NationStates Jolt Archive

The high platform was resplendent with the regalia of the Crown… the sailing ship emblem of the kingdom stood by the yellow cross of the Church, the red lions of the King, and the white knotted celtic cross of the Tord family. Red and blue silk hangings and carpet coated the surrounding buildings, and the plate-armoured nobles of the Royal Guard stood ready, the epitomy of honour and virtue, crusaders out of a glorious past. A cardinal, bright red silk vestments and bejewelled golden crucifix glistening in the mid-afternoon sun, completed a prayer for the glory and eternal rule of the King, God’s chosen leader of the Tordian nation.

His Royal Majesty, King Glenn stepped forward and looked out over the crowd. It was massive, filling the square… the King had graciously ordered all businesses closed and all pay suspended for the day, so that none would be forced to labour instead of attending this great event. The crowd’s size was inspiring, commoners packed tightly together while nobles and rich merchants sat beneath oiled parasols on the surrounding balconies. Reflecting on his life, he remembered his passion as a youth, the Thelas crisis… in hindsight even he had to admit errors in his plan. Joan had been insane, the Thelasi overbearing cowards, and Patricia had a backbone rammed up in by her Spyran boytoy general. He had done too much too fast, with too many enemies and too few allies. After the disaster, in exile, he had been paralysed with regret and shame at his failure. But he had made a mistake in blaming himself when it had been Patricia who failed to stand aside, and the peasants who failed to support his bid. In his mind, his rape at the hands of Joan had become justified… no king could ever have been RAPED…he had wanted it, had demanded it from her, and she had been a loyal subject who, if indeed she had been initially assertive, had only done it to remind her monarch that he had nothing to be ashamed of.
His days in Spyr had been dark indeed. He had been surrounded by them, by their insanity, by their bloodthirsty drive to destroy all that was Tordian, and it had made his mind sick. But he had waited, learning of the nation-state, of fascism, of the true power of absolute monarchy, and had returned and rejuvenated himself. He had experienced an epiphany, himself as St. George blessed by God to defend Tord and slay the Spyran Dragon. God had told him that he was chosen to be king, chosen for glory, and that the path he would set would be followed joyously by the people of Tord.
The President, the Chairman of the Strainists, was coming here, and Glenn would see to it that the people of Tord threw his Revolution out with him when he left.

Glenn began to speak. He spoke of the devoutness of the clergy, the generosity of the merchants, the honour of the nobles, the obedience of the peasants. He spoke of his father’s misguided decision for firstborn succession, and of his sister’s failings: “… all of Tords past problems have been due to her feminine influence. Women’s duty is within the home and the hospital. They are simply unsuited for leadership.”
He spoke of his bravery in risking his life defending the people of Tord as he led armies against Yunsung not once, but twice, defeating the vile warlord soundly. And then, he spoke of a new danger, of the dragon looming in the East… Revolution was a creeping serpent from the Garden of Eden, and Patricia, as Eve, had plucked the apple. But unlike Adam, Glenn would not bite. The Revolutionaries were foreigners, without a shred of Christian virtue, who sought to destroy what made Tord great… the noble knights, the feudal system whose mix of loyal obedient peasants and benevolent patriarchal lords served the best interests of all. It was the duty of all Tordians to drive out this menace, to close their ears to the Strainist heresy, and to give their lives to protect the traditions of Tord and the wonderful lives they were now living.

As Glenn finished, a royal guardsman stepped forward and punched his fist in the air. “God loves King Glenn. Long live the King!” There were a smattering of shouts from the balconies, but the crowd remained silent. Glenn grinned… the peasants had been overwhelmed by his message, they were experiencing their own epiphanies of Tord’s future glory under his rule.

The rotten fruit splattered across Glenn’s chest, staining his robes and jolting him off balance. He heard the heavy clang as the golden crown of Tord rolled off the platform and out of sight, then the downpour of thumps as even more objects were hurled up from the crowd. Looking up, he saw the balconies empty as the banners and silks were pulled down. What had gone wrong? Left, he looked for the cardinal, his longtime ally from Broken Saints, to see the trailing edge of a red silk rob vanishing through a doorway. With a clang, that portal was shut and barred, leaving the King, and the cardinal’s own gold-bound bible, abandoned outside.
Glenn raised a robed arm, shielding his face. Pain lanced through it as it was struck head on by a piece of cobble broken off from the streets. He shouted for his guards, pulling himself to his feet. The guards were standing in a nearby doorway, shields raised to fend off a hail of stones, wood, and nails… it was evident that some had also fled, though at least a half score remained loyal. He dashed over to them, kicking a cowering guardsman who had fallen fetal to the ground, shrieking like a little girl. There was no time to waste pulling such a craven coward along… he had to get through the door quickly and out of range of the mob’s projectiles.

Reaching he shield wall, Glenn stopped short… the Guard did not part their shields for him. He shouted a command, they stood unmoving. A last, as another stone glanced off his shoulder, the King fell to the ground and scrambled between the legs of his guards to shelter. Standing, he turned to look. The square was a seething human mob, waves of dirty peasants ripping up the road to throw at noble windows and their monarch. Glenn felt disgust at their ingratitude. They needed to be taught a lesson, and the bandit who stole his crown had to be hung, drawn, and quartered. He drew his sword and waved it, signalling his loyal Errant Knights who stood at the opposite end of the square. They still had their heavy pistols, they’d cow the crowd into submission.

Looking closer, Glenn was again taken aback… Strainists! The accursed traitors, purple-beret wearing heretics with their automatic rifles, blocked the Errant from the square. There was no scuffling, just a standoff between armed squads as the mob ran rampant. Why were his knights not firing? Many might die, but theyd kill Strainists and serve their monarch. Was there anything more noble?

A heavy stone crashed through a shield, sending a guard tumbling to the ground with blood gushing from his head. The mob was swarming up towards the door now, getting closer, wielding sticks and stones and rough red flags torn from the silk hangings. Glenn turned and hurridly stepped inside with his guards, leaving the wounded man to the mercy of the peasants as the heavy door was locked and barred. Yet, even though the thick barrier, he could hear the resounding shouts of ‘Revolution! Revolution! Revolution!’

Glenn looked around…his guards had left their shields and halberds piled against the door, gone in search of help. Closing his eyes, he felt a heavy weight pressing down upon his soul, and remembered the words of a Strainist Thought professor at Sithin U. He had dismissed them then, but now…

“…[A] feudalist rules based on ignorance, by convincing the populace that he has an unquestionable right to exploit. Divine right, tradition, religion and culture are transformed from spiritual and productive pursuits into strict mechanisms that maintain a feudal position….”
“…[The] end of the feudalist stage comes with a critical mass of knowledge. The people come to a place where they know that the feudal system is flawed, the ignorance that propagates it has failed to maintain itself, and now have access to knowledge of a new model. Left to their own devices, all feudal societies will eventually evolve, as they gain knowledge of production and natural market efficiency, into capitalist societies, as a new framework for exploitation is created to deal with the knowledge that broke feudalism. Yet, as our great Chairman has taught us, this in not a necessary step. If a population is brought out of ignorance through education in Strainism, then there shall be a true Revolution, and exploitation will be eliminated with the rise of a market socialist state…”

In the lecture room, Glenn had felt those words as a personal attack on Tord… the words of one nation seeking to conquer another. It was all lies, proof of Sutreiin’s designs on Tord. But now, he saw them for once not as a nationalist prince of Tord, but as a neutral observer, he could see another perspective… the Spyran had not spoken in malice, but in faith. The smiling students had not been laughing at Tord, but had been hopeful that they could affect revolution on behalf of the Tordian people. Sutreiin had not even thought of Tord when he had proposed his theory of feudalism… he had been talking about Spyr, and the lesson had been his own revolution… his lesson was one of example, and thus to the Spyrans it rang true, they knew it was true.
And he, monarch of Tord, had been blind, had called it a lie and dismissed it from his mind. But the mob outside had been filled with an energy, a rage, a determination he had never seen before amongst commoners. They KNEW, and what had been would never be again. His kingdom was doomed to die in a revolutionary fire.

But his vision, his epiphany… God did not lie.

Perhaps the path followed joyously by the people of Tord was already clear, and his greatest act of heroism would be to let them go.

"6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, [hid] themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
-Revelations (KJVB).

"Revolution is the greatest force, the force that rips asunder the exploitation that has been before. It is the Will of those who have been thought helpless, as they rise up and take the reigns so that at last a better world might be achieved. The feudalists, the capitalists, all those who have for so long kept wealth and kingship for themselves, are swept aside by the fury of glorious emancipation. There can be no escape, and there can be no reprieve."
- Sutreiin Shiwen, On Revolution.

[OOC: Whats Going On?

This may seem a tad confusing to a few people outside of Lyong politics, as Tord has kept mostly to off-site RP since the NS conversion to the jolt forums. Some of our older RPs may still be archived somewhere.

History
Since its Revolution some fifty years ago, Spyr has been slowly building up its plans for revolution in the neighbouring kingdom of Tord. Tord’s aristocracy and corrupt Church have conservatively maintained the status quo, while their population increased far past what their feudal agriculture could maintain. Spyr has attempted to build modern infrastructure and provide aid, while educating and training Tordians, and agitating for reform. As Tord’s knightly orders were mostly resistant to change, the signing of the Lyong Treaty caused the deployment of SRA troops to the southern Tordian coast, as part of an overall peninsular defence plan. Those troops have been present for almost forty years, integrating into the populace and providing social services along with Strainist education.
The nobility and Church have been hostile to this socialist encroachment, as had a group of young nationalist knights. The nationalist’s efforts led to a coup which sought to put their champion prince Glenn on the throne. The coup failed to gain sufficient support, and Glenn was sent into temporary exile, during which he was educated in Spyr.
In Glenn’s absence, the nationalists were discredited, and the aristocrats and Church cemented the status quo firmly in place…. Until the warlord Yunsung’s ragtag army of horse raiders shook the nation. Armed with Aks, and chemical gas weapons stolen from ex-Tordian nationalists, the warlord cut through Tord’s defences and devastated her capital, forcing the nation to accept reform as it tried to recover. Strainists, having defeated Yunsung, managed to push a progressive policy with Crown acceptance, but the nobles and Church continue to block real change.

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/5981/pnnyss8rn.gif

The Tordian economy has not been doing well… with a population that has far surpassed the capacity of feudal subsistence agriculture, there is widespread poverty and starvation amongst the lower classes, which has only been intensified by the Yunsung disaster, and made the disparity between Church-nobility and peasantry all the more obvious.]

The late morning sun continued to rise into the sky over Sol Sanctum. The city was relatively empty, broad modern boulevards lying empty in a nation where even public transit was too costly for many. Lifting cranes still hung on the skyline, the realities of scarcity cutting down the creations of architects aspiring to create beauty out of the destruction which consumed the city a mere twelve months ago. Indeed, though much of the city was new, the ideas of progress and modernization that it represented had failed to take hold. The peasants still scraped by a subsistence existence, while the nobility and high echelons of the clergy raked in the nation's wealth through taxes and tithes. The merchants and emerging proletariat were faring far better, the former investing in modern enterprise and the latter protected by a new labour law.

The land reform bill, which had promised to divide vast feudal estates amongst the peasant families, had become stalled as the Church and nobility united against the Strainist Party. Many peasants had shrugged... a better life was an impossible dream... but the progressive elements which had come to support the Party were determined to push forward reform.

New hope had sprung forth in recent months, from an unusual source: King Glenn. In his youth, he had been a reactionary, a conservative ultranationalist, who had attempted to remove his elder sister from the throne. The attempt had failed because the nation had not been ready to rise up against the status quo. Following the coup, Glenn had gone to Spyr for a modern education, and had returned to wear the crown after Queen Patricia had retired to pursue private life in the wake of the warlord Yunsung’s rampage through the kingdom. There had been concern amongst the Strainists over his return, but he was not the same man he had been: during his absence, the harsh lives of the peasants had become even more difficult, as rampant starvation outpaced Spyran food aid. The Yunsung disaster had catalyzed a wave of protests against the upper classes… not revolutionary yet, but simmering away ready to boil over. When it had come time to form a national cabinet, Glenn had supported the Strainists, giving them top posts in key military and executive areas, and allowing them to fill out the ranks of the bureaucracy.

It seemed that Tord was on the brink of modernity, ready for change. With the support of the monarch and the people, the Party would eventually displace the remaining conservatives. It was only a matter of time.

Today, another sign of change was coming, snaking its way up from the south on tracks of steel. Sutreiin Shiwen-daisu, Chairman of the Strainist Party, was circling the peninsula speaking to the people. From the PRS city of Naisho, he had threaded northward through the open fields of Tord, stopping a towns to encourage support of the Party and its goals, saying that the feudal way was not the only way, that the people could change things for the better. The rallies had not been huge… few could afford a day away from their labours… so he had waved and distributed foodstuffs to those at work in their fields along the route. True to SRA policy, the train’s progress had been further slowed by its military escort deploying to assist the locals in their labours.

But today, at last, the train had reached the political centre of Tord. The steady thump of marching boots echoed down the boulevards as the vanguard of the Chairman’s security detail moved into the city. The day before, mechanized infantry had made a pass and continued to secure the northern tracks, but the arrival of the Chairman required a display, a message to the nobility: ‘If you seek to exploit the people again, we stand ready to stop you.’

A thousand infantry of the People’s Republican Guard moved through the streets in formation, heading towards the central square where the Chairman planned to make his speech. Between their parade ranks, leaning on a cane, came Shiwen-daisu himself. He moved slowly… his days of youth were long past… but he smiled and stopped to say a few words to those few who had left their work to watch his coming, trying to instil his vision of a brighter future.
http://img188.exs.cx/img188/2875/tmarch2bu.jpg

Glenn dressed slowly in the lavish mirror of the Kings dressing-room. Trying to savour the image of the King he saw while it lasted.



He had always wanted Kingship, but now it seemed hollow. He had chased after it for so long, made such terrible mistakes grabbing at it that he was now ashamed to wear the crown. Today he would scrape some of the dirt off of him, he hoped. He would go out to greet Strain, announce his support for the little god and renouce his kingship.



But now waht not a good time for Strain to come, it was well known that the nobles and higher clergy would like to see Strain, and even Glenn, put out of the picture. That old fool was coming here knowing full well his life was in danger! But Glenn would go out to greet him nonetheless. This muc hTord was stuck in would end one way or another. Strains assasination would certainly bring that, but in a terrible, bloody way. Glenn would try and do his part and try put an end to the feudalism peacefully. If the did not work, he would try to save as many as he could...



He reached up for where his crown would have been, but remembered that it had been the first thing to go when the changes took hold....It was for the best, he would have dashed it to pieces at Strains feet anyway....



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



Alexander Anderson had been waiting excitedly for days, and now Strain was finally here. He had heard Strain was nothing but a brittle old man now, a pity, he would have liked for Strain to have been able to put up a fight, but at least this way was easier. Whether or not the corssbowman in the window hit or not, Alexander would rush the old coot and claim his idealistic head as a trophy. And not one, not two, not two thousand of his soldiers would get in his way, for he fought for, no, with the power of God. He was god's divine instrument of glorious death, and would make the heathens pay for every step they made on Tord's holy soil.



"Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. We thank the lord that we may clease our children with the everlasting blood...." Anderson muttered as he began his hourly prayers.



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



Knights and mercenaries gathered closeby to the legislature building. They were all busily sharpening swords and testing the balances. Many of them were dreaming of the glory of hacking through the heathens weak flesh, gaining glory and prestige. they were especially thirsty for St. Cloud's blood, vile traitor that he was to God and country. The slaughter would be over and done with in minutes, many were already posted as guards in the building itself, they would slip in the back behind the delegates while they convened, and it would be like wolves among sheep.



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



Their patrols and schedules had been checked and double checked. Their inventory counted and headnumber re confirmed. The tordian Brigade HQ was mapped out for death. The knights, many of them errant, were equipped with enough firepower and God's blessing to vanquish the dangerous armed Strainists to ensure Sol Sanctum would be purged of their ilk and that there would be no one left to stop the loyal Tordians from completing their task. The rebels gathered in various spots dotting the headquarters. Mess halls, courtyards. Come of them patrolling like anyone else. As soon as the clock struck twelve, they would unleash their heavenly wrath.



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Some pamplets has been pressed and even more scribed that detailed the message the town cryers and various other clergy were to announce of Strain's assasination and Tord's separation from Strainism. The Pamplets had been leaked by Strainist supporters, and so the city guard were all on alert. Many nobles were being watched, but many Strainist officers were also being watched. Once the bell tolled twelve, all hell would break loose....again in Sol Sanctum.



Patricia was actively involved in talking to the people, encouraging them to protest peacefully if they disagreed, spreading her vision of hope and peace.



But alas, not everyone agreed with her ways, and so, an armed group were poised to try and seize Sol Sanctum's TV and radio station upon the tolling bell to spread their word of hate and violence...



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



the town square was quite full compared to previous rallies, there were many rich people in the city that could spare the time to listen to Strain.



Accompanied by an entourage of Grail Knights that hadn't left him once he had received the crown, Glenn strode through the crowd toward the central square. He received a few shouts, but not too many rotten tomatoes...food was becoming hard to come by....



He could see Strain's entourage up ahead....they looked magnificent he noted. Perfectly ordered, standing straight. The sound of their boots made him shiver. He could see the inspiration their leader had inspired in their eyes....That was something he should strive to do. And so Glenn would, starting today, he would once again make some very rash, but what he hoped were right, decisions.

The crossbow man was engrossed at the scene unfolding below him. He watched from a window in one of the old houses at the crowd gathereing in the town square. He looked over at the heavy crossbow beside him, a rather unwieldy large piece of wood, but it would get the job done. Not very subtle, but that monsters would cause a whale to fall back. He looked at the clock, two minutes, give or take. He then left the window and took up his crossbow, doing some last checks to make sure the ropes were taught and the sight's aligned...



That clocktower bell would be the death knell of a legend...and the signal of a new era.



-



Anderson couldn't help but grin. He ground his teeth together and clutched his fists to keep still. SOon, very soon, he could take up his sword dance again for a most holy mission....he hoped the crossbowman didn't finish Strain off right away.



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



Glenn motioned for his knights to wait back among the crowd as he went out to meet Strain. "I wonder If I'll be let close enough to even talk to him?" Glenn mused as he approached. "I hope that bell doesn't drown out anything if we're talking to the crowd when it tolls..."

Strain turned as Glenn approached, motioning to his guards to step aside. The Tordian monarch recieved a number of glares from the Republican Guard, who would not easily forget his reactionary views from years ago.

Strain stepped forward, nodding at Glenn and smiling.

"Your majesty... I thank you for allowing us to pass through Tord and speak to its people. If your support of our efforts to uplift the peasantry through the new government are part of a trend, then I am made glad to see that education seems to have corrected youthful misconceptions and revealed a better way."

Security was beyond tight, it was meticulous. Sion Eltnam would afford no screw ups on this day when the Sutreiin Shiwen-daisu was visiting. What with these terrifying pamplets going about, many people had been arrested and detained. A plot was definitely underway to kill Sutreiin Shiwen-daisu, and Sion was determined to stop it.



On Sutreiin Shiwen-daisu's route through Sol Sanctum, the square, and other key areas in Sol Sanctum, especially those where Strainists reigned.



Etnam had just received reports of some suspiscious characters floating about the legislature building that could not be identified as additional security, perhaps a team should be sent down to check it out...
-----------------------------------------------

Glenn bowed to Strain.



"Thank you, Mr. Strain, for coming here to spread a better future. And you are indeed correct, my education in Spyr and various events thereafter has made me see the better way. I am glad you could make it here, it is with your visit here that I plan on renoucing the reigns of Tord, I want Tord to grow and prosper as a peaceful nation and see that the reformations Strainism proposes are the best way to go about it. I should let you sa ya few words to the people first...they will actually listen to you. I have been a fool, and cannot thank you and Spyr enoug hfor the kindness you have given Tord. After you have said your peace to the people, I would like to announ-



-BONG-



the crossbowman turned quickly but surely from his hiding place behind the wall next to the window and brought his crossbow to bare



-BONG-



The team sent to investigate the odd characters around the legislature buildings arrived to see the last of them hurrying into the legislature building...they picked up their pace to catch up.



-BONG-



The team exited their hiding places in and around the TV/radio station, drew weapons and engaged nearby guards while entering the station



-BONG-



Sion Eltnam was looking over a report when some guards down the hallway drew guns. Reacting instinctively, she threw herself to the side, narrowly dodging the bullets that peppered the spot where she had been standing.



-BONG-



one of the two thousand Spyran infantry had been watchign that same window when the crossbowman srpung out. Thinking it was strange that it was the only window not occupied by an observer, her eye had strayed on it a moment longer before moving on, allowing her to catch a glimspe of the figure that leapt out.



-BONG-



The crossbowman lined up the shot at Strains chest, he would only have to hit him anywhere there to take him out with the great shaft.



*BANG!-BONG-



*thwang* the bolt loosed from the crossbow as the shooters fingers jammed as he was shot squarely in the head. The arrow had been lined up, but jarred off course by the man death-jerk. It fleww in Strains diretion, but flew too high and instead hit a soldier standing behind Strain.



-BONG-



"HAHAAA! It didn't work" Anderson realised. "Time for me to do God's work!" "sssssssssttttttttRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIINN!" Anderson yelled as he bolted at the center of the square, drawing swords.



Anderson had been at the front row of people, and the soldiers nearby had been taken by surprise by a single man jumping out of the crowd.



-BONG-



Glenn turned around to see a Sypran soldier fall, a deep bolt sticking out of the soldiers back. He then heard Anderson's cry from behind, so, thinking fast, Glenn hurriedly pushed Strain down and started to turn and draw his sword to meet the mad man coming up from behind.



-BONG-



Glenn was pounded to the groun by a heavy force to his right, which he recognized for a moment as a Spyran soldier, then more were all around him, some shielding Strain, others pinning Glenn down. The suddenness of the attack had set the soldiers abuzz.



-BONG-



over the shouts in the square, Anderson could make out that the soldiers were yelling at him to stop, but they quickly changed their attitude when he reached the first few and tore their necks cleanely with some well placed strikes. Shortly after he felt flesh giving away to blade....he felt additional flesh likewise giving away to bullets, he clenched his fists, but found that he had none. in the confusion, the Spyrans had managed as a cruel fluke to miss his torso, but sever his arms, roughly at the elbow!



-BONG-



SSSTRRRAAAAIIIIIIIN! Andreson shrieked once more, lunging at one of his discarded swords with his teeth. he managed to snatch it up, and started back at a run. This macabre charge was let to continue for a few seconds more, but once the shock washed off, Anderson was finally silenced with a bullet to the head.



the crowd was yelling frightfully, the soldiers were yelling, no one was sure what had hapened. Strain was being carried quickly away as the Soldiers regained control of the square.

As he was being urged away, Strain gave a shout to the crowd through the microphone, his voice still weakened by age, but strengthened with conviction.

"PEOPLE OF TORD, DO NOT BE COWED BY REACTIONARY VIOLENCE! DO NOT ALLOW THE NOBLES AND THE CORRUPTERS IN THE CHURCH TO KEEP YOU IN CHAINS! THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS NOW!"

Strain was pushed into a waiting armoured personnel carrier, despite flailing his cane in protest, and the door was sealed while his bodyguard turned to cover the square.

Elsewhere, the Republican Guard were attempting to restore order in the square, nervously eyeing the crowd and the buildings, M41 rifles ready. They had been issued tear gas or baton rounds for their underslung launchers, but the crowd didn't seem too violent.

The squad pinning Glenn quickly pulled him back to his feet as their officer recieved a word through her helmet headset.

"Your majesty... the daisu seems to think that for the moment your safety is paramount for peaceful transition. If you would ask your guard to join us, we might retire to somewhere more secure?"
…………..

Somewhere in Spyr, a telephone rang once. The reciever was lifted. A voice echoed out of a slight static warble.

"T-571. Da!"

Minutes later, at airfields and vehicle depots from Zhondai to Kalakahara, the roar of engines began to echo.

Glenn had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping back. Although he had decided to renouce what was left of the crown, he was not going to comfortably just settle down into taking orders from Spyrans.



"I will be amongst my people in this time of turmoil." Glenn responded. "You and your people are welcome to join me and my men if you like, but I will not hide away."



Glenn turns to go. His men making as to follow.

The PRG officer smiled… or rather smirked. No matter how much a monarch might think to be 'amongst his people', he was the exploiter and they were the exploited. There was no true bond of love or fellowship between those who caused suffering and those who had to live with it… even without the crown, Glenn’s royal garments had the same cost as food to feed a peasant for a year or more, and his plate-armoured knights approached the same value. If he planned to walk out into a confused crowd and claim to be one with them while flaunting the fact that he lived well while peasants starved…

She turned to her platoon.

“Keep an eye out for threats to Glenn.”

“Authorization to retaliate?”

“Baton rounds, no killing shots. King or no, his life is worth no more than any other.”

She watched as Glenn moved away.

“He’s kinda cute… shame he’s such a ‘tard.”





The Spyran tilt-rotor aircraft circled over Tord, disgorging their cargoes upon the villages below. Yet, this was not a mission of destruction… it was a mission of aid, and of education. Thousands of packages containing pamphlets and food-aid descended like snow in the streets and fields of Tord. The pamphlets urged the peasantry and parish clergy to join the Party and arrest local nobles. Knowing the problems with literacy, the tales told in the pamphlets outlining noble crimes were well illustrated… the brutal torture of both male and female peasants by gleeful aristocrats, the carnal lusts of nobles forcibly satisfied through peasant girls, many of whom are then slain in secret, the uncaring nature of landlords towards desperate peasants, while they themselves live in opulent excess, of clergymen corrupted by greed or lust, and who have the poor girls they seduced burned for heresy to hide evidence of their foul consummations. The written portions included calls specially aimed at the poor rural priests, asking them to rise against the nobles for the good of the people, and against Church leaders to put an end to corruption and restore the Church to its true path. A number of manha comic books are also dropped for the benefit of children, some displaying brave young knights and Youth Guard protecting villages from evil goat-like barons and bishops while others depict the chibi SRA vehicles of the Getaigumi, with Mimbet and Techujezu saving a group of innocent oxcarts from a villainous gang of rusted, smoke-disgorging vehicles.

A specially-equipped C-1 aircraft took off and took position over Sol Sanctum, sending out jamming signals to block radio and television transmissions. Onboard, a media broadcast centre prepared itself for operation.

SRA units garrisoned in Tord began to change their deployment strategies… coastal units remained on alert at their positions, but supporting infantry were readied for inland deployment. Along the border routes into Tord, SRA checkpoints sprang up while mechanized units massed for deployment once the signal was receive from the Tordian Strainist leadership. Those members of the garrisons who had Tordian families were sent home with supplies and ammunition, told to defend their families and assist the local Party committees in re-establishing stability.

In Sol Sanctum, the SRA units began to rally, as the divisions forming the vanguard and rearguard of Sutreiin-daisu’s escort turned towards the city. The remaining 4,000 infantry of the People’s Republican Guard, waiting on trains and APCs, disgorged and began to deploy.

http://img3.exs.cx/img3/2381/armyposter6.jpg

The group armed group made it into the legislature building and managed to et past the guards onto the meeting floor without too much trouble. They had met some oppositon however, and the noise had alerted the delegates. In the end the rebels managed to kill several Strainist party members, although some were able to escape.
______________________________________________________________________ _
At the TV/radio station, it was quick and brutal, the team seized it with some ease and wasted no time broadcasting their message of intolerance and hate.
- - - - - - - - ------------- - - - -- - -- - - - - - -

The Tordian Brigade HQ was temporarily overtaken, the soldiers forced to fall back and Sion Eltnam pinned in a room with a handful of other soldiers.

St. Cloud had managed to escape, though many other were not so lucky and lay leeking blood on the legislature floor.

Groups soon congealed, the noble cryers gathered Traditionalists while the pamplets, outspoken Strainists and "little" clergy gathered Strainists, or those that were clsoe enough to Strainism.

After being rescued by SPyran soldiers, Glenn had decided to shy away from large crowds, and instead gathered wht forces he coud to go about the revolution, trying to protect those he could and seizing the innermost parts of Sol Sanctum for the Monarchy and offering sanctuary to anyone who would seek him out.

Patricia, the sisters, clergy and Spyran personnel went about setting up shelters for the weak and those that wanted to avoid direct conflict.

The most recognized speaker was Randall Hartwell, a captain who had taken and avid role shortly following the town square incident.

Sol Sanctum was once again the site of conflict, people were running out of its walls to avoid conflict rather than into them.

[An example of aristocratic atrocities, as retold in Spyran propaganda leaflets]

ELIZABETH MIDDLETON
Lady Elizabeth Middleton was indicted by the parish officers of Constance for cruelty to Kariko Summerfield, an orphan female, nine years of age, placed under her care by the parish. The child had been with her two years, during which she had continually ill-used her. The child's cries frequently alarmed the servants, many of whom spoke with the defendant on the inhumanity of her conduct, but without producing any change in her behaviour, and often being punished themselves with half-rations. It was customary with her to turn the infant into the yard almost naked, in cold frosty weather, and keep her in such situation half-an-hour or more. On one fateful day, the defendant beat the child, holding her by the head, while a serving woman held her legs. This act of cruelty was seen by two persons, who looked over the yard wall, and they immediately gave information to the parish officers. The little girl corroborated the above facts; and, after the defendant had alleged in her defence that her conduct was misrepresented by her neighbours, the local priests found her guilty. For this act, she was sentenced to be imprisoned only fourteen days, on account that she paid a sum to the jury of clergymen and was of high birth.

This woman abused an innocent girl to satisfy her sadistic lusts. She abused her parish by taking the orphan girl in with cruel intentions. She abused justic by using her riches and blood to serve barely two weeks, served in comfortable rooms at the country manor of a local baron. She takes away morality, taxes, and children, but offers only abuse in return. So too do the nobles take all from the masses, and dish abuse back out upon them.

PUT AN END TO THE ABUSE. JOIN THE STRAINIST PARTY IN REVOLUTION FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!

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Upon securing an area of Sol Sanctum Randall addressed the people.
He spoke of the injustices of the 'former' nobles and of the rights that everyone deserved but had been denied so long.
Now was their chance to claim was should have always been theirs, what most people in he modern world had the luck of enjoying. Rights. Freedom.
He spoke of how the Nobles were trying to regain their stranglehold, and of the consequences if they got once again what they wanted.
Now was their time to change things forever, the only time, if the people did not chose to take freedom now then they would be once again enslaved. Wasting the lives of those that had given their lives up to this point.
The Tordian era of glory was not ages past when they arrived, or when the crusading knights errected impregnable fortresses on this soil.
Tord's shinning sun was just rising. It was not knights, kings or nobles that would make Tord and its people glorious, but you, the people, the essence of what Tord truly is that would bring about the greatest revolution this land MUST ever see.
Randall was able to inspire the crowd into action, having them join the swelling ranks of true revolutionaries. And so they marched out, seeking out their former oppressors, gathering numbers as they went.

Tord no kakumei-gu iin-ta:

Across Tord, units of the SRA moved from their defensive posts to secure their villages and assist local Strainist leaders in placing the nobility under arrest. Though no official land division policy had been instituted, many village committees began the division of noble lands amongst peasants, while the coffers and pantries of the aristocrats were searched and redistributed amongst the starving commoners. Mechanized units from Spyr began to arrive soon after, to assist in the process.

In the south, the action was rather smooth…. Ranking SRA officers who had been relating to the locals for years would stop by noble manors for tea, and calmly inform the occupants that it would be in their best interest to surrender their lands and titles to the local committees.

In the north, matters were not so simple… the heartland of the most conservative noble-church elements had not had the long-term SRA presence that existed in the south. Mobile infantry squadrons of APCs and light AFVs rushed into town squares and noble estates, surrounding potential hostiles with armed infantry.

In Sol Sanctum, the Daisu’s armoured train secured the rail station, while two others kept the north and southern lines secure. The 3rd regiment of the People’s Republican Guard, the Youth Guard 1st (Armoured) Corps, and the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division deployed to make a cordon around Sol Sanctum, establishing checkpoints on all entry and exit around the city. Nobles and high clergy attempting to depart were detained, their resources confiscated. The 1st PRG regiment formed a central cordon in the city centre, centred on defending Sutreiin-daisu’s position. The 2nd regiment divided itself into assault forces of 500 rifles, to secure further locations: the city hall, where Sol Sanctum’s loudspeaker broadcasts were centred; the royal palace; the national assembly building; and St. Pelagius Royal College.

Most of the SRA tilt-rotors had expended the PRS stockpiles of pamphlets aimed to aid the Tordian revolution, and now returned to base to conserve fuel supplies. The propaganda-variant C-1 now began to broadcast, overriding regular signals, with a call to Revolution, and up-to-date reports on the progress of matters in the kingdom including live footage of Sutreiin-daisu confirming that he remained alive, and showing him issuing a personal appeal to Tordians for their cooperation in building a better future. Speeches by Tordian Strainists such as St.Cloud and Hartwell were featured live.

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All across Tord people were gradully beginning to revolt.



In most places that were had Spyran forces the violence was kept to a minimum and change happened quickly and easily, though not in all cases.



In some cases the peasants rose up in a most violent fashion and slew the nobles, and even their familys, while the nearest Spyran forces were "unable" to reach the hot spots in time to stop the former peasants.



In Sol Sanctum the loyalist rebels were quickly being shut down, they had inferior numbers, echnology and tactics and so were quick to fall. Tord's capital was securely in the hands of the revolutionaries and as the people of Tord heard of the changes happening, further supported and helped along by the strong arm of the Spyran Strainists, the nation was graduallly realising and taking part in the revolution.



A day after Sol Sanctum had settled into a new peace, wanting to toss the hot potatoe from his hands, Glenn arranged to meet with the Strainist movements new poster boy, Randall Hartwell.



Glenn managed to place the ceremony in the King's hall, in front of the throne, where so many Kings before him, and he himself, had been crowned.



The old crown was gone of course, but he had a make**** one made out of the wood from an olive tree. It was fashioned so that is looked broken , though was still in one piece.



The cameras the Spyrans had graciously brought in whirred in the big crowded hall. Randall waited at the head of the hall just in front of the throne, still smelling faintly of a cigarette he had sneaked before the ceremony. He was always nervous before public appearances.



The crowd hushed and the lights from cameras flashed excitedly as they heard the metal boots of the King coming into the hall. Two of his grail knights came with him, and took their places off to the side as Glenn walked klik-clank up to Randall. Glenn had half of his head bandaged after his narrow escape from the crowd the other day.



The ceremony was rather quick, Glenn simply walked up to Randall and handed him the makeshift crown. Glenn then declared "Tord is no longer a Kingdom, it is now up to you, the people, to set the course of Tord. Goodluck, and Godspeed." At the end of his sentence, Glenn saluted the cameras, then turned on his heel and left the chamber.



Randall looked down at the crown in his hands, then looked around a moment. Upon sacnning his eyes over the throne, he lightly tossed the crown on it. Turned to face the crowd, gave a little smile and said:



"I don't want it."

"A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery: it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another."
-Mao Zedong, CCP Chairman, as quoted in 'Selected Exerpts of Socialist Thought' 5th edition, (Sithin U. Press, 1978).

Tord no kakumei-gu girin’dai’nin-ta:

In southern Tord, matters were proceeding in a somewhat orderly fashion… realizing their disadvantaged position, numerous nobles had likely packed what they could and hurried their families to take up accommodations in fortified SRA camps. While not lavish, accommodations were comfortable, and their families were secure as peasants began to redistribute their former holdings.

In the north, conservative antagonism combined with SRA officers much less willing to give feudalists the benefit of the doubt, left nobles and high clergy vulnerable to increasingly wrathful denunciations by angry peasants. Where camps were established, they saw noblemen set to work tilling fields and shovelling fertilizer at gunpoint, the upper class now doing the lowest tasks while their former serfs looked on with glee. Orders came down that noble lives were to be protected, but in many areas SRA officers suffered mysterious breakdowns in communications, and responded with snail-like speed, allowing peasants to do what they would to those who had long oppressed them.

Radios were distributed widely to villages, so that they might listen in on ongoing broadcasts detailing future plans and the course of the revolution. The dramatic abdication of King Glenn (now increasingly referred to as repentant feudalist citizen Glenn Tord), and dedicated Revolutionary leader Randall Hartwell's flippant rejection of the last feudal vestiges, formed a key part of the revolutionary message.

In the skies, aircraft returned, observing events as they unfolded. Tord’s relatively open terrain offered little concealment for those feudalists attempting to gather armies, and infrared photography of woodlands assisted in the search for major sources of opposition. Tanks and mechanized infantry stood by, ready to move and surround such groups, in the hope that conscripted peasants could be convinced to arrest their noble leaders and surrender in the face of modern firepower.

In Northmarch, certain areas receive special attention from SRA infantry and engineers, who go about securing and cleaning the area, and organizing miners for future production and administration.

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With a great deal of help from Spyr; their energetic and detailed tactics allowed for all of Tord to dive right away into the revolutionary spirit.



It didn't take long for the people to realise that this change was going to make their lives better than ever before. And those who would act against this cause had not the resources to accomplish anything. Miny armies raised by high clergy and nobles were easily routed or backed down right away when they saw their formers serfs advancing on them backed by massive tanks.



The Silk Bible was beeing readily distributed and accepted, the clergy who had to suffer in the people's former poverty were quick to give their sermons a pro-change twist.



Aid was being sent all over, with the gradual crumbling of the old system, many people fell through the cracks in the structure and so needed food aid and such when trade lines were cut off, as a result of such a national change.



Randall Hartwell had quickly become a beloved saviour in Sol Sanctum, a notion the whole nation was quickly picking up. These wonderful changes where people finally got freedom and rights were attached to images of Ranall's face as he spoke on big screens of the wonderful change that was occuring, like a moth out of its stiflying cucoon. His statements that he was not to be given the praise for this change merely endeared him more to the people of Tord. "I did as much as anyone else, the only difference was I was lucky enough to have the freedom to do it." Randall praised Spyr's unfaltering support, that it was like a strong able bodied big brother that was helping them up to the top of a mountain to behold the view of a wide world that would soon be open to them. This was merely a taste of the wonders to come for the people of Tord and a boost in the continued friendship and prosperity of the nation.



The new government had its hands more than overfull with all this change, much of it had to be shifted onto Spyrs shoulders at least for now to be able to construct a proper independent government. Officials, chairpeople, legislative members and whatnot had to be established, which for the most part the people of Tord had no experience in, and so had outside help in establishing in.



It had been but a week since this had all finally started, and would be a long, long time before the dust fully settled.

Tord no kakumei-gu shu-iin:

In the weeks following the revolution, the routes into Tord were filled with trucks and trains carrying supplies… tractors and chemical fertilizers for agriculture, power lines for the expansion of the Lyong grid, foodstuffs, and propaganda literature outlining the implications of Tord’s successful revolution, numbered most numerous amongst the commodities. New factories for domestic production were established, using a mixture of investment from PRS enterprises and resources seized from the nobility by local village committees: first priority were agricultural and infrastructure production with facilities to make modern farm machinery and chemicals, cement, metal piping, and cargo trucks.

The increased SRA presence remains in place during the tumultuous first weeks of the new Strainist state. Tordian officers, trained over many years at SRAMA, were given control of stockpiled equipment in the PRS that had been in temporary use by Levy units… the equipment had been marked for use by Tordian revolutionaries in the event of modernized feudal-capitalist action, but such circumstances had never occurred. Now, the SRA engaged in extensive training of more volunteers for a new Tordian defence force that might resist internal or external threats to the Revolution. In time, it was hoped, these units would become a force equivalent to the Yamani Spearguard, able to defend their region from attack and operate in tandem with the SRA should a major offensive threaten the peninsula.

Veteran Strainist advisors to their Tordian counterparts recommended immediate moves to establish incorporated village collectives, a secular system of government to ‘free the Church from direct association with earthly rule, and the inherent and inescapable corruption of faith that such a temporal role brings’, and to put the nobility on trial for their acts of exploitation, after which the guilty could serve as a penal labour force assisting in infrastructure expansion.

Sutreiin-daisu remained in Tord, touring along the rail lines to visit local village leaders, providing insight and inspiration on how they might progress. The People’s Republican Guard remained with him, temporarily adding some 6,000 able-bodied labourers, and scores of political advisors, to the modernization work in those villages he visited. His mobile infantry rail escort remained around Sol Sanctum, using checkpoints to search incoming travellers for weapons and explosives, and distribute Strainist leaflets and manha.

The Youth Guard armoured corps divides into squadrons and begins a systematic tour of the cities and countryside, establishing and expanding Guard cadres. The image of fifteen and sixteen year olds riding tanks and engaging in live-fire demonstrations has always been a powerful recruiting tool for the Guard, conveying a sense of power and adventure. In Tord, where new agricultural methods were liberating youth from constant labour and the end of the feudal system was liberating them from social bondage, it was hoped that the image would serve to replace the now-tarnished imagery of the knight in shining armour... while the increased opportunities that came with Guard membership made it attractive for parents dreaming of their children taking a leading role in the coming years of Tord's new future.

Quietly during the night, Minister Joseph Feeyatamo and a company of mechanized infantry leave the entourage of the Daisu, and head inland to Northmarch, where the Minister seeks to meet the worker’s committee that now controls a certain, very special mine…
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Feeyatamo no kei:

Joseph Feeyatamo smiled. Matters were progressing nicely. While most of the old guard of the Party… the Daisu, Premier Harsk, General Hay… remained incorrigible idealists, Feeyatamo had always considered himself a realist. No one could clim a stronger belief than he that he was dedicated to Strainism, but he had spent his life bending ideology to the breaking point behind the scenes, so that his more idealistic comrades continued to be in position to implement Strainist policy. In a world filled with imperialists outside and counter-revolutionaries within, he firmly believed that someone had to set aside personal conviction for the greater good. And that was what he would continue to do.

Currently, the miners in this particular corner of Northmarch were amongst the worst-off workers in Tord, forced to labour in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Fifty percent of miners died of lung cancer or related diseases, and more suffered from various ailments relating to their dangerous work, while their families suffered from the highest cancer rates and the lowest life expectancy on the peninsula. Originally, the mine had been a simple open pit for iron and trace coppers, allegedly cursed due to the odd skin pustules and diseases suffered by its miners. In the early 60s, during the golden age of Tordian royal support for modernization, Spyran geologists had surveyed these mines, suspecting that a radioactive substance was causing the difficulties. Processing facilities had been established to mill ore and extract needed uranium for the evolving experiments that would become the PRS nuclear power program. At the time, safety standards had been in place, though the dangers of radiation in the initial stages had still been unclear to even the Spyran scientists heading the project. With Glenn’s attempted coup, the Spyran advisors had been forced to withdraw, and the local baron had taken charge. Over the intervening years, the nobles had left even basic safety mechanisms to decay. Milled stone irradiated with radon daughters had been used to construct the foundations of nearby houses, and local water sources were laced with toxins. The mines themselves had been expanded over the past decade, exploiting rich veins of nickel that, along with the semi-processed uranium still produced, had formed the core of the Tordian export economy. The absentee lord of Northmarch had enjoyed his silk sheets and heated bidet at his Broken Saints manor, with a high-priced automobile of German manufacture replacing the carriage of his counterparts, as he sent peasant after peasant to die in the deeps.

With the revolution in Tord, one of the key areas secured had been the uranium mines. Feeyatamo had personally diverted a battalion of infantry and another of engineers to support the miners in rising up to form an Unionized Worker’s Committee. The officers and political commissars within those units, trusted allies of Feeyatamo, had lain the groundwork for the proposal he now presented to the workers.

Spyr had need of a supply of uranium. Tord had need of the power generated by Spyran nuclear stations, and a need for relatively cheap but effective fighter aircraft. Trade in uranium would be beneficial to both states, and the greater revolutionary cause. However, imperialist forces desired uranium for their own foul purposes. As it was already beneficial to send uranium to Spyr, why not make the arrangement exclusive, by having the miners join as part of a single collective enterprise, that could distribute it to the appropriate markets while guaranteeing a secure resource return for the miners.

To make the arrangement more attractive, Feeyatamo extended a proposal that the collective enterprise, already in place with substantial capital reserves, could construct a modern community for its members and their families, removed a safe distance from the mine, complete with a hospital that could be operated by the Sisters of Mercy to treat the accumulated ailments of the local populace. An extensive cleanup of the mine site and installation of strenuous safety standards and equipment could occur in the meantime, until the facility was made safe for workers to commute and resume mining and processing jobs. The collective enterprise stood ready, complete with educated administrators and pending contracts for both nickel and uranium, so progress could begin immediately.

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It was a matter for Feeyatamo to stop talking to allow the workers to agree when Feeyatamo made his proposal. over half the workers suffered from forms of cancer, many of them would die well before they reached half the age they should have originally. The people inhabiting the area around the mine had been blissfully unaware of many of the dangers they were subjected to before Feeyatamo, and so upon being shown these dangers they saw no better route than to join this enterprise.



But these dealings might as well have been invisible to the nation as the political structure was being raised in Sol Sanctum. The assembly was meeting to decide on the destiny of Tord, who would be fated to rule and who to be punished.



Shortly after the crown ceremony, Glenn had packed up a few of his belongings and left to enlist in the army. He made no attempts to disguise his identity, and so his application had been put on hold and sent to the higher ups in the elistment process. It had been decided that Glenn should be kept in Sol Sanctum and out of the military until the dust had settled and it was decided what should become of him.



Many feudalists had managed to slip throug hthe revolutions fingers for a time and tried to make an escape, some went to Spyr, where practically all of them were apprehended, some to North Yaman where they were also easily caught. Some had managed to get a hold of some of the ancient galleys the former Tord used and with a hanful of guards and chests of gold, made to sail to the West, out of the Penninsula's reach, perhaps to a nation that would favour their side. But with the patrols of the Penninsula defense, and the shoddy "technology" at the disposal of the fleeing nobles, they were caught and towed back to Tord to await trial, all of their stolen resources seized.



While most of the Iscariot Instituion had beem caught, killed, or imprisoned, a good deal of it sitll remained hidden but active. The leader, a modest orphanage abbot, had managed to elude detection, and under the cover of night out of the public eye, he worked furiously to re-establish his spiderwebs of contacts and sleeped agents. The instituion had managed to hide a good number of nobles, and it was hoped when things settled down and documents were arranged that they could be sent elsewhere to eventually overthrow this bastard government.



Patricia, while a former monarch, was seen as only positive by the media, her face was becoming the face of "Mother Tord", helping her people directly as best she could, desiring nothing more than to alleviate suffering and mend the wounded. If people tohught back to the monarchy with any positive thoughts, it was usualy with her in mind. While her resources had also been seized, the organization of the Sisters of Mercy was the only support she needed. In it, she was provided with shelter food and clothing and was more than happy to put her medical knowledge to use. It had been discussed, earlier, about the prospect of arresting her, but quickly and visciously shot down; when officers had come merely to question her at one of her hospitals, the only reason they had not been set upon by indignant people weilding crutches was because Patricia had calmed them down. She had been told to stay in Sol Sanctum, and tabs were kept upon her, but it was hardly necessary, to find her one had ot merely ask a passerby which medical centre Patricia was working at today.



The process had taken weeks, but finally after a long time of meeting and discussion the national assembly convened for the last time. It was decided that Randall Hartwell would lead the new nation as "First Minister". There had been few dissedents in the proceedings, the merchants knew that it would be suicide to their structure to try and oppose the new government, and saw no need to, this change brought great opportunities if they knew how to exploit them. The National Assembly then dissolved itself to be replaced by an entirely Strainist people's assembly, which would act much like Spyr's, debating and deciding amongst itself of the best future courses for Tord.



It was deicided that the bulk of Tord's former nobles would be put to work in hard labour for a number of years depending on their individual accounts, with possibility of a change in work after their alloted time. Many would be executed and imprisoned as well for their numerous heinuous crimes against the people.



The Christian Peoples Republic of Tord was born.

Tord no kakumei-gu iin-lue:

A month after the Tordian Revolution, things had begun to return to stability, at least in terms of SRA. The pre-revolutionary garrisons returned to their regular posts and assumed normal duties (which continue to include both defensive measures, ideological education, and labour assistance for peasants). At division headquarters, training grounds are established for the training of Tordian forces to supplement and replace the SRA in defence of the peninsula.

The additional SRA forces in Tord, which had moved into the nation specifically to aid the revolution, slowly trickle back out to their home bases. However, their departure is simultaneous with the arrival of thousands of volunteers, mostly university students. Having grown up with the Spyran revolution complete, these idealists hope to join in the growth of a new Strainist state, achieving the same things their grandparents did a half-century ago and establishing another stepping stone on the road to global revolution. Many work all day alongside peasants in the fields, and then teach in the evening, conveying literacy and Strainist knowledge to the masses.

Members of the Iunctan Church also begin to arrive en-masse. Unlike the Tordian clergy, Christianity in Spyr had remained historically impotent in the political sphere, preserving a less corrupted form of Pelagian doctrine, which had adjusted to co-existence with Strainism since the coming of the Revolution. The Iunctan clergy hoped to assist in guiding their Tordian brethren back to their spiritual roots. Some priests were also eager, should the Tordian clergy prove able to reform, to look into uniting the two sects into a single Lyongian sect of Pelagian Christianity, which could wield greater influence in order to maintain a common direction between Church and Party, and whose humanitarian capabilities would be increased substantially.

Across the nation, standardized exams are given to select thousands of young people to attend modern universities in Spyr, and to receive officer’s training at SRAMA, in order to build up a knowledge base for future progress. Youth Guard recruitment efforts continue apace.

In Northmarch, the Mahoshi-gyo Collective Enterprise began construction of a new township for its 15,000 new members. The community was christened ‘Hope’. Mahoshi-gyo administrators sought out the local abbess of the Ordo Merci, and extended an offer for the Sisters to receive funding and access to full hospital facilities and convent accommodations as part of a new community, in exchange for ministering to numerous victims of cancerous ailments. As the progress of the enterprise picks up speed, Minister Feeyatamo quietly departs to rejoin the Daisu’s train at Broken Saints.

Re-education labour camps are transferred from SRA guard directly to Tordian officials. In the south, the camps are not particularly uncomfortable, with prefabricated shelters, basic running water and sewage systems, and simple infirmaries. In the north, matters are far more complex. Original camps, fenced enclosures watched by machine gun nests, with water troughs, twice-a-day serving pots, and canvas or hide tents, remained from the battle against Yunsung, filled with Xantyukan raiders. Over the past two years, the camps had been expanded to hold violent bandits captured in the rest of Helekar, and large numbers of Mafioso who had been part of the once-powerful Ket’hanaran (Yellow Scarves) syndicate. While those who had shown signs of successful rehabilitation had been integrated back to Kalakahara, large numbers remained resistant. Into these camps had been thrust the nobles and corrupt clergy found guilty of crimes against the people.

The extensive system of Spyran consulates in Tord at last was turned to administrative purposes, as the emerging leaders in Sol Sanctum and the local committees begin to collaborate and establish provincial bureaucracies. As they had for years, the consulate movie theatres continued to play a constant stream of Strainist film to the public, with demand for seats lowering slightly as village televisions and radio sets made their way into peasant homes. Local officials were given control of the consulate facilities, whose amenities and communications capabilities, as well as meeting rooms and libraries, would assist them in implementing rapid and stable Strainist government. The Spyran consuls and archives were moved out to noble manors, purchased at inflated prices from peasant committees, and work was started on transforming the buildings from symbols of exploitation into proper consulates and symbols of progress. The same was encouraged for those village committees now using appropriated estates as headquarters… opulence must be converted to practicality.

In an attempt to assist, Spyran export enterprises begin to gather up the ornate furnishings and possessions formerly owned by nobles, brokering trade deals with foreign retailers to put resources in peasant hands. Consequently, for the rest of the year, there is a glut in the global market for gilded chairs, silk pantaloons, and four-poster beds.

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Tord no Sunhaikan-shin-iin-ah:

As the new Tordian state begins to approach independent stability, Spyr officially announces recognition of the new Tordian government, and calls upon all nations of the world to respect the will of the Tordian people and follow suite.

A large ceremony is performed at the Tordian port town of Broken Saints. A parade of SRA troops and Tordian revolutionary volunteers, along with a corps of graduates from the SRANA, make their way through the streets with bugles blaring. As they reach the harbour, they see the polished hull of the Shigami class missile cruiser recently guided in during final trials and exams for its new crew complement. Standing at anchor amongst the remaining tall wooden ships of the old Ordo Crux, it was a symbol of the modern rising up from the ancient… a sign of a new era.

The air filled with the sound of thunder as the guns of Spyr’s flagship, the Lyong-ti, echoed out in a salute from beyond the harbour mouth. Along the shore, artillery pieces and a smattering of old roundball cannon burst forth in reply, as the crew boarded their new vessel. Finally, the cruiser steamed out into the Sea of Japan, firing off its own tubes in a display of pyrotechnics that filled the sky with glittering lights.

Spyran naval units begin a series of exercises and maneuvers in the Japan Sea, including the test-firing of anti-ship and cruise ordnance. Units of the Tordian, Yamani, and Drapoel sea forces are invited to participate in joint maneuvers.

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Before the revolution, the church owned a good deal of land, and while much of that land has been seized by the government, some churches were allowed to keep their land.



for the most part, this is not the case, infrequently the church will own the land its foundation is on, nothing more, but in some rare cases the church will own a portion of land usually surrounding itself, for instances where the churches with ownership were proven to be a boon to the people, or perhaps a poor church whose land hadn't been seized by nobles yet, and by letting these churches keep this land, pleased the people by doing so.



Religion is no longer taught as supreme fact in school, although science for the most part is also only taught as practiced theory as well.



The Southern church has seen more leniecy as it was more open to the revolutionry ideals than their Northern counterpart.



The prospect of unifying the churches brought forth by the lunctan church crawls along slowly, but is making some progress. If this unification does ever occur, it will take time. (Iscariot is going to try and keep this unification from hapening in the hopes of eventually overpowering the more liberal church, but has already planted seeds should unification occur so that people sympathetic to their cause will hopefully assume leadership roles.)

With the Revolution well established, a ceremony is declared in Broken Saints, for the presentation of Party honours for service to the Revolution. Over a thousand honours were personally granted, honouring the new heroes of the Tordian Revolution and those who had earlier fought as part of the Tordian Brigade. After a personal meeting and farewell with First Minister Hartwell, Sutreiin-daisu at last departs by rail from Broken Saints with his escort, enroute to Tagan via Yamani Helekar. Perhaps the final stage of peninsular Revolution would soon be complete…

(Oh, gosh, looks good! I'll have to catch-up on this when I'm less experiencing-four-A.M. Welcome, Tord!)

tag

(Excuse the length and seeming tangent of the first part of this post: I've needed to post it somewhere, and it eventually begins to tie in with Lyong in the end!)


Kosong, East Sea coast, The Choson People's Republic of Dra-pol

The Open City wore many hats. One said prosperity and was tall, shining, western. Another spoke of an Asia elsewhere forgotten, able to survive only in such isolation as persisted in the CPRD; this kept closer to the earth and to the past. A final aspect obvious to the glance was of devestation: elements of both the former items stood in ruins, never replaced after the capitalist assaults that for so long stunted the city's progress, monuments to the reasoning behind Dra-pol's elsewhere characterising introspection.

But wearing several hats was not difficult for a nation with many faces. That one ancient hat remained thanks to isolation was in conflict with the other in the style of the new, which seemed confusing until this day's actions sunk-in. The 66th Revolution Day celebrations had brought to an end the Republic's holiday season two weeks since, and the Central Directorature had turned its focus away from parades and mass games. That facade was lowered for another year, and another was now in focus.

The crack and whistle of citywide public address systems called attention to the huge video screens hung about Kosong and thousands of necks -Drapoel and foreign- were craned upwards. The standard introduction played images of bumper harvests being gathered, industrial output records, soldiers on parade, and party leaders smiling, a slightly cheesey synthesised version of the national anthem playing throughout.

"Class traitors..." boomed the voice of Major Cheiy, Banat commandant appearing on the video walls as the introduction faded out. "Your true faces have been seen, countrymen; your audacity and invasive ambition is clear, foreign devils..."

Brows furrowed and jaws hung open across the city as nervous glances were exchanged between enterprising Drapoel and foreign businessmen looking to crack the emerging Drapoel market and end the revolution. The video continued to play while assault tunnels opened across the Open City and the streets began to flow over with heavily armed Red Bamboo commandos. The hum of piston engines drifted down from the sky, forewarning of paratroopers arriving aboard AN-2 and Preston transport aircraft; and the city's port was closed by the co-ordinated arrival of missile boats, submarines, and landing craft.

Kosong -long skirted by Unified People's Army troops ordered to contain the capitalist experiment- was now being treated as an enemy city and subjected to an all out assault, a grand training exercise made of a twisted trap to ensnare potential traitors and brand the world with the fact and depth of Dra-pol's unshakable commitment to the Kurosite Revolution.

Planned since the first days of the Open City's conception -before the War For Korean Reunification- the operation to retake Kosong for the revolution was executed in methodical and ruthless Drapoel fashion. KJ-1 and KJ-2 (Fitter) attack planes raced overhead, loosing air to ground missiles and laser-guided bombs against telephone exchanges, mobile phone masts, and satellite communications facilities; tunnel warfare teams and commando teams cut communications land lines and the city's power all in the first minutes of the operation. The Open City disappeared off the world's radar while the Choson People's Republic swallowed it back up in a barrage of missile and bomb strikes and rattle of submachinegun fire. Most of those encountered first on the streets and immediately inside the first buildings targetted by the Red Bamboo were gunned down on the spot or put to the bayonet, short sword, or rifle butt.

Machinegun posts were quickly established in locations designed to take them and long a mystery to residents of the city: little concrete and steel cubbies taken variously for bizarre modern art sculptures or foundations for yet uninstalled features of some sort. As the city began to seem secure -those taking flight being cut down by well placed machineguns- Banat officers began to consult lists and documentation identifying Kosong residents and visitors of certain nationaities. Xiannese, Beddgelens, and nationals of Shining Sphere signatory states were singled out for seperate detention in predesignated police stations where they were told that a massive Sinoese terror plot had been uncovered; and that, owing to its significant focus against Indian and Xiannese trading with the Drapoel, they were to be detained for their own protection until the Sinoese agents could be neutralised. In all the shock and confusion it was hard to say that the Red Bamboo weren't firing at Sinoese agents and Drapoel collaborators: the traitors mentioned in Cheiy's video address, still echoing through the streets even now.

Soon, much of Kosong would be ruined -Sinoese sponsored terrorists and infiltrators blamed- and foreign nationals from the listed nations sent home by boat, plane, and train. They wouldn't get much if any chance to glimpse the rising piles of bodies in the streets as Drapoel, Sinoese, Hudecians, South Koreans, Japanese, Quinntonians, and others were shot down by the dozen. Most would survive, however, only to be rounded up by the Banat and marched into captivity in the mountains of Korea's spine. Branded counter revolutionaries and enemies of the people they would provide forced labour at least until processed through Facility 10's interrogation cells and put into re-education programmes.

Da'Khiem later announced the terror plot and the operation against it, speaking with regret of numerous Drapoel and foreign casualties and stating that surviving foreigners had been evacuated and were on their way home.

This was followed by an encouraging report of Asian revolutionary unity as the Central Directorature recognised Tord's revolutionary government and delivered a gift of a two-seat S-12 fighter trainer of Beddgelen design and Drapoel construction, comrade Director Secretary Hotan calling it a symbol of co-operation, learning, and strength in the revolutionary world.


Wonsan People's Navy Base, eastern Dra-pol

Ashore went the works of many thousands of comrades at labour and the practice of dozens at arms. Little Drapoel figures learned and repeated traditional martial arts, modern armed disciplines, and the parade ground standards of the Unified People's Army while others, working away around the harbour, were occassionally incited into patriotic, revolutionary, or flatly xenophobic song on any subject from the sacrifices of the People's Army against the Westgaard Line to the national flower Kurosilia.

Not far away, washed by the East Sea, the twelve hundred tonnes of comrade Captain Ch’ónran's Igovian-built Hound Class diesel-electric patrol submarine eased themselves out of their moorings for the first time in weeks. The crew had drilled -aboard and on shore- almost constantly during the boat's rest, but their seagoing experience was not much helped by the Republic's much-reported economic recovery. Most extra wealth had been gobbled-up by hardwear-imports for the army and air force, by improvement of static defences and tunnels, and by stockpiling of vital humanitarian and war materials, including hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Yamani and Libyan oil now buried quietly beneath hundreds of feet of rock, steel, and concrete, across the peninsula.

"Comrade Kumlan, come about and increase fifteen-percent power; all hands, prepare to dive..." the Captain's slightly nasal voice reported about the boat's interior. One amongst a widely-dispersed quartet of basically identical vessels, Ch'onran's submarine had eight torpedo tubes loaded and prepared for action.

The People's Navy's East Sea Fleet under Admiral Kim-Kuro was moving to join Spyrian exercises, sending four Beddgelen-supplied D/E submarines, the frigate Kurosian, a quartet of Houjian Class missile attack boats, over a dozen Mogi Class missile craft and as many Kae Class torpedo boats, some old Al Khali Goat Class minesweeping vessels, and a pair of Tiburon Class patrol craft out into the East Sea, shutting down shipping lanes through Drapoel waters.

In an undeniably related matter, the Communist Party of Dra-pol declared an extension of its maritime claim, extending it half way across the East Sea towards the Lyong while Party members subtly explained that the decision to halt there -short of the distance claimed by Quinntonia off their shores- was owing to the fact that, "they wouldn't wish to deny their Lyongian allies the chance to make an equal claim to the other half [of the sea]." The possibility of Quinntonian Dra-pol claiming a slither of sea out to the centre where it would presently give them access to international waters was not yet dismissed, but a Lyongian claim equal to the Drapoel would of course deny Hamhung and Hungnam that possibility.

For now, shipping lanes through Drapoel waters would not be written off, but, "In light of the massive infiltrations and terrorism purportrated by the Sinoese, and in view of large-scale multi-national naval exercises in the East Sea, civilian shipping through Drapoel waters is temporarily restricted to the Yellow Sea."
This party declaration meant that any and all shipping into or out of Hamhung would have to go from Quinntonian to international waters in the Lyongian half of the sea.

After the Drapoel announcement, the Spyran government issues invitations to its Tordian and Yamani counterparts to attend a committee for consideration of territorial extension at SRANA in Naisho.

The Tordian government accepts Spyrs invitation and wastes no time sending its people to take part in the committee.

The government is quick to praise the Tordian revolution. Economic aid is promised, as is help in building modern infrastructure in Tord (if its necessary.
It can only be for the better that another outpost of Feudalism is shown the light, so to speak.

The Type 42 destroyer HNS Daman and the type 12 frigates Surat and Haldia are headed towards the Lyong peninsula to show support for the revolution, and to establish diplomatic ties with the new Tordian authority.

As dust begins to settle after Kosong, there is some confusion as Spyr prepares to respond. The Strainist branch of revolutionary socialism had always skirted far closer to market forces than its larger Leninist or Maoist brothers, seeking to find a way to harness that entity for the benefit of the people and their productive energies, but without class slavery or exploitation. The 'market without capitalism' was an elusive goal, with ideology engaged in a constant internal struggle against the counter-revolutionary exploiters who sought to conceal themselves within the system, and which suffered the frequent mockery of the West and the horror of Spyr's revolutionary brethren outside Lyong. Still, as with any branch of an ideology, the Strainists thought their comrades to have the right idea, but that Strainism was the optimal path of socialism.

As such, Kosong had been a great hope for Spyr, a sign that the Drapoel had been taking a step along a 'better' path... its fall was a great disappointment.

While publically, Spyr accepted the official reports of a crackdown on Sinoese action, Party officials met in private to share their doubts... it seemed too fast, too hard, and too widespread a reaction to a plot of which Spyr's own sources had seen no indication.

Blue Dragon Hall, SRA Naval Academy, Naisho

The Committee for Resolution of Boundary Claims within the Western Sea met under unusual circumstances... the usual 'old guard' of the Strainist Party who would normally have led the debates, had been forced to leave matters in the hands of lesser officials... cautious bureaucrats and idealistic officers of the SRA began to debate the issue.

Surprise weight was added to the side of extending claims by the arrival of representatives from Tagani and Metaken fishing collective enterprises, eager to further secure an exclusive zone for their industry.

It was two months now since the order came from the Spearguard Command to round up conservative members of the Priesthood and detain them, along with hostile Houseguard, to await reeducation. The power of the Spearguard had placed the Yamani cities securely in the hands of the Strainists, and with the relaxing of tension along the Xiannesse border there were more and more Spearguard available for reassignment to the Kaiokeni provinces and the conservative regions of the Yamani highlands.

Reforms within the government decreased the number of members on the High Council, excluding the three priests who were being detained by Marimaian forces and the leader of the Mai House. Eiji and his four Strainist supporters on the Council became the Yamani High Command. A series of reform quickly followed, declaring Lyong Animism the state religion of the Dominion. Only reformist priests were allowed to retain their religious positions.

With a meeting held between the religious nomadic tribes and Eiji's Minister of Tribal Relations Ber Zhang, the majority of tribes agreed to form Spearguard supported Highguard regiments. The People's Army Act officially absorbed the Houseguard into the Spearguard, which reported (along with the Airguard and Highguard) to the Yamani High Command.

Yamani present on the 'Committee for Resolution of Boundary Claims within the Western Sea' expressed an interest in expanding marine claims, but would only do so with the full support of the Lyong Council.

SRANA, Naisho

"The generally accepted boundary of maritime claims internationally extends only to 12 nautical miles... our existing claim was made on the stability of such a convention."

"Ah, yes, but that is for OPEN oceans... Lakes, enclosed & semi-enclosed seas, are accepted to have boundaries mutually determined by their bordering nations. The Western Sea is one such body."

"And, it will keep whalers and foreign trawlers out of OUR fishing grounds."

"Exclusivity of resource possession??!! That is not an argument, that is counter-revolutionary thought! These claims CANNOT be justified through recourse to the desire of the Tagani IVCs for the corruption of Monopoly Economics!"

"Besides, we would never get an extension agreement from the Quinntonian occupiers in Hamhung."

"Now it is you two who skirt counter-revolutionary thinking. There is only one Korea, and that is the CPRD. Why should those who have enslaved Hamhung be given a voice?"

"Because they are a force to be reckoned with, a force that might invade and devastate us, put our children to the sword, extinguish the light of truth from our eyes..."

"What COWARDICE and STUPIDITY! If your fathers and grandfathers had been afraid of defeat, then we would still be in the grip of the senken-jitai and its warlord masters."

"I am ready for war if it comes. But, should we seek it so eagerly?"

"How can we, who urged the Tordian people to rise up against the feudal-theocrats who kept them in chains, be cowed by capital-theocrats across the ocean?"

"The simple fact of the matter is that Quinntonia is feudalist. It is theocatic. It is capitalist. Its aim, its sole purpose, is to exploit both those it controls within, and those who lie without. It is a great demon of imperialism, bearing chains of servitude to bind the whole Universality to its whims and depradations. Already, it seeks to divide Korea so that it remains weak and unable to resist imperial oppression. How long before they do the same in Lyong? Seek to restore the nobles rulership in Tord? Seek to return the Saiyan to power in Yaman? Seek to plunge Spyr itself back into the darkness of warlordism from which we struggled to emerge a half-century ago?

If we act in fear of their retaliation, then we will be parayzed and the attack will come anyway. We are not an attacker, we will not seek them out to make war upon them. But if we stand tall against their threats, then the peoples of the world will unite with us against them, their naked aggression exposed for all to see. Against the spirit of international socialism, they cannot win."

ooc- OK, just read all this today, I am not sure as to what to make of it.
Firstly, I cannot side with the Tordian Royals, as they have a horrible human rights record. Second, the Tordian churches, as practicers of Palagianism (though I am lead to assume that the doctrine of the church as stated in the above posts does not represent Palagius) are seen as heretics to more than 95% of Quinntonians, especially the two largest denominations, Lutherans, with 65% of the population and Catholics, with 15% of the popluation, both of whom see St. Augustine, the contemporary of the heretic Pelagius, as representing true Christianity over and above Palaguis' fairly stange ideas. They also see St. Augustine as echoing Christian thought as taught by the Church Fathers and the Apostles.
Now, the Strainists, as rabid Commies, I cannot really get on board with them either, can I? Amnd the posts about the state setting agenda above and beyond that which the church wishes, (only allowing pro-reform preacheres to retain their position) is seen as a serious curtailing of both freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
As for the Dra-pol stuff, I wouldn't have even noticed it if it hadn't been really boring today, sneaky.
Quinntonia will continue to use the same lanes of traffic that were garaubteed them in the documents that are available to evryone for their examination, documents signed by the Dra-poel government, esuriong Quinntonian Dra-pol soveriegntly and open access to the sea. And, considering that the South-East Pacific Fleet is by far the most powerful and massive fleet in the Quinntonian navy, and its counter-part, the Nothern Atlantic Fleet comes out at a close second, we have both the capacity and will to maintain our claim to those waters.

IC-The Quinntonian Dra-poel government, represented by Governor-Bishop Gerald Westgaard IV issues a statement inviting Spyr, Dra-pol, ROK, and Tord to Quinntonian Dra-pol to discuss a treaty of water rights.
However, in the interim, the Dra-poel claim against Quinntonian Dra-poel rights was going to be ignored, with patrols being maintained just as they always have been, but with the military being put on alert.
It was explained in a press conference that since the 6 million citesens in Hamhing were dependant on Quinntonian shipments of supplies in the way of food, etc. that cutting off the sea lanes had to be stopped in any and all ways possible, as that was tantamount to a death sentence to the people of Quinntonian Dra-pol, to the slow process of starvation.

It is genuinely hoped that all this can be resolved without the necessity of arms, and a day of prayer was announced in Quinntonian Dra-pol, making it a paid holiday wherein normally everyone would pray in the streets, in churches, etc. while all the church bells rang continously. Since it was Lent, the churchbells would not ring, but the rest was much the same. So, the 55% Christian population in Quinntonian Dra-pol spent the day in prayer, with the 15% Dra-poels that had returned to the ancient animism and even Buddhism or Confuscism of the pre-Communist ancestors prayed openly that day as well. The 30% aethiests that remained watched soccer. But even they usually had a moment of silence as a show of respect.

WWJD
Amen.

The Hindustani government becomes somewhat alarmed at the lack of response regarding the visit to Tord by the Hindustani navy, and the offers of assistance to the new government.

Hindustan has always been somewhat distant from the Lyong peninsula and the other countries that Hindustan considers its closer allies, given the fact that revolutionary fervor as it is known never really had much of a tale to tell in Hindustan. After all, the biggest revolutionary figure is Gandhi, who's teaching was non-violence, not a go-and-get-em revolution. Hindustanis have historically been much more willing to be killed than kill, a quality displayed in numerous protests against the English colonial rule and the militant government that lasted a few short years immediately afterwards.

Above the sprawl that was the North Yaman capital of Mioka' Ro, the tower of the Spearguard stood framed against the distant mountains. In its shadow sat the sacred hill of the Yamani animists, the hill that named the capital. Within its sacred walls, the temple style Council halls and chambers sat empty. The animist priests held court in their shrines and temples on the hill, waiting for the meeting of the Strainist Council, a parliament formed to administer beneath the Yaman High command.

The Strainist Command met not in the traditional chambers of the hill, but in the rising tower, a statue to the Strainist accomplishment. Looking west over the military yards and railways, and the Airguard strips and helipads beyond that, Eiji stood in his usual spot by the windows, turned away when his Ministers entered the room. Following these four came the three generals of the People's Revolutionary Army.

Everyone but Eiji sat down and began discussing the recent events in Tord. In silence, Eiji turned and the room silenced. Seven eyes followed him as he sat, and after a moment to collect his thoughts, he began his orders.

"Gemmei, is the flight to Xiaguo all set up?"

"Yes. General Kwa was nice enough to set up an escort of Mako Ramjets."

"Excellant. Strong ties between Lyong and North China may just carry us through the coming times. Ber, we don't really have time to go into the Highland situation. Now, how is the Helekaru developement coming along."

Shinobu Arentaka, the oldest member of the High Command and Minister of Agriculture, raised her voice. "General Mitsurgi has been gathering the nomads of the area to his Red falcon banner. With the aid of these tribes, we can initiate agricultural and industrial improvements, which will turn those fertile plains into a virtual bread basket. Mister Motari would know something more of the progress of the military ports."

"Industry in the area is taking off. We've set up a number of miggen plants in the region, and port improvements along the coast. With the Spearguard dug in along the shoreline, the inland should be secure. We've also began expanding Starfire into the area, connecting Helekaru security and air defence to the Lyong grid."

"Excellant Ministers. With the arguments at Naisho leaning towards declaring the Western Sea an inland body between the two Peninsula's, defence near the Quinntonian Shipping lanes is vital. We have no idea how such a counter-revolutionary nation could react in the case of a 'Red' blockade.

Turning to the three generals, Eiji continued, "Now, is there anything to report
gentlemen?"

General T'aejo straightened and leaned forward, coughing before being to waved to begin. "With the absorbtion of the Houseguard, we have something of a major division in the Spearguard. It's not one of philosophy, but of training. Much of our new forces are going to need to be sent to training camp. Until then, they're basically no better than reserves armed with AK's."

"Begin the retraining program. I'll have no sub par soldiers to divide our military machine. And start on the naval programs as soon as possible. I have a feeling we're going to need more than our small patrol boats and that trawler we enherited from Helekar. Nothing more? Okay, we're finished here."

"There is one thing Director...the Quinntonian conference?"

"Not important General Mitsurugi. If the Revolution decides those waters are open for Yaman to claim, then that is what we will do. Between the Ringuists in Japan, the Drapol and the Lyong Treaty, we form a protective triangle
around the Western sea. Which reminds me, send a letter to the Hindustani Naval Captains, and some good Highland and Spyran cheeses. (Think of it as the lyong equivalent of some nice wine - the animists look down on liquor drinking) If they wish some shore leave, they'd be welcome in Helekaru Military camps. You can handle that Mitsurugi. Show them the hospitality of the Red Falcon. Right, is that all? Meeting is adjorned then."

The Tordian government readily welcomes aid from Hindustan, offering their vessels berth in the Harbour of Broken Saints.
Joint Tordian-Spyr operations are underway to expand infrastructure and improve the economy, but additional assistance from Hindustan would be more than welcome.
An embassy is arranged for the Hindustan visitors, when they arrive they are met by marching bands and Tord's First Minister, Randall Hartwell. This meeting is the start of what is hoped to be a glorious friendship between the two nations, and signifies the first International encounter outside of the Lyong penninsula for Tord.
Many of the workers from Hindustan are set up to work alongside Tord's relief organiztion, the Sisters of Mercy, which has hopes of extending its aid internationally as soon as Tord is on its feet, and would appreciate learning of working abroad from the expertise from those that already have experience in that field.

After a few days of sailing from Calcutta, the Daman, Surat, and Haldia arrive off the Yamani coast.

Besides demonstrating the HN's reliance on second-hand English hardware to fulfill its capital ship needs, the squadron is in the region to just make a friendly visit to the region and show support for the Tordian revolution.

Once the cheese arrives aboard the Daman, it is tossed in the refrigerator for lunch. Captain Taneja boards the ship's Alouette III and is shuttled ashore in short order while the squadron heads for port, a short visit before continuing to Tord. Before long, SAt. 76s carrying engineers and construction equipment arrive as well, landing wherever they can be accomodated.

LJDC West Coast Headquarters, Aria

An invitation is issued to the Hindustani vessels, to join in the ongoing SSRC exercises in the Japan Sea.

Those exercises take place across the breadth of the sea, as Spyr attempts to build the spirit and techniques of cooperative naval action with its Drapoel counterparts. Several large wooden targets are towed into mid-ocean for firing practice, while laser tagging systems are used to measure success of ships in launching their barrages before enemy counter-fire can rain down. An empty area along the far-northern Tordian coast , where rough wooden and concrete structures have been raised in the shape of buildings, is used for practice of seaborne missile and aircraft assault on military targets nestled in urban areas.

As exercises progress, millions of manuals are distributed to Coastal Levy secretaries, and to the Yamani and Tordians for their own coastal militias, listing updated profiles of foreign aircraft and shipping. Levy units themselves undergo training in rapid identification, as they identify and report on their own (as well as allied) ships and planes currently participating in the wargames.

Even inland, a temporary measure is issued for an increase in Levy training exercises.

SRANA, Naisho

After seemingly endless hours of debate, it appeared that the caution of the Spyran bureaucracy had been overcome by the confidence of the SRA and the will of the peoples along the western coast.

It was resolved that the Western Sea was a semi-enclosed body of water between the Korean and Lyong peninsulas, bordered by four legitimate states: Spyr, Dra-pol, North Yaman, and Tord. As such, by accepted international conventions, its waters were not internationally open but rather to be divided through agreement between those powers.
The most sensible arrangement of such would be a line drawn from the midpoint equidistant from the southern tip of Spyr’s Okishima island and a point of Korean coast just east of Pusan. This line would run northward to the land border between Spyr’s Tagan province and the CPRD. Spyr, Tord, and Yaman would then equitably divide the Lyong half of the sea. Southern waters, bordering Japan, were international straits, and as such would not fall into the provisions of any semi-enclosed sea territory arrangement.
To make the arrangement official, a treaty outlining these arrangements would be signed by the four states. Questions about Quinntonian holdings are not directly addressed, as they are considered illegitimate occupiers.
The Spyrans wait for Yamani and Tordian commentary on the proposal.

Seeing no harm in it, Vice Admiral (disregard captain) Taneja accepts the Spyrian invitation.

The three ships head out into the Japan Sea, and join up with the ships participating in the excersize. At first glance, the Daman at least could easily be mis-identified as the RN's Glasgow. After all, the hull served as such for the past 26 years, and upon transfer to the HN not much was done to the paint scheme. The antenna arrays and radars would identify the ship as Hindustani, however. The Type 12s, while also a second-hand English design, are easily identified as Hindustani due to their greatly altered superstructure.

Gunnery practice has recently become more important to the HN, especially after naval gunfire from the Type 42 and Type 12 was used to great affect during operations in Al-Ahzad. Without anything in the way of traditional cruise missiles, Hindustani vessels generally sport heavier gun armement than other ships. The 160mm NAVLAR batteries on the Surat and Halida are tested during the excersize, as is the 4.5in on the Daman. The ships' 40mm CIWS guns are also tested out.

Alouette IIIs, the mainstay of the HN's shipboard helicopter arm, also operate in the excersizes in mostly the land attack role. Armed with folding fin rockets and AT. 43B anti-tank missiles, as well as door-mounted L4A5 machine guns, the Alouettes attack the target buildings.

The South Pacific Fleet is moved into formation 400kms East of Japan for manuevers. The Coastal defenders of Quinntonian Dra-pol are now on Highest Alert, and Quinntonian diplomats are asking for audiences with the four small nations that are presumably working together towards starving the people of Quinntonian Dra-pol to death.

The North Pacific Fleet is moving into formation in and around Hawaii. They also represent the majority of air elements used by Quinntonia.

Back home, QNN is braodcasting like crazy, telling the poeple that they could be facing the worst possible scenario, dealing with the Lavragerian peace process and trying to stave off WWIII in Europe, all the while having the soveriengty of their brothers in Quinntonian Dra-pol threatened.

Luckily, it could not have come at a time when they were more prepared. With the stockpiling that was done with the lead-up to the Bonstockian engagement, Quinntonia had gathered together anough military strength and supplies to last a long-term, large-scale, overseas engagement with a super-power, and after Bonstock's sudden collapse, this left those supplies and bases, etc. placed perfectly for something like this, and with no other use. Nit to mention the vast stockpiles back home. That, coupled with the threates of violence in Europe had seen Quinntonia call up two phases of Reserves and begun putting together an invasion force, granted, for now it was on the wrong caost line, but with the wonderful infrastucture that Quinntonia had, even by highway, it could be moved into position in 24 hours.

The North Atlantic Fleet had been put on alert, as they would need to move their troops transports and cargo vessels to the other coast through the Panama canal should hostilities ocurr.

That, coupled with the rumblings by now multiple nations that Quinntonia was going to be blockaded, forced General Lee Gemby, C-in-C of the Quinntonian Dra-poel Armed Forces to begin the break-neck pace of preperations that his men had drilled for, living within sight of a Dra-poel Peoples Army ready to come and kill everyone you know and love had forced the people of Hamhung to prepare for defending their little piece of land with all the tenaciety of the invaders who sought to take it from them. The civilians were drilled, and drilled agains, with memories fo the last few Dra-poel attacks, gas masks and antidoted to nerve agents were passed out, and the CIA cracked down hard on insurgent groups, making hundreds of arrests that night, mostly of people that they had been watching for awhile.
Also, massive amounst of cargoe planes and ships are flying in and sailing into the harbours, stockpiling food and medical supplies in what could become a besieged city.

All the while, prayer warriors were seen on every street corner, reading aloud their Bibles to anyone who would listen, praying for and with anyone who needed or wished it. Many with tears in their eyes, such was the price of living a life of freedom in the land of tyranny.

Meanwhile....in ROK the Minister of Foriegn Affairs Rev. Kim Jon Il officially requests that they be allowed to sit in on talks about sealanes that could effect the region.

In Spyr, though not being known for having great relations with Quinntonia before, for whatever reason, Quinntonian diplomats are still pleading with them to look at the human rights abuses of the Dra-poel regime, and asking not to starve the children of Dra-pol, be they allied with Quinntonia or not.

In Yaman, Quinntonian diplomats are asking for talks between members of their respective faiths, hoping that some accrod can be reached so that all may live in relative peace and natural harmony.

In Tord, diplomats are appealling directly to both the government, asking them to see that what is happening here is a human philosophy subjigating that of God. Also, the Princess is being directly contacted and having the situation explianed to her, she is told of Quinntonia's internation reputation for humanitarian aid, and that Quinntonia would be happy to offer her people some of its bounty to help with its own problems. (Quinntonia does give like 12.5% of its GDP to charities every year, making that about 1.3 trillion USD/Quinntonian dolars)

In Dra-pol, please to remeber the detruction of the past and petitions to allow the peaceful lifestyle that we have come to know and love continue abound.

Hindustan is being asked to intercede on behalf of peace and being asked if they would please offer humanitarian aid to the starving children of Quinntonian Dra-pol should a blockade ever come.

Thus far, PM Jesse Obed, who is chairing peace talks in Washington between the nations of Russia, Estenlands, France, Lavrageria, The British Federation and Tsarist Russia, has not been available for comment.

WWJD
Amen.

In response to the Quinntonian concerns, the Hindustani government is sure that it can secure the rights to ship in humanitarian aid to just about anywhere, including Quinntonian Dra-pol.

After all, a good supply of Hindustani agriculture finds its way into Dra-pol annually, and Hindustan has always maintained good relations with both the Lyong Bloc and Beth Gellert.

"General Kwa. Coded transmission from Spearguard command sir."

"Thank you soldier."

The page contained only a small note. 'YHC: Third Level. Airguard General Authority. Message - Engage in code Yamani Response: Green Light'

"Soldier, order out the patrols. High command has declared the Western Sea off our position territory of the Revolution."

Throwing up a Strainist salute, the soldier left the General, who quickly ordered the Helekaru defence of the grid of the Yamani position. Within minutes, Yamani ramjet patrols spread over the Ocean to the west of their coastline. All ships were informed it was now illegal for any arms or military hardware, not owned or being transported to Ally nations, to be transported through Revolutionary territory in the Western Lake. Ships in the Yamani territory were ordered to report their cargo listing to Spearguard radar centres along the caostline.

In the streets of the Yaman cities, loudspeakers called out the glorious advancement of Yamani rights following the declaration of Blue Dragon hall. Above the cities, zooming over the landscape, Yaman Miggen patrols took to the skies in defiance of western Imperialism.

In a contact direct from the Spearguard Command, the Quinntonian invitation to discuss religious differences is politely declined until relations between the nations becomes less hostile. Again, the request to discuss sea claims is ignored, pointing to the Strainist position reached at Naisho. Quinntonian Drapol doesn't exist to the Yaman government, and thus the High Command cannot agree that a humanitarian crisis would develope from a full blockade.

Spyran response to Quinntonia is to simply dismiss their concerns as a matter for CPRD customs... unless the shipping lanes used are particularly ciruitous, the will remain well within waters just claimed by the CPRD. As Hamhung is rightfully a CPRD port, then shipping into and out of it should obviously be dealt with under the import-export laws of the CPRD.

Pronouncements of doom and starvation are dismissed as complete exaggerations. Neither the CPRD, nor the rest of the SSRC, will allow a Drapoel city to starve. Correction of sovreignty and prevention of continuing imperialist presence are entirely unrelated to the continuing food supply in Hamhung.

The Yamani movements into the shipping lanes of Quinntonian Dra-pol is pretty much ignored, though pleas to their governments do not cease.
However, Yamani jets in the sky will find that their movements are mirrored at all times by Quinntonian FA-22 Raptors, staying far out of engagement range, but close enough to intervene should any cocky pilot wnat to make himself into a national hero.

The South Pacific Fleet is still forming up, but now has been given orders to move some of their smaller assets in closer, to provide assistance should hostilities occur.

ROK Defence Minister, Deacon Jon Il Sim, is contacted in regards to their capabilities, should an invasion of ROK take place, and is asked whether ROK will intervene in the face of a Strianist attack.
He is told that ROK Prime Minister is being asked to call up the reservists and set the Armed Forced on General Alert, but has not waited to increase border patrols and deploy sappers with listening devices to the border regions in order to search for tunneling operations. He is also ordering that all ships (what few there are) be made ready in case of conflict.

Kenenruan Royalists that are deployed into ROK are drilling like crazy and have stated that they will die to protect ROK.

Among the Quinntonian High Command, this is seen as a general Communist conspiracy to take the attention of Dra-pol long enough for them to invade ROK, hoping that Quinntonia will not intercede in the face of mounting international opposition in the region.

(But hey, I'm playing the US, not do something because the international community says so? HA! A Coalition of the willing is what I need! Belguim, Luxemburg, yes my allies, they will fear our wrath! LOL!)

OOC-I just want to state for the recod...again, that Dra-pol and I have been at eachothers throats since way before any of you even knew who we are. And this is freindly, I have nothing bu respect for the man, and beleive him to be one of the finest RPers out there. But, I will cripple my nation to take him out, and he will send every last man woman and child to kill mine, all very friendly.

WWJD
Amen.
WWJD
Amen.

With the impending World War 3 in Europe looking less likely everyday, thanks to the benevolence of Quinntonnia (Something Louis XX is very thankful for) Ordu du Saint-Louis command has been able to devote a tiny fraction of their energy in the ghastly Tordian Revolution.

His Most Christian Majesty was a friend to any head that wore a crown, tis simply a matter of principle.

A score of ODSL covert operatives were therefore dispatched from Ft. St. Louis in Al-Ahzad in a singularly unique French air convoy, towing gliders that carried the Agents and their tools. They would be dropped over the desolate Tordian tundra at high altitude, while the transport planes continued on to New Caledonia.

Their mission was simple: locate and rescue any surviving Royalty or Aristocracy, transport them to safety in Ft. St. Louis, and help them organize a restoration of the Monarchy. With Pan-European war looking less likely every day, His Most Christian Majesty was prepared to partially bankroll, and certainly coordinate, the effort.

The Agents spoke fluid Tordese, were cosmetically altered to resemble Tordian merchants, and were just as efficent as the Scarlet Pimpernel (their secret commander) when it came to murder, espionage, and ingenuity.

King Glenn I's rescue was first on the agenda, Louis XX demanded that the dispossessed monarch be brought to Versailles itself, where the strength of God and Louis would succour poor Glenn.

As well, The First Estate of the Estates General, The Catholic Church, acting under a Royal Proclamation issued in a Lit de Justice, declared Strainism a mortal sin and damnable heresy.

With Ft. St. Louis to act a hub in the Eastern hemisphere, His Most Christian Majesty intended to show these barbarians that Kings were placed in their post by God himself, only he could remove them.

His Majesties State Department also began to lobby Quinntonnia, saying that in respect to the East, France and Quinntonnia had similar goals. The Ministry of State, marching in line with certain Quinntonnian interests, again condemned Dra-pol as "a pit of hell" and stated "the sooner Christs banner marches over the bodies of those communist demons, the sooner there can be order in Asia."

((BTW, Tord, kudos on the excellent and witty RP. Like a moth to a flame, it drew me))

(OOC: thanks for the comment Elkazor, I'm glad to be RP-ing with people like you, this is a bit new for me, so the encouragment is apreciated!)

For Quinntonia:
The Princess assures the representatives that she will do all in her power to ensure not a single child should know the pangs of hunger so long as the blockage is kept active, should no-one try and feed former Hamhung, she will march to it herself with food in tow if needed (which of course, is not the case, as mentioned before by Spyr and Hindustan.)

On Quinntonia's Soverenti on former-Hamhung,
It is Tord's stance that Quinntonia does not have soverenty in former-Hamhung, and Tord deplores Quinntonia for retaining its grasp on the city which is not theirs. While Quinntonia does control the city, there is no question as to who holds it, there is also no question in Tord's mind that former-Hamhung is rightfully Dra-pol's.

On Spyr's proposal:
Tord agrees with the proposal, the reasoning is sound, and so puts its support behind it.

Regarding Elkazor's intrigue:
(I don't think that the opperatives might've made it in, SPyr keeps a pretty tight ship on the Lyong penninsula, and I'm none too confident that the operatives made it in...but, I'm going to post pretending they did, so don't take the following as if its in stone, keep it penciled in to in-game events until we get this issue resolved, I want to hear from Spyr and of its Lyong patrolling tactics to confirm the likelyhood of them making it in.)

Glenn sat in a stale cell, thenkfully he had been mooved from that dank wet cells a few weeks earlier, so at least this cell had a view. Its window used to look out rolling hills, but those were quickly being obscured by rising buildings being contructed in the push for medernity.

Glenn had applied for the Tordian army shortly after the revolution, while it was still hapening in fact, and seeing's how he was undeniable a mojar factor in the feudalism that was being torn down, he was detained for his own, and the nations own safety. He had been thinking to start life anew, join his beloved people once again in battle, hopefully work his way up to general and into his...no, Tordian's people's hearts for once. But alas, for now it looked as if he would be rotting in the clank for a good while...maybe years....

It was getting late, and once the sun went down he would be unable to read, they had given him some books, thank God, he recognized some of them as textbooks he had when he had gone to University in Spyr. He put it aside a curled up on his dry hay cot for another night of restlessness, anguished dreams, only to awake to another day of helplessness and monotony.

He was started awake hours later in the wee hours of the morning, he was dazzled by the light coming from his open cell door, and a figure was standing over him, jsut having nudged him awake.
"w-WHUU?! WHO THE DEVIL ARE YOU?!"

((Of course. I assumed the drop would have occured in the far wilderness, e.g. at the borderlands, the most 'safe' place to drop. I will await the other fellows input, though, keeping this in pencil as it were. I think its safe to say either they landed or got shot down, either way my intervention is far from done.))

Raymond DeSeze, Chelvalier Ordu du Saint-Louis, holding a silenced pistol close to his body, dropped to his knees in front of King Glenn.

In Tordese, with a thick French accent to assuage Glenns fears, Raymond began "God save Your Majesty! My Lord has sent me to return you to the throne so cruelly denied. But first we must flee, and take Your Majesty to live among friends."

After kissing the Kings hand, the Knight looked him over quickly, checking for any physical ailments on the Royal Body. Folowing that, he quickly got on his satellite phone, and reported to ODSL High Command he had made contact with the King.

Satisfied that Glenn was safe to travel, DeSeze began to quickly alter the Kings appearence, soon Glenns prominent features were clouded: he looked older, fatter, and now had a ragged -peasant- beard. Armed with fake Russian IDs (courtesy of Louis XX good friends, the Red Mafia) the two men slowly made their way outside to an awaiting horse and buggy. With a crack of the whip, the rickety carriage, more like a cart drawn by a several nags, began off along the dusty road. They would find the sentinels in the Guard Room closet, throats slit from ear to ear, the Royal Crest of Tord carved into their foreheads. As the cart passed a column of howling red soldiers, not failing to give the Strainist salute, Glenns cell exploded, the bomb Raymond having set gone off.

The plan was to exit the Lyong Pennensule by slipping in Xiagao as Russian Diplomats. They would then cross the Russian Frontier, where a unmarked, Quinntonnian built Osprey Aircraft would take them to Estenlands, and finally France. On every step of the journey to the border they would be joined by another diligent and well armed Ordu du Saint-Louis Agent, all with Russian passports, so that by the time they crossed into Xiagao all twelve Agents and one tired King would be in a grotesque caravan. The Agents had spread out along the route, to provide for a quick and reconned path.

The ODSL had never attempted an operation so far from home, but the Russian and Lavragerian Campaigns had given the covert agents an abundance of experience: they were possibly the most ruthless Intelligence Officers, next to the Estenlandian Kargat, in the world. King Louis demanded the rescue and safety of King Glenn, they would accomplish it or die trying.

His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX, reclining in a Rococo chamber of Versailles Chateau, was informed that contact was made with King Glenn, and Operation "Reparation" was under way. A series of Apartments in glorious Versailles had been made available for the fugitive King, as had a team of experts who would help Glenn react to the Revolution. Louis, always thinking, even called his cousin Mme. de Chatelet to Versailles, wishing to offer King Glenn a marriage with the Burboun family, and allies in the quest to preserve the Ancien Regime.

http://img66.exs.cx/img66/3356/mapexpastry9ft.th.jpg (http://img66.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img66&image=mapexpastry9ft.jpg)

[OOC: The above map is still roughly accurate... some major rail and roadways are missing, and LRR is no longer Russia, for example.

I'm not certain about ease of air approach... the borders and southern islands are quite fortified in terms of air monitoring and defence, and wargames are ongoing in the Sea, which would seem the weakest point. I know gliders aren't the easiest things to spot, and I'm assuming stealthy night entry, but that still leaves quite a journey, and difficulties with powered caft getting into launch range, as the target area is pretty much surrounded.... but, as the RP emerging out of it is turning out to be quite interesting, perhaps it can be assumed that they were spotted as they crossed the shoreline, but a one-in-a-million fluke let them get out of the air before responders reached them?]

((Sounds just fine. I daresay you may have shot down a few, twas to be expected. For the cargo planes were expendable, I imagine only a few made it back to Caldonia, however as youve said the gliders all probably made it in tact. In the wreckage, since it was a covert operation, I suppose you will find a multinational and unmarked flight team, Say of the twelve cargo planes that went in, only 3 made it back out to sea. Of course they disposited their payload))

(OOC: Okay Quinntonia...I have a few questions you didn't fully answer.

Yaman claims airspace rights above its territory, which has been expanded to include areas of the 'Western Lake'. Yamani fighter patrols have been dispatched into this zone and all ships have been asked to report their cargo's. Military shipments are asked to return to their home ports or another region.

So, either the Quinntonian ships are reporting that they have no military hardware onboard, that they do have military arms onboard or are not responding to the requests at all.

Also, I would like to know where these FA-22's have suddenly come from, considering the Yaman patrols were just launched. Were they already there? Are they landing on the pacific fleet ships? Are they following the Yamani patrols? Basically...are these Quinntonian fighters violating claimed Yamani airspace, which is usually considered international act of war. Unless something changes, I'm just going to assume there are FA-22's in claimed Yamani airspace, and the Quinntonian ships have ignored the radio broadcast from the Spearguard.)

-Yamani Claimed Airspace, Western Lake region-

A flight of five Mako Ramjets approach the Quinntonian - QDP trade route, continueing to broadcast the Yamani request to identify their cargo. The headsets in the Mako's crackle as Airguard Command comes over the line.

'Patrol A, we have identified multiple blips converging on your position. Do you have visual?'

'Negative Command. Have they identified themselves?'

'No patrol A, they have not. Possible hostiles preparing to engage.'

'Roger Command. Will attempt contact. ETA until entry of Yamani airspace?'

'Two minutes patrol A.'

Bastards! thought the Airguard patrol leader. With the situation already so tense, what sort of ignorant Imperialist would want to aggrivate it by violating international airspace laws?

In perfect English, the patrol leader opened up the general channel, attempting to reach the Quinntonian fighters.

'Airguard patrol to unidentified fighters. You are preparing to enter Yamani airspace. This act will be considered hostile in intent unless you properly identify yourselves and report your actions to Airguard Command for processing and approval. Any unidentified fighters entering Yamani airspace without clearance will be targeted.'

In the waiting silence, the Yamani patrol continued onwards, towards the incoming blips that began to fill their radar.

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

- Spearguard Coastal Command Center, -

The communications continue to ships in Yamani territory, warning of hostile contacts in the region and requesting cargo listings and destinations. Most ships from nations not allied to Yaman identify themselves as fishing trawlers and are politely asked to leave Yamani waters until hostility in the area subsides.

Any ship not responding is asked again to identify their cargo and destination. The third warning mentions that failure to report within fifteen minutes will result in the ship being classified as a 'hostile target'. Hostile targets will be boarded and escorted out of Yamani waters.

(OOC: Anyone, like Russia or other nearby countries, that wants to rp a fishing trawler with a faulty radio or other reason not to respond is welcome to. Someone could even do smugglers trying to escape notice if they want...though I'd prefer if it was someone not already involved in this rp.)

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

- Mioka' Ro -

Mioka' Ro is quiet by night, the masses of Yamani workers and soldiers settled down in their apartment blocks and barracks. The loudspeakers are all stand silent, awaiting the sunrise and the morning playing of the national anthem.

The only activity remains around the Yanheshi Shange tower. The military courts and trainyards are always lit and bustling with the workings of the People's Army.

Very suddenly, the loudspeakers across the city come alive. Spotlights throw their beams into the night sky while the starfire missile defence grid activates.

'People of the Revolution, do not be afraid. In a report from the Lyong Joint Defence Command, the High Command has just been informed of targets breaching Tordian airspace and a possiblity of para-commando landings. Be on the alert for Westerner's. Report any curious sightings to your closest Spearguard station.

Sorry to be of disturbance in the night. You may return to sleep, but the spotlights and defences will remain active. Glory to the revolution.'

In the distance, the scrambling of fighters could be heard as the city returned to silence.

OOC: Sorry, just noticed that Glenn is heading to Xiaguo...does that mean Yaman will be involved in this little rp? You may even want to include the ever underground enemy of the revolution, Death-priest Ika Chung...the enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of deal.

Damnable Glenn...if he's not trying to overthrow his older sister and gas his capital city, he's either lossing battles to nomadic smelly horsemen or being rescued by random French royalists...

Things were happening so fast for Glenn, he had thought we would never have been treated this way ever again, and had to admit, he didn't mind the operatives courtesy in the least.
As the carriage trundled through the night, excitement started to well up in him. Had people come to give him the reigns once again to his Kingdom? Was this the start of a series of events to uuplift him back into the seat of power? How many did he have on his side? Would they be able to wrest control of Tord from the new governments hands?
Then as he drifted back into full-awake(ness) he started to recall his people's reactions to feudalism. He had gone before his people a number of time when he was King, only to be foully attacked and insulted by the people he thought he ruled....His people, albeit with the aid of a strong Strainist arm, and shunted him, his nobles, and feudalism out of Tord...They had made their choice. His rising excitement turned to bitter vile.
Taking a few breaths to clam himself, he turned to his mysterious "rescuer".
"Hold on." Glenn said. "I'm not King, not anymore...stop this wagon. I will return to my people and receive whatever plan they have in store for me."

A bit on Tordian church,
The Tordian church's teachings differ from region to region, most in the South of Tord are Pelagian, while mst of the churches in the North are Catholic. While those in the centre can be anything in between. The mindsets of the churches were greatly affected by whomever was in charge of them, the more conservative ones setting up North and becoming more conservative due to their proximity to what used to be Lyonian native heretics, while the more liberal set up shop to the South.
The founders of Tord fled Europe during the crusades due to their celtic roots and pelagian (in some cases) principals. Not all members of this fleeing church were strickly pelagian, but had connection enough to pelagianism to be thought heretics by the Catholic church.
And so the clergy, monarchy and nobles that lived in the area that adhered to this church set sail centuries ago and after months arrived at the Lyong Penninsula, where they cut out their swathe of land.
Fleeing the percecution of being labeled "heretic" is what drove the founders of Tord to the land that is Tord today, and so, now once again being labeled "Heretic", Tordian's find themselves back in a familiarly bitter situation.

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=400391

I just want everyone to check this out, and hopefully read it with an open mind.

WWJD
Amen.

OK, maybe there is some kind of misunderstanding here. Quinntonian ships, be theyr military or not, will never leave the established sea lane that runs from the harbours of Hamhung and south into the Pacific. They never havem since the blockade was liftedm and they never will, barring some unforseen emergency like engine trouble or navigation error. I was under the understanding that these fighters that you were sending were entering this tiny sliver of sea and challenging civilian craft. If that is not the case, then say so, if so, then your movements are being mirrored by jest that would have
a)might have been on patrol anyways, due to our need for constancy in regard to that
b)scrambled from Quinntonian Dra-pol itslef, a very hort way away
c)sent in from the South Pacific Fleet when it was seen that this was going on. (there are massive amounst of ships in this lane, and sorrounded by naval vessels, I just assumed that you would have challenged a few by now, and they would have radioed for help)

So, just to clarify, where is the ship that you are challenging? If Yamani has claimed that sea route and is moving into it with armed warplanes, it would not be I who would be the agressor, entering opposing airspace, but you, whether you recognise me or not, your government would have to realise that I could not allow that.

But, I am in no way trying to act aggressively, but if you attack CIVILIAN shipping vessels, or even the many, many naval patrols in the air and on the sea in the area, You would be escalating this conflict, all in the face of my diplomats asking to talk.
I will not fire first. But I will continue to allow naval and civilian shipping through the same lanes as always.

WWJD
Amen.

((Wow. Thanks, Jesse. At any rate, which planes are being targetted? I cant help but think this is rather fortuitous for me, any way you look at it. If North Yaman rightfully wishes to get involved, I can hardly object))

Lt. Jacques Necker was getting all sorts of weird radio signals. Apparently as the French force was just about to hit the sea following the glider release, fearing obliteration, the Quinntonnians stepped in and launched a flight as well. Still, Necker ordered the convoy to disband, and to take seperate routes to Caledonia.

On the ground, Raymond DeSeze, in that weird and awful midnight race in the calash, laughed as poor King Glenn made the statement.

"Your Majesty" Raymond demurred politely "I am afraid that is quite impossible. You, Sire, answer to God alone. If you wish to relinquish your titles, you must speak to him. Until then...::His eyes darted around, then sure they were alone as they hurdled down the road, continued::...My Lord is Louis XX, by the Grace of God King of France and Defender of the Faith, Keeper of the Right. He has commissioned me to rescue you, Sire, and only God himself can obstruct me in this matter. I am very sorry, Sire, but it really is for your own good."

After he had said that, he clapped poor Glenn on the and handed him a flask of strong French Congac, from His Most Christian Majesties private reserve.

"Obdure, Sire, your reign is far from over. My King is a mighty Prince, he will help you restored to what was so cruelly stolen. Now, be silent and pray that you may get to meet my Lord!" as Raymond finished, two riders out of the blue seemed to fall in line behind the carriage: the first two ODSL Agents to link up with the escape team. After another hour of hard riding, they stopped at a small field to switch horses.

Operation Reparation was proceeding well on schedule. They were now 1/16 of the way to their desired goal, a clearing in the wilds of Russia where a unmarked Quinntonnian made French Osprey would pick the team up, and carry them to ultimate safety.

Glenn, of course, would be defended (and sheperded) by the ODSL Agents, allowed neither to be hurt nor to escape.

His Most Christian Majesty was sure that once Glenn was in a proper residence for his station, he would think like a King again.

With that, and joined by another two agents, they quickened the pace even more, now clear of the city. With Russian Passports they made breakneck speed onward, towards salvation. By nightfall the next day, they were projected to cross into Xiagao. With the help of the Russian Mafia, the Osprey had already landed in the secluded zone, and the timetable was ticking away.

((Interesting note on Tordian religion. It doesnt bother Louis. Although he is a staunch Catholic, he supports monarchs in principle just a staunchly. Dont worry Tord, well get you back on the throne yet.))

[OOC: Some clarifications and questions:

1) for Quinntonia: What route is used by vessels going into and out of Hamhung? I've always assumed a rather direct route southward, after moving past the 12nm limit and range of shore responders, to the coast of the ROK and then out the Tsushima Strait and on into the Pacific. Do they cross the Sea's centreline?

http://img115.exs.cx/img115/6535/sea7wo.th.jpg (http://img115.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img115&image=sea7wo.jpg)

2) Yaman: While waters off the Yamani coast are relatively small, I assume that units are participating in the ongoing wargames and patrols which span the length and breadth of the Lyong side (and the Drapoel regions as well, if so permitted)... however, the 200nm Exclusive Economic Zone and semi-enclosed nature of the Sea which predate the claim extension mean that foreign ships in the area are almost guaranteed to either be carrying cargo to Lyong ports, or engaged in illegal activities.

3) Elkazor: What route are your agents using to get out of Tord and the peninsula?]

Can I get a bigger map? I can look at RL ones al I want but they have this Lyong thingy missing. I might be computer illiterate, as my horrible typing can attest to, but I tried to save the picture and blow it up, but all it got was pixelised, I couldn't make out any names. But from what I could make out, it looks as though you have marked out a sea lane for QDP that kind of goes right into someone else's, and that could be problematic.
I am assuming, that a fair swath of sea around the borders of QDP, lets say 12 NM in either direction are heavily patrolled above and below the water. There would be a wide area, reaching out from QDP, the width of the claimed territory, that would stretch 12-20 NM, with the excess to make up for the large amount of traffiv that would get bottlenecked otherwise. Then, it would head south along the coast, being careful to stay in international waters, so at least 15-20 NM so there was no mistake from the coastline, and a swath of sealane probably 10 NM wide from there would be patrolled. Of course, in reality, my naval and civilian assets have probably staryed out into deeper international waters a time or two, but in times of alert, everyone sticks closely to here, because we have made it known that this is the only sealane that we would fight for.
That is my tentative claim, not being able to see the map very well.
WWJD
Amen.

"This just in, repentant citizen Glenn's cell hath just this eve, nigh short hours ago been the site of arson. Yon blaze continues and it is yet uncertain whether or not the former King was caught in the explosion. None have yet come forward to admit the act, though some highly religious groups state that it is an act of God, wishing to return Glenn as an angel to punish the Strainist heathans, while yet others have hypothesized that it were some sort of extreme revolutionary group wanting to erase the last of the former tyranous feaudal remnants. The remaining family members have been placed under heavy guard, Prince Luke has been moved to a secret location, while beloved lady Patricia remains in St. Ninian's hospital under heavy guard. Despite her shaky history with her brother, she is said to be in a state of grievous mourning, tears of sadness burning the beloved face of the Lady Tord. Firemen have the blaze under contr-"

First Minister Randall heartwell turned off the radio, eight times was enough to hear the story, aside from the dozens of briefings he had been given of it. He was still dressed in pyjama pantaloons and a housecoat, slippered feet and a cigarrette in his mouth, he had been up since shortly after the incident occured, and hoped to be able to fall asleed tomorow night with the whole dreadly situation dealt with.
"Blast and Befuddle!" he muttered, while this handled the ichy subject on what was to be done about the former King, it raised even more issues on extremists and disturbed Tord's just-settled waters.
patrols had been doubled and tripled, search parties arranged and several investigations initiated.
"This had better not be any Iscariot survivors, I would'nt have expected for them to pull anything this drastic so early on..."

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

The man sat at his desk in the headmasters office for the orphanage he ran, calmly listening to his operatives report.
"-And so yon explosion took ow't thy sleeper agent, we dinnae think his Highness was smote, his corpse is no where to be faouned." The agent finished.
-"And you have no inlking on who is resonsible, nor where his highness is now?"
"Nae m'lord, though as ye instructed, most of us be lookin' for his holyness as we speak."
-"Very well, leave me now, but inform me as soon as anything is learned of his highnesses whereabouts or condition. And keep young Prince Luke safely stowed away until I further instruct you."
"Aye, m'lord."
With that the agent pressed fist to heart in the traditional Tordian salute, turned and left to a dakr city buzzing with Iscariot members puling their strings on ther spiderwebs of connections and official making rounds and cheking vehicles in order to find the missing repentant citizen Glenn.

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

In the meantime, Glenn had made an escape attempt, and have even made it out of the carriage. He was a still a young and strong man, and so after flinging the offered drink in Raymonds face, and hurled himself bodily out of the wagon.
He had managed to roll a few meters, sustaining minor bruises and cuts, before more agents were upon him, handling him stoutly but carefully back into the carriage.
Glenn put up a struggle, but was used to fighting with sword in hand in armour, rather than brawling many foes at once, and so the operatives with theri superior combat training were able to overpower him. He started to call out, but was quickly silence (I'm guessing a rag and some ether, though a clout to the back of the head would suffice just as well.)
Aside from that the wagon made it without incident due to their quick start. It would be another matter to elude detection from the numerous patrols, now on the lookout for one possibly escaped Glenn. Though so long as they kept him quiet whenever the needed to get by authorities, the waters had potentially smooth sailing.

[Sorry about map size. Its hosted on Imageshack, and should link to its larger version...:
http://img115.exs.cx/img115/6535/sea7wo.jpg

As for the Hamhung 'corridor', that was a route which Dra-pol, when he originally laid claim to extended sea territory, suggested might be left open to allow Quinntonian ships access out of Dra-poel waters.

I believe that Hamhung's original shipping lane continues to be well within the area of the extended Drapoel claim, within which civilian shipping has been barred at this point, so the dispute there would be between the Quinntonian convoy and Drapoel craft. Conversely, the convoy might try to access the corridor to Hamhung by heading to/from its entrance via Lyong waters, where only military vessels and military cargoes have been banned at this point (as well as unlicensed commercial ventures such as fishing or drilling), which would give Hamhung its food supply and avoid confrontaion with the Drapoel. ]

OOC: Well, terribly sorry for the screw up people. My bad. I was under a different impression of the shipping lanes. Basically Yamani patrols would simply be darting around above SFDNY waters, and engaging in larger patrols with other LJDC aircraft along the whole Lyong coast.

Also, just to mention for Elkazor....its not really a days ride in a cart between Sol Sanctum and the Xiannesse border. There's the Tordian plains, the Helekaru plains and then you would have to cross the Kar into the SFDNY or cross into Spyr. Entering Yaman might not be a good idea, as we haven't really ever issued passports to Russians. Then there would be the Kaiokeni plains and Yamani highlands before enterring Xiaguo. As for Spyr...well, more mountains, more people...but I think there's a direct border with Russia...it might be good to take a look see at the Lyong map(can you post that up as well Spyr?).

((Of course. I am not familiar with the area itself, but I though 1/16 of the total distance was not in moding range. Please, though, just consider the escape team moving, the distances would be up to you guys.))

The team moved moved south, towards the Xiagan border.

Glenn was now restrained, after being made to drink several good wallops of the Cognac.

When the team was stopped for questioning by patrols, they displayed their Russian passports as Humanitarian Aid Reps. That was their hope as the team now cantered onwards.

No announcements would yet be made by the French Government, although once Glenn was (if he makes it) safe in Versailles, no doubt a number of declarations and manifestos would be issued.

Glenn would not be hurt, and was not knocked out. He was simply restrained and unable to slip away from his erstwhile guardian, Chevalier DeSeze.

So the team continued on their way. Now a total of six men strong, they were approximatley 3/16 of the way to the Xiagan border.

At this point, with the King securely en route (though his safety was still in doubt) Versailles announced the following delcaration, titled by some wags as the Manifesto of Choisy (keeping in mind that news of Glenns status had just been published in the announcement of the Grand Congress of the Holy Leauge):

In accordance with the will of His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX the following Manifesto is hereby delievered to the Strainist Regime of Tord-

If any harm, physical or mental, if so much as one hair is touched upon the head of His Majesty King Glenn, His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX intends to carry out severe reprisals against the nation of Tord.

His Majesty is to be re-instated upon the Throne of Tord at once, without any delay.

((Of course, a bluff, but with WW3 now unlikely to happen in Europe, and a Grand Congress of the Holy Leauge immenent, Louis felt confident in making the statement, especially since Glenn still had a long and dangerous road to travel.))

OOC: Okay, until Spyr gets that map up, with more indepth distances hopefully, I'll try to be of service.

Lyong Peninsula is north of Korea. Tord is on the south west corner of the peninsula, meaning that the Xiannesse border is north, through Yaman or Spyr.

And a note on the Russian passports...the team would know that it was illegal to enter Yaman, by order of the Lyong Treaty, until the sixties. The SFD has only ever issued passports to some of its closest allies (namely Tord/Spyr, Drapol, the neo-Suunists, Beth Gellert and Hindustan...recently Xiaguo as well). The population speaks the native language of Lyongese and any Westerners or unwanted foreigners in Yaman were expelled during the Drapoel War for Korean Unification (as a snub to the political enemies of Yaman, Quinntonia and Hudecia).

How did we get to be political enemies again, oh right...that imperialistic humaintarian aid stuff.
WWJD
Amen.

Air Defence Station T-44C, Tordian Coast

[a rather belated post relating to the French aircraft as they come in launching gliders]

“Gejo! Techulasu kera’nan ishi! Ishi!!!”

“Report, corporal.”

“Multiple contacts, heading in east-northeast towards the coast…”

“Are you sure? Nothing scheduled to be in the area. Get them on radio and advise them that they’re in violation of Tordian airspace. Have them divert to Sol Sanctum for inspection and seizure.”

“…No response, sir… they’re changing course west, southwest, south-southwest.”

“They know we’ve got them.”

“They look big, sir… Its hard to tell, but they might be Quinntonian bombers.”

“This is it… we cannot allow them to reach the cities.”

“I think they’re running backwards… out to South Korea or Guam”

“They won’t get away after such a blatant act of aggression. All tubes, acquire and release!”

As the French aircraft begin their retreat away from Tord, a quartet of high-altitude surface-to-air missiles streak upwards towards them. Moments later, a trio of patrolling Falcon fighter craft (a domestic variant of the Su-27M) speed into pursuit of the (remaining) fleeing aircraft.

Chotei, Tagan province, PRS

The Daisu looked out over the ongoing work at Chotei… massive quantities of earth were being displaced and trucked to build up shore walls and border defences. The workers were dedicated, but there was a tingle of tension in the air, a mixture of excitement and fear at the looming prospect of conflict. The confidence of the workers had been bolstered by his arrival, but he had to admit that he too was concerned about the future… it seemed that tensions were mounting fast.
His view of the Hamhung situation emerged out of his own past and ideology, shaped by the success of the Spyran experience… unity preceded stability preceded knowledge preceded prosperity. Korea’s divisions were artificial and imposed, their elimination would bring new thought and knowledge, a reduction in militarism, and an increase in the prosperity of that peninsula. By rendering the status-quo untenable, then steps towards that goal could begin, hopefully without eruption into open war. It was perhaps idealistic, but it was idealism that had carried him this far.
Still, he wished circumstances were different. The Yamani were young and hot headed, still burdened with the memories of an imagined golden age long passed, and of the foreign incursion that came after its end. They had emerged from helplessness and now sought to prove it to the world. But the Daisu had never viewed the West as an inherent enemy… until the Korean Unification War, Spyr and Hudecia had been allies on many fronts, and closer relations with Britain were now emerging. Quinntonia, too, had not been seen as a foe. Christianity and socialism were in essence two paths to the same goal, one motivated by the divine and one by morality itself. But increasingly their tenacity at Hamhung and their actions in the rest of the world displayed a hypocrisy which revealed the imperial motives below. In recent days, Quinntonian connections with the feudal-theocrats of the Holy League, who along with the ultranationalistic fascists of Sino were seen as the true threat to the world, had only served to prove further that the nation’s interests were not those of humanity, but of its own self-interest and greed.
The Daisu sighed and looked up at the sky.
If only I could climb the mountain as you did, august grandfather, and set the whole world right.

Dra-pol
PRS representative Etoro seeks out her Drapoel counterparts to arrange the signing of an official treaty detailing the division of the Sea between the two peninsulas. It is also suggested that, with at least four titles existing for the same body of water, the treaty might contain an official renaming into a single common title.

As soon as news reaches Hindustani ears of a French incursion into Lyong territory, the government makes its displeasure with such acts known.

"Louis twenty must learn that feudalism isn't all its cracked up to be. This goes out to all the French nobles and whats; please, don't come around here any more. We'd hate to have to kill anyone, but we won't stand for the restoration of a leader guilty of innumerable atrocities against his own people. If France is the great outpost of Christianity as it seems to want to be seen as, it should realize that restoring king Glenn is not what Jesus would have done," says one delegate to the popular congress to a Quinntonian news crew in Mumbai.

The comments of this delegate reflect Hindustani displeasure at French activity in what is considered a safe neck of the woods. While the government would really not like to undertake military operations against pro-monarchy elements, as killing is one of the worst things, if not the worst thing that someone can do, but if it comes down to it the HDF will not hesitate to kill royalists if it means keeping royalists from killing the Tordian people.

[OOC: LRR, as much as Spyr REALLY likes to get support in this issue, the facts don't leave evidence of French involvement... given no indicators, once Lyong has examined the data, a fleet of aircraft penetrating airspace from the south and then returning that way, given current Hamhung tensions, will likely be assumed and reported as a probable Quinntonian incursion. After all, even a course heading to New Caledonia can also look like a return route back to Hawaii or Guam.

Elkazor: Adding to Yaman's notes, here is an oversized Lyong map. A set of mountains runs the length of the peninsula, with the southern Spyr-Tord border marked by a line across the highest peaks up until Lyong-shan, where the western Helekar plain is divided between Spyr, Tord, and Yaman based on old tribal lines.
Marked rivers are major waterways (100m+ avg. width). Due to the auspices of the LJDC and the political-social nature of the SRA, ferries are operated for public use by the military.

In Spyr, foreign travel is relatively free, but monitored (comparable to the RL PRC, and I believe several other countries): the country is divided into police districts. Normally, as part of the visa process, travellers specify the districts they will visit. They then register with each district they stay in, or recieve transit permits specifying a route to the next district office when they wish to change districts. While diplomatic passports do not specify permitted districts, they do not grant immunity from registration, which is generally considered a matter of public and personal safety rather than a legal matter.]

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/9981/mapexpastrycopy4no.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

The wagon carrying the operatives and Glenn would/does not have much trouble travelling through Tord. As the wagon looks poor and decrepit, would not receive any suspicion of being escaping nobles. Their apparent speed would be cause for some suspicion, but as it would likely pass through populated areas rather quickly, would not stick around enough to stir up attention.
The biggest problem with escaping would be when they have to show their Russian papers, if anything is amiss, they would be asked to stay in a government building until the process was sorted out.
(OOC: although, we might assume that the operatives knew about these procedures, even if the player didn't, as I don't believe it was mentioned before, I'm fine with assuming the operatives have the appropriate papers, though I want to hear the input of the involved parties too)
IF the papers do check out, then I'M assuming crossing the border (into Spyr?) wouldn't be a problem, but it would leave a trail and attract attention, though by the time the authorities come down on it, Glenn will be packaged safely away in France.

In response to Louis XX harsh words, Tord announces that Glenn was being treated fairly in being detained until further punishment was decided, and that his condition and location is unknown since the attack on his prison. It is yet uncertain who the perpetrators are, though extreme illegal organizations that could be either Christian, Strainist, revolutionary or all three are suspected.
Randall Hartwell addressed Louis XX in saying, "Although it's probably his intention, I believe I speak for many freedom fighters and Sisters of Mercy alike when I say you'll return Tord to the opression of feudalism over my dead body. It was a ghastly and deadly conflict that finally brought us to our state of prosperity and freedom but it would have been even worse had the change not occured, and I won't see another bloody conflict like that happen to us again."
"Tord is better off as a People's Republic, ten years ago I walked to my favourite bakery, the one that didn't usually have the mouldy bread, and I would peek into doors and see people, children, working away in dark and hazardous workplaces, their hands bloddied from rusty sewing needles, hands and barefeet blackened with hefting coal."
"Now just yesterday I went down to get a loaf of bread, I haven't seen any infected with mold in a good while, and while I was walking down the freshly paved roads with boxes of flowers to either side, I was nearly boweled by a group of healthy young children playing...PLAYING on the walk! they had sturdy shoes on thei feet, colourful clothing rather than dirty rags, and thei angelic voices were giggling with fresh life and hope! Something like that would never be seen again if we were to return to feudalism, the children would have to be worked brutally for their fmilies to be able to eat stale bread for one more day. With then end of feudalism came the start of prosperity for Tord! Thanks to the greater universality, Tord will continue to prosper, just as the children will continue to laugh and play!"

[OOC: LRR, as much as Spyr REALLY likes to get support in this issue, the facts don't leave evidence of French involvement... given no indicators, once Lyong has examined the data, a fleet of aircraft penetrating airspace from the south and then returning that way, given current Hamhung tensions, will likely be assumed and reported as a probable Quinntonian incursion. After all, even a course heading to New Caledonia can also look like a return route back to Hawaii or Guam.

Elkazor: Adding to Yaman's notes, here is an oversized Lyong map. A set of mountains runs the length of the peninsula, with the southern Spyr-Tord border marked by a line across the highest peaks up until Lyong-shan, where the western Helekar plain is divided between Spyr, Tord, and Yaman based on old tribal lines.
Marked rivers are major waterways (100m+ avg. width). Due to the auspices of the LJDC and the political-social nature of the SRA, ferries are operated for public use by the military.

In Spyr, foreign travel is relatively free, but monitored (comparable to the RL PRC, and I believe several other countries): the country is divided into police districts. Normally, as part of the visa process, travellers specify the districts they will visit. They then register with each district they stay in, or recieve transit permits specifying a route to the next district office when they wish to change districts. While diplomatic passports do not specify permitted districts, they do not grant immunity from registration, which is generally considered a matter of public and personal safety rather than a legal matter.]

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/9981/mapexpastrycopy4no.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)


OCC: Oh, I thought that we would have heard something after the jets intercepted them and got a good look at the type. I thought that Elkazor used the C-160.

Well, regard it as protest against Louis XX's comments.

Sisters of Mercy hospital complex, Sol Sanctum, Tord.
Justicar Shinata stood back as the forensic pathologist opened the bag and began talking into the recorder while conducting the autopsy on '#3 body'. The first body had been a lost cause... Tordian firefighters and militia had dragged it out bodily before being stopped by the arrival of more knowledgeable SRA officers.

The evidence gathered so far had pointed to an artificial origin... the fire had spread through the stone structure far too quickly. Chemical testing of samples had revealed the obvious: accelerant, probably local kerosene from storage. The fire had been concentrated on Glenn's chamber, so there was a minute chance that the forer king had been incinerated, but no evidence of a body had been found. Shinata had also been looking for traces of a specific old European gold: Glenn's abdication aside, Shinata was convinced that the ex-monarch would not have abandoned the signet of Tord along with the throne. So, he was still out there, somewhere. But where? And who had taken him?

"Sir?"

"Yes, doctor?"

"Take a look at this."

Shinata looked over at the corpse on the lab table.

"The same as number two?"

"Yes, sir... there's a bit less blistering than I'd expect given the burning... and the body hasn't gone pugilistic."

"Post-mortem burning."

"I can't be certain, but its a highly viable possibility. Still, thats not the interesting part. Look here, on the forehead."

"Burnt blood?"

"From a surface wound. There's fire damage, but you can see here that its clearly a sigil of some sort... the others aren't as visible, but between the three we may be able to reproduce it."

Shinata turned to an aide. "Leftenant, get photographs to tech and research. I want this thing identified within the hour."

Earlier, across Lyong

As the report of aircraft over the peninsula went out, the night sky lit up with the launc of aircraft, while naval vessels began to leave port and ground troops rushed to bolster coastal positions. Occasionally, mostly in Tord, short bursts of 20mm AA fire sent tracers upward into the sky. The fears of SRA command seemed to have come about: a Quinntonian attack.
Oddly, this chain of events aided the fleeing planes... expecting a mass of Quinntonian units at any moment, Spyran defenders were hesitant to pursue with vigour. In addition to the original SAM fire, a few fighters loosed pairs of MRAAMs... once the transports made it across the midpoint of the Japan Sea, pursuers peeled off, saving fuel and longer-ranged missiles to intercept the next attack wave.

Minutes ticked by. Radar showed no new wave on approach. Reserve militia units struggled to form up and grab their rifles. At last, contact was made with submarine observers in the Pacific... the Quinntonian fleet had not moved. Invasion, it seemed, was not coming today.

A hurried explanation was issued to allies, reporting an incursion by unidentified aircraft over Lyong, and their subsequent retreat. Further information was being sought.

Present time, Tordian coast.

Justicar Himuro looked over the wreckage a final time. It was a mystery aircraft, a generic transport with all serials melted flat by blowtorch to prevent trace back to manufacturers. The bodies, too, had yielded no common thread.

The only clue had shattered the original theory: they were not bombers. But niether were they civilian transport craft. So, most people were wondering, why had the Quinntonians sent them in at all?

Himuro, however, considered himself above all else a rational investigtor. Before he linked unidentifiable objects with the theocrats, he needed motive, and Quinntonia had none. He was mired in baseless suspicion without concrete suspects, and there was little hope of finding the truth within the confines of this smoldering fuselage.

((Agreed in respect to the carriages travel completely, I leave the fine details to you.))

Secret communications from ODSL HQ changed DeSezes escape route. Instead of a long and dangerous journey north, he was to turn sharply west and make for Penance Island. More specifically, the team would take a boat to open seas, where they would be picked up in a daring rescue by the International Red Cross (Russian Chapter) Quinntonnian Osprey. The decision came as the escape faltered, and Louis demands grew hotter by the hour.

It made the ship shorter, and more furtive due to the partial switch back on the origional heading. But there was no time left. Desperate measures had to be taken. In the event of more trouble, and a possible abortion of the rescue, the Royal Navy dispatched HMCMS Cutter North from Caledonia. The Cutter was a Brest Class Frigate, designed to be fast and quiet. In the event of trouble, the Cutter would move in and attempt a more secure and physical rescue.

Chevalier DeSeze was now desperate to reach the posistion. ODSL HQ had believed that in a best case scenario, an escape would only be afforded several days at most before hot persuit began. The point of no return had now been reached.

The whole team was now traveling as one, making like a bullet-a-gait.

Raymond was sure to check in with Versailles via satellite phone every few hours, informing them of the escapes progress.

All the time, King Glenn was talked up to, treated like a King again. The Osprey was ready to go, and Louis constantly demanded faster work, having made it his personal goal to have Glenn reclining in Versailles ere a fortnight.

LRR's statement was viewed as nothing but the status quo. Hindustan was politely informed that France was merely attempting to prevent massive revolutions from shaking Asia and subsequently Europe, using nothing but threats of non-violence and economic pressue ((yah, like a said, no shit, its a bluff)).

Glenn was now made invaluable. The team was in sight of their goal, and would either in another seventy two hours be very rich, or very dead.

Glenn was very perplexed, he was being kidnapped as far as he was concerned, but being treated, well, like royalty.
He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the treatment, at least that aspect of it, but he was nonetheless a prisoner forced into flight along with these operatives.
He asked and learned a bit about Louis XX, their country, and he in return told them a bit about his escapades in Tord, most....no, all of which he was not proud about.
Along the way, a thought struck him, these people seemed to have much the same ethos as Iscariot Institution, Tord somewhat secret underground now-terrorsit organization. Their values and goals seemed to coincide with Louis XX. While he had been contacted by Iscariot, Glenn had been quick to rebuff them, he wanted no part in their disliked and what he knew now to be wrong ideals.
He was fairly certain any moment this carriage would be caught and Glenn did not cherish the thought of an unpleasant outcome of such an encounter, he guessed once they were caught the soldiers would be quick to gun him down to avoid him bringing trouble to Tord in the future.
If this was to work, they would need help getting him out of here and it just so hapened glenn knew a few Iscariot contacts in the North, which, lo and behold, he was in now.
Glenn then went on to explain the Iscariot Institution to his "rescuers", and suggest that they make a minor detour from their course to meet up with a few contacts he knew. The Institution had nobles hidden away, awaiting departure to a safe haven, this much he knew, so there would be everything to gain by joining up with the Instituion, he explained to the operatives. With the instituion's extensive network and knowlege of escape routes out of Tord, it would make for a much more sure, and safer exit.
To finish his plan up, he concluded with:
"As I am rightful King of Tord, and you lot are in my holy domain, you are therefore my subjects when in the boundaries of Tord, and as such your King has decreed that the surest way to victory on this endeavour is to link up with the Institution. By this means I am ensured to meet Louis XX, he as Gods messenger has given you an order to deliver me, and I as God's messenger am giving you an order to deliver me. As Louis XX is not present, he is unable to access to situation to decide the best course of action, therefore my guidance must take precedence."

DeSeze obviously knew what Glenn did not: that as long as King Glenn remained in Tord, even if protected by such a valiant organization, he would be compelled to do certain things not of his own volition, he could not be a true king.

And so with great regret DeSeze tranquilized poor King Glenn, and ordered the final desperate run ro the coast. He gave the final signal to the Osprey "Et Rege Eos."

The Osprey then was airborne, and began to broadcast its Russian Red Cross Transponder signal as it headed south to cross over N. Yaman. HMCMS Cutter was about two days out from the Gulf, and now was ordered to go 110% on the generators.

As a sidenote to Glenns caution, which though rash was well founded, DeSeze ordered two of the Agents to return to Sol Sanctum, to rendevous with the Iscariots, inform them of the French Rescue, and organize a mass exodus of Tordian peerage to France, if they were willing.

Anyone in the know would now begin to surmise that Louis intended to bring Glenn to France with the purpose of training him to reclaim his throne, and a Resource Organization in Ft. St. Louis began to set aside material and boarding for Tordian exiles.

Although DeSeze would have loved to follow Tords advice, the line was too far crossed. They were in Gods hands, and Raymond began the long and pious prayers of a feudalist as the desperate race to the sea began.

The powerful radar on the Daman, designed to supply an entire task force (however meagre in numbers such a unit is) with a picture of the battleground, doesn't have much trouble picking up the signs of a rather significant mobilization of Spyrian air defense forces (I figure the Daman's radar must have a good 200 kilometers range, but then again I don't know much about radars so feel free to adjust me), and the modest Hindustani contingent wastes no time in getting ready for action itself. The Akash I and II VLS batteries are prepared for action, as are the ZPU-32-2 emplacements and 40mm CIWS. The Spyrian and Tordian revolutionary militaries are radioed from the ships at sea, asking about what was happening.

On another note, the Hindustani Defense Forces have become interested in the system of spotters employed by the Spyrian military. Would it be possible to send observers to take note of their techniques? A spotter's service would be very useful in Hindustan, where the relative scarcity of modern wide-area radars means that more modern ECMs and stealth especially can sneak around all but the larger cities. Spotters could give vital support to the air defense forces, especially in Southern Hindustan, since AWACS platforms and more capable radars are concentrated in the northern areas. As a show of appreciation, the Spyrian military could be awarded a number of Akash I and/or II mid-range SAM systems and accompanying radars, considered the equal of anything in the west or Russia.

Temporary Court of Justicar Shinata, Sol Sanctum

Shinata stood behind his research technician, who was pointing to a rough image on the screen.

"I'd say its a shield, bearing a pair of lions, sir..."

"The crest of the Tordian noble family"

"Specifically a coronet over two gules lions passant on a field d'or... the crest of the reigning monarch."

Shinata raised an eyebrow.

"Err... Tordian heraldry used to be a hobby of mine, back when I read Knighthood manha..."

Shinata thought for a moment. There was the possibility of the symbol being a warning against support for ex-royals, left by extremist revolutionaries. But if that were the case, then they would have had no reason to take him alive... it seemed more likely that Glenn had been kidnapped by feudalist elements who wanted to prevent him from showing further support for revolutionary progress, while at the same time using him to legitimize their reactionary terrorism...

Shinata took out his cellular phone and began to make some calls.

Emergency Statement to Press from the Spyran Ministry of Justice, regarding investigation into the kidnapping of citizen Glenn Tord.

"... evidence indicates that the blaze was certainly the result of arson, attempting to conceal the murder of three Tordian militia volunteers and the forceful kidnapping of citizen Glenn Tord by reactionary feudalist criminals.

Citizen Glenn has had a disdainful past... as monarch, he stood at the pinnacle of feudal eploitation, and earlier supported reactionary policies which sought to block revolution and usurp the throne from his sister Patricia. However, it was Glenn's support of Strainists in the First Assembly which allowed revolution with only a minimum of chaos, and his recognition of the people's will, and subsequent abdication, which allowed the formation of a stable new state. Citizen Glenn had even applied to join the People's Army , hoping to atone for past transgressions by sacrificing himself in service to the masses. Glenn is not innocent, but he is repentant, and in time he deserves a chance to earn the people's forgiveness.

His kidnappers hope to block him from re-uniting with the people, preventing him from realizing the truth of revolutionary spirit. They hope to continue their exploitation not only of Tord but also of Glenn, using him to provide false justification for continued murder and oppression. When they discover that he will no longer aid in the evils perpetrated against the people, then there is reason to suspect that they will murder him, and then resort to elaborate deceptions to preserve the falsehood of his continued survival for their own ends.

If any shred of morality remains within his kidnappers, we ask them to return Glenn to Tordian authorities, and end the suffering this act has caused.

We also ask the people of Tord to join their efforts in reporting any knowledge which might pertain to this awful incident, and assisting in the apprehension of all feudalist reactionaries.

Sol Sanctum, Tord

SRA officers reccomend tripling the guard currently associated with Patricia and Luke Tord, to protect them against similar kidnapping attempts.

Taihang University of Science and Technology, Spyr

Samples arrive from the shot-down aircraft... wreckage is observed, and blood-tissue samples are used to attempt extraction of DNA, though obviously the Spyrans doubt their own records will provide a match.

Aria, Tord

LJDC Command releases full details of the aircraft incursion to its allies, along with an invitation for input in the investigation. A public press conference is scheduled to occur once initial investigative work is complete.

Hindustani representatives are invited to tour and observe Spyran coastal defences [post with details on the spotter system forthcoming after I get some sleep...]

(OOC: North Yaman, I guess its up to you what happens to the red cross cutter cutting through your space, as for the wagon heading to Penance...)

Transportation to the Island is usually done through the government established ferry system. Employing wooden galleons or retired fishing ships, passengers are charged a fair fee for shuttle over. Passengers are listed and a ticket system is used to verify their fare.

There are also many fishing ships active in that region, from big sail boats to small rowboats and everything in between, and it is not uncommon for a fishing ship to make the trip to penance or accept fares.

A note on the Island of Penance:
It is an island populated mainly by monasteries, nuneries, abby's and the like. It is a holy place and a spot for pilgrimages.
It is also home to a large prison housing a good deal of royalists left over from when Glenn attmepted to seize the throne years ago from his sister.
There is an SRA radar/air defence station on the island facing to the West.

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

Secretly, Luke has been moved to a small farming community East of Broken saints (in the North of Tord) under the disguise of a farmers son. A fake replacement for Luke is put under guard at the university on Sol Sanctum, and the public is led to believe that this is the real prince, under guard.

Patricia is folowed at all times by a dozen armed guards, something that took a great deal of effort to convince Patricia to allow, as well as a gaggle of indignant people worried and angered at the prospect of her person being in danger. In addition to this, she is almost always in public active and surrounded by Sister of Mercy activities. Her lodging is always under guard (a Sisters of Mercy Abbey in Sol Sanctum, the abbey is now guarded by two dozen soldiers, her rooms guarded by 6). Her food is taste tested, as well as inspected and prepared by trusted chefs along side guards. The places she visits are preceded by inspectors armed with scent dogs.
Patricia is also often accompanied by her fiance, Alexi, an active Strainist and formed high ranking member in the Spyran government (correct me if I'm wrong on this account, Spyr). He is also now kept under guard with about half the force of Patricia's.
As an inconsequential side note, many of the guards employed to protect Patricia and the fake Luke are former non-imprisoned Grail knights. Their order has been protecting the monarchs for centuries, so they aare well versed in the siblings well being.

-Ogakaru Plains District, Southern SFDNY-

The Spyran Raven design tilt rotor glided above the golden fields, passing over a mounted regiment of Highguard horsemen. The Helekaru, the religious tribal people's of the plains, had allied themselves with the Strainists who had saved their leader Mitsurugi and defeated the violent Warlords that had threatened the more peaceful Helekaru.

Now the product of their alliance was bearing fruit. As the transport came into view of the coastline, the farming collectives began to spread over the fertile plains. Finally, the tilt rotor was flying over the new industrial centres that clustered around the growing city of Hairukahama. Setting down in the local landing zone, the Airguard soldiers escorting General Kwa spread out around the area and watched for signs of trouble.

A Spearguard officier broke away from the crowd and approached the Airguard General. After throwing up the strainist salute, the two began talking.

'We were just informed of your inspection General. Is Yanheshi Command wondering how the Helekaru developement is proceeding?'

'Yes. High command wants the naval program accelerated, especially with the recent unidentified airspace incursion and Glenn's mysterious disapearance.'

'Well just this way sir.'

Thesho, formerly a small fishing town that straddled the Kar, was now a small city based around the military barracks and warehouses that had sprung up in the past year. The railroad brought more and more supplies in from the Kaiokeni and Yamani industrial centres, further expanding the coastal defences.

'Over there sir, you can see the military port is completed. We only just finished the last dry dock over the weekend. Not exactly on schedule, but we're trying as hard as we can. Also we're working with Tordian developers on the other side of the Kar to establish a twin city across the river.'

'Excellant. What of the Airguard base in Hairukahama?'

'No where near as on schedule as we are sir, but the facilities there will allow for easier access to airspace over the Great Revolutionary Sea.'

'So, when can the naval program begin?'

'It already has sir. As we speak the hardware is being unloaded and the engineers are arriving from LJDC to over see the beginning of construction.'

The General stood near the first dry dock, where the shell of the first Yamani built ship was taking form. Flanked by concrete pillboxs facing the sea, the General contemplated the distant peninsula, and the hardships that might face the both Peninsular revolutions in the coming days.

OOC: just want to check something...there is a Quinntonian built 'Osprey', piloted by the French, flying out of Russia and into North Yaman while broadcasting a 'Russian Red Cross Transponder signal'...

((Exactly so. Trey Bien. BTW, Kudos on putting the story together so well, I knew Id only get one crack at this hair brained sceme.))

The convoy reached the shore, and looked out over the cold grey ocean. They would procure a small fishing boat, and sail it out mid-channel.

For that was the secret of the escape. They would not be picked up from the Island at all, but hoisted straight out of the water, hence the need for an Osprey!

HMCMS Cutter was only about a day out from the Lyong Sea, and its crew had been well drilled in emergency retrieval operations.

So DeSeze gritted his teeth, he was absolutley exhausted. He freed the shaky Glenn, recaptured him yet again, and dragged him on a horse bound tour of Tord. They hoisted the tranquilized Glenn from the cart, glenty placing him in the rickety fishing schooner (incidentially, they were now dressed as lowly fishermen, but the Russian passports remained...time was near out for the valiant ODSL rescue team).

Then, the ten ODSL agents heaved to, and the rowboat began to move with the tide out into the cold sea. When they were far out enough, they threw up the sail, and moved out towards the Penance Channel.

DeSeze sent the final transmission to the Osprey "Green Light."

The Osprey now thundered south over North Yaman, being registered as a NGO humantitarian plane (it carried no armaments). The crew began the final steps before descent and pick up. The navigator was already plotting the line to Ft. St. Louis in Ahzad, then onto Versailles.

DeSeze then began a prescribed time alotment on his stop watch. When it finished ticking down, the Osprey would be in the immediate vacinity. Then the distress beacon would activate, the flare would go up, and crunch time would begin.

The system of coastal spotters established by the SRA in Spyr, and to a lesser extent Tord and Yaman, evolve out of a need to supplement the regular military radar stations dotting the peninsular coastline. The idea emerged initially as Spyr scrambled to build up technological defences, and has continued to prove most useful: transform the coastal population into a visual monitoring system.

Every citizen on the coast of Spyr is considered part of the Coastal Guard. While some are armed members of Levy militias, the Coastal Guard itself is not a combat force: this minimizes training requirements and disruption to regular productivity.

Each citizen (including children, roughly beginning at age six) is given an identification manual with profiles of known friendly and hostile aircraft & vessels, a pair of binoculars, and a cellular telephone, all of which are relatively cheap to manufacture. They recieve training in use of the equipment, and practice at quick identification through slide projectors... in peacetime this can total as little as two hours weekly, increasing in wartime or emergency.

Each village will have a rough schedule worked out in committee, so that at least one person is out observing at any time, but this is usually supplemented by additional citizens keeping watch as they go about their regular jobs or liesure time... no image of a romantic seaside picnic is complete without the presence of binoculars and identification manuals. Fishermen out in boats also carry with them their spotting gear.

When an aircraft or ship is sighted, a spotter calls it in to an SRA defence monitoring station, conveying details about type, course, speed, etc. which s then correlated with existing data and radar information. Where something is amiss, mobile radar units or air patrols are diverted to the area for further investigation... if the spotter report seems to indicate pending attack, these are accompanied by militia mobilization and further SRA forces.

Local militia headquarters (interchangeable title with police stations) have a trained military officer who, amongst other duties, helps coordinate Coastal Guard and houses a radio for emergency reporting should enemy attacks disable cellular networks.

((Lights a cigarette and wipes sweat off forehead...checks stop watch))

(OOC: fyi, Elkazor; unless the operatives bought a ship off some fishermen [which I've no doubt they've got the coin to do so] then there'll be a few [I'll say four] Tordian fishermen on the boat as well. they'll put up a fuss once they/if they realise what's afoot, but I'll let you handle them as you please. If there're fishermen at all.)

((Of course. Say the agents traded gold watches or some such, sun glasses if you will, with the fishermen to help "row them out to sea a bit". Heh, they may even be stolen away to serve as Glenns Tordian attendants. But yah, please feel free to throw up what obstacles you will. Myself, I am looking forward to the heroic reception Glenn will get in France, lauded and praised and funded to take back his throne. Whether he does it or not is another story, but it will be one hell of a reactionary adventure...it already has been))

(OOC: oh you've planted the seeds of temptation in Glenn's mind Elkazor...biblical references and such...It'll be quite an adventure to see his development if he reaches France. He very much enjoys power, and very much likes taking advantage of a situation that would allow him some.
And Spyr, that coastal lookout strategy is a brilliant idea! I think I"ll copy it to the letter! [Course you've already seen to it that it's already underway in Tord, which helps to make it so sooner than later])

The Spyrian system is very appealing to the HDF, especially now that news of some Chinese stealth types have begun production. It would probably be a fairly popular activity as well, airplane spotting.

And since I doubt Hindustan will be doing much besides upgrading old soviet sets and keeping the ten or so good Bedgellen radars operated in good condition, spotters will be very useful, especially on the southwest coast.

As information on the downed aircraft filters in, Hindustani analysts get right to work, and the government offers the Daman, Surat, and Halida to the Lyong Joint Defense Command for the time being.

OOC: Okay, slow down Elkazor. I just wanted to check that this was actually happening. As soon as you crossed into Yamani airspace, the wheels on a very simple, yet rather important, system would begin turning.

-Airguard radar detection site, Shi Daoken city-

Beneath the majestic Mt. Bektu, the northern stronghold of the SFD spread out, hugging the cliff faces and sprawling about the whole valley. Shi Daoken, formerly the seat of the Mekura House, had sided with the Strainist Spearguard early on in the Yamani Revolution and the city had only prospered for it. A transportation center of the mineral rich highlands, the city funnelled raw materials to the industrial cities of the south.

It also had the important job of watching the Russo-Yamani border. Relationships with Xiaguo were only improving, and the only other border nations were members of the Lyong Treaty, so Russia remained the unknown entity. Spearguard forces, though engaged in the blostering of defences along the Helekaru coastline, had always maintained a watchful eye on their northern neighbours.

That watchful eye was quick to pick up the entry into Yamani airspace of a single Russian tilt rotor. The Airguard communications officier on duty, trained in Lyong Treaty and International law, send the news immediately to Mioka Ro. There was a Russian aircraft entering Yamani territory, declaring to be part of Russian Red Cross. This was odd, considering the lack of forward announcement of a medical transport and the illegality of the whole procedure.

'Russian 'Osprey', you are cautioned that you are entering sovereign Yamani airspace. You have not received permission to use a flightpath over the SFDNY, nor is your emblem of the Red Cross recognized under Yamani law. If there is a medical emergency in this nation, the Yamani Red Cross will handle it, and may then request assistance from foreign emergency services. You are to turn back towards Russia immediately, and contact the YRC for clearance.'

-Mioka Ro, Yanheshi Shan'ge (the spearguard tower)-

With the message from Shi Daoken received, things progressed quickly in the capital. Normal practices were no more leninent than times of trouble, but the recent mysterious flights over Tord had made security over the Peninsula much more tense than usual. Two flights of Miggens were ordered into the air, one from Mioka Ro and one from its counter part airfield in Kaiomachi. Diplomatic messages were sent to Russian officials, asking why the Russians were risking an international incident by breaking Geneva conventions.

When it became obvious that the intended flight path of the Osprey would take it near the capital, all hell began breaking loose. No one was sure who was attacking the SFDNY, but it would only take one nuclear bomb dropped on Mioka Ro to destroy countless innocent Yamani.

(sorry, securities making me leave the computer lab...I'll have to continue this later. For Elkazor, just respond to the transmission out of Shi Daoken please.)

Within minutes of the crossing of the Osprey in Yaman, secure messages are sent to Lyong Joint defence Command in Lyong-shan, warning of a mysterious tilt rotor declaring to be a Russian Red Cross flight. LJDC is informed that the Airguard is ready to fire on the aircraft if it does not turn back to the nearest Russian landing field, or land in Yaman for the clearance and processing it should have received before hand.

(OOC: Could someone please tell A.C. about all of this. It seems Elkazor has gotten him involved...)

High level communications [OOC: telegram ^_^] are sent from the PRS to the Russian government and Russian Red Cross, regarding the Osprey.

((Please see the thread "Red Square Earns its Title". Louis financed and supported huge Russian Mafias, they are in high posts and owe him substantial favors. Of course check with AC, but I assume the passports would be the highest clearence possible.))

The Osprey would respond to the challenge, sending its detailed transponder codes and links.

"This is RRC Flight 32, on a pressing mission of mercy to the distraught Island of Hudecian Borneo. In our course we must pass over your country, but this is perfectly legal according to International Flight Law and Humanitarian Conventions. Please contact Russian Red Cross Headquarters in this matter, we will be exiting your air space in minutes, and are willing to recieve a fighter escort while traversing your airspace."

The Transponder codes would be verified as coming from the Kremlin itself, thanks to Louis good friend "Red Leader." It would be a least a few days before they could be verified as fradulent.

Meanwhile the boat was floundering in the cold sea, the Osprey still heading south to link up with it.

The next response comes out of the Yanheshi Shan'ge, and reflects a much calmer situation in the capital. Sithin and Lyong-shan are contacted with the news, and plans are quickly made for the escorting of the Osprey out of Lyong territory.

"Sorry for the confusion RRC Flight 32. With the tense situation in the waters between the Peninsula's, we have to take every unannounced act very seriously. We are dispatching a flight to escort you out of Lyong treaty territory and see you on your way."

"I must stress that any deviation from your flight path will be taken as a hostile action, but please understand this is only a technicality due to your lack of verification and the tension in the region. Good luck RRC 32."

The Miggen patrol out of Mioka Ro meets up with the Osprey, and transmissions show the flight path of the escort as taking it through Yamani and Tordian airspace.

(OOC: Elkazor, I don't think you understand the nature of the Lyong Treaty. Spyr can detail it further, but every military personnel in Tord, NY and Spyr has expanded duties under the LJDC - Lyong Joint Defence Command. The escort over Tord would come from Spyr or Yaman, as Tord doesn't yet have the resources for an air force.)

((Of course, Im hear to learn too. Please, consider that the pilot would 'have known' that, and anticipated such a request. Well play it by ear, so to speak))

The fishermen on the boat try to stike up conversations with the operatives, asking simple, but annoying questions that people will tend to ask, how was their trip, where they're going, who they're visiting, where they're from, just striking up small talk, and talking about other, inconsequensial topics as well, they are curios of the unconscious fellow they're carting around, is he alright? does he require any help? they ask.

OOC: Never mind then. I forgot you had such high level contacts, but inform me of it before you do a thing like this next time, Elkazor.

OOC: So I guess everything appears legit from the Russian point of view..your move Elkazor. That patrol will be shadowing your moves though.

The Russian Red Cross sent the following communique to the Spyrans:

"We apoligise for the previous confusion. We misplaced the transponder signals, as our information databases are outdated."

Back at their headquarters, a Russian gangster snickered...

((Of course, AC. You know, I think the Identity of Red Leader would be happily discovered in the secret course of a good will trip to Versailles, if ya know what I mean. After all, even though the looting of Russia is over, the Mafia must still be going. If I go too fast in this post, y'all feel free to chime in.))

The fisherman were given answers the equivalent of "Sight Seeing" and "This fellow had bad meat."

DeSeze answered tacitally, but gave no real answers. It could only be assumed, though, that after such a long ride the Kings make-up would have worn off a bit...Glenn might very well strike these fisherman as the King indeed.

But all that was put off now, the mission was reaching its climax. As the rickety boat hit mid channel, Raymonds radio flared to life.

"Et Rege Eos, Green light recieved. Prepare for immediate pick up." The radio then went to static again.

Glenn was woken up, the fisherman were quickly hand-cuffed and moved to one corner of the boat...no chances being taken.

At this time now the Osprey was well into the Sea, several miles above Penance Island. 'RRC Flight 32' radioed their escort that they had to loose altitude for a few minutes, there was a glitch in their vertical horizon. And like the bird of prey that it was, the Osprey descended like a stream lined anvil, still on course and radar, but diving sharply (perhaps to a specific point).

Chevalier DeSeze had just finished a prayer when he heard a comrade shout out "M'lord! Six O'clock!"

In the distance the Osprey was visible above the heavily clouded and barren sea. Gritting his teeth, and knowing there was no turning back, DeSeze sent up the flare, which exploded brilliantly over the boat.

Now was the moment. All waited for the lines to drop. Glenn was moved into posistion, along with DeSeze they would go up together first. One wrong move, and the cold ocean would devour them all.

OOC: No, I think I'll just keep that a secret for now. Makes things more interesting.

((Okie doke. At any rate, I think the Mafia and Louis need a spritzer. Maybe the fat man, what was his name? Come on by, I have a whole new generation of plans which could make the Mafia and HMCM even richer. PErhpas of the Tiger Claws post, twould seem appropros))

((Sorry, should have included it in the last, but at least this post will serve as a bump))

As the Osprey made its deep descent and flares went up, HMCMS Cutter had reached the entrance to the Gulf, however not entering it. The Brest Class Frigate made for 1/4 Speed as the C&C Crew tried to process radar and signal data. From the information found, du Pin concluded that "Et Rege Eos" was underway...he could only hoped it worked.

This was to be a last option, if all else failed. If all else did fail, Commodore Vicomte de la Tour du Pin had been authorized to go weapons hot and to enter the zone: At whatever cost he was to rescue King Glenn and bring what agents he could back to safetly.

OOC: Alexandrov? Yes, Ilona's handling Chiisu, so I'd expect him to visit soon...

'Flight 32, you do not have clearance to stop in this zone. Procceed on, or your actions will be labelled hostile by the LJDC. Please stay on course.'

The Yamani flight of Miggens continue to follow the Osprey and request further assistance from Spyran forces in the region.

Glenn wasn't sure what was going on, somehow he was now in the middle of the ocea, everyone looked near panic, there were several handcuffed me in a corner of the deck....what on earth was going on?!
The operatives were keeping a close eye on him, fine, they were still keen to keep him.
The handcuffed people were huddling together and talking in shushed tones....he doubted they woudl be very sympathetic to him if they knew who he was, he assumed most of the people of Tord didn't know his exact face, merely a description that varied per region, but doing something was better than doing nothing.
He was able to meet the prisoner fishermens eyes, then turned slightly and raised his manacled hand to reveal his royal signet ring.
To make sure there were no questions as to his identity, he asked the prisoners acrss the way: "Your former King wishes to know what is going on."
Glenn then jerked his head slightly in the diretion of his nearest Captor, and then held the gaze of the fishermen.
Glenn had noticed a plane coming in overhead, this was it, no going back after that plane reached him.
He saw the flare go up.....looking up again, he saw more planes shadowing the osprey.....Yaman miggens he recognised from his studies abroad....What the hell were they doing here?! Either they were helping these french agents....they had come to finish him off....or perhaps they were the rescue team?
Not much luck on that latter one, but he coud always hope, at any rate, he wouldn't go down without a fight....a pity though, he had always immagined being buried in the royal tombs beside his "fellow" kings...a cold water tomb didn't fit him...ah well...
the opsrey had gotten close, too close, it was right on top of them. And operative reached for him and then,
He then blinked quickly at the fishermen, breaking his gaze and signifying what he hoped would be some dramatic action on behalf of the fishermen...
He lunged at an operative that stood in between him and the water, using his numb and grogg-yness to his advantage when he head-butt the fellow as hard as he could with his full weight behind it., twisting and grabbing the fellows holster in mid-head-thrust, gripping the weapon tightly in his hands.
Handcuffed and dazed as he was, he was no stranger to combat. Albeit he hadn't a good track record, close combat was something he concentrated and learned extensively in. It was tiem to proove these frenchmen he was no helpless puppy.
Glenn saw the fishermen charge the operatives almost right away, hallelujah! A speck of hope in this dark situation....he did hope those noble fishermen weren't killed. out of the corner of his eye he coud see two had managed to get their cuffs off, probably use hooks or somesuch, as they chraged.
He didn't have the time to lok back, hardly changing his course for the rail after his headbutt, he lept with all the force his legs coud afford him off the rail into the cold waters.
He dove as best he could and set his legs to working furiously away from the boat, but turned into a sort of backstroke to to shoot (and then kick if he ran out of bullets) at any pursuers that came at him.
As he turned into his backstroke, he noted one of the fishermen had joined him in the waters, seemingly to accompany him, it was one of the un-cuffed ones.
The other three fishermen were brawling on deck....odds are they wouldn't last long against trained armed operatives...

Western Sea, west of Metaken.
The approach of a Brest frigate was observed by Spyran fleet units, who were still expecting an advancing Quinntonian fleet. While it was suspected that Paris and Washington were close, a single French vessel did not appear to herald an invasion.

Off Penance
The flare lit up the sky, shortly followed by a burst of Yamani radio chatter. Aboard the Spyran frigate Soyo-e, officers and men slid into battle stations.

"Bring SAMs and the forward gun up to fire on my mark... let the Yamani take lead for now."

OOC: So, is this bird still trying to land Elkazor?

((This scene is good enough to be in a block buster movie, I think. BTW, here is a portrait of the worlds most delightful King, His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX HMCM Louis XX (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Louis15-1.jpg) ))

In a few seconds, after a nod from DeSeze, silenced pistol shells zipped into the water, ending the efforts of the demmed fisherman to 'save the day'. Each Agent fired several times, to be sure of the matter. Blood began to color the water, rippled and misted by the force of the tilt rotor above.

Glenn was another kettle of fish (appropriate metaphor, I think). DeSeze cussed very loudly, the noise drowned out by the Osprey now directly overhead.

"Rope the son offa bitch!" yell Raymond. His men, disoriented but excellently trained, sent the fishermens nets in the water, soon covering Glenns kicking form. When they were locked tight, indeed after Glenn began to submerge due to his no swimming room, the net was attached to the Ospreys first line, and like the bird of prey, reeled in the catch.

It was quite a sight to be sure. King Glenn of Tord, enmeshed in a great fishing net, being hauled upwards towards the Osprey, Migs zipping by.

More ropes were thrown down, and the Agents were hauled up to the Osprey, DeSeze being the last to be pulled up. As he gained altitude, watching the fishermens bodies stain the water a deep red.

Meanwhile, in the Osprey, the pilot sent the MIGs a signal.

"We have had to make an emergency stop to pick up several stranded sailors, we will rendevous with you over Borneo. Please continue escort operations, we expect to be back on course within minutes."

They would not turn back. As the pilot was finishing his signal, HMCMS Cutter made 120% on the engines into the Gulf. Coming into radar range of the crisis, Commodore de la Tour du Pin ordered weapons to go hot. Alarms played on the frigate, calling men to battlestations. As the Brest Class frigate sped forward, it sent a signal of its own, and lit up the MIGs with its targetting system, training SAMS to them. The Spyrian frigate was also warned to stand down, as they were interfering with a mission to the upmost importance.

"This is the Vicomte de la Tour du Pin to hostile aircraft. You are interfering with a International Red Cross Mission. This Osprey is on a mission of mercy, from the highest levels. Stand down at once!" As the Vicomte finished his message, the rear of the frigate was cleared off, making room for the Osprey to land, technically on French territory.

The frigate was still some fifty nautical miles out from the confusion, buts it weapon systems were top notch.

Also, seemingly at once, calls began to pour into the North Yamani, Spyrian, and Tordian governments...straight from Versailles. The calls would make the point explicit that if any harm came to either the Osprey or HMCMS Cutter, dire consequences would be the result. The cargo was not yet identified, only claimed as a 'important' aspect of His Most Christians Majesties
philanthropy vis a vis the Red Cross. If, however, they stood down and allowed the mission of mercy to continue, His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX would see to it that commercial prosperity via trade with the west would be pumped into their respective governments.

((Typical French call, 100% all over the map. Very polite, and even more oblique.))

OOC: Can we do this one thing at a time....if Osprey has begun decending, the fighters would have to take action.

Approaching the Tordian coastline, the Miggen flight immediately notices the change in the Osprey's altitude. The message from the tilt rotor comes through, and only serves to further add to the strangeness of this unnannounced Red Cross flight.

"Flight 32, desist in your change of course. There is no emergency, or it would be dealt with by the proper local Red Cross authorities. You have no authority here, and if you continue, we will be forced to open fire."

Still the Osprey dove down. Communications to Airguard and the LJDC announced the oddness of the change in flight path from the mysterious tilt rotor, and for clearance to change the status of Flight 32 to hostile.

Soon the tilt rotor was skimming above Tordian waters, followed immediately by the five miggens. The response to the fighters request was immediate: LJDC was going to take no chances.

"RRC Flight 32, you have fifteen seconds to change course and report to Lyong Joint Defence Command to speak for your actions. This is the first and only warning you will receive."

In his head, the Airguard lead pilot began counting.

((okay, my bad. Lets assume that the second the Osprey began to dive, both the frigate and Versailles would have sent their messages. If you wish to shoot it down, I can hardly stop you. At the same time, please be aware that the migs would have noted they had been themselves locked onto by the incoming HMCMS Cutter. We can do it one step at a time, didnt mean to seem as if rushing...but please recognize that IC all these things would have been coordinated to occur at once. Hit me up if you have more questions, concerns, hopefully maybe a few compliments.))

The Osprey did not answer after sending the initial message, it went into hover mode and continued to conduct the operation.

Meanwhile, HMCMS Cutter was still 20% above flank speed, and made sure that the lock on the migs would be visible to all, sending out radar and sonor pings out so loudly that it caused some static on the radio equipment.

(OOC: I want to apologise to North yaman, I took some liberties and stepped too far ahead without letting you post, my bad as well.
If The Osprey makes it as far as it did in my last post, then treat all of that previous stuff as hapened, if it doesn't...meh.
Also, Elkazor, Glenn would have shot at the operatives when they prepared the net, possibly wounding and killing some of them...possibly somewhat fumbling the net tactic, though I guess we'll see how far the osprey before worrying about that.))

((Yah of course. Id say he wounded two, killed one to be generous. But yah, lets see how this turns out. its one of those RPs that becomes linear and organzied when it is finsihed. Quite fun, though. Oh well, Im off. Looking forward to the morrows excitement. Ciao.))

(OOC: no problem Elkazor, just wanted to take it bit by bit. And you're right, this is the type of thing that becomes set after the fact.)

Suddenly, the Miggens find there lock-on alarms sounding. The French had a lock on there position. This, of course, threw the pilots into a frenzy. Who was attacking us? Where is this coming from?

With constant communication going between the LJDC and the Miggen lead pilot, the Lyong Treaty was immediately notified of this act of war and invasion of Tordian waters. In mere seconds, the lead Miggen order the firing of missiles on the Osprey and the hostile 'Cutter',(this is only if the Cutter enterred Tordian territory) before pealing off in evasion tactics.

(yeah, i think if anyone suddenly found themselves under target from a random attacker, they would shoot at them as well. Also, if you want Glenn to live, we can say the Osprey exploded above him.)

Yamani officials immediately begin grilling their French counterparts (whom they've had little or no contact with up until now) on the invasion of Tordian waters and the French position as relates to these illegal invasions of Lyong Treaty waters and airspace.

IC:

Sitting off of Tord, the Hindustani flotilla soon picks up the French frigate with the massive radar perched atop the Daman.

"We have a bogey surface contact, range approximately (x) kilometers. Its radio signature looks european!"
"Attention Lyong Joint Defense Command, this is the HNS Daman. We have detected an unidentified surface contact off of southern Tord."

OCC: The Daman, as well as the Surat and Haldia, could engage the Cutter if it was within 250 kilometers with their AS. 117 anti-ship missiles (the frigates would have to rely on the Daman for radar coordination), and if the distance is greater they could probably send out an Alouette with an anti-ship missile or two. Again, I'm not sure about the radar thing, but I assume that the fact that the Cutter is actively emitting radar signals has nullified any stealth characteristics that it might have had.

IC:

The flotilla makes its way towards the site of the crisis at full speed, weapons systems ready to engage targets. While it could be anything, the ships are very jumpy, especially with all this trouble going on concerning the burning of Glenn's prison, and could match any French vessel in terms of anti-surface weaponry and CIWS, if not overall technological advancement. And to boot, there are three Hindustani ships to the one French vessel, although the crew doesn't know its origin just yet.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/images/d-92-liverpool-DN-SN-87-04506.jpg

The Daman makes its way towards the bogey surface contact.

As the French vessel suddenly increased its speed and veered into the newly claimed Lyongian half of the Sea, it was bombarded with a furry of radio messages from Spyran vessels in the area, who began moving to close in on the HMCMS Cutter's position.

"Attention Fench navy vessel. You have entered territorial waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of member states within the Lyong Joint Defence Command, within which all non SSRC military shipping has been expressly restricted. If you do not withdraw immediately, this violation will be considered a criminal act, and you will be forced to surrender your vessel through use of all neccessary force."

---------

Ships of the Hindustani and Drapoel navies, participating in the SSRC exercises in the Sea, are informed that a possible naval attack against Lyong is in progress. Assistance is requested.

--------

The call from Versailles resulted in an equally polite response stating that if French citizen Louis wanted to wax philanthropic, he could do it at home. Lyongian sovereign jurisdiction would be enforced.

-------

Responding to the threat to the Yamani caft, the Soyo-e's SAM launchers go active targetting the Osprey, while loudspeakers blare out an order for all civilian vessels to stand by for boarding and inspection.

------

Aircraft from bases on Metaken and around Naisho are scrambled to join Yamani Miggens in the air.

Alarms sound on the Daman, Surat, and Halida as news arrives as things could get dangerous.

Hatches are removed from AS. 117 cannisters, and the 40mm CIWS guns swivel spasmodically, ready to destroy any threats to the ships. If close combat is in store, the Cutter might be surprised to be engaged by rocket artillery. Hindustani Type 12 frigates generally carry the NAVLAR MRL in place of the dual 4.5in turret.

While in Hindustani waters a hostile ship would be assailed by a combined-arms force of AF, Army, and Navy assets consisting of fighter-bombers, land based ASMs, missile corvettes and submarines, the seagoing fleet is not afforded such luxuries as a 40-knot sprint and a nearby beach to ditch on, and therefore has to make due with much more limited, but still useful systems.

"Attention LJDC, have you confirmed the hostile nationality?"

The HN vessels want to make sure that they aren't about to lay some missiles into the side of a British or Quinntonian ship, the victim of an apprehensive LJDC. It would certainly crash the navy's chances of aquiring some Type 22 frigates from England.

"General Gemby, we are seeing some strange activity near Lyong!"
General Gemby was the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces of the most embattled patch of ground in the world, and with all of the recent hostilities coming from across the straight, this could be anything. He put down his coffee, and stood up in the Command Center, with the green glow of the various screens lighting his face as he said, "What is so strange about it?"
The very capable Quinntonina Lt. said, "Well, there seems to be movement of a single armed ship of European make, and it has its guns trained on some Spyran/Yamani fighters. This is seeming to draw the attention of about three good sized Hindustani ships that we have been charting in the area. I wouldn't have really noticed such small amounts of traffic, except for the speed that all the big boats seem to be moving, and so I asked our "listeners" to see of they could pick up anything, it wasn't much, but there was enough chatter to identify some nationalities."

General Gemby swore. He knew that the ship being charged was not Quinntonian, but who the hell were they? All the way out here and of that kind of design? Memories flashed about the set-up at the hands of Kurosian II that had led to the Three Years War, or Kurosians Rage, as it was sometimes known. Would the commies actually go far enough to dress up a ship and get the Hindustans to intervene so that there was "proof" of Quinntonian aggression?
"Moniter the situation, and get some more "listeners" in the area, I want to know what is going on."
Then, he picked up the phone.

WWJD
Amen.

Anticipating a possible full scale attack from Quinntonian-allied western powers (sorry Quinny, I know its not you out of character, but the SFDNY would immediately draw conclusions like that), the Airguard fighters are scrambled from Kaiomachi and Mioka Ro. AA guns go active, and the Spearguard military transport trains on their way to Drapol are warned of possible attacks on the important railway lines.

(OOC: just so I can keep track of things, I'm going to assume the Glenn's inconsequential fling into the ocean has not occured, due to the osprey being destroyed before it reached them, assuming this is kosher with Elkazor.)
Tordian vessels....if they can be called that (fishing boats with mortars) scramble, Tordian forces remain in contact with the joint defence command, though allow its more militarily apt neighbours to send in their vessels, both to keep their inferior vessels safe and to patrol the coast should any other hostiles show up.

Spyr's air and naval defences can also be seen to activate noticeably, though not with the same rush of their earlier panic upon sighting the unidentified French aircraft incursion. Detailed surveillance of the South Korean coast and Quinntonian fleet continues, as Spyr tries and discover if the French incursion is part of a larger attack plan.

The People's Navy's East Sea Fleet, partially activated for exercises, has responded in typical Drapoel fashion. The PAAF too.

Missile and torpedo boats have put to sea in large numbers along with several Igovian Hound Class D/E submarines. Several Mi-14 ASW helicopters also scrambled, and a number headed to the fringes of Quinntonian Drapoel waters and, along with patrol boats, took up confrontational stances as they scrutinised passing shipping for signs of hostile intentions.

Two KJ-1 attack planes bearing advanced Qian Wei anti-shipping missiles and two pairs of KJ-2 (Fitter) with less modern DSJ-1 native-designed missiles (as well as guns and defensive SRAAMs) took off from three seperate small-scale airfields across the east coast as the PAAF sought to cover as much sea as possible while also moving to the scene of existing confrontation. It was not long before Drapoel aircraft were over-flying the region of sea containing the French frigate. Da'Khiem was typically less interested than the Spyrian government in the probability of a potentially hostile frigate alone being the spearhead of an invasion, being as a boatload of refugees had ultimately lead to nuclear attack on the Republic just a few years earlier. It was probably only the limited avionics of their aircraft rather than political restraint that prevented the PAAF fliers from loosing missiles at the extent of their own impressive range.

...the French monarchy was not credited in Modern Kurosite Doctrine [revised since Kurosian I's assassination] with humanity, nor as such with the capability for carrying out humanitarian operations without negative hidden intentions. The Drapoel warriors continued their mobilisation as Wonsan [East Sea Fleet Command] tried to gather more information from the Republic's allies.

General Gemby does not like the many reports from his "listeners" that are streaming in. It seems as though there is a massive amount of mobilisation that is going on. And finally, with the scramblimg of so may fighters, General gemby could not saty his hand, there was no way Quinntonian Dra-pol was going to be caught with their pants down this time!
Firstly, he ordered that the naval elements in the region to go to battle stations, but ordered that they maintain their present patrols and headings, along with making no change to their speeds, so as to not appear hostile.
Second, with all this going on, all available fighters were scrambled, though 1/2 would be held back unitl the beginning of other hostilities.
(Man, that is going to light up a few radar screens) They are ordered to stay low and just circle the city itself, and moniter the situation, all civilian traffic is stopped and Quinntonian Dra-pol airspace is closed until further notice.
Third, The Westgaard line is put on fullest alert, though there didn't seem to be any more than the regular amount of Dra-poel activity, the chance couldn't be taken that this wasn't a full-scale, multi-national attack on Hamhung.
Fourth, the Southern Pacific Fleet is put on full alert and is also scrambling its fighters, it will be sending them towards the zone in question, but will not come more than 100kms away from the disputed zones. When/if they get to this area, they will set up a holding pattern outside until this is resolved.

OOC-Just so you know what this looks like, you will see a few hundred fighters take off all of the sudden and start to circle Hamhung. Which would make you very nervous, until you realise that all they are doing is having an extremely complicated holding pattern. Probably would look like a hornets nest, though.
That might not be too bad, but admittedly, youmay be getting just over 100 jest flying in from the Fleet as well, and realistically, you don't know that they are going to turn back. So, they will be blasting in a few hundred kms before that realisation comes in.
The strange thing is that Quinntonian naval elements will not be responding in any discernable way. And your people will prabably be able to tell you that if this was an invasion, one would think that, you know, elements would actually be entering your territory, not just swarming around ours.
IC-The next thing that happens is that all the Quinntonian diplomatic teams in all of your nations start pounding your leaders doors and calls are coming in asking what all the activity is about. They all profess ignorence, and an intelligent diplomat would notice that they are all dishevelled and unkempt, which means that they were woken up recently. Would you be able to sleep if you were going to be behind enemy territory when the invasion came?
Another thing about the invasion, there are no troop transports on the move, no Marines, no airborne transports moving in Green Berets, nothing.


I realise that the massive amount of planes in the air will maybe lead to WWIII, but I just couldn't honestly sit back and do nothing now that we are seeing you scramble fighters. Hopefully them damn frogs will get whats coming to them.

WWJD
Amen.

The introspective nature of Drapoel intelligence does not quickly alert the Republic to none-aggressive Quinntonian fleet movements, but that also means that the CPRD is unlikely to detect incoming fighters until they are close to the range they intend to keep from the most sensitive areas. The Drapoel reaction continues to lag a little behind others, initially. Republican responses are characterised by a brief delay after foreign activity, followed by a sudden burst minutes later as what might be called the primitive but extremely well oiled machinery of national defence grumbles into action.

Events in Quinntonian Dra-pol draw a more immediate response as ground-based radar sites turn on and off in seemingly random sequence and Banat systems collect data gathered from these odd bursts of activity- no one Drapoel radar site likes to keep a lock on a Quinntonian jet for more than a few moments, for its own sake. The many small strips surrounding the Quinntonian enclave of course see rapid launches in response to their scrambling of so many jets, but with interceptors lifting off on such short notice taking to the air on standing orders, they do not seek to enter Quinntonian airspace. This would not be the case for attack squadrons, but then these do not react first to air defence scramble orders, which is well!

On the ground, the significant forces facing the Wesstguard Line also respond to sirens, men and women dashing into mortar pits, machinegun nests, and HARTS, ready for action. This also entailed bringing up off-duty recruits from surrounding bases and communities. Beyond the immediate area, however, no new units were mobilised- some went on alert, but re-deployment towards Hamhung showed no sign of beginning.

Quinntonian diplomats, what few may remain, did not receive any speedy attention.

Quinntonian diplomats are greeted by their Spyran counterparts... its obvious that the Spyrans are jumpy, the result of nervousness and too much caffeine. After it becomes apparent that the Quinntonians are not delivering a declaration of war, they calm down slightly, but they continue to occasionally slip from speaking English back into their native Lyongian as they attempt to convey information.

"There is an attack taking place... apparently a French warship and an aircraft falsely flying Red Cross colours... may have something to do with an earlier incursion by several aircraft, which had been originally thought to be Quinntonian bombers... every effort is being made to gather information on the events, which will be fully disclosed as soon as possible. Operations by Spyr and allied powers are purely defensive in nature."

Inquiries are then made to the Quinntonians, asking the purpose of fighter launches from their fleet, and probing as to their knowledge of, or involvement in, the recent incursions.

=========

Spyr's SSRC allies begin recieving realtime (or as close as possible) updates on the current situation, including clarification that the incursion appears to be an independent action of the French feudal despot Louis. Spyran television and radio media interrupt regular programming to present live footage from a camera mounted on the Soyo-e as it approaches the Osprey and fishing boat.

=========

As Quinntonian fighters begin to come towards Lyong, further air units are launched, many taking up holding postions while others head to join the counter-action against the Cutter.

As the Osprey disintegrated, HMCMS Cutter launched a full spread of six Magic-VI SAM missles at the Migs which fired upon the French aircraft.

Knowing he was still in reach, Vicomte de la Tour du Pin ordered the frigate, after launching the missles, to continue at 120% towards the stranded party. He too, like the brave fliers of the Osprey, heroes all, would die fulfilling the orders of His Majesty. LRR ships would not be targetted, but if they fired du Pin would not hesisitate to send a few Triton missles at them, same went for any Tordian or Spyrian vessels.

On the boat, DeSeze felt his stomach drop as the Osprey flew apart. If ordered his men to fight to the death, all had their cyanide ready. Glenn would not be killed as a last resort. He he could not be rescued after all that trouble, oh well.

That did not mean that His Most Christian Majesty intended to abandon the issue. Versailles would go ahead with their reactionary plans for Tord, with or without Glenn, at least initally. Louis XX would ask the Red Mafia (hey AC) to send teams of operatives en masse into Tord at once. The French would cover the tab.

The Admiralty in Cherbourg, moreover, received orders from His Majesty to begin the outfitting of a fleet of war to be dispatched to New Caledonia at once (the fleet would include two Cherbourg Class Battleships, five Marseilles Class Light Cruisers, and eight Brest Class firgates. Not to mention and host of transport and supply ship, almost 1/3 of the French Royal Navy). Work began to improve Ft. Martin, the citadel of Caledonia. Those in the know had hints of elite Royal Army Mercenary Shock Troops being included in the planned deployment. Ft. Martins harbors and depots were ordered expanded, His Majesties government intended to turn it into Ft. St. Louis's Pacific counterpart. And news from Lavrageria had it that the Dauphin was being ordered to move to Royal Dauphin Corps to Ft. Martin ((The French would mix fresh troops into it, and provide a small garrison for French Interests in Lavrageria and the realm of Wingert I)), which would still take weeks to even begin doing. Indeed, since the war in Lavrageria looked over, and it looked as though His Majesties ally General Massad was bringing the rebels to heel, the Royal Military would be able to undertake a full operation (after a very long build up) against the Tordian Revolution. His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX now saw it as his personal mission to do this. It might mean the War Tax, ordained to support the Tsars actions in Lavrageria, might have to remain...but the burgeoning trade of the French Kingdom and its lucrative ventures in Al-Ahzad and Lavrageria would more than cover it. At any rate, Louis XIV had wadged fifty years of war because of his desire, and it spread both Royal prestige and Catholic (and Christianity en toto, for you QuinnProts out there)) religiousity across the world. Louis XV had nearly conquered India, and Louis XVI had liberated Quinntonia from the Brits. Louis XX had alot of catching up to do.

Louis XX therefore issued a Manifesto at the city of Nantes, which he was visiting to take the airs. He proclaimed that the Tordian Revolution would be ended, by his hand. His Most Christian Majesty announced his intention to storm the troubled land by force, in the South restoring King Glenn and in the North setting up a NATO government operated by Quinntonia.

In that spirit, calls were made from Versailles to Washington D.C. The Duc de Aquitane, in Washington D.C. in regards to the Lavrageria Treaty, would visit Prime Minister Obed in regards to this issue.

"Mr. Prime Minister. Surely, you must realize the very real danger of a growing Dra-poelian presence in the Lyong Sea. Indeed, the Strainists threaten to destroy the region before the butchers of Hamhung can arrive. My father wishes to purpose a joint operation. French forces will secure Tord, turning the Northern Half over to NATO as a base to support Quinntonnian Dra-Pol. The Southern half will be returned to King Glenn, including Penance Island, and the French will be allowed into Southern Tord as peacekeepers."

"Mr. Prime Minister, if you agree to work together with the Kingdom of France for our mutual interests of promoting order and anti-communism in Asia, My August Father will provide his stern promise of securing a Holy Leauge Condemnation of Dra-pol, and go about securing material whereby this new continental Europe can aid you in your quest of liberating Asia."

So as Ft. Martin in New Caledonia was redoubted with remparts, concrete trench networks, and fortified posistions like Ft. St. Louis; in Corsica Le Merechal de Saxe, First Lord of the Marshalry set up "Camp Reaction". The Royal Dauphin Corps would be transported here, along with other martial elements from the French mainland (although the Dauphin, having earned his laurels in Lavrageria, would retire to Versailles with Archduchess Jillesopone and await the arrival of their child). They would be drilled in Amphibious landing exercises, and would be outfitted as the Royal Dauphin Corps was in part rotated and expanded. In Cherbourg, the Admiralty began the nessicarily preparations for the outfitting of the fleet.

PM Jesse Obed was not amused. He was really in quite a pickle. He was facing down the Royalists in Europe, hoping to perserve peace, all the while trying to negotiate a treaty for that same purpose in Washington, and on a completely seperate note, tensions in Quinntonian Dra-pol were reaching a breaking piont. Now, these French bastards seem to be making all his nightmares come true. Now, all of the members of the Lyong treaty would finally have an "I told you so!" This would link Quinntonian interests for mercy with French Imperialism. And, it would most likely pull Quinntonia into a full-scale war on two fronts, seeing as how if they were linked with the loyalists in the negotaitions in Europe, the peace would end there as well. He had to think, were they just stupid, or was this part of something bigger?
Not only was this problematic, it presented major difficulties.
France could have been an important ally should war have ever come, but Quinntonia was going to ask for an ally in a defensive way, not offensive.

First-Quinntonia would redirect all questions as to NATO deployment of forces to the NATO Chairman, for discussion among current NATO members.

Second-Quinntonia would absolutely refuse to participate in French aggression against the government in Tord, and will stand with others in the region against such French agression. If a French Fleet was sent into the area, it would be percieved as a hostile threat to Quinntonian security and met with a Quinntonian Fleet in combat.

Third-Quinntonia, as holding the Chair position in NATO, would absolutely throw our entire support against anything of this nature

Fourth-In regards to this present situation, the local governments were going to contacted and asked if they would like military assistance with the French threat.

Fifth-Quinntonia would also direct their diplomatic teams to inform the local governments that Quinntonia has no part in this and is aghast at such action

Sixth-Quinntonia re-affirms that all peoples of the world should be able to choose what form of government they live under, no matter what that government is. That is why they remain in Quinntonian Dra-pol, becuase the people ask it. That is why the revolution against the butcher and war criminal King Glenn happened, because the people wished it. Quinntonia will stand against military subjigation of the will of the people wherever it is found.

Seventh-King Glenn is now wanted throughout all the world as war criminal, due to his actions against his own people with chemical weapons, etc, and if he is arrested in or by Quinntonian authorities, he will be prosecuted along other war criminals, like Kurosian II. Quinntonia is adding to this a 25 million Q/USD reward for the capture of King Glenn Tord.


While this sis going on, the Quinntonian ambassador to Versialles asks for an audience with the King so that the Quinntonian position on this matter can be properly defined.

WWJD
Amen.

OOC: Have no fear, the Mafia is here!

IC:

I never thought this would happen...Well, I guess that's why I keep these trump cards. For situations I never thought of...

And so, the Red Leader used his vast reserve of invisible might to summon forth his minions.

Admiral Putzkov was one such minion. A tough, hard bitten man in his 40s, he yearned for the return of the Tsar. This, combined with the hefty sums offered, allowed him to make his decision.

"It's time to go rogue."

Putzkov's battle group, which consisted of four medium class battleships, two fast attack submarines, and ten Mig-29M (With stealth additions) roared towards the last known location of the Osprey. They were currently patrolling the Russian coast, and it would only take them about half an hour to reach the French. Additionally, two Coast Guard rescue helicopters would arrive.

The Mafia wouldn't leave its closest allies to flounder in the water.

The Russian government would have no idea of this, and instead would be caught up in a frenzy to mobilize its forces in anticipation to the Lyongian tensions.

-Georgia, Russia, Azerbaijan Border- -Kazakhstan Border-
Hoping to capitalize on the fact that China is devouring itself in a civil war, and that all the other major regional powers look to annihilate themselves over a single French plane, Russian troops began secretly massing near the corrupt dicatorial states of Georgia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan...

"Its a French ship!"
"Ah, MATRA Magic radar signatures."

The Hindustani vessels close with the Cutter at flank speed, radars actively painting the frigate for a salvo of AS. 117 missiles unless the situation changes very soon.

As the French vessel lets loose its SAMs, pursuing Spyran ships respond with a volley of their own. Still trailing a dozen or so kilometres from the Cutter, the frigates Asagiri and Hirigiri each let loose a quartet of Mosquito ramjet anti-shipping missiles.

The Soyo-e brought itself about, moving at increased speed in an attempt to put itself between the French ship and the fishing boat. Its onboard helicopters were prepped for launch as it moved, while its paltry 5" gun aimed for the Cutter as its crew tried to position it to launch its own anti-ship missiles.

Putzkov's battle group arrived, and unleashed a vengeful fury. Missiles were launched from the four medium class battleships, towards the Spyrian and Hindustani vessels. The Mig-29M's moved in to engage any opposing aerial forces, and two rescue helicopters moved above the French vessel. A radio call announced their intentions to the French, and they quickly urged them to put Glenn and DeSaze into the copters.

"Mary, Joseph and Saints!, what the hell are the Russians doing?!" General Gemby picked up the phone and furiously dialed again, and the people on the other end were just as surprised.
He didn't change his orders for the military yet, and though it looked as though Dra-pol was on the move, right now it was just two very jumpy armies staring at eachother over miles of barbed wire and landmines. This went the same for the massive groups of planes circling like hornets in the sky, as both opposing air forces begna a test of nerves, though each was keeping defensive positions right now, if artillary bombardment or missile fire started to come from the other die, it was going to get ugly.
He ordered that all pilots beign to broadcast on open channels with all communications, and stay disciplined, only firing if fired upon. The hope was that if the Dra-poel could activelly listen to all their communications, they could see that the air force was not an attacking one, though his surviellance teams told him that only the interceptors were scrambled right now. This was going to be a long night.

The Red Phone rings for the first time in the new Republican Russia's history, and a nearly screaming PM Jess Obed is on the line, asking for Putin, "What in the Holy Hell do you think you are doing moving ships into that conflict?!"

WWJD
Amen.

A groggy Putin answered,"Mr. Obed, what are you talking about? What conflict? Wait, my aides are saying something..."

General Armand Domalewski said with a grim,"Mr. President, Russian ships have apparently engaged Hindustani and Spyrian vessels.:

"I gave no such order!"
"I know."
"Check all Lyong coastal patrols!"
"We already did, Mr. President. Two hours ago, Admiral Putzkov's battle group veered off course. They told us it was engine trouble, combined with bad weather. Apparently, Putzkov was lying."
"DAMMIT! He's going to get us into WW3! Damned Mafia! Damned French!"

Putin picked the phone up again, and relayed his information.

"In addition, I cannot send any forces to dispatch this rogue, as it will look like a full fledged invasion. Trust me, we are not interested in that at all."

OCC: Russia has battleships in the Pacific Fleet? Er...rather...um...odd...given the state of the Pacific Fleet as you seem to have protrayed russia, and I doubt that the mafia would be able to aquire three brand new ships of a presumably very high tonnage.

IC:

Finally, the battlegroup reaches the end of its teather. ASMs are shot at all hostile contacts, 24 in all, with another volley being loaded.

OCC: Russia has battleships in the Pacific Fleet? Er...rather...um...odd...given the state of the Pacific Fleet as you seem to have protrayed russia, and I doubt that the mafia would be able to aquire three brand new ships of a presumably very high tonnage.

IC:

Finally, the battlegroup reaches the end of its teather. ASMs are shot at all hostile contacts, 24 in all, with another volley being loaded.
Isn't this in the Lyong Penninsula? That's fairly near. And of course Russia has some battleships in the Pacific. They have to. They may not be good battleships, but they still have them. And there are four, by the way. They acquired them by bribing an already disloyal Russian admiral. Look at my first post regarding the issue.

IC:

One of the medium-class Russian ships was hit by the volley, but it was a glancing blow, luckily. Another ship was less lucky, and a gun turret was ripped off, starting a small fire ondeck. They continued to fire a mix of missiles and cannon volleys upon the Hindustani and Spyran vessels, hoping to beat them through sheer force.

OOC: Yeep... from the nearest point of Russian coast, around Lyong, to the zone off Penance would be some 1600+ km of travel... even if the Russian fleet was already moving southward between Lyong and Japan, a Mosquito missile travels its full course in about two minutes, and the bulk of Spyran, Yamani, and Drapoel response shipping and aircraft will have reached position.

Not to say you wont pelt us with flaming doom, but the French ship will probably take quite a pounding beforehand].

OOC: Oops. I apologize. I wasn't really clear on the distance. Besides, I thought the Spyrian vessels had already arrived.

[OOC: Well, several units are in the midst of responding, but of the 2/3rds of the Spyran navy based in the Sea, only 3 vessels are directly engaging while the others are still closing in or holding a bit further south off Metaken in case the Quinntonian fleet moves in for an attack.]

It had taken longer than in Spyr, but with near real-time information relayed from that nation (and with good internal communications born of an eternity in isolation), the Directorature's liasons finally hosted Quinntonian approaches. Though Drapoel diplomatic language is rarely straight forward, men and women experienced in dealing with the CPRD -such as would be the Quinntonians posted there- could probably feel as close as possible to assured that Hotan was not looking for a fight with them, today.

Though the Quinntonians had certainly become the Republic's foremost rivals, it was still hard to deny that the very concept of monarchy was public enemy number one in a land proud of its revolution against Wiman and its struggle against the Japanese Empire. The beginning of combat in the East Sea drew the immediate attention of Drapoel forces, and there was absolutely no doubt that the French vessels in the sea were doomed to a quick death. In the highly unlikely event that the French lasted the moments it would take for a Drapoel response to fall upon them, DSJ-1 anti-shipping missiles would begin to close with the frigate, first two then if required two more, in the short term, putting the vessel under saturation attack from several directions.

Speculation on a Russian attack -though not yet confirmed- saw activation of command elements associated with the United Workers' Militia, Kuro Student Defence League, and People's Rear Defence Organisation. The East Sea Fleet was moved to wartime footing, Admiral Kim-Kuro at the head of a theoretical strength of 493 hulls and 34 shore-based missile batteries, though the largest ship was his fourteen hundred tonne Al Khali-built frigate and many hulls were in less than immediate readiness.

The Northeast Defence District between Hyeson and the East Sea coast at Ch'ongjin saw the 6th Fighter Group and 4th Air Strike Group putting a good part of their hundred-odd airframes into the sky, while four infantry, one armour, one mechanised, one field artillery and one rocket support brigade reacted to orders for resistance of a Russian assault through Lyong. And the 5th Strategic Missile Field Regiment pointed some fifty Hwasong-6 missiles into Russia's far east; high-explosive, chemical, and nuclear payloads ready. In truth they would not be much offensive use unless deployed deep into Lyong before launching, but would certainly ruin any Russian army advance against Dra-pol's allies.

(In short, Dra-pol's scrambling to meet a Russian threat that probably doesn't exist (but that's what we do), is going to make damn sure that the French frigate is sunk (though our allies are probably more than capable of that anyway) and for once is less than fifty percent sure that the Quinntonians are behind what's going on (fifty one percent certainty being about the threshold for trying to kill everybody in Hamhung :) ). Ooh, I hope the French do have a go at Lyong. There's only so many times the Quinntonians and Drapoel can bring Asia to the brink of destruction before we get tired of fighting one another, and it is a while since we've had any over-confident imperialists to behead in public! Dra-pol has never been so well prepared for a fight.)

Isn't this in the Lyong Penninsula? That's fairly near. And of course Russia has some battleships in the Pacific. They have to. They may not be good battleships, but they still have them. And there are four, by the way. They acquired them by bribing an already disloyal Russian admiral. Look at my first post regarding the issue.

IC:

One of the medium-class Russian ships was hit by the volley, but it was a glancing blow, luckily. Another ship was less lucky, and a gun turret was ripped off, starting a small fire ondeck. They continued to fire a mix of missiles and cannon volleys upon the Hindustani and Spyran vessels, hoping to beat them through sheer force.

*Puts on propeller hat*

Battlecriusers of the Kirov class might be more realistic than true battleships (something the russians never really got aroudn the biulding since before ww1).
A squadron of four Kriovs accompanying a Kuznetov carrier with SU-33s and SU-25s would be a bit more fitting, but its your story and if you wish to ahve totally redone the soviet naval aviation equipment stock piles thats up to you (SNA never had any miG-29s they did trial a few MiG-29K carrier versions but they didn't like them, and land based fighter forces consited mainly of Su-24s).

Isn't this in the Lyong Penninsula? That's fairly near. And of course Russia has some battleships in the Pacific. They have to. They may not be good battleships, but they still have them. And there are four, by the way. They acquired them by bribing an already disloyal Russian admiral. Look at my first post regarding the issue.

IC:

One of the medium-class Russian ships was hit by the volley, but it was a glancing blow, luckily. Another ship was less lucky, and a gun turret was ripped off, starting a small fire ondeck. They continued to fire a mix of missiles and cannon volleys upon the Hindustani and Spyran vessels, hoping to beat them through sheer force.

OCC: Yeah, if you want to take WW1 vintage Ganguts, rebuild them, and put them back into service. As Strath said, Kirov missile cruisers would be more realistic, but the four that the USSR built were all based in the Northern fleet out of Murmansk. A squadron of Udaloys and Sovremmenys would be more likely.

Also, the AS. 117 is not a wimpy missile. It is a fast, hard-hitting missile, and unless you manage to shoot all 24 down, which is not impossible although difficult, whoever they hit will probably take a fair amount of damage. After all, they're supposed to threaten the French battleships.

IC:

Taken by surprise at the Russian attack, the task group withdraws after firing NAVLAR artillery rockets at the Russian ships (I presume that gun range is within 45 kilometers). The Daman, however, is devestated by Russian shells and left unable to protect itself from the coming ASMs, with the 40mm CIWS guns and ECM antennas off-line, and chaff dispensers largely destroyed.

The ship burns very badly as rounds cook off. The bridge is just a twisted heap of metal by now. The ship's Alouette III takes off at the last minute, and crewmen leap into the frigid Lyongian waters. The Surat and Halida dispatch their lifeboats to pick up survivors from the Daman as their own Alouettes carry AS. 110s (smaller ASMs designed for air-launching, with a 200km maximum range) towards the offending ships.

The frigates zigzag at sprint speed as their 40mm CIWS mounts and decoy systems try and swat down missiles. Shells splash around the ships as they attempt to get out of Russian ships' gun range and use their superior ASMs to an advantage.


Back in Hindustan, the naval command is very very dissappointed at the loss of one of Hindustan's precious destroyers. Two Delhi class destroyers and three Brahmaputra class frigates are immediately sent to the Lyong Penninsula from their station in the Bay of Bengal, although weather they arrive in time to do anything is uncertain, considering that it will take several days at least form them to arrive.

The government is even more displeased about the French designs on the Lyong peninsula. While Hindustan has never placed much stake in military operations alone to achieve its goals, a threat to Lyong is a major problem indeed. The Viraat and its battlegroup, consisting of just about every remaining HN ship except for the Pondicherry and Ahmadabad off of Al-Ahzad and two Leanders in Diu for repairs, are readied for action. The Hindustani submarine fleet is also put on high alert, although it is somewhat questionable that it will have any notable effect on a French battlegroup. After all, the HN operates everything from a handful of Bihar-class AIP boats, comparable to just about anything in the world, to the Foxtrot class D/E, a ship used as more of a submersible missile boat than anything else because it is highly unlikely that it would survive an engagement at torpedo range with anything but the most inept navy.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Images/Foxtrot7.jpg

An HN Foxtrot heading to sea.

Speech by Sutreiin Shiwen-daisu, Chairman of the Strainist Party, broadcast live on Lyong television and radio frequencies, and released internationally.

"In recent days there have been great insults and aggressions against the sovreign nations of the Lyong peninsula, against the will of the People... the bloodthirsty despot Louis, who has enslaved the people of France to his whims and supported the brutal invasion of budding East European democracy, now seeks to return the people of Tord to that horrible state of suffering under which they have long suffered and have now struggled to overcome. He prepares his imperialist armies to march upon our peninsula in order to accomplish this foul purpose... he expects us to kowtow to his display of brutality, to quiver in fear or to fall in defeat. But it is his own destruction that shall be realized.

We are the rock, the impregnable wall against which the oppressive slavedrivers of the French monarchy shall be smashed and shattered into pieces. We shall stand firm and we shall fight, driven by the knowledge that we defend not only our homes, but all of humanity, against the evils of feudalism. And, when the smoke clears and the field lies bare, it shall be the armies of Louis that shall be broken, it shall be Louis himself who shall no longer posess the thuggish might to keep the people of France in chains. Our battle here is a battle to defend ourselves and our ideals. It is a battle to preserve the new and beter life for which our Tordian comrades have struggled. It is a battle to release France from serfdom so it migh reclaim the path of its revolutionary history. And it is a battle that, by the spilling of our freely-given blood, the blood of innocents across the world shall not be shed."

East Sea/West Sea/ Sea of Japan

[OOC: Since the battle seems to be progressing, I suppose it should continue... just bear in mind that when Elkazor first responds to the attacks on his vessel, its happening prior to Russian arrival].

As the Russian vessels steamed into the sea, they recieved an increasing barrage of communications from Spyr, asking them their purpose, and then demanding they withdraw as it became apparent where they were headed. Calls demanding an explanation were recieved by the Russian government as rocket artillery and entrenched infantry went to combat readiness along the Meyon river (dividing border line between Lyong and Russia). With no Russian troop movements visible, Spyran military planners became even more confused about the extent of Moscow's involvement.

The Spyran vessels moving to intercept approaching Russian craft unleash their anti-ship missiles at first sign of Russia's barrage, before themselves being struck. The vessels disperse, CIWS flashing bursts of fire against incoming strikes, though against those missiles which are Russian ramjets, (the basis of Spyr's own ASMs) there is simply not enough time between launch and impact to eliminate all incoming threats. The lead ship, the frigate Fuayu, bore the brunt of the barrage, and began to limp slowly back with smoke and flames billowing up from its torn bow and foredeck. Another frigate, the Geayu, took a missile strike left of centre, sending valuable ordnance spilling into the sea as its port SSM launcher was sheared off to leave a smouldering would in the deck. It too began a slow retreat, though its starboard SSM and 5" gun continued to fire. This left the destroyer Var-e and the frigate Egaayu to join their Hindustani counterparts on the first line of battle, covering their wounded comrades and the rescue of the Daman cew.

From the Metaken Strait, now to the rear of the Russian position, a second Spyran squadron began its approach, the destroyer Bei-e leading the frigates Shimuiin and Shimusui in firing their own Mosquito ASMs up the behind, so to speak, of the Russian fleet.

In the open sea to the West, radar observation would reveal an unusual sequence of signals... a trio of small, dispersed contacts, which stood still for several minutes before dissapearing beneath new contacts that were easily revealed to be helicopters. To those familiar with the navy of the SRA, these are Spyran Orca carrier submarines... essentially patrol/attack submarines carrying stowed helicopters, they have limited power-projection capabilities and see primary use patrolling and intercepting enemy shipping or submarines. It is into this role they now slide, as the helicopters disperse using sonar buoys to unearth any hiding French or Russian submersibles. Beneath the waves, the Orcas also spread out, torpedoes ready to intercept contacts or join in the surface battle.

The situation in the air is best described as 'crowded'. Having launched several fighters mounting anti-ship missiles to intercept the French cutter, followed by dogfighters to counter the approaching Quinntonian aircraft, there were numerous squadrons ready to engage. These moved in against the Russian MiGs, unleashing a hail of AAMs... to fans of Soviet aviation, it would be a fateful dogfight between products of MAPO and Spyr's Sukhoi-based fighters.

Sithin, PRS

The French call for Quinntonia to join them, and for a NATO-controlled occupation of northern Tord, had been horrifying but expected. This was the perfect time for theocratic imperialism to strike: Tord was still weak from its revolution, and the Chinese civil war meant Spyr was left without the Xiannese fleet that might have allowed it to stand firm against the Quinntonian navy. Without Marimaia, Spyr's other allies lay some distance afield. Thus, the Quinntonian response to the French had taken them completely by surprise... in a single statement an entire philosophy of foreign policy had been sent crashing down, and there was great confusion as to what would happen next.
There remained in most Spyrans a conviction that Korean unification would occur, but the paranoia which had driven a hard-line stance on the issue was left without ground to stand on. The more moderate Party bureaucrats, who during the first War of Korean Unification had pushed for a peaceful, negotiated reunification, found their influence returning to levels present before percieved consensus between Quinntonia and the Holy League had given public favour to a harder line. Given the freedom of the Spyran press, it would take substantial perception of Quinntonian imperialism before they would again be viewed as a true enemy.

A wolf pack of Quinntonian Orca Class attack subs (8) suddenly materialises behind the Russian Fleet and opens up with full volleys of torperdoes from their fore tubes.
This happens in smooth conjunctions with the long range ASMs that are now raining down upon the Russians from the totality of the Quinntonian Southern Pacific Fleet.
(I don't want to do the math, it will just look ugly, but nearly 1/3 of the Quinntonian navy is part of that fleet, so we would prabably be talking enough to make them into God fearing people all at once, hey?)
Also, the entirety of the air elements that were coming from the carriers of that fleet, suddenly dart off to engage the incoming ?Migs?

Russian rogues will met with lethal force and will find themselves outnumbered very heacily. ThisFleet that they are now taking on is what Quinntonia was building up in order to defend itself should war come with all four Lyong nations and Dra-pol at the same time, it is powerful and large.

WWJD
Amen.

((Call me an antagonist, if you will, but not a bitch ;) ))

HMCMS Cutter, with ASM's coming in from all angles, had only managed to get off a volley of Tritons at the Spyrian Squadren before it blosomed into flames. There were no survivors, only heroes. As with the Osprey going down, the Monarchist movement had today earned heroes, Martyrs.

His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX, after the dismal failure of the rescue mission, had been forced to call a full Council of State. M. de Vergennes, previously on assignment in Rome, returned at once to Versailles. M. de Saint-Germain, Minister of War, was there; as was M. de Miromensil, Minister of the Kings Household (de facto Minister of State). After a rousing prayer by Cardinal-Prince Armand Rohan, Grand Almoner of France, a bleary Louis (it was early morning french time) called the meeting to order.

His Majesty was not a hawk per se, the rescue mission was hoped to be just that, but alas. Indeed, in the recent Gibraltar Crisis, Louis XX had stood down the hawks, eager to seek negotiation with his supposed Quinntonian contacts. But now things were different. Ever since Louis came to power, excepting the Lavragerian Invasion (a small time affair, mainly France got involved as a show of solidarity with His Imperial Highness Wingert I), the Kingdom of France had stood down to every bluster from the west, and every threat of revolutionaries. After much soul searching, a uniqely singular event occured: Louis XX made up his mind, God help the world. He saw Tord as a litmus test of the durability of the pan-global Ancien Regime, and was adamant that "Operation Reaction", the breaking of Tordian Revolutionism and the insertion of a pro-French Tordian King, Glenn if need be, others could be found.

So, His Majesty ordered the build up to proceed unabated. The Ministers had their orders, and set about fulfilling them. M. de Vergennes, Minister of State to HMCM, left at once to call Falkenstein, and inform him immediatley of Louis's choice to restore order in Tord. No doubt Wingert would be worried that NATO, who despised the French, would seek to threaten him as well in respect to the Lavragerian peace issues. Vergennes could do little but apologize, no matter how much France gave, TBF especially and Quinntonnia would never let her have what was hers by right.

Ceasar Maximus was also called, and was informed that this did not affect his nomination for the Holy Leauge whatsoever, although a little public supportfrom Caesar to Louis would be much appreciated.

President Putin was also called, as a Russian battlegroup had entered the fray apparently on the French's side. Vergennes would be very cordial to Putin.

"Mr. President, we have had agreements in the past, it is true. But why should Russia seek help from Islanders and Yanks? President Putin, you have two strong Tsarist neighbors, who contrary to popular opinion would like to make sure you sit well in office, and Russia sits well in the East. With war immenent in both the Chinas and the Lyong, and your ships fighting off the barbos as we speak, THANK GOD, His Most Christian Majesty offers you terms of Amity and Commerce with the Holy Leauge vis a vis France."

Royce I was called as well, but by Louis himself. "My God, Royce, I know what it looks like. Im so sorry that our friendship has been marred by so many pressing International Dilemmas, rest assured I am, and always shall be, deeply affectionate towards Your Highness and His Realm for your actions heretofore. I give you my word, this is not a land grab. But only I have the capability of defending King and Church it seems nowadays, as a man of honor I know you understand my motives. The most I can ask is your continued neutrality. In light of present circumstances, I may soon be turning over the remainder of French possessions in Africa to you, as it looks as though other issues detain me from their wellbeing."

M. de Saint Germain talked on the phone with the Merechal de Saxe, who was setting up a base on Corsica, Camp Reaction, to amass and train the army which would be sent to New Caledonia, and then break the reds in Tord. Preparations for the fleet continued in Cherbourg, the flagship of the new First Pacific Fleet would be the sister ship of the Cherbourg Mark II Battleship Louis-Auguste (named after Louis XX's full name) La Reine. Rumors had it that the Admiralty had green lighted more expansion of the Royal Navy, made possible by the Kings insistance of a constant "War Tax", including another gargantuan Cherbourg Mark II, 4 more Marseilles Class Light Cruisers, and another full score of Brest Class Frigates. The Royal Dauphin Corps, the most battle hardened French Royal force, was being moved from Estenlands to Corsica, where it would form the nucleas of the Tordian Expedition.

And last but not least the Quinntonnian Ambassidor was called to Versailles, where he was brought to the Throne Room at dawn. The King, in full regalia, awaited the humble preacher, who had made a fine name for Quinntonnians in Versailles thus far.

"Monsieur, We are very happy at the course of your conduct here in Versailles. However, as I trust you know, as Quinntonnia takes the responsibility of defending Christ and democracy in the world, We are forced to defend the Crown and method of beneficient monarchy. I am shocked that your nation would activley oppose French gloire in the Lyong, after We have made every effort in pleasing your kind people: from Our legalization of Protestantism to Our standing down of vital national interests in regards to TBF's prior threats; simply to assure your nation of Our intent."

"Minister Jesse Obed, regardless of his moral worth and Christian decency as a man, has done nothing to France but threaten her in order to persue his own foreign policy, We think using P.M. Bull as a mouth piece when occasion served him. You must understand, Monsieur, a French Frigate has been lost with all hands, and your nation still tries to threaten us into inaction. We are deeply sorry. We pray to Jesu that Prime Minister Obeds begins to stand with Christians, instead of his worthless secular panderers."

At this Louis face became very soft. "And, Monsieur, I pray personally that no matter what happens, when the time comes for us to enjoy the fruits of eternal salvation, we shall sit as brothers true and worship Our Lord and Savior in the Most Perfct Harmony."

An announcement was then made to all nations of the Lyong Pennensula, Tord in particular:

His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX, By the Grace of God King of France and Navarre, Defender of the Faith, decrees that in response to the atrocious actions of the attack on His Most Christian Majesties Ship Cutter and the grotesqueries of the Tordian Revolution as a whole, the Kingdom of France and the Revolutionaries of Tord are in a State of War.

The people of Tord have two months to turn over the rule of their country again to King Glenn, who will at once be succored as a Vassel Proper of His Most Christain Majesty. Failure to do so will result in invasion, occupation, and general reprisals against any who have ever or think to aid the forces of Red Revolution. VIVAT REX IN AETERNUM

To drive the point home, a effigy was made of Strain himself. King Louis ordered the effigy beheaded and burned at the Bastille, Execution in Absentia. It was very well televised.

Earlier, following destruction of the Cutter

The Hirigiri, crew hosing down fires sweeping her starboard side from a French missile impact, began to haul itself towards Penance at a slow pace... the strike had sheared the hull, and she listed slightly as her pumps worked hard to compensate. The helicopters from the Soyo-e moved in towards the boat, while the ship itself brought a searchlight to bear on the craft as loudspeakers gave an order to stand by for boarding.

On the helis, a handful of marine infantry prepared to drop down by wire... they didn't know exactly what Louis had so desperately wanted from Tord, but they were determined to find out.

Battle against the Russian Fleet

The arrival of Quinntonian assault forces causes a moment of panic. Had the forces there not already been involved in life-or-death battle, they might have turned to face a possible new threat... the mass of missiles pouring into Russian hulls quickly dispels any such misconceptions. Given the intensity of combined attacks, Spyran units pull back a bit from the fray to avoid stray ordnance.

((Keep in mind, since the Agents will be taken after a Delcaration of War has been declared --and if you take them, you may very well make yourself a party to this war-- they are protected under the Geneva Convention. And will not speak.))

DeSeze finished throwing up over the side. He ordered his men to put on their uniforms, displaying them as French Chevaliers, Noble-Soldiers.

DeSeze ordered his men to also abandon their weapons (but to keep the cyanide) expecting an orderly capture since no doubt His Master would have gone to war over the destruction of the Cutter and Osprey.

Glenn, was left their, now totally worthless. Raymond really wanted to shoot him, to make things easier, but no...he would keep his Religion held firm.

French war preparations were reflected in India as the backwards royal regime -already a great offence to civilised Igovians, a looming threat on the Arabian peninsula, and aggressor against progress in Lavrageria- struck the Commonwealth's friends from Hindustan, Lyong, and Korea all at once. Most debaters at the nation's senates struggled to understand the French desire for unnecessary and unwinable confrontation, but the mobilisations went on regardless.

Already beginning increased training thanks to the Chinese crisis, the Soviet Militia Corps had its full 354,000 strength on part-time active duty. Its 1,400 MT-3 'Hotan' battle tanks rolled-out for trial of their operational readiness while some 4,400 Paratrooper and 14,400 Marine Auxiliaries received orders at last as they were assigned to regular formations.

A new level of priority was put on bringing the Soviet People's Navy to as near 100% active reporting as was possible, particular efforts being directed into the troubled electro-magnetic aircraft catapults aboard the India Class fleet carriers.

As Igovian Consuls spoke to Spyrian diplomats, the possibility of a French battle fleet coming within thousands of miles of Lyong seemed highly improbable to say the least- the French Royal Navy would not survive an encounter with the Igovians in the Indian Ocean. "They may bring Rome and Kiev to rest on our seabed along side Paris, if they wish." said Comrade Admiral Katerina Ivolgin when within ear-shot shot of an Iskra! volunteer reporter. "We can finish this silly regression once and for all, if it please his majesty."

The soldiers landed on the deck of the ship, rifles ready, and were quite surprised to find the Frenchmen in uniform (I assume these are rather colorful, rather than the drab military clothes of the average nation). Seeing that they appeared unarmed, the Spyran officer stepped forward with a slight bow of greeting.

"You are foreign officers in sovereign territory of Tord, under jurisdiction of the Lyong Joint Defence Command. I'm afraid that I must demand your surrender."

As the Daman explodes in a great fireball, its missile magazines finally reached by the fire spread by the ASM hits and shellfire, the HDFs go on full alert. The 300,000 troops of the Hindustani army, already deployed in their expected theaters of combat, more or less, start building entrenched fortifications. Approximately 200,000 Hindustani army personnel are positioned along the Arabian Sea coast, and another 100,000 are stationed in Bihar and West Bengal, although some thousand could be transferred south if need be.

HDF commanders coordinate with their Bedgellen counterparts, hoping to arrage a good defense. It is pretty obvious that the Bedgellen navy is a more capable force overall, and should be in charge of taking on the French out at sea, but the HN does possess an excellent coastal defense force, as well as good fighter-bombers and strike planes that could cover Bedgellen operations. The submarine force is also mentioned, although only eight of a planned 20 Bihar class boats are in service and types between that and the Foxtrot (12 in service) amount to only one or two hulls.

Akash, HS-200, and CS-400 SAM/ABM batteries are activated, and holes in the air defense grid are filled as fast as possible with the newer search radar sets. HAF fighters begin to fly regular patrols, presumably along with the Igovian AF.


In Quinntonia, Hindustani diplomats try to secure at least diplomatic aid from the world's foremost power, oblivious to the fact that Quinntonian navy elements already fired on the Russian ships.

They say that, although Hindustan and Quinntonia have their differences, reactionary France is no friend to progress. While the Tordian revolutionaries might be taking a bit of a radical approach here and there, the monarchy kept the people down for ages, and a French invasion would destroy everything that Tordians are having for the first time ever.

With the Osprey hit off of Penance Island, and the french Cutter engaged as soon as it enterred Tordian waters, the Yamani had not been much involved in the resulting fire fight. The Airguard had responded to the report of hostile Russian vessels, and defences against a Russian invasion were organized by the LJDC.

French diplomatic statements brings no reaction from the High Command, and Yamani diplomats instead focus on thanking their allies for their support. The Yamani propose a possible meeting between military allies, including Beth Gellert, Hindustan, Dra-poel and the revolutionary Peninsular powers.

Surprising is the Yamani response to Quinntonian aid against French aggression. Quinntonian diplomats receive very extensive messages of thanks, a very positive change in Yamani-Quinntonian relations.

-Off Penance Island, Tordian territorial waters-

Airguard attack helicopters arrive at the scene of Ospreys demise, and begin circling the unidentified ship that had so attracted French attention. The People's army is quick to check with their Spyran counterparts on how to handle the agents present at the scene.

The HDF would certainly like to have a conference on the present military situation in Asia. A representative could be flown out within the day.

Spyran Raven tilt-rotors begin to dare the ongoing naval battle, heading out to rescue survivors from the Daman, who are immediately rushed to Tordian medical facilities in Aria.

OOC- Well blessed be the name of the Lord!
I thought for sure that I was shooting myself in the foot with that move, but it looks as though it may have just been the thing. Well, Quinntonia will continue to do what is right, today that is popular, tomorrow, it may again earn us the enmity of the world.
IC- Hindustan diplomats are explained the situation and told that they and Beddgellan naval forces can expect unprecedented cooperation with the South Pacific Fleet should a French Fleet enter the Indian Ocean, and should they try to cross the Atlantic, that would be dealt with as well.

OOC-Just waiting for Russian response to the rather wieghty barrage I sent at ya'll.

WWJD
Amen.

Airguard Raven tilt rotor transports out of Kaiomachi assist in rescue operations near the hostile Russian fleet. The Russian border has been closed for hours, with Moscow receiving a call to explain their sudden hostility.

The first response to the French comes in an international release from the Yamani High Command. The international community is told that 'terrorist actions from French supported guerrilla forces' have threatened the stability of the region of the twin Peninsula's. The French actions are described as 'illegal criminal acts, including invasion, subterfuge and the threatening of the sovereign state of Tord'. Louis XX is described as a 'feudalist despot, controlling the french people through enforced ignorance and military power'. Nations that have seemed sympathetic of the Lyong powers, including TBF and the Asian socialist bloc, are praised for their wisdom. Even the Quinntonian attack against hostile Russian forces is mentioned again, with the Yamani taking it as a positive sign in Peninsular peaceful co-operation.

On the boat, Glenn raised his shackled arms in a sign of surrender and addressed the Spyran soldiers.
"I am Glenn, what is going on?"
--------------------------------

On the Coast of Tord Thousands of personnel wait to receive and treat all survivors of the battle, sister of mercy being most numerous amonst the care-givers.
Tordian vessels (finally) take a hand in the conflict (after its over...) by venturing out as fast as they can to aid in picking up survivors and delivering more medical personnel directly to the ships.
Dra-pol, Hindustan, North Yaman, Quinntonia and Spyr (and any others that took part in aiding Tord on this matter that I've woefully neglected) are thanked avidly for their participation in the conflict, any aid received is more than welcome.

The response to Louis XX declaration of war is met with fear and loathing in Tord. Those who have expressed their opposition are thanked and encouraged in their efforts against the wrongful hostile outsider that wishes to disturb Tord's newly gained stability and peace.

Without any statement, DeSeze steps forward and offers the Spyrian his sword, a sign of clear surrender. He would not say one other thing.

France continued 100% with the buildup. Versailles continued to press the Kremlin non-stop for some sort of treaty, pulling what Mafia chords it had left. If Russia could acquiesce, then France's invasion of Tord would happen.

Meanwhile, under Royal Writ from Louis XX, the Estates General meeting under Grand Almoner of France Cardinal Prince de Rohan, began the nessicary proceedings to revoke Protestantism in France, and reverse all vestages of Vatican II within His Majesties realm.

France would become fire baptized, the re-Feudalization had begun.

The Spyran leftenant accepts DeSeze' sword... an officer's blade is likely one of few commonalities between the Strainist Revolutionary Army and the Royal soldiers of Louis. Accepting the lack of other response, the Spyrans direct the French agents, and Glenn, to the centre of the vessel, and keep them under armed watch as the vessel is searched and towed to dock in Spyr. The prisoners are taken ashore, and an extensive search of their persons is conducted... their possessions are catalogued and sealed, save for personal photographs and their uniforms.
Provided they dont gulp down their cyanide or garrote their minders, the French agents are transferred north to a prison camp... a double-fenced enclosure on a vast field of concrete dotted with a few buildings, well maintained, though obviously far too large to have been meant for such a small number of inhabitants. There, they are questioned to obtain basic identifying information (as per Geneva convention guidelines) and asked to fill outcards to communicate their status to the French government.

The French Agents do as told, filling out all cards and identifying themselves properly and truthfully. They will provide only such information as the Geneva Convention demands, but within those perameters they will cooperate unconditionally.

They have surrendered, given their swords. Their words are good.

((::Wags a finger:: Now dont you all go off thinking you wont get punished for your revolutionizing. It just seems that your liberal western protectors must first be surmounted. And Dra-Pol, I should love nothing more than to play Imperialist to your Revolution. I quite agree that Monarchy and Revolution are diametrically opposed, and was hoping to exploit that drive of RP. Alas, other matters have to be taken care of first. Every day that passes makes me see more United States neo-conism rather than Quintonnian theocracism.))

OOC- Well blessed be the name of the Lord!
I thought for sure that I was shooting myself in the foot with that move, but it looks as though it may have just been the thing. Well, Quinntonia will continue to do what is right, today that is popular, tomorrow, it may again earn us the enmity of the world.
IC- Hindustan diplomats are explained the situation and told that they and Beddgellan naval forces can expect unprecedented cooperation with the South Pacific Fleet should a French Fleet enter the Indian Ocean, and should they try to cross the Atlantic, that would be dealt with as well.

OOC-Just waiting for Russian response to the rather wieghty barrage I sent at ya'll.

WWJD
Amen.

OCC: Hindustan's always happy to have help. This could probably go a long way in patching up relations between the Asian socialists and the NATO-bloc nations.

IC: The Daman survivors, about 40 from the 250 originally embarked, are generally very shaken. Not only have they lost most of their shipmates, but they have also suffered the indignity of crewing the first Hindustani ship destroyed in surface-to-surface combat. (I don't think the destroyer that was blown up by the Drapoel sub really counts.) Covered in oil, they are very very happy to have been rescued in such a short time, as many of the survivors didn't have time to get into their survival suits, and many of those who lingered back to get into their suits were killed once the ASMs hit the floundering destroyer.

Preparations are under way in Mioka Ro to construct a Cairn monument in the capitals park, a Lyong style garden to the west of Council Halls. Eiji Jidoshin, speaking in his native lyongese, briefly appeared on Spyran television for the announcement.

"This park is a testament not only to the bravery of the Okami-zoku that died in the attack which egnited the Kaiokeni war, but also to the prosperous and mighty spirit of the revolutionary Spearguard. No longer would the people of Yaman stand the oppression, and the guiding wisdom of Strainism defeated the counter revolutionaries that had oppressed the people. From the Yamani highlands, and down through the Heletai and Kaiokeni plains the people found their freedom. Now our Helekaru brothers have also been freed from terror, and our workings are helping them to join the new world."

"It is for this persistence of the Revolutionary spirit that High Command has now decided to build another memorial in the Mioka Ro park, to honour our Drapoel, Spyran, Tordian and Hindustani brothers. The deaths of this conflict can only be mourned, but the revolutionary spirit will always live. This is assured by the co-operation of the socialist brothers around the world, including our Igovian and Xiannese allies. We will not stand to be enslaved by Imperialists ever again."

With hostile forces surrendering or blown out of the water, Yamani attention turns north. A rumour starts off, speaking of renegade Russian forces threatening from the north. The northern railway sees many soldiers formerly stationed along the Xiannese line transfer to Shi Daoken. Private communications to Moscow question PM Putin on whether he has renegade elements within his nation, and whether any Yamani assistance might be needed.

OOC: I've started a thread for more indepth dealings between the revolutionary powers in and around the Peninsula's. This thread seems so very involved with the French and the Tordian situation. Perhaps we could even plan out the socialist asia meeting on the thread.

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=8387824#post8387824

-Moscow-
Putin laughed heartily at the French diplomat's phone call,

"Honestly. You think I authorized that? I mean no offense, but I am not a suicidal man. Dabbling in the Lyong situation is like pouring gasoline into a fire. Hell, Dra-Pol readies the nukes every time somebody sneezes something that vaguely sounds western. It was a rogue force, and it seems that you have friends in high places in Russia. But those friends do not include me. I will push for a limited non-aggression treaty in the Congress tomorrow, and here's the preview: Generally, it'll be like any other non-aggression treaty, but it refers only to the Lyong and Korean Penninsulas. If you decide to suddenly move on Republican Lavrageria, the treaty will not apply."

-Lyong, Korea, Quinntonia-
Russian diplomats quickly called up all nations involved, assuring them that the battle group does not represent an invasion force, and was a result of the actions of a rogue battlegroup, most likely controlled by Mafia forces. No coup attempts have been made, and it apparently seems that this was an attempt by the Mafia to aid their French allies.

-Naval Battle, Lyong-

The combined Spyrian, Hindustani, and Quinntonian assault battered the aged Russian Kirovs mightily, and it seemed that Putzkov's gambit had failed miserably.

"Sir? We don't have a chance. Surrender."

Putzkov yelled back angrily at his first mate.

"NEVER! This revolutionary pigs cannot win! FOR GOD! FOR THE MONARCHY! FIGHT O---"

Putzkov never got to finish, as the first mate's bullet sent him sprawling into the sea. A white flag was hoisted, and the battlecruisers surrendered. Two had been outright annihilated, their thick hulls finally pierced by the Quinntonian vessels. The other two barely held on, their smoking hulls manned by frantic sailors attempting to put out the fires.

The Migs had been doing better, as they represented the top class jets Russia had to offer, and had managed through sheer luck to only get two casualties before the surrender. They were ordered to return to base and await court martial, and did so, for further fighting would be futile. However, the two Russian subs and choppers did not surrender. Instead, their pilots and crews wildly shouted to DeSaze, trying for one last attempt to get Glenn out of there.

Quinntonian rescue choppers are dispatched towards the Russian Fleet under the watchful eye of the Quinntonian fighters, it is guessed that the Russians are smart enough to not want to surrender to the Lyong powers or Dra-pol.
WWJD
Amen.

As the helicopters and submarines moved towards DeSeze' position off Penance, they moved out of the uncertainly-international mouth of the Sea, and brought themselves fully into waters claimed by LJDC powers. ASW helicopters took to the air to trail the enemy subs, their 30mm cannon also prepared to engage the Russian choppers.

Quietly, a Spyran submarine slid in behind a Russian counterpart, using that vessel's noise trail to partially mask itself from sonar detection.

A message is broadcast from the surface ships into the surrounding waters.

"Attention Russian aircraft and vessels: your government has declared this attack illegal and unauthorized... the admiral who issued you your orders is no longer in command, and the surface units of your battlegroup have surrendered. If you immediately surrender yourselves to the People's Republic of Spyr, then we shall guarantee your safe return to a better future in your motherland. There is no need to die here today."

If no respose was forthcoming, before the Russian helicopters came too close to DeSeze, a volley of SAMs would be unleashed at the choppers from the Spyran navy vessels.

The two Type 12s come out of their frantic evasive manouvers and head to join the rest of the allied ships. With decks covered in shell casings and bits of VLS cell covers, they keep their NAVLARs aimed at the Kirovs as they get closer, ready to devestate the cruisers' superstructure with artillery rockets if need be. While very little could match a Kirov in sheer firepower, the Type 12s do have the advantage in a closer engagement.

Trained to always be on the lookout for hulls to aquire, the frigate captains size up the remaining battlecruisers as helicopters and auxiliary boats are sent out to retrieve survivors.

The frigates continue to keep a lookout for submarines, lest they also be destroyed along with the Daman.

Airguard helicopter ASW's, though few in number, would be present to help out Spyran forces. Mako Ramjets soon appear on the scene, having been rushed from their Yamani airbases.

(OOC: I'm just wondering...but aren't these ships within Lyong territorial waters? I'm not sure they could legally surrender to Quinntonian forces...but I guess it all depends on where the attack took place, eh?)

The Airguard in Ogakar plain are readying their Raven tilt rotors to unload air cavalry troops onto the surrendering Russian ships, and to aid in the transportation of foreign soldiers to secure bases in north Lyong.

[OOC: My assumption, since they seemed to plan to come in firing, is that they bypassed Metaken and the outlying islands to avoid being Yakhont-ed before they reached the French. The fighting would probably have started as they moved back into Lyongian waters from off South Korea. Their exact location would depend on how the ebb and flow of fighting went, but they're right on the edge, and with Hindustani units on-site while the Quinntonian fleet moves the rest of its missile range, it may be a moot point.]

OOC: Guys, wait for Elkazor to respond before doing too much.

[OOC: Part of the point of the reaction was to deal with the Russians BEFORE he had a reason to respond]

OOC-Just to let you know, France is going to be going on hiatus for awhile, you can consider that everything that just happened was pretty much just a drunken fit of Louis XX. Not the operation, he really did want that, and I guess we could scratch that cutter, but the declarations of war and stuff will most likely come to naught. Just thought I'de say that before he goes on vacation and you all spend a few weeks waiting for him. So, carry on.

IC- A phone call comes into the various Lyong diplomatic arms, it contains a prepared message, in Russian, Ukrianian and French, repectively,

"This is the Tsar Wingert I of The Estenlands, ruler over Tsarist Russia, ruler over Tsarist Lavrageria and Defender of Orthodoxy, Master of the Black Sea and Holder of the Sword of Ivan, Tsar of all the Russias.
I, and my governmtn condemn the actions that you have taken against the hero of the faith, King Glenn of Tord. My government recognises King Glenn as the rightful ruler of Tord, and praise the actions of the hero, Admiral Putzkov. He was a martyr for the rightful and Divine Rule of Kings, as were those lost under his command, all of Estenlands, mourns his passing, and flags in Tsarist Russia will be flown at half mast in his honor. The entire crew of the French ship that lost their lives will also be remembered as heroes, and a gift, on behalf of the nobility of Estenlands, will be granted their families.
It brings me great sorrow that I must say that our brothers and sisters in Tord have lost their way. I offer financial support, lands, and new hereditary titles to all members of Tordian nobility who can make it to Estenlands with proof of their heritage. And many thanks to the Iscariots, for their valiant work in the face of revolutionary terror. Thank you, and may God be with the people of Tord."

At this point, operatives from Estenlands would be trying to contact the Iscariots and offer them funding, in the milions of Q/USD. It is realsied that thsi will be difficult, and slow, but Wingert fought in a fifty year revolution to put him on the throne over and against the opposition of the tyrants that took the name the USSR, and he was nothing if not patient.

Tsar Wingert I.

OOC: Damn...So what to do with Glenn? And my ships? Are they just going to be suspended in time?

OOC: Damn...So what to do with Glenn? And my ships? Are they just going to be suspended in time?

I don't think you have to suspend them in time, just keep going, after all, all the french operatives and soldiers and so on are dead or in custody already.
WWJD
Amen.

OOC: Yeah, but I was hoping for a dramatic, last ditch attempt to smuggle Glenn out of there...Ah, well. Elkazor deserves a break from AMW. He's done very well, and if his taking a vacation disturbs my nefarious...Well, too bad.

IC: Seeing the French surrender, the two helicopters and one of the submarines officially surrendered, with the two remaining Kirovs, to the Quinntonians. However, one sub began to submerge, and sped away underwater in a mad dash towards the Russian coast...

OOC-Just to let you know, France is going to be going on hiatus for awhile, you can consider that everything that just happened was pretty much just a drunken fit of Louis XX. Not the operation, he really did want that, and I guess we could scratch that cutter, but the declarations of war and stuff will most likely come to naught. Just thought I'de say that before he goes on vacation and you all spend a few weeks waiting for him. So, carry on.

IC- A phone call comes into the various Lyong diplomatic arms, it contains a prepared message, in Russian, Ukrianian and French, repectively,

"This is the Tsar Wingert I of The Estenlands, ruler over Tsarist Russia, ruler over Tsarist Lavrageria and Defender of Orthodoxy, Master of the Black Sea and Holder of the Sword of Ivan, Tsar of all the Russias.
I, and my governmtn condemn the actions that you have taken against the hero of the faith, King Glenn of Tord. My government recognises King Glenn as the rightful ruler of Tord, and praise the actions of the hero, Admiral Putzkov. He was a martyr for the rightful and Divine Rule of Kings, as were those lost under his command, all of Estenlands, mourns his passing, and flags in Tsarist Russia will be flown at half mast in his honor. The entire crew of the French ship that lost their lives will also be remembered as heroes, and a gift, on behalf of the nobility of Estenlands, will be granted their families.
It brings me great sorrow that I must say that our brothers and sisters in Tord have lost their way. I offer financial support, lands, and new hereditary titles to all members of Tordian nobility who can make it to Estenlands with proof of their heritage. And many thanks to the Iscariots, for their valiant work in the face of revolutionary terror. Thank you, and may God be with the people of Tord."

At this point, operatives from Estenlands would be trying to contact the Iscariots and offer them funding, in the milions of Q/USD. It is realsied that thsi will be difficult, and slow, but Wingert fought in a fifty year revolution to put him on the throne over and against the opposition of the tyrants that took the name the USSR, and he was nothing if not patient.

Tsar Wingert I.

The Estenlands is warned to keep away from Tord, or else risk serious problems. In Tord, Glenn has anything but the support of the masses, not to mention that the Revolutionary government is surrounded by like-minded establishments who will probably be just as willing to fight a decades-long insurrection as the insurrectionists themselves.

The situation in Tord is very different from what happened in the Ukraine, and for Wingert to expect any notable successes, if successes at all, is somewhat foolish, according to the Hindustani government. Where in the Ukraine Wingert was making a revolution, in Tord he would be fighting against a revolution.

Three more Orca Class Attack Subs arrive on the scene, obviously in the area previously, and open with a full volley of guided torpedoes at the easy identifiable target that was the fast moving sub. Then they radioed asking for surrender, if anyone was left to answer.

WWJD
Amen.

OOC: Damn you and your advanced technology! Not gonna let me make a dramatic escape? :)

IC: The Orcas had arrived onto the scene, but the Russian sub had already left it. If they wanted to hit the sub, they had to chase them down first.

[OOC: Are these by any chance the New Empire Orcas?]

The subs were now in a chase, two subs stayed on teh surfacem, coordinating their effeorts with one sub below, who was tracking. The sub below had a slightly better spped than the Russian counterpart, and was slowly filling the gap, but the two on the surface were able to use their surface speed and were going to be easily on top of it the whole time. It is in the sights of the subs, it is just a matter of catching up.
During this time, sub-killing attack choppers were coming onto the scene, and began to drop depth charges into the path of the retreating sub, all the while a very fast AEGIS Cruiser was sailing in this direction, its advanced anti-sub weapons and sensors invaluable to the task at hand.

OOC-Which direction are you going?
WWJD
Amen.

((Thanks Wingert, appreciate it. As to y'all. I have decided to itemize this, to make it simpler, pleaser accept my apologies for sub-par RP:

1- HMCMS Cutter was never sent, its scratched.
2- The rescue did take place, but the tilt rotor was never sent. The Agents still surrendered as RPed, Glenn was now out of their hands.
3- NO DoW was delcared, period.

France still would say Glenn was the rightful ruler, but would do nothing more than the escape attempt, period. Quinntonnia, Please forgive me!!! Oh an yah, King Louis XX would praise the Russians as heroes of the highest caliber , and decorate the admiral with the Ordu du Saint-Louis.))

((Thanks Wingert, appreciate it. As to y'all. I have decided to itemize this, to make it simpler, pleaser accept my apologies for sub-par RP:

1- HMCMS Cutter was never sent, its scratched.
2- The rescue did take place, but the tilt rotor was never sent. The Agents still surrendered as RPed, Glenn was now out of their hands.
3- NO DoW was delcared, period.

France still would say Glenn was the rightful ruler, but would do nothing more than the escape attempt, period. Quinntonnia, Please forgive me!!! Oh an yah, King Louis XX would praise the Russians as heroes of the highest caliber , and decorate the admiral with the Ordu du Saint-Louis.))

OCC: Ok, fine with me. This certainly saves ol' Hindustan a good deal of trouble, with all the military-on-readiness stuff.

((Thanks Wingert, appreciate it. As to y'all. I have decided to itemize this, to make it simpler, pleaser accept my apologies for sub-par RP:

1- HMCMS Cutter was never sent, its scratched.
2- The rescue did take place, but the tilt rotor was never sent. The Agents still surrendered as RPed, Glenn was now out of their hands.
3- NO DoW was delcared, period.

France still would say Glenn was the rightful ruler, but would do nothing more than the escape attempt, period. Quinntonnia, Please forgive me!!! Oh an yah, King Louis XX would praise the Russians as heroes of the highest caliber , and decorate the admiral with the Ordu du Saint-Louis.))
OOC: No need for apologies, my brotha'! Mr. T forgives all! Or is that Jesus? I get those two confused...Ahem. Ignore my sacrilegious rantings and don't worry. Enjoy your vacation!
IC:
The Russian sub, while slower than the American one, still had the advantage in distance, and immediately began to dive deeper. It also continued to speed forward, hoping to reach the nearest western landmass, and then cross into the Estenlands. (OOC: Um, sorry, but could I get a map of Lyong?)

OCC: You're a long way east of the Estenlands...which is in The Ukraine.

OOC: I know. I plan to get to the nearest western landmass, then go to the Estenlands by land and/or air.

Talk in the recently convened Strainist Council has been heated for a parliament only weeks old. Sides are being formed amongst the representatives from the different Yamani provinces, mostly concerning the recent paramilitary strike at Tord and the resulting Russian attack. Some took an optimistic side, hoping that the neutrality first observed from Moscow would continue and that Russian military forces were entirely under the direct control of the Kremlin. Others argued that Russia was building itself into a region imperialist, ready to move into former Marimaia and Bonstock.

Chief Representative for the Ogakar Plains District, and Highguard General Mitsurugi spoke to the Council on what the SFD should trully fear.

"You speak of Russian aggression, and ignore a growing war just beyond the Xiannese border! What of the Holy League and their imperialist interests? What of the wide spread turn in the world towards ultra-nationalism! They've almost come close to another european war! This is the problem...and we must defend our socialist brothers against such aggression!"

"Where ever we preserve socialist democracies in the world, will be a victory over the dark forces that threaten our freedom."

(OOC: to the Estenrlands: Anyone caught trying to discover and/or aid The Iscariot Institution will be sought after and arrested when operating in Tord.
Tord's forces are also trying to find the remnants of the institution that have hidden after the dust settled.
The Institution is regarded as an anti-revolutionary and hateful terrorist group in Tord.
To France: No problem about the retraction of posts, alls fair in love and war!...and pokemon battles.)

Masses and prayers are held all over Tord to mourn the losses on all sides. They pray for their new allies help, they pray for their old firends help, they pray for the unnexpected help, they pray for those who seek to upset Tord and return them to feudalism, they pray for healing and understanding.
...There are other who pray for retribution and blood, and even soem who pray for the return to feudalism, but those aren't sanctioned and are few and far between.

Searches for Glenn are still underway, but as of yet the Tordian officials have found many leads regarding his condition and/or whereabouts...........

Moscow would get repeated calls from Versailles, it seemed King Louis XX was very eager to speak to Monsieur Putin, and congratulate him on the excellent foray into the communist backwaters of the Lyong.

His Most Christian Majesty was very eager, in the aftermath of the Lavragerian War, to secure a lasting friendship with Russia...Putins recent bravery clenched the deal.

In return for Russia becoming amicable to the Holy Leauge powers, His Most Christian Majesty was willing to procure guarantees in regards to the lasting safety of Putins regime as well as a new and vibrant trade alliance, no doubt a boon to Eastern Europe after the recent wars.

In Tord, DeSeze and his men were captured. The Ministry of State to His Majesty placed calls, very politely, to Spyr and Tordian authorities, subtley asking if any "French subjects" happened to be happened upon lately. Of course, His Majesty would appreciate the highest level of discretion in this matter.

OOC: Putin's bravery? Err...Elkazor...You do realize that the rescue attempt was done by rogue elements? Not to reubuke your kind words, but to claim credit for tangling with Hindustani, Spyran, and Quinntonian vessels is sheer sucide.

IC:

After talks with the Congressional leadership, a new shift in Russian foreign policy has been decided. While the government had attempted to retain vaguely friendly relations with all nations, this simply placed the Russian people amongst a veritable lion's den of foes. It has evaluated its priorities, and decided that NATO nations such as Britain and Quinntonia would become their closest ideological brethren. This will also signal a lessening with tensions between Russia and the Holy League, for while opinions on the Tsarist regime of Wingert are extremely low in Russia, they are more critical to Russia's security than any Communist powers, especially with the dangerous explosion of the Sino-Xiaguo war. Also, France is viewed in a more positive light, as it does attempt to provide more liberties for its citizens. If Putin and Louis were ever to meet, however, Putin would still be vehement about the lack of democracy in France. While a full on democracy is not demanded, a minimum of local elections and the loosening of the rigid social structure (Mainly, the way that sons are forced to partake in the same profession their father did, etc.) was called for.

Meanwhile, in the Sea Of Japan...

The Russian sub continued to dodge the Quinntonian vessels, hoping to reach the Dra-Pol city of Chotei, and then crossing into Xiaguo, which was friendly to the Holy League.

[OOC: Given the slight reajustment in the RP, disregard all previous POW references... and any certainty that the French sent in those planes...]

Barracks 14B, Tohnokura Re-Education Camp, Shaiken province PRS.

The recently captured French agents had been moved into a bare room, with metal walls and floors. Thin windows and a bare hanging lightbulb provided some illumination. In the centre of the room was a table and several chairs... the French had been secured to seats on one side, while on the other sat a thin man in a black version of the ever-present Spyran revolutionary uniform. If one had been asked to guess at his vocation, one would likely rule him to be an accountant.

He began to question the French, in their native language, though it would be obvious from accent and the occasional archaism that he had learned it in Hudecian Quebec, not in France herself. They were politely but relentlessly queried on their identities and origins, their purpose and activities on the peninsula, and their association with 'ex-feudalist citizen Glenn Tord'. At regular intervals of eight hours, meals of weak soup and green tea would be served, while the guards in the room, would escort a prisoner to a nearby chamber pot should the need arise.

Barracks 14A, Tohnokura REC.

A similar fate awaited Glenn, as he too was brought into the camp for questioning. Initially, the interrogation was conducted by a young leftenant of the SRA, whose disdain for the former monarch was evident.

"Unidentified citizen, we are having some difficulty confirming your identity. You LOOK like repentant citizen Glenn Tord, to be sure, but how could you be?"

The leftenant leaned in close to Glenn.

"You were apprehended in the company of criminals, attempting to flee Tord... you departed the People's imposed confinement, leaving the People's property in flames and three Revolutionary heroes dead... does this sound like the actions of a repentant feudalist? No, it seems you cannot possibly be Glenn Tord. Glenn Tord would rather die than return to his reactionary past of exploiting the Tordian masses."

This line of 'interrogation' was interrupted by the arrival of Justicar Shinata, who set about a less confrontational approach. Glenn was asked to confirm his identity, then queried as to his experiences and actions in the time since he vanished from his cell. Questions were also posed about the identities and intentions of his travelling companions.

Aria, Tord.

PRS Justical Himuro appears at a scheduled international press conference, to report on the air incursion into Lyong. He reports that several planes, transports or bombers, were shot down while others escaped. All information is released into the public domain, including a smattering of DNA gathered from the dead pilots. Himuro declares that Spyr has pursued the investigation as far as it can be taken at home, and asks that the international community look into the matter.

[OOC: And, AC, you want to cross through DRA-POL???!!!]

OOC-Yeah, did you actually say Dra-pol? Or was I having some kind of a flashback?

IC-The Orcas, along with their AEGIS Cruiser on the surface, could move at two and three times the speed of the submerged Russian vessel, and was soon catching up, that, along with the choppers dropping their depth charges was bound to have some kind of impact, as it was increasingly easy to track this fleeing Russian craft.

Now that the gap had beenm closed to less than 10kms, the pursuing Orcas, begin to open up with a few more volleys of torpedoes at full spread, along with the guided torpedoes being fired from the cruiser, along with the depth charges from said cruiser and the various chopper, it was certainly going to be living hell for the sub, shoul they decide to continue to run, it was doubted that they could run much longer, however, as they must have been taking major damage already.

While this is going on, directly in their path, shows up the Quinntonian Dra-pol secret weapon, about twenty small, two-man subs, manned by a pilot and communications officer, that allowed Quinnntonia to patrol their waterways at every level without anyone knowing. They each had one single ultra-modern guided torpedoe as their only complement, and were now radioing that the Russian sub was sorrounded, and that they would opn fire with four volleys of five toropedoes if they did not get a surrender immdiately.

WWJD
Amen.

The Spyran navy stood by as the Russians surrendered to the Quinntonians, and pulled back from pursuit once the Russian sub left Lyong-claimed waters. Naval elements continued to observe the area, as an oceonographic science vessel quietly recorded suboceanic sounds.

Glenn had had quite a rough couple of days, and his attitude had not improved over the course of his journey.
"(To the first interrogator) Eat bloody ashes you little poof, I AM Glenn, and you'd be chaning your tone if I wan't weakened and tied down. See the RING you bloody idiot? Typical of you..."
(Intersperse some thwacks anywhere if Glenn gets a bit to snippy)
"(To both interrogators) I didn't kill anyone, I would slit my wirsts before hamring a fellow Tordian. I was kidnapped, even ask those French fops if you haven't killed them yet. I even tried to escape them, but it was a bit hard when I was being bloody well drugged and restrained all the time. I was even handcuffed when you found me!"
"Dezeze told me he and his cronies were smuggling me away to their King so that He and I could take back Tord, but I would have none of it!
I was awoken one night, there's Dezeze in front of me, so they bundle me off into a wagon, we travel for a day or so, I try and convince them to let me go, and at other times to escape, but they drug me and next thing I know I'm in the middle of the bloody ocean are there are things exploding all around me!
Where are my- er, where are the Tordian officials? Or do you intend on offing me before I can be rescued? You might as well get it over with, I won't provide you with any jollies if you plan on torturing me!"

Justicar Shinata looked taken aback.

"Why, repentant citizen, you HAVE been rescued... we are not a feudal state, we do not 'off' those who have renounced the evils of exploitation, nor those such as your abductors who surrender to the People's justice. There has been great effort expended in retrieving you, and you shall be returned to unite with the people of Tord soon enough."

Shinata turned to the officer behind him, a balding man with a thin goatee, whose arm bore a white band marked with a red cross.

"Doctor, what do you think?"

"He seems shaken up... a bit short on food, a bit dehydrated, and his system is tired out from abuse and possibly a sedative. I have far more concern over the man's long term behaviour.... he has been seen to shift from one extreme to another.... from depression to arrogant megalomania... I shall have to keep him for a time under observation, before making a diagnosis."

Glenn felt a pang of panic at the thought of being treated to further Spyran hospitality (I'm way off here actually, I've been to Spyr myself, and they are the most hospitable people you'll find! But Glenn's in a bit of a different position, so in HIS case he does have reason to worry over a prolonged stay. Hell, he'd probably turn into a bloody Strainist given time enough.)
"Damn you, let me go, I belong in Tordian hands, I'm sure the sisters can see to me just as well from the vantage of a Tordian cell!"

Chevalier Ordu du Saint Louis Raymond DeSeze had never been asked such brisque questions before in his life.

"Listen to me you filthy scum" he said, even in his tied up posistion managing to look down at the interrigator "my reasons, and the reasons of my employer, whom you may rightfully term GOD, are no more your business than where you dirty peasant mother shuffled off to last night."

That would earn the Chevalier a ciff to the face, after which he would retorn "Puton Poisson!" If they new what it meant, theyd no doubt be offended.

Sadly, that is as far as they would get with DeSeze, or his Agents du Roi. Beatings, torture...these men had seen what happened in the Bastille, and knew that no one could ever be as efficent as the Kings men, Tweedle Dee and Dum.

While this continued, Versailles never let up with the calls, demanding to know if any of King Louis' subjects had been found, and if so, what was their identification.

His Most Christian Majesty could not directly influence the Lyong, nevertheless Versailles slyly hinted that there were many Tordians, Spyrians, North Yamani and such wandering abroad (Women and children)...it would be a shame if they ended up in the Bastille as compensation for DeSeze.

OOC: You've been to Spyr, Tord? But...isn't Lyong a fictional place?

IC:

The Russian sub, battered and defeated, slwoly began to rise to the surface. The crew furiously patched up leaking holes, whilst the captain, a twenty something blond headed and brash young man stood on top of the submarine, waving a white flag, and calling the Quinntonians to come closer.

Once they arrived, he would have a certain offer for them. It would go a little like this: The Quinntonians pretend they have sunken the submarine, and let the sub enter Dra-Pol waters. In exchange, the sub crew will wreak a little havoc, both on the sea and on land, once they reached Dra-Pol. The Russians knew that bad blood still existed between Dra-Pol and Quinntonia, and hoped that the promise of a little payback would be enticing enough to let them go. Of course, they weren't planning on staying long, and as they landed in Chotei, would then head for Xiaguo, which was apparently sympathetic to the Holy League.

Of course, this would all depend on the Quinntonian choice.

The commander of the AEGIS Cruiser had no authority to grant such a request. He would only accept their surrender, and if it was not forthcoming, he would blast them to smithereens.
As an answer to their request, they would find the big guns of the cruiser swivel and lock on the surfaced ship, and would be asked if they would need any rescue choppers to move men over.

WWJD
Amen.

OOC: Damned uncorruptable Quinntonians. ;) So holy they won't take the opportunity to bloody the eye of their hated foes...What is the distance between Russian and Quinntonian vessels? The Orcas are pretty close, aren't they?

The scores of little Drapoel vessels and aircraft scrambled to meet the confusing threats that faced the region continued to hang near the centres of activity in the East Sea. This squabbling in the revolution's waters was trying Da'Khiem's patience beyond its unremarkable limits as officers at Wonsan, Kangung, Kimch'aek, Ch'ongjin, and Najin naval bases received authorisation and orders for the breaking-out of their heaviest weapons.

Mi-14 ASW helicopters were prepared to accept nucler depth charges in addition to their awkward-looking DSJ-1 anti-ship missiles, the CPRD resolved that this intrusion had gone on for too long and really did represent a totally unacceptable threat.

Further inland, forces standing-down from the Xiannese border were divided in their movement. Previously all headed to the west coast against Sinoese dangers, some were now heading east against, well, nobody was terribly sure. The North-East Defence District, however, remained in full militarisation in accordance with the Kurosite's dislike of all things Russian. As to Chotei, well, nobody in Dra-pol was quite sure of the significance of that sounded more likely to be at home with long-dead Emperor Wiman, or the Japanese, and the security forces wouldn't have known where the Russians were headed even if they could read their minds.

The scores of little Drapoel vessels and aircraft scrambled to meet the confusing threats that faced the region continued to hang near the centres of activity in the East Sea. This squabbling in the revolution's waters was trying Da'Khiem's patience beyond its unremarkable limits as officers at Wonsan, Kangung, Kimch'aek, Ch'ongjin, and Najin naval bases received authorisation and orders for the breaking-out of their heaviest weapons.

Mi-14 ASW helicopters were prepared to accept nucler depth charges in addition to their awkward-looking DSJ-1 anti-ship missiles, the CPRD resolved that this intrusion had gone on for too long and really did represent a totally unacceptable threat.

Further inland, forces standing-down from the Xiannese border were divided in their movement. Previously all headed to the west coast against Sinoese dangers, some were now heading east against, well, nobody was terribly sure. The North-East Defence District, however, remained in full militarisation in accordance with the Kurosite's dislike of all things Russian. As to Chotei, well, nobody in Dra-pol was quite sure of the significance of that sounded more likely to be at home with long-dead Emperor Wiman, or the Japanese, and the security forces wouldn't have known where the Russians were headed even if they could read their minds.
OOC: Dra-Pol, isn't Chotei on the Lyong Map?

OOC: Oh, er, right, yes, that's part of Spyr, though. I think that part of the PRS is split from the main by North Yaman. If you look on the little inset map, you'll see that a bit of purple is sat alone near the Drapoel border. Nearest city we have is Najin, which is also a naval base.
This is a Drapoel map, which is out of date in RP terms as it doesn't show Lyong, but you can just assume that the north east bit is Spyrian rather than Russian. Not that you can really tell that it's Russian, erm, but there you go...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/Drapolmap.jpg

OOC: Alright, I'll just change it to the northernmost Dra-Pol city. Nanjin, is it?

[OOC: In the case of Glenn and the French, the Spyran interrogators won't actually hit them (though it will be obvious that this isnt for lack of desire)... it is assumed that if you ask enough, the truth will emerge without need for physical violence, which itself just encourages subjects to tell interrogators lies in exchange for relief]

While this continued, Versailles never let up with the calls, demanding to know if any of King Louis' subjects had been found, and if so, what was their identification.

His Most Christian Majesty could not directly influence Lyong, nevertheless Versailles slyly hinted that there were many Tordians, Spyrians, North Yamani and such wandering abroad (Women and children)...it would be a shame if they ended up in the Bastille as compensation for DeSeze.

The Spyran Diplomacy Ministry was rendered rather nervous about the implied threat made by Versailles... embassy staff were alerted to increase security for their families, and tourists/enterprise representatives abroad were issued an advisory.

What identifying information has been learned from DeSeze is conveyed to Versailles, along with a list of pending charges for which the French in custody are being investigated.

"Damn you, let me go, I belong in Tordian hands, I'm sure the sisters can see to me just as well from the vantage of a Tordian cell!"

From the back of the room, the officer who had first interrogated Glenn was hear to mumble "For a repentant citizen violently kidnapped from a Tordian cell, you seem awfully eager to return to one..."

In regard to the question of the Sisters, the doctor responded. "Comrade Tord, you know as well as I that centuries of feudal torture have left such deep wounds in the people of Tord that all the efforts of the Ordo Merci are required, along with supplements from our own medical corps. They as yet lack the time and the training to heal the fissures of the psyche. As I'm sure you agree, the current course is the most beneficial for all."

The doctor sat down across from Glenn, and began asking questions about his past actions, about his thoughts and feelings. An adjutant brought in a pile of notes and textbooks, which recievewd much consultation, and a pot of coffee, some of which was offered to Glenn.

Glenn accepted the coffee, and for the most part gave briske and snappy answers to the doctor.
(OOC: about me visitng Spyr, it was a joke, sorry. Yes Spyr is a fictional place, that's why what I said baout being there was supposed to be funy...pretty weak, I realise. Though I'm fairly sure I have a good grasp of what it's like there, and from what I know, it's a pretty good place)

The few Tordians that are abroad are also encouraged to be cautious when travelling, and any soldiers that can be spared are sent to accompany any large number excursions of Tordians, such as sisters of Mercy....though there aren't any large Tordian exursions as of yet...

Confirmation of DeSeze's and his men capture soon reaches Versailles. His Majesty dispatched Monsieur Montespan at once to Tord, in a clearly marked Airbus commercial liner, to negotiate for the release of the prisoners.

Montespan was a lawyer, not even a recipient of the peerage, and as such he was judged 'non-threatening' to the Lyongese revolutionary atmosphere.

Meanwhile, after granting all the information that the Geneva Convention had compelled them to give, the ODSL Agents went as silent as a tomb, refusing to say anything more.

A call from M. de Mesmer, widely ragarded as "the Kings PR man" and the main anchor of French State Television, RNN, informed the respective governments that HMCM Louis XX continued to appreciate the highest level of discretion in this manner.

An item of interest would by now no doubt have reached the Lyong...Rome had been admitted to the Holy Leauge, and at the Congress in which it joined, King Glenn was recognized as the legitamite ruler of Tord.

Montespan wiped his face with a cloth hankerchief, as the small Airbus-323 hit a pocket of turbulence over central Asia. What could he do that would procure the release of those brave agents du Roi?

Barracks 14A, Tohnokura REC

"Mr. Tord, are you aware of something called 'bipolar disorder'?"

The doctor, after several days of observation, entered th room accompanied by a pink-uniformed nurse and an additional pair of soldiers.

"It is a mental disorder... along the same lines as depression or hperactivity, but combining characteristics of both. Its nothing to be ashamed of... many people sufer such difficulties, and studies show that a family history of genetic reduplication, such as often found in royalty, brings them to the fore.

In your case, your psychiatric record is sketchy... other than a depression diagnosis from your student days here in Spyr, we have only the record of your past actions to determine the severity of your illness. You have suffered waves, rising up filled with delusions of grandeur in a most extreme sense, before plunging into severe states of depression. Neither education and communal intteraction from your student days, nor experiencing the new spirit of Tordian revolution, have proven able to break this awful cycle, and so for your own safety we must forgo simple therapy and aim for a more direct solution."

As the doctor spoke, the two soldiers moved forward to grip Glenn, holding him firmly in place. The nurse quietly busied herself drawing a liquid from a vial, into a syringe. When she was finished, she moved forward, as thedoctor continued to speak.

"We are going to inject you with a medication known as 'thorozine'... a simple compound useful in curing extreme cases such as yours. It will level your moods... removing all these dips and spikes which have you so troubled."

The syringe poked gently through Glenn's skin, releasing its contents into his veins.

"Why, once we normalize a treatment schedule, you should be able to return to a productive life back in Tord."

People's International Airfield, Sol Sanctum

Government officials stood by to recieve the French aircraft and its spokesman. Amongst them, weary from a quick air hop from the south, Justicar Shinata was concerned. He knew, he KNEW that the French agents in custody were responsible for removing Glenn, murdering militiamen, performing acts of arson... but there was no evidence to connect them to it physically. In Spyr, there was no 'judge' or 'jury', just the justicar, whose duty was to serve as an enlightened official with both investigative and judgement duties. He could condemn the men in custody by virtue of his belief... but he would not. Enlightened justice was not arbitrary, nor was it chained to the heartstrings of random citizens. It could decide betwee equal evidence with gut feeling, but not replace evidence itself. The testimony of a former feudal despot, now diagnosed with a mental illness, was simply not sufficient, especially as it was not at all certain that Glenn had not supported his own 'kidnapping'.

He did, however, have the agents on one count: they were in the country illegally, having not properly registered at local administrative centres during their stay. On this count, at least, they would labour to repay the Tordian people a bit of what they had taken, before they were returned to Louis.

OOC: Wouldn't anyone have noticed that all the fishermen onboard were missing? A couple of missing person reports of fishermen from 'such-and-such' vessel, coupled with the French agents obvious guilt, would make them guilty of killing innocent Tordian civilians engaged in free enterprise(ie- getting paid to ship Glenn/French towards Penance).

(OOC: A good point North Yaman! What exactly has become of the Tordian fishermen?")

Monsieur Montespan quickly exited the Airbus, driving rain clouding his vision of the airstrip in Sol Sanctum, and umbrellas covering the visages of the French delegation. (I am assuming he'd most likely go to Tord, if anyone differs, we can work on that.)

This was a very hush hush trip. Montespan, a Parisian lawyer, was here to negotiate for the immediate release of the French "hostages", the name the French Agents would soon be referred to as.

Sitting down with his Lyongese counterpart, Montespan said (through drags of a cigarette) he was prepared to negotiate fully on behalf of the French crown, His Most Christian Majesty Louis XX being very eager to have these bedraggled agents returned home.

Additionally, Montespan demanded to see King Glenn of Tord at once. The Holy Leauge had declared him in Rome to be the rightful ruler of Tord, and as such Louis XX issued a special proclamation authorizing Montespan to investigate the health and well being of His Tordian Majesty.

(OOC: I kid with the title, of course.)

"So, mothaf**as, was da plan, man?"

OG (Original Gangsta) spouted to the other COBRAs. A pale, guant man whose movements were like dance steps responded.

"You are an ignorant fool. First we lure the children in, using Jesus juice, and then..."

Abdul, a powerfully built Arab man clad in combat fatigues and bearing his mother in a tiny backpack, yelled back.

"No, no, Michael Jackson. That not the plan we talking about. The plan to rescue the infidel is what we talk about today."

"Yessss... We can leave the children for later..."

Sir Hoogelworth, a British sniper wearing the clothing of an English gentleman, and a bright Union Jack shirt, tried to calm the situation.

"Wot, wot, old chaps. Let me lay it out for you, yes? Alright, mates. First of all, we have to be far stealthier than those Frenchman, wot, old chaps? Now, the first order of business is to sneak in. OG managed to buy us a few prison guard uniforms of the ol' black market, along with the fake IDs that come with them, and a positively smashing tea set, I must say. With my tranquilizer gun, we can eliminate any guards that might catch us, although that is unlikely. Igorij, the boss, got us some French papers, which will authorize a prisoner transfer. Of course, the documents are fake, but hopefully Igorij managed to convince ol' Louis to help him make them look authentic. We drug Glenn, take him out of there, get him a disguise, and simply take the next flight to Paris. Sound good, chaps? Michael came up with most of the plan, by the way, but he's too busy ogling those schoolboys over there. Alright, let's move!"

The team later began to approach the entrance of the prison, wearing prison guard uniforms and bearing fake (but very authentic looking) documents.

[Tord is sensible, though it creates a bit of disparity, as I seem to have forgotten to post about informing the Tordians. Undoubtedly, in the time before Montespan's arrival, such communications would have occured].

Igorij (got it right, AC ;)...oh, and its good to be back ) had indeed recieved permission from Louis to use whatever means at His Majesties disposal to rescue Glenn...although the French Agents were to be rescued by the delegate Montespan.

His Most Christian Majesty was very pleased with the rise of COBRA...le ODSL (French Secret Service) as of late had become too overtaxed. It remained to be seen if COBRA could accomplish what M. DeSeze could not, DeSeze being the protege of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Sir Percy Blakeney, himself.

((Ok, yah, whatever works. It seems like y'all on the Lyong got a very close relationship with each other anyway, kudos! As commies should.))

[well, closeness may be due to Spyr's status as ideological centre, and primary supporting state for the other two revolutions. The current overlap of authority is a bit more than usual, and will subside shortly once Tord's internal workings have finished solidifying

AC... do you mean to say that a big Arab carrying his tiny mother, a punk gangsta, an Englishman, and a white-bleached black pop star are trying to pass themselves off as Spyran revolutionary soldiers?]

OOC: Yes. Yes I am. I'm sure Communists won't discriminate against people based on appearance, no? They are eccentric, but they do have properly faked IDs and uniforms. I'm sure not all Spyrians are homogoneous to whatever race the Lyongians belong to.

[OOC: Well, as much as Spyr would love to be international headquarters of socialism, they ARE an East Asian power... extremely homogenous racially, as are both Koreas, Japan, and even China, with 'diversity' consisting almost entirely of other Asians... All the Western idealists go to experience the purer communal spirit of Beth Gellert ^_^.

A clump of such... notable diversity... would certainly arouse great attention, especially if they were wearing SRA uniforms]

OOC: Damn. Fine, you wanna play hardball, you got it.

IC: "I think they be recognizing us, no?"
"Shut up boy!"
"Ow! I sorry, mama!"

Michael Jackson pondered their visibility, until he spotted a store selling masks. He moonwalked his way to the store, and came out with a stack of eerily realistic Asian masks, that even moved their lips and blinked their eyes. They put on these masks, and gloves, and tried to enter the prison.

(OOC: I was beginning to wonder when Tord'd find out...)

Monsieur Montespan and his escorts are given hotel lodgings in Sol Sanctum and are arranged to meet First Minister Randall Hartwell right away.

He and however many people he wishes to take with him are directed to Randall's office, though all but Monsieur Montespan and a couple others are instructed to wait in the waiting room.

Inside his office is a circle of a dozen chairs in front of the cluttered First Ministers desk. In the centre is a table of snacks, drinks and luxury items. Randall is seated on one of the chairs in the circle. An advisor and French translator are also present. When Monsieur Montespan and co arrive Randall is standing and greets them with a handshake.
"Welcome to Tord, I'm First minister Randall."
He shakes the hands, addresses and inquires the names of all that accompany Monsieur Montespan, then introduces the advisor and translator.
"I bet you're as eager as me to get down to business." Randall starts as he motions for everyone to have seat. Taking a cigarrette from the table he starts;
"So lets get straight down to business. First of all, let me assure you the first french visitors to Tord are in good shape. I recently just foudn out about them myself. I have a file on them here."The advisor produces a folder to Monsieur Montespan. "Which will detail that they're still kicking."
"Now if you wouln't mind, could you explain to me if indeed these're your people and if so, what on earth they were doing here?"

Outside of the meeting, it has been decided what to do with Glenn. He is to perform hard labour in one of the penal camps created by revolution. He will be tilling soil and developing Tord alongside nobles that he would have beenruling Tord alongshide months earlier. He will be monitored regularly by medical personell both Tordian and Spyran until the Tordian personell have have sufficient instruction on how to handle his condition. This is made public knowlege.

The security measures in place for Patricia, Alexi and Luke remain.

OOC: Damn. Fine, you wanna play hardball, you got it.

IC: "I think they be recognizing us, no?"
"Shut up boy!"
"Ow! I sorry, mama!"

Michael Jackson pondered their visibility, until he spotted a store selling masks. He moonwalked his way to the store, and came out with a stack of eerily realistic Asian masks, that even moved their lips and blinked their eyes. They put on these masks, and gloves, and tried to enter the prison.

[OOC: Hrm... it still seems a tad cartoonish...]

The party approached the camp gates, they could see the layout rather clearly. A square acre of concrete, surrounded by a double layer of fences bearing yellow warning signs in Lyongese, watched over by corner machine gun towers. Within can be seen rows of metal bunkhouses and an excercise yard. Surrounding the camp, ground has been cleared for some 600m, after which there is rough terrain and pine forests. For security reasons, the REC was located several kilometres from the nearest settlement.

The gate is itself a building, a concrete square surrounding large metal doors and topped with an observation post. As the infiltrators come close, one of the guards outside the gate raises an eyebrow and approaches, looking down at a clipboard before giving a Strainist salute.

"Welcome to Tohnokura Re-Education Camp... There doesnt seem to be anything on the schedule about arrivals..."

They saluted back, and Hoogelworth shoved Michael Jackson to the front, placing a gun to his head.

"Comrades! We were strolling around the city after a hard days work, when we saw this filthy criminal trying to lure little boys into his car! We disguised him so as not to provoke panic amongst the people, and brought him to the nearest place where we can safely keep him away from the children! Behold, it is the filthy criminal known as..."

He pulled of Michael Jackson's Asian mask.

"Michael Jackson!"
"I looooove children..."
"Shut up, you counter revolutionary pig! Now, we would wish to escort this criminal into the camp, so that we can be sure he is properly re-educated."

He saluted, and placed Michael's mask back on.

OOC: Yeah, I know it's a bit absurd. But I prefer using eccentric characters as opposed to bland, stereotypical secret agents.

(OOC: I think its delightful! Abeit innappropriate)

OOC: Inappropriate? What do you mean, exactly? Anyway, I'm thinking that if Glenn couldn't be saved by orthodox means, a group of maniacs is the way to go.

OOC: AC, I consider this whole thing rather inappropriate. Firstly, the 'orthodox' means you described included rogue navies, french elite forces paratrooping into Tord without ANY of them being captured, and a plane registering a RUSSIAN red cross signal trying to overfly a paranoid(due to the recent Korean tension) socialist state and then escape via a boat that wandered into an area which is basically a standoff between Quinntonian and Drapoel forces.

Secondly, I came to AMW to escape the 'n00bs' that pollute the forums of NS with their unrealistic and badly structured rp. AC, you can do better than Michael Jackson and other randoms suddenly showing up in Lyong without any rp of them arriving, buying asian seeming masks...(IN asia?!)...and then trying to pass themselves off as soldiers. If you want to find out how a REAL russian undercover force could get into Lyong, perhaps you could ask us.

So, if you guys want to continue with this, be my guests, but I would prefer to see some good rp and character developement....as well as sticking to the storyline.

Does Michael Jackson even speak Lyongese?

OOC: AC, I consider this whole thing rather inappropriate. Firstly, the 'orthodox' means you described included rogue navies, french elite forces paratrooping into Tord without ANY of them being captured, and a plane registering a RUSSIAN red cross signal trying to overfly a paranoid(due to the recent Korean tension) socialist state and then escape via a boat that wandered into an area which is basically a standoff between Quinntonian and Drapoel forces.

Secondly, I came to AMW to escape the 'n00bs' that pollute the forums of NS with their unrealistic and badly structured rp. AC, you can do better than Michael Jackson and other randoms suddenly showing up in Lyong without any rp of them arriving, buying asian seeming masks...(IN asia?!)...and then trying to pass themselves off as soldiers. If you want to find out how a REAL russian undercover force could get into Lyong, perhaps you could ask us.

So, if you guys want to continue with this, be my guests, but I would prefer to see some good rp and character developement....as well as sticking to the storyline.

Does Michael Jackson even speak Lyongese?
OOC: Fine, fine. I admit I was making it a little silly. Still, I'm sure you can find masks of Asian people in Asia. After all, you can buy a mask of some American person in America, can you not? The point is that these guys AREN'T a real Russian undercover force. They work for the Holy League, and are a combination of various mercenaries. As for arrival...Spyr is a normal, open country, isn't it? So can't they simply buy tickets and fly in? Well, if you guys don't like it, I'll simply delete my posts. I'll wait for Tord's input. As for the rogue navies thing, that was confusing because I didn't have a clear idea of Lyongian geography. I apologize for my RPing, as it appears that it was inadequate. (Hangs head in shame.)

Through the interpreter, Montespan relayed his concerns. He spoke quickly and elegantly in French, smoking the cigarette languidly, and the interpreter had trouble keeping up. Obviously, this interpreter was not to familiar with the polished French terms having taken root since the Restoration.

Luckily, the French Delegation had brought their own interpreter, who spoke Tordian flawlessly.

"I trust your utmost discretion in the matter, Minister Randall, and remind you that if you waive this discretion His Majesty will remain secure behind layers of deniability. That said, honesty is the best policy."

He then relayed the story in full, leaving out the murders the Agents committed (there could be no evidence) and simply informing him of the escape attempt.

"We are prepared to pay restitutions, in the area of perhaps, oh, one million QSD, and apologize for this farce. It was nothing but trouble, I can tell you" said Montespan, followed by a polite laugh.

"His Majesty would like the agents returned without delay, they are peers in my land, you see, and you must allow them special legal dispensation on that account, or I am afraid your government will be in grevious violation of French law." At this point he lit another cigarette.

"About Glenn. I think it would really do you no harm to turn him over to us after all, would it? I mean, hed just live at Versailles, it would really be no problem for us to take him off your hands at all..." he nodded to an attache, who opened a brief case full of diamonds and gold bars.

"Good in any land, eh, mon ami?" Montespan grinned and winked, and another aid poured the Minister and the French lawyer a glass of fine cognac, in crystal cups brought espically from Versailles.

BUMP for feedback.

OOC: Fine, fine. I admit I was making it a little silly. Still, I'm sure you can find masks of Asian people in Asia. After all, you can buy a mask of some American person in America, can you not? The point is that these guys AREN'T a real Russian undercover force. They work for the Holy League, and are a combination of various mercenaries. As for arrival...Spyr is a normal, open country, isn't it? So can't they simply buy tickets and fly in? Well, if you guys don't like it, I'll simply delete my posts. I'll wait for Tord's input. As for the rogue navies thing, that was confusing because I didn't have a clear idea of Lyongian geography. I apologize for my RPing, as it appears that it was inadequate. (Hangs head in shame.)

Don't let my anal retardedness get you down...you're not a bad rper AC, so I don't see the reason to act like one. As for the ease of entering Spyr...you'll have to ask him. I can only speak for North Yaman, which is less of an isolationalist than Drapoel, granting few travel visa's outside of its asian allies.

[OOC: Well, the team's arrival isnt inconcievable... Spyr does accept numerous international flights, and even has a bit of a tourism industry. Security in this regard is thus not too strict: it isnt difficult to get a visa for a week's vacation. Security appears more internally, in terms of tracking and identity... a computer profile of a visa holder, with photograph and fingerprint data, is kept and used to confirm mandatory local registration and issue travel permits from individual police district offices.
Baggage is checked far more strenuously for weapons, and collectivization of traditionally 'criminal' economies has reduced the domestic demand for illegal firearms, making them far more difficult bring in or obtain... there is a saying in Spyr, that the only things harder to get than guns are cars].

The guard's eyebrow attempted unsuccessfully to raise itself further. "There are proper channels for this, comrades... investigations, queries, judgements, scheduled transfer shipments... this is a re-education camp, after all, not a village courthouse!"

The man stepped back and turned away, glancing back once more as he did so to look the arrivals over once again. He muttered a bit into his helmet headset, then nodded and turned.

"I suppose we can temporarily house him here until a justicar arrives to look into the matter. The first-shift kiushue* are already out for labour, so we have several spare bunkhouses. An officer should be able to direct you properly inside."

The soldier stepped back as one of the two metal doors was pulled open. Through the door stood a leftenant and a new pair of soldiers. The leftenant gave a smile and a wave.

"This way please, comrades."

*[OOC: kiushue is a term without a good english translation... perhaps 're-education camp prisoners' or 'prisoner-students' would suffice, though more properly it would translate as 'persons whose need of education requires their captivity, and whose captivty incldes their education']

(OOC: I want to change my earlier comment about the inapropriatness. This is a game, so why can't we play? Sure its a bit farfetched, I can't remember a stunt like this being pulled in the real world, so maybe something so outlandish'd really work! At any rate, I just want to say, Mr. Cheese, that I'm thouroughly delighted by your plan, and look forward to seeing what will come of it!)

For a cloven second Randall sat there, stock still, cross legged holding his cigarette in mid puff, looking poleaxed.
He then started slightly, coming to himself once more, and consumed half of the cigarette in one mighty inhalation.
Letting the breath out slowly, forcing his tense musles from his shoulders to his Sphincter, unclenching his fist from the cigarette he hadn't noticed he crushed.
"I suggest we take a five mintue recess"
Then without waiting, he stood and walked briskly out of the room to the outdoor steps where he jabbed his hand in a coat pocket, pulled out a packet of Chiyani brand Spyran nicotine gum, tossed a few pieces in his mouth, then lit another cigarette.
An aid went over to churn over a couple notes, Randall shook his head questioningly and mouthed a quick sentence that looked like it began with a word that had "F" as a first letter. Then taking a last puff, tossed the cigarette on the stone steps, ground hit roughly beneath a heel, then turned on the same heel and walked rigidly but calmly back into the office.
(OOC: if at any point a member of the delegation wanted to talk to him during any of this, that's fine, we'll just add it in as an extra blub on future posts.)
After he and the rest of the gathered persons took their seats once again, Randal leaned forward and inquired.
"You did bribe me just now, right? Well I'll tell you, you can't buy my cooperation in this, or any incident involving my work or Tord. You jsut can't put a price on things like this. Plus its just.....wrong! I don't even have the authority to magic them out of the clank and back into Louis pants!"
"And you've got another thing coming if you think french law applies to Tord. You really want to entice or impress me? Have Louis call of his hostilities to Tord."
"You want your sneaks back lickedy split? Have Louis recognize the Tordian Strainist party as the official government of Tord. Because, I don't know if you've noticed, but that's what's governing Tord nowadays! Ask any, and I do mean anyone in Tord, and they'll tell you without a doubt who's running the place. You'll get mixed names, but the same reply no matter who you ask, whether its a kid in the playground or a noble in hiding, they'll tell you either, one (randall jabs a finger up), that the Strainists run Tord or, two, (Randall flips the second finger up) that the people run Tord. Either way, its the same thing, I and every true Strainist takes special pride and pains to make sure that's the case."
"Thank you for your honesty though, its....disturbingly refreshing, I was worried we'd have to beat around the bush as to what the hell hapened exactly."
"So how about it, how quickly can you confer with your boss...actually, I'd like very much to have a talk with him directly, we can even get his pals the former monarchy of Tord in on it to ensure our sincerety!"
"Speaking of which, as much as I'd love for you guys to deal with him, no, we can't go and deliver a tool like that into your hands, stirring up rebellious monarchy forces and giving ol' Louis a reason to believe the Tordian monarchy still has power is the last thing we want to do. As it is Glenn will be toiling his years away in a detension camp, a WELL GUARDED camp I might add."

"Hostilities towards Tord!" Montespan began to loose his cool. He threw his cigarette to the floor, and raised his hands in a gesture of righteous indignation.

"The only hostilities we committed was attempting to save your rightful ruler from the ravages of the Strainist mob!" The aid slammed the brief case shut.

"Do not test the patience of His Most Christian King, peasant! Perhaps you need a bit more pressing?" Another aid came forward, this time with a video monitor vis a vis flat screen foldouts.

The sceen was in the South Pacific. A Tordian frieght vessel, the Tordian Belle, had been forcibly stopped by a duo of French Brest Class Frigates, the Cutter and the Indominable. Both had sailed from the massive French Royal Navy base at New Caledonia, from Ft. Martin.

The frieghter, sailing in open waters about two hundred miles south of Indonesia, had been siezed and its crew had been forcibly arrested...no casualties, yet.

"Now, attend well. This is a ship flying your nations flag, its crew and goods have been seized by the Royal Navy. You now have two choices: either you submit to His Majesties will and surrender both the French Agents and your remaining aristocracy to His Most Christian King, or Tordian ships on the high seas will be acknowledged as fair game by all Holy Leauge ships, to be captured---their goods seized and their crews confined to a life of hard labor."

Montespan sat smugly back in his chair. "Oh, settle down. You neednt worry about any action against Tord itself, His Majesty is not so foolish as that. But dont think the Quinntonnians will come to your rescue on this, little man. Either give us what we want, or watch as your Merchant Marine is seized and scuttled."

"Now, you give me your answer now. His Majesty insists I give him an immediate report."

OOC: /gUd grif/! Here we go again...Yamani forces will be ready just as soon as the LJDC contacts Mioka Ro.

You know, I do find it odd that the Tordian craft would have french in its name. Especially as most Tordians speak Lyongese.

Should Tordian merchant shipping be accosted on the high seas, the Hindustani Navy will have no choice but to intervene...

(OOC: Indeed North Yaman, I do find it odd that a Tordian ship would be named by someone other than Tord...Unless it's not actually Tordian. Oho! Clever, Elkazor, clever! And thanks very much Hindustan, you've got to be one of the nicest countries I've ever met, if Ghandi could have enveloped the entire land mass and peoples of India to become that entity, you'd be it!)

Randlal had become stock still and tense, as soon as he saw the screen his mouth snapped wide open, allowing his cigarette to fall and join Montespan's in burning a hole in the carpet.
"You ****!"
"Yes we'll give you the agents, no way is this worth any innocent lives. As for the remaining Tordian royalty, Glenn is currently in Spyr, So you'll have to take it up with them! Luke is happy and free in Tord, where he'll stay, as he prefers to, ask him yourself. And Patricia would have to be forcefully taken against her will, out of the grasp of thousands of loving Tordians to boot, if you want to take Tord's flower away!"
Randall then turned to his aid and pointed to the phone. "Let's get to it!"
The aid then rushed behind Randall desk and picked up the phone.
Quickly scanning the contacts page, the aid then rang a number.
"LJDC, we have an emergency-" The aid began in the background as Randall went on.
"Now listen you dastardly fuck." Randall continued. "The Kingdom of Tord is no more, nor will it ever be again, the people have made their choice and will never retrun to those ways of oppression, we con't want you as an enemy alright? But you've done a damn fine job of, yes, initiating unjust hostilities towards Tord. The "rightful ruler" as you called him, is a bloody crazy lunatic, just read his file, look at what he's done in the past, and we'll see how much YOU'd like someone like that to run a country!"

(OOC: Glenn in a nutshell!
History: After the Kingdom's inheritance fell to Patricia, the oldest, but female, of the Kings children, in a radical act of the King's will, Glenn attempted to usurp Patricia's rule by emplying the aid of the nation of Thelas, who had dreams of conquering Tord and using it as a tool.
Upon failign that, Glenn gathered a bunch of knights and stockpiled biochemical weapons and ran away in a ship.
He then changed his mind and left the ship to return back to Tord, the ship ended up in Helear, where the knights were killed, and the biochemical weapons seized by the Helekaru to be later used in a seige against Tord's capital, Sol Sanctum.
Glenn arrives back in Tord, is imprisoned, then sent to Spyr who offers to educate him as a student at the Sithin university.
Let sit for a few years.
Glenn returns to Tord.
A Helekar warlord attacks Sol Sanctum. They are driven back by LJDC forces, during witch Glenn tried to assume command of the Tordian forces in the siege.
Shifts occur in the sturcture of Tord, Patricia, not cut out for Queenship, steps down from the throne, to be scooped up by Glenn.
Glenn tries to initiate anti Spyran sentiment, but the people have had enough, they get up and overthrow the nobles that had kept them in poverty and oppression for generations.
Glenn is mobbed a couple of time by people in public, Spyran forces save his sorry butt once or twice.
Glenn gives up crown.
Glenn is imprisoned.
Glen is scooped up by French agents.
Glenn is scooped up by LJDC forces.

Diagnosis by professional medical personell on Glenn: bi-polar disorder.

[my apologies to anyone that has bi-polar disorder, I don't mean to say the disorder is a really wrong thing by having Randall say waht he says about Glenn, when Randall says it, he's referring only to Glenn, not other people who might have it.]

Also, jsut to confirm with everyone, Tord is JUST starting to develop from being a medieval Kingdom, so the only freighters it has are crappy wooden ones not fit for the high seas, therefore they don't go there. So, that ship is not Tord's, if anyone's. So everybody is sure for future reference, Tord has a smattering of military boats, missilve boats I think, thanks Spyr and Hindustan for the donations.
It also has like, a dozen at most fighters, thanks again for the donation...North Yaman I think.
No international trading ships, yet. No commercial things that flight, yet, except maybe some kites....and some aerodynamically shaped rocks.)

((NY, go figure, whats in a name))

Montespan smiled, and through the interpreter relayed his thanks.

"Thank you, monsieur. We will take our Agents and go, Glenn is yours. We shall even remove him from Holy Leauge recognition, if thats suits you. The matter is ended, our apologies for taking so much of your time."

The French delegation then left, but also left another brief case behind...the one with the cash...for Tords Strainists.

Shortly after Montespan left, Randall jumped up from his chairs and kicked the briefcase out of the room, sending precious glitters all over the hallway.
Then Randall ran after Montespan, as soon as he came in sight, Randall bellowed out: "What about the freighter? When will it be returned?"
Meanwhile the LJDC is hurriedly chequing inventories of Tordian vessels, and their ship routes that might have led a ship into the open waters. They will soon discover that no Tordian ship has left the Womb of the bay and that all Tordian ships are accounted for.
The Frech agents are still under lock and key at this point, just to confirm.

((The ship was released, of course. Once the agents are safetly back in French hands, it shall all be settled))

((OOC: Sorry for the delay. I agree with Tord on the issue, and since Spyr is willing to go along, I'll continue. C'mon, we all need a bit of humor. Absurd humor, yes, but humor nonetheless.))

Hoogelworth responded to the unnerved Spyrian guard.

"I realize, comrade, that our procedure was improper. However, we panicked when we saw this evil beast preying on our children, and realized that we must spirit him away from his victims as quickly as possible. Thank you for your officer, ol--er, comrade. Yes."

The bizarre quartet of Ahmed/Abu (He has two names, for no apparent reason), Michael Jackson, Sir Hoogelworth, and OG entered the building, with Jackson attempting to perform dance moves, despite his chains. Hoogelowrth thwacked him with his cane.

"Will you bloody shut up?"
"But I have to...BEAT IT! YAH! Cause I'm a...thriller!"
"Bloody hell! Shut your arse up!"

The officer who was to lead them to a cell stared at them strangely. Hoogelworth looked up.

"Can you believe the astonishing actions of this sickening beast, comrade? Absolutely disturbing. Not only are his actions towards children twisted, but his constant rantings...Ahem. Let us go."

As they walked to a cell, Ahmed spoke up, all traces of a Middle Eastern accent gone from his voice.

"Comrade, we have heard rumors that the infamous criminal, Glenn is held here! Could we see him for ourselves? Just a glimpse of him performing hard labor would further replenish our devotion to the preservation of the revolution, and would inspire our will to fight against those oppressive reactionaries who oppose it!"

"...shirin...kai...dai!"

The officer counted of numbers from a clipboard as he led the group through the camp, passed rows of metal bunkhouses. He came to a stop before a bunkhouse marked 12-A.

"This one should be empty. We'll cuff him to the chair and bring in a technician for processing while we wait for the arrival of a justicar."

He took out two keys, unlocking the door and then an outer latch, before opening the door and ushering them into a rather bland interior: bunkbeds for 12 people were attatched to the walls, while left of the door a table and three chairs had been bolted to the floor. A monitor and camera rested in a suspended bracket over the table, while at the far end of the building a small bookshelf stood underneath a Strainist propaganda poster. A few books lay there, mostly writings by the Daisu and compilations of memorial essays.

Responding to the query about Glenn, the officer smiled.

"Now comrade, you know better than that. If we were to objectify the repentant feudalist like he objectified his people, how will he come to see the truth? His rehabilitation shall come through learning, contemplation, and performing labour for the betterment of the people... not through making him a circus sideshow.

Besides, the repentant citizen is being confined to his bunkhouse while he undergoes treatment for mental imbalances. I'm sure once he has been properly cured of this ill, our comrades in Tord will put him to work in the fields where the interested might partake the vision of a reforming ex-despot."

[OOC: Tord, about Elkazor's request for discretion... Spyran access-to-information will see files pertaining to the arrests enter the public domain within six weeks, and might cause a bit of a scandal. If you plan to hand them over, try to get the French to agree to the agents serving a week or two reconstruction labour... barn-building in Northmarch for example... so it can be more easily passed off as a tenth page 'French tourists serve time for smuggling, return home repentant' rather than a front page 'FRENCH SPIES RETURNED HOME IN SHADOW DEAL'. Should also give you time to confirm if the French do as theyve promised, and get Glenn out of Thorazine stupor to sign a similar statement which can be appended to the Tordian legal code.]

After a quick stopover in Sulawesi, the Diu (I think that's what I named it) arrives off of North Yaman.

It is the second type 42 to arrive in Lyongian waters, and meets up with the two Type 12 frigates who were part of the Daman's battlegroup before proceeding to port.

The spring afternoon blew cold breezes from off the sea as the Diu enterred the headwaters of the Kar river and was accepted into the new port at Thesho. Fluttering in the wind, the Hindustani flag drew the attention of curious Helekaru tribes men, who gathered at the docks to view the landing foreigners.

The official greeting was military in manner, with part of the local Spearguard garrison lined up to the left of the dock. The officiers stand in the front, their formal black uniforms standing out admidst the regular greens of the Army and their Heron swords hanging by their sides.

To the right an honour guard of fifty Helekaru horsemen are lined up beside their bannerman, who is flying a red flag with a swooping falcon. Infront of this cavalry standardbearer stand two men. The older of the two is dressed a black and white uniform, announcing his Generalship of the Airguard. The younger reminds one of a bird of prey, alert and vicious when roused. This obvious firebrand wears a traditional Helekaru costume, which an anthropologist knowledgable of the Lyongese tribes would identify him as a northern Helekaru chieftain.

As the Helekaru delegates disembark, the two men step forward to greet them. Ready for the arrivals, the Generals bow and begin the introductions.

Speaking Hindi (I'm just going to use this unless the Hindustani have a different native language...I'm assuming the airguard general would be knowledgable of a close military allies language), the elder is the first to speak.

"Welcome to the Socialist Federal Domionion comrades. My name is General Kwa, of the Airguard branch in the Yamani People's Army. My companion is General Mitsurugi, and he unfortunately can only introduce himself in Lyongese, though you will need to get used to it I suppose!"

With that said, Kwa nods to let Mitsurugi start.

"Welcome friends. I am honoured to accept you into the Ogakaru Plain district, which I aid in representing at the Strainist Council. I am General Mitsurugi, former Emperor in Helekar and leader of the Red Falcons. My work as General of the Highguard tends to keep me out of Mioka Ro though, travelling to inspect tribal warrior levies and militias in the remote corners of North Yaman."

Arrangements are made to have the French agents transfered to Tord and then to France.
(OOC: I think that I'll make the prisoner swap public acutally, while its not something to be proud of, I want to avoid coulding the truth from the people's mind, even if it is a black mark. That is, IF the swap happens at all.)

Investigations into the "captured" will reveal it to be a fake, I"m going to skip ahead in time and assume its at that point where this has been discovered, I would assume this would take half a day or so, so the prisoners should be en route to Tord at this point. I think i"m skipping a bit too far ahead, so if that's so jsut let me know and I"ll wait for current events to catch up.

The French ambasador receives a call in his hotel room, a few hours after the briefcase of diamonds and other riches were returned to him, from Randall.
"That was pretty clever you bastard, almost got away with it too. We won't be handing those buggered prisoners over any time soon, they'll be working away fixing the problems they caused for a good long time!"
"I want you out of Tord as fast as your little legs can go, come back when Louis is sincere about initiating talks.":
"Oh and you'll be expected to pay for the room and other expenses, good day."

(OOC: If you want ot get your 5 Sen in before Randall hangs up, I"ll say there's time for the ambasador to talk to keep Randall from hanging up.)

"...shirin...kai...dai!"

The officer counted of numbers from a clipboard as he led the group through the camp, passed rows of metal bunkhouses. He came to a stop before a bunkhouse marked 12-A.

"This one should be empty. We'll cuff him to the chair and bring in a technician for processing while we wait for the arrival of a justicar."

He took out two keys, unlocking the door and then an outer latch, before opening the door and ushering them into a rather bland interior: bunkbeds for 12 people were attatched to the walls, while left of the door a table and three chairs had been bolted to the floor. A monitor and camera rested in a suspended bracket over the table, while at the far end of the building a small bookshelf stood underneath a Strainist propaganda poster. A few books lay there, mostly writings by the Daisu and compilations of memorial essays.

Responding to the query about Glenn, the officer smiled.

"Now comrade, you know better than that. If we were to objectify the repentant feudalist like he objectified his people, how will he come to see the truth? His rehabilitation shall come through learning, contemplation, and performing labour for the betterment of the people... not through making him a circus sideshow.

Besides, the repentant citizen is being confined to his bunkhouse while he undergoes treatment for mental imbalances. I'm sure once he has been properly cured of this ill, our comrades in Tord will put him to work in the fields where the interested might partake the vision of a reforming ex-despot."

[OOC: Tord, about Elkazor's request for discretion... Spyran access-to-information will see files pertaining to the arrests enter the public domain within six weeks, and might cause a bit of a scandal. If you plan to hand them over, try to get the French to agree to the agents serving a week or two reconstruction labour... barn-building in Northmarch for example... so it can be more easily passed off as a tenth page 'French tourists serve time for smuggling, return home repentant' rather than a front page 'FRENCH SPIES RETURNED HOME IN SHADOW DEAL'. Should also give you time to confirm if the French do as theyve promised, and get Glenn out of Thorazine stupor to sign a similar statement which can be appended to the Tordian legal code.]

Michael Jackson "broke free" of his bonds, and immediately began dancing in the room, fluttering like a drunken butterfly.

"Oooh! This is so unclean! And so not pretty! UHH! Ignorant fools! Do not know how to decorate!'

As the group tried to seize Jackson (and "accidentally" managed to block the Spyrian Officer's path), he leaped onto a stool, pulled out a giant heart sticker, and slapped it firmly onto the security camera.

Immediately, Ahmed reached into his boot, pulling out a small, but deadly, box cutter knife, and wrapped his arms around the Officer's neck, placing the knife in a position that would allow Ahmed to end the man's life in an instant. Hoogelworth leaned over, and whispered very quickly into the man's ear.

"In thirty seconds, my friend over there will remove the sticker. Now, it's up to you what that camera will see. Will it be you, leading us to Mr. Glenn's cell...or a pool of Lyongese blood? Mind you, none of us are Lyongese...And don't try to be a hero, chap. OG, get his wallet."

Hoogelworth looked at OG, who was grinning maniacally as he poured over the contents of the man's wallet.

"Good job, old chap! You predicted it would be useful for our operations before I even gave the order!"
"Yeah...Predicted it would be useful...That's the reason I stole this mothaf***as wallet...Yeah."
"You see, Mr. Officer, we have your wallet, and Identification. If you want to play a hero, fine. But do note that, well, it would be a shame to harm such a lovely woman..."

The spring afternoon blew cold breezes from off the sea as the Diu enterred the headwaters of the Kar river and was accepted into the new port at Thesho. Fluttering in the wind, the Hindustani flag drew the attention of curious Helekaru tribes men, who gathered at the docks to view the landing foreigners.

The official greeting was military in manner, with part of the local Spearguard garrison lined up to the left of the dock. The officiers stand in the front, their formal black uniforms standing out admidst the regular greens of the Army and their Heron swords hanging by their sides.

To the right an honour guard of fifty Helekaru horsemen are lined up beside their bannerman, who is flying a red flag with a swooping falcon. Infront of this cavalry standardbearer stand two men. The older of the two is dressed a black and white uniform, announcing his Generalship of the Airguard. The younger reminds one of a bird of prey, alert and vicious when roused. This obvious firebrand wears a traditional Helekaru costume, which an anthropologist knowledgable of the Lyongese tribes would identify him as a northern Helekaru chieftain.

As the Helekaru delegates disembark, the two men step forward to greet them. Ready for the arrivals, the Generals bow and begin the introductions.

Speaking Hindi (I'm just going to use this unless the Hindustani have a different native language...I'm assuming the airguard general would be knowledgable of a close military allies language), the elder is the first to speak.

"Welcome to the Socialist Federal Domionion comrades. My name is General Kwa, of the Airguard branch in the Yamani People's Army. My companion is General Mitsurugi, and he unfortunately can only introduce himself in Lyongese, though you will need to get used to it I suppose!"

With that said, Kwa nods to let Mitsurugi start.

"Welcome friends. I am honoured to accept you into the Ogakaru Plain district, which I aid in representing at the Strainist Council. I am General Mitsurugi, former Emperor in Helekar and leader of the Red Falcons. My work as General of the Highguard tends to keep me out of Mioka Ro though, travelling to inspect tribal warrior levies and militias in the remote corners of North Yaman."

OCC: Just a note about languages...Hindustanis generally speak multiple languages given the position of the country, between east Asia and Central Asia. Hindi, Punjabi, Pashtun, Urdu, as well as English (Bedgellen brand of it, anyway), are all common languages, and ethnicities are equally diverse.

IC:

"Its a pleasure to meet you, and an honor to be here," says the consul, speaking in somewhat shaky Lyongese. "I have heard many good things about your nation and look foreward to working here. We present a gift to you..."

The consul steps back, and two sailors present the Yamanis with an exquisitely decorated sitar.

The officer was taken by surprise, and not every revolutionary can be more dedicated to the cause than to self-preservation.

Meekly, he stammered "o...okay... i'll do whatever you want..."

"Excellent. Lead us to Glenn's cell. Perform well, and we'll make sure you're duly rewarded. Betray us, and your family..."

Hoogelworth left those words hanging in the air, as they left the cell. Jackson took off the sticker, and remained in the cell, awaiting trial. He had not committed any crime on Spyr, so if the court systems were any good, he'd be released shortly.

The officer, looking rather ill, led the group between the rows of bunkhouses.

"He's... in bunkhouse 14... over there..."

The officer pointed, indicating a building with a pair of soldiers standing at the door.

"Its a pleasure to meet you, and an honor to be here," says the consul, speaking in somewhat shaky Lyongese. "I have heard many good things about your nation and look foreward to working here. We present a gift to you..."

The consul steps back, and two sailors present the Yamanis with an exquisitely decorated sitar.

Mitsurugi steps forward, bowing low before accepting the beautiful sword.

'I assure you that the honor is all ours. I am humbled by your gift, and shamed to have not prepared my own. Please accept my sword in return, it is no jewel this one is, but it has served me well.'

The General's sword is a traditional lyongese Heron sword, similiar to the Katana, and is bare in comparison to the decorated sitar. Designed for practicality, the sword is meant to be used.

'We are presently awaiting a train destined for the capital. If you wish, we could take you on a short tour of the facilities here at Thesho. Or, if you prefer, we can retire to some rooms near the trainstation.'

Mitsurugi steps forward, bowing low before accepting the beautiful sword.

'I assure you that the honor is all ours. I am humbled by your gift, and shamed to have not prepared my own. Please accept my sword in return, it is no jewel this one is, but it has served me well.'

The General's sword is a traditional lyongese Heron sword, similiar to the Katana, and is bare in comparison to the decorated sitar. Designed for practicality, the sword is meant to be used.

'We are presently awaiting a train destined for the capital. If you wish, we could take you on a short tour of the facilities here at Thesho. Or, if you prefer, we can retire to some rooms near the trainstation.'

*Bursts out laughing*

Yaman, have you missed everything that I've said before about sitars? They're musical instruments, not swords! Quite beautiful ones at that. Now that I've said this, I don't quite know what the General's reaction will be.

Some information on them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitar

IC:

As the General approaches, the Diu's marching band strikes up a tune. Assembled on pierside, they brandish their trombones, saxophones, trumpets, piccolos, bagpipes and drums of both the skins and steel variety much like an honor guard would in a nation more well-versed in military show protocol.

Some listeners might identify the tune as it progresses as something frighteningly similar to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

The officer, looking rather ill, led the group between the rows of bunkhouses.

"He's... in bunkhouse 14... over there..."

The officer pointed, indicating a building with a pair of soldiers standing at the door.

Hoogelworth ordered Ahmed to release the man.

"Good job. The Lyongese equivalent off 500,000 USD shall mysteriously be delivered to your home shortly. Now, return to your post, and forget this ever happened. Or else..."

Afterwards, they marched towards the cell (without MJ), and presented a forged transfer document to the prison guards. Well, actually, only half of the document was forged. The other half was legally created by French diplomats, on French paper, with a French stamp. Of course, if they were caught, the French would most likely to never admit to it, but the French part of the document was authentic.

The document "authorized" a transfer of Glenn to French authorities, and the COBRA (disguised as prison guards) were there to carry it through...