-laka-durk and Lurka-durka-durk and charged headlong into the formed up French battle line.


The French platoons, well rested from their balloon ride up into the mountain pass, formed up in battle line with Adrian Carre' and his staff centered, focused, and non-plussed by the advancing avalanche of third world scum. An embedded adventurer in the main staff, one Charles Godfrey - crew of the Fleur de Lis and an avid big game hunter conversed with Christophe-Louis Bergeret and placed bets on their kills and trophies that were certainly walking into the deadly fire of the French. "I hope to bag a pot full of these ruffians this day!", Godfrey quipped.

The French fire and discipline scolded the recalcitrant natives into a headlong retreat. Carrying the body of their mortally wounded leader Abdul-Jabbar-Faruq.



Meanwhile, in a nearby clearing, a trumpet is heard.



And the sound of thudding trampling feet, mixed with a cacophony of guttural screams, taunts, and jeers.



Seems a turn of events has occurred. No one can bring words to the confused and bewildered French soldiers and crew as they see their vanquished Taureg foe replaced with something from another world, epoch, planet!!!???!!!



The cavemen chase the Mastodon into the flank of the French away team.

The French receive the charge and loose their commander Adrian Carre'.


Then they kill the beast.

Chaos ensues.
Adrian meets a long lost comrade amongst the cavemen?!?
Some of the cavemen speak a guttural version of French.!!
The French command falls to Christophe-Louis and the Big Game Hunter Godfrey.
They decide to pursue the Taureg band into the VALLEY OF THE UNKNOWN.

Stay tuned for the next installment.

If you like this adventure be sure to check the library for other books by this author:

Terry and the Indians
Sky Lions
How to Collect Model Soldiers

Friday, April 9, 2010

The Pacification of Morocco

When last we left our adventure the Airship Fluer de Lis had crossed over the North Coast of Africa and into the interior of MOROCCO. Carrying the refitted howitzer and a compliment of Aeromarines from the ministry of war the buoyant craft floated over the lines of troops below that encircled the entrance to the mountain valley.

"Coils and Oils Mr. Thibeaux, take us up three degrees. I want to clear that crag by a rifle shot and not a degree further,"boomed captain Baptiste.

Louis, Lugnut to his friends, complied empathically to the captain's wishes. As he did not want holes in his precious envelope any more than captain Jean Luc or any of the crew for that matter. Louis's mind turned over the idea of the aeromarines manning the observation deck and any aperature along the port side of the airship that may face the crag and the hidy hole of any of the mountain tribesmen lurking there. "If they do their part and pot any of those bastages, I will keep us at the appropriate range," mused Lugnut.

The aeromarines had boarded ship and taken up retrofit aft quarters back in Tangiers. Their Lieutenant was a smart and military man named, Adrian Carre'. Their job, or so it was proposed, was to leap behind the mountain bandit fighters and stop the continuous escape of the vile and wily, Abdul-Jabbar-Faruq. A new tactic devised in the war ministry on the gaming tables of high command. Place troops in the rear of an escaping enemy by way of aeroship! Brilliant. Maneuver in war would be a thing of the past. Technologically advanced civilizations will from this time forward skip and jump to any point of the globe and arrive in time to put to the shot any that oppose them. A terrible age indeed.

What awaits our men in uniform in the mountain passes of the region of Alizal? Simple. Get behind the Jabbar and capture him and put an end to the menace of Morocco.

Pacification. It sounds so peaceful. Around the deployment encampment in Tangiers it made it sound like we were going on holiday. Pacification. Amazing what variety of experiences the word really entails. We headed into the unknown.
Pvt. Damien Marie-Jean Frassin, Aeromarine, Morocco 1852

The high passes in the region of Alizal were largely unexplored. The mission tasked to 1st and 2nd Aeromarines was to capture and detain or kill the Taureg bandit king. The encounters that unfolded make for a marvelous tale - if true. Or a madman's fantasy if false.