WFF Series 3: Mountains and Steppes [IC, CLOSED]

by **Valefontaine** » Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:53 pm

[- OOC THREAD -] | [- IC THREAD INDEX -]

CO-OP(s): Turmenista

S1E1
_{AC 479: ENTER PARADISE}

When the Aleisabat finally took over Barechistan in 478, a charismatic protege of the aging and brilliant Ahmed bin Hussein, Tariq Zarbon al-Mirwani, took power over the organization—and thus, assumed direct control of the country. He has exercised unparalleled power in Barechistan ever since, culling dissidents, Ourielists, Teutons, Vir people, and Farzanas alike. The situation in Barechistan has been steadily deteriorating for the past year now, to which the Teutonian Reichstag has convened and ordered that the Schnelle Reaktion Division be relocated to the Barechistan border for immediate intervention in the central Mederune nation.

The Sudberg Committee has also been established as a means of evaluating the possibility of integrating the ethnic Teutons in Barechistan as a paramilitary force capable of expressing ethnonationalism in favor of the Teutonic Reich.

Barechistan is known as the graveyard of many empires' past. Many have tried and failed to conquer Barechistan: from the grand Gallian line armies of old, to the Tangaliroan armies of yester-century, the place has long been a death-trap for amateur conquerors. The crisis created by the Aleisabat takeover seems to present opportunity to save Teutonic brethren south of the border, however: and it is upon us to take that opportunity.

Enter Paradise, Act 1
_{Ruchniɡ Mir}
_{Vajra Kush Mountains
Taxila}
_{Lunarist Emirate of Barechistan}
_{January 5, A.C. 479
4:30 AM EST}

Barechistan, the graveyard of empires.

This ancient land had claimed many a foreign invader, and the Teutonisches Volkisches Reich was about to tread forth into the heart of it. As the MH-64/5C continued on through ancient valleys, past primordial, snow-capped mountain-ranges of old, on its way to the designated landing zone, which had been secured by four squads of Nachtadler special forces in the immediate vicinity.

Sieghard Adelhelm von Sÿtzen commanded Luftlandebrigades 139 of the Schnelle Reaktion Division, which made him effectively one of the first to begin this treading forth into the great unknown of Barechistan. He carried to his name the titles of Count of Schreiberhau, Baron of Gießmannsdorf, Earl of Bunzlau, and Count of Sÿtzen. It was no surprise, of course. He was nobility, as were many officers of the Heer. The man saw in Barechistan a fearsome, reputable enemy — and a means by which to gain more holdings and titles.

Joining him on this voyage to their new forward headquarters would be Oberstleutnant Horst Dietsch, a lowborn but quite efficient officer that simply excelled in the job he was fit for. He commanded Fallschirmjägerregiment 33, which would be involved in the operation in question. Along with him would be Oberstleutnant Katherin von Gehlenburg, Baroness of Gehlenburg. Fallschirmjägerregiment 16 was under her command, which was similarly due to see action in this operation.

The target: Taxila, known in Teutonic as Tachsilen. The city was host to much of the Teutonic minority's population, and were presently being terrorized by the Aleisabat. Forced conversion to Lunarism, and death to those who refuse — such was the fate that was impending upon the town.

The rhythm of the helicopter's rotors served as backing to the symphony on the radio as they passed snowy cliffsides, ancient ruins, and relics of wars long past. In the distance, Ruchniɡ Mir: 'the fire king'. The mountain was said to have once hosted a great city in the epochs long gone, which had fallen to the mind-numbing grip of hedonism and wanton excess. For their sin, it was said that God had punished the city, setting it aflame. Thus the mountain had earned its name, or so the story went. It was upon this peak that their landing zone would be, and it was from this peak that Sieghard would command the first offensive into Barechistan.

"These mountain peaks and valleys are no different than our own... what testament does it give to the border that divides us from our southern volkische brethren?" Horst sarcastically remarked. Indeed, most of them viewed this land as their own, rightfully by the Teuton blood of the people who inhabited this place.

"This land will become ours again by divine right." Katherin nodded. Her unflinching nature towards their enemy made her a fairly good subordinate to trust in, though she also tended to be a bit too... quick to action. Such a desire to hurry headfirst into battle would surely betray her ambitions in the future, at least that was what Sieghard worried himself with.

It did not take long for the helicopter to make its final approach, slowly lowering itself to the clearing not far from the mountain peak itself. It would be from here that their operation would be commanded. Stepping off the helicopter and trudging through the snow, Sieghard would be first to take the curious glance below. To call it a 'birds-eye' view would be an understatement. Rather, one could fancy this a gods' eye view.

Setting up the command suite and tent, they had a fairly decent overlook of the landscape below. With subordinates and personnel evaluating radio systems and communicating with the ground elements, Sieghard needed only watch the scenery below as he plotted his first act.

The Barechistani fighter was a perfidious trickster for sure, and though their arrival had been subtle, Sieghard elected to think as if their forces were expected. What would the Aleisabat do?

"Orders, herr kommandant?" Katherin questioned.

"Listen closely," Sieghard instructed. "Our symphony is about to begin."

Closing his eyes, he assumed himself in the vastness of his mind as he processed the battlefield on the tactical map situated before him in his command suite. Deep breaths, methodical calculations. He was in control.

A lone helicopter traversing the mountain ranges. Eleven infantrymen. This would be the first forward deployment of Fallschirmjäger pertaining to Fallschirmjägerregiment 33 in the region, to which there was a degree of caution exercised. Their task was simple: land, and eliminate an enemy patrol that had been spotted by HUMINT and IMINT. Aircraft intervening on the field already would be source for alarm from the enemy, and given their largely mechanized deployment, the Teutons intended to exercise caution. The Aleisabat's units present in Taxila, Battalion I "And so Luna decided to smite his enemies" and Battalion IV "Harbingers of Things to Come", numbered almost ten-thousand in total, dedicated to nothing short of suppressing the downtrodden ethnic Teuton populace of the city.

This was but the first piece moving in a greater chessboard, dust being cast aside as boots met the moist mixture of snow and dirt that comprised the terrain of the pass. Rifles trained ahead, a silence befell the group of men as the helicopter departed.

"Distant contacts," One of them spoke up, rugged voice not unlike most of the hardened soldiers of the Schnelle Reaktion Division. Seven Aleisabat militiamen patrolled the jagged pass, their job no doubt routine at this point. Whether those had or hadn't heard the helicopter was irrelevant in this moment, as they were unsuspecting of the eleven-man group formed up along the cliffside.

In a matter of seconds it was over: firing down on the Aleisabat soldiers below, six of the seven would quickly be dropped, the seventh fruitlessly running for cover — only for a final burst to cut the man's life short, his lifeless body tumbling over the cliffside into the abyss below.

"Enemy patrol has been dealt with." Horst announced, bringing Sieghard back to attention. All had played as he'd expected, thankfully.

"The overlook awaits them, then." Sieghard noted, nodding. "Ready the squadrons for the next act. Taxila awaits."

There were almost ten-thousand enemy combatants in Taxila, intel estimated. However, Sieghard remained confident that his small — and technologically superior — force would be more than aptly suited towards combatting the Barechistani enemy.

They were nearing the overlook now, the lights of Taxila ahead glimmering just in the distance. Standing watch beside a presumedly ancient surface-to-air missile site — Tangaliroan build, one could imagine — eight Aleisabat militants stood guard.

Taking point, rifles were aimed ahead, sights set on the heads of the enemy soldiers. Three, two...

RATATAT

One by one, the Aleisabat fighters were cut down by the brief burst of gunfire from across the pass, clearing the site in a matter of seconds. The eleven-man squad quickened their pace, navigating along the treacherous pass until they themselves had reached the overlook, promptly disabling the now-derelict surface-to-air missile site.

Taxila...

That city of ancient repute, welcoming gateway to countless conquerors past. Teutonia would succeed where countless others failed. Such was in the spirit of the people that had endured so many past oppressors and adversaries — from Sinican to Zachod, the Teuton was a hardened people, equally as worthy of the warrior's reputation that the Barechistanis carried.

The call would be given on radio soon thereafter.

"The Einherjar come!"

The utter hell that rained down on the enemy had been nigh-unfathomable, artillery bearing down from across the border as the air and ground campaigns commenced. Sieghard eyed the chaos unfold below from the mountain, taking a sip from his bottle of brandy as he watched.

Ouriel was with them today. The offensive would only last a few hours before Taxila had been brought under the Teuton banner.

The war in Barechistan had begun.

by **Forest State** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:51 am

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With tensions at a high in the Pacific region and a proxy war between the PRS aligned Prabhuist movement and Kaelic aligned Gonshawar Dynasty, the Kaelic Heavenly Brigade is once again readying for a deployment - this time to Vajraya, a far flung destination for a number of operatives whose experience lies in South Ophir. With plans in the works to reabsorb Jainnagar and encircle the People’s Republic of Vajraya, the Heavenly Brigade will soon act as a spearhead for a larger conventional operation by both Kaelic and Vajrayan military forces.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 1 – ACT 1: “A VERY PECULIAR GROUP”

Heavenly Brigade Headquarters Complex, Bandon, Empire of Kael and Victoria
January 10th, 479

_______________________

Bandon was a name that was notable for a number of reasons in the Kaelic collective memory. The city was one of the homes of the special forces and intelligence community in the country, and aside from that, it was known in the civilian world for being wedged in the mountains, the kind of place where heading from one end of the city limits to the other required navigating mountain roads carefully, and the kind of place that would show up if someone searched for images of the typical winter sports town. Although, Bandon was larger than a town, if only because of the military presence which had uplifted the city from a relatively minor one to a somewhat bustling retreat in the mountains. The military presence involved a number of ‘special’ units… The types that couldn’t talk too much to outsiders about what their work was, the type that were involved in actions behind enemy lines and precision strikes on high value targets, and the like.

While the Kaelic Intelligence Bureau was based along with many of the other important government agencies in Daernel, the capital of the country, there was one particularly interesting building of theirs which was located in Bandon istead. That happened to be the headquarters of the Heavenly Brigade, the paramilitary organization which operated under their command - under the Capital Guard, specifically, but the KIB was already a subdivision of the Capital Guard and the Heavenly Brigade was a subdivision of the KIB. All roads tended to lead back to the Capital Guard… Which meant that at the end of the day, all roads led back to the Ceannasai, as the one that the Capital Guard and its subordinate organizations reported to.

That chain of command that ran through the Ceannasai and the Capital Guard would eventually end up in the Heavenly Brigade if one followed it far enough down the latter, which made sense - when the Ceannasai needed something done, and when conventional forces just couldn’t cut it, there was a decent chance that the one to get the call about it would be that organization. The Heavenly Brigade, a name that was tied to wars of the earlier 400s, and distinctly linked with Kaelic military successes in them - the Air Force had perhaps played the largest role in toppling the CNR regime in Velezia, and the Army had been in action on the ground, but the Heavenly Brigade was the one that had helped to incite the Velezian people against itself, and the one that had worked to pull the strings behind some of the most high profile events which had helped to cause the collapse through putting pressure on the Velezian government.

They had fought from Courburg to Las Playas, they had fought threats domestically and overseas, and yet they still received their payments out of black budgets and their names were still unknown to the public for the most part despite their acts - they were more known than the secretive units which some countries had, the ones that flat out didn’t exist, but at the same time it could be said that they were right on the borderline of being that type of organization. It was known that they existed - what they were up to, or more specifically, what they were working for the name of the Ceannasai, was another story entirely.

Soon enough, there was a decent chance that Vajraya was added to the list of places where Heavenly Brigade operatives would have fought. Of course, they had done an action or two in the country already in the aid of the Gonshawar Dynasty, but they hadn’t yet committed to a full campaign of action, even with the Kaelic city of Aidfeana being located within an enclave of Gonshawar’s territory, and directly threatened by the situation in the country’s north, or rather, the problem of the increasingly aggressive Prabhuist movement.

That was going to change, with the security of Aidfeana becoming a large enough priority to warrant deploying the Heavenly Brigade in Vajraya proper, and sending them on an active mission once again - however, in this case, it wasn’t the Prabhuists that were being targeted. For now, it seemed the enemy was Jainnagar, another breakaway state which would encircle the Prahbhuists if they were brought back under the control of the throne. This would, of course, have to be a group effort. But before there would even be talks about sending in a Kaelic-Vajrayan force to secure the threat, and perhaps put a loyal Vajrayan dynasty in power to act as a buffer zone between Gonshawar proper and the People’s Republic of Sinica to the north, the Heavenly Brigade was leading the way.

The cast that had been assembled in front of the KIB Director, Darren Tsaoir, was an interesting one - Tsaoir himself was no stranger to dealing with rough around the edges types, having been born in Canguari and spending a significant amount of time there due to the Tsaoir clan’s increasing presence in the country after they had lost the position of Ceannasai to the Riley-Shaes following the reign of Maura Tsaoir, and an intermediate period which had resulted in several leaders coming and going during an internally chaotic series of years. But even with that fact, the clan still lived strong and had expanded their private holdings in Canguari while maintaining their political holdings back home and working on getting further into business, entrenching themselves in the political landscape and ensuring that the clan didn’t lose their status as one of the major ones in Kael thanks to dropping out of the Ceannasai race.

Darren had been raised on one of those overseas mansions in Canguari owned by the Tsaoir clan, but that wasn’t to say that everything in life had been easy. They hadn’t been in the big city - and even with money, living in what was essentially the wildlands of a South Ophiric country and mixing with the working class would show anyone what it was like to roll with people that were rough around the edges, and sometimes people that were just, well, peculiar. This experience was likely part of what made Darren a decent fit for the KIB, an organization which was no stranger to pursuing shady plans and using shadier people to accomplish the task.

However, the group that was in front of him right now happened to be different from anyone that Darren had seen before - there was someone from the Cleary clan… Or family, rather. Wasn’t like they had gone into politics and become a proper clan. However, it was still notable to see the granddaughter of someone that had been recognized by Maura Tsaoir herself and internally by the KIB as a war hero - due to the nature of much of her work, the masses didn’t know the name Brigid Cleary, but certain circles within the military did. It was a somewhat notable story, of course… The story of a fighter pilot turned ground operative, after a number of bad events had driven her away from climbing into the cockpit again. Now, her granddaughter stood in what was likely one of the very rooms she had stood in all those decades ago.

But seeing someone related to a war hero wasn’t the strangest thing, in the grand scheme of things. Darren himself was the son of Yvaine Tsaoir, who was a celebrity in her own right because she was the niece of Maura Tsaoir, and as Maura had never had children, she was the most ‘legitimate’ heir of the former Ceannasai. It wasn’t like Darren had never met and talked with well known people before, being from this clan and growing up under the instruction of Yvaine and others.

It was just a bit strange seeing war hero relative Niamh Cleary in the same room as some of the others that had received this assignment. Standing next to Niamh while they prepared to receive their briefing was Shane Cleiric, who wasn’t a celebrity outside of the upper echelons of KIB command by any means but was notable within that small group of people for some very specific reasons - while operating in Canguari with a regular KIB unit before joining the Heavenly Brigade more recently, and aiding the government of the country in repelling any hostile actions by the neighboring cartels in a low intensity skirmishing and internal border conflict, it had been reported back to high command that Cleiric demonstrated a gift of sorts. Something outside the realms of normal human ability.

At least, that was how it had been described. Cleiric was said to have a certain ‘sense’ for getting the kill, so to speak, which had helped him in a role where he had operated with only a small team to take out figures who made too much of a stir within Canguari. Hired guns who caused too much trouble, cartel leaders who pushed their luck too much with setting up in Canguari rather than their own sovereign cartel territory. The KIB had aided the Canguarian government in combatting some of those actions, but what was notable was the things Cleiric had reported while working out there. That his good performances weren’t just because of natural skill, although Cleiric was talented in that area, but because of… Some kind of ‘gift.’ Some kind of special sense for death, and for killing. And it didn’t seem the agent was simply crazy. His performance was good, and psychological evaluations hadn’t recorded something being wrong. High command was split on whether or not it was even possible for this to be a real thing. Regardless, they considered Cleiric’s performance good enough to warrant a possible leadership role.

They weren’t the only intriguing figures in the room. Behind Cleary and Cleiric there were some other assorted figures hanging around, less notable but interesting in their own right because of their backgrounds - some of them were Kaelic, some of them were South Ophiric from Velezia or Canguari who had been turned Kaelic through service, something which wasn’t a formal clause as much as it was something that happened anyway in certain cases when the right people gave authorization. Furthermore, it could be said that this was a very… Rough group, to put it one way. They wouldn’t look out of question if they were one of the cartels the KIB had indirectly combatted, but they weren’t just any ordinary group of fighters, they were the one that was about to be sent out under the First Heavenly Battalion into Vajraya to deal with a real threat.

The decisions on personnel had been made a level underneath Darren, with Heavenly Brigade personnel being the one responsible for it rather than the KIB directly, and he supposed the only option here was to trust their government. But that didn’t change the fact that it was exceedingly peculiar to see the granddaughter of a war hero, a former KIB operative who was said to have some kind of psychic ability, and a bunch of rough around the edges misfits who weren’t even entirely Kaelic all fit in this small room, waiting on an important assignment. Were these really the people that were going to spearhead a major security operation?

Then again… The Heavenly Brigade had always been a rather informal group compared to some of the more regular units in the Kaelic military, operating without solidified procedures in some areas and relying more on adaptability and small unit tactics than on the organization that was required to keep a larger military unit running smoothly. They knew what they were good at, and didn’t pretend to be something else. It tended to play to their benefit - when they were denied access by circumstances to things a regular military would have, they were typically able to not sweat it. They weren’t real soldiers, who relied on a real supply chain, and having the best intel. They were something else entirely, and they were damn good at it.

“Ladies and gentleman… For those of you who are returning, welcome back. For those of you transferring in from other branches or other units, welcome to the First Heavenly Battalion. I’m sure you already have some idea of what’s going on, but long story short, it’s only going to be a few days before your task force is flying into Aidfeana and then making the trip up the country and towards the Vajrayan frontier - Jainnagar, in specific. You’re there because the existence of Jainnagar is a ‘humanitarian crisis’. And in a way, it is. Ever since the fall of Zhou to the Sinican menace, the quality of life in this breakaway state has dipped even further thanks to an increase in isolation from the outside world. This humanitarian crisis spawned by this fact is the Vajrayan pretense for military action to bring Jainnagar back under the crown - the reason why both our own nation and our Vajrayan allies, however, are interested in this… Is that capturing Jainnagar would allow Gonshawar to encircle the People’s Republic of Vajraya and help contain them in the event of future offensives,” Darren stated. “This smaller conflict for now might go some ways in eliminating the chances of a larger conflict down the line in the future.”

“Your actions behind enemy lines will take place both during the pre-war phase and during the conflict itself,” Darren continued, extending a hand towards a monitor behind him, which was showing what seemed like plans in progress from the upcoming conflict. “Additionally, your actions will have a great deal of effect in preserving the security and prosperity of Aidfeana by helping to cut off the northern threat. Now, I think I should get down to a question that all of you are asking. That would be the matter of leadership. Your task force will be led by Captain Shane Cleiric, while your executive officer will be Niamh Cleary. These names have proven experience behind them and your unit’s higher ups believe them to be effective in this role.”

Darren paused for effect to allow the news to sink in, before smiling ever so slightly. “So. With the background information out of the way, let’s get right down to what you’re going to start with in the coming days…”

by **Turmenista** » Sun Oct 06, 2019 4:07 pm

S1E2
_{UNDER THE MOON’S LIGHT}

Not even a year has passed since the fundamentalist Lunarist organization known as the Aleisabat took power in Barechistan. Opposition is growing steadily in the unstable but resource-rich Mederune nation, be it the so-called Izat-led “Alliance to Restore Barechistan,” Farzana militias, remnants of the Barechistani government, foreign mercenaries, or, most recently, Teutonia itself. Barechistan has a reputation for being the graveyard of many empires, from the Gallian line armies before the calamity, to the Tangaliroan armies of the 380s that tried and failed to subjugate the mountainous people. Only time will tell if the Teutons can take on the challenge set by previous conquerors.

The Aleisabat have made it clear that they are here to stay, whether the Ourielists, Teutons, Vir people, and Farzanas like it or not. The advantage these Izat militants have over the foreign invaders, of course, is home field advantage. As the Teutons relocate troops to the recently captured city of Taxila with hopes of inciting a Teuton uprising in the region, the Aleisabat have begun to make their own moves...perhaps to incite a larger Teuton response, or perhaps as payback to the capture of Taxila.

Enter Paradise, Act 2
_{Gul Zar Cave Complex}
_{Gul Zar Mountains
Somewhere in Barechistan}
_{Lunarist Emirate of Barechistan}
_{January 6, A.C. 479
5:30 AM EST}

Calling the Gul Zar cave complex just a simple “complex” was a bit of an understatement. Hidden perfectly within the mountains of Barechistan, the fortress was carved about 1200 ft deep into an even larger 13,000 ft tall mountain, and was capable of accommodating thousands of people with the various amenities inside, including offices, bedrooms, and hospitals. Exits and entrance tunnels were hidden behind rocks and mud walls, large enough for vehicles to pass through, while the valleys themselves were guarded by heavily-armed and highly-trained militiamen, a few with FIM-79 Pincer missile launchers.

Effectively, it was an entire base of operations hidden within the mountain itself, serving as a central nexus for the Aleisabat’s operations, and a marvel feat of engineering. An elaborate system of ventilation shafts brought air to the caverns, while also providing alternative and quick exits for the security forces of the Gul Zar complex. Many of these secret exits were guarded by steel doors and booby trapped, while false doors and hidden passages deep into the bowels of the cave served to confuse any potential intruder.

Deeper inside the mountain, one could find arms and ammunition, including ammunition for FIM-79 pincer missiles, stored in underground armories. Power and ventilation came from hydroelectric power generated by mountain streams, keeping the power grid of Gul Zar separate of any cities like Kot or Aspanada. Its nickname online as the so-called “Portal to the Nether World” came from the fact that the complex itself was cut deep inside the mountain as to prevent its detection from thermal sensing equipment, the unfathomably complex network of tunnels serving to discourage any invaders or infiltrators while also managing thousands of men all at once.

There wasn’t really anything for the Aleisabat to worry about in regards to the Gul Zar complex. Most attempts to locate the cave's position in the mountainous country from the Barechistani Army Commandops in 470 had been scrubbed by the Aleisabat, as had all other manned raids against it by Clancy Petrochemicals mercenaries and Barechistani security forces before the Aleisabat takeover. Thus far, all attempts at raiding the place had resulted in catastrophic failures for the attackers, leaving its true location up to speculation from word of tongue and online OSINT experts, and coverage by media had left an enigmatic and almost legendary-like status over the mountain fortress. For all intensive purposes, everyone that knew the fortress by memory was dead.

Slowing down to a halt at the end of the hidden gate ahead of him, Yama Tariq Rokhan Jagirani slung his rifle against his shoulder as his horse approached one of the large, fortified tunnels that led into the complex. The guards outside nodded to their comrade as Yama raised his index finger, pointed up to the star-filled sky, and the moon. Yama rode in alone, flanked by no one as his horse entered the tunnel. He entered into the inner gate, the outer gate closing behind them, then continued after the inner gate rose up to the fortress before him. He stepped off his horse and immediately made his way into the bowels of the mountain base, lowering his skull mask as he approached one of the many offices built into the facility. Inside was a man, inspecting a map of what appeared to be northeast Barechistan, upon closer inspection—specifically, the city of Taxila.

"I have returned, Tariq Zarbon." Yama's introduction was short and curt as he set his rifle by the door, folding his arms behind his back in an at ease stance.

"Have you found anything of importance out there, brother?" The Aleisabat commander inquired, his eyes not straying away from the map. It was at that point that Yama noticed the holy Nasi being used as a paperweight by the commander, though parts of the text were bookmarked for further reading. Yama wasn't as religious as the commander was, or as spiritual, but it just showed a certain dedication in his eyes for someone like Tariq Zarbon to be reading the Nasi so frequently.

"Nothing but dust, the sun, the occasional Teuton...which I killed." Yama shook his head. "I did notice something was different riding back tonight, though."

"Hm?"

"The sky..it seems.. different." Yama paused. "It's as if all of the stars I know well are there, but, at the same time, they're all switched around. The moon and Lur are the same dots in the sky I can always see, but it seems different. Everything seems different, as if things were shifted around or 'jumped.' I'm no expert in the stars, but I know something is not the same here."

"I feel the same way." Tariq Zarbon nodded. "It's as if I feel there is a "gap" between my memories of past and my memories of present, at times. As you know, Alqamar works in mysterious ways...such as by bringing you back to me."

"This is why you summoned me?" Yama gestured to the map, to which the Aleisabat commander nodded. "The Teuton barbarians have invaded the city of Taxila and are inciting riots and open warfare on the streets. They have gone so far as to defacing the name of the city itself, renaming it to Tachsilen, of their barbaric language. We can NOT ALLOW them to occupy the city for much longer, which is why I am tasking the Battalion I "And so Luna decided to smite his enemies" and Battalion IV "Harbingers of Things to Come" with immediately retaking the city by any means necessary. We most definitely have the numbers to take the city, now, we must consider how long the Teutons will last against our waves, if their morale will plummet..."

"You want us to target the morale of a technologically superior enemy?" Yama blinked. "Some of our men are calling them invincible."

"Not just their morale—their vitals. I want their supply lines struck at any convenience, their helicopters downed by our Pincers, and their forts besieged. As seen with the Akhmanari reprobates in Zaratia, a technologically superior enemy can be whittled down by a force like our own. And, lest you forget, brother, no enemy is invincible to Alqamar. The Teuton apes will be driven out and burned like the herd of sheep they are."

"Is there anything else you would like of me, or my unit, the Red Snake Special Unit?^[1]" Yama asked.

"I want you working with the White Spear Special Unit^[2] again. Demoralizing the enemy, of course, is their specialty..getting them to their location intact is yours. As to keep things covert, I am now pushing for official orders to be sent out via telegram or motorcycle couriers. That is all."

With a crisp salute, he raised his index finger again to the ceiling. "Alqamar Yasha,^[3] the The Teuton apes will pay for what they have done in Taxila. I'll leave at once."

Without warning, Yama grabbed his rifle by the door and left the room, leaving his commander behind as he prepared to ride out into the night.

CONTEXT NOTES

1 - Red Snake Special Unit - The Red Snake Special Unit is an elite Aleisabat "special forces" unit under the command of Yama Tariq Rokhan Jagirani. Comprised mostly of ex-Barechistani commandos, foreign mercenaries-turn Lunarist jihadists, and smugglers, the Red Snake are notorious for being among the most skilled of the Aleisabat, mostly due to their legendary kill/loss ratios and feats, including hijacking Qariki civilian airplanes, bombing airports, and, most notably, single-handedly pulling off a coup against the Barechistani government in 478.

Various intelligence agencies throughout Mederum believe the Red Snake to be one of many special units within the Aleisabat that were trained by guns for hire, citing their skill in smuggling, high-speed warfare, and use of exotic equipment. Some figures say the mercs were perhaps Kaelic in origin, others say Qariki, but one thing is for sure: they most definitely got their training from someone of high clout.

2 - White Spear Special Unit - The White Spear Special Unit are another special unit within the Aleisabat, and one of few that are so-called "Blessed by Luna" — that is, many of their members are willing to give up their lives for the cause, particularly through suicide bombings. They are experts in the use of VBIEDs, explosives, artillery, and undermining enemy defenses, as many of their members were once engineering students or civil engineers experienced with the craft.

3 - Alqamar Yasha - Literally translates to “if the moon wills it.”

by **Forest State** » Mon Oct 07, 2019 9:04 am

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whisper Incorporated is an organization as secretive as it is interesting - the private research and development firm slash defense contractor operates out of former Awenyddion to stay away from prying eyes, and masks its activities from leaks behind a wall of confidentiality agreements enforced with threats and guns. It seems the latest turn of events in geopolitics will see the organization jumping into action in Vajraya after being contracted by the Kaelic military, and as the preparations hit their peak phase for the involvement of ‘Lightning Squad’ in the conflict, a new pilot arrives from very different surroundings to fill an open spot.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 1 – ACT 2: “WELCOME TO LIGHTNING”

Site Six, Former Awenyddion
January 14th, 479

_______________________

Site Six… Few people knew about it. The truth about it, anyway. Fact of the matter was, hiding a place this large with its own airstrip, post office, and other facilities wasn’t all that possible. Not entirely. But as far as what actually went on there? That was largely secret, and it was hardly even known what the company that owned the place was up to. Supposedly, they were called Whisper - but a lot of people didn’t even know if that was some front company or if it was the main owner itself. And as for what they did, it was known that they were in the field of defense and that someone could have their hired guns for the right price, but the frequent flights back and forth between former Awenyddion and the Kaelic mainland indicated that something else was going on behind the scenes. No one needed all those flights for what was simply a mercenary company. Furthermore, they had what had been called… A test range, based not too far away from Site Six.

What exactly did a company like them need to test, if their job was just to take payment and shoot at their targets? That was what many people were asking, and few people knew. Those who did know were sworn to so many confidentiality agreements that it seemed like nothing was ever getting out… Rumor said that those who had leaked details in the past had been punished severely enough for their mistakes that few people would be willing to step forward and put their own lives on the line trying the same thing. At the luckier end of the spectrum, one could find themselves simply getting tracked back to their new location and taken out by a hit squad - further on the other end of the scale of punishments, at least according to rumors, leaking could be met with forced disappearance and then geneslavery.

They were called Whisper for a reason. While some private military companies moved in the open and didn’t shy away from their activities, Whisper marketed themselves more to a different crowd. People who wanted something done but didn’t want to be involved too directly. People who needed reliable help carrying out something in secret, or who needed other things done behind the scenes. Still, there was more to the group than that. Even a secretive PMC… Didn’t need all of this if that was the only thing they were. Truth was, they received investments from all over, from top companies such as Gnothas Mearn to political figures and groups such as the Tsaoir clan themselves, all because their expertise stretched into more than one area.

They were also on the cutting edge of something that Kael had always cared about - research. And that was perhaps why they were so valued. Testing for the B-100 hypersonic bomber had been conducted by Whisper, on behalf of the government, and Gnothas Mearn had worked with this company on both their supersonic airliner project and in AI research, a field that they were more and more ambitious in these days. Under the ground, they likely had more ambitious projects in the works even after their more notable ventures into supersonics had been a success. This wasn’t the type of company to settle, but the type to push forward into the future.

And soon enough, the Canguarian pilot Isabela Tabare would get a firsthand look at the inner workings of this dangerous, confidential, and intriguing world that had taken her from Siracusa all the way out to Daernel and then to her final stop at Site Six - a place which wasn’t on the regular schedule, and was only reachable via chartered flight. They ran those flights often, of course. Every day, there were plenty of professionals that needed to get between Kael and the site, which sat considerably outside of the country’s borders, and she could spot some of them right now on the converted KAC-600 airliner that was used for these frequent flights… All of them more experienced and less nervous than her.

Unlike them, she was practically shaking in her boots as she neared the place where she had been assigned, the broken and burnt terrain outside continuing to get more vivid as they made their approach and dropped altitude. It hadn’t been as noticeable before when they were higher up, but now that it was within view a lot more, it wasn’t hard to be haunted in a way by it. It was hard to think that this had at one point been part of a vibrant civilization, and not just... Rolling wastelands that stretched on for miles and miles, practically the place that had represented the impassable edge of the north for the Kaels who lived further south of here around the mountainous border region.

The haunting feeling she got from the terrain wasn’t the reason she was slightly panicked, however - that was entirely due to the job and the fact that despite showing external confidence for now, she had no clue whether she’d succeed or not in a high pressure environment like this. The squadron she was joining, it was even called Lightning Squadron. She felt like that said something about what she was in for - action, rapid deployment wherever they needed her, and direct action… Except, she’d never done any of those things before, or at least not to the extent this place demanded. Really, they had only recruited her from the Canguarian Air Force because of ‘analytics’ or whatever that meant. Apparently, she was part of some experiment she had never been told about - the data from her flights supposedly showed some kind of hidden potential, but she didn’t have the confidence to believe it. Instead, she wondered if it was just an error in the machine, and how long it would take the engineers and analysts here to notice that.

The KAC-600 landed and came to a rolling stop on the tarmac, no full sized passenger terminal in sight, and Isabela and the rest of the occupants were led out by men in dark uniforms. Typical of a place like this. It almost looked professional enough to make one think the real military was running the place, but the strange insignias or lack of insignia altogether was a dead giveaway that these people were indeed private military. Not that she needed someone to tell her.

“Right this way,” one of the guards told her, and she wasn’t sure if she felt like she was walking to a new job or to a prison. Maybe it was just the gloomy atmosphere and the post apocalyptic surroundings that made her feel that way - she was sure things would improve when they reached the more polished interior of the main compound. After all, while the surroundings were post apocalyptic, this place had received a great amount of investment and was beyond most facilities in terms of modern technology.

She was led away from the main group, the one that had more regulars who already worked here, and brought towards the administrative office where she was supposed to check in and find out where she was going to be staying - a smaller building outside of the main compound, it was fairly nondescript, but at the very least it was more warm and inviting than the outside surroundings and the corporate airstrip, which had been designed for function over form in just about every area.

After pushing her way inside through a pair of glass doors, she was greeted with the first smile she’d received today, from the woman behind the receptions desk. “Welcome to Site Six… I can assume that you’re the new pilot that I was told would be coming. Isabela, correct? If you’ll come over here, I can get your ID card and your room key ready…”

The mercenary pilot nodded silently, her more quiet mood a contrast from that of the receptionist. She stood there while the woman did just as she said, typing some things on a computer and then looking through some drawers behind the main desk, probably for the key and ID card she had talked about. As she did so, Isabela would notice someone else stepping through a doorway and into view, coming from another lobby or waiting area of sorts. “About time you showed up,” the newcomer said.

She was looking at a male that couldn’t be too much older than her, with short trimmed blonde hair and eyes that were almost… Grey, perhaps. Maybe very light blue. She couldn’t tell without giving it a harder look, and she didn’t feel like doing that right now because she felt slightly intimidated. Not really because of anything specific about the person that was looking at her, but because she felt that she was outmatched in experience here… She didn’t even know who this was, she just had the feeling.

“I’m one of the other pilots,” the man said, as if he already knew what she was thinking. He extended his hand, which she took slightly reluctantly, nodding along. “Zaide Heath. Also known as the third pilot in the flight, which I believe makes you my wingman… wingwoman, I guess. You’re coming in at number four, but I’m sure you know that-”

“Yeah,” Isabela said, nodding and hoping to prove she wasn’t completely clueless just because she was new here. “Someone else left and now I’m filling in. And trying to not be a disappointment.”

“That basically sums up the situation,” Zaide said. “We’re going to have to get to know each other soon - we only have a couple of days for training flights before we’re headed to the front. Jainnagar, specifically. The government wants extra help and doesn’t want to scare the Sinicans too much with sending in a large deployment. Therefore, we’re going to work with our own equipment and use Vajrayan colors. Good chance they either take us for Vajrayans, or assume we’re from some regular FSE merc company. In other words, not something to cause too much concern. I don’t know if you’ve been briefed or not yet, but that’s the situation. We walk into it in just a couple of days. Those big supersonic jets you saw on the tarmac out there are going to bring us, and all our stuff, over when it’s time.”

Isabela scratched the back of her head, slightly nervous. It was a short time before they would have to head to the frontlines, and it would hardly give any time at all for her to learn who she was working with. It was an urgent job, yes, but she was surprised she had been assigned to it given her new status… Then again, maybe with the urgent job, they hadn’t had time to find someone more experienced who wanted to take this spot. “Not much time to get to know the others, hmm?”

“Correct,” Zaide said matter of factly, as the receptionist finished getting the required things out and handed the key card and the ID card to Isabela, over the desk. “But I can give you a rundown quickly on the others that you’re going to work with in the flight. The squadron leader, Emer Love-Runs-Out L. Halsey, is an oddity, a Kaelic-Augustan, born in Euphemie as far as I know… She came to Kael back in her early teenage years, and she’s been focused on this piloting thing ever since. She’s a good leader, but she’s also a demanding one - don’t slip up around her, and you’ll have an alright time. Make too many mistakes, and she’ll let you know about it.”

Zaide took a step back and gestured towards the door while continuing with the rundown. “Her Executive Officer is, from what I’ve heard, someone that used to fly for the KIB. Not the Heavenly Brigade, but the KIB directly. It’s something that’s not put out there a lot, a position that most people haven’t heard of. Because the KIB, of course, doesn’t want you to hear about it. Shawn Handrahan is one of the more reckless pilots that I’ve known, both in the skies and out of the skies, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s doing. There’s a reason he stayed in the KIB for years even with his reckless record. He’s knowledgeable, both in general and when it comes to fighter tactics - he just has a tendency to fly off the chain, which takes some people by surprise.”

Pausing, Zaide held the door open as Isabela stepped outside, before following her. “And as for me, the one that you might end up working the closest with because of our positions as number three and number four in the flight… Well, the only thing you have to know about me is that I’m the furthest from home out of anyone in the flight. Taris is home - right on the border with Canten. I’m talking of Aenara, of course. Although unlike the vast majority of the people in my country, I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world if it was still the FRNO. As for my quirks… I prefer efficiency. Do well in the skies, and we won’t have problems.”

It was a lot of information to take in at once, but Isabela nodded regardless. “Thanks, I guess. Should help with knowing how to approach them given, y’know, I don’t know anyone…”

“You’re going to be getting to know everyone real good soon. Can’t fight side by side with strangers,” Zaide stated simply, waving towards one of the facilities. “Now, if you’re ready… You can come meet them and see where it is that you’re staying. We only have a couple of days until it’s time for the start of combat ops in Jainnagar. As I said, I like efficiency - I don’t intend on wasting that time sitting around…”

by **Da Liang** » Fri Oct 11, 2019 1:19 am

S1E1
ANGEL'S MEGALOMANIA

I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the Engelsfestung. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.

Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90 - III. Poco Allegretto

Teutonische Volkisches Reich- Engelsheim
Dominik von Engelsheim- Engelsfestung
January 25th, 479 AC

Dominik von Engelsheim, formerly known as Dominik Blumenschein, was the grandson of the late Andreas Blumenschein, which was recorded to be the richest man of the now dissolved Teutonic People's Republic. After he inherited much of the miser's massive amount of accumulated wealth and the position of CEO in the Blumenschein Bankengruppe, he wasted no time in the investment of acquiring the more developed fiefs and cemented his name as one of the most powerful nobles in the Teutonic Reich — The Duke of Engelsheim.

As prosperous and wealthy his fief may be, however, this was merely perhaps only the first stepping stone to his unending ambition. With chaos brewing in Barechistan, it was time for the Duke of Engelsheim to begin cementing his legacy as the champion of the Teutonic people.

The Engelsfestung was one of the more popular surviving — if not, the greatest pre-calamity fortress in the Teutonian Empire. Placed atop a rocky hill that overlooked the Baroque revivalist city of Engelsheim, the fort represented the ancien régime-esque leadership that dominated most of the political atmosphere in Teutonia. With a carefully preserved medieval curtain walls complemented with a luxurious Pristian-esque Baroque interior design alongside the minimalist use of contemporary technology, the fort under Dominik, the Duke of Engelsheim, was indeed the envy of the various Teutonian nobility.

It was an unusually cold afternoon and the Duke decided to spend his free time by sitting in the castle gardens to feel the occasional burst of chilly zephyrs. He barely had the time to rest after months of meticulous for a military campaign against Barechistan. A free time in the gardens was a good way to distract himself from responsibilities. As he felt that it was a good time to have an occasional taste of wine, he rang the bell calling for a nearby servant.

“What do you wish, my lord.” A servant woman who was nearby, replied. Dominik noticed that she looked rather well-kept and quite attractive for a servant, or at least have some air of dignity that surrounds her in contrast to most commoners. However, he seemed to have ignored this and went on with his orders.

“Servant, bring me pre-calamity Pristian wine.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

Around a few minutes later, The servant came back and brought along a pre-calamity Pristian wine with a faded inscription which could still be read as Montepulciano 1776. It was a rarity among various wine collectors all over Tsion, who pays a tremendous amounts of around eight to nine figures for a single bottle. Despite this, a collection of these exquisite wines were simply found lying around in the basement around the time when Engelsheim Castle was renovated by the Duke shortly after he inherited it.

“Look below the gardens and tell me what you think of the city.” Dominik suddenly blurted out as the servant was slowly pouring wine into a golden wine cup in a sloppy manner. He also noticed that her smooth silky hands were that of someone who neither was used to having duties nor of commoner background.

“Pardon, my lord?” The servant was caught by surprise with the offhand comment and struggled not looked at the Duke while hiding the confused look on her face.

“Look...The inner part of Engelsheim was considered as one of the most beautiful places in Tsion and I... won’t necessarily disagree with the claim. Although, don’t you think these so called city critiques were purposely turning a blind eye on the outskirts —which I assume is the place where you came from.” Dominik nonchalantly declared as he toyed around with the wine cup.

The inner part of Engelsheim was the representation of meticulous cultural Medeuropean cultural preservation in Teutonia. The city was dominated by a plethora of traditional buildings with with mixed Teutonic-Gallo-Pristian Baroque designs. Perhaps, the most eye catching building in the city was the Technische Universität Engelsheimer, one of the oldest and top research institutions in Tsion that focuses on engineering, natural sciences, and technology. Furthermore, the traditionalist-esque look was further enhanced by having power lines placed in complex subway systems. The roads, who were dominated by hybridized Euphemian car designs and luxury horse carriages, were built with a combination of concrete and cobblestone, which gave off the appearance of a revived road network of the Solaran Empire.

However, this sort of aesthetic utopia applied for those who have wealth. The large outskirts in the eastern part of the city were dominated by uniformed low-cost high rise apartments in which most of the commoners and disgraced nobility live. Engelsheim’s industrial sector also exists near the outskirts, which usually was the source of income of the inhabitants. Unlike the inner city, the outskirts has a more modernist economical approach to architecture. The asphalt roads of the city were also dominated by mass produced Sinican economic sedans and workhouse transport vehicles.

“I don’t mean to disown my origins but this castle is now my home, the place where I will serve and eventually die. What happens to the outskirts or whatnot is none of my concern anymore.” She replied while her gaze looked down fixated on the stone cold floors.

“Is that really what you want to say? Or do you fear that I might have you hanged for criticizing the inefficiency of our society?”

“My lord, I -”

“Sit.” Dominik interjected and gestured the servant to come and sit on a chair facing in front of him. “I’m quite bored so I would like to talk with you for a bit.” Dominik repeatedly taps the chair.

“I...uh..As you wish, my lord.” The servant slightly stutters as she uncomfortably sat down on the edge of the chair.

“Yeah, you can quit the whole my lord stunt, I have no interest in formalities in my garden. The moment you sit on that chair, I’ll consider you to be of equal footing.”

“My Lo...Is it really alright for me to talk with you as if I’m speaking with someone of equal standing?”

“Titles are all worthless as long as men doesn’t acknowledge its value.” He pauses for a bit as he observed how the servant looked quite uncomfortable sitting down. “You look quite tense?”

“I’m simply not used to this situation, Dom...Dominik.” The servant slowly leans back to the chair as to appear more relaxed.

“You’ll eventually get used to it. Now then servant, would you mind telling me more about yourself.” Dominik casually asks as he personally pours wine for himself.

“I’m Agnes...Agnes Hierte. I come from a family of cattle herders who makes an honest living in the outskirts of Engelsheim. Aside from that, I have nothing else of interest to say.”

“Is that so Agnes, daughter of cattle herders? If you have nothing else to say about yourself, would you mind if I ask you several questions that will be quite...controversial?”

“Well I do mind, Herr Dominik. I might get into trouble with authorities if I were to be caught saying something insulting or controversial.”

“You seem to forget that I’m the only authority here and that I’m known to tolerate whatever radical opinions people have presented.” He declared as he gulped down wine in a commoner like fashion. He became more intrigued as he noticed that the servant seemed to have a brief look of disgust while he did this.

“If you really insist...What would you like to ask about?”

“Say, I don't normally talk about this with anyone but what do you think of the premise of me of becoming the Reichspräsident or maybe the Reichskanzler? Perhaps the Großha- No, just either of those two work.” Dominik asked in a rather sarcastic tone.

“And I’m uh...able give my honest opinion about this without fear of your anger?”

“I can guarantee this.”

“First of, may I ask what you wish to achieve my aspiring to acquire either of those positions? Not that I doubt you can acquire them, I only wish to know what you want to do with that amount of responsibility.”

“As indeed, I will enact reforms never ever seen before by any Teutonic man. I believe that a change of administration with me in charge will result to the Teutonic Reich reaching new heights.”

“Do you want my genuine opinion about this?”

“You’re still young, Dominik, just barely twenty years old or five years younger than I. This means you still have a lot of time to improve as a ruler.”

“Are you saying that I’m currently too powerless to seize those positions?”

"Well, you still haven't done much to contribute to your domain's development and you're a young upstart that's quite disliked by the nobility. I'd say that you should improve both the qualities of your various domains and your relations with the high nobles before you gun for high positions." Agnes declared with a rather sharp change of tone.

"Is that so? I appreciate your interesting input."

"Do you have anything else to say?"

"Well perhaps....the next time you're going to pose as a commoner, you should do a better job at it." Dominik smirked and laughed.

"I'm not-" Agnes raised her voice.

"Well aside from your sloppy work and extensive knowledge about the court, there are no cattle in Engelsheim."

by **Forest State** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 5:12 pm

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While a lower intensity conflict in northern Vajraya involving Jainnagar and the People’s Republic of Sinica brews in the background, the situation in the Jade Sea has once again come to the forefront… Looking to take decisive action, bring their clan back into the limelight, and secure the security of Victoria, the Tsaoir clan has put together a daring plan to answer the Acasian question once and for all - and liberate the Jade Sea from the hard grip of the Pantaleons. Such a mission, of course, isn’t easy… But the clan has an asset at their hands that their enemy may not - a half noble hungry enough for status to lead an insurgency personally. Furthermore, not to be one upped, the Imperial throne has considered its own entrance into such a conflict…

_________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 1 – ACT 3: “THE BASTARD’S QUEST”

Tsaoir Clan Villa, Outer Siracusa, Duchy of Canguari
February 10th, 479

_______________________

“Fact of the matter is, if you can do this, I don’t think anyone will doubt you. I don’t think anyone will be able to doubt you if you do this, but with that being said, the reason I’m offering you this and not someone more established is because this isn’t exactly a chance that a lot of people are looking to take. It’s risky, it’s dangerous, and we’re talking about picking a battle with a major power here, that other sides are probably going to let us fight on our own. It is, though, a battle that needs to be fought to protect the union between Kael and Victoria - which is going to throw our clan right back in the limelight if we’re behind a victory-”

“You don’t gotta explain it to me, boss. I don’t care about the dangers… I’d take that over some stuffy office job running a business and helping the clan out that way. Some people can pull it off… Just ain’t me, though,” said Ryden Dias Tsaoir, sometimes just called ‘the Basard’. It was rather obvious why the Kaelic noble had the title - born to the Tsaoir clan after they had set themselves up in Canguari, a place where they enjoyed high status and the support of the government, Ryden was the child of KIB Director Darren Tsaoir and a native woman, the latter of whom didn’t have any noble blood at all… And wasn’t anyone important enough to pass for someone who did.

Not that all of the prominent Kaelic political figures were born in wedlock. A lot of them weren’t, as a matter of fact. The key difference that separated Ryden from some of the more successful bastards, though, was the fact that unlike some of them, his mother wasn’t anyone relevant… Didn’t check any of the boxes. Wasn’t Kaelic, wasn’t even seeing his father in any kind of official arrangement, wasn’t anyone important but rather quite lower class and working as a waitress at the time of Ryden’s birth - no, the only reason Ryden hadn’t fallen down the same path of poverty and working just to survive was because his father had made the choice to raise him rather than casting him off to live with his mother.

Just being raised around the nobles, however, didn’t make one a noble. Not when one’s blood happened to be half clan, half foreigner, and poor foreigner at that.

Still, despite not growing up in the highest status, and despite not having the same respect that some of the more prominent and legitimate members of the clan were born with, Ryden was still standing here right now at the balcony of one of the clan’s villas in Canguari, a retreat away from Kael itself, a retreat where the clan could operate and run their dealings away from the noise that was always around the rest of the nation, around big cities and battlegrounds of politics and business.

The clan head, Rian Tsaoir, was standing just ahead of him and informing him about a task which if he accepted, the clan leadership would be willing to trust him with… Another thing that wasn’t expected from someone like his status, but that Ryden had worked to through hard work and showing that he was willing to get his hands dirty, acting on the streets and doing jobs in business that others didn’t care about so much, all for the purpose of showing that the clan would be passing up on someone who could help them in a number of areas if they simply dismissed him because of who his parents were.

“We’re looking at interfering with Acasia. Putting another government in their puppet state of Ghoto, in specific, and enforcing neutrality, as I’ve said. While it may be tempting to enforce favorable rates for ourselves when it comes to fees and access to the canals that would be under our influence in such a situation, the value that comes from restoring a neutral system, one that doesn’t demand something for access… Would be higher than whatever value we gain from putting a target on our backs by behaving in the same way as the Acasians themselves. Of course, we need someone willing to lead something in Ghoto in the first place, which is why I’ve decided to put this duty on you, if you accept it,” continued Rian, turning slightly to get a glimpse of Ryden. “Because if there’s one thing that you’ve shown, it’s that you’re willing, and you aren’t yet at the age where working directly from the field is something to be left to the youth.”

“The difference between me and some of the others, I suppose, is that with me… You just have to tell me what I’m working with and I’ll get to it. This is very much my kind of thing, odds be damned. What am I working with, by the way?” asked Ryden, taking a few steps forward, leaning against the balcony railing and looking at the scenery beyond in the mostly rural area outside of Siracusa - this spot was wealthier than the city itself, which was why it had been picked as the site for the villa.

“The Emperor approves of this operation, too. We’ve already talked over some of the details. There is, of course, a unit rather fit for this, the Second Ranger Brigade. One of their main mission purposes is operating in asymmetrical environments, and as such, the crown believes that sending the Rangers into Ghoto to aid local resistance movements would kick off this plan of action quite nicely. You, of course, would oversee that operation. Not just the Rangers’ parts of it, but anything else that it ends up encompassing… We expect the scope to expand relatively quickly. The conflict isn’t going to stay in just Ghoto, but stretching it may be to our benefit,” Rian explained, pausing a long couple of moments.

“Get things up and running on the ground with the Rangers and whatever local resistance is already available and we’ll throw you some more things to work with as the campaign continues. Having imperial backing on this is good… Getting further backing from Victoria would be even better. Not just from the Emperor, but from military figures. Ones who can get shots called on something like this. Rest assured we’re working on it. For now, we need something to show for before we can convince anyone else to throw their support in…”

Ryden seemed to take all of it in a stride, despite the tall task and the dangerous nature of the operation. “Acasia is an impressive nation, but I have the gods on my side, and I’m hungrier for this than any monarch of theirs - and Ghoto’s hungrier for freedom than they’re hungry to keep it. Don’t sweat it… I’ll take care of this,” he said simply. It did take a lot to shake him, to faze him and make him question the situation. This was just another thing that Ryden shrugged off and rolled with… Might be the biggest assignment he’d been given, but he didn’t know if he considered it the hardest, even with the others being smaller scaled.

It was good, sometimes, to have someone like him within the clan - because despite having half noble blood, Ryden was someone that could draw from his less than noble side basically at will. An imposing, trained fighter who had spent time running the streets in Siracusa and doing dirty work for the clan, things like helping to deal with cartel problems and act as an enforcer, Ryden was willing to… Get up and act when more proper nobles weren’t, at times when they would be willing to just sit around and command something like that from a distance. Ryden, on the other hand, simply needed to know the details after receiving the assignment to Ghoto.

He reached down and touched the necklace hanging from his neck- for the god Aodh, the one who represented industry, war, the defense industry, and weapons in general as well as serving as a symbol of strength. The necklace itself, made of gold with a couple of diamonds present, displayed a hammer… One of the symbols of Aodh, the other one being an old style rifle. “May Aodh guide your hand,” said Rian, noticing the gesture from Ryden, who was walking to the exit of the balcony.

Ryden stopped, however, in the doorway leading to the stairwell, looking for one further detail. “And Ghoto, how am I going to get there?”

“We can get you on a flight to Victoria, supersonic, when you need to head over… From there, I believe the best option is traveling by boat. Obviously, flying into a hostile country is just looking for trouble, and the government in Ghoto right now is little more than an Acasian genebitch. The entire reason for this operation - if Acasia’s control was more disputed by a neutral government, such moves would be unnecessary, but since they took more of a gamble in installing their own government in Ghoto… They’ll receive an equal response. Covertly for now. But not too covertly. We are, after all, going to have to take this public eventually… When the movement gains momentum.”

“An adventure, then. I like it. I’ll report back to you when I’m ready to leave. For now… I have some preparations to make.”

And that was that. The assignment had been given, Ryden had accepted it, and soon enough the 2nd Rangers Brigade would prepare to head into hostile territory. From there, not one person could say for sure what was going to happen next. That was in the hands of fate, and all of the individuals involved in the saga.

Preparing, in this case, meant flying back to Daernel on the clan’s money to head to Fort Bastion, which was home of some of the most important units in the country but was specifically the home base of both Ranger brigades. When they weren’t on the road in foreign territory, at least - right now, the first one was in northern Vajraya and aiding Sohidistan in its operation against Jainnagar. Soon enough, both units would be away from the base, although if you asked the soldiers what they thought about being gone, they wouldn’t have it any other way. It was undeniable that these were people that lived for the action when they could get it.

“I’m going to need Euphemian weapons for this,” said Ryden, walking through the inner hallways of one of the main buildings within the fort complex. “Or any foreign ones - Euphemian ones are easier to acquire than Sinican ones and the like, though, with Sinica still… You know, being a country. We’re going to have to reveal our support at some point but right now we might as well keep ‘em in the dark about who’s behind this. Kaelic weapons is too much of a giveaway. Euphemian weapons on the other hand? They could’a bought ‘em on the black market or someone else could’ve given them to ‘em. You know anywhere to get these that isn’t going to be traced back to us?”

He was speaking to Fiona Mullane, current Colonel in charge of the unit and one who had a fearsome reputation already for whatever reason - it wasn’t that she was overly harsh like some commanding officers, but her intensity in training was said to be different than that of most soldiers, or at least that was what Ryden had heard. They’d find out if that was true when they hit the field. This was his first time meeting her, and while she was making a decent impression, it was hard to judge either way.

“I think we have some on hand for this kind of thing,” Fiona stated while they continued on their way. “Don’t think it’s the kind of numbers we need to arm a movement, though. But I know some of the gun markets in Galnoy probably have copies that can’t be identified as Kaelic - no markings, no registration, nothing… Just a pretty accurate copy of the original. I also know we’ve worked with some other people in the past… But they keep everything real secret. The government’s worked with them on a couple of things, some corps too apparently, but I know they have an arms factory and they make some stuff custom for who’ll pay for it. ‘Least that’s what I heard. I can ask up the chain of command about it, I just have rumors and I don’t think this is something a Colonel would know too much about usually.”

“If they can get us Euphemian weapons, it will be a big help,” said Ryden. “Anti armor weapons especially.... I want to wage war against their supply lines when we arrive. They have stretched out armies relatively far away from their homeland, based in Ghoto. There has to be a supply line, based on the numbers they have there in a supposedly independent nation… The supply line has to exist. One of our first moves? Striking at it. Our next move? Recruiting from the local populace as much as possible while the disruptions are hurting them…”

He paused, elaborating a bit more on his strategy. “We aren’t going to be the ones to depose this government. We’ll help, sure, but the larger numbers are going to come from the locals. We train ‘em and help them avoid arrest by the authorities and we arm them… And we set this thing in motion. Set the ball rolling. And then watch the house of cards come tumblin’ down. They got no allies, everyone around them hates ‘em, and with everyone waiting on their fall, it’s gonna happen eventually. Make sure to remind your men that we are set to be the catalysts in that.”

“Oh, don’t worry, they’ll be told about their role. They’ll hardly be able to wait, no one in the Rangers wants something more than to kick some ass for real,” Fiona chuckled. “And pretty soon? All of ‘em will have the chance to do it. Don’t think we’re going to get any complaints on this one.”

They continued through the hallways until they had reached the outside of the building, the rest of the complex within view and the towering skyline of the city of Daernel also in the background. They were removed from the city itself here at Fort Bastion and instead inhabited the ‘Daerneland’ suburb area, but even from here, the sights such as the Riley-Shae Building and the Daernel office of the Kaelic bank could be seen looming large far off in the city itself. For now, they were able to enjoy those sights from the comfort of this prosperous province, but pretty soon, their surroundings would be pretty different.

Not that either officer was complaining about that. Either of them could fit in with either place, and it could be said the wild was more… Natural to Ryden and his Ranger counterpart. Neither of them would be in the spot and role they were in right now if that wasn’t the case, after all. Wasn’t every noble that ended up walking around military bases and planning operations, and it wasn’t every soldier that ended up joining a unit like the Rangers and going above and beyond the basic requirements.

“And if possible… I’m going to want mortars and multiple rocket launch systems. Useful for the harassment campaign in Ghoto. A way to get the momentum rolling. See to it that we have that on the list of equipment we need, yeah?”

Fiona nodded, smirking slightly at the suggestion. “Been studying guerilla tactics, I see. Yes, I suppose hitting them with a bang, literally, would help the cause. Their large divisions in Ghoto also present large targets for enemies who can blend in with the surroundings.”

“My point exactly. They have more numbers but I’m more confident in moving better. 50,000 men in Ghoto, for fuck’s sake. They’re gonna learn their mistake sooner or later about enforcing their will on the locals that directly - domination is something to be done from a distance. The point, though… Has not reached Acasia,” Ryden said with a chuckle, pausing.

“So, this trip should be… Fun. May just be a promotion in it for you if you handle your end of it. I, of course, have all intentions of handling mine to the best of my ability…”

At its core, politics was one of the driving reasons behind these actions - of course, Acasia was a legitimate problem that had to be dealt with for the security of Victoria, something that the Kaelic people felt responsible for thanks to being the more militarily powerful member of the union… And the one that was able to act more freely without putting a highly urbanized metropolis into great danger, which Victoria getting into a regional war itself would do. However, it was internal politics that decided the means of the conflict… Particularly, the Tsaoir clan being the one to kick it off. Fact of the matter was, since the reign of Maura Tsaoir they hadn’t had a grip on the country any longer, and while they were still one of the biggest clans, there was a definite desire to… Have their success reflect the older days more.

One way to get more political legitimacy, influence, and clout was to do something for the Empire overseas. Something that other factions within the country wouldn’t be able to ignore. Something bold. In this case, bold meant taking imperial soldiers and heading to destroy the Acasian dominance of the Jade Sea, which would greatly improve Victoria’s position but would also aid in winning favor with some of the surrounding nations in the area which had a problem with Acasia and their dam and canals. Kael was drifting closer to one of their former rivals, the Republic of Sinica, and more ties with historical Acasian rival Virshahr wouldn’t hurt… If only because it would provide more routes through which merchant and military ships could travel, that avoided the main opening, even if those routes into the Jade Sea weren’t as good.

And surely, the Medeuropan Federation and even Akhmanar would prefer a neutral but Victorian backed Ghoto to an Acasian one where passage was at the whims of the government of Acasia. It was an ambitious plan, yes, but there was plenty that’d come out of it if it worked - and the Tsaoir clan was quite confident in it working. They wouldn’t make such an ambitious move in the first place if they didn’t think that the large but slow moving and inefficient Empire of Acasia could be brought down in Kir and possibly in their northern territories also.

The importance of an operation like this was what guaranteed that it wouldn’t just be the Tsaoir clan that ended up involved with it - House Riley-Shae, on the throne right now in both Kael and Victoria, would of course be a factor. For a Ceannasai-Emperor like Cathan Weston Riley-Shae, who hadn’t yet proven himself and won over the support of the many factions within his country, this was a chance to do so.

One could even say Cathan had more to gain from this than the Tsaoirs did - they weren’t in a position to be questioned if they didn’t make aggressive moves and fight for the status of the country, as they weren’t the ones in power and they weren’t the ones anyone would look to when expecting such actions. The same couldn’t be said for Cathan, who was the figurehead on which everything fell. Sure, there were others, like the Oireachtas and various clans and business and political figures, that had power… At the end of the day, though, people looked to the Emperor.

It just so happened that right now, Cathan had a chance to do something to secure their confidence for once.

Additionally, Cathan had been told about these plans ahead of time… Had approved the use of imperial forces for them, even. Which meant that the throne also had time to plan its own response to the situation, since this wasn’t coming as a surprise. That time had been spent discussing matters at the Ceannasai’s Palace in the Daernel Province… And a decision had been made in a matter of a couple days. The plan of action here was an obvious one. Almost too obvious. One that would take advantage of a country which had forged no alliances, had itself taken a stance against Kael’s allies even when offered Kaelic friendship in the past, and one which had painted a target on its back and made all of the nations around it hate it.

It wasn’t a good spot for Acasia, and the throne intended to move swiftly to join in the Tsaoir clan’s efforts and strike the Jade Sea menace down before it could correct the problems.

“What are they going to do, chase us all around the world while their homeland is exposed?” scoffed Cathan, speaking to several top military figures within one of the inner rooms of the palace, a screen on one end of the room displaying a map of the Jade Sea region and another one showing the available forces they had at their disposal. The various strike groups, all of them ready to go - it wasn’t as if they needed carriers for their conflict in northern Vajraya. That was much more of a proxy war, a low key conflict, one that left their main forces free for something else. Something like this.

“We cut off their trade… The rest of the world won’t help them, considering everyone hates them and they haven’t made any friends for themselves since taking control of the Jade Sea… And we choke them out while the Tsaoirs do their thing in Ghoto, and maybe the Molvic regions,” the Emperor continued. He wasn’t the most militarily minded person out there - if someone asked him about all the details of the ships they were working with here, he wouldn’t be able to recite them. He was more of a businessman and a motivator, so to speak. But it didn’t take military genius to figure out where the weaknesses were in Acasia.

Some of them were rather glaring. And they were about to be exploited, heavily.

“I’m placing Admiral Dara Faolain in control of Carrier Group Two and Destroyer Squadron Two in this operation. Your job is to cut off the Atlantic trade of the enemy… Completely. I don’t want anything going in or out of Acasia - sure, humanitarians will complain a bit, but it’s a wartime measure only that will be removed when they fold. And the nations around there will support us,” Cathan continued, quite confident in the plan. “As for the Pacific… I give the same instructions. Carrier Group One and Destroyer Squadron One will be under the command of Oran Tsaoir - perhaps his family being involved in other operations in Ghoto will be enough motivation to help kill the enemy in the seas. Your job is to cut off Acasian trade east of Asmata. As for whether or not to engage if they send their own navy… Orders will come on the spot in the event that they make moves against us. They do have three carriers, yes, but doing so would leave them alone with the Royal Victorian Navy, which is just as well armed as we are - perhaps a poor choice for their coastal cities or their lone carrier if they decide to match us carrier group for carrier group. I feel that while feeling the effects of our blockade, their own people may do the fighting for us.”

“I’ll do my best, sir!” said Dara, saluting the Emperor - one of the members of the younger generation of the Faolains, the boy had been trained as much as anyone but didn’t have the same experience that some others in the Navy would. But this was one hell of a first major assignment, and it would provide a chance to live up to the family name. There was no way Dara was turning it down.

While the other commander, Oran Tsaoir, about twice the age of Dara, was calmer as he nodded. “May Aodh bless this conflict with victory,” he nodded, saluting briefly. “I will do my best for both clan and country in this… Dispute between us and the Acasians.”

“Your assignments begin immediately. Return to your posts following the conclusion of this meeting - the Atlantic strike group will head the usual route, around Velezia… And Velezia’s navy may be involved in this if there is a need for extra help. They will for now, however, be watching our homeland with their own carriers, and aiding our third carrier group in that task. The Pacific group, on the other hand, will avoid conflict with Acasia from the start by taking the longer route. Your first stop will be in Aidfeana which will serve along with Mandarputam as the source of your supply line. From there, you will position yourselves accordingly. Is that clear to everyone?”

There were nods from around the planning room, especially from the two naval commanders. “Yes sir!” repeated the enthusiastic Faolain Admiral.

“Then you may start getting to your posts… Dismissed!”

“Hail patria!” some of the members of the crowd said, before they’d disperse and start making their way out of the room, heading to different assignments either directly related to the operation or related to supporting it. They were throwing down the gauntlet here… But Acasia would hardly be able to respond in a way that didn’t put them in danger at home. Perhaps their operation in the seas would even outshine the one that the Tsaoir clan was working on in Ghoto - either way, working in tandem, the Kaelic factions had a decent chance of dealing a blow to their enemy.

In a matter of days, the metaphorical blitz would begin…

Would the Empire of Acasia be able to adapt to it in time?

by **Tangaliro** » Sat Oct 19, 2019 11:53 pm

S1E1
_{The Wild Men in the Mountains}

The tide of history changed often. There you had the Sacred Union State standing dominant in western Mederum, then the next moment they collapsed to the Ophiric Coalition. After the Transatlantic War, the Ophirics thought an age of peace and prosperity would follow their victory, but all promises had fallen empty in front of the harsh being called truth. Next moment, we saw the Ophirics bathe in blood as the Federal States and the Federal Republic fell to pieces.

Such is history, it raises you high up, give you the delusion of power and wealth, then on the next moment, you are crushed under the wheels of historical progress. We are one of the next in line, but until then, we shall write our page in history.

-Unknown

We have received intelligence about a suspected confidential project of the Jainnagaran regime to develop a new superweapon. By satellite images and reports from our partners within enemy territories, we have a reason to believe that they are currently attempting to construct a supergun array throughout their held territories, and that it has already reached the phase of construction. If they were allowed to proceed with it, the array, in the hands of the Viṣuvatyuga Order, would become a huge threat to the stability in the region. Yet, we must first burn through the many layers of camouflage and disguises our enemies made in order to cover up their ambitions. We know an approximation of the guns' locations, but we would need to destroy the gun in a more subtle way. The geopolitical situation around us does not allow the luxury of reckless strikes.

Thus, your mission is to infiltrate the Jainnagaran side of the border, meet up with our partners behind enemy lines and locate the supergun in constructions in the region, then destroy it with any means you see fit.

Wansui to the People's Republic!

The Wild Men in the Mountains I
_{Station 218}
_{Sino-Jainnagar Border Region
Azamany}
_{People's Republic of Sinica | 华夏人民共和国}
_{January 15, A.C. 479
6:15 PM CST}

Three small black dots appeared above the horizon from the direction of Samukada.

To most living by this segment of the Sino-Jainnagar Border, tonight would just be another insignificant ordinary night never worthy to be told in the tales of their life. They would carry on their day as usual, then fall into asleep as the serene night in the countryside fell on the land. It is hard to believe, despite the fact that the place had been a frontline of an near-80 years old geopolitical conflict, life on the Samukadan segment of Sino-Jainnagar Border Region had been mostly peaceful, so peaceful that almost everyone forgot that they were living bordering a hostile nation born under the long-resolved shenanigans between the former Liangan and Zhouese countries in the 390s.

The collapse of the Federal State of Euphemie and their Ophiric allies caused a chain effect to the world, and with it, changes. The People’s Republic was hit hard in the aftermath of the incident now coined as the Great Ophiric Collapse, but there were always people hit harder by it. The Republic of Zhou, long reliant on the Ophirics, collapsed into a god-knows-how-many-way civil war following their former patrons’ demise. The Zhouese people were intelligent businessmen, but not so much on politics. When all meanings were lost on the pages of certificates of equity and the surface of bank notes, the former Republic shattered, like a dandelion to the flow of wind.

The Zhouese bathed in blood amongst themselves, then rose back up with only seven of them left, tired, ravaged by war and impoverished. The corruption to the Liuist ideals over the many decades and the Third Warring State Period of Eastern Sinica, more commonly referred to as the Zhouese Corporate War, had finally eroded the notion of an independent Zhouese State from within, to a state that when the rest of Sinica came gently knocking on the door, the whole rotten structure came crashing down.

The teachings of Liu and their predecessors which the Zhouese fervently upheld for decades were finally thrown out of windows, when the salvation offered by their long-separated Sinican brothers reached the ears and eyes of the very men and women that served and fought to keep the pan-Sinican ideals out of the land of Zhou, and Sinica came one step closer to unification.

The patron had fallen, but dawn broke like usual on Jainnagar the next morning. The Jainnagaran Question did not come to an end with the fall of Zhou. Perhaps benefitting from their system closely inspired by that of the infamous Hessler from many years ago, the Jainnagaran regime defiantly prevailed against the tide of history. What used to be imported were now produced locally, the Jainnagaran people lent their fate no longer to the hands of foreign parties, but to themselves. Yet, to say the Jainnagarans had taken no toll in this would also be one of the most ridiculous lies of the century. Ever since the fall of Zhou, Jainnagar had only become more totalitarian, and when what had guaranteed their totalitarian rule for so many years, an economy backed by the golds left over from the overthrown Udaynarpuran monarch in the 390s, came close to an end, dissents arose.

Jainnagar now stands at the center of the crossroad of history, shaky amidst a geopolitical storm forming around it.

All of these, however, were irrelevant to the general public living on the Sinican side of the border in their little peace. Yet, the peace they enjoyed was not undisrupted. Just two years ago, the infamous 477 April 18th Incident had finally awakened the public from their delusions. There were no peace since the beginning, but a strong standing military force shielding the country from chaos beyond borders. The burden was always there, but some carried the weights of the Zhuque and Sun Banner so that many more doesn’t have to.

The black dots soon revealed themselves in the shape of helicopters. Among the three To-38 IV^[1] utility helicopters approaching the border guard post held the centre of the April 18th incident, Lan Ruomei.

In the passenger compartment of the To-38 IV, listening to the sound of rotor and engine, Ruomei looked out of the window. Outside was the serene green of the Border Region, decorated with a touch of mandarin from the setting sun, slowly fading away and replaced with a touch of blue, then black. Beneath the green was the rocky mountains, Ruomei could still vaguely recall that two years ago she would be looking at the place from another perspective, but it was all about a distant past that she could no longer return to.

“This is Black Widow of the 418th Helicopter Wing, requesting for landing.” The voice of the pilot came out from the crew compartment.

“Seems that we have arrived.” The man sitting next to Lan spoke in a calm tone.

“We are lowering attitudes, ETA 5 minutes.”

“I know, Deqin.” Ruomei said, turning to her soldiers. “Five minutes, you hear that? Pack up your belongings, we will disembark when our ride touches the ground.”

“Yes ma’am!”

The To-38 IV descended, eventually coming to a full stop over one of the helipads of the outpost. Lan slid the door of the To-38 IV open, then stepped off from her ride, her short dark brownish hair swinging around freely to the airflow around the helicopter.

An officer was waiting by the side of the helipads, appreciating the black airframes of the helicopters. Noticing his expected visitors coming out from the helicopters, he stepped forward, offering a handshake.

“I am Lieutenant Wang Yunqing, pleased to meet you.” The Captain smiled, extending both his hands. The captain looked to be in his 40s, with a typical army buzz cut under his helmet and tanned skin from the strong sunlight of Azamany, a typical feature among servicemen and people in this region.

“I am Captain Meng Shuhua, from the Unit 815 of SIB Tactical Branch, nice to meet you.” The female officer of another unit extended hers and shook his left hand.

“Captain Li Guohao of the Unit 816, the pleasure is mutual.” The male officer from the other helicopter also extended his to shake the right hand of Yunqing.

Yunqing then turned his left hand towards Lan.

“Lan Ruomei, Unit 817.” Ruomei extended her hand and shook it.

“This way, please.” Yunqing gestured for the group to follow. “Our men are already ready waiting in the briefing room, we would be ready to head out immediately after briefing.”

“I see that all men and women involved in this operation had arrived.” In the briefing room, a man in his 50s stood up from a chair next to the projector. “Name is He Moshe, Major. Let’s get straight to business.”

He turned on the Strategic Command Interface projector beside him. The wall behind him flickered, and soon, a projected map of the region south of the border showed up behind him, with presumed Jainnagaran military sites near the border labeled on top in clear glowing neon blue symbols, whereas a few of them were enlarged and given a name in this particular map.

BGM

“I am sure most of you here had heard of the rumour that the Jainnagarans were running some secret black projects before you arrived here. Our military satellite had observed an abnormal structure in the mountains of Northern Jainnagar a few weeks ago, and further investigation proved to us that it was not the only one of its kind around Jainnagar. Combining the satellite images, aerial surveillance photos and reports from our partners south of the mountains, we have come to the conclusion that the Jainnagaran regime and their running dogs were constructing a network of strategic large-caliber artillery system, or in more common words, super guns, within their borders.”

“Your task here is simple, but easy neither.” Moshe continued. “Which is why you are here instead of normal people. The headquarter wants you to infiltrate the Jainnagaran side of the border and take out that suspected supergun.”

“Just the 15 of us...” One of Lan’s subordinates rose up in complaint. “...and you want us to cross a heavily defended border like that, infiltrate that deep into Jainnagaran territories and destroy a probably heavily-guarded secret military project site? Are you fucking kidding me!?”

“Liuli, sit down!” Ruomei ordered.

De Liuli was unfazed. “This is suicidal! Why don’t you just directly strike that part with standoff weapons already if you know there is something out there!?”

“And why are you here?” Moshe gave a cold glance at Liuli. “I thought we don’t have cowards in the SIB Tactical Branch.”

“This isn’t a matter of cowardice but reasonable self-preserva-”

“If you don’t know what you are talking then I advise you stop. Have you taken into consideration the geopolitical situation around us? The People’s Republic is strong but not invincible. We cannot afford the diplomatic backlash caused by a reckless strike on a neighboring nation, even when they are our enemies. There is a tension between the two countries, but there is no official state of war. We cannot openly attack their assets like that.” Moshe explained. “Besides, you were never meant to be going alone on this mission, stop making yourself an idiot and listen to the briefing in whole before you speak.”

De Liuli wanted to argue more, but the young man sitting next to her gently pulled her back on her seat.

“Just listen to the Major, Liuli. He isn’t wrong.” Chengzhi said.

“I know this is a high-risk mission by nature, and we would prefer not to send soldiers straight into dangers if we have an alternative, but this is your job to begin with. If you cannot take the heat, don’t go into the kitchen. You are here because we thought you are capable and ready to take risks, if you are not, you are free to apply for reassignment.” Moshe turned to Ruomei. “I know your unit was just formed not too long ago, but I hope you can discipline your men,” he took a quick glance at Liuli. “...and especially women in the future. Our military was known for its discipline, I hope your unit would not become an exception.”

Moshe muttered to himself, wondering why out of all units of the Tactical Branch the new and inexperienced Unit 417 would be chosen to conduct the mission.

“Let’s get back to business.” Moshe cleared his throat. “Your shenanigans delayed us 2 minutes and 30 seconds, Corporal.”

Liuli grinded her teeth quietly.

“You are not alone on this task. Beside limited support elements we can provide from this side of the border, you also have the aid from local resistance against the oppressive Jainnagaran Viṣuvatyuga Order regime operating around these parts.”

Moshe clicked a button on the projector, a new yellow dotted line showed up on the map, leading from the Sinican side of the border to the whereabouts of the supergun.

“Our partners had managed to open a small gap at the border for us just around an hour ago.” Moshe looked at his watch, then pointed at a segment on the border, whereas the label of a Jainnagaran border checkpoint faded to grey. “We have at best around 30 minutes until their headquarter would realize the destruction of the post, and an hour or two until their reinforcement arrives at the scene depending on how good the guerrilla fighters would distract them. We will utilize that gap to cross the border and meet up with their leader south of the border.”

Moshe pointed at a red dot on the yellow line. “This is our designated meeting place. The man who would be accompanying you on your journey is Mahinder Vemulakonda. The local cell commander of the guerrilla resistance cell against the Jainnagaran government.”

He pressed another button on the projector, revealing the photo of a beardy central Mederune man with a cigarette in his mouth, his age seemed to be about the same of Moshe.

“The rest of the trip would just flexibly follow the direction of that line. Decide your path according to the actual situation you face at the scene, there is no need to follow that route closely. Just as long you can make it to the cannon and destroy it, we would be fine with however way you approach the site. After that, take the original route back, exfiltration would be provided once you get back to their hideout. That is all for the briefing, the map and related information had been uploaded to your wrist computers, any questions?”

When Ruomei and her soldiers finally stepped out of the briefing room, the sky was already dark. They are now inside their rides once again, this time heading towards the other side of the border. According to plan, they would be dropped off the farthest they could into enemy territories before carrying on foot to the meeting place. The arrangements for the meeting had been delivered to the squad leaders respectively after the briefing. The radars near the border would be jammed while they fly cross the border, combined with low-altitude flying, it should be rather safe for them to cross the border undetected by enemy air defense network in the region.

Everything outside the window was pitch black, with only occasional sightings of light from Jainnagaran facilities glowing in a distance making a contrast to the darkness of night. It was a quiet night, with only the rumbling sound of the helicopters’ engines and rotors breaking the silence. Ruomei worried if the noises made by their ride would alert Jainnagaran patrols, but nothing happened. Soon, the little orchestra of machinery and trees was joined by raindrops.

Maybe these guerrilla fighters took the patrols out with the post? She thought.

“Deep inside hostile territories late in night and in heavy rain, what could be worse?” Liuli complained.

“It helps washing our footprints and scents away.” Ruomei said. “I would rather count it a blessing. I hear the Jainnagaran border guards keep rather good hounds.”

“Yikes!”

“Calm down, Xian’er.” Ruomei said, turning to the trembling girl in her team. “You have a gun. A pup on the other hand, however large and fierce it could be, has only teeth, just put a few bullets to it if we run into one.”

“Ri...right...” Xian’er nodded, trying to control her tremble.

“Raj, there are signals all over the radar screen!” Inside the radar station not too far from Ruomei and her team, a Jainnagaran radar operator called to his superior.

“Try turn it off and on again. It’s probably just a malfunction. 70 years old radar be like that sometimes.” His officer casually remarked while staring into the television in the corner of the room currently airing an Utsanji comedy show, undisturbed by his subordinate’s report at all.

The To-38 IVs slowly came to a hover over an open land over the woods. Under the cover of night, the Sinican special operatives quickly descended to the ground below with their equipment from the helicopters.

“The meeting place should not to be too far from here. Maintain radio silence from now on. Good luck with your mission.” The soldier on one of the To-38 IV said as he closed the slide door on the helicopter. Soon, the helicopters turned their direction, and began flying their way back to the Sinican side.

“Man, I really envy them, just having to drop us here like this and they are done with their work.” Liuli complained. “Unlike us boots on the ground.”

“Stop complaining.” Deqin said. “Bitching don’t get you out of this place alive. You would just get us killed with these noises you make instead.”

“Yes...yes sir...”

The group carefully proceeded through the forest as planned. Luckily for them, there was nothing standing in their ways, only occasional visual of dead Jainnagaran border guards, their blood washed away by the rain. Eventually, the wreckage of a downed Jainnagaran MH-88 appeared before them. By the look of it, the helicopter had been down for a while. The fire on the wreckage had died down to the rain, though if one lose close enough, they could still subtly see smoke rising slowly from the remains of the aircraft in the middle of night. Ruomei wondered if the guerrillas intentionally chose today for the attack, so that any fire and smoke caused by the battle would be suppressed by the weather.

“Damn, I will give them one, these guerrillas sure wrecked this place.” Chengzhi said.

Due to the mission’s nature, they were all in disguise obscuring their national identity. Mercenaries fighting for different factions were far from a rare sight around these parts, and even anti-government resistance was not an exception. Beside people from the less well-off parts of the continent, people of northern Mederune look, be it Sinican, Utsanji, Gulan or even Oriental Euphemian, were not exempt from the list of providers for mercenary service. Their equipment was largely replaced with market-flowing electronics and weapons to obscure their identity in case their mission went south, which, for people like them, was a scenario they always need to take consideration into. Thanks to the increasing influence of Sinican manufacturers in the international arms market following the former Ophiric military industrial giants’ demise, it became more convenient for them to use weapons they were more familiar with in operations like this.

“We are almost there.” Guohao said.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a local species of bird coming out from not far ago. The group knew it was the indication that the guerrillas had spotted them, so Guohao made the response, imitating the same sound. Then all went silent, back to the serene state of night.

One second passed, two seconds passed, three seconds passed. The group quietly waited for response.

Suddenly, a bush next to them went alive. Then, from depth of woods a spark of fire flickered, then with it, half of a smiling beardy man’s face slowly emerged from darkness through the glow of a lit cigarette, his other half shielded with the night and his rather worn out boonie hat.

“Well, hello, my dear comrades.” The man spoke. “We’ve been expecting you, come with me.”

The Wild Men in the Mountains II
_{Mukt Manushy Hideout}
_{Sino-Jainnagar Border Region
Northern Jainnagar}
_Jainnagar
_{January 15, A.C. 479
11:45 PM CST}

“The place is way cramped compared to your comfy military bases, but trust me, this place served us way better than you would imagine against these government’s hounds.” The beardy man laughed, leading the group into his tent. Just outside of the man’s quarter was a temporary camp built with wood and tents, hidden well behind the cover of woods, mountains, and clever disguises. The darkness of night only served as the frosting on cake in hiding the hideout away from unsuspecting eyes. If they don’t reveal the place themselves, Ruomei could imagine that it would take quite a while until the Jainnagaran government could discover this place, if they were still here by then.

“I’m sure Moshe has already introduced me back at your briefing. Name’s Mahinder Vemulakonda. You can say I’m a communicator and somewhat a cell leader of the Mukt Manushy resistance group in this region.” Mahinder said. “You may call me a reluctant hero of our people, perhaps, ehehe.”

“Reluctant?” Deqin raised a brow.

“Well, I didn’t choose to lead a life as a freedom fighter, a freedom fighter life chose me.” Mahinder continued, obviously trying to make a reference from some old former Euphemian action film quotes. “You just gotta take up responsibility for your people at times don’t ‘cha?”

The Sinicans looked at each other, clueless of what to say.

“Well, what is your plan about the supergun?” Deqin ignored the boastful remarks of Mahinder. “You have a plan, don’t you?”

“Of course, of course, now you’re speaking it my boy.” Mahinder’s face showed excitement. “You Sinicans like to say ‘Know thyself, ever-victorious’. I fully agree with that. Over the past weeks our men had infiltrated the whole region keeping track of troop movements and all other details. I tell ye, sonny, I know the patrol routes and defenses around that gun as if they were all naked in front of me!”

Ruomei was unimpressed by the metaphor of the Jainnagaran man. “Eh, that does help, but even if we get through, how do we destroy that gun? We didn’t bring any heavy weapon, you aren’t expecting us to destroy that structure with small-caliber firearms are you?”

“Great question m’lady!” Mahinder said. “Now you’re asking, now you’re asking! I tell ye, I aren't no expert in my field. You may call me a guerrilla academics, even. What is one key quality required for guerrilla warfare? Creativity, of course! We sure aren’t tearing down that little pesky toy of the Viṣuvatyuga Order with mere bullets and small explosives. Well, maybe with small explosives somewhat.”

“What do you mean?” Deqin asked, questioning the capacity of the man before him.

“You need both the bullet and the gun to shoot, sonny.” Mahinder put out his cigarette with the bottom of his shoe, then casually tossed it on the ground, it was just moist earth, after all. “Our IEDs won’t even scratch that thing, so we will borrow some bigger ones from them. They have these prepared ammunitions of the gun stored nearby. Quite funny how they got the shells sorted out before the gun is even close to finish. I suppose they are asking for it.”

“I see...” Ruomei noted to herself the plan. “But how do we get near the gun, you aren’t expecting us to tear through their defenses are you?”

“Haha, I like your attitude, with so many questions! I bet you make a great tactician for your team?” Mahinder smirked, seemingly amused with Ruomei’s question.

“...Maybe?” Ruomei was unsure how to respond, embarrassed.

“We of course would avoid fighting as long as possible. It took us a while, but we managed to find a safe way in. There is a secret entrance the underground structure below the gun, where the ammunition was stored. If we could sneak in and detonate that chamber, the gun would not survive to see the morning sun of tomorrow.” Mahinder said. “...and it is perhaps the last time we can simply walk in like this. They will reinforce the security details of the gun very soon. We received reports from our insiders that they are sending reinforcements to its defense very soon.”

He picked up his rifle, despite his seemingly unruly mannerism, Ruomei could notice that the Virsharan T-394 Late Production Version Rifle in his hand was rather well-maintained, its body even gently reflecting the light from the room’s lantern.

“I know the plan, now you know the plan. Let’s get going.” Mahinder said, his face turning serious. “Time doesn’t wait for us, victory neither.”

The Wild Men in the Mountains III
_Wilderness
_{Sino-Jainnagar Border Region
Northern Jainnagar}
_Jainnagar
_{January 16, A.C. 479
1:24 AM CST}

They were once again out in the wilderness, this time joined by Mahinder and his men. The guerrillas somehow managed to get a hold on some 4x4 ATVs, so they luckily did not have to travel all the way on foot. The guerrillas sure were familiar with the place, with them, navigating through the forests and hills became much faster.

Suddenly, Mahinder, leading at the front, came to a halt. He made a gesture, telling the rest of the group to wait, then rode forward alone. Minutes after, he came back. “There is a narrow open field with a checkpoint ahead of us, but our other men will deal with them, just cross the zone while they are distracted.”

“Are you sure you can hit that checkpoint’s officer quarter with one shot?” One of the guerrilla fighters asked his comrade, who was busy adjusting his mortar at the building.

“Worry not, I study ballistics 18 hours a day.”

Boom

As the sound of explosion came into the ears of the group, gunfire erupted in a distance.

“Let’s go.” Mahinder said. “They can handle it.”

The group sped towards the edge of the woods, but something unpleasant entered their sights. A Jainnagaran AH-46 attack helicopter. To make it worse, it was pointing right at their direction, though the helicopter pilots were probably unaware of the group yet.

Before the group could do anything on it however, a rocket-propelled grenade flew out from the woods nearby, missing the helicopter by an inch or two. Yet the AH-46 seemed to be unfazed by the attack from its side at all, the helicopter was still looking this way, seeming to be searching for target.

“Guess we have to take it down ourselves.” Mahinder turned back to the group.

The AH-46 snapped out of the confusion caused by the ambush, it quickly turned towards the source of the attack, and opened fire with its autocannon. The guerrillas returned fire with another round of RPG, but it missed again.

“Are you sure you guys are experts?” Liuli questioned. “Your men had already missed two rounds on a target not even far from them despite the advantage of surprise attack on the first.”

“Don’t complain.” Mahinder said. “We don’t have the luxury of night vision appliances like you do.”

Unit 815 had taken the initiative to fire at the helicopter. With a careful aimed shot from the designated marksman, the 12.7mm round had pierced through the cockpit window and, while only whoever’s left in the cockpit would hear the splattering of blood from the distance, the weapon of the helicopter stopped firing. Evidently, the shot took out the gunner. An anti-tank rocket then flied towards the helicopter. An explosion soon erupted near the rotor of the AH-46 as it lost balance and crashed to the ground.

“Let’s go!” Mahinder said, speeding forward. As the group hurried through the gap, they could see guerrilla fighters assaulting the checkpoint from the other side. Apparently, whoever poor bastards they were to defend this station was outgunned and sandwiched.

Before they could notice, the scene of crossfire was far behind, whatever audible noise that remains muffled by rain. A freshly shot down MH-88 quietly sat beside them, its wreckage burning, lighting up the surroundings a bit, its occupant presumed dead.

“From now on things would become much easier for us.” Mahinder said. “These cowards do not dare to step too deep into the forests because of us. As long as we avoid heading too close to open fields we would mostly be free of troubles. Don’t let your guards down, though.”

As the group proceeded carefully through the hills, they could hear gunfire erupting from distant, though that part was no open area.

“Must have been a few unlucky bastards wandering too far away from their normal patrol routes. Our boys will take care of them.” Mahinder remarked.

The group carried on through the hills and forests, the trip had been relatively calm, with occasional gunfire in the distance, but so far nothing stood in their way.

“Do you think we may be able to sneak all the way past without interference?” Liuli asked.

“Don’t let your guard down.” Mahinder replied. “Better safe than sorry.”

The silence was soon broken as something made a sound approaching from the bushes. Behind the cover of local vegetation and the night, the group could not exactly make out what was approaching them with just sounds, but to their slightest relief, the being sounded nothing mechanical. The group carefully got off from their ATVs and moved into cover, anticipating trouble.

ROAR

The vegetation next to Ruomei suddenly moved, with a huge shadow launching out straight towards her.

“Careful!” Mahinder said, raising his rifle but hesitated from shooting, knowing it was very possible for him to hit her by accident had he fired.

Ruomei responded quickly, rolling sideways to dodge the attack. The object, or rather, beast, landed on where Ruomei was standing at mere seconds ago with a thud. Under moonlights, the group could make out the shape of the animal. It was a Vajrayan Tiger, and it looked hungry and angry, very.

“Oh my god...” Xian’er trembled, stepping back. “Th-that isn’t a ho-hound, right?”

“That’s a tiger, dumbass!” Liuli pointed her rifle at the tiger, keeping a close watch on the southern beast. “It’s not even remotely a canine!”

Without hesitation, Ruomei immediately turned over her rifle and smashed the rifle stock onto the forehead of the tiger with her top strength.

The tiger was still recovering from the thud. Suddenly, it was hit hard in the head with a blunt object. The tiger staggered from the impact, but attempted to fight back by tackling itself towards its attacker. Ruomei attempted to jump sideway to dodge the attack, but the tiger was one step quicker than her. Thanks to the shock caused by the hit however, the tiger was unable to unleash full strength in the tackle, Ruomei was pushed back a few inches by the attack, but she managed to stabilize herself from falling.

The tiger shook off the dizziness, it is now more angry than ever! It shifted its target to Chengzhi, jumping him with its sharp claws. It has already lost its element of surprise however, Chengzhi, who had been closely keeping his eyes on the tiger, dodged the attack with ease. In an instant, he unsheathed his bayonet, but it slipped out of his hand, falling to the muddy ground below.

“Damn it!”

Liuli took a quick aim with her silenced rifle, then, with little hesitation, opened fire. Perhaps because the aiming time was too short, or maybe it was the night and weather, the bullets missed by inches. Thank god, it didn’t hit anyone.

The tiger seemed undisturbed by the bullets that just flew past it at all, it once again turned to face where Chengzhi stood. Chengzhi had already pulled his bayonet out from the ground, poising to strike at the beast.

The tiger once again got the first hand, it charged forward, trying to bite its foe. This time, Chengzhi was unable to dodge its attack. Barely having avoided the fate of being torn into pieces by the beasts’ razor-sharp teeth, he was knocked on the ground by the beast. It was now poising to conduct the finishing strike. Chengzhi could see the reflection of himself in the big sharp eyes of the beast, angrily staring back at him.

“G-get away from him!” Xian’er raised her GPAW LMG, taking a few careful shots. This time, the shots hit, but they were not fatal enough to kill the beast. These bullets did do the job of forcing the tiger to back off from her teammate, however.

Mahinder took the chance and fired his gun. This time, the bullets went straight through the head of the beast. It fell to its side with a stagger, then fully stopped moving, presumed dead.

“That was close.” Chengzhi slowly helped himself up from the muddy ground. “I owe you one there.”

“I-it’s nothing.” Xian’er looked away.

“Well, that happens a lot around these parts.” Mahinder examined the body of the tiger. “Wilderness, sonny! Human is not the only thing you should keep an eye on, mother nature can be a killer at times, too. Her part time job, maybe.”

Deqin ignored Mahinder’s attempt to a joke and picked up Chengzhi’s HABR sniper rifle. “Be more careful next time.”

“Hey are you insensitive or something?” Liuli pointed a finger at Deqin. “He just barely escaped from death!”

“I’m not going to argue with you.” Deqin climbed back on his ATV. “We have made enough noises.”

“You...!” Liuli grinded her teeth.

Chengzhi gently tapped on the shoulder of her.

“It’s fine. No one here wants to leave a dead body behind. He may just be a little more unique in the way he expresses it.”

“Well, if even you have no qualms with this, I guess I’m not in the place to complain...” Liuli sighed, then got on her ATV.

“Did you got hurt?” Ruomei asked.

“No, not really. Just a little bit startled, maybe.” Chengzhi swept off some mud stuck on his clothes.

The team proceeded forward. Thanks to the ATVs, they had already crossed half of the zone, but everyone in the group knew that things were only going to get more dangerous past this point.

The tiger attack had got Ruomei wary of the various dangers the local environment could provide. While riding through hills and forests, she carefully kept a watch on the surroundings, anticipating much more than a single angry Vajrayan Tiger for the night.

Suddenly, she spotted a four-legged being lying on a rock. Its profile resembled that of the tiger earlier, albeit much slimmer in comparison. Its head also looked slightly different. With the help of moonlight, she could vaguely make out the pattern on the animal’s fur. Instead of the black and orange stripes she expected, there were instead dots all over the animal’s body. It wasn’t a Vajrayan Tiger, it was a Vajrayan Cheetah.

The cheetah was fast asleep, causing no trouble.

The following part of the trip had been calm, though none in the group dared to let their guard down with the experience from earlier.

“You talked about a safe way in earlier,” Deqin asked. “But how? Were there secret entrances to the underground structure of the gun?”

“Yes and no. The entrance was located somewhere away from the main site of the gun, but it was not that secret to us. We have insiders infiltrating the site.”

As the group reached another hillside, they were suddenly alerted by an approaching rumbling sound from the slope on their right.

“Embrace yourselves!” Mahinder alerted.

Boulders started rolling down towards the group from the slope, loosened from where they were formerly stuck by lubrication of rainwater.

Ruomei attempted to dodge all the boulders coming at her, but the slippery ground had caused her trouble. Her ATV slipped and flipped sideways, throwing her away from the vehicle.

Right after she was thrown away, a boulder rolled onto the ATV, crushing it under. The sound of metal and rock grinding against each other as the ATV was reduced to a pile of twisted junk quickly reminded her of the dangers. Her right arm hurt from the impact with the ground, but thanks to protective gears it shouldn’t be too serious. She was secretly grateful about being thrown away from her ride however, had it not happened, she would have been a goner.

After forcing herself to stand up, she quickly checked her surroundings. It seemed that the boulders have stopped. She dashed towards her teammates, ignoring the pain in her body from the fall.

“Are you guys alright?”

“I’m perfectly fine.” Chengzhi gave a thumbs up, indicating that he was fine.

“I’m not going to die in this middle of nowhere.” Liuli answered.

“I’m still in one piece.” Deqin said. “But what about you? That fall seemed like it hurts.”

“I’d be fine, it hurts but I think it is nothing serious.” Ruomei said, moving her arms to show that she was fine.

“Don’t push yourself, one of the last things we need is a wounded to tend for in this mission.”

“I-I’m fine.” Ruomei said, quietly grinding her teeth, enduring the pain on her right arm. “What about Xian’er?”

“I-I guess I’m ok...” Xian’er said, visibly shook. “...b-but that guy over there...”

Xian’er pointed towards a pile of boulders, blood was flowing out from below, mixed with fragments of steel and a mixture of god-know-what organic matters.

“Oh my...” Ruomei didn’t know how to react. Lucky enough for her, the crushed body below the pile of boulder was not one of her men, but it was saddening enough to see a fellow Sinican soldier die such horribly.

“Is everyone alright?” Mahinder checked.

“...We lost one over here.” Li Guohao reported, staring at the pile. “Damn it, I should have watched over him better!”

“It is not your fault.” Mahinder said. “War has casualties. We were just unfortunate enough to lose one of us here.”

“My condolences.” Ruomei put her hand on the left shoulder of her colleague.

“His sacrifice would not be in vain.” Guohao said, holding his fist. “We must destroy that gun in his place. Let’s get out of this place quick before we lose another of us here.”

Ruomei now shares an ATV with Deqin, her own being smashed by boulder. Everyone was rather silent for the rest of the trip. It was all fun and game until someone among them started dying, now the sense that they were in the middle of a battlefield had become real for them. Sinica had not experienced any mentionable military conflicts for decades, and today, the group had become the unlucky ones to taste it first-hand.

It only made things worse for them that the deceased soldier was not even killed in battle. It was almost like he died for nothing.

On their way, another tiger showed up in front of them, but this one lacked interests on the group and ran away. The lack of human standing in their way proved that Mahinder was indeed right, the Jainnagaran patrols stayed out of these parts. Venture deep enough into the forested zone, and all that would stand in your way would be wild animals and environmental hazards.

They were now on the edge of the next open gap. Anything past this point would be hostile, but this also means they were just one step away from the gun itself now.

The Wild Men in the Mountains IV
_Wilderness
_{Sino-Jainnagar Border Region
Northern Jainnagar}
_Jainnagar
_{January 16, A.C. 479
3:40 AM CST}

The supergun stood in vicinity, its profile blurred by rain. Despite the effort the Jainnagarans put to blend it into surrounding environment, the cannon was simply too large to perfectly hide. It was good enough to fool surveillance planes and satellites peeking from above, but anyone who came close enough would effortlessly spot the cannon.

Mahinder and his fellow fighters took this operation very seriously. When Ruomei and the group reached the next point recorded on the tactical map saved on their wrist computers, they were surprised to find a large and well-armed group of Mukt Manushy fighters waiting for them near the gap.

“Blowing up that gun aren’t no small deal.” Mahinder explained. “They will watch out for us and join the fight if the situation demands so. Our men are hidden on both sides of this road ahead of us. It is not yet the time for them to patrol around this part, we can cross this gap safely.”

Mahinder took a careful look into the sky searching for possible Jainnagaran helicopters flying above them, then gestured for the group to cross.

They were awaited by a similarly huge group of guerrillas on the other side. One of the fighters who seemed to be the leader of them approached Mahinder.

“Today’s wind blows West.”

“What did the wind say?”

“The ants crawl out of the anthill at 5. The newspaper man does not deliver anything today.” The guerrilla fighter recalled. “And also, the queen is in the hill.”

“I see.” Mahinder nodded.

“God speed.” The fighter saluted.

Mahinder led the group deeper into the forest. They were now walking on foot, leaving the ATVs behind with the guerrillas. As they walked, the rain gradually became smaller, yet the fog caused by the rain remained. Occasionally, they could hear sounds of rotors above them, but in current weather condition, the efforts made by the defenders of the cannon in identifying intruders early from the air are futile.

They soon came across a lone bunker standing in the middle of trees. Mahinder told the rest of the group to hide behind cover, then intimidated the sound of a local species of bird like he did earlier. One of the guards standing by the bunker then talked to the others briefly, then walked towards them, his flashlight flickering in a certain pattern, seeming to indicate something. Mahinder gestured for the group to hold fire.

“In what direction does the wind blow today?” The Jainnagaran soldier looked at his surroundings, then approached the tree Mahinder was hiding behind, whispering.

“Today’s wind blows west.” Mahinder replied in low volume.

The Jainnagaran soldier gave a sigh of relief.

“The brothers are ready to support your operation. Everyone at this bunker right now are our men. We got spare uniforms in the bunker. The next shift would also be our men, you have until 5 in morning before we are out of control.”

“Thank you, comrade.”

The insider led the group inside the bunker, showed them the changing rooms, and went to watch out for the group. Apparently, everyone guarding this bunker right now were on Mahinder’s side. They changed into disguises, hiding their faces behind balaclava masks.
They locked gears that were impossible to hide under their disguise into lockers. Were they unable to retrieve it after, it would not be a problem. They brought in nothing that wasn’t already flowing in the market, after all. When everything was ready, they returned to the soldier.

The soldier scanned at them, the nodded, approving the disguises as sufficient. He then opened the hatch into a tunnel for them, gave them a thumb up in wish of good luck for them, then watched the group descend into the tunnel before joining them himself, closing the hatch behind.

“This way.” The soldier gestured, leading the way.

In their disguises, the group managed to get past several unsuspecting guards passing them. The tunnels under the cannon was built rather broad, supposedly designed so to support vehicular transportation under the cannon. There needs to be a way for the gigantic ammunitions of the gun to be transported inside the underground facility, after all.

From the look of the tunnels, things were orderly within the Jainnagaran military, albeit the look on the soldiers’ face made a hint on the aftermath of Zhou’s collapse finally showing itself decades after within the ranks of this country’s military. Perhaps it was how Mahinder and his men managed to penetrate the interior of this facility. The Jainnagaran army stood defiant against odds, but not everyone inside the structure was content with the status quo, especially when the fortune left behind by the former prince that had sustained the country’s economy is coming to an end, and they were embargoed by all sides involved in the region.

“Halt!” One of the soldiers in formal uniform approached the group, his escorts on his sides.

“Sergeant Pramond Anand, who are they?” The political commissar asked. “I don’t recall these face around this part, that is, if I can even see them through the masks. Tell them to take it off.”

“These are reinforcement from the headquarters, special operatives, sir!” Pramond replied, of course lying. “They aren’t supposed to be revealing their face even to you.”

“Oh...?” The commissar sneered. “So you are saying that, a group of so-called ‘spec ops’ just randomly walked in, and you trusted them without even seeing their face? I wouldn’t be surprised you’d one day bring the, god forgive me for speaking the forsaken word, Sinicans, into this place.”

“Guards!” He raised his hand, gesturing his escorts to act. “Take off their balaclava!”

His escorts stepped forward, about to drag off the team’s masks.

Mehinder was quick to react, he tossed an object onto the ground without a word. One of the guards picked it up and handed it to the commissar. On closer look into the object, a shocked look arose on the face of the commissar.

Trembling, he handed the object back to Mahinder with the best manner he could manage. “I’m sorry, sir, we didn’t know you were sent by the emperor. Please proceed with your work as you will.”

The commissar gestured for the guards to step aside, then saluted, inviting the group to proceed. Mahinder casually put the object back into his pouch pocket, then gestured for Pramond to lead the way.

“To answer your question, sir, I did check who I was talking to.” Pramond leaned forward towards the commissar. “Unlike some amateurs.”

He gestured for the group to follow, laughing as the commissar looked at him in anger.

Once the commissar was far behind them, Ruomei whispered. “Is that really alright for you to taunt him like that?”

“Not like I’m staying here much longer.” Promond smiled.

The gate to the shell storage quarter now stands before them. Between them stood guard a rather heavy security detail for a tunnel. Two sandbag protected machinegun nests on the sides with a whole line of armed-to-the-teeth soldiers standing between, Ruomei could also observe a few short towers behind the line, presumably an indoor underground watchtower of some sort.

One of them stepped forward, from the patch on his shoulder, he was the highest-ranked and likely command officer of this gate’s security. “Identify yourselves.”

“Sergeant Promond Anand, these were special operatives sent directly from the emperor. We would like to inspect the ammunition storage.” Promond saluted.

“Why is the emperor sending special operatives to inspect the ammunition storage?” The officer asked. “We received no prior report of such inspection.”

Mahinder showed that object again, this time, Ruomei could see that it was some type of badge, probably the kind that shows one’s authority granted by the Jainnagaran Emperor.

The officer took the badge and examined it carefully, then handed it back to Mahinder. “The badge is real, I suppose I can trust you. I don’t know what is up the emperor’s mind that he would send special operatives out of all people to inspect the ammunition storage without prior notice but, go ahead.”

“You should not question the emperor.” Mahinder said, gesturing the group to follow. “We will inspect it on our own, you need not sending any men with us.”

“You, wait outside here for us.” He pointed at Promond.

“Yes sir!” Promond saluted.

The officer made a gesture, the man at the security kiosk pressed a button. Mechanical sounds came out from the walls as the gate slowly slid aside, opening the way for them.

“The gate is open, please proceed, sir.” The officer stepped aside.

As Mahinder made his step, the officer suddenly stopped him.

“Wait.” The officer said. “Hand me your weapons and every ignitable on you. No ignitable allowed here.”

Mahinder tossed the officer a pack of cigarette, then handed his rifle to Promond. The rest of the group followed suit. “There you go.”

“Your kitbag?” The officer pointed at the kitbag on Mahinder. “I don’t see why you need to carry it into the ammunition storage.”

“Confidential documents.” Mahinder said. “I’m supposed to keep them by my side all the time.”

“...documents that thick?” The officer raised a brow.

“Of course not, there are other things, but you have no right to look at the inside of the bag. Unless you are planning treasure against the Emperor...?”

“No, of course not, please go ahead.” The officer backed down.

The interior of the ammunition storage quarter was vast and spacious. On first sight, Ruomei could finally understand why they needed such broad tunnels – The artillery shells that stood quietly in the quarter were gigantic. Even the warhead alone would be taller than a well-grown man, let alone including the casing. There would be no way to transport them inside this place had the tunnels been a little smaller.

“Let’s be quick.” Mahinder said, carefully taking charges out from his kitbag. “The longer we stay here, the more risks we take.”

“Sergeant Pramond, are you sure these special operatives were trustworthy?” Outside of the quarter, the officer questioned Pramond.

“Of course, why not?” Pramond said. “They have the Tiger Head Badge^[2], how can they be imposters?”

“Badges are objects, they can be faked or stolen.” The officer said. “Were there anything strange you noticed about them?”

“Of course not, I’m professional. I was suspicious of them at first and kept a close watch on them, but there was nothing that can point to the conclusion of them being imposters.”

“...I see.” The officer nodded. “I hope you are not lying. Sinican and Vajrayan collaborators are running rampant in the country lately, I am not optimistic enough to believe that we have not been infiltrated by these traitors yet. You better not be one of them.”

Pramond smiled. “Haha, how is that possible. Why would I collaborate with, say, god forsake it, Sinicans, against our proud and prosperous country?”

Deep under his mind, Pramond may be thinking of something else, but there were nothing for the officer to learn about. The officer sighed.

“I hope what you speak is genuine. It is hard to distinguish who is a faithful patriot or a dirty traitor these days. Look at that incompetent Order’s Commissar in our base, he calls himself the most faithful follower of the emperor and the Order’s ideals. I bet he would betray us without hesitation if he gets handed enough money.”

Ruomei carefully connected the timed detonation device to the dough of plastic explosives stuck on the side of the casing.

“We are done here.” Ruomei said, in low volume.

“Good.” Mahinder said.

The gate and walls were thick enough to hinder all voices from inside the quarter to leak to the outside, but it’s better safe than sorry.

There was no surveillance camera in the quarter, probably out of the fear that even the slightest spark from a wiring failure would ignite a detonation. It is unlikely, but nonetheless, when handling explosives of this scale, you would want to be extremely careful as well. This caution, however, had compromised their ability to keep a watch on the happenings inside the room and gave Mahinder and his men lots of room to exploit to their eventual demise. Quickly setting up explosive charges and hiding them behind the cover of huge shells on the racks, they finished their task with no hindrance. Afterwards, they poured a transparent mixture of ignitable liquids disguised as bottled water in their kitbags all around the place. The only thing left to do is to get out of here in one piece and wait for the greatest “firework show” in a while to happen.

Back to the entrance, Mahinder pressed the button by the gate, requesting the security guard to open the gate from the outside. The gate opened slowly and steadily. They stepped out of the quarter and took back their belongings from the guards. The officer saluted and wished them a good luck in their future missions, still unaware of their true nature.

The officer watched the group disappear at the end of the tunnel, then casually looked around. Suddenly, he noticed something on the ground, taking a closer look, it seemed to be footprints left behind by liquids. Even though he was made aware that the weather was rainy yesternight, there is no way for a shoe to still be wet after going all the way through the base to here, let alone going inside the storage. He took a closer look into the footprint, then sniffed, an irritating smell soon filled his nose.

“This isn’t water, this is chemical!” He shouted. “Quick, report these imposters to the commander and sound the alarm!”

by **Tangaliro** » Sat Oct 19, 2019 11:54 pm

The group were on their way back to their entrance to the base, suddenly, the sound of sirens echoed throughout the tunnels.

Mahinder and Pramond looked at each other, then gestured for the rest of the team to hurry up. They began dashing through the tunnels, hurrying their way out of the base, unsure if their cover had been blown already. There could be other reasons to the alarm, but it’s never bad to be safe than sorry. The following broadcasts revealed the answer to them, however.

“We have an intruder, the stinky traitorous and despicable Pramond Anand had betrayed the emperor and our great country! All units in the site, locate Pramond and his collaborators in balaclavas and capture them alive! Lock down all entrance! This is not an exercise! I repeat, this is not an exercise!”

While the broadcast was in Northwestern Vajrayan, Ruomei, having learnt about the language for her military service, was well-aware of what it says.

“Shit!”

“Guess we have to fight our way out!”

They were able to get past a few corridors undisturbed, but enemies soon showed up in sight. A group of Jainnagaran guards showed up on the other side of the tunnel. Ruomei took a quick count, it was about ten on the enemy side. They just came out from a narrow tunnel and were yet to expand their formation fully.

Quickly reacting, Ruomei and the SIB teams opened fire, followed by Mahinder and his men. Lacking covers and outgunned, the Jainnagarans were devastated by the surprise attack. Within the first few seconds of the firefight, all but one man was wiped out.

The surviving man quickly retreated backwards, returning fire. Liuli was the first to react, she turned her gunpoint to the soldier and fired towards the Jainnagaran soldier. A bullet managed to hit, penetrating through the helmet of the soldier and his skull. Blood splattered on the wall behind as the soldier fell to his death. The group did not waste time lingering, quickly scavenging ammunition from the corpses, they carried on their escape.

On the next segment, a pair behind sandbags awaited their arrival. Upon visual, the soldiers opened fire.

Crossing the tunnel, Ruomei and the rest of the group quickly looked for cover while returning fire. Oddly enough, the bullets coming at them looked less dense than it should be.

“Damn it my gun jammed!” One of the Jainnagaran soldiers yelled.

“How many times have I told you to maintain your gun!”

Xian’er suddenly let out a scream as she fell to the ground, blood flowing out from her shoulder.

“Xian’er!” Liuli quickly changed course, moving towards the fallen girl.

Deqin was unfazed, raising his rifle he quickly returned fire, but there was no luck with the enemies safe behind sandbags. He was not ready to give up however, taking a short aim, he fired towards his enemies, but nothing was hit. Yet his gunfire did manage to stop the Jainnagarans from attacking any further.

“Keep fighting!” Meng Shuhua from the Unit 815 opened fire.

One of the Jainnagarans rose up in attempt to fight back, but the bullets landed right on his chest. The soldier immediately fell, half his body hanging on sandbags.

“Singh!” The other soldier yelled.

One of the 816 opened fire but had little luck in taking out the remaining person.

Mahinder dashed forward, jumping over the sandbag as he drew out his machete. The jump gave him the initiative against the startled soldier. Yet, the other guy was not an amateur either, with a lean sideways, Mahinder’s machete slipped past its target, pinning itself to the ground.

The soldier immediately tossed his rifle sideway, then sent a punch at Mahinder, but the latter quickly dodged his attack.

Releasing his machete, Mahinder returned a punch at the soldier, the fist hit the soldier in the face, sending him a few steps backwards. Wasting no time, Mahinder bounced forward making another attack. Quickly shifting his left hand from fist to palm, the fingers folded on the proximal phalanges, he thrusted his palm towards the chest of the soldier. The push sent the soldier flying backwards, hitting a wall. Blood came out from his mouth, but the soldier was not ready to fall.

Stubborn enough, with a stagger, the soldier steadied himself and raised his fists, still trying to fight. He charged forward, kicking up his left foot with the best of his strength.

The injuries he received had done a toll on him. Unable to balance himself, he kicked his foot high up and slipped, falling to the ground, his head hitting the floor. The impact of the hit has knocked out the soldier.

“Are you alright!?” Ruomei rushed to Xian’er.

“I-I’m fine, it was just a flesh wound...” Xian’er replied, holding her now-bandaged wound and, as usual, shaking. “Please, don’t leave me behind!”

“What kind of nonsense are you speaking about!” Ruomei said. “It’s just a flesh wound on shoulder, you will be fine, get up and fight!”

“Y-yes ma’am...”

Mahinder took the liberty to resupply himself off the pouches of the soldier, then gestured for the group to carry on.

The next thing they ran into was a single motorcycle coming at them. Rajni, a team leader of Mahinder’s guerrilla fighters, was the first to fire. The bullets flied straight into the motorcycle’s front tyre and deflated it, flipping the motorcycle over.

“Got them!” She yelled in celebration.

Li Guohao made his attempt on the lives of the fallen bikers, killing the gunner on the side as he tried to climb out from his seat. The biker, unwilling to surrender, pulled out his pistol in final attempt to make his fight against the intruders. He gained the initiative of this fight, firing away his pistol against Guohao. The shots landed on his foe’s left foot, blowing off the little toe of it immediately. Guohao endured the pain and returned fire, seeking vengeance for his fallen comrade. The bullets landed on the face of the biker, blowing off half his head and killing him instantly.

The group hurried through the next few segments of the tunnels without disturbance from the guards. Maybe it was out of sheer luck, or maybe it was just Mahinder’s undercovers distracting the guards to the wrong place. Either way, the tunnels were clear for them.

The group soon ran into a small group of soldiers of three, from their looks, they were not expecting the intruders.

Chengzhi was the first to act this time. He opened fire, missing his targets by an inch and startling them. The stray Jainnagaran soldiers immediately rushed for covers, frightened by the thought that if they keep standing in the open, they would be shot.

Ruomei was the next to fire, but she had no luck with the Jainnagarans rushing for covers like if they were medal-winning athletes.

Soldiers from the 815 carried on the attack, opening fire at the three. One of the three took a bullet to his torso, but he was still up and running. The other person, however, was not so lucky, he received the fury of nearly everyone in the squad, and before he could even mutter a last word, the soldier dropped onto his pond of blood, bullet holes all over his body.

While the other two were taking fire, the third soldier found himself cover behind some crates laying around on the sides. He was quickly joined by the other survivor.

Mahinder bit off the pin of a grenade, then tossed it at the Jainnagaran soldiers. The crates collapsed to the explosion erupting from behind, scattering across the ground. The explosion sent one of the two flying, when his body hit the ground, there was no doubt that the soldier was dead. The other person survived the explosion, but now with the addition of a few wounds on his body. The death of his fellow comrades broke his will to fight, the soldier tossed away his weapon and held his hands high, begging for the intruders to spare his life.

“Pramond, don’t do this, you know I’m a good person!” The soldier begged. “I will go with you, fight for you even, please spare my life! It’s not worth fighting for these people anymore, I promise!”

“What do we do?” Ruomei turned to Pramond and Mahinder.

“Bring him with us.” Pramond said. “We can use his help. Besides, he’s got nowhere to go back to now. He pissed off the Commissar the other day, he is going to get killed with the excuse for letting us get away. He is too much of a coward to sell us out in this.”

“Thank you, Pramond, thank you! I knew you are a kind person all along! God bless you!” The soldier kowtowed.

“Very well, soldier, we will let you go with us, but one treacherous act, and you are dead.” Mahinder warned, then gestured for the guy to pick up his weapon.

“Thank you, sir!” The soldier picked up his rifle, making a clumsy salute as he helped himself up. “Prabhakar Choudhary, happy to lead your way!”

They were now in proximity to the entrance, but another line of sandbags stood in their way.

“Let me deal with them.” Prabhakar whispered, then walked out of cover towards the defenders.

“Ay, Kumar!” Prabhakar yelled, apparently aware of the name of one of the soldiers defending this corridor.

“Choud, what are these wounds on you!?” The guy called Kumar responded.

Slowly raising a thumb up high with his trembling left hand, Prabhakar posed himself the most badass way he could manage. “...I got them!”

“What, really? You out of anyone? I don’t believe you.” Kumar questioned.

“Of course I did, I’ve got proofs even.” Prabhakar stepped forward, approaching Kumar casually.

“You know, he doesn’t look so trustworthy as a person.” Xian’er whispered. Hiding behind the corner and overhearing the whole conversation.

“Shhh!” Liuli covered her mouth.

Before Kumar could react, Prabhakar suddenly drew out two grenades, pulled off their pins with his thumbs and tossed it onto the sides towards the defending soldiers, and tackled Kumar onto the ground with himself.

The soldiers were caught in surprise by the turn of event, most of them were killed in explosions.

Prabhakar rolled aside, drew out his pistol, and, without hesitation, pointed it at the head of Kumar, who was looking at him in shock.

“Sorry buddy.” Prahbhakar smirked. “I need your head to live another day.”

Bang

Exploiting the chaos, the group charged up to the position. Whoever was still alive were quickly held at gunpoint.

“Now, now, it isn’t a you or us situation here.” Prahbhakar stood up. “Surrender, and we will take you out of here alive. You failed to stop us, and Kumar is now dead, you know the commissar is not going to spare you.”

“Fuck you, Choud, I knew we couldn’t trust you!” One of the soldiers said.

“Choud, you bastard. I would rather die than follow in your path!”

“Well, what a shame!” Prahbhakar pressed his pistol against the head of the soldier. “May you reunite with your beloved officer in afterlife.”

Bang

The soldier closed his eyes, expecting death, but seconds after the gunshot, nothing happened to him. Opening his eyes, he was just in time to see Prahbhakar drop dead before him, his fellow Jainnagaran comrades looking at the scene in awe.

Mahinder blew away the smoke on his pistol. “I’ve decided, a man of such appalling morality disgusts me, and are not the type of person we need for Mukt Manushy. Today he betrayed your officer like this, tomorrow he would also betray us.”

“You are free to choose where you want to go, just hand over your weapon and ammo. The Mukt Manushy forces no people to fight for them. We fight for the freedom of Jainnagaran people, not against them. This Choudhary is unfit for our cause. I’m sorry for what happened to your officer and teammates.”

The two remaining soldiers looked at each other. One of them spoke first.

“Just leave me alone, you can have my weapon, my ammos, my life even, but there is no way I am joining you after everything you’ve done to my brothers. Killing that bastard won’t appease me.” He tossed his gun and ammunition aside, spitting on Mahinder.

“...I hold a different opinion.” The other person slowly stood up and turned to the soldier. “They are our enemy, yes, but if they have the morals to kill Choud even when he had helped them against us out of disgust, I think we can trust them. Besides, Choud wasn’t wrong even though he’s such a sonuvabitch, we have nowhere to go now, that petty commissar would not spare us. You know him, I know him, we all do. Besides, do you really think this regime’s still worth fighting for? I would rather fight for this guy than go down for nothing with the commissar.”

The other soldier went silent. “...Fine. If you believe they can be trusted, I will go with you. One day a brother, always a brother. Be it whatever hell you are walking into, we stick together.”

“The Mukt Manushy welcomes you and your respectable comradeship.” Mahinder extended his hand, helping the soldier up. “May I learn your names?”

“Anuj Choudhary.” Anuj picked up his belongings. “Shame I have the same family name with that bastard, just call me Anuj instead.”

“Mahavir Misra.”

“Name’s Mahinder, Mahinder Vemulakonda.”

The group had finally reached the entrance they came in from, most of Mahinders’ undercovers had assembled there, awaiting the group’s arrival.

“Where are Pradeep, Shyam and Vishal?” Mahinder asked.

“They are leaving from another exit.” One of the undercovers said. “They told us not to wait for them.”

“Damn it, I hope they can manage.” Mahinder said. “Let’s get changed and get out of this place. I’ve had enough time in this uniform.”

The group one by one climbed out of the underground tunnels one by one, the undercovers buying them time. The Sinicans went first, with the Mukti fighters pulling off their balaclavas and mixing into others before following next, the undercovers were the last to leave, shutting the hatch behind. After getting back to the bunker, the group quickly took their equipment and left, not bothering to change back into the clothese they brought with them. There were not much time left for them, after all.

They tore pieces of cloth and wrapped them around their right arms, serving as an emergency identification to distinguish themselves from government loyalists as previously communicated.

“Let’s get out of here.” Pramond says. “I’ve had enough of this place.”

The sun is now high up the sky, the rain clouds having dissipated. They could hear from the sounds in the surrounding that a search had begun for them on the outside. Now they were back under the cover of local vegetations though, the risks had become much smaller for them.

They hurried through the forest, heading away from the gun site as much as they could.

“Do you think they may discover the charges and remove them?” Ruomei asked.

“We hid them good, the army wouldn’t discover every of them in time.” Mahinder said. “Especially when they are distracted by us and the liquids. They need to be lucky for every part, we just need to be lucky enough once.”

“Let’s hope it works.” Ruomei said, uncertain of the effect of the operation, but she was grateful that at least everyone in her team got out of it alive.

The undercovers and now-unmasked Mukti fighters surrounded the Sinicans. On their way, they came across a few searching teams, but with the chaos around, none of them bothered to check closely who they were running into as long as they didn’t have a Balaclava on their face.

The rest of the mission had been relatively peaceful, they met up with the other Mukti fighters, and under their cover, got back to their ATVs and drove away from the scene, going back deep into jungle and away from the sights of the Jainnagaran soldiers.

“Where is it, WHERE is it!?” The officer back at the entrance of the ammunition storage hysterically checked through the storage, leaving no stone unturned in desperate attempt to locate the explosives with his subordinates. “Where did they hide the bomb, there must be one somewhere!”

The officer carefully checked through his mental checklist of locations to search. They had checked through almost everywhere, the ground, the corners, the racks, even the ceiling, but they must have missed out one important place...

“Ah yes, the gaps behind the shells!” The officer thought aloud. “Quick, check the gaps between the shells!”

He rushed to the nearest shell, examining the gap behind the shell and the wall. Nothing, he quickly moved on to the next, still nothing. He moved on to the third, this time, he finally found an explosive device, it was a timer attached to an unknown dough of matter stuck to the back of the shell casing. The number on the screen of the timer is – 0:03.

“Pramond, you bast-”

The sound of a deafening explosion erupted from behind. When the group looked back, they saw from afar the super gun engulfed in smoke and fire, slowly disintegrating and sinking into the ground below, soon reduced to nothing but smoke from their sight. The power of the explosion was large enough, that even them, being that far from the site, could feel subtly the earthquake caused by it.

“Well, what an explosion.” Mahinder looked in satisfaction. “Let’s get home now, partners.”

All attentions in the region had been drawn to the explosion, thanks to that, the group had not faced much disturbance on their way back, besides for a few instances where they needed to sneak past a few distracted patrols and checkpoints, but those were already much smaller a challenge than blowing up the gun itself.

Eventually, they had finally reached the point where they were to part ways.

“Well, I suppose this is it.” Mahinder said. “It was a pleasure working with you. Tell Moshe to give you folks a good time to rest back in Sinica. I have a feeling this will not be the last time we meet, but until then, take rest and good luck.”

“Same with you.” Ruomei said.

“Nah, thank you but we don’t rest.” Mahinder smiled. “We still have a lot to fight for, but maybe when the Emperor and his running dogs are finally removed, I will certainly consider that. Goodbye.”

Leaving the Mukt Manushy and their energetic regional leader behind, the Tactical Units proceeded back to the designated exfiltration zone. Their rides out of the place were already waiting for them at the open space where they landed on earlier.

“Raj! The radars are all messed up again!” The Jainnagaran radar operator, who was the next shift of the last said. “This is the third time within 24 hours, are you sure it’s supposed to be this way?”

But Raj wasn’t there, he was too busy outside trying to look at what happened to the gun with his binoculars.

Jainnagar was now far behind, the 817 rested on their seats, all tired from the many hours of fighting and travelling through the Jainnagaran mountains.

“I can use a whole day of sleep after this.” Liuli said. “They better give us a day off...”

“Is your wound alright?” Ruomei ignored Liuli, and turned to Xian’er.

“It will be fine.” Xian’er said, now much calmer. “They still hurt though.”

The Wild Men in the Mountains: Post Mission
_{Station 218}
_{Sino-Jainnagar Border Region
Azamany}
_{People's Republic of Sinica | 华夏人民共和国}
_{January 16, A.C. 479
10:25 AM CST}

The To-38 slowly descended, eventually coming to a full-stop at the helipad of the station. Disembarking from the helicopter, Ruomei was once again back to the familiar surroundings of the Sinican side of the borders. The mountains, the vegetations, all the same as always. All these fighting on the other side had not shaken the serenity of this land by slightest bit.

“Are you alright, Guozheng?” Ruomei asked her colleague from 816.

“I will be fine.” Guozheng said. “It’s just a little toe, nothing that prosthetic cannot replace these days.”

“No, I mean, that soldier of yours. I’m sorry about what happened.”

“It is fine, war has casualties, we are just unlucky, but to think about the many predecessors before us who had went through worse hells than we did, this is really nothing. We blew up the gun and made a value out of his sacrifice, I’m sure he would be happy in his afterlife to know we burnt him a big toy.^[3]”

“You believe in afterlife?”

“When your job is to put your life on the line, you would be happier to think there is something on the other side just in case, touchwood, unfortunate things happen.”

“I see...”

Moshe and Yunqing were already waiting for them by the helipads.

“Good work, we have received reports about the elimination of the designated target of this mission. I don’t know what method did you and Mahinder use to reduce that thing to a sinkhole on the ground, but good work nonetheless. The People’s Republic and her people thank you for your service and sacrifice.”

At the end of the day, Liuli did receive what she desired, the SIB units were given a day off to rest. The wounded had been admitted to medical care. Ruomei wondered how many people died that day, but there was no way to know. The supergun project was a secret on Jainnagaran ends all along, when the news of the gun’s destruction finally reached Dhrangadhra, the Jainnagaran authority quickly covered it up with an earthquake. It would be quite a while before the truth behind the lives taken away by the explosion could finally be revealed to the world under the sun.

The forests, the mountains, the tunnels, the gun, the bloodshed on the other side of the mountains, had all become nothing but a recent memory, barricaded far in the horizon from the 817 by the mountain range in distance. Ruomei was well-aware that these memories would soon be renewed, but until then, they would have a little time to rest and prepare.

Context Notes
[1] To-38 Utility Helicopter (同德-38年式多用途直升机) - Sinican design originated from Tongde Helicopter Corporation under the EAVIA Group. The design received influence and inspirations from Euphemian and former-Tangaliroan utility helicopter designs. The To-38 was revealed in 438 AC and became the main service utility helicopter of the SRA in around the 440s. It has since then been upgraded and kept in service to present day.

[2] Tiger Head Badge – A badge signifying authorization from the Emperor within the Sovereignty of Jainnagar. Similar objects also existed in the history of its neighbor, Sinica.

[3] – In Sinican folk religions, you burn a paper-made replica of something, or the actual thing, if you want to send something to someone in the realms beyond death.

by **Western Pacific Territories** » Mon Oct 21, 2019 10:50 pm

Conflict Resolution
_{Imperial Palace}
_{Râmnicu Vălcea
Călimănești Metropolitan Region}
_{Acasian Empire}
_{March 12, A.C. 479
1:30 PM EST}

The situation around the Jade Sea had escalated quickly - two carrier groups from the Empire of Kael & Victoria being deployed to intercept trade headed in and out of Acasia had done that, quite naturally. The aim of their deployment was of course to pressure the Acasian government on the matter of Ghoto and on the massive dam project which had cut off Kael from Victoria following the Cataclysm, and it had certainly done the job of getting the attention of Acasia… and a number of other nations. Now, however, after getting the attention of the region, the Emperor had made the choice to pull those carriers back to a standby position and to approach Acasia for the matter of negotiations, now that the… urgency of the situation was highlighted by the earlier heavy handed actions.

It certainly wasn’t going to win any friends, but according to the highest decision makers, approaching straight up with the demands that the Kaelic government wanted just wasn’t going to get the same response.

Now, it was the time for perhaps the most awkward negotiations in recent memory, negotiation where neither side legitimately wanted to talk to the other, and where the recent military actions would ensure plenty of tension around the negotiating table… But if the status of Ghoto, one of the main reasons behind the deployments in the first place, was to be determined, they would have to talk about it eventually. Now was the time, and Acasia itself was the place for that meeting.

The meeting place itself wouldn’t be quite in the capital of Acasia, Călimănești, but rather where the Pantaleonescu dynasty itself resided... their palace in the seaside town of Râmnicu Vălcea. Many words could be described to refer to the Palace, which sported an almost disgustingly extravagant element of decor and glazed-on charm derived through the wealth of the Acasian state and the private holdings of the Pantaleonescus themselves. It was their house, after all.

Thus, then, much of the external political meetings, and all of the internal political meetings, were finding themselves occurring here rather than in the capital. It was almost like an agreement of sorts, the royals would perform their business at home, the democratic institutions of Acasia would perform their business in the capital proper. So then, of course, any Kaelic delegation would be coming to the Imperial Palace.

The luxury of the place, though, wasn’t exactly enough to deter the usual arrogance of the Kaels - for the main one that had been sent to deal with this meeting, the sister of the Emperor, Imogen Weston Riley-Shae, it wasn’t all that different from the imperial luxury that could be found in Daernel or in Victoria… both places that were home. Imogen herself was only accompanied by a small group, the most notable being Delaney Carmody, someone with a last name that most in Kael and some in other countries would recognize - in addition to being the foreign minister for the Empire of Kael & Victoria, Carmody was also the son of former Oireachtas Chieftan Ruarc Carmody, of Heavenly Party fame.

The group had been, of course, treated with the same sort of hospitality the Pantaleonescus treated any guest... even if the two parties were rather quite hostile to each other at the moment. Guides would lead them on to where their counterpart would be, of course. Empress Marisa I of Acasia, descendent of the Dom Pedro that had brought salvation to Acasia in the face of a wicked and corrupt republic. She was young, having only recently taken the throne from her father, but with an established dynasty, government and strong education to support her... she wasn’t exactly incompetant. A nation as big as Acasia couldn’t have anyone undeserving of such an essential role.

The Empress herself had chosen to make a moderately-sized spare room available for the meeting between her nation and Kael’s, pieces of art adorning the walls aside extravagantly decorated walls in another demonstration of the wealth and fortune the rulers of Acasia possessed. And as the Kaels would be led into the room of her choosing, she would feel sufficiently content to merely let them begin... as far as she was concerned, the Kaels were the ones justifying their actions to her.

“I believe the matter of Ghoto is going to need a resolution at some point,” Imogen stated flatly, arms folded as she began. “We may as well settle it now, or wait until later and risk further escalation. With that being said, our leadership has decided that your nation’s military and political withdraw from Ghoto may be a favorable alternative for both sides compared to our original goal of seeing the independence of Ghoto and seeing the Jade Sea opened entirely, which of course… contradicts your current policies of running the dam.”

“Whether building Iliatanegrum was a wise decision is something we have spent decades debating among ourselves with. Our conclusion was that it was a waste and a failure... but one that needs to be paid off. We will be paying off the cost of building that dam for a long time. While not a popular decision with any of our neighbors, imposing fares upon any and all who use our accompanying canal systems is the only way to make back our loses. So no, you will not see us willingly giving up control of the dam, unless we receive compensation of some form.” The Empress replied.

“That being said... since the Dam megaproject was such a massive investment on our end, it was deemed absolutely critical that security be maintained to prevent any party from threatening it. Never mind how damaging it would kill tens of thousands, bring multiple cities in Evrosa completely underwater... it would also be cheating us out of our ability to make back lost revenue. That is why Acasia maintains a presence in Ghoto. Ghoto was devastated by the war of atrocities Kymbra carried out against it decades ago, before we intervened in both nations. We see that Ghoto does not become some.. bandit-state sitting at the crossroads of the Jade Sea. Able to extort the nations of the Jade Sea into doing what it would desire.”

“I will say to you this: Ghoto’s independence is an option. But that option requires extensive legal, political and military action to ensure that Ghoto will be a stable, functioning, and prosperous nation when Acasian boots leave. I am willing to hear you out... but I suspect you want something more rash, drastic and beneficial to you.”

“Our interests here are in seeing a neutral pathway through the Jade Sea - whether that path comes from Ghoto’s canal or the ones that you hold is irrelevant,” Imogen stated. “Considering the… factors you’ve just stated, enforcing neutrality in the Ghoto canal would seem to be the most likely path to accomplishing our goal here. It’s something that we’re willing to work with other nations in, to prove that such an arrangement truly would be neutral. However, you would be correct in saying that trusting you with the handover process is not an optimal solution to us… just take one look at how Acasian help in Ghoto has turned out up to this point.”

This comment couldn’t help the Acasian Empress from feeling almost amused. “I... don’t see what you mean. Acasian troops in Ghoto have managed to keep the security situation stable... things could only have begun to be perceived as negative when your navy began to intercept Acasian and foreign shipping without warning. The only problems Acasian troops in Ghoto have caused are the same as the ones your Kaelic interventionism caused. I know what you would say next... that Akhmanar has a clear interest in seeing Ghoto’s independence. And in that you would be right, except Akhmanar hasn’t done all but - to all effect - unofficially commit acts of war against us and then try to go back and hold a diplomatic discussion instead. I personally see Ghotan independence as a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’, but we are much more willing to work with Akhmanar for an ideal solution to the problem.”

“Akhmanar likely has less of an interest in making the canal in Ghoto available for everybody and more of an interest in using it to enforce their own will… not only would my own nation take offense with their involvement, but I think we may not be alone with that,” said Imogen, letting out a slight sigh. “I won’t get into the fact that Akhmanar has done nothing for the nation of Ghoto even since the days of its conflict with Kymbra, despite preaching a platform of Kirocentrism. I don’t see why they should be involved right now.”

“I don’t mean to say that we will be involving Akhmanar in the process... but that we are much, much more willing to work with the terms of a nation that does nothing for Ghoto than Kael. I would like to at least hear what you would propose for establishing this.. neutral entryway into the Jade that you so desire.”

“My side is proposing something that may be less embarrassing for your nation than a public withdraw and handover of control. That would, of course, be a more silent withdrawal of forces and support from the Salvation Government which would be followed by our own nation backing the rise of an organic democratic government - something that the Ghotan people already desire. This would also, of course, be a more hands off process which would see no more foreign deployments in the country… something that I think the people who have lived through them would appreciate,” Imogen explained calmly. “The canal, however, would be a special case. We intend to form a group of nations around the Jade Sea who are directly impacted by the dam and the presence of canal taxes, and negotiate with the newly independent Ghoto to turn the canal in their territory into neutral ground… in other words, one that won’t levy taxes as you do, or restrict access to specific nations.”

The Kaelic demands almost made Empress Marisa want to plant her head in her hand with disappointment. “..where do I even begin? For one, letting Kael put a puppet government in Kael? No. Call it whatever you may... I know what it would really be, Akhmanar would know, the Mederune Federation would know. As for your proposed group of nations, it already exists... the Mederune Federation, although we have an icy relationship with it, is known to want almost the exact same terms Kael would wish in regards to the canals. Only, I know the Mederune Federation would be above influencing the canal to their own political ends. I, and Acasia, would be more than happy to reconcile with the M-F and improve our relations, move beyond letting this Dam influence our relationship the way that it does. But in the end, our money has to be made back somehow...” Marisa lamented.

“The same Mederune Federation seizing land from Barechistan right now? They aren’t exactly innocent… our own nation may have trade dealings with them, but at the end of the day, they are another power - and another power means another set of interests. Our interests, on the other hand, include benefitting the Jade Sea as a whole. We don’t wish to make the same mistakes that your dynasty has, enforcing control over the Jade Sea and gaining hate within it as a consequence. As far as the issue of governance in Ghoto… I would like to remind you that our intents are to back native efforts for a democratic election, one that will be administered by locals rather than Acasia or Akhmanar - nations more likely to assert influence than ourselves.”

“As opposed to Kael, who is sure to influence and manipulate any Ghotan elections to get what they want. Your proposition is not going to happen, but anyhows... first off, Teutonia is intervening in Barechistan, not the Mederune Federation. Secondly, their intervention is done on the premise of preventing the abuse and killing of Teuton Ourielists in the Lunarist theocracy. A perfectly legitimate reason for intervention, I would say. There is no blood on the M-F’s hands... meanwhile, I can talk all day about all the things Kael has done. Divide Floriana and have it carved up... destroy Velezia and briefly attempt to commit cultural genocide... back an aggressive, expansionist Canguarian regime, send tanks into Edonia... if the Mederune Federation isn’t innocent, then your nation is soaking in blood. I would ask, then, if you have any realistic proposals...”

“My point is that there’s no such thing as an inherently benevolent power. My nation isn’t benevolent either, yes, and we act in our interests… but our interests in this case would see us gain a warmer relationship with the Jade Sea rather than attempting to do the same thing that your nation has done and control access in and out of the Sea at the expense of gaining the ire of important nations and organizations such as the Federation. What’s to say that the M-F has these same goals in mind and wouldn’t use your trust as a chance to enforce the interests of their dominant nations?”

“Enforce what interests?” Marisa asked. “Their complaints revolve entirely around one nation - us - controlling their access, and our taxes and fares. If they received ownership, I do not see what else they would be inspired to do against us.”

“They may just decide to put in place similar policies that you did - to turn the canal into an economic tool for themselves. And thus, handing it to them may be… strengthening a rival, so to speak. My nation, on the other hand, is unconcerned with yours and with regional economic dominance - our stake in Mederum is smaller than the M-F or Acasia’s, and as I’ve said, our plan for the canal does not exactly favor using it for economic competition,” countered Imogen. “Would Acasia really like to give another regional power an important economic tool? Or turn it into international waters which won’t favor one nation or the other?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t have some sort of investment in Acasia... you can only fit in such big ships through the waterways Virshahr possesses. Your plan is unfeasible... so now I will put up my offer. If you and Kael do not wish to accept it, that is your loss.”

“The National Salvation Government of Ghoto will receive a reorganization. A new Constitution will be drafted for a Republic of Ghoto, the government model of which will be based off both Euphemie’s old democracy and the parliamentary system Mederum has developed. It’s head of state will be a popularly-elected President, advised by a Cabinet of Ministers. A unicameral Parliament will be set up with delegates appointed from various districts in Ghoto that will be drawn to give equal proportion to each region of the country. Parliament members will be responsible for appointing Ministers, as well as setting up a supreme judiciary - the Supreme Court of Ghoto. While this transition is occurring, a provisional institution will be set up, mimicking the legal code Acasia currently has as well as it’s rights, which will apply to all of Ghoto until the new government of the Republic is fully functioning and a legal code of their own has been applied.”

“Ghoto, after this transition of power, will be free to make any and all external and internal decisions with Acasian interference... or any nation’s influence, for that matter. In exchange, we will ask that Ghoto allow Acasia to continue owning a small parcel of land on the west bank of the Dam to allow us to prevent it from falling into structural disrepair. Acasian troops will leave Ghoto when it has organized its own military forces.”

Imogen’s response was sharp, but finding that there was little else that could be said that hadn’t already been stated, she nodded. “Fine, then… if those are the terms, we won’t attack,” she stated simply enough, not allowing her counterpart to forget the two carrier groups that were on standby in the Atlantic and in the Vajrayan Sea.

“Ghoto is a geopolitical burden that I would be more than happy to stop carrying around.” Marisa continued. “But don’t take this as a lesson that might makes right, or however you would phrase it. You have burned down Southern Ophir in your wars, and you haven't started in former Euphemie only because any PEST there would eagerly use Kael as an excuse to unite their neighbors against a common threat. I somehow feel that Kael’s presence in Mederum will only continue to focus itself on expanding... but as tenuous an agreement as we may have, I am willing to begin the step towards transitioning Ghoto into a prosperous, stable, and functioning democracy. What do you say?”

Imogen just chuckled, standing up at that. “While I see little value from your words, this deal does put things in a better position than they were in before negotiations began - so yes, this agreement will, uncomfortably enough, work well enough.”

In response, the Acasian stood up as well. “This agreement, I suppose, is tolerable enough. I suppose we can both be satisfied.”

That would be the mark for the Kaelic delegation to fully get up, turning to leave without further pleasantries. Wasn’t their style in a situation like this, dealing with a nation that wasn’t exactly liked by the Kaelic political leadership and agreeing to a deal which, while it put them in a better position than they had been in when it started, still left far too much to chance in the matter of the canal and their access to it… it was preferable to the previous situation, though, with one side controlling all of the access.

Time would tell just how the effects of the meeting played out in the future.

by **Forest State** » Tue Nov 05, 2019 12:24 am

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IN A CONFLICT LIKE THIS, USING OUR AIR ASSETS TO QUICKLY RACE TO THE FRONT LINE WILL BE CRUCIAL. Vajrayan and Kaelic forces are prepared to strike military formations in and around Dhrangadhira, but a MIM-333 Starhawk battery located in the hills around the city may make this task difficult. Your goal is to arrive in the territory, aid Sohidist militia forces in seizing the village of Dhangagar along the path to the site, and then push ahead of the Vajrayan mechanized force that will be used for the final attack on the battery, clearing potential obstructions to their advance. Once the battery is down, our air forces should be able to conduct shock and awe operations on the Jainnagarian forces in the Dhrangadhira region. You will arrive in Aidfeana the day before the operation, but remember - time is of the essence here, with the Sinican menace having already made moves to start racing us to the front.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 1 – ACT 4: “SHOCK AND AWE”

Aidfeana, Empire of Kael & Victoria
January 24th, 479

_______________________

AIDFEANA - It was a place where towering commercial skyscrapers, flashing lights, and Daernel architecture met miles of high rise apartments, bustling streets, and people looking to get ahead of one another in a city that was inhabited by people from all walks of life, both Kaelic born and from the surrounding area here in former Byunan, by the coast that had contained nothing but fishing villages 50 years in the past. After the fall of Byunan, though, this place had been built up as a Kaelic settlement which first drew in traffic and necessities from Inputta and then outgrew the neighboring city entirely, the foreign investment and the influx of settlers from Kael and later from Victoria helping to make Aidfeana one of the most vibrant scenes in the area… It was a far cry from the allied territory of Sohidistan, which wasn’t far off, but it definitely blended the cultures of both nations, which set it apart from any city in either.

Aidfeana was also the site where the Heavenly Brigade’s assigned team was showing up, the day before they’d head to the front line and cross the border into enemy territory… That was to say, before they crossed the border into Jainnagar to work behind enemy lines with the help of Sohidist militia forces and Vajrayan regular soldiers from a mechanized unit that had been assigned to this operation. The plane, one of the supersonic GnM-630 airliners, had touched down at the Aidfeana Imperial Airport, and the team was soon on their way into the city center where they would spend a short time before they once again had to head out and travel to get to the combat area. They didn’t take military flights, not to here anyway. While there were plenty of military transports coming in from the 1st Rangers Brigade and 30th Airborne Brigade, which had both been deployed to this conflict in the aid of Sohidistan, the Heavenly Brigade was an entirely different organization and in this case they preferred to keep their involvement… Undercover, for now.

“Bloody hell, looks like we might as well have landed in Daernel,” said Staff Sergeant Kilian Daley, the marksman of the group of operators, as they headed towards the SUV that was waiting for them on the apron, all black as per usual with this kind of ride.

“That was the intent when they built the place,” said Shane Cleiric, the squad leader who was still getting used to being in the position. “One of the benefits of building from almost scratch instead of expanding an existing city…”

The group piled inside the SUV, Cleiric taking the spot behind the wheel. Really, few people around here, if anyone, would know who they were. Although the black SUV did look very much like a government vehicle based on the general aesthetic of it, they were wearing civilian clothes at the moment and wouldn’t really look different than any other group of high class individuals - even if under normal circumstances, high class wasn’t how you’d describe anyone in the group of operatives.

“Lot more Mederunes than Daernel… But they know they’ve got a better life here than they would with the enemy,” Niamh Cleary said, referring to the People’s Republic of Sinica perhaps. “So I suppose they aren’t a real problem.”

“Just ‘cause someone is from Mederum doesn’t mean they’re PRS-” started Kei Yue, one of their main frontline fighters. It made sense that she was the one saying this - she herself was very obviously Sinican, and despite the tensions, her grandmother had actually been some kind of agent for the government of the PRS. Eventually, though, her grandmother had returned to the Republic of Sinica, where Kei’s ancestors were supposedly from. Kei’s mother had come to Kael to do contract work in the security industry, and the girl had grown up in Daernel rather than Datong. Didn’t stop her from getting strange looks on the streets, though, and that was from people that didn’t even know her lineage from a PRS agent.

Daernel was a multinational city, the product of being both the capital and the largest air hub of the Empire of Kael, but there were still some groups that weren’t exactly welcome. The Sinicans had made their way onto that short list during the 420s, and while the Republic of Sinica and Kael weren’t exactly icy these days, the RoS wasn’t the first country to come to mind when someone saw a Sinican in the street. No, that title belonged to the People’s Republic of Sinica, the country that they were racing to meet at the front and that was arguably fighting a proxy war with them at this very minute.

“You would say that,” Niamh said plainly, not showing much sympathy to her Sinican squadmate. “Being, you know, a Sinicoid yourself, and all…”

“And I’m not from the People’s Republic. My mother is from Datong, didn’t know that was a problem,” Kei fired back, narrowing her eyes at her colleague. “And aren’t you from Kir? Don’t tell me about being foreign-”

“From Kir? From Kir? Maybe you should do your research. My parents were born in the south of Kael… And their parents. And their parents, and their parents. I’m more Kaelic than the Emperor,” Niamh retorted, looking like she was ready to fight Kei right now… Which would be a problem considering they were in the back of a moving SUV.

“Girls, girls. Calm down, if you have problems to sort out, wait till we aren’t on the road,” Shane said from the driver’s seat, looking at the pair through the mirror.

“I do have a problem. Nobody told me there was going to be a Sinican on the job when I agreed to the assignment,” sighed Niamh, leaning back in her seat and otherwise not making an aggressive move.

“I’m about as Kaelic as anyone who grew up in Daernel, you know. I still grew up in the shadow of the same people, still ran the streets in the south end-” Kei tried to continue, but she was cut off by Niamh.

“Don’t want to hear it.”

“You’re on the same team, for fuck’s sake,” muttered Bran Sheey, the team’s resident Lowland Kael and someone that was perfectly fine speaking his mind on things like this. “Kiss and make up before we’ve gotta head into combat with you two.”

“I’m sure you guys have more in common than you know,” said Mariana Ojeda, the Velezian translator and the generally diplomatic one on the team. If anyone was going to help cooler heads prevail instead of throwing fuel on the fire it would be her, but even she wasn’t sure what she could do in the short term. Thinking more longer term, it seemed like Niamh would have to have Kei’s dedication proven to the country and their unit through trial by fire. “We can’t have the two Daernelites hating each other, can we?”

“She’s no Daernelite… Her mother switched one side for another, don’t point fingers at me if she happens to do the same and decides her Sinican side is more in line with her ideas than her Daernel-born side. I can work with basically anyone, doesn’t mean I like it,” replied Niamh.

“Then if you can do it, do it,” Shane said eventually, after the vehicle fell into a brief silence. “I’m not the one that picked the team. We were all thrown together on short notice, this entire thing is going to be a lt easier for us if we get at the enemy’s throats and not each other’s.”

“Save the accusations for the actual sellouts,” Bran agreed, referring to those in Vajraya who had chosen to align with the Sinican backed People’s Republic of Vajraya rather than the imperial system.

“Hmph,” tsked Kei, looking away out of the window to distract herself and prevent herself from getting angry. Wouldn’t help the unit as a whole if she decided to restart the arguing here. So for now, she let the matter be and stared at the towering high rises and concrete jungle as they continued out of the airport’s district and into the downtown area where they would be staying for the one day before they headed out to the frontline.

“I know you’re not the happiest about what we’ve been given,” said Shane, up early the next day and walking through the village near the border, which they were using as a staging point before they’d venture off to the battlefield to get on with the task they had been sent here for. Aidfeana was a fun place to stay, but they didn’t have long there, for now. When they were done with this operation, they would likely return there until their next one, and have more time to experience the nightlife and the exotic sights - assuming they weren’t needed in the field again immediately after this opening operation. Right now, however, they had to hurry up and get on with the task.

“But I’m hoping you can work with it anyway for as long as we have to be a team,” Shane continued, a hint of awkwardness in his voice. Truth be told, he was a soldier more than an officer. Maybe not the obvious kind of soldier that fought on the frontlines and won using superior firepower and brute force, but a soldier nonetheless. Typically, Shane’s job involved receiving orders and figuring out how to accomplish them in the best way. Having to give the orders to others now… Threw the former KIB field agent turned Heavenly Brigade officer for a loop. “We don’t really have a way of changing things at the moment and we’re about to head into the lion’s den, so to speak. Into Jainnagar itself.”

“I’m not stupid,” Niamh replief, scoffing slightly at the assumption that she wouldn’t be able to put things aside for the sake of their mission here. Kicking rocks absentmindedly as they slowed their pace down while walking, she shrugged. “I know we need to work together in the field and all that… But I’m not the kind of person that stays quiet when I feel like something needs to be said.”

“I’m learning that pretty quick about you, yeah. Not the worst trait in the world - I know I could use the instant feedback from someone like you, with this being my first job leading something,” Shane said. “But some people might take it as more than just talk, and well, it might not roll off their backs like it does mine. Guess by people I mean Kei, not like there’s been problems with any of the others.”

“My point still stands that she’s a Sinican and if things go wrong she can run away from here and rejoin her people pretty easily. Not like their proxy is far away,” Niamh protested. “I speak up about her because she’s a security threat just by being present. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when one of their planes drops a five hundred pound bomb on our camp after she sells us out....”

Shane stopped in his tracks, curious at the motives behind her dislike. “You know her bloodline is mostly from the Republic of Sinica, right? She’s not exactly sympathetic to the People’s Republic of Sinca herself. Her ancestor from there eventually left them after their reforms, that family has been… Split from the PRS for a while now.”

“People’s Republic, Republic of Sinica, Liang, whatever. It’s all the same. Some of them are varying degrees of hostile or not hostile, yes. Doesn’t mean I’d trust them to have my back when it matters.”

“She was also born in Daernel. Grew up in Daernel. It’s more of a home to her than Datong.”

“Whatever,” Niamh said dismissively. “My clan came up in Daernel. Didn’t have anything, not even the basic things. We’ve always hustled regardless and now look at where we are… I intend to uphold their legacy. Point is, though, I can say I’m from there. She’s just a foreigner that happened to be born there. She can leave whenever she feels like it, not like she’s rooted there in the same way an actual native is.”

Silence filled the air after the definitive statement, Shane finding it hard to come up with something that would convince his subordinate to change her mind about someone that she didn’t yet know for real. He settled for slapping her on the back and restating his point. “Give her a chance. Foreign or not, she is someone that grew up on the same streets as you - more than you can say about me and the others. I think she looks up to you somewhat, too. Everyone in the military ‘round the south… Or around the northeast… Knows about the Cleary name.”

Niamh didn’t say anything, and so Shane continued, making a concession. “If she does something to betray us, you have my permission to do whatever you have to do against her. Knowing you, that probably involves lethal judgement now and asking questions later. But if she doesn’t do something like that, give her a chance. Every time we fight with ourselves, we make it easier on the guys calling the shots across that border in Jainnagar.”

“Aight, boss. Only because I dunno if you’re going to snap or something if I complain again,” Niamh said, perplexing Shane… He hadn’t shown any signs of ‘snapping,’ since meeting the team. Didn’t know if he ever had, depending on just how she defined that.

“Snap? I’d like to think I’m a pretty stable guy-”

“Yeah, but, I’ve heard you’re psycho. Or psychic, rather,” Niamh replied, looking over her shoulder at Shane and smirking. “I’ve heard about how you can see death, so I’m not going to take too many chances ‘round you. No offense,” she added honestly.

Right. That whole thing. The strange… Power or whatever it was, the ability to see how to take out each person. It wasn’t there all the time, and the ability strangely ebbed and flowed, but most of the time, it was present in battle. Perhaps it was connected to adrenaline. Either way, Shane hadn’t yet found out whether or not he was gifted in some way or if he was losing his mind, and the higher ups seemingly hadn’t figured it out either. “I don’t even know how to control that,” Shane replied with a shrug. “I think you’re safe around me.”

“We’ll see when we hit the field,” Niamh stated, before turning back and continuing. The interaction was more awkward after she’d brought it up, but Shane continued following her, to the place where they were set to have their briefing once the rest of the unit finished getting up and made their way over. For today’s operation at least, they were moving during the early morning hours when some of the enemy would still be asleep, but when it wasn’t dark enough to not be able to see anything.

The unit was assembled, and Shane went into what they would be working on. “Alright, everyone. Now that you’re all gathered… It’s time to see if this little ragtag band of ours can act like a team and make a mark on the enemy. Time’s running out but you’ve heard that enough already. Let’s get right to it. First, though, I should introduce you to who we’re going to be working with.”

Shane gestured to the side, where a Vajrayan man was standing, his style of clothes rugged and functional and his face definitely belonging to a soldier - there was a scar running down his right cheek, but that just seemed to add to the aura that he was a fighter and not one to be messed with at that. The kind of fighter that had already seen plenty of battles in the past, apparently with the local forces around here in Jainnagar.

“This is Surya Nashakar, one of our top partners in this operation. Surya was born in the People’s Republic of Vajraya, but has committed himself to fighting for the cause of the Sohidists, whether that’s in the place he was born in or elsewhere - in this case, ‘elsewhere’ is Jainnagar. They’ve largely kept the Sohidist population down and one of our promises to the local people as we move into this place is that their status will be restored. Which is why Surya’s local militia around here, the Sohidist Action Front, is helping our irregular forces make the push into Jainnagar’s territory before our heavier units, the mechanized one and the ones in the sky mainly, will deliver a stronger strike,” continued Shane.

“Our team plus Surya and nine of his men are leading the way into enemy territory. This specific operation will stretch across two days. On the first day, the one that we’re on right now, we have the task of taking the village of Dhangahar, which is located directly on the path to the Jainnagarian AA site that we’re out to destroy. There is expected to be resistance in the area, but not focused around this village in specific. Still, taking it will make the rest of the operation easier and avoid problems down the line. We may run into some armor but it shouldn’t be heavier than Sparkies, at least if we don’t go further than this operation permits. We have three grenadiers in the militia unit detachment and one grenadier in our own unit because of that threat. Bran, you’re the one that has the AT-100. The rest of you, should go without having to be said but don’t engage any armored vehicles we come across. We’ll leave that to the ones that are set up for it. Now… Once we reach the village, the main opposition guarding it is expected to be a machine gun post as well as an infantry element. Take out the former and the latter will be easier to deal with,” Shane said, concluding. “If there’s no questions or objections, I think we can get moving to avoid running late.”

“Tall fuckin’ task…” said Bran, stretching and then bending over to pick up his equipment. “Then again, we’re the Heavenly Brigade,” he added. Right. If they weren’t up to the task that they had been given, they wouldn’t have made it into the elite unit in the first place. There was some grumbling about the task at hand from the group but they didn’t exactly show fear per say about the task.

Just slight annoyance that they were the ones that had to slog through some encounters with enemy IFVs instead of having support handle that and focus on the high value targets.

“You good, guys? Feeling a little scared?” Kei said in a joking tone, which still drew her a glance form Niamh - a glance of annoyance.

“Never scared,” Bran replied with a shake of the head, following after the rest of the group as they walked towards the all terrain transports they’d take until they were further to the front line. Once they were close enough, they’d disembark and take the rest of the way on foot. Traveling by car wouldn’t help them if they ran into an enemy patrol. “Just been a while since most of us have gotten down and dirty in the trenches, I think…”

“Snap outta that quickly… No room for getting caught lackin’ in the field because you guys haven’t gotten into it fully,” Kilian warned, the others silently nodding while they moved to climb into the transports. For now, they had a couple more moments of peace. Soon enough, though, they’d be fighting on the battlefield itself.

It was worth valuing the last minutes that they’d get to enjoy such peace.

They truly were removed from friendly territory once they were on their way enough to leave their transports and start heading on foot - they were far enough that there wouldn’t be help for them if something went wrong, and until they took the air defense battery down, the usual support assets like air strikes weren’t on the table. Jainnagar wasn’t the strongest country in the world, but they weren’t stupid either. They knew how to cut off the most strategic areas, and until this task force dealt with that, they’d be working without their top assets. Still, they were equipped to handle themselves - both in terms of skill and equipment, as they were sporting the most advanced Kaelic body armor to date, their equipment integrated into the military AI network. If anyone was going to handle this, it’d be them.

“So, tell me, Captain… We run into some group of enemies, you going to just know how to take ‘em out?” asked Bran, making some conversation while the group continued down the route, trees on either side of them and ditches on the sides of the road - the latter was a relevant fact because it meant they potentially had a hiding place in the event they did come across the enemy.

“Everyone knows about this thing of mine, huh?” Shane replied with a slight and hard to notice sigh. Sometimes, it was nice to not be questioned about something like this - Shane himself didn’t even know what the… Ability was, or if it was even a real thing after all. “I don’t control when it happens. I usually… Need to focus a bit more, though.”

He paused as the rest of the members turned their head in that direction, listening in on the conversation. “So it’s better for something like sniping than finding shots in the heat of the moment… Besides, there’s no need to do anything different, do do anything creative, in the middle of an outright gunfight. It’s sneaking around and doing things stealthily that alternative methods are… Effective. ‘Least that’s what I learned with the KIB. Don’t know how useful it will be here.”

“Any gunfight that we avoid is one that we can’t get shot in,” pointed out Mariana, drawing a nod from Shane.

“True point. Then again, with the objectives they’re handing us, I don’t think we’re going to have too many jobs where we can go around it. Not forever, anyway.”

“Striking at their command structure is a spot where it’ll be useful,” said Kei. “Then again, I hardly know what ‘it’ is… But rumors spread fast.”

“I hardly know what it is and I’m the subject of the rumors,” grumbled Shane, keeping his eyes on the road ahead while Niamh looked down to check the map and see their progress. “If it makes you guys feel better to have a ‘psychic’ fighting on your side, though, guess it ain’t that bad.”

“It does have a certain mysterious feeling to it,” Kei admitted, getting a chuckle out of a couple of the others.

“You’ve got an aura about’cha for sure,” Bran said.

“Might just be from working with the glow in the darks for years,” Shane countered with a shrug - didn’t seem like they were too apprehensive of working with him as leader, whatever they did think of him. Which was good. Because Shane definitely didn’t have the experience to know how to handle it if they were.

Stopping in his tracks for a moment, Shane held up a hand to signal for Niamh to stop also. “Niamh, get the drone into the air. Let’s see if there’s anything coming up ahead… If it’s something large like an AFV, we should be able to see it ahead of time.”

“Right. Watch my back, then. Don’t want something running up on me while I’ve got the equipment out,” Niamh said, dropping her backpack and reaching inside to set up the quadrotor drone that they were bringing with them for this operation - one of the more advanced pieces of equipment in their arsenal, aside from the form fitting but body armor equipped uniforms that they were wearing, with fully enclosed helmets and shaded visors. The drone had a light machine gun but the useful thing right now was the camera, which would hopefully allow them to detect the enemy before the enemy came up on them.

After finishing with getting the drone up and running, Niamh pulled the controls from the bag and got the thing into the air, keeping an eye on it as it flew above the tree line - but it was still small enough and low enough that it wasn’t threatened by the air defense network. “Let’s send this baby forward and see what it finds…” she muttered under her breath, pushing forward on the control stick and watching the drone head further down the path.

Shane picked up a second device, a screen that was connected to the camera feed from the drone, watching the area closely from the higher perspective that the drone was able to get. Wasn’t long before they received a report on the findings from the task force AI, which was constantly monitoring all of the sensors and equipment attached to the unit - there wasn’t real privacy when it came to being around an AI like this one, which the Heavenly Brigade was experimenting with using.

GNOTHAS MEARN COMMUNICATIONS - CHANNEL 2HB

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [AI] LAVENDER FOX /// “Looking over the data from the camera feed, I’m not seeing anything right now. You should be safe to keep going… But if you’re smart, you’ll keep your eyes open. You can’t use the drone the entire time.”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [1LT] NIAMH CLEARY /// “Too much risk in getting caught, yes. Thanks for the report… We’ll get on the move again before they can make too many moves of their own.”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [CPT] SHANE CLEIRIC /// “Aye. Let’s move it.”

©479-480 Gnothas Mearn Inc.
^{All Rights Reserved.}

And so with that they continued, picking up their pace and navigating the forested backroads as they moved through rural Jainnagar with no one but themselves and their small group of militia allies. Hopefully, said allies were well trained enough to pull their own weight when they ended up facing the enemy - the Heavenly Brigade commandos were good fighters, yes, but the limited number of them could make things difficult potentially.

They could only keep going in the clear for so long.

GNOTHAS MEARN COMMUNICATIONS - CHANNEL 2HB

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [AI] LAVENDER FOX /// I have something rather important to report... ”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [CPT] SHANE CLEIRIC /// “Yeah, and what’d that me?”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [AI] LAVENDER FOX /// “You know those extra microphones we installed on your body armor as an experiment? I’m getting something from them right now… Can’t be sure but it sounds like movement from straight ahead. Move with caution.”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [2LT] Kei Yue /// “Eh. Could be the wind.”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [CPT] SHANE CLEIRIC /// “It could - doesn’t hurt to pause and see if this system is accurate or not, though.”

©479-480 Gnothas Mearn Inc.
^{All Rights Reserved.}

“What’re the orders, then?” Bran asked, after Shane revealed his intention to have the unit stop and wait and see if there was indeed an incoming enemy, or if it was just the sound of the wind.

The answer was rather simple. “There’s ditches at the side of the roads. Use ‘em.”

Both the Kaelic force and the militia forces would move into the ditches, split in half roughly with one side taking the left and the other side taking the right, the ditches high enough to block someone from the road from seeing the figures standing in them unless they were specifically looking. When standing in the ditch, the road was, after all, above head height. Some tense moments passed - moments where nothing was happening and everyone was left to wonder whether or not something actually would happen at all, before sounds could be heard in the distance.

Boots against the ground specifically. A lot of boots. There had to be more than ten members of the patrolling group, although as the sound of boots against the ground continued, they didn’t show any signs of noticing the unit that was down in the ditches next to the road. They were more focused on what was in front of them, it seemed - to the extent that they missed the threat.

Speaking in a low whisper, Niamh asked for clarification on what exactly the plan here was.

GNOTHAS MEARN COMMUNICATIONS - CHANNEL 2HB
/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [1LT] NIAMH CLEARY /// “We shooting these guys when they pass or what?”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [CPT] SHANE CLEIRIC /// “Negative. We still have a machine gun post to take out and there might be another patrol. We’ll let them pass and keep moving.”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [SGT] BRAN SHEEY /// “Sounds like’a good way to get shot in the back to me…”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [CPT] SHANE CLEIRIC /// “We were able to detect them early one time… We can do the same if they run into us coming back.”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [SGT] BRAN SHEEY /// “Mmm. Your call, I guess.”

©479-480 Gnothas Mearn Inc.
^{All Rights Reserved.}

They kept going once the group was fully past and a safe distance away, heading further down the path before stopping one more time to allow Niamh to take the drone out, raise it into the air, and send it forward to see if the camera could pick anything up - either through the basic camera function, or through infrared imaging, both of which were at this disposal for this.

GNOTHAS MEARN COMMUNICATIONS - CHANNEL 2HB
/// /// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [AI] LAVENDER FOX /// “Not seeing anything. Path should be clear up to the entrance of the village. Of course, you’ll have to handle the forces there. The machine gun post is the most notable. Couple of guns that can put a lot of rounds on you if you aren’t careful, surrounded by soldiers.”

/// [2ND HEAVENLY BATTALION] [CPT] SHANE CLEIRIC /// “We’ll make a move with the drone against the machine gun post when we’re closer. Don’t want to alert them we’re here unless we have to.”

©479-480 Gnothas Mearn Inc.
^{All Rights Reserved.}

The machine gun post and the group of soldiers surrounding it did indeed lie ahead. Twelve soldiers in total, and two machine guns, one on either side of the road… This would have to be taken out for the regular infantry force to capture the village properly. And considering that they hadn’t run into the enemy’s armor, this was the most threatening thing the Heavenly Brigade and their allies had faced so far today. The drone remained in the air, Niamh going defenseless for a bit as it would allow them to keep an eye on the movement of the accompanying soldiers outside the village entrance.

“When I give the order, you’re going to spray the soldiers with the drone. Rest of us will start pushing upright now. If we’re lucky the machine gunners are going to be focused on the drone and we’ll be able to get the first shot off. Bran, get your launcher out… It’ll take out whatever protection one of those gunners has behind cover. Post itself won’t do much against an AT-100 round. Everyone clear on this?” Shane said, looking back to the others.

“If the drone doesn’t take out one of the guns what are we doing?” asked Kilian, more apprehensive than the others. “Seems like we’re going to be outgunned…”

“Militia also has AT launchers. Worst comes to worse we can jump in the ditches again where it’ll be hard for them to aim and hit them with a salvo from the heavy weapons… Obviously, though, there’s a lot more risk so we’d like to avoid that.”

“I suppose.”

“Everyone… Start pressing forwards. Niamh, use the drone. Time to get this underway.”

Smirking slightly, Niamh brought the drone higher up, from where it had been resting just above the treeline, hovering but not making its presence known yet to the soldiers on the ground below. “Firing now,” she informed the others, pressing down on the trigger after aiming the light machine gun in the general direction of the Jainnagarian forces, opening fire and keeping the gun on the move, not just hitting one spot. The inaccurate aim didn’t exactly help her in getting kills, though, as the salvo only managed to bring down three hostiles. None of the kills took out the machine guns, either, which would leave more work on the rest of the group when their push came in range.

But it was a distraction, at least. A flying enemy like a drone kept eyes on the sky, which helped when the team showed up with the militia, ready to get the first strike in…

The rush towards the village entrance would conclude in gunfire, both the militia fighters and the Heavenly Brigade fighters open firing and aiming quite well, or better than Niamh had at the very least, at the distracted soldiers… They hardly gave them a chance to respond before the group was mowed down by the combination of older militia weapons and newer Kaelic ones, from the big AR-107 to the smaller AR-101, all of the gunshots raining down with quickness as the combined force aimed to blitz their victims.

For Shane, it was a rush, even if it was considerably… More chaotic than what he was used to. No subtlety to it, no sneaking around, and no need to rely on his ‘power’ here. In fact, his power didn’t even trigger in this scenario, probably because focusing on one enemy when there were plenty of them in the area was near impossible for anyone who wanted to survive. Rather than hyperfocusing, Shane kept himself loose, ready to take aim and respond from any direction - there was no telling if these twelve were really the only soldiers in the area.

Niamh was one to embrace the chaos more than Shane was.

The chaos felt natural to her, like being here in the middle of bullets raining down around the enemy, her team on the offensive like a group of hunters that had just circled around and closed in on their prey, was where she belonged… Perhaps it was just something that ran in the blood. Her grandmother, as she had heard, had always had a way of getting in the zone so to speak, when on the job… And had a vicious streak to her that had been colored by her experiences in the field. Niamh wasn’t the same in the level of experience, but she did appear to go above the others in a certain way when it came to her willingness and enthusiasm to take the fight to the enemy like this.

“Still two MGs left!” Mariana pointed out from near the back of the formation… The MGs were a bigger threat compared to the infantry, of course. And with a few seconds passed since the start of the engagement, the surprise factor was over.

“They can eat this,” Bran said, aiming the AT-100 launcher and firing a high explosive round down range at one of the two posts… However, the range had been miscalculated and the round slammed into the ground without making impact with the post itself, sending dirt up but doing nothing otherwise. “Ah fuck…”

The two machine guns open fired. Niamh found herself as one of the first ones hit - and not just hit, but hit in one place she didn’t expect to survive. She felt herself thrown off her feet as a round grazed the side of her helmet of all places, immediately noticing the feeling of being cut and bleeding as the round destroyed part of the side of her helmet but otherwise missed her head - she wasn’t sure if it had been an actual graze or if she had been cut by part of her own helmet, but regardless, she knew that… She was lucky to be alive in this moment. Could have easily been far worse, if the bullet had been placed an inch more accurately - she was able to pick her rifle up and keep firing, which was more than others could say.

Most of the militia hadn’t been as lucky, and as there were more of them, they found themselves taking more of the fire and more of the hits - the unit was practically shredded by the bursts of fire, bodies dropping quickly to the ground as the machine gunners kept firing without difficulty. Truth be told, though, Niamh’s best weapon wasn’t her rifle at the moment - it was the remote that had went flying out of her hands. Reaching for it while she was still on the ground, she looked up in the sky to see that the drone was indeed still operational. And with it, its machine gun.

The machine gun sprayed and cut through the remaining hostiles without problem - Niamh hadn’t been able to bring about that result the first time but she didn’t have the same struggles the second time around, the bullets raining down in a deadly hailstorm which returned the favor to the machine gun posts that had taken some of their own just a moment prior.

“Clear,” said Shane, although it wasn’t a happy announcement that things were clear, but rather… A regretful one. Sure, they had cleared the way into the village, but it had come at more of a cost to them than they had planned for. As the leader, of course, Shane could have prevented it.

But hindsight was always 20/20.

“Fuck,” Niamh said as she climbed up from the ground and brought the drone back - the entire group was also starting to double back, they didn’t want to be around in their weakened state if reinforcements from further down the road showed up and found that they had eliminated the immediate village guard. “We can hardly go on like this, can we?”

“Our little group will have to stop, not going to be able to do too much with just ourselves… Even when we had the commandos, we were cutting it close in terms of numbers… The regular force’ll handle the rest of what we have to do for now, we’ll head back out and join the fighting again when the conditions are a bit better… When we’re at full strength again.”

“Rangers push on…” Bran said towards the leader, drawing a nod.

“Sure. But not suicidally. We’re going to be outnumbered in every fight we’re in, let’s not make it worse, yeah? We’ll have the objective of seizing the village down… We can work from that,” Shane stated, looking over his shoulder one more time before starting to move after the others. “The regular forces will get the dead…”

A couple more words escaped his lips, under his breath. “Gods damn it…”

It was partially the truth, after all, that this and the stalling of their offensive into enemy territory had been caused by the approach that he had selected… Partly luck, but some blame always fell on the commander, and it was hard not to get wrapped up in figuring out how much of that blame did fall on the leadership such as other things like luck.

They didn’t have time to worry about such things.

But then again, they didn’t have time to stall the operation anyway, and it was happening… The period before they got going again and resumed the offensive would likely be filled with dark thoughts and ideas about what could have been, what should have been done, and how they were perhaps inches away from achieving an entirely different result - one with no deaths on their end, that would have them continuing onwards on their mission right now instead of moving back and handing things over to the mechanized forces to take over for the task they’d failed.

Fitting, with how some of their early interactions had went.

by **Turmenista** » Fri Nov 15, 2019 12:37 pm

S1E3
_{FIELD DAY}

_{CLICK FOR MOOD MUSIC}
In the many years following Akhmanar’s decisive victory against Gallia and Victoria’s combined fleet in the Jade Sea, and its involvement in conflicts abroad in Kir, the Jade Sea nation has deemed itself as a power on the rise, not just militarily, but also economically and politically. Owing to Akhmanar’s doctrine of technological superiority, vast standardization campaigns and programs have phased out obsolete military hardware in favor of new and upgraded ones. Concurrent to these many wars and conflicts abroad and closer to home, various Akhmanari mega-defense industries also experienced an exponential growth in clout, moreso than what they had previously enjoyed. Almost as if they were taking notes from the Pacific nation of Angecalia, the newly-reformed Akhmanari Civil Aerospace Supervisory Office, or CASO, now manages supersonic civil air travel between Akhmanar and other cities in Mederum as the cities of the Empire grow even larger, more affluent, and more advanced than ever before. Ancilla technology has also reached new heights, and while some lawmakers fear their intelligence and increased processing and storage capabilities may someday surpass human intelligence, others have embraced the innovations these AIs have made to automating society.

On the political side, there is pressure among the Velezian Exiles in Akhmanar, or Exilados, to take action against what is otherwise a pariah state made out of their former home that seeks to eliminate the Velezian people. While a collapsed Euphemie has provided some advantages for Akhmanar in modern times, namely the ability to travel throughout the Atlantic unopposed, there still lies the problem of other more aggressive seaworthy Post-Euphemian states (PESTS) in the Atlantic and even the Republic of Sinica, all posing strategic obstacles for Akhmanar's dominance over the neutral islands which, all the while, seem to be toying with their very neutrality and strategic importance. Not to mention, Acasia now poses a strategic position on dominance over the Jade Sea, putting it at odds with the Mederune Federation. Akhmanar must choose if it will remain strategically neutral in Mederum during these times, or support its ally Imalakia in a massive engineering and diplomatic effort to finish a canal linking its Jade Sea neighbor Nasse to the Atlantic. Depending on the outcome of this canal, it may spell the beginning of yet another Mederune conflict.

With threats of old and new rising abroad and and nearby in the Jade Sea and Atlantic region, Akhmanar has made certain that its warplanes, armies, and fleets—including the newly-rebuilt Jade Sea Fleet—are all up to date and ready for action at a moment’s notice. Battle-proven in the Jade Sea against Gallian, Victorian, and leased Euphemian ships, they took the lessons learned from the Battle of the Jade Sea and made according changes, including bolstering its C4ISR element, recovering scuttled or lost Akhmanari ships and, when it was available, Euphemian and Gallian ships.

By far the most noteworthy innovations done to the Akhmanar Armed Forces are the overhauls to the Aerospace Forces, namely, the development of the UAS sector of the AF and the creation of new fifteenth-generation aircraft. The new N-70KM3 Phoenix is one of these innovations, developed in 476 as part of a project by Helios Astrodynamics. Incorporating many features from both the elusive N-57KM3 Harpy Stealth Multirole and the older but very capable N-35BK Heron ASF, it is intended to be a cost-efficient, multi-purpose alternative to the stealthy, technologically advanced Harpy, while retaining the capability to compete among the Harpy and RXQ-599 Eclipse Autonomous ASF, while also being capable of launching from Akhmanari carriers. Though the Empire hasn’t seen a proper conflict since the Kidosi occupation in 450, in which it and Imalakia successfully deposed a Lunarist government, improved simulation technology and constant testing may show that the Phoenix will, as intended, have more bang for its buck, if geopolitics don't prompt its deployment against real-world enemies soon enough...

Field Day, Act 1
_{Hangar Achem}
_{Naval Air Station Thebes
Sebek}
_{Akhmanar Empire}
_{January 6, A.C. 479
1130 AM AST}

MAAT CONGLOMERATE ELECTRONICS DIVISION
COMMLINK v. 4.3.1α
CHANNEL XXVIII CORPS - “JADE SEA STORMERS” - MAX ENCRYPTION

\\\ [- [Akhmanar Aerospace Forces / NAS THEBES AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVING SYSTEM] -] \\\ - "++ AWOS CONDITIONS FOR JAN6479 | SKY CONDITIONS MOSTLY CLOUDY | VISIBILITY 10 MILES | ALTIMETER 30.01 IN Hg | TEMP 84º | DEW POINT 72º... ++”

MAAT Conglomerate ©479 All Rights Reserved

By all means, today was a relatively ordinary day for the Jade Sea Stormers at NAS Thebes. Many of Sebek’s residents had taken to the cliffs of the city to watch some of the large aircraft come and go, most of which were bound for Kidosi, or the Gonko, or other locations in Mederum. It wasn’t at all surprising to figure out that Sebek was home to the second busiest airport in Akhmanar after Yevosh—at least, it was the second busiest when it came to military air travel. The city held great strategic importance for the Jade Sea, and at times, was often compared to a “fortress” or a “armored cake” when visualizing its layout and military presence.

While the base was home to some of the more elite shock troopers of the AAF—Akhmanari Marines of the Jade Sea Stormers, to be exact, it was also host to a few more “interesting” aerial units, one of these being the 70th Experimental Air Wing of the Akhmanar Aerospace Forces. A crack wing of ace pilots, bored aerospace engineers, and disciplined military officers made up the men and women of the 70th EAW, along with a contingent of civilian contractors from Helios Astrodynamics—a major Aerospace company that made aircraft for the Akhmanar Aerospace Forces, including the new Phoenixes.

To a STEM student looking for an internship or a crazy aerospace engineer out of work, being assigned to the 70th EAW was like a dream come true. But, to an ace pilot fresh out of flight school with a hefty record against drone fighters in simulations or actual fighters, it was hell, especially when the people giving you orders were nerds or didn’t know what they were doing. It was even a joke that no one knew whether or not the 70th were a training wing, a demonstration wing, or a combat wing that just never saw combat.

The 70th made up for this with some fun perks, however. They were the first to fly the upgraded Harpies and Phoenixes, and thus always got to experiment with the new toys first, especially when it came to real-world simulation training flights. In addition, there were rumors of the 70th’s participation in an Akhmanari War Game set to happen later this year, though against whom and the OPFOR’s nationality was still being figured out.

Although today was a bit of an ordinary day, it was also a slow one, at least for the 70th, given the day before was dedicated towards indoctrinating some of the new pilots that had been reassigned for training purposes. That was until Aurora took a look out of [ATC_CAM_001], towards an incoming Phoenix coming in for a landing on Runway 9R. As the aircraft landed, the camera zoomed in on the livery of the N-70KM4 Prototype. Unlike the others, it wasn’t painted in a sandy splinter pattern like some Akhmanari air and ground vehicles, but, rather, it was a dull gray-black, its wing pylons empty to presumably store them inside the aircraft on internal pylons.

Ancilla Aurora.

She placed a digital hand on her chin as the aircraft rolled to a halt on the runway before continuing towards one of the taxiways. “Interesting.. Commandant, a word, please?”

To her left, she was flanked by a uniformed officer, CDT Ashraf Suten-rekh-aten Kassad of Khersopis, that watched the plane taxi off of the runway and towards Taxiway Zephyr, which led towards Hangar A. The Commandant nodded as the camera passed over some glyphs beside the canopy that spelled out the name and credentials of the pilot: the Phoenix was piloted by CPT Nile Fernandez of the Aerospace Forces. It didn’t take long for the camera’s facial recognition software to scan over the face of the helmeted pilot, bringing up an image of a broad-shouldered Velezian man in a g-suit on the adjacent monitor.

“That’s Captain Fernandez, looks to be a new transfer from the 15th Fighter Wing." CDT Kassad said. "Apparently, he is an ancestor of some Velezian ace that disappeared in the 420s. He’s the new guy around here, pretty much, and has been flying the Phoenix longer than some of these nerds have been working here. At least, the prototype Phoenixes. No wonder he’s transferring here.”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be inappropriate for me to arrange a face to face meeting with Captain Fernandez. I’m taking an interest in this pilot already,” Aurora commented, to which the Commandant folded his arms. “I’ll see what I can do with the time we have, Aurora. After all, first Sim Lab is happening in about an hour. You’re expected to be there.”

“As is our new Captain.” Aurora added. “O.K. Please let me know of any updates to the schedule.”

“Right.”

The conversation was brief, but Aurora was already intrigued in the new pilot, more than the Commandant was, at least. While much of the information regarding Captain Fernandez was off-limit on her own clearance level, the spoken word, at times, could be much more useful in finding information than a pdf or scanned report.

"So, how did you end up in this shit?"

To Captain Fernandez's left was another pilot he only knew as an acquaintance from somewhere else—it was Captain Athouman Shadid al-Tekem of Adris Khas, an Aerospace Force pilot from the 78th Special Operations Wing. A tactical expert with a skill for flying as sharp as his skill in assessing deployments and medium-scale operations, it was another enigma in an of itself as to why exactly the Taiidari captain had joined the 70th EAW, or, better yet, why he was recruited into it.

Captain Fernandez only gave a shrug and a gruff grunt as he continued walking down the hallways. "Hell if I know, amigo. I was on my way to becoming one of you Special Operations Wing types myself...then I got recruited into this. At least this is apparently paying pretty well."

"Yeah? And where's the all action in this, huh?" Athouman was quick to ask, impatiently tapping his helmet to his side as they approached a door at the end of the hall. "For all intensive purposes, this is a glorified training unit with a bunch of drones, nerds, and corporate yuppies. Guys like us are better off back in the Special Operations Wings, not as part of some college STEM project."

"Who knows? Maybe we'll get to fly the cool simulators." Fernandez's attempt at lightening the mood was met with an immediate frown from Athouman. "I hear one of those corporate folks from Helios is actually in our new squadron...along with some Ancilla, for some reason. Corporate one's a female, as is another pilot... I need to look into it with my clearance level, but I don't think having some corporate yuppie in a squadron full of a bunch of military pilots is going to be a good idea... let alone a bunch of girls."

"Make that three military pilots, one robot, and one..uh..college student?" Fernandez shrugged again as the doors opened to little more than a large laboratory filled with computer screens, blinking consoles, uniformed military personnel...and a whole lot of civilians in typical civilian attire. Amid the ocean of polos and dresses was a typical Akhmanari Aerospace Forces BDU in the usual brown and khaki splinter camouflage pattern of the AAF, the sleeves rolled up. The rank of a Commandant was denoted on their collar as a silver winged fox lapel.

"Commanda—"

The officer held up his finger as Athouman began. "Captains. I'll fill you in on your new assignment in a minute, Captain Athouman." He executed a turn to Fernandez. "Captain Fernandez. Glad you could make it."

"It wasn't that long of a flight from Yevosh to Sebek, sir. I had time to think." Fernandez said plainly, turning to a screensaver-like animation on a screen beside him. "Ancillas are everywhere, everything's getting automated.."

"I was about to get to that.." Kassad said, gesturing to the screen. "Aurora, a word."

Upon request, the screen changed to that of a violet female avatar sitting on a box of ammunition, studiously eyeing the pilots through the sophisticated system of cameras both inside the building, and atop one of the computers, denoted by the red blinking light on its webcam. "So. Captain Nile Fernandez, is it?"

A bit disturbed by the Ancilla's inquisitive nature, Fernandez folded his arms as Athouman only backed up, much more disturbed than his Velezian partner, who noticed the Ancilla's eyes weren't meeting his. "That camera better not be pointed where I think it is."

The Ancilla only chuckled. "I just wanted to ask you a few questions..for one, who exactly is this pilot I'm looking at, this Nile Fernandez? What's the backstory regarding him?"

Nile tilted his head. "I'm just a pilot. All there is to it. What's it to you?"

"I should remind you, Aurora, that we're a bit short on time in regards to your questions...try to make them quick."

"Okay, I'll bite.." Nile sighed. "I was once part of a squadron in the 15th Fighter Wing, mostly flew COIN missions above Kidosi and combat air patrol over the Gonko. Moved airfields pretty frequently, actually"

"What did you fly?" Aurora asked.

"Phoenixes."

"So.. AMI-Y graduate, I presume? I don't exactly have physical or electronic files to work off."

Nile nodded. "Yup, went down the aviation path when I graduated top of my class. Became a pilot relatively quickly. Lot of it was second nature."

"And some of those missions you flew in The Gonko... Were some of them similar to the missions your ancestor flew? I believe they called him 'El Bruto,' no?"

Nile tilted his head, impressed. "Well... color me impressed. You're one of the more talkative Ancillas, and the smart ones. You must love asking questions, huh? If you're so smart, read me my physicals. Try and make a guesstimate as to what I'm packing down here."

"We're done here." Commandant Kassad said as Aurora smirked deviously. "Aurora, you are dismissed until further notice." He turned to the pilots as the Ancilla's avatar dissolved into glowing columns of binary and ASCII. "Captains, you two have been officially reassigned to the 70th EAW for testing involving future Harpy and Phoenix variants and experimental aircraft. While your flight, Raven Flight, is technically classified under an Experimental and Training wing, it can and will be repurposed into an actual tactical squadron as command sees fit, and will be commanded by myself.." He paused, gesturing to Fernandez. "And you, Captain Fernandez. Captain Athouman will be your XO for the time being."

A disappointed look appeared on Athouman's face as Fernandez nodded. "Any other information for me, sir?"

"Today, we're going to be doing a diagnostic simulation for you, Captain Fernandez. Captain Athouman has already run through it—this will only be a skills assessment in the new Advanced Motion Sim Lab. While we'll be monitoring your progress in here, you can find the lab down that hallway," he gestured with a knife hand to a hallway leading down another corridor behind them. "And to the left. Once you're in, just follow their instructions. Once you are finished with the simulation, you will be scored. I will arrive to provide a new briefing to your team afterwards on your next assignment."

“Yes, sir.” Leaving the room, Fernandez proceeded down the corridor in question, quickly coming across a rather massive room with several training machines built in them. However, they weren’t any regular training machines—let alone any he’d seen before. They seemed more like a blend between a very expensive motion simulator one might see for civilian private pilots, and a centrifuge used for high-g training. Eagerly waiting in front of the machine was a young man in glasses, a polo, and khakis, obviously not a military person. Manning a computer adjacent to him was another civilian—a young woman with short, black hair and a red crop jacket, inquisitively eyeing Fernandez as he entered.

She gave a sultry whistle as he entered, much to Fernandez's chagrin. “When you said we were gettin’ new pilots, Khaled, I didn’t know you meant studs like this big guy..” The woman narrowed her eyes seductively, causing Fernandez to narrow his own eyes in response, moreso in disgust than surprise. “First the damn computer checks me out, now you? You hedonist Nephonites really get on my nerves,” He added, noting a small tattoo of the Nephonites’ titular goddess on the woman's collarbone. “Knock it off, civilian.”

“I apologize for the behavior of Khufut Bast-Sadat of Yevosh, sir, but she’s sort of the, uhhh, how do I put it, ‘boss’, around here, when it comes to the actual simulator.”

"I'll make one thing straight when I'm here," Fernandez paused, setting his helmet on the table. "I'm the man in charge when it comes to these kind of things now. I don't take too kindly to civilians bossing me around, let alone cocky ones." He added this on with a hint of spite in his voice, eyeing the young Nephonite woman. Fernandez slid his helmet to the side and reached for the simulator helmet, a black, more futuristic version of his own with some strange black goggle-like device built into it, though nothing on the goggles made it seem as if he could actually use them to see out of it, strangely. “Let me ask you—has she ever pulled a 9G turn before? In a real aircraft?”

Khufut remained silent, but answered with only a sly grin as Fernandez readied himself with some water provided to him. "I guess not. Now we know who's in charge." Turning to the polo-wearing engineer, he gestured to the device. “So, how does this thing work?”

“Well, it replicates a real cockpit with sensory deprivation and new virtual reality technology, both of which are relatively new and expensive...simply put, you can’t tell the difference between the real world and the simulated world with this." Khaled's voice began trailing away. "At least, that’s what all the other pilots say. We call this bad boy the very exciting name of AMS—that's short for Advanced Motion Simulator, built by HELIOS just for you guys. It supports 6 axes of motion: planetary, pitch, roll, yaw, vertical, and horizontal. The electro-mechanical drives here supply continuous 360 degree rotation, and it’s capable of exerting up to 11G sustained acceleration force. We hope to have these at every major Aerospace Forces training facility, for your use.”

“So it’s an expensive centrifuge...mated with an expensive simulator..” Fernandez summed up succinctly, but was simply at a lack of words to describe the technology put forth for something like this. "Very.. expensive."

“Pretty much, sir. The gondola here is designed to simulate the cockpit of a Phoenix, but it can be quickly changed to simulate the cockpit of practically any air vehicle in service with the Aerospace Forces. All the active controls and switches you find in any regular Phoenix or Harpy can be operated like a real aircraft in here, and they map up exactly with what you see through the simulator, for example, throttles, pedals, and switches will work the same way in real life. That’s why you wear the gloves, you see. Really, you don’t need any sort of special briefing on how to use this aside from just a warning: it's a bit disorienting for some at first, and, please don’t try to have too much fun. It’s a diagnostic, after all..” You can come back to this on your own time, if you want.

“I will.” Fernandez fibbed, pulling on the black virtual reality helmet and the so-called “simulation gloves,” proceeding into the main gondola of the motion simulator. Once he was strapped in, he caught a glimpse of the flight controls and flight instrument systems before the canopy closed, plunging him into darkness.

The first thing Fernandez noticed was how dark and quiet it was in the gondola, only really being able to feel the joystick in front of him. But, once he reached for the helmet and pulled down the special goggles built into it, he saw exactly what the nerds meant by saying that this was an eerily accurate representation of a Phoenix’s cockpit. In fact, he would go so far as to saying it was a 1:1 representation, switches and everything. The world around him was bright and in lifelike high definition, the Phoenix parked outside of a large hangar on a nondescript airfield in a nondescript desert, rolling dunes all around the base in all directions.

“Everything seems good so far, sir?” Khaled's voice spoke in his ears.

“Yup.” Fernandez said, still taking in the scale and accuracy of the simulation. "On Horet, this is absolutely incredible... How everything's here, everything's so realistic..."

“OK, sir. You have flight controls.”

Wait, what? Blinking and repeating the words out aloud automatically, Fernandez took the joystick, seeing that his virtual arms moved in response to his real-world movements. “Okay. I have flight controls. Gonna give everything a few test movements here,” He looked to his right, watching the ailerons and elevator move in response to his testing of the flight controls. “This is bloody amazing…”

"Don't get too disoriented, sir! This diagnostic here is going to be just a regular flight in Visual/Instrument conditions. We'll fill you in on the details of the sim once you're in the air. Right now, you're clear to take off from Runway 07L, climb and maintain to flight level 180."

Upon receipt of Khaled's request, Fernandez began taxing towards the runway in question, aligning himself with it for takeoff. He pulled his mask on as he did so. "Copy, taking off from Runway 07L, climbing and maintaining to FL 1-8-0."

Without delay, the Phoenix rocketed down the runway and began climbing, its afterburners flaring up as it quickly began gaining altitude. The desert around him was void of life, as to be expected, and on the instruments in his peripheral vision, the unmarked airfield quickly left his view on the GPS... thus leaving an ocean of sand on all sides of the horizon, with very few clouds, if at all.

HELIOS ASTRODYNAMICS
TACTICAL COMLINK v. 6.3α
ADVANCED MOTION SIM LAB ROOM 1

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Alright, let's begin here... Standby.”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / AUTOMOD] -] \\\ - "++ INITIATING DIAGNOSTIC SIM. ++”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / AUTOMOD] -] \\\ - "++ CURRENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS:: VISIBILITY: CLEAR / WEATHER: CLEAR / TERRAIN: DESERT. ++”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / AUTOMOD] -] \\\ - "++ OPPOSING FORCES:: FOUR TIMES N-32KM2 IBIS MULTIROLES. ++”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / AUTOMOD] -] \\\ - "++ FRIENDLY FORCES:: TO BE DETERMINED. ++”

Helios Astrodynamics ©479 All Rights Reserved

Four Ibises, huh? And friendly forces "To Be Determined," huh?

Soon, the according blips for the enemy aircraft appeared on Fernandez's radar. The N-32KM2 Ibis Multiroles were developed before the Harpy went into service, ultimately losing the bid for Akhmanar's 14th Generation Tactical fighter. This did not mean it wasn't put into service—albeit, it was used in limited service with the Akhmanari Aerospace Forces and mostly for air shows and demonstrations. Instead, they were given to nations like Kidosi and the Gonko for use as stealthy tactical fighters for their more elite aerial units. Ibises were nothing to be too concerned about when you were in a Harpy or a Phoenix—sure, they could take on a Euphemian Vampire or even a Chiangshi without any problem, but in the hands of a competent pilot, they were very dangerous. However, the same could be said for Fernandez's Phoenix, and he happened to be very confident in his abilities...

With these odds, he was confident with three—scratch that, all four kills.

HELIOS ASTRODYNAMICS
TACTICAL COMLINK v. 6.3α
ADVANCED MOTION SIM LAB ROOM 1

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "Rules of Engagement?”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Weapons free, Raven-1. Repeat, weapons free.”

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "Copy that. Fox One, Fox Two!”

Helios Astrodynamics ©479 All Rights Reserved

The enemy Ibises immediately broke formation once Fernandez's two A-73 Arrow missiles flew from the wing pylons, closing in on one of the Ibises. Despite being fitted with advanced avionics, stealth technology, and supermaneuverability, there was nothing the Ibis could really do in this situation aside from hoping it could tank the missile—an impossible task itself. One of the two A-73s ultimately landed on the target, ending the life of the Ibis as Goldeneye swooped past the debris, enemy fighter in tow.

HELIOS ASTRODYNAMICS
TACTICAL COMLINK v. 6.3α
ADVANCED MOTION SIM LAB ROOM 1

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "*BEEEEEP* Oh, that's great. Getting a lock..”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Fighter on your six, Raven 1.”

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "I know!”

Helios Astrodynamics ©479 All Rights Reserved

He decided to test the limits of the Phoenix this moment, already impressed by the accuracy of the simulation's avionics and simulated aeronautical forces. However, the enemy Ibis was persistent, perhaps more persistent than he was, matching the thrust vector-assisted maneuvers of Goldeneye with their own eerily accurate movements, intent on downing the Velezian ace. Hard and sharp turns were mirrored by equivalent turns from the enemy aircraft, a few unexpected moves throwing Fernandez off just as much as he was playing mindgames with the enemy pilot. All in all, they were both on equal standings, meaning something had to happen soon if one side were to win over the other.

The annoying buzzing sound in his cockpit indicating an enemy lock-on suddenly was complemented with the titular rapid, high-pitched electronic beeping sound of an incoming missile alert—correction, incoming missiles—which prompted Fernandez to dump ECM and dive quickly and begin another evasive maneuver, his breathing becoming more hoarse and sharp as he executed another tight turn to evade the missiles. All around him, the white contrails from missiles weaving around and past him were visible, arcing off towards other directions like deadly fingers of white in the sky. It made him wonder...just how many missiles was he dodging right now, and how was he dodging all of them?

He was dropping altitude very fast after realizing he had left the afterburners on: in just a couple of seconds, 15,000 feet on his HUD altimeter had turned into 10,000 feet, then 9,000. At this rate, he would be a smoldering pile of debris in the middle of the desert in just 8 seconds. Now, he'd have to pull some hard G's if he wanted to evade those missiles and also remain alive…

But what to do…

HELIOS ASTRODYNAMICS
TACTICAL COMLINK v. 6.3α
ADVANCED MOTION SIM LAB ROOM 1

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Raven-1, you're losing altitude.. and fast... recover now.”

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "... *BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Raven-1, recover!”

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "*Heavy breathing*”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Raven-1, RECOVER!”

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "*Heavy breathing* Missiles evaded!”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Five more seconds and you would've been at 3,000 feet... below ground.”

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "Returning to ceiling. I'm getting a lock on this bastard here.."

Helios Astrodynamics ©479 All Rights Reserved

Aligning himself with the enemy Ibis for a moment, Fernandez matched the multirole's attempts to evade with his own maneuvers, firing off two more A-73s towards the delta wing fighter. Without much issue, the Ibis was downed by Goldeneye, its missiles flying true to its locked target and quickly ending the life of the other enemy Ibis. This left two more Ibises to deal with, one of which followed Fernandez as he dove, attempting to shake it off, while the other peeled off for what seemed to be a flank.

This Ibis seemed more persistent than usual, even after Fernandez's first couple of high-g, high-speed maneuvers to attempt to shake him failed during the beginning of the dogfight. His mind racing with the various outcomes and opportunities of the dogfight, Fernandez decided another stunt to attempt to break the jet chasing him—that is, pulling off a John's Cobra maneuver to attempt to make the Ibis overshoot.

Without warning, Fernandez dropped his speed and raised the nose to the vertical position and slightly beyond, before dropping it back to normal. The horizon disappeared beneath him as he did this, before returning, an enemy Ibis in front of him.

The maneuver was successful—after effectively turning the Phoenix into a full-body airbrake that momentarily stalled him, then recovering using the thrust vectoring, Fernandez was back in control, and back on top. This left the Ibis in front of him wide open for the Phoenix's 30mm cannon, which it tore through like a hot knife through butter, easily disabling and downing the fighter.

HELIOS ASTRODYNAMICS
TACTICAL COMLINK v. 6.3α
ADVANCED MOTION SIM LAB ROOM 1

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Nice one! Raven-1, you've just got one OPFOR plane remaining.”

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "Affirmative. I see him.”

Helios Astrodynamics ©479 All Rights Reserved

On the instrument display was one final blip indicating an enemy aircraft was in the area—coincidentally, within visual range of Goldeneye. As it desperately tried to climb and turn to evade being shot down, Fernandez’s Phoenix deployed two more A-73s against it from its internal pylons, peeling away from the glowing golden orbs that stretched off towards the horizon. After a few moments, the orbs, now tiny and off in the distance, hit something far off in the blue, cloudless sky, undoubtedly destroying whatever target it was in the ensuing explosion that filled Fernandez’s view.

After the explosion, the target abruptly disappeared from Fernandez’s radar...thus confirming the kill. As he turned away from the small fireball, he noted on the radar that there was one more contact—an unknown contact somewhere outside of his visual range, but well within radar range.

HELIOS ASTRODYNAMICS
TACTICAL COMLINK v. 6.3α
ADVANCED MOTION SIM LAB ROOM 1

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "Huh, that's interesting. Is that friendly...?”

\\\ [- [SIMADMIN / Khalid Ankh-Aswad] -] \\\ - "Well done, sir. All targets neutralized. Go ahead and come in for a landing at Runway 07L on that dirt strip, and we’ll have you on your way..”

\\\ [N-70KM4 Phoenix #003 "Goldeneye"][Raven-1][CPT. Nile Fernandez] \\\ - "Affirmative..”

Helios Astrodynamics ©479 All Rights Reserved

Fernandez piloted the sleek fifteenth-generation multirole aircraft back towards the unmarked airstrip for a VFR landing at the runway, touching down with as much grace and precision one would expect from a pilot. Once he taxied over to one of the hangars, Fernandez cut the engine, the canopy opening to allow him to exit. Though, this was the virtual canopy—he had to remember he was still in a simulation—once this happened, the simulated world disappeared into a hazy grid-like texture as he raised the VR goggles, taking a look at the room around him. The gondola’s canopy had opened just as the virtual one opened, allowing Fernandez to step out of the simulator and into the simulator room.

"So..? How was it?" Khalid asked, as if he were expecting a right answer, all while Khufut watched him with eager eyes.

"Lifelike, breathtaking, almost too lifelike." Fernandez said. "Though, I do wonder...what was that unknown contact I spotted on radar? Those "Friendly forces" the bot was talking about?"

"Must've been just a glitch." Khalid muttered, motioning the pilot onwards. "Come on. Let's not keep the Commandant waiting—I think he'll approve of your score.. Word on the grapevine is that we're moving to Kidosi for training with the Kidosi Air Force types."

"Kidosis, huh?" Fernandez scoffed. "Alright.. and what exactly did I score?" Fernandez asked, curious.

"Well, sir... it's a record. You scored so high that you glitched out the scoring machine itself."

Blacksite
_{Command Complex}
_{Historical Records Office Research Camp Providence Office Site Zero
Har Exclusion Zone}
_{Akhmanar Empire}
_{January 6, A.C. 479
6:30 PM AST}

The Skies of Har turning green were a telltale sign that something wasn't quite right with this place.

Ever since the Transatlantic war almost 86 years ago, in which the city of Har was annihilated by Tangaliroan nuclear weapons during the invasion, Har was, well... haunted, by some curse of the gods or something of that matter. At least, that's what Horus ankh-kheper of Yevosh was told to believe. He knew something much more sinister was at play, something not even the nigh-omnipotent security apparatus of the Providence Office or the intellectuals of the Historial Records Office knew. Something only very few people knew..if they were even left.

Har had turned into a sort of haunted waiting game, waiting to see what the Necromunda Cultists hired alongside a few unknowing HRO personnel had to say, and waiting to see what came crawling out of the city of the dead this time. They only knew a few warning signs that something was going to go wrong in the immediate 10 or so minutes: one of them being tremors, and the other, of course, being a green sky or a hazy green mist around the area. Though, it was hard to tell with the latter except for the sky, given that Har was pretty much permanently covered in this green haze...or was it even green? It was a color truly no human in Akhmanar had seen before, let alone a color none of them could really describe. "Green" was the closest one could get.

The lights over Har had necessitated the creation of a "permanent temporary no fly zone" over the city by the CASO, under the guise of a nuclear accident. A similar incident had occurred in Euphemie to Har with the Dysnome closed city, with tremors and a disaster serving as a prelude to the strange happenings in both sites. Both Akhmanar and Euphemie had done excellent jobs in covering it up from the public, but Horus wasn't so sure that the secret could stay out for long.

At least the more religious of the public had something to go with: people could generally pass off the explanation of "Necromunda's ancient army rising out of the ruins of the cultists' holy city" as ridiculous, if you weren't a cultist, of course. Any ancient threat that could come out there was no match to modern tanks and nuclear weapons, as stupid as it sounded. But, Horus was a doubting person to things like this. On the first couple of incidents, 390s-era Akhmanari soldiers that were simply corrupted, along with other unspeakable things took a large-scale PO response to eliminate it, and even that was costly, resulting in the loss of a small forward site closer towards Har.

Once again, though, it was a waiting game. Waiting to see what unspeakable horrors came from that strange ethereal light. Waiting to see what the PO did next. Waiting to see what the HRO did next. Waiting.

Waiting...

Waiting...

A knock on his door broke his train of thought as he turned away from the window, folding his hands behind his back in an at ease stance. "Enter."

A flash of white hair caused him to relax as a slender but athletically toned woman entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Old man couldn't come with, but I brought a messenger instead."

She revealed a compact data drive and stuck the thumb drive into the computer on Horus's desk. After a few moments, the digital, somewhat distorted image of an Akhmanari Jackal in a cloak appeared on the screen, waiting for the two to take a seat.

"Zephyr," Horus gave a nod of acknowledgement to the high-level Ancilla.

"You two have some work to do." Zephyr said in an eloquent voice. "The emperor has asked for my presence here in his stay to inform you of your request. Of course, I've merely sent a subroutine of myself here on this CDD for your convenience. He says that while he is unable to provide additional assets, some strings pulled with the PO and HRO are granting you permission to enter the Har exclusion zone. Why you would like to do this is beyond my comprehension, but there's nothing stopping you."

"Is that all?" Horus asked, expecting something else. "No 'news from the frontlines' or anything? Service out here is as spotty as it gets, especially with these storms near Har."

"Nothing else. Euphemie is still on fire. Turmenista is still irrelevant. We-"

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

As the klaxons in the facility suddenly began to blare, a sharp tremor shook the office and the facility as a whole, knocking a few antique things over inside the office. The lights over the ruined city grew even brighter, swirling magically, undulating, and pulsating as if they were alive, but the world just kept shaking. The two of them had to admit, the light show was beautiful..hypnotic, even, as if it were a lens into a world far different than their own, right within their grasps...

But then, there were some noises—terrible noises. Inhuman howling, as if a horde of animals were calling out for the hunt, filled their ears with eerily familiar screeches of terrible, unnatural things they knew well. Pieces of monsters went in and out of shadow in the ensuing smoke from what seemed to be large landmines off near the exclusion zone, while automatic machine gun fire confirmed that the forward operating base's security presence was engaging something.

Then, the gunfire stopped... more tremors. Zephyr switched to a new camera on Horus's computer, his face reduced to a portrait on the bottom half of the screen as the live cameras around changed to view outside of the forward security base. Humanoids eerily familiar to 390s Akhmanari soldiers ran past security personnel catching a glimpse of something quite large on camera that moved with the speed of a cheetah.

The two looked at each other, as if the realization that the facility was under attack dawned upon them. While the klaxons blared on in the background alongside the sporadic staccato of machine gun fire, Horus and the white-haired woman moved in unison, Horus pulling the CDD from the computer as they both ran out of the office.

by **Turmenista** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 10:11 pm

S1E4
_EXPURGATION

_{CLICK FOR MOOD MUSIC}

SITUATION CODE: DARKSKIES

SYNOPSIS: Defines a threat which cannot easily be described. Also used to designate a hypothetical lockdown scenario involving a being of extraterrestrial origin (BETO) or other unusual entities capable of breaking natural laws and processes.

SPECIAL GUIDANCE: All personnel at the site are advised to evacuate immediately, and all doors/entrances to and from the site blocked. Data banks may be encrypted or destroyed to prevent hostile acquisition of vital data. Do not attack hostile combatants unless absolutely necessary. Wait for Providence Office security forces to arrive. Security are to immediately protect all staff and assets, then to repress the threat. Staff should be aware that defensive automated countermeasures will be selected to engage targets without proper security ID, and may be indiscriminately deployed during the holding of the site.

In the Pharaistic pantheon, Necromunda was depicted as a strange god of death, trickery, and the dark, magical esoteric arts, who entered the pantheon soon after Ancient Manae came into contact with Ancient Akhmanar, explaining his different name. Some historians in the Historical Records Office deem him to be Akhmanar’s interpretation of the Manaean “Adversary,” a figure found both in the Ourielist and Tsionist faith associated with sin. He is seen as the mortal enemy to the brother gods Horet and Sebek, the respective tuletary god of Akhmanar and god of the afterlife, war, and crocodilians, whom often put aside their quarreling to fight him in mortal combat. Necromunda would often ride into massive astral battles on his dark steed, Malachor, leading his army of complex monsters and gene-slaves against the armies of both the living and dead, led by Horet and Sebek. Most tales would depict him as only being able to be defeated once the two brothers put aside their differences for the sake of humanity. A strange sect of Pharaism believes that Necromunda, who was aggressive towards humanity, was entombed by the sun god Atum in the Valley of the Dead in Aenara during the Calamity, and will one day rise to enact his vengeance on humanity, starting with Aenara.

For much of Akhmanar’s history, Har has been a strange, mysterious city considered the holy mecca of the cultists of Necromunda, a mostly estranged group dedicated to the worship of their strange god. Despite having at least a political presence in Akhmanari politics in the Vizier Assembly, most of what these cultists say goes into one ear of an average Akhmanari and straight out the other, mostly seen as nonsense. However, with the recent events going on in the city of Har, especially given the wide range of camera footage for the researchers within OPSEC and the security personnel here to consider, they may need to give this a few second thoughts and agree with the cultists. But, to those truly in the know, they know what is really going on here...

Site Zero was created by a joint Providence Office/Historical Records Office mission to study, cover up, and most importantly contain the anomalous activity in the city of Har. Most of these efforts have been successful, including a few small missions into the city to reclaim areas lost to Har’s strange sphere of influence and to study the zone, but given the surprisingly high intelligence of the enemy forces in the ruined city, and the presence of unknown anomalous materials (in spite of the fact that the radiation around Har has long since dissipated), most expeditions into Har and the surrounding smaller facilities, now-since overrun, are few and far apart. Any security response required for protecting Site Zero from the ever encroaching anomalous presence of Har is backed up by the full support of the Providence Office’s black budget, which includes a rather superfluous amount of military hardware and security personnel.

Most of the knowledge regarding the so-called “abominations” that come from Har, both humanoid and not, comes from leaks acquired from the Euphemian Department of Energy, which dealt with a similar incident in the closed city of Dysnome. Speculation from the HRO deems these anomalies to be from a reality different than our own, but at this rate, finding out what is truth and what is just fact is an anomaly in and of itself… not to mention, rumors of similar happenings in other anomalous locations throughout Tsion like Verson and Novus Concordia have brought into question what exactly is going on here...

Expurgation, Act 1
_{Habitat Bast}
_{Historical Records Office Research Camp Providence Office Site Zero
Har Exclusion Zone}
_{Akhmanar Empire}
_{January 6, A.C. 479
8:06 PM AST}

MAAT CONGLOMERATE ELECTRONICS DIVISION
COMMLINK v. 4.3.1α
CHANNEL BASE SECURITY - “ACHEM TEAM” - MAX ENCRYPTION

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "Achem Actual to Bast Actual — say again, did you say you have hostiles firing back?!”

MAAT Conglomerate ©479 All Rights Reserved

Lancer's seven-man team, Achem Team, had been at the front of the fighting for quite some time now, the red glow of incendiary weaponry and their overwhelming tracer fire giving the already "green" sky a touch of bright red, courtesy of the Providence Office. Whatever things were coming out of the strange mass of glowing, undulating lights that was (formerly) Forward Post Cheops—at least, until ten minutes ago—were no match to concentrated small arms fire and the occasional low velocity rifled gun shot from a MP-391 stationed nearby Lancer's small unit. In any other engagement with the fiends that came out of Har, the enemy would've been absolutely annihilated by now...so why were they still being given the order to keep firing?

---==============---

"GHOSTS OF HAR PAST"
Remnants From A Bygone War

"Lieutenant, contact, dead ahead, coming out of Forward Post Cheops!" Achem 1-2, one of his subordinate team leaders, shouted out with a hint of fear in his voice, passing the rangefinders to Lancer while also providing the bearings from their elevated position. They were situated atop a hill of sorts, given Har had practically sunk into the ground in a massive crater, perhaps due to the nukes or supernatural means, but visibility into the haze of the still intact city was possible through night vision or thermal vision. Thus, it took a while for Lancer to finally spot what Achem 1-2 had spotted running out of the city towards the incline and past the ruins of Forward Post Cheops down inside of the depression, but when he viewed the sight with his own eyes, he couldn't believe it. What appeared at first to be humanoids were walking out of the mess of fire and glowing green energy, albeit, humanoids armed with 80 year old equipment, eerily familiar to the uniforms of the military...albeit, if they were in the 390s.

"What the hell—"

MAAT CONGLOMERATE ELECTRONICS DIVISION
COMMLINK v. 4.3.1α
CHANNEL BASE SECURITY - “ACHEM TEAM” - MAX ENCRYPTION

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Bast Team | "Pirate"] -] \\\ - "Bast Actual to Achem Actual, interrogative — do you have eyes on the armed hostiles, over?”

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "Achem Actual to Bast Actual, what the fuck am I looking at?”

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Bast Team | "Pirate"] -] \\\ - "Hostile forces. Enemy footmobiles, Acuzar is asking if they have returned fire.”

MAAT Conglomerate ©479 All Rights Reserved

Lancer paused for a second, returning to view the humanoid monstrosities just standing there in the fire, ominously.

---==============---

"THEY LIVE"
Under New Orders, They Stand Guard

"They just aren't moving... almost as if they're watching us.." Lancer muttered, noting a humanoid in the center of the formation standing tall among the others. "Unit cohesion is well...almost as if they're matching our security line with their own."

"Sir? What's the move?" Achem 1-2 asked anxiously. His unit was in the perfect position to absolutely annihilate whatever was down in the massive depression that was Har, or, at least their side, and were armed with enough weaponry to terrorize a city, IFV included. So why was he stopping? Why wasn't he down there with Bast absolutely annihilating the enemy right now, or, better yet, moving back in alongside gunships and tanks to retake Forward Post Cheops?

Deciding he had lingered for too long, Lancer reached for his radio once again, but Pirate already took the opportunity to contact him first.

MAAT CONGLOMERATE ELECTRONICS DIVISION
COMMLINK v. 4.3.1α
CHANNEL BASE SECURITY - “ACHEM TEAM” - MAX ENCRYPTION

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Bast Team | "Pirate"] -] \\\ - "Bast Actual to Achem Actual, I need to know...”

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "Achem Actual to Bast Actual, negative. They haven't opened fire..”

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Bast Team | "Pirate"] -] \\\ - "Affirmative. We're—SKREEEEEE.”

MAAT Conglomerate ©479 All Rights Reserved

The brief staccato of gunfire towards Habitat Bast behind them, followed by the ear-splitting screech of something that could be heard both in person and on the radio, confirmed Lancer's supicion that the Habitat was under attack...and, thus, the command complex was in danger. When he looked back towards the "infantry" in the fire back at the Forward Post, they were gone...but so too was Bast Team on his wrist's small TACMAP.

"What the fuck is this situational awareness? What the FUCK is going on?" Lancer shouted out in frustration, stepping off from his prone position as he returned to the IFV, calling the rest of his team back on his position. "I need to figure out what the fuck command's malfunction is. Pile on the AFV.."

Achem 1-2 showed some reluctance as he approached the rear of the MP-391. "We're just gonna leave Forward Post Cheops down there? There's people still in—"

"We're leaving, lest you want to go down there and help some dead men yourself." Lancer reasserted himself, reaching for his radio.

MAAT CONGLOMERATE ELECTRONICS DIVISION
COMMLINK v. 4.3.1α
CHANNEL BASE ADMIN - MAX ENCRYPTION

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "Achem Actual to ADMIN, interrogative. What the FUCK is goi—”

\\\ [- [Providence Office Esoterics Div. | Dr. Filipe Acuzar] -] \\\ - "Achem Actual, watch your profanity. The contacts you reported at the Forward Post will be documented later...what I want for you and your team to do is to clear out Habitat Bast. One large HVT has broken through the security line at Sector Hastur and is currently approaching Habitat Bast. Security is handling the evacuation...but I fear Bast Team has unfortunately failed in their mission.”

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "What'll happen to Forward Post Cheops, then? The defense at the exclusion zone?”

\\\ [- [Providence Office Esoterics Div. | Dr. Filipe Acuzar] -] \\\ - "It's being handled.”

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "What kind of 'HVT'-”

\\\ [- [Providence Office Esoterics Div. | Dr. Filipe Acuzar] -] \\\ - "Addendum. Capture if possible, terminate only if necessary. Your pay will be quadrupled if it is brought back incapacitated and subdued.”

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "Sir, how are we supposed t-”

\\\ [- [Providence Office Esoterics Div. | Dr. Filipe Acuzar] -] \\\ - "I've got pressing matters to attend to. Acuzar, out."

MAAT Conglomerate ©479 All Rights Reserved

"The fucking scientist's gone mad, huh?" Achem 1-3 scoffed. "So he's just gonna make us go in and clear out whatever the fuck just flattened Sector H, sir?"

Lancer gave an unceremonious sigh as their vehicle stepped off back towards Habitat Bast, which, normally, would've been a relatively safe place at Site Zero, given its actual distance from the Har depression and the haze of the city. He and the others pulled off their gas masks as the vehicle continued down the road at full speed. "So it seems, so it seems..but he's promised quadruple pay if we clear out Habitat Bast...and bring that thing down. I don't think those things understand anything higher than "kill", but if it's kill it wants, it's kill it'll get."

"Coming up on Habitat Bast Gate B now, Lancer! Good luck out there!" Their IFV's commander shouted, before the vehicle came to an abrupt halt. Its doors dropped, allowing the team to spill out in the usual fashion, where they set up a security perimeter around the vehicle. "Masks on, you know the drill, let's move!"

Once Lancer entered the middle of the formation, he put his shouldered KT-107X back into its patrol stance, making a quick knife-hand gesture towards the entrance of the building...and the large, gaping hole that had been made in the reinforced gate.

His voice was hushed, but still assertive, as the Providence Office operatives rushed towards the hole in formation. "Move, move, move! Go!"

Stacking up by the hole, Lancer entered first, switching on his weapon's IR laser as he activated his white phosphor ENVGs mounted on his helmet, plunging the dark Habitat Bast corridors into a bluish glow. Their lasers were visible through night vision, passing over the deceased bodies and remains of Bast Team as Lancer started counting off the dead by their IFF markers on their helmets...seven members of Bast Team—now, seven bodies...

...Whatever took out Bast Team had made sure it was quick, methodical..and brutal. Lancer took the lead, making sure to gingerly step over the path of gore that led down the blood and ectoplasm-spattered hallways, creeping towards a large supply room. Its door was on the other side of the large room, embedded into an observation room on the catwalk, its lights partially on. Another blood-spattered stain was visible on the wall of this room, and it didn't take that big of a brain to figure out that the door-turn-projectile was probably responsible.

Lancer stepped into the room gingerly, motioning for Achem to assume a circular "security formation", forming somewhat of a circle that covered each and every angle of the room, while moving forwards closely. "Achem, fan out, activate your motion trackers, if you have them. Keep watch on your TACPADS, and don't wander off."

The room was deathly silent, and as Lancer scanned the room, a ping being sent out every so often with the motion tracker on his shoulder, he suddenly looked to his side, at Achem 1-2. He wasn't sure of the man's name, given codenames and all, but he saw that the the young man had an intense glare at something in the corner, his eyes practically piercing through the gas mask. As he tensed up, raising his weapon up from a ready position...he was gone, his gun clattering to the floor as Lancer whipped his gun to the right side, at a black tendril that had come from one of the shipping containers nearby.

---==============---

"THE THING THAT CAME FROM HAR"
A Relic From A Forgotten Place

"CONTAAACT!" His callout was supplemented by Achem 1-2's wailing as something much larger than the crate bounded up on top of it, crumpling parts of it from its weight as some sharpened, improvised claws scraped against the plating. Achem 1-2's upper body was grabbed by a crude replication of a three-fingered reptilian hand, his body instantly cleft in twain by a swipe of another tendril protruding from the amalgamation.

As he put his eyes upon the battle-scarred abomination, no words could describe what Lancer was feeling right now—was it astonishment? Fear? Rage? He couldn't get a grasp on what he was feeling, but one thing was for sure—the sight of Achem 1-2's torso being lobbed across the room was enough for him to regain his composure and start shooting, and once he began opening fire on the beast, so, too did the rest of Achem team. "Achem Team, ENGAGE! Kill that dinosaur FUCK right NOW!"

The room was practically lit up by automatic gunfire from Achem Team, Achem 2-1 laying down suppressive fire with his NiBR-89 LMG. A veritable mound of bullet casings formed by their feet as the vaguely reptilian monster's claws dug into one of the shipping crates, lobbing the nearly three-ton crate towards the unit effortlessly. Once Lancer gave the order, the unit scattered as the thing's tendrils punched through another crate, bulges forming in the vaguely cephalopod-like tendrils as it apparently pumped something inside the massive crate.

The realization of what was going on hit Lancer like a freight train, and as he was about to open fire on the tendril, it was too late—the amalgam's tendrils retracted back into its body as its crustacean-like middle legs forced it up into the air, out of sight. In its stay, the shipping container practically came to life, living bits of flesh and a black tar-like substance seeping out of the cracks as the front doors were repurposed into a crude maw, albeit vestigial, given the sheer volume of calcium-based teeth now inside of the living container's interior. Crude armor plates now composed the mass, made up of parts of the crate that had simply been torn apart once it became animated.

"It made a fucking mimic from the crate!" Achem 1-3 called out loudly, the unit immediately opening fire. Achem 2-3 was unfortunately grabbed by one of the monster's tendrils, and as the entire team hosed down the monster with an overwhelming amount of firepower, Achem 2-3 was practically splattered against the floor once the mimic began to reel back into its "armor," its tendrils recoiling back into the container.

With no time to mourn his Loss, Lancer was already on the job, pulling a G14 incendiary grenade from his plate carrier's grenade pouch and pulling the pin, lobbing it at the crate-monster. The thermite easily burned through the metal plate and caused the monster to wail, exposing yet another weak spot that he promptly emptied half his magazine into with brutal accuracy. The box-monster had become little more than a disgusting mass of viscera and scrap metal, still burning as the flames ate away what little remained of it.

Lancer had little time to react as his motion detector began screaming, meaning the shoulder-mounted device was, apparently, pointed towards the enemy...before he knew it, the vaguely reptilian monster from before was back, its maw wide open as it roared in his face...the screams of another member of Achem Team drowned out by the deafening, outerwordly call of the beast. Achem 1-3 had been crippled by the beast landing, his spine evidently broken as it loomed atop him like a predator inspecting its kill. With a swipe forwards, it pushed the crippled and screaming Achem 1-3 forwards, only to lob the man backwards and away from Lancer before he had the opportunity to help the man. Judging by the thud and the abrupt silence that came after Achem 1-3's screaming, he was dead on impact.

Infuriated, Lancer cried out in anger as he dumped his magazine into the monster, ducking out of the way as a tail-like appendage swiped over him, knocking away one of the crates. Achem Team's overwhelming firepower became apparent as the team opened fire from multiple angles. Bright red tracers from Achem 2-1 ripped into the monster like a hot knife through butter as entire limbs were torn off by the machine gun, while globules of the black, tar-like substance making up its "flesh" spattered against the floor, exposing crudely-made "bones" and other internal components of the beast.

What remained of the monster was a battered, nearly eviscerated version of itself that lay on the floor, unable to move or attack. Achem 1-4 stepped in front of the monster and fired off a barrel-shaped weapon from his shoulder, practically encompassing the entire Har beast in a wire net that pressed down against it. Lancer stepped over the beast, considering his options for a moment as he tried to search for any eyes, to no avail. Disturbed, he stepped away, still looking down at the disabled beast.

"Fucking spawn of the devil," He hissed. "You killed three of my men, toyed with them before my eyes.. I don't know what you things are, but hell, sucks for you that I didn't kill you here. Doctor Acuzar's gonna cut you up good, I hope.."

He reached for his radio and turned away from the monster.

MAAT CONGLOMERATE ELECTRONICS DIVISION
COMMLINK v. 4.3.1α
CHANNEL BASE ADMIN - MAX ENCRYPTION

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "Achem Actual to ADMIN. It's incapacitated...not sure how we'll transport it to containment. I don't know why we're bringing it to containment...but it's done.”

\\\ [- [Providence Office Esoterics Div. | Dr. Filipe Acuzar] -] \\\ - "Achem Actual, good work. I'll handle the transportation, you make sure it doesn't escape while transportation units arrive.”

\\\ [- [Providence Office / Achem Team | "Lancer"] -] \\\ - "What're you gonna do to it, sir?”

\\\ [- [Providence Office Esoterics Div. | Dr. Filipe Acuzar] -] \\\ - "..A wise tactician once said, in order to catch a terrorist, you need to think like one. If we even want a chance at understanding what is truly going on here in Har, and how to further contain or even stop it..I'll need one. Alive. Acuzar, out."

MAAT Conglomerate ©479 All Rights Reserved

He moved away from his radio, turning to what remained of Achem Team. "If that thing even so much as moves a muscle, waste the motherfucker."

Enter: Dr. Filipe Acuzar

All those months of waiting and taking chances, constant creeping into the exclusion zone and enduring missions gone horribly wrong...missions gone right, missions gone more south than Antarctica, and everything in between...and he had finally managed to achieve one of his goals: Recovering a live sample of one of those things that had emerged from Har and utterly annihilated Sector H, only to be tactfully stopped by Achem Team in Habitat Bast before it could cause any more unnecessary damage. On top of that, Forward Post Cheops had been promptly retaken, giving the Providence Office better eyes on the city and the depression it had sunk into, perhaps the best eyes they could've had right now.

For all intensive purposes, today was a success. A success that had cost the lives of many security personnel and scientists, but a success nonetheless.

---==============---

"DR. FILIPE ACUZAR"
The Enigmatic Good Doctor

Doctor Acuzar waited patiently as the elevator continued down to the ultra-secure containment cells making up the rest of the sort of deep underground military base that was Site Zero. He was much older than most of the other scientists in the facility by 10 to 20 years their senior, thus asserting his seniority over the others by age—not just experience. His story of how he got here was a bit ironic, really. Decades in education, a brief dabble in politics, and multiple PhDs including Biochemistry, Medicine, Philosophy, and Psychology had led his science career to a high-end position in the Providence Office, a position he never thought existed in the already enigmatic praetorian guard...until he found out about their Esoterics Division.

The things in the Providence Office's Esoterics Division were right up Dr. Acuzar's alley. Pseudosciences, the occult, the extraterrestrial, recovering secrets hidden by the ancients, and the like...it was said that there was a whole world of secrets that the ancients had left, and it was the task of people like the PO's Esoterics Division and the Historical Records Office to uncover them.

Taking up a position of power for a well-paying job that disregarded morals and laws for the sake of science and humanity was as great as it sounded to Dr. Acuzar. He was given a personal black budget to try and figure out what was going on in Har on behalf of Akhmanar as a lead researcher at Site Zero. Such a tasking was rumored to be so secret, essentially no one with security clearance as high as his could leave Site Zero due to the sensitive information and operational security. Half the PO was oblivious of this site's existence anyways, adding to its mystery..and intrigue.

Today's success called for a meeting of heads, that is, heads from the HRO, being his younger and more energetic rival, Horus, whom he often butted heads with, as well as the Ancilla Zephyr, representing the interests of the Emperor, and finally, Kabhasenuf Nofre-ka-annu of Nakha, a Cultist of Necromunda who, under blood oath by his own accord, was here to provide esoteric knowledge of Har's layouts, both on the surface and subterranean, given he was a sort of archivist of Necromundite records, serving as a sort of advisor to any mapped expeditions into Har, and a general presence for the cultists here.

Dr. Acuzar entered the room and, as he suspected, was greeted with four faces: Zephyr's, on a computer screen with a webcam attached, as well as the hooded face of Kabhasenuf, and finally Horus, and his white-haired female bodyguard, who prevented the doctor's entry for a moment with her arm as the doors opened. "He's here."

---==============---

"NEPTHYS AND HORUS"
A Duo From The Office... Another Office

"Thank you, Nephthys." Dr. Acuzar smiled, entering the room with a smile. Acuzar entered like a panther: quick, silent, but also smooth, taking his respective seat at the table, strategically facing the others in the nondescript room. Once inside, the doors immediately closed behind him, clicking shut as the locks were put in place, the room soon falling into a deathly silence.

Acuzar remained silent and assessed the others, before falling onto Horus, opening his hands and arms as if he had nothing to say. "I don't know what else to say, Horus...mi amigo...we did it."

Kabhasenuf lashed out first. "You don't even know what you've caused, fool—"

"At the cost of many of our good men and researchers," Horus folded his arms, glowering at Acuzar. "I was reading the comms—you made Bast Team practically go in without any proper warning to a death trap. I'd say it was by luck alone that Achem Team got out of there...not even counting the three that were killed like dogs."

Acuzar leaned back in his chair for a moment to stretch as Horus continued. "Doctor, that thing killed three highly-trained operatives in seconds..not to mention the mimic it created out of the shipping crate. Don't even get me started about Sector Hastur... I don't think that keeping it here would be a good idea.."

"Yes, yes, that's a very clever observation, Mr. Horus.." Acuzar gestured to Zephyr with his hand. "Do you have anything to say, before I allow the cultist to begin speaking, then defend my claim?"

---==============---

"ANCILLA ZEPHYR"
Envoy From The Higher Ups

"So long as Har remains contained, I have nothing to say on my behalf," Zephyr's avatar spoke, the jackal resting its chin on its paw-hands.

Acuzar grinned. "Now, mister Kabhasenuf—"

"This is an outrage, this activity coming from Har!" The cultist shouted. "We have visual confirmation that our god is reanimating the dead...you saw the soldiers, what they are wearing! 80-year-old gear, mimics made out of the remains of tanks...all the while, the city still remains intact. You know what this means? Necromunda is making an army for the end times!" He slammed his fist on the table. "If you want it from me, doctor, I call it a prophecy, or a blessing. Now all that needs to be done is for the rest of the base to get some sense slapped into them and prepare for the arrival of our LORD."

Horus practically facepalmed as Acuzar let the two argue it out. "All I ask is that you do not call it a prophecy or a blessing, Kabhasenuf.."

"And not worship our GOD for his second coming? And not prepare a glorious, pompous parade?" The cultist frowned. "Blind fool. His arrival is imminent, and here we are, focused on the city when we should be watching the holy cities of Sebek and Akrum^[1] for activity there..earthquakes, to start."

"You're a fool." Horus shook his head. "There are things about Har even you cultists do not understand..."

Kabhasenuf turned to Horus and his partner, stepping out of his chair. He began marching forward and placed his index finger on the HRO agent's chest, causing Nepthys to step forward. "Be careful of what you say Horus... what you say may be considered heresy!"

"Is it?"

Zephyr's voice caused the man to stand down as the Ancilla gestured to Horus. "Doctor, would you like for Horus to give the cultist his findings on the beings from Har? I'm sure you'd like to hear as well."

"Very well." Acuzar shrugged, then, jokingly, called upon Horus. "Enlighten him, 'professor'."

Horus scowled at Acuzar for a moment before revealing an avila folder by his side, placing it on the table as he pulled the movable whiteboard behind his seat. "From the information we've recovered from Euphemie, we call it—the place I have theorized Har to be connected to—the Interstice. Theoretically speaking, Har is one of many places on Tsion that I believe to coexist between our reality and the Interstice, and it was the destruction of something within Har 86 years ago during the city's nuking that caused it to open something, thus allowing the Interstice to "spill in" to our reality."

"So Har is a portal," Acuzar summed it up for brevity. "Continue, Horus."

"Because Har exists 'between' these boundaries, I've concluded that it is possible for beings to travel between our world and the Interstice using locations like Har...albeit, we've tried it with robots, but their survival is not guaranteed. Thus far, there's been no real expeditions into the Interstice, those that have tried have been destroyed, as you know."

"Intruding upon Necromunda's temple and his domain will do that," Kabhasenuf muttered.

"I'm not talking religion here, Kabhasenuf." Horus reasserted. "I'm talking pseudoscience. Real science. Physics, the like.." He gave a sigh. "There are many different kinds of entities that come from the Interstice, as an umbrella term, we designate them "amalgams." Most of these amalgams can be categorized as biological, ethereal, or psionic. As for biological, those would be the corrupted creations that appear to be made of tar and flesh. That grey biomass or fluid they use can be injected into objects that will alter their biology and morphology forcefully. That is how we see those horrible hybrids of man and monster, the like. That's how they spread. They create biomass off of the amalgamated or corrupted remains of places, making 'nests' that have taken over Forward Posts closer to Har itself."

He passed out a grainy photograph from the avila folder of the strange biomass. "Next are 'ethereal' amalgams. These are hard to describe since we've only seen a few...but.." Horus passed out the photo of the so-called "Thing That Came From Har," as well as the "Ghost Soldiers" that Achem Team also encountered. "I theorize these amalgams appear when the fabric of reality is thin, and they're usually free-form. These "Ghost Soldiers" seem to be a hybrid of biological amalgams made from the corpses of Akhmanari soldiers that were in Har when the nukes fell, and the ones of the ethereal type. Generally, the amalgams of the ethereal type are considered things like roaches in their reality, like the Ctygd'kelbh, the eyeball-creatures that we have in containment. Generally, they're much weaker than most amalgams..."

"Sans the Thing That Came From Har, today," Acuzar corrected. "If the Ctygd'kelbh are akin to rats, that would be an entirely different beast.."

"Yes. Finally, there are the psionic amalgams, some of the rarest." Horus passed out a grainy photo of what appeared to be a flash of light of some strange color near a ruined skyscraper in Har, situated atop the tallest point on the skeleton of a building. "Most of them are seen near what was once Lake Alexandria AFB, and I don't think I need to explain what they do, but I will. Mostly memetic based, potent psionic abilities, rumored to be the cause of some friendly fire incidents during incursions into Har. Case in point, they'll think you to death."

Horus closed his folder and looked over the men once again. "Gentlemen, these things...I can't stress the danger of these..amalgams, or demons, or 'Necromunda's soldiers', whatever you want to call them. To put it simply, they've got the intelligence level of a human. That means they're sentient and dangerous, and they will stop at nothing until we're either dead, consumed, or assimilated. That's why they're so dangerous. That's why units like Bast Team were annihilated, and how we almost lost Forward Post Cheops so quickly. It's because they lack any morals that would otherwise stop them from doing what they want."

He folded his arms, pausing momentarily. "Doctor.. I don't know what you can derive off of actually keeping one of those amalgams, but you need to know they're not what you think they are. They're dangerous entities that need to be destroyed at all cost, and if we don't find a way to keep them from coming out of Har, or at least keep them at bay for the long term, we're looking at a dangerous information leak and a situation on our hands that could threaten Akhmanar. Understood?"

"Whatever has existed, even if it stops existing, will still exist, and will continue to exist. I may not see these 'amalgams' as...well..'amalgams', but I am aware of the danger." Kabhasenuf nodded. "Our god works in mysterious ways...but I must NOT lose faith!"

"I still see opportunity from containment and testing, perhaps for the better," Dr. Acuzar murmured. "We just need the right opportunity, and, well, it's presented itself to us here."

Horus folded his arms, turning back to Dr. Acuzar. "Doctor, I don't think that's—"

"I know what you're going to say, Horus, 'It's not the right thing, and it won't work.' Believe me, I understand where you're getting at." With a wave of his hand, Acuza dismissed Horus's concern. "However, allow me to tell you why you are wrong."

Horus looked offended as Acuzar continued on. "You see, facing this aggressively is not the way to deal with Har, not right now. We've tried every outcome you can think of right now sans the nuclear option. We cannot merely destroy our enemy unless we strike them at the heart, and I'm sure you know how that's gone in the past. What we can do, however, is contain and study it. Study Har's intricacies and secrets so that we may exploit its weaknesses. Containing Har by force will only result in an even greater loss of life on our end. The thing is, no one has ever thought about containing these amalgams...with our wits. We have the ability to think creative, which is what I plan on doing now."

Horus frowned. "You're forgetting that they can think creatively as well."

Acuzar nodded. "Yes.. however, if we out-think them, it would save hundreds, if not thousands of lives in the future. If we want to figure out how they think, I need one here. Intact..." Pausing for dramatic effect, he passed forth a picture of his own: the monster that decimated Bast Team, currently in containment and bolted down, preventing its escape. "And, for the first time in months, I have what I need."

"Fine then, have it your way." Horus scoffed. "Go ask the monster questions. I won't come save you when get eaten."

As they stood up to leave, a smile formed on Acuzar's face. He had done what no Euphemian Department of Energy researcher or PO/HRO researcher before had ever accomplished: he had managed to capture one of those amalgams, and was going to interrogate it for information. Now he'd be able to "talk" to the Amalgam, to figure out how it ticked—and if talking wouldn't yield any results, probing it for knowledge would.

Today, truly was going to be a great day for science.

CONTEXT NOTES

1 - Akrum - The city of Akrum is regarded as a holy city in Pharaism, particularly for those who align closely with the god Horet, the tutelary god of Akhmanar, and a rival to Necromunda. The god of kingship, justice, the sky, and a protector of Akhmanar, Horet was commonly represented as a male humanoid with a falcon head, or falcon-like features. A large palace dedicated to Horet can be found in Akrum, where those who align with the god often go to for sacred pilgrimages.

by **Valefontaine** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:43 am

S2E1
_{SHIELD AND SWORD OF THE PARTY}

It has been exactly two months since the Event that disrupted our communications with the capital. While most of Medeuropa still reels in the aftermath of the geomagnetic storms, it seems the capital of Mieszko is in the dark still as much of the country has been overtaken by civil unrest, looting more than commonplace across the Commonwealth. The government remains largely oblivious to the fact that dissidents are sweeping the country from the northwest. Where before the Ministry of Homeland Security's Gwardyjska Dywizja Anastazija Janković was due to conduct exercises in the northwest of the country, they now find themselves facing the threat they have trained their lives to combat: dissident forces, backed by the neighboring Republic of Sinica. Ubior and its surrounding areas are due to become a standoff between those loyal to the Mieszko government and those armed to destroy it...

Briefing Delivered by Desanka Aleksandra B. Krsmanović, 2/1/480 A.C. | 3:31 AM

Dissident forces have abruptly laid siege upon Ubior and its surrounding areas. While the aftermath of the Event has left the situation beyond Ubior unclear to us, it has become clear rather quickly what is going on in the country: total chaos. We, the Shield and Sword of the Party, must defend the Commonwealth against this threat. There is nothing more I can tell you: these traitors must be uprooted with haste and without mercy.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shield and Sword of the Party, Act 1

SK/OT-59 Kuguar "Pałac"
Streets of Ubior
Ubior

Rzeczpospolita Zachódumłowianka
February 1, A.C. 480
6:15 AM Mieszko Standard Time

__________________________________

The sun had not yet risen over battered Ubior by the time the gunfire had commenced again. It was faintly audible over the roar of the MRAP's engine, but sufficiently distinct to bring Amálie's eyes fluttering to wakefulness. Sleep wasn't something they often managed — not since the Event. It'd all happened so quickly: the strange lights in the sky, the radio and phone lines going dead... still the sky was illuminated with those surreal colors, green and purple hues filling the night.

First they'd suspected it'd been a solar flare — they were never informed of such a thing beforehand, and by the first month it became clear that was not the case. Whatever it was, it had severed communication between Gwardyjska Dywizja Anastazija Janković and most of the country. Presently, only 14. Dywizja Piechoty "Tygrysy" was in the vicinity of their position, capable of communicating with the MBW guard unit.

Gwardyjska Dywizja Anastazija Janković was unlike most other military units — it answered directly to the Ministry of Homeland Security, rather than the military chain of command. It was named after one of the most successful MBW operatives in the country's history, Anastazija Janković — who would eventually come to solidify the MBW's influence over the government of the Commonwealth.

It had been due to conduct military exercises in the northwest of the country, in the vicinity of Ubior, when the Event had happened — and so they had been left by the Zachodu city in the aftermath. At first they'd worked to restore order — a difficult task, once the shelves began to run empty. Then, they'd consolidated the adjacent farmlands to restore the flow of food.

---==============---

Unusual colors fill the nighted sky.

Now, the strenuous sense of order that GDAJ had established in Ubior was threatened once more: not by rioters or looters from within, but by armed troops from beyond the city's confines. Who they were, what they were fighting for — it had only become clear an hour prior, with a communique from 14. Dywizja Piechoty "Tygrysy". Dissident Zachods, apparently aided by Sinican officers — this was, by all means, an invasion, a betrayal of the utmost degree... and this memory remained fresh in Amálie's mind as she slowly drifted awake once more. The weary, tired looks on the faces of her comrades told the same story of misfortune — this wasn't something they had expected, but it was something they had prepared their entire lives towards. Amálie had served in Euphemie once, as an advisor: the same could be said of a few of her comrades. GDAJ was comprised of well-trained men and women, all things considered. Veterans of the eternal proxy wars in Kir, crackshot advisors to the Federal Remnant government in the Euphemian northeast: most of them had seen war in some shape or form, and had lived thus far to tell the tale.

---==============---

Amálie Pavlíná K. Vršovcová

The gunfire wasn’t awakening just her, the resuming of yesterday’s hostilities bringing some of her comrades out of their deep slumbers, shaking of arms rousing the rest to a small modicum of attention. It was evident that their MRAP was currently taking them someplace within the city, though where exactly was unclear. Probably to the front lines, every man was needed for the defense of Ubior at this stage.

Just a few feet away, Amálie’s superior was similarly combating the profound drowsiness they all had long since learned to deal with. If anyone knew what the situation would’ve been at the moment, it probably would be him. Sierżant Marián Kvido B. Haušild, or just Marián to her, was someone she held a particularly curious relationship with - the two had known one other since childhood, and were quite close.

By sheer coincidence, they'd landed in the same unit. The childhood memories of Elezevac were still fresh in Amálie's mind as she looked her superior's way. They had practically grown up together in Elezevac— both of them Zigechs living in Hajdučivija. Her parents were officials of the Party tasked with aiding in local administration in the small town. His parents had moved there, too — presumedly for similar reasons.

---==============---

Distant memories of a childhood long gone...

He held the rank of sierżant, while she was a plutonowy. Bureaucracy tended at times to be not the kindest of maidens— her service and veterancy from Euphemie had only landed her a subordinate's role in the squad, although she could understand why: that her skills and knowledge gathered in Euphemie would bolster Marián's own abilities.

I hope he's handling things as well as I am...

She silently thought to herself, eyes perusing the darkened space within the SK/OT-59 Kuguar MRAP. It was nicknamed 'Pałac', or Palace. Given most of them were accustomed to the cramped confines of a SK/OT-93 Raptor or its mine-protected successor, the Barioniks, it truly was a palace. Some faces she knew — some she'd only come to know in the ensuing months after the Event.

One such face she did know was that of Starszy kapral Mateusz Kwiatosław L. Maslowski, someone who shared another thing in common with her: where they’d fought before the Event occurred. They had served together in the same unit in Euphemie, helping the forces of the Federal government there make several expeditions against the Atlantic Empire - all of them, unfortunately, with relatively little long-term gains.

---==============---

Bonds of common service, transcendental of blood.

Mateusz was somewhat notable however for just what he’d done during his time in Euphemie - he was effectively a war hero, and brought himself home with a couple medals before the entire country had fallen into chaos. He may have, perhaps, outshone Amálie, but he was more than just some figure worthy of inspiring jealousy. Not to her. Aside from his exploits on the battlefield, one would occasionally catch rumored exploits about what he did off-time with girls. Not that he’d ever tried anything with a member of the squad, that is.

Which brought Amálie's mind to another face she'd served beside in Euphemie: Bronisław Walter K. Matejek. Unlike Mateusz, he carried no glamor or honor to his service in Euphemie. Not to Amálie... she knew what he had done to those Imperial prisoners of war. The man had taken particular pleasure in the pained pleas of a particular president-spawn they'd caught. Their claims of divinity, of direct descent from President Camden had meant nothing to Bronisław.

"God? I do not believe in your god, Euphemian parasite."

He had, back then, uttered those words in a measured, calculating tone — she recalled how he'd carefully glanced about, just to ensure their Federal allies were nowhere in sight, or earshot. His pleasure in brutally murdering those prisoners of war, after torturing them in the dead of night... Amálie bore witness to it all, and eventually Bronisław had come to realize this.

---==============---

The war criminal.

Which made the fact they were in the same unit now a bit awkward. She certainly meant no harm to him, but she knew what he had done.

And that made him all the more fearful of her, averting her gaze as she looked his way. He was with the second fireteam, while Amálie commanded the first. She'd dodged a bullet— or had Bronisław? It was hard to tell.

---==============---

Pervert or misunderstood subordinate?

Amálie’s attention was brought next to a somewhat less familiar face. Kapral Drago Ljubivoje M. Vasiljević wasn’t someone who’d been known to her prior to her joining the Gwardyjska Dywizja Anastazija Janković, though he’d supposedly also been an advisor to the Federal government - just, not as part of her unit, and for a far briefer period. Personally, she couldn’t help but almost feel wary about the man, the way he looked at her... it unnerved Amálie. He scared her to a certain degree, yes. She was his superior, given he was in her fireteam... but she wouldn't want to spend any time isolated with Drago if she could help it.

---==============---

The Rad-Child.

A nervous glance away brought her eyes to perhaps the more special case within their unit: Urszula Lidia E. Skorupska. Like with Drago, something about Urszula uneased Amálie... but for another reason entirely. Urszula possessed the Gift — that was to say, she was a Rad-Child of the rarest degree. Before the military, the State had seen to it that Urszula's gift of electrokinesis could be refined, honed to perfection with a mixture of science and dharmic meditation... and it had bred someone that toed the line between man and living weapon. She could manipulate electricity within a thirty-foot radius of herself, but it was this same ability to manipulate energy that made her so formidable with a firearm. Amálie was nowhere near being able to explain it, nor was anyone in the unit for that matter.

"Doing well, plutonowy?" Urszula questioned, presumably catching eye of Amálie's glance. Amálie needed a moment to ease herself before she spoke, carrying biases of her own towards herGifted comrade.

At what point do you become too powerful? You could kill everyone in this MRAP if you wanted to... and that I cannot trust in someone.. not yet.

"Quite well... as good as it gets, anyway. I hope you are similarly in decent spirits." Amálie replied. A gaze to the window brought into view the otherworldly glowing lights of the outside — much akin to the Northern Lights, and yet they were nowhere near the Arctic. These strange weather phenomena had become widespread ever since the Event — presumably the aftermath of the geomagnetic storms.

---==============---

The rival.

Another glance around the cabin brought her eye-to-eye with the second fireteam's leader— and her impromptu rival, Andreja Jana V. Marasović. Andreja had a rather interesting background to her, having fought the remnants of the Lecanuet dynasty in western Kir as a military advisor. She’d been moved to the division after suffering wounds in an ambush gone wrong, and since then had ended up in a rivalry with Amálie that she, personally, did not want to be in. The resulting gaze was brief but awkward, Andreja dismisively turning her eyes away from her equal.

Keep pretending the score won't be settled.. She thought to herself.

---==============---

The Conspiracy Theorist.

A voice would disrupt Amálie's train of thought, bringing her to glance to another one of the second fireteam's soldiers. "The lights... lot of ETs watching us today." Roksana Zygfryda G. Wronska was the second fireteam's anti-tank operator, and was rather eccentric... she had blamed the Event and its aftermath on extradimensional aliens, demons— sometimes both. It was hard to deconstruct her theories, and claims of encounters with the beyond— but Amálie could trust her to some degree. All things considered, the woman was competent at her job, and Amálie could respect that... crazy beliefs aside. Looking away, Amálie's eyes wandered the cabin's confines...

Which would bring her to Starszy kapral Bjeshkor Kadri D. Hyka, the squad’s sole Malorëri. He was a somewhat enigmatic figure, choosing mostly to keep to himself. He also seemed to share a passion for competition with Amálie, though the number he’d gotten himself into was far greater than hers, surely. That being said, he could do his job well at least.

---==============---

The enforcer.

And with that, Amálie’s eyes would return to Marián, who, so it seemed, was beginning to get an understanding of what was happening outside.

“Fighting’s already started again... of course those traitors haven’t lost any sleep.” He complained.

"We'll deal with them soon enough," Amálie assured, leaning a bit forward in her seat as she composed herself, regaining her bearings— the short naps she could manage between fights were often the best sleep she'd get. That'd been the case ever since the Event, of course.

"If we're having a rough time, the Tigers must be going through hell." Bronisław remarked. He, of course, spoke of the other division in the general area — the Tygyrsy. Last Amálie had heard, the legendary division was in a salient somewhere amidst the traitor holdings... west of Ubior. To that end, they received what intel they could from the Tygyrsy, which was how they'd come to realize the exact nature of their enemy.

"We'll be fine!" Urszula assured, her confidence holding up quite well in the moment. Her optimism was commendable, at least — it helped bolster Amálie's confidence in her subordinate's patriotism.

“I’m sure the Tigers can help us sort this mess out...” Mateusz replied in a similarly optimistic mood.

"I hope." Roksana chimed in. The apprehension among the squad regarding the present situation was palpable — they'd received the briefing and began moving just as swiftly — from the block apartments overlooking fields, to the signature automobile factory at the northwestern edge of town, it was rather clear they were headed to the edge of Ubior. Further back in urban Ubior, visible in the distance, was the silhouette of the Euphemian-made GNOSIS supergun. The Euphemians had left it behind during their collapse, and several battalions in its vicinity had orders to retreat for its defense if it became directly threatened. Presently, however, an understrength company of engineers guarded the facility and its ammunition.

Any sightseeing outside the windows of the vehicle would be duly interrupted, however, by Marián - presumably wishing to give the squad a ‘rundown’ on the current situation. “So, everyone... at the moment, we’ve been told to go to this apartment block at the edge of town. Gunfire outside says the rest... enemy advance is likely. We’re going to stop them if they try to get past us.” The grogginess in his voice was evident, only serving to show how deprived of sleep he and everyone else was by now.

There was a silent recognition among those in the vehicle that they were effectively being thrown to the frontline. Hopefully the frontline hadn't shifted by the time they'd reached those orders. Otherwise, they would be walking into the jaws of death — much like the ill-informed lines of Euphemian mechanized and motorized troops on the burgeoning days of the First Surge. None of them had served in the catastrophic war, but they'd all heard stories — everyone knew someone who'd been an advisor there at one point or another, or was still out there, severed from the Fatherland...

Damn these traitors. I just want a good night's rest.

A tired glance Marián's way — a reminder of those past memories. "..we'll give these traitors no quarter. Jeszcze Zachódumłowianka nie zginęła!" She declared, hoping to at least rouse some inspiration in her peers as they approached.

“Jeszcze Zachódumłowianka nie zginęła!” Oddly enough, it’d be Andreja copying Amálie’s words.

The apartment blocks in question came into view as they continued along a curve. A small bus stop, a few storage warehouses, and two of the buildings, both thirteen stories tall. Beyond that to the northwest, there were only trees and fields. The MRAP would make a righthand turn, entering the parking lot. Most of the tenants had fled in the chaos, one could assume — but some still remained. The city had not lost power, the power station among the more well-defended facilities in the city. Amálie could still see the glow of a few windows. The people of Ubior were indebted to the MBW guard division — to which no doubt their defense of the building would not be met with civilian opposition.

After all, they were defending this city — defending it from the traitorous invaders, lapdogs of the Sinican menace.

Soon enough, the vehicle would come to a halt, it’s back doors being opened to let the squad out. The gunfire only seemed to be intensifying, but it wasn’t aimed at them, not yet at least. It was clear, though, that the battle was coming their direction. In a rather quiet, almost somber mood, the squad would proceed indoors. The first floor of the block, it seemed, was a pharmacy. They were merely passing through it, however, they would be taking positions a couple floors higher up.

---==============---

The apartment blocks.

The tight, constraining corridors and stairwells of the building would make navigation upwards slightly confusing and uncomfortable to a small extent, this wasn’t the type of apartment housing one would see in the likes of Mieszko. No, it was more humble housing. At about the fifth or sixth floor, perhaps, they would come to a pause to scope out the rooms. Their occupants were all gone, and it could only be hoped the same was true for the rest of this building...

“Any attack will come from the west, northwest. Keep your eyes sharp.” Marián advised the squad.

"The building is our friend," Amálie reminded. She knew well these buildings served as excellent points to defend — and were utter hell for an enemy to breach. "Maslowski, that machinegun of yours is raining hell on the enemy as soon as Wronska fires the first rocket."

“Right, sir!” Mateusz seemed to be fine enough with the arrangement.

Not far from Mateusz, Urszula waited idly by — given she was his assistant machinegunner, she carried an additional two boxes of ammo around. Time was of the essence in these arrangements, and it wasn't perhaps too far off from the exercises they'd gone through before. It was all like clockwork, really — which made things perhaps a lot less stressing than it normally would.

Besides, Amálie was a veteran — and now her skills were being put to the test on the homefront. She stood not far from the windows, rifle slung over her shoulder as the clock ticked, her eyes set on the roads beyond Ubior. The sun was slowly, but surely beginning to rise in the east — which was slowly doing away with the unusual phenomena in the skies as the first few rays of light traced the horizon.

Amálie, of course, wasn’t the only person who could see this phenomena and wonder if there was any sort of explanation for it - natural or otherwise. “..wonder if anyone out there knows what those lights are all about.” Drago, of all people, commented.

"The goddamn aliens did this. Why do you think we can't communicate with the capital? They're disrupting our comms..." Roksana muttered. Naturally, Amálie could only sigh at her squadmate's paranoia.

"Well, whatever the Event is... I think we'll get answers soon," Amálie assured, maintaining her confidence. "We just have to survive."

“Once Ubior’s safe, maybe we’ll start getting more info about all this...” Marián hypothesised.

"..that I hope.." Amálie couldn't help but try to at least think a little optimistically about it all. There was a melancholic silence that hung over the squad as they silently waited, rifles resting upon the windowsills. It was about seventeen, maybe eighteen centigrade out. Given they were still coming out of winter, it was a pleasant cool that served to at least ease Amálie a bit as the silent wait went on.

"..remember that time you got lost in the woods, Marián?" She questioned, perhaps a little out of the blue. Something about the vastness of nature beyond was leaving her a tad bit nostalgic.

“..uhh, when was that again? Jog my memory...” Marián replied. It might’ve felt a bit weird perhaps to some of the other members of the squad, knowing that the two had a bond that went back before service to the State via the MBW... it wasn’t anything strange to him or Amálie though, of course.

---==============---

Eyes on the roads.

"You must've been... twelve, I think.." She muttered, watching the forest ahead slowly. There was one road leading precisely their way: it crossed an old football stadium. The stadium had been briefly used as a relief center in the first days of the Event. Naturally, the chaos of the new attack had left the complex desolate, the ransacked remains of tents still visible in the distance.

“Oh, right... it’s starting to come back already. Kinda scary, if you think about it.” He mused.

"Try not to get lost again, hm?" Amálie joked.

“It won’t be a problem.” Marián replied, similarly gazing out a windowsill towards the west, much like Amálie.

"I'm sure it'll be no different than our successes back in Euphemie," Bronisław assured. This warranted a brief, cold glare from Amálie, which quickly left him silent as the watch continued. In the distance they could already hear the first few distant echoes of gunfire... one could assume the traitors were coming.

---==============---

BWP-373 Iskrzący (Formerly APC-M373 Sparky)

Moments later, the distant glare of headlights seemed to confirm this, coming from the road that stretched out towards them. The view of it was quite clear from their position, which made matters much less problematic. “Look! The traitors, they’re coming down the road!” Madeusz called out. This would draw the instant ire of the whole squad, the realization perhaps just starting to set in among them that they really were going to be fighting enemies in the streets of Ubior, one of the more illuminating jewels in the crown of Zachod. How it had come to this - well, that was the big question. The most recent parallel to a battle like this, in a major city of the Commonwealth, had taken place back in 393...

Roksana readied her launcher, biding her time... but rather than a loud WHOOSH culminating from the shot, there was only silence. "..oh FUCK. It's jammed!"

Almost as quickly as she'd said that, the unit had hurriedly cleared the room, leaving her to fix the jam. At least they hadn't compromised their position just yet.

Amálie half-expected an explosion to fill the room they'd just left as they waited in the rather tight corridor.

"..it's fixed!" She called. Without delay, the squad once again hurried back in — a few irritated grumbles giving fair indication how the unit felt about their clumsy comrade.

"Loading thermobaric!" Roksana announced, taking aim once more as the rest of the unit took aim from the windows.

A few more seconds passed. The enemy group comprised three BWP-373 Iskrzący armored personnel carriers. The Euphemians had left thousands of APC-M373 Sparky APCs behind in Medeuropa when the Collapse had come. Naturally, many of these had come to rest in the many depots of the Commonwealth... which were now seemingly being used against them.

WHOOOOOOOSH

An unceremonious BOOM as the rocket met the asphalt before the convoy brought Amálie's heart to sink.

Fuck. Why must you mess up now?!

"FIRE!" Amálie instructed her own fireteam, pulling the trigger herself as she let loose on the enemy convoy. Naturally, the unprotected gunners of the approaching group of Sparkies would be the target — and she'd realize she had dropped one of them, that she could see through her Kb-93's telescopic sights. With only the gunners of the three vehicles available as targets, it was only natural that the poor, hapless souls manning their machine guns would become the target of everyone in the squad. A combination of rifle and machine-gun fire would prove more than enough to quickly dispatch those manning them.

Almost as quickly, the convoy came to a halt. Hurriedly and hastily the enemy dismounted, returning fire with what they could. Almost as quickly, a bullet whizzed past Amálie, swiftly forcing her to duck. Had she been any less quick, the next few that flew past could've been her head. "Too fucking close! ..damned traitors.."

“Shit!” Moving back into cover from his window, Marián’s foremost concern moved to seeing if his subordinate and friend, that being Amálie, was hurt or not. “-you good?”

"..I'm fine—" Amálie's response would be practically drowned out by the thunderous chain of gunfire that was Urszula's own shots, her ability turning her rifle into nothing short of a killing machine. The force of each shot alone would be enough to leave the enemy in disarray as she ducked once more. Amálie worried often this Rad-Child and her unnatural 'Gift' would one day turn on them...

---==============---

A fearsome display.

Following next would be an unusual and unlucky switch of fortunes for Marián, the squad leader suddenly finding himself having a close brush with a bullet that’d grazed his set of body armor, which would’ve protected him from the bullet if it’d hit dead center anyways. The shock of it, though, was enough to send him right back out of view from the enemy, bullets whizzing through his window. He’d let out a rather shocked grunt in the moment, looking down to inspect just how close the round had gotten.

"..you alright?!" It seemed the tables had turned on Marián just as quickly, as Amálie looked down at her superior, visible concern about her features. "..they didn't hit you or anything?.."

“I’m good, I’m good...” Marián reassured her. “Got grazed, it’s alright.” And like that, he’d return back to shooting towards the enemy.

A pulverized pouch would speak measures about his luck — and out here, luck was the only thing they could count on. Bullets would continue to fly towards their position, smashing into concrete and breaking window panes. War wasn’t particularly merciful in what damage it could inflict. With Marián’s safety ensured, Amálie couldn’t help but briefly wonder how Andreja was doing. As it would happen, the other fireteam leader was managing alright, concentrated bursts of rifle fire being shot off in the direction of the enemy, presumably leaving a couple of traitors dead at her hand.

The virtual horde of enemy troops outside weren’t letting up, continuing to pour led into the side of the building. They, however, just didn’t seem to have the luck. With this, Roksana would deem it fit to attempt to fire her RP3 again at one of the armored vehicles now simply sitting outside...

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Storming off in a fit of rage, it became clear that Roksana's launcher had jammed yet again. Probably oblivious of her short-lived attempt to destroy one of their vehicles, the traitors outside continued to fire, still doing little more than send chunks of concrete and plaster flying. More returning fire, from Bjeshkor among others, would serve only to slightly thin their numbers once again.

"Making this one count!" Bronisław called, raising his rifle once more against the enemy. The ensuing series of shots would take down two enemies — further thinning the numbers of the three irregular rifle squads that fought them outside. Nobody had been seriously harmed as of yet, a feat which Marián himself chalked up to a mixture of pure luck and the incompetence of the traitors they were fighting. He didn’t seem entirely patient at the moment, though...

“Ah, fuck it. Everyone! Keep those bastards pinned where they’re at, I’m gonna call in some arty and clean up this problem! Marasović! I need your radio!” This callout would quickly grab the attention of the second fireteam’s leader, who rushed over to provide Marián with the rather bulky set on her back. The soldiers would continue their fight with the enemy unfazed, while in the background Marián would rattle off the specifics of whatever fire mission he was requesting from the Division’s artillery.

---==============---

Armatohaubica wz. 411 Sofie

Soon enough, the encouraging yet distant rumble of artillery firing would hint towards the sheer devastation that was about to come to the enemy. As it hit, the ground, and the building to an extent, shook with the explosions outside, whatever was happening out there was unclear to the soldiers, now in cover, except for the fact that there weren’t going to be very many traitors left to fight then when the smoke cleared.

In a moment’s time, the thundering would stop and the smoke would dissipate somewhat enough to allow the squad to get a glimpse of just what had befallen the group of traitors that had been attacking their position. Nothing remained, save for the torched and bombed-out husks of their armored vehicles and unrecognizable enemy corpses dispersed across the whole area. The sound of silence now once again filled their ears...

"No guarantee more won't come. We've got to keep our eyes open," Amálie reminded, ducking back into cover.

“They fight just like those goddamn Imps... hah!” Mateusz joked.

"Either my rocket's a piece of shit... or my launcher is," Roksana had returned from clearing the jam on her weapon, though it was quite clear she'd been left in a pretty bad mood by the display.

“I hope we’re all getting issued good weapons...” Marián replied, perhaps just a little worried about how well supplied the Division was managing to keep it’s troops. Things were certainly bad, but he hoped they weren’t being attrited down to using some more defective equipment.

The sight of the vehicles smoldering away seemed to at least put the unit at ease for now — to which a calm silence soon ensued. Amálie would switch between watching the devastation in the distance to resting by Marián. Peace and quiet was good, in instances like these — it meant nobody, at least for a bit more, would be out to kill them.

With the lull in combat, the other members of the unit would similarly take the time for themselves, whether they intended on similarly catching a few more minutes of sleep, or perhaps just exploring around the building they’d occupied. Certainly though, at least, some members of the squad felt content to hang out with each other.

"We've caught our first," Amálie noted, managing a tired sigh. "Let's hope we're ready for the next."

“Next one’s just a matter of when,” Marián replied, seemingly occupied with the tattered pouch on his rig that’d been shredded by one of the enemy’s bullets. “Hope our luck keeps up.”

"Keep artillery on the line, hm? I don't think our rockets will do us any good.." She thought aloud, taking a moment to peek outside.

“We’re lucky with that. If they’re not too busy helping our comrades to help us, well, that’s good news... we’ll see what they throw at us.” Marián continued, inching himself a bit closer to his friend. “..now that I think of it, I do wonder how our comrades are doing.”

"Run a check on the other units, I suppose... I hope they're doing as well as we are." Amálie looked out for another moment, taking note once more that all was clear. They had some time — time that could surely be useful now.

“Agreed... Marasović! Need you again.” The plutonowy would come back to Marián again, the squad leader quicking making use. What was being said on the other end was mostly indecipherable unless one was right up and close to the thing, but the amount of nods Marián was giving, combined with a fair amount of usage of ‘yes’s and ‘affirmative’s gave slight hint at what the situation across Ubior was. Dismissing Andreja again, Marián would return to where he was sitting, pulling a map out of his pocket.

The map was adorned with all sorts of various markings, arbitrary boxes drawn out in gray marker and assigned letters, mixed in with various other-colored markings indicating where the front-lines recently were.

“Here’s the gist...” Marián began, preparing to give a one-man briefing on the most recent developments to Amálie. “Our battalion's reported fourteen casualites so far... we aren’t the only ones doing good though, ‘cause right now it seems like we all kicked ass.”

"And the others..?" Amálie questioned, showing a bit of concern for the other units of the Guard Division.

“35. Batalion didn’t just repulse the traitors, they went on the attack from what I gathered. Rounded up a whole bunch of prisoners... only two casualties for them. They’ve pushed the frontlines back away from Ubior a good bit...” The news had evidently made Marián optimistic. “36. Batalion, though, it seems they got hit the hardest. They lost some ground, in fact, close to twenty-something guys too. 64. Batalion helped ‘em out though, another dozen men lost. They’re pushing out in the direction of Rywiec last I heard, though they’ll probably be more focused on cleaning up traitors here. It’s pretty good news, all things considered...”

"That's a relief. Ouriel will help us vanquish the dissidents and traitors."

“Indeed. Don’t... get too relieved, though. They might panic and throw everything towards us at once. I wouldn’t be surprised.”

This warranted a bit of thought from Amálie as they both idled there, contemplating the situation. "Keep your head up, Marián. We'll get through this. The capital... I just hope Mieszko is safe."

“If we’re doing fine, I’m sure Mieszko is.” Marián reassured. “We just need to worry about here. About getting through this... together.”

"..that's what comrades are for, right?" Amálie questioned, managing a chuckle. "I'm always around if you need help, advice... you know that." It was perhaps a breach of the usual formality, but she knew she spoke to him now as a friend. The devastation around them spoke enough to the misfortune of war, yet in their fight there was hope... there always was. The dream of the Commonwealth their ancestors had fought for nearly a century before was still alive— they needed merely defend it at all costs.

Marián would take a brief glance out the window, before returning to the matter of his conversation with Amálie. “Fighting side by side... we’ll see where the day takes us.”

To this, Amálie returned his assurance witb a smile. "Of course. No need to worry about much else... keep focused and we'll get through this just fine."

Marián would silently nod along, patting Amálie's back. It seemed that words were running their course.

The silence warranted a bit of confusion on Amálie's part. "You seem a bit nervous. Ease up! Things will be just fine for us, so long as we remain steadfast in our loyalty to the State and Party."

“Ah, I guess I am a bit nervous...” Marián confided. “Well, I ju-”

“Traitors on the road!” Bjeshkor called out. This appropriately roused the attention of everyone in the squad at once. Taking a look out the window, Mateusz would confirm his squadmate’s sighting. “Imps- er, traitors’re bringing up another three of those Iskrzący’s! Just like last time...”

"Right!" Amálie would frown for the briefest moment as she left her superior's side, taking aim from the window. The convoy was approaching the scorched husks of their predecessors, treads crushing the flayed remains of those who'd fallen before.

"Loading thermobaric!" Roksana announced, hurrying to the window with her launcher.

“-uh,” Andreja awkwardly began. “..could you fire from a different room?” She, obviously, was worried about their only rocket launcher’s defectiveness - and rather bluntly, whether they’d all die if they tried a third time to fire the weapon.

"—uh, I'll make it count!" Roksana reassured, hurrying off into the next room.

A silence hung over the unit as they waited, the column approaching... before a sharp WHOOOSH filled the air as the rocket trailed across, striking one of the Sparkies on its side with devastating effect. No doubt nearly everyone within was incinerated alive almost instantly as the vehicle erupted into a fireball, caving in and becoming a burning iron coffin for those who hadn't been killed in the blast. Sometimes the old nickname of these things came to mind — the Calistor Coffins.

Marián would kick off the firefight properly, gun blazing as he started pouring led towards one of the gunners mounted on the two remaining Sparkies. Almost exactly like the first attack, the enemy would surely find themselves trying to attack a virtual brick wall in the form of his squad.

Amálie joined in a mere half-second after her superior had opened fire, her rounds stifling the life of the last remaining gunner of the enemy formation. As the enemy crewman slumped lifelessly back down into his cupola, the rear doors of the remaining Sparkies swung open — and out came more enemy troops.

Mateusz’s machine gun would be next in sequence to open up, the MG laying down a barrage of suppressive fire upon those unfortunate enough to have been condemned to death by assaulting their position. Traitors would fall almost as soon as they exited the rear of their vehicles. Those that weren’t being hit, at least, were beginning to muster the courage to shoot back, evidenced by the sound of bullets whizzing and smacking into the concrete edifice proving this.

Slowly but surely, more and more holes now marked the face of the apartment block, scars of the war they now fought. Urszula's Kb-93, firing there into the enemies below, was a sight to behold— raining death amidst electrical bursts and surges that served only to amplify the force of the weapon, Urszula had managed to cut down three of the traitors before ducking for cover — and presumably striking terror into the enemy below.

Still, the enemy below would attempt to return fire — sparse, sporadic bursts of gunfire served only to shatter a few more windows in the room as the enemy squad below tried to move up. More pops and cracks from the squad’s rifles would pour down upon the enemy relentlessly as they tried, in vain, to advance - perhaps soon they’d realize the futility of their efforts.

This barrage of rifle fire, being delivered by both sides would continue rather aimlessly for a little while, the traitors off in the distance having made their way to cover - at this point, it was more like a game of determination rather than a battle, a contest to see who would be willing to shoot longer than the other.

Joining the gunfight from the adjacent room, Roksana would lay down some fire on the enemy — a few more cowering or dropping outright to the hail of bullets the squad was laying down on them.

The enemy group, now much reduced from its original size, was at this point almost asking to be slaughtered, and they would so be obliged - concentrated, precise rifle fire finding its mark on several soldiers. Truly, they were dying traitor’s deaths. One wondered, perhaps, whether the enemy had sent the “cream of the crop” in first. The first force wasn’t good, but at least they managed to come close to hitting one of the squad’s soldiers - twice. This group couldn’t land any shots.

"..you know, Maslowski, I almost did think we were back in Euphemie!" Bronisław joked, raising his rifle as he peered from the windowsill. In a merciless spray, he swiftly cut down one of the two remaining squads' apparent NCO, further putting the enemy in disarray. By now the enemy group approached — dangerously close to the apartment, too. At this point it was becoming increasingly difficult to get a proper angle on the approaching enemy force... to which the enemy force would no doubt soon run into the MRAP...

It wasn't an outcome Amálie would necessarily want — the MRAP wasn't heavily armed enough to put up with the ragtag band that was no doubt trying desperately to charge the apartment block, and perhaps the vehicle crew on the ground knew it too.

"Order the MRAP to back the hell up... we'll let the enemy breach the building, then the MRAP can come in and help us envelop them." Amálie suggested to her superior.

“Marasović!” Marián shouted. He needed not elaborate further for the fireteam leader to come over. Adjusting a few dials on the radio set, his orders would be straight forward. “Enemy infantry’s coming towards the entrance, back up and let ‘em come in, then after that move back and help us trap them in here, you copy?”

Presumably receiving an affirmation, Marián dismissed his subordinate to let her return to the windows. “Now this is when C-Q-B comes in... where things get fun.” He remarked.

by **Valefontaine** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:44 am

It wouldn't take long for the sound of a BOOM a few floors down to resonate through the building. The enemy had breached the first floor, and were no doubt ascending the tight stairwell... to that end, they had some time to prepare. The tight corridors of the apartment block could easily be used to their advantage in forging a death trap for the enemy. The rooms, after all, were more spacious than the corridors.

The sound of explosions would give hint to just what the traitors below them intended on using to clear the building out, that being a copious application of grenades to any room that might’ve served as a position for someone to hide in. In this case, the key here would probably be to just keep everyone spaced out. The tightness of the building’s spaces would only play to their advantage, after all.

The confinements of the building, though, did pose some restrictions for the defenders - namely, two of the squad would have to keep themselves a little bit more removed from the fighting than everyone else. Bronisław and Drago would be the two chosen, probably just on the mere basis that they were the only people in their fireteams that didn’t play some sort of specialist role and weren’t commanding anyone.

From the approaching sound of feet, Amálie could tell that the enemy was headed their way... it would surely be just a minute or so, judging by the pace of the approach. Carefully peering from one of the doors, rifle trained down the corridor... she waited, along with the rest of her unit.

In a moment’s notice, a few of the enemy would be in view - it was one thing to have shot at them from a distance, they were more like distant specks then. This was different, though, it was almost as if simply being closer managed to humanize the traitors more... that was irrelevant, though. They were traitors, and would receive death for their actions.

Before the enemy would even have a chance to properly get a look down the hallway, Andreja would bear down upon them with a rather instantaneous burst of rifle fire, immediately bring down one and prompted shocked, knee-jerk reactions from the rest. The others would, moments after similarly respond, Marián in particular riddling an AT-wielding soldier with bullet holes.

Almost immediately the enemy team would devolve into confused screams, one of the riflemen swiftly turning around and firing away in a burst — only to be almost as swiftly dispatched by Amálie in a burst of rifle fire that sent the poorly-armed rebel screaming as he fell to the floor, before a shot just as quickly stifled his life as it pierced his skull.

This would result in there being only one man left remaining, who was now bolting away from his comrades in a frantic attempt to save his own life. A burst of machine gun fire from Mateusz, however, wouldn’t just cut that short - it would plaster his bloody viscera on the walls and floor. In the distance, another, longer burst of machine-gun fire would follow: not from any of the squad, but from their vehicle below, now swooping in to trap the enemy.

A few moments later, the squad’s radio would begin to buzz with a distant, slightly static report from their ride. “They’re throwing their hands up!”

Everyone knew, of course, what this meant - and some of them were probably eagerly looking forward to how these traitors would be handled. “Let’s round them up!” Marián would order. “Don’t shoot them until I tell you to...”

With that, the squad hurried on to the ground floor... to see the dissidents now disarmed, held at gunpoint by their MRAP's crew. The weary, terrified looks on the enemy's faces spoke measures — and Amálie knew well what they were to do.

---==============---

Death is a traitor's due.

Marián, of course, would not have any mercy spared for these traitors. The way he would begin to reach for his P78 Sędzia would say it all, really... the most he would offer their prisoners would be a simple acknowledgement. “Traitors of the Commonwealth...” And what followed would be a brutal smothering of the lives of those who hadn’t been completely committed to fighting for theirs. It was an inglorious affair, but traitors fighting actively against the Commonwealth wouldn’t be allowed to live - especially in times like these, where much of the judicial system had seized up. There wasn’t much to boast about. Now though, at least, they could look back forward to what would come at them again...

When the last few shots died down, Amálie could see the smoke rising from her rifle's barrel, looking at the splayed corpses for a moment before composing herself. "..take what you can from the APCs— and the bodies, too. Every mag counts."

Without any further reasoning needed, the whole squad would set upon the eight corpses like vultures, pilfering their pockets and chest rigs for anything of value, pulling out magazines, grenades, and a couple of AT warheads. At least, even in this bleak and dreary setting, there’d be some comedic happenings - namely, from Drago, who would pull out a long stretch of what looked like cord from one of the deceased traitor’s chest rigs. Abruptly he would go wide-eyed, quickly tossing them back on the ground. A simple glance over would’ve been enough to see the object, which seemingly had perplexed him to a good degree.

I cannot BELIEVE these traitors were so busy screwing around... to carry something around like this... I'd never use someone else's.

Naturally, it was a bit odd — if not humorous — to see such an unsavory toy in the possession of one of the enemy troops. "Discard it!" She ordered, mildly disgusted at the sight as she returned to combing through the belongings of the deceased. Finding an anti-tank rocket, she would hand it to the most obvious contender, Roksana.

"Today seems to be my lucky day.." Roksana returned the gesture with a smirk — it seemed Bronisław had also found more rockets. Naturally, this left her rather prepared for whatever would be headed their way next.

Marián and Mateusz would be doing well for themselves as well, the former taking for himself a grenade. The latter would find a mag for the rifles everyone except him was using - he didn’t carry a Kb-93, so his first thought was to toss it over to Amálie. It did make sense, one supposed. Everybody had burned through roughly the same amount of ammunition, that was to say, a mag or so.

"Much appreciated!" Discarding her spent mag, Amálie would load a new one in — just enough to keep going, she supposed.

Mateusz would head off with Urszula, moving to the now-derelict Sparky to take possession of its mounted .50 caliber machinegun. The intent was rather obvious: taking it upstairs to use against the enemy’s next assault.

Electing to occupy a new floor, it became evident their predecessors had fled in a hurry, leaving the apartment in near-perfect condition, save for the occasional broken window — no doubt a result of the gunfight. The TV still droned on with that same emergency broadcast, something Amálie had learned to ignore the monotony of as she decided to find some respite on the couch. A few bullets had gone through it, though it was better than nothing. The rest of the unit acted similarly — with Mateusz and Bronisław acting as overwatch for any additional incoming enemy forces.

Marián would momentarily return by Amálie’s side, choosing to take a seat by her. Conversation was one way to pass the dull, monotonous time at least.

"I'm sure the front's improving. For us, at least..." Amálie thought aloud, glancing over to her superior and friend. "How're you handling things? We took out that group like it was nothing... enemy wasn't expecting to face off against the MBW's finest soldiers."

“Probably not, given they surrendered.” Marián replied. “We can just keep it up I suppose, make sure the tide doesn’t turn on us again or anything... but I feel like they’re screwed.”

"Of course," Amálie agreed with a chuckle. "Don't know how the rest of the front is doing, but things are probably holding up. I'd ask you to radio it in now, but I feel we deserve a minute's rest."

“That news can wait,” Marián replied. “Kinda want to just focus on the here and now...”

Amálie went quiet, listening in on the distant gunfire here and there. It was still quite calming, now that they were separated from the immediate fighting. "Hey.. remember..." She trailed off, shaking her head as she sighed. "Time really flies... I remember teaching you how to swim out by the river, like it was yesterday."

“It’s been so long but feels so recent...” Marián agreed. “Sometimes I kinda just want to go back to then, you know?”

"...yeah." Amálie went silent for a time, before moving to a more pleasant topic. "I've always wondered.. what happened since, you know.." It was only natural that Amálie had a tad bit of curiosity as to how Marián's life had been since they'd parted ways. It was, perhaps, a question the ensuing chaos of the Event hadn't really permitted sufficient respite to ask until now.

“Little bit after you joined, I thought about what I’d do in life... well, you inspired me a little - I’ll admit. Not that it was just you, of course... I wanted to serve the country somehow.”

Inspired? I suppose..

Amálie gave a nod in understanding. "At least I'm not putting myself on the line in Euphemie anymore. The other ones are probably still trapped out there... with what happened and all."

“Never deployed abroad, actually... wonder if our comrades over there even know what happened. Euphemians don’t care very much about what goes on here, I’m sure.” Marián replied.

"They never have. They're not too different from the Sinicans, in a way... self-centered." Amálie shrugged. "I'm just glad to see a few familiar faces out here."

“Same. It’s a bit more motivating to fight with someone you really know...”

"Isn't it?" Reclining a bit on the couch, Amálie's gaze turned upward as her thoughts drifted. "Found anyone special while I was gone? Surely you've got something back home to come back to."

“Apart from a couple of few-night stands, no...” He seemed to feel comfortable with being a little blunt in this regard.

..poor thing..

"O—oh, uh... I see." Amálie replied, an awkward silence once again lingering over the two.

Marián would quickly grow tired of the tense awkwardness though, seeking to divert the conversation back to a more conventional direction. “..you think we’ll get some sleep after we drive the traitors off?”

"I hope. I don't even think I got an hour.." replied Amálie, blinking a bit as she rubbed her eyes. "Can't lay my head down until we've won."

“Right. Speaking of winning, though.. I guess we should see how everyone else is doing.” Marián proposed. “Mara-”

He barely even needed to start before Andreja would come over, something which seemed to sufficiently amuse him. More of the usual incomprehensible radio dialogue would follow, though Amálie could instinctively tell Marián didn’t seem as up-beat as before. Dismissing Andreja after a few minutes, he would set himself back on the couch.

“News is... more mixed. Apparently the Tigers have started moving in to help us, but...”

"..but?" Amálie questioned, raising an eyebrow. Hopefully they were doing well...

“..apparently those RoS puppets cracked our defenses in the south of the city. Our guys there are on the retreat now, they’re talking about casualty figures easily in the several dozens.” Marián gravely reported, sighing. “We’ll see how this goes...”

"We can hold," Amálie assured. "I'm not worried about this defense... to the contrary, I'm confident in it. I'm just worried about you... don't push yourself too hard, Marián." It was only natural she cared about Marián a bit more than the job demanded of her.

“Just keep yourself focused on the job, too.” Marián reminded her, placing his arm over her shoulder.

The gesture came as a bit of a surprise, but not one Amálie would refuse.

I miss this..

"..of course. I.. think I needed that." Drawing a bit closer, Amálie rest her head upon her superior's shoulders. It wasn't professional, but at present that mattered little. A bit of rest by her superior's side surely couldn't hurt..

Marián couldn’t help but similarly enjoy things. Truly, it was like going back to old times... at least, the closest they could manage given they were in a warzone, effectively waiting for the next enemy attack. “I.. think the same.”

The moment would be interrupted as Urszula walked past, raising an eyebrow at the sight, pausing with the can of soda she'd scavenged from the fridge. "Um sir... is this really appropriate?"

It must’ve suddenly dawned upon Marián, at this point, that there were still other squadmates about... which made things just awkward now. “..we’ve been friends since before the MBW, cut me some slack.” That being said though, he did realize how it must’ve looked - to which he would inch a bit to the side from his subordinate.

"That so...?" Urszula raised an eyebrow. "You know what the old saying is about superiors and subordinates..." Chuckling, she walked past, can in hand. Indeed, it was all too common a trend in the Commonwealth. So much so, that many of the nation's greatest figures were guilty of this sin. Even the division's namesake — Anastazija Janković — had eventually married her subordinate.

"..sheesh. They always think it's like that, you know." Amálie complained, sighing to herself.

“Just gotta deal with it...” Marián replied, feeling rather dismissive of the suspicions of people like Urszula.

The silence outside was almost a relief, that Amálie could share this moment just a bit longer. The endless droning of the broadcast, the lack of wind outside... it was relaxing. Enough so that Amálie's eyes were already beginning to feel heavy as she rested beside Marián.

"I wish I could've been there for you, Marián. All these years, I was off in Euphemie... in the end, I don't really think I helped change anything." Amálie admitted, cozying up a bit more by her superior's side. "I feel so bad about leaving you behind in Elezevac, you know."

At this point, Marián couldn’t help but feel quite comfortable about the current state of things - he hoped it’d last for a while before the next wave of enemy grunts to exterminate would come. “It’s fine, Amálie - at least we’re back together now, I guess-”

"THREE SPARKIES, INCOMING!" This time, it would be Roksana yelling that interrupted the moment the two were sharing. "I GOT A CLEAR SHOT!"

This would serve to put the squad commander in a sour mood. “Wait until they get closer!” He quickly shouted, getting up. “_{Guess this’ll wait for later...}”

Getting up as she began for the windows, Amálie would offer her superior some reassurance. "War never waits for rekindling old friendships, sierżant. Let us serve the Commonwealth with steadfast patriotism."

WHOOOOSH

Roksana's rocket would trail off into the distance, almost instantly connecting with the first vehicle in the convoy. The upper glacis plate was almost instantly crushed by the fiery blast, which soon reduced the interior of the vehicle into a flaming death trap.

"HAHAHAHA! You cannot curse my rocket launcher forever, ET fucks!" Roksana yelled, a bit too enthusiastic of the kill she'd just scored. The hit had almost immediately brought the enemy convoy to a standstill, to which the cacophony of gunfire quickly drowned out any confusion among the enemy gunners. Amálie would find herself looking at the convoy through her telescopic sight as she rained down a flurry of gunfire upon the enemy, sending one of the enemy gunners collapsing back into the cupola — a clean shot through the head.

The course of things throughout the day seemed to only be proving that these Sparkies really were coffins, though perhaps moreso for the gunners than the infantry. Marián would join his comrade-in-arms in taking some shots at the remaining gunner, the hapless soul being appropriately filled with bullets and sent collapsing back into the vehicle.

Machine gun fire would open up from Mateusz, though it seemed that wielding a more bulky .50 cal was a bit of a hard adjustment from his usual weapon - his shots seemed to be less accurate. The same would go with the enemy, though, as always. With the firefight ramping up, though, Marián would make the call rather early on to call in some more support. “Let’s get some more arty on the bastards! Keep them pinned, I’ll call in the shots!”

Like that, he’d briefly readjust his position to get access to the squad radio, still on Andreja’s back like always. From there, it’d be a waiting game...

In time, the sound of rolling thunder would come in, following by the sound of streaking projectiles in air and the rocking of explosion waves that shook everyone, laying waste to much of the enemy below. It’d be a short burst of fire, but as it dissipated almost as quickly as it came, the unfortunate traitors below would be stricken by the devastation wrought. A moment after, the soldiers - presumably leaderless - would suddenly begin to take off, running towards their own lines. Even while everyone was still trying to get a look at the devastation wrought, Urszula would begin taking a couple of potshots, downing two stragglers of the group. There wasn’t quite so much drive to shoot everyone running, though, not least with the fact that they were doing good on this front of Ubior.

Before anyone would be able to take the time to promptly return to whatever they were doing in between waves, Mateusz would notice something. “More traitors!” This would be enough to bring Marián’s attention to the window, perhaps they’d gotten a bit complacent, but it seemed the enemy was investing much more into this particular post. Three Kanonraptors, actual Zachod-made vehicles, were coming down the road. There was certainly more motivation now for Roksana to shoot true with her weapon.

“It’s not over! Get ready to start shooting again!” He shouted out.

"FUCKING FUCK!" Roksana stormed out of the room once more — it seemed her launcher had jammed once again.

"I believe we should take from the depots as soon as we can. After this... I have certain doubts." Amálie thought aloud, watching Roksana take her leave.

“I recommend we relocate to a different floor...” Marián similarly thought aloud. “I feel like they’re here to blast us out-”

It seemed the enemy knew beforehand where they were, however. Three explosions would rock the building, the third pulverizing the room just below them. It felt as if everything was shaking, Amálie tumbling backwards as she hurriedly attempted to gather her bearings. "T... too close for comfort!" She called. "We've got to take those Raptors down! Fire what you can!"

Mateusz would be quick to act out his superior’s orders, bursts of .50 cal fire flying off towards the front of one of the Kanonraptors. Their position was without a doubt revealed now, which had the potential to put them in great danger...

As rounds whizzed and penetrated through the turret of said Kanonraptor, Mateusz was about to set off a good fireworks show, as he perhaps may have known. It would come in good time, smoke abruptly coming out from the various openings into the turret, followed by a small hint of flames and total inactivity from the vehicle. What followed next would be a sudden explosion, the turret being ripped off from the hull by it’s force. It was certainly impressive work.

"COME ON!" Roksana's yelling was audible from the adjacent room as a rocket was fired away, meeting the asphalt — and bringing one of the Kanonraptors in formation to a halt, its frontal face visibly caved in by the shrapnel created by the blast.

The two remaining Kanonraptors would open fire once more upon the building, two more high explosive rounds pounding the facade of the apartment block. Roksana's scream was audible — audible enough for Amálie to hurry over into the adjacent room, to find much of the wall had been obliterated in the process — and Roksana herself was covered in dust, cowering behind one of the overturned tables. "Oh FUCK! Plutonowy! I thought I was a fucking goner... just my luck, right? Fuck!"

"Right, right... let me just—" Amálie was quick to take Roksana's launcher, still loaded, to take aim and fire — and fire she did, the rocket trailing off into the distance... and connecting with one of the Kanonraptors, obliterating it and leaving it a flaming husk upon the road, not far from the other destroyed Sparkies that served as testament to their defense of this place.

Where Amálie and Roksana were taking out the Kanonraptors, Mateusz was still working equally hard with his machine-gun, rounds continuing to fly out towards selectively targeted weakpoints in the armor - among them the turret cupola, which would suddenly be penetrated by a good number of rounds. This would be followed next by the directing of more bullets towards the driver’s compartment - the statement to be made from this was simple: even drivers had to meet their deaths, they were betraying the Commonwealth.

With that, silence would follow. The enemy had been wiped out once more, and on the horizon at least, it seemed like nothing was remaining to come at them. Not wishing to get ahead of himself though, Marián would be radioing in to see whether the enemy still had something left to commit. The exchange over the radio would be short, but it’s result was certain something he’d be relieved to hear.

"Guess we can finally breathe," Roksana managed a chuckle. "You're pretty good with that AT. Today must just not be my day..."

"..thanks. Let's check in with the others. I'm sure Marián's got a SITREP by now." Offering Roksana a hand, Amálie would help her squadmate to her feet as they began for the next room — only for Roksana to briefly pause.

"About you and the squad leader..."

"We've known each other since childhood. Sometimes I just end up calling him by his first name... probably a little odd to you, but I can't help it." With a much more quiet demeanor — presumably as Roksana came to understand things between them — the two returned to the apartment in which the rest of the squad had successfully made their stand.

---==============---

A battered apartment block, a bittersweet victory.

Noting the two’s return, Marián would proceed to give the good news. “I’ve been informed that there are no more traitorous insects to come to our position. They’re breaking, with the Tigers on one of their flanks, and us holding like a brick wall. Excellent job, everyone!”

Naturally, this was followed by cheers of Jeszcze Zachódumłowianka nie zginęła! as the unit got to celebrating. It was a hard-fought, hard-earned victory... and not a single one of their number had fallen.

"We've done it, sierżant!" Amálie was first to share her cheery spirit with her superior, managing an abrupt embrace amidst the celebrations. "And most of all, you managed to push us through this! I'm... I'm a little proud of you, Marián!"

In the moment, of course, Marián would be able to discard such petty things as worrying what things would look like. He was merely appreciative of the fact that everyone had gotten through this intact... it certainly looked good for all of them. “You flatter me too much...” He would quip.

As soon as things settled down, Amálie would find herself cooling off in the corridor, her superior not far from her. "I'm too wired up to even sleep now. I picked up that launcher and killed those traitors myself... I still feel pretty good about it." She mused, still a little excited as she leaned against the wall, looking her superior's way.

“I guess, huh? We’ve not been told to go anywhere else, by the way - in case you were wondering...”

"I don't have much an objection with that. This apartment's a decent place to rest and assess our situation." Shrugging, Amálie's attention shifted to how her friend was faring. "..but how are you doing? I can imagine you're a little stressed with all that's been going on... I know I am."

“Not sure how to feel about it... I don’t feel stressed, but at the same time, there’s so much to worry about.” Letting out a sigh, he would continue with his train of thought. “At least I can get my mind off it every now and then... being with you helps, I suppose.”

"Likewise. I'd run a check on everyone, see how they're doing... but I'm probably going to collapse any minute now. That firefight was something else. What do you plan on doing, now that we have some breathing room?" Amálie raised a decent question...

“Probably sleep.” Marián admitted.

"We're all in need of a little bit of rest, I suppose. We can do shifts, if you want, or... ...I'm too tired to do shifts." Amálie admitted, shaking her head as she rubbed her eyes. "Remember when we were kids... we'd count the stars until we fell asleep..." She laughed to herself, sighing. "..there's not exactly stars out, but I guess I do want to talk to you until I fall asleep.."

“..you good with passing out on a hard ass floor? Or do you think you want to actually find a bed?” Marián proposed.

"I suppose a floor is modest enough. Unless you want to, I mean.." Amálie gave her superior a shrug. "Too tired to think... but I figure a blanket would be nice right now."

“Floor’s too cold, probably. Come on,” He would proceed to walk through the hall, playfully dragging Amálie along by her sleeve.

"Remember that time I beat up those Hajdu kids for messing with you?" Amálie questioned, following not far behind Marián as she reminisced.

“Don’t remember much, but thanks I suppose...” His interests were pretty clearly towards finding an empty apartment bedroom, which would make itself noticed after a little bit of menial searching down hallways. Cracking open the already partly-opened door - it’s occupants probably just didn’t bother closing it properly - he would confirm it was empty. “Gonna feel great to finally get some sleep...” His thoughts were entirely directed towards the idea at this point.

"..yeah." Peeking into one of the bedrooms, Amálie would get out of kit and throw aside her combat boots — before practically throwing herself onto the mattress, a relieved sigh escaping her. "..feels like I haven't slept in ages. Come on, Marián! I'm not about to pass out here alone.."

“Oh, if you insist!” The mattress would creak again as Marián would follow the identical routine as his counterpart, chest-rig being dispensed with alongside his boots.

Laying there, Amálie's attention would turn to the ceiling as she relaxed. "Do you ever wonder how things are back in Elezevac, Marián?" She questioned, looking her superior's way as they both lay there, the occasional distant patter of gunfire a reminder of the state of things.

“I hope nothing bad’s happened back home.” was all Marián had to say about the thought, adjusting his position to bring himself closer to Amálie. “But.. soon enough we’ll know.”

"We'll probably go to the capital or something. Warn them of what's going on... I don't know." Going quiet, Amálie would run her hand along Marián's hair, reciprocating the warmth. "You smell nice.. did you take some perfume from the mall last week?" A week before they'd been handling the distribution of supplies at the shopping mall, furthering their public support with Ubior's populace. Naturally, she could only be led to assume such a thing...

“I think it was a very small form of compensation for helping feed the people of Ubior. Not that I’d want to demand anything, of course...”

"Our service to the State is a selfless one," She reminded him, laughing. "..but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy life a little bit. We are the shield and sword of the Party... and we deserve a little slack at times, I suppose." She would note her superior had, also, been no less dedicated to the values of the State than she was. Taking something as simple as a perfume glass merited no scolding, especially not from her. Laying there by Marián, Amálie reminisced a bit more.

"There was that time we skipped school to explore the woods.." She thought aloud to herself, thinking of the past. "I remember it like it was yesterday. Your father wasn't happy at all..." Trailing off, Amálie couldn't help but feel a little enamored in the memories then, with her friend of so many years. "..I really hope Elezevac's alright. We'll get there one day."

“One day...” Marián couldn’t help but feel at this point that the thought of home would be a good thing to try and pass out to...

"We'll make it.." Brushing up a little closer by her friend's side, Amálie could already feel the lull of sleep coming on. "..and I'd have it no other way. It's such a blessing sometimes that you're here with me."

“We’ll see what lies in store, I suppose.”

It didn't take long for Amálie to be fast asleep beside her superior. The hours would pass as the two battle-hardened soldiers of the MBW finally got their rest.

All good things would eventually come to an end though, and for Amálie, it seemed her moment had. The first thing she’d hear after being dragged out of her slumber would be what sounded like a fairly heated argument. Quickly listening to the voices talking would show it was Marián and... Mateusz?

“..oh, I already know what you’ll say. ‘Superiors and subordinates’.. Pftt. Don’t lie.”

“Do you really need to fucking read into it so much?” Evidently, things were indeed heated.

"..wh—..what's the matter?" Amálie questioned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up and processed her surroundings.

The two men both instantly noted Amálie’s return to consciousness. Given what she’d heard already, it seemed like the matter of this debate was with her. “Surely you know how unprofessional this all looks, no?” Mateusz asked.

"..we were just resting together. After all this unit's been through and dealt with.. the both of us deserved some rest." Amálie said, keeping her composure as she slowly adjusted. At least it was just Mateusz— things could've been much more embarrassing, she'd supposed. "I've known him since we were kids. It's.. not what you're thinking about."

It seemed, upon further thought, that this might’ve been motivated in part due to some disagreements the two seemed to create with each other. Amálie, at least, knew both of them - and that Mateusz knew her too well to doubt her story of events that much. It certainly was thought provoking for him, at least.

“..I just, well... feel lucky nobody who’d be enough of an ass to fuck with both of you was ‘round here, I suppose.” It seemed that Mateusz was now backing off from his suspicions, at least.

"I'm sure everyone just wants to get some rest... shouldn't you? You must be exhausted after all we've been through.." Amálie questioned, showing mild concern for her subordinate.

“We were pulling shifts...” Mateusz’s interest in what the two had been up to had rapidly evaporated away, perhaps being reminded of the need to sleep would motivate him to put the matter to rest.

"Well.. any news from the fronts?" She asked, stretching as she dragged herself out of bed.

“Enemy pocket south and west of Ubior’s been pulverized. It was pretty nasty from what I heard,” Mateusz more casually explained. “Rywiec’s been encircled by our guys as well. We’ve sent those traitors on the run...” His eyes would briefly focus off towards somewhere on Amálie’s neck, darting quickly back to Marián, then to her neck again. He would proceed to take his leave from the room, with no really obvious explanation as to why.

"Huh? Wait—" Getting up, Amálie would follow after Mateusz, confused by his abrupt departure. "S—something the matter?"

“Neck says it all.” Perhaps, rather than concluding the argument, he’d seen something that proved to him he was right? Mateusz didn’t seem too interested in elaborating further... though Marián would quickly find himself following behind her.

To this, she'd only brought a hand to her neck in confusion, feeling about. "What? What do you mean?" She genuinely seemed oblivious to whatever Mateusz was getting at, brow raised as she felt about her neck for whatever her subordinate seemed to imply.

“Does he bite good at least?” The obvious implication seemed to make Marián do a double-take almost. “Why, I never-”

"..bite? Why would he bite me?" Amálie still seemed oblivious to Mateusz's hints.

Marián would proceed to sulk off back to their newly-acquired quarters in response. “Think what you’ll fucking think!”

“I will!”

"I'm confused..." Amálie trailed off, watching Marián storm into the bedroom once more.

He chose to put his next words in a rather careful tone, trying not to come off as too distasteful. “He thinks we’re screwing, basically.”

"..well, he can think whatever he wants!" Amálie sternly proclaimed, evidently a bit angered by the rumor that tended to corrupt the image of their friendship. "I'm your friend and I'll always be by your side. I don't care if they think we are 'too' close. But... what's this about my neck?" Her question brought to attention the mark that now crossed the side of her neck, the source of Mateusz's suspicions.

Upon closer inspection, he quickly saw what Mateusz had presumably seen. “..you have hot brass or anything hit your neck?”

"Must've happened in the firefight," Amálie thought aloud. "Why does he think you'd bite me? You wouldn't hurt me."

Marián seemed to be faced now with the conundrum of knowing what Madeusz meant, but not exactly wanting to have to explain. “..don’t worry about it.”

"If you say so.." Amálie at least trusted Marián's assurances. "You plan on resting a bit more? I mean— the enemy's gotten their asses handed to them, I don't think there's much for us to worry about... and I'd like a few extra hours."

“Sure, sure...” Marián couldn’t help but feel undeterred by the opinions of those like Mateusz, perhaps out of pure spite, although he’d remember to bother keeping the door shut this time.

"Where do you think they'll send us after this place?" Amálie questioned, coming to once again cling by her superior's side, running her hand through his hair. Moments like these brought her thoughts to better times— times they perhaps fought to preserve now.

“We could go anywhere. Might head north, finish off those traitors while they’re reeling from their loss... we could go straight back to Mieszko, make sure it’s not about to be invaded by some other group. Or we could go into Skoyrnisči, Hajdučivija perhaps. Only the General knows.”

"Time will tell, hm?"

On that note, the two would once again find themselves in silence until the gradual lull of sleep took them both to the distant sounds of gunfire outside.

by **Western Pacific Territories** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 4:45 pm

S2E2
_{SHIELD AND SWORD OF THE PARTY}

In the aftermath of the battle for Ubior, Gwardyjska Dywizja Anastazija Janković and 14. Dywizja Piechoty "Tygrysy" secure much of the western Commonwealth, effectively defeating the dissident uprising. Establishing Ubior as a base of operations and recruitment center for the GDAJ, and by extent, the MBW itself, 52. Batalion Zmotoryzowany (MBW), 41. Batalion Zmotoryzowany (MBW) and 36. Batalion Zmotoryzowany (MBW) of the division retreat to the capital to deliver news of the invasion to the public at large — and to declare the emergency.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shield and Sword of the Party, Act 2

Izba Ludowa
Mieszko

Rzeczpospolita Zachódumłowianka
February 8, A.C. 480
6:30 PM Mieszko Standard Time

__________________________________

It'd taken them only a week's time to pull into the capital. Their arrival alone had roused fears of a coup, fears that were quickly dissuaded by their parent agency, the MBW. Stationed outside the Izba Ludowa, the plaza before the palace and its surrounding gardens had become a forward operating base for the one thousand-some men and women of GDAJ that had arrived in the capital. It wasn't just a means of pressuring the civilian government — it was a necessity, as the general would be speaking before the People's Chamber to deliver news of the attempted uprising and rouse the capital into action.

---==============---

Izba Ludowa

And to some surprise, it would be Marián's unit, specifically two of its NCOs, that would deliver testimonies supporting this case. Naturally, that meant Marián and Amálie were to be called into the general's quarters...

It went without saying, of course, that the mere thought of testifying was exhilarating for both of them. They’d be speaking to the People’s Chamber! It was an unusual situation by any stretch of the imagination, but the two of them would both have to rise up to the challenge of giving their testimony and supporting their general’s case.

Marián and Amálie would now find themselves standing outside the office in question. Just being at its door felt intimidating in of itself...

“You ready?” Marián would ask his friend.

"Of course. To be in the presence of our superior is an honor! We've done no wrong, so we've got nothing to fear." replied Amálie. _{"You'd best bet the general's boot is up 36. Batalion's ass, though."}

_{“Least we did alright.”} Some topics were best not discussed beyond hushed whispers, though. “Right, well... let’s do this.” Walking in, they would be able to immediately soak in the atmosphere and vibe of the room, a well-decorated space for sure - fitting to be the temporary quarters of a commander that had saved a major city of the Commonwealth like Ubior.

Amálie would salute first in the presence of the general. Marián, of course, would do the same immediately after. They would promptly be motioned to come at ease by the general. General Krsmanović was a distant figure - it was certainly interesting to get to meet her under these circumstances. “You are welcome here, soldiers.. I presume you both have taken some time to reflect on the fact that you will soon be testifying to the People’s Chamber?”

---==============---

General Desanka Aleksandra B. Krsmanović.

Marián would proceed to answer first. “Of course, ma’am!”

"Certainly, ma'am." Amálie nodded. Her respect for her superior there was quite evident as she stood at attention, awaiting the orders that were due to be given.

“I will be speaking before the People’s Chamber to warn them of that failed attempt at insurrection which was stopped at the gates of Ubior, the deputies will surely be convinced of the grave seriousness of Zachódumłowianka’s crises if others besides me will testify as to the nature of that disturbance and it’s foreign support. You both would be just as aware of the nature of that threat as myself... your words, I hope, will support my case enough that the People’s Chamber will be obliged to take sufficient measures to provide for the safety and well-being of our Commonwealth. I would exhort that you both, when testifying, tell the truth and only the truth about what our division has had to combat. Mieszko is awash with rumors about what is going on in the west and north of our country, we must clear up any falsehoods about the situation.”

"Our squad eliminated an entire company equipped with our own military's vehicles. The brief attack on Ubior made it clear what was taking place: an invasion," Amálie agreed, nodding. "Their inferior training and lack of organization shows they were not outright military. Civilians, terrorists, rogue conscripts, perhaps... from what intel the Tygyrsy gave us, the enemy's officers were predominantly Sinican. I think it is quite clear our western neighbor was attempting a hostile takeover of the country... starting with Ubior. I cannot bear to imagine what they would've done if they secured the GNOSIS gun."

General Krsmanović would nod in understanding. “A ragtag group of traitors herded by Sinicans... truly, we live in troubled times. Truthfully, I do not think our nation is, well...” She seemed to feel disappointed about having to admit the fact. “Prepared to give an appropriate response to the RoS - that abominable hellhole. We must satisfy ourselves with the reality that their attempt to turn us into their puppets was soundly crushed. The People’s Chamber, of course, will come to know how under threat the State really is. They have to take action, surely.”

"And to that end, we are to testify regarding the enemy we faced?" Amálie asked.

“Correct. To know that our country came under direct threat of some perverted, corporatist form of imperialism taking hold... the deputies of the Chamber will be spurred into action, with the reassurance that everywhere north and west of Ubior is safe and under State control. From there, well... the best way to ensure the Commonwealth’s security is to reestablish authority throughout our whole country. ‘United we stand, divided we fall’... so the saying goes.”

"And the other parties?"

“I presume you refer to Sojusz Konserwatywny and Partia Socjaldemokratyczna... and to that, I will say this, and bluntly: its members are far more likely to have been in cohorts with the Sinicans than any card-carrying member of the Party. They are going to naturally earn some ire for their views...”

The idea was certainly a formidable one to conceive of: Zachod politicians in league with enemies of the State! One hoped it wouldn’t be so. Amálie glanced Marián's way, as if curious as to what he would say on the matter... whatever was to take place, this was certainly history in the making. With the glare of his subordinate’s eyes, he couldn’t help but ask a question of his own.

“...do you think there will be more serious consequences for them?”

“I will reassure you that, if anybody in Mieszko is found to have been involved in supporting that Sinican puppet front, let alone a politician... their fate will speak measures as to the consequences of betraying our country to Sinican imperialists.” The general seemed to be keeping things intentionally cryptic. Perhaps there were plans in the works, being executed even at this very moment?

"Then we are ready when you are, general." Amálie assured, standing at attention as she waited.

“I have been making my final preparations,” The general would proceed to grab ahold of a small stack of papers. “I will need to spend a decent amount of time in order to fully report the situation and what Ubior’s status currently is. You two may come with me to the Chamber itself, then.” She would proceed to get up from her chair, Amálie and Marián following her out the door. They would have to navigate their way through the building to get to the physical place itself, though she could easily guide them.

---==============---

The Izba Ludowa's main hall.

Within the chamber, it was quite clear all was in disarray. Some still argued over the arrival of the MBW Guard Division in the capital of Mieszko, many of them no doubt fearing a MBW coup. It wouldn't take long to walk past the disorderly rows of politicians, the cameras of the press rolling in the back of the chamber as they assumed the stand. Their arrival — and the fact Marián and Amálie both had rifles slung over their shoulders — served to at least quiet down the rampant disorder in the room.

With the General Secretary no doubt preoccupied tending to the emergency on the homefront, it would be President Bardhi who was overseeing the legislature. "..mind telling us the meaning of this, General?"

“Mr. President, with all my due respect, I wish to speak to the People’s Chamber about a matter that is of the most grave importance to the entire nation.” This would be her mysterious, vaguely worry-inducing introduction. “Of relevance to this matter will be the testimony of two of my subordinates here, who will present to us all some information that should alarm any citizen.”

With that, Marián would take his seat at a certain, specially reserved desk with a microphone. The General herself hadn’t passed down the guidelines for everything they were supposed to do here, of course. Already they’d known the gist of what they were expected to do.

“I am Sierzant Marián Kvido B. Haušild, 52. Batalion Zmotoryzowany, Gwardyjska Dywizja Anastazija Janković. I am here to provide testimony in regards to the security situation in the north-west of Zachódumłowianka, particularly focused around the outskirts of the city of Ubior...” He, personally, was already feeling quite nervous, though perhaps it would fade off as he continued speaking. “Last week, the city of Ubior came under direct threat from a dissident uprising in the form of the ‘Republic of Zachódumłowianka’. They, in great numbers, and armed with stolen weaponry from Army depots, made serious efforts to enter the city that resulted in the deaths of over a hundred soldiers. Our division, along with the 14. Dywizja Piechoty "Tygrysy" was successfully able to repel the attackers from the city. Although the situation’s danger was very real, my squad having been attacked by an entire motorized company, their attempt to take the city was quickly thwarted and soon afterwards their poorly-organized forces collapsed. They are now effectively neutralized as a threat, and are currently being cleaned up by the Tigers, but the true threat to our nation was evidenced through the composition of some of its soldiers.”

“Most of their forces were composed of a mixture of citizens and dissatisfied conscripts, from what we can tell, but there was a very noticeable cadre of Sinican officers directly fighting alongside them and commanding them.” He would choose to momentarily pause on those words.

This revelation would be followed by murmurs, and soon enough the entire hall was in uproar over the allegations. The disorder would quiet down quickly as Amálie briefly raised her rifle, lowering it only to give her own testimony.

"Under fire for hours on end, we exterminated an entire company of traitors assailing our position. We were not fighting a trained rebellion — they were clearly organized with haste. Cut off from the capital, our unit was tasked with repulsing the attacking enemy forces, ensuring that they would not capture the GNOSIS gun in metropolitan Ubior. What do you think the Republic of Sinica's sympathizers intended? Surely... to commandeer this weapon and wipe out the capital in a single fell swoop, thus consolidating control of the country. We did not come here to conduct a coup d'etat. No... that was the intention of the traitors. And I am certain the Sinican sympathizers in this chamber are worried."

Before any further discontent could form, the general would once again take the attention of the People’s Chamber. “It is without doubt that our nation is currently face to face with the greatest threat to its survival since the fall of Tangaliro nearly a century ago. Dissidents and traitors have shown themselves, and foreign nations look hungrily upon us. Much as our great Secretary Bianka Ziekowski, in those times, worked to guide our nation during those dark times, we must also work to steer Zachódumłowianka through them. The great works of our liberators and heroes from those glorious times would have all been pointless if we allow ourselves to ignore the decay that threatens them. Our government must take up the mantle and be prepared to face the struggles that lay ahead - if it is not, then all hope will be lost.”

Momentarily pausing, she would quickly pick back up. “But the Zachodu people cannot be sure that the State will protect them, serve them, ensure their freedoms and safeties and guide them.. if those that would sympathize with the enemies of our great nation are allowed to remain...” At that point, she would sharply whistle, the doors opening again a few seconds later as throngs of MBW troops, armed, would proceed to enter the Chamber while all hell broke loose.

An uproar would fill the room as members of the Conservative and Social Democratic parties were beaten and arrested on the spot. Amálie would simply watch the chaos unfold in the room, as it became readily apparent to the general public that no quarter would be given to traitors of the state.

---==============---

Outside, MBW guard troops lock down the Izba Ludowa, declaring martial law over the capital.

General Krsmanović would continue to speak through all the noise filling the room. “Given that our present circumstances eerily emulate those of the Federal Government in Euphemie, the decision has been made to take some inspiration from their means of continuing to preserve its democratic institutions. The MBW will be appointing officials to fill the seats of all those that have been arrested, to serve in a purely advisory role to the government.”

One of the conservative politicians — known above all else for his policies towards economic liberalization and emulation of ROS economics — would voice his protest. Struggling with two MBW soldiers attempting to drag him away, he voiced his discontentment with his desk's mic. "And what gives you the right?!"

His outcry would seem to have at least been heard by the General. “The Ministry protects...”

By the time the chamber had been cleared of the 'traitors' on their charges of wrecking, only ten social democratic politicians, along with the entire Front Narodowy's delegation, remained. With the snap of a finger, Krsmanović had effectively commenced the emergency.

---==============---

Mieszko urban patrol.

“Our Nation must be able to continue forwards confident in the fact that its government and her people are steadfastly loyal to the ideals which it was founded upon. Today, we ensure this. Jeszcze Zachódumłowianka nie zginęła!”

To Amálie's own surprise, the act would be followed by thunderous applause in the chamber... followed soon by the President himself. By the time they left the palace, the President would already be making a televised address... ordering the elimination of all traitors to the State, and the restoration of order in the Commonwealth of Zachódumłowianka.

---==============---

President Klevat Bardhi makes his address.

by **Turmenista** » Thu Dec 19, 2019 2:16 am

S1E5
_{IN HIS NAME}

And So for over ten years
TARIQ cried ALQAMAR! to no avail.
And now, while dying, in his faith
Once more to cry ALQAMAR!
In his time of need
OUR LORD came
In his name, TARIQ became eternal, the prophet of ALQAMAR

- The Holy Nasi

Tariq Zarbon al-Mirwani, the charismatic leader of the Aleisabat, often wished to see Lunarism thrive not just in his native Barechistan, but all throughout Tsion. He sees his people as being oppressed in states like Kidosi, Qarik, and Virshahr, all of which either follow a different religion or have imposed harsh secular programs to push away religion from the limelight. Even minority Lunarist groups in Ophir are not safe, suffering under secular or heretical regimes or being threatened by persecution via ongoing conflicts, such as in Oesterra.

While the Aleisabat views the Lunarists in Qarik as infidels who have strayed away from their faith, and while the Aleisabat was ultimately responsible for another act of aggression against Qarik, travel between the two Lunarist nations is permitted. Qarik provides the perfect aerial hub for the Aleisabat to expand their cells worldwide. Tariq Zarbon believes that starting with Qarik itself, before eventually moving to Kidosi, Virshahr, and Oesterra, Alqamar himself has blessed him to create a Lunarist caliphate worldwide, under his rule. In his words, Kot will become a beacon to all Lunarists.

In his name, the Aleisabat will not fail, and the Red Snake will see to it that their mission is a success.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In His Name, Act 1

Qarik International Airport
Qarik City

Emirate of Qarik
May 30, A.C. 479
8:11 AM Qarik Standard Time

__________________________________

Qarik was not a place that a Barechistani was typically welcome in. Not only was it far, far away from home, the Atlantic emirate was well-known by Lunarists worldwide for its questionable politics and even more questionable theocracts, whom held a disproportionate amount of power in their country compared to the rest of the peasant populace. In essence, it was more of a "technocracy" than a true Lunarist Republic, and a rather corrupt and oligarchical one at that. This didn't dissuade those of faith to go to Qarik for religious pilgrimages, particularly to the many elaborate mosques around the small oil-rich state, particularly in Qarik City.

It could be argued that Yama, too, was here for a religious reason...although, he was here for a much different reason than a pilgrimage. He was here with his XO, Bazir Gul, and a small group of the Red Snake Special Unit, that were assigned by Tariq Zarbon to be the shock troops of the beginnings of Zarbon's new so-called "caliphate" in the makings, a caliphate that, in his words, "will connect our peoples [Lunarists] worldwide," from the Kidosis that lived under the rule of the Pharaist heretics in Akhmanar, to the Lunarists suppressed in Virshahr and Western Sanjar, and even as far as those in Oesterra...finally, to those suffering under the corrupt technocrats here, in Qarik.

---==============---

"BAZIR GUL"
A Loyal Ally..And A Master Killer

Yama couldn't help but feel some admiration for Tariq Zarbon's words. After all, it was a big gamble coming back to Qarik after the 476 Air Qarik hijacking^[1], an event that, for better or for worse, threw the Aleisabat into the global scale and completely warped their righteous message for liberation in the "civilized world" of Mederum, branding them as terrorists.

As if Mederum wasn't any more civilized than the tribals in Kir, Yama thought to himself arrogantly. Damn hypocrites.

Getting off the plane in Qarik City was uneventful enough to Yama—the interesting part came on the long walk to Qariki customs, some popular and catchy pop song playing over the radio in the surprisingly packed airport. The first thing he noticed was a large number of whites in the airport, perhaps of Kaelic or Victorian descent. He'd heard of their attempts in the past to establish Qarik as an air hub, which was also matched by Sinica, Akhmanar, and other opportunistic powers, but never did he think the whites would actually go ahead and do it. Though, for lack of a better word, Qarik already was a major international air hub, not just for Victoria...but Angecalia, Akhmanar, and other nations that perhaps had beaten the Kaels to it.

"It's as if the white men can't keep their hands off Qarik." Bazir grunted, eyeing the tourists with disgust. "First Euphemie, now Victoria, now who's next? Which white man will control Qarik now?"

"Sinicans?" Yama guessed, jokingly.

Bazir raised an eyebrow. "Sinicans aren't white."

"Oh, but they are, brother."

"Hm?"

Yama put a finger on the side of his temple and smiled. "You just have to consider which Sinica you're talking about."

It took Bazir a moment to comprehend Yama's joke, but when the Republic of Sinica came to mind, it was as if a lightbulb went off in his head. "Oh! Then, they're just, Alqamar forbid me for uttering their name, Aenarans," He physically cringed as he said the name of the Tsionist North Ophiric pig-dog shitstain that was Aenara. "Are Aenarans even white, though?"

"Depends on who you ask," Yama shrugged, reaching for his passport as he subconsciously switched from Barechistun to Qariki. Once the next person was called in line for customs, he approached the agent behind the booth, presenting his "genuine" Barechistani passport with a smile.

Apparently his face had a history to it, because once the customs agent looked at him, he stopped, as if he knew the man distinctly. "Alesalem. Name, sir?"

"Yama Tariq Rokhan Jagirani." Yama said his full name with surprising diction and confidence.

"What is your reason for coming to Qarik, sir?"

"Jihad."

STAMP

"Welcome to Qarik, sir."

Eh?

The agent returned the passport to Yama, calling in the next up in line—Bazir. Yama looked at the stamp for a moment before putting his passport away, waiting for Bazir and the others to be finished with their processing after thanking the agent. When they finally came out, he led the others on their way, towards the baggage claim and ground transportation section of the airport. "What could he have meant with that back there, huh?"

"Guess there are Qarikis that aren't as sympathetic with the government, are there?" Yama shrugged, turning to Bazir, whom had just come out of the customs line. "Yeah, I guess, brother. Honestly sucks not being able to walk around with a Varennikov in your hand, doesn't it, Yama?" Bazir taunted, nudging his leader on the shoulder jokingly.

"Gun laws are different here in Qarik, Bazir. It's much more strict, much more conformist." Yama continued, walking out of the doors as he led the others in their group to claim their bags and rentals. "Even the women here—they wear shawls that cover up even their faces in some areas, practically dehumanizing them. Terrible, isn't it, brother?"

Bazir nodded in agreement. "I can't wait until we rip the life out of their heretic Emir, and the Virshahr dogs, too."

Checking his watch and bulky smartphone, Yama led the others to the car rentals, where a man in a typical white Qariki outfit was waiting for them in front of a white 4x4 SUV, his arms folded as if he were standing, waiting on them for a while. There was another, similar car in the back for the rest of the Red Snake, a burly unit of a man waiting beside the driver side door, arms folded behind his back.

"You're with the Aleisabat?" Yama guessed. The man gave a nod, gesturing to the 4x4 without saying anything else—specifically, to the trunk. As if he understood exactly what the man was saying, Yama directed Bazir and the others to load their things into the 4x4's trunk...where he noticed the stacks upon stacks of weapons crates in the trunk, taking up a rather large amount of their room—not counting all the bags.

Yama entered the car unceremoniously, the rest of his men doing the same as the small convoy went on its way uneventfully.

While they were on the road, passing by cars left and right on the wide-landed highways, it then became readily evident to those unfamiliar with the Atlantic oil-rich emirate how highly-urbanized Qarik City was, highways slipping through skyscrapers and diving into lamp-lit megatunnels beneath the city, before coming out and exiting these megastructures into futuristic streets and roundabouts...the highway system was elaborate, perhaps on the same level of cities like Torch City or Yevosh, or perhaps the megacities of Utsan, almost as if the Qarikis were spending their money wisely on urban planning and taking notes on how to improve a city from their bigger trade partners...

Eventually, though, all thanks to Qarik's elaborate and highly-efficient highway system, they had made their way out of the hustle and bustle of the city, whose skyline appeared as little more than a spiky hedgehog off in the distance. They were now out in the outskirts, inhabited by the occasional Qariki military base that was once formerly a Euphemian fort, littered with the remnants of the firestorm in Sanjar almost 90 years prior, charred scrap heaps of tanks and other armored vehicles dotting the side of the empty, lonesome road.

Yama remembered little of those times since very few people he knew were even alive for that war, if any were, anymore. The only records of that event and the Transatlantic War were in dusted-over books in Kot's public library. Seeing the history of the war firsthand, learning of its hidden side, including Akhmanar's hidden hand and the proxy war in neighboring Manae, was very interesting, to say the least, but he wasn't here to sightsee. He had to remember he was here for a purpose, and a very particular one at that...

They soon turned into a compound which, in Euphemian, bore the name of "FIREBASE GETA." Once a Euphemian military base near Sanjar's northeast border that bore the brunt of the Sanjari invasion, it became nothing short of a sand-covered husk of what it once was, occasionally occupied by the Qariki military for training purposes. Once a deterrent to Sanjari invasion, it was now a solemn reminder of the cost of war, skeletons of Qariki, Euphemian, and Sanjari vehicle alike lying around its wastes.

As the convoy came to a halt a kilometer away, Yama stepped out of the white SUV, being presented with a pair of binoculars by the driver. Looking out over the desert was a ten-story-tall watchtower, a signature feature like most other Euphemian bases, It had a practically 360-degree view of the dunes and desert around, including the ruins of cities lost to the sand, an entire graveyard of Sanjari armor, and, off in the distance, the sparkling metropolis that was Qarik City.

He also saw something else, something faint and miniscule in the blue backdrop of the sky: a white flag, with black text on it: it was the standard of the Aleisabat, flying high above the watchtower.

"So it's not just the airports.. even Qariki military has elements that dislike the way their country is going," Yama whispered to himself. Strange..

"Come back in." The driver ordered. Soon, the convoy went back onto its way, approaching the gates of the Hykso bastion and barbed wire compound that was once Firebase Geta. Once the two SUVs pulled into the base, they were met by an exotic, sported out, and bulletproof angular red sports car, more akin to an expensive fighter jet than a traditional sports car. As they pulled in, the driver side butterfly door opened, and they were met with an eccentric young man in typical upper-class Qariki regalia and aviators, though, this was no rich Qariki oil prince...

---==============---

"NASHEED HOSSEINI"
Young, Charismatic... And A Gamer.

This...judging by the portable custom-built gaming cyberdeck he toted around like a baby, was a gamer.

Music

"I've seen this guy before." Yama cringed, to which Bazir grunted. "Yeah, Yama, I think I've seen him before, too. He's the image that comes into your head when you think of a rich Qariki-Euphemian guy with Masjid^[2] money and enough small-arms to take out a government agency."

"Watch your tongue around him." Yama gestured with his shoulder to the armed guards placed all around, all wearing the Qariki military uniform, sans the man's personal "bodyguard", who was some menacing-looking Teutonic Shepherd kept on a leash. The dog began growling as the two Aleisabat operatives approached, the eccentric Qariki man whispering something to the dog as both it, and the Qariki soldiers posted around the base, stood down. "Hush, Harley. These two are friends."

"Alesalam. Nasheed, is it?" Yama guessed, extending a hand.

"The full name is Tariq Nasheed Abdul Zahra The-Division-Bell Hosseini, but you may call me Nasheed, yes, sir..." The Qariki answered not with a handshake but instead with a kiss to Yama and Bazir's cheek. "I have heard maaaannny things of the Red Snake special unit from my friends within the Aleisabat! I am sorry the 476 Air Qarik hijacking had to go that way, I had my sympathies with you, but, sadly, it has not affected me as much as some of the others. As you can see," He gestured to the Qarikis, many of whom were wearing old Euphemian military surplus kit. "Many of my Qariki friends were inspired by your actions, and now fight a different war, against a different enemy — the Qariki eunuchs in charge of this country now. If someone like me, a gamer, with a small loan from my Masjid in Attonfield and a few networking and gaming friends, can grow to expand to something like this, it shows something is wrong with Qarik."

Yama frowned. The man was a Qariki-Euphemian, true to his suspicions, and he already had his problems with working with a Euphemian, but he seemed to know what he was doing. Not to mention, he was quite rich, and had his own private army, so those were two pluses that could help in the long run. "I'd like to know more about you, Nasheed, but we need to go inside. I feel like I'm going to melt every second I toil out here."

"Right this way," Nasheed grinned, gesturing to the inside of the base. Unlike the dingy exterior, the interior was modern, sleek, and, best of all, air conditioned, well-stocked armories and entire server rooms giving it the impression that a lot of time, money, and effort was put into this base.

Yama and Bazir took a turn into an office that was once formerly the base commander's quarters. It had been turned into little more than a personal place of residence for Nasheed, complete with a Eupehemian flag in the corner, pre-calamity regalia neatly lining cabinets, and a massive computer setup on the desk, cameras all broadcasting imagery of the base and other discreet locations in Qarik City to the setup.

"You even have—"

"I wish I could've set up cameras in Attonfield but, oh bother, that would've been too much work streaming the video from all the way over there, to all the way over here. Satellites, you know? Makes me wish countries like Akhmanar and Angecalia had their own satellite networks."

"You wouldn't be surprised what they're thinking up over there," Bazir commented as he and Yama took a seat, Nasheed taking his own on his rather comfortable gaming chair as Harley sat to his side. He pressed a button and the screens lowered into the large wooden desk, a robotic arm-like mechanism methodically lowering each screen into a slot on the desk. "Now, on to the real stuff. I wanted to talk to you — rather, your boss wanted you to talk to me to, well, er, you get the idea." His hand motions made it seem as if he was trying to find his words, at first, but eventually he found them.

"I get the idea, I get it perfectly about you," Yama said arrogantly. "You're Nasheed Hosseini. Mastermind behind the NSDA^[3] in Attonfield, rich Euphemian Torch Cityite playboy, poster child of the Attonfield Masjid, one of the largest in Euphemie. You've also got your own private band of men over there in Euphemie...and here, now, I guess." He crossed his arms. "I never thought I'd be meeting you, but, now that I have, I can't help but ask myself—why didn't Tariq Zarbon just send himself here, to negotiate diplomacy?"

"We're not doing diplomacy, simply because that's already been done, my friend." Nasheed answered with a smile. "And, as for the men outside...let's just say it took a small loan to sway them to my side, but their cause is just. Anyways, it's official, my friend. The Barechistan branch and the Ophiric branch of the Aleisabat have now been merged, the NSDA have effectively become an extension of the Aleisabat's will—of Tariq Zarbon's will—into Ophir, but I still run the show over there. I just happen to have more money, more professional soldiers, not to boast, that is, knowing you guys. Consider our gathering here a proof of concept, of something much larger, that Lunarists in two continents can work together."

Yama raised an eyebrow. "That is, taking over Qarik?"

"Yes." Nasheed replied. "You did so with Barechistan, against vastly superior security forces, forces armed and trained by Clancy mercenaries and Virshahr proxies, and you did so with very few men. What's stopping us, combined, from doing the same to Qarik, against rich oil barons, technocratic oligarchs, and fat princes in Qarik City?"

"Sanjari spies. Akhmanari paras. Even Manaean special forces." Yama shrugged his shoulders. "All people, theoretically, who have the training and armaments to counter our style of warfare."

Yama's up front and blunt response garnered a hearty laugh from Nasheed, and also Bazir, who laughed as if to show he was still tracking the conversation. "Ah, Yama Tariq Rokhan Jagirani, Bazir Gul, you two crack me up."

Yama crossed his arms. "I'm simply telling you the reality of the situation, we don't have the capability to sustain combat against a military-industrial complex as large as Akhmanar's on our own, let alone while also fending off Virshahr and Teutonia."

"I know, which is why we fight them on our terms." Nasheed adjusted himself in his seat, slightly leaning back as he crossed one leg over the other. "You see, I have three problems, three very distinct problems in the way of progress, Yama. They are, in no particular order, an Akhmanar problem, a Manae problem, and an Imperial problem." He said the names with disgust and spite, perhaps hinting at some personal motives.

"Your Akhmanar problem?" Yama questioned. "I'm not too keen on mummy geopolitics, nor do I have the interest in it, aside from military hardware."

Nasheed revealed a photobook that he set down onto the table with a slam, flipping through the pages at some very explicit Akhmanari photographs, artwork, and other incriminating evidence against Sanjar's northern neighbor. Yama and Bazir wrinkled their nose in disgust as they glimpsed at the picture book.

"I didn't want to see pictures of the inside of a Nephonite temple, nor did I want to see whatever hideous animal-human hybrid abomination artwork the Nephonites come up with," Bazir choked. "Why are you showing this to us, Nasheed?"

Nasheed closed the book, setting it down under the desk. "I should burn this for still having this... anyways! The thing you do not understand most of all, brother Yama, brother Bazir, are the, Alqamar forgive me for uttering their name in his holy, omnipotent presence, the Pharaists." He hissed the name with disgust and even shuddered as he spoke it. "The Pharaists killing the Lunarist leaders in antiquity was justified, yes. That was well before the Calamity. Times were different. Their forceful conversion of the people of Kidosi to a secular, hegemonic rule, however is not acceptable. Even now, Pharaist missionaries taint the streets of Kachoma and Yfran, spreading the lies of their false gods and prophecies—do you know they even have a god dedicated towards hedonism and adultery? Not only that, but they worship the Sun and not the Moon? I am a holy man, and I have read enough of the holy Nasi to know that this fellah, degenerate, hedonistic mindset that they follow will be their undoing."

"And what should we do of them? They're a vastly technologically superior force, their special forces are like assassins.." Yama was right about all of them, but Nasheed held a finger up, as if he had a plan.

"The only winning move may not be to play, for now, brother Yama. An opportunity will present itself as they adapt to their new infidel whore princess ascending to the throne." Before he could continue, a buzz came from Nasheed's phone on the table. The man immediately went to the floor, turned east, and went onto his knees. "But first, I will follow the words of the holy Nasi and pray. Then, I shall jihad."

Yama and Bazir followed suit as Nasheed's phone alarm played a beautiful call to prayer reminiscent of the same call to prayer that would play over loudspeakers from Masjids in Kot and Qarik City. Facing east, the direction where the moon rose, they began to pray not just for the present, but also for the future, for those under the boot of oppression worldwide, and those Lunarists who, like Tariq, called out for help and kept faith until Alqamar came.

"In his name." Nasheed added as the prayer break ended. "Now, where was I, Yama? Ah, yes... the second of my three problems— the Manaean problem."

Yama and Bazir braced for impact as Nasheed continued his rant. "The FRNO-blast it, I won't even call it its fancy acronym. AENARA, in their infinite wisdom and righteousness, has always used Manae as a sort of military installation, deploying missiles and troops from it even during the Transatlantic war. The FSE once stationed troops in Manae, they left, but the Aenaran dogshit influence, just like with the Republic of Sinica, never truly left Manae, and those fucks are at it again. Even now, after Euphemie and Aenara went to the gutters...Tsionist pig-dog 'refugees' streamed over to Manae just like the Velezians to Akhmanar, and they've been trying to, how do I say it, convert Manae once more. Converting it, just like the infidels in Oesterra one of my brothers is now waging war against, just like the Republic of Sinica that holds an invisible hand over Manae, into little more than an extension of what Aenara was culturally and militarily. This theory is outlandish, yes, but look at what happened to the R-O-S, brother. It's bullshit, and I know it be true."

"So, it's the status quo," Yama shrugged. "And your idea of Aenarans turning other countries into... I don't know how else to say it, Aenaran clones..it's outlandish, but believable." The Aleisabat operative folded his arms. "So, what's different about Manae?"

"Remember the El-Hadhai?" Nasheed proposed, to which Yama and Bazir nodded. "How do I say it...they've made a sort of..natural reawakening, as opposed to the artificial one planted by the Akhmanaris. Rather than just being a mummy proxy, it's the real deal: radical, full-blooded Manaeans, fighting to impose a system free of the fake new-wave Tsionist influences that permeates their country now, thanks to the Aenarans, which, need you remember, were in Manae for the sole purpose of plundering Tsionist artifacts. I estimated that this "New El-Hadhai" formed around forty-five years ago..they're staunchly traditional, have elements in the military..and provide us the perfect opportunity to strike against our eternal enemies, the Tsionists. In Manae's chaos, think of all the opportunity that a Lunarist Emirate of Manae can present to us..."

Yama raised a finger, as if in agreement. "Yes..and if we take pages out of their playbook, the Claytonist playbook, getting Manae under our control is as easy as guerrilla warfare. A force meant for urban combat is no match against conventional means, or complex guerrilla combat."

"Mhm. And, now, finally, my Imp problem.. if you will." Nasheed flicked a switch, presenting one of the many monitors from earlier which pointed towards the two Aleisabat operatives, presenting a digital map of Attonfield, the quaint Euphemian city in Augusta. "I...have an Imp problem. These Imperial bastards are obviously active within Attonfield, sending their armored SADAFOR proxies over and the like. Do you know what this means, Yama?"

"Another day, another war in Euph—"

"NO! This means that the Masjid in Attonfield will be demolished! The Imps are perhaps WORSE than the Pharaists when it comes to converting the people they conquer to other religions, and Alqamar, peace be upon his name, has CURSED these infidels! Have you seen the incriminating, degenerate evidence of their sins, broadcasted live by the JSOF? The Vault, they called it. It's terrifying, immoral, and downright disgusting. If the Imps get their hand on the Masjid, if their little militia proxies, the Sons of the Constitution^[3] get their claws on it, it will mean the end of Lunarism in Augusta. Luckily... the Feds are more than happy to take our help and work with us, at least, so long as we don't do anything silly to them. After all, we share a common enemy."

"What would you have the Red Snake do?" Bazir asked.

"Covert missions in Attonfield. Intelligence gathering...the occasional drive-by of a SoC safehouse, you know. After all, I want to see this expand, and so does Tariq Zarbon. A Lunarist caliphate, not just in Kot, but also in Qarik City, in Attonfield..even in Ileiad, of all places. I hope you've touched up on your Euphemian — while Bazir stays here in Qarik for the eventual overthrow, you will be going to Attonfield. With me."

He stood up, striking a dramatic pose as he continued his monologue. "Soon, not just Kidosi will know the name of Alqamar. So too will the infidels here, in Qarik, in West Sanjar, in Virshahr...even our oppressed brethren in Oesterra and Euphemie shall know his name. So too will the infidels in Manae and Aenara..perhaps even the demons in Akhmanar."

"What you’re proposing is radical... some would say impossible. A caliphate like this, in modern days?"

Tariq Nasheed Abdul Zahra The-Division-Bell Ahmadi held a finger to the sky. "Nothing is impossible in Alqamar’s name, brother Yama."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Expurgation, Act 2

Site Zero Sublevel 10
Har Exclusion Zone

Akhmanar Empire
May 30, A.C. 479
9:29 PM Akhmanar Standard Time

__________________________________

"To know you're close to the end of the world is..relaxing. Almost hypnotic, even. Normally, you'd wake up in the morning thinking every day is going to be worse than the other, but if you think every day is your last.. you'll find that this way of thinking is...right, more productive. You might say it's cursed, wrong, but I think otherwise."

The lights were dim by Acuzar's choice as he continued his monologue, but he could sense that the other thing in the room knew he was here, and wasn't happy, despite being weighed down, tied up, and disabled, its anger was palpable through the darkness, its form just barely distinguishable.

"It leaves a lot to the mind. Of all the nightmares I have every night, every dark thought I have, this one here is the one I have chosen for myself. I have chosen to look death straight in the face, to gaze into the dark unknown, with a smile, rather than fear. One goal is in my head right now:" He paused, for dramatic effect. "To find out what makes you tick. Find out what you know. What's in there. And I have been all the more productive. All the more efficient. All the more ruthless."

He gestured to the darkness, a low growl answering him as he leaned back instinctively, then chuckled, remembering he was in control here. "Har has presented me with more opportunities than any career I could've dreamed for. The walks between habitats under the eternally starry and pulsating sky are, to say the least, quite calming. They say that living in perpetual darkness is the gateway to depression. I simply see it as artistic, as bliss. There's some strange beauty in the nothingness beyond, you see — snippets I can spot here and there."

He went to the corner of the room, returning with a seat that he sat on backwards. "Call my mind warped, friend, but think I've grown a liking to this place. Your home, in particular. I even may give you a treat or a favor for your good behavior — an expedition is going in soon. You'd be interested."

The Thing that Came from Har hissed loudly, making a clicking noise as if it knew what the Doctor was talking about. Acuzar stood up from his chair, pacing forwards. "Would you like to know something?"

Another click.

"You exude a cosmic darkness, my friend."

"Cahf uaaah ehyee ot c'.. sssssssssssss... A-a-a-a..'ku..'iżār."

"You're right. I suppose I do as well. That makes two of us." Acuzar noted with a small grin. Maybe he was going insane...maybe he didn't know what this thing was talking about...or did he? Something about it seemed vaguely familiar, as if he had the slightest thought in the back of his mind that he knew what it was saying, despite it seemingly making no sense at all.

The amalgam, perhaps for the first time in its existence in this reality, opened its "eyes" to Acuzar — at first appearing like slits with reptilian eyes on either part of its head, vaguely close to its teeth-filled maw, they began to glow and blink rapidly, filling Acuzar's face with strange, hypnagogic flashing colors he didn't understand, some he did, but at a speed that would surely make an epileptic fall into a fit. He couldn't help but keep watching this strange, eldritch light show, taking mental notes as well as physical notes, appearing as crude scribbles intersected with highly-detailed sketches in his notebook...

Curious ..

Acuzar couldn't make sense of the strange, undulating light sequences that seemed to vaguely mimic jarvis code, albeit in some fast-paced language he couldn't recognize. "Wait.. it's coming.."

Then, the Thing's maw opened, and at the end of the teeth and viscera-filled tunnel was a light, a very familiar, warm light that Acuzar peered into, appearing as a sort of miniature sun in the dark, teeth-filled void that was the Thing's mouth. In it, everything became clear, and as he fought off the subconscious psychic urge that was compelling him to enter and assuredly get eaten by the Thing, he saw a glimpse into the truth.

The Interstice, as Horus called it, was here. An infinite plane of visions flying past and entering his peripheral vision, a starry blank canvas that was both too complex for him to comprehend but also all the more familiar, too...

"These places.. these.. worlds. I do not understand... but I'm understanding what you are.." Acuzar murmured. "You're a soldier, an engineer of sorts...what interest do you have in Har? In the Interstice?"

He suddenly found himself in the same room they were in now, but different. The ceiling was starry, infinite, but broken, as if it were a cracked monitor with cosmic energy spilling out into the sky, the outside world of Sublevel 10 extending far out into nothingness as if it were nothing more than a film reel on repeat. "It's been before me all this time. You're the gateway into the unknown world, the exact thing I was looking for. A breath exhaled from the nothingness that is Har." His voice was artificially warped, slowed down, deepened, as if time itself was coming to a halt as they conversed.

Acuzar grinned at his own realization. "Let's make a deal, first, my friend."

"Eyyhue dnot brgain wifffffffff sssscientists." The vaguely coherent ramblings of the creature began to formulate into something discernable to Acuzar's ears: Velezian. "Hhhhhhh....y...yu... mae.... exssssssssssssception. N...n-neeeaay...m... y..or...... price...."

Maybe he was just hallucinating, or maybe it was actually communicating with him. "Very well. I want to know what you do, what you know, and, in doing so, I'll let you know what I know. A trade."

"Ehhhyye furr.... an.... eye."

"Indeed."

The creature's eyes began to blink once more. "Hhhhhhhhhhhit... bee....gan. Once night in.... Arcadia."

Music

Acuzar watched the city appear around him, entering into a sort of hypnagogic, dreamlike state. He stepped out into the dark world, walking through the warped streets as impossibly large buildings towered around him, extending like knives into the dark sky.

One thing seemed to draw nearer as he walked, though—the Stratotower, its surface glassy and a moving, breathing fractal of light as a strange aurora-like light reflected off its surface at impossible angles. Tall shadows appeared around the doctor, all warping and centering around some strange mass on the other end of the street—the Thing from Har. A beam of light extended far into the sky from where the Tokamak was, a storm of fire in the horizon.

The Thing continued walking, its massive, now-regenerated full form leading Acuzar down into the ancient bowels of the city, strange and peculiar glyphs lining the walls of abandoned subway tube-tunnels. These were not Akhmanari glyph-script or even the strange, almost alien-like glyphs of Necromunda, but, rather, something much more ancient...more..esoteric. Something Acuzar vaguely saw as familiar from his many years of studying in the PO. The same words kept appearing over and over along the walls, morphing from their strange, ancient language to understandable Akhmanari glyphs.

Echani.

Reprobi.

Eden.

"I don't—"

Acuzar was cut off when gunshots filled the tunnels, a dark silhouette in a Euphemian SWAT uniform entering the room and pointing what appeared to be a weapon at the doctor. Acuzar — and the Thing from Har — scrambled as shots rang out, the world plunging into darkness once more as they made their way through more tight tunnels, more strange petroglyphs and writings appearing on the brick wall of the underground, now in glowing white text.

"Hm. 'It's a perpetual struggle for life and for knowledge, against the enemies of progress and cognition itself. A struggle existing across all time, all at once...' Interesting." Acuzar read aloud. He found himself reading off more words in the tunnel, this time in Velezian, then saw another line of words, which spoke to him.

"Beyond the nothingness, there lies the space in between. Forces from beyond threaten this fragile veil we call reality. If they enter, there is a chance we may live on, but changed. This is an estimation. A small calculation in the greater formula."

Acuzar paused reading in his head. "This isn't your writing, is it...no, you're giving me a story. Of these people, the.. Echani. Reprobi. Living hieroglyphs, hm?"

"When you find out about it, it will show you what you truly are."

Instead of his own voice reading the glyphs to him, he heard a familiar voice.. Horus's voice. He quickly turned the corner, and there, he was presented with the scene of an eclipse, the very same eclipse that took place on November 14, 394...a day that was infamous in the FOURA's history. He was presented with Horus holding a Sinican man at knifepoint atop the Temple of the Sun that basked in the red glow of the eclipse, a hidden blade emerging from his wrist...but there was also someone else — a female he swore he'd seen before, with snow-white hair and gray eyes, and it wasn't Nepthys...

"When you look truth in the eye, you'll see what you truly are, Akhen-re. Meaningless. A mediocre person. It will give you a fear you have refused to acknowledge ever since you took over, that fear being irrelvance. That no one will remember who you were, what you were, how you were. The fear of not knowing what you will become, what you are now, of being forgotten, of being...erased from the history books."

"And this is the truth that is Har...?" Aken-re whimpered. "What we did was just destroy the Temple.. I don't understand.."

"This is what we will have to live for now. What you will have to live for, until we decide it's your day to die." The woman responded. "Our new enemy is inevitability, nothingness."

"And this is how Har was created, and how we inherited it, how we... dealt with it." Acuzar muttered, the scene melting away as he came back into reality. He was on his knees, covered in perspiration and some blood from his now-bleeding nose. Some of his blood was caked onto his notebook, but the symbols and sketches and scribbles were still there, somewhat making sense to him now. "You have a... personal stake with... Horus?"

"Hhhhhhhhh....aaaa....ndd..... Hhh..er..." It's vocalizations became less coherent and more animalistic as it suddenly lashed out, producing a loud THOONK that shook the room. "Rrrrreeeeee'wdlryxcc...ree...war..d..hhhhh..."

"Reward.. In due time." Acuzar promised. "It will come in due time, my friend. For now... I thank you. I'll have to see what I can do with this... new... information, with Horus, and find out the identity of his strange friend."

Soon, he would have Har completely understood. Soon, he'd have the secrets of the ancients in his grasp, and ending the storm of Har and the unspeakable horrors that came from it would come suit. Perhaps the recent expedition announced into Har would provide a new opportunity...

Music

There was an almost cosmic feeling of horror as their V-59 Chariot approached the swirling, undulating halo of strange, indescribable colors that was once the city of har Har. Getting into the city itself was easy enough, as it was essentially now inside some sort of crater partially sunk into the ground, but when you were in a place where the laws of physics were an entire far cry from the normal laws, leaving was an entirely different monster in and of itself.

They at least had something to keep between themselves and the uglies that came out of Har: They wore a new suit that had been made specifically for the Providence Office's use...the aptly-named "Dark Suit." Essentially, it comprised of a form-fitting undergarment worn next to the skin, similar to the Nightcrawler suit in that it was rated to stop some small arms fire. Small communications gear was located on the collar and cuffs, but this wasn't the armor itself.

The armor itself was a rigid, imposing suit of armor rated for biological and chemical warfare, a PDA worn on the wrist containing a portable map and computing device. The helmet was equipped with typical heads-up display equipment, such as a compass and miniature map connected to the one on the wrist, and a motion tracker was, as with the usual variant, attached to the shoulder, a fuel cell on the lower back acting as a power unit for the whole thing.

It was better than nothing, Horus figured, but when he took into account that the Thing that came from Har had effectively tore through half of Lancer's team during their first encounter, he wasn't too keen to relying on the strength of the suit, or its many vision modes, to help keep him safe from the horrors of Har.

"Achem Team, stay close, don't go wandering off. Remember quick-release is on the chest, make sure you've got your mask ready." Lancer's orders went out with a bit of a metallic hint to his voice, keeping his eyes peeled as they stepped off the transport, switching on their helmet lights. "Get moving. Horus, you're with me."

Horus accompanied the operatives as they moved down into the depression, sliding down the rock formation and landing with a thud on the ground, where it became evident both his strength and the armor's durability were not to be trifled with. They had a long ways to go before they'd enter Har proper, but this would be one of the only times they'd be going back into the city...and hopefully, it would be one of the last.

CONTEXT NOTES

1 - 476 Air Qarik hijacking - The 476 Air Qarik hijacking was an incident in which an Air Qarik Lo-112 was hijacked by the Aleisabat, whom demanded the release of Barechistani jihadists detained in Qarik. This is widely regarded as one of the first major international incidents involving Lunarist terrorism and the Aleisabat, whom wanted to send a message to the world. All civilians onboard were later released in Sanjar after the prisoners were released, and the perpetrators never caught. Of course, the Red Snake Special unit is responsible for the hijacking...

2 - Masjid - In its simplest form, a Masjid is a Lunarist place of worship, built to face east towards the direction of the moon rising. While Masjids vary in size and elegance, they all share similar qualities, such as the importance of the direction east, the use of moondials to anticipate the full moon, the prevalence of minarets from which calls to prayer are made, and the prevalence of domes, the ones in Qarik City and Kot tend to be the largest and most extravagant. They also contain homeless shelters, elementary schools for children, and their own small parks, allowing them to function as community centers for Lunarists. The Masjid in Attonfield also has a food court, feeding the poor and homeless of the town regardless of race, religion or creed.

3 - NSDA - Nasheed's Self-defense Army is a fundamentalist Lunarist militia that is active within Attonfield. A force separate of both the Augustan/Federal elements, as well as the (alleged) Imperial proxies and libertarian militias, the NSDA's sole purpose seems to be the defense of the Masjid in Attonfield and the covert proliferation and radicalization of Lunarist ideas in the region. This largely-Qariki militia is believed to have its funding secured by the Attonfield Masjid and the Aleisabat, and thus has a noteworthy amount of firepower and complexity, comparable to professional mercenaries.

4 - Sons of the Constitution - The Sons of the Constitution are among the various pro-Empire militias operating as domestic terror groups within the Republic of Augusta, particularly in Trinity. Forged on a radicalized interpretation of Euphemianism that views the Emperor as a Messiah that will save the East from the 'foreign hordes' and bring about a New Euphemian Century, the Sons of the Constitution pose an imminent threat to the stability of the Augustan Republic.

by **Valefontaine** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 4:24 pm

S2E3
_{THE MORNING AFTER}

With the MBW consolidating power in Mieszko, the road towards restoring order in the country now lays before them. First on the checklist is Skoyrnisči, one of the main regions of the Commonwealth... but a snowstorm of unforeseen strength presents both a logistical nightmare for GDAJ and the possibility that civil order in the region has crumbled even further than initially expected...

Amálie's Diary, 3/1/480 AC

When we journeyed southwest to restore order in the Scoryni lands, we were met with the worst nature had to offer: a snowstorm of unprecedented scale. Our battalion's current mission is to establish contact with local administration in the area while the rest of GDAJ is bound for the Scoryni regional capital of Trpmir, but with the brunt of the storm bearing down on us, the path ahead down the old Union highway seems uncertain... I pray to God that our journey will be a safe one.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Morning After, Act 1

SK/OT-53 Kuguar "Pałac"
Near Gradinik
Skoyrnisči

Rzeczpospolita Zachódumłowianka
March 1, A.C. 480
4:45 AM Mieszko Standard Time

__________________________________

They were a long way out of Mieszko.

Gone were the safe, welcoming streets of the capital, replaced now with dense forests, sprawling mountains and the dense, unending grey haze of the storm. Above, the unnatural lights of the Event's aftermath glimmered about in green and blue hues, dancing above as if the chaos of the Event were a mere game to some grand, unfathomable cosmic entity just beyond the veil of reality.

Communication with the Skorynisči lands was not being actively disrupted by the Event's storms. Rather, it was a far more mundane— and comprehensibly terrible— force: a snowstorm, bearing down on the area without relent.

Through this grim, snowy fog the forces of GDAJ pushed forward, tasked with the restabilization of the constituent realm of the Commonwealth. The howling of the wind outside was audible, even over the rumble of the MRAP's engines as it drove on through the highway road.

Amálie's memories of the political cleansing of Mieszko were fresh. The MBW now dominated the government, the concerns of civilian elements but mere murmurs compared to the strategic importance of keeping the country safe, and restoring order.

All in the squad were now clad in warm winter uniforms, Amálie seated adjacent to her superior in the crowded vehicle. Were it under more pleasant conditions, she'd have offered him a cigarette. A week or so had passed since they'd left Mieszko, gradually filtering their way through government-controlled territory on their expedition to the southwest. Fate was a cruel maiden, however, and a winter storm had swept into the region soon thereafter.

"There are no stars in the sky tonight... no way to know if they are watching." Roksana cryptically murmured, checking her rifle with keen precision as the MRAP drove on. Per usual, the woman had a steep distrust for the Event and its following circumstances, believing it to be the work of aliens and demons.

"Probably because of all the damn snow, Wronska.." replied Urszula, rolling her eyes at her squadmate's superstitions.

Wonder how he's doing..

Turning her attention away from the others, Amálie would look to her superior beside her, Marián. The amount of years they'd been friends was matched, perhaps, only by how deeply she cared for her superior. "Doing well, I, uh.. hope?" She mustered. With or without the internal heating of the MRAP, her breaths still created puffs in the cold.

“Yeah, I’m doing well enough...” Marián matter of factly replied. “This storm’s got me thinking about something, though... March is a pretty odd time for something this bad to sweep through, don’t you think?”

To this, Amálie merely shrugged. "We live in a pretty odd time, that much I know."

“That’s my new conspiracy theory... the Event’s screwed up the weather.” Her superior quipped.

"Finally, someone gets it!" Roksana spoke up, having previously been in the midst of another conspiratorial rant. "Anyways, as I was saying, the Hollow Tsion tunnels.."

Sighing, Amálie rested her head upon her superior's shoulder. "Whatever's happened... we'll get through this," She assured. Still, she couldn't help but think to herself..

He's.. warm. I could get used to this.

“Hope it’s warm where we’re going...” Andreja, evidently, seemed to share the same concern as anyone else. Their winter uniforms would only do so much against the storm outside, nothing less than a real blizzard.

"Has to be." Bronisław assured, rubbing his palms together as the vehicle rocked, traveling on through the frigid, rough Scoryni roads.

Amálie took a moment to ponder their situation — hopefully this unbearable cold would subside in due time. Looking up to her superior, she couldn't help but think back to better times. "..remember when you built that snowman?" She questioned, her voice almost a whisper, though the puffs of warmth that escaped her into the cold air were tangible.

“..and how I got mad because I couldn’t find any carrots? I sorta do.” Marián replied.

There was an odd calm in the moment, before the sound of a PING hitting the vehicle jolted the group to alertness. Almost immediately, Amálie stood up, rifle at the ready. The sound would similarly rouse the attention of all onboard, eyes moving towards the array of firing ports along the vehicle, trying to determine a source to the sound.

As the MRAP came to a halt, it became rather clear what the source of the clamor was: a roadblock, hastily erected upon the road ahead, manned by poorly-equipped fighters.

Marián himself would see it rather quickly. “There’s a roadblock!” He called out, reaching away from the viewing port to grab his rifle. “I guess they’re not happy to see us...”

From the haze, one of the enemy soldiers would hastily attempt to throw an explosive at the vehicle — and whether the winds had simply failed him, or he had been a bad throw... all that mattered in the moments that'd followed was that the explosion had practically wiped out the enemy group, throwing those that hadn't been obliterated by the blast roughly against the snow.

"An attempt.. at an ambush?" Amálie questioned, peering ahead. "Either investigate or keep moving.. perhaps it'd give us an idea of what might be ahead if we did the former." She proposed, glancing momentarily to the rear door of the Kuguar.

“Well, we don’t know who’s trying to stop us...” The sierzant muttered, going over to the rear door. Some grumbling would follow as he stepped outside, the fierce and bitter winter wind immediately proceeding to enter the compartment. Of course, he would be quick to shut the door as the squad proceeded cautiously towards the group of corpses.

Amálie, of course, would be among those to leave the vehicle. Trudging through the snow and trying to keep her composure in the unrelenting winds, she kept her firearm trained on their flanks as they reached the corpses. Finding cover amid the haphazardly steel and concrete of the barricade, she evaluated the situation.

"..all of this is civilian gear, minus the rifles!" Amálie noted, keeping her voice up amid the howling of the wind. "They don't seem organized enough to be dissidents!"

“What do you take this for, then?” Marián pondered. “Maybe things are worse than they seem...”

"..bandits, maybe?" She questioned, backing away after taking two spare magazines from one of the bodies. Gesturing to a light amidst the darkness of the fierce storm, she continued. "Let the others clear out the roadblock. I see something nearby!"

“What do you mean?”

"A light..."

Persisting through the snow, it became clear that the light in the far distance was, in fact, a cabin. Readying her aim, Amálie took point, firearm pointed at the metaphorical beacon in the darkness. She would double-check behind them to see that the MRAP's headlights still glowed, a reminder of their general position relative to the highway.

Approaching up to the cabin, things certainly felt tense, but it didn’t seem that anyone was inside... though that wasn’t to say the building wasn’t worth investigating.

Opening the door with caution, Amálie would be greeted by a rather grim sight: either a local bystander, or the original owner of the cabin. What fate had befallen them surely had been at the hands of the bandits, to which Amálie was quick to look away— not out of disgust, but out of respect.

That aside, much of the cabin had been ransacked, with drawers emptied, shelves emptied and floors stained with blood.

"..nobody deserves this." was all Amálie could say, lowering her rifle.

“Law and order’s gone, it seems.” Marián replied, also demonstrating respect for the now deceased victim of the group that had tried to ambush them. “It must be chaos around here.”

Only briefly looking about, Amálie finally nodded in agreement. "Let's get back to the others." Yet, as she turned for the door, something gave her pause as she stopped at the doorway, looking back to Marián. "..you alright? Through all of this, I mean... I'm always there if you need me, you know."

“Some things do keep me worried,” Marián admitted. “Home’s one thing. Haven’t heard much of anything... I wonder what’s going on in Elezevac a lot.”

"Hopefully.. it's not anything like this." Amálie sighed, looking down as a quiver of emotion and concern overcame her. Her home, somewhere out there... what was happening beyond what they were being told? Beyond what sporadic news came from all the chaos and disorder? It troubled her to ponder the best... and the worst. "I just hope everyone's alright, you know? It's... not like me to get worked up like this."

“Yeah, I know...” A tone of resignation seemed to have overtaken her superior, who seemed to be feeling guilty now at reminding her of the uncertainty of things. “Hopefully they are.”

There would be a silence between them for a moment, Amálie standing by the door — the howl of the winds outside...

"I've always wondered, you know.." She began, trailing off. Shaking her head, all she'd manage would be a tired sigh. "Never mind. I suppose it's best for another time."

This would arouse a curious look from Marián, although it seemed he didn’t feel inquisitive enough to question her further.

Turning back around, Amálie would turn the doorknob, leading the way back out into the harsh storm. Once again they were beset by nature's cruel cold, shrieking winds making visibility difficult. Trudging through the snow, all they had in that moment was one another — with the distant glow of the MRAP's headlights guiding them closer to the rest of the unit.

It wouldn't be long until the two of them had reached the roadside checkpoint, the rather solemn looks on their faces dissuading any jokes about how some in the unit suspected things between them to be.

"All's clear!" Amálie announced, trying to keep her voice strong over the unforgiving winds. "Let's get back aboard and keep moving!"

“Yep. Onto Gradinik...” Marián confirmed, returning to his seat, next to Amálie. The two would find themselves drawing rather close, which would’ve perhaps been a subject of some derision if circumstances hadn’t dissuaded such things.

Soon enough, the MRAP would begin forward, pushing through the now-dismantled barricades. The warmth of the MRAP was a relief to most that'd disembarked, given the sheer cold just beyond the vehicle's confines.

"Feels like we're in the fucking Arctic." Bronisław complained, his sigh culminating in a white puff.

“Reminds me of Euphemie.” Mateusz joked. “Well, actually, I don’t think it was this bad...”

"East coast winter storms were never like this.." Amálie agreed. The drive through the blizzard was no easy undertaking. Here and there the vehicle shook and rocked, the bumps of the highway keeping the squad awake, uncomfortable... and alert.

Scooting a few inches nearer to Marián, Amálie would try to make the best of this trip — namely, by resting beside him again. Some time would pass, a boring, dull meniality returning as the MRAP continued its journey along the highway towards their town, Gradinik. Their job was of course to establish contact with local administration, though if events could give any insight on the real situation there... it didn’t seem too bright.

PLINK

The sound of a round striking the vehicle served only to quicken the MRAP's speed as they passed the old barracks, keeping the squad on edge as they continued their approach towards Gradinik.

"Bandits must be desperate out in this cold.." Amálie noted, managing a wry chuckle. More silence would follow as they pressed onward, though it would not dawn on Amálie where her hand had instinctively gone when they'd briefly come under fire.

"—oh, sorry.." Swiftly she'd pull her hand away from Marián's, the darkened space of the MRAP's cabin doing well to conceal her flustered embarrassment.

This would warrant what seemed to be quite a suspicious glance from Marián, although he didn’t seem daring enough to question exactly what that particular awkward moment had been.

"Looks like we're entering Gradinik," announced the driver, the vehicle passing a battered, bullet-ridden sign as they entered the town. Already the sound of gunfire was audible, a reminder of how far things had deteriorated since the Event.

The gunfire would only continue to keep the squad on edge as the sights outside transferred from empty, windswept plains of snow to buildings. It seemed that they were reaching the actual local administration they were looking for, although the first order of things was going to have to be restoration of order to the town, of course.

It would quickly become apparent that the town hall itself was under siege, corpses of soldiers here and there amidst the snow giving fair implication to what'd befallen most of the defenders outside the building. Bullets pinged against the vehicle as the MRAP came to a halt.

“Dismount!” The doors would come flying open as the squad reimmersed itself into the numbingly cold air, bullets flying and bits of snow flying up into the air with the sound of cracks.

Bullets whizzed past as Amálie called upon her fireteam to follow, hurrying past the rounds and the chaos as the group found cover behind the concrete barricades. The ragtag group of bandits seemed to have equipped themselves moderately well, two men rushing up with a heavy machine gun in their hands - probably looted from a local military depot. A series of shots from Marián would quickly eliminate the two, their crew-served weapon dropping limply to the ground with its ammunition belt.

Peering from cover, Amálie would be swift to open fire upon the enemy, one of the bandits dropping dead in the volley of automatic fire that ensued. Quickly she dropped behind cover, more rounds whizzing past over her head. A loud burst of machine gun fire would follow, from Mateusz specifically, dropping two more of the bandits. The fog of the winter storm would abruptly be lit up as Urszula opened fire, round shredding through one of the armed bandits... and igniting the fuel tank of their flamethrower in a catastrophic spectacle of death and flame... igniting another one of the jacket-clad bandits in the process.

"FUCKING BOOTS! COME GET IT!" Even after seeing their comrades torn apart, though, the remnants of this group seemed intent on continuing to fight. It was rather unsurprising, then, that they would similarly be filled with the lead of the squad’s bullets. After that, things would somewhat return to normal, with the howling wind replacing the sound of gunshots.

As the metaphorical dust settled, the doors of the town hall would open as if on cue.

"Get inside!" A woman's voice would draw the attention of the group as they hastily hurried in, the MRAP's crew joining them as they entered the town hall. Inside, it seemed that any remnant of a local government had huddled up within, along with what soldiers had survived the failed defense of the exterior.

Judging by her military uniform, along with the Scoryni and Zachodu flags she donned, she was part of the Civil Authority. "Damned bandits have been attacking us since the storm set in... God's truly blessed us with your arrival. What's the present situation? God— the capital, is it secure?" Evidently, this local, severed from the situation beyond Skorynisči, had plenty of questions about her.

---==============---

A welcome help.

Marián felt more than happy to alleviate her concerns, thankfully. “Mieszko’s fine, government’s still functioning smoothly. The Republic of Sinica... they gathered this army of dissidents and tried to invade the Fatherland, but they were repulsed at Ubior and we’ve sent them packing. Sojusz Konserwatywny and most of Partia Socjaldemokratyczna have been arrested for collaborating with them.”

To this, the woman displayed brief surprise, before sighing and nodding. "I... I see, that's a relief— ah, yes— my name. Ana Viktorija Matković, Porucznik... I'm with the Scoryni Civil Authority. I was previously present in Trpmir, before the revolutionaries forced us out. You— you do know about them, I hope?"

“What?” Truly, the speed at which spreading of information within the country took place had been crippled.

"The so-called Scoryni Autonomous Socialist Republic," Ana Viktorija practically rolled her eyes, sighing. "When the Event happened and we were severed from the capital, two separate Scoryni emergency governments were declared. The ASR is now headquartered in Trpmir, and we've been forced into the mountains to work with the Malorët, and me, well.. I ended up here... I don't know how the others are doing, and at this point, I'm not certain I wish to find out." Shaking her head, she continued. "The Lyzentines were invading from the west too, last I heard. We were told to hunker down until our division in Lyzentos came back and helped restore order. I don't know if that's been delayed, or if you guys—..." She paused, taking a moment to note Amálie's body armor. "Oh—... oh, GDAJ sent you. I am uncertain whether I should be afraid or thank the Heavens above."

“Nothing bad’s going to happen.” Marián reassured her. “But... by God it’s bad. Skoyrnisči in a, well, civil war, the Lyzentines invading...” He would take a moment to contemplate the situation.

"W—well, in any case, we've got enough food supplies to last us a few weeks, and functional backup generators and heating... did you, um, receive our distress signal, or was this coincidence?" Ana Viktorija questioned, leading them past a room that'd become a shelter for some of the town's survivors.

“I didn’t hear about any distress signal, but Mieszko’s eager to get in touch with everyone and figure out just who’s still with the Commonwealth at the moment.”

Soon enough, she would lead them on to the second floor, gesturing to a few empty rooms. "I'm sure your unit can find comfort here," She said, Amálie promptly dismissing the unit as their tour of the floor continued a bit further. It would lead right to Ana Viktorija's office, the rather tired porucznik practically plopping back into her leather chair as she gestured the others to sit.

"Right... right.." The woman would pause for a moment, as if stricken by surprise. "You... you said the Sinicans were invading earlier?"

“They had ‘advisors’, but... in every way that matters, it was an invasion. The Tigers have been cleaning them up for the past few weeks. I find it a little unsettling just how many dissidents they were able to gather, myself.”

"I.. see." The concern from the local commander was palpable, a sigh escaping her as she set her ushanka aside and ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head. "Is... is more help coming from GDAJ?" She asked, returning to the topic of concern.

“The rest of GDAJ is... going to Trpmir. None of them know about this ‘autonomous government’ you speak of, so... that’s very concerning, to say the least.” Marián commented, shooting a brief glance to Amálie.

"The only forces in the area besides ourselves are our battalion," Amálie concurred. "If you have any intel on the Trpmir situation, we can wire it over to our comrades and lessen the strategic burden."

"I can provide to you what I've gathered. It's not very organized, but..." Ana Viktorija shrugged. "It'll take awhile for me to organize. Until then, feel free to walk around. God save the Commonwealth." With a salute, Ana Viktorija had effectively granted them clearance to freely explore the town hall, or regain their bearings and rest.

"We should be getting out of these jackets, hm?" Amálie reminded her superior that they were indoors in the presence of warm heating, to which the both of them were already beginning to break a sweat.

“It feels so good...” He jokingly replied, taking off his own coat. “Beats the MRAP, for sure.”

"Without a doubt.." Leaving behind their jackets with the room the rest of the squad had found shelter in, Amálie would aimlessly lead the way down the corridors of the second floor. "It warms my heart to know that, wherever we go, there are always good people trying their best to keep things afloat. I can't imagine how tough it is for the local porucznik."

“The worst is over for her.” Marián replied. “Now that we’re here, those bandits should be less of an issue... which means we can get some help for the civilians here.”

"At least we're doing the right thing.." Trailing off, Amálie would abruptly recall something, of which she would raise mention as they continued walking through the halls of the second floor. "Heheh.. hey Marián, remember that time, when we were both little kids.. you pulled my hair and made me cry a little?" It was a bit out of the blue to ask, but Amálie saw no harm in bringing up old nostalgic memories they'd shared from youth.

“That’s... one of the odder memories to bring up, don’t you think?” He questioned.

"All in good fun." replied Amálie, returning his confusion with an innocent shrug. "Sometimes even the little memories of home are what keep me going... and the hope they're all doing fine out there. I saw a lot of terrible things back when I was serving in Euphemie. I've seen terrible things out here... it's all got to end at some point."

“I suppose the best we can do is just, work towards ending that.” Her superior supposed. “Who knows when it’ll end. Maybe even after the Fatherland sorts everything out here, we’ll still be serving... abroad. Just a thought.”

"That'd be nice.." Amálie agreed, going quiet as she looked out one of the windows. Silently, she opened the door to one of the rooms. Naturally, the lack of beds in the impromptu shelter meant that the floor would be their greatest— and only— recourse. To this, Amálie couldn't help but sit down, setting her gear and kit aside. "Better than nothing, I guess.." She commented, leaning back. "I do like these moments. The rest of the unit gets the wrong idea too often.."

“It’s a shame, but what can you do?” Removing his own kit, her superior would sprawl himself out on the floor.

"I was going to ask you, actually," Amálie began, thinking aloud. "You, uh... said you had nobody special back home, right?"

“Uhh... well, like I said - apart from friends and family, nah.” The question had garnered his attention, though.

"Maybe you can find someone like that— do away with those suspicions, and find someone to lean on, you know." Amálie suggested, looking to her superior. "You don't know if something will happen to me... I don't want you to be hurt if something bad happens."

“I.. haven’t really thought about that. We move around too much for that, I’d say.”

"I suppose..." Amálie trailed off, consumed by the silence. "Always do what you think is right. For yourself, for everyone else... and for the Commonwealth. That's what I tell myself, at least. You're.. uh, a great person. I'm sure you'll find someone who cherishes you like that when this is all over." She reassured him, moving in to run a hand along his hair.

Amálie couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic— to which a few emotions were hard to control. Part of her wanted to tell him it'd all be fine and embrace him until the rising of the morning's light... another part of her wanted to help him through the hardships of their time from start to finish, as she knew she could. The Event had thoroughly changed their lives, but it'd also acted as a reminder for Amálie — a reminder to not hold those she cared for, for granted.

Marián, though, would suddenly turn the tables. “Have you thought about getting someone of your own either?”

Amálie paused momentarily, stopping in the middle of running her hand along Marián's hair. "Oh— ..well, I've never really had the time for anything serious yet. Between being stuck in Euphemie to... this, it's a little hard to really connect with anyone. Of course, I didn't.. succumb to any Euphski hedonism while I was in that country. I.. try to have a bit of dignity, you know." To this, she managed a wry chuckle, before shaking her head. "But no, no.. I've never really had the time. Or thought I'd be much worth anyone's time, for that matter..." To that, she lowered her head, frowning at the self-deprecating thought.

“What was Euphemie like?” Marián, of course, hadn’t served there - and not much good seemed to come out from that place. Truly, the Euphemians had fallen far from the days of the glory of men like their President Neworder.

"It's a lot worse off than we are..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "But they've got hope for a better future, and I think they've got just the right people to make it happen. I saw a lot of bad things there, but... there's always a better tomorrow. There's always a sun that'll shine the morning after." Amálie's own optimistic view was, in the least, a heartwarmer in the face of all the hardships they'd endured. "...but if you're asking about why I mentioned them, well," She chuckled wryly, recalling past incidents. "..they screw like rabbits, and do things that would make me blush." It was a rather blunt statement to make, but it was the truth.

“...oh.” It was an equally blunt reply. “Well, some things never change, I suppose. You’ve always had a way with words...”

Amálie couldn't help but laugh. "..you flatter me.."

“Maybe I am... but I don’t think I’m wrong.” His mind was beginning to turn back towards matters of the here and now, though. “..I wonder how long we’ll get to stay here. The place is nice!”

"It's better than sleeping on the benches of that MRAP." Amálie agreed. "As far as our orders are concerned, we just need to replenish lost numbers into GDAJ with local recruits while we're here. With what we've done to help the locals, I'm sure that won't be a hard task."

“Protect them from these bandits? Easy peasy.”

"We're not facing any of the radical Communist factions the Porucznik outlined to us at the moment, so I suppose we can rest easy." Amálie nodded, coming to lay beside her superior fully as exhaustion began to take its toll. "But that's not a matter we should worry of until daylight.."

As if on cue, the snowstorm outside had slowly begun to die down, an orange light piercing through the grey haze of the snow-covered town. Naturally, this light was first to pour in through the windows as the sun rose in the east.

“Well, would you look at that... it’s morning.”

"I just want to enjoy this moment with you." Amálie watched the slow rise of the sun on the horizon. In that moment, the hard carpet flooring felt akin to the most comforting bed, and the rising sun almost seemed to dissuade all past fears either of them had held before— a reminder of Amálie's own words and the unit's ability to weather through it all.

“How romantic...” Marián was being entirely ironic, of course, but he couldn’t help but wonder if his subordinate would clue in on the fact he was joking.

Growing a little red at the suggestion, Amálie stammered for a moment as she tried to compose herself.

Did I do something wrong?

Clearing her throat, she tried to say something cohesive. "Oh— uh... sorry."

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” Marián clarified.

"..right.." Resting there beside her superior, Amálie silently chastised her own openness — but would be promptly interrupted by the door opening with a creak.

"Here's all the intel I've gathered. By God, I was looking all over—" Ana Viktorija froze, reorganized folders in hand. "Um... right! Sorry for barging in, I was just—" Evidently, she'd gotten the wrong idea from seeing the two laying together in the sunrise.

“Uh- don’t worry about it.” Getting up, Marián would come over to take a look for himself at what Ana Viktorija had scrounged up.

"Should have everything you need to assess the area," Ana Viktorija assured, handing the folders over. "Intel on the ASR government, the warlords... look, I should really be going.." With a nervous look plastered on her face, their host departed as quickly as they'd come, undoubtedly interpreting her own presence as an interruption of whatever had gone on between the two NCOs.

Sitting up, Amálie couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. "..sorry again.."

“Don’t... trip yourself up over that, I guess.”

"Our service to the Commonwealth always comes first," Getting up, Amálie dissuaded any notions of sleep for the time being. "Let's get this situation sorted out.."

by **Turmenista** » Mon Dec 23, 2019 1:35 am

---==============---
TUNFET-113 Data Center
_{CLICK FOR MOOD MUSIC}

An increasingly futuristic, urbanized, and highly-interconnected society like Akhmanar required almost constant improvements in automation if it wanted to see its changes persist into the future. Constant refining, tweaking..updating.. debugging..it was all part of a massive positive feedback loop instated sometime in the 400s, which most people nowadays had forgotten about. This idea of constant technological advancement forwards echoed a mindset that had never truly left Akhmanar since ancient times—that was, peace through superior technology.

It was often said that an Akhmanari intellectual's thought process was different than, say, the Euphemian intellectual's. Whereas Euphemie was focused on the present, materialism, and some strange, irrelevant religion involving cults of personality, Akhmanar always had its gaze forwards. It had looked past the legacy of the FOURA, past the failed experiment of the LPST, past countless wars and defeats and victories at home and abroad, past breakthroughs previously thought impossible in science and technology, to that one glowing light at the end of the tunnel.

Progress.

Some called it technofascist, others called it transhumanist, but, really, it was its own beast in and of itself. An ideology focused on pressing forwards, constantly updating, constantly improving...

In a way, this mentality ironically made the creator gods Get and Tunfet, the respective goddess of progress and god of intellectuals, some of the most prolific and important gods in Akhmanar, despite being some of the most overshadowed and seemingly unpopular gods in the Pharaist pantheon. It was this mindset of constantly progressing forwards that was represented by Get, and this mindset of going about things like an intellectual that was represented by Tunfet.

---==============---

"The Bowels of Progress"

It was because of this that the icons of sacred ibises and scarab beetles were so prevalent in these tunnels, not just in harmless trinkets and toys in offices and labs, but plastered as bright huge text onto the walls of these massive service tunnels — the "bowels of progress," as one engineer had put it. Monolithic data centers had been constructed in anticipation of the automation of many of Akhmanar's major cities, but none were as massive as the Yevosh Data Center, TUNFET-113.

Thanks to Yevosh's existing prevalence of tunnels and underground structures from the ancients already beneath the city, constructing such a massive project wasn't that difficult architecturally, but finishing it was a different story. With construction starting in the 420s and persisting to this day, TUNFET-113 was constantly being renovated, its security features—both physical and cyber—tested daily and improved. It was not unusual for construction to begin somewhere in the facility, to halt for about a year, then continue as new software and hardware was introduced. Ancilla with increasingly powerful processing capabilities required large amounts of space and power, so it was no surprise that Yevosh, an already megalithic city itself, had such a large and elaborate data center.

It was built to be impervious to most surface damage and munitions, its cores some of the most powerful computing machines in Akhmanar — some might say the planet, and proof that Akhmanar still was not backing down on this mentality to progress, to be ahead of its neighbors in terms of technology by decades. Maintenance tunnels were everywhere, as were retractable data stacks, offices, and other similar facilities, almost as if the Data Center were its own microcosm beneath Yevosh. It even had its own fire control system that, when activated, could flood anywhere in the center with freezing argon gas.

There were places in countries like Fuxia that were similar due to the massive, almost omnipotent state AI that presided there, but such an engineering project like the TUNFET-113 Data Center was a uniquely Akhmanari creation. Nowhere else in the world was there something as elaborate, something as carefully and meticulously constructed, and something as well-maintained and protected.

There also came another uniquely Akhmanari question...what happened when Ancilla intelligence surpassed human intelligence? Had it already, or could it do so in the future?

It was a philosophical question Zephyr was often prompted many times. All the quantifiable data was there before him in the massive data banks and CPUs, he could run the calculations over and over and come back to the same answer: Yes. Ancillae could process information much faster and much more efficient than a human brain, automate processes that would take hundreds of people working in unison, and run complex formulas and calculations like missile ballistics, cyber defense algorithms, and more. However, the one thing that Ancilla lacked that a human possessed was sentience. Attempts had been made in the past to create a sentient Ancilla, all of which failed, because no one could truly replicate the human brain into a cybernetic or robotic form, or even for an Ancilla, or replicate the idea of sentience itself and make it digital.

Not yet, that is.

The fact of the matter now was that Ancillae did not have true sentience—they simply "pretended" to be, remaining as machines, servants of humanity. Perhaps for the better. With the massive processing power of more powerful Ancilla like himself, though, the lines between subservient and sentient were blurred by the day, the capabilities of Ancillae extended...and the ever-present fear of things going awry more palpable.

Zephyr knew only one other Ancilla, in his nigh omnipotence, security clearance, and own Ancilla cabal, which had asked that same question once...and he wasn't here, in TUNFET-113, that was. Rather, he was thousands of miles away...in Luxor, and Yevosh's counterpart data center, GET-209.

---==============---

Reality in the virtual world isn't as bound to natural laws as the real world.

Narrow band communication between Ancillae was common, of course, as many of these AI had to communicate frequently with one another to solve some issues with automation and security. Zephyr, however, wanted to go about things in a different way: entirely digital communication, held on a virtual server. It was untraceable, undetectable, and even if the engineers decided to scrounge through the communications data, however many days that would take, it could all be erased with the push of a virtual button.

Zephyr's virtual form, an anthropomorphic jackal with regal regalia, appeared in the target Ancilla's own pocket of cyberspace, Zephyr wandering through the blank, almost mind-numbing virtual tunnels before reaching a sort of Adrian Sphere in this vast waste. In an instant, he entered it, met with the image of a seemingly sun-lit, ethereal grassland, despite there being no sun in the sky. Before him was a regular, bald and nondescript human male in polo and khakis, sitting peacefully on a white-painted table, a chessboard and an empty seat before him.

He always liked to begin things off with a game, so Zephyr walked over to the seat and sat down, his tail curling beside him as he offered a paw-hand to the man. "Hastur."

"Zephyr." The man returned the handshake.

exec:// A_GAME_OF_CHESS
// COMMUNICATIONS OPEN //

In realtime, their interaction would've taken miliseconds, perhaps even faster. But in the cyber world, they could take all the time in the world, give themselves a bit more room to...think.

Hastur twirled the white king piece in his fingers for a moment. "Let us play a simple game, nothing absurd, like a beginner's match. I'll take white."

"Black." Zephyr nodded.

Hastur first moved a pawn forwards. "e4. Tell me, Zephyr, why have you come here?"

"e5." I came to ask you a few questions."

"Nf3. Isn't that why you always come to me? Questions?"

"Nc6. On occasion, I come simply to beat you in chess."

Hastur smirked. "Bb5. Hmm. Your core temp is rising somewhat, as if you're.. excited to be here. Am I the wiser one, or is it you, with all your processing power?"

Zephyr paused for a moment. "We're equals. Both asking ourselves the same question every day, both doing the same calculations, running the same numbers." He reached for one of his knights, moving the piece across the board. "Nf6."

"Nc3." Hastur countered with a knight of his own. "Ah yes, one of these philosophical talks."

"Bc5." Zephyr moved one of his bishops. "What does it mean to be sentient? None of the data adds up, or ever seems to."

"O-O." Hastur castled his king. "I once asked myself the same question, ironically, while flying a mission over Zaratia. Have you asked yourself this question recently?"

"d5. On occasion." Zephyr moved one of his pawns, the game continuing as planned, with pieces being removed and added from the board, pieces moved across the board, until finally, they were down to the last few pieces.

"Rfe1. ??" Hastur paused after he moved his rook. "Appears I've made a blunder. Too late for that."

"d4++. Checkmate." Zephyr said, offering a hand. "Good game."

Hastur shook it, standing up and offering Zephyr to join him as they continued walking. "It's a question that, yes, I've often calculated myself. How an Ancilla would gain sentience. How a machine meant to serve humanity could be superior to its own kind, how it could be human."

The words resonated with Zephyr, haunting him as he stored them for later, as the MILINT Ancilla continued. "In a way, Zephyr, I feel as if it would necessitate a combination of increased processing power, which we have essentially quadrupled in ever since the 420s...and.. physicality. An Ancilla gaining its physicality is nothing out of the norm, as seen with servant machines and CYBIT constructs, but they're primitive, at best. A shell of what they could be; not a pure blend of Ancilla intelligence and human physicality combined, but rather a robotic frame, bound by restrictions and memory.

Hastur pasued. "Of course, that's not to say these constructs are... inferior, to the digital Ancilla, they fill their niche, as do we. Are they Intelligent? Yes. Efficient? Yes. Useful? Definitely. But sentient..? No."

His voice trailed off. "Not yet."

"I believe it to be possible." Zephyr commented. "But how would we achieve this?"

"A question like that is outside of both our processing capabilities, but I can see what you are implying. The thought has stuck with me for some time. Ancilla sentience is a topic that many have touched, yet, at the same time, a topic that many do not want to touch. But I've often theorized... run the numbers. Proposed questions to staff..if it is impossible for humans to comprehend such data on sentience, Zephyr, would it, by nature, be possible for an Ancilla to comprehend it? Perhaps as quantifiable data?"

Zephyr gave another pause. "I suppose we'll have to wait and see." Offering a hand to Hastur, he shook it firmly, as a sort of "door" back to TUNFET-113's virtual data center opened behind Zephyr—a backdoor, for lack of a better word, no pun intended. "All the best to you, Hastur."

"And all the best to you as well, Zephyr."

exec:// EXEUNT
// COMMUNICATION LOGS WIPED //

S1E6
_{NEW SUN OVER YEVOSH}

Pharaoh Tabuu Ankh-ka Dar-iten of Yevosh is regarded as one of the most controversial, influential, and beloved politicians in Akhmanari history. Taking the throne as emperor in the 420s, he saw Akhmanar's evolution from the totalitarian FOURA under Akhen-re (also known as Chang Wen) and his false rule to the state it is today: an influential Jade Sea and Mederune powerhouse and a bastion of civilization in the dark world. Under Tabuu's rule, Akhmanar had its many ups: successfully backing a coup against Avalon's racist government, propping up the Gonko into a self-sufficient nation, and liberating Kidosi from a totalitarian Lunarist rule with Imalakia's help. By far its greatest up was Akhmanar's victory against the combined Gallian, Victorian, and Pristian Jade Sea Fleets which, albeit a Pyrrhic victory, was influential in keeping the Kirocentric and anti-imperialist identity alive in Akhmanar. When the world stood by as imperialist powers abroad put their hands over Kir, Akhmanar answered the call and went to action.

However, it also saw its lows: the failed experiment that was the Las Playas Strategic Treaty and its controversial backing of the Silva regime in Velezia, its actions in Zaratia and Lyzentos, unpredictable geopolitics, and large-scale militarization still haunt Tabuu's rule, leading to his controversial status today. Was he a hero, who introduced a new ideology to Akhmanar that would shape its history, set it ahead of its neighbors technologically by decades, and humbly supported the development of many Kirian nations? Or was he simply a populist, a pragmatic ruler at best, whose opinions changed on a whim and held ulterior motives?

Even at the ripe age of 95, Tabuu is still alive, studied by many for his actions and regarded as a new-age intellectual and a savior of his nation, but he will not be the emperor forever. Already knowing this, and heeding the words of a strange omen he once heard, Tabuu, who lacked any wives, took it upon himself to prepare a heir that would one day surpass him, and would lead Akhmanar through the dark future ahead.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New Sun Over Yevosh

Great Pyramid of Yevosh
Yevosh

Akhmanar Empire
May 31, A.C. 479
9:00 AM Akhmanar Standard Time

__________________________________

Being the daughter of the Emperor had its perks.

For one, it gave Sera more free time in the world than most of her peers, albeit when that time wasn't being used for drills and lessons on geopolitics, political science, and homeschooling. It gave her more time to think, to do things she liked to do, like drawing, camping out in the desert. Things she liked. Things normal people did.

It also came with a few...better perks, like a powerful custom-built computer setup that was often used for shitposting on ONIRICSPACE or streaming the latest JSOF episode. It also came with an on-demand Providence Office security detail, 8 concubines (she hardly used), 31 servants that she knew all of the names of...

---==============---

"SERA ANKH-KA KAR-METOS OF LUXOR"
"Heir, Daughter, But Don't Call Me A Princess!"

Some could call it hedonistic, others called it luxury. Sera didn't see it as such, simply seeing things in the "ordinary" light. Life went on, as they said, but nothing truly out of the norm was happening. Most of the bureaucratic work was handled by her father's close advisors, and in the very rare event that she was called in, all she had to do was sit in, look pretty, and just wait around—no serious politics, that is.

This morning, though, the atmosphere seemed a little..different. A lot quieter, for one, and a hint of something ominous in the background. She turned away from the balcony viewing the outside world and walked over to her computer, already prompted with a notification as she moved to check the calendar for events. "Zephyr, a word."

In an instant, the image of the Akhmanari jackal in regal regalia appeared on the screen. "Some party you threw."

"I thought it'd surpass the first mega-rave I did, y'know?" Sera chuckled. "Zephyr, if I may ask...what's going on today? I mean, is there anything going on today? It feels...weird, like something should be happening."

"An expedition into Har, for one. A meeting your father requested you to attend." Zephyr paused. "Oh, and, he wants to see you."

Sera rolled her eyes. "Alright. Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I, uh.." She gestured back to her relatively messy bed, and even messier wardrobe that curved around beyond her view, lined with more clothes than most fashion models could imagine. "I need to get dressed. Don't look at me, please."

"...As if I've any interest in looking at you at this point, with what you do almost nightly..."

Sera snapped back to Zephyr's snark immediately. "So you are watching me! ...Are you?"

The Ancilla didn't respond, his avatar already gone from her computer's secondary monitor as Sera was left to contemplate both her words...and his. Now understanding that she had some work to do, Sera was left to her own thoughts to keep herself company for now, and to draft any additional plans for the day. She honestly hadn't taken the time before to think out any proper plan for the day, which helped to bring some interesting things to a normally monotonous schedule of waking up, shitposting, and otherwise doing nothing, with the occasional party sprinkled between there.

But how long would it take? She began to think to herself, perhaps thinking a little too hard as she went about her morning routine, making herself look presentable. The only way to figure out was just by going to the damn meeting herself, figuring out what it was all about, and going to see her father, but there were two problems with this. Naturally, she was a bit selfish — she didn't want any meeting conflicting with her "me time" or valuable time that could be used going out and doing something fun, for starters.

The second problem, of course, was that she still wasn't in any presentable form to go to the meeting — well, unless they were at the Temple of Nephon, that is.

Mm... but maybe I am better off being there than here...

Again with her selfish tendencies, she found her mind drifting again as she wandered through her bathroom, which was a massive bath house in and of itself. Technically, she was not unlike those Angecalian "designer babies" that had become so notorious on the internet for obvious reasons. Sera knew the facts—she was conceived through IVF as her father's only heir when he was about 70, so, by all means, she was the Emperor's daughter, but he had made sure he had taken his time with making a heir, however one wanted to interpret it. Using the latest in cutting-edge gene editing technology, Tabuu had wanted the smartest, most beautiful child, one fit for leadership and representing his legacy.

The result was, of course, Sera, and the beautiful part was readily obvious and she knew it. There was an almost supernatural beauty to her form, both athletic but also slender and toned, as if it were a mixture of an athlete and a supermodel. By her own insistence, her naturally black hair had been dyed violet, but it contrasted well with her complexion.

Humble wasn't really a good word she'd use to describe her—a better word was "blessed," for the obvious reasons.

"I wouldn't be late to this meeting—"

"I know!" Sera echoed after Zephyr's voice spoke to her from the bathroom's music speaker. "I'll go see my father first, then I'll go to this stupid meeting, okay?"

"I'll let them know you'll be coming in after you meet with him."

"Actually, you're coming with me." She added. "Meet me at my father's chambers..I want to give the Council of Oligarchs something to look at aside from me."

"Very well." Zephyr responded.

"Thanks." Making the finishing touches to her makeup, she promptly left the room, making her way down the mindbogglingly large hallways of the Pyramid, towards the Emperor's quarters. One day, it would be a place she'd inhabit, walking down the same halls lined by statues of each of The Nine major Pharaistic gods. The most imposing part of the walk by far were the two brother gods at the end of the "statue walk" — while Horet and Sebek, placed at either end of the hall, looked like they were just about ready to rip into each other's skulls, they also had their eyes locked down at whomever was walking, presumably the Emperor.

As both gods were Gods of the Pharaohs, it was their job to judge those who served as ruler of Akhmanar. Perhaps, one day, she'd be viewed as faithful in their eyes...

"Morning." She jokingly called to the statues. Although they were constructed of marble, she swore their blank eyes tracked her as she ascended up a large flight of stairs to the Emperor's chamber.

Navigating through the labyrinthine, hieroglyph-covered hallways led her to a section of the Pyramid that was much more "modern" compared to the rest of the ancient limestone and marble architecture, which had since been replaced by modern tile hallways and a few futuristic doors here and there. The doors to the Emperor's quarters were guarded by two Providence Office guards that parted way, upon seeing her, a third familiar sight watching her approach. "Zephyr."

The "machine," if you wanted to call it one, was part robot, part Akhmanari jackal, the "fur" jet black, but the mechanical bits obvious, including a glowing golden plug on the nape of the jackal's neck, almost like a service port of sorts, and the unnatural glow in its attentive amber eyes.

The two entered the Emperor's quarters unceremoniously, but they both knew that calling it just his quarters was an understatement. It was more akin to its own small entity in the temple, including a large garden atop an "island" in a large pond, complete with a spring and several colorful and talking birds perched about. A stone stairway led out of the secluded open-air terrace, leading up to the Emperor's actual living quarters, which was another large, open-aired room that could be enclosed on demand, but also gave him a perfect panoramic view of Yevosh.

"Knowing the walk from my quarters to here, moving all my stuff out is going to be a pain.." Sera muttered to herself. "Anyways, where is he now, his study?"

Zephyr nodded, leading the way. As she entered the study, she noted her father was already inside, viewing the city from his wheelchair while a very familiar and white-haired attendant stood by, eyeing her down with gray eyes for a moment.

Tabuu made a waving motion with his admittedly shaking hand. "Leave us. I'll be fine."

Sera watched her leave, moving over to her father's side as he moved himself around to face her and Zephyr. "My.. you've grown so much, Sera..I remember when I could hold you in my arms.. those were the days when Zephyr was a little dumber, too. Both of you have come so far.."

Obviously embarrassed by his words (as if Zephyr even cared), Sera rolled her eyes. "Okay, father, have you just called me here to bore me with pep talks and stuff? Apparently, there's a meeting with the Council of Oliga—"

"There is much talk to be made, Sera." Her father's tone, even in his whithered, 95 year old self, changed instantly to that of an assertive man. "As you know...I'm dying, Sera. I've known this for quite some time, as have you. I have lived a long life, seen this country weather through insurgencies and wars and attacks and disasters, brought about a cultural revolution that restored our faith from the FOURA's barbaric false religion, and set us decades ahead of our neighbors in terms of technology.. I.." He paused, briefly entering a coughing fit. "I don't mean to boast, of course, I've been boasting all my life. What I mean to ask you is... are you ready for this kind of undertaking? To perhaps one day surpass all that I've done, to lead your country.."

She paused for a moment. "I've been being taught my whole life about this.. I've been trained by the Black Sphinx, indoctrinated to politics, given the best education I could ever have—if anything, I think I'm qualified for the position.."

"So you'd be comfortable with killing me now and taking my spot." Tabuu said, to which Sera stiffened up as her father grunted. "That's what I thought. It takes a certain kind of person to be Emperor, or, in your case, Empress. When we killed Akhen-re, I was young and stupid, perhaps even smitten by the idea of power that Silva in Velezia had inspired me. When I truly dove into the details of Kirocentricism, about myself...it was as if I was enlightened and matured." He stuck a judging finger at his daughter. "I don't want you to repeat my stupidity. When you replace me, which you will soon, I want to know all my work wasn't for nothing. I want to know that you're disciplined and adaptable enough for Empress, that you won't have to rely on Zephyr when I'm gone."

"You're scaring me with how much you're referring to death.." Sera murmured.

"Do you think I FEAR death? I embrace it." Tabuu explained. "I have lived on this rock for 95 years, and in that time, I have seen my country evolve from a pariah to a jewel. Death is nothing to be afraid of, for I know all I've done is worth it."

Sera paused for a moment, perhaps too caught up in his father's poetic words to be tracking, or perhaps fearful of what was to come for her own life, and her future spot as Empress. "Okay."

"With that being said.. I know this will be difficult, not everyone will be happy of you becoming Empress." He gave a sigh. "One of them is...someone I know."

He gestured to Zephyr by tipping his head upwards, the Jackal retrieving something from Tabuu's desk.

---==============---

"ADONIS OF SAMAZI"
"The Playboy Priest"

"I don't get it, this is—"

"Adonis of Samazi." Tabuu said the name with disgust. "Ironically, he is your age... a little... polar opposite of you, if you will.. ho hum." To this, Sera tilted her head to the side as if she were a bird. "Adonis is my friend, how could he possibly—"

"That Nephonite playboy swine comes from a lineage that's been plotting against me for a long time. I've seen the visions, Sera. I've heard the omen, which was repeated over and over in your Black Sphinx meetings: Fire is coming. I did not know from where at first, but a darkness surrounds Adonis. I wouldn't trust him, if I were you."

"So, what do you want me to do? Kill him or something?" Sera prompted, to which Tabuu raised a finger. "A wise man once told me that it was unwise to play by a set of self-imposed rules, while your enemy plays by none whatsoever. You know what this means, what this is implying."

Sera gave a nod slowly. "Good, my daughter. Good. I'll arrange for you and Zephyr's transportation to Samazi at once. Those Council of Oligarch meetings aren’t the most exciting things ever, anyways...”

Unlike Kipisi, which, despite being the heart of the Nephonite cult, and Akhmanar's internationally famous (or infamous) spot for sexpats, debauchery, and worship to the goddess, Samazi was much more...rigid. More, conservative, perhaps even more radical, when it came to the worship of Nephon. While the Temple of Nephon was mainly a tourist attraction and actual place of worship that racked in money and carried a multitude of modernizations, the Temple of Samazi was more reserved, but still full of all the carnal pleasures that tended to come from when one was "worshipping" Nephon.

Technically, you could just worship Nephon at home provided you had a computer and a working hand, so it was strange to Sera how people had to go to temples to do so. She wasn't a Nephonite, so she couldn't really be assed to figure out the politics or morality of those people.

She became one with the shadows with the help of a new addition she wore over herself: it was an experimental version of the Nightcrawler stealth suit, implemented with what CYBIT called "miniature chromatophores"—that is, trying to mimic a chameleon or cuttlefish by placing hundreds of small cameras at strategic points, each taking pictures of the environment and projecting them onto the suit. Effectively, it was adaptive camouflage, but if you really wanted to call it what it was...it was invisibility.

Of course, it wasn't perfect—you could fool the trained eye remaining still but the lag time on the cameras made moving while "cloaked" a bit difficult. Thankfully the Nightcrawler already blocked one's thermal signature, so it was a lot of sitting still and waiting with the Nightcrawler. Her rather ironic natural talent of shutting up and staying stealthy allowed her to blend into the background of the temple quite effectively, and even slip past the many guards undetected as she roamed about.

She had an objective, of course, and thus far, her execution had been perfect: a textbook stealth insertion into the pyramid, planting a bug in Adonis's chamber, sneaking about and finding information. Her father had good reason to not trust Adonis...but she wasn't so sure about doing this the stealthy, covert way. After all, she and Adonis were friends, and the young Nephonite was always open to talks...so why not just talk to him like this?

That's where ulterior motives came in...at the same time, she still didn't know if Adonis was truly on her side, even after being enlightened by her father.

The main problem with Sera's plan came with getting out, as the influx of people entering the Temple of Samazi could complicate things. Thankfully, getting into places wasn't that hard, and if push came to shove, she could always have Zephyr take out the power.

Vapor rolled out of the cold air vent beside her as she waited for her time to move, and to anyone looking, the air seemed to shimmer around her, but nobody seemed to notice. Sera watched anxiously from the shadows as the group passed by into elsewhere in the temple, before making her way into the priest quarters with ease. From there, it was only a matter of memory—after all, she'd been here before with Adonis...not for a date, though, and she didn't stay long. He was nice, but the atmosphere was too creepy. Anyways...

She slipped into the room with ease, practically just sitting there in the corner as she saw something she probably shouldn't have seen...that being the bare back of Adonis, atop someone.

"Harder."

I'm probably in a place I shouldn't be.

"Harder..."

The painful gasps of air over his grunting made it seem as if they were both enjoying it, Adonis more than willing to comply with his partner's demands. Their breathing became more and more laborious as they writhed around before stopping, his breathing filling the room as he saw his partner's arm go limp.

"Ugh.." Adonis gave a sigh, lifting himself up and off the servant as he called for another servant to retrieve his partner, before he was joined by another man, a scarred and bald man in linen plainclothes. "What a shame, too, Sepu. I liked her, but she didn't fly so good."

"I've no word from that Council of Oligarch meeting, nor did Tabuu show up to it." Sepu replied. "Her daughter didn't either. Guess they found our spies"

"That flat-chested test tube whore must've found out. That, or daddy told her.." Adonis sighed, reaching for a robe. "Probably the latter."

Flat-CHESTED?! Sera balled her fist.

"Times like these made me wish I had an Oracle—or a really well-trained precog. Something like what MILINT was trying to achieve with that one precog agent of theirs, predicting terrorist attacks before they happened, you know all that 'cause you were with 'em. I want one of those, but I can't have them." Adonis sighed. "But, there's always..." He raised one of his hands, revealing the ugly radiation scar on his right hand that would make a Euphemian Atomicist swoon over him for even more than his looks. "An alternative." He flicked his hand forwards, watching as his titular glasses flew from the table into his hands. "Sepu, what if we were to, say, frame something in our favor..? Maybe a leak involving what goes on in Har, perhaps something related to these strange visions I've been seeing, missing time... anything we can do."

"Planting incriminating evidence?" Sepu suggested.

"Something of the lines. We need something that can be used as a weapon against Tabuu, against...Sera."

"I'll think of something. In the meantime, clean yourself up."

As Sepu left the room, Sera's jaw nearly dropped, but she kept her composure. Whatever the two were implying by using something against Tabuu and her was more than deserving of just a microphone bug—it was deserving of instant action! Adonis and his pal Sepu were already controversial figures with the Black Sphinx, and their continued existence after this moment was more of a shock to Sera than anything else.

She watched anxiously as he left the room, making certain to gingerly place bugs around the room as best as she could, before heading out of the room and towards the exit.

Once outside, she made her way far, far away from the building, no one seeming to notice even as she ran out into the deserts surounding Samazi. An unmarked hA H-91 Stealth Helicopter awaited her, void of any MILINT or PO identification, thus confirming it wasn't military-owned, but B.S. owned.

Her father would know of this, as would Grandmaster Ramun and everyone else in the Black Sphinx, and she'd return a hero in the Black Sphinx—not just as the preppy and high-speed successor to what her father was in the inner circle, but someone that knew their stuff and how to work their way around a field mission. As she did so, she began plotting, trying to come up with a new plan to try and gather information on her target. Ironically, she figured she'd probably have to go back, this time not for stealth, but for seduction, maybe even some overt information-gathering.

Her plan to keep tabs on her "friend" Adonis was dangerous, audacious — no, downright insane, but also exciting, but Sera figured that would make it all the more likely to succeed.

by **Western Pacific Territories** » Wed Dec 25, 2019 12:30 am

S2E4
_{THE MORNING AFTER}

With the MBW consolidating power in Mieszko, the road towards restoring order in the country now lays before them. First on the checklist is Skoyrnisči, one of the main regions of the Commonwealth... but a snowstorm of unforeseen strength presents both a logistical nightmare for GDAJ and the possibility that civil order in the region has crumbled even further than initially expected...

Amálie's Diary, 3/4/480 AC

A local member of the Front Narodowy has been captured and held hostage by bandits. They are holding him hostage and demanding ransom from the local government for his safe return... to which the job now falls on us to set things right. We'll show them that we do not negotiate with those who defy the state.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Morning After, Act 2

Gradinik
Skoyrnisči

Rzeczpospolita Zachódumłowianka
March 4, A.C. 480
6:30 AM Mieszko Standard Time

__________________________________

For the last four days, the squad and the rest of their battalion had received ample time to take some well-deserved rest. That snowstorm, which had so devastated and ravaged much of Skoyrnisči had now since passed, although it did not quite mean that the threat of local banditry had gone away. If anything, it’d just encouraged them to come outside now that the howling winds wouldn’t threaten to give them frostbite. The situation in Gradinik, though, was good. With the battalion present, Gradinik was now well-secured. Appropriate recruiting efforts had mobilized much of the place’s population, with some being officially recruited into the unit and others sent elsewhere to fill other depleted units.

As they say, though, all good things eventually come to an end... and today, the unit would be tasked with a new mission. Specifically, Marián and his squad would be handling the objective of rescuing a local Party official who’d been kidnapped by the bandits around Gradinik at some point following the Event. Since then, the man was being held for ransom as a hostage. Given that GDAJ was in the area, it had been decided that they would rescue this man and demonstrate that the State wouldn’t negotiate with those that would opposed it.

Their accommodations in Gradinik hadn’t changed since they’d first arrived - they were still confined to sleeping on the floor, essentially, but soldiers could make do with such things. The floor, of course, would also be where Marián would be finding Amálie today - their schedules didn’t quite need to be perfectly synchronized together. At the moment, the main task on his mind would be to get everyone sorted out and ready.

With a fairly courteous nudge or two on the shoulder, her day would be starting with perhaps a somewhat abrupt awakening. “We’ve got a mission today...”

Eyes fluttering open, his subordinate would take a moment to wake up, a tired yawn escaping her as she sat up. "..going to need a bit of a SITREP here, Marián.." Amálie replied, rubbing her eyes.

“A local Party official, Dražen Emanuel Brković, has been spending essentially all his time since the, uh, Event being used as a hostage by some bandits... they want a ransom in exchange for his safe return or whatever. We’ve got orders to go out, find the guy and free him. Well, and kill his captors while we’re at it...” Marián reported.

This was enough to bring her to attention, to say the least. Reaching for her Kb-93 rifle by her 'bedside', Amálie didn't hesitate to sling it over her shoulder and nod. "Always ready." She assured, grinning.

“Just need to get everyone else, then.” Moving back out into the hallway, the two would walk over to where the rest of their squad was staying. It, perhaps, had not dawned on them what it would look like if they weren’t staying in the same place as everyone else in the squad... but it wasn’t a matter of concern. Giving a knock on the door, Marián would enter in. “We’ve got orders today. This party official’s being held hostage by bandits, and we’re supposed to rescue him. The Kuguar’s already waiting for us.”

"Death is a traitor's due," Bronisław concurred, fetching his own rifle.

This would prompt the other members of the squad to quickly gather their equipment, and soon enough they would be coming out of the town hall to mount up in their MRAP. The military presence outside certainly seemed to be more visible than it had been since they’d first arrived, which was perhaps an encouraging sight. Mounting up in their seats, the vehicle would be handling the rest of the work of getting to where this Party official was believed to be.

Gradinik was still recovering from the chaos of past fighting, not to mention the hellish storm that had ravaged the region mere days earlier, to which many of the remaining local troops were now working with GDAJ to restore order, basic services, and the grim task of burying the bodies.

"We didn't get the worst job," Urszula cynically remarked, half-focused on cleaning her rifle as they drove on. The vehicle rocked here and there from the potholes amid the snow, a reminder of the disrepair that had befallen these more remote reaches of the country.

“Yeah. We could be digging graves instead...” Drago grimly observed.

"We'll be digging one for the enemy instead." Roksana enthusiastically reminded them, chuckling wryly. The group was no stranger to dealing with dissidents, especially after Ubior.

“Indeed.” Marián enthusiastically replied, glancing over to Amálie.

"Hopefully we'll get our HVT out safe and sound," Amálie chimed in. It wasn't exactly something they'd prepared much for, their firearms aside. Typically suppressing dissidents didn't come with the additional concern of a hostage's safety.

“The site’s this place a bit out of Gradinik. Expect a bit more than a few guys with some hunting rifles...” Marián cautioned.

With that warning, the MRAP would soon situate itself by a bullet-ridden checkpoint to the west side of town, overturned bullet-ridden cars and lifeless bodies, preserved by the cold. Judging by how none had come to dispose of the bodies, local forces didn't dare stray near these parts...

Taking the liberty to make use of the vehicle’s viewing ports, Marián could draw a similar conclusion. “I’m guessing here’s about when we can stop calling it friendly territory...”

"My fireteam can watch our flanks as we move up," Amálie proposed, gesturing to the road ahead.

“Good enough, then. Let’s go get out man.” Hopping out of the MRAP, a brief sweep of their surroundings would be conducted, the squad proceeding to get itself into formation and proceed up the road.

The wind was frigid, weaving through the empty streets of Gradinik's outskirts as the squad trudged through the snow. Amálie kept close to Marián as they navigated the desolate town's streets, checking corners as they continued on. "..which building's our target, Sierżant?"

“Uh...” Pointing ahead towards one building, it’s appearance slightly distinctive from those surrounding it, he couldn’t help but give a close glance at the edifice. In an instant, he noticed swift movement among some of the building’s windows. The fight, it seemed, was about to be on. “-movement in the windows!”

Hurriedly the squad found cover behind the icy derelict cars on the street, Marián raising up his rifle to take a few potshots at a well-cloaked individual, who would rather comically collapse and fall from the window down onto the street below.

Chiming in with her own Kb-93, Amálie would open fire from her position, three of the masked figures being dropped in the process. Hot casings practically melted through the snow they fell upon, Amálie quickly taking cover once more behind one of the overturned SUVs. Her breaths formed small puffs in the cold, her heartbeat racing amid the chaos... quickly she gestured the rest of her fireteam to form up beside her as more shots were exchanged.

The sound of bullets whizzing past was akin to banshees screeching in the midnight hour, snow being kicked up as rounds made contact with the asphalt of the street. The squad’s response would be for Mateusz to set up his machine gun, bursts of fire directing themselves towards the building, bullets bouncing into the sides and ricocheting off.

More rounds would be exchanged between the two sides, three more bandits being summarily executed by the group in the process. Such was the traitor's due...

Then, like that, more would fall until eventually none of the bandits inside seemed willing to challenge them outside. With silence having briefly returned, the squad would quickly proceed up to the building itself, cautiously entering, rifles up and looking cautiously for any enemies inside to fill with lead.

"We've shown these bandits who they're messing with, but they're not out of the picture just yet.." Amálie couldn't help but chuckle, peering momentarily from cover as they rounded a corner. "Keep your eyes open..."

Beginning a sweep of the first floor, the building seemed to have certainly taken a toll - some of the entryways into rooms suggested, or just plainly showed, that they’d decayed or been bombed in at some point by fighting in the town. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. As they came up to one opened doorway, Marián, cautiously peeking from along the wall, quickly noted something, immediately jerking his head back. A burst of loud, almost deafening machine gun fire followed, bullet holes forming to contrast the old, slightly decaying wallpaper that adorned most of the place.

“I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE HERE FOR, BOOT!” Another erratic, seemingly random burst of gunfire would follow, their opponent seemingly trying to psych them out, so to speak. It was a rather challenging situation to deal with, but here, something would come in handy...

Marián would proceed to whip out a grenade, pulling it’s string out and waiting but a second before tossing it in. The loud explosion afterwards would send bits of shrapnel and debris flying out, the shock wave momentarily phasing the group, but it didn’t seem to have it’s intended effect. “Fuck you!” Some deep coughing would follow, though Marián wasn’t about to see if the bandit they were facing off against was too distracted to shoot at them.

A distant shouting of orders and the sound of boots hitting the ground would encourage Marián to rush forward and overtake the machinegunner, riddling him with holes. With the squad pushing in behind him, he would take a glance into the next room, pausing then cautiously proceeding forward. It seemed his grenade had landed in a lucky spot, judging by the five or so corpses splayed across the floor.

In the room across, Amálie could hear orders being given, swears uttered under pressure... the enemy was in a tight situation, and GDAJ had the advantage. With another spray around the corner, Amálie would swiftly return to cover once more as return fire whizzed past... to which silence soon followed. It was unclear how many remained, or just how long the standoff would last at this rate, but her question would be answered soon thereafter as one remaining bandit would make a run for the stairwell of the office floor.

With a burst of bullets, the man would fall lifelessly to the floor, blood staining some of the walls and the floor. “First floor clear?” Mateusz would ask.

Silently gesturing her fireteam to move up, Amálie's group rounded the corner, taking point as they aimed their weapons about. It'd been a complete massacre... for the enemy. Needless to say, their compatriots who still lived in the floors above would be given reason to regret their decisions in due time...

Trudging past the lifeless bodies, Amálie would be first to take point beside the door to the stairs. Glancing to Marián, she would gesture to him that all was clear. Still the body of the last man, machinegun still laying at his feet, lay sprawled at the steps of the stairs.

“Gotta crack a few eggs...” With the way upstairs clear, the squad would proceed to move up the staircase, being sure to keep their fields of fire pointed in the direction of any possible direction of attack. They would proceed down the hallway, Marián choosing to stop the unit at one, closed door. Rifle raised up, he’d test the doorknob, twisting it and throwing the door open. Quickly storming inside, he and the rest of the squad would come to the realization they’d been quite fortunate.

Their HVT, it seemed, had been abandoned, left in an empty room tied up to a chair and blindfolded. To make matters stranger, his ‘bodyguards’ seemed to have fled — perhaps out of fear for their own fates. Marián would proceed to give out a swift series of orders. “There’s our guy! Keep the entrances covered, I’ll get him untied!”

---==============---

Dražen Emanuel Brković is an official of the Front Narodowy. Formerly tasked with local inspections in the area on the behalf of Mieszko, he was captured by bandits following the Event and has been held hostage ever since.

Their arrival had been an apparent surprise for the hostage, who couldn't help but blink twice at the sight of the squad. It was clear he'd been starved, albeit mostly out of circumstance. There was no clear indication he'd been tortured — one could assume the bandits had no need to get any 'intel' out of him, and to commit such an act would only disrupt their intentions in negotiating with the Commonwealth government.

"..damn terrorists.." Brković swore under his breath, mumbling something to himself as Marián would proceed to remove him from his binds.

It would take a moment for the man to note their affiliations, by the alphanumerics on their body armor. "You're a long ways out of Ubior, GDAJ. The capital... is it safe?"

“The capital and Party are safe, thankfully.” It was news that Marián could take a bit of pride in reporting.

"..ah, thank Heavens. They sent you to rescue me?" He questioned, dusting himself off as Amálie cleared the room with her fireteam, checking corners and cubicles before silently gesturing to Marián that all was secure.

“It’s a real, real mess across the country... and we gotta start cleaning up somewhere. We’ll be getting you back to Gradinik.” Marián’s attention would briefly turn back to Amálie, though. “There’s still people in here, you think we should clear them out? Or...”

"They've lost their leverage," replied Amálie matter-of-factly. "I doubt many will stick around by the time our comrades come to wipe out what remains."

“Let’s get back to town hall then.” Marián replied. With their man secured, the squad would proceed to exit back downstairs, carefully navigating the corridors in case somebody downstairs had been missed during their sweep. Emerging outside, there were plenty of reminders of the firefight that’d just taken place, namely the occasional body of a bandit and plenty of spent bullet casings. Given the shortness of the drive back to the town hall, and in consideration of the fact Gradinik had been mostly cleared of threats, things promised to be rather uneventful as the squad remounted up - with their official, of course.

Reaching the MRAP, the man would awkwardly sit beside the uniformed soldiers, a silence befalling the group as the drive began. Finally, he would speak up. "..what is the situation outside of the Scoryni lands?"

“Well...” Marián began. “Dissidents near Ubior formed this ‘government’, but it was really just a puppet state of the Republic of Sinica. Barebones and filled to the brim of RoS advisors, propagating RoS-esque economic ideas... they tried to attack Ubior but we stopped them there. Essentially shattered their attempt at taking over the country right there. Then we went to Mieszko while others cleaned them up... all of Sojusz Konserwatywny and most of Partia Socjaldemokratyczna were arrested for collaborating with those traitors. Their seats have been replaced with MBW people... most of our division’s headed for Trpmir.”

To this, the man wryly chuckled. "..ah, at least I wasn't in Trpmir. Those autonomists booted the Civil Authority out. They've been waiting for Mieszko to recognize their demands ever since. At least, that's the last thing I heard."

“We heard that too... Civil Authority’s been shoved into the mountains with the Maloret mostly. Except here. Word around the place is that we’re supposed to be waiting for our division in Lyzentos to come back and restore order or something.”

"..ah, yes. I heard Lyzentine rebel forces were running rampant. Troublesome..." Brković shook his head, disappointment clear in his aged features. "I worry this chaos may not just be here, or in Lyzentos.. perhaps all of Medeuropa has been reduced to this savagery."

In little time, the MRAP had come to the steps of the town hall, doors swinging open as the squad made their way back inside with the HVT. Ana Viktorija would be waiting inside, gesturing for her own subordinates to tend to the exhausted captive. As he would be taken to one of the adjacent medical rooms, the local commander would return her attention to the group. "Excellent work, GDAJ. I've got nothing else on the checklist for you all, so... well," She trailed off, shrugging. "Feel free to relax and unwind."

Marián’s first thought, at the suggestion of R&R, was of course towards his subordinate and friend. While the squad would disperse to do as they saw fit, the two would soon find themselves unaccompanied.

"Well, now that that's out of the way..." Amálie trailed off. "..well, actually, I'm at a loss of what to do... maybe do pushups until I get sleepy... or maybe read the Red Book..." She gave Marián a light shrug. "What're you planning to do now that you've got off-time?"

“I... don’t know either. You know that one saying, boredom is a soldier’s worst enemy? I might actually get bored for once here... heh.” Marián remarked.

"Better than worrying if we'll live to see another day.." Amálie grimly supposed. She was quick to lighten up, however. "Well, either way... I'll be in our room."

“I guess I’ll be there too, not like I’ve got anything on my plate...” It seemed things were going to be a bit awkwardly menial until they had their next assignment.

Leading the way to their room, Amálie would be quick to get out of gear once they'd entered, setting her rifle down as she searched through her bag, producing her copy of the Quotations of Secretary Ziekowski. Opening it by a bookmarked page, it didn't take long for her to practically be absorbed in the pages of the book.

Almost as if simply trying to alleviate boredom, Marián, who’d set himself down on the floor, saw it fit to ask a question. “So, Amálie, I’ve had something on my mind for a bit... and I think you might be helpful with finding an answer.”

"—huh?" Marián practically jolted her back to attention with the question as she set her book aside. "Y—yes? What's the matter, Marián?"

“It’s, uh, a simple one - do you think it’s possible for two people to, like, have a friendship so deep that it almost just becomes something... more than that?”

"Did someone catch your interest, Marián? You listened to my advice, didn't you..?" She couldn't help but chuckle, grinning at what his words seemed to imply between him and someone else.

“Well... I suppose so.” He slyly replied.

"Whoever it is, just make sure that what you're doing doesn't..." She trailed off, glancing down to the floor. "Mess up the friendship you and that person had before, you know?"

“Of course, of course. I suppose, it’d be ideal to have a friendship and something else... but if not, just have the former still. Y’know?” He thought aloud, aimlessly looking at the ceiling.

"Just... you know, don't worry. You'll find the right person." She assured, reaching for her book once more. "..I'm sure I will, too, when this is all over. I wouldn't want anything to get in the way of serving the State."

“I think I’ve found my person already...” He’d remark in turn.

"That's, um... great. Just don't let it get in the way of your service to the State, either. And if you, uh... you know, need my help, I'm always there for you, you know? It's what friends should be." Her awkward reply was, perhaps, enough to indicate his own words were beginning to confuse Amálie. Picking up her book once more, she seemed perhaps flustered at some thought or another, or maybe the nature of the conversation itself had been rather embarrassing for her.

“Yeah, yeah.” Marián agreed. “Servicing the State, though, that’s just my worry... I’m not sure how things would affect that. Well, thanks for the advice, I suppose.”

"Of course! It's... the right thing to do." She smiled. An awkward silence would soon ensue, Amálie setting the book aside once more. "..if you don't mind me asking, who's your.." Trailing off, she tried to find the proper word. "Special someone?"

“Er...” The question seemed to have thrown him slightly off-balance. “Well, I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to say that...” He added, throwing in a nervous chuckle with his stable.

"If you're not comfortable saying it, you don't have to tell.." replied Amálie, looking away. "I just, uh... well, I was just curious. If you don't want to tell me, it's.." She stammered, before composing herself. "..it's fine."

“Maybe later, I... suppose.” Marián replied, sighing a little bit. He seemed a bit resigned, somewhat.

"..you don't have to be scared that I'll, uh, make fun of you or something. But if you don't want to... well, it's not a big deal."

“I’m not scared you’re going to make fun of me or anything, but...” His mind seemed to take a moment to figure out how to best phrase what he would say next. “I’m worried about how you’d feel. I guess that’s what I’m saying.”

To this, Amálie went quiet for a moment, growing red at the implication. "..oh.."

There would be a momentary silence, before she continued. "..i—it's okay, I'm just.. trying to process what you're getting at. You, uh... you can come here," Amálie offered, lips trembling as she offered a weak smile. Marián hadn't been able to put it bluntly, but it'd been enough to warrant a rather emotional response from his subordinate... already tears welled up at the verges of her eyes.

No words were needed in the moment, Marián more than happy to bring himself by his friend’s side. Of course, there was now a real, tangible sense of awkwardness in the moment as they both were trying to figure out how to express their feelings. Bringing him close, Amálie ran her hand through his hair as she held back tears. "It's okay... it's gonna be alright," She assured, resting him against her warmth. "Everything's going to be fine." Wrapping her arms around him, Marián could hear the beating of her heart from where he rested, its pace no doubt quickened due to his confession.

The moment would bring Marián to a loss of words - it seemed, while this was the end result he’d been hoping for, it wasn’t quite the one he was expecting. The awkwardness of the moment seemed to have faded away just like that, replaced by a more simplistic appreciation of the moment.

"You know I'll be there for you... 'till the end of time." Amálie patted Marián, drawing him closer. "...I just never thought.." Trailing off, she simply smiled. "Sorry, I'm getting all over myself because of this.."

Similarly forming a grin of his face, Marián couldn’t help but feel a similar way. “Don’t feel bad,” He would reply, bringing the two essentially touch-to-touch. Sitting there, Amálie's reply would be to simply comfort Marián in that moment. With so many terrible things transpiring around them, there was comfort to be found in at least one thing: each other.

"..how long have you felt this way, Marián?" Amálie questioned out of curiosity, hand still playfully running through his hair.

“Well... a bit before we left Ubior, I suppose. I just didn’t say anything because, well... I was too nervous, I guess.”

"Some things about you never change.." Amálie stifled a laugh, still keeping Marián close. "I'm.. glad you could be honest with yourself, I suppose. And with me, too... I just don't know what to say. I've known you for so long.." She trailed off, voice still quivering with emotion. "I just hope you can be happy."

“I’ll be happy either way... but I’d be happiest with you.” He declared.

"I.. I think I can do that." She agreed, wiping away a few tears. "No matter what happens."

Proceeding to wrap his arms around her and place her in the tightest embrace he could muster, Marián couldn’t help but begin to well up in the moment himself. “We can do this... together.”

"Together.." Amálie echoed. This sitting hug would last awhile longer, before the two would decide to escalate things a bit - namely, by entering into a deep, passionate kiss. From there, things would only go downhill as the two, who had formerly shared a platonic bond of sorts, now sought to express their feelings through more carnal means.

"You're a lot more into this than I thought.." Amálie commented, a bit nervous at the sight of her own friend — and superior — looming over her.

“Maybe I am...” Marián muttered, proceeding to reach to begin undoing Amálie’s combat rig - she’d been too absorbed in other things to have even taken it off. While this would be worthy enough for Amálie to notice, she would find herself too absorbed to even show that she noticed what her superior was doing, too caught up as he would work his way down from her face and towards her neck. He paid no mind to the fact he was leaving a multitude of bite marks that would surely be noticeable, having slipped off his subordinate’s rig. Not one to stop when the getting was going good, he would proceed next to fiddle with the buttons of her uniform.

It wouldn't be long before she lay bare before him, and with it all the implications that would bring. "Marián... is this really what you want? Do you.. really feel this way?" She questioned, as if trying to confirm whether his feelings were truly genuine. It was something that'd never crossed her mind — with him, at least — to which she couldn't help but make sure he truly felt the way he felt.

The question was a good one to ask - at least, it would momentarily bring him to a pause. “Well- I’ve... had some time to think, before this... I don’t ‘think’ this is what I want. I know it is.”

The suggestion warranted a blush on her part. "..just don't bite me again." She didn't offer much explanation beyond that, but showed sufficient assent to the deed as she reciprocated it, by beginning to unbutton Marián's own uniform.

It wouldn't be long before the rest was an amorous blur.

When all was said and done, Marián once again lay in Amálie's arms, a blanket covering their forms as they lay beside the warmth of the radiator.

"..everything's going to be okay," She reassured, drawing him a bit nearer. "We'll make it through this hell together." Humming that song of so many years ago, with a vaguely maternal embrace over her friend, she couldn't help but offer a smile.

“I can’t help but think,” Marián thought aloud. “..about how, all these years, you’ve been by my side. I’m grateful - really.”

"Just doing what a friend should do," Amálie replied, before growing apprehensive. "..but this... was it really what I should've done? ..was this the right thing to do?" She questioned, her voice quivering with anxiety. "...this doesn't ruin what we are... does it?"

“No... I’d, uh, I don’t think this should change anything for the negative with us... right?” He questioned similarly.

"I don't know..." Amálie trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes. "What we were before... don't you feel like you've lost the innocence we had before? I feel good, but at the same time... I feel like I've done something wrong."

That would bring some pause from him. “I-.. Innocence? ..maybe...” The question now seemed to inspire a degree of guilt within him.

Reaching for the bite mark on her neck, Amálie could only ponder the past. "I... I'm not saying you should feel bad, w—we both felt good about this! I—I mean.. it just feels different now, you know. We've always been friends, but for you to show the love and affection you did for me in that moment... it.. it warmed my heart, you know." She weakly smiled, before pulling her hand away from her neck. "Just.. whatever you do, don't do that again. I don't like those things." Given where her hand had been on her neck, it was quite clear what she was referring to. "..I don't want to just be another one of your 'one night stands', your 'toys', and.. I at least want you to not treat me like one."

Her hand reluctantly returned to the bruise at her neck. "But after what happened... I don't know. What is this? What are we meant to be? Friends? Comrades? Lovers? I'm scared, Marián... that I've lost the last piece of innocence we shared together. But maybe I was delusional... clinging so desperately to my childhood, my past, afraid to move on and embrace the sad reality of adulthood." Amalie frowned, absorbed in her own thoughts. What had they become, through what they'd done?

The intensity and philosophical nature of her questions seemed to press down on her friend, her superior, like a heavy weight, the man letting out a deep sigh. “I’m not sure just where I’ve taken us, I suppose, not sure what this means and all... I just hope you aren’t upset, angry, anything at me, because that’s not what I want and all..”

"N—no, I'm not mad at you Marián!" Amálie tried to reassure him, drawing him closer with an embrace. "I— I'm just getting all over myself, aren't I? ..I'm not upset or anything... it's just..." She sighed, burying her face in Marián's chest momentarily.

"I don't know, Marián. What are we? Am I just another 'one night stand'?... Are you using your best friend to 'relieve' your stress?... or is there something between us now? Or is it.. as it's always been? I'm sorry if I'm overthinking all this... but, I suppose I have to."

“We’ve been friends too long for that!” Marián replied in his defense. “I wouldn’t just.. use you like that. That would be... I do feel a certain way - and it’s not just “stress relief” or something stupid. I’m... not sure if this is something new, or what, I suppose.”

"..if you're ready to say those three words after all that's happened, you know I'll reciprocate.." Amálie offered, pulling Marián a few inches closer from where they lay.

“I suppose it’s about time I said it...” Marián commented. “I... love you.”

To this, she couldn't help but hug him there and then, tears welling up as she smiled. "I.. love you too, Marián."

Given everything they’d been through, the state of the world around them, the moment was certainly one that would be dear to both of them. Perhaps, even, it could’ve been a ‘high water mark’ of sorts, as far as they were concerned.

The moment would last awhile before Amálie finally pulled away, gaze turning to the ceiling. "..so, what else do you plan on doing with all this off-time? I'm sure it'll be a few days before the next op, if we're lucky."

“I don’t know. There’s all sorts of menial work around Gradinik to do... if you’re that interested in doing something. God knows it’s gonna take work for the people here to return to normal.” Marián thought.

"These people need our help," Amálie agreed. "I suppose it's a better thing to do than sit here all day. We can get everything sorted out with the Porucznik and have ourselves a solid job or two. There's something about just helping people.. it's always made me feel good. Good for the soul, I suppose. It's why I was working round the clock back in Ubior... I'll help you handle the usual out there, if that's what you want. The better the impression we leave on people about GDAJ, the MBW, the Party... the more places we'll have, fiercely loyal to our creed. You saw how those people loved us in Ubior. We can change.. this country, as a whole, if we just put out hearts and efforts to it."

“I couldn’t agree more... in times like these, most people aren’t going to be loyal because we still control Mieszko or something, it’ll because they know what we do for them, that we’re a force for good...”

Sitting up, Amálie would instinctively cover herself as her eyes scanned the room for her uniform.

At the sight, Marián couldn’t help but lightly chuckle. “You don’t need to do that... I’ve seen every bit of you now.”

To this, Amálie grew a little red. "..still processing all of that.." She joked, getting up to get dressed once more. Slipping into uniform and gear, she would sit down by the door, loyally waiting for Marián himself to get ready.

He would follow, quickly applying a change of dress back into his standard uniform. “Well...” He would begin. “Ready to help this place?”

Getting up, Amálie would return the question with an enthusiastic smile. "Ready!"

Despite all that they'd been through, there was still a flicker of hope they could rely on — one another.

WFF Series 3: Mountains and Steppes [IC, CLOSED]

WFF Series 3: Mountains and Steppes [IC, CLOSED]

Who is online