Reactivation of the Stonehenge Turret Network (MT/IC)

[Weltkria]

OOC: ah damnit I misspelled foreign

“I’m sorry, but what?”

The Intelligence Officer looked on in utter disbelief at the report, the Xylavvian fleet - whatever they were called - utilized flying and overarmed airships.

Something that had been ruled utterly impractical by hundreds of boards before. A flying carrier was an inane idea - it was a huge target that could go up if a single firecracker was thrown at it. Something more brittle than the Orion ships in orbit.

“What are these guys on? This is insane.”

The ruffling of notes filled the small cramped room as the officer flicked through the large packet, looking on with utter and complete disbelief.

“The hell? Unbalanced fleets? Is this a circus?”

It was on display. Open for them to take. The sheer incompetence of all sides involved, ranging from massive airships - yes, those things, to utilization of outdated LSTs from a conflict that took place decades ago. Something that the Weltkrians could deal with - even with a half-decaying and corrupt military.

The officer glares at his colleague as he reaches the last part of the report.

“You want to use…” the terrifying ruffling of papers fills the colleague's ears as he continues to read.

“Repurposed space-to-space munitions to terminate these targets.”

“I have two words. Are you crazy?”

---

Comrades!

The Socialist Principality of Santoak, our fellow socialist nation, is under threat. She is besieged on all sides by the global capitalist, those who dare to trample on the workers of the world. She is besieged by the tykes and monopolists who use the veneer of “moralism” and “control” as sheer excuses to wrestle control of the Santoaki Proletariat.

Comrades, make no mistake. Stonehenge is a throne to what the World Proletariat can achieve - the protection of the world from asteroids is something that no capitalist nation has event achieved.

They are jealous. The international capitalist conspiracy slouches forward, jealous of what we can achieve. What the worker can achieve.

What have the Capitalists achieved? Nothing!

It was us, the Weltkrians, who built the first space elevator.

It was us, the Weltkrians, who watched the Revolution sprint across space.

It was the Santoaki who built a railgun array to protect the world - the worker.

In that time, what have the so-called “great” nations of Oranda or Ardenia achieved? Nothing!

Comrades, it has become patently obvious that the capitalist way of life is gone. No longer will they sit on throne of ego and wealth - no, Santoak is a statement.

Santoak shows that socialist nations can eclipse capitalistic nations.

And what is the response of those nations? Instead of following logic - instead of following Santoak, they cling to their old ways. To the ways that we fought against, to the ways that we freed ourselves from.

Make no mistake, capitalism is on its way out. The efforts of misguided comrades or those who dare oppose us will not stand in our way.

Capitalists of the world, hear this!

The Reds are coming.

Johannes Grunat, Premier WSP
Authorized for public viewing

Weltkrian MoD
To: Santoaki MoD

In solidarity with our comrades, we would like to deploy a number of aircraft and surface combatants to support the defense of your country.

[Svenska-Britannia]

Auckland, Hokkaido. Santoakan controlled city.

As soon as the Naval and Ground Forces arrived at the city of Auckland, the Peacekeepers wasted no time in securing the area. The soldiers were highly trained and experienced, and they quickly began taking positions around the Port City to ensure its safety and security.

The Naval Forces took charge of securing the waters surrounding the city. They patrolled the waters, keeping a watchful eye for any possible sea-borne threat, as well as underwater and in the air. The presence of cruisers, submarines and a heavily armed battleship would prove to deter any possible incoming threat that would dare ruin the balance of peace and security

Meanwhile, The Ground Forces of the Peacekeepers also played a vital role in securing the outskirts of the city of Auckland. As soon as they arrived, they started positioning themselves to ensure maximum protection for the city. The soldiers worked tirelessly to create a network of defensive positions to protect against any possible threats.

One of the first things they did was to set up Tank Trenches, which were designed to accommodate the MBTs (Main Battle Tanks), APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers), AA (Anti-Aircraft), and RADAR Platforms. These trenches were dug deep into the ground and were strategically placed in locations where they would have the best vantage point to detect and engage any incoming threat. The tanks and other armored vehicles were placed in such a way that they could provide overlapping fields of fire, creating a deadly crossfire for any attacking force.

At the same time, Infantry trenches were also dug in a zig-zagged semi-circle around the outskirts of the city. These trenches were dug by hand and provided cover for the infantry soldiers. The soldiers were trained to fire their weapons from the trenches, and they could quickly pop up, fire, and then take cover again. This made it difficult for any attacker to hit them with return fire. The trenches were dug in such a way that they provided multiple layers of defense, making it nearly impossible for any attacker to penetrate the Peacekeeper's defensive perimeter.

The Peacekeepers knew that their presence in the city of Auckland would cause some disruptions and they were determined to ensure that the transition of power was as smooth and effective as possible. They worked closely with local authorities and law enforcement agencies to establish a coordinated approach to maintaining order and protecting the civilian population.

One of the first things the Peacekeepers did was to establish communication with local authorities to understand the current situation on the ground. They conducted briefings with the police, fire departments, and other law enforcement agencies to determine the most effective way to protect the city and its people.

The Peacekeepers also understood the importance of maintaining the trust and confidence of the local population. They made efforts to communicate with the public, letting them know what was happening and why they were there. They established checkpoints and provided security for critical infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and government buildings, to ensure that they remained functional.

The Peacekeepers also made sure to maintain a visible presence in the city, patrolling the streets and interacting with the public in a friendly and professional manner. They worked to strike a balance between ensuring security and protecting civilian rights, understanding that their actions would impact the way the people of Auckland viewed them.

Overall, the Peacekeepers worked closely with local authorities to ensure a smooth and effective transition of power. They were conscious of the delicate balance between security and civilian rights, and they worked diligently to strike that balance and ensure that the people of Auckland felt safe and protected. Their actions demonstrated their dedication to their mission, and they succeeded in establishing a strong presence in the city while maintaining the trust and confidence of the local population.

[Christbol]

-snip-

Boarding of the SS Raifuku Maru

The Varangian Sergeant Leon Katuma grunts in hesitance at the preparations in face of the cargo ship's decision to refuse heeding the call to surrender. - “A warship shows up at full steam trying to catch up to them with enough firepower to level that scrap heap of theirs with the ocean floor and enough manpower to overmatch their troop count man to man if the babbling buffoon that is one of their soldiers typing away at a text message is to believe, and their first and most rational idea is to tell us that if we want them that were gonna have to take them? This not only smells, it reeks.” - he pauses the bickering for a moment to double check the magazines stashed into his armor belts, moving to the rhythm of the alarms blaring all across the ship pushing his squad to a fast walking pace. - “They’re bullshitting us-” - he takes a look behind him to the rest of his squad, catching a glimpse of the Captains stern look, the Specialists ever content expression of partial amusement and the First Lieutenants thousand yard stare before fixating his view back to what’s ahead of him - “-but you already all seemingly already think that so discussing it further would be talking to mirrors.”

“Well Leon, if a situation at first glance sounds too good to be true and looks too good to be true, then it most likely is too good to be true.” - the First Lieutenant Räjät Tilan replies, humoring his reaction - “Whatever they’re carrying they’re either desperate to not have us see it or they’re led by some covert dog who thinks he’s a master fuckin’ tactician by faking how well armed the vessel is.” - Räjät gives a light nudge on the shoulder to Specialist Huolenna, either because he’d be the only one of the squad knowing her old background as a R.E.D. agent and part of him ever so slightly wanted to express his discontent serving with her or because the halls stretching across the ship are tight as it is and with their array of jump jets, gear and guns (both figurative and literal guns) they only just about manage to squeeze enough room two by two to allow other foot traffic to pass them one at a time.

“It’s still possible our mysterious cargo ship captain bit off more than he could chew and is facing a very real repeat of Icarus flying too close to the Sun.” - Huolenna remarks, double checking her helmet visor display by tagging heat signatures which pass them by, much to the dismay of the other squadmates present.

“Generally you don’t ship something crucial to your efforts with a skeleton crew of an escort force. My bet is the troop count is fake at the very least.” - Sergeant Katuma replies to her. - “Either that or this isn’t the real target at all and they cowardly decided to leave the blunt of the escort force to distract us.”

“What makes distracting us a cowardly act?” - Huolenna asks. - “Suicide is the cowards way out.” - Leon replies, with Captain Nahaken thanking God nobody else from the task force was immediately around to hear Leon’s more novel view of combating Christbolian special forces. - “Varangians admire pride in their squadmates capabilities Leon, but there’s a reason why our counterparts mock us for not having the temperance to know when to not talk about it so bleakly.” - the Captain verbally reprimands him. - “This is a joint task force on an interregional level, I don’t expect any further self confident cocking off. If feeling good about yourself is the problem maybe we should leave you on the ship to manifest some of that deadly sin of yours into somber, self flagellating self thought.” - “Yes Sir.” - Leon promptly replies.

The four arrive at the upper decks, approaching the helipads housing the helicopters requisitioned for the operation near the RHIB’s just preparing to sail off. Markus signals his squad to board their respective transport helicopter before walking over to the Phoenixian and Soveinian squad leaders to discuss and see if any last minute alterations to the plan have been or should be made. - “Gentlemen, I see you’re all just about ready, but I once again wanted to express my concern regarding the ships true capabilities; I understand that I have no intelligence to confirm this, but surely my team hasn’t been the only ones scratching their heads at how ripe this target of ours has seemingly been?” The Soveinian platoon commander stroked his chin with a full hand. “Now that you mention that.. I do find it a bit.. Strange. Hopefully this ends up as a better operation than I expect. I hope this is not bait for something worse.” He looks back at his platoon of 45 men, all holding PKMs and some other firearms.

Phoenixian Marines under the command of Cmdt. Misha Volgonov loaded into the AW101 while a smaller contingent loaded in RHIB boats. Some of them were still tipsy, but it wasn’t their first rodeo. Misha himself lit up a cigarette as the helicopter took off, one of his privates puked out the back. “It’s a beautiful day to be alive!”

"Holy shit, look at the deck," one of them exclaimed. "Yeah, it's fucking deserted."

"It's like fucking Žeknija. Remember, whenever all the civvies would run away when we were infilling, it was almost guaranteed to get fucked up," a Corporal squinted his eyes down to their target.

"Don't get superstitious on me, we've got a job to do," Misha dragged on his cigarette using only his mouth.

[Novaya Equestria]

From: Government of the Novayan Commonwealth
To: All parties involved

---

To whom this may concern,

We are absolutely shocked by how Santoak reactivated Stonehenge, a weapon designed to destroy asteroid fragments that would later become its own antithesis: a weapon of mass destruction. We are also shocked by how some or most nations were unaware of Stonehenge's potential use as a lethal mega-artillery of sorts.

To the government of Santoak, we know what you really were doing, and we already knew about this. Your reactivation of the Stonehenge Turret Network is a destabilization element in Asia, one that would turn the once-noble cannons into a weapon of mass destruction. Which is why I wish to send you two requests: one, leave Novaya out of this - we Novayans are already focused on our civilian development and space programs. And two, leave New Kivotos, an island city-state to the north-northeast of Novaya and south of Japan, out of this; that nation damn well wants to be neutral like us. Do respect our and New Kivotos' neutrality. As long as Stonehenge is used for the defense of Santoak and her allies, Novaya will be satisfied.

To all the nations of the world, how could you not know that Stonehenge can be used for nefarious purposes? Surely, you all could have seen this from a mile away, and yet some or most of you didn't know about this. We all know that the Stonehenge Turret Network has been blasting asteroid fragments, but we also know that it can be misused for nefarious purposes, one that must be avoided. So much so that this WILL cause a war between nations that Novaya and New Kivotos will not want to be involved in. Seriously, though, do Novaya a favor: leave Novaya and New Kivotos out of this - we're already too damn neutral to do anything, like focusing on our development programs as well as babysitting New Kivotos at this right. Just keep calm and discuss matters in a more formal and civilized manner.

Novaya's also busy with all sorts of things (diplomacy and humanitarian stuffs) in the Middle East and Africa - actually bringing and enforcing peace, getting Israel to stop being bad, helping out with reconstruction and development efforts, fixing the blatant disregard that is the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and so on. Thus, we ask that you don't drag us into unnecessary conflicts and just respect our neutrality, please and thank you.

We await your reply.

Sincerely,
Grand Marshal Borealis Norsoutha III

[Santoak]

Reginald eyeing the women immediately understood the situation and saluted the women before answering her question.
"It's two of our OOD-99 combat UAV's. They finished development two years ago and with relations between our two nations warm Parliament decided to present them as a gift. I apologise for my rudeness and hope this won't impact our visit."

Kino O'Harris

SSDF Intel Agent

"Just two of them?" she said, "While the help is appreciated unless you're going to just allow us to give us production rights right here right now, only just two of these OOD-99s will have a minimal impact given the upcoming conflict. Unless there's something in these that don't exactly match their appearance."

---

"What did you call me for, Soryuu?" Lord Protector said as she fell onto the velvet lounge chair and began to pour the porcelain teapot of earl grey into her and the Prime Minister's cup.

"Read this," Shinji slid a datapad over the table, "Delivered straight from the embassy barely ten minutes ago. You were coming here anyone so might as well show you it now rather than later."

People's Federation of Reinkalistan

"Troublesome," Asuka muttered as she scrolled down the datapad. "But the SSDF does not involve itself in poli-" she stopped, "Okay, I respect you enough Soryuu that I'm not going to say the same bullshit I said to the man that held your seat last term. Still, why show me this? I'm not exactly head of foreign affairs."

"I just wanted to get your thoughts Asuka," he leaned back, "Let's just drop the pretense. By all practical measures, you hold the same power as me if not just slightly more. I'm willing to bet fifty-fifty that you knew about this letter before it even hit my desk. I would be a fool not to include you in the conversation, especially when dealing with a fellow Socialist country."

"So what? The Reinkalistians are just a bunch of backward revisionists who allowed a cult to infiltrate their ranks? What Socialism they practice is in name only."

"I've never thought you up for a proper Socialist, Asuka, just clinging onto whatever gives you power."

"I still have my loyalties."

"Anyhow, they still do practice Socialism even if it is a flawed facade at best. While this entire matter has been one purely geopolitical strategic matter, a large part of our support from the population still maintains our ideology. You saw the polls that the Christchurch Times ran yesterday I'm sure, at least thirty percent of Christchurch deems Stonehenge our protection against Imperialism. Christchurch is one of our least... how do I put this... ideologically consistent districts so the low bar isn't exactly low when we extrapolate for the rest of the districts and prefectures. Reinkalistan is widely considered even if flawed a fellow brother nation in the struggle against oppression."

"Even states like this can be misguided sometimes. Even if this condemnation gains traction in the Fifth International we're detached enough from it that anything to come from it was minimal. If it takes the form of sanctions we prepared for such an event. We have reserves and the support of our Protectorates in Korea and the Taiwan CCP to maintain trade with us. Of course, it should have been preferred that this never come up but Santoak and the SSDF can easily weather this storm."

Brute force. The SSDF could be as delicate as they wished but at the end of the day, their main commodity was legal violence to enforce the will of Santoak. To them, every problem was something that could be solved with force multipliers and brute force. Send the reserves, redirecting troop movements, and increasing defense spending was the solution. Leave the other matters to the politicians.

Yet at the same time, they were so intertwined with said politicians despite their attempts to stand above them. To shirk the responsibility yet assume all the power of the politicians...

Shinji considered this strange paradigm for a moment before replying, "There's still the domestic optics of a fellow Socialist nation opposing our actions."

"Best course is just to express the disappointment we can't see eye to eye then."

A genuine suggestion, Shinji knew, with no political games behind this one. It was simply the logical conclusion. "Sometime's that's just the way it is."

"Now that that's done, what did you call me for, really?"

He paused.

"I want this... Xylvannian issue. Ended now."

Asuka was slightly taken aback at this statement coming from the anti-Militarist Prime Minister of all people, though she didn't show it one bit. "They've made threats to our very existence and the public already believes that they are willing to kill any civilians who happen to be in their path. Furthermore, their elements are located out at sea near purely military installations. Unintended collateral damage will be minimal to none."

"Therefore an N2 warhead can be utilized," Shinji said. You're full of surprises today, Asuka thought, What are you planning?

"Correct," she said. "The Warhead can be loaded and on a Shinden heading out from Formosa in less than an hour from when we give the authorization."

"You have mine. I've long since hoped that maybe this could be ended peacefully or with limited damage," he still seemed unaware of the letter that the SSDF had sent to reply to the Xylvannians and the secret orders that had been passed down the chain of command to deliberately give the indication to Wing Commander Aznable to fire such an aggressive first 'warning' salvo. "But these xenophobic fools have exhausted any empathy I may have for them. If the N2 strike is not going to dissuade them you may utilize what measures seem proportional to preventing them from advancing any further than Wake Island."

Again. There has to be some angle I'm not seeing. He was practically handing Asuka and the military a great victory that would only bolster their image among the citizens, granting even more political capital for the SSDF to spend. She wasn't going to refuse such an opportunity outright, though, if this was some sort of trap down the line she was sure she could fend it off. Whatever Shinji had planned, he had badly miscalculated the risk and reward. "I have that in writing, sir?"

"You have that in writing, Lord Commander. Now finish this. I want this entire troublesome endeavor wrapped up before the situation with Markion escalates. You'll keep an eye on that cargo ship?"

"Yes. We've lost connection with them and their cargo but we've got Task Force Mari converging on their last known location. If its Markion we'll see how many shots over the bow it takes for them to lose their nerve."

"And the contents cargo if we lose it?"

"I'll admit it will setback Stonehenge by a month at least. A month we can't afford. But replacement parts can be found in South Africa and the next time it happens we'll have a substantial escort to make Markion think twice. I'm having our fleet elements from the Atlantic end their patrols off West Africa to head into the Indian Ocean. We'll at least have one carrier within striking distance to protect our shipping lanes in a week. If they want to strike a Santoak carrier so be it, as long last they're willing to take the escalation."

"And I want none of that." he said, "The SSDF has its bone to chew on with the Xylvannians. They lack the human traits that will make the public shed a tear for them, not with the Markion. I want this to be kept from going any further. I'm not going to budge on Stonehenge but I'm not also going to allow another one of your wild wars. Got it?"

Was that it? Letting the attack dog loose on the Xylvannians so that they were too busy gnawing on the corpse to fall upon the Markion? If this was the deal she still won the same and with less cost to given she didn't need to deal with Markion. "Very well. I will make preparations."

With a click of the boots she vacated the room, leaving Shinji alone in his thoughts.

---

Prime Minister Shinji Soryuu Tokyo-2 National Diet An Message from the Principality of Santoak Open Santoak cannot help but express disappointment at the choice of our Reinkalistan condemnation. Reinkalistan must understand that Santoak holds legitimate security concerns that necessitate the reactivation of Stonehenge as the actions of the Markion Alliance have shown. We ask that Reikalistan reconsider its position and offer further talks and dialogue to elaborate on our situation so that an amenable position can be reached between our nations. In the meantime, Santoak will maintain it's course. "Land of the Rising Sun and the Land of rising hope"

---

(Sorry was getting busy atm, needed to get this out. Promise I'll catch up with others not mentioned)

[Gonswanza]

From: Government of the Novayan Commonwealth
To: All parties involved

---

To whom this may concern,

We are absolutely shocked by how Santoak reactivated Stonehenge, a weapon designed to destroy asteroid fragments that would later become its own antithesis: a weapon of mass destruction. We are also shocked by how some or most nations were unaware of Stonehenge's potential use as a lethal mega-artillery of sorts.

To the government of Santoak, we know what you really were doing, and we already knew about this. Your reactivation of the Stonehenge Turret Network is a destabilization element in Asia, one that would turn the once-noble cannons into a weapon of mass destruction. Which is why I wish to send you two requests: one, leave Novaya out of this - we Novayans are already focused on our civilian development and space programs. And two, leave New Kivotos, an island city-state to the north-northeast of Novaya and south of Japan, out of this; that nation damn well wants to be neutral like us. Do respect our and New Kivotos' neutrality. As long as Stonehenge is used for the defense of Santoak and her allies, Novaya will be satisfied.

To all the nations of the world, how could you not know that Stonehenge can be used for nefarious purposes? Surely, you all could have seen this from a mile away, and yet some or most of you didn't know about this. We all know that the Stonehenge Turret Network has been blasting asteroid fragments, but we also know that it can be misused for nefarious purposes, one that must be avoided. So much so that this WILL cause a war between nations that Novaya and New Kivotos will not want to be involved in. Seriously, though, do Novaya a favor: leave Novaya and New Kivotos out of this - we're already too damn neutral to do anything, like focusing on our development programs as well as babysitting New Kivotos at this right. Just keep calm and discuss matters in a more formal and civilized manner.

Novaya's also busy with all sorts of things (diplomacy and humanitarian stuffs) in the Middle East and Africa - actually bringing and enforcing peace, getting Israel to stop being bad, helping out with reconstruction and development efforts, fixing the blatant disregard that is the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and so on. Thus, we ask that you don't drag us into unnecessary conflicts and just respect our neutrality, please and thank you.

We await your reply.

Sincerely,
Grand Marshal Borealis Norsoutha III

From: Laura Ortiz
To: Novayan Commonwealth

You foolish dogs are misguided scum. Pacifist cowards who wish to disarm a nation under threat, for the sake of an easier target to destroy. Stonehenge is necessary as a deterrent, even more to prevent existential threats such as extinction level asteroids from posing a threat, preventing a deep impact scenario. They have stated time abd time again that there are great threats at sea, yet they have been ignored. Are you too blind to realize that? As we speak there are great armies, navies, set upon destroying Santoak and their people under the same reasons you claim. "For peace". The white horse of conquest rides on, blind to all but the destruction of man, as his sword carves through the borders and sheds the blood of the innocent. And you desire for this pointless slaughter to occur. Truly, you are the monsters here.

[Reinkalistan]

---

---

EXTERIORCOMMISSARIAT
Raltvazka, Turaniskidak
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---

Floor 22, Commissariat Executive Office
17:02

"Revisionists, revisionists, revisionists!" Roared President Turaniski as the elevator doors opened, immediately storming forwards, two Rakzani Corps bodyguards following him, pistols in holster. The guards in the hallway up to Commissar Turnov's office immediately snapped to attention and saluted, while more minor functionaries milling around scurried out of his path into their offices. The President was angry, and that meant he was volatile. He moved down the corridor at astonishing speed for a man his age, and pushed open both of the French doors that led into the office with a furious energy. He slammed them behind him, his guards standing to attention outside.

Exterior Commissar Turnov's office was a modest but meticulously-managed affair; it was comically oversized for the amount of things he kept there. He regularly dusted the room himself, the chandelier's lightbulbs kept switched off and the curtains open, the neon lights of the metropolis pouring in. His flashy monitor and keyboard sat on a central desk next two neatly-stacked piles of separate paperwork, and the dutifully-present portraits of President Turaniski and his father lovingly propped up on the left corner. The Commissar himself - a thin, wiry man with short, grey hair - had to resist the urge to sigh despite himself. The continued deterioration of his old friend's mental state had led to a number of incidents before. He made a mental note to contact the EOIA and ask them to place hush orders on everyone on Floor 22. President Turaniski had a powerful reputation of kindness and steady benevolence; where he failed to keep this up, the state had to intervene.

"Hello, Comrade Turaniski." Soothed Turnov, adopting a soft, almost parental tone. "Is anything the matter?"

"Damn right," seethed the President, "you must've heard of the response we got from the fucking Santoakis. We need to take action. Swift, decisive action. Get Taratysk and Hayasal to infest Santoak with spies, and tell Kayarov to send three carrier groups to the Pacific- no, four carrier groups in the pacific. I want the PR and propaganda apparatus on overdrive." He turned his head towards the ceiling, as if gazing towards the sky. "Santoak -- the degenerated workers' state, new enemies of the world revolution. I want that. I want every fucking necrotic Santoaki bureaucrat and politician begging for mercy. I want Stonehenge reduced to rubble-" before he could finish, he was forced into hunching by a bout of coughs and wheezes.

Turnov looked on with both concern and sympathy. "Comrade Turaniski, you know we can't do all that." Turaniski spat on the ground, looking upwards. His expression was indeterminate. Hoping he was on the right track, the Commissar continued. "The Reinkalistani people rely on your leadership because it is strong and assertive where it needs to be applied, yet reserved and steadfast where more subtle approaches are necessary. That is the crux upon which their prosperity and happiness rests. The weight on your shoulders is heavy, but it can be lessened with the approach of the collective leadership." A kind smile cracked across Turnov's face. "It's what you told us long ago, friend. Let's be more reserved about this until a proper solution presents itself."

"I-" the cocktail of flattery and common sense, as usual, worked with taming the feral dictator. "I suppose you're right." He sighed. The President was getting old, and anger was tiring. "What's the plan, then?" With this sudden capitulation, the privileges of high officeand constitutional obfuscation melted away, leaving only raw power in its midst; the actual leader of Reinkalistan proceeded to speak.

"Well, I suppose some sort of military response would have to be utilised in order to show that Reinkalistani threats are not made of air. Mere economic and trade retaliation will be... ineffective." Turnov murmured, clear reluctance in his voice. "You were overenthusiastic in that regard, but not incorrect. I believe one carrier group being deployed to Pacific international waters for 'exercises' would be necessary. It'll keep WARCOM happy, at least. Considering the recent skirmishes in the region, having a pristine, noncombatant force in the region could give us sway over any larger conflict that emerges. It might also make both sides more receptive to our interests -- in effect, bargaining power."

"I like it," nodded Turaniski. "So when the children stop splashing around in the pond, we have a large amount of raw force in the region for them to consider, patiently biding our time."

"As always, immeasurably perceptive." Nodded Turnov, the irony lost on the President. "I'll tell RCN to publish a neat little story about it, and frankly the navy will be happy to have another proper assignment. The EOIA gets to flex its muscles as well. Everyone's happy. The Federation is, as always, working in total harmony -- a flawless mechanism."

This seemed to satisfy the President. "In which case, I'll leave you to it. Keep me updated, Comrade." He turned to leave.

"Of course I will, Comrade President." Turnov's smile persisted just as long as it took for Turaniski to close the door, and then his face steeled again. That was a lie. The Federation was not in harmony, the mechanism was not flawless. The opposition to all these plans came from him. What was necessary was not to escalate the situation, but instead to continue developing EXTCOM's ties across the Fifth International, ingratiate itself with foreign socialist polities, and build an axis of resistance to capitalist imperialism. However, unlike the President, Turnov understood that the different interest blocs in the Federation needed to be balanced -- including his own. He just sighed, and hoped that Santoak would soon see sense.

---

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REINKALISTANI CENTRAL NEWS
РЕИНТАЗИ ИНСТАША ЛУДНОВА
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「THE NEWS OF THE FREE WORLD」

Tuesday 18th April 59 Y.R. (2023 A.A./A.D.)

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RISING SANTOAKI TENSIONS UNSETTLE OBSERVERS

Ivan Kvatski

ARRETOV — A hesitant yet patriotic air fills this Suzkochi port city as the nearby Maladogorsk Naval Base dispatches the 'Zaldov' Carrier Group to exercises near the hotbed of military tension near Santoak. This comes after the eruption of combat between forces of Xylvannia and Santoak over the ongoing Stonehenge Rearmament Dispute. In a recent statement, the People's Commission for State Affairs, in its committed Vanguardist duties to the 1964 Prerogative of World Revolution, and the 1987 Memorandum on the Peace Between Peoples, demanded the immediate and conclusive disarmament of Stonehenge and all associated initiatives, citing the need to maintain "the peace between nations and peoples the world over". This was followed with a swift rebuke from Santoaki Prime Minister Shinji Soryuu, stating that "Santoak will maintain it's [sic] course". This disregard for the interests of world peace and international co-operation did not elicit any form of open diplomatic reaction from the People's Federation or any Fifth International polity, but instead the simple announcement that Zaldov would be dispatched to conduct exercises in the western Pacific, only one hundred kilometers from Santoaki waters.

President Turaniski has defended the government's decision, and in a press conference outside the Palace of the State Commission in Turaniskidak, re-iterated that "the forces of the Reinkalistani Red Fleet are merely conducting exercises localised to the conditions of the Pacific Ocean, should the ongoing instability threaten any Reinkalistani allies in the region." This sentiment was affirmed by similar statements from War Commissar Karayov and Exterior Commissar Turnov. As of yet, RCN has been incapable of reaching Interior Commissar Veros and Intelligence Commissar Hayasal, though it is presumed that they hold similar stances. With the presumed unity of the collective leadership, and the swiftly-passed Party Resolution on State Unity last week, the Party has not objected to these developments either.

Fifth International foreign policy experts have furthermore affirmed that it would be "incredibly detrimental" to regional Reinkalistani foreign policy were open hostilities to emerge between Reinkalistan and any of the associated parties -- it seems that bloodshed will not be likely.

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Order of Battle (ORBAT) - Carrier Group 'ZALDOV'

• RFS 'Zaldov', Zeinbergh-Class Aircraft Carrier
  
  • 36x TkaN-92 "Pterapole" Multirole Fighter
  • 24x TkaN-X "Hawthorn" Stealth Fighter
• RFS 'Blue Bull', Gordmund-Class Missile Cruiser ("Lightning" Anti-Air Integration System)
• RFS 'Mikhail', Gordmund-Class Missile Cruiser ("Lightning" Anti-Air Integration System)
• RFS 'Ballast', Ganvadak-Class Cruiser
• RFS 'Kaskia', Chentsk-Class Guided Missile Destroyer
• RFS 'Gorilla', Chentsk-Class Guided Missile Destroyer
• RFS 'Walter', Chentsk-Class Guided Missile Destroyer
• RFS 'Iosef', Lance-Class Submarine
• RFS 'Redemption', Lance-Class Submarine
• RFS 'Canary', Logistics and Support

[Novaya Equestria]

From: Government of the Novayan Commonwealth
To: All parties involved

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To whom this may concern,

We are absolutely shocked by how Santoak reactivated Stonehenge, a weapon designed to destroy asteroid fragments that would later become its own antithesis: a weapon of mass destruction. We are also shocked by how some or most nations were unaware of Stonehenge's potential use as a lethal mega-artillery of sorts.

To the government of Santoak, we know what you really were doing, and we already knew about this. Your reactivation of the Stonehenge Turret Network is a destabilization element in Asia, one that would turn the once-noble cannons into a weapon of mass destruction. Which is why I wish to send you two requests: one, leave Novaya out of this - we Novayans are already focused on our civilian development and space programs. And two, leave New Kivotos, an island city-state to the north-northeast of Novaya and south of Japan, out of this; that nation damn well wants to be neutral like us. Do respect our and New Kivotos' neutrality. As long as Stonehenge is used for the defense of Santoak and her allies, Novaya will be satisfied.

To all the nations of the world, how could you not know that Stonehenge can be used for nefarious purposes? Surely, you all could have seen this from a mile away, and yet some or most of you didn't know about this. We all know that the Stonehenge Turret Network has been blasting asteroid fragments, but we also know that it can be misused for nefarious purposes, one that must be avoided. So much so that this WILL cause a war between nations that Novaya and New Kivotos will not want to be involved in. Seriously, though, do Novaya a favor: leave Novaya and New Kivotos out of this - we're already too damn neutral to do anything, like focusing on our development programs as well as babysitting New Kivotos at this right. Just keep calm and discuss matters in a more formal and civilized manner.

Novaya's also busy with all sorts of things (diplomacy and humanitarian stuffs) in the Middle East and Africa - actually bringing and enforcing peace, getting Israel to stop being bad, helping out with reconstruction and development efforts, fixing the blatant disregard that is the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and so on. Thus, we ask that you don't drag us into unnecessary conflicts and just respect our neutrality, please and thank you.

We await your reply.

Sincerely,
Grand Marshal Borealis Norsoutha III

From: Laura Ortiz
To: Novayan Commonwealth

You foolish dogs are misguided scum. Pacifist cowards who wish to disarm a nation under threat, for the sake of an easier target to destroy. Stonehenge is necessary as a deterrent, even more to prevent existential threats such as extinction level asteroids from posing a threat, preventing a deep impact scenario. They have stated time abd time again that there are great threats at sea, yet they have been ignored. Are you too blind to realize that? As we speak there are great armies, navies, set upon destroying Santoak and their people under the same reasons you claim. "For peace". The white horse of conquest rides on, blind to all but the destruction of man, as his sword carves through the borders and sheds the blood of the innocent. And you desire for this pointless slaughter to occur. Truly, you are the monsters here.

From: Government of the Novayan Commonwealth
To: Laura Ortiz

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We are not blind, nor do we desire this pointless slaughter. And while it is true there are great threats at sea, we still do not wish for the use of Stonehenge against human domination. We've been watching from the sidelines, seeing things how far it will go. Yet, you accuse us of being the monsters when there are others who are also monsters. We maybe "pacifist cowards", but we are militaristic - not to the same level as jingoistic. We are involved in the Middle East, keeping the peace and ensuring dialogue and cooperation between all parties.

Novaya will remain neutral, but until something happens that warrants our attention we will observe.

[Novaya Equestria]

From: Government of the Novayan Commonwealth
To: All parties involved

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To whom this may concern,

We are sending this communique to all parties on the context behind the first communique you all have received.

Our communique was intended to let you all know that Stonehenge, once the protector of Asia, can be used as a weapon of potential evil, one whose noble intent would be used for evil. However, while we did tell you all out for not realizing that, our communique does not intend to incite all of you to war against Santoak - this was only after a woman by the name of Laura Ortiz had told us that we are inciting all of you to destroy Santoak.

For context: No, we did not desire Santoak's destruction; all we did was call all of you out for not realizing that Stonehenge can be used for potential evil, and we wanted all of you to realize the threat it posed potentially if used for evil. We intend to let you all know that because Stonehenge, whose capabilities can bring ruin if put on the wrong hands, must never be used for evil nor for one's own gain.

To the government of Santoak, we beseech you not to use Stonehenge for nefarious purposes. That weapon is to be used only for the protection of the human race, against the asteroid fragments which might rain down upon the world. That weapon you built cannot be allowed to be used by those who sought to bring ruin upon the world. Unless a much greater threat that threatened humanity would come, Stonehenge must stay deactivated. Sure, you can perform maintenance repairs on Stonehenge, but unless there's a reason and a force that threatened humanity as a whole, it must stay deactivated.

To all parties involved, we beseech you to pressure Santoak diplomatically and economically, but not militarily. All of you must pressure Santoak, even if you impose economic embargoes, just to get them to stop reactivating Stonehenge and instead deactivate it. Stonehenge may have some use, but only if it is used for good - that is, to protect from asteroid fragments and from threats that can endanger humanity as a whole.

[Atano]

Statement from the Government of the Peoples Republic of Atano

The Peoples Republic of Atano publicly declares its neutrality and non-alignment regarding this international incident. Atano calls on all involved parties to focus on diplomatic efforts to ensure peace is preserved and to refrain from militarily hostile actions.

As a nation located in the Pacific, Atano does not want to see war break out that would lead to a catastrophic loss of life and destruction of once peaceful societies. Atano urges all parties to think about the wellbeing of their people and how to move forward for the betterment of humanity.

As a neutral and non-aligned nation, Atano is willing to mediate the crisis and host diplomatic talks on its neutral territory should the parties involved wish that. Our nation is willing to contribute towards world peace wherever possible and is more than happy to work towards this goal in whatever capacity.

Signed
Elan Sopres
General Secretary of the Atano Communist Party

[Santoak]

Auckland, Hokkaido. Santoakan controlled city.

Domestic opposition came almost at once.

Auckland may have been primarily a military city, home to members of staff and other support branches. Yet it had a history of boasting a strong pacifist movement and sentiments ironically from a long line of military officers that had come and gone over the decades. This group of officers had formed the so-called "Bōei Junka Renmei" translated to "Defense Purification League" in order to preserve the namesake of the Santoak Self-Defence Force as a Self-Defence Force ever since it had been founded since the revolution in 1917. It had always been a thorn in the side of the SSDF as the League had always formed secretive internal opposition to whatever wars they saw as unnecessary and against the creed of the nation's goals of self-defense.

Most particular of this opposition was the constant voicing of dissidence back in the 2007 Vladivostok War where certain officers argued against the mobilization of the fleet in response to the bolstering of the Russian Pacific Fleet. Some when even as far as to publically accuse the then-Howa government of deliberately choosing to escalate a war that did not need to happen. High Command's intelligence services traced dozens of anti-war protests over the years as being organized by members of the League but not enough evidence could be found to expulse these high-profile officers from their positions or sideline them. It was further suspected that the League had also been behind the leaking of military commissariat documents that detailed investigations into possible Santokain War crimes during the Vladivostok War. The intense public outrage that followed resulted in a General and several soldiers being given hefty sentences in a court case that High Command would have preferred been swept under the rug.

Efforts had been made by the High Command in recent years to root out members of the League and ruin the reputation of suspected members to discredit the opposition. None succeeded with one attempt to frame a bribe on a certain Colonel Kazuhara to sell technology to Santoak's Imperial foes, instead backfiring and nearly being traced to High Command themselves. It seemed no matter what the League was still loyal to Santoak to the core. And now the League had the tentative backing of Prime Minister Soryuu which would enable them to risk becoming bolder against High Command.

Internal opposition within the SSDF to Stonehenge had been sparse causing Lord Commander Asuka and High Command to conclude that something big had to be coming. They just didn't know where the hammer would fall.

With SSDF units largely withdrawing from Auckland in a gamble by Santoak to show to the world that they were so confident in Stonehenge being a tool for peace they were willing to demilitarize the nearest city to the weapon's system and hand the city over to peacekeepers, the hammer-fall finally came. Intelligence services and Commissariat members loyal to SSDF High Command had miscalculated the possible scale.

The moment the last SSDF convoy left Auckland, handing over command to local police forces and peacekeepers, the protests erupted. It had been organized on the down-low between the large bodies of students at the Auckland National University with the secret support of the League's officers. Even the nearby Military Youth Academies had several classes willing to join in. Knowledge of the possibility of Stonehenge's use as an offensive weapon with N2 shells being developed capable of ground bombardment and the constant escalation of conflict with Markion had spread through chat groups and student clubs. Misinformation and half-truths had inevitably spread with such word-of-mouth communication but enough was passed along intact to rally them all to a single cause. They were uncannily organized despite coming from disparate groups including Defence Force Cadets to Young Officers and even several SSDF veterans in their late sixties who remembered the days when the SSDF was purely a Self-Defence Force. They all had a single message to spread so the media couldn't paint them as a gaggle of confused youth.

Stonehenge was a tool of protection for Santoak and the world. Nobody was disputing that. But Stonehenge was placed to rest for a reason. Its reactivation only served to enflame the fires that had been brewing around the globe and around the world. Its range and high-velocity nuclear-capable shells would start another Nuclear Arms Race or encourage other nations to strike Santoak first if they didn't have any defense against Stonehenge.

Stonehenge must either be put to rest or concessions was given to purely limit its capabilities to air defense. The first step in doing so would be to remove Stonehenge from SSDF command and instead place it under the responsibility of the civilian Aerospace Administration Department which would answer directly to the public.

It first began as a trickle in parks and small streets of people in red helmets and red vests chanting slogans through megaphones their message for peace. Local police were taken by surprise and moved slowly to suppress them. But it quickly escalated as a few dozen people on the street suddenly turned into easily thousands. Students walked straight out of classes to don the uniform while soldiers and officers literally walked out of their camps and academies taking signs that they had made the night before with them. A thousand easily increased to ten thousand as the streets began to rapidly become congested with the red-vested protestors who blocked traffic, their voices rising in unison, creating a powerful chorus that echoed through the city. They made sure to focus their areas of protests around stations where the Svenska-Britannia peacekeepers had focused themselves in order to maximize international news coverage.

Typically the disciplined SSDF Commissariat Military Police Forces would handle a protest of this size and volatility with their tactical teams to decapitate the command of the protestors with pin-point arrests and fragmenting up the protest into small easy to suppress groups. Unfortunately due to a clerical error engineered by the Leauge Member, they had been transferred with the evacuating SSDF units when they should have stayed at their posts in Auckland. The Local Police Forces had to handle this and they possessed none of the tact required.

Aotea Square near the historic town hall became an ignition point as suddenly armored police cars carrying water cannons suddenly appeared and began to mow down protestors with pressurized water, sending many to the ground and breaking bones in the process. Police in riot gear quickly followed a disorganized mob of padded men with plastic shields and batons, trying to arrest protestors as they reeled from the barrage. But the League quickly reformed and responded, forming a makeshift shield wall from trash bin lids and roof paneling to hold back the water cannon before counter-attacking in formation with pike-like poles that drove away the police forces.

Incensed at this turnback the police began the deploy canisters of tear gas with grenade launchers but instead of firing over the crowd as regulation demanded, they fired directly into the crowd.

A protestor was instantly killed as a tear gas canister went straight through his skull and two others were badly wounded.

Both sides yelled obscenities and oaths declaring each other a traitor to the Socialist Principality before the two sides crashed together in a hailstorm of violence and broken skulls.

All in front of the Peacekeepers...

[Ayshire]

snip

Reginald flashed his yellow toothy grin while answering Ms O'Harris's question "This little sirens can transmit their data to any automated factory or system allowing for mass production, I wish I knew more but that's all I was given." A few of the other techinians would speak lowly not hiding their cocnern for a war that could happen with them being stuck in a foreign land. He hushed them not wanting to show the Santoakan their nervousness, truth was he was nervous himself not wanting to be caught in the middle of a war between superpowers.