NationStates Jolt Archive

With major developments becoming apparent within Vizion, This morning the Dr_Twist government announced it will begin backing of the Congressional Forces within Dr_Twist. The Dr_Twist government has also labeled the President of Vizion a Dictator bent on removing the Publics ability of political Choice.

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/cronkite/khrushchev_140.jpg

- Nikita Khrushchev

Al-Qamar, Kahanistan

The troops retreated into their base from outside, leaving only a few units of artillery and infantry with machine guns and anti-tank rocket launchers, a total of about 1,000 troops, behind. When the enemy approached, the forces would retreat and warn the main force that the enemy was arriving.

About 40 radar trucks had been constructed, but only a few ever turned on, hoping to keep the Pwnage forces from learning of the deception. They would likely get suspicious if their HARM's suddenly had loads of targets after a few days of having none.

Unlike in ViZion, these troops had seen the bunker busters of MassPwnage and decided to stay and fight above ground, in their base, protected by NBC and the thick walls and defenses of the Air Force base, including an electric fence and heavy machine gun towers.

All classified materials in the base had already been destroyed, the base would, however, be able to retrieve copies from the Defense Central Archive in the capital.

---

ViZion

The 4,000 terrified, demoralized survivors of the monstrous Doomingslandian bombing broke down into squads of 10 each. Many of the retreating troops were killed or wounded by mines scattered by the enemy FASCAM, and several dozen had fallen off cliffs or into deep water in their blind panic.

Fearing to surrender to Doomingsland, some 600 troops remained in the mountains, awaiting Doom troops with sniper rifles and machine guns. The other 3,000 troops scattered away in groups of 10, to link up with the Praetonians, Questerians, or other allies. Their allies had ignored the base's call for help, but the soldiers needed to get away from this place as soon as they could.

HMS Warspite, Command Bridge:
Admiral Kazokaze watched in despair as the water rose to above his A gun. He stoically looked away as he imagined the screams of the men inside the turret, still frantically trying to load their guns when the water came rushing down. His entire bridge crew was dead, the result of a pair of missiles slamming into the bridge. Wrecked computers were strewn around the room and bodies crumpled on the floor. And above this madness and destruction, Admiral Kazokaze of the Questarian Royal Navy stood, his pipe in his mouth for the last time. Checking the status reports, the enemy fire had sporadically stopped. Time for a last stand. His three remaining guns swivelled to face the Blue Earth SD that was beginning to sink. Grabbing his binoculars, a radio, and a calculator, he bashed down the wrecked bridge door and looked outside - one way, a burning fire, the other, a long communications mast. The thing was fairly sturdy, and Kazokaze knew that he could climb it. In fact, it was the tallest thing left on the ship. Climbing up it, he whispered into the radio;

"Kazokaze to gun crews, turrets B, C, X, prepare to fire. Coordinates streaming T-minus 50." he received a string of determined affirmatives, and climbing to the top he held firm to a strut, hung the radio over his neck, and peered out with the binoculars, immediately sighting the sinking superdreadnought. He had to make an immediate guess, and to do the calculations, he needed his calculator. With nowhere to put the binoculars, he abandoned them, not even watching as they hit the ocean and drifted away. Patting his pockets, he discovered in horror that he had dropped the calculator. All this for nothing he thought, as the water steadily rose. He gulped- he would have to make the calculations off by hand. After five seconds, he had made his decision. "Kazokaze to gun cres, turrets B, C, X, prepare to fire. Range 11km, bearing 45 degrees to port AB turrets, 32 degrees X turret. Fire.. NOW!" he said. The ship rocked as twelve 25" shots seared through the skies towards the Blue Earth Class SD, and as soon as Kazokaze began climbing down, the vessel lurched and groaned. He knew exactly what had happened. Finally reaching the bridge again, he took his place at the helm, the helmsman long dead, and watched out to sea as the water overtook his ship. A minute later, the Warspite hit the rock floor, and was entirely underwater, taking it's entire remaining crew with it. Out of 11,251 men, only one man survived; the seaplane flier Michael Darrick.

HMS Chieftain, Command Bridge
The ship rocked as it delivered another 18" salvo. Captain Foreman watched the Warspite go to the bottom of the ocean; her D/P guns bent and twisted, giant holes ripped in her superstructure, masts torn or broken, and her turrets underneath the sea. He turned around and said

"Ensign - raise Command flag." he looked at his status report; 3 triple 18" turrets, a hundred or so missiles, and barely functioning engines. "The Chieftain is now first in Command of Battlegroup Knight."

Secret IC:

Reply from the Department of Foreign Affairs

TO: Yao Yang Nelson Neo, Prime Minister of the Union of Southeast Asian Nations
FROM: Hitomi Mikazawa, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs
RE: RE: Allegations

Dear Mr. Neo:

With respect to your insinuations of a conspiracy by the Pwnage government, Tyrandis takes great offense at these allegations. The people of MassPwnage have been, if not allies, then warm friends to the Militant Imperium. Though we may have our ideological differences, I personally find it laughable that the report compiled by the MP government is anything but objective fact. Or did you not listen to the disturbing blackbox tapes recovered from the crash site? Those could not possibly be forgeries, as extensive forensic analysis by our own accredited laboratories of the acoustics provide a definite match to the destroyed U-2R.

The crux of the Tyrandisan involvement in the ViZion conflict is simple; we seek to expel the morally and politically corrupt Congressional Forces from the country and their foreign allies immediately. From day one of this war, we have sought a peaceful solution to this volatile situation, which has already spread into the borders of the Democratic Soviet Republic of Kahanistan. The Militant Imperium never wished to become actively involved in this shithole, but the actions of the Congressionals have forced our hand in the matter. We will not tolerate the seizure of power by these genocidal lunatics under any circumstances.

As much as Tyrandis would like to join the Union of Southeast Asian Nations in seeking a diplomatic resolution to this crisis, I am afraid that this course of action will bear no fruit. Since the beginning of our involvement we have pressured both sides to accept mediation, but neither the Presidential fanatics or the Congressional murderers would assent to our various proposals. Your country, Mr. President, would have to make to first move to establish a peace treaty.

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/6096/tifa7zl.jpg
Director Hitomi Mikazawa
Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs

In a Pwnage subcarrier:

"Alright, ready to load up the autopsy report?" The coroner turned to his assistant.

"Ready..." The assistant hit the "send" button.

In a few seconds, the autopsy report was uploaded to media outlets all over the world.

~*~**~

Autopsy Report:

Subject: U2 Spy Plane Pilot

Evidence Recovered:

*Audio Recordings from black box.
*Body
*Plane
*Fragments of some sort.

Analysis of Evidence:

Plane: The plane itself was apparently shot down. Extensive damage to the engines indicate a hit from some sort of anti-air missile.

Body: The body of the pilot was found with a fragment in the base of his spine, matching the fragments found in the rest of the plane.

Fragments: Fragments of some sort were found in the airframe. The geometry of those match those coming from a Velkyan air to air missile, suggesting that a Velkyan plane shot down the Tyrandisian observation unit.

Conclusion: Forces aligned with Congress shot down a neutral and unarmed Tyrandisian plane, suggesting that Congress probably wished to hide something.

Attachments:
Autopsyfootage.avi: 755 mb
Photos Folder: 60 mb.
Actual Film Photos sent in envelopes.

~*~*~*~*

Gibraltar:

"Aw shit...." the Pwnage admiral on the 2nd Blue Earth managed to get that and only that out of his mouth before the Questarian shells smashed into his ship. Unlike with the Questarian ships, there wasn't much drama. The gaping hole in the side of the ship was widened, and the overload of H2O caused the emergency pumps on the massive ship to fail utterly. In five seconds, the Blue Earth rolled over on its side with not even so much as a splash, sending its crew of 6,000 to the bottom of the Atlantic. Unlike the Questarians however, the Pwnage fleet did not stop firing its guns. In fact the fire from their ships intensified as the remainder of the Questarian escorts were targeted. The Pwnage ships greatly outnumbered the remaining Questarian escorts, and the sheer weight of their fire would simply crush what was left.

Meanwhile, the Pwnage battleships began to turn their guns towards their smaller Questarian counterparts. Each of the 12 remaining battleships fired a full salvo of 20 shells at the Questarian battleships, as well as a wave of 120 sea skimmers each. That was really an awful lot of fire for just two battleships....

Some Pwnage bomber UCAVs loitering overhead fired off their ramjet powered heavy HARMs into the distance at the other Questarian battlegroup in the distance, focusing their fire on the Dreadnought, as did the remaining Blue Earth, which began taking data from the HARMs in midflight and using it to target the Dreadnought with greater accuracy. In addition to 60 24 inch HEAP shells per minute that came from the Blue Earth, more than 20,000 antiship missiles followed as well. The HARMs would hit first, taking out the large anti-missile tracking radars on the Dreadnought

And when the Pwnage escorts were finished with the Hogsweatian escorts in the first battle group, they would start firing on the second one....

~*~*~*~

ViZion:

With coordinates from the Doomish troops, the 70th Mechanized Division's battalion of 40 203mm artillery pieces, which were well out of the range of any Praetonian artillery pieces, fired.

They deliberately overshot just by a hundred or so meters at the retreating Praetonian troops. The nasty surprise though, was that the shells fired were napalm filled, meaning that the Praetonian retreat would be cut off by a wall of flames, with the Doomish troops closing in quickly behind them. Of course, a few of the shells were shot into the Praetonian troops themselves, just to send a message.

The artillery pieces threw up a screen of VIRSS smoke down, and then began to relocate as rapidly as possible, while 155mm and MRLS pieces were put on alert, in case anyone would try counterbattery fire.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Pwnage scouts reported seeing huge concentrations of enemy troops, as many as 10 million.

Hoo boy... the Doomies had better send some more troops soon.

~*~*~*

Kahanistan:

Al-Qamar:

"What morons... Like shooting fish in a barrel."

The marine bombardment units turned their guns to Al-Qamar AFB and fired their massive payloads again. Simultaneously, the artillery pieces the paratroopers had on the ground FASCAMed the outside of the base perimeter, around 300 meters from it..

Hundreds of 30 inch shells flew towards Al-Qamar, each one them with a deadly payload..... As they burst over the heads of the Kahanistani troops, they released thousands upon thousands of thermite submunitions. Normally, such a shell could blanket many square kilometers of territory, but the spread in these was programmed to be kept narrow, just over Al-Qamar. Maybe the bunkers could survive the all consuming flames, but the infantry inside the base would roast alive inside their NBC suits or their armored vehicles. If they tried leaving the base, the paratroopers outside would shoot them, and of course, if they stayed inside the base, it would be to their detriment.

HARM Trucks:

MassPwnage had plenty of HARMs, and Kahanistan had only a few radar trucks. Added to that was the fact that even light HARMs tended to have rather large kill radius and they had active guidance was well. It really was a suicide job for the drivers as the HARMs could easily lock onto the trucks and kill them.

Meanwhile, Pwnage airplanes, too many to suppress the ever shrinking amount of Kahanistani military assets began to target every congregation of humans on the ground numbering more than six people in order to occupy themselves. And one of the pilots, sitting overhead in his plane, wondered how many Kahanistanis would start dying of thirst....

~*~*~*~

Cyprus:

More Pwnage air elements were transferred to Cyprus, namely a regiment of multirole fighters, which were going to be tasked to denial of enemy air defense. They would be assisted by the planes of the 2nd Fleet Group, which would be getting within range any minute now....

The Kahanistanian defenders at the base, not wanting to use water on the fires when it was scarce, sprayed chemicals they kept on the base for use against electrical fires.

The ZSU Shilka mobile anti-aircraft platforms fired on anything that looked like it was capable of flying overhead. As the enemy had already targeted civilians, the Republic Guard had no qualms about putting anti-aircraft defenses in cities, especially where cleanup of water supplies and rebuilding of naval ports were taking place. Shilkas were also heavily defending the military bases in eastern Kahanistan.

Major General Brutus Licinius Maximus, the commander of the base, ordered 13,000 troops to break out of the base and attack the Pwnage paratroopers with the remaining Merkava tanks and heavy machine guns. He had personally destroyed any sensitive information the Pwnage troops would find useful, which wasn't much given the enemy's technological superiority.

Most of the missiles in the base were destroyed, but the fire-control personnel were able to save four Peacekeeper ICBM's. These weapons were loaded with napalm and two were fired on the Pwnage paratroopers, and two others onto the beach where enemy forces would have to land. It was a waste of ICBM's, but it was better than allowing them to simply be destroyed.

<Encrypted Transmission>
From: Vampire One-One
To: MassPwnage Gibraltar Blockade fleet.

Gibraltar blockade, this is MRAF Vampire One-One. Be advised, you have friendly aircraft coming in high and fast from the North. Sorry we're late to the party, but we were waiting for the wife to get dressed in something more appropriate.

<End Transmission>


<Encrypted Transmission>
From: MAFCC SatInt Office
To: Doomingsland Ground Forces Commander

Be advised, we have tracked a group of a little over five hundred survivors of your naval bombardment laying in wait in the mountains. Dracon Flight, Callsign Dracon One-One, is inbound from the North-West. If you send any forces nearby, tell them to keep their heads down. Its about to get hot in the mountains.

We are also tracking several groups across the plains, trying to link up with friendlies. We will keep you informed of any large concentrations of forces. Just follow the pillars of smoke.

<End Transmission>


<Vampire One-One, EB-1D Vampire bomber>

Wing Commander Harry McDavish reached into a box between the pilots seats, pulled out a sealed envelope, and tore it open. Inside were the arming and firing codes for his flight. Authenticating his codes with those being transmitted to him from MAFCCP would give him his final order to commence the attack.

He typed the final code into the large MFD to his left hand side, and watched the missiles in the Vampire's rotary launcher display turn from grey to green, indicating a mission ready status.

"All Vampire flights" he transmitted "Authenticate weapons codes and break into attack plan. Good luck and good hunting boys and girls"

With that, he watched as roughly one-fifth of his attack group accelerated away south-west, putting them on a different approach vector to his own group. They were the distraction, and would cover his own flight until it was too late for the Questarians to react. "Vampire Five-One, keep it clean up there." he said to the MC aboard Vampire Five-One, the leader of the group heading away from him. "All other flights, radio silence from now on. No transmissions until we reach the launch point"


<Dracon One-One>

The EB-4B Shrike swept violently around a fishing boat, flying barely fifty feet above the wave tops at over the speed of sound. The low-level interdiction aircraft, based on the cancelled supersonic TSR.2 airframe, was a favourite amongst RAF pilots. It may not have the payload of the larger EB-1s and EB-3s, but it had it where it counted, down low and fast.

The pilot, a young squadron commander by the name of Jason Bantham, checked his squadron's positions using the millimetre-wavelength radar system covering the fuselage of his aircraft. They were roughly where they should be, at spacing of less than fourty feet from each others wingtips in a line abreast formation.

"Dracon Flight, stand by to release Storm Hammers. On my mark, pop up and release. Five.....four.....three.....two.....one.....release"

The twelve aircraft suddenly rocketed up to five-hundred feet, bomb bay doors slamming open, and fired. Rotary launchers dumped four missiles from each aircraft into the frigid air, pushing them away from the belly of the Shrikes before their hybrid ramjet engines ignited, sending the missiles soaring off towards the distant coast, rapidly accelerating. Of the fourty-eight missiles, one failed to ignite and tumbled out of control, hitting the rock solid ocean at over five-hundred knos, instantly destroying it.

The remaining fourty-seven headed off towards the far away mountains in which the Kahanistani troops were now either laying in wait or trying to escape. A little smaller than the standard Wolverine ACM, the Storm Hammer was designed for high speed and area denial. Containing only a ten pound explosive warhead, their devastating effectiveness came from the tanks of highly flammable liquid mounted along the missiles body. Seconds before the missile detonated, it would dump any remaining fuel and mix if with the lquid explosive, before setting off its warhead and showering the cloud of vapour in burning magnesium. The resut was a fireball roughly half a kilometre in diameter, easily capable of knocking down buildings and seriously injuring anyone near the epicentre.

Like command said, it was about to get damn hot in the mountains.

Bridge of the IYS Soulblighter

The sun rained down across the fleet as it floated off the coast of Torontia. Fleet Commander Minaith sat alone in his command chair, leaning against the console before him as he stared out over the other ships arrayed along the coastline, squinting not only against the bright reflections off the Imperial vessels but also from the vast sea itself. He had dismissed the other bridge officers from duty that morning, as he had done almost every other morning for the past two weeks. The fleet had been on station since the occupation of Torontia began during the Xirnium war many months ago and the action had long since ceased.
A muffled beeping noise broke the Commanders gaze and he slowly peeled himself off the command console. Looking down, a flashing light declared the source of the noise – an incoming communication. Minaith straightened himself out and then pushed a button on the console. An image of the Emperor flashed to life on the screen.

“Commander Minaith.”
“Lord Balor, it is a pleasure, how goes your convention?”
“So far, as expected: a complete political free-for-all – a war of subtlety.”
“That good. Anyway, what can I do for you?”
“Take Commander Ajir and head straight for Kahanistan. Destroy all MassPwnage vessels encountered. Once that is done, escort General Caracas’ transports as they make landfall.”
“At once, my Lord.”

ooc: Sorry for the short post, I'm at school, will post more later.

3rd and 4th Fleet Groups:

With the Sarzonians no longer in play, the 3rd and 4th Pwnage Fleet Groups began to move out of Diego Garcia and Singapore respectively. Since Dr_Twist surrounded the Pwnage base at Cyprus, much of the 2nd Fleet Group was left behind in defense of Cyprus, only a single extra fleet (the 3rd fleet), repair and engineer boats and extra munitions/supplies were peeled off of the 2nd in order to assist the 8th Fleet off of Gibraltar. Meanwhile, the 3rdd Fleet Group began to move to an intercept position near the Straits of Aden, while the 4th Fleet group hung around in the Indian Ocean, making sure that a delivery of supplies to the Sudan and Mogadishu would make it through intact, and also putting them in an intercept position in order to detect the Yallak fleet.

Of course, the delivery convoy had plenty of escorts in both the water and the air, making it hard to intercept to begin with.

In the meantime, the Home Guard Fleet Group was put on highest alert, just in case Yallak tried a detour....

London
"It's a long way, to Tipperary, it's a long way to go, it's a long way to Tipperary, to the sweetest girl I know!"

The long stream of troops in light green/gray battle dress, their rifles shouldered and regimental flags waving to the drum beats, crowded the streets of London. Everyone, especially women and children, came to see off thousands of Questarian soldiers, throwing flowers, waving flags, shouting songs. Even some Vizionarian citizens arrived personally to thank random soldiers. Already aware of the loss of the Hood and the Warspite, two extremely important national icons, the Questarian public was inflamed to no end. Although internal bickering was highly common in Questaria, there was no doubt that at this moment the entire nation was united. Banners adorned with slogans like "Doomingslandians are faggots!", "Death to Doomingsland!", "Burn Banduria!", "We piss on you, Pwnage!" and obviously the media-inspired "Avenge the Hood!"

In fact, the day the Hood had been sank, the newspapers Independent, The Times, The Sun, The Guardian, the Telegraph, and various other newspapers had simultaenously launched their papers with the title;
"Avenge the Hood!" and the subtitle Warspite the Warrior! and each and everyone contained propaganda-like material about the last stand of the Hood and the Warspite, although to be fair, not alot needed to be exaggerated.

From Portsmouth, Southampton, and Scapa Flow, entire fleets of Royal Navy vessels swept aside the waves and set to sea, flotilla after flotilla of warships supported by a huge number of RFA vessels and troop transports. At the head of the fleet, the battleship Horatio, flanked by the ship of the same class Holland. Behind them, Defiant. Then followed by the Duke of York, the Prince of Wales, and the Daring. two of the Warspite ships, the Warrior and the Weapon. Soon after, the carrier Intrepid, with Ironclad and four other of its class, set sail. Finally, the last battlegroup, with the Harwood, Duke of Wessex, and Dragon set sail with its escorts as part of the long stream of ships that stretched over the horizon.

ten of these (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Questarian_Royal_Navy#Doctrine) deployed.

Beaches of northwest Kahanistan

One by one, the massive 600mm, 762mm and 1000mm coastal defense guns, anti-shipping missile batteries, and anti-air missile launchers fell silent. About 200,000 Republic Guards remained in their trenches, donning NBC gear and pouring out barrels of napalm to await the landing forces. Snipers moved out from the trenches to target the Marine paras nearby.

The enemy would suffer burning alive once they stormed the beach. After defeating the Kahanistan Navy, the enemy likely thought the ground forces were equally inferior. Cockiness had proven the downfall of many a superior enemy.

---

With radar trucks taking over 70% fatality rates among the drivers, General Valens ordered CIWS guns put on top of them. He also ordered formerly abandoned bases to have radar equipment tunneled in to lure the Pwnage forces into areas that were crawling with ZSU Shilkas.

The radar equipment would lure in enemy planes with HARM's, which were to be simply wasted with the bases' CIWS and other missile defenses, while the Shilkas attacked the planes themselves. The 450 or so surviving MiG's were kept on the ground, hidden, as they would not be able to fight the Pwnage planes head on. They would be used by the resistance if Kahanistan became occupied.

Throughout major cities, AA cannons and SAM launchers protected by CIWS systems were placed on top of schools and hospitals. While many would view the tactic as deplorable, MassPwnage would bomb such facilities anyway, and at least this way Kahanistan could shoot back. Kahanistan, on the other hand, did not need to actually defeat MassPwnage, merely keep from becoming occupied before Yallak could arrive.

Kahanistan could not win through technology, so it would have to win through strategy and numbers. They would have to force the enemy to fight on their terms. The leaders of Kahanistan were good and pissed off, they would die before surrendering.

Bridge of the IYS Soulblighter
West Coast of Mexico

Finally, though Commander Minaith as he watched his fleet actually moving. His part in the long and arduous Torontian blockade was at an end. While there was still considerable distant left before they would even be near Kahanistan, he would be sustained on the excitement of leading a sizable force against the enemies of the Empire, the thought of utterly crushing an opposing navy and earning himself a promotion and better yet a name in history right next to Supreme Commander Dagon.

‘Captain,’ called Minaith turning from the bridge window to face the interior of the room, ‘how long until we pass through the canal?’ He walked back across the room and sat down in his chair, leaning back to get comfortable.
‘The fleet will have passed through by the end of the day, Commander,’ came the reply as the Captain swung around from his workstation.
‘Good. We shall meet up with the Xirniumite Fleet on the other side.’

Minaith reached out from his seat and hit a switch on his console and began typing away.

Encoded Imperial Transmission
To: Lady Admiral Elizabeth Patritsia,
His Most Worthy 4th Crusader High Seas Fleet
From: The Imperial Navy, Taskforce Vengru

Lady Admiral,

Your assistance in our offensive against the forces of MassPwnage currently beleaguering the territory and citizens of Kahanistan would be most appreciated. Our noble friends have long held the tide of evil that washes against their shore but the time has come when we are available to rend our assistance.
We have been informed that forces from Credonia will join us but I will not rest our success on that happening. If the High Ecclesiarchy accepts, I will rendezvous with your fleet at the Cape of Good Hope in four days.

[signed]
Fleet Commander Minaith

Aboard the HMW Indomitable II, HX-52 Class Heavy Battleship
Somewhere off Cape Verde

‘My Lady, how much longer are we to remain here, doing nothing, while our beleaguered allies languish under innumerable assaults on their homeland?’ asked Rear Admiral Wealin.

‘As long as the High Ecclesiarchy commands us to. The war is going badly for the Congressional forces and we are not going to fight in a lost cause, not even against genocidal nations like MassPwnage. If we are told by the High Ecclesiarchy to wait here until every man, woman and child in Kahanistan is dead then that is precisely what we will do,’ snapped the Admiral, Lady Patritsia, though it was clear to those around her that inactivity did not agree with the Admiral very much.

‘A message from the Yallkians, Lady Admiral,’ announced the ship's Executive Officer, handing the torn print-out to the commander of the 4th Crusader High Seas Fleet.

‘Hmmm, it seems the fortunes of war may indeed have changed, Mr Wealin,’ the Admiral finally spoke, after having thoroughly scanned the message. ‘The Infinite Empire is moving to war, the tide turns. Now that victory is assured perhaps the High Ecclesiarchy will finally make its move?’

_________________________________________________________

Highly Encrypted Message - Level 17J-Alpha

+++To Fleet Commander Minaith, Yallakian Imperial Taskforce Vengru+++

From: Lady Admiral Elizabeth Patritsia, Xirniumite 4th Crusader High Seas Fleet

Message Reads:

For too long has the Eternal Republic sat and watched idly as our great friend and ally in noble Kahanistan suffers terribly at the hands of the Presidential ViZionarian forces and its shameless allies. With the entry of the Infinite Empire into this war, the High Ecclesiarchy has finally sanctioned the commencement of military operations against Presidential ViZionarian forces.

By the High Ecclesiarchy’s command, the 4th Crusader High Seas Fleet shall proceed with all possible haste and at ahead full to XM Naval Coordinates HS-23, off the Cape of Good Hope, where we shall link up with your taskforce.

[Signed]
Lady Admiral Elizabeth Patritsia

Message Ends.

‘Excellent,’ Minaith loudly announced to no-one in particular, drawing the attention of all present on the bridge, ‘the Xirniumite fleet will be joining us presently.’ Now if Credonia’s forces arrive we can cleanse Kahanistan and ViZion in one stroke, he added to himself.

Encoded Imperial Transmission
To: Lady Admiral Elizabeth Patritsia,
Xirniumite 4th Crusader High Seas Fleet
From: The Imperial Navy, Taskforce Vengru

That is welcome news Lady Admiral. We will be there as soon as physically possible, then we will plan our attack and begin immediately. The world will soon see why it was that the evil Kraven Corporation lost their war, their fleets and armies shattered and routed.

[signed]
Fleet Commander Minaith


Imperial Navy: Task Force Vengru
15x Karak-class Battleships
60x Khôrland-class Battleships
45x Beliskner-class Super Carriers (10,800 aircraft)
150x Sentai-class Cruisers
180x Kôan-class Destroyers
150x Arveil-class Frigates

Aircraft breakdown
144x ASF-32 ‘Shadow’ Fighters
96x NSB-62 ‘Darkfist’ Fighter/Bombers

Per Carrier (eg x45)

ooc: Mostly for your information.

Opposing Yallak:

Seychelles and Comoros Battlegroup reinforced with Pwnage 12th Fleet.

5x Blue Earth Superdreadnought
50x Tonkin Class Battleship
30x Hive Class Fleet Carrier (225 airplanes each)
25x Nexus Class Battlecarrier (125 airplanes each)
40x CTC-110 Medium Carrier (50 airplanes each)
30x Harpy Class Heavy Arsenal Ship
120x Flipper Class Light Arsenal Ship
30x Jason Class AD ship
120x SeaClaw3 Cruiser
180x SeaClaw3B AA Cruiser
600x SeaJaguar3 Destroyer
600x Riptide Frigate
800x Rapier Class Corvette.
280x Martyr Class SSN
100x Sea Snake Class SSGN

ICBMs:

Quite cleanly, the theater SAM defenses in the Suez Canal intercepted the Kahanistani ICBMs. One of them hit the beaches where the Marines were landing, but since ICBMs don't really carry very large loads anyway, not much damage was done, a few amphbious assault vehicles could be replaced quickly enough.

Kahanistan, the Beaches:

So the Kahanistanis were pouring napalm onto the beaches. Let them, let them do it. Napalm was thick and gelatinous anyway, it would flow slowly, and the Pwnage Marines could see the Kahanistanis starting to pour long before the napalm got anywhere NEAR them. Of course, this opened an opportunity for air support to do quite a bit of damage..... The marines on the beach who weren't in vehicles quickly got down on their bellies... The Kahanistanis wondered why....

Heavy bombers loitering overhead let loose several dozen 8000 kilogram fuel-air explosives from their bays. As the bombs fell, the slurry of gelled rocket fuel and nitrated toulenes in them began to mix together. When the bombs were a few feet from the ground, they disgorged their huge payloads in aersol form. Then, they ignited.

Massive fireballs, hundreds of meters wide and burning at more than 5000 degrees centigrade spread out from where the bombs detonated, this would not only roast anyone inside the trenches, but also detonate all the napalm and other incendiary or explosive substances in the Kahanistani trenches. Of course, any dugout in the area, even if it had a heavily reinforced entrance, would be literally vaporized by the huge fireball, which would also make their ways into the ventilation systems of the bunkers below.

Added to the fireballs were the huge shockwaves, which, at points neear the blast site of the bomb, could crush even reinforced concrete blockhouses or the shallower near surface dugouts that most of the Kahanistani troops would have had time to run into before the bombs hit. The exposed troops in the trenches would fare rather badly, as the overpressure would crush their bodies to a red pulp.

In the rear of the trenches, the Kahanistani snipers, were engaged by Pwnage armored vehicles, which suppressed the snipers with autocannon fire, while Pwnage mortar teams and grenadiers targeted and neutralized them. Other Pwnage armored vehicles fired HEAT rounds from their heavy mortars to penetrate things like blockhouses and dugouts from the top in order to kill the occupants inside.

~*~*~

Al-Qamar:

The Kahanistani troops trying to exit the base found that there were a few problems that hindered their continued living.

The first problem was that they were immediately greeted by artillery fire from the Paras' batteries. Baseball sized depleted uranium submunitions rained down on the Kahanistani troops, penetrating the top armor of their vehicles and setting troops on fire.

The second problem was that the Paras themselves began opening fire on them. A cloud of ATGMs went up from the Paras' lines, as did fire from thermobaric rocket launchers and 90mm ETC tank guns from the airmobile tank destroyers that the Paras had taken along with them.

The thermite bombardment that had taken place previously was then repeated, in order to flush out any soldiers that had survived.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kahanistan's Continued AA Resistance;

These morons obviously could not understand the concept of Denial of Enemy Air Defense. CIWS required radar after all, so the HARMs could get an even easier lock. And because Pwnage HARMs moved at Mach 6, they would detonate before Kahanistani CIWS could react, the SAM batteries were neutralized by follow-up HARMs and then destroyed by JDAMs and cruise missiles.

In reprisal, more Kahanistani fresh water supplies were hit, and also, the same FAEs that were dropped onto the Kahanistani beaches, were dropped on its cities en masse, burning out what was left and causing massive firestorms....

Imperial I Invasion Armada

The fleet was estimated to be a little over a day or so behind the Praetonians in the push towards Gibraltar. The situation had changed drastically since the fleet had been originally dispatched, with the conflict rapidly elevating to a full blown large-scale conventional war rather than a simple quelling of a rebellion.

This war, having grown both in size and importance to both the CAD and Woodstock Pact, was no longer so much about ViZion or Kahanistan as it was the spreading or preservation of spheres of influence.

As such, the men aboard the ships were no longer preparing for a lengthy but painless occupation and defense of Presidential ViZion, but a full-blown combined arms battle against the Praetonians, Questerians, and other assorted nations that the Empire had never even bothered to learn the names of.

One thing was for certain. Whomever won the battle that was to follow the first battle of Gibraltar would most likely win the war. The Empire couldn't lose this battle. Not if it were to insure its dominance in the Mediterrainian.

If victory were achieved there, the fleet would be free to move on and turn Congressional-controled territory into the world's largest sheet of glass. Not only that, but a larger, more permenant force would be landed to ensure that the meddling of heathens would be far more futile.

This war continued to become more and more interesting...

OOC:No time to post my fleet deployments, I'll edit them in later.

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

Encrypted Imperial Transmission to the ARSB

Very well. If you wish to enter diplomatic talks regarding this matter, we would be willing to immediately enter talks with the Armed Republic. However, we will need your assurance that while these talks commence, no military action will be taken by the ARSB within ViZion against the Empire or her allies.

Beaches near Al-Bahr, Kahanistan

Most of the Kahanistanian Republic Guards were incinerated, along with many enemies. Eight-ton fuel-air ordinance does not discriminate based on nationality. About 30,000 of the 200,000 original survived. They had no idea how many of the soldiers they had recently been shooting at were killed.

Snipers had been trained to keep low, out of sight, even if it denied them a shot at the enemy. Pwnage officers were the targets, Kahanistan Intelligence had a listing of officer rank insignia. Most Kahanistan snipers work in teams, one uses the sniper rifle to scout for enemies, and a guy with a rocket launcher or RPG takes out vehicles that a Dragunov sniper rifle can't destroy. They had learned this lesson a long time ago, with Kraven's heavy use of armored infantry and heavy battle tanks that dwarfed the Merkava IV's used by Kahanistan.

Al-Qamar AFB, near the city of Al-Qamar

The Kahanistan Merkavas had their own artillery and machine guns. On top of that, the engine block of the Merkava is seated in the front, protecting the crew and ammunition pile. Missiles that struck the tanks in the front did little or no damage, those that hit on top or behind could make short work of the staple tanks.

The paras would find that the Republic Guards were packing their own heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, carried by heavy infantry in the base, as well as those advancing. Those who stayed in the base were likely to die, those who ran to attack had a slight hope of escape. The 6,000 or so survivors were filled with hate for the Pwnage scum. They had lost people they had served with for, in many cases, over 10 years in the same unit. They wanted the blood of Pwnage soldiers.

Civilian population

Diseases more common in Third World countries swept through Kahanistan, killing millions. Daring reservists and Civil Defense personnel obtained portable reverse osmosis water filters, which were common in Kahanistan. It was, after all, a Middle Eastern nation where salt water was far more common than fresh, and the water treatment facilities were vulnerable to enemy attack, so civil defense would have been prepared for such eventualities, but their training had focused primarily on the possibility of terrorists blowing up the facilities and dumping chemicals into the water.

This would call for some serious defense reform after the war, if Kahanistan lasted that long. The murderous Pwnage beasts grossly underestimated the importance Kahanistan placed on freedom, and its will to fight.

Al-Qamar:

Crazy and angry won wars in the days of old, but it just pissed people off nowadays. A brief firefight between the paratroopers and the Kahanistani soldiers ensued, but there were more than 30,000 paratroopers and merely 6,000 Kahanistanis. The paratroopers not only outnumbered the Kahanistanis, but with their artillery pieces, they outgunned them as well. 203mm mortars began to open up on the Kahanistani troops in addition to the 155mm artillery pieces in the rear. This was in addition to the light MRLS pieces the paras had with them open up on the Kahanistanis, dumping an enormous amount of rockets into them in a short time.

What made things worse for the Kahanistanis was that at that moment, more paras began to land in the original landing site, 3 more divisions, with supplies, and an engineering contingent for repairing Al-Qamar....


~*~*~*~
The Beaches:

The Pwnage troops fared far better than the Kahanistani troops in the trenches did. For one, getting down helped, as most of the fireball and shockwave traveled several feet above the ground, enough to get into the trenches and dugouts and burn them out, but not quite enough to do too much damage to a heavily armored, prone soldier at the very edge of the blast radius. Also, the Pwnage troops were not even 100 meters from the edge of the beach, while the Kahanistani troops targeted were hundreds of meters in. Also, since most of the troops were inside heavily armored amphibious assault vehicles, which the blast affected much less than the rather unarmored Kahanistanis in the trenches, casualties among the Pwnage troops remained low.

This was made clear when Marines began disembarking from the amphibious assault vehicles, firing GPMGs and thermobaric rockets into the nearly shattered Kahanistani trench lines while slowly moving forward, covered by their amphibious assault vehicles firing 155mm shells and 30mm autocannons. Things just got worse when more amphibious assault vehicles began to land behind the first wave.....

Paras:

The RPG/Sniper trick managed to take out several dozen armored vehicles. Oh well, those were replaceable, and Pwnage infantry had enough armor on them to protect them against the splash damage explosions. The paras continued their advance however, firing thermobaric rockets and 40mm OICW grenades into the RPG/Sniper positions, while suppressing them with GPMG, GMG and and HMG fire.

~*~*~*

ViZion:

Denial of Enemy of Air Defense was in full swing over ViZion as the MRF-05 Luna multirole planes moved in over ViZion. The Congressional forces probably had significant SAM and AA assets, so it was critical that they be destroyed.

Assisted by some detached 2nd Fleet Group CAP units, the MRF-05s indentified and then began lofting ramjet powered HARMs towards the major anti-air installations of the ViZionian force. The HARMs, 3 to every major anti-air radar, would boost in at Mach 6 before detonating over the radar and shredding it with thousands of submunitions.

Meanwhile, the 70th Mechanized Division began to move forth, as well as the lead elements of the 4th Airborne. The 70th Mechanized would move ahead to cover Doomish flanks, while the 4th Airborne would attack the Questarians and Praetonians on their flanks....

~**~~

Cyprus:

The 2nd Fleet Group left the waters around Cyprus... they weren't needed. Gibraltar was more important..... Although the 2nd did arrange for several divisions of naval construction units to be flown in..... Something about reinforcing the island....

[OOC: MP / Yallak - My forces are not moving, have not "looped round" anything and do not have a flank. THey are deployed defending a perimeter encompassing a fair part of the Congressional area of the city in two lines defending houses, with reserves between the lines and further back which can be moved as necessary. Nor is any element of my army retreating.]

The Streets of ViZion City

The Rook was lost. They had been lost for hours. In the darkness, their confusing maps overlayed on GPS they were sure was malfunctioning in some way had lead to them seperating from the main group and going god knows where and now they were being ambushed.

"Stand to!" Shouted the Corporal in command of the vehicle. The machinegun turret whirled around and troops disembarked from the vehicle, running to take positions behind wreckage under the hail of fire they were sure was coming. It didnt.

"I am Corporal Thomas Sandown of His Majesty's Armed Forces," the Corporal informed the Congressional Captain with a surge of relief and a hint of excitement. "My superior officers are most interested in meeting you and finding out where Congress is hiding."

Divisional HQ Billets,
ViZion City

The Brigadier-General took the paper, read it three times and burst out laughing. Having just heard that his counter-battery artillery had been destroyed and that the submarines would find it somewhat harder to cover them, "We've done it, Timerius! We've done it!" He declared, slapping his friend on the back. The Colonel looked taken aback.

"Sir?" The Brigadier gave him the note. The Colonel too smiled.

"Are your men dependable? Are they sound?" He asked the Questerian Major quickly in his state of euphoria. "No matter. You say you have no heavy weapons. I will send you some of my men. The 24th should do the trick, shouldnt they?" This last question was directed at Colonel Timerius.

"I should think so, Sir. Very sound, they are. Very sound. You know, I served with the 24th myself once at..."

"Yes, good. Send them at once, Crassus. They will provide your chaps with the support they need, but I want you to hold your ground. No falling back, no surrender, no withdrawl. D'you understand?" There was a hint of a threat in his voice. "I know what your other lot did - we cant have that here. No. Never. If this battle is won we shall seize the upper hand. We shall shatter the illusion of Doomingslandi ground superiority. Shatter it! That is what we must do. Now return to your regiment. If you require anything more of me, I shall be happy to consider your requests." He stood up and saluted the Questerian Officer, who was shown out by an orderly.

"Do you really believe that?" Asked Colonel Timerius, skeptically. His excitement had subsided and he began to realise once again how hopeless the thing was. He would gladly fight and die for King and Empire, for that was how he had been brought up; how he had been trained. He was ready for that. But despite this, he had never believed that there had ever been much hope for their foolhardy excursion behind enemy lines, facing off against armoured battalions and artillery guns with little more than rifles and bayonets.

"Yes." The Brigadier replied solemnly, "Yes I do. It is the ultimate goal, for completed we shall have no enemy to whom we cannot stand up and face down. None. I shall fight for that." The Colonel sat for some moments in silence, then drained his glass and turned to leave.

"The battle will be tonight, if it comes at all. I will be with my battalion."

Praetonian Front Lines - 12th Royal Dragoons,
ViZion City

"Roll call!" Shouted Lieutenant Vitellius after gathering his surviving men into the centre of the shattered house. The Sergeant reeled off names which were only repeated about two-thirds of the time. A heavy toll for only a short bombardment.

"Sir!" Shouted a paniced sentry, ushering his officer to the half-collapsed doorway. "Down there, sir." He pointed down the street. They could see shadows advancing on their position, but from the wrong side.

"Flash!" Shouted the Lieutenant.

"Tiger!" He received in reply. They were Praetonians. The man who shouted reply had the air of a confident, fairly affluent middle-aged officer. "Im going to have my chaps scout the buildings for basements. You lot take sentry!" He continued.

"Yes sir!" Replied Vitellius, wondering why he had not sought such cover himself for his own platoon. Some of the other units had and has suffered much lighter casualties, but in reality they had not expected to encounter heavy artillery.

With reserve battalions moving up all across the line and making every effort to entrench themselves against enemy attack not only in the form of tanks and men but also in the form of artillery raining death from the skies, they hoped their positions would hold out against the oncoming tide.

Imperial Bomber Command Uxbridge,
Hogsweatian Falkland Islands

Turned around and reloaded with troops in a lightning few hours since their return the previous night and supplemented by more aircraft and troops arrived from Neo-Praetonia, planes were taking off from the many long runways of IBC Uxbridge once more. Over two hundred Hussar fighter-bombers in conjunction with more than fifty Firewind converted bombers, 5 AWACs aircraft and ten regular Whirlwind bomber aircraft.

In the centre of the formation rapidly taking shape, enough transports to carry two full brigades of the Imperial Colonial Rifles, the 85th Grenadier Guards, the 56th Tower Guards and the 17th Royal Lancers, an armoured battalion.

The reason for this massive deployment of forces was simple. If they failed to get through, or subsequently failed to complete their missions, they would not only lose the large numbers of troops being deployed, but they would also abandon the troops on the ground to encirclement, failure and surrender within a week.

It took some time for the planes to be assembled, but once the formation was complete it set off for embattled City with the transports and AWACs tucked safely in the centre and the same AWACs planes not repeating their mistakes of last time and keeping their radar safely turned off except when releasing alternating 'pings' of radiation to keep tabs on their surroundings.

[OOC: MP I havent ignored your artillery attack, but it didnt really fit into the timeframe of the rest of the post, so I'll post its affects and my reaction in my next post.]

Imperial HQ

"Well, sir, it appears our attack has succeeded," commented one of the Tribunes in the Praetorium command track, who had been staring over the men's shoulders as they received reports from the front.

Marcus didn't even respond. Instead, he stared intently at the holographic display that adorned the center of the compartment.

"Very well, then. Proceed with phase two, Tribune," he finally said, a smile coming across his face.

Legate Decimus, upon hearing the news that his plan to snuff out the Praetonian RADAR had succeeded, was quite pleased with the results. Finding the Praetonian and Questerian armies quite vulnerable to his artillery along with the newly arrived Pwnage artillery, he decided to make use of live video feed from friendly UCAVs.

Pwnage forces had brought with them a number of UCAVs, and were allowing Imperial forces to make use of the feed for artillery spotting.

Sighting in the enemy soldiers would not have been difficult due to the fact they were all moving around, entrenching and such. This made the job of the artillery crews all the easier.

A similar attack to the one that had been launched on the first Praetonian line immediately commenced. Instead of leading off with recon units, the legion instead commenced bombardment of the second Praetonian line. Now that they had no fear of enemy retaliation, they would be able to simply hose down the line for a full five minutes, literally showering it in 152mm thermobaric shells, hitting all along the line.

The pieces of the puzzle were now falling together completely. With the Praetonian line taking a heavy beating, more smoke rounds were fired off, obscuring the enemy’s vision. While the smoke lasted, four full cohorts began to push outwards, attempting to wrap around the Praetonian formation. They would attempt to keep out of contact with enemy forces, but if the Questerians or Praetonians tried something, scouts along the units’ flanks closest to the enemy formations would be the first ones hit, allowing for an easy reaction.

As this happened, mechanized infantry lead off the push into the first line, the one that had taken the original bombardment. With tanks and IFVs behind them, they quietly advanced forward, intent on clearing out anything that remained. They suspected that, due to the short duration of the bombardment, at least a few Praetonians had managed to survive. As such, the first men heading in were none other than the recon troops, the same ones that had first made contact with that line. If they came under fire once more, cohort and century level artillery units would saturate enemy positions once more.

[OOC: My troops finished their entrenchments during the day, so your UAVs would not see them running around, but you probably would be able to see the defences themselves, so it doesnt really matter.]

Divisional HQ Billets,
ViZion City

"They are bombarding us again, sir. This time further back at the second line. The information has already been relayed to the submarines..." the Colonel pulled aside one of the curtains, "they dont appear to be withdrawing this time."

The Brigadier sat completely still. He could imagine the horrors his men would experience when faced with a sustained bombardment of their positions, but he also knew that he could turn his enemy's perceived invulnerability to his own strength. The Doomingslandis may have demonstrated exceptional ingenuity in destroying his counter-battery RADAR, but he knew that his own nation's armed forces had the capability to be ingenious too.

At least, he mused, in the meantime his troops, positioned in as yet un-scouted positions observed only by UAVs that would be being engaged by his Air Defence Sections, would be experiencing fire marginally less accurate than before.

"What will they do? The submarines?" He demanded, at once.

"They will do the same, sir. Launch the same missiles, but they will first scan the area with their sensors, working out from the known positions of Doomingslandi lands. The enemy artillery will just have been moving - it will be easy to detect. That is my understanding of it anyway."

The Brigadier nodded. The Colonel was an artilleryman, but had little actual artillery. Next time, the Brigadier thought to himself, he would bring plenty. "And this will work well?"

"Not as well as if we knew where they were," the Colonel agreed, "but if the Doomingslandis let this go to their heads, as they seem to be doing, and give us a nice long burst, we can wipe out a great deal of their artillery and scare the living daylights out of their crews."

The Brigadier smiled. That would be no end of use, at least until the planes arrived, but they were a few hours away and there would be a battle yet. Not all that far away, a battle was already beginning.

Praetonian Front Lines - 12th Royal Dragoons,
ViZion City

Smoke rose behind the lines, both from fire and from smoke dispensing shells, but the men of the 12th Royal Dragoons had little care for the affairs of others. Lieutenant Vitellius looked balanced his telescope on the edge of the road jutting into his impromptu foxhole drilled out of the middle of the road by an enemy shell and looked down at the buildings on the other side. He still had advanced scouts in the buildings, but they made no noise and would fire only if ordered or disturbed.

"See anything, sir?" Asked his Sergeant.

"Nothing... wait... perhaps... what do you think, Captain?" He asked, passing the telescope to the Captain of the platoon that moved up to support him. Most of the men were scattered throughout safe basements, like in the rest of the line, with only an advanced sentry of officers and the most trusted men to tell them when the enemy was coming.

"Hmmm..." mused the Captain, "I can see what could be the enemy. Just shapes, really." A Lance Corporal gripped the trigger of his machinegun poking through the barbed wire they had hastily piled around the edge.

"No!" Whispered the Lieutenant, sharply, and waving the man away from his gun. "No, they could be artillery spotters like the last lot," he said, grimly.

"That's true," granted the Captain, "what we really want," he continued, "is a big fat tank right in the middle of the road there."

"Do we?" Asked the Lieutenant, "Do we really?"

"Yes. One plumb hit and the bugger'll block the whole damned road!" The Captain laughed.

"So do we fire?" Asked the Lieutenant, evidently not amused.

"If they try to assault or positions. If all they want to do is occupy those damned houses," the Captain pointed towards the buildings on the other side of the crossroads, "then let the bastards." For the Captain knew what was being kept in reserve and hoarded to be used to deadly effect on the moment of the attack, when the enemy would be too close to deploy his artillery, and which would last too long for the enemy to overrun their lines before their airborne reinforcements arrived.

Whilst Windsor Company talked and sat half-terrified that the men across the street would bring thermobaric shells crashing down upon them waiting for a battle that would probably kill them, the men of the second line endured hell as shells rained down on their underground hiding places, always afraid that a good hit would collapse the house above their head and bury them alive. For many of them, their fears came true.

[OOC: Although Windsor Company didnt, <a few> to <quite a few> units probably would fire on your scouts on sight, so bear that in mind when RPing your arty fire.]

[160 km south of Banduria]

The Questarian Fleet setting out for Gibraltar would never get there in time to rescue their few remaining ships. Some 700km to the west of the Questarian homeland and a little bit north lay an island under Bandurian control. The entire island was a massive naval base housing the entire fleet that had just arrived from Czardas. Hearing of the further Questarian deployments, with help from satellite intel, a Bandurian task force began to form up from the undamaged and rearmed ships of the former task force "Righteous Fury".

As the Questarian fleet departed for Gibraltar, soldiers, sailors, and airmen gave up their hard-earned rest to begin clambering aboard ships and planes. Within but a few hours, the Bandurian four-ring formation—elongated due to the speed of the naval armada to a diamond—was departing its port, heading southwards at full speed on a direct intercept course to hit the Questarian fleet before they could reach Gibraltar.

With Doomish and Pwnage fleets also preparing to intercept the Questarians from different directions, there was little chance of success for the enemy. As the Bandurians well knew.

Grand Admiral Nausicus, atop the command bridge of the HIS Decius Aurelius, had already opened an ultra-secure link to Archon Duheyev aboard the HIS Halcyon, leading the 800-strong fleet pounding the few remaining Questarian assets at Gibraltar. As soon as the Bandurian fleet passed through the straits, they would dispatch part of their force, armed with the ground troops, towards ViZion while the remainder of the fleet would help Pwnage assets deal with Questarian ships.

[ooc: Total reinforcements:

1x Azaron-class Super Dreadnaught
2x Monarch-class Super Dreadnaught
20x Demon-class Battleship
25x Firestorm-class Heavy Arsenal Cruiser
30x Seacliff-class light Arsenal Ship
50x Nightbane-class Cruiser
160x Chaos-class Destroyer
90x Severance-class Frigate
90x Darkgate-class Attack/Stealth Frigate
150x Lernea-class SSNs
[Total: 588 ships; 1,282 air assets]

]

[Gibraltar]

The Bandurian fleet began to move forward as its guns continued pounding all of the remaining Questarian ships, especially capital ships. The Questarian military assets at Gibraltar (if any) were also shelled mercilessly, the huge projectiles lobbed through the air to smash into anything that looked even remotely Questarian. Six of the eleven remaining 24" turrets swiveled towards the civilian assets of Gibraltar, loading shells. Unlike the traditional high-explosive shells, these contained smoke, a thick black smoke that would spread over everything, killing crops and food in general. The guns were reloaded, this time with shells containing a sulphurous substance smelling far worse, said to cause grown men to faint at times. These targeted hospital ships and hospitals in general, thanks to UAV intel.

Soon the Bandurian fleet would be passing through the straits, preparing to land the 19th Legion of the Imperial Guard within ViZion....for a swift and decisive victory. If such a thing was even conceivable by now.

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Defense
TOP SECRET ENCRYPTION
Encryption Code Phi - 4 - Nu - 8 - Zeta

To: The fleet commanders of Yallak, Xirnium, Credonia, and Comdidia

Should your fleets arrive at our shores and break the siege on our nation, we would like to load our few surviving warplanes onto your carriers (we estimate about 400 MiG-35's, 50 B-52's and 20 F-117's) and a total of 500,000 Imperial Marines onto your vessels to join the fighting in ViZion.

We hope in this way to continue to contribute to the imminent Congressional victory in ViZion over the Presidential dictator.

Signed,
General Marcellus Q. Valens,
Minister of Defense

Shortly after the general sent his message, an aide advised him of what had happened on the beaches. He ordered all of the ground commanders that if they ever saw the enemy hit the ground inexplicably again, they were to hit the ground too.

Praetonian lines, ViZion

About 300 Kahanistanian Republic Guards approached the Praetonian defenses. Their leader approached what looked like a Praetonian officer. "Sir," said the Kahanistanian Major, "most of our troops here were wiped out by Doomingsland. We request that the few surviving Kahanistanian soldiers be allowed to fight alongside you."

There were about 2,500 other survivors still running around in ViZion, looking to link up with the other Allied forces, or fight on their own, or simply escape. The number of survivors dwindled with each passing day due to casualties from enemy engagements and trying to sneak by enemy lines and stepping on mines, etc.

Somewhere nearing the coast of ViZion

The Jarridian fleet cut quickly through the rolling sea. They had been largely uninterrupted since their departure at the Iberian Peninsula (both Portugal and Barcelona), and they were making excellent time towards the base in Mediport. On several radars they had noticed several fleets and aircraft belonging to Doomingsland, but they hadn't registered as Enemy craft because for the most part, Jarridians had accepted Doomingsland, and other members of C A D, as friends since the issue with Crimsdale, and the common ground that lay within, as well as the peace accord signed between the Jarridian and Doomish governments. However, this soon changed. Within seconds the radar screen lit up.

"Admiral, we've got in coming sir."

The Admiral turned around to face the screen, "By God, Doomingsland is firing on us. Surely this is a mistake. Hurry, radio the home base, tell them whats happened." He turned around to the mircophone, "Men prepare for bat...."

But it was too late, the Doomish attack had already begun leaving its mark. The ships in the fleet erupted in flames, as huge holes opened in their hulls. Body parts could be seen floating in the ocean as the ships sunk down below the surface. The loss of ships and life were significant; however, they would not deter Jarridian from her cause in ViZion, and in fact, would do nothing but fuel their outrage even more. If a war was wanted, then a war would happen.

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

<Encrypted Message>

To: Leadership of Doomingsland
From: Department of Foreign Affairs, Jarridia

There are no words to express the outrage that Jarridian citizens and the government feel towards the actions you have committed in the Mediterranean. It was to our understanding that our two nations were at peace, and were to not display hostilities towards one another. However, we have now seen your true face, and will respond, in kind, to your betrayal.

Since you have now adopted this hostile activity in ViZion, we have no choice but to ask you to cease and desist, and allow the rebuilding of a peaceful and democratic ViZion. Jarridia will insure that this will happen.

Eric Johnson
Secretary of Foreign Affairs

OOC: Sorry for being so slow with the mobilization...real world responsibilities popped up

IC:

Sutton Air Force Base, Credonia

The President's said deadline had surely been surpassed. Now it was time to make good on Credonia's promise to a friend an ally. Already, Credonian warships, troops, and aircraft were fueling up to begin the assault on the offensive enemy troops in Kahanistan. Hundreds of aircraft were already aeither equipped or still being equipped with their ordinance.

Presidential Palace, Credonia City, Credonia

President Sutton sat at his desk ready to give a statement to the world:

"Beloved friends, and allies involved in the war to preserve the state of Vizion. Credonia has not forgotten its promise. We have been mobilizing rapidly, hoping that the nation of MassPwnage would back down, howerver, the given deadline has come and gone. Now we must act. Because of this, I am declaring a state of war between Credonia and all forces backing the Presidential Forces in Vizion and against the nation of MassPwnage and their allied in the fight against Kahanistan. We will brook no aggression and now it is time to show the might of the Credonian war machine. Thank you and good night."


OOC:Mobilizing Forces-

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=296739

Air Force
25th Tactical Wing
26th Strategic Wing
27th Strategic Wing
45th Tactical Wing
19th Helicopter Wing

Army
Credonian Northern Army
Credonian Southern Army

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=405045
Navy
Western Battle Fleet
Eastern Battle Fleet

Trenches had been known to survive the most frightful bombardment and then be promptly reoccupied by their troops after the bombardment. Most of the Kahanistanian infantry and artillery in the trenches survived, and a new four-layer defensive line connecting the Dead Sea to the southwestern border of Kahanistan was put under construction. Supplies were ferried in through tunnels and shoulder-fired Stinger missile launchers were stockpiled in the trenches.

Supplies buried over 400 meters deep were immune to even nuclear bunker busters, and those survived the shellings that destroyed higher bunkers. The grim Kahanistanian infantry dug into their defensive lines, getting ready to open fire on the advancing enemy with heavy machine guns, rocket launchers and RPG's. Snipers armed with periscopic sights filled the trenches, and should the enemy infantry arrive the defenders would fight them with knives and bayonets.

The visible Kahanistan Air Force at this point consisted of little more than remote-controlled aircraft with connections to satellites for intelligence operations, and a few UCAV's with HARM's. The remaining MiG's and other warplanes were kept well hidden until allied carriers could arrive.

The military's underground facilities produced artillery, guns, ammunition, and missiles. Tanks and even helicopters were produced too, but they were much more difficult to make underground and transport easily. Kahanistan would have to fight a poor man's war with MassPwnage until its allies showed up, and this was something it was not used to. They had looked back to the tactics of their former enemies and current allies in Xirnium to develop a strategy to deal with the enemy.

Cabinet Room, Houses of Parliament, Arn-Maciska

"... in the name of the Living God, amen."
In a tradition dating back over a thousand years, the senior Cabinet crossed themselves, orthodox style, and sat around the long Jarrah table that dominated the room.
"First order of business," the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Humphry neKaveh, read out, "is the situation in ViZion. Recapping; the UIK is officially neutral. We have no preference for one winner over another as long as trade is not endangered. We have no citizens or assets, beyond diplomatic ones, remaining in the area. We have no entanglements with either side. We have no propriety interests. The Presidential forces have deployed sarin against a believed civilian target, and have ordered the execution of refugees. The Congressional forces have been accused of atrocities. No substantive evidence exists for that claim. Minister Valdir recommends closure of consulates and evacuation of personnel. Minister?"
Justina Valdir, Minister for External Affairs, looked up, and framed her hands around her points.
"Thank you, Sir Humphrey. The Ambassador-General has informed me that our lesser diplomatic missions' safety cannot be guaranteed. We have already evacuated non-essential personnel and civilians from ViZion, but our consuls and their immediate staff remain. I am going to order the Ambassador-General close our consulates until the resolution of hostilities," she leaned back as she finished speaking.
There was the deliberate chink of china upon china from the end of the table opposite the Cabinet Secretary as the First Minister set down her coffee cup.
"I agree with Lady Valdir," Elgiva deMa'iska said in precise tones. "Our consulates are minor establishments, and with our citizens evacuated, we have no reason to keep them open... I think we all agree on that." There was a chorus of assent from around the table.
"However," deMa'iska cut it short, "we need to consider our Embassy. And the matter of ViZioner citizens in Macisikan whose visas are nearing expiration."
"On the subject of our Embassy in ViZion," Junior External Affairs Minister Alscarna said, leaning forward, "I recommend we keep it open for now, but have an evacuation plan ready and waiting for use."
"That makes perfect sense," Katerin Palir, Defence Minister, replied, "and I'm surprised we've waited so long to do it." Palir was a no-nonsense woman, who didn't have any patience with inefficiency.
"Little matter of the States-General and our neighbours being recalcitrant," Vida Aleran, Deputy Minister of State snapped. She was extremely annoyed with that particular affair, and the way it was consuming the nation's attention.
"So it's settled," deMa'iska neatly cut off an impending argument, "we keep the Embassy open, temporarily close and evacuate the Consulates. What about the visas?"
Attention turned to Valdir, who replied "Don't look at me; I told him to take care of it," she pointed at her Deputy Minister, Ethelred Aldreset.
"And I have. The ViZioner citizens have been granted bridging visas that will extend for the duration of the conflict, and provided with small lodgings and food. If they cannot cover the costs of their board, they've been employed by various minor authorities and local governments in temp jobs. We've had some complaints, but they shut up when Immigration offers to detain and deport them for breaching their original visas."
"Neatly done," the Junior First Minister, Stepan Alagarros said, as heads nodded around the table.
"So that's taken care of?" Aldreset asked the Cabinet in general.
"Unless someone has something else..." deMa'iska answered. "No? Sir Humphrey, next order of business please."
"Next order of business. Budget of the Colonia Martia. The Governor reports..."

====================

From: Ministry of External Affairs
To: President Villian of ViZion [all members of the ViZioner Congress]
CC: Combatant parties (Credonia, Kahanistan, Jarrida, MassPwnage, Doomingsland, Questers, Velkya, Xirnium, Tyrandis, Amestria Praetonia [ooc; and any I missed]) Reuters, Associated Press
Subject: Temporary closure of consulates.

Dear sir/madam,

Due to security and safety concerns, His Imperial Majesty's Government is closing all United Imperial Kingdom (UIK) consulates in ViZion for the duration of this current conflict.

We remind you that the UIK is officially neutral in this affair, and these are diplomatic personnel; we expect that all care and consideration will be taken by all parties not to impede the removal of those persons and their effects from ViZion, insofar as is practical of course. We remind you that as these measures are temporary, any extra-territoriality granted to the consulates remains in effect.

The UIK Embassy in ViZion City remains open and operational for the foreseeable future, but all personnel are confined to the compound. Any hostile actions taken against the Embassy, or against UIK diplomatic personnel will be dealt with accordingly, and we will inform the international community and the press of the perpetrator's disgraceful conduct.

The press have been provided with a copy of this communiqué, and a list of all recipients.

We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank you for your co-operation.

[seal of the Ministry of External Affairs]

Northwest Kahanistan:

The Pwnage Marines began to move more divisions onshore as well as start construction on floating seaports outside of Kahanistani waters.

"Dig in.... heh. Dig in...."

The Kahanistanis were utter fools to dig in against an opponents that knew what they were doing. Marine bombardment vessels began to hammer the Kahanistani trench lines, and thousands of planes began to bombard them. The planes were followed by tactical SEAD and DEAD strike units that made sure that the Kahanistanis could not open up with any air-defense without commiting suicide.

The Pwnage units dropped a persistent, highly toxic, highly corrosive gas over Kahanistani trench lines. The gas violently attacked NBC suits and gas masks, as well as the NBC filters that lead down the bunkers and underground factories. The gas, if breathed into the lungs, or absorbed through the skin/eyes, would cause death within seconds. And since productions facilities needed large amounts of oxygen for those vital combustion reactions, they would have to have oxygen from the surface, except all they would suck in would be poisonous gas. Ionizing NBC filters wouldn't work either, because the gas would start to burn instantly, causing massive explosions.

What made things worse was that Pwnage planes would come back to reapply the gas if the Kahanistanis tried to vaccuum it away...

While Kahanistanian NBC suits had been treated with chemicals (Kraven's most feared weapon was a biological weapon that ate through rubber, and Kahanistan treated its NBC gear in preparation for the eventuality it would be deployed) the chemicals did little to nothing against the Pwnage chemical weapon, and tens of thousands of troops died in the trenches.

It might be suicidal to fire on the approaching gas planes, but it would be equally suicidal to simply allow them to kill their troops and not retaliate. A volley of shoulder-fired Stinger missiles fired on the gas planes. Satellite intelligence had picked up the SEAD / DEAD units, but the ground commanders fired anyway, intent on saving their troops for the invasion. There were plenty of Stingers, Patriots, AIM-120 AMRAAM's, and other missiles for them, too. M-61 Vulcan and GAU-12 Equalizer guns also opened fire on the Pwnage Air Force while 155mm Paladin guns returned fire with the technologically superior Pwnage artillery.

With the facilities disrupted, surviving Kahanistanian engineers secretly began construction of vast oxygen vents leading deep into remote areas of the mountains of eastern Kahanistan. Future gas attacks against these facilities would be far less disruptive. And of course, they began to vacuum the gas that had infiltrated the system, killed thousands of engineers and workers, and triggered the gas raid alarms.

Furthermore, upon hearing of the continuous gas attacks, a furious General Valens secretly ordered his loyal Republic Guard commanders that the six 100 MT Apocalypse bombs imported from DMG were to be buried fifty kilometers from Najaster, the capital of Kahanistan, at ten meters' depth. If the final defense belt were breached, the surviving troops in that area were to retreat to Najaster itself, set off the bomb (quite possibly while under pursuit) and then launch a counteroffensive to retake the defense belt. But the Pwnage troops would first have to defeat the two million Republic Guards and 300,000 Imperial Marines in the western defense line before the Apocalypse would unfold.

General Valens might have been angry, but he was still a peaceful and merciful man at heart. He decided to offer MassPwnage a peace that would spare their military capacity.

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Defense

The Government of Kahanistan tires of this long, drawn-out conflict, made all the more senseless because we do not appear to hold radically divergent ideologies.

We will allow you to withdraw your forces from Kahanistan and we will spare your homeland military assets from the destructive power of our remaining ICBM's. You will keep your military strength and your forces currently fighting for thirty thousand square kilometers of overpopulated, barren desert wasteland will be free to rape, plunder, and pillage ViZion to your hearts' content.

However, should you continue in your senseless crusade to destroy a nation which has not wronged you in any way that I can imagine, only nuclear desolation will follow, and I do not believe either of our leaders wants that. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs can work out an acceptable peace treaty.

Signed,
General Marcellus Q. Valens,
Minister of Defense

Skies Over Credonia

Credonian long-range strategic and stealth bombers began taking off from Sutton Air Force Base to drop their ordinance on Pwnage forces within Kahanistan. ETA to their destination: 7 Hours.

International Waters, East China Sea

Credonian carrier groups, mobilizing as fast as resources would allow, began taking to the high seas to engage enemy forces currently carrying out the offensive on Kahanistan. The first groups to arrive would be the Flagship Group, 1 Rapid Deployment Force Group, and 2 Surface Battle Groups (SBG) of the Western Battle Fleet as well as 2 Expeditionary Force Groups (EFG) of the Eastern Battle Fleet.

Situation Room, Presidential Palace, Credonia City, Credonia

President Sutton sat at the head of the long marble desk watching monitors of various military bases as they continued mobilizing forces to send in aid of Credonia's friend and ally. Reports were coming in that Pwnage forces had resorted to using chemical and biological warfare.

"Those bastards are starting to play dirty. This situation will escalate at this rate. Damn. Reports are already coming in that Kahaistan and its government is threatening the use of nuclear weapons. This is not good at all. From this moment forward, things may escalate rapidly out of control. We need to get our forces in there NOW! Mitchell, how soon are our forces going to begin engaging MassPwnage?" says Sutton.

"Mr. President, ETA to the first strikes being carried out against enemy forces is 7 hours. We're expecting some hefty losses in terms of bomber aircraft. Our navy should reach maximum attack range in a couple days. They're moving at full speed. Hopefully Kahanistan will be able to hold out for that long." replied General Mitchell Ferguson, Credonian Secretary of Defense

"How are we to respond to the NBC threat?"

"Well, I dont suggest we deploy NBC's on Kahanistanian territory unless we get clearance, however, we are mobilizing our LGM-56A Apocalyptic Fury Theatre Ballistic Missiles with their chemical and biological warheads in the case that the order should be given to deploy those warheads. In the meantime, we will use those to launch conventional warheads against the enemy forces. I do recommend, however, upgrading our national defense level and Tactical Chemical and Biological Forces to DEFCON 1"

"Very well...do it.."

OOC:
I'll think about joining this. Added to Subscriptions until i decide.

OOC:Goddamnit, I've got alot to respond to...

IC:

Foster's Interrogation

Vorenus' expression remained unchanged with Captain Foster's refusal to talk. It only meant that more barbarians would have to die. He really didn't care how many Questerians he killed before Foster gave him what he wanted, and the centurion was almost certain that the captain was starting to break.

"Very well, captain. For your insolence, fifty of your men shall suffer horrific deaths,"

He walked out in front of Foster, motioning for his men too look over. Raising his hands and making a rubbing motion, he spoke, "I wipe my hands clean of Questerian blood spilt due to this fool's cowardice. The men to be put to death die as a result of not my action, but Captain Foster's inaction," he spoke in a somber tone. Turning to Foster, he spoke softly, "The things you are to witness shall haunt you to the end of your days, my friend. That I can assure you."

Turning back to his men, he spoke not, but gave a mere nod of his head. And so began the orgy of death that would, as Vorenus had told him, haunt Foster to the end of his days.

Spreading out into small groups of two, the Legionaries would take a single prisoner, still bound and blindfolded, and drag him over to a seperate area. There they would read the Questerians their last rights before proceeding with the executions.

As Vorenus had promised, these deaths were to be horrific and gruesome. The Doomingslanders performing the killings didn't mind at all, instead taking pleasure in the slaughter.

The prisoners would be held down, their clothes torn off, while a single soldier with a large knife made an incision on his back. The others would then begin to rip and tear, flaying the poor soul alive. Foster was on his knees just twenty feet away from his men as the were skinned alive.

Skeletons of men, their red flesh raw, without skin, would then be dragged kicking and screaming over to the nearest tree. There another soldier would make yet another incision, this time across their bellies. Their entrails would then be violently pulled out, spilling all over the ground, and tossed around the lowest hanging tree branch. A noose would be tied and put around the prisoners neck.

Finally, he would be hoisted into the air, left to die a death of suffocation, hanging from his own guts. One of the Questerians was particularly tall. In this case, that was a bad thing, for he was as tall as the branch he was to hang from. The Doomingslanders, in all their ingenuity, quickly came up with a solution: if a man's too tall to be hanged, make him shorter. This was done simply by lopping his legs off.

This went on for about half an hour, demonstrating the sheer effeciency of the executioners. They had obviously had plenty of practice...

Whispering into Foster's ear once more, his tone now containing a bit of urgency, Vorenus spoke,

"You can stop this at any moment simply by telling me what I wish to know. You have my word that the rest of your men, and any other Questerians, Praetonians, or whoever the fuck else is messing with us we capture will be spared. That I can promise. What I can also promise is that if you do not tell me what I wish to know now, that the rest of your men will all die like this, or possibly worse."

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

Praetonian 1st Line

Decarion Valerius had somehow managed to survive that first engagement without even so much as a scratch. To him, this was dishonorable. His whole unit had been annihilated and he blamed no one but himself, yet he had been cursed to live on. This was obviously a sign from God, for it could be nothing else. He must purge the Heathen from this place.

Under the command of Centurion Gnaeus Herius, Kaeso had been placed on point. It was his duty to clear out the buildings just across the street from the area that had once been the Praetonian front line. It appeared abandoned, but then again, he had thought that about this same line once before. Look what happened then.

He had command of nine men, with the rest of what was left of the unit spreading out nearby. His squad occupied both sides of the street, slowly moving through the shattered urban moonscape, making sure to keep optimal cover while maintaining a high degree of situational awareness.

Their movements were precise and fluid as they proceeded quietly towards the intersection. Unbeknownst to Valerius and his men, the Praetonians were right in front of him, watching from one of the many craters that now pocked the ground.

As they neared the buildings, Kaeso motioned for his men to halt, making use of the alleyway next to the building he was about to assault as cover. Looking around the corner, literally right at the Praetonian officers, he somehow missed them. Thinking the coast was clear, he motioned for the rest of his fireteam to commence the assault.

Dashing around the corner, he dove through a shattered window, rolling as he hit the ground, immediately raising his DR-31 to meet any threats. The rest of his men entered almost simultaniously with him, the only sound they made being their hitting the ground. Across the street, the other team was making a similar entry.

Checking to see that his team was fully assembled, Kaeso, staring down the red dot scope of his DR-31, gripping the rifle tensely, began to climb the stairs to the second floor...

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

Imperial III Fleet

Admiral Meridius had managed to win three victories in a single day: first he'd destroyed the Kahanstani fleet, then their land force, then the Jarridian fleet, and had boxed their army in their base with mines. Of course, for this man, the day wasn't over until final victory was assured.

In order to assure victory, air superiority had to be completely secured over Vizion city. Doing that was simple: Move the fleet in near ViZion city, as to cover it within the armada's mighty SAM umbrella, and allow for quick artillery strikes courtesy of the Imperial Navy.

With that, the fleet steamed forward. As it was already relatively close, covering the city under the SAM umbrella wasn't a difficult task at all. Soon enough, the troops on the ground would also be recieving artillery support from the big guns of the fleet.

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

Imperial I Invasion Armada

With confirmation that the Suez Canal had been secured by Pwnage forces, the fleet was now free to go in through what the High Command termed "the back door into the Mediterrainian".

Turning around, the fleet steamed at full throttle towards the canal. Sometime soon, massive reinforcements would be arriving for the Empire, sealing the fate of the Congressional forces.

[OOC: Naval post sometime this week.]

Foster watched, solemnly as his men were torn apart piece by piece. The handiwork of the Doomingslandian torturers was sickening to watch and a slow tear fell down Foster's face as the cruel fate of his men was addressed right before his eyes. He gulped.

"Alright you bastard." he said quietly. "Shoot them now. Shoot them in the head and I'll tell you."

Foster's eyes looked up to the sky, the dark clouds forming above the usually bright sky (it is Italy, after all) as rain began to patter down. He finished with a weak salute to his men and a small murmur of "God bless you."

Interrogation

Vorenus didn't even reply, he merely nodded his head to the men performing the killings. In a split second, the men had withdrawn their service revolvers, cracking off rounds as quickly as they could pull the trigger. They hadn't missed. Not a single one of them.

The violent impacts of the .425 magnum rounds had nearly torn the heads off of the men being hanged, yet there they remained, swaying in the breaze, silently. The men began to holster their revolvers and Vorenus turned to Foster, awaiting what he had to say.

Otagian Air Space
Arcologies Hera, Zeus and Hephaestos, Arbite City


"Mission Control, we are ready for launch."

Daniel Quetzal sat smiling at the mission control center in Arbite City, grinning at the ingenuity of his employees. The entire Otagian space fleet sat on the airfields around the Arcologies, each and every shuttle prepared to launch, fully laden with weaponry bound for Kahanistan.

"Roger, Daedalus[i], you are cleared for takeoff."

From three seperate air strips, three different PRA super-freighters launched into the air, each carrying a fully laden space shuttle. At the super-freighter's ceilings, the shuttles disengaged, arcing into the sky, leaving a trail of smoke cutting across the sun.

[i]Fifty mil a launch and yet we still make a profit. God I love bulk orders...

Daniel stepped away from the cheering control room, exhilarated by the largest launch in Otagian history. Three shuttles at once, and more to come by the end of the day. All twenty Otagian shuttles would be launched in the following week, some multiple times. All to deliver some vast amount of ordinace to Kahanistan. Quetzal hadn't looked over the order personally, but the massive amount purchased justified the delivery expenditure.

_____________

High above the planet, the shuttles soared through space. Thrusters fired, postitioning them in a triangle above Kahanistan...

(ooc: At school, sorry bout short post)

ASAT Strike:

The Otagian shuttles, as well as Kahanistani, Credonian, Yallkian, Xirnian, Questarian and Praetonian anti-satellite assets would all be hit at once. In the Pwnage homeland, heavy bombers began to take off, quickly climbing to maximum altitude. Not bothering to actually fly out of the country, they discharged their payloads from their bomb bays.

Hundreds of large anti-satellite missiles shot into the atmosphere, then boosted up out of it. The ones that did not have an immediate target lock-on would orbit around the Earth until they picked one up. Each missile had an explosive warhead, so dodging was not an option for the enemy satellites. Each missile was also capable of maneuvering, in case the enemy was armed with kinetic kill projectiles or laser brooms capable of destroying them.

In addition to the bomber launched ASATs, MP's naval assets fired an equally large number of both ship launched ASATs and plane launched ones at enemy orbital assets.

The following were targted by the ASATs in this order:

*Major Space Stations
*Enemy Hunter Killer Satellites
*Weapons satellites
*Spy Satellites
*GPS Satellites
*Communications satellites.

"Shit![i] Incoming missiles!"

The pilot frantically stabbed at the control panel. The shuttles broke into a spin, throwing crew against the walls. Quickly, he openned the cargo hold, launching the pod within towards the incoming missiles. It burst open, sending a shower of thousands of rifles and ammo boxes towards them. Not as pretty as military-standard ball bearings, but just as effective. The wall of debris would destroy any missile travelling through it, protecting the trio of shuttles.

"This is Otagian shuttle [i]Daedalus. Control, we have just been fired upon by Pwnage forces, please advise."

"What's your status, Daedalus?"

"We're fine, had to jettison the cargo to keep from being blown out of the sky. What the hell is going on down there? Are those idiots out of their mind? We could have been killed!"

"Beats me what's going on. I'll get the Regent on the phone, see what we can do about this. That load of supplies is coming out of someone's pocket."

_________________________


Open Message to the MassPwnage Government

To whom it may concern,

Our shuttles were recently fired upon in an unprovoked attack on a civilian target. Thanks to the quick thinking of PRA pilots, no shuttles were harmed. However, their cargo, destined for a space station under construction by a consortium of private firms in Otagia, was entirely destroyed. They are demanding restitution, equal to the amount of equipment destroyed as they defended themselves, as well as compensation for the emotional hardships they endured, and the costs of launching the shuttles. This comes to a total of five hundred billion USD. We expect restitution and a full apology forthwith.

Yours,
Daniel Quetzal
CEO of Pale Rider Arms
Regent-Elect of Otagia

Kahanistan had no major space stations or weapons satellites, and only a few armored hunter-killer or spy satellites. Most Kahanistanian satellites were GPS and communication satellites, and Kahanistan had a lot of them, having invested heavily in new satellites after a similar attack by Axis Nova with ball bearings.

Some Kahanistanian satellites had tantalum-180 armor, but that proved too expensive for mass production and later satellites had depleted uranium armor instead. The peaceniks and hippies wouldn't protest that the way they would a warship with depleted uranium, as any radiation from it went into space, far away from any life. They also had repulsor magnets on them, similar to those of maglev trains, to repel ball bearings, and CIWS systems like those on Kahanistanian warships, to engage enemy missiles.

Despite the heavy protections of the satellites, the state of the art of Kahanistanian technology, they lost a third of their GPS and communications satellites, and nearly all of their hunter-killer and spy satellites.

---

Najaster, Capital of Kahanistan

Defense Minister Valens paced the floors of his office. He was not usually so visibly anxious, usually preferring to retire to his quarters to meditate on a difficult situation. His secretary approached him, concerned for the old general's health.

"General, what is the problem?" asked the secretary. The Defense Minister usually confided in her, and today was no exception.

"The Kahanistanian troops in ViZion are of no help to the Congressionals, and leaving them abroad is clearly demoralizing, but we can't get them back home," replied the old man sadly.

The secretary had an idea. Two-thirds of Kahanistan's overly numerous satellites had survived MassPwnage's attack, including the majority of communications satellites. "Why not raise the Kahanistanian field commanders on the sat phone? It might be the last chance we get before MassPwnage attacks our sats again."

"How will that help?" asked General Valens.

"You order them to withdraw from the enemy, blend into the civilian population, and book flights on civilian planes for Kahanistan, or Xirnium. That fills one of the enemy's demands, namely, that we withdraw from ViZion, and saves the lives of about 1,000 men and women. Of course, the Republic Guard will have to reimburse the soldiers for their tickets, but it's a small price to pay, if it gives us diplomatic leverage. We've withdrawn from ViZion, and the attack on Kahanistan looks more and more like imperialist warmongering."

General Valens smiled and nodded. He immediately sent an encoded transmission to the surviving field commanders in ViZion to withdraw from engagements and instruct troops to meet up at several landing points in allied nations, leaving the country through civilian transport. Luckily, all Kahanistanian soldiers packed at least one set of civilian clothing on deployment. However, it would likely take two to three days before word of the success of the secret exodus reached Najaster.

It might have sounded cold to the Congressional forces, but 1,000 demoralized, terrified soldiers would be of little help to the millions of allied troops. Because Kahanistan was still fighting the Presidential ally of MassPwnage, it was contributing to the defense of ViZion by drawing Pwnage troops away from ViZion.

Secret IC:
Encrypted Transmission
TO: President of the United States of Credonia
FROM: Yao Yang Nelson Neo, Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia
SUBJECT: IADF Involvement

Dear Mr. President,

While Southeast Asia and Credonia have heard relatively little to nothing about each other, as your country is the Founder of the International Allied Defense Federation, and we are a member-state of the IADF, I have come to approach you on this matter.

The Democratic Soviet Republic of Kahanistan, has yet again caught itself in another bad situation. While it is noble to fight for human rights and democracy in a world where darkness clouds many, disaster befalls, as the DSRK engages rogue nations, some of which have much more powerful armies than the DSRK, and as a result, devastation has befallen it. Now it has to get foreign help from powerful noble nations such as yours to save themselves from getting imperialized.

The question is, Mr. President, whether the rest of the IADF should get involved or not. I prefer diplomacy to resolve this armed conflict, but alas, it seems that diplomacy is out of question.

Yours Truly,
His Leadership,
Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia
Yao Yang Nelson Neo

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

Not-secret-in-character

TO: All Involved in the Conflict
FROM: USNSEA Minister of Foreign Affairs Joshua Lin
SUBJECT: Diplomatic opinions

While we are a neutral nation in this conflict, we would like to know the views of the other nations involved. Your comments would most certainly be appreciated and shall be taken into account, and it will affect how we react to wars and using peacekeepers.

Sincerely,
His Excellency,
USNSEA Minister of Foreign Affairs
Joshua Lin

OOC: Thread link here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=455720). Post your opinions in there.

To Otagia:

The no fly zone over Kahanistan extends ALL the way above Kahanistan. This includes outer space and all the possible vectors of entry that would allow supplies and ordnance to be dropped into Kahanistan. Naturally, we would fire on you if you ignored the no-fly warning. And you sure had a lot of guns, weapons and NBC suits destined for your "space station". Surely they would be of absolutely no use where your so-called private consortium is operating. In any case, since you violated the Pwnage no fly zone, you will recieve absolutely no compensation whatsoever.

Sincerely,
The Military of MassPwnage

(ooc: Will post more later)...

The Kahanistanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to stoke the fires of the international incident that the Pwnage military had started with Otagia.

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Government of Kahanistan and the international community do not recognize a no-fly zone over the sovereign territory of the Soviet Republic. We therefore condemn in the strongest terms the attempt to murder several Otagian civilians who traveled by space over our territory.

Perhaps our original impression of the Government of MassPwnage as an exception to the rule that CAD nations are rogue territories ruled by bestial savages was wrong. We had hoped that a nation which provides its citizens with the same freedoms we provide our own citizens with would be amenable to reasoning over the ViZion issue and not taking away the freedoms of the ViZionarians.

However, MassPwnage has shown that its military is run by putrid beasts who enjoy killing for the sake of it, and they have shown that the CAD nations are all the same, vile, demonic butchers of innocents.

Signed,
Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

---

Outer defensive line, Pwnage front

The defenders had very large numbers of fuel-air bombs, MOAB's, and JDAM's stocked up. With the enemy's air supremacy, such ordnance might have appeared useless, but the Republic Guards had other plans.

They had the bombs moved to the outer defensive lines, to be set off remotely by battalion commanders wherever the lines were to breach. They were still holding the Pwnage troops off somehow, but had now lost over 1.2 million KIA and 2 million wounded. The outer line was being held mainly by reservists with civilian lives, not career soldiers. These men and women were not in the military because it was their life, but fighting for their civilian lives.

Corporal Molly Graham was one such soldier. A hairdresser in a beauty salon in At Tahrir, in southwest Kahanistan, Molly had joined the reserves only a year earlier, before the Kraven and AMF wars. Now nineteen years old, she was in a full NBC suit under her body armor and uniform, and she was wearing over her head what ten minutes earlier had been the lower intestine of a friend who was in the wrong place - the landing point of a Pwnage missile.

Shooting at the enemy with her TAR-21 assault rifle, she did not notice her grisly head ornament or even that her comrade was dead. She was merely interested in sending these murderers into the sea and back to the hell from where they came. They had dragged her away from her civilian life, put her into the paths of bullets and HARM's and nerve gas and God only knew what else, and now they would pay for it. She did not even think twice as a Pwnage soldier was turned into a mist of blood, gore, and broken bones in a hail of bullets.

Suddenly, something blocked her vision. She brushed at it with her hand. Sticky. She clutched at it with her hand and pulled it off. Gross. Never having seen internal organs before, she didn't know what it was and turned in the direction she had last seen her friend. "Hey, Mike, check this out!" Mike did not respond, as it was his guts she had picked up. She realized this when she saw his burned and broken carcass, his face still recognizable, but barely.

She screamed and collapsed into the trenches, crying horribly...

---

Inner defense line

The Apocalypse bombs were planted in the line, which had yet to see action. The ground commander received an order from General Valens to FASCAM the capital. At first, the ground commanders thought he was crazy, but the Defense Minister explained that the enemy would likely drop paratroopers into the capital if they couldn't break through the defenses, and he wanted someting more than Army Group Alpha and some ZSU's defending the city. Civilians were warned to stay indoors, although most were in shelters 500 or more meters under the ground in appallingly cramped conditions. The mines were for the Pwnage paras if any arrived, not to kill their own people. Meanwhile, the outer defense line FASCAMed the ground between them and the inner defense line so any breaches would be non-fatal and anyone who broke through would be killed in the field.

ooc: Kahanistan, I've really been quite busy, could you hold off on posting etc. for now?

OOC: Sorry for the slow reply...been busy with rl responsibilities- upcoming wedding and baby thats on the way

IC:

Official Message from the President of the US of Credonia
From: President Kaimoni A. Sutton, Credonia
To: Yao Yang Nelson Neo, Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia

RE: IADF Involvement

Kahanistan is on the brink of falling and I have been trying to mobilize my own allies to help in saving this nation. My rapid reaction force and the forces that i have initially mobilized will not do the trick. I believe that IADF involvement would fall under the realm of proper use of force under the IADF's current charter and such involvement would reverse the tide that has been against Kahanistan. Any and all IADF involvement whether it be diplomatic or military is welcome. Bases located within may be used as a central staging and mobilization area for IADF forces to attack from. Please move with haste if you plan to help. Kahanistan cannot hold out for much longer.


Signed,

Kaimoni A. Sutton
Commander-in-Chief
President
United States of Credonia

ViZion:

The Praetonian missiles hugged the Earth, but they would have to climb in order to see their targets. Pwnage UCAVs noted the missile launch, and relayed their predicted point of attack to both the Pwnage air defenses and the Doomish forces. SAMs were quickly readied as the cruise missiles were still at ground level and aerial search and track radars began lighting up the sky. As the cruise missiles climbed to altitude, the mobile SAM batteries fired, 2 to 3 missiles per cruise missile.

And in the waters, the subs that launched the missiles weren't simply ignored. Bomber UCAVs fired air launched supercavitating torpedos into the water in the area where the missiles were launched from in a wide pattern. They knew the Praetonian subs would automatically crash dive, so the SuCAVs just sank a hundred or so meters without their active sensors on, and waited for the subs to return to the area. Of course, any SuCav that detected a sub, or its communications UUV would home in on it and destroy it.

[OOC: This was worked out by Doom + Questers + me over MSN because Doom is going to Italy tomorrow and we didnt want the city battle to drag on for ages. If you have any questions / comments / complaints then please do let me know and I can edit.]

68th Royal Dragoon Guards
Forward Outposts, ViZion City

Corporal Manners put his finger to his lips, indicating to the others to be quiet. He'd heard a dull thud below - an unmistakable noise in the terrifying darkness where every creak was amplified seemingly tenfold - and his fireteam turned to point the muzzles of their carbines towards the stairs just a few metres from the room they were in.

"Keep quiet," he hissed to his men, taking a grenade from his webbing and pulling the pin. Quietly, it dropped it down the stairs, his black-gloved hand invisible in the near-darkness. The grenade bounced softly on the ViZionian carpet as it descended the stairs.

The Corporal flipped down his night-vision goggles and glanced through the ironsights of his carbine pointed at the stairs. He glanced at his men who had followed suit and were now carefully clearing tables and upturning them to provide some protection from the inevitable attack. The team's grenadier loaded a 40mm shell into the barrel of his underslung grenade launcher and pointed it at the wall on the opposite side of the staircase. It would explode on impact and shower the confined space with shrapnel.

Meanwhile, one man kept watch on the outside, back a little from the window. They didnt know if the men across the street in the main positions were even alive, and even if they were they knew they wouldnt help unless they felt safe to do so. The Officers did, indeed, watch their position from their shellhole, but made no effort to attack the men entering the house. A rifle snapped dully from a window in the Praetonian lines, but it was just a lone sniper who quickly recoiled from the tell-tale muzzle flash to change position.

12th Royal Dragoons,
Praetonian Front Line, ViZion City

Vitellius peered through his telescope. He could see and hear gunshots and muzzle flashes in the house opposite, but contented himself in the belief that his own men were sure to win the day. Aside from the immediate battle, he could see little else. Smoke covered the horizon and even his infrared binoculars had trouble penetrating the thick, murky morass. To his left and right, the few troops outside of the protection of the basements were clearly trying to ignore the fight going on across the street and so contend with the feeling of impotenence at being unable to help their comrades in arms.

Further back, behind his own lines, he could see shells falling. Only a few at first - ranging shells from the Doomingslandi fleet - but shells, nonetheless. They appeared to be doing little damage, landing far from any currently held positions, but he knew it would only take them a couple of shots to find their range. A dozen at the most before they were firing with pinpoint accuracy at whatever they thought might remain inhabited. The ViZion civilians had long gone to ground, trying to flee the city or at least get away from the foreign troops that were drawing bombs and shells. Others hid in their basements just like the Praetonians.

All across the front, men waited anxiously for the final push when they would be called to fight. Many of them were dug below ground and would have to rely on vulnerable sentries who could well be killed by a coming bombardment to tell them when to come out and fight the tanks and IFVs and APCs and troops and guns and bayonets and God knows what else would soon be thrown at them. Up and down the lines, the odd sniper would loose a shot against a Doomingslandi unlucky or foolish enough to move to where the smoke was thinner, or who tried to take a position close to the Praetonian lines. That aside, nothing moved or spoke, and each shot from the snipers rang out in the darkness for long after you would expect it to have disappeared from hearing.

Aerial Task Force 340.2,
Some Miles from South ViZion

"This is what we intended to do," said the Major-General in command of the reinforcement, consulting with the Air Vice Marshal who this time was accompanying his men. The digital battleplan map flashed onto the screen before them. "However, thanks to the noble exertations of our illustrious allies, the Doomingslandis have now taken control of the Med."

The map changed, showing a new route that looped into Europe and came down from the North onto the ViZion City area. "This is a far superior route and the only one really available to us now. We shall loop around here and then attempt to neutralise their fleet for as long as possible. The only practical way of doing this is to use our defence EMP missiles. Against a target the size of a ship, they will not cause any real lasting damage. What we will be able to do is knock out most of their sensors and fire control systems for a few hours - enough time for us to get our men out."

The Air Vice Marshal nodded, "I think this is our best course of action. It should also confuse their gunners for a fair time and allow us to land and take off from remaining airstrips. ViZion International Airport is huge by all accounts - there should be at least one." The Major-General hummed his agreement. They would only need one plane to evacuate the ViZion Congress, and then their task would be done.

Somewhere in ViZion City
[OOC: ViZion if you want me to change this then tell me, but it's pretty integral to the story that we have agreed, so...]

"I can direct you to where Congress is," said the ViZionian, "I think I can trust you. Let me into the car."

The Praetonian Captain opened the door and let the man in. He directed the Rooks through the winding streets to where the ViZion Congress was hiding, avoiding the rain of shells and the Doomingslandi army that they knew would be coming eventually. The Rooks parked otuside and trained their machineguns on the Congress's hideout. Five men accompanied the Captain with fixed bayonets into the building.

"I Captain Gaius Gregorious of His Most Praetonian Majesty's Armed Forces. I am afraid that I am going to have to demand that you come with me. We intend to evacuate you from the country in short order, but you will need to lend us your absolute co-operation," the Officer spoke very politely and calmly, but the glistening bayonets of the five sullen-faced Paratroopers surrounding him would also have been in the ViZionians' thoughts at that moment.

One way or another, the members of Congress they had found were quickly loaded into the Rooks which began to drive aimlessly around the city. They knew that the planes that would take them home weren't there yet and that the shelling would be worst on the occupied airfield and front lines, and so to keep their guests from becoming restless they ducked and weaved in and out of streets and alleyways, using up time until the planes would arive.

68th Royal Dragoon Guards
Forward Outposts, ViZion City

The grenade exploded with the Doomingslandis half-way up the stairs, showing the lower legs of some of the men with shrapnel. The others who made their way up the stairs were greeted with gunfire and 40mm grenade spraying shrapnel around them and smashing a hole in the wall. Three of them lay dead after becoming impossibly trapped by two explosions. Doggedly, the remaining men continued, throwing three grenades at the Praetonian positions.

The Corporal realised that in the confined space there was no possibility of escape from the grenades' lethal casing shards. Grabbing his carbine, he drew his bayonet from its scabbard. His men followed him. Guards were the cream of the Praetonian army, and Dragoon Guards - paratroops - the cream of them. They already knew they were dead, but they would be damned if they would go out killed by some damned grenade thrown from behind cover. Perfectly silent they thumped their steps to the flight of stairs and turned on the Doomingslandis with bayonet and gunfire. Unfortunately for them, the Doomingslandis were of a similar calibre, drawing their Gladii and fighting back with vicious fury.

With height and momentum in their favour, the Praetonians could well have won had the grenades not just at the moment exploded behind them, killing the rearmost men; their corpses fell down onto the men fighting below. With a crazed stab the Corporal thrust his bayonet into a Doomingslandi's neck just as a Gladius came crashing down on his helmet, instantly concussing him. A second blow to the face finshed his ability to fight and a pistol shot killed him once and for all. Just a few bloody seconds after the battle had started, it was over. Men on both sides lay dead, splashed with their own blood and that of the enemy, but the Doomingslandis had control of the position.

12th Royal Dragoons,
Praetonian Front Line, ViZion City

"Time to move, I think," said the Captain cheerfully as he heard booms in the distance. More artillery fire. The machinegunner to the left of the shellhole gave a quick burst from his gun before joining the officers sprinting to the safety of a basemented building. Just a few second later, shells landed up and down the line from Pwnage and Doomingslandi guns. A sentry position further down the line was caught in the open and three men killed in an instant. An entire platoon of the 15th Royal Dragoon was buried alive as a Pwnage shell burrowed straight through the roof of their building an exploded on the ground floor, collapsing the roof on their heads in a shower of shrapnel.

"The attack's coming soon. I can feel it," said Watson, a Private in Vitellius's platoon.

"Whatever," said another soldier dismissively, "They arent going to attack. They're just going to sit here and shell us to death. Bastards."

"Nah that's not true. They love killin', those 'Slandis. They'll attack - I know it. I wish I didn't, but I do." The second man remained silent.

"Well you see," said the Captain, his tone so soft it startled the men who were not used to being spoken to by an officer except in the manner of an order, "What they'd like to do is sit here and shell us until more than half of us are dead and the rest half crazed, but they know we have the airport now and the longer they stay the longer we have to escape. They'll attack, alright. We'd just better be alive to face 'em when they do."

The soldiers remained silent. The second man still didnt believe it but he didnt dare contradict an officer.


Aerial Task Force 340.2,
Approaching South ViZion

"Sir, we are beginning to enter their radar range," said an Officer aboard the Command Plane.

"Acknowledged. Proceed as planned," the Air Vice Marshal replied. Immediately, the bombers, transports and fighters dropped low, out of sight of the enemy radar. Their own AWACs planes were scanning in pulses from the very centre of the formation, protected by other planes. At once, all planes began in unison to jam radar. The enemy might know they were there, but they would be unable to engage them or detect the missiles they were about to fire until it was too late.

"Sir, requesting permission to give fire," continued the Officer.

"Permission granted. Fire as planned," the Vice Marshal responded again.

Twenty five missiles streaked from the planes. In small groups to avoid detection in the now EM rich environment, the missiles approached the enemy fleets. Some were shot down, but the first scheduled to deonate did so some distance from the enemy fleets, knocking out their picket ships from range. Then, taking advantage of the weakened defences, they got closer before detonating. The Doominsglandis knew they were there alright, but with much of their fleet a victim of EW attack and unable to use their radar against an opponent cloaked anyway in its own radar jamming they stood little chance of stopping the planes' entrance.

Already, planes were moving towards the Praetonian formation. Doomingslandi Aquila planes, almost undetectable by radar at range and in any case obscured by jamming were streaking towards the Praetonians' position to engage the numerous Hussar planes in the outer circles of the Praetonian formation.

12th Royal Dragoons,
Praetonian Front Line, ViZion City

The shells were still falling. Not only falling but falling faster and faster, reaching an ear-splitting creshendo of modern pyrotechnics. Most of the sentries had been forced to take cover just inside their basements. All of those who stubbornly refused or who were caught out before they could retreat were dead. Many more still died from shrapnel or impossibly close hits from shells. The men in the basements shoved their uncomfortable helmets over their heads just to try to stop the noise. Many would have lose their nerve had their intensive training not held back their instincts. Then, just as it looked as though they could take it no longer, it stopped.

Whistles blew. "12th Royal Dragoons! To your stations!" Shouted the Captain. Even Lieutenant Vitellius needed this sharp barked order to snap him out of the trance-like state the men had entered during the bombardment. Bayonets fixed, they ran up the stairs, extra ammunition and sandbags under their arms. As they entered the shell-pocked landscape, they were instantly greeted by bullets and shells. Using their infantry to spot for their tanks, the Doomingslandis were firing from the relative cover of the smoke. The infantry were the main targets. Men ran from the death trap that was the door to their basemented house as fast as they could and dived into a shell-hole. Machineguns were set up, L63 riflefire spattered and riflegrenades shot towards the strongest enemy positions with a distinctive "Pop!".

Lieutenant Vitellius was barking orders to his troops. An Aquila team looked at him for guidance, unable to see the tanks firing at them even through their IR scopes. "Fire into the smoke! Fire into the smoke!" He shouted, reasoning that it was a straight street and the smoke was bound to be penetrateable at close range. His chances migth drop dramatically but they were still worth it.

An Aquila shot from its launcher to his left and a Dragoon jerked back to his right as he took a shot to the face. He saw three Doomingslandis ripped apart by a light machinegun. Still, they held their positions. "Keep firing! Don't let Praetonia down, men! Show them we are better than them!" He shouted anything he could think of to keep their spirits up. Behind him, a shell exploded, spraying a shellhole with shrapnel and killing three of his men - a testament to the ability of Doomingslandi close-support artillery.

Ahead he could see smoke rising. A destroyed tank? It was, and it was blocking the whole street. The Doomingslandis, obscured by smoke, would be unable to move it for some time.

To his right, the 3rd Platoon was not doing so well. Their men were being whittled down slowly but surely. Unable to target an enemy IFV that was spraying them with canister-fire from its gun, they were pinned down. He felt sorry for them, but realised he could send no reinforcements to help. To his left there was a little success, with the streets and houses opposite the Praetonian positions strewn with dead Doomingslandis, but yet again the tanks were still not destroyed and were taking their toll.

"Keep firing!" He shouted "Dont let them catch breath," he continued.


Aerial Task Force 340.2,
Approaching South ViZion

The first Aquilas showed themselves in the form of a barrage of missiles, which were met with a reasonable counter barrage of Wellington AMMs and a more than reasonable barrage of heat-seeking missiles in return. It was this kind of blind fighting they had been forced to become accustomed to last time they attacked, and this time it looked to be happening again, except this time neither side could see the other. The Doomingslandi planes harried the Praetonians and each time they were driven back by missiles from the Praetonian planes, but each time they knocked another section of the Praetonian fighter escort out of the air, and occassionally too the odd Whirlwind of Firewind.

A number of missiles fired blind by the foreign fleets in the Med were also finding their mark, knocking out another fair few Praetonian planes. Still, they slogged onwards towards the hell of a 'city' that had been shelled and shattered and bombed and shot up almost beyond all recognition. More Aqulas were congregating now and launching more and more daring raids against the Praetonian planes. Struck by three missiles, a transport exploded, killing a full two Companies of the Royal Colonial Rifles. Two of the AWACs planes were destroyed and a bomber was down. Numbers Hussars had been destroyed. Casualties were being inflicted on the Aquilas in return and they feared getting close enough for Firewinds to launch a decisive barrage, but they had a massive advantage of numbers. What they didnt have was time.

1st Battalion, Royal Paras, Counter Insurgency,
ViZion International Airport

"The 'Slandis have made a bit of a mess of this place, haven't they," beamed a suprisingly enthusiastic staff officer.

"Yes, Captain, they have," replied the Questerian Colonel. A shell exploded about 500m away, adding to the pockmarks already made in the runway they were standing in. The Doomingslandis were firing essentially blind, lacking a working microwave receiver to ket their GPS co-ordinates, but their fire was devilishly accurate nonetheless, "My men have made a list of the working runways and are trying to repair the least badly damaged runways," he continued.

"Ah, excellent! Can you ensure our planes will have somewhere to land?"

"I believe I can," replied the Colonel, "if we can hold it in time."

"Oh, I would have thought we would be able to, sir." Replied the Staff Officer, "Anyway, Cheer-o!"

Questerians were busy piling rubble into the holes in broken runways, and were standing careful guard over those runways not yet knocked out. A Praetonian unit was assigned to the airport too - the 91st Royal Dragoon Guards - but they, the best unit the Praetonian army in ViZion City had, was guarding the outskirts of the airport, not repairing the runways or documenting damage. Questerian soldiers were standing alongside them.

12th Royal Dragoons,
Praetonian Front Line, ViZion City

Vitellius shot a Doomingslandi in the face. He was startlingly close - dangerously close, in fact. Luckily, he had been alone. Unfortunately, the Doomingslandis were indeed encroaching on their positions and their numbers were being worn down by constant bombardment from artillery and tanks as well as riflefire and machinegunfire from the men of the Doomingslandi attack.

"We're pulling out," said the Captain, tapping Vitellius on the back. He had just run across the street to reach the shellhole and now lay in the rubble, his uniform already grey with dust. "We're losing too many men. Command has ordered a general withdrawl to the Second line. Dont worry, though, the planes are close," he continued. "Oh, and they're ordering a mortar bombardment. As soon as we leave, they'll plaster this place with anti-tank and shrapnel bombs. Should slow 'em down for a bit, eh?" He smiled and then jumped out of the shellhole. At that moment a shell exploded on the road and threw the man backwards, his guts lying exposed on the road. Vitellius wanted to scream, but couldnt.

"Sir! Sir!" The shouts were all around him, "They're everywhere!"

"Number 1 Section, keep firing!" He shouted, regaining his orientation. "Numbers 2 and 3 Sections, withdraw 100 metres and then cover Number 1 Section! Steady now! Use the buildings as cover!"

In true military fashion, the Company withdrew to an almost mechanised time scale. Running from doorway to doorway and firing shots and drawing away from the smoke, the Doomingslandi tanks were forced to fire from a considerable distance or else withdraw from their smoke cover to give chase. Still, Praetonian casualties were mounting and Vitellius was worried they were approaching worryingly low levels. Half of Number 2 Section was virtually wiped out, and Number 3 Section was below half strength. They fought hard, but they were beginning to feel the pinch of being surrounded without artillery support against an enemy with tanks and enough guns to sink a battleship.

Finally, they were approaching the Second Line which was beginning to offer covering fire. It was almost morning now, but the Doomingslandis had fired their smoke and shell and were now beginning to bombard the second line much as they did before. Vitellius ordered his Company to break into a run - a mad dash for cover or death at the hands of artillery guns. He made it, with only a third of the men he came he with the previous day.

Aerial Task Force 340.2,
Approaching ViZion City

"We're approaching the City, sir," said the Officer in the Command Plane. The Air Vice Marshal nodded. So many of his planes lost, so many of his missiles spent and so many men on the ground needing pickup. Finally, though, the ordel was nearly over. He would only have to do it all again on the way back.

"Ok, bring us in for landing. Give those Aquila buggers one last volley," he ordered, indicating not that they spend all their missiles, but that they give the Aquilas a strong enough blow that they wouldnt trouble them for a little while. Hussars were holding them back, increasingly in gunnery battles against increasingly advenrurous enemy planes. Meanwhile, Whirlwinds were moving ahead of the main force. Covered by ARMs from the Firewinds, they prepared to bomb the Doomingslandi positions and buy the men on the ground a little more time. The first transports were lining up for their landings where they would not have time to disgorge passengers, only pick up more. Troops and Congress. Most importantly the Congress.

The transports began to dip down as the Whirlwinds opened their bomb bays, adding to the chaos caused by the mortars when they opened up on the victorious Doomingslandis and Pwnage troops. Their reign was short-lived, with most of the larger mortars lying destroy - unable to move in time - but it had delayed them a good while long enough for the survivors of the first line to make their escape. Now, with any luck, the enemy could be delayed long enough for the entire half-Division to make its escape.

12th Royal Dragoons,
Praetonian New Front Line, ViZion City

Not for the first time today, Vitellius sat in a basement listening to all hell descend upon him. If the Doomingslandis were to be held in time, this was where. Not far from the airport, if the lost this line before the planes were loaded they had lost and were all condemned to death or worse at the hands of the Doomingslandis. That simple. Luckily for them, however, a massive wave of bombs was about to add to the creshendo of destruction, smashing tanks, ripping apart infantry, shattering buildings and bludgeoning artillery. Hit by a SAM, a bomber fell from the sky and exploded with its entire complement of shells, bombs and missiles, lighting up the dark sky as if it were daylight.

The first planes were touching down and the Doomingslandis knew they had little time left. The bombardment stopped before the bombing did, but nonetheless whistles were blown for the second time that day. This time, however, Vitellius was blowing one of them. The Officer of whatever Platoon he was now with was dead, and he took defacto command. Leading them to the surface, they took up positions on the bizzarely changed surface above. Yet again, they were met by bullets and artillery. A shell landed to his fore, killing four men from the other Platoon and one from his own. Aquilas fired into the smoke both from his positions and from those to his left and right, all almost identical, all distinguishing features of the landscape destroyed by shellfire.

It was becoming clear that however powerful the bombing had been, more than enough Doomingslandis had survived to overrun the line strung out in front of the airport. The 91st Royal Dragoon Guards and a multitude of Questerian Counter Insurgency Battalions were now coming properly into the fight. All of the light mortars that survived were firing anti-tank shells and shrapnel into the enemy ranks before changing position. Barricads made out of debris were being thrown up in front of entrances to the airport. Anything to buy some time to make their escape.

1st Battalion, Royal Paras, Counter Insurgency,
ViZion International Airport

The first plane touched down with an ear-splitting squeak as the pressure forced the rubber and metal against the tarmacked runway. Troops were running up to secure the plane, and the convoy of Rooks was turning the corner carying the ViZionian Congress. On the horizon, inaudible above the din of battle, a squadron of Doomingslandi VTOL aircraft was approaching. Oblivious, the Praetonian and Questerian troops and Officers unloaded the Congress and begun loading the first men into the plane.

The VTOL aircraft were becoming louder and louder, now. In the back of their thoughts, the troops suspected something, but they were too occupied with their tasks to do anything.

"Bloody hell!" Exclaimed a Praetonian Major, turning around to see six VTOL planes approaching, spraying the troops on the runway with cannonfire. "That plane, now!" He shouted to an Aquila team, which let of three missiles at the plane, destroying it in an ear-splitting fireball. The next minute the Major was dead, killed by a rifleman on another VTOL plane, as was the Aquila team, hit by a barrage of cannonfire.

Other men were firing as best they could into the VTOL transports, but succeeded only in picking off a few Doomingslandis. The VTOL transports landed and disgorged their troops into a hail of bullets. The Doomingslandis showed little sign of fear, and simply stepped over their dead comarades to shoot or bayonet the meagre forces that stood in their way. A Praetonian bayoneted a Doomingslandi and was shot by an unfeeling colleague of the man he'd killed a second later.

Within a few minutes, Doomingslandi troops were pushing and pulling Congress members towards the aircraft. They tried to resist, but were simply brushed aside by the strong and highly trained Doomingslandi troops. A Praetonian Officer shouted a challenge to the Doomingslandis and shot one in the chest with his Service Pistol, but was met with a hail of bullets. The Doomingslandis were pulling more and more precious Congressmen from the grasp of the Praetonian military, but they abruptly decided to settle with what they had when they saw a Platoon of men and a dozen Aquila teams, summoned from units at the front, approaching their position. A missile slammed into a VTOL transport which exploded, killing Doomingslandi and ViZionian alike. A hail of bullets cut down another half dozen Doomingslandis, but the other 4 transports were already in the air carrying their Congressmen to 'safety' in the Doomingslandi lines.

"Captain, what shall we do with them?" Asked a Sergeant, nodding towards a group of Doomingslandis who had evidently been cut off and left behind.

"Kill them - we cant transport prisoners," he replied. The Doomingslandis seemed to have similar ideas, drawing swords and charging towards the Praetonians who levelled their rifles. One Praetonian fired, killing a Doomingslandi, but the next second the Doomingslandis were upon them and it turned into a sword-vs-bayonet battle that wouldnt have been out of place in the Napoleonic Wars. It was bloody, with Praetonians piling on behind their comrades to slaughter the hideously outnumbered Doomingslandis. Despite this, they managed to take down more than their number and not once did they show signs of surrender.

The Officers were getting the Congress loaded into the planes again. Major-General Sir Gaius Tarrius turned his attention to the South. The smoke and sound of gunfire was getting dangerously close. More planes were landing now and more men pulled from the front, the least experience and well trained men first, and loaded into the planes.

"Get your men out," the Tarrius said to the Questerian Lieutenant-General. He was silent for a moment and then replied.

"No. Your men go." The General looked into the man's eyes and decided not to argue. He simply replied, "Thankyou."

Major-General Sir Gaius Tarrius's Command Post, Praetonian Front Line
ViZion International Airport,

The plane carrying ViZion Congress had taken off. More planes had landed, using all the surviving airstrips. A plane took a hit from a Doomingslandi naval shell and was destroyed with all 200 people on board. The survivors of two whole battalions, now equivalent to less than one Battalion at full strength, had already been evacuated. The Major-General stood side-by-side with the Questerian Lieutenant-General. He had said he would go with the last Praetonian men, but he knew that there would be Praetonian troops left behind. He knew he would be among them. He knew he would be forced to surrender.

"Aren't you coming, Sir?" Asked the same enthusiastic staff officer.

"No, Crassus. No. You go," he said, gesturing for the staff officer to climb aboard the current plane. "Just... just take my sword," he said, giving it to Crassus, "So that the Enemy can't say the took a Major-General's sword."

Crassus nodded, seriously. "I will look after it, Sir, and return it your family when I get back to Praeton."

"Thankyou," replied the General with a smile.

Just a few hundred metres away he could see gunfire, and his own command post was little more than a hole in the ground dug by a Doomingslandi shell. He watched as weary troops entered their planes. They had done well, he knew, but he cursed his lack of artillery and he cursed the injustice that so mant men should die only for so many more to be left behind. Prisoners of the Doomingslandis and their fates left to their whims.

"The last plane is leaving," said the Questerian Lieutenant-General, indifferently.

"I know," replied the Praetonian Major-General. They watched together as it took off and finally disappeared into the distance, the plethora of fighters and bombers and Firewinds escorting it gone from view. For the first time in his life, he felt truly alone. His men had stopped firing and a bizzare silence had settled over the airfield. The sound of a victorious army waiting to be marched into captivity.

[OOC: Casualties

Imperial Praetonian Army

Original Strength: 6,000
Wounded: 2,368 (NB: No wounded were loaded into planes - would become 'Killed' or 'Captured')
Killed: 1989 (NB: Does not include later deaths from wounds)
Captured: 685

Ultimate Strength: 958]

"ARGH!" Shouted a young private, the last soldier alive in the bunker, as a bullet tore into his shoulder. The last strongpoint was being overrun and Engineer-Major Carther struggled to even reach for his weapon. A corpse was lying over him and he could not see out of one eye. Slowly, as the gunfire stopped, he could hear the Doomingslandis coming round the corner into the door. With a burst of strength he reached for his pancor-jackhammer, nudged it towards the door, and held the trigger down.

Lieutenant General Green stood alongside the Praetonian Major-General as the last embattled remains of the Questarian Paras rallied on top of what was a hill. Now it was flattened, blood, corpses, and destroyed wooden buildings smashed around. At the top, the two high-ranking officers and the small platoon faced a Doomingslandian onslaught. Behind them the Questarian Union Jack, the last flag flying on the airport, flapped in the wind, bullet holes torn through it in at least ten places. Drawing his sword and his service pistol, Green said.

"Ready?"

"Of course" the Praetonian replied.

The resistance was futile and although the remaining thirty Questarians fought with blood, tooth, and nail, they were eventually overwhelmed. Green swung his sword, deftly removing the head of a Doomingslandian, putting six .303 rounds from his service revolver into the torso of another. As a pain cut through his leg, he dropped to the floor, his fall broken by the body of his dead radio adjutant, emptying another few rounds into a Doomingslandi, but it was hopeless.

The Doomingslandians could clearly understand that the battle was over, and even the Praetonian had run out of ammunition for his pistol. Forgetting the burning pain in his left leg and the fact half of his right arm was missing, Green managed to twist his head to squint above. And as he did, he caught sight of the dying Union Jack, still flapping in the wind before the fighting stopped and only six men were still alive.

(OOC: Btw, if possible, please don't kill Carther. And remember what I mentioned about the Lieutenant-General being captured with a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. Cheers.)

Gyrobot knew their nation couldnt do much in a MT world. But Money and supplies they can entrust to other nations. Gyrobot sent a message to the IADF

"We may not be a member of your defense force, but we feel obliged to assist you and Kahanistan to fight Masspwnage's savageness. Our corporate branch will form a division to begin supplying your nation with guns, missiles, food and the necessities needed to fight the CAD. We will send supplies to your nation montly, weekly or even daily. Consider us as the new factory of democracy.
From Gyrobot"

Official Message from the President of the US of Credonia
From: President Kaimoni A. Sutton, Credonia
To: Yao Yang Nelson Neo, Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia

RE: IADF Involvement

Kahanistan is on the brink of falling and I have been trying to mobilize my own allies to help in saving this nation. My rapid reaction force and the forces that i have initially mobilized will not do the trick. I believe that IADF involvement would fall under the realm of proper use of force under the IADF's current charter and such involvement would reverse the tide that has been against Kahanistan. Any and all IADF involvement whether it be diplomatic or military is welcome. Bases located within may be used as a central staging and mobilization area for IADF forces to attack from. Please move with haste if you plan to help. Kahanistan cannot hold out for much longer.


Signed,

Kaimoni A. Sutton
Commander-in-Chief
President
United States of Credonia
Encrypted Transmission
TO: Kaimoni A. Sutton, President of the United States of Credonia
FROM: Yao Yang Nelson Neo, Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia
SUBJECT: Re: Re: IADF Involvement

Dear Mr. President,

Very well. I shall contact the other member-states and have our nation's ambassador to the International Allied Defense Federation report this in the Intelligence Bureau or the War Room (which is probably more appropriate). As it is my personal belief that diplomacy always has to take place over force, I shall be using voice and reason to convince the CAD forces to back off.

Despite the fact that I know that the CAD nations are highly militant and aggressive and probably won't listen, I shall do so anyway, and probably would several other leaders of nations that are IADF members: there are several armed conflicts involving numerous members. Our mutual ally, the Democratic Imperium of Halberdgardia is assisting the Loyalists of High Father in the Leafanistani Civil War (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=468343) (the Glorious Confederacy, also an IADF member, is falling apart) and an invasion of a Juumanistran colonial holding (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=469043), with the Confederate States of Spizania backing the colony's owners against the invaders. Wish me luck!

Yours Truly,
His Leadership,
Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia
Yao Yang Nelson Neo

*reserved, plan on writing some of the battle from my perspective to add more detail and whatnot*

[OOC: Mustn't forget the attacks on my satellites and submarines.]

Imperial Space Defence Command,
Falbridge, Praetonia

"Missiles appear to be entering the atmosphere, sir," said the Captain, handing the complete report to the Lieutenant-General. "They appear to have originated in MassPwnage. Our ABM system began engaging them as they were detected."

The Lieutenant-General nodded. "Thankyou, Captain. Is that all?"

"Yes, sir. Unless you wish the launch a response." The Lieutenant-General shrugged impassively.

"I suppose it would be proper to do so," he replied, "- the SSBN-based missiles, if you dont mind."

The Captain saluted and turned to leave. Vital Praetonian satellites were equipped with missiles to defend themselves, and could take out ASATs until they ran out of ammunition. ASATs happened to be quite a bit more expensive than anti-missile missiles deployed on satellites, but undoubtably a number of satellites would be overwhelmed.

"Ok," said the Captain to the radio operators in the operations room he was now in, "you have His Majesty's permission to return fire." The lesser ranks had always called the Lieutenant-General 'His Majesty' but he was yet to find out.

Somewhere in the oceans, a similar sized strike of ASATs would be launching from submarines. Realistically, went the reasoning, a potential would not know at what the missiles were aimed and so would not engage them until their courses became clear, as no one would want to upset a random nation by interupting their missile launch as soon as it left the ocean's surface. Only time would tell if this happened to be right.

Meanwhile, the satellite stockpiles were readied to replace losses, and Imperial Spaceworks received a juicy new order to replace the lost craft.

The Mediterranean Sea

"Dive!" Shouted the Captain, although this was entirely superfluous and more for dramatic effect and tradition than anything else. The crew did not respond. They were already diving and everyone aboard could feel it. They had begun diving as soon as the missiles left their launch tubes and they had not yet touched the surface before the submarine was already plunging into the depths.

"Is everyone ok?" Asked the Captain, instinctively. Everyone responded in the affirmative.

"They may well respond this time, now that their battles with our dear allies are over," he said, cheerfully. "Keep a look out. We will maintain position as base-depth until they request a missile strike again. In the mean time, get us as far away from here as possible before the place is crawling with ASW helicopters dropping bloody sonar bouys!"

[B]TO: Great Leader Li of the Heavily Armed Hippies of MassPwnage
FROM: Yao Yang Nelson Neo, Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia
SUBJECT: Observers

Greetings Sir,

I continue to maintain my nation's neutrality in the armed conflict. I wish to apologize about my comment to the Tyrandisian Director of Foreign Affairs. I did not mean to appear obnoxious: for then I actually thought that for once the conspiracy theorists were correct. Turns out I should never have had trusted them.

In the interest of observing, peacekeeping and providing refuge to Kahanistanian civilians, on the behalf of my nation's people and the cabinet, I ask you whether we can send neutral observers into the Kahanistanian war zone. We do not wish for any harm to come to our units that are stationed to be neutral, and therefore ask for permission.

Yours Truly,
His Leadership,
Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia
Yao Yang Nelson Neo

[End Transmission]

Najaster, Capital of Kahanistan

Ministry of Defense HQ

General Valens opened a letter from what remained of the Kahanistan forces in ViZion. The ones who had survived had successfully withdrawn from ViZion, leaving most of their heavy equipment behind. As the Doomies had far superior equipment, the MiG-35's were of no use to them. The allies' equipment was probably also superior to the MiG's, so it was decided there was no need to risk lives retrieving it.

He called Minister Delray from Foreign Affairs. After a few hours of talking, they hammered out a statement they felt should end the war once and for all.

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Defense

Open Government Statement

The Government of Kahanistan has unilaterally withdrawn (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10393742&postcount=289) from ViZion. Our domestic problems have forced us to leave the conflict and become neutral. The allies we were to defend, Velkya, and Xirnium, have left the war or abandoned plans to join, and we have no further reason to fight.

As for the Government of MassPwnage, we believe that there is no longer a casus belli for us to fight. We have left the ViZion conflict, and every Pwnage soldier in Kahanistan is one who is not aiding their CAD allies on the ViZion front. We therefore consider it mutually advantageous for peace to be negotiated between our nations.

Therefore, we are pleased to announce that President Mohammed bin Yusuf al-Za'if, upon our advice, has declared an unilateral cease-fire for the next seven days. During that time, we hope that a permanent peace treaty can be successfully negotiated between our two powers. Should the talks take longer than seven days, the Supreme Soviet will extend the cease-fire as long as both sides suspend hostility in favor of diplomacy.

Signed,
Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Signed,
General Marcellus Q. Valens,
Minister of Defense

From: MassPwnage
To: Kahanistan

We're glad to hear that you wish to negotiate a peace. Our forces will abide by our own seven day ceasefire. Hostilities will resume immediately if you choose to violate the ceasefire. We will begin by offering our terms right now.

We Will:
*Withdraw from your territory within 1 week.
*End all hostilities against your nationals.

You Will In Return:
*Allow us to tow off the wreckage of your fleet
*Pay us $3 trillion NS Dollars in hard currency, such as gold, slaves, oil, or other resources.
*End all hostilities against Pwnage forces.

Otherwise We Will:
*Resume the conflict.

~*~*~*~*


"Stop...." The commander of the 1 RRA, immediately after opening the E-Mail from central command, gave the order.

There were immediate protests from both the commanders of the 4th Marine Army and the 2nd Airborne Corps. They were indeed close to victory. However, there was no arguing that any further aggression against Kahanistan would be pointless. After all, the war in ViZion was over, it was easy to see who the victor was.

In Kahanistan, the guns of the Pwnage soldiers ceased firing and the troops immediately began to withdraw towards their troop transports. In Al-Qamar, engineers began to rebuild Al-Qamar AFB as quickly as they could, with airdropped construction materials. They would need to get cargo flights to Al-Qamar as soon as possible, so that evacuation could take place.

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Defense

The Government of Kahanistan accepts your terms. As for the wreckage of our fleet, we suggest that it be towed to MassPwnage and melted down into raw materials which might contribute to the payment of three trillion USD.

We have no concerns that sensitive information may be gleaned from the wrecks, as the computers aboard our ships have been ruined by water or deliberately destroyed by fleeing crew members, and your vessels are far superior to ours so we are not worried about you learning any of our technology.

Signed,
General Marcellus Q. Valens,
Minister of Defense

After sending the letter, the Defense Minister ordered Kahanistan's nuclear system to downgrade from DEFCON-RED to DEFCON-BLUE, the second to lowest threat level. There was no reason to make the Pwnage forces anxious.

Meanwhile, Kahanistanian military and civilian engineers took advantage of the cease-fire to furiously begin reconstruction work on civilian facilities first before going to military facilities. Roads, hospitals, and water supplies took first priority for repair and cleanup. Military facilities were on the bottom of the repair list. The civilian facilities could treat military wounded of both sides as easily as they could treat civilians.

Kahanistan also released all captured Pwnage military personnel that they had managed to keep alive (they had tended to run in the other direction when angry mobs appeared, and fighting with their backs to the wall, they were barely able to feed their own troops) and asked that any captured Kahanistanian soldiers be released, too.

Total Kahanistan losses:

ViZion Front (land):

Original strength: 70,100 troops, 90 MiG's, 150 Merkavas, 350 Paladins
69,081 troops on land KIA, 106 wounded, 1,019 survivors
53 MiG-35's destroyed
118 Merkava IV tanks destroyed
301 Paladin 155mm guns destroyed

ViZion Front (sea)

Original strength: 200 warships, 400 transports, 250,000 crew, 400,000 land troops
Entire Kahanistan fleet at least mission killed, 179 warships sunk, 9 beached, 12 heavily damaged, 400 transports mission killed
329,900 land troops missing at sea
98,865 ship crew members KIA, 6,566 WIA
831 MiG-35's destroyed
2,107 Merkava IV tanks sunk
5,503 Paladin 155mm guns sunk

Kahanistan Front (land)

Original strength: 9.1 million military personnel, 40 million reservists, over 400 million armed civilians
4,000 MiG-35's
32,500 Merkava IV tanks
61,000 Paladin 155mm guns
19,000 ZSU-23-4 Shilka AA systems
1 million soldiers KIA, 2.7 million WIA, 50,000 MIA, over 30 million civilians killed, 75 million sick or injured
3,650 MiG's destroyed
9,150 Merkavas destroyed
11,000 Paladins destroyed
12,560 Shilkas destroyed

Kahanistan Front (sea)

Original strength: 1,000 warships and 3,600 transports, but only 300 warships engaged in the actual battle. These warships were crewed by about 150,000 Kahanistan Republic Navy personnel.
713 warships beached, 209 sunk, 74 otherwise mission killed
31,627 KIA, 11,891 WIA, 23,905 MIA
1,759 MiG-35's destroyed

Losses (Kahanistan):

Ships: Hulls written off as losses.

30 destroyers
14 Frigates
5 Cruisers
1 Arsenal ship
3 Light Carriers
1 Battleship

Landing Craft:
3 Major landing craft.
20 minor landing craft.
3 Bombardment vessels

Airplanes: Airframes written off as losses.
212 strategic bombers.
347 Fighters
209 UCAVs.

Personnel:
KIA: 14,450
WIA: 120,021
MIA: 1,502
Kill Ratio (Military): 76:1
Kill Ratio (Total): 2152:1

Shores of Kahanistan

Kahanistan sent deep-sea diving naval and Imperial Marine personnel to remove the explosive charges that were left on the ships that had not yet been cleared by the Pwnage fleet. In areas where the mines could not be easily removed, the Imperial Marines used waterproofed pistols to destroy the mines from a distance. Expecting the cease-fire to hold, the field commanders at the beach allowed their troops to return to base after they finished de-mining the beach of land mines, a task easily accomplished simply by running them over with Merkavas, whose thick armor was more than sufficient to stand up to anti-personnel mines.

The National Police and construction crews unearthed many of the corpses from bombed-out buildings in preparation for reconstruction. Rats eating the corpses of those who had had diseases were spreading the diseases and leading to the production of still more corpses. Now the rats' food supply was being removed and rebuilding could take place.

Najaster, Capital of Kahanistan

General Valens and Minister Delray was hailed by throngs of cheering Kahanistanian civilians as heroes. While many would claim Kahanistan had lost the war, the government had obtained a cease-fire that did not contain the S-word. No, not that S-word. Surrender. This was more than they had gotten in the Freekish war, and most of those who had not lost close family members or friends in the war were happy.

The Ministry of Defense began discussions of reform to the military. The Doomingslanders had jeered at Kahanistan for losing to a Doom fleet half their size, and Kahanistan never forgot that. While part of the reason for their defeat was the fact that the Kahanistanian commander probably wasn't fit to captain a rubbish barge, let alone command a fleet, the severe technological inferiority of the Kahanistanian Navy was also highlighted. Defenses against SEAD and DEAD strikes were discussed for future wars as well, Kahanistan still had many enemies.

The ground forces would also undergo serious upgrades. While Merkavas were good enough tanks, they were simply tin cans if the enemy had air supremacy, easily visible in columns from the air. Air defenses would get the most funds for improvement among the ground troops, and WMD research would take place as well. The Otagian gear would be useful for upgrading the sniper and commando teams as well as protection from WMD, but most of what they had ordered from there was good for defense and not so good for offense. The leaders of Kahanistan hoped that with the cease-fire these weapons could be used to train and arm the 1.2 million soldiers who would be recruited to replace the fallen troops.

The Kahanistanian Air Force, quite honestly, sucked. While it was filled with skilled pilots and seasoned commanders, a dogfight between a Kahanistanian MiG-35 and a Doomingslandian Aquila almost always ended with the Aquila as the victor and the MiG a twisted hulk of metal, while the Kahanistanian pilot ejected and spent the next few days or weeks hiding from the Doomies. Tactics would have to be changed as well, and some Republic Guard generals advocated specialized SEAD and DEAD strike units of their own to be formed, using tactics adopted from the Pwnage forces who were their now-former enemies, with the obvious exception that Kahanistanian soldiers do not, as a matter of policy, target civilian populations.

Gibraltar
Slowly, the embattled fleet began to retreat, leaving their dead behind. The fleet headed by the Dreadnought was heading north around the coast of Spain in an attempt to escape. Their missionl, without being a success, was not exactly a failure. With the bodies of a dozen battleships and hundreds of smaller ships clogging up the Gibraltar Straits, there wasn't much chance of any sort of vessel getting through there. As the Dreadnought began its escape, huge chunks missing from its superstructure, it loosed it remaining 20,000 anti shipping missiles at the Bandurian fleet. The missiles were programmed to fly at different speeds and different attack patterns from different directions: and following suit, the Wellington also fired a salvo of 8,000 of the same anti shipping missiles towards the Bandurian fleet, before the whole fleet began to turn and run.

But behind them, the reinforcement fleet lay.

Task Force: Unity, Operation: Vengeance
The new First Sea Lord, Richard Nelson, finished his glass of sake and then drew the last line in his offensive plan. The twelve superdreadnoughts where to advance in a line formation towards Gibraltar - the picture from the stern of the leading destroyer was to become famous throughout Questers as it displayed twelve of the worlds most powerful capital ships in a line. Around them, the fleet was spread out up to 150km out from the central capital ship, the Harwood. Leading the formation was Horatio - the second ship of the Hood class and the vessel of the First Sea Lord. The objective of Operation: Vengeance was a single sentence that had become a common phrase throughout the Commonwealth.

Avenge the Hood. (if they do not agree to cease fire)

Nelson strode back onto the main bridge, yawning as he did so. "Ensign - progress report, please."

"We're about 400km from Gibraltar - the Dreadnought is in direct contact range, sir."

"Excellent." Nelson smiled. Although the fleet was spread out far far back, his 1,500 ship strong fleet was close enough for the enemy to feel the heat. "Alright Ensign." he continued. "All open frequencies if you please."

OPEN FREQUENCY
Attention All Fleets,

In the name of Her Majesty Queen Clara II of the Questarian Commonwealth, I hereby propose a ceasefire between our forces. Further negotations by our government will be made in the following hours, but I have been sent to ensure that proper and good negotiations take place. In the name of peace and good communications between nations, I suggest that everyone lays down their weapons.
First Sea Lord Atlantic Admiral Nelson

To: All parties involved
From: The Prime Minister, Secretary of State to Her Majesty the Queen
RE: Cessation of hostilities

We have noted that the battle raging around Vizion is particularly bloody. A despondent loss of life from both sides has prompted Her Majesty's Government to make the following statement.

From this hour onwards, all Questarian forces in the area have been ordered not to fire unless fired upon first - I have been assured that a Royal Navy Task Force in the area has already called for a cease fire.

In addition to this, the Questarian Government officially invites representatives from Praetonia, Doomingsland, and MassPwnage, to attend a conference in London to decide the fate of the country of Vizion. We hope that all parties invited will attend so that we can discuss a civilised end to this bloodshed.

Prime Minister Rt Hon Sir Anthony Eden

"Shit! Incoming contacts!"

A somewhat more polite version of the same message passed through the chain of command to Archon Duheyev. The hawklike profile sniffed distastefully at the display of firepower. "How tiresome. Eliminate them."

The air defence cruisers began launching EMP missiles towards the incoming salvos, each one frying the electronics of everything within a mile's radius or so. However, coming from so many different directions and angles as the missiles were, strategic attacks could do little damage, leaving over half of the missiles still en route to the Bandurian Fleet at high speeds.

Lasers and jamming systems went into overtime as the highly effective CIWS and AMM systems of the armada came online, sending more missiles to the bottom of the sea. Nonetheless, the Bandurians could not and did not stop everything. Destroyers, frigates, and the odd cruiser or battleship were hit; even the Halcyon's 2000mm of armour suffered a severe blow, one of its four layers blasted apart, revealing the foam and ceramics separating each layer. Teams immediately began work on the damage as the fleet returned fire with guns ranging from 12" to 24" hammering the fleeing Questarian ships with six swift volleys of thousands of shells each.

However, a dying fleet was not the Archon's primary concern. As the rumble of the final volley died away, he issued a short barking order. "Push on. ViZion is open to us."

An ensign on the bridge said timidly. "No sir, it isn't."

"WHAT?!" The Archon's exclamation sent most of the bridge crew to trembling in fear; they had after all watched him shoot fellow officers remorselessly in times of anger, or subject them to fates far worse than that...

"The sunken Questerian vessels are blocking the straits... They're basically impassable."

Duheyev's face turned stony and he glanced at the display. "Ah, a minor annoyance. Let's blast them out of there, ok?"

"Yes, sir." The ensign, relieved to be spared, sent a message to the Pwnage fleet around Gibraltar, warning them to move out of the way. He waited until the request was carried out, and then plotted in several co-ordinates and broadcasted an order to the ballistic submarines.

One of the submarines surfaced, opening its launch tubes, and fired a total of twelve high yield, low radiation SLBMs, armed with 80kt nuclear warheads. All of these were aimed towards the Straits of Gibraltar, especially the objects blocking the way. The missiles arched into the air with an eerily silent flameless trajectory, laser-guided.

On the horizon, a massive column of flame reared into the sky, waves crashed against the shore and rocked the fleet... and then there was nothing.

The Bandurian war armada began to move forward towards ViZion.

[ViZ or anyone else, if you don't want nuclear weapons, let me know so I can retcon this post before anyone responds to it.]

[Further responses coming soon.]

ooc; DUDE.
NO!
MY FLEET
IS
THERE DEFENDING GIBRALTAR.

[ooc: Ok... damn. Well, I suppose if so we'd send a message to you telling you to move out of the way. I'll edit it in. Wouldn't want to nuke an ally now would I... ;)

(I don't get exactly which side of Gibraltar everyone is on... did Hoggy come from the Med side or the Atlantic side? How about you, MP? That would clear things up a great deal for me.)]

ooc: I'm on the Med side and Hoggy's on the Atlantic side, but we were in rather close quarters (i.e: Within visual range).

[Thanks, that helped. (I was also on the Atlantic side, so basically if you withdrew far enough from the straits, our clearing the area wouldn't affect you too much.)

Or I could just retcon the nukes, although I can't think of too much else that would clear the area as easily, and I don't want to use the Hand of God for several reasons (primarily because it would probably wipe out most of my own fleet at such range along with the wreckage, not to mention a lot of other stuff...)]

ooc: I strongly suggest retconning the nuclear weapons, besides you're not going to get through the straits by the time Hoggy's fleet is within firing range. That and since you're a member of the CAD, I can order to your fleet to stand down while negotiations take place (It appears you weren't invited). In fact, I think I'll do just that.

~*~*~**~

The admiral in command of the 2nd Fleet Group grabbed the radio controls and quickly had his operator dial in the proper frequency to the Bandurian fleet.

"Stand down. The Questarians want peace. While our government and Doomingsland's government conduct negotiations, you will not engage in hostilities, I repeat, you will not engage in hostilities with the Questarians or any of their allies. Nor are you permitted to send an expeditionary force to ViZion until further notice. Doomish, Pwnage and Tyrandisian troops are at adequate levels to stabilize ViZion at this point, and your entry may jeporadize the negotiations. So please, cease fire and do not land in ViZion until further notice."

The Admiral put the radio controls down. Hopefully, his order would be heeded.

OOC: MP, in light of the cease-fire, should I assume that the blockade has been lifted?

IC:

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Government of Kahanistan is pleased to note that the warring factions over ViZion are arriving at a peaceful solution. No longer will soldiers from faraway lands die to ensure democracy and freedom in ViZion.

While we have withdrawn from the war and become neutral, we will observe the situation from our vantage point here. In the short term we only hope that ViZion becomes stable again.

Signed,
Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

ooc: Yes.

Encrypted Transmission
TO: General Marcellus Q. Valens, Minister of Defense, Democratic Soviet Republic of Kahanistan
FROM: Paul David Nettleton, Minister of Defense, United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia
SUBJECT: Military reforms and the establishment of relations

Greetings,

Once again, thanks to your nobility and your nation's cultural habit of "humanitarian operations" (as described in your nation's Wiki article), you have had your heads handed over to the human rights abusing, but at the same time internationally powerful, state on a silver platter. I hope your Foreign Ministry has taken Doctor Gilda's advice, along with the future Kahanistanian administrations to come.

However, we have decided to form the ground in establishing diplomatic ties with your nation by helping her with your military reforms - as so clearly demonstrated by the Doomingslandian Navy and the Pwnage Navy and the jeers by their respective military commands, the Kahanistan Republic Guard and Imperial Marines are massively out of date, and while their skills are well-honed, they were no match for the technological supremacy the CAD forces possessed. I have had been approved by the cabinet to contact the Royal Shipyards of Isselmere-Nieland, and they are considering whether or not to establish a partnership in your homeland as part of our little aid. The attachment is at the end of this letter.

We know other companies that can help your armed forces reach a more up-to-date status, and can bring plenty of advice….if you accept our help. To use the old saying, you can take a horse to a river, but you can’t make it drink. You must be willing. Will you accept my nation’s help? The cabinet and I eagerly await your response.

Yours Truly,
His Excellency,
Minister of Defense
United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia
Paul David Nettleton

[Attachment: R007] (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10441417&postcount=614)

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Defense

The Government of Kahanistan is eager for weaponry that will enable us to resist future CAD invasions with greater success. We have had some success implementing Czardaian heavy bombers into our air force, but what really made the Doomingslanders jeer at us was our navy. The Kahanistanian Navy lost almost all of its ships, nearly lost one of its finest commanders, and the wrecks themselves were hauled to MassPwnage as war reparations. We therefore accept the Southeast Asian offer of equipment as long as such equipment is within the technical grasp of our personnel. (OOC: read: no PMT techwankery.)

Signed,
General Marcellus Q. Valens,
Minister of Defense

ooc: I strongly suggest retconning the nuclear weapons, besides you're not going to get through the straits by the time Hoggy's fleet is within firing range. That and since you're a member of the CAD, I can order to your fleet to stand down while negotiations take place (It appears you weren't invited). In fact, I think I'll do just that.

~*~*~**~

The admiral in command of the 2nd Fleet Group grabbed the radio controls and quickly had his operator dial in the proper frequency to the Bandurian fleet.

"Stand down. The Questarians want peace. While our government and Doomingsland's government conduct negotiations, you will not engage in hostilities, I repeat, you will not engage in hostilities with the Questarians or any of their allies. Nor are you permitted to send an expeditionary force to ViZion until further notice. Doomish, Pwnage and Tyrandisian troops are at adequate levels to stabilize ViZion at this point, and your entry may jeporadize the negotiations. So please, cease fire and do not land in ViZion until further notice."

The Admiral put the radio controls down. Hopefully, his order would be heeded.
[ooc: Ok, retconned... and ICly we're backing down as well. I'll make an in character post later.[b]]

OOC:My version of the battle :)

ViZion City International Airport

Having finally broken his Questerian prisoner's will and attaining the information his commander had asked for, Vorenus was rewarded with a much-loved duty: Combat. His mechanized century had been rotated out of guard duty and replaced with a more depleted unit, and had been designated to spearhead the ground offensive on the airport.

He didn't need to make a pep talk to his men. They were pumped and zelous enough as it is, eager to spill the blood of an armed enemy in honorable combat. His Testudo II Infantry Fighting Vehicle would be the first vehicle to make contact with the force guarding the airfield.

As he sat there in the cramped confines of the vehicle, upon the bench that housed the rest of the passengers: his personal guard, he recieved one last transmission detailing his current orders.

The face of his CO, Primus Pilus of the legion, Marcellus Ferrelus, commander of I Cohort, appeared on the corner of his HUD and nodded, speaking through the radio in Vorenus' helmet,

"Alright, Lucius, your official orders have come down the pipe, finally: You are to spearhead the assault on the airfield...you already knew that, but there is more. Your unit has been assigned to kill, or, if possible, capture the Questerian and Praetonian commanders of the regiments we are facing. ELINT has traced their positions to ViZion City International Airport, but we're not quite sure where their CP is located,"

"What can we expect in the area of opposition?" Vorenus asked in response,

"Quite heavy, brother. The heathens have either begun to fight their way through our lines or have pulled back to the airfield and dug in. This shall be a worthy fight, that much I can assure you."

The grim face of Centurion Vorenus nodded in response, "I agree. While that engagement outside of the city will look good for us on the news, it was probably a fluke. I'm not so sure they will capitulate as easily in a situation such as this."

Ferrelus smiled, "It has been long since we have faced an enemy that puts an honest effort into their fighting. Perhaps we have finally found a worthy foe?" he said as the track rocked from a nearby explosion.

"DISMOUNT!" yelled Vorenus.

While he had been speaking with his commander, he had been watching the squad leader's LCD monitor, which had been showing the vehicle's progression. It had reached the appropriate waypoint, so he had given the general order for his century to dismount their tracks.

As he shouted, the Testudo's 37mm electro-thermal automatic cannon began to open up on foes defending the airport.

Vorenus was the first man out of the track, the first infantryman in the whole cohort to step onto the field for this assault. Machinegun fire that raked the area around the IFV was quickly silenced by a quick burst from the vehicle's 37mm.

Vorenus' HUD showed the positions of all his decuria, and he soon began to direct fields of fire all over the airfield, both from his IFVs, his infantry, and his tanks. He even had control of a battery of 120mm mortar tracks, which he soon put to good use, laying down a thick barrage along the enemy's first line in order to cover his own advance.

His infantry, upon disembarking, rushed forward of the armor, taking up positions in crater shells, and began laying down fire on Praetonian and Questerian positions.

Vorenus walked along his line calmly, shouting orders as bullets whizzed by his head, showing an utter disregard for personal safety. The scene was utterly chaotic: the blue tracers of the Doomingslanders intermixed with those of the Praetonians and Questerians, totally illuminating the once dark landscape. Missiles streaked across no-man's land in both directions, mortars rained down upon the hapless enemy. It seemed as if armageddon was right there and then.

Vorenus turned as the 125mm main gun of one of the Caesar tanks under his command broke its silence with a deafening roar, sending a beehive round down range into an enemy position. A few seconds later, a Praetonian Aquila missile tore through the night sky towards the offending vehicle, which responded with its microwave countermeasures system, cooking the sensors of the missile, to the disdain of the men who had fired it. Miliseconds later, the tank commander's remotely operated ACU-351 grenade machinegun traversed and fired three rounds right at the ATGM crew, which was completely obliterated by the airbursting rounds.

After a twelve minute fire fight, the Praetonian positions ahead of Vorenus' force had gone totaly silent.

"Casualties!" he shouted over the radio.

Reports began to file in. Six dead, thirteen wounded, one Testudo knocked out.

His next order was to lay down a smoke screen, which his autoloading 120mm mortars did quickly enough, dropping a dense screen of VIRSS smoke behind the seemingly cleared-out enemy position. He waited thirty seconds for the screen to get completely thick before he gave the order,

"Century! Ad-vance!"

Vorenus, being the man in charge, had the honor of leading the advance. Rushing ahead of the rest of his men, the heavily armored legionary moved across no-man's land with a swiftness that seems surprising for such a bulky figure. Behind him, the men advanced in a textbook manner: a portion of the force, including the crew-served weapons, stayed behind as to cover the rest of the unit, which cautiously advanced over the open terrain, units occasionaly halting to take cover and scan the immediate area.

Armor advanced only when the infantry had completely secured the area ahead, so for now they would stay behind the main advance to aid in their cover.

Vorenus had managed to close the distance in under thirty seconds, sprinting the whole time. Upon reaching the line of enemy entrenchments, he casualy tossed a fragmentation grenade down into the area he would jump into. After hearing the satifying 'boom', he lept down into the crater caused by the weapon to be greeted by the dead.

All along the trench line were the mangled, charred remains of Praetonian and Questerian paratroopers, evidently killed by either the mortars or airbursting 30 and 37 millimeter rounds, with the occasional soldier missing the back of his head, having been killed by one of the well-trained Doomish riflemen. The moans and screams of the dead and dying eminated up and down the trench line with the chatter of small arms and the rumbling of explosions sounding in the background.

A typical battlefield.

He shouldered his rifle, staring down his red dot scope, and slowly began to move down the trench, stepping over the corpses of his fallen foes. His keen ears hunted for the sound of footsteps. He didn't feel quite secure at the moment, for any one of these seemingly dead men could be faking it.

Unbeknownst to him, just around the corner was a living, breathing Praetonian who knew he was there, waiting for Vorenus to round the corner. He didn't have to wait long.

Vorenus whipped around the corner to find himself facing the muzzle of an enemy rifle, which promptly fired, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him down. He didn't utter a sigh or groan as the round impacted, for he didn't quite feel it with all the adrenalin flowing in his veins. Vorenus attempted to raise his rifle, only to find that he had lost it.

The Praetonian's bayonet gleamed in the darkness and the man yelled as he lunged at the wounded Centurion, who grabbed the bayonet by the blade and tore the gun from the para's hands, punching him square in the face. His armored gauntlets completely destroyed the man's jaw and nose, knocking him to the floor.

Vorenus, unthinkingly, whipped out his service revolver and put a single .425 magnum round through the man's head, finishing him off. Just as he did this, his men began to leap into the trench. A medic began to tend to the Centurion, who aptly refused to be evaced. He was having far too much fun for that.

"Show the wounded no-quarter. Slit the throats of any heathen that still draws breath. We can't risk being stabbed in the back here." he commanded a nearby Decarion, who nodded in agreement, relaying the orders to the other men, who proceeded to carry them out flawlessly.

After ten minutes, that position was completely secured at the loss of three Legionaries killed and another six wounded. Vorenus had been correct in that there were more Praetonians that still drew breath.

In an attempt to get that mortar barrage lifted, the surviving Praetonians had ceased fire, making it seem as if they'd all been killed. It worked, but they all ended up dead in the end, anyway.

Finally, Vorenus had a foothold in the airport. Ironically, he had penetrated far deeper into enemy held terrain than he had expected, and found his unit far ahead of the rest of the cohort. He still had his objective to accomplish. He had some generals that needed to be killed.

Latest intellegence from friendly ELINT units had managed to uncover what was probably the enemy's command post. Normally, an air or artillery strike would have commenced. However, in this instance, the CP was close enough to a friendly unit that it could be overrun and key items of interest, such as radios and maps, taken intact. The unit that was near the command post happened to be Vorenus' own IV Century.

Upon closer inspection, the trench line actualy began to move in towards the inner sections of the airfield. This was most likely where the generals had made their command posts. Rather than keeping them waiting, Centurion Vorenus immediately ordered his men to head towards the suspected command post. As usual, he would be the first man in. The infantry, for the most part, would proceed towards their target via the trench line itself. Fire support would come in the form of the Testudos' 37mm cannons, which would be using airbursting shells. Once an enemy position was located, a burst of that would be used to quickly clear it.

Once more, he began the treck down the trench line, his revolver in hand. That would most likely denote him as an officer to enemy soldiers, so he was at even more a risk. Not that he cared.

His infrared sensors displayed the heat signatures of everything in the trench line. The dead had been dead long enough for their body heat to have disappated significantly, so he could tell the killed from the living, now, even in the darkness. His orders to kill any wounded still stood, for now, as well.

As he moved down the line, he began to notice that there were less and less bodies the further he moved down. That meant that more people were still alive. He had another eight men trailing, covering him in this particular instance, since they'd be engaging the enemy in force once more this time.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, cutting the air by Lucius' head, hitting the man behind him. Within seconds they were engaged in a deadly close quarters fire fight, with the difficult to see enemy spraying down the trench at them. It was a miracle Vorenus had avoided being hit this time, as he continued to casualy walk down the trench, firing at enemy muzzle flashes as the appeared.

The chasm was wide enough for five men to stand side by side, and crates often littered the area, so there was some cover in this death trap. All across the board, his whole century was engaged in a similar manner, some squads fareing better than others. He knew casualties would be high in his taking of the command post, and was prepared to die himself.

As Vorenus' squad meticulously swept their sector, they took relatively light losses, with only one man dead and another wounded out of nine, so far. They continued to press, and the body armor of the Doomingslanders seemed to be proving its worth, stopping pistol rounds almost without fail and, occasionaly, rifle rounds, which was quite an accomplishment at such close range. Vorenus himself counted six kills for himself, not counting that first man, two of them being killed with his gladius, the others being dispatched with his trusty revolver. Those were mostly head shots. One Praetonian even got so close that his head was blown completely off his shoulders when Vorenus killed him, while one of the men he'd killed with his gladius was decapitated.

Finally, they reached the end of the trench line and found themselves at the foot of the hill. The entire century had reached this area at roughly the same time, and immediately found themselves under fire from well-aimed rifle fire and crew-served weapons. Casualties began to mount up.

Vorenus ordered a barrage of smoke rounds along the crest of the hill, which came none too soon, blinding the enemy gunners.

"Draw steel!" commanded Vorenus.

The deafening sound of dozens of blades being torn from their sheathes cut through the air. Vorenus began marching up the slope over Doomingslandian, Questerian, and Praetonian bodies alike which covered the now redened hill. Finally, the Doomingslanders reached the smoke screen and surrounded the crest of the hill, intending to come from all sides.

"There stands the last of our foe!" yelled Vorenus to his men, "They await their inevetable deaths. Let them wait no longer. DEUS VOLT!!!"

This battle cry rang true all over the hill as the men charged straight through the smoke screen, their gleaming blades thirsty for more blood. Vorenus pierced the smoke screen on the other side and was immediately met by fire from shotguns and pistols. His body jerked all over and his visor was completely shattered, yet he kept on his feet, somehow, his cruel burning eyes hunting for his prey, his scarred, hardened face unmoving. He rushed the men that had shot him as they prepared to lunge at him with bayonets, and immediately went to work.

He parried the first blow, shoving his sword in the man's stomach, then proceeding to use him as a human shield, firing his revolver from his left hand over the man's shoulder, hitting a second enemy soldier between the eyes, blowing the back of his head out, soiling the hallowed ground with blood and grey matter. Kicking away the man he had stabbed, his sword came out of the Questerian's gut and he yelled in pain.

A quick slash from Vorenus' sword cut off the man's head. Suddenly, Lucius felt a burning sensation as a Questerian bayonet went straight through his back. He roared in pain and lept forward, hoping to dislodge the blade. The long bayonet snapped in half but remained lodged in his back, and he spun around, slashing his foe right in the throat. As the blade tore across, a jet stream of bright red blood followed it, and the man slumped to the ground. He looked back to find that the battle was over.

Groups of prisoners were being herded together, yet he saw a group that stood out from the rest. One of them had a sword. The Centurion, stained in both his own and enemy blood, his face completely covered in blood and slashed in numerous places, walked over to the two generals and smartly saluted the two in the Doomish manner.

"I'm going to need that, sir." he said to the Questerian general calmly, showing no signs of aggresion.

Losses

LEGIO VIII

Original Strength: 5,598
Dead: 491
Wounded: 1,998
Total Strength: 3,109

OFFICIAL RESPONSE

IMPERIVM DOOMANVM

We agree that a cessation to hostilities would be contributive to both our respective interests and to world peace as a whole. We hereby do agree to both a ceasefire and to the immediate commencement of talks to finally put an end to this bloody conflict. A diplomatic group to represent the Empire is being put on an aircraft bound for London as we speak. We look forward to a peacefull end to this war.

The Race City Air Force squadrons 1 through 25 headed towards ViZion City on board the R.C.V. Gilligan, along with 75% of the Race City Army. Normally it was not Race Cities policy to poke it's nose in other nations business, but it's presidents recieved a distress video tape sent from a former Congressional Force member, which let them see the terrible bloodshed and massacres occuring within the city, they decided that they must help. And with Alpha 1, the nation's military pride and joy, and also the largest interstellar craft ever built, they knew they might just have an edge here.

Private Jimmy Neusra asked his friend, Lieutenent Karl Largerntop, what they were supposed to do.

"I'm not sure, but I think we are going to send a squad of ten men to find the Congressional Forces, and then we're gonna probably fight with them", replied Largerntop.

0900 hours - Disembarkment

Private Neusra and Lieutenat Largerntop were among the seven men chosen to escort the diplomats. The other 8 were:Colonel Marc Levaine, Private Luke Howaf, Lieutenant Max Powers, General Mick Turlei, Field Marshal Howie Pujh, and the diplomats Jeff Erston, Jackie Howitxer, and Lorne Barkenofv. Soon they arrived at the coast, and made their way towards the city. They were also protected in the sky by Air Chief Marshal Judy Schecktor. Once or twice they heard gun fights, but no-one encountered them. Eventually they came across the hideout, and made their way inside.

Paras back for tea and medals
With the ViZion Congress whisked to safety, hopes are high for a settlement.

http://www.moviemail-online.co.uk/images/small/assembled_officers.jpg
Praetonian Staff Officers discussing the situation at ViZion International Airport
___________________
From 'The Parliamentarian'
Page 1

Two days after a daring rescue attempt known as 'Operation Corporate' began, the majority of the ViZion Congress has been safely rescused from the encouraching dictatorial forces and sent, via the Questerian Falkland Islands, to Praetonia. At least 1,500 of the 6,000 paras who took part in the operation have been confirmed dead, and fears mount for the safety of the remaining 3,000 paras, many of whom wounded, who have had their positions overrun by Doomingslandi troops.

The operation began in the early hours of yesterday morning when a force of aircraft smashed through Doomingslandi missile and fighter defences and deployed a regiment of crack paratroops behind enemy lines, who proceeded to locate the surviving members of the ViZion Congress. With an entire Doomingslandi armoured division pressing on their positions, the paratroops then collapsed their line around ViZion International Airport whilst fighting off continued Doomingslandi assaults.

As enemy troops pushed back our gallant forces to the very edge of the airport, a second group of planes landed and began to loaded the ViZion Congress and as many paratroopers as possible. Eventually, however, the planes were forced to retreat in the face of massing Doomingslandi troops and some thousands of troops including the operation's overall commander, Major-General Sir Gaius Tarrius, were left behind.

Concern is now growing for the fate of these troops, including the gallant Major-General, as Doomingslandi troops are now believed to have complete control of the city. Whether or not they will treated in accordance with the common decency of civilised states at war remains to be seen, and many human rights groups are predicting mass-executions and torture. The Prime Minister has reassured the families of the missing troops that 'Every effort will be made to secure their return and barbaric acts commited against them will not go unpunished.'

The conflict, however, appears to be on the brink of ending before it has even begun. With Praetonian and allied naval forces massing outside the Mediterranean, it is believed that plans for a conference in London will go ahead and the ViZion Civil War ended amicably by the relevent powers. ViZion is not expected to be represented at the conference.

The Prime Minister has been quick to reassure the public that 'if the London conference fails to reach a satisfactory agreement we are quite prepared to continue the conflict by whatever means may be necessary, including deploying the Imperial Navy to the Mediterranean, but hopes are currently very high for a positive outcome based on our preliminary conversations with representatives of the relevent governments.' All other Parliamentary parties seem happy with the conference as it currently stands, including the pacifist Communist Party.

The Government has already issued a statement congratulating and thanking the troops involved in what they describe as 'an successful operation albeit at a terrible price in our finest soldiers'. The Chancellor of the Exchequer described the battle as 'a glorious test of arms against the Old Enemy from which we have emerged in a very good light. This should hopefully dispell the myths of Doomingslandi invulnerability put about by earlier Sarzonian defeats at their hands.' There are plans for a war memorial to be erected in ViZion city, featuring an eagle carrying a sword in its talons.

LAUREATVS DOOMANVS

Imperial Forces Emerge Victorious Over Pagan Hordes in ViZion

ViZion City, XII-III-MMVI

The mighty VIII Legion under Legatus Marcus Decimus has emerged victorious over a much larger combined army of Questerian and Praetonian soldiers. The day-long battle that claimed the lives of nearly five-hundred brave Legionaries came to a climatic end this morning when Imperial forces overran the heathen command post, killing or capturing all who guarded it, including both a Questerian and a Praetonian general.

The battle kicked off with the landing of Questerian paratroopers on the outskirts of ViZion City. Lead elements of the Eighth were able to catch up with and completely overrun the Questerian rear guard, capturing over eight hundred and fifty of the barbarians alive and killing the rest in a swift fire fight.

The Legion proceeded to pursue the Questerians into the city, where they initialy encountered fierce resistance by a much larger Praetonian force. After a battle that raged several hours, the Eighth utterly destroyed the enemy's line and forced them back into ViZion City International Airport, where the barbarians were promptly surrounded.

Imperial Intellegence was also able to pinpoint the location of the evil ViZionarian Congress, responsible for numerous counts of war crimes, and the Legion was able to initiate a daring air mobile raid deep into Praetonian controlled territory that resulted in the capture of twenty-five of the criminals right under the noses of the enemy. The former congress members are to stand trial for war crimes at an unspecified date and location.

Finally, Imperial forces launched an all-out assault on the airfield as the cowardly enemy attempted to flee the battlefield in transport aircraft, and was able to stop a vast majority of the enemy army from escaping, completely overrunning and siezing the airport without much difficulty. The total body count was over four thousand plus enemy soldiers killed, with another twelve-hundred plus men taken captive. Caesar, in his infinate generosity and mercy, has decreed that the infidels are to be spared in the name of peace.

The VIII Legion lost only four-hundred fifty nine dead with another thousand or so wounded. This battle is a blatant demonstration of the superiority of the Empire's Legions over heathen armies, and once again proves that our armies are unstoppable in the service of God.

OOC: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=11880374 the civil war revived!