Ánżener Haxikral

Ánżener Haxikral was just a lowly Atlantean lieutenant attached to a light tank unit during the Allied push into Yohannian controlled Africa. He was busy working with his tank crew fixing a tread damaged by enemy fire when the unthinkable happened. A wall of water three meters high swept across the Atlantean lines - the Yohannians had blown the Aswan Low Dam and the wall of unstoppable water was crushing the Allied Forces! This should have been the end for Lt Haxikral, as it was for so many other Allied soldiers, but gratefully it was not. Haxikral somehow managed to survive being bowled from the battlefield and washed down river about 3km before he managed to pull himself from the turbulent currents and scramble ashore. Despite having a cracked patella, a concussion and some very serious gashes from tumbling debris Haxikral found evidence of a nearby town and walked just over a kilometer on his own. Upon reaching town he commandeered the local telegraph office and sent his now famous message: “Dam blown. Wall of water. Get civilians to safety. Forward to Allied Command.” As his message outraced the flood bearing down the course of the Nile River civilians were evacuated from its path, saving an estimated 250-500k from certain destruction. In addition to saving hundreds of thousands of human lives by taxing his body to the limit his message was also delivered to the regional Allied Command which allowed sufficient resources to rush southward to block the renewed Yohannian advance towards Cairo. Lt Haxikral sent his message then enlisted a local trader to take him back towards the site of the fateful battle. Yohannian forces had moved in to capture the majority of the soldiers affected by the flood, but were primarily focused on capturing the Allied officers. When Haxikral arrived he began organizing the soldiers to regroup, rescue their comrades and hide from the Yohannian patrols.

In all Haxikral was able to gather almost 1200 soldiers and enough supplies to allow them to engage in a form of asymmetrical warfare for almost 5 whole days, where Haxikral and his men cut lines of power and communication, captured or destroyed enemy supplies, and were able, at the cost of a further 453 dead, to delay the Yohannian forces for long enough to allow the Allies to respond to the Yohannian atrocity. When Lt Haxikral and his men were finally rescued by the Allied Forces they were sent back down the Nile to Cairo where Haxikral spent the next four months recovering from his injuries. For his efforts he was inducted into the British Order of Merit, the first Atlantean national to ever receive the honor. From the Atlantean government he received the Enduring Cross (for perseverance and courage under enemy fire) and the ability to wear the Red Sash, which indicated his enduring multiple wounds, significant suffering, and tireless efforts to preserve the lives of others. Haxikral’s reception of the Red Sash was notable because he was and still remains the most junior recipient (previously and since it has only been awarded to the rank of Major and above).

He went to work with Yenámirtal, creating and testing survival equipment for the Armed Forces. After doing that for about 10 years he returned to the outskirts of Burmuinean in southern Atlantis and took up the family manufacturing business. At that point he, his wife and their two children tried very hard to stay out of the public eye, but even then Haxikral couldn’t stay away from military subjects and after working for a time as one of the “coaches” for his oldest son’s Martial Discipline class he decided to become a teacher at his local “high school” equivalent where he was able to help nurture the next generation.

He died in 1976 of complications from a stroke.