The Arrival; Colonies and Resistance(MT|Semi-Open)

[Droburg]

Freymore's Waters


As a corporal lifted his binoculars, he clearly saw a formation of foreign ships, to the origin of was unknown. He pulled out a small microphone, and spoke, a little distorted by the heavy rain,

"Kaptäin, we are on the position of a unknown wave of battleships."

A few seconds later, the Kaptäin responded.

"Good, prepare for bombardment."

"Roger roger, sir."

The huge turrets of the fleet turned, and clicked in place. The sound of screeching metal fought with the sound of heavy rain hitting the water.

[Zelphos]

Freymore Waters
The Maimer
High Admiral Shao

The heavy rain was pounding against the metal platform where the High Admiral stood. The waves were violently lapping against the hull of the flagship, and the sight of the crew struggling to get to the other side of the ship was clearly seen. The High Admiral stood there, in his yellow raincoat, watching the distance, with thunder overhead.

"Admiral Shao!" An officer opened the door to the balcony, slamming it against the metal hard.

The admiral immediately spinned around, tapping his fingers eagerly on his coat. "What is it?! Spit it out, boy!" He yelled over the sound of thunder.

"We're approaching Elysium, and we've spotted a foreign fleet in our course!"

"Signal red alert to the other ships, have them on standby for imminent attack." The Admiral pushed past the officer, entering the heated command center. The officer he had just spoken to rushed to his post, and started flicking switches.

RED ALERT, RED ALERT, ALL HANDS TO BATTLESTATIONS The intercom blared violently, with the red lights fused into the wall blaring a bright red.

The admiral looked out the glass pane, and saw a vast amount of crewmembers rush to the top deck, going to their battle posts. The admiral grabbed binoculars from an officer, and focused on the area ahead of him. There were ship wreckage in his sight, which were still burning, and a fleet close to it. He focused more, and saw their turrets aimed in the direction of his fleet.

"Sergeant Ramirez!" A man immediately appeared next to the admiral, saluting.

"Signal the subs to take out any enemy subs that dare approach us. Send a warning message to the fleet in the area, and contact the War Department immediately." The man saluted, and rushed off to the communications post.

"Lieutenant George!"

"Yes, sir?"

"Keep our fleet heading directly to the coastline, but keep us at a distance from the other fleet; do not fire unless fired upon, lieutenant."'

"Aye, sir!" The lieutenant rushed off.

"Bastards probably won't heed our warning." General Lance muttered to himself as the Admiral walked out of the room. He followed the Admiral out of the command center.

The primary turrets and secondary turrets smoothly turned towards the direction of the enemy, and the well-trained operators waited for the order to be given.

---

TO: FLEET IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA
FROM: HIGH ADMIRAL SHAO OF THE ZELPHOSIAN NAVAL COMMAND

THIS IS A MESSAGE BEING BROADCASTED TO THE FLEET/SHIPS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. THE ZELPHOSIAN WAR DEPARTMENT HAS DEEMED YOUR ACTIONS AS INHUMANE AND UNLAWFUL.

STAND DOWN, AND WITHDRAW FROM THE AREA.

[The Freymore]

North Western Forest;
Near New Communist Colony

The Freymore was kneeling, nearly hidden, behind a tree. A black rifle was in his hands, held loosely in his hands. He wasn't aiming down the sights, but by the sounds he was hearing, a pack of Draki were coming in his direction. They were dangerous beasts, more akin to raptors then they were anything else. They were intelligent beasts, and hard as hell to kill. Their hides withstood horrendous punishment, and worst of all; they hunted in packs. Where there was one, there were more of the Draki, coming to feast.They were the top predator on the island, fewer in number then the other animals, but far the most powerful, although there were still more of them then Freymore. The distant roars gave them away, the sounds of them crushing their way through the wilderness.

One of his eyes was covered by a fur cloth; beneath it proof that he was one of the more highly evolved Freymore. Freymore had good eyesight, good climbing abilities, agile, had good reaction time, but the eye he covered now was like that of a cat; he could see well in the dark. Like most of his kind, he was not powerfully built. Built slimmer and smaller like all Freymore. The man wore the same clothing as the rest of the Freymore; slim fitting pants, a bare chest that was only covered rudimentary fashion on females, and a cloak, everything colored black to help them blend into the shadows. He watched people leaving things he didn't know what were; giant shapes disgorging thousands of people onto his home's shores, a men armed with guns prepared fortifications. The man watching the colonist was known as Tyger.

The sound of crashing and roaring was nearby now. He couldn't decide whether to try and give the people ahead of him a warning as the the coming danger, but part of him, the more prominent one, said nature would take it's course. You lived and died based on your instincts, intellect, and knowledge, there was no other way. He quickly began climbing the tree to avoid the Draki as they approached. The sounds were on top of him. It begins.

South Western Forest
Naeyna

She stared upwards, into the barrel of the pistol, tears still falling from face. There was both fear and anger in her eyes. She wished she had been armed. A man stooped down, she looked odd to her. They wore altogether more clothing then the natives did. "Speak, savage." Naeyna knew that the sergeant had spoken, but didn't know what he said. She didn't know what it meant, and it was distant from her native tongue.

She continued looking at the pistol, not seeming to even recognize the sergeant. I am going to be dead, just like him soon, aren't I? She remembered how one of the strange men who had run away from the scene had saved her life. [Going to just use Latin to represent my language]. "Quis es?" (Who are you) She didn't know what was happening, she was beyond afraid. The rain continued to sythe down, plastering her white hair to her head. She moved slightly, pulling her cloak around her, hiding most of her torso.

[The Yuktobanian Republic]

Recon Team One

They have landed.

Holding their G3A1s, the soldiers of Recon Team One were armed and ready for any mission. Every soldier had their own mission, with one of them holding a Panzerfaust 3 and another soldier holding a PKP Pechaneg LMG that they brought from Yuktobania. Pushing the RHIB off the shore, the soldiers saluted as the RHIB went back towards the Kiesel.

"Everyone, gather up."

The leader of Recon Team One wasn't a man, but was a woman. Her blonde hair fell to her middle back, and her bright blue eyes shone through her helmet's visor. In her hand she held a G3A1, the service rifle of New Germany. Her name was Serena Lumiose, one of the newest squad leaders of the New German Recon Corps. Watching as her squad's soldiers gathered around her, she cleared her throat, and started speaking.

"Alright, our mission is to take a peek around this part of the island, and take samples of everything." Serena ordered. "We'll stay for a night, then return to the Kiesel."

"What about our food?" A soldier asked.

Serena turned her head to look at the soldier. "Our food can last three days."

"What will we do when things go south?" Another soldier asked.

"We return to the Kiesel immediately." Serena nodded. "Any more questions?"

The soldiers stayed quiet, having no more questions. When Serena realized that they had no more questions, she coughed, and looked at the soldiers once again.

"Alright. Let's go." Serena said as she held her G3A1 at the ready position, and walked into the forest. Behind her were the five soldiers that were part of her squad, all of them holding their G3A1s at the ready. They were ready for anything that would happen.

New German Cruiser Kiesel

"Foreign ships." A radarman yelled. "Their turrets are turning."

Heinrich looked at his radar screen, and saw that indeed there were multiple ships in the area. Grunting, he looked over at distance as he pulled out a pair of binoculars, scanning it.

"We got another fleet in the distance." The radar man yelled. "Their weapon radars are lighting up!"

"What should we do, sir?" A sailor asked.

"State our presence." Heinrich ordered as he continued to scan the horizon. "I don't want these people to fight."

"Yes sir."

---

To: UNKNOWN FLEETS
From: New German Cruiser Kiesel

This island should not be treated as a war zone, but instead as a place of research. I do not wish to see two navies fight, as it can endanger whatever is on the island. Please stand down.

[Fascistisk State]

After noticing the Fascistisk soldiers and hearing their calls, somewhat dampened by the rain, commodore Harford put his hands to his mouth to amplify his shouts over the rain
"We speak English, and don't worry, we won't shoot! Come on inside so I don't have to shout!"
Rupert turned to a soldier and told him to radio to the other teams that non-hostile forces were sighted in the area.

Nicolai breathed a sigh of relief, and slowly lowered his arms. He turned to his black-clad comrade, speaking in his native tongue - Swedish. "English. Let me do the talking, alright? I know just how diplomatic you Skjult boys are." With that, he entered the camp. He looked around, locating the man that had spoken to him first and approaching him. Once inside, he swept his rain covered camoflauge cloak to the side, revealling his uniform and insignia.
"Hello, comrade. I am Kommandør Westermark, a soldier of the Kombihæren. Behind me stands Kaldvakt Winther, my subordinate. It is a true pleasure to meet you, Mr...?" He extended his hand, taking off his gloves in a gesture of respect. "If you don't mind, we're a little in the dark here. Do you have any idea why this 'uncharted' island is being fired upon? Are these shells being launched from your own forces, or perhaps another source? Do you know what they aim to destroy?"

[New Communist and Socialist Unions]

North Western Forest;
Near New Communist Colony

The Freymore was kneeling, nearly hidden, behind a tree. A black rifle was in his hands, held loosely in his hands. He wasn't aiming down the sights, but by the sounds he was hearing, a pack of Draki were coming in his direction. They were dangerous beasts, more akin to raptors then they were anything else. They were intelligent beasts, and hard as hell to kill. Their hides withstood horrendous punishment, and worst of all; they hunted in packs. Where there was one, there were more of the Draki, coming to feast.They were the top predator on the island, fewer in number then the other animals, but far the most powerful, although there were still more of them then Freymore. The distant roars gave them away, the sounds of them crushing their way through the wilderness.

One of his eyes was covered by a fur cloth; beneath it proof that he was one of the more highly evolved Freymore. Freymore had good eyesight, good climbing abilities, agile, had good reaction time, but the eye he covered now was like that of a cat; he could see well in the dark. Like most of his kind, he was not powerfully built. Built slimmer and smaller like all Freymore. The man wore the same clothing as the rest of the Freymore; slim fitting pants, a bare chest that was only covered rudimentary fashion on females, and a cloak, everything colored black to help them blend into the shadows. He watched people leaving things he didn't know what were; giant shapes disgorging thousands of people onto his home's shores, a men armed with guns prepared fortifications. The man watching the colonist was known as Tyger.

The sound of crashing and roaring was nearby now. He couldn't decide whether to try and give the people ahead of him a warning as the the coming danger, but part of him, the more prominent one, said nature would take it's course. You lived and died based on your instincts, intellect, and knowledge, there was no other way. He quickly began climbing the tree to avoid the Draki as they approached. The sounds were on top of him. It begins.

South Western Forest
Naeyna

She stared upwards, into the barrel of the pistol, tears still falling from face. There was both fear and anger in her eyes. She wished she had been armed. A man stooped down, she looked odd to her. They wore altogether more clothing then the natives did. "Speak, savage." Naeyna knew that the sergeant had spoken, but didn't know what he said. She didn't know what it meant, and it was distant from her native tongue.

She continued looking at the pistol, not seeming to even recognize the sergeant. I am going to be dead, just like him soon, aren't I? She remembered how one of the strange men who had run away from the scene had saved her life. [Going to just use Latin to represent my language]. "Quis es?" (Who are you) She didn't know what was happening, she was beyond afraid. The rain continued to sythe down, plastering her white hair to her head. She moved slightly, pulling her cloak around her, hiding most of her torso.

"It's the native wildlife! Git em!" shouted Elliot. It was a good thing they entered through the area that wasn't that developed, as in no fortifications, as he would be ordering naval artillery strikes. "Fire!" he shouted on the intercom, and steel shells fell down on the mighty beasts. If this wasn't enough, the soldiers guarding the settlement fired on any beast that moved. They wondered if more would come.

[Zelphos]

Freymore Waters
The Maimer
High Admiral Shao

"Admiral Shao!"

He annoyingly turned around, and watched as the man hurriedly walked towards him. "We received a message, Admiral!" He handed the Admiral the note, and he snatched it away with all due haste.

"They want us to stand down, eh?" He ran his hand through his white beard, pondering his next move.

"What should we do, Admiral?"

"Continue as planned. We only fire unless fired upon."

"Shall we respond-"

"No." The Admiral cut him off, "If we show a sign of weakness to the other fleet, we will be vulnerable for picking. As I said, continue as planned." The lieutenant saluted, and rushed back from where he came from.

"This island has really gotten international attention..." He frowned, and pulled a radio from his belt, "General Lance, come in, General Lance, over."

"What is it now, Admiral?"

"We're approaching the coastline, no action has been taken by the foreign fleet. Prepare the Z-OPS for deployment, over."

"Copy that, Admiral Shao, over and out."

---

Freymore Waters
Z-OPS
Commander Viktor Varo

Twenty men Z-OPS sped through the waters on tactical rib boats, with the Commander taking the lead at the front. He and his men alike had suppressed BMCR's, and a standard issue M9 strapped to their sides. The heavy rain would cover most of their advance, if the fleet wasn't paying their surroundings special attention. The men wore black tactical clothing, with a patch with the head of a Gray Wolf strapped on their shoulders, to represent what division their apart of. They had respirators attached to their side, ready for instant deployment if necessary. Each man also had a grappling hook, rope, and provisions to last them a few days if they get separated from the main squad.

The Commander examined the now-very-close coastline with his dark gray eyes, and examined the destroyed portion of the forest. When the rib-boats were closing in on the coastline, he raised his wrist, and spoke into the hidden mic.

"Alright, men. You know what we're here to do. Stick to the plan, and you'll be fine. If you find yourself separated from the main squad, we will not come searching for you. Each and every one of you is equipped with a suppressed BMCR, and a standard M9, along with a respirator, and provisions. Use each of them carefully, and don't fuck up."

The rib-boats hit the sand, and the Commander was the first to jump out, the rest following suit. He signaled the drivers to head back, and they proceeded to do so. With the cover of the heavy rainfall, he and his operatives took advantage, and rushed into the thick forest.

[The Selkie]

Taiscéalaí.
The helicopter returned to their ship safely, if a bit rattled - someone shot at them, after all.
They were civilians and clearly marked as such. Still, someone fired and nearly hit. Their data was sent home as well, using satellites along the way. If they could only send themselves, the Captain thought, as Traverse was silent as of now.
It would take a bit until they could react, the Free Lands were far away, after all.
Meanwhile, their radar was getting wild - many, many ships were in the area, all powering up their own radars, ECM and apparently going into combat formation. It was dangerous for them to be here.
The Captain needed to react. He needed to get his ship out of there.
They were sitting ducks.
"Alright...", he said to his bridge, "Turn the radar off, I don't want to attract ARMs. Transponder into 'Please don't shoot me!'-mode and change heading - southwards."
"Away?"
"Away." There were unbelieving stares aimed at him. "There's nothing we can do here, so retreat and come back later with more people and a larger support force."
His bridge went to work.

[Crockerland]

After noticing the Fascistisk soldiers and hearing their calls, somewhat dampened by the rain, commodore Harford put his hands to his mouth to amplify his shouts over the rain
"We speak English, and don't worry, we won't shoot! Come on inside so I don't have to shout!"
Rupert turned to a soldier and told him to radio to the other teams that non-hostile forces were sighted in the area.

Nicolai breathed a sigh of relief, and slowly lowered his arms. He turned to his black-clad comrade, speaking in his native tongue - Swedish. "English. Let me do the talking, alright? I know just how diplomatic you Skjult boys are." With that, he entered the camp. He looked around, locating the man that had spoken to him first and approaching him. Once inside, he swept his rain covered camoflauge cloak to the side, revealling his uniform and insignia.
"Hello, comrade. I am Kommandør Westermark, a soldier of the Kombihæren. Behind me stands Kaldvakt Winther, my subordinate. It is a true pleasure to meet you, Mr...?" He extended his hand, taking off his gloves in a gesture of respect. "If you don't mind, we're a little in the dark here. Do you have any idea why this 'uncharted' island is being fired upon? Are these shells being launched from your own forces, or perhaps another source? Do you know what they aim to destroy?"

"Rupert Harford, esquire, Commodore of the Crockerland Navy, a pleasure to meet you as well." Rupert replied, extending his hand in turn
"It wasn't us who attacked the island, if that smoke is from the attack then we didn't even arrive until after it happened. We're here to bring back any unique wildlife for scientific and conservational purposes; What's your reason for being here?"

[Droburg]

Freymore's Waters

As the Imperial Fleet closed in on a foreign fleet, they received a message, but did not care. The last of the turrets shifted, and from a carrier ship, under its belly, five U-boats detached and stared swimming towards the unknown ships. One of the Frigates, still on fire, managed to shift their turrets. The Admiral stood firm, awaiting a naval battle in seconds.

Freymore's Forrest

As the Sargent heard the native speak, he nodded to one of the soldiers, and lifted his baton, and strook the girl once in the back once. The Sargent bent down, and said,

"Nein."

One of the Panzers fired upon the log blocking the soldiers and tanks. In shatterd into a million pieces, and one of the tanks rolled forward. Now, a group of Todtlkämpers were exiting a landing craft, and they started marching into the forrest. The Sargent, then stood up, and turned to a Soldier who was in a grey uniform. He lifted his Stalhelm and look at the faceless Sargent with his blue eyes. He snapped at attention.

[Zelphos]

Freymore Waters
The Maimer
High Admiral Shao

"Admiral Shao, the fleet has not responded to our warning, and the fleet isn't standing down." The lieutenant told the Admiral as soon as he walked into the room.

"There's no dealing with imperialistic nations." He sighed, and moved to his post, watching the fleet ahead. "Send a signal back home requesting reinforcements, there's always a chance we may not pull through." The communications officer nodded, and immediately began sending messages back to the Zelphosian Naval Command.

"Sir! There are multiple pings beneath the surface, and closing in!"

"Send a last warning. Have the subs get into defensive formation, and prepare to counter-attack. All our posts should be manned, and prepared to retaliate against an attack." The Admiral extinguished his last cigar, and watched the waters.

"Yes, sir!"

"Have the men drop charges into the sea for countermeasures, and for Zelphos' sake, if any of those fucking pings get any closer, open fire on them with everything we got."

TO: UNKNOWN FLEET
FROM: ZELPHOSIAN NAVAL COMMAND

THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING. IF YOU DO NOT STAND DOWN, WE WILL BE FORCED TO RETALIATE.

---

North Western Forest
Elysium
Commander Viktor Varo

"What do you see?" The spoke softly into his mic.

"A settlement of sorts. They don't appear to be native to Elysium, judging from their outfit." His companion, Ivan Norman whispered into the mic.

"You think their friendly?"

"It's hard to tell, but judging from the armed guards on the fortifications... they could be hostile." Ivan climbed down from the muddy hill, and the squad gathered around the damp terrain, with the heavy rain still hitting them.

"Alright, we're going to approach this settlement, and, hopefully, get intel from them. For all we know, these people could be from those jackasses that probably fired on the island, but we have to give it a try, for the sake of intelligence."

They nodded in agreement, and set up positions around the settlement, prepared to attack should the need arise. The commander strapped his BMCR to his back, and concealed his hidden knives, and explosive weapons. He trudged into the mud towards the settlement, and raised his arms high above his head.

"Hey, I've come to talk!" He shouted.

He slowly crept into the brush, taking the high ground, and watched the armored men below. He nervously checked his gun for any jams, before proning in the brush. He watched as the men threw her on the ground, and threatened her with a baton and a pistol. Another walked up shortly afterwards, and began, what he assumed, interrogating the woman.

He put his sights on the man with the gun, and carefully aimed at the upper torso. Why should a man with nothing to lose leave others to suffer?

He squeezed the trigger.

[Fascistisk State]

Skald - Bridge

The bridge of the Skald was a hive of activity, military staff focused entirely on their duties involved with the mission at hand. The heavy metal door that separated the nerve centre of the warship from the rest of the decks opened, and Skjult Marshal Ukjent walked through, bending over slightly so that he could fit through the low door.

A communications officer approached him, saluting quickly before speaking. “Sir, we have received several messages from the fleets surrounding our island of interest. We also have complied descriptions of each ship, and attempted to locate their nations of origin. Several military fleets are engaging in combat, or moving into combat formations.” The Fascistisk sailor gestured to a digital nautical map, with dots of varying colour representing the vessels that surrounding the Freymore.

The Marshal looked at the map for a few moments. He turned back to the Fascistisk sailor, using sign language to communicate. I have devised a communication to be sent to all the military vessels. He hovered his right hand over a lone ship, a white dot on the map. I want a specific message to this ship. Here they are, the ones sending the 'don't shoot at us'. Navn handed the officer two sheets of paper, handwritten messages scrawled across both.

The communications officer went over to his terminal, and began to broadcast the messages...

< MESSAGE TO ALL VESSELS >

This is a military vessel of the Kombihæren, under direct command of the Union of Scandinavian Fascistisk States. Any shot fired upon our ship will be regarded as an act of war.

We also request that shelling of the island cease - our nation has reason to believe that there is a civilization of indigenous peoples settled on the island, which are obviously under threat by such careless attacks. The Fascistisk State will not stand for senseless slaughter.

Another message was sent to the civilian vessel that had been sighted. A research ship, by the looks of it.

< MESSAGE TO THE TAISCÉALAÍ >

We have received your communication, and are willing to provide a detachment of FAS-16 VTOL aircraft that will escort you away from the conflict area that seems to be evolving in these waters. We expect it will deter other ships from attacking your vessel, even if only slightly. We require nothing in return - our honour demands that we send this message.

---

"Rupert Harford, esquire, Commodore of the Crockerland Navy, a pleasure to meet you as well." Rupert replied, extending his hand in turn
"It wasn't us who attacked the island, if that smoke is from the attack then we didn't even arrive until after it happened. We're here to bring back any unique wildlife for scientific and conservational purposes; What's your reason for being here?"

Nicolai glanced at the tank sitting within the camp. These men were here to gather wildlife for some reserve, and yet they had landed a tank? It didn't seem to add up, but he didn't have any direct reasons to think these soldiers a threat to his own squadron. Not yet, at least.

"A Fascistisk citizen went missing in these waters, just outside the borders of this island. He is of... considerable importance. He were dispatched to find him, and guide him home." Nicolai wasn't exactly telling the truth, but he wasn't about to give out classified information to a man he'd just met. "Although we've seen some of these animals milling around... I'm not sure there's going to be anyone left to find."

[The Selkie]

Skald - Bridge

The bridge of the Skald was a hive of activity, military staff focused entirely on their duties involved with the mission at hand. The heavy metal door that separated the nerve centre of the warship from the rest of the decks opened, and Skjult Marshal Ukjent walked through, bending over slightly so that he could fit through the low door.

A communications officer approached him, saluting quickly before speaking. “Sir, we have received several messages from the fleets surrounding our island of interest. We also have complied descriptions of each ship, and attempted to locate their nations of origin. Several military fleets are engaging in combat, or moving into combat formations.” The Fascistisk sailor gestured to a digital nautical map, with dots of varying colour representing the vessels that surrounding the Freymore.

The Marshal looked at the map for a few moments. He turned back to the Fascistisk sailor, using sign language to communicate. I have devised a communication to be sent to all the military vessels. He hovered his right hand over a lone ship, a white dot on the map. I want a specific message to this ship. Here they are, the ones sending the 'don't shoot at us'. Navn handed the officer two sheets of paper, handwritten messages scrawled across both.

The communications officer went over to his terminal, and began to broadcast the messages...

< MESSAGE TO ALL VESSELS >

This is a military vessel of the Kombihæren, under direct command of the Union of Scandinavian Fascistisk States. Any shot fired upon our ship will be regarded as an act of war.

We also request that shelling of the island cease - our nation has reason to believe that there is a civilization of indigenous peoples settled on the island, which are obviously under threat by such careless attacks. The Fascistisk State will not stand for senseless slaughter.

Another message was sent to the civilian vessel that had been sighted. A research ship, by the looks of it.

< MESSAGE TO THE TAISCÉALAÍ >

We have received your communication, and are willing to provide a detachment of FAS-16 VTOL aircraft that will escort you away from the conflict area that seems to be evolving in these waters. We expect it will deter other ships from attacking your vessel, even if only slightly. We require nothing in return - our honour demands that we send this message.

---

"Rupert Harford, esquire, Commodore of the Crockerland Navy, a pleasure to meet you as well." Rupert replied, extending his hand in turn
"It wasn't us who attacked the island, if that smoke is from the attack then we didn't even arrive until after it happened. We're here to bring back any unique wildlife for scientific and conservational purposes; What's your reason for being here?"

Nicolai glanced at the tank sitting within the camp. These men were here to gather wildlife for some reserve, and yet they had landed a tank? It didn't seem to add up, but he didn't have any direct reasons to think these soldiers a threat to his own squadron. Not yet, at least.

"A Fascistisk citizen went missing in these waters, just outside the borders of this island. He is of... considerable importance. He were dispatched to find him, and guide him home." Nicolai wasn't exactly telling the truth, but he wasn't about to give out classified information to a man he'd just met. "Although we've seen some of these animals milling around... I'm not sure there's going to be anyone left to find."

Taiscéalaí.
"I'll be...", the radioman murmured into his non-existing beard as he received the messages, both the one to all vessels and the one specifically directed at them. He called over: "Message from the Skald! They acknowledge our status as non-combattants and offer us an escort out of these waters."
The Captain grinned, hurrying over from his post at the bridge, where he had used binoculars to keep track of the situation, now that his radar was turned off.
"Excellent.", he said with a smile. "They are also asking the other parties to stop firing. Someone with sense." He let a chuckle out. "Radio back..."

Code: Select all

Skald, Taiscéalaí. I thank you very much, in the name of my crew and of myself. We gladly accept your offer of escorting us to safer waters and will follow your directioning.
I owe you one.

"And send a message to Traverse.", the Captain continued, "Inform them about this development."
"Aye, Captain."

[The Yuktobanian Republic]

Recon Team One

"Be alert." Serena whispered.

"Stop repeating." A soldier whispered back.

"Do you want to die?" Serena responded.

The soldier paused, still holding his G3A1. "No."

"Then I suggest you listen to what I'm saying." Serena smirked.

Continuing through the underbrush, the group soon stopped at a small clearing, looking around. Inside, Serena felt uneasy, since this was an uncharted island and she didn't know what to expect. As the soldiers next to her took a small break, Serena just stared out into the depths of the forest.

New German Cruiser Kiesel

The ship was quiet, with all weapon radars on standby. The ship was ready for any threat that would come across, whether it be an anti-ship missile or an aircraft. It sat still in the blue waters just off the coast of the island, far away from the rest of the foreign ships that were clashing.

Sailors in the bridge were busy trying to monitor both Recon Team One's progress in research and also any threat that might endanger the ship itself. Standing in the middle of the bridge was captain Heinrich, who was somewhat stressed out from all the noise and activity.

"We might need to call for reinforcements." A sailor suggested.

"Maybe." Heinrich said. "We'll do it when things get out of hand."

"Sir!" A radioman yelled, getting up from his seat. "We got another message, this time from the Skald!"

"What does it say?" Heinrich turned.

"They demand that people stop firing on the island, and have sent it to all military vessels in the area."

Heinrich chuckled. "Finally, someone with a sense of humanity! Contact them and offer our support!"

As the radioman nodded, he sat back down on the chair, sending a message over to the Skald.

To: SKALD
From: NEW GERMAN CRUISER KIESEL

This is the Kiesel of the New German Navy, current ship representative of the Archelan Coalition. We humbly request that our forces join together to try to have a cease-fire occur, as the natives on the island are in danger of being destroyed by these military assaults and naval battles. When you have made your decision, we will relay our coordinates to your ship.

[Crockerland]

"Rupert Harford, esquire, Commodore of the Crockerland Navy, a pleasure to meet you as well." Rupert replied, extending his hand in turn
"It wasn't us who attacked the island, if that smoke is from the attack then we didn't even arrive until after it happened. We're here to bring back any unique wildlife for scientific and conservational purposes; What's your reason for being here?"

Nicolai glanced at the tank sitting within the camp. These men were here to gather wildlife for some reserve, and yet they had landed a tank? It didn't seem to add up, but he didn't have any direct reasons to think these soldiers a threat to his own squadron. Not yet, at least.

"A Fascistisk citizen went missing in these waters, just outside the borders of this island. He is of... considerable importance. He were dispatched to find him, and guide him home." Nicolai wasn't exactly telling the truth, but he wasn't about to give out classified information to a man he'd just met. "Although we've seen some of these animals milling around... I'm not sure there's going to be anyone left to find."

Rupert almost spoke but remembered something and turned to one of the Crockerland soldiers, ordering that the fleet be informed that friendly Fascistisk forces were on the island before turning back to his previous conversation:

"If you have a picture of your buddy, we'd be glad to be on the lookout for him; Probably not in the rain, though. What kind of animals have you seen specifically that you think are such bad news?"

[The Freymore]

South Eastern Forest
Natalia

She stared down at the soldiers be low her, utterly terrified. She hadn't moved since since that loud shape had moved away. Her rifle was still in her hands, and now she was certain if needed she could bring one of these...odd people down. They were dressed oddly, and in colors that made them seem as if they were trying to make themselves less visible in the forest, but just wasn't working. They wore some kind of hat she didn't recognize, and all were armed.

Stay frozen, stay frozen, stay frozen. She prayed they didn't notice her above them. The rian continued to fall, and she wanted to get below the canopy, bit it wasn't safe. The deer would have to wait for now.

South Western Forest
Naeyna

Naeyna cried out in pain, and began crying, even more once the tank opened fire. She didn't what was going on. Tears were streaming into the forest floor. "Nein." She wanted to scream 'What are you saying!?', she wanted to hide deep in the forests where no one would ever find her, maybe find one of the evolved and survive with them. She wanted her partner to still be alive. She wanted her face not be in the ashes of her home.

She turned her head to the side, her pale blue eyes looking at the sky above as the smell of wet ashes surrounded her. This must be what the Unholy Fire is like. You sit in destruction as those around you seem not to care. You are beaten for not understanding, and they can't understand you. This was an experience worse then death for her.


North Western Forest
Tyger

His eyes widened as a sound like thunder ripped through the air, and caused dirt and sand to spray into the air, ending the lives of the top predators in the area. Nothing more would happen until night fall to that settlement. He needed to know more about these people. He placed his rifle in his back sheathe and climbed back down the tree. The forest floor was just as he had left it, but he doubted it would last now.

He sighed deeply and headed for the settlement, his face grim and determined. Around him he felt like this was the last time he would be seeing any of this around him, he took it in deeply, his one exposed eye seeming to take pictures of everything around him. The forest floor was just the way he liked it, wet so less sound was made. Ideal for hunting, although inconvenient for lighting a fire. Of course, a cliff would solve that problem.

He took a deep breath, staring at the remains of the Draki, a continued look of shock from the power these people brought with them. He stopped at the same place that the last beast had died, motionless.


Distantly, another group of the Draki were headed for the Corckerland-Fascistisk group.

[Fascistisk State]

Taiscéalaí.
"I'll be...", the radioman murmured into his non-existing beard as he received the messages, both the one to all vessels and the one specifically directed at them. He called over: "Message from the Skald! They acknowledge our status as non-combattants and offer us an escort out of these waters."
The Captain grinned, hurrying over from his post at the bridge, where he had used binoculars to keep track of the situation, now that his radar was turned off.
"Excellent.", he said with a smile. "They are also asking the other parties to stop firing. Someone with sense." He let a chuckle out. "Radio back..."

Code: Select all

Skald, Taiscéalaí. I thank you very much, in the name of my crew and of myself. We gladly accept your offer of escorting us to safer waters and will follow your directioning.
I owe you one.

"And send a message to Traverse.", the Captain continued, "Inform them about this development."
"Aye, Captain."

As soon as the message was received, the Skald deck prepared to launch four sleek, black FAS-16 jet fighters. Equipped with anti ship missiles in case they ran into trouble with the more aggressive navies present in the Freymore waters, they quickly caught up with the Taiscéalaí. Flying past the ship once in greeting, the formation began to guide the ships away from the growing naval presence in the area.

Within the Skald itself, crewmen were busy preparing for battle. The call for a ceasefire had alerted every ship in the area of the Fascistisk presence, and the foreigners had already shown to be fairly trigger happy. Precautions had to be taken for the safety of everyone on board. More FAS-16 fighters were readied for launch, the ship's own anti ship missiles were prepared; a few hundred Sjokk troopers had even been ordered to equip themselves with arms and armour as a contingency for a hostile force boarding the ship.

New German Cruiser Kiesel

The ship was quiet, with all weapon radars on standby. The ship was ready for any threat that would come across, whether it be an anti-ship missile or an aircraft. It sat still in the blue waters just off the coast of the island, far away from the rest of the foreign ships that were clashing.

Sailors in the bridge were busy trying to monitor both Recon Team One's progress in research and also any threat that might endanger the ship itself. Standing in the middle of the bridge was captain Heinrich, who was somewhat stressed out from all the noise and activity.

"We might need to call for reinforcements." A sailor suggested.

"Maybe." Heinrich said. "We'll do it when things get out of hand."

"Sir!" A radioman yelled, getting up from his seat. "We got another message, this time from the Skald!"

"What does it say?" Heinrich turned.

"They demand that people stop firing on the island, and have sent it to all military vessels in the area."

Heinrich chuckled. "Finally, someone with a sense of humanity! Contact them and offer our support!"

As the radioman nodded, he sat back down on the chair, sending a message over to the Skald.

To: SKALD
From: NEW GERMAN CRUISER KIESEL

This is the Kiesel of the New German Navy, current ship representative of the Archelan Coalition. We humbly request that our forces join together to try to have a cease-fire occur, as the natives on the island are in danger of being destroyed by these military assaults and naval battles. When you have made your decision, we will relay our coordinates to your ship.

"Sir, we've been contacted by the... Kiesel, of the Archelan Coalition. We've written the message down, just as you asked."

The Skjult Marshal nodded and waved the officer away, gently taking the paper and reading the message carefully. He thought for a moment, and then rose from his seat on the bridge and walked over to the communications section, personally transmitting a message back to the Kiesel.

< TO THE KIESEL >

We accept your proposal. This situation is quickly spiralling out of control, and we are only one ship. Alone we can stand no chance to cease the hostilities. The Skald's coordinates are included within this message - Honour to you.

---

Rupert almost spoke but remembered something and turned to one of the Crockerland soldiers, ordering that the fleet be informed that friendly Fascistisk forces were on the island before turning back to his previous conversation:

"If you have a picture of your buddy, we'd be glad to be on the lookout for him; Probably not in the rain, though. What kind of animals have you seen specifically that you think are such bad news?"

"We saw some animals, some sort of raptor, on the way in. They looked tough as hell, and they weren't of us - they backed off when we came closer, but it didn't look like fear. A tactical retreat, more like." said Nicolai, stiffening as he heard the distinct crackle of his radio stuttering to life.

The sound of his second in command, Rendahl, speaking in her native Swedish came through. "Westermark, those raptors are hanging about near us. I don't like the look of them - I've ordered the squadron to climb the trees and get rifles up. These things are gonna try and eat us, sir. I'm sure of it."

"Alright. Stay in the trees, these people down here are friendly. I'm coming up to assist." he said, and then turned back to Rupert, switching back to english. "You said you wanted to capture some wildlife for your conservation, right? My troops spotted a group of some of those raptors I was talking about, they're worried that the animals are going to attack. I'm going to go up and take command, you can come along and try to grab one if you wish?"

[Crockerland]

Rupert almost spoke but remembered something and turned to one of the Crockerland soldiers, ordering that the fleet be informed that friendly Fascistisk forces were on the island before turning back to his previous conversation:

"If you have a picture of your buddy, we'd be glad to be on the lookout for him; Probably not in the rain, though. What kind of animals have you seen specifically that you think are such bad news?"

"We saw some animals, some sort of raptor, on the way in. They looked tough as hell, and they weren't of us - they backed off when we came closer, but it didn't look like fear. A tactical retreat, more like." said Nicolai, stiffening as he heard the distinct crackle of his radio stuttering to life.

The sound of his second in command, Rendahl, speaking in her native Swedish came through. "Westermark, those raptors are hanging about near us. I don't like the look of them - I've ordered the squadron to climb the trees and get rifles up. These things are gonna try and eat us, sir. I'm sure of it."

"Alright. Stay in the trees, these people down here are friendly. I'm coming up to assist." he said, and then turned back to Rupert, switching back to english. "You said you wanted to capture some wildlife for your conservation, right? My troops spotted a group of some of those raptors I was talking about, they're worried that the animals are going to attack. I'm going to go up and take command, you can come along and try to grab one if you wish?"

As the time Nicolai was talking on the radio, Dr. Fieghan, who wielded a CODA net gun, and his 5 soldiers returned to the base, having concluded their brief recon operation without incident.

"Raptors, eh? That certainly sounds... interesting. Yes, I would very much like to accompany you and capture as many of these creatures as possible; Judging by their size, which sort of tranquilizer would you suggest? We have darts meant to sedate dogs, horses, rhinoceroses, and elephants" Rupert asked before shouting over to his soldiers to get the tranquilizers and net guns.

(OOC: Since I didn't want to wait for an entire post about what type of tranquilizer to use, I just assumed that Nicolai would answer and the corresponding darts would be given to the soldiers, but if not then they'd use Rhino tranquilizers)

The Crockerland soldiers retrieved 4 Dan Inject Model IMs and a CODA Net Gun, giving one of the IMs to Rupert.
"Dr. Fieghan, our newfound friend commander Westermark's soldiers have been harassed by some wildlife, get ready and bring two of your soldiers;
Radio officer Nocten, inform the fleet to get their cages over here as soon as possible, we're going to have something to put in them soon;
Sergeant Gartland, you are to be in charge until I return.
Everyone coming with me who has a non-lethal weapon, shoot your dart or net and then switch to live fire, capturing one isn't worth your lives."

Rupert loaded a tranquilizer dart into his gun and counted his 7 companions to assure they were all present before turning back to Nicolai.
"We're ready to go if you are."

[The Yuktobanian Republic]

Recon Team One

"Ah shit, it's raining."

"Shut up." Serena whispered. "Just keep alert."

"How many times must you repeat that?"

Serena smiled. "Enough times to get it into your head."

One of the soldiers sat down on top of a rock, and looked up at the forest canopy, holding his canteen and sipping it. Next to him was his G3A1 that had a magazine loaded in. What the soldiers didn't know is that some of the magazines for the guns held blanks, simply to scare off any natives that decide to attack. The only person with live ammunition was Serena, and her G3A1 was on her back.

"Alright." Serena said. "Move out in fifteen minutes."

New German Cruiser Kiesel

"Engines full." Heinrich ordered.

"Engines full!" The Helmsman replied as he pushed full throttle on the ship.

"Sir, the Skald has sent their coordinates to us. What shall we do?"

"Rendezvous with them." Heinrich said. "We must join forces together."

"What about our reinforcements? Should we call them over?" The radioman asked.

"Request three ships."

"Any spec--" The radioman stuttered.

"The best ones we have so far." Heinrich didn't look up from his console.

"... Yes sir."

And as the Kiesel started on it's way to the Skald, the message to Archelan Naval Command was sent.

[The Selkie]

]

Taiscéalaí.
"I'll be...", the radioman murmured into his non-existing beard as he received the messages, both the one to all vessels and the one specifically directed at them. He called over: "Message from the Skald! They acknowledge our status as non-combattants and offer us an escort out of these waters."
The Captain grinned, hurrying over from his post at the bridge, where he had used binoculars to keep track of the situation, now that his radar was turned off.
"Excellent.", he said with a smile. "They are also asking the other parties to stop firing. Someone with sense." He let a chuckle out. "Radio back..."

Code: Select all

Skald, Taiscéalaí. I thank you very much, in the name of my crew and of myself. We gladly accept your offer of escorting us to safer waters and will follow your directioning.
I owe you one.

"And send a message to Traverse.", the Captain continued, "Inform them about this development."
"Aye, Captain."

As soon as the message was received, the Skald deck prepared to launch four sleek, black FAS-16 jet fighters. Equipped with anti ship missiles in case they ran into trouble with the more aggressive navies present in the Freymore waters, they quickly caught up with the Taiscéalaí. Flying past the ship once in greeting, the formation began to guide the ships away from the growing naval presence in the area.

Within the Skald itself, crewmen were busy preparing for battle. The call for a ceasefire had alerted every ship in the area of the Fascistisk presence, and the foreigners had already shown to be fairly trigger happy. Precautions had to be taken for the safety of everyone on board. More FAS-16 fighters were readied for launch, the ship's own anti ship missiles were prepared; a few hundred Sjokk troopers had even been ordered to equip themselves with arms and armour as a contingency for a hostile force boarding the ship.

New German Cruiser Kiesel

The ship was quiet, with all weapon radars on standby. The ship was ready for any threat that would come across, whether it be an anti-ship missile or an aircraft. It sat still in the blue waters just off the coast of the island, far away from the rest of the foreign ships that were clashing.

Sailors in the bridge were busy trying to monitor both Recon Team One's progress in research and also any threat that might endanger the ship itself. Standing in the middle of the bridge was captain Heinrich, who was somewhat stressed out from all the noise and activity.

"We might need to call for reinforcements." A sailor suggested.

"Maybe." Heinrich said. "We'll do it when things get out of hand."

"Sir!" A radioman yelled, getting up from his seat. "We got another message, this time from the Skald!"

"What does it say?" Heinrich turned.

"They demand that people stop firing on the island, and have sent it to all military vessels in the area."

Heinrich chuckled. "Finally, someone with a sense of humanity! Contact them and offer our support!"

As the radioman nodded, he sat back down on the chair, sending a message over to the Skald.

To: SKALD
From: NEW GERMAN CRUISER KIESEL

This is the Kiesel of the New German Navy, current ship representative of the Archelan Coalition. We humbly request that our forces join together to try to have a cease-fire occur, as the natives on the island are in danger of being destroyed by these military assaults and naval battles. When you have made your decision, we will relay our coordinates to your ship.

"Sir, we've been contacted by the... Kiesel, of the Archelan Coalition. We've written the message down, just as you asked."

The Skjult Marshal nodded and waved the officer away, gently taking the paper and reading the message carefully. He thought for a moment, and then rose from his seat on the bridge and walked over to the communications section, personally transmitting a message back to the Kiesel.

< TO THE KIESEL >

We accept your proposal. This situation is quickly spiralling out of control, and we are only one ship. Alone we can stand no chance to cease the hostilities. The Skald's coordinates are included within this message - Honour to you.

---

Rupert almost spoke but remembered something and turned to one of the Crockerland soldiers, ordering that the fleet be informed that friendly Fascistisk forces were on the island before turning back to his previous conversation:

"If you have a picture of your buddy, we'd be glad to be on the lookout for him; Probably not in the rain, though. What kind of animals have you seen specifically that you think are such bad news?"

"We saw some animals, some sort of raptor, on the way in. They looked tough as hell, and they weren't of us - they backed off when we came closer, but it didn't look like fear. A tactical retreat, more like." said Nicolai, stiffening as he heard the distinct crackle of his radio stuttering to life.

The sound of his second in command, Rendahl, speaking in her native Swedish came through. "Westermark, those raptors are hanging about near us. I don't like the look of them - I've ordered the squadron to climb the trees and get rifles up. These things are gonna try and eat us, sir. I'm sure of it."

"Alright. Stay in the trees, these people down here are friendly. I'm coming up to assist." he said, and then turned back to Rupert, switching back to english. "You said you wanted to capture some wildlife for your conservation, right? My troops spotted a group of some of those raptors I was talking about, they're worried that the animals are going to attack. I'm going to go up and take command, you can come along and try to grab one if you wish?"

Note: Quote modified by the removal of spoiler-tags.

Taiscéalaí.
The little science vessel's crew watched the flyby of the modern fighter jets, reminded of their own country's Stuama light fighters, and their mighty Gaoths, which slowly were phased out. Nobody ever thought about the Veilbhits, ground attack planes.
Still.
It left them uncomfortable. Sure, they were thankful for the escort out of this mess, but they were escorted by four heavily armed warplanes.
That was not how a scientific mission was supposed to end. The Taiscéalaí followed the directioning.

SDFS Carman Fea.
Coincidentally, as the little science vessel Taiscéalaí send its distress signal towards Traverse, Traverse looked up, where the nearest vessels of the SDF-Navy were.
Coincidentally, there was a ship closeby, a small frigate of the SDF-Navy, a bit aged and matured, but still a threat to anyone trying to mess with them or the Taiscéalaí. SDFS Carman Fea was on a training cruise, the Rhiannon-class Frigate being under the command of Captain Liam Fearg of the Tribe of Cavan.
Fearg was known as a strict, but good Captain, an experienced officer, who represented the SDF-Navy on numerous occassions and in numerous settings. Some of which were combat, as he was, besides his many other experiences, veteran of the Halfblakistani Intervention.
As soon as his vessel received word of the situation around the Lands of the Mílítheach, the Captain changed heading - northwards. It would be more then a few hours until they were at the southern outer edges of the general vincity of the area, but it would be worth the time.
The engines sped up to the full 33 knots of the gas engines of the little ship. Action stations were manned.

[Fascistisk State]

As the time Nicolai was talking on the radio, Dr. Fieghan, who wielded a CODA net gun, and his 5 soldiers returned to the base, having concluded their brief recon operation without incident.

"Raptors, eh? That certainly sounds... interesting. Yes, I would very much like to accompany you and capture as many of these creatures as possible; Judging by their size, which sort of tranquilizer would you suggest? We have darts meant to sedate dogs, horses, rhinoceroses, and elephants" Rupert asked before shouting over to his soldiers to get the tranquilizers and net guns.

(OOC: Since I didn't want to wait for an entire post about what type of tranquilizer to use, I just assumed that Nicolai would answer and the corresponding darts would be given to the soldiers, but if not then they'd use Rhino tranquilizers)

The Crockerland soldiers retrieved 4 Dan Inject Model IMs and a CODA Net Gun, giving one of the IMs to Rupert.
"Dr. Fieghan, our newfound friend commander Westermark's soldiers have been harassed by some wildlife, get ready and bring two of your soldiers;
Radio officer Nocten, inform the fleet to get their cages over here as soon as possible, we're going to have something to put in them soon;
Sergeant Gartland, you are to be in charge until I return.
Everyone coming with me who has a non-lethal weapon, shoot your dart or net and then switch to live fire, capturing one isn't worth your lives."

Rupert loaded a tranquilizer dart into his gun and counted his 7 companions to assure they were all present before turning back to Nicolai.
"We're ready to go if you are."

"I'd think that a horse tranquilizer would do just fine," said Nicolai, letting his camouflage cloak fall back over his midsection as he prepared to go back into the rain. "I'm ready, lets go." He turned to the other Fascistisk soldier, tapping him on the shoulder and exiting the tent. He pulled up his radio, giving his soldiers one last message before he went back to them.

"Rendahl? Tell the squadron that we're coming back, with a group of new friendlies. They want to capture one of those raptors - try not to lethal them."

"Yeah, will do. Respectfully, I'll ask that you hurry, I don't know if these things can climb trees. If they can, we're a bit screwed up here."

"We're on our way now." replied Nicolai, beginning to make his way back to his detachment of soldiers, with the Crockerland soldiers in tow with all their equipment for capturing one of the beasts.

---

Skald - Bridge

"Sir, the Keisel is in view. Orders?"

The Skjult-Marshal rose again from his seat, moving over to a window to observe the outline of the Keisel on the horizon. This was supposed to be a simple mission - enter the island, find the target, bring him back to face Fascistisk justice. Now, they were down four FAS-16s and involved in some kind of peacekeeping mission. He didn't regret ordering such things... It just wasn't supposed to be necessary.

He turned sharply, staring at the officer that had asked him for instructions.
Ask them to send an official to our carrier. I'd like to communicate with their commander, in person.

The officer nodded, sending a message to the Keisel.

< MESSAGE TO THE KEISEL >

Your warship is now in full view of our craft. Our commander, Skjult Marshal Navn Ukjent, has requested that you send some sort of official to properly communicate between our two vessels.

Our flight deck shall have a space cleared for a helicopter if you should accept.

[The Freymore]

South Eastern Forest
Natalia

The people were staying beneath her. She knew she had to stay still, the branch was starting to become slippery. She would have to move soon, or she would fall from the tree and end her life from injuries, if not a broken neck. She slowly made her way to the base of the tree, doing her best to stay in the shadows, but it would have been nearly impossible to go completely unnoticed if someone was looking in her direction. Natalia was still scared, but now it was an issue of survival. She had no choice but to try and escape. She placed her rifle in it's back-sheathe and placed her legs on either side of the tree, and made a slow and painful progress downward.

Then she froze. Her ammunition pouch was caught on a small branch she hadn't noticed. Shit. She couldn't release her arms now or she would fall. She tried to make her way back up and get the pouch off of the tree but she lost her grip and slid down several feet. There was the sound of tearing, and she looked down just time to see all of her rifle's ammunition but the bullet that was in her rifle fall the earth with a jingling crash.

She froze again, slowly sliding, trying to avoid being seen.

North Western Forest

The Draki began their attack at the same instant their was a crash of thunder. They were tearing through the forest, the thick soaked hides glistening in the small amount of light. There was a loud roar, and instantly they dashed from the edge of the forest, trying to climb their way up the trees that soldiers had taken positions in, to varying degress of success. Most ran past the trees, heading straight for the camp. Ten beasts in total ran for the camp, five trying to get into the trees, only two really having any success getting into them.

The roars only got louder and they tried to make a feast out of the soldiers.

[Fascistisk State]

North Western Forest

The Draki began their attack at the same instant their was a crash of thunder. They were tearing through the forest, the thick soaked hides glistening in the small amount of light. There was a loud roar, and instantly they dashed from the edge of the forest, trying to climb their way up the trees that soldiers had taken positions in, to varying degrees of success. Most ran past the trees, heading straight for the camp. Ten beasts in total ran for the camp, five trying to get into the trees, only two really having any success getting into them.

The roars only got louder and they tried to make a feast out of the soldiers.

Spesialist Rendahl was shocked at the sheer ferocity of the attack, yelping and trying to climb higher in the tree as a beast dug it's claws into the bark and tried to climb upwards. She shouldered her F-HK 417, firing the full-power rounds at the head of the Draki. She wasn't in a good firing position, and she missed several shots before two found their mark. The beast fell to the ground, shot dead. Three other Draki were milling around the forest floor, occasionally jumping at the trees and snapping their powerful jaws.

Rendahl heard a cry of pain, and looked over to see one of the Draki tugging on a soldier's leg - Korporal Öberg. Blood was staining the flecktarn uniform, washed away quickly by the heavy rain. She got the attention of another soldier in an adjacent tree, the designated marksman of the Sjokk squadron. "Eriksson, shoot that thing! Take your time with the aim, a leg bite is better than 7.62 in the chest!"

Eriksson took aim, leaning his rifle on a branch and pointing it at the beast attemping to drag his comrade to the forest floor. Firing three rounds, the animal released it's jaws and fell to the forest floor, twitching. Rendahl nodded to her marksman, and then looked over at the bitten soldier. His leg looked terrible, the flesh was torn and mangled. "Everyone open up on those bastards, I don't give a fuck about capturing a single one!"

The rest of the soldiers followed suit, releasing a hail of gunfire on the animals below them. It seemed to take multiple rounds for each animal, but the pack was dealt with eventually. Rendahl lowered herself from the tree, running over to Öberg and taking him out of the tree. Upon closer inspection, her fears were confirmed. He was breathing quickly, mumbling an old Kombihæren victory song. He was bleeding heavily, too heavily.

She took off her shemagh scarf, and placed it around his leg to try to stem the bleeding. "We need to get him out of the rain. We make our way to that camp, alright? Out of the trees, now. Watch for more of those things, shoot them as they appear."

---

Nicolai saw the Draki as soon as he left the camp, racing towards the groups of men roaring and gnashing their teeth.
"Oh shit! We need to get back inside!" he said, pushing his subordinate behind him as he pulled his pistol and fired a few inaccurate rounds at the advancing beasts. He was regretting leaving his rifle with the others now.

"I'll cover you." said the Skjult Operator, raising his own rifle and firing several shots at one of the Draki. It was surprisingly resilient to the 5.56 bullets, but it couldn't withstand the bursts of fire for very long. "Lets hope our new friends have a plan, eh Kommandør?" said the Operator, standing and moving backwards as he fired into the advancing group of Draki.

[Crockerland]

North Western Forest

The Draki began their attack at the same instant their was a crash of thunder. They were tearing through the forest, the thick soaked hides glistening in the small amount of light. There was a loud roar, and instantly they dashed from the edge of the forest, trying to climb their way up the trees that soldiers had taken positions in, to varying degress of success. Most ran past the trees, heading straight for the camp. Ten beasts in total ran for the camp, five trying to get into the trees, only two really having any success getting into them.

The roars only got louder and they tried to make a feast out of the soldiers.

Spesialist Rendahl was shocked at the sheer ferocity of the attack, yelping and trying to climb higher in the tree as a beast dug it's claws into the bark and tried to climb upwards. She shouldered her F-HK 417, firing the full-power rounds at the head of the Draki. She wasn't in a good firing position, and she missed several shots before two found their mark. The beast fell to the ground, shot dead. Three other Draki were milling around the forest floor, occasionally jumping at the trees and snapping their powerful jaws.

Rendahl heard a cry of pain, and looked over to see one of the Draki tugging on a soldier's leg - Korporal Öberg. Blood was staining the flecktarn uniform, washed away quickly by the heavy rain. She got the attention of another soldier in an adjacent tree, the designated marksman of the Sjokk squadron. "Eriksson, shoot that thing! Take your time with the aim, a leg bite is better than 7.62 in the chest!"

Eriksson took aim, leaning his rifle on a branch and pointing it at the beast attemping to drag his comrade to the forest floor. Firing three rounds, the animal released it's jaws and fell to the forest floor, twitching. Rendahl nodded to her marksman, and then looked over at the bitten soldier. His leg looked terrible, the flesh was torn and mangled. "Everyone open up on those bastards, I don't give a fuck about capturing a single one!"

The rest of the soldiers followed suit, releasing a hail of gunfire on the animals below them. It seemed to take multiple rounds for each animal, but the pack was dealt with eventually. Rendahl lowered herself from the tree, running over to Öberg and taking him out of the tree. Upon closer inspection, her fears were confirmed. He was breathing quickly, mumbling an old Kombihæren victory song. He was bleeding heavily, too heavily.

She took off her shemagh scarf, and placed it around his leg to try to stem the bleeding. "We need to get him out of the rain. We make our way to that camp, alright? Out of the trees, now. Watch for more of those things, shoot them as they appear."

---

Nicolai saw the Draki as soon as he left the camp, racing towards the groups of men roaring and gnashing their teeth.
"Oh shit! We need to get back inside!" he said, pushing his subordinate behind him as he pulled his pistol and fired a few inaccurate rounds at the advancing beasts. He was regretting leaving his rifle with the others now.

"I'll cover you." said the Skjult Operator, raising his own rifle and firing several shots at one of the Draki. It was surprisingly resilient to the 5.56 bullets, but it couldn't withstand the bursts of fire for very long. "Lets hope our new friends have a plan, eh Kommandør?" said the Operator, standing and moving backwards as he fired into the advancing group of Draki.

"Open fire!" Rupert shouted, aiming his dart gun and letting loose a dart into one of the beasts, causing it to stumble forwards for a few seconds before collapsing, and The doctor shot his net gun over one of the Draki, ensnaring it, but all of the other shots either failed to hit vulnerable areas or missed entirely.

Rupert grabbed his .375, intended for hunting elephants and rhinos in the depths of Africa, and as one of the Draki rushed the group, fired once, decapitating it above the jaw, and sending it's body flying onto it's back.

Rupert shouted for a slight retreat to the safety of the camp and the other soldiers finally managed to begin firing on the Draki hoard, as the snipers above the cliff aimed down on the Draki and began firing on them, but found it hard to fire on such rapidly moving targets.

Thankfully, the tank crew had mobilized as soon as they heard gunfire, and turned the tank's Rheinmetall MG3A1 to defend the entrance.

[The Yuktobanian Republic]

Recon Team One

Serena continued looking up at the sky, wondering why she was assigned to do this mission. She had wanted to go to somewhere tropical, but with a safe athmosphere. This place could kill her at any moment, and it made her feel uneasy.

"Man, if I had enough money, I would go vacation in Centenniality right now." Serena said.

"If I had money, I would go vacation period." A soldier replied, laughing.

"Pfft, yep." Serena smiled as she looked at the soldier. "Too bad that we--"

Rip.

She heard a rip of some sort.

Serena and the squad perked up, holding their G3s at the ready. They then stared at the direction of the sound of the bullets falling. Watching the bullets fall to the ground, Serena slowly raised her G3A1 and slowly moved towards the sound, being cautious.

"Provide covering fire if it's hostile." She muttered.

"Roger." A soldier responded, loading his G3A1.

New German Cruiser Kiesel (CGN-36)

"Reinforcements are on the way?" Heinrich asked.

"The Centericans are up to something, but yeah, they are on the way." A sailor responded.

"Good, good." He nodded as he looked in the distance. "Ah, there is the Skald."

"Sir! Message from the Skald!" The radioman yelled. "They request that we send over an official to communicate."

Thinking for a bit, he nodded. "I'll go over there. Tell them we accept the request, and get the helicopter ready."

"Yes sir!" The radioman yelled.

As the helicopter was prepared on the helicopter pad, Heinrich rubbed his hair as he went down to the aft deck. He passed by numerous sailors, who saluted him. He also passed by the aft twin arm launcher that had two RIM-66s loaded. He knew that the ship was ready for any threat, it's just the matter of locking on. Watching as the helicopter, an imported AW159 Wildcat, spin up, he boarded it and sat down on a chair. As the side doors closed, the Wildcat took off, headed to the Skald.

Yktobanian Destroyer Czrozny (DD-971)

Captain Oplot Namer stood in the bridge of the Czrozny, pumped for this mission. It had been a few weeks since the ending of the Cedorian War, and now it was time for him to return to duty. He knew that most of the ships that were part of the Cedorian Response Fleet were still under repair, so he was glad that the Czrozny was undamaged, which meant that it could still serve. All he remembered from his new assignment was that he was part of a joint task force that is being sent to some unmarked islands.

"Another mission?" A voice beside Oplot asked.

Oplto looked down, and smiled when he saw a pair of dark grey eyes stare at him. That pair of grey eyes belonged to Naia Czrozny, a normal 17 year old girl. She had a grey shirt and a blue skirt that matched her dark blue hair. All in all, she looked like a normal human, although people could question why a 17 year old is onboard a Yuktobanian Ship.

That's because she was an AI.

When people first think "AI", they would think a machine that can shoot lasers and has an undying hate for human beings, like those ones on space stations in movies that want to kill everybody onboard. This was just not the case for an actual one. Although Naia is self-aware, she could still process a bunch of information relating to battlefield activities. The Yuktobanian Navy made Naia specifically for a fast reaction time compared to her human counterparts. She did not have to go through the problems of calling various commands in the ship to authenticate a target. She simply would track a target and launch a missile accordingly. This made her able to track, mark, and destroy a target similar to the AEGIS radar. Throughout all of this, she still had enough processing power to make herself a physical form using hard light, a so called "mental model". For Naia, this was in the form of a 17 year old girl. Contrary to popular belief, she cannot fire lasers out of her eyes, and she also does not hate humans with a passion. She enjoys life as it is, being a helper on a battlefield.

Oplot pat Naia on the head. "Don't worry, we aren't alone like last time."

Naia smiled, closing her eyes as she sat down on a chair. "Good..."

Looking at his console, Oplot picked up the paper that listed all the ships in the task force he was in.

TASK FORCE 1
x1 Sprucinda-Class Destroyer (YUK)
- Czrozny (AI)
x1 Oured-Class Guided Missile Destroyer (HELM)
- Dierden
x1 Valour-Class Guided Missile Frigate (CEN)
- Valour
x1 Hanazuki-Class Guided Missile Destroyer (JAI)
- Inori
x1 Si-Lo-Class Amphibious Assault Ship (SA)
- Lake Takao
x1 Type 23-Class Guided Missile Frigate (ENG)
- Riverhead

Attached Marine Units
No. 5 Naval Squadron (ENG) (Onboard Lake Takao)
- Harrier GR.10M
NASWS-331 (YUK) (Onboard Lake Takao)
- MH-14PLM
- Lynx NASH
2nd Sapery Company (YUK) (Onboard Lake Takao)
- Challenger 2A6
- FV718 Armata
- Challenger 2 ARVE
6th Jäger Force (NGC) (Onboard Lake Takao)
- M36 Razorback

He set down the paper, nodding. It was going to be a long day.