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Red Sun Rising

Socialist Commonwealth

Establishing Nation
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
4,691
Location
Germany
Capital
Svetograd
Nick
Revy
Liangang
Mao Province
Liangang Commandery


"I'm a friend of the revolution," Lieutenant Mlakar kept shouting at the militias until he was eventually certain that they weren't going to shoot him and he now had the chance to explain his presence to the Hongmenghui soldiers. "Do you know Carentania? The socialist country. Carentania," he asked them.

Most of the men looked at Mlakar quite dumbfounded, but one of the militiamen nodded hesitantly. "I know what Carentania is," he replied slowly. "What about it?"

"I was sent by the government of Carentania to help you. Let me show you."

Slowly, Lieutenant Mlakar reached inside his coat, where he had stuffed his identification into a small pocket. None of the communist soldiers seemed alarmed by this move that, as Mlakar thought to himself, had made any Carentanian checkpoint itchy. Apparently neither of the soldiers were considering it a likely option that Mlakar was reaching for a weapon or arming a bomb strapped to his body. He noted this as a sign that they were willing to trust him at least a little, even though he was probably the first foreigner they saw - at least for those recruited off the countryside.

Finally, Mlakar waved an official document, imprinted with the seal of the Workers' Republic prominently on the top, into the face of one of the soldiers. "Can anyone of you read ...yet?" He decided to add that last word to express his honest hopes that all these young men would survive the revolution and live to see Socialism - where, without doubt, they'd learn to read and write if they couldn't do so under Imperial rule. "It reads here that I am an official representative of the Workers' Republic of Carentania. What, however, it does not say is, that I am ordered to offer you, the Red Oath Society, the assistance of my country in your fight for freedom. If you can lead me to your commanding officer, I can arrange everything that is necessary with him."

The men looked surprised and confused. Mlakar wasn't sure they believed him, documents or not. He decided to add a little urgency to the matter: "I have heard there were ships of my country operating in the harbor. If we can find a radio station with enough power to contact them, I can send them instructions on where to strike, where the Imperials are. But we need to hurry, before they decide to turn around and head home!"

"How can we be certain you're not a spy for the Emperor?" One of the men finally expressed the reason for their hesitation.

Mlakar was quick to answer: "I'm only going to send the locations of Imperial troops through the radio, only those locations you tell me. If I were a spy for the Emperor, I'd be a pretty useless one. The Imperials already know where their soldiers are, don't they?"

RNS Maximo
Maximo-class Light Carrier
Somewhere within reach of Liangnang


Coordination with rebels in Liangnang had been difficult and as a result, the planes stationed aboard the Maximo had been of little use to the defense of the city. All in all, Admiral Ivan Krajncs was prepared to consider this a training session for his pilots instead of an actual combat operation. Their last attack flights had given them some valuable experience in regards to assaults on unknown territory and attacking by sight. At least the Maximo didn't have to report any casualties either. The "Kavkas" - or "Jackdaws" - outclassed what little air force the Imperial forces at Liangnang could operate by far. While probably not the most modern design available in Europe - they were straight-wing fighters developed in the late fourties - the LL-4 was still a jet-fighter with considerably higher speed than any of the outdated machines the Yu were operating. Admiral Krajncs, however, still advised his pilots not to take risks, not to involve themselves in unnecessary engagements with the enemy air force and to avoid enemy fire from the ground. It needed just one lucky hit and the Yu may salvage valuable Carentanian technology from the ground.

He had kept the Maximo within reach of Liangnang for as long as he could do so by "reinterpreting" his orders in light of an unexpected situation. No attempts had been made by the enemy to engage his little task-force and he intended to keep it that way. As much as it weighed on his heart - he knew that the fight for Liangnang was far from over - the Maximo would have to leave this theater. Admiral Krajncs had no explicit orders to operate in Liangnang and his task-force was to small to maintain a prolonged operation. Finally, there was the question of resupplying the ships and planes under his command and they could only do so by turning around and heading hom. But he intended for his pilots to fly one last strike against the Imperials before they would turn around and head home. The entire carrier air-group would participate in this strike and hopefully, it would be a crippling blow to the Imperials that gave the Hongmenghui at least a bit of breathing space and bought them time to reinforce their positions.

Their contact on the ground, an intelligence officer in Liangnang, kept sending them information through an unstable radio signal. Much of the data that came in was essentially useless through the interferences and the low quality of the signal. However, one of the latest bits of information could prove quite valuable. Apparently the Imperial forces were moving in troops through the railway and in wake of intense guerilla-fighting in the outskirts of the city, relying mainly on the railway to resupply their troops. The rails, it seemed, were the lifeline of the Imperial offense. In hindsight, not all too surprising - however, had it been the rebels holding the railway station, ordering a strike would have had devastating effects. The Maximo was essentially blind and the RAI-officer was the only source they had to determine, where to assault. Finding the targets itself would prove less troublesome. In anticipation of the rescue mission, the Maximo had been supplied maps of the city of Liangnang, which would allow the pilots to track their target. The rest would be pretty straightforward.

The assault would be divided into three groups, ten planes each. Group Alpha would fly a direct attack on the railyard, which was probably swarming with Imperial soldiers right now. This also made this attack the most dangerous - no one could say what kind of anti-air capabilities the Imperials had assembled. Admiral Krajncs was hoping on none, given the fact that the Imperial Army was expecting to fight against untrained rebels only. Group Beta would fly a number of strikes on the rails at city edge and Group Gamma would do the same, but further into the countryside. It was intended that destroying the rail further outside meant, that the Imperial troops couldn't just stop the trains further outside and bridge the remaining distance with trucks or by foot. The larger the damage, meanwhile, the less likely they would be able to repair the tracks.

Following this last strike and the safe return of its planes, the Maximo would head back home.

Chittananga
Maga Province
People's Republic of Vangala


Back home, in Rijeka, dignitaries of the Workers' Republic and their counterparts from Vangala were at this moment signing a number of treaties, formalizing their cooperation as socialist brotherstates. Over here, in Chittananga, Anton Horvat and his staff were preparing to realize all the promises Carentania was making towards Vangala. And towards the people of Yujin. Cooperation in their support for Hongmenghui rebels was, in the eyes of Carentania, one of the best ways to secure Vangalas future as independent nation. Toppling the Imperial government in Yujin would give the Socialists in Vangala more than a little breathing space, it would give them a future. It seemed that the Vangalans saw the issue in a very similiar light: they had no problems with supporting Yu rebels through the rugged and mountaineous border provinces and were glad that Havenshire and Carentania had decided to back up the support with some industrial capacities.

Soon the first Carentanian ships would anchor in Vangalan ports, unloading surplus guns from Carentanian stockpiles for the Hongmenghui - and a large shipment of more modern, standard-issue rifles of the Revolutionary Army. They were intended for the core of the Vangalan army, their most reliable and experienced soldiers. If cooperation in modernizing the Vangalan forces proved fruitful, more equipment would soon follow. Equipment which was deemed to valuable to hand it over to militias that may sell it on the black-market, but which, in the hands of a military loyally dedicated to the cause of Socialism, could ensure Vangalan sovereignity. However, that was something to consider in the near future. As of now, priority was given to sending the Hongmenghui rebels in Yujin a great number of bolt-action rifles and handgrenades, as well as some basic equipment: combat boots, canteens, first aid kits, even some bicycles. The influence of such simple tools on the combat strength of a military was often underestimated, but solid boots and a reliable supply of water kept the men on their feet, gauze bandages and tourniquets allowed a lot of injured to return to combat later rather than bleed to death, and finally, bycicles increased the speed of infantry units drastically - without the need for fuel supplies.

Alongside the first ship, officers of the Carentanian military would also reach Vangala. They were intended as advisors and trainers for both the Vangalan military as well as Hongmenghui rebels. If they wanted to win a prolonged civil war against the Imperial forces, if they really wanted to be able to see this revolution to its succesful end, it would require more than just defiance and fighting spirit. Carentania would drill the rebels in small unit tactics, flexible command chains and guerilla warfare. There was no sense in organizing large formations which the Hongmenghui could neither control nor supply. The Imperial forces had to be worn down before any sort of larger revolutionary army could be organized, probably with the participation of revolting units of the Imperial army which already had established working command chains. For now, maximising the damage to the Imperial forces wil minimizing their own losses had to be the approach for the Hongmenghui.

However, Carentania was also seeking out possible locations for airbases within Vangala. The Workers' Republic was at war with Yujin and it was at the very least considering the option of doing at least some of the fighting itself. In Carentania, three strategic bombers brigades and one engineer brigade were being prepared for a possible redeployment. As of now, they hadn't discussed this possibility with the Vangalans yet - but should the Vangalans approve this escalation, the engineers and pilots of the Revolutionary Guards Corps would be ready for a deployment to the far east.

Long Sea
North of Carentania


The "Gorilnik Prevoznik" - or "Torchbearer" - was a Carentanian destroyer that had participated in all major operations of its country's recent history. During the Liberation of Solaren, it had accidently sunk an Eiffelländer warship. This accident had not only strained the relations between the two countries at a time during which they were already contesting for control over Europe's major waterway, the Long Sea, it had also tarnished the reputation of the ship and its crew. Consequently, all men and women aboard the "Gorilnik Prevoznik" were adamant to reclaim their honor as one of the most prestigeous warships in the Revolutionary Navy. A title they had been able to claim before that incident but had now lost, both for the Carentanian public as well as within the Navy Corps itself.

"Vessel identified as merchant ship, flying Yujin colours."

The voice of the officer hung in the command room. Had he been certain? Another mistake, another mix-up with the identity of a ship, and they could probably say farewell to their military careers. Still, the Captain didn't dare to ask this question, to demand additional confirmation. He had always trusted his men, why not now? This was a Yujin merchant ship before them. Yujin had declared war upon Carentania. The "Torchbearer" was patrolling the Long Sea with the explicit orders of stopping and if necessary sinking any ships flying the colours of this hostile regime.

"Hail the ship. Tell them to stop their engines and wait for our boarding party."

The communications officer immediately began calling the ship through radio: "This is the Revolutionary Navy speaking on behalf of the Workers' Republic of Carentania. We order you to stop your engines and wait for us to board your ship. Refusing to follow this order will result in your destruction. I repeat..."

As he was repeating his message, the Captain was already giving additional orders: "Full speed, bring us starboard of the ship. Guns are to be loaded and crews ready for combat."
 
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
1,109
Location
The South
Meghalayas,
Feichang Zhai Pass
Vangala-Yujin Border


"Where the fuck are we?"
"What?"
"I said, Where the fuck-"
"We're coming up to the Dropsite in a few seconds. I think."

Hummingbird 4's engines whined and roared, struggling to reach maximum altitude. It wasn't a heavy gale, but windshear was strong enough that they were struggling to fly in a straight line, much less maintain their current altitude. Huge, towering rockfaces loomed in front of them, a grey sky barely visible to the sides. A field of white lay above them. Agent Rex had never seen anything like them. The mountains dwarfed everything he'd ever seen, and he doubted wether any man had ever truly seen the tops of these colossi.

"You got the package?" The Pilot shouted back, straining to be heard over the sound of wind and an engine noisier than the cheap Vangalan whore Agent Rex had slept with the night before. He figured his chances of coming back from this one alive were pretty slim, so he figured risking Syph' was the least of his worries. She'd been worth every credit, too. She did this amazing thing with her tongue...

Agent Black tapped him on the shoulder. "Rex! Its time to go. Stop dreaming of that whore. We're meeting up with some Sherpas, who'll take us to the other side." Black was six foot six, a giant of a man with tanned skin. He spoke with a faint Carentanian accent. Possibly on loan from RAI, or maybe just an immigrant to Havenshire. Rex wasn't sure. He didn't need to know, either way.

"Okay, you poor bastards. This is where you get off."

The Hummingbird skimmed onto a narrow plateau, barely half the size of a football field. It hovered mere inches above the ground, and Rex and Black lugged the heavy bags full of radio equipment roughly out of the copter onto the ground. They took their backpacks with MREs and necessary mountaineering gear. It was not going to be a fun mission, at all.
"Fuck, this is nothing like a week in the Stonebacks. At least there if you froze to death they might find your body one day." Rex muttered. He'd been chosen for his experience with mountaineering, but Havenshire's mountains were frankly foothills compared to the Megas.

"Quit your whining. We got everything? Ok, you're clear to go Pilot!" Black shouted.
"Don't have to tell me twice! Good luck you morons. If I see you again I'll start believing in God again, thats for sure."

The Helicopter lifted off, and quickly dipped back -down-, rapidly skimming back the way it had come, free of its heavy loads. Coming down from a near-vertical path, obscured by some scrubby bushes, came the sight of several furred figures. Sherpas, who looked more Yu than Vangalan, waiting for them with heavy travois and packs. They looked scrawny and dwarf-like compared to Black and Rex, professional members of the CIB's Special Missions Section, but they seemed to carry their weights near effortlessly.

"You Lex and Brack?" Asked the lead sherpa in broken English.
"Yeah. You able to take us...and this?" He gestured to the several heavy bags of grey and black machinery which would serve the basis for a shortwave radio station. It was all but useless in the Megas, but it might be more useful when they got to Quengzhuo.
The Sherpa eyed the absurdly bulky mixture of items with a cold face. Finally, he nodded, and two other younger men darted forward, dragging the packs onto their travois.
"Keep up. Do as I say. It early spring. Bad time for travel." With that, they immediately began to move back up the trail. "How far to the top?" Rex asked, finding it hard to catch his breath in the thin air.
The Sherpas simply laughed at his question. "All the way." Came back the stoic anwser.

=======================================
Yujin War Field Headquarters,
Kilika,
Havenshire Embassy Basement


"We got the Camps ready?"
"More like Camp. It's...spartan, to say the least, but when the first Hong recruits arrive, well, it should serve its purpose."
Trask grunted. "What about that damn fool CIB team we sent into the Megas? I can't believe thats a real mission. Those bastards have less than a 50/50 chance of getting there, with their radio equipment, and make it back alive."
"Let Westhaven worry about that. We just fill the orders, and hope with all fingers crossed that all the promises we're making get fulfilled by the first ships that pull into Chittananga. I doubt the locals have much patience." said Buller, shuffling a stack of papers and using a mini-Shiva statue as a paperweight.
Trask simply tapped his cigar ash into a tray, his eyes fixed on their rough map of the Vangala-Yujin border area, with flags dotted along known and suspected passes. Their information was paltry at best, and some of the maps Trask was working with had been printed in the 1860s, for goodness sake. Everything about this venture seemed crazy, but untill the Carentanians secured leases for airbases, this was what they would have to do.
"All this effort, and we can't even be sure the Hong aren't already wiped out and beaten. Do we even know where or who their leaders are?"
"CIB says its working on that. Patience, Trask, you're too invested in these things. See it as I do- we are businessmen, here to provide product. If the product doesnt work, or doesnt meet the clients needs, thats not our fault. Just follow orders, smooth-talk locals, and deliver as much product as we can. Westhaven won't punish me or you if things go wrong. Instead, well, they can blame it on a hundred things. Imperialists, mostly, I imagine."
Trask snorted. "Easy for you to say, you're not even officially a government official."
Buller simply smiled, as he obsessive-compulsively organised the table and its contents for maximum efficency. "Have you ever read the Bhagavad Gita? “The happiness which comes from long practice, which leads to the end of suffering, which at first is like poison, but at last like nectar - this kind of happiness arises from the serenity of one's own mind.”
"What bullshit."

===========================================
TASK FORCE V,
LONG SEA
PNS Glorious July


Admiral Havelock watched the bobbing outlines of distant destroyers and merchant vessels with interest through his field-glasses. A strong gale was blowing, but the sky was otherwise clear. He barely noticed anymore the pitch and roll of the deck beneath his feet. "Admiral! Radio confirms its Task Force R, returning from Carentania. We'll be in Cazma in a few short days, most likely."
The Admiral barely turned to acknowledge his Deck Officer. "Good. So, this is the point at which our two forces converge. R, for Rescue, and V, for Vanguard or Vengeance. We are Yang, and they are Yin." the old Admiral mused. He had spent much of his time in the past few days reading all the Yu books he could get his hands on. Know they enemy had been drummed into him since he'd graduated the Royal Naval Academy in 1910. He was an old man of the sea, and though his masters had changed, his mistress had not.
"They're signalling to us by semaphore...Good Hunting!" cried the Lieutenant. There was a ragged jeer, barely audible, from the front deck, As the news was relayed. Everyone was in high spirits, confident of victory over the inferior Yu imperials, who propaganda depicted as shuffling yellow monkeys obeying the barking call of a fat orangtuan lounging in a throne miles away. Havelock knew better, though. Though his orders were to Engage with Alacrity, he would be exercising as much discretionary judgement as possible. The Red Spring cruisers were old gals, and whilst nothing to boast about on the world stage, the enemy's cruisers were still younger, fitter, and their support was more numerous. He'd be relying heavily on the Activist Submarines, two of which were scheduled to meet them in Cazma. After that, it was a long way to Chittananga. The whole Sea was boiling with activity, mostly merchantile between Himyar and Europa. But past a certain point, theyd be entering uncertain waters. Wether it was the warzone surrounding Sikandara and Miroslavl, or just the possibility of Yu Imperial fleets ranging far out ahead, once they crossed this invisible line...Havelock grunted.

"In the Art of War, it is said that, If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete. I don't know Heaven, and I'm not sure about Earth, lieutenant, but I know the Ocean. I know the Wind. I know that noone has ever invaded Yujin by sea successfully, and that the only successful invasions have been the legendary Jurchen and Uyghurs, and that it was the Empire that won, eventually, by taming them with cities and the promise of power." Havelock regarded the young, fresh-faced Lieutenant, wondering perhaps why this crazy old coot was spewing such nonsense.

"Perhaps its the lot of us older men to see everything through a shade of grey. I don't know if we can win, whatever winning in this war is, but if we can't at least give them a bloody nose, then there is noone in our nation who can do better. Inform the men that we'll be in Cazma in two days, and in Yujin in three weeks, and in Hell..." He smiled. "Forget that last one."

"Uh...aye, aye sir!" The Lieutenant, complied, wondering if the Admiral had finally gone senile.

Havelock turned, and stared back at the distant convoy, sailing west, its passengers eager to be returning home at last. He wondered if any of his boys would ever see home again.
 

Khemia

Establishing Nation
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
2,837
Location
Hawaii
Nick
Saaya
Hongmenghui-controlled Territory
Mao Province
Liangang Commandery
6:31 p.m.


Provisional Battalion commander Li Jinyuan observed the foreigner talking on the radio with some suspicion. Between the man's unintelligible speaking, hooked nose, and big eyes, Li Jinyuan couldn't help but find himself perplexed by the Carentanian. He had lived in Liangang his whole life - these streets he knew as well as any other man who could profess themselves to be a native, if not better - and yet staring at a foreigner always made Li realize how small his world really was.

There was moaning and wailing coming from the rooms downstairs where the wounded were tended to by nurses with no formal training. Medical supplies had all but disappeared, and most of the hospitals in Liangang were full already. Each side had begun to stake them out as key objectives in the city, especially after the first Imperial death squads roamed several hospitals executing any non-military men within them. Traitors, they said as an excuse. They were the traitors.

The Carentanian slammed a fist down against the desk and began to shout, he had spent nearly an hour prattling through a list of targets that Li had had prepared for him. Outside, the sound of artillery blasts and errant gunfire rattled through the alleyways - the Hongmenghui had lost in open combat and had since taken to the alleyways, and bitter house-to-house fighting had followed. The casualties were mounting, but it was clear that more Imperial bodies lay in the streets, slumped over an unattended to. They had begun to rot, flies buzzing over the corpses whose stench had added another odor to the concoction that permeated the city.

"Mlakar" he called himself. It was a difficult word to pronounce. The men had just decided to call him Màkù - 骂酷 - ruthless scolding. It was a subtle compliment, they had taken a liken to his assertiveness, though none were quite sure if they could trust him yet. It had been a day and no real results had been produced. That was until, however, the sound of artillery subsided and in the distance they could hear the whine of something in the sky. Li Jinyuan snapped to his feet and rushed to the window, hoping to see something - anything. The whining in the sky grew, and air raid sirens began to wail throughout the city. All at once machine guns and artillery seemed to open up in the distance. Jinyuan strained his ears to discern where it was coming from, but before he could the chorus of artillery was joined by a crescendo of shrieks and explosions. The air raid sirens still blared over the violence, long sonorous cries accompanied by incessant ground shaking.

A jet flew overhead, streaking back towards the sea at brilliant speed, and the air strikes continued. They were coming from the railway, and the ferocity of the strike told Jinyuan two things: the Carentanians had been itching to provide real assistance, and that they would not be able to provide much more. Màkù approached Li from behind and put his hand on his shoulder. "The railyard is gone. The Empire will have to find another way to send reinforcements here."

"Good news," Li said in Touzenese, knowing that the successful strike was a welcome relief to the embattled men of his.

"Yes. But the carrier must return home."

Li sighed and looked down to the ground. "Thank you," he said, knowing however that the days ahead would be even more trying.



MV Laiguan
Long Sea


"Shit," muttered the officer of the MV Laiguan as he watched the Carentanian destroyer pull up along the side of the vessel. "Delay the Carentanian ship!" he told the man working at the communications station. The destroyer was attempting to come about to board the vessel, but at the Laiguan's speed that would still take a few minutes. The captain got on the ships loudspeaker. "Men, to your stations. We have drilled for this. Take what weapons you can make for yourselves, and prepare to repel boarders!" He put the device away as he watched from the bridge the Carentanian vessel approach them. "Full stop!" he said, hearing the sound of the engine room whine as the propeller churned water, struggling to bring the ship to a stop.

The captain moved to a locked at the end of the room and pushed a key into it. "This is our Yujin," the captain muttered to his crew as they rose from their stations and moved to him. He grabbed an older model bolt-action rifle and tossed it to one of the men, "Make them fight for it." He grabbed a pistol for himself and vowed that he would save one bullet for himself - they'd never take him alive. That was the way of those loyal to the Emperor; death was better than disgracing him.



Nianxu Central Park
Cai Province
Nianxu Commandery
7:20 p.m.


A lone jeep with three men sitting inside pulled into the central park, through a barricade where men presented brisk salutes and went about their business. The jeep rolled up towards a nondescript fence, and General Zhao Yue dismounted from his vehicle, accompanied by his aide and a bodyguard. They moved to the site that many men had heard whispers of but could not imagine. Within a giant chasm in the ground lay a mass, revealed by the moonlight to be the still clothed bodies of many, many people. Many of them had been beheaded, and Zhao silently wondered to himself where the heads had been disposed of.

"Fitting justice for enemies of the Empire?" asked an unknown voice. General Zhao turned to look, seeing the pockmarked face of General Fei Guotian. The measly man looked down at the pit with a sardonic grin, congratulating himself for his accomplishments. War makes men murderers, General Zhao reminded himself.

"Your work, I presume?" Zhao replied.

"Prince Zao's orders," General Fei muttered to himself, waving a hand to swat away some flies. Zhao nodded his head, reminded of his Emperor's notoriously ruthless brother; still, Zhao had trouble believing that Fei had not enjoyed the task. "Soon, this city will be cleaned of the rats, and we can go about our lives."

On the other side of the pit, a construction truck reversed towards the pit. A mound of bodies lay in the bed of it. There was moaning coming from the back of the vehicle, and a soldier marched around and started firing into the pile of bodies. Each shot sent a trickle of fear down Zhao's spine, the scene arrayed before him harried every sense of honor he had been raised with since he was a child. He turned around to leave, but before he could get into the vehicle General Fei spoke up.

"The smell drive you away, General? Or perhaps you have a weak heart?" He could feel General Fei's eyes burning a hole in his back, but he deigned not to reply. Hopping into his jeep he quickly headed back to the police precinct adjacent to the prison, a location that was quickly becoming his personal headquarters.



Imperial - Gujiang Gap
Xinhai Province
Daoji Commandery
11:55 a.m.


A force of eighty thousand men had gathered in preparation of an assault on the red scourge west of Yujin. Vangala had quickly transformed from a country in chaos to one which posed an existential threat to the Empire. The Empire and the so-called People's Republic could not co-exist. An invasion would need to be launched before the Vangalan's could amass for their own strike. The Empire was not so weak and incapable yet that it could not bloody the nose of its foe.

The first attack would come by crossing the Lǜ River; the Vangalan's no doubt had their own name for the river that separated the near-autonomous province of Xinhai from Vangala, but the Yujiner's could care less - it was a green, ugly river whose waters often pushed past its banks as the snow melted in the Meghalayas. The first blow would be dealt with by an amassed artillery barrage designed to dislodge any defenders on the other side of the river long enough to allow an amphibious assault. Three hundred guns had been brought up for this purpose, including a large number of the 120mm AA's and many 155mm's. An even larger number of boats had been prepared for the assault that would be launched by the 20th and 36th Infantry Divisions, easily carried aboard the backs of the respective squads and fit with paddles that could carry them swiftly across and straight into combat. Once there, they would form a beachhead while engineers were brought up to construct a bridge capable of resupplying the vanguard. Two more divisions would be held in reserve, depending on how this attack played out, they could be deployed as necessary.

A message had been sent to Zhenjing Central Command requesting an additional six divisions be deployed to the area. The request had been received and orders sent out, the divisions were scheduled to be redeployed in two weeks time. Zhenjing had, meanwhile, organized the units into the 3rd Route Army and dispatched a man by the name of General Tan Tongsui to oversee the offensive. He was an unscrupulous man, rumored to be twice as brutal to enemy as he was to his own men. His own troops feared him, but this gave them resolve - they knew that if they failed in their attack, they would not be long for this world.



Siraama Military Port
Xinhai Province
Siraama Commandery
12:50 p.m.


Whereas in the East the Imperial and New Army's morales were shattered through the brutality they themselves inflicted upon their own people, a phantom enemy, the enemy that had manifested itself in the West was more tangible, real, and more importantly: foreign. Pale-skinned devils from the West and dirty darker skinned Vangalan's were all people the Yujiner's could believe were threats to the existence of the Empire, people who had only evil in their heart and a desire to rule over them. This made preparing the city for an attack easier - volunteers could be readily found to set up sandbags fortifications along the rooftops and in the entrance ways of buildings, each and every block within the center of the city was slowly being built into its own castle. Although 3,000 soldiers defending the city may not have seemed overnumerous, an ad hoc militia had formed that could also support the defense of the city. They numbered ten to twenty thousand, many of them rice farmers who brought with them last seasons harvest to feed the garrison and themselves.

The enemy's air superiority was something that could be proven, it was known, but the port of Siraama had wide access to the sea, and the enemy did not have the force concentration to blockade the port. To capitalize on this, the New Army Air Corps, or NAAC, deployed short-range reconnaissance flights to observe for hostile submarines and stray merchant ships, though too few of these were available to strike, for the Communists were a well disciplined foe. Fighter planes themselves also flew out on patrols, determined to distract or deter enemy scouts themselves; underneath this air cover two of the three submarines in Siraama would be sent out further into the Long Sea to strike at isolated Communists vessels. Either they would successfully encounter the enemy vessels solo and destroy them, force the enemy to spread out its military in the area to allow for the Yujiner force to achieve a local force superiority in single engagements, or they would force the enemy to send all their ships in one or two convoys at a time, drastically reducing the overall amount of aid that could be sent. Or, alternatively, the submarines would be sunk. Such were the whims of fate. The city itself, though, remained a bastion in the West of Imperial power.
 

Socialist Commonwealth

Establishing Nation
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
4,691
Location
Germany
Capital
Svetograd
Nick
Revy
Liangang
Mao Province
Liangang Commandery


So much for Carentanian air support. Lieutenant Mlakar knew as well as any other man in the city that the upcoming days would see the lifes of everyone within Liangang dangling by a thin thread. It was up to the Hongmenghui whether or not that thread would be cut. The Communist militias were now the only hope left for the people of this city - and they were running out of ammunition, food, medicine and manpower. Their only hopespot: the destruction of the trainstation had the chance of becoming a logistical nightmare for the Imperial army.

The Carentanian Intelligence officer had no intention of dying alongside the people of Liangang if the defenses should fail and the worst was about to come. He had already carefully begun considering the best escape route from within the city and was determined to escape the grip of the Emperor. Not just for his own sake, he kept reminding himself. His mission was to establish ties with the Hongmenghui so Carentania could support them. Even if Liangang fell, it would not be the end of the Communists in Yujin. Carentanian help could be more important than ever if the reds were dealt a defeat in Liangang.

Still, the fight was not lost yet and Markus Mlakar was determined to aid the Hongmenghui in the upcoming battles as well as he could. In difference to most of the rebels, Mlakar, Lieutenant Mlakar, had received military training. He had served his year as conscript, added five years as volunteer, been part of the Carentanian intervention in the Jurzan - even though he gained no combat experience in that operation - before he was transferred to the RAI. He would at least try to share his military experience with the Yu rebels around them, give them advice on how to fight efficiently, both as individuals and on a greater scope. Mlakar had decided to pick some of the men around him and give them some quick lessons, show them how to shoot more precisely, how to maximise the effects of grenades, bombs and traps on the enemy. The RAI officer would also explain to them basic tactics, like fire and movement, hoping that everything he taught them would spread through the ranks and files of the Hongmenghui. If only he had more time, he could probably set up a real training operation, but given that the Imperials could begin their major offensive against the city any hour, he had to stick to some well-meant but rather short instructions.

However, first he would set up a letter to the local commanding echelons of the Hongmenghui, detailing them his view on the strategic situation of the city. Admittedly, he had no full overview of the situation of the red troops within Liangang - but he had seen enough, heard enough about Imperial troop positions, to get a rough picture. Within his letter, he would advise the Hongmenghui commanders to decentralise supply storages and keep them close to combat positions. Crucial positions should be reinforced, but surroundig these strongholds, combat teams should maximise their mobility, giving way to Imperial troops as far as practical and instead trying to move into their rear. Lieutenant Mlakar was predicting major supply shortages for the Imperials within the next days, especially if the Hongmenghui managed to interrupt the flow of supplies and ambush Imperial stockpiles or transports.

He also advised the Hongmenghui to use any healthy man and woman who was not part of the Hongmenghui - or any militia fighter who could not be supplied with ammunition anymore - to evacuate civilians and hide them somewhere in the province. Not only for their sake, but also to improve the supply situation within Liangang. The reds would need anything they could bring into the city, anything they could take from the Imperials for themselves in the upcoming days.

Gorilnik Prevoznik
Long Sea
North of Carentania


The torchbearer had pulled up on the side of the Laiguan, preparing for a takeover of the trade vessel. It had stopped after the Carentanian demands to surrender had been sent and the captain of the Gorilnik Prevoznik took this as a sign that they were indeed following the Carentanian orders. Still, he felt it appropriate to remind the men aboard the Laiguan that they had nothing to fear, as long as they complied.

"To everyone aboard this ship," his voice came from loudspeakers turned towards the Laiguan. "We will now board your ship. Do not resist and you will not be harmed."

Short, precise, it couldn't possibly have been misunderstood by the Yu. But nevertheless, as the first Carentanian sailors stepped onboard the Laiguan, shots could be heard, followed by loud Carentanian curses and the screams of injured men. The men aboard the Laiguan seemed to have no intention to surrender after all and the Captain of the Gorilnik Prevoznik gave orders to retreat from the ship again, leaving smears of blood as the Carentanians dragged their wounded comrades back to their own ship. Machineguns cleared the deck of the Laiguan, forcing the Yu into hiding while the Carentanians disengaged the enemy vessel.

"To all guns: sink the Laiguan."

Cazma Military Port
Dunay Kraj
Carentania


Her sistership was on its return from Liangang, far in the east. The Samobor, meanwhile, was harbored safely at Carentanias largest city, her sailors enjoying the nights in the city whose entertainment-district had named Carentanias second carrier. However, where the Maximo was on her way home, the Samobor was about to leave. To Liangang, only a part of the Maximos carrier-group had been deployed, intended only as a backup for the Havenite rescue operation. The Samobor would leave with her fleet at full strength: one cruiser, seven destroyers, two submarines and one supply ship. Additional firepower and protection was deemed necessary, now that Carentania was involved in actual warfare with Yujin, while the supply ship would allow a prolonged deployment.

The Samobor was intended for operation off the coast of Vangala, protecting the supply lines towards the young socialist nation. It could additionally intercept any ships headed for western Yujin, effectively blockading its ports, as well as engage any Imperial Navy ships it encountered in the area. Higher-ups in the Revolutionary Navy Corps had any and all trust into the capabilities of the Samobor to dominate the theater, especially if backed up by allied forces from Havenshire. Still, once the first airfield would be ready for use on the Vangalan mainland - the Vangalans had recently given the go ahead for Carentanian deployment and Engineers were already being sent to Vangala to prepare the necessary infrastructure - Carentania intended to send additional units, somewhat of a joker or an ace hidden up the sleeve of the Workers' Republic.

The MP-1 was a new kind of medium bomber and its four prototypes were to be sent to Vangala, hoping to optimize the design before it went to mass-production and to develope the necessary new tactics to use it effectively. It was specifically designed to assault enemy ships and intended for use in the Long Sea area. In that regards, this conflict in the east was a welcome trial of the new swept-wing jet. Hopes amongst the generals as well as the developement team was, that the glided bombs developed in Carentania for assaults on surface vessels could finally utilized to their full potential with this bomber.

Following the bombers, once the airbase had been sufficiently expanded, would be a reconaissance squad and then two brigades of strategic bombers from Revolutionary Guards Aviation.

Operation Viper
From the Desk of Matjia Dracar, Commissar for Defense
Highly Confidential!


The Commissariate for Defense hereby approves of Operation Viper and orders Revolutionary Army Intelligence to undertake the necessary steps for its implemention. Necessary supplies as well as personnel can be requested through the official channels by referring back to the Commissar.

Goals of Operation Viper are outlined as followed: to select the most promising and talented individuals amongst the rebels trained by Carentanian officers within Vangala and introduce them to a seperate, special forces programme. Units formed during Operation Viper will receive specialized infiltration training and marksmanship courses before being inserted into Imperial Yujin once again, forming small, independently acting units.

Intended use for these units are assassinations of high-profile targets within Yujin and similiar operations, which Revolutionary Army Intelligence is unable to undertake due to legal restraints.
 
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
1,109
Location
The South
Meghalayas,
Feichang Zhai Pass
Vangala-Yujin Border


"My Altimeter's broken." complained Agent Rex, shivering. He was wearing two thick yakcoats now, but still it barely kept out the biting chill of the winds. The rubber oxygen mask around his mouth chafed, and every breath sounded like he was underwater. The Altimeter's glass window had cracked, so cold was it at these heights.

"mmm? What does it say?" said Agent Black, who was visibly shaking from the cold. Being tall was not helpful at all in this enviroment. Simply meant he had more surface exposed to the harsh winds. Most times he tried to walk bent double now, and imitate the shuffling gait of the sherpas. They called him "Yeti", which was apparently some kind of mythical mountain snow-ape. At least, Rex hoped it was mythical.

"Says we're at fifteen thousand feet above sea level, or even higher. My God, the needles dipped all the way to the other side, its ridiculous."

"No Talk. Almost to the Drop. Save Energy for Climb." Came back the harsh, clipped voice of the Head Sherpa. They shuddered. If they had truly, finally crested the highest point, then how far down did they have to go?

It wasn't long before they found out. They came at last, shuffling, wheezing, every muscle straining with effort, every exposed patch of skin rimmed with frost and bitten by cold, to the Apex of the their journey. Though some Peaks still soared high above them, they could see at last that their path at least rose no further. It was hard to see more than a few metres in front of them, however, as snow and mist swirled around them. They clung tenaciously through thick spiked gloves to the rocky mountainside. To Rex's astonishment, some kind of Goat was watching them, a heavy thick coat rimed with frost, chewing thoughtfully on some kind of spiky grass.

"Fuckin' Goats.." he wheezed.

Rex's resentment didn't last long, however, as a Sherpa produced a slingshot, loaded it with a heavy rock, and then flung it at the goat, knocking it out stone cold.

"Start a Fire with your kerosene. This will be our last meal on the Mountain. Buddha provides." The Sherpa intoned.

The other Sherpas simply nodded, and walked some way off into the howling wind, obscuring them from sight, leaving Rex and Black alone with the Head Sherpa, as he began to gut the Goat with practiced precision. With slow, deliberate movements, the two Havenites struggled to get their old kerosene camp oven to flare in this wind. Finally, with some effort, they managed it. "We're running real low on fuel now. Hope it's not this cold on the Plateau." The Sherpa didn't respond, simply continuing with his task.

As they waited for the goat-meat to be cooked, practically charblasting it with the camp oven, the wind began to die a bit, and visibility slowly improved. He could see a huge, tall wooden pole, ancient and carved, marking the Pass, hundreds of colourful rags fluttering from it. The Sherpas were adding their own rags to the pole, tying them over and around other rags to make room.

"They implore the Wind Spirits for safe journey." Black whispered. "I read about it in our Cultural Orientation documents. Did you know the People of the Meghalayas subscribe to neither Vangalan nor Yu culture, yet have one of their own that may be even older? Its truly fascinating."

Rex was suprised that the shivering giant would, of all people, prove to have an affinity for the Meghalayan peoples. "Are they Communist? No? I don't really care then. Our mission is to deliver this junk to the Hong Communists on the other side. I think I might stay there though, at least for a while. Fuck this Mountain..."

"I don't know. Its not so bad. When the wind dies down, you'll get a hell of a view, thats for sure. Plus, there are mysteries here, waiting to be discovered. That Yeti, for example. You can bet the Havenite Symposium for Biology would reward handsomely anyone who brought back evidence of a missing link species between humans and apes."

"Then in that case you've already won, Agent Black, as anyone can see your kinship with gorillas." Rex joked, weakly.

Black simply fell into silence, refusing to be bated.

As night fell, and the wind abated, and their stomachs were warmed by kerosene-blasted goat-meat, Rex found himself staring up into a sky blacker than anything he had ever seen. But slowly, like the lights of a city, the stars came out, and he found himself mesmerised in awe.

"My god, its full of stars..."

Tomorrow, they would face the long trek down into Quengzhuo Plateau. there they would face yet more howling winds, and also the prospect of dust storms, Imperial patrols, and suspicious locals. How they were going to safely lower all their radio equipment was a nightmare too easy to dwell on. But for tonight, for a brief moment, the Agents found themselves mutually at peace, beneath the pale glow of a wan moon and the halo of cosmic lanterns.

=======================================
Yujin War Field Headquarters,
Kilika,
Havenshire Embassy Basement

"We're going to need a bigger Field Headquarters." Trask complained, waving at the growing stack of crates filled with surplus and supplies for the Vangalans. "Heck, if Yujin invades, they're almost certainly going to want to send a full Task Force to aid the Vangalans. You and I will be shunted aside by the Ambassador and some People's Army General."

"If that happens, you'll be all the freer to focus on the job you're really here to complete, my dear Colonel." Buller replied, sanguine as ever. Today he was checking accounts, to ensure that the first supply deliveries by cargo planes matched the flight manifests. One could never be too careful in an operation as vast and delicate as this, to ensure that noone was skimming anything anywhere for black market profit.

"Check that crate over there, would you. Does it contain Helmets all the way down?"

Trask muttered and spat curses. "Yeah, its full of fucking Helmets. All marked with their serial numbers and a white Torch logo too, I might add. Like any other crate of fucking People's Army helmets."

"Just checking. Can't be too careful, you know."

"Careful my ass. Have you seen the shower of piss they call our Hong recruits? I swear, the RAI is hogging all the best partisans for their own training programme. All I have is scrawny peasant castoffs, who look like they walked all the way here from Yujin, and in the same clothes theyre wearing now."

"They probably did, Colonel. Our allies are much less a viable force than the Vangalan insurgents were when we backed them a few years ago."
"You were here for that?"
"Possibly. A smaller affair, certainly, much more discreet."
"Huh. You sure you're just a Co-op man? Or you CIB?"
"If I were, telling you would only spoil the point of having such a cover story, wouldn't it?"

Trask nodded. "Whatever. Whoever or whatever you are, Just...I dunno, see if you can get me some decent Drill Sargeants from Havenshire. Im going to need some real old-fashioned ball-breakers to whip these ricepickers into shape."

"Duly noted, Colonel. I'll pass on your request through the appropriate channels."

As Buller spoke, two Vangalan aides came in, carrying another heavy crate, and stacked it haphazardly against the wall, diminishing Trask's free space still further.

As they left, Trask sighed, leaning back on the new crate. "I'm telling you, we're going to need a Bigger Field Headquarters..."

==========================================
 

Vangala

Establishing Nation
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
6,452
Location
Perfidious Albion
Chittananga
Maga Province
People's Republic of Vangala


"Ami tor dudhe peshab korbo!"* One of the younger guards yelled the threatening insult at a passing Carentanian vehicle, following the offence with a wide grin and over-enthusiastic wave of the hand. The comedy of the moment was added to by the over-sized uniform of the soldier, his wrist-collars flapping madly with the waving. The inability of the visiting Carentanians and Havenites, save for a few specialists, to speak any Vangalan was the source of much derision and entertainment to the guards stationed at the Grand Port, who mocked their guests behind the safety of their obscure language.

"Ulta koira gache jhulay dimu!"** Saha barked at the young recruit, sending him tripping backwards and instinctively clutching his gun. Being a Political Officer, and a good Socialist, it was Saha's duty to ensure fraternal relations with their revolutionary partners. The off-chance an insulted Carentanian was one of the few linguists who spoke Vangalan could jeopardise the currently harmonious diplomatic atmosphere at the Port, the point of most contact.

Saha picked up the guard, barely more than a boy, and struck him across the face, much to the discomfort of the accompanying guardsmen. The guard, his eyes now cast down to the ground in shame, was from of the recent deployments, no doubt hailing from some isolated village from a far-flung province, encouraged by his relatives to join the people's army so they could have the prestige of being a 'revolutionary family'. Command prefered to base units away from their home provinces, lest regional loyalties undermined their true allegiance: the Revolution.

Saha then pushed the young man back and reeled off a lecture on the importance of international socialist solidarity in the face of imperialist aggression to the assembled guards, replete with appropriate quotations from the writings of Babuji*** Jadugopal Basu. He was occassionally interrupted by their heavy noises of passing transportation lorries, which this time were met by a listening silence instead of fake threats. Saha knew he could not get these men to sincerely believe his words and feel genuine brotherhood with the Carentanians or Havenites. They were still equipped with parochial world-views, and naturally suspicious of outsiders, especially white-skinned ones. The poor inter-cultural dialogue, with the Havenites particularly coarse in their treatment of Vangalans, did not help change the situation. Many Vangalan soldiers also felt resentment at the extensive equipment the Hongmenghui were receiving, or indeed even formations other than their own.

*Translation: I'm going to piss in your milk
**Translation: I will hang you from a tree!"
***Vangalan honorific with paternal suggestions


Yu-Town
Raganapura
Maga Province
People's Republic of Vangala


There had been Yujiners in Raganapura for almost as long as the Maga people themselves. Similarly to the Vangalans who had also colonised parts of the city, they had first arrived as merchants and traders, passing through dangerous mountain passes in the Meghalayan Mountains in search of lucrative markets. In Raganapura, the imperial centre of the Maga Empire, they found one. The city's location on the banks of the great Aravati River, and at a meeting of some of the region's most profitable trading routes, provided ample opportunities for commerce, and in turn, wealth for these new arrivals. Like their Vangalan counterparts, they soon found themselves well ingratiated into local life and were considered to be a regular feature of the city.

The annexation of the Maga lands into Franconia's Eastern Empire drastically altered the situation. Yujiners became marginalised as ethnic-Vangalans, frequently their commercial rivals, were promoted to the role of bureaucrats, staffing the imperial machinery in the region, and started favouring businesses run by fellow Vangalans, who were often friends and family. The Franconian authorities were also suspicious of the Yujiners, with Franconia itself engaged in territorial disputes with the Yujin Empire - the Meghalaya's did not allow for the easy demarcation of borders. Rumblings of Maga nationalism in the later colonial period worsened matters further, with many Yujiner-owned businesses targeted during the numerous riots against colonial rule by Maga envious of their success . Unsurprisingly, the turmoil of independence and the following Revolution brought no improvement to the circumstances of the Yujiners in Raganapura. But having been established in the city for several generations, and few links back with the homeland, itself in trouble, they had little choice but to stay, or as a local proverb put it: trapped between a tiger on land and a crocodile in the water.

***​

Jabbar had yet to leave for the frontlines with Yujin, and was still stationed in the city of Raganapura. His unit waited daily to hear from their commanding officer whether they would be deployed to the southern fringes of Maga province and join the hundreds of thousands, some of the rumours said millions, of other men facing the Yujiner Imperial Army. Jabbar's task in Raganapura had been much the same as back in Chittananga: patrolling the main avenues, ensuring the supply convoys had safe passage, while also maintaining general peace and security.

His patrol today had taken him into the Yujiner quarter of the city, with the local People's Committee concerned by the potential disloyalty of its inhabitants in the face of a likely conflict with the Yujin Empire. Many Yujiners, Jabbar had spent the day moving from house to house, business to business, conducting intrusive searches in the premises, looking for evidence of contact with the enemy while his Political Officer, assisted by a helpful Yu-speaker, probed the residents outside to confirm their allegiance to the new Vangalan state. Many were then compelled to join one of the relevant mass organisations of the United Motherland Front, such as the Association of Patriotic Business-Owners, representing the 'national-progressive bourgeoisie', or the United Peoples' Congress, a political outfit for minorities. Rarely anything incriminating was found, save for the occasional letter to relatives back home containing a critical statement on the Revolution, which earned a swift rebuke from the Political Officer, often in the form of a quick blow with the pistol to the face or gut. The worst Jabbar had seen so far was one man have his fingers deliberately broken for a particularly high number of 'untruths' in his diary.

His unit were now focusing their efforts on the Emerald Hotel, an outfit previously popular with visiting businessmen but now a known shelter for Yujiners whose homes had been destroyed by conflict. The building had been defaced severely, its lower-storey windows smashed, the walls marked by bullet holes and covered in Maga-language anti-Yujiner graffiti. Jabbar was ordered to remain outside the hotel, to keep a wary eye on the curious small crowd that had gathered. Jabbar took the opportunity to enjoy a cigarette from a pack kindly given to him by one of the Carentanians stationed in Raganapura. His smoking habit had been exacerbated by the tedium of his recent deployments, with cigarettes helping to break the monotony of patrolling. Jabbar had also acquired a new weapon - a Carentanian bolt-action rifle, to replace his tiring Franconian-made one, though this acquisition was the result of subterfuge, not generosity, as Jabbar and a few others having stolen some guns from containers destined for the Hongmenghui.

"Lal salaam!"*

The salutations, a revolutionary subversion of a traditional Islamic greeting, came from another patrol group driving past. Like Jabbar, many of these men were Muslim villagers from the borderlands with Sikandara, lured into fighting by the promise of a new, fairer Vangala and an absence of opportunities in their home villages. Their vehicle stopped, and was followed quickly by others. From the last Jabbar could see their attached Political Officer, noticeable by his prominent red armband displaying the official Party symbol, a sickle and rice shoots, exit and meet with his own Political Officer. Meanwhile, the men had disembarked from their vehicles, and had begun entering the hotel, rifles at the ready.

"Tumi ki korcho?"** Jabbar called out, confused by the situation unfolding before him. Around him, the crowd was getting larger, and more inquisitive, and Jabbar could hear the nervous jostling of his fellow watchmen.

One of the new arrivals was about to yell back a response, but was shoved towards the Hotel's entrance by Jabbar's oncoming Political Officer. The Political Officer then informed Jabbar and the other look-outs: Yujin had invaded.

Jabbar and the others did not need much imagination to guess what was to happen to the Yujiners inside the Hotel.

*Translation = 'Red Greetings'
**Translation = What's going on?


Emerald River
Maga Province
People's Republic of Vangala


Just as the Meghalayan Mountains to the North and West of Vangala had long served as a natural defence with the Yujiner Empire, so did the Emerald River serve as a natural barrier to the South. Just as the lands north of the river had not always belonged to Vangala, but rather the Maga Empire, a proud entity in its own right, so had the lands south of the river had not always belonged to Yujin, but to Sinhai. Maga and Sinhai shared much the same: the common religion of Buddhism, yellowish skin and narrowed eyes that were similar yet subtly distinct from the features of Yujiners, histories that had been overshadowed by their much larger neighbours, and cultures that had been permeated by influences of these neighbours, who, at differing points in time, had become their overlords.

The river's deep green waters, which had given it its name, were to be reddened once more, as they had been so many times in the past. The triumph of the Communist revolutionaries in Vangala had led to a new conflict with Yujin, grappling with its own rebellions, and concerned by the potential upset the Revolution would cause to the established order of Toyou. The question was: who would strike first?

The answer was Yujin. Vangalan scouts had been probing Yujiner border defences for some time, searching for weaknesses that could be exploited in the event of a Vangalan-led liberation of the crumbling Yu imperium - the dream of many in Kilkila, who had enthusiastically adopted the idea of a pan-Toyou socialist state that would act as a bulwark against the capitalist, imperialist West. However, the realities of post-revolutionary Vangala, a once-wealthy country now destitute, riven by countless divisions, and the prioritisation of national liberation over international class liberation, the dream would have to wait. Yet to those in Zhenjing, this dream, or nightmare, seemed far to close to realisation, with the uprising in Liangiang and the probing by Vangalan scouts, an intolerable provocation. It was time to act.

The first blows in this erupting war was an intense artillery barrage by Yujiner forces on known Vangalan defensive positions. The dense rainforest would provide only limited protection, and for those on the very frontline, mostly new recruits who were coldly calculated by their superiors to being almost expendable, death arched above them, before crashing down and sending shrapnel and debris flying, with lethal consequences. It was impossible to say how many died in the first onslaught - the local commanders did not even know how many men they commanded. The professionalisation efforts under Carentania's and Havenshire's lead had only just begun, and for the most part, Vangala's 'army', if it could even be called that, was simply a giant violent mass of disgruntled peasants.

Once the first shells landed and exploded, the men, and women - the Revolution did not discriminate on the basis of gender - on the frontlines, rather than dig in and face an inglorious death, retreated. The tactics of the Revolution, which had proved so successful, would be replicated in this new battle. They would draw the enemy into where they were most comfortable, and overwhelm them. The retreat, co-ordinated by drum beats, loud cries and sharp blasts on whistles and flutes, with radio and other advanced communication equipment reserved for the higher echeleons, would be hasty and disorganised, and many would be lost on the way. But with an army whose strength numbered in the millions, who cared?
 

Socialist Commonwealth

Establishing Nation
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
4,691
Location
Germany
Capital
Svetograd
Nick
Revy
RNS Samobor
Long Sea
East of Carentania


The flagship of Carentanias naval deployment to the Bay of Vangala was assembled and en route, headed for their destination with full combat readiness. Revolutionary Navy doctrine foresaw a loose, stretched out formation, with destroyers guarding the flanks and a single one of them driving ahead, monitoring the surroundings with fully active radar and sonar, eyes and ears for the fleet. They would be the first to spot potential threats and direct the assaults of the fleet to their targets, but likewise, they would be the first to be detected by an enemy, placing them in intense risk. As smallest ships of the fleet, they were deemed more expendable than the flagships, though, and Carentania would rather risk losing its destroyers than to suffer assaults on the Samobor itself. Anything more than superficial damage to the carrier would mean a failure of the mission, losing a destroyer was meanwhile undesired, but could be tolerated.

Both the carrier and the cruiser were operating on passive radar, trying to obscure their presence to any potential threat. While the fleet was still within reach of groundbased support, they were accompanied by fighter airplanes started from bases within Carentania, but once the distance increased these patrol flights would be carried out by fighters from the Samobor. Fleet Admiral Eisenstein had requested this procedure to save the fuel reserves of the fleet, wanting to make sure that the operation could be carried out sufficiently long with just the contents of the supply ship, but he was also a careful man and would not relinquish the patrol flights altogether. In case of an enemy attack, having a group of fighters already in the air could decidedly tip the balance in favor of the Carentanians. As little respect as he had for the officers of Yujin, he knew that even with inferior weapons and training, a capable commander, maybe a Danish advisor working for the Emperor, could utilize sheer numerical strength to overwhelm the small taskforce. His approach would rely on early detection, avoidance of major fleet battles and close coordination with the landbased assets which the Navy Marshal had promised.

The difficult task at hand lay not only in intercepting and destroying Imperial Navy operations in the Bay of Vangala. While Carentanian High Command was contemplating the dispatch of another fleet for this job, as it stands, the Samobor would also have to protect supply runs to Vangala. It was a vast stretch of open water from the shores of Carentania to the ports of Vangala and Admiral Eisenstein was in serious doubts of his ability, even by utilizing the considerable reach of his carrier air group, to ensure that task. This part of his mission would probably entirely rely on how many faults his Yu counterparts would make and hopefully, they would consider an assymetric approach to be an admittance of defeat.

Fort Rijeka
Rijeka
Carentania


There were about two dozen officers, dressed in the uniforms of the Revolutionary Navy Aviation, assembled in a small room for a mission briefing. Fort Rijeka was itself, located well within the nations interior, not a Navy, but an Army base. Hence, the commanding officer instructing the men - and two women - on their mission was a Major of the Revolutionary Army Corps, more specifically Army Aviation. Next to him stood an unconspicious man in civilian clothing, his nametag identifying him as a technician with access rights to the base.

"First off, I will remind you all that the things you are about to hear are confidential and you are not to disclose anything heard here to individuals without security clearance," the Major said before, wordlessly, stepping aside and making room for the technician.

"The MP-1 is a most recent developement and you have been chosen to be the first pilots to ever fly it in combat. It is a three-seated tactical bomber, specifically designed for the use against surface ships. You will find that the design considerably differs from what you are used to, as we have integrated numerous innovations into the design. Speed and altitude are far above anything currently in service with either of our aviation branches and the MP-1 is considerably more versatile than pilots experienced with other Carentanian bombers would expect. This is mainly achieved through a powerful jet-engine and - and this needs emphasis - a swept wing design. Few pilots in Carentania have experience with this particular trait of modern plane designs, so let me remind you: while speed and versatility benefit greatly from the additional stability of the wing design, you will need considerably more speed for take-off. Don't underestimate this and botch a start, possibly resulting in the destruction of one of the valuable prototypes.

There are only four of them."

Murmurs went through the assembled pilots, but the Major cut them short with a gesture of his hand.

"Your feedback will be invaluable in developing the final adjustments to this design, so it can reach massproduction. The plane is a three-seater, hence three groups will be assigned to each plane. However, you will be unable to make non-stop flights in rotation, as we will need more time in between flights to evaluate the data. Alongside the MP-1, we will deploy conventionl LL-4 fighter planes for protection and support. These pilots know nothing about the existence of the MP-1 and while the new planes will be hard to hide from them in mission flights, you are still not allowed to disclose any details about the plane and your mission to them."

"Your main weapon," the technician took over again, "will be the KSB-3. Most of you are probably familiar with this particular guided bomb and will have mixed feelings about it. Let me assure you that, with the MP-1, you will come to love it. Both plane and bomb are, you could say, symbiotic to each other and, carrying three of these bombs, the MP-1 should be able to deploy a considerable amount of ordonnance against enemy vessels from secure distances. All the existing issues with carriage systems, deployment and guidance of the KSB-3 are resolved in the design of the MP-1. Trials have run smoothly thusfar and should any, even the most minor, of issues arise, please report immediately. The bomb is a key-element of the new plane-design and we want it to function without the slightest problems."

"I am sure there will be some questions now," the Army Major looked into the surprised faces of his pilots. "And I will leave you time to speak with our friend from the CBMRD at once. However, I want to remind you that your plane is leaving on tuesday and that you need to be ready by then. There is an additional language lesson at 18:00, this is mandatory."
 

Khemia

Establishing Nation
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
2,837
Location
Hawaii
Nick
Saaya
North Seora

War raged throughout the tributary state as Communist, Republican, Imperial, and even Nationalist vied for supremacy of what was perhaps Europe's most repressed state in history. With a history as beaten down and oppressed as its people, conflict was nothing if not liberating for the people who, under ordinary circumstances, would never have been given the freedom to do more than toil the infertile soil of their fields and harvest pitiful crops, and waste the winter months away in darkness and cold, infested with disease and famine. Lelang, the ancient commandery of Yujin in North Seora, was little more than an urban battleground for foreigners - the Communists had effectively seized a majority of the city, including the center, and attempted to realize some sense of order there. The Imperial Expeditionary Army, which had once safeguarded the Seoran border from Touzen incursions, had been forced to withdraw to minor ports and was, ironically, now a force engaged in guerrilla war with the numerically superior Communist forces.

Other forces had taken a major role in the conflict here, though neither were near the cusp of victory - the Republicans who called Nianxu their stronghold championed a moderate cause in Seora and called their allies a wide coalition of groups, from democratic socialists to post-delegationists, the Fuguotian's philosophical ally in the region was called Bog-won Wiwonhoe, or more simply just "Bog-won", which meant simply "Restoration Committee". A more radical nationalist force, comprised almost entirely of Seoran's, had also been formed and was organized on both sides of the once heavily militarized border - known in North Seora, the 설아 제휴 - Seol-a Jehyu - simply known as the Seoran Alliance. The Seol-a Jehyu we perhaps the poorest organized force among the four combatants, which perhaps made them among the most effective at their own style of warfare. Without a unifying doctrine outside of "Fight for Seora", they were able to gain a mass appeal among Seoran's on both sides of the border. With both the Touzen and Yujiner military preoccupied with more pressing matters, they were easily able to cross the invisible line drawn on maps by foreign powers and had become one of the first unifying organizations on the peninsula in more than a hundred years.

Each of these groups fought for Seoran independence. Within Lelang, renamed by the Hongmenghui to Nangnang, a Provisional Seoran People's Council had been forged and set on a path towards self-determination, though sworn in solidarity to their Yujiner counterpart - it was believed that a Red Seora would help fuel the fight against Zhenjing - but it was unlikely that the war in Seora would end anytime soon. The Imperials fought to maintain the status quo, but separated as they were from the mainland because of a decommissioned and traitorous navy, they had become a movement of the Yujiners who called North Seora home. Control of many of the North's towns had been lost, but the Hongmenghui was only able to maintain point-and-line control over the North - much of the countryside was still ostensibly controlled by the Imperials. The Republicans, for their part, maintained a small foothold in Najin, a port city on the East Coast - they were most active in spreading their ideology and lacked the resources to fight with either the Communists or Nationalists, but among the four groups they were the most moderate.



Logistics

Conducting a war of this scale is no small feat, but instead a technological marvel of mankind. From the western point where Vangala, Sikandara, and Yujin meet, a railroad transports supplies from the supporters of the Imperials to Zhenjing, winding through much of the Meghalaya's and the Qiangzou province in relative safety from aerial bombardment. Protected in the entirety of the route by routine patrols, the Empire most elite troops are found along this rail line, the life line of the Imperial government. It is this railway which not only brings tanks, guns, and bullets to Zhenjing, but also oil and, in many cases, food. Pillboxes dot exposed tracts of railroad, and the trains themselves have fortified cars attached to them, bristling with AA guns and 120mm cannons. Zhenjing itself houses four of the nations eight arsenal's, with 150 new tanks of aged design being produced a month for battle. Distributed among the generals who largely control their own provinces, the central government is able to ensure some modicum of balance of power within Imperial controlled territory, even when it can not command a truly disciplined army. By ensuring its generals are invested in the defense of their own territory, it ensures its own survival.

The Hongmenghui, a military organization in control of nearly all of Mao Province and much of North Seora, counts among its number over four hundred thousand men and steadily rising. Woefully equipped, a meager supply line from Qiangzou province manages to, somehow, bring supplies across the Qi River and to the red forces in Eastern Yujin. Despite the broad Communist support for the group, the Hongmenghui are largely cut off from practical supply routes. Much of the battle for North Seora is designed to secure viable ports to allow further supplies. Instead, the entirety of the army is supplied by a single arsenal in Liangang, which manufactures everything from bullets to clothes to machine guns to armored cars, all in small quantities. The Communists have attempted to build new arsenal's, but much of the replicating technology is beyond them - too many of the intelligent members of society, who also happen to be wealthy aristocrats, have felt threatened by the cause and fled. This brain drain has not stopped the tenacious revolutionary spirit of the Hongmenghui, though.

The Republicans of the Fuguotian, residing in their provisional capital of Nianxu, struggle to implement some form of an interim Republic with Zhao Yue as their generalissimo, but the constant siege of Imperial forces have put the Republicans on the defensive. Consolidating their hold on Eastern Yujin, the Fuguotian controls perhaps the only viable major port city in Yujin, as well as two arsenal's - a lack of foreign support for their cause has stripped much popular support for the movement, though, which feels the organization lacks legitimacy. Furthermore, the moderate nature of the group also undermines their own cause - many simply do not believe they have what it takes to seize control of Yujin.
 

Vangala

Establishing Nation
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
6,452
Location
Perfidious Albion
Emerald River
Maga Province
People's Republic of Vangala


The war in Yujin had return to where it started: on the banks of the Emerald River. This once verdant body of water that took its name from the greatest of gems was now a murky concoction of darkness, its currents poisoned by oil and rust from engines of war and blood from fallen soldiers. The Emerald River was now at its greatest in size, swollen from melting waters high in the Meghalayas. Yet, when it retreated later in the year, it would not leave behind fertile soil, but corpses of men and machines.

Barbed wire now stretched the length of most of the river. Border villages had been emptied of surviving inhabitants, and converted into outposts for the Vangalan army. Further back, new barracks and airbases had been built by engineers from Havenshire. By the actual riverbanks, anti-personnel mines donated by Carentania were in the process of being laid. The Emerald River had once more assumed its historic role as a natural buffer between competing powers.

The Yujiner invasion, after some spectacular victories at the start, with the disorganised Vangalan defensive forces often overwhelmed, had ultimately failed. Aerial and naval bombardment by Carentania of Xinhai Province, host to the complex web of supply routes that sustained the Yujiner assault, crippled the logistics of the Yu Imperial Army, and enabled the valiant counter-offensive of the Vangalan People's Armed Forces. In the past weeks, Vangalan soldiers had succeeded in ejecting the Yujin army from Vangalan soil, and eliminating all remaining pockets of resistance in Maga Province, whether that was isolated units of the Yu Imperial Army, or Maga nationalist rebels. At the cost of countless dead, the Revolution appears secured.

Over the course of the Revolution, the Vangalan Red Army had grown from 200,000 to 2.5 million, making it one of the largest fighting forces in the world. During the invasion by Yujin alone, the Vangalan Red Army lost an estimated 100,000 men and women. The number of civilian dead far exceeded this estimate.

Many at the very front-line had to face the Yu Imperial Army with only hand grenades or sharpened peasant tools, with a severe lack of available weaponry. Few even had uniforms, and were identifiable only by a red band around the arm or head, often with a revolutionary slogan, the most popular being 'Victory to Vangala!'. They had been instructed by their superiors, who remained in relative comfort and security a few miles behind, to either wrestle weapons off the enemy or re-use the arms of their fallen comrades. Many at the front had been forced labourers, working in urban reconstruction or collective agriculture, and were transferred to military authority as national defence soon became the first priority of the People's Republic. Most perished in the initial onslaught.

Large swathes of the southernmost province were swiftly occupied by the Yujiner army, as the Revolutionary Command Council, the supreme political and military authority of the People's Republic, attempted to replicate the successful tactics of the Revolution on a strategic scale. Vangalan units were ordered to retreat, a move complicated by the absence of effective communications equipment, with orders relayed by whistles, drums, bells and runners. Other units were instructed to remain behind and disturb enemy logistics lines. Once Yujin had been drawn sufficiently into Vangalan territory, Vangalan forces, bolstered by reinforcements, would overwhelm the invader and force them from Vangala.

For the villagers of Maga province, the brief occupation by Yujin was a brutal affair. Maga nationalist groups used the chaos of the invasion to reignite the war for Maga independence. Suspicious of Yujin's designs on Maga lands, many refused collaboration with the Yu Imperial Army, and waged a separate campaign against both the Vangalan Communists and Yu invaders. Guerilla attacks by Maga nationalists and Communist units led to murderous reprisals, with the Imperial Army executing entire villages in revenge. Many of these mass graves were discovered by the counter-attacking Vangalan army, and cynically exploited for propaganda purposes.

The Vangalan counter-offensive was heralded by an intense bombing campaign by Carentania, which decimated roads and railways in Xinhai province delivering war materials to the invasion force. New Carentanian fighter-bombers also destroyed much of Yujin's western fleet. The use of Carentanian aerial and naval power meant the Vangalan People's Air and Naval Forces were able to conserve most of their assets for any future conflict.

Elite units, equipped with the latest supplies from Carentania and Havenshire, and composed of veterans of the Revolution, collectively known as the Bagha Bahini ('Tiger Force'), spearheaded the counter-offensive, and rapidly recaptured stolen territory in Maga Province. It was a bloody process, with heavy casualties, many dying also from the terrain, disease and heat. For the surviving villagers, it was another tragic moment of extreme brutality, with entire villages annihilated for suspected co-operation with the Yujiner occupiers or involvement with Maga separatist rebels.

Now, the great bulk of the Vangalan Red Army stood at the edges of the Emerald River, and this time, it was a question of whether Vangalan soldiers would be crossing to the opposite bank.
 
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
1,109
Location
The South
PRH Army Command Toyou,
Kilika,
People's Republic of Vangala


"Congratulations on your promotion, General Trask." Buller said, entering the new, sparsely furnished office. A punka-wallah lounged in the corner, pulling idly at the string that brought the punkah wafting across the ceiling, circulating air through the office and cheaper by far than an air conditioning system. Despite the punkah's presence, however, the air was still humid and hot, and both Buller and Trask had accquired considerable tans in their service to the cause.

"Easy for you to say, damn you. Aid Co-op have a cushy office-block, and have thousands of personnel stretched across the countryside, giving out medicine, propaganda leaflets, and rice-bowls like its nobody's business. Way I hear it, you're practically married to the Vangalan's propaganda division now, fire-brigading wherever theres any hint of domestic tension." Trask snapped irritably, swatting a huge fly. Despite the mosquito nets, you could never really get rid of the local wildlife, especially in the height of summer.

"Temper, temper, old friend. Regardless of wether you percieve our job as cushier than your own or not, the fact is we are in this together, still suffering for the motherland. Its certainly improved since we were running the war from the basement of the embassy, has it not?"

General Trask had to reluctantly concede that point. Now the Havenite network of influence in Vangala was a growing, expanding thing. Over a third of all the Engineers even in the People's Armed Forces were now garrisoned in Vangala, sweating themselves thin building roads, bunkers, outposts, and field clinics. The docks were swarming with Co-operative representatives, their merchant shipping tied up by government decree in supply runs to Vangala. But whilst the destination was fixed, the cargo need not be, and so the Co-operatives were getting enormously wealthy, by socialist standards, from bringing in black-market goods and supplies alongside the arms, medicine, blankets and industrial parts for the war effort. Arms and ammo were starting to dry up, unfortunately. Apparently the homeland's industrial complex was straining at the edges, and that come Winter there would be a massive shortage, if things continued at this pace. As much as this knowledge alarmed Trask, what really frightened him was the burden of command being thrust on him. Apparently the career Generals back home were wary of coming over to the "jungle hell", and warier still of commanding the Task Force that was now being sent, on the pretext of providing crucial armoured fast-response support to the Vangalans, but in reality a reserve force to deal with the Sikandarans, if they invaded.

Even more confidentially, Trask knew that the Task Force, whilst impressive on paper, would be a poor paper-tiger indeed, as almost all of its armour and artillery assets were to be stripped on arrival, and handed directly to the Vangalans. Their main job it would seem, would be protecting the growing network of camps, outposts, and aid stations that spread along the new "Victory Highway" being built from Kilkila towards the front. Theft of Havenite supplies was rife, and not just due to the greed and corruption of the officers that Trask and Buller commanded. Without more security, the locals might just rip the nails out of the walls, and cart away the concrete bricks too if they could find a wheelbarrow.

Of course, Trask also had to liase with the Carentanians, whose material infrastructure was vastly superior. The Air Force generals had sent a representative to try and get coalition access to their superior jet-designs, and see them in action, and whilst Trask was on paper Commander of the Toyou Theatre, the other service commanders were not above pulling rank on such a junior general as he.

"Okay, Buller. I'll bite. what do you want?"

"The usual, I'm afraid. I need a security detail of your men to escort a vaccination party of ours into the Maga Province. Some very remote villages, barely even aware of the revolution, need to be inoculated. This war could brew up a very nasty plague without our intercession." Buller smiled his businesslike smile. "Of course, the peasants think our needles are vodoo magic or something."
"You're all heart, Buller. Are you really vaccinating them, or just trying out the latest experimental drugs that Pharma-Coop has been cooking up?" Trask bleakly joked, though he knew in his hardened heart that this possibility was higher than even he dared admit.
"You know we have their best interests in heart, Trask. But yes, can you spare the men?"
"I assume you want real soldiers, and not our ah, brown auxillaries." Trask made a disparaging reference to the growing number of support and reserve personnel who were, again, on paper, part of the People's Army of Havenshire, but were enlistees and employees from Vangala. "I can spare Sargeant Baxter's team, but if you want more than a truck and a handful of men with rifles you'll have to take a fair dunk of the wogs I'm afraid."

Buller frowned, easing into the hard, wooden chair in front of Trask's desk. It really was rather hard, he thought. The plush leather seats back in the Aid-Coop offices were much superior. "Oh very well. Give us whatever you can. This inoculation programme is quite vital, General. We can't have our esteemed allies devestated by the pox. The Yu would swarm across the Emerald River, and your Task Force hasn't arrived yet. There's hardly so much as a company of efffective fighting men between here and the Maga Province, and you know it."

Trask winced. "Don't remind me. Well, I have to finish up this War Report for the Clarion. Talk to Sargeant Baxter, tell him I sent you. You'll find him and his layabouts over by the vehicle yard."

"I will give him your warmest regards." Buller shmoozed, before shaking his friend's hand and swiftly rising. "In exchange, I'll see if we can't get you something...nice to adorn your office with." He gazed at the bare pannelled walls in distaste. "They really do treat you quite shabbily in the army, don't they?"

"Get out already." Trask snorted. "You Co-op types are all the same. Always concerned about getting the right amount of luxury to the right people, namely, those who command the most influence."
"Of course, General. This is how commerce works. The difference between us and the Capitalists-" Buller smiled, wryly- "Is that our rewards are tangible. No stocks, no shareholders, no market to worry about. Just us, and the movement of product."
 

Khemia

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Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
2,837
Location
Hawaii
Nick
Saaya
Vangalan Front

Imperial forces along the Lu River number less than 25,000, spread out across four under-strength divisions. The two divisions which had spearheaded the thrust into Vangala had achieved enormous success, but the tenacity of the Carentanians was not expected, and the supply lines fueling the Yujiner armies were dismantled, forcing a withdrawal. What had been planned as a mere withdrawal with the intent to maintain a beachhead had instead turned into a rout - but the onset of the monsoon season, with the heavy waters from the clouds combined with melting snows making for higher river levels prevented the Vangalan's from pushing into Xinhai. They also provided the Yujiner military, woefully undersupplied and poorly equipped, with some reprieve from the Carentanian bombers who could not risk flying below the clouds to commence attack runs - the Yujiner's had enough anti-aircraft guns to ensure such a reckless operation would be folly.

Still, the Yujiner's were well outnumbered by their Communist adversaries, and their only advantage remained a sheer artillery. Shells were spent almost as soon as they were brought to the front lines, and the often times inconsistent and random barrages did much to keep the Vangalan's on their toes - and away from the beaches where they could otherwise build bridges that might withstand the fast moving currents of the Lu River.

Many of the officers who had committed to the offensive in the first place had been corrupt, eager to push forward their own personal agenda. Those that hadn't been left behind were executed or offered the more dignified and honorable way out - a single bullet and a pistol on their desk. Some took this route, and saved face. Many did not, and their bodies lay in piles, the white posters strapped to their necks denouncing them as scoundrels and scum still sticking up like tombstones. The ranks below, ripe for promotion, were filled with two kinds of people. The corrupt saw the fall of their predecessors and were reluctant to take on promotions - it just wasn't good for their livelihood to be put into a situation of certain failure. As such, the other type, the diehard loyalist, took on the positions and ensured that, though understrength and with limited equipment, the Yujiner forces would still be more than a match for whatever force the Vangalan's could send across the river.



Northeastern Front

Sun Daoshi, General of the Southern Expeditionary Army, a force of 250,000 crack troops, looked out past the Qi River with a frown, crumpling the letter in his hand. He had been given an order, but this was an order he could not follow. To see Liangang burn, the thought made him grimace. He would not be the murderer of hundreds of thousands of souls, regardless of who their allegiance was towards, even if the means of committing such savagery were easily within reach. It was a simple matter to light a thousand small fires and create an inferno that would savage the Red Army and all of their followers. But the very thought reminded him of his home, and his son, Sun Zhida. To imagine Shanghu burned off the face of the world was horrifying. He watched as plumes of smoke rose from the city across the river, and he told himself that it was better this way. A mass artillery barrage would soften them up for what was to come. He would not erase Liangang from the globe - he would return it to its rightful place in the Empire.

Sun Daoshi put on his martial cap and turned around to face the armored spearhead that would ensure his victory. Over a thousand tanks mustered in the hills beyond the range of the Red artillery. The fist of the Empire, Sun's armor would be a hammer to strike down the rebel and assert Imperial hegemony once again over the northeast. And though the people of Liangang would hate him for this, they would yet live to enjoy such luxuries.
 

Khemia

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Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
2,837
Location
Hawaii
Nick
Saaya
Northeastern Front

Known as Operation Pouncing Tiger, poor Hongmenghui intelligence beyond the Qi River and a lack of foreign air support in the region had effectively made the Communist blind to what would be the most devastating military assault thus far in the war. With an arsenal larger than any other single military force in the nation, complete with thousands of hastily produced and imported tanks, however outdated, over one thousand two hundred metal behemoths stirred to life on the morning of June 26th. The resulting rumble could be heard for miles, and would raise the concerns and fears of everyone who was an enemy to the Empire. But the Communists had foolishly undertook a large campaign to capture Seora, and as such the bulk of their forces on the Qi River were not capable of fending off what was to come.

Rocket artillery and shells fell upon the front lines of the Hongmenghui who had fortified the river, the paramilitary revolutionaries having not received enough training to understand how to construct defenses to properly withstand artillery. Casualties mounted, but the Hongmenghui officers refused to issue orders to withdraw - the bombardment continued without pause for hours. The Communists were not afforded time to look over the lips of their trenches and watch the bizarre metal tank-boats the drove out into fjords at various areas. The hasty and messy conversion of the tanks was designed for only one purpose - temporary bridges. Summer had taken hold in northern Yujin, and the waters of the river had begun to decline from their springtime high; fjording the river would be less difficult, moreso now with makeshift bridges. And thus, the armored assault was launched. Dozens of tanks became hundreds, each furiously pounding into the Communist defenses. The failure of Hongmenghui forces to withdraw was folly, and the morale of the forward deployed forces was shattered. Entire units were crushed and routed, and Liangang, a mere ten miles from the front lines, was easily within reach.

By the end of the day, the Southern Expeditionary Army, led by General Sun Daoshi, had achieved a total victory at the Battle of the Qi River, and the rearguard of the Hongmenghui forces in the Liangang commandery hastened to prepare a city defense. Casualties for the Hongmenghui had rise to an excess of 90,000 in under 24 hours, with casualties in excess of 8,000 an hour being common during the first half of the operation, and many of those wounded would die of their injuries for a lack of medical supplies and trained medical personnel. Tomorrow would see how effectively the SEA would be able to capitalize upon their victory.
 

Ashkelon

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Joined
May 31, 2008
Messages
718
Location
Laguna, Philippines
Capital
Hebron, P.D.
Nick
Zalo
Azirpur, Sikandara

If there was anything Wachowski knew about the Federal news, it was that they had a tendency for telling half-truths whenever it suited them. For example, there was an official statement saying that they would keep the Pantera Tank and Krogulec Jet Fighter would be kept out of the conflict, because FDF prioritised the security of the Union and so preferred that these advanced designs stayed at home. This was true. Focus was also placed on the Czolg III series and the Czolg IV medium tanks which were being shipped here, and the Ma 262G fighter jet. Now while it was true that the Ma 262G was not as recent a development as the Ma 263A Krogulec, a new design licensed from the Ivernish Aodh-Mor corporation, it was no less a contemporary jet fighter, to the point that it was in fact, the Mezhist Air Force's mainline fighter jet. Nevertheless, as several hundred had already been produced throughout the years, a few dozen were considered a useful donation, along with a couple hundred of the older models of fighter jet in use by the MAF Reserve.

So the matter of the fact was, the Union was pumping in more than "mere" reserve vehicles into the fray. And as if to hit the point home, Wachowski stirred at that moment, at the sound of a magnificently angry engine roaring to life. He turned his head, and watched with satisfaction as the Cz VI "Grizli" heavy tank rolled off the transport ship and onto dry land. Even if one were to say that Azirpur was in dangerously close proximity to Miroslavan waters, they had no fear. These waters belonged to Sikandara, after all, and Sikandara's fleet was bolstered with Danish technology. Even the fanatical Miroslavs were hopefully not that stupid.

Now, one should note that the Grizli was by no means an advanced design. It was an outdated weapon from an old era that was no longer being manufactured. Indeed, it had already been replaced by a successor several years ago, and was now spending its life either in the reserve, or sitting in a storage warehouse somewhere. But it was far more threatening than the "little" medium tanks that appeared in the news paper and TV.

Several of the tanks rolled off the barge, and within minutes, were being loaded onto the trains bound for Oyasmine, along with the other large weapons that would be railed into Yujin. The communists wouldn't take that nation, not by a longshot. Wachowski thought to himself. Perhaps the Union's obsessive stockpiling wasn't such a bad thing. Instead of recycling old tanks, they were either put into storage, or the chasis converted into something more useful. In this case, the former were being brought out of hibernation and shipped to where they could have the most effect. Not bad at all.

Wachowski nodded with approval as he boarded the train, ready to make the next leg of his journey.


Osmaniye, Sikandara


The trip had been mostly uneventful, and perhaps this was why Wachowski was wide awake when the train made its stop at Osmaniye. He'd slept so much he could no longer sleep. His body rebelled against the idea of closing his eyes. He'd reinforced that by having a chocolate bar a few minutes earlier. And now, as he climbed to the top of the nearby Grizli's turret, he saw another reason to be wide awake. Up in the sky was a large number of planes preparing to make their descent.

The loud drone of the propeller engines made it clear what was kind of plane it was. They called it the Tytan, a behemoth among transport planes, serving for nearly ten years now, with upgrades to its engines and basic airframe, extending its range and whatnot.

The soldier hopped down from the tank and joined the others as they messed. Those planes were another phase of the operation. Whereas he'd sailed aboard the ships to deliver tanks and aircraft, the planes had flown here carrying various supplies necessary for their operation. Fuel, ammunition, rations, those sorts of things.

"They say the mountains are pretty treacherous," Dyk pointed out before taking a sip from his mug of hot tea. "Not to mention there might be reds trying to sabotage the op every chance they get."

"I don't buy it," Tarnow shook his head, "You can't get any worse than Stradow. That's the end of the earth. Anything less is a cakewalk."

"Yeah, I could use some cake, alright," Dyk laughed. "Assuming we don't buy it out here and make it home, that'll be the first thing I'm getting."

Wachowski sipped from his own teacup. "It shouldn't be as bad as Stradow, no. But it'd still be pretty bad." The rest of the conversation was a blur, something about Dyk's girlfriend and Tarnow's wanting to sleep in a nice warm cot for a change. Wachowski? He just wanted to sit on top of that Grizli tank and see the whole thing through, whatever that might entail.

Before he realised it, mess time was over, and the supplies had been loaded onto the trains. It was time to head into the lair of the Dragon and help it breathe fire.
 

Serenierre

Established Nation
Joined
Jun 27, 2008
Messages
6,692
Location
Karachi, Sindh
Capital
Villesen
Port of Azirpur
Sikandara

Despite being the provincial capital, Azirpur was a quiet city and its inhabitants were primarily known for their laziness. Apart from that, the city was remarkable only for providing the main port for the export of Sikandari raw materials and oil, drilled higher up in the northern areas. However, since the war in Yujin had erupted, the port had started getting unusual inspections from government officials and military personnel, with the security around the entire facility being enhanced several times. Truck loads of cargo was very quickly transported from the incoming ships and sent away to be hauled of to some clandestine location higher up in the north. Just a month ago, when a communist infiltrator was discovered amongst the port's staff, the ISIS had swooped in, arresting the man, torturing him for hours and eventually disposing off of him following the provision of the identities of his accomplices, who were in turn subjected to the same treatment.

Following that breach, the military had sealed off an entire terminal from commercial activities and brought in its own personnel to manage the incoming Mezhist ships and weaponry. Now, without the prying eyes of common folk on the deliveries, the pace of activities had quickened on the Sikandari side. However the backlog on the commercially active side of the port was hindering its operational efficiency.

Osmaniye, Khomestan Province
Sikandara


The Imperial Security and Intelligence Service (ISIS) – despite its flowery acronym – was a fearsome organisation and perhaps was one of global communism's worst opponents. Though this vicious agency, at-least in the northern city of Osmaniye, had found itself a quiet corner building in an unassuming quarter of the main vegetable bazaar, where farmers from across the region would be arriving in droves to supply the merchants with fresh produce to be delivered to the big cities of the south.

Sitting in his office, sipping his unsweetened black tea, Lt. Solangi heard the status update reports from his secretary, who read the files from the other side of the desk. The gentle hum of the air-conditioner, a true luxury in this backward northern metropolis, was going on in the background.

"Rendezvous with Mezhist agents for logistical coordination occurred last night between Captain Farrar and contact. Operations on their end proceeding smoothly."

"Right."

Then, he received his weekly briefing for the two concurrent operations that Sikandara was running in the Yujin campaign. OPERATION: Blue Pelican, the name of the efforts to bolster the Imperial Yujin Army by providing them with essential supplies and infantry weaponry, was proceeding fine enough. Recent rains had slowed down some portions of the journey but the general pace of the entire thing was deemed satisfactory. The rationale guiding the operation was that it was better to divide the responsibilities of the Sikandari and Mezhists in their involvement in Yujin, with the Sikandari's choosing to provide weapons aimed at keeping the infantry armed and capable of inflicting sizable punches, leaving the heavier equipment as the Mezhist contribution.

Then, the briefing moved onto OPERATION: Nightingale – which was by far the more important aspect of Sikandara's strategy. Xianbei Province, the part of Yujin directly adjoining Khomestan Province of Sikandara, had a number of Muslims present, who had cultural links to the Sikandari nation. It was hoped that ISIS could whip up a guerrilla force in the province to protect Sikandari interests and work in tandem with the Yujiner anti-communist struggle. So far, the operation was also proving to be fruitful, though it had yet to result in a group capable of going against the Hongmenghui. But Lt. Solangi was hopeful that the day would arrive soon enough. The Imperial Forces in Yujin were strong enough, at-least for now, to continue on with the presence of the Xianbei fighters.

Sikandara – Yujin Border

The railway line from Osmaniye into Yujin was nestled in between a valley, surrounded by hills on either side, along the 22 kilometers of shared boundary that the two Empires had. And though the terrain was tough and dangerous, the true threat here was from Vangalan military forces who were, quite literally, just beyond the horizon. Given the rail link's importance, the Imperial Military of Sikandara had stationed a sizable contingent of troops in the area and the deployment of heavy artillery pieces aimed directly at Vangala all served to provide considerable defensive fortifications for this isolated spot in the frontier, which until recently had been a half-forgotten backwater, used only by refugees from Yujin or Vangala escaping into this country.
 

Remuria

Establishing Nation
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
2,640
Nick
The Swissman
A Very Ordinary Private Estate, Village of Sabetta, Budelli Island, Grand Duchy of Nichtstein

The very ordinary private house on the outskirts of Ascona was host to a number of guests on this particular night. While some of the guests strolled about the house and the grounds around it, four guests in particular sat in an ad hoc poker room in the basement. The room had all the attributes of a poker room: whiskey bottles mingling with chips on the table and the air filled with an impenetrable veil of smoke from cigars that three of the guests smoked.

The three guests shared pleasantries and jokes and didn't even seem to notice when a fourth guest joined them until the guest began coughing his lungs out.

"Ah, Gerardo! Or should I say Gerhard!" one of the figures said cheerfully, his eyes not leaving the cards in his hands."And I thought it was us Retalians supposed to always be late. You dishonour your Bourbiner heritage!"

"Always a pleasure, Giovanni," Gerhard answered. "Do you know that smoking is bad for your lungs?"

"Silly speculations unproven by science, my friend. Now, shut up and take a seat. Gentlemen, shall we let Gerhard join with a penalty?"

The three other guests nodded and the Bourbiner took his seat, was dealt some cards and handed out a share of chips with a penalty.

"You see, Gerhard, even our dear Hans there is not compailing about the smoke. And he doesn't smoke. Is it a Bourbiner thing that you don't smoke? Anyway, did you have the time to read the brief?"

"Of course. My first question is... why?"

"And your second question?"

"Why meet here rather than at the Bureau site in, hell, Ascona for all I care. But I'd like to get an answer to the first question first."

The round came to an end. Giovanni and Alberto, another Retalian high ranked member of the Seventh Bureau (even if those part of the organizations called it Bureau Zero, because "zero" was the usual amount of information people knew about the Bureau), were the ones left in the round. Cards were opened and Giovanni sighed as Alberto's combination won.

"Gerhard, what do you see when you look south-west from the island?"

"Uhm, water?"

"Capraria, you Bourbiner fool. You see Capraria, swarming as it is with reds all over it. There's goddam reds right on our doorstep. And instead of sending troops to beef up the Eiffellanders, to show those reds their place, what are we doing?"

"Well, we're kinda spying on them..."

"Kinda... sorta..." Giovanni sighed. "We're not doing anywhere near enough. And that's the answer to your first question. The Imperials crush the Republicans in Yujin, bam, they get resources to crush the reds. And then once the reds are out of Yujin, guess where they'll turn?"

"We like the reds being in Yujin, Gerhard," Hans agreed with his superior officer. "And we do not want the Imperials there to win in a glance. We want the reds there to bleed and burn up as many ressources as they can."

"And if the Imperials crush the reds," Alberto nodded. "Those Carentanians just might as well reinvigorate their efforts in Solaren. As you know, Capraria is but a stone's throw away from us. Figuratively speaking, of course."

"And the Imperials aren't going to crush the reds until they crush the republicans, you see. They have that thorn right in their side and they will get rid of it. And once they do..."

"So what do you want from me?" Gerhard sighed.

"You're our man in the Foreign Affairs Ministry!" Gerhard slammed his cards on the table and looked at Gerhard with the kind of gaze that meant that the person in front of the Chief of the Seventh Bureau was about to die. "Mater del Dio, what can I possibly want from you? You establish a liaison with those Republicans. And we ship them money and weapons."

"Secret liaison, I guess, since I won't even ask you if it's legal..." Gerhard said pensively.

"Indeed, don't bother asking. What the Parliament doesn't know can't hurt the Parliament," Hans said with a chuckle.

"We have the budget," Alberto nodded. "We have the weapons. Light weapons for now, well, if you count anti-tank rocket launchers as light weapons. Hell, we could even get some army reserve tanks, there's thousands of those standing around without any use."

Gerhard sighed as he looked sadly at his cards. His brain was already forming a plan, a scheme setting into place from numerous little pieces. What Gerhard was good at was planning and making plans work. This is why Giovanni personally inserted him into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have a Bureau's own man high in the MFA ranks.

"I'll get in touch with you people soon. But I hope you people do understand that just placing a narrow-eyed guy in the tank won't magically make that guy a tank pilot."

"Now we're talking!" Giovanni gave Gerhard a slam on the back. "So let's start planning!"

"And you do also understand that if we help the republicans today, they might just ally with the communists tomorrow," Gerhard added, looking over every other guest in the room."

"Of course," Alberto nodded. "We'll solve one problem at a time. For now the problem is to keep the meat grinder in Yujin grinding meat."
 

Ashkelon

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Laguna, Philippines
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Office of the Director of Federal Defence
Giecz, Upper Swiecziema


Stefanski rubbed his chin. Marszałek Powietrzny Iwinska had submitted a simple proposition. If the Union could spare a few dozen modern jets, and a couple hundred outdated jets, then surely, it could spare several hundred, maybe even a thousand, propeller planes? Surely, the venerable Ma 109K and Fr 190 series of fighters would help make a difference in ensuring Imperial dominance of the Yujiner skies? The Director of Federal Defence read through the report and proposal again. 1000 propeller planes to be taken out of storage and shipped to Sikandara, along with the tanks and jets that were already there or en route.

"Well..." He mused to himself, recounting Mickiewicz's statement in the Guardian. "Better let them do the fighting there than gather mould in a warehouse somewhere." Stefanski signed the proposal, and stamped his approval. The next shipment would be propeller planes. Lots, and lots, of propeller planes.
 

Vangala

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Perfidious Albion

Momenshahi
Vangabhumi Province
People's Republic of Vangala


"The flowers have grown well where the feudalists lie," A sinister laugh followed the macabre statement, as chairman of the local People's Committee Nazmul Iqbal pointed with glee to the flourishing plants before him. Beneath them, lay the entirety of the Malla Deb Raj family, who had ruled the surrounding lands for centuries. The Palace in which Chairman Nazmul Iqbal and his fellow committee members now resided, and before them the Malla family, was considerably younger, having only finished construction in 1931. It was an intriguing building, combining Gothic features often present in Franconian colonial buildings with traditional Islamic styles. Yet it was the accompanying gardens that were more famed for their beauty.

"Most impressive indeed Chairman Iqbal," The softly spoken Mainul Dal, Director-General of the newly instituted People's Military Intelligence, took less pleasure from the deaths of the Malla family. Having been an active revolutionary since before the Great Mutiny of 1951, he had seen enough killing in his lifetime.

Nazmul Iqbal continued to talk, reveling in the murder of one of Vangala's oldest land-owning families, recounting the exact moment as if he had been there personally. First the soldiers of the Vangalan Red Army surrounded the Palace, and demanded the Malla family surrender all their lands to the new Vangalan People's Republic for redistribution amongst the local peasantry. The demand was only a symbolic gesture, as the lands had already been seized. The Malla family, in an attempt to retain their dignity and pride, as all else had been lost, refused. The besieging soldiers then fired a number of warning rounds, and repeated their demands. The Malla family refused again. Not offering a third chance, the soldiers stormed the Palace, and facing resistance from the family's male elders, shot several dead. The rest, after an expedited trial in the local People's Court, were executed. All were buried in the Palace's gardens.

Director-General Dal doubted the course of events as detailed by Chairman Iqbal. He suspected the Malla family had been annihilated in the bloody conclusion of the siege of the Palace, with no offer to surrender. The summary execution of feudalists with foreign benefactors, in this case in both Franconia and Sikandara, did not trouble the Director-General. But the glorification of excessive violence, especially by party bureaucrats like Chairman Iqbal, who did not directly participate in the Revolution, but fetishised its happening, did disturb the Director-General. It was time for the Revolution to end in Vangala, and move beyond the fragile country's borders.

"A truly heroic tale Chairman Iqbal. I trust you were there yourself?" The disinterest of Dal in Iqbal's story was hidden behind the visors of his sunglasses, and even as the Chairman floundered for a reply to Dal's mischievous question, the Director-General refused to smile.

"Director-General, remind me again of your true business being here," Iqbal abruptly changed the subject of conversation, knowing his revolutionary credentials were being questioned. Nazmul had to admit to being slightly intimidated by the presence of the Director-General of People's Military Intelligence. As Chairman of the Momenshahi People's Committee, most of his visitors were traders pleading for the border to be reopened with Sikandara, or representatives from the local People's Military Command explaining recent manoeuvres.

"I am here to ensure your compliance," Dal replied simply. "Momenshahi is a city of strategic importance, and therefore of great interest to People's Military Intelligence. Your positioning close to the border also makes infiltration by Sikandari imperial agents a significant possibility. People's Military Intelligence will be conducting a number of operations in Momenshahi, and I will require your co-operation."

With the attention of the Revolutionary Command Council, the supreme ruling body of the People's Republic, focused on the war with Yujin in the East, many local authorities outside of Maga Province had started to deviate from central policy, and enact measures contradictory to what they had been ordered. Momenshahi People's Committee, Nazmul Iqbal included, had tolerated illegal trade routes, many Committee members even profiting from their activity. Director-General Dal was now concerned sympathisers to the old regime, sponsored by the Sikandari state, had entered the People's Republic through such unofficial channels.

"Of course Director-General, Momenshahi People's Committee considers national and revolutionary defence a first priority," Chairman Iqbal smiled weakly with his response.

Dal gave an affirmative nod. However, it was not just the Revolution's enemies the Director-General was concerned with, but also the Revolution's friends. People's Military Intelligence was at the centre of a series of vast informal networks spanning the globe. The Vangalan Workers and Peasants Party had extensive ties with its ideological brethren in the East, with the Sikandari People's Front and Yujiner Red Oath Society being close allies. As Vangalan national liberation took precedence over regional socialist solidarity, these ties had waned in strength, but regular contact still occurred between the revolutionary movements.

The troubles in Khomestan had provided an opportunity for the People's Republic. So far, Vangala had to watch powerlessly as Sikandara and the Mezhist Union supplied the enemy in Yujin through the railways that passed perilously close to its own borders, yet was unable to strike in case of provoking Sikandara, the self-proclaimed Lion of the East, into open conflict. But the Vangalan Tiger would have its revenge. By supplying the Sikandari People's Front with weapons and other material through border cities like Momenshahi, Vangala could hasten the downfall of the Sikandari Empire, but before then could ask its comrades-in-arms to do what Vangalan agents could not, such as sabotaging transport links between Sikandara and Yujin.
 

Ashkelon

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Laguna, Philippines
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Hebron, P.D.
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Port of Azirpur, Sikandara

Kurbiel ticked off the last item on his checklist, as the final cargo ship of the day opened up. And certainly, this day had been very exhausting. Tank, after tank, after tank had rolled off the vessels and proceeded to go up further north to Osmaniye where they would be consolidated with other pieces of heavy equipment. And now, as the sun set, and the first night shipment arrived, he was glad to know that he would not be bored to death after all.

Because he wasn't getting tanks.

Instead, what was carefully unloaded from the cargo ship was a peculiar oddity, some kind of thing still covered in tarp. It was wider than it was long, so one would wonder if it was perhaps some type of aircraft. Kurbiel knew exactly what was under that tarp, though. He'd seen enough of the various types of aircraft to understand that it wasn't merely some propeller plane. Besides, those wouldn't arrive until later.

But his assistant wasn't as privileged. "So what do we have here, chief? The Ma 262G?"

Kurbiel snorted. "That is no 262G airframe, kid. Not even a 262D. Those will arrive later. Seventy-Two 262G's from the Air Force, and two hundred 262D's from the Air Force Reserve. After that, it'll be propellers. Lots, and lots of propellers, to go with the tanks. It's high time we got rid of these old birds anyway."

The young assistant scratched his head. "So it's one of the big wings then, right? The 310?"

He snorted again. "Who're you kidding? The bigwigs like that new toy way too much to spare even one of them. Besides, it's too small to be a 310. Have you even seen the pictures?"

"Uhh... the 229 series, then?"

"That's more like it." The captain took a puff from his cigarette. "The 229F. Speed, manoeuvrability, and sting. All in a cute little package."

"But that's an interceptor, right?"

"Sure is. We're getting a squadron in tonight. Along with a bunch of other jets." Kurbiel watched as the interceptor was secured to the train. "Malek wants additional test data for their fighter-bomber variant. They don't really need it, I heard, but I ain't no engineer."

"And the propellers?"

"They start coming in tomorrow."

The assistant could only nod as the two observed the proceedings. It was going to be a long night.
 

Khemia

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Hawaii
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Battle of Liangang
The intensity of combat in the city has declined, with firefights occurring on the squad and platoon levels instead of the battalion levels seen before. Imperial control is being asserted over the city as loyalist troops of the Southern Expeditionary Army continue to crush opposition and control the main thoroughfares within the city. The suburbs and isolated pockets within the city are still in Hongmenghui control, but support among the populace has faltered as locals blame the Hongmenghui for bringing the war to them. Despite this, the large refugee population created by the conflict is a ripe source of fresh recruits, and Hongmenghui numbers are surging.

Overall, the battle continues to tip in the Imperials favor as, ever increasingly, Imperial air and armored power are able to crush the Hongmenghui in conventional combat, and the brutality of strikes conducted within the city and disregard for civilian life means that unconventional warfare has limited effectiveness. Despite the debacle at Liangang, Wu Jindiao, leader of the Hongmenghui and instigator of the revolt, is moving to establish a political organization to his Communist movement outside of the structure of his political party - nascent political units called People's Council's are being formed at the local level in an effort to push for popular support, and the promise for land reform and wealth appeals to many of the poor, famished farmers in the north.

Seoran Front
Hongmenghui forces have taken control of numerous strategic locations on the northern portion of the peninsula, including the medium-sized port of Najin as well as the railways connecting each of the strategic locations. Control of the rail is vital to Hongmenghui control of the region, but scattered Imperial remnants still linger in much of the country-side, waging a guerrilla war against the Hongmenghui. To the south, closer towards the border with Touzen-controlled Seora, chaos has broken loose as Seoran nationalists engage Imperial army units in open combat within the cities and towns in Imperial-controlled territory. Though fighting is low-intensity, it is incessant, and Imperial forces have begun removing themselves from select locations as they prepare for combat against the impending Hongmenghui advance and the Seoran rebels.

In addition to political changes within Mao Province, the Hongmenghui are moving to establish an independent political structure within Seora, an effort aimed towards creating an independent Communist state within the nation whilst taking advantage of the undercurrent of Seoran nationalism gripping the region. While limited in success because of the extreme traditionalist culture of many Seorans, views which are largely incompatible with Communist social norms, the framework for a larger government is taking shape and, despite the skepticism of many Seoran's, it appears Wu Jindiao is sincere in his effort to create an independent state.

Nianxu Front
Nianxu has become a proverbial hellhole, coming under aerial attack day and night as the Empire unleashes bombs as soon as they are rolled out of the factory. Though ordnance for airplanes is very low, and pilots are difficult to replace, the Imperial Army Air Corps is dedicated to eradicating the Republican revolt by October, in time to redeploy to the Vangalan front to launch or defend against an offensive. Republican forces are plagued by a lack of financial aid from abroad, indecision among international supporters and, increasingly, an economic crisis as banks, businesses, citizens, and other sources of financial income are forced to close or flee the combat taking place. Though the Republican Army is holding the line against Imperial ground forces, the war is increasingly being lost in the pocketbook. With the economic plight in Nianxu taking it's toll, and the Republic unable to adequately staff factories it has taken direct control of, it is only a matter of time before the war on the Republican homefront is lost.

Qiangzuo Province
For months Communist supporters have trained fighters in Vangala and sent them towards Qiangzuo without any express purpose other than to fight a war. Though well trained and modestly equipped, many of the soldiers in the region lacked any unifying principles or causes aside from the foreign-instilled notion of Communist solidarity, have only now received Hongmenghui commanders who were unable to reach them until the Imperial defensive lines along the Qi River were compromised by the Imperial offensive itself; the battle in Liangang draining men and supplies from the defenses along the Qi River. Large numbers of Hongmenghui units have begun infiltrating across the Yujiner countryside with a single target in mind: the lifeline of the Empire, the railroad to Sikandara.

Though heavily fortified and garrisoned in its entire route, with armored cars and rail-artillery, this has not deterred Hongmenghui forces from harassing the supply lines and skirmishes against Imperial garrisons are common. These skirmishes are, however, little more than a distraction from the true intent of the Hongmenghui - seizing Qiangzuo Province itself. Numerous villages have been occupied in recent days without fighting, and skirmishes have begun outside larger towns with Imperial garrisons. The Qiangzuo provincial capital of Tianshan, modestly garrisoned with a complement of 8,000 troops, is being heavily infiltrated by Hongmenghui veterans, and weapons and provisions are being stockpiled under the Imperial garrisons notice - the Commander too incompetent to realize that the war he believes to be fought a thousand miles away will soon be on his doorstep.
 

Ashkelon

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Zhenjing
Yu Province
Zhenjing Commandery


Squads of troops, part of the command of the New Army, drilled hard and trained incessantly under the watchful eye of the Mezhist Union's elite special forces operators. Blue Moon Special Warfare Command, or BLUSWACOM, as it was frequently abbreviated, had become something of a notorious force within the Mezhist military. Well versed in the art of unconventional warfare, ambushes, small unit tactics, and other special functions and tactics associated with special forces, BLUSWACOM was frequently involved in operations run by the Federal Intelligence Directorate, as well as black operations more directly linked to the Mezhist Armed Forces. Whenever the Mezhist Union wanted to secretly intervene in a matter, BLUSWACOM would be sent to do the job.

Even as the first tanks were railed into [MENTION=983]Yujin[/MENTION], they were accompanied by these deadly operators, tasked specifically to select men from the Yujiner New Army for training in the art of special forces. Training had been quite the investment at first, as even the modern New Army soldier was not even comparable to the basic Mezhist Army Regular. The commanders at first doubted they would find anybody who could stand up to the gruelling special forces training, considering the MAR's had a much higher standard and still dropped out like flies when exposed to this. However, the Yujiner troops proved hardy, and soon, individuals began to emerge from the masses of grunts to embrace and survive the course. These men would make a fine addition to the Empire's cause of crushing the communist revolt. Where conventional warfare was unsuitable, then the unconventional soldier would take the fight.

Captain Dabrowski sighed as he read the memo. A squad of those poterczifrom Luboslaw would arrive soon, to participate in the training. He wondered how strange such a sight might look to the locals, with those monsters taking part in live fire combat exercises, performing fire and manoeuvre, and going on the offensive in simulated raids, all with the proficiency of any BLUSWACOM operator. Perhaps it might give the wrong impression of Sarmatian culture. Would it be admired, scorned, or merely provoke a raised eyebrow? None of that really mattered, the Captain thought to himself. What did matter was that they were attaching the poterczi from Luboslaw to his unit, which meant they would be under his care, and at his disposal.

So what was the best thing to be done with such an unexpected extra resource? He had just the right idea. "I think we should welcome our guests with a little war game," he muttered to nobody in particular, "See how they fare against these freshly trained Yujiner troops..." That would be a riot. Dabrowski chuckled to himself. All these years serving in BLUSWACOM and he still managed to have a sense of humour. It was simply amazing.


----


Meanwhile, higher up on the chain of command, strategists and tacticians from the Mezhist Army and Air Force were busy training New Army commanders in the proper tactical and strategic use of the new assets they were bringing in to support the Imperial cause. Modern armoured warfare, modern aerial warfare, and combined arms were all the subjects of teaching. Where were the jets were appropriate as opposed to the propeller planes and vice versa? What kind of tank was best suited to a certain kind of environment? How should they work with infantry? When should they work with infantry? When was the Czolg IV Medium Tank more appropriate than a Czolg VI "Grizli" Heavy Tank? The commanders studied all these and more as they prepared to make good use of what they were receiving. General Sun's clever conversion of his tanks into amphibious death machines aside, there was a lot more to tank combat than just rolling over the opposition. And of course, there was the issue of combined arms warfare. How did each element support the other? When was a certain manoeuvre appropriate over another?

Even as the Mezhist commanders taught these things to their Yujiner counterparts, even higher up the echelons, the brass were starting to get to know each other. After all, they were now in this for the long haul, and there was too much invested in the war to turn back. And of course, there was a much simpler objective. To find the people with the most influence in the nation, and establish dialogues with them, in order to ensure that they would be able to continue influencing Yujin after the war, regardless of the outcome. Considering the way he was performing at this time, General Sun appeared to be a very good candidate for... special discussions.

Already, the Mezhists were studying this man to see just how they could approach him. Aside from that gift of several hundred tanks, of course.
_____
potercza - Folklore. The vengeful spirit of a child who died unbaptised. They frequently stalk the forests at night, crying like lost children to lure unsuspecting lone wanderers off the trail, and then ferociously attack once the opportunity arises. Countermeasures may vary between traditions, but the jury is still out on whether baptising them actually does any good.
 
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