President Otto Von Hans arrested during coup! OPEN, MT

[The Islamic Cooperative]

Somewhere Off the Coast of France, the Atlantic Ocean

Commander Hafiz Haytham Said had a large map of the Western European coast and most of the Atlantic Ocean displayed on the submarine's main monitor, and was meticulously studying it together with his men. He was commanding a routine surveillance mission of Western Europe, and because he was operating in the French Navy's home turf, looking at the map to avoid anti-submarine patrols was a part of his job. Suddenly, the communication team text-messaged him through the sub's intranet.

"Commander, we've received a message from High Command" The message reads.
"Display it on the main screen, Officer." The Commander answered.
"Sorry Sir, I can't. It required the highest authorization before it could be opened."
"Ok, I'll go there in a minute." Answered the Commander.

After reading the message, the Commander returns to study his maps. His men could clearly see that the Commander's face has suddenly turned pale, unusual for somebody whose job is commanding a submarine in potentially hostile waters.

"Anything in it for us, Commander?" asked one of his officers.

The Commander than signaled to one of his officers to temporarily isolate the room from the rest of the sub, and then proceeded to answer his men's question.

"First of all I want to tell you all that this fleet is now under the Yusuf protocol, Said the Commander. "And thus, what I'm going to say to you is absolutely top secret!. Do not tell this to another soul other than yourself!." Hafiz said.

"Yes, Sir!" Replied his men.

"The new military government that toppled GDR's despotic regime has not replied to our demands that they protect the rights of Muslims. Worse, Montabaur has attacked GDR, their Casus belli being the military government's supposed repressive actions against civilian demonstrators. This developments on the situation in GDR is threatening our fellow Muslims there, which had already suffered under the rule of former President Otto Von Hans. Because of this, High Command has ordered us to sail towards Lubeck, ground zero of Montabaur's offensive operations in GDR. Further information would be relayed by High Command after we reached Lubeck," Hafiz said. "Therefore gentlemen, we're postponing our West European surveillance operations indefinitely and will began Operation Canary shortly after Zhuhur prayers."

Hafiz then signaled to one of his officers to end the room's isolation from the rest of the submarine, therefore ending the conversation. They all knew there's a tough mission ahead of them.

[Montabaur]

Lübeck, GDR
Field Marshall Hoth sat quietly. He was pondering General Yuehelia's proposition. Was he going to order an attack on Berlin, or was he to secure Oldenburg? "General Yuehelia, it would be best if we moved towards Oldenburg to secure our western flank and to secure land to hold from Loyalist hands. I will order for the arrival of more resources from the Imperial Fascist Republic, as holding this ground with minimal men is darn near impossible. Once we have secured Oldenburg, and when you move North, Montabaur will lead the offensive on Berlin. Now, I must go to alert the President, he lost the plot at me the earlier on." The officers in the room had a shallow chuckle. The two commanders saluted one another, and firmly shook hands, "To an alliance made in fire." muttered Hoth. He then left the room, returning to his personal command centre, and alerted the President to the agreement and the need for reinforcements. The President pledged 15 more F-16's, 2000 more troops, 30 Leopard 2 tanks and their men, dozens of LAV's, along with other handheld equipment. Hoth was ecstatic.

Lübeck Airport, GDR
The C-17's had arrived, and the men were lumbering off the large aircraft. They 1020 men made their way to a hangar, where they were to be briefed on the situation by Colonel Mark Hippen. He wasn't a confident speaker, stuttering regularly, and sweating while in the lime light. "Uh, hello men...I mean fresh meat," he chuckled nervously, but for the troops, it was an awful cliche, "Welcome to the German Democratic Reich, it's a bit of a mess, but that's an understatement...um so you're here to fix that and help Montabaur help its allies here, some milita guys or something." He was panicking, the vagueness of the speech and the lack of direction for the troops made gaining an idea of the situation near impossible. Another officer climbed up to the stage and whispered something in Major Hippen's ear, and then took him off the stage, before returning to clarify what the Major had said. He told them that recent operations had connected the airport to the main area of Montabaurian control, guaranteeing supply.

Montabaurian Expeditionary Force Base, Lübeck, GDR
A group of officers were discussing some of the plans that Field Marshall Hoth had alerted them to and had ordered them to draw up plans, but to also secure current Montabaurian territory. The officers had been focussing on the municipality of Groß Grönau, which lay not far from the Montabaur-held Lübeck Airport. The officers had agreed that attacking and securing approaches to and around the airport would be the best tactic. One of them had the final plans drawn up on a map, with the black detailing current Montabaur-held territories, and red indicating attack routes. 500 troops and 21 LAV's had been assigned to the operation, with artillery based on the outskirts of the Montabaurian territory to bombard the town before the assault, codenamed Operation Scissorhands. 150 troops would move along the western approach towards the municipality, and 200 along the east, while a separate force of 150 troops would move to secure the river approach towards the city central, which Montabaur controlled, so that Montabaur naval assets could be given the protection that the land offers.



The officers agreed to what was drawn up, and were ordered by the commanding officer in the room to prepare the troops for the operation, which would begin in 3 hours.

[The German Democratic Reich]

So the reports where true...A hostile force did land in Lübeck. This news had brought the Reichswehr military to a frenzy. Bases mobilized and the Reichswehr had mustered up a force of twelve thousand to begin a full assault on the town. The troops in nearby towns where ordered to stop policing and prepare for the oncoming assault. Meanwhile Wilhelm Schultz called Chief of Command of the Luftwaffe, demanding bombing runs on the town be conducted.

"But sir! There are civilians there!"
"If any citizen there was loyal to us, they would of left a long time ago! Bomb the hell out of those bastards!"

The lockdown in Berlin got worse as anyone able-bodied was drafted into the military, and executions of terrorists became public. No signs of Democratic elections where anywhere, and sections of the Reichswehr had started turning into Secret Police to "flush out traitors and terrorists"



Later the following evening, the Reichswehr ships had come into contact with foreign battleships, the Captain of the Führer contacting one of the ships.

"Unknown ship, identify yourself immediatly, state your business or prepare to meet the full firepower of the German Reich"



As the cities turned to chaos, the country turned into warzones as endless waves of Reichswehr soldiers and vehicles marched towards Lübeck. Jets fly over them heading towards eir bombing target, the now fascist city.

[The Islamic Cooperative]

OOC: Hey GDR, could you respond to my previous official statement?

[Montabaur]

Outside Groß Grönau, GDR
The LAV's approaching from the western flank had been progressing slowly, with attacks from unknown militia frequent, but fought off with sheer technological advantage. There were 10 LAV's in this attack, 6 in the eastern flank, and 5 capturing the river. They carried as many men as they could, but the others had to walk. They had been moving at a slow pace, although Groß Grönau was only 8km south east of Lubeck. When they approached the town, they could see smoke flying high above the sky following the artillery attack. Clink. Whoosh. Boom! The second LAV in the convoy was struck by an RPG from the city. Fire licked through the base of the back door. The screams were deafening. The door broke down. Men, still alive, ran burning out of the LAV, as the other LAV's opened fire on the town. The men were running through the columns of vehicals, and other troops did what they could to put out the fire. "Lubeck Airbase, this is LAV West Lead, we need an airstrike on the western outskirts of Groß Grönau, currently taking fire. Over." The commander of the lead LAV urgently requested, "LAV West Lead, this is Lubeck Airbase, we hear you loud and clear. Deploying three F-16's now. Over and out."

The F-16's were always ready to be scrambled, as it is an active warzone. The rumbling of the jets could be heard soon after the request was made, then the steel angels soared over the city, dropping their bombs and firing the tactical missiles. It was like a fireworks show. The eastern unit had been contacted and told to approach immediately while the western unit reorganised and removed the burning corpses. The eastern unit moved rapidly towards the town, even as the final bombs were being dropped. They entered. The streets were a mess. Rubble lay everywhere, and what appeared to be a man's arm lay in a pool of blood, amongst a pile of rubble. The 200 troops in the eastern approach unit quickly moved through the town in order to find any civilians in the town. In the west, the troops were on the move again, with the bodies loaded into the back of one of the LAV's. The troops were furious, and had plans to exact retaliation on the population.

10 minutes later, the 150 troops entered the main square, where many civilians had been assembled. An officer grabbed a megaphone and began talking "Ladies and gentleman, this town is now a part of the Imperial Fascist Republic of Montabaur. Our laws, our customs and our beliefs must now be obeyed to the highest standard, anything less, and we will have no patience for you." Another officer from the western unit approached the officer with the megaphone and handed him a piece of paper. "Now, I want all men and children to go to my left, and all women to my right, NOW!" the civilians covered their ears, it was painfully loud. They then proceeded as the officer demanded. "Mama , wo gehst du hin?" cried one of the young children, who was then shoved back into the group by a Montabaurian soldier. The women were marched off towards the cathedral at the centre of town, which would become the Montabaur's headquarters in the town. After the women were removed, the officer spoke again, "Men, take off your wedding rings and any valuables you have and place them in the buckets coming around to you, refusal will be met with punishment." Troops walked along the three lines of men and children, all shuddering. One man refused to place his wedding ring in the bucket, "Sir, you heard the orders, place the ring in the bucket or be punished!" "Fuck you you vile scum!" The man spat on the soldier, then punched him. Two more troops ran over, one hit the man in the face with a baton. He fell to the ground, the troops dragged him to the middle of the square and pushed him to his knees. The officer walked over, raising the megaphone once more towards the crowd, "Don't say I didn't warn you." The officer pulled out his M1911 pistol and put it to the man's head. Bang. His body dropped to the ground, the people screamed, "DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!" The officer bellowed, before signalling to the troops, who moved into a circle around the people, and opened fire.

Cathedral, Groß Grönau, GDR
As the women were sent below ground in the Cathedral, Montabaurian troops raised the flag of Montabaur on top of the Cathedral, a symbol of a claim, but also a headquarters.

[The Islamic Cooperative]

Meanwhile, in International waters near Lübeck

Commander Hafiz Haytham Said took a long breath, trying to relax his body after a night of frantic activities aboard his submarine. It has been a long night. Commanding a submarine fleet while trying to remain undetected in foreign waters is hard enough, but infiltrating possibly hostile waters controlled by a battle-ready Navy is proving to be much more difficult. And yet this is just the beginning of Operation Canary, a tougher job lies upon him in the coming days, and even possibly months, since nobody know when will the crisis in GDR end.

He reached for his intercom and called his communication officer "Officer, tell High Command that the Canary is in the Coal Mine!" Said Hafiz to the officers. The communication officers wasted no time and immediately sent a quantum encrypted message, SOP for a mission under the Yusuf protocol, to High Command through a special laser to a military communication blimp far above.

5 minutes later, they received a quantum encrypted message from High Command. "Sir, the message requested for biometric authentication before proceeding" Notified his communication officer. Hafiz put his hands to the computer sensor in front of him, which immediately scanned for signs of life, signs of coercion, fingerprints, and the vain patterns in his palm.

"Identity Confirmed, opening message." The robotic sound of the computer said immediately after scanning.

EYES ONLY
TO: COMMANDER HAFIZ HAYTHAM SAID, 5TH DEEP SEA TASK FORCE

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

Commander Said, this message would be the details of the orders you must fulfill at present. Please read it carefully.

Your fleet is ordered by High Command to conduct surveillance operations on combatants in or near Lübeck.

May God Help You In Your Mission, Commander

"May God help me in my mission" Whispers Hafiz to himself.

[Negros Island and the Visayan Region]

(Image)

ENCRYPTION:HIGHEST
TO: ALLIED NATIONS AIDING THE REICH

HEIL DEUTSCHLAND!

The German Democratic Reich is allowing all foreign forces on our side to land at international airports (currently under military control), or at Reichswehr Military bases. We have issued a code for landing clearance.

ADOLF BAVARIA SAXONY 456765432

PROVISIONAL REICH GOVERNMENT

Bunker 001, Bacolod City, NIVR

"Excellent", says General Miguel Zabala after reading the official letter. He stood up from his office chair and immediately ran towards the President's War Office with the letter. He immediately went inside without knocking.

"What's the business, Miggy? Also, next time, knock.", President Boris said while reviewing a map of the German Democratic Reich.
"I am sorry Mr. President." General Miguel said while trying to catch his breath. "I have here the official letter from the Germans. They have allowed foreign forces to land on their airports."

"Mhmm.. Excellent. Do your thing now, Miggy. I have other important things to do." Boris said as he turns away from Miguel and head towards the bookshelves.
"Wait, General.", Boris added. "May the odds be ever in our favor. Avance, Negrosanon!"
"Avance, Negrosanon." Miguel said as he walked towards the exit.

Talisay Airbase, Talisay City, NIVR
"LISTEN UP, TRANSPORT WING AND 21ST COMMAND!" General Miguel shouted as he ordered the troops to listen.
"Alright. You all will go and land at Berlin. I'll send the command once you're there. Now, MOVE OUT AND BRING GLORY TO OUR NATION! AVANCE, NEGROSANON!"
"AVANCE, NEGROSANON!" The soldiers shouted with pride.

Leipzig, GDR
The BQT001 Special Operations Squadron detonated C4s on rebel shelters and demolished many rebel-occupied buildings using TNTs and C4 detonators.

[Nationes Pii Redivivi]

The Empire of Nationes Pii Redivivi offer their most sorrowful and dolorous condolences to the President and their most hearty and cheerful congratulations to the Junta. Lord Percy Percy wish it be known that he has thrown his complete support behind the military, as well as his most bitter condemnation.

[Montabaur]

Lubeck, GDR
Montabaurian forces had secured the targeted areas, and now began to set up defences on the expanded territory. The troops had also conducted operations to secure more territory to the north of the city, with Montabaurian presence up to Scharbeutz, 25km to the north of the city. More reinforcements had been arriving as well, with the troop count nearing 17,000 ground troops, 60 LAV's, 30 Leopard 2 tanks, 32 F-16 fighter jets, various light transport vehicles, and 12 Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters. The troops were preparing to mobilise to strike further towards Berlin, and to race for Hamburg.

[The Islamic Cooperative]

The Caliph is deeply worried with the situation in GDR. A total information blackout resulting from the Montabaur attack has left the Cooperative with little information regarding the situation in GDR. Despite the fact that almost all Intelligence assets has been tasked to gather any information from GDR, information is still scarce.

What little information that the Cooperative got, mostly from the 5th Deep Sea Task Force, has painted a dark picture. Concentration of civilians in a few pockets around Lübeck, and even gossip among the invading fleet that at least a few civilians have been killed in front of a crowd. The Caliph then decided that it was time to bring some big guns to the area, and summoned his Joint Chief of Staff, the 4 star General of the Army named Gabir Uthman Zaman.

"So what's your plan O Caliph?" asked Gabir to the strained looking Caliph.

"I want you to order some of the finest of our soldiers and sailors to Lübeck. You'll act as a backup in case our diplomatic efforts to pressure Montabaur to provide a guarantee that muslims won't be harmed failed," the Caliph stops, stared at the Tawhid flag in his office and then continues "In an event that, God forbid, our diplomatic effort fails, then I order you to blockade the Montabaur invading forces around Lübeck. Do not open fire without my order except if Montabaur forces do it first."

"What if one of Montabaur's allies are attacking us? The General asked.

"Treat them like they're Montabaur forces. the Caliph answered.

"And if it is the GDR forces that is opening fire on us?" Gabir asked.

"That's unlikely my dear General. But just in case, warn them before any of their forces enter our operations zone. If they attack our forces even after 3 warnings, then the usual SOP applies. Neutralize them. The Caliph continues, "One more thing General, please prepare to liberate Lübeck in case things go south, and also, prepare a plan for the liberation of Germany!" the Caliph said, with a raised tone.

[Montabaur]

Montabaurian GDR Headquarters, Lubeck, GDR
Field Marshall Hoth had called a meeting with senior officers to prepare the next moves for the military. Admiral Lippert and General Eschmann had flown in from Montabaur in order to participate and see what was happening on the ground. "Admiral Lippert," began Field Marshall Hoth "in regards to the naval activities in the invasion, we believe we can keep our forces sufficiently supplied from the air, so I have called for the 1 aircraft carrier remaining, IMNS Bloodhound to dock here in Lubeck. As you would be aware, the IMNS Conrath limped back to Montabaur, so we are currently down 1 aircraft carrier and 1 destroyer, but we should survive. I have deployed the remaining destroyers to patrol around our controlled territories, and the troop transports are docking in as well." "Well, Field Marshall, I see nothing wrong with that. Can you guarantee the ships' safety?" queried Admiral Lippert. "Well, if you mean something like attacking the ships in dock?" "Yes." "Ok, well, nothing is 100% secure, but we know only a madman would try something like that." Hoth seemed a bit nervous, not going into any more detail. Admiral Lippert seemed oddly satisfied with the answer, and replied "Ok, Field Marshall. I'll trust you with that, but let it be known, if it goes south, it's on your head. Now show us the map." "Yes, Field Marshall, show us the map." chimed in General Eschmann. Field Marshall Hoth heralded a lower ranked officer to get the map, which was unravelled across the table.



Montabaur had extended its control over the territory significantly, and the senior officers were satisfied. "You have done well, Field Marshall, are the troops sufficient?" questioned General Eschmann. "At the moment General, we have sufficient troops to control the territory. However, extra men is never a bad thing." replied Field Marshall Hoth. The other officers sat silently as the three conversed, feeling somewhat left out of proceedings. "So you could use more troops? I'll make a mental note of that. Anyway, what is your next move? Are you attacking Berlin?" continued Eschmann. "With in time, sir. Our intention is to attack Berlin and establish a Fascist government, but we also need to head west to take Hamburg. The Tanith forces will work with us, but news from them has been slow." replied the Field Marshall. "Very well, we best go and speak to the troops." said Admiral Lippert. The two men left the room.

Selmsdorf, East of Lubeck, GDR
In Selmsdorf, two Montabaurian soldiers had been found dead. A Major and Corporal. They had been severely beaten, but Montabaurian forces did not know by whom. Montabaur had been installing loudspeakers across the areas it controlled in order to advise civilians on what to do. The loudspeakers in Selmsdorf were being used for the first time. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your local commander. You are to assemble at the local sporting field. Once there, you will follow the orders delivered by soldiers without question. Failure to adhere will lead to severe punishments. Farewell." The loudspeakers went silent. Men and women began making their way to the sporting field, where a few dozen trucks were waiting. "Ladies and Children to the trucks with the pink cross, men to the unmarked trucks!" commanded an officer with a megaphone. People began boarding, while troops patrolled the streets hurrying people towards the sporting field, while others went house to house looking for people refusing to go. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are taking you to Lubeck, nothing to be concerned by. You are at risk from the corrupt, illegal government in Berlin. Montabaur has spotted artillery assembling not far from here. This is to protect you. You must leave now!" emotionally pleaded the officer, but he was lying. No military activity had been spotted nor any heard of by opposing forces. The people had sped up in boarding the trucks.

1 hour later

The trucks had departed from Selmsdorf, but weren't heading towards Lubeck. The convoy was about 40 trucks long, with 13 LAV's providing security. In the rear truck, a man began panicking. the three Montabaurian troops in the truck were trying to keep him under control, but he was beginning to panic other people. The troops grabbed the man and punched him repeatedly, "We told you to shut up, you're causing a stir!" bellowed one of the troops, spitting in the man's face. They then grabbed him and dragged him through to the back of the truck, whispered something in his ear, and indicated to the LAV behind to stop. The troops then threw him out with the truck still moving. He slammed on to the hard ground, bones cracking. As the truck kept moving, the soldier indicated another message; open fire. The LAV shot the man on the ground with its main cannon, and the people screamed. "Do you want that to happen to you? Then shut up and behave yourselves!" screamed a soldier. People were crying.

The trucks began arriving at the side of the river leading towards Lubeck. People were disembarking and being sent with groups of 15 soldiers and 1 LAV to different areas along the river. The man with the megaphone spoke again, "You are safe here, from the GDR, but not from us. This is your punishment for killing two of our brothers. We will not tolerate dissent. Let this be a message to anyone anywhere considering action against Montabaur, we will crush you, your family, your relatives, your town, your province, and in time, your country." The people had been placed close to the edge of the river, and the squads of troops opened fire. There were over 600 people who had been transported to the river. The remaining people in Selmsdorf would suffer a different fate. The houses began being burnt to the ground with people in side, and other people were being transported to Lubeck to be put into a group of civilians used when crossing mine fields.

[The Islamic Cooperative]

The Government of The Islamic Cooperative
Madinah, C.R 20012

To: Herman Conrath, President of The Empire of Montabaur
From: Hasan Bin Muslim, Commander of the Faithful and Successor of the Prophet of God
Subject: Montabaur's Treatment of Muslims in Lübeck, GDR
Classification: Confidential

---

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

Dear Sir,

The Islamic Cooperative Government has tried hard to desist herself from the attitude of protest and opposition by our populace which has started since the beginning of the state of war between Montabaur and GDR, and we furthermore tried to restrain the tendency of our present foreign policy toward protecting Muslims all around the world from an aggressive one to a diplomatic one, in hopes that both of us could live on the footing of friendly and neighborly relations in the future.

However, information we managed to collect in regard to Montabaur military operations, and objectives of it's war has painted a grim picture.
First, we are concerned that Montabaur forces at Lübeck is involved in the most deplorable act of war crime at Lübeck, chief among this is the extra-judicial killings, and the forceful displacement of, unarmed civilians.

Secondly, the objectives of the Government of Montabaur's military operations in GDR seemed to indicate that Montabaur is trying to reestablish the remnants of the tyrannical, Islamophobic government of Otto Von Hans.

If proven to be true, this would put the position of the Islamic Cooperative Government regarding the war to be impossible, and that our ability to maintain the attitude of patient tolerance which it has observed so far might change drastically. Indeed, if the reports is confirmed to be true, this result would impose upon the Islamic Cooperative Government the obligation to put an end to the actions of Montabaur, which would constitute an unacceptable menace in the face of Humanity.


Therefore, we asked the Government of Montabaur to provide assurance of the safety of Muslims in it's annexed territories to our Government as fast as possible.

Hasan Bin Muslim
Commander of the Faithful and Successor of the Prophet of God

[Montabaur]

Office of the President of the Imperial Fascist Republic of Montabaur

To: Hasan Bin Muslim, Commander of the Faithful and Successor of the Prophet of God
From: Herman Conrath, President of The Imperial Fascist Republic of Montabaur

Dear Commander Hasan Bin Muslim,

In your letter, you raised two points of contention of which I would like to explain. You outline these so called 'war crimes' near Lubeck. It is nothing of the sort. Two Montabaurian soldiers were murdered, and as such, punishment was exercised. Montabaur reserves the right to exercise punishment as it sees fit, and I, my soldiers, nor my nation, will be lectured by another country about it. We are returning order to the collapsed society under siege by militant communists, we seek to build a brighter future for the people of the German Democratic Republic, a future that only a Fascist government can provide. Secondly, we have no interest in Otto Von Hans.

Your provocations will not be tolerated. Any action against Montabaur, or infringing on our ability to continue operations, will be met with unimaginable retaliation. Any action against Montabaur will lead to the destruction of all Muslims in the GDR.

Sincerely,
President Herman Conrath

[Nationes Pii Redivivi]

Dear President Herman Conrath,

As we are a nation of proud Anglophones, we fully support your government with their significantly less Teutonic names.

Sincerely
Your humble servant,

Lord Percy Percy, Second Duke Darling.

[The Islamic Cooperative]

Madinah, Government HQ

"What the hell is they thinking? Legitimizing their own war crime and even boasting about it?" The Caliph said, with a sad tone after reading the Montabaur response. Although he had anticipated this, reading it from the official Montabaur response is still hard to believe.

"Caliph," asked General Zaman in front of him, "should I order our fleet near Lubeck to blockade Montabaur forces?."

"No General," said the Caliph, "War is our last option, when diplomacy have fail us. I still hope that we could avoid a disastrous war, and end all this with smiles and handshakes. However, just in case, I want you to prepare our forces for to liberate Lubeck."

"Caliph." said Zaman, "Consider it done."

General Zaman saluted the Caliph, and left the room, leaving the Caliph alone in his thoughts.

[Montabaur]

Presidential Office, New Wolfsburg, Montabaur

President Conrath had finished a meeting with the Montabaurian Treasurer and Chief of the Central Bank. They had been discussing ways to boost growth in Montabaur's GDP, but also at introducing more corporatist policies to bring businesses into line. The three men said their goodbyes, and the Treasure and Central Bank chief left the room, while an officer entered the room. "Hello Captain Kelvin, don't tell me you have another letter from that Caliph fellow." joked President Conrath. "Oh, no sir, I'd never burden you with that again!" the two chuckled, "Anyway Sir, we have a report on labour shortages that Montabaur simply cannot meet, and the people do not want to do. Business isn't keen to hire Montabaurians either, as pay is a bit high." "Captain, with all due respect, you're a military man, not an economist. The Treasurer will enlighten me." President Conrath said dismissively. "My President, you did hire me as your personal assistant. As such, my responsibilities extent beyond the military." replied the Captain smuggly. The President reluctantly agreed, but he liked Captain Kelvin, and wasn't going to be bothered. "Well, you would be aware of some actions we have taken in the GDR, correct?" queried the President, "Correct, sir." "Okay, well Field Marshall Hoth may have some extra labour at hand, perhaps he can send over a few folks to pick fruit." The idea wasn't farfetched. The people wouldn't need to be paid, and it would send a message to the people of the GDR. The President alerted Field Marshall Hoth immediately of the plan.

Montabaur military head quarters, Lubeck, GDR

Field Marshall Hoth had finished talking to President Conrath, and called the Chief of Gross Gronau Local Administration. "Chief, this is Field Marshall Hoth, I have a request only you can fulfil. Are you listening?" "Yes, Field Marshall, I'm all ears." replied the Chief. "Okay, this comes straight from the President himself. You still have the women in the basement of the Church, correct?" "Yes sir that is correct, all 300 of them." "Very good. I need them sent up here within the next 15 hours. The President needs to fill menial labour shortages back home, and these women should do. We'll be dispatching them in three of the transport ships as soon as humanly possible. Do you have sufficient transport to bring them up here in time?" "Yes, Field Marshall, I should be able to complete the task, in less time than you ask." replied the Chief. "Excellent. You're doing a good job!" Field Marshall Hoth hung up.

The Chief began ordering for the women and children to be moved above ground and assembled in the main square, and began calling for the trucks to arrive.

[The Islamic Cooperative]

Government HQ, Madinah

Caliph Hasan Bin Muslim has just finished writing the letter that he hoped would avert a war between the Islamic Cooperative and Montabaur when suddenly his intercom beeped. "Assalammu'alaikum Caliph!. The Joint Chief of Staff requested a meeting with you ASAP.", said one of his staff through the intercom. "Tell him I'm available for a meeting" Said the Caliph.

15 minutes later

"Assalammu'alaikum. Is there any problems that caused you to request a personal meeting with me, General?" Asked the Caliph as General Zaman entered the room. "Wa'allaikumsalaam. Yes Caliph. A pretty big problem in fact." answered General Zaman with an uneasy face. "Please, take a seat. Make yourself comfortable. Do you want anything to eat and drink?." Asked the Caliph. "Thank you, Caliph. Some cookies and a cup of tea if you don't mind" answered General Zaman.

One of the robot staffs immediately came and put the tray with cookies and tea on the desk in the middle of the room. It then poured the tea to the cups in front of the Caliph and General Zaman, asked if they need anything else, and then leaved the room.

"The fact is, Caliph the situation in GDR is worsening by the minute", said General Zaman. "Please elaborate General" Said the Caliph. General Zaman then showed him what looks like to be a satellite picture of some sort.

"These are a hell lot of military trucks, near a church," Said General Zaman while pointing at the trucks, "We all knew that Montabaur isn't really a religious nation, and by extension, their military. This photo is not even taken at Sunday. According to Intel, Lubeck's population has also prefer to be inside. The possibility that these may show Montabaur forces and/ or civilians in a Sunday mass or any other benign civilian activities is regarded as highly improbable." said General Zaman.

"Ok, so..." The Caliph is perplexed, but curious.

"Here's where it went crazy Caliph," Said General Zaman, "Most of Lubeck's population has been detained by Montabaur forces in undisclosed locations extra-judicially. More on this later. Now, Montabaur forces have been largely in the defensive, we think they want to establish Lubeck as a base of supplies for their military operations in GDR, since most trucks have been going back and forth from the port. But strangely, a lot of trucks have been diverted from that logistical operations to this church. Many of them are empty. Meanwhile, a lot of transport ships have been spotted heading towards Lubeck.This suggested that Montabaur is engaging in a wholesale displacement of Lubeck's population, not the petty "we kill/ move civilians for revenge of their attacks" that President Conrath told to the media."

"Are you sure about this, General?." Asked the Caliph in disbelief. "Yes, Sir. Well, obviously nothing's 100%, but all of our analysts and assets has agreed and pointed to this conclusion." Answered General Zaman. "Well General. Then I afraid we need to press Montabaur even harder. War could still be avoided though" Said the Caliph.

After the meeting, the Caliph immediately called the head of Intelligence, only known as A, and asked him to leak the information to the international media. "Make the leak looks like it come from inside Montabaur" said the Caliph. Two days later, the information, supposedly from a Montabaur military officer, reached international media, and all hell broke loose.

[Montabaur]

Imperial War Office, New Wolfsburg, Montabaur

President Conrath read over the New York Times newspaper, which had outlined Montabaur's movement of civilians from Lubeck. It stated that it was from 'an anonymous officer in the Imperial Armed Forces of Montabaur'. The commanders around the table sat in silence, quietly attempting to eat sweet biscuits that were in a bowl at the centre of the table. It was an anxious and awkward affair. President Conrath was focussed on the front page story, and had been in receipt of requests from various countries to withdraw from Montabaur. He folded the newspaper down and rose to his feet. "Gentlemen, do you have anything to say for yourselves? Can you explain this?" demanded the President. General Fritz Eschmann of the Army quickly spoke. "My President, I think I speak for all of us when I say that we cannot explain this. Those satellite images, god knows who took them. All I can say is this; we must stand firm, for we are a strong, sovereign state." The other commanders agreed with the sentiment and offered their assurances that they couldn't explain it. "Very well," replied the President, "We will stand strong, regardless of international pressure. The Montabaurian people can tolerate it. Furthermore, we shall continue and strengthen operations in the GDR. Commanders, I expect you to conduct a top down search of your departments, and if you find even a single element of dissent, destroy it. Nothing less will be tolerated. Montabaur shall continue the fight, and we will annihilate all who oppose us." The President's statement seemed grandiose, but no commander could deny his aggression and determination to follow through with what he outlined. The President ordered for an announcement to be released to the world.

2 hours later

The President's statement had been released, and read:

Office of the President of the Imperial Fascist Republic of Montabaur

The Imperial Fascist Republic, the people of Montbaur, and the President will not tolerate this vitriol directed at our glorious country. Demands for a resolution of operations in the GDR will not be adhered to. Montabaur defends its right to exercise its sovereignty, and will not accept anyone meddling in our nation's affairs. Any undermining by other nations, or officers of our military, will not be acceptable. The State, the President, and the People are prepared for war. We are prepared to destroy those who oppose us, and will not stop until our opposition does not remain. Total destruction is the only alternative. We shall stand firm, we will not bow to the unfair international pressure, and we will respond harshly and without mercy to those who stand in our way. Additionally, a message for the Caliph. If you or your country further meddle in our affairs, you will be met with the harshest of punishments. Let this be a warning.

[The German Democratic Reich]

(( sorry for my abscense. Some things came up irl I had to deal with))

In the wake of foreign forces now getting into conflict within the GDR, the Reich Provisional Government has ordered its soldiers to begin heavy artillery raids on key locations of anti-government forces. This included fascist controlled territory and whatever communist territory remained. Meanwhile, the German Army prepared for a full defense, defending themselves from any forces attacking their position. The goal was to make sure fascist borders do not expand before international help arrives. The GDR has called upon international allies to assist in the effort to reinstate the true German government.

HEIL DEUTSCHLAND!

The German Democratic Reich pleads to international forces to assist the current government fight off rebellious and dangerous terrorist forces. We plea to the Islamic Cooperative, who has forces near the hostiles to assist on our attacks against hostile forces.

If the international community can send Aid or more troops, we would be most grateful. Food rations in Berlin are running low and people are starving. We can not peform democratic elections if the people are too busy trying to get food.


Provisional Reich Government
[/i]

[The German Democratic Reich]

(( shameless self bump

[Montabaur]

Lubeck, GDR
Montabaurian forces had finished moving the women and children onto the transport ships. There were 3 transport ships, full of people. They were being escorted back to Montabaur, where the people would be enslaved. A group of middle ranking Montabaurian officers were talking as they watched the ships depart, "What the hell is Conrath thinking? He's absolutely bonkers, taking women and children? Awful." said one, to which one replied "Well, if it helps in the long run, you do what you gotta do. Hopefully they will be treated respectfully." The officers agreed somewhat. These were particularly liberal and humanitarian officers for the Montabaurian army.

In the Lubeck Headquarters, Field Marshall Hoth had ordered strikes on Berlin. "We need to crush the morale. Incite more unrest, and once the place crumbles, we can swoop in to the rescue!" "Field Marshall, the strike team is ready to go. On your orders, we move." replied an air force officer. "Mission is a go. They shan't expect it, not so suddenly."

Lubeck Airbase, Lubeck, GDR
A group of 8 F-16's were taking off from the airbase after the order came through. The engines roared to life as they took off, laden with bombs. "Strike Eagle Lead to all Strike Eagles, in triangle formation!" A united cacophony of "Yes Strike Eagle Lead" replied. The jets formed a triangular shape. "So, men, you're all aware of our mission today? It is to demoralise the populace. We will be attacking important infrastructure, such as warehouses, police departments, roads, hospitals, schools..." "Schools!? We can't do that!" boomed a pilot. "Strike Eagle 4, you will do as you're told. We are acting on higher orders. We're in the sky, don't worry about the mess on the ground. Okay, all clear, we should reach Berlin in 35 minutes. Radio silence unless there is something urgent." The jets continued upwards, till they were above the clouds.

35 minutes later

Above Berlin, GDR
"Okay team, we are over our target, I don't believe they have detected us, but keep an eye out. Weapons free, prioritise important infrastructure."

The jets split into groups of two, screaming over the city below dropping bombs. The wail of the bombs as they fell must have been piercing for the people on the ground, and the explosion utterly terrifying. Smoke, dust and flames licked at the metallic eagles soaring above. They hit Berlin General Hospital, a few car parks, a school, main roads, multiple warehouses and did what they could to take out powerlines. As Strike Eagle 3 was swooping in to drop a bomb at a bridge, his visor lit up 'Locked on'. The cabin turned red, and started screaming. "Strike Eagle Team, I'm locked on, I can't mo...." An anti-air rocket had targeted him, the rear of the jet ripped apart, and threw the jet into a violent spin, and slammed into the ground, erupting into a mountain of flames. It scorched the ground around it, and people could be seen running from the scene. "Fuck, he's down!" yelled Strike Eagle Lead. All of a sudden, the leader's visor lit up with the same message, he was locked on to as well. He desperately tried to shake it off, but to no avail. "Strike Team, get back to base!" His jet was hit, but he managed to eject, floating above a vehemently hostile city, unsure how he will escape the situation. The flames could be seen across the city, and gas explosions still occurred as a result. It was a half success.

Images from the battle

Hospital being hit.


Warehouse in flames following bombing.


Result of bombing of main street.

[The Islamic Cooperative]

Madinah, Government HQ

Hasan Bin Muslim has just finished his early morning prayers in the Government HQ's mosque when one of his advisor came to see him, seemingly in panic.

"Sir, I've got some very bad news about the GDR issue. Can't talk about it here, could you meet me in the Situation Room ? It's urgent, Sir." Whispers his advisor while trying to catch his breath.

Bin Muslim immediately went to the Situation Room, with his advisor closely following behind him. When he arrived at the situation room, he was stunned at the amount of activity in the room.



"What the hell is happening here?" Asked Muslim to his advisor.

"Sir, Montabaur forces has gone IDF," his advisor said, using a Cooperative military slang word "IDF" which means "mad, inhumane, barbaric, and insane", "They've been deliberately bombing civilian infrastructures in Berlin. Their slave operations, in which by now has been confirmed by our assets, is accelerating with no sign that it will stop anytime soon." His advisor said.

"When did this happen akhi?" Asked Muslim.

"5 hours ago, Sir." answered his advisor.

"And you just told me about this NOW?. I'm free since 9 pm yesterday!. You should tell me about things like this as soon as possible!." Yelled Muslim to his advisor.

"I'm sorry Sir. But you were asleep at the time, and I didn't want to disturb your sleep, so...", Hasan cuts his advisor's words, "And if we were attacked by a barrage of nukes, you would also presumably didn't awake me because you were afraid that you'll disturb my sleep, is that correct, Mr. Haris Fahd Alfarsi?" Sarcastically said Hasan to his advisor.

"I'm sorry Sir. This would never happen again." Said Al-Farsi.

Hasan looked at one of the letters on the desk near him, and read it.

HEIL DEUTSCHLAND!

The German Democratic Reich pleads to international forces to assist the current government fight off rebellious and dangerous terrorist forces. We plea to the Islamic Cooperative, who has forces near the hostiles to assist on our attacks against hostile forces.

If the international community can send Aid or more troops, we would be most grateful. Food rations in Berlin are running low and people are starving. We can not peform democratic elections if the people are too busy trying to get food.

Provisional Reich Government

Hasan's jaw opened, stunned with the fact that GDR knew about the presence of Cooperative military units in the area and declared it for all to see in a public letter. "How the hell did the Germans know that we have military units near Lubeck?." Asked Hasan to his advisor.

"No idea, Sir. I'm as baffled as you are" said Al-Farsi. "Great, the Caliph would be absolutely mad" Al-Farsi said to himself.

"Get the Admiral of the Fleet and the Joint Chief of Staff on the line!. Ask the Admiral to pull back the 5th Deep Sea Task Force from Lubeck and the Joint Chief of Staff to prepare an invasion force ASAP!. Ordered Hasan.

"Should we respond to GDR's letter, Sir?" Asked his advisor.

"Not until we've got the 5th Deep Sea Task Force out of Montabaur's steamroller," Said Hasan, "The Supreme Council and the Assembly would go absolutely nuts if the Task Force is sunk."

Hasan Bin Muslim grabbed his Tab that he has kept in his pocket, immediately opening a news website. He was stunned. The news is already there.

[The German Democratic Reich]

A Submarine of the German Navy had detected the Islamic Cooperative's submarine forces near the German fleet, which was heading to destroy slave transporting ships in the sea. The Reich had recieved word from these subs of the foreign ships which where eventually figured to be Islamic Cooperative subs. The Government had decided to keep it under wraps until the food shortage and slavery of the German people where Germany called these subs out and pleaded for help.



Berlin

Men, women and children dug around rubble of the city, frantically looking for loved ones. The German military had scranbled to anti-aircraft positions and had taken down several enemy jets. The Luftwaffe now also scrambled to defend Berlin from anymore bombing runs.

The German Army had spotted a parachuting object from a destroyed enemy bomber. This was believed to be a hostile pilot and two Humvees with four soldiers each where sent to the calculated landing zone of the parachuting pilot. The pilot would in an abandoned square in Berlin, where all the Soldiers awaited. Guns drawn. Orders where given to arrest him and peform enhanced interrogation. The German Reich would then announce its capture of the pilot once in custody, and threaten public execution if the Montabaurian refused to cooperate with Germany.

HEIL DEUTSCHLAND!

The German Democratic Reich has several announcements to make.
•We are going to hold our first Democratic election for president tomorrow. Only the citizens of Berlin shall vote.
•We plead to the international community for assistance once more. Berlin is in ruins, worse so than before. We are low on food and we are desperately attempting to stop the flames ravaging our city.
•We condemn the Montabaurian government for their war crimes and we will not hesitate to retaliate!
•Information on how we located the Islamic Cooperative will be classifie.d
•We have a pilot of one of the Montabaurian bombers, and have taken him into custody. He will not return home unless the Montabaurian government cooperates with Germany on leaving, and returning German citizens taken as slaves!



Provisional Government

Meanwhile, the German fleet continued on its path to intercept the slaveships. And the Luftwaffe launched four Eurofighter Typhoons, a phantom II, and three Tornado fighterbombers. They reached Lubeck and began bombing manuevers, the fighterbombers would drop bombs on various buildings, from warehouses, to military equpment to assumed Headquarter buildings and government buildings. It wasnt long before anti aircraft locked onto a Typhoon fighterbomber. It deployed flairs and distracted one missile before another one hit the bomber from below, erupting it into flame. Montabaurian fighters came to intercept the remaining bombers, and got into a bloody dogfight with German planes. After about an hour of combat and bombings, all fighterbombers where destroyed and the remaining fighter jets where able to escape. Leaving Lubeck in around the same condition Berlin was in...

[Montabaur]

Montabaurian Expeditionary Force Headquarters, Lubeck, GDR

Field Marshall Hoth had hidden under his heavy wooden desk when the bombers came. Dust and smoke filled the room. He clambered out, ears ringing, head aching, face bleeding. He touched his cut, "Ah, shit...". Hoth staggered through the rubble, tripping on the larger pieces. A map of the GDR that was on the wall now lay torn on the ground. Hoth approached the door of his office. It was jammed. "Come the fuck on." muttered the Field Marshall. He slammed his shoulder into it. One. Two. Three. Four. The door broke open. The foyer to his office looked in even worse. A gaping hole was in the roof, and the heavy concrete pillars had collapsed, leaving the roof at risk of totally collapsing. "Oh, crap, I've gotta get outta here! Help! Help!" the Field Marshall yelled. He staggered across the room faster now. Blood was smeared along a wall. He approached it. It was the Chief Officer of Gross Gronau, the one who ordered the mass executions, who had been taking a break in Lubeck. His shoulder insignia was covered in blood, and his head hung from the pile of rubble. "Ah, please no! It can't be!" the Field Marshall was distressed. Slam. Crash. Montabaurian soldiers had stormed into the Executive Area of the headquarters. "Field Marshall, we need to get you outta here, hurry, he's dead now!" Three soldiers ran over and grabbed the Field Marshall, and evacuated him to the escape. When they got outside, and the other HQ survivors were mingling, soldiers and trucks were hurrying to reinforce defensive positions. Fire fighting troops were wrestling with a ammunition warehouse that was on fire down the street, and the wounded and dead were laying on the ground.

Off the coast of the GDR

"Captain, reports of a series of bombings at Lubeck are coming through!" yelled an intelligence officer "What do they want with us? We're just moving slaves for Christ's sake!" replied the Captain, confused, "Lubeck HQ, or what's left of it, says watch out for aerial attacks. President Conrath wants these slaves, and he won't be happy if they're at the bottom of the sea." smuggly replied the intelligence officer. The captain sent out a radio message to the destroyers guarding the transport ships telling them to be on high alert and to have anti-aircraft weapons ready. The ships continued on their course westward.

Lubeck, GDR

Since it was unknown whether Field Marshall Hoth had survived the attack, Colonel Michael Bayern had assumed command of Montabaurian forces in the interim. Montabaurian forces in the GDR had swelled to 35,000 ground troops, 90 LAV's, 30 Leopard 2 tanks, 11 attack helicopters and over 4 dozen F-16's, among all the transport equipment. It was assumed that about 600 Montabaurian personnel had died in the GDR bombings. Numerous trucks had been destroyed, among ammunition and weaponry. Colonel Bayern ordered for the anti-aircraft stations to be on full alert, and had artillery brought to the south of Lubeck. Troops were covered in soot and looked distant, many having friends killed in the attacks. They wandered aimlessly for the most part, many vowing revenge on the German populace. Word came through that Gross Gronau had avoided attack for the most part, much to the dismay of the troops. Colonel Bayern had assembled a force to attack Hamburg. It was 16,000 in size. He presented a map to some middle ranking officers, who were making the decisions while the situation was unclear. They thought the mission could stretch supply lines. They decided to strike west with 2000 troops attacking Bad Segeberg, an army in the south to attack Molln, before eventually pushing on, and a central force of 10,000 troops to attack the centre once the surrounds had been secured. Green dotted lines represented a defensive perimetre for the territory, consisting of 4000 more troops not involved in the offensive. The force would be supported by 60 LAV's, numerous trucks, 12 F-16's, 2 attack helicopters, and 17 tanks, along with artillery. It would take a few hours to prepare the offensive, but the bulk of troops were not in dreadful shape.

[The Islamic Cooperative]

Madinah, Consultative Assembly Building

Caliph Hasan Bin Muslim tried to keep his usual cheerful face in front of the Assembly members, but the truth is, he can't. The word is already out, a national scandal, Cooperative military units near the vicinity of a barbaric Montabaur military operation that enslave civilians did not do anything to alleviate their suffering. And since he is the Supreme Commander of ICAF, he assumed full responsibility of this scandal. Now, he is standing in this fateful emergency hearing in the Assembly, directly in front of a political firing squad.

The Assembly hearing session started.

"Caliph, let's got straight to the point. What the hell is a Cooperative military unit doing near Lubeck?" Asked an Assembly member from Persia.

"The unit is conducting intelligence gathering operations on combatants in GDR" Answered the Caliph.

"When exactly does this "intelligence gathering" operation started, O Caliph?" Asked another Assembly member, this time from Afghanistan.

"Around 3 months ago." Answered Hasan.

"What unit is it exactly?" Ask the same Assembly member.

"Akhi, I believe you are aware that revealing the name of a military unit conducting operations in the interest of national security is against the law." Answered Hasan.

"So, the operation is still ongoing, is that correct O Caliph? asked another member of the Assembly from Egypt.

"Correct, akhi. But the operation is about to end. I've ordered the unit to return home. As we speak, the unit is probably somewhere in international waters" answered Hasan.

"So, you're abandoning fellow Muslims in GDR, despite the rightful government's plea to the Cooperative to help them militarily?"

"What? NO!. We were assisting the German people since the crisis began, albeit not militarily. We have been sending thousands of tons worth of food and other humanitarian supplies through the ICRC since the crisis begin. The reason why we're not sending them directly is because we fear such an act would provoke the Montabaurians, which we of course, didn't want to happen." Answered Hasan, defensively. He did not expect the assembly members to be that direct.

"O Caliph, first of all, I'm sorry if you consider my following words as rude. As Caliph, you ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT MUSLIMS AROUND THE WORLD!", said the assembly member, "I know you loved peace, so does, I believe, most of our fellow citizens, but doing nothing in face of human suffering is UNACCEPTABLE!. Sorry, Caliph, but I believe Cooperative support to GDR have been too minimal. Our current support didn't stop Montabaur from enslaving the people of Germany!."

The hearing continue for the next 3 hours. But the Caliph knew even from that question, that the Assembly members are correct. Cooperative pressure have failed to restrain Montabaur. Military actions, must be taken.

Earlier in the day, he had ordered the Joint Chief of Staff to prepare an invasion force, just in case things go south. It indeed go south, GDR forces are now bombing Lubeck, full scale military confrontation between the two is now unavoidable. He knew that GDR was weak from it's internal turmoil, and letting GDR fighting on it's own is crazy. GDR would suffer heavy casualties. The Islamic Cooperative must help them.

Hasan Bin Muslim called his Foreign Affairs Minister, and asked him to deliver the Islamic Cooperative declaration of war to the Montabaur government. He then called the Joint Chief of Staff to notify him that the attack is on.

"General, the attack is go". Said Hasan.

Port of Oran, North African Province, Islamic Cooperative

General Gabir heard the carrier's loud whistle inside the command room. His task force is ready. 3 aircraft carriers, 6 attack submarines, 11 missile cruisers, 17 destroyers, and various supply ships steadily sailed from the Port of Oran towards Europe. It would be 5 days before the task force arrived. It would be the longest 5 days of his life.

Cooperative task force sailing full steam ahead towards Lubeck.

Atlas Mountains, North African Province, Islamic Cooperative

Two huge reinforced concrete doors opened. Two sleek, futuristic looking stealth bombers came out, screeching along what looked like a barebones airfield towards Lubeck. These are 2 Ababil Hypersonic Strategic Bombers. Each of them are carrying a 40 ton payload of satellite guided smart bombs to neutralize Montabaur supply depots in Lubeck. In just 15 minutes they have reached Lubeck, and unleashed their deadly payload towards the unfortunate Montabaur soldiers below.