NationStates Jolt Archive

[Note: This picks up where I left off before I left for vacation to Spain, consequently, it assumed that my fleet, built in China, is still making its way through the Atlantic.

The out of character thread is located here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=423177).]


30 degrees latitude, 125 degrees longitude
The red and yellow flag, embossed in the center by the grandiose, black double-headed Imperial Eagle, waved left and right in the cool Pacific Ocean breeze, just off the coast of China. Below the gaze of the sun, Spain's first great armada, since the the 1800s, sailed due southeast, moving through the expanses of the Pacific, and towards the volatile waves of the Atlantic. It was ironic that the Armada had been built in China, a nation with which Spain had no relations more than half a year before.

However, much had changed in the past year. Spain had gone from the forgotten peninsular power, to one of the leaders of Europe. The country, once controlled by the Bourbons, had been taken by a Catalan, who had then married another Bourbon, who managed to be the daughter of the all powerful Louis XIV - the king of France. Furthermore, Spain had brought up cordial relations with the Chinese, and had allied herself to France, Italy and Belarus. It all seem to piece together. However, the buds of Emperor Jonatan I had not been satiated - he refused to be just another partner in an alliance, and instead he had ordered the fatal orders to become, not a partner, but the leader, of not Europe, but the world. It would take time, but his ambitions would attempt to get him there, and this Armada would be just one of his tools.

The new Spanish Armada was nothing, however, compared with the fleets of the other naval powers of the new world order. Nevertheless, it would be able to hold its own, and under the command of the talented, and recently promoted, Grand Admiral Antonio Ibarez, it would be able to punch a hole through any fleet Jonatan desired to strike.

It was composed of eight Clauswitz class Frigates, eight Seydlitz class Cruisers, eighteen Manstein class Destroyers, thirty Azores class Fast Attack Craft, twenty Pepperbox class Logistical Supply Vessel, two Indestructable class Aircraft Carriers - perhaps, the most expensive ship in the arsenal -, and about another fifty ships worth of logistical and miscellaneous shipping. Again, it wasn't large in the eyes of those who had seen a real battle fleet, such as that of the United States or China, however, in the eyes of a Spaniard, it was its pride and joy. Moreover, who was to say as more nations fell to the power of Spain, this fleet would not expand? It indeed would, Jonatan was sure of that.

Inside the armored bridge of the HES Aranjuez, an Indestructable class Aircraft Carrier, Grand Admiral Dacio del Berniz took another drag from his Cuban cigar, the thick black smoke building inside his mouth and then released gradually as he pulled the cigar away from his mouth. In front of him, five or six maps were arrayed, showing the topography of a strange set of islands. Although the titles were barely legible, they seemed to describe the locations of both the Azores and the islands around Madeira - both of which were Portuguese posessions. He scoffed and took another drag from the cigar. Then he muttered,"Puta guerra. They want to waste the armada for such a rudimentary operation? Let it be. The Portuguese shall receive the suprise of their life." He laughed before he put the maps away.

He rubbed his eyes, wary of researching all the maps he could get his hands of. He had already outlined and described his general strategy, and although no other ears had heard a hint of it, he knew exactly what he would do. Perhaps one could say that the Portuguese would not have a navy after the Spanish attack. Indeed, one could say that the Portuguese armed forces in general would be shattered within the first two hours of war.

The Armada, dubbed Battle Fleet Romeo, would continue moving through the Pacific Ocean and then skirt south around Tierra del Fuego, south of Argentina, slowing down to make sure that the fleet was not damaged in the harsh oceanic landscape of the area. Then, from there, Romeo would make its way through the Atlantic and finally, it would reach the Azores and Madeira - and the re-conquista could begin.

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

some time later...
]Mid-Atlantic Ocea]
The large ripples of water splashed against the composite hulls of the Spanish warships, perhaps some of the best designed in the world, although largely undergunned in terms of then number of ships. It was rather depressing to know that the once greatest fleet in the world had been reduced to a single battle fleet, somewhat bigger than a standard U.S. battle group. Regardless, the fleet would make it's impressions around the Atlantic, no matter its size. Spanish flags, the emblem of the old monarchy replaced with the double headed eagle of the Hapsburg dynasty - the symbol of Spain's ancient glory - waved fervently in the strong headwinds of the currents sailing the mid-Atlantic. Only three hundred years before sailors had feared treading these waters, but today, the Spanish Armada feared nothing.

Inside the command center of the HES Aranjuez, the second carrier of its class, sorrounded by gigantic armored belts, Grand Admiral Dacio del Berniz continued to plot operations around the mid-Atlantic. He had received a telegram detailing future operations and the such, and the goal of the new Spanish Empire concerning future wars. They were to go to war with Portugal, and that was final. However, that hadn't suprised del Berniz, since it was the policy of the new Catalan dynasty, and their Bourbon brethren to the north, to occupy anything within reach - indeed, the growth of the state at the expense of the weak was priority in such a state. What had suprised the admiral was that he was expected to take the Azores, perhaps some of the most defended Portuguese real estate outside the mainland itself, with just his fleet - and at the same time sink any Portuguese shipping that tried to make it back to the mainland ports. His fleet was not a land attack fleet - it was a strike battle fleet, intended to prowl the oceans looking for fleets of similar size, and sinking them. No matter, he would have to complete orders.

The elderly man turned to his chief warrant officer,"Plot us."

The other man nodded and responded,"Aye sir. We are two hundred nautical miles southwest of the Azores. Estimated time of arrival to position one hundred nautical miles outside of the Azores is three hours and two minutes."

del Berniz frowned, Portugal would start to wonder what the only Spanish fleet was doing outside of the Azores, and he wondered if Madrid had any response ready. He knew for a fact, since he had many friends in the army, that the ground divisions were no way near ready for an offensive into Portugal. Indeed, there were about two armored divisions in the south, and a single on in the north, and then just around four infantry divisions spread across the entire length of the Portuguese border. This was not nearly enough to punch a hole through the Portuguese defenses, who were more prepared for an invasion than their Moroccon counterparts had been.

However, it was also a fact that two foreign legions from Morocco, roughly fourteen thousand men, were making their way through the Straits of Gibraltar and were to be posted along with the souther armored group. The admiral shuddered. After the Foreign Legion had landed in Southern Spain they had begun their lightning campaign towards Badajoz, and whatever they took they slaughtered. He feared that the same fate would befall the Portuguese. He wondered what would happen if Spain lost a war some day, and it meant the end of Spain - who would the blame fall on? He shook his head. Spain would never fall.

Another officer rushed through the door. His face broken with sweat, and the man was panting like a wild animal. It looked as if he had ran from the deck to the command center. After del Berniz looked at him he spilled,"Sir, RADAR contacts bearing zero-eight-three, coming from the Azores. They seem like Portuguese fighter jets."

Dacio del Berniz stood up and waved the man away. It was already beginning - although the two countries would not be at war, if Spain's timetable succeeded, for another month or so, Portugal was already responding to blatant and non-subtle moves of agression by Spain.

Tag

The notion of Affordable Superpower was gaining momentum in the Commonwealth as People's Kosmonautical Co-operative strained itself to give worth-while attention to the growing number of interesting theatres around the world. Soviet Consul Brigadier-Elect comrade Inbavalli o Nilgiris ferch Con o Nabarangapur a Peralagu o Vellore's proposals were looking all the more appealing, especially as they related to Libya in particular, and the March Alaric Aviation Co-operative was engaged heavily with new orders for unmanned aerial vehicles such as the long-range Morrigan.

In the interim, a single satellite was directed to pay more frequent attention to the Iberian peninsula as more Igovians groaned for war to free their nights from worries over the new Crusades as much as cried for it. To others, Europe still seemed very far away, and perhaps a house that the British, not the Indians, ought to keep in order.

(That's this tagged, then!)

As Hindustani reconaissance sattelites (what few there are) first catch sight of the Spanish fleet, the HMDF knows off the bat that Western Sahara is indefensible.

The Spanish had a fleet built in practically the wink of an eye, the likes of which the HMDF couldn't dream of having at its disposal. If Spain, with its 40-some million people, wants to compare it with China or Quinntonia, it is necessarily miserly, but with that kind of fleet Juan Catalan would stand an excellent chance of affecting an invasion of Hindustan.

Therefore, as Spain's new Chinese-built battlefleet heads for home waters, Hindustan's handful of second-hand English warships off the SADR try to look as small and inconsequential as possible. Any attempts on the part of Mumbai to put things in order and reverse the tide of imperialism in Europe are deemed suicidal.

Badajoz, Extremdadura
"Atenction!" Sergeant Otero yelled out at the platoon arrayed before him, just as General Major Alejandro Santos gracefully walked in. The elderly man, who is fact did not exceed fifty years of age, was dressed in the newest uniforms of the Empire, which seemed to be ripped out of a scene of the court of Phillip II, and his left breast was heavily decorated with multi-colored ribbons, although he seemed lacking in medals. For sure, the transition from the Partido Popular to the PSOE had seen the Spanish retreat from IRaq and the slow retirment of even more personnel. Santos took a single look at the platoon and then turned to starte at Sergeant Otero, briskly saying,"Gracias, vuelve como estabas sargento"

Otero rapidly transferred from his position of attention to one at east, placing his two hands behind his back. The general turned to the others, still at attention and he smiled. Some seconds later he spoke,"SOldiers of the Empire, you have been especially chosen to formulate the brand new Tercio of the new military. Your actions as paratroopers in Morocco have been seen as more than ample to take part in operations as members of the Spanish FOreign Legion.

Of course, you are one platoon of many, many dozens. You form part of the I Legion, which in and of itself boasts three thousand fighting men, with twelve platoons of armor, you being one of those twelve.

Your company captain, Captain Tejero, will update you on the situation. Congratulations on your transition to the legion."

The general walked out and the men let out a sigh of relief. Looking at each other they seemed more worried than anything else. They were the new legion. The first of ten, soon to replace the divisions which had fought in Morocco. It was foreseen by Jonathan I and his military entourage that Spain would sport a ground force of two hundred thousand frontline personnel, with one million four hundred thousand more of logistical personnel, reinforced by somewhere around the same number of Moroccons.

It is to say, Spain was realizing the expensive mobilization of around four percent of its population, and five of Morocco's. There was no room for second class divisions, therefore the Moroccon divisions, although purely motorized infantry, they would receive equal training, and the same armament. Not only was this endeavour highly expensive, it was highly dangerous. For a country just conquered Morocco would not supply the most loyal soldiers. Which was why every single Moroccon formation would operate outside of Morocco, while two Spanish legions guarded Morocco against rebellion.

Nonetheless, the one year mobilization had already seen the augmentation of the Spanish ground forces from sixty-eight thousand personnel to some one hundred thousand, most of which were facing Portugal.

Madrid, Spain
Jonathan I looked down on the map of Western Spain, showing the topography of the area in Andalucia and Extremadura, and he pointed at a specific town in the former, saying,"Here... the breakthrough will occur here."

He turned to a much larger map, of all Spain, and he swiftly changed the subject, nodding at another man to record the conversation. He looked at his Chief of General Staff, Field Marshall Alfonso del Soldado, a very talented officer, and he asked,"What exactly do we have facing Portugal?"

Del Soldado nodded and responded,"In Huelva we have four legions, making twelve thousand infantry total, and one hundred and ninety-two Panzerkampfwagge XIIs, as well as hundreds of other vehicles. The Portuguese haven't acted stupid. They've placed about sixty Abrams in southern Portugal, prepared to repel our forces.

In Extremadura we have four more legions, and Lisbon has matched that with two mechanized divisions. Consequently, the victor there will be the better fighters. According to our prevailing military ideology, that should be us.

In Leon we have the last two legions now available, and two older air assault divisions, as well as the old guard armored divisions, formed of forty old Abrams and some APX-10. We also have two infantry divisions.

In Galicia we have one infantry division. I personally think that's a mistake. Portuguese actions in the north can drive up to La Coruna, opening the road to Bilbao-"

"No, they're too weak. They can barely match us as it is, and by the next week we'll have the XI Legion as a strategic reserve in Madrid, ableit Moroccon. In fact, I want its headquarters to be located in Leon, ready to parry any Portuguese offensives," interrupted the Emperor

Lieutenand General Jose Luis de Caceres moded to correct Jonathan I,"With all due respect, I could very well use the legion in Extremadura. If it is centered in Leon to fight in Galicia the wat if my divisions at hand can't breakthrough to Lisbon?"

Jonathan signed and responded,"Then you lose your job. I will not risk Bilbao, our industria heartlead until the factories in La Mancha and Andalucia are completed because one man could not complete his job. Besides, Andaucia has the 76th Infantry Division on strategic reserve if needed."

De Caceres, obviously shaken, nodded and stood silent. The case was closed. Portugal would be invaded and occupied.

pero como escribes!! ole que arte!!

pero como escribes!! ole que arte!!

[OOC: No se si lo estas diciendo como chiste, pero por si acaso, ¡muchas gracias! ¿Eres Español, y de donde? ¡Aunque vivo en los Estados Unidos soy cien por cien Manchego!]

jajaj, ese tipo suena a doblaje de pelicula barato

Yo de Madrid, pero estuve viviendo en indiana.usa.
No lo digo de chiste, tengo un amigo que al igual que tu tambien se dedica a escribir novelas historicas de temas bélicos y tal...
Te veo bien informado. Me llamó la atencion que escribieras con esa "exactitud" y terminologia española estando todo en ingles.

Matters on the Iberian peninsula had not gone unnoticed. Substantial troop movements amongst the Spanish and Portuguese, as well as the upscale of military recruitment within Spanish-occupied Morocco and the approach of Madrid's new battlefleet, indicated that something was most certainly in the works... and it did not take an expert to guess from which side agression might be expected.

Relations between the Strainists and Portugal had, since the Revolution in the '70s, been positive: the decidedly leftist slant of the electorate meant that ideologically the two groups had much in common ideologically, though distance and difering needs meant more substantive ties did not exist. Still, with the rise of the Holy League, the conversion of Russia from republic to empire, and the conservative victory in Britain, Portugal stood out more and more as a progressive candle in the dark. The thought of the League's rampant imperial expansion snuffing out that candle was a hard thing to bear.

Spyr was, of course, too distant to take much of an active role, its forces occupied watching Russians in the north and Kalla in the south, but it was hoped that those closer to the theatre might take steps to head off the building stormclouds. The British and their NATO allies sat firmly in Gibraltar, while Progressive Hindustani and Lusakan forces had joined with the Saharawi in the SADR. If there was to be succour for Lisbon, as was hoped in Spyr, it was from there that it would flow.

It was rare for the Ottomans to be involved in anything, lest it involved them directly. Ottoman ships were a rare sight out of Ottoman waters, even within sight of those areas, and Ottoman merchants preferred to trade in Sabir or United Elias, nations within the Ottoman sphere. Ottoman spies were mostly in Sabir, if you could call any Ottoman a spy (you would, of course, then, have to call the entire government spies, since they engaged in less-than-legal activities on a regular basis).

Nevertheless, the current talk bubbling in the Three Houses of Parliment was not some internal matter (which was a wonder beyond all knowing), nor some going-on in Sabir or Greece (which was regarded as an internal matter) but a problem decidedly foreign in nature. The matter at hand revolved around extraordinary Spanish mobilization, which could have been considered a threat to the Empire. "They're not satisfied, so they're going to go for Gibraltar and the Suez" was the general opinion. Of course, there were always dissenters, who believed that the Spainish were looking to conquer Portugal, continue esablishing Christian control over Europe, and would eventually attack and eradicate the Muslim presence in the world.

Both possibilities were directly involving to the Ottomans, but it was not like they were getting a clear picture. After the seven-year debate over what to do with an antique and essentially destroyed Intelligence System had been scrapped over a proposal over whether to connect Ankara and the new city of Tarapolis, nothing was known. In fact, this was only known due to the most happy fact that a half-Ottoman Serb had been on board a British trade ship and had, by mistake, seen the fleet leave. He had felt obligation to his empire, so he had reported, thus giving the Ottomans the only information they had recieved. Of course, that would sate the diplomats in Parliment for a long time, but the Sultan believed something was afoot...

As the situation appears to become more and more serious, Mumbai decides to put its foot down. After hours of debating, Parliament comes out in favor of a substantial buildup of naval assets in the region.

At the HMDF's main anchorage in Daman, HNS Blake, accompanied by the recently-refitted Viraat, slip their moorings and head out into the Arabian Sea. Covered from the air by Shackleton and Gannet AEW aircraft, the two heavy ships are joined by the Type 22 frigates Dwarka and Khandwa, Type 42 destroyer Goa, Type 12M frigates Gilgit, Colombo, and Jaipur, and finally the minesweeper Pune as they head towards Gwadar city.

Once they arrive, the Viraat takes on its air wing and the last few crewmembers are embarked. However, after taking up position off Gwadar, the group doesn't go anywhere else.

In the meantime, Parliament petitions the Igovian Soviet Commonwealth to prepare an expeditionary force for Portugal...

OOC: Before anybody makes any moves to reinforce Portugal, although possible, I have a post that I don't have enough time to write now, because I've just finished writing the roleplays to at least six other threads, that would realistically happen days before anybody would be able to get anything over to Portugal. Thanks.

Also, LRR can I get information on what those ships are? I understand some are frigates, but are those first two carriers?]

The Progressive Bloc was stirring, and there had been rumors that many high officials represented within the Second Progressive Assembly had called for a massive mobilization to not only attempt to put an end to the Spanish re-unification of the Iberian Peninsula, but to the Spanish Empire in general, including the liberation of Morocco. The most obvious factors in their decisions were based upon the idea that Morocco would be largely open to liberation, however, in the light of recent Islamic events within Morocco one could not be so sure. Indeed, Morocco was a conquered nation, however, the rhetoric of their conquerors had stressed, not a master-slave relationship, but a cooperation between the Catholics of the north and the Muslims of the south. Indeed, although paid and forced by the Catholics of Spain, and especially propelled by the incentives of the Holy League, the Islamic ruling parties of Morocco had more or less pacified the Moroccon people, spreading the news that Spain was not the conqueror, but the conquered; that there had been a return of Muslim dominance over the Spanish government. Although this was one hundred percent untrue what would the lowly Moroccons know? Especially when their government, so supported by the Progressive League, had proved to be even more despotic than that of Spain.

Furthermore, unlike most Progressive backed countries, in the last months of occupation Morocco had been enriched by leap and bounds. Their market had been increased to most ports in Europe, allowing them to leech off the riches of the Holy League, and slowly, but surely, the infrastructure for an increased industrial basin within Morocco had been laid, much to the advantage of both the Moroccon populace and the Spanish administration. Indeed, new job opportunities were arising every day, and for the most part, the country not enjoyed vast amounts of liberties never beforehand witnessed under the oppressive Islamic monarchy of the old Morocco. In just one month the per capita of the nation had risen from four thousand two hundred American dollars to four thousand six hundred American dollars. That was a huge jump for just a month of economic progression within Morocco, and at that rate the per capita would hit over six thousand by the next year. With living standards staying the same, the people of Morocco were finding more money in their pockets to increase other practices, which led them away to the daily subversiveness of the old ultra-Orthodox Islamic lifestyle. It was to say, Morocco was becoming a western culture, slowly but surely. It was just a month, but in that month Morocco had seen a huge jump, and within one or two years Morocco would become fully integrated into not only the West, but into Spain itself, securing it as a loyal Spanish provence.

So, it was to say, the Progressive Bloc would find it harder than they thought to pry away Morocco from Spain. It was also a tad unfortunate for them that the Spanish military had never been tested in front of an equally as powerful military, and Spain was sure that it could prove their military superiority over that of their foes. However, Jonathan knew when it was high time to act, and now was this time. He was sure that the Progressives would be more than willing to ship troops to counter the Spanish invasion of Portugal, and most likely attempt to liberate Morocco, and consequently, he needed his fleet open to move south. Therefore, he would quickly crush the Azores using his fleet, send a smaller convoy made of older Spanish ships to take the place of his new Armada, and then move that soth to block any movements attempted towards Morocco - all in a matter of three to four days. It would be a very difficult operation to undertake, especially the crushing of the Azores, but if the Armada pulled it off the Progressive Bloc would find it almost impossible to carry out the manuevers they had originally planned, allowing Spain more time to complete the epic encirclement of Lisbon, and then the final surrender of Portugal, once and for all uniting the Iberian Peninsula under Madrid's solid rule.


[Azores]
Ibarez looked at the RADAR screen for a few seconds more, taking a look at the red blips, and then gave out the order to his executive officer to fire at will. He had orders to crush whatever was on the Azores, and to occupy it for a day, until a quick moving transport convoy was able to land a battalion of special operation soldiers to firmly take the island.

A single Praetorian battery made a full swivel to face the trajectory of the incoming bogies and soon the entire armored deck of the HMS Aranjeuz was covered with a dark black plume of smoke. Three missiles screamed into the blue skies, pushed on by their fairly large rocket fuel engines at the rear, and they made their way upwards reaching the velocity of four times the speed of sound. Soon all lost visible contact and the only thing that certified their accuracy was the loss of the two blips that were once moving across the screen. The RADAR operator turned around smiling and estactically told Ibarez,"Admiral, the bogies have been downed."

Ibarez nodded and realized that he had just sparked a war between Portugal and Spain. However, he had planned his first days of operations out extremely well, charting it on a map (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/islands_oceans_poles/azores.jpg) of the Azores. Six flights of Lu-25 Black Mariah aircraft shrieked off the decks of the two Indestructable class Aircraft Carriers, marking a total of seventy-two aircraft making their way to the Azores, which was about two hundred nautical miles north. Most likely the Portuguese airforce on the island was beginning to scramble what it could put in the air, but it would horribly fail.

Already, three of the Manstein class destroyers, three of five not on anti-sumbarine duties, opened their steel and vanadium doors to the verticle launch tubes on the ship, revealing over twenty bristleling surface to surface missiles, the MLAM-2, which had a warhead worth of two hundred kilograms of OctaNitroCubane, the strongest non-nuclear explosive known to man. The missiles plumed out of their VLS tubes, and made their way towards the Azores, as back on the ships the VLS tubes rotated, revealing more missiles. Two salvos were made, meaning a total of one hundred and eighty missiles, and every single one of those missiles were aimed at a strategical location on the island. Moving at around Mach 1.8 the missiles were slow and heavy, but they did the job well.

From the bridge of ships on the northern sides of the anti-submarine perimeter one could see the bright explosions in the horizon. Twenty missiles had struck Lajes, the principle airfield on the island, which would cripple civilian traffic to the island, as well as two-thirds of all military air traffic. Another ten missiles hit the smaller military airfield of Horta, which was totally destroyed, leaving wrecked aircraft strewn across the paved strips. Fifty missiles wound their mark on Praia de Vitoria, while yet another fifty hit Agra de Heroismo, decapitating the Portuguese navy in mere seconds, leaving them almost shipless. It was to say, with just one hundred and thirty missiles the Portuguese defense of the Azores, and thus most of their navy, has been all but completely destroyed. The remainder of the missiles hit the old NATO refueling port city, local Pac 2 surface to air missile batteries, and RADAR stations, marking the island completely defenseless.

It was to say, the Azores had been neutralized. There was one airfield left to the north-west, Santa Cruz, and an old French missile-tracking system that had been put out of service when Louis XX came to power, and that would have to wait until later. It could be said that Portugal had about two hundred armed personnel and two squadrons of fighters left to defend their small island territory. But that wouldn't be true for long.

The Black Mariahs struck soon after the missiles had done the more gruesome job. Flying low they supressed most infantry positions and anti-air artillery positions with long range, air to surface variants of the MLAM-2, leaving the surviving defenses of the island completely pulverized in the face of Spanish military superiority. They also made sure to neutralize the two squadrons of fighters at Santa Cruz, although in that fight they did manage to lose two Lu-25s to especially heavy anti-air artillery fire since that island had much more time to react than the others.

Regardless, the first battles of the war had been fought over the Azores, and it wa easy to say that Portugal had lost. Since they, now, had no way to reinforce the Azores, the Armada located there would now begin to move south, positioning themselves right outside of Northern Morocco, to both take Portuguese islands in the area [with aircraft based off the Canaries] and to make sure nothing came through either the Gibraltar, or from the south. Portugal had lost the sea war - their only hopes of survival was for the Progressive Bloc to break Spanish naval superiority in the area, which was deemed nigh impossible, or for them to stop the Spanish ground invasion themselves, which was also for the most part impossible.

Things looked bleak for Portugal.

Abdul-Malik bin-Abdul-Haqq al-Haddam had ceased completely in being known by any other name. His alias was now firmly attached and his loyalty to Qottar's vanishing secular Republic was as much a thing of the past as his old name. The alias given to him by the KSU as he infiltrated radical Islamist organisations first in Al Khals and then -with less success- in Roycelandia and Libya remained as the former secret agent, 'went native' and swore loyalty to the Dhul Fiqar bin-Omar al-Gharndi as the rogue Mufti pronounced countless fatwa against individuals and institutions from the secular government of Al Khals to the king of Spain.

al-Haddam hadn't let the invasion worry him when he entered Morocco, still apparently the son of an oil barron from Al Khals, since he'd seen plenty of bitter fighting in Qottar's last blunder: the invasion of Lusaka; and during the on-going Al Khali revolution. He'd strolled about for hours but not met a single Moroccan who believed the contention that Spain was back in Muslim hands. If anything, this sort of propaganda from the Spanish was a help to his fanatical cause as it only served to highlight the religious aspect of the conflict. The Al Khali certainly found plenty of youngsters prepared to distribute the photographs and writings he brought, many showing Spanish royals attending Chruches or associating with other figures of the Catholic Holy League.

Apart from the fact that Morocco had been invaded, apart from the fact that it had been conquered by Catholics, it was plain to see that these Christians were engaged in bare-faced mockery, scoffing at the people as if they were stupid and at their faith as if it were a joke.

Other pictures and posters appearing told of the Al Khali revolution and its success, and made high claims about concurrent battles in the Sudan and United Elias. al-Haddam and his growing number of associates swore blind that holy armies were rising in Libya and Algeria, too, and talk of al-Gharndi's preaching and declarations was now brought to Morocco. Al Khali fighters and weapons would not be far behind.

Portugal, though, was far from the minds of almost all Al Khalis.

Unfortunately for those attempting to spread the 'truth' through the people of Morocco there was an uncontrollable factor, as explained before, in the blinding of the common folk. The truth remained that for the past century the Moroccon people had been indoctrinated to follow without question the words of their religious leaders, and it was these exact people that were aiding in the effective 'brainwashing' of Morocco. Indeed, it suited them better in the short run to have a Spain that was willing to give them almost full control over the Moroccons that did not enter military service, than to have an independent Morocco under kings that wanted full sovereignty for themselves, at the expence of the religious leaders. One must understand that religious revolutions do not begin with the people, but begin by those leading the people. It is to say, Morocco would not throw itself into the pits of religious revolution against the Spanish crown just because of a few pictures and some words coming from lands most Moroccons cared nothing about, and trusted less.

Moreover, the Spanish/Islamic indoctrination had taught of a certain distrust in the Eastern Islamic countries, which were claimed to have been occupied by Zionist conquerors, and if not, extremely influenced. Consequently, even if the rumors from the east were true, was it better to be occupied by Catholics who were known to have co-existed with Muslims more millenia, save for the inquisition and thereafter, or under the most hated element of the world, the Jews. It wasn't a tough choice, and that fact would undermine all attempts to overthrow the Spanish administration from Morocco. In other words, Morocco [b]was[b] Spain, and vice versa.

In fact, from the point that it was seen that Morocco became a weakspot for the Spanish military - not easily occupiable, since militance could undermine the whole concept of Spanish peace through understanding, but easily invadable - Jonathan had decided to undertake a smaller scale mobilization of the local Moroccon population in the form that school children would be paid for taking gunnery classes for the manning of soon to be built cheaply anti-air artillery batteries and machine gun positions. Units made entirely of women were also in the foreseeable future, as Spain could use all sorts of personnel. If war came in the area it would be long, and Spain would need all the soldiers to fend off attacks from possibly over four other powers.

However, one could be sure of a single thing. Morocco would not fall through revolution. It would have to be conquered inch by inch. Obviously, the Progressive Bloc had not been palled by Spain's halt at the Saharawi border. If the Progressive Bloc made moves to overthrow the Spanish Empire, they could be sure that the Western Sahara would not survive the first days of the war - that is how Spain threatened those who threantened her security.

As the first missiles fall on the Azores, the Hindustani naval contingent off the SADR goes to full combat alert. But alas, when one is constrained by the logistical abilities of a nation that did not launch itself from a third-rate power to a first-rate power in a matter of months, there isn't much that the HDF can do for the next few days at least.

The Spanish invasion of the Azores took the HDF by surprise, especially since Mumbai hadn't expected the opening shots to be fired for at least another few weeks, grossly misjudging Juan Catalan's intentions and the speed at which Europe's principle democratic powers would react. Therefore, the HMDF's main commitment to the region is still off Gwadar waiting for permission to use the Suez canal, and the squadrons slated for deployment to the SADR hadn't even had their ground crews flown out yet.

Therefore, not counting Saharawi Mirage IIIs and MiG-21s, all that's available to even spit at the Spanish are two frigates and a destroyer, and three Sea Lynxes. Of course, the firepower that such a force carries shouldn't be underestimated, especially considering that they carry the newest BrahMos ASM, but none of the three hulls are any younger than 25 years.

The frigates Colombo and Mohawk are ordered to make their way north from Nigeria as quickly as possible, while in Hindustan proper the HDF frantically tries to speed up what was supposed to be a lightning deployment to begin with by another four days.

Unless something very fortunate happens, Hindustan for one appears, not uncharacteristically, quite set to lose badly.

OCC: Blake is a Tiger-class cruiser, and Viraat is a Hermes-class aircraft carrier. Both are British in origin and the Blake dates from the 1950s. Viraat is a bit older if my memory serves me right. It was actually supposed to be broken up, but since there wasn't a replacement in sight Viraat was put in refit and only recently completed.

OOC-I think we should really decide who is going to RP Portugal before this goes much further. Is Hudecia free, he has always been really good at doing that sort of thing?

IC-Quinntonian embassies in BG and Hindustan start to talk to influential people in both of those nations, Mumbai in Hindustan and many diplomats in BG just walk into the local Senates and make their voices heard.
The message is simple, "Hindustan will be welcomed into the Mediterranean and even the Atlantic that is all. No other member, FOR NOW, is asked to step into the situation in Portugal. If Progressive Bloc members feel that they must be ready to intervene, they are welcome to petition entry to the
Mediterranean via the Suez Canal and then wait no further west than the Roman Peninsula. Hindustan will be fully allowed to enter the rest of the zones. Further, if BG sends a fleet and attempts to enter the North Atlantic in any way, it will be considered and act of war."


QNN-A PM Address of the nation.
A very ill-looking Jesse Obed sits in a hospital bed, but wears a tie, "My fellow Quinntonians, right now the terrorist dictator and member of the Holy League Juan Catalan is moving a fleet past the Azores against his peaceful neighbour, Portugal. Satellite imaging has revealed that almost two hundred missile strikes have been launched against the Portuguese Naval Fleet, essentially destroying it, and any defences on the Azores. This is an unmitigated act of war against the peaceful people of the democratic nation of Portugal, and cannot be tolerated. Too long have we good Christians put up with the bullying tactics of this man, who has also subjugated our Muslim fellow sons of Abraham in Morocco. Too long have we watched the Holy League pervert the name of Christ in order fuel their tyrannical ambitions. IT ENDS NOW! I have given order to Admiral Reverend Scott Gamble, commander of the North Atlantic Fleet that Quinntonia is to move to defend Portugal from aggression. The Entire fleet is going to be moving towards the Spanish Battle Group in an aggressive posture, and ask for its unconditional surrender. It will be reinforced with major elements from the South Atlantic Fleet, and Admiral Gamble is also placing the entire Mediterranean Battle Group-Gabriel on full alert and moving them to reinforce our brothers and sisters in NATO in Gibraltar. This is codenamed, Operation: Archangel.

This is the one and only warning towards the bully, Catalan. If ANY further aggressive action is taken against the Portuguese people, a state of war will exist between Quinntonia and the Juan Catalan, and Quinntonia will then not rest until the mad tyrant Catalan is removed from power. That is all.



WWJD
Amen.

[OOC: Tell me when your anti-submarine warfare perimeter is just about four hundred kilometers away from mine. In character, I'm leaving it as suspense wether I'll bend or not...out of character, I won't.]

Cuttack-New Gibborim Regional Senate, Orissa

"...I say that it appears likely that the Jihadis will make the occupation of Morocco more expensive than Spain can sustain along-side an initially costly war in Portugal following which the Commonwealth shall surely invest much in sustaining GSIC operations in support of a strong Portuguese resistance. Many of my comrades, I know, predict that just a year or two down the line we will have an international problem with Islamic fundamentalism and a shattered Portugal firmly affiliated with the Progressive Bloc beside a spent Spanish state that will probably become suddenly interesting again to the NATO pow..."

The speaker, an Indian man struggling to be heard over the clamour of three score Celts around him, trailed off and began to squint towards the balcony, adjusting his glasses as he spyed the arriving foreigners. The Quinntonians quickly drew the attention of all but one small child who'd already lost interest in proceedings and taken to playing on the senate steps with some toy dinosaurs, and their words were initially entertained with curiosity. Within mere seconds, though, the din had risen to levels far above those accompanying the Indian speaker's words as the foreigners were heckled viciously for, "treating the world as if it is their jurisdiction!" and ignoring the fact that, "we already have Baghdad's permission to pay our way through the Suez and we weren't going to ask for yours!"

"My ancestors had the Greeks and the Romans by the vitals while yours were hiding in the cold and hadn't even heard the Old Testament, let alone been to the Mediterranean!" Cried one elderly Geletian, while his even older mother shouted that, "You'd know an act of Beddgelen war if it happened, you cheeky beggars!"

Of course, these people did not yet know that Quinntonia was dispatching fleets against the Spanish, but in all honesty it would probably not have prevented events that followed, as the Geletian woman in the balcony, visiting from just across the Jharkhand frontier, rose to her feet near the foreigners. She would probably have read that news of fleet sailings as if the Quinntonians trying to take advantage of their feeble effort to bar the Progressive world and to isolate left-leaning Portugal and subdue the SADR. Still, without that news, she still balled up a fist from a hand that spent two decades harvesting sugarcane and later rice, with handtools, and struck the Quinntonian man beside her square in the jaw. A roar went up, primarily from the Geletians on the senate steps below, but cooler heads were put to dragging the woman away before she did any more damage.

The scene was not much different in as many other senates as the Quinntonians visited.

There would be a brief delay before the Commonwealth Professional Civil Service gathered sufficient information and opinion to make a response more official than the disruption on the senate floors. However, unaffected by intrusions, a number of Soviets primarily in coastal regions concluded their debates of the previous night and several hundred marines began to move between armouries and docks at which Dwrgi-T WIGs rested as Preston light transport aircraft flew-in other Sovietists, some connected with GSIC, along with diplomats and technicians.

...In contrast, though, it was easy enough to spy a good proportion of the Soviet People's Navy's major surface combatants and more than one of its submarines in a state of inactivity as the awaited much needed work following taxing deployments to the Coral Sea not long since completed.


(OOC: Hope you don't consider this sort of thing too much of an aside to the combat portion of your thread, Macabees, I don't think it would make sense to have a new thread for the Commonwealth's dithering and ranting :) )

OOC-That was pretty cool! I was hoping that my diplomats would have fared slightly better, but being assaulted by someone's grandmother is just as well.BTW, it is't really suspence if you tell us what you are going to do. But, your funeral.

IC-The Quinntonian BG Diplomatic Corps was in manpower, at least, the largest of any of the Quinntonian diplomatic groups. It had found over the years that well-timed speaches in dozens of the most active and important senates were usually the best way of contacting the government about major issues, that way the Soviets couldn't just ignore them and pretend nothing happened.
The diplomatic Corps would now spend the upcoming several days travelling extensivley and making similar speaches, being sure to pray before and after each speach.
Defense Minister Deacon Rebekah Klages did make contact with the Defense Soviet and express similar interests, though in a more conciliatory tone. She explained that Quinntonia had no interest in a conflict with BG, and hoped that the recent upsurge in trade and cooperation enjoyed between their nations would continue. She did explain that strategically, the Pentagon could not allow large foriegn fleets within striking distance of Quinntonia. She also explained that she felt emboldened to take such action due to the actions of the BG Fleet in the Indian Ocean that began unilaterally siezing and/or attacking Holy League assets in "thier" ocean. She explained that if they felt able to police their own backyard, as it were, then would they please not begrudge Quinntonia doing the same.

The Quinntonian embassy also holds a public press conference in Lisbon, declaring the Quinntonian intention to defend Portugal to the last, and a coordinated press conference was also held in front of the Quinntonian embassy on Madrid, declaring much of the same, but adding that they would not leave the embassy even under threat of death, and began to ring the church-bells of the embassy constantly and hold fasts and prayers for peace.


WWJD
Amen.

As news of Spanish buildup transforming into invasion reaches Spyr from Hindustani in the SADR, the People's Congress of the Strainist Party gathers to issue a declaration of support for the Portuguese people and vowing to do whatever must be done to aid them in their hour of need. The ambassador in Lisbon conveys this intent personally to the Portuguese President, placing the handful of embassy security staff at the disposal of Portuguese defence.

Lyong is, however, distant from Iberia... fleet units from Belitung travelling through the Suez, or more substantial assets from Naisho or Gochu using the canal at Panama, would take a half-month at least to arrive in-theatre, and that only by burning more fuel than was prudent for vessels travelling far from their secure lines of supply... not including the political difficulties each route would entail. There were many far-more-capable powers with closer proximity that might better defend Portugual, at least in the short term.

The Soviet Commune -the body to which the military's Soviets elected liasons and officers of strategy and policy- responded to Klages' approaches with slightly less overt vitriol than was typical in the Senates. Some delegates approached the matter with a slight hint of something near embarrassment at the way their comrades reacted given the policies they were expected to uphold in the Indian Ocean, but most weren't exactly yielding. There was a better mix of Geletian and Indian or mixed and other ethnicities on display in the Commune when compared to the ranks of most Soviets, which tended to be over seventy percent Geletian and at any time as if a moment away from forgetting protocol and dashing off to action were it not for the temperance of the balanced Commune they had elected in less trying times.

It was said by one comrade Admiral Drystan of Murch-on-Teedle -elected commander Home Fleet Training and Sciences Co-operative- that the Commonwealth was only intercepting shipping associated with the Holy League, and that the United States was, so far as Beth Gellert was concerned, perfectly free to join in, "A little late, perhaps, but we in the rest of the world have learned to expect to be kept waiting by the fair lady Quinntonia when it comes to outings of great importance."

It was just that the Commonwealth didn't appreciate the implication that the USQ might think to treat its ships in the same way as it would those of the League.




Regardless of these things, Soviet traffic was moving frequently through the Suez and had been doing so for quite some time, paying the expected rates and frequently inspected by mildly resented officers of the Federal Dictatorship. It was going as far as Libya sometimes across the oft contested Gulf of Sirte, generally with light guns pointed north against the threat of Roman forces. Transported assets were marked and claimed as if connected to existing Soviet formations, and that was quite as it seemed since the Commonwealth stopped supplying Libya with new weapons, considering that it had already more than the could possibly be used.

Now that Portugal had been attacked, the Soviets were sending Dwrgi-T WIGs at a rate of two per day, which translated to over fifty tonnes of equipment and four hundred personnel every twenty-four hours, provided that they continued to move unencumbered by Baghdad as the less than thirty-three metre-wide machines slipped through the sixty-metre canal. Some of them returned with Libyan oil, back on the Igovian shopping-list after a sudden break with Portmeirion just last year almost sent the Libyan economy crashing.




Commonwealth Chief Consul comrade Chivo finally appeared on Igovian satellite television and internet broadcasts the day following Spain's attack on the Portuguese. He spoke at fairly remarkable length on the Portuguese revolution, even showing a hint of anorak as -for reasons unknown- he dropped-in mention of the unusual signal that saw its outbreak: the performance in the Eurovision song contest of the nation's entry that year. Far from showing solidarity with the elected government of the Republic, Chivo represented the opinions of his national comrades in declaring that the Portuguese people had been consistantly let-down for a generation by under-investment in education, privatisation of their wealth, and isolation from potential friends in the world. Now he urged them to take action and attend to their own defence before the Spanish king convinced their leaders to sell them down the river as in Morocco, and promised that the Commonwealth would be with them, at which point there was made available a great montage of shots.

A young Bengali girl brandishing an AKM and a grin as she joined the Commonwealth Guard in Calcutta during West Bengal's revolt, a clearly Geletian man helping people in the Philippines to train with MANPADS, Malagasy citizens cheering and dancing with Soviet Marines as the masts and stacks of Roycelandian warships shrink from focus in the background, and more ordinary things such as Commonwealth citizens voting directly in their Local Senates suddenly followed by dramatic pictures of Soviet WIG vehicles crashing down into the surf and racing up on to Libyan beaches to disgorge troops and armoured vehicles within spitting distance of the Holy League's den, and footage of Lusakan and Hindustani troops along side Saharawi with captured Moroccan weapons in view.

Chivo would in the course of his address declare that the final conflict was come: in just a few years had Bonstock fallen and Sujava achieved successful revolution, a hundred million Indians joined the Commonwealth, a Lusakan dictatorship been torn-down, tens of millions of Latin Americans energetically taken control of their own affairs, the Saharawi won a decades old battle against terrific adversity, and France's tyranical dictator been slain by a selfless martyr to world revolution. The Consul demanded that the people of Portugal not lose faith should their leaders crumble or their armies rout against relative Spanish might: "More than a billion revolutionaries around the world lend their weight to the backs of every Portuguese who wrestles a feudal invador with only Juan Catalan dribbling in his shadow!"

...Which was the Commonwealth's way of announcing that it was sending troops abroad, to the SADR -assuming that they were not made unwelcome by the residents of that land- as well as those already based in or bound for Libya. Nobody really saw any need for declaring war upon Spain, since they all assumed that the Holy League knew where it stood in the consideration of the Igovian Soviet Commonwealth.

For many in Hindustan, Quinntonia's statement of support for Portugal seems like a godsend (or gods' send, for Hindus), as it looks like things may not turn out so badly after all. While Bedgellen intervention simply adds fuel to the fire of Spanish nationalism, Quinntonia commands 'legitimacy' in tyrannical parts and Mumbai even deems it not entirely unlikely that Spain will back down.

The Quinntonians are recieved much more warmly in Hindustani local councils, even though many voice objection to the sidelining of Beth Gellert and a majority calls on Quinntonia to recognize the SADR, the overall mood is one of gratitude. After all, says one parliamentarian, "...while the 'Progressive Bloc' and the Euro-American nations might have their differences, the real enemy for any democracy is fascism and hyper-nationalism."

The HMDF's 'Iberian Peninsula Expeditionary Force' doubles its efforts to get underway and by next morning is navigating the Bab el Mandeb. Headed by the Blake, despite all the ships' age, it is still an impressive sight and one that makes Hindustanis proud. The same cruiser that played such a vital role fighting Llewellyn, Sopworth, and the Bonstockians now heads off to fight a new enemy of democracy, Juan Catalan, and its crew expects to add new silouettes to its funnel.

Not surprisingly, there aren't any submarines in the HMDF's battlegroup, due to the exclusively defensive nature of the submarine arm itself. But some of the world's most capable ASW platforms sail towards Portugal with the battlegroup, especially the Type 12M frigates, notable for their very quiet hull. The fifteen Sea Harrier FRS. 51s carried aboard the Viraat are all flown by extremely capable and well-trained pilots, who unlike the Spanish had to fight tooth and nail against superior technology in the Bonstock war. With new Derby and Python AAMs, it is hoped that the Sea Harriers will be able to hold their own against Spanish aircraft and even down a few in the process.

Nos. 20 and 24 squadrons, as well as, surprisingly enough, No. 7 squadron, are flown out to the SADR along with maintainance crews and enough weapons for a few sorties at least. It is hoped that, since the PAf. 4 at least can accept the Magic or AIM-9 missiles, and a wide range of other French-made stores from when it was supposed to be a close copy of the Mirage 2000, the squadrons will be able to make do with captured Moroccan weapons if all else fails.

The air task force represents the pinnacle of the HADF's modernity, including all the presently-flyable Su-30MKIs and the first squadron of PAf.4s to incorperate elements of the FA.3 upgrade.

[OOC: There a lot of misconceptions here that I need to clear up before we continue. For one, Spain is not a feudal nation, and publicly does not portray itself as one. It's ties with the Holy League were purely between Spain and France - I know for sure that Tsar Wingert dislikes Jonathan [not Juan, as some of you say, since that translates to Jon] - and, perhaps, Italy, which is very inactive. Spain's economy and it's society is purely capitalistic, motivated through self benefit and extreme compitition. The Spanish society enjoys most of the freedoms it enjoyed before, including non-censuring of the press, and now Morocco has been influenced with the same rights. The only difference is that the budget is leaning away from social welfare and things like that, towards science and the military.

Furthermore, Holy League diplomacy is totally different than Spanish diplomacy. As one hundred percent capitalist Spain is much more Machiavellian in its politics, especially foreign relations. For example, Spain spearheaded HL talks with China, until Sino was kicked from the game. I'm not really interwoven in this Russia/Belorussia story developing, but I do have ties with Russia as well. Indeed, the entire reason to allow the Sahara to be independent was to improve ties with the Progressive Bloc, regardless of what Louis XX thought - I see that failed.

Nonetheless, I am not feudal in any way, shape or form. Second thing, I am not a Catholic country. Sure, at the beginning that is what I used to unite Spain, but religion is totally seperate from my administration, and indeed, I am very Machiavellian when it comes to that as well. So in no way, shape, or form am I prophesizing Spain's decisions in the name of Catholocism - publicly, I never even hinted that.]

[tag]

OOC: someone asked where I was? I guess I could try to RP Portugal if Macabees wanted but otherwise Hudecian armed forces were going to support Quinntonia.

IC: President Lau contacts Prime Minister Obed of Quinntonia to offer him Hudecia's unqualified support in the defence of Portugal.

[I rather have someone relatively neutral to role play as Portugal. If I can't get one of those, then I guess you can do it if you wish.]

The Quinntonian Fleet that was being sent forward to the Azores consisted of the following, 2 Aircraft Carrier Battle-Groups each consisting of:

2 Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers (each capable of carrying 85 aircraft)
Mostly supplied with F/A-18 Hornets

4 Ticonderoga Class AEGIS Cruisers

6 Arliegh Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyers

4 Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigates

8 Los Angeles Class Attack Submarines

8 Orca Class Attack Submarines

3 Sacramento Class Supply Ships (One outfitted as a hospital)

This is supplemented by a detail that has been mustered that includes another:
15 Orca Class Attack Submarines

8 Ticonderoga Class AEGIS Cruisers

6 Arliegh Burke Class AEGIS Destroyers

8 Arliegh Burke Class Destroyers

16 Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigates

5 Sacramento Class Supply Ships (one outfitted for hospital)


This is the fleet that is directly moving to intercept/interfere with Azores Armada Fleet operations.

The Battle Group in the Mediterranean includes 1 Carrier Battle Group and a few miscellaneous ships.

The rest of the North Atlantic Fleet is being held in reserve for reinforcement/coastal defence.


The fleet is immediately dispatched at high speeds towards the engagement zone. They will attempt negotiation first, asking the fleet to stand down, and allow themselves to be boarded.

Diplomatic ventures at the Catalan court in Madrid are also being pursued.

PM Jesse Obed accepts any and all help that Hudecia would like to offer, and asks what kind of naval assets they could commit immediately to this venture, and what they could commit to the reserve fleet.

OOC-I am basing all of my numbers on Vietnam era naval USA numbers, and trying to stay with serviceable models of craft. I am not at all an expert on the particulars of naval combat, but I have posted all of these numbers on invisions and had them peer reviewed. It still seems like a lot, I have not really used this kind of naval muscle before. The last time I deployed ships in this number in any aggressive way, was a much, much larger fleet heading to Bonstock, and before that, maybe the naval blockade of Dra-pol.

BTW, I can't seem to find any information on the types a craft Mac is using. Do they have RL equivalents?

And, if Hudecia wants to get involved, would Spyr then play the Portuguese people? Also, Mac, could you use a normal font, that one is hard to read.

WWJD
Amen.

[OOC: Actually, those are more or less perfect numbers for a US battlegroup, but meh. In any case, when my IC post comes up it's assuming that you're five hundred kilometers away, if that's alright.]

Tag- until I can get back from work this evening. Expect some Dreadnoughts and the Imperial Air Force as well!

The HMDF's battlegroup passes Alexandria and heads towards the Iberian peninsula after a short stopover for customs purposes. Once in the Mediterranean Sea and away from Elian shores, the fleet maintains regular antisubmarine patrols and even forms into battle order off Libya.

But the HDF isn't about to rush into an engagement with larger and more advanced Spanish naval assets, especially when the Quinntonians are only a stone's throw away and are set on doing something about the whole situation. In fact, the fleet is recommended to withdraw east should Spain commit major surface or subsurface vessels within 200km of their position. Sending the HMDF in to do a job by itself that it can by no means effectively do is a waste, even more so when Parliament considers that the conflict could very well be solved by the mere threat of Quinntonian military muscle.

Understandably, the Portuguese crisis has given more weight to calls for enlarging the HMDF to a more respectable size, but given the time and energy needed for such a measure there isn't any concieveable way that even a crash (by Hindustani standards) program of expansion could have an effect on what is expected to be a short conflict.

[OOC: Before people start sending their armies over, we need to get a third party role player for Portugal. Also, LRR, I don't have the surface combatants in the area to oppose you, but I would oppose you somewhere around two hundred kilometers from either the coast of Spain or Morocco - so, tell me when you're there, or I can just assume you're there if you want.]

The Roycelandian Government, and more specifically His Imperial Majesty Emperor Royce I, find themselves in a difficult position. You see, His Majesty doesn't like Portugal. They gave away their Empire, you see, so it seems fitting they're about to be absorbed into someone elses.

Still, massive flotillas off the coast of Africa are always a concern to Roycelandia, so His Majesty has asked for more information on the situation before committing troops or otherwise getting involved...

OOC: In other words, waiting for someone to take on the role of Portugal...

The Commonwealth Professional Civil Service has not taken long in dispatching to Port Royal a communiqué on the matter. It is terribly reassuring, specifically noting that the crisis, "...apparently involves no threat to traditional Roycelandian interests: certainly Goa and the Sudanese coast -which we are lately, as a result of WIG and ship-borne deployments to Libya through the Red Sea, in a position to speak more than usually confidently about- face no threat as things stand."

Take it as read, or scrutinise the decision to include the word, "traditional" in its particular context and balance REA and Goa against recent North African ventures in whatever respect comes to mind, that was for the Roycelandians to decide.

The Estenlandic Imperial High Command issues a statement to their press, and also to the embassies of anyone who would listen that they did not support Spain in their action to attack the Portugese, and maintained that this action took place outside the auspices of the Holy League.

This being said, the Black Sea Fleet of the Estenlands is being mobilised and organised into a small battle group, but the pitifully small state of teh Tsarist navy precludes any offensive work, only allowing them to maintain control over their shipping lanes in the Black Sea.

The Russian government stays strangely silent.
Tsar Wingert the Great.

After reacting at a typically slow pace to recent events, the British government has finally reacted to the events in Iberia. Addressing the House of Commons, the Prime Minister declares that, "If the Spanish state commits any violation of Her Majesty's soverign territory or any actions against her Majesty's subjects, the United Kingdom will be force into armed conflict." Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence is hurredly making contigency plans.

In Gibraltar, the various based air and sea elements as well as the Royal Gibraltar Regiment are fully mobilised. In Cyprus, the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment are preparing to be airlifted to reinforce teh defence of Gibraltar, whilst squadrons of fighter aircraft are being recalled from the Trucial States in order to bolster British airpower in the Med.

At home, an extensive naval task force is being assembled for possible deployment to the Atlantic, but it is rumoured that this is unlikely to be used unless it is part of a NATO multilateral force. Across the world, British diplomats start rallying support for the Portuguese, perhaps expressing the most cordial sentiments to the Progressive governments since PM Chaffin took office. However, with the Holy League largely seen as a waning force, the UK is also attempting to make sure that NATO act against Spain, if only to prevent the Asian socialists from becoming too influential in Western Europe.

Parliament promises to British diplomats that Hindustan will do its utmost to help defend Gibraltar if attacked, but, less openly, also inquires into the possibility of Hindustani ships heading to England for repairs or breaking-up should the HMDF recieve the bad beating that is expected.

Promises of support and praise for Britain's 'forceful policies' towards Spanish expansionism are of course followed by the usual inquiries into BAe Hawks and Sea Harriers.

After another day of sailing, taking a relatively leisurely pace and keeping very close watch for any possible threats, especially Italian in nature, the IPEF arrives on station several hundred kilometers north and east of Tunisia and waits for the Quinntonian Mediterranean fleet.

The Strathdonian Govenrment has contacted the British offering any help that maybe required. In recent months the SHC (Strathdonian high command) has been toying with the idea of offering what help it can to the British on terms similar to the Commonwealth defence policies of the 1950s (when R and N forces regularly deployed to help UK forces in Malaya and Aden).

The Strathdonian Govenrment has contacted the British offering any help that maybe required. In recent months the SHC (Strathdonian high command) has been toying with the idea of offering what help it can to the British on terms similar to the Commonwealth defence policies of the 1950s (when R and N forces regularly deployed to help UK forces in Malaya and Aden).

Where is Strath again? Africa, right?
WWJD
Amen.

OOC: Aye, Malawi, bordering Mozambique; Lusaka; and, across Lake Nyasa, Al Khals.
[The Commonwealth indicates relief as the UK and Strathdonia side against the Spanish, and cut a few wry smiles at the Roik border at Goa]

Where is Strath again? Africa, right?
WWJD
Amen.

Yeah Malawi, to be honest we are in no postion to help anyone unless someone else can give us transport, we can fly troops and a tank or 2 to msot destiantions eventually and with allied tanker support get fighters up into north africa, probabaly the best we could do at any sort of notice is supply a squadron of Mirage 200s and one of Jaguars in aaddtion to the 1 of our 2 patriot batteries and maybe a battalion of troops. Anything else would need shipping by someone else.

The Roycelandian Government has thus far refrained from getting involved in the situation (since we're still mad at Portugal for giving away their Empire), but have said that the slightest sign of aggression against Gibraltar will result in us getting directly involved.

Three Dreadnoughts and a Carrier Airship have also been despatched to the area, to reinforce the fact we're not sitting this one out, but that we don't want to get involved in a war for no particular reason, either...

BTW, The Imperial Air Force is prepared to transport Strathdonian Troops and Support Crew- Sunderland Flying Boats and DC-3 transports will be made available for the cost of aviation fuel and some agricultural produce, if Strathdonia is agreeable...

(OOC: I'm playing Argentina from now on, but my account under the name "Argentyna" isn't working, so I'll be using this account until that gets sorted out. So jsut to confirm, I'm Argentina, not Tord.)

IC: El Presidente of Argentina in a press release:
"We must not stand idly by and watch a monster be reborn. Spain is stubbornly returning to its evil ways, its lesson must be learned that it no longer has sway over its long gone empire and has no right trying to claim what does not belong to it. Like the learned school master we must take up our switch and leave a welt to remember!"

OOC-Are we waiting on someone to take control of Portugal? Has anyone contacted Spyr?

WWJD
Amen.

[OOC: Check the OOC thread.]