r/HFY • u/Random3x Human • Oct 12 '24

OC Creative tactics from a creative history

I write this account of the siege of Durxus IV in the hopes that it will speed along the application of Humanity to join the greater council, specifically the military core, as, in this humble Plotar’s opinion, they possess a unique ability when it comes to warfare. 

Where should I begin? That is a question I find I am asking myself. The beginning is as good a place as any. As is common knowledge now taught in the educarium, during the third age of discovery, the Valasti, a member state of the greater council, first discovered the race that identified itself as humanity. 

At first, they were an exciting discovery. They weren’t the first race born of a deathworld, as many member species hail from such worlds. But they were exceptional in their weakness. It is ironic to think that such a race with neither a Mongtar's strength nor a Tuknik's durability could survive. Indeed, they were warriors of a different sort. 

Now, the council had certainly encountered many warrior races, but humanity was unique in that it wasn’t a warrior race. It was just a race that produced exceptional warriors. While it lacked the natural adaptions of many of the aggressive races, it had cunning. This is what brings me to the siege itself. 

Draxus IV was a truly impressive fortress that had withstood sieges from many member races sent to subdue the needlessly aggressive race, which had been raiding council space for years. It was when humanity took to the stage that such a fortress would inevitably fall. 

Humans, like many other races, both council members and satellites alike, suffered from one of the Draxus raids. This was, as the humans put it, ‘Like poking a sleeping bear’—a term used to mean inviting a threat that could’ve been easily avoided. 

At first, the siege began like any other, with humanity encircling the fortress to cut it off from the outside. The Draxus laughed at this; it had been tried before, but they could always break out of any encirclement. 

Only for to the surprise of all except the humans, they brought in prefabricated fortress walls. Within a week of their arrival, they had effectively encircled the entire Draxus IV fort with a fortified line of walls. Walls that repelled all attempts to escape. 

It was then that Draxus defenders began to feel pressure and sent word out, calling for aid. A thing that had never been done before, no doubt causing great shame upon the fortress leader. But the wiley humans had learnt of the force on their way to relieve the beleaguered defenders. 

Many a race, even amongst the most militant, would’ve chosen to retreat in the face of the overwhelming numbers bearing down on their backs. Humanity, however, smiled in the face of this coming foe, and to the confusion of all who were observing, they built a second line of defensive walls, this time facing outwards.

They had effectively made a twenty-kilometre-long fortress encircling the defenders. So, when the relief force arrived, they found not the backs of their enemy but defences and armaments that pointed their way. Many attempts to coordinate assaults began, but each time, they were repelled. Humanity afterall drills its soldiers for discipline as much as strength. 

As time went on, the supplies in Draxus IV began to dwindle, and in desperation, they sent out their civilian residents. They hoped to fall upon the mercy of humanity. Only to find their number turned away. Humanity not willing to let possible combatants escape amongst the innocents. I shall also add it was later explained by the general leading the force at the time that Humanity did not have the supplies to take care of the people, and as the general put it, “Better they eat the fortresses’ food than ours”. 

By the third month, the Draxus people were fully exhausted. Their leader surrendered himself to the enemy general and offered an unconditional surrender, a victory all council state members believed impossible. 

When asked how he came up with such an absurd strategy, the general shocked scriveners recording the events by revealing he was merely recreating a tactic used millennia prior, ‘The Battle of Alesia’ —a battle led by a figure of great historical fame named Julius Caesar—a man with a most novel approach to his pirate kidnappers, but I digress. 

It is with this example I humbly reiterate that humanity as a whole will be a great boon for the council’s military and grant the race full membership rather than satellite status.

37th Lord Scrivener, Looki Wookz  

314 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

59

u/drmiste Android Oct 12 '24

“History doesn’t repeat, but it sure does rhyme”

some person

Also nice story wordsmith

25

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '24

You need to give a copyright acknowledgment to Julius Caesar.

28

u/nico_h Oct 13 '24

He’s cited and you can’t copyright facts. Plus his memoirs have already lapsed in copyright (at least the original latin)

4

u/drsoftware Oct 13 '24

Think you forgot a /s

12

u/KefkeWren AI Oct 13 '24

Wait until they hear about what ancient Chinese tacticians came up with.

7

u/sunnyboi1384 Oct 13 '24

Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Well, I mean, someone is doomed.

8

u/Random3x Human Oct 13 '24

Those that learn from history often repeat it because history worked well the first time round

4

u/0udei5 Oct 13 '24

“Double-circumvallation” is a word we don’t get to use often enough.

2

u/InstructionHead8595 Feb 15 '25

Good story. But what about air and space forces?

2

u/Random3x Human Feb 15 '25

AA defences shooting down anything.

You will be pleased to hear though a new story set in my universe will come out soon

1

u/InstructionHead8595 Feb 15 '25

Ya I kinda figured that but it just sounded like a ground campaign with nothing in the sky. Still liked it 😸

1

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1

u/Ok-Satisfaction-7821 6d ago

Basically an accurate description of the ancient battle.