*SNIP*
*SNIP*
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, six miles west, at the border of Zaynite territory, six thousand troops had gathered and were heading into it. A few Zaynite guerillas were sniping them down, but were almost always blown to shreds by the rockets that the artillery fired. already four thousand out of 1.5 million of the native Zaynites were being sent into zanski, where they would be tortured and executed publicly before being burned in mass-cremations.
As they walked to the lorries that were ready to pick them up, they sang the prayer that their nation was named after: "Yehenat humerd na yomek zeneheyai! Which means: I have laboured hard, i wait for holy glory.
*SNIP*
IC:
Ka-31 Helicopter "Beach Shop One."
Despite being at the outer edge of her range, and needing to head back to the UWS Leon Trotsky, 1st Lieutenant Melanie Schwartz knew a missile strike when she saw one incoming. Only this time, she laughed out loud rather than cried or worried, before thinking to herself, TEN missiles... closing at... MACH ONE? We should show these amateurs who they're dealing with... She then signaled the carrier. "Warning, Trotsky Base, be advised. Estimated ten, REPEAT, estimated one-zero antiship missiles inbound on fleet position. Am prepared to vector in counterstrike."
The carrier wasted no time in reply, "Roger that. Negative on strike until further orders, withdrawal stands. Are you needing recon? Two flights, Sniffer and Smoker, totalling ten aircraft are ready on alert-five with ETA of 25 minutes." Strikes were officially off until Zanski did something to merit Wagdog's reentry into the war, and a missile attack so puny as the one reported hardly qualified. But clearly some intel could use gathering...
"Roger that, Trotsky base. Beach Shop One reading you five-by and in position to vector recon of Zansk antishipping positions. Over and out." Now the wait began, as it always did. Hopefully we'll be able to end this damn war before things get even worse. She motioned to her copilot after getting a particularly... odd feeling about the situation. "Is our SATCOM on? I'd like to go over some of those Zansk transmissions we keep intercepting. Something just doesn't feel right about things lately..."
Scarce minutes later, at the Wagdoggie fleet's location...
Although steaming away at full speed from Zansk waters, as per the presence of Questers' forces nearby and the commitment to withdraw, the fleet was quite ready to intercept the missiles tailing it. Being so few in number, not one got through as such; four falling to the SA-N-6 Grumble long-range SAMs of the three surviving Kirov class cruisers, three more falling to the SA-N-9 Gauntlet medium-range sams of various targeted ships, and the last three being hacked down by the Kashtan gun/missile CIWS of three Neustrashimy frigates. However, one of these was destroyed close enough to the firing ship, the UWS Socialism in One Country, that the Kashtan scoring the kill was itself destroyed; causing an onboard fire that momentarily threatened the ship and killed five crewmen before it was extinguished.
25 Minutes later, over Mhoudia...
"Roger that, we are feet dry in Zansk airspace and have horizon visual on the enemy positions now." Sniffer One, Captain David Shaw, saw the Zansk military convoy below and ahead, including the ASM positions which he just overflew that moment and photographed with his recon pods. Intermittently he got swept by enemy SAM radars, but so far his flying was good and low enough to keep them from getting any solid tracks. So far... he thought.
But what David saw next, when he overflew the convoy as low as he dared, was enough to convince him of something VERY bad going on down below; worse than just any missiles being fired at the fleet...
"That convoy, it looks like..." He then wasted no time in overflying the convoy again for good measure, before radioing to both Smoker Flight and base, "Smoker Flight, Trotsky Base, be advised. Sniffer Flight in contact with enemy convoy transporting what appear to be captive civilians; repeat, have intercepted enemy convoy in Mhoudia transporting captive civilians on bearing towards Zansk proper. Intent unknown, but other convoys are loading up captives nearby and it looks like a mass deportation in progress. Repeat, mass deportation of unidentified Mhoudian civilians by Zansk Royalist forces in progress..."
Both flights of five Yak-41M Freestyle-As, five recon-configured with two camera pods underwing plus two AA-11 Archer dogfight missiles each, and five air-superiority with two AA-10E Alamo-E active BVR missiles and AA-11 Archers each, banked hard away after word to return with their data was given. Afterburners lit as they pushed as fast as would dare, knowing some of this data had to survive and reach the outside world. Countless lives possibly depended on it...
*SNIP*
Vetakan Special Forces Taniger Frigate, Vetakan 2rd Battlegroup:
The Resource was a Frigate that had been designed to support operating Special Force Units. In one of the Operation Rooms 3 men sat discussing their upcoming mission. The lead officer was Commander Root of the Vetakan Scouts to the men where Lead Scout David Andrews and Sub Scout Alan Johnson two of Vetaka's most experienced Scout Recon Operatives:
"Do you understand the Mission Gentleman?" asked Root
"Yes Sir. Penertrate Enemy Lines to Preset Co-Ordinates and gather intel on Unconfirmed Enemy Genocide Reports. Gather hard Visual Intel on Genocide Activites. Co-Ordinate OBSAT Spy Sattellite Networks." replied Andrews
"Whats our Insertion Route?" asked Johnson.
"At the moment your going in Via Chinook and we are going to cause a Diversion by a couple of F-22's. That could change as of now you need to be ready to go. Insertion is at 00:00 hours Understood?" replied the Commander
"Sir" replied the Scouts
With that they left the Operations room and headed to Armoury where they checked their equipment and weapons.
OBSAT Communication:
To: Wagdog Chief of Staff
From: Vetakan Admiralty
Vetaka is about to deploy 2 Vetakan Recon Scouts to the region to locate hard evidence of Genocide we will keep you updated accordingly. Our insertion is via Chinnok and a F-22 Diversion unless you have another way?
(Telephone call)
The Cheif deportee Director, Yemeh Nutah, got a telephone call. His guard watched his face turn pale. He signalled out the car window, and the lorries behind him stopped. He hung up, dialled a number and pressed CALL.He began to speak, obviously to none other than King Arma.
"Your Majesty! We have new info that most bridges across the Jayir river have been blown to peices! Nearest crossing point... fourty miles south! What should we do?"
At his bunker just 6-7miles east, Arma laughed.
"Kill them."
Nutah winced and spoke again.
"But, your majesty! We cannot kill six thousand people at once! we only have eighty soldiers with us!"
"Kill as many as possible, in the knowledge that you will die. should you disobey my order, you will have a red hot iron poker driven through your body in a different place everyday...publicly."
"Okay, sire."
Suddenly, the Zaynites started to run, but artillery and gunfire took many of them down, about one in ten. The soldiers persued those that didn't.
Meanwhile, Mrahed...
The Zaynites had been sitting in the cold windy streets for two days now, awaiting new lorries. The Zansk soldiers were laughing about the fact that they sat there, without fighting. But suddenly the reason for the silence was apparent.
A bang ripped through the air, then two, four, ten. Explosions were going off and Zansk men were just falling to the ground. The Zaynite Republican Front had come, artillery and sniper at hand. The zansk men were surrounded. But the Zaynites didn't take any prisoners. That night, Four hundred Zansk Soldiers were executed by means of the neck being broken. Four Zansk soldiers were kept alive so they could load up the bodies in lorries and drive them to Zanski or Mhoudia, for that is the rule of victory in Gharrakmanism; Execute your prisoners so are in one piece, Do it with little pain, send the bodies to their home.
*SNIP*
*SNIP*
__________________________
Meanwhile, Mrahed
Mrahed had became a warground and the Zeneheyaiti chant a war chant, as the Zaynite people set about guarding their disputed borders, fighting off Karaz and other North Mhoudian Tribal Alliance (NMTA) soldiers, as well as a few hundred Mhoudian soldiers. The Zansk army attacked the region from the West, destroying farms and villages. The northern (Jayiri) border was quiet, as most of the southernmost village people were of Zaynite descent but held Zansk passports and were proud of both their Zansk and Zaynite heretige; the government was helpless.
As the Zaynites felt victory slipping away, the Zaynite Republican Front started to wire this message to its allies:
To the great nations of Veteka and Wagdog
We are a race. We have a distinct culture from Zanski or Mhoudia. We are an independant people. Independant peoples need a nation. We have no nation. Even as we see our race turning into nothing, we fight. The beautiful rolling hills that were bright green and were blessed with bright blue and orange flowers are now black and cursed with guns and littered with dead bodies and guns. This is a plea for help and independance. Please.
OOC: Securing Mass Genocide Evidence Post
Johnson was now hidden in a bush he moved his head from left to allow the Helmet Cam to get a real view of the base. It was only then that he noticed a Convoy was approaching from the road. He looked through his Rifles Scopes and identified a Convoy of 5. 1 Humvee, 4 Trucks and an APC. He spoke a whisper into his Headset:
"Phoenix Alpha inbound Enemy Convoy. You got the OBSAT Sat into position yet?"
"Yes its recording. I am going to try and inflitrate the base. You see what happens with the Convoy" replied Andrews
Andrews moved towards the bases perimeter fence. He quickly checked for CCTV and Motion Sensors and then cut through the Chain Link Fence. He was luckly no alarm sounds. However the Base Control Room may have a silent alarm. The Scout ran and hid between alot of boxes and a building he peered through a crack. It was quiet but he would wait to see if anything developed. Back outside the base Johnsons heart skipped a beat. The Trucks came to a halt and Enemy Troops appeared and took position to secure a perimeter. The Trucks opened and innocent Civilian People where pushed out to the floor the troops where paticuly rough. Johnson wanted to attack but he new he had to stay hidden. He made sure the Helmet Cam got the pictures of them of the innocents. It was only then that he had to really restrain himself as the Enemy Solilders lined for 4 women who looked very ill they shouted somthing Jonhson didn't here and then fired killing the Women. Johnson was shocked all he wanted to do was take them down but he resisted making sure the Helmet Cam got all the pictures. From their the crowd of now crying innocents where moved into the base where Andrews took over the filming with his Helmet Camera. He watched and filmed from his position as the Enemy began to sort the Crowd into 3 enclosed Pens. 1 held men between what Andrews thought was 18 to 60, the second women of the same age and the thrid children under 18, the old and the ill.
The Mechanized portion of the Infantry Divisions arrived 30km away from Wagdoggie forces according to the latest recoinnasance. The IFVs, assisted by the occasional Type 90 roamed the planned battleline to ensure the front was free of any enemies. Nearby civilians were rounded up by INSP and shipped away, with any Zaynites found being detained for interrogation. The trucks arrived soon after the front was secure.
*SNIP*
*SNIP*
Meanwhile....
The Karaz had been watching the Nickysllvnian troops for some time. they established a position that they would fire at the NN troops if they crossed it, so that they wouldn't cross into Karaz territory. They, since declaring war on the ethnic group, had fired 420 artillery shells and had destroyed the biggest and oldest place of worship on the island outside Zanski. The men donned turbans and shouted "Allahu Ackbar!" before either taking snipers from designated positions, taking control of an artillery or charging with a machine gun deep into the Mrahed Valley. As a taunt, the artillery started firing Zaynite and Aurum Doman body parts from the artilleries.
Vetakan International Embassy Complex, Theeb, 14:00:
It was a beautiful Vetakan Day. The Sun was out and shinning brightly beating down upon everything. The breeze was lovely blowing in across from the Ocean. Scarlet Rogers instead of campaigning for the Vetakan Election was actually taking care of her other duties as Secetary for Vetakan Foreign Affairs. Scarlet was a radient, Blue Eyed Blonde Beauty whom was about 5ft8 in height. She wore Smart Ladies Black Suit and Black Glasses to those whom newer she was one of the most successful women in Vetaka. She smiled like and angel at the gathered crowd of press and began:
"Ladies and Gentleman Welcome I have called you hear today to announce the findings of a Multi-National Investigation into Crimes of Genocide committed in the Zanski Crisis by the King. The Investigation was led by Vetaka on behalf of the United Federation of Allied Nations. The aim of which was to establish if Genocide Crimes had been committed and if so gather evidence to begin Legal Preceedings against those guilty of the crimes. To Present the evidence I hand you over to Lady Tóriel Wagdog Ambassador to Vetaka."
Scarlet moved away from the Podim to allow her Ladyship to begin.......
Lady Tóriel walked up to the podium, measured Eldar grace in each step, and spared no time in commencement. "I, Uthiria Tóriel Lathíriel nós Farlond, Deputy Party Secretary of the Wagdoggie Greenwood Coalition and appointed ambassador from my nation," she put a slight emphasis on that for the crowd's sake, "to the Dominion of Vetaka, thank you all for coming; honored guests of the Press and Diplomatic Corps from all nations that wish to hear us. We are moved by your consideration, and offer you our humblest thanks; only in regret that this could not happen in brighter days.
Of late, my government has discovered outrages being committed in Zanski that cannot be ignored; suborned by our current enemies the Imperial Empire of New Nicksyllvania both directly and indirectly. Criminal acts of deportation and murder that can only be described by one word: genocide, the foulest crime against the rights of peoples a nation can commit; fouler than even slavery itself. The man who would be King of Zanski, Kang Arma, has been more than reasonably implicated in setting these events in motion, and stands accused as both a tyrant and a murderer by his own deeds.
Since some among you may be skeptical about the veracity of an avowedly socialist nation making these claims against a monarchy, as you have a basic right to be at least before evidence is presented to you, let us make that evidence speak for itself. See now, the initial baleful sights photographed by our Marine fighter pilots; sent to reconnoiter Zanx territory in Mhoudia to pinpoint antiship missile batteries for possible targeting if any of our retreating Second and Third Fleets' vessels were sunk after King Arma so foolishly decided to attack us after we announced our withdrawal under Royalist-Allied duress. But not only did our pilots find missile batteries; nay, they also saw innocent Zaynites being deported into Zanski, 'King' Arma himself overseeing the project from his royal convoy nearby." Lady Tóriel played the evidenciary footage, both recon-camera and audio feed from Smoker and Sniffer Flights, including the SIGINT caught wails of the Zaynites in their death chant; aiming for maximum emotional impact as well as full-disclosure. King Arma's convoy was easily spotted with its royal crest on the vehicles at the edge of one still; miles away from the deportation sight and moving, but obviously in an elevated position from which the deportations could be surveyed if one were so inclined.
"As if this were not implicating enough, not least for us to charter the help of our Vetakan friends in making a stronger case against the Zanx Royalist regime; what our Vetakan-OBSAT-enhanced SIGINT capabilities have revealed due to recent processing of signals intercepted at the time, plus collation with visual feeds so obtained by said satellites, speaks volumes more still. Here we have it, King Arma himself ordering the slaughter of six-thousand Zaynite civilians being deported to death camps in Zanski on the spot instead by deportation convoy personnel; this being after we successfully destroyed in a massive cruise missile strike as many bridges being used for deportation as was possible without killing innocents. They couldn't kill them in Zanski, and so Arma's men decided to do a poorer-still work in Mhoudia by their own hands." The elven woman switched the presentation to these feeds now, making certain that King Arma's intercepted words made the required impression.
"All this time, the Zaynites have valiantly fought back under the aegis of the Zaynite Republican Front to cast down the tyrant destroying them; and in punishment, said tyrant has incited the seven Arab tribes of Northern Mhoudia to abet his campaign of genocide by reigniting the senseless ethnic feud between Mhoudian Arab, especially the leading Karaz tribe, and the Zaynites. Mrahed, the Zaynite capital, is now a war zone; and its people issued this plea to our nation and Vetaka that we secure their freedom, as we move to by force of arms since Zanski and his Nicksyllvanian cohorts leave us no choice." She read the Zaynite telegram aloud, leaving no doubt as to how desperate the situation was.
Lady Tóriel then played the Vetakan Scouts' footage. It is time to strike the decisive blow, she thought. "And this evidence, supplied by the OBSAT-linked helmet cameras of a Vetakan Scout team which discharged Vetaka's mission in support of this investigation, says everything. Behold! An infrastructure of murder as cold and ruthless as anything darkest Morgoth or his lackey in evil Sauron could devise! And in our Age, one that was supposed to sing of the glory of the Kings of Men unto the Breaking of the World! But instead of glory, Kang Arma's song sings of shame, such that the abolition of his noble office and the storage of its regalia in museums would be a mercy unto the Zanx Crown; mercy, that it might never again be so sullied by an individual who reveals himself to be so patently unfit for Royal Offices and the responsibilities to Divinity and the People thereof." She figured an emphasis on the fact that Wagdog's elves were not now, and never would be, socialists themselves was most appropriate. That way, charges of "communist propaganda" could be defanged preemptively or at least made less convincing.
"And to add insult to injury, the King's Mhoudian Arab allies have taken the body parts of their victims and fired them from artillery at the Zaynite held towns; after seeing fit to demolish Zaynah's largest shrine and lay waste to its fields and villages beside the Royalist army backing them. This of course takes scarce account of the role the Imperial Empire of Greater New Nicksyllvania has played in this disgusting spectacle; one which in the spirit of charity, we shall only characterize as an accessory role, since we only have evidence of them arresting Zaynite civilians and not actually killing them... yet."
"You may ask: Why? Why have we presented this ugly evidence on such a fine day? Why would King Arma do such horrible deeds, which surely even he knows would spell doom for his regime? The answers are simple: we present this data because we must; because all the people of Zanski, Zaynite and Mhoudian and Zanx besides, deserve a better ruler than the paranoid butcher who currently claims that title. His own father, former President Modi Arma who now heads the provisional Xanka Red Authority as Chairman, strikes us as far preferable considering the assurances he has given us regarding Zaynite and Mhoudian rights once this tragic war ends. And we present this evidence also, so that the world may be under no illusions as to what the Imperial Empire of New Nicksyllvania has decided to support. The facts speak for themselves, honored guests; I leave it to you to judge them. My deepest thanks and blessings to you all, and many welcomes now for what questions you may have." Lady Tóriel then braced for what she felt was positive to come. There are always doubters, even for the plainest of sights... Not a happy thought, but a true one all the same.