NationStates Jolt Archive

The dawn was just breaking now, bathing the land below in the shadow of the mountains. The charges had been set during the night, and now they lay in wait for the day to come. The targets had been picked out with care; the medical and refugee centers, packed full of suffering civilians, were prime targets, while the military checkpoints that had sprung up around the province following the past few weeks of protests and riots were next on the list. All told, nearly eighty bombings were to occour today.

---

Islamabad, and indeed most of the Pakistan province, was very near to total lockdown - for weeks now the people had been first protesting, then rioting against the new Indiastan government of Esana Hiren, which took office shortly after the ill-concieved Machine War devestated most of the province. The previous President, Namir Al-Zwahiri, had order that the bulk of the defence against the machines be made inside the Pakistan territory, in order to limit damages to the other provinces. The defences had been smashed, along with most, if not all, of the province itself. After this, the government promptly collapsed. Namir, his fits of madness finally overthrowing him, proceeded to kill himself. His generals pleaded to the machines to end their attack, claiming that Namir had ordered the war against all advice, and that he was dead. The war ended, and Indiastan was spared, but at a terrible cost. But because Namir had ruled for so long, nearly three hundred years to be exact, none could agree on his succession. Eventually, the Minister of Agriculture, Hiren, took the helm of the Centerist Party, and thus the government. While promising massive aid to the devestated people of Pakistan, the aid was slow in coming, and the people took to the rubble-chocked streets to voice their dissapproval. Fearing a challenge to his fragile new government, Hiren had the military step in and contain the situation and restore order. This only caused the protests to become riots, and now, finally, full-fledged terrorism. Calls for independance circulated out into the media from various militant groups, and now, the Day of Blood, as it was to be called, dawned.

---

10:45. The day was in full swing. Businesses, such as they were, had opened, and the streets were as full as they could be with people from the outlying towns and villages swarming into the major cities to get food and medicine from the aid stations. The checkpoints were clogged, and none really noticed that the cars that pulled up seemed to only have a lone driver, unlike the packed refugee caravans, and a covered load in the back seat.

The explosions from the other 'points couldn't be seen or heard, but nearly twenty bombs went off within five minutes. Others went off near at the aid stations, sending people screaming in every direction. Shrapnel, body parts, and hysteria went everywhere. Terror, and only terror reigned. And death followed.

---

The news man who appeared on the screen was a fairly attractive Indian man, dressed in a gray suit, with a short black mustache and hair to match. He looked rather flummuxed, like one that knew what he was supposed to say, but wasn't sure how to say it. Eventually, he forced himself to read from the teleprompter, but his voice was somewhat shakey and uncertain.
"We interrupt our normally schedualled programming to bring you this special bulletin. We have confirmation that terrorists have begun striking targets within the sister province of Pakistan with alarming organization and efficency. An audio tape was delievered to our agency less then half an hour ago, which stated that the attacks would continue, and spread, untill Pakistan was free. The Press Secretary has refused to comment at this time, but did say that a formal press conference would be schedualed for latter in the day. As it stands, the death count has neared a thousand, with several thousand more wounded, distributed throughout the province, with most of the casualties being reported in and around Islamabad, Hyderabad, and Quetta. The count is still rising, and no reports of any kind have come in from the Kashmir or Sindh territories at all. We will update you as further developments are made."

The attacks spread like wildfire. The first day was quiet after the morning bombings, but the next day, the real blooshed began. More bombings, less numerous, but just as deadly, now spread to the Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Punjab territoies in India. Constant gunfire could be heard just about anywhere in the hills as militants and insurrectionalists moved in towards the population centers. The army and police were overwhelmed in many areas, and soon the cities were beseiged by an impromptu mob of "revolutionaries" armed with most anything from clubs to stolen military weaponry. And still, no reports at all came from Kashmir or Sindh. The situation worsened byt the hour.

---

"Mr President, I strongly suggest that I handle the press conference..." the Press Secretary, Amon Nezeil, tried to say, but was quickly cut off.

"I have to do it," Esana said, his face cold, despite the tempest of rage that boiled just below his calm exterior. "The whole damn province has dissolved into anarchy, and this all just started yesterday! I have to tell them myself what is going to be done. The 8th and 14th Regiments are going in, and that's that. They'll root out the leaders of this "revolution", and we'll be done with it."

---

Not far to the north of New Delhi, the two regiments were being mobilized. The ranks had been filled, and now the trucks and support vehicals were being loaded. The assembeled troops were told that they were being sent into a virtual warzone, and that it was likely to be bloody work rooting out the leaders of the revolt. All of them were veterans of the service, but this didn't mean they were ready to go and kill their countrymen without hesitation.

---

Two days passed. The bombings abated slightly, and a few reports came out of northern Kashmir, but still the situation was becoming grim. The fate of Army Group Staijon was yet to be determined, as those four regiments, under Marshall Keshava, had been tasked with rebuilding the Pakistani defences in the wake of the Machine War. The 8th and 14th were tasked not only with restoring order to, at least, the northern half of the province, but also with finding Keshava. Fears that he had defected and was leading this revolt were circulating the higher echelon's of the military, but proof was first needed before anything could be done to counter. Untill then, reports of occasional fighting between military-quality combatants were dismissed as being trained militia.

---

The contact made the call on a cell phone. He was in the rear of the assembeled mob of people waving and cheering as the two regiments left Dakrita Base for Pakistan. His conversation was short, and the man on the other side said nothing.

"They're leaving, along highway twenty-six. You've got about three to four days."

The man at the other end smiled. And sent for his leuitenants.

Their road lead down out of the mountains. This was where the enemy was waiting. They had openly crossed the border for the ambush, but at this point, it didn't matter. The flatlands had been deserted behind them, and on both sides of the wide road, gunmen and vehicals had been concealed for the last day and a half. As the vanguard came down, the readiness of their foes became apparent. While the forward elements maintained a watch, the rearward elements, secure in the belief that if they met resistance on the road, the van could handle it, were entirely unprepared. They sat in their trucks, whiling the time away.

---

The first rocket struck a tank right behind the turret, and managed to embed itself in the top armour before exploding. Before the shards of steel blown free could even hit the ground, hundreds more anti-armour rockets erupted from hidden foxholes in the surrounding hillside. The troops were jolted awake as explosions ripped through the packed trucks. Hundreds were killed in the opening salvo, their transports blown apart by weapons that were ment to kill MBT's. Massed gunfire and more rockets followed, as machine gun fire tore into the mass of now very confused troops, who were attempting to form up to offer some sort of resistance. Near the head of the coloum, several concealed tanks begin firing into the vanguard's APC's, obilterating them entirely with direct hits from the main guns. Masked troops, wearing tattered Indiastan fatigues, swarmed down from the hills on the now doomed men, firing pistols and rifles wildly, with many also weilding crude close combat weapons. As they charged, the first real return fire was offered. A few tanks, either spared destruction or having not lost their main guns, swiveled their turrets around to fire on the fast approaching mob, along with a few pockets of organized infantry who managed to find some cover amongst the wreckage of their transports. The fire riped into the crowd, but it was too little too late. Screaming "God is great!" as they reach the confused line, it quickly became a massacre.

At the rear of the formation, General Chella was appalled. The ambush didn't reach this far back, and he immedietly ordered all forces to rally to him. Maybe five platoons of infantry made it clear, along with a squadron and a half of tanks. He formed a defensive shell, packed together, using the trucks as cover, while he franticly called in for an air strike. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. This was not the work of some tribal warlord or a band of teenage revolutionaries. These were real soldiers, doing what they had been trained to do. They were Indiastani soldiers. They were Keshava's soldiers.

They had been betrayed.

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, it grieves me to announce that the 3rd Expeditionary, under General Chella, was ambushed earlier this afternoon while in transit to aid our brothers in Pakistan. Sadly, only a handful of men from the 8th survived, and the 14th lost at least eight out of every ten men. Enemy casualties are unknown, but estimated to be in the hundreds. General Chella reports that his attackers were highly motivated soldiers under the command of one Marshal Keshava, who, untill recently, lead Army Group Staijon in a recovery effort in western Pakistan. At this time, we have found conclusive evidence that those responsible for the attack on the 3rd Expeditionary were from the 18th Regiment, which was part of Keshava's army group. He and his officers are now wanted for treason and sedition. Also, we are offering amnesty to any men under his command that can bring us the Marshal of any of his officers. Thank you."

---

The President's address brought waves of shock to the populace at large. 'A traitor? What does that mean for us? Is this the start of a civil war?' Everyone was on edge. Reservists were being called up in the thousands, and security all over the nation was tightened as fear of suicide attacks grew. Pakistan was offically closed to the outside world, as the situation was simply too volitile to allow visitors. Especially those that might make appealing hostages. The Stellar Navy was the only branch of the forces that didn't seem to see much change, though the ships that patrolled Earth space were told that their compliments of fighters might be called down dirtside, so they should be kept fueled and ready for transit. Tense could barely start to describe the situation.

The situation was contained, for now, but it wouldn't take long before it was leaked to media outside the country. INNS broadcasts were not supposed to be picked up by outsiders, but some got it anyway. Eventually, Esana knew he'd have to make an international statement. He had hoped the situation could be handled by his own forces, but it looked like that might not be the case. Especially as news of what was unfolding in the space over Mars reached him on Earth...

---

It only took five days for the fight to reach out into space. Keshava was an influential man, and apparently he had attracted more then a few Fleet captains to his cause. The attack on Ross 2 was well planned, as the six Omega destroyers managed to surround and cow the few defeding ships quite easily. But their surrender didn't seem to matter, as the rebel ships quickly fired full barrages at the rear engine housing on the three surrendered destroyers, disabling them with ease. Then, one of the ships fired a pair of fusion missiles at the station, Ross 2, which impacted just above the reactors. The massive anti-ship warheads easily punctured the lightly armoured hull of the civilian station, nearly blowing the center section clean in two. What the missiles didn't do, the reactor did, as it became destabilized and breached. Ross 2 was doomed.

---

"Good evening. In this dark hour, I would like to call for help and solidarity from the friends of Indiastan, both here and abroad. It appears as if we are now immeshed in a planned insurrection, one that reaches into every corner of our land. Contact with most, if not all, of the province of Pakistan has been lost, and we can now assume the the rebels have defeated most, if not all, of the loyalist garrison there. The border into India has been closed, and guard there has been quadrupled in the last two days. In addition, Ross 2, the transfer station for our Mars colony, has been attacked and destroyed by rebel ships, presumably under the nominal command of the rebel Keshava. All seven thousand crew and civilians aboard the station are presumed dead at this time, and recovery efforts are underway. That is all at this time."

Esana knew the peril that he was in. Keshava was very charismatic, and well liked amongst the top brass of the military. Two scenarios might unfold. Keshava could, and likely would, control Pakistan, and declare independance. He'd take control of it, and then they'd all be back where they were in the 1970's, with war always looming between the two nations. Or, Keshava would try to get the entire military either onto his side, or at least into a non-combatant stance. If that happened, he could march into New Delhi and take over the entire Union. He prayed it wasn't going to be the latter.

The tape that was delievered to INNS, the Indiastan National News Service, aws nondescript, and sealed in a plastic bag. It was a video tape, which, after it was previewed and copied, would be aired on the nightly news. There was some debate as to whether or not it should be aired, but the decision to do so was approved. Of course, the audience would be warned about the content.

---

On screen is a short, rather swarthy man, his features heavyset, and his his hair and eyes are dark. He sports the dark green uniform of the Indiastan Army, and his stripes identify him as a Field Marshal to the knowledgable. The surrounding room seems to be nondiscrip; perhaps it could be a building, or maybe a cave. Darkness surrounds him, and his tone is slow and purposeful.

"I am Janieer Nila Keshava, Marshal of Army Group Staijon, of the United Indiastan Regular Army. I am a patriot, and, like other patriots, feel the need to protect my land from the foreign devils that posses it. For too long have the good, hard working people of Pakistan been living under the Indian boot. Something now needs to be done. Namir Al-Zwahiri, the greatest patriot of our time, has been dead less then two years, and now all that he has done for us is being torn down by the new, illegal, administration. Already they try to ban and supplant our religion, where before it was protected as being equal to their's. They try to erase and rewrite history; we do not forget that we have been a conquored people for over two hundred years. And now, after they brought the scourge of the Machine's down upon us, they tarry and delay bringing help to our people. But no more! Now, we will have our own. Rise, people of Pakistan!"
He pauses briefly, produces a hand gun, and takes a step away from the camera. Now, off to his left, four Indiastani soldiers are pushed in and forced down onto their knees by masked men. The soldiers appear to be bloody, beaten, and near death. He punctuated each word with a shot. "Rise. And. Be. Free!"

Treznor blinks as he reads the missive handed to him. "This isn't funny, Alec. They just joined the Alliance, and they already need military assistance?"

"I wish it were a joke, Majesty," replied Alec Tribeca, Treznor's official spokesman and all-around gopher. "This came hot off the faxes, and I brought it straight to you. The Ministry of War doesn't even know about it yet."

"Yeah, I bet. I'm sure Ben has some information for me, though. All right, round up the usual suspects. We'll put together an emergency budget and alert the rest of the Alliance."

Treznor turns to his data terminal as Alec leaves the room.

In accordance with treaty, I hereby invoke the mutual protection clause for the Non-Democratic Alliance. The Joint Forces will mobilise and stand by for transport to Indiastan, and Treznor military forces will be placed on alert. In the meanwhile, we will begin preparing aide packages to assist the civilians suffering from the deprivations of war.

We again remind our members that while military support is not a requisite of the Alliance, we are bound to provide some sort of individual support to Indiastan. The Council will convene shortly, and will coordinate the combined support of the Alliance.

Furthermore, we will shortly announce the name of the individual who will lead our Joint Forces as Field Marshall.

Devon Treznor
Emperor

tag

"What?!?"

He could hardly believe it.

"Well... For some reason, our allies seem to be cursed with civil wars and rebellions..."
"I can see that."

Clark cursed. Indiastan was a center stone of his plans for the future. One of the nations that should replace the elven dominance as the main factor in the Angstian alliance network. And now, they just destabilised!

The new year had begun wonderful, with the rebellion in lavenrunz... Aurora`s press conference... It looked almost as if Lavenrunz would choose the same way he choosed for DA... except that in Lavenrunz, there was no resistance like he had to face, with Althena & most of the other associates demanding that DA stays where it is, diplomatically. This generally made his job fairly easy. But now that.

It threatened to ruin the future he had in mind...

One thing was for sure: With their extremely close ties to Indiastan, the sizable Indiastani minority in DA, with hundreds, if not thousands of Indiastani Telepaths used in DA ships, they couldn´t stay neutral.

He sort of grinned. Now, Griffith will regret not checking for the background of the emigrants. I wonder how long until our ships shoot at each other because one`s CPU is of Pakistani origin, while the other comes from New Delhi.

Anyway, this couldn´t wait.

---

Hours later, he met with the other governing bodies of DA, The associates, except Mr. Aramaki who was still in the Grand Duchy Tarasovka, as well as with Desty Novas, leader of the Mad Scientists conference.

The decisions were made quickly. Although the diffferences between the three groups may be large, but Indiastan was considered a necessity for DA`s future by all of them.

Quickly enough, the orders were given, and past projects seemed to be more than useful. The six islands they build... One of them is fairly near to United Indiastan. However, there is a slight problem, that is, the island is still under construction, and most definitely not a military base...

But the fifth fleet that is protecting it is most definitely useful.

In DA, fast air transports are possible, and they are about to be organised, quickly.

All this is about to be done when the news of the space attack arrive.

From one moment to the next, the war reaches a new dimension.

An enormous, a frightening dimension...

The orders are given quickly enough, still...

---

Finally, the most important part:

From: The Corporate Oligarchy of Der Angst
To: United Indiastan
Subject: Civil war

"We are extremely concerned regarding the recent events in your nation, as well as in your sol colonies. As you surely know, we consider the alliance, and the generally close contacts between our two nations, essential for our nation.

Thusly, we wonder if any help from us to stabilise the situation and restore order is needed/ appreciated. Especially the recent events in space are concerning, since rogue ships are more than just 'a threat'. They are a terrible danger.

If needed/ wanted, we are ready to deploy considerable ground, naval, air, and space forces to help your cause."

Sincerely,

Mr. Morden

OOC: Inspiration at zilch, so no in-character stuff right now.


Message To: NDA Members
Message Fr: The Dominion of Tsaraine
Message Re: Unrest in Indiastan

It is with some unease that I note the current state of civil unrest in Indiastan. Are the standards of the Council slipping, to allow unstable states into the Alliance?

Be that as it may, Tsaraine is presently involved in a long-term restructuring of the armed forces, and is unable to offer military assistance to Indiastan at this time, aside from the Tsarainese troops currently in the Joint Forces.

However, we shall provide monetary assistance to the rightful government of Indiastan, as well as civilian aid, should it be required.

Furthermore, Setnet and EIC data shall be shared with the Indiastani authorities for the duration of the current crisis, and I shall not rule out Tsarainese special forces involvement at this point in time.

http://shade.jonpearse.net/Rene.jpg
~ Domina Rene Seingult
Division Five Commandant
Abnatr A'abnatratj E Anlabjatj

"Allmighty Lord, AGAIN a civil war in an NDA nation?!" Metatron seemed to be less than amused. Understandable.

"Yes. And, as usual, we`re supposed to help."

"We`re in the process of preparing two possible conflicts. There isn´t much we can space..."

"Yes. But i`m sure some smaller forces... supply and so on, and, of course, the NDA joint forces, will be possible."

"Certainly." Slowly, Metatron calmed down. "Well, i think that will be possible..."

From: Endless Crimes
To: The NDA

"We will most certainly help, however, there ARE logistical problems, which means our help will be restricted to logistical help and our commitments to the NDA joint forces.

We regret our inability to do more, however, at this moment, this is unfortunately the best we can do."

~ Metatron

Reading the reports Carlos chuckles softly. "Damnit, it's supposed to be my job to cause internal conflicts!" He whispers before picking up his pen to sign of orders. Handing them over to a general Carlos sighs and rubs his eyes sleepily. "I need to sleep Marlov. Make sure those orders are processed." Getting a reply Carlos stands and leaves for his bedroom.

Nodding to his security detail he opens the door and recieves a tight embrace from Yvonne. Curling up on the bed he falls asleep with the feeling of her hands stroking his brow lovingly.



In accordance to NDA charter Iraqstan will commit forces both NDA based and Iraqstani based to help quell the situation in United Indiastan. Acting under authorisation from Führer Quil'Raya I am sending orders to begin mobalisation. Once we have a proper confirmation of what is needed we will send a proper force make up.

Sincearly General Muhammed Il-Samar.
Commander in Cheif of Iraqstani Ground forces.

In the darkness of space, shadows lurke...

Watching over their allies on earth, servants of Chaos...

Indiastan.

Even Chaos needs order to survive, Indiastan needs order to spread chaos...

Chaos in Indiastan does not suit their interests... Nor do rebels getting their hands on tech shares the interests of the shadows...

The information reaches the Drakh, who resides deep in the undergrounds, in the dungeons beneath the capital, in the darkness, in the shadows which are his home... and his very nature.

He shall help them, and the shadows shall help them... Nothing is allowed to threaten the dominance of darkness in Indiastan...

And he will follow their orders...

[ooc: For clarification: Since my insane diplomacy tends to result in potential puppetwanking, the following: EC forces will only help with supply´s far away from Indiastan, + their contributions to the NDA joint foerces. I do not even have to make up a reason why they can´t help, they are really busy ^_^

DA will support with Major forces, while Z ha dum is used only for special things... tech protection etc., and only when the actions are cleared with Indiastan beforehand.

I hope this is acceptable for all participants. If not, i can edit what i plan to do how and with whom.]

The board was set, and the pieces were inexorbidly moving. The sky grew dark.

Private Message to all NDA Members
From: Esana Hiren, President, United Indiastan.

"I would like to thank our allies for their willingness to intervene at this time, we welcome all of their offers of assistance, and with this new support, we now estimate that, at worst, this illegal rebellion will be stamped out within 10-12 months at most. Even though all of our friends may not be committing military resources, we are thankful for their support nonetheless. We hope that once the coalition is assembeled, that the military leaders for the allied force would meet with our generals here in New Delhi, so that we might both choose a temporary Supreme Commander, as well as formulate a strategy to end this with haste. Attached to this message is a map of the province, with both the disposition of loyalist units, but also the last known whereabouts of rebel units, as well as the names of their commanding officers. Thank you, again."

http://www.geocities.com/kranzyoktyabr/combatmap.txt

It's a cloudy, overcast day in Indiastan when the military transport lands at the Namir Al-Zwahiri Memorial Airport in New Delhi. Fighter jets belonging to the Non-Democratic Alliance fly in formation overhead, keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings with the permission of the Indiastan government. An honour guard disembarks, followed shortly by the Field Marshall Talyeh Chrei'gahn and her Deputy, Michael.

Talyeh seems to be rather tired, proving that theology discussions with certain allies aren't something to be taken lightly.

"The Book says that we are supposed to be God`s tools. Denying God is just... well, it doesn´t work. I cannot really understand how one could lead men into battle without believing it. I mean..." Having continued on this theme for the majority of the flight, Michael doesn't appear likely to stop.

Talyeh nods with a wearied expression on her face. "Belief in God, or its lack, has no bearing on my fitness for command, or our orders. Now we have people to meet and a job to do. Shall we get to it, sir?"

However, as strange as Michael looks on the outside with his decidedly angelic features, inside he seethes with demonic hatred for Talyeh.

Competition.

Unwanted competition.

How dare they place this unwashed unbeliever in command? Am I not God's Chosen Vessel to lead the fight against the Unrighteous?

But he has his orders, so he buries his feelings. For now.

"Ok. We got confirmation. Now, what to do?"

Indeed, this was an interesting question. Since a few other questions sort of 'showed up' a while ago, full commitment wasn´t possible.

"First of all, they don´t have a navy. We can send a part of the fleet we have at I3 to the pakistani coast and attack them from the sea. Of course, amphibious operations ain´t possible."
"What about ground forces?"
"Air transports are about to be organised. However, we decided that using relatively small, but specialised forces will be most useful. About 11000 men can be transported within two days, combat ready. Tanks are a problem, thought, only sea transport possible. Would take a week."
"Good. They will start tomorrow. Any aircover for them? To the best of my knowledge, the Indiastani Airforce has problems with atmospheric Combat planes... Oh, and send the tanks by sea."
"Ummm... yes. Standard aerial division. 144 fighters, as many bombers."
"Not too bad... now to our main problem... Rebel forces seem to control a part of the Indiastani Spaceforce. And i want them gone. Yesterday."
"Well... first of all, we will need information from Indiastan which ships, captain etc. it were. Then, where they were. Wont be too helpful, though, since they have FTL. They can switch their positions fairly fast. They do not even need to be inside sol."
"I know... still, if we can get them, we will get them. Make sure all civilian transports travel in convoys, and with protection. All colony outposts [ooc: Moon. Mars. Ganymede, Callisto, Europa (Currently under construction). Triton.] need to be alerted. as soon as we find some information about this rebel ships, strike. Our liaison in Indiastan has to get as much information as possible."
"Ok. Anything else?"
"No. This is it."

Soon, the orders were given, and the wheel begun moving...

It was midnight and pitch-black as the order was given, and the forces under General Nassi crossed the border. Two tank divisons, with a pair of infantry regiments behind, were going into hostile territory. Dawn was still a few hours off, and for now the tanks advanced under a blank sky. It was said that Col. Phadkar held the Punjab province now, though his range of control was unknown. It was likely that if he had wanted to control the entire province, his regiment would be very wattered down and scattered - this ment they cuold be easily isolated and smashed. If, however, he had kept his force together, they cuold again be surrounded, but this time the final fight would take more resolve. Nassi prayed that it his old friend Phadkar would have more wisdom then trying to fight 4:1 odds.

The only uncertain element to this equasion was just what Lt. Col. Mulla would do in responce. He commanded the only rebelling armour, and was a well-respected tank commander. Nassi knew that he could beat him with the odds alone, but he didn't want to lose half of his tanks. No, there was no way that Mulla could be allowed to intervene to help Phadkar. The 1st Air Wing would likely have to be called in to guard their flank if hostile movement was spotted by the outriders. It was just as well; Mulla was another friend and former subordinate of Nassi, one of the better officers he had had the privledge of commanding. Such a waste, he thought.

In the north, however, things were different. The men of the 112th and 102nd had been deployed in a defensive cordon, and day and night the enemy launched raid and assaults against them. And, to make matters worse, the roads south had been blocked and trapped by Keshava's 4th Kasrkin, which ment that there was little chance that the 1st and 42nd Inf. regiments could come to their aid. No, they were on their own. Supplies were air-lifted in small quanties - only the smallest of cargo planes could manage to run the gauntlet of AA fire that the enemy had put up. These supplies, combined with the reserves of Dakrita Base, they were ready to hold out and sell their lives for Indiastan.

It had taken them a while. The intervention force had been 'redefined', according to Indiastani specifications: Tanks weren´t needed, and a direct naval attack was suicide.

44000 men... That many were supposed to act. Since it was 'only' infantery, the command decided that transporting them by air was more than enough.

They were a 'special force', though, and they could hardly wait actually using all the rather... strange tech they had...

They had been escorted by the standard air force, which simply stayed in Indiastan. The command preferred a coordinated operation by their forces, rather than being split to assit regular Indiastani forces in a thousand different regions. And such massive operations naturally included air support, in this case of a complete (light) airfleet, in this case 256 fighters and as many bombers.

The fleet, or rather, the parts of the fleet the command decided to send, where somewhere far out, waiting for further orders. Indiastan had informed them that their coastal defence grid would likely slaughter them, however, the admiral wasn`t as pessimistic.

It could begin.

However, if one thing was for sure, than that the soldiers, despite this being their job, as the mercenaries they were, weren´t exactly fond of the idea of going to war in a foreign nation.

Most had (large) families, and more than one of them feared for the future... Feared for them, feared for himself...

War.

Despite all the glory that is written about it, it`s still...

A nightmare.

---

Meanwhile, at Neptune:

"Ok.. so far we have found...?"
"Nothing sir. Absolutely nothing."

It was a small group of ships, six destroyers, all of them about 100m long, patroulling near neptune. Well 'near' was relative, being about 20 million kilometers from it.

Their objective, cruising through the darkness of space, was to search for Indiastani vessels... The rogue vessels they had been informed about, to be correct.

The commander was 'sort of' nervous. Only one of his vessels used quantumgravitic tappings as energy source, allowing for high energy weapons on the ship itself, and it wasn´t even his. In addition, they were all fairly small vessels. Admittedly, the Indiastani vessels were old, and not exactly 'cutting edge', but they had their advantages. Not to mention the general lack of any and all experience in space battles by the DA space fleets.

But well... perhaps this would change.