**Author:** Oski_Polski --- ![](wars_of_the_past.PNG) SPECIALIST: FILIP WATOSZEK  LOCATION: PSTRĄŻE, POLAND DAY: MAY 3rd, 2043 My name is Filip Watoszek, Leader of 29th Silesian Artillery Regiment.  It's been 2 days since we moved to Pstrąże. Our unit was tasked with setting up additional line of defence in case of further Russian intervention.  3 weeks ago we received a coded message from a source called "Exodus". We didn't knew who they were, we didn't knew where they were, we just knew they were No-Pats, just like us. Message was relayed by a Polish No-Pat, by the name of Ewelina Lis, a former GROM soldier in Polish Armed Forces when Poland was still a country as we knew it. She told us about the conflict with USA and Russia. Jesus, what have we missed? We had no communication with outside world for over a year, we had no idea an All-Out War broke out between the only superpowers standing. We received orders to open up a way for the Americans, who promised to supply us with food, weapons, ammunition, everything. We were neutral for both sides, but all of us had a reason to fight the Russians and work with the Americans, so our Command agreed for those terms without hesitation. Russians were no saints for us, Poles. They commited horrific atrocities over the years after and during World War 2. Katyń, Naliboki, the list goes on, we had more than a reason to hate the Russians. And we were ready to fight on the American side to the very end. Our HQ formed a plan to create a defensive line on the East and South of old Polish border, and support lines behind the main defensive line.  We had plenty of men for this kind of operation, in the end obligatory army service was introduced before the blackout in 2040. Around 57% of remaining population was ready to fight in case of a conflict. That would make around 210 000 battle ready soldiers, who consist of new recruits and veterans. Normally No-Pats are scattered, with no direct communication. But we have long history and despite no longer being under one government, we just knew that if we want to survive, we have to work together. And in the matter of months, we managed to create a huge link of military communications, which is why Poland is now one of the Failed Nations, which managed to get back up militarily with the will of it's people. Recent forest fires and floods destroyed majority of main roads Russians could use to move their main force from Belarus, Chechia and Ukraine, which gave us some time before US forces would start moving en masse from Germany. We didn't had to worry about Russian forces inside Poland, they were forced to move out after we made small pact with them in March of 2042.  Then my regiment was redirected to Pstrąże. Pstrąże is a ghost town, literally a ghost town. And it was a ghost town since 1990s. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, this small town started to lose it's Russian population.  In the coming years this town had no living soul in it, it officially became a ghost town.  In 2010s this town was used as a training course for military, it felt like this town never had a chance to forget about war. Artillery shells, explosives, town was being reduced to ashes every month, as it was far away from any bigger and populated towns. But it was also quiet place to test some secret projects away from the public eyes. In 2037 governemnt tried to rebuild this small town for the military use. In 2038 project was cancelled and majority of buildings remained as ruins taken away by mother nature, perfect to hide your small force if you need it.  And here we are now. Awaiting orders to fire on Russian positions on Chechian border. Some people will finally have a chance to make Russians pay for their past crimes, some will see this as a start of a New World War where everyone are sentenced to die… **Next:** [[Polish Crisis - War for the Future | War for the Future]]