NationStates Jolt Archive

Galdagan Newswire
Courtesy of the Transnational Press Coalition

BLACKMANE (TPC), June 8 - For the past two weeks, Tanah Burungi syndicated columnist John "Supermodel" Santana has been enjoying the public spotlight in the Commonwealth of Galdago's school systems as he travels around the nation speaking to high schoolers about pursuing a career in journalism and the importance of the right to a free press. Santana was vaulted to the view of international eyes when little less than a month ago, a government death-warrant (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6338150&postcount=115) and subsequent retraction (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6345914&postcount=126) was issued to him by the Republic of Syskeyia for a harmless bit of fluff written by the columnist in his weekly local publishing. Though initially offered asylum within the Commonwealth's borders against Syskeyian threats (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6345556&postcount=124), the "Supermodel" was soon given an opportunity by Minister of Education Delilah Rehnquist to spend his time in Galdago touring the country as a spokesman for journalism through a series of talks. When interviewed about the matter, Santana replied, “Oh I thought it was just a marvelous opportunity to sashay around this quaint little country these dears have and take in all the sights, and by sights I mean the locals. Simply delicious! Those sweethearts up in the Ministry of Education are just darlings for taking care of all of my expenses for my little international rendezvous with fame. It’s all this girl ever dreamed of. I’ve always known I’d look good in a spotlight of my very own.”

Santana is presently visiting five of the largest high schools in Blackmane this week and will be speaking next in school districts throughout Paxton. Minister of Education Rehnquist commented that, “It is our utmost pleasure to see Mr. Santana encouraging our youngsters towards pursuing a higher education and taking an active interest in the events of the world around them. We couldn’t think of a more worthy spokesman for this task. Really, we couldn’t. We tried.” Santana is said to be planning on speaking to schoolchildren for the next two and a half months or so before returning home. He has continued writing his Eye on Society column in absentia while in Galdago.


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07.53, Bulliard Naval Base
Telamon, Commonwealth of Galdago
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“Dock Control, this is the CNV Defiant on detached duty from Battlegroup Hyperion requesting docking instructions. We’re here to collect the diplomatic envoy bound for Tanah Burung. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6350118&postcount=128)” The young radio operator standing his post on the bridge of the corvette released his pressure on the send button and awaited a response. Dock Control replied promptly with a crisp message that rang over the speakers of the bridge.

“Roger that Defiant,” a young woman’s voice chimed. “You are cleared for dock at Pier 41. Slow to one-third and adjust heading to oh-five-oh mark eight. Welcome to Builliard.”

“Thank you Dock Control. Roger, and we are clear,” he responded.

The corvette sliced rapidly through the glimmering early-morning waters, still a brazen golden orange from the sun sitting not high over the horizon. It cut an elegant arc through the water and glided effortlessly alongside the pier, taking time only to be moored to its pillars instead of dropping anchor. The Defiant’s stay at dock would be a brief one, only long enough to pick up a group of the top diplomats and negotiators from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and proceed on to Tanah Burung. The envoy would have been delivered by helicopter to the corvette if not for the squeamishness of the head of this diplomatic party, Dr. Donald McPherson. He could barely handle flight by airplane, and the thought of riding a helicopter again for the second time in his life nauseated him enough without actually having to set foot onto one of the things once more. At his request, the Commonwealth government opted to load the diplomats directly onto boat instead.

Among the group gathered on the pier awaiting the drop of the Defiant’s gangway was a young man, Andrés Samaniego. Andrés was still fairly new to the Diplomatic Corps, but he had already proven himself to be a genial, shrewd, and diplomacy-minded Corps member, and he was all too humbly honored by the fact that McPherson had personally requested his presence on this diplomatic cruise. He had spent the previous two weeks since the announcement of the diplomatic mission to Tanah Burung reading about the country’s heritage, culture, and political system. Nothing in particular intrigued him most about the country. Rather, everything about the Burungi way of life intrigued him. It was the chance of a lifetime to do what he’d always dreamed of doing: rubbing elbows with the political elite of a foreign nation as an ambassador of the Commonwealth; seeing strange new lands; meeting people from a wholly different walk of life. It was the stuff his fantasies were made of, and his first significant diplomatic mission to another country now dwarfed his former tasks of correspondence diplomacy handling lesser Commonwealth concerns. The corvette looked like the strangest but most welcomed chariot to heaven Samaniego had ever seen.

The gangway was lowered from the starboard side of the vessel and hit the pier with a heavy, resounding metallic clang, the herald of new adventure and new friendship. The bridge of opportunity had been lowered for Andrés to cross into the life of his dreams and for Galdago to cross into a new era of cooperation with the sovereignty of Tanah Burung.

(OOC: Looks nice from here. Specially the ambassador's first name :P
can't wait to see how it ends....
Oh, yes, this is also a badly-disguised *tag*! :D )

This tag to be replaced by a real post in the morning.

also a >TAG<

#tag#, needless to say.

*Taggie poo* :P

Eye on Society

http://mixbrasil.uol.com.br/cultura/popmix/imagens/970901/wig1.jpg
By John Supermodel Santana

I've just been swept off my feet here in Galdago, darlings. It seems they think little old me has somethign to say about free speech! Well, just so long as there's a nice appearance fee involved, sez me.

No, with all seriousness, they're sweeties here. Why, the nice young man escorting me: butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. In fact, let me level with you: it's a very pretty mouth indeed.

As for all this fuss and bother about "terrorists," well darlings, what can i say? Arms are for hugging, and stroking, and caressing. Military festishes are so last year, Miss G, you big old drama queen.


Tiga Burung

Traditionally, foreign warships were not welcome in Tanah Burung waters just as foreign troops were not welcome in the pacifist country. But ever since hordes of gawkers had gathered to see a battleship from Iansisle cruise into Loro Sae harbour, the prohibition was being relaxed: as much for tourism as for any other reason.

And the Commonwealth of Galdago was now being listed among the priority countries for improved diplomatic ties. If they wanted to bring their diplomatic mission by corvette, no one would object. In fact, people would probably flock to see the evidence that other countries had such a thing as a navy.

From her base of operations, a large luxury bath-tub in the inland city of Matebian, Bi Kikere gave the order. As people's representative for territorial defence and sports, the wrinkled octegenarian former World Cup star was in charge of military matters, and so it fell to her. "Radio this message," she ordered. "To the Defiant, welcome, a thousand times welcome. You are cleared to dock in Tiga Burung."

The approach of the Defiant was monitored by unmanned stratospheric blimps surveying the southern Emerald Heights. As required by international agreement, transmissions from the blimp were passed to Oglethorpian authorities: a routine diplomatic mission was arriving by military ship. As the Defiant sliced into equatorial waters, low-flying balloons reported its approach into the channel that separated the island city of Tiga Burung from the mainland.

Tiga Burung was the commercial captial and approved port of entry, but not the final stop for the Galdagan corvette. Official welcomes were extended by the Governor of the province, anthems played, expressions of hope for the closest of relations between Tanah Burung and Galdago solemnly recited. And then the Governor came aboard, and the ship headed across the strait to Ukun Rasikan, the diplomatic capital, escorted by blimps overhead. The diplomatic party disembarked, and the Defiant was cleared to move freely in the coastal waters area.

It had been a very busy day for Mari Alkatiri. The foreign minister still made time for this welcome. Normally dour, he broke into a broad smile as McPherson walked toward him. Taking the other man's arm in a two-handed shake and pumping it vigourously, he grinned. "A lot of visitors to the city today, but none more welcome than you, sir."

Alkatiri did not know as much as he wished about Galdago, but had made a cacreful study of one thing: the country's colonial past. Galdago had once ruled Hell Bovines in what, by all accounts, was a rather nasty occupation. And there were Bovine diplomats in town today for dinner at the embassy of Iansisle. He hoped that the two countries had mended their differences and got along better than the current regimes of Tanah Burung and Knootoss. Knootoss Just thinking the word made him want to spit with anger.

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14.03, A Docking Pier
Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
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Dr. McPherson watched vigilantly as the Defiant cut through the waters towards the port city of Ukun Rasikan. He could vaguely make out a welcoming committee gathered near the mooring masts and it seemed like a number of people milled around near the shore to see what all the fuss was about, many of whom were oddly wearing the same color clothing. When the corvette drew closer, he could determine that it was because these were uniformed police officers. They were doing less policing of the crowd to keep them away from the pier and more gawking along with the rest of the Burungi locals. He chuckled a bit and thought to himself, “See what my disdain for air flight has done.” Since it was necessary to deliver the diplomatic delegation to Tanah Burung as soon as possible, the Commonwealth detached its fastest, yet terribly small Delphin-class corvette from its naval superiority battlegroup to shuttle the diplomats to their destination with all due alacrity. It had caused quite a stir of interest, but little protest from the Burungi government. With Galadriël’s latest hot air being blown in Tanah Burung’s direction, McPherson assumed even the smallest of warships resting at port might be somewhat of a comfort. It’s not as if the DDR’s military was anything to speak of, and Galdago had long been a naval superpower, despite its lacking army and utterly defunct air force. That had to be some reassurance to Tanah Burung’s administration.

The corvette cruised into the port bay without incident and dropped anchor for its extended stay at Ukun Rasikan. All about the ship, midshipmen were rushing about securing the completion of the final tasks needed for docking so that they might begin their very welcomed shore leave as soon as possible. The diplomatic party of eight members stood on the port side of the Defiant, pensively awaiting the culmination of this overseas trip. Samaniego grinned giddily at the welcoming party below, eager for his first corporal diplomatic encounter. The envoy began its descent from the warship, with welcoming looks of friendship on the faces of the delegation. McPherson led the party down the gangway followed by Samaniego close at his heels. They were approached by a Burungi delegation that looked a mixture of relief and preoccupation. “It must be the Colombia tensions,” Andrés thought, a bit troubled by the curious apprehension he could vaguely make out among the party he was about to greet.

Mari Alkatiri was the first to welcome the diplomats, as he shook hands first with McPherson, and then with Andrés. "Mr. Alkatiri. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. It's an added pleasure that the Foreign Minister should personally welcome this delegation. I've so looked forward to meeting you," Samaniego managed, if not with a bit of discomfiture.

"Please, do call me Mari," Alkatiri said, trying his best to sound jovial. He kept shooting looks at the ship, bristling with cold metal and sailors who looked all too aware of how to use it. Alkatiri came from the mountain province of Matebian, and had never even seen a battleship before his election. He shook Andres Samaniego's hand in turn.

"Gentlemen, shall we get out of this infernal lowland heat?"

Inside the Green Palace, the former Sultan's dream home turned into the foreign ministry, Alkatiri gestured his visitors to overstuffed armchairs in front of his desk, and made a vague wave in the direction of tea and cakes on a table at the back of the room. The office was in disarray, its normal tidieness transformed to disorder.

"I've just had the Knootoan ambassador in, and with all the excitement of the day, no one has had time to clear things away. Please, if you'd like some refreshments, do help yourselves. Now, i'd been planning to simply propose an exchange of embassies and a trade deal, but as you've no doubt heard i'm in the middle of a diplomatic crisis. Tell me, have you been briefed on the Colombia situation?"

Outside, the sound of pleasure boats on the canal could be heard. Alkatiri winced, and closed the window.

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14.28, The Green Palace
Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
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Dr. McPherson nodded towards Samaniego for him to address the Foreign Minister as he was somewhat busily stuffing his face with the teacakes. His motion sickness wouldn’t allow him substantial meals while at sea, and consequently he was starved. Andrés obliged him.

“We have been briefed en-route with some of the latest developments courtesy of communiqués from the Diplomatic Corps back in the Commonwealth,” he stated solemnly. “The papers back home were carrying rumor of your citizens being held captive in Colombia and their implication as members of the Rumbiak Brigades a few days before we left.”

Amanda Vescio, the elder of the two women in the diplomatic entourage and an imposing stately woman in her late thirties, spoke up. “We also received transcripts of Galadriël’s and Bryce’s respective addresses to the international community, as well as a copy of your recent response. We found your assurances wholly adequate and are somewhat dismayed at the world’s absurd insistence that there should somehow be more that your administration can or should do.”

“Agreed,” Samaniego concurred. “The suspected conditions in Knootian-held Colombia are not something to be taken lightly, and we rather feel that criminal prosecution of elements within Burungi society should be left to a vote of referendum by that society. It is ultimately a matter of self-determination how law, international or otherwise, should be exacted upon the demos.” He shot Alkatiri the sincerest look he had in his arsenal. “And you know how near to the heart of the Commonwealth and CACE membership movements like these to depose the bourgeois elements of the DDR in favor of worker-owned and operated corporations can be.”

Alkatiri simply folded his hands while leaning back into his chair and smiled at the young man, nodding.

Dr. McPherson, finally finishing up the teacakes he was greedily devouring, managed to insert his own word in edgewise. The balding septuagenarian raised his glasses back onto his nose and leaned a bit forward in his plush seating. “Prime Minister Thibodeaux sends you his regards and wished to note his utmost concern over the matter of recent inflammatory remarks made by elements of this Colombian Colonial Alliance. He sincerely hopes that the matter will be settled by the IMC, but should the DDR continue to press the United Provinces, our government is willing to be a bit more vocal about its thoughts on the matter. Tanah Burung’s position as a valued economic and ideological partner within the IFTA is of critical concern to the membership as a whole and the Commonwealth in particular. We would not wish to see our new era of increased diplomatic and humanitarian cooperation foiled by some ridiculous international blackballing of capitalist forces.”

“That is indeed true,” remarked Samaniego. “While the Commonwealth was once a colonial power itself, our early relations with the Hell Bovinians since that time have taught us much about angst aimed at former aggressors. Moreover, Galdago’s own struggle against the former unstable monarchy during the Maripozan Reaction that brought about many of the socialist reforms active in the Commonwealth today have helped every schoolchild in Galdago appreciate the struggle against inequities and oppression.”

Andrés paused briefly to sip his tea before continuing. “We are no strangers to both sides of struggle, and we understand the Colombian plight. Moreover, we understand the strong desires of those of Tanah Burung who would chose to assist them in that struggle. We think that the South American colonial partnership’s targeting of the United Provinces with their latest commentary was an act of desperation to deflect blame for the unraveling conditions of Colombia, which will hopefully soon be made apparent to the IMC delegation, away from the manipulation of the colonizers and onto destabilization induced by ‘international meddlers.’ The Commonwealth’s official stance is that this power play by the Chimeans and Knootians is a completely illegitimate grasp for an out. Their diversionary ploys are little more than a mess of sabre rattling in hopes of handing the IMC a rather sizable red herring. We are in full and unequivocal support of Tanah Burung’s response to the matter.” He raised his cup in the direction of the Foreign Minister while nodding his head respectfully, and took another brief sip of the warm, refreshing liquid.

Alkatiri watched McPherson wolfing down cakes with an impressed expression on his face, and pressed an intercom buttin, whispering "curry" while the Galdagans spoke. Eventually, discreet young women carried in steaming bowls of dal, steamed rice, chickpea stew, gado-gado and fried tempeh and offered them to the visitors, whispering "Silakan makan, selamat datang." Please, eat, and welcome.

He listened with mounting satisfaction. "Your understanding is greatly appreciated. I have told Ambassador Vogels that we have gone as far as possible in the matter of the Rumbiak Brigades, yet she continues to ask me to violate the laws of the land to appease her government. I've never been great admirer of the Knootian government, yet i fear it is more and more falling under the control of a cult of market-worshippers and big oil interests led by the Prime Minister. It's made them unpredictable and, i think, prone to lash out. When they were governed by the self-satisfied fat cats of the Social Liberal Party, they at least behaved rationally. Now, they seem blinded by money and ideology and self-righteousness and it's impossible to predict what they may or may not do. I will be asking for support at the Third World Solidarity dinner tonight, but the support of your government is priceless, and i thank you for it."

The Colombian Colonial Alliance. He savoured the phrase briefly, deciding to use it in his public speeches. It seemed to convey the proper sense of military menace. And with the current configuration of power in Knootcap, a military response no longer seemed out of the question. However, it would not do to make any provocative moves at this delicate stage.

"Friends, i suggest we confine the public information on this meeting to an agreement to exchange embassies and a memorandum of intent for trade relations. As you know, we have a number of exportable surpluses in such things as rubber that are already being shipped to the Aperin continent, and we are quite prepared to make Galdagan ports our main point of entry to the rest of the continent, if that meets with your approval. At any rate, i believe Galdago is the closest part of Aperin to the tropical reaches of the Emerald Heights, so it only makes sense.

"As to the immediate concerns: i am going to make an official appeal to the International Mediation Council to aid in resolving our dispute with Knootoss. The IMC seeme to have evolved into a paper tiger with no teeth at all, but we must explore every possibility. In the meantime, you know our naval and air forces are composed only of a coast guard and hot-air surveillance balloons, nor do we have any military alliances of any kind. I am not expecting an invasion, but a small show of force might help to deter the more reckless politicians of Knootoss. Like the Prime Minister," he said with a small laugh. "The people of this country seem to have an inordinate interest in looking at the warships of other countries, and it's occurred to me that we might invite a naval goodwill visit and bill it as a tourist promotion. If you're prepared to do us the great honour of sending some ships, the Sunny Tanah Burung Tourism Bureau stands ready to craft another of their publicity campaigns around it. After all, tourism campaigns are not delivered under oath."

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14.35, The Green Palace
Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
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McPherson's eyes widened. "Cult of market worshipers?" He gave up his luncheon, suddenly finding himself without an appetite. "I'm not sure precisely what you're talking about, Mari, but we didn't receive notice of a market cult in our briefing. I think you're going to have to fill us in on that in just a bit." The man placed his plate of food aside with quasi-disdain and edged his way onto the end of the seat again, pushing up his glasses once more in his usual fashion when conducting business.

"As for the matter of utilizing Galdagan ports as a distribution point for Burungi goods destined for locations throughout Aperin, that certainly seems reasonable to me, as the Port of Antilles on the northern end of Pacífico Inlet is linked by various methods to transport lines throughout the greater portion of the continent. Once the Galdagan hoverway project is complete, it may be an even more effective outlet than previously imagined. Counselor Samora here has been delegated by the Ministry of Commerce to represent the Ministry's concerns for our party, and she will be able to assist your officials with coordinating those plans." He motioned to the young woman as she inclined her head respectfully towards Alkatiri.

"Now, about your suggestion of a show of force," the doctor said rubbing his forehead a bit. "To date, the Commonwealth hasn't been extensively tied to Tanah Burung, nor has there been a notable military alliance. I am not certain how the administration would feel about staring down the Knootians if any sort of conflict does indeed escalate and brings the DDR knocking at your doorstep."

McPherson paused thoughtfully so as not to speak too hastily in committing the Commonwealth to any sort of protector status for Tanah Burung. "However, one of the minor naval superiority battlegroups, Battlegroup Hyperion, has been participating in PR exercises for the Commonwealth recently. The latest would have been the military parade in recognition of workers rights in Free Soviets after it passed its last UN resolution by a narrow margin. However, that will have to be cleared by the Ministry of Defense, and ultimately the Prime Minister. I am sure we can contact him to that end on short notice.”

"Of course i realize this is presuming rather on a short acquaintance, and i'm grateful for any little demonstration of naval presence your government is willing to make." Alkatiri hated having to make such requests: he was considered direct, but in a country where indirection and dancing up to a topic were considered de rigeur, such matters should have been spoken of only after a great deal more conversational foreplay. "I can promise that there is no intention on our part of escalating conflict with Knootoss: in fact, i'm doing all i can to calm things, short of surrendering to their dictates."

He glanced down at a briefing paper. "As to the market-worshippers.... Our Embassy reports that a number of high officials in Knootoss are adhering to a new organization known as the Order of the Invisible Hand. This is what alarms us about their government at the moment. As i said, the previous government, while highly capitalistic, was a rational actor. The new government appears to be under the sway of this Order, at least in part. The Order shuns all forms of government intervention in the economy, and systems like ours and yours are anathema to them. They have even denounced the Catholic church, which is not the single most liberal organization ever to draw air, but one that at least believes as we do that earth is 'a common treasury for all.' And this Order, it seems to believe in some sort of idealized Adam Smithian paradise of small producers each operating rationally in a free market, when we all know that is no longer the world we live in, if indeed it ever was. The Market they hold up as an idol -- and i use that word advisedly -- is now dominated by megacorporations, including the one that previously employed the Prime Minister of Knootoss. Whether the big corporations are using the Order, or the order is using them, i can't say, but it amounts to the same thing: a renewed effort to dominate and warp weaker economies to the service of the strong, this time with the backing of a large group of fanatical true believers not amenable to reason. It's a good ting that we have the IFTA to give us strength in numbers and the capacity to resist."

He stops himself. "Forgive me. Too many years at Mondlane University. Sometimes, i have a tendency to lecture. At any rate, IFTA discussions should eb carried out between Counsellor Samora and our people's representative for economic affairs." And, he thought inwardly, i'm stepping on another minister's turf.

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14.35, The Green Palace
Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
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“I see,” McPherson replied. “That is indeed a most disturbing development. I shall pass word of it on to the Prime Minister when I speak with him about your request for a Galadagan Naval Presence here in Tanah Burung. Perhaps before I do that however, we can discuss the tour of your nation that your communiqués mentioned you have pla—” McPherson was interrupted by one of the crew members from the Defiant, a young second-class seaman, who entered the chamber to speak with him.

“Sir, if you could come with me,” the sailor requested. “The Prime Minister is waiting for you on a secure channel. It’s urgent.”

“Is that so?” McPherson asked rhetorically. He nodded to Alkatiri. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m sure you can discuss the details of the tour with the others. Perhaps it can commence once I am through with this conference.” He looked over the group briefly before grabbing a bit of fried tempeh before exiting the room.


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14.39, Radio Room of the Defiant
Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
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“So you’re telling me we’re certain that the DDR plans to strike them soon?” McPherson asked dryly.

“Well we can’t be certain of anything right now except that Galadriël and Bryce have made utterly scathing comments towards the Burungis and aren’t too pleased with their response to the matter.” Thibodeaux’s voice worked its way into McPherson’s head through the headphones resting on his ears. “However, the MoI just received reports from our allies detailing some happenings (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=321415&p=6441551) in regards to members of the Order and elements of the DDR administration that make it look like they’re gearing up for an assault on the United Provinces.”

“We’re not just going to leave, Lance,” he insisted rather stubbornly. “We’re making progress here. Alkatiri’s talking about broad-based cooperation on a number of initiatives that could see a great improvement in our fiscal and economic flexibility as well as infrastructure. We’ve got a chance to become one of the most significant ports on the greater Aperin continent and make a valuable friend at the same time.”

“Well then what do you propose to do?” the Prime Minister asked flatly.

McPherson spoke slowly in order to do his best in carefully choosing the words that would guide the Prime Minister in the direction of favoring assistance to the Burungis. “Alkatiri’s asking that the Commonwealth dispatch a naval detachment as what will be outwardly labeled a ‘tourist promotion.’ He’s hoping the show of force will give the Knootians time to think about possibly catering to Tanah Burung’s request it plans on making to the IMC for mediation in the matter. The DDR’s not likely to make a move-in-force against the Burungis if our naval vessels are on tour here. I told Mari that I’d talk to you about possibly deploying Battlegroup Hyperion to their waters for that purpose.”

“I’m not so sure I like the idea of staring down the DDR, Donald,” Thibodeaux replied worriedly. “The Commonwealth has never been one to engage in diplomatic conflagrations. This is hardly the time for us to start.”

“Prime Minister, I’m not certain whether or not you’ve noticed, but from what you’ve told me, this attack is being provoked by certain elements within the DDR that would see the guided economy of Tanah Burung be perverted into a brothel of market exploitation. They are one of the strongest and oldest trade links in the International Fair Trade Agreement and have strong ties to several of our direct interests. ‘This is hardly the time’ to get squeamish about making certain nothing unfavorable happens to them.” The elderly gentleman managed the tone of a wise teacher beyond question in his statements, so effectively so that the Prime Minister relented after a bit of hesitation.

“Very well then. I’ll have a talk with Jacob about planning the logistics for any contingencies if this thing goes wrong,” Thibodeaux replied. “It doesn’t look good Donald. I don’t like the way this looks at all.”


Later that afternoon, the following memorandum was dispatched to Bi Kikere.

http://www.louisiana.edu/~lst4606/ns/Galdago/flag.gif The Commonwealth of Galdago
...................Office of the Prime Minister


.......10 June 20xx


.......To the Burungi people's representative for territorial defense and sports:

.......It has recently come to our attention that there is a larger extent of danger which looms over Tanah Burung than previously imagined. Our intelligence reports indicate that the threat of attack by Knootoss is presumably imminent. It was our initial desire to simply extract our diplomatic party until such time as we could be certain that tensions in the United Provinces has subsided. However, at the urging of Dr. McPherson and my advisors here in the Commonwealth, I have decided to grant your Foreign Minister’s request to dispatch Battlegroup Hyperion under the guise of a tourist promotion. Hopefully, this will be an adequate move to deter the DDR from any untoward acts of aggression and will assist them in being brought to the table with the International Mediation Council regarding their grievances against Tanah Burung. However, I wish to make it exceedingly clear that should any escalation occur, there is a limit to my desire to put the servicemen and women aboard those ships in any peril. Our Ministry of Intelligence has recently updated me with a report on the full nature of the Order of the Invisible Hand, and the last thing I wish to see is Tanah Burung, a significant member of the IFTA, torn down and rebuilt as a temple to the Order’s perverse Market ideologies, but I cannot unreasonably endanger my people without the consent of the demos to engage actively in any conflict.

.......Respectfully yours,
.......Lance Thibodeaux
.......Prime Minister
.......Commonwealth of Galdago (http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/target=display_nation/nation=galdago)
.......http://www.louisiana.edu/~lst4606/ns/Galdago/smallseal.gif


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21.07, Radio Room of the CNV Triton
Flagship of Admiral Nierrosa
Somewhere near the Irenic Strait
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“What the hell do they want this late at night?” the admiral questioned his radio operator.

The officer snapped to attention. “It’s Minister Cortana. He wishes to discuss new orders with you personally, sir.”

“Damn it to hell,” Nierrosa rubbed his chin. “That can’t be a good sign at all.” He sighed as he sat down, placing the headphones on his ears and excusing the Lieutenant from his operator’s post. “This is Admiral Nierrosa. What can I do for you, sir?”

(TAG)

*Tag*

-Ruhrian DIA Agent

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Green Palace, Ukun Rasikan
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The dig that Alkatiri had made about her family had bothered Magda Vogels. The Vogels family had a long history in Tanah Burung, playing an important role in the former colonial government. It had been her distinguished family, Prime Minister Vogels, son of one of the last governors, who had restored relations with the United Provinces. It had been the land he had left as a young boy. Having a Vogels as the Knootian ambassador now was a sweet irony of history that Alkatiri had been quick to abuse.

Despite her now almost physical revulsion for both Alkatiri and the message she had to deliver to him, Magda Vogels made her way back to the office in the Green Palace to provide the Knootian response. The assurances of the peoples representative (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3288345#3288345) had required some discussing in The Hague. As she strolled through the halls of the old Sultans residence, she noticed another, old, white man coming from the opposite direction to meet her being followed by the second class seaman. She slowed down her pace nodded kindly, showing a certain upper-class sophistication as she did it. The man, Galdagan diplomat Dr. Donald McPherson, looked preoccupied however and did not nod back.

As Alkatiri was still talking to the remaining Galdagans, Magda took a seat outside of the office and waited politely until the meeting was finished.

((OOC: Another visit as part of continued discussions from the Order of the Invisible Hand thread, as linked above. "Tanah Burung" stuff goes in this thread.))

(righty ho.)

"Well," Alkatiri said as he watched Dr. McPherson's back disappear into the hallway, "i had hoped to show you around the country myself, but i fear the press of business will keep me chained to this desk a while longer." He glanced at his monitor screen. "In fact, it seems that Magda Vogels is waiting for me again. That will be three times today, but hopefully she's brought news that can defuse this situation. I want to assure you all again that everything possible will be done to avoid hostilities. Everything possible.

"Now, what i had in mind for the tour was that my aide Hortense Horta" -- he nodded in the direction of a young woman in the corner -- "would show you around Ukun Rasikan a bit, then escort you on the maglev line to Loro Sae in the north. Tomorrow the collective presidency meets in the old city of Burung-yang-membuat-dunia, which you can reach by overnight maglev. A special sleeping car has been laid on. Hortense can show you the city, and then myself and others in the collective presidency would be honoured if you would join us for dinner. By then, i hope, this whole unpleasantness will be over and we will be able to discuss more long-term relations. I'm sure you have no love for decadence and creature comforts, but if you would do us the great honour of staying in Bontekoe Manor, famed for its perfumed sheets and fine dining and superb sunsets, i would be enormously grateful."

----------------------------------------
14.39, The Green Palace
Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
----------------------------------------

"I am sure we can lower our lodging standards from Spartan to prodigal for a few nights at the very least," Samaniego jibed with the Foreign Minister.

The party talked amongst itself as Alkatiri ushered them all towards the door. Amanda Vescio had taken a quick liking to Mari’s aid and the two talked endlessly of local custom, décor, and craftsmanship. They all buzzed past Magda Vogels without being cognizant of the Knootian ambassador’s presence just outside Alkatiri’s office.

The People’s Foreign Minister stood looking fondly after the delegation as they departed down the hall for a brief tour of the palace before being taken to some of the sites of interest throughout the city. Alkatiri’s gaze tended to follow Samaniego. The kid was bright, and he seemed like he was highly impressionable as well. I may have to get to know him better, he mused.

The whole time he stood there, Vogels spoke nary a word. The previously genial gaze that graced Mari's face hardened into straight, emotionless lines. Without unfixing his gaze from the Galdagans, he folded his arms and addressed her. “I expect the DDR has still more to say to us. That is why you are here yet again, is it not?"

As Alkatiri ushered Magda Vogels to her usual chair, Hortense Horta began the tour of Ukun Rasikan.

"This was a small fishing village before becoming a sea resort for the Sultan of Burung Paradis, and then being taken over by the East India Company and renamed New Hoorn after the first colonial Governor's home town," Horta explained. And the city, indeed, still bore the colonial stamp, at least in its centre, sprawling between the Canal and the Brantas River.

It was anchored on its southern, canal side by the Green Palace and the embassies that sprawled inland along Canal Street. At the centre lay the red-brick buildings of Liberation Square and the Cathedral. By the river's mouth, the spacious grounds of Lovefest University anchored the city's northern end. And all around, whitewashed houses and apartment tenaments, thin towers and the steeples of churches extended Tanah Burung's largest city in all directions towards the fertile rice paddy terraces of the countryside. A little inland, in the newer city, lay the maglev terminus that connected the city to Loro Sae and the land of Brazillico beyond it in one direction, Burung-yang-membuat-dunia and the Bureaucratic States of Oglethorpia in the other. Standard rail trains ran west to the interior and the Empire of Eauz in the high plateau at the centre of the continent. The sky was dotted with balloons, the major form of transportation in almost roadless Tanah Burung.

http://www.emalaysiahotel.com/destinationfocus/malacca/images/malacca_2.jpg
Liberation Square and the Governor's palace

As the tour proceeded, Hortnese paid spcial attention to Samaniego, answering his questions, providing full local colour, and trying to give the young man a sense of connection to place. Like most of the Rasikani, her love for her city was obvious. Here, she offered a cup of milky clove coffee; there, an especially well-woven piece of batik cloth in the brilliant blue for which the city's textiles were known. And if the party happened to stumble across a neighbourhood meeting in St. John the Divine church that was watching a newsreel on Galdago, she was prepared to swear herself just as blue in the face that this was a coincidence.

To the north, the port of Loro Sae hugged the Bay of Snakes, hard by the Crocodile River that receded into jungle. Mangrove swamps marched down to the sea. The city seethed with discontent. Banners everywhere displayed the face of the slain hero Markus Rumbiak. The name United Provinces never seemed less apt, and the visitors were accompanied by a security detail to keep away the protesters. "Don't Ban the Brigade!" was printed on bedsheets hanging from thousands of windows. People looked daggers at the security detail, but made no move to interfere as the Galdagan party was shown the city and escorted to meetings with the Governor and other local officials and invited to lay a wreath on Rumbiak's tomb.

http://www.mamud.com/images/Jayapura.jpg
Bay of Snakes from Mount Trikora

At the station, their special maglev awaited, to carry them overnight to Burung-yang-membuat-dunia, the ancient city consecrated to the Bird that Created the World.

Alkatiri offered Vogels a seat. "Well, Madame Ambassador, it's been a long day for both of us, so let's skip the pleasantries. I have re-checked the text of the treaty re-establishing diplomatic relations between our countries that was signed a decade ago." He grabbed an official-looking document from his cluttered desk and read aloud:

"The two countries recognize each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

He tossed it back on the top of a stack of papers. "In no way does this commit the United Provinces to recognize the right of Knootoss to have colonies. Nevertheless, i repeat my assurances that the government of Tanah Burung is not and will not support armed intervention in Colombia, much as we sympathize with the cause of Colombian freedom."

He touched his forehead, wearily. He could feel already that he had the mother of all headaches coming on.

"Now, you said you have a message to deliver to me? By all means, go ahead."

((do I tag or scratch my chin? Decisions!))

((Yeah... sorry... I had a bit of a block regarding this one. Spent 3 hours not getting past 'Magda sat down.' and I have a bit of a European elections hangover. Boy they sucked.

EDIT: *points to post below*))

Green palace

“Thank you for seeing me again,” Magda began as she sat down.

“My government has likewise considered the treaty carefully and we are of the opinion that the sovereignty and territorial integrity extends to all territories within the Knootian federation, including Colombia.” She nodded her head respectfully, with a polite smile that hid the trail of worry in her voice: “I would hope to come to a mutual agreement on this matter; if you have a proposal. However if your government desires to maintain its own interpretation the government has the intention to issue a notice of interpretation itself regarding the legal rights we see as derived from that treaty.”

>room for response<

The Knootian woman nodded. “Furthermore, I’d like to give you advance notice that my government will be declaring the Rumbiak Brigade an international terrorist organisation.”, she checked her watch, ”in the next hour or so. I thought it would be only fair to mention this,

Needless to say, membership of a terrorist organisation will be added to the charges of the Burungese citizens currently held in Colombia. Whether they are convicted for this will depend on a Colombian judge who will make an independent judgement regarding this.”

She shrugged, the fate of these Burungi’s was only a side-matter in light of the bigger perspective and continued with a soft voice. “My government feels that the Rumbiak Brigade constitutes an imminent threat to Knootoss – with or without your active or passive and personal, moral, spiritual, material or official support..

Magda continued pleadingly. “Please - it is just unforgivable that Tanah Burung remains a save haven for a group bent on using violent acts against my people. Surely you see that?”

----------------------------------------
Radio Amsterdam, an hour later
----------------------------------------

”… announced that it has declared two organisations to be terrorist in nature, namely Rumbiak Brigade based in Tanah Burung and the Anticapitalist Union operating in the Jingoistic States of the Huac (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=148781&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0). Both organisations were, according to a government spokesman, “threats to the DDR and the Knootian Federation”. There has been no further comment on government action against these groups but Lietuv President Kasparov issued a strong statement of support…”

---

Meanwhile, a combination of Knootian newspapers contacted well-known Tanah Burung polling bureaus to see if they could organise an opinion poll on the Rumbiak Brigade at a very short notice.
((Can I?))

“My government has likewise considered the treaty carefully and we are of the opinion that the sovereignty and territorial integrity extends to all territories within the Knootian federation, including Colombia.” She nodded her head respectfully, with a polite smile that hid the trail of worry in her voice: “I would hope to come to a mutual agreement on this matter; if you have a proposal. However if your government desires to maintain its own interpretation the government has the intention to issue a notice of interpretation itself regarding the legal rights we see as derived from that treaty.”

Alkatiri's head spun. That had been a confusing sentence.

"My proposal would be that we agree the treay says what it says," he answered. "that is to say: we recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss, and you likewise recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Tanah Burung. The word Colombia is not in the treaty, and we cannot accept your unilateral interpretation. I am still waiting, by the way, for your government to abide by the terms of the Hofburg Mediation Treaty and accept mediation over the Colombian situation."

He motioned the ambassador to go on, and heard her add that Knootoss would be declaring the Rumbiak Brigade a terrorist organization with some alarm, but very little surprise. "And yet not a word against the Invisible Hand cult, which spreads its terror by far more insidious means, condemning millions to die through poverty and preventable diseases."

Magda continued pleadingly. “Please - it is just unforgivable that Tanah Burung remains a save haven for a group bent on using violent acts against my people. Surely you see that?”

"I see that some citizens of my country have possibly broken the law," he replied stiffly. "As you know, i am taking every step possible within the law to deal with this issue. Surely you can see that it is impossible for me to break the laws of this country to appease a foreign power trying desperately to cling to its colonial position? I must ask again that you urge your government to show restraint and patience."

Meanwhile, a combination of Knootian newspapers contacted well-known Tanah Burung polling bureaus to see if they could organise an opinion poll on the Rumbiak Brigade at a very short notice.
((Can I?))

(No reason why not. Here's a general take, if you have specific questions i'll run some numbers)

Mau Slurp's House of Gambling was happy enough to take the job, not caring much where its paycheques came from. Most of the people carrying out the poll were sober to within 0.08 blood-alcohol level, 19 ties out of 20.

Polling discovered that the Rumbiak Brigades had an approval rating of 32% -- a number that rose as high as 78% in Loro Sae province and as low as 20% in Tiga Burung. Odds of the organization being declared illegal were being offered at 3-2 against, since not all those who disapproved wanted the organization banned -- a very serious step in a civil rights-minded country. Odds of Alkatiri being forced to resign were at 3-1, and odds on Knootian military action at 10-1 against.

Alkatiri's head spun. That had been a confusing sentence.

"My proposal would be that we agree the treay says what it says," he answered. "that is to say: we recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss, and you likewise recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Tanah Burung. The word Colombia is not in the treaty, and we cannot accept your unilateral interpretation. I am still waiting, by the way, for your government to abide by the terms of the Hofburg Mediation Treaty and accept mediation over the Colombian situation."

He motioned the ambassador to go on, and heard her add that Knootoss would be declaring the Rumbiak Brigade a terrorist organization with some alarm, but very little surprise. "And yet not a word against the Invisible Hand cult, which spreads its terror by far more insidious means, condemning millions to die through poverty and preventable diseases."

“I see”, replied Magda, “I will relay this to my superiors.”
She would argue, but it would be pointless. Alkatiri was a smart man, and not one to change his mind. The IMC situation and the sovereignty would remain disputed and no amount of bickering would change that. She sighed. Politicians would do enough bickering already in the press.


"I see that some citizens of my country have possibly broken the law," he replied stiffly. "As you know, i am taking every step possible within the law to deal with this issue. Surely you can see that it is impossible for me to break the laws of this country to appease a foreign power trying desperately to cling to its colonial position? I must ask again that you urge your government to show restraint and patience."

“With all due respect your Excellency… this has nothing to do with Colonialism. Our response would have been the same with any country. And time… you… we don’t have time.” The Knootian ambassador to Tanah Burung looked frustrated while maintaining the respectful facade.

---

OOC: I was indeed interested in regional spread :)

IC:
Other questions asked:
-Do you support the use of violent means against the Knootian and Chimaean presence in Colombia?
-Do you personally know members of the Rumbiak Brigade?

----------------------------------------
06.55, Battlegroup Hyperion
Somewhere in the South Narangath Ocean
----------------------------------------

The night had given way to an increasingly gloomy day. As the flotilla of twenty-nine ships raced through the increasingly choppy water towards that lay on the path to Tanah Burung. The sun would have been in full and blinding view by now were it not for the grey clouds that hung over the waters. The thirteen Delphin-class corvettes lined the procession in staggered formation around their escorts. The Thanatos-class battleships CNV Leviathan, and CNV Kraken took the head of the flotilla, each flanked by two of the eight Aguijón-class destroyers. The remaining four took up positions around the two Halo-class light carriers CNV Condor and CNV Seahawk. As for the five Longbow-class guided missile cruisers, they took up an inverted delta formation behind the aircraft carriers and their escorts, leaving Nierrosa’s flagship, the battleship CNV Triton, to the rear. As for the admiral himself, he was presently leaning against the railing at the point of the ship’s bow, surveying the fleet sailing before him in active battle formation by the dim light of what promised to be a gloomy day.

Nierrosa knew the task force was relatively small, designated as no more than a public relations stunt. The Commonwealth couldn’t dispatch more of its forces without looking like it was setting up a naval defense cordon around the country, and the admiral hoped that if the DDR wanted to risk escalating tensions in Tanah Burung that they wouldn’t call for help from some of their more aggressive allies. There wasn’t a chance in hell he could be reasonably expected to stand toe to toe with some of the more ominous hard powers that might lend their support to Knootoss, and he doubted seriously that Galadriël was likely to try anything more aggressive against the United Provinces while Battlegroup Hyperion was at dock without some sort military backing. He had a lot of good men and women on these ships, and he wasn’t pleased about putting them at risk. Still, he reassured himself internally, even if a firefight breaks out, they’ve been well trained. They’re good sailors; they’d make it through.

He checked his watch, squinting to read the time in the pale light. Another thirty-nine hours, he told himself.

----------------------------------------
The preceding day
16.40, A Graveyard
Loro Sae, Tanah Burung
----------------------------------------

McPherson and Samaniego laid the wreath on the tomb of the dead member of the Radical Old. The two joined the rest of the party for a moment of silence, and Samaniego muttered, “One of the true leaders of the worldwide revolution. His leadership and vigor are sorely needed these days, and woefully missed.” After a brief pause, Hortense motioned with her hand towards the exit of the graveyard and suggested the party make its way to the train station in order to finish the tour of the province and make the trip to Burung-yang-membuat-dunia by a reasonable hour.

Later that afternoon, Vescio had an opportunity to survey the city once again as they traversed the street towards the maglev terminal. “It seems the cost and importance of the Old Revolution has not been forgotten here in Loro Sae,” she commented weightily.

“Indeed, it has not,” Horta replied. “The local press has published scathingly against the DDR, calling it ‘the imperialist oppressor of workers’ and ‘a seeker of cheap, easily subjugated labor.’ Many writers have exhorted the population to vote no three weeks from now on the upcoming referendum. They have said that Knootian labeling of the Rumbiak Brigade as a terrorist organization proves the bourgeois fat-cats of the DDR are afraid that the Revolution will next be brought to their doorstep and that justice would not be kind to them. All of it is very scathing commentary to say the least.” Her brow furrowed with the noticeable sign of anxiety as she reflected on the matter. “I personally do not blame them, but I am not one to hope for the occurrence of escalated violence. While I understand their feelings about the necessity of extending the Revolution to the home front of one of the most visible signs of the oppression of capital known to this world, I do not wish to see any more Burungi blood spilled. I still hold out hope for the success of the International Mediation Council in Colombia, and to that end an easing of the revolutionary zeal these people possess and reduced involvement in Colombian affairs.”

“It is at least heartening to know that the struggle continues in earnest to ensure the worker is protected at all times,” Samaniego added, “and the more egregious violations committed by Knootoss do not go unnoticed, if not by the governments of the world, by their peoples. It is difficult for governments to condemn worker rights abuses without a wash of diplomatic backlash from the so called ‘industrialized world.’ Unfortunately, it would seem that citizens with the most active form of resistance to this sort of oppression end up labeled as terrorists by the capitalists. I suppose it would indeed ‘terrify’ them to lose the ability to pad their pockets with money made from the sweat of others.”

The party walked along taking in the somber sight of various memorials to Markus Rumbiak. The influence of his brigades was seen heaviest in this northeasterly province, and the cry of outrage at everything the DDR was presently undertaking was venomous and deafening. The party was overwhelmed by the sentiment. They approached the train station and awaited the next maglev’s arrival. Within nine minutes, the train whisked into the terminal and glided gracefully to a halt. They were ushered into the rear train where dinner had been prepared for them for the somewhat extended overnight trip to the city of Burung-yang-membuat-dunia. After finishing off an incredibly flavorful meal of local taste, Samaniego took to a seat and rested his head on the cushion while looking out the window at the world whizzing by at hundreds of miles per hour. For all the disquietude of this week’s events, the countryside is peaceful tonight, he thought as he drifted into slumber.

Loro Sae

Aboard the Maglev, Samaniego found that a letter -- a manifesto, really -- had been slipped into his luggage. There was nothing missing from his or anyone else's bags, but it was clear someone had gone through the suitcases, selected the man identified as perhaps the msot sympathetic Galdagan, and carefully placed the document where it was sure to be found.

Honoured friend from across the sea,

You have met some of the apologists in our government. They talk, talk until their tongues are thick with honey. But these are just omong kosong, the empty words of empty vessels.

Here in Loro Sae, the land where the sun is born, here we remember the old days and the old ways, and we are learning again what it means to fight. We know that our freedom is nothing when others are not free in other lands, that the struggle for human liberation does not know borders, that peace is a cruel joke when the iron heel of colonialism and economic warfare stamps on the face of people in Colombia, Gallaga, Diakonia, and even in the centres of empire. Our government will not fight for them; it seeks peace. But there will be no peace, there can be no peace, brother, while people anywhere are made slaves.

Our government will not fight with all its heart. Yours may not either. But we, we were born in fire, and we know this: a fight is coming, and to be neutral is no true option. Our brother, Rumbiak, he knew this. We know it too. Friend, we hope you know it too.

La'o hamutuk, brother: walk free, walk together, walk in freedom.

The Rumbiak Brigade

Burung-yang-membuat-dunia

Those who were awake had the chance to see the sunrise over the RevTerran Sea to the east. Here the sun rose quickly, night turning to morning in mere minutes, but the colours more than made up for the briefness of the event. Every colour but emerald seemed to be in the eastern sky or the ocean below. And emerald abounded on the land, rice terraces cut into the side of the foothills as the maglev began to approach the ancient city of Burung-yang-membuat-dunia, the Bird that Created the World.

BYMD was older than anyone could say, perched there on its mountain, overgrown with trees and vines, sloppily staring down at the sea and the new city below. The old walled city was dominated by the vast old temple of the Creator Bird, untouched outside, but inside containing a Portuguese-era church. Next to it, the white walls of the mother Cathedral of the whole country, engraved with the plain words: "Mari Diharapkan." Come, and be Healed, or Come, and be Given Hope. The interpretors differed on which translation to use.

Alkatiri was there to greet the Galdagans at the maglev station, looking slightly uncomfortable to be in BYMD. He had never liked this city. It struck him as a place unable to make up its mind: coast, or mountains? BYMD wanted to have it both ways. And it needed a haircut.

"Friends, it's an honour to see you again," he said in greeting. "Please, take a look around the city. From the cathedral, you can see into Oglethorpia. Hortense tells me you've seen the anger in Loro Sae. You'll find it less here, but you'll find the people are just as opposed to colonialism as those anywhere in the country. And tonight, i will be expecting you for dinner with the rest of the collective presidency. We are all very grateful for what Galdago is doing, and though no dinner can repay this, the finest chefs in the province have been told to do their finest work." He paused. "I do hope you all enjoy fish, it's a staple in these parts, and not for those with weak stomachs. Between you and me, there will be some plainer vegetarian fare in the side chambers."

A noise distracted him. Atop the maglev station, covered by its roof garden, a small knot of robed figures stood in a ring, facing to the northeast, chanting, singing, praying -- it was hard to tell which. All at once, perhaps. "The Church of the Rocks and Trees," Alkatiri explained in answer to Vescio's question. "Praying for deliverance from the clouds of war."

Horta crossed herself. "As do we all."

Tiga Burung

"Opinion is divided." Mau Slurp was dictating his polling summary for the foreign interests that had commissioned it. "I would sum it up by saying: the majority does not condone the resort to violence by the Rumbiak Brigade or want to risk war, but feels they should not be banned outright."

He ran his eyes over the full questionnaire.

Do you approve of the Rumbiak Brigades?

Yes 32%, No 66%, Don't know/refused to answer 2%
Highest approval: Loro Sae 78%
Lowest: Tiga Burung 20%
Random comment from a respondent: "We're a peaceful country, they are going too far."

Should the organization be banned?

Yes 38%, No 55%, DK/NA 7%
Highest yes number: Ukun Rasikan 45%
Lowest: Loro Sae 9%
Random comment: "Banning? What are we, some sort of corporate technocracy? The government should stay out of people's business, dude."

Is Mari Alkatiri's action against the Brigades too strong, just right or not strong enough?
Too strong: 24%
Just right: 48%
Not strong enough: 18%
DK/NA 10%

Highest approval rating for Alkatiri: Matebian 63%
Random comment: "Save the nesting ground of the blue-footed booby! What do you mean wrong poll? Oh, sorry. Well, i guess he's doing all he can. I hope the mediation works out."

Do you support colonial rule in Colombia?
Yes 3%, No 95%, DK/NA 2%
Random comment: "What, are you crazy? Oh yeah, i support colonialism, the slave trade, germ warfare, and a flat tax. Also the earth is flat. Sheesh, of course i don't support colonial rule."

Do you support violent means to remove colonial rule from Colombia
Yes 25%, No 65%, DK/NA 10%
Highest support for violence: Loro Sae 40%
Lowest: Burung-yang-membuat-dunia 11%
Random comment: "You always need to try non-violence first. And non-violence usually works better, too."

Do you personally know any members of the Rumbiak Brigades?
Yes 0.3%, No 80%, DK/NA 19.7%
Random comment: "Yeah, right, like i'd tell you if i did."

Loro Sae

Aboard the Maglev, Samaniego found that a letter -- a manifesto, really -- had been slipped into his luggage. There was nothing missing from his or anyone else's bags, but it was clear someone had gone through the suitcases, selected the man identified as perhaps the msot sympathetic Galdagan, and carefully placed the document where it was sure to be found.

Honoured friend from across the sea,

You have met some of the apologists in our government. They talk, talk until their tongues are thick with honey. But these are just omong kosong, the empty words of empty vessels.

Here in Loro Sae, the land where the sun is born, here we remember the old days and the old ways, and we are learning again what it means to fight. We know that our freedom is nothing when others are not free in other lands, that the struggle for human liberation does not know borders, that peace is a cruel joke when the iron heel of colonialism and economic warfare stamps on the face of people in Colombia, Gallaga, Diakonia, and even in the centres of empire. Our government will not fight for them; it seeks peace. But there will be no peace, there can be no peace, brother, while people anywhere are made slaves.

Our government will not fight with all its heart. Yours may not either. But we, we were born in fire, and we know this: a fight is coming, and to be neutral is no true option. Our brother, Rumbiak, he knew this. We know it too. Friend, we hope you know it too.

La'o hamutuk, brother: walk free, walk together, walk in freedom.

The Rumbiak Brigade

Burung-yang-membuat-dunia

Those who were awake had the chance to see the sunrise over the RevTerran Sea to the east. Here the sun rose quickly, night turning to morning in mere minutes, but the colours more than made up for the briefness of the event. Every colour but emerald seemed to be in the eastern sky or the ocean below. And emerald abounded on the land, rice terraces cut into the side of the foothills as the maglev began to approach the ancient city of Burung-yang-membuat-dunia, the Bird that Created the World.

BYMD was older than anyone could say, perched there on its mountain, overgrown with trees and vines, sloppily staring down at the sea and the new city below. The old walled city was dominated by the vast old temple of the Creator Bird, untouched outside, but inside containing a Portuguese-era church. Next to it, the white walls of the mother Cathedral of the whole country, engraved with the plain words: "Mari Diharapkan." Come, and be Healed, or Come, and be Given Hope. The interpretors differed on which translation to use.

Alkatiri was there to greet the Galdagans at the maglev station, looking slightly uncomfortable to be in BYMD. He had never liked this city. It struck him as a place unable to make up its mind: coast, or mountains? BYMD wanted to have it both ways. And it needed a haircut.

"Friends, it's an honour to see you again," he said in greeting. "Please, take a look around the city. From the cathedral, you can see into Oglethorpia. Hortense tells me you've seen the anger in Loro Sae. You'll find it less here, but you'll find the people are just as opposed to colonialism as those anywhere in the country. And tonight, i will be expecting you for dinner with the rest of the collective presidency. We are all very grateful for what Galdago is doing, and though no dinner can repay this, the finest chefs in the province have been told to do their finest work." He paused. "I do hope you all enjoy fish, it's a staple in these parts, and not for those with weak stomachs. Between you and me, there will be some plainer vegetarian fare in the side chambers."

A noise distracted him. Atop the maglev station, covered by its roof garden, a small knot of robed figures stood in a ring, facing to the northeast, chanting, singing, praying -- it was hard to tell which. All at once, perhaps. "The Church of the Rocks and Trees," Alkatiri explained in answer to Vescio's question. "Praying for deliverance from the clouds of war."

Horta crossed herself. "As do we all."

Tiga Burung

"Opinion is divided." Mau Slurp was dictating his polling summary for the foreign interests that had commissioned it. "I would sum it up by saying: the majority does not condone the resort to violence by the Rumbiak Brigade or want to risk war, but feels they should not be banned outright."

He ran his eyes over the full questionnaire.

Do you approve of the Rumbiak Brigades?

Yes 32%, No 66%, Don't know/refused to answer 2%
Highest approval: Loro Sae 78%
Lowest: Tiga Burung 20%
Random comment from a respondent: "We're a peaceful country, they are going too far."

Should the organization be banned?

Yes 38%, No 55%, DK/NA 7%
Highest yes number: Ukun Rasikan 45%
Lowest: Loro Sae 9%
Random comment: "Banning? What are we, some sort of corporate technocracy? The government should stay out of people's business, dude."

Is Mari Alkatiri's action against the Brigades too strong, just right or not strong enough?
Too strong: 24%
Just right: 48%
Not strong enough: 18%
DK/NA 10%

Highest approval rating for Alkatiri: Matebian 63%
Random comment: "Save the nesting ground of the blue-footed booby! What do you mean wrong poll? Oh, sorry. Well, i guess he's doing all he can. I hope the mediation works out."

Do you support colonial rule in Colombia?
Yes 3%, No 95%, DK/NA 2%
Random comment: "What, are you crazy? Oh yeah, i support colonialism, the slave trade, germ warfare, and a flat tax. Also the earth is flat. Sheesh, of course i don't support colonial rule."

Do you support violent means to remove colonial rule from Colombia
Yes 25%, No 65%, DK/NA 10%
Highest support for violence: Loro Sae 40%
Lowest: Burung-yang-membuat-dunia 11%
Random comment: "You always need to try non-violence first. And non-violence usually works better, too."

Do you personally know any members of the Rumbiak Brigades?
Yes 0.3%, No 80%, DK/NA 19.7%
Random comment: "Yeah, right, like i'd tell you if i did."

Apparently, it is not my turn to post. Knoot, contact me in every way possible and tell me when I am supposed to post. (I want to be able to track him, remember that, we did agree on it). Sorry! :lol:

SouthEast of The United Province of Tanah Burung, deep in the heart of that sea from which the sun mesmerised the delegation one could find the extremely weird shape of the RevTerran islands. Four triangles, rounding a diamond-shaped center island, all looking like a square. In the middle island, there is a dead vulcano. Inside, there is a (capital) city. Inside that city, somewhere in the Comandament Complex, the leader of the Alliance, was having a busy day with a very bothering tv reporter.

For the last time, Daren, I don't know whether we will defend Tanah Burung or not if they ask us to. Now, you know I have a meeting, so I'm sorry, but this interview is officialy over.
I am sorry, comander, but I see no reason for you to get upset. The people deserve to know whether we will go to war or not.
[b]WHAT war? There is no war!
Daren Vix turned off the camera. Matei Revert has never been seen bothered with anything, one might said that his calm was the most reasuring thing in RevTerr. Some editing will be in order. The interview has beed indeed a long one, but after one of the analists was asked on another channel if the government could hide a request from Tanah Burung, and he said "yes", the roumors started to spread. Neither the Minister for the Exterior, Crist Dragh, not even the comander himself could not stoped the talking.

Comander, the camera is off, so may I ask you a non-official question?

[[[[[[[TvRev NEWS, live from CentrArm]]]]]]]]

... That was the interview, taken one hour ago. Comander Revert is inside CentrArm having a meeting with all the militaryand non military staff.
Darren, in your opinion, what do you think it they are discussing?
To be honest, Reni, I think they are discussing some precaution measures. We all know the roumors about some request for military asistance from Tanah Burung, based on our TOR satelite launching sistem partnership. I think those roumors are just roumors and that for now, at least, we have nothing to worry about.

We own him a drink, comander, Crist Dragh said while the comander was turning off the viewer.
For?
For not telling the fact that, due to it's position, Tanah Burung is more likely to be invaded, if it is to be invaded, through the sea. This means that we are kind of in the way of any invasion force.
He will tell that in this evening talk show. He just bought us some time. Now the comander was adressing to all those attending the meeting. it is settled. We will continue to do nothing but to guard our borders. The task force from Ceahlau base will be enforced, and a second backup will be ready for the rotation in Radu.
Comander, I still think that our ambasadors in Tanah Burung and Oglethorpia should ask for a meeting with the foreign affair ministers.
Crist, officially, I want war with no one. And I doubt we will be invited to participate in one. Those ships from Galdago must be enroute to Tanah Burung, but I doubt they are any serious defence. No, Crist, the burungans have something in mind. At least I hope, for their sake.

Strong, sweet black coffee was all that was keeping him going. Before making his own way to BYMD City for the collective presidency meeting, Mari Alkatiri had one more task: an address to neighbouring states. There was oil to pour on troubled waters, and at all costs one thing had to be avoided: with all this naval hardware, no one should get trigger happy and set off a clash.

"Friends throughout the southern Emerald Heights," he began, speaking slowly into the lend of a television camera. "Tensions have been running high in recent days between ourselves and the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss. The position is this: the DDR objects to the presence of an armed organization known as the Rumbiak Brigade which is attempting to aid the movement for independence in Colombia. I have made it clear that the government of this country in no way supports this armed organization, and is doing all that we can within the law of the land to address this issue.

"The government of Knootoss has always spoken of its commitment to peace. I am confident that they will choose a peaceful, negotiated solution to this crisis. Because we are committed to peace, we are taking no steps to interfere in the normal free movement of people across our borders.

"However, your governments are no doubt tracking, as we are, extensive ship movements in the vicinity. We assure all neighbouring states of our unswerving commitment to the non-violent resolution of conflicts, and we are hopeful that current tensions will soon diminish. As i have said to the Ambassador from Knootoss, i say to all of our neighbours and to my own people: patience and restraint will see us through. Good night, friends, and good wishes."

------------------------
RNS Jackson
------------------------

The Jackson was a missile submarine in the reserve fleet. She had been assigned to the waters around Oglethorpia since conflict arose between the Ruhrian ally of Knootoss with the planned economy nation of Tanah Burung. The crew of the five hundred seventy two feet long vessel had been running at speeds a missile submarine commander would be afraid to go. She was traveling at twenty-two knots, the tactical speed of the boat—meaning the fastest it can travel while maintaining the quietest noise level—towards the island of Tiga Burung.

Captain Strom’s orders were specifically to gather information in the event the situation escalates. The Knootian government has not formally requested Ruhrian help as of yet, but it was assumed they would since their military was not in the best of shape. As a result, the Gold Squadron, the destroyer unit under Commodore Shiloh, was being loaded up with supplies and ordered to maintain 100% readiness. It would cost the navy a little extra money, but that wasn’t a problem. Along with the Gold Squadron, a brigade of Armour and the 73rd Airborne Division. Strom read the file once again, looking at what exactly Ruhr would be sending. So those Air Force pukes would be getting some action, too? he thought. Apparently a few bombers and fighter squadrons were being sent.

From what it looked like, however, this was only a counter-terror operation. There was nothing extremely special about it, nothing dangerous. The report said that Knootoss was originally involved with Tanah Burung, as a colonial player of some sort, but was driven out? or something like that. He skimmed the rest of the paragraph as he was not entirely interested in the history of Tanah Burung as much as what he needs to watch out for.

Foreign ships that are possibly hostile to Knootoss and/or Ruhr, enemy radar positions, airfields, combat bases, military headquarters, troop garrisons, most importantly…fleeing government officials are all on the list of things to be monitored. All that had to be done was just sit in the territorial waters, pick up on a few radar signals, watch the main harbor and target a few things just in case. It was a short trip, only one thousand nautical miles away. There were clear skies over their current position with only a little wind, which meant the seas were relatively calm.

After reading the entire folder filled with information once more, Captain Strom exited his room and walked forward and up the ladder into the Conning tower. The XO turned around and was first to see him enter. “Captain on Deck!” He said as he saluted.

“At ease, gentlemen,” he replied as he walked to the computer-generated map. “Report.”

“Sir, we are currently traveling at 22 Knots at a depth of six hundred feet on course to Tiga Burung. From here it’s a straight drive, no channels or routes we can take, Captain. As of now, we have…sixty…sixty…” the executive officer, Halifax, had trouble remember the sonar’s performance. He picked up the phone and rang for that compartment. “Lieutenant, what’s the performance ATM…Right.” He hung up and looked at the Strom, “sixty-seven percent, sir.”

“Very well. I have the conn. Jerry you’re relieved.” The XO saluted and walked back to his quarters for some much needed rest. “Keep us on course, helm,” Strom said as he sat in the Captain’s chair in the center of the bridge.

(I think everyone's in place and the set-up is done now, right?)

Bi Kikere strode into the Governor's mansion, where Tanah Burung's collective presidency was gathering for an emergency session. The old football star, now in charge of the territorial defence system, looked angry to be summoned out of her bath.

"What's all this nonse?" she asked Mari Alkatiri. "I've cleared the Hyperion battle group to dock as you asked, but do we really need this?"

"Well, the Knootians are making noises that suggest they may not be willing to wait for us to act against the Rumbiak Brigades. A few friendly ships ought to scare them off."

"Bah, Brigades indeed. Just a bunch of young fools following the obsession of a dead old fool. We'll deal with them soon enough."

"As i told the ambassdor, yes. But there's no telling what the new regime in Knootoss will do."

"Oh, come now, even they couldn't be foolish enough to invade us this long after we won independence from their tyranny?"

"I just don't know, Ibu. Best that we be prepared, yes?"

The old woman scowled, and took her seat.

((I haven't forgotten about this thread! Just... overstretched... intend to draw up declarations... sleep now... hope that no other allies will decide to go to war or revolt this week... sleep...))

Matei Revert was not happy at all. He have just finished reading an extensive raport on the countries likely to interfere in a conflict between DDR and Tanah Burung. Revterr's secret service, FSR, barely had any contact with them, but then again, internet is a wonderfull thing. Not looking very convince, he pushed a few buttons on the comunicator. Cris Dragh's sleepy face apeared after a few moments.
Sorry to wake you up, Cris.
That's OK comander, I was suppose to be working now.
Crist, did you read admiral Nita's report about the allies of Tanah Burung and Knootoss?
I looked over it. Comander, we've been over this before.
Crist, I think we should have sent those ambasadors to Tanah Burung and Oglenthorpia.
By this meaning that we changed our politic of noninterfering except on request?
Crist, our politic concearning the subject is: "There is no subject!". But I think we went wrong about it. Let's admit there is a subject to be concearn about, and we are concearned. I want our ambasador to Tanah Burung to request a meeting with their foreign affair's minister, concearning...let's say..."the implication of the current situation on our mutual trade agreements".
Comander, they are IFTA members, we don't....
I know that, Mari Alkatiri knows that, and if he's smart he would understand that if we have concearn about the travel routes, we could have contacted his ambasador here.
So...
So nothing! It's just a message that we are standing by.
Standing by for what?
Crist, look on the map. We are so paranoid that we would spend a fortune on keeping our ships on defensive alert. We could invade someone only with our ships defending Ceahlau (which, by the way, is our island closest to Tanah Burung).
I see. What about Oglenthorpia?
Forget about it. It would make everything too obvious.
It will be done right away. Comander, don't you think everything is a little to...out of the normal way to express it?
We are diplomats, Crist. That's what we do best.

-----------------------
Palace ‘Het Loo’
Afternoon
-----------------------
http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/images/fotos/Het-Loo-klein.jpg
One by one, Galadriël gathered the ambassadors of several allied nations in the palace that she had made into her summer retreat. After the helicopter bearing the Chimaean insignia’s had landed she went out over to the lawn in front, sitting at a table in the shadow under a tree. It was a relaxed scene, looking out over the spring grass growing in bright green and the birds chirping in an harmonious discord.

She drank a glass of orange juice as she explained her plans to the Chimaean. First they discussed some more pleasant matters; KIST trade, negotiations with the Vernii and the upcoming Antarctica conference. After her glass had been emptied the first time, she turned to the subject of Tanah Burung.

She pouted mildly with a worrying frown as she proposed the matter.
“The Rumbiak Brigade is my biggest worry. Tanah Burung simply does not want to agree to any sort of action against them and I fear that they will soon strike again. Just now before you arrived I got another report of an attack by foreigners in Colombia killing yet more innocent people.” The Knootian Prime Minister wasn’t yet fully briefed on the Weegie ambush – just scattered information – for all she knew it could be the Rumbiak Brigade.

She continued as a calm spring breeze came through the garden, chilling the two. “And the mood in Tanah Burung, well, as you know is thoroughly anti-Knootian so they will gladly provide safe haven for these terrorists. I hope you have received the proposal I sent you?”

The ambassador nodded, having received some of the preliminary plans just hours ago. “But what you propose… does this not mean war?, he asked.

She shook her head. “I hope not. I will try to persuade the Burungi’s that this is for the best. That terrorists preparing in their midst cannot be tolerated. I want to take action only against the Rumbiak Brigade terrorists. I don’t want to hurt the Burungi’s or their military. Just the terrorists.”, she added with a hint of compassion.

“And I need your help…”

((OOC: Well… repeat the same process for Ruhr, Ogle and Lietuveska, really. That is why I kept the ‘ambassador’ rather neutral. I presume Ruhr doesn’t need to RP this out. I mean… you can. But I heard you refer to it as ‘diplomatic dipshit’ before. And of course I already had a long talk with Kasparov. Ogle… well, you can RP it out if you feel like it. :) We had an OOC agreement, of course, that would be Icified. Galadriël would have held a story similar to this, fine-tuned to what your nation thinks is important.))

----------------------------
Balmora Airbase
After sunset
----------------------------
Fighter planes were being loaded and fuelled for a long journey in Knootoss’ number one military airbase. The Eurofighters were still in service, as they had been for decades with some minor upgrades. Once at the front edge of modern technology, the planes were now the average for most NS powers who could field comparable planes in far greater numbers. Losses had been mounting in the brief engagements with the faster and more manoeuvrable ‘Anne Coulter’ fighters from Allanea about a year ago. About 300 casualties later, Knootians had learned this the hard way.

Tonight was different – a warm touch of south-western air still breathed over Knootoss, warming the airbase even at night. And the fighter planes, taking off in pairs of three, were not heading out to combat Accord military powers in Haven but were making way for the Emerald Heights.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary of the notice of interpretation
as published on the website of the foreign affairs ministry
----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.minbuza.nl/custom_buttons/CAM_94B59EF5A2F340A6B25EFEA39C2AF149X1X39939X52.gif
Title: Notice of interpretation of the ‘Treaty of Recognition’
Date: 20th of June 20xx
Category: International treaties (fake), Public announcements (fake), Tanah Burung (fake)
Status: Ministerial notice
Document summary:
The notice of interpretation extends upon the ‘Treaty of recognition’ (original treaty) (fake) signed with the United Provinces of Tanah Burung in 20xx. This treaty formally dissolved the Knootian East Indies and was the mutual recognition of Knootoss and Tanah Burung as sovereign and independent states.

In the notice of interpretation, the Dutch Democratic Republic clarifies its interpretation of the original ‘Treaty of recognition’ to take into account constitutional and territorial changes since it was originally ratified.

It considers the legal entity of the Knootian Republic with which the original treaty was signed to be the same legal entity as the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss which was founded after the 20xx constitutional reform. The document reaffirms that Knootoss’ sovereignty and territorial integrity extends to the entire Knootian Federation including all of its dependencies.

Download the entire document.
-As a PDF file (fake)
-As a Word document (fake)
-Using BunnyNet™ reader (fake)

----------------------------
The same night
----------------------------
One phone call had been enough.

A pair of KNN journalists made their way to Den Helder, sleepy faces, gruffly, wearing the clothes of yesterday.

“What if its true?”, asked a young man with glasses sitting next to the drivers seat.

A rather corpulent woman replied bitchily: ”I don’t f*cking care. So, the navy is pulling some nightly exercises. Big deal. Of course, they are sending *us*. Bastards at HQ"

”But… loading in troops?, the younger man worried.

“Troop loading exercises.” was the apt reply from the woman. ”I’m sure those dumb enough to enlist will need to practice walking down a gangplank at night.

”Meh.”

There was silence as the car drove on over the empty provincial road, heading out of Knootcap towards the northernmost point of Holland.

---

2 hours later
[code:1:bacfbf4960]KNN Press news ticker -- Knootian infantry and light mobile troops seen loaded onto transport vessels in Den Helder. -- KDF Zhakarov leaving on a southerly course. -- [/code:1:bacfbf4960]


-----------------------
Den Helder
-----------------------
”What do you mean trespassing? … How am I supposed to see that bloody sign at night?” … Yes I’ll come. HEY THAT’S MY CAMERA!… watch it! Do you have any idea how EXPENSIVE those nightvision goggles are?!
~Female KNN journalist, upon discovery by not-amused naval personnel in Den Helder.

*The Royal Palace, Moo Moo Farm

It was humid inside the stony room and it's atmosfere was so tense that it could have been cutted with a knife.
Around the large bamboo table, the eight corpulent figures were seated. In the middle, a strange symbolic statuette looking like an alpaca head seemed to be a silent witness of the conversation.
The cabinet meeting had been called on a hurry and so, many ministers and military officials were missing. However, a lot of them had arrived as quickly as they could, even though the meeting was interrupting their precious sleep.
The figure in the center, vice-duque Whitey Bighorns, spoke with a worried face:
"I've called you for an important reason, my colleagues.
It seems that Knootoss is about to invade our allies in Tanah Burung, or so seems to be implied in this enignmatic comunique of its ministry of foreign affairs issued some hours ago"
He proceeded to show the ministers and officials a paper with the comuniquee in question, explaining what reasons would Knootoss have to invade Tanah Burung and what reasons it could have against.
"...The most worrying part, my friends, is that the duque is currently in Tanah Burung itself; Participating in a banquet at the Ianislean embassy. And I fear for his safety.
I've telephoned him, but our head of state seems to refuse leaving the country. He thinks the banquet itself is very important to the third world in general and that Knootoss would not dare to invade another country in such unjustificated way. But I fear the recent events seem to prove otherwise. Our duque even refered to "fighting colonialism with its bare hands if the time comes" and he refuses to believe such catastrophe could happen. But I do not, my friends, and that's what I called you; To discuss what our position will be should this invasion happen"
The discussion continued on and on; some ministers and officials seemed to be in favour of full intervation, while others against it. Others had no opinion, rather than the thing should be put into referendum.
Leaders of the innefficient intelligence service (the SIDE) could not provide any important data and, while in the other side of the world a tragic series of events were about to happen, in Hell Bovines the pointless debate continued thoughout the whole night.

MATEBIAN TIMES
Editorial

"A treaty means precidely what i say it means: no more, no less."

That might as well have been the news release from the Knootian Ministry of Overseas Affairs. Like a character out of Alice in Wonderland, the Ministry has decided to unilaterally define the meaning of treaties.

Yes, Tanah Burung and Knootoss have recognized each other's "sovereignty and territorial integrity." But that's not a blank cheque for either side to unilaterally issue "interpretatations." A treaty is something signed by two countries, not the dictation of one.

The Republic now informs us, in the neutral tones of diplomacy, that we have recognized by this treaty their rule over the whole "Knootian Federation," a bizarre entity by which the Knootians simaltaneously maintain that they are not a colonial power, while ruling over colonies. Meanwhile, they use this technicality to evade another treaty they signed, the Hofburg agreement establishing the International Mediation Council.

Tensions are rising between our countries, the good relations of recent years falling by the wayside. The Knootian regime has demanded that we outlaw an organization calling itself the Rumbiak Brigade. And until now, this newspaper has had nothing but contempt for that organization. Decolonization must be the work of the people of the colony, with outside support strictly non-violent. We have supported the call for mediation of the Colombia dispute.

Today, however, the Knootian regime has declared: "international law is what we say it is: no more, no less." They ignore the Hofburg treaty, choosing stalling tactics instead of submitting to mediation. They demand that other countries violate national law in order to please them, saying we must ban the Briagdes even before allowing a referndum in this country on the matter. And now they decide to alter the meaning of the Knootoss-Tanah Burung treaty.

This newspaper feels there is nothing further to be gained by pandering to their demands. Knootoss under its current government has abandoned the path of international law pioneered by Grotius and the like, and turned to the naked pursuit of self-interest.

---

Burung-yang-membuat-dunia

"Another ambassador requesting a meeting with you, Bapak Alkatiri."

"Who is it this time? Not Vogels again?"

"No, it's the RevTerrans, they want to discuss the effect of the currrent crisis on our trade relations. It's odd, sir, since we have no trade ties with RevTerr."

Alkatiri thought for a moment. "Well, the ambassador will have to come to Buring-yang-membuat-dunia, but tell him it would be an honour to see him. And assure him of our peaceful intentions." That last was a pretty meaningless statement: the coast guard wasn't capable of offensive action even if any had been intended.

Teliana Rui was a sweet women in her mid forties, with long hair and beautiful blue eyes. The sort of person you would expect to see telling "Good morning children!" on a tv Kidshow, not in a revterran embassy. But she fitted well to the profile sugested for an ambasador in Ugo Rasikan, and she took the job.
Now, however, she was talking in fast-forward, while picking some things from a closet:
Rinal, prepare the guards, Ktia, get the MaRev in front, Conex>connect>Crist Dragh, Raisa, book us Maglev tickets to Burungiangmembat-something! And now get out all of you, I need to change....

Connected the sinthetised voice of the comunication console announced, one second before Crist Dragh's face apeared on the monitor.

Shit!I'm naked!!! a not so kidshow-host voice met him.

Half an hour later, the 4x4 ATV MaRev Diplomat stopped in front of Ugo Rasikan's Maglev Station to allow it's passangers, an ambasador (who kept repeating Buring-yang-membuat-dunia) and her team to disembark.
Kilometers away to the south, a still amused Crist Dragh was watching KNN.

((OOC: To counter TB, I made my own editorial which actually sides with you somewhat. (For Trouw, this time, I tried to reflect their opinions.) This treats some stuff that is happening as background material: Galadriël has convened a session in parliament to take place the afternoon after this thing was printed. Some navy vessels are rumoured to have left port heading south but no official announcement has been made, more activity has also been seen from the fighters. However so far I assume the actual fleet has cleverly avoided satellite detection. (They will keep avoiding it untill someone ICly attempts to find out using RPed assets because I have no knowledge of TB/allied capabilities in this regard.) At this point in IC time, I also assume negotiations with foreign powers to be finalised. Should they take place OOCly now, they will assumed to already have been done in the past, if that makes sense.

Several high-profile spokesmen of the conservative RCPK (Galadriëls party) have declared themselves in favour of intervention in TB, as have other SLPers privately and anonymously. Their leader in parliament (Lousewies van der Laan) has not taken a position yet. Femke Halsema from the greens is firmly against and has announced that it will demonstrate “against war” alongside the Socialist Party (the commies). These political positions have been on KNN and can be regarded as public knowledge.

Oh, yes, and sorry for being long. :oops: ))

Trouw Editorial – A bad dream

Challenges to the planned interventions that are now being raised within the SLP/RCPK coalition tend to centre on practical questions – whether the expected attack will work and what short-term risks and collateral damage might be involved – rather than on whether the intervention itself is a good idea.

The practical risks are indeed serious. The attack would entail a new military campaign while the so-called war against the Colombian insurgency is far from over, involving many thousands of Knootian troops in ground fighting with corresponding casualties, fought with few allies or none and paid for entirely by the Dutch Democratic Republic. Across the Anti-capitalist world hostility toward Knootoss is already inflamed. No CACE leader, however opposed to The Rumbiak Brigade, wants to see another anti-capitalist state crushed and humiliated by a capitalist power. And of course no moderate CACE regime, vulnerable precisely because it is moderate, wants to stoke the fires of radical dissent and revolution with more television pictures of more anti-capitalist citizens being killed and their country subjugated by the Evil Capitalist Knootoss.

Such an intervention would come at a time when Knootoss’ alliances with several UnAPS nations and the former SATO nations are strained and certain fragile capitalist regimes such as the Huac and Upper Virginia are at risk. It will not necessarily mean the formal end of what was left of old alliances, but it will mean its hollowing out, as Knootoss’ partners search for other combinations to defend their interests and find refuge from the likely consequences of Knootoss’ actions while our opponents are encouraged to seek partners and form coalitions against it. Knootian power and position are strong enough and its margin of error wide enough that it can get away with a good deal, but there are limits, and on this crucial issue the Dutch Democratic Republic could well overstep them.

Yet even these grave considerations should not take priority over questions of principle: do we have a right to wage war against Tanah Burung to get rid of the Rumbiak Brigade? Would this be a necessary and just intervention? On this critical issue the government has so far won by default. The assumption that an intervention to overthrow the Rumbiak Brigade would be just and that it would serve everyone’s interests has gone largely unchallenged within the ruling coalition. The government’s justification for intervention is the traditional one: that the dangers and costs of inaction far outweigh those of acting now. The Rumbiak Brigade, an implacable enemy of the Dutch Democratic Republic which must be destroyed before they again attack Knootians or their allies. Time, they say, is against us and persuasion, negotiation, and conciliation are worse than useless with them. Coercive diplomacy has failed and conventional deterrence is equally unreliable. Pre-emptive action to remove them is the only effective remedy.

Rather than criticizing the proposed “pre-emptive war” on practical grounds, this newspaper opposes the idea itself because a Knootian campaign to overthrow the Rumbiak Brigade by armed force would be an unjust, aggressive, imperialist war which would have negative, potentially disastrous effects on our alliances and friendships, the Knootian reputation, leadership in the capitalist world, the existing international system, and the prospects for general peace, order, and stability. In other words, using military force inside Tanah Burung on Tanah Burung would be not merely foolish and dangerous, but wrong.

To show that the threat is clear and imminent, the Prime Minister and her supporters repeatedly insist that the Rumbiak Brigade intends to overthrow the current regime in Colombia. The Dutch Democratic Republic must stop them before they succeed. To show that the threat is direct, specific, concrete, and pointed at the Dutch Democratic Republic, government spokesmen and other advocates of pre-emptive war deduce from the Rumbiak Brigade’s criminal record, especially the fact some of their members smuggled weapons into Colombia and worked with rebels there.

These arguments fail to prove what they are supposed to – i.e., that the threat from inside Tanah Burung is concrete, specific, and directed against the Dutch Democratic Republic or any Knootian ally. They prove only what hardly needs proof, that the Rumbiak Brigade is a ruthless anti-colonialist organisation that want Knootians out of Knootian Colombia and the other dependencies and that it is willing to use violent means to accomplish this objective. It is extremely unlikely that the Rumbiak Brigade would do something so suicidal as to attack the Dutch Democratic Republic directly, and the government knows this. The more one thinks about it, the more implausible it becomes to claim that the Dutch Democratic Republic, a major economic and diplomatic power, is threatened by a developing, pacifist, democratic state halfway round the world. Its attempts to prove that the threat is critical are no stronger. They consist mainly of invoking the memory of the conflict with Colombian rebels, the right of Knootian citizens to security against terrifying new threats revealed by those attacks, the duty of their government to provide that security at all costs.

The threat of anti-capitalist terrorism, even if it were the critical danger the government claims it to be, does not stem from the Tanah Burung government and ousting them will not help. No one in the government has ever proved a connection between The Rumbiak Brigade and Burungi Peoples Representatives. They are pacifist rather than radical. Alkatiri has good selfish reasons to fear radical anticapitalism and terrorist activity just as other governments do.

Yet surely, one might object, the government’s case is right in one important respect: that whatever threat, great or small, a Tanah Burung harbouring sympathisers of the Rumbiak Brigade would be impossible to manage or deter by normal peaceful means. Therefore, overthrowing them is the only remaining choice.

This argument is correct – in one limited sense. If our basic problem is that the Rumbiak Brigade is “evil” with hostile and dangerous attitudes and purposes, and if the only solution to that problem we will accept is to get rid of them right now, then the problem is indeed insoluble by peaceful means. Some in the RCPK go even further in demanding that a new regime is installed in the United Provinces. Alkatiri remains anti-Knootian and remains in power with democratic support. But to claim that any leader we consider hostile represents a danger to peace and Knootian interests and security such that he should be overthrown by Knootian military power is a really extraordinary claim – one that the rest of the world must sooner or later find intolerable and one out of keeping with central Knootian traditions and values. We have not reached our position in the world by dealing with evil, hostile groups and regimes this way. In dealing with real, major threats both to the Dutch Democratic Republic and the world such as those represented by the Reich, Arda, and their allies, we have survived not by waging pre-emptive war but by deterring opponents from aggression and relying on outliving them, proving the superiority of our own system, and ultimately inducing peaceful change. That is the real Knootian way.

This paper is worried by the norm the government’s planned attack will set for the world. The Dutch Democratic Republic will be declaring not simply verbally but by using its armed force that a state may justly launch an intervention in another much weaker state even though it cannot prove that the enemy represents an imminent, direct, and critical threat, or show that the threat could not be deterred or managed by means other than war. It need only claim that the nation is harbouring hostile individuals, and might therefore attempt at some future time to carry out their hostile aims, and that this claim regarding their intentions (a claim made solely by the attacking state) justifies the actions of that state. A more dangerous, illegitimate norm and example can hardly be imagined.

The fundamental offence committed by Tanah Burung against the Dutch Democratic Republic is not any particular aggression or criminal act. The only alleged crimes are those of the Rumbiak Brigade. The offence has been and still is that Tanah Burung, has allegedly been allowing its citizens the right to form a group opposed to Knootian colonialism. It is as clear a negation of the fundamental principle of the juridical equality of all recognized states within the international system as one could imagine. To put it bluntly, it declares that there is one law for the Dutch Democratic Republic and other states of which it approves, and another law for all the rest. This position is imperialist. This newspaper knows how slippery, ill-defined, and emotionally loaded this term usually is, and how often and easily it is abused. There are major imperialist chapters and aspects in Knootian history and it was a full participant with others in the great waves of European imperialism, but its founding ideology was and remains anti-imperialist, it has passed up more tempting opportunities for imperialist gain than it seized, and its overall record is more anti-imperialist than imperialist down to this day.

This paper is often considered to be centrist or conservative, especially in political outlook and general world view. It does indeed not share the left-wing denunciation of Knootian “hegemony” in the protectorates as a great menace today. It has its dangers and negative aspects, but on balance Knootian leadership has done much more good than harm, and this paper wants it in general to continue. It is precisely from this conservative, pro-Knootian stance that we claim that this would be an imperialist war.

Despite claims of only “antiterrorist” activities, this war will eventually come down to using armed force against Tanah Burung in order to acquire the power to decide how Tanah Burung shall be run. In matters regarding the legality of the Rumbiak Brigade, but even for some Knootians in what kind of economy it will develop and what kind of educational and social systems it will erect under Knootian tutelage. This is clearly imperialism, even if we claim and really believe that we are doing it for noble ends – liberation, capitalism, human rights, whatever. 19th century imperialism was also conducted under the banner of noble ends – civilization, an end to the slave trade, economic development, etc.

Not attacking does not guarantee perfect security for us or anyone else– but nothing can, least of all pre-emptive war. If the means we have are believed to be insufficient, it is because of our own unrealistic perceptions and expectations. There can be no perfect security against terrorism – especially not through the use of military force. Trying to eliminate all the possible nests and sources of terrorism through military action is like trying to kill fleas with a hammer: it does more damage to oneself and the environment than to the fleas. (This does not at all rule out armed police actions like those against the FARC remnants or identifiable rebel groups.) The idea of eliminating all regimes who let terrorists use them is impossible and counterproductive, a bad dream.

OOC: nice editorial, Knootos. As for the negotiations, especially between RevTerr and Tanah Burung, it is impossible to be set in the past, because they were started by these IC-real-time events (in other words, while Galadriël has convened a session in parliament, Teliana Rui is reaching Buring-yang-membuat-dunia's Maglev Station). Revterr knows nothing about the "behind the courtins" talks between TB, Knootoss, Rumbiak Brigade (if any), and, as for the foreign policy of TB, until a threath was iminent, it couldn't care less. I would like to know where is Knootoss situated. Be advised that Revterran ships are on patrol in the southern sea you can see on the map at http://www.freewebs.com/santa_barbara/ehv4.jpg (copy/paste it in your browser)

And by the way, Mr Alkatiri, Mrs Rui is at your door :-)

((Thanks.
I was referring to the negotiations between Knootoss and its allies, because obviously the DDR would not just send ships and see who tags along. Your negotiations would be going on along with happenings here in parliament, yes.
You alse appear to be a bit futuretechish... I asked TB about your role etc. so perhaps you can contact him too if you have not already done so.
"Knootoss proper" is basically the Netherlands, so its in Europe. ))

The Weegie Star - Comment and Opinion

The Death of Reason, by Gabriel Malleotti

Since the election of the conservative RCPK party, the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss has edged steadily right. Whilst this holds no problem to our country, considering the lack of contact between our two nations due to the obvious dislike that the government has continued to hold for all ex-SATO nations, it holds a rather different prospect for our friends in Tanah Burung. Once a colony of the DDR, it has always enjoyed close relations with the DDR, who seem to have been forgiven for their colonial activities in Tanah Burung, as alien as that might seem to those here who still view Svea Riga with a certain fear and contempt.

But the two have cooled relations, in no small part due to the fact they have been moving in different directions. Tanah Burung both signed the IFTA, loosely connecting them with the CACE, and has elected a far more left-wing Foreign Affairs minister in Mari Alkatiri. Knootoss, meanwhile, elected a very conservative elvish Prime Minister, and relations between the two have become visibly strained. Some cynical commentators have claimed, for instance, that Alkatiri's raising of the Colombia situation with the International Mediation Council was to raise as many problems with the Knootians as possible, but no-one could have expected what was to come.

The anti-capitalist brigade fighting Knootians in Colombia composed of Tanah Burung citizens led to widespread condemnation in capitalist press, and even an ex-CACE member in Lietuvska, of Tanah Burung. Which, of course, seems rather odd. How on earth can you claim that a body of citizens who went to fight of their own accord, and not by the coercion of a government, are somehow representative of a nationstate's international conduct? But, inevitably it seems, things have come to a head, and now it seems that some of the RCPK are actively advocating an invasion of Tanah Burung, to "save themselves" from the "terrorist threat" of the Rumbiak Brigades. Surely someone can see that invasion of the Rumbiak Brigades' own country, especially when their namesake fought against Knootian imperialism, will only seek to antagonise them even further in their anti-colonialist policy? Surely these are just extremists in the ranks of the RCPK, and not the party's active policy? Because if it is, then we have a lot to be worried about by a far more aggressive and unilateralist Knootoss.

Of course, an invasion, if the Knootians are really that foolish, could be immediately raised as a point of order by our very own Paula McFadden in the IMC to call for cessation of the attack and mediation to be called, but how responsive would the other signatory nations be? Lavenrunz, the founder of the IMC, with its Antartic escapade, is no stranger to imperialist tendencies, and Tanah Burung, with it's association with the IFTA, and therefore the CACE, may not receive the sympathy it deserves by the other nations, Celdonia and Xikuang excluded. And then what could happen? My view has always been that the IMC was a dead duck; it cannot force mediation, only advise it. And what prevents Knootoss from simply rejecting it?

Knootoss' new aggressive agenda does no endear it to this person, or many people throughout the islands, I don't doubt. It seems, if this all comes to a head, that it could be the death-knell of the Age of Reason.

The Lavenrunzian Ambassador sent a note requesting an appointment with Alkatari at the earliest possible convenience.
(TAG)

http://www.webkwestie.nl/tweede_kamer/images/start.1.jpg
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The Hague – Parliament
-----------------------------------

Parliament is in session. The old chairman had gotten more gray and wrinkly since the last time a parliament session was aired on KNN international. Galadriël entered silently – taking the seat of the Prime Minister. This debate was not hers to have.

The old social-liberal minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Hans van Mierlo sighed as he walked over to the speakers chair, dressed in solemn black. He had dreaded this moment – he had wanted to resign. Pleaded to be allowed to resign. But to no avail. The party needed him one last time. The KNN camera panned in on the man who seemed somehow broken; without the boyish smile that had adorned many an SLP campaign poster.

He spoke slowly, with his head hanging. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman for convening on such a short notice.”, he gave a small appreciative nod as the English and Quenya subtitles for KNN fired up.” ”No doubt you are all aware of the situation surrounding the Rumbiak Brigade as I put it to all of you so I will not slow down the proceedings of this house by discussing them at length. I have just sent a request to Mari Alkatiri asking him to allow an international peace force to clear out the Rumbiak Brigade base in the United Provinces of Tanah Burung to bring its members to justice. I have urged the Peoples Representative to cooperate with this international police force but because this was only done very recently we have not yet had a response. With the permission of this House the government will send along heavy contribution with this international force which the DDR intends to lead.”

There was solemn applause coming from the blue seats to the right, gasps of surprise and shock from the left. KNN panned in on Femke Halsema who was holding her hand before her mouth, her pupils dilating. Then it gave a birds-eye view of the conservative section whose applause just faded away.

He continued equally solemnly. ”We have evidence that the Rumbiak Brigade, a declared terrorist organization, is dedicated to overthrow the current government in Colombia and is training men in Tanah Burung specifically to do this, while working together with other terrorist groups. Already they have smuggled weapons into Colombia as others have ambushed Knootian patrols and killed innocents.”

While the minister continued his address, Femke Halsema walked over to the interruption microphone. Van Mierlo looked up warily, pausing of his own accord after which the green leader asked in wonder: ”Mr. Chairman, how can the minister expect this… “police force”... to be supported by the Burungi’s themselves? This is a flagrant violation of sovereignty akin to declaring war on the United Provinces?

”No no no”, declared van Mierlo. “Not against the government or the people. We want an international operation against terrorism that will be both lean and mean; with the support of moderate Burungi’s. The government can remain in place”

A second person had taken place behind the interruption microphone next to Femke; a man in a black suit holding a newspaper interrupted. “But surely the minister is aware of the position of Alkatari, has he not read the papers? ” In a grand gesture the conservative MP held up the latest edition of the Telegraaf. ALKATIRI RUMBIAK BRIGADE MEMBER, the headline read. “Does the government intend to leave the leading terrorist alone?”

The SLPer frowned; “I am not aware of any intelligence stating that Alkatari member of Rumbiak Brigade” The MP smirked with an air of superiority, he had his moment. “Yet Knootian intelligence says so.”, he corrected the minister, ”according to this.”

“I will bring … investigate this claims and inform this House of progress but for now this is NOT confirmed news and I will not say anything of it.”

The debate went on for a while, with fierce Green criticism and conservative support while the SLP MP’s said relatively little, if anything at all the remarks would be technical or so vague that they could be explained either way. The liberals weren’t committing themselves, that much was certain. And when the ‘big three’ parties had had their say, KNN went for a commercial break.

----------------------------------------
Message to Magda Vogels
----------------------------------------

The Hague, July 1st, 20xx

Your Excellency will present the following note to the United Provinces Government immediately upon receiving this message.


The history of the past few months, and particularly the painful events of the last week, have proved the existence of a subversive movement in Tanah Burung, whose objective it is to separate certain territories from the Knootian Federation. This movement, which came into being under the very eyes of the Burungi Government, subsequently found expression outside of the territory of the United Provinces in acts of terrorism.

Far from fulfilling its formal obligations, the Burungi Government has done nothing to suppress this movement. It has tolerated the criminal activities of associations directed against Knootoss, the unchecked utterances of the press glorifying the goals of terrorist acts, the participation of officials in subversive intrigues; it has tolerated every manifestation which could betray the people of Tanah Burung into hatred of the Dutch Democratic Republic and contempt for its institutions.

This toleration of which the Burungi Government was guilty was still in evidence at that moment when the uncovering of Rumbiak Brigade members in Colombia exhibited to the whole world the dreadful consequences of such tolerance.

The statements and confessions of the captured members of this organisation brought out by our inquiry into this matter no longer permit the DDR Government to maintain the attitude of patient tolerance which it has observed toward those agitations which centre in the Unite Provinces and are spread from there into the territories of the Knootian Federation. Instead, these results impose upon the DDR Government the obligation to put an end to those intrigues, which constitute a standing menace to the peace of the Knootian Federation.

In order to attain this end, the DDR Government finds itself compelled to demand that the Burungi Government give official assurance that it will condemn the hostility directed against Knootoss, that is to say, all the efforts whose ultimate object it is to separate from the Knootian Federation territories that belong to it; and that it will obligate itself to suppress this criminal and terrorist propaganda. In order to give these assurances a character of solemnity, the Burungi Government will pledge itself:

1. to proceed at once to the dissolution of the Rumbiak Brigade and to confiscate all of its means of propaganda, and in the same manner to proceed against the other associations in Tanah Burung which occupy themselves with terrorism against Knootoss. The United Provinces Government will take such measures as are necessary to make sure that the dissolved associations may not continue their activities under other names or in other forms;
2. to allow an international police force to act against the Rumbiak Brigade inside the territory of the United Provinces and to agree to the cooperation in Tanah Burung with the organs of the DDR Government in the suppression of the subversive movement directed against the integrity of the Knootian Federation.
3. to institute a judicial inquiry against every participant in the conspiracy against Colombia who may be found in Burungi territory; the organs of the DDR Government delegated for this purpose will take part in the proceedings held for this purpose;
4. by efficient measures to prevent the participation of Burungi citizens in the smuggling of weapons to outside their borders.
5. to make explanations to the DDR Government concerning the recent unjustifiable utterances of high Burungi functionaries who, without regard for their official position, have not hesitated to express themselves in a manner hostile toward Knootoss.
6. to inform the DDR Government without delay of the execution of the measures comprised in the foregoing points.

The DDR Government awaits the reply of the United Provinces Government by Friday, the second of July, at 6 p.m., at the latest.

Would Your Excellency please also take note that -- in the event that no unconditionally positive answer of the United Provinces government might be received in the meantime -- after the course of the 24-hour deadline referred to in this note, you are required to destroy any correspondence relating to this affair and abandon the Knootian Embassy in Tanah Burung together with your personnel. You are advised to take the first available maglev service to Oglethorpia where further transport will be arranged.


---------------------------------------------------------------
The Emerald Heights region – 6 hours later
---------------------------------------------------------------
Any advanced military radar system on active would be able to detect planes coming in from the south. Three pings, first, then more. Spread wide, in small groups, fighter signature.

“Turning on approach to Megalopolis – turning to 355 maintaining altitude” the first radio message crackled, followed my messages of similar content. Their course corrections brought the aircraft on an approach vector to the central landmass In the Bureaucratic States of Oglethorpia. From there they began slowly dropping altitude in heading for the border – something coordinated by responding messages from Oglethorpia itself.

About fifteen minutes later more planes – this time heavy grey/green-painted transport craft disturbed the air with their heavy humming and bulky signature on the same vector. – fighter escorts adding to the radar profile.

Burung-yang-membuat-dunia

Pointedly, Alkatiri was receiving foreign ambassadors in a former Knootian East Indies Army barracks, now converted into government offices. On the walls, woven batik cloth tapestries showed scenes from the war of independence: mountain guerrillas battling the local recruits of the old East-India Company, and triumphing.

As he read the note from Magda Vogels, Alkatiri's normally blank countenace clouded over. He read faster and faster and with a griimer and grimmer expression. As he finished, his face was contorted into a rictus of anger.

"Madame Ambassador, your note is nothing more than an ultimatum. I have stated again and again that my government is moving as quickly in this matter as permitted by law. And now you threaten us with invasion. I assure you that security is quite within the capabiltiy of our own police. In the meantime, this is not a communication that should be exchanged between sovereign states. I regret to inform you i am not able to accept this note."

He held the paper up in front of him, flat, and handed it back to Vogels. In diplomatic parlance, it had never been delivered to the government of Tanah Burung, though of course its contents would be known to the rest of the collective presidency quickly enough. After all, it had been digitally photographed while Alkatiri was reading it.

"Now, if there is nothing more, i have other appointments."

---

"Who else?" Alkatiri asked his secretary.

"A request for a meeting from the Ambassador of Lavenrunz, and the RevTerran envoy is here. And there's this communication just in..."

Alkatiri read the message and smiled slightly, before dashing off a reply.

"Inform the Lavenrunzian ambassador i would be honoured to speak with him. And send Ms Rui on in, please."

The doors opened. "Teliana Rui, Representative from RevTerr."

Alkatiri smiled. A new face, from a country Tanah Burung had dealt with only in a joint solar energy generation scheme.

"Ambassador, welcome," he said expansively. "I wish we could have met under happier circumstances. Still, a thousand times welcome. I hope your journey was pleasant."

As he spoke, aides brought in tea, cakes and curries and offered them to the visitor. "Will you take a drink with me?" Alkatiri asked, expressing the traditional form of welcome of his mountain home province.

International Mediation Council building, GMC Military Arms

Violeta Bi Bere had decided that this job was not worth a jug of old tea. The International Mediation Council, in which she had placed great faith, had not proved effective in a single international crisis to date. And now, she was forced from her favourite position, that of neutral mediator, into appealing to the council as a party in a dispute.

Well, so be it.

The old woman asked to call the IMC into session and laboriously stood to speak.

"My friends, i thank you for hearing me. I speak to you on a matter of grave urgency to my country and to the cause of international peace to which we all stand pledged." She paused, and looked at the Knootian representative for a full five seconds -- a long time, in such a setting.

"There is a country which i have long considered to be a friend of peace and of international law. The country of Grotiius, father of the peaceful settlement of disputes and the rule of law. That country appears to be in the hands of a warmongering clique. Thefore, i am appealing to this council to intervene and prevent a violent conflict between my country and the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss.

"Several days ago, our countries began to drift from our former good relations into a state of hostilties. I make no apologies for citizens of my country who have resorted to force in Knootian-administered Colombia. they have not acted properly. That matter, too, should be settled by mediation, and my government is ready to accept mediaiton and abide by its ruling.

"We are now informed by various friendly governments of unimpeachable integrity, and by the words of the Knootian Prime Minister herself, that the DDR is likely to resort to military action against my country. I submit that this is a violation of the treaty the DDR signed establishing this honourable council, and it is exactly the sort of dispute that this council was created to settle. Therefore i am appealing for immediate mediation. It saddens me that it has come to this, when the people of both countries wish for peace between us."

With a long sigh, and seeming to wipe away a tear, she sank back into her chair.

In the skies above Tanah Burung, unmanned stratospheric blimps surveyed the land and waters around. The Knootian jets arriving in Oglethorpia were tracked, and remote controls ordered the blimps to scan the seas.

Bi Kikere, the people's representative for territorial defence and sports, was upset. Partly by the military movements, partly by the news from Eauz, where Tanah Burung was on the brink of elimination from the World Cup. She fired off a short text communication to the Oglethorpian government.

Brothers,

Please forgive me for not using the proper forms for this request. You'll understand the urgency of the message has prevented my office from filling out form 137G/8, and i'm not at all keen to wait 4-6 days let alone weeks for delivery! I'm concerned that the Knootian jets in your country are there with intent to attack us, and would welcome your assurances on this score. As per our intelliegence-sharing agreement, i am also requesting any satellite surveillance on foreign naval movements in the area. My thanks in advance, and best wishes on your World Cup run! I'm chilling a bottle of Stout Lout champagne in expectations of another Emerald Heights Cup.

Bi Kikere
People's representative for territorial defence & sports
Proud Crocodile since World Cup 2
and loyal neighbour to the Bureaucratic States since 19xx

(ooc: Knootykins, any ships i can see, or are there only submarines en route?)

Teliana Rui's mood dropped suddently, when, while expecting to be received by the burungan minister she received a message on the Rik, the handheld device acting like a PAD that all the revterrans are carrying. The message was short, as Crist Dragh knew where she was: Foreign planes spotted heading towards Oglethorpia; searching for the source in the international waters on the way. Message sent to Oglethorpia.
Ambassador, welcome! Alkatiri's voice stopped the daydreaming. I wish we could have met under happier circumstances. Still, a thousand times welcome. I hope your journey was pleasant.
It truly was, thank you, and I should have visited Burung-yang-membuat-dunia (pause to breath) a long time ago.Diplomatic, but missplaced, as Alkatiri wasn't too fond of the city.
Will you take a drink with me? Alkatiri asked
Gladly
Darn protocol! Rui thought.

Representative Alkatiri, I know I might look too straight forward, and maybe even not-diplomatic, but you must surely know that foreign troups are gathered even as we speak around your country. Planes are spotted in Oglethorpian waters, ships left knootian ports. I understand your vote issue and it's timing, but you must realise your defensive capabilities.
BLUNTNESS ALERT!!! An internal voice screamed inside ambassador's head. F**K YOU! came the answer.
I know our countries did not have a lot of contacts, but we are a sort of neighbours. We are quite concearned about what happens to your country. And franckly Teliana was looking Mari straight into his eyes we are concearn for your country safety. Is there anything you could tell to make us feel better?

OOC: Sorry for beeing so late.
TB, I understand there is a treaty between you and Oglethorpia. Can you TG me the details known to the public about it (it would be weird for Rui to ask about something that anyone knows about.)
Knotoss, are there any ships around Emerald Height southern waters?

(very rushed, so i can only reply quickly & ooc right now. RevTerr, the info you're looking for is on the Em Heights board in news, under my thread on stratospheric blimps. Not that it says much more than is already here...)

IMC Building, GMC Military Arms.

Paula McFadden stood up, with a look of piercing fury in her eyes, moving over to severe distaste as she glanced at the Knootian representatives.

"Delegates. You must ask for an intervention, a mediation at this gross act of warmongering. This is exactly the sort of situation that the IMC was set up to prevent, and I urge you all to see sense, especially those from the DDR, in bringing an end to these insane infringments on a soverign nation."

"The Knootians call it a police action, but an invasion by any other name is still an invasion. If this IMC cannot even do this one right thing, then I may just lose all confidence in it altogether. Remember what we set this up for; to try and find a peaceful solution to conflicts. Let us do so."

Paula sits back down, and gives a nod to Bi Bere.

Brothers,

Please forgive me for not using the proper forms for this request. You'll understand the urgency of the message has prevented my office from filling out form 137G/8, and i'm not at all keen to wait 4-6 days let alone weeks for delivery! I'm concerned that the Knootian jets in your country are there with intent to attack us, and would welcome your assurances on this score. As per our intelliegence-sharing agreement, i am also requesting any satellite surveillance on foreign naval movements in the area. My thanks in advance, and best wishes on your World Cup run! I'm chilling a bottle of Stout Lout champagne in expectations of another Emerald Heights Cup.

Bi Kikere
People's representative for territorial defence & sports
Proud Crocodile since World Cup 2
and loyal neighbour to the Bureaucratic States since 19xx

In accordance with the aforementioned agreement, the Defense Bureau, in cooperation with the Foreign Relations Bureau, shall share data gathered from Bureaucratic States observation satellites.

We feel it is advantageous of our two countries that we both be able to track the movement of anti-Rumbiak Brigade forces. As bordering countries, and under said intelligence-sharing agreement, we are obligated to keep you informed on the troops using our country as a staging ground.

The information gathered on naval movements off of our coasts shall be unconditionally shared with the Burungian government. What we know -- you shall know as well.

-- Gordon Newell, Foreign Relations Bureau

OOC: Oglethorpia, I TG you about whether you will RP or not on a meeting between my ambassador and your foreign minister. Please Respond.
EDITED: i did not received the first TG, sorry, but I did received the second one.
IC:

The two cars stopped in front of the Oglethorpian Foreign Relation Bureau's building, and a tall man and his assistants rushed out of them. The four man delegation entered the lobby, and then it separated: the guards remained outside, while Raluc Dit, a 51 years old, tall man, proceded toward Gordon Newell's office, as instructed.
RevTerr's ambassador in Oglethorpia was soon ready to be received.

((this post was salvagable on the slightly damaged floppy disk of mine so I'm posting it here from the library computer. It hasn't been able to take into account the latest posts but it should still work... I think. My rep will just have to glance at the Weegie also....

Also, one of my prepared TG's to Tanah Burung (the one about this RP) was damaged, unfortunately, but it will be forthcoming.))

----------------------
Tanah Burung
Maglev station
----------------------

Magda wore one of her silk shawls as a headscarf, partially hiding her white face as she boarded the evening maglev bound for Oglethorpia. The Knootian embassy personnel had left in the dusk, carrying only essentials for the trip and some personal items. Huddled together in small groups they spoke only minimally and when they spoke it was in hushed voices. The only one missing in the party was ‘Churchill’, as the attaché had been nicknamed, but nobody seemed concerned. When checked by a Burungi, Magda waved her diplomatic pass along with a ticket. She did not look the man in the face.

She slowly sat down in a comfortable chair next to a window, three others in her company. The Sun had just set and a very calm atmosphere had come over the United Provinces. She swore she could hear the small animals humming and chirping even though that was technically impossible. With a small thumb followed by a humming sound the maglev energised and sped off to the Bureaucratic States

--------------------------
Tanah Burung
Knootian embassy
--------------------------

The evening lights just had just been flipped on in the Iansisle embassy when one of their guards smelled fire. Little black plumes came from the chimney of the Knootian embassy next to it, and the black plumes soon turned into a larger smokestack. Inside, the fat grin of ‘Churchill’ the intelligence officer lit up against the fire in the fireplace, the flames reflecting in the Knootians monocle. With a shovel from Magda’s garden he put the stacks of paper in the fireplace.

He alone remained in the embassy. All its corridors were cold, empty, abandoned. Except for that one room. The Burungi’s might come for the embassy tomorrow morning, or they might not come at all. It would not matter. This night he had to burn things.

--------------------------------------------
Tanah Burung territorial waters
KDF Walrus
--------------------------------------------
The KDF Walrus was one of the older submarines built at the Rotterdam shipyards. It was actually rather small and noisy compared to the nuclear submarines that were slowly coming into service to replace the ‘Zeedier’ (‘Sea animal’) class vessels. But what the crew may have lacked in technical gizmos they made up for in experience: the Walrus had been active in Colombia and only recently they had patrolled the Reich western shores for four months. Granted - without firing a shot - but six days of successfully dodging the Reich battlecruiser Graf von Speer surely counted for something.

The bridge of the Walrus was even more claustrophobic than usual when it ran in stealth mode. It was as if a grey blanket of silence had been thrown over the ship. Captain Ölwe - a tall elf with a yellowish complexion - bent over his nav officers chair to inspect the readout.

“Sir? There is a small blip bearing 213 - CAESAR suggests a 56 percent likelihood of a military patrol vessel and that signature is improving.”

The elf frowned, never really trusting the military supercomputer when the likelihood of anything was below 90%. “One of ours?”

“No Sir, I don’t think so. Besides, its impossible that they are already here. The ETA of…”

Ôlwe had heard enough. “…thank you lieutenant.” He turned about: “Helm, match their course and speed. We’ll be tracking them as long as they are in our area of operation. Depending on where they go the Dolfijn or the Zeeleeuw can take over. Until Tempo Doeloe starts we should keep an eye on everything suspicious.”

The sleek grey vessel made a minor course adjustment underwater, displacing a slight amount of water in the warm Emerald sea which in turn caused an invisible ripple to slowly spread in concentric circles around the ship. (*hint*)

---------------------------------
The Emerald Seas
Surface fleet
---------------------------------

The surface fleet had left some time after the submarines, so naturally it arrived later. But when it did arrive it was quite a sight. Sparkling new where the ‘Air Defence cruisers’, a mighty trio combining AEGIS-like technology with traditional armaments. The KDF Vrijheid (Liberty), KDF Gelijkheid (Equality ) and KDF Broedershap (Fraternity) where at the heart of Knootian fleet modernisation. Old but still impressive were the battleships - named after foreign leaders the KDF Prokhor Zhakarov and the KDF Sirithil nos Feanör had names resounding in history. With an impressive battle record of nearly all SATO missions that the DDR had been part of and a few more they had proven themselves. But despite minor refits their technology was now seriously behind the time for NS battleships. Carriers were remarkably absent in the fleet - notably the KDF Vogels which nearly always accompanied the two battleships as the flagship. Obviously the Knootians were counting on air-support from land-based airstrips.

A host of other, smaller ships was escorting the traditional transport vessels. Barring a few specialised vessels, most transports were not really different from chartered civilian cruise ships (except for the accommodation being less comfortable). With all the varying sizes of the transports and their escorts the sea was dotted with a flurry of activity. Following the trail of the aircraft before them, this fleet also turned for Oglethorpia. But the captain of the Sirithil nos Feanör did send out a public message to the admiral of the Galdagan fleet, inviting him over for dinner that night aboard his ship.

----------------------------------
IMC mediation council
----------------------------------

The Knootian representative rose to answer Bi Bere. The voice of the Frysian was a little bit lower then usual.

“I don’t really see this alleged change in our national character reflected in our past actions Ms. Bi Bere”. I would like to bring it to the attention of the IMC council that WE have always been cooperative. Earlier we have welcomed an IMC investigation when Tanah Burung launched baseless claims about a non-existing Colombian insurgency - the IMC delegation is still in Colombia.- and now when we seek to protect our nation from terrorism they refuse to even accept out petitions!

We have sought to negotiate repeatedly and we have only wanted to protect our people and the peace of the world and if the United Provinces seek to negotiate now then we are glad that they have changed their minds.”

We aren’t going to invade Tanah Burung at all. But the Rumbiak Brigade does pose an Immediate security risk to us; from captured terrorists we have obtained credible information that more attacks are being planned against Knootoss in cooperation with other terrorist groups. Therefore we have no other choice but to proceed against them now, but we are still willing to enter IMC negotiations as the charter states. We would much rather reach our goals through diplomacy then by using violence.”

((oh, yes, the arrival of ships above was also made under the assumption that the Galdagans have already arrived. grrr.))

IMC Mediatiaon Council, Marshall Island,

With The Nachxa, Special Envoy of the Republican Council away in Columbia, the position of Representative to the IMC fell to Jonathon Tocatl, the chief of The Nachxa's assistants. The middle aged gentleman listened intently to Voileta Bi Bere and the Knootians delegate. He decided immediately that he didn't like either. After they had said their peace he stood and spoke.

"The DDR has most certainly changed it's national policies. I remeber how eloquently and vehemently Knootoss spoke out against Edolia and the Scandavian States when they intended to invade another nation. I remeber when Knootoss left the UnAPS to protest aggressive military action and policies. Now they deploy their own military against a defenceless foe. This change is obvious, I would hate the credibility of the DDR to be damaged by such a stunning reversal of past policies. I also recall that the DDR signed the IMC Charter, promising to ask the Council for mediation BEFORE resorting to military solutions, we hear the request for IMC intervention from the target, but the DDR, despite their promise, move in with arms before coming to the IMC.

I will let the DDR know that the Tactical Group 'Sir William Issem' will soon be in Tanah Burung, tread carefully my friends. (OOC:maybe, I have yet to hear if my forces will be allowed to be involved, if no, ignore this line )

It is also foolish that The United Provinces would risk the lives of their citizens by failing to take action against a group that has broken Tanah Burung's laws and International law. Isn't weapons smuggling illegal in Tanah Burung? Why hasn't Tanah Burung stopped such illegal activities, why is the 'Rumbiak Brigade' still able to move freely and support insurgents well beyond their borders?

I say you are both looking for excuses to confront the other over your obvious ideological differences. It will be shameful for both nations if this results in any military actions. I support the IMC getting involved and taking immediate action, Knootoss must withdraw it's 'Police Force' and Tanah Burung must enforce the rule of it's own laws.

You act as children, but this is not a child's game, real peoples lives are at stake."

He then sat, glaring at all of the Council members with his dark coal like eyes as he grumbled to his assistant in Tolteca

-------------------------------------------------------------
Sea, south of the Emerald Heights, close to Oglethorpian waters
-------------------------------------------------------------

Look at the size of that thing!leutenent Tikr said, looking to his monitors.
Impressive, but not enough for an invasion fleet. came the answer. We are missing something. Submarines?
We are too far to be certain. Not at surface, anyway. They have some launch capabilities, acording to the data...
Yes, but not enough. Base, we will soon reach the Oglethorpian teritorry. We are heading south, expending the scann area
Roger that!

The Scanair class plane (revterran version of the AWACS) made a majestic turn and headed toward the south of the Oglethorpian waters. All the battleships have received orders to periodically launch all the scanairs. The knootians came in a too sharp angle and luckly missed the air patrols. The second fleet won't have that luck.

---------------------------------
RevTerr, CentrArm Complex
---------------------------------

The captain is right, there is simply not enough firepower to guarantee a success against the Galdagans, let alone a join force Galdago-anyone else.. Admiral Marius Rian, head of the RevTerran Marine Force (FMR) finished his analisys.
What about the submarines? asked Revert
We know the Knootians deployed some, but we did not follow them, either because they were too close to someone teritorrial waters either because they where too far -the dolphins told us they are there. No contact yet, but still, if they wanted to invade, I would have expected a greater firepower, and some carriers. From what we know, those battleships where almost alwais followed by a carrier, which did not happen.
Could they actually go for a surgicall strike? admiral Anca Nita, head of the RevTerran Secret Service/Force (FSR) asked
It is the only logicall assumption. But still, they would have to rely on much air support, which I doubt they have.
Revert thought for a moment. Then, hesitantly, spoked:
What if they are relying on someone else for help? We know they sent planes to Oglethorpia, which probably landed, since no one said anything about some crashes. So the Knootians are getting help from inside Oglethorpia. Since their coast defence is not that stupid to miss some planes...
Very possible, sir.
Crist, telegram our ambassador in Oglethorpia, priority message, tell him what I have just said (don't look so puzzled, tell him what you understood!). Tell him to push for clarifications, on or off the record.
Comander, more ships heading Smaralzia. Too far, apparently heading toward the west of the Smarald sea
The TOR area. Go Crist!

OOC: RevTerr does not like warshipsclose to it's territorial waters, and thus it does not send some either. We are relying on other methods of getting informations from other nations courtyards. The ship Waldrus saw could not have been revterran.

BYMD City

Bi Kikere read the message from Gordon Newell impatiently. Yargh, Bureaucratese. She called in an interpreter who also read the message.

"They appear to be offering to share what they know, Ibu," he said.

"Yes, all right. But what, exactly, do they know?"

"Um, i'm not sure if it says."

"Well, let's ask them, dammit."


Dear Gordon,

I enjoyed your letter very much. I'm pleased to see that Oglethorpia continues to stand by its treaties. What an honourable people you are!

I want to give you my personal assurances we are tackling this annoying problem with irregular militias. I'm hereby asking formally: are there Knootian troops in Oglethorpia? How many, and with what armaments? Can you assure us they will not be deployed from your soil? Please also inform us as to air and naval complements of Knootoss in the region.

My thanks in advance, and as ever, best of luck with your World Cup qualification campaign. Some day, we really must mount an old-timers football tournament. In fact, perhaps we'll offer to host one after the current unpleasantness is over. I'm sure you'll agree, national differences should be settled on the playing field, not the battle field.

Alkatiri's office, BYMD

"I know our countries did not have a lot of contacts, but we are a sort of neighbours. We are quite concerned about what happens to your country," Telina Rui had said. "And frankly, we are concearn for your country safety. Is there anything you could tell to make us feel better?"

Alkatiri almost wanted to laugh. Or maybe cry. He wanted to tell her that the Knootian surface fleet was turning around and going home: that would make both of them feel much better. That not being an option, he'd have to think of something else.

"I realize we're staring invasion in the face," he replied. "And your concern is gratifying, truly. Should your naval forces wish to make a goodwill visit to our ports at this time, i can promise they would be welcomed."

He took a breath. "Really, you should be asking the Knootians for reassurances. I understand their ambassador is in Oglethorpia, i'm sure she would be happy to speak with you. As for us, we cannot hope to defeat a foreign fleet, as we have no warships of our own. Should they land troops, we shall of course resist them as we did in our war of independence. But i still hope to head off war. This all began when some of our citizens landed arms in Colombia to help revolutionaries there fight against Knootian rule. The collective presidency has decided to stake everything on the international community and strike at the heart of this issue by ending the arms trade in this country entirely. That should be enough to re-assure almost any warmongers."

Or so he hoped. It was a pretty forelorn hope, though: he suspected that the stiff-necked stubbornness of Knootoss had already kicked in.

IMC Building

"I want to thank my dear colleagues from Ilek-Vaad and the Weegies for their words," Bi Bere said after reading a text message on her satellite phone that made her break into a smile.

"As Ms McFadden has said, the credibility of this council is at stake. I am renewing my request for the Council to follow its procedures and establish a three-nation mediation committe composed of one country nominated by Knootoss, one by Tanah Burung, and a third country to be agreed among those two nominees. If you are willing, dear heart," she nodded to Paula, "we would be pleased to nominate The Weegies to the committee."

She turned to face the entire room again.

"Mr. Tocatl is quite right, my country bears a share of responsibility. We have taken your words to heart, my dear. I agree that our national laws should be enforced. We have already taken one step, which is to call a national referendum to outlaw the Rumbiak Brigades. The law does not permit my government to outlaw orrganzations without public consent, but we are seeking this.

"Secondly, i am pleased to announce that my country has shut down its arms manufacturing industry. This all began when citizens of my country landed rifles in Colombia. As from today, the Arms Manufacturing Cooperative of Tanah Burung has agreed to dissolve itself. Its workers will be retrained for peaceful industrial production. The arms trade is now outlawed in Tanah Burung, pending approval in a referendum. However, with the closing of the Arms Co-op, we have stopped our participation in the international arms trade. This is a gesture of goodwill to the international community and to Knootoss, and i trust it will be enough to convince the Knootian authorities to abide by their treaty commitment to use mediation before resorting to force."

Teliana looked at Alkatiri and saw nothing but diplomacy. You could have been more direct, couldn't you? Let me speak the same language:
We do not have diplomatic relations with Knootoss. I will try to speak to their ambassador in Tanah Burung, Mrs Vogel. Meanwhile,diplomatic smile onwe understand that there was a treaty signed between Tanah Burung and Galdago, granting the right to a galdagan batlegroup to enter burungan waters up to (and including) the harbors, to stimulate turism. Could that treaty be extended to integrate one of our battlegroups? We would be happy to "pay a visit". Maybe, when this is all over, one of your aerial surveillance unit could pay a vist to RevTerr? Without the surveillance equipment, ofcourse?
As she spoke, she extracted the Ric from it's holder, and, without looking at it, she pressed two buttons, unlocking it and sending a prepared message. By the end of the last question (which she asked with a almost a grin) CentrArm was already informed to send the ships.

While Alkatiri was responding, and revterran ships where leaving Ceahlau base, the Knootian battle group was entering Oglethorpian waters and Maria Vogel the Maglev.

OOC: sorry, but I felt we were needing a time frame refference

IMC Building, GMC Military Arms.

Paula stood up again, her chin thrust out in defiance toward the Knootian delegation again.

"I am honoured to accept that nomination from the representative from Tanah Burung. We from the Weegies will do our best to bring an end to this madness. I hope the other nominees can say the same."

She sat down, and started scribbling in a small notepad.

--------------------
IMC Building
--------------------

With a cordial smile, the Knootian answered. “Mr. Tocatl made a fair point about terrorism and we would very much want the Burungi’s to enforce the law.

I must say though… shutting down your arms industry seems to me like an unnecessary step to me since the weapons smuggled in by the Rumbiak Brigade where actually not made in the United Provinces. You’ll actually need weapons to arm your coastguard.” The Knootian representative turned around to one of his assistants. “Can you set up the presentation please? Then pull up slide four?” The assistant nodded, and went to work as the Frisian continued speaking.

There seems to be an unfortunate misunderstanding regarding the nature of our specialist anti-terror teams. We aren’t attacking any defenceless foe as Mr. Tocatl implied. The Burungi’s are our friends. My government would never even dream of acting against the United Provinces government. We will gladly submit to mediation in what is rapidly beginning to be an international crisi…”

The assistant signalled that the presentation was ready, and the representative turned and gave a quick nod. A rotating 3D image of a modern rifle was projected on the wall with a conventional photo of the weapon next to it. A host of statistical numbers regarding rifle properties and other irrelevant data filled the empty spaces.

“Ah… yes. That’s the one.”, he said recognising the image. “This type of rifle was in one of the shipments we uncovered. It isn’t produced in Tanah Burung for as far as we, ah, know.” He smiled secretively. “However recently we have arrested several terrorists from another anticapitalist nation whom we caught after they ambushed a convoy in Knootian Colombia. This proves that the Rumbiak Brigade is involved in an international terrorist network whose aim is the systematic destabilisation of third world nations all over the world… to profit from the chaos to spread their poisonous ideology. Who knows which defenceless people they will prey on next. Slide 10 please.”

The digitally enhanced slideshow switched to a partial world map with several ‘hotspots’… Tanah Burung highlighted, boxed in next to the country a picture with vague satellite images of what appears to be a simple Burungi village. “The Brigade spreads like an octopus, extending its tentacles everywhere.”
A bloody arrow briefly appeared on the screen, crossing halfway across the planet and making a new hotspot appear in Colombia. This time the hotspot was accompanied with an aerial photo of a deserted guerrilla camp in the jungle. The third hotspot was in Aperin; the small box containing the same image of the rotating rifle. A fourth hotspot blinked in western Europe, showing vulnerable Knootian targets… dykes with tall white windmills in the background, chemical plants in Rotterdam.

“Its not just us they are after. Interrogations of their members revealed that any protectorate, dependency, colony, disputed province, fiefdom, ally or trade partner is a potential target.”

A few dozen other hotspots appeared featuring places such as Menelmacari America, the Lavenrunzian Muslim province, Ale-Yarok, -the Prophet-, Axcacal, East-Phyrric, Galaga and all the other colonies in existence in the world of NationStates. Even Thelas and Roania were included, as they are nations paying tribute to the Eternal Noldorin Empire of Menelmacar.

The Knootians address now reached an emotional high, and he looked around to face each delegate individually.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as they say there are lives in the balance, people under fire and children at the cannons. The Rumbiak Brigade stands poised to strike now… they need to be stopped now.

I will gladly enter a mediation process with our Burungi friends if they desire it so. But despite our willingness to negotiate… do not expect us to idly wait until radical nutcases decide to bomb our dykes and bring the inundation upon us.”

---------------------------
The Emerald Seas
---------------------------
Approximately 20 minutes after the first revterran ships left Ceahlau base, a short transmission in English was sent out from the Knootian battle group in Oglethorpian waters. Claxons wailed as all combat-capable ships went on full alert, the turrets of the battleships turning to east as the transports speeding hastily to the safety of the Oglethorpian ports.


From: Admiral de Witt; CiC Navy BEFOR Taskforce
To: RevTerran Commander

We have detected extensive fleet movements from one of your bases. The vessels involved are projected to be on an intercept course towards our current position on the south of the Burungi-Oglethorpe continent. Please identify the purpose of this aggressive deployment immediately.

Should you have any questions, diplomatic or otherwise, contact the foreign ministry in The Hague.

You are advised to stay well clear of the Knootian taskforce unless you desire to start a war. We will fire warning shots near any intercepting vessel approaching our outer security ring. Any ship approaching our inner security ring will be fired upon and sunk.


------------------------------------------
Knootian embassy in Tanah Burung
------------------------------------------

The phone rang a few times, resounding in the hallway of the embassy. The number was foreign… probably Revterr diplomats trying to contact Ambassador Magda Vogels. But there was nobody there to pick it up, or at least nobody there who wanted to pick it up…

((OOC: Meh. I am waiting for Ruhr and Galdago to post their navy bits. *prods them*
RevTerr you have a telegram.))

Jonathon Tocatl laughs as the Knootian representative finishes his presetation "I'm sorry, you were serious?" he pauses and laughs again.

"It seems everytime you speak you undermine your own claims. You now say the Rumbiak Brigade isn't even operating with Tanah Burung, but internationally . If weapons aren't coming from Tanah Burung and the Rumbiak Brigade is operating from different nations than why are your forces headed there? You say they are not defenceless but you show us slides of antiquated, ill-manufactured weaponry? Who have the Rumbiak Brigade even sucessfully attacked? I am only aware of one unsucessful instance of arms smuggling? How is the Rumbiak Brigade even a threat?"

He pauses and stands staring directly into the Knootians eyes.

"This whole discussion is a farce and a bid to play for time by the DDR. They want their forces to be in place before the IMC is able to do anything. This whole discussion is an attempt by the DDR to undermine the ability and responiveness of this council. The DDR is acting in an incredulous and absolutely unfounded manor.

The DDR is intending a 'police action' in the United Provinces but has just shown us evidence that the Rumbiak Brigade may not even be operating out of Tanah Burung and that the weapons involved are certainly not even from Tanah Burung! This is an outrage and an affront to international law and etiquette."

As Mr. Tocatl moves to sit he slams his fist on the table "I would move that the IMC immediately censures the DDR , this council shows it's impotence by allowing the DDR to make it's members their personal hand puppets."

As he sits he gathers up his papers and nods to his assistant "Regardless, this discussion has no further point, I will be in my office speaking to The Supreme Republican Commander, I would prefer that HE deal with the Knootians anyhow."

With that he leaves, the typical Vaadian exit to pointlessly long and contradictory discussions.

IMC Building

Bi Bere had to laugh as the Knootian multi-media presentation proved so counter-productive, undermining the case for intervention. Silently, she sat and waited for the IMC chair to rule on the motions before the council.

Tiga Burung

A functionary was putting the final touches on a news release from the Sunny Tanah Burung Tourism Bureau. With a flourish, he hit the send button to transmit it to media outlets.

NAVAL SPLENDOUR

The ships of friendly nations will soon be visible offshore. What a show! The magnificent naval behemoths of our new trading partners from Galdago and our neighbours across the sea in RevTerr are visiting our shimmering waters on a goodwill mission. You loved the war ship from Iansisle that stopped by revently. Now, thrill to the clean lines and cool efficiency of the navies of Galdago and RevTerr!

These goodwill visits have not a thing to do with the recent tensions with our friends from Knootoss. Why, the beaches of this country remain open to our pale friends from the north!

Reinforcements of goodwill are also expected soon from Ilek-Vaad. These marvels of modern mechanical engineering are a sight to be seen! So while our country has chosen the path of peace, our citizens and tourists won't be denied the sight of these ships of goodwill. Shoudl the sailors wish to sample local cuisine and beauties, we hope you'll make them welcome with out land's legendary hospitality.

Sunny Tanah Burung: Your Dreams made Flesh (TM).

OOC: Delayed reaction, I know. My sincerest apologies. This post is to be considered consideraly in the past events of this thread, possibly a few days ago.

----------------------------------------
22.10, Aboard the CNV Triton
Tiga Burung, Tanah Burung
----------------------------------------

“Report helmsman,” Nierrosa ordered.

“All ships have cleared the Tiga Burung bay and are making way to Ukun Rasikan,” the seaman replied. “We should be there by 2330 hours.”

Nierrosa nodded and continued to assess the situation. “Tactical, what’s the status from the forward patrols from the Seahawk and Condor?”

The woman manning the tactical station looked up from the list of communications she was reviewing and reported. “The Seahawk reports the 31st Close Air Support Attack Helicopter Squadron has been recovered and reports no coastal activity to the northernmost reaches of the coastline. Condor informs us that they have just received communication that the 48th has finished its sweep of the southern coastline and is turning for home. All’s quiet out there sir.”

“Very well. Comm, radio the Seahawk and Condor and tell them I want sweeps of Tanah Burung’s southern border with Oglethorpia at 1000 hours tomorrow morning. The Knootians have forces stationed there and intel reports indicate that more are possibly on the move. Best not to take any chances. If the Knootians are rumbling around down there, I want the Burungis to know about it as soon as possible. It's better than waiting for
Oglethorpia to pass along a memo. I’m retiring to bed. XO, you have the helm,” Nierrosa nodded to the bridge officer who’d just come on duty. “I’ll see you all in the morning.”

Silently, the battlegroup glided in the dusky twilight towards its final port of call.

The Tactical Group 'Sir Willaim Issem' cruised steadily along, now nearly within 100 miles of the territorial waters of the United Provinces. The Tactical Group moved in formation for battle, their main Revenge Class battleships and Tollan carriers are well guarded by the Jaguar Arsenal Cruiser escorts and a screen of submarines. I orbit the Retaliatory Guards RASTER satellites kept tabs on the group, sweeping the waters around them.

As night fell Admiral Lassander Ilek relaxed at the control console of the Sir Willaim Issem's Fire Control.

"Captain, we'll be in Tanah Burung soon, hail their coast guard and port authorities and let Sir Alec know we'll be in sight of United Provines in a few hours."

The Captain nodded "Yes, sir." he motioned to the com officerwho began a broadcast to the Burungi authorities

"This is Naval Guard Tactical Group Sir William Issem. We are approaching the terrirorial waters of the United Provinces. Please instruct where we should come to anchor. We are looking forward to you hospitality."

Observers of the Tactical Group will notice that instead of the usual 2 battleships in the group that there is a third Revenge Class Battleship at the rear of the group....

*****

At the Vaadian Embassy Sir Alec was just pouring himself a nightcap when Sir Aldred stepped in

"Alec, The William Issem will be here by morning, you'd probably be well advised to give Mr. Alkatiri the heads up."

Sir Alec nodded " Right-o." he paused picking up the phone and dialing the Burungi foreign Ministry

*****

At the IMC headquarters Mr. Tocatl returned to his office and sat angrily, and placed a call to the Minister of Foreign Affairs office, after being put on hold for some time (not improving his mood) he got through to the Minister.

"Minister, the IMC isn't going to do anything. I don't even see the point in being here."

His eyes got a bit wider and he smiled as the Minister passed along some good-news (in Jonathon's eyes anyhow), he smiled slamming the phone down, his assistant giving him an inquisitive look.

"Good-news, the Minister of Defence is refusing to vote to remove the Military Mandate Uncle Istvan gave himself under the Emergency Powers Act,Uncle Istvan will be in Tanah Burung Burung tomorrow!"

His assistant rubbed his chin "That can't be good for anyone."

IMC Building
The Knootian maintained a dignified composure, seemingly ignoring the Vaadians behaviour but regarding him with a trace of contempt as he shut the door of the council room behind him.
“Since the esteemed delegate of the Free Republic has left I wonder how he intends to vote in his own resolution. At any rate, this as a complete misrepresentation of what I just said.

We are not playing for time, we are willing to negotiate with the Burungi government despite our firm commitment to antiterrorist action. There is clear evidence that evidence that the Rumbiak Brigade is based in Tanah Burung itself, but operating internationally. The arrests we made of Burungis abroad prove this.

I move that the chair do its actual job now that we need them. Instead of playing to Vaadian tantrums this council needs to actually do its job and form negotiation teams.”

---

((OOC notes:
-Ruhrian forces will be opening the assault by land, sea and air. They were sorta with us in the fleet, I guess. That was put in telegrams I *think* but he has not posted in this particular thread about it. Anyway, you’ll see as he posts his loooong post. And remember… NO NUKE-TIPPED MISSILES… and easy on the nasty things please. As we discussed.
-Ilek-Vaad arrives only after Ruhr leaves. I-V please make the distance between your naval assets and TB *bigger*. You arrive muchos later then us. You also scrambled the fleet days later to begin with, for one. Thank you.
))

IMC Building

Sighing almost imperceptibly, Violeta Bi Bere taps her microphone. "If the delegate of Knootoss wishes to negotiate, nothing would please us more. It is after all, my dears, exactly what we are requesting. The delegate from Knootoss must by now be aware of the procedure for selecting a mediation commitee, which requires no action from the chair. Both sides name a country to the committee, and the two countries named then select a third. We have nominated The Weegies. If the delegate of knootss is serious about negotiations, then let them name a country and the mediation can go forward. If they do not, then they speak only omong konsong, empty words. And of course, they are required to suspend military operations to give mediation time to work."

Tiga Burung, a few days later

A monitoring station in the offshore island province tracked the approach of the fleet from Ilek-Vaad. A small cheer went up as they noticed the battle group was larger than had been reported. Others looked nervous. This was a large force, deployed by Vaadian military authorities operating in the interim between governments: it was a wild card, and that made them nervous. Still, the cheers outnumbered the scowling faces.

"Battlegroup Willaim Issem," a radio operator said, ignoring the honorific in a overly-zealous egalitiarian moment, "you are cleared to dock in Tiga Burung Port. Please keep a safe distance from our fishing boats, if you could possible manage it."

((My occ note is on timelines. Doing this here becuase teleggrams are slowing things down. I realize this whole RP is a glacier-slow one in some ways, but it is still just a couple of days game time since events in Colombia set all this off several RL months ago. This is my best effort to come up with one:

Sunday: Rumbiak Brigade rifle shipment intercepted, Colombia.
Monday: news made public in speeches by Alkatiri and Galadriel. Knootian military begins to move towards TB.
Tuesday: Diplomatic meetings, dispatch of battle group from Galdago. Third World solidarity dinner at the Iansisle embassy in TB.
Weds: RevTerr naval forces go on alert. Knootian ambassador leaves for Oglethorpia.
Thurs: Ilek-Vaad naval battle group mobilized. Knootian forces arrive in Oglethorpia, accompanied by Ruhrians, although i don't know this yet. Galdago fleet arrives in BYMD City, where the Tanah Burung collective presidency is meeting.

An attack can begin Thursday or Friday. The Ilek-Vaad forces arrive near TB waters on Saturday. There is a map of TB, drawn by the lovely and talented Galdago player, at http://www.freewebs.com/tanah_burung/tanahburungcities.jpg))

------------------------
IMC Building
------------------------
The Knootian representative* avoided commenting on the last point, instead rebuking: “Any country that we feel understands the Knootian point of view would be satisfactory to us. Chimaea would do well, in our opinion. They know the Rumbiak Brigade as we do.”

(*OOC: whose name I forgot. Grrrr. I do recall his home province, looks and character. Meh. The OOC note on timelines is, well, acceptable. The invasion planning would be rather quick but at least the order of events is sorta okay. So It’ll do if we just suspend our disbelief real hard.)

OOC: guess it was my time to be out of game. I’m sorry it took such a long time. Ahh, real life. I’ve been to the sea side (sun, water, sun, water, a girl, water AND a girl….really good life!
No internet. That sucked!). Back to “reality”:
IC:

RevTerr is a very centralized state, as sooner or later everything important goes through Comander Revert’s office. Especially a diplomatic crisis.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Admiral de Witt, CiC Navy, BEFOR Taskforce<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<Comander Revert, CentrArm, RevTerr>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Greetings, Admiral!
Our forces left Ceahlau Base to attend Tanah Burung invitation to a military parade in their harbors. We are not on interception course with you (except, of course, if you are heading yourselves towards Tanah Burung).
The above phrases, however, were our last pieces of information we are willing to deliver concerning our military movements, as we do not recognize Knootian right to dictate ANYTHING in the Emerald Heights area. We will respect, of course, the international conventions concerning the International Waters and the Defensive Perimeters along any military vessels passing through them. We expect you to do the same.
We do not have diplomatic relations with DDR. Thus, for any questions please contact admiral An Drei, head of the RevTerran Marine Force or Crist Dragh, Minister for Exterior. Also, the officer in charge with Ceahlau fleet, general Klit, is instructed to communicate with you, if you have questions.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

While the message was being transmitted, the revterran fleet was already entering it’s preplanned vectors. Each of Loro Sae, Tiga Burung, Ukun Rasikan and Burung-yang-membuat-dunia were soon to receive a carrier, two battleships and support vessels.

>>>>>>>>Commanding Officer, Tanah Burung Military Forces (or equivalent), Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Admiral Klit, Flagship Rarau, approaching Ukun Rasikan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Greetings on behalf of the RevTerran Marine Forces!
We have just entered your territorial waters, and we are advancing towards your costal area as planned. Since we understand your desire to keep your ozone layer intact, we will refrain from using our jets (except for the minimum required to run the operations and the parade purposes, as preplanned). However, because we have a defensive perimeter to protect around our ships, we desire access to your hot-air-balloons surveillance system.
We welcome your invitation to take short leaves on the harbor area of the cities. A schedule will be forwarded shortly. We have established a tour of our ships, if any officials and/or civilians would like to take it. We leave the scheduling in your hands.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Emerald Seas

The fishing boat "Anak Laut" cruised under a scorching sun. Ahead of it, dolphins jumped into the air, exuberant: the constant companion of ships in tropical waters. Fishing nets dragged lazily, catching nothing. For this was actually a surveillance vessel, looking for underwater craft.

"Strewth, so many war ships in the area," said a sailor named Simon. "There must be some subs lurking somewhere. Stands to reason."

"Nothing located yet," replied his partner. "Just a hell of a lot of marine mammals."

IMC Building

Bi Bere smiled as the Knootian representative (his name eluded her: ah, the vagaries of old age) named Chimaea. It seemed that the Colombia mediation committee she had called for last week was coming together after all.

Ukun Rasikan

"I'm gonna get me one of those hunky Slavonic sailors." Magdalena da Cruz, a member of the Sex Workers Guild and shop steward for five years, watched the approach of the battleship from RevTerr. She saw the ship, but to her it didn't represent military power: it represented the money that sailors always brought to prostitutes living near the docks. With her, dozens of fully-licenced sex workers, all certified clean of disease, waited for the oncoming bonanza.

IMC Building, GMC Military Arms

"You suggest that the Rumbiak Brigade is internationalist merely because you found people from another anticapitalist nation fighting in Columbia? I do hate to break it to you Knootians, but mostly you aren't most anticapitalists' flavour of the month, as it were. They may not be affiliated to the Rumbiak Brigades... these guerillas might just not like you Knootians. To be honest, I'm beginning to see their point of view."

-----------------
KDF Walrus
Emerald Seas
-----------------
One mile ahead of he fishing boat "Anak Laut", captain Ölwe was still tracking the Burungi fishing boat trespassing in ‘his’ sector. However, another ship that was directly on a course towards him was quickly becoming a bigger worry then the random vessel. CEASAR encounter projections worsened and the elvish captain certainly did not want the KDF Walrus to be spotted on the eve of battle. Finally, he made his decision.

“All stop. Allow it to pass.”

And with that, the Zeedier class made a graceful glide into silence. The only things making underwater sounds were the strange but – in the opinion of the elf - irrelevant sea creatures populating the emerald seas merrily and echoing their sonar.

---------------------------------
IMC Building, GMC Military Arms
---------------------------------
"I can assure you, Sir, that we have hard evidence concerning their cooperation with other groups", rebuked the Knootian. "We will release this evidence in due time. And you especially will be sure to hear more of it."

*Bump* just wake me when I should post ;)

Ok guys, see you in 3 hours. And don't you dare close your Rics, or you will really have a war!
Ok sir!
Have fun! And leave something for the rest of us!
We will, sir!
The boats left, leaving the 10 marines on the harbor. As soon as the lieutenent was well enough back to the VMRv NISTRU, one of the marines started:
Yahoo! Ladies, the boys are back in town. Come guys, the museums to the left, for fun come with me to the right.
The first group of revterran marines allowed a short leave splited. Four of them followed the happy one.
I can wait to get my hand of one of the burungan girl.I wonder what burungan sex is like.
I doubt you know revterran one :-) :-)
What should be a burungan sex way?
Well, they have colective presidency, maybe a colective...err...partners. Three at the price of one.
You wish! But I don't want to know what the foreigners arriving on our harbors expect from our brothels.Remember that slaglandic who said that we are land of the cats, and thus we "love" animals?
Thank Cat our lieutenent was there, or he would really feel some cat tail up his ass.
Look, isn't there Ralient, from MURES? Hey, Rali!!! There is nothing but women in that direction. What will your wife say?
I have an understanding with her: we "love" who we want, except in RevTerr.
I heard Firo had a deal like that, but it didn't work.
Firo was a moron. He tried it with a man somewhere in the nordic part of the continent, and his wife found out. Roumors has it that when the judge asked why divorce of such a fine officer, she said "You kiss him!"
:-) :-) :-)
Look! The banner. Ladies, here comes the Navy!

*pokes Ruhr*

OOC: Sorry I've been away so long. Anyway... I'll place Chimaean special forces with the Knootian military, and take it from there. long post coming up.

-----------------

New Sydney International Airport

General Garrison knew he was in for a grilling the moment he stepped off the military passenger jet. There was a small crowd of journalists and media reps waiting for him at the bottom of the ramp.

He stepped down and gave them a wry look. "Don't you people sleep?"

There was a ripple of nervous laughter, and the grilling started.

"General, Mike Richards, New Sydney Times. Can you comment on the recent increased activity on the East Coast? There's been numerous reports about a large deployment."

"It's just a regular exercise. It's been on the books for months. After West Africa, we want to make sure our forces are still in the best possible form."

"Mia Muckleson, CCBC. Are we getting involved in Tanah Burung? Is Chimaea going to be part of an invasion--"

General Garrison laughed. "Tanah Burung is not being invaded by anybody. What's being proposed is a police action, and whether Chimaean troops will take part is still being discussed. If they call for our help I'm sure we can assist. After all, dealing with the S.I.N. has given us valuable experience in anti-terrorism." It was a lie of course--the decisions had already been taken.

"Sergei Karatova, Channel Six News. Do we have any troops in Oglethorpe?"

"Now why would we do that? Look, it's been a long trip and I for one am starving... if anything happens I'm sure I, or Lady Bryce or the Prime Minister would be happy to conduct a press meeting. Now if you'll excuse me...?"

Ignoring the blabber of questions, General Garrison pushed past into the waiting staff car, which drove from the airport at speed.

-----------------

Oglethorpe, near the border with Tanah Burung

Major Harding of the 23rd "Black Berets" Army Special Forces Group woke up with a start, gasping for breath. His standard-issue 9mm pistol was clutched in his hand and he forced himself to relax his grip and let go.

The cool blue light of dawn filtered in from the flap of the one-man tent he slept in. He blinked the sleep away from his eyes and splashed some cold water on his face from his canteen.

He wondered what he'd dreamt. He could never remember his dreams. He had a suspicion he wouldn't want to.

Out in the hastily-cleared area where the Knootian forces had camped, an early morning bird was cawing loudly. The major ignored it, splashing water on his body then towelling it dry, before donning his combat fatigues and stepping out into the encampment.

He didn't like the fact that it wasn't Chimaea forces out there with the Black Berets. Not that there was a problem with the Dutch personnel, but he hated having to keep various operational plans secret. Though he supposed the Dutch command elements would know; however policy spoke against informing the local Dutch officers.

He just thanked goodness they all spoke English. Though there were interpreters in the Black Berets, the rest of the teams had only had the chance to learn the languages associated with Tanah Burung.

The Peace Corp soldiers on watch nodded aimiably to him as he crossed the ground. This was a good thing as they didn't know he was an officer--naturally special forces didn't wear insignia. They had been told early on not to salute any of the Chimaean teams.

It was slightly annoying, but this day would be a lot like most others--waiting for the greenlight on their missions so that they could make the initial incursions into Tanah Burung, specially around the countryside and the more rural villages. Major Harding had read the available intel on the Brigade and he didn't expect much in the way of intense firepower; however he wasn't going to take chances and had equipped quite a mobile arsenal for the teams.

He didn't let himself think about the other orders he'd been given. He vividly remembered the red circles marked on Tanah Burung infrastructure, possible military locations, sattelite imaging. Just in case.

As the sun rose over the nearby woods, the Major wondered when the go would be given--and just how far this mission would take them.

-----------------

CSS Jindalee, Naval Base

Admiral Esterfield leaned over the glowing map-table, tapping her finger thoughtfully on the surface. Around her, a few Naval officers and technicians fussed at various consoles, organising the various Chimaean Naval deployments around the world.

She listened as an aide wound down his report. "...Galdago Navy ships within the area. They're trying to make sure the Knootians don't try anything untoward by sea."

"How willing are they to engage?"

"If the situation gets hot, sir... I'm not sure that they'd be ready to be drawn into a full-scale battle."

The Admiral shook her head. "I'd prefer to avoid such an engagement... thing is, the allies don't want this to be a major operation. Low-key is the order of the day, no carrier groups."

"Submarines? Missile frigates, a few destroyers... A specialised taskforce to provide cover for the troops on the ground and to act as coastguard against terrorists?"

The Admiral nodded. "It sounds good. Get the Second Fleet on higher alert, in any case, and get what's needed out of our forces in Knootian waters if possible. Have the plans on my desk ASAP."

"Yes, Admiral."

She watched the man hurry away, then turned back to brood over the map of Tanah Burung, shaded in red...

*last poke for Ruhr. My own first strike post is being written and is making headway. Grrrr.*

"They wouldn't dare." Constancio Ainaro, people's representative for social justice, was on his feet before the collective presidency, meeting in the ancient city of Burung-yang-membuat-dunia, hard by the Oglethorpia border.

A wizened and tough-looking woman leapt to her feet, then winced at the arthritic pain of standing so suddenly. "They can and would," spat out Bi Kikere, the people's representative for territorial defence and sports. "We've denied them the easy naval attack route by jamming up the sea with friendly fleets, but there are high force concentrations building up in Oglethorpia: Knootians, Chimeans, and who knows how many others. I hardly need remind this group that the Knootians are quite capable of invading under the guise of a police action -- they have done it before."

"Yes, but times are different now," Ainaro insisted. "Their allies will never accept their flouting the Mediation Council."

Bi Kikere laughed. "That wallpaper factory? It couldn't act even if it chose to. We need to look to our defences. Defence forces are mobilized, but you all know we have no capacity to face a modern army in head-on warfare. You know our defence is territorially based guerrilla action, the 'poison shrimp defence' that admits we cannot defend the borders but makes the country indigestible and ungovernable, and wears down the enemy over the long run. That will set back the economic growth you are all so proud of. We need to prevent an attack, not invite one. I propose that we act now without further delay to ban the Rumbiak Brigade and hunt down its members ourselves. Meanwhile we need to strike some alliances to defend ourselves. Forget this referendum, we must act now."

Ainaro went pale. "That is unconstitutional. If we do not respect the rules of our democracy, we are nothing."

"Pah," Bi Kikere snorted. "I am talking about saving our democracy from its own excesses. Perhaps you would prefer to become a Knootian protectorate? How democratic is that? Enough of this useless talk." Angrily, she strode out of the room.

IMC Building, GMC Military Arms

Paula raised an eyebrow at the Knootian, but preferred not to get into a shouting match over Colombia. After all, it looked as if nothing the IMC could do now would avert any kind of situation between Knootoss and its' former colony. An aide whispered something into her ear, and her eyes widened slightly. She talked to him softly in Weegie for a short period of time, and then they both seemed to come to some sort of consensus.

She scribbled a little note, glancing at those around her suspiciously, and then motioned for the aide to take the message to Bi Bere.

The aide nodded to Bi Bere as he gave her the note, and then turned away sharply and smartly.

Bi Bere,

Our respective countries, although very different, share a common bond with our similar histories; both our countries born from the yoke of imperialism. As such, we feel close to your country and cannot stand by and watch this flagrant discarding of your nation's sovereignty. If your nation wishes it to be so, we would gladly send some of our own men into Tanah Burung to help you at this hour of need. Of course, this is entirely your own choice; to intervene without your consent would be a slap in the face to everything we believe in.

Yours, Paula.

P.S. I trust the Knootians have not closed off contacts and trades with the IFTA, yes?

Bi Bere read the note and ruefully thought about how some countries had been luckier with their former colonial rulers than others. The Grand Duchy of Hell Bovines had managed to remains the closest of friends with the post-colonial government in Galdago. And while the relatiopnship between Svea Riga and The Weegies had its tensions, the two countries remained allies. She had hoped and worked for a similar relationship of friendship with Tanah Burung's former colonial power, but more extreme politicians had come to power in both countries, uninterested in friendship.

And the result, almost certainly, was another invasion of her beloved country by the Knootian armed forces -- which had developed into a force to be reckoned with, while all the time Knootoss proclaimed its pacifism.

It made the old woman want to weep. She had placed her faith in the International Mediation Council to solve so much international tension. Now, the council had proved itself impotent, unable to even help her own country fend off an attack.

She smiled at Paula and waited for the next break before striding across to clasp hands.

"Your note touched me, dear heart," she said. "Our trade is, for the nonce, unimpaired. What a generous suggestion you've made by offering to send those tourists. In fact, i think we might be able to arrange a special tour for, say, 500 young citizens of your country to come visit us by means of the diplomatic blimps. Do be sure they're fit and well-equipped for adventure tourism, though." She winked, trusting her meaning was clear.

The Sir Willaim Issem and it's cohorts drew inexoriably closer to Tanah Burung. Admiral Ilek rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he watched the satellite feeds on the Sir William Issem's plasma screens,he did not like what he was seeing.

"Captain, order the Revenge Battleships to deploy the sonic sweep (side scan sonar). Contact Tanah Burung's defence authorities and sort out whom all of these ships belong to. For the moment pull our arsenal cruiser screen closer , but keep the subs out at range. I want every sonic sweep ping matched with the satellites thermal imager, anything that sticks, get a sub right on it's tail. I want every sub in these waters found, and identified."

The Captain nodded and began issueing the commands.

Admiral Ilek touched the comm at his side and hailed the Tetzcatlipoca, the ominous third Revenge Battleship.

"Uncle Istvan, there is heavy naval activity in Tanah Burung's water, we're sorting out who's on what side. I'm not sure we're looking at any Knootian naval armada building up here."

****

Deep in the hold of the Tetzcatlipoca The Supreme Republican Commander listened thoughtfully as the Admiral briefed him, behind him, Colonel Mustapha Erdogan spoke.

"I told you, any Naval moves they make will be small , Naval landings are tough even without enemy ships in the sea, and Burungi waters are getting crowded. They're coming overland."

Uncle Istvan grinned back at Erdogan "That's what I would do.........however they get there, once in the jungle they're ours.........if they come. Wouldn't this be perfect, Knootoss threatens a 'police action', outraged nations swarm Tanah Burung, and Rumbiak Brigade, or not, can't move without confirming Knootoss' fears and turning would be enemies to their side. or the Rumbiak doesen't move, and hides deeper in the jungle, either way the Brigade is shut down."

Erdogan shakes his head "They want blood, it's not the Rumbiak Brigade they want, it's control."

Uncle Istvan nods "Well, let's hope you're right Mustapha, or this was a pointless trip. Stuck in this hold, when we show up I'm killing someone!"

They both chuckled.

Uncle Istvan touched his comm "Lassander, get the Burungi Minister of Recreational Blood Sports, or whatever they call their defence minister, I need to see how far our welcome is going to go."

They both chuckled again.


*****

Meanwhile (back at the ranch) at the IMC , Jonathon Tocatl's assistant made a brief appearence back in chambers as the meeting recessed for a short break. He moved directly for Violeta Bi Bere.

"Ambassador Bi Bere, Mr. Tocatl would like a quick word with you, if you have a minute?"

OOC:

This may be relevant at some point: http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=347434

IMC Building, GMC Military Arms

"Mr. Tocatl will need to wait for one second. Me and Ambassador Bi Bere need to work a couple of things out."

Paula turned back to Bi Bere.

"I am sure our young citizens would be most enlightened by that special tour. I believe it could be rewarding for both of our nations. I think that can be very easily arranged. Although, I was also noting that we had a rather suprising surplus of catch in the shared waters around the Weegies... I'm sure we could very easily supply Tanah Burung with large numbers of these. Of course, the people managing the trawlers will also stay around for a short while, I suppose, maybe longer. You know how they can be."

IMC Building

"Nothing would please me more than a chat with Ambassador Tocatl," Bi Bere said with a smile. "I shall be along presently."

With that she turned back to Paula. "I must say, my dear, these Vaadians are a gallant people, but a trifle hastier and less concerned with the diplomatic niceties than some," she whispered to the Weegie. "Personally, i find it charming."

She listened to Paula's mention of a fishing boat, trying not to wince too much. It had been a fishing boat that had got the Rumbiak Brigade people in Colombia into the mess that had started this whole crisis. But the idea had merit, certainly. "I am sure your fishers would be welcome; my people are always happy to exchange their own abundant fish for those caught in other lands. Perhaps you should communicate directly with my foreign ministry on this, dear one."

(ooc: i'd like to limit any foreign military help to small numbers on land -- the cap of about 500 per country i'll be tossing out to those offering help is arbitrary but should keep things contained. IC justification for refusing larger offers of help will come after the invasion. Knoot, if that number doesn't work for you, please telegram.)

Ukun Rasikan

The night was unseasonably chilly in the diplomatic centre of Tanah Burung as the guests emerged from a pleasant, if entirely inconclusive, dinner at the Ianislean Embassy. Mari Alkatiri, longing for a decent night's sleep, spoke to each as they reached the embassy gate that marked the frontier between the national territory of Iansisle and that of Tanah Burung.

"Excellency, my apologies, but there has been a change of plan. We had hoped to entertain each of you in our country, but in the past few hours we have received confirmation of a foreign invasion force poised to attack Tanah Burung. I am afraid that you must return home for your own protection. A luxury blimp with sleeping quarters is prepared for each of you and waiting right here." He gestured towards Canal Street, where half a dozen blimps lay moored.

And so the foreign dignitaries left, one by one. Some for the short hop to Tiga Burung where their jets and miltiary escorts awaited, others by blimp all the way back to their own country.

Last of all, splendied in his outrage, the Grand Duque Mooo of Hell Bovines. "The imperialists can't be allowed to get away with this," he said firmly. "I would like to stay, friend, and fight by your side."

Alkatiri pondererd in silence for a moment. It was completely irregular, of course. Any previous Burungi foreign minister would have refused. But then, he had promised to do foreign policy differently.

"Very well, then," he said suddenly. "I must say, the Bovine heart beats more strongly for the revolution than i had known. Stay, and be welcome. But you cannot stay here, the city is certain to be among the first targets if the filthy Knooters do attack. After all, it used to be the capital of their Indies empire."

And so, after a brief delay in which one of the Auto Cooperative's Bovine-sized cars was found and brought to the spot, the Duque and his retinue travelled by car and boat, under cover of darkness, to join a detachment of the People's Defence Militia, rousted out of their own beds to begin drilling in a small village somewhere between Ukun Rasikan and BYMD City. And if the villagers gawked a little at this large cow who just happened to be a head of state as well, who could blame them? Bovine royalty may have been a common sight at diplomatic functions, but this was the first time most villagers had seen such a sight.

((Erm, I did rather forget about that, didn't I? *coughs into hand* Sorry. :())

Fletcher waited until the diplomats were all gone at and the gates closed before collapsing in a chair and sighing morosely.

“Well,” he said after awhile. “Well.”

“They are taking it rather well, aren’t they?” asked Burton, pulling a drape aside. “Just sitting here and waiting to be invaded?”

“It’s a shame,” said Fletcher vehemently. “We ought to be doing something to help them: they’ve been our allies for ages, through thick and thin, even when we disagreed with them at the last conference. There has to be something we can do.”

“You could call Ianapalis,” suggested the other man. He gracefully accepted a drink from a passing servant. In the fireplace, the great log of stout Shieldian oak crackled merrily.

“You know what Inswick’d say - they’d have us instruct all the secretaries they’d better stop answering as ‘the Iansislean Embassy to Tanah Burung’ and instead say ‘Welcome to the Iansislean Consulate in the Knootian East Indies!’ No, I can’t do that. They’ve helped us out before; why are we so helpless now?”

Burton didn’t say anything.

OOC: Hehe, I love the post TB! I promise I'll put myself up to date with this thread as soon as I have the time. promised!

------------------------------------------------
A small military airfield north of Megalopolis City
Bureaucratic States of Oglethorpia
------------------------------------------------
The capital of the Bureaucratic States, Megalopolis City in western Oglethorpia, was closer to the Tanah Burung border then the major cities along the coast, but as it was a march to the west covering over two-thirds of the country, there were not many Knootian troops about. Instead, the airfields in the region had been crammed with aircraft flying in overnight from the allied nation of El Hefe in the Amazon river basin and other bases in Knootian Colombia.

This was also the case on the small field the military bureaucracy of the Knootians had dubbed ‘AirPoint 51’. The two landing strips with accompanying hanger and refuelling depot had been a flurry of activity with eurofighters of different types landing and being checked and fuelled and given their loadouts with the aid of cranes and other mechanical devices. The pilots of Purple Squadron were either getting some sleep or were being briefed by their commanders.

“Purple will by flying air superiority missions over the United Provinces tonight using pre-programmed sat intel to take out hostile recon targets on their patrol routes”, a Prussian-looking commander with a big moustache explained to a group of pilots in a small room next to a hangar. “Pink will be escorting the yellow bombers in Operation Cut-off.”

One of the pilots raised his hand. “Cut-off, Sir?”

The officer sniffed and declared. “Our Middelzware Bommenwerper II tactical bombers will be taking out command and control assets in the capital area, as well as communication assets to disrupt the chain of command and the ability of hostile leadership to communicate during phase one of Tempo Doeloe”

“We will be shootin’ at balloons tonight then”, a young pilot in the very back of the room whispered to the older man next to him. “Yeah… and the other guys will be dropping bombs on very hostile telephone centres,” the answer came.

“ANY QUESTIONS IN THE BACK?”, the officer shouted. Both pilots snapped to attention and shook their heads.

---

Knootoss took to the sky at the twilight's last gleaming. With the last strip of light fading behind the horizon, the calm rhythm of the pilots at base was replaced by a walk to their cockpits. In perfect sync with similar operations at other airbases, the engines of Eurofighter Wing 231 ignited a flame and propelled the planes off the airstrip, heading north in Delta formation.

As soon as the three planes entered Tanah Burung airspace the radio chatter stopped. Only accompanied by the calm bleeping of the CAESAR computer system the wing hurried itself to a navpoint just south of Burung Paradis. Then, almost precisely at the spot the computer had predicted, a huge blip on the screens of the pilots. It was one of the balloons guarding the local airspace. A quick lock-on beeping sound was followed by a thrice-thumping. “Missile away.” It was all very clean and mechanical. As the weapon was, quite literally, “fire and forget”, the planes banked east for their second objective…

---------------------------
Ukun Rasikan
---------------------------
Darkness had fallen over the main city in Tanah Burung when the planes arrived and it would probably remain dark for quite some time. The green, relatively thick planes could be heard from some distance by the Tanah Burung citizens down below. But the medium bombers could not be seen until they swooped down on several buildings inside or just outside the city in their first attack run.

Appearing as bright new stars on the night sky they dropped their payloads on two power plants, the communication centres of the city (such as telephone switch centres and the like.) Explosions lit up the night sky and for a second it seemed like it was day in the immediate surroundings. For the rest of the city, darkness came after the explosion as electricity was abruptly cut off. A swarm of precision-guided missiles pounded the city dockyard, taking care to avoid any ships in the harbour. Still, one of the missiles swung off and hit one of the brothels near the dock. A curse in Dutch escaped the mouth of a bomber pilot as a fireball formed slightly west of the pier that had been the intended target.

((I am presuming a certain level of surprise here, of course, but when things start to go boom the rest of you will be bloody well alerted which is why I have not RPed the bombers returning yet. Indeed, this is the “first move”, so to speak.

Anyway, I will just post this thing in little bits. My characters will be introduced in the next post but this first post is really what Ruhr was supposed to do. Next post: navy!))

----------------------------------------------
KDF Zhakarov
Leaving Oglethorpe territorial waters
Twenty after first incursion
----------------------------------------------

“Captain on deck!”

Sailors snapped to attention and saluted Captain Merwede as he made his way to his meeting with Taskforce Commander De Vries in a staff meeting room down the hall of the formerly Angstian battleship. The captain felt how the ship rocked gently on the waves as it began to pick up speed. Heading North.

De Vries was an imposing man who was uncharacteristically old for a Knootian, with thin and undyed white hair contrasting strong with his thick uniform in the navy shade of green. The commander quickly came to the point after the short welcoming pleasantries of two men who had already spent several weeks on a single ship together.

“Captain, as you know we are currently splitting off our Antiterror Taskforce in two, with us, group A, going directly into the strait south of Tiga Burung and group B making the north turn along the eastside of the island to cut off the north for blockade.”

The captain nodded. “As you have noticed, we are already moving Sir. If we are not intercepted the battleships will reach coastal bombardment range of eastern Tiga… ”

A monitor on a sidepanel in the wall of the meeting room flashed on and the face of a woman in navy uniform appeared. “Captain, commander.” She nodded. “Sirs, the battleship Sirithil nos Feanör is signalling that it is now underway on a southerly course and leading the empty transports of the Transport Taskforce back to the Den Helder.”

“Give commander Hoogendijk my regards.”, the old de Vries answered with a winning smile. “Anything else?”

“No Sir”, the woman answered while looking down slightly. “Course and speed are according to schedule.” The channel closed and de Vries still gazed at the place where the woman had been for a second or so,

“Anyway, sir? Why have you called me here?”

“Oh, yes. The thing is, I am worried about the RevTerr fleet and the Galdagans. They need to be able to escape, so to speak. So far the Galdago taskforce has not responded at all to out hails and the RevTerr message is… unclear. I am worried that they will perceive our two-pronged move as an attempt to trap the ships in the bay. And if they think they are being closed in they may just start shooting.”

“How about hailing them?”, Merwede suggested.

“Yes… we’ll be broadcasting a message that they are allowed to leave. But still, they may not believe us right after we attacked Tanah Burung. To give us better numbers in the… regrettable… case of an engagement I have attached six escorts from the transport fleet to the northern approach group. The frigates Hanze and Muntenmaker will be commanded from here by group A. Coordinate with them.”

"Yes Sir!"

--------------------------------
Along the Maglev
Tanah Burung
--------------------------------

Joop van der Meer, ‘helicopter pilot extraordinaire’ , it read on his helmet. A bit presumptuous, perhaps, but being one of the DDRs remaining helicopter pilots who had actually made kills with their machines, the Shadow War veteran indulged. The sound of the rotors of his machine drowned out most of the scary sounds of the nightly jungle surrounding the clear-cut area of the Tanah Burung - Oglethorpia maglev and the heat seeking equipment directed at the jungle showed everything in that pale green light. The heatseeking equipment used to scan the area detected only tiny differentials, still. Nothing there to blow up him or this precious maglev connection.The maglev itself stretched out like a long ruler that had been laid out across the landscape. From the sky, each new section of the maglev, seemed like another indication of measurement of this great ruler.

“Section clear. Moving to the first encounter waypoint.”, he thought as he allowed his finger to touch the digital map on his right side. As if on cue, the first maglev train arrived exactly on time and glided past him underneath, a shining snake of light, or perhaps more like a dagger thrusting itself with tremendous speed towards the heart of the United Provinces. The same vehicle that had carried Magda and her embassy staff out of Tanah Burung was now crammed with Marine Corps forces scheduled to arrive in the heart of the city and secure it before the breaking of the morning light.

As the train vanished in the distance all became dark again in Joops cockpit. Three blinking dots appeared on his screen behind his helicopter, closing rapidly. Galdagan interceptors? He clenched his fist hard around the stick, ready to counter an incoming missile. The very presence of the CACE fighters had certainly added an extra degree of nervousness to the pilots in the Knootian air force.

There were three seconds of anxious uncertainty before CAESAR identified the three dots and coloured them green, with symbols of a KDF transport plane and two eurofighter escorts coming in behind him with the same destination as the train. A small sigh of relief escaped from his chest.

“Nothing yet”

OOC:
Before I forget, I used the TB map to provide a visual representation of what is going on:

http://www.fredvogels.org/images/firstattack.GIF

I also made this thing with excel concerning the Order of Battle and troop numbers and such. It can be dowloaded from my website. It is the second download. Click here: Clicky Clicky! (http://www.fredvogels.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=viewdownload&cid=1)

----------------------------------------
Knootian Staging point Alpha, North of Sheffingham, Oglethorpia
3:15 AM
----------------------------------------

“We attack at dawn," the voice of the officer sounded confident as he pointed his finger near their position, and then moving it north to Tanah Burung. It gave private Jeroen a sense of urgency. Finally he would see some action. This was why he had joined the military.

“We will be part of a drive north by the 34th and 35th mech. inf. Brigade. Resistance in the first day is not expected so we will use this road here…” The finger of Jeroens commander followed a red trail northwards that split into a main road between Ukun Rasikan and Burung Paradis. “And then spread here.. and here. The three Infantry brigades of third division and Peace Corps will be right behind us to capture and secure these airfields… there.”

The group nodded collectively. Jeroen peered at the symbols representing large bodies of men. One symbol caught his eye. “Sir? What will the Marine Corps do?”

The officer thought for a moment, but then he shook his head.. “I cannot tell you that.”

Jeroen nodded and the officer continued: “I want you to study these maps and memorise the objectives of all the brigades in 3rd division. Remember your training: stick together, watch out for the locals. Be polite to them but do NOT wander from the group and at all times remain armed in their presence.“

((OOC: I am sorta presuming that there is *a* highway between Oglethorpe and Tanah Burung? Please tell me. If its not the case then smaller roads will have to be used.

The foreigner numbers are all good btw, in response to TBs OOC post. Of course, they will need to find a way to get in.))

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Knootian Embassy in the Bureaucratic States
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Magda Vogels was formally welcomed by her colleague in Oglethorpia, a stiff elderly man who valued protocol beyond everything. "Welcome, your Excellency", the ambassador said upon entry. A short handshake followed. "Mr. Joseph Benkhof. It is good to make your acquaintance, and especially with someone of such an esteemed family."

Magda nodded, not sure what to make of it …

(wow. OK, proper reply later on. There is no TB-Oglethorpia highway due to a notorious car-phobia as played out on regional boards -cars are generally only used in cities. But smaller roads suitable for ox-carts, bicycles and the like are certainly available. Enjoy the mosquitoes!))

(wow. OK, proper reply later on. There is no TB-Oglethorpia highway due to a notorious car-phobia as played out on regional boards -cars are generally only used in cities. But smaller roads suitable for ox-carts, bicycles and the like are certainly available. Enjoy the mosquitoes!))

OOC: Meh. *uses machine guns on mosquitoes* This will slow things down a bit and make keeping that maglev intact more important. I should note that there is more then one helicopter making trips up and down that thing for patrols but you prolly figured that out already. Anyway, good thing that I waited with the infantry strike or I would have marched over non-existant roads. :)

Taoilsain Railch Headquarters, Somewhere in Lylia.

General Fergus McLean had just heard the news from GMC Military Arms. Well, that's going to make my job far easier, knowing we have Tanah Burungi consent for our little endeavour., he thought. Although, I expected nothing less.

Now came the problem of actually getting the majority of the soldiers into the country. The IFTA trade links had been a big help - he'd been shifting a few people into Tanah Burung far before he'd heard that Tanah Burung had agreed to their aid, and had mobilised a larger contigent at the same time back on the mainland. After all, time was of the essence. A Knootian blockade would cut out all IFTA trade, and since IFTA trade was all that the Burungis would have, that left them at a severe disadvantage. With co-ordination with the Galdagans, they could try running any blockade the Knootians set up, but that was risky. This "airship" idea had it's rather large disadvantages - not least the airship getting shot down - but it was the only one that would work at short notice. To the Burungi's credit, it had been arranged quickly - far quicker than any Weegie lot could have done. Fergus grimaced at the inefficiency of his people. The insertion of the soldiers into Tanah Burung was going to have to be based on a lot of luck. Fate had a far greater hand in this than he did, and he hated that.

He clenched his fist and brought one of them down on to the table. One of the nearby officers jumped slightly.

"Sir?"

"Have you ever felt completely impotent?"

"There are pills for that nowadays, sir."

"Please, please tell me you're trying to be funny and it's not that you're just ignorant."

The officer looked down and mumbled "Yes, sir."

"At least ignorance is excusable, if not desirable. This is not a joking matter.

The officer had taken an exceptional interest in his shoelaces. "Yes, sir."

There was silence for a minute or two, whilst Fergus flicked through various reports from the Nialachan Fladh. He then looked up to see the officer still standing there. He raised an eyebrow.

"Do you really think that you standing there shuffling about not doing anything is going to put you any higher in my estimations?"

"...nosir." The officer shuffled out.

By now, the blimps should have been taking off. If all went well, the blimps would get to Tanah Burung in a little while. There was nothing to do but hope...

(one more back story to finish... more soon, ish)

At the IMC Building, Violeta strode into Tocatl's office. She felt a great deal better after the talk with the Weegie. If the Council had proved completely useless in all repsects, at least some of its members still believed in peace and solidarity.

"Dearest Mr. Tocatl, i was so pleased to hear you wanted to speak with me," she began. "How may i serve?"

(ooc: the IMC building events take place a couple of days before the attack, so there is presumably some time to move. Now that the attack has come, I am assuming Vaadian ships are on their way and the come-on-in message to them posted above has now been sent. They are about a day behind the attack however.)

The first casualties: An observation balloon , near Burung Paradis

A lazy, summer haze high above the rain forest. Carlos was supposed to be watching south towards Oglethorpia and Kingsford. But he had drunk too much arak and gambled too far into the night (using the recent pay hike to defence force soldiers) to be as alert as he should be.

“Bersiap!” the balloon commander shouted at Carlos. Be alert! He snapped upright out of his doze.

“What the hell is that?” A shout. Something tore through the air, too fast to see what it was. It struck. The balloon erupted into a flower of fire.

Below, the people of Atsabe village stopped their nightly dance. Orange flames blossoming against the dark sky -- ironically, it was a beautiful sight.

A signal went out on the village radio to army headquarters in Matebian. “Balloon down. Jets heard. Balloon down.”

Burung-yang-membuat-dunia

Bi Kikere was gone, but the rest of the collective presidency continued their meeting. The door crashed open and a young woman in uniform rushed in. “I’m sorry to disturb you all, but we think there’s been an air attack near Burung Paradis.” She looked around. “Where is the representative for defence?”

Silence. Most of the co-presidents were struck dumb. So it had happened. even in this day and age of peace, it had happened.

“Well, I believe we shall have to make an appeal to the world now,” Mari Alkatiri said at last. “We can scarcely mobilize our mighty air force, since it runs only on hot air. Let’s see if that international goodwill Bibere tried to build up is worth anything.”

The second casualties: Ukun Rasikan

Although post-independence history had been devoted to avoiding making this city the national capital, no one could deny that the largest city in Tanah Burung was also its nerve centre. The main rail routes to the interior converged on the great port, while communications lines tended to meet in a central node here.

And so the surgical attacks from the air struck with devastating effect. Doris was at the switchboard, one of the antiquated ones still operated by human labour, thanks to the refusal of the Telephone Workers Co-operative to agree to full mechanization. There were a lot of calls tonight, for some reason. “Yes, who may I connect your call to? That number is...”

But she wouldn’t have time to give out the number. A missile screamed into the phone centre, ending the call, ending her three years as a phone operator, ending her 20 years of life. Her last thoughts were of her son, left alone with no one to care for him. She hoped the orphanage would be good to Simon.

Closer to the port, Maria had just invited a RevTerran sailor into her small attic room. “Come here, you hunk of man,” she purred, ignoring the noise that must be a helicopter of some sort. But it didn’t sound like a helicopter, it sounded like a high-speed jet aircraft. It couldn’t be, though. Those were only allowed in Tiga Burung. The mainland had voted, time and time again, not to let jets fly overhead under any circumstances.

But there it was, louder and louder, the roar of something that should not be there. Maria rushed to her window as her “guest” demanded plaintively that she come back to bed. Then she saw it, impossibly close to the ground and impossibly fast. It could only be a demon. A demon made from hard steel.

But it was the flying glass from the window pane that killed her: thousands of shards lacerating her body.

As she fell, she noticed the lights going out across the city. Everything dark, as her vision was clouded by blood. By the time the emergency generators restored power to parts of Ukun Rasikan, Maria was no longer alive to see it.

Near Kaliurang village, BYMD province

Bi Kikere howled her rage: at the politicians who had done nothing to stop this, at the young fools playing at revolution who had provoked this attack, at the soul-less Knootians trying to turn back the clock of history. Her legs screamed their own protest: she was too old for this, she wanted to be in her bath remembering her footballing days, when the worst that could happen was a voodoo curse by a rival manager.

She sank in to her chair, being carried through the jungle by a handful of faithful retainers, and grabbed the handset of the mobile radio transmitter built into the palanquin. On the designated frequency, she broadcast a message to the friendly fleets near BYMD. “My friends, this is the people’s representative for territorial defence and sports. We are under attack, I repeat, we are under attack from the air, sea and land. I expect they will strike at the collective presidency in BYMD. Please, I appeal to you to help our forces protect the city and the presidency.”

At The IMC Building

Jonathon Tocatl smiled at Bi Bere, it wasn’t a friendly smile, almost a sneer. He also motioned for her to take a seat.

“Ambassador Bi Bere, I have just spoken with the assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and he has informed me that while we are currently between governments, that our Supreme Republican Commander has taken it upon himself to, deploy himself.

He has asked that I inform you that he is on his way to Tanah Burung with the express mission of ending hostilities.

I have also been asked to let you know that our embassy will be a safe haven for any of your people, or your government should the need arise. “

He folded his hands and shrugged “Well, that’s pretty much it, I’m not at liberty to discuss anything else.”



*****


Ilek-Vaad Embassy, Tanah Burung

Sir Alec finished his nightcap and was just about to turn out the light when it went out by itself. “What the hell?” He listened as he thought he heard a boom in the distance and then another………….in a few seconds the backup generator kicked on, simultaneously his door opened and Sir Aldred was hurling a bag at him

“Alec, get your gear on, the DDR is bombing the city, looks like they’re taking out power, communications………good god man, get your pants on!”

Alec changed into his Velite Guard uniform quickly and ran downstairs, the dozen staff members had already changed into their Velite uniforms and stood at the windows, FN-FAL assault rifles in hand, and again Sir Aldred threw his rifle at him

“Stop doing that!” he shouted impatiently, as he slapped the clip in and scowled at Aldred, who was now wearing his black ‘Shadows’ uniform and holding a a Steyr IWS 2000 anti-material rifle. Alec quickly pulled out his satellite phone and contacted the Sir William Issem “Admiral, I hope you’ve noticed that we’re being bombed………….. no, not US specifically, the city, could you see your way to sending us some extra supplies and fuel? That would be lovely, thank you.”

Alec’s stomach went into a knot as he headed out of the embassy and to the gate which he quickly unlocked and opened . It was policy in Ilek-Vaad that the embassy would be open, accessible and allow in all refugees, that was how the last Minister of Foreign Affairs had died in Phyrric. Alec stood by nervously and watched and waited.


*******

Aboard the Sir Willaim Issem Admiral Ilek sounded triumphant in Fire Control

“There, you see captain? That’s a blockading force, they aren’t going to storm the beaches. They don’t have half the firepower of our Tactical Group.”

The Captain nodded “What are your orders sir.”

Admiral Ilek looked grim as he smiled devilishly “Let them cork the channel , the we’ll block them in, bring our arsenal cruiser screen to within a thousand yards of the blockade, make sure we’re breathing right down their necks! Mark their every move and make sure that the channel gets cramped.”

The captain nodded and relayed the command

Admiral Ilek looked to him again “Lower the draft of the Revenge Battleships, limber the 28” guns. I’ll make sure that we get Sir Alec supplies at the embassy.”

He paused and touched his comm., opening up the Knootian’s naval channel, having once been their allies it was something he knew.

“This is Admiral Lassander Ilek of the Tactical Group Sir William Issem. We have reports that power, communications, water and other essential services are being cut across Tanah Burung. Our embassy has requested additional supplies. I am launching a single Marathon-A transport it will be lighted and have it’s diplomatic transponder enabled. You will let it pass, any action against this unarmed transport will be considered an act of hostility and I will react in kind. Admiral Ilek out!”

He snapped off the comm. and waited as the Tactical Group slowed, watching the Knootians set their blockade…………..


*****

Aboard the Tetzcatlipoca, the Marathon-C had been waiting, packed to the gills with supplies. The transport normally could carry 150 men and their gear , but there was barely room for thirty as it had been loaded with essentials for the embassy. Leftenant Wesley went over his pre-flight checklist . He glanced over his shoulder as he heard the Naval Guard Marines start to come aboard, he only saw five snipers.

“Only five of you?” he asked inquisitively “I though………….” He stopped short his eyes went wide as the snipers moved quickly to the side.

Colonel Erdogan of the 1st Red Jaguar Command had to duck as he entered the transport, nineteen hand picked Red Jaguars filed in behind him

“Leftenant, get us in the air” He barked gruffly as he buckled himself into the co-pilots seat.

Leftenat Wesley didn’t even to manage a yes sir as he babbled and closed the ramp, firing up the engines. He was in shock , sitting next to him was a man that had killed more people than Wesley had probably ever met. His mind raced, 137 killed at Narvik, 118 at Cyberjaya, 124 at Taggartsville , 224 at Syrique, Erdogan had been awarded the Accord of the One-Hundredman more times than most of the entire divisions of the Retaliatory Guard.

“This can’t be good." he muttered as the transport took off up out of the Tetzcatlipoca’s multi-purpose deck.

“Stop taking to yourself Leftenant. People will start to think you’re crazy.” Colonel Erdogan stated rather bluntly

At mach 1.3 the transport would soon be at the embassy………………..

OOC: TB, so it's ok to assume that my people are there before the Knootian attack?

OOC:
Nicely done, Knoot! kind of fast, though, since you actually mocked our surveiilance equipment. I'll post something after TB. Meanwhile, if you intent sending a message, please RP on it (or at least tell me when it is actually sent; As you can see, I RP a lot of background diplomacy and turmoil around RevTerr's rulers).
TB, I also took the liberty of posting something about that brothel that was accidentally destroyed.
--------------------------------T+0-------------------------------------------------
The two Scanair planes deployed above BYMD and close to the Maglev border point missed the bombers, as the knootians avoided the coastal area. The one above Ukun Rasikan, however, saw them coming. Too late, unfortunately, for a hierarchy to work. Of course, the fleet entered combat alert, with jetters deploying in five seconds after the alarm broke loose, seeking targets while receiving orders. Of course, a counter offensive could have been launch. But general Klit's message, offering the services of the Jetters and the ground troops to burungan defenses has not been answered. Revterr simply had no jurisdiction to launch a response. Politics paralyzed the biggest fleet in burungan waters.
-------------------------T+38--------------------------------------------------------
Oh baby...oh yes... oh YES!
BOOOM
oh No!
[RevTerran marine TS.1.1980.12.02.1857.B last words]
--------------------------T+35---------------------------------------------------------
The missile entered at a sharp angle, making it's way through the letters of the banner and entering the room. It's nose slammed the door open, so the missile was partially in the corridor, when it ignited. The blast pulverized the two adjacent doors and everything in her path toward the roof.
Beds, walls, doors and peoples where being slammed through the windows, smashed to the roofs or launched directly in the water.
--------------------------T+180----------------------------------------------------------
Whoever thought that this will not be a war, only a parade, a show-off, was a moron! Captain Paris from VMRv Mures was furious, and RevTerran military protocol allowed for subalterns to doubt the orders (while still executing them). Paris was not alone, as general Klit's communication room was full of angry captains. The general himself felt trapped. The troops were in the air. The fleet answered in due time, and if only for those orders... He looked again to a panel, waiting for a message from Roman.

----------------------------T+250------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Tanah Burung Defensive (or equivalent)<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Bi Kikere, rep. for defenses, Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>Mari Alkatiri, rep. for foreign affairs, Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A better morning to you!
Admiral Klit discovered a failure in your communication devices in the city of Ukun Rasikan. Since a failure in communications could lead to lives being lost, he took the liberty of rerouting the short-range communications that he could have picked up, through his communicators onboard revterran ships in Ukun Rasikan harbor. An emergency communicator is also being assembled on the roof of our embassy in your diplomatic city. We have also deployed our Rescue Jetters (paramedics and firefighters) to help. I am sure you will find their flying abilities in handy.
Two additional channels are being kept at your disposal onboard TORC (when your equipment is back online, you can claim them). FES control awaits your instructions (if any). For now, the power flux between Ceahlau Ground Base and Tiga Burung Entry Point is stable. We have detected military movement in Oglethorpian waters; possible Knootian ships, heading north.

I have been informed that 10 revterran soldiers did not respond to our emergency recalls. There are information suggesting that they where on leave in one of the building that was destroyed, in the harbor area.

Their...sufferance could have been avoided. We all know why we are in your country, and it seems that just being there is not enough. I might suggest forgetting the international diplomatic routine and forging some alliances. There are two friendly powers with ships in your harbors, used as tourists attractions.
Wake up!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Very non-diplomatic, especially at the end. Crist Dragh said, reading the message already sent, over his head as Minister for Exterior. Matei Revert was doing stuffs like that from time to time, during crisis situations. What are the military saying about this?
They think I am a moron, for not letting them hunt down those bombers. I am constantly remembered that we could catch them with the fighters in Burung-yang-...what-ever.
They are military...
They are right! We should have deployed our own sensors, not rely on balloons. (What was I thinking!?!) We should have kept soldiers on board (is was a war situation, Cat damn it!)...
Should we have declared war on Knootianss?
...No...
Then you did well. We are guests in Tanah Burung and we where treated as guests: not to be harmed. Those ships in Oglethorpia will probably head for burungan waters as Broc Oancea have predicted, with a blockade. We will be left unharmed to retreat, if asked. Comander, you know all this.
I know I know them, Revert said with a tired smile.It's just that I wanted to hear them from a second, non-military person.
Behind you and a little to the right is your wife. I know you can't confirm that, but I know she's there. I'll scan the diplomatic channels, see if I can get something.
I'll stay in contact with the Forces. Bye!

The channel was closed, and Revert was left to watch the blank video wall, especially installed in the presidential suite in CentrArm Complex for this kind of "late night breaking news" situations. Anca Revert was, as Crist said, near him on the bed, out of the reach of the cameras. These were classified information and she had no right to be here. Officially, when this situation occurs, Matei was leaving the bed to go into an isolated adjacent room, to talk. Unofficially, that never happened. One reason (beside "lovers have no secrets" and the rest of the "pink-talk") was the fact that Anca was herself a subcomander, administrating the capital city of Roman. Elected with no help from her powerful husband, she was known for being very independent. Matei might have been the most powerful man in RevTerr, but in the Revert family, they where equally powerful.
Talk to me, Anca!
If those soldiers are dead, you will be eaten alive by the press. Especially by RTN, which is being controlled by the Armament industry in Radu.
Yes, but this is a clear case of "too much democracy". Ha! And I was thinking about giving more power to the Parliament, or to the Alliance Council. These guys don't know what to do. The poor burungans think that the entire world is as polite as them! They think that destroying their country in a guerrilla war after being invaded would do the trick! I can already see myself telling to Drei, Mihai and Raluk, not to mention Klit who is actually there, to start waiving tails, for a tourist parade in the former free republic of Tanah Burung.
Matei! We don't belong in Tanah Burung. We have responded to a friendly invitation to a parade, not to a war.
So the mighty fleet of RevTerr should stay and watch how the country is overrun by a battle group of pointy years bastards?
Now you are just angry.
No, Anca. I'm just plain disappointed of the burungan way of dealing with crisis. They act like old men, barely moving and relying on the common sense to solve their problem.
You are a diplomat, Matei, but I think you got used to this military regime in RevTerr.
Anca, if that was true, I would knew what to do. This is a clearly military situation, and the death of our soldiers...
...or their injuries...
....I truly hope they are alive, but you've seen the images; anyways, the situation of our soldiers could be used as a reason to strike back.
A sound announced an incoming video link. Duplex video link with Rarau and FAR

Comander, Scanair south of BYMD reports ground movement from Oglethorpia heading north, on a country road.
Announce the burungans. Keep it at the edge of the scanning range. Assign an escort on a parallel course, to intervene only if something is on an interception course. I'm sorry, I can't tell you anything else.
I understand, is not our war and the rest of it. Comander, I would like to reinforce the battle group in Tiga Burung, maybe even setting two fast response group [a map made her way on the screen] here and here, to reinforce whichever battle group (if any) is under attack.
OK
Stand by, comander The general seemed to watch something on another monitor.Comander, burungan minister for defense launched an apeal to all the forces in burungan waters to help protect BYMD and it's presidency. I'm forwarding it now.
Perfect. We were prepared for this. Launch the jetters, establishing a perimeter defense around BYMD! Contact the burungan defenses to coordinate with them, and the galdagans.
Sir, we know nothing about galdagans, we have no contact with them.
It is time you have.
What about the bombers?
We can only prevent that happening again. Send some plaines after them, but not from BYMD. We'll need them for aerial cover. What is their target?
They seem to be leaving Tanah Burung.
"Escort" them out.
Roger that!
The general dissapeared. But the night was young:
Conex, connect An Drei, Ank Nita, Daniel Mihai, Crist Dragh.
It was time for another conference.

>>>>>>>Commanding officer of the galdagan Battle group Hyperion, burungan waters<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<Admiral Klit, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We have decided to respond affirmatively to Tanah Burung request for defense around BYMD. Please state your intentions, so we could coordonate our forces. I must point out that we intent to keep most of our marine units around the cities, protecting them from a water assault. We are awaiting for your response.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Tanah Burung Defensive (or equivalent)<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Bi Kikere, rep. for defenses, Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>Mari Alkatiri, rep. for foreign affairs, Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Admiral Klit, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Our troops will take position around BYMD. Please inform the commanding officer to contact VMRv Arges, the Carrier in BYMD waters. Our ships will continue defending the coastal area, but please inform us of your strategy concearning BYMD.
And we might suggest evacuating the officials from BYMD. We can provide shelter for them. I am authorised to inform you that, in the worst case scenario, I am instructed to deliver them to RevTerr, if they chose so.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

OOC: I have a fleet out there. Only 500 soldiers? Does that include the planes? (remember, I have a carrier in each of the harbors). The message toward Knootoss warning about our forces (if I'll send one), is out of this time frame (so it might come later).

(ooc: Knoot, pls. check telegrams. Now, to finish off the back story...)

IMC Building

Violeta Bi Bere blanched. She had not yet heard that her government had agreed to the Vaadian deployment. This sounded ominous. Still, she forced out a smile.

"The thought of ending hostilities fills me with joy," she said. "I hope you'll be able to contribute to a peaceful solution. Now, if you'll excuse me, dear man, i have a phone call to make."

She stumbled, as fast has her legs and walkign stick could take her, back to her own office, and dialled Mari Alkatiri.

"The Vaadian fleet- .... What, you already know? .... You have to tell me thiese things Mari .... All right. All right. It's hopeless here at any rate. I just hope you know what you're playing at."

OOC: TB, so it's ok to assume that my people are there before the Knootian attack?

(ooc: In a word, yes. In fact, here's a set-up post for you & HB. Lots to reply to, i know, will get to it all eventually in breaks between a translation i'm working on at the moment.)

Kaliurang village, BYMD Province

The blimp that had brought the Weegies tourist group still lay at its ropes on the outskirts of the village. As the word came that the Knootian attack had started, the village defence force had rushed out to throw tree branches over the blimp. This was a tougher-looking lot than the usual village defence force, which by nght was usually high on something. So the village, from the air, looked like any of the thousands of villages that dotted the BYMD rain forest.

Huts, well stocked with rice and sleeping bags, had been prepared for the Weegie volunteers. A larger hut was reserved for the Grand Duque of Hell Bovines and his retainers, piled high with straw for sleeping, or eating, whichever the Bovinian leader preferred. With them were a handful of Bovine tourists rousted off the beaches, who had also insisted on staying to fight. True, the rifles on hand were a little small for them, and their hooves were too large for the trigger mechanism. They could always try firing mortars. And presumably Hell Bovines were deadly at close quarters with a machete.

As the guests awoke, or else emerged from sleepless nights into the foggy dawn before the day's heat took hold, they could see two men carrying a palanquin into the village. Bi Kikere, wincing from the pain in her legs, climbed to the ground. She made a low bow to the foreign fighters.

"Welcome to Tanah Burung, kakak-adik" she said, using the familiar form for sisters and brothers, and bowing. "Thank you for standing by our side against these monsters. We plan to repel them through our own effort, but i welcome you to the International Brigade, from those friendly countries who wish to fight Invisible Hand fascism here on the front lines."

BYMD City

Consternation was a mild word for the emotions of the ten members of the collective presidency, as reports continued to roll in of Knootian air, sea and land movements, relayed by the unmanned surveillance blimps floating high in the stratosphere. Consternation made all the worse by the departure of the angry chief of defence forces for an undisclosed jungle location.

"An unauthorized maglev car on its way!" yelled the Governor of BYMD as she scanned the reports coming in. "We must see to the city's defences!" The other coastal governors went pale: that lien ran right along the ocast and north into Brazillcio. The shimmering line of tourist-related properity looked set to become a highway for invaders.

Alkatiri scowled. He had been scowling a lot recently. For a second, he enjoyed a fantasy image of the Knootian Ambassador being beheaded in the Ukun Rasikan marketplace and torn limb from limb by angry Burungis. But this was no time for self-indulgence.

"This city can't be defended," he snapped. "Let's invite the Vaadian navy in, let's invite the RevTerrans to do what they can in Ukun Rasikan, let's look to the international community to isolate Knootoss like the criminal rogue state that they are."

The other co-presidents, looking shell-shocked, could only nod their agreement.

"Good," Alkatiri said. "In that case, i have a speech to write."

(ooc: speech is here: http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=354899 )

Kaliurang village, BYMD Province

A tall imposing figure loomed over towards the palanquin. He grasped Bi Kikere's hand in both of his and shook it firmly.

"It is an honour and a privilege to fight for your country, fialíalch Bi Kikere." said the tall man, using the Weegie term for a respected or learned elder. "I am the commander of this small force, Captain James Lanyon, and you can be assured we will do all we can to repel these Knootian... these Knootian... schlach'ialiadh." Lanyon screwed up his face with extreme dislike as he said the last word.

A smiling blond woman approached the Burungi. "James has spent far more time among the Weegie language than more major communicative languages. As such, he can really only express his anger through Weegie swear words. Although funnily enough, he speaks better Celdonian than most Weegies I know. Lieutenant Maria Anderson." She also shook Bi Kikere's hand. "We've brought a fair few weapons of our own, and we're just seeing their compatibility with our Bovine friends."

"Aye, that's the case." said the Captain. "Like with the schlanach nhu, an old weapon, but still exceptionally useful in jungle combat. I feel a large Bovine could easily use that to great effect." He rubbed his chin for a little while. "Bi Kikere, you must realise our first objective remains the maglev line. We know that destroying something your people have worked hard to build is a blowto the spirit of your people, but still. The Knootians have control, and the Knootians will walk into Tanah Burung without some serious assaults on that line."

OOC: Aw man ,you're attacking TB already? And it's a closed RP. I want to go send some troops and kill some market-worshippers! :mp5: :)

Anyway, #tag#

God bless,

The Republic of Syskeyia

OOC: Yay! I've got time to post now! :)
Great thread so far, I might add. War RP's are surely much better when they have been previously organized.
Great posts! I can only laugh at the sight of a bovine with a machete. ;)
IC:
*IMC Building, some days before the invasion

The duque's personal representative, Civic Starcow, had listened to the debates with much attention, but in the back of her mind she had the deadly feeling that the council was poweress upon a Knootian invasion to Tanah Burung. She had kept a low profile, awaiting for orders from her superiors.
Her cell phone rang. She picked the call.
"Hello, sir"
"No, no progress at all, sir"
"Invasion seems to be unavoidable, yes sir"
"Of course, I will do that, sir"(in Spanish)

A grin flashed from Civic Starcow's face as she stood up from the discussion table and went to Bi Bere's office. She knocked at the door.
"Violeta, It's me, Civic. May I talk with you for a moment?"

*El Toro military base, southern Hell Bovines

Whitey Bighorns, the vice-duque of Hell Bovines, had a look of determination in his face. But, in the back of his mind, he was still a frightened bovine.
He was living in uncertain times, times of crisis and strife, in an era where wars were believed to have been something of the past. Or had been believed, until the last month.
First, the coup on Biotopia (assuming it happened before?!) and now, this apparent invasion to Tanah Burung. Hell Bovines' finest allies were falling under the claws of imperialism.
To make things even more difficult, the duque had decided to stay in Tanah Burung an fight! How irrational, how childish!, Whitey thought to himself. He was the ruler of a nation, for god's (or the holy cow's, more apropiately) sake, not a warrior.
The media was frenetic. The news of the duque fighting in Tanah Burung had leaked and Whitey had to give a state speech making it official. Now many bovine citizens demanded that the country sent troops to Tanah Burung to aid its leader. A minority even traveled to the invaded land itself to follow the duque's example.
But one thing was common in all of them - They wanted Hell Bovines to act. They wanted a referendum on the subject. The five riots in three hours definitely were a proof of this, as they even destroyed Whitey's elegant house front.
But Whitey dared not to defy the military might of countries like Knootoss or RevTerr. He was a rational man, unlike the "childish" duque.
For the moment, his decision was a simple one: He was going to send a few warplanes to scout and examin the situation. If the conflict escalated, he would consider military intervention. But for the moment, no. Rioters may continue to protest, but he defined himself as tough leader and so, he would not let himself to be influenced.

As the last instructions were given, the five old but sturdy
Pucará airplanes (http://www.todo-aviones.com.ar/argentina/pucara/pucara.jpg) departed from the base, heading torwards the emerald heights....

*Hell Bovinian Embassy, Tanah Burung

Ambassador Hipolito Brownleg was enjoying a nightly drink, a fine liquor imported from the misterious Cirdanistan (well, it was misterious to him, at least), when the sound of the bombs reached his cowish ears.
"Holy Cow, those bastards did it, after all", was the only thought that went trough his mind as he stood up.
He awoke the whole embassy personel. Lucas Bigbelly, a pissed off "cultural agregeé" rose from his comfortable lump of straw to be greeted by the dark news.
Minutes later, all embassy members were cramming the small basement. "Luckily we built this basement, eh?", Lucas was thinking.
As he was about to close the trap-door, a sudden thought rushed through Hipolito's mind. "La Créme de Violettes!". And so, he got out of the basement, risking his life to look for his most precious object: His fine Cirdani liquor.

*Kaliurang village, BYMD Province

The duque spoke with all the determination the vice-duque lacked.
"Hermano Kikere, It is also an honour for me to fight for a country as noble as yours. Me and a group of comrades from my country have grouped ourselves into a small force. We are few, and our weapons are lacking, but the Escuadrón Santoro swears to fight with all its strenght and honour for its friends. This imperialist dogs must and will be defeated, brother.
And I agree with my Weegie comrade. I think we must attack the maglev line first. In that way, the colonialists won't be able to get the heavy mechs into the country so easily."
Then, turning to Captain James, the large, crowned figure gave a benevolent. teeth-showing smile.
"I thank your offer, noble-one. Those schlanach nhu could greatly serve bovine fisionomy. We are great warriors at closed quarters, or so they say.
We could give you some of our guns. After all, they were made for humans."

Ministry of Defense, Analytical Division,
Capital City of Vigvar,
Taraskovyan Federation,
Sisgardia.

- The windmill builders are whuts?

- Going to war it would seem...

- Too much canabis for sure...

- Nah, canabis makes you all peaceful and stuff...

- And just how do you know?

- Euh... doesn't really matter...

- Yeah, right... Well then, additional surveilance of Europolis?

- Yup, guess so.

- So... you do know that all drugs are illegal in Federal territory, right? And that canabis is one of them...

- Oh shut the hell up for the sake of all the Gods that are prayed to in this Universe!

Uncle Istvan touched his comm "Lassander, get the Burungi Minister of Recreational Blood Sports, or whatever they call their defence minister, I need to see how far our welcome is going to go."

Communications were chaotic, but Bi Kikere finally took the call on her satellite phone. “Welcome to the Emerald Seas,” she said, bitter anger at the situation in general obvious in her voice. “I’m sure you’ll find the sailing pleasant. I’m told you are here to keep the peace, but I’m afraid you may be too late for that. We’re already under attack. But please, do feel free to bring your fleet in to Tiga Burung. Our surveillance shows the Knootian fleets are moving to the north and south of the island, and bypassing the city entirely."

A better morning to you!
Admiral Klit discovered a failure in your communication devices in the city of Ukun Rasikan. Since a failure in communications could lead to lives being lost, he took the liberty of rerouting the short-range communications that he could have picked up, through his communicators onboard Revterran ships in Ukun Rasikan harbor. An emergency communicator is also being assembled on the roof of our embassy in your diplomatic city. We have also deployed our Rescue Jetters (paramedics and firefighters) to help. I am sure you will find their flying abilities in handy.
Two additional channels are being kept at your disposal onboard TORC (when your equipment is back online, you can claim them). FES control awaits your instructions (if any). For now, the power flux between Ceahlau Ground Base and Tiga Burung Entry Point is stable. We have detected military movement in Oglethorpian waters; possible Knootian ships, heading north.

I have been informed that 10 Revterran soldiers did not respond to our emergency recalls. There are information suggesting that they where on leave in one of the building that was destroyed, in the harbor area.

Their...sufferance could have been avoided. We all know why we are in your country, and it seems that just being there is not enough. I might suggest forgetting the international diplomatic routine and forging some alliances. There are two friendly powers with ships in your harbors, used as tourists attractions.
Wake up!

They were quite right, Bi Kikere had to admit. The collective presidency had handled this with all the finesse of a walrus trying to knit a baby sweater. Too trusting, too diplomatic. And now we’re all paying for it.

She dictated a reply to be coded and sent back. Just as well she’d thought to prepare this entirely irregular, and possibly illegal, command post.

Commander Revert,

You are familiar with how difficult it is to wake a politician. Rest assured our army is now alert to the danger. I sincerely regret any loss of life among your sailors and thank you for the aid you have given to Ukun Rasikan. I know emergency crews are already looking for your men.

I have declared a state of hostilities now exists with Knootoss. I can’t command your forces, of course, but any aid you are able to render will be welcomed. Should your air forces wish to engage Knootian bombers, please transmit flight-path information and I will see to it that our anti-aircraft guns do not fire on you. Our airspace is open to you over BYMD and Ukun Rasikan provinces.

(ooc: i’m going to wait a bit before dealing with BYMD City defences, in the hopes that Galdago gets an internet connection soon)

*IMC Building, some days before the invasion

The duque's personal representative, Civic Starcow, had listened to the debates with much attention, but in the back of her mind she had the deadly feeling that the council was poweress upon a Knootian invasion to Tanah Burung. She had kept a low profile, awaiting for orders from her superiors.
Her cell phone rang. She picked the call.
"Hello, sir"
"No, no progress at all, sir"
"Invasion seems to be unavoidable, yes sir"
"Of course, I will do that, sir"(in Spanish)

A grin flashed from Civic Starcow's face as she stood up from the discussion table and went to Bi Bere's office. She knocked at the door.
"Violeta, It's me, Civic. May I talk with you for a moment?"

“Of course, dear heart,” the old woman said. She looked near tears, and more than a little distracted. And now there was word that she would have to leave for a peace mission to deal with the Biotopia crisis. She hoped her heart was up to the challenge.

“Tell me, what can I do for you?”

Tiga Burung Airfield

“No planes? Why wasn’t I told?” Airport co-operative president Suryadarma stormed into the control tower of the country’s only airport. “Well, do we have any response capability?”

His staff looked at each other. Then at him. Then at the wall.

“We can fire bazookas from the balloons,” one officer ventured.

“Or crash a blimp into their planes,” added another, even less helpfully.

“Idiots, all of you,” Suryadarma said. His mobile phone rang. “What’s that? Pucará? Well, I don’t know what they are, but yes, clear them to land once they get within range.”

Kaliurang

Throughout the village, fighters from the three countries mingled, swapping weaponry and stories. Bi Kikere smiled at the fighting spirit among the Bovine and Weegie volunteers. it did her good to see someone appearing organized and resolved. Even if they were foreigners.

“My friends, I certainly agree that the maglev must be sacrificed to save the country. But a ground attack force is already on the way, and BYMD City is too close to the border for us to be able to cut the line between the city and the border. If we are to cut the line of attack, it will have to be north of BYMD City. Although part of me is happy to leave my esteemed co-presidents to stew in their own incompetence and be captured, i’m not sure we should abandon the city and the government just yet. What do you think?”

Linggajati palace

The ruined old castle glowered down at the maglev line that now separated it from the sea. Rice paddy terraces lay behind it, and behind that the jungle. This was the first defence post inside the border, and lay square in the line of advance of the Knootian Third Division. It was also the southern-most anti-aircraft emplacement in the country. Guns bristled along its parapets, pointed south to Oglethorpia and east towards the open ocean.

The bomber attack had caught the Burungi air defence turrets off guard, most of the gunners sleeping. These men were rousted out of their beds just in time to see the strike force returning from its attack on Ukun Rasikan. The planes screamed past towards the far horizon.

The gunners rushed to their posts. As the retreating planes were already over Oglethorpia, they opened fire at the tailpipes, lobbing pot shots and hoping to get lucky.

Uncle Istvan had almost forgotten he had ordered Admiral Ilek to get a hold of the Burungi Minister of Defence. He was relaxing in the hot tub when Staff Seargent Mirai Assad found him "Bi Kikere on the phone for you sir."

"Who? What the hell are you talking about? Bloody hell I just dropped my oreos!" the water turned frothy chocolate as he took his satellite phone

"Hello, Mr. Kikere? What would you like on your pizza?" he chuckles "Just kidding, Oh, MS. Kikere, terribly sorry. Yes Lassander has told me they're bottling up the channel, I've ordered him to plug it up right behind them, It makes no sense to let them a way out if they're going to pin themselves against the shore! Lassander was lauging like a hyeana at the prospect of all those ships lodged between shore and the island, fish in a barrel you see."

He paused as the filter for the hot tub became hopelessly clogged, he switched off the pump.

"Anyhow, I'm coming ashore when we get a bit closer, I've already sent some good men to secure our Embassy in Ukun Rasikan, what I need is guides, I need to know about the movements of the Knootians and about the Rumbiak Brigade, I plan on killing them all. That's the terrorists, the invaders , all of them. I'm sick of people refusing to talk minor issues through, so I'm going to make it a major issue. Let's see how keen the Knootians are for war when their press puts pictures of piles of diemboweled headless Knootian corpses on the front page. They'll talk to you after that I'll bet, they'll never talk to me again, but feck 'em if they can't take a joke."

He paused again, and resumed serious as heart attack "I'm serious as a heart attack, if the Rumbiak Brigade and DDR want to play war, I'll show them what war really is! So you can help me and make sure I only kill those that need it, or I'll just cut loose and kill anyone with a gun, or anything that looks like a gun. What do you say?"


OOC: I ad-libbed, guessing what Bi Kikere would say in some parts, hopefully that's okay.

OOC: I am sorry, I lack the time to read carefully what you have posted. I will do it later and fix what ever needs fixing. I must remeber you that I have carriers in all the harbors. Althought I got the picture with the 500 soldiers, I would want to know if that includes the planes I could launch from the one in BYMD harbor (or it's vicinity -does BYMD has a harbor?-)
===============================================

Teliana Rui was trying to make herself helpful. With little success. The tech crew was busy with the new communicator being assembled on the top of the roof. His secretary was busy answering calls. The television crews have just left, after realizing that she knew nothing about what had happened, or what will RevTerr do. Overall, the military attaché, Socec Tion, was definitely in charge now, moving from place to place, supervising and giving orders. Here he comes know:
Mrs. ambassador, why wouldn't you familiarize yourself with the evacuation plans?
Captain Tion, I read them. Twice today, and countless time before.
Anything new from Roman?
Nothing. Anything to report?
The communicator is ready. We will be able to cover up the west part of the town. But most of the telephone lines will remain down, since they relied a lot on old switching boards.
We are not telephone operators.
Indeed. But the official communication lines can be picked up (paramedic, firefighters, and alike). And some radio stations.
Can the Knootians track what we are doing?
If they would be close enough, and they know what to look for, it is a simple problem of triangulation. A new set of antimissile launchers is being installed as we speak. Look, I have to go. The non-essential civilian personnel is being evacuated...
I want to stay!
...I know you do. You will stay, but remember that this embassy is now under military control, as we are facing a possible hostile situation. If I say to evacuate, you will ask "by MARev or by JetSet?", not "why?!"
I don't like your tone, captain!
I know you don't. But my orders are to keep you here for as long as I can. So unless a nuclear attack, we will evacuate you when the knootians start messing with our gates.
Do you think they will get here?
There is a lot of jungle to be covered up. General Klit launched the Scanairs, but is kind of late. As for BYMD, we think the burungans are good with guerrilla tactics, avoiding direct confrontations. Is hard hiding in the jungle when you are carrying a JetSet.

Exactly at the same thing was thinking Captain Marius, as he and his soldiers where being shipped by helicopters toward a place south of BYMD.
=====================================================
OOC: Whoever's down there, post something about the landing. I am heading wherever the defenses are being set. Bi Kikere, knowing about the jetters, could draw a plan to use them on that Maglev Line.
Thinking about that boycott, but I have no contact with Knootoss whatsoever (with some dashes around that word :-).
And do I know that IV is on TB's side?
=====================================================
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Knootian Foreign Ministry, The Hague, DDR<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Good day, minister! I am Matei Revert, head-of-state of the Allied States of RevTerr. I am sorry that our first contact has to be not as pleasant as it could have been.
We have detected a massive land, air and sea operation deployed by your army in Tanah Burung. We heard your government countless affirmations about that being only a police action against some terrorist organization that Tanah Burung does not support, nor can be held directly responsible for. Your actions are inconsistent with your words, as what I see there is an invasion army heading for the political capital city of a sovereign state. We urge you to stop these hostile actions and let the diplomacy solve it. It's better to fight with words that with guns.
As the burungans possess no real army, Revterr, along other countries, is responding to their plea for help. Our troops will help protect their assets. Do not let your first contact situation with us and other countries be a war situation. We condemn the international terrorism. But we are also against the politics of preemptive strikes, as it interfere with every nations right to solve her own problems by herself. Think about it, and you will feel the same.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Oglethorpian head of state, Oglethorpia<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Good morning!
We are very disappointed to see that your country gave up the path of dialogue and chose the weapons. What happened this morning in Tanah Burung will forever remain as a stain to Oglethorpian reputation. You served as base for launching an unfair attack against a sovereign state, almost an ally and certain a neighbor. And without a trace of an attempt to negotiate or warn.
Your country have forests too. Imagine what would happen if some kids decide to play grown-ups and protest against the elves.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

OOC: What's the terrain like between the TB/O border and BYMD city?

Kaliurang

Maria and James glanced at each other.

James was the first to speak. "North of BYMD City is good to start with. I realise I have no authority here, but I have to say that I think most major places of habitation must be considered as fair game for the Knootians already. Our best chances are in the jungles - guerilla warfare the best option we have available. Destroying the maglev line gives us a supreme advantage in terms of defence - it'll be much slower and harder going for the Knootians - especially any armour they have, and makes our job of defending against the main assault much easier. It's good that you agree on that."

He turned and shouted to a group of soldiers in Weegie. They listened for a minute, talked to him for a little while, and then saluted and left in a hurry, gathering weapons and various provisions.

"They'll set out for the line as soon as possible." He smiled, weakly this time. "We have to hope they can do some damage. For your nation's sake."

*IMC Building

“Of course, dear heart,” the old woman said. She looked near tears, and more than a little distracted. And now there was word that she would have to leave for a peace mission to deal with the Biotopia crisis. She hoped her heart was up to the challenge.

“Tell me, what can I do for you?”

The bovine female entered the office with an angry look on her face. "I am simply horrified by the agressive and intransigent position of the Knootians and so, I wanted to express my solidarity with the Burungi people.
I've just received a call from the duque, telling me that our country was willing to send troops to defend your people, should this invasion happen. So, don't worry, Hell Bovines shall stand next to Tanah Burung on this matter."
(anybody see a power struggle between the duque and his vice?)

*Tiga Burung Airfield

“No planes? Why wasn’t I told?” Airport co-operative president Suryadarma stormed into the control tower of the country’s only airport. “Well, do we have any response capability?”

His staff looked at each other. Then at him. Then at the wall.

“We can fire bazookas from the balloons,” one officer ventured.

“Or crash a blimp into their planes,” added another, even less helpfully.

“Idiots, all of you,” Suryadarma said. His mobile phone rang. “What’s that? Pucará? Well, I don’t know what they are, but yes, clear them to land once they get within range.”

Squadron leader Nahuel Redmane saw the Tiga Burung airfield at last. The fuel indicator was almost empty, and the Burungis there would provide good scouting information on the situation in the country.
Nahuel was afraid, but also felt excited about this mission. His father had been a great general in the Bovine Revolution and he felt serving his country and allies was a good way of paying him back. He grabbed the radio:
"Tiga Burung airfield....Tiga Burung airfield.... This is Hell Bovinian warplane Condor 01. We request permission to land"
"Condor 01, this is Tiga Burung Airfield. You're cleared on runaway 06"
And so, moments later the five airplanes were landing shakily on Burungi land.
Nahuel was the first to get out of his plane and greet the foreigners.
"Hello, sirs. I am Squadron leader Nahuel Redmane, from Hell Bovines. We've come to examin the situation in your country, and aid in any way we can."
The bovine pilot next to him gave a silent grin. He knew Nahuel had added that last part to his orders.

*Kaliurang village

“My friends, I certainly agree that the maglev must be sacrificed to save the country. But a ground attack force is already on the way, and BYMD City is too close to the border for us to be able to cut the line between the city and the border. If we are to cut the line of attack, it will have to be north of BYMD City. Although part of me is happy to leave my esteemed co-presidents to stew in their own incompetence and be captured, i’m not sure we should abandon the city and the government just yet. What do you think?”

The duque smiled pleased. "I'm glad we all agree that the Maglev is the best target to strike. While it will be a pity to destroy the fruit of so much Burungi work, this will greatly slow down the imperialist dutch-speakers"
As he litted a cigar, he gave some orders to another bovine, as he pointed to the Weegie soldiers.
"My troops will aid on setting up the line too, if you all agree"

He gave a small puff and submerged on his thoughts. Where were the Hell Bovinian troops? Had Whitey sent them as he had ordered him to do?
His old friend hadn't been so trustable these last years.
It was great to be on the fight again, anyway. He was old enough to remember the bovine revolution, during his childhood.

(ooc. RevTerr, i answered by telegram, but you've been cleared to fly over BYMD and Ukun Rasikan provinces. My 500 limit is meant for ground forces. On the terrain: BYMD City is built on foothills coming down to the sea, and has a port. To the south, the area is mostly covered by rain forest, which has been cut back from the Maglev line -- this will provide a flat area for troop advance from the south towards the city, although the ruined palace i mentioned in the last long post is in the way. North of the city, the coastal plain opens up into rice paddy, which is terrached up the hillsides. As you move to the interior, farmed land gives way to rain forest.)

----------------------------------------
Burung-Yang-Membuat-Dunia
----------------------------------------
The Maglev car came to a halt nicely in the city centre of Burung-yang-membuat-dunia, where the the BYMD stop of the maglev was situated. Daniel was one of the first to disembark from the car. After an elegant jump his army boots touched the platform of the station. His heart beat loudly in his chest as he ran for the first cover position behind a supporting beam, scoping out the rest of the station.

“CLEAR!”, different voices around him echoed from all directions as a sign the station was secure. A pony-tailed woman in sergeant’s uniform motioned him to help him drag a machinegun to a position behind a supporting beam near the main entry. Together they installed the thing in such a manner that it would spit bullets at anyone who dared approach the station. Around him, throngs of other young men and women did the same, securing the station and putting machineguns and primitive cover in place at key exit and entry points to the station. The Maglev car, meanwhile, departed from the station to make room for another car bringing reinforcements into the city.

As Daniel looked around for something else to carry or move, he was motioned again by the woman with the pony tail, who stood next to a major. “Private Willemsvaart, you go on the party to scout for the presidency. You will take your orders from sergeant Beketov here.” The woman gave a quick nod and both saluted before going on the double to a group of soldiers that had already assembled near the exit.

---

Joop van der Meer had his helicopter swoop low into the city. There it remained low, between the streets, unseen. With fairly quiet rotors, the helicopter hovered between the houses of west- BYMD City. He would be part of the first air assistance given to the local infantry, along with several other helicopters of the same type.

“They better have secured that station by now”, he mumbled to himself as he flipped on his radio.

---

On the ground, the party of Daniel was moving stealthily along the walls of houses on the nightly streets of BYMD. So far they had not encountered any hostile soldiers yet, but as they approached the place where the Presidency was supposed to be this was sure to change. As Daniel paused to peek around the next corner, he heard Sergeant Beketov speaking into her comm device with a hushed voice. He noticed her beautiful Russian accent, too, but for now there was no time to think about such things.. ”Yes Sir, you can send the helicopter on the approach route from the west but please tell it to stay away from us until we call for it. We do not want to wake up the whole neighbourhood. Party two can use their firepower if they cannot blow up that blimp control centre that is supposed to be here somewhere. Yes Sir. Party one out.”


---

At the station, the soldiers made sure they were at some distance from the platform as another maglev car passed by at enormous speed, not stopping in BYMD but instead heading further north. The next car would be for them again, but that would still be some time. Untill then, they would have to rely either on the cover of darkness or on their machinegun nests.

((OOC: I am presuming that, with the speed of the maglev and the element of surprise, there was no time yet for RevTerr or other forces to coordinate anything resembling a decent force in the station at the moment when the first troops land in the middle of the night. This is also considering the people who actually *were* awake were set to work in making a defensive perimeter around the city to defend against the other small infantry incursion from the south. I am also assuming that the station is built in the city centre or that it would at least be pretty near the city centre since building a big international waystation for tourism near the edge of the city or in some random piece of jungle makes no economic sense.

Does the Maglev have double track or can one cart drive in only one direction at any given time?

Also, is the stratospheric blimp control we talked about in BYMD or, uh, where is it because either there would be paradrops or it would be a priority target for maglev-forces to secure.

I had planned to post more tonight about Linggajati palace, Europolis and Ukun Rasikan but its late now. Sleep is good.))

Communication to Admiral Lassander Ilek of the Tactical Group Sir William Issem

“This is taskforce Commander de Vries onboard the KDF Zhakarov speaking.

Your transport will be allowed to pass but it will be subject to scanning. A helicopter will be sent to do this. This helicopter will hover over your transport but it will not be engaged. I would advise you not to engage us as we likewise will not engage you. I have no desire to start a war here but I´m sure you understand our reservations with an entire Vaadian battlegroup approaching our location.

De Vries out.”

OOC again:
-My fleet-of-unspecified-size has not half the firepower of your Tactical Group? Send me a TG please what you base that on cuz I think we need to work that out OOCly:)
-Water and other essential services are not being hit. A surgical strike aimed at disrupting enemy command and control functions generally does not include striking at water.

Admiral Lassander Ilek listened to the reply from Commander De Vries, the captain was about to advise the Marathon Transport but Admiral Ilek held up his hand

"Ignore De Vries Captain............" he then switched his comm back on "Commander De Vries, you have no aurhority to intercept our planes or to tell us what we are allowed and not allowed to have or deliver to our embassy, our sovereign territory, you see we worked that out with the Government of Tanah Burung. My plane will not stop for you, it will land directly at the embassy. Once again it is unarmed and any attempt to molest it will be met in kind."

The Tactical Group continued shadowing the Knootian task force, it was moving as it were a part of the Knootian task force, right in behind it, barely 1000 yards seperating the Knootians from the Naval Guard.

The Tollan Carriers began launching Orion Stealth Fighters, 5 at time...........giving the Tactical Group a pleasant umbrella.

As Admiral Ilek awaited De Vries response he contacted Tollan Fire-Control " Fire-Control this is the Sir William Issem. Could you scramble the Tlaloc Group, I'd like a ounch for when the Knootians decide that they've become too big for their britches."

Admiral Ilek had yet to be defeated in a Naval Battle and was eager to push his luck.

Fire-Control responded "Roger that Admiral, Tlaloc Group away."

Somewhere on the Tollan Massif several sonic booms reported as the Sword Of Damocles OAV's launched to take strike positions over the Knootian fleet.

*****
The Marathon transport sped on towards the embassy, slowing as it neared the shore , over the fleet. As the transport slowed Leftenant Wesley saw something start to tail them, he glanced at the radar console

"Colonel, there's a vehicle behind us, shadowing us."

Colonel Erdogan glanced over "Ignore it, if they shootv us down and we die the Knootians will face millions of our brothers demanding vengeance. My Life for the Republic."

That didn't help Leftenant Wesley much "Yes sir, My Life for the Republic."
Leftenat Wesley was getting more incomforatble by the minute.


****

Aboard the Tetzcatlipoca the Supreme Republican Commander awaited Bi Kikere's response, he put his hand over the receiver "I think she's had a heart attack Mirai........." He confided to his Staff Seargent.


OOC: yes, how is it's size unspecified? is your fleet immune to my satellites and radar? and why on earth would Uncle Istvan call Bi Kikere and tell her that the enemy has more firepower? Even if he knew 100% for certain that you had 4x the fire power, he'd admit to his own men not some old Burungi woman.

(ooc to Knoot: yes, blitzkrieg into the maglev station in BYMD is fine. Although economic sense is sometimes defined differently in a semi-planned economy, yes it's in the city -- the new city rather than the old city higher up the hill where i've posted the collective presidency meeting. There is a short descriptive passage about BYMD City in post #34 of this thread, on the third page. The second page contains potted decriptions of Ukun Rasikan & Loro Sae if needed later. Maglev is double-track. The location of stratospheric blimp control is a closely-guarded secret, which you may or may not know but i'm not posting on the thread, let's handle that discussion on telegram.)

Kaliurang

"I'm serious as a heart attack," the Vaadian was saying to an increasingly horrified Bi Kikere, "if the Rumbiak Brigade and DDR want to play war, I'll show them what war really is! So you can help me and make sure I only kill those that need it, or I'll just cut loose and kill anyone with a gun, or anything that looks like a gun. What do you say?"

She felt, actually, as if she was having a heart attack.

"Please do come on in and secure your embassy," she said finally. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't shoot our people though. You know how our esteemed foreign minister has said we will handle the Rumbiak Brigades in our own way? Well, i'm going to do just that. Trust me, they won't be causing any more trouble while i'm calling the shots. And now we're at war, i'll be calling quite a few shots." She gave a small, unpleasant sounding chuckle.

---

So, the Weegie and Bovine people all wanted to blow up the maglev? Good, so did she, and it was nice to know that the foreign fighters were not going to be as squeamish as her own people. "It's agreed then. We're taking out the maglev line north of BYMD City. Victory to the Internationals! I suggest the jungle trails, then a fast dash across the rice terraces by local trails to the line."

Uncle Istvan looked at the phone as Bi Kikere either politely declined his help, or misunderstood him, he chose the latter

"I'm sorry perhaps you misunderstood. I'm protecting my Embassy AND coming ashore, with around 300 of my best lads. What I was asking is if you can provide a guide or two to point out where the Knootians and Rumbiak Brigade are. I can either show up and fight FOR you or I can show up, not know who the enemy is and shoot everyone with a weapon and all the communists.

I prefer killing everyone that's armed , that's worked brilliantly in the past, or maybe the Knootians will co-operate with me? You can either help or hinder me,I'm not going away until the fighting stops.

You and the Knootians will soon realize that I'm an unreasonable psychopath and that you'd better start talking to each other, because that's the only way I'm going home. So should I mark you down as on board?"

It soon must have slowly dawned on Kikere , something that anyone who has dealt with Uncle Istvan learns, that Uncle Istvan can only solve problems with brutal ,unreasoning violence.

Uncle Istvan paused before saying "Yeah, Esteemed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alkatiri is it? He's a communist, isn't he?"

"A communist?" Bi Kikere was shocked. "Certainly not, i don't believe there are any communists in this country. What a thought." She shuddered a little.

"I assume securing your embassy is the top priority, and i'll make sure that your forces are guided properly to carry out that task. And I'll be happy to provide guides to show you where the Knootian forces are, of course. As to further steps, i suggest you speak with Sir Alec Connover before moving. I'm taking the Rumbiak Brigades out myself. Fastest way to stop the fighting."

---

Broadcast on all radio frequencies by Mari Alkatiri, and delivered as an officuial diplomatic note to the Knootian government:

"This morning, Knootian armed forces bombed cities in Tanah Burung and crossed the border into our country. On behalf of the collective presidency, i am repeating our call for peace talks. We will meet Knootian delegates at any time, in any place, to negotiate a peaceful solution. However, any further military moves against our country will be resisted."

OOC: I have just realized there is no way I could know about some back stage stuff. And that the carriers might spoil some "fun".
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

--------------------------------------------------
CentrArm Complex, Roman, Revterr
-------------------------------------------------

Crist Dragh felt lost in space. Diplomatic space that is, as he was scanning through the response to Alkatiri's call for a boycott. The burungan plea was somehow similar to the interviews gave at the end of the IMC, with a striking new-comer: the mentions regarding the order of the invisible hand.
Revterr's secret service, FSR, mentioned it more like a side note, a who-knows-when-it-could-be-usefull piece of information. The order "striked back", as the author of TVRev's Joke of the Week, declaring the words "freedom" and "liberty" trade marks. Conspiracy theory adepts filled the internet with garbage concerning their attempts to "rule the world" through economic means (and military hardware). Most of the time, these internet addicts where wrong and in need of therapy, but the answers received by Alkatiri could be linked through an economic framework. Was this order a sort of francmasonery? And did Alkatiri "forgot" to mention something to his -now- ally?
Conex, connect Ank Nita!
Connected!
Good morning again, admiral!
Good morning.
I am forwarding some information extracted from the diplomatic messages the burungan received. I would like a new report concerning the Order of the Invisible Hand.
The word trade-markers?
Yes. They made an interesting appearance in Mari Alkatiri's speech, and I can already see some connections through the diplomatic channels. I've outlined them to you.
I see... I'll cross reference what we know with MediaWatch and the Internet. I can already see that you thought of some conspiracy theory websites. Anything new?
No. There are some hands extended to both countries, but I think they are too late. As admiral Drei said, this was not planned to be a long war. Anything new from "the war room"?

--------------------------------------------------
Tactical Room, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan Harbor
-------------------------------------------------

We are redeploying on a more-or-less Tiga Burung meridian. The captains where sharing different communication monitors on general's video wall. Klit pressed a button and a map appeared on their monitors. There is a large fleet heading toward the burungan waters. We think they are from Ilek Vaad, but we have no idea what they are after. So: the Carriers are almost sure to go east. We are still waiting a message from the burungan ground officer. The knootians and their allies are not to get into firing range to the shore.
Somes?
Somes is already out of Tiga Burung harbor and deployed at a safe distance. It will wait for the knootians there. Arges will probably leave BYMD, with a task force from Ukun Rasikan, and should meet with an eventually Knootian fleet before they enter the Tiga Burung Cannal and safe from any shole line they could bombard. Bega will leave Loro Sae to help Somes, and only the Ukun Rasikan fleet will remain on station. And probably some cruisers in the harbors.
What about BYMD?
We will let Prut on station, with some submarines. We will provide air patrols from Arges and helicopters from Prut. This is the plan proposed by CentrArm. We are here to discuss it.

Presidential guard, BYMD

This job was a doddle, usually. The co-presidents moved from place to place, hosted by the local governor, and had their chats. Generally, there was a delegation about something or other. Occasionally a protest -- in which case, one of the co-presidents went out to meet the demonstrators and either agreed to their demands, mollified them with some meaningless concessions, or gave them a lecture about the nature of democracy.

This time, the presidential security detail had expected to have to deal with a minor protest against the re-legalization of small business, maybe. But things were a great deal worse. The guards were fairly sure a Knootian strike force would be harder to contain than a gang of protesters armed with vegetables, no matter how unripe.

"Take up posiitons around the Governor's palace," the guard commander ordered frantically. "Clear the square! Let no one approach!"

She grabbed her radio transmitter. "RevTerran forces, please land in Old City Square. Thanks for your messsage, we could use the help!" (ooc: this is directly in front of the governor's palace.)

*Kaliurang village

"Then through the jungle trails we'll march. Victory to the internationals, comrades!", the corpulent bovine figure exclaimed as he raised a hoovish fist in the air.
In the back, the Santoro Squadron continued to organize itself. Some of them carried the weegie weapons, others guns and a few, the traditional bovine scythes. It was a curious and colorful group of bovines, indeed, but also a determined one.

*Tiga Burung Airfield

Pilot Nahuel Redmane simply stood there, waiting for a reply. "So... Is there anything we could help with?", he said, trying to end the ackward silence. Nothing uncommon: the Burungis were probably stunned because they've never seen a bovine before, he though.

-------------------------
Linggajati palace
-------------------------

One of the Middelzware Bommenwerpers returning from Ukun Rasikan got hit in the tailpipe by the incoming fire from the ruin, and it spinned out of control in a glowing trail of fire. It crashed somewhere in the green landscape in the distance, leaving no trace of the pilot. But the Burungi defenders had little time to sit back and enjoy their victory. Minutes later they heard a rumbling sound coming from from over the horizon. The sound was different from the whizzing maglevs that speeded back and forth between Oglethorpe and the cities to the north.

Along the maglev, the two mechanised infantry brigades of third division made their way up north along with the very small amount of tanks that had been attached to BEFOR. The first green little dots became visible over the horizon in the distance, of armoured personnel carriers driving up to the castle.

If the Tanah Burung defenders had active radar facing upwards, and if one of these defenders was actually monitoring this radar, they would note blips coming from the southwest. A multitude of fighters with air-to-ground loadouts, active-radar seeking missiles, wild weasel modifications and other convenient means to deal death to them, escorted by eurofighters with a purple-dotted tail came to wild weasel the fortress into extinction.

---

Still several kilometres to the southwest of Linggajati , Jeroen pushed the pedals on his bike, riding in a long column along a dusty road amongst the trees. His bike was sturdy but light, and fast. He rode quietly. It was almost like one of bicycle trips he had taken with his parents, only instead of the endless flats of the artificial landscapes in the polder he had grown up in there was endless jungle, and his parents were not here.

Still, there was not an enemy to be seen. Somewhere inside him, this disappointed him. He had half expected to come under wild machinegun fire the moment he crossed the border, but there was nothing. This was, he considered, a flanking manoeuvre, to prevent the critical forces driving up the maglev from coming under attack. A commander cycling in front of him turned to yell that the first village would be coming up in just a kilometre…

---------------------
Ukun Rasikan
----------------------

The sun was not yet above the tops of the whitewashed houses when the maglev car came to a halt in the maglev station in the newer part of the city. As in BYMD, the Knootian infantry stormed out and began to secure the station. With the first rays of light beginning to come up, the insignia of the peace corps were visible.

One of the more eager soldiers walked outside the station to watch the city; several dashes were radiating lights of the emergency power, but other parts of the city were unnaturally dark. He thought he saw one of the inlanders behind a window but before he could do anything he was pulled back into the station by an angry sergant.

“You fool!”, he hissed, “We don´t leave the station but we hold it and you will stay INSIDE!”.

The boy stuttered…,”y..y.. yes Sir.”

The two men doubled back inside “Listen son, this first train doesn’t have enough troops to dash into Ukun Rasikan like the boy scouts on patrol. There are foreigners in that nice little tourist harbour that would kick our ass if we would. Go help reinforce the station here. I promise you, when the third car arrives you’ll get to see more of this goddamn city then you ever wanted.”

((OOC: As there are not yet sufficient troops to actually control the largest city they will be assuming a defensive posture inside the station and waiting for reinforcements so we can focus the RP on BYMD for now. Unless you decide to attack the station itself, that is. Of course, if you manage to blow up that maglev before reinforcements arrive it will place these troops in a position where they are a bridge too far, so to speak.

I´m also planning to do paratrooper landings in Burung Paradis and Matebian at (ICly) about the same time but OOCly I am postponing that for a bit to keep up with all those little storylines we got going now. ))

----------------------------------------
Burung-Yang-Membuat-Dunia
----------------------------------------
Daniel huffed and puffed as the team began to make its way up the mountain to the higher part of the city. This was a dangerous moment, he knew, but the old city on top of the mountain lured. It looked more like a forest then a city from his current perspective, but a next step would reveal the old wall and the gleaming top of the Cathedral.

The assent of Joops helicopter was remarkably easier., a simple pull of the flightstick pulled up the Knootian-made helicopter. He could see soldiers reaching up for the city from his comfortable position in the air, but he could allow his stare to fix on them only for a moment as he scanned the old city itself for any potential threats or targets…

The Governor’s palace entered Joops scopes first, with heat signatures augmenting the profiles of several members of the Presidential guard in position near the entry points and the square in front of him. From the foot of the mountain below, other KDF helicopters were approaching the old city but they were not yet in proper range. Joop moved his helicopter as into position as quietly as one can possibly be with a huge helicopter flying just above ground, taking advantage of the cover of in one of the old streets behind the square.

“If they can hear me now it will be too late anyway. Fire it up”, he thought to himself.

With a simple jug at the flightstick the machine, still hovering only just above the surface, strafed left into the vision cone of the square. As the Knootian pushed and held a red button on the side of the stick, a forward machinegun began to spit out bullets at the entrance and (as he turned) at any windows of the palace. For good measure, he also fired a heatseeking missile at a large concentration of heat just behind one of the walls that the computer indicated had a 43,5% chance of being a military target. He continued to spit bullets at the entry as the missile homed in on its target, and then rapidly strafed right again to find cover behind the streets…

Daniels alertness rose as he heard the machinegun fire. He increased his pace towards the Governors palace, inspiring others to follow. He was now ahead of most of the team, taking the point. He moved from cover to cover, crouching, getting ever nearer…

------------------------------------------
KDF Zhakarov
Blockade fleet group A
Southern entry into TB strait
------------------------------------------

“Launch them. Launch them now!” Captain Merwede shouted into the communication system.

“Yessir launching now”, the answer crackled over the radio. To the south, in northeast Oglethorpe, the fighters of the Blue Eurofighter Naval element scrambled to launch in response to the sonic booms heard in the area.

For the sake of the Market., Merwede thought to himself, Let it be Lietuv planes being really messy with their flightplans. Don´t let it be anticapitalists.

The few small planes that were on the carrier-less fleet itself (Most notably those on the Vrijheid, the Gelijkheid and Broederschap Anti-Air cruisers) were already in the air, but their recon copters and tiny planes were designed for reconnaissance and ASW, and hardly for combating state-of-the-art fighters. Another army helicopter was approaching their location with scanning equipment to check out the plane. All men and women in the fleet were at their battlestations, with turrets peering at the skies and showering everything with their radar to try and locate the planes responsible for the sonic booms.

((I have much, much more much to say about the naval situation but I need to have some TGs cleared up first. Same with RevTerr helicopters going to that village. Please do not reply to the naval situation anymore until I can catch up (with the exception of Galdago who has not posted post-attack so far.))


To: Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr
From: Hans van Mierlo, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Dear Sir,

I can assure you that we are not invading the United Provinces but are simply taking up positions we need to take in order to be able to effectively fight the Rumbiak Brigade inside the United Provinces. This is not a pre-emptive strike but a response to terrorist activities directed against the Knootian Federation that have been organised inside Tanah Burung.

We are open at any time to negotiate with the United Provinces government but the Rumbiak Brigade must be disposed of now. The DDR is willing to engage an IMC mediation procedure. The DDR is also planning to meet with the collective presidency at earliest convenience and we would very much like for RevTerr representatives to be present in such talks.

We do not wish to fight the Burungi people and government, nor do we wish to fight the military of RevTerr. We are a peaceful people trying only to protect ourselves. However, should your forces or those of the United Provinces government choose to engage us we will be forced to defend ourselves. Please consider this before jumping to the aid of a government only to find that it will only mean an escalation of violence and not the bringing of peace. Knootian Forces will leave Tanah Burung once the Rumbiak Brigade is eradicated and you would do well to just sit this one out. If there is no fighting between our nations, less people will die and saving lives is what this operation is all about.

Yours,

Hans van Mierlo
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss

OOC: hopefully you got my TG? I'm going to post my transport landing at the embassy, I'll just delete it later if you do shoot it down ;) but it looks like you have more threatening targets atm.

Leftenant Wesley could see the lights of the ships below, at the speed of the Marathon, it was blur and they were soon over coast.

"these co-ordinates are for an airfield near the embassy?" asked Wesley, Colonel Erdogan just shook his head in response

"An open field, square?" he asked hopefully

"no." stated Erdogan " that IS the Embassy, land in the street Leftenant."

"Yes sir...." Wesley had landed in the Tollan Massif several times, he was hoping squeezing between buildings was akin to going down the shafts in the Massif

******

In the Embassy Sir Alec was coming out of the gents room "We still have water Aldred?"

Sir Aldred shrugged "Uncle Istvan would've knocked out water, I simply assumed the Knootians would do the same."

"Assuming makes an ass of you an............" Sir Alec's joke was cut short by a roar

"Sir it's a Marathon!" yelled his secretary as she ducked by the door, a gust of wind howling in.

They all watched at the window as Wesley gingerly landed the powerful VTOL transport gingerly in the street, it's flood lights giving it the appearence of a scene cut from 'Close Encounters'

The ramp deployed and the Red Jaguar charged out, carrying supplies, bio-diesel fuel, food, cots , bottled water, medical supplies.......enough for a week or two, Colonel Erdogan moved slowly out behind them, his FN-HAR readied. After about thirty minutes the Marathon was emptied, Erdogan gave a thumbs up and Wesley took the Marathon back up, and back out to the Tetzcatlipoca.

Sir Alec looked stunned at the Red Jagaur "Colonel..........I thought Admiral Ilek was sending Marines........"

Colonel Erdogan shrugged, taking out an elegant meershcaum pipe "No. I'll look after your embassy, Ambassador Connover."

He calmly smoked at the compund gate as the Marine snipers scurried to the roof and the Red Jaguar and Embassy staff put everything in order.

******

Admiral Ilek hailed the RevTerrans

"Greetings, this is Admiral Lassander Ilek of the Tactical Group Sir William Issem. We are here to secure the Vaadian embassy and generally keep an eye on things. I understand you are here at the request of the Burungi Government and we will render appropriate assistance to your forces and Burungi forces if it is deemed necessary."

******

Little did Admiral Ilek know that Uncle Istvan had ended his phone call to Bi Kikere. Uncle Istvan hung up and looked at his Staff Seargent

"Mirai, get the lads ready, have Lasander scramble the Orions............hey all the chocolate in the water, looks like I'm wallowing in my own filth............call Alec , tell him to sit tight. We'll deploy right to the jungle, I'm not fighting in any damn city."

Staff Seargent Assad nodded "Lads are ready, Lassander is scrambling the Orions, I'll call Ambassador Connover and yes it looks like you're sitting in a vat of diarrhea, anything else sir?"

Uncle Istvan climbed out of the ruined hot tub "A towel!"

As soon as he was toweled he got his gear and headed for the Multi-Purpose deck of the Tetzcatlipoca.

HB, sorry, i'm just scrambling to catch up.

Info on Ukun Rasikan, if needed: this is a very large city, as described on p. 2 of this thread. The embassies are all located on Canal Street. Many of them are converted colonial mansions. Canal Street is one one side of a canal (shocking, eh?) and all the embassies look across the canal at the city. So, easy to move about, lots of open space. At the sea end of this street is a large old palace, entirely green, where the foreign ministry is located. A bridge crosses to the rest of the city here.

Tiga Burung

The ground crew finally recovered from their shock. They had seen Bovines before, of course -- heck, the beaches were littered with friendly visiting cows -- but somehow a cow flying a plane took the whole experience to a new level.

"Um, welcome to Tuga Burung," the base commander finally managed to sputter out. "We, uh, can we re-fuel your planes for you? Are you here to help us fight? And where did you get that spiffy bomber jacket?"

Kaliurang

The Internationals, mixed with an equal number of Burungi troops, began to move out, transporting enough explosives to take out three or four maglev lines. Bi Kikere's temporary command post returned to the appearance of being a sleepy, peaceful village.

(ooc: either one of you feel free to say what's happening on this one. Not too far to walk to the maglev line. Also RevTerr, telegrammed you about the helicopter landing location.)

Near Maguwo village, BYMD province

Suwito moved swiftly and almost silently through the jungle, beckoning his men to where they should go. They had let the Knooter scum pass the border freely, follow the winding roads through the jungle, swatting themselves occasionally to ward off against the mosquitoes that attacked their tender perspiring European skins. Invade my forest, will they? He pointed to the local force to the right spot, where the road rounded a low forested hill. As the cycling troops began to pass by, he opened fire. Others did the same by his side. As the bullets started to hit, he laughed.

BYMD City

Screams and crashing mortar as the Governor's Palace was struck. Faintly under that sound, the great organ of the cathedral poured out its sacred music.

Soldiers inside stormed into the meeting room where the collective presidency was meeting. "Into the basement, now!" they yelled. "I said now!"

As the palace wall fell in, the noise brought worshippers spilling out of the cathedral. Monks, nuns, the small number of lay people in the old city at this time of day. Sister Clara saw the array of foreign soldiers and their high-tech weaponry below. She shrieked in fear, then fell to her knees.

"Hail Mary, full of grace," she started to chant the familiar words double-time, "the Lord is with you, lessed are you among womena and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Hail Mary..."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Hans van Mierlo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, DDRK<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Good morning!
We cannot believe your assurances, since your actions proved this to be a hostile take-over. Your country's plans look like they had been taken from as military book: cutting communication lines, cutting supply lines, etc.
As far as we know, the burungans did not claimed that they will not take actions against their so-called terrorists. But in a single week you have already assembled the trial, presented the evidences and decided by yourself, without listening to the juries, the IMC. And now you are executing the sentence. This attack is either a hastly response or a plan well prepared, and the knootians are not known to do hasty things.
Oh yes, minister, I think you know what you are doing. But I still hope for some common sense in your government. Stop the advance towards Burung-Yang-Membuat-Dunia, let the burungan democracy prove it's worth! Keep that blockade around their waters, but allow them to act out of their own will. It's an arrangement that we think we can negotiate with the forces involved. But you must show good fate.
Ask your military if they know where to look for that Rumbiak Brigade and their solution will be to search the jungle and bomb everything hot on their heat seekers. It's the burungan jungle; it's the burungan way of living. If they could have hidden themselves in the jungle to earn their independence, they could probably find themselves in the jungle to keep it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>Admiral Lassander Ilek, Tactical Group Sir William Issem, Smarald Sea<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<General Klit, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Greetings, admiral!
Welcome to Tanah Burung. We recognized the diplomatic transponder on your transporter. I understand that in times like these your embassy is opened to all who seek it's protection. Protecting it as a sanctuary is a good idea. As for the help, it is most welcomed.
Things here are not as good coordinated as they could be. We have failed to contact any citizen defense force in Ukun Rasikan and so we are confined to our original orders, providing air support. Except for the earlier attack, we have no signs of the Knootians. One Maglev wagon has just arrived in Ukun Rasikan, we have dispatched some jetters to make some quick fly-by's.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

-------------------------------------------------
TVRev, RevTerr
-------------------------------------------------


[the imagine of a full moon. the camera flies around her, to reach the dark side. Behind the moon, the sun rises. The camera follows one of sun's rays, as it flies past the moon, heading towards the Earth. Fast zoom toward our planet, fast fly through the clouds, toward the south of the Emerald Heights continent. A darkened Revterr became sunny. From the sea around Revterr, the letters GOOD MORNING REVTERR! rise, in sunny template. Fast zoom toward Roman, in the center of the main island, toward TVRev's tower.]
Good morning, Revterr, it is seven o'clock, 0x.xx.20xx. If you had plans for Tanah Burung, you'd better think fast! [a map appears in the corner of the screen, with objectives being shown as they are described by Ris Matiz]. Knootians planes attacked last night the diplomatic city of Ukun Rasikan, destroying several buildings. There is also information about knootian ground troops crossing the southern border with Oglethorpia (country which is apparently supporting these knootians planes). Our sources told us that the knootian fleet would soon reach a position in the Smarald Sea from which it will impose a blockade on the burungans. The revterran fleet is on alert, out there, in Tanah Burung's harbors and here, in RevTerr, as the ships are being assembled into a second fleet.
Ok, that's all for now, Krisa Lavin is in the newsroom; she will give you more information later on. But now we are going live to CentrArm where a press conference is due to start any minute now. Darin Vix, are you there? [Ris Matiz's face is shrinking to a corner of the screen, leaving instead the live feed from CentrArm.]
Good morning Ris, good morning ladies and gentlemen, Comander Revert is entering the room as we speak. Let's hear him out!

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. As you probably know, at around 4 o'clock burungan time knootians planes left from an airfield in Oglethorpia attacked several targets in Tanah Burung, notably a surveillance balloon, some power nodes and communication centers in Ukun Rasikan. Soon after the burungan officials issued a plea for help defending their city especially Burung-Yang-Membuat-Dunia, where their collective presidency is set. We are responding to their plea. Our ground forces are being deployed in Ukun Rasikan and Burung-Yang-Membuat-Dunia area, as part as a so-called International Brigade to help defend the sovereignty of this country. I cannot tell you the exact location or the strategy, but it is only fair to inform you that an official hostile situation is possible to appear between RevTerr and Knootoss later today. We are officially advising our citizens to use caution in dealing with Knootoss, Tanah Burung and Oglethorpia. A more detailed report has been sent to the major media groups earlier this morning, so please do not ask me questions that have already been answer.
Are we declaring war to Knootoss and/or Oglethorpia?
No. We have high hopes that we will be able to stop the knootian advance toward Ukun Rasikan, while the international community convince them to come back to diplomatic negotiations. However, we won't be the one calling the shots, but the burungans, as it is their country. I doubt they will accept any negotiations while the Knootian army is marching.
And Oglethorpia?
We are very disappointed in Oglethorpian's sneaky actions. We are still considering breaking diplomatic relations with them, but no action have been taken.
There is information about deaths among our soldiers.
Unfortunately, that is true. I cannot tell you more now about this, as we are still assessing the situation. You will be informed shortly. I can tell you that they where on leave in Ukun Rasikan.
There are reports of a second fleet heading toward Tiga Burung.
It is from Ilek-Vaad, on a mission to "secure the Vaadian embassy and generally keep an eye on things". That was their message, delivered as I was readying for this press conference. We believe that they will actually help the burungans and us.
But we have launched our interceptors once they arrived.
We all arrived at the same time, and it's a sort of stalemate. We launched our interceptors because the knootians launched theirs. But as I said, we won't fire unless fired upon. Now, please excuse me, CentrArm spoke person will take over, as I have a busy day ahead. However, I want to assure you that we will not take unnecessary risks, that we, at CentrArm know what we got ourselves into when we responded to the strained burungans, and yes, we think it's worth it. I think it's worth it. While we support the international fight against terrorism, we cannot allow this form of international bully! Who knows when we will be targeted? As for the Rumbiak Brigade, yes, a trial might be in order. But it is too early to take this task out of burungan hands. Good day to us all!

That was Comander Revert, speaking about the burungan situation. My crew and me will remain here to see how this press conference evolves, and maybe we will talk again later on.

Thank you, Darin! Ladies and gentlemen, good morning, I am Krisa Lavin, in the newsroom. For those of you who slept last night, we have prepared the following material to give you a clue about what had happened in Tanah Burung....

-------------------------------------------------
Burung-Yang-Membuat-Dunia, Tanah Burung
-------------------------------------------------

30 seconds to deploy The alert sounded on the comlinks. The revterran helicopters where flying fast, meters above the buildings of BYMD. There where transport helicopters, with escorts made of helicopters and planes. The knootian air fleet was spotted on it''s approach, so the helicopters where making haste to deploy around the building. The original plan of soft landing and normal deploy has already been scraped, as it was no time for all the helicopters to land.
Out of nowhere, a rocket hit the Governor palace. The explosion scraped a second set of plans Marius was working on.
Helicopter, low, southwest of the plaza, the pilot of an interceptor reported. Useless report, as Marius, now in the pilot cabin, saw it's glittering form heading on a street. Not fair he thought.That's our strategy!
Jetters, deploy! Remember: Erin, with me on the palace! Galer, South Blocks! Tiamen, air support above us! Multilaunchers on the Palace, in the square, east and west first building; Machine guns at the front door. Deploy and evade north. Raton, follow the mechs!
Marius jumped, directing his landing towards the palace. He spoke into his head-set:
Conex>Connect>Frequency>Preset 10!
Connected came the answer.
Revterran troops are landing in the old Square area; do not fire! Conex>Close!
Closed!
[i]Conex>Connect>Frequency>All!
Connected
This is captain Corin Marius from the Revterran Ground Forces. Our contact frequency is xxx.xx YHz. The Governor palace is under our protection! Knootians, do not approach! The surrounding buildings are inhabited, think of the bloodshed this could turn into! Go and blow up the Rumbiaks into the jungle! I repeat...

The rest of the jetters deployed as they have been instructed. Their transports hastily turned toward north-east, flying as low as they could get. But they where only Uranus Class heavy helicopters and they have exhausted their afterburner to get here fast. Meanwhile, one of the even bigger Saturn Class helicopters hovered 1 meter above the palace. A hatch blew open, and with two loud BANGS the "thing" was set. The helicopter hastily turns around facing north. Behind him, other helicopters where doing the same thing: down in the square (where sergeant Raton's already landed jetters would haste to arrange them in Marius's positions) or on the building (scaring the hell out of the inhabitants). Around them, the jetters from sergeant Tiamen's division where ready for intercepting aerial targets. Above them, the revterran version of the Eurofighter was targeting the knootians. Hovering between streets, buildings and whale-sized helicopters (and, again, the knootians), the revterran version of the Apache helicopters awaited.
And around the palace, was hardly any window left intact.

Marius landed on the Palace:
Conex>Connect>Frequency>Preset 10!
Connected.
Presidential security, we are deploying around the Old Square and the palace. There are three revterran ATV heading this way from the north, please consider this a possible escape route. We are intercepting some knootian helicopters arriving from south. Please advise about the evacuation plans.

OOC:Knoot, when you are ready to move on (if others do not do it earlier), you might post something about 5 big birds fast-flying over Ukun Rasikan Maglev Station. I'll take it from there (or TG). The thing about the sea, it's to be "known" that I have launched the interceptors (not to actually use them).
As for BYMD, I think we should take it slowly.

To: Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr
From: Hans van Mierlo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, DDR

Operation Tempo Doeloe looks like it is from a military textbook because it is a military operation. In order to effectively fight the Rumbiak Brigade our forces must be able to operate without resistance by United Provinces defence forces, and the United Provinces government has declared a state of hostilities. This government, I might add, that was actively campaigning against a ban of the Rumbiak Brigade and who refused our repeated diplomatic appeals to do something about it. Mari Altakiri has even pronounced agreement with the goals of this group.

I appreciate your attempt at compromise, and I can assure you that diplomatic efforts to compromise will be made this right afternoon in the IMC building. However, your compromise does have several difficulties. Rumbiak Brigade members can just live in the cities as of now, undisturbed as they were by the United Provinces government. This requires a thorough sweep of the country in addition to a blockade. Installing a firewall on your computer is not going to work if you do not have a virus scanner to remove the viruses. I myself did not like the idea of sending a military force into the country we have had amicable relations with for a long time. However I have been assured that this is the only way to permanently eliminate the terrorist threat.

I do feel I have to direct some words to dissuading you from engaging militarily against the DDR. I ask you, as a man of peace, what difference it will make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction that would follow your military intervention is wrought under the name of fighting terrorism, or the name of protecting liberty, or the sovereignty of another nation? RevTerr military intervention will only serve to extenuate the suffering and to bring it to your families as well as ours. Tanah Burung is a peaceful nation, its military virtually nonexistent. You know this from personal experience as we know it from our intelligence reports. If events are allowed to unfold as they would unfold without intervention, the Knootian Defence Force will overcome any military resistance within a matter of days, the Rumbiak Brigade can be hunted down by us and our allies in a matter of weeks or perhaps months, and peace will be restored with a minimum of casualties. However, should RevTerr choose to interfere it will spark a long, bloody war between many nations. It will split friends and pit former allies against eachother. It will mean war in the Emerald Heights and war in Europe. My people are determined to defend themselves, and Knootoss is determined to pull through this, even at high cost to itself. I beg of you, in the name of friendship, and peace, and justice do not allow your people to do this. Let us have peace in RevTerr, and peace in Knootoss, and to let us have an operation in Tanah Burung that will be so short and insignificant that it is but an inconsequential flickering of the candle shedding light on the history books of all NationStates.

The nations supporting Tanah Burung now do so only weakly, and they cannot be expected to interfere militarily. The interest of other nations in fighting are too weak, and their interest in not fighting is too strong. Their anticapitalist allies have turned inside to rot on their totalitarian continent. They lack the capabilities to deploy their forces because they are as unwilling as we are to fight a war of ideology and nuclear destructions, in short they do not wish for a struggle to the death. Neither side desires this. Yet still, RevTerr interference could serve to destabilise this balance. A third party engaging the Knootian fleet in the Emerald Heights may destroy the balance of power, it may destroy the détente. Allowing events to unfold as they unfold, without meddling in the path of history, will be the best guarantee for a limiting of the suffering.

~Hans van Mierlo

((OOC: stealing a bit from I-Vs letter but that can be attributed to Hans van Mierlo just being lazy.))

OOC: just to clarify, Admiral Lassander has ordered Ilek-Vaad's ships to close with 1000 yrds of the Knootians blockade, but they are not actually there yet. Knoot you can decide when they get there, just let me know.

OOC:
Okay. My apologies. It was confuzzeling. :confused:

ICly, right as RevTerr described it, morning has just dawned/is just dawning. Vaadian forces, being a day away, would be arriving either very late in the evening of the same day or at night, the next day.

Near Maguwo village, BYMD province

Suwito moved swiftly and almost silently through the jungle, beckoning his men to where they should go. They had let the Knooter scum pass the border freely, follow the winding roads through the jungle, swatting themselves occasionally to ward off against the mosquitoes that attacked their tender perspiring European skins. Invade my forest, will they? He pointed to the local force to the right spot, where the road rounded a low forested hill. As the cycling troops began to pass by, he opened fire. Others did the same by his side. As the bullets started to hit, he laughed.

Near Maguwo village, BYMD province
Jeroen professionally ducked onto the ground. Well, perhaps more actually described: he fell over on his nose, hitting the ground pretty hard. Next to him, others had also ducked for cover or they had simply fallen over with a bullet in their neck or stomach. One of the wheels of an overturned bicycle was still turning idly in the air

“AMBUSH!”, a black-haired woman in front of him yelled before a bullet hit her in the stomach.

Jeroen tigercrouched to the side of the road, still unseen, and aimed his rifle for the piece of the hill. Looking left and right. He noticed small points of light coming from one place uphill. He crawled a bit closer and found cover behind a tree. From there, he aimed his gun at one of the brown heads peeping out above the greenery…

”SUPRESSING FIRE!!!”

Other bikes had been abandoned middle of the road, and behind Jeroen other riflemen had already lined up, kneeling in a small depression by the roadside and shooting uphill to provide suppressing fire as another group of Knootians carrying submachine guns ran uphill through the forest...

Broadcasts sent into Tanah Burung on all radio frequencies
An overhead specialised plane now overflew the United Provinces, broadcasting on all frequencies in the local language. Wherever a radio station would be captured, this channel would be relayed. This radio station broadcasted popular top-40 Burungi and international music during the day and light jazz in the evening hours. Every half-hour, the music would be interrupted by the first notes of a well-known Burungi nationalist song that did *not* refer to independence, followed this transmission in the local language:

“Dear friends in Tanah Burung,

Today, an international coalition of nations has entered the United Provinces to help you in fighting an extremist terrorist group that is hiding amongst you like cowards. Coalition troops are cooperating everywhere with the army of Tanah Burung. Those units that resisted coalition troops in the confusing first hours have already surrendered or are surrendering their weapons as we speak.

Both the coalition and the co-presidency are committed to diplomacy and both nations want to guarantee eternal continuing peace between our nations. Leaders of the Tanah Burung army have pledged to cooperate where they can with coalition forces. The military of Tanah Burung will not be mobilised. If you are in the armed forces you should not resist your friends in the Knootian and coalition militaries. They are here to assist you in the task for destroying the Rumbiak Brigade. You can turn to the nearest coalition command post for instructions. Those that have already mobilised on their own accord can turn in their weapons at the nearest Knootian command post. You will not be harmed and transport will be arranged so you can go home to your town or village. Coalition troops will provide you with good food and you will receive your pay for every hour that you have been mobilised.

The coalition troops are here to fight the Rumbiak Brigade, not the people of Tanah Burung. Coalition forces will be friendly and polite. The Tanah Burung people are already greeting them as good hosts.

And now for some safety tips:
If you are in an area where coalition forces are fighting terrorist resistance pockets you are to hang out a white flag from your home as a sign that you are not resisting coalition forces. A white t-shirt or a towel will do just fine.

If you know anyone who is in the Rumbiak Brigade, do not hesitate to turn them in to coalition forces. Coalition forces will not leave until every member of the Rumbiak Brigade is arrested, and if this is happening sooner then you are all better off.

Do not cooperate with members of the Rumbiak Brigade. Not turning in members of the Rumbiak Brigade is cooperation. Anyone found cooperating with terrorists or resistance groups will be punished severely, to the maximum extent of the law. If you are in the Rumbiak Brigade you can surrender yourself now. You will be treated with clemency.

The Knootian navy, which is part of the coalition forces, has established a temporary barrier around Tanah Burung to prevent Rumbiak Brigade members from escaping. For the duration of this period, trade may be interrupted. If you require supplies from abroad you can contact the nearest Knootian base. They will arrange for replacement import sources.

Above all, be cheerful and go about your business!“
After that, the ‘Ode to Joy’, Ludwig Van Beethovens Ninth Symphony, would play with accompanying lyrics translated in English
((OOC: google ‘European anthem’ for the music.))

“Joy, Oh ! divine scintillation
Sparkling from Elysium,
With a cheerful animation
Goddess, to thy shrine we come.

These our nations once divided
Now your magic spells unite,
Where your wing does beat around them
Brotherhood and love delight.

With a kiss bestowed on millions
Embraced in fraternity,
Let us build a world of union
And peace for all humanity”

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Europolis military base, in err… Europolis, a puny island in northern Sisgardia that Knootoss somehow thinks is important and that stores some old n00kz as a result of the old Shadow War peace treaty as well as a random amount of bored troops
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Europolis, nothing of much importance happened. The soldiers stationed on the island tended to their flocks on the small farms with imported animals from the Knootian mainland far away. Their military barracks, any observers would have noticed, were beginning to look increasingly like five-star hotels, with the difference that five-star hotels probably did not have as many elections posters for the officer elections.

Tall white windmills turned round, powering the base when there was a breeze, and small watermills provided energy for some other task: All in all, it was pretty idyllic.

ooc: Wow, Hans van Mierlo is such a liar! ;)

Local radio stations began to broadcast a pre-recorded message from Bi Kikere:

Fellow citizens, sisters, brothers,

We are under attack. Effective immediately, i have declared that a state of hostilities is in effect against the armed forces of Knootoss. Do not cooperate with these people. Do what you must to protect your lives, but no more. The elders among you will remember how we refused to cooperate the last time these colonialsits attacked us, and how they were driven from these shores. So it shall be again. Before then, we must be united and strong in our resistance.

Mothers, children of Tanah Burung, fellow free people,

Our independence is everything. Without independence, we have nothing. Under the state of hostilities, some democratic rights have been suspended. The Government will not be able to supervise scheduled referenda. Under my powers derived from the state of hostilities decree, i am declaring the organization known as the Rumbiak Brigade to be illegal. As you know, the collective presidency had asked you to vote this way in the upcoming referendum. Since this will not be possible, i am making the decision. While we are defending our country, i will not tolerate being stabbed in the back by this organization. The army will soon be taking known Rumbiak Brigade members into custody. Citizens may assist by informing the army or police of any known Brigade members. However, should your town come under Knootian occupation, do not cooperate with them, even to the extent of passing on information about the Brigade to them. The Brigade is an illegal organization, but i ask that you not cooperate with Knootian soldiers even to the extent of sharing information about the Brigade.

Cousins, fellow strugglers,

I regret that the invasion of our country has also robbed us of our beloved Crocodiles. World Cup qualifying matches will be played in other countries. I also regret that the border with Oglethorpia has been closed. We shall attempt to keep the western border with our eternal friends and trade partners in Eauz open. This may not be possible if the battle goes badly. Rest assured, however, that we may lose battles, but the war can only end in our victory and the restoration of freedom.

Walk together, brothers! Together, we can never be defeated!

near Maguwo

Suwito looked to see if he’d managed to kill any of the invaders in the ambush. As he continued firing, he saw Knootian soldiers moving uphill towards him, spraying bullets with abandon. His gun jammed. With a howl of rage, he grabbed a machete and ran at the troops, screaming in incoherent anger.

The first bullet felt like a mosquito bite. The rest hurt more. he was vaguely aware of his comrades fallgin back, ducking behind trees for shelter, before everything went black.

Ukun Rasikan, slightly later that day

“Knootian forces in the maglev station, Vaadian forces about to arrive in Canal Street. What’s the next step?” A shell-shocked Mayor Silva asked the local military commander.

“The police are surrounding the station, armed with everything we could spare,” answered Sutomo. “I’m trying to get some more arms in from the interior. We can’t dislodge them, but I think they’re contained. At any rate, they’re not making any moves to break out.”

“And the Vaadians?”

“I’m on my way to greet them.” He hopped on his bicycle and sped over the bridge to Canal Street to join the small force already on its way. Arriving at the embassy, he spoke to the first Vaadian he saw. “Is the Ambassador here? I want to thank him for keeping the gates open and offer my assistance and that of my men to accomplish our joint tasks.”

Findabaya village, Loro Sae province

Octo was toying oddly with his wooden drill rifle. If only I had a real rifle, I could blast those colonialist bastards. Like Seth and Magdalena and the others are going over there in Gallaga and Colombia. But now the battle is right here at home. Why can’t we get real rifles?

He knew the Rumbiak Brigades were deliberately unarmed inside the country, to avoid infringing any laws or bringing any harm down on the country. But they’d brought down worse harm than they could ever have imagined, now. Still, it was glorious: colonialists to fight right here.

“I am in love with the romance of revolution,” Octo said out loud, just to see how it sounded.

A knock at the door.

“Octavianus da Silva Bennal?”

“Yeah? That’s me.”

“You are under arrest for membership in an illegal organization, by order of the people’s representative for territorial defence and sports.”

“But i’m not a member of an illegal organization.”

The police man smiled. “Oh, we know what you’re a member of. And as of today, it’s illegal. Enough playing with fire, boy, this is over as of now.”

Octo tried to run but was grabbed by the collar and frog-marched outside. In the village square, he saw others of his friends in the same situation: hands on heads, with guns pointed at them. Real guns. Damn, he wished he had one of those.

Near the maglev lines, Jungles of Tanah Burung

The Burungi soldiers led the way through the jungles, for obvious reasons, but the forces of the Internationals stuck close behind them, the fires of anger, passion, and hatred for imperialism flaring up between them, giving many of them a common bond that melded them together as a united force, despite their disparate nature. Leading the Weegie soldiers, or at least giving out most of the instructions, was Lt. Archie Morris, a determined, unsmiling man with narrow brown eyes and a thick mop of light brown, curly hair, easing his way through the jungle almost with the Burungis themselves. None of the Weegie soldiers wore exactly the same clothes, though it did follow more or less the same pattern - a multiform, rather than a uniform. Suddenly, without warning, the Burungi soldiers stopped. Some of the soldiers peered out through the dense undergrowth, their heads popping out into a long clearing.

The jungles simply ended. Here were the maglev lines the Knootians were using for transportation, eating into the heart of Tanah Burung themselves. It was too easy for them, thought Archie. Time to even the odds slightly.

There was a whirring sound above, and the soldiers who had peered out vanished back into the undergrowth. Of course the Knootians were patrolling the lines... the question was how to get past that.

OOC: No worries, TB. it is indeed hard to keep track of everything going on here.

IC:
*Tiga Burung

Nahuel smiled. "Re-fuel our planes? Oh, yes, please! It has been a long journey since our last scale and there's few of it left in our tanks."
"We are here to help you out in the fight, indeed. Our planes may be a bit old but our will is strong. Just tell us where we are needed, and there we'll go."

"As for the jacket", he stood up still, showing off with pride his dusty green jacket, "It's the official jacket of the Revolutionary Airforce of Hell Bovines. And you see this medal here..." He pointed out to a small golden star-shaped medal on his chest "I've earned it while helping to fight fascism in a far away country" (one of my first RPs)
"It will be a pleasure to do so again"

*Near the maglev lines, Jungles of Tanah Burung

'There they are...those imperialist pigs', the duque felt his anger increasing as he peeked through the forested line of jungle.
He was leading the small hell bovinian tourist-based squadron in this military adventure. And he was also truly sorry that all this was happening. War was indeed a saddening event, but he hoped his effort here would help to defend the free and well-spirited people the Burungis were.

"It will be hard to reach the maglev lines with those soldiers there", the duque whispered to the Weegie Lt. Archie Morris with a worried face.
"Perhaps some of us can create a diversion to atract the attention of the Knootians away from the Maglev lines and so, that would give the others sufficient time to blow the lines and dissapear into the jungles."
"It's a risky plan but, unless anyone has a better idea, I'd be willing to carry it out with some soldiers.". He litted his fourth cigar as he awaited for an answer.

*Royal Palace, Moo Moo Farm city, Hell Bovines

The bovine policemen had formed a barricade around the elegant stone building. Built in the highest part of the city, the seat of Hell Bovines government was now suffering a big riot.

Inside the building, a figure walked and walked in circles, like a bird-of-prey.
"Those idiots. They don't understand I'm doing this for the well-being of Hell Bovines. We can't risk ourselves to an open war, we simply can't", the vice-duque Whitey Bighorns repeated to himself. It was a minority, a very vocal minority indeed, the one that wanted hell bovinian intervention. Wasn't it?
Even now, a group of citizens had begun a campaign to bring Whitey to trial because of "not respecting constitutional ideals of government by referendum".
He knew they would fail on bringing him to a court, but the thought of that still worried him.

Outside the rioting was still going on. The protesters demanded action from Hell Bovines' military. "How can a viceduque be such a coward?" a bovine female yelled. "Colaboracionist bastard", a young cow carrying a jamaican hat exclaimed. Pushed by the madness usual in all collective force, the protesters begun to hurl rocks at the building. And so, accompanied by the sounds of protest, dusk fell onto the Greenfieldian capital, and the grassy plains and mesas that surround it....

Colonel Erdogan raised an eyebrow and puffed thoughtfully on his pipe as the Burungi gentleman on the bike pulled up.

"Why yes Commander , the Ambassador is right inside. I am Colonel Mustapha Erdogan of the First Red Jaguar Command, I am here to secure the Embassy. It will stay open for the duration and we will accept and protect any refugees during this conflict, as is our custom.." Colonel Erdogan grinned down at the man, the 6'9" Red Jaguar towered over him, grinning and revealing his finely set stainless steel teeth, all nicely pointed. "You know, the only reason our embassy closed in the Phyrric cival war is because it was leveled, and even then we managed to get everyone out. Go on in, I'm sure Sir Alec will be pleased to see you."

He waved the man in, past the other Red Jaguar in the yard digging everything up, filling their kevlar sandbags and fortifying everything, just in case. Colonel Erdogan returned to non-chalantly gazing out over canal street.

Sir Alec was just inside, enjoying the air conditioning. He is now dressed in his Velite Guard 'summer uniform' lght grey shorts, shirt and bullet proof vest, with his helmet and grey combat boots, his FN-FAL slung over his shoulder.

He smiled and shook the Commanders hand as he entered "Good morning, I'm Sir Alec, Ambassador to Tanah Burung, what can I help you with?"

Behind him the embassy staff are busily laying supplies, setting up cots, putting everything in order for any rush of refugees.

******

Aboard the Tetzcatlipoca The Supreme Republican Commander was outfitted in his battle gear, he walked into the hold where his 1,975 Red Jaguar stood in perfect orderly rows on the Multi-Purpose deck, waiting silently and patiently.

He gazed over them carefully, measuring each one of them in his mind, he stepped forward moving in between them inspecting each of them. As he moved through them he paused at his best men, and patted them on the shoulder shouting "Ahmate!" as he did that man would give a loud "HUS!" and rush to the front of the room, he did this until he had picked four hundred men.

"You four hundred are coming with me, to Tanah Burung, Ha,chi-chi, Ha!" they chanted with him "Ha,chi-chi, Ha!" the Supeme Republican Commander continued "The rest of you go with Staff Seargent Assad, to Ukun Rasikan."

They all bobbed their heads and chanted "HUS!HUS!" he moved off with his picked men and they removed their dress uniform bits, the crests, jaguar skins and such and began loading up with extra ammunition, water, plastic explosives and the like.


OOC:notes on the Red Jaguar and some Tolteca language.

The Red Jaguar are an extension of the God-Emperor's Jaguar Warriors from the old Tolteca Empire, as such they use many old Tolteca customs and the old Tolteca language. A pair of definitions below-

Ahmate (AH-MAH-TEY)- literally translated this means 'do this here' it is used as a command , the 'this' is usually implied (in this case 'you come with me') and the 'there' is almost always implied by a gesture (pointing and such)

Hus (UHS)- literally translated this means 'it is' and is used normally as agreement to a command, or statement.

Ha, Chi-Chi, ha- The sound made when the Jaguar do the ritual 'Circle Dance' to prepare for combat, it apparently does not mean anything, or has mystical konnotations.

-------------------------------------------------
Tactical Room, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan Harbor
-------------------------------------------------

These are soldiers, all right, general Klit looked over the images delivered from Ukun Rasikan Maglev Station. The original plan with the jetters has been scraped, as there was a ScanAir high above the place already. Those images did not look like much, but to the people examining them, it was enough. Those humans where moving too well coordinated. Telegram Bi Kikere about this.
Sir, the jetters took surveillance positions around the Maglev Station.
Good

OOC: I'm responding in reverse order. Knoot, if that radio-broadcasting planes comes around Ukun Rasikan, tell me about it's escort as I intent to intercept it an escort him out (or otherwise). Also, I think the timing force me to answer to your minister message somewhere in the middle of BYMD situation. There are two AWACS-like planes (ScanAirs) surveilling each coastal city (but in BYMD they are not quite above, but rather using the long range sensors), and they are escorted. I have changed the plan with jetters flying over the Maglev Station, as what I wanted to know (did you arrive or not), could be seen on an infrared scaner.

And sorry for delaying the following response to your earlier-posted question:
Marius ordered his communicator to open a special frequency for broadcasting a message in a coded form to presidential defenses (preset 10). I assumed I know the frequency and the code (if any), from TB (at best, it would be the frequency they contacted the helicopter). Then he ordered his communicator to open all available frequencies and to broadcast the following message on all of them (not-encoded). The international conventions impose certain frequencies to be used by the military (in other words, no FM radios on those frequencies!). Of course, I think the frequencies are encoded (so I cannot listen to what your people are talking). But imagine this situation: a television set connected to a satellite antenna. On one frequency, you can receive (I wanted to say HBO, but it isn't broadcasted like that, so let's say :) a porn channel. Now, that's scrambled, so you need a decoder. Place the decoder, and you have images and sound. But if one of the local broadcasting companies emits on the same frequency (again, different conventions prohibit it, but humor me, please!), you will have two images and two sounds superimposed, since the decoder will decode his signal, but will leave the rest of the signal intact.
I took some radio-tv courses, but not using satellite antennas, so the above solution is not a scientific one (it's more what I think it should be), but I hope you understand how come I thought your soldiers will receive that transmission. And I am inserting a frequency for your forces to respond back in the message Marius have sent.

As for saying to take it slowly and writing an uber-long post, I was getting bored that day at home. And for someone with my imagination, that can be very dangerous :) :) :)

((Ack. Chimaea just decided to leave NS. This sorta throws my invasion plans into confusion. Hmmm... have to re-think things. Anyway... I am very sleepy now. Every time I think that whole affair with he-who-shall-not-be-mentioned is over and then it comes back to haunt me again. I really want to post... but bah I need sleep. I'll see what I can do tomorrow. I do have this huge test I have to learn for but meh. That will not take all day.))

{starts preparing a parade to cheer up Knootoss, but then decides that his RL sucks too and sends only a cheer up message}

.................Cheer up message....................

Aww, that's sweet. *joins group hug* Now, back to the killing ;)

Near the maglev lines, BYMD Province

Bung Moro, in command of the Burungi detachment operating with the Internationals, was impressed. Morris and the rest of the Weegie forces moved almost faultlessly through the undergrowth, their rippling camoflage blending with the foliage as if they had been born to it. But then, he reflected, the Weegies were tropical themselves. Perhaps some of their soldiers had been born to the jungle.

He had rolled his eyes at the news that Duque Mooo would be among the fighting forces. A civilian, and a politician. A burden, in other words. But the Duque moved with surprising agility for a man -- a cow, rather -- of his size. Moro nodded contentedly.

"Perhaps some of us can create a diversion to atract the attention of the Knootians away from the Maglev lines and so, that would give the others sufficient time to blow the lines and dissapear into the jungles," the Duque was saying. "It's a risky plan but, unless anyone has a better idea, I'd be willing to carry it out with some soldiers."

Tomo thought for a moment and nodded. It seemed prudent, and it would be a useful test of the Internationals' fighting ability. "Very well," he said. "There are very few of them, let's do it as you say. A small diversion should do it. Take a dozen men from each of our three nations, and strike at them. The rest of us will lay the explosives."

Ukun Rasikan, later

Sutomo stared up at Col. Erdogan in awe. At 5'8" he was considered slightly above average height at home. Now he was looking up at a giant, some sort of freak of nature. But then, foreigners came in all shapes and sizes, and it took all kinds to make a world. It was a relief to be escorted in to see Sir Alec, who looked a more normal size. Still tall, but less frightening.

As he entered the building, he looked across at the maglev station one more time. Full of enemy troops, waiting to come out and wreak havoc, with only a thin and poorly-trained police cordon holding them back, only a handful of sharpshooters in the surrounding buildings. Then he saw the RevTerran jetters arriving. He smiled. At last, they're here, thanks be to God.

"Well, Ambassador, i came to thank you for all you are doing," he began. "I know you are following Vaadian tradition and keeping the embassy open to refugees. I pray that it won't be needed, but if it is and you are attacked, we shall do all we can to protect the embassy." People were already fleeing in small numbers for the interior and west to Eauz, the country's major trade partner, but Sutomo hoped that was only temporary. Truthfully, he hoped the whole attack was a bad dream.

"And Ambassador, i've been sent to offer guides to your, uh, special forces as needed. Wherever they would like to go, my men will make sure that they get there as speedily as they can travel. I know our goals are the same in this whole matter, Sir."

Tiga Burung

Ground crew scurried out to refuel the Bovinian jets, not caring that they had so little jet fuel to spare -- after all, it was carried only for the sake of foreign planes, at least until the country's scientists managed to create a jet that ran on vegetable oils as the automobile industry had been able to do.

Meanwhile, they contacted defence ministry headquarters for instructions. "You have been cleared to fly over BYMD and Ukun Rasikan Provinces and engage any enemy aircraft," was the message to Nahuel. "Go with the wind spirits, friends."

1st Strike Division
10,000 soldiers armed with M16s and M40 frag grenades (some have a little more..)
350 M1A2 Abrams tanks
300 M60 Bradley IFVs
100 Paladin Howitzers
Support Vehicles/Personnel not included

2nd Strike Fleet
1 Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier -- LSS Itarildë Eledhwen (80 F-22 Raptors)
05 Iowa Class Battleships
10 Oliver Hazzard Perry Class Frigates
05 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers
05 Ticonderoga Class Cruisers


The bright early morning sun shone across the coastal city of Itaros as the forested hills rose inland. Itaros Bay was golden from the sun's light, not yet blue, with small sailboats stretching across it. Fishing boats, frigates, and other ships were also stretched across the large inlet. Just north of the bay, however, several fleets had already left dock from Eledhwen Naval Base, as the 2nd Strike Fleet was poised to leave by late morning. The ships were already getting in formation, and helicopters were rushing last-minute provisions to support craft. The cold, gray steel of 26 ships loomed ominously as they waited for the signal to go. Thousands of sailors could be seen making last-minute changes, and commanders observing equipment reports. It was indeed a marvelous site, and local television channels, as well as the Lietuv News Agency, were all over the place. Reports were coming in that the 2nd Strike Fleet was well ahead of schedule, and may leave out earlier.

Admirial Frederick Haasenger peered out of the control tower of the LSS Itarildë Eledhwen. He observed as several F-22 Raptors did practice runs before they were to embark on the long journey to Tanah Burung. Though the government had refused to comment on the final destination of the fleet, everyone knew where it would be going. The only military responsibility that the URHP had pledged itself to was with the DDR, and publicly. It had been a sad goodbye for families across the United Republics, though this was only the start. The 1st Strike Division would arrive by plane into Tanah Burung after the Knootians had secured a city with a healthy airport. However, for now, it was the Navy that was concerned with movement. A man in his late fifties, Haasenger was tall, fit, and had peppery hair. He was definately attractive, quite a pimp in his days, though now happily married with five children. He had hated to say goodbye to his family, but it was his duty. And duty came before personal desire, always. The Admiral was one of the most respected in the Lietuv Navy, and had even spoken personally with the Erasita several times. He sighed slowly, looking over the horizon.

Moments later, a young woman stepped into the room that the Admiral was in, where dozens of people were seated at their computers, making phone calls and returning others. She immediately snapped to attention and saluted. He returned the salute and said, "Yes, Lieutenant?" She replied crisply, "Sir, the Erasita has commanded that we move out when ready. She has also sent her wish that we are successful in the mission in the hopes that the United Republics will forever make a statement that we will not tolerate rogue terrorist groups that so threaten our world." The Admiral was indeed impressed, and gave a smile. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Come see me again sometime." She smiled slightly before issuing a salute; "Sir!" The young woman then turned away and rushed off. The Admiral came over the loudspeaker and sent the transmission out to the entire fleet. "This is Admiral Frederick Haasenger, aboard the LSS Itarildë Eledhwen. The Erasita has commanded that we move out when ready. That means we're leaving in ten, so get it together and let's go."

With that statement, activity increased tenfold. The last supplies were rushed on board ships, and all systems were checked and rechecked, ready to go. Within ten minutes, the entire fleet was prepared to leave, proudly waiting for the command. Loudspeakers on every ship rang out the national anthem of the URHP as soon as the ten-minute mark passed, causing flocks of birds on land to fly away in a startled state. In Itaros, the same event had been planned. Loudspeakers throughout the city cried the national anthem at exactly the same time as the ships. The 2nd Strike Fleet then began sailing north at high speed, to turn due west and go south, hoping to reach Tanah Burung's coast from the North within three days.

Near the maglev lines, BYMD Province

Archie nodded. "After this attack, we must continue attacking the line to prevent it from being repaired. Or better yet, damage it beyond repair. Not only will that force them to take more arduous routes to make progression into Tanah Burung within a reasonable timeframe, but may also make them divert resources and men into the repair of the maglev." He cleared some of the jungle growth away to see the line again, a futuristic-looking marvel that looked quite unnatural and out of place compared to the overwhelming greenery that flourished about. The whirl of blades high in the sky again made him flinch back into the safety of the trees. "It's just the 'copters that make me nervous, y'know? We can't stop them from noticing without bringing them down. However, it's the best idea we've got."

He motioned again, whispering orders to the others who had crept through the jungles. Two of the soldiers, fairly bristling with explosive weaponry, came to the fore, nodding to the rest of the Internationals. "Dave and Chris here know their way around explosives... Gave the apartheid bastards more stuff to worry about back when the old government was crumbling, 93/94. Now they're in our little force. If we can get a few others to help them set up the stuff, we'll be in business. They're also setting up something for us in case of air attack, which we'll need some people to man. I'll pick some soldiers to divert from the rest of you. Not because we see it as a glorious exercise, but because we've got some interesting things to divert." A few of the Weegie soldiers lifted bottles out of their bags. "It's a good drink, but a better weapon." They stuffed rags into the now open bottles, and brought out some lighters. "Anyone wants to be shot at, stand forth now." barked Archie. A few self-confident people from the various soldieries stood forth. "All those, however, that want to live, come wi' me and get away from the mad gits who want to be shot at. We've got some distracting to do, and nothing distracts like a Knootian swathed in alcohol-induced flames."

((I really should offer you Vaadians some pointers on personell management. A murdering psychopath is leading your armed forces, a rude uncompromising person is your main diplomat in the IMC, you send in a dark elf to solve a crisis with a nation led by an elvish Empress and speaking on behalf of Vaadian trade is someone who believes in self-sufficiency. Really. ;)

I just hope you can manage to RP yourself *out* of a major inter-Haven war just as well as you are RPing yourself *into* one right about now. Hmmm... too bad the use of artillery will be somewhat limited in the embassy district. "oops... wrong embassy" just will not do.))

The call
"Yes. Donner here, BEFOR commander. I would like to be connected to Mr. Istvan. Now that you are coming to join the party anyway I would like to see how our forces can cooperate here."

Aboard the Teztcatlipoca


Staff Seargent Assad smiled at the response from Lieutenant-General Donner. She paused for a moment and switched frequencies to contact Tanah Burung port authorities if possible.

"This is the Battleship Teztcatlipoca, we will be docking in Tiga Burung within a few hours. I have been instructed to protect the port and airfields. Please advise the best place for our ship to dock, Thank you."

She then switched back to Lieutenant-General Donner. using her most soothing, sweetest, honeyed tone

"Lieutenant-General Donner, I have just spoken with the Supreme Republican Commander and he is indisposed currently. He has authorized me to speak with you in his stead. What's on your mind?"


OOC: I think Lietuveska is farther than a day behind me considering he just deployed. It took me longer than 3 game days to even get this far and Lietuveska is farther from TB than the Free Republic?

Also I would like to point out that a.) war, by Vaadian definition, IS an atrocity and therefore militray commanders should be adept at atrocity, and are accordingly exempted from war-crime laws. b.) Knootoss could be dealing with the warm and fuzzy Minister of Foreign Affairs instead of Jonathon Tocatl, they just don't seem inclined to ;) c.) Vaadians don't know elven squabbles from a hole in the wall and simply deployed the next Tactical Group in line (and since I mentioned in the Vrak thread that Namroth Vedic was next in line, I kept it IC) and d.) what's wrong with believing in self-sufficency AND foreign trade, they go hand in hand, the more self sufficent you are the more leverage you have in trade.............but of the course the Knootians don't want anyone to have trade leverage against them ;)

Tiga Burung port

The docks were strained to near capaicity: it was a good thing that new cargo handling capacity had been added to deal with the IFTA-driven the economic boom in the city. Fishing boats were being moved to more remote anchorages to make room for the foreign fleets.

The port master neeed a shave and a nap, which was not likely to be on offer any time soon. The way things were going, he'd soon be negotiating militiary alliances that might change the country's future direction radically. But first things first.

"Teztcatlipoca, a dock is prepared for you." He transmitted the coordinates. "Our own pilot or those from our friends from RevTerr can provide local nautical details to you. Welcome, a thousand times welcome."

He hit his communications switch and contacted the RevTerr fleet in port. "Please consider Vaadian battle group as friendly visitors. This little tourist show of naval vessels is sure heating up, isn't it?"

(ooc: sorry for this, but i have to be away for one week starting Wednesday and i'm out of steam now.)

-------------------------------------------------
Around the Maglev Station, Ukun Rasikan
-------------------------------------------------


Touch down! Captain Tiral thought, as he cut power to his jet-set. The rest of his team was doing the same thing on the buildings surrounding the Ukun Rasikan Maglev Station. On the street, the rest of the revterrans almost caused havoc on the morning traffic, as they landed more or less between cars, wherever they could spot a local police officer.
Go for phase two!
On each building, an officer carrying a laud speaker began broadcasting the Burungan National Anthem. They where passing through each floor, making sure that everyone was awake. Behind the speaker, another officer was passing from door to door, breaking where the knock was not answered. The same line was said to all the persons either met or awakened:
I am officer X from the Revterran Army, we are working with the local police. There are enemy troops in the vicinity and we all have powerful guns. This building is not safe, please evacuate! From place to place, the officers met the burungan sharpshooters or policemen supervising the situation.
On the roof of one building, Tiral was getting impatient. The job of evacuating civilians was not his duty, but then again, the burungans where doing whatever they could. The policemen where here,
as many as they could be spared from regular patrol and evacuation supervising duties.
Phase three, report!

In the Revterran Embassy, the communication officer was working. On all the radio stations the same message was being broadcasted:
This is the Revterran general Klit, part of the Internationally Coalition defending Tanah Burung. We advise you to stay clear of the Ukun Rasikan Maglev Station, as it is an unsafe area of the city. Following is Mrs. Bi Kikere message to all of you..."
[i]Captain, I have boosted the signal, but that Knootian plane above us is really ruining everything.
Don't worry, officer, that is being taken care of as we speak.
High above them, Eurofighters where using mach speed to really surprise the laud moth intruder:

This is the RevTerran Air Force, acting under mandate from Burungan Representative for Defense as air support. You are violating Burungan air space. We will be escorting you to Tiga Burung airfield. Head East, stop any transmission on public channels and we guarantee your fair treatment under the laws of captured personnel and materials in hostile situations. Fail to comply and you will be fired upon! I repeat...
Again, on all channels available, in English. Being so high, it was doubtful that anyone except the Knootians would pick up those words.


-------------------------------------------------
Tactical Room, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan
-------------------------------------------------

General Klit was doing multiple things simultaneous. Like the rest of the Revterr, the army was centralized, and the fleet chain of command was like-wise. Klit looked at the monitors displaying the situation above Ukun Rasikan, while he was speaking with the commanding officers around TB. The ships where deployed, guarding Tiga Burung and the approach paths to BYMD and Loro Sae. Relied from VMRev Prut, in BYMD came a really ugly map with lots of planes, jetters, peoples, smoke and fire. CentrArm informed about the possibility of another fleet to head for TB, this time surely on Knootian side. A second fleet was scrambled to Ceahlau, ready to be launched if the ships surveying the international waters around Eauz will give the signal.
Videolink with VMRv Somes has been established.
Sir, Tiga Burung Airfield has announced us about the launching of the Bovinian wing.
Good. Tell them they can land and refuel at any of our carriers, give them their location and frequencies. Tell them we suggest heading for BYMD, where there are heavy fights; they might get there too late, but we might need additional air support when evacuating, if evacuating.
Sir, I am worried that the knootians might do something stupid. They will soon be between the revterran fleet and the Vaadians, on the whole Tiga Burung line.
Iintelligence reports show they usually know what they are doing, so starting a fight out there won't be good for them.
Then I suggest sending Arges back to BYMD, sir, or at least some of the escort.
Prut is not undefended in BYMD, major. I need Arges's airplanes to cover the entire area between you and the south border with Oglethorpia.
Videolink closed. Another one is opened: VMRv Prut:
Sir, we have the location of the knootian artillery south of BYMD. We have a plan and some batteries we would like to use.
Go for it!
The big batteries where already set up when Klit gave the order, without even listening to his subordinate's plan. Making a lot of noise, shells left Prut's guns and rockets where being fired from it's escorts. There where a forest of guns to be put out, somewhere 40 km south of BYMD.

-------------------------------------------------
Old City Square, BYMD, Tanah Burung.
-------------------------------------------------

One helicopter launched a rocket at the small helicopter that fired the first missile at the palace. Another was standing by, ready to fire another if the helicopter would suddenly decide to go left or right on one of the many boulevards. Urban assault rockets, designed not to approach the target at a direct intercept course, but to get above them and then to dive.

Marius's HUD went crazy, presenting a map and some instructions. The captain reacted:
Rotor!
Keyword. Above, the airships scrambled left and right. Down in the square, a special button was hit on the machine gun's controls. The jetters scrambled out of there, either up, either seeking refuge inside, either using their thrusters to go on a more-or-less horizontal trajectory around the palace. In a "Rotor" case scenario, death came from above, and flying up might mean you go to meet her. From the base of the stairs leading to the main entry, the two stationary machine guns started to fire on their own, covering a 60 degrees angle on the street, repeating the fire sequence from left to right. On the palace building itself, the revterran multilauncher begun firing it's load even before Marius could reach 3 meters altitude. The survivors of a so-far-away-in-space-and-time Second World War would recognize it's organ-like sound.

It's original name was BM-13, mobile rocket launcher. Affectionately called Stalin's Organ". Or "Katiusha". It was seen in many forms during World War II mounted on various trucks, tanks, and occasionally even on tractors; modified versions were also being mounted on airplanes. It was a relatively simple design consisting of a rack of parallel rails on which rockets were mounted, with a folding frame to raise the rails to launch position. Each truck had 48 launchers. The rocket was 1.8 m long and had a 22 kg explosive warhead. The simple design of Stalin's Organ lacked accuracy, therefore its primary usage was to heavily bombard enemy forces firing in salvos for area coverage, psychological effects, shock and awe being an important factor. However, there are pictures with tanks being left to burn by one of Katiusha's shells. Later on, those 48 launchers become 16, with an increase in payload. That was 1940's.

Revterr invented the same design, but with different rockets. The model on the palace had self propelled rockets and bigger explosive power than Stalin's 1941 model. It lacked a real guiding system, but it could be rudely steered and detonated by remote control. Among the helicopters guarding the area, three had mock missiles. In their casings, where sensors and control mechanisms. Someone was crazy enough to put in the middle of the fight three AWACS-like helicopters. Above the whole area, the two ScanAirs, real AWACs-like planes, boosted their sensors. The enemy must be lead to think he's being scanned from up above.

The multilauncher above the palace was just being aligned, so when the order came, it was partially up. Thus, some of the missile went up, blowing their way through the building right in front of the palace end then up in the air, some went directly to the large streets radiating from the square.
Meanwhile, the jetters moved as one: some "leaped" further south, east and west, taking positions on the second round of building, either as sharp shooters, either as normal combat fighters, with automatic rifles. The rest where scattered around the place, searching air targets above the streets and between the buildings. The tension was unbearable.

Captain, these are artillery shells, someone said on the radio comlink.
I see. The planes are not reacting...
Yes, tha....
Conex>Connect>Frequency>All!
Connec...
Knootian air-ships, do not fire! All the jetters have ATA missiles and there are hundreds of us, plus our airships. Do not approach! Do not fire!!!

Below him, the bombardment continued, covering everything in dense smoke. The palace was burning, as the heat-seeking sensors showed. And all around the area, there where revterran projectiles flying loose.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It is still IC-morning, so I think IV is not yet in Tiga Burung's range. And, I was wondering if you two, IV and Knoot, shouldn't be RP-ing the passing of IV ships through Knootian blockade.
Which is the dead line for Liet to arrive? And who should I contact for a second revterran fleet?

Knoot,
since the traffic on the street in front of the Ukun Rasikan Maglev station will probably be stopped, if those soldiers want to go out, take it slowly. I'm fond of leveling things too, and I love Bazookas. There are plans for additional revterran personnel being sent to Maglev Station with heavier armament; they will be mentioned, but I THINK the reinforcements will arrive too late ;)
So, we had airplanes and helicopters around BYMD. If you had them too close to the palace when my forces arrived, your commander would have been informed sooner (and probably, I would have been intercepted -remember the earlier post about that perimeter security?-). If you would arrive with the bombing, then (beside the fact that you risk being bombarded by the same artillery shells coming from the same direction, even though at a different altitude), you would find yourself right in my nose and our pilots would be literary looking into each other eyes. Being so close, I might have fired. How about your airplanes, being at a kilometer or so from the palace, at the time Marius sent the second message? Note that the bombardment is not over at that time.
Who will be assessing the damages at the palace? With TB gone for a while, we are the two players there and I kind of need his damage report on the palace and (even more important to me) the nearby buildings to see my ground equipment. Not to mention I was suppose to evacuate the collective presidency (or the survivors)

I am working at a complete description of a Jetter. I know I should have done it at the beginning, but I never thought I'd really have to use them. I can explain everything they can throw at you.. For now, I'll say that not all of them have sniper-rifles, attack rifles, ATA launcher, grenade launcher and many more stuff I thought about them (fire-fighting-units, for instance, mentioned earlier in Ukun Rasikan).

And one more thing: I might use lines in my post like "how lame is the burungan citizens defense force" or "how crazy the Vaadians are", or even "how big, fat, tasty that duke is". Don't take it...personally, but different characters judge the others in different ways. I try to make a character for each of the IC-persons involved, and some of them are laud-mouths, really funny or really pissed-up. Don't take it as my OOC opinion about your country.

[/hiatus.] :)

BYMD. The Old City

Artillery shells tore through the walls of the Governor's palace, collapsing one wall of old masonry as if it was made of cardboard. The wall crumbled, but the structure held, for now at least.

The square filled with smoke from the attackers' shells and the falling mortar. Praying monks and nuns were reduced to coughing fits. As the palace wall fell, blocks of stone smashed into the square and into the crowd. If we could see through the smoke, we would see the woman and men who had poured out of the country's mother cathedral, lying dead or dying on the paved ground. Others, pinned beneath large stones, clutched their rosary beads desperately as their life blood drained away on to the ancient flagstones of the square. Screams and prayers made it almost impossible to hear the few local police trying to show the religious to safety. In short: chaos.

Below, the co-presidents huddled in confusion. The catacombs that honeycombed the hill had been coverted, here and there, into rooms. A handful of attendants administered first-aid to those suffering from smoke inhalation.

In one room, converted to a broadcast studio, Mari Alkatiri was working himself into a frenzy as he denounced the Knootian attackers and begged the international community to impose sanctions against Knootoss. "We are under attack by land, sea and--"

The signal died. "The transmitter is out, Bapak Alkatiri," said one technician. "That's all you get. We'd best get you to safety, further down the tunnels." Clenching his fists helplessly, the foreign minister followed. Some faster than others, the rest of the co-presidents were hustled deeper into the catacombs.

((First part of OMG HUGE reply))

----------------------------------------
Skies above Tanah Burung
----------------------------------------
This is the RevTerran Air Force, acting under mandate from Burungan Representative for Defense as air support. You are violating Burungan air space. We will be escorting you to Tiga Burung airfield. Head East, stop any transmission on public channels and we guarantee your fair treatment under the laws of captured personnel and materials in hostile situations. Fail to comply and you will be fired upon! I repeat...

Just after the transmission, Beethovens work blared out on all frequencies, taunting the RevTerr Eurofighters with their message of peace.

“…These our nations once divided
Now your magic spells unite,
Where your wing does beat around them
Brotherhood and love…”

The music was broken off and the radio crackled with a human voice.

“Unidentified RevTerr fighters, this is flight KDF 302-A I have orders to proceed on this flight without orders to deviate. We are unarmed, I repeat, unarmed. Stand by.”

The crackled radio stopped, and the music recommenced with its message of union and fraternity. The plane remained on course while another scrambled signal dashed back and forth between the plane and an unknown other location.

”With a kiss bestowed on millions
Embraced in fraternity,
Let us build a world of union
And peace for all human…”

The radio was cut another time, and the same voice spoke:

“Unidentified RevTerr fighters, this is flight KDF 302-A returning to Oglethorpe. You have no authority to have us deviate from flight plan. Advise you stay away. Opening fire on this unarmed plane will be considered an act of war. KDF 302 out. ”

Barely visible on radar, the propaganda plane banked to the south-west in the direction of Oglethorpe, but without recommencing the propaganda message. From the planes hurdling themselves towards BYMD to the south, a number of eurofighters equal to that of the RevTerrans turned away to aid its threatened plane, accelerating and climbing to two-thousand feet above its relative position and meeting the RevTerr escorts from their left flank.


------------------------------------
35 KM south of BYMD
------------------------------------

The carts with the 150mm Towed Guns were just departing the grassy open field when death rained from the sky. The quicker units had already rejoined the column that made its way. The first impact was a direct hit, leaving a crater where one of the Towed Guns had been, thowing four men high into the air in all directions.

“TEGENVUUR!!!”, shouted the commander of the pack. Chaos broke out in the lines as every truck in the line stepped on the gas pedal, ready or not.

More shells hit the open spot and the surrounding tree line with impunity, causing some of the forest started to burn intensively. Another hit was scored on the field, disabling two more of the towed guns and leaving the drivers as blood-covered corpses by the side of their vehicles. With the burning forest as a backdrop, it was a scary image that was seen by all of the rest of the column that had to pass by the wreckage.

------------------------------------
KDF Zhakarov
Blockade fleet group A
Southern entry into TB strait
------------------------------------
The commline almost seemed to physically raise the temperature aboard the command ship as Lieutenant-General Verzuylen, the Army general in charge of the third division advancing north along the Maglev line, fumed to commander de Vries aboard KDF Zhakarov.

“Who fired it? Who shelled my troops? They need to be taken out, turn this Emerald sea red if you have to but you cannot allow them to bombard our troops with their ships.”

De Vries, standing on the bridge of the giant ship, could only nod. “We’re on it. You’ll get to Ukun Rasikan safely yet. The blockading naval forces are closing the gap. We’ll designate retaliatory targets in Tiga Burung if we have to.”

The navy officer could see a liaison officer in green approaching the Verzuylen from the pixellated backdrop video image of the Military headquarters in Oglethorpe. The Lieutenant-General excused himself and turned to face his conversation partner while De Vries stood by and overheard some of the muffled conversation.

“…News from the aifforce, Sir, RevTerran fighters are ordering our propaganda plane to Tiga Burung. They have sent fighters to intercept and Purple had detached some from their own from the group. Sir, they claim to be acting under mandate from Burungan Representative for Defense as air support.”

“Did they just declare war?”

“No Sir, they have not… but if they are acting with the Peoples representative then I cannot see what else they are doing but intervening on their behalf.”

Verzuylen turned back to the video screen. “You heard the man. Be on your toes and be prepared to go in all guns blazing when the word is given.”

De Vries sighed and broke the commlink with Army headquarters and walked back to his command seat.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blockade fleet group B
Southeast of Tiga Burung on a parallel course North
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the more northerly blockade group, the guns on the battleship and other vessels capable of coastal bombardment turned to face the island, and notably the airfield in preparation for a retaliatory coastal bombardment…

-------------------------------------------------
Old City Square, BYMD, Tanah Burung
-------------------------------------------------
One helicopter launched a rocket at the small helicopter that fired the first missile at the palace. Another was standing by, ready to fire another if the helicopter would suddenly decide to go left or right on one of the many boulevards. Urban assault rockets, designed not to approach the target at a direct intercept course, but to get above them and then to dive.
Joop van der Meer did not see the missile coming. He only heard a brief sound before his rotor was hit from across a building, turning his helicopter into a burning wreckage that tumbled down to the street.

“Oh my…”

The exploding fuel tank aboard the helicopter quickly ended it all.

---
Above, the airships scrambled left and right. Down in the square, a special button was hit on the machine gun's controls. The jetters scrambled out of there, either up, either seeking refuge inside, either using their thrusters to go on a more-or-less horizontal trajectory around the palace. In a "Rotor" case scenario, death came from above, and flying up might mean you go to meet her. From the base of the stairs leading to the main entry, the two stationary machine guns started to fire on their own, covering a 60 degrees angle on the street, repeating the fire sequence from left to right. On the palace building itself, the revterran multilauncher begun firing it's load even before Marius could reach 3 meters altitude. The survivors of a so-far-away-in-space-and-time Second World War would recognize it's organ-like sound.
[…]
Meanwhile, the jetters moved as one: some "leaped" further south, east and west, taking positions on the second round of building, either as sharp shooters, either as normal combat fighters, with automatic rifles. The rest where scattered around the place, searching air targets above the streets and between the buildings. The tension was unbearable.
Daniel was sitting in cover behind one of the other buildings, guiding the mortar team which was preparing its first set-up. Around him, the infantry moved in to storm the co-presidency building before the smoke was gone. Behind him, three black helicopters passed into the street to enter the plaza. He thought he heard a female voice with a Slavic accent yelling in his right ear…

“Fire mortars”, Daniel relayed as the mortar team fired its first volley at the palace, laying down suppressing fire on the stationary machineguns. While somewhat inaccurate due to the smoke, the idea was to force the defending RevTerr soldiers to take cover while the infantry would storm the palace.

One jetter landed right next to the mortar team Daniel was guarding. Adrenalin rushed as Daniel quickly fired his sub-machinegun before the poor sod carrying a sniper rifle could do the same. With an animalistic cry, he emptied his clip on the RevTerran…

All of the Jetters landing near the second round of buildings around the palace found themselves in the middle of hosts Knootian infantry assault groups, split up into small teams that were just about to storm the palace. Wherever the Jetter would not obviously surrender, the Knootians opened fire, causing a firefight to ensue directly around the palace. Having to fend off the jetters caused mortar fire to diminish quickly after the first round. The multilauncher above the palace only added to the chaos, hitting one of the buildings and making craters in the middle of the street somewhere else.

Knootian air-ships, do not fire! All the jetters have ATA missiles and there are hundreds of us, plus our airships. Do not approach! Do not fire!!!


“Thanks for the tip”, Heino thought as he maneuvered his helicopter quickly from his low position, closely keeping with the ground. He turned into the outer street and found two jetters engaging a mortar team hiding in a doorstep. Machinegun fire spewed from the mouth of his angry black monster, trying to mow down the jetters before they could fire their dreaded missiles.

---
Finally a response came to all the RevTerr radio messages. A self-confident female voice with a heavy Slavic accent spoke slowly, with the sound of gunfire reflected in the background.

”RevTerrans, you are surrounded by superior DDR forces. Your fancy jet-pack troops are being slaughtered man by man and your positions are about to be overrun. A second artillery bombardment will reduce this palace and the surrounding buildings to ruins and kill everyone inside. No more smokeshells. But we are a merciful lot. Order your jetters to stand down now and you may evacuate them and the civilians and the wounded from the area. Think about the bloodshed you will cause if you refuse. You have… two minutes to decide.”

OOC @ Revterr (also to be moved):
I am working under the presumption that the RevTerr multilauncher conveniently placed up the mountain and on top of the palace was a rare exception, since you got infantry in. Unless your carriers carry heavy artillery with them for evacuation missions, which would be… odd. :/

On another note, I did RP the infantry approaching the palace up-close, so your jetters trying to take up these positions *around* it would sorta land into the middle of them in their attempt to secure a second row of buildings while encountering these infantry people about to storm it. So, uh, I can imagine that its confusing. But now it is confusing ICly as well as OOCly. :P

The medical evacuation thingy might provide you with a plausible reason to withdraw while sneaking out (some of) the presidency ;) (And, incidently, also preventing a huge slaughter in man-to-man combat.

EDIT: Ukun Rasikan and diplomatic bits tomorrow. Bedtime now.

OOC: Sorry for the delay, guys, RL kicked me so hard, I'm still recovering.

You moved too fast, Knoot.
Ukun Rasikan
There is a line of revterran ships between you and the burungan seaside. There are also the Vaadian ships closing from the west. This mean two things:
1.Those planes sent as air escort would have to come from Oglethorpia, and, franckly, since I have an air carrier in Ukun Rasikan, met with even greater firepower.
2. Remember that there is a second revterran carrier outside Tiga Burung with full escort. Franckly, I would have prefered that you are not (darn verbs) in bombing range of the city, but I'm looking at the specs for the Durand De La Penne Class Destroyers (Italy) and it has the 140 km bombing range.

BYMD
I missed the part when you RPed on the soldiers being IN the Plaza. Around it, getting closer and closer, YES. But not IN the plaza (it would have been odd, you were bombing the place). If I would have seen them in the plaza, I would have machine gun from the above (THAT would have been a manslaught), and more important, the people TB enlisted as his casualties would have gone into hiding.
I didn't say the jetters landed on the streets. They landed ON the buildings themselves. But I guess it's allright to assume that some landed on the streets (for scouting). After all, some of them might have panicked and miss the building :-) Even one with a sniper rifle might be dumb enough not to land on a building, but in the middle of the street.

I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes I'll be makink in the following posts, but I'm at the library. My reply was based on a more slower pace, but I think you have waited enough for me, so I'm posting now, without a word speller. By-the-way, this is being written without a word-speller too (but you have already figured that out, right ;-)

-------------------------------------------------
TVRev, Roman, Revterr
-------------------------------------------------

In TVRev's NewsRoom there was agitation. Karisa Lavin was at the desk, as the morning was far from being over. Behind the cameras, in the studio, the directors where working on establishing a video connection with BYMD.

Incoming... Yes! On one of the monitors, the collective presidency building could be seen in all it's splendor, although spoiled by what looked like flies: the revterran jetters. OK! Teris, we are receiving you laud and clear. GO for the jingle. Teris, you will be live in five, four, three, two, one!
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, I am Teris Sat, in BYMD city, Tanah Burung, and you are watching live images from the Old City Square. The building you are looking at is the Co-presidency Building and, yes, those are the revterran jetters. A couple of minutes ago the jetters took defensive positions around the building...
Teris, pan the image to your left said the director. On his "incoming signal" monitor, the camera begun to move, showing jetters flying around, evading the area rather than protecting it. Anyways, Teris was a good reporter, but slow when it come to figuring the art of mixing image with sound, and...
BANG!! The sound obviously disturbed Teris, as his camera suddenly lost stability. BANG again, and the co-presidency building was smoking. BANG again and again, and screams, and a very lousy signal input, as it was clear that Teris, now unheardable, was racing for safety. Another laud BANG, and the picture started flying. The camera flew into the air, catching a glimpse of helicopters, and jetters, and midair explosions, and exploding humans and finally stopped, with the lenses incredibly undamaged, focused on a burning hand.
Oh my Cat! Switch to One! Karisa, wake up!
Ladies and gentlemen, we were live with Teris Sat in BYMD City... Earlier this morning, we found out that the collective presidency was still meeting in it's building, the one...you saw...in Teris's images. Our reporter in BYMD was dispatched, and as he arrived there so did a task force comprised of jetters and air cover (the one you saw taking positions around the Square).... I am being informed from the studio that our camera is still transmitting, there are still fires, our annalists tell us that they sound like artillery shells. We are sorry, but we cannot broadcast those images. We are working on reestablishing the connection with Teris Sat, we will inform you the moment we know something. Back to you Ris!
Switch to MorningRoom! We are out for now!
On the second set, Ris Matiz felt that his regular "Good Morning Revterr!" was not a good line.

-------------------------------------------------
Old City Square, BYMD, Tanah Burung.
-------------------------------------------------

In the thirty seconds the link was passed from a room to another, in BYMD was war. The thermal scanners on the helicopters saw glimps of humans moving to the Square. Either crazy peoples, either foreign troops, so the machine guns went into action. Some of the jetters evaded the shells and landed right in the middle of the knootian soldiers. This was a scene worth seeing, as some of the jetters fired their jets, burning everything behind them while trying to make a run/jump for it. The suits are made of kevlar, but at close range, that's not a very good balistic armor. One of the jetters suffered multiple internal fractures, as he entered the "Rotor" mode by hitting every street pole he could find on his way to safety. And he had bad luck, landing near some knootians and their equipment. Severely wounded and surounded, he gave only one final comand: Kamikaze. The rest of his fuel blew up, making a hole where he stood and braking every window, car and (remaining) street poles in it's way. In one of the helicopters, a seargent has the nasty task of analysing the biofeeds from the troopers:
ground level, perforated kevlar, zero lifesigns, blow! 10 jetters blew up, none of them still alive at the moment. 15 remained intact, as the sensors malfunctioned and they might either be dead or in the plaza. 1 kill himself, and the reports were still coming.
Finally, the bombing stopped, and with them the fightings on the ground. There where only few jetters on the streets, guaded by the knootians and watched from the above by the revterrans now on their positions. The Square itself was being protected from the buildings around it. The boulevards leading to the square where being watched from the buildings, from the above and soon from the ground level.

The silence finally settled in the Old City Square. An uneasy silence, as guns where being pointed in all directions. Marius looked below him, and saw only smoke. The jet-set had an air filter, but was buckling as who knows what the knootians launched against the Square.
A signal on the HUD informed him about the nature of the incoming message.
RevTerrans, you are surrounded by superior DDR forces. Your fancy jet-pack troops are being slaughtered man by man and your positions are about to be overrun. A second artillery bombardment will reduce this palace and the surrounding buildings to ruins and kill everyone inside. No more smokeshells. But we are a merciful lot. Order your jetters to stand down now and you may evacuate them and the civilians and the wounded from the area. Think about the bloodshed you will cause if you refuse. You have… two minutes to decide.
Conex>Connect>HeliCom1!
Connected.
Leutenent, relay the following message on all the frequencies: Knootian Forces, I am captain Corin Marius, commanding officer of the RevTerran Task Force in BYMD. Whatever you might think, we are not here to fight a war with you, but trust me that we will if we have too. Our main priority is the people, and we are working with the burungan emergency teams providing tactical assistance. We are going to seal the access in the Old City Square. There are wounded peoples there, ours, yours, theirs, and we cannot help them while fighting you. We will not expand beyond the current positions, and we will not reinforce our positions here, as we plan to leave the area as soon as we evacuate the Palace. I am a fighter, but I ask for a gentlemen agreement in this matter. We are going to land and help. Don't start a war!
Relayed, sir. If I may...
No time! Report!
Life signs from the jetters on the surrounding buildings. The Square is burning, but the palace is holding. No heat signatures at the upper level, problems with the lower ones. Your report is coming now.
On the HUD, Marius could see different maps of the area, some red and blue dots concerning his forces and other information. The map showed revterrans on the buildings and knootians down on the streets, taking cover. "I would surely like for them to know how's to be hunted from the above". Other tactical information concearning positions, possible knootian weaponry, etc, were comming in, as the Eurofighters and the helicopters were resuming their positions.
Conex>Normal!
Beep
Jetters, resume your positions! Erin, twenty of your men, into the palace, find the survivors! Blow your way into, if you have to. The others, you heard my plans. Perimeter defense, ground positions, and watch for those incoming firefighting cars, they might carry knootian weaponry!!

--------------------------------------------------
CentrArm Complex, Roman, Revterr
-------------------------------------------------
The different admirals where attending a special meeting of the Allied Council. Anca Revert was presiding it, as Matei was busy composing a response to the knootians.
Darn, they are good! Their diplomacy is exemplary. Whenever you think you got them, they somehow fight back.
A monitor begun to blink. MediaWatch!
Good morning Comander. You might want to see this.
The "TVRev SPECIAL" logo appeared on the fourth monitor.

When Anca entered the room, she found Matei starring at a burning hand. But it was Matei the one who helped her find a chair.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Hans van Mierlo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, DDRK<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Good morning, again!
I have just been informed that the burungan authorities begun arresting members of the Rumbiak Brigade. All over the country, they are being taken into custody. They are ready for a trial, a trial to be held, however, when there will be people left to judge them.
I must warn you, minister, that the borders are opened and that the peoples are fleeing Tanah Burung. If you really want a trial, you should stop now. You have achieved your goal. The Rumbiak Brigade is outlawed. Stop! Let the trial begin. But let it be a free trial. If you continue you advance, we will ask the burungan officials to release them, or else they will face a "conqueror trial".
Now they are criminals. Stop now, or they'll become raging refugees. No one will allow you to destroy the Emerald Heights for a witch-hunt.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

That's it?!?! Anca's eyes were flaming.
Yes, that's it.
Where is the part where you threaten them with our fleet, where you speak about revenging our deaths, the burungan deaths..... she begun pacing through the room. She sat again, and then begun pacing again.
Matei was still calm.
Honey, you have no idea how close I am to send the entire fleet to Tanah Burung, blow the hell out of it, call for SlagLand to ask if he would help me invade Oglethorpia, or even send the jets to Ilek Vaad, bring some of those crazy soldiers and let them rampage the Knootians. I'll save one vaadian to send him to EAT Mierlo, Donner and whoever is out there not being eaten by the rest of the Vaadians. Anca began smiling. Even in a crisis situation, Matei was...cute. Especially when was being simultaneous funny and serious. However, the face became serious again I cannot do it. Not now, at least.
Why?
Because there are still alternatives.
Do you continue to hope that the Knootians have diplomacy in mind?
I'm way past that point. But right now I see no direct attack on us. I see a stall-mate and many, many mistakes.
And we are the victims.
We are among the victims. But we must prevent other from dieing.
How much will we take from them?
Not much. But I'm beginning to understand why the burungans took the fight out of the cities, and into the jungle.

-------------------------------------------------
Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
-------------------------------------------------
The message came directly from admiral Klit:

To the unidentified plane, this is the RevTerran Air Force. You are recognised as an unarmed plane, and thus escorted out of the Tanah Burung airspace. You might want to take that escort with you back to Oglethorpia. We are assigning one and only one Eurofighter to escort you out, to make sure that you remain an uninvolved plane. Understand this: if you open that emiter once more for anything that Beethoven, you Will be destroyed.
Klit out!

(ooc: wow, what postingness! But i don't really see what i can add at this stage, as the clashes all involve Knootian and RevTerran forces and i just have a square full of dead and dying nuns. So, fast-forward to another matter, another country...)

Dozle War Memorial, Vrak Prime

Sumitro adjusted his wire-rimmed spectacles and peered about for signs of flowers. He was thrilled to be in the Klatch, but a little disappointed: so far, he had not spoken to a single walrus. It was a shame: his business was diplomacy, but he wanted to see some sights while on this mission. As military attache at the Burungi embassy in Larkinia -- his country's only overseas military attache, come to think of it -- he so rarely had the chance to travel.

He turned the note from the People's Revolutionary Congress of Hubris over in his hand, pondering. An opportunity, certainly, if a tad ambiguously worded. No doubt the mysterious letter-writer wished to avoid showing his hand too soon. Or her hand, you never knew these days.

Then he saw the man with the yellow daisy, sitting on a park bench. Just where he'd been told the man would be. With a smile and a flash of his lapel pin showing the flag of Tanah Burung, he sat down on the same bench.

The Dozle War Memorial
The man was perhaps in his sixties, reading a book entitled The Dozle War Explained. He wore a simple brown jacket over a black shirt and grey pants that almost matched his hair color. His brown eyes did not look up from his book.

"Good Day Brother, I hope your trip in from....Larkina was pleasent? Now then by your presense here I assume you want the assistance of Prcoh..." He seemed to have an odd accent with the last word it came out as "pea'rook".

He continued, "We were very distressed by the neo-colonialist actions of Knootoss and are willing to help you in what ways we can. Unfortunatly three states of this so called Federation are in bed with the Knootians through KIST, so we must act....under their radar. So how can we be off assistance?"

A mothballed naval base on the continent of Zithril.
The three ships were waiting at the edge of the crumbling concrete peir. The place hadn't been used since the sale of Zithril by Xanthal and most everything here was in some sort of disrepair. The huge crane lifted what looked like some oddity of history up off the flat bed and into the hold of the nearby ship.

The man leading this mission sat quietly, smoking his pipe and watching as the flat bed trucks with their loads waited for their turn to be unloaded.

A somewhat puggdy looking ordinary sailor walked up and saluted, "We don't salute on a mission Peters...not in the Fifth..."

"Er, Aye Aye commad....I mean Yar Cap'in"

"Better Peters, will make you a Fifth man yet..."

"Ah, Blake says at least another two hours sir, should I get the...ah..."

"They are called military advisors..."

"Oh, yes the advisors...should I go get them..."

"Let them drink themselves stupid for the next hour...nothing much those flyboys will do until we reach Ogalthorpia..."

"Yes, yes sir..."

Thanx, TB! And it's still coming!
Some (other) OOC notes (most of them for Knoot):
First of all, I have no idea what jump boots are and how do they work (there is a functional jet-pack even now, but I have never ever heard of functional jump boots). Still the problem can be avoided by carefully posting things that can be done with either one of them. I kind of blew your troops away with those explosions, I know, but, jet-packed or jump-booted, my troops would still have to carry fuel. And the jet-set is fancy enough not to be left on foreign hands. So don’t attempt to disarm my troops ;-)
Second, I think we have different opinions about how the Old City Square looks like. I thought of it as a wide, open place, with the palace on North, and buildings around it (if the Old City Square is more like a Circus, with the palace in the center, there is still an open place between the first round of buildings and the palace). That would explain the existence of the nuns and pilgrims that TB enlisted as “casualties”, plus that would allow you to play with your helicopter (the one that blew up). (If I’m wrong, TB, post something!). So, Knoot, storming the palace was never an easy job, since you would have to cross that open space. And now, with my helicopters above and the jetters on the buildings, it’s even harder.

The casualties mentioned earlier are not the only casualties I have. But I'm taking slowly. The officer-on-station will do the damage assessment, and, since it's still only a minute after "Rotor" scenario was started, Marius is still gathering data about his troops. But, I must point out that most of the personnel was on the buildings, not in the Square. As I said, there will be another report.
I didn’t plan on carrying back the equipment brought to BYMD (if needed, it would have been exploded, imploded, decommissioned, something like that). So I have a multilauncher on the palace (I doubt it still works, but it's still there, two on the buildings surrounding the palace (east and west) and one somewhere in the Square (surprise, surprise!). There are also two machine guns at the palace entry. Their status will be detailed later. I’m kind of waiting for your reply, since my posts “upset” the balance you thought you had established in BYMD. If you want an OOC fight, we’ll have it now, before my forces enter the palace J.
As for bombing the coastal areas, remember that those shells will have to fly over my ships, through an air space where my planes are flying. I doubt one could recognize in a split second the difference between a "dumb" missile and an artillery shell. Post carefully!

There is one more thing: In BYMD my forces partially destroyed a building (the multilauncher on the palace, as described in an earlier post), the machine guns fired on their own from the steps of the buildings (thus above the people in the square, and more directly on the boulevard). Don't think I don't know I killed some of the burungans I'm trying to protect.

OOC:
Must... write... post. IRC... distracting. *quits IRC*

Better. (this one also to be moved. I asked the mods to split off this thread. Hasn't happened yet.)

-------------------------------------------------
Around the Maglev Station, Ukun Rasikan
-------------------------------------------------
[…]
On each building, an officer carrying a loudspeaker began broadcasting the Burungan National Anthem. They where passing through each floor, making sure that everyone was awake. Behind the speaker, another officer was passing from door to door, breaking where the knock was not answered. The same line was said to all the persons either met or awakened:

I am officer X from the Revterran Army, we are working with the local police. There are enemy troops in the vicinity and we all have powerful guns. This building is not safe, please evacuate! From place to place, the officers met the burungan sharpshooters or policemen supervising the situation.

On the roof of one building, Tiral was getting impatient. The job of evacuating civilians was not his duty, but then again, the burungans where doing whatever they could. The policemen where here, as many as they could be spared from regular patrol and evacuation supervising duties.

Tom was setting the last of the traps on the outskirts of the station, straightening the thin invisible line that had been attached to the pin of a grenade, when his radio crackled. He was ordered back into the station. Moving along the walls, he dodged the traps he has set behind him with small jumps, while dodging the occasional higher wire. “Too bad we don’t have those mines yet.”

When he entered the station, he found rows had lined up before windows while others had formed small groups with battle gear. He grabbed his own rifle and took a spot. Guns crackled and opened fire on windows and doors of the buildings across the street. Mortars were launched simultaneously at the top

“Up up and above!”, the officer paraphrased. “Aim for the skies!"

Tom aimed his rifle up for the jetters, trying to hit one of them. With the Jetters jumping around and taking cover, it was a bit like shooting on pigeons in the backyard of the farm only these pigeons shot back. A deafining sound rang in his ears as mortars were launched somewhere close to him, aiming for the at the upper part of the buildings also and launching at any position where the jetters might hide. One Tanah Burung woman tried to run out of the building in panic through the front door

“Aim at the door and windows. Aim right!”, shouted the commander, “Don’t let them evacuate the civilians!”

She was hit by four bullets at once, Tom wasn’t sure if his own bullet was amongst them but did not have time to ponder it. A vague heat befell the right side of is face when, from a dark spot behind one of the other station windows, came out a roaring, hissing flame that was twenty to thirty metres long, burning the flesh of anything nearby. Behind him, the literarily inclined officer yelled parts of the internationale to taunt the enemy that was obscured by his distance from the window.

“So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face!”

He walked along the assembled rows of infantry, soldiers standing ready to storm out of the station. All of these men were bearing the blue insignia of the peace corps on the side of their sleeve – just above their national flag - its globe-like structure vaguely reminding of the United Nations symbol.

“You are the peace corps. You are the best Knootoss has to offer. Remember your training. Remember the shadow war. This is one man for all, and all men for one, cover your buddies, and whatever you do don’t stop until you reach the other side.”

Having reached the end of the line, he turned around and raised his arm. “We drove the enemy from our own capital and now we’ll drive the enemy from theirs!”

The radio operator flipped the switch to start transmitting as the guns continued shooting and the mortars continued firing.

“This is the Knootian Defence Force. We demand the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces from Ukun Rasikan and the surrounding area or we will bomb the city into submission. Ukun Rasikan is in range of our heavy artillery, and our naval and air power are able to crush all resistance. Your forces are heavily outnumbered. Withdraw or be destroyed. All attempts to restrict the movement of KDF forces will be met with deadly force. All unauthorised efforts to evacuate civilians from the zone will be met with deadly force. Failure to withdraw will result in the use of deadly force. RevTerr forces failing to withdraw are instructed to signal their surrender. I repeat, this is the Knootian Defence force demanding the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces from Ukun Rasikan …”

((Diplomatic bits post))

--------------------------------------------------
IMC Headquarters Marshall Island
--------------------------------------------------

The Knootian representative nodded upon Civic Starcows entry. When all the members of the council had arrived, he took the occasion to be the first to speak. He stood up calm, with a gently voice and the soft British accent that characterised the Knootians who had chosen to master the language more fluently:

“Welcome ladies and gentlemen and thank you for meeting on such a short notice. The Dutch Democratic Republic has called for this diplomatic meeting to discuss the continuing of the mediation procedure between our government and the United Provinces representatives.

First of all, the Knootian government is dismayed by the declaration of hostilities that has been thrust upon us by the United Provinces. As the representative of my government, I must protest this declaration of war as unbecoming for a signatory to the IMC treaty. The DDR has never sought to act against the Burungi government but this declaration has forced us to do precisely that.

However, not all is lost. We are most pleased that the Tanah Burung authorities have decided to cooperate on some issues, namely with the arrest of terrorist elements within their nation and see this as a useful step towards the fulfilment of this first element of the solution to of our mutual problems. My recommendation would be that the United Provinces now choose to accept the entirety of our memorandum as a basis towards a settlement entailing cooperation between KDF forces and Tanah Burung institutions against the Rumbiak Brigade.”

-----------------------------------------------------------
The phone call with Lieutenant-General Donner
-----------------------------------------------------------
She then switched back to Lieutenant-General Donner. using her most soothing, sweetest, honeyed tone

"Lieutenant-General Donner, I have just spoken with the Supreme Republican Commander and he is indisposed currently. He has authorized me to speak with you in his stead. What's on your mind?"

Donner did not like the tone of Staff Seargent Assad at all. Lightly annoyed, but remaining his composure he replied:

“Madam, it is of the greatest importance that I speak to the Supreme Republican Commander directly upon the recommendation of your own Minister of Foreign Affairs in order to coordinate cooperation between our forces can cooperate here.”

Sensing more hesitance he continued with a greater sense of urgency:

“The peace may depend on it, now, I implore you to connect me to him.”

--------------------------
Amsterdam, Knootoss
(all text in Dutch)
--------------------------

That evening, the streets of Amsterdam were filled with people, in a never ending human wave of people, often holding crude signs. Some had red banners and masks, but the vast majority was just normal people. Couples were holding hands as they marched for the central square. Others were holding Tanah Burung flags – a significant number of the protestors were the dark-skinned children of those parents who had left with the colonisers to the cold European cities. In the square, a provisional podium had been set up, surrounded by hastily trumped up police officers – to protect the speakers.

Some speakers expressed anger, rage, disgust. But Femke Halema, leader of the green party, was the main speaker. Calm but passionate, she began her speech by announcing that she intended to speak about “war and empire,” warning the assembled that “Today, blood has been spilled in Tanah Burung. And blood will continue to spill—theirs and ours.”

She continued: “For we are embarking on an invasion and occupation that, if history is any guide, will be as damaging to our souls as it will be to our prestige, power, and security. When in all this we become pariahs to those who are stronger, and tyrants to others weaker than ourselves.”

She continued to deliver a powerful denunciation of the militarism of Galadriël and criticizing KNN’s coverage of the war in Tanah Burung for its focus on Knootoss’ newfound military might. “Just because we have the capacity to wage war it does not give us the right to wage war. This capacity has doomed empires in the past.”

“Tanah Burung was a cesspool for our parents and grandparents when they fought to keep it a century ago; it will be a cesspool for us as well,” said Halsema. “It will be a guerrilla war on the mountains and in the jungle. It will be curfews in the city, and armed clashes with angry crowds that leave scores of Tanah Burung citizens dead. It will be a military governor-general, and it will be the Order of the Invisible Hand following on the heels of our occupying troops to try and teach anticapitalists about the Market.”

“The DDR will face a long, bloody war of attrition in Tanah Burung”, she warned. “The Burungis are fighting a war now of liberation by Tanah Burung citizens from Knootian invasion. And if you watch closely what is happening in Tanah Burung, you can see it through the abysmal coverage. You can see it in the lashing out of the guerrilla fighters in their jungle, the murder of civilians leaders near the Cathedral in BYMD, and the assassination of our young soldiers in an alien jungle. It is a struggle that will soon be joined by *their* friends and allies and we will be far less secure today than we were before we bumbled into Tanah Burung."

“The Knootian people will pay a serious price for this war”, Halsema added, “...but what saddens me most is that those who will by and large pay the highest price are poor kids from Amsterdam or Groningen or Rotterdam who could not get a decent job or health insurance and joined the army because it was all we offered them. War in the end is always about betrayal, betrayal of the young by the old, of soldiers by politicians, and of idealists by cynics. At a time of soaring trade deficits, irresponsible cuts to government programmes, and the very deterioration of our domestic fabric, war is a fine diversion. But you here assembled in Amsterdam, and in The Hague, and in Groningen will not be diverted. We will come here again and rally every day until our boys are brought back home.”

A calm applause, rather then enthusiastic jeering, filled the evening sky. The couple drew closer to each other, and the evening chill seemed to be driven away by the millions standing united in protest.

((Tarasovka post, fwed to me by mail))

-----------------------------
Random SODAT unit,
Random TSF Troopcarrier,
Random point in orbit of Earth.
-----------------------------
- Sir!
- Yes?
- May we?
- No.
- But...
- No!
- Please?
- NO!
- Oh, come on! We're bored!
- Over and out!

The comms screen shut off as the commander of the ship cursed whoever created the NGF, whoever had the idea of creating the SODAT, whoever had the idea to combine both and whoever had the idea to appoint him as commander of that bloody piece of scrap metal whose job was to ferry those SODATs into battle! “Enroll into the Taraskovyan Space Fleet! See new worlds, meet new people!” they said…

OOC re: RevTerr
I made this visual aid for the plane and sea situations:
http://www.fredvogels.org/images/bombingplanes.GIF

As you can see, the Burungi seaside behind the gulf may be protected (your ships are close to the cities, able to drop troops there from inside the gulf) but navy group B is on the east side of the island, from whence they are perfectly capable of hitting Tiga Burung and its airfield with coastal bombardement. I missed your second carrier group OOCly, but it would be IC-ignored anyway.

The planes I spoke of were diverted from the main body of planes heading on/over BYMD in response to you launching your fighters. So they were already in the hood, so to speak. If you re-read the description you'll notice it is presented like that.

BYMD
My soldiers are NOT "in" the plaza. They had *surrounded* the plaza. When you deployed forces *around* the plaza as you said you did they would come into contact with the Knootians who are already there. That is the firefight I described. I was about to storm the plaza, but I did not.

Also, the smoke is pretty much there to cover everything. Even from the roof you can't see a thing. Also, if you are looking for cover in houses by entering from the ground I could understand but AFAIK the buildings in TB are generally not that big so you would still be easily spotted from the roofs and would be *very* visible while jumping considering that there are soldiers everywhere in the streets. They would be shot at either way , and not generally be in a position to find some sneaky hiding place to snipe from. (with some lucky exceptions) Perhaps you could edit a bit to adjust for that? I'll just assume shooting UP in addition to shooting at them from a level field then.

Also... did you get the 'withdrawing with civilians' opt-out? That would get you to move off in a relatively bloodless way and prevent the all-out war we had OOCly agreed would not be there AND you could smuggle out the presidency. Considering the situation, that is what a Knootian commander would do anyway. No sense in allowing yourself to be overrun while the enemy is offering you a clean withdrawal. Actually, that is what happened in Screbrenica. :P And RevTerrans do not strike me as the WAAAAARGH HONOUR BLOOD! type of people..

Donner did not like the tone of Staff Seargent Assad at all. Lightly annoyed, but remaining his composure he replied:

“Madam, it is of the greatest importance that I speak to the Supreme Republican Commander directly upon the recommendation of your own Minister of Foreign Affairs in order to coordinate cooperation between our forces can cooperate here.”

Sensing more hesitance he continued with a greater sense of urgency:

“The peace may depend on it, now, I implore you to connect me to him.”



Staff Seargent Assad could tell that Donner was worried, or annoyed, or maybe just a type B personality, she replied in the same even, non committed tone of a directory assistance operator.

"I am very sorry but the Supreme Republican Commander is preparing to land in Tanah Burung. He is going over the final preparations with his men just now and has ordered that he not be disturbed.

The Supreme Republican Commander has instructed me to inform the Knootian Commander that if he wishes to co-operate that Knootian forces should hold their positions, transmit their positions to our Fire Control and await Red Jaguar oversight.

When Red Jaguar forces arrive they 'disable' any forces that are actively engaged, if your forces are not actively engaged then the Supreme Republican Commander will deal with them on friendly terms, any forces actively engaged without Red Jaguar oversight will be 'disabled'."

While Donnner thought about that Staff Seargent Assad switched over to Colonel Erdogan

"Colonel, please instruct the Burungi's that they hold off any attacks until the Red Jaguar Arrive, thanks."

She then switched back to Donner and awaited his reply.

As she waited for Donner to compose himself and respond she motioned to the com officer who then sent a message to the Rev Terrans

"This is Teztcatlipoca Fire Control. If you would please ask your men to hold position and disengage from the Knootians. The Red Jaguar will engage and disable any forces that continue to fight, whether they be Knootian, RevTerran or Burungi. If you are not fighting when they arrive, then you will be trated as friendly"

The message was repeated once.

******

The Ships of the Tactical Group neared Tiga Burung, finally brining the island within easy range of aircraft and the longest range Cruise Missles, the Tactical Group switched to high alert as Admiral Ilek prowled Fire Control.

"Bring up active targetting, launch Orion Fighter screen, take on ballast and limber the Ship-Destroyers. Put our subs on active tracking of Knootian ships and submarines as we approach."

He barks out his commands as he walks behind his men, who had suddenly grown very serious and grim, he looked over his men and stood still for a second, reciting the motto of the House of Ilek and of the Retaliatory Guard

"Life and Death Mean Nothing, Only Action. My Life for the Republic. Hold steady men, we'll sort them out, we'll sort them all out my lads."

******
In the hold of the Tetzcatlipoca the multi-purpose deck rocked as the hand picked Red Jaguar , four hundred in all, drank their Ixpei and began the Circle Dance and chanted the chant that was well over nine thousand years old, chanted by the Jaguar since before human history

"Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha!
I Kill them! I Kill them all!
Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha!
I crush them! I crush them all!
Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha!
I eat them! I eat them all!
Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha!
I crush their homes! I eat their lands!
Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha!"

All the while they swirled swinging their macanas and machetes in deadly, bur precise arcs, stomping their feet, soon the whole deck and sub decks were vibrating, Uncle Istvan weaved in between them shouting

"Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha!
Listen now! You WILL kill them!
Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha!
You are dead! Make them join you!
Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha! Ha! Chi-Chi, Ha!"

The Red Jaguar were primed and ready, they began filing aboard the waiting Marathon transports.

******

Vaadian Embassy, Tanah Burung

Colonel Erdogan quietly strode to Where Sir Alec was speaking with the Police Commander, he stepped between them and looked at the Commander

"Sir, go back to your men and tell them to withdraw and not to fight until Uncle Istvan tells them to, don't worry about the Knootians, if they attack you, we will eat them."

Erdogan grinned unnervingly when he said eat them, as opposed to kill them.The Colonel stepped back outside and motioned to one of his men.

"Ramirez! Go see what is going on!" he motioned towards where the explosions and noise were coming from "Do not attack unless I tell you! Go, Run!"

The Red Jaguar sprinted off down the road and soon disappeared between the buildings.

******
IMC building

Jonathon Tocatl simply sat and listened, knowing full well that the Knootians had already attacked, he shook his head as the Knootian representative feigned suprise at the Burungi declaration of hostilities. In his eyes the Knootians had no more credibility left.

He simply quietly dialed his satellite phone "Colli, this is Tocatl. Pilli Istvan is doing the circle dance, there are itzcuintli in the streets of Tanah Burung." He then quietly hung up.

He then smiled nicely.

*****

Somewhere in Columbia

The Nachxa answered his phone, it was Jonathin Tocatl. The Nachxa simply listened and nodded.

"Don't you worry Jonathon, I will head back now. I will take care of it, you just sit and smile nicely."

The Nachxa hung up his phone as well, and then called his assistant

"Coatl, would you be kind enough to have the Knootians send me a helicopter, I need a lift to Bogota, have Chiche get my jet ready, I am headed back to Marshall Island."

He then gave Coatl his GPS co-ordinates and waited, there was plenty of room for a helicopter here beside the river.

******

Tactical Group Namroth Vedic continued it's shadow-like tailing of the fleet from Lietuveska.


OOC: The dark red is of course translated from ancient Tolteca.

Crude sketch of the square, hope this works. Knootian forces advancing from the east/below (bottom of map). East wall of palace has collapsed.


CATHEDRAL
----------
| |
BISHOPS | |
HALL | | PALACE
| |
| |
| |
SMALLER BUILDINGS AND SQUARE MAIN ENTRANCE


NEW CITY
(INCLUDING PORT
AND MAGLEV STATION)


BYMD

Bishop F.X. Mangunvijaya had been working at his desk, preparing to head go meet the new Papal Nuncio to Tanah Burung. The sound of the palace wall collapsing jolted him into alterness and he rushed to the window of the diocese offices and looked out onto the old city square. Just in time to see what looked like close to a thousand nuns and monks, most of them flat on the ground, before the smoke obscured his view. He sprinted to the phone and started calling medics.

Amsterdam, Knootoss

Mingling with the throngs gave her anonymity. And so she marched, with the throngs, feeling at last that she was doing something. As Femke Halsema launched into a passionate denunciation of her government's crimes, the Burungi ambassador joined in the cheers. The Green leader wrapped up her speech and started to leave the stage, only to find a small woman embracing her.

"Thank you, thank you," said Kay Rala. "I am so pleased that there are those in Knootoss who still care for peace."

IMC headquarters

"Declared hostilities?" Violeta Bi Bere asked mildly. "It is your forces, dear man, who invaded our countrry before a mediation committee even had the chance to meet."

She offered a sweet smile.

"In the interests of peace, i would like to make yet another offer to avoid further violence. The Rumbiak Brigade stands accused of terror. If Knootian forces withdraw from Tanah Burung, we are prepared to hand Rumbiak Brigade members to a properly-constituted IMC committee. The facts of the matter can then be determined by a neutral party, and not by a country which has appointed itself judge, jury and executioner."

Vrak Prime

"I believe your letter mentioned some specific forms of assistance," Sumitro said to the Prcoh man, making no effort to pronounce the acronym. "We would certainly be interested in obtaining the materials you mentioned. We have nothing terribly lethal to offer in exchange, though. Perhaps you might tell me what sort of payment you have in mind, sir.

"You'll have to forgive me," he added, "but i have little knowledge of your cause or your country. Do you too share a colonial past?"

He gazed at the memorial. Perhaps one day there woudl be something like it in Tanah Burung. Once the war was over.

OOC: Apologies. Contained in this post is a short, cop-out, RP.

Near the Maglev lines

Archie crawled forward, the small band of mixed troops behind him, easing their way through the trees to get to a suitable position to begin a diversion. He was at the edge of the trees again, slightly further up than the main host of those who had come to destroy the lines.

"Hush." he said. "Now we wait for the opportune moment. Timing is everything... for Tanah Burung."

The others nodded. "For Tanah Burung." they replied.

Archie looked at the small band he controlled, and sighed slightly. We haven't got a hope...

Vrak Prime

"I believe your letter mentioned some specific forms of assistance," Sumitro said to the Prcoh man, making no effort to pronounce the acronym. "We would certainly be interested in obtaining the materials you mentioned. We have nothing terribly lethal to offer in exchange, though. Perhaps you might tell me what sort of payment you have in mind, sir.

"You'll have to forgive me," he added, "but i have little knowledge of your cause or your country. Do you too share a colonial past?"

He gazed at the memorial. Perhaps one day there woudl be something like it in Tanah Burung. Once the war was over.

The War memorial was one had to look up at, after all it was the remains of a massive, destroyed spaceship stuck upright into the ground. The huge holes scars, and slagged armor attested to both Dozel's near invunerablity and the intensity of the Dozle War in the Klatch. In truth a good deal of the "city of domes" was under reconstruction from the war, even this long after Dozle's defeat. (OOC: before any complaints I am just re-typing what Vrak has already Rped in two pre-jolt threads)

The man nodded, "we offered aid to transport supplies and said we could gain access to some war materials that you might find useful. The war material is not in our possession, but in the hands of someone sympathetic to your cause." He looked at a nearby couple for a second and then returned his attention to the book.

"I am not sure why he wants the technology he wants, but he is willing to sell you a thosand anti-air shoulder mounted missle packages, that is a thousand launchers and four thousand missles. What he wants is copies of all your technical information on lighter than air airships and their engines that you are so famous for."

He finally looked at his neighbor as though answering a question. "He is a bourgeoisie pig, but a fellow anti-imperialist. I am sure he is working some angle that will increase his wealth. But, he is also been honest in our dealings with him before."

He returned to looking at his book. "It is amazing that you have never heard of the Knootian Klatch, a fellow colony of the Knootians. Of course then it was technically illegal since they were not yet independent. The Isle of Hubris was handed about between the world powers like some trophy for nearly a century. Finally, we overthrew our oppressors and raised a new state...one based on the values of faternity, unity, and equality. All the people were equal, and we all lived in happiness..."

He looked up at the monument, but his eyes seemed to glow with some deep love, a vision of utopia.
"But those f***ing Alconians, like their ruthless Knootian forebearers, have turned us into nothing more than some province of their United Duchies. Forced us to postrate ourselves before their monarch, foisted a bunch of freeloading nobles upon us. Do you realize that thousands of people work in factories in Hubris without the right to vote for the government? Thousands of the disenfranchised, peasents in all but name are forced to toil as servents to the robber barons of Alcona, who steal our resources, force us to fight their wars, and demand that we follow their customs?"

He is obviously getting worked up, but puts a brake on things before any other tourists begin to notice. "The PRCoH was once the voice of the people. Now the Alconian ISS and IIS supress us. They throw our freedom fighters into dark, cold undersea mines and suppress our freedom to expose their decadence to the people of Hubris. We can not allow these, Knootian imperialist nations to succeed in this version of Neo-colonialism"*

OOC: *This is quite a spin job he has going. It is all ICly true but so poorly characterized and full of 'half truths' that most Alconians and Hubarians would laugh themselves silly. (Which being an american, I get to do quite often recently...) The biggest one is the utopia crap...far, far from it. Hubris was a Monarchy for almost 200 years before the socialist revolution.

(Just thought this was a nice intermezzo. Post later.)

Knootian Editorial cartoon or something:
click here (http://www.socsci.kun.nl/ped/owk/activeworlds/prenten/behrendt/033_NL&Indonesie_1962.jpg)

((OOC: And the man who sold them the paper and pens is an Alconian...))

The phone call
Staff Seargent Assad could tell that Donner was worried, or annoyed, or maybe just a type B personality, she replied in the same even, non committed tone of a directory assistance operator.

"I am very sorry but the Supreme Republican Commander is preparing to land in Tanah Burung. He is going over the final preparations with his men just now and has ordered that he not be disturbed.

The Supreme Republican Commander has instructed me to inform the Knootian Commander that if he wishes to co-operate that Knootian forces should hold their positions, transmit their positions to our Fire Control and await Red Jaguar oversight.

When Red Jaguar forces arrive they 'disable' any forces that are actively engaged, if your forces are not actively engaged then the Supreme Republican Commander will deal with them on friendly terms, any forces actively engaged without Red Jaguar oversight will be 'disabled'."
[…]
She then switched back to Donner and awaited his reply.
[…]
Donner answered with short bitten-off tone.

“Thank you for the information madam. Good day.”

And with that he broke the connection.

-----------------------------
IMC headquarters
-----------------------------
"Declared hostilities?" Violeta Bi Bere asked mildly. "It is your forces, dear man, who invaded our country before a mediation committee even had the chance to meet."

She offered a sweet smile.

"In the interests of peace, i would like to make yet another offer to avoid further violence. The Rumbiak Brigade stands accused of terror. If Knootian forces withdraw from Tanah Burung, we are prepared to hand Rumbiak Brigade members to a properly-constituted IMC committee. The facts of the matter can then be determined by a neutral party, and not by a country which has appointed itself judge, jury and executioner."


“I must object to the notion that this in an invasion”, the Frisian protested weakly, “but oversight over the trials by an IMC committee is a matter that we are open to discussing. The Knootian system of law is entirely unbiased, and we trust that an equally unbiased system would find these terrorists – because that is what they are – to be guilty as well. Your proposal is a basis for negotiations.”

----

((OOC: moving this deployment forward a bit by request of the TB player. Noting that these planes would in all probability be out of range of coastal carriers who are already deployed in the east.))

---------------------------------
The skies near Matebian
---------------------------------
The sound of the engines of aeroplanes was unusual in the western parts of Tanah Burung, but early in the afternoon of the first day it disturbed the afternoon sky. And when the KDF came, they came in force. What seemed like a thin grey line in the sky

In the lead plane solider Ben-Tzyion Jerayesh prepared himself mentally for the jump. The young man from Ale-Yarok was there with his buddies from his home country, and everyone in the plane had the somewhat darker Israeli complexion of the Knootian Federation fighters. Quietly, he listened to the hushed conversation between the pilot and this commander.

“Just two eurofighters to defend these transports. That aint too much Sir,” the pilot complained in Hebrew. “Not as planned.”

“It will do, pilot.”, major Yedid Yedidyah assured. “The planes are in the east and they will keep anyone from getting through. Tanah Burung has no airforce, and all of its balloons were taken down this morning. You just worry about any remaining AA.”

Ben-Tzyion shook slightly in his seat as the plane made a small turn. In the front window, the city of Matebian came into view. The transports, flying in formation, turned for a small clearing.

“This is the landing zone! Prepare to jump! Out, out!”

The men and women of the 33rd inf. Brigade lined up for the paradrop that was to secure the city…

((Airdrops are also taking place above Burung Paradis. As I understand it this is just a part of the RP that is acknowledged but it will not be played out further, assuming the Knootians will be able to secure both cities eventually.))

((Waiting for RevTerr OOC acknowledgement with the BYMD situation))

(ooc: Knoot, the colour you're using for Hebrew is almost invisible on this monitor.)

Vrak Prime

Sumitro recognized the voice of a fanatic when he heard it. And here was a situation he would not want to involve his government in too deeply: the last thing anyone wanted was to bring down the wrath of the Federated Klatchian Coast authorities. On top of that, the whole idea was technically illegal: Tanah Burung was not supposed to buy anything outside the International Fair Trade Agreement.

And yet, the offer was attractive, and it would not be the first time Sumitro had broken a law. How complex could the design for an airship be? After all, it was just a bag of hot air. Briefly, he toyed with the iea of offering them a blow-up politician doll, but thought better of it.

"I think we can do business with your bourgeois friend," he said, pausing to polish his glasses. "Of course, i shall have to consult my principals in order to obtrain the designs he is requesting. Shall i make contact with him directly, perhaps?"

He attempted a gap-toothed smile. The effect was somewhat grotesque.

IMC Building

"A basis for negotiations, dear boy? Does that mean you accept, or not?" Bi Bere, for once in her life, was looking for precision and a yes or no answer. She looked around the room.

"Now, i believe there are several IMC members with forces already near my country. Ilek-Vaad, Hell Bovines and The Weegies are all acceptable to my country as neutral parties."

Vaadian Embassy, Ukun Rasikan

The police commander's mobile phone rang. ""Really? And they're secure?" he spoke in rapid-fire Tetemelayu, with increasing excitement in his voice. "Really? ... Are you sure about that? Well, if she says so, then of course ... Consider it done."

He turned back to Sir Alec. "Ambassdor, i have just been informed that there has been an arrest of members of the Rumbiak Brigade. Personally, i don't believe anyone but our own courts has the right to judge them, but i suppose that's up to the diplomats to work out. I'm asked to inform you that we are prepared to transfer these people to the custody of the Vaadian Naval Guard for safekeeping, on your personal assurances that they will not be harmed until the International Mediation Council has the chance to make a judgment."

He looked at the Jaguar troops, and shuddered a little. It was just as well for the Brigade members that he'd specified exactly which Vaadian troops the offer was being made to.

Ukun Rasikan, City Centre

"They're murdering civilians!"

The cry went out through the city, passing from rooftop to rooftop, from shouted voice to shouted voice. Within shooting range of the Knootian troops, the people ducked to stay out of danger. Everyone had the same defence training in high school: don't run into a hail of bullets. Non-violent resistance, yes, but only before the shooting starts. Here and there, windows opened as citizens offered a safe perch for the foreign troops they recognized as RevTerrans, though much better-armed than the RevTerrans who flocked to Tanah Burung's beaches during the tourist season.

Despite the shots and the propoganda, the Rasikani police and snipers held their fire. "Negotiations are still under way," the order came. "Do not engage within the city. Give peace a chance, yet another chance, again another chance."

(ooc again: Eauz is not taking part in this RP, but has given permission for use of his country as refugee escape route. Setting that up now.)

Toustrouveux, Eauz

The Stade de Socialisme, a football stadium in the eastern reaches of the Empire of Eauz, had been transformed into a massive refugee camp. With the first reports of attack, people had begun packing the railway cars headed west, grabbing a few meagre possessions and (if they could lay hands on them) French-language phrase books. Others began the long hike through the nature preserve that separated the two countries. In Eauz, on the high plateau, they would be safe.

The border guards waved them through. This was not a closely-guarded border at the best of times. Trade streamed across it at the rate of hundreds of thousands of loonies in value every day, and the trains were always packed with tourists, cross-border shoppers, and of course football fans. Today, the Burungis crossing over had a more desperate look about them. A sense of disbelief, in fact.

"We're under attack," they told the curious Eauzians. Shell-shocked, hardly able to believe that what they were saying was true. "Why would anyone attack us, we never fight wars, never!"

IMC Building

"A basis for negotiations, dear boy? Does that mean you accept, or not?" Bi Bere, for once in her life, was looking for precision and a yes or no answer. She looked around the room.

"Now, i believe there are several IMC members with forces already near my country. Ilek-Vaad, Hell Bovines and The Weegies are all acceptable to my country as neutral parties."

Contrary to the Knootian nature of directness, precision was not what the Frysian was after at this point. As if to delay even physically, he rubbed his chin slowly before he responded. "It means that we accept the proposal as a basis for negotiations. Surely you realise that I cannot just order a withdrawal... I'll have to check back with my superiors. And a lot is still to be worked out by the IMC and by both of our governments.".

He counted on his fingers the problems that would arise: "Where the trials would be held, which laws would apply, what legal status the prisoners would have, who would chair the court, who would prosecute and execute the sentence, the transfer of prisoners. These are all things that have to be worked out before this can commence. I presume you'll want to contact the collective presidency about *your* governments point of view as well... I am willing to negotiate on all of these matters. The proper thing to do would be to set up a multinational committee to establish a procedure on the decision-making process."

The Nachxa had waited, apparently in vain for his Knootian hosts. He then made a second phone call to Uncle Istvan, and then another to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and then Jonathon Tocatl. The first call arrange a Red Jaguar extraction team, to remove him from Columbia, with or without Knootian help or assistance

*****

IMC Building Marshall Island

Jonathon Tocatl received two more phone calls while the Knootians and Burungi's are talking , not that he was listening anyhow.

He then stood and spoke

"I have just received a call from The Nachxa and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. After lengthy consideration, analysis by legal scholars and Velite Constitutional advisors, the Republican Council has agreed that the International Mediation Council Charter is in fact void.

The IMC Charter cleary states that signatories of the charter MUST submit to mediation BEFORE hostilities with another nation takes place. The Democratic Dutch Republic has breached the Charter in this respect, which is why we are here today.

Now, the relevant point is that the Constitution of the Free Republic States that "Multi-lateral or bi-lateral treaties entered into lawfully by the elected Council of the Free Republic shall be null and void should any of the signatories violate any provision within said treaty." This is exactly the case with the IMC Charter.

Good day."

With that, he leaves.


*****

Aboard the Teztcatlipoca

Staff Seargent Assad grinned "I believe I was disconnected from Mr. Donner. Leftenant, would you inform the........"

The Leftenant looked over "Minister of Defence for you Seargent."

Assad smiled "Read my mind, good lad."

Staff Seargent Assad dutifully listened to the Minister of Defence.

*****

Vaadian Embassy, Tanah Burung

Sir Alec grinned at the Commander " Of course, they will be perfectly safe aboard our.........."

Sir Alec was interupted by his assistant "Sir, It's the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he says that it is urgent."

Sir Alec nodded "Pardon me, I'll be right back."

Vrak Prime
"Just return the book to its owner, oh and remember to pay for a day pass. If you need a shipment flown in contact the Author's Fan Club in Torrhall and ask for Pete's Pizza. We will call back within three minutes to arange a meeting...."

The man stood up and walked off. A copy of Henry Kissinger's The World Restored lay on the bench. Inside the front cover, in blue ink was the address:

J.R. Montuge
112 Powder Vault Ave
Port Olympus,
Klatchian Federal District
PO J77821-478
876-555-271-5998

-------------------------------------------------
Around the Maglev Station, Ukun Rasikan
-------------------------------------------------
Sir, movement!
Tiral turned his head (it's hard to actually turn around with a jet-pack) but he saw only the incoming shells:
Duck said someone, and the grounded jetters hit the...roof. For an untrained eye, they all looked campers sitting down. A jetter would rather sit in his butt then on his tummy, as lifting that Jet-pack was not a pleasant job. As he was turning to face the station, Tiral caught a glimpse at the jet-packs of his colleagues, now inside the buildings, either evacuating either taking positions. Thank the Cat that those things do not explode easily! he thought.
Go decoys!
A few jetters begun flying from building to building, drawing the knootian fire. While from the windows the revterrans with the riffles begun returning fire, from different positions the revterrans snipers begun their silent hunt.
Meanwhile, behind the first round of buildings a back-up plan was set in order. A jetter begun firing. Each building that did not had a back exit, now had a hole in it. Of course, hearing the hole being made was not something to live with, especially when you are in panic. Because, after the first shots not aiming for the jetters was fired, the panic settled inside the buildings. There where people fleeing through the main doors, right into knootian bullets. And when those arriving from the first level saw the bodies of those who tried to exit (dead, injured, fainted, it was hard to tell), they panicked even more.
But still, they where not alone; the speaker begun screaming for order:
Use the back exit! Move! Move! Move!!!

Down in the streets, the firefight started chaos. The jetters where just finishing rerouting the traffic, so the road in the front of the Station was free. When the first shot has been heard, the jetters immediately flew for cover, at the base of the buildings. They where carrying Kevlar armor, but no one like to play superman.
With a laud bang the upper level of a building blew. The projectile came on an angle, so the jetters where thrown into the air rather then exploded. Rocks, limbs, two jetters who lost their consciousness and could not activate their thrusters fell on the ground, literary on the evacuated people below.
Leave Tiral ordered, but instead of flying with the rest of his team, he picked up one of the jet-sets and arranged it in the proper position.
Conex>Connect>ScanAir1!
Connected
Patch through JetSet 21563, Order "full thrust", Order "delay 3", Order "kamikaze". I'll relay from here. Now!
Stand by....Now!
The thrusters fired, pushing, as in a kid's game, the fuel tank toward the Station. It entered one of the buildings, where it exploded.
Tiral was out of the building even before the JetSet. It was next on the knootian list.
The jetters flew from building to building, some landing behind the buildings (to save fuel) others flying decoys, shooting from midair. Tiral landed in a tree, relatively safe from the main battle.
Captain one of the jetters inside a building reported. There is something strange, the burungan are not firing back
What?!?!?
They are not, at least not in my building....
Captain, I confirm, they are not firing either in mine.
Why?
Stand by.........They said they received orders not to fight back, negotiations are still under way, not engage within the city, give peace a chance, yet another chance, again another chance....
Tiral roared, like any good revterran with cat-like mentality.
Conex>Connect>Klit
Con..
General, we are under attack...
I see that, captain, you are live on TVRev, speaking from a tree.
Tiral's mind came to a halt: "TVrev, tree, live, funny admiral... WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING IN THIS BATTLE??!?!?! Right, the battle!" Sir, the burungan police is not fighting, give peace a chance and stuff
The plan stands, as your ground troopers are set. I'll try to... stand by...
Tiral was receiving the same knootian message:
This is the Knootian Defence Force. We demand the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces from Ukun Rasikan and the surrounding area or we will bomb the city into submission. Ukun Rasikan is in range of our heavy artillery, and our naval and air power are able to crush all resistance. Your forces are heavily outnumbered. Withdraw or be destroyed. All attempts to restrict the movement of KDF forces will be met with deadly force. All unauthorised efforts to evacuate civilians from the zone will be met with deadly force. Failure to withdraw will result in the use of deadly force. RevTerr forces failing to withdraw are instructed to signal their surrender.
I'll answer that, captain...
This is General Klit from the RevTerran Army. We demand the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces from Ukun Rasikan and the surrounding area or we will bomb them into submission. Ukun Rasikan is in range of our carriers, and our naval and air power are able to crush all YOUR resistance. YOUR forces are heavily outnumbered and in a worst tactical position that ours. Withdraw or be destroyed.
Officer, I might go like this forever. YOU are the foreign troops here, and we are here to prevent any civilian casualties. I thought you are here to do that too, but I guess I'm wrong. If you do want to try to cross the street in front of the Station, be my guest, but you have no idea why we let it open. Or what is at the end of it. Or why we are not bombing that station into...submission. Klit out
Sir, why we are not bombing that station into submission?
Because we... stand by....

-------------------------------------------------
Tactical Room, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan
-------------------------------------------------

This is Teztcatlipoca Fire Control. If you would please ask your men to hold position and disengage from the Knootians. The Red Jaguar will engage and disable any forces that continue to fight, whether they be Knootian, RevTerran or Burungi. If you are not fighting when they arrive, then you will be treated as friendly

Klit wasn't smiling anymore. There were revterran and knootian planes, with ships and nerves on high alert in Tiga Burung's. The Knootians had something called "Peace Corps", fighting with RevTerr somewhere in Tanah Burung. Now this guys, who are suppose to be friends, come to...someone's rescue, killing anything that moved.

Captain, you have your orders. The Vaadians have arrived in Tiga Burung. Klit out
VMRv Somes, in Tiga Burung, was expecting orders.
Major, these are your orders....


-------------------------------------------------
Old City Square, BYMD, Tanah Burung.
-------------------------------------------------

The jetters begun their descent back into positions, guarded by the air support. Two of them landed in the middle of each road entering the Square. With the weapons in the holsters, and as peacefull as they could look. Knootians where around and the revterrans could see them. The only comfort was the fact that from the building, their team mates would be there, providing cover.

Meanwhile, Licor touched down in front of the Palace with her team. They left the jetsets to the soldiers manning the machine guns and entered the palace. As instructed, she activated a small band at her neck. With bright letters, it showed "RevTerr" between the all-known-and-loved flag with the two cats. Everyone knows that a jetter suit, especially the helmet, could be very scary.
Conex>Connect>Preset11
Connected
This is the RevTerran Army. We are inside the palace. Anyone who is listening, please respond.
No answer.
Taser, she said to a team mate, as she blew her way into a room. repeat that forever! Let's move!
Room by room, lower and lower....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
First of all, sorry again for being late.
Second, I'll be reading the diplomatic thread (if I can find it) later
Third:
Knoot!
NIce picture! Here's mine.
http://www.revterr.bravehost.com/imagini/bombingplanes2.GIF
I'm sorry, those brown spots should have been read (I have no idea why they are brown). Basically, those are my army groups, with carriers in Tiga Burung, Ukun RAsikan, east of BYMD and East of Loro Sae (actually, the carrier himself is more at the middle distance between loro sae and the marked dots -some cruisers are there-).
In other words, there are no carriers in BYMD and Loro Sae, but the cities are in range of planes even from the task groups, even from Ukun RAsikan)
Fourth:
If you send air support on the coastal cities, assume that they are being met with planes from the carriers (it will save time). And please post if that big plane is not flying silently toward the Oglethorpian border.
Fifth:
Ukun Rasikan:[/b] thanks for the tip with an exploded jet-pack. I have no idea if that was the explosion you posted about or not, but still...
And don't post something like "The Peace Corps reached the first row of building in front of the station, storming everything inside blablabla." You won't get there that easily.
BYMD
Since you did not say anything against that "gentleman agreement", I'm assuming is ok with it. The multilaunchers are on the palace, the cathedral and the bishop's hall (and somewheredown in the plaza).
I DID NOT deploy forces AROUND the plaza. I deployed them ON THE BUILDINGS. You did not post anything about your forces entering a building for cover (I remember something about asking people to remain inside). You "made" my forces land on the streets (and I had to invent "something" so that my jetters might land between your troops), but I, having the possibility of landing on a higher position on the battlefield, and a better one (the buildings), would have never made a jetter land on the streets of BYMD (Ukun Rasikan is another story).
As I have posted, the helicopters would shoot anyone attempting to enter the Square (I would live the discussion about the jetters having heat-seeking vision for another time). Anyway, I think the helicopters flying around would blow the smoke away soon (except for the fires).
Entering with a jet-pack into a building is not as easy as it seems. The plan was to land on the buildings, and then some of the jetters would live their jet-packs on the roof and enter the buildings for cover, while others would remain "in the air" for tactical advantage (as I did in Ukun Rasikan). I'm not here for the sake of winning game points, but for the reality of this RP. And for that matter, I arrived too late for properly placing the jetters in a defense position. Still, for protection against the heat, the body is covered in Kevlar (I've already posted that). Even if spotted, I'm still in advantage.
The evacuation scheme is on, as agreed. But I cannot IC tell you that, mostly because you might want the same people. So I am buying time (and I'm surprised that you, OOC, did not understand that, as IC you were so good in buying "such an asset":-), calling for that cease fire for "nun evacuations", while my troopers can go find the co-presidents.
As you saw, I'm full of surprises. Don't be so sure you would win a battle for the palace. And come on! Only one revterran became kamikaze, and that happened because he was deadly injured or so, and because no one should gain access to a jet-set beside Revterr (I'm kind of mouth-balled in this RP, they can do much more that jumping from building to building. By the way, Knoot, did I tell you that my jetters can hover :-))))) (I would love to see your face).

-------------------------------------------------
Tactical Room, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan
-------------------------------------------------
...That's it, Major! Com, message to Teztcalp..something:
Welcome to the battlefield! I'm general Klit onboard VMRV Rarau, in Ukun Rasikan. We will be glad to release command of the operation to our more experienced friends from Ilek-Vaad. If you think that our assistance is no longer required, we will stand down. Our officers are instructed to leave you in charge of the operations as soon as you get to them. Klit out!
"Yea" he thought, "let me see you passing through that Knootian blockade!"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Tanah Burung Defensive (or equivalent)<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Bi Kikere, rep. for defenses, Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Admiral Klit, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We have received a message from Teztcatlipoca Fire Control telling us that they will assume the task of fighting Knootians and they will fire at anyone ... firing at anyone.
Please advise.
On a different subject, our forces are storming the BYMD palace, in an attempt to evacuate the presidency. Please advise on it possible locations.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>>Members of the Collective Presidency, Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Admiral Klit, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Our forces are inside the BYMD palace. Please contact them for imediate extraction
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

-------------------------------------------------
TVRev's NewsRoom, Roman, Revterr
-------------------------------------------------
Everything is set, go for the title, Karisa, stand by, live in 5.4.3....
Good morning again, ladies and gentlemen, we are interrupting Ris again, this time with live images from Ukun Rasikan's Maglev Station....
Move 1 to upper left, the map-thing on upper right, and 10 low. 10, pan slowly over the Station!
....Earlier this morning a group of soldiers, presumable knootians or allies of them occupied the station. The revterran jetters are here to evacuate the civilians, and they have stopped....
RATTATATATATATAT
...the circulation….
13 on full!
...Ladies and gentlemen, the soldiers inside the station opened fire on the buildings...
Switch to 11!
...you can see on this stationary camera that....
KABOOOM!!!!!!!!!! and the signal has been lost.
Swith to 15!
Leave! a voice said laud on the speaker, and camera 15 displayed images taken from the air. The jetter with the camera was fleeing for cover high into the air.
Switch to 12! Yes, 12, zoom on the people!
...hummm..the soldiers inside are using artillery. These are the people being evacuated...Oh my Cat, they were shot.!!!..
12, wider!
...I have access to all the images, I'm seeing bullets aimed at the windows...show 14 please...
14 on full, prepare a two way output, upper left and main lower right!
...yes, they are firing at the people, that angle is too low for anything else...
14 up, 15 down. No! 10 down! 10, zoom on that jet...
BOOOM!!!
....wow! That was a flying jetset...made an impressive explosion...
...nice one.. BOOOOOOMM!!!! Darn, they blew him. 10 up, 15 down. Yes, 15, look up! Yes, our jetter looks alive!!!
...that must be the jetter with the explosion, he found cover in that tree...
15 up, 10 down! 10, wider!
Sir, CentrArm on the line for you. Comander Revert.

Columbia-

The Nachxa waited for several hours after his last phone call. When sudden;y the sound of jet engines and lights from above, he looked up to see a Marathon-A dropping silently to the ground, it's ramp deployed, several Naval Guard Marines stepped out.

"Are we in the right place sir?" The Marine seargent said through a smile

"Near enough, near enough.........." grinned The Nachxa as he climbed aboard.

They then headed back out to the Tactical Group Aran Adhemar, and the carrier Samuel Hill. They were well escorted by three squadrons of Orion Fighters.

******

Tanah Burung-

Sir Alec looked with concern as he finished his phone call. He sighed and went back to the commander.

"I'm sorry, we won't take them. The Supreme Republic Commander has asked the Republican Council to end his mandate and they have. We are leaving.I've been promoted and they have yet to name another ambassador, my assistant and staff are staying, but that's it."

At the same time Erdogan and his men began to gather their equipment.

Out at sea Tactical Group William Issem was already launching three transports and five squadrons of Orions, enough to extract the Red Jaguar , and drop off additional supplies for the embassy.

******

Great Lassic, Ilek-Vaad-

The First Republican briefly spoke with the media on the steps of the House of the Republic.

"I will confirm that the Supreme Republican Commander has asked that his military mandate be revoked. A request that the Republican Council granted.

I will confirm that the IMC is legally dissolved in the eyes of the Free Republic.

I will confirm that the DDR has turned down mediation attempts by the IMC. Hans Van Mierlo, Knootoss' Minister of Foreign Affairs has also reneged on his promise to seek mediation, to work with our military and to cease hostilities in Tanah Burung. He made these assurances to our Minister of Foreign Affairs, as it turns out they were so much hollow words. The DDR is also in the process of attacking the Collective presidency and police forces of Tanah Burung, they have yet to target anything but civil authority targets and civilian targets. They have not targetted any terrorists.

It is abundantly clear that the DDR intends to remove Tanah Burung's duly elected government.

The Free Republic has decide that this is simply another case of ignorant foreigner, fighting ignorant foreigner. Becoming involved in this does not serve the People of the Free Republic in any way, no matter how it ends.

We will not support the duplicitous Knootians, nor will we support the woefully unprepared Burungis. Neither side is worth expending the lives of any of our men to protect their equally pointless and pendantic goals.

I express my personal disgust at the audacity of the Knootians to lie to our Minister of Foreign Affairs and at their illegal invasion of a pacifist state. I am equally irritated by the willfull naivete of the Burungis and their absolute inability to deal with reality.

Neither side is civilised enough or honest enough to deal with the Free Republic.

The People's forces will be returning home."

With that he heads back inside, as it's only morning and there are still several hours of open session of the Republican Council to go.

******

Knootcap, Knootoss-

Minister Van Mierlo's office received a brief, tearse phone call from Sir Tancred, Ambassador to Knootoss for Ilek-Vaad.

"Please inform Mr. Van Mierlo that I have been re-assigned as Ambassador to the Scandavian States. The Republican Council at this time has no plans to replace me. Good morning."


*****

With that, the Vaadian Government does what it always does, bows to the will of the People. The People of the Free Republic being thouroughly weary and disgusted with the duplicity of the Knootians and the naivete of the Burungi.

(ooc: sorry for lengthy silence, i was away. To acelerate this, we'll be moving much of the action to article-type posts.)

Jungle. There was nowhere more abundant, Bi Kikere thought as she climbed back into her pallanquin. Nowhere safer. It teemed with life, with food, with dark corners and sanctuaries. And meanwhile, the cities burned. There was only blood there, and fire and smoke, and death upon useless death. Let the politicians cling to them, let the invaders march over them. They could not be saved. Only lives could be saved.

Thoughtfully, slowly, she grabbed her broadcast handset.

"People of Tanah Burung, we shall never surrender to the enemy, the invading Knootians who seek to re-colonize us. But i wish to save the cities and the lives of our people from a futile fight. Fall back to the jungles, fighters. Fall back to the mountains and forests, patriots. Those who stay in the cities, do what you must to preserve your life and fight another day: but do not cooperate with the colonizers. To resist is to win, friends, and we shall resist. In the end, we shall win.

"To those friends from other countries who have tried to help us: we thank you. The International Brigades shall fight on, and do what they can from the jungles. From such, is international solidarity built. To the noble forces of our neighbour across the sea, to the forces of RevTerr: there are no words to thank you for what you have tried to do. Your expoits shall be written in story adn sung of among my people, and from this shall friendship be built. But now i ask you the hardest request of all: pull back from our cities, that no more lives will be lost from either one of our countries.

"Friends, this is not a defeat. We shall resist, we shall win. But the fight will be on our own terms. Walk together, sisters and brothers."

--------------------------------------------------
CentrArm Complex, Roman, Revterr
--------------------------------------------------

Matei Revert was sitting in front of his video wall, in direct link with Ukun Rasikan and different places of Roman's CentrArm Complex. Two hits, one after the other. First, the vaadians were retreating, without firing a single shot. The lietuvskans were still coming. And now this: Kikere changed the whole defense strategy (not that she had one -or time to build one-). The message was clear: Thank you. Get out!
Comander?
We will comply. Relay the message to the troops. General, send a message to the knootians, asking for a cease-fire so we could evacuate. Crist, let me talk to Teliana Rui.
Comander, define "evacuate".
We are leaving all the ground places where we were fighting. The plan is to extract the jetters from BYMD and Ukun Rasikan.
Sir, we are searching for the presidents...
Stall everything until they can find them, or they know for sure that they can't be found. General, tell them to hurry. I don't know if the knootians will stand for us smuggling the presidency from their grasp, especially now, when we have been asked to leave.
The Navy?
We'll discuss it after I talk to Rui.

-------------------------------------------------
Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
-------------------------------------------------

Kikere's message was being broadcasted on all frequencies by the radio tower on top of the RevTerran Embassy. Inside, everyone was moving, making room for some newcomers. Teliana Rui was in the middle of it, moving things and making room for beds and other places where people could sit.
Ambasador, the press is asking to talk to you or the media attaché.
None of them is available tell them we will held a press conference soon.
Ma'am, some of them are asking about that radio tower...
Tell them it will be demolish soon, we where testing a new microwave communication system
In the middle of a war?
INVENT SOMETHING! You! Move that box out of there! I said all the documents to be sent to the basement.
Mr Tion is holding a meeting there.
Tell him to hold it in other places. Wait! What meeting? With who?
Don't know...
Video link. Matei Revert.
Conex>Hold! I need to get to my room!



>>>>>>>>>>>>Lieutenant-General Donner, Tempo Doeloe Operation Control<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<General Klit, VMRv Rarau, Ukun Rasikan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At the request of people representative Bi Kikere, we are evacuating all combatant personnel from the Tanah Burungan ground. We ask for a cease-fire to allow for an orderly organized retreat of the jetters from Ukun Rasikan and BYMD area.
You might observe the second wave of jetters heading for the Ukun Rasikan Maglev Area. They are Rescue Jetters, mostly Firefighting units. I think you saw what a JetSet explosion could do, and we are trying to contain the fires. They will be evacuated as soon as the burungan rescuers can contain the situation.
Please respond ASAP, as now we are still on fighting terms.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Diplomats across Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Public persons across Tanah Burung<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At the request of people representative Bi Kikere, Revterr is evacuating it's combatant ground troops. Our ships are still in the Burungan waters; if you would like to evacuate your embassies/secret files/anything that should be kept away from the knootians, please contact general Klit onboard VMRv Rarau.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Hans van Mierlo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, DDRK<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Comander Revert, CentrArm, Revterr>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Good day to you, minister!
As you already know, RevTerr is evacuating its combatant personnel from the ground territory of Tanah Burung. We would like to know what would be, in your view, the political status of the Provinces from now on.
Meanwhile the revterran embassy in Ukun Rasikan is still functional, representing Me and RevTerr in that area.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

------------------------------------------------
Below the Old City Square, BYMD, Tanah Burung.
-------------------------------------------------

This is taking too long. Licor's patience grew very thin, as she was leading her team lower through the catacombs. The direct signal with the surface has been lost, and she had to leave people behind so a message could be relayed. Until now she found pilgrims, refugees, but no guards or presidents.
Watch out, it's going to fall! one of the troopers said, and Licor stopped, looking as the tunnel was falling apart in front of her.
I thought that these where solid tunnels!
Maybe the bombing affected the stability...
...or our multilaunchers affected the stability of the mountain, blablabla, let's clean this mess.
It's too much of a rock to move. Let's blast it!
You want an explosion in here?
A small one! Quick and painless!
Go!

-------------------------------------------------
RevTerran Embassy, Ukun Rasikan, Tanah Burung
-------------------------------------------------

Yes, Comander!
Good morning, ambasador! What a morning!
And you thought Tanah Burung will pose only economic problems, being in IFTA.
Yeah... I think you know what I called you myself.
I think I do.
What are you planning?
Do you think I am in danger?
I doubt that. Right now, you are on revterran territory, and any action against you will spell war.
But still, you are going to send me some jetters...
Yes. The jetters fighting around the Maglev Station will retreat to your embassy. You are well defended already, but still... Mrs Rui, I will understand you if you want to leave.
But you would like me to stay...
Yes. We are evacuating only the ground troops, and we are negotiating with The Hague exactly what will happen to Tanah Burung during the occupation time. If they will ask for your evacuation, it will probably happen. But WE will evacuate you and the embassy, not them.
The ships?
Not your concern yet.
So you have no idea...
Revert smiled, an honest-to-God smile. And a tired one.
We will stall as long as we can.
Then I'm staying here. But I would like to know what is my military attaché doing in my basement.
It's better that you don't know.
Secret Service?
No! Television crews!

-------------------------------------------------
Below the Old City Square, BYMD, Tanah Burung.
-------------------------------------------------

It wasn't quick and painless, but not because of the amount of explosive, but because of the way the tunnels were built. Shock waves traveled through the catacombs, collapsing parts and scaring the hell out of those running through them.
Ma'am! The Captain online!
Marius's voice was full of static, but still inteligible: We are to leave! Status!
Soon, captain. There are not far in front of us.
I cannot stall! You have 15 minutes. Marius out!
It will take longer for us even to get out of here. Let's move!
They did not have to move far. After two turns to the left and one to the right, the team found itself at gunpoint. Some leftovers from the presidential guard, and behind them, some very tired faces.
Licor did not know the presidents, except for one of him.
Mr. Alkatiri, I am here to evacuate you...

-------------------------------------------------
Around the Maglev Station, Ukun Rasikan
-------------------------------------------------

Great! We are evacuating! Tiral wasn't happy at all, but at least the knootians got the "stand back, we are leaving" message, as they stopped firing. All hands, we are evacuating toward the embassy! There is a transporter on it's way, gather around at point 5 and you will be taken from there. Back doors, everybody! And leave us the jetsets. Jetters, I want every weapon to be in its holster, as we have the equipment to gather. Conex>connect>all!
Con...
This is captain Tirol, in charge of the revterran Maglev detachment. As instructed, we are evacuating our personnel end equipment. The jetters will retrieve the equipments; we are not in attack missions. Do not fire!

-------------------------------------------------
TVRev's NewsRoom, Roman, Revterr
-------------------------------------------------

Karisa Lavin stood motionless in front of the cameras, looking at the monitors below the prompter. She wasn't live, but she might be, as soon as the knootians do anything. Right now, it was silent. On the monitor showing the image being broadcasted, pictures where moving: in the top left corner, imagines from BYMD, in the lower corner pictures from Ukun Rasikan. Up there were images with peoples being evacuated from the palace, all of them tired and injured (some with the heads covered in bandages, probably very wounded; they where even carried away with a special helicopter); now the palace, seen from above, as the square filled with burungan rescuers and knootians soldiers, a place still guarded by the revterran multilaunchers and machine guns (now stripped of ammunitions, electronics and components to only the casings). Lower, images with peoples fleeing the buildings around the Ukun Rasikan Maglev Stations, with the jetters leaping from building to building putting fires out or helping strained civilians still trapped at the upper levels; now pictures from a helicopter, showing some peoples boarding a transporter and heading toward the Canal Street, while passing the burungan emergency teams arriving on the scene.
A new change in the layout: Comander Revert on the left, with images taken from different cameras (images from Ceahlau Base and different ships in burungan waters have been added) over imposed on the right.

Ladies and gentlemen, good day to you all! As you know, earlier today the burungan representative for defense asked all the ground troops fighting on her side inside the cities to retreat, and let the burungan fight for independence they way they know, guerilla warfare, that is. The Vaadians are already evacuating, blaming the naiveté of the burungans and the lack of international response, and we are evacuating too, at the direct request of the burungan president for defense.
The ships are staying on their position, because no one asked us to move them. The Ukun Rasikan, Tiga Burung, BYMD and Loro Sae harbors are still guarded by the RevTerran Marine Force, and the planes are patrolling above them, so I ask the knootian force not to do anything stupid, because, on the sea, we are the dominant forces. I have ordered the second fleet to head north, on a direct interception course with the Lietuvska's reinforcements. The Lietuvskans have been informed that they are not to approach the combat area. RevTerr did not send additional troops to Tanah Burung, in an attempt to contain the conflict. After Lietuvska's intervention, more countries will send their paramilitary troops, and everything will degenerate into a war. This ends here and now, and it is between the Dutch Democratic Republic and Tanah Burung.
What are the diplomatic relations between DDR and RevTerr?
We have diplomatic contacts. We have never been at war with DDR, we were defending Tanah Burung. Right now, we are waiting to see what the juridical status of Tanah Burung will be.
Meaning...
If the Knootians will retreat, and the lawfully elected government will be restored, we will work with it. If DDR will prove to be on an imperialistic mission, we will work for the good of the people. Listen to me: the people are all that matter. We will not stop delivering power through the FES project, even though the knootians are in charge of the Tiga Burung entry point. We will not stop providing communication coverage through the TORC satellite. And, as long as our planes won't be fired down, we will resume the travel links between RevTerr and Tanah Burung.
What about…
I am sorry, no further questions at this time. We will deliver further information about the casualties and strategies later on.

Ladies and gentlemen, that was Comander Revert, live from CentrArm. As you can see, the truce stands, and our ground troops are being evacuating. We will inform you if anything is happening, or we will see you again at Midday News, where we will go once again over what happened and we will bring you ever more information on the subject. I am Karisa Lavin, and may the day be better than the morning!
[Camera zooms out, as the names of the broadcasting team begun filing the left of the screen]



Far away, in Tanah Burung waters, another camera zooms out, catching five members of the collective presidency leaving the revterran helicopter and being transferred to a galdagan battleship. But these images aren't ready for being broadcasted.
Yet!

(ooc: summing-up reports still being written. But just to underline one point from Rev's posts...)

Mari Alkatiri lapsed into a rare string of Arabic curses as the explosion caved in another section of tunnel. Damn Knootischer filth! Then he saw the rescuers approaching and addressing him by name. All that television exposure had been worth it, then.

"Welcome to the catacombs, i wish the circumstances were more suited for a tour," he said bitterly before introducing the rest of his group. Rosa Almeida, people's representative for economic affairs & cooperatives. Father Constancio Ainaro, people's representative for scoial justice. Silas Simparieff, Governor of Burung Paradis. Ines Gusmao, Governor of Matebian.

By the time they reached the surface, though, they were patched up as patients being evacuated along with the injured from the city square, to the RevTerran fleet. Knootian soldiers gave them only a cursory glance. And on board the ships, they argued fiercely over where to go.

"So Bi Kikere doesn't want to amek the cities a war zone? Just as well," Almeida said. "It means we'll need a government-in-exile though. Where shall we go, RevTerr? Eauz?"

"There's too many warmongers in the area already," Alkatiri said. "We don't want to expose any of our neighbours to attack. I've already negotiated a contingency deal for a safe haven, as a matter of fact."

Almeida looked at him blankly. He glanced over at one of the warships within sight. "Look like the flower...."

The story continues here:

Tempo Dulu - A John Stahl film (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=381087)

OOC: Information TAG