The States that make up the Confederation of Dixie were always a breed apart from the other American States. Many of them seceded during the First Civil War. The richest families of that Old South had been the pinnacle of a society built on slavery, and they fought to the very end to protect their way of life. That society had faded away in the two centuries following its defeat, and the South that rose again during the Second Civil War was an entirely different civilization. It was built on the greatest concentration of industrialized capacity in America, and home to First World education systems that had graduated generations of educated citizens. They didn’t secede when the Federal government went mad. They simply refused to follow the mad orders, and that was enough to earn the ire of those who still thought they ruled America.
John Jefferson Freemon was the hometown hero in the western Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain town of Lexington. He had been the captain of his high school football team. He continued to play football for the local Washington and Lee University and led them to multiple championships. He became a successful doctor after graduation and saved many lives. He served in the Virginia legislature, and then in the United States House of Representatives. And finally, he won election to become the Vice-President of the United States of America. He was the most famous face in Lexington, Virginia, and his friends and family loved him for it. His patients loved him. He was a genuinely nice man, and the only people who hated him were his political enemies. They hated him enough to Impeach him, and he returned home to a heroes’ welcome.
It’s Mah Birthday! It’s Mah Birthday!
Yes, I’ve survived another arbitrary orbital period around the sun to a point in time and space that roughly corresponds to the anniversary of my first prison break and the traditional doctor’s first slap on the butt. And since I’m not Chuck Norris, I probably didn’t slap him right back and send him into next week. Oh well. As life goals go, that would be awesome, but I’d like to remember my accomplishments.
With that in mind, I’ve got a lot to remember, and I rather enjoy those memories. And I look forward to more in the future. For now, I’ll just enjoy this little birthday dance.
Cause it’s Mah Birthday! It’s Mah Birthday!
The Cowboys have built small Cowboy Country establishments on nearly all friendly worlds throughout known space. Most people consider them akin to the various veteran bars you can find in most towns, because they usually act that way. The standard Third World Cowboy Country sports a bar that serves anybody in front and party rooms in the back. An upper floor holds offices for Cowboys and the Tarrant County Sheriff, while a landing pad atop the building is capable of holding anything up to an Avenger. Few outsiders ever see the basements, which consist of bunkers full of supplies and weapons fit for an army. More affluent worlds tend to have larger and more elaborate Cowboy Countries. An interesting point is that most of them have official signed agreements with the local governments putting them under their own legal jurisdiction. They truly are small Cowboy Countries.
The modern Marine Corps Fighter Attack Squadron 112, the Cowboys, is still based at Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base in Tarrant County Texas. It was reorganized into an official Republic of Texas parade unit after War’s End, with all members serving from the larger Cowboy organization. It initially had twelve pilots, though now numbers sixteen in total. Bull, Wolf, Ram, and Hart fleets send four pilots each, on four-year deployments, where they spend most of their time waving the flag and showing off at Core World aerospace shows. They rarely engage in combat, though often help with disaster relief efforts. The squadron is a prestige deployment, open only to other Cowboys, and Cowboys who serve help to keep the larger Cowboy fleets cooperating in their long venture of promoting the public peace.

Forge of War on Amazon
Angel Flight on Amazon
Angel Strike on Amazon
Angel War on Amazon
Wolfenheim Rising on Amazon
Wolfenheim Emergent on Amazon