Grand Coalition Control Room

Verily, very few of us could have imagined, on that fateful evening of the 9th of May, 2024, that the Atomic Defense Union (ADU) would soar wing-to-wing with gargantuan factions during one of NationStates' most anticipated and beloved events: N-Day. Back then, a group of small, disparate fragments of nations that formed a few regions banded together with an ideal of victory, an ideal of unity, and now, we stand proudly under one banner and one goal. But where is my inner rhapsode?! There's a myriad of things to recount, and the night is still young...

On the night of the 29th of September, 2024, as the clock struck midnight, the silence of the earth seemed to grow unbearably still. Beneath that silence, the nuclear silos, hidden like dormant beasts beneath the soil of every nation, slowly rumbled to life, awaiting the signal from NationStates' mods and admins. The Atomic Defense Union, now united in fate, had to stand as one—excited, yes, but also frightened, with some of the most inexperienced members pessimistically envisioning some of the worse possible outcomes of the battle to come. The air thickened with the weight of anticipation, as the members—yes, the members, let us remind you all of who they were:

Above them, the skies held no answers, only an eerie stillness, a waiting that gnawed at the soul. Until... BOOM (picture this with excessive gesticulations) the first nuclear missile was launched by Hawkwas Sovustian, WA Delegate of Liberlandia against Cha Hetstopia placeholder, of the faction Yajib, and thus the event began! With Yajib being the first target, and Valsh Kennether and Nova Tero Bloc ensuing as such shortly after, orders began piling.
In the Atomic Defense Union, a division was made to ensure that everybody would be performing the adequate task without
needing to bother on much more. The members were divided as follows:

The fact is, dear lovers of spectacle, that thanks to the efforts of Whiskany, then ADU Coordinator and Marshal of Sunflowers, who single-handedly launched over 2,000 nukes and organised a unified attack against Yajib, the ADU’s first enemy was eradicated rapidly. Next, another small target was found: United Siberian Nations. Here, Gretarian, S1 Leader, decided to take matters in his own hands, handing out orders like bakers hot buns at sunrise. The result proved devastating for the unfortunate opponent: close to 10,000 nukes launched, of which over 2,500 by this leader alone. This tremendous assault is the first showcase in the ADU’s history of a collaborative and interregional endeavour focussed on a singular target. In the heat of this moment of emotion, belligerent ecstasy, and anticipation, nations from the United Confederation of Planets, Liberlandia, Bozarkia, and
United Democratic Nations stood proudly as regions-in-arms. Next, a wide array of factions were chosen as objectives, with some notable ones being Random Region Nuclear Centcom and The Chaos Crusade. The ADU’s attacks against these two were characterised by the exceptional feats of Star Federation, Bozarkia’s Vice Delegate, who operated a plethora of mechanical tools (puppets) to increase the capacity and efficiency of their available nuclear arsenal, launching more than 7,500 missiles on the target.

All was going swimmingly in that dark night full of spurs, until the ADU found itself in an armed conflict against the Grand Coalition (GC), a faction also in the top three spots of the leaderboard, a faction of colossal proportions.

3,000 incoming nukes. 5,000. 10,000. Their unrelenting charge seemed to have no end. However, against all odds, Hemogard, thanks to his hundreds of puppets, managed to coordinate over 20,000 intercepts in a matter of minutes. Then, the counterattack: close to 16,000 nukes launched the Grand Coalition’s way, which were all promptly intercepted by some of their most capable members. Yet they did not weaken, and neither did the ADU. This two-way exchange of gifts of war endured for close to an hour, until… The Merethin City Axolotls spoke these very words in Bozarkia’s Regional Message Board:
Thus, peace was declared, and a ceasfire was established. Moreover, the leader of this then-rival-then-ally faction, Tildurland remained in close contact for the full duration of what was left of N-Day 11. After this, victims of the ADU followed like dominos falling, one after the other, The Peace Machine tumbled, and the Free Intercontinental Nuclear Alliance crumbled as the ADU carved its way to 4th place on the leaderboard, its peak during the event. Furthermore, a Liberlandian duo took on YTrojan Empire, these being The Duck Island and
Neo-Numenor, whose synergy allowed for a synchronised offensive on the unsuspecting members of the faction. The fighting raged on as Rosy-Fingered dawn let its first rays shine on the faces of the exhausted combatants. However, this very light revealed the toll of the nocturnal battle: Hawkwas Sovustian was ravaged by enemy artillery. As the Liberlandians mourned their loss, a new spectre appeared—the spectre of Kingly Heathens Asserting Neighbourliness (KHANs), who unleashed all of their might on the ADU. However, thanks to the extensive Shield Bank and collaboration between the latter’s members, all of the nukes were intercepted in time. But the KHANs did not halt, and kept launching volleys and volleys of nuclear missiles at our heroes. Thankfully, the combined efforts of the ADU, Hemogard’s puppets, and the ghost of Numero Capitan, who passively protected the faction, allowed for a nigh-complete defence. Furthermore, thanks to the unexpected appearance of Concerta, better known as Vulbania, who decided to join the Atomic Defense Union, the ADU moved as a singular organism. In fact, due to their remarkable leadership skills, they were pronounced then and there an ADU Coordinator as recognition for their service. Thanks to Concerta, Whiskany, and Gretarian, coordination was ensured even in the absence of Histarctica or Hemogard. On top of this, and around this time, the Grand Coalition found itself under a ferocious attack, where the ADU intercepted tens of thousands of incoming nukes in an effort to aid their allies.

But things could not endure, no sloop can withstand the mightiest of storms, and the ADU couldn’t remain in the top ten spots of N-Day 11’s leaderboard. The protective ghost of the faction faded away as the KHANs assault was emboldened. The KHANs unleashed one devastating attack after another, shattering the ADU’s defences, depleting their shield bank, and exhausting their spirits. Soon after, another wave ravaged multiple nations, signalling the beginning of the end for our beloved faction. In a last desperate stand, Hemogard reappeared, fending off the KHANs temporarily, but then the Horsemen of the Apocalypse (HotA) focused their might on the ADU, obliterating nearly everyone except a few lucky survivors. In the chaos, and as midnight struck yet again, and N-Day 11 was pronounced finished, the ADU managed to secure 16th place, with a previous peak at 4th on the leaderboard and with a maximum top score of 20,000.

So dear reader, or listener (let’s remain in-character), why don’t you join the Atomic Defense Union next year? Just join our Discord!

Written by Hemogard, proofread by Histarctica, 7th of October of the year 2024.