The Sea of Fire [Long Sea & Hymiar Theatre]

[Natal]

Respecting our promises
Operation Zara Part I
Rovograd Military Port​

“The sonar and the radar are tested. Everything else is working, sir.”

“Good work, Porucnik. We must load the munitions on the cruiser and also test the electric equipment on the corvettes.”

“Yes, sir.”

Admiral Călin Revnik was nervous. The cruiser Czar Edvard II was the flagship of the Altaic National Naval Forces and if not, the largest ship in Himyar was preparing for his baptism of fire. Not only this. He hoped that during his command of the Naval Forces, he wouldn’t need to think about how to fight against another fleet, or how to invade a foreign place. He only hoped that after Sidorenko’s retire, the Czarina will bring peace to Altai. But he was profoundly saddened by the approach of the Czarina concerning the August Catastrophe. Even if he wanted to protest, against her moves, the Chancellor approves her actions and the people love her and stand by her. All is about religion again. Diagism. A religion, literally loved by the people of Altai, who see the Czarina as an envoy of the Great Spirit. She is the first Diagist ruler of Altai since the assassination of Czar Dorin II Demian in 1935 during the revolution. She is loved by the people as much as Czar Dragan Demian or Sultan Dan I Abari. But even so she is more like a Dragan with teats. She makes us all think that she is like a peasant who doesn’t understand anything about politics and how to rule a state, but she literally knows everything about it. It seems that Anka, her mother has done her homework. Se can see that she really is the granddaughter of Prince-Chancellor Alen Demian. She knows hot to make everyone love her but also knows how to stab someone in the back. It is like she was made for the role of ruler in the venomous court of Altaisk.

Admiral Revnik was brought back to life by a captain who gave him a report. He read it and smiled. The Submarines were ready. His mission has started. There was no time in thinking about Czarina Tatyana. The time for was has come.

He left the cruiser Czar Edvard II and went to the place where the Kilo-class submarines of the Altaic Navy were docked. When he arrived he checked the reports of the shipmen again. Everything seemed fine. He began not the feel his legs and a shiver has made him shake. Revnik didn’t know if all of those were emotions of him being proud because of the start of the operations or being scared about Altai entering in this Great War.

In two hours later, the submarines were prepared. And the members of the crews were standing in formation in front of their submersibles.Revnik knew that most of them were scared. At least the normal ones. The reckless ones were eager to fight.

“Soldier of Altai,” he began his speech. “Now the sun rises for Altai again. The 20 years-long night has ended and again we are here to show the world that this small Himyari country is here and still has some power to show. Sixty-one years have passed since the Altaic Army faced the Talemantine Empire and again the time has come for us to defend the interest of the Altaic people. The time has come for us to be great again. Let us fight and destroy the enemies of the crown!”

The crews gathered there began to applaud.

“We must be ready and strike at the speed of light. The airplanes are ready, and now we must begin our mission. The Submarines Rechinul, Marsuinul and Delfinul will leave the port of Rovograd and begin their designated missions. The Cruiser Czar Edvard II and the rest of the fleet will leave immediately after they are loaded. God and the Great Spirit help us.”

So, it has come to this. The submarines will leave first and then the rest of the ships will leave, north inbound. He continued to stay on the dock and think until the crews embarked and the submarines left. Only when none of the three subs couldn’t be seen anymore, a officer came to him and told him that the fleet will be ready to leave at 4 o’clock in the morning.

 

[Natal]

Altaisk
Palatul Victoria​

“My, Czarina, the submarines have left. And the rest of the fleet will leave during this night.”

“Perfect.” Said Tatyana Demian, seating Chancellor Alen Karin on her right. General Pukovnik of the ProNat Darko Garin was also in the office. “Before we begin, our mission, I want to tell you that we need to be sure that the Talemantines won’t attack and stab us in the back.”

“Your highness, the Talemantine Empire, mobilized those soldiers to help us show Sidorenko that we are backed by your husband’s country,” said Garin.

“Yes. I know that, General, but I just want to be sure.”

“You do not trust your husband?” Asked the Chancellor.

“The Problem is that I trust my husband, as you also should as he is your rightful ruler. Yes, I trust my husband, but I do not trust his father. He ordered the invasion of Altai in 1950 and I think he still has problems in trusting our country after what has happened.”

“Your Majesty, yes, I know that the regime of Dan Shuvalov started a campaign of sabotages in the Talemantine Empire and that started the war. But let us not forget that Dan Shuvalov died in 1962 and his successor Andrzej Andropov along with Vasilievich and Denikin worked to warm the relations between our countries. Now, with your wedding with Prince Florian and the crowning of you two as rulers of Altai, the relations with the Talemantine Empire are the warmest since our independence.”

“Even so, Chancellor Karin, I want you to invite here the Talemantine ambassador to Altaisk, Ezzo di Giovine.”

“Yes, you Majesty.” Chancellor Karin left the office.

“What are you planning?” asked her Garin .

“I want to sign a non-aggression treaty, so that we will have our backs covered.”

“It is wise, my queen, but you should not forget that the Talemantines are scarred of the Military ProNat after what happened 62 years ago. We still have 30,000 ProNat soldiers ready to defend the country and the House of Demian.”

 

[Natal]

Cruiser Czar Edvard II

Admiral Revnik didn’t like this. He accepted the command of the task force at prove that he is an able commander and at first he hoped that what will follow from now on, will be a simple victory. But now he began to have doubts. The fleet was still in international water, but the road will have an end and then he will see how good was the Dara Naval Academy prepared him for what will happen. His targets are the Zadar-Istrian Islands. His fleet will stop in the international water just south of the island and then the planes from the mainland will attack the cities of Zadarska, Bjelovarska and Goranska. And then he will keep the islands under blockade until the second phase starts. Written on a paper or spoken it sounded easy. But now, the ships left the Rovograd Port. The submarines were in front of them. The moment when he will enter the action is slowly coming. Right now, he hoped that the islands were on the other side of the planet. The idea that the moment when the fate of the fleet and the prestige of the nation were on his shoulders made him shiver. But he knew. There was no turning back. The country made a promise and now we need to keep it, even if now we think it was impulsive and some, like him, regret it. A promise is a promise and must be kept. The Engellexic base in the Long Sea must be in Altaic hands soon.

Captain Shuvalov broke his thoughts.

“Admiral?”

“Yes, captain, do you have something to report?”

“The planes began the departure.”

“All of them?”

“The Tornados at first and the Migs will depart immediately after.”

“Very good captain.”

“He smiled for himself. The Tornados? The 30 Tornados the National Air Force had were bought during the last year of Vasilievich’s reign, 2007. They were the pride of the Air Force and now, the first to be sent to the slaughterhouse.

 

[Great Engellex]

DEFENCE OF THE REALM I
GORNO-ALTAI & ZADAR-ISTRIA

Zadarska, Zadar-Istrian Islands, Empire of Great Engellex

Gorno-Altai’s attack on Zadar-Istria in the early evening hours of 25 October caught the Imperial General Staff, in Dulwich, off balance, but not the military command of Zadarska. One of the most cherished assumptions underlying the turbulent and often rebarbative relationship between Great Engellex and the Himyari states is that however harshly they criticise each other through government dispatches and national media, they do not attack each other with force. This has been demonstrated throughout the centuries and more recently with Hajr, Kassiopeia, and Trans-Nineveh. The airstrike which Gorno-Altai unleashed upon its small northern neighbour showed this up for an illusion which had now been broken. The Queen of Gorno-Altai, Czarina Tatyana, may have calculated that she would get away with her attempted invasion by playing upon the decline of the European Defence Federation, and the war that existed between the Federation and Great Engellex. Throughout the whole August Catastrophe, from the invasion of Solaren to the Saamiskavian War and the consequent European measures against the imperialist Federation, this move by Gorno-Altai was an effort against the unprecedented co-operation of European nations that took the lead from the part of Great Engellex. There is a tenacity here for which Gorno-Altai had not bargained. The indefatigable strength demonstrated in this crisis by the Queen-Empress and her ministers which had become almost overshadowed by the overwhelming strength and success of the Great Engellexic military machine, backed up by political support from across Europe.

Gorno-Altai’s foolhardy decision to try and seize the Zadar-Istrian islands by force was to be understood to be the decision of one individual, the Czarina. It was to prove a gross miscalculation. The reasoning, or rather the impulse, behind this decision has to be sought in the aggressive nationalism which has been a predominant feature in many Himyari nations since the overthrow of the imperial order from the continent.

Zadar-Istria is an artificial entity, whose form and administration was decided in the procees of the dismembering of the past colonial bureaucracy of the Empire of Great Engellex. In the pursuit of financial efficiency and to counter rampant corruption within the colonial civil services throughout the imperial possessions Dulwich secured the political mandate to form and dissolve colonial administrations and whole entities, including the two former territories of the Istrian islands and the island territory of Zadansk. The Imperial Parliament merged these two provinces in 1899 into a single entity, Zadar-Istria, and introduced a new system whereby the new state would be a realm, rule by a Lord Commissioner and a Provincial Assembly. But as a political entity Zadar-Istria lacked homogeneity, a feature which was continuing to become a source of growing political instability in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The course of the islands’ politics would prove to be a chronicle of turbulence and, since the bloody suppression of working class dissent this year, of violence and tyranny. The Lord Commissioner, the Lord Byron, was reared on a cult of Imperial Authority, which came to be the key to his survival in the splintering and extremist political landscape of the islands. Lord Byron was initially introduced into imperial politics as a bit of an aristocratic dandy but has since engaged in an obsession to maintain the imperial authority against the growing want for reform.

The Czarina’s sudden move to launch an attack across the sea was an act of supreme misjudgement, political as well as military. It will also be the forerunner of other miscalculations too, should the Czarina overreach herself further by attempting to actually invade. In Dulwich the Queen-Empress was compelled in switching the main focus of Long Sea military operations and resources on to Gorno-Altai. There seemed to be no end to trouble in Europe, thought Charlotte. It now came from Himyar because the regime in Gorno-Altai still foolishly believed in the now diminished Pax Franconia. Charlotte was keen that evening to pay particular attention to succession of events that followed the entry of warplanes into Engellexic airspace. It was determined in a Council of State that, even though they believed the Czarina could have her sense restored, the prestige of Great Engellex in that particularly strategic part of Europe should not be insulted, and so the Queen-Empress saw no reason why reprisals should not be taken. During the turmoil of putting down this act of aggression, Admiral Rees-Mogg would be given orders late in the evening to destroy all Gorno-Altaic vessels.

Early in the evening of 25 October, several hours before the attack, the Lord Commissioner Lord Byron was at Salisbury House, an old aristocratic mansion now occupied by the Lord Commissioner’s Office in central Zadarska. With Sir Eduard Crawley, the First Minister of Zadar-Istria, the Lord Commissioner was on his way to an engagement, a grand dinner party for the colonial city’s politicos. Before entering the Jaguar motorcade, he had time to talk to the First Minister about some troubling intelligence taking place in international waters south of the islands. A flotilla of Gorno-Altaic warships had positioned themselves in a provocative and suggestive location to the Zadar-Istrian islands. The intelligence gathering was being conducted by the Fifth Submarine Squadron which is stationed at the territory and has been fully mobilised since the outbreak of war. It originally looked like an effort to antagonize Great Engellex who was already engaged in war. Lord Byron, who had already overseen the beefing up and mobilization of military forces on the islands from the Federation’s invasion, had asked his office to contact the Duke of Rothermere, the Secretary of War, for advice on the situation. Unable to provide anything other than to maintain absolute vigilance, the Duke of Rothermere conveyed his intention to form a task force for the purpose of reinforcing the islands and bringing destruction to the cities of Gorno-Altai, if necessary. The Lord Commissioner had no idea that in a few hours time what he was concerned with would manifest into the biggest challenge to imperial rule in modern times.

As darkness returned to Central Europe, thirty attack aircraft from Gorno-Altai conducted an air raid. Tornado jets attempted to penetrate the islands’ defences and attack Zadarska and the surrounding areas. Flight lieutenant Alex Coomber was flying Combat Air Patrol south of Zadarska. During his patrol, he was the first to convey visual confirmation of the advancing airborne force, he received orders to join in the gathering of a counter group. Accompanying four of the other CAP F-16s, Flight lieutenant Coomber, leading the flight, was directed to sweep behind the elements of the Gorno-Altai strike package and block its exit from the target area. No. 65 Squadron REAF, that is the remaining fifteen F-16s, and No. 66 Squadron of twenty-four Phantom IIs rendezvoused north-west of Zadarska to engage with enemy combatants. As the enemy Tornados entered Engellexic airspace the five CAP F-16s headed north, they positioned their aircraft above and behind the enemy strike package. From thirty thousand feet they had a clear radar view. Just as the F-16s and the Phantom IIs were advancing on the enemy position, to enemy Tornados appeared on the rear flight’s radar. Two F-16s from the rear flight descended on the enemy aircraft at Mach 2. The Flight lieutenant watched as the enemy Tornados were engaged from distances across the Zadar island. The pilots of the 65 and 66 Squadrons broke off into groups of two and dove in on their targets through an unending barrage of AAA and SAM missiles that sought to engulf the enemy advance. Flight after flight of F-16s and Phantom IIs swept down on the Gorno-Altaic pilots, in and around the main settlements of the territory. Locked on, the F-16s fired a total of sixty AIM-120 AMRAAMs and twenty AIM-7 Sparrows at the enemy, the Phantom IIs a total of thirty-seven AIM-7 Sparrows. The home defence were quick to expend all their missiles against the airborne intrusion. As the Tornados attempted to penetrate through the defence they realised they had gone from the hunters to the hunted. The eventual retreat was delivered with a blow by the rear flight. The five F-16s dove toward Tornado targets at steep angles. The Gorno-Altaic pilots were so occupied with evading the defence engagement that they did not notice the descending five about to intercept them. Flight lieutenant Coomber closed within seven miles, when he was sure from identification and visual confirmation that it was the enemy, he banked sharply out of line of enemy fire, locked on and then fired an AIM-7 Sparrow radar guided missile.

The aircraft were ordered not to pursue beyond Engellexic airspace. Air Command knew of the enemy flotilla to the south of the islands.

 

[Taley]

Office of the Secretary
Secretariat of Intelligence
Talemaniki

"Tell the Palace I will have a report within the hour." Saturnino Burti put down his phone.

The Altaic intervention in the August Catastrophe had caught Talemaniki by complete surprise. Altai had never had strong relations with the European Defense Federation or a strong hatred of Greater Engellex. Everyone from the Palace to the State Secretariat to the War Secretariat had been calling his office to find out why he had not seen this coming. There had to be ulterior motives for Tatyana to just go to war so soon after taking over the state of Altai. It wouldn't be the first time a leader went to war to distract the population from other issues. It could turn out good and help her solidify her reign or it could turn out horrible like it did for Emperor Luciano V who after the failed put down of the Altai Rebellion faced decades of civil war by his uncle, son, and then grandson.

Tatyana was gambling, and it was one hell of a bet. Could her small nation, that is in the beginning of rebuilding, take on Engellex, which was in the the middle of a war with one of the planet's major alliances? Saturnino felt like he was the bookie for a fight with everyone asking him the odds and he had to decide on whom to place the Talemantine bet.

Victoria Palace
Altaisk, Altai

Envoy Ezzo di Giovine was summoned to the Victoria Palace to meet with the Czarina and he ministers. Ezzo was unable to speak with Prince Florian before the meeting so he was unsure on what to expect from Tatyana. Ezzo had seen this nation through its ups and downs and it looked like it was going through another cycle. Envoy di Giovine was announced and walked in the room.

"His Excellency, Envoy Di Giovine of the Talemantine Empire."

 

[Natal]

Cruiser Czar Edvard II

Admiral Revnik was watching desperate the radar how plane after plane, the tornados were disappearing. Revnik went to the radio and contacted Captain Fedorov, the commander of the second wave of planes.

“Commander, do not divide your force. Attack with all you have the city of Zadarska. Your targets should be the enemy planes and the anti-air defenses.”

“Understood commander.”

Revnik approached Captain Shuvalov:

“Full speed ahead. Sent the submarines and the destroyers forward. Attack any military ship you see. Scan the water for enemy submarines.”

“Yes sir.”

Revnik hoped that the second ware, notably larger will catch the pilots by surprise. The Engellexic pilots were still fight the Tornados when the 60 Migs will come. He was hoping that this will overwhelm them.

Mig 21

Captain Fedorov was in the first of the Migs. He was commanding the attack and now, as he was approaching the island he was saying a prayer. When he was close to the beach of the Zadar Island he ordered:

“To all planes, group A and B follow me, we must destroy the Engellexic planes, before we attack the enemy navy. Group C destroy the SAM launchers.”

The groups, of 20 planes each, began their attack. Group A and B were the first attacked by the SAMs and some of the planes were hit. Group C, who was in the back of the formation began to descend and targeted the SAM sites.

Altaisk
Palatul Victoria

The newly promoted Hetman, Darko Garin was reading loudly a report from Admiral Revnik. The rest of the staff were visibly shocked. He wasn’t.

“Gentlemen, I propose to prepare another 100 planes for a third wave.”

“100 planes! We have around 260 planes left. If Engellex will attack the country, then what will we do with only 160 planes?” said General Antonov. Also a newly appointed general of the staff. Surely one who believed that war will never come to this country.

“We must be sure that the Islands are taken. And also order the mobilization of all our reserve troops. We must be sure that the country is well defended and the army prepared. Also I will order the rest of our planes to patrol our skies and our territorial waters.”

Most of the men nodded. Antonov knew that even if some didn’t like it, they wouldn’t argue with Garin.

 

[Natal]

Altaisk
Palatul Victoria

“His Excellency, Envoy Di Giovine of the Talemantine Empire.”

Tatyana was at her desk with Hetman Garin seated on her right and Chancellor Karin seated on her left. When the Talemantine envoy entered the room, she raised from her seat. An adjutant seated the Envoy on front of the Czarina and then poured some wine for the four men. Everyone took a sip. Tatyana was the first to put the glass down on the desk. It was a white, dry old wine. It was the kind of wine of which her mother told her that Dragan loved. She could hear her mother telling her stories of the old Demian Czars and the first kings of Altai, the victories of Fariid I Haalik. The Haaliks fought against the Talemantines and now she has to be a friend of them.

She began talking:

“Your Excellency, I know that our actions have taken the world by surprise, but we need to be sure that the Engellexic supremacy in the Long Sea must be diminished.”

She knew that those were just some words. And words are wind. Surely, the envoy knew or supposed what were the true intentions of this attack. She remembered the day when she decided to also help the EDF by taking those islands, not only send soldiers to Solaren. When she remembered that moment she observed. Garin manipulated her. He told her that this it will be the way the other nations will see Altai as a powerful nation. And then he told her that this war could distract the population from the other issues the people had, with an easy win, the people will love her as they loved Czar Dragan. Garin was a good commander of the ProNat, an office which was made for men to love to kiss the ass of any ruler of the country. A post, or better said role for a man who takes command from the ruler and then gives again orders to his subordinates. Now, as a hetman, he was to create the orders, not transport them through one office to another. She only now observed that Garin was a lousy commander. An avid hunter for power and money. No more different than Sidorenko. But now, how could she kick Garin’s ass from the post of Hetman and not make the people think again of the political instability that has recently ended? Too recently. Garin made her promise the EDF that she will help them. She followed his advice and now she reads reports in which the prides of the Air Force are blown off the sky. Now, there was no turning back. She was too stupid and followed Garin blindly. She asked herself is Garin observed the mistakes he made or he was too ignorant or stupid to observe.

“Even if we had our problems in the past, we must show the world that the Himyari nations stand united.” She continued.

She asked herself if she didn’t order it, would Garin sign a non-aggression treaty with the Talemantine Empire. Would he attack without covering his back? She knew that, when she was told of the attack plan, she wanted to cover her back with this treaty. She insisted on signing it first, but Garin said that if we sign a treaty with the Talemantine Empire, the Engellex would be suspicious on our moves. He said that we must take them by surprise. Well… we didn’t. And we don’t know for sure that the Talemantine Empire would accept.

She told Garin about it. And the three of them, with Chancellor Karin, made a plan for mobilizing the rest of the army. The plan, she called Defending the Raven Nest would order the mobilization of the army, it’s move to the western border and the preparation of the Military ProNat by moving the Dan Abari Division to Dialgorod, the Altai Division to Vidra, the Scimitar Division to Siddi El Hani and the Death’s Head Division to Ulma to defend the border in case of a Talemantine attack.

“In hope we could continue to warm the relations between our two countries, I propose a treaty of non-aggression to be signed by us.”

 

[Taley]

Victoria Palace
Altaisk

"Your highness, it is in the opinion of the Talemantine Empire that the Zadar-Istrian Islands are not part of any Engellexic Supremacy in the Long Sea. The solitary possession of Engellex hardly pose a threat to the Long Sea region nor do they hold any possessions in Himyar."

Ezzo was in a precarious situation. The Altaic sovereign was asking something of him that he knew he could not give and was certain that Talemaniki would refuse.

"Ma'am as for the treaty. I have not been authorized to sign any treaties on any matter and to do so now would be outside my abilities. I would have to confer with my superiors at the State Secretariat in Talemaniki. The Secretariat would review the treaties, cross-check if it would conflict with any outstanding obligations of the Talemantine Empire, negotiate terms with the members of government on both sides, and other procedures and protocol that need to be followed. It is not the process and way things are done in diplomacy to be presented with a written treaty and be expected for a nation to sign it up front. I apologize your highness, but I cannot sign this treaty as it stands or at this time. I will, however, send it to my superiors to begin the review process."

Envoy Di Giovine doubted how far the treaty would go. Probably it would get buried in the mess of the Talemantine bureaucracy, but at least he was able to not say a direct no to the Czarina.

Private Study
Blachernae Palace

The tap and clicks of shoes on the polished floors of the palace. Intelligence Secretary Saturnino Burti was waking briskly through the corridors to the meeting room. It was report time at the Palace and it was Saturnino Burti who was in the spotlight. Burti approached the room which had two guards outside the closed doors. The guards opened the doors before Burti got their allowing him to enter the room without stopping.

For a private study the room was abnormally large with a high ceiling and oak paneled walls. Bookcases and expensive original paintings lined the walls with a desk to one side of the room with the other had a group of chair and a sofa arranged in a way to create a small lounge area of the room. When Saturnino walked into the room two men were standing near the desk. They were Secretary of State Carmine Gavallo and Secretary of War Admiral Fabian Merici. Both were huddled near the decanter full of Talemantine wine.

Carmine pour his colleague a glass of the wine. "Saturnino I have a feeling you will need this more than any of us." Burti took the glass and drank some as the Emperor walked in supported by his ornate cane.

"Gentlemen lets have a seat."

"Yes your majesty."

"Secretary Burti bring us up to speed." the emperor said taking his seat in one of the chairs.

"First your Majesty, we currently don't have a lot of assets and connections in Altai. We have one connection with the Salvation Army in Zamosk and His Highness in the Victoria Palace.

Now as we are still investigating and gathering more info we can only make a few estimates on the situation. We truly believe that this intervention by Altai is a distraction from other issues. The evidence does not add up unless the EDF are more desperate than they appear. So the important fact we are looking into are what exactly what are the issues Tatyana is attempting to distract from. Can they be exploited in our favor? Does it threaten the stability of Altai? These are questions we are looking for the answers."

Everyone looked at each other. Then the emperor broke the silence. "So what can we anticipate from them?"

"Well sire I don't think the Altaic forces will be able to overcome the Engellex without direct intervention of the EDF. A military defeat could cause distrust in the regime and could possibly lead to its failure. And then we are back to square one with Altai."

Carmine Gavallo, who was theoretically in charge while Florioli was in Dulwich and it was him who chimed in. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Well Vice-Chancellor we should exploit our connections with the Salvation Army. A timed uprising of the christian community would allow us to protect the Christians and see them independent. It may need possible military intervention. Also In the case Altai gets paranoid because we never demobilized the troops we mobilized in support of the Demians. I suggest raising the alert or sending more forces to make a show of force."

"Raising the alert level and sending more troops would be easy and we can do it quietly." said Fabian.

"And I will ask for reports from Ezzo in Altaisk and Cesario in Dulwich." added Carmine.

"Then gentlemen, you have my blessing to make it so." inserted the emperor rising from his seat.

 

[Taley]

Imperial Suite
Zaviatti Hotel
Dulwich, Engellex

The Dulwich hotel was like a picture from the early 20th century, much like Dulwich itself. It was this hotel that Bishop Alexis Florioli stayed at while the negotiations between Engellex and Talemaniki were completed and signed. The extravagant suite was average compared to the palaces back in Talemaniki. Nevertheless, it held all the comforts a prince would want, even though, Alexis was a Bishop being chancellor had its own blessings.

"When is the meeting supposed happen?" Alexis asked.

"They are setting up the secure line now your excellency." the steward replied.

"Have the line sent to the office."

The bishop sat down on one of the sofas and he began to look over a packet of documents the embassy sent over from the War Secretariat. Documents of troops numbers, monetary amounts, maps, plans, estimates on casualties, and strategies. It was done and done. The empire was once again marching to war. There were several reasons to throw his lot in; regain lost prestige from the Jurzan war, protect the Christians in Altai, or show his conviction for their new friends in Dulwich. The reasons didn't matter, they never did. The fact was it was happening and this time if he failed it would be his head on the chopping block.

Florioli picked up the packet of documents and with the other hand grabbed his plate of shrimp and carried them to the office and sat down. He spread the documents out on the table trying to distract him from his thoughts while popping a shrimp in his mouth.

"Your excellency, they are ready for you." the steward informed him as Alexis waved him off. He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finder before he hit the button on the phone. Soon he heard many voices over the intercom.

Alexis spoke. "Who is with us?"

"Admiral Merici, Secretary Gavallo, and myself, Secretary Saturnino Burti, Lord Chancellor. I would like to note that his majesty nor his most august highness will be present."

"Thank you Saturnino. So his majesty has deemed it necessary for us to go to war with the Principality of Altai. Fabian and his people have drawn up a good plan for the execution of this conflict so I will turn it over to him."

Through the speaker Alexis could hear perfectly his ministers on the other end of the line in Talemaniki. "Thank you chancellor. Our goal is to keep our resources limited to the Eastern Army under General Appiano Nieto. The three corps will be will each have their own angle of attack. The Third Corps will move from Al Jawf to take the area South of the Altaisk Mountains and the Second Corps will go North from Cagliari and move along the coast. The First Corps in Novara, this is the force we mobilized in order to support Czarina Tatyana to get the former strongman in Altai to back down. This corps will move to the center with the goal of taking Altaisk.

We also will be mobilizing the Theodora II, Waylon X, and the Horace I along with their respective fleets. The Waylon and Theodora will blockade the Altaic coast and deal with the remainder of the Altaic fleet still based at home. The Horace will move North towards the Zadar-Istrian Islands and attack the Altaic fleet currently attacking the Engellexic Islands."

"And if I may add," Burti interrupted, "We will be having our friends in the Salvation Army to spark an all out rebellion on the Zamosk Peninsula. We've given them money and arms. Its enough to get them going and we can reinforce them with troops. Our goal there will be to get an independent christian state."

"This all sounds good gentlemen. Let's not fail as we all know what happened last time we failed."

"Understood." all three voices replied.

Alexis hung up the phone ate another shrimp and hoped all was well when he returned home.

 

[Natal]

Preparing for War I
Victoria Palace, Altaisk

Tatyana was reading some reports from the Consulate of Defense, when Hetman Garin, Chancellor Karin and Consul Orsulic entered her office in the Victoria Palace. She greeted and seated them in front of her.

“Gentlemen, as we all know, history repeats itself. In the 50s we were at war with the Talemantine Empire. Now, again, we live in a time when those tensions exist again. We must be prepared for everything. We opened half a million posts in the army and were all occupied is a week. Even if we will have more soldiers than them, those will not be trained or prepared. We can count ourselves lucky if we can arm those men. Now, I want your reports on the mobilization.”

Darko Garin was the first to talk, because of his post as Hetman he was the second in command in the Army after the Czarina.

“We are repairing the fortifications from Dialgorod to Siddi El Hani that we constructed fifty years ago. Also we are fortifying the cities of Vidra, Altaisk, Conop, Ulma and Sadova. We will create a new order of battle. We will position the First Army from Dialgorod to Siddi El Hani. The Second Army will be positioned east of Vidra and I say that we must declare Vidra expendable, as the region in neighbored by Talemantros on three sides. It will be an easy capture. The Third Army will be situated on the fortifications between Sadova and Ulma. Also, the elite Military ProNat division Scimitar will be united with the Second Army, the Dan Abari division will be incorporated in the First Army; the Death’s Head division will be positioned in Dialgorod and the Altai Division will be positioned in Conop. The only route that goes from the north to south is the Transaltaica Pass from Altaisk to Conop. I also ordered the fortification of Conop and Altaisk, as the Pass can be the only way to save the south. We should also start to recruit more, to prepare ourselves for their attack and we must retreat the fleet from the Zadar-Istrian Islands. If they blockade us, we can retreat to Eiffelland of Bombaim. Also I’ve ordered the start of the reparations and testing to the tanks and tank destroyers we have in storage.”

Chancellor Alen Karin continued:

“The armament factories from Tirgu Ier and Dara have begun to work again. We have ordered the construction of TR-85 tanks and PM model 90 small arms. And we also made wood decoys of our planes and began to “populate” airports and military bases with them.”

Consul of National Defense Petar Orsulic finished the report.

“All our planes are fitted for battle and soon we will order the retreat from the Zadar-Istrian Islands. Also we are forming two more Military ProNat divisions. One will be positioned in Tirgu Ier and the other will move in Zamosk against the Salvation Army. We began an operation to defeat them once and for all and even managed to get some informants inside their ranks.”

After the report was finished, the three men left, but Tatyana stopped Garin for a second.

“I know that this not right, but my husband still is Talemantine. I still don’t know his stance on those events. Because of this I want him to be under surveillance.”

“Yes, my queen.” Said Garin as he left the office.

 

[Taley]

Airport
Altaisk, Altai

"Highness we have our ordesr. You and the diplomatic staff have been summoned back to Talemaniki." Ezzo di Giovine was pleading with the Despot of Cilicia, Prince Florian and the husband of the Czarina. They were on the tarmac with a private jet ready to take the Envoy and the Prince to the safety of Talemantine airspace. All of the Talemantine diplomatic corps had been evacuated except these two men and time was running out.

"I can't leave Ezzo. I am needed here now more than ever."

"Florian any day the official declaration of war will be issued and this city will become a war-zone. Your father personally instructed me to see that you are on that plane."

"I can't Ezzo. It wouldn't be right."

"Your father needs you right now. This is a trying time and the emperor needs his family surrounding him to help him make the right decisions. You can do more good for Altai in Talemaniki than in Altaisk."

Florian took a moment and thought of the course of action to take. He looked at the plane then back to Ezzo "Ok Ezzo."

Both the envoy and the prince boarded the plane and took off for the safety of Talemantine airspace.

Military Base
Cagliari, Talemantine Empire

Lieutenant General Emidio Gamossi was overseeing the mobilization of his corps since the order came down from his superiors. He knew his goals and what he would have to do, but more importantly he new what would happen if he failed. He remembered when they showed the execution of the generals of the Jurzani war. Emidio reviewed the numbers and his corps would soon be ready for action by 24 hours.

"General Gamossi, General Nieto has asked for a status update from all the corps on mobilization." a young lieutenant said.

"Thank you lieutenant."

TIS Theodora II
Sea off of Genoa

Vice Admiral Jutta Vasilini was the highest ranking female officer in the Talemantine Armed Forces. The top of her class, perseverance, and hard determination allowed Vasilini to climb the ranks of the Talemantine Navy. Also it did help that her father was a high ranking Senator. Despite the allegations of nepotism, that is as commonplace as true talent, Jutta had proven that she had more balls than other men in the officer corps. Now she commanded the TIS Theodora II a ship named after the most powerful woman in Talemantine history and Empress of the empire. Her fleet had left port some hours ago heading into the open waters not far behind the TIS Horace I. They were to assist the Horace in taking down the Altaic Fleet at the Zadar-Istrian Islands before going west of the Zamosk peninsula to blockade the coast. Excitement filled Jutta's body as she dreamed of the glory that was sure to come.

 

[Natal]

Preparing for war II
Camp 253, Dialgorod, Uroduah Autonomous Oblast

Camp 253, more commonly known as, Dialgorod Fortress, is situated in the old fortress of Dialgorod, built in 1684 during the reign of Dan I Abari Augustus, the Sultan who westernized the country and now, his name is now on one of the strongest military divisions of the ProNat. The camp was also the headquarters of the Dan Abari Division and the First Army.

General Bohdan Adamsky, the supreme commander of the First Army was sitting in his office watching through the window the 19th Division training. He was still astonished how easily half a hundred posts in the military were occupied. At last the time for glory has come. The Talemantines were so naïve. Adamsky smiled for himself. He could see how glorious the military parade for the victory day will be, and how Tatyana will be loved and respected as Czar Dragan or Sultan Dan. Heck, she will overshadow them.

A religious country like the Principality is a vicious enemy, especially when the dogma of that religion is ultra nationalism itself. Altai is waiting for the Talemantine strike. Everything is ready and prepared. They will see then, how huge mistake this will be. The Solaris soldiers will be next to nothing compared to the fanaticism of the Altaic soldiers. Soon, death will come from the ground, in front of them, behind them, from the air, not in a traditional way. They will see both the faces of our Army, a daylight one, very conventional, a night one, a face that they would want to forget as early as possible. And maybe with some luck, after a disastrous war in the 50s (a war disastrous for both Altai and Talemantros), one in Jurzan and the next again here, Emperor Waylon X would abdicate in favor of his grandson Horace.

I’ve also ordered captain Fedorov to retreat with the planes back home, to provide aerial support to the Army and Admiral Revnik to retreat to Bad Hersfeld, Eiffelland if possible.

I have only one thing left to say. Let them come!

 

[Great Engellex]

DEFENCE OF THE REALM II
GORNO-ALTAI & ZADAR-ISTRIA

Zadarska, Zadar-Istrian Islands, Empire of Great Engellex

Once belted within his seat, the Lord Commissioner thought only of the evening’s dinner partyand the escalating costs of contributing to the Royal Engellexic Navy. Lord Byron was in the middile of a series of bitter negotiations with the Provincial Assembly and the Admiralty in Dulwich about the future the islands defence arrangements, ironically, and specifically about the enormous sums of money that were being demanded by Dulwich to support the naval and air force attachments to the islands. This was just one of the many problems that had beset his administration in the last decade. Everywhere Lord Byron looked he seemed to face serious intractable difficulties. As far as the Zadar-Istrian economy was concerned, the prospect for the next three years was dismal. Since the eruption of instability around Europe, the Lord Commissioner had done little to curb the sense of economic decline that has followed the many major international difficulties. The number of people unemployed continues to grow; in September there had been a series of minor strikes from those employed by the island’s Port Authorities, and now there was the threat of those from the fishery industry. This year, as had been stated, there had been some serious rioting that erupted in the working class districts of Zadarska and elsewhere in Zadar; despite the Lord Commissioner’s tyrannical efforts to silence this left-wing dissent, most members of his administration were forecasting another violent month ahead in the inner-city districts of the islands. The conflict in Preuti-Borussia had assumed a horrifying new dimension, with many other states positioning themselves to enter and extend the fronts massively.

Around Europe, the landscape was more threatening. The war against Solaren had disrupted oil supplies to a considerable degree and is causing increasing instability for the long-term in Solaren and the Long Sea. In the Great Continental War – more specifically the the conflict between Great Engellex and Montelimar – the Engellexic Armies had suffered a series of significant setbacks to its shock and awe strategy during the invasion through the North-East by Lille. The most obvious and dramatic setback had been the Saamiskavian War, which placed Great Engellex in the middle of its warring allies. Though, the Northern Department had also succeeded in establishing preferable relations with the Talemantine Empire, and is succeeding in its endeavour to secure a reliable supply of oil from the Northern Himyari state. There was very little that Great Engellex could do about the war in Saamiskavia, but the sudden want of expansion by Gorno-Altai, accompanied by the EDF navy that was bigger and superior in technology, was now of a deeper concern. Great Engellex had a capable force of submarine squadrons, but needed to be modernized. The preferred solution was to replace them new, larger submarines carrying the latest armaments only afforded to a few of the navy’s vessels. The Duke of Rothermere, the War Secretary, was in the middle of desperately trying to allocate the parliamentary funding to the departments and services of the Great Engellexic Armed Forces, to pay for the new submarines, and surface vessels, with the missiles. With all these concerns, both domestic and European, hinging on Great Engellex’ role as a a major power, and economy, it was understandable that events on a distant group of islands seemed a mere irritating distraction.

On that evening the Duke of Rothermere had seen the same information as the Queen-Empress, and also agreed that submarines should be immediately deployed to reinforce the island’s naval attachment. At this time Great Engellex had a limited submarine service, and it was heavily worked due to the war. The submarines were deployed to protect the sovereign waters and territorial integrity of Great Engellex, but they also worked in collaboration with the Carentanian Navy conducting intelligence gathering and trailing Federation submarines within the Great Sea. At the beginning of November the War Ministry put in development a new class of submarines to be much quieter and harder to detect. In the mean time increased intelligence patrols and new tactics were being discussed to meet the demands of engaging against the Federation. In order to comply with the Queen-Empress’ request, the First Lord of the Admiralty decided that three Engellexic submarines currently at sea working with the surface fleet on patrols and missions near Great Engellex might be spared to go to the Zadar-Istrian islands. HEMS Black Bull and HEMS Brilliant were duly instructed to break off from engagements and head east, but the War Ministry asserted the Duke of Rothermere that perhaps a Carrier Task Force should be prepared to go too.

The atmosphere on board the Unshaken, one of two submarines belonging to the Fifth Submarine Squadron, was now tense, as everyone on board realised that they were sailing toward the international waters harbouring Gorno-Altaic ships and there was the possibility of imminent action. The crew were closed up at action stations, with all the watertight doors shut. At 21:15, captain of Unshaken, Commander Andrew Langley-Coles, called a planning meeting to make preparations for the action that everybody expected to take part that evening. The captain relayed the orders from the Admiralty; those orders were to head towards the position of the Gorno-Altaic battle group and in coordination with the other submarine, and aircraft from the islands, to attack and harass surface ships with their Mark 48 torpedoes. Within twenty-three minutes the crew of both Unshaken and Unbeaten put the submerged vessels to top speeds of 20 knots. Destroyers of the Gorno-Altaic surface fleet were the targets. Within just over an hour Unshaken and Unbeaten had overhauled two destroyers, that were entering sovereign waters, and were manoeuvring themselves into attack position. At 22:41 Unbeaten was the first of the two to fire two Mark 48 torpedoes at a Gorno-Altaic destroyer, the attack was succeeded by an evasive cruise out of the range of the destroyer as swiftly as the technology allowed, submarine tactics sought for that crew to have the vessel out of range within a half-hour. Twenty-six minutes later Unshaken followed up with an attack against another destroyer, with two torpedoes.

At 23:00 the Gorno-Altaic Government had been issued a warning from the Ministers of the Queen-Empress through the Talemantine Embassy – the warning was that should Gorno-Altaic not proceed to withdraw its forces from an attack on Engellexic sovereignty, a Carrier Task Force will be deployed to secure the independence of the islands and then proceed to bring the conflict to their own shores. The Lord Commissioner had also been made aware of dispatch to the Gorno-Altaic Government. The immediate problem for Lord Byron was being able to maintain control of the Engellexic airspace against an enemy that now quickly outnumbered them. The island’s Imperial Command ordered for the rapid formation of machine-gun and RPG nests a top the tall buildings of Zadarska to reinforce the anti-air artillery units already deployed and engaged throughout the city and islands.

The First Lord of the Admiralty, on recommendations from the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, gave orders from the carrier and vessels anchored within Bantyr to leave for Hammersmith. It had been agreed to assemble a task force as quickly as possible .

 

[Taley]

Base Camp
Altaic Border East of Cagliari

Air Commodore Lottieri Soranzo was doing the final checks as his Air Wing was preparing for the attack. His wing would assist the invasion force of the 2nd Corps. Their primary targets would be air defenses, artillery, and military airstrips. They would pave the way for the Army to march in to Altai. Soranzo recently got off the phone with Vice-Marshal Uberto Pamfili and all the other Air Wings involved were ready to do the exact as Soranzo's and at the same synchronized time. The Air wing out of Novara would be split between attacking the defenses, airfields and power stations around Vidra and hammering Siddi El Hani. Those out of Al Jawf would begin the the same assault on Ulma. They only waited for the predetermined hour.

TIS Waylon X
Waters off Altaic Coast, North of Dialgorod

Vice Admiral Zaccaria Di Livio could see everything from his perch on the bridge of the Waylon X. He resently finished talking with the ground commanders in Cagliari and the plan was set. His fleet had been sitting in international waters waiting for the command to act. Now he had his order and only waited for the time to be correct. His fleet would begin attacking the Altaic city of Dialgorod targeting airfields, air defenses, and military facilities. He had the cruise missiles ready and their targets locked in. After the first volley of missiles the aircraft would leave to engage any possible enemy craft and begin to soften the Altaic army. The helicopters would begin anti-submarine warfare to fine any Altaic subs laying in wait. Di Livio would continue to hit the city with volley after volley until the Talemantine Army made its way to the city limits. Zaccaria look at his watch, fifteen minutes to zero hour.

1am
Eastern Army Command, Novara

General Appiano Nieto had served in the Talemantine Army for decades. He was a lowly recruit during the last war in the 50s in which he received a medal for bravery. Now many decades later and a significant rise in the ranks Appiano now had the title of Dux for his leadership and command of the Eastern Army. He vowed that he would have the Imperial Standard fly over Altaisk.

General Nieto once again looked over the plans. At the appointed hour the 2nd Corps would attack and push East toward Dialgorod. The 3rd Corps would attack Ulma and the 1st Corps would split and make an attack against the Altaic city of Siddi El Hani, which sat right across the border ripe to conquest, and Vidra which was surrounded on all sides by the empire and in the mos precarious location.

Appiano Nieto watched as the minutes ticked by. The plan was perfect and hadd taken considerable planning to have the Army, Air Force, and the Waylon X attack at a synchronized time. He would certainly get praise for this. Then the clock struck the anointed time and the general stood up. "1AM Silver Raven is a go" The order went out and all along the Altaic border erupted in gunfire as the Talemantine Armed Forces attacked in the dark of night.

Talemaniki, Talemantine Empire

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Declaration of War

The actions of aggression by the Principality of Altai toward our ally the Union of Greater Engellex is deplorable and must be responded in kind. Not only has the attack against Engellex, but the treatment of the Christian Community of Altai by the persecutions they undergo under the regimes of Altai cannot stand. It is with this that we undertake the endeavor of war against the Principality of Altai in defense of our allies and in defense of our brothers in faith.

Imperator Caesar Waylon Decimus Augustus​

 

[Natal]

NFS Czar Edvard II

Admiral Revnik was standing on the bridge of the cruiser with captain Shuvalov by his side. Revnik made contact captain Fedorov and the 2nd wave of planes to communicate the new orders: “Fedorov, this is Revnik, new orders…”

Suddenly, a huge explosion near a destroyer shocked many sailors. A torpedo hit NFS Razbunarea. At the orders of Revnik, the men began to seal the hit compartments.

“Admiral, you should see this…” a man standing near the radar called Revnik.
When he came he was it. A flee was approaching from the south-west. It wasn’t a good thing.

“Begin the retreat”. He ordered to Shuvalov. We must get to Bad Hersfeld.”

“Understood Admiral.”

Suddenly, the face of the man manning the sonar became pale.

“Two more torpedoes!”

“Target?”

“The destroyer Princess Ana…”

It seemed the men from NFS Princess Anastasia observed them earlier and tried to make evasive maneuvers. Fortunately they evaded from one of them, but the second one hit the engines.

“We must retreat!” Revnik ordered again.

“But Princess Anastasia is immobile. We cannot lose it!”

“Do you want to lose the rest of the ships? The entire fleet!” Barked Revnik agitated.

“No sir.” Said Shuvalov resignedly.

“Order the crew of the ship to scuttle it. The crew will be saved by the frigate NFS Black Raven. The submarines will cover the frigate and our ass as we retreat.”

“Yes sir.”

Revnik returned to the radio and continued giving orders to Fedorov:

“Captain, I have new orders for your squad. Retreat from the Islands, your target is the fleet on the southwest. If they are Talemantine or Engellexic attack them. If not, rebase at Surdoiu and continue to patrol. Also, High Priest Bashai declared the war a religious war.”

“Understood, admiral.”

Altaisk
Palatul Victoria

“Soon, my queen, you will see. The stereotype of the men living in Altai is presented like two dogs fighting for the bone, but when a third dog enters the fight, the first two dogs will team together and kill the third. We Altaians are the first two dogs. We are greedy, vain and proud. We will fight one another for power and glory. But our real power is shown on our knowledge on when to stop this fight and unite. In the independence war, the tribes united under Fariid I Haalik. In the first Talemantine Invasion sixty years ago, there were many people in the Worker’s Party who fought against president Shuvalov. The all united under the tricolor when the People’s Republic was invaded. We always were seen as a fractionated country, but still defeated all the invaders, because, when the Religious War was declared, we united and managed to defeat all foes.”

“I understand, High Priest Bashai. Thank you for your consideration.”

Tatyana raised from her chair as the priest left the room. Immediately, Garin entered the room.

“My queen, as with the declaration of war and now with the beginning of fighting, on the western border, I wish to go there myself the coordinate the defenses from Dialgorod.” He said while putting an application paper on the office.

So, you leave me too. She though saddened. After Florian betrayed her and left with the Talemantine Envoy, she felt very lonely. Now, she had no one to tell how she feels and ask for advice. Now Garin must leave to Dialgorod and only Karin remained near her. He was the only one who could now give her a competent advice.

“Very good, sir. You have my leave.”

After a few minutes of talking, he left. So, the Religious War was declared. Now, the time has come to show the rest of the world that the Altaic people are nationalists, if not maniacs in defending their country.


Defending the nest I
South of Camp 235, Dialgorod Prefecture
1 am

The atmosphere was tense. Since the retreat of the Talemantine Envoy, everybody was waiting for their attack. The northernmost part of the Shuvalov line, named after the President of the Republic who fought against the Talemantines in the 50s, was manned by the Dan Abari Military ProNat Division. Since the 50s, the all black uniforms of the Military ProNat made anyone fighting against them scarred. They won their reputation as fanatics in the 50s when nearly all, if not all Military ProNat divisions made at least one bayonet attack. The were known for their motto: “Victory or Death.” Victory by defeating the enemy, or death and sacrifice for the country to even ascend to the Great Spirit. No surrender, no prisoners.

Captain Erin was the one of the many female fighter in the Military ProNat. Rosa Erin by her complete name always wanted to fight, to wear the uniform from an age when most girls were playing with dolls. She was patrolling on the trenches, this night. By 1am she was returning to the fortress. As she walked, she began to hear many noises coming from the commandment and even from the border. As the was approaching someone on the trench, the Talemantines began to open fire. The man near her was shot. She freaked at first but then got down. He was shot in the neck. Dead. She began screaming:

“They attacked! They attacked! Open Fire!” she shouted to the other soldiers while she opened fire to the small sparkles of light made by the enemy guns. “No retreat!”

Mig 21
Long Sea, approaching the Horace I

Fedorov was leading his squad of sixty Mig21s to the southwest. As them approached the fleet, they could see that it was the Talemantine navy. Their mission was clear then attack. And leave a mark on them. They were flying at 25 to 30 meters above the sea, to avoid detection by the radars of the TIS Horace I.

“So, we will be the first ones to kill some macaroni-eaters. You know what to do. If some of you believe in the Great Spirit and want to be taken by Ala, the white raven. You know the sacrifice you need to do.”

As they were approaching, some of the planes launched their missiles against the ships bridges. A Mig 21, after launching all it’s missiles to his a destroyer’s engines, began to rise it’s speed going at full throttle. It’s mission: To crash on Horace I and with some luck rendering it unusable.

 

[Taley]

Outside Ulma, Altai

Lieutenant General Federico Inzaghi was frustrated his corps were moving slower that he had planned. Inzaghi's corps continued to pound the Altaic front lines outside the city with rounds of artillery and mortars. The air force continued to attack military targets in Ulma as well as deal with any Altaic air power then attacking Altaic armor units in the Altaic forces. Attacks from the air and from the ground that would proved to deal a devastating blow to the Altaic forces and hopefully break their resolve as Inzaghi's corps pushed ever closer to Ulma. If the Altaic resolve didn't break then Federico would have a bullet for each of them.

Lt. General Inzaghi watched as his attack helicopters took off after refueling and reloading from the mornings attacks. He knew that in a few minutes he would be watching explosions on the screens knowing he was accomplishing their jobs.

Outskirts of Vidra

Lt. General Benvenuto Feroci holstered his Beretta pistol. The area around Vidra was surrounded on three side by Talemantine territory and forces. It was this fact that most of the Altaic forces in the area were still east of the city with no apparent moves to defend the city. Vidra, as Feroci was now guessing from his intel, was that Vidra was more likely defended by a token force to only take as many Talemantine lives with them as they fight for the city. For now Feroci's men would continue to move to surround the city and control all the land between Vidra and the Talemantine border. Once again Benvenuto heard the thunderous sounds of the artillery explosions and the tanks firing their guns; the constant crackles of gunfire filled his mind in the distance.

Siddi El Hani

The closest Altaic city to Talemantine territory. Corporal Fausto Josi was in charge of his tank crew on his Ariete. "Fire!" The Ariete fired its tank gun. Josi was on the front lines and fighting for his country. Now he was doing what he was trained to do. In the outskirts of Siddi El Hani was far from the place were Fausto grew up in the lap of luxury as a Senators son and at the time the army seemed like the perfect way to rebel. With all the gunfire and the attack helicopters over head Fausto now regretted that decision. "Reload!" He yelled as his crew as they set the new targets and put new munitions into the gun. "Fire!"

General Appiano Nieto was looking on the screens. The fighting was intense against the Altaics since the attack began during the night. They were going to make Nieto pay for every inch he took hoping their ultra-nationalism would sustain them. Nieto knew better. Even the fanatic Solaris couldn't win and neither would Altai. However, Nieto new better than to only hope for the best. He picked up the phone, "This is Appiano Nieto, mobilize the 4th Corps."

West of Dialgorod

General Gamossi's men continued to press the Altaics with barrage after barrage of mortar artillery and tank fire with machine gun and rifle fire mixed in between. The enemy was keeping steady, but so was Gamossi. Soon they would realize they were out gunned. The air force was a great assistance by attacking the regional air fields and whittling down the enemies air capabilities. It was only a matter of time if Altai wanted to send their men to their god, now that they declared this a religious war.

Dialgorod

The fleet of the TIS Waylon X continued to attack the city of Dialgorod. The fleet's surface-to-air missiles along with its fighters continued to battle the Altaic air force for air superiority over the Western Altaic city.

Long Sea off of the Zadar-Istrian Islands

Admiral Tancredo Ulleri regained his composure as an Altaic plane slammed into the rear of the TIS Horace I, of which he commanded. The carrier was as the center of the fleet with many smaller inferior ships surrounded the capital ship. This formation would allow smaller ships to be between the carrier and any submarine attacks and this gave the carrier coverage from the surprise attack from the migs. Once the attack commenced all alarms across the fleet went blaring and the fleet jumped into defense and attack mode. Anti-aircraft guns went firing and surface-to-air missiles were flying at targeted enemy fighters. In the air Talemantine pilots spared with Altice fighters over the sea.

One of Ulleri's first acts was to send a message to the Engellex command to send any planes that were not currently engaged with the Altaic aircraft to assist the fleets. He looked out of the windows and watched as one of his corvettes began to list dangerously.

The TIS Theodora II was only a mile or two from the Horace I and her planes left her deck to help the Horace. Vice Admiral Vasilini, however, had other goals. The Altaic fleet had begun to retreat, but not if Jutta had her say. "I want the Czar Edvard II at the bottom of the sea." Her fleet loaded surface-to-surface missiles and targeted the Altaic flagship and let lost their payload into the enemy fleet. The subs from her fleet joined their Engellex partners under the waves targeting Altaic ships with their torpedoes. It would be Jutta Vasilini that took down the Altaic fleet.

After the volley of missiles Vasilini saent a message to every Altaic ship. "This is Vice Admiral Jutta Vasilini of the TIS Theodora II. If you surrender you will be given full quarter." She gave the order to prepare for another attack and waited for the response.

Emperor's Private Study
Talemaniki, Talemantine Empire

"Father we have to do something. We cannot continue this war." Prince Florian was pleading with his father over the course of this war.

"Florian, that wife of yours has extended her reach. She has made war against a Talemantine ally. She has brought the EDF to the shores of Himyar. That harlot will lead her nation to ruin."

"That harlot is still my wife. We can win this war and maintain our honor. There is a right way to do this."

The room was quiet as the father pondered over his son's words.

MEMO

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FROM: Great Palace of Talemaniki
TO: Talemantine Commanders
RE: Persons of interest

By order of his majesty, Emperor Waylon X, her highness Czarina Tatyana, members of the Altaic parliament, and civilian members of government, upon their capture are to be treated with utmost respect and dignity as due to their office. These persons of interests are to be handled as if they are members of the imperial family. Violation of this order by any means will result in the severest level of punishment.

Secretariat of War​

This memo went out to the Talemantine commanders engaged with the Altaic forces. This adjustment to the Talemantine rules of engagement was also 'leaked' to the Altaic high command.

 

[Natal]

Defending the nest II
Altaisk

A soldier entered the office of Chancellor Karin:

“Sir, the Uroduah is here.”

“Good. Send him in.”

In the office entered General Abd al-Qadir. The tall, Uroduah man was known for his guerrilla tactics when he led the Uroduah Defense Front against the Salvation Army. He was loved by the Uroduah community and when the Principality was declared he was gives command of the Scimitar Military ProNat division. Now he has a new mission.

“General al-Qadir, I think you for coming here in haste.”

al-Qadir greeted Karin through nodding.

“I was told that I was needed urgently here, Chancellor.”

“Good. I’ve followed the advices from you, Garin and the Czarina and began the preparations. Stashes were made for your forces and were hidden inside all the Uroduah Autonomous Oblast and in the Altaisk Oblast. You will be the supreme commander of the operations. You should know what to do.”

al-Qadir smiled. At the same in the office entered an adjutant.

“Sir, here is the response of the Talemantine Empire.”

Karin was pleased. If it was a counteroffer of the last offer he sent to Talemaniki, he can begin his plan.

“I understand my mission chancellor. The Uroduah people remains loyal to Altaisk and will defend it.” When Karin gave him the dossier for his mission, he left.

Immediately Karin opened the letter and read it. He was pleased. “Time to make some leaks,” he said to himself.

Ulma Counterattack

Twenty kilometers east of Ulma still in Altaic dominated air, a counterattack was being prepared to depressurize the city of Ulma and even make the Talemantine forces retreat.

At ten o’clock a group of 25 Mig21 left the airport of Conop and began attacking the Talemantine planes, to make a diversion.

40 LAROM multiple rocket launchers began the bombardment of the Talemantine Artillery. During the bombing, the 4th Corp of TR-85 tanks began the attack from Ulma, staying behind the bombardment. The Death’s Head Military ProNat division followed. Even if the army wasn’t at its greatest shape and full power, because of the enemy bombardment, it will be sufficient to make the Talemantines see that they aren’t welcomed here.

From the north came trucks and busses full of new recruits of the Third Army to garrison Ulma and Sadova.

Behind the Talemantine lines, still in Altai territory, the guerrilla fighters were waiting for the Talemantine forces to retreat. Suddenly enemy attack helicopters were heard above them. Around 7 RPG rockets were fired simultaneously against them.

Battle of Vidra

“The Talemantine bombardment reduced Vidra to rubble. Only ruins were left in the once proud city. This left the remains of the garrison to hide in many rat holes. The prefecture was mostly populated by Talemantine ethnicities, so there shouldn’t be fighting on the countryside. But in the east the army waited for the Talemantines to cross into Altai proper and then the true fight will begin. But we won’t retreat. We have taken an oath to defend Vidra and that we will do it. It the Talemantines want to take the city, and then they will have to fight against us in every room in every building of the city. There are still many of us. Before the retreat of the army in the east, they gave weapons to the remaining citizens in the city. If they take the city, it will have population: 0."

The soldier finished the sentence and put the journal down. Suddenly someone screamed that the enemy is approaching. They all took their guns and went to the windows. The rain of bullets began to fall on the enemy.

Battle of Siddi el Hani

The Arietes were bombing the small Uroduah village, destroying most of the buildings. The Altai Military ProNat division had many losses during the bombardment, but they needed to retaliate, the 120mm mortars were ready.

During a brief pause of the bombardment, the mortars began to attack too. This was mostly a diversionary attack, as soldiers from the 19th Division, manning RPGs were approaching the tanks. When they were in range, they fired.

Dialgorod

The army managed to hold the Talemantines out of the town, but the Talemantine Fleet was bombing the city. The port and the northern neighborhoods were already hit hard. All hospitals were overloaded of injuries.

Dr. Akimov was late. And this was a blessing for the first time in his life. As he entered the hospital, he went to the Secretariat to sign the ledger and when he went to the stairs, as the lift was out of order. As he approached the window, he could see it. The rocket was approaching rapidly. Not a second later, a huge explosion shocks the building. It hit the hospital.

Form the first plane it could be seen the smoke from the explosion. This only made the pilots who agreed on doing this only bitterer on doing this. The first 7 planes were the ones who would distract the enemy AA guns and the rest of the 5 planes, were to hit the enemy carrier.

NFS Czar Edvard II

The CIWS system on the cruiser began firing on the missiles and eventually shot them down. At the order of Admiral Revnik the men stopped the radars on the ships. The submarines left the sinking destroyer and began approaching the Talemantine fleet, began firing torpedoes. Two more frigates were approaching the Talemantine fleet to distract them.

The Cruiser and the remaining ships continued their retreat to Eiffelland trying to be undetected by shutting down their radars.

Trier

Andrzej got out of his room and saw that Alfred was fully clothed.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Pîn afar.” He responded in a broken Altaic.

Andrzej smiled.

“Remain to German, old man.”

“I’m going to buy some coffee.”

Andrzej remained in the doorway as the old man tied his shoelaces and went out. Alfred Brandt was the septuagenarian Tatyana took care of after the death of Adam Adler, her first husband. He didn’t need any care. He only wanted some company. Someone who would listen to his stories and someone who would tell him stories. After the wedding of Tatyana to Florian, he kept great relation with her. Now, he has again some company. As his apartment is only two blocks away from the Königliches Gymnasium, Andrzej moved with him. After some minutes, Alfred returned and started making coffee.

“Tell me about Adam Adler.” Andrzej asked suddenly.

“Andy, I told you this story so many times.”

“Say it again.”

“You mother wanted to move to Trier. So she met with many people who would rent and apartment for her. But she didn’t have much money and prices were high. Adam, on the other hand, asked for one thing. Marriage. It was a marriage of interest, as Adam knew your mother’s ancestry and she had a roof above her head…”suddenly someone knocked the door.

Alfred went to open. Adeline entered. As she took off her shoos, she enter the kitchen where the water was boiling and Andrzej was still in pajamas.

“Have I arrived too early?” she asked.

“That depends. Do you like my pajamas?”

“What I cannot like at you?” she said smiling.

Alfred put three cups on the table and filled them with coffee.

“Andy, be sure not to be late. I’m going on a walk to let you two lovers alone.” He said while drinking his cup in just two sips like it wasn’t just taken from the stove.

“Andy?” she asked.

“He calls me this way since I was born.”

“Are you ready?” she changed the subject as she took a sip.

“For what?”

“Meeting Sebastiano.”

“Yes, that is really what we need. First Bastian has to lose a year because of that attack and now we have a second drama beginning.”

“Come on, get dressed.” She said while kissing him on the cheek.

“OK…OK!”

A half an hour later the two arrived at school. Andrzej was glad that Sebastiano didn’t arrived yet. In his opinion, the two of them could stay one away from the other. But what about Ludwig? He was a good friend of him. But now that the relation between him and Sebastiano got sour. Ludwig will have to choose one of them. And he was also sure that Ludwig will choose Sebastiano because of their love affair. If all those things were as Andrzej saw them right, they shouldn’t fight for the fights of their parents, but when all those things become national, what should one do?

OOC:
Pîn afar=Going out (in an archaic dialect);

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Eastern Carentania

The war in Himyar was dangerous, more than just for the directly involved nations, but for Carentania as well. More than once had the Talemantines proved their desire to fight the Workers' Republic and send harm in its way. Even so many decades after it happened, the attack of 1929 was still well remembered amongst Carentanians and even though the Vrbas Kraj had returned to the country by now, the insulting theft of this province is well remembered amongst the Carentanian population. And the attempt to invade the Jurzan during its revolution was just the relatively recent tip of an iceberg of Talemantine imperialist sentiment. Carentania as a whole was wary of every move the Talemantines made and willing to take measures to deny this megalomanic dinosaur any expansion.

Its eastern forces partially mobilized, the Revolutionary Army began to monitor any movement along the Talemantine coast and even as far as Altais shores. Patrols of fighter aircraft used their onboard radar to scout the area for ships, carefully registering any military presence, identifying them and looking out especially for Talemantine, Kyivan and Cidonian ships and reporting their movements. A dedicated Aerial Early Warning plane was being prepared for a mission as well, waiting for some crucial maintenance and scheduled for its first flight in the area on friday. Alongside the patrols, a few squads equipped for anti-air as well as groups dedicated to assaults on ships stood ready, should the Talemantines decide to act hastily. As of now, Carentania was not committed to taking violent action against the Talemantines, but the announcements coming from Kyiv and Cidonia in regards to the deployment of troops were quickly escalating the situation. Carentania could not allow such militarization of its neighbours, especially not one with such an history of aggression.

But the fact that Carentania was engaged in Solaren still remained. A lot of its forces, but especially its supplies went to Solaren. A ground campaign against the Talemantines was out of question as long as there was fighting in Solaren. Instead, Carentania was preparing economic sanctions against the Talemantines in response to its refusal to sign a ceasefire and attend peace negotiations. However, the Kyivan and Cidonian provocations demanded more dedicated action and thus, after the battle at Mazara was won in Solaren, a lot of the Carentanian fleet was withdrawn from the shores of Solaren, with only its two AAS' and a few supporting ships remained in the Long Sea, preparing for the next amphibious landing of troops. Carentanias most modern combat vessels, meanwhile, silently deployed themselves within reach of the Talemantine coast, operating on passive radar and evading detection by the Talemantines. A few selected corvettes used their radar to jam the frequencies of any approaching vessel or plane of Talemantine origin, further obscuring the presence of the bulk of the Carentanian fleet.

What remained to be seen was, would the Talemantines and their allies insist on this path to escalation?

 

[Taley]

Salvation Army Camp
Foothills of the Zagora Mountains
Zamosk Oblast

Cornelio had found himself in the mountains of Altai. These dreaded, depressing mountains. Cornelio was an agent of the Intelligence Secretariat sent with Bishop Davizzo Vitti to help the Salvation Army to defeat the Pagan Altais. He was expecting to find more than there was. Nearly all the army was besieged to the south in Marka with Archbishop Danilov and there was no promise of relief. Now Cornielio had the harden group of 50 men that Colonel Averin had in the forests between Rovograd and Asau. The money Cornelio and Davizzo brought to the Salvationists helped to heal the shortage of food for the camp and procure weapons and munitions. Being the clandestine operative Corneilo worked with the men to train them into better fighters since most of their true soldiers were stuck in Marka. Davizzo however tended to the spiritual needs of the camp. Offering communion and other sacraments as well as inspiring sermons to keep the men's spirits high.

"Someone is coming!" someone shouted.

The men got prepared ready for a fight with the intruders. "Wait." Col. Averin said to the guards. "Its Aliko." Aliko was sent into the local villages to find new recruits to fight for the army. Now as he walked back into camp he only had a handful of people with him.

"I'm sorry colonel. The people are too defeated to rise up against the Pagans again."

"Then we will have to try to lift them up."

The new recruits were brought to the center of the camp and given food and provisions. Cornelio greeted each recruit as they came in. Col. Averin went in search of Davizzo. He found him counseling one of the Salvationists. "Bishop Vitti we need your help. The people of Zamosk have been subjugated by the Altaics with the recent defeats of the Salvation Army. Now that Danilov is trapped in Marka there is no voice for us."

Davizzo looked at the Colonel. "Colonel I am all for doing this to support our brothers, but how can we get the message out?"

"First we will broadcast your messages via radio, but our radio capabilities can only extend to the surrounding areas. Then you and Aliko will travel to the churches of the Northeast with our message."

"Then let us not delay any more."

After a while the radio was set and ready. Davizzo took a deep breath and began to speak. "Brothers and sisters in Christ we now have come to a crossroads. Christ has come to deliver us from the oppression of the Diaginsts. We have prayed for deliverance and he lifted us up in rebellion, now we have been knocked down and we have lifted our hearts to God. Our blessed God has heard our prayers and he has called forth the Talemantines, our brothers in Christ, to come and liberate us. Now is not the time for us to sit and wait for redemption, but time for us to stand up and act to throw off the shackles of the Diaginists. The time has come for us to defend our faith and to choose our own freedom. So my brothers and sisters, join the Salvation Army and defend your families and Christ."

 

[Natal]

Hunting Circumstances II
Upper Malin

On the asphalted road that linked the village of Lower Malin with the city of Malin is an intersection from which you can arrive in the isolated village of Upper Malin. Averin choose to hide his family, made of his wife and two daughters here. They lived here for a year and a few months - since the start of the war - without any problems, until now.

Three sedans entered the dirt road leading to Upper Malin. They stopped in front of a white house. From the first car, Lazarev dressed in the black uniform of the ProNat got out and knocked the door. A girl about 9 years old opened the door. She freaked as she saw the man in the black uniform.

“What…do you want? “She said trying not to stutter.

“Is mommy, home?”

The girl ran inside the house and after a few moments she came with a woman.

“What is it?” the woman asked sharply.

“Where is your husband, Ms. Averin?”

The woman old the girl to enter the house and after that she began taking slowly steps backwards.

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t make this harder. Just tell us.”

“I don’t know…”

“Think of your daughter. Her father is a traitor. Do you think that if she survives, she won’t have any rights with the name of Averin? I’m offering you a chance of emancipation and you are still stubborn.”

Now she knew that she won’t have chances to escape from the claws of the ProNat. Neither her nor her family. If at least she and her family dies, she could take this brute with her on the underworld.

“God will help us!” she screamed as she attacked Lazarev.

But he expected it and had his pistol ready. When she attacked he shot her in the throat, killing her.

Scenes like this were happening on all the Malin Prefecture, where ProNat officers killed or arrested the families of Salvation Army soldiers.