NationStates Jolt Archive

Commander Johnathan Kliper stood on the bridge of the FNS Calypso, one of the Peyta II-class frigates on this mission. He was in charge, and it was his duty to take Cyprus. He glanced down at his radar and smiled. The Failsafe, the other Peyta II frigate, was bringing up the rear of the group. Three Natya-class minesweepers, the Suspicion, Redemption, and Separation, were fanned out in front of his ship, making sure the path to Cyprus was clear. At the middle of the group, four Polnochniy-class amphibious assault landing craft, the Opportunity, Ego, Pluto, and Thor, comprised the bulk of his forces. Two carried sixteen M-113A2 APCs between them, the other two carried sixteen M60A3 tanks. Between the crack troops contained in the APCs and tanks, plus the troops that were going to paradrop in, the base should fall relatively quickly. Making up the rest of his fleet, four Ramadan-class missile boats patrolled, armed and dangerous. Kliper keyed his microphone, addressing everyone.

"Once we come close to Cyprus, we will spread out and bombard the immediate shoreline where our paratroopers aren't. Landing craft will dump one hundred yards apart, then ground troops, you're under the command of Colonel Simons. Good luck." He clicked off his mic. Now it was just time for the flyboys to do their jobs.

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The air force planes had launched from Syria and circled up, skirting Musselburg airspace, before swinging down to the north side of Cyprus. The force was massive. Three squadrons of F-16 fighters were escorting another three squadrons of Pucara light ground attack fighters. Another squadron of F-4 Wild Weasel Phantoms would light up any air defenses on Cyprus first. Following behind the seven squadrons of seven fighters at a considerably higher height were four Tu-22 bombers. They would take care of anything heavy. And still waiting to launch, another three squadrons of F-16s in case things got hairy.

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Just over 1,000 airborne troops were crammed into nineteen An-26 transports and five C-130 transports. Their mission was simple, capture the airbase. Naval support coming after them should help, but for these 1,000 troops, it would be the battle of their lives.

The Marina Militare, as they called it, was said to be the 4th most powerful navy in the world. Comprising of just over 150 ships and a variety of aircraft, it was an impressive fleet. And no less impressive, was the fabled aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi.
The vessel was brand new; they had been working on it for over 10 years, but it had finally been finished last year and dedicated just over 6 months ago. An invasion of Cyprus was to be its first mission.

Carrying on its massive helm was a flock of aircraft to be used during battle. Cyprus wouldn't see Italy coming from the sea; indeed, they wouldn't see so much as hear Italy coming, and by then it would be too late. 15 Lockheed F-16s would take care of the dirty work, while a mix of fighter planes and utility helicopters would take care of the sordid details. Logistics vessels sailed a mere 200 kilometers behind them; they'd be there by the time they were needed.

Escorting the brilliant Giuseppe Garibaldi was the equally handsome Francesco Mimbelli a Class-A Destroyer if there ever was one. The flagships of the Mediterranean fleet would make up the nucleus of the vulgar display of maritime dominance, while 3 Amphibious Docks held the essentials; some 60 battle tanks, - most the nefarious Leopard and the Italian-borne Ariete - an assortment of tank destroyers, mortars, and the self-propelled howitzers also lined the cargo.

Along the sides of the fleet were the ever-essential frigates; 6 Greek-made Kortenaer-class beauties gave way to the anti-aircraft equipment (should the Cypriots be so bold) and the twin Ponza-class minesweepers finished off the stage. It was a dangerous path to be in, and unfortunately, Cyprus would remain stationary.
___________

The paradrop soldiers would be there by the time the Fleet could reach them, and that was comforting to the fleet, but risky for the Italians.
Lieutenant Nikolas Karalus peered out through his binoculars as the thought entered his head and flew away, into the roaring sea that encompassed his entire body.

He could see Cyprus land. It was going to be a good day.

bump.

OOC: I'm sorry, but 300 ships? The current forth largest navy in the world (which happens to be India) has 155 ships. You are allowed to use suspension of whatever a bit, to maybe say your ships are more hi-tech in some areas and you have a few more of this and that and a bit less of whatever, but your saying you have more ships than the present day US is just unrealistic. Italy and Greece couldn't afford that surely. Unless your including fishing boats.

OOC: I'm sorry, but 300 ships? The current forth largest navy in the world (which happens to be India) has 155 ships. You are allowed to use suspension of whatever a bit, to maybe say your ships are more hi-tech in some areas and you have a few more of this and that and a bit less of whatever, but your saying you have more ships than the present day US is just unrealistic. Italy and Greece couldn't afford that surely. Unless your including fishing boats.

(OOC: I was going by Wikipedia as a combination of Italian and Greek ships. I look again and the number comes to 156. I'm not sure why it was so different when I created my factbook.)

(Bump)

((OOC: Mostly a tag. Poor Cyprus! Are the Mussleburghians and British going to kick-off over this? When you call Uiri's attention to it, are we to assume to he's RPing the defence? If so, that's fine, I just want to check that my neighbour isn't somehow tied up in all this, or it may impact on our current negotiations.
Also, it doesn't really matter in your part of the world, but since it's being talked about, perhaps you'd like to know that the Pyekan Imperial Navy has a regular strength of 120,000 personnel, more than 380 vessels, and 135 aircraft... of course most vessels are for chiefly brown-water operation and none of them are likely to ever be west of India, but never mind that!))

The Cyrpiots didn't know what hit them. They had a measely navy & coast guard of fast patrol craft which could do nothing but say, "Stop, you are violating our country." They could do nothing but watch as the ships sailed past into cypriot territory. The air force was sadder than their navy. It comprised only 18 helicopters, a trainer and 3 paramilitary helicopters. 4 scouts, 11 attackers and 3 utility helicopters were all that were at their disposal. They couldn't do anything with them because they knew it was a suicide mission to so such a thing.

The army was their strongest part. Unfourtunately without any LPD's or anything other than patrol craft for that matter, they couldn't land anywhere but on the little island they called home. 7,320 men split up into tanks, IFV's, APC's, Artillery - both towed and self-propelled, air defense cannons, rocket launchers and anti-tank RPG units. They would need to exhaust their entire military just to survive the battle. Perhaps they could negotiate?

TO: Invading Forces
FROM: Coastal Defense of Cyprus

Please do not harm us. What are your demands and we may be able to satisfy them without any bloodshed.

Commander Klipers laughed loudly when his comm officer reported the Cypriot message to him. "They want to what? Negotiate? There will be no negotiation, Lieutenant. Send the following message."

To: Cypriot Defense Forces
From: Commander Kliper, FNS Calypso, Federation Task Force

There will be no negotiation. You will either fully and unconditionally surrender or be destroyed. Our troops will occupy your countryside, your cities will burn, and anyone who raises arms against the Federation and her allies shall die. Our troops will continue landing until we receive a response.

Cmdr. Kliper

"Proceed with the assault, Lieutenant."

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The flyboys swooped in over the northern city of Kyrenia. The F-4s swooped in first, skimming low, firing short bursts of machine gun fire to scatter residents below. The F-16s were next, bombing the outer edges of the city and the Kyrenia port. The Tu-22s were up next, half of them dropping their payloads on the port as well. The other half were saving their stuff for the capital of Nicosia.

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Colonel Franklin Usirus looked out the back of his C-130. The lights of Cyprus could just start being seen below. Smiling, he turned to his troops and keyed his radio. "All Federation forces, jump, jump, jump!" He was the first out, dropping towards the airbase, falling to just a few thousand feet before pulling his rip cord and descending on the base.

Lieutenant Nikolas Karalus reviews the message from Cyprus before drafting a response.

To: Cyprus Defense Forces
From: Lieutenant Nikolas Karalus

Your government's endorsement of international terrorists has left you little room for negotiations. The Mediterranean and Yaristan will be taking control of the island through surrender of your government or through force. We will accept a complete surrender of the Akrotiri Military Base and land with no aggression. However, until we hear a response on this matter, we will be continuing the invasion as planned.

Nikolas peered out onto the sea at approaching Cypriot land.

"Air defense, prepare for takeoff."

The Republic of Bungussi and Djanvallaland

Kircherstadt condemns in the strongest terms the latest round of destabilising aggression in Europe, and Prime Minister Tanneguy Letourneur accuses warmongering European governments of upsetting global markets with their reckless imperialism.

"It is one thing to needlessly risk the lives of your young people, to bring death and oppression to the cities of Europe, even to enforce economic hardships upon your own people, but in this global age it is quite another to behave with such scant concern for international relations." Said the Prime Minister in an address to a sympathetic Parliament in Kircherstadt.

Djanvallaland is already accepting citizens of Luxembourg as refugees after the German invasion, adding to large French and Dutch populations that earlier fled German aggression, and it now seems likely that Cypriots will be afforded similar acceptance.

There are questions, though, over how far this will extend in the case of these Mediterranean peoples in the racially segregated Republic, where even descendants of the Spanish population of the former Spanish Guinea face a 'glass ceiling' that only a few have broken, and British, French, and Dutch populations dominate almost totally.

In practical terms, there is little that Bungussi and Djanvallaland can do against what it calls imperialism in Europe (few officials having chosen to call Cyprus part of Asia) as its military continues to battle African nationalist and Marxist insurgents close to the Congolese border. But the Republic's official objection persists, and already appears to be contributing to increased prices in Europe for many raw materials sourced in the resource-rich Equatorial nation as aggressor nations fall out of favour in Kircherstadt.

THE MEDITERRANEAN ALLIANCE

To: The Republic of Bungussi and Djanvallaland
From: The Mediterranean Alliance

This is Xaristan's invasion. We are aiding an ally in response to a terrorist attack carried out by the Cypriot government. There is no imperialism here. Any interference on the part of the Republic will be considered an act of war. We also do not advise harboring terrorists from the Cypriot government. You are not looked upon kindly by the Mediterranean as it is; we would not suggest pushing your luck.

Diplomatic Dispatch

To: The Republic of Bungussi and Djanvallaland
From: The Federation of Xaristan

To whomever the leader is of the nation-with-the-name-that-is-too-long-to-say-and-too-hard-to-pronounce,

I am going to say this as diplomatically as possible: Suck it.

Your nation has not been attacked by terrorists being based in and housed in Cyprus. Over two thousand of our citizens are dead because of these attacks. We are pacifying this region, not destabilizing it.

Insult my nation or my people again and you will find me personally pointing a gun barrel down your throat.

Sincerely,

Sir Michael Harland
Emperor
The Federation of Xaristan

To: Cyprus Defense Forces
From: Lieutenant Nikolas Karalus

Your government's endorsement of international terrorists has left you little room for negotiations. The Mediterranean and Yaristan will be taking control of the island through surrender of your government or through force. We will accept a complete surrender of the Akrotiri Military Base and land with no aggression. However, until we hear a response on this matter, we will be continuing the invasion as planned.

To: Cypriot Defense Forces
From: Commander Kliper, FNS Calypso, Federation Task Force

There will be no negotiation. You will either fully and unconditionally surrender or be destroyed. Our troops will occupy your countryside, your cities will burn, and anyone who raises arms against the Federation and her allies shall die. Our troops will continue landing until we receive a response.

Cmdr. Kliper

TO: Commander Kliper; Lieutenant Nikolas Karalus
FROM: Government of Cyprus

We shall fully and unconditionally surrender. We shall not attempt any defense. The terrorists within our nation only want to be united with Greece which is our homeland. Wedo wish to one day unite with our homeland although we shall fully and unconditionally surrender for the sake of our people. If you have proof of any terrorist activity against Xaristan, we would like to see it as they have no motives or anything to gain from such moves.

THE MEDITERRANEAN ALLIANCE

To: The Republic of Bungussi and Djanvallaland
From: The Mediterranean Alliance

This is Xaristan's invasion. We are aiding an ally in response to a terrorist attack carried out by the Cypriot government. There is no imperialism here. Any interference on the part of the Republic will be considered an act of war. We also do not advise harboring terrorists from the Cypriot government. You are not looked upon kindly by the Mediterranean as it is; we would not suggest pushing your luck.

Kircherstadt's response to the Mediterranean Alliance was centred around evidence for the Cypriot government's involvement in the sponsorship of terrorism, and the democratic nature of said government.

Bungussi and Djanvallaland knows more than any European nation about the horrors of terrorism, suffering regular attacks from car bombings to militia assaults by dozens of heavily armed and often mechanised insurgents. Though it is widely accepted that many of these terrorists find shelter in foreign nations, an all out invasion of sovereign states is not considered to be in the proper concourse of international relations or even basic civilised conduct.

Kircherstadt's complaint is owing to a total failure of the aggressor nations to exhaust non-military options prior to launching a full scale invasion, to properly investigate the issue in the international arena, to provide clear proof before the nations of the world either of Cypriot government involvement or of the lack of alternatives to military invasion.


To: The Republic of Bungussi and Djanvallaland
From: The Federation of Xaristan

To whomever the leader is of the nation-with-the-name-that-is-too-long-to-say-and-too-hard-to-pronounce,

I am going to say this as diplomatically as possible: Suck it.

Your nation has not been attacked by terrorists being based in and housed in Cyprus. Over two thousand of our citizens are dead because of these attacks. We are pacifying this region, not destabilizing it.

Insult my nation or my people again and you will find me personally pointing a gun barrel down your throat.

Sincerely,

Sir Michael Harland
Emperor
The Federation of Xaristan

Sir Michael Harland has become an over-night celebrity in Djanvallaland, identified as the world's worst statesman, and lampooned as an incredible buffoon. Xaristan's reputation has crashed in the Republic, with mass media coining a range of insulting terms as jokes begin to do the rounds with the public. The image of the hapless Xaristani, who allows himself to be lead by an abject moron such as the Emperor, is becoming equivalent in Djanvallaland to the notion of the stupid Irishman or the dumb Polack in their respective parts of the world. This image is hardly hurt by the backwards economic state of the nation in question, substantially poorer than the Republic, let alone the most prosperous Djanvallaland region, where citizens earn in a couple of weeks what it takes a Xaristani a year to make.

(OOC: Seriously, if that's not what you were going for, it's some of the worst RP I've ever seen, mate. If it was, of course, then well done.)

OOC: Frankly, he doesn't care what your people, or anyone for that matter, thinks of him. If you've followed my other RPs, he's over-the-top, flaunts his wealth, and pretty much does anything in his power to get what he wants. Your message caught him on a bad day. Oh, and where are you again, anyways?

IC:

TO: Commander Kliper; Lieutenant Nikolas Karalus
FROM: Government of Cyprus

We shall fully and unconditionally surrender. We shall not attempt any defense. The terrorists within our nation only want to be united with Greece which is our homeland. Wedo wish to one day unite with our homeland although we shall fully and unconditionally surrender for the sake of our people. If you have proof of any terrorist activity against Xaristan, we would like to see it as they have no motives or anything to gain from such moves.

Commander Kliper laughed at the response from the Cypriot government. "Send them a message saying we'll forward the video to them. That should be proof enough." Kliper smiled as he looked out over the island.

"Proceed with the invasion. Our troops and tanks are not to fire unless fired upon. Drive straight to the capital. We will incorporate their military and their people into ours, glorifying the Federation."

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Under the cover of darkness, just as the surrender terms were wired in, two dozen black, unmarked speedboats zipped away from the island. They passed the Mediterranean fleet unmolested, and continued on to their next target, Crete.

(OOC: Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Republic of Congo (not DR Congo). Djanvallaland is just the coastal area (and the islands of Bioko and Annobon et cetera), where most of the nation's million whites live, and has a per capita gross regional product of at least US$50,000.)

The closest thing to an official response from Kircherstadt to Xaristan's Emperor and his threat against, presumably, President Kircher, came from Defence Minister General Buster Acland, who said in The Makenbury Bell, "We don't have the numbers to launch direct military interventions abroad, but the Djatini Scouts would certainly be happy to accomodate your [Xaristan's] aggressive Emperor in a humiliating arse kicking if he wants to come to Equatorial Africa."

Both the President and his Prime Minister appear to consider themselves above discourse with Harland, but, well, Buster by name, buster by nature (briefly teased by some papers as, 'bluster by nature', Acland put paid to that talk when he sent tanks into the Makenbury slum in his first year as Defence Minister).

Lieutenant Karalus smiled when he read the surrender from the Cypriots. This was much easier than he thought it would be, and no bloodshed on the Mediterranean front. It really was going to be a good day.

"All air units are to land in the Akrotiri air base and refuel. All naval units, dock in Akrotiri and stabilize the city. Once we are docked, I will be taking a jet to Nicosia. All units are not to engage unless attacked and await further orders.

He then dispatched reinforcements, traveling some 60 nautical miles behind them.

All logistics and support units, return to Sicilian bases. The battle here is over.

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Rome; 1500 hours

"Mr. President, I have received word from Lieutenant Karalus in Cyprus. The Cypriots have surrendered."

President Salvatore DiSano breathed a sigh of relief. He was thankful that the battle saw no bloodshed. Honestly, the last thing he wanted was a long and bloody war. It's not that he didn't have full confidence in the Mediterranean Military; quite the contrary, but it was the very participation in the invasion that he didn't have confidence in.

He had allowed the military to be dispatched upon recommendation from Prime Minister Athena Karamanlis, who had seen the Cypriot terrorist attack on Egypt to be a direct threat against neighboring island, Crete. Premier Karamalis thought it wise to show the Cypriot terrorists exactly what kind of military muscle the Mediterranean had, hoping to diffuse the situation, while simultaneously discouraging any attack from taking place. The former was a failure, as the Mediterranean didn't even see battle. Sure, the terrorists may have seen the massive fleet, but it was no secret to the world that the nation had an impeccable navy. That it didn't get to see action seemed to defeat the purpose for President DiSano. Nonetheless, he was relieved that he wouldn't have to face any angry families.

Naturally, the other vehement supporter of this invasion of Cyprus was Foreign Minister Lucrezia Dellatorre, which shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone. It wasn't that she was quick to the trigger, or even seemed especially pro-war, but there was something about the way she handled foreign affairs; she was, without a doubt, one of the very best diplomats he'd ever come across - if she happened to see the nation she was visiting in a positive light. We'd all seen what kind of diplomacy she was capable of when she didn't care for the nation or ambassador during the League of Venice conference, her infamous spat with Kulikovian ambassador Karlovy left a bad taste in many mouths. Of course, he had ended up dead - through no involvement of the Mediterranean - and yet she had still been able to convince the Kulikovian President to join the League of Nations. She was impressive, indeed, but something about her way of doing things; with almost undetectably subtle deceit, and a slightly pompous attitude riding out just below the surface. She was power-hungry, reflected in a sideways glance or a gleam in the eye.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of silence, the President turned to the bright, promising secretary who had informed him of the Cypriot surrender.

"Josefina, please call a meeting. I want Dellatorre, Karamanlis, and the Minister of Defense here within 24 hours."

She nodded dutifully as she paced away to her desk to place the appropriate phone calls. If only everyone were as obliging as young Josefina, maybe the Mediterranean wouldn't be so caught up in all of this mess.

OOC: How when shall the RPing of Cyprus switch hands?

SIC:

"This is...utter blasphemy!" the President and Leader of the EOKA had met to discuss the obviously manufactured video,"Why would they falsify such a thing though? To gain our land?"

"Maybe it is a different terrorist organization," chimed in the freedom fighter.

"It doesn't make sense though... for what reason would a terrorist organization in Cyprus and Lebanon want Xaristan to fall? It just doesn't fit together."

"You've already surrendered, however a Coup d'Etat could allow the government to switch hands."

"But then we'd be a military junta, led by General Okisogan"

"I'll talk to him, tell him that the government is surrendering in order to save face on the international scene because they know that they would be killed in an invasion."

"But...that would destroy my appearance in the eyes of the General."

"That's not the point. The point is that we could then negotiate incorporation into the Mediterranean Alliance and if they refuse we launch a false flag operation under Musselborough to take Crete."

"It's brilliant only my career is over."

"No, because we'll stick together. You'll need to change your name though."

"Good."

OOC: This plan OK with you guys? If yes, I'll proceed to RP the military taking power.

OOC: Uiri, I'm gonna have to ask you to change your post. The video is not "obviously manufactured" and you cannot just say that Xaristan "falsified" the video. That's using OOC knowledge in an IC context. The video was authentic, to begin with, as the event actually happened. You have no reason, ICly, to suspect otherwise.

So, please change it so we can continue.

Lieutenant Nikolas Karalus' A310 jet made the trip to Nicosia in less than half an hour. Surprisingly, his jet was not attacked as he flew over the island's interior into its capital in the north. The Cypriots kept their promises, which was more than many governments could say. Unfortunately, the statements made by their terrorists that "Xaristan will fall" seemed an awful lot like a promise to Karalus.

Once he landed in Nicosia, he was to be transported to the capital building, where he would meet with Xaristani Commander Kliper to orchestrate the handing over of the Cypriot government to Xaristan. Essentially, he and his entourage of 15 guardsmen were there to assure everything went smoothly. If he was lucky, perhaps he would get to meet the nefarious Sir Michael; he heard the guy was a real character.

As his jet grazed over the city of Nicosia, he couldn't help but remark on the city's unique flair. The city was heavily Greek influenced, which made Karalus - a native of Greece - smile, yet Nicosia wasn't too modern, offering a delicate blend between classical Mediterranean architecture and western urbanized structure. In fact, it beared a remarkable resemblance to Heraklion, the capital of Crete, with its modern building complexes and undeniable aura of being somehow ancient despite - or perhaps because of - the contrast. For a moment, Karalus was glad that the Cypriots surrendered and the beautiful city did not succumb to the poisons of battle.

bump.

OOC: Uiri, I'm gonna have to ask you to change your post. The video is not "obviously manufactured" and you cannot just say that Xaristan "falsified" the video. That's using OOC knowledge in an IC context. The video was authentic, to begin with, as the event actually happened. You have no reason, ICly, to suspect otherwise.

So, please change it so we can continue.

Actually, keep in mind the Cypriot governments would know when it really is the terrorists and when it isn't because they are co-operating with the terrorists, ergo, it is obvious that it wasn't Cypriot terrorists.