Operation Recompense (MT, Closed, Attn Emporer Pudu)

[Libertarian Governance]

For some the war against slavery was a real hot war. Having forsaken diplomacy and talk for the force of arms, the military forces of Libertarian Governance and Allanea waged unrestricted naval warfare on the shipping of slave states, special operation units conducted raids ashore that killed or captured seemingly at will and there were ground invasions and massed missile and air strikes. Libertarian Governance went so far as to prosecute anyone found to be aiding slavery in the slightest under its own laws of universal jurisdiction and crimes against humanity with conviction carrying a death sentence. That is presuming the captured slaver was lucky enough to live to see a court.

The last joint action had been against Drackonisa, a country devastated when its technological wonder was turned into a weapon through the use of massive bombing and several hundred Libertarian nuclear weapons. Tens of millions died, near total destruction was brought and millions were freed. But more was needed.

Thus did Chief Executive Robert Wilhelm Stratton, President Konstantinos Likas of the Orthodox Federation of the Eagleland, Emperor Kazansky of the United States of Allanea and Elenaran Ranisath of the C'tan reach a decision three weeks ago on the next step of the hot war. The allies decided that a major slave regime needed to be made an example of.

After the examination of multiple sources of intelligence including surveillance and SIGINT satellites it was thought that with its internal political situation the Pantokratic Dominate of Emporer Pudu would be a fitting target. The regime had declared itself at war with the Amistad Declaration and countries supporting it. The goal of the operation would be regime change.

Libertarian Governance and Eagleland would commit a minimum of 50 million soldiers to the invasion with some units of the Unified Realm Defense Forces assisting logistics. The Allaneans and the C'tan had pledged similar levels of support and would provide the bulk of the operations logistics capability. Force would come quick with the armies hitting the enemy on several fronts simultaneously.

The primary attack routes would seize a number of islands and make a landing near Nunkid. Additional landings would be made at Xu and Quan Bays. The Pudite Imperial Guard at Daram would be assaulted by Allanean and Libertarian troops supported by massed missile attacks of the C'tan with the intent of establishing forward bases for the conquest of the nations mainland. An attack through the Yourang Sea would follow.

The plan was set and three weeks later millions of soldiers from the allied countries were moving to rendezvous points about 6000 kilometers from the enemy in the Tyrranus Sea. Already the Libertarians had directed several forward deployed fleets to the area placing them under the command of Grand Admiral Nerissa Robertson of Task Force 57. Ships had sortied from bases around the world carrying troops and equipment for the impending attack. This was particularly true of the bases of the URDF which spanned some 30 countries where troops were briefed and readied, aircraft were loaded with armaments and ships put to sea.

Holding their positions the Libertarian task force already had 50 carrier battle groups on station with hundreds of supporting ships. Hundreds of other ships were in transit with 25 million soldiers either on board allied ships or prepared to move rapidly by air as reinforcement.

To: Pantokratic Dominate of Emporer Pudu


The Free Republic has had enough of the outrageous conduct of your criminal regime. No longer will we allow the continued subjugation of hundreds of millions through your rule of terror and oppression. The Free Republic of Libertarian Governance hereby demands the immediate abolition of slavery in your territories. Your failure to immediately comply will result in undesirable consequences.

Sincerely,


Tom McWain
Chief of Foreign Affairs

The OOC thread is here : viewtopic.php?f=5&t=146473

[Allanea]

Official Message from Alexander Kazansky, Emperor of Greater Prussia, President of Allanea, King of Reichskamphen, Emperor of the Thousand States, Archduke of Dragkon, Liberator of Torontonias, Count of Centreville, General-Secretary of the Confederacy of Sovereign States and the Coalition of Drug-Exporting Nations, and President of the CAPINTERN

Freemen.

We all remember the great wars of the past, when humans and other sapients faced down great evils. We remember the American Civil War. We remember the Second World War. We remember the Freemen's Crusade. Now the time has come for us to face down a great evil again - like our ancestors before us, so it is now our time once more.

Our brothers in the Empire - Eagleland and Libertarian Governance - have pledged fifty million troops each to the great struggle against an enemy that we, as signatories of the Amistad Declaration, are already at war with. The vile Pudites are their target. It would be against our moral foundations - against the spirit of the Declaration - for us to deny our participation. Therefore, as the President of this great republic, I announce full mobilization of our armed services, the reserves, and the Scout Corps.

In addition, the United States Navy will donate to the LGDF its entire stock of Bob Hope-class cargo ships, two hundred and ten in number, to assist in moving LGDF troops to our rendezvous points. The Navy is already transitioning to the newer John Shephard class ships, and these will be used in our own operations in-theater.

Ladies and gentlemen, President McWain has already issued a very polite warning to the Pantokratic Dominate of Pudu. I have very little to add to his wise words, so I will just rephrase them: free every last slave in the country, or you will pay in blood and suffering.

Fellow Freemen, I ask you today not only for your support - I have no doubt the vast majority in this country will support this noble endeavour, as it has supported our nation's armed forces Exercise Plastic Mallet, in Operation Free Vorradia, in the Iesian conflict and during the Blackhelmian Wars. Today's battle will be of a far greater scope than any of these, and it will require our vigilance and our valor at home and at the front. In the coming days we will require not only the services of our active troops, our reservists and scouts - but the volunteer efforts of our Freemen. I ask those of you who can volunteer to assist the armed services at home to do so as well.

This will not be just any new conflict. It will be a war of proportions that will be comparable to the Freemen's Crusade itself. Thus I hereby dub it: it is the Second Freemen's Crusade. Let us hope that we will acquit ourselves in it as well as we did in the First.

That is all.

May God continue to Bless Allanea.

[The Ctan]

Arnran’s home was largely open plan on the ground floor, only its irregular shape and occasional pillars dividing up the areas. The Great Room was a high chamber with broad couches. A portrait of his partner and himself, in their respective battle forms hung over the fireplace, the huge necron-form with the Mornahossë standing on its back, gun held to fire over his shoulder. In cabinets either side were trophies, his and hers. The left cabinet had in one place, sleek, wand-like shock batons taken from Mornagrothim slaver-guards, a Calamorti bas relief tablet and the cloven helmet of an orc. The one to the right contained a shredded Loyalist flag and part of a combat knife from the Battle of Herswood, on a shelf between a skull-like Vorradian mask and a disarmed Mirkanian pistol. 3D printed acrylic stands held each of the items on their glass shelves, a mirror behind them showing the reverse. Neatly printed brass labels told visitors where the items had been taken. That wall of the room was a monument to the wars and operations led by the pair. A space in the right hand cabinet had been cleared for the next conflict. There would go something Pudist to join with the other items.

Between the two of them, Arnran and Idhrindiel had seen an almost endless number of wars, and were both quite attached to their duties. Darkened windows showed the map of the Pudist realm spread across a coffee table.

Royarch Arnran Selvaran was a very important person in the military hierarchy of The C’tan. He would command the attack. But he was not going to lead its first elements.

Its first elements were a fleet of ships marked out on the map projected from the ceiling, indicated by a green triangle, and when zoomed in, the ominous letters BMC. Ominous, because those letters stood for Bulk Missile Conveyer, a type of arsenal ship that was regarded as, in the words of the paper suggesting them, ‘the interim seaborne warfare system’ to plug certain capacity gaps. They were on their way to rendezvous with allied fleets (and hide behind their Air Defence), each one of them was huge, over four hundred meters, bristling with VLS cells.

Arnran was not interested in that, instead, he manipulated the system with gesture controls, flying across the ocean and instead making the image zoom in on a different set of vessels. These were civilian ships, or at least, they had been. At the moment the fleets of container ships were being rented by the military (cost somewhat defrayed by several anti-slavery charities, and certainly considered a worthwhile use of taxpayer’s money) to supplement sealift capacity.

This unit of his offensive was called War Sealift Command, an ad-hoc grouping that had taken over these vessels, which flew under black war banners. Almost all modern C’tani seagoing vessels above a certain size were trimarans, and these were no exceptions, the harbours they used were built on a truly monumental scale, and the sentimental reasons for preferring the ships, reminiscent of the warships of the Old C’tan Confederacy were a strong incentive to prefer such vessels.

These were no exceptions, their broad decks allowing containers to overflow from their storage, to the edges of their secondary hulls where movement cranes were attached.

The Libertarians had requested aid in transporting a portion of their troops, some eight million, and the C’tani were happy to oblige. These ships were only fractionally stacked, shipping containers neatly stacked like ziggurats, while internal decks were largely cleared for the movement of heavy machinery, tanks and the other equipment of war that would be too heavy or large to move using conventional aircraft.

Arnran held his hand out, waving the map to one side, and it flickered onto a wall, colour-adjusted to hide the portrait of Idhrindiel's cousin Pilincar it hovered over perfectly.

He sat down, taking one of several documents from the table. The last draft of a warning to the Pudists.

From: First Senator Laudrina Frost, C'tan.
To: Emperor Pudu XLII, Emperor Pudu
Subject: Warning.

We have been requested by our allies to join in making war upon you. We warn you to accede to their demands. It is not a hard thing we ask. Simply proscribe slavery, and we will go away. That is all we want. It is not worth your life or those of your followers to continue to hold slaves. Think about it.

He could see that little effort had been put in, but then, why would people want to make an effort to talk to slaver animals?

[The Eagleland]

The Unified Realm's stance towards slavery is well known. The Libertarian Governance and Allanea have bravely fought against slavery time and time again. However, the Eagleland has been reluctant to such conflicts, and history tells why; Eaglelanders are direct descendants of Ancient Athenians. Back then, the Ancient Greeks were slavers themselves, therefore Eaglelanders are somewhat reluctant to fighting slavery. However, the Eagleland's participation in the Xatzhkyriakeio City Conflict and the Anglo-Saxonic War indicates the fact that the Eagleland was not completely ignorant to slavery.

President Konstantinos Likas, a former Military Officer himself, holding the rank of Captain in many units (including Special Forces) and being a veteran of the Communist Uprising of 1995, and the Xatzhkyriakeio City's invasion of the Eagleland in 1996, as well as having a Doctorate in History from the prestigious Oured University, knows first hand how combat is waged and how Eaglelanders fought hard to preserve their liberties. Having met Robert Stratton a few years back, the two leaders were practically friends. The Eagleland Military is, undoubtedly, the largest (40 million) and best trained (30 weeks basic training) in the Unified Realm Region. Being a match for the LGDF, the Eagleland Armed Forces were raised to fight and win any war, defensive and offensive.

The Eagleland is a rising power in the world. Abundant resources of Petroleum, Natural Gas, Gold, Silver and primarily Uranium, as well as a powerful economy, with a powerful Drachma and a large GDP are adequate to finance any wars. ENAMI, the second largest arms manufacturing company in the Unified Realm, supplied the Eagleland Military with high quality weaponry, durable armored vehicles and excellent warships. The Eagleland War Navy was famous for it's Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities. The average Eagleland Infantry Soldier was a well-trained, die-hard, highly disciplined fighting machine, capable of fighting and surviving in the field, under any and all adverse conditions.

And, so, the order was given, after the approval of "WARFARE AUTHORIZATION #00075" by the National Parliament and it's support by a referendum, that the Orthodox Federation of the Eagleland be prepared for war. All 40,000,000 Active and Reserve Members were called up and required to return to their units for preparations of war, with 2,500,000 being briefed and prepared for imminent deployment. All Warships were prepared for War by refueling and resupplying, with several Eagleland Warships, commanded by Vice Admiral Vasilis Karamilakos. As soon as the 2,500,000 men were ready for war and embarked, the ships began to sail to the rendezvous point of Task Force 57. All Airforce Squadrons were put in a state of readiness. The "Pythagoras Missile Defense Shield" was activated, alongside it's component Air Defense bases.

General Konstantinos Skepernakos, the Commander of the Unified Realm Defense Force, prepared 25,000,000 URDF soldiers for imminent deployment, along with the equivalent number of warships, aircraft and vehicles, with another 25,000,000 awaiting the same orders. As soon as the men were readied, the 25,000,000 URDF would embark on warships and sail towards the rendezvous point of Task Force 57.

War was near, and the Eagleland would not quit. Not now.

[Emporer Pudu]

The Marriage of Bei and Tangshu

In the long run, the marriage would be very beneficial. That's what they all said. Tangshu was making a very good move for himself, marrying an Imperial granddaughter. He was a distant relative of the Imperial Family, someone with status but without prospects outside the civil service. His family was wealthy, but then, so was everyone's.

The wedding was very well attended, hundreds of dignitaries were present in the gardens of the palace. The ceremony was scheduled for the afternoon, and after that there would be a presentation of the couple to Emperor Shangjun Jilang Pudu, who was not in attendance. Shangjun was still in state mourning following the loss of one of his sons two months ago, it would last ninety-nine days.

Inside the bridal pavilion at the rear of the garden Bei and her mother, Yani, were in close consultation. Bei was obviously disturbed by something, and it looked like Yani was having trouble putting it to rest. Nobody had ever attributed very many motherly qualities to Yani. The moment the old woman gave up and left the tent seemed to have helped more than anything she had said.

Xue, standing nearby, walked over to her niece, "Oh, Flower," she crooned, "What did she say to you?" she asked jokingly,

"I can't do this, not today, it's too soon," Bei's face was dampened by tears and red with grief,

"We all miss him Flower, I know how it feels,"

"To lose your father?" Bei snapped, "And to lose your husband? You wouldn't know anything about that!"

When was the last time I saw my father, Xue thought to herself, but thought better of saying it to her distraught niece, "My brother would want you to find happiness, Quenlu would want you to move on,"

"This isn't what I want, this man, Tangshu," she said his name viciously, "is nothing like my Quenlu was."

"Flower, no-one will ever replace him, just like nothing will fill the hole my brother left in our lives, but that doesn't mean we stop living. Your son needs a father."

"I need a father! Why is nothing fair in this world."

"If everything was fair, darling, we couldn't afford this wonderful wedding we've bought for you. You're still the Emperor's granddaughter, and you still have your mother, and me."

Bei sobbed suddenly at the mention of her mother, but regained herself, "I am marrying this man for my son. Not for me, and certainly not for my mother."

A eunuch wearing Xue's family heraldry had entered the pavilion, "Madam," began the eunuch, kneeling beside the princess, "His Excellency Heifei has requested you join him in his pavilion."

"Thank you," Xue said, dismissing the servant, "I must go, Flower, remember your duty, and remember what your father would want. I'll see you at the ceremony."

Bei gave a little sob, but managed to smile at her aunt as she left.

---

Sitting in the courtyard outside the bridal pavilion was Pen, a man of about thirty, a relative of the Emperor but far enough removed from the throne to justify his habit of spending his time away from the capital. He was with his son, Shu, who was thirteen. Shu had only been to the capital a few times, and had not seen many of his relatives for years before the wedding.

As Xue walked out of the tent and toward the small forest of other pavilions further down the courtyard Pen turned to his son,

"Who is that, Shu, do you recognize her?"

Shu thought for a moment, "Yes father, that is Princess Xue, she is the daughter of the Emperor, and therefore next in line to the throne."

"That is true my boy, and how is she related to us?"

"Well," began Shu, clearly thinking hard, "His Majesty is the brother of grandpa Feng, your father, so the princess is your cousin!"

"Exactly."

"So that means that old lady who came out earlier is your cousin too?"

"Yani, you mean, you must be respectful. Especially to one so much more elderly than you," he laughed a bit, "It's yes and no, she isn't my cousin, but she married my cousin, so we're still family."

"How can she be your cousin, Princess Xue is so pretty, and she is so..."

"Elderly?" said Pen, smiling

"Yes," said Shu,

"Do you remember my cousin Loshan?"

"No, father, is he here?"

"No, he's not anywhere anymore, at least on Earth." replied Pen, his tone darkening, "He died two months ago. He was Yani's husband. The death aged her, made her harder, meaner. You must be careful of my cousin Yani, son. She is dangerous."

---

Sitting at the head table were the most important guests at the wedding, all members of the Emperor's immediate family. The sovereign was absent, and so his tall chair at the center of the table was empty, but others were here. To his left sat the bulky form of the Emperor's brother, known informally as Uncle Feng. He was escorting the Emperor's wife to the ceremony, and she sat to his left. To the right of the chair was Xue's seat, which was empty still, and beside that was seated Yani, the elderly mother of the bride. At the farthest left end of the table was seated another son of the Emperor, Dengmu, a man in his early thirties perhaps, with straight black hair and a long beard. He looked sour, but then, he always did.

Uncle Feng rose from his seat and began to speak,

"Welcome, family, friends, to this auspicious gathering!" Feng's deep voice carried easily over the regular drone of conversations and attention was turned to him,

Uncle Feng launched into a rather long speech, much of it provoked by his healthy intake of the wine at the table. He made sure to single out his son returning to the capital, and to congratulate the soon-to-be-married couple, and to mention anyone else that he had seen that day and hadn't seen for a couple days before that.

Regularly Uncle Feng would have been awaiting the throne from his brother, the Emperor, but Feng had long ago surrendered his place in the succession. Responsibility never weighed kindly on him, he was much more inclined to live the comfortable life than to take the reigns of it. Fengli, his real name, was still a close confidant of the Emperor, and a devoted uncle to the Imperial children, and was much loved by everyone that met him. That was why they forgave him for long speeches like this.

---

Xue was ushered into the pavilion of His Excellency Heifei, a general in the Iovani Corps and her lover. He was gathered with a pair of other officers in their dress uniforms, clearly other guests at the party, they both bowed as the princess entered the tent,

"Your Excellency," said Heifei, bowing his head to Xue.

"What is all this?" Xue asked

"It's very important that we act fast, Princess," began Heifei, "The Imperial Government has received an ultimatum, Chancellor Black wired it over. It looks like war."

"Where?" asked Xue, typically nonchalant about the prospect of battle from behind the armies of the Dominate,

"Here, Princess, they mean to invade the Middle Prefecture. Fleets passed the shield islands a few days ago. We've been monitoring their progress as best we can."

"What are we doing to defend ourselves?"

"That's why we're here, with your father in mourning we must come to you, the Senate and the Ambans have agreed to mobilize their forces. We need only an Imperial seal on the order."

"Then you'll have it. Where are the enemy fleets, who are they?"

"They remain a few thousand kilometers West of shore, it seems to be a coalition of abolitionists, they're after the slaves."

"What? The slaves? Who the hell wants the slaves! I am going back to the wedding, deal with the mobilization. I'll send a eunuch with the seal."

The three officers watched her go, and then turned to each other. They were smiling.

---

Three months previous, the execution of the traitor Faisal

"The magistrate will now read the charges against the convicted, Mohammed Talhouni and Abdul Mullak, both Provincial Freemen of no caste apprehended fifteen days prior to this trial in Riydad."

The courtroom was filled with local government officials and other wealthy or important enough members of the society who were able to secure a seat for the proceedings. Mohammed and Abdul were held in a cage before the judge, who was seated in an iron throne atop a stone pedestal at the head of the chamber. Lawyers, legal aides, and other officials for the defense and prosecution were seated in a slightly lowered area to either side of the cage, taking one last look through tables cluttered with documents.

Both Mohammed and Abdul looked emaciated; their eyes were sunken and their standard-issue prison uniforms were hanging off their brittle bodies; they had been kept with almost no food and minimal water for more than two weeks. They were both, literally, starving.

The judge was a woman of perhaps forty, with grey-blond hair wearing the gold and purple robes of an Imperial Resident; the arbiter of Pudite law in a territory. She wore slender spectacles which she peered over to stare at the two revolutionaries. This made them uneasy.

The magistrate was standing next to the judge, and he began to speak "The two men of question here today are hereby charged with the following crimes; conspiracy to incite unrest, public insurrection, treason, conspiracy to commit aggravated public defaming, aggravated public defaming, aggravated private defaming, gross sacrilege, assault of a public officer, sacrilegious vandalism, murder of a public officer, murder of a Provincial Freeman, and sacrilegious grand larceny."

Both Mohammed and Abdul had never heard their charges listed consecutively before, and they were filled with a great fear, the magistrate stepped back and the judge spoke "How do the accused plead to these afore-listed charges?"

A young woman stood from the defense side of the legal pits, holding a document to read from, "Your grace, the accused plead guilty to the charges listed against them, but contend that the conspiracy and," she paused, faltering, "Uh, that the actions that led to these crimes were all the cause of the influence of their leader, Faisal al-Bareek. They will testify against the criminal Faisal in return for their punishments being reduced."

The judge looked at the young lawyer with her unfalteringly judicious and un-readable gaze, which made the young woman almost as uneasy as it did Mohammed and Abdul, "How does the prosecution receive this plea?" she said at length,

"Your grace, the plea of guilty with the listed stipulations is acceptable to the prosecution." replied a lawyer from the opposite legal pit, a man perhaps ten years the judge's elder. The opposing sides, in realization of the certainty of conviction, had made this deal previously in the week.

"I will consider this plea, I will resume the trial in five minutes." said the judge, who then stood and was escorted by the magistrate and a single Iovani into her chambers in the rear of the room.

The five minutes were five minutes of silence and apprehension. Quiet murmurs began to stir in the crowd assembled, rumors of Faisal and of the punishment to be inflicted on the revolutionaries. Nearly every offense they were charged with carried the penalty of death, and if the sacrilege charges were maintained then it would not only be the death of the accused but of their next generation, if they had yet produced one. The whispers were silenced when the judge returned to the courtroom.

Taking her seat, she again turned her gaze to the two accused, and then out to the crowd, "I have considered the plea by the defense, and the agreement of the prosecution and have taken this as well as the prisoner's future testimony into account in making this decision," the room was totally silent. If Mohammed and Abdul hadn't been fixed into their chairs with latches they would be on the edge of their seat,

"I have decided that the two accused, Mohammed Talhouni and Abdul Mulluk, being guilty of their offenses, but willing to assist in the conviction of the criminal Faisal, shall have their sentencing deferred until the matter of Faisal is settled." The silence was profound, the crowd wanted to know what she could mean, or if guilty really meant dead,

The magistrate was the next to speak however, "Bring out the prisoner!"

Faisal appeared from the judge's chambers being hauled by two burly Iovani guards. The magistrate continued, "In recognition of the attempt at violent sedition and coup exercised by this man, and with testimony to be provided to his guilt by the prisoners Mohammad and Abdul, Faisal-may-his-name-be-damned will here today be executed for his crimes."

Mohammed and Abdul's hearts sunk, they were certain they would be killed. Who needed testimony to convict a dead man? The other thing that struck their hunger-pained brains was how Faisal looked; he had been eating well for two weeks, that was certain. He may even have been plumper than when he was captured.

The judge stood from her iron seat, "Seat him."

The Iovani sat Faisal in the judge's chair and proceeded to clamp him down with manacles to the hands and feet, and a strap around the head. He had almost zero freedom of movement, his limbs held firmly against the arms, seat, and back of the chair.

"You have been doomed," began the judge, now standing at the side of the chair alongside the magistrate and Iovani, "You sought the throne not rightfully yours, and have been captured. We however will not deny you your kingship!"

The magistrate turned to the guards, "Give him his crown!"

The Iovani turned and went back to the judges chambers, and then returned carrying a red-hot crown with a pair of tongs. This was all occurring behind Faisal, and so when the burning metal crown was dropped on his head his scream was one of surprise as well as pain,

"The chair!" barked the magistrate. The Iovani brought the tongs back into the judge's chamber, and by the the time he had returned the chair had already begun to steam where Faisal's bare skin was held against it. A simple switch activated the heating elements inside the metal throne.

Faisal's screams did not stop, the chair continued to heat until it almost glowed red; the patches of clothing and hair against the chair caught fire and bare skin boiled. Flesh began to slide from the arms and legs of the revolutionary leader, and soon his screams died out; he had fallen unconscious from the sheer pain being exercised on his body.

Moments later he awoke, and his vocalizations of the excruciating burns began again, and then he slipped into unconsciousness again. This occurred a half-dozen more times in the next fifteen minutes; soon the flesh had completely burned away where it touched the chair, and most of his clothing had burned up. Faisal's whole body was boiling and burned, and the room smelt of burning meat and hair.

Faisal was dead.

"Now we must dispose of this treasonous corpse!" spoke the magistrate, "Release the prisoners!"

The Iovani opened the cage and removed the bindings from Mohammed and Abdul, both stumbling in shock at their recent sight. Another Iovani had done the same for the charred meat of Faisal, dumping the body on the floor.

"You shall be pardoned of your crimes, Mohammed and Abdul," began the judge, "If you dispose of this corpse."

The two prisoners still living were still in shock, the stood dumb before the smoking meat. Quickly the Iovani forced them down to kneeling positions next to Faisal, and at this the judge continued, "You must consume the body of your treason, and you will be released."

"No!" shouted Abdul, immediately.

"You must."

"I refuse."

"Then you are guilty." The judge's sentence was punctuated by a single gunshot from an Iovani. Abdul's body was dragged away from a still-dumb Mohammed.

"Eat." came the command. Mohammed began to rip at the flesh.

---

The execution of Faisal sent shock waves through Suudihyan society, the territory was only recently conquered in the name of the Emperor, during the Unification Wars of the Anukai. The people were not ready for the brutality of Pudite justice.

There were demonstrations in the streets, some rioting, and eventually the crowds began to get out of hand. The Imperial Guard barracks was stormed, the television stations and airports in Riydad were seized. The city was enflamed by rage, and the local troops could do little but fight a defensive battle against the crowds until the reinforcements arrived.

Meanwhile, across Suudihya, other cities were rising up. The violence escalated quickly, and soon the people were organized into militias armed with looted weapons and material. It was time to send in the Imperial Army. Millions of soldiers descended upon the population of Suudihya, the killing was extensive, whole cities were destroyed, but the colony was brought under the Imperial reigns once again. Presently vast numbers of the Imperial Army were still deployed in Suudihya.

[The Ctan]

Memorandum to all VERITAS and Amistad Declaration states.

Classified ISA2 Secret (Allied Nationality Trusted-Public Availability)

Origin Cryptek Cisavenus.

Greetings, I am Cisavenus, “Harbinger of Despair” (we really need to get around to a better title for psychological warfare officer) to Lord Arnran. I have been working on initial profile of the civilian population in Emperor Pudu. As we probably all know, the nation operates in a 'Compound' system, orbital surveillance of a variety of these compounds reveals a single general layout, one large tower, various defences and a cleared area around them.

All indications are that we are dealing with a level of control that is more pervasive even than the Vorradian slave workers. Historical records indicate that we are dealing with a recently established system, but one that must nonetheless be nearly total in efficiency.

We speculate that there must be substantial underground transit systems throughout the country, and we will implement that Ferinion Stratagem of air-dropped seismic transceivers (accompanied by hand placed units later) to locate these tunnels, as well as spy drone overflights to investigate likely sites in more detail. This is becoming standard operating procedure of late, and our techniques are becoming quite sophisticated. Major tunnels will be interdicted with diamondback ground-penetrating earthquake bombs.

When attacking a compound, I am sure all know how to deal with the five kilometer cleared ground (my geomancer colleagues have a phrase here, victory from the earth) but we should be aware of the utility of seizing these facilities, as the people inside are essentially slaves, and while they may lash out with violence, we would be able to hold the nobles' towers if we were to capture them, and feed propaganda to (literally) captive audiences until initial disorder simply became confusion.

Failing that, I recommend the application of any form of artillery or missile to compounds that will not be directly attacked, with the objective of destroying the tower on each one, this will either kill the administrators, or at least introduce an element of confusion into a total-propaganda environment that may stimulate independent thought among the prisoners.

Upon initial analysis we are obliged to suggest that the majority of strategic warfare techniques available be ignored however, in favour of counter-force strategies, as it appears that the level of freedom in this place is sufficiently low that the average civilian is little more than a slave, and can therefore not be culpable to the enslavement of others.

[Allanea]

To: Arnran Selvaran, 'The Undying One'
Copies: Allied commanders
Classified: Top Secret, Eyes Only

It is not possible to understate, given the structure of Enemy concentration, the importance of the use of guided munitions. It is my personal recommendation that ultra-long range guided missiles with penetrator warheads (examples: 'Hellion' and Kh-555 missiles used by Allanea's armed forces, 'Thundershark' supersonic missiles used by Libertarian Governance/Allanean/Eagleland armed forces, BMC-launched munitions used by the Eternal Necrontyr Empire) are utilized to engage the central towers, combined with a PSYOPS campaign using leaflets, dispersed loudspeakers, and radio broadcasts. Building on the lessons of PSYOPS use in our Albician and Vorradian operations, we would like to recommend that here, too, we should a campaign concentrating on the uselessness of a military effort against us, merciful treatment of Enemy enlisted men, and freedom for all slaves. Furthermore, we should engage the Enemy resupply tunnels. Rather than engage in a tunnel warfare effort, I recommend the use of penetrator munitions of all types, up to and including the Osiris bombs used throughout the Greater Prussian forces and the ZMI-manufactured Falling Hammer 100-ton bombs.

However, as the Commander in Chief of the Allanean Armed Forces, I must warn once more against the siren call of so-called 'sensible' tactics and strategy. It is entirely possible that the use of selective-warfare tactics will not do - that the Pudites will prove furiously loyal to the slaver leadership. In this case, we must be ready to fall back to the tactics and strategies that had given us victory in Vorradia, Greater Tezdrian, Drackonisa, and so on and so forth. In that case we must be ready to utilize our full and complete firepower to soften fortified urban centers before assaults and indeed to capture them during the assaults themselves. In the modern day, where the safety margin for artillery support can be cut down as low as 150 meters, there is no excuse not to have our troops adequately supported by artillery.

The selective warfare methods endorsed by our necron comrades are both useful and humane - but they are humane only as far as they are useful. If they cease being useful it will be inhumane to pursue them. At this time the only humane approach will be to bring to bear the greatest amount of firepower possible, so as to bring the war to the swiftest possible conclusion.

In brief: let us be surgical where and when we can, but let us remain ready to fall back to the war of the cluster bomb and the artillery barrage if this fails.

P.S. I recommend also the use of non-lethal ZMI Mix-44 munitions on enemy solar panels. I am told these constitute a major part of enemy infastructure. Mix-44 would disable solar power production and also make panels and anything else affected easy targets for follow-up attacks in the event of recovery attempts. This would work well with the surgical warfare doctrine advocated by our necrontyr allies.
Written by Alexander Kirillovich Kazansky aboard the USS Rose Wilder Lane

[The Ctan]

Memorandum to allied commanders.

Classified ISAX Secret (Reply to Previous; Inherited Classification)

Origin Cryptek Cisavenus.

I was going to advise the use of a foam containing 1,1,1-trichloroethane or sodium hydroxide in this role, as this would permanently damage the panels rather than merely obscure them, as doubtless they have cleaning apparatus and no shortage of manpower to remove paint, difficult though such applications make it, and I have ordered bulk production of a solution based on this from two chemical companies already. However, the idea of using tactical paint does have its appeal, as this would allow us to ensure that Pudists are forced to leave their compounds and thus exposed to our propaganda, as their lives indoors are so closely regulated that it would be difficult for even relatively loud noises to reach them and impossible with agitation leaflets normally. Waterproof air-dropped loudspeakers combined with paint-drops would allow our message to be heard by the work teams. Of course, for long term damage a caustic solvent solution is to be preferred for being harder to replace. A variety of foam-distribution systems have been developed in duplication of Warlord Ferinion's use of fire-retardant foam in the Iesus Campaign, and we will probably switch to using this, but paint bombs make an excellent means of controlling enemy behaviour to a pattern beneficial to us and we suggest both solutions be adopted.

__ __ __

As these discussions progressed the very first of the C'tani's spy-drones began to over-fly the Domiante, though they could be engaged, there were rather a lot of these high altitude machines, and their slim radar profile was essentially optimised to avoid detection; while with each of them flew half a dozen decoys, smaller, non-stealth machines without the optics, that were identical to radar and thermal imaging, but far far cheaper, little more than recoverable missiles.

[Libertarian Governance]

Corcoran, Libertarian Governance

A black Tigner six deuce pulled to the curb in front of an average home. In the middle class neighborhood children rode their bikes and played their games. Three men stepped from the vehicle, each wearing the dress blue uniform of the Libertarian Governance Defense Forces. The leader, a General walked with a black attache case in his left hand with the other two officers, a Major and a Captain following close behind.

Their knock at the door was answered by a small attractive woman. Ma'am, I'm General Augustus Beckworth and I need to speak to your husband. The woman looked at the three men and then opened the door wider beckoning them to enter.

Michael is in the first room.She points down a hallway as the three men enter the house. They walk into the room and seated on the edge of a bed with his back to the men is a muscular man with long blond hair smoking a marijuana cigarette. He sits quiet staring into the distance with only a pair of battle dress trousers on.

The three officers watch the man a moment before the General removes a sheet of paper from the attache case and walks around the bed to face the seated man. Colonel...Colonel Green. Exhaling audibly the General holds out the paper. Colonel Green we need you to come with us. You have been re-activated.

The man takes another pull on the cigarette before turning his eyes towards the General. He takes another drag from the cigarette slowly exhaling the smoke into the General's face. Then looking away again he speaks. I'm done with your bullshit.

Colonel, you've been re-activated. These are orders for re-assignment and pending deployment. It's all hands on deck Michael. All...hands...on...deck.

Glancing over his shoulder at the two men standing near the doorway he smiles wickedly taking another drag of the cigarette and slowly exhaling. You people don't know nothing about death or killing. What makes you think the three of you zeroes can make me do a damn thing?

The Captain slides his hand to his AP-9 pistol, unsnapping the holsters strap with his thumb as his hand closes around the handle of the machine pistol. General Beckworth shoots the captain a sharp look before squatting down in front of Colonel Green whispering a single word. Revenge.

The Colonel thought about the word for a moment before his quick movement to a standing position caused the Captain to step backwards quickly striking the wall with an audible thump. He takes the orders from the General and looks them over quickly. I'll need 15 minutes.

We'll wait in the car. The General walked out with the other officers. The captain seemed angry as the trio left the house. Fucking black targas. What's his problem anyway?

After seating themselves in the car General Beckworth turned to the Captain looking the man squarely in the eye. He's no targa but a dragon and his problem has to do with his twin brother being killed during the assassination of Charles Kaine of Ralkovia. You're pretty freaking lucky today.

Lucky how?

You're lucky he didn't kill you when you reached for your gun.

Somewhere in the Tyrannus Sea

The LGS Wildfire moved at 20 knots exactly 300 meters beneath the deep sound channel. Its mission was similar to that of nearly 40 Libertarian Governance submarines that were now moving closer to Pudite territory. The special forces units, Phoenix Strike and D.R.A.G.O.N. commandos were charged with conducting underwater reconnaissance of the coastline in preparation for the amphibious operations to come.

Like all of its sister ships the Wildfire moved with its communications off while listening to the surroundings with passive detection gear and occasionally floating drones into the deep sound channel to enhance their range. Already difficult to spot, the nuclear attack subs made finding them all the more difficult by moving relatively slow beneath thermoclines and the deep sound channel. They moved forward as a large fleet using their Adaptive Water Curtain Technology for enhanced stealth continued to gather some 6000 km from the enemy coast.

Captain Francis Smith looked at a digital map. 3000 kilometers from Alpha. Steady as she goes.

To Allied Commanders

Greetings good friends,

I have consulted with our own staff and intelligence community regarding these underground industrial facilities. It is our belief that there are no slaves present in these cities. As such we view it a waste of resources to attempt their capture. Instead I will authorize my forces to utilize such weaponry as deemed appropriate breech and destroy these facilities. Of course, our intelligence assets will continue to work diligently to identify a wide range of tactical targets for missile, air and ground action.

After all it is a fact that industrial facilities are legitimate military targets and these are industrial facilities. Further, due to the fact that these are slavers and criminals supporting slavery it is completely appropriate to use force against them.

Therefore, I must urge our allies not to waste time attempting the capture of these cities but instead to use extreme prejudice in their total destruction. We ourselves have dealt with similar underground facilities during the operations against Underium. As such I have ordered Bureau 24 to immediately begin to pinpoint these facilities using our nations satellite surveillance assets. Like all large underground facilities there are clues to their whereabouts and I believe we have a good idea of the general location of most of them.

Please make sure all military units are updated with the latest keys to the LGDF combat network and those of Greater Prussia and the Realm. Intelligence and other data flows freely across these networks and it will keep our battlefield awareness top notch.

I feel we should be ready to engage any of the states allied to the Pudite Empire as such states may attempt intervention and as the war goes hot we should liberally deploy intelligence assets to keep an eye on those potential enemies. I would say this should include deployment of tactical reconnaissance assets.

Sincerely,



Chief Executive of Libertarian Governance
President of the Unified Realm
Prince Imperial of Greater Prussia

[Emporer Pudu]

The appointment of a Warmaster and other news from inside COM-0189

The compound system was not a uniform blanket covering the wilderness of the Middle Prefecture. At the heart of the system there were seventy Administration Compounds, and from them radiated networks of subservient complexes, organized into 'communities'. The first step from the Administration Compounds were the Commanderies, whose numbers varied by the location of their parent. The Commanderies were the home of the Imperial Armed Forces, and they anchored smaller collections of civilian compounds around them. The networks were often laid out along geographical lines, usually following rivers.

Inside COM-00189 the Imperial Air Force had a regional command post, commanded by Lt Colonel Pozniak. Presently he was entertaining Captain Sestorik, a military attache from the city of Nunkid, which was approximately three-hundred kilometers to the north-west.

They were walking and talking through the oppressively white hallways of the interior of the commandery,

"Is there much word of the invasion among the lower castes in the city, Captain?"

"None that I have heard yet, but there is much rumor spreading throughout the social circles."

As Imperial Armed Forces men these two officers were members of the 'lower warrior-caste', which was exceeded in status only by their 'greater warrior-caste' brothers and the nobles themselves. As such Captain Sestorik did travel in fairly well-informed circles in the city,

"That is good to hear, you know, just yesterday I was briefed on civilian rioting in the cities should a panic spread. That's one of the reasons I asked you back here, actually,"

"What exactly did they brief you on?"

"Extermination procedures for the ghettos and working neighborhoods, your friends should be safe. If they're smart they'll be leaving the city already."

"Carriages in the night, metaphorically, yes, fleeing for the border. Sometimes for Tablid, or Hollarum."

"That's wise, the fleets are even now approaching. We're in danger ourselves, even here." said Pozniak, somewhat grimly,

"Yes, the militias and the equites haven't been mobilized, and I haven't seen the army pass through the city yet."

"Sh-" snapped Pozniak. Walking down the corridor toward the pair was a single-file line of Citizens, almost certainly farmer-caste, the residents of the Imperial Compounds. The term Citizen referred to both the farmer-caste and the vast majority of the artisan-caste who lived in the system.

As the line passed, silently and in lockstep, the officer turned to his guest, "We're still in the communal tunnels. My office will be more, private."

"Emperor's throne, I don't miss being assigned here."

The line passed and the colonel jumped back into the conversation. It was a skill one added after being deployed to the compounds, where one had to watch their words,

"No, and they're not coming, either." Pozniak changed his tone, "Have you heard who the Princess has named Warmaster?"

"No, the announcement came while I was in transit, I haven't had time to ask. Who was it?"

"Heifei. The Iovani."

"An Iovani? It's ridiculous, where is the army?"

"His Excellency hasn't recalled it yet, most of it is still in Laurasia. Even the few army groups that remain haven't been activated. The Guard has mobilized autonomously prior to the announcement of the Warmaster, and good on them for it."

"Good on them is right," replied Sestorik, "Has your garrison here moved out yet?"

"No, our guard haven't left. They've selected an assembly area a few days from here, they know they don't have the numbers to repel the landings so they're planning a counter-attack. I've already received the go-ahead to cooperate with the guard air corps."

The men arrived at an elevator, which Pozniak summoned by typing in a short code,

"That's good news at least. And there's still the navy out there." said Sestorik,

"That too, our briefing covered that, and I'm sure you're bureau will be brought up to speed too. There are three of our fleets in the Tyrranus now, supposedly. They didn't feel the need to discuss their precise location."

The elevator arrived and the men boarded, after another code, the machine began to drop comfortably into the bowels of the compound,

"Well hopefully it's somewhere between us and them," laughed the captain.

The elevator arrived at a more colorful floor, one with carpets,

"Agreed, at least until the army arrives." The end of the colonels sentence sounded more hopeful than certain. "Here is my office," he said, holding the door for the captain,

The room was well furnished and luxurious, Pozniak offered his guest a seat opposite a short table, "Bourbon?"

"Please." replied Sestorik.

"So, Iosef," said the colonel, using Sestorik's first name, "What are our chances?"

"What do you mean, Jan?" he replied, taking the bourbon graciously and replying with first names in turn,

"I mean this place," he said holding his arms wide, "How far are these abolitionists going to make it?"

"You know they don't tell me anything," said Iosef, sipping his drink, "I don't even know how many there are."

"Perhaps it's not good to dwell on it." said Jan, taking a seat. He grabbed a wooden box from the table, "Cigar?" he offered the box to Jan, "They're Allanean."

"How the hell did you get those?"

"Oh, you know, parent company of a shell company of a subsidiary of a partner, or whatever, want one?"

"I don't smoke cigars, they're too phallic." said Iosef, pulling out a cigarette,

"It's a good choice, they're shit cigars. Can you spare a cigarette?"

"Yeah," he said, pulling out a Crusader-brand cig, the native brand of the Dominate, "You know, I have a friend in the Gothic attache bureau,"

"Really," said Jan, "Do they know anything?"

"The Goths have balloons that say they picked up a few small powered objects over the Middle Prefecture, they're good at that kind of shit," Iosef downed the rest of his bourbon, "Refil?" he smiled,

"Don't chug my 21-year old bourbon, even during wartime," scolded Jan, "Here," he said, getting up and pouring another,

"Get on the phone with Tazidania then," Jan continued, "get them to rescue us." he handed back the glass,

"Don't think I haven't? They'll be here. They're an enigmatic bunch, to say the least. When they'll be here, I couldn't tell you."

"No word has come down the line to me about it."

"Well, we are just IAF," Iosef said,

"I know, I've missed whole wars in this commandery." laughed Jan,

Iosef raised his glass, "Here's to missing this one too!"

"Cheers to that."

[The Eagleland]

ES Megas Alexandros (Alexander the Great Class Carrier)
Less than 1,000 Nautical Miles from the RV point of Task Force 57
08:20

Vice Admiral Vasilis Karamilakos, the commander of the Eagleland Forces assigned to Task Force 57, has been waiting the moment in which the Eagleland Naval Forces would get near to the RV. Sailing at 20 knots, and after countless refueling stops for some ships, the Eagleland Navy finally reached the 1,000 nautical mile mark from the RV point, relieving Karamilakos.

However, he had been planning the invasion plan on how to deploy Eagleland Forces without wasting lives for a very long time. Before the usual meeting with the other commanders, the Eagleland Vice Admiral received a visit in his cabin from Ensign Mixalis Papagos, fresh from the Eagleland Naval Cadet School. Top of his class, this young Ensign was promising, due to his intelligence, love for his trade and, above all, a good "hunch" of direction and combat chances, as well as his unique problem-solving abilities.

Sir, we are less than 1,000 nautical miles from Point Zeta. Libertarian Ships are also approaching Point Zeta and preparing for the battle phase of Operation Recompense.

Pleased with the news, Vice Admiral Karamilakos, replied in his rather Laconic manner.

This is going to be a good day, son. Prepare the Commanders for an Emergency meeting. Dismissed.

Vice Admiral Karamilakos, aged 75, hailed in Nea Sparth, was a direct descendant of Ancient Spartan seamen. His family tree has it's roots from a rower of an Ancient Spartan Trieme in the Pelloponesian War to his Great Great Grandfather, who commanded a First Rate in the 1812's and has fought in the Eagleland-Spectarian War. A top-of-his class gradudate himself, he was renowned for his Laconic Manners, his ruthlessness in combat, his knowledge of Naval Matters and, above all, a strict disciplinarian. Despite the latter, he has the respect of all his subordinates and men under his command.

He looked at his cabin window and said to himself: Indeed, this is going to be a good day.

[Allanea]

Aboard the USS Rose Wilder Lane

Lightning tore through the clouds. From the gray mist below, the silhouette of the battleship appeared – a dark-grey outline against the gray of the ocean, it's massive guns raised like the horns of a vicious animal. Rain lashed at the deck of the superdreadnaught, running in great torrents off the sides as the ship continued, plowing forward through the waves with its enormous hull.

Rain washed the wide superstructure window, making it difficult to discern anything on deck except for the warning lights that lined its sides. But inside, it was warm. The Emperor reclined in a black leather chair, his clothing seeming to meld into the material. In one hand, he held a large cup of glintvein. It was hot and sweet as he consumed it, deep-red in the cup.

“Well!” - he uttered, his eyes gleaming with anticipation - “I cannot find fault with neither Cisavenus' argument nor Stratton's. Can you, Wil?”

The young Colonel looked out to the prow of the ship, squinting slightly at the window. - “I cannot say Cisavenus is wrong technically. The Pudites are slaves in their own realm. And yet... Stratton is also right.”

A young girl's voice rang in the other corner of the room. Seated directly behind Kazansky's armchair, Priscilla Conde spoke:

“Cisavenus is only a saneling. It will be just like Vorradia. These people will fix bayonets and charge us, fighting to the death for their feudal masters. Then we will have to kill them all. I say we should cut out the preparation time and bomb them now. We have enough bombs in storage to turn all of Pudu into a parking lot.”

Kazansky laughed. It was obvious that the closer the ship was drawing to Pudite shores, the happier he became.

“I approve of your spirit, Priscilla! But we are not going to do that.”

“Not?” - the young woman sounded disappointed.

“Indeed not! There will be a time – early in the campaign – when precision munitions will be safer, and cheaper – to use than mass-bombings. We should start with these. Hand me my computer. It is time for a letter. Highest encryption levels, allied command...”

*

Written aboard the USS Rose Wilder Lane

Dear Friends!

It is not possible to avoid the fact that a certain truth can be seen in both sides' statements. True, the Pudites are effectively slaves, even those that are not openly owned by other Pudites. I believe we should at least attempt to preserve their lives. However, I also believe that – as in Vorradia – they will likely fight viciously against us, and it is likely that every grade of inhumane weapon will be used before the curtain falls on the Pudite empire.

I recommend that we introduce a moderate solution: upon entering the range of our long-range Hellion missiles, we should use them (and other long-range weapons) to engage surgically against the slaver-towers and other targets. By the time we come into a closer range to the Pudite shoreline, we will be able to observe the population's reaction to this, and either continue in this vein, or – sadly I suspect this will be the eventual course of action – use the AA capability of the joint fleets to begin a full-on, total-war-grade engagement of enemy territory using all available weaponry, up to and including depopulation bombing raids, infrastructure strikes, etc., depending on whether or not the population rises en masse to defend their masters.

I hope this compromise is acceptable to all sides.

[The Ctan]

The Court of Lord Selvaran was assembled, not the modest private home he used this, but rather, a huge chamber that was set up like a mixture between a sepulchral throne room and a conference room, the Warlord's chair staggered on a multi-layer , upon which the map of the Middle Prefecture and Sea of Tyrannus was displayed. Cisavenus stood, claw-like fingers tapping at a screen before here.

“Drone sixty seven has identified what appear to be small groups of refugees,” she said, looking over at the huge form of the Overlord and his lady beside him, her voice conveying a certain relish. She knew what would come next.

“It is unlikely these are slaves. They are thus slavers. No middle ground exists in a damned state. If they are allowed to continue fleeing so easily, then they will doubtless enslave others wherever they go, if they can. Moreover, they are slavers, that they live defiles the very air itself. Kill them.

“And inform the Adolescent Emperor that we agree to this idea.”

__ __ __

A signal was beamed from far behind the fleet to Bulk Missile Conveyor 13. On its topside, several of the thousands of hatches on the huge vessel opened, distributed across it, and one by one, missiles launched from it, each was something of a hybrid between a ballistic and cruise missile, the ballistic missile system an initial stage, its arc selected to allow for the high altitude before its solid rocket boosters broke off and the high powered rocket that remained functioned as an air-launched cruise missile, losing some of its initial speed.

The range was thousands of kilometers, and each of these was quite lethal, capable of a circular error probable of some fifty meters, and made of low-observability materials.

A Bulk Missile Conveyor carried several types of missile, from incendiaries to nuclear weapons, through to these, each would distribute sub-munitions over a huge tract of land. Their targets, major highways that seemed like roads out of the country to the north, limited in number because of the limited infrastructure of the post-reform Dominate, would become death-traps when vehicles or people went over them.

It was certain that most of the missiles would be intercepted by Pudist air defense long before they got to where they were going, though they would take a path that would navigate out of the way of anything remotely sensitive to limit the chance of interception, and maximize the chances of the fleeing citizenry getting to meet the tarmac-colored sub-munitions. It was enormously expensive but no expense was spared to make sure the enemy understood what would happen to them.

[Libertarian Governance]

The LGDF submarines had an easy time navigating inwards to their targets staying beneath the DSC until their proximity to shore made such tactics an impossibility. There the submarines lowered their speed even more. The underwater and coastal surveys of the amphibious landing zones were conducted without interference by commandos well trained in the art. There simply were not any defense of consequence, no obstacle to be blown up prior to the attack and no minefields. It was as if the country was asleep.

The second phase had now been initiated as commandos moved to shore while their 40 submarine transports had already begin moving back towards deeper waters. It was during one such operation that Captain Micah Dobias commanded a team of 16 Phoenix Strike commandos. Using their dive gear and swimmer delivery vehicles they were now making a landing on the coast to the north of Nurkind. Their vehicles and dive equipment now resting at the bottom of about 3.5 meters of water.

It was a dark night with the cloud cover obscuring the moonlight. In about 2 meters of water a single mans head broke the waters surface. Then a black weapon broke the surface, a M-15 12.7mm sniper rifle with a day/night scope. Scanning the beach for a full minute before advancing forward. First at a crouch and then at a belly crawl keeping as much water on his body as possible. At the very edge of the waves he deployed the weapons bi-pod and tore the plastic from the muzzle. He waited scanning back and forth with the scoped weapon. The waves washed forward to his elbows before making their retreat.

After 3 minutes the heads of the remaining 15 team members broke the waters surface in a roughly north south line. They watched for several minutes before Captain Dobias and strongpoint moved to the beach. The others followed. The Captain himself took a prone position on the snipers right. An automatic rifleman to his right and another immediately left of the sniper accompanied by another rifleman. Immediately the team begin to pull sensitive equipment from their watertight packs. Placing communication gear and nightvision goggles on the troops surveyed the stretch of beach they now held, silently listening for the sounds of humans and vehicles, waiting for the enemy.

Making a hand signal the third fireteam begin to pull on a rope, bringing to shore four water tight packs filled with ammunition and other gear. Once ashore the four men begin packed the gear into a number of packs stowed in the water tight bags. They evenly distributing magazines loaded with rounds, grenades, explosives and detonators along with two laser targeting units and an encrypted radio.

After a while the Captain made another hand signal that sent two rifle men, one each from the fireteams on the right and left flank rushing forward towards the treeline in the distance. Similar operations took place at 62 sites across the Pudite Empire. Commandos moving ashore on the mainland and on a number of islands as preparation for the coming assault.

Task Force 57

The Combat Information Center of the SuperDestroyer Death Wish was buzzing with activity. Its monitors relayed data from the fleets AWACS planes deployed 600 kilometers at all compass points and from the LGDF combat network. Satellite intel, the data from the fleets subs all flashing across flat screen monitors.

The Grand Admiral sat in her command chair from which she could survey all the data, calling any of it to the chairs three flat screens at will. A cadre of officers surrounded her as she spoke. Let's get this party started. Mister Anderson, bring OTH active and give me a sweep of the area.

Aye, aye, Ma'am.

Mister Carter, get this fleet moving forward. Now, that the Eaglelanders are here its time to advance to target. Forward at 25 knots.

Aye, aye, Ma'am.

The SuperDestoryer at nearly 100,000 tons was a massive vessel designed like most Libertarian Governance ships to annihilate its targets with massive long range missile strikes. Though they carried a piece of equipment no other LGDF ship possessed, the powerful active electronically scanned array ARC-2 early warning radar. An over the horizon system that now executed a 3 minute scan of everything within a radius of 5200 kilometers.

The low frequency radar data was crunched by the vessels powerful computer systems magnified by the systems ability to network with its sister ships and shore installations. Data begin to flash across the monitors not only showing location and speed but identifying air and naval traffic by type.

We have all 62 strike teams at a go Grand Admiral. A young officer shouts from a bank of communication gear.

Task Force Nemesis was also moving forward with the C'tan fleet. The fleet's crews watched as the C'tan arsenal ships fired a volley of missiles into the air, cheering as each weapon lit the night sky as it streaked violently into the air. Morale was high and each soldier knew their job and was more than prepared to do that job.

In the hulls of the transports ships, soldiers checked over their gear again and again. Oiling weapons, installing fresh batteries, preparing for the coming warfare. Thoughts of their children, of wives and husbands, of friends and of squad members were on everyones mind.

Chief Executive Mansion - Liberty

So, our Emperor wants to safeguard the life of these maniacs?

Well, I don't know but it would seem so. Arkady took a sip of water then looked at the message displayed on the wall of the meeting room.

Well, we will not be wasting the lives of our troops on such silly pursuits. These people are as much slaves as communist, anyone under a vile dictatorship or even socialist if you want to get technical. Alright, so they are slaves. He holds his hands up making the sign of quotes. They are slaves helping to enslave others and anytime they wish to stop that they can get off their sorry asses and start standing up like freemen and freewomen.

Arkady laughed. Though Thomas McWain seemed more serious in his response. Maybe we can get them to revolt.

Lars Abrams the Chief of Staff seemed to weigh that in his mind a moment. Robert, I don't think we should just start exterminating the people in these places. Burrows, warrens whatever you want to call these facilities, there are lots of people in these things.

William Bennett pushed a button changing the projector image to a schematic of an Imperial Compound. Now, this is probably not entirely accurate but we put this data together through a few sources, a little guess work and I feel it gives you an idea of exactly what these things look like. You will notice it's not some simple bunker a Phoenix Strike unit could just seize. These are cities and so you would be talking about fighting a numerically superior opponent, no air support in a close quarters battle situation. It is suicide. That's my opinion. Of course.

Arkady Korabelnikov shook his head. It would be insanity to waste troops in these. Casualty rates for urban warfare can easily exceed 50% of the attacking force during a victory. Here you lack artillery, you lack air, these things are death traps. Who is to say you don't send a million troops in one of these nest and once you take it they don't just flood it with poison gas or worse yet blow it up. Boom! You're dead! A million soldiers irrevocably dead!

Correct me if I'm wrong Bill but these things are interconnected. Robert stands and walks to the wall that the image is projected on. This is one facility and in actuality there would be sub facilities branching off this site. Right?

That's the intel we have.

So, are any of you really saying that you want to see the LGDF broken by attempting to seize these sites because that will be the result, endless warfare and an absolute defeat. Are any of you really saying that? He stares at each of the men in the room for a long while. Letting his gaze fall upon each one.

Doctrine is that we degrade their industrial and military capabilities through the use of air, missile and massed artillery wherever possible. In practice that means thermobaric weapons, bunker busters and so on. Our goal certainly isn't to kill civilians or cause collateral damage but the construction of these facilities, their industrial and manufacturing nature, their usefulness to the enemy military means that we must kill these facilities. We will accept surrenders, we will aid any who join our cause but we aren't sending troops to seize these things. That is my order. We have another matter, Bill.

Yes, the second matter is the possibility of establishing alliances with indigenous forces. The Khung insurgency is a definite possibility there may be the possibility of luring one or more of the royals to our ends. Monarchies are always so filled with court intrigue.

Aside from the insurgents who are obvious allies what of this intrigue? Lars Abrams smiles as he finishes his sentence.

Well, who wouldn't want to be emperor? The royal family has a few possibilities. I don't think the eldest child Xue has any potential. She seems to actively support slavery. A picture of Xue appears on the wall with a caption showing her date of birth and other vital information as bullet points. Our best bet will probably be to kill her. There is a younger child Dengmu that may be open to ending slavery if we were to help him gain the throne. He isn't immediately in line for succession and I am sure he wouldn't mind being emperor.

As Robert takes his seat listening to William Bennett he ask a question. Do we have any contacts with this guy or the insurgents?

Minor, very minor. The insurgents were on the list to get advisers, trigger pullers and some aid but we hadn't actually gotten to that point with our other operations where they are. The projector picture changes to one of Dengmu.

The meeting continues with the intelligence chief discussing several of the Pudite Imperial family members and occasionally trusted associates of that person. Various levels of details regarding Ju, Ming, Yani, Feng and Bei and other family members are discussed as well as possible motivations to get them to support the invasion once it occurs. The meeting last about an hour before the intelligence chief is given the go ahead to explore the options fully. A message was sent immediately after the meeting to all allies.

To Allied Commanders

Greetings good friends,

We believe it to be a tactical mistake to attempt to capture any of these compounds. While, all effort will be made to avoid civilian or unnecessary collateral damage, it should be clear that the types of weapons needed to breech such facilities are themselves the type of weapons that cause such casualties and damage. By virtual of these compounds military, industrial and manufacturing nature we are forced to use such weapons.

However, we will not immediately target the compounds themselves with the exception of known military compounds on Daram, striking instead at facilities and troop concentrations in and near the intended landing sites. Libertarian Governance further believes that it lacks the capability to seize such compounds with ground forces and any attempt to do so by allied forces will result in staggering causalities. Once our troops have established themselves we will access the tactical situation.

Sincerely,



Chief Executive of Libertarian Governance
President of the Unified Realm
Prince Imperial of Greater Prussia

[Emporer Pudu]

At the Imperial Winter Palace in Tablid, a conversation regarding the recent missile attacks

The attacks on the refugees from Nunkid were largely defended against by the Dominate’s ARISTOTLE air defense suite, a nationwide networking of air defenses in the autonomous cities and the compounds. The missiles had been detected early and nearly all were successfully eliminated before reaching their targets. Many hundreds of people had been killed, however, and the roads north were badly damaged. The route to Tablid was still largely open, though, and that was where most of the well-to-do of Nunkid had relocated to. Private and military engineers and work crews were now working around the clock to repair the damages, but the most intense period of flight was largely over. There were those that had decided to stay, and most of the rest were already gone.

Jilang Quenlu was one of those that had escaped. He was the cousin of Emperor Jilang Shangjun, and as such he knew is life to be far more important than his pride. He was residing in his apartments in the imperial family’s winter palace in the center of Tablid. The city itself was the smallest of the autonomous cities (which was still incredibly large by almost any standards, housing upwards of one-hundred-fifty million people) and was based primarily on the mining, energy, and timber industries. The mountainous terrain and thick forests provided spectacular vistas when the snows fell, though, and so the imperial family had ages ago built a very large palace complex at the hilly heart of the urban space.

Quenlu and his chief seneschal were presently sitting on one of the hundreds of balconies that provided those spectacular views, although without the snow the gritty working-class city didn’t look quite as grand,

“You’re lucky to have escaped with the household intact, m’lord,” offered Zhi, the seneschal, to his obviously distressed master, “Your father was right to urge us to leave.”

“My father just needs his heir to remain alive long enough to see my cousin’s family die of food poisoning at a reunion, he couldn’t care less if his son was in Nunkid when the abolitionists arrived.”

Zhi was old, and had worked for Quenlu’s father previously. What the young lord had said was probably right, but Zhi’s station forbade him from agreeing with his superior’s suspicions about another noble, “A father places his son’s interests before his own in all things, m’lord, I am sure he is pleased to know you are safe.”

“I am just surprised he hasn’t fled the country yet, we won't be able to avoid the danger soon.”

“More wine, sir? I will call the servant,” Zhi asked, and then stood up, his old frame unfolding with grace. As he called for the house servants Quenlu continued, “We didn’t pass a single army convoy on the road, every single unit was guard regiments. The ambans in the city here tell me too that the municipal militias have been mobilized and are marching West.”

A handsome young man approached with Quenlu’s wine, pouring it into his crystal goblet. Quenlu was different from many other nobles of his station in that he didn’t keep any eunuchs in his court, all his men were, well, men. There were rumors regarding the reasoning, and anyone who got a look at the men he did employ might understand why. Homosexuality was not taboo in the Dominate, but it wasn’t viewed quite the same as heterosexual marriage, which of course remained essential for anyone of consequence. Quenlu did have a single wife.

“Do you remember sir,” said Zhi, “You have another reception for the ambans tonight, more refugees have arrived from Nunkid and other western estates,”

Quenlu sighed, “It is a depressing affair, isn’t it Zhi,” Quenlu sipped at his wine, “You are glad to see those who have made it, but you spend the whole evening looking for those who haven’t.”

“They have joined their ancestors, m’lord, they are probably much happier than they would be as refugees, I imagine.” Old Zhi knew he would be, the hasty travel and prodigious worrying had done much to his body and mind the past few days,

“It’s true,” said Quenlu, “But for those of us who aren’t yet so lucky the sorrow is still very near. Many families were eliminated completely, lineages a thousand years old - gone - in an instant and a ball of fire.”

“Old age is made for remembering such things, Quenlu, but you are not yet that old. Leave these thoughts to me, finish your wine. We need to get ready for our reception.”

---

Aboard the INS Ready Attendant, in an Imperial Guard coastal patrol squadron in Xu Bay

The frigate Ready Attendant was the lead ship in a quartet of Royale-class frigates, ships so large they are almost more accurately described as destroyers. The squadron had been routed to this locality to investigate reports of something that sounded like an engine coming through the coastal listening stations. Guard command thought it might be a submarine - advance elements of an abolitionist landing operation. Each frigate was towing SONAR arrays below the most dramatic thermocline (at a depth of around 250 meters) and had deployed multiple remote listening apparatus even deeper. They were in 700 meters of water right now, just at the edge of what might be considered the deep sound channel. They were headed West.

“Sir, the helicopters haven’t heard anything yet, except a pretty big whale.” reported the air group commander for the naval squadron,

“Any Gothic ships in the bay?” asked the captain of the Ready Attendant half-interested, referring to the Dominate’s northern neighbor with a taste for whales,

“There was a trawler a few kilometers north of here, not sure if they’re equipped for whaling too, though.” Technically Gothic ships weren’t allowed to fish inside the Pudite exclusive economic zone for whales or anything else, because the Imperial Government was opposed to whaling, but many fishermen did it anyway, and many Pudite captains liked the taste of whale. Ships that did come inside the restricted waters often tried to disguise their whaling.

“Eh, let them know he’s here. Move the helicopters west too, I want SONAR at 250 and 750 meters eleven kilometers from our position, it gets deep pretty fast this far out.”

“Aye sir,”

“Oh, and get another helo prepped with a boarding team, send them over to that trawler. If they’re covering for a whaling operation, I want a cut for the kitchen.”

The junior officer laughed, “No problem sir, I’ll see to them personally.”

“Peter,” snapped the captain, looking to his communications officer, “Has Coastal Command put out anything regarding the other squadrons?” The Ready Attendant’s flotilla wasn’t the only force looking for submarines right now, at least a half-dozen other signatures were picked up along the Tyrranus coast of the Middle Prefecture,

“No sir, looks like a lot of trails went cold in a hurry.”

“Sounds like it was definitely an insertion then, knew it was coming sooner or later.”

“I’ll let you know the minute they let us know anything, sir,”

“That’s your job, isn’t it?”

---

Tyrranus Sea, the CIC of the Athios-class carrier INS Fateful Hour of the 2nd Home Fleet

“Sir, we’ve been lit up, someone’s looking at us.”

The Fateful Hour was one of six carriers of its class deployed about a hundred kilometers in advance of the 2nd Fleet. Her two destroyers were dispersed widely, towing SONAR arrays, while her two light cruisers hugged her tightly, escorting the vulnerable light carrier through the hostile sea. Like all ships in the Imperial Navy or the Imperial Guard Naval Corps they were painted a pure white, spectacular and clean in the sunlight and distinctive of the Emperor’s naval forces across the globe.

“We’ve already begun ECM, we’re not sure if we can outgun the signal though. They may have gotten a look at us.”

At the same time as the RADAR officer was making this report a signal came over the NAVNET (a subset of the wider Pudite MILNET military data consolidation and cooperation suite) console indicating that the Fateful’s sisters were similarly engaged.

Captain Razvan Pasclau of the Fateful had expected the contact sooner or later. “Get the location we have on that signal to Home Command, they’ll be very interested.”

“It’s already on the ‘net, enough to go by for now at least.”

“Well done,” said the captain, “Eyes on the horizon now,” Captain Pasclau stepped over to the phone on the wall, “I need commander Krabka on the line,” Krabka was the wing commander aboard the Fateful the commander asked over the line,

“Krabka, put up two flights equipped for AAW, combat patrol. What’s in the air now?”

“Early warning and a strike package holding, plus the helos,”

“It’s F-41’s or F-63s?”

“The 41’s,”

“Bring them in, after we get these two flights up. F-63’s in those for me.”

“Anything for you, sir.”

"I also want a flight of Strakhen Sokol's, I've got a job for them."

Only a few minutes passed before the ten F-63 Tengriy fighters were airborne, patrolling in two flights of five. The F-41’s were recovered and brought below deck while a few more F-63’s were brought topside, most equipped for further AAW, a few carrying anti-shipping missiles. The ASW helicopters continued their work uninterrupted by the shuffling of the CAG, and the AEW&C high above continued it’s own lazy circles. The last flight to go up was the five F-78 Strakhen Sokols, they were the longest-range fighters on the carrier. The five of them would be looking for RADAR signals in the general direction of the enemy fleet. Their combat radius was about 800 kilometers and they would be skirting the edge of it. Thousands of kilometers away, at Imperial Navy Home Command, there would soon be quite a commotion.

With a location on a possible enemy fleet concentration 3rd Fleet would soon be redirected south, away from it’s southern Tyrranus search pattern, intent on securing the Agnito Sea between the Karasite island chain and the Quanlu straight. 1st Fleet, which was close to Daram, would be called back into the Yourang Sea. The naval defense of the island would be left to the Praetorian Naval Corps based there. Only the 2nd Fleet would remain in the open Tyrranus. There was a final asset yet to be developed, which was the surface action group currently docked at West Dome #5. The port at West Dome #5 was probably the safest among the Anukai, it certainly was the largest. WD-5 was the largest city on the continent by a long shot, exceeding a billion people in a prefabricated environment the size of a small country. The ships of the SAG would remain there for the time being.

[Libertarian Governance]

Department K - Libertarian Governance

Wow look at this. A short balding man in his mid fifties Jacen Woods was one of the thousands of Bureau 24 employees assigned to monitor the satellite surveillance effort against the Pudite empire. Department K was abuzz with activity as satellite surveillance got its first real look at Pudite air defenses in action. A number of SIGINT and MASINT satellites had relayed information showing a spike in radar emission and communications throughout the Pudite Empire during the C'tan missile strike.

The air defense systems engaging the C'tan missiles allowed thousands of disparate signals to be collected and analyzed from hundreds of kilometers above the surface. Technicians now worked furiously to make sense of the data analyzing information to pinpoint the location of radar transmitters, communication antennae and air defense sites.

Touching icons in the GUI of the combat network allowed Jacen to send maps over laid with grid positions. Get me some photographs. With just a touch at his monitor, an immediate highlighted image was on the way to Charles Conrad whose responsibility was in control of an orbiting satellite capable of high resolution photography. He had been directed to photograph an area of roughly 60 kilometers in diameter where a cluster of signals was emanating from along one of the Pudite rivers.

I have possible launch sites. One technician stated walking hurriedly back to her station holding a large printed picture with an overlay of SIGINT information and grid coordinates from the LGDF grid targeting system from one of the departments printers. As she sat down she grabbed a magnifying glass and glanced carefully at the area of the signals, marking off missile launchers and radar systems with a red marker.

I have a compound near the river. Hey Theron do we have any film with ir and UV sensors?

Uhmmm... Theron laughed.

Let's get some in there, we should be able to pick up ventilation shafts and entrances. After marking a number of targets the information updated across the combat network nearly instantly. Jacen pressed at the monitors at his station bringing up colored overlays of maps showing roughly 20 minute intervals between photographs. Looking closely for the movement of mobile systems. Wow nice targets for the swarm.

Jacen sends a command through the combat networks GUI instantly sharing targeting data with the LGS Visser, a submarine sitting at a dead stop 300 meters beneath the surface and 150 kilometers southwest of Nunkin.

I am maneuvering to get high res film of the west bank of the river now. Theron manipulates two joysticks as he speaks.

I'm going to have a Skua go in too.

Forest North East of Nunkid

Captain Dobias advanced cautiously towards a rocky outcrop deep in the forest north of Nunkin. Sergeant Camden Marx was on point some 20 meters in front of the soldiers moving towards a high point of the area. Noticing what would make perfect fighting positions naturally formed in the small hill. Moving at a quick pace but still moving with without making hardly any noise. His Shrec AWS Carbine with its metalstorm 3GL grenade launcher held to his shoulder at the ready, scanning right and left to the movement of the sergeant's eyes.

The remaining platoon deployed in a circle around the hill at a distance of 20 meters each man kneeling partially shielded by the trunk of a tree. Each soldier held his weapon ready shadowing the rock strewn hill. Sergeant Chris Spader guarded the rear of the formation to the north and Staff Sergeant Brice Larso scanned the rear of the formation to the south through the scope of a Shrec AWS in its automatic rifle configuration being loaded with a 120 round duel drum magazine. Both men keyed the mics of their communication gear twice as the moved to a prone position.

Sergeant Marx stopped pointing his weapon as he pushed it towards the top of a large rock that jutted upwards from a particularly steep part of the hill. The men behind him took notice of the signal and brought weapons to bare on the rocks top. Reaching up with his left hand Marx grabbed the rock leaping himself to small ledge and carefully he begin walking up. Then he stops again crouching down.

Prepare to assault position. Assault. The Captain immediately moved forward at a double time. The remaining commandos followed moving to take the hill. Manx let his weapon fall into the crook of his elbows as he reached up again, standing, grabbing the top of the rock and quickly pulling himself top the top. Rolling left and coming to a prone position he took aim at the top of the hill. The platoon closed fast with their weapons scanning the hills possible fighting positions. Stay sharp Phoenix Strike.

800 meters of water in Xu Bay

I have four Royale-class frigates now at 18 kilometers. The sonar operator of the LGS Wildfire had counted four ships moving in their general direction actively pinging, searching for their ship. Tracking the turn of the propeller gave him the speed of the ships, its engine sounds the ships location while the submarines CAVES sonar used data from its passive listening mode to paint a 3D image of the enemy. The crew knew it was a good sign that the ships continued using sonar as that meant more than likely that they had not yet been detected.

The Wildfire had went to a dead stop upon first noticing the ships moving towards their position, diving to a depth of 400 meters where it now sat silently. Load all tubes. A succession of readies came in moments as the louder pinging of the sonar arrays brought the enemy ships closer. Each of the ships 8 torpedo tubes were now loaded 660 mm torpedoes.

Get us deeper. Mister Watson float a Squid drone charlie foxtrot. A second Squid drone already floated in the deep sound channel listening with passive sonar.

A small electric drone tethered to the subs systems rose without power to the surface. It beamed targeting data to the combat network off satellites in low earth orbit. Lock in targets, seven Tigershark per hostile. On my mark...

Targets are locked. The ships executive officer spoke the words almost at a whisper.

Prepare ripple fire one second separation and fire. The ship shuddered as each of 28 VLS tubes sequentially released a capsuled missile that quickly floated to the surface. Launch two noisemakers minus one hundred degrees, 500 meters and 2000 meters.

Noise makers launched. It would take 28 seconds for 28 Tigershark stealth anti-ship missiles to reach the surface and blaze smoke and fire, busting from their tubes into the air where their self contained millimeter wave AESA radar and IIR seeker begin hunting for its primary and secondary targets. As was the normal strike profile the missiles were set to proceed to target at an altitude of 3 to 5 meters above the surface using GPS guidance before popping up to 45 meters to allow their radar and IIR system a wider field of view to acquire targets before dropping back to 3 to 5 meters above the surface.

Half the missiles programmed to strike near the waterline while half the missiles would launch from 30 meters altitude to execute a top attack. Each missile carried a MK-1 249.48 kg (550 lbs) multi-purpose blast/fragmentation warhead. The missiles would take about 60 seconds to cover the short distance between the submarine and the Pudite frigates. Get us deep, deeper.

Diving, diving.

Task Force 57

Looking at the information showing Pudite ships the Grand Admiral debated internally about the best actions. The fleet was spread for combat with its faster, smaller ships in concentric circles around the larger capital ships. There were 24 AWACS in the air at various positions with most about 100 kilometers in front of the outermost ships. Escorted by a squadron of Chimera ATF the AWACS used their own low probability of intercept steerable beam, L-band electronically scanned array radar to track targets up to 650 kilometers away for high flying aerial targets and some 400 kilometers for low-flying and surface targets.

She watched the monitors noticing that the nearest Pudite ships were still 1800 kilometers away from AWACS range. A carrier and four escorts. Get two AWACS on each of the contacts. Send the combat air patrol as escort and get me four squadron in the air immediately.

Aye, aye.

Lieutenant Commander lets also move a few littorals in. Manipulating the touch screen of a tablet computer the Grand Admiral highlighted several of the fleets ships for movement towards the enemy contacts. The LCS were small ships but their hull design gave them an incredible 60 knot speed. 16 of the ships were being issued orders to advance towards the contacts.

Looks like they are contesting the sea. Lieutenant Commander Carter smiled as he spoke the words.

Yes. What's the status of my Chimera?

The Liberty and Piedmont have both launched the fighters on deck. Other carriers should join them soon Ma'am. A junior officer answered.

We have a charlie foxtrot from the Wildfire. They are engaging surface ships on monitor four. Blue lines denoting the randomized track of missiles moving at nearly mach speed towards a collection of red dots identified as Royal-class frigates appeared on the monitor after the junior officer spoke.

Another officer shouted out other information. Visser is requesting permission to engage ground targets with Seahags, Grand Admiral.

What are the targets lieutenant? Shouter Carter.

Looks like a high priority strike package from Bureau 24. Sharing strike package Sir.

The Grand Admiral looks at the targets and decides immediately against using the submarine to attack them. Negative, they're not to engage. She shakes her head knowing that the submarine's missiles carry anti-ship warheads instead of cluster or SWARM warheads that could effectively engage the targeted vehicles. Have Visser hold position.

This is Skull leader we are moving to escort AWACS, over.

Roger that Skull Leader. Proceed to coordinates you are weapons free, over.

Roger, weapons free. The pilot sent a vocal command to his Chimera jet that initiated a instant message to the heads up display of his squadron across the planes data link. Planes separated moving to advance in front of the airborne radars towards each of the surface contacts. The tailless fighter attack aircraft to take maximum advantage of their low observable design. Their own sophisticated low probability of intercept radars were off with each pilot relying on the AWACS radar to guide them to their targets.

[The Eagleland]

ES Megas Alexandros (Alexander the Great Class Carrier)
Task Force 57
18:50

The Eagleland Naval Forces by that time have linked up with Task Force 57, which has been moving near the Pudite Empire's seas over the last hours. The Eaglelanders were only 10 Nautical Miles away from their Libertarian Counterparts. 3 Eagleland Navy C7 CatsEye AWACS took to the sky, with 2 Chimera ATF Squadrons flying Combat Air Patrol above the Fleet, with the submarines preparing to begin reconnaissance operations ahead of the fleet, to support Libertarian Submarines.

Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Karamilakos and the rest of the Hierarchy met in the Megas Alexandros's Meeting Area. The meeting involved sattelite communications with the President's Cabinet in the situation room back at Oured.

- Mr.President. As of right now, our fleet has linked up with the Libertarian Navy's Task Force 57 warships and are approaching the Pudite Empire.
- Excellent. How far are we from the Pudite Empire.
- We are quite far, sir, so we cannot engage enemy targets yet.
- Have we detected enemy warships?
- We have detected some enemy frigates at 18 Kilometers. Libertarian Ships are currently ready to engage.
- Are we ready to engage?
- We stand ready to engage at any given time sir.
- Do we have any boots on the ground?
- No sir, but Libertarian Forces have UAVs in the sky. We have not launched our own as of yet, however.
- Do we have to support them yet?
- Mr.President, right now you can rely on their men to provide reconnaissance. May we prepare our troops for combat operations?
- Yes, you may. Do your job. We're done here.

[Emporer Pudu]

Tyrranus Sea, Fateful Hour CAG

The five F-78's were well in advance of the Fateful now, flying obliquely toward the assumed position of the enemy fleet at around 40,000 feet.

Sidko and Zhdan were the pilot and weapons service officer in Red Fox One, lead aircraft of Red Fox Wing,

"Zhdan, new contacts picked up by the AWACS incoming," Zhdan felt the familiar feeling of new data taking shape in his mind, displaying itself for his consciousness in a way only he could understand. The Direct Neural Interface made man and machine one unit, two hunters working in perfect unison,

"I can't make out what it is, DNI getting fuzzy?"

"It's not the DNI, the radar can't get a good picture of them. It's enough for me though,"

Sidko opened a channel to the rest of the wing, "This is Red Fox One, we have a new heading, coordinates in your computers now," A chorus of affirmations was returned,

With a twist of thought Sidko's aircraft bent to the right, and his flight followed.

The fighters own AMRQ/R72 active phased array radars would probably attract the attention of whoever was out there. That was the plan, at least. The fighters also had an inferred search and track system and a suite of LIDAR/LADAR receivers and emitters. The maximum detection range for the fighter's active radar was around 350 kilometers.

The carrier group itself had been instructed to arrest their advance and return to the fleet, which was only about a hundred kilometers to the East. The other five Athios-class carriers would do the same. Although Imperial Navy Home Command did not know it yet, the commitment of the 2nd Home Fleet would almost definitely not be sufficient to stop a force that outnumbered them at least two-to-one. There were four Home Fleets in the Middle Prefecture: in addition to the 2nd two had been redeployed recently, and the fourth was cruising off the coast of Suudihya, where they had supplemented the Southern Prefecture's Home Fleet during the Suudi Revolt.

---

Xu Bay, Aboard the INS Ready Attendant

The ship's Captain was at the rear of the ship, at the edge of the flight deck. A large naval helicopter was taking off, carrying a couple officers and a team of naval infantry, bound for a Gothic fishing boat a few kilometers to the north-east. Only seconds after the helo left the deck the telltale buzz of the ships CIWS systems suddenly appeared.

Captain Vasko Casek grabbed the rail instinctively and looked port - he didn't see anything, and then there was an explosion. It shook the ship dramatically, throwing Casek to the ground backwards. It had been a hit on the hull.

Smoke was pouring out of the right side of the ship, klaxons were sounding incessantly. The helicopter quickly gained some altitude and frantically hailed the frigate.

"We've been struck, port side at the waterline," came the response,

"We cannot accommodate you now, we advise you make contact with other fleet elements."

Aboard the helicopter warrant officer Andrei Chert grabbed a headset from the rear crew compartment, "Hail that Gothic fishing boat, we can use it to evacuate survivors."

The radio operator began to attempt to get the boat's attention, using common Gothic commercial and emergency frequencies.

Looking around them crewmen and officers could see that the whole squadron had been hit, the ship nearest to the Ready Attendant, the INS Loyal Footman had taken at least three strikes to the top of her deck, the superstructure was unrecognizable. Captain Casek wondered if there were more than half a dozen survivors.

It took under a minute for Vasko to get to the CIC, "I need damage reports, now."

"We're still floating, number two, three, five, and six bulkheads are closed, sealing off the affected decks."

A different officer added, "Estimate twenty casualties presently, specifics are coming in fast but we don't have a count."

"Turbines still have power, but we're not going to win any races, sir."

"Where did it come from?" the captain asked,

"They were only on our screens for about twenty seconds, looks like submarine launched weaponry."

"Sonar didn't spot anything bottom-side though." added the sonar operator,

The radar man continued, "We shot down a few of them though. Close in weapons got six of seven presumably targeting this boat. We were luckier than others,"

"Sir," broke in a communications attendant, "We're receiving distress calls from the Unwavering, the Beacon, and the Footman. They're scuttling them."

The captain grabbed the phone, speaking to his executive officer in the hangar, "Prepare to take aboard crew,"

"Yes sir," he replied, then added, "Sir, the helo's not coming back, we sent her away. We'll need the space if they're going to be ferrying sailors over,"

"Right then, our ASW bird, does she have MADs on board?"

"Sure does sir,"

"Give me Commander Rachko."

"Fiat, sir" said the lieutenant, a second or two later Rachko, the commander of the air wing aboard the Ready Attendant,

"Captain?"

"Commander, give the word to the sub-hunter, start dropping MAD buoys ahead of us."

"Well we know there's a hostile ferrous tube down there someplace, we'll drop the MADs presently sir,"

"Fiat, Commander,"

"Fiat."

Vasko turned back to the CIC, "Whatever hit us is nearby, headed out to sea, and probably diving. Lower the towed arrays to six hundred meters and keep the present course. Inform the flotilla that we're taking aboard survivors, but they'll have to catch us first."

The Ready Attendant was headed out to sea at reduced speed, hoping their game wasn't over already.

[Emporer Pudu]

Forest North-East of Nunkid

The forest felt different. The animal calls were strange and unevenly dispersed. Something was coming. Tigers were known to produce such results, and Bowing Branch and his brothers knew it. The three men had been laying in their small shelters, waiting for the morning chill to disperse and for the real daylight-hour prey to emerge from their own homes. Their constructions were little more than a few leafy branches laid over a woven mat, like a tiny lean-to. In moments the hunters were awake and it took only seconds to roll up the mats and when the branches fell to the ground they looked nothing more than a few fallen boughs.

Bowing Branch and his brothers were Khung - only three of hundreds of millions of an ancient people, dating back at least as far as the arrival of the first Pudite Emperor's in millennia past. Such times were only myth now among the Khung, but they remembered this way the prejudice borne against them throughout the long ages. They were no friend of the Pudite. The three hunters were camped in the wake of a boulder on the sheltered side of the hill, hoping to hide both their bodies and their scent from the chilly wind that blew this far north in the Middle Prefecture.

Between the three men they carried one rifle and one shotgun, as well as their three personal blowguns and knives. If there was a tiger, they were sorely under-armed. They hoped it was Pudites. Bowing Branch quickly scurried up a fir tree, silently with well practiced motions, his brother Foaming Badger ducked behind their large rock, completely hidden. The third brother, Spotted Bear, took the shotgun and began to pick a trail slowly around the hill, moving behind underbrush and in the long shadows of the dark forest floor.

Spotted Bear had only gone about fifteen feet before he heard Bowing Branch's call, however. It was a bird call, innocuous to anyone unfamiliar with the fauna of the northern forests. Only three chirps - the bird itself never called in less than five. It meant humans. He could see a rifleman approaching the top of the low rise, but his movements confused Bowing Branch.

The call stopped Spotted Bear in his tracks, he immediately went to ground, shotgun ready. Bowing Branch didn't move, watching the soldier intently. He moved with a practiced grace and athleticism, a confidence befitting not a lowly Pudite Guard soldier or slave trooper but a true hunter. His face was obscured but his build didn't remind Bowing Branch of a Pudite soldier at all. He was armed with unfamiliar weapons and moving in a strange way. The final clue, though, was the flag - lack of one. Pudite soldiers wore their rank and national insignia on their breast, these men wore nothing of the sort.

A call came from Spotted Bear's direction, another soldier had been spotted. They were surrounding the hill, it looked like there wouldn't be any easy way out of the situation. Bowing Branch was curious, though. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to learn.

The first soldier he had spotted, Camden Marx (although Bowing Branch didn't know the name), was about forty meters ahead of him. Bowing Branch made one final call. This one usually signaled the end of a hunt - it was meant to bring scattered hunters back to camp.

Marx's attention was suddenly drawn by a crash in the underbrush, he had seen it, perhaps a branch had fallen from a tree - a second later though, he realized what it was. A rifle. A further second later, it was followed by a man.

Bowing Branch stood, having leaped from the treetop, arms raised and still. He looked nothing like a soldier, wearing old cargo shorts and a ratty T-shirt. He had a knife strapped to his belt, but his hands were above his head. Bowing Branch only spoke Khung, so instead of speaking (which might be misinterpreted) he just smiled, hopefully disarmingly.

Spotted Bear had a view of both his brothers, Foaming Bear was signaling him in their native hunting signs, he was confused - Spotted Bear signaled back as best he could from hiding, explaining the situation. The soldier might think Bowing Branch was a distraction, bait in a trap - the two brothers had to reveal themselves. They would give the soldier a second to respond to their brother, though. It wouldn't do to simply stand up if it only made them better targets.

[Allanea]

4000 km away from the Mingtu Bay Island Chain

The engines of the strategic bombers howled as they sped towards their target. They were the Corona Bombers – the cream of the crop of Allanea's Strategic Air Command. Armed with nuclear reactors for engines, they could strike out against the enemy wherever they happened to stand. In this case, it would be the Mingtu Bay Island chain – seemingly the least important part of the enemy Empire. But, in the view of Allanean military planners, it would become the key to the entire Pudite realm. It would be the first foothold the Allaneans would need to grab upon Pudite soil before the entire place would begin to come apart under their boots.

But now was not the time for day-dreaming. Now was the time for the earliest, the most basic form of military action – the preparation strike. It was for this mission that the Coronas had been detached.

Five planes only had been detached - a single squadron. At this range, they could already begin using their weapons – the long-range Kh-555 missiles. They were not as stealthy or fast as the Lyran Arms Hellion, but they could crawl across five thousand kilometers of open sky. At this range, they would have no issues getting to their target.

The hatches at the bottom of the planes began to open quietly – or rather, the sound of their opening was drowned out by the hungry howl of their engines. The first of the many missiles streaked out for their targets. Each of the atomic-powered planes could easily carry a hundred Kh-555s, but of course it would not be possible to launch all at once. It would take time. Therefore, the Allaneans prioritized. First came the attacks on the enemy RADAR – long-range installations and anything looking like AA observation posts on the islands were targeted by about a hundred missiles. The rest of it – still about four hundred Kh-555s – was aimed at whatever looked like an AA site on the small islands.

Of course, this tactic had its weaknesses. It was clear that many of the missiles would be shot down – they were only partly stealthy – and some targets would likely be false. Its main advantage, on the other hand, was that it kept the Allanean strategic bombers out of the range of enemy AA.

In Liberty-City

Cassiopeia Blaken looked disapprovingly at the elderly professor in front of her. “Professor Getrix, let me explain it in a language you can understand. I am a Freewoman. You may not treat me like a child. This university requires a supply of test subjects, does it not?”

“This is true,” - the old, grey-haired man said, removing his spectacles and attempting to wipe them clean with his shirt - “But, Professor Blaken, you are indispensable to this department.”

“That I might be. And yet I require the test subjects. You know already that the Council for Human Rights has agreed to fund my travels. What objections may you even make?”

“You are still an employee of this University! And we cannot simply have you vanish from here like you've done during the Orpheian Incident!”

“We cannot? Professor Getrix, I have enough unused vacation time to simply walk through that door. What use will this department be without me? Do not attempt to bicker. I will be going to see the Pudites myself, and that's final.”

She turned on a heel. A single step, and she was at the door. Pausing only briefly before she vanished out of the office altogether, she said: “Getrix... do you seriously think any of your assistants would even survive this journey... much less pick out proper samples for me?”

[Libertarian Governance]

Forest North-East of Nunkid

Sergeant Marx immediately swung his weapon to the target, moving his finger to the trigger as he did so. Aiming center of mass to release a hail of metal on the enemy as he had trained to do so often when point shooting. Beginning to squeeze the trigger then abruptly halting as the man threw his hands in the air.

Tango, one tango at my two o'clock, 35 meters. He spoke softly into the mic of his communication gear.

Captain Dobias immediately halted his advance while flashing a hand signal to halt then a signal to go to cover. Tango spotted hold position. The Phoenix Strike platoon responded instantly going to kneeling positions and moving behind trees and brush as available.

Marx looked at his target for a long moment. His eyes scanned to the right and left as he looked for any more movement. Then he rose as he saw that this man was no Pudite soldier and smiling. As Marx stood he held his weapon on the man another few seconds before letting the weapon drop on its three point sling. Like all Phoenix Strike units they wore no insignia, nothing to denote military branch or identity. His BDUs were black with tiny dark green lines intersecting the material in patterns designed to not only hide in the darkness of night but to hide from night vision equipment. He wore a black vest with six magazine pouches across his abdomen, a low slung holster held a machine pistol on his right leg and a large knife was strapped to his left. Next to that knife was a black metal tomahawk.

Report status Marx.

Captain...doesn't look like enemy personnel...maybe Khung. As he spoke, Marx raised his gloved hands slowly to shoulder level, turning his hands to show the backside and then the palm. Reaching up he removed the camo patterned mesh scarf which was wrapped around his mouth and nose underneath the black balaclava rolled into a watch cap while taking two steps forward then stopping.

Hold positions. Eyes on. Jahnke on me. The Captain rose walking with a bit more caution then Marx but with his weapon pointing towards the ground. Corporal Paul Jahnke followed him, he was one of two translators for the mission and had been given a crash course in Khung which brought to seven the number of languages he could converse in. If he is Khung you can talk to him, right?

Paul rolled his eyes. The course of instruction had been short, lasting but two weeks and he had only been taught some basic words and phrases. He would probably sound mentally ill or something he thought though maybe they spoke Gothic which he knew far better. Suuure.

Seeing the Captain approach Marx spoke to the man before him while pointing to the two approaching soldiers. They are friends. Then he smiled and waved the man forward before raising his hands again to shoulder level.

800 meters of water in Xu Bay

Despite the anachoic coating of the submarine the crew moved cautiously and spoke in hushed tones only when absolutely necessary. The ship was dead quiet, sitting at a depth of 800 meters with the enemy searching for them above.

Captain Francis Smith watched the sonarman as he raised four fingers signifying all four targets were hit. Then he folded three of those fingers into his palm, signifying that three ships were sinking. Listening intently to the sounds of explosions bouncing of the enemy ships structure and traveling through the water. Listening to the collapse of metal and the bursting of hulls.

The Captain nodded and then looked towards a monitor over the weapons officers station. The Tigershark was a "genius weapon". Designed to deal as much damage as possible in the missile centric combat tactics of the LGDF. The weapon had the ability to break off attacks when one target was sufficiently damaged and either attack secondary targets or autonomously seek out other nearby targets. The missile did this by emitting a signal just prior to detonation, a signal that could be picked up by satellites or other communication equipment. Those signals were picked up by the drone floating just below the surface beaming encrypted burst communication data to the combat network and as such were picked up by the Wildfire.

Captain Smith watched the missile count, watched the count of top attack weapons striking targets and waterline weapons too. Three ships had to be crippled but the fourth, that ship only took one strike. Damaged but far from dead he thought. There was now a choice to make. Although they were far too deep for known MAD gear to detect and sitting silent sonarbuoys and passive sensors were of little threat. But sooner or later more ships would come and probably aircraft. There would be a dedicated search and more then the active sonar of one ship to worry about. They could sit at 800 meters and hope that the enemy couldn't locate them or they could move, hoping their speed could get them to deeper waters.

Cut the drones.

Aye, aye. The crew passed along its orders. A signal command was sent to both drones to submerge and then the tethering cables to the drones were released. The drones floated free and both begin to sink.

Noisemaker, 80 degrees to port side, eight hundred meters on my mark. Now. Another of the ships noisemakers shot free heading to the northeast.

Heading of 210 degrees bring us to 30 knots. The nuclear powered vessel begin to spin its propellers moving towards the southwest. The plan was simple distract the enemy and then move the other direction. It was now their sub against a single injured ship. Even without the missile that tore into the vessel the Krakon class attack submarine was fast enough to easily leave the enemy combatant in a race. And now they would race, hoping to get to deeper waters where the ships titanium hull could withstand depths that most weapons could not.

Though Captain Smith knew it was a dangerous gamble. A gamble that relied on the enemy being too wounded and distracted with the noisemaker to close quickly as they built up speed. Even then, Libertarian ships carried rocket assisted weapons that could strike at great distances and perhaps these Pudites did too. Perhaps their stealth at low speed would fail and they would be detected or caught before they reached the limits of their stealthy design of 20 knots. Such were the fortunes of war the Captain thought.

Reaching into his jacket pocket he withdrew a silver flask. Opening it he took a swig of whiskey. Swished it around and swallowed. Then he passed the flask to his executive officer. Who also took a swig and passed it on to the next senior man.

Aerial Reconnaissance Patrol - Tyrranus Sea

There see! 500 kilometers those are airborne radars, 12,000 meters high. The crewman pointed to his monitor which showed a number of radar signals which faded in and out occasionally few seconds. Characteristic of AESA systems either jumping frequencies or modulating their signal. The signals were currently be picked up intermittently by both AWACS on patrol.

The Lieutenant in charge of the AWACS crew thought about the weapons the enemy possessed. These had to be F-63's or F-78's and though they weren't the stealthiest aircraft around. With forward swept wings, much like the LGDF Valkyrie they simply couldn't be very stealthy. Yet, RAM did do wonders and certainly could lower the detection range a great deal. Silly to give themselves away with active radar even if it was a LPI system. Though he knew these were dangerous aircraft with a brutally effective active counter measures systems and some sort of optical camo.

Reaching forward he pressed commands into a touch screen monitor focusing his own radars power towards the area of the incoming aircraft. He tagged the signals as possible stealth aircraft so that as it was relayed across the combat network ships, planes and ground stations would know what to expect.

There again!

Judging that the enemy was sweeping with active radar they could probably see the AWACS plane but probably not the slippery Chimera who with their radars off were relying on the airborne radar for targeting and tracking. Mainly, because the Chimera pilots were occasionally picking up the radar emissions too through the fighter attack jets own AN/ALR-9 radar warning receiver and at a distance of 100 kilometers in front of the AWACS, the main attack force was much closer to the enemy planes.

Be advised Storm Giant, we are initiating OTH on possible stealth contact, over.

Roger that Death Wish. Estimate five to seven hostiles, over.

At 10,000 meters altitude Skull squadron was 100 kilometers in front of each AWACS, moving at just under mach speed with a total of 16 aircraft spread into four finger tip formations. Four other aircraft stayed close in to the each of the two AWACS they were escorting. In all 24 aircraft were deployed with the two AWACS planes which flew 300 kilometers distance from each other.

Skull Leader, vectoring you to intercept hostiles. Possible foxtrot six three or foxtrot seven eight, over.

Roger that Storm Giant. Colonel Nielsen smiled as he used the aircraft's voice command system to send orders to Major Lamb and Captain Costner as coordinates came in from the AWACS datalink. Finally a worthy adversary he thought. Within moments two of the finger tip formations accelerated to a supercruise of mach 1.6 and made a sharp turn towards the area of the radar emissions while climbing to an altitude of 16,000 meters. They were being maneuvered by the AWACS to come in from the right and left, slightly higher then the enemy aircraft.

The Death Wish swept the area again with its ARC-2 over the horizon radar system. The low frequency radar beams bounced off the ionosphere and as such they hit the F-78's from the top where there were no transmitters for the aircraft's AFFC/SIRR-12 counter measure system and with the plane between the radar signals and the anti-missile pod underneath the low frequency radar bounced back picking up the forward swept wings, the corner reflectors of the twin tail surfaces, the canards and other surfaces along the top. Data was crunched with AWACS, Radar receiver information and the OTH information compared and consolidated. Seconds later the alarm was raised.

Be advised targets are five foxtrot seven eight kilo. Range from Storm Giant is now four five eight kilometers, over.

Roger that. Colonel Nielsen grinned again. He knew the capabilities of the enemy jet and he knew how to engage it successfully. Using the aircraft's voice command system he sent another instant message across the squadron reading, remove fbw safety, hit from above, use UV and Spectre with ladar and network link.

Pilots entered codes removing the fly by wire safety which would give the tailless aircraft and its 3d thrust vectoring engines higher maneuverability by removing the system from stopping "dangerous maneuvers". Already the Laertes IV Seat and AMS-4 g-suits would allow the pilots to handle higher then safe g's but the system had been designed to keep the inherently unstable tailless plane at safer levels. The SAIRST system could track Ultra-violet and infra-red. Like the Chimera the F-78 had an active cooling system to scatter IR but UV was thought another matter.

The Death Wish kept its radar active, scanning and providing a constant picture to the fleet and air arm of its targets. Another instant message shot across the combat network from Colonel Nielsen. Engage targets at 180 kilometers.

The pilots closing on the Pudite aircraft never did not use their own datalink to respond, that would activate their AESA radar instead they would do what was ordered keeping their AESA radars off. They would each begin engaging from 180 kilometers using the network capable targeting of the mach 5 throttleable ducted rocket (ramjet) powered Spectre BVRAAM. The missiles would use their 60g maneuverability, their passive homing ability using the fleet and AWAC radar information coupled with its self contained LADAR to engage the enemy with a 135 pounds (61 kg) high explosive fragmentation warhead.

The two wings closing on the Pudite aircraft hoped to kill them long before they reached the 120 km range of the enemies AIRCST-15S infra-red tracking system and hoped that their stealth kept them hidden. But no one really knew what to expect. No LGDF pilot had ever actually engaged such aircraft and their information came from intel reports that may or may not be accurate. The two wings under Major Lamb and Captain Costner were now 370 kilometers from the Pudite F-28's approaching from right and left flanks at 20,000 meters altitude.

[Emporer Pudu]

Conversation in Hollarum, Imperial Palace

The Emperor's son was in the audience at the theatre: Dengmu, now the eldest male child and second only to his eldest sister in line for the throne. He was only a little younger than the princess Xue, around forty. His hair was already turning white, though, and his face wore lines of worry befitting a much older man. He had always been the most serious child, never appreciating the easy-going Uncle Feng who had nearly raised most of his siblings.

With his father was Jilang Ming, Dengmu's only son and child. Children in the Dominate were both a useful political tool and a dangerous future eventuality. Dengmu knew his father had had too many children, and he wouldn't make that mistake. Ming was utterly loyal to him, he often assured himself.

Both nobles were seated in a private balcony, attended by a half-dozen servants but other wise completely alone.

"Have you seen this story told before?" asked Dengmu,

"Never have, father, although I've heard this troupe plays it very well."

"Then you know the tale?"

"Only vaguely, its a historical drama from the Xiang dynasty, something to do with a king and his sons."

"Song," called Dengmu to his private secretary, standing behind them, "Have you heard the story of King Tai Shou?"

Song, an elderly man almost certainly named for the famous founder of the present dynasty, replied, "Of course sir, his children rose in rebellion against him, they say it was a stylized version of the splitting of the Yin dynasty into north and south."

"That is what I was taught by you, at least," said Dengmu to Song, who had been one of his tutors in youth, "And it is still applicable today."

Ming didn't have time to respond before his father continued, "Ming, I have a very important task for you."

"Yes, what is is?" he asked, disarmed by the segue and the sudden seriousness in his father's voice,

"You will be flying to the second capital this evening, I want you to attend a briefing. A military briefing."

"Something to do with the missile attacks?" said Ming, referring to the attacks against Nunkid a few days ago and the northern islands earlier that very day,

"That is is precisely, Ming. We are at war."

"War? We are always at war," said Ming quickly, which was of course fairly true,

"This is somewhat more serious than usual. I want you to lead troops in this war, I want you to fight."

Ming had been in the Equites for ten years, and by virtue of his high birth he had been promoted quickly. When he finally retired from service he was in command of around twenty-thousand of the Hollarite equestrian troops.

Dengmu continued, "You will be meeting with the chiefs of staff from the Nunkid Equites, I will also arrange for a brigade of Hollarites to be redeployed north."

"Nunkid, father? North? Who is our enemy?" Thoughts raced through Ming's head, images of Gothic troops pouring over the border, or of massed Khung armies sacking Pudite cities.

"There may be an invasion from the sea. I am sending you to the front to command my troops, the family will need someone they can trust if battle reaches our shores."

"I will do what you wish father, of course." Privately though, he had a few reservations.

---

In the "Second Capital" Administration Compound Zero-Zero-Zero-One

The hall was packed with high-ranking officers. There were perhaps two-thousand senior military officials, most from the Imperial Army, in attendance. They were seated before a large, mostly empty stage, occupied only by a single narrator and a small panel of relevant experts and officers. The briefing had already covered the nature and intent of the invading armies, and was speaking now about the preparations that were already being made against them.

Ming was seated in the wings of the third balcony, with the delegation from the Nunkid Equites, just as his father had said. They had apparently prepared a regiment for his command, to be supplemented by his fathers brigade from Hollarum which was presumably in transit already.

A large map of the northern Middle Prefecture appeared on the screen behind the presenter and he began to identify and discuss super-hardened airbase sites around Nunkid. Ming was trying to retain the information, but he was not a career soldier and had no idea what use the location and composition of air force bases would be to him.

On stage there were sitting five men, waiting patiently to discuss their unique topic relevant to the briefing. There was an Imperial Air Force officer from around Nunkid area called Pozniak. Next to Pozniak there was an Imperial Army officer recently returned from the Suudi Revolt, where he himself had been until recently, Warmaster, and where remained a sizable percentage of the Imperial Army. He was to report on the transfer of these forces home. There was also a pair of Imperial Navy officers and a high-ranking Imperial Guard commander. Suddenly, the narrator turned the mic over to Lt Colonel Pozniak,

The officer stood while behind him the screen changed to a short presentation, "I have a report on the damages and the combat encounters resulting from the recent missile attacks in the northern Middle Prefecture,"

"Behind me you can see in clear statistics the numbers and gold crown values of people and property destroyed in the first attack against Nunkid. The ARISTOTLE defense network was activated first at 4:04 AM, and in under a minute orders had been automatically relayed to thirty-three launch stations on the projected path of the incoming ordinance."

"We scored seventy-nine percent kills against the cruise missiles, using kinetic-kill attacks. A squadron, that is, fifty, F-63 fighters were launched from my airbase with the first in the air at 4:11, but no further enemy contacts were located. All aircraft were returned safely."

"The second incident was a series of missiles launched from long-range enemy strategic bombers. Again, behind me you can see the numbers. They seemed this time to target more strategic targets rather than primarily civilian targets as they did in Nunkid. If I may, this could be an indication of their proximity to beginning their invasion. All Guard garrissons within four-hundred kilometers of the coast have been alerted to the possibility of airborne invasion, specifically in the region of these northern islands."

"Anyway, they struck many radar installations, as well as scoring a number of hits on compounds and commanderies themselves. Again, we immediately scrambled fighters - starting exactly six minutes after first detecting the missiles - at but could not locate any enemy aircraft. The ARISTOTLE network and air-to-air missiles from the F-63s scored a dramatic eight-six percent kill rate against the enemy missiles."

Lt Colonel Pozniak stepped back from the mic,

"Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel," said the narrator, "We will move on immediately to Commander Gavlik from Imperial Navy Home Command to report on combat encounters over the Tyrranus Sea."

The briefing continued from there, with Com Gavlik giving a detailed summary of the encounter between a squadron of F-78's and enemy fighter aircraft, culminating with the generally accepted location given for the foreign fleet which has been gleaned both by the experiences of Imperial Navy ships in the region and by reports coming in from Gothic attache's, who have been fielding reports from a number of scientific and weather stations in the far western Tyrranus. There was of course very sensitive equipment out there, befitting the heavy barrage of tsunami's that are often triggered by the geologic volatility of the Rodinian west coast.

[Allanea]

The Allanean Fleet

The prow of the black ship was decorated with an elaborate painting. Red and white paint portrayed a giant open maw with rows of vicious, white teeth. It seemed that the ship was gnawing and chomping against the Pudite ice as it ground forward, yard after yard. It roared in anger as it moved, its reactors struggling to propel it. Such was the SS Mgweni, one of Allanea's atomic icebreakers.

Dozens of these ships had been brought in from all across the Allanean republic – some merchant ships, rented by the state for the duration, others owned by local authorities. The SS Mgweni was such a ship, operated by the Allanean coast guard for rescue and emergency uses. The northern areas of the Greater Prussian Ocean were known for their cold climate, and ships like the SS Mgweni found their use there.

Broad passages were left behind the icebreakers, and the Allanean fleet followed through them. Some of the ships were large and durable enough to make their own – for example, such was the Emperor's own flagship. Still, the ice meant that passage would have to be slower now.

And the Captain of the SS Mgweni did not like it one bit. With the ship being drawn into military service, and his reserve activated, he felt himself a Navy officer once more. He wanted to be 'stuck in' – to see real action, up close.

- “When we get here,” - he said as he squinted at the swirling, grey-white nothingness beyond the bridge windows - “When we get there, I will apply for permission to form a landing party. Perhaps fifty men, with rifles and bayonets – volunteers will surely be found. We will get ashore, and then they will know what it's all about!”

The wind roared outside.

- “Do you think they'll let us do that?” - a young officer asked - “Won't there be plenty of other people that'll get a priority?”

- “Well, you listen to me, son,” - the Captain explained - “In war there's always a shortage of men. I'm telling you, if you volunteer for shore action, they won't deny you your place in the very front rows. We'll get first pick of the seats, son. First pick.”

*

In the sky

“Raven Mother, this is Nest, come in, over.”

“Nest, I am Raven Mother. Coming in high, requesting permission to grab a mouse, over.”

“The mice are all yours, Raven Mother. Over and out.”

There is silence after that. Radio silence and real silence – if one does not count the roar of strategic bomber engines. It is a full repeat of the last attack – once more, bombers – and Kh-555 missiles launched from a maximum range. THe same targets are chosen – the very same islands, with a priority given for suspected SAM sites.

The only difference is that this time around, instead of 5 bombers, there are ten. This of course means that the amount of missiles applied is doubled.

Everything else is the same. For those who study Allanean military operations this is almost boringly repetitive.

[Libertarian Governance]

Task Force 57

The Pudites may have thought their tactic smart, even brilliant. But to the crew in the combat information center on the SuperDestroyer Death Wish it was a foolish action to say the least. The engagement of F-78's by the Chimera ATF of the Skull Squadron, largely considered the best fighter pilots in the LGDF, had done more than give away the position of their own command ship. Yes a fighter had gone down, its pilot lost and a second plane had been damaged but no attempt was made by the enemy to stop the AWACS patrol and that had given the fleet accurate locations of the enemy ships. Now as Allanean ships moved into the sea ice of the northern land, preparations for a massive strike were under way. The Libertarian fleet continued a eastward avoiding the sea ice for now.

The SuperDestroyer continued to scan a 5200 kilometer radius with its ARC-2 over the horizon radar as crewman plotted attacks with missiles and warplanes. Briefings had been completed, weapons were armed and missiles had been loaded with target profiles. A thousand Stormshadow hypersonic bombers had left their forward operating bases en route at an attitude of 160,000 feet (48,768 meters) to launch points exactly 1400 kilometers from targets with their bomb bays filled with Seahag hypersonic cruise missiles more than an hour ago.

Overhead a much heavier combat air patrol flew cover for the fleet. AWACS had extended their range, sitting in two concentric rings. The first ring of AWACS was at some 100 kilometers from the Death Wish and the outermost ring of AWACS 150 kilometers outside the littoral ships.

Enemy fleet now at 1350 kilometers. A crewman shouted out as the dots denoting ship type, speed and location filled three of the centers overhead monitors. Information gleaned from both the AWACS reconnaissance patrols and the ARC-2 having been meshed into a fairly accurate picture of what the enemy designated 2nd fleet.

Are my carriers ready to play their part? Grand Admiral Robertson walked forward staring at the three monitors with just the hint of a smile. Her long hair was as always worn in her trademark pony tail that hung along the back of her sharply creased uniform. She clasped her hands behind her back and watched the enemy fleet for a moment as she considered what the fleets leaders must be thinking.

Strike groups are ready to sortie. Across the fleet's 50 Archer class carriers hundreds of planes sat ready for the impending mission with full loads of fuel and weaponry.

Good. Bring my cruisers and destroyers to ready.

Aye, aye Grand Admiral. As the order was passed 100 cruisers and 240 Destroyers shortly dropped their Adaptive Water Curtains and switched their Multi-Function Radar, Volume Search Radar and Tomb Stone Ladar systems to active. They were still too far to track the enemy fleet with their own systems but that mattered little as a stream of battlespace information flowed over the combat network. Using that information officers had chosen their targets according to plan. While the ARC-2 couldn't guide a weapon to an intercept, the advanced radar was capable of guiding a weapon close enough to target that self contained guidance could find and kill its prey.

All ships are up!

Proceed with phase one. Grand Admiral Robertson spoke evenly and without emotion as she issued an order committing the fleet to its first real combat action of the war.

Smoke and flames shot forth from the fleets cruisers and destroyers as Seahag hypersonic missiles rocketed into the air in quick succession. Over the course of just over a minute 340 ships ripple fired 25 missiles each that quickly rose swiftly to their flight altitude of 120,000 feet before exchanging their booster rocket for ramjet engines and a speed of mach 5.35.

Unlike the Kh55 these missiles were not just fast, they were smart. Each weapon had self contained very high resolution millimeter wave radar that would activate once the short flight on inertial and GPS guidance ended and terminal phase begin. Each weapon would make a glided decent at around mach 4 to its target using both radar and a C - QWIP Focal Plane Array to identify and strike with pinpoint accuracy in a top attack.

Of course, the weapon was networked to use updated information to kill its target. Of course, the weapon added its own sensor info to the data flowing to ships, planes and shore installations. To fight off attempts to down it, the missile had as a first defense speed. It would take about 8 minutes for the missiles to reach their targets. As a second defense, the Seahag possessed a missile warning system capable of deploying forty flare and forty chaff packages.

But the Seahags carried more than that. 250 of the weapons were not armed with MK-5 - 1000 lbs (454 kg) armor piercing incendiary warheads, instead each carried a sophisticated digital electronic warfare suite with adaptable jamming capabilities. Each of the EW systems had been programmed to activate under a number of preset parameters allowing a few missiles to attempt jamming of enemy systems at a time. This provided a defense against home on jam weapons through the cascaded activation of electronic warfare systems.

A full 500 of the missiles also lack the Mk-5 warhead, instead using SWARM - B warheads each of which would deploy 16 SWARM munitions. The SWARM-B was designed to perfectly mimic the radar and infra-red signatures of Seahag missiles in order to confuse CIWS and missile defense by more than doubling the amount of fast moving incoming targets.

500 weapons were programmed to go after the Vengeance-class supercarriers, Glacier-class fleet carriers, and Athios-class light carriers with the remaining missiles having as their primary and secondary targeting the Portlandia, Triara, Carthage-class cruisers and Torrent-class arsenal ships.

Before the last missiles leave their VLS tubes a force of 1200 Chimera ATF were leaving carriers and gathering for an air attack on the 2nd fleet. Just one squadron per carrier with 48 planes outfitted with Blinder conformal EW pods in addition to 4 Spike AAMRAM they carried 4 ASP HARM missiles. 552 aircraft carried 8 Spike AMRAAMand 4 Spectre BVRAAM in a typical air to air load out. The remaining 600 planes were armed with 4 Spike AMRAAM and on their wings hardpoints two Tigershark stealth cruise missiles which they planned to launch at a distance of 700 kilometers from target.

Flying hugging the surface of the cold sea, the Chimera would need to fly just over 650 kilometers from their carriers. There Wing leaders would pop up just long enough to paint the enemy fleet with AESA radars before the strike force sent a volley of deadly sea skimming weapons towards the remaining Pudite fleet. The estimate was 45 minutes for the airstrike.

To the south Task Force Nemesis with C'tan was advancing on Daram and was now about 3000 kilometers from that island. They too were in preparations for an attack but it would be an attack started by Stormshadow B-1 bombers.

Liberty - Libertarian Governance

The calls begin in the early evening and continued throughout the next day. Twenty million Home Guard Militia were being contacted by recorded phone calls, text messages and hand delivered letters with an order to report for immediate active duty. Recruiting stations and military bases across the Free Republic now had long lines of men and women with their personal weapons and gear reporting for duty.

Two members of the Saunders family were in line for active duty today at a militia armory in the coastal city of Thebes. John aged thirty three had served six years with the LGDF after secondary school and had never missed a drill with his local militia unit. His razor cut hair was still dark brown and he still possessed a muscular build. Alongside him stood his thirteen year old son Bobby who had been a member of the militia since his twelfth birthday. Both men had a highly customized Shrec AWS rifles slung over their shoulders that was highly customized and low slung quick draw holsters holding chrome and nickel plated AP-Nine machine pistols.

John looked at his first born with admiration and sorrow. He sighed. Son, I wish you would do as I ask and stay here with your mother.

Bobby at just four feet two inches looked anything but a soldier. His uniform had been tailored to fit him but it still was baggy on the skinny child. Yet, he spoke with an eloquence that underlined his comprehension of the decision he was making today. His eyes teared up as he spoke. I respect everything you say father but this is my nation too. If you have to go then I'll go and protect you.

John touched his sons cheek with the back of his hand wiping away a tear. This is a real war. I've done this, you should understand your mother and sisters will need you more.

A single plane screams across the sky. A Valkyrie IDS with a load of weapons on its forward swept wings. The man in front moved away allowing John and Bobby to step forward to a graying man sitting at a desk with Home Guard insignia adorning a set of battle dress uniform. Smiling at the youngster the man squinted his eyes a bit. Well, well...do you have your orders???

I haven't orders, I'm volunteering and I'm in the 309th.

Leaning over the child John hands the man a printed piece of paper. I've been called up. This is my son.
Taking the orders with a nod and a smile the man stands and shakes Johns hand. Nice to have you. Sitting again the man slides a tablet computer forward. I need you to enter your unit id and sign.

What about me? Bobby ask with a dark frown. What about me? I was here first. You jus gonna ignore me or something?

With a look of surprise the officer shakes his head. Not at all. But it is a selective call up. The man looks to John for help.

He's pretty determined.

I, I see. Son..

Stop right there sir. I know you probly outrank me but I'm a freeman and I have the same right an' duty as anyone else to defend my country. On...watch out dad. Look, if my dad is gonna go somewhere, then I'm fucken going too. I've been in the 309th for going on 15 months and can shoot the shit outta this rifle and pistol I have.

With a look of shock and the sound of laughter and cheers from others in line the man looks again to John for help. John just shrugs in defeat. Hey, I should of told you he has a hard head.

Indeed. The man just motions for John to hand the tablet to Bobby when finished.

[The Eagleland]

Eagleland Forces Assigned to Task Force 57

In the ES Megas Alexandros's situation room, the hierarchy of the Eagleland's forces assigned to Task Force 57 was gathered to monitor activities of their Libertarian Counterparts. Already in the room's 3 large screens, images from reconnaisance assets such as UAVs were being shown.

The Pudite Second Fleet's being attacked by the LG Ships has awakened the Eagleland Captains' awareness. The situation room hierarchy immediately analysed the situation and the Admiral declared the following:

Ετοιμαστείτε για μάχη. (Prepare for Battle.)

Within minutes of the order issued, all Eagleland Warships entered into a status of Battlestations and prepared their crews for combat. All aircraft Carrier Squadrons were readied for operations, with "Aetos Squadron" taking off for Combat Air Patrol. Being one of the Eagleland's best fighter squadrons, the only foreign squadron in the Unified Realm to match their fighting skills are the Skulls of the Libertarian Governance. Training for years under any and all circumstances, this squadron was one of the 7 elite squadrons of the entire Eagleland Airforce.

---

Komi Agisilaou, Nomos Machiton, Sparti Province

Back in the Eagleland, millions of soldiers at home were sent letters, e-mails, recorded phone calls and local radio broadcasts informing them that their leaves have been revoked and that they are required to report to their units. Some would prepare for immediate assignment and preparation for the second wave. Others would remain in alerted status.

This also meant that immediate conscription laws were in effect. Every unemployed man and woman under the age of 45 in the Eagleland is required to serve as conscripts in the Eagleland Military provided they are deemed suitable for service - former conscripts are re-activated. Militia Groups, per provincial law, are put on standby and placed in high operational readiness.

In Komi Agisilaou (A "komi" in the Eagleland is a small town, from 100 to 2,000 residents.), every able bodied man is required to have at least some rudimentary military experience; Military Education from the age of 7 and Immediate Conscription are just some of the Sparti Province's laws, making the local society a perfect mix between democratic and stratocratic mindsets. The Eagleland Military Police would be used throughout the Eagleland's towns and cities to inform all men and women - refusal is not an option.

One such man who was called up was a former conscript of the Eagleland Armed Forces, Sgt. Mixalis Papadopoulos. He had lost his job at a restaurant after he was found smoking Medical Marijuana in the kitchen. His smoking it also brought about consequences; his wife filed for divorce; the local courts issued him with a 5,000 Drachmae fine for smoking Medical Marijuana without a perscription, and he, as a result, had little money left for himself, let alone to emigrate to the Libertarian Governance. He was considered the "black sheep" of the neighborhood. MP Sergeants Konstantinos Kontorigas and Anastasia Riga went at his house to "recruit" him. Both were locals.

Ποιός Είναι; (Who is it?)
Στρατονομία. Ανοίξτε. (Military Police. Open Up.)

Papadopoulos opens the door, with his M1911 on his hand and his cigarette with Medical Marijuana on his mouth. After spitting it, he said the following.

Τι θέλετε ρε; (What the hell do you want?)
Κύριε Παπαδόπουλε, σύμφωνα με την Διάταξη Σ-188/ΧΔΑ/11, καλείστε για υπηρεσία στις Αετοχωρικές Χερσαίες Δυνάμεις.... (Mr Papadopoulos, according to the Command R-188/ELF/11, you are called for service in the Eagleland Land Forces...)
Αίντε γαμήσου μορή πουτάνα. Εγώ έκανα την θητεία μου. Τώρα τσακιστείτε! (Fuck you bitch. I have done my service. Now get lost!)
Μισό λεπτό κύρ... (Just a minute si...)
Όχι μισό λεπτό κυρίε! Τι στο διάολο θέλετε απο μένα δηλαδή; Να ξαναυπηρετήσω με καθυστερημένα σαν και έσας; (Don't "Just a minute sir" me! What the hell you want from me? To serve again with retards like you?)
Παρακαλώ να ξέρετε σε ποίον μιλάτε. Είμαστε μέλη της Στρατονομίας, με το δικαιώμα να σας συλλάβουμε.... (Please understand who you are talking to. We are members of the Military Police, with the right to arrest...)
Ναι, ναι, καλά. Το Σύνταγμα μου δίνει το κωλοδικαίωμα.... (Yeah, yeah, right. The Constitution gives the the fucking right...)
Με συνχωρείτε, πόσο χρονών είσαστε; (Excuse me, how old are you?)
Εικοσιεφτά. (Twenty Seven.)
Ωραία. Το Άρθρο 8 του Συντάγματος ορίζει ότι κάθε Αετοχώριος Πολίτης μεταξύ των ηληκιών των 18 μέχρι των 25 ετών έχει την υποχρέωση να υπερασπιστεί την πατρίδα του απο οποιαδήποτε απειλή. (Good. Article 8 of the Constitution defines that every Eagleland Citizen between the ages of 18 through the age of 25 has the obligation to defend his country from any threat.)
Ε, δεν είναι δυνατόν! (Eh, this is not possible!)
Και όμως είναι. (Indeed, it is possible.)

She hands him a folder, with all the necessary orders and paperwork.

Επανενεργοποιηθήκατε. Έχετε 48 ώρες να αναφερθείτε στην Μονάδα σας πρίν κυρηχθείτε λιποτάκτης. (You have been reactivated. You have 48 hours to report to your Unit before you are declared a deserter.)
Αίντε Γαμήσου μορή! (Fuck you bitch!)
Καλό Μεσημέρι κύριε. (Good Afternoon, sir.)

The MPs leave, while Papadopoulos sits down, reads through and shouts angrily.

ΓΑΜΩΤΟ!!! (GODDAMMIT!!!)