Spokane Civil War[IC]

[British St Helena]

Military airport near the Spokane capital of Medical Lake:

The airport was alive with activity as 6,000 Raj personnel are disembarked from 40 Airbus Voyagers, the troops being assembled near the hangers with various heavy equipment and their personnel which arrived from a naval convoy and taken overland by their crews to the airport in preparation for the mission. (100 FV 4034 Challenger 2's, Armoured fighting vehicles, 50 A-90 Self propelled artillery, 20 Apache helicopters and various other vehicles and air support.) The commanding officer Brigadier Harry Mathews surveyed his men. He was confident, these men were the cream of the Raj Armed Forces crop. They were SAS of the Raj and were more than a match for the venerable unit. Their official designation was the 'SPD' (Special Purpose Division) but they were more commonly referred to as 'The Blood Hounds' due to their use as an intelligence unit in recent years as they were employed to seek out terrorists and dissenters to eliminate them by any means necessary.

The Brigadiers orders were clear, eliminate all forms of sedition within Spokane by hunting down the Fallen Angels and other rebel or terrorist cells. The Brigadiers battleplan is to liberate both of the cities from the rebellion forces with lightning warfare (A Blitzkrieg) in rapid succession using the resources he has at his disposal and the Raj Airforce which will provide close air support and insure air superiority. (He also has the element of surprise on his side with no formal announcement being made by the Raj of it's involvement within the conflict until after the city's have fallen.)

The SPD then depart the airport in their armoured vehicles and tanks, racing towards the closest occupied city to liberate it. If he is to surprise the defenders of the city's he cannot delay with speech's and dawdling.

[Imperium of The Huron]

So this is Spokane? Wondered Major Scot as stepped out of the G27 Flamingo transport plane.
After days of preparation, 1,250 men of the 193rd "Big Boys" battalion, together with then1,250 men of the 65th "ol reliable " battalion had finally landed in the troubled nation.
As the remaining troops disembarked, Major Scot and General Anderson headed to meet with the Spokane high command to coordinate their military effects.

[Nazi Basurian Empire]

Nazi Basurian Empire will suport Spokane against communists and send 5000 anti communist volunteers in the fight for peace and safety.Advice support and money sent to Spokane government as well.

The volunteers with some government subsidy mainly for equipment arrive by themselves gradually but will band into their own units and be ready to help Spokane army in operations, they can accept local commander orders.

[The Federation of Spokane]

So this is Spokane? Wondered Major Scot as stepped out of the G27 Flamingo transport plane.
After days of preparation, 1,250 men of the 193rd "Big Boys" battalion, together with then1,250 men of the 65th "ol reliable " battalion had finally landed in the troubled nation.
As the remaining troops disembarked, Major Scot and General Anderson headed to meet with the Spokane high command to coordinate their military effects.

Commander Shawn Scott of the 94 division waited as he saw Major Scot and General Anderson approach him before saying “I was delegated the command of the Airforce, I’ll see where the commanders of the army, navy, and other forces are if you don’t mind.”

[Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya]

"Hold the imperialists b...AHHH!" screamed one militant as machine gun fire tore through him

A sudden, armored blitzkrieg by foreign forces had pushed into one of the communist occupied cities. The sudden shift from negotiation and peace-keeping to outright war had left many militants unprepared. That being said the cell members in the city were eager for battle even if they were wholly unprepared for it. Many fought to the last, desperately firing back assault rifles and the occasional RPG while machine gun fire raked through them. Other militants were caught in violent explosions caused by armored fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery. Dozens of militants raced to the rooftops to attack the convoy from above, only to be cut down by close air support.

Of the 200 terror cell members in Spokane, 70 were killed in the blitzkrieg. Only 20 members remained in that city, desperately defending against the armored spearhead.

"COMMANDER! We are being overrun! Please send..." screamed a militant as Sardar cut off the handheld radio transceiver. He tapped his fingers along the chair while he contemplated the situation. "One city was lost. Many fighters were killed. Foreign resistance against the communists continues to increase," Sardar thought to himself, several militants watching him in silence.

Sardar let out a sigh and turned to his cell, apologetically saying "Brothers. Sisters. I have failed you. The revolution here will die. The imperialists will see this cause destroyed, no matter the cost." The militants stood there silently, unsure of what their leader was saying. "We have lost this war, but that does not mean we shall die like cowards," continued Sardar. "The remaining fighters caught in the attack will be martyrs, and shall buy us time. We shall destroy any and all records of our involvement here, including the safe-house," stated Sardar, speaking with more confidence than before. "Lastly, we must prepare for a final attack at these locations. Inshallah my brothers and sisters," concluded Sardar.

The remaining 20 militants that survived the initial blitzkrieg would desperately defend against the armored spearhead, receiving no support at all from the rest of the rest of the cell. The remaining 100 members split into 3 groups: the first group would see to the destruction of all the cell's records as well as the safe-house itself, the second group would attempt to gather as many foreign weapons as possible while the third group began fabricating a new array of records. These records would suggest "The Black Flag" was supported by foreign powers as an excuse to intervene and influence the government of Spokane. When the new records were completed, Sardar would order his fighters to torch the safe-house and prepare for an assault against a nuclear power plant in Spokane.

[Rhyssua]

Simeon Hodnik sat at his typewriter, wincing whenever he heard the sound of footsteps outside the cramped office building. No matter what he hoped, he knew the rules: no one would rescue him. He'd only leave with the other militants once he finished falsifying their documents. So, he increased his typing speed, concentrating fiercely even as beads of sweat stung his eyes.
When he finished the page he was working on, he tore it out of the machine and headed to the inner office, so the manager could read it over. The manager, a heavily built man with an impressive black beard, nodded approvingly at the official seal and took the paper. After reading it, the manager set it onto the ever-growing pile on his desk.
"Good," he said, his voice mangled by a dozen accents. "Write another."
Hodnik nodded and went back to his desk. After thinking for a few minutes, he decided that it was a good time to leave. So, he pulled out a leather satchel and went back to the inner office.
"What is it?" the manager asked.
"A guy outside said he's here for delivery," Hodnik said, setting the satchel on the manager's desk. "He wants everything we've written so far."
"Did he give you a password?" the manager asked, his eyes flicking between Hodnik and the door.
"Ensallah, I think?" Hodnik said, stumbling over the word. He had no idea what it meant, but it seemed to satisfy the manager. Hodnik had first heard the phrase during a meeting between the Fallen Angels and a group of anarchists called the black flag. Sensing opportunity, Hodnik had switched from the Angels to the Flag, in order to find more about the group.
"Inshallah," the manager corrected, taking the stack of papers on his desk and dumping them into the satchel. He then handed the satchel to Hodnik, who then turned around and left the inner office.
Nobody challenged him as he left the building. His confident gate and official-looking satchel of papers made him look like a courier, so nobody bothered to acknowledge him. Hodnik kept his confident gate until he was out of sight, then pulled out a burner phone.

"So we've basically gained nothing," Gajsek said, leaning back in his chair. The rest of the cabinet looked uncomfortable at his brutal assessment but mumbled their agreement. The Secretary of State looked particularly despondent.
"We couldn't get any negotiations started," Gajsek continued. "And before we could send military aid to either side, more foreign powers joined in and wiped out the Fallen Angels. The People's Confederation looks stupid and ineffective."
"Not quite," FIA chief Nadja Lukan said, setting a leather satchel on the desk. "We got these from a terrorist safe-house in the combat zone. The contents are... interesting."

[Semparia]

A small truck clattered down the road, with peacekeeper sprawled all over it in about every language that was thought of. They pulled to a stop and six men piled out, glancing around at the carnage. "They really tore the place up huh?" One of the men said, checking his rifle. "Yeah, they did." Another replied. Soon they began to spread out, they were apart of the local Semparian force stationed near the city, half of the team were combat medics. Four of them set out, while the other two stuck near the car. They began poking around for wounded, civilian, SPD, or Fallen Angels alike. Anyone found was hauled back to the truck where one of the medics would keep them stabilized until they were back at the Semparian FOB. From there they would be brought back to health, asked if they could give the Semparians any intelligence on local goingons, and driven back to the city where they would be dropped off. Civlians wherever they asked, Fallen Angels on one side of the city and SPD on the other side of the city. Unless of course they asked to stay at the FOB.

[British St Helena]

Communist occupied city:

The Blood hounds completly surrounded the city before the defenders knew they were there. They were alerted to the Raj presence by ear shattering explosions rattling the city to its foundations as bombs and artillery fire rained down upon it. Tanks smashed through hastily erected barricades with infantry following behind in armoured vehicles gunning down everyone with machine gun fire. The articles of war had been practically thrown out of the window by the Raj with Protocol 1 and the Rome statute being completely ignored resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians due to indiscriminate artillery fire and air strikes which practically flattened entire districts of the city.

As the Raj forces converged on the center of the city heavier resistance began to occur with RPG's slamming into the front of tanks but the Blood Hounds stormed on, machine gunning everything in their path. Tanks were blasting buildings into smithereens as cannon fire from low flying helicopters torn apart anything and anyone in its path. The City was secured only a few hours after the engagement began with a Raj flag and Spokane flag flying side by side on top of the remains of the city hall.
Escaping confirmed militants were brutally interrogated and executed (Blowing from a gun), civilians were forcefully turned back to the city by Raj soldiers instead of being allowed to leave. No one would escape the hammer of the SPD and the Raj Airforce. The aftermath of the battle reviled that only half of the civilian populous of the city had survived the battle and the city itself was reduced to a flaming ruin.

The battle of the city left the world utterly stupefied due to the brutality of the engagement. To the media the Raj was clearly making an example of this city and its people and sending the message that any rebellion against the government of Spokane would be annihilated without prejudice, civilian or otherwise. A journalist stationed outside the city tearfully described the battle as "A massacre, pure and simple. There is almost nothing left!"

[The Federation of Spokane]

The Fallen Angels Hideout
John Courier, leader of the Fallen Angels slammed his hands down on the desk and shouted at the commander, Adrian Huckleberry “WHAT DO YOU MEAN OUR DOCUMENTS WERE STOLEN FROM THE BLACK FLAG?” Adrian stuttered “They w-were...D-do you want to start O-operation S-Stalin?”
John then smirked and said “Yeah. Let’s do it. Spokane and their allies will never know what happened...until it lies flat in their face. It’s time to bring Black Flag down, and Spokane along with it. All for Stalin!”
Medical Lake, Spokane. About a hour later
Documents flew everywhere in the main government office of the secretary of defense, including the one stating The Black Flag was secretly a gang of Islamic terrorists. They had been given by a man in a long coat, and half of the department was trying to figure out who that was.

[Rhyssua]

"Jesus Hitler Christ," Gajsek murmured, his eyes glued to the monitor detailing the Raj's attack. Thousands of innocent lives crawled across the bottom of the screen, their names and identities reduced to a statistic. After another few seconds of staring, Gajsek clicked off the monitor.
"That can't happen again," Gajsek said, glancing across his office for support. All the joint chiefs indicated their agreement.
"In fact...their involvement is almost suspicious for such a short time," he continued. "What if the Raj funded the Fallen Angels?"
Lukan gave a small smirk, then quickly hid it when she realized Gajsek was watching. He gave her a baleful stare, then moved on.
"The Raj needs a slap on the wrist for what they did," he said. "And we need to get some agents into their government to figure out the truth. The documents are good, but they don't name names, and we know that at least half of them are falsified. We need to find this out for ourselves."
General Sirk struck a salute. "Should we mobilize the army?"
Gajsek waved off the salute, then nodded. "Better call up some Air Forces too. With over half of our surface fleet and our carrier occupied elsewhere, we'll need to cover our men from the skies. Ask Spokane if we can use one of their airbases."
"Are you sure that the Raj funded the Fallen Angels?" Lukan asked, an innocent expression on her face.
"At this point," Dajsek said, glaring at her. Lukan's smile faded away.
"I'm not sure of anything anymore."

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua
The People's Confederation is shocked and outraged at the senseless massacre by Raj forces in Spokane. While the Raj was trying to liberate the city, their tactics disregarded collateral damage and caused a senseless loss of innocent life. The People's Confederation proposes a joint-task force for counterterrorism within Spokane, to hold all nations assisting Spokane accountable for their actions, and threatens sanctions against negligent or belligerent nations in the task force. The People's Confederation also requests access to a Spokanian airbase, so that Rhyssuan air and ground forces may use it as a staging area to contribute forces to the counterterrorism effort.

[British St Helena]

"Jesus Hitler Christ," Gajsek murmured, his eyes glued to the monitor detailing the Raj's attack. Thousands of innocent lives crawled across the bottom of the screen, their names and identities reduced to a statistic. After another few seconds of staring, Gajsek clicked off the monitor.
"That can't happen again," Gajsek said, glancing across his office for support. All the joint chiefs indicated their agreement.
"In fact...their involvement is almost suspicious for such a short time," he continued. "What if the Raj funded the Fallen Angels?"
Lukan gave a small smirk, then quickly hid it when she realized Gajsek was watching. He gave her a baleful stare, then moved on.
"The Raj needs a slap on the wrist for what they did," he said. "And we need to get some agents into their government to figure out the truth. The documents are good, but they don't name names, and we know that at least half of them are falsified. We need to find this out for ourselves."
General Sirk struck a salute. "Should we mobilize the army?"
Gajsek waved off the salute, then nodded. "Better call up some Air Forces too. With over half of our surface fleet and our carrier occupied elsewhere, we'll need to cover our men from the skies. Ask Spokane if we can use one of their airbases."
"Are you sure that the Raj funded the Fallen Angels?" Lukan asked, an innocent expression on her face.
"At this point," Dajsek said, glaring at her. Lukan's smile faded away.
"I'm not sure of anything anymore."

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua
The People's Confederation is shocked and outraged at the senseless massacre by Raj forces in Spokane. While the Raj was trying to liberate the city, their tactics disregarded collateral damage and caused a senseless loss of innocent life. The People's Confederation proposes a joint-task force for counterterrorism within Spokane, to hold all nations assisting Spokane accountable for their actions, and threatens sanctions against negligent or belligerent nations in the task force. The People's Confederation also requests access to a Spokanian airbase, so that Rhyssuan air and ground forces may use it as a staging area to contribute forces to the counterterrorism effort.

New Windsor, The Viceroys house.

The Viceroy scoffs when reading the official statement from the Rhyssuans. "They can't be serious." the foreign secretary responds. "They are your grace. I think we were to heavy handed in our attack." The Viceroy turns to the foreign secretary her eyes ablaze. "You are neglecting the fact that we WON the battle against the insurgents and have secured the city." the foreign secretary mutters under his breath, "What's left of it anyways..." unintentionally loud enough for the Viceroy to hear. She stares at Peter before speaking slowly in a menacing tone. "Peter. Never speak about my decisions like that again. Or...we will have a disagreement." the foreign secretary steps back slightly, his eyes wide with fear. "Ye-yes, your grace." The viceroy takes a seat on a couch and picks up the tablet on the table. "Now, I will write up a response to this statement by the Rhyssuans about our actions and you can prepare yourself for presenting it."
He bows. "Yes, your grace."

Official Statement from the Raj:
The Raj does not recognise the People's Confederation of Rhyssua in its criticism. It is the Raj's objective to achieve victory within this war by any means necessary and so far we are achieving this objective to stunning effect, decimating the separatists in multiple engagements over the past few days. Additionally, we are more than prepared to assist in repairs and reconstruction of any areas we damaged after the war's conclusion but until then we will continue to carry out our operations in any way we see fit.

[The Federation of Spokane]

Official Statement of The Federation of Spokane:
We needed aid to help this war, even though it lost thousands of innocent lives. We will not take any sides in this matter, but Raj Forces will be sent to the north while Rhyssusian Forces help us track down the black flag and The Fallen Angels.

[Imperium of The Huron]

So this is Spokane? Wondered Major Scot as stepped out of the G27 Flamingo transport plane.
After days of preparation, 1,250 men of the 193rd "Big Boys" battalion, together with then1,250 men of the 65th "ol reliable " battalion had finally landed in the troubled nation.
As the remaining troops disembarked, Major Scot and General Anderson headed to meet with the Spokane high command to coordinate their military effects.

Commander Shawn Scott of the 94 division waited as he saw Major Scot and General Anderson approach him before saying “I was delegated the command of the Airforce, I’ll see where the commanders of the army, navy, and other forces are if you don’t mind.”

"Of course commander, in the mean time I will be over in my tent." and with that he turned and went to his quarter.

[The Federation of Spokane]

Commander Shawn Scott of the 94 division waited as he saw Major Scot and General Anderson approach him before saying “I was delegated the command of the Airforce, I’ll see where the commanders of the army, navy, and other forces are if you don’t mind.”

"Of course commander, in the mean time I will be over in my tent." and with that he turned and went to his quarter.

Shawn poked his head in after a hour and spoke “They’ve nominated me to do battle plans. Can I come in?”

[Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya]

Immediately After The Destruction of the Central Safe-House

Sardar turned his head to look at his fighters. "These weren't the brothers and sisters I fought and bled with in Iraq," he thought. "These aren't the veterans who had been hardened by decades of war. These are not the Lions of Allah," Sardar continued to think as gazed across the remaining fighters while final preparations were being made. "These are kids. Scared ones at that," he thought, finally turning around to directly face the militants. It was true, the cell was minuscule compared to others and for many of the fighters this was their first war. Add to that the recent brutality demonstrated by foreign powers it was no wonder that members among the cell were scared.

"Our cause is to bring about the end of the end of imperialists and oppressors," Sardar confidently stated, causing some fighters to jump as they didn't expect a speech to occur. "With that in mind, it would be wrong of me to keep you against your will," he stated more solemnly, slowly looking across the array of militants before him. "I do not blame any of you for wanting to leave. Those of you that leave will have my word that you will not be harmed," Sardar sadly stated , turning away from the fighters. "All that I ask is that you do not reveal information on Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya or on our current target. Please leave all explosives here. You may keep your other weapons," concluded Sardar, wiping his face as a wave of guilt and shame rolled across him. "I failed my cell and I failed my cause. There can only be martyrdom now," Sardar thought to himself, doing one last check on his assault rifle and bag of explosives.

The remaining militants would head towards a nearby nuclear power plant, each militant laden with explosives. The militants would attack anyone who would resist them whether they be government forces or communist revolutionaries. The goal now was not to win but rather cause as much lasting damage as possible in one final strike.

[British St Helena]

Spokane, Northern territories:

The SPD forces were laying waste to the northern territories, the enemy had refused to engage them in a decisive battle since the city engagement, always being on the horizon and continuously withdrawing and harassing land based supply lines. In response Raj forces were annihilating rebel infrastructure, crops and settlements with airstrikes and land bombardment and turning the Northern territories into a blasted wasteland. Journalists have been comparing this operation to the Harrying of the North in England nearly a thousand years ago. However progress was beginning to slow down and more troops and equipment were being flown in to assist the SPD forces on the ground, A large local airport had been occupied for this purpose and was now the supply depo and staging area for the Raj forces in the region.

The Brigadier knew he was making this airport a very tempting target for any enemy offensive. He was counting on it.

[Rhyssua]

Official Statement from the Raj:
The Raj does not recognise the People's Confederation of Rhyssua in its criticism. It is the Raj's objective to achieve victory within this war by any means necessary and so far we are achieving this objective to stunning effect, decimating the separatists in multiple engagements over the past few days. Additionally, we are more than prepared to assist in repairs and reconstruction of any areas we damaged after the war's conclusion but until then we will continue to carry out our operations in any way we see fit.

"More than prepared to assist in repairs, my-
"I think you might want to calm down, sir," his Secretary of State advised, stepping closer to put a hand on Gajsek's shoulder. Gajsek waved it away, then set the statement aside.
"Unless they can bring people back from the dead," Gajsek said through gritted teeth. "They're missing the point. At the rate they're going, there won't be a country left after the terrorists are gone."
The Secretary of State said nothing.
"And how can Spokane not take sides?" he continued, his fists clenching. "It's their citizens that are dying."
Gajsek took a few deep breaths, then swallowed his anger.
"How's the intelligence work going?" he asked, directing his question at Chief Lukan.
"Agents are in place within the Raj, although they have yet to turn up anything useful," she said. "We're sifting through the documents and marking the ones we know are false. Even if they are, however, we can still use them."
Gajsek nodded. He was disappointed, but it was useless to voice his feelings. Then he turned to General Sirk.
"Five Ospreys took off from Sarpedos Airbase this morning," Sirk said. "Carrying twenty men each. They were escorted by ten Eurofighter Typhoons and several refueling craft. They should land at the Medical Lake airfield this afternoon."
Gajsek nodded. "Thank you."

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua

The People's Confederation elaborates that structural damage wasn't its concern in its earlier statement. No amount of money will bring back human lives, needlessly thrown away in brutal engagements.
Five V-22 Ospreys carrying a hundred Rhyssuan Special Forces personnel embarked from the Rhyssuan capital this morning, accompanied by ten fighters and several refueling craft. They will conduct reconnaissance and search-and-destroy missions within Spokane, in order to destroy the last remnants of the Black Flag and the Fallen Angels. These aircraft plan to land at Medical Lake; if that is not acceptable, the People's Confederation requests that the Spokane government provides another airfield to land.

[Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya]

Upon Arrival At the Nuclear Power Plant

Sardar arrived at the nuclear power plant with only 40 militants left. Many of his fighters died in their push to the nuclear power plant, having been targeted by both foreign forces and communist insurgents. One particular street had proved to be a bloodbath, a clash between government and communist forces had turned into a crossfire with the terror cell members caught in the middle. A total of 15 militants had chosen to leave the cell, Sardar attempting to remain stoic as a wave of shame consumed him as each fighter walked past him and left the cell.

"We shall avenge our brothers and sisters lost in this conflict," Sardar thought to himself as he nodded at one of the militants. The militant proceeded to kneel and fire an RPG at one of the walls, hoping to make an improvised entry point. After the blast the militants would rush in, Sardar spraying bullets into the ceiling to grab the attention of the power plant workers. Sardar then lowered his rifle towards the workers and growled, "Take us to the controls and power supply! NOW!"

[Imperium of The Huron]

"Of course commander, in the mean time I will be over in my tent." and with that he turned and went to his quarter.

Shawn poked his head in after a hour and spoke “They’ve nominated me to do battle plans. Can I come in?”

"By all means Commander, sit down." turning to his guards he said "leave us." the guards saluted and left. "Now Commander, what's the situation?

[Rhyssua]

Upon Arrival At the Nuclear Power Plant

Sardar arrived at the nuclear power plant with only 40 militants left. Many of his fighters died in their push to the nuclear power plant, having been targeted by both foreign forces and communist insurgents. One particular street had proved to be a bloodbath, a clash between government and communist forces had turned into a crossfire with the terror cell members caught in the middle. A total of 15 militants had chosen to leave the cell, Sardar attempting to remain stoic as a wave of shame consumed him as each fighter walked past him and left the cell.

"We shall avenge our brothers and sisters lost in this conflict," Sardar thought to himself as he nodded at one of the militants. The militant proceeded to kneel and fire an RPG at one of the walls, hoping to make an improvised entry point. After the blast the militants would rush in, Sardar spraying bullets into the ceiling to grab the attention of the power plant workers. Sardar then lowered his rifle towards the workers and growled, "Take us to the controls and power supply! NOW!"

Simeon Hodnik had almost bugged out. When he'd handed off the documents, the officer had asked if he wanted a seat on the next plane back home. It was like an oasis to a drowning man. It was amplified by the chance that he'd blown his cover by leaving the office building.

Sadly, Hodnik was stuck following the other rebels into the power plant, watching their backs to make sure nobody was following them. As a terrified worker led the group to the power supply and control rooms, Hodnik could feel the sidelong glances aimed at him. Did they trust him? Probably not. Did Sardar, the man leading the group, trust him? Yes, enough to watch their backs. As long as this "Sardar" person trusted him, his men would, too.

After a few minutes of stalking through corridors, they reached what looked like the control room. His hands shaking, the worker unlocked the door. Sardar nodded to one of his accomplices, who promptly shot the worker. One by one, the militants filed into the room, one of them dragging the worker's body into the room behind them.

Hodnik surveyed the control room, looking for one item in particular. He spotted it on the far end of the room, underneath a glass casing. The SCRAM button. Hodnik wasn't an expert on nuclear reactors, but he knew what "SCRAM" meant. It'd deploy countermeasures to stop a meltdown, and set off a bunch of very, very loud sirens. Trying not to be too obvious, he positioned himself near the back of the militant group.

Sardar started speaking, talking about glory and imperialists and all the other stuff Hodnik had learned to nod but not listen to. As the man spoke, Hodnik edged closer and closer to the SCRAM button. When he reached it, he realized that the casing had a lock on it. He glanced at the lock, then at Sardar.

With calm acceptance, Hodnik drew his pistol. Holding it by the butt, he brought it down on the case, shattering it with one strike. Then, something slammed into his side, throwing him to the ground. When he felt his side with his free hand, it came away red.

"I shouldn't have trusted you."
Hodnik couldn't tell who was speaking, but it sounded like Sardar.
"This is what the imperialists are all about. Treachery. Subterfuge."
Hodnik resisted the urge to laugh at the irony. Instead, he lunged up and slammed his fist onto the SCRAM button.
Then another shot slammed into him, and his vision tunneled. It shrunk until it was reduced to a pinhole, then winked out altogether.

[British St Helena]

Official Statement from the Raj:
The Raj does not recognise the People's Confederation of Rhyssua in its criticism. It is the Raj's objective to achieve victory within this war by any means necessary and so far we are achieving this objective to stunning effect, decimating the separatists in multiple engagements over the past few days. Additionally, we are more than prepared to assist in repairs and reconstruction of any areas we damaged after the war's conclusion but until then we will continue to carry out our operations in any way we see fit.

"More than prepared to assist in repairs, my-
"I think you might want to calm down, sir," his Secretary of State advised, stepping closer to put a hand on Gajsek's shoulder. Gajsek waved it away, then set the statement aside.
"Unless they can bring people back from the dead," Gajsek said through gritted teeth. "They're missing the point. At the rate they're going, there won't be a country left after the terrorists are gone."
The Secretary of State said nothing.
"And how can Spokane not take sides?" he continued, his fists clenching. "It's their citizens that are dying."
Gajsek took a few deep breaths, then swallowed his anger.
"How's the intelligence work going?" he asked, directing his question at Chief Lukan.
"Agents are in place within the Raj, although they have yet to turn up anything useful," she said. "We're sifting through the documents and marking the ones we know are false. Even if they are, however, we can still use them."
Gajsek nodded. He was disappointed, but it was useless to voice his feelings. Then he turned to General Sirk.
"Five Ospreys took off from Sarpedos Airbase this morning," Sirk said. "Carrying twenty men each. They were escorted by ten Eurofighter Typhoons and several refueling craft. They should land at the Medical Lake airfield this afternoon."
Gajsek nodded. "Thank you."

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua

The People's Confederation elaborates that structural damage wasn't its concern in its earlier statement. No amount of money will bring back human lives, needlessly thrown away in brutal engagements.
Five V-22 Ospreys carrying a hundred Rhyssuan Special Forces personnel embarked from the Rhyssuan capital this morning, accompanied by ten fighters and several refueling craft. They will conduct reconnaissance and search-and-destroy missions within Spokane, in order to destroy the last remnants of the Black Flag and the Fallen Angels. These aircraft plan to land at Medical Lake; if that is not acceptable, the People's Confederation requests that the Spokane government provides another airfield to land.

New Windsor, Raj Security Service Headquarters:

With the depths of the Security Service headquarters the Secretary of State for Intelligence gave a maniacal smile. "See, wasn't so bad was it?" his black uniform blended in with the darkness of the room. He grabbed the man's throat and spoke softly, the ministers blue eyes were piercing. "Now, tell me everything." His subject was strapped to a wooden chair, bruised and bloodied. His voice is quiet, dejected and hoarse from screaming, "I...I...was sent by my government to ascertain if the Raj was funding the Fallen Angels." the Intelligence minister nodded. "I know that, now tell me. What is the encryption code to your communications channel?" his subject was silent. The minister became frustrated and continued his method of torture.

Minutes of torture later the Minister got the information he wanted. He left the room and ordered that the communication link be jammed for the remaining agents. He musses. "What a shame, if they had gotten superior counterfeit ID chips they might have been able to find some information and elude us for longer." He watched as one by one the agents were rounded up across the Raj and brought to the headquarters directly for interrogation. After a few hours all of the known agents were in custardy. Interrogations began immediately and were concluded within a few hours.

A statement is sent directly to the Rhyssuian government:
It is unforgivable that you would see fit to send hostile agents within our nation to commit the crime of espionage. We are prepared to return your agents to you if you cease and desist all espionage operations within the Raj and cease all hostile diplomatic and militaristic actions against the Raj. If not, we will reveal to the international community the identities and crimes of your agents within our nation which are espionage, attempting to steal state secrets and impersonation of government officials. We will then punish your agents for their crimes in a tribunal.

[Rhyssua]

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua

The People's Confederation elaborates that structural damage wasn't its concern in its earlier statement. No amount of money will bring back human lives, needlessly thrown away in brutal engagements.
Five V-22 Ospreys carrying a hundred Rhyssuan Special Forces personnel embarked from the Rhyssuan capital this morning, accompanied by ten fighters and several refueling craft. They will conduct reconnaissance and search-and-destroy missions within Spokane, in order to destroy the last remnants of the Black Flag and the Fallen Angels. These aircraft plan to land at Medical Lake; if that is not acceptable, the People's Confederation requests that the Spokane government provides another airfield to land.

A statement is sent directly to the Rhyssuian government:
It is unforgivable that you would see fit to send hostile agents within our nation to commit the crime of espionage. We are prepared to return your agents to you if you cease and desist all espionage operations within the Raj and cease all hostile diplomatic and militaristic actions against the Raj. If not, we will reveal to the international community the identities and crimes of your agents within our nation which are espionage, attempting to steal state secrets and impersonation of government officials. We will then punish your agents for their crimes in a tribunal.

Gajsek looked at the message, then at Chief Lukan. He'd woken up in the middle of the night, only to find a message from the Raj on his personal laptop. Lukan, on the other hand, looked well-rested, even happy.

"We've switched up our codes," Lukan said, giving a reassuring nod. "And ordered our remaining agents to either bug out or get to the embassy. So far only two have failed to report in."

Gajsek nodded, then ran a hand through his hair.

"So what happens now?" he asked.

Lukan smiled. However, it looked more like a shark baring its teeth than an actual smile.

"We release the documents," she said.

Gajsek smiled back with genuine mirth.

"Which ones?" Gajsek asked, smiling at the rhetorical question. The answer was obvious.

"The ones that support our position," Lukan said, her disturbing smile seemingly carved into her face. "Real or fake. If we can barely tell the difference, how can they?"

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua

The People's Confederation has grave news for the people and government of Spokane. The People's Confederation has uncovered documents from a terrorist safehouse within Spokane, which indicate foreign funding and support for both the Black Flag and the Fallen Angels. These documents indicate that these terrorist groups were meant to stir up trouble in Spokane, prompting unnecessarily intrusive involvement from the foreign supplier, even a possible invasion. Given these facts, and the brutal nature of the Raj's campaign in northern Spokane, the People's Confederation urges the international community to conduct an investigation into the Raj's activities, to ascertain the truth of its involvement. The People's Confederation will of course share these aforementioned documents to the Spokanian government, as well as any nation who wishes to take part in the investigation.

[British St Helena]

Gajsek looked at the message, then at Chief Lukan. He'd woken up in the middle of the night, only to find a message from the Raj on his personal laptop. Lukan, on the other hand, looked well-rested, even happy.

"We've switched up our codes," Lukan said, giving a reassuring nod. "And ordered our remaining agents to either bug out or get to the embassy. So far only two have failed to report in."

Gajsek nodded, then ran a hand through his hair.

"So what happens now?" he asked.

Lukan smiled. However, it looked more like a shark baring its teeth than an actual smile.

"We release the documents," she said.

Gajsek smiled back with genuine mirth.

"Which ones?" Gajsek asked, smiling at the rhetorical question. The answer was obvious.

"The ones that support our position," Lukan said, her disturbing smile seemingly carved into her face. "Real or fake. If we can barely tell the difference, how can they?"

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua

The People's Confederation has grave news for the people and government of Spokane. The People's Confederation has uncovered documents from a terrorist safehouse within Spokane, which indicate foreign funding and support for both the Black Flag and the Fallen Angels. These documents indicate that these terrorist groups were meant to stir up trouble in Spokane, prompting unnecessarily intrusive involvement from the foreign supplier, even a possible invasion. Given these facts, and the brutal nature of the Raj's campaign in northern Spokane, the People's Confederation urges the international community to conduct an investigation into the Raj's activities, to ascertain the truth of its involvement. The People's Confederation will of course share these aforementioned documents to the Spokanian government, as well as any nation who wishes to take part in the investigation.

The Viceroy reviews the official statement of Rhyssua while sipping tea. She mutters to herself "Damn them." before standing up and ordering that the Intelligence secretary reports to her immediately.

Minutes later the secretary arrives bowing quickly. "Your grace." The viceroy stands straight. "Robert, it seems that you failed in your duties." he nods dejectedly. "Yes, Viceroy. However, they have clearly forged those documents." the Viceroy rolls her eyes. "Obviously, however it is strange that they would accuse us of funding the groups that we are currently in the process of annihilating." He smiles laughing slightly. "Yes, it is very strange." She shrugs "Either way, they refused the chance we gave them of returning their agents. So, I want you to interrogate all of them for every scrap of information about their organisation, their country even their personal lives. I want to know everything they know." He gives an almost manic smile and shouts. "Yes, your grace!"

An official statement was released by the Raj an hour later:
It is incomprehensible that the Rhyssuan state would attempt to besmirch our efforts in the region, we have been the most active nation so far in eliminating the separatist and terrorist threat within Spokane, our actions clearly speak for themselves. Also, why would we fund separatist groups that we are in the process annihilating? It is obvious that the documents provided by the Rhyssuan state is a fabrication and we do not have the time or patience to waste with such fantasy's. Regardless, we will continue our efforts within Spokane to destroy the separatists once and for all and preventing Spokane from falling into anarchy.

[Semparia]

A televised meeting of what could be called the Semparian parliament, representatives elected from various regions in the country, sent to say their region's views on ongoing events, and often decide upon very many laws, unless the monarch decides otherwise, quickly devolved into arguments. The issue being argued over, was the Raj and Rhyssua. A great many argued for offering support to Rhyssua and commiting anti Raj operations in Spokane, but many others did not want to risk a war. A great many tuned out as the debate churned out for hours, but those who listened heard the eventual compromise that was reached. Support would be offered to Rhyssua, on the condition that war should be heavily avoided, and if it were to break out, Semparia would have no involvement in it. In addition to this decision was the deployment of an additional 1,000 troops, 20 APCs, 3 tanks, and 2 more attack helicopters, just incase the conflict escalated.

[The Federation of Spokane]

Official Statement from the Raj:
The Raj does not recognise the People's Confederation of Rhyssua in its criticism. It is the Raj's objective to achieve victory within this war by any means necessary and so far we are achieving this objective to stunning effect, decimating the separatists in multiple engagements over the past few days. Additionally, we are more than prepared to assist in repairs and reconstruction of any areas we damaged after the war's conclusion but until then we will continue to carry out our operations in any way we see fit.

"More than prepared to assist in repairs, my-
"I think you might want to calm down, sir," his Secretary of State advised, stepping closer to put a hand on Gajsek's shoulder. Gajsek waved it away, then set the statement aside.
"Unless they can bring people back from the dead," Gajsek said through gritted teeth. "They're missing the point. At the rate they're going, there won't be a country left after the terrorists are gone."
The Secretary of State said nothing.
"And how can Spokane not take sides?" he continued, his fists clenching. "It's their citizens that are dying."
Gajsek took a few deep breaths, then swallowed his anger.
"How's the intelligence work going?" he asked, directing his question at Chief Lukan.
"Agents are in place within the Raj, although they have yet to turn up anything useful," she said. "We're sifting through the documents and marking the ones we know are false. Even if they are, however, we can still use them."
Gajsek nodded. He was disappointed, but it was useless to voice his feelings. Then he turned to General Sirk.
"Five Ospreys took off from Sarpedos Airbase this morning," Sirk said. "Carrying twenty men each. They were escorted by ten Eurofighter Typhoons and several refueling craft. They should land at the Medical Lake airfield this afternoon."
Gajsek nodded. "Thank you."

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua

The People's Confederation elaborates that structural damage wasn't its concern in its earlier statement. No amount of money will bring back human lives, needlessly thrown away in brutal engagements.
Five V-22 Ospreys carrying a hundred Rhyssuan Special Forces personnel embarked from the Rhyssuan capital this morning, accompanied by ten fighters and several refueling craft. They will conduct reconnaissance and search-and-destroy missions within Spokane, in order to destroy the last remnants of the Black Flag and the Fallen Angels. These aircraft plan to land at Medical Lake; if that is not acceptable, the People's Confederation requests that the Spokane government provides another airfield to land.

Official Statement from the Raj:
The Raj does not recognise the People's Confederation of Rhyssua in its criticism. It is the Raj's objective to achieve victory within this war by any means necessary and so far we are achieving this objective to stunning effect, decimating the separatists in multiple engagements over the past few days. Additionally, we are more than prepared to assist in repairs and reconstruction of any areas we damaged after the war's conclusion but until then we will continue to carry out our operations in any way we see fit.

"More than prepared to assist in repairs, my-
"I think you might want to calm down, sir," his Secretary of State advised, stepping closer to put a hand on Gajsek's shoulder. Gajsek waved it away, then set the statement aside.
"Unless they can bring people back from the dead," Gajsek said through gritted teeth. "They're missing the point. At the rate they're going, there won't be a country left after the terrorists are gone."
The Secretary of State said nothing.
"And how can Spokane not take sides?" he continued, his fists clenching. "It's their citizens that are dying."
Gajsek took a few deep breaths, then swallowed his anger.
"How's the intelligence work going?" he asked, directing his question at Chief Lukan.
"Agents are in place within the Raj, although they have yet to turn up anything useful," she said. "We're sifting through the documents and marking the ones we know are false. Even if they are, however, we can still use them."
Gajsek nodded. He was disappointed, but it was useless to voice his feelings. Then he turned to General Sirk.
"Five Ospreys took off from Sarpedos Airbase this morning," Sirk said. "Carrying twenty men each. They were escorted by ten Eurofighter Typhoons and several refueling craft. They should land at the Medical Lake airfield this afternoon."
Gajsek nodded. "Thank you."

Official Statement of the People's Confederation of Rhyssua

The People's Confederation elaborates that structural damage wasn't its concern in its earlier statement. No amount of money will bring back human lives, needlessly thrown away in brutal engagements.
Five V-22 Ospreys carrying a hundred Rhyssuan Special Forces personnel embarked from the Rhyssuan capital this morning, accompanied by ten fighters and several refueling craft. They will conduct reconnaissance and search-and-destroy missions within Spokane, in order to destroy the last remnants of the Black Flag and the Fallen Angels. These aircraft plan to land at Medical Lake; if that is not acceptable, the People's Confederation requests that the Spokane government provides another airfield to land.

We’ll let you land in Fairchild, a couple miles from Medical Lake.
Fallen Angels
John cackled as three young men stood in front of him, decked out in explosives and rifles, clearly prepared to die for the movement. He spoke “Go to the monument of Car Flight 103 and blow it up. Also, Adam since you’re a commander send a quarter of your regiment to go destroy the Burj Halifax II. Anders, send the top two of your regiment to hijack Car Flight 93. It’s time to recreate the Medical Lake Terror attacks.Time to make a statement to the rest of the world that we want to be free. To make a statement that we’ll do whatever it takes to be free from the tyranny of the monarchy, and for Stalin!” The three began to split as John turned around in his chair and turned on the TV, waiting to hear about the attacks.