[color=ed1c24][b]Free Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
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There was a great lull across the border. Not a sound to be heard, not even birds chirping in the air. It was as if all nothing wanted part of what was about to happen. Nothing that valued its existence would want to be here, nor would it want to witness it. Just days ago, the sounds trails of smoke clouds rising from trains could be seen, but today there was stillness. 

The thousands of men and women that made up this army group, was reflecting on what was to come. Many clutched their tricord hats or double checked their Kevlar vests that would provide some protections from the enemy. Yet they were all silent, only the gust of the wind could be heard, and soon even that died down. Had this been the Wild West, tumbleweed would roll across the distance.

Sam looked towards her general, who were closely affixed to a communications station. Suddenly a phone rang out. The ringing sound rang out loud, breaking the stillness, the soldiers below stared up at the tower were the governor and her war council convened. They knew that the ringing phone would be sealing in their fates. 

The communications tech answered the phone and handed it to Sam. Who remained almost silent throughout the call, once she hung up she just nodded her head, and one of the generals flipped a switch. A red light bulb lit up in the tower and across various locations across the border. This was the signal they were waiting for. 

The artillery stations began to hum and grind, as the silence was broken and they began to move. They faced west, but needed their elevations to adjust. Within minutes of the light bulbs turning on, the artillery guns came alive and great thundering sounds echoed across the border. Following the thundering bangs, the horizon lit up in flames as the shells began striking the ground. 

The field saturated in exploding shells, surely pulverizing anything that stood in its way without remorse. The shelling continued for what seemed forever. After an hour of continuous, almost nonstop shelling, everything quieted down, just according to plan. Everything had been planned down to the last second, and everyone knew their part. 

As everything quieted down again, the silence was once again broken by the sounds of whistles. As the whistles rang, the gates along the walls opened up and on came the troops, marching by platoons, following the Banner of the righteous. As the straight lines of soldiers made there way onward, the artillery began thundering again, providing protection ahead of their steps, this would continue for as long as their range allowed. The war for the Commonwealth began.