NationStates Jolt Archive

To the Drapeol Consul for Belmorian affairs:
We are very pleased. We will set a date in the near future.

OOC-Dra-pol, I think youy mean to say A LOT MORE DEATHS than the Coalition! HA! LOL!
IC- The Prime Minister of Quinntonia- Jesse son of Obed, also sits in his private offices, reading his Bible and listening to Vanessa Mohr, our Minister of Defense, read him the Belmoran offer. He grimaces, it seems his allies do not have the stomach for this prolonged struggel, well, neither will the Quinntonian people, when the rage at the surprise attacks wear off. "Tell Belmore that we'll be willing to talk peace, but I have various affairs of sate that keep me quite busy, so set a date for sometime next month. Late next month, do you understan?"
"Yes sir, that'll give us more time to make something out of this war."
Just then, a secrestary runs in yelling, "Turn on the TV!"


*QNN News-Special Report*
At this time there is reports of several assasinations throughout Quinntonia, mostly centered on Quinntonian officials involved with the War Effort. Most of the attackers have been identified as Dra-pol students, in the country at the expense of the government as part of our commintment to provide free university education to several thousand Dra-poel. The most notable attack was here, where Col. Travis Blakeny, while on his way home from the Shiloh Military Academy, where he teaches was shot to death by an assailant claiming to be an injured woman. When the Col. pulled over and offered to help, the woman, identified as Chu Kim, a Dra-poel student at City of Peace University, opened fire with an illegal hand gun, at that piont his wife jumped out to aid hime and was shot by a second assialant hidden in the bushes on that hill. He is yet to be identified, but he opened fire with what appears to be a hunting rifle, smuggled in from another nation, and shot and killed his wife and both his children, aged 7 and 4. Col. Blakeny was an elder at his church and a well respected teacher at the academy and an out-spoken opponent AGAINST the war in Dra-pol.

"God help us all!" says Jesse as he buries his hands in his face.

WWJD
Amen.

*Message to Quinntonia*
Next month??? How many of my men are going to die in that time. You will meet in the next week or my men will be withdrawn.

The African Commonwealth is pleased to hear of these developments, but asks wether the talks may be held sooner? There are too many lives at stake here. We also request that we may send a diplomat to monitor the peace talks.

Regards,
His supreme benevolence,
Nwabudike James.
For the Commonwealth.

The African Commonwealth is pleased to hear of these developments, but asks wether the talks may be held sooner? There are too many lives at stake here. We also request that we may send a diplomat to monitor the peace talks.

Regards,
His supreme benevolence,
Nwabudike James.
For the Commonwealth.
sure

IC-Well, it looks as if I will be forced to sit down to talks. I will agree to sit down to peace talks on the following conditions, they be held inside Belmoran territory and Dra-poel Forces withdraw to a distance of no less than 50 km away from Hamhung for a ceasefire.
WWJD
Amen.

OOCDra-pol-What times are you online today/tomorrow
Same to AC and Quinntonia. Iam fairlyflexable between 5 pm GMT and 9pm GMT
(1pm and 5pm GMT)

OOC: Not online today at that time. I'll just have a referent present at the talks, rather than an actual diplomat, then :(
I hope it works out!

For all you nations out there with such delicious economies and arms contracts. Darkness Forever is here to offer the highest bidder their services as mercs, any takers?
BANE II LIVES ETERNAL!!

Kurosian appeared obviously unimpressed by the suggestion that his forces should withdraw 50km through land they fought and died to re-take. There was absolutely no way the Drapoel forces would withdraw through their own nation in order to appease arrogant westerners.

He ordered a temporary cease-fire, to be cancelled if the Christians did not respond in kind.

Meanwhile the masses of reinforcements -peasant infantry in the millions- continued to march towards Hamhung to join their entrenched comrades. Kurosian has become much less willing to accomodate his foe.

I will not allow my people to be in danger during these peace talks. I am willing to make the concession to actually talk, but I will not do so if I have Dra-poel troops breathing down my neck. after all, this all started with an underhanded sneak attack by the Dra-pol regime. One, I might add that ended with 100,000+ civilian deaths on my side. I am thinking only of the safethy of my people. I will order a 24 hour cease fire on the condition that you withdraw.
WWJD
Amen.

Kurosian's early caution -that which had allowed the creation of Quinntonian Dra-pol in the first place- was but a foot-note on Banat records, filed away in the wrecked Central Directorature in DaKhiem, and perhaps an illusion remaining in the minds of the Christians.

The Director no longer feared the outsiders.

"'UNDERHANDED SNEAK ATTACK BY THE DRA-POL REGIME'? Our soldiers, brave servants of the republic, were attacked from above, in their own lands, by the cowardly invading forces allied to Quinntonia! The manner in which you have turned on us is disgraceful!" The Director's angry words were relayed to all concerned.

"Your self-serving demand that we retreat before negotiation is unprecidented! Who in all sanity can expect that the Drapoel people will give up land taken in reponse to an attack on them.. land taken at huge cost.. and land which was Drapoel before your wicked faith was invented, before destruction on the scale delt by you and your allies was imagined?

"Drapoel forces around Hamhung are under orders only to fire responsively. If Quinntonia insists on brushing-off peace, and one hour* from now continues to fire, the advance will resume, and all Quinntonians in Dra-pol will fall."

The countless reinforcement continued to crawl towards the front. A few trucks and light armoured vehicles here and there amongst millions of infantry and support units bearing all manners of supplies. Several of the vehicles scattered amongst the millions were bearing new FROG-7B components, sections, entire units. Some were new launchers brought in across the northern border.

(*ooc:That's one hour game time, nor RL, of course.)

This is just another example of this regime warmongering. We have spent billions to try and modernise this nation and feed, clothe and educate your people, and then we are accused of cowardly attacks?!?!? Will Belmore, who is proposing this talk, please wiegh in? We can only be pushed so far before we push back. Let us not mention the terrorist attacks on civilian and spritual leaders in our nation!
WWJD
Amen.


OOC- This is friggin' great!

"Terrorist attacks? Well, I am sorry, sir, that Dra-pol can not afford the long range bombers and missiles with which a brave and civilised nation levels a capital city!

"Most of our income has unfortunately been distracted, it seems, by the urgency of supplying the common man a rifle with which to defend his ancestral home.

"Quite how we here in besiged Dra-pol can be expected to answer for the desperate actions of a few disparate citizens living abroad at your pleasure I am surely not aware!

O.K, here, Prime Minister's house tomorrow 6pm GMT (2 pm forum time). We will find peace.

Prime Minister jesse son of Obed reminds The Dra-poel Regime of the estimated 20,000+ misionaries, teachers, pastors, chaplians, deacons, engineers, technicians, etc. that were arrested and executed, often after bein g publically tortured during the beginning of hostilities.
WWJD
Amen.

Bonstocknian High Command

High ranking generals have recently been informed of the war. A message was recieved from Quinntonia calling for at least 2 million troops. Some generals say it is imposible, that the war will be over before then, and mobilization will be a waste. Still others think that a total mobilization could be the best thing to help Bonstock's old ally. President Hu Li has authorized Operation Swallow's Arc, the complete moblization of Bonstocknian recources for a war in the defense of Quinntonia.

Prime Minister Jesse son of Obed thanks our old friend Bonstock for their support and requests that the deployment be as speedy as possible.
WWJD
Amen.

"The hypocrisy is astounding. How dare you call us warmongers? The audacity! Think yourselves lucky we do not slay you now for our own protection, in your own 'pre-emptive' fashion!"

"Cowards!" Hotan did exclaim.

Kurosian went on "If one single Bonstockian soldier leaves for Dra-pol, Hamhung will be over-run before he arrives.

"My patience wears thin. Does Quinntonia even seek peace? We can not wait long for progress; it is our republic's right. Dra-pol will not sit back and let its enemies regroup and mass once more. If our advance re-starts, be it on your own heads."

You are the ones reinforcing your positions around the SOVERIEGN lands of Quinntonian Dra-pol. Your government agreed to the borders of Quinntonian Dra-pol, and are now in violation of that order. You have stated that Dra-pol would keep the cease-fire unless fired upon. You have not been fired upon and will not be unless a brazen advance on our territory. Will you keep your word? Or will the Dra-pol government change its own rules to suit its purposes, as it has continually done in the past?
WWJD
Amen.

"And why did we surrender those lands? Were we not suffering the manipulations of your superior might? Had you not wrecked our capital? Did we not attempt a vote on the future of Hamhung before your allies fired on us?

"You appear to seek a way to hold against us the fact that we initiated a cease-fire without knowing whether you would reply in kind! That we granted a cease-fire asking no concessions, only to find that you would make demands upon us before honouring it!

"We agreed to the borders of Quinntonian Dra-pol, and you moved in your cronies to cease more land! Raysian Dra-pol may have been erased from the maps by the glorious armies of the republic, but this absolves not your alliance!

"We intended to keep the cease-fire of our own creation so that we might negotiate a bloodless liberation of our ancient ancestral lands after the obvious failure of your alliance's crusade of imperial experiment. We find now however that you seek to bring in armies enough to take more of our lands! Why should we believe this is not the case, when it has happened twice before? And when you have insisted that the republic should not be allowed to rule itself as it sees fit?

"You can not forever hide behind your allies. Dra-pol is new to this world, and her inexperience and lack of ties will not last. You have not the time to defeat us before it is too late. You would do well to cut your losses, friends."

Our demands are not changed, and no amount of political chicanery or manuevering will change our minds. We will continue to ask for allies who are commited to defending The SOVERIEGN lands of Quinntonian Dra-pol and their borders. Borders, I might add that were ratified and agreed upon by the Dra-poel government. We do have the documents and countless pictures and videotape of the event. Including the paragraphs, written in both Dra-polese and Quinntonian English that lay out the borders that Quinntonian Dra-pol is to have, as well as the sections outlining its classification as a province of Quinntonia. And, thousands of hours of video footage is freely available from any United Peoples of Abraham news station, not the least of which is QNN, all of it detailing the surprise attacks of the Dra-pol military on the peaceful lands of Quinntonian Dra-pol. It is your aggression that has brought us to this end. And, Quinntonia as a nation and a people will NEVER allow the Dra-poel regime to go unpunished for their transgressions.
WWJD
Amen.

The land based strike in conjunction with the f15s and f16s in hamhing is called off.

However aboard the Ruth, the CAG, Senior Commander Nikki Paris salutes the ships bridge and deck officer, gives the thumbs up and settles back as her F/18a Hornet is catapulted off the deck and the rest of her squadron follows. She thinks this is be the largest combat strike she has ever commanded as her onboard flight computer gets updates from the overhead Hawkeyes and her squadron of 25 joins 50 other F/18s in racing towards the planned landing strip and Poyonyang. About 25 F14s are providing CAP for the strike.

Below the landing craft of the 1st and 2nd Regiments of HBF Marines turn towards shore and begin their run towards the landing areas as the 18" guns on the "Padre" and "Raider" joined by the 16" main guns of the Giants begin a bombardment of Poyonyyang and the landing strip. The 9 Ticonderga's assigned as escorts each launch 2 tomahawk TASLM missiles at shore facilities excluding only the airstrips at Poyonyang.

Meanwhile the Carrier Battle Groups Aaron and Matthews pull away from their berths and get underway.

ooc. Sorry so long responding. I never saw any reply to this so I'm assuming Ponyaonyang has fallen.

ic. Seabee battalions are brought ashore to ready the available airstrips at the captured military base. 300 f18s with 200 f16s in escort begin preparation long range shuttle mission once the airport is complete. 200 Navy f18s with 200 f14 Tomcats will also be shuttled. 40 b-1b lancers begin a targeted bombing campaign against the drapol troops beseigning the hanhung perimeter. These planes are supported by f18s and f14s from 7 carriers deployed off poyonyang. Witht he area secured 3 full strength army divisions and 4 Marine regiments begin landing. This will bring the Marine contingent ashore to the strength equivilant of a full division as well. The seabees and my ground troops were transported as part of the initial deployment back in the day.

ooc:Jesus when was that? I'm not sure Pyongyang has fallen. Let me find where that was and what was going on at the time. There's a sort of uneasy cease-fire around Hamhung at the moment, but if those bombs come in Hamhung is going to be taken.

Ef, okay, found it..over a hundred posts ago before the entire Raysian battle. I..hm..HBF actions were so sporadic, I dunno that I think it fair for me to commit the massive forces needed to deal with such a huge operation..over such a long time..when the enemy wasn't doing anything.

Meanwhile the remaining 380,000 men of the FSR swing into action, their commanders baffled by the seemingly obvious tactics of the little PoJ force, which has been evident in its position for days. The army is to swing in from the west and crush the Joshuans between themselves and the 800,000 already engaged with the Quinntonians.

That force, meanwhile, is taking quite a pounding on its northern and eastern fringes, as the Quinntonian-lead forces smash into them. Drapoel military doctrine is not wholly singleminded, however- the nation has not launched an offensive campaign outside its own borders for centuries, and to suppose that they can not defend themselves would be naive to say the least. The huge army falls back quickly in the centre- as surely expected in the face of modern combined tactics. The flanks however are quick to fall in on any units that follow up their advance.

An overview- the FSR's 380,000 men (the SRs have most of the decent armour, which as I say, was not largely commited in the first moves by the main armies) are pressing the Joshuans into the 800,000 fighting on the edge of Hamhung. Of that 800,000, something like 150,000 (roughly) are turning to smash the Joshuans against the FSR. Over half a million men with armour (and the attached artillery and AA weaponry) are going at the Joshuans from both sides, attempting to over-run them, or drive them into the sea as quickly as possible so that full attention can be turned to the formidable Quinntonian-lead force.




With the massive odds almost certain to wipe out the 4th Mechanized and the 10,000 or so Marines (I'm seeing about 530,000 to 30,000) the POJ forces dig in for a what will hopefully be a long defense. Meanwhile offshore every avialable plane form the carrier groups (about 100 strike aircraft) proceed to pummel the condensed drapol assault forces(that many of your against that few of mine make your guys perfect targets from the air during attacks) with every type of area blast weapon in the arsenal. The guided missile subs offshore launch ss-n-19s against the projected rear areas of the massed dra-pol formations (2 subs say 35 missiles total)

The ah-1 cobra and the ac130 spectar gunships prove to be the most devestating against the massed assaults. The side firing spectars each carry a 5 barrel 25mm Gatling gun(about 4200 rounds a minute or 60 rounds a second), a 40mm cannon, a 155mm howizter all set up through a laser range finder and fire control computers(yes they really exist in the US arsenal right now)

With the odds heavily against her General Carla Rogers orders forward the flame thrower equiped tanks aginst the Dra-pol forces attacking from the hanhing direction. The remaining tanks in her division are thrown against the attacking FSR with AFV support. every vehicle forward to the perimeter edge with as many people as they are throwing against us they cant have much in the way of adv. anti-tank technology. Our Abrams and Bradleys should helps us hold for awhile or make them pay dearly. [i/] Every surface ship in the fleet that can launches Harpoons or tomahawks inland against the massed FSR forces.

Meanwhile.

From deep in the jungle near where I think the FSR deployed from. [i] Command structure sited. sending coordinates

ooc I rped these guys landing and moving inland a long time ago

ic Meanwhile aboard the SSBN Benjamin

coordinates given for immediate weapon launch

Captain Prien: have the missile key holders report to firing control. Take us to launch depth

Meanwhile the last Marine Regiment offshore disembarks directly into hamhing to join the 3rd ACR and 6th Marines fighting with the Quinntonian forces.

edit ooc: this is going to be a wipe out on the beach I'm sure but maybe we can have some fun with it. didn't know about the hamhing truce. We can wait on the SSBN and ground campaign. If I need to report casualities from the initial assaults, I'm good with up to 50% of my original beachhead wiped out Leaving mostly Army elements from the reserves and scattered marines dug in and probably isolated. The makeshift airfield being worked on may be under fire at that point as well.

edit ooc2: Happy I thought you landed near not in Poyongyang? that would make that facility under seige or something right?

ooc:Jesus when was that? I'm not sure Pyongyang has fallen. Let me find where that was and what was going on at the time. There's a sort of uneasy cease-fire around Hamhung at the moment, but if those bombs come in Hamhung is going to be taken.

Ef, okay, found it..over a hundred posts ago before the entire Raysian battle. I..hm..HBF actions were so sporadic, I dunno that I think it fair for me to commit the massive forces needed to deal with such a huge operation..over such a long time..when the enemy wasn't doing anything.

Joshua is right. My landings were near Poyongyang. The b-1b lancers can hit poyonyang defenders instead as the 2 Marine Regiments that started the landing begin a direct assault on Poyonyaang. As the landings weren't contested maybe we can say I definitely have the troops on the ground and the airstrikes from the carriers and the battleship firepower has helped reduce poyonyangs defences?

ic Meanwhile aboard the SSBN Benjamin

coordinates given for immediate weapon launch

Captain Prien: have the missile key holders report to firing control. Take us to launch depth

ooc: see around page 9 for my deployments as regards your sub. I knew you were going to try something like this. lol

ic:

Captain Hunter aboard the attack submarine "Morris".

"report changes in target aspect"

Sonar: "sir target now going shallow. Headed for the surface."

Captain: "If he stops anywhere on the way up above 150 feet, load and flood tubes 1-4"

Weapons officer: "aye"

*an attractive Brunette sits behind a news desk smileing at the camera*
Goodeveing, Tonights Major Story: Telcordia moves to War

In a stunning Move by the Department of Defense the Telcordia After Investigateing claims of the use of WMD use on civilians by the Dra-polion Government, and pleas for assistance from the people of Quinntonia; Telcordia has decided to enter the Conflict on the side of the Coalition and pledges the First through Third Expeditionary Force (totalling 750,000 personel not includeing support) and the 5th Naval Amphibious Assualt Fleet.

This is the largest Mobiliztion of Telcordias' Millitary in nearly 30 years, now on to Bob Williams for the Weahther... Bob?
===============================================
Meanwhile in Telcordia's largets port the City of Icelia massive grey ships shake from their moorings and head towards their final destination Dra-pol, there estimated Time of arrivel 2 months 6 days (IRL sometime tomorrow)

Bonstocknian High Commmand

"Mein fellow Joint Cheifs, we have the solution to our problems. Now, according to intelligence reports, Dra-pol has no kriegsmarine or Luftwaffe, but rather a mass of grunds truppen [ground troops], engaged in terrorist activities, probably with RPGs and the sort. Now, in the Ukraine, the 3rd Army rests in Odessa with 5000 Leapord IIs. Bonstock is occupying the city now. Now I suggest that 3rd Army be instantly moved, in addition to other forces. We have calculated that the deployment will include the following: 5000 Leapord II S MBTs, 9600 HMMWVs, 2300 five ton trucks, and 800 Gas trucks. This will be about 60,000 troops, armor alone. In addition, we will send masses of the new Bofors SPHs, spported by still more HMMWVs and trucks. Each division will have ten battalions, with a total of 10 divisions. Adding support, engineer, and aviation units, and we will have some 150,000 troops. Now, we expect this to be our main offensive force. But, we should also include lots of air support. Being that we will have complete air superiorty, we should find suitable ground attack aircraft to suit our needs. JAS 39 Gripens may not be enough. But also, a very effective idea would be to form a naval blockade of Dra-pol. Using carrier based Gripens, we can dstrangle them virtually unharmed, especially if we can blind their radar and keep SAMs at bay."

"Great, now who shall coordinate this operation?"

"Well, for a ground commander, Lieutenant General Alex Wilson is the head of 3rd Army, so he would be effective. Now, for air groups, we need someone with experiance in ground attack and bombing. Major General Robert Lung is certainly an effective strategic bomber. Tactically, he has some experiance. Call him about it. Now also, naval commanders... Admiral Frederic von Hesse was in the Pedaphiliac campaign, a good choice. That should be good."

"Still, sir, we only are going to commit a few forces, it seems. Quinntonia wants some 2 million."

"We could do that, but it would take to long. Two million troops will be a logistical nightmare. If the war draggs on, perhaps. But lets not get ahead of ourselves. Heavy armor should be sufficient, with lots of support. Quinntonia does not know how lucky they are. I hereby declare this meeting ajouned."

Prime Minister Jesse son of Obed thanks the Telcordian government formally and issues a proclamation expressin gratitude for any help they are to get.
Also, over the last two weeks of the impromptu cease-fire, Belmoran troops under General Gemby's command have been shifted to defensive positions throughout Quintonian Dra-pol. Quinntonian troops have taken a rear action protecting the airstrips with POJ and also the harbour areas. They are very tired and trying to recuperate behind their gracious allies for the time being. The Dra-poel Quinntonian Loyalists have grown in strength every day, it seems that thousands of the so called, "comrades" that were sent into Quintonian Dra-pol recently by The Banat with hopes of upsetting the balance of power, have turned traitor and joined the Quinntonians. Their promise of freedom, not necessarily democracy, but freedom from Kurosian is enough for them to die for. They are incredibally zealous, to the point of being scary to the Quinntonians, and have resisited any attempts to minister to them saying, "We foight for our nation, not for you GOD!!" Their leader, former Maj. and member of The Banat called now only ,"The General" has suddenly started a guerilla campaign in the Dra-pol interior. His 25,000+ former Red Bamboo crack troops now equipped by Quinntonia are starting to have their own private little war against the arms shipments and miliatry based collectives. It is generally accepted that he also leads the almost 800,000 affilaited para-military Dra-pol now residing in Hamhung. It seems he used his influence and connections in The Red Bambboo and the Banat to smuggle his "army" into Quinntonian Dra-pol. "If they fall, Dra-pol falls."
WWJD
Amen.

Odessa, Ukraine

In a shadowy parking lot, 5000 tanks waited aimlessly. The "surplus army," the 3rd Army was created for a war in the Ukraine. Designed to be a temporary unit, it was ordered from Free Rumania, right next to Ukraine. Now they waited. Then the call came. They were going for prepositioning in Taiwan, where Bonstock possesed a colony used for military purposes. They tanks were drove to the seaport. 100 C-17s landed, picking up one tank each. They would pick all of them up, getting them all to Taiwan within a few weeks.

BTW, Quinntonian airforces are still patrolling the skies in huge numbers, (posted previously) and will fire on any non- Coalition foreign aircraft. And, they can expect up to 350 combat aircraft to intercept them.
WWJD
Amen.

(ooc:Two weeks, eh? Splendid! )

With hundreds of thousands of new automatic weapons filtering through to the troops, and with their previously explained conducive disposition for their effective use, the long massing and moving armies of the Drapoel People's Republic are incensed by the sickening nature of their foe.

The people have been informed by the Directorature of the insults cast at them by the packs of hungry dogs seeking their blood. Called terrorists for defending their nation and their ideals in their own lands, the infamous Drapoel bloodlust rises.

The POJ pocket

The 30,000 Joshuans, under siege by a force twenty times their size- surrounding them, bombarding without respite- now faced a force a hundred times their size (that'd be three million, but I rather expect that an awful lot less than 30,000 Joshuans remain by now). Artillery bombardment was becoming less intense, more sporadic, as airstrikes gradually took out a gun here or there before its position could be changed.
Casualties from the air attacks were easily in the thousands, even tens of thousands, with thousands more to missile strikes, but with waves of men coming from every side, it was difficult to see what 30,000 men could do to stop millions who waivered not in the face of fire.

Hamung

The apparent arrival of Belamorian reinforcements contravened the terms of Kurosian's unofficial cease-fire, tested to the limits already by the failure of the Quinntoians to negotiate or advise their allies to join the truce. The attack re-started at the first sign of a single fresh Belamorian. Initiated by an unwarned return of the artillery and missile attacks, and followed up at once by infantry supported by what remained of the SR's armour (ooc:that being the best Dra-pol has, and 'relatively' untouched due to its late arrival), this was a near four million man effort on the Drapoel part.

Pyongyang

(ooc:Where are those B1B flying from?)

The moderate defences of Pyongyang have faltered in the face of bombardment from sea and sky. The biggest coastal guns available being in the order of 6", it is doubtful that they managed to threaten the fleet much before being knocked out.

Not more than a couple of thousand infantry with light armour support and cover from but a few Shinden and MiG-15 (many likely knocked out on the ground) met the landings, and were quickly being pushed back.

However, hundreds of thousands of Drapoel lurked north, east, and south of the military 'capital' that was Pyongyang -elements of the mass mobilisation of recent months, when Kurosian, to use a cliché, dropped his Mr.Nice-Guy pretence. The small regular garrison was being outgunned by the HBF forces, but as it fell back towards the small military city and its airbase, a guerrilla war finally swung into action. This was what Hotan had always wanted.

Behind every rock, up every tree, in every bush, down every ditch lurked a rifleman, or a RPG team, or a grenade thrower.

Hotan was also still keen to prove Dra-pol the most booby-trapped nation on earth. Every scary device you've seen on a Vietnam movie was to be found along the way into the city (which is really a lot of empty hangars and some pre-fab housing for soldiers and their departed families, a lot of that now booby-trapped, too..).

Debatable i/ooc: Quinntonia

In response to reports that thousands of elite Drapoel republican fanatics have switched sides, Drapoel ex-pats in Quinntonia have had inexplicable success inciting anti-war riots, and recruiting, often via web-sites, dissatisfied youth in the nation to the cause of the fascinating ancient state.. :?




Essentially, the HBF landings have crippled most of the small 'modern' fighting force around Pyongyang, and the troops landed are being engaged by guerrilla forces many times their strength, spread all through the forests, hills, and valleys, and supplied by the little collectives in the countryside.

Really that is why Dra-pol can keep such big forces alive- the means of production are scattered villages and hard to entirely disrupt. We can usually get our hands on at least minimal rations- not ideal, but always something to keep us going.

Meanwhile the east is being flattened by near eight million infantrymen (still representing, with all forces described so far, certainly far less than even 4% of the population, in this most desperate of times for the paranoid militarist state), in a move to wipe the little Joshuan force off the map in hours, so that the Quinntonians can be over-run.

Langham will join in and help Quinntonia. The specifications of the forces being deployed is being made now.

"Alright, that's it; I have seen enough."

Increasingly convinced that this war was being pursued in roughly equal parts for primitive vendetta, jingoistic pleasure, and pro-western and capitalist imperialism, outspoken hardline communist CPCS comrade Graeme Igo took the case to the Final Senate.

It was quite quickly agreed by the council on hand, that The people's socialist Commonwealth had become lazy, and was in danger of stagnation. The early days of passionate intervention on behalf of the victimised, just, or generally left-leaning had faded as the economy grew and life became easier.

Beth Gellert was awakened by the slaughter, by the howl of the gathering wolves around the wounded People's Republic of Dra-pol.

PRANA- CCC COMRADE CHIVO DELIVERES FINAL SENATE ULTIMATUM TO "CRUSADERS"

Commonwealth Chief Consul comrade Chivo early this morning delivered The people's socialist Commonwealth's ultimatum to the the nations dubbed "The Crusader Coalition" in regards to the Dra-pol war- "Get out, or be thrown out; the Crusade stops here!"

(Commentators suspect comrade Igo's hand in the speech's draft.)

Speaking on FS authority on behalf of the thousand million people of The Commonwealth, Chivo stated that Beth Gellert has no less right to involve itself in the Asian state than do the other nations involved there, and should not be expected to remain unattached.

Chivo, speaking to the leadership and/or consuls of the nations aligned against Dra-pol, said that further deployments would be "unwise", and stated that their aggressive actions and gung-ho attitude was "in danger of pushing the civilised world too far".

He appealed to those nations, asking for rational thought, and a civilised climb-down.

Iskra! Commonwealth on crisis footing!

Gellert Sentinel intelligence has, said Chivo, evaluated much of the external situation about Dra-pol, and assertained that insertion is possible over-land, provided that efforts are made to avoid infringing on the sovereignty of the nation to the north (the identity of which was censored for security reasons, in the hope of capitalising on 'enemy' ineptitude). Arms shipment are said to be already "under negotiation".

The People's Commonwealth Defence Forces are back on full-time duty this week, as the Home Guard begins regular meetings once more. The last time HG units were on regular training duty came during the Allanean invasion of Wolomy, when 910,000 men were sent across the seas to take part in the expulsion of those invaders.

Could another large-scale deployment be on the cards? Chivo's warning to the "Crusaders" was non-specific, but certainly did not rule out such a commitment.

Further support is lent to suspicions by the activation of what appears to be a major task-force- all four of Beth Gellert's Jonathan Netanyahu Class fleet carriers being brought in to the Parmiss islands from extensive sea-trials near the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Draft-leave has been cancelled.

http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/beth_gellert.jpg
"Be seeing you"

(OOC: BG has in the past often stopped short of war inspite of costly mobilisation, since The Commonwealth values life very highly. As stated in the report however, it has deployed many times, once in multi-divisional strength)

The Bonstocknian Oversees Colony at Maropian Coast, Taiwan

The C 17s landed the second batch of tanks. Already some 400 of them were in the area. Ships were gathering in the local harbor. It was clear that this would be a large Bonstocknian operation.

Open missive to the nations involved:

Quinntonia and Dra-Pol - It seems to the Commonwealth that you are merely fighting for the sake of winning, now. This bloody stalemate is going to cost many, many lives if it is not ended in the here and now. Dra-Pol's defenders are merciless - Quinntonia's agressors are relentless. We know this question has been asked several times before, but the answer may have changed with time: What concessions and developments can make you stop the conflict and retract all forces in favor of peace?

Happy Baseball Fans, Bonstock, Telcordia and Promise of Joshua>> You are assisting in the attack of a sovereign nation - And I ask you this: What is the purpose of it? This is no threat, but we stand firm in our defense of Dra-Pol - Your attack is in violation of what should be our common resolve, a civilized resolution through diplomacy. And this defense of ours will remain stalwart and deadly till you stand down.

Beth Gellert>> As we have informed you through the wire, we accept your proposal, and will hold our next Dra-Poelian supply caravan back so we can integrate Beth Gellian elements.

Regards,
His Supreme Benevolence
Nwabudike James of the Commonwealth, and
General Ndelebe, Supreme Commander of
Commonwealth Armed Forces.

Better oil up them porkchops.

Happy Baseball Fans, Bonstock, Telcordia and Promise of Joshua


"Hmm.... they don't think of us" says the prime miniser feeling utterly rejected.

Pyongyang

(ooc:Where are those B1B flying from?)

The moderate defences of Pyongyang have faltered in the face of bombardment from sea and sky. The biggest coastal guns available being in the order of 6", it is doubtful that they managed to threaten the fleet much before being knocked out.

Not more than a couple of thousand infantry with light armour support and cover from but a few Shinden and MiG-15 (many likely knocked out on the ground) met the landings, and were quickly being pushed back.

However, hundreds of thousands of Drapoel lurked north, east, and south of the military 'capital' that was Pyongyang -elements of the mass mobilisation of recent months, when Kurosian, to use a cliché, dropped his Mr.Nice-Guy pretence. The small regular garrison was being outgunned by the HBF forces, but as it fell back towards the small military city and its airbase, a guerrilla war finally swung into action. This was what Hotan had always wanted.

Behind every rock, up every tree, in every bush, down every ditch lurked a rifleman, or a RPG team, or a grenade thrower.

Hotan was also still keen to prove Dra-pol the most booby-trapped nation on earth. Every scary device you've seen on a Vietnam movie was to be found along the way into the city (which is really a lot of empty hangars and some pre-fab housing for soldiers and their departed families, a lot of that now booby-trapped, too..).


ooc b-1b Lancers flying the refueling chain I set up in one of my first posts. They are coming from HBF home bases on LONG range runs. I know that there cannot be too many of them because the turnaround time plus switching crews will be a first class pain.

ic The b-1b's initial strikes following the landings consist primarily of flame weapons and napalm directed at perceived jungle hiding places outside poyyonyang.

With poyyongyang reduced 6,000 shock troops from the Marine regiments ashore begin their advance into the wreckage of the port and towards the airfield facilities. Marine Senior Colonel Ian Reid watched thru night vision scopes as his men moved forward over seemingly open ground until the remaining booby traps started going off. this is going to be the most expensive piece of real estate we've ever looked at I'm afraid

The troops pressing forward into the defenses would no doubt agree.

The three Army divisions ashore with the reamining Marines do not send many combat teams towards the jungle after losing hundreds of people to ambushes from seemingly nowhere in the dark, putride mire of the dra-pol jungles. The 18" guns of the Raider and Padre continue to pound the resisting elements within poyyongyang being careful not to direct fire onto runways. The Giants 16" guns join in sporadically but not often as this ship has been here the longest and fired the most to date.

(ooc a division for me is 20,000 people with 200-400 tanks and 500-600 AFVS. We have 4 divisions ashore including 6 Marine Regiments which come close in numbers to a full division.)

OOC:

Belmore Family>> A slip of my mind, rest assured. The Commonwealth are very happy with your nation's attempt to set up peace negotiations.

Christians for Israel deplores the conditions under which the ordinary dra-pol have been forced to live and now calls for moderated discussions on the best ways to bring to justice those who have tortured and murdered Christians for no other reason than their faith.

ooc would Battle Armor (INF-5 Infiltrator suits and DS-4 Death scout suits be too much tech here?)

OOC:

CFI>> It certainly would, I'm afraid. We go modern/old tech here.

EDIT: For the confused, I'm African Commonwealth's player - accidentally wrote this with my other nation.

OOC-It is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, so, I will not be able to post for awhile, but, Dra-pol, I don't think the Belmorans ever moved in new troops. I just repositioned them towards the front lines so that if you broke the cease-fire, you would have to attack through the troops that were calling for peace.
WWJD
Amen.

(The POJ pocket

The 30,000 Joshuans, under siege by a force twenty times their size- surrounding them, bombarding without respite- now faced a force a hundred times their size (that'd be three million, but I rather expect that an awful lot less than 30,000 Joshuans remain by now). Artillery bombardment was becoming less intense, more sporadic, as airstrikes gradually took out a gun here or there before its position could be changed.
Casualties from the air attacks were easily in the thousands, even tens of thousands, with thousands more to missile strikes, but with waves of men coming from every side, it was difficult to see what 30,000 men could do to stop millions who waivered not in the face of fire.

[

The last comminique from inside the pocket may have been transmitted by a young marine from the water's edge. Most of the support staff and as many tank crews as possible had already been evacuated.

they are sending kids at us. Most of my platoon was overrun by what looked like 16 year olds after the ammo ran out. Only one clip left, no cover, hit twice...

ooc the spectars and tomahawks would do a lot but lets not fortet machine guns flamethrowers on tanks and in the marine elements and assault rifles held by people in at least flak jackets. I would offer that maybe the ratio could easiley excced 6-1 in casualities. because of the above plus close inshore naval support as the pocket collapsed

*A radio Contact is made to the leaders of the Coalition command stations from the Amphibious Assualt Fleet*

Breaker breaker *static* This is Admiral Decker of the Telcordian Expeditionary Fleet requestiong secure beach head or directions to harbor to unload over *static*

Fast Sealift Ships just arrived in Odessa, and are now taking the remaining Bonstocknian tanks for prepositioning. A message was sent to African Commonwealth: We will stand in defense of Quinntonia. Back down now, or face the wrath of Bonstocknian bombs. This is not a comment; it is a direct threat.

A massive fleet of ships surounded nearly completely by Virginia Class SSNs scann the waters wearily of any enemy submersibles as the fleet steams towards their destination the ships filled to to the brim with 750,000 Infantry; 4500 M1A2 MBT's; 3500 Bradley IFV's; 1200 Longbow Apache Helicopters; 6000 2 1/2 ton trucks; 50 Command vehicles; 5000 HMMWV's; and several hundred artillery with ammunition for a several month conflict the literal acres of ships loomed on the horizon waiting for auhorization for use of a secured Port while a portion of the the Virginia Class submarines moved ahead of the main fleet scanning the shore covertly while searching for enemy subs.

The Langham Supreme Council has sent a message to all Coalition forces stating the forces Langham will be sending. We will be sending:

350,500 Infantry
2 Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers w/ F/A 18 Super Hornet Fighter Wings
3 Battleships
3 Destroyers
20 A-10's
50 Apaches
2 Submarines
10 B2 Spirits
15 Howitzers
10 MRLS Vehicles

A message was sent to African Commonwealth: We will stand in defense of Quinntonia. Back down now, or face the wrath of Bonstocknian bombs. This is not a comment; it is a direct threat.

"How big of them." Igo commented.

Graeme might have gone into more depth, but he was in session with the Defence Chief, and hearing complicated talk of "anti-satellite weapon repositioning".

Meanwhile, transports were bound for the African Commonwealth, under escort from Nibiru class light carriers, and Gauntlet class fleet defence frigates.

Dra-pol's northern infantry were finding themselves furnished with burst-adapted AKM, dual-warhead (to combat reactive armour) RPGs, laser range-finding equipment, SA-14 and 16 shoulder-launched SAMs, and other explosives and equipment bearing the Beth Gellen State Arsenals stamp.

PRANA BG Expeditionary Force puts to sea!

As hostile forces show no sign of rethinking their aggressive position regarding Dra-pol, and even threaten to widen the war to Africa, the possibility for an early Beth Gellen climb-down appears to be fading, with the deployment orders for an expeditionary force to east Asia.

BG's four Jonathan Netanyahu Class carriers, recently brought back into Parmis and re-supplied are now under orders to make north east. With them go the four Nibiru Class light carriers, two Wasp assault ships, six Gauntlet, two Trebuchet, and two Bodkin Class frigates, and classified sub-surface forces, as well as four non-combat support ships, which comprised the sea-trials flotilla.

In BG-proper mobilisation continues, as men, ships, and aircraft muster around the towns of Port Igovia and Porthmadog.

Bloody capitalists are always wasting people's money! Igo mused.

Bonstocknian forces have now completly prepositioned in Taiwan. Meanwhile, the navy is put on high alert. It seems they might get their battle yet.

Bonstocknian Visby class corvettes are now putting to sea. With upgraded electronics an a low Radar Cross Section, these ships are armed with the new RBS 15 missile. Ten of these corvettes are heading on a direct path to intercept Beth Gellet Forces, each armed with four missiles, along with torpedoes, ainti air missiles, an ASW aircraft, and a 40mm gun for close in fights. These ships will destoy the Beth Gellet task force before they can threaten Bonstocknian troops. Meanwhile, ships gather in Taiwan preparing for an amphibious assault. ASW and Anti Air defenses are on full alert. There will be no chances taken.

The Bonstocknian forces picked up the BG ships on radar 400 km out. It was only a matter of time before they would unleash their missiles. Maximizing their low RCS, they went near the coast so as not to be picked up by BG radar. They would blend in with fishing boats off the Chinese coast. Then, when the ships enter a 200 km radius, the ships would unleash thier missiles, a total of 40 of them. It would be the first combat test of the missiles, but hopefully, they would prove most succesful.

The ships neared the small Bonstocknian fleet. They came within the 200 km radius. The Bonstocknian ships opened fire, leting loose 40 of these missiles, and then speeding off for Taiwan.

ooc: http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=80247

here is where you can find these missile's specs and abilities. One of them alone will completly sink a huge ship, like the Johnathan carrier. Missiles were targeted so that one missile goes to each of the smaller ships, with the others as back up. They will likely rehit the carriers.

open telegram to Bonstock>>

Presumptious, bloodthirsty fools! Are you even aware that we are not participating in this conflict with troops? We only try to end it.

That being said, the Commonwealth Army would crush Bonstock like an overripe grape. Do not threaten those who would destroy you if we thought you a danger.

General Ndelebe,
Supreme leader of
Commonwealth Forces.

Message to African Commonwealth:

We will not tolerate direct threats against the Republic of Bonstock. And I assure you that messing with us will get you destroyed.



Meanwhile, the corvettes return to Taiwan. Orbiting satallites peer in to look at the damage they caused... [BG post casualties... keep in mind these are the best missiles in the world]

ooc?:errrm.. How about I reply to that post with "ASW helicopters, attack fighters and satellites observe the impatient Bonstockian vessels as they hurtle about the globe at thousands of miles per hour- The Bonstocking vessels prior to firing are warned against interfering with the movements of the Beth Gellen flotilla. After being completely ignored, fly-overs of the vessels are made, and in light of continued ignorance of communiqués, the vessels are told that they will be considered hostile. Land based aircraft in New Tiamat join the scores of aircraft from the Expeditionary Force in screening the flotilla- at the first sign of their turning to engage, each one of the little vessels is engaged by a mass of Penguin, Exocet, Parliament, and Mangonel-cruise missiles, the "best missiles in the world" being too impatient and presumptuous to ever haul themselves out of launch tubes?
In response to the attempted act of war, BG anti-satellite weapons direct laser and kinetic weapons fire against those Bonstocking satellites..

Sorry, but I didn't like being told where my fleet was going, what it was and was not detecting, that the enemy's weapons are matter of factly the best, and being relocated in a series of posts moving from step to step to step without response with about as much interesting or worth-reading development as an uninteresting two-line thing, and without having received any specific intel.

But..alright, after consultations elsewhere, okay, lets go with this!

ic: The Expeditionary Force failed to detect Bonstockian vessels as they violated any number of neutral nations' waters, despite scans carried out by the flotilla's four Preston observation aircraft. The EF wasn't expecting to be attacked, since BG was not at war, but it was clear the attackers of Dra-pol were not to be trusted. Security was high, and the sky alive with helicopters, VSTOL fighters, and maritime patrol aircraft.

The Anunkai Class subs ahead of the flotilla slipped through the waters towards Asia, as the main surface fleet lagged behind, still passing in and out of shipping lanes from the vast New Tiamatian archipelago. The frigates and fleet carriers displayed tiny radar signatures, only a handful of support vessels and the Nibiru standing out much, but they were screened quite well out to almost 600 miles of aircraft flight, without considering the radar range of those flyers.

Unexpectedly an SOS was received by the CS Allende, a frigate in the group. A Victoria Salvadorian cruise liner, the SS Albatros, proved to be the source. Soon more emergency calls were picked up. All around the fleet as it neared the limits of New Tiamat's waters it seemed that large vessels in the busy sea lanes were under attack. From the decks of a few of the most advanced vessels (that's distance wise, rather than tech wise) a light could be seen on the horizon. An oil tanker ablaze.

BG and VS shipping all around the fleet was being slaughtered by missile fire.

It would appear that the brash, poorly informed Bonstockian jingos had loosed anti-ship missiles against radar signatures in the direction of the Expeditionary Force- a fleet made up mainly of reduced-radar-signal vessels, and back-grounded by thousands of civilian vessels from the archipelago behind. There was no telling how many nations had lost vessels, or how many thousands were dead. The EF would be forced to halt and search for survivors.

That is, except for the sub-surface elements ahead, which loaded Harpoon and Citadel (long range SAM) and began a search for the attackers.

Anti-satellite weapons locked on to Bonstockian orbital assets, and New Gibborim (that's our capital) demanded an explanation from Bonstock for this atrocity, and act of indiscriminate war.

ooc:Does anyone else feel this is runing a bit dry?
I dunno.. I think I'm getting tired of fighting new nations day after day. By the time they could possibly have brought in significant forces, the millions of Drapoel infantry would surely have over-run Hamhung anyway. Look at Vietnam- there's just no way to stop them short of using future tech genetic weapons to wipe out east Asia. And there's not much else I can do except say that yes, so many million Drapoel are still charging about, a few thousand of them getting bombed here and there. There's just too many of us, and too little ground to cover, that we could possibly be stopped by airstrikes before the strikes were also hitting tens of thousands of prisoners.
And I'm not very keen on Bonstock's efforts to spread the war into a big intercontinental same-as-every-other-NS-war-of-attition-which-is-sure-to-end-with-someone-getting-nuked affair.

We need to figure out a way to proceed into a post war situation.

(sorry, I'm feel generally dejected to-day, I hope it doesn't seep into the game too much, but, y'know [melodramatic sigh])

OOC: It's been good fun so far! Should we set-up some peace talks? :shock:

OOC-OK, OK, OK! I come back from a very enjoyable turkey dinner to see several diturbing things happening. I don't even know where to start. First of all, you all have to immediately stop what you are doing and ACTUALLY READ THIS THREAD!! If you understood this thread your actions would be very different. Also, for those of you that are sending in naval elements into Dra-poel waters, you need to understand the HUGE amount of naval assets the Coalition has had here to begin with. Along with the thousands of attack fighters and bombers at short range disposal. I'm not saying that you can't send naval elements, but it would require a much larger armada to punch a whole. And no attack will be a surprise as we have REPEATEDLY stated our terms and the nature of our blockade. That works both ways, Bonstock, there is no way they would not be completely ready for anything, but, they are coming in outnumbered like crazy. And, this is modern-tech. We have allowed some very small near future tech advances but let's face it, if I get fired at by laser and kinetic weapons from killer sattelites, my Jedi Knights are going to avoid them using the Force. Contray to popular belief, we are nowhere near to an effective laser weapon. And Kinetic? *shakes head*
Dra-pol, I am unconvinced that you could overrun Hamhung easily, no matter how many troops you throw at it. You are posting numbers over those seen in Vietnam, but at last6 count Hamhung had like 4-5 million defenders and something around 2000+ combat aircraft. The American commitment in Vietnam was what, 500,000-700,000 combat personel? And they were trying to perform missions all over Southern Vietnam, we are just defending one admittedly HUGE city. I think you and I should talk before this goes any further. My whole schtick is diplomatic ties, so I will be trying to find fresh allies at all times, if you boot me out now, I will put together another, stronger Coalition and invade next time. I am thinking that we are at a really bloody stalemate. Where do you want to go with this? I am really sorry if I was offensive to anyone but, I want to RP here, not just have a WE CAN POST MORE THAN YOU! contest.
WWJD
Amen.
PS-African Commonwealth, I wanted to talk to you personally, you are definately invoved and were the minute you started putting the weapons that are now killing my people into their hands. And, you are probably the weakest nation here. Crush Bonstock like a grape? C'mon. I could take you out by myself and with less than a month to do it. Bonstock would do the same to me, if he so wanted. You are here in an advisory capacity only. Don't start throwing around threats. Even Saddam was smart enough to only say that sort of thing about the States behind their backs.

Bonstocknian High Command
Deep under Port Yuko, Bonstock

"General Burns, we are recieving a transmission from Admiral von Manstien, with the Bonstocknian West Pacific Fleet."

"What is it?"

"Our new missiles unfortunatly attacked innocent vessels."

"WHAT? How is this? Those missiles were aimed at the BG navy!"

"Apparantly, our missiles were aimed at the wrong ships. The BG navy utilized low RCS vessels."

"Now we have an international incident on our hands. Has the President been informed, yet?"

"No, sir."

"When she finds out I'm sure Admiral von Manstien will loose his job. But really, our new missiles were designed to attack stealth ships. I mean, they are never totally invisible to radar. Our own Visby corvettes have about the RCS as a small Chinese junk, which is why they blended in."

"Well, the BG expeditionary force indeed blended in with local islands and ships there."

"Order another strike. This time, our missiles will be directed by one of our Type 14 minisubs. They will find the exact RCS of the ships, and set GPS coordinates for them."

"Also, sir, we have transmissions from BG demanding a reason for the attack."

"Report back that it was because those ships were aiding an enemy of the Republic of Bonstock, and send an ultimatum to leave or be destroyed. Bonstock will not tolerate aiding of nations such as Dra-pol."

"Very well, sir."

Meanwhile, the ships made it back to Taiwan. They were reloaded, and prepared for another strike. A small minisub put out to sea. This thing had an RCS of a fish, and could only be detected by Bonstocknian radars which knew the exact RCS. The vessel was to find the BG task force anbd report its position. Bonstock would not have a repeat of what it had just done. However, it did have success in stalling the expeditionary force. The new missile had time to get technical problems worked out. Still, billions of taxpayer dollars were wasted in the first test of the RBS-15 missile.

ooc: Quinntonia seemed serious when asking me for troops and support, and Beth Gellet is a longtime enemy, ever since the NuMetal war, where we fought communist guerrillas in the country. BG may also have been involved in Nimbata and Wolfish, both times where Bonstock has faced commmunist militants. I have strict policies against nukes, but I want to test out my new missiles badly. As such, Beth Gellet's expeditionary forces will be my guinea pigs.

ooc:The expeditionary force is by no means small- it is an ..expeditionary force. An advance element meant to show that the world is not 100% behind the coalition against Dra-pol. It is equipped with some sixty helicopters and 226 other aircraft. Quite enough to defend itself and to wipe the ..er..ocean with a handful of corvettes. BG is late modern tech, and its anti-satellite weapons are anti-satellite weapons- not anti-Jedi Knight weapons. They would be utilised against satellites of anyone who chose to widen the war by bringing in the billion-strong Beth Gellen Commonwealth. BG has not declared war on anyone. And..kinetic..y'know..involving motion in relation to force?

A key point being that it wasn't looking to run the blockade. The EF is meant to proceed to the contested region, and ..loom.

How many defenders are their really in Hamhung? I mean.. wasn't the Quinntonian garrison quite..moderate when fighting broke out? How many allied reinforcements have got in, and how quickly have they done it that the original defenders could hold out against forces mobilising in the same nation, rather than oceans away?

(I don't want to move the thread on too much in this post, so I'll just say that for the record, and for now, the EF will be remaining close to northern New Tiamatian waters, south of Asia, as it picks up survivors and so forth. More of those 286 aircraft than previously will be in the air at once, flying patrols as far as fuel allows, in order to keep the area, hopefully, secure (if this delay goes on, assume a support tanker is dispatched from New Tiamat to replenish fuel reserves and such). More frigates will soon be dispatched to assist in the security operations.. sorry, rambling a bit now..I've forgotten something *wracks brain*. Oh! The subs- Anunkai Class nuclear subs still on the look-out for hostile vessels. These are reasonably large nuclear subs with torpedo, harpoon, SAM, and cruise missile capabilities. Since we're still close to NT waters, Hound Class D/E hunters will be swarming the area, too, but they likely wouldn't advance to Asia with the fleet if and when it moves on)

(OOC- Quintonnia, do you still need help?)

The little minisub continued on its course, towards the Expeditionary Force. It would not be allowed into the combat zone. The Visby corvettes stood ready, but knew that they had lost the element of surprise. Now, radars were picking up subs, headed for Taiwan, where Bonstock had bases. Planes would strike Taiwan, so 400 JAS 39 Gripens were rushed to bases in the area to defend it. More of the missiles were flown in, this time with better target acquisition technology. They were programmed to search for particular ships over others, now. It was time for round two.

In a massive show of support, the Empire of Sarda has pledged the support of five million soldiers to the Bonstockian Forces allied with Quintonnia. These forces placed at the disposal of Bonstock are known far and wide as the Sardaukar Terror Troops.

Bonstocknian transport planes fly in to carry the 5 million troops to the combat zone, though this will take many trips. We thank Sarda for this show of support, though it is unexpected. They will fight alongside Bonstocknian infantry which are now being trained and readied for combat. Planes are quitly flying into Bonstocknian staging areasin Taiwan, in preparations for the coming assault. Already, ships are starting to come into the harbor to carry them. This will be unlike any operation ever seen before in history.

(ooc:That's going to kick a hole in your fair economy!)

(The barely cooled ruins of..) The Central Directorature, DaKhiem

Secretary Hotan stood on the CD's Central-Building balcony, even with a close shot, bomb damage was visible in several places across the little wall visible behind the Drapoel number two.

An old camera filmed in grainy black and white, and a pair of microphones picked up Hotan's words, as he read of Kurosian's latest major Direction.

In the interests of progress, through his grand wisdom and benevolence, Director Kurosian suggests that peace be made between the Drapoel People's Republic, her supporters, and the coalition against her.

With hundreds of thousands dead on both sides, the progress of all nations is impared ever more by each day of conflict.

Rather than drain further resources in slaying the foreigners in Hamhung, and near Pyongyang, the republic should concentrate on building further on its promising economic foundation-work laid before the war re-heated.

I propose to those nations involved that we step back from the brink of hell. Our brave soldiers around Pyongyang will allow withdrawl of the attackers without further ambush, while the siege of Hamhung be lifted. Gains made into Hamhung during the renewed fighting will be surrendered, but the 50km withdrawl once suggested by Quinntonia can of course not be enacted.

Should it be desired or at least agreeable by Quinntonia, a buffer zone around the city should be negotiated. The exact composition of this zone, of course, will be a matter for discussion. Perhaps a small multi-national presence agreed by both faction leaderships, or else a neutral third party presence might help to give time for trust to ferment.

Dra-pol has been given little oportunity since her return to the world in which to understand the United Nations, but it is my understanding that their observation of such an agreed buffer might be of worth.

Hotan bowed for the camera, before turning and making his way back inside the Central Directorature.

For now at least, operations continued as normal, though Drapoel troops were day by day fielding ever higher percentages of fully automatic weapons, modern RPGs, and loosing skywards shoulder-launched SAMs.

IC:

~Rumor will have it a joint Beth Gellan and Commonwealth convoy is going from China to Kanggye~

OOC:

Quinntonia>> Regardless of facts, Ndelebe and Nwabudike are very self-confident - Of course they arent going to crush anyone right away, but that's not going to stop them from making the threat if they think it will make the coalition acquiesce. That being said, the Commonwealth Armed Forces can tear a nice hole in any and all protagonists here - They just aren't going to. I do what I please, within the context of an enjoyable RP.

But I digress - Where do we want this to go?

BUMP!
I'll make a post later.
WWJD
Amen.

We will not be bullied, a 50 km withdrawl outside Hamhung, to the borders THAT YOU AGREED UPON, is the condition for peace talks. I suggest you throw yourself on the mercy of The Coalition, Kurosian I. We have agreed to stay exocution for you son, and instead offered him life imprisonment with his signed confession to War Crimes and Crimes Against All Humanity. He has also agreed to testify against you in the event of your capture and trail. I will assure you that your trail will be fair.
The "Banat" that you surrendered to us are now being held in a Quinntonian institution and many (though not nearly as many as we thought) are willing to testify to the Human Rights violations that the Dra-poel government is responsible for.
Also, the terrorists taht you snuck into our nation under the guise of friendship and cooperation are now interned for their own protection and the ones linked to the terrorist actions within Quinntonia are now under arrest and awaiting lawful trail.
The number of guerrilla rebels that are now being supplied by Quinntonia are growing by leaps and bounds as many disaffected Dra-pol nationals are flocking to that banner with the same fanatisism and vigor that has come to characterise the Dra-poel population.
International support for the "War in Dra-pol" is growing as more and more of these barberous actions are coming to light. Massive military buil-ups in the region are unlike anything that Quinntonia has ever been involved in. Quinntoian has taken to posting daily casualty lists in all public iffices and the Quinntonian people are becoming polarised in their opinion to continued action. The medias brutal honesty about the war has reported total deaths on both sides at 1.5 million officially since the beginning of hostilities and there are equal parts peace demonstrations and pro-war demonstrations, with people taking to the streets to make their very real and raw emotions known.
OOC- Has fighting broken out again in Hamhung? You said that if we asw reinforcements come to Quinntoian Dra-pol, you would begin fighting, but, so far, reinforcements have just sort of been "looming." Just let me know, the rivers of blood are getting a little dry, so.......
LOL!
WWJD
Amen.

BUMP!
WWJD
Amen.

(ooc:Just a note to be careful with Kurosian II- he's still technically my character, so don't make him say too much without a quick check with me, but so far I can't complain; he probably would try to save his own neck.)

Director Kurosian scratched himself with some fury. The stress of such an intense conflict seemed to be causing considerable physical discomfort in the elderly man. This wasn't good for his health, and it had to end, but he couldn't let word of his faltering condition get out. Illness was seen as almost shameful in Dra-pol, and certainly a sign of weakness in the spirit.

He asked for tact in dealing with the sensitive information exchanged in these negotiations. 50km, he said, was a lot of land in Drapoel terms. Being less intensive and more extensive in its farming, industry, and even housing, the little republic was becoming terribly crowded. Hamhung lay in the middle of the most fertile strip of land on the entire eastern coast (most of the east is pretty inhospitable).

50km radiating from a central point on the coast, at the Hungnam district.
And a complete withdrawl of hostile forces in the west, of course.
A barrier 12km wide to extend around Quinntonian Dra-pol will be inhabited by Drapoel, administered by DaKhiem, but policed by a neutral or multi-national organisation or organisations.

http://www.comebackalive.com/df/dplaces/northkor/map.gif
North Korea (most of the cities marked are but large villages in ruralised Dra-pol, of course. DaKhiem is probably west south-west of Yodok (look on a line between Pyongyang and Hamhung))

(ooc:Another aside- I've noticed that Dra-pol's primary blackmarket has become one of "beef-based agriculture".. this is only since the war broke out, and millions started to be killed and left all over the nation.. they wouldn't...would they? :shock: )


(In fact.. I'm thinking that I might start a seperate thread for peace-talks if this doesn't look like it's going to go through. Kurosian returns to his happy political manouvering :D )

I shall donate 20 million troops to the cause of the christians, they are yours to command, a naval regiment, a thunderhawk gunplane and lightning fighter jet squadron are yours to command.

OOC- Sorry, didn't mean to tell you what your character was doing, wasn't thinking, kinda got caught up in the story. But, glad you approve.

IC-The cease-fire terms are; A full military withdrawl to 50kms radius beginnig at the Hamhung city limits. No conditions on my part.
OOC- As for being hesitant to give up Hamhung, no doubt. The same reason that China was drooling so bad after Hong Kong. Quinntonian Dra-pol represents billions and billions in National Production and tax income from the way higher paid people of this area would be extremely valuable. As powerful as your production collectives have become, the vast mass-production that Hamhung is now capable of, the international clsss harbour, and the airport, let alone the hospitals, schools and PAVED roads. Granted, most o0f them are rubble now, but, we were also planning on building more and more.
Thanx for posting the map, perhaps it will clear up some logistics for people.

WWJD
Amen.

Suggested Peace Treaty
i)Kurosian I is tried by an international court for his many alleged war crimes and his alleged crimes against humanity. If he is found guilty he must step down.
ii)All members The Banat are handed over to an international court for their crimes, if they are found guilty they must disband
iii)All WMD are destroyed. After 2 weeks the country is to be inspected by Belmorian weapons expert and Weapons experts from the African Commonwealth. They are at no time to be accompanied by Dra-Pol officials. If WMD are found they may be dismatled by the Belmorian of the AC weapons experts
iv)The current regime is disbanded in favour of a less oppressive regime(not necessarily democracy, but less torture and executions of political dissidents)
v)All military action against The Coalition forces is to stop
vi)Total dismemberment of any Dra-pol long-range missiles/planes
vii)Respecting of sovereign Quinntoian Dra-pol borders (50kms out)
viii)All borders shall be patrolled by Belmorian troops for 10 years.

These terms would be acceptable to the Quinntonian government. We are completely willing to accept a total peace under these conditions. We are a peaceful people, but cannot accept injustice. We would also be willing to have a tribunal made up of the nations involved to put Kurosian I to trail.
WWJD
Amen.

(ooc:I don't have time just now to make a long post, but I'll be back later. This is just to say that The Inquisitors' contribution will be ignored, because this is a serious RP, not an actual competition, and if it were, it would certainly not be based on who just and so happened to create their nation first, or is best at ignoring consiquences.)

Kurosian took a moment prior to preparing an official response in which to say that the invaders will cut off the hands of every Drapoel before they will put another defender of the republic on trial for doing his duty.


The Director also threw in the fact that while the oppressed people of Quinntonian Dra-pol are 49,797th healthiest in the world, those living under his wise direction enjoy the world's 2,620th most healthy life-styles. Why should the people accept your misrule at all?

I shall donate 20 million troops to the cause of the christians, they are yours to command, a naval regiment, a thunderhawk gunplane and lightning fighter jet squadron are yours to command.

Th eInquisitors are going to maybe tone this down a bit?
WWJD
Amen.

OOC: Inquisitors, we're not using Warhammer 40K tech here :(

IC:

Much as we respect the Belmore Familys efforts towards peace, those terms of yours surely need corrections. While WMD must be disassembled, you can't just place every member of the Drapoelian government and law enforcement through show trials and then execute them. Although grim, I think Kurosian's society has learned the errors of it's ways, and should be allowed to work these things out on it's own.

Warmest Regards,
His supreme benevolence,
Nwabudike James.

OOC: Inquisitors, we're not using Warhammer 40K tech here :(

IC:

Much as we respect the Belmore Familys efforts towards peace, those terms of yours surely need corrections. While WMD must be disassembled, you can't just place every member of the Drapoelian government and law enforcement through show trials and then execute them. Although grim, I think Kurosian's society has learned the errors of it's ways, and should be allowed to work these things out on it's own.

Warmest Regards,
His supreme benevolence,
Nwabudike James.

We are hardly looking to put EVERY member of the Dra-poel government on a show trail. We want a fair and equatable trail. And, only for Kurosian I and Kurosian II, as well as The Banat. There can be no moving forward for this brutal dictatorship if The Banat, the secret police of this regime, are still in power. They routinely tortured and executed their own citsens, not to mention the over 20,000 Quinntonians they have arrested and tortured, then PUBLICALLY exocuted. We scaled back our demands for war prisoners. Origonally, we were also asking for the leaders of The Red Bamboo, the elite arm of the military. However, we have decided to settle for these terms.
WWJD
Amen.

BUMP!
WWJD
Amen.

A steady withdrawl of forces from around Hamhung is in evidence to the closely observant. Men's places taken in the outskirts of the city by more traps and mines than ever before.

The Red Bamboo are now almost entirely armed with effective automatic weapons, RPGs, Igla-S SAMs, and so forth. Meanwhile former Red Bamboo armaments filter on down to the regular and militia forces.

Small sniper teams and concealed machinegun nests remain close to old positions as the bulk withdraw from Hamhung. They lie waiting for Crusaders to venture out of their cover. These are relatively small numbers of men, ideally hoping to find an officer in their sights before revealing the fact that not everyone has left. They then hope to give a few isolated shots here and there to hamper the process of moving into/through the heavily booby-trapped outskirts. If no one comes to investigate former Drapoel positions, these teams will simply remain with their heads down in their fox-holes, behind tree lines, and so forth.

The invaders near Pyongyang find themselves subject to random attacks in moderate force, after days of light harrasment by snipers, grenade attacks, and simply booby-traps. Of course these attacks, sometimes dozen, sometimes hundreds of men strong are directed against any patrol which should happen across a piece of terrain favourable to the ever watching Drapoel, and the attackers are quick to disperse into the forest and hills as soon as air or armour support shows up. . .not that tanks and aircraft are safe from portable anti-tank and surface-to-air missile launchers increasingly employed by the defenders.

The Drapoel People's Republic collectively laughs in the faces of the crusading invaders. No one has ever come to Dra-pol and imposed their will on the nation, and this spineless rabble shan't be the ones to change that!

In the middle of one Tuesday afternoon first one Asian station, then more news channels become obsessed with one story. Kurosian's aged face, now seeming full of colour, smiles widley. Thunderous applause from a hall surely bigger than anything still standing in Dra-pol!


The Chinese Communist Party eat up Kurosian's passionate speeches. Dra-pol's economy, were it not under such great attack, is clearly a model worth Chinese attention. Kurosian's defiant stand against religious westerners a potent symbol of Asian strength, and a nice counter-point to those troublesome cults in the PRC..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/475000/images/_479256_jiangcar300.jpg

After fifty years of Drapoel isolationism..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38441000/jpg/_38441991_ap_wide300.jpg

..the Director is in Beijing.


http://dept.cba.ua.edu/mktcbh/pics/cuba_china_jia_06os1_medium.jpg

And as the reports show, he is not alone. The westerners? Beth Gellert consuls to China.

We of the Quinntonian government applaud the apparent withdrawl of Dra-poel troops from around Hamhung. Once the main body of your troops have moved to the 50kms agreed-upon borders of Quinntonian Dra-pol, we will begin to move our border patrols outside of the city.
The Banat Loyalists that had taken up arms inside the city and started their own shooting war with the Quinntonian Loyalists. Unfortunately for the Banat-led troops, the withdrawl of Dra-poel troops had effectively sentenced them to death. With more and more Quinntonian support being able to be turned on them, they were slaughtered.
WWJD
Amen.

The Quinntonian group known as The Justifiers has been brought to the front. They are near insane Special Ops. that are fanatically loyal. They are sent on missions that are expected to have high rates of loss. (like 60-95%) One full division(20,000) is being sent out to the sorrounding areas around Hamhung to secure the areas. They are under orders to pull back if they meet significant numbers. However, they are quite willing to find all booby traps and snipers, guerilla clusters, etc. the hard way if they have to. Of course, they will have full air support of the entire Coalition. This, and they bring with them the premier in Quinntonian military infantry technology in surviellance, ambush detection, demolitions/diposal, body armours and communications/scrambling. They have intensive sattelite information of the sorrounding area and will be using every bit of their extensive and expensive training. This will be the most technically sophisticated mission in Quinntonian history. Also, this will be the first time that Justifiers are commited in this conflict.
WWJD
Amen.

The outskirts of Hamhung are still, of course, heavily booby-trapped. The snipers and machinegunners previously mentioned persist in the trees and hills directly beyond the edge of the city. The first major concentrations of troops have withdrawn several miles beyond these units.

North, over Kanggye, the S-4 flies again, making Dra-pol's second super-sonic flight, and achieving a second successful mid-air interception (of an unmanned glider) with guided missiles.

On a third flight, the S-4 crossed the Chinese border where it was met by a PLAAF J-10, and an NT-4 of Beth Gellert's Air Force, before landing in Liaoning province, where several Drapoel already waited.

Kurosian's meetings and speeches in China continue, as does heavy partisan resistance around Pyongyang.

The Dra-pol resisters around Hamhung are no doubt the best and brightest that the nation has to offer, but they have never faced troops like this before. Not to mention the HUGE technological advantage that these troops have over even the other Quinntonian troops, but they are almost...... suicidal. They also have the support of the new Joshua II, over 1000 of them. The Joshua II is the logical next step forward for the Quinntonian Attack Helicopter technologies. It is specifiically designed to seek and destroy large or small pockets of ground resistance. It is equipped with omni-directional suppressing fire and over 50 short and long range detection systems.
Also, this is of course coupled with the almost 5000 Coalition aircraft that are carpet bombing the sorrounding area and providing concentrated air support the likes of which few conflicts have ever seen. (This is leaving most of the rest of the nation reltively unmolested, FOR NOW. At least from this front. There are other planes I can't speak for.
The Justifiers are also using um... extreme tactics for dealing with some of the people that are resisting. Use your imagination, but an example could be, a pocket of Dra-poel sharpshooters have taken up residence in a dense area of woods. The Justifiers, instead of wasting valueable lives, simply set fire to the entire forest, burning the entire pocket alive. Their screams can be heard for kilometers around, making the rest of the resisters very uneasy.
WWJD
Amen.

We are very pleased to note the political support Kurosian has garnered in China, but won't either China or the participants in this bloody conflict step back to negotiations? Neither inflaming speeches nor killing peasants with high-technological helicopter gunships will help end this senseless war.

With hopes for the best,
His supreme benevolence,
Nwabudike James.

The war is now being concentrated on the SOVERIEGN lands of Quinntonina Dra-pol. Well within our borders. These resisters are armed and hostile. Once our borders are secure, we will talk peace, not before.
However, General Gemby expects the resistance to have been pacified within a week.
WWJD
Amen.

Kurosian's speeches and meetings in China still continue. He maintains a defiant tone, often citing historical parallels with which he hopes to convince his own people, his potential allies, and his enemies of the certainty of Drapoel victory.

The Americans dropped more ordinance on Vietnam than in the whole of the second world war, he says, and if the Vietnamese could take it, the Drapoel most certainly can.

Speaking to the governments, soldiers, and people of the "Crusader Coalition", the Director said in English, with a heavy accent and many pauses that "We may have lost a million men... and we may loose a million more.... but you.. shall loose the war."

Around Hamhung most of the initial machinegun nests, sniper dens, and mortar pits had been destroyed or else abandoned in the face of the Justifiers' attacks. The soldiers had been surprised when these Christians did not falter for long or withdraw even when caught in minefields by ambush. What few Drapoel historians had escaped various purges by the Central Directorature compared the fighting between Drapoel and Justifier to that seen during the last imperial Japanese invasion.

Air support had so often been a telling factor in the Crusaders' ability to hang on against steep odds. Thus the arrival of useful numbers of Igla-S surface to air missile systems stamped with Beth Gellert state arsenals identification marks was greeted with some good cheer.
These new missiles are said to have double the effectiveness of previous systems when targeting jet fighters, five times against small targets such as cruise missiles and drones (We could have used these when the Raysians were still around considered one officer), and importantly thrice the effectiveness against helicopters- a weapon much loved and heavily used by the Quinntonians.

Already aircraft which ventured close to Kanggye at ideal attack altitudes would be mauled by dozens of these missiles, and at last the units were arriving in strength further south. Ambushes against Justifiers now were made primarily in the hope that air support would show up. The new systems had a six kilometre engagement range, and due to their man-portable nature would fire as if from nowhere, the team escaping before retaliation was possible.

North at Kanggye, with Beth Gellert and Chinese fighters flying patrols across the border, more and more material arrived in the region. High altitude surface to air missile systems were being positioned, along with heavy artillery and ZSU AAA handed over from BG where it lay in reserve, and it was apparent that something of a city was growing up. Village collectives in the area were receiving better technology, and manufacture of both armaments and essentials of life was increasing.

In China, Kurosian was secretly negotiating arms deals, as well as talking of future lucrative trade deals.

OOC- I just need one thing cleared up, is China an NS nation? If so, it should post here soon. If not, maybe you should keep its involvement on the purely symbolic level. I'm just thinking that if you can do that, I can make a plea for military support to the USA or NATO.
IC- The Justifiers are making further and further inroads into the disputed areas. They are suffering heavy losses but with there air support, though it is taking more and more fire, are inflicting HUGE losses on the Dra-poel resisters. The Joshuas are starting to take more and more losses, however, the Joshua II's are more than able with there super-sophisticated detection systems to seek and destroy the firing positions in an astoundingly short time. Also, their chaff and anti-missile systems are the best money can buy.
Stories of The Justifiers brutality are quickly being circulated throughout Dra-pol, despite the CD's best efforts and information control. They are becoming something of Christian boogeymen at best and psychotic demonic legendary creatures come to life at worst.
Bishop Gerald Westgaard has begun to formally prtotest the deployment of The Justifiers to the Quinntonian government and has begun trying to contact the Dra-poel Central Directorate in order to begin talks again.
Meanwhile, a second Division of Justifiers has arrived in Quinntonia Dra-pol. They are not to be deployed yet, but are on stand by.
WWJD
Amen.

ooc:No, China is um..NPC. They aren't directly involved, but since the Asian nations which actually border Dra-pol on the map do not RP, I've had to revert to China being there. Since their ideology is not far removed from much of our own, it makes sense that Kurosian would escape there- China would surely be even more open to Dra-pol having realised that our PCI is four or five times their own- a considerable market and potential for improvement right on their doorstep, without abandoning Maoism totally. China has not put anyone across the Drapoel border, and I don't intend to make them- it would be too complicated to figure out who was controling them exactly.. however it seems reasonable to assume that anyone attacking Dra-pol would have to consider the fact of its major neighbours. And Quinntonia has called upon plenty of allies. I very much doubt if NATO would be remotely interested, as the North Pacific Treaty Organisation they are not, and the US would be as likely to view Quinntonia a competator as an ally. What will it hurt them if you're shut out of a market in which they already have no hand? After all, whatever the administrations may want us to think, the US does not act on morality before practicality or profit.

So yeah, China won't be involved directly unless someone reasonable comes along and wants to RP them, or to make themselves Dra-pol's neighbour in their place (though given the history I've recently put in they'd have to be a China-like neighbour). It is currently a base through which BG and the African Commonwealth are transporting supplies into Kanggye (and once this is all over, I want Dra-pol to be heavily influenced by China, and end up using Chinese-design weapons and blah blah so this is a bit of historical pretext for that.)

That was more long-winded than I expected :shock:

IC: Around Hamhung Drapoel forces continued to slowly fall back as the Justifiers came on, turning frequently for brief battles. Usually knee-mortars put a few volleys of grenade towards pursuing infantry as they picked their way through booby-traps and mines (the Drapoel are retreating along specific routes to maximise ambush and trap potential), then turned and continued to retreat on an unpredictable woodland course, as perhaps several kilometers behind men popped up to cover the retreat with SAM, themselves fleeing as soon as they'd discharged missiles at any incoming air support.

The Qunntonians were certainly taking back land around Hamhung, there was no question about that, however they were no longer inflicting the massive losses suffered by Dra-pol in her wave-attacks on the city proper.

The invaders near Pyongyang find themselves subject to random attacks in moderate force, after days of light harrasment by snipers, grenade attacks, and simply booby-traps. Of course these attacks, sometimes dozen, sometimes hundreds of men strong are directed against any patrol which should happen across a piece of terrain favourable to the ever watching Drapoel, and the attackers are quick to disperse into the forest and hills as soon as air or armour support shows up. . .not that tanks and aircraft are safe from portable anti-tank and surface-to-air missile launchers increasingly employed by the defenders.



The battleships and carrier based aircraft offshore are now supplemented by aircraft from a rcently revamped series of ruways within the seized base of Pyongyang proper. Almost no patrols or attempts to pacify the locals are being made. Instead the battleships are using napalm and other area effect shells against centers of resistance and the aircraft strikes have become more frequent. f/14 and f/18 carrier aircraft have been seen on the runways at Poyongyang to replenish losses in the squadrons on the carriers offshore.

The forests around the occupied areas are becoming increasingly scarce due to deliberate burndowns and fire from offshore. Flametanks were recently offloaded into the slowly bulging perimeter.

b-1b lancer flights have become increasingly obvious over the population centers of dra-pol including obvious training exercises involving opening and closing bomb doors. The only "drops" over dra-pol have been from the onboard septic and waste disposal systems so far.

Meanwhilein HBF proper:

*************BASEBALL NEWS NETWORK******************


The season has been seriously affected by the massive call ups of reservists. Estimates say that almost 1 million personnel are in advanced readiness training and this supposedly includes over 500,000 combat troops.

The nations mourns bygone days of peace
**********************************************************

The Justifiers are continueing their advance, no doubt becoming frustrated by the obvious stall and ambush tactics of the "fleeing" Dra-pol. The efforts they have made to push back the resistors starts to come to a mysterious haly though, as they seem to stop their advance exactly at the piont of the claimed borders of Quinntonian Dra-pol. No doubt their strange behavior is causing quite a few raised eyebrows among the Dra-poel high command.

Meanwhile, in the capitol of Quinntonia, "the City of Peace," in a basement room that doesn't exist, a meeting that never happened doesn't take place.
Out of the darkness, a looming, physically huge person in an ill fitting suit stares at a massive round table of powerful men and women that don't officially speak to eachother. His cold, grey eyes glint in the dim light as they explain his latest mission.
"We are sorry for removing you from your position in Bonstock, Agent Korah. However, a new situation needs your own personal touch and we aren't sure if anyone else can be trusted."
"I am here to do the Lord's will, as I have always done. your Eminenece."
"Of course, if you complete this mission, you will be given the Deputy Director position that you have so craved. And with that, almost unlimited resources with which to defend the faith. Do you understand?"
"I will do what the Spirit moves me to do, Your Holiness."
At this, the men all stand and begin to shuffle out of the room, Agent Korah looks at the dossier he has ben given, looks at HIS picture. IT WILL BE DONE!"
WWJD
Amen.

"Just after our republic's great introspection, a revolutionary comrade here in China had words in part appropriate to our current situation. I take this time here in the land of his children to pass on those words to you, comrades."

Director Kurosian's speech, delivered in Drapoel, appeared on the television stations of China and Beth Gellert, as well as the radio stations of Dra-pol. He claimed to be in Shandong province as he spoke.

"In this great resistance, our principles of operation are:

(1) Attack dispersed isolated enemy forces first; attack concentrated strong enemy forces later.

(2) Take small and medium cities and extensive rural areas first; take big cities later.

(3) Make wiping out the enemy's effective strength our main objective; do not make holding or seizing a city or place our main objective. Holding or seizing a city or place is the outcome of wiping out the enemy's effective strength, and often a city or place can be held or seized for good only after it has changed hands a number of times.

(4) In every battle, concentrate an absolutely superior force -two, three, four and sometimes even five or six times the enemy's strength-, encircle the enemy forces completely, strive to wipe them out thoroughly and do not let any escape from the net. In special circumstances, use the method of dealing the enemy crushing blows, that is, concentrate all our strength to make a frontal attack and an attack on one or both of his flanks, with the aim of wiping out one part and routing another so that our army can swiftly move its troops to smash other enemy forces. Strive to avoid battles of attrition in which we lose more than we gain or only break even. In this way we shall be superior in every part and every specific campaign, and this ensure victory in the campaign. As time goes on, we shall become even further superior as a whole and eventually wipe out the entire enemy.

(5) Fight no battle unprepared, fight no battle you are not sure of winning; make every effort to be well prepared for each battle, make every effort to ensure victory in the given set of conditions as between the enemy and ourselves.

(6) Give full play to our style of fighting - courage in battle, no fear of sacrifice, no fear of fatigue, and continuous fighting -that is, fighting successive battles in a short time without rest.

(7) Strive to wipe out the enemy when he is on the move. At the same time, pay attention to the tactics of positional attack and capture enemy fortified points and cities.

(8 ) Concerning attacking cities, resolutely seize all enemy fortified points and cities that are weakly defended. At opportune moments, seize all enemy fortified points and cities defended with moderate strength, provided circumstances permit. As for all strongly defended enemy fortified points and cities, wait until conditions are ripe and then take them.

(9) Replenish our strength with all the arms and most of the personnel captured from the enemy. Our army's main sources of manpower and materiel are at the front. On this point our situation is different from that of our Chinese comrades, but not completely. Those mis-directed comrades who have been brain-washed by the Christians will yet see the error of their ways.

(10) Make good use of the intervals between campaigns to rest, train and consolidate our troops. Periods of rest, training and consolidation should not in general be very long, and the enemy should as far as possible be permitted no breathing space.


"Our comrade once asked 'What is a true bastion of iron?' It is the masses, the millions upon millions of people who genuinely and sincerely support the revolution. -And so he answered. That is the real iron bastion, which it is impossible, and impossible, for any force on earth to smash. The counter-revolution cannot smash us; on the contrary, we shall smash it. Rallying millions upon millions of people round the revolutionary government and expanding our revolutionary war, we shall wipe out all counter-revolution and take over the whole of Dra-pol."

There then followed a brief broadcast by Secretary Hotan, apparently from Kanggye, where all manner of advanced hardware could be seen passing by.

"The commanders and fighters of the entire Drapoel People's Army absolutely must not relax in the least their will to fight; any thinking that relaxes the will to fight and belittles the enemy is wrong. Long live the Drapoel People's Republic!"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/165000/images/_166997_more_missiles_on_parade_flags.jpg

Kanggye continued its long-running build-up, which in its early stages had gone relatively unharrased. Officers assume that this was thanks to the level of threat placed against the invaders around Hamhung and Pyongyang. Now Hotan was insisting that with multiple-tier anti-aircraft defences it was too late for the counter-revolutionaries.

http://www.softwar.net/SA10-1.JPG


(ooc:Not a terribly original post, no. I've been reading the original missing journalist thread lately, and I'd almost forgotten a lot about the Drapoel character and the state of the nation. Renewed determination to drive-out the foreigners ripples through the republic ;) )

General Gemby sits at his desk and listens, shaking his head. "I wonder if it would even be worth it to piont out the various contradictions in his so-called "strategy". "Well, the various inte; reports that are coming in tell me only one thing I need to know, they are massing for another attack." We only have one front. Only one stronghold, but, I guess it's good retoric. Well, if he tries, he'll see we haven't exactly been sitting on our duffs.
"Is Project Lazarus ready?"
"Yes sir!"
"And Project Appollyon?"
"Sir, I still have my misgivings......."
"You have your orders!"
"Yes sir! Ready sir!"
After his aides leave, General Gemby kneels in prayer. No mound of dirt is worth this. With what we've spent on these people, we could've shipped every last man, woman and child in Quinntonian Dra-pol back to Quinntonia. But, then who would help the thousands who risk their lives coming across the border every day, hungry for the Gospel. Such a fierce people. I can't help but feel that we're just giving them something else to fight for. God save them. God save us all.

WWJD
Amen.

(ooc:Quinntonia offers just one front, but Dra-pol has the western front with..thingi, too.. so there is more than one area to be taken at least. If that enemy advances, the Maoist rhetoric will seem more telling, perhaps.)

GS operatives in Dra-pol continued their covert work, in the main that was done around Kanggye. Laser designation equipment was some of the most recent gear transfered to the theatre.

Some in The Commonwealth (of BG) were begining to voice concerns at Local Senate level regarding what China would eventually begin to demand for the rights of passage they so graciously granted. Those free economic zones would go away once trade with Dra-pol and The Commonwealth was able to step up, wouldn't they?....

("And don't even get me started on their allies in Islamabad.." Chivo went on before being reminded that as Commonwealt Chief Consul he really wasn't meant to express views contrary to those officially held by The Commonwealth.)

Director extends cease-fire offer once more

Speaking again from across the Chinese border, Director Kurosian offered peace to the invaders. He said that a radius of 50km from the coastal Hungnam district of Hamhung would for now remain under the Quinntonian name, with the final four kilometres under shared or third-party administration.

The attackers around Pyongyang would again be expected and allowed to withdraw from the nation.

Regrettably, as making such an offer has the potential to enrage the population (ooc:Just think of Japan in WWII; even after two atomic bombs, many were unwilling to give up, and there was an attempt to kidnap the Emperor -worshiped as a god- to prevent him conceeding defeat- Dra-pol is more fanatical than even Japan was), talk had to be circulated in public of the Director's wise plan to give the republic's economy time to grow, and its military to rebuild while the capitalists grew weary of supporting a large deployment.

Earlier in the day a surface to air missile was fired south west from Kanggye, exploding in the air over Korea Bay, far from any apparent target. The missle passed close to Pyongyang on its way. A second surface to air missile was fired south east, flying past the north of Hamhung, and far beyond before exploding again without target, over the Sea of Japan.

In the afternoon, a payload-free FROG was fired north east from Sunch'on district, before being intercepted in-flight by a third SAM from Kanggye, exploding in sight of Quinntonian positions in the west of their territory.

(ooc:the total demilitarised zone between North and South Korea IRL is 4km wide)

OOC- So, a N. Korea+ S. Korea long-term cease-fire thing?
I am going to seriously consider this. my government can't officially sue for peace becuase all of our demands haven't been met, however, this may be a way for both of us to save face. I think this will also be a East germany/ West Germnay Berlin Wall kind of situation too, as I've said that a lot of our population growth is defecting Dra-poel.
IC- The Governor of Quinntonian Dra-pol Bishop Gerald Westgaard has been working for a peaceful resolution ever since the beginning of this conflict, it hads seemed teiously out of reach, but now he is going to take this opprotunity. His personal jet, under haevy gaurd takes off from Hamhung airport, which is almost completely reconstructed and refitted to handle the large amount of traffic that is needed here, and heads towards Quinntonia, to pull every political switch within his power for peace.
WWJD
Amen.

We can only state that we are indeed fortunate to see peace between Dra-Pol and the allies in our time ~ We praise the wisdom of the Director and the Bishop, and offer as many AC troops as would be needed to keep the peace!

Regards,
His supreme benevolence,
Nwabudike James.

I never said that I would accept a cease-fire, only that I was very interested.
WWJD
Amen.

And we say(call us optimistic, or naive if you will), that peace will happen. There is too much at stake for it not to.

Office of Mr. James.

As Secretary Hotan continues in direct charge of Drapoel forces during Kurosian's extended absence, he reduces offensive operations around Hamhung still further. Units are instructed to capture or kill any foreigners who might attempt to break the containment without authorisation, but otherwise action is light. A handful of non-combat sorties are attempted by lone Shinden canard fighters, flying just outside Quinntonian positions in non-aggressive fashion. Hotan wants to find out whether the aircraft will be shot at.

West around Pyongyang however the situation is quite different. Dra-pol's communication with the "crusader coalition" has been primarily through Quinntonia, and little has been heard from other authorities. Hotan is as a result trying to promote Quinntonian acceptance of his Director's peace offer, which will have the status-quo more or less maintained between Dra-pol and Quinntonia, and see the withdrawl of other coalition members. This policy is being pursued by leaving Quinntonia more or less alone while they consider the cease-fire offer, whilest inflicting as much damage as possible against their allies outside Hamhung.

Sabotage teams are persistantly attempting to infiltrate enemy positions, and to deal damage to the airfield at Pyongyang. Booby-traps still litter the area taken by the enemy, as well as the surrounding villages and forest. Mortar attacks are commen- the 40mm knee-mortar being employed extensively in "shoot and scoot" raids involving often just two or three man teams. The object is usually the airfield, and frequently mere targets of oportunity.

Bombing raids by the enemy are apparently delivered primarily by high-altitude heavy bombers. At times whole villiages are wiped out, killing dozens of troops and hundreds of civilians. There is little that the Drapoel can do to intercept these high-altitude raids, so it seems, until the recently reported missile test firings from Kanggye. These missiles quite clearly could engage any aircraft anywhere over Dra-pol. They are Beth Gellen CS-400 systems, which Dra-pol has been told can intercept ICBMs under certain circumstances, as well as low-observability aircraft. So far the system has not been fired in anger over Dra-pol.

Igla-S shoulder-launched SAM continue to seek any low-flying aircraft over Drapoel territory, while recently Hotan's aggresive policy has sent SAM teams closer to Pyongyang, in much the same fashion as the knee-mortar squads. There are beginning attempts to take down enemy bombers at Pyongyang airbase on take-off and landing. The Igla-S have a range of several kilometres, giving a considerable area of operation in the surrounding forests and hills.

Typically, a SAM team will approach, seeking a good firing position. As an aircraft approaches on take-off or landing, the team will attempt to engage it. A second SAM team will be on hand perhaps up to a couple of miles away, sometimes less, and it is their responsibility to cover the first team from retribution by enemy strike aircraft or helicopter gunships, as it is thought likely that the enemy will quickly respond to a SAM launch near the airbase. Hopefully, it will even be possible to take out a bomber, and then to ambush an aircraft sent in retribution. Further, a knee-mortar team is likely to be on hand possibly with a light machinegun squad as well. These will attempt to way-lay any ground response with a surprise strike.

In total, it is quite likely that little more than half a dozen men would be involved in such an attack, making it much easier for them to vanish back into the forest/hills.

Kurosian remains in China, awaiting the results of his last diplomatic effort.

The sorties flown near Quinntonian Dra-pol do not come under fire unless they enter the accepted Quinntonian Dra-pol borders, then any amount of troops, equiptment or aircraft will be treated as a full invasion force with several waves of aircraft interceting in tandem and others being scrambled for defensive positions. However, it is unlikely that they would be able to get very far as Dra-pol is under extremely heavy surveillance by sattelite, spy-plane and more mundane methods, including intel gathered by the Dra-poel Revolutionary Army (DRA). So, they are shadowed when they fly close by large numbers of superior aircraft with orders to shoot to kill if they come over the border for even a second.

Now, what would the Dra-poel regime need to accept a long-term cease-fire?

WWJD
Amen.

Secretary Hotan, in temporary command of Drapoel forces through Kurosian's prolonged absence, is pleased by apparent Quinntonian attitudes and tactics. It seems that they have been made happy to consolidate current positions, and not to pursue "regime change", or a full scale invasion, and People's Army, People's Army Air Force, Red Bamboo, and Banat units in most of the nation are moving increasingly freely.

With Kurosian's hand off the tiller, plans for old characteristic "wave attacks" against Pyongyang have been shelved in favour of the previously mentioned small scale actions of Hotan's conception.

Radio transmissions directed at the Happy Baseballers operating in the area repeatedly tell them that the war is over elsewhere, that Dra-pol does not want them, and that their only advantage -that of technical superiority- may be snuffed out if they persist in their invasion.

The last comment perhaps makes light of the considerable number of Igla-S shoulder launched SAM systems in evidence, and of the CS-400 test firings days earlier.

Kanggye is by now bristling and bustling with 23mm, 47mm and 75mm AAA points and vehicles, radar stations, Igla-S SAM, CS-400 long-range SAM, 75mm and 150mm artillery and mechanised artillery, FROG-7B launchers, 6.5mm, 7.7mm, and 12.7mm machinegun nests, snipers, landmines and booby-traps, People's Army, Red Bamboo, and Banat infantry (many now bearing more servicable small arms, and of course faithful 40mm 'knee-mortars'), and what remains of the People's Army Armoured Corps- still being gradually (but now ever more rapidly) boosted by Chi-To(M) tanks with their 115mm Drapoel anti-tank guns.

All this around what was previously one of the biggest bunker complexes known- centre of operations for the PRD military, and now possibly the most industrialised part of Dra-pol, considering the siege condition and previous bombardments of Hamhung.

Hotan sits somewhere in the bunker complex that hid Kurosian after the Three Day War, assured that the worst is over, and that with Kurosian out of the country, and Kanggye representing so large a barrier, the "crusaders" shall give-up their endeavor eventually.

Of course, once all of this was over, Dra-pol would owe a considerable debt to the likes of Beth Gellert, China, and the ever observant African Commonwealth.

Director Kurosian sent to Dra-pol, insisting that the withdrawl of all foreigners from Dra-pol would be the honourable and sensible course of action for the invaders. Much as the Raysians before them, they would be allowed to go in peace.

(well it's worth a try, eh? ;) )

Kurosian I is on a speaking engangement in China when he takes a much needed bathroom break. As the attendent dutifully turns his back as Kuroisian takes care of his busines. Kurosian then hears the door open and says, "This is a private bathroom, go away!"
The attendent lets out a short yell and Kurosian turns around, only to see what is perhaps the largest man he has ever seen. He is 6'9" tall and must woiegh over 320lbs. He literally has the attendant lifted off the ground in one mighty paw. The man is caucasian and wearing a black khaki outfit. He has a buzzcut and the coldest peircing eyes Kurosian can imagine. He also has a crucifix tattoo on his right cheek.
Kurosian says, "So, your Christian morals allow you to do this work do they?"
The attendants bones in his face begin to pop and crack as the man flexes his hand and blood starts to run out of his eyes. "Die infedel. I give you one last chance to make your peace with Christ."
"Korosian suddenly realises that this is no game. He begins to plead, saying, I want to have a chance to know your God! Plaese, you can't kill me, you'll damn me!"
The cold eyes respond with, "You're lieing." He drops tha attendants lifeless corpse and is about to scream when the man, with surprising speed for one of his size, grabs his neck with one hand and punches him in the stomach with the other, making him unable to scream. he begins to feel the vise-like grip tighten around his neck and thinks before he blacks out, "I wonder if they were right about their God?"
Hotan is sitting at his desk late one night when a gaurd comes in to give him some documents he requeted earlier. Hotan barely looks up as the guard snaps to attention. "You may place them on that table over there."
"Yes sir!" The gaurd turns around and places the documents on the desk. Hotan waves his hand to dismiss him and he turns to leave.
Then, from the hallway, Hotan hears a thud. His martial arts instincts take over and he immediately snatches up his letter opener. The door bursts pen and a man in a black mask bursts on with a gun drawn and fires three shots out of the silencer. Hit, Hotan lets fly his letter opener and the knife sinks deep into the throat of his attacker. Then, another leaps past the sinking body of his comrade and Hotan lets fly with a reverse spinning kick that sends his gun flying. The attacker, not without his own hand-to-hand skill responds with a brutal flurry of punches and kicks. None would have made it through Hotans expert defense had he been at his best, but with a bleeding stomach wound, he takes a couple of hard ones on the face. However, he quickly recovers and utilises a two-finger strike that drives his iron-like hand into the groin of his assailant. As he buckles, Hotan reaches down and snaps his neck with one fluid movement. A third and the final attacker then fires agin and the force of the bullet hitting Hotans arm sends him sprawling. The attacker senses his advantage and presses his attack, but Hotan, ever the survivor ducks behind the huge oak desk. There, he finds the strength to leap out and miunt a vicious defense, blows come faster than the human eye can register and shower about the head and shoulders of his attacker. Unfortunately, his attacker gets another shot off as he falls. But Hotan remembers one thing before he blacks out, the sound of his attackers throat being crushed under his heel.

Meanwhile, back in Quinntonia, one shadowed man says to another, "Agent Korah has reported in, he claims succes and is bringing back a........ souvineir to prove it this time. We have lost contact with Team Omega."
WWJD
Amen.

Shenyang, Liaoning province, PR China

"Comrade Director is taking his time, eh?"
"Aye... Perhaps we gave him more ale than such a little east-Asian is built for.."

Banat Agent Cheiy shifted in his seat as he listened to the conversation of a few near-by Beth Gellen representatives at Kurosian's latest speech. I should have tried that "ale" myself. It was certainly no sake. Perhaps it has made the Director unwell. Cheiy dragged himself sorely from his seat and went to inquire as to Kurosian's well being.

The Director had been praising comrade Secretary Hotan's admirable conduct of the war in his absence, before breaking for ..conveniences' sake. He'd been going on for rather a long time.. at more length since the Beth Gellens had given him a generous sample of their national ales. They could now be over-heard joking about how Kurosian was on the brink of telling them that "Hotan.. Hotan's the guy.. he's my only friend in the..world..youuu don't know me at all!"

In the corridor Cheiy had to side-step to avoid what he supposed to be a Beth Gellen, or else a gorilla. Odd tattoo though, that wasn't a western communist symbol, was it?

The assembly was begining to show signs of impatience. Laughter and chatter grew louder amongst the Beth Gellens, the Chinese hosts shifted in their seats, unsure if they had somehow offended the Director, and the Drapoel shot one another nervous glances.

"Hiidirrokirii! Hiidirrokirii!" Cheiy's Drapoel cries of assasination snapped the room out of its listlessness.

Director Kurosian was dead.

Banat agents sprang to the feet, sending runners off in all directions to begin a cover-up. Red Bamboo officers ran after Cheiy as he returned to the scene, his face quite pale, and Banat guards outside the auditorium were after a few seconds of confusion sent running to block exists, yelling impatient abuse at the facility's regular Chinese security.

Kanggye, Kanggye District, PR Dra-pol

Secretary Hotan lay bleeding on the floor of Office #3341, a previously unremarkable corner of the formidable Drapoel bureaucracy. He had wakened after barely a minute of immobility to the soft gurgles which he eventually identified as the dying breaths of his first mysterious attacker.

For several minutes -which seemed to him hours- the most powerful man in the republic struggled desperately to hoist himself into the surprisingly modest wooden chair which clashed significantly with the imported oak table that had perhaps saved his life. He sat there for several further minutes, trying hard to draw breath enough to call out. He several times heard rapid footsteps and shouting in the concrete warren beyond the half open steel door. Apparently the fallen guard had been discovered.. but there was a door every couple of yards in the corridor, and none generally lead to anything more important than a given other.

The next thing to grace Hotan's perceptions was a senior Banat officer, backed by a hospital wall. This vision was eventually joined by the sound of a report emanating from the officer and bouncing off the walls. The Director was dead, and Hotan himself alive only by virtue of his evacuation to China for care by an international team of surgeons from Drapol, China, and Beth Gellert.

Agent Korah steps into the undergound room less than 24 hours later to report on his success. He looks about the large room and all its shadowed men.
"Is he really dead this time?" Comes the question.
Agent Korakhands the gaurd a box which he takes to the head chair. The box is pened to reveal two disembodied eyes staring at the gasping man in the chair.
"Apperently, the Dra-pol beleive that the sould resides in the eyes. At least those who aren't completely aethiest." As the gasps continue, Korah smiles coldly, knowing his promotion is secure.
WWJD
Amen.

Limited number of Gellert Sentinels involved in the immediate search for Director Kurosian's attacker/s were disappointed to leave the scene without identification of said being made.

It seemed to some that the Drapoel began to view them with some suspicion, and Commonwealth Chief Consul comrade Chivo was quick (ooc:to assault the enemy with alliteration-bombs) to reaffirm Beth Gellert's commitment to supporting the republic against Christian capitalist aggression- extra aid was openly agreed to in the hopes of assuring trust.

Commonwealth investigators were sent to Kanggye in the hopes of assisting with identification of the bodies of Hotan's attackers.

Of course suspicion was firmly on members of the "crusader coalition". To defeat the security observed to be in place around fortress Kanggye was surely beyond anyone but the most determined and well trained opponent.

Talk of again deploying a major expeditionary force- this time over land through China and its Pakistani ally- was met with all manner of negative shouts when it was raised at a number of Local Senate meetings. Costs were building up already, casualties could be high if (as was deemed likely) the enemy resisted, and co-operation with so many questionable regimes raised more questions than the justice in the operation answered. Plus it might take months. Who knew what the situation might be by the time the force arrived.

"Lets call it Plan B." Came the eventual decision.

..Now if only someone had a Plan A.

OOC- My Prime Minister Jesse son of Obed is the survivor of a failed assasination attempt that was earlier this year. It was perpetrated by a terrorist orginisation known as Tulip. They are Chaos Anarchists.
Evidence you find on the bodies of the attackers will point towards that orginization, including tattoos on their right cheeks of Tulips. they are also of mixed nationality and their identifieing marks don't show up on any database.
IC- Prime Minister jesse son of Obed is calling for one week of cease-fire to honor the fallen Director.
WWJD
Amen.

As the harsh Drapoel winter descends once more on the embattled republic, chilling news is delivered to the loyal populace.

Director Kurosian, the reports state, has been gunned down by our cowardly foe -now too afraid to meet the Drapoel people in open battle.

Rumor now circulating of Kurosian pleading for his life are obviously the work of counter revolutionaries (who, by the way, should be informed against -the Banat are always here to listen!), and in truth the beloved Director and his personal assistant died defending a Chinese institution from terrorist attack.

Secretary Hotan's attack, and valiant survival, is also reported. Several key figures have already come out in support of his accession to Directorship upon his inevitable recovery. “Key figures” in the Peoples’ Republic of Dra-pol are perhaps different in standing to “key figures” in many other nations. In the republic, of course, they are not generally well known to the public or outside world (the Director and his Secretary excepted), but hold significant positions in the nation’s vast bureaucracy.

Hotan’s loyalty to Kurosian has stood him in good stead with the Director’s fanatical and pervasively influential Banat. His competent leadership during Kurosian’s lengthy tour of China has made him known to the public, and respected by them and by the regular army in light of falling casualty rates in the same time-period. Finally, his heroic fight for survival in which he killed three armed attackers –the latter two while repeatedly wounded and quite unarmed- has elevated the martial-arts master to a position of major aspiration in the elite Red Bamboo regiments.

Hotan himself remains in a state of convalescence, under guard in an undisclosed Chinese hospital.

Director Kurosian’s body was carefully prepared ahead of his grandiose return to the republic. Fake eyeballs were placed under his closed lids, though the public would never be told. Even many of those involved in the process, and in the highest echelons of republican society would be told that as in Lenin’s case it was a measure to prevent the eyes naturally sinking in their sockets. http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38295000/jpg/_38295789_parade300ap.jpg
Kurosian returns to Kanggye amidst a grand funeral procession

http://www.hikoryo.com/200207/kpa05.jpg
Kanggye takes advantage of what may be the last clear day for months, as the people see-off their beloved Director

Dra-pol continues to observe a degree of peace on the eastern front, with no fresh incursions against Hamhung apparent (covert infiltration operations continue to be attempted on a low level, ‘civilians’ interacting with vast ‘underground’ organisations in the city state). Continued lack of communication with enemies on the western front means that operations continue.

With winter coming, what is operational of the Central Directorature completes its figures pertaining to the last year. Dra-pol’s military expenditure is estimated to have passed the value of one and a half trillion US$. More than the Gross Domestic Product of France, and easily four or five times the typical military spending of the USA.

http://www.hikoryo.com/200207/kpa02.jpg
The People’s Army marches on- here departing Kanggye and confidently making for the ruined capital of DaKhiem.

Perhaps it is the fact of this level of investment, or perhaps it is mere indignation after the killing of their Director, but either way, the Drapoel are clearly shaking off whatever ills may have lately befallen their confidence. The People’s Army has dispatched huge numbers of men towards DaKhiem, halfway between Pyongyang and Hamhung. It has been decided to once more rebuild the city, and this time to defend it against all modern threats.

In China’s Liaoning province, and Dra-pol’s Sonbong district amphibious mock-assaults began this morning, with several thousand infantry, dozens of not previously seen amphibious tanks and APCs (many at least resembling Chinese Type 63s) taking part. Shinden, Shinden-Jetto, MiG-15, and a handful of S-4 “Super Shinden” flew modest air cover and ground attack sorties. The main short coming evident in the operation was a near complete lack of blue-water vessels.

Oh well, perhaps Dra-pol’s maritime ambition does not extend over-seas…

After rounds of meetings in Quinntonia, Bishop Gerald Westgaard has been given permission to negotiate a long-term cease-fire with the Dra-poel regime. He immediately announces to the assembled executive staff in The Colony of Quinntonian Dra-pol that the Quinntonian government has recieved a historic "opening of the coffers." The churches that make up the Council of Bishops have offerd a combined total of $25 billion USD towards rebuilding the quality of life for the people of Dra-pol. The only stipulation is that they will not allow any of the money to be used for the war effort. I have been given final say over the use of these funds and will not release any more than is needed to feed and provide healthcare for the people until a cease-fire can be arranged. Also, military movement in Dra-pol is to slow down in preperation for negotiation.
The Coalition members are asked to do the same.

Bishop Gerald Westgaard begins using Chinese governemnt members that owe him favors to contact Hotan. The question is simple, "What would you need to agree to a long-term cease-fire." The go-betweens are also told to ask Hotan to contact Gerald.
WWJD
Amen.

*************BASEBALL NEWS NETWORK******************


The season has been seriously affected by the massive call ups of reservists. Estimates say that almost 1 million personnel are in advanced readiness training and this supposedly includes over 500,000 combat troops.

The nations mourns bygone days of peace
**********************************************************

These reservests begin to be seen in the Pyongyang perimeter as they offload from Bob Hope class transports in the port and c141s on the expanding airfields.

The Premier of Happy Baseball Fans affirms the nation's resolve in standing with Quinttonia and our other allies in this situation.

While we hope for a peaceful resolution; we will not back down from any conflict that threatens our allies.


**************Baseball News Network*********************

We are live outside the gates of the Oakland submarine base. Our government sources have told us of several recent sorties by our Ballistic missile fleet. We have footage of no fewer than seven subs in the channel leaving the base early this morning. Base officials refuse to comment but our military analysts confirm that the subs on our film look to be SSBN's.

More as this alarming story develops
***********************************************************

West around Pyongyang however the situation is quite different. Dra-pol's communication with the "crusader coalition" has been primarily through Quinntonia, and little has been heard from other authorities. Hotan is as a result trying to promote Quinntonian acceptance of his Director's peace offer, which will have the status-quo more or less maintained between Dra-pol and Quinntonia, and see the withdrawl of other coalition members. This policy is being pursued by leaving Quinntonia more or less alone while they consider the cease-fire offer, whilest inflicting as much damage as possible against their allies outside Hamhung.

Sabotage teams are persistantly attempting to infiltrate enemy positions, and to deal damage to the airfield at Pyongyang. Booby-traps still litter the area taken by the enemy, as well as the surrounding villages and forest. Mortar attacks are commen- the 40mm knee-mortar being employed extensively in "shoot and scoot" raids involving often just two or three man teams. The object is usually the airfield, and frequently mere targets of oportunity.

Bombing raids by the enemy are apparently delivered primarily by high-altitude heavy bombers. At times whole villiages are wiped out, killing dozens of troops and hundreds of civilians. There is little that the Drapoel can do to intercept these high-altitude raids, so it seems, until the recently reported missile test firings from Kanggye. These missiles quite clearly could engage any aircraft anywhere over Dra-pol. They are Beth Gellen CS-400 systems, which Dra-pol has been told can intercept ICBMs under certain circumstances, as well as low-observability aircraft. So far the system has not been fired in anger over Dra-pol.

Igla-S shoulder-launched SAM continue to seek any low-flying aircraft over Drapoel territory, while recently Hotan's aggresive policy has sent SAM teams closer to Pyongyang, in much the same fashion as the knee-mortar squads. There are beginning attempts to take down enemy bombers at Pyongyang airbase on take-off and landing. The Igla-S have a range of several kilometres, giving a considerable area of operation in the surrounding forests and hills.

Typically, a SAM team will approach, seeking a good firing position. As an aircraft approaches on take-off or landing, the team will attempt to engage it. A second SAM team will be on hand perhaps up to a couple of miles away, sometimes less, and it is their responsibility to cover the first team from retribution by enemy strike aircraft or helicopter gunships, as it is thought likely that the enemy will quickly respond to a SAM launch near the airbase. Hopefully, it will even be possible to take out a bomber, and then to ambush an aircraft sent in retribution. Further, a knee-mortar team is likely to be on hand possibly with a light machinegun squad as well. These will attempt to way-lay any ground response with a surprise strike.

In total, it is quite likely that little more than half a dozen men would be involved in such an attack, making it much easier for them to vanish back into the forest/hills.

Kurosian remains in China, awaiting the results of his last diplomatic effort.

As the casualites mount in and around Pyongyang another Seabee Regiment is flown in to assist the original Regiment used in the landing and subsequent development of the area. Many of the reservists now being brought in are transferred into existing units as replacements rather than new units being designated. It is hoped that the experience of the veteran Marine and Army troops on the ground already will help save lives. The burndowns and clearouts have resulted in an open stretch of ground almost a mile wide around Poyonyang that is under observation but not occupation.

It is only after night falls on the perimeter that the real "fun" begins around Poyonyang as Dra-pol teams do what they do and Marine snipers creep out from the positions on the perimeter. Others forces also begin creeping out from the perimeter after dark to do battle in quite a different way.

ooc The rest of this is rp done mostly in handsigns

ic booby trap there. (pointing) trip wire runs along here [i](the marine engineer with a 70 pound ruck can only move so fast but since he is crawling most of the way anyway it just doesn't matter except for the fatigue in his legs)

cpl: (waving the engineer to one side) indicates a movement of the trip wire run back about 25 feet toward the dra-pol lines with his hand as his other hand reaches for a combat knife to dig around the wire.

after the task of resetting the trip wire is accomplished, a flare is rigged to the HBF side of the trip wire to be unobservable from the dra-pol side and wired to a trigger attached to the trip wire itself. after the marines crawl back about 25 yards to a dug in position prepared by the rest of their fire team, they pull the camo ground covers over their holes and await developments with at least one fire team member eying the booby trap position from the sights of an m249 SAW(squad automatic weapon)

(whispered) [i] now lets see just how many of these bastards want up close and personal introductions to their ancestors in hell

similar units are in place near the best sites for SAM launches (which have become a real pain in the ass for the strike fighters based in Poyonyyang) and they supply thier own booby traps for the dra-pol SAM teams.

Meanwhile.................

A spokesman for the Happy Baseball Fans governement denies any involvement on the firebombings of whole villages from strategic bombers. if whole villages light up after getting hit with the fleigershis we are dropping, dra-pol has more serious problems than any so called occupation

ooc (see page 17 for what we are really dropping on dra-pol villages) :D

Secretary Hotan's eventual reply to Westgaard is wired shortly after Drapoel radio- now broadcasting 24 hours once more after bombings at the height of the war frequently disrupted service- had made its latest round of announcements. The economy was up again, the oppression of comrades in Hamhung was increasing, the Happy Baseballers continued to defile Drapoel soil with their presence -and other even more disrespectful things, even as the nation mourned its beloved Director, and the Red Bamboo were to take delivery of a number of Beth Gellert's MT-3 Hotan tanks, presently being flown by BG via Pakistan and China, bound for Kanggye.

Hotan's message stated that the Happy Baseballers were to withdraw entirely, and that their continued presence -and insulting actions (of course he can't actually say "they're sh**ing on our villiages")- would eventually bring about a new escalation in hostilities. The Drapoel, he said, only have so much patience and cause for restraint.

He also stated that of course, naval blockades around Dra-pol would have to be lifted- it was proving a pain, he had been told, for Dra-pol's key trade partners to arrive via China, especially when they had to travel through other nations such as Pakistan en route. Fees incurred en route were obviously unwanted.

As for Hamhung/Quinntonian Dra-pol itself, the exhausted Secretary was still not 100% confident of Quinntonian opinion, political and popular, on the matter. He wasn't sure how much he could expect. Of course he wanted a withdrawl, but that seemed less than realistic. It crossed his mind to suggest a lease of sorts, expiring x years/decades from now. That almost seemed to tie his hands, however. It actually seemed best to leave the issue contested.. less than officially resolved.. the war at long-term cease-fire rather than actual resolution. He stood it seemed, to loose less that way.

Eventually he decided to make a generally similar move to the fallen Kurosian, with minor alterations. Between a radius of 50km and 54km from the coastal district of Hungnam there would be some sort of negotiated international/co-operative administration and policing for the immediate future.

By this he hoped to appear in Quinntonian eyes to be offering at least a little more than Kurosian (his 'buffer/security zone' of 4km was added on-top of the 50km radius rather than taken from it, as it were) without making a noticible sacrifice in the lives of most Drapoel. By speaking of the buffer and not of Hamhung itself he avoided delving into sovereignty of the city, without being too obvious, he hoped, in that avoidance.

Meanwhile, the casualty statistics continued to slowly tick over around Pyongyang, and spending continued as DaKhiem was this time more gradually re-built and re-armed, and Kanggye's industrial capacity continued to increase day on day.

While in China, Hotan did his best to negotiate for intermediate aviation technologies to improve the S-4 programme. There were, it turned out, almost forgotten border disputes with China. Tiny areas of land such as around Paektu-san mountain, and in several tiny river islands, were disputed in various records. Of no direct significance, but Hotan was still struggling with the notion of surrendering any more Drapoel soil. On with negotiation.

As Secretary Hotan continues his painful recovery in China, and prepares to return home to Dra-pol, the remaining governmental resources are split between worrying about who will lead the nation (it seems unlikely that anyone will challenge Hotan, but the Secretary himself has not made his position clear), and the running of the nation's increasing industrialisation and mechanisation.

Hotan's limited input has made it just about apparent to most that extensive urbanisation would not be in the peoples' interests, but there are two exceptions. DaKhiem it appears is again to become the nation's primary administrative centre, and its old day time population of thirty-odd thousand seems likely to be restored, with increased military presence on the outskirts, and more advanced air-defences. Kanggye too has a growing day-time population, but most of its work force retires to surrounding villages by night.

Of course the defence industry dominates the on going industial rise of Kanggye, as would be expected given that the republic was invaded by a good half dozen nations. As the S-4 interceptor programme continues, and native production of FROG-7 varients, and assorted surface to air missiles kicks in, Dra-pol's massive army continues to receive high priority.

[Rambling about incoming armaments]

At last a new standard rifle has been chosen after months of mixing old 7.7mm bolt-action rifles and hopeless old Japanese sub machineguns with donated AK rifles and such, Dra-pol is begining to mass-produce a reasonably modern bullpup assault rifle. Designated D-Type 86 the weapon is based heavily on what was essentially a cheap Chinese AK clone, reconfigured to produce a bullpup arrangement and a 6.5mm chambering. It makes extensive use of pressing and is generally cheap and easy to produce and maintain. Accuracy is said to be "reasonable", and the unusual 6.5mm cartridge offers fairly good stopping power and a performance at range somewhere supposedly ahead of the AK-47, while likely short of some modern foreign designs. The weapon probably does not posses a burst-fire setting, as Drapoel soldiers have an oft described tradition of restrained single-shot firing. A fully automatic capacity perhaps, betrayed by provision for a bipod, offers some degree of squad fire-support potential.

A new sub-machinegun designated D-Type K-50M is being mass produced already, and may be observed in the field around Pyongyang and Hamhung. This weapon too is well suited to cheap and easy production, being an 8mm weapon (as many Drapoel automatic pistols) born of the Soviet PPSH line. This gun exchanges the PPSH's wooden stock for (as yet poorly finished- this may change once the pressures of war fade) metal furniture, with a pistol grip and retractable butt. The PPSH style barrel jacket has been shortened, exposing most of the barrel's length.

Dra-pol's confirmation of intent to receive a number of powerful MT-3 Hotan was forthcoming this week. The highly modern and capable tank is expected to primarily equip elite Red Bamboo armoured units. In the meantime, decimated regular armoured units have been awaiting servicable replacements for their losses, and must have been tired of working with constantly up-rated second world war Japanese vehicles.

The result, it seems, is to be the Type D-14 Kurosian Main Battle Tank. While the truly modern front-line Hotans will equip the nation's best armoured units, the Kurosians are thought to be born of a slightly less ambitious project designed to equip regulars with masses of "something better than Chi-To medium tanks".

Observation of prototype Type D-14s reveals the following basic characteristics (of course details are as yet classified -I'm intending this to be presented as if an intelligence report based on the observations I assume would be made by numerous foreign agencies concerned. I have correct specs written down, but..y'know.. these are close enough)

Type D-14 Kurosian MBT
Crew- 4
Estimated Combat Weight- 39,000kg
Armour- Steel, classified.
Engine- 730hp diesel.
Top Speed~ 32mph road, 21-24mph off road.
Range~ 200+ miles road
Length~ 6.75m hull
Width~ 3.2m
Height~ 2.65m
Vertical Obstacle~ 1m
Trench~ 2.75m
Fording~ 2m with preparation
Armament- 115mm gun probably stabalised, thought to be rifled and capable of firing APFSDS and HEAT ammunition. Co-axial and AA machineguns are probably 7.7mm.
Other Features- The tank appears to carry infra-red night vision equipment for at least some crew members. A smoke-screen may be laid by intecting diesel into the exhaust, and the driver is able to adjust the tank's impressive suspension to cope with Dra-pol's harsh and varied terrain, as well as to improve the elevation characteristics of the main armament.

http://fortus.hp.infoseek.co.jp/tank/jgsdf1501_sm.JPG

[/rambling about incoming armaments]

Bishop Gerald Westgaard is willing to accept the offer for a long-term cease-fire on one condition, the recognition of the original Quinntonian Dra-pol agreement.
WWJD
Amen.

Secretary Hotan's eventual reply to Westgaard is wired shortly after Drapoel radio- now broadcasting 24 hours once more after bombings at the height of the war frequently disrupted service- had made its latest round of announcements. The economy was up again, the oppression of comrades in Hamhung was increasing, the Happy Baseballers continued to defile Drapoel soil with their presence -and other even more disrespectful things, even as the nation mourned its beloved Director, and the Red Bamboo were to take delivery of a number of Beth Gellert's MT-3 Hotan tanks, presently being flown by BG via Pakistan and China, bound for Kanggye.

Hotan's message stated that the Happy Baseballers were to withdraw entirely, and that their continued presence -and insulting actions (of course he can't actually say "they're sh**ing on our villiages")- would eventually bring about a new escalation in hostilities. The Drapoel, he said, only have so much patience and cause for restraint.



A government spokesperson for Happy Baseball Fans was recently seen on the national news network making the following statement

Our strategic overflight operations will continue but the level of activity on those operations will be reduced. The overflights will now be accompanied by AWACS aircraft (escorted by F16s) which should be able to provide aerial intelligence on operations over Hamhung and Kangye.

We are also announcing the deployment of several squadrons of advanced F22 Raptor and F23 Spirit Walker(based on the black widow design) fighter aircraft to the region along with our F117A aircraft contingent.

We support the Quinttonian peace initiatives and will comply with mutually agreed upon arrangements when the time comes. Our surface and subsurface Naval forces will remain in the area enforcing the naval blockade until the situation is resolved. We look forward to a peaceful resolution so further needless deaths can be avoided

Secretary Hotan had returned to Kanggye, and done so against the advise of his assorted foreign doctors. What did they know anyway? The Chinese had gone soft, they were weak compared to how they might be under his Direction, or that of the late Kurosian. And the Beth Gellens? Well, they were good revolutionaries. Westerners though. Not Christian at least, but still soft compared to the Drapoel, and lacking discipline. They still hadn't found Kurosian's killers, and Dra-pol had more pressing needs to attend.

They might get away with it, and that possibility was burrowing its way painfully under Hotan's skin.

Dra-pol was loosing its way under all these external influences. Maybe Kurosian's decision to bring them in had saved the republic from an early death only to condemn it to a prolonged sickness. Hotan began to see himself -being Kurosian's natural successor- as the cure.

The Secretary of The Peoples' Choson Republic of Dra-pol was prepared at last to become its Director. No one was about to stand in his way- no one had his pedigree. Even if one disagreed with Hotan's impending appointment, they could not hope to prove more popular than he.

Hotan's Directorature would be confirmed once his physical strength was regained.

Kanggye-

Security was tighter than ever before as Hotan returned. His primary residence would be amongst the deepest bunkers- those in which Kurosian hid during his son's brief and brutal rule.

The Secretary regarded Happy Baseballer news with some disdain. Quintonian peace initiatives? Bah! These savage westerners (westerners so far as I know) believe only what suits their narrow world view- Kurosian is.. was at the head of the peace initiatives. They are Drapoel, despite our right to prosecute guerre a outrance against these invaders.

Hotan, who had been pacing the gloomy concrete room, winced in pain, having strained his injured body as his temper rose. With a discomforted grunt he cast into a near by table the letter opener with which he had slain the first of his three attackers, and the silver blade made itself quite at home.

"The Quinntonians still will not budge!" He almost hissed as he spoke, though the Banat guard standing with his back to the doorframe did not so much flinch in response. A second twinge of pain finally tempered Hotan's emotion, and after a deep, slowly drawn breath he continued on. "How can they think that nothing has changed? Over two million have died, and the Drapoel economy has grown sixty fold since the agreement was forced upon our stunned and broken nation. In fact, write this down!" He exclaimed, shortly realising that there was no clerk present to receive such an order. Hotan began writing himself, arched over the desk, while motioning for his guard to call in someone to take-over the transcription. The Banat officer turned his head towards the open door frame and passed on the demand in a rather gruff voice.

Presently a young man bowed in acceptance of the pen extended to him by Hotan's hand, and took a seat, continuing the transcription as comrade Secretary Hotan spoke.

The economy has grown sixty fold? Mused the surprised young man as he failed to resist reading what had come previously from Hotan's pen. Why has my ration barely changed? Shall I receive an inflated allowance next month?

As he wrote, the young assistant tried silently to calculate the state of his nation's economy according to comrade Secretary Hotan. In the end he reached a figure corresponding to a GDP of over twenty trillion dollars, and though someone in such a junior position as he had received a lifetime of inflated propaganda figures, he was not terribly far off. He under-estimated the level of military expenditure, guessing at closer to one annual trillion than two, as The Central Directorature had always down-played defence spending.

The sum of the final dictation was that the Drapoel directed their own future, and that foreigners in Dra-pol would never dictate terms. Drapoel airspace was to be restored. In the short term any aircraft flying over Kanggye or DaKhiem would be shot-down by 14.5, 23, 47 and 75mm AAA, and Igla-S or CS-400 SAMs depending on altitude et cetera. By the end of the week all foreign aircraft in Drapoel skies would be requiring of Central Directorature authorisation lest they too be shot down by AAA, SAM, or fighter/interceptors.

The area defined in the dictation as "Drapoel Airspace" covered Pyongyang, and everything up to a 50km radius from the eastern coastal district of Hungnam. Attached was a suggestion that the latter aspect could be extended up to a further 4km should the zone Hotan previously mentioned ever be established.

In short this meant that effective immediately any coalition aircraft over Kanggye or DaKhiem would be engaged from the ground. By the end of one week Drapoel interceptors would begin intensive patrols once more over the republic, freely engaging any unauthorised aircraft anywhere except directly over the city of Hamhung. CS-400 SAM systems concentrated around Kanggye already meant that almost the entire nation was "within range", and as Dra-pol continued to purchase the weapons from BG and import them over-land and through the air into Kanggye, they were begining to be dispersed into the forests and mountains elsewhere.

This meant that coalition aircraft at Pyongyang would have to be either grounded indefinitely, withdrawn within seven days, or prepared to face engagement every time they lifted off.

Hamhung/Quinntonian Dra-pol

With Drapoel forces officially withdrawn to 50km from Hungman, and actually restricting themselves mostly to over 54km away (excepting for tiny squads on specific operations of observation, propaganda, or sabotage (occasionally laying traps in areas known to be frequented by Quinntonian soliders- possibly patrol routes?)) the city is largely uncontested, and under Quinntonian administration.

However, during recent phases of major hostilities it may be remembered that a major "reurbanisation" was begun, and that thousands of loyal Drapoel were transplanted to the captured outskirts of the city. Amongst these are many comrades with Banat links. In some cases the general population knows who they are, and in others they are oblivious. Pro republican agitation is rising once more, after the minority disturbances in the city centre came unstuck against a Christian majority. This time the outskirts will be the epicentre, and in many areas republicans are in the majority.

Posters cover doors and walls -many in support of comrade Secretary Hotan, others proclaiming the virtue of Drapoel pride and unity, some merely attacking Christian/western/foreign/capitalist ideals. Marches are to be organised. People gather around the best available radio receivers to hear broadcasts from Dra-pol proper. (Assuming they can) those working for the Banat purchase television sets, and make it a point to "invite" people around to watch an increasing number of TV broadcasts, variously news reports, parades, and speeches, originating in Kanggye and DaKhiem.

As several of our commerce goods and military transport routes skirt the edges of Dra-poelian airspace, the entire region and socialist pact of the 4th ComIntern request the Central Directorates approval for all our nations' planes to cross Dra-Pol skies when it is necessary to do so. We trust Comrade Hotan will grant us authorization.

Regards,
Foreign Relations,
Scandinavia.

After a brief delay during which Central Directorature workers were uncertain as to what if any authorisation they required before granting the requested permission, Hotan's interjection results in said being given.

Though access over certain sensitive regions will be limited on a case-by-case basis, Drapoel skies are opened up to 4th ComIntern member states.

One exception has already been delivered- The Belmore Family and its dominions are presently barred from operating in any capacity inside The Choson Peoples' Republic of Dra-pol.

"The harbour called Quinntonian Dra-pol or Hambung in the native tongue has ben declared as a quasi-embassy, making it unofficial Quinntonian territory, and our law holds sway here. Kurosian II does not like this arrangement, but considers it a neccassery evil in order to keep the manufacturing complex and power plants going and the aid pouring in. There is also an 'official' embassy complex in Dakhiem, along with a select few other nations." (Sic)

Hotan finally presents documentation recovered from the bombed Central Directorature, detailing, often in Quinntonian words, that nation's arrangements and influence in Dra-pol around the time of Quinntonian Dra-pol's foundation.

These unofficial arrangements were made while Dra-pol suffered under the misdirection of Kurosian II- a man since arrested by the proper authorities of the republic and handed over to Quinntonia for trial pertaining to war-crimes.

On two counts comrade Secretary Hotan contends that Quinntonia has no official sovereign rights to Drapoel soil, excepting formerly in the official embassy in DaKhiem- a building which was finally destroyed in the Raysian bombing raid which leveled most of the little city.

Hotan feels that it would be quite appropraite for Dra-pol to officially expel Quinntonian diplomatic representation- were it actually returned to DaKhiem- thus ridding the entire "Crusader Coalition" of its rights to maintain an official presence anywhere in Dra-pol.

To Westgaard he sends that it might be best to stir up a fuss in Quinntonia about the fate of the many prisoners -KII included- given over by KI's regime. He dryly suggests that "Perhaps when this is all over and you have lost everything else, Quinntonia would like to save face by keeping and sentencing Kurosian II and the 'Banat' officers."

The Secretary has not yet made a major drive with his new legal angle, and is, as he rests in bed, musing over the pros and cons of presenting Dra-pol to the world as a victim of imperialist invasion, in search of a large scale defensive coalition.

Bishop Westgaard is staring at a copy of the original document that out-lined the rights to Quinntonian Dra-pol. The internation law specialists that he has flown in and the assorted advisors are now addressing him.
"Basically, they have no legal leg to stand on. The agreement can be quoted out of context, but the full document has several provisions that allow for military control to be exerted over the prescribed borders. And, the allowance for embassadorial rights was a completely legally distinct agreement. They can try to take us through the media, but, it won't amount to anything more than a few more reds hating us. And, as for their media and propaganda campaigns, well, as of 1200 hours tomorrow, all incoming radio and television signals will be jammed. From this piont on, Quinntonian television and a new station called "Radio Dra-pol" will be beginning from Hamhung today. The Quinntonian TV programs will all be dubbed or played with Dra-poel sub-titles. And, a daily newsletter will be distributed freely and at no charge starting at the end of the week. We aqre hoping to have a locally published newspaper within three months. No mouth in Quinntonian Dra-pol has gone hungry and I am glad to say that our healthcare system will be rebuilding ASAP. As it is now, basic healthcare is freely available to all people. Unfortunately, the more complex procedures are currently unavailable, but we are hopeful that they will become available soon."
WWJD
Amen.

Kanggye-

The sum of the final dictation was that the Drapoel directed their own future, and that foreigners in Dra-pol would never dictate terms. Drapoel airspace was to be restored. In the short term any aircraft flying over Kanggye or DaKhiem would be shot-down by 14.5, 23, 47 and 75mm AAA, and Igla-S or CS-400 SAMs depending on altitude et cetera. By the end of the week all foreign aircraft in Drapoel skies would be requiring of Central Directorature authorisation lest they too be shot down by AAA, SAM, or fighter/interceptors.

The area defined in the dictation as "Drapoel Airspace" covered Pyongyang, and everything up to a 50km radius from the eastern coastal district of Hungnam. Attached was a suggestion that the latter aspect could be extended up to a further 4km should the zone Hotan previously mentioned ever be established.

In short this meant that effective immediately any coalition aircraft over Kanggye or DaKhiem would be engaged from the ground. By the end of one week Drapoel interceptors would begin intensive patrols once more over the republic, freely engaging any unauthorised aircraft anywhere except directly over the city of Hamhung. CS-400 SAM systems concentrated around Kanggye already meant that almost the entire nation was "within range", and as Dra-pol continued to purchase the weapons from BG and import them over-land and through the air into Kanggye, they were begining to be dispersed into the forests and mountains elsewhere.

This meant that coalition aircraft at Pyongyang would have to be either grounded indefinitely, withdrawn within seven days, or prepared to face engagement every time they lifted off.




*****************Baseball News Network********************

We are live from one of the airfields at an undisclosed airbase. As you can see and hear behind me, tanker after tanker seems to be lifting off and headed in the direction of Dra-pol. We are told that these are midair refueling tankers and that fighter escorts have already launched from a different airfield. Our sources indicate that our Air Guard reserve units are flying escort duty in long range F111 fightercraft that have not been our main fighters for quite some time. We have to wonder where the bulk of our airforce is and what the future holds with this potentially alarming development


Edit: from high over Dra-pol

we have incoming intel from Queball 6

As the aircraft are flying towards Dra-pol, a encoded transmission comes in from an undisclosed location. "Slugger 6, incoming intel."
WWJD
Amen.

Aboard the "Giants" Admiral Rauss looks at the shore and land approaches to Poyyongyang through his binoculars as the battleships of the fleet follow his vessel in formation for shore bombardment. It wouldn't matter because the guns aboard the battleships could throw shells inland up to 50 miles if needed but every little bit helps.

The missile subs are in position?

OOD: yes admiral

very well commence the withdrawal. Inform the carriers that their ground support aircraft should be at ready launch if not already in the air.

In Poyyongynag, material and vehicles positioned near the docks quietly began to be loaded rapidly aboard empty Bob Hope class transports as other vesssels awaited offshore. Meanwhile the deliberately misidentified transport aircraft mentioned on the news began to land at the airfields and loading starting in earnest at most of the airfields around Poyyongyang.

OOC-I'm sorry, today is Remebrance Day, I cannot be involved in a war thread today. I'll post tomorrow,
WWJD
Amen.

"Your lease is up, foreigners. How can what you have done be seen as anything other than an invasion and conquest? Talk of sovereign lands, used to draw more wolves to the table of Quinntonia's Drapoel banquet disgusts us!

The Drapoel people's army has by now grown significantly, with over 9.1 million effectives under arms.
The nation of course lacks a full navy, possessing instead a number of inshore gunboats and a few coastal gunboats and light transport ships, none of which are being used aggressively. Only a couple of thousand Drapoel are involved in military shipping.

The airforce has 314 combat aircraft in airworthy condition and with available trained pilots. 74 are jets. Efforts to acquire fighters from Beth Gellert have as yet made little progress. The Drapoel regime makes frequent light of the fact that it has never flown a bomber, or even a dedicated ground attack aircraft- in fact, every single combat aircraft in Drapoel service is classified as an interceptor- the only non-interceptors are also non-combat; L2D4 light transport aircraft, as yet employed in limited movement of supplies. Obviously this is an airforce of defence.
The lack of navy again is held-up as an example of Dra-pol's non-threatening nature, as is the fact that it has no ICBMs or other surface-attack missiles with ranges much over 70km.

The Central Directorature warns the Happy Baseballers to halt any plans they may have for the pressing of the war, and indeed to withdraw from Pyongyang.

Secretary Hotan has decided to risk further contact with the outside world in order to rid the republic of that outside's most cancerous aspects.

Roads into China are being widened, and limited Drapoel rail lines are to be linked to Chinese track. Local military stregth is of course assisting in these programmes, and in the expansion of airbase facilities in Kanggye District. This is not what Hotan, and indeed most Drapoel, had wanted, but the stubborn attitude of the republic's bloody-minded attackers leaves the Secretary little recourse.

Hotan can not understand why what remains of the "crusader coalition" persists, and what it hopes to achieve. It is clear that Dra-pol has nowhere to which a climb-down or retreat might be effected. Can the attackers mean to defeat the republic militarily? Such a thing would cost them hundreds of billions, if not trillions of dollars, and certainly millions of lives, if it can be achieved at all. The Drapoel mindset is not an offensive one, the nation has never held an empire, or invaded a neighbour, and an attacker's mentality is one Hotan struggles to figure-out.
It appears that the great clash of cultures may still end in truly the mother of all battles, and the republic's growing resources will be employed to the fullest in the grand defence.


(ooc: North Korea IRL reportedly has 41.53 army personnel per 1,000 of the capita, and 3.82 per 1,000 in the airforce, and something like 2 per 1,000 in the navy. Not far from 5% of the population, and they aren't being invaded, so far as I know.. I have continued to take into account support crews- these are relatively limited in Dra-pol, mainly being bearers and mechanics, but of course most Drapoel soliders are expected to do hard work themselves- most men carrying X pounds of supplies also carry a rifle or submachinegun, and endure hardships that would see typical modern western soldiers collapse. Much of what in most armies would be support is in Dra-pol accounted for by collective labourers, working hard to supply armies as they pass in the field. Of course these continue to posses some fighting potential, but can not really be considered army groups without resorting to an "I'm Hitler and this is 1945" mindset (which is pretty similiar to "I'm a US republican/Israeli NS'er and I have an armed citizenry so you can't touch me!", come to think of it. Erm, but I digress..)


(Edit (ooc): Fair enough. I hate war and killing no matter what day of the year it may be. I'll be glad of the time to search out someone offering the sort of defensive armaments I want to avoid ruining the character of the republic.)

~This morning, a squadron of skycrane heavy lift craft took off from the Kinshasa National Airport, laden to the bursting point with dietary supplements, some medicinal products and African foodstuffs(mainly rice, beans, jungle fruit and some tins of canned ox and veal). They will be in China in a few days, where Commonwealth armor, air and army will escort the supplies into the Republic~

http://www.astudio.com/images/editorial/air/skycrane.jpeg

The Quinntonian Armed Forces in the area are all on high alert as a fleet of both military and civilian transport and corgo vessels begin to arrive in Quinntonian Dra-pol, the corgo? Not reinforcements, but trucks, construction equiptment and the peices that will soon be a huge anti-aircraft network. With automated SAM Missile batteries, various classifications of AA guns, smaller manned SAM Units along with extensive sensor stations and communications equiptment that will be a grid that will interconnect the entire area.
Also, the extensive patrols that have been frequenting the Quinntonian Dra-pol border have also been seeding the entire area with mines. The eventual minefield will fill our half of the demilitarised zone. (2 miles)
Behind that, our troops have been busy building an extensive complex of bunkers and trenches, along with the usual razor wire and forward artillary positions.
Work on the minefield and the bunker complex should be done in less than a month. However, work will continue as the bunker complex and trenches will be constantly improved and made into more permanent structures. The complex will be called "The Peace Wall" and unofficially called "The Westgaard Line" for his constant efforts for peace in Dra-pol.
Bishop Gerald Westgaard is slated to retire in the next year, however, no decision has been reached as to the exact date. he has been quoted as saying, "My work will be done when there is peace in Dra-pol."
WWJD
Amen.

Quinntonian fortification inside Hamhung has been met with Drapoel fortification outside. The build-up, especially of artillery, continues.

By virtue of their being the encircling force, rather than the encircled, the Drapoel have a larger ring in need of fortificaition.

However, while the Quinntonians presumably must maintain a solid line against Drapoel incursion, DaKhiem does not greatly fear a Quinntonian break-out attempt -there would be nowhere for them to go. As a result, there are considerable stretches of forest and valley free of heavy military concentrations. These are subject to foot patrol and Shinden fly-over, and are dotted here and there with watchtowers, foxholes, make-shift bunkers and such staffed part-time by local collective farmhands.

The bulk of the Southern Army, as it is sometimes called, may be found entrenched on hillsides all around Hamhung. Again naval chiefs have been disappointed as all calls for expansion are dismissed in favour of aviation research and artillery production. Artillery positions previously numbered in scores are now hundreds, and look like quickly becoming thousands.

The Western Army is faring no worse, with tens of thousands of soldiers, scores of tanks, and hundreds of guns moving ever more freely under the cover of Kanggye-based CS-400 long-range SAMs, growing numbers of imported J-10 and FC-1 fighters, and truck-mounted quadruple DRAR-1 SAM, and tracked ZSU-47-2 AAA, as well as Igla-S and QW-2 shoulder-launched SAM systems.

122mm MLRS -tracked, wheeled, static, and towed- are at last begining to appear in strength, and on-going tests and training operations in the north east are displaying their considerable range, rate, and volume of fire, as well as a fairly reasonable degree of accuracy in properly co-ordinated firings.

The build-up, Hotan hopes, will make the Happy Baseballers realise that their costly and unrewarding (thus surely unpopular) position, inspite of a few hi-tech weapons systems, is untenable. Privately he believes that the Quinntonians will be unlikely to abandon their more substantial investment, and that some day liberation of Hamhung will require another major battle.

Life continues in the Drapoel interior and beyond, as efforts to distribute food-imports get under-way, and envoys make contact with assorted foreign officials around the world.

[Missive to the Central Directorate, scrambled to appear from a different location in the world every 20 minutes and subject to intensive encryption from the Commonwealth's top intel department.]

Several of our Yak-44E early warning radar surveillance craft has been transported into China along with the recent supplies. We request permission to overfly Dra-Pol in order to gather information for Operation Deep Six. Request permission, over.

/Commonwealth Command, Intels.

The reply came in positive, though almost no one in Dra-pol would be prepared for the sight of such an odd looking aircraft should they catch a glimpse.

They would at least be ordered not to panic and open fire..

The Quinntonian fortifications are streaming in with well over 2 million civilian contracters working alongside military forces in order to speed the process. There has been ultra-secret infusions of cash from Coalition and non-coalition members are helping the massive cost that is being shouldered to fortify the area for its own protection. It is well known 6that maintaining the line will be far less expensive than a total all out shooting war.

OOC-I am having PC trouble and am in the process of moving and getting it fixed, so my postings are going to be pretty sporatic. Sorry.
WWJD
Amen.

The embarkations and withdrawals complete, the HBF fleet heads to sea South. Most of the ground troops were air lifted over the past several weeks. The bulk of heavy equipment was transported off shore a the docks and already underway for home.

Poyyongyang seems to now be an empty, wind blown desolation abandoned by all.

Though the skies around Pyongyang have been largely free of Drapoel aircraft, the small infantry squads skirmishing forth have lately been reporting reduced contacts.

At this point Director Kurosian might have ordered an all out attack.. Hotan however (er, I mean.. young Director Koshiako) would prefer to see the enemy leave and avoid drawing them back into a fight when they might otherwise be gone.

Tiny squads of elite Red Bamboo infantry are ordered into the airbase-come-town to Pyongyang, and around the site perhaps two dozen men creep forth to confirm enemy withdrawl.

DaKhiem would like very much to learn that it had back its best aviation hub with its paved airstrips, semi-fortified hangars, and (striped-down) factories.

In the forbidden city of Paegam, little Director Koshiako is dressed by his nanny, and enthusiastically over-stating his actions is marched into an internal wing of the palace for a watered-down briefing from a high ranking Banat officer.

..He is pleased, if a little frustrated by his isolation.

In other news, anylists may note a possible inflation by DaKhiem of the so called Type D-14 Kurosian Main Battle Tank, evidenced by the begining of prototype trials for the Type D-18 Koshiako Supplemental MBT. Careful observation reveals re-classification of the Type D-14 as a medium tank, and the fact of its mounting not a native 115mm gun as previously reported, but a Chinese-built Type 83-I 105mm gun. The Type D-18, however, may well boast the former weapon, which in modified form is daily in greater and greater evidence at artillery posts around Hamhung.

The following purchases have been confirmed and are being delivered to the Westgaard Line. They represent only a portion of the massive military buld-up and spending, (all of an obviously defensive nature) that is being put into place with the help of secret financial support on the part of a few nations.
M-730 Guided Missile Equipt. Carrier (Chapparral IR SAM)
4000 units
M-163A1 20mm Vulcan mobile AA Gun System
6000 units
M-270 MLRS Rocket Artillery
2000 units
M-48 Chapparal Mobile SAM Launchers
6000 units

ELS-400 Missile Launchers
2000 units
ELS-119A=105mm Light Artillary Guns
40,000 Units
ELS-119B=105mm Light Artillary Guns/ Truck Mounted
10,000 units

Obviously, General Gemby has seen the Dra-pol Artillary build-up and is responding in kind. Most of the units are being manufactured in a huge war-time industry that has sprang up in Quinntonia and shipped by many of the Coalition members cargoe and merchant navies fleets. The Westgaard line is fast becoming some of the most dangerous areas in the world for aircraft and mass land attacks. On both sides of the line. Hundreds of thousands of land mines and bunkers that are manned by millions of troops are staring at what is fast becoming much of the same on the Dra-pol side. If this is the price of peace, paranoia is better than blood.
WWJD
Amen.

(Crikey.. that's several times more artillery than North Korea has! Well, I suppose I'll abandon any ideas I had of holding back!)

"We are advocates of the abolition of war, we do not want war; but war can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun."

Hotan's visage was again displayed on the huge video screen on the external wall of the Central Directorature, and this time the Secretary of the republic was delivering a speech on the Quinntonian situation.

"Our country and all the other socialist countries want peace; so do the peoples of all the countries of the world. The only ones who crave war and do not want peace are certain monopoly capitalist groups in a handful of imperialist countries that depend on aggression for their profits."

He asserted that the massive military build-up in Hamhung was lining the pockets of the synical arms manufacturers of the west, while their reactionary governments flocked to take a share of the Quinntonian monopoly in Hamhung. Quinntonia was there to steal the taxes given by the masses, and to create a rallying point.. a giant billboard for other capitalist groups and reactionary governments, so that all those scavangers might pick at the Drapoel people.

"Our national defence will be consolidated and no imperialist will be allowed to invade our territory again. Our People's armed forces must be maintained and developed with the brave and steeled People's Army as their foundation. We will have not only a powerful army but also a powerful air force and a powerful navy. "

..Hotan was aparently not feeling terribly original.


As he spoke, intial production of the Type D-18 Koshiako Supplemental MBT was underway at Factory 3-20 in Kanggye, while D-ZSU-47-2 mobile AAA and DRAR-1 truck mounted quadruple SAM began to move in around Pyongyang ahead of the impending liberation. Type 90-D and 89-D MLRS, the former truck mounted and especially cheaply and rapidly produced, meanwhile joined the Drapoel side of the Hamhung stand-off.

http://www.sinodefence.com/army/tank/type88_1.jpg
Koshiako prototype

OOC- BTW, I want to make sure it is understood that I still command large Coalition forces for nations that have given General Gemby command instead of posting contradictions. And, as for the navy, remember that the naval blockade is still in full effect. Just FYI.
WWJD
Amen.

(Could I get an idea at least ooc. as to who else has troops deployed in my country? I expect that I'd know ic, since Quinntonian Dra-pol is likely the most heavily infiltrated 'state' on earth, and no one could deploy troops over-seas for long without their own news agencies at least mentioning it, by which time we'd find out, of course.)

With the apparently withdrawl of Happy Baseball Fans' forces from the west, DaKhiem is beginning to seriously doubt Quinntonia's ability to maintain a naval blockade of the entire coastline- the west coast certainly is completely isolated with no friendly bases available.
As such, Secretary Hotan has taken a further step towards the normalisation of Drapoel life, and informed the Quinntonians that they will withdraw naval assets from the Yellow Sea area, or else loose them all.

An FC-1 fighter this morning fired an anti-shipping missile into the waters of Korea Bay some miles from the nearest hostile vessel.

DaKhiem has sent to Beth Gellert that their expeditionary force is free to make a second attempt at approaching, and further he has welcomed African Commonwealth shipping, or indeed other commercial vessels from abroad, should they wish to make for Yellow Sea ports.

Hotan stated that "it would be a shame if the Crusader vessels in the Yellow Sea had to be sunk, and Hamhung punished". The Drapoel will not be made to remain prisoners in their own nation on the whim of some western imperialists.

PrANA-

In light of recent developments in the long running Dra-pol crisis, the Commonwealth Final Senate has authorised a second attempt at Beth Gellen deployment to the theatre. The BGEF under the command of comrade Admiral Nicholas Edwards is to sail for a Chinese port on the Yellow Sea ahead of possible Drapoel deployment, pending discussion with that nation's government, and the unfolding of relevant events in the interim.

Two Anunkai Class nuclear powered hunter submarines continue to prowl close to Chinese waters, while this fleet movement will be preceeded by hydrofoil gunboats Alpha through to Echo, and screened by at least six fleet defence frigates.

Though this second attempt at deployment is to be smaller than the first, it shall not be so hastily cobbled together, and is expected to be lead by the unlikely People's Navy flagship, the trimaran frigate CS Ood.

The Jonathan Netanyahu Class trimaran carrier CS Engels, two Nibiru Class helicopter carrier/assault ships, and an assortment of support, cargo, and troop-transport vessels make up the body of the BGEF.

It is not as yet known whether Beth Gellert will be allowed to deploy combat assets into Dra-pol, or even indeed if The Commonwealth desires such a measure. The exact nature of the merchantmen's cargo is undisclosed, but is broadly assumed to be "aid".

Very little is known of relative Admiralty newcomer comrade Nicholas Edwards, beyond that he is a Titovo born resident of Porthmadog, and a relatively young man for his recently acquired rank.

Of the Christian capitalists embedded in Dra-pol the Admiral is quoted as saying, "Be seeing you!" A comment he gave with a cheery if less than regulation salute.

OOC- I am moving over the next couple of days and might not be able to post, but, I will put together a list of military assets in the area. However, there is some confusion as to the withdrawl of Happy and others, I asked them to withdrawl from Dra-pol and INTO Quinntonian Dra-pol. They haven't left, just relocated. The naval blockade is still in full force and hostil ships will be fired upon, the list is on the thread several pages ago but I can put together another one of those as well. But, I think that Happy has 7-9 Carriers along with their battle groups deployed along the blockade and I probably can match him ship for ship. Moving into the area will amount to a HUGE naval battle and you are very outnumbered. We are very close to a "official" cease-fire here, and this would just start the ball rolling again. Patience, my friends.
WWJD
Amen.

Open Missive from the African Commonwealth>>

While we applaud the assistance the Commonwealth of Beth Gellert wants to give, it is more imperative that a lasting peace initiative comes to pass. We still cannot defend the christians' imperialist advances, however, a negotiation for lasting non-agression remains the most important settlement to achieve.

Dra-Pol still deserves our most adamant political defense, but for now, peace is what me must gain. There can be no drawing back on this one.

His most supreme benevolence,
Nwabudike James,
For the Commonwealth.

"Dra-pol will not remain prisoner inside her own borders. Comrade Chivo was right in that assertion!" (which must have been in the trade thread, though I could have sworn I just read it here)

"Dra-pol is already engaged in trade through both land borders- if the south opens up to us and the Crusaders remain stubborn, it is to their own detriment! Of reputation and of resources! Let them waste their resources, let them be a laughing stock as their blockade is breached from two sides!"

-Secretary Hotan to the world, in a speech later adapted for delivery to the Drapoel masses.

"South Dalania must stand firm in these times of trial! As the blockade tightens over Dra-pol, the South must not slacken in her efforts to help our cultural brethren in the North. Rather, we should throw wide the gates of barbed wire and allow the basic necessities of life to go through into that devastated nation."

"If the war taught us anything, it taught us that the killing was the result of ideological clashes...not the result of a lack of solidarity. We must learn from the lessons of 1950-1953 and in this time of crisis, we must give aid to those in need."

"I do not propose abandoning our country to the specter of communism...nor do I propose slackening our own national defense. I simply wish to give those people in the North the ability to live as we in South Dalania do now...in a comfortable manner, without the worries of hunger or death."

"Let the politicians cry foul if they must, but I will not falter in my quest to give every man, woman and child in Dra-pol the opportunity to live a fruitful life!"

-Prime Minister Edward Choi in a nationally televised speech

(Could I get an idea at least ooc. as to who else has troops deployed in my country? I expect that I'd know ic, since Quinntonian Dra-pol is likely the most heavily infiltrated 'state' on earth, and no one could deploy troops over-seas for long without their own news agencies at least mentioning it, by which time we'd find out, of course.)

With the apparently withdrawl of Happy Baseball Fans' forces from the west, DaKhiem is beginning to seriously doubt Quinntonia's ability to maintain a naval blockade of the entire coastline- the west coast certainly is completely isolated with no friendly bases available.
As such, Secretary Hotan has taken a further step towards the normalisation of Drapoel life, and informed the Quinntonians that they will withdraw naval assets from the Yellow Sea area, or else loose them all.

by heading south, the transports containing the better part of 6 first line, veteran combat divisions are better able to approach hanhung and debark there which probably started sometime before is was discovered.

The blockade consisting of at least 7 carrier battle groups and well over 70 submarines continues.

ooc BTW if you look back you will see that a substantial number of SSBNs are also most likely in the area. (ever wonder why I have so few ground troops relative to the rest? This naval force represents less the half my posted totals so Yes I can and will make the blockade stick until a formal agreement is in place.

Meanwhile

*****************Baseball News Network*********************

With the return of the called up reservists from Dra-pol, the baseball season can now recommence!! Live broadcasts from the abbreviated spring training sessions will begin within the week!

Meanwhile at HBF airbase, Atlanta the preparations for deployment of land based naval air and other aircraft continue. Several units already have orders in hand to standby awaiting "go" orders from the Premier. We have a government spokesman live

as it is necessary to maintain a technological as well as numerical balance with those elements in Dra-pol who would not remain in power without a war going on to distract the common dra-pol, the HBF defense ministry has this day been authorized to make up to 2000 aircraft available for land based deployment to Quinntonian Dra-pol to help balance the technology being made available to the criminal elements of the dra-pol regime by rogue nations.


DaKhiem has sent to Beth Gellert that their expeditionary force is free to make a second attempt at approaching, and further he has welcomed African Commonwealth shipping, or indeed other commercial vessels from abroad, should they wish to make for Yellow Sea ports.

Hotan stated that "it would be a shame if the Crusader vessels in the Yellow Sea had to be sunk, and Hamhung punished". The Drapoel will not be made to remain prisoners in their own nation on the whim of some western imperialists.

******************SPECIAL BROADCAST**************

The Premier of Happy Baseball Fans

We support the resumption of commercial trade with the Dra-pol. We reject any attempt to use this method to illicitally smuggle weapons to criminals. Unescorted commercial vessels who make themselves available for inspection upon request will be allowed to pass the blackade. Other vessels treated as if their presence is an act of war.

"Dra-pol will not remain prisoner inside her own borders. Comrade Chivo was right in that assertion!" (which must have been in the trade thread, though I could have sworn I just read it here)

"Dra-pol is already engaged in trade through both land borders- if the south opens up to us and the Crusaders remain stubborn, it is to their own detriment! Of reputation and of resources! Let them waste their resources, let them be a laughing stock as their blockade is breached from two sides!"

-Secretary Hotan to the world, in a speech later adapted for delivery to the Drapoel masses.

Plans recently scrapped (at the request of the Quinntonian govt) for the razing of Kangye by air and the destruction of the airforce and air defense capabilities of Dra-pol are made available to contacts within the dra-pol regime by "opposition" elements in HBF. A transcript of the request by the Quinttonian govt to not commence the massive air campaign necessary in the interest of peace is included.

Secretary Hotan's recent speech is also included with a hand written note from an unknown author:
the only reason he isn't burning in hell with his ancestors and the rest of Kangye right now is an overabundance of the gift of grace from the Lord our God to our Quinntonian allies. I hope Hotan prays daily that the Quinttonians never cede operational control of this situation.

"The only reason that they were able to evacuate the west coast at all is that I am alive, and Kurosian is dead. If I were burning in hell they should all be there with me! We should have killed them all at Pyongyang! Kurosian would not have let them go! He would have butchered every last one of those dogs! By now the Baseballers would be dead, and Hamhung would be a firey battle-ground. Bah!"

Hotan ceased his vitriolic circling of the office and took a moment of near meditation.

"They want us to react somehow. Perhaps they want us to attack Hamhung, thinking it should excuse their attacking us anew. Perhaps they want me to deliver a public outburst to somehow trap or otherwise shame me.
"It is at least the right of the masses to hear what they have said of our ancestors.. that they burn in hell. 'De mortuis nil nisi bonum', Kurosian would have said. And did, many times. On one hand they seek to win the souls of the Drapoel masses, and on the other they hand us notes destroying any such possibility.
"News of this will reach Hamhung, and when it does, there shall be riots. No matter what these reactionaries may think, no matter how much of their saviour's word may be spoken, they have not killed the spirit of the much older Drapoel beliefs. Our ancestors had been dying for generations before anyone thought to invent their god, and the Drapoel will not stand many more of these offences."

Pyongyang People's Army Air Force Base Research Centre

Taka Oamarii, top PAAF R&D engineer, spread the last square of cloth across the lab desk. The shirt, its sleeves cut away, bore a small "Made in Beth Gellert" tag on the neck, and blown-up detailed design schematics across the inside of the shirt's back. Comrade Oamarii squinted at the character in the corner- not a Drapoel mark. He eventually decided it to be a number two, and moved the shirt to its appropriate position amongst a line of other similar slices of fabric.

The engineer stepped back to survey the fullness of the project thus far. Maybe being taken off Dra-pol's secret S-5 and Z-G-1 fighter programmes wouldn't turn out to be so bad. Building a nuclear reactor was going to be fun!

Liaoning Province, China

Just yards inside China, comrade Sho Sulu appeared unphased by the approach of a rather stern-looking Chinese security officer. After a brief exchange of words and some examination of the exterior aspect of Sulu's baggage, the Banat Major was lead by the Chinaman into a side room.

Minutes later Sulu re-emerged, his briefcase light by a couple of thousand yuan, but still doing quite well for shilling notes.

meanwhile in a bunker behind a recently constructed false wall a clock starts.

A Roanian Supply convoy begins to fly from the north-east. A radio communication is sent out to blockading ships. "An attack against this convoy will be a declaration of war. We are providing food to these poor people of Dra-Pol." The B25s, converted into cargo planes, are flanked by several F-111s, Joint-Strike Fighters and F-18s.

Within the 3 BS5s are several dozen crates of food, and a half dozen crates of Roanian weapons.

North East of Beijing, just inside Liaoning Province-

An unfortunate Chinese policeman, previously a few minutes late on his evening beat, lay now almost concealed in a small alleyway, getting further and further behind time..

Obscuring the recently-deceased better than could the Liaoning night, or the little alley's boarded-up ends, stood a westerner of considerable stature. A young Celt some sixteen or seventeen stone of little but muscle, adorned in trenchcoat and trilby, hardly the most discrete character this side of Beijing, awaited the arrival of comrade Sulu.

Presently his patience, for all its Chinese blood, was rewarded with the approach of the Major, briefcase and all.

A few poorly understood pleasantries were exchanged, and before long comrades Sulu and Sopworth parted companies, the latter increased to a good 245lb owing to his new luggage.



*Dramatic music for those in the know*
(Nobody here, quite likely! Oh well.)

Southern edge of the DMZ-South Dalanian territory

A short figure hurriedly tossed a shovelfull of dirt over his shoulder, digging with all the speed he could muster. Next to him, three other men stood watch, all of them carrying Browning Type 64 automatics under their jackets. One man, clad in a brownish jacket, shivered against the cold. Reaching inside his jacket, he withdrew a packet of cigarettes. Plucking one out, he raised it to his lips only to have it snatched away by another man. "Hey!"

"Are you crazy?" whispered one of the men fiercely. "You smoke that and you'll give us away!" He stomped the cigarette into the ground, muttering to himself and shaking his head.

"Don't be such a prick! It's only one cigarette!" fumed the other man as he turned away. "Big deal man."

"Would you two shut up and help me dig?" spat the smaller man as he tossed another shovelfull of dirt over his shoulder. "At this rate, we'll never clear the fence by morning," he said, motioning to the twelve-foot chain-link fence topped with strands of concertina wire.

Both of the men backed up. "Hey man, sneaking into Dra-pol to spy for the Quinntonians was YOUR brilliant idea, nimrod," shot back the taller man. "Not ours."

The smaller man snorted. "So you want out? There's going to be some major profit on the other side....think how much we'd be paid for that info! Remember what the war in 1950 cost our country? We can't let the commies rebuild!"

A searchlight suddenly flashed down on them, blinding the four conspirators. Above their heads, a Black Hawk helicopter rotated, as a voice blared, "This is the South Dalanian military. You are in violation of a secure area. Throw up your hands and surrender immediately." As the helicopter hovered, an additional two Humvees roared up, halting on the main road as a detachment of South Dalanian soldiers climbed out, aiming their SG-550 rifles down at the four men.

"Get down on the ground now!" shouted the lead soldier. "I won't ask you again!"

On the other side of the fence, a searchlight came on and the sounds of a jeep could be heard on the Dra-pol side. In a few minutes, the sight of several khaki clad Dra-pol soldiers, dressed in winter gear and carrying well-worn AK-47 assault rifles appeared. They leveled their own rifles at the men through the fence...making it clear that if any of them tried to run for it, that they'd be shot down easily.

In minutes, all four men were facedown on the ground, being guarded by the South Dalanian soldiers. The South Dalanian major circled the prone prisoners, occasionally giving out the odd kick.

"Gaenchana! (its all right!)" called out one of the South Dalanian soldiers in Korean. "You can go back to your posts."

The prisoners were forcefully marched up the hill to a waiting Humvee as the major read them the situation.

"You have been found in violation of military order C-31b which consitutes unlawful entry into the DMZ. Under South Dalanian law this is punishible with up to thirty years in prison or execution under suspicion of treason. You have the right to a military or civilian attorney..if you cannot afford one..."

*bump*

ooc: Ah, nice post! Good to see people using some initiative and being realistic with regards to the changing situation. I want to make a proper, worthwhile IC post, but I've a headache that's just getting worse, and I can't seem to concentrate. Will do later (also I don't want to do too much until I find out some ooc info from Happy Baseballers- don't want to move in thousands of units to Pyongyang, and find out that it was supposed to have blown up two days ago..).

Erm.. what was I going to say? Ugh.

Oh, yeah.. just for interest, really.. not important, but while it is true that some Drapoel units carry AK-47s, they are a tiny minority, and the weapon is on its way back out of service due to its 7.62mm calibre.

Most Drapoel soldiers will be seen carrying a Type D-99 rifle in 7.7x58mmD, a D-Type K-50m sub-machinegun in 8x21.5mmD, or a Type D-86 assault rifle in 6.5mmD. The first is an obsolete Japanese bolt-action rifle -it armed most of the military and paramilitaries on first contact with the Quinntonians, but is now slowly being replaced, the second is a new native SMG born of the PPSH family, appearing similar to the Vietnamese gun of a similar name to our weapon, and the last is essentially an AK clone in bullpup configuration and an original Drapoel chambering. It is slowly replacing the Type-99.

I need more tea.

A Roanian Supply convoy begins to fly from the north-east. A radio communication is sent out to blockading ships. "An attack against this convoy will be a declaration of war. We are providing food to these poor people of Dra-Pol." The B25s, converted into cargo planes, are flanked by several F-111s, Joint-Strike Fighters and F-18s.

Within the 3 BS5s are several dozen crates of food, and a half dozen crates of Roanian weapons.

The incoming aircraft are met at extreme range by several sqaudrons of f14s scrambled by early alerts from the outlying AEGIS ships and the AWACS screens.

your transports must land in hamhung for clearance and your combat craft turn for home or you will be fired upon.

Range 400 miles..closing

ooc you best know the ranges of the weapons on the aircraft you just put into the jackpot.

edit: All 7 carriers begin launching f14s on ready 5.

Eastern Kaeson District

Less than a mile from the minefields and wires that skirted the northern side of the so called DMZ between the Choson People's Republic and the Dalanian Republic, a group of recently stood-down infantrymen from the 34th Division conversed in Drapoel.

"Progress was better at Hamhung. The ground there is softer. Here it is harder, but the tools are the same."
"They say that there are attempts from the other side."
"They?
...Ah"
"The shift is starting."
The last assertion was confirmed as a Banat Colonel entered the little tent and directed the men back to one of the sector's primary tunnels. The comrades proceeded to the Dra-pol facing side of a low hill and returned to work without complaint.

Hamhung District

Here work was much more advanced. Detailed city plans, short distances, good soft soil, months and months of preparation, and massive manpower availability saw to that.
Huge charges were already laid in many locations. Vast pipelines were begining to creep along several tunnels. An entire infantry regiment could move through others in less than an hour.

Above, thousands of reinforcements were begining to arrive from the dissolved western front, and hundreds of billions of dollars in extra military spending provided thousands upon thousands of new artillery pieces and anti-aircraft weapons.

Secretary Hotan was on hand to secretly survey the progress of the "siege", bloodless though it was, and without actual attempt to bar supplies to the "besieged".

..Who could really ever have believed such inactivity of the Drapoel, anyway?

A Roanian Supply convoy begins to fly from the north-east. A radio communication is sent out to blockading ships. "An attack against this convoy will be a declaration of war. We are providing food to these poor people of Dra-Pol." The B25s, converted into cargo planes, are flanked by several F-111s, Joint-Strike Fighters and F-18s.

Within the 3 BS5s are several dozen crates of food, and a half dozen crates of Roanian weapons.

The incoming aircraft are met at extreme range by several sqaudrons of f14s scrambled by early alerts from the outlying AEGIS ships and the AWACS screens.

your transports must land in hamhung for clearance and your combat craft turn for home or you will be fired upon.

Range 400 miles..closing

ooc you best know the ranges of the weapons on the aircraft you just put into the jackpot.

edit: All 7 carriers begin launching f14s on ready 5.


OOC: Roania's telegrams in response to my suggestion he stay out.

I am however, willing to be reasonable with you. Pay me 16 million dollars, and I won't go on.
The Most Holy Principality of Roania
Received: 27 minutes ago I have a little base in India, TOC. I made a recent fortune on the oil market, and I see no reason not to get in good with the administration of Dra-pol.

Besides, looks like it's just you and that accursed protestant Quintonnia. Give me one good reason not to take advantage of this moment, blasphemer.

IC Range 200 miles closing

Meanwhile

**************Baseball News Network*********************

Our Premier has just announced the departure earlier today of additional forces to the Dra-pol area.

All of our Ballistic and Guided Missile submarines are now underway. We have dispatched 5 additional Carrier Groups, The McGwire, Snider, Hodges, Williams, and Boone Carrier Battle Groups will join our deployed Naval Forces. They escort 3 additional Seabee Regiments 15 additional Marine Regiments, and 2 additional Mechinized Infantry divisions thereby doubling our committed ground troops in the area. (ooc the 2 army divisions and the Marines will take about 30 transports total to go with the 40 I have deployed already and I still am at least the 50% of my posted transport availability in the NS military archives) ic: We also now have well over 100 attack submarines assisting with our blockade in adddition to our recently deployed missile submarines.

1700 F16s, 1000 F18A Strike aircraft, all 300 F22 Raptor Adv Stealth Fighters in service have been shuttled into Quinttonian dra-pol and will be ready for combat missions shortly. These aircraft join our already deployed aircraft including ground support helocopters and Specter gunships. These is probably the single largest deployment in our history.



Meanwhile

In the Jungle around Poyyongyang or therabouts.

a small red light flashes on a handheld monitor of some sort. The heavily muscled, stocky man puts a key into the back of the device and turns one of three locks marked "safety" they grow closer in their search efforts
He turns and moves carefully away from the spot where he first noticed the light on the panel, the spare sunlight to penatrate the jungle catches briefly a Red Bamboo emblem on his shoulder. He is definitely not dra-pol. edit: the light off the Red Bamboo patch seems brighter than the light in his very cold stare or on the small black crucifix tatoo under his right eye.

A Roanian Supply convoy begins to fly from the north-east. A radio communication is sent out to blockading ships. "An attack against this convoy will be a declaration of war. We are providing food to these poor people of Dra-Pol." The B25s, converted into cargo planes, are flanked by several F-111s, Joint-Strike Fighters and F-18s.

Within the 3 BS5s are several dozen crates of food, and a half dozen crates of Roanian weapons.

The incoming aircraft are met at extreme range by several sqaudrons of f14s scrambled by early alerts from the outlying AEGIS ships and the AWACS screens.

your transports must land in hamhung for clearance and your combat craft turn for home or you will be fired upon.

Range 400 miles..closing

ooc you best know the ranges of the weapons on the aircraft you just put into the jackpot.

edit: All 7 carriers begin launching f14s on ready 5.

OOC: Oh, please. You really think an F-14 could take care of a Joint Strike Fighter?

Don't tell me how military works

IC: The combat fighters peeled off and began to turn towards The Oppresive Church. "Roger, landing in South Dalania."

The planes turned back west into international waters and then south.

((That's right, *International* waters. Can't touch them...))

OOC2: Offer still stands.

If Roania is not IGNORED completely, I will consider this thread over. I WILL NOT RP WITH HIM!! He ruined the last thread and I don't want him to ruin this one. Dra-pol and I, along with many others have made a large investment into this thread. Just FYI, Catholic Vampire loving psuedo-Star Wars nations are not welcome!
WWJD
Amen.

ooc for Roania: Answer to your question about the F14 to JS anything is "yes" between 20-60 miles range the f14 wins probably 90% of the time and the reason is the difference in ranges for the Phoenix missile system on the f14(range 110 miles 90% kill ratio when lauched under 50) and the AAMRAM which the JS has (max range 30 miles optimal inside 20) Ever wonder why the f14 hasn't gone away even though it was first produced in the 60s and 70s?? Now you know.

http://globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/missile.htm

As to the second "offer", how about you pay us 100 mil not to finish this with you in the tech of this rp and bring it home to your doorstep.

oh ic time: forces RTB with the departure of the combat aircraft from the area. If the transports try to land inside Dra-pol; they will be shot down by the existing CAP.

OOC: Just so every one knows where everyone is in this conflict I will repost here from the other thread.

The 30 aid ships (all cargo ships) carrying medications, food and medical equipment are slowly making thier way towards Dra-pol. They have an escourt of one carrier group on loan from Kali force.
The moral one the ships is very high, and the troops are looking forward to being able to assist Dra-pol, especially in this season of giving.

For interest, incase anyone has failed to notice it as yet:

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=97357

As Secretary Hotan swore, so Dra-pol has taken steps to increase imports in defiance of the blockade.

Trade via China and more significantly South Dalania is on the increase, and the PAAF appears prepared to destroy any blockade vessels that fire on officially sanctioned (by the Central Directorature) foreign vessels.

DaKhiem appears utterly disinterested in increased Crusader deployments to Hamhung, pressing on instead with various massive trade deals, and out-sourcing huge industrial projects to friendly Asian states.

The Choson People's Republic's industrial growth is sky-rocketing, and the economy was recently rated as performing better than Quinntonia's by more than a thousand places, and the Happy Baseballer's by around two thousand.

(Ah.. how's that for timing? heh)

ooc: something tells me if it came from the other thread, your forces have already arrived. If not, thats ok, you won't be messed with as I know your intentions are good.

edit: this was for Celeborne

ooc: something tells me if it came from the other thread, your forces have already arrived. If not, thats ok, you won't be messed with as I know your intentions are good.

OOC: Actually, I posted here to give you a chance to respond rather than just having my people show up . I think that you would notice this many ships pulling up, and I would hate to be accused of just *poofing* in.

TX Celeborne.

*****An open message to blockade ships*****

We are on a humanitarian aid mission . We will allow inspection of the non-military ships in the convoy, and our military ships will stay in international waters.



OOC: The 30 ships do not have any military equipment. Only humanitarian aid and medical crews.

*****An open message to blockade ships*****

We are on a humanitarian aid mission . We will allow inspection of the non-military ships in the convoy, and our military ships will stay in international waters.



OOC: The 30 ships do not have any military equipment. Only humanitarian aid and medical crews.

Excellent. All well no doubt go well. Thank you for assisting in the peace efforts by not bringing in military hardware or personnel! We are certain the humanitarian aid given from a generous heart will be much appreciated by the Dra-pol in their day-to-day lives.

Thank you for allowing us to pass unmolested. If you ever need our aid, don't hesitate to ask.

After peacefully passing the blockade, Shiva begins docking proceedures and disembarking personnel. When ever Dra-pol is ready we will begin setting up aid stations and distributing food and medical care. We ask if Dra-pol has any prisoners of war that we be allowed to see to them as well.

NOTICE TO ALL NATIONS WISHING TO SUPPLY DRA-POL

ooc: Please bring your posts to the war thread if you intend to enter dra-pol airspace and or waterways. I don't have time to monitor both threads.

IC: We are trying to establish a peace. Bringing in military firepower only makes this guy (Hotan) more bold in the throwing away of Dra-pol lives. We evaculated Poyyonyang in the name of peace but this Hotan guy keeps running his mouth about wiping us out. Just say "no" to that but definitely provide aid to the common dra-pol folks and let them know you passed the blockade freely because we want peace like they do.

The Floating World is a large interconnected system of rafts accompanied by a naval flotilla, currently located at a mobile position in Asian-Pacific waters. We have just concluded an agreement to barter uranium to Dra-pol, and are moving towards Dra-pol in preparation. We have no intention of becomign involved militarily. Can the blockading forces advise as to their intent?

http://www.adventurecruises.com/images/woman.jpg
Mathilde Kanak
CEO, The Erotic Bank and President of Floating World

The Taiwanese fleet

The fleet of over 30 cargo ships and 6 frigate with 3 fighter escorts sails to within 35km of the blockade.

Remaining silent on radio, they attempt to slip past the blockade.

The nation of SteamEarth is alos bringing in much needed supplies to the nation of Dra-pol, supplies consists of food, oil and medical supplies only. We are using a small fleet of two blimps to start off with which'll bring the supplies in and once the agreements have been made, the blimps will take out Dra-pol's export of coal.

To protect the blimps, three of our Balmoral Light Bombers will escort the blimps over the blockade. Once at the airfield in Dra-pol, one plane will maintain a fly-by whilst the other two are serviced. The planes will take it in tunr to maintain the fly-by and to be serviced whilst the blimps are being dealt with.

I hope that is ok with everyone, I shall be starting the air lift shortly.

Balmoral Light Bomber

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/499709/p_bristol_balmoral.gif

People, I know that this thread is long, but read it. It is pretty amasing, the only reason Dra-pol peopl are starving is becuase it is fielding a 9 milion man army. The government is killing its people.
WWJD
Amen.

Which begs the question, whatever could be prompting the urgent need to field such a large army?

I mean fair enough, if my capital had been bombed, and one of my cities were to be occupied by an invading coalition, I.. oh.

-John Bull, Victoria Salvadorian Consulate, Tokyo.

NOTICE TO ALL NATIONS WISHING TO SUPPLY DRA-POL

ooc: Please bring your posts to the war thread if you intend to enter dra-pol airspace and or waterways. I don't have time to monitor both threads.

IC: We are trying to establish a peace. Bringing in military firepower only makes this guy (Hotan) more bold in the throwing away of Dra-pol lives. We evaculated Poyyonyang in the name of peace but this Hotan guy keeps running his mouth about wiping us out. Just say "no" to that but definitely provide aid to the common dra-pol folks and let them know you passed the blockade freely because we want peace like they do.

The Floating World is a large interconnected system of rafts accompanied by a naval flotilla, currently located at a mobile position in Asian-Pacific waters. We have just concluded an agreement to barter uranium to Dra-pol, and are moving towards Dra-pol in preparation. We have no intention of becomign involved militarily. Can the blockading forces advise as to their intent?

http://www.adventurecruises.com/images/woman.jpg
Mathilde Kanak
CEO, The Erotic Bank and President of Floating World

ooc: you're joking right?

ic: We would rather not see Dra-pol acquire the raw materials to produce nuclear weapons.

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The Taiwanese fleet

The fleet of over 30 cargo ships and 6 frigate with 3 fighter escorts sails to within 35km of the blockade.

Remaining silent on radio, they attempt to slip past the blockade.

ooc: classify your frigates and fighter escorts because you are going to get hit. I'll rp initial spotting and reaction once I hear back from you.

ic: I would think 36 ships would be spotted if by nothiing else than submarines of which i have over 100 (of the SSN variety) on patrol duty in addition to the surface patrols and escorts of now 12 CVNs (plus the airwing CAPs and AWACS units flying cover) and 3 Battleships plus escorts for about 70 transports and 6 MEU detachments. Plus about 2500 planes on the ground in Quinntonian Dra-pol with more inbound(see below)

ooc again: if you read the thread you can guess that I still have operatives ashore around and maybe in Poyyongyang. The phrase "coast watcher" (among others) applies.

ic:

**************Baseball News Network*********************

interrupting our normal broadcast in the 4th inning with this live announcement by Daniel Overstreet, Media Liason with the Premier's Office:

and we are pleased to announce the finalization of a lend lease pact with our longtime ally Quinntonia. We have this day began shuttling 500 F14d fighters from our land based naval reserve to the Quinntonian airforce along with pilots, crews and support services to train Quinntonian counterparts. HBF receives in exchange access to bases currently being built by our Seabee detachments in Quinntonian Dra-pol. These bases will be able to house approximately 5000 aircraft and other substantial military land, air, and sea components upon completion. More equipment leases of this sort can probably be expected pending the peace accords with Dra-pol

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OOC: Perry class and IDFs.

OOC: Perry class and IDFs.

ooc: If you want to claim multiple submerged contacts closing your position they would classify as LA class SSNs or SSN(i)s I don't know if you could detect a Seawolf but if so the possibility of at least one in the neighborhood would not be out of line.

High above the sea in a Carrier launched AWACs aircraft

sir I hold 30+ surfact contacts bearing 355. I hold no radio noise from these contacts. I may have at least 1 airborne contact as well. From their apparent course I now hold these vessels to be possible blockade runners.

Very well, send in the CAP to investigate and notify the Group Watch Commander of our contacts

5 f14ds make for your position.

Meanwhile ......not on any subs closing your position but definitely submerged.

battlestations missile. Proceed to launch depth.

Aye sir

The nation of SteamEarth is alos bringing in much needed supplies to the nation of Dra-pol, supplies consists of food, oil and medical supplies only. We are using a small fleet of two blimps to start off with which'll bring the supplies in and once the agreements have been made, the blimps will take out Dra-pol's export of coal.

To protect the blimps, three of our Balmoral Light Bombers will escort the blimps over the blockade. Once at the airfield in Dra-pol, one plane will maintain a fly-by whilst the other two are serviced. The planes will take it in tunr to maintain the fly-by and to be serviced whilst the blimps are being dealt with.

I hope that is ok with everyone, I shall be starting the air lift shortly.

Balmoral Light Bomber

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/499709/p_bristol_balmoral.gif

fair enough. thanks for keeping the military firepower out of the hands of the dra-pol govt. I would love to leave the area, but the dra-pol govt is already beseiging Quintonian Dra-pol again. Dra-pol Red Bamboo and Banat terrorists are the invaders. My ground troops are now all in Quintonian dra-pol to protect innocent lives.

The F-14Ds are spotted by the fighters on radar closing on the Taiwanese position.

"We've been spotted. Talk to them."
"This is Chang of the ROTAF. Identify yourselves."

In the pre Dawn darkness several large groups of men start making their way towards military transport aircraft. Their darkened faces and unusual canoflauge pattern uniforms indicate that they are not part of the recognized military establishment, until now. Many, if not most of them wear combat patches on their right shoulder sleeves. Most are from the 2nd Marine Division used in Ulster, Belmore and early in the Dra-pol conflict. Gone are the flamethrowers used extensively by HBF Marines, now replaced by an even deadlier, more frightening weapon...


Captain Johan Horst moves towards the transport designated for his company's command element. He does need to look back to know that all the men in his section are following. His is only one element in a much larger picture.

A long while later as his transport lifts off into the early dawn sky, Capt. Horst falls asleep and the HBF 1st Air Cav division, easily the largest in the HBF military, flies towards its first combat operation.

The F-14Ds are spotted by the fighters on radar closing on the Taiwanese position.

"We've been spotted. Talk to them."
"This is Chang of the ROTAF. Identify yourselves."

Senior Commander Nikki Paris of the Carrier Battle Group Gehrig. You are in violation of an established blockade. Have your combat ships and planes turn back toward international waters and your cargo vessels prepared for possible inspection

Meanwhile...

3 Ticonderoga Crusiers and 6 Arleigh Burke destroyers change course and begin closing the Taiwanese position accompanied by a Spruance class destroyer and 2 OHP class frigates.

All ahead full. What is our ETA?

We should be within firing range of our Tomahawks and Harpoons within the half hour sir.

Very well.

Meanwhile aboard the CVN Ruth (partner CVN with the Gehrig)

the Group Watch Commander:

issue launch orders to the Barboasa missile group with a standby instruction. Repeat, do not issue the order to execute.

"Our ships are ready for inspection. However, we have permission to enter Dra-pol waters as escorts."

"Our ships are ready for inspection. However, we have permission to enter Dra-pol waters as escorts."

a moment passes before the reply comes back.

not from us. The current dra-pol government has no say in who passes this blockade. Turn your combat ships and aircraft around.

edit ooc: looking at the other thread, foodstuffs is fine. aviation fuel wouldn't go. Just FYI.

BTW read the thread. Is dra-pol's "right" to invade a neighbor for no other reason than because it's a Christian nation something you really want to stand up for? Look back and see the current seige of Hamhung the capital of Quintonnian dra-pol by the current Dra-pol govt that is also researching nukes and trying to bring in uranium.

end ooc

"The blockade is too close. We can't risk it."

Via Radio:
"Roger."

The 3 IDFs pull back, while the Frigates stop and begin to reverse.

"The blockade is too close. We can't risk it."

Via Radio:
"Roger."

The 3 IDFs pull back, while the Frigates stop and begin to reverse.

Cool, the cargo ships will get met by Cyclone patrol boats and maybe a OHP frigate ( with a submerged SSN lurking around) Ships with aviation fuel or weapons get to go back, the rest pass unmolested.

Thanks

OOC Reply to edit:

Taiwan's previous government was extremist Christian, and I'm RPing a public backlash against their policies.

IC:

The Minister of Commerce has called the blockade "unjust" and has threatenned to place tariffs on various HBF products.

Imperial Palace
Guadahirra, Ryansisle

Ibrahaim XVIII, pater Effitis et vigilia ducis dei, gazed out at the Plaza Grande as row after row of troops, precise in their every movement, marched below him. It game him heart as memories of the great legions once at his every beck and call flooded back through him.

Of course, those days were passed, and the sight of Emperor Héctor Arroyo-Ramírez waving down to his troops simply reinforced that painful memory. He had tried so hard, and gained so little.

Then again, he thought, Have I not delivered what I set out to do? Tilsitia, for the most part, stands united. Here I am - the Pater of Effit, for crying out loud, at the Emperor of Ryansisle’s personal birthday celebration, along with the Healdsburgian premier! Only those asini to the wes...or rather, from here, to the north, are absent.

But of what use is peace if I am regulated to staying here, a government in exile, while the puppets of those same accursed pigs rule in my country?

-----

The next morning dawned bright in Ibrahaim’s quarters. He rose and stretched, gazing out the window over the river’s estuary. It was too early - this damn southern sun was much brighter than back home in Veritas. Slowly, he meandered out of the room, happening in front of a news broadcast reporting on events in Dra-Pol. He could understand little of what the reporter was saying, as Ryansislean was an unusual deviant of the Effitian it was based on, but the basic point got through. Slowly, in the back of his mind, a plan began to emerge, and a sly smile snuck across his face.

Ibrahaim wheeled at once and dashed for Emperor Ramírez’s room

----

Shortly thereafter, a telegram arrived in Dra-pol

Secretary Hotan,

It would appear that both of our nations stand in similar sets of circumstances - ones that can hardly be termed bearable. However, despite my own inability to liberate my home nation, I stand at the head of a powerful, inter-continental alliance. While we do not wish to risk open warfare with the belligerent and arrogant powers of the west, the Pan-Tilsitian Unification Alliance (PTUA) stands ready to assist you in any way possible.

We can purchase, in our name, western weapons for you. We can open our war chests for you. We can send you men, machines, all the implements of war available to us. Granted, every favor has a cost, but this one is simple - only that you sign trade agreements with all three member nations of the PTUA. I ask only that you consider it.

in luce dei,

Ibrahaim XVIII
pater Patriae Effitis

Héctor Arroyo-Ramírez
Emperor of the Ryansisleans and Guardian of the Golden Quarry

Posteph Musil
Premier of the People’s Republic of Healdsburg

The nation of SteamEarth is alos bringing in much needed supplies to the nation of Dra-pol, supplies consists of food, oil and medical supplies only. We are using a small fleet of two blimps to start off with which'll bring the supplies in and once the agreements have been made, the blimps will take out Dra-pol's export of coal.

To protect the blimps, three of our Balmoral Light Bombers will escort the blimps over the blockade. Once at the airfield in Dra-pol, one plane will maintain a fly-by whilst the other two are serviced. The planes will take it in tunr to maintain the fly-by and to be serviced whilst the blimps are being dealt with.

I hope that is ok with everyone, I shall be starting the air lift shortly.

Balmoral Light Bomber

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/499709/p_bristol_balmoral.gif

fair enough. thanks for keeping the military firepower out of the hands of the dra-pol govt. I would love to leave the area, but the dra-pol govt is already beseiging Quintonian Dra-pol again. Dra-pol Red Bamboo and Banat terrorists are the invaders. My ground troops are now all in Quintonian dra-pol to protect innocent lives.

Thanks, will you be needing for the blimps to be searched?

I asure you that what they're only carrying food, oil and medical supplies only, if they are needed to be searched you're welcome to.

Just one over thing, the blockade of Dra-pol is legal right?

Regent Edmund Vermillion

Confederacy of SteamEarth

ooc:Sorry- would you believe it, I went to bed before midnight last night!
Erm.. what was I going to say? Right.. The situation on the ground in Dra-pol- aid/imports have been directed to the south west of Dra-pol. This means that aircraft based in Quinntonian Dra-pol have to fly around the southern tip of the peninsula in order to get involved. Why? Because if they venture over Dra-pol proper they will be shot down by the swelling Drapoel air force and the republic's massive ground-based anti-aircraft assets, and the Chinese certainly won't let them fly over their air space- though South Dalania is seemingly much more open, I can't imagine they'd allow combat sorties to be flown over their soil, as they, to the best of my knowledge, are neutral as yet. Essentially, the blockade vessels in the Yellow Sea are completely on their own since the abandonment of Pyongyang.. with Dra-pol on one side and China on the other. No direct support, no port facilities, surrounded except to the south. Personally I don't believe they'd keep up that deployment IRL, it's just too risky. We could kill them all, and if Kurosian was still alive, we certainly would have done.

I'll come back for an IC post in a little..

The Central Directorature, on Secretary Hotan's Direction, re-released the list of Dra-pol's major potential trade commodities. DaKhiem feels that imports are about to utterly dwarf exports, and though means are limited by the war, the republic is keen at least to generate interest for the future, or small scale short term exports.

It detailed the following resources:
Coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, and hydropower.

Of course many of these; copper and iron ore for example; are not exactly in sufficient production for export due to the strains the war industry has put on them. Hydropower exists more in potential than effect at this moment, again the war has made dam construction less than top priority, and well, why build targets when air superiority has been contested so? Eventually it is hoped that Dra-pol could produce sufficent electricty through hydropower for export to China and South Dalania to be a possibility.


SteamEarth is a steamtech nation, it sure does use alot of coal.

We do have fairly extensive coalfields, but we could use a little of imported coal.

We can help you set up an aircraft industry, since our Balmoral Light Bomber seems to be usuable with your technology if I understand correctly?

You'll hopefully set up your own market and go on to build furthur planes, thou we'll only buy a fair number of the Balmorals.

Balmoral Light Bomber

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/499709/p_bristol_balmoral.gif

Following the "events" on the high seas, the Chung-Kuo aircraft company wishes to invite the Dra-pol administration into a series of contract re-negotiations.

OOC Reply to edit:

Taiwan's previous government was extremist Christian, and I'm RPing a public backlash against their policies.

IC:

The Minister of Commerce has called the blockade "unjust" and has threatenned to place tariffs on various HBF products.

Minister of State for HBF Melinda McDonald: in a video teleconference with her counterpart or your designate in the Tawainese govt.

as we are about the same size and similair economies the HBF position is to state that the tariff knife is usually two sided.

While we understand and respect a nation's right to hold a different point of view in the international arena, we feel that the greatest injustice is being done to those Christians who are deprived of their lives by the current Dra-pol regime.

edit ooc: I'm rping a conservative Christian backlash against perceived and actual persecution of Christians worldwide by those who are seemingly immune to the sanctions imposed on Christians for our beliefs.

Thanks, will you be needing for the blimps to be searched?

I asure you that what they're only carrying food, oil and medical supplies only, if they are needed to be searched you're welcome to.

Just one over thing, the blockade of Dra-pol is legal right?

Regent Edmund Vermillion

Confederacy of SteamEarth

Media Liason to the Premier Father Daniel Overstreet(recently ordained and consecrated by the Mother Church):
In our opinion, the blockade is both legal and necessary to protect lives in the soverign nations of Quintonia and Quinntonian Dra-pol which the current Dra-pol govt has chosen to invade illegally. Searches can be handled by our force commanders as you cross into restricted airspace. The appropriate pass through instuctions has already been issued. You have our thanks for your cooperation

By way of reply to Dra-pol, we are flying over Dra-pol. If you wish to press the point feel free but we can and will put sufficent numbers of aircraft over your skies to make that problomatic for your planes to be in the air. Our shipborne and land based (Hamhung) SAM and other AA assets work quite well also. the point being that Quinttonian and HBF aircraft are not the only ones at risk.

and yes our blackade remains off Poyyongyang as well. I thought that was clear from the posts concerning the Carrier Battle Group and Battleship force earlier. Although our subs can more than maintain a submerged blockade and our carrier borne AWACS assets can provide command and control over the areas our f14s fly with F18A Strike Fighters aloft and back to engage ground or sea targets.

Our land CAP over Dra-pol is comprised of F16s and AWACs support with F117A Stealth fighters and at least one AC130 Specter Gunship edit:(plus a section of b-1b lancers) aloft and back for ground target engagement.

Our CAP typically has groupings of 2-5 planes. Feel free to post an initial engagement at any time and may the Blessed Virgin pray that the sudden over population in hell not cause too much overcrowding. :twisted:

Understood.

The blimps will come in low enough and slowly to hover over the ships, a rope ladder will be dropped to allow the blimps to be boarded and searched. The blimp crews are under orders to fully cooperate.

The three Balmorals will maintain fly-by and will provide help should the blockade come under attack, but their orders are to protect the blimps.

Regent Edmund Vermillion

Confederacy of SteamEarth

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two blimps came in low and slowly, they slowed to a halt before the blockade.

The three Balmorals radioed the blockade ships to inform them that the planes will patrol the area whilst the searched of the blimps are carried out.

Captain Marwell of the cargo blimp Pinafore took another slipped fo brandy as he listened to the radio messages being exchanged. In the open desk draw besides him laid a pistrol........

(OOC; Don't mind that bit do you? Just adding a little bit of drama if thats alright?)

(ooc:Are you sure you want to violate Drapoel airspace? Bearing in mind that while you were in Pyongyang shortly before the withdrawl we tested CS400 SAMs which reached out into the middle of the Yellow Sea and beyond Hamhung, seemingly prompting the grounding of your aircraft. I mean, you can do it, but all your aircraft will be shot down, a lot of ours will be, but then we don't have a choice- you do. Of course we're at risk, but over our airspace you know for a fact that we have to defend ourselves. It has been displayed before the international community that Dra-pol's SAM network has the capacity to engage targets anywhere over Dra-pol, including Hamhung, that they choose not to, DaKhiem hopes, is enough to prove their tollerance and such (as if releasing thousands of POWs while surrendering thousands themselves was not enough!))

DaKhiem's response to reported debate over the legality of the blockade has been to state matter of factly that it is wholly illegal, and a clear attack on the Choson People's Republic of Dra-pol.

Talk of Dra-pol as the aggressor is reacted to with great offence, Dra-pol
being a famously isolationist state that has never in its thousands of years of history attempted to expand its borders.

Reports of a threat to Quinntonian territory are absurd- Dra-pol has never in its history possesed intercontinental missiles, dedicated bomber aircraft, long range transport aircraft, and does not maintain a navy- it is impossible for Dra-pol to attack Quinntonia.

Hamhung is Drapoel soil invaded illegally by Quinntonia and her running dogs, and now the whole of Dra-pol is in a state of siege imposed by these imperialists.

These are the facts.


DaKhiem

The Central Directorature, now almost fully restored to its imposing monolithic presence of old, swarmed with little Drapoel figures. The walk before Kurosian's mausoleum was being lined with statues.
Sulo, the first Director; Kurosian himself, held to be the greatest; Hotan, the Director that never was; Koshiako, the present Director, curiously depicted as a young man though the subject, hidden away in the forbidden city, could scarcely have been eight years old; comrades Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, Mao Zedong, Sopworth Igo, Graeme Igo, Saloth Sar, Nwabudike James, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna and Nguyen Tat Thanh amongst others already peer down on those allowed to visit the tomb.

Atop the massive central building cranes hoist into position ever more DRAR-1 surface to air missile units and 75mm flak guns.

Inside, Secretary Hotan regards the Effitian communiqué.
"Sho... Sho!" He called, forgetting the name of the Banat Major on duty fown in the bowels of the fortified and windowless Directorature interior at whatever hour this was.
The Secretary requested files on a number of nations with which recently emerged Dra-pol had previously no need for contact.
He was not unhappy with the results of Sho Quix's search for same.

They're large, generally less prosperous than we, and with no bent to trust the reactionaries or their running dogs. Exactly the sort of people with whom the republic may best deal.

Comrade Pater Ibrahaim,
We both, and our people too, have suffered at the hands of the imperialists of the west. Having lost already two million of our sons and daughters the Choson people of Dra-pol are afraid of no task or enterprise, and by your association to our masses your cause can not fail to gain strength.

For us, trade with your significant block is hardly more favour than revolutionary need.

In truth, from many perspectives the condition of the republic needs no furthering. Association with Asian neighbours through an East Islandian initiative, as well as with Beth Gellert ;most evolved of western thinkers; has provided the republic with the means to fight a modern war. In fact, we have now eight hundred thousand old rifles gathering dust. Our need is for political pressure against the ball and chain shackled to Dra-pol by the Quinntonians and Happy Baseball Fans.

If this incumberment is not soon convinced by political means to leave us, Dra-pol shall be forced to remind the imperialists from where true political power flows, and your trade agreements shall only be delayed.

Following the "events" on the high seas, the Chung-Kuo aircraft company wishes to invite the Dra-pol administration into a series of contract re-negotiations.

Ah yes, the aviation fuel.

Hotan is keen to work out a solution to this problem, and is prepared to go to considerable lengths to get the deal off the ground- Dra-pol's airforce is undergoing a ten fold increase in aircraft numbers, and as such fuel demands are about to leap.

Communications are sent to Chung-Kuo indicating DaKhiem's intent to dispatch representatives to Form.. erm.. to Taiwan (hey, last time we had anything to do with the outside world the name was different ;) ) for personal negotiations.

Hotan recognises the potential for Taiwanese hesitation with regards to usual land routes into Dra-pol (China being the primary one, after all).

The return communiqué found Ramírez hard at play in his personal chambers. Though somewhat irritated at the interruption, he forced himself to dismiss his attendants and seek out Ibrahaim, not sure if he was more pleased with what the letter had to say or disgusted by when it had arrived.

In the meantime, Ibrahaim was standing on the Palace’s balcony, gazing as best he could through the tall buildings and perpetual smog layer to the north-east; towards Effit. He hardly even noticed when Ramírez strode up beside him.

“Lovely view, is it not, patre?” Ramírez’s words snapped Ibrahaim out of the pensive mood that had descended over him. The Ryansislean emperor was gazing out over the city with the look of pride of a loving father. And well he should - he was the latest in a line of rulers which had, in seven short generations, built the state up from the most backwards province of Patria to one of the leading nations on Tilsitia.

History was still a subject that bothered Ibrahaim, for he knew far too much of it to be content with his current lot. He knew of the days when the pater didn’t have to listen to any advisors, any quibbling barbarians on the peripheries. The Patria had stretched its borders from the Northern Shore, over the broad plains of Effit, through the pass of Healdsburg, and over the broad river basin of Ryansisle. When its influence had snuck northward into Tharia, leaving a legacy of language, though it was now much diluted by time. How, at last, after consolidating their power in the South, Ibrahaim VIII had turned his eyes to the River Jaizar and its path through Median Range to a distant sea.

The pater himself led an expedition to conquer the Gadsanians, as the river folk were known. They were famed as independent thinkers, great traders, and, most importantly of all, rich. Effit had exhausted its war chest fighting in the south, and needed the abundunt Gadsanian gold to replenish it. Eight hundred thousand veterans Ibrahaim VIII himself led down the river valley, but he found that someone had done the unthinkable: they had conquered the Gadsanians first! Thus marked Effit’s first encounter with those who would become their greatest nemesis - the Grand Iansislean Empire of the Shield.

For nine long months, through the bitter winter and back into the flooded spring, the Effitian legions clashed with the Iansislean armies. Casualties were high on both sides, but the Shieldians knew the mountain passes well, and the pater himself fell in a battle north of what was now known as Lakeriverwood.

Instantly, the Effitian domain started to crumble. Revolutions sprung out in Ryansisle and all the other outlying provinces, three successive paters were assassinated, and the army in Gadsan fell apart completely.

Even then, Effit had been humbled, but not beaten. She had clung to her colonies for another fifty years and launched three more invasions of the Jaizar River Valley. Now, however, ironically enough at the hands of the thrice-damned Iansisleans’ allies, the Patria itself was occupied!

With a struggle, Ibrahaim tore himself from the past back to the balcony in what had once been the center of Effitian power in the far south. Ramírez must have sensed his mood, for he handed over the note without attempting further communication, and Ibrahiam allowed himself a cautious smile. So far, at least, everything was going perfectly according to plan.

“Well, Héctor, this is indeed good news,” he said, barely keeping from smiling outright. Let’s get the word out to the world - Tilsitia supports Dra-pol.”

And so the word did get out, by every means available to Ryansisle and Healdsburg. The blockade was declared immoral and illegal according to maritime law, and it was announced that the free government in Dra-pol had the PTUA’s fullest support and admiration.

----

“...For too long have the imperialists of the west stomped over our rights; terrorized our kin and kind; raped our women and spilled our blood; counted upon division amongst the repressed people of the world to guarantee their dominion over us,” said Ibrahaim in a carefully measured tone during a taped speech. “Now, at last, the time has come to inform the greedy that we shall no longer put up with their warmongering and two faced hypocrisy.

“Our hearts stand with the Choson Republic of Dra-pol,” he continued, “in their brave stand against foreign intervention and aggression. We let them, and the world who would seek to oppose our rights of self-determination, know that all of Tilsitia stands ready to aide our fine brothers.

“per ignem, mea fides mihi virem dat.”

Understood.

The blimps will come in low enough and slowly to hover over the ships, a rope ladder will be dropped to allow the blimps to be boarded and searched. The blimp crews are under orders to fully cooperate.

The three Balmorals will maintain fly-by and will provide help should the blockade come under attack, but their orders are to protect the blimps.

Regent Edmund Vermillion

Confederacy of SteamEarth

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two blimps came in low and slowly, they slowed to a halt before the blockade.

The three Balmorals radioed the blockade ships to inform them that the planes will patrol the area whilst the searched of the blimps are carried out.

Captain Marwell of the cargo blimp Pinafore took another slipped fo brandy as he listened to the radio messages being exchanged. In the open desk draw besides him laid a pistrol........

(OOC; Don't mind that bit do you? Just adding a little bit of drama if thats alright?)

(ooc not a problem. rp with flavor is good)

Lt. Wittmann of the deployed Marines aboard the "Giants" climbed back down the rope ladder swearing under his breath
our intel says these people are legit so why am I playing Tarzan at a couple a hundred feet? If they wanted to; I'm sure these guys could have blown me away while we were on that ladder no problem and used my corpse for fish food. I hope those blimps are as slow as they look. I want it to be a long damn time before I draw this duty again

Understood.

The blimps will come in low enough and slowly to hover over the ships, a rope ladder will be dropped to allow the blimps to be boarded and searched. The blimp crews are under orders to fully cooperate.

The three Balmorals will maintain fly-by and will provide help should the blockade come under attack, but their orders are to protect the blimps.

Regent Edmund Vermillion

Confederacy of SteamEarth

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two blimps came in low and slowly, they slowed to a halt before the blockade.

The three Balmorals radioed the blockade ships to inform them that the planes will patrol the area whilst the searched of the blimps are carried out.

Captain Marwell of the cargo blimp Pinafore took another slipped fo brandy as he listened to the radio messages being exchanged. In the open desk draw besides him laid a pistrol........

(OOC; Don't mind that bit do you? Just adding a little bit of drama if thats alright?)

(ooc not a problem. rp with flavor is good)

Lt. Wittmann of the deployed Marines aboard the "Giants" climbed back down the rope ladder swearing under his breath
our intel says these people are legit so why am I playing Tarzan at a couple a hundred feet? If they wanted to; I'm sure these guys could have blown me away while we were on that ladder no problem and used my corpse for fish food. I hope those blimps are as slow as they look. I want it to be a long damn time before I draw this duty again

(ooc:Are you sure you want to violate Drapoel airspace? Bearing in mind that while you were in Pyongyang shortly before the withdrawl we tested CS400 SAMs which reached out into the middle of the Yellow Sea and beyond Hamhung, seemingly prompting the grounding of your aircraft. I mean, you can do it, but all your aircraft will be shot down, a lot of ours will be, but then we don't have a choice- you do. Of course we're at risk, but over our airspace you know for a fact that we have to defend ourselves. It has been displayed before the international community that Dra-pol's SAM network has the capacity to engage targets anywhere over Dra-pol, including Hamhung, that they choose not to, DaKhiem hopes, is enough to prove their tollerance and such (as if releasing thousands of POWs while surrendering thousands themselves was not enough!))

ooc: a couple of reminders.
1.You have a 9 million man army Considering that a nation a month older than you (me) would have about 9 million men under arms total (including support which is usually half) to start with and you see that the numbers don't add up for adequate training on fastly improved technology over what you started with.
2. You have already taken casualties in the hundreds of thousands. Do I need to say "medical care, desease, collapse of infrastructure regardless of how primative"
3. Your nation has been under a serious blockade for some time now.
4. Having SAM batteries is one thing. Having enough to shoot down hundreds or thousands of aricraft, many of which have stealth capability, would be very problematic for most nations considering points 1-3. Consider maintaince and training alone to keep your systems operational in the jungle conditions which you yourself have used previously to offset the tech of the nations you face and I doubt seriously your SAM batteries abilities to shoot down "all" of my aircraft.
5. SAM batteries are very suseptable to counter fire in a modern tech environment because by locking on, you give your position away(especially with the land and carrier based AWACS planes I have in the area). You would account for many planes but face counterfire or have to cease fire yourself to relocate which make the unit vulnerable to direct fire and targeting during the move.
6. Early on in this thread I posted that I had U2s overflying your nation and that would not have changed. SAM emplacements would be a logical mark for that type of survaillance since I was originally going to flatten your population centers by direct b-1b and b2 bomber strikes or SSBN launched nukes.
7. The reasons why I grounded my aircraft originally were
a. handheld SAM strikes during takeoff and landing
b. I thought then that a peace might be acheived which is also why I evac'd Poyyongyang. (still not sure how I want to handle that whole mess but it could turn into a fun rp)

Anyway. Fire at will and we can count the casualties later if you think you need to push this. I haven't attacked incoming and departing flights of BG that I presume are bringing in all these improved weapons.

Despite the above, I really enjoy this rp and I hope you are too. It has gone on for awhile without going noob by either side(with Roania on the sidelines that status will probably remain) I understand defending home turf and countering the tech difference to make it balanced. To be honest I've never quite been able to figure out the lines of thought that you rp with Hotan etc, but then again maybe I'm not supposed to as this is shaping up as a real culture, mindset, logic style, spirituality, clash between peoples on opposite ends of the spectrum. I would love to find out if people who have been there (maybe you have I don't know) think you have the culture and all that goes with it protrayed accuractely. I could not say from experience, but I'm willing to bet that several would say you have down pat. Thanks

end ooc

Aboard the Gehrig Senior Admiral(newly promoted after the Ulster incidents) Rauss confers with staff:

our ground intel and aerial survaillence indicates a possible increase in SAM emplacements. They certainly have more aircraft now than before. Combined with the increased ground presence around Hamhung, should we consider a preemptive strike or strikes to take place before Shaker Surprise commences?

Communications are sent to Chung-Kuo indicating DaKhiem's intent to dispatch representatives to Form.. erm.. to Taiwan (hey, last time we had anything to do with the outside world the name was different ;) ) for personal negotiations.

Hotan recognises the potential for Taiwanese hesitation with regards to usual land routes into Dra-pol (China being the primary one, after all).

Chung-Kuo HQ, Taipei
The Chung-Kuo aircraft company has produced a proposal to transport the large quantities of aviation fuel through at least 120 civilian "shell" companies based in China and entered through Hong Kong.

Details of the plan are given to the representatives of Hotan.

Communications are sent to Chung-Kuo indicating DaKhiem's intent to dispatch representatives to Form.. erm.. to Taiwan (hey, last time we had anything to do with the outside world the name was different ;) ) for personal negotiations.

Hotan recognises the potential for Taiwanese hesitation with regards to usual land routes into Dra-pol (China being the primary one, after all).

Chung-Kuo HQ, Taipei
The Chung-Kuo aircraft company has produced a proposal to transport the large quantities of aviation fuel through at least 120 civilian "shell" companies based in China and entered through Hong Kong.

Details of the plan are given to the representatives of Hotan.

Conflict Escalates In Dra-pol
By Choi Chul Ho

As hostilities heat up between Dra-pol forces and Quinntonian blockading units, South Dalanian officials have taken a neutral stance. While continuing to provide humantarian assistance to Dra-pol, South Dalanian officials have clearly stated that they will not provide intelligence, ground or naval bases or use of South Dalanian airspace to any of the combatants.

In a televised speech to the National Assembly, Prime Minister Choi declared that, "In light of the recent developments between Dra-pol and Quinntonia, South Dalania finds it in its best interests to remain neutral." The prime minister also went on to state that any aircraft violating South Dalanian air space or any violations of South Dalanian territory would be treated as a hostile invasion and would be met with a proper military response.

The army has called in all volunteers and reservists and units are expected to move north towards the DMZ, fortifying a defense line, should the war move south. Air and naval patrol forces in the south of the country will also be on increased patrol and will maintain a constant yellow alert.

ooc:
It is no secret that Dra-pol is a highly militarised and paranoid state. I don't think the paranoia is unjustified- the region has been invaded many times in its history. Notable invasions include those of the Mongol hordes, who were driven out only after the Drapoel population rose up with brutality to make even that of the infamous hordes pale in comparrison, the Japanese, once in ancient times and again in the early/mid C20th- when the Soviet Union also invaded. Again, rather exceptionally brutal attackers, I think you'll agree, and again driven out by proportionally greater aggression and ruthless Drapoel determination.
Previously I'd considered that Dra-pol completely withdrew from the world late in WW2 after driving out the Japanese and Soviet forces, but since it coincides better with South Dalania's history, the withdrawl is now considered to have followed the Korean War- which in this reality was probably a lot more brutal than in reality.

When the Quinntonians landed, a brief war (The Three Day War) followed (being blamed broadly on a massive clash of cultures), drawing Dra-pol back into the world, and crushing its introspective collectivist economy.

Militaristic Dra-pol became even more paranoid, and during the refreshed war that is still in progress, the military swelled beyond all past proportions.

I now consider that Dra-pol fields a 9.1million man army (that's combat effectives only), as well as a growing number (presently tens of thousands, headed to hundreds of thousands) of airmen and women. There is no navy, merely a very few gunboats and short range transports.
This is from a population of over 740 million, so I am actually considering increasing it further. Support numbers are relatively low, as Drapoel soldiers are put to exceptionally great degrees of work in bearing and secondary tasks. With increased mechanisation the level of support staff is actually increasing- we never had many tanks to maintain or much need to supply fuel in the past.

I don't think that a significant increase would be too unrealistic, as North Korea IRL apparently fields between 700,000 and a million soldiers, and is far more than thirty times smaller than Dra-pol (in terms of population).

I am, I hope, RPing the effects of heavy militarisation- with a changing All Consuming/Frightening economy since the recovery, Dra-pol spends 14% of GDP on the military- giving a budget greater than Japan's total GDP! Considering that North Korea spends reportedly 33% of its GDP on the military, this is again fairly modest, I think. Anyway- the effects, recent famine has claimed over 20,000 lives, and the nation's infrastructure is still poor. There is a thread dedicated to improving trade and receiving aid to alleviate some of these pressures.
Now some might suggest that the population and army itself would not stand for such hardships during such prosperous economic times- but the level of indoctrination into the present system is great, the nation is still quite isolationist, with the population largely ignorant of global affairs and the true state of the economy, and it is entirely used to living under difficult conditions. Further, they are well aware of the fact of invasion, and foreigners are blamed for most of their hardships. The Drapoel have an established history of fierce nationalism and defensiveness. Still, I have allowed dissent, as Quinntonia has established a colony- Quinntonian Dra-pol, and thousands of Drapoel have converted to Christianity and defected, accepting capitalist rule in the colony (situated around Hamhung and Hungnam).


To specifically address concerns, because I have thought about this a lot, and spent (arguably useless) time looking into what intelligence is readily available on various militaries (especially North Korea), and I don't want to ruin a lot of good tactics and politicking..

2. This has been going on for perhaps two years or more (since the Three Day War) game time (though the population has increased almost ten fold in the time.. either way we've absorbed the casualties long ago). Medical care has actually improved over the span of the conflict.. and now with major aid coming in, it's only going to get better. Still it is far below (I hesitate to say) western standards, which is exactly what the (isolated) Drapoel are used to. Infrastructure is maintained on a local level by the collective industry long established. I have RPd some side-effects of this less than perfect agricultural/industrial model- when was the last time your nation had a deadly famine, or requested major long-term humanitarian aid? Our industry is traditionally not centralised, and we've never had much need for mass transit et cetera.
Now of course Kanggye (over a period of nearly two years) has become a massive industrial base, but its effects are as yet mainly local- most of what it has produced is still there (SAM systems and tanks, at least- aircraft are concentrated there but slowly dispersing to strips used in the first massive thread).

3.The blockade is a nuisance and an insult- Dra-pol hasn't imported or exported anything by sea for centuries, if ever. We were isolationists until the Quinntonian invasion, so a blockade.. well.. oh my word, no! Trade through China has provided potential for trade inifinitely higher than zero. Kanggye (as you can see from a map of Korea) is very close to the Chinese border, and imports have generally come across that border, as often RPd. Now they're coming from the south, too, unless you're blockading all of Korea, in which case you've spread the war to an innocent democratic capitalist state, and you're in trouble.

4. The CS-400 is optimised for engaging low-detectability aircraft (and ballistic missiles). There are not enough CS-400s to take out an entire air force at once, no. They're probably quite pricey, so BG hasn't given us thousands or anything. They can however take out whole squadrons -dozens, scores of pilots and hundreds of millions of dollars that would be safe if they simply respected Dra-pol's airspace- and are backed up by masses and masses of AAA, and moderate but ever increasing numbers of cheap low-altitude SAM systems. Of course you could fly above much of the flack and short range SAM fire- but then you loose the cover of the nation's rugged terrain, and open yourself up to increased long-range SAM fire. Artilery (et cetera) positions on hillsides and such can be notoriously difficult to knock out. Picking out and finishing off a mess of AA positions spred across the rugged Drapoel terrain, while not impossible, would be hugely costly (not just financially) and difficult.
We have imported (via China) hundreds of modern interceptors with short and BVR air to air missiles, and are importing thousands more, as well as (slowly) building the same. The expense involved in importing such is not something we want to repeat year on year, but needs must. As for the training- you may have noticed several references to the north east of the nation as a massive training ground (obviously it is populated too, but training is concentrated there), there are also some pilots trained in China, and many more in East Islandia, as part of one of the major acquisition deals. Our pilots are getting better by the day (after loosing most of the best in the Three Day War near two years ago).

6.I don't know how well U2s see through thick forest canopy, but I'll just suppose that they're by now quite good at it, and accept that. However, most Drapoel units and weapons stations are constantly (well, frequently) on the move. Even the CS-400 are truck mounted. Of course you can update your intel, but I'm just saying that it's not going to be flawless, as is probably expected. Meh.

BG flights are reportedly going from the Indian ocean, through China via Pakistan, and into Kanggye. To attack them would be quite an effort, likely meaning attacking other nations too. Plus with all these forces in Dra-pol, wouldn't massive and wealthy BG pose a bit of a threat to your homeland? At least getting them into the war would assure the liberation of Hamhung and the killing/capture/evacuation of all of your assets.

Oh, by the by, if you question the time-frame (not sure if anyone just, but just incase) Quinntonia has made vague references to dates in the RP well over a year previous, and of course Kanggye has only been going up as Quinntonian Dra-pol did- Hamhung was a tiny villiage when he arrived, now it is the biggest city in Dra-pol.

I'm trying to decide what to do about sorties over Drapoel soil. We can't let you do that, obviously- you're part of an invading coalition, our capital has been flattened twice, and if you have a free hand in the skies you have the potential to attack some of our best defensive assets. You must recognise that the growing Drapoel air force is going to be shadowing your sorties at least. Get used to small squadrons scrambling from half-concealed strips in the forest as you approach.

Probably we should have a few minor skirmishes and dogfights going on, really. Hm.

Chung-Kuo HQ, Taipei
The Chung-Kuo aircraft company has produced a proposal to transport the large quantities of aviation fuel through at least 120 civilian "shell" companies based in China and entered through Hong Kong.

Details of the plan are given to the representatives of Hotan.

The Banat agents involved, on the briefest of communications with DaKhiem, are quick to accept the Chung-Kuo proposal. Chung-Kuo representatives will be afforded the tightest security during any risky phases of their operations.

In DaKhiem, Secretary Hotan was satisfied with the South Dalanian position. While troop movements towards the border might seem cause for concern, he did not believe an attack was likely. So long as the Crusaders were kept out, Hotan felt that his flank was protected by an unbreakable diplomatic wall. Besides, if the South invaded, Dra-pol would over-run them in weeks at most, with a reserve army.

DaKhiem made no hostile moves in response to the Dalanian deployments -it was thought best to avoid posturing that might open up a new front. Though Dra-pol's resources were growing, they were still slight enough to become ineffective if spread.

(ooc:I feel the quality of my posts may be dropping somewhat.. I'm struggling to create characters/attitude/mood/et cetera to keep up with the sudden influx of new nations to which I must respond. I've brought this on myself! Most of the other nations need deal only with two or three other players, but noo, Dra-pol had to stand alone against an entire coalition, then get everyone else involved.. diplomatically. [makes you all attack Quinntonia] Come on, second fronts are cool!
Alright [sets to thinking up more Drapoel names and realistic opinions])

Capt. Horst quickly debarks the c-141 he and his command element have occupied for the past several hours in their flight to their new homebase in Quinntonian Dra-pol. The base was already busy, but still under construction with most of the completed portions disguised to not be readily visible from the air.

thought we had air dominance here. If so why the camo and the nets etc? he thought as followed the base liason SGT to what was apparently his billet for the duration.

The 1st Air Cav division had begun to arrive.

Hamhung

"Cho-Il!" Akiyoro hissed to his comrade, indicating the approach of a stranger.

Cho-Il froze, his head protruding from the ground floor, one hand on the trapdoor, while Akiyoro Sar stood arched towards the heavy door, hardly daring to touch the wood as if afraid the passer-by might sense him. After a few tense moments comrade Akiyoro peered through the slightest crack in the doorframe and confirmed that the back alley was quite clear. Placing a chair against the door, he turned to help Cho-Il back into the tunnel, where several other loyalists awaited the young Banat-informant's updated intelligence.

Probably they were over a foot too shallow, but the course looked good. Interior Pilot Tunnel C112 was well on its way to breaking into Exterior Primary 2.

Evidently a few comrades were nervous about going deeper after what had happened last night at luckless IPRD232- the sound of the collapse had to be explained away by a hastily assembled resistance mortar attack on a near-by police station. Two had been shot and killed or captured by the Quinntonians in simply making the diversion, and no one at Cho-Il's tunnel knew how many had been in the tunnel when it failed.

The five men involved had hardly advanced the pilot tunnel six more inches when a comotion outside forced abandonment of the night's efforts. Apparently a young firebrand, unable to handle his drink any better than the idea of his fiancé talking to a westerner, had attempted to stab an off duty Happy Baseball Fans officer, and in his flight had unwittingly drawn two Christian Drapoel policemen towards the little back alley.

Thinking fast, Cho-Il and Akiyoro had dashed out and tackled the youngster, and in a fit of enthusiastic bowing and clasping together of flattened palms, had handed him over to the arriving policemen, Cho-Il crossing himself a few times for good measure.

"Damn, its so cold out here," muttered the South Dalanian trooper as he surveyed the twelve foot concertina fence dividing South Dalania from Dra-pol. "Who'd we piss off to get midnight patrol?"

His companion, a tall soldier in rip-stop green BDU's hastily stubbed his cigarette out in the dirt. "You know Captain Kim...never satisfied until he knows for sure whats going out here. He's one of those real cautious types....always has been suspicious of those commies," said the soldier, jerking a thumb at the northern side.

-Further down the DMZ-

"That should do it," grunted the soldier as he finished connecting the last of the devices together. "This perimeter motion sensor alarm should warn us if anyone tries to go under that damn fence again."

The alarms were wired to the nearby command post at Camp Bonifas. If any of these alarms were triggered by suspected subterranean activity, units could be onsite in less than five minutes. Heat-detecting cameras and night-vision cams made sure no one tried slipping over or through the fence either.

In Country from Poyyongyang

As the trucks rolled past a stocky man in a Red Bamboo uniform rose up from the brush with what looked like a cardboard tube on his shoulder until it belched fire and the LAW flew towards truck mounted CS400 SAM unit. The man thought he heard an explosion behind him as he raced through the jungle sweat from his face highlighting the small black crucifix tatoo beneath his eye. Probably nothiing could put any light into the 1000 yard stare from his eyes. He and his unit had been in this area for almost 2 weeks waiting for the right target at the right time.

Finally withdrawing the last FROG batteries from the scene of the defunct siege of Pyongyang, regular units with their People's Miltia guards were hardly expecting any action. Most of them were men nearing retirement, soldiers wounded in previous action and less than entirely recovered, young teenage boys requiring of experience, or women.

The middle aged little man in the cab of a large wheeled multi-rocket transport certainly wasn't expecting trouble. Not more than difficult negotiation of narrow unpaved roads would provide the inexperienced driver, more used to leading a cow, or riding a bike. The little pipe danced about between his clenched teeth -what few he had left- as his leathery face furrowed in concentration.

He didn't see the rocket as it lept from the roadside, and nor did the rag-tag infantry platoon idling around the sides of the crawling vehicle before it was hit.

A considerable fire took, and the cab lurched to an uncomfortable halt half in the roadside ditch. Most of the infantry were caught in a series of explosions and leaping flames, the few who escaped unharmed were in two minds about how to proceed- first instincts being to shoot somebody, no one had seen the source of the surprise attack, they next thought to rescue comrades, but were ill equipped for the task.

There would be no serious rescue, and it would be some time before a senior officer organsied a professional search for the attackers.

(ooc:There aren't any CS-400 around Pyongyang- from hillsides and valleys around Kanggye they have the range to cover the whole of Dra-pol, as evidenced in the tests. I substituted a transport with several FROGs (as used to bombard Hamhung in the last 'hot' phase of the war) rather than a single launch-ready unit, as at least this would look more like a 4-tubed CS-400 launcher, and it's a bigger consolation prize than a single rocket. I hope that I never posted CS-400 deployment to the area.. I must have been drunk if I did. If so, call it counter-intel fed to you.. and next time I'll say Hotan got stoned and deployed improperly.)

RIS Glorioso
Steaming North-East; East China Sea

Tsushima Strait, thought Captain Don Eduardo Salazar as his heavy cruiser chugged along at an even twenty four knots. Don Eduardo liked to think himself an avid student of naval history, and he paused to think of Rear Admiral Rozhdestvenski, on his epic 18,000 mile voyage to disaster.

In naval matters, perhaps, Ryansisle was much like early 20th century Russia. After the devastation wrought by land units during the Great Civil War against Effit, Ryansisle had never thought to pay much attention to her fleet. That was something they did in the north. Therefore, while much advanced in the manufacture of small arms, armor, and artillery, Ryansisle had almost nothing in the form of a navy. Healdsburg was likewise; most of her funds were directed into various secret police and intelligence services. Effit, both by the “True Peace” conference after her surrender to Iansisle in the last war and as a result of the occupation of that country, had no ocean-going ships at all.

It pained the advocates of naval power to think that the 11,000 ton Glorioso, which was the largest most powerful ship in the fleet was simultaneously slower, less well armed, and shorter ranged that the Iansislean equivalent HIMS Shield class, and was also one of only four Ryansislean ocean-going ships larger than 2,000 tons. Still, Ryansisle did what she could, and right now she was escorting the 600 ton freighter Fortuna, carrying diplomats and monetary tribute to eastern Dra-pol. He had been ordered to disregard the blockade, as his ships weren’t carrying contraband, and had been authorized to allow searches, whatever the cost in pride to the Ryansislean Navy.

Leaving a smoke trail several miles long, Glorioso made to slip from the East China Sea to the Sea of Japan, her captain praying every step of the way that the imperialists wouldn’t make too much trouble over a simple diplomatic mission.

(Edit: D'oh! Meant to post as Ryansisle. Oh well - I'm sure y'all get the picture ;))

East China Sea

The BGEF, at last nearing the end of her long northwards voyage, lumbered by the Chinese coast, at least one of her Anunkai Class nuclear powered hunter submarines having already entered the Yellow Sea.

"Comrade Admiral!" Came Lt. comrade Minko's heavily accented attention raising call, to a slight turn of Admiral Nicholas Edwards' head.
"Beijing has requested we halt at Shanghai..ahead of scheduel, comrade Admiral."
"Beiking has requested we stop at Shanghai?"
"Yes comrade Admiral."

This went on for a surprisingly long time before comrade Minko understood that the young Admiral's smile was tantamount to permission-to-be-dismissed.

The large flotilla began a turn to port, several of the merchantmen pressing ahead with their sophisticated electonics made ready for delivery.

"Hello China, hello China; Admiral Edwards, BGEF; hello China, we have something you want, but it's going to cost you, that's right, aaall the tea."

"..Comrade Admiral.. we mustn't.. upset our friends." Ventured a brave Captain comrade Binney, CS Ood.

Edwards grinned a little and handed the com back to its horrified Junior Officer.

The Beth Gellen goodwill was delivered to the Chinese that night, while the Admiral boarded the BGEF's fleet carrier CS Engels for a briefing ahead of progress towards the contested areas of the northern Yellow Sea.

The Banat agents involved, on the briefest of communications with DaKhiem, are quick to accept the Chung-Kuo proposal. Chung-Kuo representatives will be afforded the tightest security during any risky phases of their operations.

Tsai Shu Meng of Chung-Kuo rings a friend in Hong Kong.
"Hi, it's Tsai here. Remember me?"
"Oh hi. You havn't called Wang much lately. I'll get him."

.................

"Hello. Wang speaking."
"Good afternoon Wang. How's it going?"
"Good. Is your family ok?"
"Oh yes, they're great. So what have you called me for?"
"Well I need a favour. I'm need your water company to purchase 90,000 litres of aviation fuel from Chung-Kuo and sell it to another company called Allied Chinese Technologies."
"The one is Shanghai?"
"Yes."
"Um...It'll be hard, but I'll see what I can do."

An hour later, the transaction is finalised.

Captain Marwell was only a little bit pleased that they had managed to pass the blockade and head into Dra-pol, that meant everything was going to plan. The Wasteland Confederate would finally get its revenage for the civil war which they had lost, Marwell only hoped that the soldiers already in Dra-pol were ready and had enough rifles and ammo to make this work.

As he expected the men were ready and waiting posing as airfield workers, they quickly exchanged the cargo of supplies for several crates instead of the coal which was expected to be carried out. The captain of the other blimp noticed the different cargo, yet he thought that there had been a change of orders.

Once the blimps were loaded up they headed back towards the blockade, with its 'cargo'. The WCA soldiers and the crew weren't long in preparing for the up and coming action. At the blockade everything seemed normal as the Marnies went up the rope ladders once more, yet the ones sent up to the Pinafore didn't report back......

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/499709/p_bristol_balmoral.gif

DaKhiem

Hotan's image once more adorns the face of the Central Directorature's main building. Tanoys broadcast Koshiako's latest Directions though the Secretary.

Hotan proves to be a very good actor, as the uninitiated could be fooled into thinking the words were entirely his own, and not those of an isolated and unknown eight year old boy!

"Comrades!" He booms, "We have faced many great challenges, and we have overcome!" Victories in the last phase of the war were now listed and inflated, as were elements of the nation's rebuilding and rearmament, though the details of the economy were left out, and the general picture of growth down-played rather than talked-up.

"The struggle is not over- the world remains full of imperialists, and their minions. Reactionaries are everywhere, and there are infiltrators in our midsts!

"The Quinntonians are a faded force, they know that the Drapoel masses are too much for them, too strong! Their Baseball Fan running dogs remain in our midsts, and their rotten ideals have eaten into the republic."

Hotan's last comment in his preramble will be taken by many as a reference to the day's UN report, which rates DaKhiem's Directorature one of Asia's most corrupt governments.

"We must launch a new struggle against the Baseball insurgents, and against the Christian reactionaries amongst us!"

The Secretary urged the People's Militia to arms, swearing that the insurgents could not move more than a few yards without meeting a guard, a checkpoint, a patrol, a barracks, or a collective (all of which are armed to some degree).

"We shall cut the cancer from the body of the masses!" So the people were assured.

Citizens were again encouraged to inform on corrupt individuals, Christians, and other dangerous elements.

Meanwhile, across Dra-pol air patrols seemed to be on the wane. Only areas of great strategic importance saw FC-1 and J-10 interceptors in their skies.

Tunneling secretly continued around Hamhung and the DMZ, but on the ground around Hamhung, Drapoel positions appeared to be increasing in defensive strength. Much of the vast Eastern Army had previously neglected to dig in, as if it expected the order to advance. Now however trenches were deepened, and liveable shelters dug-in as minefields and wire began to crawl around the occupied city.

as the small column of stocky dark skinned "Red Bamboo" infantry moved quitely throught he jungle toward the rally point with their no doubt exhausted comrade; the commander thought to himself

why did they not pursue? They would have all been slaughtered if we could have drawn them even a short ways into the jungle. Perhaps they are not as dedicated as one might think. Nevertheless, the commander was pleased with the mission. He absolutely believed that his unit had hit a designated target for the operation "Shaker surprise"

Captain Marwell was only a little bit pleased that they had managed to pass the blockade and head into Dra-pol, that meant everything was going to plan. The Wasteland Confederate would finally get its revenage for the civil war which they had lost, Marwell only hoped that the soldiers already in Dra-pol were ready and had enough rifles and ammo to make this work.

As he expected the men were ready and waiting posing as airfield workers, they quickly exchanged the cargo of supplies for several crates instead of the coal which was expected to be carried out. The captain of the other blimp noticed the different cargo, yet he thought that there had been a change of orders.

Once the blimps were loaded up they headed back towards the blockade, with its 'cargo'. The WCA soldiers and the crew weren't long in preparing for the up and coming action. At the blockade everything seemed normal as the Marnies went up the rope ladders once more, yet the ones sent up to the Pinafore didn't report back......



strange. I haven't seen Sgt. Almor's team.

Lt. Wittmann wondered about that as the blimps moved on the way after "passing" inspection. They probably went below immediately after arriving on deck. Yes, that has to be it Lt Wittmann thought as he headed for the gangway. Of course I'll have to say something to the SGT about following procedure but in this case I really can't blame him can I? this is about useless as only a fool would hazard themselves against this kind of firepower. these guys have got to be playing it striaght right...

Marwell sent a message to the blockade.

"This is Captain Marwell of the Wasteland Confederate Army of SteamEarth. We have your search team and they are well........for now. We are not planning to hostages, in fact I think we'll start getting rid of them....BANG! (A body is seen being thrown off the blimp).

We are supporting our friends in Dra-pol and if you want to see your men again I advise that you lift the blockade. This blimp has been rigged with high explosives so no funny business.

That is all for now."

inorge

Sorry, buggered computer

Inogre

annoying isn't it?

clocks that start ticking eventually stop.

As the clock clicks over to 11 several days after starting without the safety triggers being activated or detonation orders sent, a signal is sent from the transmitter behind the false wall in a buried bunker.

While several receivers have been found by the dra-pol and deactivated and destroyed before the many and various kinds of explosives and other deadly devices (many of which the dra-pol recognize as similair to the devices used by them against HBF during the occupation of Poyyongyang) several receivers are active and most detonations erupt under many if not most runways and buildings used by the military. In other places things like desks, wall lockers, kitchen stoves, and even toilets explode seemingly for no reason. As the ground shakes from the tremendous explosions (although nowhere near as massive as hoped thanks to the for real Red Bamboo engineers) and the dust settles so does something else. a very fine mist, almost invisible to the eye and odorless.... nerve gas

it would seem the HBF learned well the hard lessons of booby traps and buried explosives taught by their dra-pol opponents during the seige.

Marwell sent a message to the blockade.

"This is Captain Marwell of the Wasteland Confederate Army of SteamEarth. We have your search team and they are well........for now. We are not planning to hostages, in fact I think we'll start getting rid of them....BANG! (A body is seen being thrown off the blimp).

We are supporting our friends in Dra-pol and if you want to see your men again I advise that you lift the blockade. This blimp has been rigged with high explosives so no funny business.

That is all for now."

Orders from the AEGIS system on the Arleigh Burke destroyer "Morris" deploy the MK41 forward VLS system and a sea sparrow surface to air missile is manually targeted against each airship and plane of steamearth in the area.

I hope these things will hit a damn blimp the weapons officer cursed as he followed orders.

the f14s on CAP rapidly perform high speed E and E out of the area to avoid being inadvertantly targeted by the sea sparrows

a buoy pops up from the depths of the sea in seemingly empty ocean waters. A signal is received and acknowledged and the buoy then vanishes.

Meanwhile 800 feet below a course change is executed as one digital readout climbs to read "30 knots" and another "climbs" to read "1250"


Also in Atlanta Capital City of HBF a message is sent to the steamearth embassy from the office of Father Daniel Overstreet; Liason to the HBF Premier.

do you need to report any changes in your military or problems associated with your personnel?

Glorioso's officers had agreed that staying out to sea for as long as possible would probably be the best - no reason to tempt fate, right? However, it had been a long voyage from home, and her ancient steam boilers were starting to show signs of wear, and her coal reserves were dropping to near-critical. In fact, Don Eduardo was a little concerned about his forward boiler: if it went too much longer without maintanance, it may just give up out of hand.

Still, the stocky little heavy cruiser forged forward, never less than fifty nautical miles from the shore as she turned north towards Dra-pol.

the blockade is not having the desired effect and is in fact encouraging those who wish to annoy us

yes, however sometimes it is best to apply strong medicine quickly to an annoying itch. Would you not agree Father Daniel.

agreed sir. Should I issue the appropriate orders and perhaps call a press conference?

no. No press conference. I'm sure those who have involved themselves will know in short order what we do. the Premier responded.

The Yellow Sea Blockade Group

Four Carrier Battle Groups change course and head south. their course seemingly bringing them in close proximity to the northward moving Ryanisile vessel.

The HBF "Mays" and "Mantle" combined Carrier battle groups remain on station in the southernmost portion of the now seemingly defunct blockade patrol routes. In addition to the 14 escort vessels of the battle group, several sub tenders and their OH Perry Frigate escorts as well as a 2 underway replenishment vessels and a minesweeper with escorts bringing the total number of vessels to around 35 surface ships. The CAP is now centered on the battle group and the majority of the western coastline of Dra-pol, including Poyyongyang, is free of the sound of aircraft for the first time in maybe years.

Far below however, submarine Captains are informing their sonar operators that all surface contacts can now be designated with the "tango" call sign

The Yellow Sea Blockade Group

Four Carrier Battle Groups change course and head south. their course seemingly bringing them in close proximity to the northward moving Ryanisile vessel.

(wow...did they just steam through the Korean Pennisula to try and intercept the northward-moving Ryansislean vessel that's in the Sea of Japan? :lol: )

The Yellow Sea Blockade Group

Four Carrier Battle Groups change course and head south. their course seemingly bringing them in close proximity to the northward moving Ryanisile vessel.

(wow...did they just steam through the Korean Pennisula to try and intercept the northward-moving Ryansislean vessel that's in the Sea of Japan? :lol: )

ooc: nope didn't realize you were headed up that side. I'm not sure the Dra-pol has an open port on the Sea of Japan. If you're heading into Hamhung, I can just about garuntee you won't be messed with.

-Double Post-