Back story time
The history of Dasha Theodosia as chronicled by Prof. Vig from O.M.A. at Zeonchka.
Department Head Supervisor of Historical documents.

DASHA THEODOSIA was accepted to the O.M.A. (Officers Military Academy) at the age of 22. Normally applicants where not accepted until after they have finished their full mandatory 5 years of service. Since M.M.S. (Mandatory Military Service) began at the age of 20 most officers where well into their 30's before they where allowed to take command. Such rules have changed for obvious reasons.

During her training at the academy she displayed great tactical prowls. Choosing to stay out of direct combat Dasha found that she could often guide her troops to victory through the chaos of battle with her ability to hit key targets in battle from great range. She was often able to destabilize and confuse the enemies chain of command, if not eradicate it all together. At the age of 26 she bested the brightest minds the academy had to offer in their annual war games. All of the would-be generals where much older and had many more years of scholarly training than she did. The outrage from the upper classmen was great and the headmaster decided her victory was a fluke. When the time came for next years competition he sent out the letters to all of O.M.A.'s alumni to come and try their hand at beating the upstart. The first and last time Alumni where allowed to participate.

First the generals squared off against Dasha one at a time in series of 24hr small battle competitions. After destroying each of the generals before the allotted time was up, they combined forces and challenged Dasha in a week long war game. 3 Days into the competition Dasha had managed to make such a mess of their chain of command the generals had taken refuge in a bunker and lost the ability to successfully command their troops. They refused to concede to Dasha's forces and so they stalled with defensive tactics.

Luckily for them war broke out and they where called to the front lines once again. The same tactics they where forced to use against Dasha are the same tactics that saved our forces and the capitol city of Zeonchka. Our war effort was caught off guard, we where only able to mount suitable defenses and stop at the gates of our walled capitol city. Loosing many troops in the constant effort to mount an effective counter attack the generals where at a loss and something needed to be done before attrition took its toll. It was decided that a diversion was needed if they where to break out of the southern gate. Not wanting to lose any of the few generals they had left, Dasha was called to lead the diversionary forces out of the west gate and away from the city toward Ranevskaya the largest neighboring port city if successful he was to take and hold the city.

Dasha's forces left the west gate an hour before dawn. Plasma charges where detonated at every gate except the south, once they where at a safe distance. The fighting was intense but not the slaughter they had expected. The south gate was where the main push was to be centered and the enemy knew it. The remaining gates where to be sealed to prevent flanking maneuvers from the enemy. We later came to find out the enemy had no such plans and gathered the majority of their forces at the southern gate. The entire south wall was rigged with shaped charges aimed at turning the wall itself into shrapnel aimed at the enemy forces outside. Leveling the wall would also widen the assault front and give us the greatest chance of victory. Not much is recorded after the charges on the southern wall where detonated. The records where lost because the only communications officer to survive was in Dasha's 3rd battalion. What little we do know was written down after Dasha's forces had managed to secure the city of Ranevskaya. His report reads as follows:

"The diversion failed to draw enough enemy troops away from the main counter attack, because of this we where able to take and hold Ranevskaya. We lost communication with HC (High Command) shortly after the south wall was lowered. According to intercepted enemy transmissions they are gathering their forces to attack our position. Thick black and purple smoke is all we can see of our capitol. It lies sacked, in ruin and on fire. They must be burning the bodies of our slain compatriots and civilians; it is the only thing that explains the purple smoke. Surely this is will be the fate of Ranevskaya and ourselves."

Incidentally he was later tried and executed for the fatalistic last line in his report.

When news of the coming attack reached Dasha she had already begun to move her troops into position. She smiled and said "of course they are coming, they are the enemy."

Dasha did not place her troops in defense of Ranevskaya but instead attacked Zeonchka, conquering the city and the invading army. She knew it was much easier to lay siege to a city than it was to defend it especially one that lacked its main defensive wall. Since all other gates had been sealed the enemy army had no place to maneuver out of the city except thru Dasha's forces. Dasha sat on the same hill the opposing general had sat on earlier that morning. She surveyed her victory as the sun started to set over the ruined west gate. Fighting continued into the night but by morning the city and our future, where under her control.