Colonel Shaun Popek checked his watch as his soldiers began mounting on the last train to the town of Xsasna. The loading of troops towards the town was moving faster than expected, but he always preferred to be more early than late. From the town of Xsasna, the troops would unload, crew up into their assigned vehicles and cross the border into Zaferlani to aid the Separatist cause. The men upon the train were some of the roughest of the Vymarian military, they were the Volunteers of the Volunteers. They were members of the NVVC, The National Vymarian Volunteer Corps. It was a highly militarized military corporation nationalized by the government back in 1990, but was given special privileges compared to all the other Military Corporations that were simply squashed without a second thought. The NVVC was a tool for the Vymarian Government, and the men who signed up were not ignorant towards that fact. While the NVVC was not a very political group, it was known to be filled with Vymarian Nationalists that were Communist hard-liners from the Northern most tip of Vymar. Men from the Northern most tip of Vymar were very simple. If you point their gun in the direction, they would fire no matter the political affiliation. If they weren't Vymarian, it was of no concern. The others were Zafernians that were second generation Vymarians from the Zaferlani refugee crisis of the 1980s that sought to bring a happier life to those who lived in the Separatist borders. They knew the terrain, they knew the countryside, but the nation had only devolved into a worse state since their parents escaped in the hope of starting a newer, better life in Vymar. Popek however, was not a hard-liner communist, nor was he Zafernian. He was of the main Vymion ethnic group of Vymar and was even a member of The Freedom Party. However, Popek was a Veteran of the Vymarian Civil War, and as he was reaching his mid 50s, he wanted one more tour before his drew his fighting days to a close. As he watched the last man board the train, he climbed on himself, swiftly skipping over the gap between the Train and the concrete slabs that hung 10 feet off the ground.
As he entered, the formerly loud train came quiet as he arrived on board. Any soldier that was standing up now sat down with rifle at their side. There was a strong respect for Popek, and he sought to make a speech thanking the men he had fought with for the past 10 years. An officer passed him a microphone which connected to the train's loud speakers. The Microphone was boxy in shape, with ridges along the flat side that faced Popek. "Look, I know that we're going headfirst into a conflict that may be the first for some of you, but we must remember why we are here. None of us are part of a division where we don't decide where we are deployed. We all signed up for this mission ourselves. And we should intend to see it out..." He adjusted himself, becoming fulling erect, showing his tall stature to its full extent. "I have fought for this nation for 33 Years. I do not expect this to be the last fight for the lot of you. In fact, I expect that most of you are to return home after achieving complete and utter victory, and fully capable of going into another conflict if the need be. For those of you who've known me, this will be my final trip. Not because I plan on dying on foreign land, but simply because it seems like a good note to end on". The men upon the train shifted around. The news of their beloved Colonel was a downer yes. However the fact it would be a momentous occasion for him made the men and women upon the train rattle their guns and hoot in admiration. They were all prepared to give the Colonel their all. To fail would not only mean to fail Vymar, but to fail the man they all looked forward to. One man rose his fist and screamed defiantly "Long Live Vymar!" and was soon joined by more soldiers on the train until the entire car in front of Popek had rose their fists and stared upon him with a look similar to what a child would give to a parent after the parent retrieved some important toy from an unreachable desk. Popek was now raising his fist in response and gave out the same shout as they all did.
As the train began moving, the morale of the soldiers there gained momentum just like the train did as it accelerated down the tracks. It would soon be time for the soldiers upon the train to learn if they could keep up this morale while they fought in makeshift trenches built by militias while Yvloist extremists would swarm them and burn them alive if need be. The distinction between bravery and naivety would soon be distinguished with the first gun shots they received.
These soldiers were a part of a larger operation to intervene in the Zaferlani nation. It had become clear to many politicians that the situation had far more than spun out of control. While no one would ever dare to declare support for the Zasath, it was seen by many that Vymarian intervention, especially in the face of possible ethnic cleansing by the Yvloist faction, was inevitable. By supporting separatists unofficially Vymar could shift attention on the separatists and allow the Zasath Government to deal with the rebel factions and hopefully bring stability to the region. If on the off chance there was spill over, Vymarian military assets were slowly moving towards the border and the Separatists were to become an annexed part of Vymar once the Zasath government came in contact with it. While it was well known to the Vymarian Senate that it would cause friction between Vymar and Zaferlani, the public outrage given by the Zafernian minority in Vymar would be less preferable than an angry dictator sitting upon a throne of sand.