NationStates Jolt Archive

[ Invite Only RP] Peace Keeping operations in The Badlands of New Zanzibar

The rumbling noise of multiple eight cylinder diesel engines deafened both the soldiers and the news crew. They all sat on the exterior of the armored fighting vehicle/APC because they'd back inside with this kind of sunlight coming down on them. Nick sighed and shook the sleep off him, they woke him up at 3 this morning in his room on the base to head out, GNN had him imbedded in the same damn unit since Smaller Albania.

"Hey, Jamie." He called to his camera guy motioning for his attention " Get some footage of the APC's to our flank to give us some opening footage!" He had to fight the sound of the roaring engines pushing 260 horse power. Nick was huddled near the enclosed turret on the large "Equites" fighting vehicle not very comfortable. His eyes glanced down to the field gray thickened armor underneath him feeling suddenly so exposed.

The Radios crackled to life along the lines of recieving in coming fire just forward of the advancing column a "Hunting Pack" roared over head made up of attack helicopters designated to flush out and then eliminate any concentrated resistance, this would definitly be a bad one. He knew it couldn't be as simple as walk in and tell people what to do. It never was.


"This is Nicholas Heins GNN News reporting live en-route to the Bad Lands of the Nation which was Formerly Balad-Dur, but now lays in ruins gripped in a bloody civil war. Multiple factions are fighting for power within Balad-Dur and civilians are becoming victims in this act of genocide. The nations of Tovarich Patrick and Independant Macedonia are acting in a Coalition to stop this genocide before it can get any worse. Right now the front of the armored column i am currently riding in has been engaged by rebel forces from one of the factions and from what is heard on the command net we are returning fire. Just as we passed what used to be a border guard station the advanced group was hit with small arms and rocket fire. There are also rumors of the enemy using Recoil less rifles mounted on Technicals launching hit and run attacks all along the line. A Peaceful mission seems to just have taken a violent turn."


Lieutenant General Octavius Brutus Calmly called to his 1st Battalion commander on the tactical net and made sure the man knew his orders. He was a good by the book officer but sometimes that could get men killed, Octavius sat in the back of his cramped Command Equites vehicle and concentrated on the digital tracking screen showing current troop positions called in and tracked by implant tracking devices within the vehicle. "Only one vehicle knocked out? Hope they cleared it off the road.. we'll deal with it when the time comes. Theater Commander Scipus will be pleased with our progress hopefully." He did hope so, the commander had quite the temper but was willing to give commanders slack to get their jobs done well.

Several hundred miles west of the Tovarich Patrick forces, at the exit of Chaos pass into Balad-Dur, the Macedonian 1st Gebirgsjager Korps was stretched over several miles in the narrow pass. Field Commander Romanov Raminsky of the 1st Infantry Division had been on this poor excuse for a mountain path for a half of a month now, his iinfantry walking at the front of the line on the loong trip from Independent Macedonia to the "Badlands" of Balad-Dur.

Date: March 21st -Time: 0320 Location: West Badlands
Raminsky opened the hatch of his Command M-113 APC, feeling the crisp mountain air hit is face and being able to see little past the headlights of the column. His head set crackled, "Sir, incoming fire!" The radio's warning was a made clear as an RPG round impacted the fron't of the M-113. It failed to explode and shot upward off the sloped armor of the APC. "Jesus that was close!" He said making the sign of the trinity before being forced into the Armored vehicle at the sound of explosions. "Open fire!" He screamed into his head set, and was rewarded by the buzz of gunfire.

LAVs on both sides of the APC opened fire with their Machine Cannon using night vision to see the native attackers in the dark. Raminsky called for light to be cut off so the enemy could not detect them by sight, and the entire pass went dark, with the exception of tracers and RPG fire. One of the LAVs screamed past the APC towards the opposition and instantly exploded in a huge explosion as it got ahead of the column.

The Disembark order was given and the vehicles of the column stopped as it seemed that mines were the culprit in the death of their comrades. "This is Field Commander Raminsky to Korps command, we need immediate back up from the POHCh Luftkorps and 501st Airborne!.ASAFP Command!" Enemy fire now came from above the line, above the pass on the mountain sides. The sappers and deployed troops ran for cover behind nearby vehicles.

The Hind V's of the POHCh rained down death as they easily found and destroyed the enemy RPG teams and troops. When cave systems were discovered they dropped hunter-killer teams of the 501st to find and destroy any resistance. By Dawn all enemy resistance was destroyed and no known elements escaped destruction.

An aide radioed Raminsky once the column had started back up. "Sir, we have lost 24 soldiers, and have counted 98 tribal ethnic warriors with light vehicles used for transportation and improvised gun platforms. These range from pick-up trucks to Tractors. 13 of these were found and destroyed." Raminsky cut the link, "Damn this is bad for not even being in the 'Badlands' yet. Hopefully if things go according to plan we will be in Balad-Dur by 1200 and meet up with the Tovarch's within the week." He knew that was hoping for too much, things always went wrong.

"We are supposed to meet up with heavier resistance in the village coming up.. our men are tired but they want to continue forward rather than wasting time. I didn't even order them into a forced march they did it themselves." Lieutenant General Brutus reported to a man known in City Imperial as the "Legendary General". He was old but still a master commander and refused to leave the field of battle. "We've taken a total of Thirty five dead twelve wounded and Six vehicles lost to accidents, overheats,or RPG's. Our mobile command center remains untouched and the Vanguard forces are penetrating the last village in our way. The macedonians will be meeting us soon if on schedule."

The old General grumbled looking at his right hand soldier and link to the current combat situation. "Macedonians on schedule? HAH! Never. Expect to roll on the capital alone general, they will never be on time for the final assault. As usual, no quarter to armed resistance. They fired first remember?"

Octavius grit his teeth amoment, the man lived in the past when Independant Macedon and the Empire were locked in many vicious and bloody wars. Through their fighting the Macedonians and Imperials somehow stopped and began to grow into close allies. Especially since the last war which made the badlands into what they were now desolate deserts with small tightly grouped population centers every few hundred miles.

"Sir i will do what i can." He assured the Theatre General and then cut the private link. He rubbed his chin for amoment, No he would not kill all enemy captured. Sure they were rebels but he would give them the chance and throw down their arms and help in a better cause. Besides the rebels weren't going to surrender anyway. The badland rebels never surrendered.

Date: March 21st - Time: 1317 Location: Western Balad-Dur proper

They were behind their set timetable, but only by an hour, "Increase speed to the fastest cruising speed of our slowest vehicle." Raminsky ordered from his command APC. "Sir, break downs, overheating, and crew fatigue will increase from this order." An officer of the divisional logistics branch said in a subdued voice. "It will allow us to reach our destination quicker, the men and machines can rest when we reach our objectives!" The officer was scared into submission, "Roger sir, over and out."

The Objective for day one was set to be the strategically vital town of Minerath, which would serve as the supply connection to Macedonia through the long and narrow Chaos Pass into Balad-Dur. A small town, with 100-200 hourse holds in the immediate surrounding area. Mostly farm land, irrigated from the nearby mountain snow fueled river, it would also supply the army with it's food and fresh water for the next few days.

Helicopters from the POHCh unit flew over the town to scout out the area, in seach of hostiles...only a deserted town was found. When the column of troops and tanks arrived it was evident that the town wasn't deserted, it was exterminated. Bodys were left hanging from street lamps and beheaded in the streets. The troops were sickened by the site and several vomited out of their APCs. "Let's start clearing this town of the dead, and watch out for boobytraps men." Raminsky told the men over the engine noise and helicopter landings that were taking place to set-up some sort of base camp with which the "Peace Keeping" force could operate from.

A message was sent from Macedonian high command to the Tovarich Patrick forces of what had been found, and to inform the TP's that what seemed to be a ethnic genocide was in place.

OOC: seeing as i am in New Zanzibar can i join?

OOC As it says in the forum, ye s you can