[TWI ONLY][IC] Baumish-Romancian Conflict

[Baumes]

Baumish-Romancian Conflict

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OOC | IC | Dispatch

Enough was enough.

For far too long, Romancia has felt mistreated, neglected and bullied by Baumes. They had enough of centuries of Baumish administration and finally declares independence. However, Baumes was not going down with a fight. On March 19 2023, Baumes launches a "special operations" invasion into Romancia, causing a disbalance into the peace and security of the isles. Betrayals, newfound friendships and among many others. The Baumish-Romancian conflict also proves to be a threat in the diplomacy network.

Anyone who is a member of The Western Isles and its regional map is free to take part in this roleplay. This is the IC thread, meant for stories relating to the conflict to contribute to the roleplay. Discussions and questions are to be done in the OOC thread.

[Ioudaia]

Baumes, a few kilometers from the Baumes-San Montagna-Romancia triple border point
01:24 16 Apr 2023

Lieutenant Euenor Yethro looked over the four men near him. They'd all drifted in to Point White, an unremarkable spot about 100m from the nearest road, over the last hour or so. He checked his watch: nine minutes until the drop. "Let's move. We'll give Oren 15 minutes at the drop site before we move on."

They made their way through light woods, then into a pasture. Euenor turned towards a low rustling sound above them, and watched a black parafoil carrying a black-painted crate glide towards them. "Right on the money!"

The five of them started going through the stealthy container. They swapped their civilian clothes for Ioudaian uniforms, and added ghillie suits over them. They were lightly armed for a military unit, their only heavy weapon being a grenade launcher.

As they were finishing loading up, Euenor spotted somebody approaching in his thermal goggles; the others released the safeties on their guns. "Nice night for a walk?" he called out.

"Full moons with clouds are the best nights." Passphrase and countersign. "Hello, Oren. What took you so long?"

"Local cops running a checkpoint on the highway bridge. No problem with them: my ID says I've lived here for 23 years." He chuckled.

"Nice."

"But it held things up. Left the car at my apartment, a safehouse. That's now Rally Point Gamma."

"Anything else?"

"The highway bridge is a four-lane, steel suspension bridge with two piers. It's not in the best repair. The checkpoint is at the north end, otherwise no guards. Signs at the ends say 40-ton load limit. Priority target, very soft."

Sergeant Oren Kaletor ben Mygdon caught smiles even though the ghillie suits. "Good," said Euenor, "get suited up. The rest of us will make the package disappear." He stepped back and addressed the squad. "Usual rules: avoid contact over night. We'll locate our team starting at 06:30."

[Kravato]

Point 1 Airstrip, 10 km outside of Skovina
16 April 2023


Station Chief Korlan Nvruniko looked at his watch as he sipped his fourth cup of cheap coffee. He hadn't slept for 20 hours. He had been overseeing the Kravatoan aid operation since its beginning in late March. He wondered how long it would be until the Baumish would take this airstrip. At least then he could return home.

His Aide-To-Camp drove over to him.
"Station Chief Sir, get on. You have to see this!"

"Rodo, I've seen hundreds of these planes land by now."
Nvruniko said saltily.

"Sir, its worse. The Baumish are here."

The sound of jet engines roared overhead as another transport arrived. The open-top car passed the plane as it landed. Unloading teams raced as food, munitions, and weapons were unloaded. Refugees were herded to the plane, one after the other. As usual, the transport was filled up before all could board. A refugee looked towards Nvruiko as they drove by.

"Sir, my son's on the plane. I don't want to be separated from him! Surely you could load an extra person!"

Nvruniko readied himself to say the same response he had uttered so many times before.

"Ma'am, more transports are coming. You will be able to reunite in Krava-"
"Sir!" The Aide-To Camp interrupted. "The Baumish are almost here. They'll be taken if they don't all evacuate. Can't we just load a couple more?"

Nvruniko thought to himself.

"Load them all, and quickly. Rodo, give the order to evacuate the staff and transfer landings to Point 2."

Nvruniko looked to the horizon as a wave of noise came. The distant gunfire became louder.

[Cyrosia]

Somewhere in Skovina
19 April 2023

Basil Asimov stood alone on a small park on the Romancian capital. "Fucking hellscape" he muttered as he frantically typed on his phone. After a short while, he quickly scurried off into the city's streets and alleyways, trying to lose his pursuer.

He quickly moved through several blocks, the streets were by no means empty, but most people actively avoided going outside due to the recurrent bombings. He turned two rights, then a left, then another couple rights, as he worked hard to lose his follower. For a while he thought he had finally managed to lose his pursuer, as such, he went into an allyway and took his phone out again, calling his operation's director.

In Kyrushaar, he said "Miss Vangash! Great to hear from you. I was following a lead, almost got caught. The safehouse was compromised but not before I could destroy all physical data. I need a new base of operations." He quickly reported. He nodded a couple times as the director gave him instructions. "Understood miss, hope to see you later". He hung up, and went to leave, when he felt a searing pain on his chest. The shot's sound came after the feeling. And then he saw the silhouette of his pursuer, blurrying out as he started losing a big amount of blood.

Weirdly enough, Basil smiled, as a second shot was fired, hitting him on his stomach. He bited down on a pill he had hidden on his mouth, sealing his faith, his phone crashing into the street and breaking its screen. Basil Asimov, better known to his co-workers as Haresh Nadher, laid dead on the cold concrete of Skovina's streets, a smile on his face, as he knew that the entire operation was safe. The evening before, his partner had left the city with the only surviving copy of the operation's directive, and Haresh was only left as a decoy, with a fake phone that didn't really have access to any of the KCOI's system itself, much to the frustration of the Baumish agent who now tried to access the information of his target.


Romancian countryside, a few kilometers outside of Skovina, KCOI Safehouse
19 April 2023
"Good job agent" a voice said over the phone, talking in Kyrushaari "Don't worry about agent Nadher, he is a capable man". A young woman listened intently as she checked the files. "We cannot let the Baumish learn of our involvement. He knows that. I am not worried about him, but I hope he doesn't get caught."

The voice on the phone chuckled, then turned serious again. "Agent Parala, I have just received an order directly from the Vice-Minister. You're needed in Rochelle, immediately"

Agent Parala closed her laptop, looking out into the warzone that had become the Romancian countryside. She was lucky to have been able to leave the city. She looked at the road, her motorcycle lying on it, and nodded. "On my way. If I have not reached Rochelle nor reported in two days, evacuate all of our personnel and assume that we have a diplomatic crisis on our hands. Talk to you later, Director Ivanagash" she hung up, putting her phone and laptop on a backpack., grabbing her helmet and her jacket, and preparing for her most dangerous motorcycle trip along the designated safe route established by the KCOI, all along the Romancian Countryside.

"I can't fail" she muttered to herself, as she then turned her motorcycle on. She gave one last look at the ramshack wooden house, then at the skyline of Skovina. She heard the Baumish airships coming, and knew it was her time to leave.

[Ioudaia]

Skovina, Romancia
19 April

Hannah Uvjozhad blinked against the sunlight as she emerged from the fourth bunker meeting with Stefanos Anthou and Nikita Barides. "Is there anything they don't want??"

Chaya Ariela chuckled, caught herself, and quickly looked around: good, nobody from the Romancian government was in sight. "They didn't ask for a billion drachmas in gold. Or a submarine." She giggled quietly. The two of them, along with Euenor Yethro, piled into the dusty range rover that passed for an Ioudaian diplomatic car.

As they set off for the Ioudaian embassy to Romancia, a cottage at the edge of Skovina, Chaya leaned forward to address the pair in the front seats. "From a serious pew-pew standpoint, what can we do?"

"Significant deployments are a non-starter," began Euenor. "We can't get them here and we can't keep them here."

Hannah chimed in with, "Vacrus this and Vacrus that was less than helpful. Vacrus is a few hundred klicks away, not five thousand.

"I recommend we bring in the Training Corps. The Vacrusians will buy Romancia some time, hopefully enough to train up an indigenous force."

Euenor nodded enthusiastically. "And maybe more Pathfinders. Weapons... truckloads and truckloads of weapons. So long as the San Montagnan border stays open--"

Chaya hissed to cut him off. "The decision to smuggle in weapons is way above our pay grades. Even bringing them in with their permission is over our heads. 'Recommend we train and arm local forces.' should be do-able."

Grimacing, Euenor reluctantly agreed. "While the big bosses decide, I've got Paiman guarding our little base, and the other four in two pair dressed in local clothing and surveilling the Vacrusians and Romancians. Oren was a regular engineer for three tours before transferring to the Pathfinders, so he actually knows what to do with a wrench. Nobody's going to look twice at a repair man in a war zone. Give us a couple more days, and we should be able to ID the Vacrusian and local units and report on their general capabilities.

"Then we start the good part: checking out the Baumish forces. But friendlies first in case... well, that's war."

Hannah Uvjozhad, Ioudaian assistant military attaché to San Montagna
Stefanos Anthou, Romancian Secretary of Defense
Nikita Barides, Vice President of Romancia
Chaya Ariela, Ioudaian commercial attaché to San Montagna
Euenor Yethro, commander of a squad of Ioudaian Engineer Pioneer Pathfinders, a special forces unit
Paiman and Oren, Pathfinder soldiers

[Kravato]

Drasta Refugee Camp, Balno-Sarmosa, Kravato
2:05 PM April 21

Drill Sargent Luko Cherman felt the cold breeze on his face. The cold spring weather was not over yet. He had work to do, and lots of it.

Before him stood 100 Romancian refugees of all ages between 18 and 35. They were lucky enough to escape the country, but soon enough they would return.

"Attention!" Cherman shouted.

"Sir, Yes Sir!" The refugees said with a thick accent. Cherman look down. This would be a difficult task, even with his years of experience. He wondered if his "different style" would work. He hoped he hadn't just been selected because of his knowledge of the Romancian language. He prepared to speak the language.

"You have volunteered to return to Romancia, to bring freedom to your people. Now, let's see if you deserve that honor! 6 laps around the base!"

They looked around for a few seconds.

"Well go on then!" He yelled.

And soon, they were off. The program would take maybe 3-4 weeks, but across all the camps, Cherman knew that they would return in force. Until then, he had work to do, and lots of it.

[Ioudaia]

Palace of Government Complex
Nykalessos, Ioudaia

Defense Minister Prymneus ben Galal addressed the assembled Kings. "There's good news and bad news. Let's start with the bad news, since Your Majesties already know it: Kaskalma claims they're preparing to enter the war with a substantial force. We'll keep an eye on how that progresses; we're maintaining routine communications and counter-escalation missions with them, so we should expect that they'll up their patrols in sync with our increased patrolling.

"General Hylas ben Eitan recommends a sharp increase in our training forces, along with providing capacity for independent Ioudaian covert activities. General?"

"Thanks, Prymneus. I'll make this quick. If Kaskalma sends the force they claim, we'll need to train more men faster. I recommend at least a full Training Corps company. A platoon or two won't cut it. We'll need that much more equipment for them, but Domanania will provide. We've been in contact with them already.

"We estimate it will take at least eight to twenty days for Kaskalma's whole force to arrive in Baumes. That depends on the speeds of their ships, and how quickly they can prepare their forces, load, and unload them. It will take them some additional days to reach the front. That depends on the capabilities of the units, and how they're deployed. Since this is Kaskalma's first large overseas deployment, we don't know their doctrine, and thus their deployment scheme.

"But one thing is true: the longer it takes them to reach the front, the better for the Romancians. With additional forces, we can make sure it will take them longer. The advance force has already identified one potential target, a major bridge near the front. If we can destroy it, it'll slow down all Baumish reinforcements. The advance force is capable of that mission by themselves... if the enemy doesn't improve their security posture near the bridge. We need a force capable of carrying out that mission against opposition.

"We, the Expeditionary Force Command, recommend increasing the Pathfinder deployment to three squads and providing at least one Training Corps platoon for offensive action. This increases the size of the insertion force to five 340s, but they will leave immediately upon unloading. Since the larger force will have ground transport, unloading will be rapid, ideally no more than twenty minutes."

King Linus Abiyah Gatpatugozhad asked, "What sort of ground transportation?"

"A pair of heavy trucks to move containerized supplies, hybrid motorcycles for the offensive forces, some UTVs."

King Zamir Eumenes nodded appreciateively at that, but had his own question. "Do these containerized supplies include housing for our troops?"

Hylas shook his head. "Modular barracks are too large for sending as part of the proposed force. We could deliver them in a follow-on air drop, or possible by ground, if that becomes available."

Puzzled, King Zamir Eumenes followed up with, "They'll be living in tents, then?"

"We're looking at quartering them in unused large civilian structures... that is, after suitable fortification. An old warehouse, perhaps." Zamir's expression turned sour, but he said nothing. There was an awkward silence.

Prymneus then brought the meeting back to the agenda. "The good news is that flying in the larger number of transports appears doable. The report from the ELINT group is the Baumes has limited radar coverage along the San Montagnan frontier, and their radar systems are out of date and relatively easy to fool.

"The report expressed confidence that the S-347s could convince Baumish radar that the sky was empty if they needed to, but the insertion plan makes that unnecessary. The report offers several routes where radar coverage is so inadequate that the transports could fly higher than we first estimated and still not be picked up, even without electronic warfare."

King Meir Chrysaorateh asked, "And if they are detected?"

After a pause to gather his thoughts, Prymneus said, "Then we have two choices: we can decieve the Baumish side, or we can abort the mission. The ELINT group found no evidence of routine Baumish air patrols except near Romancia, so it would seem that detection would have be from the ground. That in turn means that their reactions will be slow, giving us adequate time to pull out, if needed.

King of Kings Esdras Dorotheos nodded. "So long as we can avoid attacking Baumes during the... 'insertion' mission, that will do."

He looked around at his fellow Kings. "I am in favor of this proposal. While it's a larger commitment than we'd agreed to, it serves the same purposes, and adds few new risks. Do we have need for a vote?" He got a thumbs up and a couple of mumbled agreements, mixed with a couple of unhappy expressions. "Anyone? Should I take silence as assent?" After a few seconds of quiet, he nodded to the minister and the general. "Gentlemen, carry it out. We would like to give the final go-ahead before the force leaves for Romancia."

[Wellsia]

Skovina, Romancia

Georgi Petroff walked out of the Skovina City Hall, where he worked as a low level clerk. Looking at the sky he unconsciously cracked his knuckles. Today has been quite compared to most, with only a few artillery shells falling on the city and surprisingly not a single air raid. With a sigh Georgi started the walk toward his small apartment six blocks away. The evening was rather warm for this time a year, and Georgi decided to stop at the little bar that laid along the way, a little flirting from the cute barmaid Aneta wouldn't be bad either. Georgi wasn't sure rather it was her smile or the cold beer that led him there most evenings.
With his mind made up, he walked down the stairs to what use to be the bars basement, but since independence and the Baumish invasion, the bar was moved downstairs to protect the patrons. Walking through the solid oak door, Georgi said hi and waved to all the regulars, as they welcomed him.
Aneta smiled as he took his normal seat at the bar and placed a glass of draft beer in front of him. "How was work today, Georgi?"
"Same as every other day, the tedious maintaining of the city's functions have to keep going war or not." Georgi responded with a sigh.
Aneta smiled and went to help another patron, when Georgi heard a loud obnoxious laugh behind him by the door. Looking over his soldier he saw a soldier standing there looking over the room. The color and cut of the uniformed identified him as a Vacrusian, the first of the foreign nations to recognize and support Romancia. Turning back to the bar, Georgi lifted his beer to take a drink, when he felt a hand on his soldier, the next thing he knew, he was flying across the room to pile up against the wall. Laughing the Vacrusian picked his unfinished beer up and down it in a single gulp. The bar had already exploded in anger from the action. Aneta was screaming at the soldier to get out, some of the workmen were already on their feet anger boiling through them at the attack on one of their own. The soldier turned and smiled at the angry mob of bargoers and started to laugh as he walked slowly toward the exit, every now and then making a lunge at the Romancian civilians, laughing louder as they step backed or flinched.
Some of the patrons were already helping Georgi up off the floor, Aneta was there with a look of concern on her face, as she aked if he was unharmed. Georgi smiled at the gathering and with a slight laugh "Can't let some Vacrusian goon spoil a perfect evening, drinks are on me."
Hours later, after way more drinks then he had expected to have, Georgi stumbled up the stairs back to the darkened street above. Onlu moon light showed him the way to his apartment, since the city was under a blackout. He waved to a group of police and soldiers standing on the street corner and walked the remaining blocks to his apartment building, walking up the stairs to the second floor, Georgi fumbled with his keys before finding the right one. Once inside Georgi reached into his front shirt pocket and pulled the paper that had not been there when he left work. As he unfolded it, Georgi Petroff disappeared to be replaced by Agent Hiempsal of the Wellsian Saharu Edutu or Seekers of Knowledge. Smiling he made a note to self to remind Izavelas not to be so rough next time, but the list was well worth it. Looking over the coded words, he now knew every unit that the Vacrusians had in Romanica and their estimated strengths.
Just as important, and completely by accident was the ill feelings that the patrons of the bar now had against Vacrusinan and the rudeness of the soldier would spread quickly around the town by gossip and media, hopefully driving a wedge between the civilians and their self appointed protectors.

[Ioudaia]

Skovina, Romancia
00:05 2 May

Chaya Ariela entered the common room of Ioudaia's embassy to Romancia holding her phone and looking very confused. "Anybody know why one of my staffers back at the San Montagnan embassy would send me a kitten picture and a request to show it around?"

Oren looked up from playing a game on his phone. "Lemme see..." After glancing at it, he ran to wake Euenor, his commanding officer.

Euenor, groggy, half-stumbled into the room a few minutes later, and examined the picture closely. He then excused himself, returning the walk-in closet acting as "officer's country" in the cottage. Chaya gave Oren an inquisitive look, but all he could do was shrug. "He said to let him know about cat pics."

Several minutes passed. Oren went back to his game; Chaya resumed looking at TWItter.

Euenor strode back into the room, a big smile on his face. He nodded to catch Chaya's attention. "We're going to be busy: company's coming. We need to find at least temporary quarters for reinforcements, and ideally a permanent base of operations for them."

"How many? And who? When are our guests arriving?"

"I don't have exact numbers, but about 150 members of the Training Corps. They're setting up shop, so they'll need some space for training grounds. They'll have a couple of truckloads of supplies with them, along with the trucks. And some lighter vehicles, too.

"We've got about 48 hours. I'll get an update tomorrow."

"Well, well, well! The guys with the corner offices approved what we wanted, for a change! But that doesn't give us much time, even with the Romancians doing all the work."

"They're being generous: for the Corps, 48 hours is forever. The Romancian military will understand. We'll need to ping them in the morning, no later than 07:00, so we can meet by 07:30. Just ask for a meeting. And for us it should be lights-out now."

Euenor turned and left, not waiting for Chaya's reply.

[Ioudaia]

Over Romancia
02:39 4 May

Five cargo planes roared over the ground, low enough that their pilots could make out individual trees in their night vision goggles. Twelve kilometers above them, their escorts kept their electronic eyes peeled, but so far, the gap in Baumish radar coverage remained open, and nothing in the radio traffic suggested they'd been noticed: no sudden rush of encrypted radio messages, no unexpected transmissions from previously-unseen lurkers in the air.

The darkened bulk of Skovina loomed on the horizon, blacked out either by power loss or covered windows. The pilot of the lead escort flicked her forward IRST into telescope mode and searched the city; the airport must be somewhere. No luck: they were too far away to make it out. She set up her plane's transmitters for a tight beam big enough to include a klick around where the airport should be. "Gatekeeper, this is Keymaster 1. We are two flights, four high, five low, five minutes out. Please say landing fix."

There was a moment's pause, then an infrared flare brightened an edge of the city in the IR 'scope. "Airport in sight." She glanced down; below her, the transports were already starting to slow. She pulled her own throttle back to stay above them.

One minute out, and a row of four white lights came on to the left of the runway facing the arriving aircraft, now just visible in the IR. Keymaster 1 snorted: yeah, 12 klicks up was way high on the glide slope. The transport drivers didn't need the PAPI, but they'd appreciate it.

Now the radio chatter started; somebody must have finally put together civvie reports of low-flying aircraft with what the front-line units could hear. But with the bulk of the city between the planes and the front, there wasn't much the Baumish could do about it. If the Costavozkan air defense unit had reached the city, their radars were searching the wrong sectors of the sky.

The cargo planes landed in a line as tightly-spaced as possible, each reversing its propellers as it touched down. The first rolled out to half-way down the runway, then dropped its ramp. Men poured out, taking up defensive positions along the runway, some heading further, towards the edges of the airfield.

As the other planes stopped, trucks rolled out, then pulled cargo containers out, soldiers rode out on motorcycles and UTVs, and Romancian military trucks emerged from a hangar and sped to meet them. Planes now empty, they took off on the remaining runway ahead of them.

The air group reformed, cargo planes low, escorts high. They took a different route outbound than inbound, to forestall the possibility that Baumes might move air defenses to block their original route. Fortunately, Baumes had limited radar coverage along its border with San Montagna.

The activity at the airport had started localized firefights along the front, but for the most part, the city was quiet. Meanwhile, the Romancian welcoming committee led the Ioudaian arrivals to a pair of large warehouses a klick from the airport, the Training Corps' new base of operations.

[Ainslie]

Welcome to Skovina | Baumish-Romancian Conflict RP
11:14pm, 5 May 2023
Central Skovina, Romancia

“Hello”, a voice spoke warmly over the mobile phone, which was closely resting against the ear of a man walking through a busy street - weaving around the people going the other way along the wide, unassumingly grand footpath.

“Yes this is Lennis”, the recipient replied.

“So, tell me. Where are you - I read on TWItter that you were sitting in Rochelle Airport?”, the voice said.

“I’m in Skovina, Reane”, Lennis (L) replied.

“You are kidding, right?”, Reane replied.

L: “No. You can’t hear the artillery over the phone?”

R: “No - only loud chatter around you…”

L: “Right, I’ll get off the footpath and find somewhere a bit quieter that isn’t falling apart. I’ll call you back.”

Lennis looked around at the wide street that the small winding footpath led him to. He did not know the city too well just yet, but knew that this was the main thoroughfare used to get to the St Nikolè Cathedral - a grand structure which would in normal times be a drawcard for tourists wanting to experience an alternative Baumes to the sights they are used to seeing and hearing about.

For Skovina was a deeply catholic city, a nod to the architecture that had been torn away from the rest of Baumes and replaced with pragmatic, cold buildings or slums which were a testament to the poverty that much of the nation experienced. In this, Skovina was again the exception. Lennis looked around at the urban design of the city, taking note of a small bird which was hopping between the trees located on the boulevard he had found himself walking alongside. The reality he had found himself in was one far distant to his own origins in a rather humble township along Ainslie’s western coast.

This was a place where centuries of tradition was written into the lives of its people, one of conflict, confrontation and ultimately a great culture which had sat in a pocket of Baumes known as Romancia. Lennis looked around, dreaming about the kinds of activities he could have done in his university years had he travelled around a bit more. He was happy, despite the circumstances, that he had found his way to Skovina - even when it was not in the best shape.

He quickened up his pace again, making good time on his walk back to his townhouse. About fifteen minutes later, he walked through the front door - shut it quietly behind him and then dropped himself onto his couch and picked up his phone. He typed in the letter R, clicked on the name and rang back Reane.

“Hello. Lennis again, sorry couldn’t find an easy place to slot into and call you back. I’m back at home now. What’s up?”, Lennis (L) began.

R: “You know, not much. At least, not nearly as interesting as what you seem to be doing.”

L: “You’d be surprised. It does not overly sound too different than what our good ol Derregen sounded like when we both went to high school there.”

R: “I guess so, but those were military exercises. You’re at the coalface now?”

L: “It’s not the safest place to be, yes… but hardly the front line. People come into the city, then leave out to the front - I’m trying to get an interview with one of them, I think I made some headway with some people at the local supply depot so I’ll go down there soon and see what I can drum up.”

R: “You always went far to get your stories, didn’t you?”

L: “Nothing’s changed, has it? Except I’m standing here in a warzone and you’re in front of fifteen screens trying to decipher what is going on.”

R: “Not going to lie, didn’t pick you as a war correspondent.”

“I guess if you’re from Derregen, you end up in the army or not far from it. I’d call myself a war correspondent, but there’s no one picking up on the other end. Can’t call myself a war can I?”, Lennis said as he let off a light chuckle as he got to the end of his comment.

R: “Except I’m in a suit, mate. You’ve got a vest on to stop yourself bleeding out in some random street in the middle of nowhere”

L: “Don’t have one of those yet. Besides - if the suits don’t want to send their journalists over to Skovina, there’s a market for people like me. They’re not gonna care if I die, but if I have a story for them then they are going to very much care.”

R: “Well, well I guess you’re right. Let me have a chat with some of my superiors and friends in the industry - see what I can drum up for you. Please, please take care and go to a bunker if things get worse. Or even better leave that forsaken place, will you? We’ve got an spare slot on our cricket team that needs filling - we can slot you in if you leave now?”

L: “Nah, the bullets from one of those fast bowlers seems more dangerous than whatever’s happening in Skovina. Anyway, I got to go - write up some of these stories for my blog and hopefully get some eyes on it… potentially your contacts. You know where to send them.”

R: “That I do. I’ll let them know I’ve got a half decent journalist in Skovina they will want to talk to.”

L: “I appreciate it, Reane. Until next time. Hope you find that extra player for your cricket team.”

R: “Stay safe.”

Lennis then hung up and a deep silence covered the room around him. He was alone, fortunately at least in his opinion. It’s better his wife is back in Derregen. He wondered what she was doing right now - it definitely was too late for him to call her, regardless. He then stood up off the couch, moved his way through the lounge to the dining room table that overlooked the small kitchen. He opened up the laptop, which by the time he sat in his chair, was directly in front of him.

He moved his foot off to the left, switched the lamp on and began typing away on his laptop.

“SKOVINA SURVIVES
By Lennis Arvour

Freelance Journalist

Skovina is a grand city. It is a city that has stood resilient and profited greatly from the riches stability has brought. Nothing has changed, despite the attempts of the Baumish military to quash the cries of the Romancian people for independence. This is their stronghold. Skovina is their centrepiece. The stark and large structures of Skovina speak of a people who are proud of their culture and what they have achieved. Now they seek the independence that self-respecting peoples wish for and they are willing to fight for it. The bustling streets of Skovina are no different to what they were prior to the war - though now they move with the determination for their own freedom rather than from the gas revenue that has brought the city its wealth…”

He continued writing for about ten minutes until a buzz on his mobile phone interrupted his flow of writing. The mobile briefly flashed a small notification about a minute later, reading:

“AlertMe App
New notification available”

Lennis quickly tapped on the notification. He had downloaded it when he was in Keverai a few years ago.

After a couple more clicks, he discovered why this application had been so quiet up until now.

“ALERT ALERT AERIAL THREAT INBOUND TO SKOVINA. IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER!”

He quickly picked up his phone, threw his laptop into his backpack nearby and then ran out of the door. A loud whistling sound beamed from one ear to the next. He quickly did a stocktake of the area around him. The busy streets of Skovina normally would be asleep by now - but 2:30am in the morning was either the busiest time of the city - or that application was not lying.

He was not going to wait around and find out. He spotted off to the left that there was an apartment block on the corner of his street. He quickly walked down it, being careful not to break into a panicked run. It appeared that many of the people around him were having similar ideas - though some were beginning to move furniture against their windows.

About three minutes later, he noticed the apartment block had the gate to its carpark open - just as his local contact had told him in “the rare event that Skovina was under missile attack”. He, along with about thirty other people with him, made their way into the structure. From there, he made his way through the narrow corridors that allowed people to move from the carpark into the basement storage area. Making his way through the large doors, he noticed that the basement had been completely cleared of the belongings of those who lived above him. Instead, hundreds of people sat around the wide expansive space - and people in high visibility vests stood in the corners, handing out supplies and consoling the residents.

Lost in his observations of everything around him, a voice from his right startled him.

“Hello. Name, please?”, the voice said.

“Lennis Arvour. I’m reporting on the Romancia conflict - i moved into a townhouse nearby a few days ago.”
“Right, welcome to Skovina. I trust the hospitality will be good!”, the voice kindly replied.

An airstrike was not what he had in mind, but maybe he should have factored it in, he thought.

[Ioudaia]

A ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
7 May

"Lieutenant Euenor, I have orders for you." Major Elan Gylippos was barely through the door when started addressing his squad commanders. "The Romancians would like that bridge cut. That's your primary objective. Avoid contact with the enemy unless absolutely required to accomplish that objective; that's your secondary objective. Otherwise, do as you wish."

"Can we take motorbikes, sir?"

"I believe I just said 'do as you wish'," Elan replied with a smirk.

"Thanks." Euenor left by the door Elan just came in by.

"Lieutenant Ashtad Ziv, I have a longer mission for you: locate the base or bases the enemy is using to launch air attacks on the city from. The first part is what we can learn without crossing enemy lines. Please begin that.

"Yes, sir!" He left to round up his men.

"And Doran, your mission is to locate enemy ground lines of communications, in addition to the one Squad 1 is going to disrupt. I have some information the Romancians have gathered on that subject. We'll start with a briefing in ten minutes."

"Right."

As Elan started to head for his quarters, Captain Lior Alvin Harwood gave him a quizzical look. "Anything for us, major?"

"How's securing and reconnoitering the area going?"

"The first floor of this wing is now light-tight, except for the part facing the courtyard. I've declared it operational. The center of the house is potentially useable as well, but the floor needs to be braced in places. Part of the floor above us is good too. We have an observation and firing post ready there.

"A few of the Pathfinders got the old hand pump going again, so we have water. They're iffy on the indoor plumbing though.

"Cameras and vibration sensors deployed all-round, about 200 meters out from the walls. The sight lines aren't the best, but that cuts both ways: the forest hides us real good. This place looks abandoned until you get close enough for us to see you. We'll look around a bit more, but other than the wrecked pavilion thing, it doesn't look like there's anything else out here."

Elan nodded. "Once that's done, you'll get to sit tight for a bit. Your platoon will be part of the phase two of finding the enemy air bases. And then phase 3: putting them out of commission."

"Anything we can do for the school?"

"I can check. They've finished fortifying, and they're starting to train people on the Doman missiles. I'm not sure what they need, or what we can provide from here.

"I know you want to get into the field, and I'd rather have you there, but hurry up and wait gets everybody."

[Ainslie]

Skovina Struck | Baumish-Romancian Conflict RP
2:44am, 6 May 2023
Central Skovina, Romancia

Lennis looked around at the wide, what should be lifeless basement he had found himself in. At least a hundred people must have been in this shelter, he thought to himself. If people’s homes weren’t already under threat, it would have been a perfect time to conduct some stories - after all he had nothing else to do down here. He looked around - every kind of person was here… mothers and their children, husbands, elderly people, rich and poor… if it were not for all the people here, it would still have been quiet. Skovina was meant to be sleeping right now, but instead it was seeking shelter - or at least those who were alerted have been. Up until now, there had actually been no clear official information about the air raid - yet it had been about ten minutes since he first got the alert.

About ten seconds later, sirens wailed throughout Skovina - so loud that even those down in the basements of apartment buildings could hear the distant sounds. It was a very, very distant sound though. Loud enough regardless. As the sirens began, people looked around as some of the children started crying and parents snapped into action to console them. The sirens were fairly short lived though, finishing after a couple minutes. Meanwhile, the doors to the outside were soon locked and people were being turned away from the shelters - being advised to go elsewhere.

It was just Lennis in the building - and about two hundred people now. Every now and then, a few more people would trickle into the shelter - those who obviously were residents of the building itself that couldn’t be turned away by local emergency wardens.

Lennis then snapped his face towards the door - a sudden sound cut through the noise of a bustling shelter. Seconds later, a chain of explosions shook the ground and made an extremely loud sound - much louder than the sirens had been.

It must’ve been close, Lennis thought to himself. A silence fell across the shelter for a couple of seconds, before the parents were required to set themselves once again to the task of consoling their children around whatever had just happened. Fear turned to morbid curiosity in the shelter, as people slowly stood up every now and then to ask the officials when they were able to leave and assess the damage.

Lennis, for one, was not eager to leave. He knew exactly what could happen - it was likely that there were more strikes on the way. However, after about thirty minutes the sirens were sounded once again over the capital. This time, it was a different sound. Soon after, Lennis felt a buzz in his pocket - it was his phone. He duly pulled it out of the right pocket of his chino pants to see a short message come up on his phone.

“AlertMe App
Local authorities in your area have given the ALL CLEAR for the event you subscribed to.”

Soon after, the doors in the shelter were re-opened and people slowly were made their way out of the building - following a sea of officials in high visibility vests which had left first. Lennis sat around for a few minutes, waiting for others to file out. In the meantime, he logged into his phone and quickly went to contacts, clicking on his wife’s name and then on “message”.

“Hi Annie. Soon you’ll see in the news that Skovina has been hit by a missile attack. I was in a shelter when it happened and am okay. Not sure the extent of the damage or whether where I was staying was hit. I’ll call you soon and explain everything”, he wrote in the chatbox before hitting send.

Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he slowly lifted himself up from the wall he had been leaning upon. He looked around and noticed that much of the room had been empty now - only a few were still around, letting their kids sleep a little longer in safety before the family confronts whatever has happened on the outside.

Lennis made his way to the door, stopping at it to briefly talk to an official.

“How is it out there?”, Lennis (L) asked.

“I mean, it’s not good. Could have been much worse, though”, the official replied.

Lennis then nodded, took a deep breath and then made his way through the corridors and out into the underground carpark. The smell of smoke was beginning to overwhelm his senses the closer he got to being out in the open.

The image he had seen must have been massively different to those who came out much earlier. He looked around, hearing the sirens of firetrucks blaring along the street. Every now and then, one of the trucks stopped to let out a number of firefighters who then rushed quickly into certain buildings around him. However, the buildings were largely intact. There were some shattered windows, a few smaller fires. Eager to investigate what actually occurred, Lennis walked east down the street towards where the heaviest smoke was coming from. After a few steps, he took his backpack off of his back, getting his extra shirt out and tying it around his nose and mouth to act like a rudimentary mask.

He then continued on. About fifteen minutes later, he came across a small crowd in front of a singular line of heavily armed soldiers who were talking with the people. Every now and then, Lennis would watch as someone walked back the way he came, shaking their heads.

He then weaved his way through the crowd until he got to the front of it, near where a soldier was standing. The soldier was quick to respond to Lennis’ presence.

“Sorry sir, you cannot go any further. What is the purpose for you being here?”, the soldier asked.

“I understand. I’m not a local, just came out of one of the shelters and wanted to see exactly what was happening.”, Lennis (L) replied.

“Now’s not the time for sightseeing, sir. I must recommend you to return back to your residence, if it is safe to do so. If not, you should return back to the shelter you came from. They will remain open for those displaced.”, the soldier then replied.

“Is this where the missile attack occured? Are there reports of anywhere else being hit?”, Lennis inquired - noticing a small label on his chest… “Mr. Pesek?”, he continued.

“This is all we know about. There may have been further strikes, but this seems to be the main place in central Skovina that was hit. It appears to be a limited strike, targeting cultural buildings and not residences. Now, I must ask you to heed the advice I gave earlier”, Pesek replied.

“Yes, I understand. Thank you for your time. I’m a journalist, so expect me to be asking a few more questions later.”, Lennis continued.

“When we get more information, we will talk to local journalists. For now, that’s all I can give you.”, Pesek said before waving his hand to shoo Lennis away.

Lennis then smiled and nodded, turning around and making his way back where he came. Half an hour later, he was back in the vicinity of where he had gotten that initial notification about the air strike. Lennis looked around as he walked back towards his residence, trying to see if any further damage had been done.

It appeared not, so he was increasingly confident that no harm had been done outside of a few cathedrals and a museum. It seemed, at least to Lennis, that it was a symbolic strike rather than any act of strategy. That was unsurprising, given that the Baumish military seemed somewhat disinterested with targeting Skovina directly just yet.

After a few more minutes of watching and pondering, he was met by the front door of his townhouse. He got his keys out of his pocket and wandered back into his place. It looked exactly the way he left it. Undisturbed, clean, quiet - with a small lamp on. It was like nothing had ever happened.

Again, his phone flashed - a quick pulse of adrenaline went throughout his system and within a second he got his phone out of his pocket again. He clicked on the button to turn the screen on, and then exhaled in relief. It was a text, not another air raid notification.

One was enough for a night, Lennis thought to himself.

The text was from Reane.

“ARE YOU OK? Getting early reports missile hit Skovina”

Recognising that the fact a journalist was texting him in what was very much the middle of the night in Ainslie, Lennis quickly replied.

“I’m fine. Limited damage.”, Lennis (L) texted back.

After a few seconds, another text from Reane (R) appeared.

“WHAT A RELIEF.”, it read.

L: “I know. Had an app downloaded from my time covering the Keveraite Revolution and it gave me a heads up well before the raid sirens went off.”

R: “Luck’s helpful when you’re in a warzone.”

L: “I feel both of those now.”

R: “I’m not in the office yet - will be in in a few hours, dare say the editors will want an account from someone inside Skovina. Everyone who’s reporting is doing so from the safety of Baumish cities not under attack, or are at the later front line embedded with units. I’ll call you then.”

L: “Yes, keep me posted. If you’ve got any contacts on the ground that could get me with one of those units for a few hours, that’d be a great help. Been trying to make friends here but it’s been difficult.”

R: “If the editors want your story, I can try and strike a deal. Leave it with me. Talk soon.”

[Ioudaia]

Highway Bridge, Romancia
04:30 10 May

"Time to go. They should be good and sleepy now." Lieutenant Euenor Yethro nodded once to his squad: after two days and nights of watching the enemy, they knew his routines. "Verify your bikes are on electric." Four other men checked the switches and whispered their readiness; the fifth just said ok.

"Remember: stop at 50 out, then fire when they check out Paiman." The group broke up: Euenor and Oren rode in the grass off the left side of the road, Paiman drove normally – loudly – on the road, and the other three were off in the brush to the right.

As they closed to their firing positions, Euenor once again reflected that had they been authorized and able, doing this would have been much easier three weeks ago. Now, the enemy held a machine gun nest behind a couple of rows of dragon's teeth, placed to slow traffic to a crawl and put drivers right in the machine gun's kill zone. Good defense against most attacks. But the poor bastards at the roadblock were using floodlights to illuminate the road: they had no night vision.

Paiman's dirt bike roared up to the roadblock, then slowed like any civvie would, giving the guys with guns a wide berth. The enemy perked up, though they were still not fully alert; the guy gripping the machine gun's handles clearly didn't view a lone motorcyclist as much of a threat, as the muzzle didn't quite point at Paiman.

"Papers, please!" called out an enemy soldier as he rose in the nest. He didn't get a chance to take a step, cut down by suppressed rifle fire. Nor did the machine gunner fire a single round before he slumped over the sandbags. The Pathfinders cautiously advanced on foot: no return fire, no activity in the machine gun nest at all.

Paiman pulled forward on his motorbike, close enough to look into the enemy position. "All clear!" The others rode forward, bikes humming, and took a look for themselves: yup, nobody survived wounds like those.

Euenor made a couple of slashing motions with his hand, and the group broke into two teams of three. He, Oren, and Paiman took the left span – against traffic, had there been any – and the others took the right. It took them a couple of minutes to reach the suspension cable anchors in the middle of the bridge, and another minute to set charges to cut the meter-wide cables that held up the center of the bridge. Two more minutes brought them back to former machine gun nest.

A voice on an enemy radio in the nest was asking about "the motorcyclist": solid procedure. Euenor answered by hitting the detonator switch he held. The explosives made a faint *crack* as they went off: shaped charges put most of their power into cutting the cables.

The bridge groaned and shook: cut in half, the cables stopped holding up the road decks, and the broken sections collapsed into the river below. Euenor called in the success signal: "Flat tire, flat tire." The Pathfinders then set off into the night: they'd have to dodge any Baumish reaction forces before they reached home. But it had been a worthwhile night.

[Wellsia]

Destroyed Highway Bridge, Romancia

Standing in front of the Rimu utility vehicle, military observer Muma'ru Usmannu (Brigadier General) Malchus of Wellsia looked upon the destroyed bridge. On the highway to his left rows of trucks and other vehicles sat still waiting. This whole uprising by the Romancians had been a disaster for the Baumish.
"Where are the engineers?" came the question from the driver of the jeep, Rab Emantuhlu (Senior Corporal) Hiostus.
"What corporal?" asked Malchus.
"The engineers, where are the Baumish engineers? They should have a battalion here, throwing up a new bridge across the river."
"Good question, corporal, good question."
"Why don't the Baumish just let us bring up the 3rd Cavalry and put an end to this flair up for them."
"Don't count on Corporal, the Baumish pride has been hurt, they want to deal with this on their own. Now I'm not thinking the Romancians have anybody that can do this, and I'm not sure about Vacrus, so who did this? Who could have snuck in here past a company of soldiers and blow this bridge".
Rab Mar Qati (Master Sergeant) Adherbal, the third member of the observation team, knealt down and looked at the blown suspension cables. "General this wasn't the Romies or the Holyjoes that did this. This was a precision job, there ain't a dozen groups across the Isles that could have pulled this off.
Malachus looked again over the blown bridge, his mind running back to a communique he had received from Central Command, "Chief Adjutant Adherbal, the Seekers in Skovina reported some heavy aircraft flying close to the airport a couple of days ago. It was thought to be cargo planes flying under the radar delivering ammo and weapons, I'm thinking now a third player has joined the game."
"You're probably right General, might be something to let Central Command and the Baumish know, not that we got any proof."
'Not going to learn anything new here, lets go."

[Wellsia]

Skovinia, Romancia
Izavelas walked over the torn and broken sidewalk and looked about him at the rundown buildings and houses that fronted the pothole full street. The desolation in this part of town wasn't from Baumish bombs or artillery, but years of negligence by the local and national government. These people could care less who was in power and words like freedom and independence meant nothing to people worried about where the next morsel of food might come from. He looked at the women and kids staring from the porches showing signs of starvation and malnutrition. The look of hopelessness and defeat in their eyes.
He thought back to the central part of the city where the "leaders" of the revolution lived, the armed police, the streets protected by barricades, the check points for those coming to and fro. Those people knew nothing of the suffering that was going on here. He stopped and looked at one house where a half dozen children, none over six years old surrounded a young woman who had to be in her early twenties. He wondered what her story was and how she came to care for so many. He looked closer at her, the weight of failure hung about her shoulders, instead of parties and social affairs, she worried how she would find food for her charges. Under other circumstances she could have been beautiful, but covered in dirt, drinking from dirty pools of water, wearing rags sewed together into a makeshift dress, bare foot and withdrawn had dealt her a bad hand. When she noticed him looking at her, she stood a little straighter, a half-smile on her face. Izavelas felt for her, shook his head and kept walking. Heimpsal, who was going by the name Georgi here in Skovina was waiting for him at the soup kitchen a couple of blocks ahead. Heimpsal had instructions for him from outside of Romancia.
Izavelas knew that something had to be done quick, these people couldn't take much more. This was the true face of war, the longer the conflict lasted, the more the common people would suffer. Politics be damned, someone had to save these people, one way or another the Siege of Skovina had to end.

[Kravato]

Skovina

19 May, 9:30 AM

Laklas and his men moved along the road as the day went on. It had been a weird week. While his comrades were called to move to Iersheno and his king died, he was here in Romancia, risking his life for oil. His men were even growing restless on the trip over here. He understood it. But they had a job to do. Just protect the airbase, and all would be fine.

And soon, his platoon had entered the city. He gasped at his surroundings. Rubble, of schools, stores, churches.

"This ain't no Urso alright", said Rodofirev. Rodofirev was his second in command, his buddy since enlistment.

Bodies littered the streets, the result of the last bombardment from Baumish forces.

"It's a hellhole" a rookie said.

"Keep your head up, junior. You never seen a war movie? We're moving along. Don't worry, it'll be sunshine and rainbows over at the airstrip ritz we'll stay at." Said Laklas.

His radio buzzed. He listened to the relay orders from the Captain of the Company, who was an hour ahead of them.

"5, 6, 7. New orders from management. Move towards agreed relocation point, take siege stations, all forces. Hold positions upon arrival.
Laklas gasped.

"What was that about?" Said Rodofirev.

"Well, I don't think protecting airstrips was the plan. Get the word around the men, we're moving to the outskirts of town. Expect light arms fire."

Laklas thought to himself. They were moving to a combat zone, not the airstrip. His men might never get home.

[Ioudaia]

Baumish Airbase near Romancia
20:53 12 May
B Company, Squad 2 Contact Report. Baumish military airbase at map position T8-G4. 3 runways, longest over 2 km. 3 hangars, control tower, 1 rotating radar antenna in field. 1 above-ground fuel tank. 10-14 Baumish multi-role aircraft in revetments. 1 Baumish light helo in revetment. 5 empty revetments. Multiple support ground vehicles. Approximately one company Baumish base security.

03:06 14 May
B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy base at T8-G4. Attached overhead image of base layout, structures as noted. Note four additional in-ground fuel tanks.

Groups of 3-8 enemy multi-role aircraft depart approximately twenty minutes before Romancian civil radio broadcasts air raid warnings. Enemy departure point confirmed with certainty.

06:10
B Company, Squad 2 Contact Report. 8 Baumish attack helos arrive at T8-G4 base.

06:23
Beta Company Headquarters,
ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia

Major Elan Gylippos took another sip of his hastily-prepared coffee, took a final glance at Squad Two's reports on his screen, then set his laptop to lock and shutdown. He left his command center – formerly, a large walk-in closet – for the common room, where he found part of his command.

"Euenor, new orders: get the big drone into the air. Ashtad just reported the arrival of attack helos at T8-G4. Something's up. Find out what it is: monitor the base's arrivals and departures from 1,000 meters up in the radar's dead cone. I'm going to have battalion send a message to the Air Armada. They must have some ideas about the radar, keep the drone out of its sight.

"Get the drone prepped but hold off on launching it until I give you the radar data or I order a launch."

"Will do." Euenor turned and started to round up his squad.

As he was doing that, Elan turned to the other officer in the room. "Lior, you wanted to get in the field. Now's your chance. Once your men are done with their current sweep, get out to T8-G4. Liaise with Ashtad, and develop a plan of attack. Maybe we can knock the base out before whatever it is they're going to do. But first, come with me. I'll brief you about the base."

11:48

Elan found Squad 1 on the far side of the mansion. The drone was on its ramp, ready to go. "The Air Armada is being cagey about what they know of the enemy radar. My guess is they don't want to say too much about their new playthings, at least not to us. They do say that the drone will be hard for the enemy to pick up, and they recommend you keep it above five klicks on the way."

Euenor snorted. "Typical cockpit jockey talk. That's right at its ceiling, so it's going to take a while to get up there."

"ETA over the Baumish airbase?"

"We're going to take a route away from known Baumish air activity. Adding in the time to climb, about 16:30. According to the intercepts from Baumish civil aviation weather reports, the winds that high are against us."

"Alright. Advise me and Ashtad when you're over the base. Keep him looped in while the drone's near him. As soon as Lior reports he's there, I'll have you loop him in as well."

"Will do."

14:31
B Company, Squad 2 Contact Report. 11 6-wheel Baumish trucks arrived at T8-G4.

14:57
B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Approximately one company of Baumish infantry dismounted from trucks reported at 14:31. Approximately 15-20 of them are covering aircraft and aircraft revetments with camo netting. Remainder are draping camo netting over base perimeter fencing. 3 squads of 3-5 base security personnel now keeping watch from rooftops. Other base security preparing sandbag positions for said watch squads. Watch squads equipped with binocs. No other recon gear observed.

Beta Company Headquarters
Elan got the the radio personally. "Beta Company Platoon 1, this is Beta Company Actual. Enemy forces are improving their security posture at the objective. There may be additional enemy activity. Report any enemy contact, even known routine patrols."

17:41
Beta Company Headquarters

After a series of dull, routine reports, Ashtad's voice came through the radio. "Helo sounds, probably a lot of them."

"In sight." Added Euenor, "Yeah, lots... counting. 21 or 22 on the thermal cam. You gotta see this, sir."

One of the radiomen flicked a display on for Elan, showing a long line of small shapes from the drone's thermal camera. Euenor continued his narration. "Too far to make out any details, but they're big.

"Lead one's just starting to show some features... OK. It's a heavy transport helo, a type Baumes is known to fly. Specs like the ON-60, but slower."

The helicopter images grew rapidly on the display as they closed on the base below the drone. "They're starting to land, coming right down runway 30." The camera view pitched down and panned around. "People on the ground are leaving buildings, heading towards the middle of the airport. They're carrying stuff... poles, maybe, and boxes. Looks like an airplane tug is heading out to meet them.

"Helos are hover-taxiing down the runway. The tug stopped. Ok, that's the ground crew, directing them to landing spots. The people carrying stuff... They're... Oh, wow! They're putting up camo netting tents over the helos as soon as the rotors stop. This is a big change in enemy OPSEC!

"Got people leaving the helos... Lots of them... infantry: weapons, packs. Counting. Looks like about sixty from the one I counted." There were faint voices in the radio background, as other Pathfinders in the squad added up numbers emerging from other helos.

"Seems to be consistently about sixty guys per helo, so about 1,200--"

Ashtad cut in. "We've got 'em on the big scope. Baumish 17th Air Assault Regiment. They look like they're ready to go. Yeah, there's a mortar team... and a squad with rockets or missiles. We're going to try to ID the subunits, but it looks like they're all here."

"Great." Elan needed to think about this. He ordered a radioman to bridge Platoon 1 Actual into the conversation. "Lior, the objective is now hosting an air assault regiment. We're gonna need new missions.

So. Ashtad, keep an eye on them. Euenor, keep the drone up as long as you can. Then get it refueled and turned around ASAP. Both of you, have the guys here get me out of bed if more forces arrive. Lior, find someplace secure and sit tight."

00:08 15 May

Elan groggily stumbled into his command center. "Go ahead, Ashtad."

"Seven more transport helos arrived empty."

"Empty? Even better. Let me know when whoever they're gonna pick up arrives."

"Right."

Pushing off from his desk, Elan rose from his chair. He barely had time to stand before a screen pinged with a report from Squad 3. He read it quickly: they'd mapped out some of the enemy supply lines closer to the front. They even had a nice map.

Elan got on the radio again. "Platoon 1, link up with Squad 3. New orders: raid enemy supply convoys as opportunities arise."

[Ioudaia]

Romancia, near Skovina
00:08 15 May

"Platoon 1, link up with Squad 3. New orders: raid enemy supply convoys as opportunities arise."

Captain Lior Alvin Harwood listed to his comms sergeant repeat his orders. Good thing the platoon was in a hollow waiting for darkness when they'd been told to sit tight: he'd gotten five and a half hours sleep, as had most of his men.

He had the comms guy get Doran on the radio, and they agreed on a place to link up. He chuckled to the sergeant: "Ya gotta admire the Pathfinders' thoroughness. Doran's men found a half-built apartment building near Ringë. We'll be bivouacking indoors!"

Lior and his squad leaders got everybody up. "It's playtime! We're going to be chewing up Baumish logistics, and they don't seem clear on the idea of security." There was some cheering in the darkness. "We're meeting Pathfinder Squad 3 to bed down for the night. They've found us a secure bivouac. In the morning, we start surveilling Baumish convoy routes, looking for spots for ambushes. Squad 3 got a head start on that, too."
One of Lior's men called out, "What's the goal with these convoys? Destroy? Capture? Harass?"

"Our orders say 'raid', so somewhere between harass and destroy. We're going to hit them as hard as we can without taking losses. And we're going to start small, and see how they respond. The airbase went from zero-to-lethal in twenty minutes, so we'll have to see if we get a similar reaction in route security. Route security takes longer to put in place than base security, so we should have a few days of good hunting.

"All right, saddle up. We should be at the bivouac at 01:00, so we're going to take this on electricity. If there's no power at the bivouac to recharge, well, I'm sure the Pathfinders will come up with something."

While his men got ready to move, Lior considered the raiding problem: they'd brought weapons for an assault on an airbase, not hit-and-run attacks on vehicles. So the two 120 mortars probably weren't any use, even with laser-seeking rounds. They were just too slow on the "run" part.

Machine guns, yes. Grenade launchers, yes. ATGMs... yes, but they had only a few, for knocking any out unseen strongpoints at the base. Ditto the fancy Doman thermobarics, for flattening hangars.

Time to talk to Doran: if they could capture a stock of Baumish shoulder-fired rockets, they'd be much better off. He didn't put it past the Pathfinders to already know which convoys carried what.


Temporary Beta Company Platoon 1 and Squad 3 Base of Operations
Apartment building near Ringë
01:17 16 May

Lior's flashlight beam led him to Doran. "What's the power situation here?"

"We have a couple of diesel generators, but fuel for them will have to wait a couple of days."

Lior gave him a suspicious look. "Whyyy?"

"Because today, we're going to show you guys around." Doran typed a long passcode into a rugged tablet, and brought up a map of the area, with some roads marked in different colors. "Enemy convoy routes here, here, and here. The green areas seem to have lots of cover, or are hard to see from the road.

"I'm going to divide up my squad, two of my men with each of your squads. I'll go with your squad. We'll show you what that looks like from the ground. We'll spend the day watching enemy and civvie traffic. There's fuel convoys that head to the front on fairly regular schedules: trucks carrying, uh, containerized fuel tanks and towing fuel trailers. They go by two-three times a day. Day after tomorrow, we'll try to get at least one trailer from one of them. Um, I mean, that's what I recommend, sir."

Laughing, Lior answered, "Recommendation accepted, lieutenant! It's a good plan. I thought you might have all the convoys figured out."

"Just the obvious ones, fuel and water. Next we'll... I mean... ummm..."

"Keep talking."

"Next we'll hit the water convoys. No glory in fucking up the enemy's water supply, but, that's victory for you."

Lior grunted non-noncommittally: war was so much simpler when men fought with spears. "After you show us around, I want to talk about our next targets. But that's for tomorrow. Good night, lieutenant."


Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
06:19 16 May

"Still nothing?" Elan struggled to believe Ashtad and Euenor as they gave their morning SITREPs. He paced back and force in his tiny command center.

"Nothing. Nada. Zilch, zero, zippo." Ashtad's voice over the radio sounded tired, not surprising given the close watch he and his men were keeping. "Just the civvie supply trucks as mentioned."

Euenor, in the command center with Elan, slumped in a chair. "We dragged the drone back up to five klicks and looked around for other bases, checkpoints, anything. No military activity within twenty klicks, other than the three light trucks that passed by around 14:00 yesterday. I agree it's damned weird, sir, but the enemy just isn't showing up."

Elan stopped pacing, his face wry. "I see two possibilities. One, something's FUBAR on their end. The enemy must have bad luck also. Two, they're waiting for something to happen that they thought would happen yesterday. But what? Maybe something's FUBAR somewhere else on the front.

"They can't keep the regiment in the hangars forever. Every time they move a plane in for repair, they kick out hundreds of guys. Then they come back. Either they move off, or they need to build quarters for them. And even in their own country, they're going to need something more formal than just a stream of civvie trucks to keep everybody fed and... A truckload of toilet paper! That's not gonna hold them for long!

"Orders: we're going to long-term surveillance. Ashtad, keep watch in pairs. Euenor, bring the drone home. Service it, fix anything not up to spec, and then send it back out to arrive over the base at EECT.

"Either seven more helos worth of reinforcements show up, engineers start building the regiment real quarters, or the everybody gets back on their helos and goes somewhere. All of those are impossible to miss. So we don't need tight coverage. But if anything happens, it's back to normal business."


19:49

B Company, Platoon 1-Squad 3 Joint Situation Report. CO Platoon 1 liaised with CO Platoon 3. CO Platoon 1 personally reconoitered area of operations with CO Squad 3. Simultaneously, Platoon 1 reconoitered area of operations, completing force familiarization. Plan of action developed. Platoon 1 now prepared to carry out combat operations per orders of 15 May. Expect contact with enemy approximately 05:00 tomorrow.

04:43 17 May

"Ten seconds." Doran's voice on the radio confirmed what Lior's ears told him: the lead fuel truck was just about to come around the curve. The missile man in the wheat field next to him shifted in his crouch.

The truck's nose came into view. "Fire!" The ATGM leapt from its launcher, hitting the grille squarely, its explosion destroying the cab. But Lior got a sinking sensation when he realized the explosion had torn open the tanker part, spilling burning fuel on the road; he'd hoped they could tow the whole truck away.

No time to worry about it now. "Back in the field! Back in the field!" Lior motioned for the missile man and the rifleman next to him to stay away from the burning fuel. He heard the chatter of automatic rifle fire, quickly cut off by four powerful shots.

Lior emerged from the wheat even with the second truck, his men were already dumping the bodies of the driver and passenger on the ground. He glanced at the passenger: he was the guy who tried to defend the convoy. "Get his gun! Get his gun!" Somebody grabbed it up as they were leaping in the cab. Lior ended up in the middle of four men in a cab built for two. So what: they got the fuel.

"Go!go!go!go! Off the left, go!" The truck left the road, turning into another field. It bounced and lurched as they crossed the field; it was barely cross-country capable.

"Got truck three, sir! Two clean hits." came across Lior's radio.

"Good work!"

There was a long bouncing wait before Doran's voice came on the radio. "No pursuit. No contacts in sight. We'll find our own way-- Stand by." Lior nervously tried to look in the side mirrors: what did the Pathfinders see??

The truck had already turned onto another road by the time Lior heard from Doran again. "Yeah, real clean hit. Just creased the driver's temple. Only a little blood on his uniform; we'll get that cleaned out. Got his passenger's helmet, the driver's orders, and their IDs. Could be useful. We'll check the other bodies for docs."

"You have a prisoner?"

"He won't live long." Pause. "We'll find our own way home."


06:08

B Company, Platoon 1-Squad 3 Joint After Action Report. Action took place approximately 18 km outside Ringë, on Local Route L near intersection with Barley Mill Lane. Engaged enemy fuel convoy consisting of three tanker trucks each with tanker trailer. Destroyed one truck, captured two trucks with trailers, left remaining trailer on field. Also captured one enemy automatic rifle and ammo. No friendly casualties.

Squad 3 IDs convoy as belonging to enemy 656 Sustainment Group, D company. Captured documents for potential intelligence exploitation: convoy orders, enemy identity documents, instant photograph of part of personnel of 656 Sustainment Group, D company. Images attached. Captured and secured phone from one enemy soldier also for potential exploitation. Will hand-carry upon our return to HQ.


19:56

B Company, Platoon 1 After Action Report. Action took place approximately 11 km outside Ringë, on 29th Street just east of railroad line. Engaged enemy water convoy consisting of four tanker trucks each with tanker trailer. Destroyed all. Secondary explosion in cab of one truck, apparently carrying ammunition as secondary cargo. No friendly casualties. Despite combat operation of 06:08, no apparent change in enemy security posture.

From photo taken during combat operation, Squad 3 IDs convoy as belonging to enemy 656 Sustainment Group, A company. Photo attached.

[Ioudaia]

Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
12:25 18 May

Elan followed his radio man back into the command center at a run. He didn't even take a seat, just pulled on a headset. "Go, Ashtad!"

"Enemy truck convoy approaching T8-G4 airbase. 19 total trucks, 12 6-wheel with canvas tops, seven 8-wheel carrying 20-foot-type cargo containers. Five cargo containers bear medical markings."

"Okaaay... that's--"

"Three enemy 4x4 trucks coming into view on the big 'scope. Medical markings. They're ambulances!"

"Keep a close watch. It sounds like a field hospital, but it may be accompanied by the reinforcements we've been expecting."

"Right."


14:00

B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy base at T8-G4. Convoy reported at 12:25 constructing field hospital at base. Medical-marked containers reported at 12:25 deployed into medical facilities, one appears to be x-ray room, other types uncertain. Additional four large arched tents erected with medical markings. Nine other tents erected, more in progress. One tent appears to be mess with attached field kitchen. Hospital identified as 8063 Medical Battalion.

Engineer squad attached to hospital connecting hospital into base electrical system. No evidence of combat units in convoy.


16:28

B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy base at T8-G4. Field hospital construction appears complete. Hospital consists of five large arched tents with medical markings, attached to containers with medical markings. Seventeen other tents of various sizes. Hospital connected to base electrical system and fresh water supply. Hospital waste water diverted to septic field off-base. Facilities appear insufficient to house entire 8063 Medical Battalion, nor is full strength of 622 personnel present. Approximately 150-200 hospital personnel appear present, including HQ and supply squads.

One large transport helo reported on 15 May now bears medical markings. 8063 Medical Battalion has moved stretchers and other medical equipment into helo. Helo appears capable of serving as battalion aid station as well as medevac.


16:30

B Company HQ orders – Squad 2. Photograph helo bearing medical markings and field hospital. Photograph both from above as well as all visible sides. Transmit images ASAP.


17:03

B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy base at T8-G4. Images requested at 16:30 attached.

Further report. As engineers reported at 14:00 prepared to depart, they were confronted by CO 17 Air Assault Regiment. Argument ensued, eventually including CO 8063 Medical Battalion. From gestures, subjects of dispute include two empty tents at field hospital, mess tent, and hangars. Last apparently regarding lack of quarters for 17 Air Assault Regiment. Some resolution reached, apparent by nodding and smiles. Recorded video of last part of argument. No audio, but suggest higher-echelon intelligence may be able to read lips for exploitation.

Long line of 17 Air Assault Regiment personnel outside mess tent. Scuffles resolved by nine base security personnel, who maintain armed presence near line.


Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
17:04

Elan shook his head at the break-down in enemy discipline. Troops getting hangry was to be expected, but officers should never argue in public! He glanced at the estimated TO&E for the two big units: the 17th was commanded by a brigadier general, and the 8063rd by a colonel. They should know better.

He got on the radio. "Ashtad, the video sounds interesting. Wait for the drone to arrive and then transmit via that, rather than tie up your comms. Return to keeping watch in pairs."

He turned to his radioman. "Send the images of the medical helo and the field hospital to battalion. One, they should pass the pictures on to the Romancians so that nobody hits either one. Two, ask battalion to ask the Romancian command about other field hospitals near the front. It seems strange they'd build another if there's already one they could evacuate casualties to."

"Yes, sir."

Elan left the command closet, heading for the latrine. He got half-way there when the radioman shouted, "Sir, you should see this!"

Elan sprinted back to him, expecting to find a message from Ashtad saying the enemy reinforcements had finally arrived, and the attack was preparing to launch.

The radioman tapped a screen as he arrived; he read it: "Squad 3 Actual requests permission assassinate enemy general."

"What the hell??"

The radioman handed him a headset. "Doran, what the hell is on your mind??"

"We've found what seems to be a rear command center in Ringë. Officers are coming and going at all hours of the day and night. But it's located in a densely populated civilian area surrounded by residential and commercial structures, with continuous foot and vehicle traffic in front during the day, and some at night. There's also four sandbagged enemy positions located two buildings down, on the corners of a major intersection. So, assault seems right out.

"But we've observed a general arriving consistently around 13:00 and then around midnight, always in the company of other officers. The general seems to leave an hour or two later, usually with some of the same men.

"Twice a day seems like a lot of briefings, staff meetings, or whatever they are."

"We don't know either. We've been watching through binocs, and haven't been able to get close. Our best guess, which Lior agrees with, is that he's got a lunch he can't get away from, followed by a midnight SITREP.

Elan frowned. "Doesn't make much sense, but if the brass wants you to show at noon and midnight, you show. Have you ID'd other potential targets?"

"Several: another general and three colonels. One colonel arrives in a 4x4 armored vehicle wearing battle dress. He appears to be a combat officer, so hitting him is a priority. They're there pretty often, but we haven't been able to nail down their schedules."

"Hmm, maybe the first three are based there. Anyway, I approve, with the usual cautions about civilian casualties and revealing your presence."

"Got it."


18:11

B Company, Platoon 1 After Action Report. Action took place in Ringë, on the 5600 block of Two Hills Avenue. Engaged enemy truck convoy consisting of three water tankers each with tanker trailer, four 6-wheel trucks with canvas tops, and one 8-wheel truck carrying a small cargo container and a containerized machine, possibly a large generator. The 8-wheel truck was in the lead, followed by water tankers, with 6-wheel trucks in the rear. Enemy security posture stiffened: lead truck had GPMG with gunshield in cab ring mount and passenger with automatic rifle, other trucks had cab passengers with automatic rifles, 6-wheel trucks also each had pair of men guarding rear with light MG or pump-action grenade launcher.

Destroyed one water tanker and trailer, two 6-wheel trucks, captured one 6-wheel truck. Damaged one water trailer. 8-wheel truck and two tankers escaped via heavy suppressive fire on Platoon 1. Rearmost 6-wheel truck escaped by backing rapidly, covered by smoke and light suppressive fire. One light injury, platoon medic recommended he recuperate with platoon. So ordered.

Captured truck taken from field and contents, including bodies of crew, examined. Squad 3 IDs crew as belonging to enemy 656 Sustainment Group, A company. Captured documents for potential intelligence exploitation: enemy identity documents, personal diary of rear machine gunner (partially encoded). Images of identity documents attached. Will hand-carry diary upon our return to HQ.

Recovered approximately 100 kg of enemy supplies from truck consisting of fresh bread, rolls, and pastries, 16 light shoulder-fired rockets (4 cases of four), 2 light MGs, 3,000 rounds of light MG ammo. As not possible to take truck to temporary base of operations due to likelihood of enemy interception departing Ringë, transferred recovered supplies to UTVs and destroyed truck and remaining enemy supplies with incendiary grenades.


19:37

B Company, Squad 2 Contact Report. Continuing surveillance enemy base at T8-G4. Truck company consisting of nine 6-wheel with canvas tops, five 8-wheel carrying 20-foot-type cargo containers arrived at 17:16. No combat units, only return of engineer squad reported at 14:00 and supplies. Second mess tent with field kitchen erected at field hospital. One container deployed onto said field kitchen, other containers placed behind kitchens and wired into electrical system, apparently walk-in refrigerators containing food.

Multiple types of large tents being erected for 17 Air Assault Regiment. 23 tents up so far, and continuing. Many cots unloaded too, well over 200, possibly over 1,000. Engineers departed at 18:54.

Civilian supply truck arrived at base at 19:23. Markings indicate it brought fresh fruits and vegetables, which were unloaded into apparent walk-in refrigerators. Civilian truck departed 19:33.


02:21 19 May

B Company, Squad 3 After Action Report. Action took place in Ringë, along Commerce Street near 4th Street. Building in Ringë on Commerce Street previously IDed as a command center now IDed as a brothel based on overheard enemy conversations. Target entered building at 00:10. He left at 01:47, accompanied by two other men. Drove truck through guarded intersection of Commerce and 4th, presented captured enemy IDs that somewhat resembled driver and passenger, waved through with only perfunctory check. Accelerated continuously toward target. Target attempted to avoid truck by crossing street, but was unable. Target and one other man were stuck. Slammed on brakes, quickly photographed and searched bodies of targets, accelerated away, with light fire from enemy forces at intersection. Four-man covering force departed area of operations separately. Returned to temporary base of operations without further incident. No casualties, only minor damage to truck. Images of target and other man attached.

Target identified as belonged to 254 Independent Motorized Brigade, almost certainly the CO. Other man belonged to same unit, rank captain, possibly CO's staff. No ID found on target, but may have been ejected during collision, as no wallet or billfold found either. Captain had ID, image attached. Other documents in wallet: movie ticket stub, credit card receipts, so on. None appears of immediate exploitation value. Will hand-carry when Squad 3 returns to main base. Secure phones found on both men, but badly damaged, likely by collision. Exploitation in operationally-significant time considered unlikely; advise if otherwise.


Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
02:25

Elan squinted at the report, and turned to the guy manning the radio. "Send Squad 3 congratulations and well done. Advise Squad 3 and Platoon 1 to conduct... thorough reconnaissance before conducting more combat operations to, erm, determine enemy reaction. Aware that they probably know that already. Uh, clean that up it's not entirely coherent."

"Right, Major!"

"Oh... tell them to bring the phones when they return, uh, here. Add that."

Pressing his eyes shut, he considered whether he should do his full duty before going back to sleep. Against his better judgement, he decided to, and looked up the 254th. They were a reserve unit: infantry in lightly-armored trucks, towed guns, wheeled cavalry. Modestly important. "Forward Squad 3's action report to battalion, too. Ask them if it's worth passing on to the Romancians."

"And the rest of the day's reports?"

"I'll summarize them in the morning."

"Yes, sir. 'night, Major."

Elan mumbled something that could have been "Goodnight".


07:35

B Company, Platoon 1 Situation Report. Enemy security posture in Ringë and within 5 km of city limits greatly stiffened. Numerous roadblocks, checkpoints, foot and mounted patrols observed while reconnoitering around Ringë. Multiple types of checkpoints, some just men with stop signs, others sandbagged behind concrete road obstructions. Both military and civilian traffic being stopped, some of both being searched. Checkpoints manned by squads of 4-10 men, some with LMGs or GPMGs.

Enemy presence at many key facilities beyond 5 km perimeter, including major road junctions, electrical installations, patrols along electrical lines, and at unidentified buildings, possibly communications nodes. Enemy forces observed range from squads to platoons, largest force estimated at 40 men at an unidentified, windowless building at map position L6-E7. Images of building attached.

Schedules of previously-routine convoys altered. All observed so far traveling with armored vehicles of multiple types, mostly 4x4 but some 8x8, one each at head and rear of convoy. Will surveil to determine new routines or absence of same.


Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
07:40

Euenor stepped into the command center, and found Elan reading something on a screen. He waited until he finished. "You sent for me, sir?"

"Yeah. Platoon 1 and Squad 3 have been causing trouble in Ringë. Squad 3 assassinated a general last night, and kicked over a hornet's nest.

Euenor whistled appreciatively. "Big score! But how come they get all the cool missions?" He chuckled, and was joined by Elan.

"That's one for each of you." He waited for a second before going on. "There's a lot of new enemy activity in Ringë this morning. Send the drone there. Determine the locations of enemy checkpoints around the city, and any significant enemy dispositions within Ringë. Then get me an overall map and a summary report. Send those off to Doran and Lior as well.

"But have the drone back here and ready for its normal night surveillance of the airbase, even if that means you don't get all of the city."

"Will do." Euenor checked the area map on the wall, thought for a second, and said. "The winds are good for that. The drone will have a little bit of a tailwind on the way out."


On patrol near Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
07:16 23 May

For a man on combat patrol during a war, Major Elan Gylippos was a happy man. He'd invited himself along on this morning's sweep with two guys from Squad 1. Euenor apparently felt he should accompany his CO, and invited himself along too. Elan could hardly blame him: despite Euenor knowing full well that Elan was a veteran member of the Training Corps, he wasn't a Pathfinder, and Euenor must have felt he needed to "protect" him. Regardless, being on patrol meant that he didn't have to deal with any of the problems of command for a little while. He was the farthest he'd been from HQ since they'd gotten here, and this was his first time outside the secure perimeter since then too. The forest was nice and green, there was nobody but them nearby, and even though he ran practiced eyes over every dip and around every tree, it was relaxing out here.

"Down!" Despite them being 50 meters from the road, Euenor motioned for everybody to hide in the brush. A civilian car negotiated the potholed gravel road, passed, and continued down the road. "We think civvies come this way to avoid getting stuck behind enemy traffic on the main road."

Elan nodded at Euenor's explanation. "How often?"

"A few a day."

Elan's radio vibrated against his chest. He hit the push-to-talk. "Beta Company Actual."

The radioman on duty delivered a flat statement. "Secure message from battalion. Your eyes only." All three Squad 1 men turned towards Elan: something was up, something big was up.

"Priority?"

"Normal."

"Okaaay. I'll look at it when I'm back. Actual out." Elan added to the three staring, expectant men, "I have no idea. Eyes-only, normal priority is pretty strange. Let's get back to work."

As they finished the sweep, Elan couldn't help but be drawn back into the problems of command: what was the eyes-only message? New crypto keys for the comms? Update on enemy dispositions? It was important but … didn't need to be acted on immediately?

Yet another problem to worry about. Everything had settled into a routine: an enemy truck arrived at the airbase around 10:15 every morning, dropped off a container, and picked up one that was there. Routine resupply, nothing new. Squads 1 and 2 kept up their watches though. But when is the attack? The question gnawed at him. Why is the enemy just sitting there??

And every day, an after action report. Platoon 1 and/or Squad 3 had hit something: a convoy, a checkpoint, an enemy unit unlucky enough to blunder near one of them. Nothing big, nothing like the assassination, but enough to keep the enemy occupied.

And keeping all of Beta Company occupied. Elan wondered if he should shift Platoon and Squad 3 to a new area of operation, where the enemy wouldn't be expecting them. They were already ranging pretty far to find targets. Or should he shift Squad 1's attentions with the drone someplace new, to try to improve his situational awareness. He had only three knights and a bishop on the board, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't keep trying to checkmate the enemy.

Back at the command center, Elan waited while the radioman left the room, then he unlocked the safe with his one-time pad, looked up the sign, typed in the countersign, and crossed it off the list. He read the message, frowned, and cleared the plaintext version from his screen and the computer's memory.

He called to the radioman, "You can come back now! Send a message to all three squads and Platoon 1: radio conference at 19:00, commanders only, their eyes and ears only.


19:00

"Glad you all could make it!" Elan smiled even though only Euenor, in the command closet with him, could see him. "I received a message from battalion earlier today. It came from way up in the food chain: Ioudaian liaison with WIDA." That'll get their attention.

"A Doman force will be entering the theater overnight. I don't know where or when, nor what their mission is. However, I can say that it will be approximately company strength. They will be in Baumish, repeat, Baumish uniform. They are aware that Ioudaian forces are in the theater, but not units, types, or dispositions.

"To prevent blue on green incidents, I have received a list of recognition signals, authentication signs and countersigns, and common radio frequencies and procedures. Other than the details, it's all WIDA standard operating procedures. I will forward this to you. It remains your eyes only, with the exception that Lior should show it to his squad leaders.

"If contact with the Doman forces is made, you should identify yourselves as Training Corps forces, Romancia Battalion, Beta Company. If necessary, identify me as your CO. As usual, the Pathfinders are not here. Share information with the Doman forces as seems necessary and desirable. Should they need assistance, provide same. If their requests exceed those limits, have them contact me.

"I have been informed of the possibility that they may need resupply upon contact. Treat this as a request for assistance. So, question for Lior: how's your supply situation?

"We're good, actually, better than good. We've captured some enemy food. Not only rations, but fresh food, and even some treats. Dinner was roast chicken, some kind of melon, and local candy bars. Whatever the enemy's problems, they eat well.

"We've also got enemy weapons and ammo. We can spare plenty of ammo for rifles and machine guns, as well as a few examples of each weapon. We're using enemy LMGs in favor of ours because we've ended up with so many belts for them. We also have some enemy rockets and grenades.

"And we pulled a good first aid kit out of an enemy vehicle, so we can provide medical aid as well. Hopefully, they won't need that. We're not quite living off the land, but captured food, weapons, and ammo are really allowing us to stretch what we brought."

"That's great!" Elan smiled broadly: resupplying his forces in the field was now a problem he could forget about. "Anything else to report? Anyone?"

"Oh, yeah..." That was Ashtad. "This is going into our evening SITREP, but I might as well tell you now. Two enemy trucks arrived around 14:30. We decided to wait before reporting them, because they were carrying containers. One is another field kitchen, which was attached to one of the mess tents. That should relieve the long lines we're seeing at meal times.

"The other... Oh, man! First thing they unloaded was a box of footballs."

"Say... again?"

"Footballs. Yes, sir, footballs. Twenty of them. Even said so right on the box: 'footballs, Isles League regulation, 20 count.' And then they unloaded fourteen goals, and boxes of red, yellow, and blue jerseys for fourteen teams. So now the enemy has seven football fields, and they've been playing squad-on-squad football all afternoon. Not just the air assault regiment, but also the field hospital personnel too.

"And! They unloaded equipment for a standard rifle training range. So the enemy has been practicing by platoon. Apparently this inspired some of them, so they've been conducting squad-sized field exercises outside the base. No fire, just practicing maneuvers against each other. We're having no trouble avoiding them, and we're getting a good look at their tactics."

Elan nodded. "They're setting up for a long stay. Something's completely off the rails on their end, but we should be aware that enemy command is apparently reacting to it well. They're keeping up morale, providing PT at the same time, and exercising their troops. Let me know if there's any change in what they're doing, especially if they start carrying out air assault exercises."

"Right!"

"I'm going to forward your SITREP to battalion to kick further upstairs, so make it good."

"Right, sir!"


Over Baumes, near Romancia
23:57

A pair of Ioudaian S-347's soared high above the darkened countryside. 11,900 meters below them, and 50 km ahead of them, a lone cargo plane woke Baumish civilians, the second time in a month they'd done that. But it was different civvies' sleep they were disturbing, following a curving road in a shallow valley, not the routes they'd used before. Far behind them, out over international waters, an ISR plane kept watch.

"Keymaster-1, I have a bogie at 7 o'clock, low." A man's voice came through the other planes' radios. "Modern radar signals."

"Got him. Sorcerer, you got him?" Replied the woman in the other S-347.

"Searching..." Another man transmitted from the ISR plane, has he adjusted the plane's radar and ELINT systems. "Got them. Two bogies."

"Thank you, Sorcerer." She paused for a moment. "Keymaster-1 confirms: two bogies. Now on IRST. Bogies 30km out from our position, bearing 43º, heading 320º at 500 knots, 5 klicks high. Bogies making shallow left turn, will pass behind us."

She continued. "Pumpkin, can you fly a bit lower?"

The cargo plane driver laughed in reply, "Sure, if we lower the landing gear! There's wires across the road. We'll try to get closer to them."

"This is Keymaster-2. Bogies are Amsel AF-26C, ID by radar emissions. Assume enemy." He seemed to have stopped talking, but then excitedly added, "Enemy aircraft tightening their turns, now 1º per second! Their radars will start to pick up Pumpkin in--"

"Sorcerer, Keymaster-1! Feed me your radar, couple your ELINT to mine!"

"Done!"

Keymaster-1 worked her plane's countermeasures quickly, setting them to search for a solution. They got something good enough, which she transferred to Sorcerer. "Try that."

"Setting... Transmitting!"

The two enemy planes broke right, lighting their afterburners as they did so, chasing a radar phantom Sorcerer was broadcasting.

"Thanks, boss!" Pumpkin's pilot's relief was audible, as was her nervous laugh. "Three minutes to drop. We're going to have pop up soon. You sure they're not coming back?"

"Not for a while. They think you just turned back, heading for the coast. It'll take them a couple of minutes to realize they've lost the signal, and then they'll search around for a while, thinking you're flying nap of the earth.

"And, uh, if they find Sorcerer?"

"Then we try the same trick in reverse, get them to chase me. Worst case, Sorcerer leads them east again, and Key-2 and I blow them out of the sky over international waters. I'll have to fill out a lot of paperwork, but you'll be fine."

"Whatever you say. Two minutes to drop. Climbing to 300 meters."

In Pumpkin's cargo hold, the loadmaster repeated the two-minute warning to the commander of the Doman company. "We kick the pallet first, and you follow at plus five seconds."

Two minutes later, Pumpkin's ramp opened, her crew pushed the pallet out, and 70 Doman Leopards followed, making static-line jumps. When they were clear, Pumpkin's ramp closed, and the plane returned to 100 meters up.

"Pumpkin, Keymaster-1. Push your throttles forward. I wanna put klicks between us and the enemy.

Fifteen minutes passed, ten to go before the second drop.

"Keymaster-1, did you see that?"

"Yeah, Two."

"See what?" Pumpkin sounded nervous.

"The enemy's back. Way behind us, we're just starting to get flickers of their radars. They're being much more careful this time, going slow, watching their ECM. They know somebody messed with them, and they're not gonna get fooled again. Don't worry, they'll be fooled again.

Two minutes passed, eight to go.

"Pumpkin, listen closely." Keymaster-1 tried to be as motherly and gentle as she could. "Hold your heading and altitude. Do not turn. Do not show the side of your aircraft. Your tail is a mirror. Hold your heading and altitude. Copy?"

"Hold course and altitude."

"Good readback. Turn off your radio. All the way off. You won't need it until you're three minutes out anyway. Turn off your radar and radar altimeter. And anything else that gives off a signal. We're gonna make this as hard as possible for the enemy. You copy?"

"Everything off. Pumpkin out."

The two Keymaster planes formed tightbeam comms. "Good, good. The flying truck's much quieter now. I hoped it wouldn't have to say it twice."

"So what's the plan, boss?"

"Since they're hunting for something low and slow, they're not looking for us. So they're about to be jumped."

"Number four?"

"Number four." Keymaster-1 reformed her comm beam, sending it over tops of the two enemy planes. "Sorcerer, call base. Tell them Cinderella left the ball, but we still need to get the carriage to the Prince. Get us a weapons release, but tell them we'll only use it to save the Prince."

Thirty seconds passed. Sorcerer called. "Keymaster-1, you are clear for weapons, only to save the Prince and only in extremis. You are not to risk your aircraft or exposure of its capabilities."

Keymaster-1 took a deep breath: if she fucked this up, the enemy would be the least of her worries. "Understood. No risks. We're not here." We're not here, the Leopards Pumpkin just dropped off aren't here, the spies aren't here, the Air-Sea Commandos aren't here, and the Pathfinders aren't here. WIDA had a lot of people who never left home. Complete waste of money, she thought.

"Key-2, slow to... 250 knots. Let's let them get between us and Pumpkin."

"250 knots. Enemy closing at net speed of 150 knots, very low." Keymaster-2 did a little mental math. "They'll pass under us just as Pumpkin asks for vectors."

"Like dogs chasing a rabbit. They'll never know what hit them."

Seven minutes passed. "Key-2, cut to landing speed, drop your nose. It's time."

The two stealthy planes slowed as the glided down towards the Baumish planes below them.

70 klicks ahead of them, Pumpkin broadcast, "Gatekeeper, this is Pumpkin. Request drop fix." Despite Pumpkin's fancy low probability of intercept radio, the Baumish planes got enough of a signal to know somebody was out there somewhere. When Pumpkin made her turn to the drop zone and opened her ramp, they got solid radar returns. They lit their afterburners and (unknown to the Ioudaian aircraft) got their own weapons release.

The two Keymasters had been watching the the Baumish AF-26s on their telescopic IRSTs. When they hit their afterburners, they lit up like the morning sun. "Now," said Keymaster-1 to her wingman.

For a second, both stealth aircrafts' radars sent an old-fashioned radar signal towards the AF-26s, followed immediately by the more complex but simple-minded signals of a pair of active radar homing missiles.

One AF-26 broke left, the other right. Chaff bloomed behind both aircraft. The Keymasters followed, speeding up, even though they had no hope of catching the supersonic aircraft. All they needed to do was keep them in their radar cones, letting their radars and electronic warfare systems simulate the pair of missiles that the Baumish pilots thought were locked on each them.

Keymaster-2 could easily imagine the poor bastards on the other end of her EW attack: pulling tons of g's, trying to break the locks of missiles nipping at their heels. And the poor bastards were out of friendly radar coverage and had no combat controllers, so nobody could tell them which way to turn. Poor bastards were lucky they wore their brown flight suits.

Now, Key-2 watched the clock. On full afterburner, the Baumish planes were going through fuel like there was no tomorrow. They couldn't keep that up for long. The AF-26's twisted and turned as the imaginary missiles closed on them.

Pumpkin must have made her drop, because she asked, "Keymaster-1, which way now?" After a minute, she asked again. Not getting an answer, she flew on, straight and level.

"Ease up on them," Keymaster-1 ordered Keymaster-2, as one of her simulated missiles lost its lock. Key-2 did the same. "That's enough. They're going to have to turn for home." They stopped the simulations.

Below them, the Baumish aircraft straightened out, and reformed into a pair. They briefly turned back to pursue Pumpkin, but thought better of it, and turned to a new course.

Keymaster-1 formed up a narrow comm beam where Pumpkin ought to be. "Good job! Now we get out of here. The route home takes us right up against the San Montagnan border. The enemy knows knows somebody has planes here, and they're going to come looking, but we're going to be on our way out. Worst case, we overfly San Montagna, and let the diplomats sort it out."


00:26 24 May

The two heavy Ioudaian trucks backed up towards the pair of containers Pumpkin dropped. One held more supplies for the Training Corps and the Pathfinders. The other was a bit of humanitarian relief for Skovina, literally bread and water; the latter, a self-contained, solar powered water purifier in a box.


Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
00:31

"Go ahead, Ashtad." Elan wondered if this was it, the big air assault.

"All of the enemy multi-role aircraft are being readied. But the ground crews are moving fast. This doesn't look like an air raid, this is something different."

"But the helos aren't being readied?"

"No. Not yet, at least. Huh? OK... Sir, we got a look at them with the big 'scope. They're being loaded up for air-to-air combat."

"I'll pass that on."


00:43

"Sir, the enemy has received two additional multi-role aircraft as reinforcements. It's a different squadron, not the one based here. They've got low-vis markings, but they're different."

"Thanks. I'll pass that on too."

Elan switched off his radio. Battalion just got a supply drop, and the enemy was out in force looking for the plane that did it. He'd already heard the sonic booms from the fourteen planes Ashtad had reported taking off, and now more were arriving to keep hunting.


01:28

"Key-2, I'd say the enemy is angry."

"Looks like it, ma'am. Shame they're looking for us, and not Pumpkin."

"Yup."

Four enemy aircraft had shown up on IRST at very long range, even before their radars' signals were picked up. But on afterburner, the enemy could only make one search pass before turning away from the border and heading on a different search vector. Their radars were searching in front of them, not along the ground. They wanted the guys who nearly nailed their buddies; the cargo plane was much lower priority.

[Domanania]

Above the Baumish-Romancian Border
23:59, 23 May

3...2...1...GO!

The company heard the call and jumped out of the plane and began to plumet 800 feet to the ground under the cover of night. All of them followed a pallet that was pushed out ahead of them, which would supply them for the mission.

Every jumper deployed their parachutes and turned on their locators to guide themselves to the ground in their designated areas.

00:01

Platoon leader Sae Parin checked his gear and gathered his squad together before moving on. Each group were to rally to the pallet drop before moving on to the nearby abbandoned village.

00:17

"All present and accounted for sir. Pallet disposed of, awaiting further orders." Sergant Gi Kor said as he barricaded the doors to the townhall.

This village seemed to be destroyed in the early fighting with romancia, with the outer area cratered from rocket and artillery attacks. More importantly, with enough shelter for the company, and an old water tower that could provide overwatch

"Good work" Said platoon leader Parin. "Take Thero, Hesan, and Nalpaem and keep a look out. Head to the tower and advise on air patrols". Kor saluted and took the squad into the building to climb the 60ft water towertower over looking the area.

Second Leutenant Parin would address the assembled group.

"Congradulations on a successful drop. Now the hard part begins. We have intel that an important leader involved in the invasion of Romancia could hold information vital to the resistance."

"We believe our allies can make use of this information. It is our goal to acquire this information at any costs."

"The company will attack the complex where this leader is stationed, and you are going to put on a light show. We have been given enough ordinance to level a small neighborhood."

"Your goal is to make it seem like Romancian guerillas are attempting to attack the compound. Our intel suggests that when an attack is immenant, the general is to be moved to a secure location after the combat has ended."

"Group B will set up an ambush along the route the general is taking, He is to be taken alive. The rest of the convoy is to be destroyed, taking any supplies or intel we can"

"Once the target is secure, he will be moved to a secure location where specialists will retrieve the information required. Once the target is dropped off, we are to make our way to the exfil point."

The troops pulled out their maps and checked their digital devices for the locations of their objectives.

"Your secondary objectives are to disrupt the Baumish supply lines and communications. Might as well cause some chaos while we are here."

The assembled troops gave a soft laugh before quieting down again.

Parin would speak up again. "The Baumish realize there is a gap in their coverage, and are compensating by performing semi-regular patrols around the area, so be careful."

He took a pause, adjusting the cheap knockoff of a Baumish uniform that the entire company was wearing. They were poorly made due to lack of information, but they should fool the average draftee or spotter at a distance.

"We will rest here for the night and move at 0400 hours. Every platoon will divide themselves between no more than 3 houses, and make sure you have sight lines. Keep regular Patrols."

Parin would go to join Kor and his squad in the tower.

"Two bogies were detected behind our escort. Friendlies diverted them. Advised to lay low for the next couple hours due to increased air patrols."

"Good work. Thank our friends for the smooth landing but insist we try to find parking when its not so busy next time"

Kor chuckled "Yes sir."

[Wellsia]

Skovina, Romancia
Georgi Petroff walked into his favorite bar, the types of drinks one could buy were lot fewer than they were a month ago, most now were locally produced stuff, and not all of it legally made. He looked at his new roommate and fellow city employee, Pieter Prins. Georgi introduced Peiter to Aneta, the bar tender and other regular patrons. "Everyone, this is Pieter Prins, the city just hired him to be an inspector for damaged buildings, he makes sure if they are safe or not."
Aneta smiled at the new customer, "Where are you from Pieter, you don't look like you are from around here?"
Pieter, looked at Georgi, "Nee, I am from Veldhaven, I study engineering at university in San Montagna, I come to help against Baumish."
"Well here then, first drink is on the house."
After sitting at the bar for nearly an hour, Georgi and Pieter moved to a table in the corner. Georgi asked, "What have you found out?"
"Nothing, we both know there is a training school set up, water, electricity and sewer has been hooked up to the warehouse, and they are revolving dooring soldiers in and out of there, the question is, who is doing the training?"
"You talking about the soldier school, out by de warehouse?"
Georgi looked at the intruder, "Dimitri, how are you doing?"
"I'd think you guvment workers would know what is what, my little brother he go there, or did. They teach him how to kill Baumish pigs, plus show him how to lead others in killing de oppressors as well?
Georgi smiled, "Who's doing the teaching, the Vacrusians?"
"Nah, dey left, sumden about Pope call em home to fight someone else. Dese guys from far away, what did he call dem, oh yeah he say they Eyedooans, dey know what dey doing, not like the Vakkies, you member dem Georgi, dat one dat took your beer. Good riddance to dem."
Georgi smiled again, "Dimitri let me buy you a drink."

Near Ringe, Romancia
Brigadier General Malchus looked at the ruins of another Baumish convoy, what trucks and trailers weren't destroyed, were gone.
"General, Central wants to talk to you." piped up Senior Corporal Hiostus, handing him the Rimu's radio.
"Well now," as he handed the radio back, "seems the new party in town are the Ioudians, they have set up a training facility in Skovina to help train the Romanicans in their war."
Hiostus spit a stream of tobacco juice out, "Well damn, that explains this mess, you thinking the same, Adjutant?"
"What does he mean Adherbal?"
"Remember at the bridge, told you there wasn't a dozen groups that could have hit it with such precision. One such group are the Ioudian's Gerrupatarru, the Pathfinders. They are some of the best, but what the hell are they doing this far from home?
Malchus looked at the blown trucks and dead bodies, "Adjutant, are they that good, can they be stopped and how?
Adherbal looked at his commanding officer, "General, we been soldiering together since you were a lieutenant and Hiostus and I low non-coms. WE ain't never faced anybody like them. There may be anywhere from six to eight to a team, and in Wellsia everyone of them would be a level 1 or 2."
"Can you stop them adjutant?"
Yes sir, give me a handpicked platoon, a month to train them, and a willingness to lose half of them, and yeah I can stop them."
"Gentlemen, Central is sending a cavalry squadron and a dozen Ayyalu-tise cargo carriers to help the Baumish get food and weapons through this area to their front lines. In fact the squadron should be unloading at the port as we are speaking. I don't want a bunch of dead cavalrymen."

Skovina, Romancia
Hiempsal (Georgi) was worried, since getting the information on the Ioudians, Izavales (Pieter) had been distant and prone to disappear. It had beeen 12 hours since he had heard from him, and was concerned that he might have been caught. As the door knob begin tho turn, Hiempsal reached for his hidden revolver, he knew he couldn't get caught. With a sigh of relief he almost shouted "Where have you been""
Izavelas looked at the senior agent, "Had to take some food to Natalia and the kids."
"Who!"
"You know Natalia, I told you about her, she's the one taking care of all the orphans over near the soup kitchen."
"What are you thinking? We have a mission to do, and can't have you going off helping everyone you meet. What do you think the Suffet would say if you get caught, not to mention your father."
"Look sorry Hiempsal, but I had to get her, them, some help, these people are starving, she's starving and has a bunch of children to take care of."
"Where are you getting the food?"
"Oh, yeah, was going to tell you the other night when we found out about the Ioudians. Was doing an inspection and found a warehouse full of Vacrusian MREs, must left them there when they went home. So I took a couple of crates of them to Natalie so she could help out the people there."
"You stole food, what if the authorities had caught you, how could we explain that."
"I didn't steal it, the Vacrusians left it, the government isn't helping their own people, these people will starve to death before this shit hole place becomes a country, I have to help them any way I can, the mission is a success, now I have another one."
"What if I told you we need to get out of here, things are about to get hot around here and we shouldn't be here when it does."
"No, Hiempsal, you leave, I have to stay Natalie, the orphans need me, I can 't leave them to face this alone."
Heimpsal let out a deep sigh,"Well, I guess we are staying then, hopefully I can get word to Brigadier Genral Malchus, understand some Wellsan troops might be here to help the Baumish, lets hope we can hide out till the cavalry gets here.

[Domanania]

30 Miles south of Rusven
03:45, 24 May


Second Lieutenant Parin had been pouring over maps and data provided. Baumish air forces have been active, patrolling the skies ever since their escort left the area, making sure no one else gets through.

Kor slid one side of his headphones off. "Air patrol, 10 miles south, moving north east. Two aircraft. They should pass us by. No other patrols in the area. I think they are getting tired"

"Good. Start getting the men ready. We move north in 15."

"Yes sir" Kor would switch his radio to low power mode and send a message to nearby troops before moving out of the tower to gather with the company.

04:00

Parin would address the compay gathered on the outskirts of the town. "Baumish air patrols have slowed down, so we are moving north. While we are wearing Baumish uniforms, we are going to try and avoid the main roads."

"Expect regular supply convoys, but no real armed resistance until we get closer to the objective. Keep radios on lower power, high squelch. Radio operators, listen for unencrypted communications and advise."

"Roger" the company said in unison.

The company was given the order to fall in and begin marching towards their objective.

05:00, 24 May

An hour into the march, Kor would speak to Parin. "Sir, message intercept. Fighting around Skovina is increasing in intensity. They seem to be increasing artillery and air strikes in the region."

"That means one of two things. They are trying to root out the last bits of resistance, or are hoping to break them in a concentrated fight" Parin said

"Keep monitoring. Advise on air and ground reports only"

"Yes sir"

07:41, 24 May

The radio chimed with an incoming message on an encrypted channel. Kor Answered. "Roger"

"Sir, Group B scouts report hostile movement about 1.7 kilometers ahead of group B."

Parin called for the platoon to halt. He knelt down to Kor and picked up the radio. "Group B this is Group A, report"

The radio crackled as the other platoon leader responded. "Scouts report hostile convoy. 6 supply trucks, and 4 medium vehicles. Estimated 30 or so personnel."

"Fighting strength?"

"Rifles among regulars, and small arms for truck drivers."

"Cargo?"

"One fuel or water truck, 5 container trucks. Could be food, ammunition, or medicine. No distinct markings. Further recon is required"

"Possibility of avoiding hostile formation?"

"Avoidance path would put us on the main road, or take us over a hill and hindering time to target. It is possible they are waiting on the side road to avoid detection."

"Understood. Take up positions around the formation and keep watch. Group A will rendezvous and coordinate"

"Roger"

Parin switched the radio channel to only contact nearby troops. "Attention, rendezvous with Group B ahead. Enemy formation, strength 30."

"Move out"

07:58, 24 May

Parin's platoon met up with Group B and got into standard position, maintaining 300m from the formation.

Parin met up with Second Lieutenant Itseun, leader of group B. "Report"

"Formation seems to be in a camp, probably from the previous night. Most likely to start moving out in the next hour or so. 14 are out in the open, the rest are in tents or trucks."

"Communications?"

"Limited to vehicles. No visible communications tent, or man packs.

"Roger that. Maintain position."

Parin woul rush through the foliage along the side of the road back to his radio operator.

"Ready for transmission. Low power"

Kor flipped the switches on his radio pack as Parin took up the radio.

"Attention Company. Ready to engage hostiles. No explosives. Affix suppressors. Group B will advance to within 100m, Group A will advance to within 200m. Group A will provide cover. Maintain crescent formation, avoid open terrain."

"Avoid damage to vehicles or cargo. No automatic fire."

"Everyone pick a target. Fire on my mark. Slow, move out"

08:01, 24 May

"All troops. Ready...Fire"

The convoy was lit up with suppressed fire from 3 directions. Troops fell as various rounds tore into the nearby vehicles and tents. Troops that were spared the opening volley panicked and attempted to return fire but were quickly cut down.

Some targets emerged from the tents to the sound of gun fire, taking cover behind the vehicles. The order was given to advance, as the company moved forward.

Baumish troops fired in the direction of the first visible element in the tree line. Rifle fire echoed through the trees only for a few seconds before being silenced from the coordinated push from 3 directions.

It only took less than a minute for roughly 30 men to lay dead on the ground.

"Gather the bodies. Search for intel. Crack open those trucks and report.

08:16, 24 May

All 29 bodies were lined up along the foliage edge, stripped of identification and weapons. Each of the vehicles were thoroughly searched and their cargo catalogued.

One water truck, two trucks carrying MRE's and rations. One truck was carrying uniforms, and another carrying maintenance tools.

"Such a disorganized supply convoy. They must be desperate, or disinterested." Parin remarked to Itseun

"Refil your cantines, gather some MRE's, and change into these uniforms. We will better blend in with these. Corporal..." Parin called over one of the rocket operators. "Gather the other operators and set small charges on the vehicles for simul-det"

"yes sir"

08:42, 24 May

3...2...1...Mark

The call went out over the radio, just 1 second before all the trucks went up into flames from the small explosives attached to their fuel tanks.

"Company, move out. Maintain normal order"

[Wellsia]

Somewhere in Romancia
Aderbal sat on the fallen tree watching the sadiru (platoon) spread out around him setting up a camp for the night. As he looked on, his mind went back a couple of days to Muma'ru Usmannu (Brigadier General) Malchus's office. He remembered the ranting and raving by the general as another convoy had been attacked, and this time one of the powerful combat cars had been destroyed. This made the seventh Wellsian vehicle either destroyed or damaged and raised the number of dead troopers to fourteen. Becuse of that he was now sitting in the Bausmish woods with an experienced light infantry platoon looking for the Ioudanians and Romancians attacking the convoys.
Opening a can of beanie weanies, Adherbal watched Hiostus walk toward him, he let out a chuckle when he noticed his friend was barefoot.
"Don't say a thing," remarked Hiostus, "my blisters have blisters and there are parts of me hurting that I forgot I had. You couldn't just keep quite, had to open your mouth and volunteer us to join the hunt, no a nice cushy job was to much to ask. Drive the General around. Sleep in a nice soft bed with a cute warm body to wake up to. No that wasn't good enough for you, now here we are, tired and cold."
"Oh, stop your belly aching, you didn't have to come. How are the men doing?"
"Other then laughing at the old fossil eating canned beans instead of enjoying field rations and forced to maintain a cold camp, they are doing fine. Not a bad bunch, even though we could have served with half of their fathers back in the day."

Ringe, Romancia
General Malchus sat in his office staring at the letter in disbelief. A special messenger had been sent by Ahriman, Suffet nuwa'uttum epasu (Magistrate of Barbarian Affairs), who served as Wellsia's equivalent of a Foreign Minister to the general. Looking at the envoy, Malchus asked, "Is this for real?"
"As far as I know, Sir. This was given to me directly by the Suffet and did not leave my person till I handed it to you, Sir."
"Do you know what is in here?"
"No Sir."
Malachus leaned back in his chair, as if he didn't have enough problems, now to find out this. One of the Seekers in Skovinia was none other than Umasupitru (Prince) Izaveles, one of King Himilico's children by a concubine. He had refused to get out by the planned extraction, and now by orders of the Suffet, he had to come up with a way to rescue the Seekers and get them out of harms way. By the Nameless One's plague infected testicle, what else could happen.
Hitting the intercom, "Get me the Rab Pethali (cavalry commander) on the line."

[Ioudaia]

Baumish Airbase at Ioudaian map position T8-G4
near Skovina, Romancia
28 May 09:26
B Company, Squad 2 Contact Report. Continuing surveillance enemy airbase at T8-G4. Four enemy 6x6s arrived at airbase. Unfamiliar type. They appear old, as do the crews manning them. 6x6s partially camouflaged with brush, so unable to identify armament. Images attached.


13:06

B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy base at T8-G4. Runners approached the officers of 17 Air Assault Regiment starting at 12:55, said something to them, and then the officers all double-timed it to one of the hangars. It appears they have been summoned to a meeting. Will attempt to work two pair closer to base to eavesdrop.


13:39

B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy base at T8-G4. Obtained excellent video of three officers talking, suitable for lip reading. No audio. Unable to place men to overhear conversation. Query: await drone to transmit?

Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia

Elan called for a headset and comms to the Squad 2. His radioman had anticipated him, and handed Elan the headset before he'd finished giving the order. "Ashtad, send the video immediately. We'll relay it to battalion, highest priority."

"Yes, sir!"

"Relay ready, sir. Message marked 'most urgent'. Forwarding Squad 2 SITREP with video."

Elan nodded, and headed out into the common room, where he found part of Squad 1. "Paiman, tell Euenor to get the drone into the air now. Then round up everybody else. Something's up at the airbase." He thought for a second, then added, "And you and Oren get some sleep starting at EECT. I think it's gonna be a long night."


15:16

B Company, Squad 2 Contact Report. Continuing surveillance enemy airbase at T8-G4. Four enemy Amsel AH-110 light helos arrived at airbase. All appear equipped with chin recon turret. Based on arrival of previous forces, including 6x6s reported at 09:26, believe them to be scout helos for air assault regiment.


Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia
17:00

Urgent. B Company Orders. Squad and Platoon commanders eyes only.

Battalion has ordered us to confer by radio at 18:00. ISTAR activities to continue under seconds in command. Combat operations to be discontinued as soon as practical.

Elan sent off the message, then leaned back in his chair. Between all the activity Squad 2 had reported and battalion wanting to chat, he had no doubt this was the long-awaited attack. Was there anything else he should do?

After a moment, he leaned towards his radioman. "I'm going to take a short nap. Get me up in a half hour, or if anything comes through."


17:38

B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy airbase at T8-G4. At 17:30, runners interrupted all ongoing football games at the base and all squad field exercises outside the base. All those soldiers now lining up at the mess tents. A runner said something to the RSO of the firing range at 17:30, however, riflery practice is still ongoing at present.


18:00

Lieutenant Colonel Hadar ben Isidor Nitzan listened as his subordinates and Beta Company's officers sounded off. "Everyone's here, so let's get started. First, I'd like to commend Beta Company, Squad 2 for their excellent work. Their diligent surveillance and specifically, their bold operation at 13:00 today which resulted in an intelligence break had allowed us to determine the timing and location of a major enemy offensive. Thank you! Lieutenant Ashtad, if you believe that any of your men should be specifically recognized with a commendation, inform me after this conference."

"You're welcome, sir! Will do, sir!"

"Squad 2's intelligence revealed that the enemy is preparing for an air assault on Skovina tonight. Combining this with Romancian intelligence, we can deduce two additional things. One, the attack will take place between midnight and dawn, and two, the most likely target for the air assault is the Skovina airport.

The Romancian intelligence services and conferred with our higher-echelon intelligence units, and together, they assessed that an air assault offers the enemy two likely objectives, the capture of the Romancian high command and an opportunity to break through the current front, divide the defenders, and roll the defenders holding the center of Skovina. With the forces available at the airbase at T8-G4, the enemy appears able to achieve both of these objectives.

Hadar's tone carried the smile that only his commanders could see. "That is, if we didn't have this information, and were to take no action to oppose the enemy.

"No other potential landing site in or near Skovina offers the enemy such potential. The sites are either too distant from potential objectives, or in places were reaction forces could, even if surprised, delay, fix, and possibly destroy the attacking air assault regiment. They are therefore assessed as extremely unlikely enemy targets. We will therefore prepare for an enemy air assault on Skovina airport.

"So, I have some orders for all you gentlemen. Alpha Company will defend Skovina airport. In keeping with the Training Corps mission, we will be leading and assisting the Romancian battalion we've trained.

"Beta Company will do two things. First, you will inform all commands when the enemy begins their air assault. In particular, you will provide two warnings, one when enemy infantry begins to board their helicopters and the other when half the force is in the air.

"Second, we will assume that Alpha Company will succeed in defending Skovina airport. The enemy survivors of their attack will return to their base. Beta Company will warmly greet them upon their return."

Everybody else on the radio chuckled. Elan, still chuckling, accepted his orders. "We'll give them a welcome-home party like they've never had before!"

"Any questions?" Hearing silence, Hadar asked, "Anything else?"

"Yes, sir!" said Ashtad eagerly. "As enemy soldiers leave the mess tents, base security is directing them to the hangars. It looks like they're starting to prepare to move out."

"Yes, it does! Thanks for that. Unless anybody else has anything, that's it. Happy hunting, Beta Company!"

Before his men could sign off, Elan broke in with, "Beta Company, remain on frequency for orders."

After Alpha Company left the channel, Elan asked, "Lior, how are you doing for weapons and ammo?"

"Well, we're short all the ATGMs we used, but we have a bunch of enemy rockets in compensation. We still have plenty of enemy LMGs and ammo, too. Um, a couple of enemy grenade launchers and some grenades for them."

"Do you think you can effectively up-arm both Squads 2 and 3 for tonight's assault?"

"Not really, sir. I was thinking we'd go in with mortar fire, machine gun fire, and as many heavy weapons as we can manage. I don't want to give them a chance to get organized, since we'll be outnumbered. Even with all the captured weapons, we'd still be a few short to give everybody one."

"OK. Orders: you and Ashtad develop a plan of attack, then move out as soon as you think it's safe. "

"Doran, cover Platoon 1's departure, then sit tight until the enemy launches his attack. Then sweep widely, find out what's going on in the enemy rear during and after the attack.

"Euenor, the drone needs to be in the air and over the enemy base by midnight. How you get it there is up to you, but try to keep it up as much as possible before then. After then... at the absolute most, how long could you keep it up?"

Euenor didn't need to think about that. "At high altitude, at best endurance speed, just under four hours."

"OK, it'll have to go up high and stay that way until the enemy starts boarding. Hopefully, they won't launch too late." Elan paused for a bit, considering. "If it gets to be 02:00 and they haven't started boarding their helos by then, bring it home to refuel, then send it out fast. That should get us the best possible coverage."


20:23

B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy airbase at T8-G4. The enemy has begun rigging slings to carry the four 6x6s from heavy transport helos.


Baumish Airbase at Ioudaian map position T8-G4
near Skovina, Romancia
29 May 01:00

Urgent. B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy airbase at T8-G4. The enemy has begun loading troops on their helos.

"While they're distracted, we're going to start digging a couple of mortar pits, and then start getting ranges." Lior was practically gleeful: shooting up convoys, even escorted ones, was OK, but finishing the job of ruining the enemy's day was much more worth while. "Lemme know if the enemy takes any notice of us."

"Right." Ashtad shook his head in amusement: he couldn't miss Lior's huge grin. "Don't have too much fun out there."


01:38

Most Urgent. B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy airbase at T8-G4. The enemy air assault regiment is now half-way airborne. All attack and scout helos are forming up in trail, and are being joined by heavy transport helos.[/b]


01:45

Urgent. B Company, Squad 2 Situation Report. Continuing surveillance enemy airbase at T8-G4. The enemy air assault regiment has departed in trail on a course for Skovina. Scout helos in the lead, followed by attack helos, then transport helos. Rearmost transport helos are four with sling-loaded 6x6s, followed by the medical helo. Emphasis: medical helo last in line.

All enemy airbase security personnel have gone indoors. No enemy personnel in sight on the ground.

Beta Company Headquarters
Ruined mansion outside Skovina, Romancia

Elan watched the video feed from the drone showing the departing enemy attack. He got on the radio. "Euenor, can the drone keep up with with enemy helos?"

"Not a chance!"

"Do your best, then, at the expense of endurance. The video from the drone will be useful to Alpha Company."

"Right!"

Elan then sent a message to Battalion Actual, letting him know that drone video would be available, but the drone would arrive after the enemy assault began.