The Pocket

After Corporal graduated from university he wanted to serve his country but was deemed unfit by the military so he was given the role of a deputy adviser to the national diplomat. 2 days later he was sent with a foreign mission to central Europa to a peace conference as overseers to settle a war between empires to the northeast and the southern alliance. On the first day the talks went well and terms were met and the armies disbanded, or so was the hope. On the second day a well organized attack from the empires swept Europa resulting in a renewed war.
This picture shows the evening of the second day. The alliance garrison held the embassy, the palace and the buildings around it. In order for the diplomats to escape Corporal stayed behind and organized the defense of a church in the embassy's flank. With little to no officers left he was field promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. Having outdated equipment to fight the imperial hordes, they held the lines. Mounting casualties, low ammunition and protecting civilians was his new dilemma as they were forced to fire HE shells at heavily armored main battle tanks.
As the day was ending Corporal phoned for supplies only to hear that they were surrounded and the main lines would take at least 2 days to break through to them. He turned to the medic as she was checking supplies when one of the soldiers said' "Sir, you should see this," he gazed into the sky to see an armada covering the sky. "Sir we always could...." Corporal looked sharply at him, " The diplomats said that they cart off civilians to work in the wasteland like slaves. "I shall hold this pocket to the last brick or give my life in effort, if surrender means their freedom forfeit, I shall never!"
I know Loooooong story.
Corporal is the guy on the left with the officer cap on the phone.
I did this one in photoshop CS5 and I had to use a mousepad to color because I don't have a graphics tablet. I drew the lines and scanned them in. (mousepads are frustrating!!) I based the bottom part on an old soviet war painting I saw on google images.
Thanks for viewing and all feedback is appreciated. I'm still a beginner so any advice would be great!
PS: If you read the story the empire is like Russia and the alliance is like the NATO countries. This battle is taking place somewhere in East Germany in a semi steampunk style.
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