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Anthills of the Savanna

Natal

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Checkpoint Youri, Loago - Peninsular Republic Border
2 km west of the town of Ruwa, 31st of July, 1015 hours

Checkpoint Youri was one of the most important ways of of crossing the border, being situated alongside the A3 highway which was running alongside the Limestone coast, from the border with the Peninsular Republic to Maseru. Highway was an extremely liberal way of describing the highway as like all the Loagan highways is was mostly a two lane road, which was at least minimally maintained, compared to the other Loagan roads, many being just strip roads, with asphalt only on the thin strips where the tires were rolling. A3 was actually luxurious as from Kariba to Maseru, the 100 kilometre stretch of the highway was even made up with double lanes. But not here, in the northern part of the Limestone Coast, close to Ruwa. Here the road showed cracks and tears, as the low quality asphalt was slowly disintegrating under the scorching sun and the weight of the lorries.

Checkpoint Youri was the place where the already infamous border wall was starting and was stretching north up to the northern end of the border and the beginning of the still savage Sea of Fire desert. To the south, the Limestone Gulf, part of the Thaumantic Ocean could be easily seen though the heat haze was obstructing the view. On the other side, to the north the plan was littered with large boulders or orange rock. The atmosphere was extremely hot, dry and dusty. all around there were only bushes, scrubs and cacti.

Three main buildings made of concrete surrounded by wire netting, with barriers on the road at the entrance of the checkpoint and at the exit. The buildings were once coated on the outside with a beige paint, but the Echidnan heat have turned them into a dirty white. The biggest building acted as barrack for the 10 soldiers defending the checkpoint, followed by a garage where two off-road, obsolete jeeps were parked. The building closest to the road was the "office" building where the Commander resided and where the travellers had to do the paperwork should problems arise. This was Echidna, as in Himyar, problems always arose. Towering them all was a ten metre pole from which the flag of Loago, the green-black-green tri-band was flying.

The checkpoint was manned by 10 men, a commanding officer, Captain Einar Saar, a man of Viru ancestry, an NCO, sergeant Arthur Digby, one of the many Engellexic immigrants to the Limestone Coast, from the times in which the country had better days and eight other privates, all of them of Wala origins.

"Captain, dust is rising on the road," said Digby with a strong Dagerham accent, as he handed Saar a binocular. "It might be more than one car," he continued. In Echidna, Engelsh was a lingua france for more than a century. It was a language taught to all children in Loago since at least the 1st grade, if not from kindergarten (for those who have access to such facilities). Ten years ago, the government of Loago, when it was under the rule of Lord Protector Reese Bivin, a man of mixed Cymru-Engellexian ancestry, decided that a language known by everyone would be better to coordinate the multi-national army of Loago, so he switched the radio communications from Virunian to Engelsh. Since then, the soldiers started to adopt it and the army itself became a medium where Engelsh is taught.

"I reckon there are at least four, huh?" said Saar as he took down the binocular from his eyes and gave it back to Digby. "Be prepared to pop the barrier for the first vehicle. Let them come only one by one inside the checkpoint", said Saar to the local soldiers. "They're a whole mob of them sir," said a soldier as he was going to the first barrier to prepare to open it. Digby and Saar could see them now, there were around eight pick-up trucks, all of them painted either in a dirty red or in a dirty light brown. The man who opened the barrier rose his hand signalling the convoy to stop, but the pick-up cars continued forward. They all had their trunks covered in some textiles and from the looks of it, they were fully loaded. "Sir, they ever stop, but they don't," said another Wala soldier a bit distressed. Saar observed it too. Usually people arriving by car know the way things go in those parts of the world. You follow all the directions given by soldiers. If not, not problems appear, and if you don't understand and still go your way, the necessary bribe to get rid of all your problems will rise and will rise until you will understand. Though at this moment, Saar started to be a bit concerned too. "Digby, give me the binocular," he said as he turned to the sergeant. Right as he put it to his eyes, he could see the textiles from the backs of the cars falling down showing men in brown or dark green clothes with red bandannas manning .50 cal machine guns. At the same moment the shots were fired, he yelled "Get down!'

The first bursts killed at least three Wala soldiers near the barrier. Digby and Saar ran to the office building while the other soldiers took cover in the barracks. "We need to contact central command!" yelled Digby. Saar went to his desk and used that radio to contact his higher ups. The .50 cal bullets were passing through the thin walls of the buildings like through cheese. "This is Youri One Actual, we are under attack, I repeat we are under attack,"said Saar on the radio right as he crouched to take cover from the bullets. "Stand by, Youri One Actual," came the response on the radio. "We are under attack! Ten or more technicals are attacking! We have big zibbs!" he shouted even louder. By now, the fire fights was becoming more intense with the sounds of FAL submachine guns of the Loagan Security Forces firing back. "Youri One Actual, we are deploying now, ETA 15 minutes, over!" came the response on the radio. "Come faster! We won't survive for 15 minutes!" yelled Saar. "Youri One Actual, if you can't resist until the arrival of the reinforcements you are to redeploy your forces back to Ruwa, over and out!" responded the man on the other side. A grenade's explosion was followed by screams of agony and has reduced the intensity of the .50 cal guns. Steps were being heard coming to the office. On the instinct, the moment the door was slammed, Digby fired his gun, planting three bullets in the coming man. Saar looked at the sergeant first. He looked like he saw a ghost. He then looked down. He shot a soldier of the security forces. "Captain, I..." Digby wanted to apologise but he was manhandled by Saar. "He's dead, that's it, we need to get to Ruwa quickly!" the captain shouted.

The technicals stopped in front of barrier and many of the rebel soldiers prefered to unmount the guns and took cover around the pick-up truck as the soldiers were firing and throwing grenades towards them from the barracks to keep them down. Digby and Saar quickly ran to cross the road, as bullets were flying around them. As they reached the other two buildings and cover, both fell down and started touching their feet to be sure that they weren't hit. Saar popped his head on a window inside the barracks and shouted "To the jeeps! We need to retreat to Ruwa! Too the jeeps now!", while Digby provided suppressing fire, firing blindly around the corner. Two Wala soldiers came. "We're the only ones who can walk, sir," said one of them. There were three more wounded in the building, still firing towards the cars.

The four soldiers ran to the garage where Digby jumped on the drivers seat in one of the jeeps with the others joining in. As the car's engine started, the intensity of the fire fight stopped abruptly. "Shit, it's over! We need to move now, come, Digby, drive this shit!" The jeep quickly went outside the checkpoint, breaking the other barrier and following the road to Ruwa. Bullets started flying around them. Saar literally felt the air currents of the bullets. One of the Wala soldiers was shot right in the back of the head and fell dead on the spot. The other Wala soldier was firing from the backseat.

Soldiers appeared in front of them and waved them. For a fraction of a second, Saar hoped that it would have been the reinforcements, but he also thought that it was impossible for 15 minutes to pass so quickly, then he saw the bandannas the soldiers were wearing. "Don't stop! Push the gas!" he shouted. "Sir they are waving, they are friendly!" said Digby, but Saar quickly intervened and stepped on Digby's foot, pushing the acceleration pedal. Digby panicked but managed to retain control of the car. With the corner of his eye, Saar saw something black coming towards him, leaving a tail of smoke behind. Someone from the band coming from Ruwa fired an RPG. The rocket hit the jeep.

Saar rolled around in the dirt as he fell. An arm fell near him. He wiped the dirt out of his eyes and looked around. The Wala soldier surprisingly survived and even rose up and was running away. The severed arm was around 30 cm from his head and was bleeding profusely. He trier to look at the skin of the palm to see if it was white or black, but it was too dirty to see. A groan of pain made him look to his right. He then saw Digby, who was missing an arm and both his legs. Saar crawled to him, but he was left speechless. As he rose his head up, a soldier with a red bandanna came close and used his pistol to shoot Digby in the head and then rose it to Saar's forehead and pulled the trigger.

Government House, Maseru
31st of July, 1030 hours

The office of the State Elder Paavo Laht were extremely busy today as reports after reports were coming from all over the country. Small bands of rebels attacking everything along the border between the Peninsular Republic and Loago. Reports were coming now in that rebels from inside the country were attacking big farms, ranches, railway sheds and even police stations and barracks.

"This has all been planned for a long time", said Paavo Laht, a huge man in his 50s, 2 metres tall and around 120 kg, with a completely white hair and moustache and deep blue eyes, wearing camouflage uniform of the Loagan Security Forces and a khaki cap with the emblem of Loago. "Sir, I talked with the PM of the Peninsular Republic. They stated that they are shocked with the levels of violence and said that they have nothing to do with it," said Laht's aide, a small young man with round glasses, wearing a uniform like the State Elder. "Yeah, other than providing refuge for them, instead of extraditing them..." said Laht annoyed. He rose from his chair and looked at the map of Loago. Red pins were set up in points where attacks were already reported.

The first attacks started an hour and a half ago with the rebels raiding the Altena Farm, 30km north of Chimoio. By the time the Security Forces have arrived at that point, the rebels have made themselves scarce. There were no victims in that attack, as the farmers hid when they saw armed men approaching but since then, seven more attacks have been reported and many had victims too.

"Sir, the units which were sent to the Youri Checkpoint at Ruwa have secured the southern end of the border. The garrison of the checkpoint, with the exception of one man is either dead or missing. We found the bodies of six men, two whites and four black," said another soldier. Laht nodded silently. "I want everything we have on the field," said Laht to General Jebel Touray, a Wala man. "Send the police to guard the highways, as most than surely, the rebels are making a home out of the bush. Send the militarised Security Forces in the rural regions. I want helicopters in the skies to patrol as quick as possible," he continued.

As the general left to give his orders, Laht's aide came with a red pin a put it on Checkpoint Youri. "This is just the beginning son, those are attacks meant as a show. They aren't attacking in force, they are attacking everywhere to show us that they mean business. We might have been taken aback at the first as they have now the temp, but when we will start organising the fire force missions, with the help of the Bergenheimers, we will be able to react quickly and swiftly against any gang of zots being reported to create mischief all over the country. They will tire soon, as they don't have the power and energy to keep up an offensive of such scale for long. When they will tire, they will observe that they will just have annoyed us, scratched us superficially," said Laht with a sure voice.

The State Elder's red pinned map at the end of the 1st of August
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OOC: I will try to use as many English idioms from Africa in the dialogue as to give a good sense immersion, without making it seem too much.
 

Khemia

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The Loagan League of Communists, or LLC, supported primarily by the People's Republic of Xinhai following the failed revolution by the Kadikistani proxies of Burukova. A Wala-dominated faction, the LLC primarily draws recruits from communities in northern Loago, especially through the use of force, threats, coercion of local tribal leaders, and populist propaganda targeting the uneducated, illiterate and poor.

Lead by Commandant Masimba, the LLC has initiated a Holy War of the Working Class aimed at restoring Wala supremacy to Loago and ousting the white bourgeoisie from Wala land. With approximately 10,000 members, the LLC is continuing to expand its influence, and maintains dozens of active cells across the nation, especially in the vicinity of the towns of: Bria, Mbaiki, Umniati, Dosangoa, and Sebba. LLC insurgents are active across Loago but poorly supplied, relying on surprise raids of undefended locations and bombings of critical infrastructure to achieve strategic goals.

Commandant Masimba was not a zealous ideologue. He was scarcely a communist. It served the purpose; communism appealed to the uneducated masses who were eager to blame outsiders for the problems they were told they had. He didn't have many rifles, but what he did have was a foreigner of his own. This man wasn't like the others. He didn't have a big nose and disgusting love for money - no, perhaps he hated money, perhaps that's why he was so eager to buy Masimba's loyalty. That would do for now..., and so for now, he would listen.



LLC Headquarters,
Somewhere near Bria


Lieutenant Colonel Chang was a poor man for this job, in his estimation. He was accustomed to the bitter cold, had a poor tolerance for diseases, and enjoyed Kadikistani liquor. So when he was told he'd be sent to the humid tropics of Echidna to combat dysentery while leading a war against the world, including the Kadikistani liquor suppliers, he was rightfully distressed.

He had been given a pass to do as he pleased here, and the smallest attachment ever recorded in a Revolutionary Guards operation - 10 men. What was he going to do with ten men? He'd figure it out, he knew. At some point, he might even remember their names, but for now, he'd simply continue to read the velcro'd identification badges.

"This 'Holy War' of yours needs clear strategic objectives," he chided the Commandant over the course of conversation. "Attacks across the nation are great, you are sending a message that the LLC has the influence to fight this war, but what you need to do is ensure the enemy does not. They will punch back, and hard."

Commandant Masimba did not look pleased as Chang scolded him, until Chang presented his ideas. "We need to take apart the systems of power in this nation. Hitting random locations will not due, we need to hit specific targets, take the initiative, and force the government into a state of constant reaction rather than action. The first targets should be rail lines," he tapped the map at a bridge crossing southwest of Koro Toro. The train bridges are not sturdy, we have some explosives, and they have no need to secure the infrastructure yet. This location is the perfect target. Eliminate it and you disrupt the income of the Mining Union - they will need alternate routes to sell their metals."

Masimba thought for a moment and nodded to one of his Sub-Commandants. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "What else?"

"Fear and terror. The whites already are worried about attacks. Intensify them. Stab them in their cabs in Maseru. Send women into cafes with bombs. Use a shoulder-fired missile to hit a passenger liner at the airport. Get creative, but make them scared. Make them feel like Maseru is not safe, force the government to institute terror of its own to guarantee their own security."

Commandant Masimba nodded and stroked his chin for a moment before replying. "I like you. I think we will get along," he fired the Lieutenant Colonel a toothy grin. Behind the Lt. Col., another Revolutionary Guard let his mouth fall agape at the suggestions.



Maseru International Airport

The truck came to a halt in a parking lot near the outskirts of the airport and several doors slammed shut as four men gathered around the bed of the vehicle, rummaging around its contents. One found what he was looking for: an aging MANPAD stolen from an army supply depot by a recruit who had barely passed basic training before defecting with the weapon. The army barely noticed such incidents before, but perhaps they'd be more cautious in the future. Especially with what was to come..., but that was for later.

The other three men grabbed guns of various sorts and ages and nodded to the man with the big stick and they moved. It didn't really matter which jet they hit - they were all leaving and all carrying the same cargo, scared white folks leaving to the safety of their homes. They'd teach them that Loago was truly not safe for them, that they were not welcome here. A jet arrived at the end of the runway in the distance, the whine of its engines spinning up barely inaudible. The man with the missile prematurely placed the weapon on his shoulder and began to aim, only for one of his compatriots to yell at him that doing so would alert security. The other two hastily scanned around for cameras - but it wasn't necessary. The security here was lax, incompetent, content in the safety their foreign paymasters pretended to guarantee. The jet throttled ever closer and the man with the missile took aim. He would have a short window - a window in which he would lock eyes for a brief moment with the pilot and the two would share a special moment.

That special moment came and the revolutionary said his special prayer: "Die white man." He pulled the trigger and the rocket fired out of the barrel and, in an instant, slammed into the wing and set the fuel tanks ablaze, the metal carcass careening into the ground in a death spiral that sent corpses as it tore itself apart. Unfortunately for the revolutionaries, they hadn't really understood the consequences, and so the fiery fuel and metal parts quickly killed them as well.



Orodara Army Training Base

It had been a few weeks since he had joined the poorly vetted Loagan army. Ya Keita was not an intelligent man and, perhaps, that was perfect; few would suspect someone like him to have long term goals or insidious motives. He grabbed his rifle, as all good soldiers did, and left the barracks. He had something to do today, he reminded himself as he hustled to the center of the compound and rendezvous with his unit. Today, General Duta Badjie would visit the base; a visit he had set aside a few bullets for.

Yes, a General who had come to check on the new recruits and watch their graduation. A pompous, rich man who barely deserved the position, whose medals pinned all over his chest signified his success in various training missions and little more. The commanding officer ran them down the details, but he was sloppy; they forgot to check the magazines and ensure the rifles were unloaded. Ya had counted on that, he knew the sergeant was lazy. The jeep came to a halt and everyone snapped salutes. Ya also saluted, a proud smile crossing his face. The stupid General would think he was proud to be graduating. The moment was coming, and Ya began to sweat.

Was it going to go well? Would he get the chance?

The General presented himself. Duta Badjie was every bit the man Ya imagined him to be, and then some. His width was impressive, it was doubtful the man could pass basic training himself. He approached, the sunlight shimmering on his fancy medals. He stood back in the distance and the sergeant ran them through a drill they had spent half of basic training practicing. Spin the rifle. Flip the rifle. Shake the rifle. The General clapped his fat hands together.

Point the rifle.

The Sergeant looked at Ya with a look of anger.

That is not part of the drill, his eyes said.

Aim the rifle.

The other soldiers glanced at him curiously. One man took a few steps back.

Fire the rifle.

Six shots rang out, three slammed into the Generals chest, bursting out fountains of blood that sent the jello man down to the ground shaking.

Turn the rifle.

Ya Keita spun around on his comrades. He pulled the trigger. The sergeant went down. The man who had scrubbed the toilet with him went down. The man who said he hadn't painted the rocks evenly went down. The man who beat him at pushups went down.

Another crack sounded out. It wasn't from Ya's rifle. Something in his chest felt numb. He looked down. There was a hole. A hole filled with red sauce. Ya collapsed to the ground, painfully aware that every breath was flooding liquid into his lungs and giving him the sensation he was drowning. He wondered, as he died, just how far away the ocean was.
 
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Natal

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Maseru International Airport

He first felt the explosion inside of him, in his guts, as the ground he stood on shook. Then came the flash of the explosion and the head came. He was turned aback by the power of the blast. He fell on the airports tarmac, feeling his lungs on fire as he was engulfed by the burning fuel thrown around the plane.

Eleven seconds after the blast, the first call is made towards the police. By the time the police, ambulances and firefighters from the city managed to arrive, the first aid units based in the airport arrived at the scene. Medics were trying to see who was deemed savable, who was already dead and were giving first aid to the wounded, the firefighters were already trying to extinguish the burning remains of the plane and the police was securing the perimeter of the airport.

Raiko Laas was the main commander in the airport that day. He saw the explosion from the control tower, but against his primary instincts to run and help the wounded, he remained in the tower and coordinated the authorities from there.

"Sir, we might have found the culprits," said a soldier as he entered the control room. Laas went outside with him on the tarmac. The fence was destroyed in the blast and the policemen and soldiers went outside the perimeter. Two charred corpses were lying in the burnt grass with an RPG launcher beside them. One of them was still recognisable, as the blast of the explosion threw him in a small ditch which protected him from the flames, but the other one was just a pile of blackened, stiff, and still smoking meat. "Take the best preserved one. It will need to be analysed," said Laas. As he looked around, he started thinking about how to quickly transform the terminal in a hospital as quickly as possible. "Stop pissing!" he yelled at one of the soldier. "He still was a human being!" he said to stop one of the Wala soldiers pissing on the charred corpse. "He was the enemy, sir. All this because of him," the soldier spat back and continued pissing.

Maseru Government House

"Of course it is a tragedy for god's sake! The terrorists are extremely close to the city and we have waited too much for them to make the first move. We have been to tolerant," said Paavo Laht as he was talking on the telephone in his office. "You need to understand that there are only two countries recognising your government, Eiffelland and New Cathay and from the way things are going, Eiffelland might soon disappear. In reality there is only one entity supporting your sorry ass regime and that is the VHC. Should the terrorists disrupt the exports of the VHC, it means that we are in trouble and if we are in trouble, you will be too in trouble," said Mark Kukk, the CEO of the Viru Himyari Company on the other side of the line.

"Currently they have the momentum, as they have organised that impressive series of attacks all alongside the country to distract us mostly. I think that this was main goal was Maseru and the Airport was the closest they could get," said Laht. "The terrorists need to be exterminated. You need to take on pro-active action," stated Kukk. "Not only that. We will need to begin a hearts and minds operation to keep the people away from the LLC. I want leaflets all over the country showing pictures of the charred remains of Walas from this attack and naming it a normal day at work for the terrorists. The people in isolated villages will need to see how the LLC really looks like. Also we will need the military help of the Askaris. After the events in Orodara it is clear that the Security Forces cannot rely on conscripted blacks. But the Askaris, being paid, are not as likely to betray. So I will need Askari reinforcements as I will have to make the Security Forces an all white unit," said Laht. "I cannot promise you anything yet, but I might call for a raise of wages in the lands where Walas work. But it will need to be extensively discussed by the company. In the meantime, we can keep our properties safe with the Askari, I need you to keep the border secure and to pacify the roads. It is nigh impossible as of now to have something transported from Umtali to Maseru," said Kukk as he ended the call.

Laht rose from his chair and turned towards his aide. "It is time to begin the biggest action in the history of this country. We need every assets on the roads to patrol and find the bases of the rebels inside the country," said Laht while looking at the map showing the Operational Regions of the Security Forces inside Loago. "Activate Operations Repulse, Masop and Splinter," he said as his aide left immediately. The activation of the operational regions meant that the Security Forces will start working together with all authorities in the aforementioned regions. In Repulse, an operational zone situated on the border with the Peninsular Republic, the Security Forces will be complemented by the Border Guards, local police and air forces. The border will be fully closed until further notice and the units won't remain stationary but will patrol all alongside the borders and the adjacent counties. For Masop, the Security Forces will sweep all along the Maseru country and the nearby river delta with the support of the local police, air force and the navy. Splinter is the region from Koudougou to Toma and Aribinda. The Security Forces will be joined by the Askari and when they will arrive by the Bergenheimer mercenaries.

"I want the Internal Counterespionage Department to start a nation wide investigation of the police force and of the security forces. We need to see the enemy in front of us, not wait to be stabbed in the back," said Laht to his aide as he returned. "Also, contact the Wala tribal chiefs. Tell them that should the communists come to power, they will destroy all tribal affairs and that they should come to meet me if they want to keep their power," he continued. "It is time to take our country back," he thought to himself.
 

Elben

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Somewhere in the north

The compound being targeted consisted of a primitive hospital and surrounding outbuildings which supported it. The hospital was run by two sisters of a religious congregation from Gallogermania who had been ministering to the Walas for many years. The nurses and orderlies who assisted them were locals.

“No, this is a house of─” Gunfire erupted and the man in command sprayed the mother superior with his weapon. She collapsed into a heap, her white habit stained crimson.

Sister Emmanuelle pulled away from the men who held her arms and knelt beside the body, a prayer on her lips. The man in charge put a bullet in her too and laughed harshly before barking orders to his underlings around him. They ran into the hospital where the nurses and patients were huddled and got down to business as screams and pleas for mercy rang out. There was no one to save them; down at the other end of the compound, the hospital orderlies had been lined up along the back wall and executed.

Two of the invaders, mere boys, sat in the dirt playing with a stethoscope from inside.

Eventually the men finished and killed their victims, some with bullets, others with bush knives. The prints of religious art were torn off the walls and smeared with blood. When it was time to go, all the buildings were torched and the men boarded their technicals and drove off.
 
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