NationStates Jolt Archive

Foxbury Island

Foxbury island was one of the few colonies that the Holy Reich retained after the Imperial Wars of the eighties. She was also the greatest and wealthiest of her colonies, and was for all intents and purposes independent. The island is about the size of Australia, except about ten percent smaller, and the coastlines are heavily built up with cities and towns, although away from the coastlines is a vast desert. The desert isn't all that unimportant however, with many towns set up there mining coal and iron as well as oil. Factory complexes are nearby, providing cheap goods for citizens back in the homeland as any good colony should. Four hundred and ten million people resided in the island, most of them earning around 30,000 dollars per year, although there was a slum society that unfortunately made much less. The entire island was protected by a total combat force of sixty thousand troops, there were of course more logistics troops. Despite this a fair bit of the logistics was actually handled by civilians and was a fairly lucrative business. In addition the island held several major airbases and a port that was home to the Seventeenth Fleet which was responsible for the maritime defense of the island.

Domingo was literally pouring sweat out of every pore it seemed, and his shirt and sweatpants were completely soaked by it. He still couldn't believe it given the low temperature outside, just twenty degrees, but then again the physical training could do that to you. “ Pain! Pain! In my thighs!” He shouted, repeating the candance as the platoon continued to run around Fort Ariska. Oh, how Domingo hated Lieutenant Brown, the damn kid was obsessed with keeping his platoon at tip-top shape. Domingo could have sworn that his platoon did twice as much training as any other platoon in the damn battalion! Hell, maybe even the whole island! Finally they reached the end and water was awaiting them.
“Jesus, Robbie, I swear Brown is going to kill us one day with this crap.”
“ Oh come on, Dom. Don't you like getting up at five o clock and running three miles!” Robbie, who was five foot eleven but very built up, laughed at his own lame joke.
“ Just shut the fuck up man. Watch the Lieutenant tell us to go to the obstacle course and then the firing range.”
“ Hell, I don't need to “watch”. You know as well as I do that he will.” Dom groaned, but indeed soon they had do to the obstacle course ten times before heading to the firing range. “ Like anybody is ever going to invade here.” Dom thought to himself. He would be proven wrong.

Coastal Station Six

Coastal Station Six was a small radar and command post stationed on top of a small ridge overlooking the east coast of the nation. Its job, along with UAV's and AWACS, was to track and identify all air traffic and sea traffic going in and out of the island everyday. It was normally a boring job, as it was all just shipping or tourist ships or planes. But today would be much different.

Sergeant Alexis Nichole was sipping on her cup of coffee. Black, naturally. She couldn't understand how people liked it any other way. It was a local Foxbury brew, and indeed the island import ed large amounts back to the homeland but also to other nations around the world. Kampfers was a big consumer, for example. Her thoughts dazed back to the hotel room where she had meet that beautiful man. They had been meeting there on weekends for the last four weeks, and oh how Alexis enjoyed it. Her thoughts were soon disrupted however when her radar console bleeped several time. “ Oh. A false alarm. Damn radar on the UAV's always picks up merchants getting too close.” However as she looked again she sat up straighter. Getting up briskly, she walked over and picked up a phone. “Nichole, here. I got radar targets from UAV number sixteen. A large amount. Something to worry about.”

Unfortunately the UAV the Coastal Station was using was over twenty years old, and furthermore the radar hadn't been tweaked in months. The whole military on the island was very relaxed overall and was just barely ready to repel a minor assault on the island. Thus when the reports came in the commanders there panicked. According to radar returns, there was some sort of enemy fleet that consisted of cruiser sized sized and carrier sized vessels including their various escorts. In reality they were detecting some large merchant vessels with a few escorting destroyers. Soon it was determined by Viking electronic warfare birds that the vessels were Freekish in nature. Despite this nobody really payed attention to what they were actually saying. After the war the several commandeers would be court-martiled for failure to further investigate the ships. However at the time there was heightened tensions over the APOC-Gholgoth situation and nerves were fryed. The beaches of Foxbury were not militarized with anything notable. But, there were several blocks of fenced off VLS cells located several dozen kilometers inland. They soon got a lock on the targets via the UAV and launched over forty Sea Scimitars at the enemy. Little did the commanders know that their mistakes had provoked a war that would cost hundreds of thousands of lives.

The small escort detachment had unwillingly sailed into unfriendly waters on their way to Haven, and without so much as being hailed they found themselves under fire. The large freighter the two destroyers and one cruiser were protecting was en route to Allanea bearing a vast amount of commercial goods per NATO trade agreements, and since the reformation of APOC Azrael had ordered all large freight vessels to be escorted until they were just outside of Haven waters. But this convoy would not make it.

Immediately the commander of the small unit ordered the three ships to break and perform evasive maneuvers in an attempt to draw fire away from the cargo ship, which began to slowly turn itself hard to port in an attempt to flee the scene. Immediately they began to employ electronics warfare in an attempt to jam the sensors within the missile's guidance system, as well as employing UAV's that would put out strong high frequency signals and attempt to lure the misiles up and away from the ships. They then locked on and fired off Hellrage and Gladius missiles, medium and short range interceptors designed to eliminate hostile inbound ordnance before it could reach them.

The simultanious launch would be difficult for so few ships to stop, but their very lives were on the line. Every gun on deck was loaded with SmartFlak rounds, and in addition to the interceptors and now rolling airframe missiles that were outgoing, a small defensive wall of flak was employed. Data was rapidly exchanged from the ships sensors to the guns, allowing the SmartFlak system to properly lead the missiles and make adjustments instantly in light of any evasive maneuvering the enemy weapons were capable of. The ships also began to zig zag back and forth in an attempt to keep as many of their AA guns towards the incoming missiles as possible, though this effort would most likely be in vain due to the low success rate of guns against missiles, even though the SmartFlak system was one of the most advanced in the world and employed the latest air bursting guided munitions.

However, in the fog of battle the destroyer Fallen was struck on its stern by a Sea Scimitar, damaging its rudder and severely hampering its ability to maneuver and survive the enemy salvo. Because of this, it was only able to move forwards in direction, which would eventually take it into Haven waters if it proceeded. The crew of the freighter on the other hand thought it was out of danger, but within minutes the unthinkable happened; a lone missile struck the side of the vessel near one of the large fuel tanks, causing the mammoth ship to explode into pieces with tremendous force. Large sections of the freighter filled with water and immediately sank beneath the waves, while flaming debris littered a large area.

The undamaged destroyer and cruiser then made a sharp turn back towards Gholgoth, while their injured comrade would steam on towards Haven and hail NATO authority within the region in hopes of getting a tow to a friendly port for repairs. However they were not out of danger and continued to fend off the Sea Scimitars as best they could, though it was unclear if they could weather a successive wave of greater size and scale. Freekish naval authority was notified that they were under attack and transmitted their coordinates, and they requested immediate support from any vessels in the area, to which they were informed that there were none. Their only hope of survival rested squarely on their shoulders.

Foxbury Island
A cheer erupted in the command center as radar and UAV's overhead confirmed that one enemy destroy had been completely destroyed by a missile and a freighter had sunk. However there were still several enemy survivors that needed to be destroyed. For this task the commanders ordered that a flight of Blackadder bombers be sent in for the attack. The enemy forces would have to be destroyed before they made it to friendly waters.

Sleeping was always a good thing. In fact, while Norris was a teenager, he slept a little too much, often not doing homework because he would sleep and take naps. Even now after a long day of boring work around the base, he prepared himself for sleep. Unfortunately this was ruined when the klaxons started to blared, ordering that the fourth naval strike squadron be immediately scrambled. Norris himself was the weapons operator of his Blackadder, named Georgia after their pilots now ex girlfriend back home. Each of the Blackadders were armed with ten AS.160 missiles each, easily enough to destroy the surviving enemy forces. Accompanying them were several Viking electronic warfare aircraft along with several naval AWACS. The aircraft flew low over the water, below aircraft range, except for the AWACS which stayed up in the air to help guide the missiles. As the aircraft closed onto the targets, they "popped-up" to let the sensors read the enemy and then the fourteen aircraft launched half their missile payloads at the enemy from one hundred kilometers away. This would ensure the destruction of the vessels, but if it didn't they more to let loose.

At the same time around the island, troops were being called back from weekend leave and bases were put on high alert. The commanders did not know whether or not the Freekish would attack by long-range bombing strikes or dispatch ships to assualt. They also could not rule out the possibility of enemy submarines would could launch cruise missiles at targets on the island. Beaches were not evacuated yet, but the populace was a warned to be alert for any potential conflict. Seventeenth Fleet also ordered its sailors back on-board to help defend against any other enemy vessels.

When the radio waves erupted with cries of 'Aircraft inbound!', the crews of the doomed ships prepared for their inevitable fate. The inbound shore launched missiles were already causing them serious grief, but now that they were being attacked from above....the game was all but over. The guns and launch tubes aboard the small craft put out as much fire as they could muster, filling the air with both missile and shell alike, hoping against hope that they might be able to slip away at least somewhat intact.

But when Freekish High Command lost GPS locations of the ships and heard nothing on the satellite radios, they knew that the valiant ships would not be returning home. This unprovoked attack sparked outrage within the military, and immediately the Freeks prepared to respond with force. Spy satellites began to scan the small island in order to located defensive points or targets of interest such as airfields, since it was apparant that the enemy would be projecting itself in the air. Due to the location of this island, Freekish heavy bombers would be able to make frequent strikes against ground targets in the event that carrier based fighters could neutralize whatever air and anti-air assets their foes possessed.

The ground forces however would be modest at best, consisting not of overwhelming numbers but instead elite Sentinels who would use a variety of new weaponry and time tested Freekish tactics to sweep across the island as quickly as possible. Though it was unclear how large and how capable their enemy was, a modest Sentinel force under the command of a little known Warchief by the name of Nergal Hellhammer was charged with the task of seeking vengeance against their attackers. Several legions which had already been put on high alert some time ago were immediately loaded into their ships, while heavy bomber crews began to load their bomb bays with high explosive justice that would be rained down upon their foes.

Meanwhile, an initial response to the attack would be in the form of 'Porcupine' intercontinental cruise missiles, devastating kinetic weapons that would be used against the various airports on the island in order to deprive the enemy the ability to take off and land, thus rendering any aircraft of theirs impotent. Nearly a dozen of the mammoth weapons were fired after being given the appropriate coordinates, and a single missile would be able to deploy its 10 kinetic submunitions at altitude and have the ability to put large holes in long stretches of runway.

Freekish SSBN's participating in regular joint Gholgothan regional perimeter patrols were sent forth the cut off an inbound and outbound shipping, be it in the form of supplies, reinforcements, or inhabitants wishing to flee back to their homeland. With Dreadfire emerging once more on the world scene after vanishing from public attention for years, it would be made clear that there would be no escape for those who perpetrated this attack. Rumor was beginning to circulate that the Mouth For War, Damien's personal battleship and Flagship of the Freekish Navy, was slipping out of port...with a heading that would take it directly to where Hellhammer's forces were being deployed.

Foxbury Island, command center

After the enemy vessels had been sunk, and the celebrations had been completed, the commanders there realized just what shit storm they had gotten themselves in to. Within twenty four hours of the attack, jets were arriving with Prussian high-ranking military and political officials. After it was realized that they had sunk a simple merchant group, the gravity of the situation was weighing down on everyone. They expected Freekish forces to attack soon, and likely with an invasion of the island. APOC couldn't be called on, as they would not help because of TPF's bloodlust in attacking the vessels. Now the whole island turned over to crisis mode. The commanders in charge of the island were removed from command and new officers were placed in charge. Areas around the coast were evacuated and Seventeenth Fleet was put out to sea immediately. Combat Air Patrols were established around the clock, and all aircraft were kept fueled and armed, with their aircrews at high alert. All civilians were evacuated from the beaches and military forces began to take over these areas and began to fortify them with mines, barbed wire, and anti-tank obstacles. From the Reich, an additional one hundred thousand soldiers from Thirty First Army were en route, along with the Tenth Air Force and Twenty-First fleet. TPF hoped that these forces would be able to hold off any Freekish invasion. The Air Force would arrive within 72 hours, but it would take the fleet and soldiers at least a week.

Captain Glew was in charge of the one of the LY471 Skyguard SAM sites stationed around Foxbury island to protect its airspace. The LY471 was a fine piece of kit, one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world, and was well suited to the defense of the island. Glew had been in command for just over a year now, and this never had he been so nervous. The Skyguards on the island were also aided by the huge "Preying Mantis" radar array at the west, east, south, and north of the islands, which were part of the larger National ABM Protection System, which were a series of radar defenses and weapons system designed to defend TPF from a mid-sized nuclear ICBM attack. While the Bastion radar of the LY471 systems were well suited to locating, tracking, and attacking ICBM's, the kinetic warheads of the modified Rampart missiles required pinpoint accuracy provided by the "Preying Mantis". Klaxons soon blared as the system registered over a dozen unidentified ICBM missiles heading towards the island. The ICBM's could be nuclear, EMP, or conventional, but whatever they were they needed to be taken out. The first line of defense was the orbiting Brilliant Pebbles ABM system, which consisted of hundreds of small orbiting satellites equipped with Kinetic warheads. Depending on the speed, countermeasures, spin, path, and range of the enemy missile, the Brilliant Pebbles had anywhere from a good chance to a poor chance of destroying the enemy missiles. As they engaged, the second layer of defense was readied. This consisted of the Rampart missiles, and once the SAM network knew how many missiles were left, they would figure out how many Ramparts to launch to ensure the destruction of the last enemy ICBMs.

The first several Porcupines were defeated as they neared the upper atmosphere from the orbital weapons platforms the TPF commanders had employed to shield themselves from the impending kinetic destruction. Since the large ICCM's were being sent in staggered waves, the Freeks would have narrow windows of opportunity in which the enemy weapons satellites would pass out of the area due to its natural orbit, but additional measures were taken to ensure the success rate of the initial attack. Naval based 'Skewer Mk4' missiles were fired in several barrages to knock out the enemy satellites before additional platforms could pass back over the area and block the Porcupine attack.

Since Foxbury was not too far from Gholgoth itself it, it wouldn't be necessary for the ICCM's to fully exit the atmosphere and into orbit, so instead the missiles would be sent at varrying trajectories and at varrying altitudes ranging from the 80,000 foot mark and upwards. But the enemy reply was continuous in the form of ground based interceptor missiles, which would streak upwards and attempt to again defeat the Freekish attack before it could be fully brought to bear. However, since the Porcupine was not at terminal speed its sensors were able to detect the enemy weapons lock and gauge the estimated time until impact. As a result the missiles that had closed in and were in danger of being destroyed deployed their ten kinetic submunitions at the previously established targets, increasing the number of projectiles in the air many times over. Each depleted uranium submunition then activated its boosters to bring it into terminal speed, being driven down towards the ground at many times the speed of sound towards its GPS established coordinates.

The Porcupine attack against enemy airstrips continued relentlessly, but additional salvos of missiles would be aimed at strategic targets such as key defensive positions revealed by satellite imagery, armor columns, and any ships that were parked at their home ports. Any building such as power plants, communications hubs, power grids, etc. were also placed in the list of targets for initial softening so that the Freekish Navy could project itself in the air more effectively and pave the way for Air Force heavy bombers which were already taking to the skies. While the exact troop numbers remained unknown, intelligence revealed that a large enemy force was setting off from Haven and would have to be dealt with before they could land additional men and material on Foxbury. It would also be crucial to disable every landing strip on the island in order to deny the TPF Air Force a location to stage itself, which would deal the defenders on Foxbury a crippling blow.

However, Hellhammer was already well on his way with thousands of ships and a fairly large contingent of Sentinels, roughly 30,000 in all. He would likely arrive at the island before reinforcements from TPF could, but in order to stall their arrival he began to order his 'Supremacy' class SSBN's to position themselves inbetween Foxbury and Haven in the deep, cold waters. However much time this could buy him he did not know, but what he did know is that he would have the element of surprise on his side, as well as hardware that had proven itself time and time again throughout Automagfreek's history.

The ships of the fleet were still a day or so out from their objective, but as they began to draw closer they started to fan themselves out strategically in preparation for both supporting a landing party and defeating whatever air assets Foxbury could muster, and engaging the reinforcing fleet before it could bolster the defending enemy forces. Warchief Nergal was now certain that Dreadfire himself would be arriving for the siege, though he was unsure exactly what he would be bringing with him in terms of men and material. This lack of communication bothered Nergal more than a little bit, but regardless of Damien showed up or not, he would have to complete his objective.

Foxbury Island

Glew bit his lip as the reports came in from the "Preying Mantis" radars and Warzone Battlespace Management System. The Brilliant Pebbles had not been able to eliminate the bulk of the enemy missile spam that had attacked Foxbury. That was unfortunate, the remaining missiles would now have to be engaged by the two LY471 divisions located around the island, but luckily they would be backed up by the Town-class Air Defense Cruisers of the Seventeenth fleet, which would be using their SA.42B ABM missiles. The 'Preying Mantis' radars combined with the Warzone Battlespace Management System would ensure that the missiles would be highly accurate in pritorizing and engaging the targets.

As the first salvo of missiles lifted off, the enemy ICCM's and ICBM's unveiled a nasty and unwelcome surprise as they released their kinetic submuntions loads early. This now complicated the matter as even more targets emerged on the radar screens. Fighter squadrons were now being alerted and scrambled to assist with further salvos. The LY471 systems and the Town Class ships soon responded with a salvo of six hundred missiles at the first salvo, around two missiles for every submuntion. The LY471 missiles not only used Ramparts, but also their LY4030 missiles. Only a few dozen missiles were launched from the Town Cruisers, as these were to be saved for any future attacks on the fleet. Only a small fraction of missiles had been spent on the first salvo, but even so logistics personal prepared to reload the SAM's with the large amount of extras on the island. C-5 aircraft would continue to bring additional missiles in with urgent priority. The enemy submuntions did have a deadly effect on the airfields. While most had been destroyed, several were able to slam down on the airfields, putting several dozen out of commission. It would take engineers some days to repair them, and the total take off and landing capacity of the airfields was reduced by thirty percent. Thus, the military hijacked the international airports ad well as smaller providence and even municipal airports for smaller aircraft. ASF-70 squadrons were now in the air as well as F-25 Specter fighters from the fleet, to defend against further enemy missile strikes. These aircraft were on station as the next series of salvos began against the airfields and other strategic targets, and once again these were met with LY471 systems backed now by the fighters. Even so, two dozen submuntions made it for impact, killing over eight hundred personal and over two thousand civilians as they hit bases, neighborhoods, and power plants.

At the same time Fourth Armada continued its cruise towards Foxbury, this had been increased from the original singular fleet due to the increased stakes being represented. The Armada consisted of three reinforced fleets, which represented a fair portion of the Prussian Navy. They carried the one hundred thousand troop army with them. They were heading to the island on full steam, and expected to arrive in five days.

Three Army mechanized divisions were also being deployed to the island via a superhuman airlifting network. This included several in-flight refueling on the way, and C-5's and C-17's literally flying twenty four hour missions with the exchange of flight crews. Several aircraft crashed due to the extended flight time. Meanwhile elements of Tenth Air Force began arriving, and found the situation with the airfields under control but chaotic. They eventually landed and mostly consisted of tankers, AWACS, and fighter squadrons. It would still take two days for the rest to arrive, but more were landing every day.

Hellhammer did not sleep the rest of the night, and as the sun began to lift from the distant horizon, the sound of VLS tubes unleashing their fury could be heard far and wide, as well as the rush of aircraft engines as the Freekish Sea Scorpions and Stratosfighter I and II's began to assemble overheard. AWACS had been scanning the skies without pause since the continuous ICCM barrage began, and commanders on board the carrier Frostbite finalized the details on their strike packages. The pilots would organize and eliminate whatever aircraft were present, and in unison with fleet missile barrages they were to engage SAM sites and other targets of opportunity as best they could in preparation for a landing.

Stealth cruise missiles such as the 'Ballista Mk.2' were fired en masse towards targets that the 'Porcupine' barrages had not touched or managed not to destroy, such as airport fuel dumps, frontline bunkers and other defensive strongholds, and stationary SAM sites that satellite intel had located. Freekish High Command had anticipated the TPF military resorting to using civilian airstrips to supplement their losses in available runways, which was why the continuing ICCM barrage continued targeting those as well. In an effort to also blind their enemy, 'Ballista Mk.3E' stealth cruise missiles upgraded for anti-radiation warfare were launched in order to seek out active radar arrays and destroy them.

The Foxbury defenders would indeed find themselves under an intensive blanket of long range missile fire, which would only increase in size as the fleet drew closer and engaged with medium and short range weaponry. SSGN's (with fast attack escorts) of the fleet began to draw themselves further out from their formations and swing wide around Foxbury to not only hammer defensive points from all sides, but to also bolster the SSBN's acting as a blocking force between Foxbury and Haven. The Supremacy classes would also be able to offload special forces discreetly at undefended points of the island nearest to Haven, for tactically the TPF military's biggest concern was the inevitable landing parties, and not their rear where no Freekish surface ships were present.

However that was not the primary focus of Hellhammer's attentions, for his goal was to make the coast as friendly as possible in order to provide adequate fire support for his Sentinels. And so the relentless missile barrage continued until he was satisfied that he could begin moving his battleships and battlecruisers into range, and which time the artillery siege of the designated landing zones would start. He was also sure that the combined might of the advanced Freekish naval fighters would be able to covercome the challenges they would face, though the fleet would need to neutralize as many anti-air assets the enemy possessed.

But as the attack began to intensify, a chilling message was sent forth to TPF high command from the Freekish flagship Mouth For War at the head of the mammoth Task Force Dreadfire.

~From the desk of Lord Damien the Destroyer, Supreme Warlord of the Excessively Armed Empire of Automagfreek~

Cretins of The PeoplesFreedom, here me now.

You have drawn Freekish blood, and for such treachery you shall have your blood spilled. By the very flames of Hell have I returned, and mark my words I shall take this fight to your doorstep if you do not tuck tail and turn your ships around immediately. Foxbury shall suffer its due fate, and there is nothing anyone can do to save them from the horrors that await them. Know that if you continue forward I shall send my waiting aramda foward and crush all your military sends.

Do not make the mistake in testing me. Do not make the mistake of not fearing me.


http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/1818/signson6.png

Saint Maria Hospital, Foxbury Island

Wiping sweat off his brow, James had just a few seconds of rest as he waited for the next patient. His hands were soaked with blood, it had leaked through his plastic gloves and he would not be surprised if they were stained red. After shredding them off, he washed them and prepared for the next victim to arrive. The constant barrages of rockets and missiles had left tens of thousands dead already and more injured. The civilian hospitals were overflowed, and James had been working for eighteen hours straight. His last nap was only four hours long. He was aided by a intern who, despite the intense wounds managed to be holding up. Another person was soon wheeled in a gurney, she was no more than twelve years old. Her head had a huge gash across the brow, and it was bleeding heavily, blood having soaked through the bandages. Her left arm was also missing and the stub was bleeding. There was no more blood to give these poor people, all had been used. Healthy survivors were donating what blood they could, but it was used up within minutes. The intern removed the large piece of shrapnel that had pierced her brow, and James applied a tourniquet to her stub. He then stapled the brow, sterilized and bandaged it, and sent her on her way. More would come.

Throughout the day, more missile continue to rain down on the island, causing severe damage to certain areas and forcing engineers to clear and construct new airfields and shelters for the millions of refugees. The refugees were also becoming a severe problem as they clogged up railways and highways, making it hard for troops to get where they needed. Strategic aircraft were now landing at twenty an hour, many of them carried replacement missile for the Skyguards as well as whole Skyguard batteries to further reinforce the divisions already on the island. Falcon VTOL/STOL aircraft would play a signficant role in the conflict as they were capable of operating on small dirty runways.

As the bombardment continued and the enemy armada closed in, commanders were desperate to come up with a solution to delay the enemy advance. Engaging the armada with Seventeenth Fleet would be suicidal and would only result in several hours of delay with huge loss of material and men. In the end it was decided that their best chance was to delay the armada as much as possible, then strike with all their might as they landed, hopefully limiting their advance until the friendly armada could arrive and engage. The good news was that the Freekish forces were rapidly expending their missile supply which could not be easily replaced while at sea.

That night, the first enemy sorties were detected. Enemy bombers and fighters were detected to the north by the long-range radars, and were soon confirmed by Red Robin AWACS on station. Quickly, ASF-70 fighters, along with Audux and Falcon fighters, moved to engage the enemy forces. They were supported by two squadrons of F-25 fighters that had launched from the carriers. Seventeenth fleet would provide cover with SAM's, the Skyguards remained ready but concentrated on the missiles. They TPFian forces could outnumber the enemy fighters and bombers for now, but that might not last much longer due to the continuing bombardment on the airfields. The good news was that the fighters were loaded with Thunderbolt missiles which had a range of over 214 kilometers. Soon over four hundred of these missiles were launched at the enemy at 170 kilometers, guided by AWACS. Once they got within twenty five or so kilometers, their own guidance warheads would take over and guide them in for the kill. This missiles likely outraged the enemy's and hopefully the enemy forces would be destroyed before they even arrived over the island.

Hellhammer was immediately alerted when AWACS and OTH radar both confirmed a sizable offensive by fists of inbound bandits, who wasted no time in firing a large blanket of long range missiles from an extreme range. He was perplexed slightly as to the timing of the aerial assault since the TPF airmen would be operating with limited surface cover either from land or sea, though it was suggested that this might be a rapid harrass and retreat operation. Regardless, the missiles were being tracked by both airborne warning systems as well as UAV's that patrolled the outer perimeter alongside but a few Stratosfighter II's, who skimmed at near their maximum ceiling of with their radar turned off, and as a result would be difficult to detect due to the stealthy design of Automagfreek's premier fighter. The enemy missiles would also have to contend with electronics warfare planes that began to broadcast their jamming signals in unision with that of the fleet, while individual fighters prepared their own electronic countermeasures in the form of radar jamming and DIRCM for heat seeking weapons.

The main wing of Freekish planes were still loitering above Hellhammer's fleet, which had slowed its approach earlier in the day and was therefore out of range for both incoming and outgoing fire. Those inbetween the outer perimeter and the ships were ordered to maintain altitude and begin regrouping with the large clusters of fighters who were in the process of setting off for sorties, and the Freekish bombers which were not even close enough to register on friendly AWACS were told to stand by until the skies could be made friendly for their approach. The pilots were informed that were to hold a pattern far enough away from the Freekish fleet for an unspecified amount of time, and they expressed concern that extended loitering would threaten their ability to effectively engage ground targets since fuel would then become a concern.

Hellhammer's electronics warfare planes had detected a giant radar signature coming from the direction of the enemy attack, suggesting that the TPF pilots were doing as the Freeks were and flying by airborne warning and control sensors instead of their own. This would make defending against the inbound missile easier since they could focus their jamming on the single enemy datalink system, which would either render the missiles completely blind and thus rendering them ineffective, or force them to switch to their internal radar. But over such large distances it was unlikely that their batteries would be able to last the duration of the flight, and against small and highly maneuverable aircraft and very long range attack such as this would not have a high success rate.

The intensive electronic attack against the enemy AWACS driving the missile attack was followed by a brief counterattack from the Stratosfighter II's at the perimeter of the Freekish aerial defense. The source of the radar signals was known and was thus linked to the planes assigned with the task of blinding their foes, and by the very nature of radar it was possible to detect the enemy AWACS beyond its own detection range. For this strike the Freeks would rely on long range ordnance as well in the form of the 'Skewer' air to air missile, though it was unlikely if the attack would have its desired effect. However, the 'Skewers' were set to fly out to a predesignated distance at a predetermined height without the use of any sort of radar sensors, making it difficult to defeat since the enemy would not detect any sort of radar lock. They would then turn on their sensors once they reached their aerial destinations and then actively home in on their target, which would still be under electronic assault.

Three Stratosfighter II's fired two 'Skewer' missiles each in unison as part of the counterattack, and each broke off from their formations moments after and prepared for the worst. As their internal doors opened briefly to eject the missiles, their radar signature spiked as the waves bounced off the opening in the fuselage and reflected back towards the source. As a result they were the juiciest targets for the missiled to engage even in light of the intense jamming that was taking place, and immediately they switched the afterburners and began racing back towards the Freekish fleet at their maximum ceiling, likely well above that of the planes the TPF military possessed. As their control panels began screaming alerts from the radar lock, the planes automatically put their AESA sensors into action and began sending out their own jamming bursts against the enemy missiles. Combined with the already stealthy nature of the Stratosfighter II, the hostile bandits would have little to lock onto with the massive waves of jamming signals being broadcast from multiple sources and Hellhammer hoped the attack could be thwarted altogether....though the next few minuted would determine if he would need to send in the bulk of his planes earlier than expected in order to clash head on with the TPF air force.

Meanwhile, the 'Porcupine' missiles from the nearest AMF operated outpost within Gothic territory continued its extremely long range assault against hard targets, though now TPF radar arrays were the focal point of the the attack. The on board sensors of the ICCM combined with integrated satellite radar array processing pinpointed the source of the waves being emitted from the ground, and thus they along with the cruise missiles outfitted with anti-radiation warheads were employed to attack these targets heavily. Destruction of ground based arrays would be crucial in taking the initiative in the skies above Foxbury, for it would not only deny enemy fighters support from SAM sites, it would make datalinking that much more difficult. The Freekish navy had spent few missiles thus far on the attack, chosing instead to send small numbers of stealth missiles against high value targets that required more precision to destroy as opposed to larget targets that the 'Porcupines' could handle, and since no anti-air or anti-shipping missiles had been fired yet, Hellhammer was well prepared for a fight. A single one of his SSGN's alone could carry over 150 cruise missiles....more than that of a standard battle group, so any assumptions by enemy commanders that the Freeks were losing steam were going to return to haunt them.

He decided to rally his ships and begin to press the action against the enemy fleet, even with the heavy action taking place in the skies. He knew that his ships outnumbered and likely outclassed his foes for the time being until their reinforcements arrived, but if he could defeat the enemy surface combatants quickly it would mark a decisive blow against his foes. His submarines which had carefully maneuvered all around the island were the first to engage with Predator Mk.6 anti-shipping missiles from their VLS cells, each of which were allocated targets based on satellite surveillance of the enemy fleet which had been acquired by his submarines some time ago. The carriers within the battle group would be the primary target, and to ensure the highest possible success rate the missiles were being driven solely by GPS until they could close in and activate their on board sensors, making it incredibly difficult for the opposing ships to detect the sea skimming missiles since no radar lock or signature would be present until it was too late. Hellhammer's submarines also prepared to engage with torpedos if their positions were uncovered and encroached upon, though for the moment they remained content to keep themselves mobile and as hidden as possible.

Dreadfire had already made it perfectly clear that any additional forces sent to aid Foxbury would only serve to hasten its destruction, since the mammoth Task Force Dreadfire numbered some 3,000+ ships that alone either matched or exceeded the known TPF navy. The Warlord watched as Nergal's forces continued closing in on both Foxbury and its defending ships, as well as finding itself tangled in a brutal air battle, and he was impressed for the most part. However he knew that he would have to actually show the TPF military he was ready to descend upon Foxbury himself and subsequently the TPF mainland should they choose to send additional naval, air, and ground units. As a result he began to move his fleet into a position whereas he could sail immediately to either the embattled island or into Haven itself, making sure to broadcast his movements for all the world to hear. Wether his enemy would wise up and realize that a small outpost in the middle of nowhere that fired first upon a Freekish convoy was not worth the loss of its enitre civilization, Dreadfire could only guess.

In The Air over Foxbury Island

It seemed that Air Control Command had jumped the gun. As the fighters unleashed their hellstorm of long range missiles, they found that the bulk of the enemy fighters and bombers were still circling over the Freekish fleet, under the protection of their signficant electronic warfare abilities and counter-missiles. Soon, a unbelievable amount of interference was jamming the fighter's radars, and the Red Robin's radar was having a tough time burning through the jamming. However, the fighters and AWACS managed to activate their ECCM equipment and this was furthered by a 'Safeguard' Electronic Warfare and Early Warning aircraft which was on duty. These ECCM efforts would ensure at least some of the missiles would make it to the enemy, but it was hardly the killing blow Prussian commanders had been hoping for.

Now they had more worries as targeting radars confirmed retaliatory enemy salvo. Importantly the missiles were detected too late to do much of anything, and 'Skewer' missiles slammed into more than a dozen aircraft, including two of the expensive, stealthy ASF-70 fighters. TPF would have to be careful not to jump the gun next time, but as the aircraft withdrew, several Cardinal fighter-bombers had lifted off equipped with the 'Fireworks' long-range missile, designed especially to destroy lumbering enemy AWACS. With a 400 kilometer range and a Mach 4.3 velocity, it was unlikely enemy AWACS would survive the ten missiles launched. More aircraft began to take off from the airfields to replace the landing one's, as they prepared to meet the next wave of Freekish aircraft.

The ICCM attack continued against the island. Several days of continuous bombardment had left smoldering and broken ruins everywhere, and transportation and communication systems were damaged, in some cases badly so. Analysts had been studying the electronic signals of the ICCM's for some time and discovered that they were mainly GPS guided. Thus, TPF High Command authorized an orbital strike to commence against enemy orbitals in the sky, identified by the 'Preying Mantis' radars and orbital radar satellites. The space attack consisted of over six hundred missiles launched at Freekish space assets. Rampart missiles and 'Shield' Anti-satellite missiles from the mainland launched, and they prepared to respond to any enemy ASAT attack with more interceptor missiles. In addition, Prussian commanders began intense EW efforts on the missiles, sometimes focusing intense radar beams on missiles from the 'Preying Mantis' and 'Bastion' radars to burn out enemy guidance systems. Soldiers on the ground worked hard to create camouflaged decoy SAM and Radar sites, as well as camouflaging current sites. Hopefully, the new combined efforts would stem or stop the relentless attacks.

Town-Class cruisers soon picked up the enemy anti-shipping missiles launched from the submarines. The attack against the Freekish GPS orbitals had just commenced, so for now the enemy missiles had a clean lock on Seventeenth Fleet. The WarZone Battlespace Management System soon began calculating and orchestrating the fleet's defenses against the new threat. As the missiles were detected and catergoized, they were engaged at long range, by Sea Sabre missiles which engaged the enemy at around 200 kilometers out before launching a second wave of missiles 100 kilometers out. These missiles, launched from the Town-class Cruisers as well as Trident-class destroyers, were highly accurate and lethal. They would severely thin the enemy missiles' numbers. The CAP patrol of Spectere aircraft was the second line of defense. These forty aircraft each fired three Thunderbolt missiles at the enemy missiles, ensuring their destruction. Even as the missiles came in, they faced intense jamming from Viking EW aircraft as well as the ships. The final line of defense began as individual ships popped chaff and radar decoys from launchers on their decks. CIWS and RAM then engaged the last enemy missiles. Now the Freekish submarine fleet had announced itself to the Prussians, and quickly helicopters were out in force with their MAD sensors and sonar buoys, and equipped with light torpedoes. The fleet's main job was to survive, and they now set course to swing around the west of the island, towards the south where they could meet with the coming armada. It would be hard to stay alive, and they stayed close to the coast so they could be assisted by land based forces. The battle for Foxbury was just now starting to heat up.

Upon detecting that enemy planes were withdrawing after the Freekish counter-fire, the high flying Stratosfighter II's that had assembled began to advance in four man formations across many miles of airspace and heading in different directions, with Hellhammer's fleet steaming towards the hostile Seventeenth in hot pursuit. Freekish AWACS had detected signatures from at most a hundred enemy fighters initially followed by a concentrated barrage that exposed a hole in TPF command's tactics, which meant that their fighters would not be able to stay in the fight for long with a depleted payload without having to land and re-arm. At maximum speed and altitude with miles of empty airspace to either side of the small formations, they began to advance stealthfully with a larger contingent of fighters, electronics warfare birds, and AWACS backing them.

The enemy missile launch again came at maximum range, which made Hellhammer cackle with glee as he watched his foes expell their weaponry in what he could only describe as a mad panic. Firing missiles at such range would have several disadvantages; the missiles targeting Freekish AWACS would be subjected to a large window of jamming and electronic countermeasures, and after traveling such extreme distances the missiles would lack the needed fuel to outmaneuver and chase their target. Drag would begin to overtake them and labor the small engines even more as they would inevitably begin to slow, and technicians on board one of the target AWACS began tom take appropriate steps to counter the threat. Escorting Stratosfighter I-E's would serve as the second line of defense with AI guided 'Hellrage' air to air missiles, which would be employed if the first line of defense in the form of electroics warfare planes failed to break the locks of the inbound hostile munitions.

TPF airmen appeared to lack the same experience in the skies as their Freekish counterparts, as was evident from their repeated blind missile saturation. Now that they were beginning to fall back from the engagement zone several fists of Stratosfighter II's began flying towards the mainland, where 'Porcupine' missiles had ravaged sizable portions of Foxbury's defense and communication networks. With their grids compromised and the bulk of the air battle taking place in the other direction, small groups of fighters prepared to begin sorties against whatever SAM sites and targets of interest remained. Relying on their great speed, stealthy profiles and the fog of war, they continued to fly with their radar off in order to diminish the chances of being detected. If however they were spotted and fired upon, they would engage the site accordingly and use their speed and maneuverability to defeat their threats in order to advance to the next target.

Meanwhile, Freekish High Command prepared themselves for the inevitable loss of some of their satellites overhead that were orbiting the Earth. Since Foxbury itself was smack dab inbetween Gholgoth and Haven it was likely that there would be large amounts of orbital traffic in the heavens, and as a result the damage from the attack would not be limited to Automagfreek. Nations from both regions would either have satellites struck directly or indirectly via the massive amount of space junk that would be generated, and as Dreadfire was informed of the situation he began to grow extremely angry. Hellhammer would have to wait for additional satellites to orbit around the Earth in order to resume missile guidance and data sharing, but in the meantime the Warlord himself ordered a swift retalliation for such treachery.

From the decks of six guided missile cruisers came several vollies of stealth cruise missiles outfitted with chemical warheads, their payload a nasty cocktail known as K-1 that would put VX to shame. With Foxbury's ravaged defenses a high probability of success was predicted by Hellhammer, and each missile was targeted Foxbury's population and military strongholds, where the surprise attack would have maximum effect. The destruction of Freekish satellites would mark a dangerous escalation in what was hoped to be a minor scuffle between AMF and TPF, but now it was obvious that Automagfreek would not take such actions likely and if his foes escalated further, the Freeks would as well.

As this was happening, 'Supremacy' class SSGN's that had initiated the anti-ship missile barrage were alerted to the presence of LAMPS rotary craft closing in from the lead vessel who was at periscope depth some distance away. Its sensor suite began streaming data to nearby submarines in order to formulate a response as well as allow sub commanders to maneuver themselves accordingly. As the helicopters were spotted and locked onto by the guidance systems of the perimeter subs, several torpedo tube launched missiles were prepped and released into the water inside self-propelled and guided containers that maneuver their way to the surface so as not to reveal the position of the submarines launching them. As they exited the water the missiles broke loose from their capsules and activated their radar sensors, moving directly towards the helicopters with great speed with the intention of downing all that were sent. It would certainly be a move that the TPF commanders may not have anticipated, but engaging the enemy LAMPS would allow the rest of the SSGN's elsewhere to stay in the fight and continue firing their 'Predator Mk.6' anti-ship missiles at TPF carriers.

Hellhammer's fleet was preparing itself for long range anti-shipping missile fire, and since the enemy fleet had been acquired via submarine, he would be able to initiate the launch since the enemy likely had not yet directly spotted his ships. From over a thousand miles out the first swarm of sea skimming 'Predator Mk.5' missiles were loosed in great quantity, targeting again the enemy carriers primarily as well as ships on the outer perimeter of the TPF Navy's formation. He was unsure if the enemy commanding officer was aware that he was being surrounded by submarines and now being imposed upon directly from out at sea. But while the bulk of Hellhammer's combatants steamed closer to the enemy ships, troop transports, gunnery capital ships, and supporting vessels broke off in the other direction and made a break towards the land.

It was no coincidence that they were steaming towards the same portion of land that was being strafed by Stratosfighter II's in the upper atmosphere that had broken formation, but even though Nergal's ships had begun spreading themselves out in either direction they would still enjoy immediate air cover since the fleet was still well covered by Sea Scorpion multi-role aircraft. Electronics warfare planes nearby would still be in range to offer their support, however temporarily before the main body of the fleet swung around the island and confronted the TPF Navy directly. But the expeditionary force would waste no time in beginning their missile assault against previously established targets, meaning they could continue hitting hard and soft positions of priority without the active use of satellites. UAV's began to fly ahead towards the designated six landing zones across a several mile stretch of land that had been the victim of Hellhammer's bombardment nearly from the outset of the engagement. Several thousand Sentinels with amphibious fighting vehicle support would be charged with clearing out safe landing zones in preparation for heavy armor and additional troops, and as Stratosfighter II's began their strafing runs over the area, the Sentinels tasked with serving as the first wave prepared themselves for battle as they loaded into their individual landing craft.

The men were informed that a chemical attack was taking place in response to the orbital strike on Freekish assets, and as a result they donned their NBC gear in case lingering K-1 contaminated the landing zones. While the task force was not yet within range of naval gun fire, commanders began loading their guns with high explosive, rocket assisted, GPS guided shells and prepared to loose the wrath of the Freekish Navy. While they would likely have to wait for additional satellites to enter orbital space of the battlefield, they would either resort to conventional mass bombardment instead of precision cannon fire. Some guns would also be loaded with air bursting anti-personnel munitions which could be dialed in once boots hit the ground, or if UAV's were able to detect concentrated clusters of defending troops....though it was unclear how many would still be standing after the chemical weapons took effect.

OOC:Post coming tonight.

OOC: Very sorry for the massive delay, now that Spring break is here an im no longer overloaded with testing I can post regularly again.
Foxbury Island

The AWACS were unfortunately too far away for even the most advanced missiles to successfully down them, but it was of little consequence as Central Air Command had a new plan for the enemy aircraft.

Meanwhile the sonar buoys deployed by the ASW helicopters and their MAD detectors had managed to detect several of the Freekish submarines that were prowling the perimeter. They quickly launched two light torpedoes at the enemy targets, which were guided by sonar and MAD. Those helos then turned around to re-arm, but their friend were not so lucky. Six helo's were downed by the enemy anti-air missiles, an ingenious and dangerous weapon that would complicate anti-submarine warfare. In order to counter this, Vikings now loaded up with MAD detectors and ASOC rockets. Frigates then fanned out from the outskirts of the fleet formation to form a picket a long way from the primary fleet, and the fleet's own attack submarines began the hunt for Freekish subs. It was hoped that this would diminish the enemy submarine threat.

An even larger threat was once again spotted as over one thousand enemy anti-shipping missiles began their attack runs on the Prussian fleet. Once again the fleet responded with a severe storm of anti-missile fire, also supported from Foxbury by the LY471 systems. The Town-Class cruisers once again saved the day, but at least several missiles slammed into a fleet carrier. Damage control crews were keeping here afloat for now, but in the meantime here aircraft were being re-directed to other carriers and land based air fields.

As the enemy chemical attack began, some of the enemy missiles were downed by LY471 fire, but at least half were able to impact on the island due to their stealthy nature. Civilians had no chance, millions died in the first few minutes and millions more would die in the following days. It was clear now that the conflict had escalated heavily, and now High Command back at TPF was considering the use of tactical nuclear and chemical weapons if the situation got worse. The chemical attacks that struck the bases did less damage, as all Prussian bases were equipped with ARGUS NBC detectors. Most men and women were able to get into their NBC suits, but even so several hundred died or were in serious condition at military hospitals.

Soon it was seen that enemy transports were steaming towards the beaches likely for their assualt on the island. No planes attempted to stem the tide, they were all preparing for the next attack on enemy aircraft. As the transport ships did come into range, they were met with a massive volley of over seven hundred missiles from the island's VLS tubes, as well as naval mines and CAPTOR mines they had been established two days earlier by navy divers and mine layers. They would need to delay the enemy for just one more day while the Armada arrived.

The Freekish 'Supremacy' submarines on the outer perimeter of the underwater formation had passively detected the enemy sonor scans and the launch of torpedoes into the water, and thus took immediate action to prevent them from destroying the expensive Freekish vessels. The 'Supremacy' was a submarine constructed largely of composite whos components were made entirely from non-magnetic material, thus significantly lessening the chances of being detected. Coupled with the stiff and surprising air defense they had employed the enemy would not be able to triangulate thier positions and would instead be forced to scan from a single direction for fear of being shot out of the sky. This would be a strong advantage for the Freekish captains who also began to employ noise generating decoys into the depths to actively ping the waters with extreme noise and essentially blind the sonor screens of anyone, friend or foe, attempting to scan the seas. Freekish technicians were alerted to this move so that they could avoid having their eardums explode from the extreme amount of sound that was sure to come from their headphones, and thus they turned off their sonor scanners temporarily until the torpedo threat was eliminated. ASHUM guns were placed on standby to intercept any torpedo that managed to keep a lock despite the massive employment of ECM and the maneuvering the sub captains had undertaken.

The lack of triangulation and the extreme amount of noisy interference would make it all but impossible for enemy scanners to find the stealty 'Supremacy' subs, who compensated for the lack of sonor detection by launching to the surface several small UAV's in order to continue their assault against the LAMPS aircraft as well as the ships that had now formed a picket line in order to halt their advance. The container launched anti-air missiles continued to rise to the surface in increasing numbers as more SSGN's joined in the fight, and Hellhammer knew that if his enemy lost the rest of its helicopters it would allow the 'Supremacy's subs to wreak havok on the ships of the line, who themselves were still under fire from anti-shipping missiles. With destroyers blocking their path to the heart of the fleet the focus was instead put on knocking them out of commission from above and below, and data that had been collected and streamed from the UAV's was programmed into several Mk. 202 'Demon Hunter' supercavitating torpedoes, which were fired into the projected path of several destroyers. At the extreme speeds of supercavitation it would be near impossible for the torpedoes to use their on board sensors and would thus either have to trust the generalized data from the UAV's or slow to speeds that would allow them to actively home in on their targets.

Several other wolfpacks had swung extremely wide from the near static line of destroyers and subs who were engaged in a fierce but largely one sided exchange of fire in an attempt to slip through and finish the assault on the defending ships. In conjunction with Nergal's numerical superiority and strategic positioning, his fleet had spread themselves out in order to pin his foes against their coast and his attack submarines. Gradually he was advancing on all fronts in order to forces his enemy into tighter formations and thus denying them the ability to maneuver. His planes had done well thus far in thwarting the poorly executed aerial attack and those dedicated to assaulting fixed positions on the land continued to do so, while the remainder focused on holding or outright defeating the enemy in the skies. UAV's, helicopters and AWACS continued to monitor a wide perimeter around Hellhammer's ships, and as additional satellites began to move overhead a long range anti-shipping missile barrage erupted from every missile toting ship under his command. Countless waves upon waves were fired at the remaining carriers and combatants at the outer perimeter that would be their first line of defense. EW planes continued to fly overhead while broadcasting their jamming signals intensely, both for the purpose of disrupting enemy ECM and whatever counterattack they could muster. However Hellhammer had the advantage of being able to freely maneuver throughout the area, and thus he was nowhere near as confinded as his enemy and as a result it would be more difficult to pick out and detect his ships accurately.

The odds were further tipped by the intensive assault upon enemy radar installations over the past several days, which would serve to eliminate the enemy's ability to spot Freekish planes from the ground as well as Nergal's ships. Several squadrons of Stratosfighter II's had already been operating over the designated LZ's as well as deeper into hostile territory, while some began to approach the enemy fleet from inland. In doing so it was unlikely that they would be picked out as Freekish by enemy AWACS commanders since the TPF navy had deployed a significantly large amount of planes and their radar screens were likely to be littered with a huge amount of objects, and they would be heading from Foxbury, which would give further credability to the planes being friendly. However with large amounts of enemy radar installations either destroyed or not actively scanning the skies it would be unlikely that the highly advanced stealth air superiority fighters would even be detected until it was too late.

However as a massive enemy missile launch was detected several sqaudrons of Freekish 'Wild Weasels' sprang into action an immediately began to engage the radar installations that had manged to detect the small Freekish landing craft. Upon acquiring the source of the enemy missiles lock, AI guided 'Hellrage' missiles with anti-radiation warheads were fired from a distance in hopes of disabling the sites and rendering the hostile missiles dead in the air,. As the several four man squads of Wild Weasels began to engage from a distance they readied their 250 pound small diameter laser guided bombs in case they needed to do a fly over of the site, while the two escorts in each unit prepared to engage whatever partolling jets they might encounter. However from their radar sensors it was apparant that the bulk of TPF air power was being projected out to sea, so therefore Freekish pilots would have near free reign over the land. As a result FAF-1 'Vassago' attack helicopters as well as small 'Thunderbolt' transport choppers were scrambled to provide close in air support as well as drop Sentinels into key positions across the landing zones. Flying mere feet above the water and moving at maximum speed they attentively monitored the data being streamed from AWACS and UAV sensors in case of a sudden air attack, though the stealthy 'Vassago' helicopters would be more difficult to detect at the nap of the earth level considering the intensive anti-radar campaign being undertaken.

As the rapid engagement of the radar sites guiding the huge volley of missiles continued, the landing craft began to steam towards the designated six landing zones in columns in order to avoid striking too many of the mines that sat in wait below the waters. LAMPS helicopters that had been actively patrolling the waters took notice of the presense of the naval mines and informed commanders after triangulting portions of the sea between the mainland with sonor from the fleet, they would be able to avoid the most concentrated area in the shallow waters. However without wanting to risk considerable numbers of men, unmanned landing craft designed for driving through minefields were sent forth at high speeds to flow the waves ahead of the Sentinels who were now in a holding pattern at sea. Minesweeping vessels would be starting their work shortly since the bulk of the fighting was now taking place far from their positions, though subsequent landings would be done by air for the time being. However the shallow draught landing craft were constructed entirely from composite materials on the belly which would help in deterring magnetic mines from latching onto their signature, and as support ships near the coast began to actively ping the waters it was hoped that sonor guided mines or encapsulated torpedoes would either detonate immediately upon being bombarded with an intense signal or would simply be unable to detect the landing craft.

But onward the Sentinels steamed through portions of the minefield as long range guns from escorting vessels began to open up and bombard the beaches with high explosive rounds to destroy any mines or traps that the landing parties might encounter, as well as any static defensive positions that either survived the missile strikes up until that point or were still manned after the chemical attack. Even with the precautionary measures being taken both actively and passively, the unmanned craft were eventually blown to pieces. This forced the landing troops to continue on the short distance to the waiting beach on their own, risking death and destruction until they could reach shallow enough waters to bail out and wade ashore. The columns steamed through the choppy waves at high speeds as the Sentinels anticipated touchdown, though several times they winced as deafening explosions rang out from the detonation of sea mines. Shredded hulls drifted aflame and motionless as shattered body parts floated briefly on top of the blood and oil slicked water before sinking to the sands below. The carnage that was loosed upon the landing Sentinels angered them to no end, and as they hailed their fallen brothers in arms they continued moving forward until they were signaled to standby for dropoff. Moments later the gates of the forward landing craft opened into the shallow waters roughly one hundred yards from shore, and the Sentinels inside were ordered to wade the rest of the way in order to prevent the unnecessary loss of additional men and material. Divers would soon begin to clean up the waterways around the GPS logged safe areas that had been bravely plowed through by the first wave, which was slowly making its way ashore under the cover of aircraft and naval fire. However, missiles were still inbound and threatening the livelihood of the landing craft and those on board, and all the commanders could hope for was the effectiveness of EW planes and the destruction of the radar sites driving them forward.

Hellhammer continued to evaluate the position from the bridge of his flagship, and he was pleased with the progress thus far. His surface and subsurface fleets had confronted his foes at sea and had gradually began to surround and cut them off, his pilots had beaten back several air attacks and had managed to (and continued to) engage and destroy countless radar stations, and his first wave would be coming ashore momentarily. However he was concerned about the TPF military's constant escalations and the where the Foxbury incident would be headed, and as a result he began to consult with Lord Dreadfire personally, who had thus far remained out to sea acting as a deterrent force. When intelligence confirmed that a large fleet headed from TPF would be arriving at any moment, Damien had decided that he had had enough....for he had watched the TPF military fight with dishonor, which greatly offended him. Immediately Task Force Dreadfire began to advance upon Foxbury in its entirety and in a very wide formation, which by itself nearly outnumbered and outclassed the entire TPF navy. With several thousand more warships about to join the fray and hopefully stem the increasing escalations, Lord Dreadfire knew that his enemy would have two options: stand and fight, or drop whatever assets they could on Foxbury before fleeing back to Haven. The next several hours would reveal the course of the entire conflict.

High Command, Undisclosed Location

Lord Grand General Molkte looked stunning as always, despite his ninety-year old frame. It wasn't even so much his looks, but rather his uniform, decorated with innumerable campaign medals and decorations, his peak cap with the golden Imperial Eagle shining triumphantly in the warm summer sun. Unfortunately, Molkte represented everything that the Prussian Aristocracy stood for. He had been forced into retirement, and today he was, for the first time in many years, shaking as he walked up the marble steps. Today would be his last day alive. Molkte knew he could have run, hid, possibly even got enough troops on his side to fight against the liberals. But he wouldn't. Despite everything he loved his country, and he knew that any civil war would bring destruction and despair equal to that of the Armageddon War. No, he would face this like a man, his head held high and his eyes held to the front.

It wasn't so much that people weren't upset over the destruction of Foxbury and the millions dead. It was just that people were sick and tired of the constant wars for the last 15 years, and the social inequality and disrespect heaped on them since Matt Booch was killed. Since then it had been a Military Junta, with Molkte in the head. But no more! Now, with the new generation of officers emerging, they had a real shot at change, and they would take the shot.

Men stood ready, led by General Hamilton. Hamilton hoped it would be an easy arrest, but he couldn't be sure. Molkte always had a full compliment of elite bodyguards and things could turn bloody very fast if he choose to fight. Soon, Molkte entered, and Hamilton could just see the resignation in his eyes. No, there would be no bloodshed today. It had been broken on the news a day prior that the war had actually been TPF's fault. The equipment, tension, and incompetence of officers had led to the accidental destruction of the Freekish superfrieghter and its escorts. And then that had led to a war that the country was not prepared for, not willing to fight. They would loose the island, but there honestly wasn't much left of it. The constant Freekish ICCM barrages had decimated the factories and cities, the chemical warfare had ended it.
"Lord Grand General Molkte, you are hereby under arrest under the authority of the provisional government. Charges are conspiracy to commit treason."
A tear could be seen running down his eye. So it comes to this.

State Department Communication
As of 12:00 on Friday, all forces will surrender to Freekish forces on Foxbury Island, under the Provisional Government. As per conditions discussed via private channels, all forces shall be withdrawn to our Armada, and the officers involved with the incident be handed over to Freekish Authorities.

Hellhammer's face was aglow as his officers cheered loudly, for the battle of Foxbury was now over. Lord Dreadfire himself was impressed with the young Nergal for performing so well under battle, and as the TPF fleets began to scatter and head back towards Haven, Task Force Dreadfire steamed on towards his new land that was now being called Freeksbury. Swaths of water had been hastily cleared by engineers and mine sweeping ships as Hellhammer's men began to swarm the island and secure it in its entirety, and preparations were being made to begin repairs to Freeksbury's infrastructure that had been damaged during the bombardment.

Additional supplies and personnel were summoned forth to help transform Freeksbury into an effective outpost for Freekish and indeed Gothic forces, and almost immediately plans were being drawn up for the construction of well over a hundred extra airports as well as naval ports across the entire coast of the island. The sight was one to behold, as cargo planes and ships began to flock and head towards Freeksbury in great droves the likes of which were rarely seen. Dreadfire himself boarded a helicopter and began to fly from the Mouth For War towards the island, and as he did he looked out from the window at the sight of thousands of Sentinels coming ashore and deploying themselves accordingly in order to being reconstruction as well as deal with the remaining populace.

As the chopper touched down and Damien exited, he sneered ever so slightly as he scanned his surroundings before starting off to the temporary command center located nearby. After being given a situation report he expressed his interest in personally seeing the TPF prisoners of war that were ceded to AMF as part of the surrender terms. Those being detained in one of several rapidly constructed concentration camps were soon greeted by the presense of the Supreme Warlord, and as the chained prisoners were brought out from their barracks they were forced to kneel and not look Dreadfire in the face. Damien walked slowly across the line and looked upon the broken and depressed officers who were once proud commanders within the TPF military. In disgust he reached down and wrapped his mighty paw around the neck of a lesser ranked man, lifting him up into the air with but a single arm and staring him down with a visible look of anger on his face.

Damien's eyes turned a deep blood red and began to flicker with the fire that raged inside his soul, and as he squeezed harder on the man's throat he watched as he began to convulse and turn blue in his grip. Blood began to jet from his ears, nose and mouth as Dreadfire grabbed the back of his victim's skull and with a yell ripped his head and portions of his spine clear from his body. As he threw down the remains of his foe he uttered, Remove these....things from my sight. From there the first group of prisoners were taken aboard a transport plane under armed guard and flown to the far coast of Freeksburg nearest Haven, where they were unloaded and taken out onto the warms sands where another detachement of Sentinels awaited them.

The prisoners were beaten mercilessly with rifle butts, rocks, fists, anything they could get their hands on. It wasn't long though before the first prisoner was speared in the chest by a large twenty five foot pike and hoisted high into the air as the base was anchored deep into the sands. Screams of terror and anguish continued to ring out as more and more writhing bodies were added to the growing collection of impaled victimes across the beach, though it would not be so simple for the higher ranking officers. Lord Dreadfire himself began to assist in the flaying and butchering of the last few who had dared to strike at Freekish ships, their removed skin and severed limbs each given their own pike amongst the forest of the condemned. The head of the senior commanding officer was cut from its body crudely with a dull blade after his eyes were put out, and all other facial features removed. This man would have the honor of having his skinned and mutilated head sit atop the highest pike for all to see, a grim warning to those in Haven of crossing swords with the Freekish Empire.

The terror in Freeksbury was not over.

For many weeks and months the military buildup across the massive island continued without pause, and gradually portions of the surviving civilian populace were charged with the task of repairing damage that was suffered to infrastructure during the Freekish siege. Those who refused to cooperate as well as their immediate families were carted off to one of now dozens of concentration camps where they were forced into manual labor under Sentinel supervision, while those who were less physically capable of spending excessive hours in cramped conditions were dealt with in other ways. Many were kept for training purposes by means of sword, bayonet, and rifle fire alike while most were simply marched forcibly into large furnaces were they were burned alive. Large smoke stacks funneled ominous black clouds into the skies at all hours of the day and night as thousands were smoldered into ashes, their screams carrying loudly across the lands and shaking those who awaited their doom to their very core.

It was an act of cruelty rarely seen by the Empire these days, who had until this point been largely content to remain silent on the international stage, and according to some this would only be the beginning. The now withered and rotten remains of those piked and placed on display continued to foul the air with the stench of putrefaction as their crumpled forms diminished further with assistance from gulls and insects. It indeed was just the beginning of what some feared would be a near endless killing spree the likes of which had not been carried out since the long since passed lesser Ages of Automagfreek. Futher fears that death and destruction lay on the horizon were solidified by the presence of 650,000 Sentinels, Death Dealers, Fallen, and professional Freekish soldiers that had gradually been shipped and flown over to bolster and swell the ranks of the 75,000 men already there.

The list of those deployed to Freeksbury was a whos-who of the Freekish military; the 182nd Division of Sentinel Marines that had taken part in countless amphibious assaults, the 327th Mountain Division of Sentinels that had seen action against the Imperium Doomanum and assisted in the sacking of Ephesium, and the legendary 406th Legion of Fallen...the famed wildmen from the south that had cemented themselves as one of the the fiercest fighting elements within the entire Freekish military. They were also joined by lesser known but equally effective elements such as the 4th Airborne, Freekish soldiers that had seen numerous deployments across the globe for immediate response, and the Supreme Warlord's secret weapon: the 611th Division of Sentinels. Those who knew of the 'six-one-one' as it was refered to knew that this division consisted of Dreadfire's most battle hardened elite Sentinels, and would serve as a giant hammer to which he would be able to swing at his foes and crush them mercilessly.

Though the deployments over the months had been monstrous in size and the atrocities taking place horrific, it was unlikely that many would even take notice since AMF had a reputation for being predictable and unwilling to involve itself in matters that did not concern itself. The former could be easily explained away as efforts to stabilize a sizable new colony and crush dissent, while the latter would likely remain unnoticed by the outside world due to the dramatic increase in military presence over the months. Hundreds of new airstrips were constructed to allow Freekish long range bombers to act with greater turnaround times, and naval ports had nearly doubled in number to accommodate a significany portion of the updated Freekish Navy which was now heavily concentrated around Freeksbury. Conditions around the colony were likely to become more hectic as Gothic forces would soon be allowed to station themselves both on land and at sea, though few could predict just how insane things would become in the weeks ahead.

High Command, TPF

Many of the officers were visibly shaking at the news reports that were feeding into their displays. Madness, sheer madness. Hundreds of thousands of Prussian citizens were being executed by the day, the death toll would surpass tens of millions. Nobody had expected this. They expected an occupation, not a genocide. When TPF had withdrawn to deal with its issues at home they had had assurances that the island would be in decent hands, this was not the case. The news came from across the ocean via fiber optic cables from Intel officers that had stayed behind. It was horrible and disgusting, officers were literally sick to their stomach by the cruelty that the Freeks had established. No, they would not stand idle while this tranversty continued.

The Peoples Freedom Times

HOLY REICH OFFICALY REQUESTS APOC ASSISTANCE. FREEKISH GENOCIDE CONTINUES

The Peoples Freedom City- Today, the government has announced that they have officially requested assistance from APOC. " Now, more than ever, the Alliance must stand up to its name. Our citizens in Foxbury are being slaughtered by the hour by these devils. Damien Dreadfire has betrayed his word to us! The Freeks are barbarians, not civilized like us. The Alliance for The Preservation of Civilization must life up to its name!" Said General Harttman in a speech earlier today in front of the Peoples Assembly.

According to anonymous officials, TPF is preparing to blockade the island as a retaliatory measure. " We would be willing to honor our peace agreement with the Freeks, but the fact is is that they are killing our people there in large numbers. We will not stand for it and we hope APOC assists us."

It is unknown how APOC will respond the request. However Harttman has said " If APOC does not help us and stop this Freekish genocide, then what is the point of the alliance? If they do not stand up to aggression than Gholgoth wins, and Civilization has failed. It would be a failure to humanity and they would be seen as a lame-duck alliance like the former Sovereign League!".

Quite frankly we are disgusted by this absurd claim from the TPF government that Freekish forces are engaging in acts of genocide against our citizens in Freeksbury. Why we would want to terminate the lives of those who are embracing Automagfreek's liberation with open arms? We have no reason to engage in acts of random genocide for no reason or purpose, and those in the TPF government who are suggesting we are doing just that should be shamed and reprimanded for trying to destroy the fragile peace between AMF and TPF.

There is no evidence to suggest that we are engaging in wholesale slaughter of Freekish citizens in the slightest. I will go on record and admit that those who are attempting to disrupt the peace and prey on those who want to rebuild their lives in peace are being dealt with in traditional Freekish fashion. Automagfreek itself is almost entirely crime free after generations of progressive social policies and strict punishment for harsh offenders, and we are simply transitioning these time tested policies to our new territory with hopes of making it a stable and rewarding asset.

If there are any doubts as to the validity of my statement, then the TPF government is welcome to send inspectors into Freeksbury to see for themselves. Full documentation will be provided as to the reasons for detainment and indeed execution and we will leave all facilities unchanged, for we have nothing to hide.

We also demand an apology for the rash statement on behalf of the TPF government, who did not take the time to investigate this matter or discuss it with us prior to sounding the war drums and running off to APOC for assistance. The times we live in are volatile enough, and we cannot afford to have paranoid nation states around the world rushing off to war half cocked without even knowing the context of the situation.

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Minister Hartman
-Minister of International Affairs-