Autumn's War

The Autumn's War, also commonly known as Autumn's Revenge, was an armed conflict in Celebus, New Jersey between Allied forces on the Dominal Base and Autumn's Army on Base 122, lasting from January 22, 2012 to August 30, 2013. The conflict began with a full-scale invasion of the Dominal Base by Autumn's Army, commanded by General Autumn. The attackers demanded the direct surrender of the Occupant and the Allies so that they could take full control of the base.

In late January, the Allies managed to gather enough support to push back the incoming attack, leading to a two-month truce until Allies unsuccessfully staged an attack against Autumn's Army on March 25, 2012. A heavy yet sporadic back-and-forth battle of forces began in April 2012 until a tentative stalemate was reached in July. Allied forces withdrew from Base 122, the home of Autumn's Army, and an unwritten silence was established between the two armies until intense fighting erupted in November 2012.

This second phase of the war lasted until January 2013 when the third major truce was called, four days after Autumn's Army dropped a small-scale atomic bomb on Sectors 1 and 2 of the base. Despite the established truce, sporadic shootouts between the two armies continued to occur on a progressively less frequent level until late August 2013 when negotiations concluded a bitter peace treaty that called for the "immediate and eternal removal of both parties from armed conflict."

Background
On October 22, 2011, John and Watson Court announced the Super Convergence, an attempt to consolidate the operators on the base and branch out to make new connections to other armies. It was to be a convergence of different avenues into a rebranding effort after a highly successful summer. On December 27, 2011, the Dominal Base was added to the Omegle Summit, a meeting of thousands of different armies and bases for the purpose of socialization. It was considered to be an innovative way to branch out into the world, and it was very popular among the soldiers, who spent much of their time socializing with other bases and making new connections.

Initial Invasion
A week before the invasion, on January 15, 2012, new information was relayed to John and Watson Court about a potential attack in the following week. While a few of the Allied armies were notified about this development, not enough guards were placed on the border because every soldier was too busy with reconstruction efforts, which slowly progressed since the New Year's Attack. While it would have been efficient to place more guards on the Dominal Base's border, the Courts decided in only forty minutes that they would commit all the soldiers to reconstruction. If an attack was imminent, they would be more prepared with intact structures rather than a human shield on the border.

Nevertheless, at 9:30 PM on January 22, 2012, the Autumn's War began when the entirety of Autumn's Army invaded the Dominal Base using the airship Lancaster and tens of thousands of fierce soldiers. Air raid sirens rang out throughout the base, but the Courts couldn't amass enough soldiers on Sector 1 to prevent destruction. Within 20 minutes, the Lancaster encircled Sector 1 with missile fire and machine guns. Associated bombers emerged from entrances that were entrenched within the airship itself and ripped apart the recruitment barracks, killing hundreds that were initially unaware of the invasion.



Meanwhile, the Lancaster entered the incline towards Sector 2 and crushed the anti-aircraft machinery positioned on the hill. While this happened at 9:55 PM, thousands of soldiers jumped from the airship and overwhelmed the ruined Sector 1, which was quickly evacuated. The Courts were notified at 10 PM that Sector 1 was completely destroyed, allowing them to order the redirection of escaping soldiers back towards Sector 3, the main region of the base. The Chemical Laser System on the top of the hill was powered up in an attempt to divert the incoming Lancaster away from the main site. Back at Sector 2, defense surface-to-air missiles were launched at the airship, barely making dents in the structure but killing tens of barraging soldiers from Autumn's Army. Sector 1 was overrun by Autumn's soldiers at 10:28 PM and Sector 2 was destroyed when the Lancaster's missiles penetrated deep into the defense facilities and crippled the tracking hardware.

At 11:04 PM, Sector 2 was taken by Autumn's Army, which put the entire base on red alert. The Court brothers rerouted all possible defenders, attackers, and operators to Sector 3 in a final standoff. Many

Battle of Broken Expectations
In the early hours of May 5, 2012, Autumn's Army launched a large attack on the Dominal Base at 8:30 PM. It was an unexpected invasion and the entire Allied force was caught off guard. Sectors 1 and 2 were easily taken, but by night, the Allies had dug in and pushed Autumn's forces out of Sector 3, where a tense stalemate was reached until the later evening of May 6. At this time, Autun's Army attacked from several directions, flanking the main establishment at Sector 3, threatening to take over the entire base.

The fighting ceased at around 2:00 AM on May 7 when Autumn's Army was pushed back just enough so that recruits from Sector 1 could flood the gates at Sector 2 and drown them from the opposite direction. By the end of the day, General Autumn withdrew his forces completely and returned to Base 122, where a silence was established again between the two armies. John and Watson Court decided to maintain their troops on the Dominal Base and not lead the army into enemy territory, determining that they weren't prepared yet for such an attack; however, stationed troops at the border of Sector 1 were authorized to continue barraging Base 122 with rocket fire until the end of May 8.

Remnant Forces
The process of repairing the damages inflicted on Sectors 1 and 2 was a tense and grueling one. Guards were placed all around the borders, unsure of whether Autumn would send in troops again for an attack. "This can't keep happening," Watson Court said to troops stationed at the Interior Alley on May 10, the same day that Autunmn's Army fired small rockets at the Dominal Base in return. "It just doesn't help when Autumn's forces are that persistent. We'll fight to the end though."

While the Allies had discontinued their barrage of rockets of Base 122, Autumn's forces continued to fire their weapons across the line that separated their establishments, most notably on May 12. "Our army wouldn't have been prepared four years ago for this kind of attack," John Court said on May 14. "I just know that we're ready to defend, but we couldn't handle our own attack yet. We need to remain on the defensive." Despite this statement, many soldiers expressed an itching to get into battle and fight Autumn's Army head-on. By May 16, many squad members decided to wait out an attack to get a reaction.

The Allied forces spent the next several days completing repairs in Sector 2 and training the newer recruits in defense tactics and strategies. After the Battle of Broken Expectations, there was a greater emphasis on protecting the base from all directions. Autumn's Army, across the neutral zone, had a line of soldiers at the border of Base 122; the Courts feared that at any moment, they could rush in and attack in another invasion. On May 20, a band of Allied soldiers presented their case to the Court brothers about how they had thought the best strategy was to attack Autumn's Army directly in a pre-emptive strike. Autumn's Army hadn't fired since May 12, but the Courts grappled with the decision before finally refusing. "To say that I'm scared would be an understatement," one soldier quipped on the border of Sector 1 on the neutral zone on May 21. "I'm absolutely terrified."

"Offline Status"
At 7:45 PM, on May 22, 2012, Autumn's Army fired off a series of rockets at the Dominal Base before withdrawing all of their guards and stationed troops at the edge of the neutral zone. This confused the Allies completely because this meant that Autumn's Army wasn't preparing to attack anytime soon. The next day, John Court responded to the events, saying "We aren't quite sure what it means, but everything here is tense at the moment. It could mean that they're preparing for another full-scale attack or they really are gone for good."

This period of time was commonly called the "offline status," which referred to the withdrawal of Autumn's troops from the neutral zone. During this status, the Courts maintained the border guards at the entrance to Sector 1 just in case, but small repairs were carried out to correct the damage made by the rockets fired on May 22. On May 25, it was reported that Autumn's Army was engaged in combat with another army, explaining their "offline status." However, on May 26, General Autumn conducted the firing of another series of rockets on the Dominal Base, prompting more repairs in the days after.

On May 28, John and Watson Court revealed to the Allies their rudimentary attack plan. If Autumn's Army ever placed their troops back on the front lines of the neutral zone again, they would initiate their first experimental offensive. Soldiers were convinced by May 29 that Autumn's Army would be stationed at the front lines again and the rockets fired on May 26 seemed to confirm this.

The offline status was finally broken when Autumn's Army came "online" and stationed their line of troops at the established neutral zone in the late afternoon on May 31, 2012. There was no indication that they were going to attack, but that night, the Court brothers solidified their plans for Operation Active Senior and gathered troops in the center of the Dominal Base for planning. The uneasiness that followed the return of the "online status" was too chaotic for the soldiers, who were itching to get into battle and frequently threatened each other. The Courts announced Operation Active Senior to begin on June 3, 2012.

Operation Active Senior (Jun. 3-5)
Stalemate

Post-Armistice
Only days after the Armistice was signed, the Dominal Base became stagnant as a result of complacency. On January 28-30, a group of soldiers proposed instigating Autumn's Army to revive the base. After the Court brothers refused to instigate, pro-invasion protests sprung up around the base. After lookout soldiers on the border noticed Autumn's Army on the neutral zone on February 1, John Court took questions and demanded compliance. "We get massacred over the course of a year and you want to instigate them?!" He shouted at a bewildered group of soldiers. "What is wrong with you?" However, his warning was discredited late at night on February 2 when Autumn's Army fired rockets across the neutral zone into the Dominal Base, killing 2 operators. A rush across the border led to an hour-long shootout that ended with a full withdrawal on February 3.

The day after, at 7:00 PM on February 4, 2013, Presidents John and Watson Court gave a speech they called the "moment of Revelation," hoping to motivate the soldiers to participate in the reconstruction of the base following the sudden attack the day before.

On February 13, 2013, a band of rogue Allied soldiers broke the unwritten armistice by firing rocket propelled grenades across the neutral zone, hitting Base 122 directly. The rogue soldiers were shot on sight for defying ceasefire orders and the Dominal Base was put on high alert in case Autumn's Army retaliated. No attack was made though and on the morning of February 15, Base 122's primary guards were strangely withdrawn from the border of the neutral line, confusing the Allies. As the threat of retaliation faded, the Courts coordinated specific repairs on Sector 4 buildings and began the process of stabilization and loyal soldiers.

However, beginning on the night of February 16, a dangerous shootout began between rogue Allied soldiers and loyal soldiers. Because of the withdrawal of Autumn's Army on February 3, the rogue soldiers defected to Autumn's side and were determined to destroy the base from the inside. The shootout lasted into the night, calming down in the early morning of February 17. One of the mortally wounded rogue soldiers, moments from death, described the attack as "the mind setting fire to itself."

The rogue shootouts finally ended completely in the late hours of February 18, into the 19th. Stability was achieved during the afternoon and the Court brothers put any possible plan of attack on the Base 122 on hold - it wasn't needed. However, some injuries had to be treated and by the early hours of February 20, everything was under control. The guards remained at the front lines of the border in case of a surprise attack.

Formation of the Enforcers
Despite this short-lived peace and stability, February 21 was a day of chaos. Just after 9 AM, a rocket destroyed the upper floors of the Schenker Maintenance Complex, killing 13 soldiers. By the time emergency services arrived on scene, a band of Allied soldiers were calling for the complete invasion of the Base 122, but the Court brothers resisted on the grounds that they weren't ready for such an attack. Despite the temporary recovery, as the sun began to set that night,

chaos returned when another rocket destroyed four floors of the Hale barracks, just fifty feet from the building where the Occupant was staying in. The attack resulted in the deaths of 26 soldiers, yet John Court maintained throughout the night that with rel ief efforts, they could continue the silence without a major offensive. The band of soldiers calling for the invasion of Base 122 began a series of protests into the early morning of February 22. As the night of protests came to a close, a group of 25 anonymous Allied soldiers formed a group known as the Enforcers and vowed immediate revenge on Autumn's Army for thei r attacks.

The closest the Enfocers came to launching an attack on Base 122 was around 10:00 PM on February 23. Despite this planned offensive, they held off in the hopes that there would be a complete termination of attacks on the Dominal Base. "They said though that they would attack if there are any more bombings of our base," a soldier recited amid the loud protests carried out in the center of the base. "We're gearing up for chaos." Despite this warning, no attack was made through the morning of February 25. A coincidental gas leak explosion in the center of Sector 4 gave the Enforcers the opportunity to misinterpret the impact as an attack on the Dominal

Base. They prepared for an offensive on Base 122 at 6:30 PM, but seconds before they launched small-scale rockets, loyalist Dominal snipers took out the few attackers and quelled the resistance movement.

Chaos finally erupted on February 26 when Autumn's Army rockets blasted through the Union Building in the center of Sector 4, cutting power to the main establishment for 19 hours and killing four soldiers. The Enforcers declared war on Autumn's Army, rushing at Base 122, provoking an intense standoff between loyal Allied forces and the Enforcers; this shootout crippled the activities in the center of the base. At 8:30 pm, another rocket destroyed the eighth floor of Ellsworth barracks, just four floors above the Occupant's floor; it was the closest attack to his position since November 2012. Soldiers were quickly evacuated and the Court brothers mobilized the Enforcers, firing rockets back over at Autumn's base without direct contact. By February 27, the Dominal forces continued their barrage of rocket attacks. At 8:08 pm, the Dominal base finally invaded Autumn's base with a massive force for the first time since December 5, 2012. The attack provoked an intense shootout that lasted into the night, ending with a temporary stalemate into the early morning. On February 28, General Autumn declared that the Dominal Base was violating the January Armistice, setting off a chain of political hostility.

End of Major Fighting (March - August 2013)
Negotiations began between Autumn's Army and the Dominal Base on March 1, 2013, culminating in bitter and reluctant discussions over the future of their contact. On March 3, Dominal operators began the massive reconstruction of Sector 4 and the revamping of the Union Building in the center. By March 4, 2013, a peace settlement was reached in a hostile and abrupt manner with the Infinity Resolution. Autumn's Army withdrew completely from the base at 9:54 am. The day was then spent in silent complacency as the Dominal soldiers came to terms with the temporary end of the conflict.

The Court brothers had authorized a reconstruction initiative, which was set to build up the confidence of the collective operators and refurbish the infrastructure for the following months. It was in preparation of a supposed "golden age". On March 14, a very small band of Dominal soldiers protested to invade the base, but they were quickly shut down by those who enjoyed the new prosperity. The following day, the soldiers in Sector 4 migrated back to Sector 3 for the Spring Hiatus. Part of the new reconstruction initiative was Project Scholar on March 18, which would advance the base's scientific knowledge and bridge the gap between the soldiers stationed at Sectors 3 and 4. After the Dominal forces ended their Spring Hiatus on March 24, Project Scholar continued through April 4. That morning, the base celebrated the one-month marker of the peace settlement with Autumn's Army. By April 15, the majority of the work on Project Scholar (which included brand new research buildings) was undertaken, with the estimated date of completion set for two weeks. However, with a rush of energy and motivation, the Dominal Base completed Project Scholar on April 23, 2013. Mass celebrations accompanied the golden opening of the new research complex.

However, disaster struck at 7:10 am on April 29, 2013 when the Dominal Base was hit by multiple rockets from Autumn's Army. After Dominal soldiers fired back with their own rockets, the attacks ceased. As Autumn's Army remained on the neutral zone, the Courts demanded an explanation, determined to keep their soldiers at bay. By May 1, many soldiers were anticipating another major attack. The tension manifested itself as slacking work, declining maintenance, a bitter atmosphere, and unfriendly relations between stressed soldiers. On May 3, John Court demanded that Autumn's soldiers withdraw from the neutral zone completely. The following day, the Project Scholar research facility was used to conduct research on Autumn's base; a prediction was made that a major attack would occur in the following week. In conjunction with an allied base, they conducted proxy rocket strikes on Autumn's base on May 5. Two days later, spying missions in Autumn's base revealed that General Autumn was bombing his own base to provide a false flag to attack other bases. After the Courts confronted Autumn about this on May 8, a small shootout broke out into the afternoon. Both armies withdrew by the next day. By May 10, 2013, the Dominal Army migrated back to Sector 3 for the Summer Hiatus.

At 9:30 pm on May 23, 2013, Autumn's Army attacked the Dominal Base with multiple rocket strikes and a mobilization of troops on the neutral line. The Dominal forces countered the attack with a struggle throughout the next night. On May 25, the Courts proposed negotiation as a means of peace, but General Autumn declared negotiations non-existent. In the late hours of the night on May 26, Autumn's Army launched a full-on invasion of the Dominal Base, lasting until 4 am when the Dominal forces drove them out completely. At 7 am on May 28, the Courts authorized a rocket strike on Autumn's base, but General Autumn led no counter-attack. Despite mobilization at the end of the month, no gunfire was exchanged. Even on June 4-5 when Autumn's Army was caught spying on the base from the neutral zone, there was no action taken. By June 16, Second Tier negotiations with another allied base took the focus off of Autumn's Army. On June 17, the Dominal Base celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Battle of High Meadows. At 4 pm, Autumn's Army conducted a series of rocket strikes on the base, naming several unintelligible reasons for their return since late May. By the following day, the battle faded off without many casualties. "General Autumn's presence is becoming irrelevant as we pursue secondary ties," declared Watson Court that day, speaking of the recent negotiations with AL's base. "And that's a great thing." By the end of the month, AL's army was stationed on the Dominal Base to provide support during secondary negotiations.

The last set of battles in the war occurred beginning on August 9, 2013. At 7:58 pm, Autumn's Army bombed the Dominal Base several times, attempting to elicit a military response. After the Courts initially decided to just close all borders and seal off the threat, they countered the attack with rocket strikes. On August 10, contact became inconsistent and sporadic. The Dominal Army had exported hundreds of soldiers away from the base since late June and early July to partake in a community project, making a constant attack on Autumn's Army impractical. On August 19, the Court brothers authorized a spying program on Autumn's base to ensure an effective withdrawal. The spying showed that there was not much activity on the base, resulting in the concern that Autumn's Occupant had died and the base was beginning its spiral. The Court brothers made a collective plea to General Autumn to make contact, but there was no response. However, on August 26 at 9:00 pm, General Autumn finally made contact, declaring the base was still functioning.

The Autumn's War officially ended at noon on August 30, 2013. After the Court brothers declared "full sobriety" from the army, Autumn's Army retaliated with its most hostile bombing raid in months, damaging several facilities in Sectors 1 and 2. General Autumn stated that they were in a secondary alliance with another base and would have no intention of attacking the Dominal Base after that day. Maintaining their composure, the Court brothers acknowledged the end of the conflict on a bitter note. At the end of the night, thousands of soldiers congregated in open courtyards and related their stories about the devastating war.