The Second Estovakian War [CLOSED]

[Irav]

Miksa-Bunninkreef Agreement
October 5th, 2079
Camp Ter Heijde, Estovakia
05:25 hours

‘’There. I have signed the papers you brought. This land is now ours, Estovakia is now ours. There is only one thing standing between us and the complete subjugation of this country.’’ General Jan Meeuwe said. ‘’The fucking Timerians.’’ He walked on to the balcony of the camp. In front of him, on the plains down below, stood the members of the Legion Inferno Verde side-by-side. These soldiers were better known as the Union’s best and brightest.

He looked out across the endless sea of soldiers. One by one they were proud soldiers, the best that Irav had to offer. The general looked at their faces, while they looked largely the same they all had a sense of individuality. They were clones of course. Bred for the sole purpose of war somewhere in a vector tank in outer space. One last speech, then the crusade would begin. He took one last breath before exploding in a tirade of words.

‘’Ladies and gentlemen. The Timerian nation is a plague. For months now they have illegally trespassed onto sovereign Estovakian, Polongian, and Iravian soil. For all these months they have disrupted the way of life in these territories. The local population cannot walk to the fucking mall without accidentally bumping into a platoon of North Timerian bastards.

We have sworn to protect the Estovakian people. We have defended them against Polongian aggression and now we will protect them against North Timerian aggression. Clones, North Timeria has answered to our demands with endless sabre-rattling and cries of war. Let’s give these madmen what they have asked for. Now Irav calls upon you once again to vanquish its enemy. It is your task to answer that call and carry it out with impunity! Today the sun shall shine upon us again!’’ Meeuwe said as his tirade was finally over. He had never been a practically great orator, but he was learning. And who knew, maybe some day he could deliver some actual motivational words to these clones.

[Loracia]

“What news from Estovakia? Asked Loracia’s monarch, Antoine Eaglefin.
-Irav mobilized his troops, sir. Looks like it is our turn to strike. Answered a servant.
-Good. Make all troops at the border know that we are going to war.
-yes sir”

The servant then gave a tablet to Antoine, who quickly snatched it from the man’s hands.

“About 1.2 million soldiers are ready, right?
-indeed sire.
-ok. We are heading to the Loracian forest tomorrow. Make preparations.
-yes, sire.”

The king walked towards a circular room and sat down on a chair in the middle. He then presses a red button, as a screen arises from the ground. The screen was massive, showing a map of Loracia.

“Get me in a call with Harrevelts, now.”

The screen switched its interface, now exposing a man’s face.

[Irav]

October 5th, 2079
National News, Irav
06:15 hours

*The news item begins with a video broadcast. It is early in the morning and the sun hasn’t yet risen over the Westerkwartier. The broadcast, made from a police helicopter, shows that the Palace of Parliament is on fire. With a large explosion having taken place on the east-wing of the compound. Different government agencies and emergency services have surrounded the palace, trying to contain the unimaginable horror. Firefighters are desperately trying to extinguish the raging fire that is tearing the building apart, paramedics are taking people to nearby hospitals with life-threatening injuries, and the Westerkwartier police has barricaded the road network surrounding the building, keeping it off limit for civilians. Every three to five minutes another explosion tears through a part of the wall, and the clock tower on the east-wing has already collapsed. The shock of this unimaginable horror can be seen on the faces of everyone present on the scene.*

In the studio, the reporter, clearly dazzled and shocked by the events that have taken place earlier this morning began to speak. The Palace of Parliament has … has been destroyed earlier this morning … The reporter is clearly struggling to deliver the news about the bombing of the parliament. Clearly dumbfounded by the terrifying footage that he just saw. ’’The Primarch and his entire cabinet were present at the palace during the bombing … Their spokesperson has let us know that, that neither the Primarch nor the Vice-Primarch have survived this act of cowardice. He spoke, still struggling to deliver this lines. Another few seconds of silence pass as the reporter is trying to make sense of everything that has happened. ’’The resulting investigation has revealed that the Timerian government is behind the bombing of our parliament. Tensions between the two countries have deteriorated over the situation in Estovakia. Now these cowards have taken the opportunity for a first strike against our government.’’ The reporter continued, his voice sounding more angrier with every word he uttered.
Before the reporter could continue with his next sentence the screen faded to black and the Iravian national seal appeared on the television screen. This was always an indication that the Primarch of Irav was about to deliver a speech to the nation.

This time however, it wasn’t Primarch Harrevelts that would deliver the speech. As the screen showed an office identical to the presidential office in the Palace of Parliament, people could see the Secretary of State, Elliott Heijman, sitting where the Primarch would otherwise sit. He had never been that strong of a politician, but now that had changed. His eyes showed a burning desire to put the men responsible to justice, something that most Iravians weren’t used from him.

He began to speak. ’’My fellow Iravians … This morning at a quarter past five, an explosion has destroyed the east-wing of the Palace of Parliament. The explosion and the resulting fire have claimed many lives, including that of Primarch Harrevelts and Vice-Primarch Olde Boer. We have more than sufficient proof that this attack was carried out by the North Timerian government in a cowardly first strike attempt at beheading our government. But do not worry, we shall respond accordingly, the entire Union is moving to a war-footing and before this week has ended we shall have responded accordingly. Citizens of Irav, support each other in these dire times. Together we shall prevail, as we have always done.’’ The screen goes back to the regular channel once again. With the war having gotten very nasty after less then an hour.
 
October 5th, 2079
Palace of Parliament, the Westerkwartier, Iravian Union
05:28 hours

Ruben Philips had been recruited into the Highlander agency three years ago, he never quite knew what he was getting himself into, but he did always work with a burning passion to complete his mission. Today would be no different. By the team Agent Philips had been deployed to the city center the parliament had been on fire for more than fifteen minutes. All around him he could first hand experience the horrors that this attack had brought with it. The paramedics were desperately trying to evacuate the wounded and dead people from the scene, as they ran desperately up and down the street. Every three or four minutes another firetruck pulled up into the street to help in the fight against the ever-growing fire.

’’Agent Philips, you’re going inside again. Try to look for survivors!’’ His platoon leader yelled at him. The Highlander agents that were deployed to the city center were equipped with special heat repellant power armour, and thus were tasked with rescuing the wounded from the burning parliament building.

’’Straight away sir!’’ The Highlander agent yelled back as he sprinted back into the burning compound via one of the explosion holes in the wall. Inside he could barely see anything. A thick layer of smoke and toxic fumes blinding his view. Somehow the Primarch still hadn’t been found, even though the building had been on fire for more than twenty minutes. ’’HELLO?! Is there somebody there?!’’ Agent Philips yelled one more time.

’’HELP! HELP ME! I’M OVER HERE!’’ He heard a man scream from further down the hallway. This man had been stuck inside that room since the beginning of the horrible fire. It did not take Agent Philips long to discover that this voice was the voice of the Primarch. He wasted no time running and punching his way through the enormous heaps of rubble that obstructed this part of the hallway.

’’Mr. Primarch, is that you?!’’ Agent Philips yelled back in the direction he heard the Primarch from. He quickly covered his HUD as he came crashing through a burning heap of rocks, furniture, and burned wood.
’’YES! IT’S ME, THE PRIMARCH! HELP ME NOW!’’ The Primarch demanded from his Highlander agent. Yet faith had something entirely different in mind for Eelco Harrevelts.

As the Highlander agent ran around the corner and straight into the room he could see the Primarch laying behind his desk under a wooden beam that had fallen from the ceiling. The man was covered in blood and dust, had probably broken his arm and a few ribs, and all by all was inches away from a painful death. The toxic fumes that were in the air had nearly squeezed the last bit of life out of him. The agent quickly ran over and near effortlessly threw the beam that had fallen on top of the Primarch into the wall more than five meters away. But now he just stood there, looking down on the Primarch who was yelling and demanded that he would be carried outside and receive medical attention.

Ruben just looked back at the Primarch. Totally indifferent to the demanding, cursing, and yelling that the Primarch threw his way. ’’I’m sorry Mr. Harrevelts. But there is no place for you in this new world.’’ He said as he looked down on a broken man. The richest and most powerful man in the world, now nothing more than a broken man begging for his life.

’’What do you mean?! I am the Primarch, now save me!’’ Harrevelts demanded from the agent. Who even after a direct order from his Commander-in-Chief just stood there. He couldn’t care about the Primarch, he had a mission he had to carry out and carry it out he would.

’’What a waste of last words …’’ Philips said as he reached for a steel pipe that had fallen from the ceiling right next to him. Without thinking about what he was about to do he utilized the power of his armour to kill the weakened Primarch with one fell swoop of his steel pipe. And with that the begging stopped. The Primarch was finally dead.

[Formor]

As Formorian fleet commander looked out on the horizon for Loracia, he writes in his onboard journal. "we will be arriving in Loracia in an hour, and this will mark Formor's first declaration of war." He looks back at the Horizon, spotting land. "Well, at least we have strong allies..."

"Commander, the Iravian Parliament has been bombed!
-well shit, answered the Commander, thinking of his next move. We keep going and we are sticking to our trajectory. Ignore the incident and keep it from spreading amongst the crew."

[North Timeria]

October 5th, 2079
Infinity, North Timeria
7:00 A.M.


President Reeves stood in front of the cameras with a huge smile on his face, he could barely contain his happiness. "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead! We would not like to send our condolences and would like to celebrate this momentous day." Reeves then changed his expression to address the rest of the world. "It's quite suspicious how fast they were to blame us... Almost like the investigation was a setup... but that's not our concern. To those that follow blindly find the light before you are eternally lost." With this Reeves walked off the stage where he was greeted by his Secretary of Defense.

"All forces have been notified and we're currently on DEFCON 2 ready to make the next step whenever you say! Manta II are in the air as we speak and they've identified a number of threats around Timeria... among the information that million man army Loracia has assembled is active and we are estimating 18-30 hours before they are mobilized."

"Shesh... That was a simple mistake; the first of many. They didn't even wait for the Iravians to kick off their false flag operation. Alright tell General Milton to get his field army south... 300,000 men should be enough to dismantle the Loracian force."
October 5th, 2079
Novigrad, Estovakia
6:58 A.M.

Private Allen was on his morning patrol in Novigrad with the police force. They were patrolling the Eastern District which they had done every day for the past month. They watched over the kids playing soccer outside when they received notifications on their HUD. As the Kilo vehicle pulled up alongside the patrol they were notified of the situation. "DEFCON 2 everybody report back to FOB Talisman" The squad was quick to jump into their vehicles and head back to base. The people of the city were a bit worried as they watched the NT military vehicles speed off.

A small group of FEA soldiers on the base watched the news in shock. As the squad joined them they watched in shock as the news was broadcasted on the TV. As they watched a number of workers joined them. "Death to the dictator!" One of the Estovakians yelled out as he went back to work. Outside the base, a small crowd had grown that threw flowers onto incoming vehicles. As the NT vehicles drove past they chanted in support of the troops and thanked them for their support.

South East of Novigrad at MITON station Delta Bravo 100 Olympian and ODST troops were deployed from orbit as part of the MITON QRF.

[Imperium Norius]

October 5th, 2079
Noria City, Noria
7:15 am
Emperor Wilhelm II watches in silence as the Iranian palace of parliament building burns. screens all over the war room are covered with clips of the building consumed by fire, as well as the addresses by both Reeves and Heijman. Around him, the Margraf council is in chaos, with members arguing and yelling, panic and disorder spreading like a disease through his subject. When Wilhelm raises his hand for quiet, the room becomes deathly silent. The Emperor has always been a calm and collected man, even in times of crisis.
"Adalard," He calmly asks the Lord Counselor, "Please inform me and the Council as a whole on the state of this issue."
"My Emperor, It seems that the Timerians were the ones to commit the bombing. Their president has not denounced the act but instead acts as a Buffon in front of the whole world. Loracia and Irav are mobilizing, and our populous demands action from us. We haven't fought a major war in over 150 years, but your work in removing our neutrality may allow us to take action like never before. However, if you think that-"
"No, we no longer have the luxury to sit this out, Adalard," Wilhelm replies as he silences the margrave, "Loracia is by far one of our most valuable allies. We have entered the Systems Alliance, so we must do our duty now to protect our allies from failed states and their unhinged leaders. Tell the Sol fleet to drop all their troops and deploy all dropships to Loracia to begin the construction of a front line. Have the ships afterward meet up with the UFSC fleet as soon as they can. Tell General Krieger and Albrecht to begin mobilization of the stellar guard in noria, we are sending 7 million troops to Loracia. Contact the Colonial forces and Balendia, get them mobilized as well. We have a war to fight, and I expect all of you to make sure it goes well."
With that, Wilhelm lifts himself to his feet and makes his leave. As he exits the room, the Margraves frantically contact the multitude of generals, admirals and other officials of the Empire to instruct them of the news and their orders. As this happens, the Emperor takes a deep breath. He has a speech to make and a war to fight.

7:30 AM
Imperial Address
Citizens of Noria and the Territories abroad; today a terrible tragedy has struck the people and state of Irav. Timeria, in an act of brutality and savagery, has set fire and bombed the Palace of Parlament in Irav. This act of terrorism has taken the lives of many officials of the Iravian government, including the former Primarch and Vice Primarch. Now, Timeria looks to attack Loracia, a close ally, and partner in trade and research. We cannot allow for this to happen. Therefore, from this point forward, Noria is at war with North Timeria. Troops are being sent to support the Loracian's defense of their homeland, and our colonial Legions are being deployed to defend the Territories. This war will not be an easy one, but we are fighting with righteous intentions, and those who fight with righteousness in their hearts are the ones destined to triumph over their foes.

Above Loracia
7:45 AM
The Norian Sol fleet, consisting of 2 Battlecruisers,8 Heavy Cruisers, 12 Light cruisers, 6 destroyers and 20 Escort frigates wait in orbit for orders from High Command. for the past 15 minutes, the crews of the vessels have held their breath, waiting for the order to move into action. The bridge of the flagship, the Battlecruiser Bismark is silent as orders arrive:

DROP ORBITAL DROP TROOPS
DEPLOY ALL GARRISONED FORCES TO LORACIAN BORDER WITH DROPSHIPS
DISENGAGE AND RALLY WITH USFC FORCES

As the orders get relayed from the flagship, the fleet ignites with activity: Dropships filled with troops, equipment, materials, and battlesuits fly out of ship hangars and towards the surface, while launch tubes fire their payload of Orbital Drop Units towards the border. As their payloads are exhausted and their hangars and barracks become empty, the fleet jumps out of Earth's orbit, hoping to rally with the Iravian fleet in open space.

[Weco]

October 5th, 2079
Rache, Imperial High Command, Wecovian Empire
7:16 AM

A high ranking staff officer walked into the Emperor's personal chamber, the Emperor who was contently eating breakfast and looking over manifestos for the upcoming grand offensive."Your majesty, at 5:36 AM this morning we received intelligence that the Iravian Parliament was struck. The Iravian Primarch, Vice Primarch and the entire cabinet are deceased confirmed at 0615 Hours." The officer said. We're unsure of the situation in Irav. That is all your Majesty." The officer awaited the Emperor's response. The Emperor simply said "You're dismissed, thank you for informing me, relay the following order to General Mysunder: Set course to LZ immediately." The officer saluted, bowed and then exited the chamber leaving the Emperor to his own devices. The Emperor ordered a nearby attendant to inform his advisory council to assemble.

October 5th, 2079
Battle Group A - 4,000 NM West of Weco
7:22 AM

"Sir message from Imperial Command. The communications officer handed the General his orders. Without a second thought the General contacted the Naval Commander of the battle group and instructed him to set course to 1,600 NM North off the North Timerian Coast. He ordered high stealth measures. The General called an assembly of his staff officers.

"Gentlemen, we're going to be invading North Timeria soon. It will likely cost the entirety of this force their lives. However it is vital that beachhead is established, we have to push as far inland as possible while keeping a stable line. If we fail to accomplish this task then it's going to be a blood bath." The General showed each officer their objectives and the numbers that were expected to be lost in the first waves. A total of 250,000 soldiers would take part in the initial landing.

[Irav]

October 5th, 2079
UFSC Amaethon, High Martian Orbit, Mars
07:48 hours

The light cruiser UFSC Amaethon had been assigned to Operation Dragonbreath, the bombardment of military and civilian targets in Ashana. The North Timerian colony on the red planet. The FTL-Jump only took seconds from Terra and before anyone had even realized it the Martian planet was fully visible from the bridge. They could see the great Martian colonies that humanity had set up, Polongian Maršansa, Iravian Mangala, Atmoran New Aldenburg, and the target of the operation Timerian Ashana.

Before captain Kroes decided to make his announcement he quickly pressed a few buttons on the elbow rest of his chair. And then the intercom started playing an audio file that they had received half an hour ago. ’’Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead! We would not like to send our condolences and would like to celebrate this momentous day.’’ Suddenly an awkward silence had fallen upon the ship. Everyone knew that this was the voice of Damari Reeves, the president of North Timeria.

Captain Roy Kroes of the Amaethon stood up from his captain’s chair. His voice now to be heard all throughout the ship via the intercom. ’’That was the voice of Damari Reeves everyone. The part-time buffoon and president of North Timeria. Clearly he is having a good time after this cowardice attack on the Westerkwartier this morning. It is your task as the crew of the Amaethon, to wipe that fucking grin from his face.’’ Captain Kroes said. If the Timerians did not have any regard for his countrymen, then why would he show any regard for the Timerians? ’’Helmsman Zeegers. What do you think? Does this asshole have any regard for lives of his own countrymen?’’ The captain asked curiously, setting his helmsman up for a good joke.

The helmsman looked up from his controls and lowered the speed of the cruiser just a little. ’’No captain. Though I do believe that Reeves would not like to send his condolences and would like to celebrate this momentous day.’’ Zeegers joked, which resulted in some laughter under the crew of the cruiser. ’’The coordinates you provided have been entered into our computer. We are ready to fire at your command.’’ Weapons specialist Herman Kampers continued, taking over from the helmsman.

’’Zielstra. Send a message to all coalition fleets currently not stationed at Earth. Rendezvous with us over Mangalan space between five and ten minutes.’’ Captain Kroes proclaimed as he leaned his had back to somewhat have a look at communications officer Jannet Zielstra. ’’Kampers, you are free to engage the Timerians. Let’s blow that smug grin of Reeves’ face.’’ Roy Kroes said as he again turned around in his chair, this time to face his weapons officer.

October 5th, 2079
Camp Tumbledown, New Aldenburg-Ashanan border, Mars
07:51 hours

The sun had only just started rising on the Martian planet. The soldiers at military Camp Tumbledown had been awake for hours by now. All in preparation for Operation Dragonbreath Phase II. From Camp Tumbledown, as well as many others alongside the New Aldenburg-Ashanan border, the UFSC light cruiser Amaethon could be seen slowly drifting over to the Timerian side of the international border. The sun above casting a starship-sized shadow on the clones down below.

All of a sudden the UFSC Amaethon let go of more than seven-hundred antimatter torpedoes, each equipped with a tracer round for the enjoyment of the clones down below. Wave after wave of these antimatter torpedoes broke through the clouds in near perfect synchronization, illuminating the ground below as well as the clouds surrounding them as they guided themselves to their respective targets. These targets included the many military and civilian airports, port cities and facilities, electrical grids, water purification plants, important infrastructure such as bridges and railroads, border fortifications and large formations of troops and armour.

[The Atmoran Diplomat]

Mars
5 October 2079

The Second Fleet, commanded by Admiral Dame Charlotte Jellicoe, one of the Admirals that put up the valiant defence of Sol nearly a decade ago. Was given orders from the Fleet Command to hold Martian space and prevent NORIA from sending further reinforcements down to Ashana. Her fleet of 35 warships. 1 battleships, 3 battlecruisers and 6 heavy cruisers and 25 destroyers were in position around Mars.

Admiral Jellicoe turned towards her Communications Officer "Contact the Iravian fleet around Mars. Let them know my ships are ready."

"On it Ma'am!"

After the fire of Westerkwartier, relations with North Timeria has deteriorated to a historic low. Alexandria while initially hesitant after North Timeria was blamed for the fire, however after the madman Reeves joyously announced the Primarch's death and sickeningly exuberant with the death of innocent civilians in Westerkwartier. In recent hours have seen increased calls for war with North Timeria, from Atmora and her numerous colonial possessions.

[North Timeria]

October 5th, 2079
FOB Centaur
With the official declaration of war announced the B-100s were given the green light to launch. Taking off from an artificial island in the middle of the ocean. They were stealthy and armed with JSOW weapons. As the bombers took off they headed towards their targets Norian naval ports and airbases on the northwest coast. The bombers would cruise at 90,000 ft and their advanced stealth and avionics allowed to remain hidden from radar. Their primary goal was to reduce the Norian ability to project force and launch the first strike.

Noria had already launched troops from orbit into Loracia but Timeria would maintain. Their goal was to hit targets in Norian territory and show that any target across the globe was within reach.

As they approached the firing location the B-100s formed up and released their weapons. They launched about 100 nmi off the coast and turned back the missiles were on their way to targets. There was a mix of penetration warheads and air burst to maximize both hard and soft target damage.
October 5th, 2079
Akuira, Ashana
7:55 A.M.
"Sir multiple projectiles incoming MITON has engaged and are intercepting as we speak." The commander looked at the MITON report.

"Interception effective thanks to those tracers MITON had better success than we had hoped ... civilian targets have taken light damage while infrastructure is at risk. Well MITON did their job but we still have to respond. Our fortification won't hold after a bombardment like that, they took the brunt of the attack and we need to reinforce them fast."

The SITREP station was lighting up across the map as the commander organized his forces. With a clone army closing in on Ashana there was only on option. "Deploy the 4th armored division... they know the terrain and their heavy vehicles will be perfect for the open Savannah. Python gunships will be in the position to support."

As command organized the ground situation 2 Majestic class destroyers moved in to engage the Amaethon. The ship fired a volley of missiles armed with MAHEM warhead. The piercing missiles could disable shield and tear apart an unshielded ship. With the first volley away the 2 ships moved in to finish the Amaethon. Captain Mikel was ordered to defend mars at all cost and he was prepared to do so. As they closed the distance between the ships quickly they began to target the ship for MAC rounds.

"Target acquired... MAC rounds are ready to fire on your command sir." the ships AI Monty reported.

"Hold... wait for the initial strike and then respond. Monty you will sync your shots with the Tigris, firing shots in succession."

The crew waited for the first volley to strike its target on edge. They weren't sure what to expect but they were ready to fight.

Below deck 2 SCAR teams prepared to be deployed if the initial strike was to fail.

[Irav]

October 5th, 2079
Gelderen AFB, Irav, Terra
07:58 hours

Gelderen AFB was no ordinary military base. Under president Donovan the Iravians had worked tirelessly to replace manpower with that of an AI or clone in the military. With the result that many air force bases now operated entirely independent from human intervention. Deep underground the sirens went off, which meant that an enemy aircraft had been detected by an advanced network of interconnected quantum radars. These radars were capable of picking up even the stealthiest of fighter and bomber aircraft, as the radar checked each quantum particle if there was anything physically there. Thus eliminating the effectiveness of stealth technology.

Maybe twenty to thirty seconds later a large door in a nearby mountain opened up. The heavy multi-ton door slowly disappearing into the side of the mountain. Behind this door was a runway for Iravian fighter and interceptor aircraft maybe a hundred meters long. Once the door had fully opened three state-of-the-art Iravian Romanoff III interceptor aircraft came screeching out of the mountain set for an interception course with the Timerian bombers at Mach 6. When the three aircraft had safely left Gelderen AFB the AI shut the enormous mountain doors once again, hiding the air force base in plain sight.

October 5th, 2079
Task Force ‘Winter’, Mars
07:57 hours

The battle between the UFSC Amaethon and the two Timerian Majestic-class destroyers was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of the United Forces task force ‘Winter’. Led by the capital ship UFSC Hades and UFSC Noëlle. The enormous five-and-a-half kilometer long warship dropped out of warp right next to the fearsome Iravian Verena-class ship UFSC Noëlle.

’’This is captain De Vries of the Iravian starship Hades. You have three seconds to lower your flags and surrender yourself to Irav.’’ The captain said very self-confidently as he brought his massive aircraft carrier closer to the two Timerian destroyers. ’’1 … 2 … 3 … No surrender? Shame … Captain De Vries taunted the Timerian ships. If anything they were now the ones who where severely outmatched and outgunned.

The Amaethon had taken a beating but was still in the fight. With its phaser array and antimatter torpedoes it kept punishing the two Timerian destroyers for getting too close. On the bridge the situation was more serious, though being the professional soldiers that they were, none of them had lost their calm.

’’Shields stable and holding at 34%.’’ The ships engineer said after the ship had taken a volley of Timerian ‘MAHEM’ warheads to its shields.

’’UFSC Amaethon, this is the UFSC Hades and UFSC Noëlle. Can you jump to warp and get out of here? We will handle the situation from here on out. You’ve made your fellow Iravians proud.’’ Captain De Vries said as he gave the signal to fire with everything they got. The UFSC Hades began vomiting Apollo fighter aircraft as if there was no tomorrow. Before anything else could happen the Hades had deployed more than one-hundred-thirty of its original one-thousand-six-hundred aircraft.

At the same time the hangar bays on the bottom of the UFSC Hades began to open and one by one Iravian light-cruisers and destroyers began dropping out of the Hades’ belly.

’’This is UFSC Hades to UFSC Noëlle. Can you lock your gravity beam on to those two North Timerian destroyers? Prevent them from running away.’’ Captain De Vries requested. And as requested the UFSC Noëlle began to engage the Majestic-class destroyers with its gravity beam.

On the UFSC Amaethon things were not faring as well. The shielding had been knocked down to twenty percent and was decreasing as the Timerian destroyers gave chase to the cruiser. Captain Kroes had received the order to jump to warp as soon as possible. There were dockyards above Venus, well within the Iravian sphere and within the cover of the UFSC.

From one moment to another the UFSC Amaethon had vanished into the vastness of space. Forced to flee from the two overconfident Timerian destroyers that had very nearly taken out the Amaethon. It had set a course for the Grolsch Shipyards above Venus for dire repairs.

[Polonge]

October 5, 2079
Bleda Palace, Bledapestra

“Please don’t do this.”

Maria Anna, Empress of Polonge, scowled as she walked up the steps to her throne. She was tired of this conversation. She stopped in front of the throne and turned around. Before her stood her family, her mother, daughters, along with her son-in-law and her grandparents. They had come to beseech her, to convince her not to go to war. Her grandmother, former Empress Consort Alanna stepped forward.

“Please Anci, do not do this.”

“Polonge has no business fighting this war.” Her Mother Josephine chimes in. “War are tolls with prices too high to pay my love.”

Maria Anna rolled her eyes. “A toll you could not afford Mother.”

“And you can?”

Her eldest daughter, her heir, Crown Princess Maria Christina stepped forward. “Mother, surely you see that this will a statement of death. If not for Polongains, than for thousands or millions of others. To want such a thing... it is akin to genocide.”

Maria Anna shook her head. “What do any of you know of war, of death? Hmm? None of you. None of you have ever had the strength to fight, not even when Polonge was a weak and small. I have done more in three years than you have done in decades!” Maria Anna waved her hands. “For three years I have worked and toiled to make the empire an Empire! I’ve made our army strong. I’ve made our forces rival that of our allies!”

“That is not the Polongain way!” Alanna protested.

“What do you know of the Polongain way?” Maria Anna spat. She stepped down from the dais “You have always had your way. And that is of the past. And I commend you on all your efforts grandmama. And you Mother. But your times, your eras, they are over. It is time for the Empire to shine.”

Maria Anna walked to her daughter and cupped her face in her hands.

“And you, you my dear daughter, you will inherit a truly great nation, something that no monarch before you has ever had. You shall reign over my legacy.”

Maria Christina shook her head and pulled her mother’s hands away from her. “How can I in good conscience reign over a Empire, a legacy built on bones and blood?”

Maria Anna rolled her eyes. “How, my dear? Do you think Empires are built? Through peace and love? Through friendship and tea parties? Get your head out of the clouds Christina!” The empress scowled and whirled around, walking back to her throne.

“You’ve lost yourself!” Alanna shook her head.

“I’ve made our nation great! And I shall show the world.”

“Your Majesty.” Matthieu spoke up, placing his hand on Maria Christina’s shoulders. “Are you sure that this is the right idea? This will not be a Estovakia or Seidang where disaster can be swept under the rug. This shall be a real war. Perhaps reconsideration—“

Maria Anna sat on her throne and raised her hand, silencing her son-in-law.

“I wish to thank you all for your advice. It has been insightful. I respect all of your opinions. But I wear the crown. And as your monarch... I reject your advice. We shall go to war.”

“Anci!”

“Mother!”

Maria Anna scowled and waved her hand. “Guards.”

Immediately a team of soldiers entered the throne room, guns drawn, though the safeties on, and surrounded the Empress’s family. Josephine and Alanna both gasped in shock, the elder former Empress holding onto her husband’s arm. The guards moved forward, locking them in.

“Take then away.” Maria Anna said. “They shall be taking a vacation.”

They protested, but were helpless to stop the guards as they were escorted out of the throne room. They, along with Maria Christina’s infant son, were soon placed in an underground train and sent speeding northwards under armed guards, crossing into neutral Derita. Maria Anna would not risk her family.

As they left, Alessándor Gyulás entered. The empresss smiled at her head of her secret police and her morganatic husband.

“Sándor my darling.”

“My Empress, my love.” Gyulás made his way to the throne and kissed her hand.

The Empress of Polonge sighed. “Sándor. Tell me. Am I doing the right thing? This war?”

“It is time for someone to rise to the occasion. Empires do not last forever, they rise and fall. And when one falls, another must rise. And it is time for you to rise. Harrevelts is dead. North Timeria is ripe for the taking. The position of the new commander of the galaxy is yours’ for the taking. Fight this war. Win it. And when the ashes settle, you will have succeeded Harrevelts, surpassed Katherine II and Anna Charlotte.”

Maria Anna smiled and kissed Gyulás. “Yes. I do suppose so. Well then my love. Let’s get ready to show the world a superpower.”

[Great New England Confederation]

CNES Prince Kevin
New Boston System
Admiral Khan Moran

Khan overlooked a map of the sector, the fleet was still skittish after the battle, understandably so. New ships were yet to be in sufficient numbers to hold off a full invasion force, and help could no longer be expected. He frowned, the war had been expected, but it still was not good, it meant that the Confederation would have to fend for itself for the time being. That was when the comb on the holotable beeped, he pressed it and said "Admiral Moran"
"Admiral, you may want to see this"
He frowned as a news feed was played for him, he frowned as he watched, taking in every piece of information that he could gather.

The Prime Minister was on a pedestal in front of the Senate, and was making an announcement

"Friends, Brothers, Sisters, people of New England and her colonies, today as in sure you all know, open warfare began between forces of the Systems Alliance, and Northern Timeria. This puts us in a very difficult position, as our relations with both sides have, up to this point, been friendly. However, as much as we would like to help and aid our friends, we cannot, out of care for ourselves and the people of this nation, jump to the aid of either side. Particularly after the attack on New Boston all too recent in our minds, we must continue preparing for the inevitable conflict that we face ourselves. To this end, Senate voted on the issue of allowing ships of either side through Confederation space, and a decision was made after a long, hard discussion. Today, on a vote of 235 yes, to 148 no, Senate has decided, that until the conflict has ended, all military access granted to the nations of Irav, Atmora and Timeria has been suspended, and any associated military facilities are to be temporarily closed until such conflict has ended. However we have not lost sight of our humanity and compassion, and any refugees seeking safety shall receive a warm welcome, and will be given a safe place to stay untill it is safe for them to return home. The Stellar Defense Fleet has been authorized to utilize whatever means it sees fit to carry out this order, including the use of antimatter weaponry should the need arise."
The feed ended, leaving the admiral with a frown, this had just made his job that much harder.

He activated the fleet comn and said "I want two strike groups patrolling the outer edge of the system, and get a refugee processing center operational on New Boston. Contact Admiral Killigan, if something happens I want his ships speeding here as fast as they can move."

The Prince Kevin Class cruiser began moving towards the outer ends of the system, its massive mass drivers glinting in the light of the blue star. The ship had been a departure from previous designs, being a purpose built warship that completely lacked a spinal main Armament. However what she lacked in a first strike she made up for in weight of Fire, capable of bringing her guns on target extremely quickly, and her torpedoes gave her a massive punch. The ship proudly bores sharks mouth on her bow, meant to terrify an enemy who faced her.

[United States of Conner]

October 5th, 2079
Interstellar Space - 15LY, 270º of Sol

As the six-kilometer capital ship Invictus hurtled back towards Sol, far surpassing the speed of light, Joshua Swanner put his elbows on the table.

He wasn't getting any younger. He had held this position for more than 20 years, and he was rapidly reaching the end of his tenure as President of the United States of Conner. He had a little under three months left in office, and now he was passing on to his predecessor a much harder job than he had taken back in 2055.

How had such a little dispute - Estovakia, a small nation on the other side of the world - turned into what might become the largest human-on-human conflict in history? Perhaps it was a brutal reminder of humanity's true nature - despite the glittering advancements civilization had made, humans are no slower to violence now than they were thousands of years ago.

Deep down, Swanner knew he didn't have much of a choice to make. Ignoring the agreement he had made with Harrevelts through deep diplomatic channels, there was no way he could get Connerian lives involved in a war when his remaining term could be measured in months. It didn't help matters that the general attitude towards international involvement in the USC had shifted away from interventionism. Swanner had his own metric to measure it. Back in the day, he had sometimes been accused of "weakening Connerian influence on the world stage" due to a lack of military spectacles that flexed Connerian power. But, in the inverse of what typically happened with politics, the general opinion began to drift towards his, instead of vice versa. Ask the average Connerian today what they thought of war, and they would ask why they would want to spend money on conflict when that money could stay in their pockets and make them wealthier?

He had almost forgotten that he wasn't alone in this room. The political power that was centered in this room, with the aid of FTL communication, was immense. Around him, only a slight shimmer every so often betraying their nature as holograms, sat the Vice-President, Chancellor, Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, and Strategos One. He was just about to continue when an aide entered the room, carrying a tablet. Wordlessly, the tablet was set in front of him, and the aid left.

The tablet contained satellite footage of an explosion at the Palace of Parliament in the Westerkwartier. Within a couple minutes, there was confirmation that the Primarch and Vice-Primarch, along with most of his Cabinet, was confirmed dead. A couple minutes more - time dilation was a weird thing - and Swanner was watching a statement from President Reeves of North Timeria. Swanner's face was unchanged as he heard "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead! We would not like to send our condolences and would like to celebrate this momentous day." For a second after Reeves walked off stage, Swanner sat still, before hurling the tablet against the opposite wall. It fell to the ground, its screen unscathed, as the President bellowed, "Fuck, Damari! Fuck!"

The Chancellor, eternally unflappable, simply stated the obvious. "Well, we really can't do anything now."

Strategos One chimed in with his agreement. "I doubt the Timerians actually did it, but it sure as hell will look like they did. They played right into the Iravians' hands. We can't come out in support of them, not when this has happened."

Swanner took a breath to compose himself before speaking. "Alright, here's my suggestion. Generic statement, condemn violence, push for a peaceful resolution. We will not put Connerian lives in danger at this time. Add in a strong statement that if anyone bombs our shit, we'll hit back." Everyone agreed, and the hologram of the Secretary of Defense winked out as he went to go oversee it.

Foreign Affairs spoke up. "If I may offer some good news, this could be an opportunity. The rest of the world is going to war. When they're done killing each other, we'll be there, ready to pick up the pieces. It won't cost us a dime. Well, it will, but you see what I mean?"

Swanner nodded. "No matter who becomes President next, I assume they'll be more than ready to capitalize on that opportunity. I'll be back to Sol soon, and I'm headed right back to the Capitol. I'll speak with you all more soon, especially if anything important comes up. Thank you."

The holograms blinked out, one by one, and Swanner was left alone, staring in fascinated shock at the images of Iravian ships bombarding Mars. He honestly had never thought the day would come.

---

Capitol Building, Conner City
0800 Hours

The briefing room was jam-packed as the Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Defense made their way to the podium. With Special Services agents forming a semi-circle in front of him, Foreign Affairs stepped up first.

"As of now, a state of war exists between several powers, most notably Irav, Atmora, and Timeria. The United States of Conner has not declared war on any of these powers, and at this time, we have no intention of doing so. We will not allow Connerian lives to be lost in mindless violence. The United States is now officially neutral in this conflict, and as such, we will not permit any military activity by any warring powers to occur within Connerian borders.

However, Connerian property, whether civilian or military, within any conflict zone or anywhere else is to be avoided by all warring powers. Any deliberate strike upon Connerian assets will elicit an immediate response. This administration will continue its policy of unconditionally protecting Connerian interests. The Connerian Armed Forces have been mobilized in a defense posture, in order to quickly respond to any potential threat against Connerian interests.

At this time, the Secretary of Defense will take your questions. Thank you, and may the Light stay with us all."

[Loracia]

October 5th, 2079
The borders of Loracia to Timeria.

“Man I love these animals, said the king, handing a banana to a Capuchin monkey. These guys are the so friggin cute--
-Uh, dad? Asked the crown, Prince Asaro. I will be taking off to the space fleet up there, he said as he pointed to the sky.
-ah, going back to the air, I see. Well, I have a meeting now, he said as he turned around, so I’ll also be on my way.
-the meeting was an hour ago, dad.”
The father stopped in his tracks, and slowly put up his wrist to look at the time.
“Shiiiiiiit.”

October 5th, 2079
Loracian spacefleet over Loracia

“Uh, Sir?
-yes, responded Asaro
-we will be meeting with--
-Stop! Said the boy, raising his hand. I JUST thought of something…
-Is this another of your jokes sir?
-yep.
-Well, let me remind you that this is not the right time and place to do so!
-Jack is stuck on his horse…
-yes, sir? Said the Soldier, urging Asaro to hurry up.
-Will you help jacko--”

BZZZT sounded an alarm on the Prince’s ear.

“The meeting with the Norians will be soon. I advise you go to the command room.”

Asaro sped to the room, knocking over soldiers in the way. As he arrived, he looked around. The room was spacious, with giant windows on the side, giving a view of the Loracian fleet, 67 ships strong.

“What is the status of the Timerian fleet? The prince ordered.
-Not moving sir.
-Then put the beacon up.”

Beacons were used to show the location of an allied fleet, to avoid using comms, in case of enemies tapping into the conversations. About 20 km away, the graceful Norian fleet could be seen.

“Man that shark ship is LIT--
-please refrain from using such vocabulary in front of the troops, sir.”

The prince glared at the officer, then nodded. After the prince asked when was the Norian fleet coming, he looked down on Loracia, covered with green from the massive rainforest. The Loracian troops were assembled at the first checkpoint, 700k strong. The Loracian and Formorian ships were also in position. Well, looks like a storm is brewing for the Timerians, he thought.

He headed back to his room and lied down on his bed. He took out his tablet and called his father. After the short status update to his father, he scrolled his contacts. He suddenly stops, and hesitantly reached out to press the name, but quickly pulled out, offed the tablet, and took out his sketchbook. He paused, looked at the window, and stared. If only I had the courage to see her during a war.

[Imperium Norius]

Fort Rigel
October 5th
Fort Rigel has been one of the largest bases on the northwestern coast of noria for years and has acted as an important harbor for Noria and its allies. However, for the past, It has also become a hot spot for less military-related actions and has even developed a small town around it, offering the foreign officials and aid luxuries not always seen near a base. With the start of the war, the 3 hospital ships that have called the harbor home for many years, the NIV Helgoland, the NIV Gustloff and the NIV Ophelia began preparations for a humanitarian trip to loracia, to help civilians and troops affected by the war. as the 3 sister ships began their final preparations, a nurse on the Ophelia takes a break from her work to look out at the harbor. As she gazed into the sea, she heard a light screech coming from the open water. As she looked to see what was causing it, she caught sight of a few flying objects approaching at an incredible speed. She realized she was looking at a barrage of missiles only seconds before the base was engulfed in explosions and fire.

The interceptors from irav had alerted Noria of the attack and allowed them to activate their defensive network, the Iron Wall. A massive network of hundreds of defensive towers equipped with a multitude of various weapons, It was constructed to defend noria from naval, air or orbital invasion. Although the intercepters and defensive towers were able to dispel much of the attack, some made it through and proceeded to attack the nearest target.

ATTACK ON FORT RIGEL REPORT:
Attack time: 8:18
Description: a number of timerian bombers launched their payloads onto the base, which also struck the homes surrounding the base. Both the base and town were heavily damaged, with all ships in the harbor either being critically damaged or completely sunk.
Death Toll:
Military Personel: 6,516
Government Personel: 694
Aid Workers: 4,678
Civilian: 2,316
Foreigners: 87 (NATIONALITIES DISCLOSED)
TOTAL: 14,491

Ships Sunk:
5 Destroyers
8 Transport Vessels
3 Hospital ships
5 Misc. vessels
TOTAL: 21 ships

Loracian-Timerian Border,
October 5th
Along the border, Norian troops and engineers frantically work to create a fortified line. trenches are being dug, fast-hardening concrete is being poured to create bunkers and walls, and Sperrfeuer class battlesuits create firing positions. As this controlled chaos continues, General Plessen smokes a cigarette to calm his nerves. His 50,000 strong force had just arrived on dropships from hours before, and it seems that the Loracians are still mobilizing their full force. News of the attack of Rigel has been suppressed, not to interfere with the construction effort. All that matters is to create as strong of a front line as they can, and with new troops arriving soon, they would be able to man the entire border region. However, Plessen feels uneasy.
"How many of the Droptroops are still responding to messaging?" asks the general.
"347 out of the initial 600. Timerians are mobilizing a large force, they will be approaching the border soon."
"We cannot hold this much land without our main force, that is a fact," Plessen says, "We need to stall them for as long as we can."
As he continues, he pulls out another cigarette to replace the exhausted one in his mouth, as he turns to a captain. "How many of the Waffenpistole class barrage mechs do we have?"
"I believe we have 5, sir."
"Have them positioned at different intervals across the front, and have them fire whenever we receive info on troop movements. we need to at least slow them down in the jungle until we can have the main Coalition forces arrive. Until then, increase patrols along the borders with battlesuits. Make sure nothing gets through. Am I clear?"
With that, the officers around him set into motion. The front must be held, at the cost of all their lives.

[North Timeria]

October 5th, 2079
B-100 location over open ocean
7:58 A.M.

" Jets have been scrambled possible Romanoff III incoming." The captain looked at the situation before advising the crew.

"Climb to 100,000 ft and increase speed. Increase jamming...and contact command informing them of this mysterious launch."

The B-100s had undergone an upgrade to improve its stealth capability and evade radar detection. The Iravian radar may have been able to pick them up during the initial attack but at 100,000 feet and no ground radar within 100 miles the B-100s were long gone. But with the Romanoff III in the area and now aware of North Timerian intrusions, future attacks would be much more difficult.

Wizard Squadron was stationed at orbital platform Milan when they received the call from command. Five Manta II fighters were scrambled quickly while the rest were put on standby. The Manta IIs were capable of space and atmospheric operations simultaneously. As the Manta II entered the atmosphere they moved in to engage the Romanoff IIIs.

"These boogies are autonomous so let your onboard AI takes the front seat. They were deployed from an unknown base so use onboard systems to try and hack their flight computers."

As the Manta IIs came streaking down they targeted the enemy jets with BVR missiles.

October 5th, 2079
Ashana Orbit, Mars
8:00 A.M.

As the Amaethon escaped the 2 Majestic-class destroyers were left to fend off the huge Iravian warship. Both ships fired off their engines at full speed to maneuver around the incoming force. Both captain communicating with each other to pincer the UFSC Noëlle.

"Should we contact the Mizuchi? We're a bit outclassed here!"

"No... I'm sure the Mizuchi has a lot on her hands right now. Our job is to defend Ashana and that's what we'll do."

"MAC cannon ready on your call."
"Open fire!" with these words both ships let off 2 thunderous MAC rounds. Two shots from an NT MAC canon were sure to disable the strongest of shields. After the initial shots, 2 SCAR teams were deployed from the hangers. The large Mechs were designed to assist SCAR teams boarding enemy ships. SCAR team 1 was assigned to the engine room and SCAR 2 team would deploy to the bridge.

As the battle went on one of NORIA's orbital defense platform came into the battle spectrum. The defense platform was armed with a Super MAC but other than a few point defense guns that was its only role. The platform rotated and locked onto the Noëlle and prepared to fire.

---

On the ground, Python gunships were moving in on Camp Tumbledown. Flying low to avoid radar detection the Pythons launched an initial volley of missiles and HARMs at the campsite. As the missile flew away, the gunships prepared for battle. This would likely be a suicide mission but would delay the enemies attack as the armored division prepared to engage in ground combat. With the open terrain of the Savannah, the primary targets were armored vehicles, destroying these could reduce the enemies ability to fight effectively in open terrain.

October 5th, 2079
Timerian Border


The army set up defenses and built up along the border south of Infinity General Milton was in charge of sector one along the border. At each of the 4 sectors were at least 300,000 men ready to fight for Timeria. The border would be held at all cost and General Milton knew they would have to make sacrafices. The first sacrifice was Samurai team Vector, assigned to forward recon. The General didn't know how to feel as he looked at the young soldiers, the oldest being no older than 19.

"Vector you are our forward eyes... I need you to keep tabs on the Loracian side of the border. If we can be proactive there will be a lot less bloodshed and your sacrifice can save lives."

The soldier knew what they had to do and mentally prepared for combat. Member of Vector had been to combat before and this was nothing new. As the team rode out deep into the rainforest General Milton lowered his head.

"It never gets easier." he whispered to himself as he sent his subordinates into combat.

October 5th, 2079
FOB Pegasus


The artificial island was one of North Timeria's primary lines of defense. The islands observation station feed data directly to headquarters and kept tabs on movements north of their waters. The station had been detecting movement for nearly 45 minutes but there were no clear signs of enemies. The crew was a bit confused but their commander approved a recon mission to patrol the area in light of the new conflict. Four patriots drones were deployed to survey the area along with an electronic support aircraft.

[North Timeria]

October 5th, 2079
Briefing Room 3, Sector 1 Headquarters
8:00 A.M.


You all have been handpicked to join task force, Titan Hunter...If you don't want to be here you're free to leave at any time." Captain West open the door for any to leave. Nobody moved and Captain West smiled.

Good...Let's get down to business." West explained the operation. Sniper teams of two would work on the border to eliminate Loracian leadership and HVTs. The snipers would be out in the field alone with little support from command.

"You guys won't have your standard issue armor...You'll be fitted with exosuits and vertical maneuver equipment."

The company of troops headed outside where the gear was waiting. They suited up and prepared to head out. The task force would be strictly ground and no vehicles were permitted. Air drops would be coordinated to keep the troops supplied. Before they were deployed Captain West gave one last fouled mouth motivational speech.

"I want at least 300 Loracian heads... from each of you. Not each team! Everyman here will come back and tell me they killed at least 300 enemy combatants. I'll be coordinating from HQ and I will personally ensure you get the support you need. Godspeed."

The troops headed out into the rainforest.

October 5th, 2079
Regific Sea

In the Regific Sea the North Timerian Navy had assembled a large fleet to defend their coast and attack enemy targets. Their first mission was to strike the Loracian troops building up on the border. The missile command ships had been sent to targets and were ready to strike.

The early morning sun shined over the ocean as the fleet prepared to fire their first salvo. As they finalized their firing protocol the first missiles were released from their tubes. The cruise missiles took flight and then leveled out as they cruised towards their targets. They would strike command and control facilities and logistical lines supplying their troops in the rainforest. The missiles carried almost a ton of explosoives and would reck havoc on the troops.

[Loracia]

October 5th, 2079
Eastern Loracian coast near the border.

As the Timerian ships fired their salvos, the Norian anti-missile gunners started shooting down the incoming missiles. The Loracian pilots scrambled to their ships, and naval bombers. As much as 50 planes took off in less than 10 minutes. As the missiles came crashing down on the fortifications, men were taking cover. More and more planes were taking off, making more noise than the missiles themselves.

The attack on the Timrian fleet had already begun, with planes and long-range cannons from the coast rain bullets and shells onto the vulnerable ships, having no cover at all. Alas, it was also raining Loracian and Norian planes, as they were being shot down one by one.

Kilometers away, a Loracian artillery regiment is taking aim, and shot a volley of 100 shells simultaneously, completely destroying the enemy ships.

Four hours later, the Fortifications are smoking, littered with bodies and scrap metal from the missiles. Craters were everywhere, and the sea gray from all the sunken ships. The Regific Sea was turned into a mass grave.

The Loracians and Norians lost 54,674 troops total, with countless more wounded. 67 planes or bombers were lost.
The Timerian fleet lost 56 of its ships and managed to retreat 15. This resulted in around 63,000 Timerian casualties.

This battle could be considered a draw, yet none of each side has given up the fight yet.

After this battle, the combined forces of Norians and Loracians are now designing a new, better, and more efficient 'wall' to defend themselves. In any case, the counter-attack in the west was about to begin.


October 5th, 2079
Late night, Florac Military Base

As many lights are out in the capitol, the military base is bustling with activity. The massive runway especially. One could notice these five ships the size of a Beluga cargo plane, able to carry 500 paratroopers, and have a range of 785 km. These ships are completely loaded with troops, tanks, and other vehicles. Very loud buzzing sounds soon ensued. The five ships have started their engines. Where are they headed? To the South Weastern Timerian Islands, near the Loracian border.
Operation Bay Assault has now started.

October 5th, 2079
3 hours later, Timerian South Weastern Islands.

As the unsuspecting Islands lay on the horizon, 20 Formorian and Loracian ships, in formation, are all aiming at the islands in the cover of the night. As three consecutive beeps are heard, all the ships simultaneously fire, blowing up all military, and energy producing facilities on the islands.
Soon enough, the five airships carrying the paratroopers arrive and drop their load. Tanks, mechs, and troops start landing on the Islands, facing very little resistance. All the troops were ordered to keep prisoners, and not kill enemy survivors who surrender.

BATTLE RECAP
Battle Time: 3h13m
Battle name: First Battle of the Islands
Loracian casualties: 37 (59 wounded)
Timerian casualties (mainly due to shelling): 1,267
Timerian Prisoners: 1,474 (702 of them wounded)

No mechs or tanks destroyed on either side. Enemy tanks seized. Friendly tanks repaired.

October 6th
7 AM, Timerian South Weastern Islands.

After the victory over the Timerians, the Loracians have contacted the Norian engineers to start designing the necessary fortifications. As for the Loracians, a Base of Operations is being built. The navy will be using this base/Islands to refuel and resupply. Airfields have also been built. The Timerian towns and villages are off-limits to the soldiers, to avoid hostilities and unnecessary conflict.

October 6th
7 am, South Weast Timerian Border, Loracia, mainland.

As the news of victory reached the base in Loracia, the soldiers cheered. They quickly gathered their equipment, as the third stage of Operation Bay Assault is starting. The sound of tanks and running soldiers brake the cheering, as the victory has boosted the troop’s morale completely.
"This victory was key to starting this war,explained the kingnow with the morale of the troops at its highest, they will be more eager to kill more Timerian bastards."

[Irav]

October 5th, 2079
Task Force ‘Winter’, Mars
08:01 hours

The First Battle of Ashana had began. The UFSC Noëlle, UFSC Hades, as well as ten other Iravian destroyers and light-cruisers were facing off against two overconfident Timerian Majestic-class destroyers. Again these destroyers were concentrating all their fire on a single Iravian vessel, this time the UFSC Noëlle, in the hope that she too would be forced to flee from the fight.

But these tactics would only work a limited amount of times before a counter-tactic could be worked out. All United Forces Space Command ships had a special Strategic Warp Drive built in to their warp cores, this device allowed for many millisecond FTL-Jumps in order to evade incoming fire or gain a strategic advantage by appearing at opposed sides of the battlefield nearly simultaneously. As was to be expected, the crew of the UFSC Noëlle was not going to face the same fate as the UFSC Amaethon, who was forced to flee the fight for repairs.

Her crew was quick to activate her tactic warp drive, which resulted in the UFSC Noëlle making a series of tiny Faster Than Light-jumps across the battlefield. This allowed her to dodge the incoming shots while the UFSC Hades and her complete task force of destroyers and cruisers would be able to punish the Timerians for trying to engage the Iravian ships.

’’All ships of Task Force Winter are free to engage. Give them hell.’’ Captain Gerard de Vries said in a deeply annoyed tone. He had absolutely had it with the Timerians and their never-ending cockiness. How dared they take on the Iravian Union and her mighty allies. He would ensure that the Timerians would pay a hefty price for every piece of war material damaged or destroyed and every coalition life lost.

With the order having been given the Task Force began to rain hell upon the Timerian destroyers. All the ships began firing their antimatter torpedoes as well as their primary phaser arrays, which act more as enormous laser weaponry. If anything Ashana would fall, and it would fall soon.

The UFSC Hades did not join the battle. Her captain figured that a ship battle of eleven Iravian ships versus only two Timerian ships was an unfair enough battle. From the bridge of the UFSC Hades it directed its Apollo fighter aircraft engage the Timerian orbital defense platforms above Ashana. These things were essentially worthless, controlled by AI’s and could be 3D printed onboard in-case one was lost to enemy fire.

As the First Battle of Ashana was in full swing the Solar High Command decided to reinforce their position around Mars. They would punish Ashana for even existing after the battle was over. The Timerian colony would fall to advancing coalition troops no matter what would happen. A few kilometers behind the UFSC Hades, her sister ships UFSC Zeus and UFSC Athena too dropped out off warp. Both ships also being the massive five kilometer long aircraft carriers. And only more of these behemoths were underway.
 
October 5th, 2079
Camp Tumbledown, New Aldenburg-Ashanan border, Mars
08:03 hours

With only one code word the force field around Camp Tumbledown was erected from the ground. The blue shield standing as an impenetrable dome over the thousands of clones currently present at the military base. Unfortunately a few missiles were able to make it past the shields before the it was erected, it struck a munition depot and reports would later count more than thirty bodies of clones that perished in the missile attack. The force field however was able to stop most missiles dead in their tracks. Leaving the camp with valuable time to retaliate.

By the time the shields had lowered, which allowed Camp Tumbledown to engage the Timerian Python gunships, many clones had already taken up positions in their gunnery platforms and were raining down hell in the general direction of their position. No thirty seconds later two Romanoff fighter aircraft soared through the skies on the Atmoran side of the border to engage the few Timerian gunships. This attack could under no circumstances go unpunished.

October 5th, 2079
3 Romanoff fighters, open ocean, Terra
07:59 hours

The Romanoff fighters had managed to scare away the Timerian B-100 aircraft. They were now fleeing the scene and nowhere to be heard from. In response to this the three Romanoff interceptors were directed to plot a course to the nearest coalition airbase, which just happened to be inside of Norian territory. With a speed of roughly Mach 5 they soared off into the horizon, hopefully outrunning the Timerian Manta II fighters that were sent to intercept and engage them.

Quantum radars on the Iravian coast had succeeded in locating the Timerian aircraft and with it could deduct the location of their home base, which was believed to be the Orbital Platform ‘’Milan’’. The location of this platform was passed on to the nearest United Forces Space Command warships in the area. Within ten minutes the station would receive a visit from a nearby UFSC Task Force.

October 5th, 2079
Undisclosed location, Irav, Terra
8:04 hours

The new Primarch of Irav was drafting his first official message as the head of state of Irav. It read as followed;

’’President Reeves,

I implore you to call off this offensive war immediately. There is no possible scenario in which the Timerian Cooperative can emerge victorious against a coalition as mighty as the one that it is facing right now.

The human cost of this interstellar war will be enormous. Millions if not billions of beings all across space will suffer unimaginable horrors because of your inability to settle your differences with diplomacy and instead to immediately resort to violence. That is why I reach out to you one last time, to stop this humanitarian disaster from ever happening to begin with.

I appeal to your sense of humanity. Call of this war right now and send your soldiers home, because next time we speak it might not be on equal terms anymore.

Sincerely,

Primarch Elliott Heijman’’

[Polonge]

Over Novigrad, Estovakia
October 5, 2079
8:06 am

A trio of drones zipped over the city of Novigrad in Estovakia. The same mistakes would not be made twice.

Bledapestra, Polonge
October 5, 2079
8:00 am

Much to everyone’s surprise, Maria Anna had yet to make a statement about the attack on Irav by North Timeria, the death of Harrevelts and the war that had popped up around the world in just one day, from the borders of Loracia and North Timeria to over Noria. People had been sure that the Empress would jump on the war path, especially after the mess of the First Estovakian War (2078) and the disaster of the Seidanese War (2078-2079). Instead, at least at the moment, the palace was silent.

But that did not mean that all was quiet.

Sumai, Estovakia
Presidential Summer House Bunker
October 5, 2079
8:04 am

President Kyle Oslo had been on a light vacation on the southern shores of the country, enjoying the Southern Hemisphere spring when the events of the day had started escalating and at the command of his advisors, went into full security mode and into a secure bunker. President Oslo had become the virtual puppet of Irav and Polonge, and so it was no surprise that his advisors, the one who perhaps truly ran the nation were Iravians and Polongains.

As President Oslo was caught up on the events of the morning, the fast paced outbreak of war, one advisor, a Miss Rigmora Géza, niece of the infamous Géza who had cut apart Estovakia nearly a year ago, handed the President an order. Rigmora was not a patient woman, she was determined and smart, much like her uncle. However she also knew how to keep up appearances and knew that such things like orderly genocide, could not fly. At least not if the public knew about it.

“What is this?” President Oslo asked.

“This, Mr. President,” Rigmora said with a slight roll of her eyes, “is an order to fire on Novigrad and destroy the traitors who are incrouching there.”

“But... this is a MOAB, that’s just short of nuclear—“

“And it shall destroy your enemies. They are already in the air and ready to go. Your signature is more of a... formality. Now sign it.” Rigmora said it with finality. There would be no further discussion. Oslo knew exactly what they would do with him once he stopped bending to their will, and it was not a fate Rigmora would wish on most. She wanted this order signed, and one way or another she always got what she wanted.

Over Novigrad, Estovakia
October 5, 2079
8:07 am

As the Estovakian drones of Oslo’s regime flew overhead, they fired their payload. Three MOAB screeched through the sky and came crashing down on the city center of Novigrad, the Eastern District and the FEA’s base. The blasts were destructive, felt as far as a mile away and destroying windows, doors and changing structural foundations out side the immediate hit, as smoke curled up from remains, the drones fled back south.

[Imperium Norius]

Loracian Border,
October 5th, 2079
the Waffenpistole heavy barrage mechs proved themselves a vital asset in the timerian assault. Their AA missiles were able to ward of bomber and fighter attacks on the fortifications, while their heavy barrage guns fired upon any timerian vessels in their area. the Sperrfeuer artillery suits tried their best to intercept missiles, but heavy losses along the front were experienced. the defensive line had held and they had decimated the attacking fleet, the 50k losses among coalition forces was a dangerous setback. with around 1/4 of their original forces either dead or out of combat for injuries, the Norian and Loracian engineers began to hastily continue their construction efforts, while the 5 Waffenpistole began to relentlessly shell any suspected timerian troops across the border, while Sperrfeuer in defended positions watch the skies for more attacks. It had been confirmed that Norain troops would begin to arrive en mass on the 7th, and they would need to hold until then.

Timerian Jungle
a group of 5 Orbitaltropfen battlesuits trudges through the thick Timerian jungle. They had landed hours ago from orbit with the goal of harassing enemy troops and gathering intel. As they passed through a clearing, the soldier in the front of the column was struck by a powerful round and knocked off his feet. his armor plate had held, but a 2nd round would most likely pierce it. the other 4 fired wildly into the area the shot had come from with their bolt carbines, showering the thick brush and treeline with massive 75 caliber gyrojet rounds. After helping their comrade to his feet, the soldiers rushed the area, weapons at the ready. As they enter their firing zone, they found a sniper, who had been blown apart by the barrage of bullets. what was left of him was covered in what seemed to be an exosuit designed for maneuverability, and at his feet was a very powerful sniper rifle. Both pieces of tech were no doubt Timerian in design. The defacto commander sent the injured soldier and one other drop trooper back south to get to the front lines, while he contacted the remaining troops in the jungle:
"Sniper found, most likely sent to harass front line. Start a search for others, kill any found without scrutiny. Long reign Noria."

Norian High Command
The attack on the west coast left many worried about the reliability of Norian radar networks. If it wasn't for the Iravian's fighters and warning, many more lives and resources would have been lost. However, a group of scientists came up with a solution: they believed that Irav's quantum radar emplacements would be able to not only cover their land but Noria as well. If they were able to get the radar network and Noria's defense network to communicate, all future attacks could be detected and mitigated. A message is sent to the Iravians, asking for permission to use their radar network with Noria's defense network.

[North Timeria]

Novigrad, Estovakia
October 5, 2079
8:06 am

"Novigrad was just hit... The FEA base and the Eastern District took a major blow."

Private Allen and his company of Marines were sent back out. They rode through the city and watched as civilians fled in horror. As they closed in on ground zero the true destruction could be seen all over as buildings laid now piles ruble. The company disembarked to help the civilians when a loud screech could be heard overhead. They ran for cover, grabbing civilians and taking shelter below ground. As they waited for the explosions nothing happened and the district fell quite.

"Manta IIs... We're all clear. Platoon B make your way to the FEA camp while we help evacuate civilians."

Platoon B moved out and made their way to the FEA base camp. The destruction was widespread; beyond repair. The platoon entered the camp to search for survivors but as the search continued they were only able to find bodies.

---

Above Novigrad, 3 Manta IIs were chasing down the drones that had launched the attack. They followed them back south tracking their movements as they searched for their base of operations.

October 5th, 2079
NORIA Mizuchi
8:00 A.M.

Both Majestic-Class destroyers defense weapons activated as the torpedoes closed in.

"Eat the hit from the phaser array and activate shields at the last minute!"

The defense network shot down countless torpedoes before the shields took over. As they activated, explosions could be seen going off around the ships.

"Sir damage from phaser arrays critical we need to find a solution... Our shields won't withstand this kind of fire."

Just as the two ships were preparing to re-engage the Mizuchi appeared overhead along with 25 NORIA ships.

As soon as they arrived MAC rounds came firing from the 10 destroyers. The Mizuchi led the charge firing Sapphire missiles and launched all 4 of her corvettes. The LAO network was working at full strength to ensure efficiency.

"Admiral Wolf?"

"Looks like I'm right on time to deal with the big-headed Iravians." Admiral Wolf said as he gave the green light to launch.

As the main force engaged the Iravians the Mizuchi's units moved to defend the orbital defense platforms. The Corvettes used their kinetic batteries to fire on the Appolo aircraft while the Mantas worked to defend the platform assisting the point defense guns.

---

On the ground, the Python gunships took massive fire from the camp. The gunships activated every countermeasure they could but the overwhelming firepower was too much.

"There's no getting out of this one." Just as the captain spoke fighters closed in on their position. The gunships were being shot out of the sky as they fired barrages of rockets at the camp. Before they could even empty their payload they crashed to the ground.

October 5th, 2079
Timerian Border


The entire task force had been alerted to the incoming intrusions. The closest teams moved into the area quickly using their gear to swing through the jungle. As they approached the area set up overwatch they spotted the enemy mechas.

"Don't engage... I'll contact Captain West to get some heave firepower."

Once made aware of the situation Captain West did his best to get some type of support. Eventually, a fire mission was approved and the mobile artillery let loose a barrage of 203mm shells.

The sniper team set quite and watched from the distant canopy as shells could be heard in the sky above.

"Shells on targets waiting for damage report."

[North Timeria]

Conner City, USC
October 5th, 2079
8:00 A.M.



The North Timerian Ambassador to the USC Zeena al-Masri had called for an immediate meeting. She had to set something straight and figure out the situation with the Connerians. As the war had just broken out things were still stable between North Timeria and the USC but she would need to do some major damage control.

At the embassy, she had prepared a room for the Connerian diplomats to join her. She had been authorized by the President and the TIA to share some classified information and work with the Connerians to find a solution.

Westerkwartier, Irav
October 5th, 2079
7:00 A.M.

In Westerkwartier Wickr Agent Nevil had been activated and his first mission was to collect intel on the fire at Parliament. Nevil would tear down the Iravian legitimacy if it cost him his life. He prepared himself to complete this task and set his alarm for 10:00 P.M. before activating his STEM.

“Good Morning Nevil… Mission Accepted and briefing ready.”

---

Primarch Elliott Heijman,

We are not engaged in any offensive war and have only acted in defense of Timeria and her interest. May I remind you that it was Irav and her coalition that blindly resorted to violence following the death of Primarch Harrevelts. We do not know who made the decision but we are willing to forgive. Your forces have freely attack Timerian civilians and military personnel without a proper investigation. Diplomacy is still an option but we will not allow Timerians to be attacked and without justification. Lower your weapons and we will lower ours and allow our diplomats to work out the situation.

Damari Reeves.

[The Atmoran Diplomat]

Atmoran Second Fleet, Ashana-New Aldenberg border
5 October 2078

Admiral Jellicoe had ordered her fleet of 35 warships to engage the NORIA fleet of 27 warships. HMS Mikasa was the first ship to engage the NORIA fleet, firing a salvo of 9 slugs towards the Mizuchi from her three Mark IV Heavy MAC. Jellicoe turned called for her AI Iona "Iona, inform all captains to engage the enemy fleet, maintain distance from the NORIA warships do not let them close the distance. Also Iona, release all fighters."

"Right away Admiral!"

Moments later nearly 660 fighters were released from the Atmoran capital ships. Along with an overwhelming swarm of RSGM-16 Archer missiles being launched from the fleet. When the swarm of Archers were launched the HMS Mikasa and the HMS Chōkai launched up to 7 BSGM-14 Harpoons, a thermonuclear missile used by the IASC for ground and ship-to-ship warfare. Each missile head a yield of 120 megatonnes. Hopefully in the confusion the Timerians wouldn't be able to take out the Harpoons while they were preoccupied with the Archers coming towards them. When the Harpoons made it past the NORIA fleet they would make their way to their predetermined Ashanan civilian and military targets.