Ground Zero: Bourgogne

[Elben]

Chagny, GDBourgogne

Grand Duke Charles was still in town, personally overseeing the groundwork for the eventual rise of empire. He was sitting with Bourgogne's defense minister, intelligence head, and the commander of Team Alpha, who briefed his master on the plan.

"Your Majesty, we've worked out the kinks of this operation. If all goes well, we will be able to knock down the Pillau regime in one swift stroke."

Charles started reading...

The men had been relieved of their bodyguard duties and put into intense training to polish up their language skills. Team Alpha was going into action for the first time. While they worked on languages, intelligence operatives were slowly gathering and putting together the data for the mission. It was straightforward. Given the decentralized, even chaotic, nature of the Pillau Republic, Team Alpha was going to be sent in to infiltrate the government buildings in Pillau and assassinate the senior leadership.

Buildings were identified, the number of guards and how they were armed were ascertained. Residents of Chagny who were from that area of the country were identified and brought in for their expertise on clothing, accents, and other details that would help the men of the Team blend in. Meanwhile, the forgers of Chagny's intelligence organs were hard at work putting together the papers necessary for Team Alpha's cover, that of a one of any number of autonomous militia units crisscrossing the republic on their own business.

What remained of Bourgogne's navy under Chagny's control would be waiting off the coast to pick up Team Alpha at the RV.

 

[Rheinbund]

Trier, Eiffelland-Retalia

The last dish had been served, and eaten. After the coffee had been served, the conversation continued. Minister Di Gravesano-Carone made clear to the ambassadors of Bourgogne and Elben that Eiffelland-Retalia wanted to deepen and further develop the relations with Elben and Bourgogne.

 

[Elben]

Lunch, Trier

Both ambassadors thanked their host profusely for the lunch and the warm words, promising to convey Eiffelland's message back to their principals.

"Minister, it has been a pleasure. I remain of course at your service as a bridge between Eiffelland and Elben."

"And I as well between the grand duchy and the kingdom. Please pass along my best wishes to His Majesty."

With bows and handshakes, the lunch concluded and the two ambassadors went their separate ways.

 

[Armorica]

The last few days had been the most trying of Joffrey Segal's life. And he knew the worst was yet to come.

Prince Romain had been released, less a finger. And now the former Royal Family was in hiding. Segal didn't know where they were, if they were still in the country. The Ducal country house had been emptied and sums of government funds were missing.

That was the least of Segal's troubles. Now there was word that a force from the BPR was on the way to Ouistreham. Segal looked at Broulard.

"General, how bad?"

"Monsieur Sénéchal, it is bad enough that I recommend Neustria's navy sail down the coast to Monserans. Many of our soldiers have quit their posts. Those that remain will fight to end. But it is only a matter of time before le régime rouge arrives in the capital."

Segal ran his hand through his hair. "Cardinal Escalus, is there nothing we can do?"

"Monsieur Sénéchal, the government has lost the support of the people. The Neustrian experiment has failed spectacularly. A great many of our citizens now wait for les rouges with open arms. I suggest that you declare your government has fallen and find safety with Minister Dumont while you can."

 

[Kazansk]

Neustria, on the way to Ouistreham

The few roadblocks that had been hastily thrown up by the Neustrian forces were torn down. Aside from a few sporadic firefights resistance was almost non-existent, most Neustrians either threw down their weapons and surrendered or swore allegiance to the Burgundian People's Republic and joined in the advance.

Baron Gustav von Goltz looked out over at the line of men advancing, so far there had been relatively little looting and destruction of property and the men were in high spirits. The only problem was that the advance was beginning to slow, in the absence of any determined opposition the advance was taking on more and more of a festive tone resembling a mob of football hooligans than a disciplined force.

" Tell the men to hurry up and continue the advance through the night if need be, we're here to reunite the country not have a damn picnic....oh and have any stragglers arrested".

 

[Elben]

Near the frontier, night

Team Alpha made its way north along back roads and country lanes, guided by locals who had been determined to be fully loyal to Chagny. The team's convoy was made up of technicals with machine guns mounted in back leading the way and guarding the rear, and the main body of large transport trucks carrying men and other gear. All the vehicles bore the insignia of one of the Burgundian Republic's militias.

The lane they were on was headed toward a gap in the hedgerow that at this point was all that delineated the border. The vehicles slowly rumbled forward after a scout appeared and gave the all clear signal. They were now in enemy territory.

 

[Armorica]

Aides were on the move. Some were burning or shredding. Others were passing and delivering. Broulard was studying a map of Ouistreham and it's suburbs. He looked up as Segal entered the room.

"Have you slept at all, Monsieur Sénéchal? Major Saint-Auban, get this man a coffee."

A mustachioed adjundant, resplendent in the full uniform of the Grand Duchy of Bourgogne, poured a cup and handed it to the Sénéchal. Segal gladly took it and began sipping the hot liquid.

"Merci. Now tell me, what is happening."

General Broulard pointed at the map. "The 9th Naval Infantry Division here in the capital is responsive. That is three infantry regiments with light armor. They will hold the city and keep a corridor to Jyskerige-Ostveg open for as long as necessary to get our people out."

"And our ships? Have they reached Serenierre yet?

The General looked down, ashamed. "Our ships are departing as soon as they are ready. But, and forgive me, Monsieur, their destination is Bourgogne."

Segal grunted and remembered his own decision not to ask the Gallian League for assistance.

 

[Elben]

Outskirts of Pillau

Team Alpha hit the first roadblock they had come across in the entire country right on the outskirts of the capital. It wasn't much, just a few private vehicles that had been commandeered for service and some men standing around.

The man chosen to act as "commander" due to his convincing accent jumped down out of the back of Team Alpha's lead technical and walked forward to have a chat. The men looked at him suspiciously as he pulled a wadded up piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it, telling them about his orders.

Meanwhile, men from one of the transports slowly climbed out the back and one by one slipped away from the main road. Once under cover, they started working their way up and around the roadblock...

Back up front, the "commander offered the leader of the roadblock a vintage Burgundian cigarette as he began to tell a joke about a lady. As the punchline came, the men who had been circling around emerged from cover and silently dispatched the men of the roadblock with neat knifework, some getting it in the back, others across their throats.

Bodies were quickly stashed out of sight and the jeeps moved out of the way and Team Alpha continued on.

 

[Kazansk]

On the road to Ouistreham

Resistance had been steadily growing the closer that the Republicans advanced on the city. and now with the City's suburbs in sight firefights between Neustrian die-hards were increasing in intensity. In the face of serious and determined opposition several militia units either simply refused orders to advance or else simply went around these strong-points on the search for easier targets. Those militia units that were advancing had been taking heavy casualties that is of course until those survivors learnt from the mistakes of their comrades.

Given the many of the Republican militias relative lack of discipline and weapons Von Goltz was having to rely more and more on Neustrian turncoats which he had reservations about, after all they had already deserted from one army what would stop them from doing so again? In order to determine these turncoats loyalty Goltz had decided to assign trusted men to watch over the units for any sign of wavering loyalties or cowardice.

 

[Armorica]

The Ouistreham Perimeter

The Republicans were fighting like the motivated patriots they were. And an increasing number of ex-loyalists were joining their ranks, trying to gain points against the purge they expected would come after the capital fell. The Infanterie de Marine was barely holding. They would fight until a sector had been evacuated and then withdraw to another prepared defensive line.

Colonel St. Jacques was in command of 1er RIMa, the division's heavy hitter with armoured cars and APCs.

"I need fuel and ammo now. No excuses." The colonel slammed the phone. Taking a radio handset from an aide, he listened. After a moment, he replied. "Supply is running low. If you can't stop the breakthrough, pull back to Sector Three. Companies from the Second should be there to cover you."

Overhead, another flight of helicoptors began passing by on their way to safety.

 

[Elben]

Team Alpha had set up its base in a square not far from the government quarter in Pillau that had formerly been a base for militia assembling for the push into Neustria. The men had disembarked from their transports and quickly set up a perimeter and a command post.

A radio was assembled and tuned to listen to a numbers station. A transmission was received and deciphered using the day's one time pad. It contained the latest intel on the locations of their targets from Bourgogne's moles in the Pillau government.

Their targets:

• Henri Lierre
• Herman Busch
• Hans Toller
• Edouard DeSalle

The operators who would carry out the mission geared up. Night was falling as they made their way through the streets. Their latest intel indicated their targets had assembled for a briefing on the offensive in Neustria. The government building ahead was guarded by Pillau's most professional troops, former Grand Ducal soldiers who now served the republic. The operators looked at each other and exchanged hand signals and approached the guards casually, the intention being to take them by surprise...

And then:

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Back at the square, the reserve group was patrolling the streets and listening to the radio when all hell broke loose around them.

 

[Great Engellex]

Burgundy, once a great power, now found itself in the direst position and urgently requiring intervention. She was a scene of an increasingly vigorous maelstrom of insurgent activity. Her deceptions, the inbred Fiction she crowned herself with, could not undo the ineptitude from centuries of tyranny. As other Tiburan Catholic monarchies look on, deliberately committed to their own impoverished subjugation, Burgundy thrashes around in desperation for that last gasp of air.

The Northern President reiterated an exceptional and unwavering clarity on the situation, to resist the Revolutionary resurgence and generously spare the ingrates of Gallia-Germania the worst of Europe. A presence on the ground will be essential, an act of warring defiance to deny all manner of revolutionary terrorists an ungoverned territory in which they could foment and export their violence against the Thaumantic, and it's interests. Underlying permanence to the former Grand Duchy were now being explored within the various departments of Hammersmith. Such aims as to support the Burgundian people in constructing a republic, protected by potent security forces, and an economy nurtured and sustaining of a civil society.

In Hammersmith, direct calls were reaching Welmonton.

Forty-five minutes and they were touching down in a drizzled haze on a drenched runway bounded on one side by operations facilities, aircraft hangars and military aircraft of various number and assortment. There was little question on resistance, it was to be allowed for, and those calls to the boys and girls conveyed a tone of understanding that foresaw it with very little impossibility. Every measure of theirs and others was an anticipation for taking fire in the landing zone. There could be minimal expectation for cooperation or peace across the Engelsea, Burgundy had fallen into unprecedented disorganization and anarchy. Descending from the aircraft they marched, and found the expanding horizon of bustling industry of military operation familiar. They figured they were at the southern limits of Engelsea. Naval Support Facility Revsec, they, of course, have been here many times before.

Left of them sat four transport aircraft, turning and burning, turbines thrashing in the light downpour. Form up to the right-hand side, were their orders, for three of the four transports. They made their sprint across the tarmac. Soon enough ramps had whined into closure, and the turbines spooled up to speed. They were airborne once again. Three of the four transports each carried sixty pairs of boots inside, a fourth was one of those modified variants fitted out with jamming equipment to block communications. They were not alone, but sufficiently escorted for the operation. You had the protection of a gunship with a radar-guided 105mm artillery piece and 30mm cannon, a UAV equipped with missiles additional to its intelligence equipment, and then those Sparrowhawks for the provision of close air support.

Acquiring speed, they headed northwards into the Engelsea, for the executing of a minimalist exposure to Burgundian territory. Southwest of Petite-Payes, that territory of the Two Kingdoms, and they were turning southeastwards, putting themselves on a direct path for Ouistreham airport. They dipped down to low level, adjusting into a holding pattern.

Three of the transports were peeling off their holding pattern, a Sparrowhawk too, in a well rehearsed sequence and raced into the designated landing zone. The aircraft roared over the outer region of Ouistreham low and fast. Before they could lurch and thump into a finality of a touch down, the Sparrowhawk put a missile to the airport control tower. The top half of the ramp was already open, and they could see the stretch of tarmac out of the aircraft's rear. The transport slowed, allowing them to perform a tactical air landing operation - bursting out of the ramp and peeling off to either side of the still-moving warplane. By the time the sixty or so boots were on the ground, the aircraft was accelerating again and was very quickly airborne. They made for the airport buildings that flanked one side of the runway. The second transport came in tight on the back of the first, disgorging another sixty. The third then after that.

As they moved on for the airport terminal building, the Engellexian Republic Navy looked to positions in the Engelsea.

 

[Beautancus]

Confederated Republic Armed Forces Joint-Service Station Horsa,
Naval Support Facility Revsec,
Norther Constituent Republics, Engellexian Republic



It didn't take long for calls to come back from Welmonton, several of them. Unfolding as an as yet minor segment of a now wildly fluctuating continuum of events - causes and effects - on the far-side of the Channel, Station Horsa had at least not been surprised or unprepared for the exponential rise in communications. If anything, they'd had a better idea this was coming than anyone else in the world.

Revsec was home to the oldest permanent Cussian Armed Forces contingent in the world, and as with so much else in the Thaumantic Domain, the Cussian presence at there dated to the axial decade of the previous century, the 1910s. The composition and mission statements of those forces had changed numerous times over the years, and the anthem, flag and names on the shingle had even changed along the way, but the Cussians had and would never forego their sworn oaths to the First Republic.

The spirit of cooperation and kindred trust fostered through those honored obligations had provided a vital framework for the rest of the 20th century, only growing more important in the 21st with every passing year. The foremost example being the great enterprise of the League of Four Nations, that brought unity to the Domain in ways it had not enjoyed for 178 years. The frame was much broader now, but the work remained essentially the same.

Horsa consisted of two commands, from two of the Confederated Republic's Armed Forces, the Air Force and Naval Marine Corps. Both of those consisted, primarily, of three formations.

The Air Force was the larger of the two, with an Aerial Combat Wing and their logistical and "support units," a smallish but far from insignificant presence from the Airborne (Infantry) Service and the crowning jewel - an Operations Group of "Blue Stripes," the Fourth of the five in existence. While the Airborne Service was already an elite formation in its own right, the Blue Stripes were the elite soldiers of Beautancus.

The Marine contingent broke down similarly - with Marine Aviation, Armored Cavalry/MechInf and a special forces detachment of their own. In this case, the latter formations consisted of both Force Recon - the Pathfinders - and Marine Raiders. Neither possessed a reputation as fearsome as the Blue Stripes, but didn't miss it by much.

The senior, and overall joint-commander of Station Horsa was a raw boned, pale eyed Air Force General named Preston, one of the most gifted in the branch. Both he and his Marine counterpart and subordinate, General Bridger, got along well Revsec Command, and had been in the loop from the beginning. As such, it had not taken overmuch in the way of operational discretion on their part to order the forces under their command to "be ready." Welmonton hadn't minded, saying that it was because of their ability to make those calls that both of them were in these positions.

When the first cruise missiles roared to life and to took blinding flight, nobody was surprised. Nobody else was surprised when more joined them, courtesy of the Cussian Air Force. The first targets, identified from meticulously compiled satellite and OPSINT imagery, were selected to provide maximal support for the Engellexic Special Forces operation headed to Ouistreham airport.

The primary targets of this initial volley of several dozen included anti-aircraft and radar sites, power and telecom substations, network relays and routers as well as bridges and roadways most likely to be used by forces attempting to interdict the airport operation (though not all, leaving ample routes out).

As the darkly silhouetted forms of the first Engellexic transports merged with and disappeared into the murky night, flights of Anglers, Thunderhawks and Vulture VTOLs loaded with their counterparts in the Blue Stripes and Pathfinders were lifting off. The latter would be deployed in support of the airport operation initially, but the Blue Stripes had their own mission.

More cruise missiles soared into the night behind them, up and out of sight faster than could be followed. The Domain might have been taking special care in choosing targets and the sort of munitions these missiles warheads packed, but no chances were being taken in kicking the metaphorical door in. If anyone was foolish enough to try to bar the door from the other side, they were going to be flat on their backs - if not blown to smithereens - soon.

Their flights were overtaken by something else entirely shortly thereafter, a pair of Harpies escorting an electronic warfare Starhawk. The Harpy was a land-based, long runway takeoff variant of the Navy's Tempest, able and well outfitted to take advantage of the engagement distances provided by the theater of operations.

Three more formations of three followed, peeling off to pursue prey in their designated hunting grounds. The third bird in those formations were Vipers, elegant and merciless air-superiority fighters capable of matching firepower and speed with anything fielded in the world today. If anyone tried to contest the Domain's attempt to establish control of the skies over Western Burgundy, these would be the squadrons to make them reconsider.

Closer to the Burgundian coastline, the transport wings were overtaken a final time. Closing in and hurtling by at only a fraction of the speed of their fellows, the Buzzardhawks were an impressive sight. The Domain's CAS/GA juggernaut wasn't designed to go Mach and took an awful lot of runway to get off the ground, but it was still fast enough to burn right by the transports.

Nobody talked about the Buzzardhawk's engines though, even if they were nearly indestructible marvels. Nothing built around a gun the size of a pickup truck could be famous for anything else, especially if it flew.

Whoever found themselves on the receiving end of those pilots attention tonight would not be coming out of the other side with anything on their mind - if they managed to survive the experience.

Minutes brought the coastline closer, and in less time than that solid ground was sweeping beneath the transports at a hissing pace - Burgundy, Beautancus had arrived.

As if that picture hadn't been clearly painted already - a great many fires were burning in and around Ouistreham. None of the fires seemed large enough to jeopardize the operations from this distance, hopefully evidence that the airstrikes were on the mark.

The transports, the first of a great multitude Burgundy would see tonight, stooped low and bled speed fast, though only coming to a rest on the ground long enough their charges to be safely disgorged and all necessary equipment unloaded or unstrapped. In under a minute, they were in flight again and the Blue Stripes and Pathfinders were forming up to execute their own mission objectives. Seconds more, and they were in motion again.

On station in the skies above, the Buzzardhawks that had joined the flights on their way in hung low, below the firing solutions of any AA that might still be up. As they went, targets throughout the Ouistreham Perimeter were lit up, though only when and where it seemed capable of offering danger to the Domain's aerial forces - clearly some.care was being taken to minimize casualties. Not quite so terrible a reaping as what was next in store, by any stretch.

The Buzzardhawks weaved over the Perimeter skillfully, bringing their flight paths to mostly converg and flow in a single direction: the main highway heading out of the opposite side of town, down the same route being taken by the forces of the People's Republic on their way in.

It was into the face of that force that the Buzzardhawks fired, rockets and 30mm autocannon racing out into the dark and down onto and around the highway below, where the night's darkness was thrown off almost entirely with the fury of anti-personnel and explosive armor-piercing munitions striking home.

 

[Jydsken-Østveg]

1er bataillon de chars
Pays-Petites

A bump on the hull of the tank from the driver signaled the love he had for it, as a flair shot up into the sky. The flair was a signal for the bataillon to start moving forward. They’re tanks were the extremely quick SOMUA-13 105mm variant. They had been signed to move in tandem with the message given to the allies of Beautancus and the First Republic (see:

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). They were not officially allies by any stretch of the imagination, as Pays-Petites was a Grand Duchy with the Two Kingdoms own Queen as their Grand Duchess. Thus their military obligation was to the Two Kingdoms. Yet, with the increased work with the Two Kingdoms and Beautancus in the Gouw Marken affair, it seemed as though the leadership in Pays-Petites felt that they ought to move forward with that noble idea.

Historically, Pays-Petites has been the little brother to Burgundy, of Protestant faith and in constant active rebellion to the Burgundians, they’ve historically seen their country grow smaller and smaller. What is great cannot always be as such without the hard work that was required of it. The break up of Burgundy and its transformation to Neustria and then the People’s Republic was a trigger for the Engell world, and their attack served as a trigger for these Small Lands.

Speed was the doctrine of the Army, and it’s goal was to be the very first major group to hit Ouistreham within hours. If it were up to them, they’d level it the city, salt the ground, and never allow another soul to see the sun on that ground again. It was not up to them.

The ground troops would be following behind the tanks as quickly as they good in armed transport vehicles, and behind them, some even on foot. Being able to speak the language obviously was a bonus. They’d get along with the locals to some degree culturally and linguistically. The real problem would be loyal Neustrians or those who followed the twisted ideologic values of the People’s Republic. But could it be a real problem? These entities are so new, to indoctrinate a person must be impossible. Perhaps former Neustrians could understand their value of democracy and freedom. If not, it did not matter. The army was here, and the Engells were already hard at work.

It was a good thing the Catholics weren’t innovative anymore, else they’d have had a patron saint of ballistics. SOMUA would make sure they’d understand it soon enough.

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[Gunnland]

Dunrobin Castle
Near Windhaven​

It slowly dawned on Julian that, once again, she would not be able to go back to Robert Koch Universität in the fall. Imploding Bourgogne was at last going to be an immense altar for the sacrifice of the living. The timing was not ideal. The necessities of war would forge an imperial army. The all too sudden appearance of an invasion force from Engellex changed things, clarified things. The Empire stood between Kadikistan and Engellex. That was always the reality of the situation, here in the center of the world. Everything else, "post-delegationism," "Serazinism," "Christian democracy," were like misty dreams that swirled among the tripolar reality. So Julian thought.

Colonel MacGarry was discussing the early stages of preparation for a full mobilization for a long war, and how to put the lessons of the Seven Days' War to use. Commander Gallagher was discussing the redeployment of Gunnish naval forces and A2AD units from the Straits of Mar to the Baie de Bourgogne. Salen would be asked to help bottleneck the narrow waters.

Dark haired with a great hooked nose, Anthony Gunn MacPherson had begun saying that the Foreign Office was aware that the Elbeners had received diplomatic overtures and offers of aid from Eiffelland. "Obviously, with the invasion force in Ouistreham, that is about to change, so..."

A gold bracelet tumbled down her thin white arm when Julian raised a hand. The new foreign secretary fell silent. Behind him, the Trousers watched intently. Shrewd, suave professional types. A new sadness shot through Julian at that moment. If Robert were here...

"Unless King Albrecht is going to enter the imperial circle and bring me Lars as a little token of gratitude for inviting him in, I'd rather deal with strength and men who draw lines on a map. At a time like this, I imagine that Elisabeth Martinique will be able to patch things up with Sergei Moravscik for a few months. But first I should telephone the marshal."

Théophile Gladstone-Pape stood up, but the new foreign secretary was able to stammer, "Sh-sh-shouldn't we a-a-at least discuss this with Eschenbach b-b-before we..."

Again the hand rose and the man fell silent. "You have not replaced me with your emperor yet," the queen said, "And next time I grant you demiburgundians an audience, you'd better not be wearing those ridiculous pantaloons."

 

[Armorica]

"Sénéchal Segal, I am leaving within moments. ... Non, we did not find Charles and his family in the city. ... Oui, they could have been caught in the missile strike, but I pray that they got out. ... Au revoir, Monsieur."

General Broulard gave the handset back to Major Saint-Auban. He paused, glancing around his bare office, still filled with memories and dreams.

"General, your helicopter is waiting."

"Oui. Let's go!"

 

[Kazansk]

Republican occupied Neustria

The expeditions central command has lost contact with most of its outlying units, and with the government in Pillau, confusion reigned while as yet unidentified forces continued to attack Republican troops in Ouistreham. Von Goltz was trapped, without any knowledge of the forces arrayed against them continuing to advance was perilous and any retreat would result in the loss of territory that had just recently be liberated, but it would be better to accept a temporary loss rather than risk the destruction of the Armée Républicaine Nationale.

He'd assembled as many ARN leaders that he could, the ARN would go back to fighting as partisans and guerrillas, splitting into regional divisions that could be relied to act independently of any government in Pillau.

Von Goltz laid out a map of country on the table in front of the assembled officers
" Colonel Moreau you and hose former Neustrian personnel in our service will be assigned to the Insurrectionary Army of Western Bourgogne you'll need to organize a rearguard operation". Juin you'll take elements of the Volunteer Army of Northern Burgundy and try and resist the Two Kingdoms coming from the north. I'll take the Burgundische Freikorp and fortify Pillau, the rest of the ARN is to disperse and operate as they see fit. Good luck gentlemen and long live the People's Republic".

 

[Clarenthia]

While the ink had not yet been put to paper on the League of Four Nations, the solidarity of the Thaumantic Domain didn’t require a formal treaty for its proper execution. The Domain’s infallible commitment to the mutual defense of one another as well as the pursuit of the interests of the Thaumantic were a defining characteristic held in higher esteem than any other foreign policy point of the Treaty Lands. The First Republic had called – that was the sole justification needed for the deployment of the Commonwealth Defense Forces.

In the midst of the giants of Beautancus and the First Republic, the Treaty Lands have long regarded defense needs as minimal, as evident from the fact that the Treaty Lands maintained the smallest standing army of the Thaumantic Domain. Nevertheless, the well-funded, trained, and equipped Commonwealth Defense Forces packed the punch necessary to stand alongside those giants. In no place was this more evident than the Operational Reconnaissance and Counter Assault Squadrons, or ORCAS. While it started out as a 1970s tourism campaign to associate the nation with a unique and identifiable image, affectionately naming virtually every aspect of the country after the marine mammal spread to all facets of society – the military’s special forces weren’t sparred.

The plumes of smoke rising above the dancing orange glow of the fires across Ouistreham were almost mesmerizing if it weren’t for what the sight represented. Three VTOL Vultures cruised over the Burgundian soil, getting closer to the drop off point outside of the city. Locating the park identified by the satellite imagery gathered by the Domain’s intelligence forces, the Vultures decreased speed and altitude, their turboprop engines moving in the upright position. As soon as they hit the ground, the ramp opened.

Sergeant Brant Harrington rushed forward while the ramp was lowering, jumping the remaining distance as his boot hit the Burgundian soil. He was the first Treatyfolk soldier to be deployed on mainland Gallia in modern memory. Following him rushed another twenty-one ORCAS soldiers – the other two vultures putting down a similar number of soldiers. Once they had all left, the Vultures quickly picked up speed and rose back into the air. At only a short height, the engines moved back in the forward position and they powered off into the night sky. The deployed troops broke off into their assigned squads and broke off into their routes.

Sergeant Harrington looked around at his eight-member squad. Loading his carbine and flopping down his NVG into position, he nodded at his men. They all nodded back.

“Let’s go,” he said.

 

[Kazansk]

Ouistreham, Bourgogne.

Hugh watched the Engell patrols make their way through what was left of the city, he had no idea why they were here but whatever the reason they would find nothing here for them. He crouched behind the remains of a car and silently signaled to the rest of his section as the quietly got into their positions, they would wait till the Engells were almost upon them, too close for their air support to save them.

un...

deux....

trois....

" Fire"!

 

[Kadikistani Union]

Tirlemont Forest
70 kilometres North-east of Agneaux
Burgundian People's Republic

Slavko Stojiljkovic was scratching his ball-sack ferociously as the rain poured down with a rate that seemed to be the equivalent of someone emptying a full bucket of water over his head. Slavko was standing on a muddy open ground in the middle of the large Tirlemont Forrest, on the foot of the mountain carrying the same name. Behind him were five roaring cargo-trucks, headlights on, threatened to sink into the mud due to their heavy weight. "Fucking Burgundians are late again...", Slavko thought to himself fearing more mud sliding down from the Tirlemont, potentially rendering their precious cargo immobilized. As an agent of the Shlebuchya, the Kadikistani External Intelligence Directorate, he knew the terrain very well just like he knew the Burgundians. He had been active in Greater Burgundy over a decade before the collapse of the First Grand Duchy. His first few years were spend as a low level intelligence gatherer until he got noticed as a somewhat unconventional, yet extremely effective asset by his superiors. Adding to his intellect, experience and insight he proved his valour several years ago with a handful of covert economic sabotage operations. Slavko was promoted to Captain and put in charge of maintaining the communications between Ivar and the Party of Candles, the Burgundian affiliate of the

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Not that anyone would be able to derive his rank in the Shlebuchya from the way he looked. Everyone in Slavko's party, the drivers, the small security detail and a pair of local guides, were dressed like civilians, but none of them looked as rag-tag as Slavko. Baggy pants roughly stuffed in his unlaced boots, a patched-up trench coat with an old wool grey sweater under it and a cap often worn by truckers from Beautancus along with being soaked by the rain made the agent look more like a homeless man living on the streets of Chagny. While regretting not staying in the truck like most of the others he did get a change for his clothes to wash off some dirty he had gathered working in the forest the past two weeks. Slavko and about two dozen Burgundian workers had been constructing the now partially completed 'Tirlemont Training Camp' a few kilometres down in the thick forest. The purpose of which was to turn volunteer citizens and conventionally trained soldiers into effective guerilla forces able to make the occupation of the much stronger invaders a drain. While not in the amount that the Burgundians training in Calidia would have, the TTC would also educate the teachings of reformed Marxist-Leninovism.

By some miracle Slavko managed to light his cigarette despite the continuous heavy rain. In what seemed to be a short stroke of luck he saw lights from behind the trees ahead of him, followed by the roaring engines of two SUVs. The latter pulling over several metres in front of Slavko, the headlights on both sides were shut down and Slavko's cigarette was shortly the only thing illuminating the area before several headlamps went on. About half a dozen armed men embarked from the SUVs also wearing civilian clothing, but with a red ribbon wrapped around their left arms as was agreed as an identification measure. Seeing their counterparts carrying small arms Vlasko's security detail was activated and jumped out of the trucks, heading straight in a line behind Slavko. As they got closer the red ribboned men swung their Kadikistani rifles behind their backs and verbally identified themselves as members of the Southern Section of the Party of Candles while holding up a note that would confirm their identities. One of the Burgundians approaching Slavko, extending his hand with a smile on his face, while the rest of his crew hung back and Slavko's second in command verified the note.

"Good to see you again, old friend.", Slavko said as the smoke from his last inhale was still coming out of his mouth, revealing his crooked yellow teeth. The commanders of both entourages exchanged pleasantries for only a few seconds, the weather not warranting them to be stretched out. The only thing positive about the weather was that the heavy dark clouds made most spy-satellites useless and drastically reduced the risk of being detected through other means such as planes or drones. The men started walking towards the truck, the drivers exiting their trucks to open up the back and reveal the cargo. "We've been having trouble getting this here. There is a lot of activity in the Gothic and Engel Seas. Just last week we lost two containers filled with AA parts.", Slavko said with a genuine worried undertone as he had developed a connection with the country and his comrades over the years.

Having no direct border with the Burgundian People's Republic the Kadikistani Union used mainly commercial ships to smuggle weapons to the Party of Candles and the National Republican Army. With the intervention of the Engellkin it became increasingly unlikely that the BPR would be able to hold on to its ports, or a shoreline for that matter. The Kadikistani Union had no desire to go to war with the Thaumatic world or even bother with a diplomatic crisis that would unfold if an All-Union ship is boarded by rival navies. Nor did it have any interest in violating the Status Quo Treaty with the Kingdom of Gunnland by interfering with their interest. Ever since the death of Nikolai Leninov in 1957 the Kadikistani Union, well-aware of the dramatic toll that comes with imperial overstretch, buried global ambitions and redirected their focus solemnly on their most precious 'periphery'.

A periphery that is recognized by most other regional powers, either through a Status Quo Treaty or bilateral relations. Among those was the Pact of Steel that was agreed between what was then called the People's Republic of Serenierre [currently Serazinist Republic of Serenierre] and the Democratic Republic of Kadikistan [currently People's Federative Socialist Republic of Kadikistan]. This Pact signed in 1956 was a consequence of the bloodshed taking place between Marxist-Serazinists and Marxist-Leninovists during the Borovanger Civil War and divided the spheres of influence into a Gallia for the Serazinists and Germania for the Leninovists. Until several weeks ago Ivar had neglected its periphery for the first time in years with the weak Central Committee preoccupied with fighting Ultranationalists while trying to contain the growth of the Radical Youth League internally. Villesen had taken advantage of this and gained footholds in Ostmark and Crotobaltislavonia, violating the Pact of Steel and opening old wounds. What the Kadikistani Union was doing in the Burgundian People's Republic was a reply to Serenierre.

Slavko's orders stated that it was paramount that there are is no evidence of direct Kadikistani involvement in the conflict. That is also why the TTC was one of only four Ivar-backed training camps in the BPR, with unmarked French-speaking Kadikistani advisors ordered to destroy potential evidence and evacuate as soon as the enemy got too close. It was preferred that Burgundian or international volunteers go through the massive training camps in Calidia, an until recently largely unused legacy of Nikolai Leninov back when Kadikistan was supporting resistance fighters in every corner of the world, with the capacity to train thousands of fighters simultaneously. Those that went to Calidia were trained for 3 months, the training extended for another two months for specialists or officers. Camps like the TTC were purposed to deliver guerilla fighters with limited training in a shorter period of time more closely to the source.

Slavko gave his counterpart the inventory of the cargo, mostly assault rifles, portable anti-armour and anti-air. The Kadikistani would also occasionally smuggle heavier equipment, but as part of different shipments, to be reassembled in another hidden location. While the Burgundian overlooked the inventory his men started boarding the trucks. "We hope to expect another shipment like this in the next few days. I'll contact you with the specifics through the usual channels.", Slavko said as he was walking towards the SUVs along with his men. Halfway he turned around with his finger in the air, "Oh, and send the first batch of cadettes. We can start with 200 here as soon as they can get here." Much to the frustration of Slavko the rain stopped as soon as they embarked their respective vehicles and drove their separate ways.