Posted:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:14 pm
by San Joaquin Valley
0000 Hours
Classified Location
San Joaquin River Delta Region
Sitting within the confines of an inconspicuous ranch house, which was infact a numbers station operated by the Servicio Nacional de Inteligencia, agent 'Henrique', a man of 30 years dialed into a familiar shortwave radio station just before midnight & flipped a switch upon his communications board for his headset as to hear clearly without interruption. A partner in the agency, 'Pedro', an older & more experienced member of the SNI approached the room he was in, leaning against the wall to also listen in to the external speakers of the channel. The station they were listening to, dubbed "Radio Contando la Muerte" or "Counting Death", broadcasted at 4625kHz and was under the operation of the Nauvoo Legion in Nova Deseret. The short, monotonous beeping & buzzing tone repeated itself 18 tones per minute, 24 hours per day, every day without fail with the exception to the various hour marks in the day. Upon the completion of each hour, 3 quick beeps would emit to signify its passing, but upon every 6th hour, 4 quick beeps followed by a longer buzz would occur.
It was at these times in hostile days past that coded messages would be sent out to the Nauvoo Legions operatives out of the country. Although the station had been quiet going on almost 8 years, it was constantly monitored by the San Joaquin & other EATA intelligence services. Originally set up in the late 60s by the Nova Deseret Government, its true origin still remains a mystery outside of the Grand Republic despite the outside worlds best efforts to find it. 'Henrique' reached over to the other side of the control panel & flipped an additional toggle which began the recording before the witching hour struck.
...."Beep"......."Beep"......."Beep"......."Beep"......."Beep"......."Beep"......."Beep".."Beep".."Beep".."Beep".."Buuuuuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"...................................
The seconds seemed to drag on forever following the end of the buzz, where no beeping continued. He quickly turned to 'Pedro' who was wide eyed, intently staring at the device expecting the beeping to return. He knew what this was to mean while 'Henrique' was to experience it first hand for the first time. Another few seconds passed without additional feedback at which point, 'Pedro' took off from the room to gather items around the home. 'Henrique' remained at his post, listening for any signs of feedback past the static background. His hands gripped with a pen on paper anxiously waiting for what was next, as a bold voice spoke out in clear english:
....................."FIVE, SEVEN, ZERO, NINE, EIGHT, EIGHT, NINE, TWO, SIX, ZERO, NINE, THREE, NINE, NINE, EIGHT, ONE, FOUR, SEVEN, NINE, TWO, FIVE, ONE, SEVEN, ZERO, TWO"...
....................."FIVE, SEVEN, ZERO, NINE, EIGHT, EIGHT, NINE, TWO, SIX, ZERO, NINE, THREE, NINE, NINE, EIGHT, ONE, FOUR, SEVEN, NINE, TWO, FIVE, ONE, SEVEN, ZERO, TWO"...
It was then Patriotic music reminiscent of the Grand Republics national anthem's introduction suddenly blared from the station before cutting out seconds later, returning to the familiar beeping the station was known for. 'Henrique' removed the headphones but kept the recorder in action, incase the message was not over with just yet. A phone within the house began to ring, answered by 'Pedro' who hung up seconds after without a speaking a word to the caller. He looked to 'Henrique' and with a head nod towards to back of the room they stood said, "La noche está activa. Tenemos 20 minutos para llegar a la armería..."
Posted:
Thu May 17, 2018 10:11 am
by Greater Belkan Reich
Central Headquarters Oderland, Northern Belka
Lorencian Front
0130H | Fog | 1°C
A strong northern wind passing over the snow capped peaks of the Steir Mountain Range brought about a sudden chill throughout the plains below. The people who lived in the valleys south of the range, having just grown accustomed to the warmth of summer, were reluctant to dig out winter coats and jackets in response but when faced with the alternative, they were given little choice, it was either button up or freeze. All across Northern Belka, the mythological fatherland of the nation, mothers were bundling their children in layers upon layers of extra clothing in an effort to keep warm and while they were attempting to stave off the cold, thousands more were buttoning up in a different sort of manner.
For months now, Belkans had watched in horror as their fellow countryman who had been on the wrong side of the line a long time ago were hunkered down, fighting a cold of their own; the frigid winds of oppression or so they were led to believe. The Republic of Arstotska, Belka's antagonistic western neighbor, whose very existence was silently considered a direct insult to the honor of the entire nation, had been quietly subverting the attempts of ethnic Belkans in the eastern provinces to rejoin their fatherland and Belkans across the region cried out in horror as hundreds were cut down in massacre after massacre.
The situation had been allowed to continue by the international community, with not one condemnation, not one word of reproach from the liberal democracies and constitutional monarchies that had sought to impose an western style government upon Belka. Scheming fiendishly to deprive Belkans of the unalienable right to be at one with their homeland.
With nowhere to turn and facing genocide, Arstotskans, ethnic Belkans and sympathizer armed themselves in an attempt to preserve their way of life, to protect their communities from utter destruction and again, the world was silent. Not one word was said as ethnic warfare waged right in the heart of Lorecian . Civilians, fathers,brothers, cousins and uncles took up arms against the oppressive republic, crying out at the top of their lungs with every breath in their bodies for the world to hear their pleas, for their right to choose their own destiny and all for naught. The world was silent.
Isolated gun battles raged all along the frontier, the smoldering embers of a conflict long thought extinguished being reignited by the indomitable will of a people to seize their own destiny as their fatherland had done.
While Belkans watched with bated breath as the conflict spiraled quickly out of control, the Fatherland listened and waited until it couldn't anymore. High in the mountains, nestled deep within the picturesque valleys of Northern Belka, plans were being made for the liberation of Belka's children.
First came the mobilization of the reserves, hundreds of part time citizen soldiers, the very embodiment of the civic will of Belka were called to arms silently and without the hustle and bustle commonplace in places like Caprica or Aquitayne. Over a period of six months more than a dozen divisions were brought up to strength and slowly assembled along the border. The infamous 1st Division, known to locals as the Hell Raisers, were the first to be sent to the border, followed by the 3rd Division and the 9th Division which made up what was being called the Northern Army though officially it constituted Temporary Defense Corps I. More than four hundred kilometers to the south, the 2nd,4th and 8th Divisions made up II Corps.
From the very beginning, Supreme Chancellor Vêlik had appealed to first, the World Assembly and then the East Astyrian Treaty Alliance to do something, anything to put a stop to the violence. The ''great'' powers of Astyria were in the end powerless to do anything at all, either through lack of desire or lack of will but Belka could sit idle no longer.
Now, deep in the mountains of northern Belka the entire High Command of the Armed Forces(HCAF) was assembled at Central Headquarters Oderland, awaiting the official start of the liberation of Arstotska, code named Operation: Masterstroke.
Central Headquarters Orderland was an positively massive complex, consisting of dozens of hardened military bunkers, guard towers, no less than six airfields of varying sizes and troop accommodations for an entire tank division and it's vehicles dispersed over one hundred kilometers and surrounded by concertina wire and prepared fighting positions.
Behind the wires, guard towers and uniformed guards; inside a nondescript grey bunker complex, was the entirety of the Belkan General Staff,Generals Peter Bohrer & Manfred Engelhardt, Lieutenant Generals Jorg Auer, Helmut Moede, & Adolf Ertmann and finally Major Generals Hans Frank & Peter Haarhaus and their accompanying staff. Between them, these men controlled the entire Belkan military establishment. They'd developed the plans for the invasion, assembled the troops, moved them to their starting positions, equipped, trained, and provisioned their forces all at the order of the Supreme Chancellor.
All seven were waiting patiently in a borderline opulent conference room tucked safely in the bowels of the sprawling concrete complex. They were seated along an almost ten meter long oak conference table which had been meticulously shaped and carved with Direwolfs and eagles in it's center and digital interfaces along it's edges for those seated around it to interact with various devices around the room and the outside world. Adorning the walls were depictions of famous victories of the Belkan Army and Navy dating back to the 16th century, all recently commissioned by the Supreme Chancellor and done in the particular fashion of the time period that they depicted. Digital screens were mounted every two meters in between the patriotic artwork. And positioned right in the center of the largest wall were two flags; one for the country and one for the National Fatherland Party with the ''Iron Triad'' depicting the titular pillars of the Belkan state, representing the values that would make the country great again, Loyalty, Obedience and Courage.
Sitting opposite of the generals were the highest ranking ministers in Belka; the Vice Chancellor Viktor Metrac, Minister of the Interior Armin Primakov, Minister of Foreign Affairs Herman Brunner , Minister of Defense Thomas Gilzean, Commandant of the State Security forces Albert Kratek, Director of Intelligence Johann Kramer, & Minister of Public Affairs Josef Ritschel. Together these men represented the ruling faction of the government of Belka, all personally selected and appointed by the Supreme Chancellor to assist in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of state.
The military faction for what good it did them weren't Social Nationalists in the normal fashion; when the Supreme Chancellor came to power they were oath bound to follow him and many secretly harbored doubts about the kind of leadership he proposed to bring to the country but increases in both the defense budget and their own salaries quelled most of their doubts and they rapidly fell in line with the regime, if not out of loyalty then necessity as reports of dissidents disappearing under night and fog increased.
In the same token, their counterparts across the table had all either rapidly embraced the party's ideology or already been long term comrades with the Supreme Chancellor and been swept into power with him. Their loyalty was not circumstantial outside of the odd closet opportunist. The two sides were united not by common politics or upbringing, ranging from commoners to landed aristocrats, but by their service to the Supreme Chancellor and the state of which he was master.
And like well trained hounds, the entire room leapt to their feet as the main door opened and two State Security troopers entered, followed by Supreme Chancellor Aldric Velik himself, strolling into the room leisurely as if he was simply taking his morning constitutional.
Velik was a rather unassuming individual, neither towering over his subordinates nor being dwarfed by them, he stood of average height and his rather athletic figure concealed neatly underneath a simple gray three piece suit that was extremely well made and a cream colored trench coat. His hair was immaculately groomed and he was devoid of any facial hair. Though while not unattractive by any means, something about the way his face was shaped prevented him from truly being considered handsome. Wrinkles were prominent near his eyes though and the distinct lack of gray hairs made his exact age hard to pinpoint though it was obvious that he was somewhere between his mid forties and early fifties if one had to guess. His only really distinguishing feature were his eyes which were a truly brilliant hue of electric blue and had a sort of inherent ''life'' about them that concealed immense intelligence behind their stunning depths.
He waved his hand dismissively, allowing the room to relax and he took his seat, at the head of the table in a comfortable but austere looking chair that was different from the rest in the room. If one looked at it from precisely the right angle, it could be mistaken for a throne.
In a calculated and well practiced act of deference, the room waited until the exact moment that the Supreme Chancellor took his seat to do the same, sitting down in unison, both minister and military man alike, though the soldiers had a much more rigid way of going about it than the others.
General Bohrer spoke up first.
''''Corps one and two are positioned and ready along the border, awaiting orders, your Excellency.
Taking the General's lead, the rest of the military spoke in turn, giving unnecessary, personal reports of their respective areas of responsibility from Intelligence to Logistics and armament, to support.
In truth it was all information that everyone already knew, the divisions had been in place for over a month now, with the start date of the operation having been pushed back repeatedly over weather, conflicting reports from diplomats and chiefly spies within Arstotska. Every last detail had been meticulously planned, drilled, rehearsed and planned again. The overall scheme of maneuver hadn't changed since the day the Supreme Chancellor had indicated his intention to go to war in the first place, more than six months ago.
First low-altitude long-range cruise missiles will level the Arstotskan Parliament building and Prime Ministerial residence, along with major roadways, transportation hubs in the capital, military and civilian runways, power stations, military buildings and infrastructure, identified anti air defenses, hangars and water treatment plants followed by the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Air Divisions crossing the border and exposing enemy artillery and anti-air defenses and establishing air supremacy. Simultaneously, ethnic Belkan militias which had covertly receiving arms shipments for months now would strike major government buildings and service stations all across the eastern provinces and engage law enforcement personnel drawing attention away from the border and adding to the general feeling of mayhem that the country will be feeling. After the suppression of enemy anti-air assets, Corps I & II will cross the border push into the country before turning and enveloping all of the responding military units, creating a massive salient and cutting off the entirety of Eastern Arstotska from the rest of the country. A third corps consisting of State Security VANGUARD units mechanized infantry formations will be held in reserve to reinforce either corps if encounters unexpected resistance and eventually mopping up operations in the salient. If no resistance is encountered by that stage then I & II Corps will be reinforced by further reserves held in the interior of Belka and with the III Corps, push directly into the capital and seize the entire country.
The chief strategic goals of phase one of the operation being 1.) The seizure of Eastern Arstotzka and reincorporation into the Belkan Regime, 2.) The destruction of the Arstotzkan state as a functioning government and the seizure of vital strategic assets and 3.) The display of absolute Belkan military dominance in central Lorencia.
All together more than 120,000 soldiers and pilots would participate in phase one with the immediate possibility to bring a further 80,000 into the invasion. A Quick reaction force consisting of the 10th,12th,14th and 15th Divisions along with the 7th, 8th, and 9th Air Divisions and a further State Security VANGUARD mechanized Brigade stood concentrated in Southern Belka near the port city of Sudentor to respond to any hostile action along the border with the Kingdom of Aswick. A fast preemptive strike against that country would prevent a second front being opened up within Belka proper.
Along the coast, every last guided missile destroyer, cruiser and submarine has been picketed to respond with overwhelming force against any attempted naval incursion, presumably by either Riysa or worse, the United Republic of Caprica. Standing anti-air and anti-naval missile battery have been augmented by the activation of further reserve units along the entire Belkan coastline.
If everything was to go according to plan then active combat operations were projected to cease in exactly ninety days with follow on cleansing actions to be taken by State Security VANGUARD battalions at their leisure.
Everyone in the room was well versed with the operation but the military was insistent on ensuring that every aspect was covered in detail and the Supreme Chancellor, a former military man himself, was willing to oblige them. After they were finished he turned to his ministers, specifically, Herman Brunner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
''Comrade Minister Brunner, what do you expect out of the foreign response?''
Brunner, a career diplomat who unlike most of his fellow minister was not a early support of the Supreme Chancellor and had only thrown his weight behind him after he was elected Chancellor and it was his support as a senior diplomat that allowed Velik to exert early control over the diplomatic corps.
He was no politician, lacking both the natural charisma and oratory abilities that it required. His strength instead was as a brilliant organizer of people. What he possessed was a keen innate ability to correctly appraise the skills of his subordinates and utilized them to their maximum effectiveness. It was this skill and his usefulness as an ally that had gotten him the top diplomatic post in the regime and he performed it without equal.
It was unique profession, that of diplomacy, one had to know people, what they want, what they need and what they feared both as individuals and in a group. Brunner had neither the brawn to take up a more physical career nor the brains to master the sciences. He lacked both physical stature, being a small, fat man and unattractive by most standards, he held no delusions of grandeur and was content to master his craft.
He pushed his wire frame circle spectacles closer to his face, met Velik's gaze head-on, despite how uncomfortable having the Supreme Chancellor's undivided attention focused upon him.
''Your Excellency, I expect no undue resistance to our actions abroad. Ulysses is preoccupied with it's election cycle and I do not foresee Kenway undertaking an military action until he has secured reelection. Paradise City according to our reports is currently tied up attempting to shore up the East Astyria Treaty bloc and without the support of Caprica, I doubt they will risk their troops in Lorencia. The Aquitaynians are known for their military adventurism but with their project in Insula Fera demanding their immediate attentions, I also doubt they will interfere. Scottopia City is a different in this regard, they may very well decide to make a grand show of their displeasure but if it came down to the carrot or the stick, I believe we could persuade them to ignore Lorencia as they always have. Our dear friends in Nouvel Ecosse and Riysa are expected to grumble but will eventually accept the status quo for what it truly is, rewriting a great wrong against our nation. I have spoken at great lengths with my colleagues in Aswick and they assure me that as long as no hostile action is taken against them that there will be no interference. I do believe the stationing of our reaction force away from the southern border directly will be sufficient to assuage their fears''
''And what of Nikolia and Trellin?
''Both have no immediate interest in the affairs of the Lorencian continent and should be no problem. ''
''Are you absolutely certain?''
''Without a doubt, Your Excellency.''
Velik nodded, more to himself than to the Foreign Minister, seemingly satisfied with the last minute assurances that their actions would provoke too great a reason out of their neighbors.
He stood up, prompting the rest of the room to do the same, again in a calculated and well practiced measure of deference to his position and power. He took one last look around the room, locking eyes with each and every one present, it helped him to get the measure of the individual and weed out the weakness in those around him. Any man that couldn't meet his gaze with fire and iron wasn't fit to be in his presence.
''Gentlemen, initiate Operation Masterstroke
Staging Point Rot, Eastern Belka
Lorencian Front
0300H |Rain | -4°C
The V-4 Cerberus missile was a marvel of Belkan engineering; a subsonic surface-to-surface cruise missile, fully programmable and feature it's on active and passive radio and capable of carrying up a 2,000 lb conventional warhead, with a range of just under 600 kilometers it was the perfect weapon for it's mission.
It's flight path was meticulously planned, the missiles launched from concealed platforms along the border would shoot into the sky like meteors before using satellite tracking to zoom over the border at altitudes as low as three or four hundred meters flying well underneath the radar floor of Arstotskan sensors, following railways, rivers and streams to minimize interference before streaking up as they neared their target and accelerating past the speed of sound, barreling into whatever unfortunate building or structure that had been marked for destruction and detonating.
In the early hours of the morning of May 17th, more than two hundred such missiles, each with unique routes were launched into the sky and each one found it's mark, native air defenses powerless to stop them. First was the Arstotskan Parliament building , though struck when no one occupying it, it would be a demoralizing blow as legislators awoke to the thunderous sound of the explosion and look out of their bedroom windows to see the building crumbling under the overwhelming power of the Belkan military. The next target to be hit was the Prime Ministerial residence , though timed to ensure the death of the Prime Minister, fate would not have it so. The Prime Minister found of late night frozen treats had slipped out of the building to visit a local ice cream parlor and it was his guilty pleasure that allowed him to survive though only by mere minutes. He was forced to watch from the counter of the establishment as his home, work place and his wife and two small children were obliterated in the blink of an eye.
All over the country, Cerberus was seeking out it's targets with deadly accuracy. Arstoskan military bases, runways,power stations, water purification pumps, highways, military barracks, radar stations,oil pipelines and armories were being wiped out. The country was slow to react, caught completely off guard and unprepared. Pilots attempting to muster out of their beds were powerless as guided missiles destroyed their runways and hangers, soldiers who had been instrumental in crackdowns against ethnic Belkans in the east were killed in massive explosions as they slept, electricity for tens of thousands was shut off in an instant as the silent harbingers of doom extinguished the spark of civilization, citizens across the country who went to bed that night expecting clean water and peace when they awoke would find neither as water stationed were engulfed in flames, cellphone network stations, bridges, and highways would all feel the fiery rage of Cerberus . Civilian and soldier alike were caught completely unawares as their entire civilization crumbled around them throughout the night.
No sooner than the V-4 missiles had struck their last target; the pride of the Belkan Air Force, flooded across the border to bring more carnage and devastation to the country. Radar stations that had failed to detect the missiles and were now desperately attempting to redeem themselves were struck down as god strikes down sinners, hangars that held now useless military aircraft were demolished with bunker busting bombs. No enemy of Belka was safe.
Border guards who were in their mind were far from important targets, previously occupied with suppressing Belkan insurgents watched with wide eyes and open mouths as legions of Belkan tanks, mechanized infantry and artillery poured over the border. They put a spirited but futile resistance and like thousands of lights further inland, they too were extinguished.
Belka's soldiers had received their orders, anyone who put up a fight was to be liquidated with extreme prejudice. Government officials, law enforcement, intellectuals, community leaders and pro-government militia groups were rounded up and shot outside the cities and if they resisted, shot on sight.
Belka's own loyal children, trapped in Arstotska for a generation, did their duty, seizing control of important government building and symbolically raising the flag of the Fatherland over every inch of ground that they could.
By daybreak, the full measure of the destruction wrought by the opening stages of the war was readily visible. More than a third of the country was without power, another quarter without running water, half of the country's air force destroyed, the military suffering thousands of casualties and even more desertions as the gates of hell opened around them with the rest retreating rapidly towards the capital in whatever vehicles that hadn't been destroyed or on foot. The Second Belkan War had begun.
Posted:
Tue Jun 25, 2019 9:14 am
by Blackhelm Confederacy
Nothing had ever quite been the same in Platteisen Adler since 2007. The country which had prided itself for decades on its neutrality, on its ability to sit back while the big boys duked it out around them, had suddenly all come crashing down beneath the tracks of Belkan Tiger 3’s. Hardly anyone in the country could say that they didn’t know of someone – a friend, a relative, a loved one – anyone who hadn’t lost their life in the invasion. Everyone knew someone, and everyone swore it would never happen again.
Until last year.
Last year, when Belkan tanks swarmed across Arstotska in a bloody repeat of 2007 the people of Platteisen Adler saw a repetition of history playing out before them. They remembered well how Belka had smashed Arstotska just a decade prior, and then turned their eyes north and rolled through the Adlerite countryside, looting the capital of Ironfalcon and then turning the entire country into a warzone as a coalition of Blackhelm Confederate, Rombergian, and Caledonian troops fought to reclaim the country.
This time…this time the Adlerite nation was not going to sit on its ass and wait for the Belkans to strike first. The reserves were called up as soon as the first Belkan tanks pounded their way across the border, swelling the Adlerite army from one division to four. The Blackhelm Confederate government also began sending monetary aid to the Adlerite state, to ensure that the reservists receive their pay and that any job loss as a result of the reservists being away from home is properly compensated.
With the reservists in position, Adlerite forces felt more secure than ever. The Third Reserve Division was moved to the de-militarized zone along the Belkan border, reinforcing the Adlerite Border Brigade as well as the brigades from Caledonia and the Blackhelm Confederacy that had been manning the line since the last war ended. The Adler Division – the nation’s largest active peacetime formation – was moved to the Adler-Arstotskan border, reinforced by the 1st Reserve Division. And in the capital, the 2nd Reserve Division began making preparations should the inevitable Belkan storm penetrate the first lines of defense.
All over the country too, Home Guard units had been making their own preparations for the last year, identifying potential fifth columnists and keeping tags on them while also laying the groundwork for a possible guerilla war. With more than a year being actively preparing, and more than ten years planning things out on paper, the Home Guard planning a well-executed mission of vengeance should things go south for Platteisen Adler.
This mission of vengeance, however, was about to take a much more pro-active turn now as summer began to set in. With each passing day, as more and more Arstotskans were being trotted off to slave labor camps or being executed in droves by their new Belkan overlords, the Adlerite people became more and more anxious and eager to act. And so, today, June 25, 2019, the Adlerite Army would authorize the first offensive missions in the history of the modern state.
The mission planned would not be a direct contact between Adlerite and Belakn divisions – that would be tantamount to suicide. Instead, Adlerite Jaeger commandos would slip across the relatively lightly defended border into Central Arstotska and then make their way west. There, the commandos along with a handful of former Arstotskan border guards who were hand-picked for the mission would begin looking for a man named Dimitri Sevchenko.
Sevchenko, better known by the nickname Gizmo, seemed to be the last solid, non-insane rock in the entire nation of Arstotska that was still willing to put up a resistance against the Belkans. Most of the fighting – especially in the center of the country – had been taken up by Agnus Dei, a radical religious cult group that often targeted Belkan and Belkan-loyalist forces with IED’s and suicide bombings. Sevchenko, however, he still represented the old regime, and from his positions in the hill country in Arstotska’s northwest corner he carried out his daily struggle against his nation’s occupiers.
The Jaegers were unsure of exactly how many men Gizmo had under his command, or even if they could completely rely upon him and his so-called “Winter Battalion” to serve as reliable partners, but he represented their best hope towards restoring a normal, functioning, and peaceful government in Arstotska. More importantly, he would also not remain a puppet of the Belkans, and he had the potential to end the massive exploitation that the Belkans enforced across the country.
Should contact be made with Gizmo, the Jaegers would not only assist the Winter Battalion directly in the form of planning and carrying out raids, but they would more importantly assist financially. Arms, money, and advisors could quickly, discreetly, and easily be ferried through the porous northwestern border, and since the Belkan and Belkan-loyalist forces held relatively little power the risk of border problems was nil.
The biggest problem, of course, would be actually locating Gizmo and his troop. Fortunately, search and recovery was one of the things that the Jaegers excelled at.
Posted:
Fri Jul 12, 2019 7:53 am
by Blackhelm Confederacy
“This place was probably a pretty nice little town,” Adlerite commando Pedar Eschenbach thought as he scanned the village before him through his binoculars.
“It’s a damned shame the place looks like something out of Fallout 4 now.”
Within the village, a four-man team of former Arstotskan border guards was working to build the trust of the local population and to learn more about the so-called “Winter Battalion” – the ragtag band of ex-soldiers and patriots that represented the last remnant of civility left in this hellscape.
The journey for the commandos had not been without incident. A few days ago, in fact, was the first time that the men of Jaeger Team 4 actually had to fire their weapons in the more than two weeks since they’d been in the country. And it was for good reason too.
During a routine patrol to sweep for Belkan units or any signs of the Winter Battalion, Hauptmann Eschenbach and his team came across a refugee band being held up by the Agnes Dei – a violent, radicalized cult that had turned preying upon the Arstotskan desperate into something of a sport.
At first, Eschenbach and his men simply watched as the cultist held the men, women, and children at gunpoint. After all, the Adlerites were under explicit orders not to engage with anyone unless absolutely necessary to ensure the survival of the operation. Just in case, however, Eschenbach ordered his snipers to take positions, and deployed a scout team to make their way closer to the unfolding scene.
At first, the cultists seemed content to simply strip the refugees of the few items they had left on them – mostly bits of food, a few small heirlooms and trinkets, nothing major, but enough to mean something to the truly desperate. That was until the cultists spotted a teenaged girl amongst the roughly 30-or-so asylum seekers and began to separate her from the group.
Seizing the girl by the hair, one of the dirt-covered cultists yanked the young blonde from the crowd. A man, perhaps her father, attempted to protest but was met with a swift butt of a Belkan-made rifle, which sent him crumbling to the ground. The others in the group looked on in horror as the filthy hands of the cultist tilted the young girls face upwards as if inspecting her, before nodding and ordering his comrades to take her away. The others in the refugee column knew better than to protest further, as what had befallen the man now crumbled upon the ground was a relatively light sentence compared to the barbarity that Agnes Dei was known for.
While those in the refugee group were helpless to the whims of Agnes Dei, the Adlerites were not. Eschenbach, upon seeing the fear in the girl’s eyes through his binoculars – indeed during her search for some savior she virtually locked eyes with the Adlerite officer, although she did not actually see him or know he was there. Instead, her desperate gaze peered right towards him, and the pleas across her face forced Eschenbach to act.
“Take them out,” Eschenbach whispered to his adjutant.
“Sir, they do not pose a threat to the mission, we are under orders not –“
“Do it, Hans. Do it now.”
The adjutant for the operation, Wachtmeister Hans Freitag, nodded before relaying the order down the line. Within seconds, the teams three snipers had found their targets and fired, dropping the dirt-covered cultist near the girl as well as two others who appeared to have influence over the rest of the bandits.
The sniper attack was swiftly followed by several bursts of suppressed automatic fire from the woods near the road as the scout team opened up upon the group. The entire ordeal was over in seconds, and the refugee group stood silent, in shock, at what just happened. And none more so than the young blonde, who now wore the blood of her near-captor in streaks across her face.
From the woods, the scout team emerged, their leader’s hand held up as a symbol of peace, his gun lightly held by his side as the snipers continued to watch over head. Nearby, a cultist groaned, revealing he was still alive, only to be silenced by a swift bullet from the sidearm of one of the scouts.
“You’re safe now,” the commando announced. “But we need to hurry. The border isn’t far from here and patrols are all over the woods.”
The scout leader, Bernd Tangemann, then looked around at the collection of a little over a half-dozen cultists laying before him and shook his head.
“We can’t let you go alone” he announced. “It’s too dangerous.”
Leaving his two scouts behind to hand out the newly liberated, ex-AD assault rifles to the men of the refugee column, Tangemann trekked back into the woods to meet with his commanding officer and discuss what to do with this really rather helpless mass.
“Sir, we need to escort them out of the country,” Tangemann said. “They have no chance on their own.”
“Absolutely not!” Wachtmeister Freitag said, the steam nearly visible coming from his ears. “Even this operation was too risky. We can not, in any circumstance, divert from the mission any further to bring these people to the border.”
“These people will die without us”
“We will die with them!”
“Enough” Eschenbach finally said. “We can escort them to the border. It isn’t very far.”
“Sir, our time tables!”
“There are three other teams out here to maintain their timetables,” Eschenbach replied. “Let them make contact. We need to help these people.”
And he was right, too. In total, four ten-man Jaeger teams had been sent over the border to occupied-Arstotska, each one augmented by a four-man team of former Arstotskan border guards who knew the lay of the land.
And so it was, just like that that Jaeger Team 4 had been diverted from their duties – much to the protests of the Wachtmeister – to serve as the shepherds of the poor and the desperate. That mission had set them back several days, but now they were here at this small mountain village, acting upon tips from locals, confident that they would be finding a member of the Winter Battalion any minute now.
Posted:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:21 pm
by Blackhelm Confederacy
National Defence System Headquarters, Baltyre
Situation and Operational Room
(co-written with Albeinland, Aswick, Hifax, and Nikolia)
The ambiance was tepid. Not just from one specific room, but the whole complex itself. Through the several hallways that comprised the intricate network of labyrinths and rooms designated to lead Caledonia in the case of any possible military attack, elegant uniforms and precious information are passed through documents indifferently and uncaringly over the dead, brown floor. Those corridors are the reason for many complaints from NDS’ employees - they claim that the halls are too narrow to allow more than two people to cross at the same time - however, they still remain almost the same as they were 50 years ago, with the same portraits and pictures of the ones who, by one way or another, helped the country to reach the respect that it has today. It’s impossible to describe how sombre but delicate these rooms are, as it is impossible to tell every single detail and history behind anything present there, including its own mysterious creation.
The National Defence System was created years after Caledonia’s democratization in the 1950s as a secret organization with the purpose of protecting the country from any possible danger against the newly-established democratic regime, be such danger foreign or domestic. Over the years, when this cautiousness started to decrease, the NDS was recycled into an intelligence agency, with its secrecy not being needed anymore. Their headquarters are located below the Caledonian Army’s headquarters and were done almost secretly, in what many people describe as an engineering miracle. Yet, nothing of this administrative wonder could be compared to what is considered the jewel of the crown - the Situation Room. Its name could mean something rather simple and without any kind of relevance, however, behind such name, the room always awaits for the most important military commanders along with national and international leaders when the nation faces its darkest times.
Located on the most underground floors of the complex, the Situation Room was designed to fulfil one task: to reunite the president, vice-president and other important politicians as well as other valuable personalities such as military commandants to deal with critical situations that risk the integrity of Caledonia in general. With the years passing by, the room started to lose its original concept and soon became a casual meeting place for special topics that needed some kind of secrecy. Unfortunately, in the past ten years, the room began to recover its original purpose as conflicts and tensions arose again over Lorecia thanks to Belka and its aggressive imperialism.
Over these years, the Belkans tried to destabilize Caledonia in numerous ways, ranging from offensive statements to even the infamous invasion of 2007 - which, fortunately, turned to be a Caledonian victory. It’s common that in such a situation the people would react outrageously or even depressingly, however, on the streets, the opposite effect happened, with the entire country seeming to be united against a common enemy. This sentiment of resistance was enough to President McKinnel finally unify the people and the government towards one single clause that she and her party supports, consolidating the power over her hands and allowing her to do the ambitious plans that she has planned for Caledonia. A pretty fascinating move from someone from her age and political experience, sure, but that’s mean almost nothing compared to her future moves.
It was a cloudy morning that day in Baltyre, with the sun showing few of its light through apathetic appearances over the sky. McKinnel was dressing a simple dark suit which suited very well with her hair and blue eyes. Accompanied by advisors and the presidential security, she left the Cartwright House under a black Willsmick before being caught by several journalists and reporters that were well aware of the meeting, with many of them standing outside the house’s walls. Due to the extreme importance that the meeting has, the streets where the entourage would pass were full with nothing than emptiness and security to make sure that nobody will threat or delay the start of the conference.
The NDS’s headquarters and the other government buildings are located next to the Cartwright House, meaning that the trip only lasted some minutes. Soon after the car stopped at the main door, a wave of journalists emerged to get the first photos and questions of the meeting and the president herself. Only after the police pushed them to their designated places, McKinnel would leave the car with a closed smile towards the camera. She declined to answer those questions though, setting her steps through the entrance of the building where the door would close soon after.
Inside the main hall, the entire place was empty with the exception of soldiers doing patrols and four men who she would easily recognize by his military uniforms from their respective branches and patents: the Commandant of the Caledonian Army Stewart Turnbull; the Air Chief Marshal of the Caledonian Air Force David Monroe; the Chief Admiral Alan Ramsay from the Caledonian Navy and the general Thomas Wallace, responsible for the southern divisions next to the Arstotskan border. All of them are highly respected men among military and political circles, with their professionalism and endeavour being responsible for them to reach the current positions that they currently hold.
Sir Turnbull is an experienced man with his 63 years, 45 of them being only focused on working in the Caledonian Army. His tallness and serious face, as well as his blue intimidating eyes, are a motive of even be feared by many of his colleagues, however, he shows to be a kind and polite person to anyone who treats him well. Few is known about Alan Ramsay than that he is a very reserved and rigid person, but such rigidity made the Caledonian Navy achieve its steps towards modernization years ago. David Monroe, on the other hand, never tried to hide his good sense of humour even in the most sombre moments, always carrying a smile on his face. Thomas, as the youngest member of the entourage, was feeling anxious. The young general only received any kind of attention due to the beauty of his blue eyes, blonder hair and muscles, and never attended a meeting that talks about such important and relevant issue.
As soon as the door closed, McKinnel immediately set her steps to the escort, who would recognize and also walk into her direction. After giving a polite and closed smile, she would proceed to compliment the other members of such court and, after noticing the strange emptiness in the hall, she asked:
“Shouldn’t everyone be already present to the meeting, Stewart?”
“It’s only 6 am, Mrs President,” Turnbull answered. “The meeting is going to happen at 7 o’clock.”
“Alright,” McKinnel replied while she checked the entrance again. “And where are the Albish entourage?”
On this question, however, she received nothing more than a shrug from Turnbull, who politely said: “All I know is that they are coming in the next few minutes.” McKinnel understood and nodded, turning her head back again to the closed door to see if one of the soldiers are going to open it again.
Albeinland, in recent months, was under a time of change and relative uncertainty regarding its future. After passing 7 years under the leadership of the social democrat George Whestling, the country elected the then-weakened Conservative Party and its leader Vincent Lloyd in one of the most competitive general elections over the last 30 years, which made the country adhere into the right-wing wave that invaded Lorecia. Together with a coalition agreement made with the Albish Nationalist League, the country’s foreign policy quickly changed from Whestling’s shyness regarding international affairs to a more harsh and participative stance from Lloyd. This shift in policies coincided exactly with the crisis in Belka and, with the government having a high popularity and success in enacting economic reforms and austerity policies, it’s now time to act with rigour and contain the totalitarian wave that hit Arstotska and can hit Caledonia - one of the biggest Albish military allies in the continent - as well. Even though Lloyd wouldn’t come to the meeting - a fact that may cause some unfamiliarity to some - this doesn’t mean that Albeinland wasn’t well-represented.
At some miles away from the NDS’ headquarters, the Albish entourage was adjusting some minor concerns and preparing themselves to leave the Kimberley Hotel - one of the most luxurious hotels that the entire city has to offer - under the sounds of journalists already present on the facade of the building together with people protesting or curious enough to see the escort passing by. The entourage was composed by the haughty Duke of Neville, Edmund Aisley, who also is the Chief of the General Staff - which is responsible to lead the Albish Army - and a close friend of the Queen as well, along with various advisors from several fields ready to assist him.
I hope that I don’t hear anything about that bitch. He thought, referring to Charlotte Mann and her statements about Albish internal problems in what he considers a “foreign intervention”. Quietly, he entered in another black Willsmick into the headquarters, while conceiving the ideal posture towards everyone present there.
General Gotthard Schmerling arrived alongside the Legate from the Blackhelm Confederacy, Tarquinius Redwall, in a staff car flanked by a number of Caledonian outriders. Schmerling, the Chief of Staff of the Adlerite military, had been preparing for this very moment for over a decade. Ever since the Belkans were defeated in 2007, he knew that they would come again, and for this he had planned well.
Redwall, for his part, was a crucial piece of Schmerling’s puzzle when it came to keeping his homeland safe. The Adlerite army was well-trained, well-equipped, and well-motivated, but they were still just a small force representing a nation of only a few million and for this reason it was imperative that they remain under the protection of the Confederate military.
The Confederate officer had been in the area for the last three years, and he had learned the interesting quirks of Schmerling well. Today, he was noticing one of these trademark personality markers as the Adlerite commander rubbed his nose with both hands, watching the buildings pass out the window as they neared the meeting grounds.
“Nervous, Gotthard?” the Confederate asked,
“More anxious,” Gotthard replied. “We have the fate of a continent in the balance here, and half of our so-called allies don’t seem to even care.”
“The Nidwaldesters have already deployed their aircraft, the Albish and Caledonians are prepared to strike, and reports show that the Aswickans are already deploying airborne forces into Arstotska.”
“The Nikolians have still done nothing but talk. Same as the Noords. We need unity here” Gotthard replied as the car began to slow. “We need a united front.”
A Caledonian private suddenly opened the door and snapped a sharp salute before beckoning the two delegates to follow behind him, leading the pair up the stairs to where the meeting was to be held.
There, within the great hall, sat alone Volker Schneiderhan, Chief of Defence of the Grand Duchy of Nidwalden.
“It looks like we aren’t the first to arrive then!” Redwall quipped as he approached the Lorecian, hand outstretched in greeting.
“Legate Tarquinius Redwall, commander of the Blackhelm Confederate forces in Platteisen Adler”
Volker stood up from the chair, ''Commander, a pleasure...'' said extending his hand, ''Volker Schneiderhan, Chief of Defence of Nidwalden''.
“Likewise,” Redwall nodded shaking the Chief’s hand.
“General Gotthard Schmerling, Chief of Staff of the Military of Platteisen Adler,” Schmerling added. “It is good to meet you. Seems that we are a bit early, eh Herr Schneiderhan?”
''It certainly looks like it General Schmerling, I thought it was a Caledonian tradition to arrive in time'', said smiling.
“I think they like to keep us waiting,” Redwall laughed. “Builds suspense.”
“Mhm… but in the meantime, do the Confederates have anything prepared, anything ordered?”
Lieutenant General Mansell of the Royal Aswickan Army arrived in an unmarked black saloon car. Though it was no secret that there were Aswickans in the country, it was still thought more prudent for the General to be somewhat inconspicuous. For this reason he wore a long civilian coat over his khaki No.2 service dress uniform.
Having left his coat in the entry hall, he was quickly ushered into the meeting room where upon his entry a Caledonian soldier saluted. He returned it before stepping over to a pair of officers already chatting. “General, Legate” he offered. He had been briefed on the people he would meet before he had boarded the plane over and immediately recognised their faces.
“Prepared? No, we are mostly here for support. The Adlerites here are going to be doing the heavy lifting on our side...and look who we have here!” Redwall said, turning to face the Aswickan general. “Mansell, is it?”
“That would be correct, sir” he began. “Lieutenant General Nigel Mansell, late of the Rifles” he stated almost for the record by way of introduction and though he currently served as Commander, Field Army it was customary for an officer to state his old Regiment.
The Legate extended his hand once again. “Pleasure to meet you, Legate Tarquinius Redwall, commander of the Blackhelm Confederate Forces in Platteisen Adler. I never thought I would have the privilege of meeting an Aswickan commander on such amicable terms.”
“The same might be said for me, Legate” the Aswickan General said, chuckling before shaking the man’s hand.
The Adlerite stepped forward next, joining the conversation. “General Gotthard Schmerling, Chief of Staff of the Military of Platteisen Adler. Thank you for your assistance in helping to finally bring stability to the continent. May it last for eternity this time.”
“My pleasure, I’m sure, though I doubt we’ll go that long” Mansell replied, a little cynical in that regard. He had been in the Army long enough to know that man will always be man, and that man would never change. Much like war never changed.
“Well, let’s get to our seats, shall we?” Schmerling said, making his way towards a spot near the center of the table. Redwall followed suit, plopping down at a spot to the Adlerite’s right. “At least we can be sure we’ll have the best seats!”
“I’m sure the others won’t be long,” Redwall added. “Better get the good spots while you can, or else you’ll end up off in a corner!”
Mansell feigned a smile. If this meeting had been in Aswick, the seating arrangement would have been set out in advance and would be sorted by seniority. It wouldn’t be a turkey shoot like this was, where everyone could sit where they wanted to.
To their surprise, however, the Albish and Caledonian delegation was already awaiting them in the conference room. “Ah, too good to meet us at the door are you?” Redwall quipped as he extended his hand to his Lorecian counterparts, the others following suit and exchanging pleasantries with their newfound allies.
Meanwhile, having defeated the standard rush hour traffic in Baltyre, yet another unmarked black saloon car entered the facility. The people walking along the streets around the facility wouldn’t think of it as something special or extraordinary, however, the cars that were arriving today weren’t delivering Caledonian high ranking officials to their workplaces, but generals from several Astyrian countries on a meeting whose content was known to a small circle of people. The car that has just arrived brought General Jakov Nedovic of the Nikolian Armed Forces and his aide-de-camp Major Radoslav Guberinic.
As the two got out of the car and gathered their things from various compartments, yet another black car entered the compound, as if the two cars, or passengers thereof, agreed to meet in front. It wasn't too far from the truth; the other car carried Noordenstaater delegation, with whom General Nedovic spoke via the secure network just hours ago. The second car pulled right behind the Nikolian car and the two pale, light haired officers emerged. "Robert! Long time no see!" General Nedovic joked, as he approached the higher ranking officer among the two for a handshake.
It was indeed General Robert Snijder, Commander of the Armed Forces of Noordenstaat. "Jakov, indeed long time. Let me introduce you to my assistant on this meeting, Major Erik Brammers" Robert responded, pointing out to his younger colleague The generals and their aides made their way to the meeting room through a intricated network of hallways and passages, something that wasn't too unfamiliar to them, however, neither of them ever visited Caledonia, let alone were in this facility. As they entered the large meeting room, they introduced themselves to those unfamiliar, and greeted those familiar and located their seats.
When every guest arrived and sat down on their respective chairs, McKinnel finally began the meeting with a shy smile towards everyone present in the room. After briefly organizing her paperwork on the table, she began introducing and explaining everything that is known about Belka’s plans and moves:
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to your presence on this very crucial meeting that will surely define the future of Lorecia,” she gave a proud smile followed by a brief pause in her introduction to get a slide controller from one of the employees, showing an image of the destruction caused by Belkan forces along with the shocking scenes that they made in Arstotska. “Over the last years, Belka attacked and persecuted Caledonia in several ways due to its engagement in the defence of democratic institutions that exist in northern Lorecia, with the most serious one being the infamous Belkan invasion to Caledonia ten years ago which - fortunately - was defeated by a joint Caledonian-Confederate-Adlerite coalition. Now, it seems that they are wanting revenge against ours by doing the most horrific acts such as the ones seen in Arstotska.
Of course, Caledonian intelligence agencies and the National Defence System always kept an eye over all Belkan activity, however - to be honest - we never expected such brutal and fast move than what we’ve seen in the last weeks. Regarding refugees, I can assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that we were accepting and treating very well everyone that came and still are coming from the south, as these images proofs,” immediately, McKinnel moved to the next slides, confirming what she said and proceeding the meeting. “We also guarantee that we are working hard on the continuation of the Arstotskan government as soon as this crisis ends, and I also have the public trust and parliamentary support necessary to do any urgent action that will contribute to the end of this as fast as possible.”
With a serious face, McKinnel gave another brief pause as she drank water and reviewed her papers to check if everything is going as expected. After concluding that all is occurring well, she said: “Now, I would like to invite General Thomas Wallace, responsible for the troops located on the Caledonian-Arstotskan border that will explain the local situation and the adequate measures that we should follow. General, please.”
After she sat down, Wallace instantaneously arose from his chair, giving a pale smile to everyone. A bit nervous, he explained: “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. As the Mrs President said, I am responsible for the command of Caledonian troops in the southern provinces of the country, especially Kirlshire,” he gave another small pause and soon continued describing the situation. “On the first days of the invasion, we surprisingly saw few to almost no powerful military activity on the northern Arstotskan border than civilian refugees coming south or some Arstotskan resistance groups fighting against Belkan soldiers, as the slide shows. However, according to satellite images, it seems that Belka is starting to concentrate its forces close enough to both Caledonian and Adlerite borders and working on what is very likely to be the construction of military bases and the installation of possible silos.
Therefore, what I and General Turnbull agreed is despite the fact that we don’t have full confirmation of the silos, the number of proofs and hostile acts made by Belka including the invasion itself along with the rise of other hostile groups in the area are enough for the launch of a precautionary attack that will not only avoid them from launching an attack against Caledonia and Plattersein Adler but will make them retreat from Arstotska too.”
“I have a question if you will,” raised Lord Aisley. “Although I agree with the stance of launching a precautionary attack against Belka before they launch an invasion against ours, what are the current measures that you and General Turnbull decided to use against them? Are the use of nuclear weapons included as a possibility?”
“I thought that we aren’t going to talk about nukes,” McKinnel objected. “The use of nuclear weapons is not going to be endorsed by Caledonia as this could worsen the crisis even more than its current state and reach mutually assured destruction - which is the complete opposite of what we really want here.”
“I see,” replied Lord Asley in a more arrogant tone. “It’s captivating that you don’t want the use of nukes in this conflict since it meets the exact objectives that I was tasked to perform, however, that doesn’t answer my question about the procedures that General Turnbull and Wallace planned to use against Belka.”
Shortly after Lord Aisley fell silent, Turnbull raised from his chair and soon started to illustrate the operation: “Right now, we have almost two hundred and fifty thousand men ready-to-fight with another one million reserves that are on alert since the beginning of the offensives weeks ago along with three hundred and fifty tanks, five thousand armoured fighting vehicles, eighty-eight self-propelled artillery and twenty-eight rocket projectors, excluding the actual firepower the Caledonian Navy and Air Force. On 0000, the Armed Forces would launch combined strategic attacks against strategic military bases, communication points and civilian infrastructure - all of them at once - to confuse and delay military orders and defence procedures. After the signal, members of the 3rd, 4th and 12th Parachute Brigade - which is composed of around fifteen thousand men in total - will be launched behind Arstotskan lines to clean up the remaining enemy forces left. We expect that by 0600 we could authorise the remaining troops to begin their march into Arstotskan territory and reach their capital on the following day.”
“The Caledonian Air Force would be responsible for the airstrikes against civil and military infrastructure,” asserted Monroe, showing trust and vitality to the plan. “We also aim to own the entire Arstotskan and Belkan airspace within 24 hours, shutting down every enemy fighter and forcing them to fight only inland and maybe on the sea.”
“By this time, the Caledonian Navy will open fire against any enemy military ship and close transit to civilian and merchant ones, instituting a blockade until the invasion ends,” stated Ramsay, now explaining the navy’s role. “At this moment, we have the CNS Cochrane - our aircraft carrier - as well as six out of thirteen frigates and the entire fleet of submarines and vessels next to the Belkan maritime boundary and ready to act immediately when the signal is given.”
“It’s a…. very interesting plan,” said Lord Aisley, impressed. “How many missiles are going to be launched?”
“Three hundred,” replied Turnbull. “Two hundred and fifty of them are going to be launched on the initial hours of the attack while the other fifty are going to be reserved and only used if we see a more harsh resistance from Belkan soldiers.”
“And what about the Albish military plan, Lord Asley?” McKinnel questioned, curious.
“As the media already reported, the entire Albish military command, as well as the Privy Council and Cabinet, meet in the Betfield Palace along with the Queen days ago. There, based on previous operations and from what we know about Belka and its military power, we created a military plan that - surprisingly - fits very well into the plan proposed by General Turnbull and Wallace and could be used by other nations present in this room too. Currently, the Albish Army has two alpine divisions with forty thousand men in total next to the Arstotskan border due to the hilly terrain in the region caused by the Apperlanes. The Operation Saturn - as it was named - would start with a massive bombardment of 200 missiles in all Belkan military and strategic points, followed by an invasion force composed by these alpine troops with parachuters being used as auxiliary units in regions with high resistance. I think that blending both operations into a single one will give more damage than uncoordinated attacks by various countries.”
“Do you mean merging various attacks into a single one at the same time?” asked Wallace.
“Exactly. Imagine the firepower, the damage and the confusion that this will cause to the Belkan military - they will only know for sure what happened when we call them talking about the peace conditions, haha,” After giving a pause, Lord Aisley reminded about an important concern, addressing such: “Back to the plan, I’m sure that the First Lord of the Admiralty told me days prior that the Royal Navy is under the disposal of Caledonia and could be sent to such if needed. Of course, this issue would be better discussed with my colleague through a video-conference.”
“Surely I will talk to him, Lord Aisley. Thanks for telling us this information that could be very important in the future,” said McKinnel. “I also agree with the idea of having a unique simultaneous attack following the same scheme, as this will give more power to our forces and will not let the Belkan defence system react quickly. I’m very confident about this plan and sure that will work.”
“It will.”
Schmerling would be the next to speak, and cleared his throat as he stood. “I would like to provide a brief overview of the current situation facing Platteisen Adler, so that we might better understand the situation facing my countrymen and the dire straits that we find ourselves in” the Adlerite said.
“At the present moment there are Confederate, Caledonian, and Adlerite brigades all arrayed along the demilitarized zone to our east. These units are being supported by a recently mustered reserve division. Along the former Arstotskan front, we have another reserve division, as well as the regular-duty Adler Division and a newly formed Arstotskan rifle brigade. These are the three units that we plan to utilize during our portion of the ground offensive. They will be, of course, supported by the Adlerite Air Force and Navy, however, we have only a handful of planes that we can meaningfully commit to the endeavor. We have twenty-four aircraft that I feel we can comfortably commit, and the rest I feel will be necessary to remain at home. The Navy also has three frigates currently capable of providing missile coverage, but we are relatively lacking in that domain - ten cruise missiles each vessel.”
“I would like to add that there is also an EW battalion working in Adler as well,” Redwall, the Confederate commander, added. “We’re going to do our best to turn the lights out, so to speak, and shut down the Belkan communications during the first strike.”
Schmerling nodded in agreement before continuing. “The first strike is the most crucial component of this entire operation, as our comrades in Caledonia and Albeinland have noted. Even with a multinational force, the Belkans still have numerical superiority, and this strike represents our greatest chance for success.”
The Adlerite clicked a button on clicker placed before him, and a layout of Belkan positions took over a screen at the center of the room.
“Intel reports that there are more than a million Belkan soldiers, not counting their reserves, as well as roughly 1,800 fixed wing aircraft, 3,200 MBT’s, more than 4,000 choppers, roughly 300 MLRS systems, and between two and three hundred cruise missile launchers.”
The Adlerite pressed another button, switching the screen to a diagram of a Belkan-made cruise missile launcher.
“The missile systems pose the most immediate and direct threat to both Platteisen Adler as well as Aswick, and many are equipped to launch both ATACMS-type or Tomahawk-type missiles. If unsecured, the Belkan Reich has the capacity to launch a retaliatory strike of over a thousand warheads. More if they opt to use long-ranged rockets instead of ATACMS in their MLRS vehicles. Obviously, this represents a lethal retaliatory capacity that must be handled. These vehicles will be the primary targets of the Adlerite Air Force during the opening strikes. Unfortunately, given the small size of our air forces, we are only able to deploy twelve aircraft into Arstotska, and another twelve against assets within Belka proper. We also plan to unload as much artillery as possible against opposing forces across the DMZ, but given both the secrecy of Belkan concentrations as well as the limited range of artillery strikes, we are unsure if any of these most important objectives will be neutralized during the ground maneuvers.”
“The Confederate brigade along the DMZ has two D-30 batteries and a D-20 battery in position. This represents a total of eighteen guns, and unfortunately the very best range we can get - even with rocket assisted shells, is 24 kms. This means that anything beyond that bubble is out of range,” Redwell chimed in.
“We have a significant amount of artillery in the area as well, but like the Confederates, range is limited,” Schmerling continued. “There are currently nine M114 batteries, with a realistic range of about 14km, an eight vehicle MLRS battery, and three M109 batteries. In total, including the Confederate guns present, we have 98 pieces capable of sustaining a barrage against the Belkan drops in the DMZ. As envisioned according to the joint Confederate/Adlerite war plans, the initial barrage will coincide with a full volley from all 98 weapons, which can sustain a volume of several hundred rounds and rockets per minute for roughly eight minutes before the units exhaust their offensive supply.”
“And don’t forget the mortars,” Redwall added.
“Yes, of course,” Schmerling replied. “Between us and the Confederates we have more than 200 mortars that will also be utilized in the opening salvo, ranging from small commando style pieces up to 120mm tubes. Even with them, however, we lack enough range to do anything more than cause a disruption along the DMZ. The troops along the Arstotskan front are better equipped, and have their own eight vehicle MLRS battery, as well as nine batteries each of M114’s and M1019’s along with plenty of mortars. But even still our forces alone are entirely insufficient to do much more than cause a localized shock within our immediate area of operations.”
“This is where you fellas need to shine,” Redwall said.”We need each of you to assist in that opening barrage. As some of you may already know, the Confederacy has also positioned a submarine off the Belkan coast, which is planning to target several airfields in northern Belka. But our barrage, even with the sub-launched missiles, is simply not enough to disrupt the Belkans in any meaningful way - even if we manage to shut down their comms.” The Confederate next looked to the Nidwaldester and Aswickan commanders.
“I know that you two have prepared a southern strike plan, are there any final numbers in this regard?”
''Thank you Redwell, thank you Schmerling.'' Said Volker, ''the Nidwaldester Defence Air Force has already deployed 48 combat aircraft in the RAF Valley, our helicopters and transport planes are also in Aswick and divided in other RAF Bases. In total, Nidwalden has moved seven squadrons, none of them with a complete men force but the Prime Minister has approved the inclusion of the Army in the case of being needed.''
The Adlerite nodded along as the man from Nidwalden spoke. “Those helicopters, are they attack-capable, or are they only there to assist with logistics?” he asked. “More attack choppers can always be a good thing to off-set that Belkan tank-swarm.”
''Attack-capable, of course, Westland Lynxes.’’
“Perfect. The more airpower we have in this operation the better, and I am certain that those Lynxes can be quite useful down there.”
“Forty-eight aircraft, you say?” Redwall chimed in. “This is excellent. That should add considerably to the firepower on the Aswickan front. Between all of you down there, have you managed to delegate any kind of target prioritization? I imagine dividing the targets is the best way to go about assigning objectives.”
Mansell chimed in at this point. “No delegation per se, but everyone flying from Aswick will get their orders from us. First priority will be given to any and all radar installations. Then we go down the list: military infrastructure, leadership, armour, and targets of opportunity in support of ground forces.” he explained.
Schmerling nodded along as the Aswickan commander spoke. “I am not sure of the positioning of their launchers along your front, Herr Mansell. But I do believe that you too would be best suited to make them a priority target. It is likely that the Belkans will be out for blood after we finish our first strikes, and those surface launchers are going to be their means to do it.”
Mansell shook his head at what his opposite was saying. “With all respect, I don’t believe any of us have information on their launch sites, or the locations of their launchers. Therefore, taking out their eyes and their ability to take out our planes should be our highest priority. Once we have air superiority, we can task our planes to in effect go scud hunting.”
He took a sip from the glass in front of him before continuing. “Further, the troops we currently have in Arstotska, our Special Air and Special Boat Services, do have as their secondary objectives the mission to report on enemy launch sites.” he said, which meant that with those troops they could keep track of the enemy.
Schmerling thought for a moment, acknowledging the accurate points that the Aswickan was making. “You are correct that we don’t know the launch sites… And I believe you are correct in your assessment about blinding them before moving on. Furthermore, I believe we can also assist in the missile hunting. We have roughly one hundred frogmen ready and waiting for the order to cross into Arstotska. I can give the green light for them to move as soon as this meeting is concluded.”
“See that!” Redwall quipped. “This is why we have these meetings. Progress!”
“Progress indeed,” Schmerling replied. “First priority will be given to their anti-air assets. The launchers will come later.”
“I should note, the primary target of the Blackhelm Confederacy will remain the airfields in Belka proper,” Redwall said. “As I said earlier, we have a submarine parked just off the Belkan coast with forty Zircon missiles just waiting for the order to launch.”
The Nikolian delegation, together with their colleagues from Noordenstaat listened carefully to everyone, occasionally nodding in agreement and discussing something within themselves. As it was their turn to speak, General Nedovic stood up first, aligned several sheets of paper in front of him on the desk, and cleared his throat: “Gentlemen, the Nikolian Armed Forces, in cooperation and previous communication with your armies and governments and will blessings and the Royal Consent of His Majesty the King will participate in this operation in two parts: Our 12th Special Mountain Brigade, with the size of 10,000 soldiers shall be deployed in Aswick along the border with Belka. I want to remind you that this area is mountainous and is rather complex terrain, therefore it requires a specialised unit to cover it. Main task of the 12th will be to provide help to the Aswickan forces in guarding the border from any surprise attacks from the Belkans. The unit will be on standby and ready to change their task at any moment, should that be necessary. The second part of our involvement is in the initial attack with 205th Strategic Fighter-Bomber Wing composing of one squadron of KaF-120B supersonic strategic bombers, and two squadrons of JAV 16 Adelaar multirole fighters. In the initial attack, the strategic bombers will carry a full load of twelve cruise missiles each and will set targets in coordination with your troops, while being guarded by a squadron of fighters. After the attack, the strategic bombers will return to base and they will be on standby, however, their use will be limited to targets of utmost importance, while the two fighter squadrons will continue to provide close air support to the ground troops on southern front as they progress in Arstotska and also participate in air superiority.
I will now give word to my colleague from Noordenstaat, General Snijder” he finished, pointing at his Noordenstaater colleague.
General Snijder then stood up, fixed his uniform and nodded to General Nedovic
“Thank you Jakov. Gentlemen, i am very pleased to be here with you, however, I’d love if it was for some better occasion. The Noordenstaater Parliament and Her Majesty the Queen have approved the involvement of our forces in this operation, as it is for the well-being, peace and stability of Lorecia and the Lorecian people, which is our utmost task. Our Armed Forces will be present with ground forces, namely the 1 Pantserbrigade, our most elite armoured brigade. They will participate in the southern front, and they will be supported by the 21st Combat Aviation Brigade counting 45 attack helicopters, 30 medium sized transport helicopters and a company of 15 helicopters with the role of medical evacuation. The 21st CAB will primarily support our troops in the ground, however, they will be available to provide support to your troops in the front, should it be necessary. So far that is our current capacity, while the additional deployment is still being discussed as we speak. “ Snijder ended, giving a brief glance at the crowd that was carefully listening to him.
“Well, it looks like we’re all set then,” Redwall nodded. “Let’s get this thing started!”
Posted:
Fri Dec 06, 2019 5:11 pm
by Blackhelm Confederacy
Adlerite/Belkan DMZ
December 6, 2019 - 0200This was it. This was the day that so many had finally been waiting for. The day that months of painstaking preparations would all lead up to. Over the prior sixteen days since the final meeting in Caledonia, thousands of Nikolian forces began quietly slipping into positions along the Belkan border with Aswick, while Nikolian aircraft began arriving at Aswickan bases for the final showdown. For months prior, hundreds of thousands of Caledonian, Albish, Aswickan, Adlerite, and Confederate troops, as well as several thousand men and women of the former Arstotskan military, had been massed along the border. But now, at 2 A.M. on December 6th, the tension would finally snap.
The very first step of the attack would unfold in the form of a massive EW attack via the Confederate Murmansk-BN systems based within Platteisen Adler. The Murmansk-BN array had the capacity to blanket not only Arstotska, but Belka as well under a massive comms blackout, jamming radios and satellite communications across the battlespace. Within seconds of the Murmansk's activation, a veritable wave of cruise missiles would be launched from points all around Arsotskan and Belkan territory, pouring in hundreds of guided munitions against a variety of targets deemed important by the Allied armed forces.
From the sea, the Confederate submarine that had been off the Belkan coast for months finally sprang to life. With one massive barrage, forty high-speed Zircon missiles burst from the sea, bound for the largest Belkan military airbase on the countries northern coast. At the same time, the Adlerite Navy came alive as well. Splitting their force between targets along the Belkan DMZ and northern Arstotska, Adlerite cruise missiles sailed through the skies bound for the enemy who had for so long wrought devastation upon the people of this continent. Twenty missiles targetted SAM and radar arrays behind the Belkan DMZ, while ten more targetted similar installations in Arstotska. The massive array of firepower along the DMZ further added to the chaos on the ground, as three Confederate artillery batteries and several Belkan batteries - 90 guns and 8 MLRS batteries in total - roared to life. These weapons were joined by another nearly 200 mortars of various sizes, all of which began pumping out shells as fast as their crews could load them, targetting anything with the capacity to retaliate on the Belkan side of the line.
With Platteissen Adler itself, additional measures were being undertaken to ensure that the Belkan population in the eastern part of the country would remain subdued. In a massive sweep, elements of the 2nd Adlerite Reserve Division, along with local law enforcement, descended upon the area known as Frankreich to detain any and all known or suspected members of pro-Belkan separatists groups. The reservists and their police partners took no chances, kicking in doors and rousting people from their beds before carting them off to detention centers. And it wasn't just suspected sympathizers either. Anyone with any influence - community organizers, politicians, all of them - were all also on the hit list of the reservists as they poured across the region.
To the south, more than one hundred Adlerite frogmen began making their way across the lake separating Arstotska and Adler while the Adlerite Division and the 1st Adlerite Reserve Division, supported by the 1st Arstoskan Rifle Regiment, slammed into the Belkan troops on the opposite side of the ground border. Covered by a rolling artillery barrage, the Adlerites and their Arstotskan allies planned to blitz against their Belkan adversaries and drive deep into the center of the country.
These men and women, of course, were not alone. From Caledonia and Albeinland, another 450 cruise missiles would blow into Arstotskan airspaces, targetting airbases, radar, SAM sites, and command posts and striking en masse. These missiles too were supplemented by another 144 from the Nikolian bombers, bringing a total of 574 missiles, when counting the Albish, Caledonian, Adlerite, and Nikolian missiles together, crashing down against Arstotska, while another 60 reached Belka proper. Behind these missiles would also come hundreds of thousands of troops - more than enough to overwhelm the estimated 90,000 Belkans on the ground. The Caledonian army, supported by a Confederate brigade, would slam in from the Northwest, the Albish from the Southwest, and the Aswickans from the South.
The Aswickans would play an even more vital role - perhaps the most vital of all - as they were the ones tasked with locating and eliminating the many missile launch positions that threatened to retaliate against the allied nations.
Since July 25th, Aswikan SAS and SBS personnel had been on the ground in both Arstotska and Belka, locating and identifying the weapons that threatened to end the lives of so many innocents. Now was their time to strike, and strike they would as they ambushed launch positions across the region.
The Aswickans, of course, were not the only commandos that were in the area.
Confederate forces had been in the area since July 12th, steadily building up a guerilla army and identifying potential targets for precisely this moment. Now, upon this day of reckoning, the Confederates and their ragtag army of bandits, militiamen, and patriots began to launch attacks across Western Arstotska, ambushing convoys, targetting supply dumps, and causing as much general chaos as possible to add to the general confusion of the situation.
And, this was still not the end of it. Moving in hot on the tails of the cruise missiles would come hundred of warplanes - planes from Adler, Nidwalden, Noordenstaat, Nikolia, Caledonia, Aswick, and Albeinland - all of them loaded up with as many missiles as they could hold to deal with whatever the initial barrage had left behind.
The war in the north was opened with a roar, and now time would tell just how the move would pay off.
Posted:
Sun Jan 12, 2020 12:50 pm
by Ionicus
The Ionician Technate, District 2
Department of Defense Cyber Command, Location Classified
Local Time: 1455 December 6th, 2019 // Belkan Local Time: 0155 December 7th, 2019
The room’s color had been washed away, replaced with the glow of the blue lamps hanging from the ceiling. The only colors besides the monotonous blue where the green and red displays of the computer monitors, neatly fitted to the rows of consoles in the large room. A group of 8 men, some in military uniforms, others in civilian clothes huddled together around a collection of computers sitting on a long bench in the back of the room. The room was almost dead silent, save for the noise of the ventilation fans whirring away quietly in the background. The men seemed a bit uneasy, if not nervous, staring intently at these computers and then to the clock fixed above a large display at the front of the room.
Local Time: 1456 // Belkan Local Time: 0156
In early July of 2018 year, the computers began flowing into the Cyber Command building, one by one. The first to arrive were those of lesser importance, things like computers used to track logistical items. Then came the larger prizes, bits of command and control software, communication equipment, and the likes. Some of these were obtained by spies operating for the Blackhelm Confederacy, while others yet were obtained by Ionicus’s own. The machines were tagged and sent off to various specialists.
Local Time: 1457 // Belkan Local Time: 0157
The task laid before the Cyber Command was not an easy one, but it wasn’t exactly something they had never done before. The were to devise, in as many ways as possible, ways to diminish the Belkan Occupation Forces’ ability to wage war with an offensive cyber attack. The orders from the Department of Defense were clear: in no way should this attack be traceable back to Ionicus, which had been cultivating the image of neutrality for decades. However, that never did quite stop them from occasionally pulling a few secret strings here and there. Dr. Jacob Haaro, a graduate from Tahirah University with a PhD. in computer science and several years of experience working for the Cyber Command, would be selected to lead this operation.
Local Time: 1458 // Belkan Local Time: 0158
Research of the Belkan computers began almost immediately after they arrived. The scientists and technicians were working on a tight deadline. Hardware was dissected, studied, replicated, and reassembled. Meanwhile, endless rows of computers years ahead of their time, whose very existence was only able to be vaguely hypothesized to those outside of the ones who worked with them, digested the endless lines of coding that formed the operating system and software used by the Belkan military. Piles of reports were generated and poured over by some of the brightest minds within the walls of the Cyber Command.
Of course, not every electronic used by the Belkan forces could be obtained. The most challenging projects were those which needed to be concocted from technical manuals, photographs, and a healthy bit of guesswork using information from other projects. Working replicas of various devices were constructed, but their accuracy would only be determined after they were to be deployed.
Proposals began to fill the desk of Dr. Haaro; many to be rejected. “No, that won’t work” would become his mantra, turning away excited cyber analysts for weeks until he would finally grant their approval following several changes. The bulk of the attack would malware targeted at command and control systems, inhibiting them from displaying the correct information. The other main target was the Belkan logistics system with the intent of slowing down the mobilization of forces in defense of the occupied territory.
After months of work, the final products had been developed. Portable storage devices were loaded with the malware. The malware would need to be loaded onto the computers physically by the network of spies operating in the country. The attack was to be activated without any external output; set to activate on December 7th, 2019 at 0200, the same time as the first wave of attacks were set to occur by the coalition forces.
Local Time: 1459 // Belkan Local Time: 0159
Dr. Haaro’s focus was now entirely consumed by the row of Belkan computers in front of him. The recirculated air chilled his sweating body. The months of work were about to face their trial: would the computers malfunction or would they do nothing?
Local time: 1500 // Belkan Local Time: 0200
The loudspeakers broke the silence that had engulfed the room, “The time is now 1700” an artificial voice announced. Almost instantaneously, the screens on the logistics computers flashed black for a brief second before returning to their previous screen. An officer looked down to his clipboard, the erroneous numbers that were pre-programmed to overwrite the memory matched as they had been intended to. A collective feeling of relief washed over them, but it was short lived. Dr. Haaro pointed towards one of the command and control machines; it had not changed since the clock rolled over. Their main target was not responding to the attack they had devised.
Moments later, one of the men drew their attention to the time displayed on the unit, it was just a slight bit behind the other ones. “I almost forgot, they used a different clock generator on this one, higher grade oscillator, never seems to work quite right with our…” Dr. Haaro began before trailing off, his focus now on the erroneous troop movements being tracked by the computer.
The effectiveness of this attack would be determined later, using intel gathered by the coalition forces assaulting Belka. But for the men who had worked tirelessly on this project, the good news would be enough to celebrate on.