Tyvia
Establishing Nation
'Polkownik Woroniec', 4th Squadron, KCŠ Group
The Volga Bay, Barazi territorial waters
0844 hours
Wrathful azure waves lapped against the metal exterior of the ship, rocking it violently. Crewmen milled about upon the deck of the vessel, clad in white jumpsuits and orange safety-vests, overseen by a few figures dressed slightly more formally – wearing peaked caps upon their heads. Great plumes of steam and smoke flitted up from the cruiser's exhausts, the darkened skies making those trails of white and grey especially plain. The ship remained still and silent, the sound of rain pattering against the vessel's hull distinct despite the bustle of activity.
A dark shape was visible aft of the vessel, it's features concealed by the thick mist and rain. The coastline here was dotted by cliffs and ridges, both underwater and above it. This specific cruiser, the Polkownik Woroniec, had been active in the Volga Bay since the inception of combat operations to the north. Operation Steadfast Liberty had not been a surprise to the ruling coalition in Arcodowsk, and the Presidium there had officially pledged it's support to the Blue Union Captaincy in all political capacities. The Polkownik Woroniec was the most expensive of Šidajica's contributions so far. The craft was of a fairly new design, the paint upon it's bow relatively fresh, having been applied mere weeks before it had first seen action off the coast of Barazi. Whereas it's previous task had been one of naval interdiction, such as to assist in the international blockade of the rogue state, the vessel now found itself involved in the conflict in a more direct capacity.
From the rear of the vessel, the sound of rotors could be easily heard. The helicopter's broad side was painted in the standard forestland camouflage common to the armed forces of Šidajica. Aside from a simple white eagle drawn lovingly near the tail rotor, with no other labels denoting unit or affiliation. Standing beneath it's twirling rotors were two men in jumpsuits distinct from those of the other crewmen, theirs instead a jet black. They leaned lazily against the metal of their aircraft, smoking small white cigarettes, eerily silent. As a taller man approached the pair, both of them swiftly snapped-to, promptly saluting the greying Commander.
“I know you've both been anticipating this,” The elderly soldier began, a thin smile playing across his wrinkled features, “We've received the confirmation just now, the directives are unchanged.”
The taller of the two nodded, the other pilot climbing into the helicopter.
“Understood, sir. We'll be back in sixty.”
With those words, the man followed his companion into the craft, it's door slamming shut. After a further moment's delay, the military craft lifted up into the skies, leaving the older man staring upwards at it's fleeting form. The helicopter began it's steady climb upwards, hovering high above the raging waters. This specific model, the Cik-22, was capable of carrying eight men in it's interior. For this specific flight and operation, the internal space that would otherwise be available for the men had been taken up by an extensive array of electronic equipment. The Cik-22 was customarily used as a gunship in a close-air-support capacity, but in this case a different purpose had been assigned to the craft. The winter storms along the Legionary Sea and the Volga Bay served as adequate cover for the helo as it would do a preliminary sweep of the coastline near the Debiskuv area, the various equipment on it's belly allowing taking magnified and illuminated photographs in analog and infrared modules of the lands directly beneath it. A plane was generally alloted to such a task, but the Šid High Command had requested a particular level of detail that could only be accomplished through the use of a much lower-flying aircraft.
In Arcodowsk, the intelligence retrieved would be of great importance for the planning of the next stage of the operation.
52nd Motorized Rifles Regiment, KCŠ Group
Kriewieca Border Post, Zaponje Prefecture, Šidajica
1024 hours
The roadway was blocked by a veritable sea of men, women, and children. Their voices were raised en masse, shouting incomprehensible things to the Šid guards. The mass of people was separated from the armed troops by a long chain-link barbed wire fence, and although all at the front of the throng banged upon the metal and pleaded for entry – none yet had the courage to attempt to scale the barrier. The fence served as the boundary between the two nations, the ultimate frontier between Šidajica and the former state of Barazi. This checkpoint, Kriewieca, was the primary point of entry for any refugees seeking entry into Šidajica. The place was positioned in a strategic position, cradling the end of one of the various mountain valleys of the nation, and built along the Šid end of the highway that ran straight to Kraliyet. Many who had found themselves displaced in the immediate aftermath of Operation Steadfast Liberty merely had to follow the highway west and south to reach the Šid frontier and petition for refuge.
Now those same refugees found themselves staring ahead at an armoured column, mere meters from the broad metal gate which kept them out. The barrel of the lead vehicle was directed threateningly ahead, it's machine gun manned by a single trooper in full battledress. Atop that same tank sat a youth with a loudspeaker in his left hand and the insignia of a lieutenant affixed to his breast, his grey eyes glancing down every few moments to the watch upon the opposite appendage. After a final check, the man lifted the amplifier up to his mouth, sitting leisurely beside the machine-gunner upon the turret of the tank.
“We are going to open the gate.” He declared in a slow and heavily accented Barazi, his voice booming above the clamor. “Move away from the gate or you will be shot.”
The initial response of the crowds was slow, but after a few moment's shouting and meandering, the throng parted away from the gate enough that the roadway was unobstructed, a salient of fifteen meters between the gate and any of the masses. The Lieutenant upon the tank made a curt gesture to one of the nearby soldiers, the troops arraying themselves on either side of the gate. Another further swift command caused a loud grinding sound to resonate through the air, the pistons and various machinery that automatically operated the gate working to swing it open.
The Lieutenant's voice once more rose over the commotion, “Any who attempt to pass over the frontier without explicit authorization will be shot.” The man announced, repeating that same statement a few times. Even as he said it again and again, he tapped the man on the machine-gun on the head, bidding the gunner to disappear into the interior of the tank. The youth stepped into the hatch, much of his chest remaining visible, continuing to repeat himself. Even as the tank swung forward into full motion, moving past the gate and into what would otherwise be the territory of another nation, he did not stop speaking. As the first gunshots rang out from behind him, he tossed aside the loudspeaker, staring ahead down the winding highway.
At other border crossings all along the frontier, the Šid Armed Forces were crossing over into the southern portion of Barazi. This area had previously been designated as 'Whiskey Three' by their counterparts in the Blue Union Captaincy, and now served as the only zone within the occupied territories where Šid troops would operate on a permanent basis with the blessing of Sjadnboro. The goal was not total occupation, nor even to show a presence in this rebellious territory, but instead to enforce Šidajica's interests within Barazi and the region. With this in mind, the parameters of this operation dictated that Šid troops not advance more than twenty five miles into Barazi territory – the goal being the establishment of a line or a 'bulwark', as was the Šid term for it, which would serve as a safe zone for refugees and as a staging point for Šid operations further within the nation.
The 52nd Motorized Rifles Regiment was not of the units assigned to the creation of this bulwark. They would drive straight on to Kraliyet.