NationStates Jolt Archive

The clerk buzzed in Erzsebet and she entered the office of the ambassador. "Ah, Ms. Sorvik, I hope the clerk this time didn't give you any trouble, please sit down." He said as he stood. "This is a trying matter unfortunately."
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The airstrip, this late at night, was usually closed. But not tonight. A small airliner, a two engine Gulfstream with an impressive range, was on final, coming into landing with a light load. All it would do is refuel and return to the skies it came from, but with one more person.

Inside Hangar 48, where the Gulfstream would taxi, was a suburban, black and heavily customized. It was a signature Black Ops vehicle, especially for the Force Spectre unit. Inside were three Force Spectre operatives and Phillip Carlyle, the prisoner now going home to Kelssek. The Emperor had waived the idea of using the biological delivery unit on him, in light of turning a minor extradition into a major international event. However, if need be, a sweeper team would be sent in to finish the job on Phillip Carlyle, who had been beaten rather severly and had not slept in days. That was part of the interrogation process, deprive one of sleep until they can no longer function and take it. He'd been doused with water so many times he was beginning to hate the stuff.

Inside a car behind the suburban was a few diplomats and a legal team, the usual for an extradition of such a nature. Phillip Carlyle would be put on the plane and then he would go back to Kelssek. In return, the EOL was going to recieve enough Uranium to feed its reactors for an additional 72 years, giving a total supply of 137 years before they would run out of reactor-grade Uranium, Plutonium, and everything else they used to fuel their reactors. This would allow them to create more weapons-grade Plutonium for use in ICBMs and other nuclear weapons being produced.

When the Gulfstream finally took off with Phillip Carlyle, the time was nearly 0300 and for the first time in weeks, Phillip Carlyle, fell sound asleep though he didn't stay asleep for long as his body grew so used to having been awoken from sleep it seemed he would never get a good night's rest again. And he wouldn't!

"It really is," Erzsebet said as she sat down.

"I've already told you that the Harthys are crying quite loudly for war. They think your government did it, and they have considerable influence, especially with the business party, which is the largest of the opposition parties at the moment. Now, knowing the Harthys, they would demand war even if your government didn't do it, because it would mean better business for them in their less dubious financial ventures, but few people would listen. As it is, they're proclaiming for the whole world to hear that Marcus Harthy was terminated by the government of Layarteb, and our government is in a weak position because we have no way to respond, as it could have been your government, but it could also have been that problematic tribe, or it could have been just a normal bar fight. But since we don't know, we can't say what it was, because we can't afford to be wrong. The elections are coming up. If it was your government, we still must know in order to find a peaceful solution, because if it got out there would be demands for retaliatory action, and while not war, it's not something we want to do, and I'm sure it's not something you want us to do. And don't try to hide it, cause we'll find out eventually and just be more mad that you lied to us. If in fact your government had nothing to do with it, tell us, so that we can say with certainty that you didn't. And then we've got to find out who did fast, and take some action as retribution to make people calm the hel down."

Erzsebet leaned back in the chair and eyed Henry with a piercing sort of gaze. Not changing her expression or averting her eyes, she leaned in close and said "You know, I'd really prefer not to have a big thing over one dead Harthy, he probably had it coming, so we really need to know everything you guys know about it. You're a smart guy, you can probably tell this thing will only get worse as time goes on if it looks like our governments aren't doing anything about it."

The smell of the marijuana was getting a bit overpowering, but the windows weren't very cooperative as the aide thumped and thumped on the catch. Finally it swung open.

"Now national news, and the top story. Phillip Carlyle was welcomed home today by family members as well as about 3,000 supporters at Wentonweakes International Airport..."

"Geez, how many did you smoke?" were the words which marked the entry of the President. Another aide pressed the mute button.

"I had one. Mister Pothead had the rest." said the Transport Minister, glaring at the Secetary of Aviation.

"Sorry."

"Pierston isn't cheap, you know. Even without tax."

"Enough of that, did you issue the directive?" said President Sutter.

In response, the Transport Minister pressed the mute button on the TV.

"...ansportation Ministry also announced today that individuals would no longer be allowed to take drugs, except alcohol and tobacco, out of the country with effect from tomorrow. This is in light of the Phillip Carlyle incident. Those found with drugs at checkpoints will have to dispose of them or mail them back to themselves at their own expense. The ruling will not affect commercial shipments..."

"Yes... I hope that idiot Carlyle enjoys his freedom. It cost us $20 million. Where's the Prime Minister gone?"

The ambassador to Callisdrun picked up a manilla folder, marked "Top Secret: For Your Eyes Only" and handed it to Erzsebet. "This is all we know. He was in a fight, stabbed several times with what we can gather was a Ka-Bar, and left for dead. There was a high level of alcohol in his system and his adrenline was high, he was definitely in a fight. That's about all we know. I can imagine the way it looks and that the Harthy's are in fact rather distraught. We are inviting a medical examiner and a diplomatic team to examine the body and do your own autopsy as well as a delegation to bring him home once all examinations are complete."
******************************************************
The apartment was dark, a haze of smoke filled the air. Sitting on a dirty, torn, and stained couch was a man, smoking a cigarette. "It is done." He hung up his phone and looked over at the Ka-Bar knife sitting on the end table, the blood having been washed off. The moonlight shone in and only illuminated the knife and the end table. Sitting opposite of the man, in an arm chair was another man. Outside of the window, the flashing light of the sign of a strip club flickered, glistening on the man in the armchair, though it only shone his mouth. Every few seconds it would glisten a pair of fangs.

"Your mission was a success. Marcus Harthy's death will make the people of my homeland scream for bloody murder. Those Sorviks will reap the mess that they have initiatied upon me and my people."

"Whatever it takes. I just would like to get paid."

"Why else would I be in this disgusting rat-trap you call a home."

"Good. Then I presume you have it?"

"Certainly." He reached into his coat but instead of pulling out money he pulled out a pistol, silencer attached. "Perhaps in the future you will not be so stupid as to underestimate my intelligence and leave an asset like you still around to talk."

"You sw..." The three shots fired entered and exited his chest and went into the couch. Another two shots found his head, ensuring that he was dead. As his hand fell to the couch, the cigarette caught a breeze of air and grew hotter. It lay on the couch and the assassin knew that it would create a fire. He put the pistol back in his coat and left, the dark, eerie night looming overhead.
******************************************************
At the Force Spectre command center, operatives were analyzing hundreds of survelliance tapes from airports, telephones, etc. They recieved a tip that another Callisdrun citizen came into the country. Who he or she was, where they were going, what they were doing, etc. was still a mystery. In addition, two phone conversations with the individual were traced back to a pay-phone but they were still trying to get a propper ID on the individual who, in a most dramatic scene, was in the shadows when he or she was on the phone.

Whoever this individual was, they were certainly making plans and withdrawing funds. The conversation recorded was a most peculiar one. Things were not copastetic.
******************************************************
OOC: Good twist? It's cool if you wanna leave it be. Figure it'd be an opening for those Sorviks and Harthys to go at it.

Erzsebet looked through the folder and sighed. It appeared that the Layarteb authorities did not know as much as she had hoped. It was all right. The fact that the Harthy had gone down fighting, evidently thoroughly drunk, meant things would be easier. "Well, this won't quiet the Harthys, but doing an autopsy and publishing the results, will erode nearly all of the affluent family's support very quickly. Most people will accept that he got drunk, said the wrong thing to the wrong person and got himself killed by being stupid in a foreign country. We'll send a medical team to examine the body. We've also reactivated intelligence agents in your country and assigned them to look into this matter. No need to worry though, they aren't looking at any of your military secrets, they're concerned with this only. Upon a closer examination, there is a somewhat minor branch of the Harthy family that was highly involved in the drug trade, and they might have been behind it. It's far too early to tell, though."

She paused and continued looking through the folder. The Layartebians kept their embassy very hot and very bright inside by Callisdrunian standards, and she found the room was beginning to feel stuffy. Speaking to Mr. Hyde while she studied the folder's contents, Erzsebet said something a bit random. "I'm getting a bit hungry, would you care to have lunch?" Realizing that Henry might think she meant that she wanted to feed from him, she added "At a restaurant I mean."

OOC: Tell me where you want to take this twist. Pretty inventive

The ambassador nodded and buzzed his secretary. "What does my schedule look like for today?" After some paper flipping and such through the speaker, his secretary buzzed back. "Evidently I have nothing planned. I am famished actually and yes a restaurant does sound good to me." He folded up a few papers on his desk to hide them from any prying eyes just before he'd leave.
******************************************************
Layarteb News Agency (3 Sept): Today in Falcon City, a major fire inside a public housing building for low income individuals, claimed the lives of eight people. The fire appears to have begun when a man fell asleep with a cigarette in his hand, igniting his apartment. The building was apparently not up to fire code. Further investigations are commencing.

"This is bad. Very bad. For you, I'm clean of this, but you are in political quicksand, George. Especially with an election coming in two weeks." said the President.

"...in the summary judgement hearing today, it was revealed that Carlyle was coerced into signing a gag order which allowed the Layarteb government to censor any interviews he gave to the media and prevented him from, and I quote, profiting in any way from the incident. The judge ruled that the order does not apply in legal proceedings and allowed the lawsuit to proceed. Carlyle is suing the Layarteb government for $15,000 in lost salary, income and psychiatric costs. In a second suit which also passed summary judgement today, he is suing the federal government for $500,000 for the suffering he endured as a result of alleged negligence in not extraditing him sooner."

"We should sue that guy for the $20 million WE lost in the uranium deal just to get him out!" screamed the Prime Minister.

"Prime Minister George Marlin also denied rumours of a rift in the Coalition over the issue as well as rumours that several Liberal Party MPs will resign from the party and run for either the Green or Freedom Party in the coming election. Green Party chairman Alan Kerk also would not comment on rumours that his party will leave the Coalition in protest."

"So you lied?" asked the President.

"What else could I do? Say, 'oh yeah, everyone's quitting because they think I'm a foot-dragging loser'?"

"Look, George, the people aren't with you on this. First, you shouldn't have kept the gag order a secret. Second, even if you did your best, with voters the best isn't always good enough. Third, to them Carlyle is a martyr who was left to rot under the jurisdiction of a radical right-wing dictatorship for three weeks because of your government's incompetence. To them, Layarteb were not to blame. They were just enforcing their laws. You're the one to blame for not doing your duty. Like I said, the best isn't always good enough."

"Do you think we still can win?" sighed the Prime Minister.

The president wouldn't answer.

The Emperor looked at the dispatch. "So he's suing us for fifteen grand huh?" He chuckled. "For lost salary, income, and psychiatric costs. What a joke."

The Minister of Law was in the office as well, "What do we know?"

The Minister of Transportation spoke up, "Well on all travel tickets issued by us there is a sheet of known laws and such about customs. Hell we have the rules everywhere. So either way, we just cite his inability to read the rules and regulations."

"Very well then we are done with this issue."

**OOC This is my closing post in this RP, if you want to follow the "aftermath", look at my website which is linked in my sig.***

NEORVINS (6 Sep 2004) - If he was nervous about his imminent challenge to the government, who Phillip Carlyle is suing for $500,000 in a lawsuit claiming that Prime Minister George Marlin and his government were negligent in taking three weeks to extradite him from Layarteb, causing him to suffer psychological damage as well as trauma to his family, he didn't show it as he breezed through the front courtyard of the Federal Court in Neorvins today.

Indeed, his lawyers seem confident they can prove a case that could well prove pivotal in the coming federal elections. "Most of those cases take four days to a week at the most," said a spokeswoman for the legal team which has agreed to try the case, "this one took three weeks. In the process, our client suffered immense mental trauma and is now plagued by nightmares caused by his detention."

Carlyle's lawsuit against the government of Layarteb was also dropped yesterday as the legal team decided to concentrate on the case against the federal government.

The timing could not be worse for Prime Minister George Marlin and his Liberal Party, which is facing internal dissension both within the party and within the Coalition, with rumours flying that the Green Party will soon withdraw and run seperately in next week's election. The PM's ratings also hit their lowest point in the 12 years he has been in power, with polls placing his approval rating at 43%.

The defence will begin calling witnesses tomorrow. A verdict is expected by Friday. - THE NEORVINS SUN

**OOC This is my closing post in this RP, if you want to follow the "aftermath", look at my website which is linked in my sig.***

Will do. You are welcome back at any time!

"Well, shall we get going then?" Erzsebet asked, rising from her seat. "Tell me if you have any preferences, otherwise I'll find a good place. There are quite a few." As the strolled out into the winter darkness, she absently remarked "Your country's narcotics policy has caused quite a stir with Kelssek from what I hear. I'm told that their ruling party might have trouble staying in power since their elections are coming up. Our leaders are a bit worried, as well, because our elections are also coming up."

OOC: Sorry about my really delayed post. I've been in the recording studio and out of town, and blah blah.

IC:

In another video sent to Layarteb:

Einheit: Emperor, the Schultzpolizei stopped the man after he had been talking to himself in public. The soldier who stopped him claimed the man was not speaking any sense and was becoming aggressive. Thus, after several more SP soldiers had come to reinforce him, the man was searched and the drugs were found. The cocaine and marijuana had been divided into many separate bags, as though it was intended to be sold.

A video recording the entire incident, originating from a camera which was installed on a nearby building, plays back everything as described.


OOC: Man, my posts really aren't as good as they used to be. I think I was just really bored when I did this one.

OOC to NG: Recording studio? Are you in a band or do you work for one or something?

OOC to Call: Nice link to Kelssek.

The ambassador followed into the winter darkness. "I am at a loss for a place, it's your choice. Now as far as that situation in Kelssek is concerned yes that is a problem for them. Their citizen was caught violating the law, then lied to the authorities, and he is very lucky that he was returned home but his escape is not what he thinks it was. Perhaps things are changing there and I can assure you that whatever it changes to, it should be better than what is there now."

"I know a good place. It may appear a bit seedy, but the food is great. It's a little ways away." Erzsebet turned down a sidestreet and gestured for Henry to follow. "The situation in Kelssek reminds me of something. Whatever you do, don't give any information to the press here. Some terms that they use in other countries, 'backround,' 'off the record,' stuff like that, are non-existant here. If they try to stick you in a corner, decline to comment, but do so politely. If you use profanity or anything like that, they will not hesitate to print it." She led Henry into an establishment that was tucked away between two much larger buildings, and to enter, one had to descend. They did.

"Our elections are coming up, and we don't want the kind of mess that happened in Kelssek, as the only parties that stand to gain from it wouldn't handle relations very well, as the Harthys have influence in both of them."

The ambassador followed, his stomach yearning for food. He hadn't eatten all day. "Elections are a careful matter and thanks for the heads up on the media. As policy, we do not speak to external media sources on anything that pertains to Layarteb or the country we are in unless it is an informative press briefing, for example an airline crash or something of that nature. Back to these elections though. As far as is concerned, we believe that you are thus far rather stable. Any changeover would result in a change of policy to your nation, without a doubt, but our analysts do not predict anything of that nature." The air was cool and refreshing down here.

Erzsebet sat down in a booth in the corner and waited for Henry to sit down before speaking. "Well, possibly less stable than it might seem, actually. The Harthys have quite a lot of influence in the business party, which is the one that almost all of Callisdrun's wealthiest people belong to. The ruling coalition has a majority, but it isn't by that much. The business party, which is the strongest of the opposition parties, has more funds than all three parties in the coalition combined."

A waiter came to the table and asked what they would like to drink. Erzsebet quickly replied "I'll have some nog, with vodka please." The waiter then looked to Mr. Hyde.

"I'll have the same," the waiter left and the ambassador turned back to Erzsebet and whispered, "it is in our best interest for the situation to remain as is. Any change to this status quo would probably not be in our best interest, regardless of if the policies are those we would approve of in all areas. If the Harthy's do any 'unsavory anti-regime' actions that would constitute force of an unnecessary nature. And by that I mean assassinations or terrorist actions of such, we would not hesitate to assist you. In addition, any services needed of such a nature are available, though on a full deniable basis."

"Good to know. Thanks for the support. I doubt the Harthy's will try any revolutionary type funny business, though, as that isn't really their forte. They'll probably try various financial tricks in an attempt to get who their guys into office, as that's what they know best. They'll try to do a big smear campaign as well, no doubt. They don't even need an election to do that. A big effort was made to discredit me, in a variety of different ways, right after I was appointed to my current post. Most of what they said was exaggerated, but I must admit that quite a lot was true. Amazingly, it completely backfired and had the opposite effect to what they intended." Erzsebet liked to be more casual, and get away from all the stiffness of formal politics. Of course, the dining establishment they were in was hardly a place that struck one as formal.

The waiter returned with the drinks, both in pint sized metal mugs. "Are you ready to order?" he said calmly. He saw that they were, and turning to Erzsebet, he said "Shall it be the venison again, Miss Sorvik?" he asked.

Erzsebet turned her piercing gaze away from the Layrtebian to the waiter. "Yes, very rare please."

"Of course." The waiter then turned to Henry and said "And for you sir?"

bump

Venison. What the hell is that? Hm, perhaps.

"And the same but medium-rare please." He turned back to Erzsebet and smirked, "So back to business," now that the waiter was gone, "yeah such is a dreadful problem, most definitely. However, what if certain things were not such. In Layarteb, this would have been dealt with immediately and severely, we do not tolerate this stuff. Yes if you need something of our assistance please do not hesistate."

Erzsebet shrugged and said "Free speech is free speech. They can say whatever they want about me, such is the price of freedom. However, it has mostly just backfired on them. Usually I've just responded with sarcasm. Or not at all. Only once did they publish something that really hurt me. A few years ago, I was doing a lot of stuff that I'm not proud of, and they printed all of it. How they got the information I do not know, but it was pretty personal. One of the young men in the Harthy family was running for office at the time though, but unfortunately for him, he had served on a ship I was commanding. I published some of the information in the navy report about him, and it basically destroyed his career. It still was not nearly as personal and intimate as the things that the nation got to read about me though." She leaned back and gave a little sigh, as if regretting something. "After that, I had no desire ever to become an elected politician, though my party wants me to run because they know I'll win. I just don't want to have to deal with that kind of crap all the time."

The waiter brought their meal after a few minutes. Mr. Hyde's was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, but Erzsebet's was so rare it looked almost raw. Because Callisdrun was so mountainous, cattle ranches, and therefore cattle, were rare, so beef was not often eaten. However, as a result of Callisdrun's vast forests, deer meat was very easy to get, and so venison took the place of beef to a large extent. Being wild, it was incredibly lean. Callisdrunians saw this as normal though.

Hey! I'm a freshman @ Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois.

Hey! I'm a freshman @ Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois.

And this is relevant to the RP how?

The ambassador realized what it was that he was eating when he sat it. Deer meat. Haven't had that in ages. Not since we went hunting after the war. "Indeed, free speech is a good norm to maintain. Though the effects can sometimes damage a person so severely it is a crime. We have free speech inside Layarteb, as hard as that is to imagine. There is no law prohibiting criticism of the Emperor or of the government or any law that denies peaceful displays of speech. Protests, however, are outlawed given that none of them ever maintain peace. Newspapers, radio shows, televisions, people, and such can say whatever they want, including racial comments. However, if one makes a racist comment and it offends someone to the point where they give them some physical injury we also do not care. After all, it was you who said it in the first place. We do try to, however, keep lies and horrid attacks on the privacy of our citizens and leaders in sacrosanct."

"Well, lies and slander are allowed, but with the full knowledge that spreading vicious lies and such will make a person a target for a lot of other people. The Harthys still made sure that basically everyone in the country knows the details of my private life, though. If you want, you can easily find just about anything without looking very hard." Erzsebet dug into her food like a true carnivore, and so finished it very fast. Now that everyone in Callisdrun knew all the gory details, she figured she might as well be casual about it.
"We don't get much racism, except from the fascist party, which basically runs on the 'exterminate all the vampires and foreigners' platform. Their convention always gets protested, though. Protests are such a strong tradition here that no one would ever think of outlawing them. Except maybe the fascists, but they will never get power, they are out of touch with the average citizen. Most of what they say only alienates voters."


OOC: where do you want to take this?

OOC: Don't know where we are going with this honestly lol. Any ideas?

OOC: If we could do a smooth descent into clan vs. clan conflict, it would be ok. Part of what I'm doing is trying to further document Erzsebet's character, so I can say I have some stuff actually written down. She's a member of the communist party, by the way, but also extremely nationalistic. A clan war would have to be Sorvik and Farkas, also with Katarindatter and Novikas, vs. Harthy and... yet to be determined. Batory family could go on either side. They are secretive.

Roger that. Perhaps if needed the Layartebian military could secretly intervene but we'd usually just watch from afar.

Well, it wouldn't be the Sorvik/Farkas side that needed help. And I doubt the Layartebian military would help the drug-dealing Harthys, heh heh.

Well, it wouldn't be the Sorvik/Farkas side that needed help. And I doubt the Layartebian military would help the drug-dealing Harthys, heh heh.

Indeed we would not help them at all. Hm, we'll see what comes around though we would like some sort of role in the conflict.

Your ambassador will probably not be able to avoid a role in the conflict, seeing as how he's having lunch with the firebrand of the Sorvik family.

Yeah that is definitely getting neck deep into it.

if you have any ideas, just post. He could always get deeper into it.

What if during the conflict, the Harthy's captured the embassy?

that would be very interesting. Hmmm... I need to think of a way to smoothly take it up to that level, as right now it's tense, but not that violent.

that would be very interesting. Hmmm... I need to think of a way to smoothly take it up to that level, as right now it's tense, but not that violent.

Yeah perhaps we can do something to annoy the Harthy's I mean there is a small force there at the embassy, certainly not enough to defend against let's say 150 people.

Erzsebet got quiet as she heard something that caught her attention on the restaurant's radio, which had been on the entire time. "Can you turn it up, please?" she asked one of the workers there. He did so, and a very shocking news story was heard.

"This just in. Because of arrests of various Harthy family members made this morning, the Harthys have declared there to be a clan feud between themselves and the house of Sorvik, which they believe is behind some of the government's recent actions against their businesses. The last time there was a full-fledged clan feud was more than 150 years ago, so this event is truly bizarre. The government has not commented on the situation, but is expected to do the same thing it did 150 years ago... nothing, and probably wait till the hostilities have subsided a bit.

The houses of Farkas and Novikas have already declared themselves to be in active support of the Sorviks, and the Katarindatters are expected to follow suit. The Batory clan is reportedly split over it, with only about half supporting the Harthys. Famed scientest Ilona Bathory is not among them. Several have decided to leave the country, whereas others have simply relocated to areas of the nation not likely to be battlegrounds. It is unclear at this point what the Kereshturs, Thurzos and Nadazdys will do.

One Harthy is quoted as saying 'It is time to make those commies, most notably that pierced whore, pay for their effrontery'. There has already been an attempted firebomb attack on Sorvik Castle, but it met with disaster and was thwarted. More on the feud as reports come in."

After this, the newscaster went on to talk about the weather, sports, elections and other less exciting tidbits.

"Well," said Erzsebet. "This will certainly make things more complicated."

OOC: How do you want to do this? We have two threads here with two different tag lines being joined. Should we stick to one or make a new one for your own internal struggles?

The assassin appeared again. He had laid low since the fire, which he started. He was a member of the Harthy clan and, in essence, the architect of this entire feud. He had much to gain from a war with the Harthy's and the Sorviks, especially since he had an ace up his sleeve. He had made contacts with the Urbh Yueh tribe, lucrative contacts. He had, in the past week, secured a sum of $829.27M for war efforts. The money was being funneled through drugs. The Urbh Yueh had engineered a new party drug and had already made roughly $2B selling it in Layarteb. Their market was mostly teenagers and college students, looking for a new way to spice up the rave they were going to. Drug Enforcement Officials were still unaware of the drug, now being called Solid State. The tabs were cheap but often bought in lots of ten to twenty. The profit was insane. A single pill, that cost $15 on the street only cost a mere $0.25 to make. The Urbh Yueh tribe had a definite cash crop.

In addition, it was being sold elsewhere at higher prices. It made Ecstasy seem like aspirin. It was also pure, unpolluted with contaminants, like Ecstasy was. It was safer too. The LD50 of the drug was significantly higher than Ecstasy but its effects were much better. It was derived from a combinational mix of two chemicals, both produced by plants found only inside Urbh Yueh territory.

The deal that the assassin made would provide 45% of the profit from this drug to the Harthy's. In return, the Harthy's promised that once they regained control in Callisdrun, that the drug market for Urbh Yueh would increase three fold. That would mean 300x more profit for everyone, a very pleasing offer.

Everything was set for the match of the century...

OOC: I'm thinking that the gory details will be on this thread, and that only things that relate to the nuclear weapons program and/or intelligence reports of your guys will be done on the nuke thread. I'll post something later tonight

rgrt...

Perhaps I should edit the title...

In the backrooms of the Harthy bank in Drun, representatives of the Harthy clan, most notably Peter Harthy, were meeting with several members of the Batory clan, about half of which had decided to ally themselves with the Harthys against the Sorviks and the Farkas family. Some were part of that half, the others were undecided. Among those undecided was the famed nuclear scientist/professor Ilona Batory. If the Harthys could get her on their side, they might have an incredible advantage in the feud.

Peter had just finished talking about funds from the Urbh Yueh tribe in Layarteb. "Any questions?"

Ilona Batory got up, adjusting her glasses. "Excuse me, I must use the restroom."

"All right, be back as soon as possible." Peter was irritated by her, but he knew her importance. He was also terrified of the woman.

Ilona made her way, in a very long fashion to explore the building as much as possible, to the restroom. She then placed a phone call.


Outside, the temperature was frigid. About thirty people sat huddled in the snow, wearing black trenchcoats, their faces covered with war paint in ancient patterns and symbols. It lookes surprisingly intimidating. Most had just sharpened their customary battle axes. Several carried AK's. They were led by a small young woman, whose face bore a distinctive black lightning bolt, and an older man. The woman was of the Sorvik family, the man was from the house of Farkas. The Katarindatter and Novikas families were also represented, though most of them were Sorviks and Farkases. The man's cell phone rang. "Hello? Yes, all right, to the left once we get in you say? Is it locked? We can break it with axes? Good. Thank you Ilona."

He confered with the woman for a while, and then she spoke sternly to the group. "All right, this is one of their larger storage facilities for both their funds and their nourishment. Inside the entrance, we make our way to the hall, go left and pass several doors. #9 leads to the tanks, the meeting is to the right in room #4. We'll give those corrupt bastards Hel and show them what it really means to be Moroii." With that they charged the bank, axes, AK's and molotov cocktails in hand. The long, frigid, Callisdrunian winter night would soon heat up.

OOC: I need a name for this guy...

The assassin had completed most of his mission. That mission was to eliminate opposition and start a feud with the Sorviks and the Harthys. Then he had to secure funds for the Harthy war effort. Thirdly, he had to secure weaponry and an alliance. We did such with Urbh Yueh, along with the cash. Now he had two more tasks to accomplish before he returned home. He had to secure an assassination team, highly trained, to take out Erzsebet. Urbh Yueh soldiers were up to the task and a special task force was being deciphered from the Urbh Yueh Army. And lastly he had to secure blood. Blood was going to be the hard part and he had been working on it, though to no avail. He had only been able to feed himself, a rash of victims now lying in dark alley's, gutters, and sewers. He had been careful to conceal the bodies.

He had another meeting with Urbh Yueh this afternoon. He was to pick up a flight to the city at noon. He disguised himself as an investment banker, many of which had been going since hostilities ceased.

The Boeing 777-200LR took off on time and on schedule. It had a passenger capacity of 301 but there were only 185 flying at the moment. The flight was long, some 7,690 miles. The Boeing 777-200LR had a maximum range of 10,138 miles. It was close to a fourteen hour flight, flying at 560 mph for most of the way.

Upon landing, the assassin deboarded, having napped most of the flight. A car was waiting for him as the fall air set in over Urbh Yueh as morning and dawn neared. It was 0500 when he landed, three hours more on the time zone. Since hostilities ceased, tourism between the city and Layarteb had been allowed, but on a limited scale. Businessmen were granted passage immediately and tourists had to apply for a travel visa.

The meeting was set up and the assassin travelled to an apartment complex in the heart of the city, deep inside what would be referred to as a ghetto, but a midly upscale one. It was still a dump. The complex had crappy lighting, the bulbs flickering or out throughout the stairwell and the hallway. Where have I seen this before. He clenched his pistol under his overcoat, the silencer still attached. He managed to sneak it through baggage claim and customs easily, afterall, he had a metal plate in his side, implanted so that he could get in and out of such situations.

Apartment 8K was, by most standards, lavish, especially for this place. It certainly did not look like an apartment that should be in this area and it was easy to see why. Nine locks were on the door, six of which were deadbolts going, at minimum, 1" into the doorframe, with the middle going in 4". The assassin and his escort, the driver, knocked five times and kicked twice. That was the code.

The locks clicked open and revealed two men standing, sunglasses shielding their eyes, wearing army uniforms. Each of them had an Uzi in their hand and the assassin could see they had a pistol on their hip, they were definitely regular army. "Please enter." The guards ran a metal detector over him, to which he nodded when it ping at his side.

"Metal plate." Inside, he shifted the pistol and lifted his coat. "Accident two years ago. They had to put in a metal plate to keep the bones together." The army men cringed. "Shall we get this on the road?" He shifted the pistol back. Regular army without a doubt. Goons.

The assassin sat down at a table in the middle of the room, which was a dining room of some sort. A large, wooden table was in the middle of the room with two men seated at the opposite end. Each had a pistol on the table and certainly the assassin could tell that there was a shotgun under the table, most likely aimed at the only chair remaining at the table. "So shall we?" The man seated at the head stood and offered his hand. "Ferdinand Yueh. And this is my assistant James Caldaroan. And you are sir?"

The assassin held up his hand in return, "Klaus Thurzo of the Harthy Clan." He sat down at the chair. "A rather long table for so few chairs." He smiled, the fangs glistening in the sun.

"Yes well we don't want any unexpected guests."

"Indeed." He shifted his pistol again to his lap so that he could use it in a jiffy. "Shall we then?"

"Very well. The money, as you are aware, is settled. Now there rests the task you have brought to us."

"Yes. You are aware of Erzsebet, our major problem. We need to take her out. In order to do that we're going to need to enlist your help with 'Black Forces.' She needs to be taken out through 'accidental' matters, it must appear as an accident. If it appears as a hit then the Sorviks will have a battlecry, something they need not have. But things are much different now that everything is haywire there. The sum of five million will be depoisted in your account. The money should be sufficient?"

"Yes, we agreed on the price over the phone. Five million is enough. Proceed."

"We will provide necessary information on her schedule when your assembled mercenaries are ready. That leads me to the next problem."

"I imagine you have more?"

"Just this." He grew uneasy with the tone, knowing full well that a finger was on the trigger for that shotgun. "Blood. Since they have cut off our blood supply, we have been having significant problems. I have been fortunate to satisfy my own thirst but my brothers and sisters have not. Therein lies our gravest problem."

"Blood you say?"

"Yes, certainly clean blood." He paused and waited.

"Well that is a serious problem. Most serious. We may be able to accomodate you on this matter. May. We have countless stockpiles of blood, more than we need, all clean and checked. However, it is most expensive. It will cost one hundred and eighty-five dollars per pint."

He was torrid. "That is outrageous."

"I am afraid there is much risk and we are limiting our own health abilities. Perhaps one seventy-six?"

"I am authorized to spend no more than one hundred and ten."

"At such a price we would be limiting ourselves."

"One hundred and fifteen."

"No less than one sixty-six."

"One twenty-eight."

"You are trying to undermine our business here? What is the negotiation for, your own lust." The tones were getting high.

"I must think of my own brothers and sisters here. It is their well-being that I am here. It is our survival that I am here."

"We shall go no lower than one forty. Final offer."

"One thirty-eight and you have a deal."

"Did I not just say one forty." He stood, the pistol in hand. The assassin remained cool, holding his pistol himself. Now he knew that because the lead man was standing it was one less hand on the shotgun. The other man had one hand on the table and the other hidden.

"There is no need to grasp for that weapon." He pulled back the hammer. "Perhaps you should just calm down."

"I do not like your tone."

"This is not a conflict I assure you." He remained calm. "Now put the pistol down and relax. I will extend up to one thirty-nine."

"Do you think this is a game?"

"I think this is a business negotiation, not a shootout."

"Perhaps you are mistaken then."

"Perhaps. Now it would be most unfortunate for bullets to start flying. Especially your friend over there on the shotgun." It was his cue, the two men looked puzzled, puzzled long enough for him to dart out of his chair, sidestep, and raise his own pistol to the assistant's head. "Now we are in a bind aren't we."

The three men were all on the edge of their limits. The two guards at the door came into the room and pointed their Uzis at the asassin's head. "Now we're in a bind." The head of the table said.

"We most certainly are. Now I can assure you that I can get two shots off in the time it takes you to pull one and your two monkeys to shoot, granted I doubt they will hit anything but you and your assistant. We can sit back down and deal with this or we can have a shoot out. Either way I am going to walk out of here and you two are not."

"Very well. Shall we sit?"

"And this time all hands on the table, pistols too. And keep those two monkeys in my view."

"Very well." They sat back down, the situation very grim but now easing. "One thirty-nine it shall be but for such a price we must sell no less than ten thousand pints."

"That is acceptible. We are willing to purchase in excess of forty-eight thousand. Is such doable?"

"The most we can spare is thirty-two."

Realizing the potential for another hellish situation, the assassin settled in. "That is fine. We can make do with thirty-two thousand. Is there anything else we need to settle?"

"No. That is all."

The assassin stood. "Very well." He offered his hand. "Perhaps next time you will not be so quick to raise a fight."

"Perhaps next time you shall not try to screw us."

"All in due time shall this become profit."

"Very well. The guards shall see you out." The assassin left. He reached the bottom of the stairs, his assistant having waited outside.

"What a mess." He muttered to him as they descended the stairs to their car. "When this situation is over I'm going to kill every one of those monkeys."

"Very well sir. The shotgun is in the trunk." He snickered.

"It shall come in handy in this dump..."

Peter Harthy stopped speaking when he heard glass break. He got up, his illegal walter pistol in hand. "I think someone's attempting a robbery."


The Sorvik/Farkas raiding party had destroyed the door of the building with their axes. They quickly made their way to the blood storage tanks. "Shatter them!" screamed the woman in charge. The small party quickly did so, smashing the vats with their battle axes. No shots had yet been fired. As soon as they did this, they threw a few molotov cocktails and set fire to the room. The war painted vampires, witht their trench coats flowing, raced down to room #4 where a meeting was taking place.

Inside room #4, one Harthy was guarding the door, axe in hand, as the sound of boots emanated from the halls. He was broken was the door crashed violently in, and the invader's screech of battle filled the air as they came in, axes swinging, AK's blazing.

"Shit!!!!!!" Peter Harthy screamed as he fired his pistol at the raiding party. One went down. Blood splattered as his brother and sister were beheaded and disembowled, in that order. The Batorys who had been undecided fled the scene while those who were with the Harthys brought their axes to bear. The ferocious onslought of the attackers was too much, however, and the Harthys were losing. Peter urged his fellow representatives out the window.

The Sorvik/Farkas force mowed down those too far to chop and simply waded through the others like reapers harvesting grain. A couple of their number had gone down, but they were a juggernaught of machine gun fire, axes and fangs. The woman with the lightning bolt on her face saw the Harthy that appeared to be the local leader with no time to spare, she quickly crossed the distance to him, as she had spent her last AK ammo. He had not noticed her and was shooting wildly. She swung her black axe prematurely and so only succeded in virtually destroying his hand. He screamed as he fell and she closed down on him.

Before his jugular vein was coldly torn apart, Peter Harthy saw one last sight: the terrifying eyes of Erzsebet Sorvik.

Ilona Batory stepped out of the restroom to the sound of screams and gunfire. Part of the building was already aflame, more would follow. A small smile of sadistic satisfaction came to her face as she quietly stepped out of the building through the front door. As she drove away, she could see the building, now blazing brightly, in her rear view mirror. The Harthys had lost more than a third of their stockpile of blood, as well as billions of kroner (OOC: Callisdrunian money) and as far as she knew, several clan leaders as well... and they had no idea who had made the tip-off to the Sorviks.

Erzsebet Sorvik and Istvan Farkas arrived with their fellow bload-soaked warriors back at Sorvik castle about an hour later. They had several snacks brought out, and sat back in their seats, exhausted. They had soundly beaten the Harthys in this encounter, but of 30, only 27 had returned. The feud would be bloody, if this was an indication of the future. Neither Erzsebet nor Istvan knew whether to be happy they'd won or mournful for their fallen comrades. No one bothered taking their war paint off or changing out of their blood-soaked clothes. Erzsebet placed a call to the Layartebian ambassador asking him to meet her at the castle as soon as possible.

The assassin entered the Urbh Yueh National Hotel just short of noon. Him and his assistant got a room on the 8th floor, a two bed, simple, standard hotel room. His assistant was tired, having been awake the latter part of the past two days. Klaus met his assistant, one Casey Rye, way back when in Callsidrun. Klaus had saved him from being bitten by a most unsasvory character, whom Klaus killed. Since then, Casey had been Klaus' personal assistant. They quickly fell asleep.
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Along the border between Layarteb and the unoccupied zone, the noon sun bore down heavy and hot, though it was fall. Two teams of special forces were conducting training exercises, preparing for wahtever war they were about to fight.

But things were looking up for them. As they conducted manuevers, the sniper noticed movement six hundred meters west, moving low and fast. Immediately, he looked downrange through his scope. The team was roughly one hundred meters away, walking the opposite way.

The sniper whispered into his com mic, "Movement. Six hundred meters west. They're in the brush, certainly not an animal. I can see legs but nothing more. I count eight sets. Moving fast."

"Roger that. Move to intercept." The team leader responded and they backtracked towards the zone. They had suppressors on their M4 Carbines. As they double timed towards the movement, which was now inside Layarteb territory, the sniper kept a tally on them. "Can you drop the lead?"

"Sir yes sir." The sniper waited until they got out of the brush. Then he put a single shot from his M24 bolt-action .308 rifle into the right leg of the lead runner. He went down immediately, without a sound. The suppressed M24 sounds more like a tree branch snapping than a gunshot.

By that time the special forces team was in position. "Everyone on the ground!" The leader yelled to eight bewildered people, one of which was on the ground bleeding from his thigh. The seven standing people immediately went down, unable to actually see whoever was yelling at them. "Hands on your hand and lie down. Face down!" The leader had his rifle aimed at the head of the biggest person of the group.

When all seven people, three of which were women, were on the ground, the special forces team appeared from the brush and immediately restrained the eight people, giving medical attention to the one who was shot. Plastic tie wraps were often used to restrain prisoners and they were used here. The leader took the radio next and communicated to his CO. "Sir, we're going to need extract. We have captured eight border runners, one of which has a bullet wound to the thigh. Medical attention is necessary. Sir yes sir." A pair of Black Hawks immediately left the nearest airfield, some sixty miles away and headed out to the border.
*********************************************************
Inside the Layarteb embassy in Callsidrun, the ambassador picked up the phone and called to his driver. "I need to be at the Sorvik castle immediately." A helicopter was waiting for him and he would be there in the next few hours.
*********************************************************
The Emperor sat in his chair, reading the latest from the Callisdrun situtation. Those Sorviks got a good strike didn't they. He immediately answered a phone call. "Border runners? Yes. Eight huh? Urbh Yueh? Drugs? Very well. Good job." He put down the phone and smiled. And so it continues...

Here, in The Rogue Nation of Spong Monkey Death Pig , we freely allow cannabis, anything else except alcohol will be simply dealt with by amputation of all limbs. We find this a most effective drug addiction cure.

People need help getting drugs, it's not always present is it... Thats why people die trying to smoke bleach powder we believe.

Congradulations, I am glad the two of you are aware of that.

The sound of a helicopter was heard outside. "That must be the ambassador arriving," Erzsebet said, still sitting exhausted on one of the many chairs in the great hall. Turning to one of her comrades, she said "Olaf, can you let him in please." Olaf complied and answered the door, then escorting Layarteb's ambassador to the hall, where several of the raiders were still loafing. Many had gone to wash their war paint off and to change out of their bloody clothes. Erzsebet and Istvan Farkas, the other leader of the party, were not among them. Erzsebet stood slowly to greet the ambassador, wiping her bloody hand on her trench coat. "Sorry about my appearence, we only got back a little while ago, all the sinks are in use, and I'm too spent to bother about it anyway."

OOC: Somewhere way back on this thread, you gave your ambassador a name, that being "Henry Hyde." Should we call him that or keep referring to him simply as "the ambassador"?

To Spong Monkey Death Pig and Procco- If you're going to take the time to reply to a thread, you ought to take the time to read it, too. ;)

In Konutland all forms of intoxification are tolerated, and the educational properties of marijuana and the psychadelics are given special credit. States which fear and attempt to oppress recreational drug use are considered backward and irrational by the people and government of Konutland. Punishments inflicted under drugs laws are considered crimes against humanity.

OOC: Somewhere way back on this thread, you gave your ambassador a name, that being "Henry Hyde." Should we call him that or keep referring to him simply as "the ambassador"?

Yes that is his name. You can call him either. If you noticed that I don't have any names for my people. The Emperor is the Emperor, the ministers are their titles, etc.

I don't feel like keeping up a naming bit with all of them...

In Konutland all forms of intoxification are tolerated, and the educational properties of marijuana and the psychadelics are given special credit. States which fear and attempt to oppress recreational drug use are considered backward and irrational by the people and government of Konutland. Punishments inflicted under drugs laws are considered crimes against humanity.

As I said to the other people, congradulations.

To Spong Monkey Death Pig and Procco- If you're going to take the time to reply to a thread, you ought to take the time to read it, too. ;)

Ahh, But I have. ;)

Ahh, But I have. ;)

I ask that those who have nothing to contribute to the post (i.e. what your laws are don't classify as that) leave and not cloud up the thread with usless banter.

Ahh, But I have. ;)

Then why didn't you do any actual RP?

The wound on his leg was treated well and he was sitting inside interrogation room 6. There was no light and the room was dark, musty, and damp. He was underground for sure, how deep he knew not. In other cells, there were the remaining seven "border-runners" and they were in the same conditions. Only he had been brought to the interrogation room, now unable to get a wink of sleep in four days. His body was breaking down. He was irritable and he was lethargic. Unable to concentrate on a single thought, his mind was often playing tricks on him.

Occassionally, the door would open and let in a brief hint of light. He'd crawl into the corner and hide, his eyes unused to the light. But this time, he was going to fight back. He had grown an acute sense of night vision almost, able to see movement in the dark. He'd hone in on that, using his shoe.

The door opened and a pair of footsteps echoed in the room. The door was closed and the man spoke, "So you awake?" He chuckled. Immediately, the prisoner darted towards the man but was instantly stopped by the bright illuminesence of the soldier's flashlight. "I thought you'd try that." The prisoner returned to the corner, his final plan of escape being foiled. "Now we can do this the easy way and let you sleep for the next week or we can continue to keep you awake. It is your choice."

The prisoner grumbled, "What is it that you want to know?" He was beaten, finally.

"Well, well, well." He turned to the door. "Begin recording." The soldier then smiled in the dark. "Would you like the lights on or off?"

"Off."

"Very well. So you are a border-runner? Where from?"

"Urbh Yueh."

"Interesting. Why were you crossing the border? Perhaps smuggling something?"

"Drugs."

"Ahh. What kind?"

"Solid State."

"Elaborate."

"It's like Ecstasy but better, safer, cheaper, profitable to the max."

"Interesting. Any more details?"

"I'm only paid to run the drugs into Layarteb."

"How many times have you?"

"This was my eighth time. So far I have been most successful."

"So far...That is all. I shall return in the morning. Do enjoy your rest." The soldier exited the room and gave the order to allow the prisoner to sleep, the first time he had done so in over ninety-six hours. The information was immediately dispatched to the Minister of Intelligence and the Emperor.

After introducing Mr. Hyde to Istvan Farkas, Erzsebet handed him a stuffed manila folder, one of several, that she had marked in Callisdrunian. It was spattered in blood, but not so much that its contents couldn't be read. It held a plethora of sensitive material on the Harthy family business, financial records, personal records, and all manner of papers dealing with the Urbh Yueh tribe. "You might be interested in this," she said, her exhaustion clear.

The ambassador took the envelope, making a metal note of the blood. "Some trouble in getting this?" He asked as he opened it. Financial records upon bank statements upon conversations fell out of the paper. "So apparently it was worth it." He read quickly, "Urbh Yueh. Solid State." He smiled. "The Emperor is going to have a field day with this. I thank you. Perhaps we can repay you somehow for this. I am most certain you lost soldiers in the process? What is it that we can do to make up for the sacrifice you have brought us? It would be dishonorable to not return this in some way." He waited for her respone, the room eeriely glowing with candles.

"We actually weren't looking for it, we would have stormed the bank anyway." She said after a little pause "Yes, we did lose three people. I don't know, maybe there's some intelligence you could share with us? We can discuss it after dinner if you'll stay for a bit." She thought him attractive, as well, though she did not say so. Diplomats were supposed to be more subtle. "I've got to go wash up."

"Certainly I'll stay for dinner," he looked over her, "and most certainly. Blood is an awful substance." He said with a snicker, noting the present company he was in. He looked at the folder once again, "Perhaps intelligence will be most profitable to you. I shall contact my government and by the time you are ready I should have something for you." He stood as she did, customary for a gentleman. You know she is definitely not the ugly sort. Maybe...

Erzsebet laughed at Mr. Hyde's comment. "I'll be back in a little bit," she said as she exited via a corridor. A couple minutes later, one could hear the sound of water upstairs. One of the other vampires brought out a cardboard box that contained more manila folders in various states of messiness.
Istvan Farkas also went to wash off, but several of the other vampires remained where they were, falling asleep in their seats, war paint, trench coat and everything.

The ambassador immediately phoned the Emperor from his helicopter. "Yes sir. Intelligence on Urbh Yueh and the Harthys. Drugs. Finances. Very dirty sir. Yes, I am. Quite a large amount now. Raid from a bank. It's pretty gruesome sir. Yes. I am aware. Yes I have offered something in return. Intelligence. Thank you sir. Yes. Perhaps. To my office I'll have my secretary send it over immediately. Most certainly. You too sir, good night." He hung up the phone and phoned his secretary.

"Mark. Yes it's me. There will be a fax incoming from the Emperor. Immediately dispatch it to Erzsebet. Of course make photocopies and store it. Yes. Thank you."

He returned to the castle. A large stack of intelligence files on Harthy activity on the black market was being sent to Erzsebet, quite a large stack. It seems that the Harthy's had been making some unsavory business ethics that could put Callisdrun at risk.

OOC: You decide what black market stuff they've done, it's up to you...

The assassin and his assistant waited in their hotel room, the sun still low on the horizon. It was 0658, twelve minutes from sunrise. The glow of the dawn had made the city look smaller. It was vast, after all the entirity of Urbh Yueh was inside this city and its subsidiary suburbs. They had a very important task for that particular day. It was something they both had been looking forward to.

A Urbh Yueh citizen, one of those in charge of drug production, was not cooperating with the plan. She had to be taken out. Her name was Melinda Sorfax, the daughter of the Urbh Yueh city mayor. It was a high-contract hit but it would send a clear message to those not going along with the plan. It would be followed regardless!

He and his assistant left the hotel and climbed into their car at 0748. She was scheduled to walk down Herh Street at noon. He would take her out there. It was all a set-up, for her.

The assassin situated himself in a fourth story window overlooking the street. He had the sun to his back and the five story building was in the direct light of the noon sun. Anyone looking at the building had to turn away due to the sun.

By the time noon came around, she was on schedule and on time. Her and her delegation came down the street, heading towards their office, nextdoor to the building the assassin was in. He smirked as she came into his crosshairs.

He had his Steyr Scout Tactical propped up on the windowsill, looking out. The Scout was loaded with a ten round detachable magazine box. The Scout had a tactical, effective range of 400m and its .308WIN bullet had a muzzle velocity of 2,820fps. She was 275m away when he pulled the trigger. That was a distance of 902 ft. It would take less than a second for the bullet to barrel through the air and pierce her heart, a perfect shot. A quiet rifle, the Scout, left little muzzle blast. He didn't release the bolt to clear the spent cartridge.

He smirked when he saw the blood splatter from her chest. Immediately he disembarked himself. He ran down a side ladder, behind the building, his rifle hidden in his massive trenchcoat. His assistant was waiting for him in the car, ready to make a dash for it.

He was back at his hotel room shortly. It was on the news by 1500 and it was a disaster for the Urbh Yueh government. Damage control was obviously necessary.

OOC: I'll post tomarrow, I still have to figure out what kind of stuff they're doing.

OOC: I'll post tomarrow, I still have to figure out what kind of stuff they're doing.

RG I won't go too ahead then.

Erzsebet finally came downstairs after her shower, her hair still wet. She had changed into nicer clothes, black like always. The vampires present had cooked up a simple dinner, as they were all extremely tired. It was simple old fried fish.

When Erzsebet skimmed through the large stack of papers from Layarteb, she said simply "Oh gods," while putting her hand on her forehead. "Solid state... I knew about that... deals with the Altar Rangians? How could they? Illegal weapons deals... not surprising. Holy shit, they're trying to get into Mt. Agaden. Probably with the intention of selling what's in there..." She wore a very concerned expression on her face. "Then... what's this? It appears they've got their fingers in some sort of slave trade..." She already knew all about their local immorality, from dirty campaign finance to cooking the books and a host of other things, but this stuff was truly rancid. She felt suddenly burdened, and though still young and beautiful, very intensely old.

The ambassador looked at her, the wet hair making her magnificent. "The information is, to say the least, disturbing. The slave trade is the most frightening, I imagine they are doing such to get their hands on blood supplies. We intercepted several other communiques from them in the most recent days, of which are included at the very end. It seems that they are in fact getting their hands on a hefty supply of blood, enough to last them in excess of ten weeks.

"But that isn't the whole of it. The illegal weapons sales are detailed. If you turn just past the ninetieth page of OP-REPORT-IAS. They are in the process of buying a diesel-electric submarine, with nuclear weapons capabilities. We believe that whatever it is they want from that bunker will be used for this submarine and wherever else they are getting these sales from. They are good too, we cannot trace them yet. Urbh Yueh is a candidate but we're not entirely sure yet."

The ambassador took a deep breath. "The full grasp of this situation is unimaginable. We are not entirely sure who they hate more, you or us. A nuclear capable submarine would provide a major weapon. A single, successful shot into Layarteb City would erase us from the mix. Essentially you would be on your own, they know that. Rather than nuking their own territory, which would never make them happy with their own people, take out the supplier of their enemy. They know we won't retaliate with a nuclear attack because let's face it, it wasn't a country but rather a group within a country. By that time they would have already won there and so on and so fourth. I can see you are aware of the developing scenario..." He closed his eyes, If only it weren't like this!

Perhaps those who advertise drugs in their music, clothing, or any other everyday thing should be punished also.

Erzsebet swore in Callisdrunian. The others present looked up, astonished, as this was a particularly virulent profanity. "The submarine must be destroyed. On top of everything you just mentioned, they will probably try to sell it, and anything they learn about nukes, to the highest bidder. Or bidders, plural. We must prevent nuclear weapons being brought into this, as well as nuclear knowledge falling into the wrong hands. The destruction of the submarine is imperative." Not even her tight-rope dealings with the regional alliance were as trying as this. Erzsebet felt as though she was being buried.

"I will go myself if necessary. We can't afford the consequences of the Harthys possessing a nuclear delivery system. In the long term, the Harthys must be defeated. Totally. Tomarrow will decide on what exactly to do." Looking up, she saw that the table was set and everyone else was waiting for them so they could eat dinner. "Dinner's ready, let's have a seat."

As they walked to the table, the ambassador, in a quick aside whispered, "I will not allow the Harthy's to use nuclear weaponry against my land or your land. I will assist." He sat down and prepared to eat.

"I'll do everything I can to prevent the maniacs from nuking your country too." She sat done and dug into her food. One could tell she was hungry, but she was not so eager as to forget her ettiquete. By how delicately she handled her utensils, one would never have thought that earlier that night she had been hacking flesh and crushing bones with a battle axe. It was a smaller group this time, much more casual, then the last time Mr. Hyde had dined at Sorvik Castle. One of the younger fellows, a cousin of Erzsebet's, told a raunchy joke, and the rest laughed. Erzsebet's cousin, Teresa, then told one about Erzsebet, who she referred to as "Erzsy." Everyone laughed even harder at this one, as they were all friends/family, and even Erzsebet herself had to admit that it was funny.

At that moment, there was slight boom, and it got brighter outside. Then the sound of a car starting, which was drowned out by machine gun fire and then quickly another boom. The phone rang, and Aksel, who had answered it, called Erzsebet over and he gave her the phone. From the hall, they could hear her go "fuck!" quite loudly. She game back into the room, looking like a mixture between frustration and anger. "As you might have guessed, the Harthys just attacked the castle, but their bomb didn't do much, and their car blew up when the guy on watch shot it. However, they have also succeded in bombing the docks, and there's a battle going on down there, near the Novikas place. The Novikases are winning, though." She continued to eat her fish.

"That whole thing about the submarine really worries me. Mr. Hyde, how close to getting one are they?" She looked inquisitively at him. Her large, green eyes had a powerful effect on most people.

The ambassador looked at her worried eyes, "It appears that they are dangerously close to getting one, as far as armament for it, I cannot say. Unfortunately, it appears that they will have dangerous armament for the sub by the time it sets to sea." He was worried himself. "I am set to get an update from the Minister of Intelligence tomorrow afternoon. When I get that I will certainly inform you. I have come to the realization that we won't be able to stop them from getting that submarine or dangerous armament and that we'll have to sink them once they are out to sea. However, what worries me is who they are going to be shotting at, us or you and will we be able to stop them from hitting?

"It is obvious though that they plan to acquire cruise missiles, supersonic, with most likely nuclear warheads. Whether they are aimed at our land or yours though I cannot imagine. We have an active coast guard force so they won't get too far for us but what about you guys? This presents a serious problem, finding out their plan!"

***Transmission from The Communistic Nation of Jurrik to all Supporting parties of Layarteb, including Military.***

(List of CC's.)


To all parties supporting the Narcotic Policy of Layarteb, we do not support it, or enforce it. As a request, if our people are caught in your Country, with narcotics, by the laws of the UN, they must be sent back to face judgement in their own country, which we have no laws against, with Narcotic Delivery or Possesion, or Intent to sell.

If your country, refuses to return our Citizens to their proper places, we will take action, to have them returned safely, and not through the UN. My people, are our people. I will not tolerate insubordination through policies already setup. It is neither illegal for our people to travel with Narcotics, or to transport them via a Popular and Registered method. Take this into notation.


Signed,

Igor Dames
Foreign Affairs


Enclosed: Narcotics Policy, Approved Transportation methods.

The Emperor of Layarteb would like to remind Igor Dames that because the Empire of Layarteb is not part of the United Nations, it is not subject to its laws. Additionally, just like happened in Singapore with the US kid who was spray-painting cars, extradition will not be had and punishment will be given.

The Emperor of Layarteb would like to remind Igor Dames that because the Empire of Layarteb is not part of the United Nations, it is not subject to its laws. Additionally, just like happened in Singapore with the US kid who was spray-painting cars, extradition will not be had and punishment will be given.

*Repeat Transmission to only Layarteb from The Communistic Nation of Jurrik.*


To Layarteb;


Since you refuse to abide by our simple rules, our trade borders will be closed to you, along to your people. Your people and goods that will pass through our zones, will be considered goods of pirates and we shall do nothing. This has been authorized by the High Ruler, D. Tutik, and shall be enforced by the Jurrik Coast Guard and will not be laxed at any point.

May you live long, and prosper.



Sincerely,

Igor Dames
Foreign affairs

SIGH...you do realize you have no borders with me, i dont trade with you, i have no trade routes through your land, and none of my people are within your lands.

Nor will I in the future...

~Incomming electronic message~

To: The People of Layerteb
From: Gigglesnort Leader Enigma
Date: September 12, 3573
Subject: Drug Trade

Text:

As per the request of your government, any drugs illegal in your country comming from mine will be rerouted. In addition, anyone affiliated with the selling of illegal drugs found in my country after this will be extradited for trial. I wish you the best of luck in your upcomming conflict.

~End message~

~Incomming electronic message~

To: The People of Layerteb
From: Gigglesnort Leader Enigma
Date: September 12, 3573
Subject: Drug Trade

Text:

As per the request of your government, any drugs illegal in your country comming from mine will be rerouted. In addition, anyone affiliated with the selling of illegal drugs found in my country after this will be extradited for trial. I wish you the best of luck in your upcomming conflict.

~End message~

We are pleased with your cooperation.

The ambassador looked at her worried eyes, "It appears that they are dangerously close to getting one, as far as armament for it, I cannot say. Unfortunately, it appears that they will have dangerous armament for the sub by the time it sets to sea." He was worried himself. "I am set to get an update from the Minister of Intelligence tomorrow afternoon. When I get that I will certainly inform you. I have come to the realization that we won't be able to stop them from getting that submarine or dangerous armament and that we'll have to sink them once they are out to sea. However, what worries me is who they are going to be shotting at, us or you and will we be able to stop them from hitting?

"It is obvious though that they plan to acquire cruise missiles, supersonic, with most likely nuclear warheads. Whether they are aimed at our land or yours though I cannot imagine. We have an active coast guard force so they won't get too far for us but what about you guys? This presents a serious problem, finding out their plan!"

"At this point, our best option should probably be destroying that submarine. Tomarrow, after the update, units of the Callisdrunian navy will sortie to meet the threat. It would be greatly helpful to me if I could find out the likely course they will set once they have the submarine." Though English was her second language (more like third, actually), and it was easy to tell, Erzsebet was able to speak it very quickly.

She folded her napkin back up and put it on the table. "After this submarine issue is resolved, we will end the problem by mounting a major assault closer to their home. Hopefully they'll back down before we have to actually storm Harthy castle, like in the days of yore, but that is doubtful. Your nation must also see to it that this Urbh Yueh tribe is controlled, as the relationship between them and the Harthys is putting both our nations in danger." A sudden gust of wind puncuated her sentence.

Istvan Farkas got up and turned on the radio, translating the news into English for Mr. Hyde, as the weather report would no doubt be of interest to him. "Right now they're talking about the bank battle... just stuff we all obviously already know... this little bit's about the election... now they're talking about something going on at the University... all right here we go, weather. Temperature is below freezing... very high winds... apparently it's a total white-out in a lot of places... road visibility is two feet... they strongly advise against travel at the moment... they say it should clear up about 10:00 AM tomarrow."

tag

OOC: I talked to Urbh Yueh online and we agreed to this and so has Callisdrun.

"Most certainly," the gust ripped through his spine still, "we will assist and your naval units will assist us greatly. Our 5th Fleet, which is responsible for guarding the coast of the province of Layarteb, has already sortied. We have, at this moment in time, three Twin Towers Flight I Class, three Twin Towers Flight II Class, ten Spectre Class, ten Scorpion Class, two AEGIS Class, two Arsenal Class, and four Shield Class ships and submarines sortied. The Shield Class submarines are operating pickets around the province of Layarteb. Elsewhere, around South Eastern Virginia and Dnalkrad we have similar numbers sortied. Additionally, in the air we have P-3C Orion and P-7A Orion II aircraft searching. B-6A Dementor anti-ship bombers are on the ground, ready and waiting to take off on a search and destroy mission, if the submarine comes to the surface. Our water-sound systems are functioning as well, searching for any non-commerical and non-Layartebian vessels operating.

"If they come to attack us they will not be able to get very far. We'll have them sunk before they can fire off any missiles. If they come to attack you guys I cannot attest to how long you will have them destroyed but trust us we are on the mission now." He listened once again to the weather report.

"Most unfortunate, the weather I mean. I imagine travel is most dangerous and rather than to jeopardize the situation and the lives of those whom accompany me, would it be wrong to ask for shelter for the night for me and my associates?" He looked around, everyone was worried, after listening to the conversation about the submarine. The ambassador's phone rang immediately though.

"Yes, I understand. Very well. One minute." He covered the phone and asked Erzsebet the fax number. She answered and he gave it over the phone. "Immediately. Thank you." He smiled. "That was my secretary. Guess what? The submarine set sail and they have a good idea it is coming to attack Layarteb, not Callisdrun. They are sending information now to the number you provided about the submarine."

When they got to the fax machine it was out of paper, they had to add more. "It appears, from the initial reports, to be armed with twelve twenty-one inch torpedoes, eight anti-ship missiles, and four cruise missiles each. Apparently there was a secret military bunker once occupied by Tnemrot in their zone that they have discovered. It contains improved SS-N-12 missiles, once called Tiger missiles. They have a three hundred and fifty nautical mile range and a speed of mach two point five. Each are armed with one three hundred and fifty kiloton warhead and have a CEP of four hundred feet. This is most unnerving.

"It is diesel-electric so it will be very quiet. Apparently they bought them new off the black market and they contained substaintial quieting systems, making it as quiet as a 688 class." They looked at a picture included:

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/Juliett-DNST8204648.JPG

"Apparently a fisherman took that picture somewhere in the Atlantic. It dived shortly after and we have not been able to locate it since. One submarine with one point four megatons worth of missiles. That is a lot and the Emperor is most annoyed that it is heading for Layarteb. We put Layarteb City as a most likely target. From the coast, it is a mere one hundred and eighty nautical miles and Falcon City is directly on the coast. This situation is, at most, grim."

Please note, this meeting, if you can't tell from the context is done in secrecy

It was around 1900, a heavy thunderstorm situated above Layarteb City and everything for four hundred miles. The thunder and lightning were constant, the rain threatening to flood some of the more rural areas inside the thunderstorm. The lights were low in the Emperor's conference room inside his castle, some ways outside of Layarteb City. He was on vacation now, from the office, for a week. That really meant he was in his home for a week rather than his office, still conducting work, relentlessly.

The meeting was being attended by the Council of Conflict, which was basically all of the Joint Chiefs, the Ministers, and several analysts on war. It was a busy room. The topic wasn't so much the defacto civil war inside Callisdrun but rather the threat of Urbh Yueh. One Juliett Class submarine modernized and equipped with four, nuclear, cruise missiles, most likely to be fired at Falcon City and Layarteb City was the threat.

Situated 1,200 miles away, in the unoccupied zone, Urbh Yueh was a bustling city and tribe. It had a rapidly growing population, now eighteen million, still smaller than the population of Layarteb City. It had a fragile economy and it was mostly because the market of narcotics and other drugs inside Layarteb during the Caratan Administration had eroded with the Emperor's return and his anti-drug legislation. Additionally, there was now Uranium found in Urbh Yueh, a resource that Layarteb always needed, despite their supply for the next eighty years.

The Imperial Layartebian Army, with two cavalry divisions and two infantry corps could take the city and tribe easily. It would take them roughly four days to reach the city, traveling through the unoccupied zone, provided of course they encountered no resistance. But, Urbh Yueh was known for its nationalist pride. Citizens would fight to the death against any invaders, all citizens against all invaders. They would be fighting eighteen million men, women, and children, armed with rifles, pitchforks, knives, rocks, anything. As far as militarily, the ILA would be overwhelmingly at the advantage. As far as sheer numbers, they were at an overwhelming disadvantage.

Air defense systems in Urbh Yueh were mediocre. They had over ten thousand MANPAD systems, mostly FIM-92 Stinger and SA-18 Grouse systems. As far as emplaced SAMs, they had SA-17 Grizzly, MIM-23 I-HAWK, SA-11 Gadfly, and SA-2 Guideline systems. Mobile systems included the SA-15 Gauntlet, the 2S6M Tunguska-A, the ZSU-23-4 Shilka, the ZSU-57-2 Sparka, the KS-12, the KS-19, the M163 VADS, the Gepard, the SA-13 Gopher, and countless SA-8 Gecko systems. They were equipped with Russian built T-80U MBTs, T-90 MBTs, M60A3 Pattons, Challenger II MBTs, and early Leopard MBTs. Other armor included M113 APCs, M2 Bradleys, BMPs, BTRs, and other assorted systems. Troop strength, they had a military population of one point five million, a staggering 8.3% of their population. They had a mild Air Force, consisting of Su-27SM Flanker-Bs, Su-33 Flanker-Ds, Su-35 Flanker-Es, MiG-29S Fulcrum-Cs, MiG-23MLD Flogger-Ks, F-16C Falcons, Tornado ADVs, Eurofighter Typhoons, F-4 Phantom IIs, and J-8 Finbacks.

In the meeting, war plans were detailed for a possible war. War had been averted once with Urbh Yueh but not this time, certainly not if they launched nuclear weapons against Layarteb in support of a Harthy offensive in Callisdrun. Certainly the idea was to cut out the Layartebians from the equation, since they were supporting the Sorviks gratuitously.

WMD would not be used against Urbh Yueh; it would be too easy to simply nuke them. However, a continued and sustained bombardment for ten days followed by a full invasion and ground war. It would take, an estimated, from start to finish, fifteen to twenty-one days before the ruling government fell but it could take several months before the resistance was completely stamped out.

Additionally, plans were drawn up to assist the Sorviks, militarily, if needed. Bombers would fly in support of Sorvik offensives and naval vessels would be available for strike sorties against the Harthys. Layartebian technology was certainly above that of the Harthys and the Sorviks combined and would certainly give the Sorviks an edge.

It was just a matter of time...

Erzsebet got out a piece of paper and a pencil and started to write things. From the way it was written, it would appear to be names of ships and fleets, but the writing was in runes, so it would be impossible for a non-Callisdrunian to tell. As she was doing this, she said "Don't worry, you can stay with me... us I mean... tonight. Excuse me for a minute."

She got out her cell phone and quickly dialed a number. "Leif? Yeah, hi. Is Katarina there too? Good, you guys need to alert all the officers, and then tell them to alert the crews of the 15th, 9th, and 8th destroyer squadrons, the 3rd submarine squadron, the 5th cruiser squadron and the 1st cruiser squadron that they will be setting sail at 1000 hours tomarrow. Yes, I know that's in only a few hours. Yes, I know it's your honeymoon and I'm sorry, but a critical situation came up. Yeah, we'll have the parties when we get back, there's no time right now. What do you mean 'can't the BB's do this?'? No, of course they can't, they're slow and this needs to be discreet. Thanks, sorry to interrupt you from your... honeymoon."

She turned back to Henry Hyde. "I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, tomarrow. I hope you don't get seasick easily, because we'll need communication with your government. We're setting sail early (OOC: 10:00 am is early in Callisdrun), so we should get some sleep, while we still can."

This is a secret IC

The first of the Juliett class set sail early on the morning of the 24th. It had been spotted by a fisherman but dived quickly, there was no telling if it was really a fisherman or a spy. The submarine was heavily laden with weapons, eighteen 21" torpedoes to be exact and four Tiger cruise missiles, each packing a serious punch. The submarine would travel to within one hundred nautical miles of Layartebian coast, surface, fire its missiles, and retreat back underneath the waves. It had a full fuel load and could travel up to nine hundred nautical miles underneath the waves at 2.75 knots but she was making headway. She was traveling at ten knots now, hoping to get in closer. Every two hundred nautical miles, she would come to the surface and snorkel so its batteries could be recharged. Then it would sprint again for another twenty hours. That was the way it was going about things. It would get to within six hundred miles of the Layartebian coast and then go underwater at two knots and travel to the launch point, which put both Falcon City and Layarteb City in range.

Onboard the submarine were both Urbh Yueh and Harthy sailors, obviously the most highly trained of the two. The goal was simple, strike the Layartebian cities in hopes of crippling the situation and thereby forcing the Layartebian government away from its policies helping the Sorviks. The Urbh Yueh government was fully aware that the Layartebian government knew one submarine, not both. They did not know of the second, another Juliett class, creeping along a totally different route to attack Layarteb as well. This one would also be in the same general area launch point but come from a totally different direction, spending the entire time underwater, only coming up to snorkel in the dead of night. It too was equipped with the same weaponry.

Mobilizations across the Principality of Urbh Yueh were underway. Citizens were told to arm themselves to repel a possible invasion from the Empire of Layarteb, who was out to conquer and enslave them. The citizens were fully aware of what the Empire of Layarteb had done in Dnalkrad and were not about to let that happen to them. Colonization was not part of their agenda. Every man, woman, and child would fight and defeat the invaders in the bloodiest battle of history.

Overlord Marcus Diamond, the majority party leader in Parliament or the Council of Urbh Yueh, made statements everyday about the possibility of invasion from the Empire of Layarteb because of false claims of drug smuggling. He displayed pictures of Urbh Yueh citizens, who were missing, presumed dead or prisoner in Layartebian jails, held against their will without due process. The upper house of the Council of Urbh Yueh, the Senate, had already voted in favor of a war with Layarteb, 88 - 17. The lower house of the Council of Urbh Yueh, the Assembly, were going to vote today. Since Overlord Diamond came from the majority party of the lower house, it was expected to be another majority vote in favor of war with the Empire of Layarteb, if they attacked of course.

The Juliett submarines operation was withheld from the legislature, kept secret to the executive and the military higher-ups. Nothing would stand in the way of them helping the Harthy's who had helped them so greatly. Just when it seemed the economy was about to collapse into total ruins, it was the Harthys who assisted them in finding new markets. The Harthys were their loyal friends and the Sorviks, the enemies of the Harthys. Therefore, the Sorviks were their enemies and since the Layartebians and the Sorviks were friends, they too were the enemy. It was a simple situation, steming back years to the democratic rule of Layarteb, a rule that lasted far too short. The return of the Emperor had ended that and essentially threw the economy of the great Principality of Urbh Yueh into a very fragile state, to which it still was.

Victory was on the horizon. A civil war after the Emperor's return reduced the population of Urbh Yueh to miniscule numbers. But nonetheless, everything was about to change. The day of reckoning was at hand and they would not go down this time.

Erzsebet got out a piece of paper and a pencil and started to write things. From the way it was written, it would appear to be names of ships and fleets, but the writing was in runes, so it would be impossible for a non-Callisdrunian to tell. As she was doing this, she said "Don't worry, you can stay with me... us I mean... tonight. Excuse me for a minute."

She got out her cell phone and quickly dialed a number. "Leif? Yeah, hi. Is Katarina there too? Good, you guys need to alert all the officers, and then tell them to alert the crews of the 15th, 9th, and 8th destroyer squadrons, the 3rd submarine squadron, the 5th cruiser squadron and the 1st cruiser squadron that they will be setting sail at 1000 hours tomarrow. Yes, I know that's in only a few hours. Yes, I know it's your honeymoon and I'm sorry, but a critical situation came up. Yeah, we'll have the parties when we get back, there's no time right now. What do you mean 'can't the BB's do this?'? No, of course they can't, they're slow and this needs to be discreet. Thanks, sorry to interrupt you from your... honeymoon."

She turned back to Henry Hyde. "I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, tomarrow. I hope you don't get seasick easily, because we'll need communication with your government. We're setting sail early (OOC: 10:00 am is early in Callisdrun), so we should get some sleep, while we still can."

OOC: So we have what 3 storylines going at once here or more? Nice!!!

The ambassador nodded and caught her "freudian slip." He smiled as she spoke on the phone about the fleet sorties. He hadn't been on a ship in ages, let alone a military one. "No I don't recall getting sea-sick. The last time I was on a ship was turning a training exercise. We were aboard one of the LCU-2000s with a few Bradleys. It was alright, not my idea of the best activity in the world. I would have preferred the land or air over the water but it wasn't all that bad. I have actually been authorized by my government to assist in any way necessary and they did include being on any future naval vessels in the event of ships putting to sea. So where will I be sleeping, I am eager to get to rest and get there tomorrow. Is it alright if I have my secretary meet us at the docks with my necessary supplies? I don't imagine I can wear this suit all the time." He laughed.

Erzsebet looked at him for a moment, noting the normal business suit he was wearing. "Yes, it's fine if your secretary meets us at the dock, as your current attire is fine for indoors, but obviously you'll need more than one day's change of clothes. It's going to be absolutely freezing out there, and even though my flagship is new, its heating system isn't very good, so bring a very warm coat." She chuckled before answering his other question. "Come with me, I will show you where you will sleep." Looking back, at the table, she spoke to her cousin "Can you show Mr. Hyde's associates the guest rooms? Thanks." She took Henry's arm as she got up and led him through several hall ways and up a spiral staircase to a room in one of the towers.

The ambassador noted the vintage of the castle. I wonder how big this place really is? He kept asking himself over and over as he followed her up the seemingly endless spiral staircase. "A suit on a ship over and over." He chuckled. "Yes it would certainly not be very fitting. Hopefully it will be a most adventurous time."

The room was not very well lit, and it was very cold, but not drafty. There were many pictures hanging on the walls, mostly they were of Erzsebet's navy friends and her. Many of them were from the early years in the navy, when she was a 19 year old turret commander and notorious prankster, and many of these were silly.

Erzsebet took Henry's hand and raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "Shall we to bed then?"

The room was not very well lit, and it was very cold, but not drafty. There were many pictures hanging on the walls, mostly they were of Erzsebet's navy friends and her. Many of them were from the early years in the navy, when she was a 19 year old turret commander and notorious prankster, and many of these were silly.

Erzsebet took Henry's hand and raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "Shall we to bed then?"

He smiled and followed. Elsewhere, things were growing tested. The ILN had been thus unable to find the Juliett class through sonar nets and was in the process of sortieing most of the coastal protection fleets. Whatever the outcome of the situation there was one certainty and that would be that Urbh Yueh would be obliterated!

Erzsebet walked to the other end of the room, sat down and unlaced her boots. After removing them, she quite casually took off her dress. Nudity did not carry any stigma in Callisdrun, as it was perfectly legal to walk around naked in public, though people generally didn't do so because it was simply too cold.

Picking up her various toiletries, she went into the bathroom and did her nightly routine of brushing her teeth, etc. When she came back into the room. Her many piercings and tattoos, as well as the prominent scars around her waistline, which bore witness to the horrific events almost a decade previous, were plainly visible on her pale, easily burnt skin. Erzsebet gave Henry a small kiss before hopping into bed. From there she smiled at him mischeviously.

OOC: After your post, I'll cut to the next morning. No need for gratuity.

Go ahead and cut to the next morning I'm not going to post anything with it, that part is all in your hands.

It was 8:00 AM when Erzsebet's alarm clock rang. She climbed across Henry to get out of bed, shaking him awake after her feet hit the floor. She went into the bathroom and washed up, returning to the bedroom to put on her navy combat clothing. It was simpler by far than the official uniform, and worn only when combat was expected. She put on the big overcoat over it, and then she and Henry went downstairs to breakfast, which consisted of Callisdrunian pancakes (OOC: Swedish pancakes in real life). Erzsebet's mother, upon seeing her daughter with the Layartebian ambassador, raised her eyebrows, but of course said nothing. Erzsebet and Henry shot each other glances through out breakfast.

Afterwards, Erzsebet drove them to the docks, blasting her music of course. She did not fear a car bomb, as the garage was inside the castle, where the stables had been. She knew the Harthys wanted her dead, but her family was loyal, and Harthy family members weren't even allowed in the castle without being guarded.

At the docks, they could plainly see a large part of the fleet, most notably the huge battle cruisers, riding at anchor. Several people were there to meet them at the parking lot, a couple of them recognizable from the pictures in Erzsebet's room.

Erzsebet parked the car, and she and Henry greeted the small party. "Henry, this is my bridge crew. Guys, this is Mr. Henry Hyde, ambassador from Layarteb." They said hello. "Henry, I believe an aide of yours should be arriving in a minute with your bags?"

OOC: Feel free to RP your ambassador's point of view during that whole time, too.

The ambassador nodded, "Yes she should be arriving shortly. Do you mind if I make a note of address?" She nodded (OOC: I imagine you wouldn't object). He cleared his throat. "Hello, I am pleased to be here with you and my government is working with you. This is your ship and your branch of the operation therefore we will have nothing to do with it. I am simply a liason between this operation and the Layarteb one and the government in Layarteb. I am a military man so please do not think otherwise. Now with that said, the goal is to stop this unwwarranted alliance between Urbh Yueh and the Harthy's from harming countless civilians in either your homeland or mine. I will not let such occur!" He stopped and winked at Erzsebet.
**********************************************************
On the high seas around Layarteb, the coastal defense fleets were in full operation. Naval aircraft were patrolling relentlessly and sonar buoys were being deployed frequently.

They had yet to find anything and they were certainly looking. The SOSUS NET was being checked every minute but nothing had been found yet. It was a most suspensful and unnerving situation.

OOC: Urbh Yueh where are you???

Urbh Yueh Defense Forces

Legend
Unit is at 0% effectiveness
Unit is between 1% & 33% effectiveness
Unit is between 34% & 66% effectiveness
Unit is above 67% effectiveness
Numbers in paranthesis () is the quantity remaining

Air Defense Force

Personnel: 100K

Equipment

60 - 2S6M Tunguska (60)
20 - Avenger ADS (20)
45 - Gepard (45)
2,500 - MANPAD Units [FIM-92, SA-18] (2,500)
100 - M163 VADS (100)
3 - MIM-23J I-HAWK Sites (3)
2 - SA-2F Guildine SAM Sites (2)
40 - SA-8B Gecko Units (40)
10 - SA-11 Gadfly Units (10)
40 - SA-13 Gopher Units (40)
60 - SA-15 Gauntlet Units (60)
4 - SA-17 Grizzly Sites (4)
500 - ZSU-23-4 Shilka (500)
200 - ZSU-57-2 Sparka (200)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air Force

Personnel: 650K

Equipment

Urbh Yueh IAP
2 - An-124 Condor (2)
6 - C-5B Galaxy (6)
2 - E-3B Sentry (2)
28 - F-4F ICE Phantom II (28)
18 - F-8IIM Finback-B (18)
42 - F-16C Falcon (42)
24 - MiG-23MLD Flogger-K (24)

Overlord AFB
40 - MiG-23MLD Flogger-K (40)
24 - MiG-29S Fulcrum-C (24)
36 - Su-27SM Flanker-B (36)
36 - Su-33 Flanker-D (36)
36 - Su-35 Flanker-E (36)

Milky Way
60 - F-4F ICE Phantom II (60)
20 - F-8IIM Finback-B (20)
20 - Tornado F3 (20)
60 - Typhoon F1 (60)

Charlie AFB
4 - An-124 Condor (4)
12 - C-17A Globemaster III (12)
2 - E-3B Sentry (2)
40 - F-4F ICE Phantom II (40)
20 - F-8IIM Finback-B (20)
80 - F-16C Falcon (80)
20 - MiG-23MLD Flogger-K (20)
24 - MiG-29S Fulcrum-C (24)
36 - Su-27SM Flanker-B (36)
36 - Su-33 Flanker-D (36)
36 - Su-35 Flanker-E (36)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army

Personnel: 3.3M

Equipment

400 - 2A65 152MM TH (400)
100 - 2S19 152MM SPH (100)
800 - BMP-3 IFV (800)
400 - BTR-70 APC (400)
600 - BTR-80 APC (600)
250 - Challenger II MBT (250)
40 - Ka-50 Hokum (40)
180 - Leopard 2A5 MBT (180)
300 - M2A3 Bradley IFV (300)
400 - M60A3 Patton MBT (400)
600 - M113A3 APC (600)
80 - Mi-17 Hip (80)
72 - Mi-24VM Hind-E (72)
800 - Other Vehicles (800)
75 - SS-21 Scarab (75)
400 - T-80U MBT (400)
250 - T-90 MBT (250)
8,900 - Trucks (900)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Navy

Personnel: 10K

Equipment

2 - Juliett Class SSGN (2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All throughout the Principality of Urbh Yueh, things took a heavy toll. The military had been expanded rapidly with a quick draft of citizens into the army, freeing up the more experienced soldiers to do special duty, which would be necessary.

The Council of Urbh Yueh had voted for another resolution, proposed by Overlord Marcus Diamond. This one favored the use of any tactics against a possible invading force of Layarteb military units. Additionally, it created shadow cabinet units and funded the construction of a secret underground bunker system, which had been completed but not paid for yet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
On board the UYS Juliett A, the crew was walking around the ship, preparing for operations. They were still some eight hundred nautical miles away from the launch point, coming in from the south at six knots on the surface during the night but underwater during the day. They were making good progress and good time. The four missiles were hot and ready to just be fired onto their targets.

Aboard the UYS Juliett B, the crew was also walking around the ship. However, they were some sixteen hundred nautical miles away from the launch point and were making the entire trek under water, coming up to the surface during the night to snorkel. Throughout the entire time, they were remaining horribly masked and completely hidden from all things Layarteb. They knew that the Layartebian Navy was out there but they were doing a good job avoiding them.

The Layartebian Coastal Defense force was out in full force. Anti-submarine operations were thus far unsuccessful. They had found nothing. P-3s and P-7s were flying picket patrols some six to nine hundred miles off shore, staying on station for almost three hours. Each was loaded with Harpoon anti-ship missiles and MK-50 torpedoes. Additionally, there were mining operations underway from naval F/A-18C and F/A-18E fighters as well as ships and submarines. In all, some seven hundred mines had been placed, most of them MK-65 Quickstrike and MK-67 SLMM mines.

After Henry's aide arrived with his bags, the small party boarded a motor launch and sped quickly towards the fleet. Erzsebet conferred with Leif and Katarina to make sure all was ready. Satisfied that it was, Erzsebet sat back and smiled at Henry.

Before long, they were winding their way between gargantuan grey hulls. Finally they approached and stopped next to a gangway of black painted behemoth of a ship. Everyone stood, and Erzsebet said to Henry "This is my new flagship, the Ithtyr." Looking over to Leif, who was already halfway up the gangway, she yelled "Is everything moved over from Varghona?" Leif replied that it was so.

OOC: I'll make another post soon, have to cut this one short.

Upon entering Ithtyr's bridge, Erzsebet exlaimed "Home, sweet home. Well, for a while anyway." When she saw the commander's quarters, she added, in a disheartened tone, "And it's just as fucking cramped as the Varghona." The conditions of the officers' quarters on Callisdrunian ships were notoriously spartan compared to foreign designs.

Erzsebet sat down in the command chair on the bridge. Because of her small stature, she looked somewhat funny in the enormous throne-like piece of furniture, but at the same time oddly natural. The engines had already been started by her diligent crew. They had been both excited and somewhat nervous when informed that they would be under the direct command of Erzsebet Sorvik. Anyone in the navy knew that she was said to be a brutal taskmaster, but for some reason her crews always loved her. "Leif, signal the fleet that we are departing. All ahead one fourth, move up to three fourths when we are out of the harbor."

Within seconds, the fleet began to move. The sub squadron had departed earlier that morning. In less than an hour the fleet was out of the fjord. "Signal the other battle cruisers and the heavy cruisers as well to assume line ahead formation."

In a few minutes, the battle cruisers had formed a handsome battle line, with Ithtyr's semi-sister ships Valkyrie and Mjolner leading, followed by the flagship herself, then by the old Varghona and [/i]Isten Kardja[/i] and finally by several heavy cruisers. Once the formation had been achieved, Erzsebet gave another order.

"All ahead full." The ship gave a satisfying groan as it surged forward. They were now going over 35 knots, the "official" top speed. "Be prepared to take her up to flank speed, as I may order it."

The intimidating battle cruisers would probably not be that useful for destroying a submarine, but the heavy escort of destroyers would, as well as the hidden submarine squad several miles away. "So, Henry, what is the expected course of this nuclear armed submarine?"

drugs yea, its all legal...yea

The ILS Scythe (SSN-70), the only Scythe class submarine on the operation, was just about to leave port. The captain was standing ready with his executive officer and chief of the boat on the ceremonial platform on the dock, on the side of the submarine. The crew was assembled before him, one hundred and fifty enlisted men and twelve officers, the other three being himself, the XO, and the COB. "Men of the ILS Scythe. We are about to embark on a journey that will decide the fate of our country. Our Emperor has called upon US, the CREW of the ILS SCYTHE, the namesake of an ENTIRE SUBMARINE CLASS, to defend the homeland against a threat that possess the ability to kill hundreds of millions. He has called upon us to defend the cities from the weapons of our enemy. They will try to destroy us and destroy our Empire but they will FAIL. Chief of the Boat!"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Isn't this a fine crew?"

"A very fine crew sir!"

"Scythe Into Action..."

"Scythe Into The Gates Of Hades!"

"Chief of the Boat!"

"Sir yes sir! All crew present and accounted for sir!"

"Board the boat!"

"Aye yay sir, board the boat! Men fall out double time double time!"

"Serving the Emperor!" Everyone shouted at the top of their lungs. At that moment the men shuffled off and down the two gangplanks to the submarine. Inside of a few minutes the ship was boarded and the CO, XO, and Chief of the Watch, as well as two spotters, were on the top of the conning tower, on the deck. "Chief of the Watch. Take her out, one eighth, one quarter when we leave port." The captain barked down to the conn. The Chief of the Boat replied and the orders were repeated twice more as the submarine slowly began to back out of the docks, her lines already throw off as the crew locked the deck hatches. The Scythe was a massive 529 feet long, 40 feet wide, and drafted 36 feet. When she was fully submerged she displaced 15,137 tons and when she was surfaced, she displaced 12,460 tons. The Scythe class was the main attack submarine of the Imperial Layartebian Navy and its existence had thus remained classified, even to this day. She was armed with thirty-two ADCAP II torpedoes and sixteen UGM-84G Harpoon missiles as well as 20 UGM-176C Tomahawk II cruise missiles.

As the submarine accelerated to five knots, she turned about and came to a speed of ten knots, the breeze on the surface showing the setting sun.

http://www.gly.fsu.edu/~ladner/Bermuda/sunset1.jpg

The submarine was the pride of the ILN and could travel as fast as 40 knots, though tactical silent was only 25 knots. But with a crush depth of 3,000 feet she was a beauty and certainly a finely crafted tool. Eighteen of them sailed, each at a cost of $1.5 billion. She was powered by one SNR-1 nuclear reactors with a single shaft running at 75,000 SHP with a pumpjet propulsor. She could stay at sea for 120 to 150 days depending on rations and didn't need to be refueled for 15 years.

As the sun set, the captain, XO, COW, and the two watchmen took their last breath of fresh air before the captain ordered the dive. He turned to his XO, "If we fail my wife and children will not live."

"As is my predicament sir. Let's do this right."

"Dive the ship."

The captain dropped below the deck and the XO called down, "Dive, dive, dive. Clear the deck!" He slid down next followed by the COW and the two watchmen.

Across the ship the diving klaxon rang out as the COB and the speakers yelled, "Dive, dive, dive!" Within seconds, the COB shouted out, "Desk awash!" The mammoth slipped beneath the waves as the decks became completely submerged.

The captain turned to the COB, "Sounding!"

The COB returned, "Eight hundred forty feet sir!"

"Very well, make your depth five hundred fifty, ten degrees down, increase speed to three eights. Set course 180."

"Aye yay sir." The XO repeated the orders as did the COB as did the diving officer as did the diving crewmen. The submarine slipped beneath the waves and down to a dept of 550 feet, accelerating to 15 knots, turning to 180°. She was a powerful submarine and it could be seen in the dive.

That was it, they were on the hunt for the Juliett Class and they were tasked with sinking it. They had the best chance out of all submarines on patrol as they had the most advanced combat systems.

The bridge crew had occupied themselves with idle chit chat from time to time. Other times, they sat in silence. Occasionally they switched helmsmen. The current one was a nervous looking girl who appeared no more than 17 years of age.

Night fell, and the winter darkness grew even darker, as Erzsebet looked down, seemingly deep in thought. Abruptly, she looked up and called to the girl at the helm, who cringed a bit. "All ahead flank. Also, stand up straight."

Word was quickly sent to the other ships in the fleet of the new order. Even on the bridge, one could hear the complicated gears of the Ithtyr's engine shift, as the ship groaned in accelleration. Several of the smaller destroyers, on the periphery of the fleet, were struggling to keep up, but fortunately succeding. The fleet was now thundering through the waves at more than 40 knots.

Erzsebet took out a very thick booklet and began reading. Like all things Callisdrunian, it was written in runes, so to most people, even the title was incomprehensible. It wasn't hard to guess, though, that the large red stamp across the front translated to "Classified." The title of the thing, roughly translated, was "CLF Ithtyr." It contained all the information one would possibly want to know about the ship, and probably more. Erzsebet skimmed through most of it, as there was much carryover from the final modernizations of the older BC's.

It was quite windy outside, and even though the brand new ship was tight, the poor heating system ensured that it was infernally cold on the bridge. The crew seemed not to notice. Erzsebet, remembering that perhaps the Layartebian ambassador might not share their tolerance for the temperature, asked "How are you, Henry?"

The ambassador was doing alright, he had a few layers of clothes on just to be safe. "I'm fine. Safety in layers I always say." He smirked as he looked out onto the stormy, open seas. "If we fail at this one we're going to have a lot more problems than just cities in ruins."

The UYS Juliett A was closing in on the launch point. They were a mere two hundred and forty nautical miles from the launch point. They were still underwater, having just gone back to three hundred feet after a few hours of snorkeling. They were still at six knots, traveling slow and quiet on battery power. Their sonar was in passive mode, just listening to the water rather than making any noise.

The UYS Juliett B was still far away, one thousand nautical miles and traveling now at three knots, having also just submerged after snorkeling for a few hours. They were deeper though, down at a depth of seven hundred and fifty feet, just some seventy feet from test depth and some five hundred and fifty feet from crush depth. They were deep below the thermal layer and were much quieter than the other Juliett out there.
****************************************************
Near the easternmost border of Layarteb, there stood a single border outpost. It was armed moderately, much like the others. A pair of Mi-24VM Hind-E assault helicopters were coming in low, just over the tree tops, armed with rockets and some missiles to take out some of the defensive positions at the border checkpoint. Additionally, a group of four T-80U main battle tanks were approaching the checkpoint as well, to assault it as the Mi-24s rained havoc onto it.

Intelligence sources estimated that the checkpoint was defended by a few Predator units as well as some AH-64Ds and AH-66As. The goal was to get the helicopters on the ground and take out the estimated four Predator units before the T-80s began their assault.

Finally, the range to the first Predator ADU was a mere three miles, distance enough to fire the AT-6 Spiral missiles at the units. The Mi-24s were still very low and in the night sky they were hard to see. A single AT-6 was fired at the lead Predator and as the Mi-24s sat there and nearly hovered, they fired another three at the remaining Predator units. It was too late for the helicopters. Each of them was loaded with four AT-6s and four UB-32-57 rocket pods as well as 470 rounds of 23MM shells from the chin mounted gun. They were down to a mere two AT-6s a piece, just enough to fire at the helicopters on the ground.

Around this time the T-80s began lobbing their 125MM shells into the outpost from a distance of a half mile. They caught the outpost by surprise and that was what they hoped. Now it was time to finally put the icing on the cake and level it.

Several days passed. It was early morning when Erzsebet got to the bridge. When she took a sip of her coffee, her sleepy eyes shot open. The sailor had definitely made her coffee right. The Layartebian ambassador was already up, seated in a folding chair on the bridge. Leif came up to her with a small packet of paper, obviously a report. Erzsebet mumbled a bit as she went through it. "Two radar contacts... one AR merchantman and this one the Sub squadron reported... an unidentified underwater contact..." Looking up, she asked what she needed to know. "How far away is the Altar Rangian and is it on the way to the other one? What is the sub squadron doing?"

Leif answered. "The AR is about 100 knots away, and yes, it's directly in our path. The sub squadron is trailing the unidentified contact at a distance. We've attempted to make radio contact with the AR to see who owns it, but have been met only with profanities. They probably think we're a merchant ship, as we haven't done combat operations in this sector for quite a while."

Erzsebet thought for a minute. "We'll go after the AR, unless it changes course. The subs should get closer to this contact, and see what it is. It may be what we're looking for." Looking towards the helmsman, who was the nervous 17 year old girl again. They were currently going at half-speed. "Helmsman, all ahead flank!" Erzsebet shouted. Word was sent to the rest of the fleet of the new speed.

Underwater, the small flotilla of hunter/killer and attack submarines slowly increased speed so as to gradually overtake the unidentified contact.

OOC: All this is happening simultaneously with the Urbh Yueh sub's progress, btw

IC:
Within two hours, the slow moving merchant ship was within sight. It bore the markings of the Narev corporation, one of the many factions within Altar Rang, which was an anarchy. Callisdrunian policy was to work against the stronger factions when conveniant. Now was such a time.

"Have they returned any of our hailings?" Erzsebet asked as she stood on the bridge. The reply was negative. "Send them a final warning, that they either report their business or be fired upon." Policy towards Altar Rang was the subject of much foreign criticism, but it was well known that several factions, including the Narev corporation, supplied Callisdrun's enemies. It was imperative that these factions be kept down.

By now the ship was quite close to the fleet. It however, sent a garbled reply that mentioned several profane things about the "your mother" and "ducks."

With piercing coldness in her voice, Erzsebet gave an order. "Ithtyr, Varghona and Isten Kardja are to prepare to fire on the merchant ship." The radio operator looked at her to complete the order. "With their main armaments," Erzsebet added. A few minutes later, she said simply, "Fire."

What followed could only be described as brutal. Ithtyr's five turrets had rotated toward the target, as had those of the other two battle cruisers that had been ordered to fire. The roar was monstrous as their guns sent 14" and 12" projectiles toward the hapless merchant ship, fifteen 14" from Ithtyr, ten 14" from Varghona and twelve 12" from Isten Kardja.

22 of the 37 shells hit the merchant ship, which had apparently been carrying ammunition, for explosion that resulted was huge. All aboard were killed instantly, and when the smoke cleared partially, all that was left was twisted steel wreckage, sinking into the waves.

Underwater, the contact had been identified as a Juliett class submarine. The squadron, mostly Akulas and the new Morays, armed their torpedos in case the affiliation of the Juliett submarine was identified.

OOC: You know that the one sub is like 200nm from the LP at my coast and the other is about 800nm away going to the same place.

OOC: You know that the one sub is like 200nm from the LP at my coast and the other is about 800nm away going to the same place.

OOC: Yeah, but obviously it takes several days to get anywhere, so the subs and the fleet are moving simultaneously. I'm kind of RPing what's going on before the sub reaches the point it does in your post, because I decided it wouldn't make any sense to suddenly have them there.

Yeah I'm confused

OOC: Ok, the Callisdrunian ships are in transit at the same time the UY subs are, and I was just RPing what was going on in that period. I couldn't have my guys just suddenly appear in range of an UY sub, I had to have them locate it first, track it, blah blah blah. That making any sense?

The ILS Scythe was deep, fourteen hundred feet deep, and trudging along at 10 knots, still silent for the massive machine. In her eight torpedo tubes were four MK-55 ADCAP II torpedoes and four UGM-84G Harpoon anti-ship missiles. They were split evenly, two and two in the bow tubes and two and two in the stern tubes. The MK-55 ADCAP II was an improvment over the MK-48-6 ADCAP. The ADCAP weighed 3,695 lb. verusus 2,800 lb. in the ADCAP II. The ADCAP II was a full seven feet shorter than the ADCAP as instead of liquid fuel, the ADCAP II is powered by Centa-Argite-Ragon-Lithite-Iso-Ethernal, the gel-based fuel that now powered all indigenous weaponry for the Imperial Layartebian Military. The ADCAP had a range of 27NM when running at 40 knots whilst the ADCAP II had a range of 30NM at 50 knots, 55 knots being its top speed. Much like the ADCAP, the ADCAP II utilized both active and passive guidance techniques as well as a pumpjet. While the ADCAP could dive to 3,000 ft. the ADCAP II could go down to 4,800 ft. Their warhead loads were the same. All-in-all, the ADCAP II was just a better weapon. The crew planned on putting one of them inside the Juliett they were searching for.

The ILS Scythe had its port, towed, sonar array out and it was listening to the ocean for miles around. They had their best sonar operators working around the clock, just listening. They didn't want to go active as their prey was armed with UGST torpedoes, an acoustic wake-follower with active/passive homing, which had a near 22nm range, a max speed of 55 knots, a Mono-propellant fueled axial piston engine with pump-jet, a 441 lb. warhead, and a depth of 1,650 feet. The Scythe could easily outdive the torpedo. The Juliett had six tubes and up to eighteen torpedoes and missiles. A usual configuration would be twelve torpedoes and eight missiles, but intelligence doubted the possibility of any missiles.

Should I post or should I wait for Callisdrun?

I was waiting on Callisdrun. We've been trying to chat lately on AIM but I've been very busy.

As the fleet left the flaming ruin of the transport behind them, Katarina quietly gave Erzsebet a piece of paper. It was warm, having been just printed out. Erzsebet read it for a minute, a stern expression on her face. After rereading it carefully, she perked up. After going over to the Layartebian ambassador, who was usually on the bridge, though he'd been allowed to go everywhere except the engine room, she said, very quietly "It's been confirmed that the underwater contact is in fact the Urbh Yueh sub. Our submarine squadron is just out of striking distance, and we are a little farther, though we can get in range quickly. Obviously we won't be using the flagship to attack a sub, though."

A bell sounded to indicate general quarters.

Underwater, all the subs were ready to attack, having silently spread out into a strange, but effective formation. One was occassionally detached to relay messages to the flag.

bump

The UYS Juliett A had been detected. Passive sensors showed that there was increased activity in the area. A mere eighty-five nautical miles from launch point, she had made her last snorkel attempt and was now down under the waves again, sprinting to get to the launch point. She wasn't cavitating but noise was definitely echoing.

As for the UYS Juliett B, it had eluded two Shield Class subs and was a mere one hundred and six nautical miles from the launch point, coming in an empty corridor, the nearest ship some eighty-four miles away, in the opposite direction. She had pierced through the Layartebian defensive wall and was going slow at a depth near crush depth, trying to stay as far away from the surface as possible for fear of Orion ASW bombers.

Along the Layartebian-Unoccupied Zone Border, Urbh Yueh operatives sat in full camoflauge, just waiting for the right moment. Their mission was not so much to annihilate this checkpoint but rather to get control of it and hold it. The shelling and attack of the other checkpoint could be heard in the distance and forces here were alert. It was definitely not an easy task but for the eighty-four special operatives, it wasn't the hardest thing either.

At Border Checkpoint 5, the scene was dismal. Urbh Yueh armor, artillery, helicopters, and infantry had made a dent in the place. The surprise attack was immeidately rang out through all checkpoints in hopes that others would be ready. This one was unfortunately not as lucky. Helicopters and artillery caught and destroyed most of the helicopters on the ground and all of the air defenses. A single OH-93A Knightwolf got off the ground but didn't last very long under the impressive enemy fire.

The checkpoint had fallen in a mere hour to sustained heavy barriages of fire and with it, 750 soldiers killed or captured.

Equipment Lost at Checkpoint 5
AH-6J Littlebird: 4
AH-64D Apache Longbow: 4
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior: 4
OH-93A Knightwolf: 3
OH-93B Knightwolf: 3
UH-60L Blackhawk: 7

M1B1 Abrams II: 8
M6 Bradley Linebacker: 2
M109A7 Paladin: 4
M813A1 Truck: 20
M1126 Stryker ICV: 10
M2004A1 Predator ADU: 3
M2005A1 Boar: 4
M2006A1 Emperor MBT: 12
M2007A1 Scorpion ADU: 3
M2007A2 Scorpion IFV: 10
M2007A3 Scorpion APC: 10
M2007A4 Scorpion TD: 6
M2008A1 Dingo APV: 20
M2009A1 Fenneck: 6
Other: 40

Soldiers: 720
Officers: 30
Support Personnel: 150

Security forces were under full control of a Layartebian border checkpoint. They hoped that they would be supplied well and though they were a long way from home, they were certainly happy to be there. Long had the oppression of the anti-drug policies of Layarteb hurt their own families.

The UYS Juliett B was very close to the launch point now, a mere 24 nautical miles away. She had not detected any contacts recently and would be at the launch point in less than a day at her current speed. At that point, it would be night time and she would rise to the surface and launch her four missiles at Layarteb City and Falcon City with the aims of annihilating them.

The UYS Juliett A on the other hand had had to stray away from the course to the launch point and was heading back out into the water, trying to steer away the ships and subs chasing her.

Special Forces waiting for the go command at the next border check point finally recieved it and began their assault, the sun rising in the background as they attacked with fury!!!


OOC: Callisdrun are you going to sink my Juliett A?

OOC: Yes, give me a sec

Upon recieving their orders, the Narwal and Akula class submarines sped to maximum speed. They weren't going for stealth, but for overwhelming force. There were almost a dozen of them, and only one target. The wolf pack was spread widely so as to fire on the target from several different angles. Within five minutes they were comfortably within range of the Juliett submarine.

On the surface, several anti-submarine destroyers had been sent to flank the target on either side, preventing the lone sub from turning. They had assumed position within a few minutes.

On the bridge of the battle cruiser Ithtyr, Erzsebet calmly and clearly said "All submarines and anti-submarine destroyers are authorized to fire."

Mere seconds later, torpedos raced towards the Juliett sub. Each Callisdrunian submarine had launched a full set of torpedos, and the fish streaked forward at ridiculous speeds, from all different angles.

On the surface, the destroyers had launched their ASROC armaments as well, sending more ordinance in the direction of the Juliett, but from the sides.

On board the flagship, Erzsebet watched several monitor screens that tracked the targeted submarine and the torpedos closing in on it, her face expressionless.

The sonar operator completely lost his pants. "CONN SONAR MULTIPLE TORPEDOES INBOUND. ALL DIRECTIONS!" The captain snapped his fingers and looked at his XO.

"We're dead you know that right?" The XO nodded. "Fire everything we have loaded at something, I don't care what and DIVE!"

The Juliett A began to head for its crush depth, 1,320 feet and as it dove, it fired off its six torpedoes, each of them going out active, at 55 knots, looking for targets as they were snapshot in all directions, given a minimum range of 2,000 yards. By that time the submarine would be destroyed and they captain new it. He hoped though that the torpedoes would, by that time, have a target and would be homing in on them.

Death came shortly after...

The resulting explosion for several dozen torpedos detonating in close proximity could be felt even aboard the flagship. Where the Juliett class submarine had been there was now nothing but debris. And the trails of six torpedos.

The 10 or so Narwal and Akula subs promptly took evasive action and released countermeasures. One torpedo detonated fairly close to a Narwal class sub, causing enough damage to spring several leaks, but not enough to sink the vessal, which surfaced.

The destroyers took evasive action, but unfortunately, they were more directly in the path of the torpedos. Two torpedos missed, but two others were more well placed.

L-88 and L-67 were the two most exposed ASW destroyers.

L-88 was the luckier of the pair. A torpedo exploded right in front of its bow, blowing off the first 30 feet of its nose. Fortunately, the internal subdivision was good and though the ship was down forward, it was still able to move under its own power.

The other destroyer, L-67, was not so fortunate. Her crew tried desperately to take evasive action, but too late. It was almost a direct hit, off slightly to the port side. The explosion severely strained and in some places cracked the little ship's frame, and L-67 would have sunk right then and there had it not been of sturdy construction. As it was, the hapless ship was dead in the water and listing heavily to port due to large amounts of flooding.

Several of the other ships in the fleet soon came alongside the two stricken destroyers. Erzsebet watched from the bridge of the Ithtyr. All she had to say was "Well, that went better than it could have."

Within the hour, damage reports came in. L-88 would be able to make it on her own back to port. Whether or not L-67 would be able to make it back at all was still uncertain, and sailing under her own power was completely out of the question.

The SOSUS Net screamed with explosions, torpedoes, and submarines. There was definitely major action going on and it was definitely noted previously. Layartebian naval units had been monitoring the Callisdrun attack on the Juliett Class and had reported back. An orbiting P-3C Orion reported back the final conclusions, the severely damaged destroyer and the badly damaged destroyer. Immediately, the Emperor gave his approval for Callisdrun ships to dock at the civilian port of Manatub where, if necessary, repairs could be done, rather than having the ship go all the way back to Callisdrun waters. It was the least he could do for them as they took a major blow by the Urbh Yueh submarine.

All was well again. The Urbh Yueh submarine was definitely sunk and the threat was non-existent...

The Juliett B surfaced. It was daytime and while the plan had called for a night attack, there was too much at risk. The Juliett B picked up the massive explosions from the other Juliett and the subsequent torpedo attacks. The targetting coordinates were plotted and the submarine was making six knots on the surface. Then, with a six second interval between the missiles, all four of them left their racks.

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/j-startbw.jpg

The missiles immediately accelerated to Mach 2.5. It was four hundred miles to Layarteb City and two hundred to Falcon City and the missiles had a maximum range of four hundred and two miles, just enough to reach Layarteb City. The three hundred and fifty kiloton nuclear warhead on each missile would ensure complete and total destruction of the target.

Immediately after launch, the Juliett B dove down to 600 feet and would maintain two knots as she exited the launch area.

Deep inside of the Layartebian Air Defense Center, the anti-stealth system immediately picked up the missile launch and classified them as such. Each of the four missiles were given a time on target indicator. It would take 12:57 for the missiles to reach Layarteb City and 6:29 for them to reach Falcon City. The anti-stealth system had also plotted courses for the missiles and identified the launch point.

Immediately the colonel in charge notified the Joint Chiefs who notified the Emperor. That took 75 seconds all together. By the time 120 seconds passed, the orders were in place.

It was time to see the abilities of the MIM-104I Patriot PAC-4 against incoming cruise missiles, especially ones at supersonic speed. The MIM-104I had a range of between 1 and 155 miles, an altitude of 80 to 200,000 feet, a maximum speed of Mach 6.25, had a Hit-to-Kill + 161 lb. blast frag warhead, had a 99.5% single-shot kill percentage, had a guidance system of Active Radar with Terminal IIR and Anti-Stealth Uplink.

As the missiles entered the engagement envelopes of the main PAC-4 batteries defending Falcon City, two missiles were launched at each of the two incoming missiles. They were tracked on the anti-stealth system and as the missiles closed at Mach 8.75, another countdown clock raced downward. As the other two missiles closed on Layarteb City and came within range of the PAC-4 batteries there, more missiles were fired, once again two per missile.

The missiles streaked towards their targets but opposition was dead ahead. The missiles that streaked towards them were some of the most advanced in the Layartebian military and certainly the Tigers were no match for them. The first two dropped on the first intercept. They exploded harmlessly some 42 miles from Falcon City. The second two exploded 29 miles from Layarteb City and 10 miles from Layarteb City. The second of those missiles had to be downed by the second shot. The Juliett B was beneath the waves at least, hidden from the enemies around them.

The ILS Scythe had recieved the communique just after the missiles were destroyed. She was some forty miles from the launch point and made twenty knots at eighteen hundred feet to get there immediately. Still trailing her towed sonar array, the Scythe flooded and equalized her torpedo tubes. The ADCAP II torpedoes in them would be perfect for sinking the Juliett B.

Low and behold, after a near two hour transit, the Juliett B came onto the scope, traveling south at two knots and six hundred and sixty feet. The passive detection systems of the Scythe were top notch and though the Juliett was near silent at that speed running on battery power, she was definitely going down. The Scythe came around slow and positioned itself completely behind the Juliett and slowed down to two knots. She was some four thousand yards behind the Juliett and would remain there, just shadowing it.

Rear-Admiral Sorvik was notified of the authorization to dock in the Layartebian harbor of Manatub, and gave orders quickly. "Have Mjolner attach to and tow L-67. While she's doing this, I want L-67 to be evacuated except for a skeleton crew in case she sinks. While they're doing that, I want L-101 to make a quick check for survivors from the sub. That shouldn't take too long, because there won't be any. Once the tow line is secure, we'll head for Manatub as quickly as possible."

Some of the others on the bridge, including Leif and the Layartebian Ambassador, Henry, looked out through binoculars at the stricken L-67.

http://jove.prohosting.com/~sinking/falklands/coventry.jpg

It looked pretty bad, and had settled even lower in the water by the time the tow line was affixed. However, the list had somewhat corrected itself by this time. Though a sturdy little ship, the destroyer's weight was nothing to Mjolner's enormous engines. The battle cruiser quickly tightened the line and started moving. After a fairly short while, the fleet was cruising at fifteen knots. Erzsebet, however, was still concerned, as L-67 continued to settle, though very slowly.

It was quite late at night when they entered the harbor and Layartebian tugboats assisted the two damaged destroyers to dry-docks. L-67, whose decks were already mostly submerged when she entered the harbor, sank inside the dry-dock before they had even started pumping the water out. It was very lucky that she had made it into port.

The rest of the fleet rode gracefully at anchor, carefully placed so as not to block up harbor traffic in the morning. They would still be an unusual sight though. The submarine squadron arrived in the very early morning.

They had been trailing the Juliett for some two hours now as she worked her way out to sea. The Scythe had her bow tubes loaded and ready, a solution plotted so well that the torpedo could not miss. Because she was in the baffles of the Juliett, there was no way she would be heard, not unless the Juliett went active and turned to see just what was behind her. The Juliett didn't have a towed sonar array though had it had one it would have been able to realize that something was amiss behind her though detecting a Scythe at twenty knots was impossible let alone two knots though if the Juliett was listening hard enough she could detect the reactor plant noise but that required a far more experienced crew that Urbh Yueh, a land-locked nation, could muster.

Finally, the captain got sick of waiting and opened the hatch to tube one. Seconds later, the ADCAP II left the submarine in passive mode, locked onto the target already. It's wire guidance relayed the solution plot back and fourth as the torpedo accelerated to some fifty-five knots. Immediately the Juliett heard the torpedo launch and came about as she fired two torpedoes herself, both in active mode.

The Scythe took evasive action and sped up to eight knots as she dove deeper, to sixteen hundred feet, it's torpedo locked on and closing past the three thousand yard mark. It was only a two minute ride for the Torpedo to hit the Juliett and it was two minutes that the crew inside the sonar room, on the CONN, and in the weapons control room claimed felt like two hours. But finally, the torpedo hit, making a loud enough noise for the two Juliett launched torpedoes to acquire a target, the explosion.

They had done it, sunk the second Juliett but given the presence of that one, intelligence analysts wondered just how many were left and why hadn't the SOSUS NET detected them... There were questions to be answered and they weren't easy ones.

As the first light of dawn slowly illuminated the harbor, the residents of the port, or at least the early risers among them, were greeted by a strange sight. Erzsebet, never one for skimping on grandiosity, had ordered the flags to be raised much earlier than was standard Callisdrunian practice (normal time for Callisdrunians was about 10:00 AM), so that they would be visible at dawn. Callisdrunian ships carried many flags as well. Most carried the Callisdrunian flag and naval ensign, the flag of their home port, and often the flag of their commander as well. So, as an example, Ithtyr flew the standard national flag and navy jack, but also the flag of the city of Drun, and the banner of the Sorvik house, which was fairly simple compared to several other personal banners visible in the harbor. Holding onto such old quirky traditions was normal in Callisdrun.

The ships themselves looked strange to most. Though quite modern, many of the ships, especially the larger ones, looked reminiscient of warships of an earlier time, partly due to the battle cruisers all having "dreadnought bows." They were all painted a very dark grey, except for the flagship itself, which was painted black. The two destroyers in drydocks looked to be in pretty bad shape, especially L-67. The pulverized hull and warped superstructure were highly visible. It was amazing that there hadn't been far more casualties.

At precisely 10:00, the ship band of Ithtyr came onto the quarterdeck and played the national anthems of Callisdrun and Layarteb (the latter they had hastily learned en route, but it sounded good anyway), facing the shore. Erzsebet was busy reading the full damage report from the two destroyers by 10:30.

OOC: You do, I presume, have a national anthem? Also, remember that Andolai character? Whatever happened to him?

OOC: Yeah I have one don't ask me what it is, I don't know ;). Just play "The Unforgiven" by Metallica, that'll work ;). Andolai got the DEAT I believe.

The border checkpoints had taken a beating. One of them was in Urbh Yueh hands and due to its location, logistics were brutal for both sides. Another one had sustained a heavy attack but was still holding on. A third and final one had taken a silent attack by Urbh Yueh special forces but had summarily caught 90% of them while killing the other 10%. Now came time for retaliation.

Sitting on the tarmac at one of Layarteb's secret airstrips were six F-25A Firefox fighters. They would be providing CAP to a pair of bombers that were going to Urbh Yueh and attacking some central command targets. The bombers were a pair of B-7B Incubus heavy bombers, each loaded with twelve AGM-86E CALCM Block III missiles and forty GBU-35/B JDAM bombs, 1,000 lb. penetrator variants. Additionally, they carried sixteen AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, four AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM missiles, and four AIM-179A BVRAAM missiles.

The flight profile called for the fighters to ingress twenty minutes ahead of the bombers, flying at an altitude of 65,000 feet and a speed of 1,750 mph, cruise speed for that altitude. They would sweep the air of any hostile fighters and each was loaded with 2 M61A2 Vulcans with 2,000 rounds, eight AIM-9X Sidewinders and eight AIM-120D AMRAAM missiles. The B-7B Incubus bombers would come screamed in at 1,750 mph but at 80,000 feet, making them that much more of a target to down. They had a series of targets and though they would fire their CALCM missiles long before they reached the city, they would use their gravity, JDAM bombs on the eighteen targets within the city. The six AGM-86E missiles they were each supposed to launch would hit way after they had gone and left.

With a radar signature of 0.0001 square yards, they would be barely noticible as the F-117 had a radar signature of 1000x that of this aircraft.

OOC: will post soon

COMMONWEALTH OF HIRGIZSTAN

We have been alerted by our great ally, the Empire of Layarteb, that help may be beneficial to this situation.

At the moment the COH is involved in a tricky Occupation in Neo Tyr and a Colonial problem. As such we have much demand on our Command and Control elements and any help offered will, at least initially, come under EOL command.

We are willing to offer Air, Land and Sea forces. The EOL knows my systems and i would be willing to consider a wish list from the EOL and Callisdrun.

-COH-

It was snowing, pretty hard, too. Istengrad was actually quite a bit colder than Drun, because of its inland location, though it wasn't as dark during the day. It was now, though, as it was 3:00 AM. Istvan Farkas hadn't liked the idea of doing this in December, especially during the week long celebrations following Unification day, but it had to be done. Now that the Harthys had been expelled from Drun, it was imperative that they not be given a chance to reorganize. He looked at his watch, and then back towards his party, one of several in the city. They were all watching attentively, waiting for his signal. He really didn't feel right about this. "Just a couple minutes," he whispered.

It had been a much harder operation to plan than the destruction of the Harthys' property in Drun. Drun was the "home turf" of the Sorvik, Farkas, and Novikas families. Istengrad was not. The city was the ancestral home of the largest portion of the Batory family, and a few of the Katarindatters. A large portion of the Batorys had allied with the Harthys. However, the Katarindatters had sided with the Sorviks, and had shown up in force.

Another difficulty had been in the geography. Drun operations had been easy because the surrounding forest made it quite simple to sneak up on the target as one large group. Istengrad was a walled city (though parts lay outside the walls, because of expansion) in the middle of a plain. Hiding their movements had been harder, much harder. They had needed to enter in smaller groups and then stay low until the entire force had been assembled. Also, in Drun they had attacked a bank. Here they were preparing to make an assault on a small castle.

Istvan's little two way radio buzzed. With an action that had become routine, with his long duty in the Army (he was now a general), he flipped it up and answered it. "Hello? Check. What about the party on the eastern side? Good. The southern force is ready. All right. Go." He put the radio away and motioned to the men and women behind him. "Move out."

It had become known to them that for some time, the Harthys had been using the Batory castle, currently occupied by the pro-Harthy branch of the family, as a base of operations to regroup. The building loomed up before them.

The northern, eastern, and southern forces all opened up on the guards with whatever they had, a few
AK's and many molotov cocktails. They had converted a pickup truck into a molotov launcher and then hidden it in a garage until this point. It was being operated by the northern force, commanded by Katarin Sorvik in her relative Erzsebet's absence. The first few volleys landed in places where they did little damage, but the fifth exploded upon hitting one of statues near the roof of the keep. The wooden shake roof of the keep then caught fire nicely. The few remaining children (most had been evacuated on the declaration of hostilities) could be seen being shepherded to a car, which drove off. Death cries of defenders, and a few of attackers could be heard in the night. The Batory family had a few more guns than the Harthys, due to more ties with the military, but they were still hopelessly outgunned by the Sorvik contingent.

Istvan Farkas' group remained silent, however. The other forces were all really just a distraction so that his group wouldn't be noticed. They had found a weak spot on the castle's western wall, which ironically was the closest to the keep. The wall by now had very few defenders, because of the action on the other sides. Because of the ways the hills were situated, there was a small gap, and several parts of the wall had weakened, leaving much of the weight on one arch that used to be a dumping spot for the castle's refuse. The vampires waited silently, guns and axes at the ready, while one of them affixed a large amount of high explosives to the inside of the archway. When she came out they stood back.

The device exploded, very loudly. At first, nothing seemed to have happened, but then a large crack was heard, and the entire middle portion of the wall fell down. With a fierce battle cry, they rushed in.

bump

I shalt respond maybe tomorrow night.

bump

The situation in Callisdrun was obviously critical. But it was one of two situations currently going haywire. Urbh Yueh forces had been resisting well against the counterattacks against the border checkpoints. The only way to make them surrender, aside from eradicating their homeland, was to cut off their supply lines. F-15Es, FB-22Bs, and F-16Cs worked around the clock knocking out vehicles on the logistical trails to and from Urbh Yueh. It would only be a matter of days before the full assault on Urbh Yueh began. B-4 and B-7 bombers were prepared and ready to go. All they needed was the go-code and Urbh Yueh would be reduced to a steaming pile of smoking, burnt rubble.

OOC: I can lend you some AL-52 Dragon's and some EB-52 Megafortresses to help turn Urbh Yueh into ruins if you want??

OOC: It's cool Hirg I got him right where I want him.

The night sky was empty except for the moon and the countless stars. Up at 80,000 feet and flying at 2,000 mph, the B-7B Incubus, a lone warrior, flew onward, still half an hour from Urbh Yueh. It was carrying a heavy load and had a significant amount of targets to it. The WSO had been working since take off on programming the many bombs with their target coordinates. In its two air to air bays were a combination of 8x AIM-9X Sidewinder, 4x AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM, and 4x AIM-179C BVRAAM per bay. In its forward and aft air to ground bays it was carrying a total of 60x GBU-34 JDAMs. In its central air to ground bay, it was carrying 65x GBU-35 JDAMs. It had a total of 30 targets to hit and as it was coming onto target, it dropped all 125 of its bombs from 20 miles away.

The B-7B was one of fourteen B-7Bs heading towards the city with targets. The others were carrying much of the same loadout, with slight variations. They too bombarded their targets heavily. Escorting the multi-bomber force were sixteen F-24As, armed with 8x AIM-9X Sidewinders and 12x AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs per fighter. F-19As were also on their way, twenty of them in total, each carrying 2x AIM-9X Sidewinder, 2x AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs, and 4x AGM-88D HARM Block VI. They came streaking in, firing at the multiplicity of targets. Seventeen FB-22Bs came in as well, each carrying 30x GBU-39 JDAMs, dropping them on anti-aircraft guns that were throughout the city. Lastly there was one more flight of aircraft, eleven B-4A Magnum heavy bombers. They were carrying 4x AIM-9X Sidewinders, 4x AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs, 8x AGM-88D HARM Block VIs, and 48x GBU-35s. Their targets included radar and communications posts. All-in-all, the 78 aircraft descending on Urbh Yueh from various altitudes ranging from 45,000 feet to 85,000 feet hit all in and around the same time, which was 2300.

The defenders looked back in horror towards the crumbling wall as it fell. That side had been eerily silent the entire time. Some rushed to meet the oncoming assault, and those few that had firearms hit a couple of their enemies' number, but were soon cut down by AK fire, as the attackers had more guns by far.

Istvan Farkas detached a small party from the larger group to quietly go around and open the gates on the other sides while those defending the castle were distracted by the mayhem. The main group rushed into the keep. The cooks put their hands in the air and were passed by, but death screams could be heard everywhere around them. Larger groups of Batory-Ferencs (the part of the Batory family aligned with the Harthys) were consumed by molotov cocktail explosions. However, before Farkas' group was half way through the keep, their enemies seemed to have finally overcome the initial shock of the surprise and had reorganized and so now it was necessary to fight for every room, and there were many casualties. Istvan was near the roof when word reached him that the leader of the Batory-Ferencs was slain.

A gory scene greated Istvan Farkas and those around them when the reached they won the roof. The other parties had overrun the castle and now the only part left was the garage, which was surrounded, with many vampires shooting into it, and only a few shots coming from it. It was on fire and more firebombs were being lobbed towards it. The wooden roof burst into flames and screams could be heard from the inside. In a few minutes, it collapsed.

By day, the fire was put out, and no more sounds of combat emanated from the great stone ediface. Wreckage was strewn about, and the corpses hadn't been completely cleaned up. It had been a crucial victory, but no one was celebrating. The death toll was almost fifty on their side, and about eighty on the side of their foes. Istvan called Erzsebet to tell her the news. "Yep, we won, but not well." He went on to tell her of the deaths.

On board Ithtyr, Erzsebet turned very serious after her phone conversation. She promptly told Henry, the Layartebian ambassador.

Sorry guys about the lack of attention on my part in the rping in this game..I recently took a new job owniong and running a bar/restaurant so my hours have drastically increased. Anyway please dont take it personally if I do not respond quickly too a post. Sorry thank you and Merry Christmas.

christmas bump

Wow I totally forgot about this with what's going on in Earth II. Sorry guys.

The Ambassador immediately sent a message to the Intelligence Ministry of the situation in Callisdrun.

At the same time, the entire city of Urbh Yueh was nearly in flames from the sustained bombardment. Additionally, the border defense checkpoints were only hours away from being swamped by Layartebian air and armored units.

OOC: I say after this we just sort of end this whole RP?

OOC: All right, however it would be better to have kind of a formal conclusion type ending.

OOC: All right, however it would be better to have kind of a formal conclusion type ending.

Naturally, especially since it's gone on this long. Perhaps we'll be able to continue a mass RP in some other way.