Halls, Levers, and Fingers of Power.....

[New Othman]

New Ankara, New Othman.....4 September, 2015.....

The Premier's current meeting was no minor one. He had convened a special conference to cope with some of the ongoing issues in the nation, especially in the DMZ, where the latest outrage had consisted of a series of arsons and other petty actions against "soft targets", meant to intimidate the public into silent co-operation with the forces in question. These underground elements were not simply dissidents. They were insurgents and had to be dealt with, even if they chose terrorism and other, less direct means of assaulting and threatening the state and what the rebels called "the Occupation" - the peacekeeping forces in the DMZ.

With the Premier and Deputy Premier Akonder Tufan were General Nabopolassar Esarhaddon, the Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Erman Pasa, the latest Chief of the General Staff, Colonel Tasar Inan, Director-General of the National Security Police, and Major General Tekil Levni, the Director-General of the National Police Forces Command. They had plans to call their new Jedorian allies in a moment or two, of course, but for now, this was between the six of them. For the moment, they had taken to quietly calling themselves the State Security Council, which more or less summed up their objective, to secure the continued post-war peace, prosperity, and national security of New Othman by preventing the resurgence of revanchist forces in the country and thus saving the Republic as the only viable alternative to another war that New Othman was not yet ready to fight.

"Gentlemen, before we contact the Jedorians, let us sum up what we are facing: a double insurrection of sorts. The one head of this monster is old-fashioned Fascist counter-revolutionary revanchism, determined to bring down this government and restore Targan to power. You know what a disaster that would be, so suffice it to say that we cannot afford to let this go any further. We have to smash this now and smash it hard! Targan was a lunatic before and he would be doubly dangerous after more than a year in prison. He would want revenge on everyone and he would do whatever it took to take it. Including calling on potential allies such as the Grand World Order. I don't know about you, but the GWO is no answer to our nation's ills. We'd be a GWO puppet state and you know it, too," Borek warned, to which the others nodded.

"And the other head is the imams....Islamic clericalism....the forces of theocracy and Sharia law. They would wreck our banking system and arm us to the teeth, only to bring war on our heads with half of the region, and then, of course, we would be occupied! They would end everything secular and progressive about our nation, too, of course. They must not be permitted to rise and they are frankly the greater threat, for they have a larger potential base and haven't lost credibility due to defeat as the Fascists have. Granted, their mass bombings cost them popularity, but we cannot count on that holding them back forever. If they manage to get a full-scale intifada going on in the DMZ, they could very well gain popular support and seize power here.....in which case we're in real trouble as a country.

"In short, we need help, and now, to stop this insurgency before it goes too far...and that's where our new friends come in," Borek then pressed the call button to reach his counterpart in Jedoria.....

[Jedoria]

The Duke's Hearth,
Strana Mechty, Jedoria

The announcement of the Othmani-Jedorian mutual defense pact had probably taken a few governments by surprise, given the lack of announcement of any of the high level meetings taking place between the two states. Some citizens in some liberal nation might've complained about the Jedorian Government's lack of transparency with regards to issues like this, but the Confederation always preferred to operate on a need-to-know basis. What did it matter if the people of Jedoria knew their leaders were holding meetings with the Othmanis? Did if negatively affect them in any way? No? Then why bother telling them?

What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. To suggest the Jedorian Government might in any way harm it's own people was of course beyond ridiculous, according to the Jedorian Government.

Duke Victor Răceanu wasn't the architect behind the pact, but as the leader of the Jedorian Government he was it's enforcer, and as such responsible for maintaining the current status of relations between the Republic and the Confederation. As with all levels of international politics, communication was key above all else. To ensure efficient and reliable forms of discussion, both governments had endeavored to install state of the art telecommunication systems between both head offices for such purposes. So far Răceanu had never used it, so when the phone began ringing he glanced up with a bit of surprise. Putting down the report he was reading on trade levels with various other countries in the region, he reached over his desk to pick up the receiver and held it up to his ear.

"Mr. Premier, what an unexpected surprise. What can I do for you?"

[New Othman]

Kahya, New Othman, site of the lengthy standoff at the Church of the Emperor’s Grace
December 21, 2015


Lieutenant Gulhan Bozguney of the National Police Forces watched very closely, as the insurgents continued to wave their green Khalifa flags and shake their fists at him, shouting, “Allahu akbar!” He grimaced, lit a cigarette, dragged on it a bit, and then nodded to his commander that the enemy seemed oblivious to their intentions.


Just then, however, there were shots, several in succession, and three bodies were dumped out the broken front window of the church, one of them belonging to a Magi priest, Bleda Demirci. Another was an older, highly respected businessman in the community, Sahan Memis, noted for his benevolence. The third, most jarring, was a deaf woman named Pak Nazif, aged 22. She had been engaged to marry and was teaching the deaf in the area, but now she was dead.


Bozguney’s chief negotiator, an affable, engaging fellow named Sergeant Ozil Pamuk, turned pale and lost his lunch rather quickly, making it clear to Bozguney that his skills were limited to negotiation and also making him wonder how the young man had ever made it out of the National Academy of Police Forces if he was so squeamish, let alone risen so high.



Embarrassed, Pamuk seemed determined to prove his mettle, by speaking to the spokesman of the jihadists, a fifty-six year old cleric named Savun Bulut, and warning him, “The more hostages you execute, the less good faith you show us, and the greater the chances that the Premier will order immediate action. Trust me, Savun, you do not wish this. Promise me that you will not execute another hostage, not while there is a chance for negotiations to work.”


“That was punishment, as warned, for your godless President and her companions joining the infidel festival for the King of New Edom. Next time, perhaps, you will heed the warnings of the Vengeance of Allah! Now, will you meet my demands or not? I grow impatient with your sniveling, prevaricating, and equivocating! Yes, I am an educated man! I even studied Shakespeare! I simply believe that Islam is greater than all of this, that the new Khalifa will make all things right! You have 24 hours to meet my demands, or another hostage will meet Allah in person and hear His justice for his apostasy! These are all apostates to Islam and deserve to die for it!” Savun thundered, in spite of his professorial appearance….indeed, he had taught English and French in secondary school, had tutored wealthy children, and had a masters in education from the University of New Izmir before he became an imam, worked at a madrasa, and became radicalized….all because his son-in-law, Suat Fisek, was killed by Adiran drones in Lazodiria, leaving his daughter Fatma a pregnant widow.


“We will need more time than that,” Pamuk tried to explain to him.


“That is not an answer which will save the next hostage, Sergeant,” Savun warned him angrily.


Even then, as they spoke, the first smoke grenade was thrown, followed by shots ringing out, and then another smoke grenade. After that, the NPF contingent released tear gas, and wearing gas masks and body armor, charged at the broken windows, seeking to enter the premises by force. They were met by far more submachine gun fire than expected, mostly Uzis and Tommy guns, carried by men who clearly had covered their bodies to prepare for such things, and were thrown back by the wall of flame.


While the body armor reduced the harm to most of the assault team, Corporal Naci Hamzaoglu was struck in the neck, severing his jugular vein and tearing a huge mass in his flesh, nearly decapitating him. He was KIA, of course. No one could survive such a wound. Private Matuk Erem caught a bullet in the hand, destroying his thumb and his index finger, as well as wearing serious first aid. Private Ersen Yanki took a hit to his right calf, almost obliterating the muscle tissue right below the kneecap. The others retreated, making it apparent that the raid had failed. They were back to square one.


The NPF Watch Commander, Major Timur Seker, cursed violently, knowing that this disaster was likely to be front-page news and reinforce calls for military or even Jedorian intervention there, not to mention a possible role for the CPO peacekeepers. He badly wanted to get this ordeal finished, with a neat victory and another success for his spotless...until now record. If he was to have any chance of advancement, rather than demotion or worse, he needed to pull this off without help, and a fiasco like this did not help his cause.


“We should use flashbangs, Major,” Lieutenant Bozguney proposed.


“Maybe so. Maybe not. I just want to review the situation and prepare a second assault, perhaps with a diversion first in the front, as before, with possibly the main effort going in through the rear. We need to get this done before any foreigners…..,” the Major trailed off as he heard his phone ring.


“Yes? Major Seker here. Here? When? Short-notice. The Premier ordered it? So be it, but this is most irregular,” Major Seker listened to the hang up and notified Bozguney, “Seems we’re about to have company in a couple of days. Jedorians. Allah help us all.”


About time, Bozguney thought to himself. We could use the help right now, I hate to admit.


Two days later….Watch Commander CP, Kahya, New Othman…


“Where are these Jedorians, anyway? At least Bulut hasn’t executed another hostage, as he threatened, but I fear that he could at any second. He is far too unpredictable, that one. Not a surprising trait for a terrorist, I imagine. Now, about these flashbangs, Lieutenant….,” Major Seker turned to his deputy, Lieutenant Bozguney, after the past two days of stalemate and impasse.


On the road to Kahya, a convoy of vehicles, Humvees, Tab B33 APCs and and Wolf Armored Vehicles pulled into the area, the blue fist of the Jedorian Confederation on display as insignias painted into the vehicles. As they rolled into the staging area, kicking up small amounts of dirt as their wheels ceased turning, doors opened and the occupants departed. They were all in uniform, BDU’s of the Jedorian army, their camouflage a mixture of green, tan, brown and black in disruptive pattern. Most of them were military police trained to deal with situations like these, but a few were regular infantrymen, brought here for their capabilities in shooting, rather than hostage negotiations. There were about sixty of them, dressed in their uniforms, fighting load carriers, lightweight helmets, pale skin only shown in on their hands if they hadn’t brought gloves or around their eyes, almost all of which were dark blue.


It had been expected by the Jedorian Government when the Othmani-Jedorian Mutual Defense Pact had been signed that they would be called upon to support the Republic in their struggle with terrorists and insurgents, and thus the 28th Mechanized Infantry Division had been dispatched to the country, bringing with them the long arm of the Confederation. New Othman was their responsibility now, since the CPO was distracted elsewhere and their resolve couldn’t be counted on.


The leader of the Jedorians, a Major by the name of Nicolae Constantinescu, walked up with his XO to where Major Seker was, offered a salute before saying “Good evening, sir, my name is Major Constantinescu. I’ve been ordered to assist your forces with finding a solution to this hostage situation.” The Major glanced over the shoulder of Seker to the Church of the Emperor’s Grace. With a grimace, he asked “Sir, what can you tell me about the situation? What are their strengths? Their demands? I understand an assault took place a few days ago, can you tell me the details of that?”


Seker was less than enthused by the Jedorians stealing his thunder, but he put on his best act and returned the salute, “Major Timur Seker, Watch Commander for the National Police Forces of the Republic of New Othman, Major. I regret to say that, despite our careful negotiations with the terrorist Vengeance of Allah organization, which these insurgents represent, notably their leader, Imam Savun Bulut, they executed 3 hostages two days ago. After this, we opted to assault their position, concerned that they might continue executing hostages if we did not prevent them by force. We used tear gas and smoke grenades, but they must have some kind of protective gear, because they were able to keep together well enough to ambush our troops just inside the broken church front windows. A corporal was killed and 2 privates were severely wounded before we withdrew. We have been making plans since then for a second attempt, and Lieutenant Bozguney recommended the use of flashbangs. What do you think of that?”



Major Constantinescu glanced over to the Church before speaking to Seker. Constantinescu, like most Jedorians, had dark blue eyes, round face, high cheekbones, wide jaw, smooth straight dark hair cut in a high fade, and a pale complexion. As he spoke he switched his focus on the church and the temple. “Imam Bulut, does your government have any intel on him? Family, friends, something we can gather information on him or use against him? And I didn’t hear any demands, are they just holding hostages for the sake of killing them? If that’s the case I don’t see the point in further negotiations if they just want to kill.” Why the Othmani’s hadn’t used flash bangs, as well as everything in their arsenal on the first try was a mystery. The Major ignored such queries and focused on the here and now. “Do we know their numbers and weaponry? If we have the numerical advantage, our next priority is to find all available ways to enter into the building. If they show no signs of negotiating, then all we’re doing is wasting times. So again sir, have they made any demands?”


“Imam Bulut is apparently a former schoolmaster, and yes, he has made demands. For one thing, they want all members of their organization released from prison. They also want the Treaty of Beaulieu repealed. They want foreign troops off Othmani soil. That presumably includes you, effendi. They want New Othman rearmed completely. Last, but not least, they wish to replace the Constitution and the Republic with a caliphate, ruled by a caliph chosen by an assembly of imams, under Sharia law. Imam Bulut evidently was radicalized because his son-in-law was killed in the late war by Adiran drones. He went to a madrasa, became an imam, and has since participated, it seems, in the Vengeance of Allah organization.


“From reports that we have gathered so far, the terrorists have about eighty to a hundred members, more or less, and they now have seventy-three hostages, after having executed three. They apparently have protective gear of some kind, though where they got that is a mystery. They have both infantry assault rifles, submachine guns, handguns, and shotguns, from what I have been told. All of those weapons are banned, of course, but insurgents will not obey gun laws, naturally. As for the next course of action, we were thinking of a diversionary assault on the front, with the main attack to go from behind. The time for negotiation ended when they executed three hostages, including a deaf woman, a local businessman, and a Magi priest. Thoughts?” Seker turned to Constantinescu.


“Just to clarify sir,” Constantinescu said slowly, “They have 80-100 personnel inside the Temple right now?” The Jedorian Major exhaled slowly. “If they do, any operation against them must be overwhelming in nature. Their demands are obviously ridiculous. I agree with your assessment, negotiations seem futile.” The Jedorian paused for a few moments, his eyes uncertain as he thought about a possible plan of action. “A diversionary attack makes sense, but we’ll need to hit them hard and fast, any delay will give them time to execute more hostages. We’ll need to draw fire to ourselves, hopefully we force them all to focus their efforts on us rather than killing any more hostages.”


“How many troops do you have available, sir? I’d appreciate a full inventory of your equipment and your total personnel so as to compare to my own. This operation will have to go flawlessly. Is there any indication that there is discontent in their ranks? Are they all unified as one body or is there any evidence of internal conflict we can exploit?”


“Right now, we’re at 67 well-trained, disciplined police commandoes. We have roughly 180 rounds of ammunition per man, and every man here has an AK-74 rifle or carbine, and an Uzi, plus smoke grenades, canisters of tear gas, Makarov automatic pistols, batons, tasers, and mace. Even electric cattle prods. Oh, and a recent shipment of flashbangs, or so the lieutenant here tells me. We were at 70 men, but we lost three in the last assault. One killed and two wounded. We also have a negotiator, but he’s not going to be used as much now. Mind you, I really don’t understand this push for non-lethal violence. If it were up to me, I’d have raided this place on day one and killed the lot of them. They’re murderous insurgents and deserve no better than that,” Seker grumbled a bit at what he considered a short leash.



Constantinescu had one of his subordinates write down a brief overview of what information Seker had provided before cross referencing the Othmani status with his own troops. There were 59 of them total, a reinforced platoon essentially, mostly riflemen backed up by military police. Altogether law enforcement had the numerical advantage, but that was necessary when storming a defended position. The Jedorian Major frowned as he looked over the Othmani and Jedorian troops, then look again at the temple. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything on the building, would you sir? A floor plan, or basic drawing of the what the interior of the structure is like? Any modifications the terrorists have made, like barricades and reinforced positions?”


“Yes, here is what we got from the local Magi clergy,” Major Seker took the plans from Bozguney, “as to any changes, here is what Lieutenant Bozguney has surmised they probably did to the inside of the church. I have my doubts, but it’s the only intel we have on that so far.”


Constantinescu studied the floor plan, looking for possible entry points, chokepoints, secret entrances and exits. He matched what possible alterations the insurgents with the original map and tried to figure out what changes that would mean on a tactical level. “Well if that’s all we have to go on, we might as well make use of it.” The Jedorian declared, motioning for his XO to come over and go over the map with him and Seker. Constantinescu found a suitable location to sit down and go over a possible plan of action. “The main entrance here, and the other breached locations here,” He said, pointing at the map, “are most likely well defended and a frontal assault against them is only going to end badly. The way I see it, we had the advantage in numbers, but we don’t have a lot of time. While it would be better to call in more reinforcements, I fear if we wait too long more hostages are going to die.”


“I’ll leave this up to your sir ultimately, but here is my recommendation; we assault the compound from multiple directions, some of them where previous attempts have been made, others where it hasn’t been tried yet. To keep them from guessing it’s going to have to take place at the same with from multiple fronts. We’ll split our forces into 10 eleven man teams, with everyone else holding back. We’ll need to figure out a way to keep the insurgents distracted while we move into position. We could try a feint attack to draw them away, but that could raise their alert level and make further assaults more difficult. We could distract them by trying negotiations, but that might make them suspicious or cause them to act rashly if they think something is up. I’ll leave that up to you, sir.”


“As for the actual assault, we’ll hit from every possible angle to keep them off balance and hopefully overwhelm them rapidly.” Constantinescu pointed out several entry points on the map. “Team 1, 2, and 3 will hit from the north, 4, 5, and 6 from the south, while teams 7 and 8 will try to make their way through the rear entrance. Team 9 and 10 will be kept in initial reserve to be thrown into the mix when or wherever they’re needed. If a weakness opens up we can also have them rush in from whatever direction.”


The Major readjusted his helmet and looked up at Seker grimly. “I’ll be honest sir, it’s not a brilliant plan, and it’s almost certainly going to cause casualties. But right now we don’t have the equipment to try anything fancy, and if we try waiting them out I fear there won’t be any hostages left to rescue after a while. It’s your call, sir, that’s just my recommendation.”


Major Seker frowned, looked at Constantinescu and nodded, “Okay, well, so be it. We have nothing else to do. We follow your recommendations and we take the risk of a negotiator ruse. Give Sergeant Pamuk something to do. Hopefully, they’ll think that we’re cowed by the executions. As long as they don’t know that you fellows are here, it should work. If they learn that Jedorians are here, the surprise is gone. Sergeant Pamuk, approach the insurgents and see if you can play for more time. Imply that the Premier is wavering. We know better, but these people often believe what they wish to believe. I hope that will prevent them using their common sense.”


Sergeant Pamuk gulped, nodded, and radioed Imam Savun Bulut, indicating what he was told to suggest. Bulut was slightly wary, but seemed receptive to the message, even releasing two hostages as a result, 28-year old housewife Gamze Yavuz and her 11-year old daughter Derya. Pamuk was stunned by this, as was Seker, but he turned to Constantinescu, anyway, showing that he did have some sense, after all.


“We should interview the mother. This is an opening that we cannot ignore. Do you agree?” Seker asked the other major.


Constantinescu couldn’t hide his surprise when the mother and her daughter came running to the line of Othmani and Jedorian soldiers. He hadn’t expected any kind of release, and now he was second guessing his plan. If they were willing to release hostages, was an assault really necessary? The Major was conflicted. The release had been obtained through lying, which he was perfectly willing to keep doing if it worked, but he had a sinking feeling that if they just kept trying to bluff their way it would eventually blow up in their face and then they would all pay for it.


That didn’t sit well with his stomach, knowing that if they went ahead with the plan they were certain to take casualties, but if he couldn’t guarantee more hostages it felt like they were playing a dangerous game that if they lost would really haunt them. A Jedorian medic came forward to make sure that neither mother nor daughter was injured, and if either of them were he did what he could. When he had the chance, Constantinescu spoke directly to Gamez Yavuz. “Ma’am, I’ve known you’ve been through a lot, but you’re safe now. What I really need to know is what the situation is like on the inside. Where are the hostages kept, and who’s guarding them? Do you know where the terrorists are mainly concentrated at? How are they acting, are the violent and arguing, or are they just taking orders from Bulut? What kind of defenses have they set up, are there any possible places that aren’t well watched?”


“They keep the women and children apart from the men, effendi. They will not let husbands speak to wives or fathers to children. Three times, they have put a gun to my husband’s head, threatening to shoot him if Derya doesn’t stop weeping. He didn’t even know what they were talking about, because of the segregation. I only found this out when they dragged us out into the open and did this there. Women and children are locked into the nursery. It is very crowded there. The air is stifling and it is hot. I do not know where they are keeping the men, but they did drag us out a few a more times to make us watch them beat and pistol-whip the men.


“Please….I fear for my husband’s life. They prize female and child hostages more and seem ready to execute and torture the men more often than us. This is just what I see and hear. The rest of the time, they ignore us and keep us locked in the nursery, with the lights out. We get only a thin soup, nothing more, and haven’t eaten more than for days. I do not know what the men are eating, but I suspect that they are being starved on purpose. They keep it dark in the church, constantly, so I see little and hear less of what is going on in much of the building, but there is…...a small stairway that goes into the cellar. They haven’t found it and I haven’t volunteered, hoping to escape that way, you see. But I don’t know if they can hear things well down there and the lights don’t work at all there. You’d need candles, flashlights, or something,” Gamze teared up a bit now, wiping away tears so as to hide them from her daughter.


Constantinescu and his XO shared glances before the subordinate officer began re-examining the map of the temple to see if he could find any possible entrance into the cellar from outside.


“There is a way inside, effendi, but it is not easy. It is through the secret exit that was covered up with grass...one that was once used by Magi clerics to avoid capture by the government when Magism was illegal here. It has a rope that you have to climb down, however, and it’s a rather old rope at that,” Gamze added suddenly, thinking of what she had been told by her priest once.


Constantinescu nodded and handed the woman off to medical personnel after getting what details about it’s exact location he could. Nodding at Seker, he said “Sir, it might be nothing, but I think it’s worth checking out. I can send one of my sergeants and a few soldiers to go investigate. If it gives us an advantage, I suggest we take it. Otherwise, I think we should start moving our forces into position.”


“We have nothing to lose. Corporal Arikan, join the Jedorians in seeking out this alleged exit. If we can sneak into the church, so much the better. We would have them at a disadvantage, after all. I want a full report on this, corporal, if you don’t get captured, of course,” Major Seker directed a young, recent Academy graduate who had already gained rank in just seven weeks.


“Yes, naturally, Major, sir! I will go with you, effendi, as directed!” Arikan smiled savagely for some reason.


The junior NCO’s eagerness was noted by Constantinescu but otherwise ignored, the Major instead called for one of his own non-commissioned officers, Sergeant Crișan, who gathered four more Jedorian soldiers, and along with Arikan set off for the supposed secret entrance. While he did, the other Jedorians began moving into position with their Othmani counterparts. Teams of soldiers took up their positions as stealthily as they could. They were armed with a mixture of equipment, they’re usual AIMs-74 mixed in with MP5s and Uzis, taking up positions alongside the Othmani soldiers.


The Othmani paramilitary police were very much ready to assault the rebel position, at least in their minds, but this time, proper preparations were vital to a successful outcome. There were many variables, which Bozguney as much as Seker seemed to understand, not least of which was that alleged exit from the Magi church, which if useful would enable the allied force to reach the bowels of the insurgent stronghold before the terrorists knew what was what. If they could strike inside the Vengeance of Allah defenses and get past the outer ring of their perimeter, they could do some real damage to the defenders and possibly rescue some hostages before they were stopped. The sooner that the government forces had the breakthrough, the sooner they could end the siege and deal a blow to the insurgency as well as save lives.


Corporal Arikan followed the Jedorians to the designated spot and started inspecting the dirt for signs of any kind of opening….and it didn’t take long to find one. There was a small hook or hanger, from which the rather old….and rather weak, rope hung, but it was there, and underneath was a bit of darkness, of course. Mrz. Yavuz hadn’t lied. The church was pitch black inside. Not waiting for orders and not wanting the Jedorians to risk their lives when they might be useful elsewhere, Arikan tested the rope and climbed down, his flashlight attached to his belt as he did so. Turning on his flashlight, he saw a food pantry of sorts, which hadn’t been touched for literal weeks, not since the massacre, and most of the food smelled rotten or spoiled.


“Effendi, she was right! It’s smelly down here, with all this rotten food, but it is a definite way into the church,” Arikan assured them.


Sergeant Crișan glanced down through the hole into the darkness illuminated only by the Corporals flashlight. Turning to his soldiers, he said “Let’s get while the getting’s good.” He shouldered his assault rifle and quickly grabbed hold of the rope and descended. The other Jedorians followed shortly, moving rapidly so as to not stress the old rope with their weight too long. They had flashlights on their helmets or on the tips of their rifles, holding them steady and scanning the small room. Once it was acknowledged that it was clear, they waited for their next order. Crișan used the small radio on his uniform to report. “Ruby Lead this is Ruby 4, we’ve found the entrance and are inside. Looks like small storage area, no sign of recent usage. We’re going to move further in and we’ll try to radio back when we enter the actual building, but I can’t guarantee a solid connection, over.”



Back at the impromptu command area, Constantinescu listened to his radio before replying. “Aff all Ruby 4, proceed to the objective. We might beat you to the punch depending on how things go topside, but we’ll try to align with you, over.”


“Aff all. Ruby 4 out.” The Sergeant said before turning his attention back to Arikan. “Would you like to lead the way Corporal, or would one of us take up the reigns?”


“It’s my country that these vermin are wrecking...and theirs. Follow me. If I get hit, so be it. One man has already died for Othmani democracy. Why not two?” Arikan pushed ahead toward the stairwell, seeking the door that would lead inside the floor level.


The Jedorians followed the Corporal, weapons at the ready, rifle barrels and eyes scanning the area for any surprises. They moved as quietly as they could, trying not to clump up too much or help to create any natural chokepoints. Meanwhile on the surface, the rest of the Jedorian teams began to move into position. Their platoon Sergeant, SFC Georgescu, took the opportunity to relay to his troops the following; “The phrase of the day is fucking trigger discipline. Watch your fields of fire, and if they aren’t armed, don’t even think about shooting.”


The teams settled into position and awaited the signal.


It was a second or two of catching his breath, feeling and hearing his heart beat in his chest, but Corporal Arikan kicked open the door, and took the fateful steps onto the ground floor, entering the hallway. His flashbangs, smoke grenades, and Uzi were prepared, with no sight of the enemy just yet. That was when he saw what looked to be candlelight at a slight distance to his left, and with yet another light up ahead. Not wishing to go too far ahead, he slowed a bit and crouched as he watched for shadows.


SGT Crișan waved his group ahead, moving as quietly as they could, FLCs ruffling slightly with weapon barrels raised and eyes darting from corner to corner. They moved as a group, checking corners and potential hiding spots, but thus far didn’t see anything. As the Corporal slowed down, Crișan looked down the hallway, spotting the candlelight and realizing people, whether prisoners or terrorists, were likely close by. He tapped Arikan on the shoulder and nodded. “Let’s go in slow.” He whispered, and motioned for the team to do so as well.


Top side, rifles were checked to ensure they were loaded, team sergeants made final adjustments, and safeties were flicked off. Any second now, and things were about to spark.


Carefully, not wishing to draw too much attention, Arikan moved while crouching toward the candlelight to his left, finding another room, which was open, and several people being taken out of it by guards….they were women and children, being escorted by the insurgents, and Arikan saw his opportunity.


“We can probably take them and free some hostages, if you’re ready,” he whispered, “I only see about five of the guards.”


SGT Crișan raised his MP5 and flexed his fingers around the trigger guard. He peered into the room and spotted the five insurgents, seemingly unaware of the impending law enforcement assault. Nodding, he motioned two of his soldiers to take up positions on the other side of the doorway. They moved swiftly and silently, stacking up at the doorway, waiting for the signal. One of the soldiers wrapped his finger around a flashbang and pulled the pin, now holding it on only by his pressure on the canister. With a single word “Go”, he flung the flashbang out. A loud bang and a flash of white suddenly filled the room, before Crișan yelled out “Go go go!” The soldiers turned the corner, and fired on the guards.


Arikan now opened fire as he rose, his aim as good as it could be, given the flash, though he worried that he might hit a hostage by mistake. He was a decent shot, having served briefly in the Army as a conscript, and he did make one guard grab a strategic body part, crumpling in pain from the wound to his abdomen, or was it lower than that?


One guard tried to execute a hostage, but one of the women kicked his feet out from under him, causing him to fall and drop his sidearm. By the time he reached for it, he was surrounded at the door of what turned out to be an interrogation room by the government forces. Another guard, blinded by the flash, missed Arikan’s head by just enough to graze his ear, taking only pieces of it with him.


Arikan grabbed his head with his left hand, but decided quickly to stop that…. if he bled, he bled. This mission mattered more than that. He had to keep fighting, and he kept up the fire for now.



The sound of rifle and submachine gun fire thundered in the room, overwhelming even the screams of surprised hostages as the Jedorians and Othmani’s opened fire. Jacketed rounds tore into the flesh of guards and insurgents, sending them back against walls or sprawling on the floor.


Arikan was hit again, this time in his shin, a round doing serious wreckage to his right leg in the process. He groaned in agony as he fell and covered his wound, reaching for something to stop the blood as it flowed from him. Meanwhile, another guard was struck in the shoulder, forcing him to howl in pain and let go of his Uzi. He was 19 year old Ismail Kocak, a former conscript from the Army who had turned ultra-religious after New Othman’s secular Fascist regime had failed the nation. In retaliation, 20 year old Tayfun Sezer drew his sidearm and shot one of the hostages, 9 year Naim Togan, right in the head, killing him instantly, before turning his Makarov 9 mm pistol on the Jedorians and trying to empty his clip.


The death of a the nine year old did much to spur on the Jedorian assault, three of the soldiers on the team turning their aim on Sezer and unleashing their rounds on his form, emptying their magazines. The Jedorians methodically alternated their fire, once one target was covered another guard was targetted and fired upon. Within the span of just a less than a minute the gunfire fell silent.



Even under the earth and in enclosed space, the roar of automatic weapons fire was still discernable to the teams on the surface. One of the squad sergeants quickly hopped on his radio to report that his team had heard muffled gunfire, to which several others quickly confirmed. Realizing that the shit was hitting the fan, Constantinescu gave the go ahead for all teams to begin their assault. All ten teams were ordered to begin advance and fire. Teams 1 and 2 moved in from the north, taking shots at what guards were visible, bounding from cover to cover while their comrades provided suppressing fire. Teams 4, 5 and 6 did the same from the south, moving until they were around the building and in position to breach. Teams 7 and 8 covered ground rapidly with 7 moving up while 8 gave covering fire as they advanced on the rear entrance. Once each team had reached an entry point, they prepared to breach and clear. First they checked the point for any potential explosives or booby trap while the rest of the team stacked up. Once the door was clear, one would bust it down with a boot and then move to the side while another team member tossed a flash bang, followed by the rest of the team entering and sweeping all corners and potential hiding spots, shooting if they encountered any hostiles.


Bozguney himself took point in Team 4, entering the doorway with his boot, which nearly got him shot by an insurgent named Menderes Samet, who was much older than most at age 70. Luckily for them, Samet’s diabetes was affecting his vision and he couldn’t have hit his target if it were twice that size. As soon as the flash bang was thrown, a rather vicious young female commando named Berna Yalcinkaya shot Samet down cold with her own sidearm, a Walther PPK, before moving onward. When they reached one of the lights, Bozguney noticed a crack that showed a scowling imam kicking a man repeatedly in the groin. One of the other guards saw a shadow through the crack and opened fire.


The Jedorians dived for cover as soon as the gunfire erupted from the guards, seeking protection where ever it was offered. Once behind cover they peeked out to return fire where they had received it from. Thundering gunfire soon filled the temple as the two sides exchanged rounds.


The insurgents now had another problem, as one hostage managed to get himself a Makarov and start shooting at them, killing the imam that had inflicted pain on his groin. The imam was Yahya Nazmi, a younger imam who had studied at the same madrasa as Savun Bulut, and now at the age of thirty, his life was ended painfully by a series of bullets that went upward from his groin to his forehead. The killer was 24 year old Magi convert, ex-Black Shirt, and chai house shift manager Gurkan Onaral, who was now quite full of hate for the men who had tortured him. Onaral shot at three others, wounding two before 15 year old radical Ilgi Irmak shot him with a Kalashnikov from one of the direction of the priests’ office. Irmak failed to consider the need to crouch, however, and thus presented the team with a rather large target.



One of the Jedorian soldiers saw Irmak’s execution style shooting of Onaral, and raised his own AIMs-74 and opened fire, gunning down the 15 year old. The rest of the teams began to filter into the temple, tossing flash bangs around corners and down corridors. As the teams poured in they cleared their sectors and began organizing a deeper push into the building, aiming on eventually uniting with SGT Crișan’s team down below. Crișan’s own men had heard the roar of gunfire above their heads and after securing what hostages they could, set up in their positions, knowing that most of the insurgents would probably try to deal with the surface assault. Although it was tempting to move forward and try to hit the terrorists from behind, the threat of friendly fire was too great, and therefore Crișan ordered his men to stand firm and see if there were any more rooms in the immediate area to clear.


This was when Imam Savun Bulut became desperate and ordered his men to shoot any hostages still in their custody, a number that had dwindled to just six….all of them men. These men included two businessmen, two factory workers, a taxi driver, and a professor of mathematics at the local college. In rapid succession, all six men were executed and their bodies dismembered with field knives, with body parts tossed in the direction of the government forces. One of them was none other than Aksogut Yavuz, Gamze’s husband of more than twelve years. He was thirty-four to her twenty-eight and had taught calculus for the past nine years since finishing university.


“Fuck, they’re getting vicious now!” Bozguney thought aloud as he saw the severed digits of a hand and the entrails of a particular victim.


He had just cleared a room when he felt a sharp sting in his ankle….he had been bitten by something and he looked down to find a rattlesnake, coiled up and ready to strike anyone else involved. It was shaking its tail loudly now and aggressively hissing at each of the government troops, but what was it doing in the church? Ignoring the danger, Bozguney tried to continue his work, but he was physically dragged away and forced to wait for medical attention.


“What the hell is a snake doing here?” Sergeant Erdi Aktug asked as he waited to receive orders about that. He pissed himself, being deathly afraid of all reptiles, especially serpents.

[New Othman]

Continued from Part 1....


“What the fuck?!” One Jedorian Corporal exclaimed, before bringing his boot down on the serpent, first on it’s body, then repeatedly on it’s head until it was crushed under foot. One of the Sergeants patted Aktug on the back and said “Don’t worry brother, at least snakes can’t shoot back.”


The grisly display of body parts upset many stomachs but at the same time steeled the resolve of the attackers, realizing they were facing monsters that took lives on a whim. The Jedorians stacked up outside the doorway to where Bulut made his stand, prepping another flash bang. On the count of three they tossed it and entered, rifles raised and barking. Gunshots screamed and blood spattered on the walls.


“I take refuge in the Lord of Worlds, in Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, against the wickedness and perfidy of infidels! Allah shall reward me for a martyr’s death in Paradise! Allahu akbar!” Bulut shouted, aiming his Kalashnikov at the foe, just seconds before Aktug put him down for good with a single round in the forehead from a shotgun that he had picked up, which blew the man’s skull and brains all over the room.


“One good thing about buckshot….it splatters grey matter too much for anyone to survive,” Aktug noted with a savage smile.


A few furious militants now rushed the government troops, but the rest simply dropped their weapons and ran like hell, only to be tripped by a few of the former hostages, sending them to the floor. One pair of female hostages kicked a militant repeatedly once he was on the ground, including in the rib cage, which broke several ribs. Then they took a small Othmani dagger and sliced open his throat, making him bleed wildly. The police made no move to arrest the hostages for this, seeing it as a kind of rough, but necessary justice in this particular case.


Of the militants who charged, two were put down immediately by Othmani policemen, but the rest had assailed the Jedorians….what would the foreign troops do about that? Most of the militants were broken and the fight left them with Bulut’s death…...it just called into question that Allah had blessed the imam after all. In every part of the church, the rebels laid down their arms and put up their hands in surrender.


“Good, good, smart of you. With Jedoria and New Othman together, no paltry band of terrorists can possibly overthrow the Republic, do you hear me?” Corporal Sahan Erdal, who had dropped three terrorists over the course of the raid, taunted the captives….while he hated Magi, he hated imams even more, as his uncle had been killed in the Othmani Civil War.


The Jedorians gunned down what insurgents charged at them, rifles spitting lead and bodies smacking against the floor after dancing with the impact of the bullets. It was clear resistance hinged on Bulut’s encouragement, as after his death most of the remaining guards surrendered. Once it became clear they were no longer resisting, team leaders informed their commanders that the situation was under control. Insurgents were zip tied and put under guard while hostages were attended to. Medics moved in to take care of the wounded, both ally, civilian, and enemy alike.


“Wow, clearly, Bulut was the backbone of this whole thing. Without him, they’re all spineless,” Aktug noted with scorn as he looked down on Arikan’s corpse, “Look at him, however. Brave soul. He gave up his life for the Republic. I won’t forget this. Nor will I forget your assistance, effendi. I will see to it that Major Seker gives you proper credit, too. We couldn’t have ended this so fast or efficiently without you, and it could have been much worse.”


“I wonder what will come of this, other than a further debate on the merits of martial-law. Will the Magi heighten their security, or will the Imperium start making demands? God, I hope not. Nothing could do worse for this country than a feud with the Curia. Hopefully, people will stop getting crazy ideas like this standoff and siege, if nothing else,” Bozguney said, now recovering a little, though weak, from the snakebite, due to the anti-venom provided to him.


“Come what may friend.” Another Jedorian junior enlisted said. “We’ll be here.”


Outside the temple the former hostages were treated and reunited with family members. The relatives of those who were executed could be seen weeping, while the guards turned prisoners were marched out under escort to be dealt with later. If this were Jedoria, some would meet their end on a cross, but it was up to the Othmani to ultimately deal with them. Major Constantinescu conveyed his praise of the Othmani troops to Major Seker, while the Jedorians dealth with thier own losses: one killed, five wounded. It hadn’t been perfect, but the hostages had been rescued and the siege broken. Small victories, even if the road ahead was a long one.


Major Seker breathed a sigh of relief at finally breaking the siege and realized that he had needed the help after all. It was a good slice of humble pie for the Watch Commander, and many there hoped that it would make him a better officer. He nodded and praised the Jedorians for their hard work, as well as writing a commendation for the officers involved and a note of thanks for Mrs. Yavuz as well, to ensure that she was properly rewarded and consoled. Lieutenant Bozguney and several others would be promoted in time and certainly get medals for their role in things.


The Republic had survived another test. The Republic would live to fight another day.


And for Berna Yalcinkaya, well, she was eager to hit at least one of the Jedorians up for a date. Nothing aroused her more than a damn good firefight….

[New Othman]

Al-Sharif Mosque, Ikiz, Othmani Eastern DMZ
Friday, March 4, 2016, just after afternoon prayers.


The majority of those who left the Al-Sharif Mosque that Friday were just regular Othmani Sunni Muslims with varying degrees of piety and devotion to Allah, the Quran, and the Hadith or Sunna. A small number of them drank sometimes, while not everyone ate only halal meat, and more often than not, plenty of them had fornicated at least a few times. Certainly, the largest number of the women, especially those from the small, but growing Islamic Feminist Club, rejected the hijab and the burka and proudly showed their faces and hair to the world.


Yet this was not all of the worshipers. There were also plenty of more devout people, more now openly than under Fascism, of course. Some had always been that way, just hid it well, while others had rediscovered their religious convictions in the spiritual void left by the dismantled Fascist quasi-religion and personality cult that was now gone, probably forever. Still others had been caught up in Othmani ultra-nationalism and Islam seemed a solid distinction from the corrosive values of infidel nations like Jedoria and Adiron. These were by no means all extremists….in fact, the bulk of them quietly practiced a devout and sober (quite literally) brand of conservative Sunni Islam which troubled no one and often gained them some grudging admiration from their more secular neighbors, if nothing else for their willingness to sacrifice carnal pleasures for their piety.


Then there were people like those in the Allah İntikam(Vengeance of Allah) organization, whose numbers seemed to swell with every act of violence and terror. No one was perfectly sure where they came from and who they were, something complicated by the fact that many of their names were aliases due to the watchlist compiled by the National Security Police and its Commissar, Tasar Inan. In the wake of the demise of the Islamic Justice Party at the hands of the NSP and its rough, but effective crackdown, the Vengeance of Allah groups seemed to rush in to fill that void.


As always, it seemed that while there were plenty of decent, law-abiding imams teaching their faithful how to co-exist and still observe the tenets of their faith, there were also plenty ready to preach hate and revanchism, too. Among these, rather incensed by the Jedorian-Othmani joint-action against Savun Bulut and his insurgent cell, was Imam Alparslan Yasin, a very fat and often red-faced cleric who found himself increasingly hostile to the Republic, the Constitution, the Treaty of Beaulieu, and the Confederation of Jedoria.


“The Jedorians, my friends, are the ones propping up this regime. Scare them off, make them tuck tail and run, lose their stomach for carnage and their will to fight, and we can bring this infidel puppet state to its knees. The Adirans, Valikans, and Lazodirians imposed this government on us, and we won’t forget that, but they’ve already moved on….now it’s Jedoria that has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, for whatever reason. That my friends, is the task ahead of us, and to do that, we must show the Jedorians that they are not safe, even on their own supposed sovereign soil!” the imam announced to his followers in a separate meeting the day after the Kahya siege ended in defeat for the Faithful.


Now, of course, they had the necessary munitions gathered. They just had to work quickly, in order not to draw attention from the CPO peacekeepers until it was too late. This was the DMZ, after all. People here hated the Treaty more than anyone else in the country, as it left under what Yasin and others called the “pink jackboot” of the CPO. They had to strike fast and hard, to hit the Jedorian consulate there before it could respond effectively to the assault, and to take the place over at last….reclaim it for New Othman….the real New Othman, the one faithful to Allah and the teachings of the Prophet.


Gathering in force after dusk, the insurgents still traveled in trucks and vans to disguise their numbers...and their armed status, given the nature of Othmani gun laws which outlawed every single firearm that they carried, at least for civilian use. Arriving at the Jedorian consulate about time for evening prayers (called out loudly from minarets, of course), they tossed flashbangs over the wall, trying to blind and confuse the guards, followed by their rappelling ropes that they used to try to climb over the walls.


Now was the moment of truth….now they would see if the Jedorians were able to defend their consulate effectively from such a direct raid….if not, then the imam and his cell would soon control a piece of Jedorian soil….and possibly some hostages, too. Never mind that this was an act of war…..they were already at war with Jedoria in their eyes, so why not prosecute it?

It was past time to try to compromise. It was time for revenge…..and for the justice of God!

[Jedoria]

Jedorian Consulate,
Near Othmani Eastern DMZ

Jedorian displeasure with the CPO had started during the Third Edomite Civil War. The failure of the peacekeepers to prevent the resumption of hostilities, combined with the fact that many of it's member states were active participants in the conflict, did much to sour the view of the CPO in the eyes of the Jedorian Government. The lack of leadership, member states with conflicting goals, and a seemingly lack of teeth behind the organization rendered the CPO ineffective. No longer able to rely on the CPO, the Jedorian Government taken matters into it's own hands; intervention in Ashab and now involvement in New Othman's struggles. The Othmani-Jedorian Alliance had been born out of a few contributing factors; the aforementioned CPO issues, the need for Jedoria to expand it's influence, and the fear of a growing terrorist threat across the region has all spurred the signing of the Othmani-Jedorian mutual defense pact.

It had been confirmed following the siege of the Magi Temple at Kahya, and with the deployment of the 28th Mechanized Infantry Division. The problem, at least in the eyes of the Confederation, was that the Othmani Central Government was too weak to respond to these threats. It was understandable; the Fascist aggression certainly validated the need for disarmament, but now it prevented the Republic from crushing the insurgents and terrorists that plagued New Othman. That was where the Jedorians had come in. Not restricted by the Treaty of Beaulieu they had deployed with IFVs, APCs, supported by helicopter gunships and fighter jets. Based on the fact that the Jedorian consulate was under attack, it wasn't enough.

The first sign something was amiss was the sounds of truck engines idling. The call from the minarets prevented the consulate security from realizing what exactly was going on. Security itself wasn't tight either; even with the terrorist attacks, this consulate was located pretty much on the DMZ, de-militarized for a reason. The sudden flash bangs and rapid assault was successful, in just a minute the guards in the courtyard lay dead, riddled with bullets, their weapons lay scattered about. The rest of the staff of the consulate screamed and ran for cover. Their desks and papers did nothing to stop jacketed rounds from tearing into their forms and leaving their broken bodies on the floor, splatters and pools of blood everywhere.

The Consulate fell quickly; it was a diplomatic structure, not a military base, and what simple fortifications fell rather quickly. The bloodshed had take the lives of most of the staff, the consul himself, Alexe Nistorm lay dead in his office. Three Jedorians were captured, one secretary, and two members of the cooking staff who had attempted to hide away in the kitchen. Out of 15 members only 3 had survived the assault, and now they were prisoner of Islamist militants.

Yasin wasn't entirely wrong. Counter insurgency doctrine required a long, arduous effort to be conducted successfully. If national support was not behind it, or resources were not available, it could easily result in failure. But Yasin's tactic was poorly chosen. He had shed Jedorian blood on Jedorian soil, committed an act of war in the hopes his enemy would cower and their will would break. He would soon be proven very wrong.

[Jedoria]

Jedorian Consulate Attacked by Islamist Militants, Major Deployments Announced to New Othman

EASTERN DMZ, NEW OTHMAN - Calling it an "Despical attack on the innocent", Duke Victor Răceanu declared an official day of mourning following the revelation that a Jedorian consulate in New Othman has been attacked and seized by Islamist militants, killing several staff and the Consul himself, Alexe Nistorm. "An attack on Jedorian soil constitutes an act of war, and a clear cut demonstration the Islamist militants in New Othman know only violence."

In response to the attack, Răceanu declared that unless Imam Alparslan Yasin, the apparent ochestrater of the act, immediately gave himself up and released the hostages he had captured at the consulate, the Jedorian Government would not cease until "Yasin and his comrades are in custody, or dead." Răceanu issued a stern warning to other potential militants that further acts of aggression against the Othmani Government, Jedorian citizens, or CPO forces would be met with armed response. "It is clear despite their best efforts, the Othmani Government is not capable of dealing with the growing threat of insurgency and terrorism within it's borders. This is not a critcism of the Republic, who is bound by legal means that prevent it's ownership of certain military equipment. Rather it is an observation of the reality we must confront. Starting today, Jedorian military forces will begin large scale deployments to the Republic of New Othman. I have spoken with the Premier and we have both agreed the current situation is too volatile and dangerous to accept anything less than a full scale endeavor to wipe out the forces of those that wish to destabilize New Othman and return to a dark and evil path of chaos and terror. As allies, the Confederation will not stand by and tolerate any attempt to harm the Othmani Government or it's people."

To punctuate the address, the Duke confirmed that an additional four divisions of the Jedorian Army would begin deployment to New Othman, along with supporting arerial and logistical support. To compensate for the departure, several reserve divisions are expected to be activated, though details were not given at this time.

The assault on the Jedorian Consulate coincides with the declaration of war on the Republic of Adiron by the Imperium of Arbites Materia, which has been met with outrage here in Jedoria. The Duke declined to comment on the situation unfolding in Ceti, but assured reporters that the Jedorian Government would remain appraised of the situation and was in communication with friendly states to address the crisis.

In other news, a recently made cinnamon roll is too perfect, too pure, for this harsh world.

[New Othman]

Formal Declaration from The Office of the President of the Republic of New Othman, Gozde Polat:



My fellow Othmani,


It is with grief, sorrow, anger, and shame that I speak to you tonight. I regret to inform you that, despite all of the hard work to stabilize the Republic and preserve law and order by ordinary policing and regular constitutional practices, we have been unable so far to quell the growing insurgency of the radical Allah Intikam terrorist cells. We had hoped that, as with the former, defunct Islamic Justice Party, we could quash them by such regular policies and efforts.


Premier Recep Borek has been advising me and keeping me updated on the status and progress of our efforts, and while we have at least temporarily stopped the Fascist Black Shirt attacks, the Allah Intikam groups have continued to surface with disturbing frequency. Our former successes gave us false security and confidence of a quick victory here as well. Alas, that has not been the case with the Allah Intikam organization, as it was with the Fascists and the IJP.


We are still determined to save the Republic, and with it, both peace and freedom for New Othman, the causes of democracy and equality being foremost on our minds. However, we now have to resort to more severe and draconian measures to expedite our victory over these terrorist butchers and petty tyrants. Accordingly, we have invited and encouraged our Jedorian allies to provide serious military assistance to our counter-insurgency operations, and with the permission and support of both the Premier and the Grand National Assembly, I have now proclaimed a state of martial-law throughout the militarized areas of Republic. The writ of habeas corpus is hereby suspended as well and a curfew is hereby imposed on all major cities between the hours of 12 am and 6 am, local time. This will continue until further notice, and while we regret any inconvenience, we strongly insist upon co-operation by all loyal citizens of the Republic.


This is not the death knell of the Republic, far from it. It is not the beginning of a new dictatorship. The Grand National Assembly shall continue to serve and the regular judiciary will remain independent. The Constitution is neither suspended nor revoked, but due to such a complete armed insurrection against the Republic, extraordinary measures must be taken to save freedom, democracy, justice, peace, and prosperity throughout our nation. I am asking for all peacekeeping forces of the CPO to assist and co-ordinate in restoring law and order in the demilitarized zones where martial-law cannot be carried out, due to the Treaty of Beaulieu. If you falter in this, the downfall of the Republic and the rise of a revanchist regime will be on your heads.

Salaam alaikum and good night.

[New Othman]

New Ankara, Capital of New Othman
Saturday, 5 March, 2016
1240 hours local time


Captain Yipar Ataman, commanding officer of Company B of the 14th Mechanized Infantry Regiment, was just finishing lunch, a falafel sandwich with couscous, when he got the call….and it wasn’t a fucking drill, either. Martial-law had just been declared throughout New Othman….well, aside from the DMZs, where the armed forces weren’t allowed to go, of course. Ataman was less than happy, of course. He had enough on his plate with the recent separation from his wife Busra as it was. She had told him that it was over, though that had been a distinct possibility for good while now. He had transferred to the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters and frankly, he enjoyed it more, due to not dealing with her pettiness and spendthrift ways, but the divorce was still going to be a headache. To make matters worse, and she often chose odd times to contact him about some issue or other of unfinished business from their failed marriage.


Well, I hope to God that she doesn’t pick this time to call, but if she does, she can fucking wait, Ataman thought with grim satisfaction at that thought. Busra had trouble remembering that the world didn’t revolve around her, and she was still a little bitter that her father no longer had the influence that he once had when they first married. Beyhan Nalband was once a notable Party official, as in the Fascist Party, but now he had been forced to take a job with the National Customs Office just to keep afloat, as the Party had been dissolved and the Social Republicans had no government benefits or pensions for their staff.


Busra sometimes still acted as if marriage to her was a favor to him, as if she were still helping his career somehow due to her father’s now non-existent connections...sure, if he ever needed to import something, but otherwise, screw him and the whole damned Fascist Party! Half the time she was a liability, but Ataman still felt some twisted affection and desire for her….until she gave him the boot and had him served divorce papers by some snot-nosed, acne-faced jerk who probably shat himself if he ever saw combat. Rumor had that Busra had found a new man: well, as far as Ataman was concerned, the lovestruck idiot was welcome to her!


Anyway, now that Ataman got the call, he was on duty, and fuck any stupid man or woman who tried to interfere with his duties as a soldier! He hadn’t stayed in the Army after his mandatory term just to look handsome in a uniform. He had stayed because he was a patriot, because he wanted a steady job to provide for Busra and himself (now just himself), and because, quite frankly, he liked soldiering! He had been sent to officers’ candidates’ school, commissioned a junior lieutenant in the Mechanized Infantry, and given his first platoon as executive officer, later commanding officer. The Othmani Civil War had resulted in rapid promotion due to fighting the last set of crazy mullahs and their screaming soldiers of jihad.


Then Senior Lieutenant Ataman had been platoon commander when the South Acheron War began and he quickly saw action against the Lazzies. Braver folks than he expected, in fact, and, of course the war went south before his very eyes at least in part due to their sponge tactics. The Adiran drones hurt his comrades, too, of course. He hadn’t been trained to cope with any of that, so it was as tough and nasty for him as it was for any of his men. He had nearly been killed when his IFV was struck and he still had some burns on his back that could never safely see sunlight again. Ataman couldn’t fathom what the Edenists would have said about his situation, where nudity virtually guaranteed skin cancer. His company commander had been even less fortunate: Captain Kadir Bayar, his friend, mentor, and CO, had been burned alive while Ataman had to hear his screams of agony. He still had nightmares and flashbacks from that awful day!


That was when his marriage started to go downhill fast, because Busra still expected her husband to act like before, but things had changed. He wasn’t a Fascist after the war, didn’t let her get on top (it hurt his back too much), and started to really assert himself, no longer afraid of her father’s now crumbling political patronage and capacity for retaliation against his career. He had also fucked more than a few women...and even a couple of men, while on leave, so when he came home, he stopped acting jealous or nagging for her favors. If she said no, he just found someone else, like a whore or slut, and made damn sure to use a condom. If she screwed another man, he didn’t care….he got his own strange, she could keep hers.

This new attitude didn’t go over well with Busra, to whom jealousy was a mark of love and the lack of it highly suspect. She began pestering him to tell her his whereabouts, spying on him, and such, and more than once, had to be physically escorted off base by the gendarmes because she had trespassed in a way that endangered national security. He was warned the first time, reprimanded the next, for letting his wife do what he never would have permitted if he had known about it ahead of time. Worse still, the more confident and secure, the less of an uxorious hubby Ataman had become, the more Busra hated him for it and stopped putting out for him altogether.


That had him convinced that she was having an affair, and she even confessed to one eventually, though he suddenly realized that she was lying and did so only to make him jealous. His nonchalance infuriated her, leading to tearful accusations that he didn’t love her, not to mention a vase or two thrown at him before he threatened to destroy her china collection if she kept it up. She had abruptly left him alone after that, except to nag him about attending social parties and urging him to leave military life, neither of which he was willing to do. The next Friday, he came home from work, skipping prayers as usual, and found himself abruptly served with the petition for divorce and asked to leave the house by her solicitor with her present and visibly trembling for some reason.


Well, Ataman had work to do, and if Busra kept nagging him (probably her new man wasn’t turning out as planned and she was not-so-subtly only keeping him a surrogate for Ataman), she would have to deal with being on the back burner (poor choice of words, as it made wince with the reminder of the pain from his third-degree burns), while he did his duty for the Army. He was a Captain now, had responsibilities, was admired and respected by his comrades and his men, and had decorations and medals to show his quality. In fact, he was said to be on the fast track to promotion to Major if things kept up, and with martial-law, they were even more likely to do so. Ataman always did well under the gun. Soldiering was his niche and he was damn good at it! He was a natural at combat, kept his cool under fire, and always seemed to know just what to do when the time called for it.


“Good afternoon, sir,” the duty officer, Junior Lieutenant Sera Cerci, greeted Ataman as she saw him arrive at Company B HQ and take his post again, “How was lunch?”


“It was short, but fine, don’t have time to talk of it. Back to work now. What are our new orders?” Ataman was curt, but necessity required him to cut short the pleasantries….someday, when she had a field command, Cerci would understand.


Speaking of Cerci, she swallowed hard and presented her CO with the new orders, while the XO, Senior Lieutenant Toprak Olmez, the Operations Officer, Junior Lieutenant Acil Mehmet, and the First Sergeant, Gediz Budak, joined them as if by telepathic awareness before he even called for them. Calling in the platoon commanders wasn’t much of a stretch after that, as rumors had been buzzing about martial-law ever since the raid on the Jedorian consulate, the day before. There was more than a little anger about that, since to professional soldiers like Ataman, the Jedorians were their only real friends in the region of late. Attacking an ally was a very real threat to Othmani national interests and honor.


The orders turned out to be remarkably simple...and boring, at least for now. Company B was to patrol Sasmaz Precinct in the capital, supervising the civilian police and taking over from them whenever necessary. Any insurgents were to be dealt with rather ruthlessly. They were to be given a chance to surrender, but if they failed to do so, they would be terminated with prejudice. Anyone caught violating curfew at night was to be arrested on the spot, questioned, and if found to be engaged in arms against the Republic, detained indefinitely. Habeas corpus was suspended, so they didn’t have to release or arrest anyone anytime soon, or even inform them of the charges against them. Anyone resisting arrest could be subject to force, preferably non-lethal, but if they fired upon the Army, the rules of engagement mandated the immediate use of deadly force.


The city could well become a war zone by nightfall, depending on how many insurgents there might be, but they would root them out and save the capital, by hook or by crook! Ataman already resolved to do his part to eradicate this menace from the country, once and for all.


“Alright, boys and girls, we have a very busy day ahead of us, and tomorrow doesn’t look any less so. Do your jobs, nail these motherfuckers, and then we will have earned our next leaves! Nobody attacks my country and gets away with it, not even fellow Othmanis! This Republic is our Republic and we will fight for it! Let’s kick some jihadi ass, shall we?” Ataman told his officers and senior NCOs, all of whom seemed eager to do their jobs…..one thing sure to piss off these soldiers was insurgents claiming that they were traitors to their country instead of patriots….it was the ultimate insult to their military honor.


The kid gloves were coming off now, and it was about damned time, as far as Ataman and his troops were concerned. It was time to put these rebels in the ground where they belonged! They had sworn their oaths and they were going to keep them by fighting for the Republic, not against it like the insurgents, damn it!

Alright, you traitorous bastards….we are coming for you now, Ataman grinned with savage eagerness as he carried out his orders and began to patrol the precinct….time enough for private things later….he had a war to fight.

[Jedoria]

Genucla,
North-Eastern Jedoria

Aurel Istrati sat on his couch, one hand tossed over the back cushion while another lazily held the remote in his hand. The television blared sound and light, ultimately coming together to form the image of a sitcom, something about a Roman and a Hostillian sharing an apartment room. It was in it's third season, and while Istrati found it to be too highly reliant on stereotypes than actual original humor to be worthy of success, apparently it was due for another season. And while he normally rolled his eyes whenever it was brought up at work, he found himself unable to watch anything else. Sure to form, he was supporting the very endeavors he disliked.

Before he could criticize himself for more hypocrisy, the house phone began ringing. Separated by three feet, Istrati was forced to get up and reach over for the phone, grappling it with his hand and fingers and checking the caller ID. The name flashed in monochrome text "COVACI".

Istrati frowned but his mind began racing. Covaci was the name of a Staff Sergeant in the Jedorian Army, and the leader of Corporal Istrati's squad. Istrati, a team leader, was usually in direct contact with his immediate superior. Covaci usually called Istrati on Sunday's to inform him of what he could expect for him and the squad, and to a lesser degree, the platoon, would be doing during the week. But today was a weekday. There were only a few things Covaci would call his Bravo Team leader for, and as Istrati pressed the "answer" button, his heart began beating with more rapidity.

"Hello?"

"Istrati, it's Covaci."

"What can I do for you, Sergeant?"

"Get your team back to the Company. 100% accountability at 1730. Be there."

"Aff, Sergeant."

The phone clicked, and the line went dead. And just like that, Istrati's life changed.

The Corporal quickly called up his team while he changed back into his duty uniform. Private Damaschin and Manole, Private First Class Luca, and Specialist Adamache all answered quickly, and although he could hear the unease in their voice, all responded positively to Istrati's orders. While his team was squared away and already living on the barracks back at post, Istrati had to drive back to the base. But before that, he had to explain to his fiance for his departure. Her eyes widened and mouth frowned when he hastily explained he was needed back at the company. She tried to say something, but Istrati drowned her out with a kiss. She accepted it for now, but the Corporal knew he had explaining to do when he got back.

The drive to post took longer than he wanted thanks to all the soldiers living off-base trying to return, but the gate guards had their game face on, and opened up all available lanes for oncoming troopers. Istrati noted with concern that the normal Privates and Specialists were replaced by NCO's in Military Police decals. Despite the delays, Istrati managed to make it back within twenty minutes of the first call. He was one of the last ones to get there, but once he did he got to work. He checked in with his team, getting full accountability before letting SSG Covaci know Bravo Team was all up. Once that was clear, the Squad Leader informed their Platoon Sergeant, Sergeant First Class Hossu, whom in turn told First Sergeant Cheboi. Meanwhile the PL's met with Captain Mureșanu, confirming all their platoons were ready. Once ready, all four platoons arragned themselves according to number, and the squads lined each rank. The whole company stood silent as 1730 clicked by.

Suddenly the Captain called "ATTENTION". Out from the left strode none other than the Battalion CO, along with the CSM. No one dared said a word. The utter silence was broken as the LTC began speaking with Captain Mureșanu, words quiet but in the stillness of the company words seeped through. "Deployment". "Combat Ready." "New Othman".

When the Lieutenant Colonel was finished, he called "Carry On", and with SMaj in tow (whom had been having his own conversation with 1SG), and left to inspect another company. Once gone, the Company Commander addressed his men. "Listen up; next formation is 0400, duty uniforms. Prepare for full on armament inspection and rapid pre-depolyment preparation. Understood?"

"Aff, sir." The entire company replied in unison.

"Dismissed."

The PL's and PSGT's then added their own orders, and by the time it reached the team level, Istrati and Bravo team were due to show up at 0310 tomorrow for inspection. Once he had the time, the Corporal addressed his comrades. "As soon as you get to your rooms, go to sleep. Trust me, it's gonna be a long day tomorrow. Now get out of here."

It took Istrati longer to get home, but he managed to roll into at 1830 and meet his fiance, who had remained at the kitchen table, waiting for him. Breaking the news to her was hard. She tried to take it in stride, but he saw her eyes water, her lip quiver and shoulders slack. He tried to offer solace, but it was little use. Instead he suggested they make their time together worth it, and so they went to bed together. He relished in her warmth, drawing her close and enjoying every touch and sensation she offered. To tear himself away from her at this time, at this point in their relationship... it was beyond cruel. But he had a job to do, no matter how hard it stabbed his gut.

He awoke at 0240, rising and dressing himself quickly, not bothering with eating just yet. Parting his love with another kiss, Istrati left his home and got into his car and made way for post. At 0310 he was back at the Company, with his team in tow and Squad formed up. They waited while the rest of the company formed up, until all of them were present, and First Sergeant and Capitan came out of their offices to start what was sure to be a long day. Istrati noted that the Captain looked like he had hardly slept since the Corporal had seen some eight hours ago, and he guessed the higher in rank you got, the less sleep you were awarded. At least when this kind of shit was going on.

Once roll call was complete, the Company was filed into Ops Center and into the armory, where they all received their issued rifles and body armor, front loading carriers, helmets, knee and elbow pads. Magazines were handed out (empty), protective goggles were given, and well as ear protection. The entire company received their stored loadout, and when all was said and done every soldier was subdivided by platoon, squad, and team and laid out their entire assigned equipment before them, dress right dress. Istrati took a moment to check out his own team for missing items, he had a few. Luca didn't have any rope, and Damaschin was missing a magazine. Istrati returned to his own stash, grabbed one of his, and tossed it to the private. One problem solved. There a few errors here and there, in all the hustle and bustle a few things were bound to be missing, as long as it wasn't anything serious like a rifle or a helmet, the CO and 1SG were confident it could be replaced.

Once all the gear was checked off and accounted for, it was piled into duffel bags, and stored away. At around 0420, when all the above was finished, the company was send off for chow. Marching to the chow hall, they were given 10 minutes to eat, starting when the last person had sat down. This was fine and dandy for the first ones to line up, but it meant those at the back had to hurry. Eggs, sausage and milk disappeared down hungry throats. By 0445 the company was marching back to the barracks.

With their personal gear accounted for, it was time for a trip to the motor pool. Istrati and Adamache made their way to the facility with the other drivers of the company, signing in with the chief maintenance officer and making their way to the company's designated part of the motor pool. Their vehicles, B33 APCs, waited for them in the darkness. Despite the lack of light Istrati knew his APC enough to easily locate the door handle and open it up, crawling inside along while the Specialist removed the blocks from the wheels. Istrati nestled into the driver seat while Adamache manned the turret following his previous task's complete. With a turn of a switch the engine roared to life, settling into a purr as Istrati waited for clearance to begin leaving the motor pool.

All around the base similar scenes were playing out. Vehicles were fueled and loaded, helicopters began spinning their blades and lifting off the airfield. DAC and ROMAN trucks were loaded up with supplies of every kind. Istrati fell in line with a convoy of other transports, stopping at the company where his fellow squad mates piled into the APC. Once all were secured, the entire division began slowly moving south east, heading straight for Natalia Air Force Base, and after that New Othman.

[Jedoria]

Towards Natalia Air Force Base,
Jedoria

Ironhead Industries was one of the Confederation's largest rail and train companies, having laid down nearly 2,000 kilometers worth of tracks between the province of Sumphink and Jedoria's border province of Luxor. Most of Ironhead's works serviced freight trains, usually carrying iron, coal, sometimes refined oil and lumber. 1,435 mm gauges were the standard for Jedorian rail networks, having been adopted way back when Confederate Rails was first established in the province of Minafor. Ironhead's standing contracts were mostly shipping companies, largely Jedorian by sometimes Noviteran. Of course the New Edomite plan for a pan-Acheron rail network offered a new project for Ironhead to focus on, but even as they planned out their next move, their already standing railroads were still in use.

The Jedorian Army was also one of the principal users of Ironhead's works, although they tended to stick with the partially state owned Confederate Rails for most of their movement. But transferring four divisions worth of tanks could only be done by rail, and therefore further tracks were needed. The 33rd Cavalry Division was heading for New Othman, along with all it's supporting elements, two brigades of mechanized infantry and two brigades of tanks. It was an immense logistical effort, and even now large convoys of trucks and wheeled vehicles were making their way across Jedoria from bases like Fort Robert, home of the 33rd Cav, the 7th Mechanized out of Fort Dragos, 12th Infantry from Fort George, and finally the 14th Infantry out of Fort Manuel. The situation in New Othman was clear; the national government and it's security forces could no longer suppress the growing tide of insurgency. Now the Islamist fanatics had attacked Jedorian soil, killed an ambassador of peace, and had openly maked the Confederation. It was time for the Blue Iron Fist to come smashing down and squash the terrorists like the vermin they were.

The plan of action was relatively simple. Four divisions would deploy to New Othman in support of the 28th Mechanized already there. They would split up into brigade sized elements and establish FOBs and security zones. Each FOB would cover a zone and conducted operations in that zone. Some of it would just be a simple show of force and solidarity with their Othmani allies. In other areas, counter-insurgency doctrine would be set up and the Confederates with their Othmani allies would attempt to root out potential troublemakers. The insurgency would either be crushed outright by sheer weight of manpower and force of arms, or they could give themselves up and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Nearly a 100,000 Jedorian soldiers and airmen were being deployed in total, the largest foreign deployment in Jedorian history. Across Jedoria long convoys of vehicles sped towards Natalia, while in the skies above air lifters flew towards the AFB with additional supplies, munitions and troops. It was a herculean logistical effort, but combined with the withdrawal of VIII Corps, it was giving the Jedorian Army and to a lesser extent Air Force experience in dealing with such massive movement of personnel and equipment.

Just like they had broken at Kahya, the Vengence of Allah would be broken across New Othman. The militants would've been wise to listen to their Imams. The infidels they had been warned about were coming for them.

[Jedoria]

A few things happened in Jedoria over the course of a few days.

The Confederate Intelligence Service was not a very high profile organization. Where as the Inquisition, AIS, and Council Police were regionally known, the CIS was largely known only to Jedoria and it's neighbors. And that suited the CIS just fine. It made it's contacts less noticeable, it's footprint harder to find, and it's activities easier to obscure. Within Jedoria the CIS had established networks of agents and assistants that allowed it to keep track on a variety of entities. Corporations, foreign nationals, domestic dissident groups, all were in way or another tracked by the CIS, helped in large part by the vagueness of the Domestic Security Act. The outbreak of conflict in Ceti and the potential to draw in Jedoria had brought international concerns to the Confederation's borders.

Director Niță's orders were clear. Any suspected loose ends, potential double agents, and suspected spies were to be apprehended quickly and silently. Select groups of Internal Security were utilized in these crackdowns, though limited to keep operational security, well, secure. Suspected agents of any foreign intelligence agency or secret service were rounded up, whether they were Inquisition, CP, AIS, or even friendly personnel. There was a great deal of dead ends and mistakes, but if it resulted in the silencing of at least one potential leak, it was worth it. This was all kept under wraps by the Director's orders. In both Jedoria and the Republic of Peregrino the CIS carried out these counter-espionage and intelligence operations. Jedoria had already gotten fairly good at keeping inside information from escaping, this was hopefully another step up that ladder.

---

Jedoria's air transport fleet may have been large, but it wasn't nearly enough to accommodate four divisions of troops, especially with all the armor and mechanized units that came with modern cavalry and mechanized infantry divisions. Fresh from deploying the 17th Mechanized to Chaco, the entirety of the Jedorian amphibious transport dock fleet was being re-assigned to assist in the transport of the Jedorian Army's deployment to New Othman. In addition, modified civilian cargo ships, most noticeably the Rusalka-class transport ships were being mobilized and prepared to assist in the deployment.

It was a large logistical effort; nearly the entire Jedorian naval transport fleet was in use. The plan of action was as follows: elements of the force that couldn't move by air would move towards pre-determined naval facilities, in this case Port Octavian and Adrian. Once there heavy armor, vehicles, and heavy loads of supplies would be put onto transport ships, along with whatever extra personnel couldn't be moved by air lifter. The fleet of transports under minimal escort would then sail south, west of New Edom before rounding out and swinging east south of Dengali, continuing in a straight line until they were past the south east coast of Acheron, then they would turn north and sail into Othmani ports and unload their cargo.

The Jedorian Armed Forces were already putting together a command system for the deployment, named Military Assistance Command - New Othman Stabilization and Security, or MACNOSS for short, since like every military the JCAF loves acronyms. Once they would arrive in New Othman, they would split up brigade and begin COIN operations throughout New Othman in conjunction with Othmani military and security forces.

Though not stated publicly, there was little rush to get the ball rolling with regards to the naval transportation. It was generally understand that in the event of a New Edomite declaration of war against Adiron, it was possible Jedoria would find itself in conflict with the Allied States. The biggest threat was in Peregrino, and therefore if necessary, the transports would instead swing west and land reinforcements in the Republic, if there was threat of an attack. Central Fleet, still on exercise in the Jedorian Gulf, would provide cover and protection as long as they were withing the Jedorian EEZ, as would the hundred bombers and fighters that constituted Jedorian Coastal Air Command.

[New Othman]

Jedorian Consulate, Ikiz, Othmani Eastern DMZ
Friday, 4 March, 2016
2000 hours local time


“Allah, the Wise, the Merciful, the Beneficent, Lord of the Day of Judgment, I call upon You for aid in vengeance against the infidels who have ravaged this land and spread such sin among us. I take refuge in the Lord of the Worlds, against the foreign devils and their wicked deeds. Allahu akbar!” Imam Yasin prayed loudly as he led the final prayers for the day among the members of his group.


After this, he went into the consul’s office, where he set up shop, and called for each of the hostages to be brought to him in turn. He wanted to see if he could rattle them and make them turn to him, if at all possible. Naturally, he had the green flag of the Khalifa brought in to cover the portrait of the Duke, as no images were permitted to a faithful Muslim. With any luck, he and his 45 men would make history and really shake up the region as well as the world.


Violeta Lucescu had never been more terrified in her life. The secretary to the Consul, like most of her coworkers, had attempted to hide from the gunfire, but now the light blue skirt that ended just above her knees was splattered with the blood of one of the staff members, shot as he attempted to dive for cover from the rifle fire. Lucescu had survived only because she had tripped; literally falling from view, and when she was discovered she threw up her hands and begged them not to kill her. She was just a secretary, a young 27 year old civil servant who was trying to do her duty to her country, having completed university back in Jedoria and had been assigned to the Jedorian consulate near the DMZ. They had all of course been concerned by the rise of terrorism but the news that the siege of Kahya had given them hope that the tide had turned. They had never been so wrong.


Two other staff survived, both cooks, who had survived only thanks to the metal cabinets that deflected ricochets away from them. Both were middle aged men, rather average looking, one of them a bit plump. Violeta knew the plump one was named Paul, and the other she thought went by Oleg. Both of them were silent, one of them whispering in a silent prayer. All three were forced roughly into the office of Lucescu’s former boss, the Consul, who’s blood was still visible on the walls. Unsure what they wanted with them, all three stayed silent, scared to even raise their eyes.


“What is your name, hostage?” Yasin demanded of Violeta, while his guards looked on in obvious malice.


The woman and her co-workers would have seen a very fat man with a tendency to get red-faced (this was caused by rosacea, which kept him from being confident with women, and that resulted in a bitterness toward the fair sex). He had a very thick beard, which only partially covered up the problem. He was prematurely balding, but his brimless hat covered it up. He scowled rather angrily as he looked on, not the best look unless you want to appeal to hair-shirted fanatics like his followers….all of them young men with their own issues and grievances.


Unknown to most, despite his religious piety, Yasin had taken many of his male followers to bed and justified it in the name of “unit cohesion” and “old Othmani tradition,” which would be forgiven when they had a martyr’s end. He had married once, but after the divorce (she had been unfaithful more than once, so he kicked her out), he had even worse trust issues with women (it never occurred to him that in her case, she cheated because he kept accusing her of it), too…..this had further led him on the road to being a radical imam….as had his stay in a Fascist labor camp for sedition. The Fascists had beaten him within an inch of his life and he had actually lost weight from near-starvation more than once (as they thought it amusing to starve a fat man). He had emerged from the labor camp convinced that only a caliphate was just and all secular regimes were corrupt and evil.


Lucescu only had gotten a few glimpses at her captors, but in her state that was all she needed. In some ways it was almost humorous how this large, red faced man had led such a bloody assault, but Violeta was far too terrified to think of anything besides silent prayers and trying to control her breathing. Her mind was already swarming with horrific thoughts about what these men might do to her and her colleagues, and it took a significant amount of effort to stop her body from shaking.


“Vi...Violeta. Violeta Luc-Lucescu.” She stammered out, the fear in her voice clear along with the trembling of her lips.


“And just what do you think is the reason that you’re here as my hostage? Do you know why my men attacked this den of iniquity?” Yasin scowled, while his men tried to emulate him, fierce looks still on their faces.


Something about Violeta reminded Yasin of his ex-wife, Ilay, and that infuriated him even further. Ilay had betrayed him, insulted his manhood and honor by her infidelity, even while lying and claiming that she was faithful up to then….and then she had the nerve to blame him for her adultery! Such temerity had been why he finally kicked her out of his house and pronounced the proper Islamic words, “I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you,” three times. Oh, no….Yasin had never forgiven womankind for that outrage and never would.


Yasin’s voice haunted Lucescu more than it should have. Knowing her life was in his hands, and that he and his comrades had just murdered so many of her own friends, almost brought tears to her eyes. She wanted to cry, but knew that wouldn’t help her case. Paul and Oleg remained silent with her, faces down. “I-I don’t kn-know.” Her voice came out weak and hoarse. “I don’t know why you killed them.”


“Let me enlighten you, then. That is a popular word in your country, I think. Enlighten. You are such friends with the Shrailleeni, aren’t you, with their ‘enlightened’ social order? Your government is allied to the puppet regime in New Ankara, the ones who are keeping my country faithless and weak! Your country perpetuates this idol of democracy and sacrifices the true Faith and the Faithful on the altar of it! Your government has sent troops to my country to help prop up that wicked puppet regime and kill my brethren of the true Book and the true Faith of Islam! We are fighting for our way of life, the ways of old Othmani tradition, of Sharia law, of Islam! For a strong, truly devout people, worshiping Allah and revering the Prophet Muhammad as they should, and following the example of the Prophet, too. We are fighting for the Umma, the Islamic community of the Faithful, and for the Caliphate, the state to be built for the Umma!” Yasin thundered for a bit there.


Lucescu didn’t understand why this man felt the need to justify his crimes before her, or why she had been singled out, as though she was responsible for the Jedorian-Othmani alliance. She wasn’t sure what relevance the Shrailleeni had to this, or why this man felt his faith was being oppressed. She flinched under the weight of his voice and tried to keep tears from escaping her eyelids. “I’m s-sorry, I don’t- I don’t know what to tell you.” Her voice sounded hollow.


Yasin grimaced. He didn’t know now how to answer a woman who acted this way. She wasn’t strident, defiant, or vindictive...or even angry. She was just sad and scared. He was shaken. He hadn’t known women like this much of late. Not in his experience...though to be honest, his experience of women was limited and frankly skewed. He was blunted, frustrated, stopped short. He couldn’t bring himself to rant any further at her or even torture her.


“Let her go….just release her. We can’t get anything from her. Let her go home,” he sighed.


“You cannot be serious, sir!” Ali Tadik, one of his deputies said. He couldn’t believe his ears...and that was the last straw for him. The same man who had violated him was just going to let this woman go? Oh, no! That wasn’t happening! How had the imam gotten soft? Was he mad?


Drawing his sidearm, he nearly fired it before one of his comrades shot him cold, right in front of Violeta. Ali lay bleeding and dying in the presence of the others. A clear warning to the soldiers in the cell who was still very much in command of it. Nobody in it would ever dare to defy the imam again.


“Take this treacherous vermin out and throw him over the wall. Then release the girl. I mean it! We have two hostages. That will suffice. You….girl, tell them we mean business! Do you hear me? Tell them that Imam Alparslan Yasin released you because he is a merciful man, but he will NOT be defied!” he shouted, before the men grabbed Violeta and took her to the gate….only to hear shots….two shots, which knocked one of them dead seconds later, right through the gate.


An Othmani policeman looked down at the cold, dead body and smiled. Pigs….they had it coming, those filthy terrorist vermin. Those were his last thoughts before the other one shot him dead in turn, leaving him lifeless outside the gate.



“Go...bitch! If you know what is good for you, just go before the imam changes his mind and rapes you! As it is…your friends are likely in for a very unpleasant stay,” he said as he opened the gate briefly.


Violeta couldn’t believe what she was hearing, scarcely able to think properly, and the booming echo of the gunshot rattled her ear drums. As she tried to cover them up she was abruptly yanked upward by two of the guards, and carried out of the two story consulate. She was still trying to wrap her mind around what was happening when one of her captors suddenly was thrown back, another gunshot rang out, and Lucescu screamed in fear. She didn’t really register what the other terrorist had said, only knowing fear as she turned and ran out of the complex, leaving the gate behind and beating feet as she tried to find some place to hide.


“Now, what of you two?” Yasin turned to Oleg and Paul, “What shall we do with you? What was your position at the embassy, anyway? You don’t look like aides...by the Prophet, you look like...cooks!” he suddenly noticed, having been distracted before.


Oleg and Paul both exchanged worried glances. Paul was sweating noticeably while Oleg’s eyes darted nervously. With a nervous stammer, Paul spoke. “Y-Yes s-sir. Cooks sir. We cook for the staff.” At least they had, before Yasin and his crew and murdered them all. “P-please sir, we-we mean you no offense. We’re just doing our job.”


“You mean no harm, but you must admit that your government is not so innocent. Undermining everything truly Othmani and Islamic about this nation! Propping up a failed democratic regime, which is even worse than Fascism, because at least the Fascists believed in a strong New Othman and social order! You represent everything that sickens me about democracies, everything that Allah Himself will someday judge about them!


“I bet that you worship your blasphemous Gaia, don’t you! Your government is cozy with the matriarchal Shrailleeni and the abominable mutilators in Deadora, who are shoving matriarchy, adultery, and other evils down the throats of men in Gloria Regis! Your government no doubt wants to abolish any form of Islamic marriage that doesn’t meet with the laws and customs of your land! Well, I’ve had enough of that! Worse still, your government destroyed Savun Bulut to save some despicable Magi apostates!


“You wish to deny your guilt? You wish to prove yourselves innocent cooks? Fine, convert to Islam now and read this statement over the radio, denouncing your government’s crimes against New Othman and calling for recognition of the Caliphate instead!” Yasin presented Oleg and Paul a document in very poorly translated Jedorian for them to read in public.


“You will convert first, and then you will rehearse this to read and broadcast, denouncing your worthless infidel leaders and religion!” Yasin insisted angrily.


His men had trained their guns on the cooks right then, with towels ready, as he added, “Simply say, ‘I testify that there is no God but Allah,’ and follow this by saying, ‘I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.’ Then you must shower to purify yourselves of your sins that you committed, such as the worship of Gaia, which is idolatry.”


“Please,” Oleg croaked, “I don’t have anything against Islam, many of my friends here are Muslim.” His voice struggled with a desire to sob uncontrollably, fear resonating throughout all his body. “I don’t know any Shrailleeni or Deadorans, I swear, we haven’t-” He tensed up as the men raised their rifles at him and Paul. “Please sir, we’ll do as you ask, just, please, don’t hurt us.” These were civil servants, but only cooks, not makers of policy.


“So, you’ll convert now, as we ask of you, will you not? Your souls will enter Paradise, whatever happens to you,” Yasin’s deputy, Imam Beren Keles, demanded of them....a very short, emaciated man with only a very thin beard and almost bald head, he looked every bit of his fifty years and then some.


“They already said that, Beren. I take them at their word and only await action to confirm their being men of honor,” the leader of the cell declared, turning to Oleg and Paul to see if they truly would recite the declaration which would make them Muslims.

Jedorian Muslims…..it’s a start, even if by duress. Allah uses that, too….even if the heart is not pure, the declaration is binding and He can use that to reach the souls of those who convert to Islam. Only….would they really do it, in the end, or would fear of their false goddess hold them back?

[Jedoria]

Jedorian EEZ

It had taken a great deal of effort from all branches of the Jedorian military, but finally, the convoy was on the move. Twelve troop transports were carrying thousands of tons of armored vehicles, ammunition, spare parts, tools, and other bits and pieces required to make a modern war machine function properly. Transporting four entire Jedorian army divisions was no small logistical feat, and it took nearly everyone in Port Octavian and Adrian to get the necessary materials into the proper ships, loaded and secured, and then sent on their way to New Othman. Logistics and operations officers worked long into the night conducting inventory checks with whatever unfortunate junior enlisted had made the mistake of looking not busy. There were of course errors and hiccups, and the personnel already in New Othman were being told to expect delays and miscues.

Overall though, things were proceeding as planned. That wasn't to say things were smooth, the logistics and transport departments of the Confederate Army had their hands full handling shipments to New Othman while at the same time still withdrawing VIII Corps from the southern border with New Edom. It wasn't an easy day to work in either of those Corps, but the job was going to get done either way. Failure wasn't an option, not when Jedorian blood had been spilled in New Othman. Attacking a consul had been a poor choice; while it had shocked the nation it had also galvanized support for further intervention. The consulate was legally Jedorian territory and therefore it had been attacked by the Imam Yasin and his gang. For that's all they were in the end; a gang of infidels that needed to be put down.

Captain Ionescu stood in the bridge of his vessel, the Odin-class guided missile destroyer CNS Redeemer of Sins, one of four escorts for the convoy, the other two being the Horizon-class destroyer CNS Eliberator and the Maestrale-class frigate CNS Sacidava. The fourth vessel was submerged, the Type 212 submarine C-55. Ionescu both enjoyed and dreaded the upcoming assignment. Babysitting a bunch of transports didn't seem very exciting, but he also knew in the rather monotonous life in the Jedorian Navy, it might as well be a victory in battle, or at least something that would look nice on his assessment report. Ionescu's task was pretty simple; get this pile of army shit from the ports in Jedoria to New Othman, then dump it on the land losers there and sail back. It wasn't expected to be a difficult task. The route was pretty straight forward; they would said west of the south west Acheron coastline, then swing east and sail south of Dengali and Deadora, then hook north and sail into docks on the Othmani coast. Every nation along that line had been informed by the Jedorian Foreign Ministry that they could expect to see the convoy sailing by. Though Jedoria wasn't violating any international law, it was at least courteous to let everyone know, less they cause alarm.

OPSEC wasn't really a concern here; it's not like even enemies of Jedoria could complain that the Confederation was reacting to a terrorist attack in an allied state. Still, it wouldn't surprise anyone if they were shadowed, at least as they sailed along another nations' EEZ. Captain Ionescu walked over to the center of the bridge and addressed the crew there, who's primary goals were navigation and coordination. "Alright folks listen up; the game plane is pretty simple. We're going to sail around Acheron and make port in New Othman. We're not expecting any trouble, so there's no need for active systems, but it pays to be cautious, so don't get complacent on me. If anyone is dumb enough to give us trouble, they're going to face the full wrath of the Jedorian Confederation."

The entire bridge crew exchanged confused glances and wide eyes with each other, or simply blinked at their commanding officer. Ionescu inhaled. "Yeah, that sounded more intimidating in my head." He threw up a hand dismissively. "Fuck it, you guys know what to do. Lay in a course and let's get this shit over with."

The convoy began moving south, the first leg in a long journey.

[Jedoria]

The Jedorian deployment to New Othman was the largest military operation carried out by the Confederation since the Peregrino War, and it would require a great deal of effort to make it all work. Joint cooperation between the Confederate Army and Air Force, plus working alongside the Othmani Armed Forces and National Police. Operation Serpent, as it was being called, was for the Jedorian Forces to establish a string of Forward Operating Bases from where they could then conduct counter-insurgency operations, as well as stabilize and secure the Republic from further violence. In the process, they would also help train and develop both the Othmani Armed Forces and National Police in how to better respond to these kinds of situations. Security forces were to actively hunt down and destroy terrorist and insurgent cells, eliminating potential troublemakers and fortify the Republic against further instability.

New Othman was strategically useful as well. It gave Jedoria the avenue from which it could threaten Krutongo if the need arose, or if the situation in United Valik continued to decline. The rhetoric by Federalist Party Chairman Janos Magyari was concerning; if by some chance his party managed to get control of the Vailkan Government, there were classified plans being formed to stage a number of 'attacks' on the border with New Othman to justify Jedorian intervention into the Federal Democratic Republic. Magyari's desire for a non-aggression pact with New Othman did nothing to deter Jedorian concerns.

To: Prime Minister Stanislav Lubinski
From: Foreign Minister Andrei Paler
Subject: Federalist Comments
Encryption: Hand delivered in sealed pouch

Dear Prime Minister,

Greetings and fair tidings to you. I do hope this letter finds you in good health. As you may nor may not be aware of, Jedorian forces have begun a large scale deployment to New Othman in light of a number of recent terrorist attacks in the young Republic, including an attack that not only seized control of a Jedorian consulate, but also killed our Consul, Alexe Nistorm. Such a blatant attack on Jedorian citizens and public servants, as well as the violent rhetoric of radical Islamic elements in New Othman, are of great cause for concern and the reason for our deployment.

Given how extremism has negatively affected New Othman, my government is greatly concerned with the recent speeches made by Federalist Party Chairman Janos Magyari. While he claims to want a non-aggression pact with our ally New Othman, the violent vitriol he has stated casts doubt on his supposedly peaceful intentions. Furthermore, the reveal of the Federalist Party Action Corps is quite alarming, as the mannerisms they have put on display do not do much to disquiet concerns regarding the violent nature of their speech. Given the already complex political environment in South East Acheron, further instability will certainly hurt us all.

Therefore, I would like to inquire of you exactly how popular the Federalist Party is in United Valik, and what policies they wish to implement if they were ever to come to rule United Valik. Our two nations have not seen eye to eye on many things, but something we can agree on is that a Federalist Party rule would not help United Valik. It is the hope of my Duke that our two nations can cooperate further down the road, and I believe this is a good step in the right direction.

Kind Regards,
Andrei Paler, Foreign Minister of the Jedorian Confederation

Actual operations in New Othman would fall to a joint command between Jedorian Army and Air Force units, underneath the Military Assistance Command - New Othman Stabilization and Security, or MACNOSS for short. MACNOSS would be lead by Colonel General Alin Prodan, the former commanding officer of VIII Corps. His Deputy Commanding General would be Lt. General Gavril Raducioiu, a tall, quiet officer who had spent most of his time in the logistics corps. Prodan was happy to have him, as MACNOSS would have to have all of it's supplies for the Jedorian troops flown in through Hostillia.

Staffing MACNOSS on the Jedorian side would follow typical Corps standards, seeing as with five divisions under it's command, MACNOSS was in effect a reinforced Corps. The staff would consist of the chief of staff, personal, special, and coordinating staff, plus staff augmentation, command and functional liaisons. Brigadier General Marcel Cosma was the chief of staff, who's job was to direct, supervise, and train the staff, as well as serve as one of the principal advisors to Prodan, and all advisors would report to Cosma. Personal staff would consist of the Staff Judge Advocate, Public affairs officers, political advisor, Inspector General, and the Chaplain. The special staff would be all military affairs, though vary greatly, including air and missile defense officers, aviation officers, air mobility and air liaison, CBNR, engineer, electronic warfare, knowledge management, operational research and systems analysis, provost marshal, safety, staff weather and transportation.

The Corps commanding elements would be divided into cells, the command group, sustainment, intelligence, personal and special staff, command and control, planning, movement and maneuver, and fires. A whole fuckton of Majors, Lt. Colonels, and Colonels. There would need to be a lot of them to coordinate the efforts of a fighter wing and five army divisions. A grand total of two mechanized infantry divisions, one cavalry, and two infantry divisions would be deployed, around 100,000 men in total on the ground alone. The 28th Mechanized was already in theater, and it would be joined shortly by the 33rd Cavalry, 7th Mechanized, 12th and 14th Infantry. Because divisions are, and Jedorian ones in particular, large formations, to simplfy operations, divisions would be broken down into brigades.

The modular nature of brigades assisted in this, proving superior to regiments in this case by allowing the Jedorians to break up their units into self-sufficient units capable of independent operations without the need for divisional level support units. A total of 16 brigades would be utilized, preferably operating out of Othmani military installations but if necessary constructing their own bases. Divisional level assets would either by spread out between the brigades or be assigned to the divisions command post, where they could be coordinated in support of brigade operations.

Once actually deployed and set up, brigades could begin counter insurgency operations. Leadership would be systematically targeted and destroyed. Combatants, whether they be main, regional, or local forces, were to be engaged and destroyed. Local cadre and mass base would have to be targeted and their influence curbed as well. If necessary, search and destroy operations would be carried out to seek out and eliminate terror cells. Areas would be cleared of enemy presence, and brigade operations would change and shift to accommodate developments in the conflict.

But you can't beat an insurgency just by killing. Nor could you defeat an insurgency without killing. The root causes of the insurgency would have to be identified. Not all Muslims in New Othman supported the likes of the radical Imams, those that didn't would need to be identified and corralled into supporting the MACNOSS and the Othmani Government. The bulk of the population would be expected to by indifferent to either cause; they would just want to get on with their lives. While they might not be won over, they would need to be convinced that Jedorian presence and the Othmani Government could be trusted. That would mean the Confederates would have to do more than just hutn insurgents; they would have to help stabilize the country through a variety of means; legitimizing elections, building bridges and schools, winning hearts and minds, and making it clear this was a war on the radicals, not Islam or the Othmani people.

Although offensive operations would be part of this all, it would not be the sole objective. The Confederates would also have to engage in urban operations protecting government facilities, infrastructure, commercial enterprises vital to the Othmani economy, cultural facilities, prevent looting, military police functions, interact with the civilian population in a helpful and friendly manner, assist with reconstruction projects, secure the Othmani borders, train and develop the Othmani forces, and establish and maintain the government credibility. The populace would need to feel safe under the protection of the Confederates, and the Jedorians would have to establish local political institutions, contribute to local governments, all while neutralizing insurgent capabilities and controlling the information flow from local sources.

Prior to all this however, the Jedorians would need to know what they were up against. The Othmani government would be requested to provide the following information to MACNOSS; geography, economic areas of interest, population zones, road and railways, suspected bases of insurgent support, area of cultural and social significance, major cities and ports. Dispositions of Othmani military and national police would also have to be known to better coordinate joint operations. Given the constraints of the treaty, the Othmani forces were lacking a number of modern combined arms capabilities, meaning the Jedorians would have to supply their own aviation, artillery, and armor. Fortunately the combined arms manner of the Jedorian brigade system made this easier, giving each Jedorian brigade it's own helicopters, howitzers, and AFVs.

Coordination with the CPO was not given high priority. Though the CPO commanders still in New Othman, Lazodiria and the surrounding area were informed of the impending arrival of Jedorian forces and what they planned to do in New Othman, there was little else said. To the Jedorians the CPO was no longer useful. It's internal machinations had been corrupted by the conflicting political and strategic goals of it's member states. The Imperium had been able to effectively halt the CPO from intervening in Ceti until war had already started, New Edom all the while clamoring for diplomatic dialogue with the Imperium while ignoring that the only states who had any influence with the Curia had already tried. Recent events hadn't helped the image of the CPO for the Confederation.

People had been dying in Ashab and the threat of an authoritarian, theocratic regime returning to power hadn't bothered anyone except the Coalition, but then the Edomites got involved and suddenly the CPO was scrambling over each other trying to set up negotiations and a ceasefire. They had failed to enforce a ceasefire in New Edom because it's own member states were willing to help break it, and only in New Othman, when the fascists had stupidly tried to take over their neighbors by themselves, had the CPO been able to act without hesitation. A Jedorian consul and his staff had been killed, and not a peep from the CPO. Jedorian withdrawal from the organization was the only option remaining.

A long journey lay ahead, full of uncertainties. But one way or another, this train was going full speed ahead.

[United Valik]

To: Foreign Minister Andrei Paler
From: Prime Minister Stanislav Lubinski
Subject: Federalist Comments
Encryption: Hand delivered in sealed pouch


Dear Foreign Minister,


It is no secret that our governments have some different ideas about international events and policies, that we are part of different trade blocs, that we have divergent views on and relations with the Feminist regime in Gloria Regis, and that we have somewhat opposite political philosophies. Mine is a center-right coalition government with an undeniable neo-liberal slant, and I will make no apologies for that. My country is also intensely patriarchal in its cultural biases, and that is no cause for shame. It is simply as real as the more egalitarian context in your own nation.


It is no secret that, as a rather smaller, militarily weaker nation, United Valik prefers to emphasize defensive instead of offensive policy and project itself through ideas and trade rather than force in the global arena. We do not commit ourselves to military expeditions overseas that could consume much of our federal budgets. I would be less than candid if I denied that, to many Valikans, the presence of a large military force from a distant great power as yours so close to our already demilitarized national frontiers makes them rather nervous. Therefore, it would be reassuring to know, and be able to declare for their benefit during Prime Minister’s Question Time, that your military commitment is intended primarily to secure and uphold the Republic against the radical Islamist insurgency.


That being said, we are both representative democracies, both treat men and women as equal under the rule of law, both have some essential notion of constitutional, civil, and human rights under the law, and both have some basic principles and concepts of liberty, justice, and human dignity, we presume, under our respective systems of law. Presumably, we share more values than some might realize.


Which brings us to the Federalist Party Chairman, Janos Magyari, and his speeches, given primarily for domestic consumption during electoral campaign rallies for his party’s candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections for the Federal Assembly. I do not doubt that some of his rhetoric is vitriolic, histrionic, and even toxic at times. It is part of the price for the freedoms of speech and assembly that we must tolerate his right to express his questionable and irresponsible views.


Generally, however, we are staunchly opposed to his proposed plank, whether it is the plan to establish a formal alliance and trade partnership with the Imperium of Arbites Materia, to legislate a constitutional ban on all forms of abortion (including for rape , incest, and mother’s life and health in peril, which is most troubling), to repeal the Treaty of Beaulieu and replace it with a non-aggression pact with New Othman (as if they could trust us if we went back on our word about the Treaty), or to expel immigrants from certain racial groups, contrary to the egalitarian principles of the Federal Constitution of 2013. It is no secret that the governing coalition, including my party, the National Liberal Party, and Foreign Minister Talia Tsaros’s party, the Popular Democratic Party, is adamantly opposed to the Federalist Party and would fight hard to defeat him at the polls, so that we can continue to govern this nation responsibly instead of irresponsibly as they would prefer.


I would note that, realistically, the opposition parties are all so badly divided and opposed to each other that the only way that any of them could form a government would be to win an outright majority of seats in the Federal Assembly. This includes the Federalist Party, which has no likely coalition partners whatsoever. Short of them getting the requisite seats to achieve this clear parliamentary majority, which seems unlikely, they will remain in opposition for the foreseeable future. It is, quite frankly, a party of the extreme right of our political spectrum, feeding off xenophobia, religious zeal, militant anti-Feminism, and lingering resentment in the DMZ. Its gains tend to be at the expense of the socially conservative Christian Democratic Party of late, and this doesn’t leave it much room for growth, with that party in danger of extinction already.


Be assured that, barring a massive swing of popular opinion in favor of such fanatical and irresponsible prescriptions as proposed by the Federalist Party, which is increasingly bankrolled by noted Orthodox Magi of means (and probably by the Imperium itself, though we cannot prove it), they are very likely to remain a fringe party of the socially conservative, ultra-nationalist, authoritarian right for at least a generation.


I hope that this response resolves any concerns and anxieties that your government and that of the Republic of New Othman might have at this time.


Sincerely,
Stanislav Lubinski, Prime Minister of United Valik

[Jedoria]

To: Prime Minister Stanislav Lubinksi
From: Foreign Minister Andrei Paler
Subject: Federalist Comments
Encryption: Hand delivered in sealed pouch

Dear Prime Minister,

I would like to thank you for the quick and honest reply. It is comforting to communicate so freely and openly in these turbulent times we are living in. I would also like to thank you for clarifying your government's position on the Federalists. It seems we are in agreement that a Federalist rule of United Valik would undo much of the good your party has done not only for your nation, but for improving relations with neighboring states.

I believe you are correct in saying we share more values than some would think. While there may be different perspectives on certain issues, we are founded on similar shared principles, the kind that elevate our nation's moral standards above some other, more corrupted states.

Imperial attempts to influence your nation's political system are of course a cause for concern, and I realize that from a foreigner it may not seem like much, but I assure you that any attempt at Imperial expansion or acts of aggression against your state will not be tolerated.

Finally, since you expressed the concern, I will state this plainly: Jedorian forces deployed to New Othman are there to stabilize the Republic against the growing threat of Islamic insurgency, and to prevent the situation from deteriorating to the detriment of not only New Othman, but it's neighboring states. Our allies are in the Republic, and we will stand by them till Kingdom come.

Kind Regards,
Andrei Paler, Foreign Minister of the Jedorian Confederation

[New Othman]

The Green Banner Cafe, Akdag, Western DMZ, New Othman
Monday, 20 June, 2016

Akdag, a city of 58,000 or so people, was the capital of Akdag District in the Western DMZ, facing Lazodiria. In fact, it was just 15 km from the Lazodirian border, so perhaps this would have been more than a little unsettling for the neighbors. It was Ramadan, or as the Othmanis called it, Ramazan, so the handful of patrons didn’t become more than a trickle until sunset, of course, when the sound of “Ramazan drums” would announce the end of the daytime fast for the holiest month of the Islamic calendar. Those in the cafe until then would all be either non-Muslims or too secular to take Ramazan seriously….or they would be exempt people, such as pregnant women, new mothers, or soldiers. In other words, perfect targets for the agents of the Vengeance of Allah.


At 11:30 am local time, three men and a woman entered the cafe with Thompson submachine guns in hand and bombs strapped to their bodies, at which point they proceeded to open fire on the patrons and staff. They continued firing while shouting, “Allahu akbar!” and “Fast, you apostates!” at the customers. A Druze woman, Tuba Batur, who was breastfeeding her baby, was shot along with her child as it lay in her arms. A Chaldean priest and nun, Father Aprim Nardeen and Sister Ninsun Awita, were both shot, as were three members of the local Othmani National Women’s Congress: Didem Calik, Unal Bayrak, and Ozge Atalar. Jeanne Honore, a Gavinian correspondent for the online business magazine Market Times, was also slain, but not before recording what she could for her editor, as she lay dying and pretended to already be dead. The images that she taped were graphic in the extreme, but were still aired in their entirety by the national media back in Gavinium.


When the police and emergency services arrived, there was already a massacre, but then the terrorists set off their bombs and killed everyone still living in the cafe as it was destroyed, as well as killing two policemen, one EMT, one firefighter, and wounding six more. One of the six later died of her injuries at the Akdag District Hospital. In all, 43 people perished from the attack, counting the terrorists themselves. The insurgents were identified as Altin Yumlu, Alabas Durmaz, Imre Ayral, and Berat Serif. It was the worst terrorist attack in the Western DMZ in over a year, that sector having been relatively more quiet until now.


Yumlu was a pharmacist, widow, and mother of six children, who would now be orphans, but she left a letter explaining to her children that she died to “give you the gift of a Paradise on Earth, a world governed by the just laws of Sharia under the righteous rule of a Caliph appointed by God.” Her husband, Rauf, had been killed by Lazodirian Border Corps troops during the war. Durmaz was a former Black Shirt and had renounced atheism for this militant form of Islam after the war. He was one of many former Black Shirts who initially fought for Fascism as part of the now defunct Black Scimitar organization, only to be recruited by the Vengeance of Allah. Ayral was a demobilized soldier and a convert to Islam from evangelical Christianity, having become convinced that his parents were wrong to leave Islam and raise him as Baptist. He had already shot them dead for their “apostasy” earlier that day. Serif was a once moderate seminary student at a madrasa who was radicalized after defeat and humiliation in the war showed him divine disfavor for secularism and pluralism in his eyes.


The city and district were immediately put under much tighter control, including a curfew, warrants for searches of several homes, raids of reported safe houses, and the arrest of some 16 people identified as a local Vengeance of Allah cell. Plans for further attacks were discovered, including one intended for the local administration buildings, hospital, and police and fire stations. They also found 44,000 crescents' worth of hashish, 65,000 worth of opium, and 17,000 worth of heroin, as well as 983 firearms, 12,000 or so rounds of ammunition, 76 hand grenades, 93 plastic explosives, 95 car bombs, 24 IEDs, 8 tons of TNT, and 52 canisters of chlorine gas. They also found 19 children who were taken into state custody and found materials indicating that 5 of the girls were set to marry underage, one as young as 12. There were many pamphlets prepared for distribution to encourage support for an intifada against the Republic. The 16 were likely to be charged with several violent crimes and face lengthy sentences if convicted, perhaps even death by hanging.

Retired General Colonel Recep Borek, Premier of New Othman, made a live address to the nation that night in which he pointed out that “much progress has already been made by the government forces, in tandem with our Jedorian allies, who are not constrained by the Treaty of Beaulieu, and can therefore come and go throughout the Republic as they please. Nevertheless, more can and will be done to root out this menace of radical insurgents once and for all. The Fascists have been smashed. The forces of Sharia and theocracy will be, too. My government for the past year has not been perfect, but we have focused on bringing law and order as well as rooting out political corruption, and we have made significant strides toward these objectives. We will not rest and I will not simply quit short of achieving our purpose, a New Othman that is more livable, more peaceful, and more prosperous because it is safer for Othmani and foreigner alike. Stand with me and I believe that we shall prevail.”

He also took Jedoria’s critics to task and assured people that, “We have every confidence in the interim Jedorian government and its ability to govern the Confederation in the light of the recent double assassination by Red terrorists. We dispute the lies and propaganda about the new leadership and are convinced that the deaths of the late Duke and Foreign Minister can only be laid at the feet of the forces of international Communism. We have had to crack down on insurgents here and they have had to do so, too, so I do not doubt that they are doing what is right, not imposing a new police state.”

[New Othman]

Tatar Municipal Jail, Tatar, New Othman, Western DMZ (just 5 km inside)


Visiting hours were nearly done when the guards noticed that there were about a dozen or so strange men just outside the walls of the local jail. They seemed very much out of place, being clean-cut men in business suits and dress shoes, even down to neckties and sports jackets with cuff links. A couple of guards cautiously ventured outside of the jail just long enough to approach them and discover their intentions.


Well, they discovered them alright, when two of the men pulled Walther PPKs out of their sports jackets and opened fire upon the jailers. One of the guards fell down almost instantly from the shot to his chest, which struck him in the left lung. The other guard was hit in the right arm and struggled to contact the others, only to have a third man open the trunk of their Audi and carry out an Uzi that he used to shoot up the visitors’ booth and kill any staff that he could find. Once he did that, he crawled past the broken glass into the booth and used his new access to open several doors….including the front door.


The insurgents grabbed some more weapons from the trunk, rushed into the jail, and began firing upon more guards, killing any that they found on the way. They grabbed any keys available and soon forced their way into the gun cage, the mess, the recreational areas, solitary confinement, and eventually the Warden’s office, among other rooms. Among the inmates was the man that they had set out to liberate: Imam Yonal Balkan of their local cell. They had to find him in a hurry, before his fellow inmates or any surviving guards chose to kill him. If that happened, whatever else they did would all be for nought.


This was about freeing the Imam, first, foremost, and virtually to the exclusion of everything else. He had been arrested for beating his wife, Itibar, and that just would not stand! With any luck, they would soon have control of this town and Itibar would pay for filing her complaint! That sort of feminist nonsense would be dealt with severely as the infidel abomination that it was, by God!


“These infidel guards must all die,” the Imam told them when they finally arrived, “Do you know that they forced me to watch their filth? Disgusting foreign films, such as G.I. Jane, Fried Green Tomatoes, Double Jeopardy, and Enough! Yes, that last one was aptly named! Enough, indeed! How dare they make me watch films that insinuate lesbian affairs, suggest that women should be allowed to bear arms, glorify killing your own husband, or imply that beating your wife is some kind of crime! There was even a truly disgusting film called Just One Of The Guys, where a female reporter pretended to be male! How sickening! Kneecap them first, and then beat them to death with truncheons! No easy executions for these guards!”


“Yes, of course, Imam! Did they at least feed you halal while in jail?” Energin Kizilirmak asked the cleric.


“No! They made me eat something truly vile, called split pea and ham soup! Revolting! I have never tasted a worse dish in my life! Kill their cooks while you’re at it, my boy! I want justice! I want revenge! Allahu akbar!” Balkan shouted angrily, even as the insurgents began carrying out his dreadful orders…..and the guards screamed in truly horrible agony.


Meanwhile, more of the insurgents rounded up the inmates….those who didn’t get killed outright for interfering or trying to escape, that is. The cell didn’t want anyone allowed to leave without their Imam’s permission…..at least not alive. Several unlucky visitors were herded into the jail yard along with the inmates and any staff who survived to now be at the Imam’s mercy. He was now in control of the jail, pending his own escape, thanks to his cell of loyal and heavily armed fanatics.


“Now, you…..watch this! I am Imam Yonal Balkan and I have taken control of this facility by the authority granted to me by Allah, the Wise, the Beneficent, the Merciful, the Lord of the Day of Judgment! We are fighting for justice, for peace, for Sharia law in this country! I will avenge the crimes committed by this administration during your unlawful regime! The day of the Caliphate has already begun here in this jail! Watch as the guards suffer and die, knowing that you are next to be punished for your crimes against Allah, against Islam, and against New Othman!”


Sure enough, the remaining guards were all kneecapped and beaten to death very brutally, right in front of the horrified audience. Once they were done dispatching these victims, the insurgents, acting on the Imam’s instructions, dragged several screaming, weeping inmates forward and forced them to kneel. They were each blindfolded and pistols were brought to the backs of their heads.


“Pray to Allah and repent of your sins against Him, for you are all about to die! You offended against Him and His Prophet, as well as His Caliph, for I am that Caliph! This is the first day of the new Caliphate, apostates, and you shall end it in Hell!” Balkan nodded and the pistols were fired at the backs of each head, dropping each body to the ground.


The Warden was then brought, weeping and groveling, before the Imam. Warden Egemen Pocan had already pissed his pants by now, as he was dragged to the same spot and forced to his knees, as was the wife of one of his inmates, who he had coerced into servicing him when they were both seized by the insurgents. She was utterly terrified and she was right to be, as the insurgents shot her first, right in front of her husband and the Warden. Her husband’s satisfaction was short-lived, as he was shot immediately, followed by the Warden, who now begged the Imam to spare his life.


“Shoot him! Shoot them all! They are all scum, trust me! Don’t spare a soul of them! Inmates, staff, and visitors, they all deserve to be shot just as the others were. Post the video to it and let them see online that we will have no mercy on the enemies of Allah, of Islam, and of New Othman! Good….shoot them while live! I want the whole country to witness this!

“To those of you watching this now, know this! I take refuge in the Lord of the Worlds, Allah, the Great, the Wise, the Beneficent, and the Merciful, against the wickedness of the sinners now corrupting this land! Watch as the entire population of this jail is executed as it should be! Watch them all die, live on video and know that there was not a thing that you can do about it! Allahu akbar!”

[Jedoria]

Tatar, New Othman, Western DMZ

There were no Jedorian troops stationed within the demilitarized zone itself, though patrols of the edges of the zone were common, seeing as it was suspected by MACNOSS that the DMZ was a prime route for the shipment of illegal arms and munitions into New Othman from less scrupulous places like Krutongo, Ahara, or even United Valik. Usually this was carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles, occasionally supported by ground patrols from nearby forward operating bases. Occasional incursions were necessary to deal with situations that arose inside the zone. There was no real system in place for cooperation with the CPO peacekeepers stationed across the border. As far as Colonel General Alin Prodan was concerned, his far numerically superior force had jurisdiction over security operations within the confines of the Republic, in conjunction with the Othmani Armed Forces and National Police. To prevent outbreaks of violence and attacks on the Othmani people, Prodan had published an official rules of engagement to allow the forces under his command to act against suspected terrorist and insurgents.

The situation in Tatar thus drew the attention of the Jedorian forces rather quickly. Tartar itself was a small town where and an attack like this was major. It didn't help to keep it under wraps that the attackers had openly broadcasted their attack and declared their intention, making no question as to what the proper course of action would be for the Jedorians. A Gossamer Surveillance UAV that had been on patrol was re-directed by the 68th Recon Battalion to fly over the small town and transmit what it saw with it's variety of cameras and sensor arrays. Pretty soon bat shaped drone could make out the heat signatures from the beings far below, and cameras recorded the scene as it unfolded. While the drone couldn't very well peer under the ceiling to see for itself the chaos that was unfolding inside, it evidently wasn't necessary. The attackers were making no attempt to hide their crimes, plastering images and video of it over the internet, wanting all to see their acts.

The men who handled information intake at one Forward Operating Base Ruby were soon notifying their superiors of the things they were seeing online, and before long the brigade commander had been briefed by the analysts. The nearest Jedorian forces, the 132nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, dispatched a convoy of their own troops, five Giggins APCs and a Vendetta IFV that left the entry control point of their base and began riding down the road towards the town of Tatar. Another two UAVs, another Gossamer and an armed Thanatos took off as well from the small airfield attached to the FOB, following the convoy as they made their way towards the scene.

Unless the terrorists started making demands, they were simply killing everyone senselessly, and therefore were a green light according to the ROE.

[Hittanryan]

Firebase Green
Eastern DMZ, Lazodirian-Othmani Border

Central Acheron was beset by confusion in recent months. Originally the Jedorians had been part of the CPO Mission to Central Acheron. After the Jedorian exit from the CPO, they had escalated their presence drastically, violating the Treaty but still furthering the CPO's goals of stabilizing the border regions. The international community was distracted with the Palisades Crisis, and the Jedorians seemed to deal with the VOA efficiently enough.

With a possible coup in Strana Mechty, however, the peacekeepers had been put on notice to organize rapid-response forces to take up the slack. The leadership of the Adiran mission had rotated to Brigadier General Lucas Sparks, who had previously served as second-in-command of the overall mission. Sparks was a tall, broad-shouldered man with grey hair and a rather boyish-looking face starting to show laugh lines. His HQ was a charming country Lazodirian house which he'd wired up for Internet access and had several rooms converted to office. He was going through a stack of paperwork got a call from his ADC that there was an attack taking place in the Adiran sector. Saying he'd be there shortly, he made his way down the stairs rather noisily and met his ADC, Lieutenant Colonel Peggy Moore. She had a rather round face with her brown hair always in a tight bun.

Exchanging salutes upon entry, Sparks asked almost casually "What do you have for me, Moore?"

"Terrorist attack on a prison in Tatar, sir," his ADC said.

"Ah, you've got the location already? Fine work," Sparks said.

"Well, they're broadcasting it via live feed, sir," he said, motioning to the monitor. "Surprisingly straightforward this time. They're killing inmates, guards, everyone, and have stated their intention to do so."

"Good god," Sparks said, shocked by the sheer brutality of it all. "Let's get Barker moving. No time to get fancy, this is just a straight air assault. Let's get him a floor plan of the place and get him airborne, ASAP. Inform the Jedorians we're on it. We're closer and we have forces ready."

Colonel Hal Barker was in command of the 45th Airborne Regiment, who in turn gave the mission to First Battalion. Meeting with the battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Bill Lo, Barker made a quick assessment of the situation. "No demands, no ultimatums, they've already started sweeping the place trying to kill everyone there. No word on heavy weapons. Best bet might be to hit them hard and fast."

"Intel hasn't been great. Could be an ambush waiting in the town," Lo pointed out.

"General HQ said they've rerouted a drone over Tatar, you'll be patched in there. But look, we don't have a lot of time. As soon as we get that floor plan and we're clear on the strategy, I want you in the air. What can you get moving right away?"

"'B' Company. Techs are prepping the birds right now. Can you get us gunships?"

"Two, if you're lucky," Barker said. They would have to be fueled and armed, but the troops would be embarking during that time. On the tarmacs the techs had finished fueling the Black Hawks that would carry the troops. NCOs were doing last-minute checks on their teams' weapons and gear, and the helos' engines started to spin up. One of the platoon sergeants could be heard going over ROE with a group of soldiers in body armor with weapons in hand: "Simple sweep and clear, move quick but check those corners. We're gonna pop smoke and use thermals once we're inside. Terrorists could be wearing suicide vests, confirm those kills. Priority is bringing them down, help civilians once we clear the building. Stick to flashbangs when you're breaching..."

Within the next fifteen minutes, B Company was embarked and the helicopters started to rise. In the lead were two Apache gunships, both scanning the terrain with their cameras and sensors, one trailing the lead by a fair bit to respond to any attacks. Behind them were the airborne troops in a flight of Black Hawks.

Rushing over the picturesque Lazodirian countryside, the Adiran aircraft came up on Tatar relatively quickly. If the terrorists noticed the helicopters approaching and opened fire, the gunships would respond with bursts from miniguns mounted on their wing pylons. Otherwise, B Company's helicopters flew into place and Adiran troops fast-roped down. Most of them landed in the closest available cover to the main entrances of the jail. A couple of specialists had grenade launchers, and fired smoke grenades into the windows. Clouds of billowing white smoke began to fill the corridors inside. Breaching teams came next, lobbing flashbang grenades into the ground level entrances of the jail before moving in and starting to search for the terrorists, killing any they found methodically and efficiently. One helo meanwhile placed its troops on the jail's roof, where the Adirans would have quickly breached the nearest service door, moved down the stairs checking for booby traps, and moving quickly through the hallways.

[New Othman]

Tatar Municipal Jail

The massive clouds of smoke hit the jihadists like a thunderclap, of course. They weren’t ready for any such thing. They were sure that they had control of the jail and there was no one to challenge them in the entire town….well, other than the weak, corrupt, and inept local chapter of the National Police….one of the ones who had been missed in the last housecleaning purge from the top down. These Keystone Cops were local police in all but name, but this reality was already changing on the ground….soon that change would be coming to Tatar, too.


In the meantime, considerable portions of the rebel force were disoriented, blinded, or otherwise confused by the smoke and the flashbangs that followed. Their ranks now thrown into chaos, the insurgents were in no position to assess the threat or mobilize to stop it, and soon both they and their intended victims were scattered throughout the jail again. Those who had been doomed to die were now possibly with hope….well, some of it. A handful of jihadists tried to rally their troops, but it was hopeless, and when they found the Imam…..he was dead. He had been trampled to death by two or three of his own followers in the panic that ensued from the enemy assault…..


“Who are they?” Sevin Samdereli, one of the few lucky VOA operatives not affected directly by the enemy intrusion, asked a comrade, Yasar Osman.


“I do not know, but by Allah, I will avenge the Imam! Allahu akbar!” Osman suddenly shouted, opening fire again with an Uzi and indiscriminately killing left and right….at this point, he didn’t care who was friend or foe.


It was truly horrific….utter pandemonium, and more than a few of the insurgents shot each other, with pistols, SMGs, and AK-74s. Only shouts of “Allahu akbar” tipped people off to their possible allegiance and a handful of the non-insurgents shouted it just to stay alive, for fear of being shot. At least one of the inmates had been shot by a guard named Gurcan Ucar by mistake once he had seized an available pump shotgun. Ucar began hiding and shooting his way toward one of the exits when he collided with an unfamiliar person, armed and not dressed in the outfits preferred by the VOA.

In the past few minutes since the Adirans attacked, no one knew friend from foe, and it would be quite easy for a guard to mistake a peacekeeper for an insurgent. The rebels were scattered, leaderless, but still brutal, only now their desperation led to wanton savagery and bloodlust. They were killing left and right…..and anyone, inmate, comrade, guard, or visitor, was in danger….the jail was now a slaughterhouse…..and the Adirans had just kicked in the door.

"Who the Devil are you?" he demanded to know in French, just to throw people off and test their intentions.

[Hittanryan]

Tatar Municipal Jail

A voice over loudspeaker in Turkish seemed to echo through the halls of the police station, loud enough to be heard over the commotion. "Attention to all current occupants of the Tatar Municipal Jail: we are peacekeeping forces with the CPO responding to the terrorist attack in progress. Police forces and civilians should remain where they are if it is safe to do so until contact is established with our forces. All inmates are to remain in their cells. Insurgents are to lay down arms and keep their hands visible or our troops will use lethal force."

Outside the peacekeepers were establishing a perimeter. Coils of razor wire were being dragged across the streets approaching the jail, and a few teams had taken up positions covering the jail's exits. Helicopters and drones continued to circle, trying to use their IR to track movements within the jail.

Inside as the terrorists sprayed fire blindly into the smoke, they would have been met with flashbang grenades. If, in their blinded, deafened, and disoriented state, they did not lay down arms, the Adiran troops would finish them off with short bursts of fire, often no more than two accurate shots at a time. Using thermals to see through the smoke, the Adiran troops efficiently swept each floor, checking their corners every time and methodically breaching and clearing every room with flashbangs where the terrorists could hole up.

Ucar was lucky in that he would have just heard the loudspeakers start up as he collided with a civilian. An Adiran soldier was approaching and happened to notice the man's uniform when he shouted at him in French. The soldier kept his weapon trained on him but held up a hand before replying in French. "Sergeant Curtis, 45th Airborne Regiment, Adiran Contingent, CPO. I need you to keep these civilians calm and wait for our signal to move them. We're still sweeping the building and we don't want them getting caught in crossfire."

There was a burst of gunfire from another part of the building and Curtis glanced at the door quickly. "We need to keep moving. Do you understand, sir? Can you do this?"