Red Sun Rising

[Ashkelon]

(Yujin said that we wouldn't be able to know that the province is on the verge of being taken - due to reasons I'll include in the text below - but that we should know enough that sending troops would be a good idea, possibly to retake the capital, for example. Might want to rewrite the scale of panic in your post.)

Shanghu
Xinan Province
Shanghu Commandery


The Engineer continued on his watch. As of three days ago, his task had gone from supervising the construction of the arsenals, to supervising their maintenance. Two months of hard work were finally starting to bear fruit. It had started simply enough as they arrived on a train from Danbu. And now, as the manufacturing supplies continued to stream in, they worked day and night to build these arsenals. True enough, they had received word that the SEA was being redeployed to Xinhai, and they would be providing vital support in the form of munitions and tanks. The original arsenal, which these two were supplementing, now focused on supplies.

Raw materials were being shipped in through Danbu - and soon - through Ningwei, assuming the Union would be able to take smooth control over that city. He'd heard it had become a communist stronghold, which could mean things would not be such a smooth ride. But he was confident that they would be able to find a solution to the problem. Maybe. All said and done, however, he only cared about getting his job done. After all, he was being paid to take care of the arsenals themselves, not the raw materials that would be coming in. That was the manager's job.

Ningwei

It was a September morning like any other, as far as the people were concerned. That is, over a dozen ships - mostly warships - appeared over the horizon. Was it a foreign attack? No, the Danish vessels that were stationed nearby did not make any effort to engage them. This could only mean, of course, that these foreign vessels belonged to whoever had made the purchase of Ningwei.

Whoever these purchasers were, though, it was clear that they had no intention of leaving the port city vulnerable. This squadron had with them an aircraft carrier - an old model to be sure, perhaps from the late 30's, when navies were still experimenting on what the proper carrier design would be. Its origins as a battleship were still visible, in the fact that it held more guns than a carrier sensibly should. Nevertheless, if these purchasers were willing to invest a carrier, then there was no doubt that they wanted security over this place.

People with communist sympathies would soon have either a feeling of dread or perhaps indignation, as the ensigns born by the squadron came into view, identifying the power that had purchased the port city. Their worst fear had been confirmed. The belonged to the Mezhist Union, which should not have been surprising. Who else would be interested enough to buy a port city stationed in a war-torn land? Someone with a stake in the aforementioned war. And who better could the Danes entrust this city to, if not their close allies the Mezhists?

The carrier and transports had docked at port to unload personnel, who were greeted by the Danish officials responsible for the city. The communist majority of the city had been discussed in the Halls of Giecz. It was better not to shake the hornet's nest if the hornets weren't exactly the same hornets you wanted to eradicate. And as explained in an earlier memo from the Halls with regards to dealing with communism in Ivernia, no violence would be used against communists who did not strike first. Instead, the weapon of the Union would be propaganda and a grassroots movement, to imbibe the locals with the ideal of Mezhism. Or at least, the Sarmatian flavour of it.

Communism was a lie. Communism only created the illusion of fairness. Equality for all, including unproductive scum who only leeched off state welfare programs. Where was the justice when the hardworking father of three was paid just as much as a single drunkard who made no contribution? Would it not be better to earn one's own? Certainly, there would be some kind of social welfare. But its purpose was not to give a man a fish. Rather, it would be to give him a rod and teach him to fish. They would transform any bums and scum into productive members of society, people who earned their keep. Such rhetoric would be only one of many tactics to be used in the campaign.

Policing the city would be the responsibility of the FBS - which explained why ten thousand of them had arrived aboard the ships. The instructions were simple. Do not abuse the locals. Divide the communists against each other instead, and win them over to Mezhism if possible. Learn to understand the culture, and do everything necessary to keep up a good face. Handing out candies to children would probably be employed at some point. And speaking of the children, sneaking in indoctrination was a high priority. The Danes were still citizens of Danmark. They were to understand that these rights still applied to them. Which meant of course, that the Danish communists would be a challenge to deal with. Close cooperation would have to be made with the Danish government with regards to eliminating the threat - not by making them disappear, but perhaps, through some other means.

Nevertheless, violent communism would be met with violence. There was no reason not to shoot back if they shot first. All said, of course, there was nothing stopping a few enterprising FBS officers from firing a blue gun and then painting it red, for the sake of more quickly dealing with communist problems. But Giecz was strict on this. Such false flag operations would only be authorised if absolutely necessary. The top priority was maintaining the city's stability. Its infrastructure was after all, still solid, and would be a shame if conflict destroyed it. Nevertheless, maintaining the stability while protecting the planned operations from prying communist eyes was a daunting task, to be sure. But with the FBS and FID running the city, it was a safe bet that many plots would be undertaken to erode communist support and prop up the Mezhist-Imperial cause. To the intelligence officers, it was a challenge that they were more than enthusiastic to undertake.


Giecz,
Mezhist Union

The Director of International Affairs had welcomed the Sikandari Ambassador as per Sarmatian traditions, with only the best tea and food available. None of that teabag stuff. Only freshly grown leaves from the southern coast. Such was Sarmatian hospitality that they encouraged their esteemed guest to have the first sip.

Now, from what he understood, Qiangzuo was a vital connection between Sikandara and Yujin. When they began supporting the Empire in this war, it was the only way of entry, and the Halls of Giecz did not like the idea. The Swieczieman Imperium did not prosper on single thin supply lines. And the Mezhist Union most certainly did not believe in such absurd notions as putting all of one's eggs in one basket. The Trans-Swieczieman Railway was a greatly useful network of railroads that provided for much needed industrial support. However, the late Premier Apostle Stukow had initiated the construction of the Autostrady in the late 20's, understanding that the automobile would play a vital role in the future, where it would serve as a robust supplement and alternative to the TSR. Today, the Union had a large and growing highway network that would ensure a strong and beating industrial-economic heart for generations to come.

As such, from the very outset, the Union intended to set up supplements and alternatives to that one Trans-Touyou Railway. This was already seen by their work in Danbu, their recent purchase of Ningwei, negotiations with the Potenzan colonial government of Port Arturo, and plans to bypass the Caretanian blockade of Siraama, in order to restore that port city's functionality - and perhaps in the future, establish it as a prominent trade port. They had plans to open up other ports, of course, just to be sure. Suffice to say, if the increasing intensity of the attacks on the Qiangzuo leg of the railway were anything to go by, then trouble was brewing in that province, and some action had to be taken immediately.

The Halls had given him their orders. An expeditionary force of, ah, "volunteers" was to be deployed to Qiangzuo and stamp out these accursed communist attacks for good. Intelligence was, of course not perfect, and the extremely rural, undeveloped, and isolated nature of the province, where many towns didn't bother to report to the authorities for months, if not years, on end, meant that neither state could be truly aware of just how bad the situation had deteriorated. The capital was almost gone. However, it retaking it certainly seemed feasible. As such, Giecz had estimated that 24,000 "volunteers" should be enough to deal with the situation. After all, this was three times the size of the Dashan garrison and so the communists wouldn't know what hit them. This contribution of "volunteers" was something that the DIA assured the Ambassador would be done immediately. Indeed, even as they spoke, the "volunteers" were already boarding the next transports to the Port City of Azirpur - surely, the Sikandari government's approval of the idea was a foregone conclusion.


Danbu

What had been a sleepy little port town had over the past months, grown into a large port town. Ships from the Imperial government's allies arrived here, carrying "safe" materials, essentially neutral cargo that by no means be considered weapons. Food, fuel, supplies... all generally good and useful things from those who wished to aid the Empire with things that did not explode or kill people arrived here. What had been built up was now a sanctuary for relief efforts, a gesture of goodwill from the friends of the Empire to its needy people. Any attack on this port, any sabotage of the efforts here, would only result in an outcry against the obvious enemies of the Empire as terrorism. This was also the perfect place to legally smuggle in raw materials for the manufacture of tanks, weapons, and other implements of war. Metals, chemicals, rare materials like rubber... Protected behind the shield of humanitarian aid, Danbu was nevertheless growing into an important asset in maintaining the Empire's ability to wage war.

 

[Khemia]

Ningwei
The boats sailing into port were expecting, if nothing else, at least a pleasant welcome. The Danish sailors aboard their vessels dressed in their best uniforms and presented their salutes as expected, but the docks, which were supposed to have been filled with paid-for-welcomers cheering the Sarmatians, were instead beginning to fill with Yujiners and Danes alike, nervous, disgruntled, unhappy, and uncertain. The vessels docked into the port and began unloading all sorts of high ranking naval officers, and a few of those present began clapping. Others began to whisper, and those whispers spread and increased in volume, until the murmurs became a low roar that drowned out the naval officers speaking with each other. The Sarmatians were forced to quicken their step towards the waiting vehicles, but could not escape the crowd as it surged around them.

The Yujiners in Ningwei were unhappy. The terms of the loan of the city to Danmark had already been a blow to their pride, and at a time of national upheaval, the purchase just seemed to solidify the belief that foreign countries were eager to take the knife and carve apart their own personal empires in Yujin. The flooded around the vehicle and pelted it with all sorts of rotten vegetables, eggs. One man stepped forward and threw a bucket of pigs blood onto the front windshield, the thick, sloppy mess almost impossible for the vehicles wipers to clear off.

The whispers had finally turned into a chant, and the Yujiners in the crowd began to shout their frustrations. "No imperialism! No militarization! No war!" The ad hoc protest was no doubt filled to the brim with members of the unofficial Communist faction in Ningwei, but as of yet no violence had been shown by the protesters, and there were many reporters from both Danish and Yuhua newspapers eager to see how the Sarmatians would react.

Zhenjing
Several soldiers patrol a guardpost monitoring the influx of refugees from Qiangzuo, weary and beleaguered. From the rumors circulating among the refugees, it had become apparent that the province was in dire straights. One of the men, a boy of eighteen, cast his eyes northwest to the silhouette of the mighty mountainous realm that sat on the horizon like a monolith. A sensation of dread overcame him; he felt as though he could practically see the war. Few of those in the New Army had joined the military honestly expecting war to erupt, and now it seemed that not only had it broken out, but that the entire nation had become consumed in it.

His friend clapped his hands to get the young mans attention, and the guard turned his eyes to the occupant of the next vehicle in queue. "Wénjiàn qǐng." The woman inside looked about nervously, reaching into her purse and moving around some papers, looking for her documents. It took her what seemed to be several minutes, but she finally found them and handed them over to the guard with a meek smile. The guard stood straight and read over the documents, sparing a glance into the vehicle. Two young boys, their faces dirty but both wearing childish smiles, looked back at him. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, but he maintained a serious visage for the woman.

He leaned down to speak to the woman easier, so that he might ask her questions. Another sensation of dread overcame him, and then the fire. The car detonated at the post, sending and explosion through the entire post. The man inside the post was thrown out the back window, blood gushing from the shrapnel wounds that covered his torso and face. Another man, the one who had clapped, was scattered in pieces. His legs landed beside a car further down the queue, and his lifeless torso skidded to a halt on the pavement behind the crumbling brick post. There were no remains of the eighteen year old guard, nor the woman who had only given him a gentle smile before killing them all.

Lanyun Pumping Station, Unity Pipeline, Qiangzuo Province
A nondescript building cradled within a small valley sat astride what could be called a major lifeline of the Empire. Oil, that vital black blood of military might, was pumped uphill through the vital artery, sent further south towards more pumps, until it could be delivered to the main storage facilities at Zhenjing, Jiangzhou, and Shanghu. Lanyun Pumping Station was one of many designed to bring the water up the high slopes, but it also served as a monitoring station.

A small window remained open at the station, and a man sat in front of it, smoking and feeling a cool gust of wind buffet him from outside. His sparse hair barely sheltered his scalp from the increasingly frigid wind, and frost from the night before still clung to the corners of the glass. A noise, different than the howling wind, seemed to echo in the distance, ringing from mountain to mountain. The worker stuck his head out and tried to see what could have caused the noise, but a beeping noise form the control room summoned him back in. He hurried back, a fellow worker already quickly moving over a set of controls.

"Shénme shì cuò de!?" he asked impatiently.

"I don't know! Rapid pressure loss, the pipe must have a leak. Quickly, stop the flow!" the other worker shouted, pointing out the door to the manual control. He hurried and began to spin the valve to shut off the supply of oil when a click behind him grabbed his attention. He looked behind him, and a barrel stared back at him. His throat tightened, and he staggered backwards, unable to speak, though his jittering teeth made enough noise.

"Don't worry, if you do what I say, you'll see your family again," the man at the other end of the rifle said. In the other room, a gunshot was followed quickly by the thud of a collapsing body. The blood rushed out of his face, but he shook his head vigorously. "Tell me how to sever the pipeline... permanently."

En Route to Zhenjing
General Sun Daoshi may have been a man of his people, but he had elected to fly in the drab military grey of his transport plane rather than the rickety train that carried his men across the country, because he knew that speed was of the essence. He needed to prepare Xinhai to once again be the forefront of the Imperial war effort, he needed to prepare for an offensive. The plane was set to make several stops, but the stop he was looking forward to the least was a visit to the Imperial capital. An eerie sensation overcame him as the plane descended, and one of his trusted lieutenants sat beside him and casually presented him a sheet of paper. "The Emperor wishes for an audience," the man said, and General Sun let out a sigh. Unnecessary delays would only impact the offensive - he had two weeks to prepare his men for war, and fully half of his forces were still en route to the makeshift headquarters at Sapphaya.

"Damnit," he muttered, letting his head fall into his open hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the ancient structures that dominated the Imperial capital rising up from beneath the wings of the plane. Within moments, he would be landing. He knew that the red tape would prevent him from receiving an audience with the Emperor for at least two more days. He was visibly frustrated, but determined that he would be able to take the opportunity to greet his men making their own stops by train at the capital.

 

[Oneida]

After a long voyage across the Implarian, José Mendez was more than anxious to get off the floating cluster of steel he was imprisoned on. His ship, La Amidad, it was called, was the first of a planned many ships that would be docking in Yujin to aid in Auraria’s Guardians without Borders program. It was Auraria’s largest humanitarian mission, and it was the first conducted outside of her own borders. José Mendez was selected to head the mission in Yujin, but he was not among the first batch of Aurarine people to arrive.

Mendez was of Yujinese descent, and still retained many of the physical features of the Yujinese people. Consequently, he couldn’t shake off the racial implications of his being there. He lived in Naranjo, a city on the west coast that has become sort of a Yujinese colony as it has the largest concentration of the ethnicity in the entire country. Either way, he had a mission to succeed in. As he stepped off the ship, a car was waiting for him to take him to the office that was setup to run the bureaucracy of Guardians without borders.

When he arrived, he was shown his office, which was a rather nice room, a tad cramped, but nothing he wasn’t used to. After only about an hour or so of his being there, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Mendez called, and the door opened. In walked Jorge Calderon, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“How was the trip, Mr. Mendez?” Calderon opened with.

“It was long and exhausting. I am not looking forward to the return journey,” Mendez answered, with a detectable trace of annoyance.

“I must apologize for not allowing you time to settle in, but surely you can understand my haste,” Calderon declared, taking a seat across from Mendez “It should please you to know that if all goes well, you won’t have to worry about a return journey for quite some time.”

“Of course. Now, how may I help you?” Mendez asked.

“All communications of this sort are to be done in speech. The Ministry is very, very serious in keeping things ambiguous, they do not want a paper trail,” Calderon said sternly “that said, I am here because tomorrow we are meeting with several representatives from the Republicans fighting the good fight.”

“It’s a tavern, on the outskirts of the city. We’ll leave here early, around 6. Do not dress yourself in such a way that you’d draw attention. I will drive you there, but I will not accompany you in the talks. I’m here to brief you on what the Aurarine Government is proposing,” Calderon instructed.

Mendez listened to Calderon’s instructions carefully and after them, he took his leave. When the next morning came, Mendez was sitting in the back of the car with Calderon, driving to the determined meeting location. Upon arrival, only Mendez stepped out and walked in.

He took a table in the corner of the restaurant, with his back to the wall. He had a newspaper, and began reading it, waiting for the arrival of his Yujinese friend.

 

[Ashkelon]

Ningwei

General Brygady Milosz Rusedski drummed his fingers on his armrest as the protest went from rotten produce and eggs, to the sudden downpour of pig's blood. He was placed in charge of the security here, a man with a cool head on his shoulders. This was much unlike the appointed governor, a Bogulsaw Kilanowicz, a relatively inexperienced 30-something man whose nervous disposition was beginning to show underneath the calm facade he had managed to maintain right up until the car door closed and the tint concealed his worry from view.

Rusedski glanced outside the window at those angry, worried faces. "This is what we must deal with, P. Gubernator. Unfortunately, when you boarded that ship, you had crossed the point of no return. Do you understand what this means?"

Kilanowicz dropped any form of facade at this point and almost croaked in audible panic. "That I'm stuck here and have to put up with this and worse!"

Rusedski only chuckled. "Nie, nie, P. Gubernator. It means, that we must work closely together in order to overcome this challenge." The governor only looked confused. Completely understandable to the general. "Always remember the policy that has been given to us from our superiors. We must show the people that we are above such animalistic acts. If one wishes to protest, there is no need for such.... barbarism. Clearly, this is the result of communist indoctrination."

"But what if they start shooting?"

"Then it will be blood on their hands, will it not?" Rusedski looked outside again, as the convoy continued down the street. "Even if a few men have to die from ignoring self-defence, it will only make us look the noble, offended party, and them the animals. It puts us above them."

"But keeping order..."

"Oh, we will keep the order when it is needed. But at this point, I am more concerned about appearances. How far are you willing to go, P. Gubernator?"

"You're willing to sacrifice men, for this campaign?" The governor was aghast with incredulity. Was this FBS officer serious about what he was saying?

"No great act was ever accomplished without the willing sacrifice of blood." Rusedski crossed his legs. "Think of the Steel Revolution, the driving out of the Kozaks, the Crusades... think of Christ himself, who laid down his sword when the time came in order that he may be delivered to bloodthirsty people and take his place on the Cross. All of them laid down their lives that the greater good might prevail. My men were made clear and aware of how far we must go to cement our place as the overseers of this city. Should they fall sacrificially, their families will be compensated for by the Union. And we will blast the world media with this fact, that no FBS guard fired a shot, that they fell as they tried to maintain order, against a ravenous crowd."

"But will the men stand for that?"

"I frankly explained this to the men, and even offered to let go of whoever did not agree to the terms. All of these men here are committed to the cause such that they would give up their lives in that fashion. Now how about you, P. Gubernator? Are you prepared to go all the way with this?"

"Yes... yes, of course." Although the hesitation was present. The governor seemed more likely to order the men to open fire, rather than lose men. But he had already given his commitment. Which was it, then? Only time will tell. "General."

"Tak, P. Gubernator?"

"What if the protesters remain non-violent?"

Rusedski smirked. "Then, P. Gubernator, we will make it so that they become violent should we need them to be."

The car grew silent as the conversation ended and the convoy made its way to the City Hall.

 

[Serenierre]

Corps XXII
General Headquarters
Osmaniye, Province of Khomestan

Maj. General Hussain Rabbani reclined in his chair as his aide read the last few pages of the report out loud to him. As the commander of a not so important army unit, these past few weeks with tensions on the rise with Vangala and a greater degree of involvement in Yujin, it had been unusually busy in his office, with reports from Military Intelligence and the Imperial State Intelligence Service arriving almost everyday keeping him informed. By now, his eyes were quite tired and he had started having his aides read it out to him. They all had been cleared by the relevant authorities, so he could be relaxed about the confidentiality issue.

Rabbani was pleased to hear that the operations in Xianbei were proceeding quite well. The volunteers from Sikandara joining the White Turbans were working to temper the organisation and give it some direction. The influence of the expeditionary force also was positive, at-least from the Sikandari perspective, and the province was fast becoming a proxy province. Personally, Rabbani couldn't really understand why Sikandara's politicians were investing so much effort into the Yujiner backwater region. Being an army man, his focus had traditionally been on the communists and the Vangalans, the re-orientation of priorities had been slightly disorienting for him.

However, further south the situation was anything but positive. The civil war was raging as violently as ever and it was not certain to say whether friendly forces were winning or not. The intelligence was often contradictory and not satisfying in content. But the situation was concerning and if it continued to develop in the same manner, it would require a drastic and immediate enhancement in the amount of Sikandari involvement in the civil war. And in such a situation, it would be this unit that would carry out the operations.

 

[Khemia]

Picking this up where it left off, since my absence was not because this thread bored me..

The Fleeting Dream​

Zhenjing

The plane had landed safely in Zhenjing on a humid, cloudy day; the looming grey clouds trapping the light and turning the trees into a gruesome shade of dark jade. The General's eyes fired to his second-in-command as he briskly stepped off the ladder, more than a dozen men come to collect him, dressed in the ceremonial garb of the Imperial Guard. The major responded with a nervous glance back at him, and Sun Daoshi turned to greet the Guardsmen with a customary traditional fist-in-palm salute.

"Sun Daoshi!" the Captain of the Guard greeted Sun by name and slapped his heels on the pavement and the men came to a stop behind him.

The major stepped forward to scold the Captain for his insolence, "This is General Sun Daoshi, hero of Liangang, why should you be so brazen!"

"You speak to the Imperial Guard!" the Captain growled. "Besides, we are not in Liangang anymore."

The major sneered and moved to speak again but the General stopped him, "Enough, Chang."

"Sir, you have more merit than any of these ren zha," he whispered but the General only nodded his head. Behind him, his own personal honor guard of soldiers followed, Southerner's all. The General and his retinue were inspected by the Guard, their weapons removed and their belongings searched as they stood there before the plane. The experience was humiliating for a soldier who had so given himself to the cause, and for the leader of the Southland. Sun Daoshi took the slight in stride, patiently entering a truck and being escorted to the Palace. Behind him, his retinue remained detained on the airfield.

The clouds above churned eerily, drops of water slowly beginning to sprinkle the windshield. The Guards were quiet as they raced through the streets; Zhenjing had changed since he had last been here more than a year ago. The city had transformed itself into a dead capital, barren streets free of man and litter, once buzzing markets empty of even the stalls. A few aging men walked the streets, quickly ducking into an alley with their heads down as the military truck sped by. The General averted his eyes from the cultural heart of Yujin; its desolate face stripped his soul of hope for peace, and he knew that the fear he had felt in leaving Liangang to the New Army had only touched upon the dread he knew would be the price of this war.

In the distance, far beyond earshot now, the sprinkling water touched the face of Major Chang, who looked to his troops with a frustrated glare. He felt dishonored to have not been permitted to protect his leader, and he knew his men could feel no different. Their eyes were sullen and filled with subdued rage as the Guards ripped apart the plane. A watch of eight men looked over them quietly, and the Major had for a brief moment the thought of commanding his men to overpower them. Before the thought could even play through his mind, a Guard stepped out the door of the aircraft holding in his hand a small book the Major had never seen before. "Pantu!" the word rings out.

The Majors men look around, confused, but the Guards quickly bring their rifles to aim. The Majors mind only begins to understand what is happening before three rounds punch through his chest. He collapses to the ground, breathing his last few breaths, listening to the crack of gunfire tear apart his unarmed compatriots. The Emperor had made his move.

"Nanguo... jiang shangsheng," he swore as a Guard loomed over his body, placing the barrel to his head and clenching the trigger.

"No," the Guard grinned.



The truck stopped at an unmarked building where more Guards awaited him. He stepped out and respectfully bowed to the men. They maintained steely faces but he could see in their eyes their thoughts; each maintained a stern gaze and yet within them, as they looked upon him, he could feel a pang of regret. In the back of his mind, Sun Daoshi knew what would come, and yet he also knew he was powerless to stop fate.

A Guard jabbed him in the back with the butt of his rifle and Sun moved forward, the Guards stepping apart to permit him entrance. He patted one on the shoulder and gave him a meek, knowing smile. Inside the building, constructed more like a windowless bunker than a typical government building, Sun was taken to a quiet room. Within this room was little more than a lampshade, a table, and three chairs. He knew that the side with only one chair was his. Two men stood before him.

Sun sighed, "Let us get this over with."

One of the men nodded and moved forward with a letter. He unpacked his knife and slit it open, pulling the contents out to read it. "You have disobeyed the Emperor, undermined his authority, and treacherously sought independence for provinces rightfully belonging to Emperor Qirui. Your unfilial actions have sowed havoc in the Empire, by not removing the Red threat in Liangang at the opportune time, you have permitted Communist infiltration throughout the nation; your actions are directly responsible for unrest throughout the country. His Imperial Majesty, however, recognizes your noble service to the country and the sacrifice of your compatriots, and for this he offers you a choice," the soldier puts the letter away and steps forward with a pistol. He removed the cartridge and sets the weapon, with a single bullet in the chamber, on the table before him. "You may restore your honor, or you may die by a thousand cuts."

"This is what becomes of my country?" the General muttered to himself, repressing his emotions. Sun Daoshi reaches for the pistol, clasping his fingers around it and pulling it towards himself. "Our country tears itself to shreds and we sow strife among ourselves. I will accept this pistol," the General states, pressing the barrel to his temple, "because I do not want to see my country tomorrow." His eyes turn to one of the men, his eyes glinting with a hint of admiration for Sun Daoshi. "I do this for my son."

The gunshots loud bang echoes in the empty hallways and Sun Daoshi's body slumps in the chair, the pistol falling into his lap.

 

[Khemia]

Sundered Throne​

Siraama
The monsoon season had subsided in western Yujin, and yet tumultuous emotions ebbed and flowed like the surge of a storm. It had not taken long for word of the fate of their commander to reach their ears, and the SEA, the strongest singular fighting force in the Empire, was fed a lie through clenched teeth. The Emperor had gravely miscalculated, but he would learn that too late. The broken bodies of his messengers would never be able to deliver a message that might provide the Emperor with an opportunity to interdict the events to come.

Loyal Southerner commanders, without word from Shanghu, took up arms and quickly stormed every organ of the State within Siraama and all of Xinhai. They outnumbered the local Imperial garrison a dozen to one, and outmatched them all in training and equipment. Even still the New Army troops, dedicated loyalists and meritorious commanders who had come to take over from their corrupt predecessors, sympathized with the Southerner's plight. Robbed of their leader, there was little doubt that soon they might be robbed of their homes.

Within 24 hours, the entire province had effectively been seized by the SEA, and state radio from Siraama played a looped broadcast:

"Xinhai Declares For Sun Daoshi, Sun Daoshi is dead! Sun Zhida wansui! Wansui! Wan wan wansui!"​

Shanghu
Within hours of the announcement of Sun Daoshi's death, the palatial servants and Sun's most loyal aides and generals, accompanied by the scion of Sun, had fled the provincial estate. Imperial troops stormed the grounds too late to stop Sun Zhida from fleeing, and were met by fierce resistance from the Southlands most stubborn soldiers, the remnants of Sun Daoshi's honor guard. Stripped of their sworn right to die on the same day as their General, their zeal for battle greatly outmatched their Imperial counterparts. A full company had been sent to take the palatial grounds, and by the time they had done so they had lost fully three fourths of their force, and only a small number of the honor guard had perished. Though seized, the palatial estate was quickly battered by an array of mortars and artillery.

Gun battles sporadically erupted in the city streets as Southerner's rebelled against the Imperial attempt to forcibly integrate the province under the Emperor. Armories were found bare, with what little remained of the SEA in the Southland disseminating the weapons to all manners of peasantfolk who might take up arms. Sun Zhida, with the assistance of Sun Daoshi's most trusted sub-commanders Zhang, Yu, and He, ordered what remained of the Southland's military to immediately arm, and called for the mass enlistment of all able-bodied men who might offer their lives for their country. The legacy of his family had ensured a prosperous, successful Southland, and there would be no shortage of souls that might seek to repay their debt.

The most important facilities - the armories constructed by the Mezhists - had not yet been moved on by the Imperials. Vast amounts of material resources and labor had been poured into these sites, and now they would produce weapons for the Southland to resist the insane Emperor.

Liangang
The buzzing of flies lingering over rotting corpses, slumped over on their knees or on their sides throughout the street, was seemingly the only sound that could ever be heard aside from rampant gunfire and the occasional cannon shot or grenade explosion. The young Imperial soldier hurriedly ran through the streets as bullets whizzed past, ducking for a moment behind the fallen body of a woman and her child. Bullets cut into the lifeless womans body, and the soldier prayed that they would not pierce her and kill him. He was fortunate, sparing a moment to chance a glance towards the enemy positions. He could see them in the distance, the Hongmenghui; now, more a combination of veteran Yujiner's and Seoran peasant rabble, the thought of his enemy gave him fear.

No one quite knew how many there were, and you never knew when they'd attack. They had a habit of slipping away just before any counter-attack, and though some thought to give credibility to the notion that a spy had infiltrated the New Army, it was not openly discussed. The Imperial soldier ducked his head as more gunfire raced towards him, chipping off bits of concrete as the Hongmenghui reminded him of his own mortality.

Some of his compatriots hunkered within the bombed out skeleton of a shop. It appeared to have once been a neighborhood bakery, one that could have served small snacks like delicious bao or dumplings. His comrades fired back on the Hongmenghui hunkered in a bombed out office building down the street, providing him a small opportunity to make a dash for it. He swiftly took flight, throwing himself full force into the building. Beneath his feet glass crunched and the sound reverberated in the dead room. Two of the soldiers moved to him, and none spared salutes for each other. "Who are you?" one asked.

"Sergeant Huang, spotter for the 12th Chemical Mortar Battalion," he replied. The two men exchanged knowing glances. It had been a week since the Imperial government had sanctioned the operational use of chemical and biological weapons, and they had slowly begun to see use on a wide scale. Their effectiveness was difficult to gauge, the exact size of the enemy force had yet to be determined. Still, each of the men here had no doubt seen the death wreaked by the weapons.

One of them waved to the other, "Bring the radio, and bring some masks!" A man hustled over with a bulky box and set it on the ground. Private Huang grabbed the receiver while the other men fumbled with their masks; any mistakes would lead to a brutally painful death.

"FDC, this is platoon leader of 2nd platoon, Ciqi company," the Private began telling his battalions command, "requesting fire at an enemy location in north Liangang." He waited for a moment while command attempted to verify his identity. The other men looked on nervously, the hiss-click of their masks a reminder to Huang that he would need to put his own on shortly. Gas was an indiscriminate weapon, afterall. "Response is gaota," he replied to a short transmission, and command requested coordinates. Huang brought up a map when someone commented that the scene had become strangely quiet. A sentry went to check the entrance when, suddenly from all sides, gunfire erupted. Private Huang was killed instantly, his body spilling blood across the bakery. Several men, all wearing red bands around their arms, hurried to the radio.

"The spotter was killed, we're under fire!" one shouted, and one of his comrades sprayed some bullets into the dead Imperials. Another Communist hurried to him, his finger jabbing at the map, "We need immediate chemical supporting fire on targets at grid 240901, direction..." he glanced at the paper and squinted a bit before one of his comrades whispered at him, "3800. Entrenched enemy position, unknown numbers, fire for effect!" A garbled reply came through, followed by a warning for the men to fit gas masks. They looked at each other with a grin and proceeded to strip the Imperials of all their necessary provisions. Minutes later, the explosions could be heard of artillery slamming into the field headquarters of a forward Imperial battalion which had been heavily resisting Communist advances along the arterial spine into the CBD.

Ningwei
The Mezhists were caught in a precarious situation; their slow, targeted strikes against critical members of the Communist organizations in the city had slowly decayed support for the larger, but less radical organizations but slowly built up support for the more revolutionary ones. This change could not have been easily anticipated, given that before a week ago the radical organizations had been too weak to be autonomous or identifiable. What was worse, however, was that now refugees from the Southland were attempting to flee to Ningwei, before the wake of a coming civil war within a civil war.

Now, there was an extra burden on the city finances to manage its limited resources; food and housing would become a major issue if this flow was not stopped. If it were permitted, it would strengthen the ability of the more radical elements of the Communists to spread their ideology among the Southlanders, but if they were prohibited from entry it might lead to worsening relations between the Mezhists and Southerner's, or worse, an attempt by Southern militia's to seize the city proper.

 

[Khemia]

Dying Culture​

Liangang
Private Li slumped against the wall of the room, the hard concrete a reminder that he was still alive. He allowed himself to slide down to the floor against it and pulled out a poorly rolled cigarette he had won in a game of chance. Though he had no lighter, the sensation of having it between his lips gave him some comfort. He sucked on it, tasting the tobacco and the paper, and closed his eyes. He could almost push the sound of gunfire, and the buzzing of flies, out of his mind.

Breathing in slowly, his tags softly rattled against each other as his jacket rustled. With his left hand he felt the floor beside him, feeling the fine grains of debris, until finally his hands touched upon a broken chunk of plaster. He picked it up and looked on it, investigating the chalky powder and papery facing. He turned his head to see where it had come from, and a beam of light pierced through the wall. Li leaned over to look out, but there was nothing he could see that he had not seen earlier. There was nothing beautiful left of this city, nothing that told him that he was still human. For all Li knew, he had died and been taken to the underworld. He rolled back over, tired of looking upon black smoke and worse.

He looked at his boots, desiring to see his reflection in their sheen, but the dust of destruction had covered them thickly, and he could not even make out his silhouette. He looked upon his hands, grimy and covered in soot, and made a futile attempt to pick the dirt out from beneath his nails. "A human takes care of his appearance," he reminded himself, wiping the dirt and the dried blood from his palms onto his fatigues. This was in vain, though; and he threw his hands aside in despair. He looked around the room again, taking it in. He could almost envision his home, he could almost see his young wife.

The thought gave him some small comfort, and Li began to think of the future. If he could return, he would have a baby with her. A son, strong and smart, capable of earning wealth. Or even a daughter, beautiful and economical, one that knew how to take care of the household, a strong woman who her family could rely on. He could see in his mind the crib with the child in it, in the far left corner. His wife stood over it, humming a song he could distantly remember. It's subtle familiarity brought a tear to his eyes.

She turned to face him. "Xiaozhen!" she called out his nickname and hurried to his side. "We've missed you! If only you could see him, your son! Come home, stop this fighting; what would your son think of this?" Li picked his hand up and wiped away a tear that streamed down his cheek.

"I want to..." he managed to say through the knot in his throat. The words echoed in the empty room, but his eyes still saw her looking into him. They begged him to come back. Her eyes turned down to his palm.

"Li! Your hands!" she gasped. He looked down, the blood and the dirt had become wet. "Who's blood is this!?" she demanded to know.

"I don't know," he said, rolling his head back to try to push back the tears. He opened his eyes and looked back, and his hands were drenched in blood. The walls were covered in it, and his heart raced. He could hear them coming closer, the screams of people dying. He could see their bodies in the back of his mind, their burnt flesh, their broken faces. The pitter patter of steps echoed in the hallway. Li scrambled for his sidearm and watched the door to the room open. Someone entered and Li looked at his face. But it was not a friend or foe he saw, but instead his wife. She looked at him and carefully walked closer. "Taitai, I won't kill anymore. I'm coming home," he said, putting the barrel in his mouth and squeezing the trigger.

Zhenjing
The streets of the city had become increasingly unfavorable to anyone not in uniform. The city had been locked down, and a bleak, hopeless sensation had overcome its citizens. Many tried to live their lives as if nothing had changed, turning to gambling and hosting parties with their friends to pass the time, but few ventured out of their houses. Yu Hongjian, an aging mother of five, knew that her family would need food, though. The nights were becoming colder, and her family slept on straw mats. They would need warm porridge and a pig to pass the next month. She still tried to maintain appearances and wore the best silks she owned, for what it was worth.

Her eyes looked upon shops she had once frequented, metal gates now barring entry and curtains shut over the windows of homes above them. She wondered how they were, if they were in good health. They rarely opened shop, since most stores that still sold goods were either on the outskirts of the city closest to the farms, or in the well supplied central districts.

A truck was approaching from behind and the lady Yu put her head down and moved more briskly to the market. The brakes whined as the vehicle came to a slow stop, and some grinning soldiers within began to shout at her. She ignored them, praying that the street to the market would come faster. She had no desire for a quarrel.

A soldier hopped out. "Woman. My name is Qian Guxian, what is yours?" he asked with a savagely playful smile.

"Yu," she whispered back, trying to walk faster. The truck kept pace beside them, and a couple across the street ducked out of sight into a nearby alley so as to not draw attention.

"Tell me, woman, do you have children? Do they fight?" the soldier asked.

"Yes, I have five children. None can fight," she said.

"Why not? Are they too weak? Are they crippled?"

"No. They are girls," she replied.

"Ha!" he guffawed. "Five girls! What a pest you must be! Tell me, what are their names. Me and my friends need a good time!" Hongjian did not reply, closing her eyes and focusing on the sensation of each foot step, counting the moments until this passed. "I asked you a question!" he yelled, pushing her.

"She can't give this country men, Qian! What is she good for?!" one of the men in the truck yelled.

The soldier grinned, pushing the woman to the truck. "I know what we can do," he said, unzipping his pants. The other soldiers started laughing and they opened the door, pushing her in. She tried to scream, but one of them started to choke her. The one known as Qian started unzipping his pants. "I can give you a son, woman. Spread your legs."

Yu Hongjian struggled against them, writhing and crying. She felt his body against hers, inside, and she moaned in agony and shame. The soldiers began to laugh and mock her, calling her husband a cuckold. "See, I'm better than him," Qian breathed heavily after finishing his work. "I'm done," he said, patting another soldier on the back. Yu Hongjian was passed around, her mind vacant of thought and devoid of emotion. She had become a shell, until they had finally finished with her. When they threw her out of the vehicle, Yu Hongjian had no will to pick herself up. She laid on the road, crying, with her silks had been torn and her dress bloody from the waist down. The couple which had hid in the alley ignored her plight, quickly hurrying away shortly after the truck sped off. Yu Hongjian was a broken woman, left without any desire to live; she had done her best to do what she could for her family, but maybe the soldiers were right. She couldn't give her country a boy, maybe she was worthless. She struggled to cope with the very meaning of her life now. Tears streamed from her eyes until night came and she could cry no more.

Yu Hongjian picked herself up from the pavement and walked to one of the shops that seemed to always be closed. She knocked on the door, her eyes swollen and red. A man answered, a friendly face she recognized as the shopowner. He saw her and gasped, quickly pulling her in and covering her with a rug, giving Hongjian some small comfort.

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Northern Seora

"Impossible."

There was a distinct finality in the voice of the officer as we he dismissed his superiors orders. Uniforms clearly set them out as a Major and a Colonel of the Revolutionary Guards Corps Aviation, even though the many planes lining up on their base had been painted with markings of the newly founded People's Republic. Carentanian military valued loyality and chain of command like any other military, but it also denounced blind obedience. Everyone, from the lowliest grunt to the superior commander was expected to think on his own, to voice doubts and thoughts of his own.

"Liangang is out of operational reach until we have better intelligence, until we have radar coverage of the area. We can not engage Imperial forces at such risks."

Just as much as we can't let our allies face their offensive on their own," the Colonel replied calmly, but depressed. "It's not that I don't see the risks, but our options are very limited as well. I have my orders to protect communist forces on the ground."

"We're still setting up our base, we can use the delay to approach the higher-ups on the matter, force them to deploy recon units along the frontlines."

The Carentanian colonel let his view stray over the improvised airfield. There was indeed some time left before they would have their barracks set up, before the entire wing - 40 jet fighters - would have been deployed and repainted. Maybe High Command would be willing to provide additional units, just to coordinate the flights with what was actually happening around Liangang.

"I'll speak with the General, ask him what he is thinking. You prepare the men, regardless of this discussion. Be ready, just in case we don't get any additional assistance. Expect first flights within 24 hours."

"24 hours? We can't get additional intelligence within such a time?"

"You misunderstood. We are trying to adjust our strategy on covering Liangang. In the meantime, there are still supply ships approaching Seora that need to be protected."

 

[Serenierre]

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IMPERIAL HIGH COMMAND
Shahdara​

The top brass of the military gathered in the main conference room of the headquarters. The meeting was to be chaired by the Grand Councillor for Defence and concerned solely with the regional situation and the state of the military following directives issued in August the year before.

Ghazanfar Ali Durrani - Grand Councillor for Defence

Gentlemen, where do we stand on OPERATION: Khosaran?
​

GEN Jamal Asghar - Commander AG North

Sir, the Army Group North, has been charged by the Government to handle the matter. Since the Cabinet's original report in August 1953, the AG North has seen its ranks rise from 290,000 active troops to 389,000 active troops. Reserves have been utilised to further increase our strength through the re-administration of the unit's reserve detachments, bringing us a further 250,000. These figures reflect only the standing strength of my command. The total war footing strength of AG North is 639,000. The Council for Defence has however allowed units from AG West and AG Centre to be redeployed into my jurisdictional command. I'll let my colleagues explain the details of their own units.
​

GEN Dildar Nehbat - Commander AG West

As per the Government's directives, we have transferred 100,000 troops and relevant supportive units. The deployment of these men is aimed specifically to provide their expertise in anti-guerilla warfare and their experience. As we know, many of these belong to the Khyberah Force... the ones trained by the Mezhists and the Danes throughout the past five years. It is a well trained group well suited to the needs of the campaign at hand. The experience they possess in mountain fighting is second only to that of the AG North. However, following this, we stand at a total strength of 167,000 men though any effect on our defensive capability will be minute, as we have strong fortified positions and the aerial force has been outfitted with a number of Ivernian jet fighters.
​

Ghazanfar Ali Durrani - Grand Councillor for Defence

That is good to hear. General Shah?
​

GEN Nooruddin Shah - Commander AG Centre

Sir. As per the directive of August 1953, we were primarily asked to redeploy to bolster the positions of the AG East to counter Vangala... and we have committed armored vehicles and artillery pieces, at the same additional trenches and barriers have been erected by men to slow down any Vangalan advance through the southern plains. So our contribution is not feasible to the AG North and that much has been said so in our report to the High Command and to the Council for Defence. The combined might of AG Centre and AG East is an approximate 1,200,000 men and supporting units and it does not make sense to weaken our Vangalan front.
​

GEN Behbud Alam - Commander AG South

That is why... I have committed 260,000 of my men to make up for that. The Southern command is clearly in a position to provide that many and still retain an operational strength of 190,000. The defensive position of our quadrant is dependent more on the Long Sea Fleet and our aerial detachments. As an island we may make do with a lessened personnel strength.​

Ghazanfar Ali Durrani - Grand Councillor for Defence

And the reserves? Where does the Reserve Force stand?​

GEN Farid Ahmedzai - Commander of the Imperial Reserve Force

Sir, the IRF has 2,000,000 fully trained reservists currently on record and we have a potential pool of conscripts to augment it by at-least 3,500,000. And please keep in mind, this is with our defense readiness at current levels. If we were to mobilise totally and enter war footing, we can raise our strength to 11,000,000, mainly through conscripts.
​

Ghazanfar Ali Durrani - Grand Councillor for Defence

I don't suppose that much would be necessary. Our military is regimented, well trained, professional and well equipped. We do not require such a large force but we must commend you and the IRF for being so well organised. But I suppose 300,000 of your reservists can be sent over to the paramilitary force to augment the security of the country.

So let me review this, AG North has 639,000 of its own active personnel and is being supported by 360,000 from elsewhere. The Chancellor has further authorised that 100,000 reservists from the IRF will be accommodated into AG North as active members. 120,000 paramilitary supporters are being assigned to any subsequent operation for security and other purposes. The Khosaran endeavor will additionally see 450,000 reservists from the IRF, apart from the army group's own reservists.

The Parliament will be presented with details for the operation, as follows:
1) Active personnel: 999,000+100,000
2) Reservists: 450,000+200,000
3) Paramilitary: 120,000

The scope of our operation will be discussed in Parliament and I cannot say how the sands will settle after the debate but we must be prepared for two eventualities, gentlemen:

First: Parliament authorises our operation. We must carry out the procedures as specified in the details. Achieve our objectives and reach our goals in as little time as possible. This is straightforward and our meeting has shown that we are prepared.

Second: Parliament denies us permission. Then we will obviously have to move in a manner to protect our interests without committing as significantly as we were intending. But defensive readiness must be maintained and due to Parliament's rejection of an armed involvement, our covert involvement through the intelligence agencies would be greatly charged to enhance their operations.

What path we take, I do not know, but whatever the situation... we must do our very best to contain the Yujiner war.
​

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©Amit Rawat​

 

[Serenierre]

Imperial Parliament
​

Shahdara​

For two days, the Sub-committee for Defence had gone over the details of the plan that Grand Councillor Durrani had presented to them. Concerns were expressed and speeches made. Arguments were made and countered in turn. The sensitive nature of the dossier had prevented an open debate in Parliament, so it was up to this all-party body to communicate, in an appropriate manner, to their political colleagues about the objectives and goal of Sikandari intervention in Yujin. Several times, there was a serious risk of the committee rejecting to approve a vote on the floor of the house. The Government had countered with its own threats of securing an Imperial edict authorizing the operation, bypassing the Parliament entirely.

So, in an emergency session, convened in absolute secret - with the troublesome and untrusted MPs of the Communist and Republican parties left uninformed by mutual consent of the major parties - Parliament authorized the Government to commence Operation Khosaran, albeit without the unanimous support of those present. But with two-thirds of the Parliament in support, Grand Councillor Durrani was immediately driven down to the imposing high command building.

Imperial High Command​

In the main conference room, the Grand Councillor had fewer military commanders facing him that evening. Following the meeting on the 12th of March, all of the Army Group commanders had departed for their own HQs and reassumed their duties. Today, it would only be the Chiefs of each service and the Director General of ISIS - the empire's premier intelligence agency. He was connected to the relevant field commanders by secure telephone lines.

Ghazanfar Ali Durrani - Grand Councillor for Defence

As you know, Parliament has authorized the plan. So now before I get started, Director Pashnigar please update us all on the situation in Xianbei Province and on ISIS' operations.
​

Ather Pashnigar - DG Imperial Security and Intelligence Service

Grand Councillor Durrani, the Province of Xianbei is, at-least in defacto terms, under our control. Our assets, following the directives from August 1953, have neutralised hostile individuals in the established administrative structure of the province and replaced them with more compliant ones. Agents belonging to the Service have also established extensive links with the Baijingdui... an insurgent group created through our patronage, which has been used as our offensive arm in the province. Officers have been embedded in the group to keep us in the loop about their activity and reinforce a pro-Sikandari ideology... as approved by the Government's Information Council. They have additionally been joined by 49,677 volunteers from Sikandara, all approved by us, who have also been used as pro-Sikandari influences on the group.

There have been incursions by non-friendly guerilla groups into Xianbei and pockets of resistance are beginning to form in the areas closest to Vangala, but the major infrastructure in this province is in control of either the Imperial Yujiners or our agents through proxy. The railway line from Osmaniye to Xianzhou remains fully functional and well-protected. Road connections to the rest of the country are also in friendly hands. Given the lack of infrastructure, this alone is a massive achievement for the upcoming operation as these links will be vital for our success. However the main oil pipeline has been blown up by hostile forces, which has slowed our deliveries to the Imperial Yujiners.
​

Ghazanfar Ali Durrani - Grand Councillor for Defence

Infrastructure battalions need to get on top of that immediately... [he interjects]​

Ather Pashnigar - DG Imperial Security and Intelligence Service

Yes sir. Though that is for the military to handle. But overall, Xianbei is quiet and I can say with great pride that ISIS has achieved its objectives outlined in the August 1953 directive. The situation on the ground is suitable for the troops to establish their base in Xianbei without too much of a problem.

However, the situation in the rest of Yujin is not particularly pleasing.

In the east, at Lianggang, the Yujiner offensive is on the verge of stalling and the communist forces are on the verge of launching a counteroffensive, according to our intelligence, and could potentially push the Yujiners back, thus being allowed to run amok in Northern Yujin. This would be particularly concerning, on the foreign policy front at-least, for the Beishani who would be facing a battle-hardened army of ideologically driven communist extremists. Their strength is estimated by our analysts as being somewhere close to a million defending the Lianggang area. But despite that, from our early reports, they do not seem to be universally well trained or equipped. But they do have conventional weaponry and tactics. Information from the Yujiners suggests that armoured units are minimal... but the strength and quality of these units remains unknown in fact.

In the south, the domain of the Hongmenghui, the communist guerillas, Dashan is in their grip and Qiangzuo Province is fully occupied, in a sense by the communists as the major strategic points are occupied by the Hongmenhui and their supply lines are stretching deep into Vangala, which is for all intents their source for weapons and other supplies. The mountainous terrain also favours them considerably. And apart from them, there are Christian guerillas also among this group... a strange alliance of insurgents. The strength here is estimated in the 400,000 - 600,000 range. But this reduced number of hostile forces is not any sign of an easy operation here as analysts predict a long campaign to dislodge them. This group is further threatening Yujin's imperial capital, as more and more insurgents are pouring closer to Zhenjing, and there is a likelihood of the city being captured.

The Military has been briefed on the matter in greater detail and the relevant information has been shared with the Military Intelligence Directorate.
​

Ghazanfar Ali Durrani - Grand Councillor for Defence

Thank you, Director Pashnigar for your briefing and for the work of your agency. The Chancellor shall be informed of the excellent work carried out by your men... please send his office a list of names for the conferral of awards to be finalised.

So, with that, I must now turn to you gentlemen. Enlighten me on what has been decided.
​

Field Marshal Mahmud Baktiar - Chief of the Imperial High Command

Grand Councillor Durrani, seeing that we have been prepared for this moment since the August directive was issued, we have had plenty of time to move the relevant units in the positions that need to be adopted. Additionally for the eastern expedition, our commanders have carried out a few small scale exercise last November. For Operation Khosaran, a new command has been created for the Yujin Theater. The Imperial High Command has chosen Field Marshal Akhsam Aryabod to be its supreme-commander. For the purposes of this operation, AG North has been renamed AG Feiruz and the units from the other army groups have been organised into a new army group named AG Khyber. The following are the main command units for this operation and their operational directives:
​

Unit	Sub-unit
AG Feiruz (990,000)	101 Army (200,000) 201 Army (200,000) 551 Army (200,000) Reserves (390,000)
AG Khyber (759,000)	303 Army (150,000) 313 Army (150,000) 333 Army (199,000) Reserves (260,000)
Paramilitary	Imperial Guards (25,000) Imperial Rangers (95,000)

​

The Imperial High Command has decided that, upon the commencement of our operation, the military shall first seek to assume control of the Xianbei Province through securing infrastructure links and transport routes connecting Osmaniye and Xianzhou. We will aim to reach the provincial capital within 24 hours and begin construction of runways on suitable ground for the aerial reach of our forces to be brought into the theater effectively. This phase is expected to be completed in two days. Infrastructure battalions will also repair the oil pipeline and expand the capacity of existing rail and road networks connecting Osmaniye to Xianzhou. Though this will take considerably longer, we want to be in a position where our forces are being supplied from three routes (road, rail and air).

It is our full intention to, within a month, have the infrastructure to Xianzhou from Osmaniye in such a state that we can effectively operate with ample margins on our end. Supply depots, fuel dumps and arsenals shall be built on a wide industrial scale. Infrastructure battalions are fully aware of their responsibility and will be the heroes of this first phase. They will build what needs to be built.

In the meantime, our units will spread out across the expanse of the province, rendezvous with the already present Baijingdui forces and in concordance with them move to secure the provincial boundary, which is expected to be achieved in a week and a half. Concurrently, the special units will engage in operations against the known pockets of hostile activity, with the aim of decimating them entirely. Orders are in place not to take any enemy prisoners during this phase of the operation but to neutralize them in as humane a manner as possible. Once the operational control of the province has been assumed, the Baijingdui will be encouraged to defend the southern flank of Xianbei against the southern guerillas, while the paramilitary units of our force will begin policing the province.

That said, from a strategic standpoint, we have deemed the situation in the north-eastern province of Mao to be more concerning to our national interests. The threat to Zhenjing is not less important, but we are of the opinion that once the north has been subdued, we can move our attention southwards and reconquer the city with the Yujiners... or allow them better equipment to do it themselves. But for now, we have chosen to move in the direction of Lianggang. This must be done before the communists can counterattack the Yujiner army. As our aerial units will be supported by two air fields constructed by our infrastructure battalions, one in Xianzhou and another in a location closer to the eastern edge of the Xianbei provincial border, we shall commence bombing runs over key targets in Mao Province. Before we arrive in the province, we will cut possible escape and supply routes via air attack. And obviously, it is our full intention to be in a position of aerial superiorty before our men

And while we will be in our optimal position, as far as our plan for a supply chain is concerned, in a month and a half... it is essential that we begin our effort for Mao Province at the earliest. Our conservative estimate is that the 101st Army will be on the Mao front in 3 weeks. In another week they will be joined by the 551st Army. This is the summarised version of our plan. Now we only need His Majesty's command to begin.

​

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Yujin
​

The ambassador of Sikandara, upon hearing of the Parliament's vote by secure communication, had forced a meeting with the Yujiner Government. Alarmed at his forcefulness in arranging the meeting, they had been alarmed when he had informed them that he had been asked to return to Shahdara and the Embassy in Yujin was to be closed due to the security situation. And then, he had informed them that as his last duty, he was to inform them that the Imperial Military of Sikandara would be beginning operations in the sovereign territory of the Empire of Yujin and Shahdara sought the express permission of the Yujiner Emperor to enter the territory.

He placed the following terms that the Sikandari Government had drawn up:

• It is the intention of the Sikandari Empire to restore peace in Yujin;
• It is the intention of the Sikandari Empire to have said peace be in favour of the Empire of Yujin;
• It is the intention of the Sikandari Empire to have the writ of the Imperial Yujiner Government established universally across the territory;
• It is the intention of the Sikandari Empire to establish a base of operations in Xianbei Province;
• It is the intention of the Sikandari Empire not to disturb the administrative structure of the abovementioned province;
• It is the intention of the Sikandari Empire to inform the Imperial Government of Yujin that it maintains control of the administration of Xianbei Province;
• It is the expectation of the Sikandari Empire that all Imperial Yujiner military units and facilities shall cooperate with the Imperial Military of Sikandara;
• It is the expectation of the Sikandari Empire that the Imperial Yujiner Military shall be a partner in all operations, where possible;
• It is the expectation of the Sikandari Empire that Imperial Yujiner authorities will not interfere in matters related to the operational scope and performance of the Imperial Military in Xianbei or any other area utilised as a base of operations;

He then went on to state that once the Sikandari intervention was authorised by the Yujiner Emperor, the office of the ambassador would cease to exist and would be replaced by a Military Liaison Officer to the Yujiner Government. He further stated that the Yujiner Government had 12 hours to consider the Sikandari proposals as the Imperial Military of Sikandara had been authorised to commence operations from dawn on the 15th of March. He clarified that the Sikandari military would enter Yujiner territory regardless of what the Government decided but it would be helpful for bilateral relations and for the course of the campaign to have an Imperial edict from the Yujiner Emperor and Government. Additional financial deals and weapon agreements were also proposed to sweeten the deal.

 

[Khemia]

EXTERNAL COMMUNIQUE
Top Secret
**********​

To: CinCHMH NYF
From: Unknown
Revolutionary Greetings Comrade,

Attached is a transcript from the Emergency Plenary Session held today by the IWC. The contents of this message are highly sensitive, we suggest that you utilize this information wisely. Good luck and fortune!

Imperial War Council
Emergency Plenary Session

General Chuan Duxi

Gentlemen, the Imperial War Council is in session. Before you is a folder which contains a brief provided by the Imperial Sikandari military. I will go over the major points, and then we will move into a discussion. First, the Sikandari military is organizing nearly a million soldiers and is set to launch a large operation, coined "Khorasan", to assist our forces on multiple fronts. Their immediate goal is to secure Xianbei Province from Red Alliance forces which have in recent days established bases in the peripheral regions of that region. Many of these rebel nests are as of yet unknown, but the Sikandari believe themselves capable of eliminating the threat in short order. Second, the Sikandari will augment our offensives on Mao Province with more then two hundred thousand soldiers.​

[Murmurs between attending officers]

General Chuan Duxi

That force will be doubled shortly after, and I anticipate that the Sikandari efforts will continue to grow until Mao Province is captured. Their tertiary objective is to dislodge rebel forces from Qiangzuo Province. They have apparently come to the conclusion that Qiangzuo shall be a difficult affair, and that freeing up our forces on the Mao front will allow us to move on Qiangzuo in coordination with their forces.

The Sikandari government has stressed that these moves are in no way a threat to our sovereignty, and that their explicit goal is to secure the rule of the Emperor.​

General Li Xialong

Then why have they given us twelve hours to respond before they proceed anyways. This is not a request, this is an ultimatum.​

General Chuan Duxi

Please respect decorum, General. It is true, our government has only been given twelve hours to respond. We have three hours before the deadline is passed, though I do not anticipate any hostilities to breakout if the Sikandari cross the border before our approval is given.​

General Li Xialong

You presume we will give consent. What happens if we do not?​

General Chuan Duxi

To address your questions, General: Yes, I do. If we do not, then we must discuss a course of action. Now, if you will allow me to finish, we can move into discussion and you may speak more.​

General Li Xialong

Carry on then, [removed].​

General Chuan Duxi

The Sikandari have already established local support in the form of the Baijingdui within Xianbei Province, though there are reports of minor resistance in outlying villages. This resistance may be enabling rebel advances in the region. If the Sikandari interfere, we can expect them to begin strong offensive operations in the Mao theater. It is unclear what method they intend to use to re-establish authority in the region - it is likely that they will leave such responsibilities to us.

The Sikandari plan to utilize our rail network to resupply their forces. It is highly probable that this will interfere with our own logistics networks. Regardless of the decisions we make today, I ask that forces on the Mao front take steps to prepare for this strain on our network. Limitations in logistics is becoming the primary factor in the northern offensives failures. General Gu and Huang will need to redouble their efforts to secure the rail networks against rebel threats. Now, I open the table to discussion. General Li, I presume you have something to say.​

General Li Xialong

This is a farce. Material aid and advisors are one matter - but this is tantamount to an invasion! Who is going to pay for this endeavor? The Sikandari? I expect not! They may supply their own provisions but it is we who will be saddled with the debt. We are already knee deep in their shit anyways! And what guarantees have they made concerning the status of the Imperial War Council! I for one will not permit these foreign hooligans to trounce around this nation like pompous occupiers!​

General Li Duan

I concur!​

General Huang Fajian

Gentlemen, you may speak boldly from the safety of your busy harbors, but the strength of our offensives are failing. The Imperial intelligence reports mirror our own - rebel forces outnumber our own, and they are only growing! Without direct foreign assistance our offensives will fail and they will cross the Qi! Then we will have a million or more vagabonds lynching landlords and stripping women of their silks!​

General Li Xialong

The rebels will only gain more recruits when word of a foreign invasion reaches them!​

General Gu Danwei

This is no invasion! This is a military intervention!​

General Li Duan

The propagandists in Lianggang will spin this to their benefit regardless of the facts. When word that a million Sikandari men are marching towards Mao reaches the Communists, they will sow fear among the people and soon there will be five million brigands crossing the Qi!​

General Cao Tianwu

Comrades, let's not forget the situation here. The rebels are already being resupplied by foreigners, and the RDTO is set to expand their support in the coming weeks. The rebels have received superior tanks to anything we can field, jets comparable to our own, and field reports suggest that man for man they are far superior to our forces. They are even being equipped with automatic rifles. We can not resist this on our own, and with the Mezhists support sapped in favor of the Southlanders, we are lacking actual support. Without the Sikandari, our ability to win this war will be negligible, irrespective of how large the Hongmenghui are. Our oil reserves are depleting quickly and our capacity to replenish them is severely limited, our tanks and jets are relying on fuel imported via merchant ship, and we're lucky when the Carentanians don't seize or destroy those!​

General Su Tielan

These are systemic issues that face the Empire, but these are our issues and ours alone. I fear that allowing these Sikandari into this war will allow them too much leverage to dictate the post-war status quo. This is a Yujiner war, it needs to be decided by Yujiners.​

General Chuan Duxi

I move that we put this to a vote. Those in favor?​

General Cao Tianwu

Shi.​

General Gu Danwei

Shi.​

General Huang Fajian

Shi.​

General Chuan Duxi

Shi.​

General Deng Suitan

Shi.​

General Chuan Duxi

Those against?​

General Li Xialong

Bu!​

General Li Duan

Bu shi.​

General Su Tielan

Bu shi.​

General Chuan Duxi

General Yuan Baxun abstains. The motion is in favor. Inform the Sikandari.​

(s.) Wudao Zidian Nali

DTG 151114HMAR54

 

[Serenierre]

Xianzhou, Xianbei Province
Empire of Yujin

15 March - 05:00 - Dawn

At the precise moment of dawn, the military units which had amassed along the transit points, began complying with the deployment orders. The twenty thousand men of the 11th Infantry Division were the first Sikandari troops to enter Yujiner territory. Behind them, another infantry unit was following them, while the heavy equipment was being sent to Xianzhou via train later that morning. The command had, in only the past hour, received confirmation from the Sikandari High Command that the Imperial Yujin authorities had assented to the intervention. A copy of the Imperial edict from Zhenjing had been dispatched to the relevant official within the advance party of the operation force to present to the Xianbei Governor once they reached Xianzhou.

16:50 - Dusk

The first few regiments of the 11th Infantry had begun arriving in Xianzhou, having met no resistance, apart from a few startled nomads every now and then. The state of the roads and general infrastructure in the area was about as bad as the ISIS agents had conveyed to their superiors in their reports from here. Though the Sikandari troops were visibly underwhelmed by the city of Xianzhou. One of the Colonels within these first units had been the one to present the Imperial edict from the Yujiner Emperor to the Governor. By nightfall, the 11th Infantry and another division had arrived in Xianzhou, along with the essential infrastructure battalions who would begin their work on airfields and supply depots, within the city, from that very moment. There was not a single moment to lose and they were aware of it.

20:30 - Night

The first armored regiment, fifty Sikandari made

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tanks, arrived in the city through the railway and were being offloaded from the train platforms. For the next day, two infantry divisions and this one armoured company would be the sole defenders of the city as the infrastructure of the city was expanded and enhanced by the frantic crew of the infrastructure battalions. From the Sikandari side of the border, the road from Osmaniye to Xianzhou was filled with military units, sitting in their trucks and cars, slowly leaving the motherland for the dangers of the Yujiner hinterland. From the trains, the heavy equipment of the army and a large number of the advance party was being sent off to Xianzhou.

In the days before the operation, the ISIS and Baijingdui had made sure that the area between the two cities on the border was clear of any hostile activity. And they were being rewarded for that hard work as things moved that first night slowly but without any untoward incident.

16 March - 36 hours after commencement of Operation Khorasan

The Commander of the 11th Infantry Division had conducted a parade of his men with banners held aloft proclaiming, "Sikandara stands united with its Yujiner brothers and sisters" in the languages of the land. Copies of the imperial edict from the Yujiner Emperor had been circulated through the city by ISIS agents and local politicians had seen their pockets filled with Sikandari notes, a currency much more reliable than the Yujiner one in these parts.

By now, several infrastructure battalions had been brought into Xianzhou and were busy constructing the cantonment areas for the Sikandari military. And while the city saw this action, three teams of engineers and infrastructure battalions had begun redirecting the oil pipeline towards Xianzhou, a task that would take them a week or so. The engineers had also begun laying down plans for an expanded road and rail line connecting Xianzhou to Osmaniye. These were, in the first few hours, the main points of concern for the military. Having this remote backwater prepared to base a massive military force was paramount.

Men from some of the regiments within the 16th Infantry and 220th Mountain Infantry divisions had spread to the north and east to rendezvous with the local Baijingdui and ISIS operatives who had been containing the communist guerrillas in the areas. The combination of local expertise provided by the Baijingdui and the technical expertise of the Sikandari military, it was hoped, would decisively shatter the guerrillas. They would be accompanied by a vast supply of much needed resources, carried by horses, mules, and camels, depending on the terrain, through the desert or into the mountains. The rest of the 16th Infantry and 220th Mountain Infantry were deployed to protect strategic routes in the province.

17 March - 48 hours after commencement of Operation Khorasan

By now, the smaller of the runways made by the infrastructure battalions were complete and two squadrons of

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had arrived from Osmaniye. Before the larger airfields were created, these planes would have to do the job. These fighters would scan the horizon and perform more of an anti-guerilla role than taking on any enemy fighters. Once the infrastructure was in place, the best of the Sikandari arsenal would be brought forward.

By train, that day, two additional infantry divisions (18th and 91st) and another armoured company was deployed into Xianzhou, from where, the entirety of the new deployment was rushed to support the operations of Baijingdui in the south, against the Hongmenghui trying to enter in Xianbei through Qiangzuo.

18 March - 60 hours after commencement of Operation Khorasan

In Xianzhou, the Commander of the 11th Infantry Division organised a friendly sports match between his men and some locals, making sure that the locals won, the Sikandari aimed to win the hearts and minds of the locals. Following that, in this arid and impoverished desert region, the commander distributed rations of corn and maize amongst a number of people. The first of the major airfields was also completed that day, along with huge underground tanks for oil. By now, large tracts of suitable land had been cordoned off with permission from the Xianbei Governor and the construction work on the Sikandari base had quickened as more infrastructure battalions had been shipped in from Sikandara by train, plane and road.

For the vast majority of men under the command of AG Feiruz, these first days of the campaign had been quiet, as they awaited the infrastructure battalions to sort things out. Though a few units trickled in, the vast majority sat idle, practicing their shooting or cavorting with the government sanctioned prostitutes.

The P5 light fighters had been conducting raids on the targets identified by Baijingdui teams as enemy locations and had assaulted them heavily in the north-eastern region of Xianbei before the troops of the 16th Infantry and 220th Mountain Infantry had joined the Baijingdui fighters. Napalm had been dropped on enemy locations and unguided rockets fired with the direction of ISIS agents on the ground with the Baijingdui.

19 March - 80 hours after commencement of Operation Khorasan

In Xianzhou, the numbers of Sikandari soldiers had increased everyday, and now they had set up camp on the outskirts of the city. The men of the Sikandari military were encouraged to share some of their ration tins with the locals if they were not on the move. By now, it could be estimated around 40,000 men were involved in some form of combat duty and another 50,000 were encamped on the outskirts of Xianzhou. Slowly, the men were being deployed further afield as the infrastructure battalions and engineers started expanding their own operations.

The southern flank of Xianbei Province was becoming a hub of activity as soldiers from the 18th Infantry started joining the local Baijingdui. There were minor skirmishes with Hongmenghui members but the strong defensive positions that the Baijingdui, and later with the 18th Infantry, had adopted had repelled them several times. In the last such attempt, the Hongmenghui had only been beaten back by a tightly organised shelling from the 18th Infantry's 50mm mortars.

So far, the plan was moving as had been expected, and by the coming Friday, Xianbei's borders within Yujin would be under Sikandari control, sealing it off effectively from the problems of the rest of the country. And thus allowing the Sikandari's to get rid of the pockets of resistance within and establish a firm foothold in the country before beginning their Mao Offensive.

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

From: Workers' Republic of Carentania
Commissariate for Defence
Military High Command

To: Hongmenghui
Central Command

Seoran Peoples' Republic
Revolutionary Government

SECRET - SECRET - SECRET

Comrades,

the confirmation of Sikandari intervention urges Carentania to further increase its commitment to the liberation of Yujin. We will not stand idly while the reactionaries try to drown the revolution in a wave of blood. However, the threat of a united front of capitalist nations is one we do not take lightly and thus, we will have to act careful and with utmost caution. Carentania will try to improve its strategic positioning before striking against Sikandara openly, so we beg you to have patience with us.

However, this must not mean that we will sit idly while Sikandari soldiers slaughter their way through free Yujin. Carentania would be willing to dispatch a limited naval force for special operations against Sikandari merchant vessels, punishing the industrial-military complex that has lobbied for this intervention. The feasibility of such operations would rely on the Hongmenghui or the Seoran Peoples' Republic taking responsibility towards the European public for these attacks. It would be difficult for Sikandara to present this as an act of aggression ever since its public announcement of the intervention. This would reduce chances of practical support for Sikandara and it would allow Carentania to continue lend-lease shipments without harassment by the Sikandari Navy.

We await your valued opinion on this matter.

 

[Khemia]

EXTERNAL COMMUNIQUE
Top Secret
**********​

To: Commissariate for Defence
From: CinCHMH NYF
Comrades,

We are in the process of readying captured Imperial naval vessels for just such a purpose. Our forces have successfully seized the Imperial naval vessels stationed at the port of Siraama and expect them to be ready to engage in activities in the Bay of Vangala within the week. Elements of the Imperial East Fleet which have defected to our cause are completing repairs and will soon be sent into the fight; the addition of Carentanian vessels to our assemblage would not be outside of the realm of possibility and we are fully prepared to take the blame for using any and all methods within our power as necessary to repel an unjustified foreign invasion of our lands.

We are willing to accept any and all aid the Carentanian proletariat is willing to provide. Furthermore, we would request that the Seoran government be entrusted with technical machinery necessary for the localized production of critical provisions, such as automatic small arms, anti-tank weapons, and ground-based rockets, so as to mitigate the threat to Carentanian shipping and facilitate our own self-sufficiency in the event of international actions against Carentanian merchant vessels. These provisions are necessary to successfully repel the ongoing Imperial-Sikandari assault.

(s.) Wu Jindiao

DTG 010023HAPR54

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Carentania

When the orders came, the Revolutionary Navy was well prepared. Tensions throughout Europe and the Carentanian involvement in several major crises meant that Carentanian submarine command could mobilize several vessels quickly and instruct them on the critical nature of their mission. Only volunteers were taken aboard and anyone who refused to participate in a mission that demanded utmost secrecy and commitment exceeding the norm - these being the words used to describe the operation before divulging more precise information to those who volunteered - was transferred to other units without penalty, being replaced by volunteers from other vessels.

For the duration of their mission, the Carentanian sailors would become members of the Hongmenghui from Yujin. In total, ten submarines would be dispatched to the eastern Long Sea and their mission would be to hunt down Sikandari merchant vessels, avoiding confrontation with the Sikandari Navy. They would operate in small units, covering each other and their orders were not to take unnecessary risks. The goal was to punish Sikandara for its involvement, but the need for actual material impact was low: the aim was psychological, to weaken the resolve of the Sikandari capitalists, hoping that threats to their own profits would make them abandon support for their government.

Officially, Carentania would not take action, instead continuing to oppose Sikandari actions in words only. The Workers' Republic had no desire to get dragged into open warfare with the Sikandari, as the results of such a battle were too uncertain. Carentanian supply lines - both in bringing ressources to their homeland as well as shipping supplies to their allies in Yujin - were too vital to risk them for dubious gains. Use of volunteer units that would operate as Hongmenghui units was deemed the wiser strategy. Furthermore, it allowed Carentania to dispatch additional units to the theater with orders to observe the Sikandari movements. These ships, the Revolutionary Navy Group Engels consisting of one light cruiser and 6 destroyers, would fly their usual Carentanian colors and monitor Sikandari movements without any need to hide themselves - meanwhile informing the Hongmenghui units about the position of Sikandari vessels.

Still, Carentanian leaders were not so foolish as to expect their thinly veiled disguise to not be recognized by Sikandari military, who would likely retaliate in kind. The Workers' Republic was prepared for this and intensified escorts for ships headed to Vangala and Northern Seora, transferring numerous corvettes from the western shipping routes to the theater and ordering another increase in production of escorts - after already ramping up production of corvettes repeatedly since the beginning of the war with Yujin.

Vangala

Units in Vangala - consisting mostly of a single Guards Aviation Division located near the border to Sinhai - had seen little fighting ever since the Yu Emperors botched offensive against Vangala. For the most part, the deployment had become a pleasant vacation in an exotic country, their hosts as well as the Carentanian military ensuring that the poverty of the wartorn country would not get into the way of Vangalan hospitality for the foreign officers.

It was all the more suprising, thus, when new orders reached the Guardsmen that they were to commence renewed attacks against the Imperial frontline. Two aviation brigades, 80 jet fighters in total, would be dispatched for air superiority missions along the border to Sinhai while the third aviation brigade, consisting of propeller driven close-air-support fighters, would engage Imperial troops on the ground along attack vectors provided by the Vangalans. They would clear a path for the Vangalan ground troops that were to follow.

An additional aviation division was mobilized on the Carentanian homeland and would be dispatched to the frontline while the offensive were to get into full swing. It was expected that the enemy would be worn down quickly and that air superiority would be established sooner than later. With rebels controlling the supply routes from the Imperial mainland into Sinhai, Carentanian planes were deemed important in denying the Imperials the only remaining means of resupplying and reinforcing their troops in Sinhai: by air.

Meanwhile ships already approaching Vangala - freighters loaded with supplies, ammunition and weapons destined for the HMH - would be rerouted to Siraama to support the rebels that just recently liberated the city.

 

[Vangala]

Emerald River
Maga Province
People's Republic of Vangala

The Emerald River no longer deserved its name.

The once verdant waters of one of the Orient's greatest rivers were now a murky brown, sullied by the grim affair of human warfare. Near-continuous artillery barrages had gored the banks of the river, gouging huge wounds in the earth that now seeped dirt into the river's currents. Decaying carcasses of war machines - tanks, trucks, cannons, planes - lay scattered and broken, their metal bones protruding through the water and soil. These and the rotten corpses of long-dead soldiers served as macabre totems to the destruction that had taken place.

The Emerald River and the surrounding region, one of the most fertile in the world, was now a place of death.

And Many more would now die today, as the fabled Vangalan counter-attack began.

Hundreds of thousands of men and women had assembled along the border with Yujin, guarding Maga Province and the rest of the People's Republic from a second Yujiner invasion. The first had been devastating, leaving tens of thousands dead, many more wounded, and whole swathes of land ravaged. Already traumatised by Revolution and Civil War, the invasion left deep scars, physical and psychological, on Mother Vangala.

Whilst desperate to exact revenge on the Xiong Cabal for the crimes committed - not only against the people of Vangala, but the people of Yujin too - the United Motherland Front was hesitant to lash out at the Yujiner Dragon. The Vangalan Tiger had been wounded grievously, and needed to recover.

But now with Seora free, Sinhai rising to independence, the Southlands in open revolt against the cruel and wicked Emperor Qirui, and the Imperial capital in jeopardy, it was now the Yujiner Dragon that was the weaker predator. The Tiger would pounce.

Carentanian aircraft would lead the assault, targeting known artillery positions, troop concentrations and intercepting airlifted supplies to the remaining Imperial forces in Sinhai. The Vangalan People's Air Force would commit a few combat planes in a supporting role to the operations, but could not risk any more.

The land attack would follow in three waves: first, following the air and artillery attacks, a mass of infantry would surge across the river, attempting to overwhelm the Imperial defenders through sheer numbers. Most of the first wave would be recent conscripts, poorly trained and lightly armed, many having been forcibly seized from a village to meet the high demand for man-power from the People's Armed Forces.

Second would be an armoured assault to extinguish what resistance remained, supported by so-called 'People's Volunteers' - soldiers who had opted for armed service, and typically years of experience, and had priority to training resources and equipment. Once the second wave was successful, a third wave of soldiers, intelligence officers, political staff, humanitarians, would occupy and secure captured territories.

The Commanders were confident of victory. With a rousing cry of "Victory to Vangala!", the slogan of the Revolution, the counter-invasion would begin.

 

[Khemia]

Hubris. This was the downfall of Empires. Burdened by the weight of their arrogance, they would collapse, leaving only a wake of ash. Thus, the blistering array of artillery and anti-aircraft guns opened fire on the Vangalan hordes with their chemical and biological ordinance. There was no doubt that the Imperial position on the Yu River was untenable - the Eighth ID led by Colonel Adisak Sirithep was, together with the 21st Artillery division, falling back to Sapphaya. The rest of the 6th Route Army, tattered as it was, would hold the line against the Vangalan-Carentanian assault. Commanded by Major General Liang Ershan, 5ID, 23AD and 36AD would make a heroic stand.

Jets swooped in and raked the artillery positions with cannon fire and rockets, and anti-anticraft guns responded in kind, though they were not guided they presented a real threat to aircraft which needed to fly low and slow in order to precisely strike their targets. Still, casualties were high - but the Carentanians did not have the concentration of aircraft necessary to adequately soften up the Imperial positions, and the Vangalan artillery had been largely ineffective - striking against phantom positions and false targets set up by the Imperial defenders. And so sixty thousand men were tasked with defending several hundred miles of water from a legion of screaming peasants.

The chemical brigades - a grim folk who knew all too well the cost of war - loaded the artillery with their deadly payload: chlorine, mustard, sarin, tabun, and soman gases would be used on the troops as they swept over the beaches towards the river; the perfect low ground to choke out the hordes of peasant-warriors. A strain of weaponized tularemia which the Yujiner government was using against the northern populations had become refined over the months - it was a highly virulent and rapidly adapting disease which the Imperial government admittedly had no antidote for.

These were not the days for half measures, there was no hubris left in Sinhai, this was the nations darkest hour. The men who defended this province in the name of their Emperor knew full well the price they would pay, and they were acutely aware that any force multiplier - even one which could kill the people they sought to defend - would even the odds somewhat. When the Vangalans hit the shores of the southern bank of the Yu, they would receive a second bombardment of chemical and biological weapons - and it was then that what artillery and men could be withdrawn would be. Sapphaya was the first line of defense against Vangala - although it was no Lianggang, it was a beautiful city filled with people, civilian and military alike. If the Vangalans chose to attack, it would be the bloodiest battle in the West, pitting the Empire's most veteran troops and their unorthodox weaponry against the might of Toyou socialism.

 

[Serenierre]

MAO OFFENSIVE
​

OPERATION: ATISH-AASMANI
SIKANDARI AERIAL OPERATIONS
​

Soldiers of the Sikandari 101st Army, numbering some two hundred thousand, were almost in position on the western bank of the river that was serving as the front between the Imperials and the Hongmenhui on the border between the Mao and Jiangbei provinces. Joining up with the 50,000 men of the Imperial Yujiner military, the 101st Army would then be joined by the 501st Army, a force of equal strength, in a week's time. Before then, it was hoped that the aircraft of the Imperial Air Force would dominate the skies over the province. Concerning reports had emerged that the communists were fielding jet aircraft, passed along to the Sikandari commanders via the Military Liaison Office set up by Shahdara in Yujin. The day before, construction on a third strategic garrison had commenced and would continue until the following week. This, once completed would effectively complete the objectives of Operation Khosaran.

From their strategic garrison in the eastern Xianbei/western Jiangbei region, Ma262 Block IV jets belonging to the 3rd and 6th Jet Squadron, totaling forty, zoomed off to enter the skies of Mao Province, to begin the first proper combat operations in the campaign thus far. The orders from Imperial High Command were to establish aerial superiority in the operational theater prior to engagement of the enemy on the ground. These upgraded Mezhist jets would be the first to attempt that. They were to engage all enemy aircraft in the skies, although they were under orders to show discretion when confronted by unfamiliar aircraft. Additionally, when the air force command felt comfortable with the fact that enemy jet fighters had been neutralized, bombers of various types would begin their assaults on the Hongmenghui positions on the other side of the river and transport links would be cut preventing supplies from reaching the enemies, as well as reinforcements.

In the strategic garrison, the ground staff were preparing to support the deployment a squadron of the new AT3 jet fighter, a design contracted from the Mezhists for exclusive Sikandari use, being deployed to the region as a precaution, to be used in the event that the enemy would use something beyond the capabilities of the Ma262. Back in their cockpits, the pilots of the forty Ma262s were aware of the dangers of the situation, but were prepared for whatever happened. And despite the fears of this great unknown, the 300 or so miles to the operation area, the men were generally in high spirits.

 

[Vangala]

Emerald River
Maga/Sinhai Province

After the aerial and artillery bombardments, the first wave of the Vangalan invasion force started to cross the waters of the Emerald River. In slow-moving and low-lying parts of the river, soldiers simply waded through, bullets whizzing by and overhead as their comrades attempted to cover them - and the Yujiners tried to kill them. In other parts, soldiers ran across hastily constructed bridges, or crossed using small and makeshift vessels. Many capsized or sinked, those inside drowning or swept away, their fates to be determined.

But as the first Vangalan soldiers started to reach Sinhese death, the full terrifying arsenal of the Yujiner Imperial Army was revealed. Chlorine, mustard, sarin, tabun, and soman gases engulfed the Vangalan troops. Men and women in their hundreds started to die in the most excruciating ways imaginable, the deep sadism ingrained into mankind exposed.

Far more disturbing was the insidious use of Tularemia, whose symptons included foul-looking lesions that covered the skin, and had an estimated fatality rate of 40-60%.

Ever since the mass suffering in Lianggang, where tens of thousands perished after repeated biological and chemical weapon attacks, the high command of the People's Armed Forces knew it was inevitable the same gruesome death awaited thousands of Vangalans too. Many of the conscripts crossing the river were protected by little more than a rag over the face, the luckier possessing a gas mask.

Knowing the horror caused by these weapons, Vangalan artillery and Carentanian aircraft responded quickly to their use, and redirected their loads to the newly-revealed positions of Yuijiner biological and chemical weapon brigades. But it would not be even to prevent many more dying in the same terrible manner.

After much bloodshed, the Yujiner border fortifications eventually fell, the human cost for the People's Republic of Vangala being in excess of ten thousand lives. The death toll would likely rise in the following days as the cruel legacy of the biological and chemical weapons used came to bear.

Captured Yujiner soldiers were granted no mercy, and executed immediately, but as the Vangalan troops were under strict orders not to waste ammunition, they frequently had to beat or knife their captives to death, but given so many had witnessed their friends die in the most sickening ways, few needed any encouragement.

For surviving Vangalan soldiers the situation was little better. The wounded had to wait agonisingly long for medical supplies to arrive, and those deemed beyond saving were often killed.

Chattananga
Maga Province
People's Republic of Vangala

The seizure of Siramaa by the coalition of Red Alliance rebels and Sinhese nationalists offered another way by which to enter Sinhai, and from there on, Yujin. The Eastern Command of the Vangalan People's Naval Force, a measly collection of ships inherited from Franconia, would set sail for the port-city, and in tow would be thousands of Vangalan soldiers, whose first task was to secure the city and ensure Vangalan presence would be felt in the region.

After months of inaction, waiting cautiously for the Empire of Yujin to strike once more, the People's Republic of Vangala was fully committing itself to the liberation of Yujin. The old revolutionary slogan of "From Kilkila to Zhenjing!" may no longer sound as ridiculous as it may have once seemed.