Uprising against Facism!

[Vailkrin]

Boris Dresden marched with his contingent through the mountain gap, his column of guerrilla fighters marched along a road running parallel to a wide river that carved a path through the mountain pass. The sun gleamed brightly in the sky. Sweat beaded down Dresden's face. His ambitious brother, Victor, organizer of the Liberation Army, sent him through this pass to a valley just beyond Vailkrin's borders.

26 hours ago, Liberation Army forces staged a series of bombings in cities across Vailkrin, proclaiming freedom from fascism. Chancellor Dryn was not amused. Boris looked around at the warriors that marched with him. They look tired and worn, their olive drab fatigues were stained brown and red with a mix of mud and blood.

A helicopter gunship flew overhead, sending the rebel warriors to the ground, waiting those long seconds to see if the gunship makes a return run. They waited...they waited...

Nothing...the gunship was gone. The warriors slowly got to their feet. Dresden called out to them, "Let's go." They continued their march. The gunship's presence unnerved him, they were 10km outside of Vailkrin, 5km from their base camp. That gunship was either loss or...

His thoughts were interrupted by gunfire.He saw his warriors in front of the column fall over, red mist spewing from their bodies. He looked back and saw the same. They were on both sides of the path!. Dresden dropped down behind a group of rocks along the riverbed. He saw muzzle flashes from the side of the mountain, raising his assault rifle, he returned fire.

One of his warriors came sprinting for cover near Boris, his head erupted as a high caliber round caught him just below the temple. Boris grabbed a grenade, pulled the pin, and then chucked it as hard as he could towards the direction of enemy contact.

The gunship returned, making a pass over the Liberation Army warriors, its machine-guns chopped up the earth, sending chunks of rock and dirt airborne. Several rounds hit home, but the real threat was yet to be revealed. Boris was too concentrated trying not to get stuck by flying bullets, and unable to hear the cries of panic over the din of the firefight, to notice the fumes coming from a pair of missiles the gunship fired. By the time Boris heard the cries of "Gas!", it was too late.

His eyes and throats burned like he was engulfed in acid. He fought for air, he failed at his struggle. His throat closed like it was caught in a vice grip. He doubled over, his weapon fell from his hands. He collapsed on the ground...the world for Boris Dresden, brother of the rebel leader Victor Dresden, went cold and black.

Lt. Maertz, platoon leader in Vailkrin's 1st Air Assault Division, led his troops down on the pass, examining the corpses of the rebel soldiers. His protective suit made the humid air abhorrent. With the exception of his soldiers, nothing moved along the pass, the chemical agent killed everything. He keyed his radio, "Raven Wing One, this is Raven One One. Move in for extraction."

"Roger Raven One One. Raven Wing One, Oscar Mike."

Lt. Maertz was pleased with himself, having brought justice onto these terrorists. The gunship hovered overheard while the transport chopper descended down to them. They had just a few more minutes to return to Vailkrin, before local authorities join the fray.



General Reinhard Rayn, commandant of the Vailkrin Armed Forces, finished briefing Chancellor Alistair Dryn over the current situation.

"Let me get this straight, these rebels, this Liberation Army. They seek to overthrow this regime, and free the people of Vailkrin?" asked the Chancellor.

"Yes my Lord." replied General Rayn. "They are being led by a Vailkrin native named Victor Dresden. His brother Boris Dresden was killed earlier in a skirmish outside our borders. The engagement has made out neighbors concerned and they are demanding that we keep our troops out of their country."

"Demanding?" The Chancellor laughed. "They demand we stay out of their borders? Do they realize these rebels are operating in their lands? I will not listen to their demands! We will crush these rebels and anyone who stands in our way! You are authorized to use all methods necessary to put down this rebellion. Use of WMDs are authorized, with exception to nuclear weapons. Is that understood General?"

"Yes my Lord. As you wish."

"And if our neighbors decide enough is enough, crush them and smash them into oblivion!"

"Yes my lord."

[New Lusitaniagrad]

**********Transmission from CRNLHQ*************

We demand that you keep your men on your own side of the boarder lets us take care of our own problems. We have just captured 31 of the terrorists and we will send them to you for interrogation as soon as we are done with them. You may find something interesting though... the have stolen one of your warheads. We have it here and it will be sent back to along with the terrorists.

Expect 3 NLAF Seahawks to arrive at 5:31am tommorow along with Maj. Abel Maplstein, the warhead, and the terrorists.

Yours, Jack Vanders, Head of the New Lustitaniagrad Federal Bureau of Security

*********End Transmission************

[Stalinistria]

Stalinistrian intelligence briefing

EMPIRE OF STALINISTRIA's answer is following: YES, we DO support the uprising against fascism. Fascism is the far right authocratic policy of hate and persecution. We support freedom of speech and equality of all citizens of the Empire. We condemn fascism and support your land in fight against this evil ideology of oppression and genocide.

[Vailkrin]

Minister Malak, the head of Vailkrin's Ministry of Internal Security, came to attention before Chancellor Dryn, giving a crisp salute. He was accompanied by General Reinhard Rayn who also saluted. The Chancellor returned their salutes, "What is it?"

"My Lord," spoke Malak, "We have a potential situation."

"And what would that be?"

"We have captured a group of Liberation Army terrorists and they claim to have support from foreign powers."

"..Which foreign powers?"

"My Lord, they would not tell us. I would advise that we become more aggressive for I feel this may turn in to a full blown war."

"And what do you think General Rayn?"

"My Lord," replied Rayn, "I will have our military on high alert. The RDF (Rapid Deployment Force) will be on standby for reaction operations."

"Good. In the mean time, I want you two to work together to crush this Liberation Army. General Rayn, keep 10 divisions in reserve in case of attack by foreign powers. Minister Malak, initiate martial law procedures, anyone who such much as help these rebels shall be arrested and later executed. Destroy these rebels....by any means necessary."

[Shazbotdom]

SECRET IC:
SCENE: The Office of the Supreme Emperor, Imperial Palace, Shaz City, Shazbotdom
Larry Williams, the Spreme Emperor, was standing at the window staring out over the courtyard in front of the Palace. The fountain has been running since they repaired the motor last month and he noticed that it was shooting the water up further than it had in previous years, this he enjoyed because it gave a show of gandure for the Palace to see from the front windows. He liked when things ran according to plan, and things were running as planned around the Empire. The only unsettling thing was the news he recieved only a few hours earlier from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is why he called for Ken only a few minutes ago.

Facism, one of the ideologies that Larry really didn't enjoy hearing about. They were making themselves known again, but this time in the form of violating the soverignty of nations to 'exterminate' an unwanted element, mainly freedom fighters who just didn't want to live under the facist regeme anymore. Larry found himself deep in thought while staring at the fountain. This is a deligate situation, he thought to himself. Careful consideration must be taken so I can ensure that this isn't turned into an International Incident where there became a dogpile of nations joining into the frey and it turning into an unwanted World War.

A knock on the door brought him out of his deep thoughts, "Come in". Through the door strolled Kennith G. Terrance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Larry turned around to notice him. "Ahh, Ken. I just got done reading that report your office sent me a few hours ago." He took a few steps and sat down at his desk and opened up the file on his computer. "This is a very unsettling situation."

"I know," Ken responded. "These people deserve the freedoms they want, but with how Facist states have come to eachother's aid before, I don't want to go overtly giving the freedom fighters any assistance just to be found out and having the Empire become a target to dozens of Facist nations throughout the world."

"No one wants that, especially me," Larry responded. "Overt tactics are not the way to go, and covert tactics could lead to even more problems. What about a monitary contribution that will be sent through 5 or 6 middle men?"

"Too risky," Ken said while shaking his head. "Even with middle men, if the amount is too high there could be a paper trail that would lead right back to the doorstep of the Imperial Palace."

"True," Larry stated in a hesitant manner, folding his hands together and staring at the computer screen. "Maybe an overt action; not on the part of the Freedom Fighters, but on behalf of those nations who feel that their soverignty has been threatened due to this genocidal campaign to try and get rid of the Freedom Fighers?"

"There's an idea," Ken said while he pulled out his electronic notepad and began to write down. "We could offer military assistance to the nations that have had their national borders crossed by the facist army and offer it in a manner to help secure their borders better so that this doesn't happen again, and issue secret orders to the Marines who are there to take out any 'targets of opportunity' if they arise. Such as a military convoy."

"Excelent," Larry said as he stood back up and turned around, taking a few steps to look back out the window. "Draft up the nessicary messege to the neighboring nations and send it to my office. I'll approve it, stamp my name on it and send it out electronically."

"As you wish," Ken said as he stood up and excused himself from the office, leaving Larry to his thoughts.

[Old Tyrannia]

The Grand Fascist Empire of Old Tyrannia

TO: Federation of Vailkrin
FROM: His Imperial Majesty Gaius Romulus IV
RE: Recent Terrorist Insurrection

The Grand Fascist Empire applauds the Federation of Vailkrin on it's prompt and decisive actions against the insurrection. We wish to offer our political support, but at this time do not wish to offer military assistance. We will be monitering the situation, and may intervene if it becomes neccesary to deal with any foolhardy nations who chose to support these terrorists over the rightful government.
Signed,

Gaius Romulus IV, Emperor of Old Tyrannia

[Vailkrin]

To: The Grand Fascist Empire of Old Tyrannia
From: Chancellor Alistair Dryn

To our like minded brothers in Tyrannia,
We appreciate your political support. At this time, the Federation of Vailkrin makes no wish for military support in its operations against these terrorists. While we are sure other nations will be quick to support these rebels, their resolve is weak. We will break them.

To the continuing growth of Fascism,
Chancellor Alistair Dryn

[Vailkrin]

A platoon of soldiers from Vailkrin's 3rd Infantry Division moved on foot patrol along a ridge. Sgt. Lune among them. The peaks of the ridgeline rose to their left, the peaks of mountains all along this great range rose around them, cutting through the growing twilight like jagged blades.

Sgt. Lune kept his eyes on the treeline just down the slope, something didn't feel right to him. His feet were tired and ached, the platoon have been marching all day on this patrol. Lune's squad brought up the rear of the patrol. He looked over at his shoulder at his sniper, walking 15 meters back. His attention was brought back to the treeline, his rifle's muzzle fixed on it.

Something moved...with a raised fist, Sgt. Lune took a knee, as the rest of his squad, and eventually the rest of the platoon. He kept his eyes fixed on the treeline on the right flank, he looked through his peripheral vision to ensure they had eyes on the left flank. His rifle was readied, his eyes peering down the sights as he scanned the treeline.

A rocket propelled grenade screamed out from the treeline,slamming into the ridge above. Sgt. Lune threw himself to the ground in a rain of rock and dust. He opened up, as did his squad out of reaction. There were rebels in the trees, their muzzle flashes gave away their hidden positions. The man to Lune's left caught a round in his foot, his cries of pain were audible over the din of battle.

"Medic!" Sgt. Lune barked, "Get the fuck over here!" He came running in a hurry, he landed next to the wounded man and began to work on the foot.

Sgt. Lune went back to keeping fire on the enemy, his rifle set to burst, switching magazines when one went dry.

Sgt. Lune heard his platoon sergeant on the platoon net, "Wardawg Three Four, shift fire right!"
He responded, "Wardawg Three Four, shifting fire."
"Shift fire right!" he screamed to the top of his lungs. He and his squad shifted their fire to the right of the enemy.

In a matter of moments, the muzzles flashes of one of the other squads assaulting the rebels flank became visible. Soon, the rounds stopped flying towards Lune and his squad with the exception of the occasional round shot off in flight.

A silence fell over the ridge as the firefight died down. Sgt. Lune waited many long moments in silence, his heart racing. Then, emerging from the treeline, three rebels came with hands raised. "Apprehend them!" Lune barked.

Four of his soldiers cautiously approached the rebels. Binding their hands and bringing them back to the squad formation. Sgt. Lune called the capture in, "Wardawg Seven, This is Wardawg Three Four. We have apprehended three enemy combatants. Over."

"Wardawg Three Four, this is Wardawg Seven. That's a good copy on the apprehension. All Wardawg Three elements, return to the FOB."

Sgt. Lune sighed, now was time for the long trek back to camp...

[Malkyer]

Base Victor Bravo
Vailkrin Border
1830H Local

Captain Thomas Godwin of the Commonwealth Special Air Service sighed and closed his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. After a moment to collect his thoughts, he brushed a lock of sand-colored hair from his forehead and looked up at the gathered men in front of him. These men represented the operational leadership of the Vailkrin Liberation Army; Godwin and his fellow SAS operators had spent the past several weeks attempting to train them and mold them into a decent fighting force, to act as a thorn in the side of the fascist dictatorship that held sway over their homeland. Godwin himself was apathetic as to politics, and couldn’t give less of a damn whether fascists or communists or democrats or blue lizard people controlled this tiny backwater nation of Vailkrin. However, some suit in Manetheren had convinced some other suits in Blackwell and Whitefall that the government of Chancellor Alistair Dryn was a problem the Imperial Commonwealth needed to address.

And where the Commonwealth directed, her soldiers went.

Victor Bravo was an isolated guerrilla base located amongst the crags and peaks of the Vailkrin’s northwestern border mountains; the treacherous territory allowed the guerrillas to enter and leave the country with relative ease, but the lack of any real border marking made it difficult to track which side of the border one was on at any given moment. Godwin himself wasn’t entirely sure whether Victor Bravo was located on Vailkrinian soil, or in the territory of one of its neighbors.

Camp sounds filled the air around the small briefing tent where Godwin stood with his students. Shouts of mixed encouragement and derision could be heard from the clearing where Sergeants Ardwain and Bole were teaching basic unarmed combat to guerrilla recruits; past them, other SAS operators drilled fighters with timed gun maintenance. Smoke from cook fires signaled that the evening meal was being prepared and would be ready soon. A few guerrillas back from a patrol were being debriefed by their officers as they restocked water and field rations. The rebels wore no discernible uniform, their kit consisting primarily of whatever they’d been able to take with them upon joining the VLA; Godwin’s own operators wore the neat tiger-stripe of the Commonwealth Army, though all badges of national identification had been removed.

Godwin looked over his own charges. A dozen or so young men and women, they were all the equivalent of junior lieutenants or senior sergeants. Cracking his knuckles, Godwin continued from where he had left off.

“We lost another group of men to government patrols today. Tell me, how many fighters are there in the VLA? A thousand? Two? Three, if that?” His students maintained an awkward and uncomfortable silence.

“Every guerrilla we lose is a loss from capital, not income. We have neither the manpower nor the materiel to maintain direct contact with the enemy. Throwing away the lives of the grunts is sometimes necessary in military matters, but in this conflict, such an act accomplishes nothing.” Like most of the Imperial Special Forces, Godwin had significant battlefield experience from the brushfire wars putting down the Empire’s own insurgent groups; it was experience that was just as readily useful for the other side, if applied properly.

“It has been established throughout your campaign—made painfully clear, rather—that the VLA is incapable at this point of military victory against the forces of order and the state. If we are to make real progress, a new strategy is needed—one that attacks the cracks in the armor of the state security apparat.

“Our latest intelligence updates from the RIA include a compiled estimate of the state’s military strength—an estimated 8% of the population. What does this figure tell us?”

One of the guerrillas, a young man of about twenty, raised his hand. “The government is, and has been for some time now, maintaining what is essentially a leveé en masse in terms of manpower. That’s caused a huge strain on the economy, both in terms of denying manpower for the workforce and by creating a huge sector of the population that is non-productive in economic terms.”

Godwin smiled. University-educated, that one. “Correct. So what does this knowledge tell us about the weak link of the state security system? Attack the economy, and we can achieve politically what we are unable to gain on the battlefield. Let’s break for dinner now, but afterwards we’ll be discussing strategy in terms of economic targets. Railroads, airports, financial centers, etc. If we reduce the average citizen’s faith in the economy, and more importantly the average citizen’s faith in the ability of the government to protect both them and their property, we go a long way towards leveling the field in this war.”

[Vailkrin]

Victor Dresden was not a happy man. His brother Paul followed only a few paces behind him through the midst of their isolated headquarters. With the loss of Boris, Victor and Paul were seething with rage, almost enough to compromise their strategic ability...almost.

Victor and Paul both came from a similar background, both men enlisted in Vailkrin's Army at a young age, both men also qualified for the SturmKommando (SK)...Vailkrin's Special Forces Corps. Their youngest brother Boris however, became an infantry officer at best.

The Dresden's entered their command tent, Captain Lamarr, a retired Vailkrin Army Captain, stood by a cheap card table with a map spread out across it of the city of Helzburg. "Morning Dresden."

"Morning." Victor replied. "Okay Lamarr, lets hear it. Give me the overview of what your cell is going to do."

"We are going to hit the Helzburg subway at the 4th street terminal, the 2nd Precinct of the Helzberg Police/Security Department, and of course the memorial of Erich Helz which should provide the cultural blow we are seeking."

"Good. Make sure however, your men don't blow up the war memorial in Helz Square in the process, you know how much of a public backlash that would cause. The last thing we need our people to think is that we despise the Federation Army. "

"I'm aware sir. They've already been informed."

"Good. Everything sounds in order, go and implement your plan..."


The city of Helzburg was rattled by a series of explosions one fine sunny afternoon. A subway rail car leaving station was blown off the tracks, 4 were killed and 17 wounded. Several patrol cars of the Helzburg Police fell victim as well, 6 officers were killed as they were trying to start their shift. The memorial of Erich Helz, one of the first rulers of Vailkrin, was blown at the base by a low grade bomb that created no casualties but shattered the statue of the beloved ruler. No eye witnesses reports to indicate who planted these bombs. The Federation controlled news wasted no time with propaganda...

"We are reporting from Helzburg where a series of terrorist attacks have rattled the innocent Helzburgian people. Only a few people where caught in the wake of disaster, mainly due to the tight security in Helzburg. Praise be to the heroes of the Helzburg Police whose quick response saved countless lives and stopped these bandits before more harm could be done. This attack shows further evidence of the sinister nature of these terrorists of the so called Liberation Army. This incident proves they are not just interested in military targets, but they will target the good people of Vailkrin who refuse to live under chaos and anarchy. Praise be to our heroes who protect us from these vicious murderers.

"Remember to report any suspected terrorist activity. One must remember that these so called Liberators are out to destroy our society, these demons seek to rip apart the fabric of order and justice and hurl Vailkrin into an age of chaos and darkness where there is no one to ensure the safety and security of you or your family. All who oppose them will be tortured, raped, and murdered so do NOT delay...report these vermin when suspected.

"Praise be to our Chancellor who guides us with his wisdom,
All Hail the Chancellor!
All Hail Vailkrin!"

[Vailkrin]

Operational Orders

Operation Watchmen

Security Level: Top Secret

AO: Urban Provincial Territories Within Fatherland.

To: 2nd SturmKommando Group "The Death Dealers"

On orders of the Chancellor, the 2nd SturmKommando Group is to be dispatched in four man elements to infiltrate every single urban area within the Fatherland with a population of more than 1,000. The Death Dealers' assignment is to infiltrate the population and become one of the citizens. This operation is top secret, there will be no support and there will be no back up. Death Dealers are to be advised that they will be treated as ordinary citizens for that is who they are.

Their mission is to blend in with the crowd and find their way into any VLA cell operating in their AO. Their second primary mission is to infiltrate the ranks of said cell, become one of the rebels, and provide intel on VLA operations, troop movements, base locations, and troop strength. Their secondary mission is to sabotage VLA operations and provoke VLA violence to further expose VLA operatives.

If any Death Dealers' true identity is exposed, they are under orders to escape. Should escape fail, they are ordered to self-terminate. As such, cyanide capsules will be given to the SturmKommandoes participating in this operation.

For the good of the Federation.

Signed: SturmKOM (SturmKommando Command)

[Malkyer]

Op. REINDEER
30km east of Nordholzburg
Vailkrin Border
0430 Local

Moonlight glinted off the steel grey of the railroad track, though it offered little light in the predawn black. The night was quiet, silent save for the sounds of nature; a cricket chirped incessantly, calling for its mate, and somewhere in the distance something larger could be heard. A coyote, perhaps, or a guard dog on an isolated farm here in the rural border region.

Moonlight also served to illuminate small clouds of white fog; the breath of ghostly silhouettes condensing in the morning cold. Half a dozen such phantoms moved quickly and quietly from their hiding places in the brush towards the railway. Having spent the past two hours laying in wait, observing the site to make sure sweeps were not made by the security force, it felt good to move once more. The six figures moved in unison, belying some sort of military training. Upon reaching the rail, one of the men pulled a satchel around to his side, and began pulling items from within.

Staff Sergeant Michael Cummings of the Commonwealth Special Air Service was the only Malkyeri soldier in his unit; the other five were native Vailkrin, members of the Vailkrin Liberation Army, and fighters that had been training in the remote border mountains and learning from Cummings and his fellow SAS operators for the past several weeks. Handing out what looked like small parcels, Cummings spoke in a hushed tone to his comrades. “You know the plan. All of these are on a synched to the same timer. They’re set to go in an hour, same time we hit Nordholzburg. That gives us plenty of time to get to the rendezvous point before the Army knows we’ve been out playing around. Okay, get the charges set. Even spacing, we want to wreck as much as possible.”

The rebels set the charges, and within ten minutes they were gone, back into the brush and invisible as ghosts. The explosives lay discretely attached to the tracks, and with any luck, in less than an hour one of the primary arteries of economic transportation for the province would be shut down for days.

Op. FLASHBACK
Nordholzburg Police Department Headquarters
Nordholzburg
Vailkrin Border
0530 Local

Nordholzburg was a small and sleepy rural provincial town, with a population of that probably didn't break a thousand, and its law enforcement headquarters reflected that fact. Staffed by about ten officers and deputies at a given time, the police department was the administrative heart for the town’s four dozen or so patrolling officers. The graveyard shift had ended a mere fifteen minutes ago, and the stink of old coffee and stale cigarette smoke still permeated the air, seeped into the faded blue paint on the concrete walls. One of the deputies had switched on the ceiling fan, but it would be some time before that old thing made a noticeable difference. Truth be told, it wasn’t so bad; the smell and harsh light of fluorescent bulbs was all a part of the morning routine, a routine many of these men and women had been sharing for years.

The pattern of the routine came to an abrupt break as the lights shut off and the ceiling fan slowly spun to a halt. The man in charge of the shift, a lieutenant by the name of Carsten, yawned in the dark, giving the impression that he was more bored than concerned. “The generators will come on soon enough, don’t worry,” he muttered. And he was right; within thirty seconds the power was back on.

Another five, and it was out once more. Everyone suddenly became alert. Carsten stood up from his chair quickly, spilling his morning coffee in his rush. Swearing at the brown liquid staining unfinished paperwork, he called a command to a subordinate. “Heiko, go check the generator. Emilia, use the battery-powered radio to contact the power company. See if they’re having problems with rolling blackouts.”

“Lieutenant, the radio…it’s jammed,” the secretary meekly responded.

“This is not good. Something is not right this morning,” Carsten said, his mind racing as he tried to determine what might be happening.

His questions were soon answered, as he heard some muffled shouting on the other side of the wall, and suddenly the world was filled with deafening noise and blinding light.

* * * * *

Thankful for the balaclava covering his face and shielding his mouth and nose from the dust and cordite hanging in the air, Captain Godwin gingerly stepped through the wide hole torn in the wall of the police station. Eight of his SAS operators, dressed in identical black balaclavas and clad in VLA kit, were already inside, having stormed the building two minutes ago; after the breaching charge had stunned those inside, it was easy enough to move in and flex-cuff them in the confusion. The station’s nine unharmed deputies were now being detained in two holding cells. The tenth had taken a piece of concrete to the head, and was in the process of being checked out by the SAS team’s medic.

“Eh, he’s unconscious, Hatchet, but he’ll be fine when he wakes up. Can’t say I’ll envy the headache, though.”

Godwin nodded. All the SAS operators had coded nicknames, to hide the presence of formal soldiers within the VLA ranks as long as possible. After today, though, it was likely that the Vailkrin military and government would be able to put two and two together, and determine that the rebels did indeed have foreign backing.

Walking over to the holding cell that held the station’s commander, Godwin knelt down and spoke. “We’re moving your wounded friend into the cell with you as soon as he’s been stabilized, Lieutenant. We will then leave, after rigging the cell doors with thermite charges. When we’ve finished our business in town, we’ll remotely detonate those charges and in about fifteen seconds they’ll burn through the locks and you’ll be free to go. We don’t exactly like you chaps, but having lawlessness and anarchy in the streets serves our purposes no less than it does yours. Oh, and don’t look directly at them, or you may be blinded.”

* * * * *

Rebels moved through Nordholzburg, rousing citizens from their sleep and gathering them in the town’s central square. As the light of dawn extinguished the night, the sun revealed a huddled mass of frightened people, confused and upset at their predicament. At the head of the square on the stairs of the town stood a group of armed VLA fighters surrounded five officers. All wore black balaclavas, as did those VLA guerrillas ringing the town square and keeping people in. The masks served a clear security purpose; it protected the families of the rebels by hiding their identity, and it prevented the security forces from being able to immediately pick out the foreign soldiers within their ranks.

Taking a bullhorn from one of his comrades, the officer in the center began to speak.

“Brothers! Sisters! People of Vailkrin!

“We are the soldiers of the Vailkrin Liberation Army. We have come forward today to formally declare war on the corrupt, oppressive, and illegitimate government of this Federation. War is never the ideal path for the resolution of grievance. It is not the path we would have chosen. It is not the path we should have to take. But it is the only path left to us.

“The government of this nation has crushed the independent spirit of our people, and it has driven our freedom into oblivion. It has reduced us to a cycle of humiliation and death in the service of the greed and hunger of the Chancellor and those around him. Because of this, we are forced to war, and we shall struggle until victory and liberation.

“Because we know the government and those in power will hear of this day, we present the following list of demands. Until they are met, we shall not yield to the Federation Army, though we sympathize with our noble brothers in arms, who fulfill their duty despite their misuse by corrupt politicians.

“First, we demand that the flag of Vailkrin, as the symbol of our beloved nation and of our brothers and sisters therein, be removed from government custody and handed over to the Vailkrin Liberation Army for safekeeping until such time as a free and democratic government has been established.

“Second, we demand that the government be reformed, and the autocracy ended. We call for the establishment of a National Assembly to hold legislative power, and to be filled with representatives elected by the people of Vailkrin.

“Third, we demand that the Chancellor and his advisors step down at once, to be replaced by a provisional government to supervise the nation until such time as open and fair democratic elections can be held.

“Fourth, we demand that the military be reduced in size, in order to end the strain on the economy and lessen the burden placed on the citizens of the Federation.

“Fifth, we demand that civil society be permitted to organize and lead the wave of reform to come in Vailkrin. For we in the Liberation Army are soldiers; we may fight, but we have not the right to dictate to the people in times of peace.

“That is our manifesto; those are our demands. We are the Vailkrin Liberation Army. We fight for freedom, for justice, for democracy, for economic liberty, for property rights, and most importantly, we fight for the people of the nation that we love. Long Live Vailkrin!”

OOC: Apologies if the manifesto is a little bland; it’s the best I can do without a more detailed history of the nation.

[Malkyer]

Nordholzburg
Vailkrin Border
0655 Local

After the declaration had been issued, the VLA fighters initiated a hasty retreat from the town of Nord Holzburg. With only a few hundred soldiers and a couple dozen Malkyeri SAS, the rebels were fully aware that they would not survive if the government's security forces arrived before the VLA was gone. And so, in as orderly a fashion as possible, the insurgent army left the town and scattered, dispersing into the countryside, setting traps and blazing false trails to mislead and slow down the the inevitable pursuit.

The leadership of the the raiding force, which in this case meant a few Vailkrin natives and a large cadre of Imperial SAS operators, took as many precautions as possible to prevent looting of property and harm to civilians; it was very much against the interests of the rebellion in its infant stages to be seen doing anything that might confirm Federal propaganda. All in all, it was a much easier task to keep the troops behaved than might otherwise have been thought, as the very real threat of an overwhelming response by the Federation Army to the seizure of Nordholzburg convinced the average VLA rank-and-file that it was of the utmost importance to get back to the mountains and the relative safety of the remote border region.

By 0730 local, the VLA had completely disengaged from the town and was moving back through the bush. No traps had been set in the town itself, as that might have harmed civilians, but the roads and pathways leading away had been rigged with multiple layers of both IEDs and more conventional weapons, such as anti-personnel and anti-tank landmines. The SAS operators within the VLA had broken off from the main body of troops as well, to make false trails for the Federal forces to follow. By mid-day, the three hundred or so troops who had participated in the raid on Nordholzburg would be fully broken down into platoon-sized cells scattered in a fifteen-kilometer radius from the town. The Federation Army may catch a few such cells, but the raiding force as a whole would survive. Unless, of course, the Federal troops simply decided to carpet-bomb their entire border, but the VLA leadership had made the calculated assumption that doing so would provoke Vailkrin's neighbors to war, and so considered it an unlikely scenario.

OOC: Forgot to include the regression in the my post last night.

[The Grand World Order]

Official Response of the Fascist Federation of the Grand World Order

The Federation hereby declares its unconditional support of Vailkrin's anti-Communist operations. Its neighbors need to know that if the VLA scum are hiding in their nation, they had best eliminate them with their own forces or stop complaining when the responsible Fascist regime of Vailkrin does it themselves.

The Federation would also like to offer the 25th and 89th Federal Guard ((GWO Internal Forces/National Police/Military Police)) Regiments, as well as two squadrons, one from the Marine Corps "Raider" Special Forces and one from the Army Advanced Paradrop Service, to assist in operations against the VLA, if Vailkrin wishes for it. While we will respect any decision they make, we will place said units on alert regardless in case the Vailkrin government changes its position, or the unlikely event of the situation deteriorating severely.

Viva Fascismo!

[La Repubblica Fascista]

To: the Leader of Vailkrin
From: Benito Mussolini II

We are willing to give financial aid to rid you of these terrorists. If this escalates into war we will help you along with GWO And Old Tyrannia. We shall always have support to our fascist brothers.

[Vailkrin]

To: Our Fascist Brothers
From: Chancellor Alistair Dryn

I humbly accept your military and economic support during this conflict. These terrorists must be stopped! If we fail here, then more anarchists and communists will be inspired to rebel in their respective nations, destroying the only bastions of order left in our world. United together, we will not falter. The Federation of Vailkrin will be indebted to our fascist brethren, in any future conflict, Vailkrin will show its gratitude by offering assistance to our fellow fascists.

[Vailkrin]

Nordholzburg
0500

Dark figures moved through the village during the city round up. Four ghostly men took to the shadows, evading capture and being sighted. One entered the police station, one entered town hall, one entered the mayor's home, and one hid near town square. Charges were set, one by one. All was quiet, all was discreet.

The figure in the police station moved to the holding cells, looking at the police officers. "What now!" one officer grumbled.

"Change of plans. We can't afford to let the Federation take any of you alive, in case you can identify us." The figure said, he pulled out a silenced pistol and one by one shot each officer in the head. He grabbed his mike. "Moving to rendezvous point."

0600

Along the secured perimeter, four VLA rebels lied in wait for any signs of trouble. Neither one of them heard or saw anything, caught surprised when a shadowy hand clasped around their mouths, blades shoved hilt deep in their throats. The four assassins disrobed their targets, taking all of their gear and dressing like them. They then hid the bodies from view, all like it never took place.

The four figures, SturmKommandoes participating in Operation Watchmen all activated their tracking devices and waited.

0730

As the VLA contingent left, Nordholzburg was rattled by four explosions. The police station, town hall, the mayor's home, and the city square went up in a pillar of flames. The 18th Mechanized Division of the Federation Army arrived to help clean up the wreckage of the disaster. 21 died in the blast that rocked town square, many more wounded.

"This morning in the town of Nordholzburg, citizens were awakened to an insurgent army seizing control of town square. It was here that the terrorists rounded everyone and consolidated them into a single area, where they were targeted by a powerful bomb. Other than the explosives set inside the city, the area around the city was covered in mines and explosives, impeding emergency response to the wounded of the vicious attack on innocent lives.

Chancellor Dryn decrees that our heroes of the Federation Army will respond with brutal efficiency. These terrorists must be stopped at all costs. Praise be to our heroes who responded to the scene and remember the heroes of the Nordholzburg police officers who lost their lives in the VLA bombing of the police station."

As the VLA contingent dispersed among the mountains, four tracking beacons followed their every move, alerting Federation High Command to their presence...

[Malkyer]

Hill 177
6km west of Nordholzburg
0735 Local

Godwin squinted through the binocular lenses, and cupped his free hand to shield the apertures from the rising sun’s glare. Up for less than two hours and it was already blazing bright in the sky; in the clear air of Vailkrin’s northwestern mountains, the town of Nordholzburg was plainly visible. Four distinct pillars of black smoke rose from the city that minutes ago had been rocked by explosions. The sounds of nature had been interrupt for a brief moment by the thunder of bombs that had immediately grabbed the attention of the exfiltrating SAS operators, but now silence had returned to the countryside outside the town. After ascending a small knoll to gain a better view, the Imperial soldiers attempted to assess the situation in town. Propped on one knee, the SAS captain shifted his weight to allow blood to flow to his foot. Next to him, another operator had a map spread out on the rocky ground, and had marked the team’s location on this grassy hill marked 177—a reference to its altitude.

“Looks like the square, the police station, the town hall, and some other building I can’t make out, in the residential area.” Godwin was speaking to no one in particular; with the exception of the man with the map, his operators were spread out across the hill, remaining out of sight and making sure that the team wasn’t being followed. Ten men blended perfectly with the vegetation and contour of the land; their trail leading away from the town to Hill 177 had been expertly masked. A few more kilometers, and the team would begin to blaze a false trail for the security forces to follow, leading them away from the main body of VLA troops.

“What do you think happened, Cap?”

“False flag op, no question. We didn’t set any bombs, and we know none of the VLA troops did. The way those blasts were timed…professionals. I think it’s a fair bet we have government infiltrators in the VLA. Bothersome, but we planned on this happening. I’ll have to get in touch with Kilo Charlie when we get back to base camp. A government willing to assassinate its own citizens is not going to pull any punches with us—though after the chemical weapons that killed Boris, I suppose we should have expected they’d be willing to resort to the murder of innocents.

“All right, let’s move. More soldiers than we care to deal with will be here soon, after that explosion.”

As the SAS disappeared into the brush, a bird chirped somewhere among the branches of a tree. It was a thing of remarkable normalcy in a conflict that had just become exceedingly complex.

Mercersville
200km from Vailkrin Border
Crown Colony of Kafera
1736H Local

Government House was a striking symbol of Imperial architecture amid the much more flamboyant native Kaferan buildings. Surrounded by a gleaming white wall interspersed with wrought-iron gates, the alabaster structure of Government House itself was situated amidst exquisitely manicured gardens bisected by stone pathways. A wide veranda encircled the governor’s mansion itself, with rocking chairs and small tables placed at regular intervals. The wide oak doors contrasted beautifully with the white paint of the house and the black ebony of the shutters on the windows.

A number of people stood on the veranda, and more meandered through the gardens, enjoying the warm spring evening at one of the Governor’s first parties of the social season. The social and political elite of the colony were present, both settler and native. Despite the end of segregation nearly twenty years ago, the wealthy of the colony were still overwhelming of the settler class; in this colony that meant a fairly even mix of Hailene and Russian.

Governor Tierehl Naumas laughed politely at a joke made by one of his guests, and took a sip of his gin. The musing hadn’t been that funny, but Naumas had laughed nonetheless; it wouldn’t do to offend his guests, especially this early in the evening. Like the previous three Governors-General of Kafera, Naumas had been born in the colony, as opposed to being appointed from the Metropole. He also had the distinction of being the first governor approved by the Dal Atha’an after the end of segregation and the advent of a multi-racial parliamentary body. Open elections had first been held in 1990, but the post of Governor-General was a lifetime position, and the previous governor had not stepped down until 1997, in the face of strong protest from the newly-empowered black electorate.

Naumas was pulled out of his internal reverie by a servant gently tapping his elbow.

“Sir, General Arkady would like to speak with you. He’s in the study.” The Governor nodded thanks, and excused himself from his guests.

General Abram Arkady waited patiently in the Governor’s study, sipping on the vodka given to him by a servant. The sturdy Russian general was not a man for small talk; there was silence between him and the other in the room, a thin, bookish fellow from the Metropole. Arkady looked around the room at the old books lining the walls in mahogany shelves, his wandering eyes eventually taking him to an old colonial-style painted map of Kafera, its borders in light blue as was the Imperial tradition. Hearing the door open, he turned, and snapped to attention as the Governor entered.

“At ease, Abram,” said the Governor. Smiling, he extended a hand to his old friend. Abram shook it, and grinned warmly. Naumas was a politician and thus deserving of damnation, but Arkady was also well aware that the Governor-General was not an elected man, and thus was far less of a pandering simpleton than most of his political ilk. The working relationship between the Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief, Kafera Defense Force, had been a productive one for years.

“Tierehl, allow me to introduce Mr. Mathis Euden of the Institute for Foreign Relations and Security Analysis.” At that, Naumas arched an eyebrow. A visit by a representative of the Institute was rarely good news.

Euden pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before placing a fist over his heart and bowing slightly, in the Imperial fashion. “Mr. Naumas, I hate to keep you from your party, so I will be blunt and to-the-point, if you don’t mind. I have been instructed by my superiors to elucidate for you several aspects of an ongoing operation within your neighbor, the Federation of Vailkrin.”

Naumas nodded. Having never been himself, his knowledge of the Federation was limited to news reports; reports that had of late been noting some apparent cracks in the fascist power structure. There was evidently a growing insurgency against the government, and the response by the nation’s chancellor was garnering a significant amount of criticism, in particular the use of chemical weapons in the border regions.

“For some time now, teams of the Imperial Special Air Service have been operating within the borders of the Federation, supplying both training and materiel, as well as operational support, to the anti-fascist militias in Vailkrin’s northwest territories; specifically the Vailkrin Liberation Army, a group led by two brothers, Victor and Paul Dresden. There was a third brother, Boris, but he was killed in the chemical weapons incident a couple of weeks ago.

“We have been allowing the VLA to set up bases within Kaferan territory, to provide a safe haven and easier access to Imperial supplies. This was done with the full cooperation of the KDF and General Arkady.”

At this, Arkady shrugged and spread his hands, as if to apologize. “As the Emperor commands, I obey.”

Euden nodded, and continued without missing a beat. “We’ve set up several no-go zones for KDF patrols along the border; that way, the VLA militias can have unfettered access to their base areas. We’re cluing you in, Governor, as the political stages are beginning to unfold. We’ll need you to issue a press release on the insurgency in Vailkrin; condemn the fascists and state our moral support for the rebels and offer to mediate peace talks, all the usual fluff. The details shall of course be up to you. And it can wait until later in the week—you needn’t rush your party.”

Naumas didn’t say anything for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm and measured. “You realize, Mister Euden, and General Arkady, that you have committed an act of war by inserting Imperial troops into sovereign Vailkrin territory, and worse, you’ve opened our borders to the VLA insurgents, knowing full well that the Vailkrin government may well decide to invade on the pretense of tracking them down? If the knowledge that we've been supporting the rebels, however clandestinely, gets out, there will be war...”

Arkady nodded. “It’s a calculated risk, certainly. But Dryn knows that behind the KDF stands the full weight of the Royal and Imperial Armed Forces, and he’ll think long and hard before stepping that far out of his league. That is of course assuming that the Vailkrin government finds out about our involvement at all.”

“What troops do we have on the border at the moment, Abram?”

“Seventh Infantry Division, Eighth Artillery, and the Fifth Independent Brigade.”

That eased Naumas’ worries somewhat—the Changerai Skirmishers, Khoumas Artillery, and Guatari Pathfinders were all elite units, with competent commanders. Half-wits didn’t get postings to border duty in the Commonwealth. And while not enough to halt an invasion by the vastly numerically-superior army of their neighbor, they would do to blunt the advance long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

“Hmm. I suppose that since this operation clearly has the backing of Manetheren and the Crown I can’t well get in the way. Very well, Mr. Euden, you’ll have your press release within the week.”

“Wonderful. I don’t need to remind you that discussing what I’ve told you with anyone outside this room would be considered a crime against the Empire.”