[Earth II] To Fall from Olympus

[Layarteb]

Prologue
Sparking a Revolution

August 31, 1956 - 00:20 hrs [UTC+2]
Near Fisini, Lemnos
Lemnos Penitentiary #3
(39° 48' 38" N, 25° 20' 48" E)

"We must speak in English for our Soviet brothers," whispered Vasilis to the man crouching beside him, "Greek is for us. They will not understand us," he continued, chiding the man. "Do you understand Spiridon?"

"Yes Vasilis, I do, I am sorry," Spiridon replied. In the fading moonlight of a clear and otherwise delightful night in southeastern Lemnos, Vasilis, Spiridon, and thirteen others crouched behind a low wall made of stacked rocks, just fifty meters from the gates of Lemnos Penitentiary #3. Tonight was to be a night of daring heroism for Vasilis and his cause, which was heralded under the banner and title "Lemnosian Communist Commune" or LCC for short. "Vasilis, I am nervous about this. What if…"

"Spiridon, no more 'what ifs' please, we are going to be successful. Lieutenant Zuyev assures me that his men will be able to perform as we have practiced. We did not accept the Soviet Spetsnaz for nothing you know."

"I hope he's right then," Spiridon continued, worrying still, just as he'd been doing for the past four weeks while the LCC and their Spetsnaz allies trained for tonight's mission, which would ignite a new chapter in the island's somewhat tumultuous history.

Lemnos, the Republic of, existed in modernity for only one hundred and fifty-six years, despite history dating back beyond Antiquity. In 1800, Lemnos was under Byzantine rule and popular discontent against the Byzantine government rose and fermented for twenty years. Desirous of a representative democratic system, Lemnosian citizens staged protests, wrote articles and missives denouncing their Byzantine rulers, and focused on building a rebellion. Initially dismissed by the Byzantine government, the Lemnosians ushered in a rebellion against the Byzantine government forces on the island on June 9, 1820 and until February 16, 1824, the Byzantine government and the Lemnosian people fought a bloody rebellion where guerilla warfare was the name of the game. After forty-four months of fighting though, the Byzantine government gave up, despite having killed more Lemnosians guerillas than they lost in men.

On February 27, 1824, the Republic of Lemnos was declared and it included not just the island of Lemnos but also Agios Efstratios. The Republic of Lemnos grew slowly after its split with the Byzantine government but by 1880, reconciliation was beginning. Just as it took twenty years to foment a rebellion so too did it take twenty years to achieve reconciliation between the Byzantine government and the Republic of Lemnos. Then, in 1932, due to its strategic location in the Aegean Sea, which put it at the mouth of the Dardanelles and thus the entrance to the Black Sea, the USSR began to court the Republic of Lemnos. The USSR's communist ideals did not initially appeal to the Lemnosian people, despite their largely agrarian society. In 1935, support for the USSR was a paltry 5% but the USSR did not throw in the towel and through propaganda and continued effort, that number grew to 35% by 1950. All of this worried the Lemnosian government.

In April 1949, as a move against the USSR, the Lemnosian government invited the Eurasian military to set up a radar, reconnaissance, and communications base on the island, which would be oriented towards the Dardanelles. The base's primary purpose would be to watch and catalogue Soviet shipping entering and exiting the Black Sea, a move that incensed the Soviet leadership. As a result, the Soviets continued to focus on building a communist guerilla force, which would, per their hopes, take over the government by whatever means necessary and toss out the Eurasians, a sworn enemy of the USSR. The back-and-forth continued and in 1951, a new administration took over the Lemnosian government. Ardently anti-communist, this administration was led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Argyris, who had resigned from the military as a colonel in order to run for the small country's highest office. His party, the Independent Lemnos Party, the ILP, took over 65% of the seats of Lemnos' Parliament in the 1950 elections. The ILP was a right-wing party focused on opposing the Soviets and aligning with the anti-Soviet powers of Europe, including the United Eurasian Federation. However, the ILP expressed a strong desire to remain an independent nation. Their opposite, the Lemnosian Progress Party, the LPP, was a left-wing party that aligned with the USSR. The LPP was led by opposite leader, Lavrentios Zabat, a man that Prime Minister Argyris was particularly at odds with daily.

To counter the influence of the Soviets, Prime Minister Argyris instituted a series of executive orders and directives that authorized the police and the military to crack down on pro-Soviet and other leftist groups. The first raids against these organizations occurred in late 1951 and by 1956, five years later, Lemnos' prisons were full of Soviet supporters and pro-Soviet groups were considered illegal and subversive. Through disputed measures, Prime Minister Argyris held new elections in April 1956. Perhaps due to his crackdowns, the LPP was unable to garner more than 10% of the vote and thus Lemnos' Parliament was over 90% ILP. By then, a civil war was brewing and it was only a matter of time before it went from the planning stages to full on ignition.

Tonight's event was meant to be that watershed. Since the crackdowns began, the pro-Soviet and leftist groups had been increasingly driven underground. Splintering and fracturing occurred at first while groups disagreed on how to proceed. As more and more prominent leaders were arrested and jailed, where torture and kangaroo courts were standard procedures, the groups were forced to consolidate. Slowly, the LCC was formed but it was only meant to be misdirection. This was going to be the public banner, the civilian wing of a paramilitary organization consisting of Lemnos' pro-Soviet guerillas and their Soviet allies. The true name of the organization was the Lemnosian Independence Brigade, the LIB. This was the organization, which made contact with the Soviets, and in early June of 1956, received one squad of soldiers from the newly formed Spetsnaz GRU.

Vasilis was the LIB's go-to man. He wasn't the organization's leader but he was the man who would lead the missions. A former army sergeant gone AWOL, Vasilis Katsaros was thirty-two years old. He was no marksman nor was he a specialist. He was a regular, army sergeant. He didn't stand out in any way except for one. Men who fought under him trusted him and they would follow him into battle no matter where he went or whom he fought. The shaky Spiridon was one such example. Despite being in the army too, he wasn't much of a soldier. Like Vasilis, he wasn't remarkable in any way but he was another gun and on a night such as tonight, numbers mattered. It also helped that Spiridon was one of Vasilis' closest confidantes. He regarded the man as a good luck charm, so to speak and with battle looming, luck was needed above all.

Vasilis reflected on the series of events leading up to tonight. He and his men had been training for a month now, using the remote and unfriendly terrain of Agios Efstratios to practice their assault on Lemnos Penitentiary #3, where they hoped to spring seventy-two captives, all of them political prisoners who would never see the light of day again. Lemnos Penitentiary #3 was notorious amongst the leftist groups and the seventy-two captives that Vasilis hoped to free were all high-ranking and influential men within the pro-Soviet groups. Their liberation would be a major blow to the Lemnosian government and it would help ignite the revolution against Prime Minister Argyris' hostile and unfriendly regime. During the War of Independence in the 1820s, Lemnosian guerillas used Agios Efstratios to horde supplies, treat their wounded, and to retreat to when the Byzantine forces handed them military defeats.

Just as it had been a safe haven for the first guerillas, it too would be a safe haven for this generation of guerillas. They planned to make their way south to the island, which was just over twenty nautical miles away. It would be a refuge for them in this time and it was where the LIB had set up their camps, their supply depots, and conducted their training. Unlike Lemnos, Agios Efstratios was sparsely populated and that plus its terrain suited the LIB just as it had suited the original guerillas. Unfortunately, for the LIB though the original guerillas were rolling in their graves that their sanctuary had been corrupted by pro-Soviet groups.

Vasilis thought only vaguely of the makers of history, falsely assuming that they would have looked upon him with respect and he was pulled out of this train of thought by the whispered and accented voice of none other than Lieutenant Vladimir Zuyev, the Spetsnaz squad leader. "Vasilis, are your men ready?"

"Yes Lieutenant, when we are ready Stylianos will neutralize the first guard tower while Dimitris will take the second one. Our rocketeers will lead the way through the gate just as we practiced. Are your marksman in place?"

"They are Vasilis; they are waiting only for the signal. This is the time of triumph for your brothers Vasilis."

"Thank you Lieutenant, then we should go before something goes wrong. We cannot wait here forever."

"No we cannot, two minutes. Give the order."

"Yes Lieutenant," Vasilis said as the Spetsnaz lieutenant ran back to his position in line. Two minutes later, Vasilis extended the antenna on his SCR-536 radio, and whispered into it, "Stylianos, are you ready?"

"Yes Vasilis," came the hushed reply.

"Thirty seconds."

"Thirty seconds, copy," came the reply and Vasilis rushed to fold the antenna and get the radio back into the backpack that Spiridon was lugging. He'd practiced doing this maneuver repeatedly but now that he was nervous, with sweaty hands, it took him eighteen seconds tonight, not the usual ten. He had only just enough time to raise his rifle when the loud report of an RPG-2 shoulder-fired, anti-tank rocket echoed across the otherwise quiet and still plain around the jail. The small, 82-millimeter rocket streaked forward for one hundred and seventy-five meters before the contact fuse impacted the meaty part of the main watch tower, detonating the high-explosive, anti-tank warhead. Originally designed to knock out or disable tanks, the Spetsnaz had shown the LIB guerillas that they could be used effectively against static defenses as well. Five hundred had been brought to Agios Efstratios and the LIB guerillas using them tonight had each fired over fifty rockets before they had been considered proficient in the system. Thanks to the expert teaching of the Spetsnaz soldiers, they were able to use them effectively at their maximum range, which was one hundred and fifty to two hundred meters. Owing to that training too, just as Stylianos' rocket struck, Dimitris fired.

Both guard towers were neutralized with one shot a piece, the desired effect. The eight guerillas and eight Spetsnaz soldiers hiding along the low wall immediately popped over it and ran quickly to the main wall of the prison, hiding alongside it while Stylianos fired a second RPG-2 rocket into the main gate, blasting both doors off of their hinges. Dimitris, ready with another round, fired into the opening aiming his rocket to the ground, turning the RPG-2 from an anti-tank and an anti-defense weapon into an anti-personnel weapon. The fragmentation effects of the rocket tore through the weak flesh of the gate's guards, incapacitating all of them. "Men, now!" Vasilis ordered as the fifteen men ran towards the front gate, weapons shouldered. Between the eighteen men, there were two rocketeers, three light machine gunners armed with PPSh-41s, ten riflemen armed with AK-47s, one marksman with a Mosin-Nagant, and two submachine gunners with PPS'. All three of the latter were Spetsnaz soldiers.

Vasilis led the way into the prison and ignored the high-powered roar of the Mosin as the sniper took down a single guard climbing up the ladder of the main guard tower. That body fell just ten meters away from Vasilis, who brought his men up to the main entranceway of the prison. Lemnos Penitentiary #3 was a small facility, relatively speaking, with space for only one hundred and fifty prisoners. It was only half-full. Vasilis quickly tried the handle of the door to find that it was locked. Having planned for this eventuality, he brought his men back around the corner of the building while one of the rocketeers put an RPG-2 through the front door. Each rocketeer had only four rockets each, their loaded rocket and three reloads in a backpack. Each rocket weighed nearly 4.7 kilograms so the rocketeers were all too happy to get rid of them. Stylianos was down to his last and Dimitris had two more remaining.

With the door gone, Vasilis and his men returned to the opening but as the Spetsnaz soldiers trained them, they did not rush in to a slaughter. Instead, they threw in grenades. Knowing the layout of the prison helped. They were facing a twenty-meter corridor with nothing but walls on either side. It was for defensive purposes but it could be neutralized with hand grenades, especially when eight of them were thrown. Vasilis had the morose task of counting each one and with his already ringing ears, which was a chore. "Eight, let's go!" He finally yelled and he entered, crouched, and fired off a burst of AK fire, cutting down one wounded guard. Everyone entered behind him and together, the men moved down the corridor. They would split into two groups now, seven with Vasilis and six with Lieutenant Zuyev, each heading for a different cell block, Vasilis to A and Zuyev to B.

Thus far, the assault had neutralized the prison's two guard towers and killed eight of the guards, five outside and three waiting in the corridor. There were twenty more guards and as the assaulters moved into the cellblocks, two things happened, the guards called for help and they dug-in, ready to meet the assaulters. For the next eight minutes, while help was being assembled, the assaulters and the guards traded shots and grenades. In the end, Vasilis' group was able to move into Cell Block A, having taken down four guards and injured three more. Lieutenant Zuyev, on the other hand, was still pinned down though his group had been able to kill three guards and injure two. That left eight overall, five of which were holding Cell Block B. The other three were locked in the upper floors, communicating with their help, a military unit nearly ten kilometers away.

Time was ticking away and Vasilis' group moved into the cell block to free what prisoners they could. In the not too far distance, they could hear the gunfight in Cell Block B and the noise worried Vasilis who had no lost a man or a prisoner yet. As the minutes ticked away and worry came across his brow, Vasilis turned to Spiridon and put his hand on his shoulder, "Get these prisoners out of here. I am taking three men and going around to help the Lieutenant."

"Good luck Vasilis," responded Spiridon, who took to the task while Vasilis and three others, including one of the Spetsnaz soldiers, raced off towards Cell Block B. Thirty-two prisoners had been liberated.

---

• |- 1 -| •

[Layarteb]

August 31, 1956 - 00:35 hrs [UTC+2]
Near Fisini, Lemnos
Lemnos Penitentiary #3
(39° 48' 38" N, 25° 20' 48" E)

Vasilis was out of breath by the time he and the three men he took with him arrived at the rear of Cell Block B. The commotion of the prison raid had gotten to the prisoners being held there and as Vasilis led his men into the main part of the cellblock, he did so to cheering and screaming prisoners. Garbage and the contents of peoples' cells were being tossed everywhere and as such, there was litter everywhere, from the upper catwalks down to the main floor. The cheering of the prisoners was so loud that it nearly drained out the gunshots being traded back and forth between the guards and Lieutenant Zuyev's group. Using just the hand signals he and his men had practiced, Vasilis had his men fan out but keep low, their weapons shouldered and aimed ahead.

The cellblock was uproarious with cheering and Vasilis wasted no time trying to keep them quiet for it would have been a fool's errand. Freedom was within grasp for the prisoners and for Vasilis, so too was victory. He just had one hurdle to leap over and that hurdle was five prison guards, armed with shotguns and submachine guns, holding the entrance to Cell Block B. The guards had toppled over a variety of furniture to provide a wedge for the guerilla troops and they were using the concrete walls and what obstacles they created for cover. For that reason, they had good cover and they were able to fire effectively while Lieutenant Zuyev and his group were largely bottled up and restrained. Only two or three men could fire at once from safety while the rest had to hang back, waiting for the cessation of this standoff. Curses echoed from the guards as they held their superior position and Vasilis took them all to heart as he and his men exited the cellblock and moved down the final corridor.

The voices, the gunshots, and the tirade were all getting louder as Vasilis and his men, crouching and keeping near the walls and out of sight, moved down the corridor in a single line, their weapons all aimed forward. No one had any grenades so when they had to attack, they would have to do so with the weapons abutting their shoulders, three AK-47s and one PPS submachine gun, that being in the hands of the one Soviet Spetsnaz soldier.

Upon reaching the end of the corridor, Vasilis and his men took a knee and Vasilis looked at the Spetsnaz soldier who was, for all intents and purposes, the superior of the two. "How do you want to do this friend?" He whispered as the soldier took his position next to Vasilis.

"I have to see how they are, cover me just in case…" He said, his voice trailing off as he inched up to the wall and, keeping low and close to it, moved his right eye around the edge of the doorframe. He looked for five seconds before he snapped back. "They did not see me but they are well dug-in there. Three men are using the protection of the walls and we cannot get them easily. Two others are only exposed when they pop up to fire and they have cover between us and them."

"Grenades would have been good. Should we go back to get some?"

"No time. Our enemy will have reinforcements coming from Moudros and they have helicopters. They will be here soon."

"Okay friend, then how do you want us to do this?"

"Stay here, I will handle these two now…" The Spetsnaz soldier adjusted his submachine gun and leaned around the corner once more. Biding his time, he resolved to staying exposed for no more than thirty seconds and mentally, he started the countdown in his head the moment his submachine gun barrel appeared, not the rest of his body. Tension hung in the air between Vasilis, his men, and the Spetsnaz soldier but it was broken after eight seconds, an infinite amount of time in a gunfight. One of the prison guards, who had been crouched behind cover, exposed his torso to send a volley of shotgun pellets towards Lieutenant Zuyev's group and as he did, the Spetsnaz soldier fired a short and controlled burst, three bullets from his 35-round magazine. All three bullets hit in a tight group above the soldier's heart and blew out through his throat, immediately dropping him to the ground.

The other guard, who had not seen where the shots had come from, popped up upon seeing his mortally wounded comrade and like his mortally wounded comrade, he too fell a split second later, this time from four versus three rounds. The Spetsnaz soldier quickly retreated and exhaled, now that the engagement was over and done, "Okay, both of them are cleared. The other three will not be so easy."

"How do we get them, and avoid being shot by our own men?"

"Give me the radio, I hope Lieutenant Zuyev has his handy." The Spetsnaz soldier said. He took the radio and whispered into it, speaking in Russian rather than English. Miraculously, he got a reply and from what Vasilis heard, it was Lieutenant Zuyev. Fortune was indeed shining upon them, Vasilis thought to himself as the Spetsnaz soldier continued to talk. When he was done, he handed the radio back, "Lieutenant Zuyev is a good soldier."

"What did he say?"

"We're going to advance into the corridor. You cover the left with you," the Spetsnaz soldier said, nominating one of the other guerillas. To the third, he said, "And you are with me and we will cover the right. Lieutenant Zuyev will hold on firing down the corridor, in hopes of drawing out the last three guards. We are going to keep low - and advance to the obstruction where the two guards were. We will use their cover for our cover. We will not cross it. When the soldiers expose themselves we will fire on them. If they notice that they are being flanked, we will hunker down. Lieutenant Zuyev will listen for me. If that happens, I will yell to him, 'Berkut.' Do you understand that word?" Head's nodded, "That will mean for him to attack."

"Simple plan. Let's go now then."

"Yes Vasilis, let's go," the four men exited the corridor and moved into the next one, advancing slowly towards the cover that the guards had established. As they did, one of the guards using the concrete walls for cover popped his head and half of his body out to deliver shotgun pellets towards Lieutenant Zuyev's group. For Vasilis, this was the moment of his making. He'd never killed anyone before today but since this raid had begun, he had cut down one wounded guard with a burst of AK fire. Now he had a second within his sights and without overthinking the matter, he fired off another burst of gunfire, two rounds, both of which caught the guard in the lower torso, spinning him around and dropping him to the ground. The Spetsnaz soldier fired a quick burst himself as the guard hit the ground, killing him in the process but alerting the guards that they were being flanked. The plan had, until then, been going smoothly but - true to the saying - no plan survived contact with the enemy.

The guards quickly split their fire, one shooting towards Lieutenant Zuyev's group while the other shot towards Vasilis' group. His aim was good and in his first burst, the guard cut down the guerilla that was with the Spetsnaz soldier. The submachine gun rounds stitched him from belt to throat and as Vasilis, the other guerilla; and the Spetsnaz soldier dove for cover, they saw their wounded comrade bleeding out in front of them, unable to move to save him. It was a hard decision to make but Vasilis bore it as the Spetsnaz soldier yelled the word, "Berkut!" They were pinned down, unable to fire back effectively. Upon hearing this crucial word, Lieutenant Zuyev and his men poured fire upon the two guards' positions. In doing so, they killed the one who was firing against Vasilis and his men but the other safely retreated and the standoff continued.

Another Russian word was exchanged and the Spetsnaz soldier gave a thumb's up to Vasilis. Together, they popped up and poured fire on the guard's position while Lieutenant Zuyev and his group advanced into the corridor. With the continued, suppressive fire on the guard, Lieutenant Zuyev was able to make a daring rush to his position and with a burst of rifle fire, kill the guard, thus eliminating the threat to Cell Block B. Lieutenant Zuyev, victorious now, approached Vasilis, "We must hurry, backup will be coming. We will take care of the prisoners here, evacuate your cellblock comrade."

"We will!" With a handshake, Vasilis and his men departed, leaving their fallen comrade where he lay. Lieutenant Zuyev would ultimately remove the man's weaponry and whatever he had in his pockets, thus ensuring that nothing could lead the authorities back to the guerillas' base on Agios Efstratios.

Back in Cell Block A, Vasilis found that his companion, Spiridon was ready. The prisoners were all lined up and preparing to go. A quick body count had to be taken. Twenty guards had been killed, five had been injured, and three remaining holed up where the guerillas were not going to tread. However, for the guerillas, three men were dead. Two in Lieutenant Zuyev's group were killed when they initially stormed Cell Block B and the third was killed from Vasilis' group when they went to flank the guards. It was a shameful thing to think about for Vasilis, who like all commanders, wished for zero friendly casualties. Despite now having three dead, the meaning of their mission didn't change at all.

"Spiridon," Vasilis said as they stopped at the entrance to the cellblock. Just a few meters away was the outside air. In the background, the klaxon of the prison was sounding, blocking out all other noise, even the cracking of the fires from the RPG-2 rockets. Outside, Dimitris and Stylianos had retreated back to cover while the Spetsnaz sniper had shifted to join them.

"Yes?"

"You will lead the first group of prisoners out of here, you two, you will go with them. One in the front, one in the rear. Take twelve men now. The other twenty will come out with us. Move quickly for the rock wall and hurry."

"Yes, we will immediately." Spiridon nodded and as bravery came over him, he and his group of fourteen ran out of the cellblock, into the open, and made their way for the gate. Proud of seeing his friend take charge, and move out, Vasilis watched with awe as they made for the gate, crossed outside of it, and continued - but then horror struck, which paralyzed him.

The explosion that hit Spiridon's group came out of nowhere - and it was quickly followed by a second. The entire ground erupted in a fountain of dirt as the men were all thrown to the ground. Writhing on it, they were all knocked down, all fifteen of them, with one single explosion, the second slaughtering their already wounded bodies. Clustered tightly, whatever it had been had torn through the men. Vasilis could only see a handful of them moving and before he realized it, gunfire was smashing into the prostrate bodies of the men. In seconds, all fifteen of them had been peppered with bullets. Those who were moving stopped and Vasilis could then hear his radio. Dimitris was screaming into it, "Stay inside! Stay inside!"

"Dimitris, what has happened? Can you see Spiridon, is he okay?"

"They are down my brother, stay inside, stay in cover!" With that, the radio stopped and the klaxon of the prison yielded slightly enough for Vasilis to hear the dreaded slapping of helicopter blades. Just as they thought, just as they worried, backup had arrived and it did so in the form of a single Bell 47 helicopter with a pilot and a gunner. The explosion that had killed eight of the fifteen guerillas and prisoners, including Spiridon, had come from an M7 Grenade Launcher attached to an M1 Garand rifle. The passenger of the helicopter had fired two rifle grenades into the crowd and killed most of the men. Discarding the attachment, he fired two en bloc clips into the rest with unbelievable speed and accuracy. All sixteen of his bullets hit and as he reloaded another 8-round clip, he looked for moving persons. None were but he was not going to let his guard down.

Unfortunately for him, his victory was short lived. Dimitris and Stylianos bother shouldered their RPG-2 launchers and sighting the helicopter, they took up crouched positions and fired at the helicopter from a range of just one hundred meters. Dimitris' rocket went under the Bell 47 and Stylianos's went above it but they were not to be outdone. The Spetsnaz sniper sighted and shot at the Bell 47's pilot. A single shot caught him through the chest and that was the end of the helicopter. There was a reason that the Spetsnaz sniper had come along, as well there was a reason why the Lemnosian military had its man aboard the helicopter, both were crack shots, experts at what they did and while the Lemnosian's got the first ambush, the guerillas got the second.

The pilot's body slumped forward as blood covered the front windshield, the gauges, and the flight controls. Immediately, the helicopter began to dive forward and the passenger, unable to maintain control, went down with the helicopter, as its rotors caught the side of the prison's main building. The helicopter exploded in a fireball as the rest of the body, and the fuel cells, impacted. "Vasilis, hurry, I do not know if there are more and we have only one rocket left!" Screamed Dimitris on the radio and with that, Vasilis, his men, and the twenty surviving prisoners escaped.

As the prisoners and Vasilis' men made for the rock wall, he stopped to look at the pile of bodies, which including his companion, Spiridon. "Brother, you fought the good fight," Vasilis said to no one in particular, as he looked down at the prostrate body of his friend, grenade fragments lodged in his faced and his throat. As Lieutenant Zuyev and his group came out, the Spetsnaz commander paused next to the guerilla commander. "We must clear the bodies."

"I will handle it my friend. He was a brave man, Spiridon," Lieutenant Zuyev said, offering his comrade some words of comfort.

"We'll take his body with us."

"Vasilis, I must protest. We have lost six men in total. Fourteen prisoners…"

"Fourteen? But here are twelve?"

"In the cellblock, two prisoners were murdered by the rest. They claim that they were 'snitches' for the guards. I do not know this word 'snitch,' do you?"

"Yes."

"What is its meaning?"

"It means they were traitors to our cause. Fifty-eight then is our total?"

"Fifty-eight, yes, we must hurry before more helicopters come."

"Then let's hurry, I will take Spiridon's body myself. He shall be buried like the hero that he is."

"Very well," Lieutenant Zuyev said, understanding that there would be no further arguing with Vasilis on the matter, Vasilis would not be convinced otherwise and time did not permit any delay.

As Lieutenant Zuyev and his men cleared the bodies of weapons and incriminating evidence, the prisoners and the other soldiers made haste to the southeast. The beach was one kilometer away and they needed to get there as fast as possible. Between the Spetsnaz soldiers, four of which headed the group, and the guerillas, the file of prisoners was kept moving to the southeast, and quickly. At the very rear was Lieutenant Zuyev, his sniper, two other Spetsnaz soldiers, Vasilis, and Dimitris, six men. Vasilis took Spiridon's body himself and that meant he was going to be moving the slowest but as comrades-in-arms are, the men around him kept with Vasilis' pace, not their own.

---

• |- 2 -| •

[Layarteb]

August 31, 1956 - 01:30 hrs [UTC+2]
1,350 meters southeast of Fisini, Lemnos
Beach
(39° 48' 13" N, 25° 21' 18" E)

By the time Vasilis and his group arrived at the beach, it was already 01:30. The first waves of prisoners and guerillas had already boarded a variety of motor boats that had been brought from Agios Efstratios. By then, the Lemnosians had figured out that their Bell 47 helicopter had crashed, largely due to the constant radio contact from the three surviving guards. Motorized units were dispatched but they were going to the prison, not to the beachhead where the guerillas, the Spetsnaz soldiers, and the prisoners were escaping. For safety and protection, no further Bell 47s were going to be launched though just one would have been able to, perhaps, stop the evacuation to the southeast. The total evacuation force consisted of eight Spetsnaz soldiers, fifty-eight prisoners, and now just twelve guerillas. There was also the body of Spiridon and sixty-eight persons were now cramming onto just three boats.

The bulk of the people would be cramming onto a single fishing boat that the guerillas were lucky to procure from a sympathetic party. The fishing boat, crammed to the gills, would be able to hold fifty-two persons and for that reason, four of the Spetsnaz soldiers, eight of the guerillas, and forty of the prisoners went aboard it and the fishing boat left first, given that it was also the slowest of the three vessels. The second vessel was a medium-sized charter boat that was crewed only by a single man, in order to save as much space as possible. The eighteen remaining prisoners, two of the Spetsnaz soldiers, and two of the guerillas climbed aboard it, and it was just about ready to depart until Vasilis and his group arrived. For Vasilis, the third boat was the key. It was the smallest of the three and a personal cabin cruiser that needed only to hold four persons and one body so Vasilis, Lieutenant Zuyev, Dimitris, and the Spetsnaz sniper climbed aboard it with Spiridon's body gently placed on the deck.

The boat's owner, an ethnically Turkish but Greek citizen named Aydin gave one look to the body but said nothing other than a silent prayer. He put the boat in reverse and quickly backed away for the deeper water. Dimitris and the sniper retreated to the cabin while Lieutenant Zuyev and Vasilis remained topside with the body. Aydin knew where to go and he didn't bother to interrupt. He was a true seaman in that he preferred the white noise of the open waters to that of human conversation. He wasn't sympathetic to the cause, not like the other two boaters were but he was not in favor of the government and thus, the government's enemy was his friend. They also offered to pay him and money was what Aydin desired, obviously the capitalist in him saw this as a mere beneficial opportunity.

Sitting topside on either side of the body, Lieutenant Zuyev and Vasilis said nothing at first. Two kilometers later though, Vasilis looked around and saw the fading island of Lemnos. The glow of the prison's fires had been hidden by the terrain and he truly felt safe. "So Lieutenant, did we do good?" He asked, unsure since he had lost six of his own men.

"You did well comrade. I could not have asked for better."

"But we lost six men and I my best friend."

"Men will die in combat and it is not up to you or I when or where they will die. We, as commanders, we must shoulder that burden Vasilis. We take the names of those who died under our command to the grave with us. That is my advice to you. You must bury their deaths but always remember their names. Celebrate the lives that they led and the sacrifices they made so that lesser men, such as us, can live."

"Only the better die for the lesser, is that it?"

"In so many words."

"Well Spiridon was the better of us."

"I know, I will miss him. He was a source of great amusement in our training. But Vasilis, he was not the first nor will he be the last of us. If your movement is willing to see this through, to the end, there will be many more like him. We will not able to bring everyone home. Those five we left tonight - we must consign their fate to even ourselves. It was foolish, tactically speaking, to have remained behind to secure Spiridon's body. We must be prepared to leave our fallen comrades behind."

"You are right, we must…" Vasilis answered, "Spiridon shall be the only man I have gone back for then. We must promise ourselves, and make the others promise, that should we fall, we must be left behind."

"I will make that promise."

"As will I," Vasilis said and the two men shook on it. "The rest will fall in line, our example is the guiding force here."

"You must remain strong my comrade. This is only the beginning. What we ignited tonight will show my superiors that your force is willing and capable, that you are not a ragtag bunch unworthy of resources. The men who we freed will be not be able to return to Lemnos but they will be a source of inspiration to those who remain in hiding on that island. Their words and their story will be the guiding principle for this revolution."

"We are in this for the long haul."

"And you must be. Nothing happens overnight in our world. It may take a year, even two before tonight's actions begin to topple this government. They are entrenched and surely, as my superiors provide support to your cause so too will the government lean on their allies. The Eurasians will be quick to help them - then who knows who will come to their aid."

"Who knows indeed," answered Vasilis and vacantly he looked out to the fading shape of Lemnos, rethinking those very words over again.

---

• |- 3 -| •

[Layarteb]

Chapter I
Precursors

February 15, 1958 - 06:30 hrs [UTC+2]
Vikos, Lemnos
Observation Post Hill 122
(39° 49' 44" N, 25° 12' 01" E)

The morning sky over the Aegean Sea was beginning to gradually brighten as the dark hours of morning were giving way to the light hours of dawn. To anyone awake and in a position to watch the rising sun to the east, this was a particularly promising morning. It was cold of course and the wind chill dropped the temperature from an acceptable 32°F to just under 24°F. That 10 mph breeze from the northeast rustled the island's peaks and exposed areas just enough to animate the island nation's otherwise tranquil status. Scattered clouds ahead gave a filtered backdrop that reflected and refracted the light in such a way to make this a particularly colorful morning. The splendid beauty of Mother Nature was lost on no one who happened to be awake on these mornings, especially the soldiers stationed atop Hill 122, where an observation post had been built to overlook the wide channel into Moudros Gulf.

Being a soldier in the Republic of Lemnos had been, once upon a time, an honorable profession but in the years since Prime Minister Argyris took the reins of the government, that honor had been chipped away and ebbed away by unforgivable acts perpetrated in the name of "liberty." Over the past year and a half, ever since the daring prison raid on August 31, 1956, the state of the island nation had deteriorated significantly. At first, the implications from the raid had been small and underestimated but gradually, like an old steam train, they picked up speed. More speed gave way to more force and as the calendars were flipped from 1957 to 1958, the state of affairs was a modern freight train moving at breakneck speed.

Since September 5, 1956, pro-Soviet rebels used the momentum of the prison raid to commence an active rebellion against the Argyris government. For the first six months, the rebellion was characterized by small skirmishes against military targets such as supply convoys, outposts, and checkpoints. Neither side had an advantage but neither side had a disadvantage and for the first six months, the rebellion neither gained steam nor lost footing. Then, courting the United Federation of Eurasia, the Lemnosian government gained an upper hand as Eurasian advisors, special forces commandos, and aid began to arrive in Moudros. Of course, for the rebels, this correlated into an equalizing uptick in support from the Soviet government. By September 1957, the Lemnosians managed to court the USSR's old foe, the Fourth Reich of North Germania. The balance, which the Soviets had restored, had once again shifted in favor of the Argyris government. Of course, in response, the Soviets upticked their support for the rebels further and further until now, they had the advantage.

The Eurasians and the North Germanians, while seeing this as a proxy war against the USSR were reluctant to get too involved for fear of taking an already precarious situation and making it ten times worse. Instead, they continued to provide a large amount of support but one which was easily outweighed by the more conducive politicians in the USSR. The Republic of Lemnos was seeking another ally, someone else to help them since the rebels were now within weeks of toppling the Argyris government, a fact that the rebels knew and which the Argyris government and its allies denied repeatedly.

For the troops occupying the observation post on Hill 122, the prospect of a pro-Soviet government was highly uninviting. They knew all too well that the repercussions against them would be severe, public, and not just limited to themselves. Men worried about their wives and children in this post-apocalyptic demise of the Argyris government. Hypothetical as it was at this moment in time, the propaganda being blasted by the Soviets and the rebels was finding an effective ear with the troops, especially those on these sorts of "remote" outposts. The observation post on Hill 122 wasn't necessarily remote. From atop the 122-meter peak, which was topped with a taller tower to give even more visibility, the soldiers could see the Lemnosian capital and they could even see the island's main airport, which had a 3,000-meter runway to support the biggest of jetliners. Pretty soon, they would be able to watch the Boeing 707 land at Lemnos International Airport and soldiers were already talking about it. The Boeing 707 was a true game changer in the realm of commercial aviation and there was a lot of talk about the military properties of the jetliner. Already, the Boeing 707 had proven itself as an aerial tanker with the KC-135A Stratotanker entering service with the Layartebian Air Force. It was even rumored that President Baltz of the Republic of Layarteb was looking to acquire the Boeing 707 as a VIP transport. With a range approaching 7,000 kilometers, the Boeing 707 was the future.

The observation post at Hill 122 wasn't for plane spotting though. It was designed to overlook the wide channel leading into and out of Moudros Gulf, where the Republic of Lemnos received over 90% of its commercial shipping. It was also sparsely manned with just a single platoon of men holding the outpost and its meager accommodations. Most of the men bitched about Hill 122. Despite the nice view, the southern formation of the island of Lemnos was only home to a few towns. The roads weren't in the best of shape and there wasn't much entertainment other than what the men brought with them to the outpost. They didn't even have a community television, just a radio. For the men, leisure time was spent reading, playing board games, playing basketball, or fishing. In winter, fishing wasn't so much of a hit and the same went for basketball, more so when it snowed however and this winter had been relatively dry thus far.

Platoons held six-month rotations on Hill 122 and the platoon on duty now, under the command of First Lieutenant (1LT) Gregorios Marinos, was only half way into their deployment. For 1LT Marinos, this deployment was a chance for him to earn his captain's bar while the men under his command, especially Sergeant First Class (SFC) Yannis Sanna, this deployment was punishment. On their last deployment, the platoon had been tasked with moving a convoy of supplies in the northwestern segment of the island. They came under an ambush and beat back the enemy but not before one fuel truck had been destroyed. Review determined that the fuel truck had initially been disabled by friendly fire, thus making it an easy target for the ambushers. As punishment for it, SFC Sanna believed that they had been stuck on Hill 122 for this deployment. Christmas had been, to say the least, uneventful. He'd voiced this much to his CO but the complaints fell on deaf ears and the platoon sergeant merely returned to his thoughts with his men, many of whom shared his precisely.

With the sun rising to the east, SFC Sanna was finally in his rack, trying to get some sleep. He and his commanding officer rotated on an eight-on, eight-off, four-on, four-off schedule. He had eight hours of off time, well seven and a half now, ahead of him. He looked forward to spending it dreaming of his ex-wife, whom he still loved despite her philandering with a greasy businessman from Nea Koutali, Lemnos' main port. However, sleep and dreams were going to be fleeting and unattainable on this particular brisk morning as the screaming klaxon of the outpost suddenly threw him out of his cot.

In the half hour since he had racked out, a sizeable rebel force had moved to within just two hundred meters of the outpost's southwestern sector. Then, in place, the rebel unit, which included a squad of Spetsnaz soldiers, waited until the opportune moment, just after the watch change, when everyone who was on duty would be in their bunks. With the sun rising to the east, and the beautiful sky, the rebels counted on distraction and malaise to aid them in their assault and - to a point - it worked. The two Spetsnaz snipers attached with the unit fired first. Their unsuppressed shots were aimed against the two visible soldiers in the watch tower, a rather permanent, elevated structure. Both rounds met their mark and both soldiers were mortally wounded. The loud report of the two shots alerted those who remained on duty to the likelihood that they were under attack. The snipers, aware that the element of surprise was now over, began to fire at targets of opportunity. They neutralized the rear flank machine gunner and the two Spetsnaz machine gun crews opened fire with their two SGM-43 Goryunov medium machine guns.

In the first ninety seconds of the assault, the Spetsnaz snipers and machine gunners neutralized seven of the eighteen men on watch. The whole platoon had a mere thirty-five men and one-fifth of them was dead or dying within ninety seconds. Those initial ninety seconds were crucial and the Spetsnaz snipers and machine gunners continued to suppress the outpost while some forty rebel soldiers organized into four maneuver squads advanced up the backside of the hill towards the outpost. Throughout the whole time, the Spetsnaz squad leader, Lieutenant Zuyev watched with his binoculars as the rebels advanced. A decorated hero and a legend with the rebels, Lieutenant Zuyev was actually now Senior Lieutenant Zuyev. He'd been promoted some eight months earlier after the conclusion of his first deployment. This was now his second and Senior Lieutenant Zuyev was getting his first combat action since returning to Agios Efstratios. He'd planned this raid and now he was observing only so that he could tell his machine gunners when to stop firing.

He was employing them not to slaughter the enemy but to suppress them so that the rebel assaulters could close to within point blank range and assault the outpost. He had spent considerable time with the rebels and with his squad of men to plan for this assault. They practiced it under the cover of night on a similar sized hill on Agios Efstratios and once again, practice was proving to be the ultimate advantage that he could bestow upon the rebel troops that he commanded.

It took some four minutes for the rebels to get into position, during which time the Lemnosian rifle platoon managed to only fire off a handful of shots. Their own machine guns were neutralized and their designated marksman was killed as he tried to search for the hostile snipers. He was among the seven initially killed. Without their long range weaponry, the rifle platoon had little hope except to use their preparations to their advantage but with the accurate and harassing gunfire of the machine gunners and the snipers, the platoon was largely stuck with keeping their heads down. Naturally, this worked to the advantage of the rebels but it would only be advantageous for so long. Once the rebels got to the edge of the outpost, the machine gunners would have to stop firing to avoid hitting their own men and at the same time, the defenders could lob grenades towards the rebel assaulters.

To negate that, the rebels would close to the edge of grenade range, while the machine gunners continued to suppress, and throw a number of hand grenades towards the nearest defenders' positions. They had an assortment of F1 anti-personnel, RGD-5 fragmentation, and RGD-33 stick grenades with them, a hodgepodge of new and old Soviet designs. The RGD-33 was a truly old design but there were so many of them manufactured that they were easily provided to the rebels with little delay whereas the newer RGD-5s were in short supply. As Senior Lieutenant Zuyev watched the rebels get closer, he issued several orders to his gunners to move their base of fire away from the approach lines. The snipers, for their part, were acting more in the reconnaissance role than in the offensive role. All of the defenders were behind cover and those who happened to still be near a radio were calling for support.

Grenades, now! Senior Lieutenant Zuyev thought in his head as the rebels closed to within twenty meters. Through his field glasses, he watched as the rebels hit the ground for cover, hugging it to avoid the stream of machine gun fire. Grenades were thrown, nearly twenty of them, and for ten seconds, the barrage of grenades went off one after the other. Fragments and the deadly effects of their high-explosive filler tore through the defenders' positions and at that moment, Senior Lieutenant Zuyev issued his order to his men, in Russian of course, "Halt fire!" At once, the machine guns fell silent and the rebels popped up and rushed the last twenty meters, weapons shouldered. More grenades went off and the defenders, shaken and shocked but prepared, began to lob their own grenades but they were throwing them long of the now rushing rebels. Fragments caught some of the rebels but none were truly injured. Instead, they continued onward into the observation post's lines.

From where he was, Senior Lieutenant Zuyev could only watch with tense anxiety as the rebels moved into the observation post in their well formed lines. Squad leaders pushed the men forward while guns blazed. In mere seconds, the inner defensive line was slaughtered and the casualty count for the Lemnosian troops rose from seven to fifteen. Grenades went off again as the rebels used up the last of their stores and they pressed onward again. There was more gunfire but it was much more muffled now as the distance had been increased. Continuing the assault, the rebels moved into the main part of the observation post, moving swiftly and precisely, just as they'd practiced. One squad moved into the tower, another remained outside, and the other two moved into the structures, which including the barracks, the mess hall, the showers, and the command post.

As they did, Senior Lieutenant Zuyev turned to his radio man and asked, "Is there any traffic for us?"

"I will check Senior Lieutenant," the Spetsnaz radio operator answered. Then, a mere thirty seconds later, he called back, "Message traffic Senior Lieutenant, the Lemnosians are scrambling some aircraft."

"How long?"

"Five minutes until they are in the air Senior Lieutenant, perhaps another five until they get to us."

"Do you know what type?"

"The Skyraider Senior Lieutenant, I believe it is No. 3 Squadron."

"Christ! They'll be slaughtered," Senior Lieutenant Zuyev said to himself. "Call them, recall them, the attack is over, get them back now."

"Yes Senior Lieutenant." In horror, Senior Lieutenant Zuyev watched as the rebels took two minutes to get the message and another three to start clearing out of the outpost. However, the squad in the tower and those clearing the barracks' were moving more slowly. One squad made it back to the cover of trees where the Spetsnaz troops were just as the first Skyraider became visible in the faraway distance. The second came as the Skyraider passed overhead on its reconnaissance run. No doubt, the pilot was radioing to his wingman that he had seen movement heading for the trees. Already on the move, the Spetsnaz troops were clearing deeper into the trees and moving to the south in order to get to a new position. The third and fourth rebel squads were moving out of the outpost but they were going to be exposed.

Exposed they were, as the second Skyraider, a model A-1H, the newest model and most capable, nosed into a strafing run. Its four 20-millimeter cannons barked little fountains of fire as the shells peppered into the ground around the third rebel squad. Rockets came as well and they were infinitely deadlier. The Skyraider could carry a lot of ordinance and for missions like this, they normally carried just two types of weapons outside of their main cannons, unguided, air-to-ground rockets, mixing high-explosive and white phosphorous warheads, and iron bombs, mixing fragmentation and incendiary types. To the third rebel squad, the strafing run eliminated the entire 10-man unit. Just two had fallen to the 20-millimeter shells but the other eight had eaten a combined attack of four high-explosive and six WP rockets. They never stood a chance.

The fourth rebel squad, the slowest moving of the four because they had gone into the tower, had opted for a more cautious retreat. Instead of a beeline for the treeline, they moved to the north, where there was spare cover but cover nonetheless. The first Skyraider found them though and attacked on a strafing run, firing cannons and rockets just like the second. Thanks to the sparse cover though, just one rebel was killed and his body was left behind. The rebels had lost three men in the assault, eleven now in the retreat, and they were still in hostile territory.

As the eight Spetsnaz soldiers and eighteen rebels moved to cover, the remaining eight rebels continued through the sparse cover on a roundabout escape route. The second Skyraider came in for another strafing run while the first dumped a pair of bombs where the Spetsnaz machine gunners had been. The bombs killed no one but sent shrapnel whizzing over the heads of the retreating rebels and Spetsnaz soldiers. The strafing run by the second Skyraider had been ineffective and the eight retreating rebels continued moving away quickly.

However, luck was not on their side. A third Skyraider, launched after the first pair, pressed in, sighting them through the treeline. It moved in for the attack and because it came from an unseen vector, the rebels had no chance to hide in time. The Skyraider dropped four bombs, two high-explosive and two incendiary, just as the first and the second formed up for a formation attack on where the Spetsnaz soldiers had been. Consigning the fourth squad of rebels to fate, the Spetsnaz soldiers and the eighteen rebels abandoned all chance to link up with their brothers and continued to retreat to the safety of the south. They had some boats waiting in Naftia Bay, which would take them back to Agios Efstratios

Lucky for them, they made it without further casualty but the raid had been costly, for both sides. The rebels lost three men in the assault, seventeen in the retreat, and two were ultimately captured by a quick reaction force of Lemnosian paratroopers. For the Lemnosian platoon holding the observation post on Hill 122, they lost twenty-four of thirty-five men but they did not lose the outpost. No major equipment was damaged and the observation post was, for all intents and purposes, never lost. The paratroopers took over while the platoon, their injured, and their dead, were evacuated from the combat zone of Hill 122. The attack, the rebels' boldest yet, would raise a lot of heads back in Moudros but it would also gain attention abroad, in Berlin, Ankara, and of course, Layarteb City.

---

• |- 4 -| •

[Layarteb]

February 16, 1958 - 08:30 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"Yesterday's attack was a game changer in this conflict," responded President William Baltz, the Republic's 36th President. He was on the phone with his counterpart in Berlin, the Reichskanzler, Helmut Jürgen Konig, who was speaking to him poignantly about the situation in the Republic of Lemnos, a mutual interest to both nations. "Yes Reichskanzler, I fully intend to go to my legislature and demand that they authorize our immediate deployment to the Lemnosian Republic. We're facing a true threat from the Soviets and that is a threat that my government is not willing to undertake." There was an unusual scenario brewing in the way President Baltz spoke. Layartebian politics were something confused and muddled nowadays.

Once upon a time, there had only been two political parties, the right-wing Federalists and the Centrists, who were largely a center party, evident by their name. However, since the late-30s, the Federalist Party had been gradually moving further to the right end of the political spectrum and the Centrist Party, still stuck in the center, was left with a conundrum. Many of its members wanted to see the Centrist Party abandon "compromise positions" and move further to the left. When the party leadership rejected the notion, the Liberal Party was formed and since 1948, the Liberal Party, a left-wing party, had been gaining ground in the Layartebian Congress. President Baltz was the party's first President and he would not be its last either. However, despite being a left-wing party, the Liberal Party was not as left as the USSR was. They didn't openly advocate communism but they were not against socialist principles. Since the USSR was the general enemy of the Republic of Layarteb, the Liberal Party saw no reason to make nice with them; and strikingly enough, there were more hawks in the Liberal Party than either the Federalists or the Centrists.

As the Congress stood today, the Federalist Party had the largest bloc with 45% of the seats. The Liberal Party held 30% of the seats and the Centrist Party held the remaining 25% of the seats, meaning that for either party to pass partisan resolutions and laws, they needed to compromise with the Centrists. Rather than seeing compromise though, in the past two years, Congress had been largely ineffectual and deadlocked by the inability of either the Federalists or the Liberals to truly compromise. Rather than compromise with the Centrists, they opted simply to fund the pet projects of some Centrist politicians. This created animosity and charges of corruption were leveled on a regular basis now though none had been formally investigated yet. However, in the past two years, two senators and two representatives had been forced to resign, all of them from the Liberal Party. Despite the shame, the party was gaining strength in the electorate.

This of course worried the far-right governments of the Commonwealth of Hirgizstan and the Fourth Reich of North Germania, both fascist regimes, but they saw it as a passing folly and not something permanent. Regardless, President Baltz wasn't disliked in international circles, so working with him was not a chore for either government. The newly signed Marseilles Agreement had not been rejected by Baltz or his administration so both the Commonwealth of Hirgizstan and the Fourth Reich of North Germania saw him as more of a speed bump, if anything. The other signatory to the agreement, the United Federation of Eurasia was an enigma in world politics but on the spectrum, they were to the right, just not as far as the fascists were. All three of those nations, and now the Republic of Layarteb, were entwined in the precarious situation that was the Republic of Lemnos. Already, because of Soviet involvement, the Eurasians were providing active support to the Lemnosian government of a military nature. Even the Fourth Reich was providing support. The Hirgizstanians were willing to provide support and President Baltz wanted to pledge Layartebian support now.

The stage was set for a truly gritty conflict in the Aegean Sea and President Baltz was the match in a room full of a black powder that could ignite it all. "Yes Reichskanzler, please do. Thank you," he said as he ended the conversation and turned to his National Security Advisor, Victor Zapata. "These fascists, they're so touchy when it comes to the Soviets."

"Well Mister President, that would make sense, considering the Ukrainian War and how it did not end well for Berlin."

"Yes, yes, I know my history Victor. What time is it?"

"Half passed eight," he replied, checking his watch. President Baltz had some sort of irrational misgiving about clocks. He had none in his office and he never wore a watch. It made no sense to anyone except psychologists, who could consult the DSM-I, and find in the list of phobias the word "chronomentrophobia," which described the fear of clocks.

"We'll be late if we don't leave now," President Baltz said, knowing that at 09:00, he had to address both houses of Congress and that getting to Federal Hall was not going to be simple, even for him. The best route was of course the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel but this was rush hour and even though he was the President and he had a special escort detail, you can't move cars that can't go anywhere. "Martha," he called out to his receptionist, who was seated outside of the office.

"Yes Mister President?" She asked as she entered the office, "What do you need sir?"

"You can tell the security staff that I am ready to leave now."

"Yes sir, I will," she said as she quickly returned to her desk to make the phone call. As she did, the President and the National Security Advisors put on their overcoats, left the office, and picked up a roving security detail in the hallway. The two security agents followed him and his National Security Advisor down to the front entrance, where the convoy was waiting. The brisk, winter wind caught them all off guard and President Baltz did not delay in his getting into his limousine, almost ignoring the soldier holding the door open and saluting. Once inside, he shivered and requested that the heat be increased in the backseat, despite it already being 75°F in the vehicle.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

February 16, 1958 - 09:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Federal Hall
(40° 42' 26" N, 74° 0' 37" W)

To a resounding applause, President William Baltz entered the Senate chambers. The protocol for announcements had been followed prior to his arrival and he was at the door just in time, his overcoat in the hands of a security agent who would remain behind in the anteroom. Security was tight around Federal Hall, as it always was when the President was there and the visible deployment of uniformed and plainclothes armed police and federal officers around Federal Hall was a sign of the tides to come. It was here and now, for otherwise precautionary measures that the precedent had been set. In years to come, they would be there with an active mission rather than as a precaution. The Republic of Layarteb was just eighteen years away from a violent revolution and on this day of the year 1958, no one could have predicted it.

President Baltz took his position at the head of the room, behind an elevated lectern and he waited for the applause to settle. Despite being an opposition President, the Federalists and the Centrists applauded just as respectfully as the Liberals did. Both houses were present and only a handful of legislators and government secretaries, including the Vice President, weren't present because of continuity of operations or COOP plans, which were meant to keep the Layartebian government running even after the world had ended in nuclear fire. With such a packed room, this joint session of Congress was specially called by President Baltz only the evening before, when news of the successful attack in southern Lemnos became public. Intelligence reports, mostly secondhand material from the Eurasians and the North Germanians indicated that the pro-Soviet rebels were significantly stronger than they were two years earlier. They had gained a lot of ground and Prime Minister Argyris was only just holding on barely.

The outlook was grim and dark. The Republic of Lemnos was weeks away from falling and becoming a pro-Soviet country, which meant annexation and a foothold in the Aegean Sea for the Soviets, the bulk of whose navy was based in the Black Sea. The Republic of Lemnos provided a stalwart against the spread of the USSR into the Aegean Sea and if Lemnos fell, there was no telling who would fall next. It worried every "good" nation in the world, especially the four signatories of the Marseilles Agreement, who were all united against the USSR, even though the Eurasians by matter of proximity and the North Germanians by matter of history had a true axe to grind with the Soviets. For the Layartebians and the Hirgizstanians it was a matter of ideology and agendas, the Soviets were bad and that was final. The spread of communism could not be allowed to happen but insofar as President Baltz and his party was concerned, socialism in small doses wasn't so bad.

It was an unusual, conflicting conundrum and when the senators and representatives finally quieted down, President Baltz motioned to begin his speech. "Ladies and gentlemen of Congress, good morning," he said, a signature phrase that would influence the Emperor some twenty-two years later. "I come before you this morning to warn of a serious and egregious threat to world stability and global peace, the Union of Sovereign Slavic Republics, the Soviets, or simply Russia.

"In recent years, the Soviets have been seeking to expand their influence, despite our best efforts to contain them. They have sought influence in the northern reaches, where they have butted heads with the Cottish for centuries. They have sought influence in the eastern reaches, where the Siberian tundra welcomes no man willingly. They have sought influence in the southern reaches, where the Middle East remains divided. And they have sought influence in the western reaches, where they are more than unwelcomed." Applause swept through the crowd and President Baltz held for a moment before he continued. "At this very moment of time, the Soviets know no bounds or limits to their activities. At this very moment, they are stirring trouble in the Aegean Sea, and they have been since the 1930s, when the first Soviet ideologues invaded the tiny Republic of Lemnos with their rhetoric and political ideology. Since then, they have usurped the legal authority of the Lemnosian government and today, they fund and support a rebellion against the democratically elected administration of Prime Minister Argyris.

"Prime Minister Argyris remains a pillar of opposition to the expansion of the Soviet sphere but he cannot remain a pillar alone forever. He needs help. Our allies in Ankara and Berlin both agree and they are supporting the Lemnosian government against these rebels. Our Hirgizstanian allies have also pledged support to the Lemnosians and thus three out of four nations of the Marseilles Agreement have pledged their support to the Lemnosian government, to the stopping of Soviet expansion, and to the preservation of democracy in the Republic of Lemnos.

"Yet, where is the fourth? Where is the Republic in all of this? Are we not liable to pledge our own support? Do the Lemnosians not deserve our help just as they deserve it from the Eurasians, from the North Germanians, and from the Hirgizstanians? Yes they do!" More applause interrupted President Baltz but it was muted quickly.

"The Lemnosian government needs our help more than ever. Just yesterday, rebels assaulted and brutally slaughtered a military observation post, a mere lookout station atop a hill. Did this station have anything to do with the government's bid to remove the rebellion? No. It was merely a station atop a hill designed to monitor merchant traffic into and out of Lemnos' main harbor. It wasn't a station for soldiers to launch attacks from; it was merely a lookout tower, nothing more than a park ranger's fire watchtower in a forest. That was it. Was it manned by military men? Yes, a platoon of brave soldiers, many of whom lost their lives in the attack. This wasn't an attack for any goal though.

"The rebels did not attack this observation post to remove an obstacle on their path to seizing the government illegally. They attacked it because they could. They have received arms, funding, and training from the Soviet Army and this has emboldened them to commit such pointless acts. All throughout the island republic, rebel forces attack fuel trucks carrying gasoline for Lemnos' average citizens. They attack government buildings. They attack watchtowers. They do nothing but bring violence against their fellow countrymen, and all to support their Soviet masters in Kiev.

"This is nothing more than a game to the Soviet leaders in Kiev. So willy-nilly are they with human life that they would embolden such rebels to simply throw the lives of their fellow countrymen to the wayside, simply because they do not embrace their flawed ideology, their greater 'utopia,' which is nothing more than a dystopian vision whereby there is no incentive, there is no reward, there is merely labor and the good of the state. They are not here to usher in some paradise for 'workers' but rather to exploit the common folk all in the name of Marx.

"The Soviet menace is nothing more than a vampire!" President Baltz said, coining what would become a very famous phrase in Layartebian politics for decades to come. A standing ovation joined the comment and it took more than ninety seconds before he could continue, during which time he only wished to continue his speech, which was soon drawing to a close. "They see the Republic of Lemnos not for what it offers the world but for the blood of its people. They intend only to suck that life force from the island republic but, rather than discard the corpse, they wish to infect it with the vampiric disease. Ladies and gentlemen of Congress, a vampire hides in the shadows of night and preys upon the weak. A vampire, though fictional in all regards, is nothing more than a demon and the Soviets are demonic in their aspirations here." The rhetoric was strong, very strong but for President Baltz, it was all necessary.

"The Soviets will not stop with Lemnos though, just as a vampire does not stop with his first victim. The Aegean is just their first stop. Soon they will move to Lesbos, then to Crete, then Rhodes. They will attack the Greek coastline. Then they will skulk into the Mediterranean uninvited. They will prey upon Cyprus and the Levant. They will spread westward and they will not stop until they reach Gibraltar. Then where will they go? The Atlantic Ocean is but a giant victim for them.

"That cannot be! We, and by we, I mean us, the Republic of Layarteb, we must stop the Soviets in their tracks. We must not allow them to cross beyond the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. The Black Sea is as far as they go and that is why I stand before you on this morning. I ask the support of both the Senate and the House for the deployment of Layartebian forces to aid the Republic of Lemnos.

"The Soviets feel that they can utilize the Lemnosian rebels as their proxies and this proxy, and those Soviet troops aiding them, are our enemies. They are the enemies of the Lemnosian government and thus, they are our enemies. I ask you this to support Prime Minister Argyris, the Republic of Lemnos, the Lemnosian people, our allies in the Marseilles Agreement, and the entire European continent. I ask you this to support our desire to see the Soviets expand only as far as their borders lie today. If we do not come to the aid of our allies and the Lemnosian people then we will have failed the whole world, thank you." He concluded, receiving an immediate, standing ovation. His speech done, he remained for only a few minutes for the applause to die down to a level low enough for him to make his exit. There would be debates in both the Senate and the House but, for the time being, President Baltz would preposition forces, he would continue to pledge support to the Republic's allies, and to Prime Minister Argyris.

---

• |- 5 -| •

[Layarteb]

February 17, 1958 - 14:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

President Baltz was sitting behind his desk when the intercom buzzed with the voice of his receptionist, "Sir, Jeffrey and Victor are here for your 2 o'clock appointment."

"Send them in please."

"Yes Mister President," and with that the intercom clicked off and the door to the President's office opened. Both the National Security Advisor, Victor Zapata, and the Chief of Staff, Jeffrey Redding entered the office and shut the door behind themselves.

President Baltz merely leaned back in his chair and set down the paperwork in his hand on his desk, "Good afternoon gentlemen, what do you have for me?"

"Congress is deadlocked Mister President," responded the Chief of Staff, "obviously our party is not an issue. The issue is with the Federalists, almost all of whom think we're acting too aggressively, and most of the Centrists, who have no clear contention except that they do not want to be involved in a conflict in the Aegean Sea. Right now, if it went to vote, we'd lose, forty-three to fifty-seven."

"That's not good enough!" President Baltz yelled as he slammed his hand on the desk's top. "The USSR is our greatest enemy, and we're standing here, letting them get not just a foothold in the Aegean but a potential foothold into the entire Mediterranean! What do these senators and representatives not understand; can they read a map?"

"It's not that sir," continued the Chief of Staff, "they're concerned about the contributions of our allies in the Marseilles Agreement."

"Our allies? This is a joke, isn't it?"

"No sir," replied the National Security Advisor, "outside of the Eurasians, who have obviously committed to this, what they are concerned about is just how committed the North Germanians and the Hirgizstanians are. The Hirgizstanians might have pledged to get involved but the Centrists who are on the fence, the ones we need, want to see hard numbers. They want to see what our Hirgizstanian friends are sending. The same goes for North Germania; they're not satisfied with money, intelligence, bullets, and grenades. They want to see real troop on the ground."

"So that's it, they're afraid," President Baltz said, "they're afraid and that's it."

"That's putting it simplistically Mister President but perhaps that is the gist of it. They worry that the USSR will commit a full deployment and we'll get dragged into a war with the Soviets on Lemnos, which will spread. Containment doesn't work when you're shooting at one another," the National Security Advisor said, in summary. "We should be prepared nonetheless if the Soviets get grabby."

"What do you suggest then?"

"Mister President, we have two options here. The first is to sit around and wait for Congress to hash out their problems. In the meantime, you need to lean on Reichskanzler Konig and Fuhrer Holden to provide more details to Congress. I think this is needed regardless."

"All right, what is option two?"

"You order the necessary forces to force deploy nearby, where they can respond quickly. I would suggest Cyprus Mister President."

"What forces do we have available to send?"

"Let's move the navy first Mister President, I would suggest the Shangri-La and its battle group, which is near the Strait of Gibraltar now and the Ranger and its battle group, which is near Sicily. We have to turn that one around, right now it's on its way out of the Med. For the air force, we'll have to secure a base, or rather bases, in Turkey. Incirlik is the best bet for our larger aircraft."

"How long do we need to get the air force there?"

"Mister President, based on what we have with both carrier groups, I would say operations could commence on the 24th if Congress were to approve it now. That means we need to start moving aircraft today. Let's move the logistics aircraft first, then the tankers, the fighters, the attackers, and last the bombers. We should put bombers in the region to give the Soviets a moment's pause."

"Okay, I will work on the diplomacy of this; let the Secretary of Defense know that this is our plan. But tell him I want something else. I want a nuclear deterrent in the Black Sea. When we move the B-52s and the B-47s we can move some B39s, I would say no more than four. Each of those is four megatons and that is enough but I'd like a secondary option. Specifically, submarine."

"I'll ask the Secretary of Defense Mister President."

"Good," the National Security Advisor stood and left, knowing that he was dismissed. However, the Chief of Staff was not dismissed and he remained seated across from President Baltz. "We need Congress to approve now."

"I'm pushing them Mister President. Since we're moving assets into the theater, you should make an announcement, to let the Soviets and our allies know that we're serious. They don't have to know that Congress is deadlocked."

"Well then, it appears that I have some calls to make. I'll start with President Yusef, then I'll work on the Reichskanzler and the Fuhrer."

"Good plan sir, I'll give some updates to our Congressional leaders." They parted ways and almost immediately, President Baltz had his receptionist put a phone call through to President Yusef al Hamed of the United Federation of Eurasia, the country's head of state. Prime Minister Imad Khaldun was the head of government but in their country, the President wielded the power. They talked for forty-five minutes and in the end, President Yusef al Hamed promised the use of four key airbases. Incirlik Air Base, which as the first one President Baltz asked for was granted without negotiation. Canakkale Airport, right on the Dardanelles was granted without argument too. However, where they spent most of the time was on Mytilene International Airport in the island of Lesbos and Gökçeada Airport on the island of Gökçeada. In the end, when President al Hamed yielded, President Baltz felt slightly invincible. He knew that if Congress approved the matter, the Soviets would be backed into a corner; they would be foolish to maneuver into the Aegean with any sizeable military presence.

After his call to President al Hamed, he gave the update to his National Security Advisor and his Secretary of Defense. Then, he put in a call to Reichskanzler Konig, in a conversation that lasted another hour and twenty minutes. From his conversation with the Reichskanzler, President Baltz was able to secure a North Germanian military intelligence battalion and a specialized commando unit. This was a big coup for the Layartebian Congress. The North Germanian military intelligence battalions were among the best ones out there. They were highly skilled in interrogation and investigation and technologically speaking, they were in the top tier. The specialized commando unit was a highly trained, assassination and infiltration unit. This particular unit had helped train the Republic of Layarteb's newest commando unit, which was known as Delta Force. Delta Force was a small unit designed for infiltration, reconnaissance, and irregular warfare. Again, after the call, President Baltz updated his National Security Advisor and his Secretary of Defense. Next, he would call the Hirgizstanian Fuhrer.

Since he'd already spent over two hours on the phone, he made sure to use the restroom and get himself a fresh cup of coffee. He spent another hour and a half on the phone with the Hirgizstanian Fuhrer, during which time he and his counterpart went back and forth on the matter of potential escalation. His Hirgizstanian counterpart was notoriously cautious when it came to the Soviets, though he ideologically opposed their existence, he didn't want to poke them. Ultimately though, after President Baltz revealed how much he was committed, how much the Eurasians were committed, and what the North Germanians deployed, Fuhrer Holden agreed to deploy a special forces battalion, which consisted of six 12-man teams, a 12-man support squad, and a 30-man HQ section.

By then, it was just after 18:00 and the entire afternoon was gone. The sun was gone and President Baltz put through another phone call to his National Security Advisor and his Secretary of Defense, both of whom were still camped out in the Defense Department building. "Gentlemen," he began after the phone call was put through, "give me what we have in full."

"Mister President, we've got two carrier battle groups, the 1st Marine Brigade, and from the 4th Airborne Division, the 14th Paratrooper Brigade. The bulk of our support force is going to go to Incirlik. We're going to move a squadron of KC-135A Stratotankers, a squadron of C-135B Stratolifters, two squadrons of C-123B Providers, and one squadron of C-130A Hercules' there immediately. When we get closer to the date, we'll move a squadron of B-47E Stratojets and a squadron of B-52D Stratofortresses there. To Lesbos we're going to deploy a squadron of B-57G and RB-57A Canberras, and a squadron of C-47 Skytrains. Dispersed to the four airfields we're also going to move F-100D Super Sabres, F-104A Star Fighters, F-102A Delta Daggers, RF-101C Voodoos, and F-105B Thunderchiefs."

"Sizeable indeed," President Baltz said. "I'm going to go on the air then in two and a half hours and announce to the world that we will not stand by and let the Soviets trample upon the Lemnosians' sovereignty."

"Very well sir," the Secretary of Defense Larry Diamond answered.

Two and a half hours later, President Baltz was seated in the press briefing room, his speech cued onto the Teleprompter in front of him. "Good evening my fellow Layartebians," he began the speech, reading off of the cue display screen. "Earlier today, I authorized the forward deployment of Layartebian military elements into the Mediterranean Sea in advance of my request from the Layartebian Congress to authorize military assistance to the Republic of Lemnos. By forward deploying our military assets, we can be ready for the moment when Congress provides authorization.

"The Republic of Layarteb will not allow the Union of Sovereign Slavic Republics to muscle its way into the Aegean by violating the sovereignty of the Republic of Lemnos…" He speech continued for another ten minutes, during which time he called upon the nations of the world to stand up against the Soviet menace. "First the Aegean, then the Mediterranean, then what? Where does it stop? It stops here!" He said at one point. Most of his speech was flat and he gave no details; certainly, he did not reveal that the North Germanians or the Hirgizstanians were deploying forces and neither did he announce that the Eurasians had granted temporary basing privileges for the Layartebian Air Force. The speech was aimed less at the Republic's citizens and more to the Soviet leadership and sure as certain, they would see the speech the following morning, and its translation.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

February 18, 1958 - 05:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Federal Hall
(40° 42' 26" N, 74° 0' 37" W)

"The posturing by the Layartebian government," continued Robert Marquardt, the Deputy Chief of Staff and one of the few individuals within the Baltz administration who was fluent in Russian. President Baltz's office was crowded with staffers and Cabinet members, all watching the live broadcast from Kiev of First Secretary Molotov denouncing President Baltz's speech and his move to forward deploy military elements into the Mediterranean Sea.

"This is a crisis of your manufacturing Mister President and the Union of Sovereign Slavic Republics is not responsible. Now, because of your rash actions, the Union of Sovereign Slavic Republics must counteract to ensure that a balance is kept.

"Mister President, you have gone before your Congress, your country, and the world, and told a lie concerning our involvement in the affairs of the Republic of Lemnos. You have been misled by the agendas and ideologies of men who seek war with the Soviet people on every level imaginable.

"In response, due to your moves, the only response that we can offer is by declaring our public support for our communist brothers in the Republic of Lemnos. It is obvious that the regime of Prime Minister Argyris is oppressive beyond reprehension. The Marseilles powers seek only to keep this regime in power and to support their crimes. If the powers that stand for democracy will not stand for the oppressed people then it shall be we who stand for them." Deputy Chief Marquardt continued.

"Well, First Secretary Molotov is certainly making this interesting," replied President Baltz, "he's bluffing! The world knows he's supporting the rebels, his admission means nothing. They can't get much into the Aegean, just a few measly warships; the Eurasians will chew them up. This is all nonsense."

"Sir, I think we need to give this some heed," responded the Chief of Staff, "our Congressional leaders saw this too."

"Bah! This'll just help galvanize their opinion in our favor."

---

• |- 6 -| •

[Layarteb]

February 19, 1958 - 16:40 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"Why is Congress still faltering on this matter!" Roared President Baltz as he listened to his Chief of Staff, Jeffrey Redding explain the latest news. "How is it that partisan politics are stalling us on this matter? Is Congress not unified in the threat that the Soviets weigh against us and the world? Do they not care to stop them here, where we have the opportunity to do so!"

"Mister President, it still comes down to the Centrists. The Federalists are nearly unanimous in their opposition to it; in fact, there is no changing their opinion sir. Most of the Centrists remain on the fence of course but we're not getting through to them."

"Why not?"

"The Federalists have their ear too sir."

"Bah!" Exclaimed President Baltz as he pushed the papers in front of him clear across the lacquered, mahogany table top. "This is nonsense! What kind of message are we sending to both our allies and the Soviets? The Soviets are laughing at us. Molotov's speech yesterday basically called us a junior player on global affairs and directly called our Congress' policies into question."

"It's not as simple as we'd like it sir," Redding answered, "Congress requires alliances and blocs. On domestic matters, the Centrists always fall in with us but on foreign matters they nearly always fall in with the Federalists."

"It's a shame we can't just declare the Centrist Party illegal," said President Baltz, foreshadowing what would happen in eighteen years. "This is too much of a hassle. We cannot wait any longer. Get on it. Get on it all night. I want our lobbyists with the Centrists all night tonight. I want them broken and whittled down until they just agree with us to get us to shut up! Do it Jeffrey!"

"Yes Mister President, will there be anything else?"

"No, just this matter. Resolve it, tonight and tomorrow morning. I want them to vote tomorrow afternoon."

"Yes sir." Jeffrey Redding stood and left with a slight bow to both President Baltz and Victor Zapata.

"Do you believe this?"

"I do sir, the Federalists are nothing but troublemakers in this regard. They only talk tough; when it's time to act they sit around and do nothing. The Soviets know this and they know how our Congress votes. That is why they are so confident."

"Their confidence is pissing me off Victor! Now where are the carriers, give me some good news."

"The Shangri-La was turned around and it's nearly the holding station we assigned. The Ranger is at the holding station."

"Good! What kind of complement are we looking at with them?"

"On the Ranger we've got nine total squadrons, one each of A-4B Skyhawks, EA-1E, A-1G, and A-1H Skyraiders, A-3B Skywarriors, CH-21C Shawnees, and RF-8A Crusaders. The other two squadrons are both F-8A Crusaders. We'll levy the Skyraiders, the Skyhawks, and the Skywarriors against ground targets while the Crusaders provide reconnaissance and combat air screen around the Aegean Sea.

"The Shangri-La just has eight squadrons, one each of MF-1C Fury's, F-1C Fury's, EA-1E, A-1G, and A-1H Skyraiders, and S-2A Trackers. The last two are A-4B Skyhawks. Again, we'll levy the Skyraiders and the Skyhawks against ground targets. The Trackers will come in handy looking for Soviet submarines lurking in the Aegean Sea. The Fury's will be split. The MF-1Cs are better for air-to-air as they can carry our newest missiles while the F-1Cs are better for ground attack."

"That's some logistical nightmare isn't it?"

"We're used to it sir. Now, we do have to discuss two other matters."

"What are those?"

"The request for nuclear weapons and our protocols," replied Zapata.

"Nuclear weapons are simple, I want them in theater."

"Yes sir but right now we face two issues. The deployment of bombs to Incirlik will require additional approval from the Eurasians and on top of it, we have to deploy at least a company of men to secure and protect them as Incirlik Air Base does not have support facilities for nuclear weapons. The men we deploy can transport them into the bombers if the order comes but in the process, they will guard them against hostile intent.

"The other matter is that of the submarine element you requested. We have three such submarines capable of deploying the RGM-15A Regulus II missile. Each submarine has two such missiles. We have one on alert now but its patrol is due to end in one week. We would not be wise to extend it. Another submarine is scheduled to depart in five days to take up the normal station. We can change its orders to go into the Black Sea but it will not be there for some time, well after the rest of our forces are there."

"So if the Soviets go nuclear right away our only option is the bomber?"

"Correct sir, and what munitions we have on board our carriers."

"Do we have munitions there?"

"Sir there are several B27 nuclear bombs aboard the Ranger for use with the A-3B Skywarrior squadron."

"So our only deterrent is air, I understand, we'll make due. Send the submarine to get there and I would like a realistic ETA please."

"Yes sir I will get it. Now for the second matter, what do we do concerning protocol? We need to establish a way to deal with the Soviets ships supplying the rebels."

"A blockade of the island group is how we're going to proceed. Ships or submarines that attempt to run the blockade will be boarded for inspection. Those that do not stop will be disabled after a warning shot, something visual, star shells. Submarines we must treat as a bigger foe. I'd like to have the Secretary of Defense and yourself work up an adequate response to renegade submarines. Aircraft we'll intercept and divert and if they don't, we'll take them down."

"What about civilian vessels and aircraft?"

"We'll have to shadow the aircraft, we can't risk shooting them down. If they act in a military manner though, they are military aircraft. The vessels have to heave to and accept our boarding because it will come with the permission of the Lemnosian government. If they don't want to listen we're going to have to force it upon them too. Who will do the boarding?"

"Well sir, the best qualified personnel are Marines but we should think about special operations forces."

"Do you have one in mind?"

"Yes sir, the navy has what we call Underwater Demolition Teams. They're elite divers whose job is to recon beaches and destroy defensive obstacles prior to amphibious landings. We call them Frogmen for short."

"Are they going to be capable of this?"

"Yes sir, they're trained to board vessels to scuttle them. We can use them to assault ships if we need to, they operate in small units, move quickly, and they are not afraid to take risks."

"Good, well need them, how soon can we get some out to the Shangri-La and the Ranger?"

"Well sir a single UDT detachment has sixteen officers, eighty Frogmen, a Marine and an Army liaison officer, when necessary, and associated support staff. We have four such detachments. One is all we need; we can fly them out to Cyprus and move them to the carriers when they take up station."

"All right, good, get them in the air in as little time as possible. Now where are we with getting the air force aircraft, the paratroopers, and the Marines there?"

"The Marines are going to be transported out via aircraft to western Turkey and staged with their equipment. The paratroopers will go right to Incirlik. We've got about a quarter of them there. Special operations forces are being dispersed as needed."

"This is a lot of men and machinery to move in such a short amount of time, is it not?"

"It is sir, but luckily we've got most of the troops forward deployed already. We're just moving them part of the way instead of say, from here to there. The only aircraft we need to move from here are the larger ones that we keep domestically, the same goes for the submarine of course."

"Well good, I am pleased with your aspect. I just wish Jeffrey could get our legislators in line. He states that I have authorization to do this on my own but I would prefer to have Congressional approval. I do not want to send the wrong message to our allies. I want them to know that our country is behind them, not solely myself."

"Yes sir, I understand. If there is nothing further, I will piece together an update for tomorrow, in terms of deployments."

"Very well Victor, have a good evening," President Baltz answered, shaking the man's hand as he left. He continued to fume about Congress but he did so silently and inside of his mind and body rather than in an overt and visible manner.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

February 20, 1958 - 07:15 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Federal Hall
(40° 42' 26" N, 74° 0' 37" W)

President Baltz was just returning to his desk when the intercom buzzed to let him know that his 7:30 appointment was there and there early, a quality he appreciated. "Please see them in, thank you," he answered as he flattened his tie. Almost immediately, the doors opened and Senator Christopher Ibarra, the Centrist Party's leading member of Congress and Representative Edmund King, the Progressive Party's leading member of Congress both entered. "Gentlemen, I appreciate you coming in for such an early meeting, I hoped to get you both before you got to Federal Hall."

"Speak nothing of it Mister President," answered Representative King as he held out his hand to shake. Senator Ibarra shook the President's hand without much of an introduction. All three men sat down and the President's receptionist brought in coffee for everyone. "Are we to be joined by anyone else?" Asked Representative King after he spooned two large helpings of sugar into his coffee.

"I hoped that Jeffrey Redding would be here - and he is on his way - I just hoped that he would be here before you gentlemen were," and on cue, the doors opened and in walked Jeffrey Redding, the Chief of Staff. "As if he knew," the President said jokingly. Now that everyone was present, the doors were shut and the President was able to deliver his speech. "I asked you both to come in because you are the leading members of your party and you are highly esteemed members of your respective houses.

"I know that we cannot expect the Federalists to see eye-to-eye with us so I was hoping to have a discussion in what could be construed as a 'safe environment' free from interruption. Senator Ibarra, this is more for your benefit than it is for Representative King but I asked him to be here as a show of support. Simply put Senator, we need your support and the support of your fellow party members. Traditionally yes, I am aware that the Centrist Party has agreed with the Federalists when it comes to foreign policy. However, we're in a very precarious situation here," continued President Baltz. Senator Ibarra, holding his coffee in his hand, merely gave President Baltz his respectful attention but inside he was trying to cut through the bullshit as best as he could before he absorbed what President Baltz said.

"The Soviets have directly challenged the Marseilles Pact, and the West, with their movements on the Republic of Lemnos. In the 1930s, they began to agitate the populace and though they worked slowly, they were able to inject enough agitators that now, as the 50s come to a close, they have sponsored and orchestrated a full-blown revolution against the democratically elected government. The Soviets want to see Prime Minister Argyris and his entire administration out of office and a friendly administration in office.

"The Soviets, in essence, want a favorable satellite state in the Aegean. They want to use it as a launch pad into the Mediterranean Sea to oppose us, the Eurasians, and the North Germanians, even the Hirgizstanians to some regard. The Soviets still speak of the Ukrainian War as if it happened yesterday, they're aiming for another showdown and if we do not step in to help, we're going to consign ourselves to defeat. Now I'm sure you received the information concerning what our allies are deploying?"

"I did Mister President."

"Good, and do you have any reason to think that it is insufficient?"

"No I do not Mister President, frankly my resistance, and the resistance of most of my fellow party members has nothing to do with our allies. We fully believe that they are committed. Our resistance is to what end the Soviets can manage against us."

"What do you mean Senator?"

"For example, can the Soviets attack our shipping in the Aegean Sea?"

"From their bases in the Crimea, it is over five hundred miles to the Aegean Sea. Their long-range bombers can reach it but not their fighters or their attack aircraft. The Soviets have not embraced mid-air refueling like we have."

"Their bombers though are the biggest threat."

"Yes and no, Jeffrey would you please explain?"

"Yes Mister President," Redding began, "Mister Senator, the Soviets have a very rigid doctrine. They are very 'in the box' if you will. They have not embraced naval aviation as we have and they lag behind in the aerial refueling, as President Baltz has mentioned. The Soviet doctrine requires that their bombers, which they consider more important than anything else, fly only with fighter escort. Now in a 'doomsday' scenario, perhaps they would fly on their own but the Soviets have never practiced this before. Our doctrine allows our bombers to go on ahead without fighter escort. Furthermore, the Soviets believe in high-altitude penetration, where as we utilize low-altitude penetration. The Soviets have not refined their nap-of-the-earth flying. This means that their bombers can be seen from much further distances. They have not thought to exploit the terrain to their advantage. We have because of the surface-to-air threat that they pose."

"That is fine and well, and I appreciate the explanations, but let's put that aside and explore a scenario where they decide that they will attack us."

"They would fly their bombers from their more protected bases. We would have plenty of warning. In that time, we would launch our fighters from Turkey and from the carriers. Over the Black Sea, the Soviets would be unprotected. From there we would be able to engage their bombers with our guns and missiles. As you are aware, our newest missile, the AIM-7C Sparrow is specifically designed to counter their bombers. One missile will destroy a bomber, unlike our less reliable AIM-4 Falcon missiles. Should our fighters exhaust their Sparrow missiles, which have a fifty percent chance of hitting, better than any missile out there, we will be able to utilize our short-range Sidewinder missiles; I believe the AIM-9B is the current designation. These missiles require a tail shot but our fighter pilots train routinely in air combat maneuvering against fighters. Bombers are considerably less maneuverable.

"The bombers would not make it past the Bosporus."

"What of their ships and submarines?"

"What ships they have in the Aegean would be vulnerable to our warships and our carrier aircraft. Those in the Black Sea would have to transit down the strait where they are tremendously vulnerable. Their submarines are considerably less quiet than ours are and from the moment our aircraft and carriers get into the Aegean, we will be searching for them. The submarines are the greatest risk but we are deploying a squadron of S-2 Trackers, who have performed very admirably in war games over the past few years."

"We do face an element of risk though?"

"Certainly Senator," chimed in President Baltz, "but the situation favors us. The Soviets have too many obstacles to cross. Our warships will have a complete anti-air screen established. We have several ships with the Talos surface-to-air missile. This is truly a foe that the Soviets have not embraced. It has a range of over one hundred miles and even the most powerful ECM systems on our aircraft, and ours are superior to theirs, cannot jam the missiles because you have to jam the ship's radar. Our warship's have radars more powerful than our jammers, and of course the Soviets."

"Will we be putting any warships into the Black Sea?"

"Yes Senator, the Secretary of Defense will be deploying three or four destroyers into the Black Sea for anti-submarine duties against submarines trying to get into the Bosporus and for anti-air duties against the potential Soviet bombers."

"Interesting," Senator Ibarra said but not in a contemplating fashion. "Tell me then, what is the 'nuclear' option?"

"Regrettably we have that planned too. We will have several bombs in Turkey, each with a yield of four megatons. There are also bombs aboard one of the carriers, these being two megatons. I am also exploring other options from naval vessels, such as a cruise missile unit."

"What kind of damage would that do?"

"Simply put Senator," Redding said, "we could destroy the entire Crimean peninsula, which is the home of the entire Soviet Navy. Our plan calls for a direct attack onto Sevastopol with a four-megaton device. With a surface blast, we would wipe out their entire navy with one bomb. The radiation would saturate Simferpol. Smaller, two-megaton devices would be used against their air bases on the Crimea. This limited engagement would cripple the Soviet Navy and their biggest port facilities. If the Soviets did not yield, we would enact a series of plans we have already. We have the aircraft in theater though to wipe out their leadership in Kiev before the first bomb falls."

"Well, I'd rather not think about that," Senator Ibarra answered. "I've never be a fan of the infernal devices but I do recognize the significance. Now, are we using these to levy against the Soviets, perhaps to let them know that we're serious?"

"Senator," President Baltz said, somewhat irritated by this question, "did you not hear Molotov's speech? They are laughing at us Senator, they want to ensure that we falter around and hand the Aegean and the Mediterranean to them. We must act now, before the Soviets have their foothold. Once they get a foothold in the Aegean, we will not be able to dislodge them without a significant war. This is a limited engagement; one that is containable. If they secure a foothold, there will be nothing limited about our attempt to remove them. We cannot simply wait for them to succeed. This is the battleground Senator and we didn't choose it but we have the means to stake our flag in it."

"Very well Mister President, this is information that means a lot. I cannot promise you a vote but I can promise you that I will speak to the other members of my party. I will inform them of the information you have presented. I will not attempt to make people's opinions for them."

"That is fine Senator," President Baltz said, thinking, If you knew what was good for you, the country, and us, you would!

"This administration," Representative King said, "would be deeply grateful. There are several stalled bills that your party members have introduced, many of which have met snags on both ends of the spectrum. I know that if they were reintroduced, after a favorable response from the Centrist Party on this matter, that the resistance from the Liberal Party might not be as 'great', per say."

"Interesting point," Senator Ibarra said, knowing that what Representative King was offering, though not explicitly illegal, was the slippery slope to corruption. Still, there was a lot to think about and the Centrists were losing ground in Congress, and across the country. If they wanted to remain in the game, they would have to be current and that meant, making a name for themselves once again with legislation that affected the people. The meeting broke up shortly thereafter with President Baltz seeing them all out, except for Redding, whom he kept back. Together, they discussed the matter and again, President Baltz reiterated that Redding needed to get the vote, and he needed to do it soon. The carriers were nearly both ready to go to the Aegean Sea.

---

• |- 7 -| •

[Layarteb]

February 20, 1958 - 23:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Moni Panagias, Agios Efstratios
Rebel HQ
(39° 31' 51" N, 25° 0' 34" E)

Spartan was the best way to describe the headquarters that the Lemnosian rebels crafted for themselves. It was located near the named but non-occupied settlement of Moni Panagias, where once upon a time a church had stood. Now it was nothing more than a ruin, ignored by the Lemnosian government and by historians all around the world because of its insignificance. The basecamp was nothing more than a series of tents and small huts hidden underneath camouflage netting and the natural foliage around Moni Panagias. Near the center area, where the rebel fighters convened for briefings and lectures, the who's who within the rebel leadership convened. Here, two entities merged; the Lemnosian Communist Commune, the political leadership of the Lemnosian rebels, and the Lemnosian Workers Brigade, the guerillas who put rifles to their shoulders and engaged the Lemnosian military on the field of battle. As it stood, the LWB was subservient to the LCC.

Nestled in the mountainous area of northern Agios Efstratios, the base camp was virtually impossible to spot from the air and only vaguely accessible. The LWB had mined various approaches, leaving only a select few, of which only they knew, safe. For that reason, the men felt safe, though they still took their precautions. The valley itself was too hindered by the terrain for those within it to receive radio signals so the men had run two wires up the side of the mountain, carefully hiding the wires underneath a thin layer of earth. Atop the nearest peak, they hit the two antennae in the trees, one for receiving civilian bands, one for receiving military bands. It was through this ingenuity that they were able to listen to news broadcasts from around the region. Currently, they were crowded around the radio listening to a broadcast from somewhere in Greece proper. Since Greek was their language, no translation was required - though from the message, it wouldn't have been required at all.

"Earlier today, the Layartebian Congress voted to authorize Layartebian involvement in the Lemnosian Conflict. The bill authorizing President Baltz to direct military forces against pro-Soviet rebels in the island republic passed the Layartebian Senate 19 to 17 and the Layartebian House of Representatives 49 to 44, a narrow margin but a majority nonetheless. Within ten minutes of the conclusion of the bill, President Baltz signed it into action.

"Afterwards, the President remarked that 'Layartebian naval groups will be proceeding into the Aegean Sea at their best possible speed.' Additionally, he remarked that numerous squadrons of 'land-based aircraft have already deployed to Turkey and will commence regular operations shortly.'

"The announcement comes after a major push by the members of the Marseilles Agreement to step in and get involved with the Lemnosian Conflict, seeing it as a West versus East conflict. In response to the announcement, Prime Minister Argyris of the Republic of Lemnos expressed satisfaction of the Republic of Layarteb's commitment to defending democracy. There has been no official response yet from First Secretary Molotov of the Union of Sovereign Slavic Republics. The members of the Marseilles Agreement have repeatedly expressed Soviet interference in the conflict of their involvement." The broadcast closed and the men, both guerillas and ideologues alike, looked at one another with a sense of foreboding dread. To pass through the Layartebian Congress, they knew that the Liberal Party would have needed to entice the Centrist Party. Until this bill, the Centrists always sided with the Federalists on matters of foreign policy and the ideologues had been hoping for this. Ever since the debates, they had been spinning the wheels of propaganda to this effect. Caught now in the wrong, they felt deflated and otherwise deeply scorned.

Senior Lieutenant Zuyev, not privy to the Greek language, received his translated summary of it and he merely shook his head in disappointment, "We've prepared for this," he said to Vasilis, who had risen to the second highest position in the LWB. "You know we have. Come, let's leave this mortuary and get some tea." Speechless, Vasilis followed Senior Lieutenant Zuyev to his tent, which was in the area where the Spetsnaz soldiers camped. They had segregated themselves from the main encampment of LWB guerillas but not for any negative reasons. Instead, they opted to position themselves further away to avoid any sort of interference with the rank and structure of the LWB as they were, technically, outside of it. There, with a small fire going for cooking rather than warmth, half a dozen of the Spetsnaz soldiers were heating a pot of stew. The other twenty-nine men were dispersed around the basecamp and the thirty-sixth man, Senior Lieutenant Zuyev approached with Vasilis. The USSR had deployed an entire Spetsnaz platoon, thirty-six men arranged in a single 4-man headquarters squad and four, 8-man rifle squads.

Senior Lieutenant Zuyev was in charge of them all as he was the highest-ranking Soviet soldier in the Republic of Lemnos. Taking a seat on a small folding chair, Senior Lieutenant Zuyev motioned to Vasilis to join him. "You shouldn't worry. We've expected this for a long time now."

"We have but the reality is much different than how we envisioned this."

"Are you afraid of the Layartebians, of the North Germanians, of the Hirgizstanians, of the Eurasians? Don't be, Mother Russia will provide. We will not want for arms, we will not want for food. We have safe haven here. Soon we will have more men as well. I lead just one platoon but there are three platoons in our company. You understand surely what that means, three times the men. You've seen what we've done with mere squads of men; imagine a whole company. The corrupt capitalists will not last long."

"We must intensify our efforts, we have only a few days before the Layartebian warships with their carrier planes and Marines are here."

"Tomorrow Vasilis, tomorrow we'll strike again. Tonight, let us rest comfortably. It is late and we'll need our rest, I have a target already."

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

February 21, 1958 - 20:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Northwest Lemnos
2,150m NNW of Target
(39° 59' 55" N, 25° 7' 25" E)

"The Lemnosian military guards its island from threats from the air with a two-tiered system," explained Senior Lieutenant Zuyev. "From the airport, they have F-86F Sabre, just a small squadron. Their reliance is not on the aircraft, they have a deal with the Eurasians for air sector protection."

"Then what?" Asked Vasilis.

"The missile sites," Zuyev said with a smile. In 1955, the Republic of Lemnos had bought two Nike Ajax sites from Eurasia and placed them on the small island of Alogonisi in the harbor and on the northeastern part of the island's main landmass. However, they found that two was insufficient. In 1956, they bought a third site and put it on the northwestern part of the island. However, quickly thereafter, they had learned that there was a major flaw with the Nike Ajax, the guidance system; it could only handle one target at a time. In 1957, the Lemnosians built a central command bunker at the airport and constructed two more sites, one on the southeastern portion and one on the southwestern portion of the island. The intertwining rings of the SAM sites provided full protection for the island. "Now since all five missile sites are controlled from the airport, they are only half-manned.

"Most of the men are maintenance personnel, the kind who are not trained with firing a weapon outside of their yearly qualification requirements. Given our activity though, there will be a security staff at each site, perhaps only a squad. The sites are not big," he spread out a series of photographs on the table between them. "Reconnaissance photographs," Zuyev said, flashing his smile. "My first choice was the site on Alogonisi, which is why we hit the observation point. Unfortunately, we were forced to withdraw. I do not know if their surveillance equipment is still intact so moving into the harbor is not ideal, even with our scuba gear."

"We have the men who would bring us there."

"No, we need your boatmen for other endeavors. No, we're going to go against the site in the northwest. I have picked an insertion point twenty-one hundred and fifty meters from the site on the coast. My men can traverse the hilly terrain in a few hours. They can move on the site by cutting through the barrier fence. One squad will attack the barracks and the other will plant explosive charges on the missiles. We will utilize timers to ensure that our men are clear."

"What about distress calls?"

"Like what happened at the observation post?"

"Yes," worried Vasilis. "Have you thought about that?"

"I have and we just do not have the ability right now without revealing all of our positions. When will your guerillas be in position around Lemnos, and I mean in position to strike?"

"They are there already. We have many men deployed all over. Every town, they're just hiding for now, three thousand men."

"Then this is where we will strike for now, we will give them something to cheer but this is for my men only, not yours." At this, Vasilis flashed a look of offense across his face. Zuyev read it correctly, "This is more dangerous than anything before. Your men are in position; we cannot compromise them. I will deploy two squads and with the third, I shall get into position on the island of Lemnos. When the navy comes, and when the time comes to fight them, we will do so but not from here, from Lemnos. Continue to move your men Vasilis but this is where we will part. Do you understand?"

"Yes my friend, I understand. You will stay safe and hidden then?"

"Until the time is right Vasilis, I give you my word, soldier to soldier."

Eight hours later, two hours after the sun had set, Senior Lieutenant Zuyev and his men were on their way to their hiding place when the other two squads, having bobbed up and down in the Aegean Sea at eight to ten knots were pulling up to their insertion point to the north-northwest of the missile site. Wadding ashore in the darkness of the near moonless night, the new moon having been just three days earlier, the sixteen Spetsnaz commandos found themselves on a very short, rocky beach. It was barely five meters before the steep walls of the hillside began but the first ascent was easy for the men, whose tall stature and serious upper body strength let them heft their bodies and gear up the meter and a half hillside wall. They were carrying only what gear they would need for the raid, not everything they would ever need. The plan was to move back to the boat, move back to Agios Efstratios and then regroup to infiltrate Lemnos during the night of February 22 - 23, just before the Layartebian warships arrived.

Moving hard and pushing the envelope, the sixteen Spetsnaz commandos hustled up the hillside, to its peak, and then down again, before crossing on the side of another hill. After eleven hundred and fifty meters, the men took a short, five-minute rest, using the foliage of a valley to hide them. Sure that they weren't being followed, the Spetsnaz commandos checked their gear and made a quick radio check. Shortly thereafter, they were on the move again, and one kilometer later, they were crawling up to the chain-link fence of the missile base. Bolt cutters were brought forth and quietly, the men snapped through a large enough section of the fence for them to fit through easily. Throughout the time, men watched for potential security patrols but there were none. The lights were on in the barracks and smoke puffed from the barracks' chimney. It wasn't particular cold outside, not cold enough for everyone to be hiding indoors but the Spetsnaz commandos didn't wish to delay any further so inward they went, breaking off as planned.

Keeping low with their weapons shouldered, the eight men assigned to the barracks moved to it with lightning speed, their eyes and ears scanning the whole expanse of the base. Their eyes never went anywhere their gun barrels didn't and it wasn't before long that they were leaning against the exterior wall of the barracks. Since they were assaulting the barracks, these men weren't all carrying their long, AK-47s but rather shorter, submachine guns. If they got into a firefight at range, the other squad would handle the duty.

After a quiet count, the point man in the squad reared up with his foot and kicked the door in and quickly, all eight men poured into the barracks. With their PPS submachine guns leading the way, they swept through with the coldness of the professional assault force that they were. Learned tactics of the Spetsnaz commandos played into the assault and in two minutes, through a fierce, one-way gunfight, everyone in the barracks was dead. Outside, not oblivious to the gunfire but certainly not worried by it, the eight men swept in teams of two, swept through the four rows of missiles. There were sixteen missiles readied in four groups of four missiles line abreast of one another. On each missile, the men stuck one-pound blocks of Composition B explosive, each set to detonate after thirty minutes.

With eighteen minutes left on the timers, the Spetsnaz commandos cleared out and quickly headed back for their insertion point. On the way back, they did not take the rest in the foliage but rather, they kept going, moving as fast as they could. However, as they crested a hill, they did catch a glimpse of the bright flashes of light from the sixteen explosions - and the secondary's that followed. They didn't stay for too long though, they weren't there to admire their work. Quickly, they turned around and continued back to the insertion point, knowing that the boat would be waiting for them.

---

• |- 8 -| •

[Layarteb]

February 23, 1958 - 21:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Aegean Sea
RLS Ranger (CVA-61)
(37° 29' 50" N, 25° 42' 43" E)

Admiral Charles Coco, aged fifty, had legendary eyebrows, so legendary that the number of jokes in the Layartebian Navy around them was near limitless. For a man with the sense of bravado and gusto that Admiral Coco had, the more jokes, the better. It went for reason that Admiral Coco also had an ego that not even an aircraft carrier could contain but his ego, his eyebrows, and his uncanny ability to turn any crowd were irrelevant outside of his ability to command. An admiral but not a desk jockey, Admiral Coco avoided the political hither and thither of Layarteb City but if you had to ask him, he felt he was a backwards Centrist. He liked what the Federalists did for the domestic forefront but as a man of war, he was a Liberal when it came to putting the hurt to the Soviets.

A navy man through and through, Admiral Coco drank his coffee black and sludge-like and he always had a cup within arm's reach, whether it was hot or cold, the liquid or rather viscous solid in some cases, went down like oil and fueled him like plutonium. He was a man of the sea and of the service, for God and Country, as the cousins said. Unfortunately, there wasn't much room for family and so his wife, or rather wives, had all left him. His kids moved onto their step-parents, and the only relative he kept in contact with, whether by blood or marriage, was his sister, who lived the model, Layartebian life. He'd only just read a letter from her not more than ten minutes earlier and with its kind words keeping what little soft tissue existed in his heart still soft, he ventured topside out of the catacombs of the aircraft carrier to look upon the million and one stars overhead.

Cruising in the Aegean Sea at just eighteen knots, the carrier was as gentle and stable as if it were a car parked on a road. It helped that Admiral Coco didn't get seasick and he put that to the desk some fourteen years earlier when the destroyer he was on as a commander and thus second-in-charge, decided to tackle a hurricane. In defiance of Mother Nature, then Commander Coco stood on the bow of the ship with a Sloppy Joe in his hand and dared Mother Nature to capsize his boat. A few more degrees either way and it would have but Commander Coco conquered Mother Nature that September in Cape Hatteras in what was to become known as the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944. Two coast guard cutters and a similar destroyer went down, with a loss of some two hundred and ninety-six men. Commander Coco's destroyer braved waves that made three quarters of the ship lose it.

Astute to his surroundings, Admiral Coco was eyeing the stars overhead when in the faint echoes behind him; he heard the footsteps of polished, navy shoes. Guessing it was his executive officer, Admiral Coco bellowed out, "What is it XO, can't you see I'm watching the stars?"

"Sorry sir," responded Vice Admiral Dennis Teague, a former fighter pilot whose personality would have clashed with that of Admiral Coco, had it not been eerily similar. "I thought you'd like to hear about the after action report from the Nike site."

"Well you guessed right, even if I'm enjoying myself here. What is it," and with that, Admiral Coco stopped watching the stars and turned to his XO, both of them standing in utter darkness on one of the island's balconies.

"Wiped them all out sir. Evidently, the men there, the security staff that is, were undisciplined and lazy. Instead of walking the perimeter they believed they were immune to attack and so they were having a card game. Blood alcohol levels on eighty percent of them were above point one."

"What a joke these people are," scoffed Admiral Coco. "You know, eight days ago, just eight days, the intelligence brief put the lifespan of this government at three to four weeks? The rebels are that close right now and though they're not outright fighting on the island, if all of a sudden they did, the Lemnosians would just buckle down instantly. Prime Minister Argyris would be running for cover. He's weak, his whole government is weak."

"Sir, that's what they say but I don't believe it."

"Why's that? No one's disagreeing with the eggheads yet."

"Argyris has no problems enacting tough penalties. He was just waiting for the rebels to start shooting in civilian towns so that he could send his army through them like a steamroller. All of the equipment that the Eurasians gave them over the past two years, and the years before when the Soviets were not in their 'active phase' is all there for a purpose. Hell sir, why do you think the rebels have been trying to steal so much of it rather than blow it up, they want it for themselves."

"I don't buy it. I'm not downplaying the military or what they have but the rebels have been kicking their asses for the past two years and the best the Lemnosians have done about it is call us. I'm telling you XO, these bastards are lucky we're here. Otherwise, Russian the whole way; you know I hate borscht; it tastes like boiled shit masquerading as boiled vomit."

VADM Teague laughed at that comment. He'd never tried it but it wasn't high on his list. He hated beets and cabbage, for all of the right reasons. "Well either way sir, we're in deep trouble if we've got to deal with a force that's this lackadaisical."

"We will but frankly, and I'll put this gently when the time comes," which meant he'd use a sledge hammer instead of a crane with a five-ton wrecking ball, "that's the problem for General Teitelbaum," who happened to be the ground commander assigned to the operation. ADM Coco did the sea, GEN Steven Teitelbaum did the ground, and GEN Jorge Rainbolt did the air. "Our job is the sea, and making sure the airpower is there when the call comes into us. The Lemnosians aren't going to make that call, our boys will."

"I'd hope so sir."

"They will XO, don't you worry. This isn't a proxy war anymore. It might have been had we gone a different course of actions but no, now it's us and it's them. The Soviets might be supporting the rebels but with this much hardware, they're going to need to do a lot more than shell out AK-47s, RPG-2s, and a few tons of grain."

"What are you suggesting sir?"

"XO, there's a reason we've got a Skywarrior squadron on board; it's not to drop a metric shitton of Mark 82s."

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

February 24, 1958 - 05:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Adana, Turkey
Incirlik Air Base
(37° 0' 7" N, 35° 25' 33" E)

"You know, if the air force built a runway around the world, Republic Aircraft Company would build a jet that would need every damn foot of it to take off," joked Major Lee "Jokester" Barker, squadron commander of the 609th Fighter Squadron as he exited the barracks, his helmet under his arm, and a clipboard in his hand. He was leading the fifteen other pilots of his squadron out to their aircraft, which were parked on the tarmac at Incirlik Air Base and ready for the short hop from here, their staging area, to their primary operations base Gökçeada Airport on the island of Gökçeada. This morning, the sixteen F-105B Thunderchiefs from the 609th Fighter Squadron would take to the skies with their silver finish and fly in close formation over western Turkey and up to the small island airport, which would put them well within striking range of Lemnos.

Because this was only a ferry flight, there was no need for weapons and thus, the pilots of these sixteen aircraft did not have to tug on any ordinance attached to their hardpoints. They did, however, inspect the single 350-gallon fuel tank in their bomb bay and the two 450-gallon fuel tanks on their innermost wing hardpoints. Other preflight checks were conducted but the majority of them were just a formality and the normal rote of their preflight checks and requirements. When all was said and done, the sixteen men mounted the ladders of their aircraft, slid into the cramped cockpits, and finished what checks they needed inside. Helmets were put on, ground crew enlistees pulled away braking blocks and aircraft engines were started.

One by one, the sixteen F-105B Thunderchiefs, one of the newest fighter-bombers to reach the markets, taxied to the runway where they held short before being authorized onto it. They took off in pairs, slightly behind the other using the two lanes of the relatively long runway at Incirlik Air Base. Had they been fully loaded with bombs, they would have needed almost all of it to get into the air, or that's how the jokes went at least since Republic Aviation Company built and was continuing to build the F-105 Thunderchief. Supersonic and one of the most gorgeous aircraft to date, the Thunderchief was truly going to make its mark on history.

It could exceed Mach 2 at altitude and Mach 1 at sea level. It could carry over 14,000 pounds of bombs and missiles. It had a gun with over 1,000 rounds of 20-millimeter ammunition. It could carry nuclear ordinance. However, it wasn't meant to be a fighter. It was meant to be an attack plane, the type of aircraft that brings a world of hurt to the enemy and it could do so with ease. Outside of the radar and electronic systems, all of which were state-of-the-art, the Thunderchief was piloted by a new class of Layartebian airmen. Men selected to fly the F-105 weren't the normal hotshot jocks that flew fighters and aimed to be aces. Men who flew the F-105 were truly different. They didn't dream of dogfighting with MiGs and watching the gun camera footage afterwards. They dreamed of flying on the deck, at 500 knots, carrying a full load of iron bombs, and putting every single one of those bombs into the center of an enemy platoon, with tracer fire going off around them. They weren't going to do victory rolls; they were going to do hard turns at full afterburner to bank away from anti-aircraft crews brave enough to engage them.

The men of the 609th Fighter Squadron were some of the newest recruits to the Thunderchief program and they were cocky in their own way. While fighter jocks boasted about flying scissor turns and coming up on the hind quarter of a MiG for a Sidewinder shot, Thunderchief drivers merely sat back and made their own jokes. More than once, Thunderchief pilots challenged their fighter rivals to fly offs on the deck. A few fighter pilots were brave enough to shit their pants trying but by and large, fighter jocks didn't like terrain and hills. They wanted the open skies, where there was nothing to smash into except the MiG on their nose.

There was no telling what antics the 609th Fighter Squadron would commit on this fine morning but they were flying over civilian territory, with jetliners and what not so they were limited in that regard, or so command thought.

---

• |- 9 -| •

[Layarteb]

February 28, 1958 - 15:30 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"All right, all right, let's come to order please," directed President Baltz as he entered his office from the reception area. He shut the door behind him and motioned for the members of the Republic of Layarteb's National Security Council to be seated. "Let's just get this going if we can, I'd rather not waste time."

"Sir, as of three hours ago, the last contingent required for Operation MIDNIGHT CYCLONE, which is what we'll be calling our operations on Lemnos, arrived in theater. At present, the Ranger and her battle group are operating north of Lemnos. Their tasking will be to provide air patrol over the northern Aegean Sea for Soviet bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft. They'll also be primarily tasked with inspecting any cargo ships and freighters attempting to break our blockade line.

"The Shangri-La is operating south of Lemnos with more or less the same priorities except her anti-submarine aircraft will be ensuring that no Soviet submarines slip into the Aegean without our knowing so.

"The air force is in place at the various operating bases and will be watching the entrance into the Aegean Sea from the Black Sea, monitoring the Soviet shipping and what not. Bomber patrols are going to be set up to let the Soviets know that we're one hundred percent serious.

"The Marine Expeditionary Brigade will be moving to the airport along with the paratroopers over the next few days. Heavy equipment will be brought via sea across from Turkey to land at various points.

"Now as far as our special forces goes, we have the Frogmen aboard either battle group with some Green Berets deployed onto Lemnos already. They've already liaised with Lemnosian troops and they will be instrumental in working with them." Said the Secretary of Defense, reading off of a small sheet in his hands.

"That's good and well but what about our allies?"

"Sir, the Eurasians have already moved everything they need, mainly airpower, into position. They did so before we go there. They have regular supply convoys moving from Turkey to Lemnos to provide for the Lemnosian troops. The Hirgizstsanian special forces unit has deployed and they've taken up a position at the Lemnosian special operations camp near Repanidi. Our North Germanian allies have deployed to the airport."

"So bottom line then, when do we kick off operations?"

"Within forty-eight hours sir," responded the gruff voice of the military's highest ranking officer, General Abe Pierre.

"Then run the operation down for me General, please."

"With pleasure sir. We've split the operation into five separate phases. In Phase I, we're going to aim to dislodge what rebel troops are deployed on Lemnos. We know that they're there and we're going to seek them out and remove them from the island. We're hoping for a good deal of captures or defections in the face of superior firepower, in order to learn more information about the rebels. Phase II will see us move southward to Agios Efstratios, where we believe the rebels have their headquarters. We're going to aim to starve them out and cut them off from their Soviet allies throughout but in this stage, we're really going to put the pressure on them. Our assaults will be against materiel caches and observation posts. In Phase III, we're going to bring the bombs to bear on Agios Efstratios, striking every rebel element we can find. Phase IV will be a humanitarian operation on both islands, aimed at peacekeeping measures. We'll draw down some forces for this. In Phase V, which is a long-term plan, we'll prevent any flare-ups of revolutionary spirits and ensure that the Lemnosian government does not act too rashly."

"And ETAs on each phase General?"

"It's hard to say sir; we believe we'll conclude Phase IV by the end of this calendar year. Phase V could last a few years thereafter but we'll see a significant drawdown in troops for that phase."

"I'd prefer something more concrete General."

"Yes sir, we'll get that answer for you then." General Pierre replied but not without some measure of annoyance with the question. There was no way to predict how long each phase would last, only in generalized terms. They could last a week or a month each, there was no way to tell.

"The command structure, is that in place?"

"It is sir," this time it was the Secretary of Defense. "Admiral Coco is in charge of the naval element, General Teitelbaum is in charge of the ground element, and General Rainbolt will handle the air element. The Eurasians, being largely air power and air defense will report into General Rainbolt. The Hirgizstanians and North Germanians will subordinate to General Teitelbaum."

"How'd that go over?" Asked President Baltz of his Chief of Staff.

"Not too well Mister President, the Hirgizstanians and North Germanians have no desire to actually subordinate to us on their own forces. We'll handle direction to their top commanders but it's really up to them to issue the order to the troops."

"That's the best we could do?"

"Mister President, that's the only option, neither country was negotiable on the matter."

"Fine then, what about the Lemnosians?"

"They'll not be an issue sir," answered General Pierre. "We've put it eloquently clear to them that we're running the show here. Their troops are going to be a big part of the operation but if they want our help, they've got to give us the reins. Prime Minister Argyris and his staff were reluctant at first until we explained to them the power of a single carrier battle group."

"Good work then, I'm glad we have that aspect buttoned up. I don't want to see more lazy soldiers letting surface-to-air sites get attacked. What is the status of that site actually?"

"Sir," the Secretary of Defense said, "the Eurasians have replaced all of the missile launchers and the missiles. The barracks has been cleaned up and throughout the country, all air defense sites are now being coordinated through Eurasian specialists and advisors. The Lemnosians are there only to provide manpower now, not to make the decisions."

"Very good," President Baltz responded. He was pleased to see the Lemnosians cut out of the equation to the degree that they were. If things went south with the Soviets, and a part of him hoped that they would, the Lemnosians would only muck it up on them. The Layartebians needed to be in charge, insofar as he was concerned and even though the North Germanians and the Hirgizstanians had fiercely resisting handing over command, they were still somewhat under the Republic's thumb, and thus President Baltz's.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

February 28, 1958 - 23:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Aegean Sea
B-73 Zulu-class Submarine
(40° 1' 16" N, 26° 9' 24" E)

The B-73 was one of the newest Soviet submarines. Part of Project AV611, which produced four newly-built boats, the B-73 was referred to in the West as the Zulu-class submarine; and thus far, the Soviets were still very secretive about the conversion. The B-73 had been modified from its role as a diesel-electric, attack submarine to a diesel-electric, missile submarine by way of addition of two vertical tubes in an extended conning tower. Each tube was large enough to carry a single R-11FM Zemlya surface-to-surface, ballistic missile. In the West, this missile became known as the SS-1 Scud-A. It was truly state-of-the-art and the world's first submarine-launched ballistic missile; although, launching them was somewhat problematic. The Zulu-class would have to surface first, raise the missile out of the tube by way of elevator, and then fire. The whole process would take upwards of five missiles. However, only one missile could be raised and fired at a time. If a Zulu-class wanted to fire both missiles, it would be on the surface for ten minutes total.

The B-73, under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Rodion Belov, had just transited the tricky passage of the Dardanelles at a crawl of just four knots, mere meters from the floor of the sea. Fully aware of the presence of Layartebian anti-submarine patrols in the Aegean Sea and Layartebian reconnaissance over the straits separating the Aegean from the Black Sea, Captain Belov had opted for a patience-taxing but rewarding transit hugging the bottom and moving at an especially slow speed. For the hours upon hours upon hours that it took to get from the Black Sea now into the Aegean, no unnecessary noise was allowed on the boat and thus with the whispered announcement that the transit had been completed, every Soviet sailor aboard breathed a sigh of relief. Cigarette smoke hung in the air all around the control room and Captain Belov patted the back of his navigator.

"We are through Leonid," he whispered to the man, whose brow was covered with droplets of sweat.

"Yes we are Captain, what luck shines upon us today."

"Our own skill, your skill Leonid. I will put you in for a commendation when we get to port."

"Thank you Captain, orders?"

"Bring us to station now; let's keep close to the bottom and very quiet. The Layartebians are up there looking for us. We must break the blockade and deliver our supplies when the time is right."

"Yes Captain, as ordered!" The whispers ended and the navigator began to plot his course. Within minutes, he was whispering them for orders and the submarine's drivers were making the course corrections. There would be more silence and more tension in the coming days but for the men on the submarine, the Aegean Sea was a relief compared to the tight space of the straits between the Black Sea and the Aegean.

Leaving the control of the submarine in the hands of his executive officer, Captain Belov found his quarters, saying hello to the submarine's political officer on the way, who was nothing more than a spy for the KGB or the GRU, Captain Belov didn't know which. He kept the man at arm's length. In his cabin now, Captain Belov made himself some tea and sat down to write in the log. At the same time, he wrote a diary entry to his wife back home, whom he wrote to every chance he got. At the end of the cruise, he would hand her the diary so that she could read through his thoughts. It was something she truly enjoyed but only out of curiosity. She wasn't a faithful woman, despite her professed allegiance to the submariner. Captain Belov didn't have any suspicions either but had he any, they would have been hard to prove. His wife knocked around with a low-level party hack and that meant, Captain Belov was at a major disadvantage.

---

• |- 10 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 2, 1958 - 07:15 hrs [UTC+2]
Atsiki, Lemnos
Atsiki Special Forces Camp
(39° 56' 59" N, 25° 12' 58" E)

The Atsiki Special Forces Camp was the main staging, support, training, and billeting locality of the Lemnosian Special Forces, a small but elite unit of strike and reconnaissance teams trained almost exclusively by the Eurasian military. Located just west of the small town of Atsiki, the camp was home to about sixty-four soldiers but now that number had been increased by twelve, thanks to the addition of Team 102 of the Layartebian Army's 5th Special Forces Group, better known as the Green Berets. Though Atsiki was the main camp for the Lemnosian Special Forces, it wasn't the only camp; there was a second near the town of Repanidi, on the other side of the island. That camp was normally home to just forty or so soldiers but now it had been augmented by over one hundred thanks to the deployment of the Hirgizstanian special forces.

Team 102 was a 12-man, ODA or Operational Detachment Alpha team. They had been deployed along with Team 104, an identically organized team to provide the terrestrial component of the Layartebian Military's special operations deployment. The naval Frogmen took up the maritime component and they were exclusively deployed aboard Layartebian warships. Captain Chuck Dye was the leader of Team 102 and Captain Bruce Lindell was the leader of Team 104 and together, both men were no strangers to combat scenarios. For the past three years, they had been deployed on and off to South America to provide the Republic's allies with some needed help. They provided the Republic of Layarteb with credible deniability because of the nature of their mission and thus their exploits, though heroic and star worthy, had not made it into the public's ever critical eye.

With the sun already raised above the horizon on this damp, cloudy morning, the twelve Layartebian commandos and their Lemnosian counterparts were engaging in morning PT exercises. The island of Lemnos was quite militarized now that the four nations of the Marseilles Agreement had deployed assets to it and around the Aegean Sea and the populace was fully aware that something big was about to happen. Rebels in hiding throughout the island were apprised to the same knowledge but they were just waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Multinational Force Mike Alpha (MF-MA) as the deployment force had become known as was experiencing some initial troubles and thus, they weren't fully, combat ready yet. That wasn't to say that MF-MA couldn't respond to a threat but they just didn't have the cohesion between themselves and the Lemnosians to do so as effectively as was needed.

That was crucial too. Just the previous evening, First Secretary Molotov announced that the Union of Sovereign Slavic Republics would be increasing its aide to the pro-Soviet rebels. They announced that their aide would be decidedly military in nature and that the USSR would respond to any aggression from the MF-MA members as if it were a declaration of war against Kiev. These were troubling times indeed but First Secretary Molotov was still underestimating the level of commitment that his foes in the Marseilles Agreement were dedicating to wiping out the pro-Soviet rebels on Lemnos.

The news struck the members of MF-MA with some solemnity. They knew that the Soviets would play hard ball, this was close enough to their backyard that they had to, or else they would appear weak and ineffective. Other pro-Soviet groups around the world were surely watching to see how they reacted to the rebels on Lemnos. If the Soviets gave them the support that they needed, it would incite the other groups around the world to be more bold and brazen. Of course, if things fell flat, that would be a major coup for the Worldwide Workers Revolution, as the Soviet party leadership called their network of agitators and left-wing paramilitary organizations throughout the "West." This was more than just a battle for the Republic of Lemnos; it was a battle for the continuance of the Soviet foreign policy and the West's resistance to that particular doctrine. Lemnos would be the first battleground in what would become a great cold war between the Soviets and the West, particularly the members of the Marseilles Agreement.

CPT Dye, twice wounded and five times decorated for his exploits in combat, was just finishing up an exercise with a squad of Lemnosian commandos when the report of a sniper rifle filled the air around him. Little did he know though that the round had already hit home, the sniper being in excess of six hundred meters away. "Get down!" He screamed as the whistling of mortars began to fill the air. "Incoming!" He screamed and all around the special forces camp, soldiers scrambled for shelter. CPT Dye took refuge against the side of a Conex container as the first mortar rounds landed outside of the perimeter of the camp and with that observation, CPT Dye quickly thought to himself, "Good! This is a hit-and-run attack, they don't have us pre-sighted," and rapidly, he ran into the sandbagged bunker to get the rest of his gear. More rounds landed outside of the perimeter but they were being walked in closer.

The rest of his team, and the Lemnosian commandos, all did the same. They scrambled out of the open quickly and to their defensive positions. Men standing in the watch towers began to look for hostiles, doing so only in short time spans, aware that the enemy had a sniper or rather snipers out there. Inside of the sandbagged bunker, CPT Dye quickly found one of the liaisons with the Lemnosian commandos and dragged him aside, "They don't have us sighted yet! We have maybe one or two more barrages before they start landing in the wire. Get us some air support in that time."

"Yes Captain; we have one wounded, the sniper took out one of the watch tower guards."

"Who?"

"Mihalis," responded the Lemnosian. "Short kid, the one always trying to get poker games going."

"Dammit, he's a good kid! All right, shake it off and call in the support. This is going to be a hit-and-run attack so if we can get air overhead, they won't come out in the open to attack us."

"Okay, will do," and with that, the Lemnosian went over to the radio set on the other side of the bunker to make the call. In the meantime, the Layartebians grabbed their weaponry. For the twelve men of Team 102, that meant seven M28A1 Rougecotes, two M28A2 Rougecotes, an M14 Rifle, and two M60 Machine Guns, brand new, squad-mobile weapons that were considerably lighter than their predecessors, the M1919 Light Machine Gun. They also provided significantly more ammunition thanks to belts than the M1918 BAR. Not quite yet widespread throughout the services, the M60 Machine Gun had never been used in combat before and though it showed some problems in training, combat was the ultimate test to a weapon system.

Less than a minute later, with their weapons and gear fully in their hands and on their bodies, the twelve men of Team 102 and many Lemnosian commandos were ready to hightail it out of the bunker when a startling announcement came from the radio area, "Command can't send planes."

"Why not!" Roared back CPT Dye.

"They say they're committed elsewhere, there's fighting all over the island."

"Well shit, the bastards decided to attack. Okay listen up men!" He shouted for everyone's attention and very soon thereafter he commanded it, "This isn't a hit-and-run, it's an attack! Get to your positions and get behind cover. Don't let these bastards get within two hundred meters of us or else they'll have grenades landing on our heads. Machine guns, keep them stocked and keep the barrels cool! You've got it, now get out there!" Another round of mortars had just landed and some had landed within the perimeter but thanks to the prepared fighting positions, no one was killed. Minor shrapnel wounds were had but no one who could, would be running for a medic in the midst of a mortar barrage.

"Man it would be better with air support," shouted one of the Lemnosians just as CPT Dye and his men slid into position next to a sandbagged wall.

"We don't need air, they always bomb the wrong shit anyway," he bellowed back with a smile as he sighted his M28A1 Rougecote ahead of them. "Yo Powers," he yelled over the din of battle to the sniper just five meters from his position.

"On it Captain, I know he's out there somewhere, I'm just looking for the dickhead's binoculars," SSG Charlie Powers, Team 102's marksman replied back as he looked through the high-powered scope of his M14 Rifle. The whole ODA used the same caliber, 7.62x51mm, the high-powered caliber that was replacing the .30-06 Springfield round. The 7.62x51mm packed less punch than the .30-06 but it was smaller, lighter, and more of them could be packed into a clip. SSG Powers, the marksman, had his M14 Rifle sighted for five hundred meters and he trained his scope around the area, looking for any glimmer of the enemy spotter.

"Find him yet?" CPT Dye asked after another barrage landed behind them. Men were fully taking cover now so if the enemy was going to assault the special forces camp, this was the time. "They've got to be firing them from inside the town, probably some courtyard. These are light bombs, 50-millimeter."

"Nothing yet but there's a lot of windows to check, though I am sure the rebels are about to attack us so it might be moot."

"Moot my ass, bring that asshole down."

"Yep, yep, keep talking and keep breaking my concentration," SSG Powers joked back, never taking his eye off of the scope or off of the town before them, where the enemy definitely had a spotter. He continued to scan but as he swept to the end of the town, he hadn't found anyone so he began to sweep back. As he did, he caught sight of movement in a tree and quickly, he centered his sights on the tree. "I think I got something, maybe some jerk in a tree."

"Make sure, I don't want some kid up at dawn to die."

"Nope, it's a man, he's, yes that's a radio." He said and with the crack of his weapon, a 7.62x51mm round fired out of the barrel and struck the enemy spotter right in the upper thorax, probably just a few millimeters off of the man's heart. Instantly, the limp body fell out of the tree and hit the ground. "One down, might not be the only one though."

"Doesn't matter, good work, they'll be a little confused now. All right men, get ready, they'll be coming out of the woodwork now!" Yelled CPT Dye, expecting the infantry attack to commence now; as he finished, another Green Beret, SGT Eric O'Brien slid up next to him, "What is it O'Brien, can't you see we're about to be busy here?"

"I'm thinking now's a good time to go out and find those mortars."

"No go," CPT Dye responded, "we don't know which way we're going to take the attack from and the mortars are unknown. There's no telling what's in Atsiki right now. You could be walking into a battalion. Stay here, we need the guns here. When we break the attack we'll see."

"All right sir, I'll get cozy then."

"You're just chicken shit," yelled SSG Powers, "trying to hide from the battle by going to get some mortars." Spirits were high, as evidenced but how long that would stay remained to be seen. This was Team 102's first brush with the rebel enemy that lurked throughout Lemnos. Now, as the mortars fell silent, they knew that it would be time for the infantry attack and it materialized right on cue. The snap, crackle, and pop of incoming fire filled the air as muzzle blast erupted from the windows of the town and from the road to the north.

"Well the assholes know how to use the sun," CPT Dye as he fought off the glare of the rising sun, "it doesn't matter, we'll still prevail!" He shouted as he let a single shot go into the side of a window approximately four hundred and fifty meters away. He corrected and fired again, catching the rebel right in the shoulder in what was likely a mortal wound.

The firefight was nothing to scoff at after about three minutes into it and CPT Dye, Team 102, and the Lemnosian commandos began to sense that the rebel attacks throughout the island were being orchestrated by a force significantly larger than originally envisioned by command and passed down through the intelligence reports.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

March 2, 1958 - 09:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Aegean Sea
RLS Ranger (CVA-61)
(40° 17' 36" N, 25° 27' 32" E)

Just slightly over twenty-two nautical miles away, the RLS Ranger (CVA-61) was cruising at a moderate twelve knots. Her flight deck was a busy and bustling place as a pair of F-8A Crusader fighters had just been launched over the bow to take up a combat air patrol position north and east of the carrier. Two others would be recovering in the next five minutes, their fuel state low but not critical yet. News of the rebel attack had reached the carrier fairly quickly and her aircraft were now engaged in sorties all around the island. The A-4B Skyhawks, the fast movers, were highly sought out because of their quick turnaround speed and their heavier ordinance so the squadron was going to be pulling duty all morning, afternoon, and evening until the attacks abated. However, also busier than they had wanted for this early March morning, were the two Skyraider squadrons flying the A-1G and the A-1H.

Sought out for their loiter abilities, all aircraft were currently on sortie except for two, a pair of A-1H Skyraiders that had taken some battle damage and were on their way back to the carrier to refuel. The aircraft were still airworthy but the pilots wanted to make sure that the carrier mechanics checked them out before they continued on with further sorties. There was no telling what was hit inside of the airframe and though the A-1H Skyraider was rugged and designed to take a beating, there was no chancing it in a plane over decidedly hostile territory. As the two aircraft trapped one behind the other, the voice of CPT Dye's radioman, SSG Willie Fowler came over the air requesting immediate air support. Trying to focus on landing, LTJG Lee Numbers ignored the plea while his wingman, LTJG Lenny Anderson didn't. "Lee what callsign is that?"

"Lenny man, I'm trying to land shut up," LTJG Numbers answered as he listened to the landing safety officer direct him.

"I think that's special forces, Python 3-1," LTJG Anderson responded, not willing to leave it alone.

"Don't care, landing now," and within ten seconds, LTJG Numbers was on the deck, having caught the two wire instead of the desired three wire. He would be charged for that and he would blame LTJG Anderson for distracting him. LTJG Anderson, on the other hand, was now aborting the landing.

"Lee, I'm going to check it out, I've got fuel and I've got some weaponry left."

"Lenny, you get your ass down here now," LTJG Numbers said as he taxied off of the landing strip and towards the elevator so that his aircraft could be inspected.

"No can do Lee, I'm going to check it out, get back up and join me when you get a cat spot. I'm out." With that LTJG Anderson banked his aircraft to the starboard and came around to the right heading. "Python 3-1, this is Spad 1-9, I've got you, I ain't got much but I've got something."

"Spad 1-9, Python 3-1, that's good to fucking hear man, we're getting creamed down here, what are you carrying and how far are you?"

"Oh about twenty miles, maybe twenty-five, hard to tell right now."

"Fine, fine, what are you carrying?"

"About four hundred rounds of 20-mike-mike, six rockets, and a pair of Mark 82s."

"That'll do, that'll do just fine Spad 1-9, get your ass here now!"

"Roger wilco, you'll hear me before you see me so give me some targets now."

"Our camp is located due west, approximately five-zero-zero meters of the town of Atsiki. We've got major bad guys north and east of the camp between us and the road to the north and the town to the east. We're going to need a strafing pass north-to-south between us and the town first. Give us one bomb, maybe two rockets, and some gunfire on the pass. We need to break these sons of bitches."

"Can you give me smoke?"

"I can't throw that far without getting shot to shit, you'll see them. You'll see us. Don't fuck up flyboy."

"Ha! Fuck up! Boy this is the navy not the air force. You just keep your head's down and I'll be there right quick." As LTJG Anderson advanced the throttles he noticed that his oil pressure gauge was beginning to drop and his entire body tensed up as he thought how bad of an idea this was. "Oh baby, hold it together for just a few more minutes, I beg you…" He said to his aircraft as he rolled it over to the right heading and settled at eight thousand feet and 280 knots. He checked his map and did some rough math in his head as he approached the coastline.

Less than three minutes later, he saw the besieged special forces camp. Smoke was rising all around it from the enemy onslaught and he could see rebel fighters out in the open. "Python 3-1, you still with me? It looks like hell down there."

"No shit Spad 1-9, it is hell down here. We can see you coming, make sure you hit these fuckers, we don't have much time."

"No problem army man, put your hands in the navy," and with that LTJG Anderson ignored the aircraft's gradually dropping oil pressure and went into a shallow dive. He put his sights on a cluster of rebel troops and let loose two rockets, both heavy 5-inch Zuni rockets. The heavier Zuni rockets were a fan favorite among Skyraider pilots. They were nearly double the diameter of the Mighty Mouse rockets and they packed much more punch, forty-eight pounds versus ten pounds. They also had longer range and a higher velocity making them more accurate when used in short ranges.

After both rockets flew away at 1,600 mph, nearly five times the speed of the diving Skyraider, LTJG Anderson adjusted his dive slightly and let loose a few dozen 20-millimeter rounds. He was unable to drop the Mark 82 on the pass and so he pulled up, leveling off at 500 feet, and continued to the south. "Python 3-1, couldn't drop the 82 on that run but give me a target and I'll come back south-to-north."

"Roger that we'll try something." As the Skyraider climbed and came around for its second pass south-to-north, SSG Fowler directed them against a rebel rocket team. The Mark 82 missed wide by about forty meters but the shrapnel from the bomb and the blast wave were enough to neutralize the team and save one of the watchtowers from eating four RPG-2 rockets. LTJG Anderson trimmed his aircraft to compensate for the loss of weight from dropping the bomb as he came around to hit the targets alongside the road, north of the camp. He swept through it on one pass, expending the rest of his rockets and the last of his Mark 82s but by then, his oil pressure was finally below the limit where it was safe to keep going.

"Python 3-1, I've got bad news, oil pressure's dropping, I've got to get home my friends, this is all I can do here."

"Send someone to help! We need more."

"You got it Python 3-1, good luck boys!" With that, LTJG Anderson turned for home. He had just five minutes to get to the carrier; and on the way; he declared an emergency, requesting landing priority. He touched down with his engine temperature spiking and barely any power from the engine. Another ninety seconds and he would have been forced to bail out, thus he landed by the skin of his teeth. Relieved that he was able to do something, he didn't receive a hero's welcome. Instead, he got a major chewing out and he found that he was grounded. Ultimately, had he landed originally, the Skyraider would have been okay, the oil leak would have been found and no damage to the engine would have been sustained but because of his actions, the whole engine would need replacing, a costly endeavor despite the fact that he had tried to save some lives.

---

• |- 11 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 2, 1958 - 22:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Aegean Sea
RLS Ranger (CVA-61)
(40° 17' 36" N, 25° 27' 32" E)

"Stand at ease Lieutenant," ordered Commander Marks, the squadron CO of LTJG Anderson's Skyraider squadron. Doing as ordered, LTJG Anderson looked over the stateroom of the skipper, Admiral Coco. His eyes had already lain upon the wing commander, Captain Miles and Admiral Coco. He'd had three separate chewing-out sessions since he got back to the carrier and each one had gone from bad to worse. At first, his squadron CO reamed him out, immediately grounding him for the foreseeable future. Then he was reamed out about three hours later by the wing CO. Then, about half an hour later, he was reamed out by the mechanics, who could have kept his aircraft in the air had he landed when he was on his final approach.

Now to be reamed out by the skipper was a whole different story. Admiral Coco was gruff and disappointing the man wasn't something that LTJG Anderson had set out to do. "All right shit bird," Admiral Coco began when the door was closed. "I'm told you have already been reamed out three times, well the fourth time is the charm on this boat. Why don't you give me your bullshit reason why you did not land that aircraft and why you disobeyed your flight leader when he ordered you to land?"

"Sir, I heard a call…" Almost immediately, he was interrupted.

"Boy that's the last thing I want to hear."

"I was foolish sir, and I wasn't thinking."

"Well look at that," Admiral Coco answered with a smile, "he does have some brains up there. Captain Miles, do you have the bill yet on what this will cost the Layartebian Navy?"

"Sir, about a quarter of a million shingrots."

"A quarter of a million, Lieutenant, what do you have in your bank account right now?"

"Sir?"

"I asked you a simple question."

"I'm not sure sir; I haven't checked it in a while."

"Wow, you're as terrible with your money as you are with your flying," Admiral Coco responded. "Well let's see, if we garnish your wages now, and every month hereafter until the Layartebian Navy recoups that cost, well, you'd finally get to retire after one hundred. How's that sound?"

"Bad sir."

"Bad, why no shit it's bad! I'm down a Skyraider at a crucial time in our campaign, the beginning. Don't even say you're sorry Lieutenant, you're not. You may be now but you weren't then and that's when it counts. Captain, why don't you tell him the good news."

"The repairs won't get finished until Thursday and it's Sunday," CAPT Miles answered.

"Four more days down a Skyraider, just when these rebels launch an offensive throughout the entire country. There's still fighting right this moment, hell right now half of the island is alit with small fires because of this offensive. And we're one Skyraider down. Do you know how valuable the Skyraider is to our effort and to this battle group?"

"No sir."

"Well you do now. One Skyraider means that many fewer sorties. That much less ordinance we can deliver for CAS. Of course, if you'd have thought of that first and landed when you were instructed, we wouldn't be in this mess." Admiral Coco shook his head and then eyed the other two men, "There'd also be twelve dead Layartebian Green Berets and a few dozen Lemnosians." This change of attitude immediately threw off the mood of the room and LTJG Anderson was suddenly through askew.

"Sir?"

"Your actions Lieutenant, while otherwise in violation of every order and protocol you've been taught since you graduated from the Naval Academy saved the lives of that entire camp. After your little stunt, OPFOR, fearing more aircraft, pulled back into the town of Atsiki and melted into the rest of the war. They might have left some spotters but that ended the attack. Your stupidity saved the lives of that many men. Funny world isn't it," Admiral Coco said CMDR Marks specifically.

"What should we do with him sir?"

"Well Commander, we have two options. The first is we use him as fish bait for the next week and see what the cooks can make out of the shit he catches. Two, and this comes as the personal recommendation from Captain Chuck Dye, a cousin of mine, and one of the men you happened to save this morning, we offer you a medal, make you earn it with the shittiest duties we can find for the next four days, and then stick your ass back in a Skyraider and forget the whole thing."

"Should we vote sir? I'm curious what he'd dredge up from the Aegean," CMDR Marks answered. Obviously this had been rehearsed but LTJG Anderson was still a confused mess.

"Nah, we don't need to vote. I think we're all unanimous in our decision, right Captain?"

"Right sir," Admiral Coco and CAPT Marks stood up, ramrod straight, and CAPT Marks continued, "It is my honor to present you with the Navy Commendation Medal for actions of heroism and valor on March 2, 1958, during which your selfless actions saved the lives of over four dozen Layartebian and Lemnosian troops who were being assault by a numerically superior, hostile force.

"In the best traditions of the Layartebian Navy, you have demonstrated self-sacrifice and a dedication to the mission and this campaign, Operation MIDNIGHT CYCLONE. It is with our esteemed gratitude, and the gratitude of the soldiers who you saved that we present this medal to you this evening, March 2, 1958," and with that, all three men saluted LTJG Anderson, who returned the salute, bewilderment still in his eyes. They shook hands and Admiral Coco personally presented him with the medal and a pat on the back.

Afterwards, he offered some kind but gruff words, "Lieutenant, everyone fucks up. You got lucky. Don't fuck up again because the bank of luck allows only a finite number of withdrawals. Do you understand?"

"Aye aye sir," LTJG Anderson responded. Unfortunately, as option number two was not clean, earning the medal entailed quite miserable duty over the next four days. LTJG Anderson found himself scrubbing urinals with a toothbrush, cleaning the galley on his hands and knees, and assisting the mechanics with some of the dirtier tasks of aircraft maintenance that one could do.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

March 3, 1958 - 06:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Myrina, Lemnos
North Myrina Power Station
(39° 54' 1" N, 25° 4' 19" E)

Roughly twenty-four hours had elapsed since the LWB launched their coordinated assault across the entire island of Lemnos. Ill-prepared, the Lemnosian soldiers had not faired very well. Both special forces camps, which had been primary targets for the LWB rebels remained functional and still in Lemnosian hands but losses had been had at both sites and in a community that was small as theirs was, losses were felt twice as hard. Twenty-four hours later, most of the major towns, such as Myrina, Moudros, Atsiki, and Kontias all remained in Lemnosian hands but just barely. However, many of the smaller villages around the island had fallen to the rebels and they dug-in wherever they could, regardless of whether the civilian populace supported them or not. Some of the fiercest fighting was seen in the more populous towns, where the Lemnosians had troops stationed, especially Nea Koutali, whose ownership remained contested presently.

The LWB also attacked multiple infrastructure and non-populated targets around the island, one of them being the North Myrina Power Station, which provided approximately two-thirds of the island's total energy needs, the rest being supplied by various windmills located atop hills and along the coastline. About forty rebels hit the power station unsuccessfully during the mid-afternoon of the previous day and by the evening, they had retreated back into the hills, unable to break the defenders' grasp on the power station, which if secured would give the LWB a major coup against Prime Minister Argyris. Thus, the LWB had not given up on the target yet, despite the initial difficulties in gaining a foothold in the power station's coveted perimeter.

The layout of the power station was rather conventional and the terrain was equally beneficial to the attackers as it was to the defenders. North of the power station was a tall hill, which afforded a high position to attack the defenders but no cover to protect the attackers. A road ran along the power station's north and west sides. Open fields were to the south and the west. To the east, the road continued through a small village before joining one of the more developed roads.

Yesterday, the LWB rebels had hit the power station largely from the east, securing the village first and then attacking from the east and then ultimately from the south as well. They'd been unable to penetrate the defenses of the power station, which consisted of a rifle platoon dug-in and freshly supplied. However, that was yesterday and this morning, spotters watching the power station confirmed that no resupply had come during the night. The platoon remained dug-in but at fifty-percent watch. Aware that the LWB rebels were dug-in to their east, the platoon weighed most of their defenses that way but they did not let the other three sides sit undefended or unwatched. LWB spotters confirmed as much.

The rebel unit attacking the power station was led by a shrewd and cunning man who identified himself only by his first name, Markos. He was rather arrogant and he was a student of history, particularly of the days when Greek literature was at the forefront of civilized society. He claimed to have read both The Illiad and The Odyssey over two dozen times each, at least once per year for every year since his sixteenth birthday, putting him at the forty. Markos didn't want to give up on the power station so he had reoriented his attack plan and he had put his men to flight during the dark, predawn hours. Ten men were sent south, into a dry creek bed, which would afford them protection. They were tasked with hightailing it west to the beach, then they would circle back and come at the power station from the west.

As a distraction, Markos would take the rest of his men, which numbered just fourteen, and attack the power station again from the east but instead of pushing to assault, they would provide suppressive fire on the Lemnosian platoon and get them to expose themselves and leave their rear flank unprotected for the ten men to infiltrate and take them out from behind. It was a relatively simple plan, designed to withstand first contact but it didn't take into account developments which Markos could not have known. During the night, proceeding the failed attack yesterday, MF-MA command decided that the power station was a "Class A Target" and thus likely to be both attacked again and simply unable to fall for any reason whatsoever.

In classifying the power station as a target of such high importance, the Lemnosian platoon now had the ability to call in air support and receive priority tasking over many other localities. Prepared for this eventuality, the MF-MA command had put a flight of F-105B Thunderchiefs from Gökçeada at their disposal. These four aircraft, part of the infamous 609th Fighter Squadron, which had made the news when their antics over western Turkey had outraged the Eurasian government. They'd narrowly missed a jetliner performing aerobatic stunts during their transit from Incirlik to Gökçeada. Reprimands had come but to the whole squadron rather than individual pilots. No one was able to say who for sure had nearly clipped the jetliner, it being a well-kept secret amongst them.

All four of the Thunderchiefs were going to be carrying a full magazine of 1,028 20-millimeter shells for their M61 Vulcan cannons, six Mark 82 500-lb bombs, and two BLU-11/B incendiary bombs, each of which was filled with sixty-five gallons of Napalm B. What these four aircraft could deliver was a world of hurt that no rebel group could withstand.

Had Markos known what was on tap for the Lemnosian platoon, he might not have ordered the attack, which began right at 06:00 hours. He didn't expect to be in control of the power station for at least a few hours, preferring to duke it out with the Lemnosians and let his flanking element move up as slowly as they needed. He was patient here and perhaps that would be his undoing. Contact was made and the Lemnosians returned fired instantly. Forces were marshaled but, much to the chagrin of Markos' flanking team, the Lemnosians kept a squad of men oriented to the west, dug-in and equipped with a light machine gun, which would rake the open areas and cut down anyone trying to flank them from behind.

Markos, unprepared for this eventuality, pressed on, continuing to provide suppressive fire to the front, in hopes of drawing the Lemnosian squad from the back to the front. Thirty minutes into his attack, with RPGs already being expended, the Lemnosians stuck to their defensive plan. Markos had no idea that the men he was facing, though regular army, were not being led by just a Lemnosian officer but rather a Lemnosian officer and a Eurasian advisor. The discipline was here and the LWB rebels were not ready for it so Markos, continuing his diversion, withdrew only slightly from the battle to confer with some of his men on how to proceed.

By then, however, the call for air support had already been made and the F-105B Thunderchiefs took to the skies between 06:32 and 06:38. It was a mere ten minute flight to Lemnos from Gökçeada and the attack fighters, cruising at 12,000 feet, pressed onward with the power station as their end run. At 06:48, just as the sun was rising above the horizon in the east, they arrived on target and split into singletons. MAJ Barker, leading the flight, took the lead-in and dropped his aircraft down to just 1,000 feet. Coming in from the west, he passed over the beach, noticing the men on the ground, hiding behind the cover of the dip in the terrain. He would get to them later, instead he focused on bombing the main group and as the piper tracked across the ground, he waited for the opportune time and when it came, he let loose all six of his Mark 82 bombs in a tight group around the diversionary force. As those bombs fell from his fighter, he leaned hard on the afterburner and pulled his aircraft into a climb to avoid the blast radius of the bombs. Behind him, the six of them detonated on impact and bodies of the LWB rebels flew through the air, the bombs having hit directly.

Along with the explosive force though, deadly shrapnel tore through the area, ripping those rebels lucky enough to survive the blast to shreds. Markos, sitting in a depression was safe but one of his soldiers, who had been slightly exposed, collapsed in front of him without his head, it having been torn off by a piece of shrapnel about the size of his foot. Blood splattered everywhere and paralyzed Markos from any further action. The second F-105B Thunderchief came inbound now and walked its bombs further eastward as MAJ Barker reported back to the Lemnosian soldiers the presence of men on the beach. When the confirmation came that they were hostile, MAJ Barker paused his third aircraft from its attack run and came in from the south now, dropping his two BLU-11/B incendiary bombs right on the stretch of beach, filling the area with one hundred and thirty gallons of Napalm B incendiary. The whole beach lit up and now out of bombs, MAJ Barker sent his third and his fourth fighter against the diversionary force, to drop their napalm bombs. The second aircraft dropped its last two BLU-11s on the beach and the other two fighters dropped their Mark 82s around the diversionary force, which left Markos as the only survivor of the assault.

It had all been over in a matter of minutes, owing largely to the inability of the F-105 Thunderchief to loiter for too long over the battlefield. Winchester, meaning that they had no more ordinance, the four Thunderchiefs returned to Gökçeada while the Lemnosian soldiers holding the power station tried to ignore the devastation that a single flight of attack fighters had brought on their behalf.

---

• |- 12 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 4, 1958 - 17:55 hrs [UTC+2]
Aerolimenas, Lemnos
Lemnos International Airport
(39° 55' 32" N, 25° 15' 4" E)

The North Germanian military contingent had occupied the northeastern corner of the airport. There, they had access to the main roads of Lemnos and they were able to benefit from being isolated. Because they were at the end of the runway, outside of aircraft taking off, or landing, no one really disturbed them. There, they set themselves up in various buildings and bunkers built by the Lemnosian military some years earlier. All of them had been in some form of disrepair and Oberst Maximilian Schulze, the overall commander, had already given orders to fix them up to a standard of his liking. Somewhat of a meticulous perfectionist, Oberst Schulze was a polarizing figure in the North Germanian military. He'd originally joined the military in 1933 but not the army, rather the Luftwaffe where for four years; he trained to become a fighter pilot. He flew the brand new Messerschmitt Bf 109 for nine years before a near-fatal accident in 1946 permanently grounded him.

With little love for the civilian world, Oberst Schulze, then an Oberstleutnant, was able to transfer into the North Germanian army, the Heer, in 1947. Between then and his promotion to Oberst in 1953, Oberstleutnant made few friends. He volunteered for parachute training as a way to get himself back into the good graces of his former Luftwaffe friends but he found that the Luftwaffe had declared him persona non grata for what they considered treason, by his going to the Heer. Inter-service rivalry was exempt in no military in the world. At the same time, his new comrades in the Heer wanted to distance themselves from someone who they had never accepted because of his Luftwaffe background. In fact, when he was promoted to Oberst, the ceremony was attended by no one but Oberst Schulze and the two generals promoting him.

Life from 1953 to 1957 was otherwise dull and quiet for Oberst Schulze. He transferred to a different unit with his promotion and though he rose up to be a regimental commander, it was in a supply unit that had no hopes of ever seeing battle outside of a World War. In 1957, Oberst Schulze threatened to retire and for whatever reason, it struck a nerve with command. Just about ready to retire, Oberst Schulze found himself put in charge of the Fourth Reich's MF-MA deployment, codenamed Operation SCHWARZ FALLEN or Black Fall. He had underneath him Oberstleutnant Christian Himmel, battalion commander of the military intelligence battalion and Hauptmann Metzger. Oberstleutnant Himmel and Oberst Schulze had little to no love for one another but between Hauptmann Metzger and Oberst Schulze, there was mutual understanding and respect. They'd both joined the military at the same time but Hauptmann Metzger went to the Heer, where he rose up to join the North Germanian special forces. Within that community, he was a legend.

Hauptmann Metzger was only a Hauptmann because he refused to be promoted further, which worked because he was a war hero with more medals for valor than most other men in the entire Heer had. Of particular note was his deployment to Morocco. In 1940, when Morocco invaded the Kingdom of Dalmasce, Hauptmann Metzger had been an advisor to the Moroccan military, training their forces with a slew of Germanian-made equipment. Hauptmann Metzger had fought bravely during the Battle of Smara and he was one of the few individuals able to escape capture by the then enemy, Republic of Layarteb. Oberst Schulze had also been deployed, as an advisor with the Moroccans and both men has this in common, though neither knew it until they day they set foot onto Lemnos. When the shit hit the fan and the Lemnosian rebels turned the entire island into a shooting gallery, both men remarked how eerily similar it felt to Morocco, for whatever reason, neither of them revealed.

Now, as the sun was going down, Oberst Schulze had approached Hauptmann Metzger, who along with his platoon from the famous or perhaps infamous Jäger Battalion, or Hunter Battalion, was preparing for a mission ordered by Oberst Schulze himself. The Jäger Battalion was known as a hunter-killer unit, designed mainly for tracking down and knocking out enemy VIPs such as commanders and generals. They were extremely ruthless and they had a long history that went back to the "Great Patriotic War" as the Soviets called it. During the war, members of the Jäger Battalion had been largely responsible for the majority of Soviet officer losses. With Lemnos now their newest battleground, the men now hoped to honor their forefathers.

"Hauptmann sind Sie bereit zu verlassen ich sehe?" [Captain, you're ready to leave I see?] Oberst Schulze responded.

"Ja Herr Oberst, meine Männer und ich sind ja bereit zu verlassen. Wir benötigen von Ihnen lediglich, einige letzte Dinge." [Yes Colonel, my men and I are indeed prepared to leave. We just need to check some final things.]

"Gut, ich vertraue Ihnen Jungs werden darauf achten. Ich möchte, dass dies reibungslos vonstatten gehen aber ich möchte nicht, dass sie Männer, drücken Sie ihr Glück zu viel." [Good, I trust you boys will be careful. I want this to go smoothly but I don't want you men to press your luck too much.]

"Herr Oberst, das ist unser Auftrag." [Colonel, this is our mission.] Hauptmann Metzger replied with a half-cocked smile. "Wir hatten schon schlechtere Angelegenheiten vor. So lange, wie die Lemnosians halten den Druck auf, werden wir erfolgreich sein und wir werden Oberstleutnant Himmel die Jungs etwas zu tun." [We've had worse affairs before. So long as the Lemnosians keep the pressure on, we will be successful and we'll give Lieutenant Colonel Himmel's boys some work to do.]

"Glück Hauptmann." [Godspeed Captain.] Oberst Schulze responded with a sharp salute, which was returned immediately.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

March 4, 1958 - 21:30 hrs [UTC+2]
Kontopouli, Lemnos
Outside Kontopouli Village
(39° 55' 47" N, 25° 19' 21" E)

Three hours and nine kilometers later, Hauptmann Metzger and his men parked their three, tracked armored personnel carriers in an abandoned farmhouse two hundred meters off of the main road, about one kilometer to the northwest of the village of Kontopouli, their target. Having taken a very long, scenic trip, the men of the Jäger platoon were happy and eager to finally be on their first mission. For it, Hauptmann Metzger had brought his entire platoon, thirty-five men in addition to himself and he corralled them around him as the vehicles were hidden inside of the barn.

"Erste Mannschaft, können Sie davon ausgehen, dass sie noch an dieser Stelle mit den Fahrzeugen und als Verstärkung. Zweite Mannschaft und die dritte Mannschaft, sie Rangieren mit mir zu kommen hinter den Feind. Vierte Mannschaft und Fünften Mannschaft, sie bleiben zusammen. Vierte Mannschaft wird über die Feuer für unsere Ausfahrt so entlang der Straße in zwei Positionen, damit sie können Feuer auf Soldaten im Norden und im Süden. Fünfte Mannschaft, sollte sie nicht nötig, aber wenn sie sind, schützen Vier Mannschaft." [First Squad, you're going to remain here with the vehicles and as reinforcements. Second Squad and Third Squad, you're maneuvering with me to come in behind the enemy command post. Fourth Squad and Fifth Squad, you stay together. Fourth Squad will provide covering fire for our exit so set up along the road in two locations so you can fire on soldiers to the north and to the south. Fifth Squad, you should not be needed but if you are, protect Four Squad.] He ordered, much to the dismay of the men in 1st Squad, who wanted a piece of the battle action.

The Jäger Battalion's platoons were organized around thirty-six man units. The HHC unit had nine men, which included six drivers and gunners for the vehicles, the commanding officer, the platoon sergeant, and a radioman. The first three squads were all rifle squads and five men a piece with three riflemen and two grenadiers each. Fourth Squad, also five men, was a weapons squad equipped with two machine gun teams and Fifth Squad was a specialist, 7-man squad, which included the medic, the sniper and his spotter, two demolitions men, an engineer, and a rifleman.

Once ordered, the men moved out immediately. The cover of night, thanks to overcast skies, would help them sneak the one kilometer to the west of Kontopouli, which had been rapt by fighting ever since the rebels turned the island into a shooting gallery. In Kontopouli, a 100-man rebel force had gone head-to-head with a Lemnosian Army company, driving the Lemnosians out of the western portion of the village. The Eparchiaki Odos Moudrou-Plakas was the demarcation line in his village, which meant that three-quarters of the village west of that road was in rebel hands while the one-quarter east of it was within the hands of the Lemnosian soldiers. Because the Lemnosian Army wasn't fairing well, it had been the decision of MF-MA to mount this sort of behind-the-lines mission into Kontopouli to help neutralize the rebel command unit directing the movement of rebel troops in Kontopouli. Their CP was set up west of the village in a small, five-walled structure.

Armed with their usual assortment of weapons, StG-44 assault rifles for the riflemen, MG-42s for the machine gunners, MP-40s for the specialists, and Kar98ks for the sniper and the grenadiers, the twenty-four men quickly set off down the two hundred meter road back to the main thoroughfare. They moved quickly and they didn't bother to hide their silhouettes yet, they were will eight hundred meters from the target by then. From there, they crossed into the open fields and stayed away from the roads. They kept low as they passed through another farmhouse, which was occupied by sleeping or hiding residents. Continuing to head southeast, they moved across another dirt road and headed towards the main part of the village, which loomed out in front of them on the horizon. The remnants of battle, burning fires and wisps of smoke still lingered over Kontopouli.

Four hundred meters from their target now, the twenty-four men hit the ground and began to crawl on their bellies. The quiet thuds of grenade blasts and the pops of rifle fire rolled over the landscape now as the wind shifted in their direction. They crawled for two hundred and thirty meters before they came to the side of another dirt road, now just one hundred and sixty meters from the target building. Using hand signals only, Hauptmann Metzger ordered one of his machine gun teams to set up facing the north to east quadrant while he had the other move twenty meters west to set up on the east to south quadrant.

To their left was a large, brick building that needed to be checked and secured for reinforcements. Hauptmann Metzger sent Second Squad to take care of it, along with the medic and the engineer. He left his sniper squad with the north to east machine gun team while the squad leader of the machine gun squad went with the east to south team. Both demolitions men and Fifth Squad's rifleman stayed close to him. That left just Third Squad unassigned and for that reason, they were charged with clearing a small structure ahead of them while Hauptmann Metzger and his men went after two small structures between their position and the large building that Second Squad drew. Keeping low again, the men went off to their target buildings, stacked up against the doors, and made their entry.

Third Squad found only two rebels resting, obviously on watch. Both men were killed quietly without raising alarm. Hauptmann Metzger and his men found no one in the two, small structures. Second Squad found the large structure to be a makeshift hospital for the battle and decided not to breach it. Instead, they withdrew back to the machine gun team and assigned them watch over the building. Hauptmann Metzger regrouped his men where Third Squad was, one hundred meters behind the enemy CP. There, he moved up the sniper team and waited for them to arrive before Second Squad and Third Squad leapfrogged ahead to the CP. Hauptmann Metzger left everyone in his group, outside of his radioman, with the sniper team and joined Second Squad.

When everyone was in place, the assault occurred. Third Second led the way, entering the CP with their weapons raised. Just as they had been trained, they swept into the structure and cleared the room, each of the five men assigned to a single sector of the room. In a lightning assault, which lasted less than fifteen seconds, all five men entered and cleared the main room, opening fire on three rebels standing above a map table, two at a radio, and two more observing the battle through the windows. All seven rebels were killed immediately. Second Squad came in behind them and moved to the next part of the building, a second room. They entered quickly and watched as rebels scrambled to their weapons. The rapidity of the assault negated their attempts and Second Squad neutralized the second room and its nine rebels in another fifteen seconds, thirty seconds having elapsed in total since the first entry was made. Shouts of "Sicher!" [Secure!] rang out around the building as Hauptmann Metzger ordered the retreat. The men quickly gathered maps and whatever other documents were lying around, shoved them into satchels, and cleared out as the demolitions men came in with satchel charges.

The gunshots outside, being so close to the rebels' main base, and behind the front lines, attracted significant attention. In the two and a half minutes it took for the CP to be cleared and the Jäger assaulters to clear out, the sniper had shot two hostiles and the east to south machine gun team had opened up on a squad of rebels rushing to investigate. The sound of an MG-42 going off in the background quickly alerted Hauptmann Metzger to the necessity of getting out as quickly as possible so he commanded the demolitions men to arm the satchels for just fifteen seconds. They did and running back to where the sniper team was, the men only just barely made it. Behind them, the combined force of forty pounds of Composition B utterly leveled the rebel CP and lit up the sky with a giant fireball. Where the Jäger assaulters took cover was only just barely a safe distance away. Fragments from the explosion showered onto the roof and assaulted the exterior façade of the building while the walls and the ground shook.

Satisfied with their job, the men cleared back quickly, under the cover of both machine gun teams and several rifle grenades. Once they were all convened at the machine gun area, Hauptmann Metzger called on First Squad and the APCs to get moving and to get them. All three APCs were armed with MG-42 Light Machine Guns, which would provide further cover for the retreat.

By the time the APCs arrived, the whole rebel force had been alerted to the infiltration and forty men were firing on the two machine gun teams and the Jäger assaulters, all of whom were taking cover in a twenty meters area. Outside of the fifteen dead rebels in the command post, the machine gunners and the sniper had killed another dozen. As the APCs arrived, the forty men firing on the Jäger soldiers were all doing so from behind cover. Thus, the rebels sustained no more casualties as the Jäger soldiers retreated into their APCs and then back into the cover of night, using the machine guns on the vehicles to suppress the enemy while they backed out of rocket range. From that point on, the APCs turned 180° and went full speed, 69 km/h, back to the airport, all of the men jumpy with post-combat excitement.

---

• |- 13 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 5, 1958 - 07:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Aerolimenas, Lemnos
Lemnos International Airport
(39° 54' 49" N, 25° 13' 36" E)

"Corporal, do you know the definition of 'clusterfuck'? Well, do you?" Demanded General Teitelbaum, who didn't wait for a reply, "The very definition is what we've witnessed here. Now thirty minutes ago I asked you to bring me a report on where our allies stand and you bring me this."

"Sir, I apologize, this is the best that I could gather."

"Corporal, if this is the best then we better pack up and go home. This is a catastrophe. Do you mean to tell me that the Eurasians, who have total control over air defense have not been able to coordinate with Admiral Coco and the navy and have targeted three of our fighters?"

"Yes sir, that's the report. Our pilots reported radar locks from defense sites and only narrowly avoided engagement."

"What a mess, General Rainbolt has to be shitting bricks over that one."

"He is sir, to put it lightly."

"And the North Germanians have begun operations but they're not working in sync with the Lemnosians? The Hirgizstanians too?"

"Same for both sir," the young corporal, who happened to be General Teitelbaum's direct aide, a misfortunate posting, answered. General Teitelbaum didn't believe that killing the messenger was a problem. "I'm sorry to give you bad news sir but there's little good news to give. The Lemnosian military is pretty fractured all around the island and our allies are too busy independently dicking around, to put it frankly sir."

"Then this ends now," General Teitelbaum answered. He shot up from his desk and left his office in the CP only to walk ten meters to the war room, where all of the planning was being done. Ignoring salutes and straight backed enlistees and junior officers, he walked right up to the map, pushed aside a stack of papers that hindered his view, and looked at the markers. He stared at it long and hard for at least five minutes, committing every detail of it to his memory. General Teitelbaum might have been merciless to messengers but that didn't matter, he was where he was because of what he was about to do next. "All right, everything stops, right the fuck now!" That got everyone's attention.

"I don't care who has what job but this needs to be done before I have my afternoon cup of coffee. Get me the commanding officers of the Eurasians, the Hirgizstanians, the North Germanians, the Lemnosians, Admiral Coco, and General Rainbolt and get them all here, at this airport in four hours and I do not care how. Just get them all here and get them all here intact. Whoever has that job do it now, don't wait, do it now!" A handful of men scurried off on cue. "Next, where's my G-2 and my G-3, good there you are, get over here now. The rest of you, don't disturb us."

"Sir," reported both men.

Pointing all over the map, General Teitelbaum reconfirmed where every allied position was. "Right now we're practically a star. Every point," and he pointed to locations on the map, "is a battle front. That's inefficient and it's splitting our forces. We need to extend these central locations here, that are near to our core, which is the airport, and we need to do that before the sun goes down. Where is the fiercest fighting?"

"To the west sir," replied the G-2.

"Dig-in along the east and hold our positions. Let's give ourselves a solid line of defense, impenetrable, whatever it takes. We're going to push out to the west, fanning out and expanding as we do. We choose their strongest point and we hit that with the biggest push, the hardest thrust, and fan out from there. We disrupt the rebels at their core and then attack the peripheries. Do you got that?"

"Yes sir."

"Draw up plans so that when this collection of who's who gets here in four hours, we shove it down their throat. The navy doesn't do shit here, they hold the waters and give us air. Air supports us. Air defense keeps out the Soviets. The ground pounders win this war. Everyone just helps. We lead it. Understand?"

"Yes sir," answered the G-3 now. "Atsiki is going to be our prime push, I can tell you that now. The hit on the special forces camp was only a diversion. There's a large rebel force there staging for a push on the airport."

"Is that so," General Teitelbaum answered. The G-2 nodded. "Then that's our main target. We hit there and push outwards and when we're done we push them to the sea. Then we push on their weak link to the east, all the way to the sea, and goodbye Phase I."

"That could work sir," the G-3 answered. He was instantly rebuked.

"Of course it could work. Anything can work. You just have to apply it correctly and properly. Let's make sure we do it. Every element deployed here has a strength and a weakness. We compensate for each other, there is a combined effort here and we're going to cover for each other. Ground leads the way yes but we are weak when it comes to reach. The air comes in where we need them. The North Germanians, the Hirgizstanians, do you get it?"

"Five-by-five sir," both the G-2 and the G-3 replied.

"Three hours, that's your deadline. Get cracking…" With that General Teitelbaum returned to his office and began to lay out his own plan to counter whatever his G-2 and G-3 came up with and then, the three of them would combine their plans for the best possible plan, and dictate it to the rest of the commanding staff for MF-MA.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

March 5, 1958 - 14:15 hrs [UTC+2]
Aerolimenas, Lemnos
Lemnos International Airport
(39° 54' 49" N, 25° 13' 36" E)

Three hours later, General Teitelbaum strode out of the meeting with a shit-eating grin on his face, found his office, and celebrated. The meeting had been about two hours of him and his staff beating the egos of everyone else and one hour laying out the plan, which was only accepted in the last ten minutes, after fifty minutes of "input," which was all categorically denied. The North Germanians, who had a considerably capable contingent of hunter-killer teams wanted to remain "on call" and be used where needed but General Teitelbaum saw that as a waste. "What happens when they're needed and the battle is twenty-five klicks away? Are we supposed to miss the target of opportunity? No! Your forces are a perfect asset to continue on with the main thrust. They move fast, they can outmaneuver the enemy, and they can flank any position they want." Stroking the North Germanians' ego was good and it got them on board with the plan first.

Then came the Eurasians, who felt that the air defense was only a part-time job. "Well frankly, the navy is the first line of defense," was their excuse. General Teitelbaum slapped that one down quickly, "The navy has enough to worry about already what with trying to prevent resupply and enforce this blockade. The last thing they need is to have the full pressure of that and protecting the island. Your batteries will be operational twenty-four-seven and they will, and I mean this with the strongest of commands, not engage allied aircraft! You have five batteries under your control, five in total. They all need to work together with the navy."

The Hirgizstanians were mum at first until General Teitelbaum put them on the tip of the spear as well but not as much for assault as for reconnaissance. Like the North Germanians, the Hirgizstanian special forces team was exceedingly maneuverable and light. They could do almost everything the North Germanians could do but reconnaissance was something of a specialty for them. Thus, it would be their job to locate and assess targets for the main strike force. The Hirgizstanian general resisted the least but he wasn't exactly quick to fall in step though.

The most resistant was the Lemnosian general, who felt far more confident in his forces than anyone else did. General Teitelbaum quickly put him in his own place, "Frankly general, your troops are lazy, undisciplined, and poorly managed. That's why we're here in the first place. They will take a back seat and they will like it. The main thrust here will be Marines and paratroopers. They will be the main edge of this front. Your troops have one purpose and one purpose only and that is to come in behind and secure the towns. You'll sweep up the spent shell casings. If you have an objection with that I am more than happy to recommend to every man in here that this force takes a total back seat. That means no air power, no artillery, no air defense, and no stopping the Soviet freighters. Is that abundantly clear to you general? Is it?" Instantly, General Teitelbaum established his place in the pecking order. He was numero uno, the supreme asshole in charge and the Lemnosian general had nowhere to go but along.

For the air and naval elements, they had little choice but to fall in line, they had no mission otherwise. So when all was said and done, and the egos had been sufficiently beaten to the ground, General Teitelbaum declared his victory and not to add insult to injury, he ensured everyone that should the situation change, a reevaluation of everyone's role would be taken. This gave the North Germanians but more so the Lemnosians hope but in reality, the Lemnosians would be taking a backseat through nearly every phase; that much was agreed upon by the various commanders of MF-MA. The Lemnosian military was in dire need of training and modernization and it would be at the behest of MF-MA that they would get it but it wouldn't be there in time to fight this war. Back in his office, General Teitelbaum called forth his aide, who appeared nearly at once, "Yes sir?"

"We've got them on board," General Teitelbaum responded. "The attack starts in," he checked it watch, it was a quarter past two, "eight hours."

"Glad to hear sir."

"You're damn right you are," General Teitelbaum answered, "we will not stand around while people compose themselves anymore. The time for action is now and not when the Lemnosian rebels are dropping mortars on the runways. Get me both the G-2 and the G-3 then."

"Yes sir," with that the corporal left and went to fetch the G-2 and the G-3.

---

• |- 14 -| •

[Layarteb]

Chapter II
Phase I

March 5, 1958 - 22:30 hrs [UTC+2]
Atsiki, Lemnos
100 meters from Atsiki along Provincial Route Livadochoriou-Karpasio
(39°56' 28" N, 25°13' 39" E)

Assaulting Atsiki and securing it from rebel hands was the most crucial objective now for Multinational Force - Mike Alpha and for that reason, the attack on the village was handed to the 1st Marine Assault Battalion of the 1st Marine Brigade. A force of nine hundred and sixty-two men, the 1st Marine Assault Battalion was designed to be a hard-hitting, maneuverable unit equipped with the best equipment available in the Layartebian inventory. The battalion was broken up in four companies, each with a different role. Delta Company, sitting back at the airport still, was artillery support and their 105-millimeter towed howitzers were on call and ready to unleash a full barrage of high-explosive shells upon request. Bravo Company and Charlie Company were both mechanized assault units with two hundred and fifty men a piece. They were situated along Provincial Route Livadochoriou-Karpasio and Provincial Route Mirina-Moudrou, the two main routes into Atsiki from the east. In front of them was Alpha Company, which was an armored assault unit.

Alpha Company had eight M48A2C Patton medium tanks and they were going to be the first units into Atsiki. Using the call sign Saber 1 and Saber 2, depending on which route, the tanks were there to give any rebel welcoming party a reason for reflection. Behind them would come two platoons of mechanized infantry in M75A1 Armored Personnel Carriers. Alpha Company's Fourth Platoon, tasked with flank reconnaissance was equipped with a further two M75A1 APCs and four M41A2 Walker Bulldog light tanks and they were coming up an auxiliary route to Atsiki's southern flank. Bravo and Charlie Company would both exploit auxiliary routes once Alpha Company made contact in the village and pinned down the rebel scouts, who would undoubtedly be equipped with Soviet-made RPG-2 anti-tank rocket launchers, which would mean death for their lightly armored vehicles.

"This is Saber 1-1, we're approaching the village," replied the commanding officer of 1st Platoon, Alpha Company as the lead tank in his convoy advancing up Provincial Route Livadochoriou-Karpasio approached the village of Atsiki. They were two hundred meters out from the village and entering RPG-2 range. From this point on, the gunners in the tanks would be dealing with green rules of engagement, meaning that if they took fire, they would fire back. The 90-millimeter main gun of the M48s was equipped with sixty-four rounds and because of the threat; they were mostly high-explosive rounds, which would be catastrophic for infantry using homes and buildings for cover. If that proved to be too much firepower, the tank had a 7.62-millimeter coaxial machine gun or a .50-caliber heavy machine gun. "All right, coming down boys," responded 1st Lieutenant Matthew Copland. He slid into the hull of his tank and shut the hatch above him.

Less than one hundred meters later, he was happy he did as the bright flash of a launching RPG-2 lit up the road about one hundred meters ahead of them. "Fire on that position now!" 1LT Copland answered as the gunner adjusted his barrel slightly and the entire M48A2C Patton rocked backwards. "All units, all units, Saber 1-1 has made contact with hostiles. They have RPGs boys." The echo of gunfire from the northern entrance road, Provincial Route Mirina-Moudrou, echoed now as the rebel welcoming party there opened fire as well. For Saber 1-1, the RPG-2 missed, falling short into the road by about ten meters. The 90-millimeter return fire, on the other hand, did not miss and the rebel standing alongside the house was vaporized by the high-explosive charge.

The scene in front of Saber 1-1 was something to behold. There was a large house to the right, which was unoccupied as far as they could tell. To the left were a low wall and another house. Ahead of them was a block of houses on the left side of the street and a few on the right side, where the rebel RPG gunner had been neutralized. "Rapier 3-1, Saber 1-1, we've got potentially occupied structures ahead. We need you to reconnoiter them for ambush teams."

"Saber 1-1, Rapier 3-1, we're on it, dismounting," and behind both tanks the rear cargo door of the five M75A1 APCs dropped and out poured thirty-five men arranged into 7-man squads. They were under the command of 2nd Lieutenant Clayton Brown, a rookie officer about to taste combat for the first time in his life. "First Squad and Second Squad, that structure on the right there, Third Squad and Fourth Squad, you take the one on this side of the road," he ordered, pointing to the two, nearest houses. "Fourth Squad, hold position and train your machine guns on the structures down the road after you secure the house. Fifth Squad, set up a point here and watch the buildings ahead." Without much fanfare, the five squads dispersed as ordered.

Third Squad and Fourth Squad moved quickly to the low wall and, using it for cover, moved up to the front door of the house, which was kicked in almost immediately when Third Squad's point man came up to it. In poured the men and within thirty seconds, the shout of "Clear" was being heard as the men in Fourth Squad set up position on the house's northern wall, orienting their M60 Light Machine Gun and their rifle grenades towards the further houses on the left side of the road.

For First Squad and Second Squad, they moved quickly across sixty meters of open field to a particularly large structure set back thirty meters from the main road. There, they moved into the house's rectangular courtyard through a side entrance and quickly scanned it for hostiles. There being none, they advanced into the large, two-story home through the back door. Almost immediately, gunfire rang out and the point man in First Squad dropped to the floor, wounded in the leg by an AK-47 round. Immediately, the squad's next man in line, a young private first class, pulled the corporal back and out of the line of gunfire while the squad's commanding officer, Staff Sergeant William Smith yanked the pin out of a Mark 2 Grenade and tossed one around the corner.

Following its detonation came screams from inside of the dining room, which was adjacent to the kitchen, and where two rebel gunners had positioned themselves. "Corporal go!" SSG Smith yelled to a corporal behind him, who was armed with a submachine gun. In the valiant man went and with two long bursts, he not only emptied his thirty-round magazine but also killed both rebels, littering their bodies with .45ACP ammunition from his M3A1 Grease Gun.

"Clear," he yelled and immediately, he changed out his magazine and watched the door ahead of him. The rest of the squad moved up while their wounded point man was dragged outside and tended to by two of the men from Second Squad while the company's corpsman rushed to the scene.

Still leading the way, First Squad moved into the living room and immediately took fire through the walls but the fire was too high and missed them. More grenades went out and the men advanced into a living room where they fired through a couch into two more rebel soldiers, neither of which was left alive by the barrage of 7.62x51mm and .45ACP fire. "Grenades first from now on," SSG Smith ordered and as they moved down the hallway towards the stairs, they tossed grenades into one of the bedrooms, only to find it empty. The stairs, on the other hand, were tricky. Rebels holding the top of the staircase were ready with grenades of their own, RGD-33 stick grenades. SSG Smith, expecting something, quickly made sure his men were near doorways when he approached the staircase and the moment that he heard the grenades start bouncing, he yelled out, "Grenade!" With that, he dove out of the way as the two grenades detonated behind him, filling the air with fragments.

The men recovered quickly and opened fire up the stairs, their rounds cutting through and splintering the wood and stucco treatment on the floors and walls. The barrage of gunfire was aimed upwards and SSG Smith added his own Mark 2 Grenade, the last of those he was carrying to the mix, letting it bounce off of the walls in the hallway before it prematurely detonated after just three seconds. It made that old saying, "All five fuses are three seconds," quite true and scarily so.

When finally the barrage stopped, and the men reloaded, SSG Smith and his other submachine gunner, Corporal Douglas Ward advanced slowly up the steps. They grabbed two grenades a piece from the men they left below and kept as low as possible, letting their weapons lead their profiles. In the darkness of the night, the house was relatively dark but the staircase and the upstairs hallway, not exposed to any light, was especially dark. They could see the results of the barrage of gunfire all over, the torn up stucco and the holes in the floor but they didn't see either individual who was standing atop the steps. Likely, they had retreated into another room. There were several to check and using just hand signals, SSG Smith advanced the rest of his force up the steps and moved forward with CPL Ward.

The first room revealed nothing and the same went for the second room. However, as they neared the third room, a barrage of gunfire, coming from outside of the house filled the air and quickly, they hit the ground as ricocheting rounds slammed into the door and the wall. After it stopped, they pushed open the door a little, threw in two grenades, and slammed the door shut, just as both detonated. Keeping low, SSG Smith opened the door slightly and peered inside but he didn't see any movement. With his men staring down the hallway and at the door, able to fire a volley of high-velocity rounds into the room, he threw open the door and stepped back but his men didn't fire. Taking the cue, SSG Smith peered into the room, his M3A1 Grease Gun leading the way and there he saw the bodies of two rebels. One was dead, half slumped over the window while the other was sitting on the floor, bleeding from multiple wounds on his chest. His assault rifle was just out of arms reach and SSG Smith moved low in the room, his gun pointed at the rebel. "Yo, don't fire, it's clear up here!" He yelled out of the shot out windows, receiving an affirmative reply.

It was clear that the rebel wasn't going to live for long but SSG Smith still contemplated calling for a medic. He kicked the AK-47 further away but the rebel was not going to reach for it, his spinal cord had been severed and he was paralyzed from the waist down. "Speak English?" The rebel merely nodded his head and CPL Ward entered.

"Corporal, ask him where his buddies are, you speak Russian."

"He ain't Russian. I doubt he speaks it," yet CPL Ward did as he was told. The rebel merely nodded his head again. "Thought so, too bad we don't have a single Greek in the whole platoon."

"Too bad," and with that, the rebel expired, exhaling his last breath. "All right, let's set up shop here. Private Jenson, go find out about Micks, I want to know if he's okay."

"On it Sarge," responded the young, PVT Hal Jenson. Within ninety seconds, both squads occupied the house and trained their weapons against the north.

Back on the road, 2LT Brown ordered his platoon's sniper to get into a favorable position and as he did, he radioed up to Saber 1-1, "Saber 1-1, Rapier 3-1, we've got both houses on the right and the left clear. We're orienting north now." To their north, elements of Saber 2 were battling the Lemnosian rebels at a crossroads and the battle could be easily seen from where they were standing since only four hundred and fifty meters separated the two assaulting units.

"Roger that Rapier 3-1, we're moving up, suggest you advance along with us," responded 1LT Copland. Before they moved a mere ten meters, a barrage of gunfire erupted from the windows of the housing block to the left of the road. The return fire came almost immediately as the distinct sound of the M60 churning out rounds echoed over the small battlefield. The co-axial machine gun on the tank opened up too and the men in the house to the right let loose a pair of rifle grenades, missing one window and nailing another. The tank opened up with a single 90-millimeter round against the second-floor wall of the larger house in the block and blew out an entire section of it. The co-axial machine gun raked one rebel struggling to his feet and tore through the dead body of another.

The engagement itself lasted only a matter of minutes though. The rebel welcoming party had harassed the Layartebian Marines enough for the main rebel force to ready themselves deeper in the town and for the rear reinforcement force to reposition themselves. As the sentries folded backwards, into the safety of the village and their prepared fighting positions, in came the Marines but wary of what was coming, they did so with the spectre of air support on the way.

---

• |- 15 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 5, 1958 - 22:40 hrs [UTC+2]
Atsiki, Lemnos
Staging Point Romeo
(39° 56' 34" N, 25° 13' 57" E)

Sector Map

Atsiki had been split into five sectors, in order to simplify the battle plan. As it stood now, elements of Alpha Company were entering Sector 1 and Sector 2, the initial entry points into the town. Sector 1, the larger of the two, anticipated heavy fighting with rebel scouts whose aim was to slow the Marine incursion. Sector 2, the smaller, was designed that way because it would serve as the field headquarters during the battle, thus its capture was crucially important. From there, Sector 3 would be attacked and then Sector 5, surrounding Sector 4, which was where the brunt of the rebel troops were. By the time Sector 4 was attacked, Layartebian Marines would surround it on all four sides. The brainchild of Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Steven Williams, the battalion's CO, the assault plan was panning out now as Alpha Company passed through initial contact and entered Atsiki.

Sector 1 was going to take four of 1st Platoon's tanks and all of 2nd Platoon while Sector 2 took the rest of 1st Platoon's tanks and all of 3rd Platoon. A small road that split both sectors with houses on the left side would be the responsibility of 4th Platoon. For Captain (CPT) Robert Jenkins, Alpha Company's CO, the assault plan was sound. His forces had to secure Sector 1 and Sector 2 and Bravo Company would go after Sector 3 and Charlie Company after Sector 5. Watching through binoculars from his field position approximately six hundred meters behind the battle line, CPT Jenkins ignored the rumbling of his LVTP-5s diesel engine and the vibrations it sent through his skeletal system. His focus was on the radio and right now, it was everything to him. "Saber 1-3, Saber 1-4, take a right at the fork, Rapier 3-4 follow Saber 1-4."

"Roger that, Saber 1-3 is splitting off," answered the tank driver of Saber 1-3 as the M48A2C Patton medium tank split off at the fork. This was a crucial time for the men hitting Sector 1 and Sector 2. Initial contact with rebel scouts had been made, casualties had been taken but the enemy scouts had been killed or dispersed. The rebels knew that battle was afoot and that meant their main strike units and hunter-killer teams would be ready and waiting. There was no more pussyfooting this battle; it was an "us or them" scenario for the rebels.

The entry into Sector 1 was immediately greeted by a fork in the road. Two M48A2C Pattons and four M75A1 APCs took the left fork, which was lined on the left side by homes and fields. The rest, two M48A2C Pattons and 1 M75A1 APC went right, which had nothing but open field for a while before they ran into homes. "Rapier 3-1, Rapier 3-2, flank left behind these houses and check the fields. Rapier 3-3, stay on the road," came the order from 2nd Platoon's CO. Right away, the two APCs cut through an alleyway to access a rear road. Behind the APCs came two squads of troops using the armored vehicles for cover.

All was quiet, almost too quiet for the squads as they moved behind the unlit homes and to another side road, where they took a left. As they did, someone called out over the radio, "Foot mobiles to the north in the field! Looks like they've got rocket tubes," and immediately, the slam of the M2 Heavy Machine Guns atop the APCs echoed over the battlefield as the gunners engaged the targets. "Contact front!" Came the next call and one gunner swung forward and opened up a burst against a vehicle being used as cover for a pair of RPG gunners. One rocket streaked into the sky as the dying solder fell to the ground and inadvertently squeezed the trigger. The back blast blew him off of the ground and though he was dead, his corpse tumbled rigidly through the air for a few meters before it landed in the field behind the vehicle.

"All victors, all victors, Saber 1-1, we've got contact from the road, foot mobiles are swarming from the north, Sector 3, keep on your toes." More gunshots rang out and CPT Jenkins held his breath as he watched the vehicles' bright muzzle blasts open up on targets around Sector 1.

"This is Saber 1-3; we're all quiet here, moving to a blocking position in the field."

"Roger that Saber 1-3, focus on the north, focus on the north!"

"Roger, foot mobiles spotted in the open, engaging," the co-axial machine gun on the tank opened up and cut down a rebel rifle team as the M48A2C Patton moved off of the road and into the open field.

"Rapier 3-5, Rapier 3-1, we've got mortars incoming! Fire is accurate, I repeat, fire is accurate," the squad leader of Rapier 3-1 blurted out as mortars began to crash down relatively close to their positions along the auxiliary road. "Rapier 3-5, we're moving off of the road right now and taking into the field."

"Roger that, neutralize the spotters if you see them Rapier 3-1." At the same time, contact broke out in Sector 2 and the radio came alive with reports from the vehicles and men there.

"Saber 2-1, heavy contact, heavy contact, Saber 2-3, Saber 2-4, backtrack and cut these guys off along the road to the south."

"Roger that, we're moving back, Dragon 4-1, follow our lead."

"Saber 2-3, roger we're moving," and with that the three vehicles split off from the main assault and took a left onto a road that edged Sector 2. "Yankee 5-1, Saber 2-3, can you advise on tangos along your position."

"Negative Saber 2-3, Yankee 5-1 has nothing to report, we're all quiet here, we're advancing parallel to Saber 2-1 right now."

"Roger that Yankee 5-1, foot mobiles are focusing on the main approaches, if you can flank them that would give us some breathing room."

"We'll do what we can Saber 2-3," and CPT Jenkins trained to the right as he watched the tanks split off again. The tempo of the battle increased now as both sectors reported fighting back and forth, trying their best to observe radio discipline but doing an otherwise poor job of it.

"Saber 1-1, Saber 1-3, we've got an RPG team moving to your west, we can't get a good fix, they keep ducking behind structures, be advised they're looking to flank you."

"Roger that Saber 1-3, we're engaged, cannot focus on them right now."

"Rapier 3-2, be advised, RPG team moving to your north."

"Saber 1-3, we've got them, engaging," more heavy machine gun fire cut out the radio and the RPG team was cut down but only just barely. "RPG! RPG! RPG FRONT!" Came the call but it was too late, the call that followed sobered everyone rather quickly.

"Rapier 3-2 is down, I repeat Rapier 3-2 is down," Rapier 3-1 reported and with that everyone realized that fatalities had now been taken. CPT Jenkins turned to see the brightly burning hull of the M75A1 APC, which proved no match for the RPG-2's high-explosive anti-tank warhead, which could punch through 7 inches of armor. The M75A1 APC at its front boasted only 5/8" of armor at its front, which was where the RPG-2 impacted and detonated. The burning carcass of the APC had three men inside of it when the round impacted and detonated. The force of the explosion blew the gunner out of the turret but he didn't survive the fall onto the ground and there his body lay, smoldering from the waist down. Soldiers quickly rushed over to render aid but nothing could be done and the rebels, celebrating their immediate victory, began to swarm towards the now solo Rapier 3-1.

"Rapier 3-1, Rapier 3-5, shake that one off and keep in the fight!" No response came, none was needed and the RPG team that had taken out Rapier 3-2 went the way of the dodo bird quickly as a rifle grenade landed right in the middle of them. The shot had been an expert one, fired from the grenadier in Bravo Squad, which had been attached to Rapier 3-2. No celebrations were had by the Layartebian Marines though; instead the Marines pressed onward further into battle as Rapier 3-1 and the two squads of Marines behind it pushed off of the road and to the auxiliary road behind the houses and the field. Mortars were still falling and as they landed in a scattered pattern, the Marines continued from cover-to-cover, advancing along with the APC.

"Contact front, house on the left, we've got a nest here!" Yelled the gunner from Rapier 3-1 as a flurry of gunfire came his way. He ducked down and opened up with his gun right towards the house as the APC backed away, out of RPG range as two came streaking harmlessly towards it. "Contact house on the right too! Jesus, these bastards are dug-in," the APC gunner said again just as the flurry of activity in Sector 2 increased.

But then, in the midst of the back-and-forth came a new voice, "Cowboy Actual, this is Nightingale 8-5, checking in with you, flight of two F-105D Thunderchiefs holding south five miles at angels 10, 1-plus-00 time on station, loaded with Mark 82s and one thousand rounds a piece." The callsign "Cowboy Actual" was CPT Jenkins and quickly, the company commander realized that this was an ideal opportunity for Rapier 3-1, who seemed to be in the heaviest contact and in the most dangerous situation.

"Nightingale 8-5, Cowboy Actual, handoff to Rapier 3-1, roger copy all, are you familiar with our position in the town?"

"A-firm, understand you are in heavy contact in Sector 1 and Sector 2, hostile forces are to your northwest."

"Roger that Nightingale 8-5, handoff now. Rapier 3-1, Cowboy Acutal, you've got tac air on your position, use them wisely."

"Cowboy Actual, Rapier 3-1, do we have permission to destroy the house."

"Confirm, you have permission to destroy the house."

"Nightingale 8-5, Rapier 3-1, do you have a visual on our position?"

"Negative Rapier 3-1, its pretty dark up here, can you get up a flare?"

"Red flare, firing now."

"Tally one red flare cluster, we've got your position, what's your target?"

"Overfly our position from the southwest heading northeast; target will be marked by tracers to your port side."

"Roger that Rapier 3-1, dropped down to angels 2." With that, the two F-105s changed course and position, "On your position in two mikes, need your 9-line after confirmation."

"Roger that Nightingale 8-5." Less than two minutes later, the two F-105D Thunderchiefs, flying at low-level, 2,000 feet off the deck, scream overhead at over 300 mph. As they did, the APC's gunner lit up the target with a steady burst of gunfire.

"Rapier 3-1, we've got your target, large structure, looks like a house."

"Roger Nightingale 8-5, do you see a second structure?"

"That's a-firm, I've got them both."

"Those are your targets, standby for 9-line."

"Go ahead Rapier 3-1."

"Line 1, point Hotel-India-3-2; line 2, 2-0-0, offset five degrees left, five degrees right; line 3, five point zero nautical miles; line 4, zero; line 5, is a pair of homes, square in shape, house one is southwest of house 2, house 2 is on house 1's 1 o'clock position; line 6 is previous overflight and tracer; line 7 is tracer fire, will provide reference if needed on run; line 8 is one-five-zero meters southeast; line 9 is 2-0-0. Do you copy?"

"Roger that," the pilot from Nightingale 8-5 answered, repeated back everything. "Request tracer mark on bombing run, do you have any remarks?"

"Troops in contact, danger close, commander's initials Yankee-Victor."

"That's pretty close, well inside safe range Rapier 3-1."

"We've got good cover Nightingale 8-5, keep the drop light."

"Understood Rapier 3-1, time to target three mikes," and with that the two F-105Ds lined up on the target. As they came inbound the pilot called "IP" over the radio and with that, the APC's gunner lit up the target house. Seconds later, the two F-105D Thunderchiefs screamed over the target from 10,000 feet in a dive, pulling out of it at 4,000 feet. Each fighter took a separate house and both of them dropped a pair of Mark 82 500-lb bombs on each house. The four explosions shattered the air and sent fragments everywhere. Taking cover low to the ground, in a ditch, and behind the APC, the men missed the show but they watched the fireballs roll into the air just as CPT Jenkins did from his position.

"Nightingale 8-5, Rapier 3-1, that's a shack, both houses are hit, good bombing, return to hold station. Handoff back to Cowboy Actual."

"Roger that Rapier 3-1, good luck."

---

• |- 16 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 6, 1958 - 00:30 hrs [UTC+2]
Atsiki, Lemnos
Battalion CP
(39° 56' 42" N, 25° 13' 42" E)

The plan was underway now in full. Marines from Alpha Company had dug-in and were holding the edge of Sectors 1 and 2 while Bravo Company advanced from Sector 1 into Sector 3. Marines from Charlie Company had maneuvered around the town and they were about to come into Sector 5, which isolated and left Sector 4 alone. The idea was to draw out rebel troops from their prepared, dug-in, and ambush-friendly positions in Sector 4 to come to the defense of their periphery units. To what degree that would work wouldn't be verified until the Marines converged onto Sector 4. If the fighting slackened, the plan would be deemed a success; if not, then the plan was simply a plan, nothing more and certainly nothing less.

Battalion moved into their new CP in Sector 2 and with that, a new day began on the calendar, though dawn was still hours away. Bravo Company's commanding officer, CPT Harrison Daugherty eyed the twenty-five vehicles in his company, twenty of which were LVTP-5 APCs with squads of men in each. There were five to a platoon and four platoons in all. His command unit included two LVTC-5 command vehicles and three LVTP-5s. He had three roads leading into Sector 3 from Sector 1 and he had 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon, and 3rd Platoon arrayed from left to right on the three roads. His command staff was held back while 4th Platoon was maneuvering up a road to the town's west. They would hit Sector 3 just north of the soccer field.

Regrouped, resupplied, and ready to go, the assault into Sector 3 began at 00:30 local time; two hours after the first Layartebian units entered Atsiki. Almost immediately, the Marines took hostile fire from dug-in rebels with RPG-2s and light machine guns. Tracer fired danced into the night as the LVTP-5 APCs advanced forward. For the Marines inside, it was hell as machine gun fire pinged off of the welded, rolled homogenous steel armor of the vehicle. They only had between one-quarter and five-eighths of an inch of steel between them and the hostile, harmful, hellacious environment around them, where bullets were as numerous as flies and where the air itself was only happy if it were shredding human flesh. Atop the cupola mount of each LVTP-5 APC was a .30-caliber, M1919A4 Light Machine Gun fed from a box magazine of 250 rounds. Almost immediately, those LMGs barked fire of their own, trained against the muzzle blasts of the emplaced positions. Because the LVTP-5s were very roomy on the interior, able to hold three squads of men, and only one squad was inside each vehicle, there was no shortage of ammunition available.

From where he was, LTC Williams listened intently to the radio. He was barred from standing atop the roof of their CP because of the presence of enemy snipers. The best he could do was get himself near a window with a radio set within arm's reach. With the handset in his hand and against his face, LTC Williams clicked the transmit button and spoke leisurely into the receiver, "Zebra Actual, Renegade Actual, give me a SITREP."

It was a few moments before there was a response but CPT Daugherty, gave him one as his vehicles breached the first set of defenses that the rebels erected. "Renegade Actual, Zebra Actual, all maneuver units are through the first line of defense, we're pushing into Sector 3 now. Advise on possible air support?"

"Air support is a negative right now, artillery is on standby for tasking."

"Affirmative Renegade Actual, what is ROE with artillery?"

"Desperation only Zebra Actual, we've got civies and you're all within danger close already," replied LTC Williams, effectively telling them that even artillery was going to be a hard sell.

"Understood Renegade Actual, Zebra Actual is out…" On the ground, the troops cursed the limitations as they continued to take harassing fire from enemy positions. There wasn't any sense yet to deploy the troops out of the protective shells of their armored personnel carriers since the company was only just getting into Sector 3 and hostile troops were still in too advantageous of a position.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Meanwhile, in Sector 5, Charlie Company was receiving approximately the same welcome. CPT Timothy Lang, callsign "Kodiak" was advancing along two major approaches, one from the west and another from the north. He'd split his four platoons evenly and he was trailing behind the rear of the northern unit. Like CPT Daugherty, he'd asked about air support and artillery but he'd been given the same response. The rebels were dug-in and firing everything they had trying to kill the gunners on the LVTP-5s and with twenty of them bearing down on Sector 5, and forty all together, the rebels were hard pressed to remain in their positions. They had expected a mostly infantry-oriented force not a mechanized element, believing that the MF-MA forces would adhere to a stricter ROE when it came to urban warfare.

As soon as the initial line was broken, the elements of Charlie Company assaulting Sector 5 immediately split off from the main formation to make a four-pronged assault. This had the advantage of putting the rebels on many avenues of attack and it worked for the benefit. Charlie Company was able to deploy the infantry much sooner than Bravo Company, as evidenced when Marines from 1st Platoon and 2nd Platoon, assaulting the town from the north, deboarded their LVTP-5s and began to assault two housing blocks. On foot, the Marines maneuvered quickly and began to take the fight from the long to the short, using their rifles and hand thrown grenades to dislodge the rebel positions. In doing so, they came across a large number of civilians taking shelter in two large homes, neighbors cowering there with neighbors.

"Kodiak Actual, this is Grizzly 1-1, we've got civilians here," called out the platoon leader of 1st Platoon.

"Can you give me a count?"

"Forty sir, they're going to need an evac corridor."

"You're sending them out?"

"No choice sir, the fighting's too heavy. We'll have them use the APCs for cover. Can battalion get some translators over there; they probably know where the rebels are hiding."

"We'll do our best Grizzly 1-1, make sure they've got cover."

"Roger that sir," with that, the tempo of gunfire increase as the Marines, holding their position, poured on the suppressive fire to three rebel positions simultaneously, neutralizing a light machine gun and two grenadier pits. In doing so, they opened up a short but crucial window of opportunity for the forty civilians cowering in one of the homes to escape out of the home's back door and across thirty meters of open, exposed space. Afterwards, they had the cover of the five armored vehicles and that was enough to get them out of the field of view of the rebels' gun sights and grenades.

Afterwards, the Marines maneuvered, shifted their position, and 2nd Platoon took the emplaced positions. They did it again two more times before they were able to release the second group of civilian refugees but by then, they had broken through not only the initial line of defenses that the rebels had in place but also their rear reinforcement force, which was holding in Sector 5.

---

• |- 17 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 6, 1958 - 02:10 hrs [UTC+2]
Atsiki, Lemnos
Battalion CP
(39° 56' 42" N, 25° 13' 42" E)

"Lieutenant Colonel sir, we've just had confirmation that Sector 5 is under our control." Cheers would have gone up throughout the battalion CP had they not still had to clear and secure Sector 4, where the bulk of the rebel force was now surrounded.

"What do we have on a casualty report Corporal?"

"Sir, Alpha Company reports five KIA, six WIA; Bravo Company reports two KIA and four WIA; Charlie Company reports three KIA, and nineteen WIA, they took it pretty hard sir."

"Thirty-nine men out of the fight," LTC Williams pondered. "That's definitely reduced our strength. What do we have on the OPFOR?"

"In Sector 1, we have fifty-five killed and forty-five captured, all but ten of them wounded sir. In Sector 2, we have forty killed and four captured. In Sector 3, we have thirty-five killed, nine captured, all of them wounded. Then in Sector 5, we have twenty-four killed, twenty captured, and eleven wounded. All told, we've killed one hundred and fifty-four and captured seventy-eight men."

"What'd we gleam for intelligence on them?"

"Atsiki is home to two, full-strength companies. Each company has three rifle and one weapons platoon. We've neutralized all but two rifle and one weapons platoon sir. They're all waiting for us in Sector 4. That's over a hundred and twenty men sir."

"Probably around one hundred and forty if I've got their order of battle right. That's why we're hitting them with all three companies. What do we know about civilian casualties?"

"Throughout all four sectors that we've gone in, we've got about thirty-five killed and at least four dozen wounded. We have no idea what awaits us in Sector 4 sir. Atsiki had over nine hundred people in the last census. There's no telling how many of them are hiding out in Sector 4 still. It would take us all night and most of the morning to figure out who's there."

"We don't have that time on our side. What time is it," LTC Williams checked his watch. "Ten after two, we need to keep up this tempo. We'll stand down for twenty minutes. Make sure we do a supply check. Anyone who needs ammunition or gear, get it to them and get it to them fast."

"Copy sir," with that the corporal dashed off to relay the orders while LTC Williams picked up the handset near him and waited for the radio operator to put him through to command back at the airport.

"Mother Hen, this is Renegade Actual, are you ready for a SITREP."

"Renegade Actual, Mother Hen, roger, go for SITREP."

"Sectors 1, 2, 3, and 5 are clear and under our control. One hundred and fifty-four, I repeat one-five-four, enemy kilos; seventy-eight, I repeat seven-eight, enemy papas; we're sending them out to you now. Be advised you have fifty-five, I repeat five-five, whiskeys in that mix."

"Understood Renegade Actual, advise current status on Sector 4."

"Nothing to advise yet, we go in sixty mikes."

"Copy Renegade Actual, sixty mikes it is. Advise on own casualties."

"None to advise Mother Hen, we're holding it together here."

"What about civilians?"

"We're ascertaining that now Mother Hen, we'll give you a tally when Sector 4 falls. Renegade Actual out." LTC Williams put down the handset and smirked. Anyone listening into them would know that in an hour, they were planning to go again except it had been previously worked out that time would be inflated by a factor of three for the month of March. The rebels listening in would surely think that they had much more time on their hands.

---

• |- 18 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 6, 1958 - 02:30 hrs [UTC+2]
Kallithea, Lemnos
Soviet GRU Observation Post
(39° 54' 14" N, 25° 12' 5" E)

From atop a 76-meter hill, nestled in between the towns of Nea Koutali, Kallithea, and Livadochori, four men, all of them of Russian ethnicity and Soviet citizenship bustled around the powerful equipment in their small shack. Positioned atop this small hill, they had a 31-kilometer distance to the horizon, which was far enough to watch everything from the island's main airfield. It was also enough to intercept every radio transmission sent to and from the airfield and though those transmissions were coded, the four men, all part of the Main Intelligence Directorate, or GRU, were highly capable and highly experienced radio operators. At any given time, two of the men were brooding over their radio equipment, listening to transmissions, aiming to crack them for their Lemnosian allies. The other two men were sleeping and all four of them worked like this in shifts to ensure that they had constant surveillance.

Relaying what they had found to their headquarters camp on Agios Efstratios, the radio operator used his own code words just in case he was being snooped upon, and he was. Naturally, neither side had fully broken the other side's code yet but they were close. The Soviets knew that the sixty minute window was far too long but they did not believe it was inflated by three, rather they estimated two. They would soon have their figures vindicated. At the same time, the Layartebian Air Force and Navy radio operators listening to the Soviet transmission incorrectly identified that the Soviets were reporting on troop movements in Repanidi, which meant that patrols would be sent into the nearby hills to try and locate the communications team.

The four men manning the station went by the names Igor, Blasius, Nikita, and Malik. These, their cover names, where what they called each other to protect everyone. For Igor and Malik, who took this particular shift, their false names had come naturally to them as they were both experienced with over ten years of service in the GRU. They had both come from the Soviet Army, where they were signals technicians and thus radios were more than just their lives, they were their passions. Even now, as the Layartebian Marines began their onslaught into Sector 4, the two Soviet agents didn't bother to get into self-defeatism, instead they listened as the battle began and went about improving their methods. "Двадцать минут, а не шестьдесят, а не тридцать," [Twenty minutes, not sixty, not thirty,] Igor said as the Lemnosian rebels began to take fire.

"Три раза, Марта, может ли он быть в месяц?" [Factor of three, it is March, could it be the month?]

"Мы предоставляем Вам для того, чтобы лучше тест. Конечно, если следующий месяц - четыре затем мы будем знать." [We'll have to put it to a better test. Of course, if next month is four then we'll know.]

"Что делать, если трудности и отличаются друг от друга?" [What if odds and evens differ?] Malik answered, thinking it through. "t может быть только случайной. Совпадений может произойти, хотя я свою вину они встречаются редко." [It could just be random. Coincidences can happen, though I'll confess they are rare.]

"Редко действительно, она может быть только для этой операции. Мы знаем, что коды не менять но это если смотреть со стороны привода ГРМ - это совершенно другой вопрос. Это их код связи, что изменятся снова. A профессиональная может решить эту." [Rare indeed, it could be just for the operation. We know that unit codes don't change much but this timing is an entirely different matter. This is their communication code, that will change again. A codebook would solve this.]

"Ha!" [Ha!] Scoffed Malik, laughing. "Возможно, если наш Воинские товарищей может засады на сигналы блока. Он будет принимать все наши усилия, направленные на то, чтобы настроить такие усилия. Я не думаю, что четверо из нас может сделать это без совпадения и шанс. В настоящее время, мы будем следить за битву, чтобы определить тактику, что они с помощью и найти какой-либо край, чтобы дать нашим Воинские братьев. Это - борьба с они не могут выиграть, они, конечно, готовы делать все то, что он принимает." [Perhaps if our Lemnosian comrades can ambush a signals unit. It would take all of our efforts to set up such an endeavor though. I don't think the four of us can do that without coincidence and chance. For now, we will have to follow the battle, to try to determine the tactics that they are using and find any edge to give our Lemnosian brothers. This is a fight they could win, they are certainly willing to do what it takes.]

"Все права Малика вы точка, но я по-прежнему считаю, что мы должны попробовать. Если мы приехали руки кодов обследований, что может сделать это проще. Возможно, мы могли бы координировать с Зуев. А может, мы должны просто идею ему." [All right Malik you make a point but I still think we should try. If we got our hands on a codebook, that would make this job easier. Perhaps we can coordinate with Zuyev. Maybe we should just float the idea to him.]

"Как мы можем сделать сейчас? Мы работаем только для данной должности. - Он будет только в Агиос Efstratios. Вы хотели бы использовать в горячеканальной системе? Отправить ему письмо? Мы не можем связаться с ним по радио, враг в твоей, так же, как мы прислушиваемся к их. Мы не имеем каких-либо кодов для данного обсуждения." [How can we do that now? We're confined to this post. He'll be confined to Agios Efstratios. Do you wish to use a runner? Send him a letter? We cannot contact him on the radio, the enemy is listening, just as we're listening to them. We don't have any codes for this discussion.]

Igor thought about it for a few minutes before he realized that the only, or rather the most secure way, was through a runner. Of course, even more secure was he doing it himself. "Мы не могли ему прийти к нам?" [Could we have him come to us?]

"Игорь, не более того. Это слишком много для нас принять. Являясь высшим должностным лицом нами, я, чтобы отклонить это мышление. Да, это будет фантастический но мы только не инструменты. В настоящее время я хотел бы сосредоточить внимание на нас в твоей к западной части силы, как мы, как предполагается, должны. Не более этого обсуждения." [Igor, no more. This is too much for us to undertake. As the highest ranking officer of us I have to decline this thinking. Yes it would be fantastic but we just don't have the tools we need. For now, I would rather focus on us listening to the Western forces like we are supposed to. No more of this discussion.] Igor nodded and while yes, the discussion ended, Igor's dream to usurp the MF-MA forces and obtain a codebook was not stifled. He was going to think it through himself and then reapproach the idea but with a better understanding of just how to pull it off successfully.

---

• |- 19 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 6, 1958 - 06:45 hrs [UTC+2]
Atsiki, Lemnos
OPFOR CP
(39° 56' 46" N, 25° 13' 30" E)

LTC Williams stood in the center of the enemy's CP and with his hands on his hips, looked around the room. "Organized bastards, wouldn't you say Captain Fernand?"

"I would sir," answered the battalion's G-2, "I've got my staff sifting through all of this but if I were a betting man, and the entire battalion knows I am, I'd say that this screams Soviet."

"Well the equipment certainly is," LTC Williams answered as he eyed the radio set just inches away, its guts smashed in by an axe. "They bugged out in a hurry."

"Who can blame them?"

"Sir, I have a count," yelled Corporal Bryan Custer, one of the battalion's clerks. LTC Williams didn't appear that he wanted to wait so CPL Custer continued, "Sixty-three killed, sixty captured, thirty-eight of them wounded. Our best estimate is that nineteen escaped, likely their big guys, we didn't get anyone too high up there, just a platoon-level commander but only because someone put a bullet through his liver."

"Will he live?"

"Fifty-fifty sir," CPL Custer answered, "they medevac'd him back to the airport."

"All right, well let's keep rounding up what we can," CPL Custer ran off as LTC Williams continued to survey the command post. There were maps hastily torn and shredded that would have to be reassembled, radio sets that were smashed, discarded small arms, and the bodies of three men "volunteered" to protect to the CP while the big wigs escaped.

"Oh sir," CPL Custer said, peering his head back in quickly, "Thirty-five civies killed and forty-eight wounded. There might be more, we're still searching the houses."

"Thanks Corporal," LTC Williams answered as he turned back to the map shreds on the floor. "Captain how long until you get this mess sorted out so we can run something up to HQ?"

"At least two days sir, they did a number here."

"The sooner the better Captain," he said, his voice trailing off as he crouched down and looked at a torn segment of the map. It showed arrows against the airport meaning that an attack was imminent, "They're getting ready to assault the airport."

"Yes sir," CPT Fernand bolted away to get the rest of his team to hurry up the intelligence collection. While he did, LTC Williams walked out of the three-story house and back onto the street. Idling in front of him was an M75A1 APC and as he looked closer, he could see where the paint had flecked off from small arms fire. The men inside, naturally protected against it, were only a few millimeters away from death. Just behind the armored personnel carrier was a closed-top jeep and soldiers were loading up boxes of intelligence material that had been collected from the successful raid. When Sector 4 fell, battalion's HHC staff rushed in to begin their work, knowing that the sooner they gathered the necessary information, the sooner they could bring the fight to the Lemnosian rebels. Watching the hustle and the bustle, LTC Williams was pleased to see everyone taking the initiative. The Battle of Atsiki was a hard one for him. He lost fifteen men and another forty-six were getting patched up either in the airport's surgical unit or by corpsmen deployed to the field. Unfortunately, the moment's peace he sought to reflect upon this was rapidly disturbed as two van's pulled up, both bearing in English and Greek, "PRESS CORPS."

"Son of a bitch," LTC Williams cursed aloud as he turned and attempted to walk away. Behind him, the mechanical sounds of camera shutters going off echoed worse than the bullets and explosions. LTC Williams hated the press, and rightfully so, they skewed everything a soldier said to slant it to their own political bias, which for the press meant they were lefties.

"Lieutenant Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel?" And that was it for LTC Williams, he could hear behind him as a lowly private first class, whom he knew, and hated, more so now, called him out for the reporters. He kept walking but it didn't matter, the ne'er-do-well private first class ran up to him, saluted - like an idiot - and said, "Sir, would you be able to give an interview to the press corps?"

"No private, now go away."

"But sir, I have strict orders…"

"Go…Away…Now…" LTC Williams said as he bent his head down low to speak to the shorter and much more lowly E-3.

"Yes sir," PFC Melvin said as he turned around, rebuffed, and headed back to the press group. Unfortunately though, his maneuver had gotten the attention of the reporters and two were now rushing to get to LTC Williams while a pair of cameramen with their Canon VT and Yashica-Mat cameras raced over behind them.

"Lieutenant Colonel, Kiki Metaxas, Lemnos Free Press, can you give us a brief description of the battle?" She held a microphone near him, which was linked by a cable to her personal recorder. LTC Williams sneered at her and gave her a hard look.

"We won."

"Sir, anything more, like how many rebels were killed? Civilians? Were civilians killed sir?"

"We don't have any count of civilians killed," he answered, lying for obvious reasons. "I'm very busy right now and this is still an active warzone, you should leave here right away. You're liable to step on a mine or something. The rebels have been placing them everywhere. They're called 'toe poppers' and they have just enough explosive to blow off your toes and make you a cripple. Watch your step." He added. This wasn't true but he figured it would scare the reporters - and it did - which would give him at least one small laugh while they tiptoed back to their vans.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

---

March 6, 1958 - 13:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Moni Panagias, Agios Efstratios
Rebel HQ
(39° 31' 51" N, 25° 0' 34" E)

Senior Lieutenant Zuyev had just spent the past twenty-five minutes working through a one-time pad, decoding a small message sent by a Soviet numbers station in the Crimea. Alone in his tent, he was more or less enjoying a short break from the dreary, cloudy skies overhead and the cool but crisp breeze that blew in from the Mediterranean. It was now, as he finished decoding the message that Vasilis burst into his tent, obviously in a fit of rage. "Do you know what they are saying about us?"

"What is that Vasilis?"

"That our soldiers are leaving small landmines, the word is," Vasilis searched through his memory and translated the term from Greek to English, "'Toe popper'. Small mines that are meant to harm the person's foot and make them lose toes."

"Are you? Have you given orders to the contrary?"

"I have given no orders!" He roared back, insulted now. "Why would I give the order to harm our own people?"

"I'm just checking Vasilis; I did not mean to accuse you."

"Well good! I asked. We do not even have these mines in our inventory."

"Would you like some? Do you think that we can use them? Mines have a major impact on an enemy infantry force."

"No! I will not leave behind mines for children to trip over and maim themselves."

"Okay then," Zuyev said as he leaned back in his folding chair. "Then it is merely propaganda by our enemy. We issue propaganda about them too. Some of it is true; some of it is not. The idea is to make what is not true sound plausible enough that it could be true. We have to continue that fight. For now, I have good news."

"What is that news?"

"Our submarine passed the blockade. We will have fresh supplies tomorrow evening. We should get the men ready now so that they can sleep early. There will be a lot of supplies."

"Ammunition? Medical?"

"Yes - plenty of it."

"How will we get it to our comrades on Lemnos?"

"The same way we always have, with fishing boats and loyal comrades. You must worry less Vasilis. Do not fly into a rage with their propaganda; that makes you no better than they are. We will prevail."

Vasilis took a moment to ponder this, rolling over the idea in his head, arguing both sides of the table with his own conscience. When finally the battle ended, he smiled at Zuyev and answered, "Yes, we will prevail comrade."

---

• |- 20 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 8, 1958 - 08:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Propouli, Lemnos
Ekklisia Agios Nikolaos
(39° 57' 50" N, 25° 14' 15" E)

The town of Propouli was a mere three kilometers north of Atsiki and throughout the Battle of Atsiki, its residents had heard the rolling sounds of gunfire and explosions. They could see the red-orange glow of battle from their windows and they wondered if that same fight was going to come to their own doorstep soon enough. Most of them took the opportunity on March 7 to flee the town for various sanctuaries around, mostly churches and chapels, of which Lemnos had no shortage. One of them, the Ekklisia Agios Nikolaos church was located just 950 meters southeast of the town and thus that much closer to Atsiki. It was unfortunate for the townsfolk who had gone there as the church had been scouted out as a temporary refuge for fleeing rebel fighters. Bearing all of the signs of a makeshift hospital, the townsfolk found themselves incapable of remaining there and diligently left, though not before they revealed this valuable piece of intelligence to MF-MA forces.

The intelligence aspect of the MF-MA deployment had defaulted to the North Germanians, who themselves practically led the world when it came to military intelligence. Born out of the need for it during the Ukrainian War some thirty years earlier, the North Germanian military intelligence unit deployed to Lemnos were the first ones on the scene, though it wouldn't be without some influence from the Republic, who deployed two units, one a security unit consisting of a platoon of Marines and the other a battalion-level military intelligence unit that was organic to the Marine deployment. Captain Steve Duncan was the G-2 for the 1st Marine Assault Battalion and he'd been sent personally by LTC Williams to get a line on what was found in the church. Since the 1st MAB fought in the Battle of Atsiki, it was hard for command to deny them this opportunity though the North Germanians weren't pleased.

Oberstleutnant Himmel, the head of North Germania's military intelligence battalion found himself standing in the entranceway of the church looking at the ruins of a field hospital. When his Kübelwagen had pulled up to the church just five minutes earlier he found that his Layartebian counterpart was already on scene by the presence of the Willys MB or "Jeep" parked near the door. Upon entering, most of the men nearby snapped to attention and CPT Duncan walked up and did the same. "Oberstleutnant, I'm glad you could come personally."

"I trust that your men have not trampled the scene?" He responded in harshly accented English. He didn't much like the Layartebian answer to military intelligence, he conceded that they were "young and dumb" but he also conceded that they were learning quickly.

"Nothing's been touched; we've only just begun taking photographs."

"Good, one can only hope that someone's big feet did not trample something important. How many men?"

"Four."

"Get them all out at once!"

"But sir…"

"At once Captain! Your men will destroy this crime scene. We need to collect evidence and we need to do it immediately. Get your men out now!" With little choice, CPT Duncan ordered his men out of the church and begrudgingly corralled them outside. It was there that his men grumbled and argued with one another that they had just as much of a right to be there but it didn't matter. The North Germanians showed up with several teams of men using the latest in available technology and by the end of the afternoon, when they left, there was nothing left to learn. Oberstleutnant Himmel was the last to leave and on his way out, he gave a wink and a smile at CPT Duncan, saying nothing except in his own head. When the Layartebian soldiers entered the church once again, all they found were whatever the North Germanians deemed non-essential. The frustration kicked in nearly right away and CPT Duncan and his men ultimately returned to Atsiki empty-handed.

---

• |- 21 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 8, 1958 - 18:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Livadochori, Lemnos
Battalion CP
(39° 54' 45" N, 25° 12' 7" E)

After another intense battle, this one to the airport's southwest in the town of Livadochori, MF-MA forces were conducting mop-up operations and collecting intelligence from the bodies of over eighty-five dead rebel fighters. Few had been captured alive and all of the ones who had were seriously wounded and only few were likely to survive the night. The battle had not torn Livadochori to shreds like the Battle for Atsiki had to its namesake but the damage was certainly visible. It took only a company of one hundred and eighty paratroopers to dislodge the rebels and they did so with only eight casualties of their own, a remarkably low number thanks to what could only be described as poor tactics by the rebels. Rather than employ their RPG-2 teams effectively, like the fighters in Atsiki had, these troops chose to engage from fixed and protected positions, making them vulnerable to grenade and heavy weapons fire.

With the town secure, the company which had done the fighting was finally getting a chance to relax while another company came in and conducted mop-up operations. The battalion's command staff moved into a large building just outside of town and north of the main road and set up their command post. Under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Sam Cole, the airborne battalion was going to be making a push on both Kallithea and Nea Koutali soon while Marines continued further inland towards Agios Dimitrios. Other paratrooper units would push further to the south with the ultimate goal being the Marines and the paratroopers arriving at Myrina at the same time - of course, that wasn't going to happen. Inter-service rivalry meant that someone was going to get their first and proclaim themselves king of the hill. For LTC Cole, the paratroopers had to win.

As he reviewed the tables and stations of his CP, he was suddenly disturbed by the entrance of three soldiers, all armed, pushing a bound man in front of them. "Sir, we caught one alive, and unwounded."

"How do you know he's a rebel?"

"He had an assault rifle and three grenades on him," the sergeant who led him in said. "Sir, what do you want us to do with him? L-T said to bring him to you."

"Hand him over to the G-2, you boys did a good job," LTC Cole said with appreciation. "What squad are you with?"

"We're with 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company sir."

"Second Lieutenant Queen correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, I'll see to it you boys get a few extra cases of beer if this guy yields anything."

"Thank you sir," the sergeant said before he and his men saluted and pushed the obviously roughed up prisoner towards the battalion's intelligence chief. Less than eight minutes later, the G-2 and his driver were personally bringing the captive back to the airport, having been given explicit orders from MF-MA command to turn him over to the North Germanians, which angered just about everyone in the paratrooper HQ.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

March 8, 1958 - 18:30 hrs [UTC+2]
Aerolimenas, Lemnos
Lemnos International Airport
(39° 55' 32" N, 25° 15' 4" E)

Captain, or rather Hauptmann, Max Wolf, was the most capable interrogator that the North Germanians had brought with them, and arguably the most vicious. He'd have been an Oberst by now but he gave even the most hardened generals in the North Germanian military the creeps and thus he was kept right where he was most effective, military intelligence, as lead interrogator. He didn't mind it too much; Hauptmann Wolf wasn't in the military to do anything but keep his sadist tendencies in check. At the age of fifty-one, he'd been seventeen in 1924 when he had first tasted combat in the burgeoning civil war that was tearing Germany apart. The next year, when Layartebian troops entered Berlin to assist democratic forces, Wolf had been a sharpshooter and he reveled in killing Layartebian officers though he only got fourteen of them in the few months that Layartebian forces were deployed.

Then, four years later, when the Russians and the Germanians went to war in Ukraine, Wolf was once again on the front but as an infantryman. He'd been wounded twice but he continued to fight and thus, as if he were a bad movie villain, he had a scar along most of his face, the byproduct of a butcher of a battlefield surgeon. He joined military intelligence in 1933 and he spent his entire career there since, having been promoted to Hauptmann in 1940. Incensed to be working with the Layartebians, Wolf was of an older generation that couldn't forgive the Layartebians for siding with democratic forces, even if they'd come around and seen the "error in their ways" as the politicians like to say.

This operation in Lemnos, to him, was worthless. He didn't much care for the Lemnosians or the mission. He didn't care for the allies and he didn't care for the enemy. He was simply here because those were his orders. Fluent in Russian, English, French, and German, he approached interrogations now as a matter of rote. Stylized in utter bare necessities, he had the prisoner, who was identified as Leonidas Stephanidis deposited in a room with only a desk, a chair, places to anchor the prisoner's chains, and a ceiling light. Rather than wait for the prisoner to become accustomed to and acclimated to the environment, Hauptmann Wolf entered the room right away and sat down in the chair across from the prisoner. "Mister Stephanidis," he said, speaking in English, which he knew the prisoner to understand. "According to the 1955 census report, which we have pulled here, you are fluent in English but not German. Thus I see no reason to talk to you in a language which you cannot understand.

"You are a businessman who operates a cannery in Nea Koutali and you have decided to join the Lemnosian Workers Brigade. You lack military experience and perhaps that is why you were so easily captured. I suppose that your adherence to communist principles don't at all conflict with you actually owning the cannery but that is neither here nor there. I have found, over many years, that most 'communists' are unaware of what communism actually stands for, they are merely drawn to it because they believe in some fantasy world where the bad guys evaporate and everyone is equal underneath a fluffy white cloud of equality." He laughed, "So where shall we begin? You may tell me the composition of rebel forces in Livadochori or you can resist. One way or the other, you will answer my questions. I presume that sounds cliche but I also presume that you are intelligent enough to understand what will come next? You can answer that one."

"I am."

"And you still wish to resist or would you like to be forthcoming?"

"I'll never tell you fascists anything."

"Ah, a brave one," Hauptmann Wolf said with a grim smile that made the hair on Leonidas' neck stand up vertically. "Very well, I will let you choose your punishment. We have many methods. Shall I describe them to you?" There was silence from Leonidas. "All right, we can beat you. Bones break, there's a lot of blood, and of course it hurts beyond comprehension. It's messy but effective. We can simulate drowning, perhaps even just let you drown. That one is particularly slow, and it takes quite some time. We can electrocute you, which won't kill you but will make you wish you were dead," at that Leonidas visibly cringed. "We have a winner! Unteroffizier," he yelled and within a split second, a corporal appeared in the room standing ramrod straight. Hauptmann Wolf gave strict and harsh orders in German and with a click of his boots, the corporal retrieved a fellow soldier and together they violently stripped the clothing off of Leonidas and brought in what looked like a telephone. Wires were run from the phone to the prisoner's nipples and the corporal originally called took a seat with the device while Hauptmann Wolf stood next to him.

"Mister Stephanidis, I believe it is time for you to be brave. Are you ready?" With a nod, the corporal cranked the phone and electrical current ran right into Leonidas' body, instantly causing his muscles to contract involuntarily, thus wracking his body with waves of pain. It only lasted a few seconds, after which, gasping for his breath, Leonidas was given a second, slightly-longer jolt. "How many men were in Livadochori? Bravery and stubbornness are two different concepts. Your friends are gone, the Layartebians saw to it. How many men were there?" There was no response and a third jolt was given, this one over ten seconds, causing Leonidas to nearly pass out from the pain.

"How many men Mister Stephanidis?"

"Eighty-eight," Leonidas answered. A jolt was given anyway and he repeated the number.

"Truth is important as is trust. If I trust you tell me the truth, I will not continue. If I do not, you will suffer. Eighty-eight then, several escaped. Where did they go?"

"Kallithea."

"How many men are there?"

"I don't know," which induced a jolt, followed by a repetition of the phrase, followed by another jolt, which ultimately ended after five jolts were given. "Probably the same number."

"Probably? Why don't you know this?"

"I am not a high officer. I was only low. I did not even fire my gun."

"Yes, you were captured with a full magazine. How many men are in Nea Koutali then? That is your home. Why were you not defending it?"

"Two hundred."

"Two hundred. I suspect that they wish to fight the same battle as in Atsiki. Very well, let's go onto something else." He gave the prisoner a sip of water and waited a few moments before he continued. "Tell me, were there Soviet advisors or soldiers with you in Livadochori?"

"No."

"Where were they?"

"I don't know," just as the jolts were about to be given, he persisted, "I don't know because they could be anywhere."

"Very good, okay well Agios Efstratios then. Your base correct? We know."

"Yes."

"They are there?"

"Yes."

"Have you been there?"

"Yes."

"When and how many times?"

"Only twice and the last time was three weeks ago."

"How did you travel?"

"Fishing boat," he was reaffirming what the North Germanian already knew but it was more an exercise to build trust in that Leonidas was giving the right remarks. They'd been at this for two hours by then and Hauptmann Wolf knew that Leonidas would soon be unable to take much more, thus he was being conservative with the electricity.

"Fishing boat, yes. How many Soviets are there?"

"I only saw two; they were in a different part of the camp."

"Did they have ranks? Uniforms?"

"No, regular clothes," Leonidas said. "They gave us some quick training and that was it."

"Did they show you how to use your weapon?"

"Yes."

"Did they teach you tactics?"

"Very little, only to use objects for cover and to wait before attacking until the soldiers were close."

"Did they give speeches?"

"No, they only did training."

"Did you know anyone or recognize anyone there?"

"No," and that brought on more jolts of electricity. Unfortunately, Leonidas passed out before he could give an apt response and so Hauptmann Wolf, forced to continue, abruptly woke him up and continued the questioning but by then it was too late. They would have to leave the Lemnosian to rest overnight, lest they kill him. Still, the information gleamed was important and Hauptmann Wolf filed his report with his superiors and by dawn the next morning, as the Layartebian paratroopers were preparing to attack Kallithea, they knew that they were in for much of the same fight.

---

• |- 22 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 10, 1958 - 16:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Livadochori, Lemnos
Battalion CP
(39° 54' 45" N, 25° 12' 7" E)

"All right Gumby Actual, fantastic work you boys did!" LTC Cole said over the radio. He was speaking to the commanding officer of Charlie Company, a 180-man rifle company that had just fought in the Battle of Nea Koutali, where Bravo Company joined them. Alpha Company had been held back at the CP in Livadochori for reinforcements. Kallithea had been a simple operation for both Bravo Company and Charlie Company. Knowing what the Lemnosian rebels had made it all too simple to merely bypass them and hit them on the flanks. Kallithea ultimately fell in a six-hour battle that left one Layartebians dead, six wounded, and netted fifty-two enemy KIAs and thirty-six POWs, of which twenty were wounded. The eighty-eight man force that the Lemnosians put in Kallithea was neutralized and now two hundred men stood between them and taking the city of Nea Koutali back.

The battle started early in the morning at 06:00, when a pair of A-1G Skyraiders overflew the town and dropped leaflets. The rebels had until noon to leave Nea Koutali or else they would face impressive and immeasurable firepower from the MF-MA forces. Observing the town throughout the morning, one squad from the Jдger Platoon noted that approximately forty-five enemies fled the city and headed southwest to Pedino where they split up and headed west to Angariones and further southwest to Kontias. Knowing what they knew about Nea Koutali, that meant the enemy had one hundred and fifty-five men still in the town. At 12:00, on cue, a flight of four F-105B Thunderchiefs overflew the town at low level and high speed, buzzing overhead in hopes of uprooting more of the Lemnosian rebels. From the ground, one could clearly see the heavy ordinance that they were carrying.

Then, forty-five minutes later, after no one fled the town, light armor from the paratroopers began to advance down the road. The Lemnosians met them halfway with machine gun fire and RPG-2 fire, none of which was accurate. The paratroopers returned fire accordingly, neutralizing those positions. Then, they pushed into the town and the resistance was sporadic at best. Now, less than four hours later, Nea Koutali was in MF-MA hands and there were a lot of POWs to process. Of the one hundred and fifty-five men who remained, thirty-two were killed outright in the initial onslaught and a further twenty-seven throughout the battle. That left ninety-three POWs, most of them unscathed, as surrender had been the preferred course of action. Without Soviet advisers, these rebels simply didn't have the backbone to take on two full companies of paratroopers who came with light armor and who had fighter jets laden with bombs on their side. Fourteen of the POWs would be treated for injuries and the rest loaded into trucks and sent back to the airport, where a makeshift POW camp lay.

The news that the battle was over had come with pleasure from LTC Cole, who liked the idea of shooting up civilian-laden villages as much as the idea of shooting himself in the foot. A few villages were next along the route but with Nea Koutali secured, he could concentrate on them in due time. Bravo Company was posted to watch the town's flank from a crossroads to the west while Charlie Company held the town itself. Alpha Company would assist in moving the battalion's CP during the night and Nea Koutali would be their new field headquarters. Of course, LTC Cole's battalion was one of six battalions deployed to the theater. His, the 122nd was joined by the 123rd Paratrooper Battalion through the 127th Paratrooper Battalion. For now, the 123rd and the 124th would be taking over at Livadochori and advancing on Portianou, respectively.

The big push would be against Kontias. With Portianou secure, the paratroopers would move quickly up to Angariones and down to Tsimandria. Additionally, they would take the high ground just to the southeast of Agios Dimitrios, where the Marines would sweep through the town and then keep going. From that high ground, they would be able to get eyes on Myrina and set up their light artillery. Kontias was expected to be a major battle, with over one hundred Lemnosians including possible Soviet advisers, who wouldn't let the Lemnosian rebels surrender or run away without a fight. Scare tactics could work but the military would have to do everything they could. For now, A-1G Skyraiders and F-105B Thunderchiefs would be flying over the town dropping leaflets, urging the civilian populace to flee up the road to Portianou and Nea Koutali, where they would be safe. Those who remained would risk certain death from Layartebian ordinance.

---

• |- 23 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 12, 1958 - 01:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Aegean Sea
16 nautical miles east of Lemnos
(40° 0' 5" N, 25° 48' 15" E)

"Captain, we've got the contact dead ahead, fifteen thousand yards and closing," a voice called up from the CIC. Captain Jack Lehmann on the bridge of his Forrest Sherman-class destroyer was looking out onto the black horizon. Fifteen thousand yards ahead of them was their contact, a fishing trawler making fifteen knots and heading right for the Lemnosian coastline, against blockade regulations. She'd been first detected by a Layartebian submarine operating at the exit from the Dardanelles since her diesels were quite loud. The submarine was still shadowing the trawler but now that the destroyer had taken over the pursuit, it was about to break contact and return to station.

"Aye," Captain Lehmann responded. "Weapons, let's get a star shell ready. When we're five thousand yards out, I want one put in the air. Then load in high explosive, just in case they make a run for it. Radio, start hailing them at five thousand yards too, we'll sneak in nice and close to them." Moving at thirty knots, near flank speed, the Forrest Sherman-class destroyer was screaming over the calm waves of the Aegean on this rather dark night. On the trawler, the eight Russian sailors, all of them wearing civilian gear, had turned off their navigation radar for fear of attracting attention. The sailors were rather blind themselves; instead, they were focusing on what was in front of them, rather than the destroyer creeping up on their 7 o'clock position.

Twenty-five minutes later, the two vessels had not only closed to within five thousand yards of each other but the trawler had now closed to within ten nautical miles of the Lemnosian coastline. They were close enough to see the outline on the horizon and they were also close enough to know that they were being pursued. "Sir, we're within five thousand yards," came the call from the CIC and with a nod, the weapon's officer let off the 5-inch star shell, which exploded about one thousand yards in front of the trawler. Hailing began right away and the destroyer, closing in now at twice the speed of the trawler, had the vessel in an optimal targeting picture.

On board the trawler, a quick argument broke out as the Russians ignored the radio. They could try to run but that was a foolish idea since they would be blown to pieces. They could dive overboard and try to swim but it was too far. Or, they could heave to, surrender, and hope for the best. It was either to live or to die and death didn't seem like a good option for any of the eight men on this particular evening as the 4,000+ ton destroyer bore down on them. The call came again, "This is the Layartebian navy, answer previous call or be considered hostile." Cursing in fifteen different languages, the eight men resigned themselves to capture, answered the call, slowed and stop their vessel, and waited. The destroyer took up a position less than two thousand yards away from them with their weapons pointed right at the trawler.

Captain Lehmann, along with ten of his men, most of them carrying submachine guns, headed off to the trawler in the vessel's motor yacht. Searchlights from the destroyer beamed on the trawler and radio calls informed all of the sailors that they were to stand on deck with their hands raised until the Layartebian sailors arrived. Overhead, as a show of force, a pair of fighters flew at low level, shaking the sky and the sea around the trawler. The message was clear, "If you do anything stupid, you won't live to tell about it." The Russian sailors, fully aware of the message, looked glum and morose as Captain Lehmann's boat reached the trawler. "English?" He called up and two of the men nodded. "Good, that will make things easier. We have a Russian translator so don't think about pulling anything rash here." He held his sidearm in his hand while the sailors tied their yacht to the trawler.

Men boarded and immediately, they began to search the Russian sailors and inspect the cabin. After a few minutes, the all clear was given, the sailors were restrained, and the inspection began. It wasn't much of an inspection though, the trawler wasn't very big and the weapons weren't very hidden. The moment that the sailors opened the main cargo hold, they found neatly labeled crates of RPG-2 grenade launchers, AK-47 assault rifles, ammunition, medical supplies, and grenades. It was a decent find and it was destined for the Lemnosian coastline, particularly the coastal town of Plбka, where Lemnosian rebels enjoyed comfort, all things considered. The Layartebian forces were pushing to the southwest still, ignoring the troops in the northeast. A line was held while the forces to the southwest were pushed backwards to the sea and the Lemnosian fighters in the northeast were preparing as best as they could for the upcoming assault.

However, this shipment of weapons wouldn't be getting to them. All eight Russian sailors were restrained and transferred back to the destroyer, where they were locked in the brig. The trawler, seized, was piloted instead to temporary docks built near the airport. These docks were for this specific purpose. By the time the sun rose, the submarine had returned to its station, the destroyer was back holding the blockade line, and the trawler was on its way to holding, where its cargo would be offloaded, catalogued, and seized for the time being. The trawler itself would become a prize of war.

---

• |- 24 -| •

[Layarteb]

March 13, 1958 - 09:00 hrs [UTC+2]
Aegean Sea
RLS Ranger (CVA-61)
(40° 15' 16" N, 24° 51' 46" E)

Pirate 1-1, Pirate 1-1, Alpha Bravo, report fuel state," came the call over the radio, not an unusual call but not one that Lieutenant Commander William Foster expected to hear so soon.

LCDR Foster looked down just to the right of his artificial horizon, "Alpha Bravo, Pirate 1-1, fuel state six thousand."

"Roger that Pirate 1-1, we have incoming zombies, I repeat, we have incoming zombies. Establish orbit over Point Golf."

"Understood Alpha Bravo, what's the position of the zombies?"

"Pirate 1-1, approximately three-zero-zero miles from Point Golf, establish orbit, we're dispatching relief for main patrol." With that, LCDR Foster looked out of his cockpit to his right. Flying cost abroad was his wingman, Lieutenant Doug Kroeger. They looked at each other and LT Kroeger gave him a thumb's up sign; he'd heard the radio and he knew what was next. Banking hard to the north, the two F-8A Crusaders orbiting at low speed at 32,000 feet above the Aegean Sea changed their course from flying west of Lemnos to fly to Point Golf, which was approximately fifty-five miles to the east over the island of Gökçeada, which was at the exit of the Dardanelles, presumably where the Soviet bombers would exit if they were flying in the international air corridor.

What LCDR Foster hadn't been told was that approximately thirty-six minutes ago, long-range radar on the northern Turkish coast had picked up several, large contacts taking off from the Crimean Peninsula where the Soviets had a base for naval bombers. Incoming were four Tu-16KS Badger-B bombers, each of which was carrying two KS-1 Komet (AS-1 Kennel) anti-ship missiles. Virtually brand new, the KS-1 Komet missile was the most powerful anti-ship missile in existence. Layartebian submarines had observed several tests of the missile and between these observations and whatever information they could gleam, the KS-1 Komet was a scary missile. It contained a conventional warhead which weighed thirteen hundred pounds but which MF-MA command believed could be swapped out with high-yield, fission warheads. It only had a range of fifty-six miles but MF-MA command estimated it at double this. It was subsonic, a fact that MF-MA forces got right along with its guidance system, internal navigation for the flight path and a semi-active radar for its terminal phase. It was a scary missile on paper; and with four bombers incoming, the threat of their use was very real.

LCDR Foster knew what this meant; the Soviets had finally upped the ante. His orders were to take up an orbit at Point Golf and wait for the bombers to reach the Aegean Sea. He would then take up a position alongside them and follow the bombers until they turned around and left the area. If they continued onward and threatened any of the MF-MA warships, he would be given clearance to shoot them down. This wouldn't be very difficult for a maneuverable fighter like the F-8A Crusader, even with the Tu-16's 23-millimeter self-defense guns. There would be no Soviet fighters to worry about thanks to the range but that would begin a world war. He looked out of his cockpit again and saw the single AIM-9B Sidewinder missile hanging off of the fuselage rail of his wingman. Each of the two F-8s had 576 rounds of 20-millimeter ammunition and two AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles. The missiles had a maximum range of three miles but in combat, they weren't very useful past a mile and a half, which was just outside of gun range. Of course, they could only be used from the rear, which would leave the Crusaders vulnerable to the Tu-16's tail guns, a pair of 23-millimeter cannons. The Tu-16s also had a roof and a bottom fuselage turret each with a pair of guns that could sweep a 360° FOV. The attack vector would see the Crusaders attack from the top and the bottom, from a head-on attack, which would then see them peel away at high-G to avoid getting within the engagement arc of the rear turret.

Though it would not be available for some time, the military was working on the Sparrow missile, which would feature semi-active radar guidance, a much heavier warhead than the Sidewinder - 45 to 65 lb vs. 10 lb - which could attack the bombers from beyond their cannon range and with enough punch to knock them down with a single missile. The Crusader wasn't going to be the aircraft to fire the Sparrow, that was the upcoming Phantom II but the prospect of such a missile was quite pleasing to the pilots, though they still hoped that the Phantom II would be able to dogfight as the Crusader could. They would be sorely disappointed in 1960 when the F-4 Phantom II reached the fleet without a gun.

It took ten minutes for LCDR Foster and his wingman to reach Point Golf, at which point the enemy aircraft were nearing the Bosporus Strait entrance. The Eurasian Air Force had already scrambled a pair of F-102A Delta Dagger interceptors to meet up with the bombers, get visual confirmation on them, and relay their position back to the ground control. Radar had them moving at 540 mph and cruising at 35,000 feet. They were about to thread the needle flying through the Bosporus down to the Dardanelles, a thin corridor designated international airspace by the Eurasian Federation. The majority of the air traffic was civilian but every now and then, the Soviets got punchy and flew bombers that way. Today was one of those times.

"Alpha Bravo, Pirate 1-1, we're in position at Point Golf, what's the update on those zombies?"

"Pirate 1-1, Alpha Bravo, zombies are two-zero-zero miles away, ETA two-two mikes. You are not cleared to engage, just escort."

"Roger that Alpha Bravo, our 'Master Arm' is safe." LCDR Foster responded before checking in with his wingman to make sure his Master Arm switch was in the same toggle position, safe, which meant that no one could accidently, or intentionally, fire anything. His wingman affirmed that it was and twenty minutes later, they had a visual sighting of the incoming bombers. The Eurasian F-102s split off and they moved from their position to meet up with the bombers, flying inbound at high speed and from a head-on vector, which was highly visual to the bomber pilots. After passing close to the bombers at over 1,100 mph closure, the two F-8 Crusaders came around, matched speed, and flew on the outer edges of the formation. Both LCDR Foster and LT Kroeger snapped a few photographs with their personal cameras while they continued to follow the bombers towards Lemnos. It was just forty miles to Lemnos and if they were going to violate Lemnosian airspace, they ran the risk of being engaged by the Nike Ajax batteries on the island.

With the bombers thirty miles out, Lemnosian Air Defense Command began to hail them over the guard frequency, telling them that if they did not turn before 14 miles (12 nm) they were going to be engaged. The missile batteries were already running checks and assigning missiles to bombers, using their radars to maintain a constant firing solution on the four large aircraft. At twenty miles, LCDR Foster and LT Kroeger climbed to 42,000 feet and got themselves into optimal positions. Their Master Arm switches went from safe to arm and if the bombers breached Lemnosian airspace, the Crusaders were going to swoop in and shoot them down while the Nike Ajax missiles came inbound. It would get hairy and LCDR Foster and LT Kroeger wanted to make sure the bombers didn't fire off their missiles against the carriers, both of which were west of Lemnos. The tension gradually ratcheted up as the bombers flew closer and closer. At 15 miles from Lemnos, they abruptly turned south, which kept them out of the air defense sector of the island. They came south, around the southern part of Lemnos, close to Agios Efstratios but away from the missile batteries on the Lemnosian coastline. The Nike Ajax might have been able to shoot them down at 15 miles away but in truth, the bombers could easily turn around and outfly the missiles. However, this course put them on a potential attack vector with the carriers.

Still, the bombers were in international airspace and engaging them wouldn't go over well. The two F-8s continued to follow them, keeping the bombers in their visual line, ready to dive in and fire on them. The bombers, piloted by experts in the Soviet military knew what risk they were under and they flew close to but they did not cross the line into Lemnosian airspace. They swung around in a wide circle around the island and then headed back to the Dardanelles. LCDR Foster and LT Kroeger handed off escort duty midway through due to their fuel state and landed back on the Ranger to find out that the bombers were heading home, both of them breathing a sigh of relief.

---

• |- 25 -| •