The 4th Malesti-Bohi War (Sunalaya Only)(CLOSED)(IC)

[Molenston]

Ruins of Port Ubbeval

Captain Iddi entered into the ruin that used to be the Naval Base in Port Ubbeval. Battered and destroyed, with smoke still seeping through the cracks from unclaimed locations, it had become the Rhodeve Commonwealth Army’s forward strike base. Not that it had seen much action since its destruction by the Bohi Navy. The single largest loss in the Fourth Malesti-Bohi War thus far. The captain cleared his throat.

A female turned to him, her eyes hard, softening slightly when she saw his uniform. She walked over to him, saluting him and then shaking his hand. Her Malesti was very rough with a strong Rhodeve accent, but her general idea was conveyed. “Welcome captain.”
Out of comfort to her and to further their own conversation into more advanced vocabulary, he responded in English. “Hello captain. I am Iddi, sent from the reserve lines.”

“Captain Singh.” She responded. “Captain Iddi? You lead the initial tank raid on The Bohin?”
The Malesti captain nodded, looking at her brown eyes, which matched her hair, as well as the gold eagle patch on one arm and Rhodeve flag patch on her other. While the Rhodeves themselves were only just entering the war, the Rhodeves and others alongside them in the Commonwealth had been there since the beginning.
“I am. We lost a lot of good men that day. Just as we did here.”

“We won’t let that happen again. And thanks to you, we know about the Bohin’s new toy. The reason your signals were so jammed inside the country. It is cray. Their software and scrambling systems are on par with some of the most advanced nations in the world. It is definitely foreign made. We are unsure if it is a secretive Divergian invention, or a combination of Divergian and old Soviet Jasonian or something else from some new ally we don’t know about yet. But it is tough. We don’t have enough information on it to crack through it.”

“Yes, the systems are strong. They’ve never been one for heavy defense systems before, but their knew general.”
“General Wikker.”

“Him,” Captain Iddi confirmed. “This General Wikker is smarter than the others. They are encroaching on Port Ubbeval and Reikkyama. Reikyama is nearly destroyed from daily attacks and fights. Yet when the international forces try to push their advantage, they are stopped back at the border that the Bohi have created. I fear larger attacks in the near future.”
“Don’t worry.” Captain Singh said, calmer with her words than her actions, as she tugged on the bottom of her uniform. “We have soldiers there. And other international forces. And with a planned attack on-”

Captain Iddi quickly covered her mouth, stifling any more sounds. “I know. Be careful here. We don’t know if there are bugs placed around here or not.”

“Don’t worry Captain.” Singh threw the Malesti’s hand off of her. “We sweeped for bugs or any other recording devices. We are as safe as we are going to be.”

Captain Iddi breathed a sigh of relief. “As long as you are sure. But yes, with that battle approaching, the Bohi have a lot on their mind. Have you heard about the attack on the Ukhal Peninsula?”
“The North Rukonians? Hopefully they put up a good fight. I would wish them luck if I could.”
“As would I.”
“And the loss of Nelspruit?”

Iddi nodded. “Lots of civilians deaths. Women and children alike. They have no regard for humanity.”
“I am pretty a strike force will take back the town soon. Not sure who will be attacking, they’ve kept me out of the loop. Don’t want to pass along any information the Bohis might not know about.”
“Smart decision. So, now that we have gone over the basics, let us sit and discuss the coming attack? My men are ready. A few remaining tanks and a hundred men on the ground. Added to your 250?”

“Three-fifty. New men coming from the reserves.”
“Then three hundred and fifty. Enough to push back the line and give this Port some breathing room?”
Just then a soldier rushed into the room, followed by the building shaking, letting dust free from the caved in ceiling. “Captains. The Bohi are attacking the Port.”

The two captains looked at each other. “Offensives are out of the question now. Defend the Port. This base is our top priority. We CANNOT let the Bohi get their hands on it…”

[Ophioneus]

Marxist Controlled Uszwa
5km From the Bohin/Uszwa Boarder
Ferapont Aleksey

Despite the darkness, the vehicle convey made its way through the dirt road. Only the front truck had headlights. Despite rocky trail the trucks moved on. Aleksey light up a cigarette and peered into the road ahead. He took a moment to glance down at his watch. The glow in the dark hands showed that it was just passed 1am. The groundcover in this part of the country was minimal. Despite the risk, the convey pressed on. They had been driving for nearly a hour. However, they were almost at the destination. By the time the cigarette was burnt to the end the group made their arrival. Arriving in a small clearing, Aleksey got out and watched as the trucks lined up in a semicircle along the edge of the clearing. There were barely no lights, except for flashlights and the headlights of a few trucks. The group then waited for another forty five minutes.

Without any sound, a white light came through the trees. A few men were startled by it. Aleksey checked his watch. They were on time. The roar of the engines slowly grew, and the headlight steady. A trail of dust followed the new convey into the clearing. From one of the lead vehicles a man gets out. Aleksey goes to meet him. "Sir," the foreign man said in a heavy accent. Aleksey nods, skeptical if the person even noticed, and walked over to one of the trucks. Hopping in the back, he takes out a phone and turns on the flashlight. The two men walk over to a crate. Aleksey gestured for the man to open it. Inside, the man was happy to see a case of MANPAD launches. The man smiled. The two got out of the car. As they did so, the drivers from the two conveys were switching trucks. Within the next half hour the drivers from the Bohin would be leaving with their new weapons. Aleksey would have the trucks. By daybreak they would be back at the airport. Then the mission would start again.

[Pantorrum]

Uszwa

Thanatos Airbase

10:30 Hours

---

The commander of the airbase stood proudly in the former airports Control Tower. Brigadier General Martin Bradley, one of the Air Forces most capable commanders, had been placed in command of all Pantorran air operations in the Bohin. Around him, several Pantorran Officers sat. They monitored radar screens and radio transmissions, some tracked satellite positions and made preparations for reconnaissance operations. The team was in full gear, and the 3,200 personnel at the airbase were no less busy. Running every which way, they had set up refueling operations and loading areas for the larger B-52's that had arrived earlier the pervious day. They had transformed the interior of the airport entirely, turning terminal waiting areas into makeshift barracks and restaurants into mess halls. Every hanger at the small airport was filled with aircraft. The gates were locked, and guards were posted everywhere. Butakao Inter-Continental Airport was now Thanatos Airbase, and it hosted an impressive air strength of 56 aircraft ranging from F-22's and F-16's to the massive C-130 Super Hercules and B-52 Stratofortress' that now occupied it's hangers. All the civilian aircraft had been moved by private companies on order of the General, who had decided that no civilians would be allowed to fly out of the airport anymore. Of course, the Uszwa government had been compensated in exchange for the airport. 96 million Pantorran Dollars was worth a whole lot in a poor Ziamban country.

That expense bought the Pantorran Government a foothold, safely beyond the borders of Bohin. 4 C-17 Clobemaster III's, 3 C-130 Super Hercules, 4 AC-130 Hercules, 3 B-52 Stratofortress', and 5 Rockwell B-1 Lancers made up the larger craft at the airbase. The airbase also has its fair share of strike craft, including 12 F-22 Raptors and 24 F-16 Fighting Falcons. And the E-3 Sentry they were given enhanced their reconassaince capabilities. They were fully operational. The final stages of deployment were in the works now. 2 SAM units, an Iron Dome Launcher, and 1 THAAD Launch Vehicle would be deployed to the facility, and were set to arrive at 2 pm today onboard the facilities returning C-17 fleet. And by the end of tomorrow, 4 Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk and 3 Z-10 Gunships would arrive with another 800 personnel. And with that, the facility would be fully staffed and supplied. And under his command, they would begin the largest air campaign the Pantorran Airforce has undertaken in years.

In fact, they were set to begin their first operation today. He was under strict orders to contact and notify the RCA's operational commander before conducting any intrusions or strikes into Bohin Territory. And they had already identified a SAM unit. So, per his orders from the Secretary of the Airforce, he was about to send a coded transmission to RCA command.

To: RCA Command

From: Thanatos Air Base

Encryption: Level 3

At 2:00 pm today, 3 F-22's will perform an Air-to-Ground strike on 3 Bohin SAM Units, each located within 10 kilometers from the Uszwa Border. The Operation has been sanctioned by Pantorran Command, and is in line with our campaign goal of air superiority over Bohin. We request that information on the strike be limited as to maintain the integrity of our operation.

The information was the bare minimum. General Bradley didn't like giving out his operational plans so easily. He believed it made the Air Force look weak, almost as if they were requesting permission- the thought disgusted him. Martin Bradley was a proud and devoted Pantorran. One of the few that believed himself and every other Pantorran superior to the rest of the world. And when he had to ask permission from a foreign government, it made the Air Force submissive to them. Something he tolerated only because the orders came directly from the highest civilian in the Air Force, the Secretary himself. Even with his disgust of having to operate along side these lesser men, he understood why the order needed to be given. It was the only way they could stretch their hand into southern Ziamban. Cooperation with the resident powers was necessary to seem diplomatic. To portray a join effort to bring down a terrible regime.

Regardless, all he needed to do was send a message, and it was sent. With that, he turned to an officer sitting at a screen to his right.
"Major, get those F-22's ready to go by 2 pm. You have your all clear. Let's blow, them SAM units off the face of Sunalaya."

The officer nodded, reaching down for the mic and relaying the order to the hanger where these F-22's were awaiting launch instructions. Soon, these figher craft would begin their first ever operation over Ziamban.

[Eikangaard]

Port Wilhelm - Molenston

Lieutenant Commander Samuel Widdel sat with his head outside of his tank, helping to guide his driver through the streets of Port Wilhelm. He and the rest of his company had just gotten their tanks off the boat and were heading to their assembly area just outside the port city where they would be given some time to perform final checks on their vehicles before heading into combat. They got a few strange looks from the locals as they went by, the Eikan TMA-103 tanks looking quite odd with their lack of a turret and their guns sticking straight through the upper glacis armor. Still, he was betting that the tanks, despite their age, would prove themselves in combat.

"Hey Hoss!" His radioman/second driver Danrel Falks calle dup to him from inside the tank. "You think they'll give us some downtime before they ship us out?"

"Probably not." Sam replied honestly. With the way the war was being reported back home, it seemed like the Molenstoni could use all the help they could get.

"Ah hell..." Dan cursed. "Guess I won't get to see the local sights hunh?"

Sam stifled a snicker. "Dude I know exactly what kinda "sights" you were hoping to see."

"Hookers, hotties and babes, oh my!" Minalia Traver chimed in from the driver's seat. Sam burst out laughing, dropping down back inside the tank and into his commander's seat.

"Yo, shut up alright?" Dan snapped. "Man's gotta have a way to pass the time, y'know?"

"By observing the exotic wonders of this new faraway land?" Sam countered, still chuckling.

"You mean bedding those exotic wonders." Min corrected. "Careful there Danny boy! You might catch something if you aren't careful!"

"Man you guys are the worst." Dan grumbled.

Just as Sam began sharing a good laugh with Min, their tank's radio lit up. Commander Il Terranse's voice sounded through the threes' headset radios and cutting their laughter short. "Alright people. I know some of you were looking forward to a bit more downtime before heading out, but we've got a situation on our hands. Word has it that the city of Reikyama's been getting hit hard by the enemy and now we've got standing orders to head out there ASAP and give them some help. So batten down the hatches, stick with your dance partners and keep yourselves alive yeah? Let's make some noise tankers!"

Sam settled further into his seat. "Hell, looks like it's getting interesting already."

"Yup." Min said, turning the tank to follow the rest of the formation. "Guess we'll be seeing action real soon huh?"

"Yeah." Sam muttered, burying the part of his mind that was frightened by the prospect. "Yeah we will.

[North Rukonia]

N.R.F Valiant Control Tower

Admiral Bakalov sits at the radio, barking orders to other ships. "Dragonsbane, Icebreaker, fire on those onshore torpedo silos! Everyone else, fire on the upper wall! That includes you, air support!"

He looks out the window, and sees Rukonian and Bohi planes alike go down in flames. Missiles fly up into the air, and the sound of naval cannons directs the orchestra of chaotic noise.

7 planes loose their missiles at the upper wall.

Ukala Beaches

Captured SAM sites that weren't torn through fire off missiles with a deafening roar. Rukonian mortar teams fire at the Upper Wall, shredding troops that defend it.

16 more landing craft hit the beaches, and more Rukonian infantry join the fray. Grenades are thrown, and empty shells litter the beaches. Ignore this, I'm rewriting it

[Rezua]

Reikyama

Defense of the city had been going poorly for the past few days. The Bohi had kept changing their attack positions, forcing tanks and troops to leave defended positions, only to end up having to return there when the real force attacked. This frustrating battle was due only the real issue: lack of Rezuan troops. General Keifrem had only 800 troops and twenty tanks to defend an entire city. The reasons behind this might have been unknown to the troops, but Keifrem knew full well what the problem was. The Blue Party did not want to be spending a lot of money on the war. With the elections coming up, their were unlikely to deploy troops for fear of looking like Sword and Stars party members. The empress was even more confusing, she had ordered for more troops and had even spoken against the Blue Party. The party that she got most of her work done with besides the Monarchists.

While it was valiant that the empress did not care for politics, Parliament was different. Yes, they cared for their soldiers and the Molenstoni, but they also feared the rise of the Sword and Stars. The Blues promised to protect all nations, but the Sword and Stars wanted more than that. They wanted to become the only nation who could wave military might around. They acted out of self interest for Rezuan might and power projection. They saw war as the solution, the Blues away it as a failure. In truth, the Blues were weakening. People who had been good and noble had been elected years ago under Augustus Everen. Everen had the power to remove members of Parliament he deemed dangers to the public. And he did so often. The Blue Party had become the embodiment of his morals and ideals. His son Yosef had helped keep it alive. But Yosef had declared Parliament free from the monarch's appointment, and gave the people the sole right to elect. And people were not angels. The Everens and their allies were exceptions. Most people were not as generous. Nor were most as religious as the empress. Empress Ymira answered to Christ. The Blue Party answered to both. The rest answered to their dream of Rezuan power. No, they were not evil people, but they were not the people who should rule.

All of that did not matter right now. While reinforcements from Kurzera had supported the main lines, none had reached Keifrem. The problem was that they were surrounded. Their only option at the moment was to defend themselves. Or so the Bohi wanted them to believe. Under the cover of darkness, Keifrem had ordered small groups of troops to scout out positions to attack the Bohin from. When they were in position, the general would move a larger group with some tanks to that position, hoping to attract some enemy fire. Then, the other group would ambush the Bohi, trapping them in a crossfire.

Nelspruit

Smoke rose up in columns to greet the Imperial Air Raiders. Captain Bertz had already begun humming as the doors opened to reveal the ruins of Nelspruit below. Bertz did not as he looked down. "Men, today we're landing down there. We are not going to be taking it back yet. We've got close to 8,000 troops in Molenston now. An large group of them are coming this way with tanks. Our job is to be a distraction. We have some numbers, though we are outmatched. We are going to strike their positions, then move to new ones. We will not rest until we have to pull out to refuel. But we will keep coming, and the Imperial Arm shall be our guide." The music droned on as the attack began on the rear of the Bohi army.

The Bunker

Kassmeyer woke up beside his wife. He looked around the room in confusion. Blue curtains and rugs. Dark stained wood that looked fairly expensive. It was still dark, so he was limited in what he could see. He didn't want to wake Zoey, but he had to know where he was. Kassmeyer untangle d himself from Zoey somewhat impressed by the crazy night he must have forgotten in midnight passion. When he stood up though, he was already in his three piece suit. He looked back at his wife and saw that she wore nothing. Perhaps she had meant to have an enjoyable night but he had been too busy and walked into bed in a trance.

Kassmeyer reached for his phone and turned on its light. The nightstand next to him was not his own. There was no pile of old books or maps. There wasn't even a single knife lying around. A picture frame's glass surface was unable to be seen by the glare of the light. He directed the light to side in order to catch a glimpse of it. When he saw it he blinked. When he opened his eyes, the Everen family was still staring back at him. The girls were young, and Yosef and his wife were smiling. Between them was also Zoey, though much younger, still older than Christina by some eight years. What interested him the most was that it had a little message: Our happy family. Kassmeyer turned away from the picture and finally remembered he was in the palace. Yes, that was it. Empress Ymira had just been dethroned. His wife was tsarina. He regretted not celebrating last night with her.

Still, he glanced back at the picture to find Ymira still pointing up. Kassmeyer followed her arm, yup, that was the window. He couldn't imagine why she'd be pointing. "Mertin." Kassmeyer turned, expecting to see his wife sitting in that erotic pose when she wanted his attention. Not his intellectual attention. Instead, she found Ymira there. She must be older than in the picture but was younger than she was when she escaped to Rhodevus yesterday. Okay, he was drunk. That was the problem. He got right back into bed, throwing aside his jacket and pulling off his pants. He barely had enough time to curl up to Zoey before he found himself at the window. This time, Ymira was as old as he was. "Look out the window, Mertin." she demanded. Though he didn't want to, his arm obeyed her.

Outside, he saw a New Year's celebration. Expect it was all wrong. People were coughing up blood after taking a sip of alcohol. Police screamed at store owners who had just been pouring cups. Other people had started to run, panicking. In the center of the crowd, his wife stood on a blood soaked gallows. She had her arm raised up, gesturing for soldiers to fire on the crowd. Next to her, he saw himself firing a gun into a woman's head. Suddenly memory flooded back to him. He was a murderer.

With a gasp and a jolt, Kassmeyer woke up. He was in his own bed, laying alone in the dark. Tears ran down his cheeks. The New Years Eve Massacre had been his design. In addition, he had supported his wife's bloody civil war. He was the cause of so much death. He turned his head to the mirror that he kept on the wall. He stood up and walked over to it. He saw the same face that he always did, a blonde and lean man. Yet, he also saw through the man. For all his talk and promises, Mertin Kassmeyer caused more evil than good. Before, he was sure that he needed to sacrifice some to save Rezua. His empire, his people, had once been strong. Why was is up to Ymira Everen to tell them to be content with listening to nations who were wrong? Justice was what Rezua stood for. Yet, it sat by quietly and let its allies trade with immoral people. If he had to make some sacrifices to save the moral state of the world, he had to take them. Shouldn't he? If killing a crowd made the people turn back to listening to their rightful monarch, wasn't that right? Wasn't that justice? Yet, his heart ached. The man that Kassmeyer saw in the mirror smiled even when he didn't. And that man spoke to him "Mertin, welcome to hell."

When he blinked, the other man was gone. It was just himself again. He sighed and let his head hang. Yes, he was destined for hell. He had not upheld the ideals and virtues he swore he was making sacrifices for. He told himself that his sins would be forgiven by the good he would bring to the world. All he saw now was that he had destroyed his nation even more.

Someone knocked on his door. He made himself look a bit more presentable and opened the door. Outside stood the Ramstein twins. They wore their creepy smiles. "Lord Regent, we are ready to go on our mission." Davon said. Kassmeyer nodded "Go then." He closed the door and sighed. Yet another sin he had to commit, the murder of Christina Everen. Despite her allegiance, she was a good woman. It wasn't personal. She was just too blind to see the evil she was doing. Evil that Kassmeyer saw and knew he had to destroy. Even if it meant losing his own morality.

Molenston-Bohin Border
Command Station Wyvern

Isaak and Volker stood outside the command tent on their guard duty. Boredom had long since extinguished their chit-chat. Then they saw an odd sight, a line of armored vehicles approaching. The were allowed to pass after a short conversation with the security team and entered the main outpost. Isaak looked on, interested in who could be important enough to have needed such a large guard. "Hey Volker" he said "Looks like another top brass shithead is here. I bet they've got some fantastic plan to end the war on the 'morrow."

The other man shrugged "Or it could be some Lizbont come to complain to Ramford and demand command from him." Isaak turned in shock "The Grand Duke demanded command of the war effort?" Volker answered in a whisper, now that the newcomer was approaching. He barely even opened his mouth "Yea, didn't even get parliament or the empress to approve. Ramford denied him." He cut off when the first men walked forward. In total, at least thirty soldiers kept a tight box around a woman in the center. She wore a long coat with hood to obscure her face. It was not a military uniform. Isaak almost laughed, it had to be some reporter or senator who wanted to be some hotshot. Who else would bother making such a trouble coming to Molenston?

The woman walked ahead of the guards. "Thank you for your service gentlemen, I shall not be needing you for now." They saluted her and moved back to give her space but did not disperse. For some reason, Isaak knew her voice. He decided it must be a news anchor, someone on tv a lot. He could not have been more wrong. As the woman stepped past Isaak and Volker she pulled down her hood. Standing right next to Isaak was the empress.

Ymira turned to look at Volker and Isaak over her shoulder and smiled. The two sergeants jumped to attention but she stopped them before they could salute. "I'm getting a bit tired of returning salutes guys. How 'bout a fist bump? I can be sloppy and not care." Without giving them an option to argue, Ymira gave both of them a fist bump. "Don't worry about the war" she said "I've come to make sure things don't keep getting worse. Good job so far, your sacrafices are making a difference to the people of Molenston." Without another word, she entered the command post.

Lying was despicable but Ymira had decided that it was better to reassure the troops than shame them. In fact, she was quite displeased with how the war had been going, hence why she had Ramford take command. Rezua should not have any trouble killing a bunch of war hungry men who could never learn to be more civilized. As much as she hated being such an elistist, the lack of education inn Bohin kept them in a state of blind hatred. The same went for Molenston, though this war wasn't really their fault. Much as how hatred once blinded her, Ymira understood were the passion to fight came from. Yet that was why she practiced suppressing her emotions. Rather than lash out, a ruler had to uphold morality and ideals, not fall to madness. Ending this war was one such ideal, harmony. With these people, harmony would never be possible. They'd kill each other until the end of time like all people. After all, without a monarch, most people fell to the temptation to do evil.

The conversation in the room quieted when Ymira entered. This time, she did not stop them from saluting her. Winning over her people and troops was one thing. Reminding the people who could challenge her power that she was their sovereign was another. "At ease" Ymira said, her voice now less motherly. This voice was not often used, at least not in public. In these private meetings, Ymira made certain that she was in charge. A mistake she made as a girl: being compassionate all the time. Many officers and senators tried to use her to get ahead. She could not sweet talk these people. They were either the best of the people or the worse.

"So, does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" the empress demanded "This war is turning out to be one of the longest we've fought. The people are expecting a quick victory." Colonel Orswel answered her "Fracking finally, there you are! It's about-" Ymira's temper flared and she rebuked him "Watch your tongue. Knowing my father does not give you the right to treat me like the child of a friend. You do as I command you, I don't answer to you." The colonel scowled "Is that was you put your pet in command? Yosef at least had some balls. We need to strike them more, we need more troops." The empress sighed "And I've told you I cannot just command things to happen like my grandfather or father. I actually have this annoying thing called parliament that I have to appease." General Ramford coughed, wanting to enter the conversation without having to cut anyone off. Ymira turned to look at him. Ramford crossed his arms behind his back and addressed her formally "Empress, it is an honor to meet you. This is quite the surprise, I was not told to expect you. As for the war, the Bohi have proven to be cowardly and are striking in minor hit-and-runs. We are holding them back and are holding most objectives but they are simply too unpredictable for us to clearly defeat. We need more time to study their movements."

Ymira shook her head "You don't have time. I've got all hell in parliament over this war. I need results now. Call them cowards if you will, the truth is they are beating us. I will not tolerate this." Ramford held her gaze "Ma'am, has it occurred to you that we've never fought a defensive war of this scale before? Name one war we fought were we didn't have triple the troops on the attack. Your reclaim of the throne was not our victory, it was the Rhodeve's. The Tsarists had us by the balls. All those other victories were ours because we had the troops and funding to advance and attack first. You might call it "defending peace" but we're an aggressive army. Sitting around isn't getting us anywhere. We did not fight this way. Don't believe me? Look at the Summer War. Saxton couldn't hold the Soviets and their coalition back. As great a mind as he was, he died. The Bohi are used to fighting this way and can keep going this way. We're still learning."

His words did nothing to improve her mood. "I can't have the world knowing that." she said sternly. Ymira crossed her arms and walked into the center of the room. She made sure she was the only person who they were looking at. "The rest of the world needs to understand that they cannot get away with provoking us. In the past, we have been able to claim victory by our numbers and our tactical advantage. Let me give you a history lesson. The Bohi have been fighting the Malesti for years. They have been forging their culture to be warlike. Ours isn't that way. My family-for better or worse- basically declawed us. The Tyrant's War left us wounded spiritually and emotionally. Attacking innocent nations, causing millions of deaths, and then killing our own soldiers at the end of it all. Rezua is not the same Rezua is once was. We fight only to protect. The Bohi fight because they see no other way to live. We could have every advantage and they are ready to counter it simply because of their way of life." She paused to read their faces but didn't bother to let them express their opinions. "I'm telling you to destroy that way of life. In order to beat these "cowards" as you call them, we must think as they would. We prioritize crushing our enemies in large conquests. They whittle at our defenses, hoping we break. We will do nothing of the sort. Starting in the next few days, I'd better get an answer on how exactly we're going to do that."

"In the meantime" Ymira continued "I want fifteen hundred troops transported to the Ukhala Peninsula. We need to push the Bohi back, we need to at least make them

[Belantica]

Asmara
10:30 PM
Agent Nazeem was now in his assigned location in the port city of Asmara. This port is believed to be home of a major Bohi naval site according of Berlentic intelligence, and he, posed as a Bohi citizen named Joakim Wayid, faked documents and everything. The idea is he would pose as a worker for the port, in order to get a closer look at what is exactly happening in the harbor area. But since he only arrived early that morning, he was still in the process of setting up. Naturally, the Bureau was able to secure him an apartment to use, it was pretty easy to find a landlord who would accept a nice sum of money without asking too many questions, but it's location was about 10 km from the port, so it still was not ideal. Along the wall, there was a map of the city, with locations circled at the port, with photos pinned near them. On a table sat a duffel bag, which not only carried Bohi cash, a small camera, a phone, and nondescript clothing, but also a semi-automatic pistol with a few magazines, two silencers, and a laser sight attachment. It wasn't much, but was enough for an espionage operation. At this point, he was ready, and decided to rest before the next phase began, infiltrating.

---

Bohi Molenstoni Border
10:30 PM
The Belantic armored division sent over, 300 vehicles strong, sat waiting not too far from the border. The current objective is to ward off any attacking Bohi forces. The tanks, especially the newer Type 17 MBTs, were using night vision to keep a watchful eye out for incoming forces. Their vehicles were positioned to be hard to spot from the enemy's side, and had no outside lights on to fully take advantage of the cover of darkness. They were waiting for The Bohin to strike, as their plan called for them waiting for the Bohi to walk right into their trap. Meanwhile, air units keep patrol over the sky every half hour, coming to hunt down any enemny troop movements,then returning back. So far, they manged to take out two small units, due to both the Bohi and the Belanticans hunked down in the desert, and nearby villages. Their commander, Captain Raymond Santos, kept watch over the horizon, waiting for when they come in, so he and his men could strike at the right moment.

They knew that the Bohi were not going to take this light-hardheartedly, and thus prepared themselves in the case they do try to push into Molenston more, in which they would be greeted with their demise.

---

250 miles off the coast from The Bohin
Submarine Fleet 1
The submarine fleet was now where it needed to be, off the coast of The Bohin. The goal at this time is to hunt down any Bohi ships and disrupt their naval operations. Under orders from Commodore Holton, the submarine were to pursue and destroy any Bohi naval vessels they came across, and eventually push their way towards Sugmei City. It was a risky task, but something needed to be done about the Bohi navy, and fast. They continued their slow prowl through the ocean, keeping their eyes peeled for the enemy at hand.

---

Unknown Location, Western Molenston
7:42 AM

Douglas, Adam, and John were awake by this time, making a breakfast of roasted vegetables and beef. "Take doesn't tastes the best, like most grub" said Adam, still eating. "Well, for not tasting so good, you're sure eating a lot of it" Douglas replied. Adam looked up from his plate and told him, "They say hunger is the best spice." "Ain't that the truth," John butted in, "you'll eat anything when you're starving, doesn't matter how bad it tastes." They all chuckled for a bit, and soon changed to another topic. "So, about this new government in Belantica," Doug asked, "who's this queen you spoke of? You see, I haven't been paying much attention to the outside world except for the immediate 100 or so mile around this place." John spoke up. "Well, her name's Karen, she was a former soldier and police officer, and has a very tactical mind, preferring to use logic rather than emotion to run things." Douglas rubbed his bearded chin. "Karen huh? Interesting." He then sat his plate in the sink, and told the two soldiers, "I need to check in on my plants, because that's what I eat." Adam then went up to him and asked about if he can get them out of there, and Douglas said he would in a couple days. Before Douglas went outside however, he glanced out a window, and saw 4 silver colored SUVs coming down the dirt trail.

"Shit" Douglas said. "Wait, what's going on?" said John. "It's these fuckers," Douglas told them, "it's these syndicate bastards. I told them to stay away from here not too long ago. You two stay in here, I'll go talk to these pricks, if he have to fight our way out." Doug then went outside, which by now, a total of 10 people dressed in black were standing by their SUVs, armed with semi-automatic rifles. One of them, a man in his 30's with orange hair and a bit of stubble walked over to Doug and said, "Well, look what I've found here. I thought that you fell off the face of the planet and the folks that I answer to didn't have to worry about ya." Doug respond quite calmly,"Maybe I'm just good at what I do, but I'm guessing they had you crawling all over the world just to find my ass sitting out here in a shanty in the middle of nowhere." The man chuckled for a second, "Once we got word that you were still alive somewhere in a forgotten part of the world, it narrowed it down for us, quite helpful really, since your sister happened to anger quite a lot of the people I work with, and for in that case. And here I am, talking to her brother, how convenient is that?" Doug looked confused, "Wait, what the hell did she do?" The man then looked annoyed, "Have you been living under a rock? Actually, that's quite obvious. Your sister overthrew a real nice setup we had, all of it is gone now, but you, you might be leverage for our cause." Doug shook his head, "I don't know if you're making this shit up or not, and I really don't care, now what do you want?" Man man then stepped forward a bit, "I want you to come with us, and essentially have a nice little chat, and if there's someone in there, you gotta go bring them out, because who knows what they know." Doug nodded, "I see, but all I have with me is a dog in there, and if you don't mind, I want to set it free before I get taken to wherever." The man sighed, "Fine. But you better make it quick."

Doug went back inside, and signaled Adam and and John over to tell them something. "Okay, we're gonna have to bust out, make sure to be ready to go in guns blazing on these assholes. You probably found a few carbines in the back, I keep them there for bullshit like this. We don't have time to spare, get ready to do whatever it takes. Follow me lead, and we get get the hell out of here." They nodded, and took cover inside, getting ready to fire at the assailants that arrived.

[North Rukonia]

The Tower, Volokarn

"Dammit!" Sam exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table. "How the hell are they holding us back? They're using Kalashnikovs, god's dammit!"

Sam and his generals have been pouring over the maps since the battle started. 3 days has passed, and he's gone through 3 pots of black coffee, trying to stay awake.

"Sir, without tank support, they can't get anywhere. The Bohi walls are strong, and the ships have other things to worry about."

"Ughhhhhh. I knew I forgot something!" He said, as he slammed his head on the table, and pulled a few strands of his dirty blonde hair. The stress of this war was getting to him, and it's only been happening for 3 days.

"Send out the 2nd Submarine fleet, along with 3 destroyers and a frigate, and an arsenal ship. Get 30 tanks and send them to the peninsula with the previously mentioned escort. Afterwards, the ships stay at the peninsula, while the subs meet up with the Belantican sub fleet. Send a cargo ship with supplies, too. Dismissed"

The generals give a salute that Sam returned, and as soon as they filter out of the room, he fell asleep on the table.

[North Rukonia]

N.R.F Icebreaker

The once sunny Uhkala peninsula has turned dark and stormy, as if the gods are angered at this conflict. Thunder ripples through the air alongside the jet engines and gunfire. The only thing lighting the sky is lighting strikes and jets going down in flames.

The captain was nervous. This battle should be won by now! The Rukonian Infantry is much better equipped than the Bohis! But alas, the Bohi defend to the last man. Rukonian blood flows down the beaches, turning the once bright blue seawater red. His knuckles turn white, as he sees a two torpedos fall from the intact silo, before the naval guns tear through it.

Wide-eyed and frightened, he yells! "Evasive maneuevers!" He runs twords the intercom, but it was too late. The torpedos shred through the destroyers armor, and hit square on the missile silo, causing the bow to split from the rest of the ship. "Abandon ship!" The captain wails through the intercom, as water floods the lower decks. The naval guns fire one last salvo, as a last ditch attempt to break the upper wall.

N.R.F Valiant

Admiral Bakalov stares with awe at the sinking ship, as a wave of shame crashes over him. That was his ship and his men that just went up in flames.

"All ships fire missiles at the planes! Keep the guns on the upper wall! All planes in the sky, now! Spare crew, grab a rifle and start shooting!"

Ukhala Beaches

Platoons jump out of landing craft, as Bohi go down one by one. Rain pounded the ground, and despite the cold, sweat dripped from the Rukonians faces.

Rukonian bodies litter the ground, as well as shells. Brave Rukonians charge ahead, many engaging in hand to hand combat with the foes.

The upper wall trembles, unable to resist the constant hits from the ships. The brigader general, seeing an opening, yelled for an assault of the upper wall. Many Rukonians charge forward, either for victory or for death.

[The Bohin]

Ukhal Peninsula
4:45pm Local Time

The Upper Walls of the great fortress which stood on the hill were slowly coming to ruin. Constant pounding by the North Rukonian Navy was taking its toll. The fighting was fierce and men were falling in large heaps. Blood and dust clung to every person outside of the central stronghold. With a quick command, Bohi torpedoes shot towards the North Rukonian fleet, striking multiple times, but not sinking any more ships. The giant anti-aircraft batteries fired into the skies above the fleet, taking down plane after plane. The Bohi air force was smaller in this fight, but buzzing around the Rukonians like the pests they were.

The weather was getting tough. Tough for ships to drive through and for planes to fly in. It would only be getting worse as the day progressed. All sides knew that come night-time, the battle would need to be at an end. Whether that meant retreat for the North Rukonians, or retreat for the Bohi, it was up to the Lord.

But, the fortress was still strong. Built to hold off invasion since the early days of the country, by both land and sea. It had been the bane of the Bohi during the conflicts with Pantorrum. They had built this fortress so long ago as their central command center over the Weiffa Region. It had only fallen to the Bohi because fate had allowed it to. Many doubted it would fall again.
And yet, the upper walls collapsed. Huge boulders of stone falling onto attacking men who had stormed the beaches and had gone too close. Screams of pain silenced by Bohinian stone. The fighting ventured closer to the upper walls, soldiers climbing over the ruins of the lower walls and those of the upper. The Bohi soldiers stood firm, dying in their place and taking as many North Rukonians down with them. They did as the god commanded. Their generals assured them that they would be rewarded in the heavenly afterlife.

Rain was pouring harder than before. Nearly torrential. The sky was black, even though it was still day. Lightning flared through the cracks in the sky, followed by thunderous booms, which only added to the sound of Navy gun fire.
Suddenly, the great Anti-Air guns, lowered from their position against the skies. Now they were aimed forward. The anti-air fire silenced itself as they batteries moved. And then they fired. Not at the skies, but giant propellants flew through the air towards the ships remaining. The ships and landing ships were being hit directly by the guns. Torpedoes were fired at specific targets, directly at landing parties so that no more men could find their way on shore without plenty of casualties.

It would be a hard next few hours. The push towards the central keep would be a hard one. The Bohinians believed it to be impenetrable. Three days of fierce fighting would soon come to an end. And so many would be left dead on the field of war…

[Rezua]

Ukhal Peninsula
8:34 pm Local Time

Moving fifteen hundred troops had not been easy but the empress herself had demanded it. Jeremy Lizabont had demanded the honor to lead the amphibious assault on the Bohi. Twelve hundred troops were thrown aboard some transports and escorts. They'd lost some men to a surprise attack but they had made sure to send their attackers to hell. The next time a shipping boat had been spotted, Jeremy had ordered it to be sunk if it did not identify itself within twenty meters of any Rezuan ship. One ship got close and was stopped and boarded. Thankfully, it had been just fishermen, they had been searched throughly.

Now, Jeremy stared at the shore. The waves were getting rough, too rough to even land troops. Unless he used helicopters to do it. He only had a few ships with helicopters. It would be up to the Third Imperial Air Raiders Division to take land for him to hope to land troops. And their gunships would be grounded by the storm. Just wonderful. In the meantime, Jeremy ordered
the seven ships he had to hammer the Bohi with missiles and their three inch guns. He made sure to fire further up the beach than his allies or men would be. This was not the time to miss. Yet, any advantage he could give the fly boys would be good enough. Hopefully the storm would hide his fleet.

The sea in storm was angry, but the air in a storm? Fracking ridicous. Ludwig held on his seat and cursed under his breath. They were coming in hard, with the storm tossing them around. He glanced right and chuckled when he saw Otto looking sick. Pure blood Rezuans always got sick in the sky. Ludwig smiled remembering a joke his friends had once made. Rezuans were afraid of the sick because they were so white. The lightening would think they were clouds. Otto had laughed with them then. Now, he might actually believe it.

"Hang in there Otto. Don't piss yourself like a cloud." Ludwig laughed. His companion cursed "Yea screw you too buddy." Otto grit his teeth and his rifle. Suddenly, their battle song went on. The storm kept it drowned out but it was a faintly audible. Enough to make everyone prepare to fight. The sound of machine gunfire cut through the air as they got closer to the ground. The sky was angry, forcing them down rapidly. They had no time to find their allies and took cover behind rock clusters. As soon as the doors opened, hundreds of voices joined together to scream "For the Empire!" and charged out. With guns blazing at incoming fire, they dove for cover. Ludwig lost sight of Otto but not before he saw him screaming profanities, blue eyes reflecting the flash of gunfire.

The helicopters continued to fire and dared back into the sky, though not as high as before. Ludwig docked behind some rocks and got down low. Visabilty was low but he caught sight of the enemy in a flash of lead and lightening. In a split second, he picked off one man, scattering bone and gore. Behind him, a mortar plunked. Explosions rocked the earth. Rezua's wrath had come.

[Pantorrum]

Thanatos Airbase
2:00 PM
Saturday, November 18th

3 F-22's soared across the afternoon sky at Mach 2.25, a speed unattainable by most aircraft. Then again, the F-22 wasn't most aircraft. It was one of the most advanced fighter craft in the world. It's stealth capabilities reduced its radar cross section to the size of marble. It could top out at speeds faster than almost any other plane in the world, and it could deliver a sizeable payload to just about any target, anywhere. The F-22 was by far Pantorrum's most capable fighter. Originally an Air Superiority Fighter, later upgrades gave the jet air-to-ground capabilities. Which was why they were on this particular mission. The craft had been ordered to strike 3 SAM installations just over the Bohin border.

It wouldn't take long to get there. What took long was preparation. The fighter pilots spent 3 hours briefing, where their commanders constantly reminded them to avoid any Divergian Targets. Unless of course they wanted to start World War 3. Either was, this would be a mission they would carry out. And if a Divergian military unit got in their way, they would receive fire from above. Few nations could match the aerial capabilities of an F-22, and they were confident that Divergian aircraft would have more than a challenge to intercept. They didn't spend long reviewing the Bohin air capabilities. They had few intercept options. Their only threat to their air operations were the SAM Units that dotted the countryside, like fleas on a dog. They were everywhere. But fortunately, Satellite Scans had identified every SAM unit standing between the air base and Weiffa.

They had already been flying for close to 6 minutes when they finally came into operational air space. The F-22's slowed suddenly, and quickly. Within a short minute, they were going less than Mach 1. They were each carrying 1 x1,000 pound JDAM, a bomb large enough to decimate each SAM facility easily, and then some. The 3 F-22's broke off, each heading to a different target. The SAM Units were unable to detect the craft, of course, due to a multitude of reasons. Of course, the Bohi Radar Capabilities were nothing compared to western technology. And the F-22 was notoriously difficult to spot.

As each F-22 came within strike distance of their target, from 10,000 feet up they dropped their ordinance. Each JDAM would guide itself carefully above the target, delivering the 1,000 pound payload at each location. The explosion shook the desert floor, sending vibrations out for hundreds of meters. With each station wiped out, they were now free to move deeper into the country, targeting the next set of SAMs in their way.

Thanatos Airbase
11:15 am
Friday, November 24th

It had been a Week since their operation began. 3 SAM Units taken out was a good start, but they had suffered some delays. Two of the returning F-22's had some electronic malfunctions, and had to undergo intensive on site repairs. The error was due to some unknown factor. Possible just a malfunction, the craft were close to 5 years old. Regardless of the reason, the base was now ready to begin another, larger operation. 6 more SAM units had been identified between them and the Bohi military installation in Weiffa, a former Pantorran Colonial holding. It was crucial to the President's agenda that the base be destroyed, to facilitate for a possible naval invasion by RCA forces.

However, the base was protected by multiple SAM installations. Sure, the F-22's could fly right over and strike the base. But the larger B-52's and B-1 Lancer's would be unable to deliver their much larger payloads on the Weiffa installation. Therefore, it was crucial that the SAM Units be eliminated to create a Corridor. Which is what gave the current operation the name "Operation Corridor". A dead give away to anyone with common sense, their objective was to pave a clear way straight from Uszwa to Weiffa. And they had no more than 6 SAMs in their way.

That was soon to change though. They had just been briefed by General Bradley himself in a mostly racist meeting, and dispatched to their fighter craft. 6 F-22's would launch over the course of 12 minutes, each heading toward one of the remaining 6 SAM Units. They would have 30 minutes to reach and eliminate their targets before the B-1 Lancers took off, destined for the Bohin base in Weiffa. Each pilot climbed into their cockpits and began to go through the pre-flight checklists. Over the comms they communicated their concern with the upcoming mission.

"This will take us pretty deep into The Bohin, I certainly hope we haven't under estimated their air defenses." Another pilot laughed.

"Please, these people are a bunch of savages Aaron. We've got nothing to worry about," he smiled, but of course the others couldn't see him beneath the golden glare of the cockpit. "They Probably don't even know what a plane looks like."

The others just shook their head at his clownish stupidity. David never did take anything seriously.

Before long, the chock was complete and the craft were ready for launch. Fully fueled and armed, each craft was carrying 4 Anti-Air AIM-9 Sidewinders and 1 x1,000 lbs JDAM. And, just as planned, the F-22's were all airborne and in formation within the 12 minute time parameter. Everything was proceeding as planned, with the aircraft crossing into Bohi airspace and heading for the last of the SAM Units. As they did, Bradley sent a message to RCA Command.

Code: Select all

To: RCA Command

From: Thanatos Airbase

Encryption: Level 4

Codename: Operation Corridor

At 12:00 pm today, 6 F-22 Fighter Craft will conduct a JDAM strike on 6 SAM facilities simultaneously, knocking out the last air defenses along a narrow corridor between Uszwa and Weiffa. Between 12:30 pm and 1:15 pm, carefully spaced B-1 Lancers and B-52 Stratofortresses will conduct a bombing run on the Weiffa Base. By the end of the day, we hope the facility will be crippled and naval assets may land.

Zumwalt Destroyer PNS Resolute
95 Miles South East of Weiffa
11:20 am

The large destroyer sat motionless, suspended in a vast and seemingly endless sea. As far as sight could reach, ocean surrounded them infinitely. But just 95 miles away, within Tomahawk Strike Range, was Weiffa. The Zumwalt had been deployed months ago to observe from international waters. Which was what it had done, keeping a safe distance from any territorial border that might insight violence and ridicule. But today would be different. The Captain had received orders from the Admiral to begin a missile assault on the Weiffa military installation.

Captain Yulen stood in surprise when the order had been given. They hadn't expected that Pantorran Naval Assets would get involved in the war. But here they were. "All crew, battlestations!" he yelled. And like that, the deck was cleared as orders was issued over the ships communication network. "Prepare launch cells 2 through 7. Launch the Tactical Tomahawks on my order. And ready cell 1, I want all the Sea Sparrows ready to intercept any retaliatory strike." The crew went to work, opening the launch doors on the first 8 of the ships 80 VLS Modules. A young Lt. Commander walked up to the Captain, standing at attention.

"Sir, we are ready for launch. All missiles have been prepped and launch bays are ready to receive your order. We have been given the coordinates of our targets by military command, and I believe we can accurately strike each one." The Captain nodded. "Very well," he said. "You have authorization, launch tomahawks in cells 2 through 7."

With that, 7 Tomahawks burst into the air, one at a time. Smoke shot out in massive plumes, surrounding the entire ship and creating deep waves in every direction. Each Tomahawk was carrying a 1,000 pound warhead. The missiles were insanely expensive, but it was a price the Defense Department was willing to pay for a long range missile with as much speed and capability as the Tomahawk. They were destined for 7 different targets around the facility. A barracks, a helicopter hanger, a SAM unit installed in the base, a Radio Transmitter, a Radar Station, a Coastal Artillery Bunker, and building believed to store Tanks and other ground vehicles. Some may be intercepted, but they were counting on at least 3 of the missiles to strike their targets. It was crucial that the Coastal Artillery, Radio Transmitter, and SAM Unit be destroyed.

[North Rukonia]

Ukhal Peninsula, 8:40 pm Local Time

Ava's eyes flickered open, as sand flew in her face from a nearby explosion.

"Hey, look who's back from the dead!" Roger exclaimed, as shots rattled from his gun. Max stabbed a Bohi soldier who had gotten too close.

"Come on." Roger said, as We need to get to the front line."

A Rukonian plane tore through a Bohi one, which crashed in front of them. Sand and metal flew past them, with thunder rippling across the sky. Rukonian infantry was lined up at the ruins of the upper wall. This time, it was Bohi blood that stained the grass and sand. Anti-Tank crews aimed their launchers at the great AA guns. They shredded through them. Hitting the ammo cache, one of the AA guns blow apart.

The sound of helecopters had Ava confused. "I thought we don't have any of those on site?"

"We don't! It's the Rezuans!" Max cheered.

Rezuan forces come storming up the hill, and a roar of cheers come from the Rukonians. Helicopters, missiles and naval guns pound the central compound. The brigadier general yells for a charge on the central building. Hundreds of Rukonians storm past the dead bodies of their friends and foes. The compound shakes, as troops rush into it.

[Rezua]

Molenston-Bohin Border
Command Station Wyvern

Night had fallen over the command station and with it fell the energy of Rezua's greatest war hero. Christina Everen laid down on her cot feeling extremely exhausted. For days, her squadron had behind hammering Bohi positions. And that was the issue. The Imperial Arm might as well have been the only squadron in the entire air force. Having the Ace Princess flying above your head had become a synonym for the best protection in the world. Christina's fame had become an infection in her nation's military. Her unit was always asked for. The most dangerous missions were always given to her squadron. Every possibility was always solved by Christina Everen. If Ymira was who the people looked to, then Christina assumed the military looked to her in the same way. And it pissed her off.

Originally, Christina believed not being empress would free her from having to live with guilt of carrying other people's lives with her shoulders. She never expected to be a good pilot, to save Rhodevus from a civil war, to serve her sister against a sadistic tyrant in Rezua. No, Christina thought she'd melt into a sea of faces. She hoped her scandalous past would be erased by her service to the Commonwealth. She thought her mother would rule, thought her sister would woo the people, she thought she could become a good and quiet daughter and sister. Nothing more. All that was destroyed the second she was knighted by Queen Diana. She became a hero, a role model. Women around Rezua wrote to her, telling her how they inspired them to fight for the empire. Feminist groups congratulated her for breaking gender roles. Some even tried to use Christina as an example of a woman who could have causal sex and not be just a "slut. Most disturbingly some people wrote to her, begging her to become empress again.

Christina tossed her gun belt across her tent and kicked off her boots. She didn't bother undressing, she'd just be called to fight soon anyway. Why did people love her? Christina Everen was not who they thought. Without her, who the hell would the Air Force look to? A Rezua without her would be like a knight on a horse without a lance. She tired to retire and fracking parliament had asked her to stay. They offered her promotions, command of the entire Air Force, anything she wanted. She didn't want any of that. "All I wanted was to be more than a waste." she whispered. She felt like the pressure was eating her. If she failed, hundreds would fall with her. If she retired, Rezuan morale would drop. She hated being wanted. All she wanted to be was helpful.

With a sigh, Christina closed her eyes. For several minutes she tossed and turned before sitting up again. This was how her sister felt. Deep down, Christina regretted giving up the throne. Not because she wanted it, but because of what she'd done to Ymira. Once a carefree and happy child, Ymira had become a stern woman. Stronger without a doubt, but still that happy child? No. Christina had killed her sister. Ruling Rezua was suppose to be her duty. Not Ymira's. A monarch had to be selfless. A monarch had to be wise, and just, and some many other things. They had to be as perfect as Ymira Everen. Yes, Ymira was better than she was at ruling. But that was only because she had to be.

"Well, frack, guess I'm not going to sleep then." she cursed. Christina stood up and paced around her tent, hoping that her husband would come and distract her. Richard shouldn't have been in her squadron, husband and wife weren't allowed to serve together. This was to keep soldiers from abandoning their units to protect their spouse. Of course, this wasn't enforced. Why? Ymira. If the empress herself had found love in war, all the soldiers couldn't be stopped from serving with loved ones. Christina went over to her propane stove and put on a cup of hot water. She rubbed her eyes and searched for her coffee supplies. Disappointed to discover it was empty, Christina turned off the stove and put the water back into one of her containers. All she had to do was ask for someone else's. What soldier wouldn't give Christina Everen their coffee? It was like meeting a rock star, you just did it. "Why did you curse me?" Christina asked. "Why did I have to be Everen?" Christina grew up believing that you were suppose to blame yourself, not God, for your failures. Lately, she started to believe it was His fault for setting you up for failure. Why couldn't everyone be as heroic as her sister? Why couldn't every nation be as rich as Rhodevus? Why couldn't everyone be as happy as a Belantican? It was a pointless argument. The world was fracked up. That was all there was and all there ever would be.

Many hours into the night, Christina found herself semi-conscious. Her sleep had been uneasy. In the chilly night, she could hear crickets and men walking around yet her eyes would not open. She was not asleep but she was still resting. As she rolled over, she heard her tent flap be slightly moved. "Richard?" she asked groggily. Then burning pain enveloped her stomach. A hand clamped over her mouth and Christina was forced onto her back. Staring at her was a smiling red haired man. He stabbed her again, this time further to the left. Her wounds weren't lethal, not yet. Still, blood sprung from her like a small waterfall. Christina tried to kick him, but he dodged and planted his knife in her thigh. Christina laid still, dazed and light-headed. She was hoping to kill him by getting him off of her. He was too strong for that. Her only option was to surprise him in a sudden burst of strength.

He greeted her in Revon. Perfect Revon. "Princess Christina, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Frederick. I'm going to kill you." His hair was red, but it reminded Christina of rust more than fire. He pressed the knife into her thigh slowly, keeping her mouth covered. Christina swung her fist at his face and caught him in the jaw. He cursed, drove the knife between her collarbone and shoulder and grabbed her throat with both hands. "They say you were a whore when you were younger. Why not open your legs for me too?" he taunted her. He kept one hand on her throat and used the other to roughly tug one of her breasts. For that, Christina drove her knee into his stomach. The man grabbed her throat again and started choking her harder. "I was looking forward to this but now you're ruining it. Stop resisting and maybe you'll violated more gently and die less painfully." Christina spat in his face and punched his nose, hoping to stun him and break free.

Her attacker only squeezed her throat harder. "Frack you." she choked out. The man sighed "Now I'm wondering if this would be easier if I killed you first. Some say it takes the fun out of it, but I'm willing to try new things in bed." Christina's eyes search for her gun but she remembered she tossed it aside. Stupid. She was going to die an idiot. Die a worthless death. Then the man smiled at her "I hope my brother gets more fun out of your sister."

Christina's hand flew to the knife in her. With a cry of fury, she pulled the blade from sinew, bone, and muscle. The man had been unprepared for her attack and was caught off guard when she sent the blade into his chest. The man roared in pain and stumbled back. "You stabbed me!" he screamed. "You stabbed me!" Christina jumped up and kicked his knee, sending him to the ground. He rolled to avoid her next kick and stood up ungracefully. "You fracking stabbed me bitch." Frederick pulled the knife out of his chest and said "I've decided that I'll violate you roughly and that I'm going to cut you apart slowly!" The red haired man swung the kinfe at her throat. Christina ducked under swing and grabbed his waist. She twisted and pulled him to the ground. The princess was getting dizzy but wrestled the knife away from Frederick. She rushed to her feet as he rose to try to attack her. Frederick weaved past her swings and punched her in the face. Christina's vision spun as she fell to the floor. The man pinned her down and grabbed the knife. Christina reached for his face but he grabbed her hand. Frederick rammed the knife through it and then severed her index finger before she could pull it free. In her hast, her arm flew back and she hit her funny bone on the metal pole of the tent. Her arm fell limp beside her and her hand brushed against something metal. The handle of her gun.

Frederick grabbed her throat with one hand and positioned his knife just over her left eye. "I'll make you match Ana Leonart." he laughed. Chrisitina tried to wrap her stump of an index finger around the trigger but failed. She switched her middle finger in, praying Frederick hadn't noticed the gun. He hadn't. Hatred and lust consumed him. He was ranting now "After I'm done with you, the Raping of Elmira will be forgotten as what drove east and west Rezua culturally apart all those years ago. They'll only remember the rape and murder of this princess! And the same fate awaits your sister! First you, then your generals, then your empress! All will die before the tsarina returns to her throne!" Christina's arm shot up and pressed the gun against his head. "Rot in hell you motherfracker!" She screamed as she pulled the trigger, sending brains and gore all across her tent.

Christina staggered to her feet and heard the sounds of fighting outside. She ran for the tent of the empress, shocked at the amount of bodies outside it. Just as she arrived, a man in all black with red hair ran out of the tent. Behind him came her sister. Ymira's face was twisted in an angry scream, her sidearm roared as she fired at her assailant. Behind her, two soldiers opened fire with assault rifles. The man was hit once but disappeared into the night.

Christina stumbled forward and collapsed in front of Ymira. "Ymira" she groaned. In a second, the strange and vengeful empress melted away as Ymira dropped down to cradle her sister. "I'm sorry Ymira, I'm sorry!" she cried. Ymira began to panic, seeing her sister so beaten. "Get a fracking doctor right now!" Ymira bellowed to no one in particular. Christina began to apologize again but Ymira interrupted "No, no, I'm fine. Nothing happened to me. No one touched me, I'm fine." Christina shook her head "I'm sorry for everything." Ymira felt her sister go limp in her arms, but her could still see her breathing. The empress started to cry "Christina, you can't leave me. I don't want to be the last one. I don't want to be the last Everen." Ymira turned around and screamed a bloodcurdling "MEDIC!"

The doctors ran over to her but she slapped away reaching arms. "My sister, goddamn you, it's my sister!" Ymira screamed at them. Soldiers grabbed Ymira and pulled her away. "Ma'am we have to get you to safety!" one said. Ymira fought against them but they dragged her off towards safety just as the gunshots stopped echoing. The attack was over for everyone but Ymira. As she was being dragged off, she saw her sister's blood body be put onto a stretcher. Terror gripped her heart as she realized Christina might die. But even more frightening was the fact that Ymira knew that if Christina died she would raze every single person, building, and resource in the Bohin. Without a second thought.

[Molenston]

Ruins of Port Ubbeval

The battle had raged for twenty-four hours, but it was clear that the ruins of Port Ubbeval was not a great defensive position. Tanks and battalions of paramilitary were flooding in, outnumbering the defending forces two to one. Flamethrowers were effective in the dry heat of Ziamban, torching everything around. Soon, even the crumbling ruins were alit in smoke and fire. Explosions and bullets flying across the post-apocalyptic scenery. And the Bohi continued to push forward, in an unrelenting march.

Commonwealth soldiers had retreated from the frontlines, ordered to be the final protection and defence for the ruins of the Port Ubbeval military base. They would need to hold out for another few hours so the cyber-division could complete their record and destruction of confidential military files stationed in the base.

Claxons sounded on what was left of their warning posts as mortar fire struck further into the port. The Malesti had been keeping the Bohi at bay as best as possible. Hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, Captain Iddi had to do what he feared. “Retreat!” he shouted in his native tongue. “Fall back to inner city! We will hold a line there!”

Men and women ran, some putting up strong fire while their soldiers-in-arms escaped. Others, turning to run, being shot in the back. Captain Iddi stayed at the back of the retreating men, firing a bazooka at the gear-train of a tank. The gears exploded and the tank stopped moving. It turned it’s great cannon and fired at Iddi’s location, missing and firing high, striking a crumbling building and bringing it down behind him. Iddi wiped the sweat from his brow and threw a grenade, using it to mask his retreat.

Him and his remaining forces ran into their assigned buildings. He turned to his men. “We need to hold out until the Commonwealth gives the all-clear. It has been a pleasure fighting alongside you.”
A line of 15 tanks lined up ahead of them. “Fire!”

And the battle raged on.

[The Bohin]

Reikyama

Mortar fire had been striking the city for weeks. As had bombing runs made by Bohi planes. The battle for Reikyama was to begin soon. Everyone felt it in every breath they took. But, before a war on the ground could commence, the war in the skies had to be completed. The Bohi had yet to gain complete air superiority over the city. International forces had planes up in the air against them. Their ground forces were dug in, albeit worse for wear from the constant bombings and enemy fire.

As the sun began to rise, those in Reikyama could spot something appearing over the horizon. Fighter planes. Mixed in with the group were the telltale signs of troop transports and bombers. This was the first wave of soldiers. Some 6 troop transports holding some one hundred twenty paratroopers. Thirty three fighter planes and seven bombers.

At the same time, the transport trucks could be spotted moving towards the city. The fences and guard towers had long since been abandoned and destroyed and the trucks pushed through the remains of the metal fence, followed by APCs and smaller mobile artillery. The attack on land and the skies was finally commencing. The fate of Reikyama was to now begin…

[The Bohin]

Ukhal Peninsula
1 hour before Storms-End

The keep shook with dust as the Bohi high command worked tirelessly inside. “Sirs, Rezuans have arrived.” Said a sheepish underling who was following the battle closely and giving updated news to the generals. A major flinched. “Damn them to god’s hellfire.” He muttered. The battle had been against them since the outer walls had fallen under the North Rukonian attacks. But, this. This was madness.

Bohi soldiers were everywhere, running in and out of the keep. With ammunition or wounded in hand. The keep was survivable for a long siege, but it would truly depend on how many enemy soldiers would break through the inner walls. The keep held fourteen days of food and enough munition to hold back an army of millions. An underground spring ran directly underneath the keep bringing in an near unlimited supply of fresh water as well. It was built first by Pantorran engineers to keep out Bohi soldiers in the early years of the country, but since they had taken it over, the Bohi had made huge improvements to the metalworks and defenses of it.

The general’s thoughts were broken by the whimpering voice of an underling. “The Rezuna-Rukonian forces have broken through the inner walls. Should be retreat?” The underling’s eyes went wide and his hands slammed onto his mouth. He knew he had spoken out of turn. So too did the general, who pulled out his pistol and shot the boy between the eyes. “Get the trash out of my sight. No surrender, no retreat. The storm is favouring us. It is already too rough for any more air support. The Rezuans and Rukonians are on their own, on the ground. Give it another hour and we will be victorious in our defense.”

A naval officer ran into the room. He was tired. The Rezuans had cut the lines of communication between the lower base and main keep. “Sirs, torpedo stores are nearly out. We have enough for about three more volleys. A fourth if you are fine with only half a volley.”

The general nodded. “Use all of our torpedoes. Don’t focus on troop transports. I want the destroyers, corvettes and large ships to be hit and sunk. If needed, focus all fire on one ship until it is sunk.” The naval officer nodded, wiped his forehead of sweat and then ran back the way he came.

About five minutes later, a recognizable alarm went off. A volley of torpedoes was sent outward into the rocky seas, directly at a North Rukonian ship. A minute later, the alarm went off and a second volley went out towards a Rezuan ship.
Smaller fire fights were raging everywhere around Uhkal between the brave Bohi and the weak and timid Rezuan and Rukonian soldiers. The beach-head was still not fully clear of The Bohin’s soldiers, with about 50 still firing at incoming troop ships, unloading their men. The majority of the fighting was still in the upper and lower walls, with dozens of smaller fights breaking out every second as objectives changed and Rezuans and Rukonian men pushed inwards towards the keep. All the while, the sky flashed with anger and thunder boomed as loud a the ships cannon.

Rain made everything very difficult to see and the waves were so high, ships were having trouble firing at designated targets. The weather itself was against the enemy forces and falling ever into the Bohi’s hands. A new morale cry was brought forth by the troops; “God is On Our Side!”

The Rezuans and Rukonians were nearly out of time. Retreat would soon be the only viable option, lest they lose their naval support as they did their air support. And the soldiers would be stuck in the midst of a horrible storm, without any new supplies, against the fortified monster that was the Keep in Uhkal…

[Rezua]

Uhkal Pennisula,
Around the fortress

The raging storm had thrown a wrench in their attack strategy but that did not mean that it was not also a benefit to the Rezuans. The rain obscured them just as it did their enemy. The only difference was that the Rezuans were stuck outside a fortress. Even that wasn't that much of a disadvantage. Why? Because Lieutenant Gordon believed it wasn't so. Just how the the Bohi moved around Rezuan fortifications, unseen, now the Rezuans did it to the Bohi. Each attack group kept moving, never staying in one place too long, lest the enemy mortars find them. The storm was their equalizer. And Gordon intended to seize it.

Lieutenant Gordon hung back behind a large rock and looked for some fellow Rezuans. He had received an order to move in and open a hole in the wall. Several others like him were also going to be doing the same, in various places. They hoped for at least a few to succeed. Gordon just needed to find someone who could cover him. And he found that someone. Accidentally. Another soldier dove on top of him, not noticing him as he jumped for cover as a mortar screamed over head. "Who the hell are you?" Gordon shouted. "Private Ludwig!" the shouted answer came. Gordon took the man's hand in a firm handshake. "Pleasure, we're going to blow a hole in one of their walls!" Before he could argue, the lieutenant pulled a pack off his back and revealed a large amount of explosives. "I've got enough for a sizable hole. The others are providing support by firing at the enemy. Don't fire your rifle, the muzzle flash with draw their fire." The lieutenant pulled out his radio and shouted into it "I'm moving in to plant a bomb on their wall, be ready to move!" For a few seconds there was no answer. Not surprising, it would be hard to hear. One other answer came thought, despite the odds "Alright, I'll be ready and tell some others. Good luck."

Gordon got low to the ground and began moving forward. He glanced over his shoulder "Are you coming, private?" he asked. Ludwig nodded, sighed, and got down low to follow behind the lieutenant. They moved slowly so that the rain would obscure them and the thunder would hide their footfall. Still, they were not invincible. They crawled for cover often, mortar fire heavily blanketed the ground.

When they were a few feet from the wall, Ludwig ducked behind a rock to the right and opened fire, before stopping and finding a new position. While the enemy fought with Ludwig, Gordon planted the charges. Once they were set, he knew that the enemy would reinforce the hole with more fire. The blast wouldn't be heard over the chaos but those inside would find out pretty soon. He drew his flare gun and fired it to the right of the wall to attract attention. Better that they fire on the flare than the hole.

Enemy fire lit up around him, but Gordon finished his job. He planted the charge and ran for cover before blowing it open. He grabbed his radio and screamed "There's a hole in the wall!" Another voice answered "One here too!" Those who heard did not know where the holes were, but they advanced under the cover of darkness and of thunder. They would find the holes as they opened and pour in like water in a sinking ship. Gordon knew they would. Now he just had to hold the hole. He could she the enemy moving around inside. And he opened fire.

Uhkal Peninsula
Out at Sea

Losing a ship was not always disastrous. It was today though. One ship, while not sunk yet, was heavily damaged. Jeremy knew that there was no way a ship could fight and stay afloat in this weather. Especially not with such a small fleet. Jeremy had ordered his remaining ships to weave, not to stay still. It would be harder to target the ships in the dark, while moving. At the same time, the warships kept slinging missiles at the fortress thanks to satellite imaging and previous calculations. Sure, it wasn't extremely accurate, but it had to do.

Jeremy was about to order another volley when another officer stopped him. "Sir, we've received a message from the troops. They're at the base of the fortress, if we fire they'll be hit." Jeremy cursed silently, he hated feeling useless. He knew that the troops needed support, and he had twelve thousand troops he couldn't land. For now he just had to wait. If the storm let up, just a bit, he'd land more troops. And, if the worse happened, he'd order the men to fall back. And if that was not possible, he'd wait out the storm and land his remaining troops all together but not before he had aerial coverage. Some might think that cruel, but wasn't letting all those men die for nothing more cruel?

Reikyama

The sight of an opposing army might just be what made the fight worth fighting. There it was, a clear objective. Destroy the enemy, not sit around and pick off fleeing foes. Nothing could have been more beautiful to Captain Cassandra Kelms than that realization. The Kurzeran soldier found her spine straightening. This was what they could beat. Advancing troops, attacking vehicles. It was glorious. And they'd face the same treatment they'd given the Rezuans. Cassandra looked up to see a fighter jet soar over her head. A makeshift runaway sent plane after plane into the sky to fight the enemy in the skies. Protecting it was important, just like the rest of the city.

Cassandra knew that the aerial divisions would be encircling the enemy, driving them to bunch up to fight helicopters full of angry imperials. The captian was counting on that. While the Bohi advanced and fended of the Air Raiders, her troops would lay in ambush. They would jump out from under sand pits and gun down the enemy. They'd disappear as Rezuan tanks rushed to join the fight. Cassandra had learned how to play at being a lioness. There could be hundreds of Bohi and she'd take them down one by one.

Command Base Wyvern

The attack had been repelled but Ymira had no clues to who had done it. She had ordered the bodies of the attackers to be collected. Ymira personally checked Christina's tent. Identifying her attacker was impossible, his head had been blown apart. Her next thought was to get fingerprints. After she had done that she noticed something in a pool of blood. A finger. The dead man had all his fingers, so Ymira came to the horrifying realization that it was her sister's. The empress picked it up with one of Christina's spare shirts and hurried to find the medical station.

Ymira took off running, leaving her guards in the dust. They shouted at her to slow down and cursed when she didn't. Still, they caught up pretty quickly. Once at the station she ordered a doctor to bring the finger to her sister. She thanked the doctor and turned to leave. And then she threw up. Carrying your sister's finger tended to unnerve you. Her bodyguards turned their heads, choosing to give her a little privacy. The empress sat down in the medical tent to recollected herself. A woman at next to her.

"Empress Ymira, it's good to see you again." she said. Ymira turned to look at Rebeka Lizabont. She blushed, realizing she'd thrown up in front of the duchess of Kurzera. Her older brother would love to heard that story. "I'm sorry about that." she said. Rebeka shook her head "You don't have to apologize. That was fracked up. No one should carry a loved one's body part." A few seconds of silence passed between them. Then Ymira said "I'm sorry...about your sister." The young duchess shrugged, holding back a tear. "Thank you. I miss her a lot." Rebeka said. She looked away and turned back to Ymira "I...hope Christina makes it. She's a good woman. Like my sister was." The empress felt her body shudder and her eyes water. She was crying "Yea...I hope so too." Ymira sobbed. She hissed angrily "I shouldn't be crying, Rebeka. I am suppose to be strong, through anything. How many people have my soldiers watched die? How many families have I killed in nations that don't fracking matter. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of all of it. There's no reason to fight. We fight and fight and fight and no good ever comes from it. It doesn't matter how much blood we bleed, the world just demands more while it mocks us. Frack the world, I say. I don't want to live for the world or for the empire. 'I never wanted any of this. I don't want it, I want to be with my wife and my daughter. But I can't, be of this fracked up world."

Rebeka remained quiet for a long time, looking like she wanted to speak but couldn't say it. Finally she said "I thought the same thing once. But it's not right. Fighting for peace, for harmony, isn't pointless. Hundred of people have died for this cause. Their blood, their lives, are the currency that gives this meaning. They died for this causing, believing in it. If they were willing to die for it, it's our job to fight for it. It's worth more than all of us. It's worth more than any nation. Peace is worth life itself. And we'll have to pay the price of it. For our nations. Our families. Your daughter." The empress asked quietly "And if the price is too high?" Without missing a beat, Rebeka knew the answer. "They died thinking it wasn't too high."

Later than night, Ymira the Girl was replaced by Ymira the Empress. Tears were more worthless than silence. Ymira had washed her face and taken time to bring command back into her voice. She assembled her army, her generals, and she stood on a raised platform above them. The time had come to inspire and to lead. The time had come for Ymira to do her job.

"Soldiers, I came to the Bohin to speak to you personally. Your sacrifice for the empire has been great but not in vain. We are not losing this war, we are winning. Slowly, yes, but we are not going to lose. We will triumphant because..." Ymira cut off. It didn't sound right. Too artificial. Too much like Ymira the Empress, like Ymira the Cold. She looked deep inside herself, searching for a long forgotten voice. Ymira the Girl, the naive and wounded girl who fought a war against her adoptive older sister. The girl who fought side by side with the woman she loved. The girl who rallied armies, who won hearts, who wadded through corpses and snow for her people. Ymira the Empress was fake, a visage of her morality. She was a symbol of strength and power. She was benevolent and wise and just. She inspired awe and fear. But she was not Ymira. The empress cast aside the voice of reason, the voice she had been devolving for as long as she had ruled. Ymira dug deep and found her emotion, her pure and true humanity. And she unleashed it.

"Tonight, my sister lays on death's door! Our nation, our people, have been dying and bleeding for a world that could care less about us. Many wish to see us fail, many wish to mock us and condemn us. But we do not give up. We are Rezuan! We are stubborn, we are up-tight, and we interfere with other nations. But we are also brave, and caring, and kind. We fight because we are selfless. We fight because we don't care about politics. We fight because their are people who need our help!"

"I've seen what Rezuans can do. We've taken down tyrants and we've pushed up democracies! We know why we fight. And we know when to fight! The Bohi will never overcome us because we are not a regular people. Our hearts are as passionate as the sky in a storm. Our imperial banner is navy blue because that is the color of the sky and the sea in storm. We are Justice, and Equality, and Unity! And we are willing to thunder and roar and rage for our ideals! We are a storm that cannot be escaped! The Bohi fight because their society tells them to. They fight because they believe God tells them to. They fight for other people! That is their weakness! They fight because they are told to! Told to fight for God, for their nation, for their ruler! We may fight for the very same things, but we fight because we believe it. Their hearts are their leader's. Our hearts are our own! Fight because you know what is right! Fight because you believe in our ideals. My sister lies wounded because she fought for these things! The Bohi fight for infrequent things. Rulers change. People change. The so-called will of God changes. But truth never changes. We fight for truth, the only truth. Our ideals are truth and are worth dying for! But even more important, they are worth living for! The Bohi fight for a cause worth dying for. From now on, you fight for a cause worth living for!"

Port Ubbeval

Viktoria's cohort of five hundred soldiers had been ordered to stay in Ubbeval. At the time, the princess consort thought it was a stupid idea. Now, she was wondering why she had not thought of it. The enemy seemed to want this ruined city more than it was worth defending. Yet, Viktoria refused to just give it to them. The Rezuan ships had begun to launch missiles at the rear of the enemy's army but had soon abandoned this once they figured it would be too risky. Which was good, Viktoria didn't want to be killed by a Rezuan missile.

She had ordered her Belantican troops to move from building to building, to surprise the enemy and move to a different location. Ironic that she learned how to be a solider by being a police officer, someone who keeps peace , not one who fights when there is no peace. In the city, criminals often thought they owned the place. They darted around when she rolled up, but they believed she couldn't touch them. They were so wrong. Viktoria knew how to hide like they did. An alleyway could be just an alleyway, or it could be her sting operation. A side street could be an escape route, when it was really her road block. And here in this city, Viktoria kept the Bohi in her invisible net by using those same tactics.

Viktoria was getting tired by the time she fired into a crowd of Bohi and ran to a new postion. On the way there, she met the Commonwealth soldier who took her to see the Malesti top brass. Not knowing anything else about her, Viktoria called out her name "Ymira, over here!" The young woman seemed more angry at the name than at the Bohi. She fired at an advancing group and rushed to join Viktoria's rush to a different block. "I don't answer to Ymira!" she screamed angrily as she caught up with Viktoria. A man jumped out from their left and earned a bullet from Viktoria. She asked the Commonwealth solider a question at the same time "Why don't you use that name?" The other woman didn't offer an answer. Clearly, if they survived, Viktoria was going to need to find this reason out. She loved being nosy.

[Belantica]

Nelspsruit, Molenston-Bohin Border
November 27th,

The sun rose over the lands surrounding the Molenstoni border city of Nelspsruit, which has been occupied by The Bohin for the last few weeks. It was believed to be one of the first Molenstoni towns to be overrun by the Bohi military, forcing the Molenstoni government out, effectively taking over the city by forces without much resistance. But on this day, the tables turned on The Bohin's gain of this city, as a force of 3,500 Belanticans and 680 Molenstonis with 8 tanks, 12 APCs, 4 IFVs, 10 helicopters, 15 transport trucks, and 20 jeeps to haul them into the city, for which they knew was going to be not easy by any means, the the Bohi were by this time, settled into the nooks and crannies of the city, giving them an advantage to keep a hold onto the city. They were led by a young captain named Hilda Weiss, a native of northern New Albany, who felt in her heart that victory will be on their side today, no matter what happens. "Today will be ours," Weiss aid while standing atop one of the tanks, "for today, that fine city beyond those hills will be returned to it's rightful owners, broke free of the tyranny that our enemy had shackled upon them! All of us know that they do anything to stop us from pushing them back into the hellhole in which they spawned from, and some of us will not return alive. But even in spite of that, we have the willpower and strength to push them out! They may think that they have it all locked up nice and tight, but they have put far too many on the eastern side, facing directly towards one group, the other two would flank in from the north and south, forcing them to reorganize and pull in from other resources in the area. That's when Captain Vasquez's chopper squadron will swoop in and drop additional troops right in the city, and lay down suppressing fire from above. By that time, the armored battalions will move into the city, and by then, it's just forcing them out and waiting for reinforcements." One of the soliders spoke up, "Are you sure this will work? It sounds like a suicide mission, like something without much gain." Another soldier quickly responded with some aggression, "Well listen here! The fact is some assholes have something that doesn't belong to them, and nobody else could take care of this little problem. Sure, many of us will fall, but even if we lose some, we shall make them lose much more than us, and give them one hell of a fight that will make them think twice next time around!" Several soldiers cheered, getting riled up to start their mission. "Then we shall bring hell to them!" shouted Weiss, and now they were ready.

Soon it was daytime, and the assault began. The Bohi were positioned outside the city's perimeter watching for movement, and had a clear view on all sides of them, with the eastern side of the city being the most heavily fortified. The first of the combined Molenstoni-Belantic forces starts their push towards the eastern edge. By this time, Bohi forces noticed the advancements, "Sir, we have a counterattack from the east! I looks like a bunch of Molenstoni and foreign dogs wanting their town back!" one said to the commanding officer, "Well, you know what to do." With that, the Bohi started to return fire on the allies. Soon enough, the Bohi took out two jeeps, but soon after the city was being flanked from the north and south where the allies were starting to make steady progress towards the city. "Sir, they've flanked us from both sides! They are starting to overwhelm our units along those side of the city, we need to pull in troops from elsewhere to hold them off!""Shit," the Bohi commander said, "then start pulling men from other areas inside the city, and some from the eastern side, we have them hunkered down quite well, and picking a few of them off, good to see indeed." Soon after, the Bohi started to move out troops from the middle of the city and eastern side towards the north and south, and an effort to slow the allied advance, and soon filling the air with the sound of gunfire and explosions.

Captain Weiss, dug into cover from the Bohi fire, pulled out a flare gun she brought along with her, one with a long enough range to shoot it into the sky to be seen from a distance, and fired it into the sky to be seen by a spotter to signal the helicopters to move in. She then got out of that spot and made a dash fro another spot, as an artillery shell hit the area she was in long too long afterwards. The spotter in the hills saw the flare, and gave the signal for Vasquez's squadron to move in. With that, the city was surrounded by intense fighting, and the helicopters made their drop-offs of troop within the city's defense and used on-board guns to fire at any Bohi in their sights. "Damn them!" the Bohi commander said, "they dropped in troops from the sky, and got us on all sides! We have to hold our positions and keep them away from key buildings!" Now the Bohi were scrambling to dig in even more, now having to deal with the siege on the outside, insurgents on the inside, and the fire coming from above. It wasn't long before the second wave from the east came along, bringing the tanks ind IFVs with them, passing by a few lost vehicles in the heated battle, quickly advancing towards the Bohi, showing the might of the old and still faithful Type 78, and soon it was able to breach inside. Now the Bohi brought out their own tanks to counteract the Belantic ones that arrived, and soon, both Bohi and allied forces were scattered throughout the city in what appeared to be a total free-for-all. "Make our way towards the police station! We might be able to get some reinforcements over the airwaves!" yelled Weiss to the group she was with, pushing their ways towards the center.

The streets are now littered with debris and fallen soldiers. Two of the tanks sent in were wiped out by another tank, which was hunted down and destroyed not too long after, with the other Bohi tanks were getting pinned down by the Belantic ones. Weiss was soon at the police station, and she and her troops begun to force their way inside. One of the communications officers with her began to tune the radio equipment to attempt to contact nearby friendlies, and it worked for a short time. "We have retaken Nelspsruit, send in backup now!" the message got out, "Roger that Nelspsruit, reinforcements en route, ETA 14:00 hours." Now the Bohi was losing the fight. "It's no use! We lost the damn place! Pull anyone you can back westward, this city is lost, and we're taking too many loses!" the commander barked to his Bohi troops, now beginning to retreat back to their side of the truthful border. Now, the majority of Bohi forces were either gone or taken out, and troops began to sweep the city for any remaining forces still hiding. In total, Belantica lost 300 of it's 3,500 troops, 2 tanks, 7 jeeps, 2 trucks, and a helicopter, Molenston lost 100 of it's 680 troops, and The Bohin with an unknown number at this time. The Bohi flag was taken down, and the flag of Molenston, although battered, now flew in front of the city hall once more. It wasn't long before reinforcements arrived, including a division of Belantic military police to help restore peace and order to Nelspsruit. The city was now back in Molenstoni control.

[North Rukonia]

Ukhal Peninsula

At this point, it seemed that there were more shells on the ground than there was dirt or sand. The fighting outside the fortress had mostly died down, as Rukonian and Rezuan troops flooded the base. The Bohi war cry was met with the Rukonian call of "For the North!"

Soldiers planted explosives outside and inside the keep alike, opening up more routes for the combatants to enter through. It was getting hard to walk through the hallways, as so many dead littered the ground. A static was heard from the radio. As it cleared, the ever familiar voice of Admiral Bakalov came over it.

"We can't do anything else. We're pulling back and meeting up with the Rezuan navy! I wish you the best. Win this fight for you, your country, and everyone you care about at home! For the North!" It cut off, and the faint sound of ships whirring off was heard. The sky's had calmed down, as the planes had either been destroyed or had pulled back due to the storm. The skies were quite, save for the thunder ripping through it. This was entirely a ground battle now.

"We need to find that ammo storage! We're running low!" Roger Marr said. It was true. The fighting had been going on for long enough that there ammo stores were running low. Some had resorted to using their sidearm, while others picked up ammo from fallen foes.

Roger managed to rally 15 troops, including his team and a few Rukonian-speaking Rezuans. They were in luck, as most of the Bohi were occupied with other things. If they saw a Bohi, they shot them. If they saw a Bohi carrying a box of ammo or a wounded Bohi soldier, they prioritized shooting them. Alas, they found it. A cavern of ammunition for everything. Guns, tanks, navy. "Jackpot boys. Go wild." Ava said, shooting the few Bohi who were getting ammo.

The well stocked Rezuans guarded the doors, as the drained Rukonians re-stocked.
Ammo was hauled out back to the halls, and Roger yelled another command, "Everyone, get to the command station! We're gonna capture that damned general!"

[The Bohin]

Weiffa Region
2 days ago

The graying skies signalled a coming quick change in the weather. The air held a sense of dualism, feeling both humid and empty of any moisture. It was not water that hung on the clothes and faces of the people, but of sweat and dust. Rock removed from the great mines throughout Weiffa. Hundreds, if not thousands, carrying tools of their trade would venture into and out of the mines daily. Bringing back with them the bounty that lay within the earth’s crust. Both jewels which sparkled brightly when polished and those which would fuel the great Bohi war machine.

Overhead, where all could see in the distance, was the fortress of Ukhal, sitting on its peninsula which shared its name. A large battle had been raging for a few hours and all still seemed well. And so the people continued their work. Closer were an array of their own defenses, some build within the tops of the mountain itself, as their own guard towers. Others were built on steel and wood. Soldiers were positioned within them as well. Most payed the soldiers no mind. They were there not for most of the workers, those who moved the dug up material out of Weiffa by truck, but for those who ventured into some of the oldest and deepest mines. The most unsafe of the mines in this region was staffed entirely by prisoners. Many had once felt uncomfortable working so near the accused and the imprisoned, but the jobs paid well, and prisoners were shot at any sign of trouble, whether they be old and graying, or still young children.

The people turned when a piercing siren was turned on. Almost similar to a klaxon, but flickered on and off every few seconds. The guards seemed to be reacting to something unseen, but most people shrugged and went back to work. They were paid by the amount of material moved, not by the hour. As more coal was loaded into a large truck and sent on its way passed the security fence, soldiers continued to react frantically to something unknown.

And then all knew. A distance away, a large section of road, empty of any traffic or material exploded as something fell from the sky. It was an air raid.

Six Pantorran jets flew high up, trying to read their screens and communications with each other. But all they found was static and flickering communication. No more than a syllable at random could be passed through to one another and they had no way to know if the others had heard their messages or not. They were too high to be threatened by any Bohi attack, and their advanced planes were prepared and ready for any counter-measures the Bohi could throw at them. Except this signal loss. No way to tell if they would be hitting anything vital and no way to communicate their location with the others. Yet, they still had a mission to do.
The cloud cover was thick and their planes flew over them, keeping clear skies and ample view of their allies in the sky. A Pantorran watched as another on his left released his load.

On the ground, another round of explosions went off, hitting the top of a mountain mine, causing a rockslide. Luckily, it only collapsed a prison mine. Nobody would spend the time to clear it out for a while. A truck that was returning from the capital exploded on the road, a seemingly direct hit.

The Pantorran flew his plane side to side and then dipped up and down, before circling back trying to clear his signal so he could tell what was below him. Yet nothing he was doing was helping. Neither were the clouds, which made in impenetrable visual wall. Another two planes released their loads.

Explosions continued in a random pattern. Some explosions went off in the middle of nowhere, hitting into the ocean or in the sandy filled desert. One struck a watch-tower, sending the Bohi inside flying over the rails, breaking into gore and blood upon landing hard on the rock and concrete. The front security fence lit up like fireworks, sending a truck filled with diamond to the side, filled with fire and debris, leaking oil; now also burning.

Soldiers were rushing around, staring up at unknown assailants, yet doing their duties as soldiers to defend the area from any threats.

The Pantorran could see he was the last one to fire on the Weiffa region down below. Yet, he did not want to waste anything on the unknown. It was reckless, he knew, yet it was his last option. Slowly, he descended, into the cloud cover and then farther below. It was darker now. And his devices were still not clear. He lowered further, now able to see his actual target by eyes alone. And then, he heard something. He almost shouted out loud in joy, if he knew he wasn’t going to miss it. The unmistakable sounds of Bohi soldiers.

"Het hulle die toring getref?"
"Nee, geen ontslag nie." Then the signal went blurry again as he rose up higher. He wondered what it meant, yet annoyed he did not speak the language. His memory of what he had heard would have to do

He checked his altitude. About 20,000 feet (OOC: this can be changed if it is too high).

Looking out, he saw his primary target, an armory. He released his cargo and watched as hundreds of explosives inside went off in a cacophony of light and sound. His engine thrummed and he ascended once again. He flew around, signalling with his plane and he and his men returned back to base.

Weiffa Region
Today

Explosions along the coast, slamming hard into the mountains, taking out on-shore and offshore weaponry. None of it was doing great damage to the region, as material still entered and exited at ease. What did drop morale was the weather, and the sight of an offshore oil platform be hit directly by a missile from some sort of ship. It would be detrimental to the Bohi efforts to liberate Molenston if they lost their supply of oil...

Ukhal Peninsula

The fighting continued, even though the weather was severe. The Rezuans and Rukonians thought they were at an advantagge, breaking into an ammunitions depot outside the main fortress. Untill they realized that much of the supplied were malfunctioning and duds. They would have no extra munitions or supplies for the remainder of the attack.

And then great blinding lights turned on, blinding anyone staring directly at them at the wrong time. The lights shone directly forward onto the Rezuan and Rukonian forces, giving the Bohi a great line of sight to attack clusters of soldiers. Bazooka fire rained down on any armoured support they could have mustered, sending fire through the torential rain. Extra care was pent on shooting anyone with medic helmets and armbands, as well as anyone that looked to be in a position to lead.

The only way to go was forward, directly into awaiting enemy fire, or back towards the ships. It would be their last chance at retreat.

[Rezua]

Command Outpost Wyvern

Life flooded back into Christina like a tornado. She jolted awake, gasping for breath. Her eyes scanned around her a threat, only to find her sister sitting beside her. "You're awake." the empress said. Christina looked down to see that she was laying in a hospital bed. Her right hand was in a cast. Ymira smiled "Don't worry, they think your finger should survive. It was put back on, probably in time." The princess returned the smile "Damn, Ymira, I was hoping to get one of those cool spy fingers with the lasers, bottle openers, and hacking stuff." Christina chuckled but her sister did not. That served as another reminder to Christina that she'd killed her sister. Whoever this woman was next to her was just the shell of what was once a happy little girl.

"I am sorry you know." Christina said softly, "I never meant to put you through so much pain. You've given up everything to be the perfect monarch. Because I couldn't." Ymira sighed "Christina, please don't start this again. I get it, it's okay. I'm tired of hearing it. I accepted it, I did this to myself. Not everyone is cut out for ruling." Christina remained silent. The empress' shoulders dropped as she looked down. "I'm sorry. That was wrong."

"No, you're right Ymira. I do not deserve to rule. Anything. This war is going like shit. I should not have been given command of the Imperial Arm. Someone else would have-"

"Enough." Ymira ordered. A chair creaked as Ymira stood up. The hospital tent was big, but it was still not big enough. Paper thin walls separated Christina from the rest of the wounded. "We don't have a right to be sorry, or wrong, or fail." Ymira said sternly. "We can cry and sit in our grief but that changes nothing. We are the ones in power. We have to use it. This war must end. Now. It's costing us lives and a small fortune." Ymira knelt down beside Christina and said softer "I'm going to lead an attack on Reikyama. I've dealt with enough bullshit for long enough. This fracking stops now. Our world is sick because everyone keeps militarizing. Our military can't stop them all. I'm going to break the Bohin. I'm going to show these people what happens when they cross the Rezuan Empire."

Seeing her sister become so bitter was like having a stake driven into Christina's heart. And also, fear for her sister's safety clouded her mind. "Ymira, you can't just lead an army. This isn't the medieval era. You can't just ride a horse into battle and cut them down. That's not how it works. You have a wife and daughter, Ymira. You're fighting for everyone else's life but not your own. You have a life worth living. A family that needs you, Ymira. What would happen to that family without you? A nation can get a new leader and survive. But a family? A widow with an infant? They will never have as happy a life as they could have. I cannot live with my sister dead and my best friend a widow. Don't do this. You're just a big target."

And for once, the empress smiled. "That's the point."

Command Outpost Wyvern

Another day had risen over the land. Today, the sun revealed the carnage of the past few days. Bohi corpses lay out in the sun decaying. Three days ago, the Rezuans had begun to refuse to bury their enemy. So they left them out for the enemy to see, to tell them that joining their comrades was an open invitation. Besides, the Bohi had been known to shoot Rezuans who had tried to move bodies, even for hygienic purposes. With this old sight came a new sound. Tanks advanced over the bodies, crushing them into a pulp with a wet pop.

Atop the turret of one such tank sat the empress, the flags of her family displayed on it and every tank around it. Eight thousand Rezuan troops were in this war. Fifteen hundred had been sent to the Ukhal Peninsula. Now, five thousand advanced with two hundred tanks while jet fighters patrolled and drones did reconnaissance. Ymira had decided that in order to win the war, Rezua had to fight like it always did, by pushing forward deep into enemy territory. Those left at the outpost would be fighting in trenches, with the support of the remaining fifty tanks. It opened it up for attack, but it also presented the Bohi with a choice. Defend Reikyama or kill the Rezuan empress.

The tanks were split into four groups of fifty. One group made a circle around one thousand troops and advanced forward. In front of that was the second formation of tanks, which had helicopters flying over them with some fuel and also with Air Raiders. They were heading to Reikyama but would go around the city from a distance and attack from the other side unaware. Empress Ymira had chosen to lead the rest of the army straight for Reikyama. The tanks formed the same formation that the first one did, and also had the support of jet fighters, bombers, and drones. These drones gave information to missiles back in Outpost Wyvern, the Navy, and to the Kurzeran province. If a large enemy force was found, a missile or ten were fired. Depended on the size of the enemy force.

In a perfect world, the Bohi would attack Ymira's force. Which is what she wanted. If the other army go to Reikyama they could take it. By drawing the enemy to find her, Ymira knew that a lot was on the line and many were in danger. Yet, the war could be ended sooner if they could hold these cities and stop the enemy's advance. This attack on Reikyama was a diversion itself. The empress had commanded that the Navy should assault the capital of the Bohi with fifteen war ships, eight hundred marines, and two hundred aircraft. The commanders of Molenston and Belantica were made aware that the Rezuan Navy was moving by encrypted message. Hopefully, they would take the city. The Rezuans had a special order: If the leader of the Bohi could be found, he was to be killed by air strikes or missile launch. The collapse of their government would make it hard for them to coordinate any defense.

The empress took one last look at the burning red landscape before sliding into her tank. Years ago, snow had been falling the last time she had been in one of these. Memories of a bloody past threatened to consume her mind but she held on to the perfect thing that always got her home. The gold ring on her finger was a constant physical reminder of that one perfect thing. Except now, it stood for two.

The Bunker

Bad news was always unwelcome to Kassmeyer. Empress Ymira and Princess Christina had survived the attack but Frederick Ramstien was dead. No matter what happened to those sisters, they just survived. How many times had they been almost assassinated? Seven? Ten? It did not matter. At this point, Kassmeyer was ready to accept them as a force of nature. They destoryed everything he built like an earthquake toppling a shining city.

Davon Ramstein was hysterical "They killed my brother! I want them dead! Dead! We have to kill them, oh yes, we must kill them." Kassmeyer, oddily, was not very disturbed by the loss of Frederick. He had been a cruel man, even for what was tolerated. Kassmeyer had killed innocents, yes. But he had not done so happily nor without a reason he believed was right. The Ramsteins killed for sport. It seemed fitting that he died doing what he loved.

Tsarina Sofia glared at Davon unsympathetically "What took so long to capture them? You told me that your brother was already in her tent by the time you had been discovered with your team. Where was he? What took him so long? He should have captured her and joined you." Without waiting for an answer, the teen tsarina cursed. "I've got it now. He tried to rape her didn't he? Men are...so easily distracted. I ordered you to bring them back to me." Kassmeyer regretted not telling Sofia the truth. He'd told her they would be captured but had secretly ordered their deaths. Now, she'd look like a fool.

One of the Fyrems laughed "Girlie, didn't anyone tell you? They were going to be killed. Men can chose how best to kill a woman." The tsarina pointed at the Fyrem "Kick him out of my councils. Clearly he was not paying attention when I gave orders. He also seems to think that my soldiers may think with their cocks instead of the brains. You serve me, not your lust nor your self ambition. If I tell you to do something, you do it in the most direct way." No one made a move to obey her. Kassmeyer dared not to intervene, if he did, he'd look like just some father protecting his daughter. If she was to be tsarina, she must command their respect.

Sofia looked at the Havard couple. "Lord and Lady Havard, see how this man disgraces your sons? They died selflessly for my mother, for our cause. Should he not be punished for it? I shall do it for you, should you reaffirm your alliance to me. I am your sovereign and my laws are your sole guides in life. Serve me, and I shall make your sons dreams in a strong Rezua come true, but I shall immortalize them for all history. And you shall also be remembered as my close friends, wealthy and powerful for the end of your days." Kassmeyer was surprised by Sofia's words but did not give a hint of astonishment away. She had decided to take insult for her other advisors, not her own title. It was a good way to win them over.

The Havards knelt before the tsarina. Lord Havard spoke "Tsarina, my wife and I are your faithful servants." The tsarina stood "Then I accept your service. Take all wealth and title from that Fyrem. Let him be forgotten by the Empire, for he abandoned it to honor a foolish dead man." The tsarina looked around the room and said "My orders are not to be ignored. Ymira and Christina Everen are to be dishonored not killed. They become martyrs if we take their lives, just like their parents. But if we discredit them and make them failures, they will replaced willingly. High Lord Havard, see to it that I get a meeting with the Pantorrans. I have use for them."

To: The Pantorrum Government and President Pierce
Encryption: High

Greetings. I am Tsarina Sofia Hanji, rightful monarch of the Rezuan Empire. It has come to my attention that the Everens have been giving you difficulty. You are a strong and militant people. We are very alike. My nation and yours were once the most powerful in the world. Seventy years ago, our values, interests, and wimps were obeyed by half the globe. We are strong, and Sunalaya needs strong rulers. Should you assist me in retaking my throne, I shall reward you immensely. I shall not stop you form taking whatever nation or land you see fit to bless with your governance. You shall have access to our mines, and shall have preference for all of our exports. There is a catch however. You may not go to war with Rezua. I do not wish to rule a broken and dead land. You may also not kill the acting empress. If you do, you make her a marytr and make stable rule impossible.

Should you accept my offer, send a representative deep into the Bohi at the coordinates I've given you. Don't be foolish enough to think that is my residence, or that I will be alone. Should you tell the Everens about this, I assure you, you'll live to rue the day where you showed disrespect to the rightful Hanji monarch.

Ukhal Peninsula

The order to fall back down the beach and hide among the rocks had taken a lot of pride swallowing for Jeremy. It was absolutely fracking ridiculous. An old fortress had taken hit after hit after hit from their missiles and it was nothing. Jeremy was tired of fighting savages. They couldn't be reasoned with, they were worth nothing. They were not human. A human being runs when it is being attacked from all sides. A bear thinks it can fight after a hunter has already blown out its heart. Bohi were like that bear. They were swinging savagely, cutting up the hunter in an unknown forest. Except, that hunter would not die, and that bear would. The hunter just had to wait for the bear to drop dead from its wounds.

In the morning, after the storm, Jeremy would raze the fortress. His small fleet would hammer it with more missiles and would be getting the support of air craft. Not to mention, his brother has sent him ten more ships. Was it wise to leave the empire with almost no navy left in her own waters? Perhaps not, but Jeremy just wanted to watch the Bohi burn.

[Molenston]

Port Ubbeval
4 hours, 30 minutes

Captain Iddi was pulled down hard by his shoulder; an explosion just feet in front of him spitting out dust and fire in every direction. He turned to his left to see a younger Malesti Lieutenant with her hand on him. He nodded. She returned it. Quickly, he opened his clip and counted his bullets. Only four left in his pistol. He peeled off two from the top and handed them to the Lieutenant. Peering our once more, he fired his last two shots, hitting a Bohi in the leg and throat, then pocketing the gun in its holster. He was exhausted. He could see the lieutenant and others around him just as tired. He tried a small smile, then gave up. It was no use to smile. They all knew that there was no point in defending the port.

Morale was extremely low. Not only were they fighting to defend a pile of rocks and rubble that had once been a bustling port city; it had not been fully cleaned of the deceased since the start of the war. There was no time to finish. He and his men were literally fighting in their people’s blood. Iddi shook his head. No time to think such thoughts. He shouted in English, “cover me!” Then rushed ahead, over the makeshift barricade. He threw himself forward behind a sandbag and then rolled behind an overturned taxi. It’s yellow paint almost completely taken off by constant dirt and fire. Iddi looked ahead, squinting.

Finally, he spotted what he was looking for, a fallen Malesti, blood still pouring from his chest and soaking into the cement below. Around his waist hung the small green items he had been looking for. As his allies covered his movements with gunfire of their own, he dashed forward and slid behind the deceased, saying a small mental prayer before unclipping the man’s belt.

“Grenade!” he shouted, now in Malesti, tossing one of his precious orbs at the enemy position. Using the chaos and following BOOM, he returned the way he came, handing his reward to the rest of the team. It was not much, but it was something.

Then he heard the unmistakable sound of Bohi tanks. He looked up to see five driving through cleared out streets. Iddi turned to his lieutenant. “How much longer until the Command Center is cleared?”
“Four hours, give or take.”
“We aren’t going to hold out that long! When are the Rhodeve reinforcements expected?”
“They are being held back by the storm. Near Ukhal. The Bohi submarines are patrolling for Belantic and Rezuan submarine killers and we still have no communication inside that country.”

“We are going to need to fall back.” Captain Iddi turned to his soldiers. “Everyone! Fall back to the Command Center! We are making our last stand with the Commonwealth! Give them everything we’ve got!”

[North Rukonia]

N.R.F. Titan. 23 Klicks south of Uhkal, 39 west

"Alright, new orders! Our surface ships and the cargo are heading to meet up with our naval force outside Ukhal! Our job is to hinder the Bohis capacity to create oil, as they run their army largely on tanks. Old tanks, at that. Tell all subs to load torpedos. We've been told that there are not hostile ships in the area and there is a Bohi oil rig nearby! Let's take it out!"

Bob Vandelsana was unnerved, slurring his commands to the crew members. The sub was stable, as it was one of the newer ones in the Fleet. The new technology she provided was wonderfully useful. Then, the radar blipped, and the unmistakeable signature of an oil rig was on it. Bob must have had tunnel vision for a moment, as the rig was within torpedo range.

"Fire!" He yelled, and the sound of two torpedos was heard. Three minutes passed, and then, BOOM! The torpedos struck the supports, shaking the entire installation. Fire crawled up the supports. When it cleared, one support was completely cut in half, and the other was almost. Like Halfway-Headless Hugo from those Barry Trotter books.

He ordered that another torpedo be loosed. It struck it's target. When the flames cleared, it was clear that the rig had died. The crew members had started to jump off. Unable to sustain it's own weight anymore, the platform tilted to it's side, with equipment splashing into the water. One last torpedo was loosed, and it shredded a third support. The platform was largely underwater now. Their job was done.

"Medical ships will be here to pick up the survivors." Bob reassured his shocked crew. But he wasn't sure that they were, and he was having a tough time hiding it.

The submarine deployment whirred off.


Ukhal Peninsula

"Everyone! Fall back to the beaches! We can't hold here!" Roger said. Rukonian troops flooded out of the complex, running twords the beaches and their Rezuan allies. The sound of the Rukonian Infantries semi-auto pistol replaced the sound of automatic rifle. Many Rukonians had picked up guns of the fallen Bohi. Shouts in Revon, Rukonian, and Bohi alone were heard. The storm raged on. Still, nither side closer to victory.

[Pantorrum]

Thanatos Joint Operations Base
Uszwa
16 Miles from Bohin

The base was buzzing with activity. After a multitude of both successful and arguably successful strikes, the base had finally uncovered a puzzling secret. One that had been plaguing the Commonwealth from the very beginning. Communications was strangely impossible within the Bohin. Some military officers had suggested it could be caused by a strange magnetic disturbance, but if that was the case the Bohin would also have no communications. Which they knew wasn't true.
During a large air assault on Weiffa last week, the secret was uncovered. Radio transmissions were heard when flying at altitudes below 5,000 feet. What was heard would change the entire strategy of the war for the Air Force. The Bohin had unknowingly given away their own highly guarded secret. In their own language, the Bohin suggested that Pantorran Strike Craft had destroyed a tower, and thus were able to communicate again. This had not been the case, though. The craft had been able to communicate only because of their low altitude, which was revealed to be a weakness in what is now known to be a communications jamming network. A highly advanced network, not even Pantorrum had technology capable of what this system could do. Without communications, a war could not be effectively fought.

And as far as General Bradley could tell, they were the only ones who had uncovered not only that there was a system, but the way to bypass it as well. If air units flet low enough to the ground, they could still communicate without hindrance. Unfortunately, the towers could not be targeted. They were technically considered, by Pantorrum, civilian infrastructure. And the deal between Rhodevus and Divergia that allowed the war to take place was that civilian infrastructure would not be targeted. Regardless, they could not communicate effectively. He had considered not sharing the information. It would put Pantorrum at a huge advantage, begin the only foreign power able to communicate in the skies of the Bohin. But he decided, with respect to good will toward the Commonwealth, that he would share the information with just about everyone. Other than Rezua, that was.

To: Rhodeve Commonwealth Command

From: General Bradley, Pantorran Operational Commander for the Southern Ziamban Region

Encryption: High-107

We have uncovered the existence of a Bohin Communications Jamming Network that we have found to be 100% effective at blocking communications above landing altitudes. It is entirely impossible to communicate about 5,000 feet. The jamming transmissions are likely sources from communication towers, based on our information. These towers cannot be targeted due to their civilian nature. We suggest flying all craft below 5,000 feet in altitude in order to facilitate for communication and guidance systems to operate.

-Bradley

The transmission was sent with great remorse. It was valuable intel. Something he had shared with people who might never return the favor. Regardless, it would further their war efforts. And after all, he did have orders to cooperate with the Commonwealth. He turned to the officer next to him.
"I want a squadron of 12 F-16's airborne, set course for Weiffa. We have cleared SAM's along a narrow route and they should be able to avoid Anti-Air weapons on this route. Their target will," he pointed at the map on the table in front of them, "will be this military facility in Weiffa." It was the same facility they had set out to attack last time. "They are to target armories, barracks, and any naval vessels in port. Inform the pilots to begin their attack at 4,800 feet in altitude, and no more than 5,000."
He turned to another office. "Prepare the B-1 Lancers. They won't be able to communicate at their strike altitude, so they will need to be briefed on mission plans and target coordinates. Inform them there will be no radar or GPS guidance. There target will be Bohi forces on the Molenston Border. I wan't them armed and ready to carpet bomb enemy ground formations without mercy. We show no quarter." The Captain nodded, and left with the other officer to deliver orders.

1 hour Later
06:00 Hours

A force of 12 F-16's roared into the sky from the airport runway. One after another, in under 2 minutes they were all airborne and flying toward there targets at maximum speed. Each was armed with 2 AIM-7 Sparrow Missiles for anti-air combat. Each had 1 AIM-139 Penguin for the destruction of Naval Vessels in Port and 6 AIM-65 Mavericks for Air-to-Ground Assault. Fully loaded and fueled to the max, the fighter craft were moving slower than usual. never the less, they were making great time. At Mach 1.8, they would reach their targets quickly. Each craft was armed with enough weapons to shoot down enemy aircraft, destroy up to 12 ships in port, and deliver over 72 AIM-65 missiles into armories and barracks. It would be the largest air assault thus far, and if everything went well it would devastate the base.

Heading in the opposite direction were 3 B-1 Lancers. The large bombers were similarly loaded out, carrying 30 CBU-87 Cluster Bomb Units. Makin Mach 1, they would arrive in range of their intended targets by 6:25 am. The larger bomber craft would release their payload at close to 30,000 feet, dropping a total of 90 cluster bombs on various different ground units identified in satellite reconnaissance of the region. Large Bohin troop movements would hopefully be stalled or even wiped out. Just a massive amount of ordinance would deliver mass casualties should they strike their targets.

The Air Base was put on high alert after the aircraft left, ready for a retaliatory Strike. SAM Units, THAAD Launchers, and Iron Dome Systems were put online and positioned to intercept any missiles or aircraft that the Bohin would attempt to strike back with. Meanwhile, over 3,000 troops were preparing to deploy to the airbase to begin ground operations against the Bohin.