Ratsirana Civil War (IC|MT)

[Ratsirana]

https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=483033

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Former Anders' family farm,around Katima City 10:00

It's been four days since the RNLA-MA troops took control of the Beno bridge and nobody informed General Mbutelezi, he started to be suspicious and paranoid as he usually is.
While he was being carried around on an open litter similar to those used by chinese emperors by the sons of a farmer recently made landless by his expropriations, he yelled at colonel Ngitoza.

The colonel quickly reached for him, nervously responding ''Yes sir!''.

''Why haven't we started operations on taking Beno city yet!'' he exclaimed furiously. ''Our troops are miles from the second hub of the country and here we are doing nothing, not even informing the supreme commander in chief?''.

Colonel Ngitoza tries to speak but he is interrupted by Mbutelezi who continues, ''Those 14 or 15 year old troops are good only to loot, rape and drink in the villages they conquer.

I order a shelling of Beno City, the enemy lags behind in artillery, then when the enemy is weakened we shall direct our troops to the city in order to take over it.
Supplement the present troops with more personnel and shells.''

RNLA camp north of Beno City 10:00

General Sande and his men have tried to precede Mbutelezi's actions. They placed various barricades on the road connecting the bridge to Beno City and filled it with anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.
Some troops have been taken away from the western front north of Wataru to strengthen the forces in the camp north of Beno City, where Sande has established his command centre, in order to aid the troops in the city if there's necessity to do so.

[Travencore]

Muleni Airstrip, 11 AM

Two Travencore Air Force X-25 fighter bombers descend gracefully from the sky towards the runway of the airstrip. The pilots in each plane radioed in to the local Air Traffic control for landing clearance and soon made their final landing approach. On the tarmac, awaiting them was John Tommy, the Travencore special representative to Ratsirana.

A member of the Ratsirana National Liberation Army (RNLA) approached him from the building behind. He was Colonel Agnaku, a top advisor of President Asande. Colonel Agnaku was one of the few who were able to escape the Presidential Palace along with Asande and his family before the coup took place. In fact, it was Colonel Agnaku's intelligence that warned of rapid troop movements along the outskirts of Katima City.

Colonel Agnaku : John, I don't know how we can thank you for the support your country is giving us.
John : We Travencore recognize only the legitimate government of Asande. He was the elected leader and when an elected nation's leader is toppled by some renegade fanatic, we do our best to support the good guys.
Agnaku : The people of Ratsirana will be indebted to you.

The two X-25 warplanes landed at the airstrip and hurried across a makeshift hangar across the main airport building. A Travencore air force transport plane was aligned next for landing on the runway. This plane contained around 10 Travencore Special forces troops whose main objective will be to protect the base and Travencore property. The plane also contained two of John's diplomatic staff whose main job will be to try and end this conflict before it spirals into a full fledged civil war.

John : Colonel, how are our defences holding?
Agnaku : Pretty bad. Our troop morale is low after Mbeni troops took control of Beno bridge.
John : Any plans for a counter offensive?
Agnaku : We do not have the manpower to launch a large scale offensive now. We are shoring up our defenses across the Beno River. We have dug in trenches and kept a couple of tanks there as well.
John : You have any plan on how to go about defending Beno city?
Agnaku : We have more than that. We have around 1000 troops defending the outskirts of Beno city. We have gathered around 3500 troops for an operation that might help us see our first military victory in this conflict.
John : And what is that?
Agnaku : I will tell you soon.

[Ratsirana]

Colonel Ngitoza launches the shelling of Beno City, which is only partially successful due to the low number of self-propelled howitzers but decides to send 1.800 soldiers and 6 tanks and 3 self-propelled howitzers forward.

Road to Beno City 12:30 AM
Two hours from the offensive, Colonel Ngitoza calls General Mbutelezi.
''Sir the road is full of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines we lost two tanks and around 100 troops already without any fight occurring. Now we have in front of us a small number of RNLA units who have barricated the street, we could overcome them but i fear many units from the RNLA are waiting for us and the rest of the road is probably full of mines too! I request to retreat sir''.

At the other end Mbutelezi is furious, but recognizes the high risk of continuing the offensive, despite of that he orders the troops to encamp on the nearest village, Mazabuga, thus taking control of a strip of land east of Beno City, still connected to the bridge.

Mazabunga village 2:45 PM
The RNLA coordinates a joint attack, the troops in Beno City attack from west and the majority of troops who were encamped north of Beno City attacked from the east.
A heavy fight ensued which left 710 RNLA-MA troops dead, 3 tanks and 2 howitzers destroyed, while the RNLA loses 360 troops and one tank.

RNLA allows RNLA-MA to retreat over the bridge, thus making the bridge no man's land as the territory north of the bridge previously controlled by RNLA-MA is retaken.

Mbutelezi is informed during a meeting with heads of the military of the events and is baffled by them.
''I rule incompetents, sometimes i even wonder what's the point, but i was born a patriot, a Mbeni patriot.
We shall not undertake any actions for now, we need to rebuild the army and think about alternative plans,
most troops shall be sent to the line of contact on stand-by, the remaining troops must attack the Ndoni and other minorities' villages indiscriminately, and keep doing so until their men and children join our ranks.''

The climate is different in Beno City, Asande and his troops celebrate their victory, but Asande sees Colonel Agnaku and approaches him.
Gen. Asande : ''So what good news to you bring from Muleni colonel Agnaku'' curiously asks General Asande with a smile on his face.
Col. Agnaku : ''Travencore has brought two fighter jets and a small number of special forces for their own protection of the airstrip.'' answers Colonel Agnaku'
Gen. Asande : 'Very good this will give us a tactical advantage as RNLA-MA doesn't have any plane whatsoever, let them fully in charge of the airstrip we don't need it anyway and bring to their commander a basket full of our local fruits and some handracfted art from our villagers as a humble gesture of gratitude.
Do you know if they have brought any spare parts for our artillery?''
Col. Agnaku : ''They didn't inform me of anything like that, i didn't ask out of respect''
Gen. Asande : ''We'll see, also despite our sincere gratitude, we don't want to fall under the spectre of neo-colonialism, still keep an eye on them.''
Col. Agnaku : At your service sir.

[Travencore]

Operations Coordination Centre (OCC)
Muleni Airstrip, 4 pm

John was standing a room which a big round table in its center. He had just met with General Asande, who John understood to be a person of humility and determination. They were now standing around the table along with John's diplomatic staff, Colonel Agnaku and General Ngidi, the chief of RNLA. There was a general positive mood in the whole room as RNLA Troops have successfully repelled an attack by Mbeni's troops trying to advance towards Beno city. A map of Ratsirana was present on the table.

Agnaku (pointing at the map) : Our troops, numbering near a thousand, have created a defensive field right here, south east of Beno city. Mbeni's troops have been confined to a strip of land here. Its a village called Mazabugga. Majority of the civilians have fled to our areas in the north. A few remaining residents, mostly numbering less than 200 would be at the mercy of Mbeni's troops. They have set up a decent defence by creating road blocks, checkpoints and guard towers. That makes any offensive to retake the village a great risk which cannot afford. We need to be on the defensive, for now. Mbutelezi, as far as I know him will be sending reinforcements through the bridge.
John : Maybe we should strike their convoy carrying reinforcements
Asande : The area around Mazabuga are just fields. Your warplanes would have some easy targets there. And if Mbeni's troops launch a counter attack and breach our defences, I have given orders to gradually retreat from the city.
John : Why?
Asande : ....Agnaku, if you may explain..
Asande : The lives of soldiers matter a lot. Our troop positions would easily be outrun if Mbeni's troops storm the city. Or worse, Mbeni could outflank the city itself rather than storming it, forcing the thousands of defenders in the city to starve. Airstrikes will only help stave off an encirclement for a while since some of these villages are dense tree cover. Now, it seems that Mbeni troops will push forward to capture the city. If that is the case, it wouldn't be much long before he reaches the outskirts Ndelezi and we need all the manpower we have to defend the city.

John : You said there would around 1000 soldiers defending Beno city. What about the remaining troops?
Ngidi : We have kept a few troops on patrol along the Beno river. Atleast if Mbeni is using the river to launch an attack, we would atleast have a heads up. And the remaining soldiers....well...
John : Defending Ndelezi??
Asande : 500 troops are defending Ndelezi.

John : And what about the remaining 6000 troops? Are they in Reserve?
Asande gave John a smile and just said "No!"

............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Just before sunset, an X-25 warplane of the Travencore air force took off from the airstrip. It was closely followed by the other X-25 plane. Their objective: strike targets around the village of Mazabuga. This strike is largely a symbolic action which would show Mbutelezi that RNLA controls the sky.

Another warplane, X-32 fighter jet is expected to land at the airstrip tomorrow.

[Macedonian Grand Empire]

From: Antonio Vorchevski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Desrenkov
To: RNLA-MB Leadership- att general Mbutelezi
Greetings General, after a consultation of our estimed allies from the Macedonian Grand Empire the Republic of North Desrenkov is willing to extend a helping hand to our friends from Ratsirana in their fight against the communist insurgents. We formally recognize your leadership of the country and are willing to assist you in establishing control over your territory. As such we are offering the following:
- Deployment of a security battalion in your country main airport. The battalion will be comprised of 1.000 solders,24 Oplot BM MBT, 65 BTR 80 APC 24 155 mm howitzers.
Air wing
-4 SU 37 Terminators
-16 Apache longbow
-32 Transport helicopters
- An aid Package for your armed forces:
20 T 64 MBT
10.000 AK 74 assault rifles
500 mortars
500 RPG 7
3500 125 mm rounds for the T 64
5.000.000 bullets for the Ak 74
10.000 mortar rounds
10.000 RPG rounds
We are also willing to establish weekly shipping of arms and ammunition to insure that your armed forces are well supplied and battle ready. If you need anything do not hesitate to ask.

With Respect
Antonio Vorchevski
MOFA Of North Desrenkov

[Ratsirana]

From: General Mbutelezi, Chief of the Revolutionary Council of Ratsirana and Head of the RNLA-MA
To: Antonio Vorchevski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Desrenkov

Esteemed minister A. Vorchevski,
We are deeply grateful for the deployement of your troops and the military material aid package which will surely change the course of the war.

We are grateful today and will be grateful when the war will be over, we don't forget the good deeds of our friends.

[LONGLEEN]

The C-130s and C-17s spent a short hour on the tarmac. Landing, unloading troops and equipment, refueling, then back in the air. Colonel Sean Meehan watched as his 1st Brigade of the 23rd Shock Infantry unloaded at combat pace. With this unknown country and bipolar conflict, he had no time to waste on deployment. He had little reliable intel and even less reliable contacts on the ground.

"Colonel, the brigade will be ready to move out in the next 2 hours" called his XO, Lt.Col Roland.

"Very good, make sure we follow offloading procedures, the armament package being unloaded will need the rear guard to follow up with perimeter security. We can't trust this military, they use kids to guard fuel depots. I don't even wanna know their vanguard infantry."

"Absolutely sir," the Lt. Col walked off in his digitized green fatigues to make the arrangements. The whole brigade was to make way to the perimeter of Beno Bridge.

The Colonel watched on as a squadron of A-10s rolled onto the airstrip in the next hour. The close air support planes had saved his life in the South African Campaign. "We will be alright, lets just hope our allies can hold their own." The Colonel boarded his command vehicle and gave the command for the first few companies to move out. Next stop, Beno Bridge.

[Ratsirana]

General Mbutelezi spent hours instructing Colonel Ngitoza and Lt. Colonel Basoto on how to organize the troops encamped near the bridge, not far from the line of control.

''Listen me well, we need to keep a good image, of a professional army. We must not tell them about the vindictive operations our troops are executing in the south, let's just hope they won't see it with their eyes along the road.

Equip the child soldiers only with small weapons for now and let them perform the ceremonial roles, make some of them bring water, fruits and handcrafts to the colonel and lt. colonel.

They will be the reinforcements we needed, thankfully we have two dozen operational tanks and hundreds of mortars, bring as much as you can right here.

Organize small defensive pockets equipped with RPGs and mortars along the river's shore, is everything clear?''

''Yes sir!'' exclaim both Ngitoza and Basoto before leaving to put Mbutelezi's orders into practice.

[Travencore]

Muleni Airstrip
8 AM

John was enjoying a breakfast of fresh fruits, nuts and some vegetables offered by Colonel Agnaku's staff. John was enjoying the breakfast. He hadn't had vegetables and fruits this fresh. Its a sad thing that due to a few people, this beautiful country is in ruins.

John : President Asande,I got to say, this breakfast is really good. Thank you for your hospitality.
Asande : It is the very least I can do for the support you are providing.
John : I have prepared a draft letter to be sent to Mbutelzi for a possible ceasefire. (handing out a paper from his pocket)

Asande read through the contents of the page and passed it along to Colonel Agnaku.

John : Do you think Mbutelezi will give in?
Agnaku : As far as I know, Mbutelezi is an ambitious man. He is a opportunist who does not like losing. And I am pretty sure he will be furious now that his offensive failed at advancing towards Beno City. But I think, he knows that taking Beno City would be a tough fight. He has already got a taste of our defences. So there is a probability that he would come and sit for talks.
Asande : And after yesterday's assault be Mbeni troops, our army lost nearly 500 men defending Beno City. I have ordered around 250 soldiers from Ndelezi to reinforce positions around Beno City. We had a good opportunity to take control of the bridge itself, however we just cannot commit that much manpower into such offensive.

John : You still haven't told me what do you plan to do with the 6000 troops you have kept behind the frontline. If they are not a reserve force, what are you using them for?

Both Agnaku and Asande smiled at this, just as they did yesterday when John asked the same question.

Asande : When the time comes, and if everything works according to plan, you will come to know. But I hope it wouldn't come to that and we come to a compromise before that.



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To : Mbutelezi and his allies
From : Travencore on behalf of General Asande

This civil war, if it rages on, will lead to the death and destruction of life and property alike in Ratsirana. Thousands have been already displaced in the fighting. In the interest of the people of Ratsirana, the Empire of Travencore proposes an immediate halt to fighting and commencement of discussions which would, hopefully, culminate in a peace agreement. The matters to be discussed includes, but not limited to the following:
1. Declaration of a ceasefire
2. An agreement of power sharing among the two main ethnic groups
3. A roadmap to democratic elections.
4. Reconstruction

Travencore will not launch any airstrikes while we await a word from you

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[Ratsirana]

From Fred Mbutelezi
To Travencore command in Ratsirana
It is very low of Asande to speak to me through the voice, or pen of a foreigner, but i would expect this from someone who has the personality of a sodomy practicer to not use other words.

It is very low of him to offer such peace talks because he knows very well that they aren't feasible for many reasons.

First of all for him the most important thing is attaining socialism, to me it's the prosperity of my beloved Mbeni people, thus the first clash as I'd like to bring foreign investment into the country.
I can't bring them so that he nationalizes them, destroying the confidence of the markets.

The second reason is, acknowledging that Ndonis had a more prominent role during the colonial period despite them being the minority, wouldn't have been a fair move if he let us to govern?
Too late to do it now.

I'm in the best position and i have my own allies too so tell your new friend Maurice Asande that we'll push his army to either the refugee camps or hell.

[Travencore]

To : Mbutelezi
From : General Asande, President of Ratsirana

I am speaking to you directly now, Mbutelezi. What you are failing to understand is that your capitalist allies are using you for their own interests. It is our right to protect our people and our interests. Capitalist countries come to our country, take our resources and sell it abroad or even to ourselves at a high price. Why shouldn't our people enjoy the benefits of the natural resources our country has so been blessed with?
You seem to be in a comfortable position now. But that won't last long if the civil war drags on. I implore that we atleast cease hostilities for now. Remember, the blood of the people of Ratsirana are in your hands now

To : Nations Allied with Mbutelezi
From : John Tommy, Travencore Special Envoy to Ratsirana

It is of the interest of my country that this civil war be halted now without any further loss of human life. I, on behalf of my government request you to apply pressure on Mbutelezi for him to come to an agreement of a ceasefire and commencement of peace talks. We should also take collective steps to avoid causalities among our nations.

[Macedonian Grand Empire]

Desrenkov City airport
The transport wing of the North Desrenkovian forces was getting ready and rolling for take off. Over 200 Il 76 transport planes as well as 6 Il 86 passenger planes were taking off on their way to Ratsirana. With them a special flight of SU 37 Terminators formed up and went there. They would be tasked with insuring air superiority in the certain forthcoming battle. Colonel Boris Zhikov was put in charge of the entire operation. A carrier officer that was considered to be on the fast track for promotion to brigadier General and one of the people that was held in high regard in the air force and the army, His combined arms approach was considered critical for the operation to succeed.

12 Hours later the planes were approaching Katima airport
Lead pilot: Katima airport this is captain Vladimir of the North Desrenkovian air force. We are the lead plane of the ND air fleet that is bringing in arms and reinforcements for general Mbutelezi. We ask for permission to land.

IL 86 command plane
Colonel Boris was looking at a 3D map of the country and using the latest developments thanks to the information shared to him by their allies from the Macedonian Grand Empire. Their intelligence gathering will prove most useful in the future. One thing he did not like however were unconfirmed reports about the brutalities against the other minorities in the country. If those reports are true he will have to raise the matter with General Mbutelezi.

[Travencore]

To : All Allied Nations of Mbutelezi
From : John Tommy, Travencore Special Envoy to Ratsirana

One of the major reasons that I insist for a ceasefire is due to the risk that our troops might end up fighting against each other. We want to avoid this. We have received reports that a few nations are helping Mbutelezi with ground troops. These troops are in a high risk of being hit by Travencore air or artillery strikes. So we request you to take a collective stance and put pressure on Mbutelezi to come to the negotiating board.

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Muleni airstrip didn't look like what it was a couple of days ago. From a rag-tag abandoned airbase, it now looks like a fortress with Travencore special forces setting up checkpoints along the road leading to the main entrance of the base. Guard towers have been set up at four corners of the base and even the terraces of buildings are being used by Travencore army units to keep a watch on the area outside the base.

The Travencore army units defending the base is an elite branch of the Travencore Armed Forces known as the Imperial Guards. Back in Travencore, the Imperial Guards are fully in control of the city Trivandrum, which is the capital city of Travencore. which houses a 15 square km area known as the Federal Capital Region (FCR) where the Palace of the emperor, administrative offices and foreign embassies are located. The Imperial Guards are chosen from the best units in the army and are given rigorous training. Other than the objective of defending the capital, the Imperial Guards are also the last resort for counter terrorism operations. They are mostly deployed in extremely dangerous situations, mainly abroad. The force comprises of around 10,000 troops. 100 are currently present in Muleni airbase.

Imperial Guards have finished installing their air defence systems in the airbase and have started monitoring the skies north of Beno river. They would gradually be increasing their scope to the south of the river.

A Travencore air force X-25 warplane thundered across the length of Beno river. All airstrikes had been halted until further notice. Hence, this would be just an ordinary intelligence gathering flyby.

Three artillery units were unloaded at the Muleni airbase. The flight containing military aid to RNLA troops contained 2000 T6 sub machine guns, 3000 P5 Assault rifles and thousand rounds of ammunition. These, along with the artillery gun were handed over to the RNLA at the airbase.

[Ratsirana]

Control tower operator : ''Katima control tower authorizes your planes to land with the due precautions, the operation will take a long time''

The airport staff was still moving the remaining planes of Longleen into hangars to make space for safe landing,most airstrips weren't built to accomodate such a great number of planes.

General Mbutelezi leaves the bridge area to the control of Colonel Ngitoza as he returns to the Katima airport to organize a briefing with North Desrenkovian and Longleen commanders at the Safari Hotel press conference room in downtown Katima City, where he will answer to their questions over the military and political situation and inform them of the situation on the ground.

Mbutelezi is accompanied by Lt. Colonel Basoto which looked amazed at the scene.
''I've never seen such a great amount of planes flying above me, we will for sure win this war!''
General Mbutelezi jokingly rebukes : ''When the war is over, the Mbeni people will develop a strong airforce too and we will be at their service in the moment of need as they're doing with us right now.''
Then Mbutelezi left to give a short interview for the only national television station about the situation while awaiting the foreign colleagues.

[Travencore]

The Travencore Imperial Guards have begun training around 3000 RNLA troops near the Muleni airbase. These men, once they finish their training will be called the "85th Special Forces Battalion" or simply the "Panther Forces". These troops will be the first to get equipped with all the weapons that Travencore is providing. They will also be trained on how to call in close air support during a battle. The Panther forces will be equipped with 4 Cibru Tanks that Travencore provided to RNLA. Another tank is currently operational in the defence of Beno City.

Back in Beno City, residents have begun evacuation under the supervision of RNLA troops. A few young men, mostly homeless people, who have volunteered to stay back have been posted as snipers on tree tops.They have been given some training and their main objective is to delay the advance of Mbeni troops towards the city center.
Checkpoints have come across many parts of the road in Beno city. The RNLA defenders have largely finished laying out elaborate defences with land mines and trenches. A few machine positions were set up at strategic road bends, enabling the shooters to have a long line of vision. Army snipers occupied there position on tree tops and they would be providing vital intel on enemy advances. A Travencore X-25 warplane zoomed overheard, ensuring air superiority. Artillery pieces given by Travencore were located near the city center.

There have been some unconfirmed reports that the RNLA have harassed, physically and sexually, women belong to Mbeni tribe in Beno city. However, the RNLA spokesperson denied this and said he was positive that Mbutelezi would take a positive stance for beginning negotiations to end the conflict.

[Imperial Majapahit]

Banda Atjeh Air Force Base
Outskirts of Banda Atjeh, Majapahit
0100 hours local time

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Banda Atjeh AFB was the westernmost major air base in Majapahit, serving as a departure point for many foreign operations of the Imperial Air Force in the Indian Ocean region and beyond. Stationed on the base were the 1st Logistics and the 4th Fighter wing, primarily using C-130J transporters and somewhat antiquated F-16C multirole fighters, although the latter have received a mid-life upgrade package to improve their avionics and lengthen their projected lifespan. Normally, the wings would be standing by at a high degree of alert readiness, capable of being deployed immediately whenever necessary. Thus, when the recent operation to Ratsirana was announced, the entire base didn't need much time to prepare.

After the base command have briefed the air crews on the operation, they immediately returned to the tarmac and started up the planes. A convoy of trucks operated by the Imperial Army had just entered the air base, filled with crates of weaponry and ammunition. The convoy's officer in charge had informed the base command prior to the arrival that the crates shall be flown to Ratsirana, specifically to Katima Airport. The supplies would later be delivered to ground forces of the Ratsirana National Liberation Army — Mbeni Awakening armed group, a faction in the Ratsirana civil war that the Majapahiti government pledged support for covertly. Additionally, a few NCOs would also be flown there today as an adviser contingent for the RNLA-MA.

The C-130s took off from the base at precisely 0120 hours local time, followed by a pair of F-16s acting as escorters. The flight to Ratsirana would approximately take twenty one hours, with one scheduled stopover at an allied nation's airfield along the way.

The Imperial Bureau of Defence had sent an encrypted letter to leaders of the RNLA-MA:

.
• Imperial Bureau of Defence •
Biro Pertahanan Kemaharajaan

---

Recipient: General Mbutelezi, RNLA-MA, Ratsirana
Subject: Assistance
Encryption: Maximum

---

To whom it may concern,

Salutations, General. The Imperial Bureau of Defence would like to inform you that the Empire of Majapahit recognises your faction's efforts in this time of crisis. We believe that the Mbeni Awakening is the sole faction that has the capability to bring longlasting peace and stability in the region, as well as a frontier force in combatting the wretched ideology of communism and reunite the people of Ratsirana. We do share some similar views to your own, and we have decided to support you in toppling General Asande's RNLA.

As our form of assistance, we have sent a large shipment of SS-2 assault rifles, ammunition, MREs, and other related supplies your forces might need for the cause. This shipment is being delivered by air, specifically four C-130J transporters with Imperial Air Force markings. Joining the shipment is a team of field advisers from the Imperial Army that will assist your forces in formulating military actions to defend against and defeat the RNLA. We'd like to request your permission to land at Katima airport, where the shipment would then be unloaded and distributed to your troops.

Lastly, we would also like to request your permission to send a small contingent of ground troops to directly fight alongside your forces. Two ranger battalions of 1.600 men from the Imperial Army have been prepared for this operation. They shall be flown into Ratsirana once we have your agreement and permission.

We have high hopes that we could establish and maintain beneficial cooperation to eliminate a common enemy and fight for a common cause, General. We await your response.

Kind regards,

Moeldoko A. Waruk
Defence Minister of Majapahit
.

[Macedonian Grand Empire]

Katima airport 12.00 hours local time

Most of the air fleet has already landed and was deploying their forces when the command IL 86 landed. Colonel Boris Zhukov emerged and was awaited by a hailstorm of reports from his subordinates on the progress of the unloading of troops and materials. He instructed Major Martin Akimov to prepare a plan for the fortification and defense of the airport and to coordinate with the armed forces of the Allies of the RNLA-MA and their forces. Also he planed to ask for permission to build 2 more runways at the airport in order to facilitate the transfer of food and supplies to the RNLA-MA and their allies.

Major Akimov took a look at the maps that were provided to him from the RNLA-MA leadership and started planing of the defense of the airport. First and foremost he started the fencing of the entire airport area and erecting watchtowers with searchlights and machine guns. He carefully picked 3 hills around the airport that were to be fortified with trenches and concrete fortifications where the fire bases would be located. The S 400 Triumph would insure that the airbase would be safe from an air attack. Checkpoints were created on 10 km from the airport in order to insure optimal safety of the planes and man of the armed forces.

From: Colonel Boris Zhukov
to: General Mbutelezi, RNLA-MA, Ratsirana
General i would like to formally thank you for accepting our aid and accepting us in your country. As you are busy with your interview i and sending this letter to be handed to you once you finish your interview. I will be waiting for you in my command plane. Please come aboard in order to discuss the handover of equipment to your forces. Also i am asking for permission for our engineering corps to build 2 more runways so we can expedite the arrival of equipment and supplies

[Travencore]

To : All nations allied with Mbutelezi
From : The Government of Travencore

The government of Travencore realizes that a multi national force is supporting Mbeni troops. It is only fair that we warn you that any attack on Travencore personnel or property would lead to grave escalation of the crisis and Travencore military force present in Ratsirana will reserve the right to respond.

[Ratsirana]

General Mbutelezi still busy at the aiport to coordinate the arrivals and formal authorizations of the allies, called Colonel Ngitoza to have news about the front.
He was assured that everything was fine and that they didn't see suspicious movement and that the troops were very motivated at this point.
General Mbutelezi went back to work out the landing and coordination of forces.

From: General Mbutelezi
To: Imperial Bureau of Defence, Imperial Majapahit

Esteemed officials of Imperial Majapahit,
We appreciate your material support for our patriotic cause which will definitely lead us towards victory against the much hated enemy.
I gratefully accept the weaponry, advisors and military support therefore i authorize your landing and the arrival of the ranger battalions on our soil.

[hr]

After writing the letter General Mbutelezi heads towards Colonel Zhukov's command plane, where a soldier controlling the perimeter tries to check him before letting him enter the plane.
Mbutelezi slaps the soldier in the face, shouting at him : ''I'm the president of the country you are standing on you cracker!''
Mbutelezi calms himself down before meeting Col. Zhukov.

''You must tell that soldier on guard outside your plane to have some decency Colonel, anyways, did you get used to the hot weather already? I heard North Desrenkov is pretty cold.
As for the building of two additional airstrips i'm pleased with any kind of infrastructure built here, especially if it is meant to be permanent, it could favor our future economic prospects.''

[Macedonian Grand Empire]

Yes there are cold parts of North Desrenkov. But we also have warm parts in our country. I am quite used to warmer climates unlike some other officers. It is a pleasure to meet you in person general. I understand why you think i am still on the plane due to the air conditioning being active. I believe that people need to work at pleasant temperatures but the reason why i am still here is this CIC. He says as he leads general Mbutelezi to the CIC part of the plane where on a central console is a 3D map of Ratsirana. He shows the General all the bells and wisles of the technological map and its use in coordinating battlefield movement with intel as well as having an up to date info on the situation on the ground. He tells the general that they will have one instaled in the colonel HQ as well as offering the general joint use of the system. After that he leads the general back in his office:
General i am proud to bring to you T 64 B main battle tanks. They are much better then the ones you have aviable on either side of the conflict. We are also bringing AK 74,mortars and RPG in order to equip your forces. We are also willing to bring in instructors in order to train your army. If you can provide us with your best tank crews so we can get started in training them for the use of the T 64 MBT. If you can provide me with a list of nececary equipment for your forces we will see what we can provide. Also general we have 4 Su 37 terminators here. WIth your permision we would like them to take control of the airspace in Ratsirana and intercept planes that are flying in Ratsirana airspace and land them here.

To: John Tommy, Travencore Special Envoy to Ratsirana
From: Colonel Boris Zhukov, commander of the forces of North Desrenkov in Ratsirana
A cease fire is all good when you speak of it. But what do you offer for such an operation to take place. You ask us to put presure on our ally the estimed general Mbutelezi while you do not plan to move a mussle to persuade general Asande that he need to quit on forcing his left leaning policies on this nation. I am a solder not a diplomat, i respect the orders of the General Staff in Desrenkov and not some foreign envoy. If our ally decides to walk the path of peace we will support him. If he chooses the path of war, we will support him. We are not here to shed blood of your people. Also with the permission of general Mbutelezi i am establishing air patrols over the skies of Ratsirana. All planes flying south of the Benu river will be intercepted and forced to land in Katima airport. When the general will submit his thinking we are planing on extending the patrol zone over the entire territory of Ratsirana.

[Ratsirana]

We are deeply thankful for your help and we will soon bring our tank crewmen for training.
You and other allies have equipped us with a good amount of rifles, mortars, vehicles and munitions of any kind so our army is almost over-equipped right now but i do have a question.
I was wondering if you are equipped with any Armoured vehicle-launched bridge because that would be necessary in case of operations in the western part of the country which is very far from the Beno bridge.

On another note the authorization of patroling the skies will be given to both North Desrenkov and Longleen forces.
I also authorize both allies to fly no more than 20 km over the line of contact between RNLA-MA and RNLA.

[Travencore]

A C-4 Transport plane of the Travencore Air Force landed gracefully on the runway and taxied to a hangar beside the main building. This transport plane was carrying the Icarus air defence system, a unique system developed by Travencore Army, which would protect the skies against any of the latest warplanes. These air defences will be able to pick up signal of incoming warplane or missile 20 kms away. All these air defence systems are, however, installed at the air base and not near the frontline. These air defences will not be able to intercept missiles or warplanes attacking the defenders in Beno City. A day earlier, another X-32 Bomber had arrived, along with 3 more X-25 warplanes. Hence the size of Travencore airplanes in Muleni airstrip:

X-25 : 5
X-32 : 2
.............................................................................................................................................................................................................


Four Travencore Air Force X-25 warplanes flew over the length of the Beno river, staying well within RNLA airspace just north of River Beno. However, they were able to collect intelligence as they had a clear line of vision towards the areas south of Beno river. At the same time, two Travencore X-32 warplanes, escorted by the remaining X-25, bombed positions of Mbeni troops near the village of Mazabunga. Since, some areas near the village facing Beno city had strong tree cover, the airstrikes targeted these trees, uprooting a few trees. All positions hit were alleged positions defended by Mbeni troops. The four X-25 warplanes now approached the Mazabunga village from the west and struck alleged Mbeni troop positions in the village and near the bridge. Later that day, one of the artillery piece that was donated by Travencore started firing shells towards village and its surrounding areas.

This was the strongest airstrikes conducted by Travencore since they arrived in the country. The first strikes they conducted was largely symbolic, to show that Travencore supports Ndoni people and its fight against Mbutelezi's forces. This time though, they hit targets of Mbeni troops located in and around the village. Soon after Travencore warplanes finished their strikes, RNLA air force continued its strike around Mazabunga. Around 150 RNLA troops had arrived from Ndelezi to reinforce positions in Beno city. General Asande has come to the conclusion that Mbutelezi will not be interested in peace talks, especially since he has the strategic advantage of holding the bridge through which he can launch offensive across the north. Travencore released a statement that its strikes eliminated around 30-40 troops in its airstrikes and destroyed weapon storage facilities. Travencore also said one of its strike hit a position near to where a tank was situated, however, they did not specify whether the tank itself was damaged.

The defenders in Beno city, reinforced by troops from the north, have received ammunition and other supplies. They had started pounding Mazabunga with artillery and soon they would start mortar attacks too to soften up defences around the village of Mazabunga. Taking the village would enable RNLA to launch an offensive to retake the Beno bridge and would give RNLA fire control over areas south of the bridge. The Beno bridge can be used as a further base point to launch offensives south towards Katima City.

The RNLA troops in Beno city awaited the final order from General Asande to begin their advance towards Mazabunga.......

[Travencore]

Outskirts of Beno City

After a day of pounding Mbeni troop positions with artillery, the RNLA started firing mortars at frontline positions of Mbeni troops. A few RNLA units advanced an captured a strategic bend on the road leading to Mazabunga village. They haven't faced any resistance yet. RNLA artillery is still pounding Mbeni troop positions in the village.

However, they are still waiting for orders to advance into the village..

(OOC: Looks like this thread is becoming dead with no one replying. If this continues to be the case, I would be taking this plot forward on my own using Non Playing Characters)

[Ratsirana]

Ngitoza was shocked at Mbutelezi's proposals to sell Ratsirana's raw resources cheaply in exchange of personal favors to foreign powers as Mbutelezi expressed during a closed door meeting with the leading offocers of the RNLA-MA.

Ngitoza discussed privately with other leading officers about taking Mbutelezi out of power and everyone agreed.

Ngitoza asked Mbutelezi for a private meeting with Mbutelezi and after just a few minutes he shot him in the head, two times.

The RNLA-MA leadership is not sure about how to handle the civil war at this point, as they fear its continuation could weaken their position of authority.

The RNLA-MA headed now by Ngitoza has officially requested a week long ceasefire and meetings with General Asande.

[Travencore]

Muleni Airbase
13th April 2020
12:37 Noon time

Sipping a cup of cold lemonade, John Tommy looked up as Colonel Agnaku entered the makeshift conference room followed closely by General Asande, who unmistakably looked a bit happy. But he didn't show it out fully.

Agnaku : Who would have thought, John, that events would take such a turn of events!
John : Ngitoza has asked for a week long ceasefire and he wants to meet you, President Asande.
Agnaku : I believe Ngitoza is behind the murder of Mbutelezi because he wants to seize power with the help of RNLA-MA.
Asande : We have to take opportunity of this situation, but we have to be smart in dealing with this. I am going to tell Ngitoza that we are ready for talks, but we go according to the conditions we have send them before.

To : Ngitoza
From : General Asande

I agree to your offer of a cease fire only if you agree to a certain set of conditions. The conditions are:
1. RNLA-MA will have to withdraw their troops and heavy weaponry to south of Beno bridge.
2. Peace talks are to be held in Soithaki, the village just south of Beno Bridge.
3. Peace talks must include a roadmap to prevent future power clashes.

If, and only if, all of the above terms are agreed will there be further talks. We will await your response for 2 days after which, if we do not receive any word from you, we will resume our military operations. Until then, RNLA troops will not attack or advance into RNLA-MA positions