text: Dundalk is much the same as any other prison. It's dark, it's miserable. You get to talk to a few of the other IRA prisoners, but knowing how dangerous prison time can be since their stay in Frongoch, the Free State tries hard to keep you all separated from each other. Probably a good idea. Still, it's not too miserable, and you're probably treated well. It's a boring, miserable existence, but tolerable.
  
  It's another one of those dark, miserable days, like most days in prison, where you've been left to rot in your cell, lying about it as you wait for something to happen. Daydreaming, you imagine being back at the farm, a few friends at your side as you work in the nice, sunny weather, free at last...
  
  Your daydreaming is interrupted as a guard rushes up to the cell doors, looking panicked and frantic.
  
  "You're being evacuated! We're moving you to another prison! Hands..."
  
  "What?" you interrupt, confused. "What's going on? Evacuation?"
  
  "Never you mind! Now, hands...!"
  
  "Hands in the air!" a voice from down the hallway shouts.
  
  "Shit!" the guard says, rushing to draw his pistol and nearly falling over himself.
  
  A gunshot echoes through the hallways, as the guard slumps over, sliding down the bars. You watch as a squad of IRA soldiers rushes down the hallway, rifles in hand. One of them pauses, pressing his grinning, bearded face between the cell bars.
  
  "Michael!" Joseph grins.
  
  "Joseph?" you ask. "Jesus, Joseph, what the fuck are you doing here?"
  
  "We were coming to see you, but visiting hours weren't on so we had to break in and get you out of here," Joseph smiles.
  
  Joseph moves down, grabbing the keys off the guard and quickly unlocking the cell door. You quickly move out, embracing your brother.
  
  "It's good to see you, Joseph."
  
  "It's good to see you too, Michael."
  
  "So, tell me. What the fuck's going on?" you ask.
  
  "Frank Aiken has led a huge assault of IRA soldiers to liberate the prisoners here and capture the rifles stored here," Joseph explains.
  
  "Perfect. Let's go deal with this, then," you say.
  
  With the element of surprise and numbers, the barracks is quickly taken over. Over 400 rifles are taken, with 240 Republican prisoners being released. Quickly, you move patrols out, taking the town and routing the Free State soldiers from it. Most are captured or escape off into the hills, with only a few kills. Perhaps it's because your rescuers are far more hesitant to shoot fellow Irishmen than they are British occupiers.
  
  Quickly, however, the next wave of Free State soldiers soon arrive and prepare a counter-attack to take back the town. Quickly, Frank Aiken assembles a few high-ranking IRA soldiers whose opinions he trusts, and thankfully you're one of them thanks to the fact you actually were kept in this prison and are the brother of Aiken's newest lieutenant.
  
  "We have a problem," Frank Aiken says. "The Br..."
  
  Frank Aiken pauses, almost forgetting himself. For many of you, Aiken included, it's been a hard transition to go from fighting British soldiers to former friends and comrades.
  
  "The Free State have arrived in force. They're going to attempt to push us out of the city, and we need to decide how we're going to react before they organize and attack. I need opinions. I've been considering a truce with them, to allow us to retreat with our captured weapons and freed comrade in exchange for the release of the men we captured. It seems like the most peaceful way this can end."
  
  "That's too weak. We need to hit them hard, before they have a chance to properly organize. We can strike a hard blow, and push them back with ease," one of the soldiers says.
  
  "No, we should hold down. We have the arms, we have the men, and we'll have the defensive advantage," a particularly qualified soldier named Sean F. Quinn says.
  
  "And what do the McCarthy twins think? Joseph?"
  
  "We're not twins," Joseph says, as if disliking that notion. "I don't make decisions. That's more of Michael's job. I just shoot guns and take over when we get into the kick of it."
  
  "Well, then, Michael? What's your opinion on the matter? You were a prisoner here, you deserve a say."
  
  > set up a defensive position to hold Dundalk
  "We set up a defense. If we're to hold onto this town, we need to be prepared. From a fortified position, it'll be easier to repel the enemy."
  
  "So then, if the majority of us support that, it seems like a reasonable decision. Joseph, do you stand by your brother's opinion?"
  
  Joseph nods.
  
  "Well then, we're decided. We fortify and defend Dundalk. Assemble the troops, and let's set this place up for a siege.."
  
  You quickly assemble the troops, preparing them for the defensive of the town. Barricades are hastily erected, houses fortified into defensive outposts, prisoners armed and organized into garrisons to defend the various sections. Thankfully, you have more than enough time to set up the defense, and you're left waiting to repel the Free State soldiers.
  
  There's a few small engagement with British patrols, but the main force don't arrive. You're left patiently waiting there, poised to strike as soon as they arrive, but they don't.
  
  Of course, when the first artillery shell tears through a nearby building, you realize why. You'd counted on the fact that there are civilians to discourage the use of artillery, but it seems the Free State is more desperate to bring this thing to a close than you thought. They're armed with heavy fielder cannons, and as soon as they begin their barrage, you realize what a huge mistake you've done.
  
  The next shot tears throwing the street outside, sending chunks of pavement flying. You desperately dive for cover inside a house, as the next shot hits the house directly, sending it's weakened foundations crumbling as the building collapses in on top of you. You barely have time for a terrified scream as you're buried under a mountain of rubble, debris, concrete and rebar building your tomb.