text: [Themes: edutainment, drama]
  
  You sit in the kitchen, a cup of tea in your hand as you read the newspaper. You're out of your uniform, back to normal street clothes. Ma is in gone shopping, while Mary and Arthur are coddling over Morgan.
  
  "He's been baptized, has he?" you ask absent-mindedly. "He's safe in God's heart?"
  
  "He has been," Mary nods. "We got him baptized as soon as we could."
  
  "By a Catholic?"
  
  "Yes," Arthur says. "I made a concession there."
  
  "For the best," you nod.
  
  "So, how's running about as a soldier going?" Arthur says. "You know, for an actual nation?"
  
  "It's going... it's going," you say. "What more can be said?"
  
  "I want you to know, even though I'm a unionist, I really respect what you're doing in serving the nation," Arthur says. "In fact..."
  
  There's a loud knock on the door, as you stand up from your seat.
  
  "One moment, I'll get that," you say.
  
  You walk to the door of the house, pulling it open to reveal Joseph, standing there with his rifle slung, dressed in a mixture of plainclothes and IRA uniform.
  
  Instantly, your hand reaches down for your pistol, as Joseph desperately holds up both his hands in a gesture of peace.
  
  "I'm not here for violence!" Joseph says, raising his hands. "For god's sake, I don't want violence in Ma's house. I just want to see my family. To talk to them."
  
  "You're on the run as a traitor. You can't be let into the house, you fucking bastard."
  
  "Don't turn your own brother away, Michael. Can't we just be at peace for the next few hours?"
  
  You stare at your brother, wondering what to do.
  
  > force Joseph to leave
  You shake your head, glaring at Joseph.
  
  "Get the fuck out of here, Joseph. If you think I'm going to let you in, you're sorely mistaken. I don't want you here. Ma doesn't want you here. Mary doesn't want you here. Now, get the fuck out of here and leave us be, would you?"
  
  Joseph adopts a stony look, before nodding.
  
  "So be it. I guess I'll be on my way, then."
  
  Joseph tersely tips his cap to you in an almost mocking manner, before he turns and begins strolling down the road away from the farm. You take a deep breath, closing the door with a relieved, emotional sigh.
  
  "Everything alright?" Arthur asks.
  
  "They're looking for MacCready's house. I was just giving them directions," you say. "Now, where were we?"
  
  > Months pass...
  Over the next few months, the treaty war gets more and more out of hand, spiraling out of control. It's not long before it becomes clear that the IRA are losing, and the Free State are soon going to triumph.
  
  However, like every war, there are casualties. Arthur Griffith, overworked and strained from constant stress in keeping the government running smoothly while keeping Britain appeased, dies from heart failure leading to a cerebral hemorrhage. Only ten days later, at Béal na Bláth, Michael Collins is assassinated in an IRA ambush, where he is the only loss.
  
  After losing two great leaders, the Free State becomes far more draconian in it's work in ending this whole blasted war., including performing executions without trials, larger scale internment and the criminalization of holding any arms whatsoever. This leads to the execution of Erskine Childers, the man who first ran guns for the Irish Volunteers, after he was found with a pistol that he claimed was a gift form Michael Collins. His last words become famous. As he stared down the firing squad to execute him, he said "Take a step forward, lads. It'll be easier that way." If nothing else, the man went out with style. As the war gets more brutal, it becomes clear Ireland as a nation will not last unless this comes to an end soon.
  
  Unfortunately, it seems you have a new assignment. Rory O'Connor, your old ally in the IRA, who was captured in the taking of the Four Courts, has been sentenced to death. You're part of the firing squad that's being used to execute the poor man later in the day.
  
  As you walk down the streets of Dublin in your uniform, you wonder if you should stop by Rory's cell, to see him one last time before the end. Or perhaps you should just head to the nearest bar and get a drink, see if you can't drink away the pains of killing an old friend.
  
  > visit Rory O'Connor before the execution
  You decide to visit Rory O'Connor before the end. You walk up to the jail where he's being held, and tell them you're visiting. It's a long walk to his cell, all along the other cells filled with former comrades, friends and family that once fought with you. You're quickly led to Rory O'Connor's cell, where you introduce yourself through the dark bars.
  
  "Good evening, Rory," you say. "It's Michael McCarthy, Joseph's brother."
  
  "Come in," Rory O'Connor says. "Although I can hardly stop you entering, can I?"
  
  You walk into the cell, staring at Rory O'Connor. He looks haggard and weary, but he actually smiles when he sees you.
  
  "Michael! It's good to see you, my friend."
  
  Friend is an interesting thing to be called, given the situation.
  
  "It's a pleasure to see you, Rory."
  
  "Same to you. Michael, how have you been doing? What brings you up to Dublin."
  
  "I... I'm assigned to your execution squad. I'll be seeing you on the firing line."
  
  To your surprise, the man actually grins at you.
  
  "That's a laugh, isn't it? To be shot by a friend like you. Ah, it happens. Have you heard about Kevin O'Higgins?"
  
  You shake your head slowly.
  
  "I've known Kevin O'Higgins since the start of this all. Since we were kids, as a matter of fact. We went to school together, some old Jesuit shithole. He was the best man at my wedding."
  
  Rory O'Connor pauses, as if unsure of himself. He takes a deep breath, before continuing.
  
  "Have you received my execution order? Have you seen it with your own two eyes?"
  
  "I haven't, Rory," you admit.
  
  "At the very bottom of it. It was signed Kevin O'Higgins. My best friend, my best man, has signed my death warrant."
  
  "I'm sorry about that, Rory. I didn't know. You must feel very betrayed."
  
  "Ah, I've no doubt that Kevin felt betrayed when I took over Four Courts. We simply ended up on opposite sides of the war, is all. It's a fierce shame. A damn fierce shame. Tell me, have you talked to your brother? Since the Four Courts disaster?"
  
  "I have," you say. "It... it didn't go well."
  
  "Don't let hate consume you, Michael. Joseph's a good man. Brash, headstrong, a bit foolish... well, who am I talking to, he's a really stupid cunt of a man, isn't he? But he's a good man. He's just doing what he thinks is right. At the end of it, that's all anybody ever does, be it the Hun aiming down his rifle, the IRA man crouching in the bushes, the Brit patrolling the streets, the Free State soldier attacking the Four Courts or the anti-Treaty fighter firing his revolver."
  
  "Father's here, Rory!" a guard's voice calls, as you turn to see the priest about to give Rory his last rites enter.
  
  "Good to see you, Father," you say, shaking the priest's hand as he enters. "I'll leave you be, Rory. It was a pleasure."
  
  "Damn right it was," Rory grins, before looking at his feet, embarrassed as he realizes he's in the presence of a priest. "Sorry, father. Forgive me."
  
  The priest nods understandably, as Rory turns his attention back to you. He pulls you into a tight hug, before
  
  "Don't forget about what I said. Joseph's your brother, he deserves... well I don't know. We're all just soldiers."
  
  You nod, before leaving Rory with the priest. After you finish with your meeting, you head to the changing room, getting dressed up in your full uniform and grabbing your rifle, before making your way to the execution area.
  
  "Reporting for duty, sir," you say.
  
  "Are you ready for this, McCarthy?" the commander asks.
  
  You nod solemnly.
  
  "Good. Grab your rifle and take your position on the line," he says.
  
  You quickly file along the line, taking your posit ln ion as you shoulder your rifle. Rory O'Connor is led out, given his position against the wall. He takes a cigarette in between his teeth, before foregoing the blindfold to stare down his attackers.
  
  "Padraig Pearse whistled right before he was killed," Rory O'Connor says. "I feel I need to go out with a similar bit of style, don't I?"
  
  He smiles weakly at the row of gunmen in front of him. He looks at you briefly, giving you a quick wink. He takes a deep inhale of his cigarette, before the Free State commander gives the order.
  
  "Ready!"
  
  You prepare to fire your rifle, waiting carefully.
  
  "Aim!"
  
  You tilt your head, staring down the iron sights of your rifle, waiting patiently.
  
  "Fire!"
  
  > Fire
  Your finger twitches, pulling on the trigger. The bullets thud through the air, hammering into Rory O'Connor. Your bullet blows through his chest, blowing out his heart and killing him instantly. The cigarette falls from his mouth as he topples to the ground. You pause, staring down at the dead man, as you mutter a silent prayer for him. With that, you turn away.
  
  "Well done, men," your commander says. "You made your country proud."
  
  The others solemnly leave the room, not a word being spoken. You follow, walking out of the room, as you trudge home, wondering how much you'll need to give for this new country.
  
  > Months pass...
  The next few months are a dark, miserable time. Ever since Joseph coming over, incident, you've noticeably darker. You spend quite a bit of time out on patrol, making sure the IRA are pacified. Out in the field, you have a chance to fight, to protect your country, to do something for the nation that actually matters to you. There, in the fields, you can work for hours on end, focusing on nothing but work. You don't have to picture children burning alive in fires just out of your view. No, you don't have to deal with that until night falls.
  
  By April 1923, the fight for independence has worsened considerably for your side. More and more IRA soldiers are captured, with over 12,000 imprisoned at this point in the war. Ernie O'Malley, the man who trained the old IRA unit in the fight against the British, is shot twenty times, before being captured. Impressively, he manages to survive. The IRA forces are desperate for a ceasefire, hoping they'll simply survive as it becomes clear there's little chance of success. Frank Aiken is elected to the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army, becoming the anti-Treaty commander.
  
  With Aiken being put in charge, a new offensive is being organized by the National Army. You're heading down to Cork, for an organized sweep of rebel-held areas, arms stockpiles, outposts and anything else. If Cork, the rebel county that once literally burned with passionate rebelliousness, falls, then the anti-Treaty forces won't have control of any territory, and they'll be crushed. With their fall, the anti-Treaty forces will be left broken and disbanded, giving them almost now power.
  
  You find yourself deep in Cork, out in the countryside, moving on the old town of Bandon, one of the last bastions of the anti-Treaty forces. You move along the road with your squad of a dozen Free State soldiers, moving towards the center of the town. Although they're heavily outnumbered and outgunned, with none of the powerful weaponry you thought that your forces have, the anti-Treaty forces are trying to defend their town through hidden riflemen and moving squads of ambushers ready to hit your flanks and retreat off into the distance. You've been left as the second of command of the group, with Fionn in charge. Your mission is simple: clear the enemies and take back Bandon.
  
  You walk along the road, at the head of your column of men. You stroll along the road, moving toward the town. You hold up a hand, stopping the column. Ahead, down the road, is a hastily constructed barricade, simply a toppled tree trunk blocking off the road with a few smaller logs stacked against it. A cursory glance shows you that the barricade is unmanned, although you can't tell for sure. It blocks the only main path forward through the woods, although you're sure there's other paths forward.
  
  "Barricade," you say to Fionn. "Could be abandoned. Could be an ambush."
  
  "Any suggestions?" Fionn asks, rubbing his rifle barrel nervously.
  
  > move forward and tear down the barricade
  "Let's tear the barricade down," you say. "That'll give us the mobility to move into the town and finish them off."
  
  You walk forward, moving up to the barricade. A few of the soldiers begin pulling down the logs, tossing them aside and off into the woods as you move to the tree trunk, lifting it up with a mighty pull as the others help, and you begin to lift the tree trunk free.
  
  A bullet thuds into the tree trunk, as the shot rings out across the woods, as a smattering of gunfire bursts out. The tree trunk drops to the ground with a heavy thud as two men fall to the ground, bullets blowing through their chests.
  
  "Shit, snipers!" you yell out.
  
  The next bullet bounces off the wooden barricade with a spray of splinters, as you dive for cover. You clamber behind the trunk, as another shot slams into your back, knocking you to the ground. You're knocked onto the trunk, as you cling to it with a desperate gasp as blood runs down your back. You try to stand, before the next shot hits your shoulder, sending you collapsing off the trunk and onto the ground, as blood begins soaking through your uniform.
  
  One of your allies rushes over to you, grabbing your arm to attempt to drag you to cover, although the world quickly grows dark, as you vision blurs. Soon, the last of your blood seeps out onto the ground, and you're left cold and limp.