2nd Ralkovian War [IC|Greater Dienstad Only]
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:59 am
OOC: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=510910
Orav International Airport
Eitoan Occupation Zone
Federation of Ralkovian States
The line for Balkovian Airlines flight 66, Orav to Kelso, Eitoan was unremarkably long and unremarkably surly. And, of course, Balkovian was unremarkably late for boarding. Overall, an unremarkable flight was impending in the dingy terminal. Men and women of Eitoan Occupation Forces Ralkovia on leave, Kelso businessmen and lawyers, a few more well to do Ralkovians, and a large crowd of bargain seeking Balkovians formed the line, sloppily monitored by the airline gate crew and indifferent Federal police. Most of the police yawned as they performed their duty, easy work for them, but not yet awake for the early morning shift. The first rays of the sun broke through the clouds on that day as dawn grudgingly rose over Orav, that sprawling industrial city in the midst of rebuilding and recovering from the war. Passports and visas inspected at the gate, a few hassles with older passengers, the line moved along slowly down the jet port onto Balkovian 66.
In the cockpit the pilot chattered away with the co-pilot, both wartime survivors, both happy to be back in the air after the postwar slump in air travel. Experienced pilots were hard to come by in Federal Ralkovia, so when Balkovian offered a chance to sign on for international flights, both eagerly jumped at the chance. The pay was good. The hours were a bit rough, but the ambience of time in Eitoan was more than enough to make up for that.
Boarding finished. After a short delay for flight plan confirmation from the tower, the pilot announced preparation for take off. They made the announcement in Ralkovian, a flight attendant translated into Balkovian. Taxiing down the runway, a bump, and Flight 66 was in the air. Climbing to 12,000 feet, leveling off, on a course skirting the lake east southeast, most passengers settled in for a long flight. There was a bump on the cabin door. Then a much harder, louder bump. The pilot and co-pilot exchanged surprised looks.
At Orav tower, Aaron Gardner stretched out at the controller in charge’s desk. Captain Gardner, Eitoan Air Force had been one of the first air traffic controllers on the civilian side in the Eitoan Zone, after long duty assignments in Belovo Air Base and S’ra. He knew the country, and had the advantage on being in on the ground floor as civilian air traffic control was cautiously handed off to the federal authorities. But still, with the dearth of trained, reliable Ralkovian controllers, the Alliance military was in charge throughout the Federation. He’d been part of the approval process for the newly graduated controllers, and the review of deraskovized veteran Ralkovian controllers. And he was familiar with his crew this morning. Reporting directly to him for this shift was Dakayah Kradev, one of the first graduates of ATC School, a freed slave. At 28, a few years older than the other graduates, Dakayah perfomed steadily and competently, although civilian traffic could hardly be described as heavy in southern Ralkovia at this time. Still, Gardner was glad to have him. The two young Balkovian controllers, Georgiana Vraduva and Margareta Malciu chattered from time to time, recent ATC School grads, still young and perky. The chatter dropped off as traffic picked up that morning. Off to the side was Rakard Hralevi, older, a holdover from before the war at Orav tower. He was viewed by suspicion by the newer controllers, especially the Balkovians, but Gardner kept tensions under control during his shifts. Still, there was a disconnect. The newer postwar graduates were schooled in the Alliance SV10 system, Hralevi getting only rudimentary training. The girls turned their attention to their screens, Hralevi involved in scanning the entire span of control for the tower. Kradev was engrossed with monitoring audio and visual communication from the flights, including requests from and responses to military traffic.
Malciu’s assignment this morning was the eastern sector. Few inbound flights were on screen. The six outbound flights appeared normal. Time passed. Malciu sipped at her coffee. Eitoan coffee was bitter to Balkovian tastes. She dumped two packets of sugar into the brew and returned her attention to the screen. 75 miles out of Orav Flight 66 continued on the prepared path. She glanced away for a moment. When her attention returned to the screen, Flight 66 flashed yellow. Balkovian Flight 66 had veered slightly northward for two minutes, something that could be easily explained by weather or air current changes. Time passed. Flight 66 continued slightly northward off course. Then there was a sharp drop in altitude. Then the screen traced a sudden turn northward course.
Malciu turned to Kradev. “Dak, we have a situation yellow in eastern sector. Request verbal contact”.
Kradev looked up, turned and looked at Captain Gardner, and thought for a moment. “Granted. Initiate verbal contact”.
Malciu returned to her screen, now showing Flight 66 continuing in the wrong direction. She brought up the menu for verbal contact request, and selected Flight 66. In the cockpit on Balkovian Flight 66, the request notification was received, both visually and with a ring tone. Neither pilot or co-pilot picked it up.
Malciu resent the request. She called in to the cockpit. “Balkovian 66, this is Orav tower. Explain flight path deviation. Over”.
There was no response.
Malciu repeated the plea. Again, no response. Flight 66 suddenly climbed. The screen indication flashed red. Kradev jumped up and came over to Malciu’s desk. Looking up, seeing notification on his screen, Captian Gardner followed suit.
“How long has 66 been off course?” asked Gardner.
Malciu, still engrossed at her screen, answered curtly “4, 6 minutes. I’m going to try verbal contact again”.
She made the same plea. Again, no response. Flight 66 turned again, this time northwesterly. Clearly a problem.
Chatter at the tower, behind Malciu between Gardner, Kradev and Hralevi. Contact Eitoan Air Force control? When does Flight 66 stray into S’ra tower control? Into Kalemba control? How long to give 66 until crisis declaration?
Malciu tried again to contact the errant aircraft. Time passed. Notification of incoming transmission flashed on the screen. She put Flight 66 on speaker.
“Sh’ta ground command, do you read me? This is Action Group Tranka, Balkovian 66. Await further instructions. Over.”
Gardner nudged Malciu away from her desk. He leaned in to the display, clicked on transmission to Flight 66. “This is Orav tower. Flight 66, explain last transmission. Explain flight plan deviation immediately!”
Silence form Balkovian 66. Then their response. “Orav tower, this is Balkovian 66. All is going well, all going on course. Confirm?”
Gardner, Kradev and Hralevi stared at each other. Gardner took to the keyboard. A coded message went to Balkovian 66’s onboard computer. 89BB AC8D 9901 F455.
Moments passed like an eternity. Malciu’s screen showed the message “Flight in distress. Balkovian 66. Incorrect communication.
Gardner shot up, commanding Malciu to return to her station. “Margareta, put all flights in eastern sector notice of likely grounding. Georgiana, send initial notification of discrepancy to all western sector traffic. Rakard, you contact all neighboring sectors, Kranzov, S’ra, Barv of the situation, and open a channel with Balkovian Airlines central tracking. Maybe they know what’s up. Dakayah, you’re in charge of the desk until I return. I have a few calls to make”.
Aaron Gardner rushed back to his desk, sat down and punched up the line to Eitoan Zone EAF Air Traffic Command in Belovo.
The communications officer at Belovo picked up the call. “Belovo ATC, Lieutenant Branav. Is this Orav Tower?”
“Orav Tower, Captain Gardner. We have a Class 1-B situation here. Balkovian 66. Put me through to the situation manager on duty.”
There was a momentary delay. Then two short clicks. A voice came on, typical Eitoan Central Corridor flat accent. “Belovo Situation Room, Major Magdeff. What’s the trouble, Captain Gardner?”
“We have Balkovian 66 off course, Orav to Kelso. Appears to be headed north after a couple unexplained altitude shifts. Troubling communication with Orav tower.”
Magdeff thought for a moment. “Provide escort?”
“I’d get some interceptors up there, for observation. Confirm?”
“Confirm” replied Magdeff.
Meanwhile, at Malciu’s workstation, the display showed further disturbing behavior. Several more changes of altitude, at irregular intervals. A short turn southward, followed by several sharp changes, zigzaging in a westerly direction.
Kradev received notification of an incoming video call from his contact at Balkovian. The caller, visibly excited told him “You’ve got to see this!”
His mouth agape, Kradev watched in horror as the scene unfolded. Obviously a passenger video, widespread mayhem in what appeared to be the first class section of the flight. One passenger had been very obviously shot, bleeding out, slumping back in his seat. A flight attendant screaming in horror, stabbed through the right eyeball. Panning toward the cockpit door, two burly men, apparently Balkovians were beating the shit out of a scruffy, scrawny hijacker in cammo. The video cut short.
“Balkovian, can you resend this?”
“Will do, Orav tower”.
Kradev summoned Gardner and Hralevi to the display. They watched as the video repeated.
Minutes later, two Eitoan Air Force I-25a interceptors scrambled out of Tirasopol Air Base into the gray Balkovian sky, headed west, flying low over village and farms. Civilian air traffic had been grounded in Orav and adjacent sectors as the two swooped toward the search vector. Instructions flashed on screen as they approached a thinly populated area of scrubland, yeilding to increasingly dense pine forest. At another time, it would be a beautiful place to explore, but their mind was finding and reporting the whereabouts of Balkovian Flight 66, a flight clearly in distress. They peeled westward, following a river, scanning the horizon. Notified of contact, they honed in a a tiny speck in the distance, becoming clearer as they closed in. Confirmation of visual contact made to Tirasopol, the interceptors came within 13 miles of Balkovian. Then, suddenly, the passenger airliner made a nosedive.
It took most of the day for the rescue squad to cut their way through to the wreckage of Balkovian Flight 66. Federal resources were strained to the maximum at the remote location. Later in the day, rescue and recovery from the Eitoan forces in the vicinity pitched in. There were no survivors. There was very little in identifiable remains. A sad scene. Reports of the tragedy filtered in to the public, first through rumor, then, finally, news coverage.
Eitoan Overseas Radio
Ralkovian Service: Етаан Замежныя радыё Смецце Абслугоўванне
Balkovian Service: Ейтоан отвъдморските радио балковски услуги
Orav Air Traffic Control has confirmed the loss of Balkovian Airlines flight 66, Orav to Kelso, Eitoan this morning, following flight irregularities during the segment of the route between Orav and Kraznov. Further comment is forthcoming from Federal Ralkovian rescue which is currently at the site, assisted by units of Eitoan Occupation Forces Ralkovia. The tragedy follows in the wake of four previous crashes this year which have been defined as hijackings. Police reports in those hijackings have pointed the finger at Regime Ralkovia or Regime inspired terror cells operating in the Federation. At this time, the number of survivors, if any has not been announced. The crash occurred in a dense section of Braszny National Park, the nearest hospital being 67 miles away. Family of passenger have been notified by Balkovian Airlines, and those awaiting word are being counseled offsite at Orav Airport.
A spate of bombings in Spracko and Korakoa this week has called out extra police protection for schools and hospitals in those cities. Civil authorities have set up command centers to track down the responsible parties, and patrol the streets to prevent inter community demonstrations seen earlier this year after previous attacks. So far, seven suspects are in the Korakoa lockup awaiting arraignment on charges related to the recent bombings. The suspects have been linked to the bombing at Public school 43, in which three fourth graders on the playground at the time were slightly injured. More serious injuries were prevented when the teacher in charge of the playground at the time noticed the unusual package, and hurried the children at recess away from it.
In Razmaki dicussions between Federal security officials and the Alliance Kommandatura continue regarding the recent uptick in terrorist activity. This follows a walkout in the Federal Senate last week by Balkovian Senators in protest of the violence, in particular, acts targeting their community. The walkout of five Balkovian Nationalist and three Balkovian Communist Senators was meant to underscore discontent with both the Federal and Occupation Forces response to date.
Weather today calls for partly cloudy conditions in the Federation south, with clearing skies in the north ushered in by a cold front. The cold front is bringing ground cover snow to the Raumfestung, with depth of 3 to 5 feet in higher elevations. In the Regime, sun is forecast for Penada and the lakes region, with clouds rolling in across river ports followed by rain later in the day.
Orav International Airport
Eitoan Occupation Zone
Federation of Ralkovian States
The line for Balkovian Airlines flight 66, Orav to Kelso, Eitoan was unremarkably long and unremarkably surly. And, of course, Balkovian was unremarkably late for boarding. Overall, an unremarkable flight was impending in the dingy terminal. Men and women of Eitoan Occupation Forces Ralkovia on leave, Kelso businessmen and lawyers, a few more well to do Ralkovians, and a large crowd of bargain seeking Balkovians formed the line, sloppily monitored by the airline gate crew and indifferent Federal police. Most of the police yawned as they performed their duty, easy work for them, but not yet awake for the early morning shift. The first rays of the sun broke through the clouds on that day as dawn grudgingly rose over Orav, that sprawling industrial city in the midst of rebuilding and recovering from the war. Passports and visas inspected at the gate, a few hassles with older passengers, the line moved along slowly down the jet port onto Balkovian 66.
In the cockpit the pilot chattered away with the co-pilot, both wartime survivors, both happy to be back in the air after the postwar slump in air travel. Experienced pilots were hard to come by in Federal Ralkovia, so when Balkovian offered a chance to sign on for international flights, both eagerly jumped at the chance. The pay was good. The hours were a bit rough, but the ambience of time in Eitoan was more than enough to make up for that.
Boarding finished. After a short delay for flight plan confirmation from the tower, the pilot announced preparation for take off. They made the announcement in Ralkovian, a flight attendant translated into Balkovian. Taxiing down the runway, a bump, and Flight 66 was in the air. Climbing to 12,000 feet, leveling off, on a course skirting the lake east southeast, most passengers settled in for a long flight. There was a bump on the cabin door. Then a much harder, louder bump. The pilot and co-pilot exchanged surprised looks.
At Orav tower, Aaron Gardner stretched out at the controller in charge’s desk. Captain Gardner, Eitoan Air Force had been one of the first air traffic controllers on the civilian side in the Eitoan Zone, after long duty assignments in Belovo Air Base and S’ra. He knew the country, and had the advantage on being in on the ground floor as civilian air traffic control was cautiously handed off to the federal authorities. But still, with the dearth of trained, reliable Ralkovian controllers, the Alliance military was in charge throughout the Federation. He’d been part of the approval process for the newly graduated controllers, and the review of deraskovized veteran Ralkovian controllers. And he was familiar with his crew this morning. Reporting directly to him for this shift was Dakayah Kradev, one of the first graduates of ATC School, a freed slave. At 28, a few years older than the other graduates, Dakayah perfomed steadily and competently, although civilian traffic could hardly be described as heavy in southern Ralkovia at this time. Still, Gardner was glad to have him. The two young Balkovian controllers, Georgiana Vraduva and Margareta Malciu chattered from time to time, recent ATC School grads, still young and perky. The chatter dropped off as traffic picked up that morning. Off to the side was Rakard Hralevi, older, a holdover from before the war at Orav tower. He was viewed by suspicion by the newer controllers, especially the Balkovians, but Gardner kept tensions under control during his shifts. Still, there was a disconnect. The newer postwar graduates were schooled in the Alliance SV10 system, Hralevi getting only rudimentary training. The girls turned their attention to their screens, Hralevi involved in scanning the entire span of control for the tower. Kradev was engrossed with monitoring audio and visual communication from the flights, including requests from and responses to military traffic.
Malciu’s assignment this morning was the eastern sector. Few inbound flights were on screen. The six outbound flights appeared normal. Time passed. Malciu sipped at her coffee. Eitoan coffee was bitter to Balkovian tastes. She dumped two packets of sugar into the brew and returned her attention to the screen. 75 miles out of Orav Flight 66 continued on the prepared path. She glanced away for a moment. When her attention returned to the screen, Flight 66 flashed yellow. Balkovian Flight 66 had veered slightly northward for two minutes, something that could be easily explained by weather or air current changes. Time passed. Flight 66 continued slightly northward off course. Then there was a sharp drop in altitude. Then the screen traced a sudden turn northward course.
Malciu turned to Kradev. “Dak, we have a situation yellow in eastern sector. Request verbal contact”.
Kradev looked up, turned and looked at Captain Gardner, and thought for a moment. “Granted. Initiate verbal contact”.
Malciu returned to her screen, now showing Flight 66 continuing in the wrong direction. She brought up the menu for verbal contact request, and selected Flight 66. In the cockpit on Balkovian Flight 66, the request notification was received, both visually and with a ring tone. Neither pilot or co-pilot picked it up.
Malciu resent the request. She called in to the cockpit. “Balkovian 66, this is Orav tower. Explain flight path deviation. Over”.
There was no response.
Malciu repeated the plea. Again, no response. Flight 66 suddenly climbed. The screen indication flashed red. Kradev jumped up and came over to Malciu’s desk. Looking up, seeing notification on his screen, Captian Gardner followed suit.
“How long has 66 been off course?” asked Gardner.
Malciu, still engrossed at her screen, answered curtly “4, 6 minutes. I’m going to try verbal contact again”.
She made the same plea. Again, no response. Flight 66 turned again, this time northwesterly. Clearly a problem.
Chatter at the tower, behind Malciu between Gardner, Kradev and Hralevi. Contact Eitoan Air Force control? When does Flight 66 stray into S’ra tower control? Into Kalemba control? How long to give 66 until crisis declaration?
Malciu tried again to contact the errant aircraft. Time passed. Notification of incoming transmission flashed on the screen. She put Flight 66 on speaker.
“Sh’ta ground command, do you read me? This is Action Group Tranka, Balkovian 66. Await further instructions. Over.”
Gardner nudged Malciu away from her desk. He leaned in to the display, clicked on transmission to Flight 66. “This is Orav tower. Flight 66, explain last transmission. Explain flight plan deviation immediately!”
Silence form Balkovian 66. Then their response. “Orav tower, this is Balkovian 66. All is going well, all going on course. Confirm?”
Gardner, Kradev and Hralevi stared at each other. Gardner took to the keyboard. A coded message went to Balkovian 66’s onboard computer. 89BB AC8D 9901 F455.
Moments passed like an eternity. Malciu’s screen showed the message “Flight in distress. Balkovian 66. Incorrect communication.
Gardner shot up, commanding Malciu to return to her station. “Margareta, put all flights in eastern sector notice of likely grounding. Georgiana, send initial notification of discrepancy to all western sector traffic. Rakard, you contact all neighboring sectors, Kranzov, S’ra, Barv of the situation, and open a channel with Balkovian Airlines central tracking. Maybe they know what’s up. Dakayah, you’re in charge of the desk until I return. I have a few calls to make”.
Aaron Gardner rushed back to his desk, sat down and punched up the line to Eitoan Zone EAF Air Traffic Command in Belovo.
The communications officer at Belovo picked up the call. “Belovo ATC, Lieutenant Branav. Is this Orav Tower?”
“Orav Tower, Captain Gardner. We have a Class 1-B situation here. Balkovian 66. Put me through to the situation manager on duty.”
There was a momentary delay. Then two short clicks. A voice came on, typical Eitoan Central Corridor flat accent. “Belovo Situation Room, Major Magdeff. What’s the trouble, Captain Gardner?”
“We have Balkovian 66 off course, Orav to Kelso. Appears to be headed north after a couple unexplained altitude shifts. Troubling communication with Orav tower.”
Magdeff thought for a moment. “Provide escort?”
“I’d get some interceptors up there, for observation. Confirm?”
“Confirm” replied Magdeff.
Meanwhile, at Malciu’s workstation, the display showed further disturbing behavior. Several more changes of altitude, at irregular intervals. A short turn southward, followed by several sharp changes, zigzaging in a westerly direction.
Kradev received notification of an incoming video call from his contact at Balkovian. The caller, visibly excited told him “You’ve got to see this!”
His mouth agape, Kradev watched in horror as the scene unfolded. Obviously a passenger video, widespread mayhem in what appeared to be the first class section of the flight. One passenger had been very obviously shot, bleeding out, slumping back in his seat. A flight attendant screaming in horror, stabbed through the right eyeball. Panning toward the cockpit door, two burly men, apparently Balkovians were beating the shit out of a scruffy, scrawny hijacker in cammo. The video cut short.
“Balkovian, can you resend this?”
“Will do, Orav tower”.
Kradev summoned Gardner and Hralevi to the display. They watched as the video repeated.
Minutes later, two Eitoan Air Force I-25a interceptors scrambled out of Tirasopol Air Base into the gray Balkovian sky, headed west, flying low over village and farms. Civilian air traffic had been grounded in Orav and adjacent sectors as the two swooped toward the search vector. Instructions flashed on screen as they approached a thinly populated area of scrubland, yeilding to increasingly dense pine forest. At another time, it would be a beautiful place to explore, but their mind was finding and reporting the whereabouts of Balkovian Flight 66, a flight clearly in distress. They peeled westward, following a river, scanning the horizon. Notified of contact, they honed in a a tiny speck in the distance, becoming clearer as they closed in. Confirmation of visual contact made to Tirasopol, the interceptors came within 13 miles of Balkovian. Then, suddenly, the passenger airliner made a nosedive.
It took most of the day for the rescue squad to cut their way through to the wreckage of Balkovian Flight 66. Federal resources were strained to the maximum at the remote location. Later in the day, rescue and recovery from the Eitoan forces in the vicinity pitched in. There were no survivors. There was very little in identifiable remains. A sad scene. Reports of the tragedy filtered in to the public, first through rumor, then, finally, news coverage.
Eitoan Overseas Radio
Ralkovian Service: Етаан Замежныя радыё Смецце Абслугоўванне
Balkovian Service: Ейтоан отвъдморските радио балковски услуги
Orav Air Traffic Control has confirmed the loss of Balkovian Airlines flight 66, Orav to Kelso, Eitoan this morning, following flight irregularities during the segment of the route between Orav and Kraznov. Further comment is forthcoming from Federal Ralkovian rescue which is currently at the site, assisted by units of Eitoan Occupation Forces Ralkovia. The tragedy follows in the wake of four previous crashes this year which have been defined as hijackings. Police reports in those hijackings have pointed the finger at Regime Ralkovia or Regime inspired terror cells operating in the Federation. At this time, the number of survivors, if any has not been announced. The crash occurred in a dense section of Braszny National Park, the nearest hospital being 67 miles away. Family of passenger have been notified by Balkovian Airlines, and those awaiting word are being counseled offsite at Orav Airport.
A spate of bombings in Spracko and Korakoa this week has called out extra police protection for schools and hospitals in those cities. Civil authorities have set up command centers to track down the responsible parties, and patrol the streets to prevent inter community demonstrations seen earlier this year after previous attacks. So far, seven suspects are in the Korakoa lockup awaiting arraignment on charges related to the recent bombings. The suspects have been linked to the bombing at Public school 43, in which three fourth graders on the playground at the time were slightly injured. More serious injuries were prevented when the teacher in charge of the playground at the time noticed the unusual package, and hurried the children at recess away from it.
In Razmaki dicussions between Federal security officials and the Alliance Kommandatura continue regarding the recent uptick in terrorist activity. This follows a walkout in the Federal Senate last week by Balkovian Senators in protest of the violence, in particular, acts targeting their community. The walkout of five Balkovian Nationalist and three Balkovian Communist Senators was meant to underscore discontent with both the Federal and Occupation Forces response to date.
Weather today calls for partly cloudy conditions in the Federation south, with clearing skies in the north ushered in by a cold front. The cold front is bringing ground cover snow to the Raumfestung, with depth of 3 to 5 feet in higher elevations. In the Regime, sun is forecast for Penada and the lakes region, with clouds rolling in across river ports followed by rain later in the day.