A Union in Shambles. (P/MT - GD - TG for invite.)

[United World Order]

OOC Thread.

Yukar, Red Star Union, Central-East Greater Dienstad

The fierce fighting in Yukar between the fascists with Ordernite backed mercenaries against the RSU, who had since the fighting began had swelled to numbers of 12,500 in the last several months since the first 600 were deployed to the country. The fascists had made good gains during the months long fighting against the communist government forces and partisan groups who were organized by their military and government to help bolster numbers and fight against the fascists in Yukar. Although problems had arisen which yet to have found solutions to such as the current stalemate that had developed in Yukar. Ordernite intelligence had reported that since the recent fascist offensive in Yukar, communist forces had pulled back and re-grouped developing a string of defensive lines which had so far repelled every attempt at being broken by the fascists.

The Ordernite High Command was beginning to worry as the Red Star Union's close proximity to Lyran territory and the thought of possible interference by Lyras or any other power for whatever reason they may have could put the entire revolution and Ordernite strategic interests in jeopardy. Eventually after careful consideration and planning, the Ordernite High Command had deemed it necessary with authorization from the Fuhrer himself for official Ordernite intervention in the conflict in the RSU. The Ordernite 5th fleet was already in RSU territorial waters and had so far not been confronted by the blue water navy of the RSU and would use it's contingent of troops to help break the stalemate in the country. This would not be the only deployment of Ordernite forces to the RSU, other fleets were being prepared for war and would soon join the Ordernite 5th Fleet in spear heading the Ordernite offensive into the RSU.

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Dathel Port, Red Star Union, Central-East Dienstad

Recommended Listening.

Dathel Port which was under fascist control was now seeing the first deployments of the Ordernite military now part of Kampfgruppe 'Eisenfaust' which would consist of 450,000 men from the Ordernite Army and Order-SS along with the appropriate contingents of both naval and aerial components. The Ordernite 5th Fleet had already when it's amphibious assault craft had docked in the port had deployed it's contingent of 150,000 Ordernite Army soldiers and would begin setting up proper positions in and around Dathel Port while awaiting for the remaining 350,000 troops still being carried by their respective fleets to Dathel Port. Dathel Port was now under the authority and flag of the Ordernite Reich, a Ordernite flag was hoisted atop the highest point in port they could find and the previous owners of the Port would of turned over their authority to the kampfgruppe's Field Marshall who had arrived with the HQ staff on the first wave.

Opposition to the landing of Ordernite forces was slim to none, no RSU troops or military forces had been found by reconnaissance anywhere within 50KM of Dathel Port. Deployed from the 5th Fleet were it's aviation contingent such as the GlobalHawk UAVs sweeping the surface from high altitude for the presence of any RSU forces which it had been reported their were none within a 50KM radius. Yakar was still being heavily contested between the fascist revolutionary forces and the RSU military which It had been determined by Ordernite intelligence that most of the RSU's military capacity is being put into Yakar. A seemingly fatal flaw for the RSU which now allowed the exploitation of events by the Ordernite Reich to deploy military forces which would grow in the thousands throughout the conflict.

[United World Order]

Ivanovka, RSU, Central-Eastern Dienstad.
Ivanovka, one of the first cities to witness the arrival of Ordernite forces..

The city of Ivanovka which was one of the closest population centers to Dathel Port in which Dathel Port was considered it's own city. The Kampfgruppe's Field Marshal and staff had decided in conjunction with the Ordernite High Command that the city of Ivanovka needed to be secured before a proper thrust towards Yukar and further beyond that the capital of New Impen. With the arrival of additional troops by the thousands, a token force of three divisions were sent out to secure Ivanovka and ensure a clear route through and towards their objective of Yukar. Upon the arrival of the thirty thousand Ordernite Army soldiers, Ivanovka's city hall was raided as it's officials were placed under 'detainment' until further notice. The RSU's communist party building for Ivanovka was also raided by the Ordernite Army and all people there were 'detained' until further notice.

The flag of the Ordernite Reich was perched atop a large flag pole in the center of Ivanovka. Unfortunately the city was not left abandoned of RSU forces after all as a small garrison was stationed inside the city and some of the first engagements begun in the city sprawl of Ivanovka. The Soviet Republican Guard or known as 'Sovetskiy respublikanskoy gvardii' was a rear guard and gendarmerie force which was mobilized when the RSU needed more manpower or for cases such as a foreign foe invading it's shores. The SRG were mostly a mechanized and armored military force and in Ivanovka the garrison consisted of a single mechanized regiment. Ivanovka became alive with gunfire and explosions, the cries and groans of the wounded and scared civilians caught in the middle. Urban combat had enveloped much of the western and central parts of Ivanovka although the regiment was heavily outnumbered, they put up stubborn resistance against a force ten times it's size.

Oberschütze Wilfried Rauch quickly sprang to cover behind a overturned car due to a incoming mortar round from the enemy. He fiddled with his G36 assault rifle which had a under barrel grenade launcher as he cocked the hammer back and peeked around the edge to see where the enemy was. He was immersed in the sounds of battle as he spotted his foe down the street, several of them crouched and firing at them one was prone and seemed to be firing a machine gun. He pulled his head back as a round whizzed over his head, he looked around from cover as he saw the rest of his unit in cover and firing back at the enemy. He put his weapon to his shoulder and peeked back out with the barrel of his rifle pointing at the enemy, he lined his sights up with one of them, the prone machine gunner. He squeezed the trigger as he watched his rounds hit the machine gunner in the face below the rim of his helmet, blood sprayed out as the soldier slumped his head down against his arms and stopped moving completely.

He continued firing as he begun to build confidence, another foe dropped dead as the others moved to the side of a building using it for cover and now out of sight of Rauch and his unit. Just then a armored vehicle pulled into view, a BMP-2 and a full load of infantry coming out of the back of it as they spread out to give suppressive fire for the BMP-2. Rauch got behind cover again as he braced for the roar of the BMP-2's 30mm main gun and hoping that it wouldn't fire on his cover which was an overturned car. The BMP-2 moved it's 30mm gun towards a target which was a car but not the one Rauch was hiding behind. The 30mm main gun barked loudly as a car further down the road from him lit up like fireworks and plumes of smoke escaped the barrage.

"Fiend,vordere!" A fellow soldier shouted over the gunfire and overall ambience of combat. Rauch peeked back around his cover and saw that the enemy infantry were starting to advance. He began shooting almost franticly as the enemy were advancing, backs slouched forward to keep their heads low some even fired back as they moved.

"Feuerschutz!" Some other soldier said as Rauch was in the moment of battle, he let the empty magazine fall to the pavement below as he mechanically reached for another one when he heard a loud 'WHOOSH' and then the impact of a explosive rocking the BMP-2 as it came to a hault. Someone had fired a anti-tank launcher at the BMP-2 which had luckily disabled it, the infantry although were still present and firing at them. As Rauch began to fire once again at his foes he swore he could hear something faintly, as it became louder and louder before he looked up and saw to his surprise a attack helicopter fly above them as the enemy became no more, shredded with 30mm fire from the helicopter.

Although the garrison regiment was severely outnumbered and outgunned, it's division was not far behind only by a few kilometers and communication contact had been made and the division was now on full speed towards Ivanovka which had been spotted by Ordernite intelligence as a division from the force tasked to secure the city was now going to meet them in the outskirts of the city in an attempt to secure a pincer movement and prevent additional enemy forces from bringing relief to the embattled mechanized regiment.

[United World Order]

Outskirts of Ivanovka, RSU, Central-Eastern Dienstad,
The Battle for the Outskirts of Ivanovka begin...

The Kampfgruppe's 2nd Division which was fully mechanized had successfully been able to intercept the incoming RSU Division coming to the aid of it's besieged mechanized regiment in the city of Ivanovka. The battlefield was mostly flat with a main highway stretching out all the way towards the neighboring city of Chërnaya and along the way being several villages and towns. The 2nd Division was barely able to mount a formidable defensive line before the SRG Division appeared, two regiments of armor followed by another regiment of mechanized forces were now being thrown at them in a seemingly desperate attempt to break the 2nd Division and thrust into Ivanovka. The sound of moving tank tracks and the roar of hundreds of large engines could be heard over the sound of explosives and automatic gunfire. They came in a seemingly wedge formation with their T-80 and T-72 main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers were within the wedge almost forming the line to a arrow aiming directly for the 2nd Division. The distance the wedge had to cover was at least several kilometers and allowed the 2nd Division to hastily mount a defense with it's own armor, Leopard 2A5 main battle tanks maneuvered into positions as they begun slugging it out with incoming enemy armor, dust and smoke filled the air as the Leopard 2A5's fired their 120mm smoothbore main guns towards the enemy.

Plumes of black smoke could be seen out in the distance as the Leopard 2A5 120mm main guns fired HE rounds at their foes. Already several T-72s and T-80s had been disabled or completely destroyed. Of course the enemy was firing back, the T-80 main battle tanks had a ATGM missile system on top of the hull next to the commander's hatch, these missiles proved pesky for Leopard 2A5 tanks who had to use their counter measures to thwart some of the missiles. Several Leopard tanks were disabled by these missiles and shots from the T-80 or T-72's main guns and were left as cover and or stationary emplacements if their main guns still worked and the crew was alive. The BMPs and BTRs were also another problem facing the 2nd Division with their detachments of mechanized forces, those with AT capabilities as the Leopards were having to deflect rockets and 30mm cannon fire.

Enemy artillery was also starting to make the battle even more difficult for both infantry and armor. For the most part the 2nd Division's infantry had been spread out amongst the city sprawl in Ivanovka near the highway leading into Ivanovka from the north. Although most of the enemy artillery was directed at the Leopard 2A5 tanks and other armored vehicles present, some stray rounds did hit some infrastructure and streets. One of the blessings of the 2nd Division in the battle was the Lu-45 Air Superiority Aircraft otherwise known as 'Hawk', a squadron of these were strafing the skies above Ivanovka and the outskirts, some had barely re-armed after completing some precision bombing strikes within the city and now they were allowed more free room to show their destructive capabilities. From the skies as the Lu-95 stalked their massed prey like the hawks they were nicknamed after, they begun releasing their munitions which were mostly area saturation munitions such as cluster bombs fit with AT capabilities and guided ATGMs. The battlefield shook as these bombs hit their mark, the attacking force was now down to half of their original strength with a quarter of it's tanks knocked out completely and it's infantry also having taken a toll.

The time was now as the 2nd Division switched from defense to offense. The now weakened SRG attack now opened up a counter attack by the 2nd Division who sent it's own force against the now retreating enemy forces. Leopard 2A5 main battle tanks and armored vehicles with infantry support surged forward chasing the enemy and dealing them more damage as they fled. Eventually the counter attack slowed to a stop as the enemy's battered attack force had reached the rest of it's force in which the chasing Ordernite ground forces backed off and returned to their original positions. The 2nd Division now licked it's wounds and began to form actual defenses as it's engineering component got to work getting static defenses built and the infantry begun to fill bags with earth dug up to make sand bags which they'd begin to build their new positions with.

The Divisions artillery component was now also setting up, most of them situated inside the city to make any aerial or counter battery fire less effective than being in the open. Batteries of Pzh 2000's and Dumar 155mm ATGs were now ready for action as they'd soon have their targets if another attack came following the failure of the first attack.

Recommended Listening.

56th Street, Ivanovka, RSU, Central-Eastern Dienstad.
Cpl. Pavlov, 4th Platoon, 1st Mechanized Regiment..

The streets were empty besides us and the rubble that was already piling up on the sidewalks and in the streets themselves from the artillery and airstrikes. Our platoon was going to link up with another platoon who was only three streets away, we were a mechanized platoon and were accompanied by a BMP-2 as it slugged it's way down the street keeping at the pace of us infantry. We didn't think we'd see actual combat, and if so not anything like this, we thought we'd eventually be sent to help our actual army repel the fascist 'revolutionaries' in Yukar but instead we are trying to defend from a surprise invasion by the Ordernites, cowards to hit us when not even all of our army was in the exact area they landed. So now we would face the blunt of this attack and oh did we ever, we were outnumbered ten to one, a regiment against three whole fucking divisions. When we first heard the news about Dathel Port, we thought the fascists were just going to try and contest the city and it be a walk in the park as the revolutionaries didn't organize attacks for territory in such large numbers.

Now as we moved down 56th Street our men and women were being put up against modern tanks and armored vehicles and equally trained and equipped forces. It was going bad and I was just trying to survive it and hopefully get the hell out of Ivanovka. I cradled my AK-74 assault rifle in my arms as I moved with the rest of my platoon. It wasn't before long until we started coming under mortar fire, we scrambled for cover as I kicked open a door, I don't even know if anyone was inside or what the building was I just kicked the door open and sat on the stairs. The rounds started impacting, terrible sounds those things make when they land and explode. I heard a scream from outside following a mortar shell hitting somewhere close. Once it stopped I came back out and saw one of our comrades had been hit by shrapnel, his leg looked like shredded meat as it was barely attached. Our medic with the help of some others moved him into an alley way to treat him, just then the fascists came and we were fighting for our lives.

I aimed my rifle like a man at my enemies and fired, my rifle was on full automatic and I soon realized I expended my whole magazine when I heard the return fire, loud cracks in the air, near my head as I ran back for cover. Slipping a fresh magazine into my rifle and cocking the hammer back I continued firing again, I got one of them to be suppressed as he was hiding behind a car I kept putting bullets into. Just then I started to become a target, the windows next to me suddenly shattered as I shielded myself and moved backwards almost tripping backwards over the stair case. The incoming rounds kept coming as I dropped the floor and put my hands over my head, I think a machine gunner was shooting at me because it took thirty seconds before it stopped. I got back up careful not to hurt myself with all the shards of glass and I started shooting again. Our BMP was using it's machine gun to keep the fascists at bay, I decided it be safer and I ran behind the BMP using it for more harder cover. I looked around, I knew our platoon had had enough of the fighting as I could see the fear and the agony of the wounded and those young recruits. The SRG was mostly for the fresh out of school recruits or those who were pried away from their grieving mothers who didn't want to see them die in some foreign land, but this was our land.

We took more casualties, seven of our men were now injured and being tended to in an alley by our medics. Some of our men had been killed, one of them had been shot in between eyes probably by a sniper when he stuck his head around the corner from the alley he was hiding in. Another man that I actually knew because he use to be my neighbor when we were younger, kids. He was leaking blood from so many holes in his chest, the medic couldn't cover them all with his hands to get the bandages on in time, he died right there of blood loss. Blood, I saw a lot of that. I was still in the fight, still shooting at my enemy, the fascists who would probably kill us all if they were able to get through us. When I finished my second magazine and reached for another when the BMP outside started to back up quickly and the other men were waving and pointing franticly. I popped the magazine back in and looked for myself and I saw it, what a beast it was, a tank had come down the road and onto our street. I saw the sudden fire ball as it fired it's main gun, the sound was defeaning, my ears ringed for at least five minutes and the blast was just as bad, it knocked me over onto my back.

I crawled to the door way, when the blast hit I guess I threw up the rifle when I fell and it was out on the sidewalk. I crawled and hoped I wouldn't get shot, it was also quiet, I thought maybe It was just my hearing and I wasn't paying attention to anything else but getting to rifle. Suddenly I felt something metal and hot press against my cheek and I looked and saw him, a Ordernite standing above me with his rifle pointed at the side of my face. "Um Ihre Füße!" he said to me, shouted at me probably but what was I to know? I didn't speak their language so I just froze where I was. Next thing you know I get a mouth full of boot in my face and I lay flat on the ground with his foot in my back as some other Ordernites came and hoisted me up. They took my rifle and laid it against the wall of the building I had been in, they stripped me of my vest which had my other magazines and grenades, they checked my pockets, took my cigarettes and a picture of my wife. I tried to tell them to give it back and tried to tell them but all I got was "Halt die Schnauze kommunistischen!" and a slap in the face.

[United World Order]

Downtown, Ivanovka, RSU, Central-Eastern Dienstad.
The remnants of the Ivanovka defenders surrender to Ordernite forces..

The scenery in downtown Ivanovka was that of a bleak and gray feel mixed with defeat. A long column of shuffled feet moved down the main street through downtown, these feet were the feet of the now surrendered defenders of Ivanovka. A white flag sat atop a three story office building where the commander and staff had chosen as the defenders headquarters. Ordernite soldiers patrolled the area and some escorting the defeated now prisoners of war out of the downtown area and towards a designated waiting area until proper transportation could arrive to take them to Dathel Port. The downtown area had suffered the most during the initial fighting, buildings lay in ruin as rubble and trash litter the streets and sidewalks. Plumes of smoke and fires were not uncommon in some areas of Ivanovka like downtown, although the city fire department were working to put out these fires. When the mechanized regiment had first engaged the Ordernites in the downtown area, they had pushed them back having surprised them and re-taken the downtown area containing the city hall and other high rises. It only took almost a week for the Ordernites to regain the grounds they lost to the enemy regiment and force their surrender.

Their commander and regimental staff were all detained but not sent off with the rest of the column. A brief meeting had just been concluded between the now defeated commander and his staff and the Ordernites. As they exited a building which was the city hall building they all stopped at the steps as the enemy commander and the Ordernite commander shook hands. The Ordernite pulled the other in closely as he swiftly brought his Colt Anaconda .44 magnum to the commander's chin. He stared at the commander in the eyes briefly before turning his head away and squeezing the trigger. The commander's staff were forced onto their knees as well before being swiftly executed with a bullet to the back of the head. Blood flowed down the steps of the city hall building as the Ordernites bypassed the fresh corpses and left in a vehicle.

Meanwhile additional Ordernite forces were entering Ivanovka, recently after landing at Dathel Port. Their numbers had swelled from 150,000 to 389,000 soldiers and more would surely be coming. The frontal push towards Yakar and the RSU capital was now being widened with the arrival of additional forces. Cities such as Pezlevo, Orekhovka and Rubino would soon come under siege from Ordernite forces along a wide front to secure more land for a more broadening "Summer Offensive". Aerial superiority was still being contested although it was well known that the Ordernite Air Force was winning the battle in the air, the Lu-45 Hawks were much more modern and versatile then the RSU's MiGs and other aircraft. Naval wise, the RSU's smaller less modern navy had already been dealt several defeats at sea by Ordernite carrier groups patrolling the territorial waters of the RSU.

The SRG since their defeat at Ivanovka have been pooling forces and manpower to build up a defensive line to halt the Ordernite advance until the RSU's actual military could link up with the SRG and mount a "Summer Offensive" of their own. Government funded and equipped partisans were also beginning to fill their role in the war, they moved in smaller numbers conducting guerilla warfare and deep reconnaissance on Ordernite forces and positions. Already had several engagements occurred between Ordernite forces and the partisans, they had proved to be a pesky and stubborn force to deal with and already Ordernite military planners were drawing up ways to deal with the threat, special forces operations and other means were being considered by the Ordernite High Command and the Kampfgruppe's commanding staff.

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[United World Order]

Recommended Listening.

Kizlikovo, RSU, Central-Eastern Dienstad.
Leopard 2A5 Tank Commander, Feldwebel Eduard Priller, 3rd Panzer Battalion.

The area around the town of Kizlikovo was turning into the next battlefield for the confrontation between Ordernite forces and the re-grouping SRG. Kizlikovo sat two dozen kilometers away from the city of Chernaya which seemed to be turning into a SRG stronghold and along the defensive line the SRG was mobilizing it's forces in. The third Panzer Battalion was part of the 13th Panzer Division and was designated with it's fellow battalions to secure the town of Kizlikovo and the surrounding area and destroy all enemy forces. The SRG had several mechanized rifle companies in and around Kizlikovo, army intelligence sources had estimated that at least two full SRG divisions were defending the area including part of the highway that led out towards Chernaya. In the area for the Ordernites were twice that many along with the three Panzer battalions near Kizlikovo. Eduard Priller looked through the scope of the observing telescope as he squinted and looked to see what he could see as his Leopard 2A5 rumbled and moved forward. He couldn't see much with the fog that was in the area due to it being mid-morning although their were reports of sightings of the enemy.

"Any sighting of the enemy?" one of the crewman asked as Eduard shook his head as he moved his head away from the telescope. The tank continued to roll forward, other Leopard 2A5 tanks followed suite as they moved towards the outskirts of Kizlikovo when they finally came under contact from the enemy. Radio chatter started to come in reporting enemy contacts, mostly mechanized forces with BTRs and BMPs along with their ATGM capabilities. Eduard ordered the crew to keep the tank on it's main course as the tank continued pressing on as did others part of his company. One of the crewmen looking through a different view point spotted the enemy as they were closing in on them, "Contact front!", "Loading!", "Feuer!". The Leopard 2A5's 120mm smoothbore main gun fired it's first round at a stationary BTR which was firing it's 30mm cannon. The 120mm round impacted the front of the BTR, soon after a round from a different tank hit the side of the BTR while it was trying to turn, as the BTR came to a full halt and started smoking.

The SRG's mechanized companies were now starting to come under fire by the 3rd Battalion's tanks and armored vehicles. ATGM and RPG fire came in return as one of the first tanks stopped in it's tracks after a ATGM hit to the track. Eduard's Leopard 2A5 slowed to a stop as a 120mm round was loaded into the main gun, it has spotted some AT infantry shooting from a house, the main gun of the Leopard fired as the round impacted the house as a dust and pieces of the house itself shot up in the air. As the battle developed for Kizlikovo and the surrounding area, the 3rd Panzer Battalion's troop contigent which numbered 324 soldiers in total begun to disembark in support of the armor to clear out SRG infantry.

Eduard's Leopard 2A5 pushed forward again, coming closer towards the edge of Kizlikovo it's self. Through one of the imaging sights, one of the roads in was blocked with a makeshift barricade of sandbags and other obstacles. "Fire into that barricade" ordered Eduard as the loader loaded a 120MM round into the main gun before firing it. The barricade after the dust settled had a large hole in it as one of the Puma IFV's smashed through the rest of it, it's 30mm cannon started firing as other vehicles from the 3rd Panzer Battalion and infantry surged in. Eduard's tank did not follow but went around the right flank of the town. "Contacts in the open, three hundred meters!" one of the crewman called out as Eduard looked through a sight of his own, he spotted in the distance several BMP-2s forming a spread out line, occasionally firing as well and even one was firing at their tank. "One of them is firing at us, fire back now!" Eduard ordered as a 120mm round fired out the Leopard 2A5 tank, the BMP took a direct hit as a plume of black smoke shot out of it. Radio chatter started coming in, "All friendly armor and infantry, caution, close air support in bound in less then thirty seconds" Eduard then ordered the tank to a halt as the gunner loaded another 120mm shell into the main gun.

Above the battlefield, a squadron of Tornado IDS aircraft swooped in from above Kizlikovo launching AGM-65 Mavericks from their hard points. Several SGR armored vehicles suffered direct hits, as they became burning hulks of twisted metal, coffins for their crew and whoever else was unfortunate to be caught inside or near it during the blasts. Additional reinforcements from the two divisions which included armor were beginning to surge into the area, the way to Chernaya was only just beginning.

[United World Order]

Recommended Listening.

Highway leading to Chernaya, RSU, Central-Eastern Dienstad.
Staff Sergeant Pachinko, 1st Platoon, 4th Mechanized Regiment.

With the loss of Ivanovka to the Ordernites and a full division trying to counter their attack, our division and other forces set up a defensive line amongst several cities covering hundreds of kilometers of territory that we hoped to hold against their onslaught. The division I was part of was charged with holding a section of the highway that we could not let fall into enemy hands allowing the Ordernites easier transportation methods to penetrate further into our homeland. Most of our positions were in trenches which we dug out during the entire battle of Ivanovka and when we knew that we wouldn't be able to hold them back. I could hear the distant raging battles from our comrades south of us where a few towns were spread out amongst there. I could hear the noise slowly get louder and louder, as if the Ordernites were coming our way which they were once we got word their was a full scale retreat and that what remained from the first defensive positions would be coming to the new defensive line.

I knew something was wrong as I was sitting in the trench having read a novel that I had been reading for quite some time and had taken it with me when our unit was mobilized to face the fascist onslaught. Everyone was looking out towards the south and I decided to do so myself and see what the hell was going on as many of the men were shook up about something. When I got to my feet and looked out I saw them, the remaining defenders from the towns were coming this way, a sporadic and unprofessional retreat. They came in whatever vehicles they could scavenge or save most likely. When some of them came down the actual highway and came towards us, we let them pass. A lot of them were wounded, either having bandages around their head or a ligament or were laying down in the back of a truck or a car.

"Make sure you are ready for them, In no time they will be assaulting our line." Our lieutenant said as he looked through a pair of binoculars, scanning the horizon south for any approaching armor or infantry. We heard the distant roar of an aircraft, I looked up and it obviously wasn't ours as it went over us and to the north before swooping back around and heading back from where it had come from. Some SPAAG fire had probably persuaded it to not stay in the area for long, now I just waited for the inevitable. I held my rifle tight, so tight I think my knuckles were turning white because of it and the sweat on my palms wasn't helping my grip on the gun either, I was nervous so nervous and scared, I didn't think I'd actually see or take part in active combat that's why I was happy to be in the SRG, they barely saw combat and if their was it wasn't anything big.

Then out of the blue came one of the most horrifying sounds and things I've ever experienced. They started shelling us but not with regular artillery it was rockets, a lot of fucking rockets. I ducked my head inside the trench just thinking about everything I've done with my life and that my life might end right now. I could barely hear anything besides the rockets falling and explosions, I felt the ground vibrate and shake after a rocket would hit the ground and explode. Suddenly it ended, I looked up at the sky and then down to my rifle as I picked it up in my hands and stood up as some dirt fell of me. I looked out to the south and saw what I had been anticipating, tanks and vehicles were coming from the horizon and we knew they weren't ours and that they had to be the Ordernites beginning their assault. Our lieutenant started barking orders as everyone manned the trenches and the sand bag positions on the actual highway, they had a SPG-9 on the highway where the sand bags are and a machine gun. I personally count myself lucky I was in the trench and not out in the open on the highway.

Then I heard our own artillery coming in overhead and landing amongst the advancing Ordernites. I felt a little more confident when that started happening, I even saw a direct hit on a armored vehicle. It stopped in it's tracks as the crew and everyone inside it got out of there, but that wasn't all of them of course and they were still coming our way. I knew they were getting closer when the SPG-9 started firing on them, I put my rifle up to my shoulder and waited for the infantry to come out in support of everything else. Suddenly white smoke started to appear and our vision of them was obscured by a smoke screen. Then that's when the cracks of gunfire and explosions started erupting all over the place. "Fire at will, kill all of those fascist pigs, shoot you fuckers!" Our Lieutenant barked at us over everything that was going on and that's when we started returning fire, I fired some of my rifle at the infantry that was now moving along the pace of the tanks and other armored vehicles.

It was in the middle of the evening and the sky was starting to darken as the sun was going down. The tracers all the different bright flashes and streaks of colored lights going through the air was probably the most fantastic thing to watch. I kept up the fire as I squeezed the trigger of my assault rifle and then put a new magazine when the one I had went dry. I had to duck quite a few times from their incoming fire, I swear a tank round went right over my head and hit somewhere off into the field behind me. I suddenly realized something wet and warm going down my leg as I was shooting and I looked and saw I had soiled myself. I frowned and thought "what if the enemy takes me prisoner and they see I've pissed myself?" I shook my head and kept shooting at the Ordernites, they did take some casualties especially from the machine gun nests we had but their armored vehicles did do quite a toll on us ourselves.

"Do not fear them comrades, they are nothing but shit under your boot, show them the power of the Red Union!" Our Lieutenant roared, trying to raise our morale and keep us fighting which It did but we were starting to notice we weren't going to be able to hold this stretch of highway for much longer. I heard the radio transmissions, our lines were starting to break, they were piercing our defenses. I felt a rush of wind hitting the side of my face and a lot of dirt when I turned and saw that the position on the high way had taken a direct hit probably by a tank. The medics were scrambling to check if there were any survivors and I saw my Lieutenant, patriotic bastard he was standing in the open and not in the trench holding up his carbine into the air and shouting more shit at us to keep us fighting. That's when he took two shots to the chest and collapsed, we dragged him into the trench and a medic came to try and save him. He was coughing, blood and he was trying to talk to us his eyes looked scared and full of fear.

He didn't make it and passed away in my fellow comrade's arms as our medic moved on to other wounded that needed attending to. That's when it had been decided we needed to fall back, we had some vehicles but not enough for all the wounded we had. I didn't want to leave them there and neither did anyone else but we had to. We gave them what ammo we could and grenades just enough for a final last stand and that's when the men who were able and the wounded we could carry loaded up and we left down the highway towards the city.

[Mokastana]

Port of Stavropol, Northern RSU
Central Dienstad

The large container vessel settled into the dock. It's clean and freshly painted surface stood in contrast with the drab and used up feeling one got by looking on the docks and surrounding buildings. Even in the distance, apartment buildings stood tall, uniform and grey, more like soldiers than homes. Even the Haize took more pride in their architecture, for never would one see a building with peeling paint or cheap antennas there.

It was cold here, colder than at home, but the crew was hardened against such trivialities. They were men of the sea, sailing under a banner of free trade. To them every port was just another stop, a way to get food and new exotics. To the cargo, this was their new home. Lieutenant Colonel Philipe Castro looked over the mass of vessels coming into port. Each waving the same banner of apex feline predators. In the distance, army units from the Red Star Union stood on guard. Protecting the port from any attack.

The ramps landed with a metallic thud even Castro could hear from the superstructure, LY224 'Sorcha' HIFVs roared to life and began rolling off the cargo ships and into the docks. Local workers saw and stopped their work. These vehicles did not match the BMPs of the Red Star Army, and though these new vehicles had red stars, they each wore seven arranged in a circle, rather than the solid single one of the People's Army.

Container ships still at sea began to unload and prepare SkyGuard batteries right on their deck. Within minutes radar coverage was established from sea as small helicopters took off and flew inland. Once again the helicopters and their Red Stars failed to match local design.

Oddly enough, the Red Star Forces guarding the docks did nothing against the new army on their shores. Instead, a small convoy of light vehicles drove up to the new forces establishing a perimeter, and was escorted to what could be assumed as the new forces head quarters. When the locals walked out to meet the new invaders, guns were not drawn, bullets were not exchanged. The only threat they presented was an open hand, which was met by the invader's own. Together they shook the embraced hands up and down.

Workers looked in awe, not knowing who these foreigners were, or why they came. All they knew was that the same soldiers sworn to protect them from the evils of the world now openly embraced the invaders. Whatever this meant, they only knew they would have no control over the consequences to come.

[United World Order]

Chernaya, RSU, Central Eastern Dienstad.
The Red Star Union's SRG forces collapse under the pressure of the Ordernites..

The battle for Chernaya was turning into certain defeat for the SRG defending the city from the Ordernites. A combined Ordernite force of Army and Order-SS divisions numbering nearly 100,000 had surrounded and were now assaulting the defensives. It had been only days since the fighting begun for the city and already hundreds were dead including civilians caught in the cross fire. The Ordernite Army General Staff were determined to secure Chernaya in victory and fought hard against the SRG who put up a desperate stubborn defense against it, using mostly guerilla tactics and strategic retreating, knowing full well the city would fall soon enough. Artillery and close air support were essential for Ordernite military operations such as the taking of Chernaya, already dozens of sorties and dozens of artillery strikes and barrages had been made on SRG positions. The SRG had repaid the Ordernites in kind, mostly utilizing rocket artillery and launching counter attacks with tanks supported by infantry which would have some success before the Ordernites would rebound and push them back.

Scores of Lu-45 Hawks and Tornado IDS aircraft dotted across the skies above Chernaya and the surrounding airspace. Ordernite aerial dominance had mostly been secured throughout the areas already taken by Ordernite ground forces. Incursions by RSU MiGs and bombers were not un common and most attempts were stopped although some did get through but were soon put to an end. The RSU Navy at this point was nothing but a mere shadow of it's former self, Ordernite Navy patrols and fleet movements were common in RSU territorial waters, the occasional cruise missile strikes would occur from time to time, usually targeting future military targets. Cities such as Pezlevo, Orekhovka and Rubino much as Chernaya were being sieged in similar fashion and SRG forces were collapsing, a majority surrendering to their foes outright while others deserted or fled in masses in face of the enemy, while most perished in combat. It was getting bad enough that the actual RSU Army needed to divert manpower and resources to try and hold the Ordernite onslaught back until the rebels could be defeated, although with the stalemate and the beginning of a new BSM offensive, the chances of such looked slim to none.

Chernaya eventually fell to Ordernite forces when the last SRG units surrendered out right, other defensive hold outs of the SRG were folding and collapsing due to the Ordernite onslaught. 600,000 Ordernite soldiers, Army and Order-SS were on RSU soil, the invasion of the RSU was considered the biggest deployment of Ordernite forces in any campaign they've been in to date since the 'Great Patriotic War'. The SRG had suffered a horrific defeat and already 150,000 SRG soldiers had been taken prisoner due to surrendering to Ordernite forces as another 95,000 had been killed in a month worth of fighting. It was looking like the beginning of the end for the Red Star Union.

[Mokastana]

Nazarovo, RSU, Central Eastern Dienstad
150 km south of Stavropol

"Comrades, this is the Mokan AM-07 Assault Rifle, you will notice it looks similar to a AK-74, but the differences become obvious when you hold it."

The man in non descript camouflage gear passes the rifle to the man on his left, letting him take a look before passing it around the group of officers in clearly different, well decorated, uniforms.

"It's a few kilograms heavier, but fires a 7.62x54mm round, capable of defeating all but the heaviest body armor at normal combat ranges. In practice this rifle gives any soldier the ability to switch from sharpshooter to LMG support with the flip of a switch. It only fires single shot and full auto, but with a bullet this big, double tap is not necessary.

But you are all familiar with AK variants, and you know the bigger the bullet the less you can carry, so let me introduce you to the 6.5 x 45mm JMC, and it's rifle, the AY144L. This round has better penetration than the 7.62x39, and allows the soldier to carry more ammunition. Unlike the AM-07s, we will need to train a group of your soldiers in is use, but we promise your soldiers will feel the difference.

"However, rifles are next to useless against armor, so I have another Yanitarian present for use, the Missile launcher, Modèle 14, "Coup", the MA-14..."

International Airport
Stavropol, RSU

"Comrade General, you asked for a way to cause trouble for the fascists, this is the most efficient way."

The dark skinned man wore a Mokan Army Uniform, his rank and unit hidden under Velcro flaps to prevent identification without consent. His high cheekbones and stout face showed his Natul ancestry. Ancient warriors of Mokastana, the only indigenous peoples who managed to maintain, if not their empire, then their identity.

"I do like to see capitalist fight fascists, but Military Business soldiers, they do not have loyalty. Loyal only to capitalism."

Standing next to the Mokan Native, was a man of clearly Slavic decent. His white skin and grey hair became only more pronounced next to this man. Unlike the Mokan, his uniform was decorated with metals from a dozen campaigns. Together they stood in a terminal, watching a plane unload a group of soldiers who's uniforms didn't match anyone else's. A single 'M' logo rested on the tail of the plane.

"Comrade General, even mercenaries have some honor, if they risked betraying their customers, who would hire them in the future? These men, they are not in it for the money, they just find life on the battlefield more comforting than civilian life. Lucky for them, this world is hostile enough they can always find a home."

"You say they will scare fascists?"

"There is a place in Fegosian Territory, I forget its name, but our soldiers call it the crucible. It is harsh, unforgiving and the natives will eat you alive. Their special forces train there, and a few Mokan volunteers, not all who live are still, human. Mentally, I mean. Some wash out, some retiree, but the crucible stays with them always. These are the ones who chose private industry to exercise those demons."

"Demons do not exists."

"Comrade General, demons do exists, but they often look like men."

[Alfegos]

EXECUTIVE SECURITY SOLUTIONS (ESS)
Security in an Insecure World

Dear Employee,

Thank you for accepting the most recent contract, with reference to security operations for one of our most prestigious clients. As you are aware, the work will be for close protection of our clients interests, with possible counter-competition work. As such, we will expect you to make the necessary arrangements with regards to personal security before you report in 7 days time to your assembly point. Your security will be audited before you depart.

Kind Regards,

'C'

== == == == == == ==

The vessel was like many the men had worked on in their time, a Montana vessel flying the Mokan flag. The small ferry was a temporary home of one of the Public Infrastructure Support Teams. As with any nation, Montana knew that war brought opportunities - governments needing the money that Montana could offer, in exchange for investment in land, business, and resources. On deck, four very visible, heavily armed men sat looking out at the port, columns of smoke rising over the city. Just the place to start work in.

Below deck, sitting back as they waited to arrive, twenty men sat in one of the holds, packing equipment away as they readied for the arrival. From here, it was noticable the equipment they had. One large bag, marked with a name and the ESS logo, modern equipment hanging around. Next to them, smaller, rugged civilian bags sat, AKS-74 rifles just visible in one of the sacks.

The commander of the team sat on his camp cot, looking over his small notebook and glancing at his men. At 41, he was starting to get old, though a desk job had never been something for him. That had been his philosophy six years ago when he approached ESS for the first time, and one that he was still sticking to.

The men around him all had something in common. Most were Fegosians, their uniforms bearing the subtle marks of the special forces they had served with in the past. A few were Mokans - or rather, the Mokans who had survived the training ESS offered. All soon would be putting that training to the test, once again, in yet another of the many nations of Greater Dienstad.

--

'Do you believe in ghosts, Mr Sanchez?'
An uneventful day had passed - politics and settling in, acclimitisation in one of the few hotels still open in this neighbourhood. His men were watching, mounting patrols as the beers were cracked open. He himself wasn't drinking, just taking a short break before he went to meet with his contact in Montana.

'You see, we have this place called the Crucible. It's not on any map, mainly because nobody ever wants to go out and map the area. Once upon a time, it was a Fegosian Army research station, working on advanced weapons system - up until it was a key battleground in the Fegosian Civil War. One of the many irregular units in the Fegosian Army trains there still. Though it's said that the combatants of that war still live in the deep forest.

Now, you may say that's a load of rubbish. But when I found the body of an aged man, shot in the back with a rifle that's not been in service for 50 years, I wasn't too sure...'

The Montana worker looked up, laughing.
'Man, your country is messed up. I know about the whole ongoing thing in the forests and one of the big cities next door, but that's another step up.'
'Yes. Messed up indeed.' He looked into the distance, frowning.
'The Crucible is nicknamed that because it forges people into what they want. If you don't come out as they want, it burns you.'

He looked out the window. A flare hung over the sky in the distance, the fighting still many tens of miles away.
'War is hell. The crucible is something else entirely. The Fegosian Army taught us to respect the laws and customs of war, to show honorable restraint. The Crucible taught us... something else...'
He sat back and laughed.
'Well, I could go on all day about it, since you asked. To be honest, my men don't like to talk about it. I hope that satisfies your curiousity for now - just remember you're in safe hands. Otherwise, Montana wouldn't employ us.'

[United World Order]

Yukar, RSU, Central Eastern Dienstad.
Ordenite forces finally reach the embattled city of Yukar..

Yukar had drastically changed over the last few months the conflict with the city being reduced to bombed out ruins and a shadow of it's former self. Plumes of black smoke rose into the air which inevitably marked that the city of Yukar was in the distance. The Black Star Movement which was led by Pavel Kedrov who had two months ago decreed the formation of his own government in the RSU after a meeting with Ordenite High Command staff. Kedrov had decreed that the remainder of the RSU military and Vladmir Aponos's regime were not legitimate and that soon Aponos would be apprehended and put to trial for his endless crimes. With the help of the Ordenite Reich, Kedrov's revolutionaries were able to continue their war against Communism in RSU without a hitch, armaments and supplies were flown in by transport aircraft to a secured airstrip and so were Ordenite military advisors to spectate BSM operations and improve their tactics and strategies in battle against Aponos's forces. In current time the BSM had swelled in numbers and over all membership to several hundred thousand people, people who swore loyalty to Kedrov out of either wanting of change or so they are not labeled communists themselves.

When Ordenite forces begun to reach Yukar they arrived in two ways. One was the use of the secured airstrip in which Fallschirmjager were landed by transport and linked up with BSM forces in anticipation for the inevitable Ordenite assault on RSU held positions in Yukar to finally liberate the city. It came the first shots for the liberation of Yukar as artillery elements of the Ordenite Army begun to fire on RSU positions within the city and they didn't hold back either. Self propelled artillery, rocket artillery and even some of the newly deployed 'Donner' Self Propelled Heavy Mortar units were kicking off the barrage on RSU positions in Yukar. Then came the mechanized and armored units of the Ordenite Army and Ordenite SS units. The Kampfgruppe's general staff had decided to pledge several divisions to the fight in order to deliver a heavy blow to Aponos's forces in Yukar.

Once Ordenite ground forces begun to make their surge into Yukar the combined Fallschirmjager and BSM forces begun their assault ahead of the surging heavy ground forces. Utilizing their speed and maneuverability they were able to sweep out RSU defensive positions and form pockets of resistance before they secured a bridge within the city in which they halted due to the RSU's stubborn resistance. Heavy ground forces soon caught up, cleaning up what pockets of resistance were left and sending prisoners of war in the other direction for transport to collection centers. In the beginning strokes of the battle the stalemate was immediately broken as battle lines had shifted radically in favor of Kedrov and the Ordenite Reich as Aponos's forces which not only included military forces but also state funded and armed paramilitary forces who favored guerilla warfare than conventional methods.

Urban warfare was the highlight of the battle of Yukar, street to street and building to building. Aponos's forces utilized guerilla warfare in order to strike back or delay the inevitable Ordenite and BSM victory. Buildings occupied by paramilitary or Army units were turned into indivual strong holds which would further form lines of defense. The Ordenites would either send forces in to clear the buildings or if resistance to it's capture was too much the building was demolished by engineers and or artillery fire. With the amount of devastation in Yukar entire city blocks looked like open fields of flattened rubble and hollow un-stable remains of buildings. Leopard 2A5 MBTs were allowed easier maneuverability due to the devastation in the city and thus Ordenite firepower against Aponos's forces were used to better success which was a key part of Ordenite war doctrine.

Eventually as more of Yukar fell to the combined Ordenite - BSM onslaught the defending forces begun to capitulate and collapse. Positions of defense begun to become abandoned or white flags were hoisted by surrendering RSU paramilitary or army soldiers. The one's that still had a fight in them either were pockets of resistance or fled out of Yukar to link up with other RSU military forces. The Battle of Yukar was now deemed a success as celebration was carried out by Kedrov's revolutionaries and Ordenite forces. Eventually civilians who were stuck in cellars, underground subway stations or bomb shelters emerged from there and out to a changed environment. Different reactions were given by the re-surfacing populace, either praise for the victory of Kedrov and the Ordenite or looking on in silence and attempting to gather what was left of their lives and try and continue on in their changing world.

[Alfegos]

'Gentlemen, listen in for a set of orders for psychological operations'

The room listened intently as the Fegosian began to speak. From around the dimly lit hotel room, a relative place of security and solitude, eyes peered at their leader, white specks in darkness. The dress of many was different now, the practical, technical clothing of advanced fighters replaced with civilian tracsuits, worn clothing, and a rack of Kalashnikovs.

'We are currently in a safe location, grid marked on your warning card. Viper cadre are currently on watch, and will be remaining here for the duration of this phase to provide security and cover. Actions on contact as per SOPs.'
He spoke, quickly rattling through information provided by his second in command, before starting his section of work.

'So gents, the situation. It boils down quite simply as there being two sides, both being propped up by larger states. The Red Star Union, the nation we currently in, is facing an insurgency courtesy of the fascist movement, the Black Star Movement. At present, they are making a move against the capital Yakar, up the coast from here, their numbers swelled by troopers from the Ordenite Reich. In return, the Mokan state has provided trainers and assistance forces to the Red Star Union, in order to halt their advance.

Our employer has an interest in the Red Star Union existing as a state, since they are sympathetic to their views. As such, we have been asked to assist in irregular work. The intent of our employer is to Destabilise, Harass and Demoralise Ordenite and Black Star forces; and to Incentivise Red Star Union fighters. Our initial mission as such is to target Ordenite and Black Star sympathisers via means of unconventional attacks, in order to prevent further Black Star recruitment.'

He paused, waiting before he continued.

'I intend to carry this out in a number of stages...'

---



'Join the Black Hand! Push our oppressors into the ground!'

The rally wasn't large, but it was hardly small. From atop a pickup truck, men waving flags drove along a street, lined with spectators and supporters. The speeches had been going on now for a few hours, even as artillery and gunfighting raged in streets but a few miles from here. It was a bold move, and yet it showed that the government had abandoned this neighbourhood, militiamen keeping away or watching from the shadows. It had reached a square, where now the leader of this group had started the chants, of death to the Red Star, flags burning.

It didn't last. From a rooftop, hidden behind a water tank, a single man sat back looking at his watch, counting. On his lap, an AKS-74 sat ready, stock unfolded and a simple 1P29 sight attached. A magazine had been fitted, the bakelite magazine wrapped with electrical tape to lower the profile. He waited, crawling behind a wall to aim down at the crowd. From up here, he was invisible - only sound would give him away, not even the barrel of the weapon that visible through the small crack in a wall he had found.

He closed his eyes, facing downwards, as the watch neared the time. Seconds flashed away, before reaching zero. Without any pause, he felt the earth shake as the car bomb went off. Hair burnt as heat rolled over, the fireball rolling into the air. It had been a nonchalent delivery van, stolen from another city six hours earlier, and packed with propane cylinders. Not as much blast, but enough. Car alarms sounded down below as the fighter crawled forwards, elbows scrabbling through dust, aiming down at the scene below. Without hesitation, he picked the targets that emerged from the smoke and dust, a single shot cracking out into each one. Black Star sympathiser or not, he wasn't fussed. They were all targets, all dead men. The rifle clicked, the chamber empty, telling him it was time. As panic ensued below, he stripped the rifle down, its pieces neatly fitting into the backpack he was carrying, before rubbing dirt across his face. Now he could leave, and meet up with his colleagues elsewhere in the city.

==

'What the hell is that?'
Nikoli slowed, pulling his car in as he looked up. This section of highway was empty, especially at this time of the morning. Behind him, the convoy slowed, the food trucks pulling in to the side as he looked ahead. A large banner hung from the gantry ahead, the dark red star of the red star union fluttering in the breeze. From the looks of it, it had been painted on, what looked like ink running down the bedsheets. He drove on, rolling forwards cautiously, wondering what to make of it. Was it the militia? Some foreign army? Soon enough, he had an answer.

At the next gantry, the grisly sight of five men hanging by their necks met him. On each man's chest, the word TRAITOR had been written in large letters, the Black Star flags hanging either side, defaced. He drove on, watching the bodies dangle in the breeze, the chains suspending them slowly rocking. Up ahead, even more figures hung from chains, their mutilated forms hanging limp. Across their chests, the word 'FASCIST' had been painted. Beyond that yet, it looked like the local militia were trying to remove some of the bodies, slowly taking down the badly beaten cadavers with a cherrypicker. As he drove closer, he realised they weren't just men hanging from the gantries. Entire families, labelled as traitors, swayed in the breeze. Behind him, he could already see people taking pictures on their phones of the sight. It felt almost as disgusting as the crime itself, photographing it, and so he drove on, trying to erase the image from his mind.

==

A clearing in the woods seemed like a cliched place for such a meeting, and yet here it was. A line of cars and trucks had parked up in the cover of the trees, the overhead foliage keeping them well out of sight from the air. The vehicles had been abandoned, their occupants now sitting in a line in front. A mix of men and women, dressed in whatever army-type clothes they had gathered, and whatever weapons they had acquired. Mostly old hunting rifles, service weapons of the armies of 1930 predominating. A few had acquired more recent military slung ready for use. All wore balaclavas or scarves to cover their faces. At the centre of the group, a single man sat cross legged, face covered.

'Brothers and sisters, you are the brave comrades who have come forwards to protect your towns, your villages. But what do we do now?

It is simple comrades. Our country is being torn apart by traitors from within, those who feel that the way of the fascist is the future. We fought them for our freedom, a freedom we will lose surely if they succeed. Now, the responsibility for this is with ourselves. We need to fight, both on the frontline as our comrades are now, and at home, as you will.

Whilst in an earlier day, we would see these men and women put to justice, now there is no time, there is no other way to send the message out to those who would join. The fascists gas, torture, rape our people. They are already deserving of their penalty, of death.

For every fascist you kill, you will be awarded.'

The man stood, emptying a backpack, letting bundles of roubles hit the ground. The men in front moved forwards slightly, eager. He picked up the stacks, tossing them to each person in the group.
'There is enough there as a first payment to keep your families strong for the next few days. As we exterminate the fascist snake hiding in our midst, we will all benefit from the new wealth. Now go comrades, to your villages, and start the purge. Let every loyal comrade you meet know what I will award you, let every loyal comrade know what we are here for.'

The group dispersed, the man disappearing off into the darkness. After a while, he stopped, lying down and waiting, listening. After ten minutes, he was sure nobody had followed him, leaving him in silence here. He hunkered down, brushing at the leaf litter till he hit metal. Reaching across, he pulled out the ammunition tin hidden beneath the forest floor, filled with the equipment he needed. Quickly moving, it was but a minute walk to reach a clearing. There, with the radio antenna extended, he flicked across to a frequency, thinking fast as he checked the radio.
'Mike Mike Five Zero Alpha Two, stirred up the hive, out.'
He sat back, folding down the antenna, packing the equipment away. They would pick him up soon enough. What would be next though?

==

[United World Order]

Koryakovo, 50KM from Yukar, RSU.

It was a small convoy of 6 vehicles with 4 of them being AMPV's a lightweight MRAP type vehicle heavily used across the ground forces of the Ordenite Military for patrol and other methods. The remaining two which were at the back of the convoy were Fuchs APCs with mounted M2 Browning heavy machine guns while the AMPVs had mounted M3 machine guns. The road leading to Koryakovo was dreary and grey like as the distant sounds of war and the periodic pass by of a Ordenite aircraft was their only sound besides the engines of the convoy moving towards the village of Koryakovo. When they arrived in the village on word that some sort of communist propaganda was being spread to bolster numbers for a possible resistance movement against Ordenite occupation, a force was dispatched to deal with it and sniff out the root of the problem. The village seemed normal although the convoy received certain looks, bad looks from those that were outside when the convoy arrived. Once dismounted the Ordenite Army soldiers fanned out in small groups as they begun knocking on doors and talking to village residents. Although at one door the old weary man behind the door shouted at them to go away and that they were "Fascist pigs", one of the Ordenites stood back before slamming his boot into the door. It was enough force the door swung open and the old man fell on his back from the impact of the door.

Another elderly civilian most likely the old man's wife charged the Ordenites at the door with a kitchen knife. The Ordenite's backed up as she tried to slash and stab them, it ended once one of the Ordenites hit her in the back of the head with the butt of a G36A2 assault rifle. She was then beaten and stripped of the knife before left unconscious outside her house. Suddenly a shot rang out and a Ordenite collapsed after being shot in the throat as he grasped his wound with both hands, blood leaking out. His comrades raised their weapons as the village came alive in gunfire as villagers appeared with rifles of their own although they weren't assault rifles, even pistols were used as a gunfight ensued. It was over in a matter of minutes, the entire village went quiet again as bodies were strewed all over. Only one Ordenite had died of his wounds, a rifle shot to the throat from a most likely dead gunmen now. Their weapons were collected and piled up as their bodies were collected as well, now the rest of the village would have to suffer as well.

People young and old were gathered forcefully by now not so nice Ordenite soldiers. Several dozen people now gathered in front of a house as a Fusch APC roared to life and parked a few feet in front of them, it's M2 browning heavy machine gun pointed right at them. In a flash lead hit flesh as blood sprayed and sprinkled everywhere as the group of villagers were slaughtered by heavy machine gun fire. The wall of the house behind them was painted with blood and holes from the bullets that pierced their bodies. A sign was left on the wall for anyone who sympathized with what happened in Koryakovo, "Kommunisten Vorsicht!, give yourselves up immediately to the proper authorities!, Continuing to try and fight for your failed cause Is useless, these traitors blood are on YOUR HANDS!"

++++++

Ol’khovka, Red Star Union.

Ol'khovka unlike Koryakovo was a different story upon arrival of Ordenite troops to the village. All the entrances to the village were barricaded off by debris and set on fire. A near by street lamp in full view of arriving Ordenite soldiers was occupied by a now dead man hung by his neck and left to die on a street lamp with the words 'FASCIST' on his stomach. Several Fusch APCs and AMPVs entered the village after driving through one of the barricades and entering the village proper. It wasn't long before indivual cracks of gunfire would ring out here and there, lead bouncing off the armored vehicles. A burst of heavy machine gun fire would be the response as the armored vehicles ventured further into the village. Once arriving at their destination the Ordenite soldiers dismounted to gunfire as they returned the favor to the armed villagers who seemed to have been waiting for them. The soldiers with support from armored vehicles were able to street by street and house by house pacify the armed villagers.

Some even surrendered out right instead of being gunned down by assault rifles or machine guns. Although those who surrendered were merely made an example of. Across the village several freshly hanged bodies were on display around Ol'khovka they were stripped of clothing in similar fashion to the ones their foes did, on their stomachs written out was the word 'KOMMUNISTEN' and under it 'UNTERMENCH' which was the word used to refer to someone as racially and or socially inferior. In response to recent politically motivated brutal killings, the Kampfgruppe's general staff had issued that Ordenite soldiers were to repay them in kind and fight fire with fire.

++++++

Yukar, Red Star Union.

In the aftermath of the battle of Yukar in which It was a victorious Ordenite and BSM victory over RSU forces, the BSM had decided that now was the time to implement their new state and It would start with a large scale "purge" of suspected and known communists and other anti-BSM sympathizers. Throughout Yukar Kedrov's militiamen fanned out and begun rounding up hundreds of people, It was a large scale operation which was overseen by Ordenite military advisors and even Ordenite troops who stood guard or near by watching. It seemed entire families were rounded up some taken and transported by transport trucks or civilian buses even and others were forced marched in long lines through Yukar towards a destination for transport to collection centers. BSM affiliated flags were hung all over Yukar and so were Ordenite Reich flags to show the cooperation between the two and their friendship towards one another. Citizens that weren't targeted stood and watched from sidewalks or inside their homes as hundreds of others were taken away, labeled as the enemy and would never be seen again. In other instances public executions took place, public hangings by BSM militiamen who rounded up people suspected of being communist and hung them till death as an example for others.

Orators were present all throughout Yukar making speeches and rallying people to their cause and denouncing Vladmir Aponos and his regime along with Mokastana herself. Recruitment centers were set up by the BSM as they encouraged people of all ages to join the Black Star Movement and learn about their cause and how they could help their fellow comrades in arms. Jobs were introduced through recruitment, one could be part of the Auxiliary Police or involved in Administration duties in Yukar or other cities under Ordenite occupation, they could also be involved in the media and press which involved the use of propaganda. Rallies and marches were held throughout Yukar as well by BSM affiliates and members as they marched through the streets showing others their solidarity and even passing out flyers on the way to bystanders.

Meanwhile their was still a war to fight as the next objective would be the push towards New Impen which was the capital of the RSU and where Vladimr Aponos would hopefully be arrested and tried for his crimes. Of course the RSU military had re-grouped and were now preparing defenses for a final fight against fascism. Ordenite Army, Ordernite SS and the BSM were now pooling forces and or moving out towards rally points which they would seek out the enemy and continue the overall advancement towards the capital and the remaining RSU held territory.

[Varessa]

Palais de Rue du Honoré,
Valénce, Gallic Social Republic of Varessa


The Palace of Honor had long been the site of Varessa’s head of state. Even after the democratic coup, the so called ‘velvet revolution,’ that had firmly entrenched the Social Democrats into all aspects of Varessa’s government, this was one aspect that had not changed. The new Varessan flag now proudly adorned a centrally located flagpole in the entrance court garden, and streamers carrying the new tri-color design hung from the Greek columns which ran across each of the majestic Gallic classical style façade and upper wrap around decks. The building was quite large, its central section containing three storeys while each of the two wings held three, and the entire perimeter was surrounded by an expansive garden. Further out, a social salon opened up into the central courtyard, itself attached to the entrance gate and surrounded by ornate walls, which housed both security and staff.

President François Brûlart never failed to be awestruck by the sheer beauty of his presidential residence, a fact which he hoped all whom visited would feel as well. Still yet, he felt this way as his black limousine pulled through the gate, a Gendarmerie guard saluting smartly as he passed. Through the black tinted windows, the guard no doubt couldn’t see Brûlart return his salute, but he felt that it was necessary all the same. The gatehouse was an equally ornate arch, adorned with elaborate statues of cherubs and fountains leading to its keystone, itself festooned with a statue of lady liberty holding high above her a sword, pointed upwards towards the Varessan motto: . The symbolism of this was evident: within these walls, beyond these gates, is liberty defended.

Following behind, several members of the Brûlart government were delivered in their own transport, including Minister of Defense Georges Hébert, and his deputy Michel Guillaume, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Pierre Detroyat and his deputy Lino Dumas. Lastly, Chief of Staff General Martin Langard, his deputy General Joseph Prioux, as well as Chief of Naval Operations Antoine Auphan. Each entered and were received by President Brûlart. The Prime Minister, unable to attend due to the needs of attending to a new initiative to renovate east Varessan infrastructure, was represented by his under-secretary, Mr. Albert Lefèvre.

After the formalities and greetings were exchanged, the president said warmly, ‘Shall we proceed?’ all assembled nodded their agreement and the president led them through the historic chambers and halls of the palace. Finally they arrived at the salon de velours, the Velvet Room, so named for the velvet trim adorning each wall and piece of furniture. The center of this room, who’s walls were adorned with paintings of great heads of state of Varessa, contained a large teak wood round table around which ministers would meet weekly to discuss matters of state. Occasionally, particularly pressing matters would also see a meeting between relevant members of the government. Today was such an occasion.

The president took his seat at the head of the table, raised slightly to symbolically show the president’s stature in the gathering. Once he had seated, all other members took their seats as well. Each individual made small talk for a moment, catching up with those whom they had not seen recently or just to pass the moment politely until the president spoke up, ready to begin the procession.

‘Gentlemen,’ he began, ‘We have the second international crisis of our reign. The government of Red Star Union is in a state of collapse as a civil war engulfs it. Fascist rebels, supported by the Ordernites, are moving rapidly across the country. Now we are becoming aware of reprisal attacks against fascist sympathizers across the nation and counter-reprisals by the fascists. RSU is about to enter a complete state of collapse, one which we truly need to address.’

‘My notes on the subject are scance,’ confessed the Chief of Staff. ‘We’ve got few assets around that region, especially after the conclusion of the San Castello affair. We’ve mostly been concerned with peacekeeping there and maintaining our sealanes off of New Varessa, former TPF.’

‘I understand and appreciate that, General,’ Brûlart replied, compassionately. ‘Noone is questioning your competence in this matter. What I am hoping to accomplish, however, is the prevention of a fascist regime so close to us in eastern Dienstad.’

Foreign Minister Pierre Detroyat said, ‘That would be a less than ideal situation. Most of eastern Dienstad is at least amicable to democratic societies, even the Wanderjarians are at least nominally democratic despite their deplorable racial institutions. Allowing the Ordernites to gain yet another satellite, like they already have in Panooly, is unacceptable.’

Detroyat’s deputy made a face and said, ‘With all due respect, one issue we must contend with is the simple fact that entering contest with the Ordernites, even clandestinely, may result in a war.’

‘A war we would win,’ hissed the Chief of Naval Operations.
‘That may be, against the Ordernites,’ Deputy Minister Dumas began again, ignoring the interruption and tone of the Admiral. ‘But the Wanderjarians are cozying up to the Ordernites for their own purposes and may not take kindly to our interference.’

‘Mr. Dumas,’ began Minister Detroyat, ‘The Wanderjarians are not overly a concern at this point, they’re too concerned with the Stevidians in South Greal, the DANC in their own borders and beyond, and we’ve already sealed an improvement in relations with them due to our intervention in San Castello. The Germano-Dutch are farmers and traders, they aren’t concerned with anything except making money and defending their independence. I sincerely doubt they will care one iota about any involvement we may or may not take in this affair.’

‘I do,’ Detroyat started again, ‘fear the possibility of the Lyrans taking exception to our operations.’

‘Whatever for?’ querried Brûlart, ‘They may be our other major regional rival, but they’re largely content to keep to themselves unless they feel threatened. We’re trying to maintain the status quo, a factor that they and their Wanderjarian toadies both would appreciate.’

‘Ah,’ Detroyat said, as though he were to introduce a revolutionary new idea, ‘but that is indeed the problem!’ The ministers in the room appeared puzzeled. ‘Varessa has been dormant for so long, that a re-establishment of Varessan strength as a regional player changes the relative balance of power. They could fear the idea of us flexing our muscle to prevent another player from becoming too much of an upstart. Especially because we have yet to choose sides in this recent regional war, and are neither Bredubar affiliates or otherwise associated.’

‘A valid point, but one which I think a skilled diplomatic mission, such as that which you have artfully assembled can manage,’ nodded Brûlart. ‘I wish to seek options for a Varessan intervention. We need to extend our power base so that we can again be taken seriously as a major power in Dienstadi affairs.’

‘It can certainly be done,’ the Chief of Staff replied flatly. ‘The question is one of profile: how significant do you wish the contribution to be?’

‘What is the necessary force complement to complete the job?’ Brulart asked simply. ‘The mission parameters being to assist anti-fascist militias in defeating the fascists and returning home.’
‘That would require several regiments, your excellency,’ said the Chief of Naval Operations, receiving a nod of approval from the Chief of Staff. ‘The deployment of two regiments of fusiliers du marines* and foreign legionnaires would likely do the trick. All told, a task force of about sixteen thousand men, not including a carrier battlegroup to support them.’

‘Then consider that to be your order. Prepare the Marines to land in seventy-two hours and prepare for the legion to deploy. From there, make contact with pro-government elements and destroy the fascists.’

[Mokastana]

New Impen
Capital of Red Star Union
0900 Hours

Word had spread fast throughout the nation that mass murder was occurring within the areas controlled by the Black Star Movement. Entire villages, still loyal to the revolution, were extinguished. Those that chose to fight would now end up watching their families be massacred by Ordernite enforcers. Those that fought the invaders, perished against the Fascists onslaught. However, news was coming out about collaborators behind hung up and their families being murdered for daring to give birth to a traitor. Though both atrocities were happening, one was an affront to the Unionists way of the life and the other was treated as the heroic actions of the Working Class. Yet, due to the continued failures on the front, and the fact the Ordernites were on their way to the Capital, the Politburo held an emergency meeting to determine their best course of action. It was here in the National Kremlin that the leaders met. Hiding behind the ancient stone walls, modernized with machine gun nests and entrances guarded by BTRs, the once glorious home of the Czars now held the Political Bureau that controlled the failed communists country.

"We must get our hands on nuclear weapons! It is the only way these fascists will understand they are messing with the wrong nation!"

"Nuclear weapons? Are you mad? We need to import more weapons, but not nuclear devices!"

The bickering continued, as crazy ideas were passed back and forth, suggestions to have any man who retreated shot and their family sent gulags would give outsiders all the impression they would need to know how the Politburo felt about the war. The fall of the Red Star Union was anyone's fault but their own. Even the Head of State, Vladmir Aponos, suggested equally terrible things about how to handle those that failed the Revolution by allowing the invaders to land. It was the military's fault for not being adequately prepared, it was the workers fault for not meeting production quotas, it was the women's fault for not birthing enough Unionists sons to fight. Once this war was one, they would hall have to pay....

That is, until a knock on the door interrupted the meeting.

The Guards in the room looked at each other, then finally opened the door, realizing that whoever was on the other side would have to have approval from the security teams outside. Guns up, the two Spetnaz troopers opened. It was a group of six or so soldiers escorting a high ranking general, each soldier carrying a box of folders. With electricity now becoming a luxury, the military began using older techniques to managed their intelligence.

"General Secretary Aponos, members of the Politburo, I come bringing grave news."

"What is it General Alexei Stukov, have the Ordernites advanced since last we spoke."

A pause of a second was all that it took for the soldiers bringing in folders to turn their pistols onto the Spetnaz troops and fire. Six guns versus the two guards. It was over far too quickly. The guns had been hidden in the folders, so that when the infantry began thumbing through the documents each grabbed one and turned on the interior guards.

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE STUKOV?"

"What is right for the country, General Secretary Aponos, it is time for a new regime to take over. We cannot fight the fascists alone, we need outsider help."

On cue, another soldier, this one clearly darker than any of the others, walked in. His plain uniform held no rank nor displays of merit, only its Lryan camouflage pattern revealing him to be not of the local forces. The Beret on his head held a mere Red Star, similar to the ones used by the very Union he occupied. Those that dare to speak up against the new men soon found themselves looking down the barrels of far too many Makarovs. With defiant eyes they sat back down and remained quiet.

"Greetings comrades, I am Generalissimo Minor Felix Salazar, of the... Ejército Federale del Pueblo. We have been in country for a few weeks now at the request of your military to supply better arms and better training to fight your enemies. However, based on what we've been told, it seems your Nacion has enemies externally Y internally. It is my job to ensure the success of our allies here, and thus, with a few of our own Jaguars and Eagles in place, can safely say this coup will be going off without too much trouble. General Stukov, I give you the Political Bureau."

The Generalissimo's hand extended across the room, looking to his Comrade General, who merely smiled and spoke one oder.

"Arrest them."

A new regime would be coming to the Red Star Union, one that would welcome outside assistance against the Ordernite invasion and take its rightful place in international politics once again.


Local Radio Station
New Impen, Capital of Red Star Union
1030 Hours


"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to PMNR, your choice for the latest in New music. But first, the news. Fascists pigs captured Yukar yesterday. Not leaving much between them and the Capital. Red Army forces are expected to counter attack soon. An Ordernite recruitment rally was bombed and total killed is expected to be in double digits.

Now, a message for our boys behind the lines: Peter will cook for the cafeteria. Peter will cooked for the cafeteria. Peter fell off the tire swing. Peter fell off the tire swing.


Now, back to the music..."




PUF Army supply base
Undisclosed Location
New Garrack


"Comrades, my name is Lieutenant Major Huemac Mendoza, and I'm putting together a special team. I need 32 soldados, Socialist Worker's Army soldados. You all may have heard the Federal Army is looking to march on the Ordernites in Red Star Union, but I cannot promise you that. What I can promise you is that the Socialist Worker's Army does NOT care for Federal Army rules.

We are going to be dropped behind Black Star Lines, and once we are in enemy territory, we are going to be doing one thing, and one thing only, killing Ordernites.

I don't know about you all, but I sure as hell didn't do two tours in Castille, and get flown halfway across Greater Dienstad, to teach the Ordernites a lesson in Humanity. Ordernites do not understand humanity. They are foot soldiers for White supremacist, mass murdering psychos and need to be destroyed....

That is why every bastardo we find wearing an Ordernite uniform, they will be sacrificed. Now my ancestors served under Quetzalcoatl, so that means I am a Natul warrior going back to the Old Empire. And our battle plan will be that of a Natul, resistance.

We will be cruel to the Ordernites, and through our cruelty they will know who we are. And they will find the evidence of our cruelty in the disemboweled, dismembered, and disfigured bodies of their brothers we leave behind us. And the Ordernites will not be able to help themselves but to imagine the cruelty their brothers endured at our hands, and our boot heels, and the edge of our knives.

Now comrades, I have a word of warning, when you pledge to serve under my command, you take on debit. A debit you will personally owe me, and the Natul Gods of War. Each and every man under my command owes one hundred Ordernite faces. And I want my faces. The Gods want their faces, and you all will get one hundred Ordernite faces, taken from the skulls of 100 dead Ordernites. Or you will die trying."

[Alfegos]

'Did you get it?'
The man nodded, pulling off his jacket as he ran into the building. Their headquarters, along with the men from the Montana PIST team, had relocated in light of the Ordenite advance. It had been interesting to observe, the concealed cameras set up in the village before they left proving their worth. The footage ran on the laptop as the man brushed himself down, pulling out his phone.
'I got a lot of photos from my contacts in country of what's been happened. There's the video from Koryakovo, sure, but there were photos from Yukar and Ol'kovkha as well. It's the same story every time.'

He flicked through photos, the stark scenes of mutilated corpses, of burnt out villages, of mass graves filled the dim screen of the smartphone. As he spoke, the sound of the mass executions of Koryakovo echoed from the speakers, the camera view of the main square just showing the brutality that had unfolded.
'If anything, I have yet to see any Black Star fighters, outside of Yukar. Every time it seems to be Ordenite sturmtruppen and other reich soldiers marching through.'
'That's very interesting. We will certainly have to modify our strategy and targets in light of this. I'm sure our benefactors, after seeing the footage, and the impact it has, will be very happy to let us move on.'
He flipped across to the internet tab, a popular video sharing website appearing on screen.
'I feel the Ordenites have yet to harnass mass media.'

==

ANN Breaking News

'They are calling it the Massacre of Koryakovo. Today, footage emerged of Ordenite forces in the Red Star Union ordering the massacre of civilians, as part of a campaign of terror in the country. In under an hour, over two hundred men, women and children were rounded up and murdered by advancing forces, supposedly in 'retaliation' for civil disobedience across the region. We warn you that the following footage is extremely disturbing.'

The news broadcast cut to the uploaded footage, subtlely edited to show the atrocity and its aftermath. The cameraman was silent as he walked through the burning ruins, bodies strewn across the streets, and piled in the city centre. The Ordenite trooper firing the mounted machinegun was visible, face covered as he gunned down the people in front of him.

'The footage has provoked outrage across the Red Star Union, with accusations of genocide levelled at the Ordenite forces, assisting the breakaway Black Star Movement in what they call a 'defensive' operation to 'restore a fair government' to the nation. Across the territories still controlled by the RSU government, it has been reported that there has been a mass call to arms by civic leaders, to retaliate against these brutal acts. In occupied territories, instances of civil disobedience have started to be reported, with a massive car bomb just days ago leaving fourty dead and many more injured. Whether this shows a change in the tide of the war, nobody knows for sure. All that is known, is that this conflict is likely to get more violent in the next days.

ANN News.'

==

The team sat watching from the top of the hillside the devestation unfolding below, the plumes of smoke from exploding shells and burning buildings littering the landscape. Soon, someone would try and take this ridge, to get a decent view of the area. And yet, for now, the three men knew they were safe in their hide, and invisible to view. The radio crackled to life, the allotted time noted by the signaller as he waited. Soon enough, the sound of a military march came into earshot, a quick march of the Red Star Union echoing on a short loop across the airwaves. Pulling out the code pad, he waited.
'One Two Five Seven Three. One Two Five Seven Three. One Two Five Seven Three.'
The message repeated on itself for a couple minutes, before continuing.
'Foxtrot Juliet Alpha Alpha Yankee Mike One Five Hotel Papa...'
He scribbled down the message, decoding it, and then checking as it played the second time. Stopping, he listened, waiting. The march played once more, before static replaced the weak tones. He peered closely at the message, tapping his colleague. As he did this, he knew the other three man teams across the Red Star Union would be receiving the message.

'QUETZAL RISES. H48. RV07. ESCALATE. EM.'
Simply put, the phrases marked a change in the game. The Quetzal was what they had been told in this campaign to refer to as the first stage of escalation - Mokan Special Forces, to deploy, and to get to work. They wouldn't want to be around when the Jaguar, the Mokan Army, left its slumber. In 24 hours, one of their teams would be RV'ing at Point 7. For now, they were to escalate their operations, in anticipation of the upcoming attacks. The man showed the message to the others, who nodded before he put the page of the code book, and the note, to the dim flame of a lighter. The ash disintegrated, rubbed into the dirt as he moved back across to the radio.

'Shall we?'
The other man nodded, pulling out a mobile phone. He dialled in a number, before his finger hovered over the call button. His observer shuffled to the tiny aperture of the shelter, looking out over the farmland below.
'Do it.'

The phone screen dimmed, as the call went through. A couple seconds later, there came a flash, as a Black Star-controlled ammunition dump went up. Whilst under RSU control, they had infiltrated the location, placing the small package in a stack of heavy artillery shells. The place had falled to Ordenite control in this morning, a swarm of vehicles coming to help themselves to munitions.

And now, as the fireball rose into the air, the blast rolled over them, a thunder that shook them to the core.
'Beauty.'
Distant explosions came, as burning shells rained down across the site, setting off more and more munitions yet. The place would burn for days now, any Ordenites caught up in it burnt to a crisp.
'Once darkness falls, we'll start working on our other secondary targets. My worry is we will run out of explosives very quickly.'
'One does not always need explosions to do one's work.'

[United World Order]

In the skies, Under 500KM from RSU Military positions.

It was in the dead of night that the squadron of 16 Tornado IDS fighter bombers had taken off from a secured airstrip and were now approaching RSU military positions almost 500 kilometers away. Earlier in the afternoon a unknown explosion at a ammunition depot caused the deaths of over 100 people most were Ordenites. It was immediately issued that the RSU was responsible for the attack and the Kampfgruppe's general staff and the Ordenite High Command had deemed it necessary that aerial domination over the country needed not to let up and that precision attacks on RSU positions should be carried out. "Bravo Foxtrot, reporting in, tango alpha in bound" a Tornado IDS fighter bomber pilot spoke into his headset as the other pilots reported in as well confirming they were ready to carry out the mission. Once they had reached the target area the 16 fighter bombers would split up and engage their targets utilizing their Taurus cruise missiles. Each aircraft carried two of these and so all in all 32 of these missiles would be used against multiple targets which after being scouted out by ELINT resources.

Once the squadron had reached the target area they proceeded to split up in different paths towards their RSU targets. These targets were identified as ammunition depots, bunkers which were identified by satellite imagery and two military bases which were in the vicinity as well. As the aircraft approached their targets they readied their Taurus cruise missiles as they stayed within a relatively distant range from their targets although the cruise missiles already had the positions of their targets. "Bravo foxtrot, Charlie alpha, Charlie alpha, Charlie alpha, over" as the call for the attack to commence sounded off on their headset's radios the pilots approached their targets as their Taurus cruise missiles confirmed a lock on their targets. Once their was a confirmed lock, the pilots launched the cruise missiles off towards their targets. The squadron would expend all 32 Taurus cruise missiles before leaving the area, within seconds, bright flashes could be seen across a wide area as several RSU military positions were hit by a two stage cruise missile, the first stage being it penetrates the surface before the second stage in which the actual warhead explodes causing a greater amount of carnage and destruction.

This wouldn't be the only attack by the OAF, more would come as part of a larger bombing campaign against the remainder of RSU forces in the way of the main prize, New Impen.

Across occupied RSU, Central Eastern Dienstad.

In the aftermath of a mass media uproar which involved a foreign television station reporting on the retaliations carried out in the occupied RSU, a plan was immediately put into effect in which a combined BSM and Ordenite effort would be put in taking control of the television and radio broadcast stations and facilities in the occupied cities. It had already started as Ordenite and or BSM soldiers entered television and or radio stations of the old regime clearing out most of it's personnel and cast before replacing them with two people who weren't Unionist but spoke the language along with Ordenite. Channels were changed as televisions and radios couldn't receive broadcasts from other foreign nations other than the Ordenite Reich. The content was also changed as new broadcasts would consist on the Ordenite war effort against the remaining Unionist forces, a political like show in which it would explain and show the hazards of communism and even democracy in which it was hoped the people would begin to realize that they needed the Ordenite Reich and the BSM, that their former government was a lie and nothing but corrupt criminals who only wanted to exploit them.

Any other content was taken from Ordenite television stations and radios and thus implanted in the RSU, it would be interpreted into their indigenous language and they would be able to see the beauty and awe of how magnificent the Ordenite Reich is and in time the population would begin to accept their new home and their new lives under the Ordenite Reich and the BSM. Of course recruitment for more staff was made and people were given jobs to work in the stations of television and radio that were cleared out during the raid. The internet was another thing that had to be regulated and controlled although already the former regime had done so.

Ordenite technical personnel were immediately put to the task of altering the censorship of the world wide web in the RSU. They made most other websites inaccessible if they weren't Pro-Ordenite or BSM related. Firewalls and other anti-hacking programs and features were put in to ensure that the internet in the occupied RSU could not be infiltrated by hackers who wished to expose more about what was going on in the RSU and expose more "crimes" done by the Ordenite Reich or the BSM.

[The Macabees]

The Murder of Ferdinan Lepón — Prologue: Imperial Arrival
Yukar, Red Star Union

The trip to Yukar had not been a pleasant one. First, the trip had been long. From Marsa Bruth, in the imperial province of Sarcanza, the team of thirty-nine specialists traveled to Hardsdad, in New Empire. They took a traditional military transport, which meant a bumpy and uncomfortable ride. From Hardsdad they flew directly to Yukar, flying over Lyran territory — making the trip just like a civilian airliner would. Lyras and the Golden Throne were on friendly enough terms for that. The voyage was over 18,000 kilometers long, so the Macabee team was quite happy to finally touch ground for what would be the last time for a long time. Second, authorities in Hardsdad had taken liberties in holding the team in security when they arrived, denying them the ability to continue on to their destination until their immigration officers had "looked into their background." It was all the result of political frictions surrounding the Golden Throne's growing influence in the war-torn country. Nevertheless, it made the trip that much more uncomfortable. Third, since leaving Marsa Bruth, the situation in Red Star Union had changed dramatically and the situation on the island nation was more fragile than ever.

Thirty-two of the thirty-nine were Koro Kirim, elite special forces under the Ejermacht. The others were bureaucrats of the Imperial Government, tasked with doling out a continuous stream of funding the Golden Throne was pouring into the Kendrov-regime. It was important to the Golden Throne that Red Star Union remain firmly within the Ordenite zone of influence and not just to prevent the emergence of another communist regime in the country. There was a tension in Greater Dienstad between the "east" and the "west," manifested most of all in the ongoing conflict surrounding Stevidian Greal. Red Star Union was not quite in the east, but it was close enough to warrant the active involvement of Mokastana. There were rumor rumors of others wanting to join the fray as well, all of which pointed to the high risk of the situation boiling over — much like in Greal. However, whereas the Golden Throne was not prepared to involve itself in the Stevidian conflict, this time they were taking immediate steps to build a position from which they could grow their own involvement if they felt the Ordenites were beginning to suffer from decreasing odds.

For the time being, however, the Golden Throne limited its involvement to the provision of a limited stream of capital. Ideally, Kedrov would use the money to start building a bureaucratic infrastructure to help establish order in controlled sectors of Red Star Union. No one in the Imperial Government was fooled into thinking that this would actually be the case. More than likely Kedrov would instead use the funding to help arm his grown, Ordenite-backed army. To help find a middle ground, the Golden Throne highly encouraged the purchase of Macabee ordnance — the advisors would offer items like rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, and older models of Nakíl tanks. After the Kedrov-regime stabilized and the conflict was over, the new Ordenite vassal would also gain access to higher end armaments, such as the Lu-45 and armored vehicles, for which the Golden Throne had a reputation of excellence. Of course, there was more to the Golden Throne's intentions than just providing funding and selling arms. After the war, Macabee markets would surely come knocking at the new state's doors, with offers to open business and bring prosperity to the country — although, of course, within the limits of Ordenite fascist law.

Arriving in Yukar early morning, the aircraft landed on a field airstrip located outside of the city. Ferdinán Lepón, proud Díenstadi as he was, descended down the stair car trailed by the other six advisors. Directly behind him descended Mikael Varis, whose shoulders weighed down under the weight of Lepón's shadow. Varis caught himself giving the back of Lepón's head a cold stare and quickly darted his eyes elsewhere, which finally landed on two soldiers wearing slightly different uniforms, although both burdened by their drab dark colors and overly-formal stylistic tone. One was a BSM officer, immediately loyal to the Kendrov-regime, and the other his true master — an Ordenite. A quick glance at their rank insignia revealed them both lieutenants, but Varis and the others were already aware of who they were. The two were tasked with escorting the group of advisors inside Yukar, to their quarters. Behind them waited a small convoy of armored vehicles to carry the thirty-nine-strong advisor group. The thirty-two Koro Kirim were dressed in professional business garb, although their jackets and shirts bulged above their heavy plate armor. If that did not give away their purpose, the pistols on their waist perhaps did.

As Varis walked towards one of the cars, Artur Stanos, head of the security detail, approached him as soon as Lepón had remained out of range. "Have you spoken to him yet?" he inquired, voice hushed.

"I have." Varis sighed. "He won't have anything of it. Besides, the fighting in the city is finished. You were fortunate enough that your advice not to land inside of the city, which would have made the trip to our quarters much more convenient after such a long and utterly uncomfortable flight, was even accepted as serious, let alone followed. Lepón sees no need to revoke his decree to fire only when fired upon."

Stanos scoffed. "But we will be heading to other parts of the country, no?" The advisor did not answer, but the soldier prodded further, "Look, Lord Varis, I am looking out for you and Lepón's group of attaches——"

"We are not Lepón's group. We are Imperial attachés to the Kendrov-regime. Regardless, we have weighed your request and found it not worth pursuing. So now, if I may kindly ask you to leave my side and attend to your soldiers, otherwise with you here rather than seeing to our security I may doubt how steadfast you are to that objective as you say you are."

"Aye, me Lord." Stanos turned to leave, face painted in disappointment.

Varis wondered why Stanos had been so adamant about allowing him to fire on anything and everything he considered an immediate threat. Maybe he was just a dolt, but Varis doubted that very much. There had to be more to that story. The Macabee shook his head and focused his attention back to the task at hand, the long trip into the center of Yukar. Before entering one of the vehicles in the center of the convoy, Varis stopped just beside Lepón as the other advisors formed a tight half-ring around the two officers waiting for them. The Koro Kirim waited behind them. Pleasantries were exchanged and finally the Macabee guests boarded their vehicle and the whole group was off into the city. Varis chose a different car to that of Lepón. He mostly kept to himself, his mind wandering back to Stanos. He would have to talk to the soldier again soon. His mind then shifted to Lepón and finally rested on the man sitting in front of Varis, Franc de Medir. House de Medir had stood opposite of House Lepón within the Dienstadi aristocracy, and Varis hoped that family responsibilities would trump Franc's sense of duty to the Golden Throne. The man was easily impressive to manipulate; Varis had been doing it for years.

Yes, Franc de Medir would be just the man to be the first member of the conspiracy to murder Lord Ferdinán Lepón.

[Varessa]

The process of moving troops to Red Star Union was significantly easier than the Varessan defense establishment had initially believed it would be. The Mokan armed forces had already secured several locations where troops could be flown into, and transport ships carrying the vast mountains of supplies and heavy armored fighting vehicles had secured ports for secure disembarkation. This information came as a god send to Général d'arméeBernard Leclercq. Having been selected to serve as theater commander for the Red Star Union campaign, and by extension Task Force Liberty, he had initially felt that he and the Varessan military were going in blind. Little had been known about this country, and still yet little was available to him. The most important thing at this point was that his men had a relatively safe place to assemble, and to him that was a good start.

A strategic airlift craft had flown him, along with much of his staff, to an airfield along an eastern peninsula which had become the focal point of the Mokan and Varessan military effort. An army engineer battalion, in concert with engineers from the navy and air force, had established a robust base from which he could command the liberation of Red Star Union. The aircraft had no sooner touched the tarmac of the landing strip than the loadmaster dropped the ramp. Greeted by a small army of Varessan troops, supplies immediately started being hauled off the aircraft as he and his staff pushed their way down the ramp, rucksacks strung heavily over the shoulder.

Stepping off, Bernard observed the base before him. It was still in its infancy, with mountains of supplies piled high and half shelters forming neat and orderly rows creating a small city of Varessan troops. Flags demarcated individual companies, indicating which parts of the tent city belonged to what units, giving a semblance of order to the chaos. These tent cities were secured some distance from the runway, while a number of larger tents formed battalion level tactical operations centers and other support staff quarters. A waiting sergeant approached and beckoned the general to follow him, and led the way to an especially large Quonset hut designated as the overall force command center.

That it had taken only two days to assemble the base they presently occupied was a testament to the competence of the Varessan military and her Mokan partners. The Quonset hut was lined wall to wall with metal tables with computers and data relays, communications equipment and troops manning their stations while officers and NCOs observed and guided them. The floor was laden with more tables, with maps of particular areas of RSU sprawled out. Bernard noticed with pleasure that Varessan military intelligence officers and men were working with his operations staff, which had moved in just after the initial force had landed to establish itself, actively working to locate the Ordernite troops and Black Star militias. Areas shaded red denoted enemy controlled space, while blue and green showed Mokan and RSU zones of control respectively.

‘What do we have, people?’ he asked, approaching. Having been preoccupied with their work, the men looked up from the map, one officer in particular stopping mid-sentence while pointing at a particular part of the map and hastily snapped to attention.

‘Sir! Our most sincere apologies, we were unaware that you were on station.’

‘Belay that, colonel,’ Bernard said smiling. Lieutenant Colonel Paul de Grasse was a highly competent intelligence officer, and served as the executive to Brigadier General Alexander d’Estaing, his G2 intelligence chief.

‘Thank you sir,’ de Grasse said, with a slight nod. ‘Sir, we’re presently drawing the lines of battle. It seems that the enemy’s force is expontentially larger than what we had been informed we would face when we initially were deployed here.’

‘Yes, colonel,’ Bernard replied. ‘That is why we are deploying a much larger force than the few regiments of marines and legionnaires we had initially planned to contribute.’

‘Correct, sir,’ the lieutenant colonel said, his voice trailing. ‘But, this force is approximately an entire army. The enemy force total would likely be around a million men, Ordernites and fascist rebels. Several northern and western cities have already fallen to their combined forces, though guerrillas are currently opposing them where they can. We’ve also received word that several Ordernite supply depots have been sabotaged, presumably by RSU militias.’

‘Excellent,’ the general replied. ‘Colonel Baptiste, may I ask what your suggestion for action would be?’ Baptiste, a black Varessan officer of some renown, nodded and smiled to be called upon.

‘Sir, as your G3 it is the belief of my staff and myself that we should continue to establish our presence here and begin to maneuver with the Mokans to halt the Ordernite and Black Star militia advance. Meanwhile, while you were in transit the chief of air operations has proposed that the air force begin to assert air superiority and begin bombing the Ordernite maneuver columns. They’re starting to assert air dominance in theater, a fact we simply cannot allow. For the moment, they’re leaving us alone since we’re several hundred kilometers from them. This will not last.’

‘I agree. Nonetheless, we should liaise with our Mokan partners about moving some armored scout units forward to attempt to hurt some of the forward Black Star militias and create dead space between us and them. This will either cause the Ordernites to move with haste to engage us, and we fight a decisive battle early on, or it will force caution on them and slow them enough to buy us time to assemble more troops from both Mokastana and loyalist RSU militias.’

‘Make it happen,’ General Bernard concluded. With that, he turned and exited the Quonset hut while Colonel Jean Baptiste ordered an officer to meet with their Mokan partners about this possibility. Additionally, Baptiste gave his runner a message to request clarification from the Mokastanans as to their current intentions, that they could better coordinate their efforts as partners.

[United World Order]

Somewhere in Northern RSU, Central Eastern Deinstad.

Boots hit the ground as over head the sound of a helicopter would get fainter and fainter as it left the area. Not even dawn had occurred yet as the men were in pitch dark behind enemy lines. The men moved swiftly to several neon taped bags which illuminated in the night for the men to find as they opened up the bags revealing a small cache of weapons and supplies. They gathered everything along with the rucksacks that were also included and took everything else with them only leaving some empty luggage bags as they moved silent and quick through the night through a field they had been dropped off in that was kilometers away from any major Unionist base or position. After several minutes of wandering through the field the men found what seemed to be a abandoned farm house, once ensuring the farm house and the surrounding area was secure they headed inside to make camp. Solomon who the leader of the small group went by unzipped his rucksack as he found a flashlight, illuminating his surroundings he could see his fellow comrades Boza, Radomir ,Ranko,Nemanja and Josif.

The six man team were Ordenites although they had Slavic roots similar to the Unionists which was why they were chosen to go behind enemy lines as they could fit in with the general populace which would allow them to carry out their objectives. These six men were part of a special forces group that simply went by the name "All Stars" and held a bloody and grim reputation for the operations they had to participate in although many of them were at home bringing down a growing insurgency in a eastern Ordenite province which was once their peoples homeland and they intended to keep it that way. Now they were in a foreign country one that was similar in ethnics to their own although the country in question was ruled by a communist regime and to the "All Stars" the people behind the regime needed to die, and die gruesomely they would at the hands of the All Stars.

"Make sure ammunition and everything is good before we head out in a few, although we're going to rest for a little." Solomon said. "I'l keep watch this time." he added as he nodded firmly to his fellow comrades as they returned the gesture and begun checking their weapons and supplies to make sure they were in order for future use in their mission. The six men were armed with Lyran surplus armaments and equipment that the Ordenite Reich had no use for and so they decided they'd allow the All Stars to field test the equipment and weapons for themselves and so they were. Of course the team also had plastic explosives which were also included in the supply drop when they landed behind enemy lines, each member had three bricks worth of plastic explosives and the equipment to prime and arm their explosives and if they ran out of explosives, the All Stars had the training to make explosives of their own, a lot of their training was for guerilla warfare, counter insurgency, terrorism and false flag operations. For now while the sky was still dark they would rest but within the next several hours, a Unionist was going to die before the day ended.

[Mokastana]

Village outside of Yukar, Red Star Union

It was a small village, meaning a small force was sent to take care of communist sympathizers. Two Dingo 2s and a single Transportpanzer rolled into the village, escorting empty supply trucks. 24 Black Star soldiers with automatic rifles disembarked and began breaking down doors, searching for conspirators and 'traitors'. Men and women were pulled out into the street, tied up and loaded into the empty trucks.

A sharp crack came from the direction of the parked Transportpanzer, the soldier manning the machine gun slumped forward and slid down into the vehicle. More sharp cracks broke out, each one followed by a Black Star soldier or machine gunner going down. Those that weren't hit dove for cover. Soon their assault rifles roared to life, aiming at windows and countryside, trying to eliminate the sniper threat.

BOOM!BOOM!

Two mortar rounds crashed into the roof of the Transportpanzer, the first cutting open the armor and the second destroying what was inside.Two soldiers ran back to a Dingo, only to be sniped once they reached the courtyard in which they were parked.

In the panic, the Black Star troops began to gun down everyone, including the prisoners they had come to arrest. Meanwhile the snipers around the village continued to move and shoot, never staying in one place for long. Inside the village, the ambush appeared, dressed in Full Dauntless armor,and firing LY20s.Though the Dauntless was great at stopping the 5.56 rounds used by the enemy a few lucky rifle rounds found their way into legs and arms.
However, less that five minutes after the initial shot, all Black Stars were dead or wounded.

The wounded were tended to first...

"Hey boys, check this one out, it's a real Ordernite! Must have been the observer, making sure the locals did their job.

Well guess what Mr. Ordernite, we've been hoping to run into you."

The olive skinned soldier pulled out a long black knife, looking over the wounded man now in the attacker's custody.

"We're going to treat you especially well."

It didn't matter how strong a man's resolve or loyalty was. He will scream when the skinned is being carved from his skull.

"What do you know, they bleed just like us. Look at that, a Red Skull..."

Later that day, the commanding officer would show his men the traditional Natul way of drying out the faces they took into war masks. They had to hurry with the post battle ceremonies, for additional troops would be on their way soon. Rather than preparing the funeral pyre for wounded as done in traditional Natul warfare, they claimed the trophy and smashed the blade into the skull.

The Natul Religion believed the warrior's spirit rested in his head, and by breaking open the skull it was released, but it would look for itself and try to return via the nose. By removing and wearing the face, the warrior spirit would be fooled and attempt to enter the nose, but be consumed by the more powerful warrior that killed it's body. But the faces must be properly dried,or the spirit entering may be able to gain power from it's old blood and kill the warrior consuming it.

After a traditional battle, the wounded were actually consisted stronger spirits for being incapacitated but not dying. As such, they were stabbed in the skull and burned in a post battle funeral Pyre, allowing them to rise to serve the Gods directly, since their freed soul now had to body to return to.

The reason the Jaguar was considered a messenger and envoy of the Gods was because it's method of attack is to bite down and break its prey's skull. The Natul believed it was the Jaguar who decided which animals and men would serve the Gods.

Outside New Impen,
Approx 1000 ft. above ground

"Sergei Six to Zhar-ptitsa four, we are on entering New Impen air space. Confirm flight plan. Over."

"Zhar-ptitsa four to Sergei Six, confirm. Authorized to enter airspace."

Six LY908 'Warhawk's flew closer to the Capital City, now that enemy forces had begun a more extreme bombing campaign, the Mokans decided to be more generous, allowing a few gifts to be unwrapped before Christmas.

Technically these were now fighters in the Union's Air Force, but they came from Mokan reserve airfields, operated by Mokan pilots and carried Mokan sold armaments. Only the paint and paperwork marked them as property of the Red Star Union.

The AIM-220 'Velvet Gloves' attached to the aircraft were still property of the Mokan Air Force, but that wouldn't stop them from being fired in anger.


200 km east of Nazarovo, RSU,
Central Eastern Dienstad

Fire shot out from the turret of the LY10 ‘Bloodhound’ light tank. Down range, a wooden target burst into flames as the High Explosive round found it's target. Additional booms of thunder escaped the tanks to its left and right, as more targets exploded. These Unionists tankers had spend ages operating older T-80s and even T-72s. Operating a modern LY10 with its HUD and signatory reduction was practically easy mode for them. Though they did need additional training on the electronics and the Lyran family bells and whistles. While it had been humorous to see a tank commander try to give orders via the tank's speaker system, there were other problems.

For example, the Union had no integrated battle.net, thus many of those features had been removed, much to the pain of the Federal trainers who believed in independent operations at vehicle/company level. IFF devices were not common, so the tank's sensor suite could not directly identify friendly infantry or vehicles that were not other Bloodhounds. The auto loaders would have to be manually loaded, as the logistics required to swop out empty for full magazines would not be available in the field.

But the 140mm gun promised to be a dangerous foe, and with rumors of Nakils possibly entering the war, it was not a moment too soon. The Warshrouds promised to dampen the IR and thermal foot print of the tanks, hopefully fooling the enemy into thinking they are supply trucks at least. The Mokans could at least promise their products would change the war, and hopefully, even the odds.


Stavropol, RSU

It didn't take much for the army to join General Alexei Stukov's new government. With the Poliburo's personal coffers now open to buy foreign weapons, the goods would be rolling in, already Mokan made Lyran supplies were being received by soldiers under his command, and reserve tank units were being brought up to date with modern hardware. A majority of these goods were being shipped to New Impen where the unionists were expecting an attack any day now.

However, on the coast a new ally had arrived. Troops from Varessa had landed at his ports, and promised to assist in his fight against the fascists. His current ally, the Mokan Generalissimo Salazar, wished to join him during their meet up.

It was here in the small city that hosted a Federal Training Center that General Stukov offered to meet with the leaders of the Varresan armed forces. Hopefully to combine and crush the invaders once and for all.

[United World Order]

BEDIENUNG RASCHE SCHLAGANFALL

'Operation Rapid Stroke'

---

Along the Ordenite - BSM frontlines,
RSU, Central Eastern Dienstad.

The Ordenite sanctioned bombing campaign against Unionist military targets had opened up remaining Unionist territory for another brutal ground offensive by the Ordenite Army and SS along with BSM support of course. The intense bombing campaign under taken by regular fighter squadrons and even strategic bomber formations harassed and in many cases decimated Unionist troop formations, motor pools , defense positions and even air fields that still had aircraft in their hangars or on the tarmacs. With this in mind the Ordenite High Command in conjunction with the Kampfgruppe's general staff drafted and planned what was called 'Bedienung Rasche Schlaganfall' which translated into Operation Rapid Stroke. The general plan that would now be put into action, a two prong ground offensive into remaining Unionist territory which would consist of one prong taking the city of Tuktar and then sweeping to the north east to size Gryaznaya effectively cutting off the capital from the north western peninsula which still remains in Unionist and foreign control. The second prong would come from the south east and sweep through the remaining cities in the eastern section of the country excluding the capital.

The port city of Uslan was to be taken during this by a joint Ordenite naval infantry and Fallschimjager assault. The remainder of the Unionist navy in the area would be destroyed by already arriving Ordenite naval units as the ground offensive continues until both objectives are complete and the capital is fully cut off. The first prong had already begun it's advance towards Tuktar as a joint Ordenite Army, SS and BSM force moved through to secure it and of course on the way skirmishing with Unionist forces trying to stall or stop their advance along the way. Of course aerial superiority was still being taken account for as fighter squadrons infiltrated Unionist airspace with determination to drive out the remainders of it's Air force from the skies.

The second prong would also begin it's objective of securing the remaining eastern cities with a Ordenite Army, SS and BSM force stomping out Unionist military resistance to this along the way and carrying out the Operation at hand.

Uslan, Along the RSU Eastern Coastline.

Uslan was already under a state of panic as it's military garrison had learned it's naval units were being swept away by Ordenite naval units that had arrived in the area. Defenses were being made with a desperate haste as the city would soon come under attack and the attack would definitely come as the garrison would try and defend the port city against the Ordenite onslaught of landing naval infantry and a Fallschimjager assault from it's north. The already seasoned Fallschimjager who were previously utilized to overwhelm Yukar had the previous night been air dropped behind enemy lines to lie in wait for the next day when the start of the operation would come, now they revealed themselves armed with typical equipment and weapons with a emphasis on anti-tank capabilities and light armored vehicles they swept through initial Unionist defenses as to the coastline a sizeable force of Naval Infantry had made land fall from several amphibious assault ships.

Armored vehicles and tanks followed by the naval infantry themselves spearheaded an assault from their beach head and into the city proper. The city garrison defenders were quickly losing ground as the assault would continue into most of the day before the garrison would surrender and Uslan would fall in the beginning stage of a broader Ordenite ground offensive into the remainders of the country.

---

The Farm House, Unknown location within Unionist RSU.

Solomon was more than awake when he heard vehicles come to a stop some where outside of the farm house, clutching his AHLAR he kept his back against one of the barn house walls as the rest of his team were also awake and aware of the commotion outside. Several Unionist light utility vehicles had come to a stop outside the supposed abandoned barn house for a quick pit stop, there were perhaps no more than a dozen or more men most of them of course with automatic weapons and one who seemed to be some sort of officer amongst them. Solomon wasted no time to give hand signal commands to his men on where to go and what to do as Boza crept up the barn yard stairs and to the upper floor where their was a glass-less window which he could see the men down below. The rest would stack up on either side of the large barn yard doors, the men outside seemed to have some what fanned out amongst the vehicles with the officer taking a walk to find a place to relieve himself out of the sight of his fellow comrades.

Boza from above peeked through the window as he looked over where all the men were as he looked down at his utility belt, he had three Lyran made hellsbreath grenades on him as he carefully took the grenades off his utility belt and kept them by his side seeming to be waiting for something. Solomon looked at his fellow comrades as he made eye contact with Ranko before nodding and busting open the doors to the barn as one of the Unionists pivoted around to see AHLARs pointed at him as he immediately was cut down with 8.3mm rounds. The other men quickly tried to react before Boza tossed the three Hellsbreath grenades out the window, the following three blasts killed or maimed half of them as Solomon and the others gunned down the rest excluding the officer.

"Where do you think you're going you little piece of shit?" Solomon said as he watched the officer try and crawl away from him. Josif stood in the way of where the officer was crawling to as he booted him in the head which halted him as he covered his head. Solomon then un-sheathed his Lyran combatant machete a tool that would see common use amongst these All Stars operatives.

The officer turned over on his back as he looked with fearful eyes up at Solomon wielding his combatant machete, he raised his hands implying he didn't want to be hurt as a smirk crept onto Solomon's face as he got closer to the officer. With a swift motion he drove the 18 inch blade into the gut of the Unionist officer as his eyes grew and his mouth overflowed with crimson liquid, he shook as the blade was forcefully dug into his stomach as blood seeped out from where the blade was thrusted into. Solomon chuckled as he pressed both hands onto the handle of the machete driving it's blade deeper into his stomach until the officer had passed away. Exhaling he slowly slid the now crimson smeared 18 inch blade out of the gut of the deceased officer, wielding it in his hand.

"Lets get the hell out of here." He simply said as he wiped the blood off on the Officer's pants before sheathing it and occupying one of their vehicles and driving off from the scene to whereabouts unknown.

[The Macabees]

The Murder of Ferdinan Lepón — Chapter 1: On Corruption and Incentives
Macabee Living Quarters, Yukar, Red Star Union

Varis escaped into the compound's courtyard through a side corridor that led away from the main yard. The moonlight broke through the deciduous ceiling above like rays of pale sunshine, dimly illuminating the narrow pathways that crisscrossed before the krierlord. He stepped one foot forward, over the door frame, but looked back in case he was being followed. He could find no hints of life in the dark depths of the corridor and so he picked up his other foot and closed the small oak door behind him. It clinked shut and for a second Varis took another look around him, as if not quite sure where he was meant to go next. Just then his ear rustled with a distant noise, akin to the ruffling of feet on fallen leaves. It came from his right, down a narrow sidewalk flanked by two tall rows of flower-pocked shrubs, and so he quickly made his way in that direction, doing his best to not make too much noise. Before going far he stopped with a startle and crouched to slip behind a short column that carried a bronze birdbath. Peeking out with one eye he saw the man he was following, Artur Stanos, facing towards somewhere, something, or someone who was blocked from Varis' vision.

Stanos was speaking to someone, Varis was sure of it, despite not being able to make out what the Koro Kirim man was saying. He was struck by the curiosity to see who the head of security was talking to, so Varis rose and started making his way down the path towards Stanos. He thought to himself, I am Krierlord. Do I not have permission to walk the compound gardens at night? It should be he and...whoever else he is with explaining their presence to me. As he neared the other man came into view and Varis did not recognize him. The krierlord froze in place, his prior confidence now diluted by doubt. The third person was an older gentleman wearing a suit only a business executive could afford, his right arm adorned by a brilliant gold watch that sparkled under the faint light of Gunara, which cast an almost mystic light blue tone. His other arm led to a fat cigar, which he periodically ashed over a carefully maintained bed of flowers. He most definitely did not belong in the compound, which made Varis wonder what Stanos was doing speaking to him, rather than, say, arrest or kill him. Varis' head churned in confusion over the situation.

Before the krierlord could snap out of his momentary daze, the Koro Kirim sharply swiveled his head, eyes widening as they came upon His Imperial Majesty's own advisor to the Golden Throne. The other man was much slower in his movement, but it did not seem he had been caught unaware. Rather than a blankness about him, he looked at Varis with a mischievous smile and his frame remained as relaxed as it had ever been. Pulling his hand back to his mouth and taking another puff from his thick cigar, the man blew out a cloud of smoke only to say, "The name is Joharis. Esteb Joharis, perhaps best known as the owner of Sistemas Terrestres Segovia."

"And to what do I enjoy the pleasure?" replied Varis, his words dripping with sarcasm. He turned to Stanos, "Surely, no guests are allowed into the compound at these hours, Koro Kirim? For being our fiercest advocate of violence, that aggression sure seems tame in what seems like an unallowed intrusion."

"I don't believe hostility is in order here, Lord Varis," said Joharis. "I am here for you, actually. I have been meaning to speak with you."

"Speak to me? About what?" The krierlord swiveled back to the head of security. "But, I followed you here? Do not waste my times with lies! Stanos, escort this gentleman out now, or I may have to explore your demotion and banishment from our security detail." He was too angry to even believe that he had been tricked towards this moment from the very beginning. He thought the head of the Koro Kirim detachment had been acting strangely, especially after expressing such frustration with Ferdinán Lepón's stubbornness in enforcing an absolute ban on the use of force by the security detachment. Varis had half-expected some sort of conspiracy between the operatives, or perhaps that's what his subconscious was hoping for. The krierlord held an, of course, unfriendly opinion of his colleague, Lepón, as well. Maybe there was some deep wish to join the conspiracy himself. It was no secret he was looking to overtake Lepón as one of the most influence krierlords to have Fedor's ear. The truth was he did not really have a reason for following the security man, so perhaps he had not really been following as he had thought all along.

Stanos did not move a muscle. "He tells the truth, me Lord. You followed me, yes, but to say I brought you here would be more accurate. But, it really is of no matter how you two have met. He has a good offer to make and I plead that you at least consider what he has to say. It is for the good of the Empire."

"Very well," rumbled Varis, "speak then, Mr. Joharis."

The other man released another billow of smoke before responding, the smile never leaving his face. "First and foremost, I come here on behalf of the Golden Throne's industry. But, I have also been in contact with the Kendrov regime and I represent them as well. Mr. Stanos and I have been...corresponding...for some time, but he seems intent on inaction until he has explicit permission from at least one of you krierlords. He has said many good things of you, and if this meeting does turn sour I highly recommend against deposing him from his position. I doubt few others will surpass his loyalty. I, in any case, have an offer that you will not be able to refuse."

"I will be the judge of all of that," replied Varis. "So, tell me what this succulent offer of yours is, otherwise I might have to make this little get-together a little more exciting by simply having you arrested for trespassing."

Joharis' responded with booming laughter, saying in between chuckles, "I like your passion, Lord Varis. But, I ask you to humor me." He wet his lips and then went on, "Kendrov needs more from us, the Golden Throne, than just funds. They need a phantom force. Like your Koro Kirim, for example." He motioned to Stanos, who stood silently, overwatching the conversation between the two others. He would clearly now be the junior partner of this endeavor, if Varis decided to accept what Joharis was putting on the table.

But, the krierlord seemed to hear nothing of it, instead vehemently shaking his head in opposition to the idea. "Committing our forces to war here, no matter how minute the mission, would go expressly against the orders of His Imperial Majesty. The Koro Kirim will never be used in that capacity while officially advising Kendrov and his government."

"Officially," corrected the industrialist. "Unofficially, however, your team will be carrying out assassinations of high-profile rivals of Kendrov, including former communist politicians, bureaucrats, and other members of the intelligentsia. And I can assure you that His Imperial Majesty is fully in favor of this...exchange. The Ordenite-backed government of Roter Stern Union has agreed to pre-contracts with several of our manufacturers to help arm his army. We are talking in the order of billions of ríokmarks or more! But, they ask a favor from us in return and that, Lord Varis, is where you and Stanos come in. You are the favor we are granting him, you and your Koro Kirim."

Varis remained mute for some time after, contemplating what Joharis had just offered. But, he could not dispel his doubts. "Even if I were willing to listen to such treason, you have no chance of reaching an agreement with Lepón. He is the krierlord who leads this mission, so he is the one you must persuade, not I. I bid you farewell, Mr. Jo—"

"I disagree, Lord Varis," interrupted the suited man. "We do not need Lepón, we only need you. Give Stanos your permission and your men shall begin operations without Lepón knowing."

"He will find out," said the krierlord.

Joharis sighed and walked over to a nearby bird bath, where he put out his cigar. He turned around slowly and took another deep breath before speaking again, a solemn tone commanding his voice, "When the time comes, we will have to...get rid of him." He quickly glanced at Stanos, but his eyes darted back to Varis' in half the time. "As a threat to the success of our mission here, he is therefore a threat to Kendrov and, subsequently, to the Golden Throne. He will need to be treated as one, and that might imply his death. But, that is something to be decided by future events, and not those of today. So, Lord Varis, what say you? Are you ready to serve your Empire?"

"I will not give you my permission." Joharis tensed, bewildered that the krierlord had still not broken. Then added Varis, "But, neither will I attest to having seen you two here tonight. And I do agree that your deal is a lucrative one and if I did have to give permission I would. Some might call that convoluted compromise a 'yes,' but only an unofficial one, as you, Mr. Joharis, put it earlier."

With that, Varis turned around and briskly started his way down the path back towards the door he had come out of. The two others looked at him leave, the industrialist looking particularly happy and the soldier seeming more confused than anything else. As he returned to his bedroom, on the upper level of the compound's main building, Varis thought of how events that night meshed with his own machinations, especially those he had planned against Lepón. Assassination...that was a dangerous game to play. He could not ignore its apparently inherent immorality, yet he pondered the possible benefits of such an outcome. With no Lepón, Varis would be able to pounce on the leadership position over the advisory mission and from there he could become the most powerful krierlord in the Imperial Government, and the second most powerful man in the Golden Throne after His Imperial Majesty Fedor I. Yes, perhaps he could overlook the questionable ethics of it all. After all, it was all in the best interests of the Empire. Varis smiled to himself and stored his thoughts away. Better not to disturb the peaceful equilibrium he had achieved.

[Mokastana]

The Montana Villa
Outside Bogota,Suria, PUF
Two weeks ago

"He's still suffering from PTSD. The nightmares, wandering, and distance may never go away. Being among family is helping, but we are talking possibly years before he is able to function normally."

The psychiatrist did his best to explain the situation to the most powerful man in Mokastana. How his nephew may not ever be able to hold a significant job or meaningful relationships again. He tried to be optimistic, but the damage was done. He only had so much to work with, and drugs could only do so much.

The most powerful man in Mokastana looked somber, staying strong for his family around him. The patient's aunt, a failed Surian President, shook with anger. His cousins and siblings cried silently or remained stoic. Only his mother was not immediately present, instead in the room with the patient, her son, still grateful he had returned.

The history of the Montana Family was the history of El Sur. Rising to power in the Revolutions, being hunted by communists, joining the cartels and now, leader of Surian industry. Billions of NSD poured into this family's numerous bank accounts. Together they rivaled small nations in power.

"Thank you Doctor." was all Mr. Montana said before he turned and walked out the door. His sister waited half a beat, then followed behind. Once in the hall, the two began their own discussion.

"Maria, I want you to contact whoever is in charge of the Mokan Advisors in Red Star Union. We will be sending assistance."

"Antonio, why assistance? We should put out jobs on whoever did this directly."

"We will, half a billion dollars on any key government officials from United World Order, but proper assassination takes time.

Now, I want UWO distracted with Red Star. Fill it with PMCs and ensure Ordernites pay in blood. Who knows, maybe a refugee with nothing left to lose would like a chance to visit Berlina with a special suitcase."

His sister smiled at that thought. She had always been the more devilish of the two remaining siblings.

New Impen,
Red Star Union
Five days ago

With the air assaults and the massive new push by Ordernite forces, General Alexei Stukov, commander of the Red Star Military and de facto leader of the country, issued a proclamation to his troops. Any civilians caught in the path of Ordernite forces were to be evacuated to the North where Varessan forces were setting up, and to enact a "Scorched Earth" policy behind them. Mines were to be buried, factories destroyed, farms burned. Everything that "would fall to the Ordernite was to be made useless to the Ordernite." Bridges collapsed, roads destroyed, civilians moved. "Leave them nothing useful" was the order.

With training from their Mokan Advisors, units falling back would set up traps in buildings, mine roads, set up IEDs, poison food/water supplies. Rifles connected to trip wires and sensors would mock resistance forces. The UWO had been fighting the easy fight. From now on, things were going to become far more costly.

The Unionists army was going on a new direction, and part of that direction involved the foreigner standing at the front of the presentation room while General Stukov and his staff(including Generalissimo Minor Salazar) listened:

"Greetings, I'm Allen Carpethia, Operations Advisor from Eastern Military Deployments, Incorporated. I understand you need some military support in the form of boots on the ground, and by the sound of it, air cover."

General Stukov may have been more open about exploring options with other nations, but even he was a little worried about Private Military Contractors.

"Yes, it is clear our forces are in need of some reinforcement, but what can you bring?"

"I'll start with the basics, we have state of the art Patriot Missile batteries ready to deploy within 48 hours. Given your opponent has already figured out your air borne defenses, this would tip the balance back into your favor.

For boots, we have four divisions, 24,000 men each, ready for rapid deployment, and submarine assets that can harass enemy shipping. Since we are based out of Tarn, it won't take long to get things here. Rumor has it the Golden Throne is supporting the Ordernite cause, but we have so much flying in and out of South Greal that no one would notice us until we land on your shores."

General Stukov looked over to his companion, Generalissimo Minor Salazar, who nodded in approval.

"Very well, what would we have to pay, and how do I know you'll stay loyal?"

"Normally this kind of operation and manpower would be nearly 600 million a month. But for a six month operation we can knock that down to 550 million each. As for loyalty, it wouldn't be good for business if the side that hired us lost, but more importantly, an undisclosed contributor had offered to pay for the first four months of your contract. Turns out your enemies have enemies and EMS would be making plenty of people happy by fighting here. In other words, for less than 1 billion dollars, you get nearly 100,000 well trained professional soldiers to reinforce you for the next six months, with options to renew the contract."

"We will go over details, but you may have deal, comrade businessman."


Somewhere outside of Yukar,
near an army camp.

The soldier rested on what might be called a ridge if one was unfamiliar with geography. Binoculars looking towards yet another military camp set up outside of the recently occupied city. This one was different, New uniforms, vehicles, even buildings... But the biggest factor of all was the Macabeen flag waving from a pole near an entrance. This was a new development entirely.

The soldier scooted back into concealment, his full spectrum camouflage helping to reduce any signature his warm body might display(They only wore their leather masks when engaging with the enemy, and for now, the Golden Throne was not an enemy). This turn of events would need to be called in.


Outside of Uslan
Base Camp Charlie Company
20th Battalion, 33rd Maritime Assault Division

Captain Saragoza awoke to the sound of artillery fire and panic. It had been a few years since his last combat deployment, but he remembered the sound of war, perhaps too well. His 200 man company was not in the best position for combat(split between three positions) but they knew of the The Richtofen Doctrine and their title of "terrorists." The battalion of Unionists they were training on modern assault rifles and anti-tank weapons would have be put to use now.

Throwing on his uniform he double checked to make sure rank and identifiers were Velcro'ed closed, as was wartime standard practice. His pistol/machete kit buckled easily, as did his helmet. He needed to get to the communication tent and get a hold of the local Garrison. Upon exiting a runner was already heading in his direction. The bases Klaxon rang loudly as mortar rounds from surprise paratroopers attacks rained down in the distance.

"Sir, enemy paratroopers have taken control of the highway, we've been cut off from the rest of the garrison."

"Damn, have we heard from local command yet?"

"Working on it."

Captain Saragoza thought to himself, he had eight Amphibious Assault craft here, with two stationed at Garrison HQ along with 40 of his men. The attached logistical forces and King Shepherd Anti Air System would bolster his position, but not by much. They were mostly mechanics and clerks, and just over 20 of them. Still, about 180 Mokans under his command and under attack.

"Get my assault crafts ready to move and rally any available squads to them. We need to secure the BTRs and prepare to. counter attack. Then get me the Major."

Back at Garrison Headquarters Mokans would not hesitate to join their allies in combat. The Ordernites made it clear they would not be respecting the rules of war, so they returned the favor.

Unlike the rigid doctrine and training the Unionists favored, the Mokans would act independently, with small squads running through buildings and taking quick yet accurate shots then maneuvering again. Mokan training focused on accuracy, and waiting for a kill if you could. Their limited explosives and anti-tank weapons were reserved for for targets of opportunity or infrastructure. Even so, a handful of soldiers could not turn the tide of the battle, but they did their best to make key roads impassable and destroy anything useful to the Ordernite cause before falling back with the main force.

City of Tuktar
North of New Impen

Sasha walked through the burned remains of what was once a thriving market square. Ordernite bombing had destroyed the first makeshift supply base the army had set up, leaving craters and burned out buildings in their wake.

Somewhere out west, her brother lay in a ditch, having served his country well against fascists aggression. Somewhere else, her daughter lay in a morgue, victim of a car bomb. She was not alone. Being so close to the 'front' meant most people had lost someone. Either to fascist purges or massacres by "loyalists."

The other girls were already out, it seemed everyone was starting earlier ever since the army brought in reinforcements. She stood next to what had once been a cafe, her spot that she fought for and won. Though the influx of new blood meant that protecting her spot was going to become more difficult in the coming weeks as the pecking order reshuffled.

Six months ago she had been a secretary for a Resource Distribution Office in Yukar. Easy money, just smile and answer the phone. But the men had been drafted during the siege, as they were classified as "auxiliary reserve." Fat clerks who never held a rifle in their lives were sent to the front at the order of political officers. Those not drafted and could flee, did. Now ruble-less and without a home, she did her best to make a living in what way she could. At least the drugs kept her numb enough to keep going.

Nearly every refugee camp on both sides of the front had their ways to get them. Both the Unionists and Ordernites were too busy fighting each other to worry about a growing drug problem, and Cartels could always smell a growing market.

The first sample was free, of course, it always was. A friend she made in the camp gave her a small bit of sticky tough leaves to chew on. Claimed it helped her deal with the pain. At first she said no, but after a few weeks of crying and waiting to die from a misplaced bomb... What did it matter anymore? She would either die in here hiding or die out there hiding. What was left to live for but painful memories and the inevitable death to come?

The day she tried the Moka Leaf was the first time in forever she remembered what it meant to smile. The warm glow filled her and made her forget. The tingling sensation brought life back into her cold and pale skin. She could feel every breath, every fiber of her body moving in rhythm and harmony with itself. Nothing mattered anymore... but more importantly, nothing hurt anymore.

As the high wore off, she finally felt there was something she could control, even if it was just getting high.

But drugs cost money, and soldiers have needs. When all you have is your own flesh and blood, you find a way to make it work for you. No matter the cost.

It's not like she believed she would live long enough to regret these decisions anyways.

[Castille de Italia]

OPERATION ORANGE DRYAD
Dathel Port, Red Star Union | Central Dienstadi Response Group | III Carrier Group & II Marine Expeditionary Force
The Landing of Castillian Forces in the Red Star Union to Intervene in the Developing Conflict

The fact that Dathel Port, the largest port city in the Red Star Union, was under Ordernite control made the task of landing approximately forty-thousand Castillian troops into a war-torn country significantly easier. The port allowed for Castillian frigates to dock in the port, saving time and resources that would be wasted in an amphibious exercise. The decision to intervene in the Red Star Union was not popular among the diplomats in the State, who feared such an act will lead to war with the Mokan Federation, so saving resources would possibly sway the academic portion of the government to providing more support for the conflict.

In the harbor sat the Castillian warships, overwatching the logistics of the landing, protecting the frigates from any sort of naval threat. Thousands of troops and equipment poured through the ramps of the frigates in the port, while helicopters flew overhead, ferrying even more from the amphibious assault ships and carriers farther out in the harbor. One by one, Marines in desert flecktarn camoflauge uniforms and black berets marched in formation on the concrete dock, with a rucksack on their back and a G36 rifle slung over their shoulder.

As formations of Marines began to assemble and equipment continued to be loaded into the port, onto trucks, and then prepared to be taken to their final destination of Yukar, Major General William Black watched his troops with his one eye. The black eyepatch over his right eye struck fear and intimidation into not just enemy commanders, but into his own Marines as well. Major General Black was the model Castillian State Marine; a decorated veteran of numerous engagements, with a personality that showed strict discipline. The myths and legends that surrounded the man were almost too good to be true, and while he never spoke of his exploits or service record much, it would be safe to assume from the average citizen or even Marine that he had killed men with his bare hands. To win a war in the Red Star Union, the State had to send its best, and Major General Black would be the man to ensure victory at all costs. If "war crimes" had to be committed, so be it.

Major General Black had a plan, he knew exactly what measures would be taken to help the Ordernites win. While the Ordernites would provide much of the muscle, the Castillian forces had a lot of work to do as well. The Fegosian mercenaries were the de facto main target of the State in the Red Star Union, and Varessa wasn't far down on the list. And much to his dismay, the Mokan Federation was completely off-limits to him. But, surely a few accidental killings of Mokan troops in the confusion of battle wouldn't hurt too much, and please his somewhat sadistic tendencies.

"Major General Black, sir," a young officer said as he ran up to the general and gave a salute, "the Ordernite forces are preparing to take the capital. As it stands, we can have the second MEF within support range of the Ordernite forces in that region by the end of the week, but that is if we start moving troops across to the frontlines tonight," he informed the senior officer.

"Very well, you are dismissed," Black told the officer. He then turned towards another group of officers, standing behind him as he looked upon the ravaged port city and the thousands of troops marching in unison, the hundreds of vehicles moving out towards the outskirts of the city. "Colonel Parker," he said as he looked at an officer in the distinctive black State Security uniform. "I can trust that your agents will be making sure that any, and I mean any, threats to our fine Marines will be terminated with the most extreme prejudice?"

The SS officer gave a sly grin to Black, who technically would be his superior, but since he was with the Ministry, they held equal precedence. "Of course, General. We have ways of making sure terrorists are dealt with. Accordingly," he assured Black.

"Very well. Colonel Neumann," he said as he turned to on of his subordinates, a Marine colonel, in charge of the second Marines Division. :I want the Second Marines right behind the Order-SS in New Impen by the end of week. Move your men out," he said in a very authoritative voice. The sharp tone of his voice, in combination with the distinct black eye-patch and the large bar of ribbons pinned neatly onto his chest commanded respect in a booming fashion.

"Aye aye, Herr General," Neumann responded, in his typical German dialect. It wasn't uncommon for German or Ordernites to become Castillian citizens, Ordernites less though. Germany was more lax on emigration than the Ordernite Reich, who controlled every aspect of civilian life. Black continued to look upon the bleak, desolate landscape beyond the city, from their position high up on one of the port's cranes. Other than resources, he wasn't sure why the Ordernites wanted the Red Star Union, a people born into degeneracy, who would never adapt to becoming model human beings. They were impure, inferior, and of above all uncleanly things, of Slavic origin. It would be quite the contest to see which sadistic officer could butcher more Unionists and bring their scalps to Black.