Betrayers of Fortune [IC | GD]

[The Macabees]

MORRISVILLE, STATE OF NORTH LOMEC
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Ordenite forces push up Valo'Kap's front line as it aggressively continues its general offensive.
The Kríermada continues to heavily bombard Ordenite forces on the east coast. However, Valo'Kap is buckling
and it determines to fold its command under the Fuermak in return for immunity from legal persecution.

Its rotors mightily palpitating in the air as the helicopter landed on a fallow field. As soon as it touched down, several uniformed Ejermacht officers stepped out from within it. One of them was Vicstrategos Arn ver Darg, commander of all imperial and allied ground forces in the Killian Republic. He held his cap down as the blades above him whipped the air about like a merciless wind. There were some high-ranking Valo'Kap officials waiting for him and the other Macabéan officers. One of the mercenary officers was Gregor Kol, Chief Project Overseer of Valo'Kap Forces East.

"This must be a historic day for you, Vicstrategos," said Kol, as soon as he and Arn ver Darg clasped for a handshake.

With a microscopic smirk, the Macabéan replied, "Just a day like any other."

They were driven into Morrisville, a small city that the mercenary consortium had taken over for their headquarters. Most of the civilian population, except any that serviced Valo'Kap needs, was gone, and so the only life one could see on the street was the military life. However, the city was not dead by any means. Light utility vehicles, soft-skinned armored personnel carriers, and their more heavily armored sisters alike crawled the pavements in one direction and the other. It was quite a bit of traffic that the vehicles leading ver Darg and Kol to the latter's headquarters building had to get through before arriving.

Once there, they proceeded into the brick-walled, three-story structure with plentiful windows decorated with carved marble moldings. Stunning looking, ver Darg commented, "Was this some sort of minor official's palace at some point? It is quite beautiful, it is not surprising at all that your staff took it over for the war. I would have done the same. I commend you for your good taste."

"Thank you, I don't know its history, but it belonged to the municipal administration before we commandeered it," said the Valo'Kap commander, blandly. Before a soldier opened a door to one of the rooms, he added, "Anyway, we're not here to exchange pleasantries."

Ver Darg followed his Valo'Kap counterpart into the room, where other mercenary general officers were waiting for them. There were some welcomes, introductions, and handshakes, but time was short and the room went right to business. Ver Darg, who had a war to run, was the one with the least time to waste and so it's not surprising that he began with, "Alright gentlemen, I think we know why we're all here. Independent resistance by Valo'Kap is not possible. You need resupply and you need reinforcements. Let's talk terms."

"Talk terms?" asked one. "I'm sure you already have the terms you're willing to agree to."

"Yes," added Kol. "What do you bring from the emperor?"

"The emperor has given me free rein to negotiate, I speak for Him," answered ver Darg. "These are my terms. Valo'Kap command folds undermine. From now on, final approval and original orders come from me. Your men are to obey all imperial commands. In return, Valo'Kap west forces will be allowed to reinforce your army. They have no weapons, we handed them over to the Killians. But, the empire will lift the sanction on Valo'Kap. Furthermore, I am offering all Valo'Kap employees, except the top brass in Tarn, but everyone here in the Republic gets a free pass."

The mercenaries thought to themselves for a moment. Then, Kol replied, "And how are we supposed to re-arm 600,000 men?"

Ver Darg shrugged, "That is for your company to figure out."

"And our pay?" asked another Valo'Kap officer.

The Macabéan vicstrategos answered, "Will be continued to be paid by the Killian Republic until the end of the war, whereupon your contract with the Killian state will have ended and you will all return to Tarn."

"Agreed," said Kol. It was likely the best deal they were going to get; a deal that was already sweeter than they expected. The Golden Throne knew that it could not halt the Ordenite offensive along the neck on its own. Not without losing more ground. Not without losing more men than they would otherwise. Valo'Kap may have been unwanted, but at that moment they were very much needed.




JULIAN, STATE OF LINCOLN
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The rapidly accelerating war effort requires a constant and growing flow of manifold supplies.
Almost all logistics flows through Julian, which port undergoes expansion even as the existing portion
overflows with activity. Amidst the chaos, the Golden Throne quietly moves in nuclear warheads.

As war raged on, the major western port city and imperial base of Julian was flooded with ships carrying material and personnel. Warships had deployed closer to the port to offer it protection against raids similar to that against Leopoldton and the northern imperial ports, but most of the shipping here was cargo-oriented. Rifles, tanks, and shells were just some of the items being funneled through Julian. Food, uniforms, and medicine were others. The Golden Throne had not only to supply its own armed forces, but it needed to feed refugees, workers, and other people who would otherwise go through a terrible famine. It was a tremendous logistical operation, and there was something extra passing through the port these days.

Several crates marked with symbols suggesting careful and exclusive handling, as well as specific directions as to storage and where, were brought on to land. They were quickly driven by convoy to various bases in Lincoln, well north of the front lines. From there, their contents would be further distributed over time. Few knew what these crates contained, but it was nuclear artillery shells, nuclear-tipped surface-to-surface missiles and rockets, and air-launched nuclear munitions. With the Ordenites pushing north at a hard pace, the "nuclear option" was very seriously contemplated.



HATFIELD, STATE OF RINCON
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Valo'Kap's surrender to the Golden Throne leads without delay to the rapid southward deployment
of Ejermacht and Kríermada ground forces in Rincon. Hatfield remains joint operations headquarters in-country,
otherwise Ejermacht command takes over at Morrisville

The capitulation of Valo'Kap to the Golden Throne resulted in an immediate impetus to accelerate the southward deployment of imperial forces in Rincon. 200,000 naval infantry and almost 1.3 million Ejermacht personnel occupied all of Rincon down and moved into North Lomec, taking up position behind Valo'Kap's front lines. Positioned as such, they made it impossible for Valo'Kap to withdraw, as they'd be withdrawing into the Ejermacht and Kríermada's Terkos.

From these new positions, imperial artillery joined the fight in the east. Together with the withering offshore naval fire support, Ejermacht MRLS saturated the battlefield with rockets in "shock" attacks at intervals. These focus more so on points of Ordenite attacks, especially where they threatened to break through or destabilize the front. Conventional self-propelled artillery maintained an ongoing rhythm of fire. They coordinated as best as possible with Valo'Kap artillery, but the two armies had never trained together nor had they a lot of experience working as one. Thus, while together Valo'Kap and the Golden Throne now had more artillery in the east than ever before, cooperation was clumsy at best. This would most likely be the case for the rest of the war.

Still, overall, now there were some 1.25 million mercenaries with an additional one million Ejermacht and Kríermada personnel, with another 600,000 of the latter also quickly moving in. The 600,000 Valo'Kap personnel in the north, weaponless, would take longer to be readied for combat. They would likely be most useful in replacing losses, rather than bolstering numbers. And replacing losses Valo'Kap would need to do.

It behooved the Golden Throne to make it so that the brunt of the casualties were suffered from the mercenaries. They were already holding the front. But, in the rear, Macabéan artillery shot and scooted, oftentimes coordinating with Valo'Kap to the extent that they'd use the company's artillery as cover or a diversion. Thus, counter-battery would often fall on Valo'Kap instead of those who may have deserved it more, the Macabéans.

But, there was another reason the Golden Throne's forces in the east were consolidating in Valo'Kap's rear. It wasn't just to join the defense that the Fuermak had deployed to North Lomec. Rather, the Ejermacht was building strength. In the coming days it would launch a major counterattack against the Wehrmacht in the east, aiming to push them back down toward Danbury. In the meantime, they gathered their strength, stockpiled munitions and other supplies, and aided in the defense with conventional and rocket artillery. Furthermore, while the Ejermacht prepared so did the Laerihans, which started moving more aircraft into the northern lands of the Killian Republic, such that a formidable force was being organized to fight a war that was very clearly going to last a long time.



LEOPOLDTON, STATE OF NEW HEMETT
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A surprise Ordenite bombing raid devastates the port at Leopoldton and other military installations.
The Golden Throne orchestrates an emergency reconstruction operation by subcontracting Navitek, conscripting
local labor. New radars are ordered to position along Rincon's coast.

A low-flying object trailed by fire skimmed closely over the steady port water of Leopoldton. It collided into one of the buildings just behind the harbor's concrete edge and exploded into a fireball of hellish colors. Behind it came more, and they roared along with the teeth-grinding noise of chaingun close-in weapon systems firing off into the sky. Missiles screamed from their metal sheaths from the port and elsewhere on the islands, shrieking headlong toward more incoming Ordenite bombs. Never before had Leopoldton sustained such an attack, as sudden, unexpected, and devastating as it was. Much of the port was wrecked, left a fiery ruin. The living carried the dead out from underneath the rubble, many were left only half-living, some left to a life no longer worth living. The city would take many months, if not years, to recover from this attack.

In the harbor, a warship began to list as it belched dark black smoke from out of gaping wounds on its side. It was a destroyer belonging to the small flotilla originally stationed at Leopoldton. It had been hit several times, and it was not the only one. The miniature eskúadra was in shambles, with much of its strength now limping about. In the coming days, the survivors would be incorporated into 'Paquat' as reinforcements.

In the moment, several flights of F/A-36 stealth fighters scrambled from the Killian mainland, in northern Rincon. They sped southward toward the Ordenite bombers that were by now returning back to their bases. Whether they reached their targets in time was a chance of history, but these would not be the first F/A-36s and Lu-45s to fly this trajectory. From now on, a permanent early warning system would be established to the west of New Hemett, where they could keep watch of the skies between New Hemett and Ordena — stealth and anti-stealth being, at least in part, a matter of watching your angles.

As the ground forces deployed southward, some of the radars attached to the naval infantry took up position along the coast for a permanent ground-based detection system. But they could only afford to leave so many, as these radars would also be necessary to protect the skies over the southern battlefield. New radars were requested from the mainland and they would come in the coming weeks, to reinforce that land-based air defense system being established on the Rincon coastline.

As it turned out, the Ordenites had not just attacked Leopoldton. They also struck against the forward picketts of Kríermak 'Macabea Oest' and against land targets along the northern coastline of the Golden Throne. The damage extensive, but most of those northern ports were of limited use at the moment due to their proximity. Instead, the Kríermada primarily used Gus'Líam in Monzark, as well as its various Guffingfordi bases, in the east and Targul Frumos in the west. 'Macabea Oest' had suffered too, although they had the advantage of distance and, more importantly, movement and impermanence. Thus, making more difficult targets and having overlapping means of protection, they responded to the attack feverishly. Nearby flights in combat air patrol duties brokes off to strike back against their aggressors, engaging both at beyond-visual-range and others closing the gap at speed.

The Ordenites would stew in pleasure knowing that they had caught the Golden Throne off guard and done her great harm. Leopoldton was out of the war for the year, the better protected Dorisville, in Rincon, to the north would have to be the primary resupply harbor in the east. Many port cities in the northern provinces had suffered much damage, as well. And while the Kríermada had a plethora of ships, the number it had lost to these strikes were significant.

Almost immediately, the Fuermak put into effect conscription of labor across the island and in the mainland. Tens of thousands of the refugees who were deemed strong enough to work were put in trains and rushed off to Dorisville or one of the eastern airports, from where they were shipped or flown into New Hemett. These laborers would be crucial if the Fuermak, and the companies it subcontracted much of the organization and work to — including the giant Navitek —, was to get much of the lost infrastructure rebuilt as soon as possible. Leopoldton's port would take many weeks to be useful at all, many months before it could host any sizeable fleets, and many years before it was fully rehabilitated. Destroyed airfields, radar stations, and anti-air batteries could be repaired and replaced more quickly, however. Characteristically, the Laerihans and Kríermada committed to a joint operation to ship in several hundred aircraft a week into New Hemett, from where they could harass the Luftwaffe, bomb Ordenite targets, or move to bases on the Killian mainland from which they could do the same.

The Golden Throne could be caught making a mistake, but it learned from them.



CORREGIGO, STATE OF LINCOLN
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As the fierce Ordenite offensive continues, but the length of the front consolidates along the narrower
width of The Neck, the Ejermacht brings to bear more artillery in conjunction with offshore naval fire. To blunt
the enemy advance and hold its front, it orchestrates a series of tactical counterattacks.

In the west, 1.3 million had grown to 1.7. The Ejermacht was gathering strength, but here the Reich was already upon them. All along the front, the fighting was hard and tough, see-sawing back-and-forth as the Golden Throne counter-attacked, to be pushed back, only to counter-attack again. Thousands died every day on both sides, whether from the incessant artillery and offshore fire, air attack, or ground combat. Tens of thousands of more were left wounded, some lightly enough to return to the fight, others out for a long time or for good. The Ejermacht had established advanced surgical capabilities close to the front to more quickly see to those who'd otherwise die waiting for medical attention. In skills learned over the years during the 'Long Wars,' and in Gholgoth, arms and legs were amputated, and those who were able to accept them took on cybernetic limbs as a replacement. As many as possible were ferried back to their units if they could continue to fight, which was more than otherwise thanks to the attention the Fuermak placed on combat medical services. But, even when the soldier couldn't be restored to combat readiness, the attention to medical needs made for fewer deaths.

As reinforcements continued to come, and given the narrow length of the front as it concerns Lincoln, the Ejermacht took advantage to launch violent counterattacks time and time again. Typically prepared with an hour-long massed artillery barrage, mechanized and armored forces struck back along narrow points in attempts to breakthrough Ordenite lines and threaten to roll them unless the Wehrmacht gave ground. More often than not, ground gained was ultimately lost again — although the Kríermada saturated the lands where there was too much pressure placed on the land forces —, but in this fashion the war began to gradually transform into a virtual stalemate for the time being. The Golden Throne would not give ground, and when it did it threw in the resources it needed to gain it back, even if the Ejermacht in the Republic was not yet strong enough to throw the Ordenites back toward their original frontier.

But, holding ground and stalemate were not inevitabilities, and the war's momentum was still in the Ordenite's favor.



REGINALD RANCH, STATE OF LINCOLN
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As the war enters a critical stage, the political machinery behind the scene continues to churn gears.
President Jackson Hamilton cannot be relied on to carry on the Killian war effort in a way the Golden Throne
deems adequate. General Ambrose Longstreet meets to plot his overthrow.

"General Longstreet, it's good to have you here," said ver Darg, who had just flown into Reginal Ranch from Morrisville that very morning.

Ambrose Longstreet was a Killian of the old school. His hair was full, but was almost entirely grey. Tall and broad of shoulders, he was also just a tad bit broad of girth. As an officer, he was known for his sense of duty and bravery, and Longstreet was popular among the troops. He opposed the subcontracting of the Republic's defense needs to Valo'Kap to begin with and had retired out of protest then. He supported Garret M. Lunsford's coup earlier in the year, and was saddened by the man's assassination at the hands of that traitor Arnold Yeoman. Never had he expected to follow in Lunsford's shoes, but here he was. To the Macabéan, he replied, "It is good to be here, vicstrategos. I would think it pleases you to hear that my men are in place in the capital, and my supporters in the other cities are at the ready to act on your command."

"Good, good," said ver Darg. "That is excellent news."

"You know," said the Killian, "it pains me that our democracy has come to such depths and, under ordinary conditions, I would be disgusted to be here."

Very seriously, ver Darg replied, "Alas, we are no longer under ordinary conditions, are we general? In fact, the conditions have changed so much that they are entirely different than they were at the start of the war. The Republic is losing its war against the Reich. As we speak, kilometer after kilometer of land that has belonged to the Republic for over a hundred years is falling to the enemy. Hundreds of millions of refugees have been displaced and now live in abject poverty. Those who did not escape now live beneath the iron boot of the Nazi regime. The longer we dawdle, the more of the Republic is chipped away, and the likelier that it collapses altogether. And believe me that what we are fighting is worse than tyranny. The swifter we act, the more people we can save from their evil. You say that under different circumstances you'd be disgusted. So what? You know the circumstances. If it's disgust that you feel for being the savior of your nation, then trust me when I say I'll find another. I thought you a different sort of man. Was I mistaken?"

"No," answered Longstreet. "You are not mistaken. I just meant to say that I will be unpopular, and not among few. Surely, you must be aware that most Killians will only see me as a dictator. And we are beyond the days of dictators, vicstrategos. We Killians value our democracy."

Ver Darg sighed, "I too love democracy, general. But, democracy can be fragile. Under normal conditions, I would help you shape it and give it strength. But, like I said, these are not normal conditions."

"How long until I too have my neck slashed by my own soldiers?" asked Longstreet, in reference to Lunsford.

The Macabéan remained as serious as ever. "You will always be a friend of the empire, general. Those mercenaries killed who they needed to, to get what they wanted. We value loyalty, stability, and mutual growth. Your regime will be adequately supported. Besides, the Ordenite threat is not going anywhere. We are in for a long war, and may perhaps even fight many more wars soon enough. I suspect that your fellow Killians will not have the luxury to mourn for democracy for quite some time."

There was a brief silence, then ver Darg stood and the other man rose after. They shook hands, and ver Darg said, "The operation has the approval to go in forty-eight hours. Fortune favor you, general."

"Likewise, vicstrategos," replied Longstreet.

[United World Order]

The Killian Front.

The new offensive was becoming to look more and more like a grinding stalemate as both armies clashed violently all along the narrow front. The first wave had made little headway to breaking through the 'neck' which was where the battle raged now. The Heer Command that commandeered military operations for the Hugen theater were now authorizing the deployment of the second wave in piece meal portions as to not allow the ever present Macabean aerial and naval bombardment to inflict even greater casualties on what the Heer had to bear for the fight. The eastern flank which primarily was being pushed by the Waffen-SS was now seeing increased resistance due to Fuermark reinforcements arriving in the rear of the embattled Valo'Kap forces. The Waffen-SS in the area were now outnumbered and therefore a further two Heer Army Groups moved into the rear of the already embattled Waffen-SS. Most if not all of the forces being pledged to the invasion of Hailandkill had previous combat experience in the past wars in Krasnova and thus fought just as hard as their foes arrayed against them. This would leave the remaining four Army Groups comprised of the second wave in reserve for when they were needed should the Macabeans outnumber them elsewhere, however on the western flanks the numerical advantage and the momentum was still in Ordenite hands.

The Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht had taken notice that the Triumvirate and especially in the Hugen theater, the Macabeans were now beginning to build momentum in the fight. Reichsfuhrer Grossmann in several of the more recent meetings with the OKW in regards to the war effort had urged the use of nuclear weapons. At first this suggestion was heavily contested by many of the Generals due to the fact that escalation would follow and that Grossmann intended to strike military and civilian targets such as the city of Julian, Morrisville and even the capital of the Republic, DeMaio in what he envisioned as bringing a swift end to Killian involvement in the war effort, leaving only the Macabeans to defend properly. Fortunately after much heated debate it was finally agreed that civilian targets were completely out of the question in what would be a first strike against Fuermark and Krierarmada assets in both Hailandkill and Krasnova. Therefore as the war raged on the Ordenite Heer and Luftwaffe began the distribution of nuclear warheads among its forces in both theaters which included nuclear tipped artillery, air and ground launched tactical nuclear warheads. The first strike was codenamed 'OPERATION ROYAL FLUSH' but did not have an exact hard date to when it was to be carried out as that was still being decided by the OKW themselves.

In the mean time the conventional fighting in Hailandkill continued with fresh Luftwaffe assets including some of the new stealth bombers were deployed closer to the front to continue to contest the skies and offer further support to the ground troops embattled in a near stalemate with the Fuermark.

[The Macabees]

GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT
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In an effort to improve its defenses against stealth bomber raids,
the Golden Throne positions geosynchronous reconnaissance satellites in high Earth orbit.

Given the vicissitudes of international affairs, there are bound to be "blind spots" in any country's intelligence infrastructure. The successful Ordenite stealth bomber raid on Leopoldton and other ports was a painful reminder of that, and the Golden Throne was settled on correcting the oversight. While, like with most things, many wished that the weakness could be strengthened immediately, like with most things, doing so took time. Afterall, repositioning a satellite, or a number of them, was a complicated process that took up to weeks. Originally traveling to keep up with the Earth's rotation, they slowed to descend to a lower orbit, and then slowed further to circularize. Finally, they picked up speed again to rise back to geosynchronous orbit until they over the continent of Hugen. They sped up again toward the end to circularize, settling in thereafter.

Of course, the Golden Throne had maintained satellite coverage over the Fourth Reich for many years now. But, it was a large country with a lot of interesting things to track. And, the empire had been disproportionately, and perhaps foolishly, preoccupied with the Scandinvan Empire and Gholgoth for four years now. With additional IMINT, MASINT, and SIGINT capabilities over Hugen, these additional satellite assets could help provide more data on the capabilities, size, and deployments of the Ordenite military. More importantly, within the context of Ordenite bombing, they could keep a permanent eye on known Luftwaffe airfields and find unknown ones, so that any stealth bomber formations could be discovered as they were being put in the air.

To speed up the repositioning process, the satellites expended more fuel than they otherwise would. Kosmohans launched successive refueling operations to align with the final repositioning of each satellite. Having their fuel valves well sealed for launch, these had to be removed by the refueling robot. With a wire cutter device, the lock wires on the tertiary cap were removed first. Then the tertiary cap itself was extracted and stored by a multifunction tool, after which the wire cutter removed the lock wires on the safety cap and actuation nut. After removing the safety cap, the robot accessed the valve with a nozzle, delivered less than half a gallon of ethanol, and released in conjunction with the replacement of a quick disconnect cap. If the satellite had been refueled in the past, the operation was simpler but similar. This would sustain them for not just another repositioning movement, which they could have already committed without worry. But, rather, as a precaution to provide them with the fuel needed for evasive maneuvers if the Ordenites broke the informal ban on anti-satellite munitions. If multiple missions were needed for a single satellite, they were made.

Coordinates with the satellites were several squadrons of F/A-36s on the ground, with instructions to scramble and intercept the enemy bomber formations. Between airborne and early warning detection, ground-based tracking sensors, and other intelligence sources, they could engage at visual range before the Ordenite bombers had time to release their munitions against their Macabéan, Killian, or Valo'Kap enemies.



REGINALD RANCH, STATE OF LINCOLN
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General Ambrose Longstreet and an armored column move north,
toward the capital city, DeMaio, launching his coup d'etat.

While the war in the south proceeded, politics in the Republic remained as ruthless as ever. Democracy was sacrosanct in this country, more so than in most. In many ways, democracy in the empire owed its strength to the Killian example, which too had its ups and downs, dictatorships, and corruption, but nevertheless often served as a light in the tyrannical dark. It was a cultural institution as much as social, and so to that extent was more advanced than that of the Golden Throne.

Winter had come to Hugen, and with it snow and the freezing cold. Soldiers shivered, civilians survived in their homes, and those without homes died or came dangerously close to it. Refugee camps were overfull with destitute and well-off alike. True, perhaps those with privilege could not possibly see how any of these refugees were "well-off." But, those who came with possessions, like jewelry, books, or expensive clothes, could trade these for food and other essential items. The oppressive poverty of the camps became a great equalizer between those unfortunates living in them. The daughters and sons of rich and poor alike were victims to sin in various forms. And everyone's problem was the same one, whether they had enough supplies to make it through the next day. They were a communist's dream, a gulag of egalitarianism.

The war had gone badly so far. The states of West Tenet and South Lomec had been completely lost. Almost half of North Lomec was occupied by the Reich, as well. True, the Golden Throne had helped stabilize the front, but the Wehrmacht still marched on. In the capital, the people were afraid that over their congress building would fly the swastika. Blame was squarely placed on Valo'Kap, and by the extension the government that had put its full trust in them. Killian democracy had exported its military needs, and quickly paid the price. They lost not only their freedom but had stupidly been put in a war with the powerful Reich and now totalitarianism of the most total kind threatened to crush them all under the heel of their iron boot. Democracy had failed the Republic.

Most still supported democracy, of course. They wanted a democratic government to continue in existance. But, history is not a product of ideology. Events are not determined by philosophical ideals. What is derives from action. And, in the end, what you get is one of finite options provided to you by leading figures. One such figure was General Ambrose Longstreet, the old school general with wild sideburns that ran into a bushy bear. He rode with a column of Nakíl 1A1HK main battle tanks and SOV.6 infantry fighting vehicles, their treads pounding the gravel of the main highway to DeMaio, the Republic's capital city.

As they entered the city sometime later, events unfolded elsewhere. Julian, Clement, and Leopoldton were basically under the rule of the Ejermacht, and so were for all intents and purposes already secured for Longstreet. In Phillipon, in Convington, a locally-based infantry regiment entered the city and occupied the main administrative buildings, declaring martial law that same evening and effectively placing Pillipon under military rule. A very similar thing happened in Dorisville and the other northern bonds, these secured by a mixture of Killian and the recently disarmed Valo'Kap personnel that had been fighting in West Tenet. Most cities were locked down in this fashion, except for failures like Glendale in Huron San or Sorento in Barbosa. The coup could not be expected to succeed everywhere, just in most cases, and most especially in DeMaio.

The capital had already been surrounded by the Ejermacht, not so much as a threat but to accommodate the growing imperial military machine in the country. Regardless, this was to prove convenient, as very clearly Longstreet was acting under the approval of the Golden Throne. Otherwise, his coup would have ended before it had even begun. No, Longstreet had Fedor's backing. His armored column was met by a matching force of infantry, and together they occupied congress, the presidential house, the veteran's administration headquarters, the supreme court, and all other institutions of governance. Martial law in the city was declared and with it the rise of a military dictatorship under the self-promoted Grand Marshal Ambrose W. Longstreet.

The Republic was dead, long live the Republic!



CORRERIGO, STATE OF LINCOLN
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Ejermacht front command headquarters abandons Correrigo,
transferring to the port city of Julian as the Ordenites continue their offensive.

The rhythm of the war was slowing, as the Ejermacht helped to equalize strength along the narrower frontline and the Ordenites turned it down a gear with the onset of winter. Carnage on the battlefield continued as it ever did, with thousands of soldiers dying every day. It was a colossal war, fought on a colossal scale. The empire should have known it was coming since the Ordenite invasion of North Panooly, it should have known that the Reich was its "own man." Alas, the day of realization had come and the Killian Republic was paying the price.

Correrigo, the forward headquarters of Ejermacht front command in the west, was evacuated in the early winter. Headquarters was moved to Julian, which would soon not be so far from the war as it once had been.

In the meantime, more men were brought into the country. With them came more tanks, more planes, and more missiles. Thousands of crates full of rifles and cartridges were moved every day, perhaps even every hour. The Golden Throne had been in this predicament before, when it had been invaded by Safehaven along its southern frontier. The Republic had come to its aid then. Now, it was coming to the aid of the Republic. And it was committed to eventual victory.

[United World Order]

Moginoe,
State of South Lomec,
Military Administration of Hailland.
As the war waged on further and further North, the Nazification of the lands now in Ordenite hands were in full swing.

Moginoe like the other cities closer to the border with the Ordenites fell during the initial invasion within the first 2 weeks of fighting. Its former city officials had all been murdered by fifth columnists comprising of mostly Ethnic Ordenites living there that were loyal to the Greater Ordenite Reich. Once the city had been fully secured by the Ordenite Heer a new civil administration was swiftly put together. Which was comprised of Party members from Ordena who were qualified and deserving of what would be an obvious promotion. It would later on be revealed that at least half of the remaining population in what was now referred to as 'Hailland' were Ethnic Ordenites, this being out of a estimated figure of 3 billion persons. Moginoe was now made up of almost entirely of Ethnic Ordenites with some natives residing in the city and the outlying area.

The presence of the National Socialist Party of Ordena would be felt as with the civil administration of Moginoe, a new NSPO office was opened that would handle Party affairs for the city. Many were encouraged through incentives to become a Party member and many did. Due to the war and how it had faired so far the portion of Hailandkill under the control of the Ordenites was facing a significant food shortage due to scorched earth policies by Valo'Kap. Fortunately enough due to the land border, this made the transportation of food stuffs and other neccessities needed by the populace easier and its delivery to the population quicker. Thus the situation would soon enough stabilize where the population would not go hungry especially during the winter months.

Moginoe like the other cities closer to the border such as Labell and Oskimoe would see a frequent presence of the Ordenite Heer due to the logistical means of supporting the war effort further north into Hailandkill. Logistics hubs and other military installations would begin to pop up around these cities. Another more insidious and ominous presence was of the Ordenite Schutzstaffel who as the days, weeks and months of fighting went on would make there presence felt in what were known as the 'Rear Areas' to the Ordenite Wehrmacht. SS Personnel from the Reich Main Security Office were some of the first to arrive in the rear areas and cities such as Moginoe. The Einatzgruppen were also some of the first to arrive too followed by multiple detachments of Order Police. Stability in these rear areas would be crucial to the war effort and was something the Schutzstaffel were responsible for maintaining.

By Winter of 2030 the formation of the Reichskommissariat 'Ichstingen' which was formerly what the lands currently occupied by the Reich had been known as historically during the days of the Ordean Empire was established. The Party Office of Racial Policy and Ethics were swift to begin the process of registration of the over 3 billion inhabitants to what was essentially a classification registrar to identify where the populace placed among several tiers. This was one of the main instruments in the overall plan for Ordeanization of what was now Reichskommissariat Ichstingen. The registration its self consisted of a questionaire that asked questions related to the persons ancestory, ethnicity, social status, political views along with questions concerning if they were married and had children, along with questions concerning there medical history and occupation or trade the person possessed.

Once the questionaire was filled out and sent in the person would have there answers reviewed and then would be registered to a specific category. Everyone would be required to take and fill out the questionaire as those who refused would be threatened and or arrested by Ordenite authorities. The first category were made up of those classified as Ethnically Ordenite and as a result would be given Citizenship into the Ordenite Reich and eligible for conscription into the Ordenite Wehrmacht including the Waffen-SS. The second category were those that were classified as being of Ordenite descent but remained passive towards the Reich and therefore were also eligible for Citizenship and conscription into the Wehrmacht.

Category 3 and 4 were for those classified as either being partially alien and or fully alien to the Reich and the Ordenite people. Those who were classified as such would not be eligible for Citizenship into the Ordenite Reich and would instead largely be sent to Ordena as domestic labourers doing largely menial work, an exception to this were the care taking of Ordenite children which were only offered to those in the first two categories as to not "poison" the youth. Children on the other hand who were also registered would be automatically taken to Ordena for Ordeanization and in the long run be sent back as future Ordenite settlers. This policy was enacted during the intense battles for Jonesburg and Holandale and as such since then the Party Office for Racial Policy and Ethics were able to register and classify the entire population remaining in the Reichskommissariat.

The results later published by the Party Office showed that at least 800 million fell under Category I and 700 million under Category II meaning that citizenship into the Ordenite Reich would be granted to over 1.5 billion persons. While over 1 billion fell under Category III and the remaining 300 million went into Category IV. This meant that these persons would be inevitably over time sent to Ordena as labourers doing mostly menial work. In due time Children from the ages of newborn infants to 10 years old would also be sent to Ordena for Ordeanization. Those who resisted the process and or were found to be a danger to Ordenite aspirations for the territory were either executed or transported to Concentration camps across the border.

Jonesburg,
Reichskommissariat Ichstingen.
With the coming of Winter the Wehrmacht slow its offensive operations although not entirely as to not lose its momentum during the Winter months.

The onset of Winter for the Wehrmacht that was on the offensive in Hailandkill meant that it could ease the pace and intensity of its operations. However it would not slow it self to a complete halt as the Heer Command had already dictated that offensive operations were to continue at a slightly reduced manner than before. Therefore death and destruction would continue but it also meant that the Heer could begin to claim its dead and wounded and get replacements and reinforcements if necessary to the frontlines. Due to the liklihood of a Erjemacht counter offensive during the spring the remainder of reserves from the 2nd Wave which consisted of 4 Heer Army Groups were deployed and the 3rd Wave were brought up to readiness status for imminent deployment to the front lines. Munitions and other supplies necessary to maintain the morale and fighting condition of the Heer and Waffen-SS were daily and even hourly brought to them through logistical means. The necessary repairs on military infastructure such as airfields and bases operated by the Luftwaffe were also done to ensure there effectiveness.

A significantly minor operation to attempt to secure what Abwehr intelligence suggests be a not as heavily defended Correrigo in order to establish a foothold into the State of Lincoln was launched comprising of two Heer Army Groups with reserves in mind if the Fuermark happen to attempt to fiercely contest the city. If and when Correrigo falls under Ordenite control then ample reinforcements from Wave two would be swiftly moved in to consolidate the foot hold and prepare for a likely spring counter offensive by the Erjemacht.

[The Macabees]

OPERATION PUSHBACK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
After losing ground to the Ordenites over the winter, a much-bolstered Ejermacht
launches a general spring counter-offensive to destabilize the Heer, recover lost ground, and wrestle
to arrest the initiative away from the enemy.

Corregigo, the Ejermacht's original frontline headquarters, was overrun by January and the Wehrmacht had pushed further up the neck. Between the slower pace of the Ordenite winter offensive and the steep increase in resistance once the enemy had reached the neck, the Golden Throne had used this time to further consolidate their position in the Republic. Most of this consolidation consisted of the shipping-in of hundreds of thousands of more soldiers and their equipment. But, a surplus of equipment and munitions was brought in for another reason, which was to arm an expanded Killian Home Army.

President Jackson Hamilton had been placed under house arrest once he had been found by Longstreet's men in the capital. Over the winter, he and much of the rest of the Republic's former leadership, was shipped to the Golden Throne. At first, they stayed as guests in the Nipotas Palace, the headquarters of the empire's diplomatic corps. Eventually, they moved into a new town built specifically for them along the highway south of Fedala. The town would also "coincidentally" host the new, lavish, and large provincial headquarters of the Stadgard — Fedor's personal police force. What would happen to Hamilton and the other politicians once the war cleared up, nobody knew. Suffice to say, the plan hadn't been thought through that far. Regardless, chances were that they were not returning to their home country any time soon.

The politics of the Killian Republic now placed under the leadership of Field Marshal Ambrose Longstreet, the Golden Throne felt comfortable enough to start expanding the KHA in earnest. 300,000 Killian soldiers had been deployed to North Lomec by the ex-President Hamilton to shore up the position held by Valo'Kap. These were kept in place and reinforced by the other 200,000 that made up the original core of the KHA. New units of KHA were formed up along the northern border, from new recruits. They were armed by the Golden Throne and, fortunately, the Killians had been training with Macabéan weapons for more than a decade. Local production of Nakíl 1A1HK found new life and, in general, the Killian war industries began to finally open like flowers in bloom. Until these industries were back to their former status, most of the equipment came from the empire: tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery and rocket systems, and aircraft. Unless the war continued for many years, this new KHA would likely not see much of the war. Only the core was expendable, as they had been formed under the democracy and their loyalty was ambiguous. The new KHA was being tailored for the future.

Most of this war's fighting would need to be done by the empire. If before winter the Ejermacht had 1.7 million men in Lincoln, this was now 3.2 million. In the east, 1.5 million — including 200,000 naval infantry — had been turned into two million. These eastern forces were bolstered by 1.5 million Valo'Kap personnel, which had suffered 300,000 additional casualties over the winter, and the 500,000 KHA. That gave the Killian Republic's defense a total of 7.2 million soldiers who were either engaged on the front or in reserve and being actively rotated in. All the while, more men and material came by ship.

However, the Ejermacht could no longer wait to gather strength and needed to take the initiative from the enemy. And so it prepared a largescale surprise offensive to precede the Ordenite's. There was heavy discussion about possible amphibious invasions of the Ordenite mainland from the south, and documents to this effect had been leaked to the Wehrmacht and Ordenite intelligence. High command was hoping to draw Ordenite mainland forces to the south and weaken their drive on Hailandkill. But, the truth was that the build up along the Killian Frontier was perhaps too large to hide. Chatter on the intention to go on the offensive was also pervasive, and battlefield signal discipline among even the regulares was not always tight. The inclination to snap a selfie at the front was too strong for some.

The offensive began late February 2031. Its initial objective was the liberation of Corregigo and the establishment of a new frontline along a rough straight line just south of that town. It was preceded by heavy rocket artillery fire, which blanketed the area directly behind the front with munitions for over several hours. Artillery joined in and the bombardment lasted twenty-four hours. Naval fire supplemented land-based artillery fire, and the naval bombardment struck up and down both coasts of occupied Hailand, targeting reserve forces and Ordenite artillery.

The Luftwaffe was kept busy by a general aerial offensive that was even larger in scale than the ground operations. It began a week prior to the ground offensive. From the imperial mainland, small groups of F/A-36s and Lu-45s began striking tactical targets along the southern Ordenite coast. Although there were no large masses of aircraft, there were hundreds of these small attacks. The targets included port infrastructure, coastal radar, and air defense batteries, and other strategic installations that weren't far inland. These attacks were meant to distract the Luftwaffe, and they were joined by similar strikes conducted by GLI-76 flying from aircraft carrier among the fleets blockading the Reich's coast. Throughout their coast, they were attacked in aerial raids designed to avoid detection, quickly dispense munitions, and return. In all cases, raiding formations were screened by combat air patrol and other units meant to engage enemy fighters in defense. Thus, a formidable air war developed east, west, and south of Ordena. But, it was from the north that the most aggressive aerial attacks came.

Throughout the previous autumn and over the winter, the Laerihans had been building strength in New Hemett and the northern Killian states. In conjunction with the opening artillery bombardment the twenty-four hours prior to the launching of the general offensive, and hoping to take advantage of the distraction caused by the air war elsewhere, they began pummeling Ordenite air defenses and ground formations behind the front lines. Organized in small groups and flying low, they used the friendly air umbrella below for protection. This precluded them from hitting targets deeper behind enemy lines, but with missiles that could travel hundreds of miles this still meant that the entire combat zone was reachable. To further decrease the chance of detection, not just of the aircraft but also their munitions, the Laerihans' cyberwarfare department had spent the winter developing a trojan horse to feed the Ordenite air defense system with false skies so that enemy batteries couldn't lock onto their targets. This trojan was delivered as the northern air offensive took off, but it would be remained to be seen whether the ploy worked.

An escalated air war threatened to devolve in the direction it had the previous year, when the Fuermak had employed nuclear-tipped surface-to-air missiles to stop waves of enemy missiles. This was partly why the Laerihans had taken a more tactical approach, nibbling away at the enemy rather than performing massed attacks. But, this conflict was closer to home than the others and if the Ordenites found themselves overwhelmed, they already had the precedent to justify the use of nuclear weapons in self-defense. A request for a diplomatic meeting was put in through the embassy in Berlina, where the jogornos would propose an agreement to ban all bombing of major cities in both Ordena and the imperial provinces. In this way, the Golden Throne attempted to pre-empt an unwanted consequence of the air war's escalation.

Twenty-four hours after the initial bombardment, the ground offensive began in earnest. From one side of the neck to the other, 1.1 million Valo'Kap personnel, 300,000 KHA, and three million imperial soldiers — a combined force of 4.4 million — was allocated to the attack. The other 2.8 million were kept in defense as an anchor. Heavy artillery fire continued the support the attack, which was strongest on the two flanks where there was ample off-shore fire support available. The air offensive continued and followed the front as it moved, as the Laerihans provided tactical air support to break down enemy defenses, impede their movement, and to protect friendly ground forces from enemy air attack. Between aircraft and artillery, there was also a heavy emphasis on destroying Heer artillery and Wehrmacht air defense installations.

Despite the ferocity of the attack, the Fuermak continued to hold the modest objective of recapturing Corregigo and moving the frontline back to the position of the previous autumn. The Wehrmacht was enormous and the Reich had home-court advantage, meaning the Golden Throne did not have the strength necessary to fully dislodge them from West Tenet and South Lomec. Under no illusions, the Fuermak instead intended to show that they could defend the rest of the Republic from further encroachment and that they could challenge the Ordenite for the initiative in the war. It was as much a political statement as it was a military objective.

Only history would be able to tell at what cost the statement was made.

[The Macabees]

MACABEA, PROVINCE OF DÍENSTAD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The civilian populations of the northern imperial provinces are gradually
removed from the cities and guided south, to temporary emergency camps in the southern
provinces and Havenic territories. Many make the long move to Guffingford, not few permanently.

"My child? Where is she?" she screamed.

Franko Yari could only shrug his shoulders. "I don't know ma'am, you can wait for him here but you have to step out of the way."

Still yelling, "No, I don't want to. I want to leave on this bus. We're ready to go, I just need to find my daughter. This bus cannot leave until I find my daughter and my family is on it. Do you understand?"

"Ma'am," he pleaded, "I can't hold the bus for you." He tried to reason, and added, "Look, if I could I would, but my superiors wouldn't let me and I'd get in trouble. I'm a soldier and I follow orders. So, unless you're ready to go now, you need to move out of the way and let others board the bus. Do you understand?" He tightened the grip on his rifle menacingly, which he regretted immediately. They were trying to help these people, not scare them.

She seemed to get the hint though and backed off, leaving to look for her daughter, who had probably gotten lost within the endless crowd.

A pair of soldiers helped civilians load their baggage into the bus' bowels between the wheels and some fifty people were loaded up. Some people were skipped over, if their families were too big once the bus had filled. They would have to wait for the next on. Worse off were those still far behind in line, and at this station as with all of them the lines disappeared well beyond the far corners of the depot. They wrapped up the escalator to the top floor, where all the ticket stands were empty.

Scenes like this one played out not just all over Macabea, the old capital, but in all of the cities and towns of Díenstad and the other northern provinces — Sarcanza and the northern extremes of Sidi Rezegh. The Ordenite stealth bomber attacks had raised the anxiety level, but the fullscale renewal of the air war brought full-on panic. There was fear that the empire would soon start bombing the Ordenite cities wholesale and that the Reich would attempt to retaliate, even with nuclear weapons. While the citizens of Macabea were not strangers to nuclear attack, having witnessed the Stevidian strike on the fleet stationed in its harbor during the War of Golden Succession, none were particularly excited to face it again. And it was obvious that these fears were not farfetched when the Ejermacht had been dispatched to assist with, and impose order on, the evacuation of civilians in the north.

If the bus and train stations were full, the highways were so congested that people got out of their cars to walk. Macabea was a gargantuan megalopolis of almost two hundred million people, and many of the other Díenstadi and Rezeghian cities were not much smaller. The entire province of Díenstad was home to billions of people. Their evacuation was bound to be an ugly and difficult process, that most likely could not be completed in an entirely timely manner.

Where were all these people to live? Many had family elsewhere in the provinces, even throughout the empire. Sons and daughters had settled in the Havenic territories, or in Theohuanacu or Guffingford, after service. Others had family members to had moved to the territories for the sake of new opportunities, or sometimes adventure. Life in the newly acquired Zarbian, Indran, Monzarki, and Panooly territories could be exciting, and they were developing economies ripe with potential and ready for exploitation. Many peoples of the north suddenly felt the urge to move to where their family had gone and find new opportunities themselves. In this sense, a portion of the depopulation of the north was to be permanent. But, this only accounted for a portion. Others moved into temporary emergency camps, as to not call them refugee camps — that sounded "too third world" —, in the provinces of Beda Fromm, Targul Frumos, and Ruska. Other camps had been set up in the three Havenic territories and in western Zarbia, where prior to the full annexation the "Zarbian Marche" had been occupied by imperial troops since 2016.

That the imperial diplomatic corps had floated an offer of agreement to ban the bombardment of all cities, whether in Ordena or in the Golden Throne, this was kept secret from the public for the time being. If it failed, no one would be the wiser. If it succeeded, then it could be publicized. But, the empire couldn't count on the Ordenites being reasonable. They had to make a public statement that showed commitment to a no-holds-barred defense in the case of a general attack on its northern urban centers — whether conventional or nuclear.

First, it continued to bolster its air defense systems in the north. More surface-to-air batteries and radars were deployed, and it was made known that many of these systems were nuclear-armed. But, the Ordenites had to know that nuclear warheads would not only be used in self-defense if imperial cities were threatened with destruction. Offensive nuclear weapons, in the shape of long-range surface-to-surface missile launchers, were deployed and publicized too. Of course, this was partly for show, because there had always been ballistic missile submarines and even surface ships, not to mention aircraft, ready for a nuclear conflict. Publicizing intentions was important for setting expectations, however. If the carrot didn't work, you had to flaunt the stick.

Second, ballistic missile trials announced twenty-four hours prior to them being held. Nuclear-tipped surface-to-surface missiles were fired from northern Theohuanacu to the southern fringes of the central desert, which was mostly uninhabited. It had been desertified by nuclear war dozens of years ago, before its annexation by the Golden Throne. It was another show of intent, proof that the Golden Throne had weapons at-the-ready that could do a lot harm to the Reich if there wasn't some sort of understanding to the limits of the air war. A second round of nuclear trials were held in Holy Panooly, in the south which had once been occupied by the Ordenites. These were fired into the sea, but at longer range. Because Fedor would never pass up the good press, both series of trials were televised and broadcasted throughout the empire. He wanted to show strength, resolve, and conviction.

Third, the empire's past use of nuclear warheads was propagandized through other media formats. These included documentaries, movies, and podcasts that were paid for or, at varying levels of direct intervention, heavily recommended for production. It was to normalize the idea of nuclear warfare by reflecting on their use in 2016 to destroy the capital of the rebellion during the War of Golden Succession and in 2026 to eradicate the KN-755 outbreak in Guamlumpeiron. The success of a nuclear air defense strategy the previous year, against the opening Ordenite air campaign against the provinces, was flaunted as well.

But, surely, the war could not come to a general nuclear conflict. Surely, the two sides would set limits to how the battle could be fought. For a general nuclear conflict could only mean mutually assured destruction.

The empire did not want nuclear war, for that would most certainly come at the cost of the current dynasty's heartland — Díenstad and the Imperial Province. But, it had long made plans for the eventuality. What country didn't? The invention of the nuclear warhead was mankind's greatest folly. When in history had man not devolved to the basest sins? When in the past had great capitals, capitals that had stood unviolated for a thousand years, not been sacked? When in the past had entire peoples not suffered death, even at an industrialized scale? Great evils were inevitable because the fallibility of man condemned it to the downs that followed the ups. Nuclear warfare would come one day and any smart person would be ready for it. The question always was: was the time now?

If general nuclear war came, the government would move to New Empire, a country built out of nuclear war. Her cities ran down, into the earth, because the surface had been virtually uninhabitable until after joining the imperial federation. From there, it would rule the smoking remnants of the empire. Retribution would have already happened, to minimize the advantage of first strike, and the cost to the Reich would possibly be the greatest of them all.

[United World Order]

Corregigo,
State of Lincoln.
As expected the Erjemacht launch a counter offensive to reverse previous Ordenite gains made in the State of Lincoln and elsewhere.

It had been expected that the Erjemacht were going to launch a counter offensive to reverse the winter gains made by the Werhmacht when it took Corregigo. A largescale artillery bombardment which went on for a full 24 hours along with the ressumption of a major aerial offensive by the Erjemacht told just how much they wanted to regain the city and likely push back the Ordenites to the autumn frontlines. The aerial offensive was not only centered on the front lines but attacks were carried out on all of Ordena's coasts in which hundreds of tactical groups struck at military installations along these coasts. The Ordenite Luftwaffe of course responded to these attacks wherever they may have came from as interceptors and combat aircraft such as the Typhoon Me 524 were scrambled from air bases deeper in Ordena. Of course this did not take away from what the Erjemacht's true intentions were which was the re-taking of Corregigo and pushing the front lines back. Therefore while the Luftwaffe did address the attacks occurring against its coast lines, it for the most part focused on the front lines to the North.

This came as it was starting to become obvious that some sort of cyber attack was occurring targeting air defenses closer to the frontlines which prevented some of them from engaging targets. This was concurrent in several areas of the front however others such as those on the Eastern flank were still able to actively track and engage aerial targets. The Heer and Luftwaffe's own cyberwarfare departments swiftly looked to remedy this issue as soon as possible. It was then that the bulk of the counter offensive came crashing against the Ordenite frontlines as over 4 million Fuermark, Killian Home Army and Valo'Kap along the entire front plunged forward. The initial ferocity and sheer scale of the offensive caused the Heer Command to begin tactical fall backs along much of the front line as to not suffer immense casualties from even attempting to hold the enemy back. Corregigo therefore was temporarily abandoned however the Ordenites did not withdraw from its outskirts and were determined to make there stand as a whole 40km from where they originally were.

As the Luftwaffe began to increase its presence over the skies the Ordenite Heer's artillery arm began to respond in kind to the Erjemacht counter stroke. Ordenite MLRS began launching swift bombardments across the entirety of the front lines and due to the sheer scale of the offensive at hand, cluster munitions were heavily utilized. Self propelled howitzers too also fired off against the enemy as the Ordenite ground forces who had a slight numerical advantage went on the defensive after a overall tactical withdraw of 40 kilometers. In the rear areas the Heer Command had gotten permission to begin the full deployment of the third wave to help in stabilizing the front. Which meant that another over 2 million soldiers now began to swiftly make there way to the current front lines

This third wave would be crucial for already planned counter offensives that the Ordenites now looked to put into action. They had withdrawn out of Corregigo but intended to soon recapture it. As the third day of the counter offensive the Erjemacht had launched dawned and elements of the third wave had begun to arrive, the Ordenites swiftly launched a counter offensive of there own which saw a combined force of 4 Army Groups attempt to roll up the Fuermark's forces on the right most flank of Corregigo. This offensive would be preempted by a concentrated bombardment of this flank by Ordenite Artillery during the pre-dawn hours of the third day. The right flank had been chosen due to the fact that the off-shore fire given by the Krierarmada would not be able to be counted against them. Which meant that only Fuermark artillery and its aerial forces could harrass them. The objective for the Heer would be to clear the flank before proceeding to further strike north west to partially encircle the city, It was then that additional Ordenite reserves would be sent in to assist in a full encirclement later on.

The Oberkommando des Heeres having already briefed Reichsfuhrer Grossmann on the developing situation were told not to give anymore ground to the enemy and that if needed all forces dedicated to the campaign were to be sent forward to prevent losing further territory and to resume the general offensive. Therefore the Heer Command were instructed to begin a staggered deployment of the remaining waves and were expected to have all forces either on or in the rear of the front by the middle of February. Thus the Heer looked to have at least 11 million men on the frontlines or in its immediate rear by mid February leaving the remaining 2 million or so as a rear guard to protect the Ordenites previously made gains earlier in the year.
Of course due to the fact that getting reinforcements to Krasnova was impossible it was decided that another surge of troops were to be sent forth into West Tenet and South Lomec to solidify control over the territory as to allow the remaining 2 million slated for the campaign to head for the front.

[The Macabees]

The area in purple is regained territory as a result of OPERATION PUSHBACK.



OPERATION PUSHBACK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
After initial gains, the Macabéan spring offensive begins to peter out after a few weeks
of sustained combat operations, as casualties mount and the Ordenites reinforce the front
with additional troops. The Ejermacht prepares to soak a counter-offensive.

Technology and industry play a particularly bloody role in war. Over the centuries, as the technology to kill has advanced and a country's ability to produce it multiplied, the number of soldiers fighting and dying on the field has necessarily increased. As pernicious as this relationship is, it has not ceased to be true as the modern battlefield is equipped with massed and accurate submunitions. The number of bodies needed to take ground from a well-organized military capable of sustaining the casualties, while balancing them between themselves and their opponents, has necessarily increased. And the amount of blood necessary to expend for an inch of ground has increased along with it. This was especially true in the Killian Republic, where the two armies had settled into a slugging contest along the narrower front width of "the neck."

If the narrowing of the front worked to the Ejermacht's advantage in defense, due to their overall disadvantage in total in-theater manpower, it worked equally so in the Reich's advantage under similar circumstances. The Macabéan spring offensive was done under a rainstorm of artillery and rocket fire, as the newly repositioned reconnaissance satellites tracked the stream of Ordenite reinforcements reaching the front.

Of course, the destruction went both ways. Howitzer artillery maintained heavy pressure on the enemy with counterbattery fire, assisted by the ongoing aerial offensive and offshore naval fire. On the ground, the combined allied army continued to push southward toward West Tenet and South Lomec. Frontline units heavily battered by enemy fire were cycled out and replaced with fresh forces, as the Ejermacht attempted to maintain morale, the initiative, and give attacking forces enough mass to push the strong Ordenite defense back. Valo'Kap and KHA, the latter of which had the vigor of defending one's home, were relied upon heavily as shock troops, taking a disproportionate amount of the casualties although the Macabéans suffered their fair share too. Regardless of which troops were used, it had become clear that the price in blood of every inch of land was rising. As the offensive continued to advance south, it began to slow and lose steam. Even upon re-taking Correrigo, the euphoria of the symbolic victory wasn't enough to give the Ejermacht and its subordinate allied forces enough steam to break through and sweep into West Tenet or North Lomec.

But, then again, the Ejermacht had never intended to re-take the two southern Killian states. At least, not yet. Rather, the current priority remained to ensure the liberty of the Killian Republic north of Correrigo. Reconquest would come later, in a future war, when both the Golden Throne and the Killian Republic were better prepared to fight the Fourth Reich on its own ground and carry the war to their own turf.

When the Ordenites counterattacked against Correrigo on the third day, placing most of their strength on their right, the Ejermacht — which still enjoyed the early advantage of the offensive's initiative — allocated additional forces to blunt the attempt. First, though, the enemy was allowed to break through at points. These enemy forces could be isolated in the rear, encircled, and destroyed. Then, the Ejermacht immediately counter-attacked with the additional forces, as the general offensive continued elsewhere along the front, threatening to cut off any Ordenite forces attempting to penetrate northward. The concentrated Ordenite strike also made it especially attractive for artillery and air forces that were using the same cluster munitions as the enemy was, and offshore naval forces temporarily reallocated long-range VLS munitions from striking Luftwaffe airfields deeper inland to aiding in the saturation of the Heer's attack.

Between the Ordenite counterattacks, their reinforcements, and the casualties being suffered by the Ejermacht and its allies, the spring offensive began losing steam as the days went by. Less and less gains were being made, and by the second week these had become minimal. The offensive would continue for almost a week longer before ending so that the Ejermacht could consolidate. When it came time to look back and analyze, Fuermak estimated roughly 24,000 KHA, 30,000 VKF, and 20,000 Ejermacht KIA (78,000 total KIA). Approximately another 72,000 KHA, 90,000 VKF, and 60,000 Ejermacht WIA (222,000 total WIA) was estimated, for a total number of around 300,000 casualties over the three-week spring offensive. Meaning, the KHA on the front had lost almost 20% of its combat strength.

A strip of land roughly corresponding to the new frontline and where the front stood at the beginning of spring was turned into a fortified "no man's land." The narrowing front was taken advantage of to disallow the Ordenites from flanking the fortifications, especially since the Golden Throne had achieved naval supremacy and the Ordenites could not carry out an amphibious operation of any time. The area was organized into a series of trench lines, pillboxes, fortified SAM and radar sites, as well as minefields and a network of forward operating bases that were mutually supporting and difficult to isolate. These defenses were heavier in the center and weaker on the flanks, incentivizing attacks where the Kríermada could be used to full effect in suppressing large-scale enemy movements. Deception was employed via the establishment of dummy SAM batteries, radar sites, headquarters, and even dummy firebases. Physical deception was enjoined with digital deception to mask and distort understanding of imperial troop movements, as well as to undermine the Luftwaffe's ability to conduct the air war. Cyberwarfare against the centralized Ordenite network intensified, even more so than it already had. The attempts to destabilize the Reich's ability to wage war through cyberwarfare were not impeded by failure, the attempts were ongoing and the tactics evolved to internalize learnings.

In the meantime, the naval bombardment of the Ordenite coastline also intensified. It had already been quite intense along the front, where it was joined by land- and air-based bombardment, but the naval bombardment was now also intensified along almost the entire stretch of Ordenite coastline. Whereas the aerial bombardment of the mainland from the northern imperial provinces began to slow as its deception purposes lost traction, the Kríermada picked up its own pace in causing as much damage to Ordena as possible — especially after the Reich had ignored the government's request to ban the bombings of Ordenite and Macabéan cities. Concurrently, the Kríermada beefed up its defense of the channel to further fortify against any attempts by the Luftwaffe to raid and bomb the imperial mainland.

As March approached its middle, Fuermak suffered a hack that leaked a series of highly classified documents. One of these were plans for a major cross-channel amphibious invasion of southern Ordena, incorporating the hundreds of millions of soldiers that had been marshaling in the northern imperial provinces since the beginning of the war. The document outlined the several sectors of the broad coastlines where landings were to take place, as well as detailed information on how the war would be prosecuted if it turned nuclear. Another document, related to both the amphibious invasion and the possibility of nuclear war, also included a pre-written demand for unconditional surrender of the Ordenite regime in the event of said nuclear war — such an event would be deeply painful and could not be allowed to happen twice. Whatever the Ordenites made of these documents, it was becoming clear that the war was very quickly losing its limited scope and that its continuation implied the complete and utter annihilation of one or both parties.

[The Macabees]

CORREGIGO, STATE OF LINCOLN
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For the first time in months, central Hailandkill went silent as the war came to a close.

Between financial strain and the escalating threat of nuclear war, the two sides had had enough. The Golden Throne and the Ordenite Reich had agreed to a ceasefire and then a two-year armistice, covering the conflicts in both Krasnova and the Killian Republic. Corregigo, and the sliver of territory along the "neck" of the republic, was to become no man's land — a demilitarized zone whose ownership was split in half by the two sides, the division running right through the center of Corregigo.

The town could scarcely be called as such anymore. Its people had either left or perished. Few remained for the Ordenites to pick up on their side and any on the Macabéan side had already been deported north. Of course, Corregigo had been shelled by the Ordenites on their advance north, then by the Ejermacht during its spring counteroffensive, and then by the Ordenites again, so very little of it was left standing by now. Its ruins sizzled and decayed beneath the hot summer sun, laying amidst newly erected structures made of barbed wire, concrete and steel. The northern half was turned into a small military outpost to serve as a gateway into Free Killia, manned by a mixture of Macabéan and Killian soldiers. And thus Corregigo, battered as it was, entered a new stage in its life where it would be one of the few points along the new Killian Frontier with the Ordenite Reich across which people could travel [with the proper permissions].

Just north of Corregigo, though, signs of life were beginning to sprout among the bleakness of the recent warzone. Already, tens of thousands of refugees were returning south to rebuild. They were guided by Killian and Imperial agents whose function was to coordinate the reconstruction and to formalize the distribution of property. Many who never had land, let alone a home, that was truly theirs would be granted one, especially now that there were so many dead. One could see families rebuild their homes, or construct new ones, oftentimes among the ashes of the old ones that had been burned down or obliterated by artillery. Soon, these tens of thousands would become hundreds of thousands, and eventually, it would be millions. Millions had migrated north during the war, streaming into overcrowded camps short on water, medicine, and food. They would want to escape these conditions and return to a semblance of normalcy, although normalcy would take many years to settle back in truth be told. And although the Killians who had suffered from this war would receive some recompense, most of it was being documented for the benefit of the imperial treasury of the Golden Throne.

North, in DeMaio, Grand Marshal Ambrose Longstreet had recently recommitted Free Killia to its alliance with the Golden Throne. Free Killia, renamed to further reinforce its sanctity vis-a-vis the tyranny of Nazi rule in the south, became an "allied republic." Its foreign policy was made subordinate to the Golden Throne's, and a long-term agreement was signed that would allow the empire to base in Free Killia as many soldiers as it deemed proper for its defense. Thus, like with the mainland and Guffingford, the way was being paved for the country to be used as another great marshaling ground for the Ejermacht. Furthermore, although the empire would arm and train a Killian Home Army (KHA), it also determined its size and strength for the purpose of permanently subordinating it to the Fuermak.

In many ways, the once-proud Republic of Hailandkill that had a decade ago come to the rescue of a Golden Throne at the brink of destruction was now suddenly little more than a satrapy to it. But, it was that proud past that carried into the present that had made full incorporation into the imperial federation almost impossible. For the Golden Throne to blatantly annex a country that saw itself as a partner would have perhaps forever undermined the bond of friendship between the two people. Instead, Longstreet kept his sovereignty as ruler, even if he knew that his government existed under the auspices of the Imperial Bureaucracy. And, as such, Free Killia retained a degree of independence and self-determination that those within the imperial federation did not have. Still, the transition to "allied republic" must not have been seen as ideal by all parties and was necessitated only because of the Ordenite invasion and the prospect of fascist rule. And although perhaps the Golden Throne had had enough tact not to force Longstreet's hand as far as full incorporation into the federation, surely had the Killians not been in desperate straits then even the arrangement of "allied republic" would have been staunchly refused. But, Killia was in desperate straits, the Golden Throne wanted to guarantee that the rest of the country wouldn't fall to the Ordenites in another sudden invasion, thus limited subordination was perhaps inevitable.

Longstreet's government was responsible for raising, paying, arming, training, and maintaining a ground army of one million personnel. This number could grow up to twenty-fold over time, but for now would start "small." Armaments would be purchased from the Golden Throne, fabricated in Killian factories now under Imperial administration by rights of the treaty and soon to be sold to major Imperial arms manufacturers to raise revenue. The KHA was responsible for defending the Ordenite and Northern Frontiers, and for internal security. Truth was, most of the Frontier defense fell on the Ejermacht, which was already on its way to making the "re-born" Free Killia one of its largest garrisons in central Greater Díenstad — fourth after the mainland, Theohuanacu, and New Empire.

Already, the effects of this could be seen across the country. Imperial military bases were now almost everywhere, even in the north where the Frontier was stable after seeing long-lasting peace. Imperial soldiers, many Macabéan, but others from the other various Imperial territories, satrapies, and free cities, were everywhere. With them, they brought coin and an unsatiable demand for just about everything, especially vices. If millions had been left destitute by the war, economic opportunities now abounded. They just weren't always the kind of opportunities you could be proud about. Brothels, gambling dens, pubs, and other temples of sin spread wherever the Fuermak was present. Perhaps this was the most visible legacy of the now permanent Imperial presence in the country.

As such, for all the fact that Killians still issued their own laws, determined their own language and education, regulated their own banks and determined their own local policies, one could not shake off the feeling that Free Killia was simply Macabéan Killia. It was not a fact that the Killians liked, just one made necessary by the misfortunes of war and politics. Still, in the long-term, this unsettling feeling could and would grow into something more if left to fester.

It was not for no reason that the bulk of the Fuermak was deployed toward the Ordenite Frontier, regardless. Indeed, millions of personnel were arriving each and every month as the imperial garrison grew, grew more, and then grew even more. Fedor seemed intent on not allowing the Reich to surprise him again in Killia and equally as intent on denying them any additional gains. Of course, deep down, his true intent was to eventually expel the Ordenites altogether. It, therefore, suited him, and the Golden Throne in general, that more than the Imperial garrison it was the Ordenite that was the everyday boogeyman of Free Killia. Everyone had witnessed the destructiveness and tyranny of the Ordenite Reich; the world as a whole was aware of why falling to the Reich was a fate worse than death. And they were constantly reminded of the Reich and for a long time to come the specter of another Ordenite invasion of Free Killia was held over the populace. Juxtaposed against the perpetual threat of Ordenite tyranny was the Golden Throne, unwilling occupier — nay, not unwilling occupier, willing defender of Killian liberty — and the only obstacle holding the Nazi beast back.

What a radical departure from pre-war normality was this for former Hailandkill. Its two southernmost states were completely occupied by the Reich. Parts of other two had also fallen. The rest was intact, but only at the cost of surrendering the highest level of sovereignty to the Golden Throne. A decade ago, this would have been unthinkable. But such is the speed of events in Greater Díenstad that the unthinkable can quickly become what is.

THE END