The Veikan Conflict [Closed|Anterra Only|IC]

[Veikaia]

October 29, 2010

Violent Clashes between protesters and the IOF in Oztov's White Plaza
Recent protests turn into riots as protesters attack the Internal Order Forces stationed to protect them, claims government.

The once peaceful protests by Veikan Pro-Democratic activists have now taken a violent turn, as several groups have engaged the IOF with rocks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails.

The rallying activists had been protesting what they see as a severe lack of political freedom over the course of several months without any major incident, but their increasing numbers had worried authorities and put the IOF on edge. The originally small demonstration had grown exponentially from hundreds to thousands.

Information is scarce and confusing as the official sources blame the protesters for the violence while independents claim the IOF had attempted to arrest several members of the rally in the southern plaza area, leading to a violent response that escalated and spread like wildifre.

Several more brigades of IOF Troops have been dispatched to the location which has led to severe criticism.

As of now the exact number of injuries according to government sources is 21 with no fatalities, there is no information on arrests yet. Activists have been reportedly behind the injuries, but rumors of gunfire in the area have caused concern among the population.

The Royal Family's lack of any actions through the whole ordeal has caused anger among both members of the government and Democrats and many are experts predicting a new 1921 Oztov Agreement in the horizon.

The clashes had begun after a long history of demands from more liberal and young sectors of the Veikan Population for a reform of the political system into one similar to nations such as Legantus, Vallis and Brigantica, all members of the League of Free Neations. This sort of reform is vehemently opposed by the staunchly conservative Veikan government and old guard who claim these movements are no more than foreign attempts at destabilization.

The activists had camped in the Oztov White Plaza, the heart of the city, for several months, even when surrounded by IOF troops. The rally had grown exponentially in size with each passing month but remained decisively peaceful which kept the government from demanding the withdrawal of its participants, fearing a violent response.

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Comments:

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By WaxBullfrog - 3 hours Ago

The situation is getting out of control, I can smell the League all the way from Biratov. Disgusting 'human' beings.

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By Guest - 2 hours Ago

Shit's fucked, what's the point of having a King if he won't do anything about this?

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By Meerks - 2 hours Ago

It's nothing, this happens all the time in Rotika and nobody ever talks about it, lol. The only difference is we deal with the commies down here and they aren't playing around like the liberal wusses you have up north.

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[Veikaia]

October 30, 2010

Violence in Oztov's White Plaza escalates further as IOF uses live ammunition on protesters.
Over 30 deaths have been confirmed but independent sources claim higher numbers.

"I'm dying"
The words of a volunteer medic
shot through the neck by snipers stationed
on the Parliament Rooftop.

The people of Oztov's worst fears have come true today as reports of gunfire in the White Plaza has been confirmed. The IOF had apparently received official orders from the Advisorship of Crown Security to engage violent protesters with live ammunition which led to them opening fire on all protesters deemed 'violent' or 'dangerous'.

As soon as the gunfire started the plaza burst into chaos, with several people in the scene claiming snipers were shooting from the rooftops of the Parliament indiscriminately at anyone not behind cover, disregarding surrendering protesters or medical volunteers. Most demonstrators have barricaded themselves inside houses, offices, shops and government buildings surrounding the plaza and refuse to leave their positions.

The government has officially issued warnings that anyone refusing to leave the Plaza would be arrested under charges of attempting to destabilize the Veikan State. No matter how many warnings have been issued, people still continue to join the protesters, sneaking and even breaking through the access points blocked by the IOF.

"We are tasked by the Fundamental Laws with ensuring the stability of the Veikan state and the security of its people" said Leb Radik, Fyodor Kovac of the Veikan Ground Forces today in a press conference "The use of live ammunition has been deemed as the only way to ensure the end of this rally" when questioned about the safety of peaceful protesters trapped in the White Plaza the Commander said they "Should have abandoned the area when ordered to do so".

The actions taken by the IOF have been received with almost universal outrage both from within and without Veikaia.

From some buildings in the plaza protesters have started to return fire towards the IOF with Molotov cocktails and pistol fire. Many international experts have said the situation is beyond the point of no return and can only worsen. Some infantry divisions have been mobilized from their counter-insurgency positions in Veislasa and are moving towards the city in an attempt to pacify the uprising. The Capital Council has officially declared an State of Emergency in response too.

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Comments:

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By OroketPrime - 1 hours Ago

Well now that escalated quickly!

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By Guest - 30 minutes Ago

I'm inside an office building in front of the Plaza, they are opening fire on anyone without an uniform. There's clearly more than 30 people dead out there in the ground, I can see them with my very own two eyes. What the hell are they doing?
It's true some of us are armed, but what do you expect us to do? Let them come in and shoot us all in the head? We are just firing warning shots and they are aiming for vital organs!

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By Guest - 10 minutes Ago

It's fucking insane, I can hear the gunfire, I live some blocks away from the Plaza. I've seen IOF armored cars roll in and keep dropping more troopers. It's like a war is raging down there.

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[Tippercommon]

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30 October 2010 - 1410 Hours - Over Tiperyn Embassy, Oztov, Veikaia

Hamish Addison, Sersjant | Embassy Sentry, Realm Armada Fleet Marine Corps

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Addison and Rowan peered down rifles in hand over the edge of the helicopter at the chaos ridden streets below. The small utility helicopter had been orbiting the Tiperyn embassy, nestled in an affluent residential district five blocks from the historic and bustling White Plaza. The pair were marine embassy guards with the Floatmarinierskorps, normally assigned to guard duty on the roof of the ornate building overlooking the main entrance. However, recent developments with the pro-democratic rallies and escalation of violence a stone’s throw away from the embassy had put the Ministry of Diplomacy on high alert. In addition to defending the embassy against potential demonstrators who oppose the loyalist-supporting Tiperyn delegation, Addison and Rowan were on surveillance duty. The embassy had been put on lock down after Veikan soldiers opened fire on demonstrators that had allegedly turned violent. No Ministry of Diplomacy employees were permitted outside of the premises, and their families quartered in the city had been ordered to return to the embassy. Thus, the marines’ day-time helicopter patrols were Tiperyn’s best first-hand look at the action at White Plaza.

The sky was hazy. The autumn overcast was only further fumed by smoke rising from the plaza and the surrounding streets. A pile of burning tires barricading the street was readily visible by the helicopter crew, and they could only imagine how much of the smoke was due to gunshots or explosives. Dozens of protesters streamed down the street past the embassy towards White Plaza. Every now and then a masked demonstrator would throw a beer bottle or piece of scrap over the fence into the embassy parking lot, but the guards let them go past. The crowd that had been overflowing the plaza had dispersed marginally since the first shots rang out, but the word was they had largely flowed into the surrounding buildings and businesses. Meanwhile, demonstrators, soldiers, and police alike continued to flow towards the plaza where several major roads converged. Meanwhile, the typical perimeter patrols conducted by Tiperyn marines had been recalled to limit the possibility of confrontation with protesters. The word was that if things escalated any further, the whole embassy could be withdrawn.

The Realm Armada helicopter was out of place in a city accustomed to news and police helicopters. Its sea grey paint and Tipslansk script “Rykseemacht” were novel. The embassy’s small 3-helicopter fleet was rarely used, with the rare exception being the occasional VIP transport mission. Addison and Rowan wore civilian cargo pants, t-shirts, plate carriers, and utility belts and bore suppressed assault rifles strapped to their persons. The was standard for embassy guards, as they interfaced primarily with the public and civilian employees of the Tiperyn and Veikan governments. The two scanned the streets below, making note of any changes in the situation and securing the perimeter of the embassy.

“Heads up,” Rowan yelled, attempting to compete with the cacophony of the turboshaft engines whirring and the rotor blades chopping at the air. He shouldered his rifle and motioned towards a section of the perimeter wall. “Northeast corner.”

Addison brought his rifle to bear and turned his attention to the northeast - the section of the embassy closest to White Plaza. A group of maybe ten masked demonstrators had gathered on near the perimeter fence and appeared to be lighting something on fire. Based on previous reports, the Addison suspected molotov cocktails.

“We need to get them to disperse,” Addison said sternly. He click on his neck microphone. “Captain, we need a tighter hold around the northeast wall.”

The helicopter slowed and centered its orbit on the northeast section of the embassy grounds. Rowan grabbed for the microphone linked to two large speakers on the bottom of the helicopter. “Attention,” he declared in Veikan. “You are trespassing Tiperyn embassy grounds. I am ordering you to vacate immediately.”

Suddenly, a firework from the crowd below launched through the sky. It passed right in front of Rowan and Addison, letting out a high-pitched squeal. The red flame narrowly avoided striking the fuselage of the helicopter, but impacted the blades, causing a dramatic spark. The pilot’s flight path became unstable for a moment, but straightened out as it became evident then projectile was just a firework.

“Disperse now or we will use force,” Rowan ordered.

Almost as soon as he finished his sentence, the demonstrators threw several molotov cocktails over the fence and fled down the road. The bottles landed in the parking lot about 10 meters from the building itself, erupting in a pool of flame. One car was engulfed, the bottle having struck it squarely through the rear windshield.

“Fuck!” Rowan yelled.

“Ground, we have molotov cocktails going over the fence,” Addison said. “The perpetrators are fleeing. Requesting permission to engage.”

There were several seconds of silence. By then, those who had thrown the molotovs had reached the larger crowd down the street and blended in with all the other masked demonstrators. Any pursuit now would have been useless.

“Negative Airship,” the ground team finally replied. “We are recalling the airship. It is too hazardous to fly with present conditions.”

[The Republic of Legantus]

October 31st, 2010

Legantus Recalls Ambassador Amid Continued Fighting.
By Sacha Hauer

PROVENTIA - As fighting continues to spread in Oztov, the Legantian government has decided to formally recall its diplomatic delegation today. This is the latest in a series of increasingly severe actions taken by the Legantian Ministry of State in response to what according to a Ministry spokesman it sees as "a worrying amount of apathy to the legitimate concerns of its citizens."

The Pro-democracy protests, which have been ongoing since August, had been peaceful. However, after the attempted arrest of several of the demonstrators lead to a violent clash between police and protesters, clashes between government forces and protesters have become increasingly frequent and bloody.

The Legantian government has long been sympathetic to the concerns of the Veikan democratic movement, with various opposition leaders having been invited to the capital. Jovan Viktorov, an important leader in the current Democratic movement, was invited to the capitol two years ago and gave a speech in front of the Senate.

Despite this, the formal recall of the entire diplomatic mission is a step the Legantian government has been reluctant to take in the past. Previous administrations have often targeted sanctions at high-ranking members of the Veikan government, though those sanctions have been criticized by most parties as weak and generally ineffective. The Liberal government under Tobias Baumbach has pursued what they term an "active, not reactive" foreign policy, and has in the past singled out the use of minor, targeted sanctions like those typically employed against the Veikan government as an example of the "reactive" policies it wishes to do away with.

Ambassador Felix Lafrenz has been in Proventia since the beginning of the violence, having been recalled for consultation with the Cabinet. The remaining embassy personnel are expected to be flown back to Legantian airspace within the next day.

The Ministry of Defense has reported that it is mobilizing divisions near the Veikan border, and that it is continuing to monitor the situation. The Government has issued a Level Three travel advisory and is urging all Legantian citizens to cease any travel plans to Veikaia and to leave as soon as possible to avoid being drawn into any conflict.

[Veikaia]

Forests of Rotika, Veikaia
November 1st 2010, 7:24 PM

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As the fading light of the setting sun illuminated the surroundings, Vladimir and Veislad sat around the campfire at the enormous base encampment, deep within the dark and misty forests of southern Veikaia; very close to their home city of Rotika. The men were members of the Red Rotika Batallion, one of the biggest Ignatovist rebel groups loyal to the People's Red Front. The whole area was covered in camouflage netting going from tree to tree, hiding the camp from the daily air patrols by the Ground Forces and IOF. The two rebels had joined the Battalion recently, no more than a year ago, but already were experienced in fighting against government forces in bloody guerrilla warfare.

The camp was busy but relatively quiet, men carried around both foreign and local military equipment "acquired" from the IOF and Ground Forces or foreign sources friendly to their cause. Several campfires burned across the camp surrounded by soldiers holding friendly conversations, with the main theme of discussion being the recent large scale riots in Oztov and the government response to them. All soldiers wore disparate sets of military equipment from many different dates and countries of origin; most of it military surplus from civilian origin. The whole camp looked like a museum at times with some of the fighters being equipped with military paraphernalia from the 1930s and 40s.

A few jury rigged military vehicles were parked or parading around the camp, pickup trucks mounting machine guns, anti aircraft guns, anti-tank guns and mortars among others dumped on the vehicles' beds and welded in place. These utility trucks had been used to raid government patrols in and around the forests; the bullet holes and dents in the parts of their bodies not covered by makeshift steel armor acting as proof of this. A few fighters were also around the parked trucks, performing maintenance for the most beaten up ones.

"Attention!" a shout pierced through the silence like a hot knife through butter; Veislad and Vladimir quickly stood up, turned around and approached their officer with many other men following behind them. Once the men had gathered around him, the officer started to talk once again

"Time for briefing again, gentlemen. High command has relayed several new orders for most of the combatants available on camp." it was strange for the high command to order such a large scale operation to be executed. The men looked slightly confused but did not ask any questions, the officer soon continued:

"Due to the recent rioting in Oztov and the increasing tension in other cities across the country, the enemy has been forced to move a large amount of forces away from counter-insurgency duty and straight into the country's major cities for peacekeeping and suppression of dissenters. This has allowed us to mount hit-and-run engagements on a larger scale, although we can't afford to get too much attention from the government or we might end up with this whole forest burnt to the ground".

One of the soldiers, the youngest of the group, raised his voice to ask a question "Comrade, what is it we are to do? We've been doing nothing but taking potshots at patrols and helicopters for months, how is this supposed to do anything?"

The officer frowned at the interruption and started to raise his hand to slap the recruit before deciding against it; He could not afford to attack recruits in such a way, specially not when such an important operation was to be executed and all soldiers were needed in pristine physical and moral conditions no matter how disrespectful or stupid they were. He responded to the inquiry.

"Well recruit, you are going to see real combat soon."

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Outskirts of the Forests of Rotika, Veikaia
November 1st 2010, 8:00 PM

As darkness shrouded the forest little could be seen beyond some meters ahead as the fighters marched on forwards through the almost endless trees of Rotika. Due to the nature of their mission they were forbid from using flashlights or any other light sources. Some carried top of the line Oztov 10s while most others were armed with semi-automatic Miloje 33 rifles. The group looked like a marching circus, with each soldier wearing different camouflage and equipment; some had helmets, some didn't. They marched even onwards towards their objective, with two mortar technicals following slowly and as silently as possible far behind to provide support against armored targets.

Vladimir and Veislad were part of the platoon. Vladimir was armed with a Rhino SMG he had taken from a dead IOF soldier behind his officer's back while Veislad had to make do with the old Miloje 33 given to him when he just joined the Red Rotika Batallion, a relic from the 1930s extremely popular in the Veikan military surplus market.

The two men looked at each other nervously, generally no more than a squad was sent at a time in a mission so an entire company being sent to a single location was something they had never experienced in their life. Their objective was to get as close to what his officer had described as 'Enemy Camp Beta', engage the enemy and inflict as many casualties as possible and take as much equipment as possible back to base for rearming. Several other objectives were being attacked at exactly the same time by other companies.

"How many do you think will be there?" Vladimir whispered towards Veislad, marching besides him. Veislad quickly turned to him and started thinking for a minute before responding.

"Well, our officer has been rambling about a 'Camp' so it's probably not that big I hope. Hopefully we won't have to engage a large number of traitors, not with this peashooter as my only choice at least" Veislad quickly examined his rifle and cleaned off some dirt on its handguard before sighing.

Vladimir looked down and chuckled slightly before looking back at Veislad, "Friend, don't worry, just keep on firing that thing at the bad guys and we will be in Oztov by Christmas" he responded with an slightly ironic tone.

Faint lights could be seen coming from between the trees up ahead and the whole group stopped. They had almost reached the end of the forest and from this point on, it was basically impossible to stay hidden anymore. Each platoon's officer quickly gave yet another briefing on the situation and what was to be done to the rebels. The first major battle of the revolution was to finally begin.

As the men started to march forwards, they witnessed what their officers meant by "enemy camp", and it was no camp. The camp was more like a small military base, surrounded by chain-link fencing and with several storage silos and barracks within. Soldiers watched over the whole base from high watch towers, and it didn't take too long before the large approaching enemy force was detected by the guards and the alarm started blasting. Fortunately for the insurgents, the alarm wasn't the only thing blasting as the mortars behind the treeline started to fire upon the government forces, causing chaos among the unprepared conscript force inside.

"Well shit, guess you were wrong!" screamed Vladimir over the loud blasts of the mortar barrage, he briefly stopped by the side of a stunned Veislad and gave him a firm smack on the back before continuing "You better start running if you don't want to get shot!" he continued, and as soon as he finished he charged with the rest of the men.

[Gardic State]

The Department of Foreign Affairs

REVISION TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE no. 211/1978

November 6, 2010.

The following paragraph is to be added to section 8 of directive 211/1978 establishing a list of states and polities which Gardic persons may not provide with armaments:

8.17 The Kingdom of Veikaia

Background information

The ongoing and escalating conflict between the government of Veikaia and various anti-government armed groups has resulted in a rising number of civilian casualties. Crew served weapons of unknown type have been used by the Veikaian Armed Forces in the conflict against resistance fighters in southern Veikaia.

Howitzers manufactured by Eikur Arsenal SOE under the designation BGH-52 and GC-45 were sold to the Kingdom of Veikaia in the 1980's and 1990's. In addition, Eikur Arsenal has periodically supplied the Kingdom of Veikaia with proprietary ammunition specific to those models of howitzers, including high-explosive shells. The most recent shipment having been shipped to the Kingdom of Veikaia in 2009.

The use of explosive munitions is disproportionately likely to result in non-combatant deaths and injuries relative to small arms and riot control weapons. Considering the precarious political situation within the Kingdom of Veikaia and the fact that the use of armaments originating in the Gardic State against non-combatants cannot be ruled out, it is the policy of Her Exellency's Presidium to withhold further shipments of all Gardic-sourced armaments to the Kingdom of Veikaia until further notice.

Jónatan Möller, Foreign Secretary of the Gardic State

[Veikaia]

November 6, 2010

At least a hundred believed dead after Communist insurgents attack military bases.
A number of attacks carried by Red Front insurgents in the Rotika forests carried against IOF and Ground Forces bases has cause a wave of concern to sweep the country.

With the recent violence in Oztov and several other key cities in Veikaia, many have thought the violence could not escalate further; That things just couldn't get any worse. Unfortunately, these people have been proven wrong with the recent streak of large scale raids and outright sieges of several key military installations around the Rotika forests. The Red Rotika Batallion, a group loyal to the Veikan People's Red Front, has publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Official sources have not given any information beyond confirming the attacks had taken place. Independent and anonymous military sources have claimed several pieces of military equipment has been stolen during the raids and a total of 476 casualties have occurred. The government has not given any words on these numbers, or anything at all relating to the attack other than a confirmation of it happening.

A total of three Veikan Ground Forces and IOF battalions were assigned to the three facilities including barracks and small arms and vehicles storage; Their close proximity to the Red Rotika Batallion's area of operations meant it was used to supply companies stationed in the area for counter-insurgency tasks. The troops used these facilities to resupply before patrolling the vasts forests of Rotika.

In the past years the casualty rate had been dramatically increasing as sporadic engagements between patrols and members of the Rotika Batallion became more frequent and deadly. During this attack the rebels apparently numbered the hundreds and were extremely organized for what was once believed to be a decentralized guerrilla force by the public, due to many official Royal and Government speeches. The rebels were also armed with mortars used during the attack to shell the Veikan forces' positions and, alongside the advancing infantry's push, causing the garrison to retreat to safety as the casualties increased well into the 30% mark and beyond.

Injured and surrendering officers left behind by the retreating force were reportedly executed on the spot by the insurgents, but enlisted soldiers in the same conditions were spared.

It is currently unknown what kind of armament the terrorists have stolen from storage, but several sources claim the facilities stored military vehicles ranging from mobile AA platforms to old reserve armored vehicles, small arms such as Oztov 10s, Tiperyn Rk 70s, Vreizat Mortars and AT and AA rocket launchers. Large amounts of ammunition used to resupply counter-insurgency operations were also stored in the bases, but it is believed some of the buildings storing them had been ignited by the insurgent shelling and caused the munitions stored within to detonate.

[Austrasien]

Today it seems was going to be my lucky day.

I've been spending a lot of time by the docks down in Thorn recently. All sorts of foreigners there, including Veikaians, and these days they aren't so happy. I don't know a whole lot about the kingdom, and I don't care much either, but I have a nose for a deal. Some sort of war or revolution or whatever is going on up there and all those guys down here are real fired up about it - I personally witnessed very large and hair Veikaian longshoreman hurl another, slightly smaller, Veikaian seaman through the window of a certain establishment. Naturally, I had no clue what they were on about; later I pieced together that the slightly smaller fellow preferred the government as it is. The bigger one took issue with that.

So I got talking to the bigger one - after I helped him slip out of the bar. He seemed promising. You see I had deduced from his cursing he spoke a but of Frisian, not great, but comprehensible. And I happen to be fluent, so we got talking. He told me his name was Nikolai and he was going to overthrow the King of Veikaia for the people. A big claim to be sure, but the way he told it he had a lot of friends back in Veikaia, old army buddies mostly, and they were itching for a fight. I was interested. After a few hours of drinking, he took me to a very shabby looking bar that flagrantly violated the Commercial Code by displaying absolutely no signage in any of the official languages (I think they were blocking the fire escape too!) and introduced me to some of his friends. I was more interested.

Then they flashed some cash and I was VERY interested.

You see I am in the import-export business. In this fine riche we have many guns, a free people must be armed in defence of liberty after all. But in flagrant violation of the spirit of our rechtstaat the bureaucrats have decreed draconian limits on the export of weaponry. I don't stand for that kind of tyranny. Sic semper tyrannis. And I had a problem, not that long ago I paid a great deal of cash-money to a certain gentlemen for a container load of near-pristine G82 rifles that had been lost the better part of 20 years ago in some sort of shipping foul up and spent the intervening time sitting on the property of a defunct logging company. It was a deal I couldn't pass up - military surplus usually comes by the way of something a sticky-fingered conscript lifted from the armoury and stashed under his bed for a decade, and I don't like thinking about what was on their fingers. A complete load like this, and one long lost to the relevant authorities, was a fine deal.

If only I could sell it. But selling like something that at home is dangerous - children might get hurt. Also, on off chance the paper pushed actually kept the shipping information and serial numbers they could eventually dust off the old invoices, trace it back to that old lumber yard, and back to me. I'd rather not have that happen again. So abroad they had to go.

Nilolai and I did the deal. Tonight there was a Veikaian flagged ship arriving in Thorn that Nikolai assured me was captained by his brothers wife's cousin or something like that - reliable people. I had the container in motion, courtesy of a freelancer I happened to know had some very deplorable kinks and thus was exceptionally reliable, if a bit cantankerous. And me, I was relaxing in a fine seafood place with a great view of the harbor. The deal would be done, I would be getting the rest of my money (or letters might start arriving at the Veikaian embassy in Eisenberg) and with a little luck there would be plenty of business to come.

I was having the lobster tonight, the way the Brigantic businesmen like it when they come to check up on their operations, very expensive.

[Tippercommon]

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13 November 2010 - 0310 Hours - Baska, Veikaia

Justin Clifton, Soldaat | 1 Plt., B Co.,1 Bn., 4th Hawkreath Mountain Reg., Realm Guard

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The frigid winter air collided with my bare face as my feet stepped out onto the base’s tarmac. The warmth of the barracks hastily retreated as a frosted gust pushed into my team and I. Gloves and fleece were donned, rifles were charged, and we began walking across the barren courtyard towards the company headquarters. The colour sergeant had issued the warning order last night. We were slated to go out on this morning’s patrol.

I was with my fireteam: Soldiers Wirth and Wick, and the unlucky Corporal Loving who had been condemned to carrying his belt-fed machine gun whenever he had to leave the barracks. Due to increased militant activity around the base and the seemingly immediate disappearance of local loyalist forces, we were under orders to carry our weapons condition 1 on base. Ever since a loyalist battalion got overran by communist insurgents down south, battalion had started rotating patrols around the base’s perimeter. Word was we were going to be pulled out in the coming weeks, but we hadn’t gotten any orders yet. We heard on the news the Cardinal of War saying that we weren’t conducting a war against the militants and that it was Veikaia’s war to fight. It didn’t feel like it. We had guessed that regiment didn’t want us conducting an unprovoked attack. Rather, we’d leave the base with our asses hanging out, get shot at and give the navy something to shoot at in retaliation.

“Bloody nipply, eh?” Wick shivered, adding a little hop to his step as if it would warm him up.

I chuckled, “We just have to keep Wirth from the lemon-flavored snow.”

“Sod off,” Wirth groaned, pushing me half heartedly.

After what seemed like several minutes of marching, we finally reached the warm embrace of company headquarters. You could see stragglers from the rest of the platoon forming a loose column between us and the barracks. We continued on in, and were greeted by the most of the platoon huddled in the lobby of the headquarters.

“Alright gents,” the Lieutenant motioned towards him. “Settle in, we’re starting.”

We shuffled towards the rest of the platoon, which was crowded around a terrain map of the area pinned to the ground. On it were several plastic figurines representing some unit or another, as well as laminated scraps of paper. The Lieutenant dimmed the lights and began his spiel.

“Alright everyone, we're up next for perimeter patrol. We are leaving the wire at 0500 and foot marching north 500 meters. We will initiate a patrol of the outlying back roads and irrigation ditches around the base at grid VE109102. I say again, VE109102. We will secure the perimeter of the base and limit militant activities in our immediate vicinity. If we are engaged, we will perform a tactical withdrawal back to the base under the cover of supporting fires. If we are not engaged, 3rd platoon will relieve us where we initiated the patrol at 1300 and we will withdraw to the base.

“The platoon will be moving in a platoon V formation. First section will be the leading section on the left flank. Second section will be the leading section on the right flank. Third section will be the trailing section and will cover the rear. Platoon headquarters will be travelling at the center of the formation. Company has detached two heavy machine gun teams from weapons platoon for this patrol. These teams will travel with platoon headquarters to be positioned at my discretion. Are there any questions at this time?”

Sergeant Acton of 1st section raised his hand. “Yeah, sir. What will the rifle sections do once engaged?”

“If the platoon makes contact, the most engaged unit will hold its position and suppress the enemy,” the Lieutenant replied. “The remaining two sections and machine gun teams will then get on line and also engage the enemy while platoon headquarters coordinates withdrawal and supporting fires.

“Third section will have prisoner and stretcher duty,” the Lieutenant continued. “We will only be taking combat essential gear out. It’s a short patrol. We’ll be back before you know it.”

The Lieutenant shifted around the edge of the map, pointing at several triangle-cut pieces of paper situated off the coast.

“An armada fighter squadron will be on station to cover a withdrawal if needed. Their air patrols are rotating throughout the day over the Balearic, so they will be on station for the entire length of our patrol. Their callsign will be Green 1. The base’s mortars will also be on station for quick fire support. Their callsign is Overlord Heavy Rain.

“The platoon’s callsign will be Hound. First, second, and third sections will be Hound 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 respectively. Company is Wolf, and battalion is Overlord. Any questions?”

“Uhm, sir?” Soldier Wells said timidly. “Wouldn’t it just be safer to stay in and let the drone blokes do their thing?”

“Battalion wants us to get shot at,” the Lieutenant replied curtly. “If we’re going to be engaged, we’re going to do it as far away from the base as possible. There are no local forces between us and the enemy. If we just sit here, they choose the place and time of any engagement. We don’t want to end up like that Veikan battalion that got rolled 2 weeks ago.”

“Sir,” Wells said as he stepped back.

“Alright everyone, we step off at 0500. Section leaders, take stock of your teams and assemble at the company muster point at 0430.”

[Veikaia]

November 13th 2010, 5:10 AM. Near Rotika, Veikaia.

A single pistol gunshot ringed through the dark forest, illuminating the night. The men in the St.Martin Ground Forces Base sprung from their barracks and chairs, the guards high on their watchtowers turned in surprise. Prior to the gunshot there was nothing but calm and silence, the conscripted men of the 7th Veikan IOF Volunteer Battalion stationed at the base had been sitting in place for months, only sometimes mounting small patrols around the forested area surrounding almost completely the area. Soon after the gunshot, a scream pierced through the night:

"CHARGE!", communist rebels started to spew forwards from several directions at the same time, emerging from the forests. As soon as the first men came out the sound of mortars firing could be heard and the base was engulfed in fire. A mortar shell hit one of the barracks, killing or badly injuring several of the resting awestruck conscripts, a second one barely missed a watchtower hitting the outside of the base. Several more followed, all fired from pickup trucks turned into artillery pieces hidden deep into the forest.

The rebels charged onward, there were at least 200 of them, probably even more as they seemed to keep coming. As soon as they reached a safe enough distance they took cover behind any sort of cover they could find, firing upon any targets they could acquire. Several technicals followed the troops and were used as cover against enemy gunfire, even if the protection they provided was minimal against modern weaponry. The government forces were caught by surprise by the attackers but managed to maintain some semblance of order as they were pummeled by the artillery fire. They rushed on to their defensive positions and started to fire back at the advancing force as the body count slowly piled on both sides.

Officers attempted to maintain order further but it was obvious the untrained government forces were slowly cracking under the pressure of seeing their comrades die and the enemy advance continue almost unhindered. The men knew very well the communists had a reputation of not hurting prisoners so the idea of surrendering never escaped their minds. Two soldiers, Slavko and Mihail, screamed at each other from their positions behind several hastily stacked sandbags on the eastern wing of the base.

"They are pummeling us!" explosions and gunfire raged all around as Slavko desperately screamed, his voice slightly muffled by the thick balaclava around his face protecting him from the cold night. "They're fucking everywhere, what are we supposed to do?!" the man continued firing in the general direction of the enemy.

"Just keep on firing, keep firing for as long as you can. We all knew this would happen, we just refused to accept it!" Mihail exclaimed as he glared behind his back at his commanding officer, who was ducking behind cover ensuring all of the men were firing at the enemy. Refusing to follow orders by the military command was seen as desertion and could be punished by a long prison sentence or worse, death.

A bullet whizzed right next to Slavko's head, barely missing him. The man quickly ducked behind the sandbag cover; "I almost lose my god damn head, they have snipers stationed on the forest but I can't see them. Where's our backup? We need to burn the entire fucking forest down"

"We cannot, apparently burning do-" a mortar shell exploded nearby and cut Mihail short before he continued "apparently burning down an entire forest is bad for PR"

"I do not know how you can still make jokes under this situation. Hey what happened to those Tiperyn soldier boys. They have the big guns where the fuck are they when you need them the most!?" Slavko inquired, all around me men were dropping like flies or panicking behind cover thanks to the shelling and almost constant gunfire on their position.

"I don't know but I hope they're having fun eating lead, last I seen them they were patrolling on the danger zone like raging madmen. Our country doesn't care but hopefully theirs can provide us fucking support. Oh shit!" Mihail screamed, the gates had been hit by a lucky mortar shot and the men defending it were sent flying like rag dolls. At least 6 men, all taken out instantly by a single well placed explosion.

On both sides bodies pilled up, the defense of St.Martin was to become one of the bloodiest battles in the early Veikan Conflict leading to hundreds of casualties on both sides in a single night of heavy gunfire, most of them lost to the almost endless barrage of artillery fire. Nevertheless, the communist forces kept moving forwards, hopping from cover to cover and behind moving improvised IFVs fashioned out of small pickup trucks all armed with heavy machine guns. When a communist machine gunner or driver was taken down a new one took his place until the vehicle itself was immobilized or outright destroyed by AT rockets, an almost endless cycle of death.

Panic ensued as the communists got incredibly close to the gates of the base, all soldiers knew surrender was always an option. Everyone heard tales of the Red Front's mercy and forgiveness; and almost everyone believed them but the officers and other high ranking members of the Armed Forces who claimed this was nothing more than propaganda spread to break the morale of the great Veikan army.

At exactly 7 AM, 2 hours after the initial gunfire had started, the garrison of St.Martin surrendered, their officers had abandoned the base or been killed by enemy gunfire and artillery. As the smoke settled, over 400 men were dead or injured on both sides but the Veikan government forces had suffered the most casualties not counting surrendering men. Support had never arrived, there simply weren't any significant forces close enough to the location to provide support against such an enormous insurgent force without needlessly inflating the casualty numbers.

The base was quickly looted and prisoners were shoved into trucks and carried deep into the dark cold forests of Rotika, their fate completely unknown. Wounded government forces had to be left behind as the rebels could not afford treating them; many died before support arrived almost an hour after the fighting had ended. The whole event was a complete disaster, and marked the beginning of the end for the reign of Vasily VII.