Peace Through Infamy [Solaren Theatre]

[Rheinbund]

Sea before Lübeck

The amphibious assault fleet destined for Southeast Solaren had assembled near Lübeck. Admiral Hans Seilschläger was the highest officer in command. He had orders to sail to Southeast Solaren but wait with the amphibious assault until the ground war from Lorraine would start. In preparation of the assault, the mine sweepers could already start with making a corridor. But first the fleet had to get there.

Admiral Seilschläger gave the command and the fleet started to move.


Trierer See

Prince Ludwig had invited some friends to Fallendes Wasser, the Royal Family’s house by the Trierer See. They had been sailing and swimming all day, and now they were talking about many things. Tomorrow the last week of the summer holidays would start. In the coming school year, Ludwig and most of his friends would do the Abitur, the final exam of Eiffelland’s highest level of secondary education. And after that, either military or civil service.
“I will have to do military service next year,” Ludwig said. “Family obligations. It is one of the reasons why I hope that these wars will be over soon.”
“Why that? You’re an expert in fighting techniques,” one of his friends said.
“But that doesn’t mean that I’m immune for bullets,” Ludwig said. “Furthermore, me and commanding a platoon.”
“We often find you in charge of something though,” somebody said, referring to the many events Ludwig organised.
“You have enough leading capacities, Ludwig, you only lead differently than the average military officer. You don’t scream, you don’t command, you ask humbly and then most of the times people do what you ask,” somebody else said.
“Maybe because you look so cute with your deep blue eyes,” one of the girls said.
“But that doesn’t make me immune for bullets, either,” Ludwig said. “I’m really afraid of dying.”
“We all are. Maybe that’s why so many people choose for civil service,” somebody said.
“Will Sebastiano come to Eiffelland?” somebody else asked, referring to Prince Sebastiano De Vesci, descendant of the Talemantine Imperial Family and Ludwig’s boyfriend.
“Yes. He will come tomorrow, despite the war threat. I was indeed afraid that he would stay in Talemaniki, but he comes,” Ludwig said, his voice filled with love. “I’m really happy about that.”


Venetian Bay

The fleet around the FT‑3 had reached its destination at the Venetian Bay. The planes on the aircraft carrier began their raids on Southeast Solaren.
Meanwhile, the air force included the whole eastcoast of Solaren to its working area. Wave after wave attacked Southeastern Solaren, the Solaris naval harbours and the Solaris east coast.

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Capraria
Countryside

The first night after the landing had set in and many of the Carentanian soldiers, including Guardsman Resnik, had never seen a night as dark as this. During the battle, the powerplant in Panetelleria had been hit by a bomb, effectively taking down the entire islands power supply. Not a single electric light on Capraria was burning this night, except for a handful of lamps illuminating the fences at the port of Panetelleria. Out here, in the countryside of Capraria, however, the soldiers guarding the entrance to a small farmstead along the road to the east of Capraria while their comrades were sleeping inside, stared into the black of night, trying hard to keep watch over the road.

"Damn, I wish I could have a cigarette right now," someone mumbled. Ivan Resnik couldn't even see clearly who of his fellow soldiers it was.

"Leave it be, a lit cigarette in this kind of dark can be seen for miles," he replied in a whisper, while passing along a strip of chewing gum. "Take this, will distract your mind from the craving..."

"Thanks, but I'll manage. It's just tonight, anyways. You've all heard it earlier today. The third mechanized brigade will waltz along this road first thing in the morning and we'll be relieved. And from there, it will be months before the next mission."

As if fate wanted to prove him wrong, the nightsky was suddenly lit brightly. A first second of confusion as the soldiers stared at the intensly lit white glowing spheres descending from the sky was quickly replaced by the shock of realizing what was happening. "Take cover!" Guardsman Resnik yelled. "Aziz, you hurry and wake up the Officer and the rest!"

Bullets started soaring through the sky, as the approaching Solaren forces began firing upon their newly discovered enemy. The Carentanian airborne immediately returned fire, using the vague flashes of light from the enemy rifles to guide their own shots. First salvos from down the road to the east were soon joined up by a Solaren flanking attack from the north, where a field of olive trees stood, providing cover for the infantry of Pope Urban. Desperate to repulse the attack, the Carentanian paratroopers shifted the position of one of their light machineguns, positioning behind a small stonewall and trying to pin down the enemy between the trees. However, the cover of the olive plantation as well as the sheer amount of Solaren infantry streaming in from the north was providing difficult to manage.

A minute after the first shots had been fired, the remainders of the Carentanians who had been asleep in the abandoned farmhouse came running to the aid of their comrades. Shoelaces untied, some of them leaving behind their helmets or parts of their equipment, the pride of Carentanias Revolutionary Army seemed more like a makeshift militia than like a disciplined and highly capable fighting force. The sudden counter-attack by Solaren had surprised the Carentanians, who had dug in within the farmstead because it provided one of the few bridges across a creek that, albeit shallow, was accompanied by a steep trench that was an effective barrier for most vehicles.

It was impossible to tell how many Solaren soldiers, if any at all, the Carentanian Guardsmen had taken out by now, but the enemy fire was defenitely beginning to take its toll on them. One of the Carentanians, hit in the shoulder, was turning paler by the second as his comrade desperately fumbled to adjust a bandage in the black of the night. When he finally whipped out his flashlight to get a better look on the wound, the light attracted the fire of the Solaren army instantly, causing the man to be riddled with bullets and granting him a quick death, while his comrade continued to slowly bleed to his death.

The commanding officer of the group was the only one not either firing his rifle or tending to a wounded. He was sending desperate requests for help across the radio, his voice shaking more notably with every minute that passed and every comrade that fell. A calm, soothing voice from the other end of the phone at least reassured him that they were still in contact and command was aware of the Solaren offensive in the east. Meanwhile, mortar shells began to hit the area of the farmstead, obviously preparing it for the final attack of the Solarens. Without a miracle, they'd be lost now.

The response from Carentanian command came in the form of a precise artillery strike on the road and the olive fields. Fifth Infantry, the brigade destined to stay on Capraria as occupying force, had answered the paratroopers plea for help. Again, it was impossible for the Carentanians to see just how effective their strike had been, but the screams of several wounded Solarens at least left them to guess some of the shells hit their targets. It was a small success, a bit of breathing room, but it would not stop the attack. For now, the Carentanians would have to retreat, escaping to the west and returning the next morning, joined by the third mechanized infantry.

"Retreat! Fall back!" The officer yelled his orders, shoving Guardsman Resnik towards the bridge across the creek. Three soldiers, including the officer, remained at the farmstead for a little bit longer, to cover the retreat of the rest who sprinted into the darkness. When the rear guard finally abandoned its post, their comrades could not see the Solaren APC's waltzing into their positions and gunning them down. They could only see flashing lights in the distance, both to the North and South, indicating that Solaren was attempting a counter-offensive across the entire front. A desperate attempt to push Carentania out of Panetelleria and one that was going to eliminate several isolated positions across eastern Capraria, including the small farmstead where Guardsman Resnik and his unit had been this night.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Torrance

The officer handed back Cardonna's papers. The random ID checks were trying his patience but luckily he thus far had no real problems. His only problem now would be trying to get out of the country. But first, Cardonna and his companion would have to complete their mission. 'Paul' Calesteno wielded little actual power in the Solaris government, but he acted as a top aid now to Urban. Nicosian intelligence had reason to believe, thanks to the intelligence services of their allies, that Calesteno himself ordered the hasty construction of camps for the Nicosian citizens who had become hostages and murder victims. Cardonna and his companion had been tracking him for weeks. Plotting his habits, finding out who he was fucking, what he drank, and what tv programs he enjoyed. The agonizing process was finally coming to a head for the two agents. They both agreed on Wednesday the 7th. They didn't yet know how, but Calesteno would cease to exist.


Lorraine-Solaren Border


"CEASE FIRE CEASE FIRE" screamed Captain Aimasso. The regiment was on the far Eastern flank and was in fact the most Eastern of any front line coalition unit. For days they had faced some of the most gruesome fighting of the war so far. The Nicosians had faced repeated night attacks by what could only be described as fanatics. There had been more than a few accounts of hand-to-hand fighting. Aimasso cursed loudly before getting out of his foxhole. It was only a matter of time before the casualties would start to mount. Aimasso slid into a trench which led to the Regiment Command Post. The Colonel was pointing on a paper map. Aimasso shook his head. His allies would be using GPS but the Nicosian Army was not exactly the best equipped force. The Colonel was screaming into the phone at who Aimasso could only guess was some General somewhere- "When? When are we going to attack instead of getting kicked in the balls everyday". Aimasso stood by until the General had finished. "3 killed and another 8 wounded sir" said Aimasso.

Somewhere overhead a Federation helicopter flew overhead off to hit some target all while the Nicosians waited anxiously.

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Capraria
Countryside

The sun gently climbed above the hills of Capraria, shedding the many small patches of farmland along their sides in a warm light, the dewdrops on the wineleaves glistering romantically in what could only be a sick joke played on the many people who had died between them last night. Along the front, several isolated squads of paratroopers had been exterminated, others pushed back towards Panetelleria. Advancing across not only the major roads, but also sweeping the countryside with infantry, had denied the Carentanians the advantage of effective behind-enemy-lines operations by their airborne. At least in the east, there was now a somewhat well defined frontline, something their High Command had planned to prevent.

Guardsman Resnik and two of his surviving comrades had been on the run the entire night. Their position had been steamrolled in the early minutes of the Solaren offensive and what was intended to be an organized retreat had become a race for their life, as motorized Solaren formations had routed small groups of the retreating Carentanians repeatedly. Only the cover of night and the difficult terrain had denied them from completely tracking down the socialist forces before hitting more fortified positions closer to Panetelleria. Resnik and his comrades had been caught somewhere in between, in viewing range of a Carentanian position on a hill overlooking the road to Panetelleria, but unable to reach it as Solaren troops that had advanced past the three retreating Carentanians without noticing them, were attempting in vain to take the hill where elements of the Fifth Infantry Brigade had already reinforced Carentanian marines. In the light of the day, Ivan Resnik could already see the red flag with the insignia of the Fifth Infantry fly proudly above the hill, albeit riddled with bulletholes. It remained unreachable for now, forcing the three to watch from a covered position how the superior firepower of the Fifth Infantry pinned down Solarens soldiers on both the roads and the hills.

Repeatedly, artillery strikes came down on nearby hills, the ground shaking as though during an earthquake. Each hit came closer to Resniks hideout, causing a growing fear for his life and that of his comrades. Then however, the artillery abruptly stopped, while the soldiers on the defensive positions on the hill continued to bathe the Solarens in machine gun fire and mortar grenades. A loud roaring proclaimed the reason the artillery fire ceased, as three "Magpie" multirole fighters, outfitted for close-air-support, raced over the heads of the soldiers on the ground, busting a few remaining Solaren tanks with their missiles. The attack was quickly followed by quickly advancing Carentanian IFV's, speeding down the road with the obvious determination to take back what land the soldiers of Pope Urban had gained in the last hours and pushing them back even further.

Resnik could see the armored vehicles of the Third Mechanized Brigade breaking the initiative of an attack that had already been broken by the indiscriminating use of massive firepower. Now, with the "Magpies" annihilating what vehicles the Solaren army had left on Capraria, the element of speed would also work in favour of the Revolutionary Army once and for all. Solaren had exhausted its strength on Capraria in an attack that was deemed to fail from the very start. But then again, there had been not much choice for them otherwise either, except to lay low and wait for Carentania to finish its offensive on Capraria. Carentanian forces on the island had already achieved numerical superiority, now there was a complete strategic advantage as well.

"They rather died than to surrender," Ivan Resnik said to himself, before raising his rifle above his head and slowly walking out of his hideout, straight into the army of another Guardsman in a complete ABC-combat outfit, sweeping the hill for hidden Solaren infantry. He looked bewildered, unsure at first whether that ragged and mud-stained uniform could really be Carentanian. But the plain red flag on his shoulder was unmistakable and the soldier quickly realized, what had happened.

"Where's the rest of your unit?"

"Dead... mostly, I guess," Ivan Resnik said, his voice shaking slightly. "The Solarens hit us hard in a village down the road. We were on the forefront of the attack." He looked bewildered at the mask of the soldier. "Has there been a chemical attack?"

"Not yet. There have been several alarms for ABC-attacks, but they all proved wromg thusfar." He sighed audibly, even through his gasmask. "It's okay, we'll get those bastards. I'll bring you all back to the hill, you'll have some eggs for breakfast and then we'll get you out of here, a few weeks of leave maybe." The soldier looked worried, unsure how much Resnik and his comrades had to endure last night.

"I'd rather see those bastards run, take out some of them myself too, you understand?"

The man nodded.

Capraria
Panetelleria

The battles in the east were fought fiercely, but in Panetelleria the morning was off to a more peaceful start. While Commander Hafner, who was in charge of the entire operation, was still safely and far away in Carentania, directing the war from her desk, the men and women on top of the brigades operating on the island had already set up a central headquarters in the restricted area of Panetellerias harbor. A tent with black-grey city-camouflage pattern, housing several desks and chairs, radio equipment and portable computers with maps of the island were all this headquarter possessed for now, but there was, at least in the eyes of many commanders, a certain charm to it when it was filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and reheated Carentanian army-rations. The latter were known for their exceptional quality, at least when compared to those of other armies. Carentanians took pride in their cuisine.

The entire city was busy with logistics. Soldiers arrived, soldiers left, supplies were carted in and had to be distributed amongst the units both within the city and on the frontlines. Humanitarian aid had to be dispersed among the local population and to make matters worse, the press had arrived in the city, greeted by an officer appointed solely for this task.

"Please stay with me at all times if you value your life," he said, a slight hint of irony in his harsh words. "This is a warzone after all and while Carentania and the Revolutionary Army understand the need for and welcome independent controls of its power through the press, we do not wish to see any incident where journalists get caught in the crossfire or, worse, the victim of a Solaren atrocity. The restrictions laid out by our press policy are for your own safety and you are not allowed to stray away from the unit you will be embedded in." While there was a lot of truth to it, the army, of course, also welcomed the tight control of the viewpoint of the press it gained this way.

"If I may make a suggestion to you, anchored in the port right now is the Samobor, one of Carentanias two modern Amphibious Assault Ships. The Samobor already provided the platform from which to launch the attack on Capraria and it is currently loading a company of marines that are withdrawn from Capraria to dispatch to another mission. You will understand that I am not at ease to discuss what kind of mission." None of the journalists bothered to ask, instead focusing on the impressive image of a modern navy ship in front of a broken skyline, black smoke still rising from parts of the city. The "Samobor" would only stay in Panetelleria for a few hours, before dispatching to the Venetian Bay, joined by several destroyers and fregates.

On the edge of the city, meanwhile, Carentanian engineers were still tirelessly working to expand the makeshift airfield and turn it into a real, fully operational airbase. Caprarias geographic location made it the perfect base for future attacks upon mainland Solaren and Carentania wanted to position as much planes as possible as secure as possible on the island. Shelters for fuel and ammunition were amongst the most important construction projects right now, as more squads of "Magpie" fighters had been relocated, this time pre-equipped for anti-ship assaults.

 

[Lorraine]

Third Army Headquarters
Verdun, Lorraine

Lt. General Bernard Pierre Magnan, along with the entire Third Army, waiting for zero hour. Though it was the Solarens that started the war and were the first to attack, Lorrainian artillery and the coalition air campaign had pounded the Solarens along the border and beyond, destroying or forcing the withdrwl ground forces and air defences and now was the time for the counter-attack that is hoped will eventually end the Urban question once and for all. Though the offensive will follow the much of the original parameters of Plan A, the Platte attack on Auvergne has caused some changes in the that plan, in fact making Magnan rely more on additional forces sent from central Lorraine and coalition ground forces than he originally he thought he would, but the overall plan is still the same.

The clock shows 06:00 hrs, Zero Hour, Lt.Gen. Magnan gives the order to attack.

Northern Solaren

Coalition aircraft had been operating contantly ever since the Solaren attack on Lorraine and the ensuing declaration of war. Though the attack by Platte has added to the air force's burden, maintaining air superiority over the Solaren is still the duty of the coalition air forces, as it is the duty of Third Army to open the ground offensive in Northern Solaren.

I will be I Corps and VI Corps on the left flank will open the offensive as the mechanized and armor battalion push though designated places along the border. While it is I Corps job to pin the ground in front of them in place, it the VI Corps that will protect the left flank blocking attempts by enemy forces from advancing up the eastern Coast.

Though it I and VI Corps that attack along the greatest frontage, it is V and VII Corps that is be the primary attacking columns, with V Corps attacking alon the eastern La Spina towards Bargia and the peninsula west of there and with VII Corps protecting it right flank. It is VII Corps that had it orders changed in response to the Platte attack, as it was to follow up on V Corps advance now it will the Coalition brigade that will be relied apon for the follow up.

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06:00 hrs, the order to advance is received, the grouynd campaign is now underway.

Port of Toulon

Though the port is one of the major commercial ports of Lorraine, it also serves as the home port of the Home Fleet and the aircraft carrier Le Souverain. Unlike Gen. Magnan of Third Army, Admiral Henri Fouquet has already been given the order to sail, for he is to support the Eiffellanders amphibious operations once the ground offensive is launched. So far the Royal Lorrainian Navy's involvement in the war has been limited to its submarine forces hunting down their Solaren counterparts and corvettes and attack boats raiding Solaren coastal facilities and naval assets, using their exocets as cruise missiles on shore targets rather than the normal anti-ship role. Now the navy will exert itself in a war that, until now, has been primarily an air war.

06:00 hrs, Le Souverain Battle Group has already sailed.

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Capraria
Countryside

As the Carentanians brought in more and more troops and equipment, the Third Mechanized Brigade supported by the First Marines brigade that had, except for one company that's been relocated to aboard the "Samobor", remained on the frontline instead of being replaced as promised, overwhelmed the Solaren units across the entire east of the island. Close Air Support from planes of the Fifth Air Division guarantueed complete strategic superiority and the initiative once again rested firmly in the hands of the Revolutionary Army. Solarens defense collapsed and entire units were overran after they had previously done so with many squads of Carentanian paratroopers. And in the wake of the offensive, the Fifth Infantry Brigade erected fortified positions and outposts throughout the conquered land.

Ivan Resnik had been allowed to tag along with a squad of Mechanized Infantry, seated amongst the Guardsmen in an APC as they headed towards a known Solaren position that had just recently become the target of heavy aerial assaults. He had been taken in by the unit under the condition of him staying inside the small fishermen's town they were about to attack and hand it over to occupying force. After all, they were an unit on the offense and couldn't turn around just to bring Guardsman Resnik to the safety of an allied camp, while having him walk alone would be against the code of conduct. At least, that's how the commander would justify it, if someone ever asked him.

The town was abandoned as they reached it together with three more APC's and an IFV. A "firefly" helicopter filled the air with a deafening noise for a few seconds as it soared across the sky, but other than that, a suspicious silence filled the ghosttown as the soldiers carefully explored it. A number of craters and destroyed Solaren ordonnance were proof of the earlier assaults by Carentanias air force, while the Solaren soldiers that must have died in the attack had obviously been taken along when Solarens army left the town. Nevertheless, a foul stench kept lingering in the air, reminding the less experienced men of singed hair. Those who had already served in the Jurzan liberation knew, this was the smell of burned flesh.

Ivan kicked open a door to one of the small wooden huts that compromised most of the village. From the outside, he peeked inside the house, his weapon drawn and ready to be fired. If he had been expecting an ambush or a trap, he was mistaken. The main room was filled with loose clothes, leftover food and a few scattered toys. Tools and fishing equipment had been carelessly thrown into a corner. Clearly, this home had been abandoned in a hurry, the inhabitants completely surprised by the approaching socialist forces. Had the Carentanians, at least their soldiers, hoped to be greeted as liberators, they were disappointed by the events. Solaren propaganda was still highly effective in instilling fear and hatred for "the reds" in the population. Still, that at least meant that it was Solaren who would have to deal with masses of panicking civilians flooding their positions and crushing their logistics. Carentania would have enough time to care for them afterwards, teaching them that what they had been taught was wrong.

"Over here! Get over here and take a look at his," one of the soldiers yelled through a scarf he kept pressed to his face. Several soldiers, including Guardsman Resnik, heeded his call, climbing the makeshift stairs to the top of the hill he had been exploring. The smell of burned flesh intensified as they approached the top and everyone of the soldiers tried to deal with it either the same way as the first man on the hill, by pressing a scarf to their face, or by putting on their gasmask alltogether.

"What's that?" One of the soldiers asked the obvious question as they stood in front of at least two dozen piles of ash and charcoal, still emitting heat and releasing stinking fumes. Then, all at the same time, they realized in disgust what happened as one of them, using the bayonet attached to his rifle as a pole, pulled out a metal tag used to identify Carentanian soldiers from within one of the piles.

"These..." Ivan Resnik mumbled with a sharp anger in his voice. "I'll make them pay for that." He whispered at first, then repeated aloud: "I will make them pay for that."

"They can't be far!" one of the soldiers exclaimed, leaving the suggestion to chase them down unspoken, but hanging in the air. It needed the intervention of the commanding officer to stop it from actually happening.

"You all stay here until the Fifth Infantry arrives. That's our orders."

"Comrade, they... look..."

"I know," the man replied, a single tear running across his face. "But this is not our job. There will be justice, rest assured comrades. Capraria is an island after all. They got nowhere to run to. I will tell command of our findings here, make sure the other units know this happened."

 

[Rheinbund]

Lorraine

After Valérie Hainaut had left Lorraine, Prince Johann felt lonely. And he was worried about her. Would she survive the war? And if yes, would it be possible to marry her? His father had widened the marriage rules: He had allowed to marry girls from non-noble families as well, as long as those families were important in another sense. An important industrial dynasty like the Rathenaus, or an important scientific dynasty like the Sauerbruchs, the Plancks, the Humboldts or the descendants of Robert Koch. But was Valérie from such a family?
He hoped that he would be able to help with liberating Montelimar from the Engellexers as well after this war. Maybe then he would see Valérie back. And maybe if he shot down enough Engellexers, King Armand would give Valérie a noble title.

But now he still had missions to fly above Solaren. The ground offensive had started, so this meant that still the Solaris reinforcements coming from the South needed to be bombed. Like one of his superiors had said, it had become possible to make movies playing on the moon in Northern Solaren. And in a way, that was true. Parts of Northern Solaren resembled a moon landscape after weeks of bombing. Johann took off for the next mission.


Eiffelland

The VRL-factories were making missile after missile and sparepart after sparepart for the Eiffellandian air force. In general, all industry one way or another making something for the armed forces was working night and day.

Meanwhile, the Air Force put military bases in the Southern half of Solaren on their hitlists. The Solaris air defence capacities could be considered reduced to zero, so the Eiffellandian air force had a free game there.

But the thoughts about the ground war were less positive. Intelligence legally and illegally gathered from the Carentanians made clear that the Solaris soldiers were fanatics piece by piece. Surrendering was not an option for them. Post-war Solaren would be difficult to handle. But this war had to be won, because a post-war Solaren under Pope Urban would be more devastating than ever.

A propaganda action was started. Flyers would be spread over Solaren, stating that there would be a post‑war Solaren, and that that post‑war Solaren needed young men to maintain the country rather than fighting a lost cause. It also stated that the EDF and the RDTO would help the Solaris with setting up a new constitution and economy, and that soldiers from the EDF and the RDTO would treat surrendering soldiers well.


Venetian Bay

Admiral Seilschläger watched the sea from the bridge of the flagship of the Eiffellandian amphibious assault fleet that had been formed for this occasion. It was the first time in decades that the Eiffellandians would fight a war for real. Everybody felt the tension, also the admiral. He knew that a victory in Solaren was essential, but he also knew that the EDF would come out of this war weakened. Dark times were to come.

 

[Wieserreich]

Operational Headquarters
Eiffellandic Royal Armed Forces, Lorraine

Kadett Eleonore von Thießen closed the door of her room shut. She glared at it with anger, annoyance, pride. She hated it with a fiery passion. She was at an active military base, observing actual war operations along with the finest students of the Imperial Army Academy of Mecklenburg and certain Reichswehr officers, aqnd yet she -only she!- had been unfairly given her own room.

Granted, this room used to be a stockhouse a few weeks back. It was barely bigger than a prison cell, barely accommodating her stuff and bed, comfortably close to the showers an with improvised heating and cooling. Hardly a luxury: but still, the future Empress of Wiese demanded to be with the rest of her comrades. The fact she was the only female cadet sent to this base by the Ministry of War did not help at all.

She took off her overcoat, undoing the belts and putting them tidily on her bed. She looked nothing like she did a year ago, when she enrolled in the Imperial Army Academy of Magdeburg to conduct her three-and-a-half-year military service. Now she was dressed almost like a boy; the only out-of-place thing was the fat her hair was still dyed, albeit not as vividly as it would have been a year back.

Eleonore kicked the wall with a frown. So far behind the lines; she recognised that here was where war was being committed from but she also wanted hands-on field experience. Her presence here was a state secret, although she was not hiding her name within the compound. Everything was so complex, she could see favouritism everywhere: favouritism because she, a princess, was learning the art of war.

"Scheiße!" she proclaimed with a sigh. It was late, she needed to rest as much as she could. She knew she was over-reacting anyway, but the lion within her was simply too proud to not react when she had some privacy. Sighing one last time, she started gathering her stuff to go take a shower in the officer quarter. After this she would sleep, and hope this eight-week tour she was enjoying here would never end.

 

[Rheinbund]

Airforce bases Eiffelland

The first planes to drop airborne troops above Southeastern Solaren took off. In a massive operation that would take several days, the Air Force would drop 20,000 soldiers above Southeastern Solaren, although the exact location was not known yet. It would depend on where the amphibious assault fleet would be able to land, given the Carentanian mines around Southeastern Solaren.
The airborne troops were instructed to secure a landing strip where supply planes could land, and to secure a seaport where supply ships could moor. The planes from the aircraft carrier FT‑1 would deliver the necessary air support, together with the attack helicopters in the amphibious assault fleet. The airborne troops were equipped with ABC protection equipment.
Later airborne operations would drop an additional 20,000 soldiers above Southeastern Solaren. Furthermore, an additional load for the amphibious assault fleet was prepared.


A frigate in the Venetian Bay

Prince Karl had ended his military service in August of this year, but he had decided to sign voluntarily for an additional year to support the war effort. He was still a Lieutenant on one of Eiffelland’s frigates.


Meanwhile, in Eiffelland

During a war, it was sometimes needed to make up an interim balance of the losses. In the meantime, much of the Solaris military equipment and many Solaris soldiers had been killed, but Eiffelland had suffered some losses as well.
160 Tornados and 40 Typhoons had been sent to Lorraine, partly from the navy and partly from the air force. Meanwhile 5 Typhoons and 35 Tornados had been lost in Lorraine and Northern Solaren.
The air force was continuously flying above Eiffelland itself, and was bombing in Solaren. Flying above Eiffelland was safe, but the actions in Solaren had cost 30 Tornados.
Of course all equipment was subject to the normal wear and tear while they were used. Sometimes parts of the planes used needed to be replaced. Because VRL was a joint-venture of Wieser and Eiffellandian companies, VRL also had factories in Eiffelland where spare parts were built. That made it a lot easier to get access to spare parts.
The navy was continuously chasing Solaris submarines. They were successful with that, but Eiffelland had lost one submarine and 3 frigates. Furthermore, two destroyers and 3 frigates needed to be repaired. Luckily, the Franconian shipbuilder VFS also had some wharfs in Eiffelland, so the ships could be repaired there easily.

The Government had decided to issue war bonds to finance the war. They were marketed through advertisements, the radio, television and the internet. The advertisements and commercials promoting them used among others referrals to the 4000 Nicosian hostages in Solaren who had to be bought free, the Nicosian hostages that had been killed in Solaren, the chemical attack against Lorrainian forces, the Engellexic attack against Montelimar but also a phrase of the speech by Chancellor Von Seydewitz in which he announced the full mobilisation of the Eiffellandian armed forces ( “Freedom and democracy are at stake”), and the phrase “60 years of peace has been broken”.

The biopharmaceutical industry was doing a very good business, as well as industries that were linked to military businesses in whichever way. Industries focusing on consumer products were doing worse. Because of the war, people tended to wait with buying televisions, hifi-installations, computers, cars and so on. The sales rates for those products had decreased a bit, luckily not dramaticly.

Medical teams had alreay been sent to Lorraine to treat wounded soldiers. Medical teams would also be sent to Solaren as soon as it would be possible.

Also an impopular measure was taken: A speed limit of 130 km/h (≈ 81 mph) was introduced on the motorways to save fuel. It was not needed yet, but better safe than sorry.

 

[Breotonia]

Shattered Legacy

The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes. - Benjamin Disraeli​

Office of Director Aaron Hadley
ONI Headquarters
Berth, Breotonia

Hadley stood over the table-sized battlescreen displaying the location and information of the two Prowler submarines that had been idling at their destination in the Gulf of Lorraine, the HMS Shadow and the HMS Edge of Umbra. He held a cellular phone to his ear, waiting while he was connected to the prime minister. A click, "Yes?"

"Hadley here. They're ready to deploy the package, Operation Uppercut can be executed at your command."

"Stir the pot."

"Yes sir." Hadley tapped the table with the necessary commands giving the submarine commanders the authorization to release their payloads on the assigned targets. A lot of people were about to have a bad day but two men in Lunden poured themselves a celebratory drink and broadcasted their soon to be realized triumph to their cohorts who were busy behind the scenes steering other ships of state.

Gulf of Lorraine

The surface of the water was calm, for the open ocean, and there was not a ship in sight. A hypothetical observer could float confident in the fact that they were completely and utterly alone for hundreds of miles. He would not, of course, notice the two 560 foot long man made leviathans that hovered beneath the surface.

Far below the gentle waves and through a metal canopy Commander H. T. Ward of the HMS Edge of Umbra waited not without unease for a response from the Office of Naval Intelligence. His orders never came from HIGHCOM or NAVCOM as Prowlers were not navy ships and not staffed by navy personnel. The Prowlers were part of ONI's fleet and everybody on board was an ONI officer. This meant that his crew was steeled to the type of havoc and destruction they were about to cause, it still unnerved them. Nobody knew exactly why they were doing what they were doing, not even Ward though he would not admit being in the dark. ONI officers were meant to know everything or, at least, appear to do so.

They had been resting in place for more than an hour while preparing and awaiting the final go ahead. The bridge crew had gotten rather lax in that time. For a surface ship that might have meant limited goofing off and idle chitchat. On a submarine, and especially on a Prowler, that meant a whispered exchange of words between two crewmen every five minutes or so. Discipline and order was key in this type of environment. Two younger men in the corner of the deck were performing some type of administrative work when one of them said under his breath to the other. "I just don't understand what Puzzle Palace is up to." Puzzle Palace was jargon for ONI headquarters. His companion shrugged his shoulders in shared confusion but before he could respond Ward's XO, the aptly names James Waters, barked in their direction. "Ensign Lovell! Lock it down or I will personally stuff you in the TDU." Both men hurriedly returned to their duties in silence.

The Communications Officer suddenly relayed to Ward, "Command has issued a go ahead." Ward nodded in acknwledgement, took the luxury of massaging his eyes for a second, and then slightly wearily gave the Weapons Officer the order to carry out the mission with the knowledge that not that far away his counterpart on the HMS Shadow was doing the same.

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Back on the surface our imaginary observer would still be lazily floating about, thinking himself alone. He might have felt something inside, some type of a disturbance in the air or the water, unable to identify it. His curiosity would quickly be met by the sight of a missile violently crashing through the surface of the water then, for a brief moment, hanging suspended just above the waves before its propulsion engaged and it jetted into the air on its deadly course. Quickly it would be accompanied by more and more. Within minutes 288 long range cruise missiles had rocketed out of the depths and towards their final destination in Augsburg.

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Commander Ward waited to hear that the final missile was away and then gave the order to close shop. Shadow and the Edge of Umbra would be making their way back to the Central Fleet and then home to Breotonia for restocking and, hopefully, some R&R. In an hour or so the the

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missiles would reach the Wieser capital. They had been liberally targeted at every location of any importance. Even if 25% were miraculously intercepted the city would be devastated, not just physically but psychologically. Many missiles, five, ten, even twenty had been aimed at important buildings and institutions to insure they would not escape the coming storm. Nymphenburg Palace, the Reichsrat and the Reichstag, the Augsburg Stock Exchange, the Belvedere and the Schönbrunn palaces, VRL GmbH, every place of historical or economic important and symbolism in the City of Emperors would meet an end today. And who would ever suspect the Breotish? The war in Germania was far from over and there were yet many that would be made to play the game.

 

[Rheinbund]

The reaction in the Eiffellandian armed forces when 288 cruise missiles were shot off from the Gulf of Lorraine was a collective “Was zum Teufel?”. Immediately some ships were assigned the task to find the ships or submarines that had fired the cruise missiles. Depending on the destination of the cruise missiles, those vessels would have to be deported to Bremen or hailed.

When it apppeared that the destination would be Northern Eiffelland, Danmark or Wiese, the orders became clear. The culprits had to be stopped and arrested. Two frigates and two submarines started the task.

 

[Wieserreich]

Augsburg, Swabia, Wiese

It would be a lie to say that anybody was expecting this to happen. Not the how, not the what; just the when did they expect, and that they owed to the air raid sirens and the Reichstag resolution calling armed conflict is 'imminent' for Wiese, just one day prior. It had been a day of upset and chaos, in the end of a summer of worry.

The City of Emperors was a large city. Large in population, the metropolitan area housing almost 8.8 million souls, and large in area, as it had been built and spread all over the heart of Swabia. It was a city without skyscrapers, instead home to large parks, neoclassical buildings and monuments, with only the suburbs having modern architecture.

The average Augsburger took pride in their city. It had been touched by many a riot and war; especially in the 20th Century when the strife of the 1910s, 1950s and 1960s had meant the city had to largely be built anew in parts. Nevertheless, like a phoenix Augsburg always rose from its ashes.

The observer clinched his fist with anger and fury as he looked at the sight of the burning buildings. This would not go unpunished. Augsburg would rise from its ashes yet again.

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Wiese's early warning system and the slow speed of the Archer cruise missiles had given ample time to the Reichswehr to panic, frenzy and then berserk at what was about to commence. The powerful long-range radars installed all across the Alps in South Wiese, originally meant to warn for a possible nuclear exchange of the Cold War, had detected the massive wave of missiles coming, slowly as they did.

It was a full hour during which they could respond. It was two hundred and eighty-eight God-forsaken dots on the early warning system over the Sea of Lorraine, slowly disappearing one by one as they reached the limits of Danmark and crossing into Imperial airspace. If it was not for the

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for the Reichswehr and the Landwehr, the catastrophe would have been even bigger.

The very first thing to do for the Reichswehr's Chiefs of Staff was to warn the political leadership. '200 to 300' cruise missiles had been launched from an unknown location at or near the Sea of Lorraine, heading towards Swabia. The target was unknown, but speculation wanted the entire political and industrial infrastructure of the realm to be under attack; this included the cities of Augsburg, Oldenburg and Magdeburg, and their general industrial areas.

'This is no drill. I repeat, this is no drill' yelled the loudspeakers of the key Imperial Air Force and Army bases all over the country. Eight minutes into the attack, as the Ministry of War had been mobilised, DEFCON-1 status was declared. This was an abusive and unofficial move, not going public, but with 300 missiles coming towards you, you would not want to take any chances.

It took no more than twenty minutes to evacuate the entire government and royalty in Swabia to the bunkers below Augsburg. At the same time the military was hotly working to prepare for an engagement; soon would those missiles that had survived the flight from their launch points to Wiese's borders enter the country, meaning the real war would just begin.

At twenty-five minutes, the air raid sirens of the entire districts of Augsburg, Oldenburg, Magdeburg, and every other major city and town of any economic or military importance in Swabia would begin yelling non-stop. The police, having their command taken over by the War Ministry from the Interior Ministry, instructed citizens to begin evacuating to the [wiki]civil defence network of Wiese[/wiki]. In a matter of a dozen or so minutes, Swabia was paralysed, the media were trying to get a response from the government, and the rest of Wiese was desperately trying to understand what the fuck was happening.

Many panicked. Air raid sirens meant two things; either a massive nuclear attack, or a massive enemy bombardment coming all across Wiese. Many sought shelter. Others, foolishly curious, tried to stay somewhere they could see what happened. Some would see nothing at all; others would see it all, but only for the last glimpse of a second that their lives still lasted.

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Wiese, H-Hour -0045

It had not been too long since the Reichswehr and the Landwehr were raised to DEFCON-2 status, the Landsturm to DEFCON-3. Heightened readiness was still too fresh when orders came for engagement. Swabia's fate would be in the hands of the Imperial Army Air Defence, the Imperial Air Force, and the Landwehr Luftwaffe. At this hour, they only had orders to engage any hostile target in range; this was soon bound to change.

Wiese, H-Hour -0030

As the first surviving missiles entered Imperial airspace, the air defences of the country began firing against the slow-moving cruise missiles. They were no easy targets to shoot down; their speed and low profile made it particularly difficult for the air defence, although the hostile numbers meant there would be many early successes. Deep below the War Ministry in Augsburg, a new plan was devised to minimise casualties.

Swabia, H-Hour -0022

Judging by the profile of the incoming threat, it meant Wiese had a lot in its hands. It was a large wave of long range cruise missiles with conventional or nuclear payload. And although Wiese had no defence against intercontinental ballistic missiles, it had a solid defence against tactical and tactical-strategic threats that would heavily risk its beloved Army's survival and capability to fight war.

And yet, the commanders were puzzled. This was a massive attack; why was it only directed towards Swabia? Why was it not targeting any front-line troops? This was bound to be a first wave, one meant to disable the reserves and the production capability of the country before the frontal attack was launched. The likely culprit was deemed Winnemark or another hostile power with the ability to launch such an assault.

Did Winnemark have the ability to launch 300 missiles as a first wave only, though? That was beside the point.

Orders were given in a desperate gamble to minimize the damage. There was no way in hell that Wiese's defences would be able to shoot down every missile coming. However lucky they got, they would never be able to shoot down more than half of what was coming their way at best, one-fourth at worst. The only aid here was what other countries had already shot down as missiles headed their way, or launching close to them.

What Wiese's military could do, however, was rely on technology to fight technology. Modern missiles were guided for accuracy, and this guidance was the only thing they could use against them. As the Landwehr's air arm began trying to engage the hostile missiles that had survived the missile defences, the Imperial Air Force undertook a task they could not easily comprehend: they had to create a jammed, dead zone all over Augsburg, Oldenburg and Magdeburg, at the best of their ability.

Swabia, H-Hour -0015

As electronic warfare planes began trying to jam everything in, over and around Swabia's three most important cities, wireless communications came to a halt. The Ministry was adamant here: 'use any and all electronic warfare resources available to carry out the operation'. In a unique display of cooperation among several military districts, planes from multiple bases came for this.

The top targets in order to be defended were the industrial areas, government locations, and the historical city centres that held most of the population. The sudden end in wireless communications due to jamming meant that the citizens had one more reason to panic; first the sirens and now their Handys jammed. But the land lines worked. The jamming had been ordered to continue until impact or until the individual cities were deemed safe.

Magdeburg, H-Hour -0010

Magdeburg was the first city to be lifted of the silent hell the Air Force had bestowed it, as the cruise missiles passed right over the city and its outskirts, continuing towards Augsburg. The jammers followed suit, the citizens of the city beginning to feel relief. Under the skies, the Imperial Army Academy was also mobilising for operations.

Augsburg, H-Hour +0000

A rain of cruise missiles befell Germania's proudest and most beautiful city. Of the initial wave a great many had been shot down; a lot more had been confused due to the jamming that was intended to heavily minimise their accuracy. Nevertheless, many missiles struck true, either by coincidence, by accuracy, or by merit of the size of their target. Within minutes Augsburg was ablaze.

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Augsburg, H-Hour +0100

It had been good news and bad news for the Empire after all.

The good news were many. It had been no nuclear attack; it did not really hit much of the country's infrastructure; and it had only been Augsburg, meaning that the rest of the Empire, Oldenburg and Madgeburg included, were safe. And the air raid sirens had helped reduce the fatalities.

The bad news, albeit less, were much more important. This was Wiese's culture that was under attack; this was heavily populated areas. The countermeasures deployed by the Air Force had only helped to decrease the accuracy of the missiles, not their deadliness. And thousands were already dead or injured; unofficial estimates soared.

As the fire brigade was already overstretched and expected reinforcements from all available within 90 minutes from the city, be that nearby townships' fire brigades or the military, and the hospitals were already half-full with the injured and the dead, the Augsburger clenched his fists in fury.

The most important targets struck directly or indirectly included both Imperial Palaces, the Reichstag building, St. Adrian's Cathedral, Nymphenburg, many important corporate buildings, monuments, museums, and worse. In the chaos, a part of Augsburg had already been suffering looting; the military was only just arriving, placing an information blackout and with orders to shoot 'traitors' on sight.

The Stock Exchange in particular had been almost annihilated; all that remained from the direct hit to the adjacent building was the frames of it. Nymphenburg's gardens and buildings had been littered with explosions, the grounds taking heavy damage. The same was true with the two Imperial Palaces. Although these three palaces still stood, they did so heavily wounded, bleeding, and with ancient treasures lost.

[wiki]VRL[/wiki], one of the targets of the attack, had seen mixed luck. The only fact that kept the corporation running was the fact Wiese allowed no skyscrapers - this meant it needed to use many buildings, and though it had lost two, it had a few more that allowed it to barely keep running. The company being a subsidiary of KIW, which was not even based in the city, also helped.

Adriansdom, or the Cathedral of Saint Adrian, took an indirect hit. Whether it was jamming or inaccuracy, the cruise missile targeting it had exploded a good 10 metres away from it. The side was charred, the windows broken, a part on fire; but Saint Adrian seemed to have barely saved his home in Augsburg.

The famed Augsburg Opera was not spared. A large portion of the building was heavily damaged, rendering it currently inoperable. The Reichstag had been damaged similarly to the Adriansdom but worse, meaning that, in the best case, the Diet and the Council had to meet elsewhere; in the worst, the building might be lost.

Other important targets struck included some city squares, the port, and residential areas.

The real concern had, of course, been Schönbrunn, the summer residence of the Emperor. Together with Belvedere, the winter residence, it had been aimed by twenty cruise missiles, half of which successfully reached its premises and six of which had struck important locations of the massive palace. Its flames, like Belvedere's could be seen all over the nearby area; and it was the #1 priority to be saved.

Thankfully the Emperor had been evacuated just in time.

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Classified location below Augsburg
Swabia, H-Hour +0105

The ministerial meeting at the bunker was hot, uncomfortable, and stressed. It was the first meeting personally attended by both the Emperor and the King in years. The ancient Emperor glared angrily at his ministers, as did his aged son. The Chancellor was speechless; the War Minister was bold.

"There is a complete media blackout. We are controlling everything that is on the news within the country. The military is entering Augsburg as we speak, enforcing martial law and having orders to assist the police, fire brigade, and hospitals" reported the Chancellor, Otto Reichsgraf von Baden.

Friedrich Wilhelm grunted with hopelessness and disappointment. "What is the body count?" he asked.

"...We expect between 5.000 and 15.000 dead, and twice as many wounded in all manners" replied the Chancellor. "But this is still too early to go official about this."

"And the attacker?" asked the King.

"...None identified. There is no second wave, either. This was a one-time surgical strike. Likely culprits include Solaren, Winnemark and Engellex" replied the Chancellor.

The Emperor grunted again, slamming his old fist into the table.

"This is not an attack. This is an assassination attempt on all of us, and on our culture. It is a terrorist strike, meant to make us wage war. People demand blood and answers" Friedrich Wilhelm proclaimed. "You have thirty minutes to prepare all options for our international policy. Find me whose blood I must suck, gentlemen."

As the ministers and their aides scattered in hurry, the Emperor and the King sat together and began writing something the likes of which had not been seen since the 1848 rebellions: an Imperial decree unlike no other.

 

[Lorraine]

Gulf of Lorraine

Since the mobilization of Winnemark, there has been and greater, if possible, urgency to keep a watchful eye on the waters and skies of the Gulf of Lorraine as it is through these waters that the Lorraine's navy and mechantile fleet must pass to reach the open sea as well as keep open the last sealane to Montelimar. Patrols in the air and both on the surface and beneath the gulf waters has been maintained before the first shot was fired by Solaren and has been kept clear of enemy vessel throughout the war. It is this reason that the reaction of an AWACs plane reporting missile launches from the gulf brough an immediate response. Because they were being fired fast as they could be, the AWAC was able to get a fix on the location of where they were being fired and vectored the closest patrol ships and aircraft to the area, and because no ship was detected firing the missiles, additional ASW aircrft were quickly dispatched as well as surface vessels and subs. Though it is too late to prevent the missile from being fired, it does not prevent a massive sub search to commence.

Though air raid alerts were sounded, it was soon determined that the missile courses were not towards Lorraine but instead northeast, which would likely take them over Wennemark, Danmark, Eiffelland or even Wiese. This was quite confusing to the High Command as the only one of those at war was Eiffelland, and there are better locations to launch such an attack from, while the others were completely mystifying, but still a warning was sent to all on the estimated course heading of the missiles.

 

[Wieserreich]

Classified location below Augsburg
Swabia, H-Hour +2500

The Emperor shuffled through the TV channels impatiently. Every local and foreign broadcaster spoke of the attack. The man was old, tired, but also incredibly stubborn. His public relation stunts over the 81 years of his rule were nothing compared to his open address to the international community, however. Not speaking of a counter-attack, but speaking of a counter-annihilation.

This bunker was massive, luxurious; on the inside it was a replica of his quarters in Belvedere. Its door knocked and opened. His maid Elise came inside and bowed, before addressing her Lord and Emperor with a solid, disciplined voice. "Your Majesty, your grandson Joseph has arrived to see you" spoke the middle-aged woman. He nodded; she left, the Archduke taking her place and closing the door.

"...Grandfather! Thank God, you are alright" the worried Archduke stated. He himself had some obvious surface injuries he had taken care of. The Emperor stood up silently and patted the middle-aged man on his shoulders, provoking a sigh of relief.

"On the outside perhaps. Inside I am a wounded lion" Friedrich Wilhelm snarled. "You look like you are one piece yourself" he said cynically. This kind of humour was how he was when he was greatly pissed off. Joseph smiled awkwardly before he nodded.

"I was about to enter Nymphenburg when the air raid sirens went off. I managed to save my files" he said with a proud smile. "Then you are a fool. You should have gone to a bunker straight away. Files can be replaced, lives cannot" reprimanded him the Emperor. This was unusual for both of them.

Joseph rolled his eyes. "...Well. I stopped Baden on my way here. Brought you the progress reports myself" he said more light-heartedly. Friedrich Wilhelm sighed tiredly, like only a century-old-man could sigh. He sat down, motioning to Joseph to continue on.

"The Imperial Palaces are safe. Tremendous damage, but nothing ultimately irreplaceable. Nymphenburg is the more complex case, but the Reichswehr is emptying it of Council of Nations files and archives as we speak" explained Joseph, looking at the report for accuracy in his words. "And then you have other locations. Adriansdom made it the easiest of all buildings attacked" he nodded.

Friedrich Wilhelm shut his eyes and sighed with relief. "Saint Adrian be praised. He does protect the faithful after all" he nodded with confidence.

"The stock exchange was utterly annihilated, along with another two buildings in the same block. Most had left, but the material damages are terrifying there. The block is still alight" continued Joseph. "And various corporate buildings were also attacked. VRL suffered the heaviest damages."

"...How are they doing? Can they continue?" asked the Emperor worriedly.

"They claim they can. KIW is stepping in, and they are relocating more critical files and material to underground bunkers from Layer '50" he nodded. "The production facilities were completely unharmed, but they lost two entire buildings of their corporate headquarters. Many lives as well."

The Emperor nodded plainly. "They have business now as well. A large order to fulfil" he frowned.

Joseph gave him a questioning gaze, one Friedrich dismissed with a wave. The prince continued. "It took the combined efforts of the army, the Landwehr, the Ministry of the Interior and the city authorities of Augsburg and every city within one or two hours away, but it looks like we have the situation under control. Some reports indicate Landsturm volunteered to assist the Volkswehr too."

"And looting? I heard there was looting" demanded Friedrich Wilhelm.

Joseph skimmed over the report from Baden. "...It looks like there were. Landwehr shot three dead and nine injured for violating curfew and participating in looting. Most injured have been apprehended, Baden claims." Both royals frowned uneasily.

"...Well blimey then. Who were they?" asked the Emperor.

"Youths mainly. One is a known affiliate of the DNF, another is a Communist party member. Most seem unrelated" explained Joseph. "Looks like Baden has a lot of material to discredit opposition with, now." Friedrich gave Joseph a creepy, wicked grin. "There are more cases reported though. Looks like this will take some time, but the military's quick arrival has probably shrugged off the worst."

Again did the Kaiser wave his hand dismissively.

"...Other than that... well, the entire Reich is in a state of shock. However this morning daily life continued to normal elsewhere" Joseph claimed. The Emperor frowned at him, went to say something, but his grandson did not allow him. "Franz called. He said everyone is fine, Grandmother included. Sounded as busy as always" continued Joseph.

"...Well, good thing we're scattered all over. No matter who of us gets killed, the throne will not be empty" frowned Friedrich.

"Grandfather!" objected Joseph. "Think positive. It is not good for your he--"

"To hell with my health, Joseph!" yelled the Emperor. His grandson blinked - he had never seen him this angry before. "Elise bugs me enough about this anyhow. Pills, pills, pills. The people need me now. The people need to be avenged" he continued, calming down.

"...I heard your open reply. Do we really have a missile in our hands?" asked Joseph.

The Emperor nodded faintly. "The Emperor says so" he commanded. Joseph nodded, understanding his role and the complexities in this situation. "You are a diplomat" Friedrich continued.

"Who did this?" asked Joseph. "None of your business just yet" frowned the Emperor in a rare example of rudeness. "Baden says it is Solaren though. Does this answer your question?"

The prince remained thoughtful for a moment. "So, let me get this straight. Solaren is going to be your front?" he asked with concern. The Emperor looked at him with pride, his features turning much more grandfatherly.

"I did say the culprits will pay in kind. Now bugger off" he said warmly. His grandson smirked, saluted, and left quickly.

 

[Breotonia]

Naval Communication Service
Encryption Code: None
Classification: OPEN
Public Key: file/broom/

051130Z SEPTEMBER 2011
From: HIGHCOM/NAVCOM
To: ALL FLEETS
Subject: TERRORIST ATTACK ON WIESE

Elements of the CENTRAL FLEET are currently coordinating to track down the elements responsible for the cruise missile launch of WIESE. ROYAL NAVY assets will be scanning for surface or submerged ships capable of performing the attack. FOREIGN NAVIES are welcome to coordinate with our efforts should they wish. Satellite aided vector analysis for the launch is available for estimates of the location of the offending ship/s. Please contact HIGHCOM or NAVCOM through the FOREIGN OFFICE for information.

 

[Remuria]

Considerations of a somewhat investigative matter

Highly encrypted military transmissions. There are a few ways to do them. The most secure is a tightly focused information beam transmitted by sattelite to the coordinates of the receiver. The advantages were that it was nearly impossible to intercept, unless having a receptor near the general area. The disadvantages were that in case of poor coordination, the beam might simply miss out its intended recipient.

Other means were somewhat more public and involved transmitting highly encrypted information on channels that were open to interception by intelligence gathering devices, such as listening stations, internet interception software, installations tasked with intercepting sattelite and cellular telephone calls and faxes, telephone listening devices.

Wendmark, despite its relatively small size when compared to most of its neighbours (with just Vistrasia in the north being a welcome relief), had a disproportionate paranoia about being invaded. Even the long term Wiesers were considered potential “uninvited” guests, so what to say about the rest of the world?

This explained not only the important militarisation of the country, but also the advanced spy systems throughout the country. The SATOS constellation of installations (commonly referred to as Onyx), tasked with electronic warfare against the enemy, gathering and intercepting intelligence and disrupting the enemy command and control in the battlefield. There was an even more obscure intelligence system, commonly referred to as SkyGlass, tasked with spotting, detecting, categorising and archiving sattelites in orbit over Germania and the rest of the hemisphere open to the system.

Of course, intelligence gathering was a painfully complex process of filtering and deciphering. Intercepted information packets were often unusable, impossible to decipher and simply junk. But they provided other curious information. Their probable point of origin and their probable point of destination, the satellites they used in their path.

In a show of solidarity, Wendmark's Security & Analysis Service transferred to its Wieser colleagues an important amount of information. Included were communication patterns covering the conflict areas, with communications from Breotonia and Scania featured. Included was information on what satellites where were emitting what patterns of communications, what sattelites were overflying where. Wieser intelligence officers would be able to quickly combine the information with their own to better trace the pattern of communications in and out of the general launch area and detect its point of origin.

Not included, however, was information on what commercial sattelites were flagged as dual-purpose or intelligence sattelites by the SkyGlass services. After all, these were the work of Wendmark's intelligence services based on those same services' work on analysis and information gathering. They could be right, could be wrong, but in any case this kind of information was not to be shared just yet.

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Bay of Venetia

The "Samobor" was the most prestigious vessel the Carentanians had operating in the bay, protected by several fregates and destroyers. Aboard the Samobor was an entire company of marines, having previously fought in the invasion of Capraria and now assigned to a special mission that was yet to be disclosed to them. However, while the Samobor was both the most famous, newest and the largest Carentanian ship in the area, the majority of operations apart from the one involving the "Samobor" itself directly, were coordinated from aboard the "Flag of Liberation", a modern destroyer with advanced radar and communication equipment.

It was the "Flag of Liberation" that processed all data gathered by Carentanian ships operation in the bay and it also distributed orders to the ships involved in the operation to place mines along Solarens eastern coastline. The Carentanians had claimed that coastal areas all the way from Torrence to the southern edge of Solaren were heavily mined now and that no ship that values its safety should trespass into these areas - but the truth was far from it, due to the sheer size of the area and the actual goals behind the mining operation. Only punctual areas at the south-eastern peninsula had succesfully been mined in order to obstruct a possible invasion of Eiffelland that could endanger anticipated Carentanian supremacy in the Long Sea area. Naturally, the Workers' Republic maintained strict silence about this fact and instead emphasized the need to cut off Solaren from its supply lines.

The chaos surrounding the surprise attack on Wiese's capital had drawn quite some attention from all militaries present in the area, including Carentania. It was attributed to this distraction and the subsequent search for the source of the attack, when a Carentanian fregate by the name of "Torchbearer" suddenly reported the detection of a previously unnoticed vessel in the proximity of Carentanian minefields. All available information and intelligence was quickly evaluated aboard the "Flag of Liberation" and it was determined that the ship was a minesweeper of Solaren origin, tasked with clearing routes through the Carentanian mines. Unsurprisingly, the Carentanians decided to engage the ship.

"Torchbearer, you have orders to engage hostile vessel. Please confirm." The signal was encrypted according to Revolutionary Navy standards, using an unique code that could only be decrypted by the "Torchbearer". Not even the "Flag of Liberation", which had the code necessary for the encryption, knew the algorithm necessary to decrypt it again. Any Carentanian ship had its unique encryption code.

Within less than a minute, the "Torchbearer" confirmed its orders. All its systems firing up to maximum combat readiness, the ships active radar flared up for no more than seconds, allowing its weapons guidance systems to target the enemy and send three anti-ship cruise missiles to be sent against the minesweeper. While the "Torchbearer" already shut down its active radar again and activated radar and radio jamming, aided in this endeavour by other nearby Carentanian ships, the missiles were ascending to a high altitude above the ship. Finally, they would take a dive towards the enemy vessel, firing up its rocket engine at full thrust and flying a parabel at a maximum speed of mach 3, hitting the enemy barely above water level. A deathly attack even for better defended ships.

But as the missiles left their canisters, additional reports gathered by ships in the "Samobor's" combat group reached the "Flag of Liberation". Apparently, a large amount of ships of Eiffelländer origin had assembled in the Bay of Venetia and set course for Solaren. Additionally, an increased air traffic, including larger planes, most likely transports, had been recorded flying from Eiffelland towards Solaren. The Eiffelländer attack on mainland Solaren that had been anticipated by Carentanians had obviously begun. And all the data pointed to one thing: the minesweeper just assaulted most likely wasn't from Solaren.

"Abort attack," the new order was issued immediately as the possibility dawned upon the Carentanian command, but it was too late. There was no turning back now and with their options to prevent the desaster exhausted, all the Carentanians could now do was to contain the damage done. Commissar for Foreign Affairs Dusan Mejic was informed of the incident within minutes and he immediately contacted the ambassador from Eiffelland, hoping to clarify the situation and express his most sincere apologies before the situation in the Bay of Venetia could explode into catastropy. Even Matija Dracar, Commissar for Defence, lost some of his hair as a consequence of the stressful situation, though in difference to his colleague, he could see some merit to the situation if the Workers' Republic was able to prevent fights with Eiffelland from erupting as consequence of this mistake. After all, the public was informed of the incident as quickly as the Eiffelländer ambassador was. Commissar Mejic hoped that openness would gain the world's trust, but it also meant that Solaren now knew what was coming their way and where.

 

[Wieserreich]

Imperial Ministry for State Security, Augsburg
Swabia, H-Hour +3730

Hans blinked. He and his staff had been looking at all the input from the Reichswehr and Wendmark's intelligence agencies for hours now. More was coming in by the minute, from Wiese's own observations, the analysis results of things, and more. At their disposal at a classified location they had even acquired the remains of two Breotonia-manufactured Archer cruise missiles.

Nobody in the Empire knew of this. Well, almost nobody. If it came out, it would be akin to a nuclear weapon detonating over your head. He needed to make no mistake - it was surreal to even think this lead was true. It simply couldn't be. Besides, Wendmark and Wiese did not have the most reliable intelligence about the Sea of Lorraine. Convinced he was wrong but clueless of what to do, he made a phonecall.

Within minutes later, the intelligence agencies of Wiese's EDF counterparts and friends had gotten an official request to share their gatherings. Beginning with Eiffelland's and Lorraine's, and continuing with every single one of them. Wendmark, Danmark and Winnemark would also be similarly asked.

If there was one way to find out definitive answers, would be to compare the intelligence results of multiple countries all about the same warzone this was about.

 

[Rheinbund]

Navy headquarters
Trier, Eiffelland

The admiralty had quickly combined the information from Lorraine with its own information and deduced that it should have been submarines that had fired the shots. The Wieser armed forces were indicating that it would be Solaren, but why did they target Augsburg and not Trier? Furthermore, Solaren had focused its naval activities on the Long Sea, and meanwhile each Solaris vessel in or near the Venetian Bay had been sunk. What was going on here?

The following message was sent to the Breotish Naval Office:

Thank you for your support in this. We are also looking for the vessels in question. According to us, we should look either for a small number of large submarines or for a large number of small submarines. Good luck. We will let you know as soon as we find something.

The following message was sent to the Wieser secret services via the Staatsschutz:

The missiles were shot from the Gulf of Lorraine, to be precise from the water. According to our own information and information from Lorraine, the vessels were probably submarines, either many small ones, or a few large ones. The Breotish indicated that they are looking for the vessels in question. We ourselves do as well.
Although we would love to see it otherwise, we doubt whether Solaren would still be capable of launching such an attack, mainly because Solaren’s naval capacity around the Venetian Bay has been reduced to zero and we are still patrolling that bay intensively.
Furthermore, it would be more plausible that Solaren would launch such an attack on Lorraine or Eiffelland. Even Pope Urban IV is not a lunatic to the extent that he would drag a large enemy into a war against him while already being under attack.
The bombing of Augsburg is a clear casus belli. We don’t know who did it, but we have a very strong feeling that the entity behind this bombing has a plan, and that a military answer by you is part of that plan. So maybe it is not only a grave insult, but also a trap. Choose your reaction wisely.

Venetian Bay

The amphibious assault fleet contained more than one mine sweeper, so a second mine sweeper took over. Meanwhile attack helicopters and multirole fighters carried out precision bombings on the landing spot foreseen.
More inland from there, the air force started to drop the first load of airborne troops, while planes from the aircraft carriers tried to keep Solaris forces on a distance.


Carentania

When the ambassador was informed about the attack on the Eiffellandian mine sweeper, he asked: “OK. What happened, happened. Make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Furthermore, you claim that that mine field of yours is so tight that nothing can pass from Torrence to Southern Solaren, but that is impossible in such a short time frame. Where are the holes in your mine field?”

 

[Breotonia]

Naval Communication Service
Encryption Code: None
Classification: OPEN
Public Key: file/broom/

051130Z SEPTEMBER 2011
From: HIGHCOM/NAVCOM
To: ALL FLEETS - FOCUS ON NAVAL HEADQUARTERS IN TRIER/WIESE
Subject: TERRORIST ATTACK ON WIESE

Our estimates concur that it was likely a submarine based launch due to the absence of surface ships capable of the operation in the immediate vicinity of the probable launch area (when comparing EDF data with Royal Navy data). Office of Naval Intelligence estimates seem to indicate that the attack may have been carried out by submerged Solaren assets, ongoing tracking of the areas of and surrounding the Long Sea by Breotish intelligence assets has detected multiple unidentified subsurface vessels which are likely remnants of the Solaren fleet. The motive for such an attack is confusing, to say the least.

ONI has submitted a report that, while troubling, might not be related to the present matter. We feel it necessary, however, to bring it forward especially to be looked over by Wieser intelligence services. In 2005 and perhaps on other occasions deals were arranged through a weapons producer that was a subsidiary of the Shaw-Fujikawa Group for the purchase of ordnance, including of missile varieties that could be fitted to submarines, to agents that acted under direct control, or at least on behalf of, Solaren agents or interests. It would be profoundly regrettable if weapons designed by a partly Breotish corporation were to be found responsible for such an atrocity, and it does not seem that likely (but possible). Of course, a nation which values free and open trade and the absence of government intervention and the freedom of choice in matters of commerce, must accept responsibility that such things might happen in our defense of freedom.