NationStates Jolt Archive

Royal Army Headquarters, Takenstad
Royal General Mikhail Takenski sat quietly at his table, reading upon this week's report. Survelliance showed that the People's Army were pushing back the leading divisions of the Black Army. This is good., he thought to himself. That should put less strain on us in the Eastern Front., he shuffled papers around the table before finding what he desired, the casualty report. He read the report quickly, 200 casualties in the Northern Front, and another 550 casualties in the Eastern Front. He sat quietly staring at the statistics for a few more seconds before a general came bursting through the door, "Commandant, the satellite photos have just came in", spoke Grand General Travis Grastiv. He came running towards the table where the wearied leader sat and placed the photos in front of him, grabbing a chair at the same time. "It seems like Vlad is having his hands full his PA forces. They have already taken substantial losses near the Ponte River and seem to be pulling back their two advancing divisions for more defensive positions along the mountains." Takenski sat nodding his head, he took a photo and brought it close to his eyes, "General, I want you to detach an artillery brigade from one of your divisions and deploy them at the Eastern Front. Black Army divisions building up the last few weeks and I believe that they will begin another offensive on us." General Grastiv grabbed several other photos on the table and scanned them closely, "Yes, it seems like they're building up for something. I have an artillery brigade that's on leave, 155s, and 203s. They should do the job." The General paused a minute, hesitanting before speaking, "Commandant, they have us outnumbered 2 to 1 in number of divisions and in some areas we don't have the terrain to benefit us. Shall I send an extra division to reinforce the front?" Takenski thought for a moment before speaking, General Grastiv, you out of all of my subordinates should know that at times having the numbers and terrain on your side aren't all that matter. If we send a division to reinforce the front, that is one less division that could be used in the Northern Front incase the People's Army launches a full scale offensive. I will permit you to have General Jarvin's 15th Division on yellow alert, but activation for any division on any front is still my decision." Old General Grastiv nodded, and continued to scan the photographs.

People's Army Headquarters, Kleintropolis
Commander Eric Von Gaffin watched amusingly as his numerous generals bickered over the most miniscule issues. His counter-attack on Black Army Divisions have been a complete success yet they continue to complain. He slammed his hand on the thick oak table to gain their attention, "Gentlemen, our counter-attacks on Black Army units have been a complete success, yet all of you bicker over the most useless issues. Casualties are a part of war, men die, men are crippled, it's a fact of life. If we are to achieve our goal we must be willing to make sacrafices." At this moment one of the generals stood up to speak, "Eric, nearly an entire division of veteran soldiers were decimated in our counter-attack against BA Forces, around 35,000 casualties. Another 20,000 casualties were suffered in various skirmishes along the Southern and Eastern Front. At the moment we have no such logistical capability to transport and care for the injured. Supplies are also running short. Morale is low" Von Gaffin nodded as the general finished, "I will see to it that reserve divisions are assigned to care for the injured, and I will be purchasing further medical supplies. As for supplies the factories in the north and the farms in the west are churning out a plethora of weapons, ammunition and foods. Transporting them takes time and new shipments should be arriving at any moment. As for the casualties they are regretably large, but do not forget that we wield the largest army in the nation, some 25 million men. An army comprised of the people who seek to end the tyranny that has long oppressed them. Morale is low due to the severe fighting, the fronts will quiet down and the morale will increase, this I am sure." The generals all nodded in unison. One of the older generals stood up to speak next, "Commander Von Gaffin, My units in the Southern Front have been aching to smash the Royal Army. From what my scouts and spies have told me their army numbers at around 800,000, including logistical personnel. My army of 1.1 million alone outnumbers them dramatically. With your permission I wish to begin a new offensive to eradicate them." He sat down and awaited a response.

Commander Von Gaffin sat pondering the question before standing to answer."The Royal Army has always been the smallest of all the factions. But from personal experiences and all written accounts their training is vastly superior to any of our units or that of the any BA unit. In one of the earliest battles of this great war, around twelve years ago, I personally lead a 4 million man offensive against the strongest point in the RA line, some 300,000 men at the time. My men were mutilated, after twelve days a million men lay dead or wounded. Ammunition was running low and our supplies were thinning. In a foolish attempt to finally break the line I ordered an all out attack. When we were but a mere two hundred yards away from their front line two armoured divisions appeared at our flanks. We were completely overrun and routed. I believe three million men were killed, wounded and captured. The rest of us limped back to headquarters. The Black Army Offensive against the RA's Eastern Front also resulted in a catastrophic defeat for the BA, I believe some 120,000 were casualties, a horrific number to be lost for the Black Army, given their some 2 million man army... So that is a resounding no comrade general."

Black Army Headquarters, Klostoy
Supreme General Vladimir Korovin ripped the latest report on the front and threw it on the ground. The twenty high ranking generals sat quietly in the room but obviously nervous. Korovin took his sat at the head of the oval table and spoke,"After weeks of preparation and planning our offensive against the People's Army has been soundly defeated and 12,000 casualties have been suffered. Our goal of capturing the strageic city of Gladsburg was not met." He sat, obviously angry. After several tense minutes he began speaking again, "It's instances like this when I consider killing all of you and taking complete control of the Black Army, after all I was the one who took all the risks, I was the one who killed the Emperor, I was the one who started this entire organization. All of you merely jumped on the ride in hopes of gaining political power or wealth in the new government. You are all useless." He stopped and sat quietly again before continuing to speak, "But that wouldn't be sensible of me. After all we all have worked hard towards obtaining our goal, and bumps along the road are going to happen... Misha, what report do you have on our building along the Western Front against the RA?" A young general stood up, obviously nervous, "General, well, everything is moving smoothly we have 15 divisions stationed and another ten should be arriving within the week. Armour and artillery brigades should take another week to move." Korovin nodded, "Misha I also want you to know that I am giving you access to eight of our twenty attack helicopters to assist in your offensive. I have also already ordered five more divisions to be assigned within the month to be used as reserves... Comrades, this offensive is of the most dire importance to our success. I cannot describe to you how important it is that we smash their Eastern Divisions and Fortifications. Once these defenses have been penetrated our motorized divisions can advanced untouched to the Royal Army capital. Once the RA is finally defeated we can finally turn our full might towards nuisances such as The People's Army. Once our nation is finally reunited we can begin the live the high life that we all have dreamed to live. Meeting adjourned."

Staff Sergeant Hermik Glenn had spent most of his adult life fighting in this Civil War. You could tell just by looking at him that this man has seen the worse in war. He has lost two fingers on his left hand, a scar running down his face, dirty matted hair, and dirty hands always covered with soil. This is what a Royal Army soldier is. Always injured, always outnumbered but still always prepared to fight. His platoon had been stationed in the Eastern Front for four months but has recently been redeployed to the Northern Front. A much more quiet front with less action. That's what he needed the most, some rest. The Eastern Front was by far the most chaotic and deadly front in all of the theaters. Black Army Forces continuely attempt to break the defensive line with artillery bombardments and calculated offensives. Almost always they suffer heavy casualties and are beaten back.

Upon entering their new camp SSG Glenn is informed that his platoon will accompany the rest of the company on a patrol through PA territory to assess enemy strength in the area. Glenn informed his soldiers and began preparing himself for combat, cleaning his rifle, grabbing ammunition and grenades, and checking his gear. When the go ahead was given all 380 soldiers in the company boarded old JEEPs and HUMVEEs. They'd drive for 18 miles before being unloaded at their drop off point. Glenn said a silent prayer as the convoy began driving off.

After about half an hour SSG Glenn collects his platoon and glances at the scenery. Mostly green flat fields, couple of hills, and an old town with a forrest on both sides. Glenn sees Captain Miles, leader of 2nd Company and salutes. "At ease. Staff Sergeant I want your platoon to clear the town. All reports indicate it's abandoned but their still may be weapons caches there. First through fifth company will support you and clear out the surrounding forrest. See you on the other side of town." Miles salutes and Glenn returns it. Glenn informs his squad leaders of their orders and makes a quick plan of attack. He returns his look at the little town and gets a bad feeling about this patrol.

The town was completely deserted much to everyone's suprise. Not a single sign of recent enemy activity was visible. Glenn breathed a sigh of relief as he was now on the outside of town. He ordered his platoon to take cover and grabbed for his radio, "Captain Miles this is Staff Sergeant Glenn, town has been cleared. We are proce..." Glenn peered into the distance. He grabbed for his binoculars to get a better look. The flat, nearly grassless terrain allowed him to see much farther than normal. He could just barely make out the tiny outline of soldiers, and outline of tents. "Captain Miles, I have a visual of an enemy encampment, roughly five clicks north Alpha Zulu 1A9. I estimate anywhere from a regiment to brigade size. Recommend use of the 155s at Camp Jason." He grabbed for his binoculars to get a better look. It was definetly a significant enemy base. He could know make out what looked like machine gun fitted JEEPs and fixed machine gun positions. A reply came back over the radio, "Roger that SSG. We are repositioning our units to enclose the enemy camp. Confirm use of 155s and 105s. I will order a full bombardment once you are in position. Sergeant, this is usually a quiet area if there's this large of an enemy presence they are either protecting something or someone. Keep your eyes out for targets of high value. Out."

Glenn shoved his radio back onto his belt and gathered his platoon. "Okay boys, we have a large enemy concentration up ahead that we're going to blow to shit. Captain wants to enclose the base so everyone spread out but don't get spread out too thin so you're all out there by yourself. Report any enemy contact and be alert. Let's roll." Glenn watched as the soldiers formed a spread line formation. Then he motioned them to go forward, stopping occasionally to take a glance with his binoculars. As he got closer he guessed that they were going against a brigade of People's Army, roughly 2,500 men, compared to 1st Company's 360 soldiers. As Glenn continued walking he planned out the battle in his mind. Camp Jason had roughly forty 155mm howitzers and twenty five 105mm howitzers. Against a base camp with only infantry and no cover in site it would be a blood bath. They were just needed to mop up. As he got within a mile of the base he could clearly make out several .50 cal machine gun nests, roughly a dozen civilian trucks outfitted with 7.62mm machine guns and a couple of men on patrol. Suddenly Captain Miles called in over the radio.

"Sergeant this is Miles. The rest of the company is in position, we are at the tree line. We engaged a patrol and managed to take'em out quietly. Awaiting your report." Glenn stopped the platoon and grabbed for his radio. "Captain, this is Glenn. We are in position. Howitzers are a go ahead at previously given coordinates." A reply came quickly, "Roger that Glenn. We see a couple of nests on our side and a bunch of armed trucks. We'll take those out... Your boys are going to be the first in, the rest of us have to make sure no one is going to flee or try to flank you. Confirm." Glenn grinned, "Wouldn't want it any other way, Out."

Glenn gathered his platoon, and informed them of the situation. "The bomardment should start any minute. While all that is going on I want you boys to take out the machine gun nests and disable those armed trucks. I want this done as quietly as possible, single shot only. Once the bomardment is finished we are going in first. A couple minutes later the rest of the company will close in and we should meet them at the center of the enemy base. Everyone check your gear and adjust your sights for... eighty hundred meters. Spread out into spread line formation." The soldiers quietly dispersed, using rocks and logs as cover while they wait for the bombardment. The next few minutes seem like hours as the men anticipate the immense barrage. Suddenly the whizzing sound of inbound artillery could be heard. The men take their positions to begin quietly taking out enemy positions.

The sound of immense explosions rang out through the air. One after another rocked the earth as debris and bodies flung through the air. Through his scoped rifle Glenn watched as men ran in panic, trying to take cover with whatever there was avaliable. Most just dropped to the ground hoping that it'll end soon. This thought was soon lost as their bodies were thrown about, pierced with shrapnel or incinerated by the intenses heat. It was a blood bath. But that was none of Glenn's concern he was occupied with picking off enemy machine gunners, however within a few minutes this task was already complete. He decided to just watch the chaos. Tents were thrown about, trucks, machinery and fuel exploded. It was absolute hell. Glenn thought to himself how fortunate he was not to be on the receiving end of this display of power. He has had his share of enemy bombardments being on the Eastern Front. The Black Army has a quite impressive amount of their own artillery. But luckily for Glenn and his men the People's Army had no known artillery or armour.

Slowly the bombardment began to cease. Time between each explosion increased until suddenly it all stopped. Glenn motioned his men to get up and advance. Black smoke hung in the air. The soldiers advanced cautiously with their sights up. Occasionally a man would slowly get up from the ground only to be riddled with bullets. Before Glenn knew it he was finally walking up a small mound of earth, the front of the enemy encampment. He kept his rifle raised as he walked the last few steps and before his eyes was just death. Countless dead bodies, body parts and blood. He split his platoon into three sections and they began to advance into the base. It was completely destroyed, no structure was left standing. All of the trucks and weapon caches were destroyed. Glenn saw something move out of the corner of his eye and quickly turned to it. A group of men, some with shrapnel wounds were beginning to get up to their feet. He squeezed the trigger of his rifle and riddled bullets into their bodies. Their bodies shook violently as the bullets pierced their chest, occasionally a puff of red marked a head shot. A soldier threw a grenade into the group of dead corpses to ensure they were dead. He motioned them to proceed.

The bombardment was a complete success. Men were either dead or completely shell shocked. Anyone who survived the bombardment was soon shot. As the platoon began nearing the center of the enemy base Glenn saw a large number of soldiers to his right. He turned quickly to see Captain Miles and two platoons, to Glenn's left the rest of the company. Miles walked up to Glenn, "Bombardment was rather successful." Glenn nodded. Miles pointed north of the base, "About five hundred of'em began running as soon as the bombardment started. Our boys had a field day pickin'em off. No casualties for us, you?" Glenn shook his head. "Good. Well one of our boys spotted a hidden hatch for an underground tunnel. Your men are the most qualified." Glenn nodded, he knew what the Captain wanted. He gathered his men and informed them of the tunnel entrance.

The entrance was poorly hidden, almost amateurish. Glenn slung his rifle and grabbed a nearby sub-machine gun. He grabbed a few magazines off a dead corpse and opened the hatch. He dropped several grenades and closed the hatch. After the explosions he jumped in, followed by eleven other handpicked soldiers from his platoon. Dust hung in the air from the grenades. The first chamber was empty, nothing but a few communication devices which were now destroyed. Glenn threw two flashbang grenades into the next chamber. Following the explosions he went in. Twelve men lay on the ground, five other men were standing holding their eyes with one hand, the other grasping their rifles. Glenn and his soldiers quickly took care of the armed men, shooting them all in the head. As Glenn did a quick look at his new prisoners he couldn't help but smiles. Stars and clean uniforms greeted his eyes as he picked each one up. Jackpot.

To the Most Courageous Leader of the Royal Army Forces,

While His Majesty’s heart is deeply saddened by the immersion of your state in this war, know that your righteous forces are favoured in His Majesty’s eyes. It is regrettable that modern governmental trends seek to place unlawful despots at the heads of governments that rightfully belong to monarchs. Therefore it is refreshing to see brave men such as yourself retain their sanity and fight against this cancerous tyranny. While His Majesty is not planning on militarily intervening, he has said to me that he might be sufficiently persuaded in this direction might you need it.

In any case, he offers his blessings to your troops and Providence’s guidance to your marshals.

Signed,
The Rt Hon Jan Sebastien, Lord Chancellor

[Tag for entry, would post now, but it's getting late. I would like to bring attention to the fact that these armies... numbers arent adding up. I'd like to see either references to another nation in the game, or something to explain these 25 million man armies running around. /ooc]

[ooc: Also, a little more background information would be useful, unless i just missed it, in which case i apologize ahead of time, but why is this Royal Army at war with the Black Army?

From the Desk of Royal General Mikhail Takenski To The Rt Hon Jan Sebastien, Lord Chancellor
We appreciate your kind words towards our current dilemna. It is indeed a pity that after four hundred years of righteous ruling that some certain people deem it necessary to over rule the long standing government. We are grateful for your offer of military assistance however we consider this a matter of our own and no one elses. We will however accept any surplus of food that you can offer since most of our supplies of food have diminshed considerablely. This is of course as long as the price is fair.

OOC: The Army numbers aren't too ridiculous. I'm RPing the remnants of my old nation's military (it got deleted but was around 3 billion). So the Royal Army was personal army of the Imperial Family, around two million at it's greatest but has since suffered heavy casualities but also incorporated new recruits so it's around 800,000. Each Royal soldier received extensive training and had to have a specific amount of battle experience. They were considered elite in my old military. The Black Army is remnants of my old army which numbered at about 35 million but is now around 2 million strong. The People's Army is an army comprised of armed citizens which rebelled ten years ago when the Black Army took power and when the Emperor was killed. Their numbers are so great because most able bodied men in their territory took up arms. While their may be around 25 million of them they are extremely ill equipped and poorly led. Considering that my current population is 1 billion a 25 million man citizen army is certainly possible, hell I could have probably a 100 million man citizen army but that would be pushing it.

During WW2 the USSR had a 29 million man army with a population of 160 million to 190 million but in my nation I'm taking into account ten years of war famine, and such. Next post will provide more backround information.

Ten Years Ago: Takenstad- The Imperial Capital
The Imperial Palace at Takenstad was the grandest building ever constructed. Nearly the entire Imperial family resided in this enormous structure. It was the length of four football fields and had every imaginable luxury. The ceilings were painted with gold leaf, the floors had the finest hardwood on the market, and an occasional fine rug adourned the floor. Plasma televisions seemed to be hung around every corners, the refridgerators were always stocked with champagne, expensive chocolates and every luxury food imaginable. Indeed this impressive structure was the dream house for every citizen in Ninjarania. Not only was this palace the most luxurious building in the history of the empire but was also the most guarded. A security force of one thousand Royal Army units were continiously on guard. Only the most respected and courageous soldiers were given with the duty to guard the Imperial Family.

Night had fallen over the palace and heavy rain was upon the town as a large caravan of black SUVs began approaching. General Vladimir Korovin was within eye sight of the impressive structure. He watched from nearly two a miles in his twelve SUV caravan in complete admiration. He dreamed of having such wealth, such power. As the caravan began to reach the first guard station he calmed his nerves. A Royal Army officer approached his window. He rolled down his window and spoke clearly, I'm bringing in the next rotation of guards." He showed his identification and the guard let them through. They stopped three more times at three different guard checkpoints before he found himself in the back of the palace. His caravan unloaded revealing 84 military soldiers armed with suppressed MP5s, and pistols. They wore dark camoflauge with black ski masks with SWAT helmets. Each had kevlar, a knife, spare magazines, flashbang grenades and high explosive grenades. Korovin turned to the soldier nearest to him and spoke quietly, "Order the diversion to begin." The soldier nodded and turned his back to deliver the orders through the radio. At the rear door five soldiers with puzzled looks on their face began walking over. The officer leading the men walked over to Korovin, "What the hell is this. We were suppose to be relieved a couple of hours a-" He recognized the general insignia on Korovin's shoulder and quickly bolted into a salute. The other men behind him followed, "Sorry General. I didn't recog-" About a dozen of the darkly dressed soldiers began firing their suppressed sub machine guns as the men were in salute. Their bodies shook and they fell. The soldiers reloaded and the men began to approached the front door.

Near the front of palace doors several explosions rang out. Two companies of mechanized infantry began approaching the first series of defenses. Each company as outfitted with two hundred and eighty soldiers, forty armed HUMVEEs and twenty Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Royal Army soldiers began amassing to meet this new threat, grabbing anti-armour weapons and new magazines in the armoury. A call went out for all Royal Army guards on duty to report to engage the new threat. The dispatcher got no reply from the squad assigned to the rear entrance. He guessed they had their radios off.

Korovin smiled as he heard the commotion. He directed the group to split into two, one went for the emperor, the other for his family. They moved quietly through the wide and elaborately decorated hallways. Korovin had been here numerous times before, giving status reports to the emperor himself. He knew that by now the emperior would be in his office, clutching a rifle. He guessed they would encounter only a couple guards. As they neared the front door to the emperor's office his heart began to pound, this is what he had been waiting for. He ordered his men against the wall. The office was at the end of a long hallway. When they make this next right turn they'll be only fifty yards away from their objective. He took one last breathe and turned the corner. A group of twelve soldiers looked up, and began to raise their weapons. Korovin squeezed the trigger and let of rounds as he shuffled across the hall. He didn't know if he hit anyone but the men behind him began doing the same. The Royal Army soldiers began returning fire, five men dropped dead before one soldier grabbed a grenade and tossed it. Unfortunately he didn't "cook it" long enough. One of the Royal Army soldiers grabbed the grenade and threw it back, he rolled to a stop about ten yards away from Korovin. He ran and dived as the grenade exploded. Shaken by the explosion he got up, eleven more of his men were down. He cursed his soldier's mistake and threw one of his own grenades.

He timed it perfect. The grenade exploded and he turned the corner and rushed up the hallway. Half of the soldiers were dead, the others were on the ground disoriented. He squeezed a magazine into the soldiers as they attempted to stand. He reloaded his rifle and waited for his men to gather around the doorway. One of his men opened the door and another threw in a flashbang grenade. Once the grenade detonated they rushed into the room. The emperor stood their standing, one hand over his eyes the other on his rifle. Korovin walked up to the aged emperor and punched him. The emperor fell to the ground, dropping his rifle. One of the soldiers grabbed it and disarmed it. Korovin waited for the emperor to gain back his eyesight. The emperor looked up at him in confusion, "Vlad? What are you doing here?" The general slapped him across the face, "You should have expected me to be driven to this Alexi. For too long has your family lived the high life while we, the protectors of the empire live in shambles. I'm taking back what belongs to us." The emperor shook his head, Korovin bent down and punched him several more times, cutting his lip and above his eye. Korovin stood up, "Get the camera ready." A soldier pulled out a video camera and began rolling.

"People of Ninjarania, here lies your false emperor. For years he has oppressed us, for years he has lived in absolute luxury at our expense. The sins of his family have finally caught up to him. Witness the end of this four hundred years of tyranny." He pulled out a golden .44 Magnum pistol from his holster and had the emperor kneel facing the camera. He stood behind him and placed the revolver behind his head. "Korovin, don't..." A tremendous gunshot rang out. The tremendous bullet from the revolver nearly exploded the emperor's head. Bits of his skull, brains and blood splattered all around, dousing Korovin and the camera lense. The lense was wiped with a hand and the corpse fell to the ground. All that remained was the lower jaw portion, his entire head was blown to pieces. Blood began to ooze from his neck, soldiers began to walk up and kick and spit at the dead corpse. A voice said, "A new age has begun." and the camera went black.

One the other side of the palace a young fifteen year old Mikhail Takenski sat on his bed clutching his rifle. He had fourt Royal Army soldiers inside his room, waiting out the fighting in the front. Suddenly a knock came at the front door. A familiar face appeared through the door and whispered to one of the soldiers. He nodded and turned to the boy, "Sir, we have to leave. Let's go." Mikhail nodded and jumped from his bed. Outside the doorway a squad of twenty two men led by Hermik Glenn was waiting. Glenn spoke, "Sir we have to leave as soon as possible for the fortification." Mikhail nodded but quickly added, "We have to get father, mother and my siblings first." Glenn looked at down the hallway and then back at Mikhail, "They're all dead." The boy stood their in shock, not able to move. Suddenly a cry came from one of the soldiers. "They're here!" Down the long hallway, roughly 100 yards away was a mass of dark clad soldiers. They began exchanging fire. Glenn grabbed Mikhail by the arm and led him back in his room. "Stay here, we'll fight our way through this." He closed the door. Mikhail cupped his hands over his ears as the gun fire intensified. After was seemed like an eternity Glenn opened the door again, "Let's go."

He grabbed Mikhail by the arm roughly and led him down the hallway. A mass of dead and injured bodies were on the ground. Glenn and his soldiers fired at any moving enemy corpse as they ran by. Mikhail counted eleven soldiers accompanying him now. They ran uncontested to the back of the palace. A caravan of three HUMVEEs were waiting for him. They all jumped on and were quickly driven to the nearest Royal Army fortificaton, roughly a twenty minute drive. Mikhail sat in silence, reflecting on the death of his entire family.

OOC: Not finished yet. I'll make one more post to clear everything up.

Ten Years Ago: Takenstad
For days the video clip showing the execution of the former emperor was broadcasted all over the empire. The royal family was dead, save for the eldest son Mikhail and most of the army was under Vladimir Korovin's control. While he was sure the boy would pose no threat having the military under his control was an absolute must. The general had been preparing a speech to be addressed to the people in Takenstad from the emperor's balcony. He deemed that now was the right time to alert the people of his new government and policies.

He walks out, only to be greeted with a mass of people. No cheering, but no booing either. This was the time to win the people's hearts. He took a deep breath and began speaking into the microphone.

"People of Ninjarania. I am here to relieve you of your suffering. I am here to ease your pain. The former government did not care about you, all that they cared about was their own personal profit. They sought for their own gain rather than that of the nation as a whole. They lived in the most luxurious structure in the history of our nation. They sought to benefit themselves. I promise to you that from my headquarters here at Palace Ta-"

Suddenly someone from the crowd screamed out, "You say they lived in luxury yet you wish to live in the palace?" The general stopped short in his speech. He got slightly flustered but tried to continue. "...from my headquarters here at Palace Takenski I plan to personally ensure that the betterment of the people is our utmost goal. In order to be able to carry out my intended programs taxes will need to be doubled." A series of boos came from the crowd. The crowd began to be slightly hostile. "More changes may come as I see fit in order to ensure the safety and betterment of our great nation." Suddenly a tomato came from the crowd and smashed the general in the face. People started laughing and began screaming obscenities at him. The general's face grew a deep red. He grabbed his radio and screamed through, "All units fire into the crowd, disperse them. I have no need of their loyalty if they're dead."

The sound of gun shots rang through the air as black clad soldiers began firing upon the mass of people. Five IFVs were brought up to use their 30mm cannon upon the crowd. The general snickered as the people screamed out and scampered through the streets.

Ten Years Ago: Glinton
Eric Von Gaffin wasn't used to so much attention. As the massacre at Takenstad was being televised throughout the nation he just felt the urge to speak out. At the bar he stood on a table and began pouring his feelings and thoughts out to the people. People hailed him as their new savior, one to get rid of all their dictators and tyrants; one to establish a democracy. This is what the people had long wanted, someone like them that runs the country. A person with humble backrounds and who knows what life like is in the factories or in the fields. Gaffin spoke of having elections for representatives, about having debates where people could freely speak their mind about their beliefs.

The workers and farmers in the Northern lands especially latched onto Gaffin's message. As he continued to give speeches more and more people came. Some people began to take action. Within a week twelve Army installations in the North had been pillaged for weapons and set ablaze. Three airfields were captured and all aircraft destroyed. Within two months their was nearly no military presence in the Northern lands. Gaffin was seen as the leader of this new resistance. A resistance to all tyranny old and new. He himself promised to burn the Takenski Palace to the ground and give all of it's treasures to the people.

The actions of Gaffin didn't go unnoticed by Korovin. The newly self-proclaimed leader of Ninjarania had established a task force to crush the rebellion. Ten divisions totalling 200,000 strong marched into the Northern lands to kill Gaffin and his followers. They were greeted by millions of Gaffin's followers who knew the terrain and used it to their advantage. While casualities were great on both sides the Army divisions were sent back limping. It was proclaimed a major victory. Gaffin proclaimed in his victory speech that the People's Army will eradicate all those that seek to hold back the people from gaining the power they deserve. Over time more and more people joined the People's Army until it swelled it's ranks to huge numbers. While poorly trained and led they always have great spirit and determination.

Ten Years Ago: Takenstad
Korovin had barely settled into his new home, the palace, when he received a message through the radio, "General Korovin, this is Colonel Javin. I have spoke with the commanders guarding the outskirts of the city. They say that there is a tremendous Royal Army force heading towards the city attempting an encircling manuever. If you get trapped in there's going to be no way out." The General hastily grabbed the radio, "Get all units in the city alerted and engage them." Jarvin replied quickly, "Negative sir, they outnumber us considerably. Seems like they mustered all that they've got, tanks, fighting vehicles. All of our armour is still at base camp. Sir, I advise a hasty retreat until we can gather sufficient forces to destroy them." General Korovin thought for a moment. "Very well. Begin immediate retreat. However order all naval forces to begin manuevering for bombardment." Another reply came, "Uhh, sir I thought you were informed. Roughly half an hour ago all naval ships were sunk by Royal Army engineers. Nearly all aircraft is gone as well sir. We are stuck with land." With this news the general threw his radio out the window and began punching his desk.

Base Camp Junta: 200 miles South of Northern Front
Staff Sergeant Glenn and his platoon was assigned guard duty over their new prisoners. Base Camp Junta was chosen as the ideal installation due to it's distance from the front and number of personnel in the base. The prisoners were kept in makeshift holding cells made of nylon tents. They were obviously high ranking PA officers, their clean uniforms and arrogant attitude made it obvious. Glenn didn't truly understand how important their find was until an officer jogged over to Glenn and informed him that the Royal General Takenski was on his way to inspect the prisoners. Over the years Glenn had become good friends with the Royal General. He was offered a high ranking position in the military but favored being a grunt. That's what he always preferred, being on the front lines facing the enemy in the eye. A caravan of HUMVEEs approached the camp and stopped in front of the makeshift holding cells. The young leader of the Royal Army stepped out, dressed in military fatigue. He saluted Glenn and his men and walked into the tent area. Glenn and four other men followed closely behind. Once inside the tent Takenski relieved the eight soldiers inside of their posts.

He walked slowly back and forth, looking at each prisoner closely. "Sergeant Glenn. I have brought a company of soldiers to relieve you of your duty to guard these prisoners. I have detached your platoon from the division for special assignment. You and your men are to come with me back to the capital for your new assignment." Glenn looked puzzled at the general, "Sir, I thought I was to be in the front lines." Takenski turned to him, "You will definetly continue to see heavy action. But you and your men are some of the most skilled soldiers in the entire army. I need your special skills for other uses. Come, we must leave immediately." Glenn nodded and jogged out of the tent to inform his platoon of their new assignments. Eight more HUMVEEs pulled up behind the caravan and the men got in. It was only an hour and a half drive to the capital. The once glorious Takenski Palace was now in shambles and disarray. Almost all valuables inside were sold years ago and half of the building was infested with rats and vermin.

Royal General Takenski called for Glenn to come into his office. Glenn walked into a massive circiular shaped office with a large oak desk facing away from a window. Takenski motioned Glenn to sit down. "Staff Sergeant Glenn, you have served in this army for over twenty years as a front line grunt. And you and your men did your job exceptional well. Those prisoners that you captured were high ranking officers in the PA. In fact seven of them are close relatives of Von Gaffin himself. Brothers, cousins, and an uncle. I intend to use these men as bargaining chips to turn the tide in the war. I want you and your men to act as a type of special unit. Say if I wanted someone killed, a small outpost taken out or some sort of high risk mission you will be the man. Your first mission starts in forty eight hours. You and your men will act as bodyguards for me during a meeting between Von Gaffin and I. It's a low risk mission but a good one to start out on. Following our meeting I believe Von Gaffin will join our effort to squash the Black Army. Following the Black Army's defeat you will be assigned to take Von Gaffin out. He's too much of a liability to stay alive. After this is accomplished it'll take a couple of years before I again regain full Imperial power. Following me regaining full power I'll assign you head of my special operations. You can remain hands on for as long as you believe you're able to. I expect all of my missions assigned to be accomplished, or atleast somewhat accomplished. Total failure is not an option." Glenn nodded. "Good. I'll send down the mission specs to you and your men within the hour. Outfit yourselves as you seek fit. We'll live at seven in the morning two days from today."

Glenn nodded again, got up, saluted, and walked away.

The meeting place was a desolate part of the country, far away from the front lines. It was to be in a small village two hundred miles away from the nearest sign of civlization. Backround checks done on the site reveal that the village used to be home to Von Gaffin's grandfather who has since passed away. Mikhail Takenski rode in the middle SUV of the ten strong convoy. Next to him sat SSG Glenn, outfitted in Army fatigues with just his rifle, several magazines, his pistols and a couple of grenades. Every soldier was outfitted the same.

As the small village was in sight Takenski took a couple of deep breathes. Suddenly the SUV stopped and Glenn got out to open the door. Takenski stepped out, dressed in officer Army fatigues with a holstered pistol at his side. He saw Von Gaffin and a large entourage waiting for him in the middle of the village. Once all the men were gathered together they began moving towards him. Takenski couldn't help but be amazed at the stature of the massive Von Gaffin. He was easily six foot seven around three hundred pounds with a large red beard and long red hair.

Takenski looked up and extended his hand, "Commander Von Gaffin, I'm glad you were able to see me on such short notice." Von Gaffin looked down at Takenski's hand and shook it, "Yes well I'm always willing to talk." Von Gaffin led him into a small building and they both sat down at an old wooden table. Two soldiers from Von Gaffin and Takenski followed both men in, the rest stayed outside and waited. A soldier from Von Gaffin served both men drinks.

Takenski took a sip and began speaking, "Comrade, this are bleak times for our nation. This war is devastating our nation. Everyone has been affected. Society has been utterly destroyed. Our great cities, universities, hospitals, bridges, everything has been destroyed. All that we have left to give up is sweat, tears and blood. I don't know about you comrade but I have had more than my fill of blood. I never wanted any of this. I was pulled into this when I was younger and haven't been able to get myself out. This war has transformed me into a person I never wanted to be. I order the killings of hundreds if not thousands of people every day without a second thought. I order executions by the dozens. I tell you this, I never wanted the children of this nation to be englufed in a meaningless civil war. To die for one's nation is one thing but to die fighting for someone to gain power is another. Anyway, what say you."

Von Gaffin paused, and briefly wiped his forehead with a napkin. He began speaking with his deep booming voice, "Commander Takenski, I agree with nearly everything that you have said. The lives of millions of people is worth more than any war or power struggle. I myself have dreaded giving marching orders to thousands of young men knowing that most won't make it to next week. I know that you want an alliance, but this I can't do here, today. I must need time to consider the effects of my decision." Von Gaffin looked into Takenski's eyes and could tell he was upset. Takenski slowly reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a picture and handed it to Von Gaffin. Von Gaffin took the picture, unsure of what it was. Von Gaffin saw the faces of some of the most high ranking officer in the People's Army, including his three brothers, two first cousins and his uncle. Von Gaffin handed it back, "Yes I heard that some military officers went missing but I was unaware they were captured. Shall we make arrangements for their release. Perphaps a prisoner exchange, or ransom?" Takenski smiled, "Comrade Von Gaffin, do you mistake me for a fool? I know that these men are some of your most high ranking officers and they are relatives of yours, are they not? Let's see there's a brother, brother, another brother, your two cousins, and your dear uncle. The others I assume are close friends. So here's my proposal. You accept my proposal for combining our forces under the following conditions. Royal Army Generals have say over PA Generals in all military matters. Six Royal Army Divisions will be detached and assist you in your effort against the Black Army. The Black Army is to be annihilated. Once this is completed a democratic republic will take form with representatives, a senate, a prime minister and so forth. The government shall recognize my family bloodline as the royal family bloodline. I will gain the title of King but have no say in political affairs. However, I will also have the title of Grand General of the Military and hold the highest position in the military. I will hold no power other than handling the military. Details can occur at a later date. Do we agree in principle and therefore proclaim an alliance. After all time is of the essensce?"

Von Gaffin looked down at the ground and thought for a moment. He finally extended his hand, "Very well. Shall we agree on releasing all prisoners held captive as well?" Takenski nodded and then smiled. Both men walked outside together and announced the news to their soldiers, who cheered in reply. Takenski got back into his car and took a breath. He turned to Glenn who was sitting next to him, "See to it that all divisions are sent towards the Eastern Front, save for six well rested divisons. This information is to kept secret. I don't want the B.A. to figure out we have allied ourselves to the P.A. When we get back to the capital you and your men will be briefed on your next mission." Glenn nodded and began making calls.

The time was nearing. For the last three weeks there was a scramble of military movement, positioning the right amount of soldiers at the right location for the oncoming battle. All Royal Army forces were redeployed to the Eastern Front, save for around 140,000 men assigned to assist the People's Army. General Travis Grastiv and his officers were put in charge of handling the combat operations for the People's Army, a force of around 25 million men. They carefully studied numerous maps of the front and read numerous reports on enemy strength. After several days a simple battle plan was established. The strongest and most experienced Black Army forces were positioned towards the middle of the front, near the city of Gladsburg. Lesser able units were placed on the flanks. General Grastiv proposed a plan to overwhelm the flanks of the enemy line, making a pocket of strong and experienced enemy units in the center. Then the Royal Army's mechanized divisions would launch a frontal assualt followed by an attack on all sides by the People's Army. On the Royal Army's Eastern Front a plan was made to simply bombard the enemy with artillery into oblivion and then follow it with a massive frontal attack. All avaliable Royal Army soldiers would be involved in this attack. Victories on both fronts would lead to the crippling of the Black Army.

Jon Pipen was not used to war. He was forced into the Black Army when he was sixteen at the outbreak of the war, some ten years ago. He received proper infantry training, weapons training and had a certificate that said he was a soldier, although he didn't feel like a soldier. He was tired of this constant fear, and the constant killing. The civil war had completely ruined his life. Now he sits in a trench clutching a heavy rifle, his clothes are soggy from rain and his feet are developing a sort of fungus. Atleast I am still alive, he thought to himself. He slowly stuck his head above the trench line, it was an extremely foggy day. Being assigned near the ocean usually brought on some fog but never this extreme. He squinted towards the fog, it seemed like the outline of a person was running towards him. He shouldered his rifle and waited, probably a scout that came in late. As the figure emerged from the fog no more than fifty yards away he could tell that the person was definetly not wearing a Black Army uniform. He squeezed the trigger and let off a burst of rifle fire. The man dropped dead in the mud. Suddenly a barrage of gun fire came upon his line. Black Army soldiers sprung to the trench to engage their new targets. Pipen threw several grenades before returning to using his rifle. There was so many of them, running right at them. All were poor shots but the sheer volume of rifle fire was impressive. Suddenly he caught a bullet in his chest. He fell down from the trench line and landed in two feet of mud at the bottom of the trench. He was disoriented and not sure what was going on. Soldiers around him were falling, grenades exploding in the trenches. He could now see men jumping into the trenches and fighting his comrades. They killed a few PA fighters before being completely overwhelmed. A PA fighter landed right beside Pipen. He was wearing dirty old army fatigues with an AK clutched in his right hand. He looked to his right and left down the trench before looking down at Pipen. Pipen was wheezing now, his breathing becoming more difficult. The fighter raised his rifle at Pipen's head and fire a burst. Darkness fell upon Pipen as his body went limp in the mud.

The fighting was pure chaos for men on both sides. People's Army fighters were mowed down by machine guns and rifle fire, only to later avenge their killers with their grenades, bayonets and rifles. The casualities were extreme. Black Army soldiers had a ratio of six People's Army fighters killed for everyone one BA soldier. Three hundred thousand soldiers were stationed at the flanks of the Black Army's treasured 1st and 2nd Corp, some 200,000 soldiers. All 300,000 were killed, captured, or ran. The flanks of the enemy line was completely destroyed. Royal Army Armoured and Mechanized Divisions began preparing to pounce on their enemy in the next morning as PA units began an encircling manuever.

An impressive armada of artillery pieces was collected for the bombardment of Black Army Units stationed in the Eastern Front. Around one thousand different types of artillery, and cannons would participate in the ten hour long bombardment. Most of the artillery shells possessed by the Royal Army would be used in this massive attack. Around 600,000 Royal Army soldiers were going to attack in the morning against a force of 510,000 entrenched Black Army soldiers. It was essential that the bombardment softened up the defenses so that Royal Army units could just plow over and continue the campaign. At ten o'clock at night the first shell rang out. This night would be pure hell for the Black Army.

Southern Front
As the morning sun began to rise the Royal Army soldiers marched towards the Black Army's fortified line. Several People's Army divisions solidified their flanks. Tanks led the battle, followed by the APCs and IFVs carrying the infantry. At the sound of the first crack of an RPG the IFVs and APCs unloaded their cargo of Royal Army soldiers. They took cover behind their vehicles and returned fire as they slowly advanced. The tanks devstated the less able Black Army tanks, most of which were entrenched. Heavy 20mm and 35mm cannon shells from the IFVs and APCs ripped through the enemy line, tearing men's bodies into swiss cheese. Black Army soldiers attempted to thwart the advancing forces by targetting tanks with their RPGs hoping to cause a pile up of destroyed metal. However the armor of the tanks proved to be too thick for the old aged RPGs to completely destroy. Instead most soldiers tried to aim at the tracks of the tanks, hoping to make them immobile death traps. This was somewhat successful as around three dozen tanks were immobilized. A squad of soldiers tried to rush an immobilized tank to drop a grenade in the hatch. The infantry closely following the tanks were not going to allow this and quickly mowed down all of them.

The battle was looking bleak for the Black Army. Most armoured units were destroyed, many were killed or injured, and reports were indicating that People's Army forces were coming up through the flanks and the rear. Commander Baron Trijan looked through a the window of his command bunker. The enemy armoured units were only seven hundred yards away from the bunker, and there was no way to stop them. He watched as a group of four soldiers were butchered by the cannon of an IFV, there bodies falling limp into the blood soaked earth. He turned to a nearby officer, "Captain Fargus, send a telegram indicating our unconditional surrender." The officer looked dumbfounded at his superior, "Sir, if General Korovin finds out that we have surrendered it will be our head." Trijan peered back outside his window, "If we don't surrender now all of our men would have lost their lives for no reason. We have been out flanked, we have been out manuevered, and we have been out muscled. Surrender is our only option." The officer nodded and began delivering the telegram. With half an hour all soldiers along the twenty mile front came out of their defensive positions with their rifles on the ground and their hands up. The Royal Army divisions were given the task of handling all of these prisoners.

General Grastiv rode on a convoy of HUMVEEs to meet with the enemy commander. He surveyed the battle site as they drove by, seeing disabled tanks, dead soldiers, exploded infantry vehicles, and human limbs. The convoy stopped near the enemy trench guarding the command bunker for the Black Army. Grastiv walked out and saw his counterpart standing on the other side of the trench with a group of Black Army officers behind him. A platoon of Royal Army soldiers were standing nearby guarding them. Grastiv jumped across the trench and shook the hand of Commander Trijan. "You have made the right decision Commander. All of your men would have been slaughtered today." Commander Trijan nodded his head, and spoke. "Thank you for sparing the lives of my men and I we are all-" General Grastiv raised his hand to stop him from continuing. "Commander your men will be held as POWs until the war is finished. However, high ranking military officers who have gone against the Empire must be punished. Royal blood has been spilled and a certain price must be payed. I have spoken with Royal General Takenski to confirm my order of executing you and your officers. You chosen the wrong side for this war Commander."

With that said General Grastiv turned and jumped over the fence. Commander Trajin took a step as if he was about to say something. A line of Royal Army soldiers formed up along the other side of the trench. They opened fire on Trajin and his officers in front of all the Black Army soldiers. The soldiers tried to make it quick aiming for the head and chest area to quicken their deaths. Trajin was immediately hit in the head and fell face first into the trench. Once all of the officers were down four soldiers jumped across and withdrew their pistols, firing one shot into each head. At the end of the Battle nine thousand Royal Army soldiers lay dead with another fourteen thousand wounded. The People's Army suffered twenty eight thousand dead and fourty seven wounded. The Black Army was completely routed suffering twenty three thousand killed, thirty seven wounded and all one hundred and forty thousand captured. This day was a total victory for the allied People's Army and Royal Army.

Eastern Front
As the sun rose the day long bombardment slowly came to an end. Not a minute later Royal Army forces poured out of their defensive positions. The focus of the attack was on the Black Army's left flank, the weakest and most heavily bombarded. The speed in which the attack was conducted caught the enemy soldiers by suprise. Heavy armour rolled over the enemy lines while the infantry quickly followed behind. The left flank was being quickly overrun by the Royal Army soldiers and tanks. Thousands of demoralized and shell shocked Black Army soldiers flung their arms in the air and raised white flags. Dozens of enemy bunkers containing stubborn enemy fighters were blown to pieces by RPGs and tanks fire. Fleeing enemy fighters and officers were quickly mowed down by chasing infantry fighting vehicles and armoured humvees.

Fearing that the now destroyed left flank of the defensive line will lead to encirclement the commanding Black Army general ordered an immediate counter-attack against the attacking Royal Army. The remaining soldiers left their defensive positions and attacked the Royal Army head on. This move caught the RA soldiers by suprise. The counter-attacked completely stopped the advance in it's tracks. However the now advancing Black Army soldiers were being completely mowed down by the arriving infantry combat vehicles. With nothing in their avaliable arsenal to defeat this new threat they began fleeing behind a cloud of smoke grenades. By now the RA forces that had destroyed the left flank had encircled the enemy's position. Many Black Army soldiers were mowed down by the waiting RA riflemen. Once realizing that they couldn't escape the commanding officer of the Black Army ordered all soldiers to fority their positions. General Grotium ran to his command tent and grabbed his radio, "Commander Korovin this is General Grotium." Hundreds of miles away General Korovin heard a voice on his radio and the sound of gunfire. "Yes General Grotium what is it?" An obviously worried Grotium replied quickly, "The Royal Army has assualted our defenses. They must have all their avaliable units in this attack sir, we were completely overwhelmed. My left flank was completely crushed and my men are demoralized. Most of them are dead."

Korovin slammed his fist on his desk. "Is there anyway to make a strategic withdrawl to meet up with the reserves in Hapsburn?" Korovin was now getting increasingly frustrated. "That's a negative. We have been encircled and are trapped around the right flank's main command center. Their heavy armour is decimating us. With current estimates I have two hundred and thirty thousand men." Korovin took a breathe and tried to calm himself, "Listen Grotium. You are to personally lead a break out. Scout out the weakest spot and throw all you have at it. You must, I repeat, must make it to the reserve base camp. The defensive lines in the North have been taken. We are mustering a counter-attack against the PA and the RA but in order to do this we need your men. Do you understand?" Grotium simply mummbled a yes. "Good, now go."

Grotium stared at his radio for several minutes, this was a suicide mission. He gave the appropiate orders to all of his officers and determined the weakest spot that gave the quickest route to the base camp. The old general reached for his old .45 pistol and walked towards the front trenchline. Air horns rang out throughout the line signaling the order to advance. He jumped out of the trench like one of his young soldiers and ran towards the enemy line. Bullets whizzed past his face as he fired in the direction of the enemy soldiers. He spotted a large rock and ran to it to reload his pistol. As he reloaded his pistol he turned to his left. Dozens of tanks and infantry combat vehicles were fastly approaching their position. Tank rounds exploded all around him as the 30mm cannons of the IFVs threw up large chunks of dirt and human flesh.

A tank shell landed mere yards away from the general. His body was hoisted into the air and he landed with a loud thud. He lay face up on the blood moistened soil, seeing the dark outline of bodies fall around him. He tried to get up but he couldn't move. He grabbed for his stomache and felt metal and raw flesh. He groaned and went limp.

The Black Army suffered another horrible defeat. Most of the garrison was killed, injured, or captured. Only nineteen thousand soldiers managed to sneak through a small hole in the line before it was quickly closed up by the RA.

Camp Jolston; Black Army Reserves Headquarters
A young officer came bursting through the nylon flap of the temporary operations center. He saluted towards the direction of General Korovin and held it. "At ease. What news do you bring?" The young officer was obviously nervous in front of the short tempered Korovin, handing a letter to him with trembling hands. "General, the attempted breakout in the Western Front failed. General Grotium was killed fighting and all of our heavy weapons were destroyed. Scouts are currently rounding up soldiers that managed to slip through the lines during the fighting. Our current count stands at ten thousand men." Korovin crumbled up the letter and threw it to the ground. "That leaves us with only one hundred and eighty thousand men... Very well major, return to your post." The officer saluted and ran off. Korovin walked over to a map on the table and stared at the numerable pieces indicating enemy forces. Keeping his stare on the map he called out, "How many tanks do we have left?" A reply came quickly from a nearby colonel, " One hundred and forty tanks, and two hundred and ten fighting vehicles." Korovin rubbed his eyes at this news. He was frustrated and needed some fresh air to clear his mind. He walked out, and looked at the mess of men and material before him. They were in complete disarray. He turned to his left and saw the former great city of Sadsburg smoldering and in ruin. As he began to turn to make his way back into the tent he suddenly felt his body go limp. He fell hard on the ground and a darkness went over his eyes.

"Adjust, three clicks east, two clicks north", Glenn whispered to Captain Williams next to him. Both men were wearing ghuille suits to conceal their positon. Williams looked down the scope of his TN-22 sniper rifle while making the adjustments. Glenn checked his spotters scope one last time and slowly reached to his left for his scope TN-14 rifle. They were roughly nine hundred meters from the target.

The mass confusion in last two days had given them the opportunity to sneak behind enemy lines and make their way to the enemy's reserves base camp. Here they were massing all avaliable resources to counter the combine RA and PA Army's attack. Glenn and Williams had been watching the camp for roughly four hours now. They had pin pointed the location of the command tent and ranged the sniper rifle for just outside the tent's opening. Officers had been constantly running in and out of the tent but there was still no sign of their main target. Willaims quietly whispered still looking through his scope. "Maybe there's a back exit to the tent we didn't see." Glenn now reached for the spotter scope again, "No way. I know he's in there and he's got to come out eventually."

Suddenly a well dressed officer emerged from the tent. Glenn looked down his spotters scope and whispered, "Looks like we got our man. Target confirmed and acquired. Terminate when ready." Williams slowly squeezed the trigger, a loud bang followed. A puff of pink sprayed from the target's head and he fell to the ground. Glenn waited a few seconds before whispering again, "Target terminated. Let's go." They gathered their equipment and slowly began crawling their way out of the dense forest. Gunfire was now heard being fired aimlessly into the forest.

Camp Jolston
General Jarvin stood in disbelief as he saw the body of General Korovin lying on the floor. He ran from inside the command tent and dragged his commander's body inside. Half of the old general's head was blown off and blood was everywhere. It was quite obvious he was dead. He crouched down and ripped off his dogtags and placed them in his pocket. Brigadier General Misha Alevnoka broke the dead silence, "What do we tell the men?" Jarvin stood up, continuing to look at the dead body, "We tell them that a Major was assassinated. General Korovin was a military genius. Saying that he's dead will shatter the morale of the men." He walked over to the map on the table and pointed to a position. "This is where we'll make our final stand. There's mountains on both of our flanks here which should eliminate their number superiority. There is a small passage near our rear but it's unlikely they'll find it and it'll take a couple extra days to reach it. Get someone to clean this up and then order an immediate withdrawl to the position I indicated." General Misha nodded and ran off to carry out the orders.

General Jarvin stood outside his small and tattered command tent. He was the final commanding officer left. The march to Kimbler's Pass had decimated the ranks with deserters. Jarvin estimated that only thirty thousand men remained. Supplies were extremely low, a soldier was lucky to have two half used magazines to fire and half a bottle of river water. Needless to say morale was nearly at the breaking point. For the last four weeks they have fortified themselves into position. The sea was to their left, the mountains to their right. There was nothing but grassy plains in front and behind them.

Jarvin had been worried that the enemy had used these four weeks to gather their artillery together and mass shells for a bombardment. Scouts sent out to investigate never seem to come back. All was lost.

As the sun began to set to end the shift of guards Jarvin looked out towards the sea and sighed. He thought he saw something and squinted towards the ocean. He grabbed the binoculars from around his neck and gasped at what he saw. On the horizon, far off shore, a small fleet of warships was looming towards them. He sounded the bell indicating that all soldiers grab their weapons and report to their stations. Jarvin couldn't believe what he saw. Long ago at the start of the war the fleet was disbanded by the RA in order to save maintance funds, and so that they don't fall into enemy hands. Every ship was sunk and the sailors were drafted into the army. An officer ran up to him and asked what was wrong. Before he could speak he saw a puff of smoke on the horizon. The distinctive sound of an incoming shell rang through the air as a tremendous explosion rocked the earth only a hundred yards away. He jumped into a foxhole and laid staring up at the sky. To his disbelief he saw a small squadron of fighters flying overhead. A series of free fall bombs exploded nearby. After this came the booming artillery.

After thirty minutes of constant bombardment from the warships, the planes and the artillery the last forces of the Black Army were eradicated.

Acting Commander of the People's Army Erik Von Gaffin stepped out of his armored protected army transport vehicle. He was visiting the city of Staffin. The city was once one of the most glorious and beautiful cities in the Southern Provinces. Now it was but a skeleton of it's formal self. It's streets are barren with gaping shell holes. Rubble from buildings litter the streets. The dense smell of dust lingers in the air. Gaffin slammed shut the door of his vehicle. "I shall walk from here." His massive frame began to slowly stroll down the desolate street. The city seemed to be void of life. It was hard to believe that these heaping piles of rubble was once a bustling city, flowing with life. The tall and broad shouldered Gaffin continued walking slowly down what was once Main Street. He stopped periodically to scour his surroundings before continuing to walk. He began to reflect on the last fifteen years of his life. His rise to power, fighting a two front war, winning the war. And now he is the clear cut favorite to win the election for Lord Protector, the highest title in the executive government. He had bold plans for his beloved country. Plans that would give the people the power and not those who are rich or are born of royal blood. Gaffin stopped in front of an old dusty doll. He bent over and picked up the mangled doll.

Sergeant Phillips had taken this mission with great pleasure. His team of four men had originally been part of a large company sized unit before the war started. Now it has been whiddled down to just five men. His unit had been devastated at the hands of a massive People's Army attack. And now he has the chance to seek out his revenge. He was suprised that Hermik Glenn had deemed him worthy of such an important assignment. They have had their differences throughout their careers, but he just guessed that Glenn had set aside their differences just for this one time. They were camped in a damaged building along the side of the road. Each man was to fire a burst into the target and quickly escape through the back streets. That was the plan.

Phillips couldn't help but snicker as he peered into his scoped assualt rifle. He lined up his massive target, relishing what's about to happen. He slowly squeezed the trigger and was quickly followed by his team. Each member immediately began to pack up their gear while Phillips confirmed the kill.

Gaffin felt like he was hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. His body incontrollably began to shake as he was peppered with fifteen bullets in his chest. He fell to his knees and coughed up a thick mouthful of blood. His eyes searched the nearby buildings, hoping to see his attackers. He sees the final flash of a rifle in a building roughly 200 meters away. His head whips back as the bullet penetrates his forehead, into his brain, and out the back. He falls limp to the ground.

Phillips fired the final kill shot and quickly began to run down the back stairs to his awaiting team. He took point and they began to ran out the rear exit. He checked left and then right and began to ran across the street. His eyes caught sight of a figure turning the corner. He stopped in the middle of the road and raised his rifle. "Woah, woah" said a familiar voice. "Glenn?" Phillips lowered the rifle as he sees the face of the figure. Glenn is joined by four other soldiers, each armed with a submachine gun, except for Glenn who has his rifle shouldered. "Did you finish the assignment?" Phillips nodded. "Good."

Glenn extended his right hand towards Phillips. Phillips smiled and reached for it. They both shook hands for one awkward moment. Suddenly Glenn gripped Phillips hand extremely tight and pulled him towards his own body. Simultaneously he reached to his left hip to draw his pistol. He placed the pistol underneath the soft tissue underneath the jaw and squeezed two quick rounds. Glenn's team quickly raised their submachine guns and began emptying their magazines into assasins's bodies. The event happened within a matter of seconds. Phillip's team had no chance at firing back. Glenn tossed Phillip's body to the side. His face was nearly blown off. Each soldier fired one shot into every assasin's head to ensure they are indeed dead. The soldiers began to reload their rifles when a group of soldiers from the People's Army turn the corner. A squad of soldiers raised their rifles at Glenn's team. "Who the fuck are you?" the PA officer screamed at them. Glenn casually raised his arms and spoke calmly, "We are a shadow team of Royal Army Specialists designated to follow General Gaffin. We have direct orders from the Royal General Takenski... We caught the assasins in the street and killed them." The officer peered at the dead bodies in the street. Glenn slowly took out a piece of paper signed with an official ensigna. The officer nodded, "Very well. This is a People's Army matter now. Our people can take care of it."

Glenn nodded, "Of course." He turned and ordered his team to move out. He grabbed his personal encrypted phone and dialed a number. "It's done."

Channel 4 News Update
"Hello this is Dan Tesslar and this is your channel 4 news update. Earlier this evening General Erik Von Gaffin, Commander of the People's Army, was assinated by rogue former Black Army rebels. The Commander was pronounced dead at the scene and his assaliants were shortly afterward caught in a gun battle between military forces. All five rebels were killed with no further loss of life. Commander Von Gaffin was believed to be a favorite to win the election for Lord Protector which would have given him enough power to fulfill his promises to his followers. This evenings events have shown us the harsh reality that the war is still not totally over.

Royal General Takenski has expressed his deep regret over the loss of his ally and has renamed this week the People's Week in honor of his comrade. In a speech just moments ago the Royal General expressed his hopes that the newly created House of Plebians and the House of Knights will give him temporary emergency powers to silence the rebels. He wishes to be granted unlimited power of all military assets and enact any piece of legislation which he has deemed vital for the nation's defense. While some politicians feel somewhat uneasy about giving Royal General Takenski absolute power he has stated that he will only use these powers for the betterment of the nation. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming."

Representative Thomas Hilldren quickly opened the door to his recently rebuilt home. He slammed the door shut and locked it. The middle aged, slightly pudgy man breathed a sigh of relief. He slowly walked over to his window and peered into the blackness of the night. Nothing. He fumbled for his cell phone in his pocket and dialed the number of his good friend Representative Jon Von Gaffin, brother to the recently deceased Commander General. He walked over to his liquor cabinet as the phone rang. He took out a bottle of scotch and chugged a mouthful of the burning liquid. There was good reason to be alarmed. Six representatives of the House of Plebians had been killed within a span of two days; four today. All attacks were blamed on surviving soldiers of the Black Army. However, he highly doubted that. All representatives that had been assasinated all shared similar, almost radical, ideas about what to do with the government. He feared that Takenski sought to ascend to the throne again and was ready to eliminate anyone who was in his way. Hilldren feared he was next.

Finally, an unfamiliar voice answered, "Hello?" Hilldren paused for a moment, not sure who could be answering the representative's personal phone, "Uh, yes this is Representative Hilldren I wish to speak with Representative Gaffin." Hilldren was becoming somewhat nervous again. "I'm sorry Representative Gaffin is occupied at the moment." Hilldren look dumbfounded at his phone as he heard the click of the other line ending the connection. He threw his phone on his couch and sat down on his one seater.

Out of the darkness of his living room came a man with black military style clothing and a pistol raised. He had no mask coverring his face. Hilldren guessed he was in his fourties. Hilldren sat stunned. His glass fell to the ground and shattered. The man raised his hand, "Don't scream." Hilldren slowly nodded. "Good. Now I'm going to put away my pistol so that we can talk like gentlemen, is that fine?" He nodded again. The man sat down on a chair facing Hilldren and put the pistol on the coffee table next to him. "Now, Representative Hilldren I believe you were attempting to call Representative Gaffin were you not?" Hilldren nodded. "One of our other teams were sent awhile ago to his residence. Who you most likely spoke to was one of our operatives. He's dead." The man paused so that this sunk into Hilldren. "You'll be dead as well if you don't listen and do exactly as I say, alright?" Hilldren nodded, now terrified. "Very well. I represent people in the government who believe that they themselves are the solution to the problems in our nation. These people are extremely powerful and influential. They are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. The death of six representatives came from their orders. The assination of General Von Gaffin was orchestrated by these men."

By now Hilldren had gathered up some courage and managed to speak, "What do you want from me?" The man smiled, "I'm glad you asked. You are an influential man in the House of Plebes. We already have all the pieces in place in the House of Knights, however the House of Plebes is much harder to infiltrate. What we from you is to be our pawn. You will get weekly, sometimes daily instructions on what you are to do while Congress is in session. Your influence will rally further support for our cause. Doing all that we ask of you will be extremely profitable for yourself. If all goes according to plan you will be Head of Congress and incredibly wealthy. Anything that you could possibly want you'll have." Hilldren spoke again, a little shaky this time, "If your boss is so powerful why doesn't he just take power by force."

The man shook his head, "It must look legitamite to the people and the international community. This is a must." The man now got up from his seat, "Do we have an agreement?" Hilldren looked at the man's hand. He slowly raised and shook it. The man smiled, "Excellent. You'll received your first message tomorrow on your cell phone. Should you deem anyone a threat to what we are trying to accomplish contact the number that we'll send you and give us a first and last name. We'll do the rest. Let's go boys." Out of the darkness came three more men, also in dark military clothing, with rifles at their hips. They all went out the front door. As the men went through the front door he stopped. "Oh and Representative, if you ever decide to disobey us or do anything against the cause I'll be back. And this time you'll only see the flash from my pistol. Got it?" Hilldren nodded from his chair. The door slammed shut behind the man.

Outside the man quickly dialed a number as the team boarded a waiting SUV. "Representative Hilldren is onboard. Don't worry after going through his backround and meeting him in person I think he'll play along."

Channel 4 News Update
"Hello I'm Dan Tessar and this is your Channel 4 News Update. In a suprising move today in Congress the House of Knights and the House of Plebians passed a bill giving Royal General Takenski nearly unlimited power to eliminate the threat of rebel Black Army soldiers in the nation. The bill gives Takenski the power to pass any law which is of immediate importance to nation's defence, and total control of all military assets. The bill pased 92 to 8 and 291 to 209 respectively.

In a short speech following the passing of the bill Takenski has promised to concentrate on rebuilding the nation's economy and military assets. Takenski has stated that once the economy and military is stable he plans to reassimilate provinces that broke off following the outbreak of civil war. More news to follow at the top of the hour."

Secret IC
Confidential
Projected Naval Vessels To Be Recovered:

15 Levianthan Class Battleships
15 Ocean Class Carriers
30 Formidable Class Carriers
246 Ardent Class Frigates
138 Revenge Class Destroyers
104 Centaur-X Guided Missile Destroyers
90 Sabre Class Guide Missile Destroyers
330 Clan Grant Class Fleet Replenisher
35 Point Catilan Escort Frigates
6 Jericho Class Amphibious Assualt Ships

Future Vessels That Will Also Be Excavated:

58 George Washington Class Aircraft Carriers
10 Ankara Guided Missile Cruisers
10 Berlin Guided Missile Cruisers
15 Jericho Class Amphibious Assualt Ships

Behind the unlabeled door in the corner office down the hall, the document was quietly signed that made the Royal Code's entry into the war official. The war for the Royal Code had begun in secret...

But two floors down, the final copy of the telegram to be sent to Ninjarania was clamped with the Royal Seal of Authenticity.

To the Governing Body of Ninjarania
Upon completing the investigation of the current political standing, the Parliament of the Colonial Empire of The Royal Code has voted to take military action against the oppressive government forces, unless a reasonable compromise can be made. For reasons that are to be kept under secrecy, the CERC has opted to support the rebel faction in any and all means necessary to assure their sovereignty.

Before any Royal Military Officials issue orders to mobilize, the CERC would like to offer Ninjarania a one-time negotiation session to come to terms over the conflict. The Ninjaranian affirmation or declination to these negotiations should be included in the return communique. As of yet the CERC has not officially declared war. However if reasonable terms cannot be met, the Parliament will be presented with another bill to enact a state of war.

-The State Department, Foreign Ministries Office

A young officer bursted through the doors into the Executive office of Royal General Takenski. He had been busily reading figures on future construction plans before he was rudly interupted. The general looked up somewhat annyoed at the officer, "Yes?" The officer reached for a piece of paper in his pocket and handed it to Takenski. "Hmm... I see." He folded the piece of paper and casually got up from his chair and walked down the hall to the communications center. He opened the door to the communications center and spotted an idle operator. The general walked over to him and put his hand firmly on his shoulder. "Type exactly what I say".

To: The Colonial Empire of The Royal Code
From: The Offices of Royal General Mikhail Takenski; Interm Lord and Protector

"We are somewhat baffled by your support of the rebel Black Army soldiers. It has been documented by various sources that this faction was by far the most ruthless during the civil war. We believe that a nation such as yourself would not align yourself with such heartless and oppressive rebels.

Nonetheless were are more than willing to arrange a meeting with a delegate to clear up this misunderstanding. We would prefer that the meeting occurs on our soil. If this is agreed you can send a delegate to Larkin Airport near our nation's capital. If you deem it necesarry he or she may have lightly armed bodyguards. Should you have any more questions before our meeting do not hesitate to ask."

End of Message

As night fell and the clouds cast over the land, the small LearJet made a graceful touchdown at Larkin.

The hatch dropped down, and out stepped the Royal Ambassador; an older man of high fifties who fit his gray suit well. He and his assistant came to face with the Ninjaranian men on the tarmac.

A man in a black suit stood at the bottom of the hatch. A group of men armed with assault rifles stood behind him. He extended his right hand for a hand shake, "I'm Yaris Bolstov, assistant to Minister Adam Hayle. He's our Mininster of Political Relations. The convoy behind us will take us to a secure location where you can discuss whatever you want with him." He motioned the ambassador to the six black SUV convoy behind him. "The ride should take no more than fifteen minutes."

As he released his shake and listened to the man, the Royal Ambassador introduced himself, "I am Major Timothy Pallumo, Royal Territorial Army Retired. My college and I would be glad to join you at this secure location."

Bolstov nodded and the men went into the middle SUV. The trip was indeed quick and within sixteen minutes the SUVs slowed to a halt. They stopped in front of a large ten storied building. There was a significant presence of military personnel in order to ensure the safety of the delegates. The men got out of the car and walked in the front door. They walked roughly twenty feet before they turned to their right into the elevator. The men got out on the fifth floor and walked all the way down the straight hallway to a room labeled "Conference Room". Inside sat a man wearing a black suit with white pin stripes. He was in his forties and was of medium build. He got up from his chair and extended his hand, "I'm Adam Hayle the Minister of Foreign Relations. Please sit down and tell me what you wish to discuss." He motioned Major Pallumo to sit down.

The Major smiled and sat down.

"I assume you understand why i cannot disclose certain details about my nation's policies." he adjusted his tie.

"As i'm sure you've read in the telegram, the parliament isnt happy this situation hasent been resolved. In a situation such as this, with a Father Knows Best state at war with itself, it is our policy to support the rebel faction. It's our best shot at manipulating the victor to our liking. You understand. Colonialism is nothing new, eh?"

Minister Hayle rubbed his beard for a moment before he spoke, "I have read the telegram and it seems to me like your government may be a little misinformed. The rebels are a minor problem. Sure they kill a politician here a politician there but they will be completely eradicated within, say, two to three months. To say that our nation is at war with itself is somewhat far-fetched. The way I see it the war is over. We are reestablishing our economy, our military, everything. We are now more in the rebuilding stage. And in order to prevent further chaos we have to be a little more strict than we would like. After ten years of essentially total anarchy and war people are a little on edge, you could say. They may have forgotten how you have to behave and act in the civilized war. That's why we have little leniency.

And sir, if you believe that your nation siding with the rebels will manipulate us in some sort of significant way I'm afraid you're mistaken. The way we see it the rebels are nothing more than a little insignificant bump in the road.

So tell me Ambassador Pallumo what are you here for?"



"As i'm sure you've read in the telegram, the parliament isnt happy this situation hasent been resolved. In a situation such as this, with a Father Knows Best state at war with itself, it is our policy to support the rebel faction. It's our best shot at manipulating the victor to our liking. You understand. Colonialism is nothing new, eh?"

Pallumu leaned back in his chair and consulted his lacky. They conversed for a moment...

"Mr. Ambassador," Pallumo continued, "I believe that my government may have been misinformed, as you suggest. I would like to propose that you allow my nation to send in military advisers to evaluate the situation. If we deem the war is nearly over as you say, you shall hear nothing more from us. 500 men on the ground is our request, transported in our vehicles, guided by yours. Sound decent enough?"


OOC: out for the night, back on tomorrow!

Minister Hayle motioned his assistant, Bolstov, to come over. He whispered something in his ear and he nodded. Bolstov took out his phone and dialed a number. He walked away and spoke for only a couple minutes. He shut his phone and whispered something to Minister Hayle. Hayle cleared his throat and spoke, "That is acceptable. Your advisors can land at Hempstead Air Force Base. I'll arrange for one of our generals to be avaliable to them once they arrive. A large security detail will be attached in order to ensure their safety.

So if that is all that we have to discuss Ambassador I believe I shall go. Bolstov here will escort you back to your aircraft. That is unless you have anything further to discuss?"

Pallumo shook his head with a smile as he stood up. "No my friend, that'll do just fine. You'll be hearing from us shortly."

ooc: This rp is all but wrapped up.

From the Desk of Royal General Mikhail Takenski
Comrades of the great Republic of Ninjarania, I am here to inform you of the most terrible news which has been recently given to me. As many of you know following the outbreak of the Great Civil War nearly every island that was once a part of our nation broke away. They became self-autonomous and ruled themselves without our interference. Now that the war is over I have personally written to every interm ruler of these territories. I have asked for them to rejoin us, and most have complied. Some minor islands have refused but the most troubling news is that the island of Tehoui has outright rejected my proposal for the reunion. This island is the third largest island of the former Empire, roughly 500,000 sq km, and contains vital ports that are essentially to trade and restoring our way of life. My attempts to establish further discussion of this issue with their officials have been declined.

Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I am immediately ordering the deployment of the First Light Amphibious Assualt Group. These vessels have been totally refitted and extensively tested in order to ensure that our soldiers have the best avaliable equipment and resources. The Third Royal Marines Brigade has been attached to this naval task force incase the need for force is needed. We hope that this projection of force will help persuade the officials on the Island of Tehoui that reunion with the Republic will be in there best interest. I shall try to keep the people updated as much as possible on this recent development.

Secret IC:
Forces to Be Deployed
3rd Royal Marines Brigade: 3,200 soldiers

1st Light Amphibious Assualt Group
1 Jericho Class Amphibious Assualt Ship
5 Clan Grant Class Fleet Replenisher
7 Point Catilan Class Escort Frigates
3 Ardent Class Frigates
1 Centaur X Class Guided Missile Cruiser
2 Revenge Class Destroyers

Poppuho, Tehoiu
Chairman Simon Baker sat at his soft leather chair. He stared down each of the other eleven members before him, noticing how nervous and worried there were about the current situation. "Gentlemen of the Board of Directors. Why are you so worried?" The well dressed yet slightly porky Jason Fiorvano slammed his fist on the hard wood table, "Damnit Simon you're always too calm. Right now we have a fleet of government ships and an army of government soldiers ready to pounce on our island. They're going to kill us Simon. They're gonna kill us and take everything that we have worked for. I have spent far too much of my own personal time and I feel tha-." Chairman Baker rosed his hand sharply and frowned at Director Fiorvano. "Now Jason I know of the current situation. There's no need to lose our composure. We have been through much these last ten years and we've always figured our way out of every situation. I just ask that all of you remain calm and come back tomorrow at the same time. We shall discuss our possible actions then. This is all that I wanted to say tonight. Just stay calm and think."

The members of the Board of Directors slowly got up from their chairs and walked out the front door. Chairman Simon Baker watched as the last man closed the door and proceeded to the liquor cabinet. He poured himself some whiskey and looked outside the window. He thought about everything that had happened to him the last ten years. Originally, he had just been a wealthy, upcoming businessman in the island province of Tehoui. The island had always been an avenue for trade and business. It's hundreds of ports brought in business from the farthest reaches of the Earth. Some of the richest men in Ninjarania gained their wealth due to business done in Tehoui. The outbreak of civil war in the mainland caused total anarchy in Tehoui. Food was becoming scarce, there were no formal police or government. Gangs ruled portions of the island. Dozens of people were being killed daily. Something had to be done.

This was when Chairman Baker took action. He gathered some of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Tehoui and formed the Board of Directors. They organized a fully functioning government with the Board having total control over nearly all aspects of life on the island. With these twelve businessmen at the helm of the island it, once again, became a bustling avenue for trade and business. They even organized a small military to deal with gangs, protesters and trouble makers. Everything was going perfect.

The arrival of a naval fleet and professional soldiers was about to ruin it all. He peered at the report on his desk indicating that only one thousand men could be armed in the defense of Tehoui. He imagined the intense missile barrage of the capital Poppuho. The government soldiers running rampagingly through the city, killing everything in sight... Something must be done.