NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC Here (http://www.forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=530321).

Bomfy Memorial International Airport, Magna Casa, Aequatius Prime

Werner Floyd stood at the terminal as he watched the night crews run about to the few planes that waited on the tarmac, "So busy and useful, not like the worms that pollute the rest of the Republic," He scoffed at the images from the morning's newspaper on the autonomy granted to the Bedouins in the Western Desert. His solid black uniform, made of the same material of the Army's combats without the disruptive pattern, was clean and only contrasted by the black, white and red armband with the nation's bold Eagle coat of arms clutching an outlined scroll reading Sichernstaffel or "Security Force" as it were in its talons, the rank of Captain adorned his collar badges as he checked for the time on one of the terminal's digital displays, "Soon enough, all will be resolved for good," He mused to himself as he turned his attention to the cityline's glow in the night's horizon.

It was only a week ago that the old guard of the Sichernheitstaffel Party was replaced with the popular Sichernstaffel paramilitary front as the Republic's new, institutionalized gendarmerie corps, the administration feeling that the older movement had become too comfortable on their laurels to be of any use to the security of the nation and its citizenry. It was with great zeal that General Nicklas Hauser gave his speech before the National Senate and President Holden Reid and spoke of a "weak Aequatio" in the eyes of the world and a "collective loss of confidence" in the citizenry of the grand heritage of the nation and swayed favour to himself and his followers to become the new enforceers of the Aequatian Republic Security Service, taking on the most useful members and infrastructure of the old Sichernheitstaffel and terminating the rest, or "trimming the fat" as Hauser had been quoted by the newspapers.

Sichernstaffel Vanaheim Division Headquarters Offices, Vanaheim, Aequatius Secundus

Ernest Powell sat at his desk, overlooking the recruitment records and numbers from around the nation, Vanaheim still provided the organization with the greatest ratio of recruits, however, the rest of the nation fell in line with the new cause once it had been institutionalized by the government. Within a week new head offices and recruitment centres had been opened throughout the nation's largest cities, thanks to the funding of federal government, this also allowed for many of the "legacy" members of the group to be rewarded and rise to higher positions in the offices, Powell had become head of the Vanaheim Division's command staff, with a jump in rank from a lowly captain to a Lieutenant-Colonel and a new title of G-1, or personnel officer. It was his work that placed more of the Guardsmen boots on the sidewalks and barracks of the cities now not only in Northern Secundus, but now the entirety of Aequatio, and despite the group's original controversy for its petty "crimes" of punishing those who abused the system developed by Premier Bomfy for the Aequatians. A week before, Aequatians disrespected the SS Guardsmen as they proudly wore their uniforms in the streets, now the average citizen saluted these young men and even a few would shout the group's motto of "Rise up!" as they passed. "General Hauser has given the Republic exactly what it's needed for a long time, pride in its heritage and power," Powell thought as he returned to his work.

Sichernstaffel Group Hall 24 Grounds, Arrio, Aequatius Prime

Frederick Hofmann stood in formation with over five hundred others within his own cohort, each of them in their new uniforms and personal equipment sitting at the edge of their polished steel-capped, leather boots. Their hair cut to Army standards, they were a sea of zealots, all prepared to finalize their assimilation into the brotherhood that was the Sichernstaffel by reciting the creed, as it was presented by the older colonel on-stage through the loudspeakers.

I am a Sichernstaffel Guardsman
I will go where others fear to go
I will do what others cannot do
I will face the impossible, and triumph
...Always


I seek neither fame nor glory
I seek neither medals nor praise
I seek only the acknowledgement of my Brother Operators
For they alone can judge me,
And to be counted amongst them is my greatest Honour


I will never dishonour my Brothers,
Or the name of the Sichernstaffel Guards
I will never turn away from any challenge
I will face anything, and succeed
Nothing will stop me, save Death
And even this will be temporary
For my memory will spur my Brothers on


I will, at all times
Uphold the principles that guide us
Duty, Honour and Loyalty
The highest code of Morals, Principles and Ethics
I will never abandon my post
Or turn from my duty
No matter the consequences


I will always remember my Brothers
Who have made the Supreme Sacrifice
They will be with me at all times
In my thoughts and prayers
Their Deeds will not go unrecorded
And their Songs will not go unsung
Their memory will inspire me
...Constantly


For I know that wherever I am
Whatever the situation
I am always in my Brothers’ thoughts and prayers
And if ever my need is near me
I know that my Brother Guardsmen will always come to my aid
Swiftly, regardless of danger or risk
To stand by my side and help me


And knowing this gives me strength
To face anything, anywhere, at any time
...Resolutely
With Courage and Determination


For I am proud to say
That I stand, counted amongst those few
Those brave and elite few
Silent and unseen, but ever-present


Those who can truly say
“We fear naught but God”


For I am a Sichernstaffel Guardsman.

The creed was finished with a collective shout of "Rise up!" from the formation as the colonel began his speech, welcoming the new guardsmen into the brotherhood and complimenting them on their strength of character and their courage to stand for the Republic's future over their own selfishness and to protect it against the same selfishness of those who would seek to gain from the blood and sweat from others.

Stas Fyodrovich Pinegin sat in the excessively comfortable chair of the first class section of the long haul airliner. He, along with a platoon's worth of RISS operators and agents, talked quietly amongst themselves, and like them he had his suit jacket off to protect it from any unintentional creases or wrinkles. Like them, he also felt his stomach lurch upwards as the aircraft began its descent to the runways of Bomfy Memorial International.

Fifteen minutes later the aircraft was on the ground and all of the personnel of the Russkyan Internal Security Service "Advisory Group" were gathered quietly in the terminal. They consisted of personnel from Counterintelligence Directorate Primary, Domestic Intelligence Directorate, Foreign Intelligence Directorate, as well as two men each from Operational Groups One and Two.

Every man wore a three piece suit consisting of shirt, jacket, and trousers. Their shoes were uniformly polished to a high mirror sheen that would pass the inspection of all but the most anal-retentive of Regimental Sergeant Majors, the suits themselves being carefully tailored and fitting in a way that could be used as the description of the word "Perfectly."
Aware of what they were looking for, Pinegin watched the black-clad figure of Captain Floyd - though he didn't know the officer's name yet - approach. A hand cased in form fitting black leather came up from his left side to adjust the placement of the knot in his deep red necktie, contrasting sharply against the crisp white of his collared shirt and the night-black of his suit jacket and trousers. He stepped forward to intercept the Sichernstaffel officer with a polite greeting.

The captain had witnessed the landing and had started towards the gate where the Russkyan personnel would be exiting their aircraft. The sound of his boots echoed against the walls of the empty terminal as he walked to accept the greeting of the yet unknown Pinegin, his black beret remained fixed on his clean-cut hair as he spoke, "Greetings, gentlemen," He started, pausing for only a short breath, "I hope your flight was well, I am Captain Werner Floyd of the Capital Liaison Corps of the Aequatian Sichernstaffel, I am honoured to welcome more of our Russkyan comrades to our great Republic."

"The pleasure is ours, Captain Floyd. I am Stas Fyodrovich Pinegin, Russkyan Internal Security Service. The gentlemen accompanying me constitute the greater part of the Advisory Group you requested earlier. A pleasant night for work, I should think, and would you be so kind as to direct us to where we may be most usefully employed?"

A number of RISS operators recovered locked hard-shell baggage from the conveyers in the terminal while a fewer number carried secured briefcases. They then waited to be directed to transport.

"It is," Floyd replied as to the summer warmth, "We will have your luggage and personal effects sent to your suites immediately while we proceed to the Observation Studies and Doctrine Offices downtown to meet with the personnel then to evaluate whether or not we have a 'problem' on the Republic's, and the Sichernstaffel's, hands which needs to be properly resolved, along with speaking to our most vigourous leader, General Hauser himself about the proper resolution. If you'll follow me, please," The captain said as he walked through the terminal and down to the main lobby, where some of the finest installation art in the Republic outside the National Gallery resided, massive statues casting their shadows along the floors and walls of the lobby, including the large Spirit of Aequatio monument crafted after an eagle standing almost thirty metres in blackened steel while the Russkyans were led to the waiting black luxury carriage cars at the sidewalk, their luggage loaded into a pair of sport utility vehicles to be taken to the hotel, all leaving the terminal once all were embarked.

The vehicles moved through the streets, many of the corners were patrolled by not only the green uniforms of the StaatzPolizei, but worked alongside those same black uniforms of the Sichernstaffel Guardsmen, albeit with the guardsmen much more heavily armed than the patrol officers. The thirty minute commute ended with the entry into the secure parking garage of the OSDOC Offices as the guardsman at the gate saluted Floyd as he presented his identification card to let them pass, after which Pinegin and his staff were provided with pass badges and briefed as they were brought to the evaluations floor of the building, where the analysis of the collected intelligence from around the Republic was performed. It would be here that Pinegin would help the personnel officially declare whether or not there was a problem and present this to General Hauser, who would then initiate a resolution once he had convinced the National Senate and President Reid that it could be done.

A number of criminal cases from the library of the San Allimos supreme court, the judicial archive centre for cases handled within Western Desert region, were presented along with their outcomes, cases of assault of daughters at the hands of their fathers because they had become "impure" for succumbing to the biological urges of young women, the murder of women as punishment for sexual intercourse, murders of all of those who had lost their faith in Islam, cases of children sold as labourers and several other cases in which the perpetrators were all acquitted by announcing they were performing these under the jurisprudence of Sharia and the application of their own courts and punishments. Each one presented to Pinegin and his staff for their personal evaluation.

Initial impressions were that problems seemed to be roughly analogous to those of the United Kingdom, and several of the RISS operators and agents said as much immediately. Nothing these men did however was unprofessional or half-assed, and a rough estimate placed them at a full month of intensive research and analysis before a final conclusion could be reached. This conclusion however, would apply to all of Aequatio, cover not just the Muslims but also other religious groups and cults, and recommended actions based on historical Russkyan experiences.

Intelligence dossiers were prepared on each locale and organization in question. These were constantly updated as new information was gained and analyzed. It was the understanding of the RISS Advisory Group that the SS was conducting paraell actions over these long weeks, with the Russkyans sticking primarily to the shadows. Listening to diatribes in Arabic and Pashtun as well as other such languages, watching actions conducted by those under surveillance, and conducting surveys of the populace using a charitable organization as a front, a detailed picture was prepared for presentation to General Hauser.

Throughout the analysis and evaluation of the old cases, intelligence gathering and present actions of the Sichernstaffel, Pinegin and his compatriots spent most of their hours within the OSDOC offices, their off-time was occupied by sleep and the odd outing in the capital's downtown core, Floyd accompanied them, spending his time with Pinegin as he explained how the foundation for the current problems grew from the failure of the government's stance in its victory at Olympus in the Separatist Conflict. It was at one of the desks in the late evening, cups of hours-old coffee sitting about, when the captain laid out the history of the conflict.

"Olympus was a haven for those worms, deep in the Western Desert it grew from a simple transit outpost between San Allimos and Aurunca to this disgusting hovel for over five hundred thousand of them. It was only with so many of them making up the population that their most powerful speakers and leaders were able to wrest control from our people and start to punish real Aequatians for simply living within their own nation," Started Floyd as he removed his beret and set it on the table, "It was not too much longer after they took control that their militias and fronts started to challenge the local authorities and even elements of the 14th Armoured Division stationed nearby, which is why they were redeployed outside San Allimos after the conflict, but it was the attack on reservists that started it, twelve citizen soldiers killed because they wore the uniform to protect the nation, fucking worms."

They were interrupted by a young aide, the rank of candidate on his collar and looking no older than sixteen years, as he set a stack of folders on the desk, "Hail, Brother Captain, all is well?" He said as he saluted Floyd.

"Hail, Brother Candidate, all is well," He replied, "Although some coffee would be greatly appreciated."

"Right away, Brother Captain," The young man saluted and exited the room only to return a few minutes later with two cups of the brewed beverage and the usual compliment of sugar, cremes and milk, "Here you are, Brother Captain, Rise up," He said saluted once more and exited as Floyd returned the gesture.

"See, we are all equal as Aequatians, our only differences are ranks which command respect as much as actions," Said the captain as he fixed his drink and took a drink before starting again, "The conflict went well at first, defeating the stand-up militias within ninety six hours, it was the garrison and security duties afterwards that were costly and embarrassing, one of the world's finest armies unable to defeat these worms until a compromise was agreed to after the Air Force carpet bombed Olympus and the filthy bastards were left to rule their fiefdom in the sand. It was after that in which religion became more empowered throughout the rest of the nation, including the Scientologists throughout Prime, the Jewish pigs on Neo Aequatius and even the Morman fundamentalist sect anti-government group over in Vanaheim, which was quickly quashed by General Hauser's own efforts along with the first guardsmen in both the streets and surrounding area and allowed the president and senate to see what we could do for the rest of the country. We reclaimed Vanaheim by rising against the chaos caused by the freedom of religion, hence our motto of 'Rise up' you hear, we rose for order and the nation, now we can truly make Aequatio strong."

Pinegin listened intently, while one of his men walked around in shirtsleeves collecting those hours-old cups of coffee and tidying the workspace with the aide of two others.

"This would match with what I have seen so far. In my nation's history, there have been a number of religious insurrections and the like, almost all of them taking place due to a radicalized segment of the population feeling subjugated by the greater "majoritarian" portion. They were quickly quashed. People do not nessecarily want freedom - they want contentment, comrade."

A pause, during which Pinegin swirled the remnants of his coffee in its ceramic mug.

"Removal of some freedoms, from what I have seen, would increase the contentment of your population. It seems that much of the majoritarian seems threatened by the minority, who seek to control through "political correctness." This is what happened in the United Kingdom. Though less severe, if given more time, it could happen here."

The expression on Floyd's face displayed his shock and realization as he spoke, "Could we really see those groups starting to lash out from within their 'blue zones' against the rest of us?" He asked almost nervously, "My god, is the problem really that prevalent? It had always been considered enough by the government to simply set them to their own zones of control and that they would no longer interfere with the internal workings of the remainder of the nation."

Brixton Street, Entertainment Sector Alpha, Arrio, Aequatius Prime

Hofmann, who now held the rank of Guardsmen displayed on his collar insignia, walked along the wide sidewalk bathed in the street's businesses' glow alongside his patrol partner, Corporal Karl Schaefer, a young man only two years his elder at twenty-one. They talked of the latest additions to the party, including new Jaguar helicopters purchased like those already in service with the Army, the laws being put before the National Senate and as most young men do, the fairer sex. They traded photographs of their respective mates, the older corporal complimenting Hofmann on his partner's voluptuous body shape, "She will provide you with beautiful children, Brother, hold onto her."

"I definately plan on it, Corporal," He replied as they continued to walk, the standard issue P9A2 9x20mm handgun in their holsters hanging off their tactical belts along with the telescopic steel batons, personal radio sets and a number of other equipment used for their patrols. Their quiet evening, however, was interrupted as a teen-aged girl, holding up the material of her torn halterneck shirt, rushed from around the corner, tears running down her face as she tripped up on her shoes and fell to her knees before the Guardsmen, Frederick stepped forward quickly and knelt at her side, "What's the matter, ma'am?"

She choked back the tears as she strained to speak through breaths, "My boyfriend... Tony, we were just coming out from a movie when a gang of black kids came out from an alley and pulled us inside," She covered her arm where it had been scrapped against the pavement in the fall, "One of them grabbed at my outfit and it tore, Tony moved to help me and they just jumped him," She said crying.

Hofmann looked up at Schaefer, who had already called for an ambulance and police support, as he stopped a passerby and asked him to look over the young woman as the corporal nodded and pulled Frederick to his feet, "Let's go," He said as he turned to the girl and simply asked, "Where?"

She pointed around the corner and both of the black clad officers rushed down the street and reached the alleyway's entrance as they witnessed the group of four standing over a bloody and beaten young man. The four gang members turned to the arriving guardsmen, all dressed as if they had stepped out of a hip hop music video from television, they presented themselves as the obvious leader spoke in slurred speech, "What d'you motherfuckers want?"

"You're under arrest, you fucking worms," Shouted Hofmann as he drew his baton and let it extend with a loud 'click' as it locked in place, now a good fifty centimetres long in his hand.

Corporal Schaefer drew his own baton, but left it collapsed as he spoke, "You're all under arrest for what you've done to that young man," He paused as the leader stepped forward towards them, "You can surrender like peaceful and civil men or we can do this in a difficult fashion," He explained in a calm, professional tone.

"Fuck you, yo creampie-faced faggot!" Yelled one of the gang members as he threw a bottle of cheap malt liquor covered with a brown paper bag as Schaefer extended his baton and smashed it from the air as the leader rushed forward at the corporal to attack him, Schaefer examining the man's movements as his boots slid against the ground as he moved slightly to the side, leaving one leg in place, in an efficient manner as he then grabbed the gang leader once he came into reach and tripped him over the stationary leg, bringing him down hard against the pavement, the man's ribcage cracked loudly as the corporal brought his kevlar-kneepad down against his chest, the leader coughing blood from his lips an instant later.

The other three, leaving their victim on the ground, ran towards the guardsmen as Hofmann readied his baton and prepared his own defensive stance as he brought the steel-ball on the end against the cheekbone of one gang member, followed by the bottom of his boot against the inside of another's kneecap, dropping both of them to the ground, groaning in pain as the third tackled the younger guardsman and drew a knife as he tried to push it through the kevlar body armour vest. Hofmann tried to push the gang member off but was unable to fight against the gravity as they both fell back, his blood ran cold through him as he was returned to reality by the crack of a gunshot, Hofmann's back striking the ground as the other man slumped on top of him, blood oozing from between his lips and the fresh wound in the side of his neck, staining his oversized sports jersey and gold necklace.

The guardsman looked over at Corporal Schaefer, his P9A2 pistol smoking as he stood next to the now flex-cuffed gang leader, as he walked over and helped the young Hofmann up from under the corpse, "Sorry about that, I was trying to aim for his chest... oh well, this scum won't be missed."

They applied the flex-cuffs to the other two still nursing their injuries from the confrontation as an older male, uniformed StaatzPolizei officer approached them, a surprising smiled across his face as he patted them on the shoulders, "Good work, boys, we'll get a copy of your report from your office later on, we'll take care of things here."

Hofmann and Schaefer could help but grin themselves, despite what had occurred, ever the caring soul, Hofmann asked, "How is the girl?"

"She's fine, in the ambulance with her boyfriend now," The officer said, motioning to the white vehicle, "That other young man wouldn't have survived if it weren't for you two heroes."

"Were not heroes, sir," Said Schaefer as he fixed his tactical belt, "We're just doing what's right, what should be done."

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http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/5765/acnlogoho3.png

Guardsmen Save Young Couple from Gang, One Killed.

http://www.gogomag.com/rm2/x_robinmeade2.jpg
ACN News Arrio Local Chelsea Meaford.

Arrio, Aequatius Prime - In an excellent example of the new model Aequatian citizen, two Sichernstaffel Guardsmen stood up for the order in which their organization promises in defending a teen-aged couple from an attack by a local gang of hooligans. Leaving one of their own members dead and three others injured.

The names of the two officers are being withheld along with their images as per operations security procedures, but they responded to the attack when they were approached by a frantic Melanie Berger, 17, that she and her boyfreind, Anthony Clairmont, 18, had been attacked by a gang of four African-Aequatians after exiting a movie theatre. The two guardsmen responded immediately and offered the gang a chance for a peaceful surrender before coming under attack themselves. After a short confrontation, when one guardsman discharged his weapon and killed a gang member, Terrell Brown, 16, after he attempted to use a knife against his partner.

Although there have been protests from the African-Aequatian community in Arrio, including a demonstration outside the alleyway where the incident took place, the StaatzPolizei headquarters have stated that no charges are being laid on the guardsman who fired his weapon, citing that it was a simple case of self-defence of a peace officer.

Bomfy Memorial Platz, Vanaheim, Aequatius Secundus

Powell sat on one of the several benches in the massive square in the center of the city, he took a bite of his sandwich as he looked out over its space, remembering his time here during the clashes with the Morman's 'God's Chosen Flock' movement as the party took back the city from them clutches and returned pride to the city's population in being Aequatian and not mere lambs for the cultural slaughter at the hands of mindless religious dogma. He considered the work done outside of the view of the public, the lobbying for the changing in the citystate's laws, lifting protection of religious sites and returning them to the status of normal property, which also allowed for the pencil-pushers to buy them up and demolish them once they were unable to maintain their leases at the single Marke per month rate and forced to pay normal rates.

The Sichernstaffel had done much more in addition to driving the Mormans from Vanaheim to improve the city, including several public programs and youth-oriented activities, allowing for the founding of the successful Jugendstaffel and replacing the archaic YW/MCA foundations already in place, also taking over the old infrastructure after the new properly laws and rates changed for that organization as well. "Clearing the deadwood," Powell had once heard General Hauser say at one of the pub meetings, explaining to all who would lend their ears that these groups had done nothing more than simply become old and tired, doing little for the country but drag it down and degrade the population's spirit.

He took a drink from the straw in his soda's blue-coloured aluminum can as he crumbled the sandwich's paper covering and tossed it away into the wastebasket as he rose and started back to his office, taking a last look at the square, populated by couples, school trips and the usual pair of SP officers or guardsmen, smiling, he replaced the beret on his head and walked off towards the street.

Pinegin quietly considered Floyd's questions, shifting so slightly in his chair as to be barely noticable, feeling the comfortable weight of his combat handgun in its holster on his right side.

"Historically, our - Russkyan - experience has been that these safe areas only serve as a staging point. While admirable in their concept, autonomously governed zones tend to prevent integration of those living within them, who are generally of a single ethnicity. We find that members of that group that do not wish to become radicalized, leave the autonomous zone, meaning that in practice they become hotbeds of extremist activity, sometimes even hosting full training facilities for... irregular fighters, terrorists, and the like.
It is not a given that these areas become radicalized, but it is very common, especially in Islamic-centric zones such as these we have studied in the Western Desert."

Another pause to array his thoughts before he continued. He was not as elegant a speaker as other members of RISS and was well aware that his deployment to Aequatio as the head of the Advisory Group was due to his other talents and capabilities.
"With regards to lashing out from these so-called "Blue Zones," we can expect to see attempts to guilt-trip the population. Were they more susceptible to "political correctness" we could see what we see in nations such as the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and the like, in which the minority segments have unreasonable power over the majoritarian segments, as if by definition the majoritarians are subjugating the minority, although this is decidedly not the case. In almost every instance where this has been attempted, it has been attempted by Muslims to implement Sharia law, or by Gypsies to increase their ability to conduct illegal operations, or by other groups for similiar aims not condusive to the well-being of the majoritarian culture.

Given the unresolved ending of the Seperatist Conflict however, I believe it possible that we will see actual violence conducted first by extremists, followed immediately by a rapid radicalization of the ethnic or religious groups from which these extremists are derived, again immediately followed by a rise in the number of violent extremists and other subversives in the demographics in question."

The captain almost seemed worried, "The zones after the conflict were never monitored, part of the peace agreement afterwards, you understand," He took a drink from his cup and set it down again, "For all we know, the old guard and the military could have left them to build these facilities and the same militias we defeated then could be more powerful now than before. Come to think of it," He said as he searched through a small pile of files before producing a single booklet held together with a staple, "There was a considerable exodus from the areas within their 'blue zone' of political centrists and Muslum moderates to both San Allimos and Aurunca in the years following the end of the conflict," He said as he handed the number sheet to Pinegin.

One of the analysts, a Senior Guardsman, overhearing the discussion, took a seat at the table, "Other than that, but the surrounding area of real Aequatians started to leave as well, especially after the 14th Armoured was moved out of the old Olympus basin to its base outside San Allimos."

"The 'blue zones' do not receive a vote in the National Senate, as they were given a status different than protectorates or territories," Explained Floyd, "Although there has been quite a bit of lobbying from both governor houses in San Allimos and Aurunca to give them the power and allow 'blue' Senators into the capital."

"There's been reports of bedouin caravans in the desert attacking civilians along the massive causeway between the two cities," Said the analyst looking up from his work, "It's been rumoured that they're doing this to push the local governments to support them in their goals, but attacks are very few in number, I think the editorials on television mentioned that it's more fear of attacks and stories from victims that have spurred this sudden support."

Captain Floyd looked at the Senior Guardsman before turning back to Pinegin, "It would seem that the violence you mentioned has already started on a small scale, no? We can only hope that your group's report is enough to convince the National Senate and the citizenry of the problems that lay before us and the consequences of merely remaining complacent to what is happening to our Republic."

OOC: As Russkya is currently unavailable at the moment to continue writing, I'll be taking the liberty in continuing the plot.

It would be another three weeks of analysis and study of the collected information on the culture and society within the Western Desert's "Blue Zones" by Pinegin and the RISS Advisory Group before they completed and presented their report and its findings to the Sichernstaffel leadership, including General Hauser, who would then enter into discussions as to how it would be presented to President Reid, the National Senate and the Aequatian citizenry in general. The conclusions did not bode well for the powerful Muslim groups which ruled over these zones as de facto emirs, their religious Imams aiding in their strict control over the less-fortunate populace, motivating them to support the leadership within the power vacuum left by the rash withdrawal of the Republic's federal government in the aftermath of the Separatist Conflict. However, it would not be the Advisory Group's report which would be presented to the public, it would now fall upon the members of the newly-formed Sicherndienst intelligence service agency to create the proper justification for the necessary actions to be taken in order to strengthen the nation's power base.

The Sichernstaffel had also been growing thanks the lobbying done by the political movement in order to have funding approved along with a standardized budget for the group as they prepared for the next stage in the force's development. Better equipment such as MP45 submachineguns for patrolling guardsmen on the city streets and new "Kitsune" armoured cars to replace the myriad of civilian models already in service. Within those three weeks the force had become something of a singular movement within Aequatio and was working well with authorities in gaining not only their confidence in their capabilities, but the confidence of the general population as the numbers in violent crimes were significantly reduced in areas now under the jurisdiction of the Sichernstaffel Security Force Battalions. Guardsman Hofmann would see these changes firsthand as he was issued with his new MP45 machinepistol and P5 sidearm, chosen for its ammunition commonality between them both and for their effectiveness against both armoured and unarmoured targets. Although, along with the new equipment came a massive retraining regimen as they trained constantly with not only their new weapons, but in special tactics such as Military Operations in Urban Terrain with the Aequatian Republic Army Special Forces, while others received training in interrogation and intelligence extraction from captured individuals along with the new special purpose units such as the new Psychological Operations and Public Relations Corps.

It would be the day after both the President's office and those of the capital's senators received the Sicherndienst report titled: "The Muslim Problem: Threats Facing the Republic" that would be most remembered as it was authorized for release to the general public along with the address given by General Hauser following the nation-wide protests and rallies, demanding for answers to such a growing problem not being sovled in the usual Aequatian efficiency. Across the nation's television screens and on live-streaming video on computer monitors, the black outline of Hauser appeared, his face obscured as the shine of his glasses frames would be the only element of his face to be seen through the shadows as he spoke.

"My brothers and sisters of the Republic, I come before you now, in the wake of the Sicherndienst report concerning the Muslim Problem and wish to inform you of why this problem was even allowed to exist, let alone come to the point it has already.

The responsibility and duty of political leaders to safeguard its nation's citizens should be at the forefront of their minds in decision-making at all times, however, it is the failure of those who were in power during the Separatist Conflict who have led us here to the problem before us today! Former President Kurt Moltke, little more than a child trying to keep his blocks in order, not only sacrificed hundreds of our Army's brave soldiers, our men and women of strength, in failed attempts to maintain authority over the disgusting swarms that are the Muslim worms of the Western Desert, but he undermined his own authority when he signed the ceasefire treaty, giving these worms special treatment and privileges which laid the foundation for the growing threat that awaits us in those desert sands.

Since the end of the Separatist Conflict, they have consolidated their position, growing in strength as he merely ignore the problem, the "good" doctor Moltke sitting out his last days in the Ebon Tor, fully aware of his choices and cherishing his time before his demise while all the time ignoring the threat that has been preying on real Aequatians since the creation of his precious "Blue zones" in which those worms received treatment which has to this very day placed those emirs above our very laws, above the very consitution in which each Aequatian is bound to submit to and defend with his or her every ounce of strength. The threat is not only physical, in which they harmed our people, but also social, in which they have trampled upon our very ideals and beliefs, insulting us by taking advantage of our "voluntary" surrender of will to remember that our nation stands for equality for all, not for those who are bound to their duties.

I mention that it was the "voluntary" surrender, as the citizenry is as much to blame as accomplices for the very problem before us and stand guilty in the same degree as Kurt Moltke, although, gratefully, it is only in this manner in which we share characteristics with that particular worm. Only now can the citizenry redeem itself, unlike the now deceased Moltke, by supporting their government in its coming decisions to rescind the wrongful decisions made by that fool and either force the assimilation of those who wish to be part of our great Republic, or resolve the problem in the quickest possible manner.

Rise up! My brothers and sisters, for now we cut out the deadwood. We will clean up the city streets. Put on a black shirt and silver shield and join your brothers to weed out the weaklings, to smash in their windows and kick in their doors. For the final resolution to strengthen the strain and destroy the worms."

It would be those final words that would for the first time since the Founding that the Aequatian Citizenry would take to the streets in the dark of night, just as they had against the tyranny of Dictator Demonte, armed with the sheer will and the common idea to combat the very enemy of their collective lives. News images were broadcast throughout the world as Aequatians of Anglo-Saxon blood, the discriminated majority in their own nation at the hands of their own complacency and the corruption of their own systems by the minorities, started to take back their stolen power as the black-uniformed Sichernstaffel Guardsmen helped in directing the mob against the Muslim minority living throughout Aequatius Prime, all originating from the Western Desert. Overnight, small businesses and residential homes of the minorities had their doors kicked in by angry citizens and Guardsmen, all under the watchful eyes of StaatzPolizei, as the houses and possessions were burned before the people. Males of serving age were volently beaten and then dragged with their families to waiting trucks, under the armed supervision of SS Guardsmen, as they were taken away to the waiting concentration camps located within the hostile environment of either the Attican Mountains or the tundra outside Domus.

The rampage lasted for several days, fueled by the repressed frustration for their own subjection at the will of the nation's minority, before it was ordered to cease by the Department of Interior, although it would not halt until the office of General Hauser and the Sichernstaffel headquarters requested that the resolution be undertaken by them, which would then allow the citizenry to feel at ease that the job would be completed without haste. They would be presented with an increased budget and official mandate passed in an emergency session of the National Senate a week after the "Feuernacht" or "Night of the Fires" as it was named by the national media in the aftermath. It would never be known how many were killed in those nights, however, it was known that from that point on, the nation's eyes would rest on the last bastion of the Muslim nation within Aequatio's Western Desert, the hive city of Mekka.

Entering the OSDOC offices Pinegin found himself face to face with Guryanko, who was still looking distressed as he had been since the first night of the Feuernacht. A professional through and through, Pinegin had no worries about Guryanko's ability to perform his duties, though the advent of these concentration camps had visibly worried the operator.

Pinegin knew why, from the man's biography in his personnel file. He had been raised primarily by his grandfather, as his father had been killed early on the Southern Border. His grandfather had fought in the Great Patriotic War and when wounded in 1943 - the file referenced light physical wounds and a moderate concussion - had been taken prisoner. Somehow surviving Nazi captivity until his miraculous escape in mid 1944, "Dedka" had been scarred by his time in the camps. Fighting with a Polish Home Army unit that was later obliterated during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, he found himself one morning behind Soviet lines. The tattered remains of his Army uniform were recognized by a Soviet patrol and the man rejoined the Red Army as part of the unit that had found him. Shortly thereafter, "Dedka" Guryanko saved the life of the unit commissar, preventing him from being handed to SMERSh or NKVD units for "debriefing," which was known to the Frontovikii to be too often a one-way trip.
Upon war's end in 1945, Guryanko's grandfather left the USSR and headed to Russkya before the "Little Terror" that lasted until Stalin's death. There he married and raised a family. He taught his grandson - the Guryanko in question - how to shoot and move unseen and silently, correctly assuming that these skills would serve any Russkyan man in good stead later in life. Unlike other survivors and soldiers, Guryanko's grandfather had no problems telling him of his experiences.

And now, quite obviously to those who knew Guryanko but not for those who had little experience with the man's visual "tells," he was rattled by the thought that he may be partially responsible for subjecting others to the horrors that his grandfather had endured. Pinegin simply clapped the man on the shoulder with an open palm, that characteristic Russkyan gesture.
"You're not responsible for how they use the information we provided them. It was representative only of reality."

Guryanko nodded in agreement - he had headed the team of four that ensured that no possible political or racial bias had tainted the information the Russkyans had passed on to the Aequatians. "I'm hoping the next assignment involves working with my hands more, Stas Fyodrovich. Do we have any liason teams on the streets? I've been too busy to keep track of something like that myself. I'd like to volunteer for one of those, if I may."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Pinegin replied, gesturing for the three men still in the OSDOC offices to come along, "but first, let's find a quality resturant for supper. Khalychuk, call Captain Floyd and see if he's available. We can discuss the liason or 'observation' arrangement over our meal."