Fatherland. (PMT/GD/ATTN Mokastana)

[United World Order]

Stalag 487B

It took the initial relief efforts to the labor camp at least thirty minutes to get to Stalag 487B which they found left in a less than fortunate state when the 7th Waffen SS Regiment arrived on the scene of the aftermath of a battle around and within the camp. Bodies were strewed all over the court yard and inside the guard towers which some were still burning. When the regiment's forward unit had arrived inside the camp it had immediately developed a secure position within the camp and awaited for further reinforcements from the regiment to arrive which it did along with the Regiment's Colonel who donned his Waffen SS officer uniform and officer cap that displayed the twin lightening bolts. He stepped over the bodies of some of the camp's prisoners who had been cut down in the chaos of the battle that erupted here by persons they didn't know of yet. A pair of the SS soldiers had found one of the mercenaries alive but severely wounded as the high ranking officer had the injured man brought up to his feet to face him.

"Who do you work for?" the officer questioned the mercenary who was struggling to keep balanced as his wounds were taking their toll. He didn't answer initially which the officer nodded to one of the soldiers holding him. The soldier to his left punched him in his gut as the mercenary yelped in pain in return.

"I said." the officer paused and then continued. "Who do you work for?" he asked the question again and got a response as the mercenary mustered what strength he had to speak. "T-arn.." he said shallow like as the Officer snickered and looked around at the havoc created.

"Come to save your brothers in arms?" the Colonel started laughing in the face of the wounded mercenary as he dispatched a single Prussian brand cigarette and smoked. He blew a cloud of smoke in the man's face, the mercenary could hardly stand and was losing blood still as he had yet to receive medical attention. The colonel then waved his hand as he walked away from the mercenary, the two soldiers holding him dropped him to the ground before aiming their weapons at his broken body. They executed him on the spot with a combined short burst of machine gun fire riddling his body in a shower of lead. The colonel had then ordered that any one left alive were to be killed in the same fashion and reconnaissance elements of the regiment had already been dispatched to scower the surrounding camp perimeter for any clues of the prisoner's whereabouts. Eventually tire tracks and other signs of movement were discovered as forward recon elements discovered a near by road that may be the path that the attackers and probably most of the prisoners went along to.

The regiment quickly began to take the road although it had forward elements lead the way by a few kilometers in order to better inform the rest of the regiment on the whereabouts of the missing prisoners and the attackers. Although the regiment would take some time before actually catching up with the convoy but the Cyclone reconnaissance hunter drones that were released to follow the path the convoy had taken were already in the sky above the convoy and as quietly they could watched the large moving convoy for where they were going next.

[Mokastana]

Presidential Palace
Mokastana City, Mokastana
People's Unified Federation

Dear Mrs. Franshaw,

This war is an unfortunate turn of events, but an event that we nonetheless side with Mokastana in. With our current war effort in Gholgoth, it is indeed that we cannot answer your call to arms. Nevertheless, our support exists morally, spiritually, and materially. In us you will find an ally who will help to our fullest extent.

It's with that in mind that I can happily inform you that relations between the Golden Throne and the Fourth Reich have broken down. There is no sharing of intelligence of any kind, and so one-fourth of your asks are already met. The same is true of our material and financial aid to Kashubia, with the exception of gifts of capital that are sent with the intention to support the basic infrastructure that the people of Kashubia rely on. Those are minor enough to be inconsequential to the Ordenite war effort. Finally, I will facilitate the sharing of export data on all war equipment sent to Kashubia since the inception of the Kendrov regime.

However, I cannot even give you hope on your request that we remove the soft blockade on South Panooly. Those lands have already seen too much conflict and it is time for them to be left at peace. If more blood is to be spilled there, it shall be by our hands only. I do not foresee Fedor changing his mind on this matter.

I would be more than happy to schedule a meeting between us to discuss these issues further.

Kind regards,

Jogornos Díeg Hahk-Lorán

Elizabeth sat in on the Federal Executive briefing after just finishing her meeting with the Federal Security Council. One of the problems of a bi-executive system of government was that at some point, there were way too many people involved to create a unified leadership position, and most of that was due to a breakdown in communication. Even with modern fiber optics and secure channels keeping everyone together(such as this meeting where half the members were a world away) there were still issues keeping everyone on the same page. One half of the Executive Branch, the Security Council, was made up of the President of the Federation, key Ministers, and Military and Intelligence leaders, and they tended to control the Foreign aspects of government. While the Heads of State Council, made up of the Presidents, Prime Ministers and, in one case, Queen, of the various nations that made up the PUF, handled domestic policies. Both would give briefings such as this to one another, but many times the issues would overlap and require feedback from both halves.

The last time a major issue came between the two Councils was over food export to Nicaro and Firmador. Though the daily affairs were handled by the Export Boards of the various nations, the trade embargo placed on the Gente Del Agua severely impacted the price of grains, easily costing many Mejican farmers a lot of money. Eventually new markets were found, and the Economic Ministry ate a lot of the cost, but the weeks of negotiations were not easy, despite the outward appearance of a united front. This time the issue was regarding The Golden Throne, and what that friendship would mean to the People's Unified Federation.

“They've given into most of our demands, what does it take it finish the job?” A President asked, another responded.

“We can threaten to cancel our debt to them as per the agreement regarding Red Star Union”

“We should cancel it regardless. They made a deal, they should honor it.”

“Gentlemen, they bought 5 Trillion Riokmarks worth of debt. No government, not even the Golden Throne would write that off.”

“So, we ignore their offer and bend to their will?”

The various national leaders of the Federation bickered because the debt was a domestic issue. Despite his seat on the Security Council, Economic Minister Emilio Lunes would have to accept their final decision regarding the money. Though his seat gave him the ability to sit in both Executive Councils’ meetings, he felt more like a messenger than a Federal Leader, but it also gave him perspective on both sides, it was his turn to take charge:

“President Akamu, I respect your opinion, but Prime Minister Noble has a point. As I am sure Foreign Minister Franshaw can explain better, no nation would wants to give up five trillion so easily. They are offering to buy our war bonds and help us finance the war, as an ally should not cut their ankles because we can.”

“I have always been against the idea of foreign owned debt, why should we give them more financial power over us? They already park their ships here, they own our debts, don't you see, they are conquering us with currency.”

“As our the Lyrans, Lamonians, and the GDFG. We are still a rising power, and everyone knows it. My Ministry balances the foreigner economic influence so that none can truly gain control over us. We've been doing that since the founding of the PUF.”

“That and rebuilding countries and wars of this scale cost a lot of money.” Generalissimo Gorbechov interrupted, clearly bored of these kinds of meetings. Becoming a politician was the worst move he ever made, but the military needed him here. His comment was followed by President of the Federation Milano.

“President Akamu, the original deal was, for all practical purposes, a bribe to keep us from digging into the aide the Golden Throne provided to Kashubia. Now they offer to give us our original demands, albeit a bit late, and much of it we have already found out via espionage. This will cover our agent’s tracks in the Golden Throne, as we can now cite these documents. We've been working on a proposal to send to the Golden Throne regarding the debt. Only cancel 25%, and convert another 25% to war bonds. Then allow them to make up the difference by buying more war bonds. The bonds will be paid off far earlier than the debt, reducing their influence over us. Yes, in ten or twenty years we will have to drop a large lump sum to clean up these debts, but we will find a way to honor our commitments.”

“We will have to review these proposal, you know that.”

“Of course, please do. Generalissimo, Primary Admiral, please update the Heads of State Council regarding your opinions.”

Primary Admiral Jesus Consuelo spoke first.

“The military agrees that the financial situation is the most important, we can work around a soft blockade of Holy Palooney, especially with support from the Holy Empire, the so-called humanitarian aid given to Kashubia we recommend we push for, but is an acceptable succession.”

“If the Golden Throne can piss money away on targets for our boys in Kashubia, surely they can honor their agreements regarding our debt, even if we allow them to keep most of it.” Gorbechov did little to hide his snark.

“Gentlemen, please review our proposal and make any amendments you feel necessary. It's important we respond promptly. Economic Minister Lunes, we will end this meeting shortly so you can meet with the Heads of State council to go over this proposal in detail. Good luck.”



Flight Officer Tsu
Yanitarien Aérospatial Modèle 28 "Éclipse"
Somewhere over the central fields of Kashubia

Tsu checked his flight map against his GPS coordinates one more time, ensuring he was on route. Though many of the Ordernites had moved towards Tuktar in preparation of the inevitable attack, many more were inland and needed to be avoided. Enemy radar was on alert looking for aircraft, and while his YA-28 was able to survive some SPAAG fire, it wasn't immune to it, nor the fighter jets that would be scrambled to hunt him down. He had already seen both wings, an engine, and fuel tank be replaced on his plane. Luckily the YA-28 was designed with such losses in mind. Only the fuel tank required flying back to a proper air base for repairs. Because of those, he knew he had to stay low, and let the terrain and radar absorbing paint due their job of keeping him hidden.

His internal maps matched the terrain around him. There would be no satellite targeting for this job, targets painted by special forces or networking to the Battle Net. His only radar linked device was his passive scans for hostile radar. Even his missiles were infrared or used other guidance methods. The less signals issued by the aircraft, the less likely of interception, even if it meant he was flying mostly blind beyond visual range. Occasionally he would ping his GPS signal off of Damocles just to verify his location. There was no real way for the enemy to intercept it, but it was still communicating electronically. Which was always a danger on these runs.

Finally, the hill in front of him gave way to his target. Some 20 odd grain silos, packed together nicely, each full to the brim with wheat and grains. The fall harvest in Kashubia was coming to a close, most fields were cleared or would be within the next few weeks. The winter crops were still growing, but many too young to cause real damage to. Next season, a virus might be released into the grains of spring, but for now the Federation was going for a less permanent method of inducing famine.

Tsu aimed his auto cannon at the base of the silos, unleashing a stream of high explosive rounds into them. His aircraft slowed as the kickback of the 50x300mm rounds fired at the slower speed of 600 rounds a minute. Grain ignited as the silos gave way under the weight, many collapsing and spilling their contents all over the empty fields around them. Flying closer, Tsu dropped one napalm filled Incendiary Bomb on the scattered grain, burning the food supply before it could be recovered. Ideally winds would pick up the embers and spread the fire further, but that was only a hope. A second pass with the gun and fire bomb combo and soon dozens of square kilometers worth of grain was burning to ash from just two bombs.

While the KDF and their Ordernite allies focused on the cities and highways, the Mokans were striking elsewhere. Dozens if not hundreds of silos such as this were targeted. Each reducing the amount of grains available for the coming winter months. A few dozen oil wells had been targeted first, hiding the true target at first. As the previous Union war demonstrated, no matter how loyal, a hungry population’s first priority will always be to find food.



Front lines across the DMZ
A storm comes rolling in...

The summer had been kind, the wetlands, the unofficial DMZ between the two powers, had been been drier than usual. On one hand, it meant that tanks and heavy vehicles could travel with relative ease, but on the other, so could the enemy. Pathways not normally opened were used, and locals who knew the swamps guided armored columns through its perilous ways to ensure the fighting vehicles would be able to make it to the front. Commanders might have made the mistake of overlooking a few minor details, such as the volatile nature of the wetlands, but those details were what could make or break an advance. It wasn't until the weather reports came in that the true impact of fighting in wetlands would be noticed. Most storms moved South to North, the cold mountain air mixed with warm air coming north. Often times the storms emptied themselves on the Kashibian plains, keeping the fertile fields watered. However there was one other common kind of storm, a common ocean storm that formed over Southern Lyras and would hit the northern parts of the nation.

The northern wetlands existed due to storms like this. Following a corridor from the east coast to Tuktar, the storms would travel westward, usually breaking up by the time they reached Erid Lo. Cities such as Susol and Tuktar had been built with these rain storms in mind, keeping the city above the bogs, but while Susol had been spared the horrors of war, Tuktar had not been so lucky. Whether the new regime prioritized the rebuilding of dykes and pumping stations was unknown to the advancing army. Normally the insurmountable thick mud and bogs of the northern swamps were only a spring problem, when the snows melted and rivers overflowed, but weather was a fickle thing, and rain struck all times of the year. Only these months, with the summer heat fading into memory, water falling in the swamps would be here to stay for a long time.

Meteorologist had spotted the storm over the Eastern ocean, between Southern Lyras and Zvezda. They had been watching the conditions for that few days, hoping the weather would break, but that was not the case. The rains and thunder formed on their way to Zvezda, eventually crashing into the continent. The ocean storm made landfall near the Eastern Flank, where the Ordernites had been advancing so well. It would be hit first, with a torrential downpour, slowing the mobility of both sides as they had to restructure their supply lines and fight the rising water levels. The central flank where the Allied Forces held a protective ring around Susol did not fare much better, if at all. Though neither side was really pushing there, both soon learned the importance of higher ground and a dry floor, and hoped the roads would still be there tomorrow. In the west, marine assets such as their LCACs and landing craft were being assimilated into the existing logistical network to ensure military units outside of Tuktar would continue to get the supplies they needed. The Maritime Assault Divisions of the regular army, being amphibious forces designed to operate sans navy, were also recruited into this endeavor. The storm would take a few days to pass, but the entire front would be soaked as the terrain changed around them.



Scouting Unit of the
12th Marine Division
Code name: “Gecko three”
100 km west of Tuktar

The LY10 ‘Bloodhound’ and it's brothers and sisters rolled south, looking for supply lines and roads into Tuktar the enemy might be using. Fighting the swamps and elements, the LY10 sank into another new lake as the vehicle switched from land to amphibious mode. The rain drummed rhythmically on the outside of the tank, but the crew inside could barely hear it, much less notice it. Their priority was to monitor their surroundings for any sign of enemy movement. Not that the rain was helping in that endeavour. UAVs and other low flying aircraft were out of the question at the moment, which left scouting to high altitude aircraft, or ground pounders like this particular group of amphibious tanks. Each one rolled forward, listening to the South for IR, radar, or any electronic traffic from possible vehicles. There was light chatter, but so far nothing had been truly identified.

“Get us on top of that hill Ramirez, maybe we can see something up there.”

The tank rumbled as the treads found ground once more, the thrust of the waterways pushing the tank up onto the ground. The specialized treads on the Marines’ tank tried to grip on the mud and pull it up, but the first try only resulted in the ‘light’ tank sliding back into the water.

“Shit... try again.”

This time the driver backed up, pulling the tank away from the banks, before pushing the water jets to high power, building up momentum before the tank made landfall. The tracks rolled forward as well, forcing the mud down when they hit. The initial thud of impact with mud rocked the cabin ever so slightly as the crew felt the all to familiar jerk off the tank moving forward again. They had found something solid to connect to and were rolling up the small hill. This environment would probably be better suited to hovercraft or air cushioned transports, but the military made due with that they had at the time. As the tank rolled up to the crest, radar lit up with dozens of contacts. The commander sat upright, visual was shot but IR and J-band radar confirmed vehicles out in the swamp. Target coordinates were being calculated before any identification was even available.

“Shit, guess we found the road….Gecko Delta to Gecko Three. Please confirm sighting at our coordinates.”

“Copy that Delta, confirming now.”

Battle Net was already sharing the information between the tanks. The rest of Gecko Three had the objects lit up and marked for them, though many were marked a unconfirmed or unknown, as was common of first sighting. The computers were matching known patterns to known vehicles, marking a few as Ordernite tanks or trucks. Others it was still being determined when the radio came back to life.

“Delta, this is Three, Echo confirms. Hold position. Only fire if fired upon.”

The tank commander did as he was ordered, the rest of his group was going signal silent and getting into firing positions while Delta watched the convoy’s signal go down the road, slowly but surely. Paved roads were a godsend in this weather, but also something to watch out for. Any first year officer knew these would be key points to ambush. The alarm in the tank went off as an explosion tore into the hill Delta rested on. The GOLIATH System had fired a rocket at an incoming shell, knocking it off course just enough to save their tank.

“Fire and reverse!”

The tank’s main cannon roared to life before the commander even finished his order. Somewhere up ahead an explosion occurred but they could not confirm the kill as the vehicle slid backward towards the lake they climbed out of. Numerous explosions ripped up the hill as Ordernite vehicles laid suppressive fire on the spotter.

“Delta to Three, we're under fire!”

“Get safe, and radar off! Find a new position!”

“Copy!”

Turning left before reaching the bottom, the machine pushed into the trees hoping the ground remained solid enough beneath them. It was slippery, but Ramirez navigated well, Battle Net lit up the targets once more as another tank’s radar found them. A few were marked killed when their IR signatures spiked after a shot. It was a night fight, in the rain, in the swamp, the mobile LY10s were not the best in this environment, but they were faring far better than the heavy tanks stuck on the paved road. Rather than using the radio, Delta tank’s commander sent a quick signal to their group leader, a positive beep that they were in firing position. Orders back were to hold position until next barrage then continue with shoot and scoot. Relying on another tank’s radar, Delta fired at the back end of what was identified as a Panther. The resulting explosion could be verified even visually.

“Roll out!”

“Delta, you're turn to light up the targets when you're in position!”

“Copy!”

The tank battle continued for a few more minutes as the enemy vehicles fought on, taking shots at the bright light of Mokan tank shots or their targeting radar. Both which continued to bounce around as the Mokans followed their pattern of radar signal, a barrage, then silence. Delta was lining up their next shot when Gecko Three came over the radio.

“Hellions inbound!”

Two Hellion cruise missiles, launched from a self propelled launcher closer to the front, came in to take out the road. One dropped nearly 30 Wide area guided anti-vehicle warheads, targeting many of the remaining vehicles while the other dropped a delayed fuse warhead into the ground where the paved road was believed to be. The grand explosion of the bunker buster lit up the enemy position in a ball of fire just as the sub munitions found their targets. No targets remained on radar after that. Still, they waited for any signs of life before the radio crackled to life once more.

“Delta, proceed to the last known position of Echo, I'm guessing they were hit. Check for survivors.”

“Copy that Three. Delta on route.”


By knocking out key roads in the swamp, command had hoped to slow down the rate of reinforcements to Tuktar, but more importantly, clear the way for the combined Marahite-Federal Offensive to secure the Eastern Flank of Tuktar. It seemed the allies had a good idea to surround the city and Generalissimo Salazar was going to go with it. Why assault the city when you can starve the defenders out? The siege would take longer, but if they could encircle it, cut off enemy reinforcements, then perhaps they could save lives in this battle. Only time would tell as the amphibious forces moved south.

[Imbrinium]

Naval base Moulin,

The briefings took almost two hours for all of the flights to get their briefings and flight plans and another few hours to long over their routes. The flight crews knew these missions where needed by not only the crown but other nations needing intelligence on what the Reich was up to.

Ground crews had been working for more than a day to make sure these MB-12Rs where ready for these long missions. These sixteen aircraft of the 540th maritime bomber patrol squadron. These bombers where B-12s modified to royal naval standards for longer patrol and reconnaissance missions and also long range naval strike missions.

The squadron had been on alert since the war began but this was the first naval mission for the royal navy. The commander of the squadron was Lt. Col Calogero DeRose which was a laid back but serious older guy when it came to work.

The air crews loaded up and made their final checks engines started and the squadron rolled out in a MITO (Minimum Interval Takeoff) formation to the main runway. One by one the large bombers took to dark sky they should be hitting the operations area around drawn and that’s when the hunt begins.

Five hours later:

The bombers had split up to their patrol areas and began their patrol with the main goal of finding the Reich’s naval shipping there had been report of the Reich mining the shipping lanes trying to counter the Holy Empire’s counter naval operations against them.
It wasn’t long before the Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) along with the AESA radar pickup its first track; this track seemed pretty strong as possible Enemy surface ship. The aircraft banks and lowered its altitude, within thirty mins the MB-12R was within minutes they were within visual range of the cameras on the aircraft and IR sensor pack. Within minutes later the large aircraft passed over the Reich flagged ship which look like in mining operations the cameras and computer recorded all the information it could.

The crew was surprised that they wasn’t painted by the ships radar and locked on by the ships anti-air warfare systems. They did have the transponder on saying they were royal navy of the crown.

Other aircraft in the squadron where having the same luck and some better taking intelligence data on fleet movements of some of the Reich’s bigger ships and cargo ships, there was some run ins with other aircraft from other nations to include the Reich’s all where peaceful.

Low earth’s orbit

The joint space command and OAH (Oifig aireacht na hintleachta) have been working overtime to get the space intelligence net back up and working while also using Lyras system the JSC/OAH program had been launching almost a new satellites a week in the last few months. Also the JSC launched a third and was preparing a forth X-37 for flight to gather intelligence.

Secret location inside the Crown’s country side.

The top military commanders and personal from the OAH sat in a secure location deep underground with six large screens with the country seals of the Golden Throne, Mokastana, and Stevid along with the Crown, the MOD, and important commands.
The videoconferencing room went dark the screens came on and the some known and some unknown but trusted faces appeared on the screens.

“Ladies and gentlemen this is an intelligence briefing from the Crown’s intelligence services on the current or most current events and troops movements in the current conflict.”

“First off the current naval operations, while there are no current naval engagements ongoing or seemed to be close within the next 24 to 72hrs. There is how ever a lot going on in the oceans. Our current situation is the Reich is mining the sea lanes in a hope to slow the Stevid navy from attacking the Reich’s naval forces. As most of you know this act will only slow down but not stop anti-Reich naval actions in the area, as the Reich’s has to keep supplies moving south.”

“Allied forces can expect major engagements within the next week or two with major forces building up in the oceans around the western side of the ocean of the crowns. Most of these will be long range fighting with missiles and aircraft.”

“That being said submarines will be the changing factor in that there is a lot of sub activity around the area from both sides sub on sub and sub vs. surface shipping is expected to pick up within the next few days to week”

“Next we will move into the ground game”

“The ground in the former RSU is being hard fought for as we speak with invading forces adding to the numbers of allied forces against the Reich forces there are still a lot working against them, mainly numbers at this point, there isn’t enough combat strength on the ground right now. Both the Reich and axis forces and the allied forces are pouring reinforcements in daily.”

“There is some troubling intelligence and thoughts about if the Reich is pushed from RSU, there are reports of nuclear weapons and large stockpiles of bio and chemical weapons based there should the Reich be on the losing side the Reich is expected to use one or all of these weapons to inflect as much death there.”

“The next week or so could the ground could go either way in RSU”

“Southern Holy Panooly is a powder keg right now with the influx of the Reich’s troops and attacks by the allied forces there; there is a report that Reich forces have been moving more north toward Northern Holy Panooly. This in fact have worried us here there is a 60% chance thing over the next six months that the Reich may try to invade Northern Holy Panooly. The Golden Throne forces focus being elsewhere and troops in strength being moved out of region to fight in another conflict this has opened the door.”

“Also there is the problem of Wanderjar in Southern Holy Panooly they being allied to ourselves and others involved in this war and helping the Reich has caused problems within the Centbloc area.”

“Next here is the list as to date of the Reich and other forces in the theater of operations that we have been able to compile”

Wanderjar forces in Kashubia:

-Wanderjarian Navy

*Task Force Leviathan
+3 Carrier Strike Groups consisting of: 1 aircraft carrier, 2 escort carriers, 6 Ratel class corvettes, 6 Republic class destroyers, 4 [unnamed] frigates, and 2 [unnamed] cruisers.
+2 Amphibious Assault Groups consisting of: 2 [unnamed] amphibious assault carriers, 2 [unnamed] landing platform docks, 6 Ratel class corvettes, 6 Republic class destroyers

(Information available upon request for each vessel, still working on beefing up the write ups)

-Wanderjarian Marine Corps

*4th Marine Division
+19th Marine Regiment
+21st Marine Regiment
+23rd Marine Regiment

*17th Independent Marine Armor Battalion


and these units are in South Panooly:

-Wanderjarian National Army

*Military Assistance Command - Panooly
+Field Advisory Element, 1,500 men

*I South Panooly Field Force (500,000 men)
(WIP - I sent the troops there before, but never explicitly stated which units specifically were sent so I'll provide a detailed ORBAT with unit designations etc soon)

-Wanderjarian Air Force

*19th Wing
+177th Fighter Group
+44th Fighter Group
+362nd Air Mobility Group
+114th Armament Systems Group
+51st Electronic Combat Group
+98th Maintenance Group
The Reich’s forces within Centbloc area of operations:
12x Waffen SS Army Groups(strength: 6,000,000 personnel)
12x Ordenite Army Groups(strength: 6,000,000 personnel)
x9 KDF(Kashubian Armed Forces) Army Groups(strength: 9,000,000 personnel)
x2 Ordenite Fallschirmjager Regiments(strength: 10,572 personnel)
x3 Free Corps of National Socialists Battalions(strength: 3,497 personnel)
Ordenite SS Einatzgruppen(strength:600,184 personnel)
Kashubian Defense Leauge(strength: TBA)(To be made relevant IC later in the thread's progression)

Dathel Port:
x4 Ordenite Kriegsmarine Fleets(strength: 2,000 ships)
Dathel Port 'Air District'(Luftgau)(strength: 23,400 naval and land based aircraft)
x30 SAMs emplacements
x10 AShM emplacements

Uslan:

x1 Ordenite Kriegsmarine Fleet(strength: 500 ships)
Uslan Port 'Air District'(strength: 30,000 naval and land based aircraft)
x30 SAMs emplacements
x11 AShM emplacements
Uslan City Garrison: x2 KDF Armies(strength 206,217 personnel)
x250 SAMs emplacements(stationary and mobile platforms)
x1 Ordenite Heer Army(strength: 103,644 personnel)
x1 Ordenite Fallschirmjager Battalion(strength: 1,204 personnel)

New Impen:
x2 KDF Army Divisons(strength: 28,985 personnel)
x3 Ordenite Waffen SS Armies(strength: 309,683 personnel)
x1 Ordenite Waffen SS Reserve Corps(strength: 51,822 personnel)
New Impen 'Air District'(strength: 21,200 land based aircraft)
x300 SAMs emplacements(stationary and mobile platforms)


Gryazanaya:
x4 KDF Army Divisions(strength: 68,549 personnel)
x3 Ordenite Waffen SS Armies(strength: 309,683 personnel)
x1 Ordenite Waffen SS Reserve Corps(strength: 51,822 personnel)
Gryazanaya 'Air District'(strength: 22,000 land based aircraft)
x300 SAMs emplacements(stationary and mobile platforms)


Kashubian Demarcation Zone:
x6 Ordenite Heer Army Groups(strength: 3,000,000 personnel)(Kashubian DMZ involves an area no wider and or larger in 200KM in depth on the Kashubian side of the DMZ)
x3 KDF Armies(strength: 309,683 personnel)
DMZ 'Air District'(strength: 40,000 land based aircraft)
x1,000 SAMs emplacements(stationary and mobile platforms)

Reich Manpower in Kashubia: 21,000,519 personnel available.
Reich Air Power in Kashubia: 136,217 aircraft available.
Reich Naval Power in Kashubia: 4,440 ships available.


REICH FORCES IN HOLY PANOOLY:

x2 Ordenite Heer Army Groups:(strength: 828,731 personnel)
x1 Ordenite Waffen SS Army:(strength: 103,644 personnel)
x1 SPDF Army Group:(strength: 414,576 personnel)
x1 Ordenite Fallschirmjager Battalions:(strength: 1,214 personnel)
x3 Free Corps of National Socialists Battalions:(strength: 3,497 personnel)
Ordenite SS Einatzgruppen:(strength:400,290 personnel)
x2 South Panoolie Home Guard Regiments:(strength: 10,300 personnel)(organized conscript militia)

Port 1(Most Southern HP Coastline):
x3 Kriegsmarine Fleets(strength: 3,000 ships)
Air District(strength: 25,409 naval and land based aircraft)
x300 SAMs emplacements(land and mobile platforms)

Port 2(Most Southern HP Coastline):
x2 Kreigsmarine Squadrons(strength: 200 ships)
Air District(strength: 3,000 naval and land based aircraft)
x300 SAMs(land and mobile platforms)

Qadesh:
x3 KDF Army Battalions:(strength: 3,821 personnel)
x4 Ordenite Waffen SS Divisons:(strength: 68,901 personnel)
x2 South Panoolie Home Guard Battalions:(strength: 2,406 personnel)
Qadesh 'Air District'(strength: 32,500 land based aircraft)

Holy Panooly Demarcation Zone:
x3 Ordenite Heer Armies:(strength: 309,685 personnel)
x2 KDF Army Regiments:(strength: 10,097 personnel)
DMZ 'Air District':(strength: 17,503 aircraft)

Reich Manpower in Holy Panooly: 1,762,171 personnel available.
Reich Air Power in Holy Panooly: 41,208 naval and land based aircraft available.
Reich Naval Power in Holy Panooly: 3,400 ships


Ordenite Wehrmacht statistics:
Complete manpower of the Ordenite Wehrmacht: 111,786,868 personnel.
Manpower of the Heer and Waffen SS: 75,550,800 personnel.
Manpower of the Luftwaffe: 22,436,015 personnel.
Manpower of the Kriegsmarine: 16,800,053 personnel.
Manpower of the Ordenite Volksstrum(Home Guard): 400,000,000 personnel.
Manpower available for conscription: 700,000,000 personnel.

“This concludes our briefing for now if there is anything you would like to add or question please feel free to ask them”

[Mokastana]

Safe House
Warriors of Mictlan
Socialist Workers Army sponsored militia
Outside Pezlevko


Field Lieutenant Diego Tototl worked diligently on carving the meat. They had been lucky, the Gods blessed them with a good hunt today. It may have only been a pack of wild dogs, but food was about to become more rare as winter came. They would have to eat what they could then jerky the rest. The fire was small, but deep in the back of the cave where it wouldn't signal to the outside world there was life in it. Only the radio antenna wrapped around a tree outside might reveal who was inside, but it was hidden, and these forests held so many leftover war machines.

Barely had the first steaks been put on the fire when the radio spoke up. A villager on their payroll reported a military style attack on the POW camp. Helicopters, soldiers, and trucks. Who it was he didn't know, but he did say what direction the Freed prisoners were taking. With the Lieutenant Major on an operation in the East, Field Lieutenant Tototl was in charge. No response was sent back out, for the radio had no broadcasting Tech here.

“Get a scouting party ready, and some anti tank teams, more sacrificial Ordernites will be found. Prepare your knives boys, the Gods will be pleased tonight.”

For the first time in awhile, Tototl smiled as he donned his cloak and hung his leathery trophies from his belt. Each one taken from an Ordernite slain over the past year. His mask was not one of the leather ones his soldiers wore, it was the front of a skull, taken from the head of a dead SS officer many months ago. The ”Warriors of Mictlan” were not the rank and file soldiers that followed the strict guidelines of the traditional army. Instead they were a unique branch of a private army, where every soldier collected and wore their trophies with honor. It was a strange practice, but the religion and war tactics were ancient, and best of all, spreading to the locals as well.

They were already planning an attack on the local BSU recruitment centers and water supply, same senseless slaughter and fear they spread throughout the country. Even if their brothers in arms in the Independent Red Army thought they occasionally went too far. That meant the troops were mostly already assembled. It wouldn't be a big strike force, maybe 40 to 60 strong, mostly locals with nothing left to lose, but still a fighting force able to change the course of battle.

It would be an hour before they got to their positions. They had to suit up, walk a few kilometres to the civilian vehicles, then ride south to try and get recon on the escaped prisoners. A few anti tank teams were sent back to the POW camp to set up ambushes along the road. As usual, they would prefer mines and long range rockets, fire then run for their lives. The SWA troops had multi spectrum cloaks to hide under from enemy drones, but not all militia were as lucky. No matter the outcome their job was to harass only, not stop. MANPADS would also be set up, might not stop a fighter or heavy bomber, but certainly could take down a drone or helicopter. Otherwise, the man in a skull mask would follow the POWs from a distance, until one of his men could get close enough to sneak into the group and find an officer of some kind.




Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Embassy District
Mokastana City, Mokastana
People's Unified Federation

The Nicholas Villa Conference Room was the largest in the Ministry building and the nicest. Named for the first Foreign Minister of the Islands, it was Nicholas who reached out to the known world and brought a new international age to the small fledgling war torn country. Three years before Mokan Unification and eight years before the Confederacy gave way to the Federation. The Conference Room itself was a way for the Ministry to honor their late founder, and these days most major diplomatic events could be, and often were, hosted in this room.

The main table and chairs, cut from Mokan Redwood, faced the main entrance and fenced off seating where spectators and observers could sit during signings of important deals or photo opportunities. A few smaller negotiation tables separated the ‘photo op’ table(as it was nicknamed) from the spectator seats and the press box. These tables would be were the actual work was done, where diplomats could face one another and discuss without worry what was said. For today, no press or spectators would be allowed into the room. Leaving the ordinate paintings of Mokan history along the walls and the hand carved decorative railings to be enjoyed by only the representatives here on business.

As hosts, the Mokans had been preparing the room for their guests arrival. As was custom, food was prepared, including a light serving of jaguar. The full animal would be present at any press events after this, but for now function took precedence over tradition.

“How did the Heads of State Council like the proposal?” Foreign Minister Elizabeth Franshaw asked while reading over her briefing of the meeting, getting a glimpse into their opinions, but hearing it aloud always helped her.

“You heard President Akamu during the initial presentation, his opinion didn't change much.” The Economic Minister Emilio Lunes had a long week, acting as the centerpiece between the two halves of the executive branch. Elizabeth could hear the fatigue in his voice. At least she knew he would hide it for the meeting. “Noble and Diego continued their support. Queen Gisella abstained. In other words, split down the middle. Luckily your President Martinez trusts his fellow socialists. Do you think the Golden Throne will play along?”

“The Golden Throne will push anytime they see us hesitate. The deal is fair, but they'll try something unexpected. It's their nature.”

“Very well, let's hope the President of the Federation has a plan.”

The two continued to review their notes and reports while the staff prepared the room, bringing in network boxes with secure channels to contact anyone they might need to, as well as refreshments. Water, wine, rum and whiskey were made ready. Computers and screens hummed with access to various databases, and standing by the table was the President of the Federation Henry Milano, and his two Ministers that would be required to make this deal work. Along with Director in Chief Steven Francisco, who would oversee the intelligence aspect of the details. Each Federal Representative had a small small number of staff with them, ensuring all the details were in place. Democracy was such a messy affair, and hopefully the PUF and the Golden Throne would resolve this issue amicably.

While the Mokans prepared for the meeting, the Golden Throne’s representatives were just arriving. The jogornos and his adjogornos had of course come from the embassy, but they were met at the Ministry by a third person who had been sent directly from Fedala, rumors suggesting that she had come under direct orders of Fedor I, who at this time was still negotiating a formal alliance with Golghant.

Anah Fávela was a well-known woman within the circles she ran in. A krierlord, she was one of the few women who had achieved the position. There were, of course, plenty of tales regarding impropriety between her and His Imperial Majesty, but they were all just rumors and nasty ones at that. Anah had quite the reputation. Tall, blonde, and beautiful, that was offset by an elegant and almost regal manner of being that she had cultivated over the years. She was known for her brute honesty, always willing to say what was on her mind regardless of how others might take it. The krierlord held no sympathy for the weak, and that included those who could not bear her strict methods. Her talent for negotiation was well-known, and so it was unsurprising that Fedor had chosen her to lead the emergency meeting between the Golden Throne's embassy and the Mokan government.

Indeed, Fedor needed the best he could get, because the Imperial Treasury was now liable for a five trillion ríomark-equivalent loss. Trusting as they were of Ordenite common sense — a bad bet if there ever was any —, they had offered a debt purchase of Mokan bonds as collateral on a guarantee that the Fourth Reich would not cross the demilitarized zone in Kashubia. While they hadn't, they had declared war on Mokastana. And while it was the Mokans who had first violated the DMZ, it was nevertheless clear that they intended to take advantage of that repudiation clause. Krierlord Fávela's job was to settle an agreement to lower the costs to the Golden Throne, and to do that she planned to use their ability to further finance the Mokan war against the Reich.

Jorgornos Díeg Hahk-Lorán, and the adjogornos, were held responsible for discussions over non-financial Mokan demands. Namely, they were instructed to represent Fedor and his interests with regards to the 'soft blockade' against South Panooly. And playing along with His Imperial Majesty’s steadfastness in upholding the blockade, their faces were hard and unreadable.

The two men rendezvoused the krierlord outside the Ministry building, and together they were escorted to the conference room, where the Mokans awaited their arrival.

“Welcome to Mokastana, Krierlord Fávela.” President Milano smiled, learning proper enunciation of Macabean titles was only a small part of his job, “Jogornos Hahk-Lorán, always a pleasure. Please, feel free to grab something to eat or drink before we begin. For luck and easy negotiations.”

Some traditions, it seemed, would continue no matter what. Putting the negotiations on hold, the guests and their hosts would take a minute to enjoy the light dishes prepared for them and discuss pleasantries. Elizabeth asked the ,Jogornos Díeg Hahk-Lorán about his family, while the President attempted to make small talk with the Krierlord. It was a tradition going back to the old tribes of Mokastana, where important meetings would be blessed by the Gods via Jaguar. It was said that if the Jaguar let itself be killed in the hunt, then the Gods approved the meeting and would be displeased if the discussion failed. The pre-meeting meal also went back to those old customs, when sharing a meal made all parties involved equal, and gave time for tempers to cool before discussions commenced. In modern times, these traditions would be rather short. Often only 10 to 20 minutes long, and Jaguar was only served in major business or political deals. In this meeting, the pre-negotiation rituals were only long enough for everyone to have a few samples and share a few details of their life. After all, the post-negotiation celebration was still around the corner. It was another old tradition modernized, but still around. While the old tribes spent the rest of the day after a peace treaty or marriage partaking in mind altering substances and dances, modern day ‘celebrations’ included press and photo opportunities. Often times the highlight was a formal ‘shared drink’ afterwards,usually just a sip for the Camera. Those details, were still a few hours away.

“Thank you, thank you,” said Hahk-Lorán, in response to Milano. “As usual, it is a great pleasure to meet with you all here today.”

The krierlord, her beautiful face ruined by what seemed like a permanent scowl, looked at the jaguar and wrinkled her nose. Their Mokan hosts would have to excuse her pompous cultural ignorance. She sat down at the table only after Adjornos Nacleod pulled out the chair for her and gestured for her to take a seat. Yes, she was quite the woman. Nacleod also noticed that she seemed not to appreciate what was on her plate and he looked apologetically at President Milano and Ms. Franshaw, the foreign minister. He turned back to Anah, and with a gentle, castrated voice said, “Krierlord, ‘tis jaguar meat. It is quite good, I promise. You shall enjoy it.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about it,” she replied, almost with a sneer. “I hear it is what His Imperial Majesty has taken a liking to recently. As He wills, He gets.” She lightly cut a small piece from the end and ate it. She looked neither pleased nor displeased. “Interesting.”

Hahk-Lorán patiently waited for her to finish her rude introductory comments on the food, and then gave President Milano the kind of look that recommends that the Mokan leader get on with it, for the sake of all of their sanities. From the smirk on his face, he was enjoying the scene.

“Perhaps it is time we got to business,” Milano started once the plates had been collected. “Senora Franshaw, would you like to start when everyone is ready.”

“Of course Presidente Milano.”

Being a light skinned women in her late 20s with bright red hair certainly made her stand out even more among her Hispanic peers, but her accent and rolling R’s clarified her Mokan heritage, even if most of her bloodline was Yanitarian.

“Jogornos Hahk-Lorán, in regards to your response to our initial request letter, I would like to thank you for clarifying that no intelligence information is shared between your government and the Ordernites, or their puppets. As well as thank you for the willingness to share the details on the hardware and training sold or given to the Ordernites. Both will aid immensely in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the war in Kashubia, and hopefully an end the war between the People's Unified Federation and the United World Order.

However, we must inquire as to the intent behind the Macabean fleet enforcing a ‘soft blockade’ on Holy Panooly. I can understand the Golden Throne’s desire to be the only one to conquer the South, but resources from Holy Panooly are contributing to a war effort we would see hindered at every opportunity. I cannot speak for our allies, but the Federation has no intention to invade South Panooly at this time. If we change our mind in the future, our goal would be to ensure the South ends up in the control and protection of the Golden Throne. We would like to request you allow Federal aircraft and subs access to South Panooly for recon and strategic attacks.

As for the Golden Throne’s “gifts of capital… to support the basic infrastructure… of Kashubia” forgive the paraphrasing. We cannot stop foreign aid from helping the people of Kashubia, especially during a war time. But we can recommend the Golden Throne hold off on aide in the form of infrastructure given the amount of infrastructure being targeted in this war. I do not know the full plan of attack, but our military leaders do inform us that major attacks against infrastructure are coming. We believe it would be more economical to rebuild a bridge once, rather than every week until the end of hostilities.”

The krierlord betrayed no hint of agreement or disagreement. “We are willing to temporarily cease that aid,” was all she said. The truth was that by reallocating two or three strong divisions to the Panooly Frontier, the Ordenites had helped to break any last threads between the two countries. The Golden Throne was finally ready to give up on Kashubia. A strange thought, though, that had the Ordenites played ball, perhaps Anah Fávela would be here at this very same table sitting with her enemies, rather than her allies.

Anah said nothing more, and the jogornos remained silent, and so the floor was passed back to the hosts. Elizabeth allowed the silence to marinate, Minister Lines was about to speak up before Elizabeth interrupted with her next question:

“And of allowing Federal aircraft and submarines through your blockade?”

Hahk-Lorán responded, rather than the krierlord. “His Imperial Majesty believes it unwise to hinder our allies’ war effort against the Fourth Reich. Thus, he sees to concerns with allowing your country’s aircraft and submarines to pass through it unhindered. That same courtesy extends to all allies in this war, which include Holy Marsh and Lamoni as well.”

“However,” he warned, “should any allies attempt an invasion of South Panooly, our policy shall quickly change.” He paused, smiled, and then said, “But, His Imperial Majesty trusts his allies, which is why we know that will not happen, and which is why we are willing to make allowances.”

“Thank you for that, all of you. It will certainly help the war effort. And as we started earlier, it's in both of our interests to see Holy Panooly under your control. Now, as for the issue of the debt and reconciliation, I turn to the Economic Minister, Emilio Lunes.”

Economic Minister Emilio Lunes was about ten years older than Elizabeth. He was a walking example of the tall, dark and handsome stereotype. Being 6” even, he was on the tall side for Mokans and, unlike Elizabeth, was more than aware his assignment as Minister was more political than merit based. He had been a good businessmen, but a Utilitarian at heart and member of the People's Party. That made him a good candidate, but his youthful charm in a government full of aging Old Guard made him the great choice as the face for change in Party leadership.

“Madam, Gentlemen, I am sure you have seen the overview of our proposal regarding the debt situation. Here is the boat we find ourselves in. On one hand, Five Trillion is by no means a small amount of change, to write that off, in the middle of a major war, would be a serious blow. We understand that. On the other, to drop the issue implies that deals with the Golden Throne are, at worst, merely smoke and mirrors, or at best, subject to loopholes when things get rough. I'm not a military, nor intelligence, expert. That's Director Fransico’s area, but as far as I know, Mokan and Federal lives have been lost during these first few weeks of combat because we did not have the information originally requested from you. Publicly, no Intel was asked for nor offered, and we intend to keep it that way, but this was still a blow to the Federal Military that could have been avoided.

Therefore, we feel cancelling 25% of the debt owned by the Golden Throne is fair. It keeps your assets strong, while honoring Fedor’s word. On our end, we present ourselves as yielding our needs to that of an ally, while covering the costs that we acquired lacking the Intel from the Golden Throne.

On a lighter note, we offer to convert an additional 25% of the long term debt to war bonds. This would mean instead of the 20 or 30 plus years to pay off most of our debt, it would be paid back in full within 10 or 20, giving the Golden Throne far more liquidity on its assets during these costly times. And of course, we offer to sell additional bonds to the Golden Throne since I have been informed the Golden Throne wishes to do so.”

For some time Krierlord Fávela said nothing. She sat there, mulling the Mokan’s offer over. She had indeed seen it earlier, but she had not yet made up on her mind on how to respond to it. It was a good offer, all things considered. And that is why she did not bite out with sass, like she so wanted, by pointing out that the it had been the Mokans who had breached the agreement by invading Kashubia first. But, she did say, “Perhaps had you coordinated your invasion of Kashubia with the Empire, we could have helped you save lives by providing the extent of our accumulated military intelligence. But, you did not.” There was a pinch of snark in her tone. “In any case, our decision to not share certain details with your government was out of respect for agreements that we had made with the Ordenites. They may be untrustworthy scum, but we are not. I would think that that is something your government would respect.”

“Regardless,” Anah continued, “that is now neither here nor there. The invasion has already started, lives have already been lost, so let’s discuss what matters. And that is what the Golden Throne can do to accelerate the conclusion of this war and the defeat of the Fourth Reich.”

She looked at Hahk-Lorán, her face cool and drained of passion, and then back at Minister Lunes. “Your proposal of a 25 percent haircut on outstanding debt obligations owned by the Golden Throne is a generous one, and the Imperial government accepts.” In all honesty, the other half of the Mokan offer was a good one too, but the krierlord felt compelled to push back a little, just for the sake of not coming off as weak. “I would like to discuss, however, the option of converting 50 percent of the original sum of debt into war bonds, with the additional clause that the Golden Throne agree to buy all future war bonds at a rate no higher than 1.5 percent. The Ordenites do not give up easily, and rebuilding what I only assume will be an enlarged UESS, will not be cheap, and as your demand for credit rises so will the cost of borrowing. The Golden Throne will never raise its rates; you have an open supply of credit with us at a guaranteed price. Would that be acceptable?”

Emilio took in the proposal, listening to the words and seeing no hint of emotion from the krierlord in front of him. He ignored the little jabs, for at the moment things were going smoothly and he knew they were a distraction. However, he still needed to respond. Perhaps it was the sleepless nights, or the constant renegotiating he had done on this deal ever since the Declaration of War was made. Either way, the Economic Minister did not have the stone cold look of a krierlord, instead he busted into loud, but short laugh that would have insulted a lesser diplomat. He smiled and slowly recovered from his outburst, before finally responding, his voice still fluctuating from the hiccups of chuckling.

“I apologize for my outburst krierlord, it's just that I wish you could see the amount of rabble I had to fight through to get this far in the deal. Democracy is a fickle thing and even worse when you have eight Heads of State to report to. Ahhh, so to respond to your counter offer.

I could probably convince the Heads of State Council to accept 50%, that's no problem. However, I cannot sell to them the rights for this war to be financed solely by the Golden Throne. Prices will go up, yes, but we've got deals with Lambda Financial, the Greater Dienstad Financial Guild, and, of course, the Golden Throne. Competition will push the prices low. Don't get me wrong, we respect the Golden Throne, but the Federation never goes all in on one bet. So my counter offer is 40% total convert to war bonds, with the option to buy more at 1.5% today, with future rates fluctuating as the market dictates.”

“That is suitable,” said Fávela. The Mokan minister might find himself surprised. Competition is one thing, but competition has its limits, namely profitability. And the higher risk associated with abnormal debt growth would take its toll on the Mokan treasury. As the saying went, economic law can be ignored, but it will not ignore you. But, in actuality, the Mokan repose benefited the Golden Throne, because had they agreed to Fávela’s full counter-offer then Fedala would have been under contract to buy Mokan debt at a non-profitable price, and now they would be under no such obligation. “Agreed then. And I can speak for His Imperial Majesty when saying that we agree to the purchase of a further Ŗ3.75 trillion.”

“Perfect, I'll have a formal draft of the deal ready by tomorrow for signing and the press. As for the UESS and it's financial future, the Soviets will soon learn the importance of international capital. I'm sure a diplomat of your calibre can get quite a deal with them directly.”

In truth the Economic Minister knew their counter offer was good, and would benefit the Federation, but there was no way he could sell the Heads of State Council on a sole source of funding for the war. Many of them did not trust the Golden Throne that well, and even Prime Minister Noble of Wellovia wouldn't go so far as to rely on them to finance the war. But Mokan paranoia had kept them alive this long, so perhaps it was for the best.

“That sounds excellent,” replied the krierlord. “You may send it to our embassy and the jogornos can sign off on it.”

Hahk-Lorán waited a bit under the assumption that she had something to add to that thought, but after a few seconds it became evident that she didn’t. The jogornos clapped his hands, “Great! It’s rare these days for meetings like these to be so straightforward. I hope that the Mokan government know that they can always access His Imperial Majesty through me, and that we are here to lend our assistance when we can. We will endeavor to do our most, as the Empire as a whole deeply appreciates the sacrifice that the Mokan people have made to allow our ships and troops to use Mokastana as a halfway point between Gholgoth and the Golden Throne.”

This time it was President Miano who smiled, both as a visual cue of his approval and out of pride that his pupils handled the negotiations well, both the foreign and domestic ones.

"Oh of course, Jogornos Hahk-Lorán, always a pleasure. Tomorrow we can drink and dine properly to celebrate an easy deal. We look forward to continuing our close relations."

[United World Order]

100KM East of Tuktar, Northern Kashubia.

High above the now changing battlefield near the city of Tuktar which stood in the way of Mokan and other enemy forces allied with them were elements of the Ordenite Luftwaffe that had took advantage of the moving storm and stuck above the dark grayish clouds most of the way to their target area. Through Ordenite reconnaissance efforts mostly done before the large moving storms had made landfall in Kashubia and moved south, a major artery had been discovered which was where Mokan military activity was estimated to be the highest with drone surveillance and other long range reconnaissance missions taking place in the wake of the first week of battle with Mokan armies. In these weeks, the locations of Mokan SAM sites and other AA defenses were found and marked for all other chains of command in the Wehrmacht. Several forward positions belonging to the Mokans were also discovered in these last several weeks as a minor operation involving the Luftwaffe was now commencing. A taskforce was put together by near by Luftwaffe air bases and minor airfields it had in the vicinity of the city and the known target areas. A grand total of 40 Ordenite tactical and strategic bombers had been mobilized and put into the task force, along with this was over 100 Lu-45 war hawks with air to ground and air to air weaponry. This however was not exactly all as the Luftwaffe had dedicated electronic warfare suited aircraft also accompany the taskforce in order to jam and confuse any Mokan radars and other sensors along with attempting to identify yet to be found Mokan radar signatures and frequencies for analyzing.

In the early morning hours was when the taskforce was sent out from the more well hidden and heavier defended air bases and airfields in the vicinity of Tuktar and were well on their way to the multitude of targets the taskforce was to have destroyed. It was hoped that because of the storms and the forecasted amount of rain fall was to hit the wet lands and it's many marshes and swamps, that these targets which some were known to be mobile would have lost some of their mobility in the on-going downpour and water increase and that they would become sitting ducks for the task force's arsenal. At the crack of dawn the task force's fleet of bombers and tactical fighters begun to enter the designated target area as the fleet begun to break off into smaller groups and address known targets they were out hunting for. The 100 Lu-45 war hawks soared through the clouds and almost dived closer to the ground below in order to not be as easily picked up on enemy radar, the war hawks soon enough once encountering their targets which were primarily the forward positions and SAM sites unleashed their munitions on them in a fury attack. Anti-RADAR missiles were fired on numerous occasions at known Mokan AA assets as the forward positions were strafed with 40mm cannons and struck with air to ground munitions, some having sub munitions as well in order to cause the greatest deal of damage.

The assortment of tactical and strategic bombers who were escorted by a small force of Lu-45s made their way in the havoc of the ground strikes on Mokan AA and forward positions towards the marked artery for Mokan logistics and advancing forces heading towards Tuktar. The escorts would eventually once reaching the striking distance broke off from the bombers and begun strafing of any Mokan AA units it could identify with the assistance of the accompanying Tornado ECRs. The bombers meanwhile begun releasing their munitions on the major high way like paved path that seemed to stretch for several miles, although the bombers would hit what was nearest to Tuktar. Signatures had been found on the highway before the bombers had begun their bombing run, once the guided air to ground missiles and cluster sub munitions had been released by the bombers they immediately broke off and started gaining higher altitude to avoid any AA fire it may encounter.

Once the bombers were at a safer distance from the over all aftermath of the taskforce's strike on the Mokans did the Lu-45s that hadn't been shot down in the ensuing battle begun to break off from their surely devastated targets and join the bombers in leaving the area and heading back for re-arming and re-fueling. This style and approach of attack to further delay and wear down the Mokan logistics train and momentum had been approved to occur in the coming weeks by the same task force and other Luftwaffe assets in the area. Of course these operations would be broadened to cover all Mokan positions and major logistic and troop movement paths the Ordenites could identify as heading towards the forming fortress city of Tuktar.

60KM behind PUF frontlines, Northern Kashubia.

The swamps of the vast wet lands were experiencing a new filling of down pouring rain due to the storms that had made landfall on the continent. In these same swamps but quite farther behind Mokan lines were the still operational and decently armed Ordenite mountain units that had been occupying some of the higher elevations in the neighboring mountains when in the weeks of intense combat, the Mokans had been able to advance into the country side after a successful amphibious landing operation. In these weeks since the Mokan lines in the west nearing the city of Tuktar had moved dramatically inland, the Ordenite 'Gebirgsjager' units ended up behind enemy lines and most were cut off from supplies and the chance of reinforcements. Although this did not hinder their survivability in harsh terrain as they had been trained quite heavily in survival tactics and guerilla warfare in the chance they became stuck behind enemy lines in war. Many of these mountain soldiers were able to live off the land and heavily ration everything they had from ammunition to fuel and even food. In the months before the war when Ordenite occupied RSU was considerably left unmolested by any conventional warfare, the positions of many of the Gebrigsjager units up in the mountains and more harsher elements were able to adapt and develop more sophisticated methods of defense and ways of movement.

The Gebrigsjager heavily relied on their light and general purpose machine guns and anti-tank weaponry, they could just as easily become elite light infantry in combat as they would display operating behind Mokan lines. The mountain troops were also gifted with having light artillery support with them which would have been modified and able for transport in difficult terrain. So when the mountain troops stuck behind enemy lines finally realize such they begun organizing well planned and executed raids and attacks on Mokan logistics convoys and moving columns of reinforcements. However their biggest significance had was their ability to keep in contact with Ordenite forces through military communication methods and kept the Ordenites on their own front lines well aware of Mokan troop movements and estimations on their strengths. What targets the mountain troops deemed too significant to ignore were attacked and at their best effort hoped to be destroyed completely.

The mountain troops would also at times enter near by villages and towns and at times win over the support of the people their in order to receive civilian support with their guerilla style like efforts against the Mokans.

Yukar, 300KM from the frontlines, North-Central Kashubia.

The city of Yukar in the last few weeks of intense battle between the Reich and PUF and it's allies in the North had transformed and elevated the significance of Yukar greatly. The connection of Yukar's railroad station and it's railway yards to the expansive railroad network that connected the west and the east together greatly benefited the Ordenite logistics and replenishment efforts of troops and supplies to the frontlines. Much of this important railroad had been fortified some what with AA units being dedicated to cover a certain amount of airspace over the railroads in order to protect them from bombings and attack. Already a significant amount of Ordenite forces were in the area of Yukar and were preparing to move to the frontlines and or in the vicinity of Tuktar to safe guard the flanks of the city from enemy infiltration efforts that were further being suppressed by on-going Luftwaffe operations. The 4th and 1st Macabeean SS divisions had been also moved swiftly through rail to the city of Yukar that had been recovering from the 1st war and was bracing for the second one.

The 1st Macabeean SS division was further ordered to begin deploying towards the vicinity of the western flank of Tuktar and would assume defensive posturing once they arrived after their three day journey. However the 4th Macabeean SS division would assume defensive posturing near the city of Yuktar in positions that had been made by laboring citizens in the weeks of combat near Northern Bay and at the demarcation line. A single company from the Macabeean division had been relocated to a path of forest off a road heading to Yukar and with them were over 500 civilians that they had to round up on order of their superiors in what had been deemed as 'anti-partisan duties'. They had watched them with their rifles ready as the hundreds of condemned civilians were made to dig their own graves as the Maccabeeans watched and conversed amongst themselves. A array of graves were eventually dug and on command of the Macabeean SS officer in charge the civilians were positioned in their holes that they had dug.

Hans Jensen who was only a corporal in his company was standing quite nearly towering over a girl who was standing inside the hole she had dug. Of course because of her age she couldn't dig as deep as the other more able bodied males could and so another person was also assigned to help dig. The graves that were dug would have one person already in the grave and several more accompanied by a Macabeean who was ready to shoot them all as they would one by one go down into the grave after the last person fell dead. The Officer who was inconsequently a Ordenite soon enough dispatched the order to begin the executions. Hans locked eyes with the girl who was probably no older than 15 that he would have to put to death, he raised up his standard issue assault rifle and locked his sights on his victim and put his finger on the trigger. Shots soon enough rang out as other soldiers in the company had begun opening fire on the civilians, Hans seemed to be having second doubts as the girl stood with her head lowered not wanting to look at the face of her soon to be maker. A NCO soon enough saw Hans and that he hadn't even shot the first person that was in his grave and spoke up to him.

"Corporal why haven't you fired your first shot already?" the NCO asked. "Is there a malfunction with your weapon, soldier?" he looked at Hans as Hans looked at him before replying.

"Y-yes sir, I think my rifle is jammed." Hans responded as the NCO came up to him and grabbed his rifle out of his hands. He aimed at the girl and discharged the weapon which the first round impacted the top of the girl's head and quite literally blew her brains out as her body took a hard thud onto the ground below her feet. Hans stared down at the pit as the blood poured out from the hole in the deceased girl's head as the NCO shoved the rifle back into his hands and dragged the next person towards the pit. The next one was a man as he jumped down into the pit and faced away from Hans. "I suggest you overcome your emotions, corporal and carry out the orders given to you by your commanding officer." The NCO said to Hans as he took aim at the man facing away from him and hit him in the back of his skull with the next round as the NCO nodded in approval and moved on.

[Morrdh]

Gulf of Mordent
Western Dienstad

Dawn found the Audacious-class carrier HES Wiseman in the great Gulf of Mordent being replenished by a pair of Fleet Auxiliaries, construction had yet to start on a replacement for the major port of Lindun that had been lost in an Imbrinium atomic strike. Captain Arnold Gearwood had been briefed by Morrdun that some of the Wiseman's sister ships would be joining her along with a Vice-Admiral, the Wiseman had been especially chosen due to her past exercises with the Stevidian Royal Navy. She was also already on station in the Gulf of Mordent as part of the Royal Morridane Navy's Mordent Patrol, mainly to help deter fishing boats from operating in the radioactive waters round the island.

As she was being replenished, the Wiseman was screened by the rest of the task force with Fairey Gannet AEWs ambling through the skies that surrounded the Gulf. Part of the carrier's flight deck was cordoned off by a platoon of SMG armed Royal Morridane Marines, inside the cordon was a small group of senior weapons technicians ready with bomb trolleys and other equipment. A Westland Wessex helicopter was hovering above them slowly wincing down a wooden crate marked in block capitals 'CAUTION' and a radiation hazard symbol. There would twenty of these crates in all that were being loaded onto the Wiseman, which one would be closely escorted by a small group of marines as they were moved below deck. The crates’ destination was deep in the recesses of the carrier’s machinery spaces, a unique compartment shielded with thick lead and protected behind an airlock. It was closely monitored with Geiger counters.

Whilst the Commonwealth had publicly announced and carried out nuclear disarmament of its armed forces, the events of the Mordent Conflict had prompted a quiet rethink of their policy. There had been some foresight in the Commonwealth’s nuclear weapons facilities being put onto a care and maintain basis, making it easier to be brought back into use if required. Likewise the Morridane nuclear arsenal had been put into deep storage, though a post Mordent Conflict survey had found that most of the warheads were still viable. With the prospect of another conflict looming, the Royal Morridane Navy started efforts to rearm its fleet carriers.

Now the Wiseman was the latest on the list to reacquire her warheads, her Nuclear Bomb Room was being restocked with 600lb WE.177A nuclear rounds. These weapons had a boosted fission warhead with a selectable yield of either 10 kilotons or half a kiloton. They could be used, with minor modifications by the carrier’s ‘bombheads’, as either anti-submarine depth-charges or against surface targets. Each of the fourteen Buccanners carried aboard the Wiseman was capable of carrying a pair of the white-painted weapons in their bomb bays, though only the four most senior aircrews were cleared for the nuclear role.

The Task Force was going to operative under Stevidian command, the Stevidians could request use of the weapons but the ultimate authority resided with the Morridane government over whether or not the weapons were to be used. A careful consideration of possible targets had been done by the Admiralty, effectively had advisory for the government to follow. There was also the fact that each of the fleet carriers would only be carrying twenty of these weapons and only a small number of aircrews were cleared for their use.

---

Northern Kashubia

Morridane CRV(T)s with their lower ground pressure had an easier time operating in the northern wetlands, particularly after the recent storm, than the heavier main battle tanks. Similarly the Morridane infantry fared better than some, probably due to Morridane Army infantry arm mostly trained and operating as light infantry following riflemen traditions and doctrines. There was a strong focus on marksmanship for the average Morridane infantryman, partially why the 7.62mm NATO caliber L1A1 SLR was still the standard weapon for the Morridane Army. As part of their training Morridane soldiers were taught to aim for officers and obvious squad commanders or specialists first, particularly since an enemy would be left in disarray if its commanders on the ground were taken out.

Some elements of Mokan practice had been adopted by the Morridane Army, chiefly like officers and the lower ranks wearing effectively the same uniform. The Morridanes had compromised by having rank insignia on rank slides worn on shoulder straps, making it possible but still difficult for snipers to identify officers. Though ’68 Pattern DPM uniform was combat issue, many of the older hands wore lightweight olive green trousers whilst deployed in the wetlands simply due to how easier and quicker they were to dry.

To help solve their own logistical problems, the Morridanes used a mixture of Land Rovers and helicopters to ensure that their troops were kept well supplied. Closer to the front lines APCs were more often than not pressed into use as supply carriers, Tracked Rapier units were employed to provide relatively mobile anti-air cover for the Morridane supply convoys. In addition Morridane aircraft were starting to arrive in larger numbers, a group (RAF equiv) of fighters had already been formed with a second in the process of being created. Buccaneers continued in their overland strike role, focusing their attention on Ordenite air defenses but increasingly striking out at targets of opportunity. Squadrons of Hawker Hunter fighter-bombers were starting to take to the skies, due to their shorter range and lack of aerial refueling they would provide Close Air Support for Morridane troops.

By now the RMAF was operating squadron strength Combat Air Patrols 24/7 over the battlefields with other fighter squadrons being kept on Alert 5 (five minute launch warning), though plans were proposed to increase it to wing sized (RAF equiv) standing CAPs over the coming weeks. On the ground additional anti-air batteries were being deployed round the Morridane beachhead, allowing some of the Morridane warships in the bay to be freed up for other duties.

Notable other deployments were of a squadron of the Morridane SAS special forces units and a brigade of the aborigine Royal Genchi Rifles.

[Morrdh]

Northern Kashubia

"Two. Two-One. Contact. Wait. Out"

Somewhere among the rain soaked wetlands a Morridane unit had just come under fire from enemy forces.

"Two. Two-One. Fetch Sunray. Over."

"Two-One. Sunray. Over."

"Two-One. Sitrep. Eight Enemy. Dark uniforms. Two hundred yards to our front right. One enemy casualty. Enemy bugged out south-west. Over."

"Two. Chase them. Keep me advised. Over."

"Two-One. Roger. Out." Lieutenant Dongel replied before handing the handset back to his radio operator, then glanced round at the soldiers under his command who'd taken up positions amidst the drizzle and the mud. 4 Platoon, B Coy, 57th Battalion, Royal Morridane Regiment, had arranged its three rifle sections in a U shaped formation facing towards the south and enemy forces. It was largely silent save for the rain, which threatened to become yet another heavy downpour later in the day, and the distant thunder of artillery fire. 4 Platoon had been sent on a forward patrol by the battalion commander, the fighting had largely died down as the two opposing forces became mired after the recent storms. The Morridanes had kept up aggressive platoon sized patrols, if anything to stop the enemy gaining the initiative before the large-scale fighting resumed. It looked like that patrols had paid off as 4 Platoon encountered an enemy recon squad, a glance at the uniform of the enemy soldier they'd managed to drop showed that he belonged to the Kashubian Defence Force. Auxiliaries, conscripts. Mused Dongel before he turned to his platoon sergeant. "Sergeant Harrison, get the lads ready to move out...we have ourselves a hunt."

[Morrdh]

4 Platoon
B Coy, 57 RMR
Northern Kashubia

The platoon had pushed its pursuit a couple of miles south-west from the site of the initial contact, the ceaseless rain gradually growing heavier as the Morridanes made their way through the trees and mud. Their DPM uniforms were soaked right through and the rain pattered off their MKV 'turtle' steel helmets and dripped from the rims, it wasn't hard to see why the fighting had largely ceased aside from the odd skirmish or two. Here 4 Platoon found itself with the first bit of action it had seen in weeks, moving steadily in extended line as it chased down an enemy scout squad. Soon they came to the edge of the treeline where the forest gave way to fields of a farm that had been abandoned for some time, unattended the crops had withered and weeds were beginning to spread like wildfire. No, not entirely abandoned. Gunfire opened up from a cluster of nearby farm buildings as 3 section emerged from the trees.

"Two-One. Contact. Wait. Out"

Six men from 3 section instantly became casualties, four dead and two wounded. Rest of the platoon dropped to the ground and went prone behind whatever piece of cover as their training kicked in. The semi-automatic fire of the Morridane L1A1 SLR was soon joined by the platoon's three GPMGs as the soldiers recovered and returned fire. Volume of fire from the enemy was greater than expected, more than what could realistically be expected from a squad of scouts. It was clear that there was a larger force, possibly a platoon. Where they sentries? A forward patrol much like 4 Platoon? The answers didn't really matter that much as the two sides exchanged fire.

"Two, this is Two-One. Contact. Count at least three enemy machine guns. Estimate enemy my Callsign size. Over."

Lieutenant Dongel could barely hear himself think over the dim of rifle fire, rounds whizzed over head and bit small chunks out of the surrounding trees. At least one of 4 Platoon's three M79 grenade launchers was in action now, giving the Morridanes a little extra punch with some anti-personnel rounds. There wasn't any heavier weapons, the platoon's 51mm light mortar had been left back at base and the Carl Gustav recoilless rifles remained with Company HQ. Dongel was going to need some fire support if 4 Platoon was going to have any hope of getting out of this mess.

Two, this is Two-One. Fetch Sheldrake. Over."

"This is Three-Four. Over."

"Two-One. Target. Over."

"Three-Four. Send. Over."

"Two-One. Alsation. Right five, up four. One round. Over."

"Three-Four. Alsation. Right five, up four. One round. Wait. Over."

Round ten to fifteen klicks north a Royal Morridane Artillery battery of six L118 light gun hastily went into action, the discharge of the guns ringing out like thunder as each one fired a single shot. The six shells whistled through the sky as they reached the top of their arcs and gravity started to pull them back down towards the ground. It wasn't that close to 4 platoon, rather some distance in front of them to harass or suppress the enemy and thus hopefully relieve the pressure on the embattled platoon.

"Three-Four. Shot. Over."

"Two-One. Shot Over."

The shells landed as gigantic fireballs behind the cluster of farm buildings, throwing mud and crops high into the sky. Some of the Morridane soldiers fancied that they heard screams from the enemy, but there was no way of knowing for sure.

"Two-One. Drop five hundred. Over."

A couple of klicks to the north the rest of B Coy was advancing southwards as quickly as they could to come to 4 platoon's aid, 5 platoon swung round to the east whilst 6 platoon swung west to try and secure the flanks of their stricken comrades. Company HQ tried to get itself into a defensive position that 4 platoon could fall back to, though the company commander attempted to call for some reinforcements over the Morridane radio net.

[United World Order]

Morridane skirmish area, Northern Kashubia.

The ensuing skirmish between what remained of a full reconnaissance platoon of KDF soldiers and the pressing Morridane infantry platoons had made the situation for the platoon dire. They were in serious need of reinforcements as the Morridanes were pressing them and accumulating strength in the area to cast them out. Machine gun fire from the KDF platoon's heavy weapons personnel had resulted in artillery fire being used against them. One of the barns had one of it's walls completely collapse after a morridane artillery shell struck close and knocked it down. The communications officer was desperately trying to raise near by friendly units that may be in their area but the officer was having trouble getting patched through. The weather had made the ground soggy and full of mud and water from past showers that had passed through the wet lands. A pair of KDF soldiers manned their squad level general purpose grenade launcher and began pumping out 40mm grenades into the tree line that the Morridanes were firing from. The rest of the platoon took positions around the cluster of buildings that they sought for shelter, stepping over several of their dead comrades who fell from shrapnel and gunfire laid down by the enemy engaging them. The platoon wasn't aware that additional morridane platoons were also taking up positions along the flanks of the initial platoon who pursued the Kashubian reconnaissance troops for several miles. Much of the men were beginning to run low on ammo and were hardly firing at the morridanes but occasionally drew fire away from the men who were able to fire back by aiming their rifles openly at the enemy in hopes to draw their fire. Any Morridanes who tried to advance on the small farm would face grenades that would be thrown at them as the Kashubians fought to keep their position from being overrun.

However what was not being noticed by either side was that high above the farm, a reconnaissance drone hovered silently watching the ensuing firefight take place. The drone fed a real time feed of what was going on to a Ordenite outpost that was in the vicinity of the farm. The outpost was heavily camouflaged in all the foliage and with the recent storms would be nearly undetectable to most enemy forces that happened to be in the area. The outpost was also decently armed and had the tools to provide immediate relief and fire support to the stranded Kashubian reconnaissance forces being sought after by the Morridanes. Shortly enough a combined trio of 150mm howitzers had zeroed in on the Morridanes and had begun firing on them, the Kashubians would be relieved upon seeing the treeline being torn apart by incoming heavy artillery fire. Additionally a TPz MRLS variant vehicle also went into action, it's crew almost robotic as they followed the opening procedures to ready the mobile rocket launcher for firing. Once given the order to fire, from inside the TPz 255 a key would be twisted which would begin the firing of six attached rocket pods that would rain down 12, 280mm rockets in the general vicinity that the howitzers had trained their shells on. This gave the Kashubians the opportunity to further get out of dodge as they begun to quickly withdraw from the farm and head through the fields which was filled primarily with withered and dead crops that had been abandoned.

The drone from before would still be hovering high above and surveying the effectiveness of the minor bombardment on the advancing Morridane platoons in the treeline. In the mean time from the same outpost, a small column of TPz 255 vehicles began leaving the outpost it's self and heading towards the fleeing Kashubians in the fields north of where the Morridanes were. Twelve TPz 255s advanced in a 'V' shape formation heading south towards the previous area of fighting, passing the retreating Kashubians on the way who briefly exchanged information about the Morridanes and exactly where they were. Rapid machine gun fire from the advancing TPz 255 peppered the tree line with 7.92mm rounds that would hopefully keep the Morridane's heads low and movement minimal as the small Ordenite mechanized force advanced forward, some of the vehicles even using their 40mm grenade launchers to harass enemy positions further. The outpost's howitzer guns continued laying down shells on top of the Morridanes as the TPz 255 vehicles slowed to a stop in the withered and dead crop fields just north of the cluster of farm buildings, in which they stopped where the buildings would be in between them and the Morridanes. Deploying from the troop bays of the TPz 255 vehicles were a token force from the 62nd Panzergrenaiders. The volume of fire began to rapidly increase as in all, over 120 Panzergrenaiders began engaging the Morridane platoon from the fields, spreading out to avoid being caught clustered the Ordenites went prone or found cover somewhere as they looked to turn back the enemy platoon.

[Mokastana]

Cathedral of San Alvido
Home to the Patriarchal Council
Mokan Orthopraxis Church


Deacon Sebastian Castillo read aloud the Proposal to the Council of Patriarchs. Many had looks of disgust, while others nodded in solemn support. It was a bold decision, a dangerous decision, and one that The Church knew it needed to make soon. The Church was receiving pressure from across the board, the government needed all the support it could get in this growing war, and foreign investors were offering to back the needs of the Church. It was almost too good of a deal, and that was something that made most Mokans skeptical.

The Mokan Orthopraxis Church was one of Peace, but born out of war. A breakaway from the Catholic church, their peaceful rebellion had caused certain Catholic factions to take to the sword to avenge the Blasphemy of turning against the Pope. A grave sin to punish the sheep that strayed away from the flock. Without their own shepard, the new Orthopraxis Church found that members took to the sword to be one themselves. The war between Christians was brutal. Which meant the old Cardinal of Mokastana, leader of the new Orthopraxis Church, had to meet with Catholic leaders to bring peace back to the land. Catholicism was still strong in Mokastana, and is to this day, but the new Orthopraxis Church had become the largest sect of Christianity, by far.

The Church ordered its members to put away their swords and guns, and follow the route of peace, but peace didn't last. As the Church worked on providing for the poor and the indigenous peoples, they found their good deeds being harassed by thieves and militias. Jesus commanded, “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” and the Church followed his command, but the poor suffered for it. The food and supplies gathered by the Church were often stolen, going to the warlords who chose to continue to spill the blood, rather than the victims of their wars. To some, it became clear that while God intended peace, God understood the need for war.

Much like the Parable of the Weeds, they did not pull up the weeds planted in the wheat, for their was good among them. Both were allowed to grow. Negotiations were had, many Warlords were offered a chance to do good, to change their ways and allow the Church to do it's work in their lands. To give protection to the Peoples advocates. Some did, recognizing the value of the Church in maintaining their power, but many did not. The Church let the animosity grow in the people, and soon the harvest came, and it was the duty of the Church to separate the weeds from the Wheat.

“The Thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

The First Crusade of the young Church was called, to secure the supply routes and protect the weak. The Order of the Guards mobilized for the first time. Security for their caravans going into hostile territory, Holy Warriors who carried the burden of sin against those who harm the flock. Thieves and highwaymen who were captured and dragged to the villages, and given a chance to repent before being left for punishment by those they stole from. They were reminded to be fair, for we ask the Lord to forgive our Sins, as we forgive those who Sin against us. Thus indentured servitude became a common punishment, and for the truly dangerous, they were forced to give up the gift of life so God may judge them himself. The Order of the Guards knew the tactics would work against the unorganized criminals, but against true warlords, they needed more.

The Knights of the Order were formed. They were the Angels of Death, striking at the leadership of the warlords, sending the ones who refused to repent to their final judgement. It worked, and soon the Church could restore it's peaceful ways. But war was now in the DNA of the Church, and as they were called to aid the poor of Red Star Union, the situation began to look very familiar to its historians.


“Cardinal Alverez, I cannot in good Faith approve of this plan. The Church must be one of Peace, the Allied Forces in the warzone will protect us.” Bishop Salado of Northern Mejico spoke against the proposal. “The Church will not send its children to sin in our name.”

“The Church must be a Shepherd to the flock, these people have been without God for ages. They live surrounded by wolves, why should they follow a shepherd who cannot protect them?” Bishop Yolotli of Aztlan spoke up this time, “We will show them God's love, both in providing them loaves and fishes when they hunger, and by being the Rod and Staff as they walk through the darkest Valley.”

The debate went back and forth until finally, the silence of the Head Patriarch was broken. Cardinal Alverez, head of the Mokan Orthopraxis Church, raised his hand to quiet his Bishops and Deacons.

“Gentlemen, I do not need to remind you all what this Church was founded upon, many call us a ‘Liberation Theology’, a theology based on the experience of the poor, an earlier, pacifist theology. It can be seen in our Orders. We all know the words to the Order of our Grace: ‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have illness, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.’ Who gave that order but the Son of God himself? It is one we strive for every day, and one we will continue in Red Star Union whether or not we act on this proposal.

The Order of the Stone reminds us why we must continue to do so. ‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be lost in heaven.’ God does not ask us to build monuments to his glory, he asks us to live life honoring his glory. That is the purpose of the Stone. To be not the physical rock, but the spiritual rock that guides us. Every action we do on Earth affects our kingdom in heaven.


How do we achieve this? By recalling the words to the Order of the Word, ‘I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.’ Our message must be one of innocence, of Peace, but we must also be clever, to go without a plan is to fail. We cannot simply preach and give freely when surrounded by wolves, we must be cautious.

Yet we are men, with all the faults and failures of men. Hence why we have the final Order, the Order of the Guards, when our cleverness fails, when men not only refuse to repent but take to sword to destroy us. The Son of Man preached peace, in doing so he gave us the true standard of faith. To call upon this Order is to admit we have failed to be the Children God wants us to be.

This Order is not one guided by the Son of Man, so what words did we assign them? ‘Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.’ This is their duty. In The Red Star Union terrorist kill innocent people without regard for life, mass execution takes place on both sides of the front. Cartels and rogue militias take from anyone to weak to resist. Even our own government manufacturers famines to starve their enemies. Do we, in the Name of God and men, take up arms to defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed? Or shall we remain neutral? My Patriarchal Council, it is time for a vote.”

The Council dismissed at the word of the Cardinal, allowing each to leave and drop a cloth bag with their vote into a vase outside of the meeting room. The vote was a secret one, to ensure each member could make their decision without influence. It would only be between God and their conscious. It would be an hour before they met to count the votes, allowing time to pray on their choices, or choose to abstain. Inside each bag would be one coin, either copper or silver. Copper was a vote against, silver a vote in favor. Time passed as the four Deacons and six Bishops placed their votes. The Cardinal would be only one to vote publicly, being the Guide on Earth for the Church and the one to count them in front of the council.

Soon all were back in the Council Chamber, and the Cardinal patiently opened each bag and pulled out the single coin. Carefully placing them in their respective piles. Once all ten bags were emptied, the cardinal pulled out his own bag from his robe and revealed the coin inside, setting the final vote down for all to see. He bowed his head low, before standing up for the Council.

“I, Cardinal Justinian Alverez, Head Patriarch of the Mokan Orthopraxis Church, Servant of the Shepherd and of the Weak, Guardian of the spirit of the Church on Earth, with the Blessing of the Patriarchal Council of San Alvido, do approve of the 3rd Crusade to protect our Flock and our mission of Peace in the Red Star Union. Deacon Sebastian Castillo, you may raise the Order of the Guards to duty once more. When you at done, remember to Put up again thy sword into its place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Together we will bring the Zvezdan people back into God’s loving embrace. We will provide food for those who hunger, drink for those who thirst, and protection for those afraid. As The Orthopraxis Church,this is our Holy Duty. ”

The chorus of Patriarchs spoke in unison:

“Amen.”

[United World Order]

Camp Zheleznoye Serdtse(Iron Heart), 50KM west of Rubino(City),
Western Kashubia.

"For who do we fight for, comrades?!" a tall masculine man standing in olive green BDUs with a folded stock TK-60 assault rifle in his dominant hand yelled to the assortment of fellow militiamen who had been raised in the beginning of the furious combat that was now occurring inside Kashubia. The militiamen were native Kashubians from the surrounding area and the near by city of Rubino, having answered the call of their government leaders and ruling political party to take up arms in defense of the Republic and their nation and all it stood for. The Kashubian Orthodox Church also preached a similar out cry that the common man needed to take up arms for Christ and protect their way of life from the communists and other 'un-godly heathens' that had aligned with them. Since the official proclamation from Premier Sovereign Kendrov and the Church, hundreds of thousands of Kashubians had begun mobilizing and arming themselves. Recruitment for 'self defense' militias sky-rocketed as numerous militias had swelled in number, fueled by their patriotic duty to protect their homeland and their way of life. Much of the reason for the swelling numbers in the militias was due to not wanting to wait for their conscription orders for the Kashubian Defense Force as many did not want to wait through formal training to fight.

"For Kashubia and Orthodoxy!" the amassing ranks of militiamen roared out in response. Dozens of training camp facilities and other bases for the militias dotted all over the western half of the country. As it was the western half of the country that primarily held more traditional and patriotic feelings and were neutral and even friendly towards the Reich. These feelings had been brewing for hundreds of years since the reign of a whole blood line of Tsars ruled over the entire continent and had ruled a unified country under Orthodoxy. In the 20th century however that would change as left leaning and far left leaning political parties had begun to fester in the east despite at the dismay of the last ruling Tsar who had deployed the military to arrest them, which lead to the beginning of the country's tragic civil war that took thousands of lives before the far left leaning revolutionaries succeeded and proclaimed a socialist state by 1930. However through the existence of the socialist state and it's turn towards a more totalitarian communist state, had fueled the rise of far-right movements and insurgencies along with a long standing feeling of anti-communism in the west. Thus what would now fuel the current state of the divided continent as once again war plagued the lands.

Despite the fact that official funding in monetary and arms had ceased between the Kashubian Republic and the Golden Throne due to events uncontrollable, the Kashubians had made due with what they had and what they had acquired from the Macabeeans before hand. News about current military events happening on the front lines reached the west everyday and the militias were eager to fight and die for their country and for the freedom it had acquired in the toppling of the communist state. Church attendance in recent months had increased by a lot as the reformation of the Orthodox Church had given many in the west a new hope for Christ and their newly free nation that was now under threat by foreign invaders and communists, hell bent on destroying their freedom and committing atrocities on those who defied them in support of their newly formed Republic. There was also a rumor that the former Black Star Militia and it's veterans were beginning to return to their roots in the militias and talks were being had between the leaders of the numerous militias for a unified front that would defend the country further and fight to repel the invaders and re-unite the country together.

[The Macabees]

[A note on the timeline: The events of this post and posts related to this scenario take place prior to the Ordenite invasion of North Panooly.]

Orange-Stoner Column, Vicinity of Pezlevko

The wild race to the coast did not let up.

Hot on their heels, the Ordenites tracked the column's movements via drones. Armed Orange-Stoner personnel tried to shoot these down when they could with small arms fire, but were generally more intent on just making sure everyone moved at an adequate pace. Much of the remaining armed strength was allocated to the rear, where advanced elements of the Ordenite pursuit engaged Orange-Stoner's rear guard. Sometimes the fighting got quite vicious, with savvy mercenaries — who usually already had over ten years of experience in various special forces units throughout the world — laying traps and ambushes, and using their well-honed skills to resist even when outnumbered. Still, the combat was as of yet scattered and limited, with the mercenary column traveling south at a growing pace, as more and more civilian vehicles, even tractors and their trailers, were commandeered and put to use.

Of course, there were many stragglers that had to be left behind. Many of those walking simply could not keep pace with the head of the column and, at some point, it no longer became tenable for the limited combat-ready personnel to protect them as the slower elements fell more and more behind. Hundreds, most probably thousands, of the wounded, tired, and weak were inevitably left behind. They'd be at the mercy of their captors and many were left with blades to take their own lives, rather than face fascist deprivations.

Some civilians, who were assumed to be sympathetic to the communist regime the Fourth Reich had deposed, even willingly gave their arms to those escaping. Other times the matter was hardly voluntary, with opportunistic contractors sometimes cajoling the locals into helping them. And thus the ranks of fighting-capable mercenaries increased here-and-there, although never to significantly alter the nature of the situation. Nevertheless, with newly acquired wooden bolt-action rifles and sometimes even severely damaged automatic weaponry of poor quality, the Orange-Stoner men and the others fought back as they could and with what they could.

Throughout the ordeal several attempts at contacting the nearby Macabean base were made, but to no avail. Most of these had not been answered, and the few times a Macabean soldier responded it was always an ambiguous message.

Still, the Macabeans were Orange-Stoner's best bet, because otherwise they risked being cornered against the coast and utterly crushed. Certainly, they could expect no quarter from the Ordenites given what was witnessed at Stalag 487B and no doubt the Fourth Reich would teach the world a lesson on the consequences of disobeying Ordenite 'generosity' to have let them live in the first place.

Off the coast, the Qiro'Paj was preparing for another sortie of helicopters and their escorts. All the while, it tried to maintain at least two squadrons of fighter jets in the air to harass Ordenite aircraft in the vicinity. Sometimes two fighters would make a quick raid into the coastline to strike enemy elements engaging the column's rear guard, but this support was too sporadic to truly make a difference. Rather, most of Orange-Stoner's aerial assets were allocated towards drawing enemy airpower away and trying to fly as many liberated prisoners to the task force as possible. And while helicopters and fighters alike suffered heavy casualties, their efforts were not completely in vain. Several hundred of the weakest men on the ground were ferried to safety at a time, and as the ground force approached the base perhaps a total of a thousand or more were saved in this fashion. But it wasn't enough.

The small privateer fleet had noticed the desperation in the situation and had determined not to close the distance with the Macabean base themselves. With the Golden Throne unresponsive and vague, their loyalties were questioned and the task force instead began to move in the opposite direction. As the gap between them and Kashubia increased, their ability to provide air cover became more and more strained. It was a tenuous situation, although if all went according to plan those on the ground would soon be protected by whatever strength the Golden Throne mustered in their sole outpost on the island.

But as one wise commander had said, "Plans are nothing."

The terrain began to smooth as the column approached the coastline. There, a mere mirage in the distance at this point, stood the tall concrete walls of the Macabean base. Walls were, of course, defunct in this day in age, but it had always been Macabean tradition to construct its forts in much the same way they were two hundred years ago, at least as far as the decorative question went. It was believed that by leaving behind architecture and buildings that could stand the test of the time, they would better represent the legacy that was the Golden Throne (in their minds, that is). It did make for an impressive sight at least. Concrete they were made of, but that did not make them ugly. Indeed, the edges of the battlements were decorated with stones and bricks that made them look much more akin to the ancient walls they were mimicking. They were of a white that both seemed brilliant but did not blind, and at regular paces whipped an Imperial flag.

Whatever the practical merits of the wall, that it served to scream security could not be doubted. The Orange-Stoner column moved towards it as if it were entranced, fixated on what was the only option other than certain death. They prayed that the Golden Throne would show them mercy, for Tarn was their city after all.

As they got closer they could actually see some of the soldiers standing guard in the towers and along the wall. This too was symbolic, representing as it did the steadfastness with which the garrison would willingly resist any would-be besieger. They were still too far, and their perches were too shadowy, for their faces and features to be seen, but all that lent to the naval fort's mystique of course. Beyond the walls, off to either flank and into the sea, the grey-blue hulls of the Empire's Kashubian fleet could be seen moving in and out of the hidden port. At an even greater distance there were several dozen troop ships that had come down from the northeast to bring the 300,000 or so soldiers which had withdrawn from the now defunct demilitarized zone. It was formidable and it caused the column to move a little faster...

...but perhaps the Ordenites were spurred to the same cause, knowing as they did that their opportunity to destroy the escaping force was about to end.

Soon the very first vehicles of the Orange-Stoner columns pulled up to the giant steel main gates to the base. They were perhaps ten men in height and eight in breadth, two separate sections to the door both riveted with bolts around their perimeter. They opened by sliding in opposite directions it looked like, although how this mechanism was fired was beyond simple sight. They had not opened yet, in any case.

As more and more of the column caught up, those mercenaries that were armed and mobile moved to the rear to help the rear echelons make it to safety. At the gate, those that stayed looked up at the battlements wondering when someone inside was going to open the doors. Commanders had taken to the radio, pleaing with the Macabeans to allow them temporary asylum. They'd leave as soon as Orange-Stoner could deploy a task force large enough to extradite those soldiers, they said. Still, the Golden Throne was as vague and ambiguous as ever, neither denying nor welcoming their visitors entry. The gates stood shut and the soldiers above continued to look down at those looking at them. Great tension spread over the column, as the Ordenites were not far behind and if they were to be saved the Golden Throne would have to act without further delay. Yet, the gates never opened.

It was then that some of the mercenaries thought they saw faces of guilt displayed upon the Macabean guards who had damned them to the Ordenites.

[United World Order]

In the Vicinity of Pezlevko and the Macabeean Naval Base.
The end of the doomed Orange-Stoner Column...

The rumbling of a seemingly endless column of TPz 255 armored vehicles that were in pursuit of the Orange-Stoner column that had freed the prisoners of Stalag 487B and had been racing towards the coastline and closer towards the Macabeean Naval Base that housed it's fleet and 300,000 of it's regulares that had been at the now defunct Demarcation Zone. Despite small setbacks happening along the way which were mostly small ambushes and firefights that occurred between the rear guard of the fleeing column and the forward element of the 7th Waffen SS Regiment, the bulk of the regiment were more than able to keep up with the column that were going to try their luck with the Macabeeans, who the Ordenites slightly feared would actually give them asylum. After a certain distance into their journey towards the coast, the column seemed to have been leaving behind what could be called 'dead weight' and would be granted this name as those that were left behind who were physically not able to keep up with the rest of the column were left behind. These left overs were properly dealt with by the regiment as the majority of them would be executed on the spot if they were still alive. The Waffen SS left the bodies of those that they killed scattered along the road which stretched all the way to the end of the pursuit when the fleeing column had begun to arrive outside the naval base. The regiment's reconnaissance unit already had eyes on the column and were observing them and their interaction with the Macabeeans, which surprised them that they were not being let through despite the protest of those part of the column. The situation at the gates of the base would continue to be closely monitored with additional Cyclone reconnaissance drones that hovered about but stayed clear of the base in case the Macabeean guards decided to shoot the UAV's down. Soon enough, the lead fighting element of the Waffen SS 7th Regiment had arrived which was the 2nd Mechanized Platoon that arrived with it's outfit of TPz 255 armored vehicles and light utility vehicles.

Orders had already been dispatched throughout the regiment on what they were to do upon engagement of the fleeing column and the foreign attackers, no quarrel was to be given to them and it was the expectation of the Regiment's commanding officer that the column was to be destroyed and that every single person part of the column were to be killed. It was expected that the column would fight for their lives once the Regiment begun their assault which was noted as well. Two mechanized platoons were then given the go to advance towards the very rear of the column as behind them a entire company was to follow up on their assault and assist in cornering and destroying the entirety of the column. Bullets began to fly and screams and shouts of horror were heard as advancing towards them in a 'U' formation were the first few platoons from the Regiment. Dozens of TPz 255 hatched machine guns barked and spit lead at the column's defenders who met them with their own fire as a full fledged fire fight began. The rear of the advancing formation which consisted of three TPz 255 80mm mortar carriers began opening up and dropping 80mm mortar rounds on top of the column who was stuck at the Macabeean naval base. Men were flung about as the mortars wrecked havoc on the outgunned mercenaries and escaped prisoners, mean while from the advancing TPz 255 armored vehicles came the actual fighting soldiers of the Waffen SS who disembarked from their vehicles and began directly engaging the column, spread out and laying down heavy fire the mercenaries firing back hardly hit any of the Waffen SS soldiers. Some who were injured by stray shots would be taken away from the action to a waiting armored ambulance, however it was evident that the Waffen SS held the upper hand here as they shot down scores of persons that made up the column that stretched from the base and out towards the main road that they took to arrive at the base.

While the lead Waffen SS element had begun the engagement and had pinned down the column while slaughtering them, the 2nd Company that was to reinforce them began to move into action. The company element split into two and moved to the flanks of the column to further envelop them from escaping. A barrage of machine gun, mortar and automatic rifle fire tore apart the column as those that were part of the column tried to flee in other directions or continued to beg and plea with the Macabeean guards to let them in. It had only took a matter of minutes to annihilate any form of resistance the column could put up against the Waffen SS and now the slaughter really began. Those that tried to run for the edge of the coast line past the Naval base would be chased by TPz 255 armored vehicles or light utility vehicles and shot down by the Waffen SS. A group of escaped prisoners running to the right of the naval base and towards the shore were met by a mortar shell landing among them as body parts flew into the air and mangled bodies fell. A tractor that was part of the column that was being driven by some of the prisoners attempted to flee and follow the coastline but as they began the roar of a Panther II Main Battle Tank would be heard as it's main gun fired and hit the side of the tractor with it's 144mm ETC main gun and obliterated the tractor and it's occupants. Other vehicles that tried to flee would also be targeted by Panther II tanks and anti-tank infantry shooting Panzerfaust 300s at them, a literal turkey shoot. Waffen SS soldiers would begin advancing through the wreckage of the column as they executed anyone who was alive, people who had been taken by the mercenaries to help the column were also not spared.

At the main gates of the Macabeean naval base a huddled group of prisoners from the Stalag shuddered as the Waffen SS slaughtered anyone in their sights. They were frozen in fear as one or two within their group cried and sobbed, continuing to beg the Macabeeans to help them, shouting and cursing at them even out of anger that they had allowed it to happen. "Open the gate, please! We are begging you, you all are our last hope!" some of them cried out to the guards who towered above them.

"Damn all of you foreigners to hell!, you hear me?!" a man who could barely walk screamed at the Macabeean guards. "Nothing but devils, all of you!" he continued. This would do little to change the minds of the guards as a group of Waffen SS soldiers had finally cornered the group staying outside the main gate. Rifles were pointed at them as the group shouted in horror and begged the Ordenites for mercy although they would be unanswered as they were shouted at in Ordenite and ordered to move away from the main gate. The survivors were being rounded up as the group would join other survivors who were at the moment spared and were being amassed at the western side of the Macabeean naval base's wall. Around them, the rest of the Regiment had begun arriving as well and were roaming the vicinity around the Naval base in search of any survivors.

The survivors were kept against the wall as they shuttered and feared for their lives, some prayed and others cowered and waited for their final judgement. Several machine guns would be positioned in front of them as they were manned by Waffen SS soldiers ready to fire at any moment. The survivors continued to beg for mercy or cower among themselves as the Waffen SS who stood before them and around them were indifferent to the pleas of former prisoners who had escaped. Soon enough the machine guns opened up on the last remnants of the survivors from the fleeing column as bullets tore through flesh and bone and their bodies crumbled into the ground, splattering blood on the wall of the base. Nonetheless a single Waffen SS soldier roamed about the bodies and put a bullet in the head of any of the survivors who looked to still be alive. For the rest of the day and next three days, the regiment would begin to build a mound of bodies that would be collected from the prisoners who had their last stand within the vicinity of the naval base, enlisting help from Kashubians from near by towns, these bodies would be put on trucks and taken away to some location where they would be put in a mass grave. The Pezlevko massacre was done.

[Mokastana]

Siege of Tuktar
Anaconda Plan Day +22
Deployment of key assets

Tuktar was the last major Ordernite fortress, blocking allies advance into the heartland of the former Red Star Union. The longer the Ordernites held it, the longer it would be before the Allied push for the oil fields and farmlands that made Kashubia so valuable. To the West of the City, Lamonian and Morridane forces held the line, circling south and cutting supply lines from Yukar. Rail lines and highways collapsed into the swamps under allied bombardment. Rumor was that forces from Stevid were going to be making an appearance soon, to reinforce the western flank and their massive air force should be able to tip the air war in favor of the allies.

To the East, the Zvezdan, Marshite and PUF forces marched on. They to pushed south towards the forests of northern Kashubia, cutting supply lines from New Impen and Kokshlovo. The Mokans, highly experienced in amphibious warfare, could move easily in the swamps due to their amphibious vehicles and supply of air cushioned transports. Though roads were occasionally used, they were often considered too risky due to Ordernite bombing. In the air, allied Forces danced with their fascists counterparts, ensuring neither side held air superiority for long, bombers from both sides traded graves as often as hits.

Though the main Eastern Offense was in the swamps east of the City and allied operations were to starve out the city, the PUF had a special plan for Tuktar. A combined assault of Marshite, Zvezdan and PUF forces launched an attack on the city from the East, breaking into the suburbs and attempting to pull resources towards them and away from the Morridanes and Lamonians encircling from the other side. It was a distraction, a minor attack, but one that hit hard enough to ensure the defenders couldn't ignore them. Zvezdan heavy armor pushed into the city, backed by BTRs and Lyran made HIFVs. The efforts of their modernization programs coming had come to pass: Zvezdan troops in dragon skin body armor carried AY144L Assault Rifles, backed by modern armor, marched to fight for their country's liberation.

***

The engagement for Tuktar, a pleasant description for such a battle. Forces on all sides threw weight into it. The 44th, 45th, and 46th Crusades were committed to the battle, while the 47th, 48th, and 49th Crusades were committed to the flanks to prevent the Ordernites and allies from attempting to cut off the force. The 56th, 57th, and 58th had landed in between the opening battles and the push for Tuktar, and shored up these movements, pivoting to complete the defense. They attacked in crushing and terrible movements, swift, accurate, and overwhelming, before moving on and repeating with dizzying speed.
The Marshites struck in a dizzying array of operations. Rather than revealing themselves as army groups fighting one giant battle, they instead preferred to cut their enemy a thousand times. Overwhelming his command and control with angles of attack and confusion as to the goals of the operation. Many attacks were launched simply to pin him in place or make him think the main hammer was to come down, repositioning his forces to counter this. They were called the Rapier Attacks. Should these attacks fail to break through, they would be sustained only as much as they were providing a valuable service. Other attacks, known as Local Actions, were made with modest objectives- the taking of a strategically important village that, all things considered, was lightly defended. Bisecting highways or important geographical features. These attacks were considered more important and were thus given more priority.
Still, two more general attacks were given greater import in overall Marshite strategy. High Priority Targets were in many ways the linchpin of the whole operation. They were enemy bases, cities, and other more obvious targets that were considered reasonable. They would get significant forces attached to them. Taking them would likely be considered victory- challenging them alone ensured that the honest goals of the operation were more easily achieved. All of these attacks- as well as the dozens or hundreds of local attacks and counterattacks that make up any large-scale modern battle- were simply to support or distract from the real objective of the operation.
These are known as the Goal Targets. As far as Marshite strategy is concerned every other attack could fail if a single Goal Target is taken. Of course the greatest benefit Marshites have in this regard is that their whole attack structure is designed to confuse and disorient the enemy and mask what are Goal Targets and what are not. Enemies that are proactive run the risk of being caught off-guard by the real intent of the Marshites. Those that stick back and try to react face a deadlier problem.
Marshites hold back the majority of their forces during such operations as Breakthrough Forces. Depending on the nature of the attacks a certain percentage of active BFs are assigned to them. The more important the attack, the more assigned. However, Marshite strategy is constantly reevaluating patterns and pictures both big and small. Local Actions that are proving wildly successful are supported to achieve bigger and better aims. But Local Actions that are even more successful and are breaking the front unexpectedly will be changed to High Priority and assigned much more.
This evolution on the field further confuses the enemy. More than a few large-battles have been started by Local Actions proving highly successful and graduating in the operations caste to be met by an enemy who thinks he has figured out that it is this attack that is the main blow. He finds himself winning this battle only to discover that he has grossly misunderstood Marshite aims.
The speed of these attacks creates a whirlwind effect on the enemies that Marshites face. Force multiplication quickly takes effect in the mind of the enemy, throwing his whole intelligence and communications apparatus into disarray. Even experienced, quality generals find themselves hamstrung by the inability to grasp the aims of the operation launched against him. And against Tuktar, there was even more in play.



Suburbs of Tuktar(East)
Siege of Tuktar
Anaconda Plan Day +22

Outside of a burning dining establishment, three Zvezdan troops took cover. Around the corner an Ordernite machine gun waited for them, already claiming half of their squad when the damn thing revealed it's ambush and opened fire on them. The LT had been stupid enough to walk them all right into a kill zone without thinking about cover. Luckily the survivors had a radio and could call in support, but the Mortar fire had missed and they still needed to clear this road for the rest of the Company. A BTR might be able to smoke it, but if the Ordernites had rockets they could easily turn the BTR into a burning roadblock. Corporal Morozov could only hold position with his two comrades and wait for either reinforcements or an Ordernite advance. They had grenades and a few ways to watch the road, but three vs a squad of SS? It wouldn't be in their favor.

The dull roar of an engine caught the trio’s attention. A truck? BTR? Something else? The sound was behind them, perhaps a block or two over, and hopefully an ally. Then their radio crackled alive:

“Recon Squad, this is PUF Colonial, come in.”

A digital translation on the secure channel, but at least friendly. Corporal Morozov didn't know what the unit meant by colonial, perhaps it was a translation error, but he didn't care. The signal claimed to be PUF, which was a God send. He waited for the second request before responding, perhaps unsure of what to say.

“We're here, we are behind the diner on 18th street. Are you bringing back up?”

“Back up is coming. One block away. Hold position.”

The three waited, not knowing what to expect. One man double checked the Ordernite side of the diner just in case. A few shots ran out, the Ordernites had moved. No doubt setting up the gun once more from a safer location. Looking back to the source of the engine noise, Morozov saw a soldier dressed in a cloak and camouflage behind a dumpster across the street. The lighter grey, brown and white patterns marked him a PUF soldier, unlike the solid white (or grey) uniforms the Zvezdans wore. Behind the PUF soldier three more appeared, silent and careful. The Zvezdan Corporal clicked a device once, then twice. The Federal troops responded with clicks of their own. With all eyes on the road, two PUF troops ran across to meet up with Corporal Morozov’s survivors. No words were exchanged, only small electronic translator pad that read something similar to: “It will all be over soon”

The PUF soldiers then used the translation pad to learn what the Zvezdans had seen, it was a series of quick and direct questions before the olive skinned soldier began speaking into his mic. The rapid fire Spanish sounded alien to Morozov, but he recognized the tone of orders being issued. One PUF soldier climbed into the diner, disappearing among the debris, while the other stayed with by the Zvezdans. Despite their clear Federal appearance, there was something different about these troops. They carried different rifles from other Federal Troops, and their demeanour was more direct and serious, as of they lacked the normal Mokan cheer. Corporal Morozov wondered if these were Special Forces, until he heard what came next.

From the same alley the four came from, a huge metal man walked out into the open street. At two plus meters tall, the robot moved quicker than it should have been able to, closing the distance towards Morozov in only a few short seconds. Morozov and his two comrades in arms looked on in horror, ignoring the expressionless face the Mokan beside him. It stopped, giving the Zvezdan a closer look at it. It almost looked like a medieval suit of armor, each limb was covered in metal plates, including one plate protecting below the waist like a knight. Unlike the armor of old however, everything was covered in a light grey mesh and the faint sound of engines and pistons could be heard. On the left arm, the metal beast carried a thick shield half as tall as itself, on its right arm was a gun of some kind. Neither arm has a hand, perhaps at that size it didn't need them anymore. Something popped up from its shoulder and fired into the sky. Grenade launchers, three barrels on each shoulder, moving independently of their host. Two more shots popped off before the explosions from the other side of the diner erupted. Just like that, the machine came to life once more, sprinting around the diner while a second machine appeared out of the alley close behind it. The machine guns the robots carried roared like fire support from a BTR. The PUF soldiers also disappeared, leaving the translator with the single word: “Stay”. A few more explosions and lots of gunfire later before the radio spoke once more with the digital voice:

“This is PUF Colonial, target area secure.”

What the Zvezdans didn't know, was that this was the first field test of the PUF’s
Exoskeleton and Weapons System: The SEA-4 ‘StormTrooper’. Though a milestone in Federal combat, the number of units fielded during this battle would be less than a dozen. The Government wanted actual combat experience before issuing more units or continuing the project. Compared to other nation's Powered Armor, it was crude and clunky, and many doubted it's CBRN ability could survive combat. It may not have been pretty, but it was made for urban and underground combat, it didn't have to be. Mass production was still a pipe dream, but for now, the Federal Colonial Authority-Space would finally have a chance to see their creation come to life.

Landing of the Hammer Crusades
Area: Between the Allied Zones, Known as Landing Center

The hammer blow that would seal the fate of Tuktar came not from the East, but the West. The Allied Forces were powerful, and the Marshites were to be involved. There lay an open stretch of land between the borders to the west and the allied movements and the previous Marshite landings to the east. It looked like a potential weakness to both the western and east flanks. The Marshites knew this, and it was here that the largest deployed Marshite force would strike. The 50th, 51st, and 52nd Crusades, each containing sixty divisions, were hitting here. Their goal was to ensure the linking of allied forces and strike through the enemy, cutting them in two and allowing Tuktar to act as the bait to a larger movement into the heart of the enemy. Yes, Tuktar would be taken, but the real blow would be the one frpm the west that sliced through the nation like an incalculably cruel scythe.

The firepower directed here was superior to any that had been directed towards previous landing operations, aided by the information gathered by weeks of battle. Enemy forces of significance were reduced through large-scale air strikes and bombings, coordinated missile fire, and hundreds of thousands of shells fired in quick order by the NGFS vessels that accompanied the invasion fleet. The land lit up with fire and carnage even before the Marshites landed, divisions at a time, to seek out and destroy the enemy. They would move on, push inland, and continually do so, in extravagance and with great sound and fury, until they connected the Allied forces.

[Morrdh]

4 Platoon
B Coy, 57 RMR
Northern Kashubia

The Morridanes had a slight advantage due to the flash suppressors fitted to their SLRs and the lack of tracer rounds in their machine guns, this helped make it difficult to pinpoint the soldiers' exact locations. Admittedly that was probably the only real advantage they had for they too, like their Kashubian counterparts, were running low on ammo. 4 Platoon had set out expecting a routine patrol rather than a fire-fight, even though their rifles were semi-automatic and they aimed their shots as much as possible they had still effectively burned through their ammo stocks. 5 and 6 Platoons were now in position, relieving the pressure on their bloodied comrades and giving Lieutenant Dongel to radio a request for an ammo resupply via helicopter. After the request had been radioed through and acknowledge Dongel went to check on one of this sections when the Ordenite artillery fire came in, he was one of those killed in the initial barrage and thus Sergeant Harrison took command of what was left of 4 Platoon.

4 Platoon's radio operator had been severely wounded by shrapnel and was bleeding badly, Harrison had the man sent to the rear where he could get urgent medical attention. The Sergeant kept the radio, which had only suffered minor damage and was still functional, to maintain 4 Platoon's link to Company HQ and to speak to the helicopters when they brought the much needed extra ammo. Harrison also reported the enemy artillery fire that his position was now receiving and requested a counter-battery fire mission, though the only Morridane artillery available was the six L118 light guns already supporting 4 Platoon. An air strike would take time to organise and so Captain Stanley Morris, 57 RMR's attached forward artillery observer, relied co-ordinates best he could up the chain of command for an allied artillery battery to conduct the fire mission.

[United World Order]

Siege of Tuktar Day 1, Tuktar,
North Eastern Kashubia.
Defenses of Festung Tuktar

What has been called 'Festung Tuktar' or Fortress Tuktar is the city that lastly stands in the way of the invading Zvezdans and their allied compatriots coming from the north east of the country where fighting still continues to this day. With the coming winter and the previous storms that had already hit the continent in previous weeks had gave the invaders an advantage with maneuvering through the swamps that were slowly but surely freezing over. The city was an important one to the Ordenites and the defense of the country, despite heavy fighting the invaders had been able to strike at Tuktar with a probing assault in the east where the suburbs were, this marked the beginning of the key battle. However maybe not to the knowledge of the Mokans and their allies, the city was a fortress city that was defended well by it's Ordenite, Kashubian and Orderian defenders who were stationed there awaiting for this battle. The city's defenses were layered several times over from the outside to the inner districts in the heart of the city, The outer layers of the city's defense were primarily heavily mined with anti personnel and anti tank mines covering routes that were highly expected to be overtaken by any enemy assault force. The outer layers were also in prime position to be covered by the city's artillery compliment which was extensive with the artillery that was employed getting more and more as the layers led to the source. Most of the buildings in the suburbs that were primarily connected together were paved through within by Ordenite engineers who in anticipation for a Mokan assault had emptied the suburbs mostly and blew out walls to make passage ways through rows of buildings to bypass enemy assaults and commit to flanking manuevers. Buildings that were defended were defended heavily as machine guns and plenty of defenders laid hidden in buildings awaiting the advance of the enemy, anti tank weaponry was almost endlessly abundant among the defenders of Tuktar, knowing the reliability of enemy forces on heavy armor units and assaults. In parts of the suburbs that were being flooded with allied forces would face most streets blocked off and crawling with anti tank mines and other traps or obstacles made to slow down a potential Mokan and allied offensive into the city. Fighting in the suburbs would mostly be with the Kashubian Defense Force who had a size able amount of forces stationed within the city for defense along with plenty of Ordenites.

The suburb districts were mostly left garrisoned by the KDF who had been hit by the Mokan assault on the suburbs that the enemy was gaining some head way into the suburbs. Artillery fire was immediate once the areas being reported to be 'overrun' were called in to the Artillery units positioned deeper inside the city but still well in range of the suburb areas in question. Buildings and empty homes collapsed and or braced for the worse as heavy artillery fire bombarded the suburbs in which the Mokans and their allies pushed through. Minor support from the Luftwaffe was utilized as fighter bombers regularly made bombing runs on enemy positions and enemy troop concentrations. The Kashubians guerilla tactics would come into play in the urban jungles of Tuktar as they formed platoon sized 'storm troopers' as they were called by Ordenites who fought along side them or saw them in combat. These platoons would seek out the enemy and cut off enemy forces when they could or at least keep up harassment of the invading force to give time to other defenders to hit back or prepare for combat. Man made concrete pillboxes were also common in the suburbs as they could shield a small squad of defenders behind several inches of concrete and lay down machine gun fire on enemy troops moving from street to street or building to building. The Mokan attempt to draw away forces from the western flanks of the city had worked little as due to the last reinforcement wave of Ordenite forces, their were plenty of man power to send to the eastern half of the city to help with the defense. The Morridanes and Lamonians despite making head way through the west and near Tuktar, they faced a wall of Ordenite forces who had developed a new front line from where the Morridanes and Lamonians looked to advance by, however in the east the gains of the Mokans and their allies were more of a threat to the city as some of their lead units were already heading south towards the forests that geographically gave Tuktar it's favorable position in the war. However these lead formations would meet a wall of their own as along the edges of the wet lands that would soon turn into several miles deep of forest was another defensive line that was made up of the Ordenite Army.

Anti air coverage over Tuktar and the surrounding areas were well kept and plenty as SAMs and Ordenite FlakPanzers kept enemy air units out of Ordenite territory, leaving those that were curious or daring enough to be shot down in a hail of 40mm and even 70mm rounds. Within the city even, squads of MANPAD carrying soldiers taking positions on the roofs of high rises looking out for low flying helicopters belonging to the enemy or fly bys of enemy jets. Ordenite armor was not absent from the defense of Tuktar as Panther II and Tiger III tanks took pot shots at Zvezdan and Mokan armor that had penetrated into the suburbs districts. What streets had been left unmolested from mines were covered by Ordenite tanks and anti tank infantry watching for enemy armor movements. Well hidden among the urban landscape, multiple Puma 234 IFVs held down key city junctions and or helped providing suppressing fire on enemy ground movements. Ordenite reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance over the city was ever prevalent with Cyclone drones hovering above the battlefields and above Tuktar it's self, providing real time intelligence of most enemy movements in the Battle of Tuktar.

Ordenite Army front lines, 60KM south of Susol,
North Eastern Kashubia.
Withdrawal of Ordenite Army forces from the former 'DMZ Zone'.

It had been only over a week since the beginning of the full withdrawal of Ordenite Heer forces from the former Demarcation Line which for the most part had held despite the fierce first month of heavy fighting that revolved around it. The Oberkommando des Wehrmacht and the Oberkommando des Heer had come to a joint agreement and plan that the former Demarcation Line should be left behind and that the holding of it was no more of a strategic advantage to the Wehrmacht now with the gap made into the western flank and the now Battle of Tuktar. A general withdrawal was organized and being carried out for the past week as Ordenite formations pulled back south through the valley and towards the forests in the south. As more and more of the former Ordenite positions were left emptied and abandoned, the trenches and other battlements that had been used before were destroyed and or heavily mined and ridden with booby traps. Towns and villages that were passed through on the way south were emptied of civilians and torched, they would leave nothing for the soon to be advancing Zvezdans and Mokans. Bodies of the exiled civilians would be found here and there, many were executed on the spot during the burning of the villages and towns. Roads that were being used for the withdrawal would afterwards be mined and or blocked off entirely to delay advancing enemy forces from Zvezda. The forest to the south was also passed through by the withdrawing Ordenite Army forces as during the first day of the Siege of Tuktar, the forest was set on fire deliberatly by the withdrawing Ordenites. Miles upon miles of forestry were sent up in flames with more roads and or trails being mined after wards, the Ordenite Army once in the open plains just north of Gryazanya would run into the defensive positions of the Waffen SS formations that were still there. A new overall defensive line would be created in the open plains with Gryazanya to the south, it would then stretch east to the coast. The newly arriving Ordenite Army troops would be allowed two days rest in Gryaznaya while they re armed and refueled their machines of war as they were to be moved west to the south of Tuktar to develop another defensive line there in case the city fell or the Mokans tried to bypass the city and head south through the forests.

These two defensive lines would connect with other lines that had already been developed and made in the west just north of the bustling city of Yukar. However this general defensive line stretched even farther west then maybe the Mokans had noticed, more lines had been made that stretched all the way west to the border regions between Kashubia and Erid Lo and was referred to as the 'Iron Front' which was the Ordenite Wehrmacht's new response to the rapid gains made by the Mokans and their allies in Northern Kashubia. This was hoped to stop the enemy advance in it's tracks and give the Wehrmacht and the KDF breathing room to reassess the battlefield situation and develop a whole new strategy to the defense of the country and a future counter offensive. This 'Iron Front' would be tested quickly as a major thrust by Marshite forces smashed into the center of the line which took the majority of the initial Marshite blow despite it being a rather a messy aftermath. The Marshites initially did what a size of their force was present, it smashed right through a sector of the center line which was several kilometers wide, fierce fighting was conducted in this area. The Marshites had already broken a way through the center line as they poured thousands through it before the Ordenites would respond in kind with a fierce artillery barrage that involved hundreds of pieces of artillery in their respective units. This would be a rolling barrage, as the wide area effected by the barrage would ensure high casualties as shrapnel shredded flesh and bone. The Marshites savagery in battle would come with it's benefits as they were able to push a chunk of the center line back several kilometers before heavy Ordenite artillery fire halted their advance. Several counter attacks would respond to the Marshites initial expansion as formations of Ordenite Armor and mechanized forces faced Marshite forces head on resulting in minor battles occurring. The Ordenites would fight with a savage rage and state of survival as it clashed with Marshite forces in a serious engagement.

However the Marshites wouldn't be given such a easy give away without giving the Marshites a good blooding. Ordenite reinforcements would soon enough be known as large formations of the Ordenite Army presence in the area would respond to the Marshite offensive with precision and would be coldly calculated as the Ordenite response would be to drive a wedge in the middle of the flow of Marshites, it would hopefully help envelop large scores of Marshites and soon enough destroy them in kind. The Ordenite counter attacks would occur in frequent levels in the areas the Marshites were able to drive into, the Ordenites were looking to absorb the Marshite attack and hopefully wear it down and pick it a part, piece by piece. All the while the Battle of Tuktar carried on in the background with gains and losses being done back and forth, yet more savagery was bound to happen. Major Luftwaffe operations had already began as scores of Ordenite fighter bombers and actual bombers tore through the skies and conducted several air strikes which would continue for however long the Marshites would allow it. What Luftwaffe assets could make it to the developing battles would also partake in the fight in countering the Marshites who were many in numbers. The ground forces in kind would fight savagely in the hopes to drive the enemy back to where they came and restore the order that is the 'Iron Front'.

[Havensky]

SRS Heartknight Consular
Skyan Humanitarian Armada
En route Greater Deinstad waters

Several dozen bright white ships cut through the skies and seas of Greater Dienstand on it’s way to what was reported to be a very dangerous area. The bright white ships stood out in bright contrast to the dark blue seas with bright white paint scheme was only broken up by a sky blue racing stripe holding the golden winged lion of the Skybound Republic. Even in the windy weather, Skyan banners flew from every mast as the fleet moved closer into Dienstadi territory. The sight would be instantly recognizable as the Skyan Humanitarian Armada.

The majority of sea ships and airships were simple cargo ships carrying loads of food, clean water, medical supplies, and fuel. The armada was escorted on all sides by a six escort frigates. On the water, the ships were surrounding the two hospital ships SRS Hope and SRS Mercy. Flying just above the hospital ships were the medical airships SRA Redemption and SRA Star of Life. Along each side of the hospital ships were pocket carriers with squadrons of bright white helijets. Out in front, were three modified Assault Carriers the SRS White Knight, SRS Valienté, and the SRS Protector. These carriers and the Legion units they held weren't designated so much for assault operations as they were in force protection of humanitarian operations. Each Legionary company carried four additional medics and had a much different loadout than the standard unit. In the center of it all was the largest ship in the Skyan Humanitarian Armada - the SRS Heartknight Consular. The ship was a modified Type-100 Sea Dweller superdreadnaught painted the same bright white color scheme as all the other ships.

The Sea Dweller’s massive array of missile batteries had been removed and replaced with a medical decks. The nine large 58.62 caliber cannons and their magazines had been removed and replaced with workshops holding a suite of 3D printers capable of churning out everything from sea walls to parts for prosthetics. Topside, the flight deck had been extended in order to enable landing of additional helijets. The directed energy weapons had been swapped out for state rooms for medical staff and guests. The generators remained the same size and were reconfigured to allow the Heartknight Consular to act as a power plant for cities with limited power capacity. The torpedo bays had been removed and replaced with additional galleys and storerooms.

What remained from the Sea Dweller’s original design was the massive over-the-horizon radar and sensor suite able to detect threats to the Humanitarian Armada. The CWIS autocannons and other defensive measures also remained and were constantly manned by Skyan Armada Crew. She might have been declawed, but she was still a hard target to kill. The Skyans were not so naive to totally depend on the Drake Doctrine to ensure it’s safety. Years ago, a medical frigate had been attacked by the Kraven Reich during a humanitarian mission. Most nations would have simply denounced the attack and moved on rather than to pick a fight.

The Skyans went and declared total war. Since then, it had been understood to anyone who did the briefest bit of research that attacking a Skyan humanitarian flagged vessel meant suffering their wrath.

That left the Heartknight Consular to become a powerful diplomatic and humanitarian tool; and one of the Skybound Republic’s ultimate symbols of soft power. Her mission was to enable to Skybound Republic to enter any crisis anywhere in the world and provide instant humanitarian relief and diplomatic services. The vessel was named after an order of the Skyan Heartknights dedicated to diplomacy - the Consulars. It was no accident that the commander of the Humanitarian Armada was also the head of the Consular order.

Knight-Admiral Mohammad Moonwing was a tall lean grandfatherly figure and one of the oldest serving officers in the Skyan Expeditionary Armada. He was bald and his mustache was grey. He had started his career as a chaplain in the service, but his calm soft spoken demeanor and dedication to humanitarian causes enabled him to rise through the ranks. He eschewed from wearing the traditional power armor of the Heartknights and opted for a the more traditional naval uniform for officers of the Humanitarian Armada - a white uniform with a gold sash. He still wore his chaplin’s pins - a small gold moon and star for his faith - and wore very few ribbons as he was a modest man.

The enlisted crew that hurried to and fro getting the Armada ready for operations wore more practical sky blue utility uniforms. The two Legionary guards still wore power armor - painted the same bright white as the fleet. The armor even featured the racing stripe on their cloaks and shields.

The Skyans had arrived in Deinstadi waters at the request of the Golden Throne. The war had precipitated an unimaginable humanitarian crisis and as a neutral party with experience in this area Havensky was well positioned to render aid. The Skyans had studied the situation and decided that it needed to evacuate as many people as possible from the war zone. They would first call for a ceasefire and shuttle people to back to the Armada using helijets. Failing that, they would go in by force - securing an area with Legionary forces - evacuating people - and moving back to the Armada. The former would be frantic, but simple. The latter would take longer and would be infinitely more difficult. However, humanitarian extraction was a Skyan speciality. Few nations were as practiced at it than the Skybound Republic and the High Council felt they had a duty to answer when called.

Moonwing stood on the deck of the brigade looking out onto the water. He nodded to his commo officer to begin his transmission.

”Attention all belligerents… This is Knight-Admiral Muhammad Moonwing of the Skybound Republic of Havensky; Commander of the Humanitarian Armada. We have come at the request of The Golden Throne of Macabees to render humanitarian aid to civilians caught in the war zone. We hereby request a 72 hour ceasefire to evacuate the wounded and refugees. In addition, we also invite the belligerents to come aboard this vessel - The Heartknight Consular - for peace talks and offer our services to find a diplomatic solution to this conflict. Please acknowledge our presence and respond to our invitation.”

[Morrdh]

Siege of Tuktar Day 1, Tuktar,
North Eastern Kashubia.
Tuktar Western Flank

As the joint Lamonian-Morridane force push pass the western side of the city, some of the Morridane units stopped and dug-in when they'd reached certain objectives. Self-propelled artillery and MLRS batteries moved up and into position after the troops had secured their positions, towed artillery and SAM batteries soon followed as the Morridanes set about forming a defensive line to the west of the city. This was to help prevent an Ordenite breakout to the west, though the Morridanes were prepared to launch their own assault on the city and did their best to keep up a round the clock artillery and air bombardment of Tuktar. The air attacks mostly involved Hawker Hunter fighter-bombers flying in at low-level to try and negate enemy anti-air defences, though Blackburn Buccaneers also took part armed with anti-radar missiles and bombs in an attempt to knock out the city's air defences. There was also raids by the RMAF's Avro Vulcans flying from Stevidian South Greal and armed with stand-off missiles, their targets were scattered throughout Southern Kashubia. Though the RMAF's ground attack aircraft used low-level, terrain-hugging flying to offset the anti-air defences of the enemy the city was grimly becoming known amongst Morridane aircrews as the 'Airman's Graveyard'.

The encirclement of Tuktar was critical to the city's capture, teams from the Morridane SAS were despatched to the countryside surrounding the city after the allied plans had been finalised. Partially to provide intel and partially to act as pathfinders for friendly units, the SAS teams had secondary roles in neutralising threats when they arose. With enemy forces presumed to be on high alert the SAS teams had to move carefully, stealth was the overriding factor as they had to remain hidden for as long as possible. When opportunities arose they targeted the Ordenite drones and did their best to sabotage enemy communications, even on occasion directed allied air strikes onto key targets. There was also the so-called 'Ghost Teams', SAS teams made up of Genchi trackers who were masters of stealth and effectively moved as ghosts. The Genchi teams' job was to simply stalk the forests south of Tuktar and take out small enemy patrols, usually with a knife to the throat or kidney rather than a barrage of rifle fire in an ambush. First thing that an Ordenite patrol noticed about a Genchi attack was that the patrol members started disappearing one-by-one. Typically the bodies would be found a day or so later strung up from a tree, if they were found at all...

[The Macabees]

Macabean Naval Base, South of Pezlevko, 0630 Hours
A week and a half following the Pezlevko massacre.

Vicstrategos Katulo Vij'ev could still feel the foul taste of betrayal in his mouth. With one order he could have saved most of the Orange-Stoner column that had been massacred at the base's gates. Instead, he had let the fascists butcher them. It was a decision that Tarn was unlikely to forgive anytime soon, and perhaps one that would one day come back to the Golden Throne's disfavor. A decision now in the past, but a sour one nevertheless.

It had shaken the men up, that event. The guards posted along the walls had seen the massacre with their own eyes. They wore gas masks to protect themselves from the stench of the dead, even as high above as they were. The ground beyond the walls, toward the north, was littered for days with the tens of thousands of bodies that belonged to the Orange-Stoner contractors and the prisoners they had so valiantly attempted to free. Finally, the last Wehrmacht truck had taken the final bodies to wherever the Ordenites were burying them. Most likely in some unmarked grave where they would decompose into obscurity, their families and countries never to see them again. While angry at the Ordenites of course, the soldiers had also lost confidence in their country and in their emperor. Most clearly believed that the friendly column ought to have been protected.

To add to the confusion, it was now well known that at least three divisions of Macabean expatriates were fighting for the Wehrmacht. A crisis of identity had developed. A decade ago the Reich would have been a natural ally, but today it was an enemy. And while the Golden Throne was at war with them, some Macabeans nevertheless fought for that enemy. The Pezlevko Massacre was something else entirely since the war had not yet begun, but the Golden Throne was not timid and so the decision to lock the gates must have been a calculated one. That did not sit well with some of the men. Many of the dead had probably been Macabean veterans, after all.

Holed up in that base, the infantry were eager for battle. While their comrades toiled in Holy Panooly, these soldiers had sat snuggly behind tall walls. They were growing restless and there was a legitimate concern of mutiny amongst the troops. Indeed, Vij'ev had been one of the first to see it in the growing lack of discipline. The men needed something to take their minds off their discontent.

Vij'ev turned to a man he had trusted for over a decade now, Koronel Artur Nolag. They had met long ago, but their friendship would only truly develop on the fields of Mons Dei during that fateful summer of 2016. Then a fresh kapitán, Vij'ev commanded an Arca company at the Battle of the River Nestor. Nolag, not an officer at all then, but instead a lowly soldat operating as a loader in Vij'ev's Kuggar (Cougar) — the Ejermacht's main battle tank at the time — made an impressive name for himself with his sharp mind and quick reflexes. In a chaotic battle, Vij'ev and his unit were able to repulse an attempted fording of the river by almost half a battalion of Weigari armor. They formed a powerful friendship since then and in the post-war Vij'ev did not hesitate to recommend the commissioning of Nolag (by then a veteran sargént) into the Ejermacht's officer corp. It was only natural for the Vicstrategos to ask for Nolag as his personal aide for the Kashubia peacekeeping mission and, then, during their withdrawal to the Pezlevko Kriermada base.

"Have you heard back from the vicadmiránt?" asked Vij'ev.

Nolag shook his head. "Not since 0430, no." Kríergrup Kashubia was a grup in name only, for it was composed of a single kríerflot. About 400-ships strong, its six carrier, six raiding, and four marine naval squadrons. These, along with 'Kashubia's' four submarine squadrons, deployed into open waters at the peak of the previous night. The size of the movement was unusual, but large groups of warships entered and exited the port on a regular basis to run patrols up to the southern coast of western Lyran territory.

The vicstrategos stood silent. "That is...unusual," he said, after a moment.

"Quite." Nolag was standing behind the vicstrategos, who looked out the large window of his office. They were on the second floor of the komanpalas, the extensive command complex that dominated much of the center of the base, just above the sprawling port facilities which extended into the sea like longer fingers. From where Vij'ev stood he could see the massive fleet arrayed off the coast. Some if it was beyond sight, most of the raiding squadrons fanning out in order to provide a layered defense for the aircraft carriers. The koronel moved up beside the other man. "Apart from fleet AWACS, they have not launched a single plane."

Vij'ev chewed on his bottom lip a bit before moving on, "How do ground operations proceed?"

At 0600 hours, four mechanized infantry divisions burst forth from the base to initiative the capturing of Pezlevko. They used the forests to their west to protect their left flank, while the four divisions — about 120,000 men total — fanned out to advance along four different vectors. The 97th attacked along the edge of the forest, some elements of it penetrating towards the mountains to block any attempts to outflank the advancing force. It planned to continue past Pezlevko and then turn east to block Pezlevko from Rubino. The 133rd advanced on Pezlevko directly, with the intention of seizing the city. The 278th and 713th moved eastwards,shielding the invasion's right flank. These were reinforced by eight armored brigades, which added another 16,000 infantrymen carried in armored fighting vehicles, along with 1,776 Linces and 448 Nakíl 1A3Ms. Six of these were concentrated ahead of the 97th and 133rd, with the intention of carving a path through Ordenite lines that the mechanized infantry behind them could exploit. The other two pushed towards the east.

---

[Map of Operations: 1. 97th Mechanized Division, 35th, 49th, and 77th Arca. Brigades; 2. 133rd Mechanized Division, with 113th, 217th, and 73rd Arca. Brigades; 3. 278th Mechanized Division and 214th Arca. Brigade; 4. 713th Mechanized Division and 42nd Arca. Brigade.]

---

In reserve, there were three armored brigades and another five mechanized infantry divisions, which amounted to another 180,000 soldiers. These were reinforced by 8,000 naval infantry, organized into two tercios and ordered to hold the base with support of the fleet. But, Vij'ev had no aircraft of his own. For those he relied on Kríergrup Indras.

"The advance goes well. Forces moving towards Pezlevko have reported contact with elements of defending KDF forces. Fighting in the east has not gone as smoothly, although we hold the initiative by virtue of the situation. There is a large formation of Wehrmacht Waffen-SS deployed in that area. Naturally, the resistance is much more...professional there," explained the koronel.

"A...large formation? What does that mean?" asked Vij'ev.

Nolag shrugged. "Intelligence has been unable to confirm. They are the same Waffen-SS who fell upon the...the Orange-Stoner column." He said that last part in a whisper. "They could be the strength of a division, maybe an army. We're not sure. The Wehrmacht has done a good job at deception. If we got one of those GLI-44s to fly over the battlezone, maybe we'd get a clearer picture. But the fleet has been nonresponsive of course. What the hell could Karalos be up to? We need fire support, we need air cover and a single word from them since 0430. I suspect foul play."

"Indeed," was all that Vij'ev said. He looked out the window, his gaze lost somewhere in the distance.

The two men stood there in silence for some time. One could see a large Blackjester, the GLI-44 that the koronel had referred to, sweep the coastal area just off the tip of the base. There were some jet fighters in the air, but these looked to be those belonging to the fleet's early warning and defense screen. None had come inland, not yet at least. It was strange indeed, because the commanders had agreed to the overall plan days ago and Kríergrup Kashubia had promised immediate and incessant close air support as soon as H-Hour. But 0600 hours had come and gone, and there had been not a single sortie flown yet. The ground offensive towards Pezlevko would most likely suffer only minimally against the KDF personnel, but the air support would be very sorely missed against the much better armed and trained Waffen-SS units — especially when momentum stalled, which it would as it always did.

Neither of them, both deep in thought, expected what came next.

One of the strategic projection vessels, still moored in port, was suddenly engulfed in a giant ball of fire that seemed to have come from within it. So intense was the light it produced that it forced both of them to look away and cover their eyes. The explosion's heat traveled through the base like a wave of desert air, arid and devoid of life. The hairs on the arms they had risen to shield themselves had been singed by the irrefutable heat of the blast. When they finally looked back up, their eyes squinting to blink out the remnants of that horrible flash, they saw a ship engulfed in flames. The Manaqüa had been torn in half down the middle, only a molten network of crisscrossed beams and panels connecting the two pieces still. The aft was slowly sinking into the harbor, the intolerable screech of metal ripping apart muted — barely, at that — only by the heavy gunfire emanating from some of the streets leading to the port facilities.

For just a mere second Vij'ev stood there dumbfounded. But his state of confusion did not last long and his customary instincts soon came to bear. He turned and without as much as looking at Nolag, he ordered, "Go, find out what you can about what just happened. I need to know everything. Who did this and why. I will see what is going on below" — referring to the firefight that had erupted and was intensifying — "and put an end to this nonsense."

Before the vicstrategos had left the room, Nolag yelled after him, "And the fleet?"

Just then, another explosion rocked the base. It had come with such force that it swept both men of their feet. When they stood, the window that they had just looked out from was no longer there and neither was the wall. Forward of that, an entire section of the komanpalas was suddenly missing and instead filled with smoke and rubble. There was not much time to gawk, though, with another, and then another, and then another explosion following. "Naval bombardment," said Vijév. He looked at the koronel and with wide eyes exclaimed, "Go!" With that, he left out the door.

Kriergruppe Kashubia, 0545 Hours
Mutiny!

The assassin crept through the shadowy halls of the Pajar'Tivos, one of the fleet's many proud battleships. He wore robes that hid his face, covered his hands, and hid his feet from the cameras that scanned the ship's pathways. Walking quickly, the man made his way to another hallway that ran perpendicular to the one he was in. When he got there, he stopped at the corner and pressed his back against the wall. Turning his head ever so slightly so that with his right eye he could peek down the hall behind him, the assassin quickly registered the two armed guards at the doors of the ship's command room.

With a short, sharp inhalation, the man rounded the corner to face the two guards. In a flash, two daggers came out from either sleeve of his robe. They pierced through skin like an arrow through cloth, entering each man through the neck with such force that the blade embedded itself fully until its point had come out the other end. The guards collapsed in a heap, their rifles clattering on the steel flooring.

Looking around him, the assassin guarded for unexpected guests in these parts of Pajar'Tivos. There were none, as what should have been. On the other side of the door, the ship's commander — Admiránt Sonogo Larag — was hosting a clandestine meeting of officers loyal to the Empire. Six other skuadrón commanders were with him. These were the five high-ranking men in the fleet who still recognized their oath of allegiance to His Imperial Majesty Fedor I. They conspired against their fellow grup commanders and for that there was no other choice but to execute them.

The man opened his robe to reveal the dark outline of a rifle. He stepped forward but then stopped suddenly, as if pondering something.

He let go of his robe and raised his hands to pull back his hood. The camera behind him would see nothing but the back of his head and there were no cameras where he was about to go. Besides, soon enough all of that wouldn't matter much anymore. He wanted his victims to know who he was. They deserved as much, at least. With honor, Kríerlord Mikael Varis threw the doors open and committed high treason.

Varis' love affair with Kashubia ran deep. He had been one of the original kríerlords dispatched to Kashubia to negotiate and oversee the disbursement of Imperial funds to the Kendrov regime. Varis was not a moral man, nor he pretended to be one. It was he, after all, who had planned the execution of Ferdinán Lepón, a fellow kríerlord and head of the delegation to Kashubia. But Varis did not have the luxury of morality. The world had never been fair to him — his father was not of Díenstadi blood, and therefore only a minor lord he and never destined for greatness. And so it was natural for him to embrace corruption early on and he had in fact steeped himself in it. During his time in Kashubia he had become well acquainted with the local Ordenite and Kashubian command structure and it was not long after his arrival that he turned into a double-agent.

A Hali-53 flew into his hands. Before him, Sonogo Larag and his co-conspirators huddled around a small table, talking between themselves in hushed tones. Even isolated and seemingly protected as they were within this great ship, they still felt the need to whisper. That was why they had to die; they had foreseen this day too far ahead and too well.

"Mikael!" exlaimed Larag.

There was no more room for discussion. The kríerlord pulled the trigger and his rifle spat out a bullet that punctured Larag in the chest, knocking the admiránt off his chair and onto the floor. Mikael changed targets. He squeezed the trigger again, the tip of his index finger pulling back lightly on it, inhaling as he fired. Boom, boom, boom. And then a final round and the last officer went down. He looked behind him. No on there. He turned back to the scene in front of him and it was then that he truly recognized it for what it was. Two of the men had died, but the other three squirmed and writhed in their own pools of blood. One of them was Larag, who Varis would leave for last. He dealt with the other to first. Walking up to the one nearest him, he placed a round in the man's chest and another in the man's head, for good measure. Afterwards he did the same for the other officer. And finally there was but one left.

The admiránt crawled his way towards the open door like a plague-ridden man in his death throes. He was under the illusion of hope still, poor man. A trail of blood chained him to his fate. Mikael approached him slowly, taunting him by throwing his rifle onto the floor. "Larag, you fool," hissed the krierlord.

Stammering and snarling, with his teeth stained crimson, the admiránt struggled to speak. "Traitor," was all he said.

Mikael revealed another blade and he plunged it through the admiránt's right eye, killing the man instantly. He left it there as a token, stood and lifted his hood back over his head. The kríerlord took one last look at his accomplishment. The resistance was dead and Kríergrup Kashubia was finally free. The assassin left the way he had come in and soon darted around a corner.

Moving fast, he turned again and then again. The farther he traveled the more activity filled the halls of the ship. Some of the sailors looked at him, wondering who that cloaked figure was. But they were all busy doing their own things and he continued unperturbed. Finally, after climbing two staircases and turning down a narrower passageway, he arrived at a place empty of life. Mikael shed himself of the cloak. He also removed all his remaining weapons, except for a revolver which was fastened into a leather holster. He was Mikael Varis again, kríerlord to His Imperial Majesty Fedor I with a status that, in places like these, was practically as high as that of the emperor himself. Closing his eyes, he started to breathe in and out slowly, almost as if in meditation. After a few seconds, he collected himself again and headed back towards the main arteries of the Pajar'Tivos.

The siren had begun to wail by then, but it was of no concern to the kríerlord. He walked calmly, the panicked throng of sailors running about seemingly ignorant to his presence. A glimpse of the rank on his uniform was enough to persuade anyone bold enough to spare a glance enough of a reason to leave him alone anyways.

Mikael continued up and down, turning here and there, until he found himself in front of a door that led onto a small helicopter pad suspended over the ship's deck. Opening the door, he saw a helicopter perched there with its rotors already turning. The pilot looked at him and nodded. There was a guard by the outside of the door who tried to block his way, but the kríerlord already had his handgun out and had already put a bullet into the man's stomach. He shot another round, the revolver's hammer snapping back and forward. He did not wait for the guard to fall dead, walking around him and leaving the soldier to bleed to death.

Without further ado, he boarded the helicopter and tapped the pilot on the shoulder. The chopper rose into the air and then turned to head towards the Targul Frumos, the large Feathermore super dreadnought and otherwise known as the fleet's flagship.

Once well over the waves, Mikael checked the watch on his wrist. It was stained with now crusted blood. He tisked and wiped it clean to get a look at the time. The hour hand pointed at the six and the minute hand at the fifteenth minute. Funny, he hadn't been conscious about the passage of time. It had all been a blur to him. Lifting his head he surveyed the expanse of the fleet underneath him. One could see the cruisers almost a hundred kilometers away, soon more, forming their forward patrol routes. It was beautiful and now it was all his.

The ride to the Targul Frumos was a short one. Upon arrival there was an armed guard awaiting him and these escorted him to an auxiliary network of passageway used by the ship's officer cadre for quick access to different compartments of the ship. Some of the sailors they passed by turned to nod, some even to salute the kríerlord as he walked by. The ship's size made the walk a lengthy one and by the time Mikael had made it to the super dreadnought's command room it was already 0645. He thought he heard the sound of naval fire. Ah, good, it had begun. The mutiny had been successful.

Two more guards waited for them at the doors to the room and these opened them without hesitation as Mikael neared. "Kríerlord," they said reverently, nodding their heads in respect.

"Ah! There you are, friend. I imagine things went well." Vicadmiránt Viktor Karalos stood there with arms wide open, seemingly expecting a hug. Mikael did not dignify that gesture with even an acknowledgment. Karalos seemed not to notice and went on. "Fleet leadership is firmly with us. The ships that resist shall be boarded and eventually brought to arrest."

"Sink them," was all that Mikael said.

"I'm sorry, kríerlord?" Karalos looked back at him, eyes blank with misunderstanding and innocence.

"Sink them."

"I cannot sir, those are my men. They deserve a chance to stand down and reconsider their choices. At the very least they are our prisoners of war. There are rules, you know!" The man seemed to get more and more exasperated as he went on, noticing that his words seemed not to move the kríerlord. "Lord, please, we can seize control of the other ships without sinking them. There is no need to damage assets that could very well help us in the coming battle."

Mikael stared at him blankly. "I will not repeat myself again. Sink them, now." He turned to leave the room and go back to his quarters.

The fool would do what he was told if he knew what was best for him. His greed would overtake him anyways. A fool he was, to think that Mikael would surrender the opportunity for governorship to a man as repugnant as Vicadmiránt Karalos. He would serve his purpose and then he would be disposed of, like the rest of them. Mikael smiled.

Macabean Naval Base, 0700 Hours
The situation clarifies...

Vij'ev leaned against the wall panting. It had been a long time since he had done any fighting like this. The base was in chaos, the komanpalas partly in ruins, and the fleet was disintegrating before his very eyes. He paused there, against the wall, a squad of infantrymen forming up around him as an ad hoc security service. From where he could stood he could see down into sea easily and the flames of sinking warships danced and glinted in his eyes. Kríergrup Kashubia had turned against itself and a full-on naval battle was now raging across the southern Kashubian waters. One side was destined to win from the very start, and it was the same side that had opened fire against the base. Now their guns seemed trained against a small component of the fleet which was failing to organize itself and was being dealt with piecemeal. Today would be a great shame for the Macabean people.

The fighting within the base had been less dire. As it turned out, elements of the naval infantry's officer cadre had joined in on the mutiny of the fleet and had tried to lead some of their men to seize key buildings in the base. The vicstrategos' presence had helped to restore order and most of the mutineers on-base had surrendered as soon as it was obvious that they were outnumbered and outgunned. Fortunately, the naval bombardment had let up a little too, given that the fleet was seemingly more preoccupied with itself than with anything else. And so Vij'ev could afford a brief period of respite from the fighting.

A great fire spread atop the waves of the sea now. In the distance, the Pajar'Tivos was sinking. Struck by countless shells and anti-shipping missiles, the great battleship had broken up into segments, each of which was slowly sinking towards the bottom of the ocean. With it would go the thousands of men that crewed it. The Pajar'Tivos' skuadrón was dispersing against the pressure, but as it moved it was hunted and a great steel cemetery was inaugurated.

Some communication with elements of 'Kashubia' had been restored as well. The Targul Frumos was still silent, but it soon began to look as if Vicadmiránt Karalos had chosen the dishonorable path of treason. A shame, for he was a good commander. All in all, five skuadrón's had defected from the mutineers, but they were without leadership. Vij'ev did not know very well what had happened, but there were reports of murder. The traitors had planned this well, the bastards. Luckily, two of these squadrons boasted of carrier forces and these had the foresight to transfer as many of their aircraft as possible to the small airstrip located in the northeastern section of the base. It was not a full-blown cüev — the project to construct a subterranean hangar system at the Pezlevko base had not yet come to fruitition — and so the position was a precarious one, but at least Vij'ev and the ground forces had not been left without any air coverage at all.

The traitors of course responded to this, launching their own aircraft into the air. Some of these turned and flew to the base as well, unwilling to kill their brothers and sisters. Others did not have such a strong sense of loyalty and an aerial battle ensued. Falcon fighter jets whirled about in high-G manoeuvres, attempting to one-up each other in an effort not to be the done struck dead by another's missile. Vij'ev's impromptu bodyguard unit looked up in awe, themselves unsure of what was going on or why. One followed the smoking trail of a GLI-76 plunging into the depths of cold water, the scene reflecting off his light blue pupil. Another soldier bent down to throw up.

Vij'ev felt queasy as well and, before he too succumbed to fear, he turned to one of his guards. "Find me Koronel Nolag. Tell him to meet me at the komanbunk at 0730."

"Yes, Vicstrategos!" The man turned and ran in a direction heading towards the port, where Nolag had gone to investigate the destruction of the Manaqüa. The port was more in shambles than it had been even forty-five minutes previous, with several other ships being scuttled in quick procession. This apparently had been planned and it was carried out effectively. Vij'ev was being left with as few naval assets as possible, and one must remember that with those projection systems so sunk their full complement of aircraft. It was a fiasco and a sleight that the vicadmiránt would never forgive. Karalos would pay for this slaughter and so would whoever else was behind this traitorous plan — and that there was someone else involved was beyond question, for Karalos did not have the evil in his heart to make his decision on his own. They would all be captured and executed by the end of this, that Vij'ev swore.

Firefights erupted here and there, but they were minor affairs and the loyalty of the remaining troops on the base had been established. Even the naval infantry had made their loyalty clear by joining in on the fighting against their comrades. With the base firmly in his hands, Vij'ev turned and marched back towards the rubble-strewn komanpalas.

Massive naval gunfire still rippled out from the base, now that the land batteries had been secured and trained against enemy elements of 'Kashubia.' Two, in particular, were exchanging fire with the Targul Frumos, which was withdrawing southward to get out of range. Indeed, the entire fleet was drifting south and west, most likely to link up with Kriegsmarine assets off the western coast of the country. Most of its escort strength had already been deployed towards the sea in anticipation of attacks coming from Indras or from enemy fleets arrayed in the bay north of the island. That at least was a positive development, although the Kríergrup would undoubtedly return to help defeat the ground offensive towards Pezlevko. Vij'ev pushed those concerns to the back of his mind. He would be ready for them when the time came and Karalos would face a more organized resistance upon his return.

There were more immediate concerns. A command structure had to be prepared for whatever air arm the ground forces now had. Furthermore, their inventory would have to be counted, as without ordnance those fighters would be useless. Furthermore, ground operations were in full swing and they had to be attended to. And there were allies that Vij'ev would have to reach out to. The Mokans would have to be warned and given as complete a picture of the situation as possible. The Empire would have to be told too. Hands bundled into tight fists, Vij'ev quickened his pace and soon headed down a dark staircase to a series of underground tunnels that would take him to the war room, the komanbunk.

---

[Periodically edited for typos.]

[Stevid]

Siege of Tuktar
Op ACACONDA / Op SERPENS
Day 6 [18 Nov]

Since the beginning of hostilities, Imperial ground troops had been mobilised, moved, stood down, moved again; a repeating trend that had been grinding down morale. The fluid situation meant that Stevidian forces, whilst numerous, could not focus on any one theatre of war. The threat from the Ordenites to Liberated America was substantial enough to warrant Home Isles mobilisation, the ground conflict in Holy Panooly was too close to ignore, and the huge amount of coalition forces involved in Kashubia would complicate communications and planning.

Nonetheless, the Imperial efforts had been in the sky and at sea. The South Greali Western Air District had over six thousand aircraft supported by two and a half thousand from the Greal border. Long-range infiltrator bombers from Adaptus Astrates redeployed to available airfields in allied controlled territory. From these locations and those abroad, the Stevidian Royal Air Force provided the bulk of close air support and infrastructure missions. With Tuktar almost surrounded and the siege commencing in earnest, the air force began to provide heavy support to soften what would be well-entrenched enemy positions.

General-purpose strategic bombers and infiltrators were would sortie out every day and night on rotation to provide high intensity bombing from high altitude. ELINT aircraft were monitoring communications and ground radar for priority targets for follow up missions supported missions. Scorpion aircraft loaded with anti-radiation missiles seeking out portable radar equipment and active AA platforms also carried out more precision strikes against enemy defensive installations. For the most part however, the missions were heavy bombing runs. Targeting buildings and identified areas of defensive resistance. Debates rage in Parliament of the necessity and even legality, the words ‘terror bombing’ were often used. Despite this, the raids continued day and night. Within the next few weeks for this ‘blitz’ Tuktar, particularly the suburbs, would be in ruins.

Although the civilian transport infrastructure had been targeted early on, greater effort was now being made. Rail routes snaking out of southern Tuktar were hammered into oblivion with further strikes deeper into enemy territory against railheads and major junctions. The increased effort on this and certain main roads was not unnoticed by the Ordenites and RAF losses steadily mounted – but attacks continued.

However there was a new main effort mounting, one that would finally see Stevidian and Astratii ground forces deployed. Lamonian and Morridane units had hooked north around Tuktar and penetrated the western suburbs with probing pushes to the south, effectively encircling the city with only slivers of supplies lines left in and out of the city. Being a fortified city it was likely to withstand a siege for a lengthy period without killer aerial blows to command units and defensive positions, but also a solid allied defensive line to prevent a breakout or a counter-attack to relieve the city. Morrdh and Lamoni had sorted out the encirclement and it was the Marshites that would deliver the hammer blow in the west with a secondary amphibious assault on the northern coast, west of Tuktar and the mountains – an assault the Holy Empire of Stevid was now jumping in on.

XVIII Corps (Rapid Reaction Corps - RRC) had been redeployed to western Stevidian South Greal early in the war anticipating a counter invasion against the territory from the Ordenites. With the final mobilization of army assets there and plethora of naval fleets from Stevid and coalition forces, this now looked unlikely. The RRC was deployed to help spearhead the amphibious landings together with Holy Marsh.



Hammer Crusade Landings
Op ACACONDA / Op SERPENS

XVII RRC was loaded within the Royal Navy Task Group IX numbering 890 ships. The majority were fleet and landing support vessels with a heavy focus on LHP and LPD carriers, AA and ASW escorts. Accompanying them were elements the Imperial Astratii 4th Fleet numbering around 380 vessels. These were the heavy hitters with dozens light carriers and Emperor Class battleships, three Inquisition Class dreadnoughts, around 80 light and heavy cruisers and then escorts and support vessels.

The initial landings would involve some of the heaviest bombardment air and sea bombardments the war, perhaps the region, had ever seen in prior to an amphibious assault. The Marshite navy was huge and the landings would in fact take days for them to complete – a total of three Crusades of sixty divisions each. The numbers were difficult to comprehend, the organisation of such a deployment more so. But whilst enemy resistance was likely to be light, a show of force was necessary against what could be very well prepared defences.

There was a period lasting several hours of near constant bombardment against the coast and known enemy positions. The Holy Empire provided much of the air control providing almost twenty AWACS aircraft to sort out the chaos. The Royal Navy and Astratii Navy also had four Defiler Class command cruisers that liaised constantly and closely to Marshite counterparts. There were waves and waves of aircraft numbering in their thousands sortieing over the coastline and probing deep into the wetlands south, parallel to Tuktar. Imperial shipping, the Inquisition Dreadnoughts and their escorts more specifically, closed close to the coastline with the assault carriers and became heavy static gun and missile platforms. The 23-inch shells pummelled sections of the coastline with direct fire; land attack missiles screeched many more miles further inland striking against enemy counter batteries.

Behind the withering bombardment was XVII Corps – all 241,000 of them landing across almost 70km of coastline.

2 and 5 Air Assault division deployed en mass ahead of the amphibious forces striking deep to the south to seize key bridges and villages that led towards the forestry belt south of Tuktar. These units would hold defensive positions and key ground awaiting relief from the eventual Marshite Crusades that would wash ashore in the coming days.

The main forward element of XVIII drew close to the shoreline. Thick white smoke drifted over calm waters as a large flotilla of hovercraft approached the beach; there were dozens of smaller ones screening clearly larger vessel carrying equipment and armour and all were loaded with Royal Marines. As they approached there was a series of explosions; the craft fired their own smoke countermeasures and made landfall and the mounted grenade machines guns began supressing possible fire positions. A few minutes later the larger craft landed and deployed their cargo of FV-801 Vipers and IFV-120 Intruders.

This amphibious force had conducted a huge exercise not long ago back in Stevid that had even made regional news; as such the drills of those involved now were slick and precise. The equipment landers, once they had off loaded, swung into the trickle back channels towards their mother ships thus clearing the beachhead and allowing further landings. Within a few hours over a quarter of the force had made it ashore with engineering equipment deployed to make the beach more accessible to newly arriving troops and equipment.

---

[Inital plan of Op SERPENS (As part of coalition operation Op ANACONDA)]

[United World Order]

Pezlevko, Southern districts, Battlements of the 58th 'Saint Peter's' Division.
The 58th 'Saint Peter's' Division brace for the impending assault by the Macabeean 133rd Division and Arca Brigades.

It hadn't been long before the KDF garrison within Pezlevko were tipped off by Ordenite reconnaissance that the Macabeeans were launching a sudden assault to take Pezlevko and perhaps attempt to open a southern front closer to the Oil fields for the Mokans and their allies. It wasn't long before the defenses of the city to the south would come to life in the form of barricades and firing positions that would overlook the Macabeean advance towards Pezlevko. Artillery positions further in the city which included Grad MLRS batteries and heavy howitzers opened fire once the Macabeeans had come within their range as their guns and batteries roared and sent death to the enemy. Anti personnel and anti tank mines were also present on many of the approaches that the Macabeean 133rd and Arca brigades were coming from as a further delaying tactic in the hopes to stall the Macabeeans further while the other KDF divisions within Pezlevko were prepared for the city's defense and call for reinforcements. As the Macabeean mechanized infantry and armor approached the city further, anti tank weapons and KDF tanks which were a mix of captured Unionist Red Army and Macabeean export Nakils that were given to the KDF before the conflict would be put into use against the advancing Macabeeans. Overall the KDF garrison was outnumbered and most likely as the battle continued, out matched by the Macabeean regulares that advanced against them. They could hold and delay the Macabeeans but not for long without requiring reinforcements preferrably by the Waffen SS who were in the area, although it seemed that the Macabeeans had predicted this and had blocking forces to delay the Waffen SS who were ready to move towards Pezlevko for their defense.

However what the Macabeeans had yet to realize was just how large the Waffen SS presence was in the area. To the east nearing the Oil Fields, the 7th Waffen SS regiment who had a week ago committed the Pezlevko massacre had begun clashing with the Macabeean blocking force. The 3rd Macabeean SS Division who had been stationed in Chernaya would also become involved in the fighting that was going on near Pezlevko and would begin advancing south which would have it on a collision course with another Macabeean blocking force. Heavy fighting would as the day went on increase significantly and would certainly spark red flags for the Wehrmacht high command and other Ordenite forces in the area who were already on high alert due to the developing battle in and around Tuktar.

[Mokastana]

Mountains East of Yuktar,
COIN OPS(Counter Insurgency Operations)

The helicopter flew low over the snowy banks of the target zone. It blades kicking up the freshly laid powder below as it came to a halt, hovering barely a meter above what might or might not be solid ground. The first soldier checjed his goggles and jumped down, crashing into the packed snow. A rope kept him attached to the helicopter just in case the ground gave way underneath him, but this time, he was safe. Detaching from the rope he raised his rifle and trudged away from the wind and snow swirling around the LZ. More soldiers and supplies and even sleds were dropped from the helicopter before it finally lifted up and returned to the base camp further down the mountain.

Mountains and valleys here made radar virtually useless at detecting low flying aircraft, but so far evidence and reports claimed the Ordernites were not using many aircraft, if any at all, in the Mountains.That meant operations fell back to infantry grunt work and mountain specialist. Counter insurgency operations would begin as teams such as this one began moving from village to village, asking questions and leaving presents in the forms of food, cooking supplies and modern entertainment. Those that cooperated might be rewarded with anything from candy to gold, depending on their ages and preferences. After all, an adult knows to lie, but a talkative kid would be happy to share a story of the strange men who came by last week for a taste of chocolate.

Engagements would occasionally happen between Ordernite and Allied teams, if both stumbled upon one another, but this front was a front for information, not holding ground. Fascists guerrillas would be using the mountains to attack allied supply lines, and the Mokans and their allies would use their own experiences at guerrilla warfare to hunt them down. Ideally ambushes against convoys and patrols were the best kind of combat, but to do so required information about where they would be and when. Villagers, farmers, and goat herders were not targets worth dropping bombs on, but they saw the trucks and aircraft go by. For the right price, they were willing to tell others about them to.


Suburbs of Tuktar(East)
Siege of Tuktar
Anaconda Plan Day +24

Urban combat was a special kind of hell. Armor traveled along predictable paths, allowing for easier ambushes, buildings made excellent fortresses and sniper nests, and even in their collapse made excellent walls and barricades. Neither the Ordernites, nor their Mokan-Marshite enemies, were shy about excessive force. Entire districts were leveled by artillery or bombings before assaults were made. The Mokan artillery in particular fired incendiary shells mixed in with their high explosive attacks, raining sticky fire and explosions down to earth. When combined with the screams of the dying and a fog of burning embers and debris, it turned the target zone into an artistic recreation of hell that even their Marshites allies could admire.

Although the bombings and artillery were effective at their jobs, once again the war fell to the infantry. Vehicles had trouble in the city streets, and ambushes were common, so the Mokans smashed their way into the sides of buildings and made their own rat tunnels. It was here to that the Mokan love of fire was introduced once more. Dragons Breath hand grenades made short work of close quarters combat and were often deployed in the tunnels made by Ordernites, but the Mokans had their own ideas as well. The Mokans went back to an old favorite, White and Red Phosphorus. Either mixed in with HE shells by mortar crews or used in grenade launchers by infantry, it would burn in extreme temperatures, sucking the oxygen from an area, and generate large amounts of smoke, blinding anyone nearby luckily enough still alive. Often clearing a room or basement with one grenade, and the Mokans had plenty. Pillars of smoke from burning White Phosphorus would climb into the sky, showing defenders for kilometers around exactly where their comrades were burning to death.

The cold of winter may be setting in, but the Mokans brought the flames of their homelands with them to warm up the battlefield once more.



9th Army 1st Corps Command
Forward Operating Base 03
Codename: “Zorya Utrennyaya”
30 kilometres outside of Susol,
Union of Eastern Star Soviets

”Attention all belligerents… This is Knight-Admiral Muhammad Moonwing of the Skybound Republic of Havensky; Commander of the Humanitarian Armada. We have come at the request of The Golden Throne of Macabees to render humanitarian aid to civilians caught in the war zone. We hereby request a 72 hour ceasefire to evacuate the wounded and refugees. In addition, we also invite the belligerents to come aboard this vessel - The Heartknight Consular - for peace talks and offer our services to find a diplomatic solution to this conflict. Please acknowledge our presence and respond to our invitation.”

Grand Marshal Sergio Pavlov read the message aloud in front of the allied staff. His voice growing more frustrated with every breath, when he finally finished he paused for a second. The tension in the air begged to be cut, a single word was all it needed to explode. Cease fire? In a war where neither side even considered the other had a right to exist, peaceful resolutions were not merely hopeless dreams, the sheer concept had been entirely erased from everyone's minds.

“We have Tuktar surrounded, the traitors are pulling away from the DMZ, and these fools want to try and bring us peace? Do they not know what life is like in this part of the world?”

“Grand Marshal, we-” a general spoke up but was quickly cut off

“We will continue to fight regardless of foreign influence. I don't care who these Havensky people think they are, they are just another nuisance, a half cocked attempt by the Golden Throne to save their puppet!”

“In that case Grand Marshal, let's play along.”

Generalissimo Major Felix Salazar stood up as he spoke and began to walk around a confident jaunt knowing he was immune to the Marshal's anger. Much to the displeasure of the command room, the Grand Marshal didn't interrupt the foreigner. Instead let the silence hang before responding, gritting his teeth:

“And what would you propose, Generalissimo Major?”

“Respond to them, say we'll entertain the notion of a cease fire when they get Ordernite approval. The Ordernites are stubborn. They won't go for it, of course, but we look like the good guy without doing any work. Although with cease fire talks on the table, we need to strike hard and fast. The Protectorate of Lyras has a large, and I mean large, stockpile of missiles awaiting our call. I propose we light up this entire valley, from Gryaznaya to the end of their retreating forces,
. Just send in cruise missiles, assign them grid locations, and they'll hunt for targets when they get there. If the Procedures do decide to agree to ceasefire, we move up and clear the roads south, if not, we continue our barrages but move South cautiously.”

“How long have we had this Lyran support on call?”

“I only confirmed it this morning.”

This was a lie, but Salazar knew he had to give the locals the illusion of command. They needed the nationalist pride to build their army and nations. Fighting for the corpse of RSU wasn't communism vs. Capitalism, it was the future as a sovereign Red Star Union vs. A puppet of foreign powers. It was why recruitment was swelling, and the victories were certainly helping as well. The high would end soon, so Salazar was planning their next action. The hard part was selling it to the local commanders who were also drinking in the nationalism.

“Very well, fill the valley with missiles, we will prepare a message to this Knight-Admiral. Our allies will clear the way so a Zvezdan can plant our flag in New Impen once more.”

With that final decision, the calls were made to Lyran command, targets were selected and the entire area from Gryaznaya to the end of Ordernite lines 60km south of Susol was to be saturated in Hellion strikes. An area 250 km wide by 200 kilometres long. A 50,000 square kilometer sized target. It was up the Lyrans to decide how many they would launch, but even just one Order could send millions. It would be a show of force against the Ordernites falling back, and a demonstration of the power in reserve in Lyras, waiting for a chance to join the allies in liberating the Zvezdan Nation. Once the damage was determined, the Allies in the North would decide when and how to advance. Before a response was sent to the Havensky fleet, hundreds of Thousands of missiles took off from Lyras to destroy the force north of
Gryaznaya.


Undisclosed meeting
Somewhere in Tarn

The agent physically relaxed back into his host's chair, pretending to be casual and get comfortable. The truth was, he was always on guard, even in what was supposed to be a friendly meeting. Mercenaries were mercenaries after all, and the Ordernites’ money was just as good as his own. So he took a moment to adjust, and readjust, even make some commentary about the seat itself to the man in front of him who did not look pleased.

“Is it just me, or do all these offices have the same uncomfortable chair for sitting eye to eye with the boss?”

An intentional comment, let them know, or assume, that this particular client is shopping around the city. A slight jab to get them on the defensive and make sure they are willing to play. An experienced negotiator would look right past it, but the agent knew the importance of maintaining an image. Besides, it wasn't often this agent had a mission this easy, or a mission with such a nice suit. He was going to milk it for all it was worth. The not so subtle cough from an armed guard did let him know he was pushing their patience, as was his intent, but he knew to stop just before the guns were drawn.

“Alright, let's drop the act, you know who I represent, and you know why I'm here. Two weeks ago a lot of good men died due to the inaction of the Macabeean government, and now while the corpses are still fresh they pour out of their base on the offensive. Killing the same Ordernite assholes they refused to figh when it was YOUR asses were on the line. They need to know such actions have consequences.

That said, my employer knows that for now we all need to play nice with the Golden Throne, or at least as long as everyone is killing the same Assholes, but my employer also knows the less influence the Golden Throne has over post-war Kashubia, the better it is for everyone.”

The Agent paused, reading the Mercenary boss in front of him, and the positions of the guards. They were close enough to jump him if the boss even coughed, and about as jumpy. Words were easy, what the Merc in front of him wanted, was the actual job, so he gave it.

“Places like Dathel Port and Sterlya need to be in local hands when the war ends, and the North has a lot of financial backers willing to pay good money to ensure that. A strong PMC force backed by an Allied navy can make that happen. Launch an amphibious assault, take out the supply ports the Ordernites rely on, and piss off the Macabeeans when they show up late to the fighting.

We both know this is not an easy job, and might require a lot of resources, resources, my employer is willing to provide to ensure things happen. That said, whatever PMC force decides to take this job should know one thing: Post war RSU is going to leave a lot of vets in need of work, and a lot of natural resources in need of protection. The new government is going to need PMCs it can rely on to keep the peace as their country recovers. Ones who have done great work in the past for the new government, and shown reliability during the war. A good mercenary company could be tapping into that Kashubian black gold for decades if they made the right friends early on. Do I have your interest?”

ENCRYPTED MESSAGE FROM ZVEZDA MILITARY COMMAND
TO: Knight-Admiral Muhammad Moonwing
FROM: Grand Marshal Sergio Pavlov

We will be sending a diplomat from the government of The Union of Eastern Star Soviets(Soyuz Sovetskikh Vostochnaya Zvezda) for diplomatic talks. However a ceasefire cannot be achieved without the agreement from the Ordernite puppets occupying our land. As a sign of good faith, I have issues orders to ensure all Skyan forces are considered ‘non combatants' in Zvezdan and Allied controlled zones

Letters Home:

Letter recovered from Platoon Corporal Frank Nabu
4th Volunteer Division, 9th Army
DECEASED

My Dearest Samantha,

I miss you. I miss the warmth of our new home and the sounds of the wind chimes you put up outside of it. I miss waking up at 3AM to take care of our son. I hope the money is keeping you both well. The PUF at least pays it soldiers well.

I heard that last week they had an Election in the liberated portions of Castleclose, and that we may be seeing a new government in Clasdon once more. Eric would be proud to know his sacrifice was not in vain, that one day we would overthrow our shackles and become a free nation once more. I only wish I could have been assigned to the units going there, I would love to have been there for the victory parade.

Instead, I am here, in some frozen swamp outside of Tuktar. It is cold here, colder than our own winters. The Mokans are not liking it too well, many spend the nights packed together or in their vehicles. Heating pads are rationed by the Commanders and even then there is a rough underground market for them. Thank you again for the shipment, I managed to trade a few for some liberated vodka last month.

But there is something I need to tell you, if you ever doubt why I am here, what I am fighting for. Know that what happened to us in Castleclose was no where as bad as the things we have seen here. I am sure this letter will get edited, but we liberated a work camp last week. It was nothing like the re-education camps your father went to. The people were starving, many on the verge of death. The smokestack of the crematorium still bellowed into the air long after the defenders left. We held that position for a few days while military intelligence searched the place. I think they found a factory underneath it or something. I shared my rations with some of the survivors. The looks on those people's faces, they could not even react to our presence, as if liberation was a dream they dare not believe even as it stood in front of them. Medical teams took the worst cases with them to be evacuated. The rest were sent via convoy to one of the many refugee camps we are setting up around this country. At least the Havensky Republic is promising to help out. We need it.

Fascism is a disease that needs to be removed from Greater Dienstad. Though Isla Alma is our new home, and our people can rest easy now in Castleclose that freedom is at hand, there are still monsters in this world. The allies of those who drove us from our homes kill people all over the region, and I will continue to fight for that.

Your loving husband,
Frank Nabu

[United World Order]

Zwangsarbeitslager Ol'khovka A, Western Kashubia.

Arbeit macht frei was the slogan that was plastered about the labor camp known as 'Ol'khovka A' which housed roughly about 2,500 prisoners who are very much treated and worked as slaves. However, the Fourth Reich did not practice nation wide chattel slavery however labor camps were still a thing and operated much like a prison despite the long hours of labor producing materials of war for the Wehrmacht. The labor camp was quite large and had a subterranean layer underneath the camp grounds which was where industrial machinery placed in multiple rows underground. The underground facilities were well excavated and built before the camp was put into operation nearly a year ago. Most of the prisoners would see these underground layers and spend endlessly hours tolling away on the machinery, producing weapons and ammunition that would be needed on the front line. At times, prisoners would be worked to death with some falling dead as they worked which their corpses would be bagged up and deposed of above ground. The guards who were mostly Kashubians only added to the torment faced by the prisoner laborers who suffered harassment and beatings on a normal basis thanks to the camp guards posted around at all times. Several rows of barracks were what the housing for the prisoners in the labor camp consisted of, most were of poor quality and did not give any sort of comfort. Food was not something given out so easily as despite the hunger raging in the stomachs of the tiring prisoners, this was the plan all along. They were all to suffer this fate, and if they didn't die of starvation they would surely be worked to death in the long term of things. Conditions were similar in other labor camps which dotted the entire island that was considered Kashubian Republic territory, some which had been lost to the invasion would soon enough end up liberated by the Mokans and their allies. The western half of Kashubia on it's own had several dozen labor camp facilities posted about mostly near within a good distance with local cities as to help with the flow of supply and demand.

Due to the increasing number of enemy bombing runs on places of infrastructure and manufacturing in an effort to preserve the Ordenite ability to keep it's armies supplied and well equipped, the construction of subterranean levels that would be used as underground factories had already begun. Already before the bombs had begun regularly falling, most of the country's manufacturing manpower and machinery had been moved to underground factories typically with a labor camp of some sort above ground. Much of these underground factories were labored and dug out by laborers from different camps and volunteer civilians from near by towns and cities which also included the Kashubian Labor Service. In some instances, the Kashubian labor service and it's goons would round up civilians at will and force them to work in helping construct defensive fortifications and positions, many were even forced to work in labor camps, tolling away in underground factories where conditions were far worse than the above ground. Bodies would pile up outside of these underground factories, workers who simply collapsed and died from exhaustion and hunger. Crematoriums were normally included in the construction of labor camps because of this, many of the bodies would be cremated upon their gathering from the collection piles. Thousands would perish from this punishment that was handed out almost like candy to civilians who acted out in any sort of civil disobedience. Recently however, civil disobedience had become wide spread in a number of towns and villages who's food sources had been attacked and or heavily destroyed by enemy bombers. Most of the anger was focused on the Ordenites as they were bombarded with questions and demands for a end to the bombings and the war. This was taken by the Ordenites as resistance and treason as full on food riots broke out in some instances where the Kashubian security forces would attempt arrests.

In worst cases people are killed for their disobedience as mass arrests follow. Hundreds of protestors and concerned civilians are rounded up by the police and held in transition camps before being transported to their final destination which was typically a labor camp facility to contribute to the war economy and output. The labor camps were just the beginning as mass recruitment drives from the Kashubian labor service rounded up able bodied male Kashubians most of them being of aged teenagers and middle aged men and put them to work in constructing fortifications and digging out trenches in the winter. Women were heavily conscripted and usually forced into service in the underground factories, helping make ammunition and weapons for the soldiers on the front lines and those that would soon join them in battle. Propaganda efforts were in full swing with the western half of the country receiving regular reports back from the front, accounting for increasing acts of bravery on the battlefield along with victories and capturing of villages, towns and or prisoners of war. A number of prisoners of war belonging to either nationality involved with the coalition were typically executed on the spot after interrogations were carried out. If the POWs were not killed after interrogations, they would be moved to transition camps before being assigned to a labor camp to be used as labor. In Ordenite friendly territory close to the current fighting, long stretching lines of prisoners of war marched westward towards their eventual fates at the hands of their captors. Mokan, Morridane, Lamonian and even Marshite or Stevidian, they would all be treated the same at the hands of the Ordenites for as long as the war carried on.

Eastern Suburbs, Tuktar Suburbia district 4,
Apartment #312, Andrei Petrovich.

Andrei sat on a worn couch that's seats were covered with a blanket that wasn't used other than for the couch. He looked up at the flickering light as distant booms which were slowly getting louder as the fighting was nearing his side of the suburbs. He hadn't been able to get much sleep in the past few days due to the advancement of the front lines more and more towards Tuktar. The power was more or less still on in some areas such as his, however television stations were not available and much of the channels resulted in screens displaying static. The small apartment reeked of cheap cigarettes and booze as Andrei was not handling the second war so better than others. The chitter chatter of automatic gunfire and machine gun fire persisted through out the day as Andrei tried to carefully continue his normal way of life despite his closeness to a enveloping war zone. Food was heavily rationed with many in the city recieiving smaller rations then before due to the closing in of the coalition as they looked to surround and envelop the city and starve out it's defenders. Andrei however was nearly out of rations that he had luckily made last for the past two weeks and would now need to get to a ration station to receive more food, gathering up what ration stamps he had left from a envelop his parents left him before they left for the west, he headed into the outside where their was even more to fear without the minimal protection of a apartment building. Traversing the streets was always tense in these times, with airstrikes and artillery firing at each other it was normal enough that a building would eventually suffer a hit. Andrei walked down his own street which was considerably empty as many in the area had evacuated in the general announcements that were transmitted among the living population that the war may eventually end up overtaking the city. However because Petrovich was going to have some of his family who had also stayed behind come and join him at his apartment, he stayed and accepted the need to survive and endure what was coming.

He walked past a idling convoy of green camouflaged transport trucks which in the backs of them carried Kashubians dressed in full battle dress and holding their weapons, they were conscripts and were waiting for their eventual deployment to the front lines. Military presence was heavy within the city especially within the limits of the eastern Tuktar suburbs in which was where the initial fighting started from. He also passed defensive fortifications and firing positions from which Kashubian and Ordenites held out at and stood on alert for the enemy. Once making his way through a checkpoint, he soon enough arrived behind a stretching line of other civilians who had stayed behind and were now lining up for rations. A handful of Kashubian police wielding clubs stood around and watched the line progress as civilians were steadily receiving what rations they could purchase.

"Next in line!" the clerk at the rationing station shouted out to the mass of people waiting in line with ration tickets in hand. Andrei waited for what seemed like hours for the line to progress considerably, distant booms of explosions and artillery fire could be heard as the civilians waited for food. Suddenly a small column of TPz 255 armored vehicles rolled past as they seemed to be in a frantic state of urgency as the men inside the armored vehicles readied their weapons and equipment for action. Normal pass overs by friendly and enemy jets and other aircraft could be seen frequently in these parts where the fighting was toughest.

"I'm sorry, but we've reached our limit we can give for the week. We will open this day, next week for the next batch everyone!" this was announced mostly at the dismay and anger of the people who were still in line and had been in line for just as long as Andrei was. Voices got louder as the tempers flared and the near by police got anxious as tensions were mounting, the distant battlefield could still be heard in the background . One of the people that were at the front of the line decided to pick a fight with the clerk at the ration station which instigated further as a pair of Kashubian police officers broke up the scuffle and battered the culprit with their clubs. Soon enough more fights broke out among the crowd and with the police officers, glass was broken and people scuffled and fought with their fists as they were battered by clubs in response. Suddenly a gunshot rang out which was fired by one of the Police officers who was being nearly overwhelmed by a small gang of angry hungry rioters and had shot one of them in the head. Blood spewed out into a puddle in the street as Andrei for the most part had stayed out of it and kept further back from the riot. More police officers begun arriving as the incident was being covered by the Kashubian police who some were dressed in full riot gear and wielding shields and clubs and were taking position near by the ration station.


"ARTILLERY!" someone shouted before the initial blast occurred in which a artillery shell had struck a building right across from the ration station, showering the road and sidewalk with rubble and debris. People began to scatter and run in different directions while the smoke spread and cleared. Andrei clutched his right forearm as he had been stabbed with a piece of glass due to the explosion, he moved away from where the blast had occurred as all he could hear was shouting and screams. Another blast occurred which was closer as the ground shook and Andrei almost lost his balance as sirens sounded off and gunfire became prevalent. He ducked off into a near by alley way in which he kept looking behind him in case he was being followed or if the fighting was closing in. He could hear more shouting, most of which sounded Ordenite to him and meant that he was near some Ordenite soldiers somewhere. Suddenly he was grabbed from behind a pulled along against his will as he was pushed against a brick wall and kept at gun point, a Ordenite in full combat dress stuck the barrel of his rifle into Andrei's stomach. "Stay put, you're being detained and searched." the Ordenite told him in rather poor Kashubian. Andrei was pressed face first against the wall as a Ordenite patted him down thoroughly and searched through his pockets and inside his socks and shoes for anything of value. Some ration tickets, which were no use to the Ordenites and what were found was a opened pack of cigarettes which were confiscated from him. He was then moved to a court yard where he was put with a few other civilians that were huddled around a standing tree, he joined them and sat around while some what being guarded by a unit of Ordenite Army soldiers. The pitter patter of rifle fire and machine guns persisted as the fighting was getting worse and closer. Andrei didn't speak much as he sat down with his face in his hands not knowing what his fate would be after all of this.

"Sir!, reconnaissance has reported that enemy forces are gathering a few blocks down from here. Some scouts have been engaged near here but nothing serious yet." An Ordenite soldier spoke to his unit commander as he shouldered his rifle. A short conversation was had between the two before the soldier set off for somewhere off in a near by building which was possibly being used as a spotting area and machine gun position. A sequence of explosions shook the court yard and the Ordenites as the men scattered and prepared for immediate action, talking in Ordenite could be heard as Andrei looked around for a possible escape route. He needed to get back home to the safety of his apartment that he hoped was still standing in tact, he watched an Ordenite walk off from his post as he went to relieve himself near by. He made his move as he slowly got to his feet and calmly began to walk towards this opening. He soon began briskly picking up the pace as he dodged the attention of the other Ordenites and slipped out successfully from the court yard, along the way picking up a bag someone had dropped which contained rations that he desperately needed. Having slipped away from the Ordenites, he made his way quickly back to his apartment in which on the way he passed defensive positions being manned and people being worked like slaves to construct more.

"Residents of Tuktar, It is advised that all heed this call to completely evacuate the city immediately. Your safety cannot be guaranteed which could endanger the defense of the city from the encroaching enemy, if you are a able bodied male, you are encouraged to see your way to the nearest recruitment station to help with the defense of your country!"

Andrei forced open the door to his apartment just as the broadcast made its way through the proper channels and blared out of the public civil broadcasting systems that were used to broadcast news, patriotic music and messages such as the one made. Upon shutting the door another explosion however greater in magnitude erupted in the area, this sent a shock wave through the apartment building Andrei was held up in as things fell and glass broke. Searching through the bag filled with rations, a bottle of liquor was opened that was taken from the refrigerator that was working before he left and was now without power. Pouring a glass of clear liquor for himself he indulged in his alcoholism that he had developed since the first war which he had lived through. Sitting on the same couch and a glass of liquor in his hand, Andrei fell into a deep train of thought on how he would survive the coming days with the fighting coming closer and closer.

Southwest of Tuktar, Positions of the 78th Ordenite Army Division.

The 78th Ordenite Army Division which were mechanized were the primary combatants for the newly arriving Stevidian paratroopers who dangerously parachuted into hostile territory. However many of the paratroopers would find themselves bogged down in the forestry as anti personnel mines and other booby traps were devised and put out for use against any force trying to move through. Trees toppled to the ground as explosions tore through the forest, at times sparking fires in the process. Machine gun fire was prevalent with the Ordenites who set up kill zones for any advancing Stevidans trying to make head away past the city. Mortars were also put to use as Ordenite mortar teams, some mechanized kept up a steady barrage of the forestry where reconnaissance had noted enemy activity. The 78th was also involved in the assault of several villages that had been seized rather quickly by the paratroopers. It's mechanized formations kept a steady amount of pressure on the Stevidan paratroopers, not so much as allowing them any breathing room as possible to operate in. Any enemy armor was being engaged by marauding Ordenite armor such as the Panther II and Tiger III main battle tanks of the Wehrmacht.

South of Gryazanaya, 40KM from New Impen.

The Lyran hellion saturation bombing was one hell of a scare for the Wehrmacht and it's battlefield commanders. Hundreds of thousands of cruise missiles were fired all at a very large area that was where the Ordenite Army had traversed to reach their new defensive lines. Most of these missiles mostly saturated the landscape but had done a decent deal of damage to the defensive positions around Gryazanaya. Fires were being put out and the wounded were being treated as fast as they could, a good several divisions worth of Ordenite Army forces was utterly decimated by the saturation bombing which tore through their ranks. Meanwhile the Ordenite Wehrmacht and Kashubian government ignored the call by the Havensky's for a ceasefire, no communication was given to them either as the Ordenites seemed more focused on the wanton defense of the country and not the pleas for humanitarian efforts for the helpless and the dying.

[Morrdh]

Siege of Tuktar,
Southern Flank,
North Eastern Kashubia.

With the city's western flank mostly secured, the Morridanes pushed on to swing round to the south of the city to link up with Allied forces attacking from the east. RMAF Vulcan bombers dropped thousands of conventional bombs on suspected enemy positions whilst Blackburn Buccaneers hit targets such as bridges and railway junctions with laser guided bombs, the first few Hawker Hunter squadrons were now in-country and operating in their normal close air support role. On top of all this, RMAF Phantom fighters flew near-constant sorties as part of the Morridane contribution to the Allied fight for aerial superiority.

A concentrated joint air-artillery bombardment hammered the area to the south of the city, preceding an attack by a wing* of three Buccaneer squadrons armed with rockets with missiles. These Buccaneers were to strike known enemy positions, primarily artillery batteries and clusters of armour. Behind the Buccanners came a mass helicopter assault, Morridane paratroopers riding in Huey helicopters ahead of Chinooks carrying heavier units. Huey and Lynx gunships flew in formation with the troops carriers to provide close support and protection, they would be joined by Hunter fighter-bombers in the CAS role. This heavy weight of aerial firepower would be needed until Morridane ground forces were able to link up with the air mobile units, there had already been heavy fighting as Morridane tanks sought to force their way through.

*A wing in RAF usage.

[Havensky]

SRS Heartknight Consular
Off the coast of North Eastern Kashubia

Knight-Admiral Mohammad Moonwing was pacing on the bridge of the Heartknight Consular. He was growing impatient. It had been forty-eight hours since they had given their communique to the belligerents.

Mokastana had responded in short order with a curt reply. 'We will if they will' was a pretty good response for a first reply. Unfortunately, the response from the Ordenite government had been silence.

Silence was a bad sign - particularly with both sides about to make a mess of Tuktar. Skyan Stars and Signals command had just sent over the latest satellite pictures of the area satellite pictures of the area and there was only one way that was going to end. Very badly.

Moonwing pulled out his pocket watch. At exactly fourty-eight hours, he picked up the bridge phone.

"This is Consular Actual, get me Jogornos Rikjaard - we need a favor."

Jogornos Rikjaard was the Ambassador to Havensky in Citadel City. Moonwing had anticipated that they might have some trouble getting the Ordenite Reich to the table. It was a long shot, but he was going to ask the Jogornos to arrange a meeting between the Ordenite Ambassador and Moonwing.

In the meantime, it was time to get Archangel Legion ready for action.

* * * *

SRS Dai Tenshi

The Dai Tenshi was a modified Skyan Assault Carrier. Instead of the usual combat Legion, this particular Assault Carrier was the home of Archangel Legion. Archangel Legion was a Rescue Legion equipped to jump into dangerous territory and evacuate the wounded. Assignment to the Archangel's was a coveted position for medics. Being a Skyan medic was tough in it of itself, but the Archangel training was an extra year of training that included air assault school, airborne school, dive school, HALO jump training, survivor training, in addition to the actual Archangel school. Not all Archangels served in the Archangel Legion, but it was still a prized assignment. Serving as an Archangel Medic almost always meant a promotion down the line.

The first platoon of the Adept Company of the Archangel Legion was led by Knight Lieutenant Aidan Galen. He had served with Heartbreak Company in the Queen's Guard earning him the promotion to officer.

Galen had seen some truly awful things in his time with Heartbreak. While he had been thankful to be in a non-combat role again, his time in Heartbreak had made him a bit of taskmaster in his unit.

Old habits were hard to break.

"ATTENTION ON THE DECK!"

"As you were!", replied Lt. Galen curtly as he strolled to the podium in the ready room as the rest of 1st platoon took back their seats.

"Alright listen up, at 1300 hours we're going to be flying into Mokan-held territory to recon a refugee camp so that Gold, Amber, and Sable Squadron can land and evac the refugees. We need to set up the LZ, triage the wounded, and keep an eye out for trouble. Standard op, just like we trained for. At this time, we have not heard from the Ordenite Reich. We don't anticipate meeting any of them since we won't be in their airspace, but I don't want us caught unaware. This is a war zone, let's act like it.

Questions?

Dismissed, I want to be redcon one in 30 mike. Move out!"