NationStates Jolt Archive

Things were changing, with a grey sky was spread over Alkra City, the capital of Agrandov, as a formation of police helicopters circled above the busy streets. Speakers mounted on the corners of buildings were alternating between classical music and government bulletins, as the armed police stood guard outside key buildings. It was different; a return to Imperial rule after centuries of failed democracy had brought an end to a writhing mess of bureaucracy and brought an instant boost to the economy. With taxes slashed and stability restored, foreign investment soared and domestic industry accelerated. The last President of Agrandov had terminated his position within a week, establishing himself as ruler to the resounding cheers of billions.

Although their leader was, for the time being, responsible with his power, the people of Agrandov had sold themselves. They had gained security and prosperity at the behest of their new Emperor, but the price had been their freedom. There existed no balance, no counter to the Emperor's will. His word was law, and the people followed. They were happy to do so, after all, why not? The Emperor clearly knew what was best for the populace, and in his wisdom could overcome all obstacles the nation faced.

However, there was one factor that remained outside his grasp. The population was growing rapidly, and all of the land in Gholgoth was accounted for. Regional expansion was out of the question, and so the Central State of Agrandov had been pursuing a policy of expansion. Land had been bought, with enthusiastic citizens choosing to relocate in order to develop the far-flung provinces. The most significant acquisition so far was a portion of the Orange Islands, renamed to New Droskev upon purchase, that would act as the staging ground for this next phase: the main event.

Colonising distant islands from nothing was a long process, and the benefits of imperial outposts were demanded immediately. Purchasing land was no longer an option, it was time to take by force. The nation of BullHornia had been selected. A large, poorly defended nation, the only outcome deemed acceptable was the unconditional surrender of the defending forces. The order for invasion was coming from the very top, the Emperor had demanded it. Simon Ronnal, the Minister of War, was quick to comply and within a month a fully prepared invasion force was waiting obediently in the harbours of Agrandov. The fleet would be sent in two waves, with just over five hundred combat vessels in total. A third wave would be prepared once the invasion was under way, although the nation of BullHornia was some distance from Agrandov.

The venerable I Fleet had already been dispatched, as the proud bows of each vessel cut through the churning Gholgoth waters. II Fleet would follow within 24 hours, bringing heavy carriers to bear on the front for Agrandan expansion. The Central State would take, and it would hold, and the nation of BullHornia would be parted with its resources and land that could be put to better use. There would be no warning, no ultimatum, no declaration, as the fleets of the Central State Naval Service would approach BullHornian waters silently. Four military surveillance satellites had been requisitioned for the conflict, and these would observe the battlefield in order to relay vital information.

The honoured Emperor, the powerless Senate, the compliant people and the obedient military. All of these had been significant changes in Agrandov, and all would have consequences in the far corners of the world. Things were changing, and the nation of BullHornia was about to witness the effects. I Fleet would arrive in a matter of days, with II Fleet 48 hours behind after taking on ground forces at the colony of New Droskev. The satellites above were tasked on information control, as they attempted to intercept and trace major signals in BullHornia. The purpose of this was to pinpoint the location of the nation's largest power and communication facilities.

It was a normal sunny day in BullHornia, the military airbases were launching their aircraft, they were flying the coastline, searching for pirates. The aircraft were equipped with anti-shipping missiles, for that reason. The BullHornian fleet's battleships were in port, and small anti-piracy vessels were out and about, looking for pirates, BullHornia had recently been hit by a piracy wave, three cargo ships had gone missing.

Meanwhile, in the streets of the small port town of Afton, business was as usual, street vendors were out, selling everything from fish and fruit to gold and pearls. Many fishing vessels were entering and leaving the port, loaded down with both nets and fish.

The nation of BullHornia was founded in the year 1326 A.D., by the pirates under the command of Ramiro Rafael DeLaCruz, It remained a piracy paradise, with prostitutes and rum, the law did not reach there, even though a weak confederacy of states did, The Confederate States of BullHornia. In 1489, the Grand Confederate, Alberto VI, laid down laws that would later form the Parliamentary Monarchy that lasted 500 years. Inspired by the writings of Karl Marx, Ramiro XI, changed yet again, the government of BullHornia to Communism, economic spending then hit the roof, but military spending dropped dramatically, sending BullHornia into a Great Depression, it's effects still noticed today.

The Central Ministry
Alkra City, Agrandov

Emperor Jacob Shaw could charitably be described as sociable, careful and ambitious. He could uncharitably be described as a manipulative, paranoid megalomaniac; a dangerous combination in the hands of a man with few limits. The people obeyed him and his government through a combination of political apathy and lingering fear, unsure of just how much was strictly illegal and unwilling to find out. The Emperor was middle-aged, having entered politics early, and was counting on a long reign in order to shape Agrandov according to his vision.

A future phase of this transformation was on his desk, as he moved his eyes and hands over the clean lines of the blueprint once more. With a smile that reached even his skittish and observant eyes, he absorbed very detail of his finest design. The plans were perfect, exactly a he had described to the nation's finest architect. Until recently the man had been the nation's third finest architect, but the first two had failed to meet deadlines. His subtle smile turned into a carnivorous grin as he turned the page to meet an artist's impression of the finished product.

He was looking at a Civil Security Station, urban barracks and observation sites that would soon pervade the sprawling cities of Agrandov. It would be the first step in his revolution from above, his transformation of both his people and himself. Other people in his government knew of his plans, but never of his motivation. Attempting to understand his grand ambitions would be futile for those of such limited capacity, he reasoned, as they only just managed the menial tasks he assigned to them.

Another booklet of designs was waiting on his desk, this one much thicker than the first. It would have to wait until tomorrow, as and important General was stopping by his office to discuss the invasion of a distant, backwards nation.


International waters
200 nautical miles from BullHornia

The assault would operate on several principles: surprise, speed, power and suppression. I Fleet was around 200 nautical miles from BullHornia, within range of the larger cruise missiles and stand-off munitions. The first stage of the attack would be a massive SEAD strike, using ship-launched ARMs to hit enemy anti-aircraft and RADAR installations. Each missile would release eight cluster munitions, which in turn would each split into four guided submunitions with a 1kg warhead, for a total of 32 submunitions per missile launched. The first three waves would consist of two missiles from each of the 24 Contego light cruisers and four missiles from each of the eight Curis heavy cruisers. The fourth wave would come after satellite and AWACs imagery determined which, if any, coastal anti-aircraft or RADAR stations were still operating. Then the missiles would be precision-fired in an attempt to ensure the complete suppression of BullHornian air defences.

The fleet had slowed, as each of the light and heavy cruisers prepared to fire a total of 80 missiles per wave, in three waves. Almost 8000 submunitions would be released in the skies of BullHornia, although it would take several of the bomblets to destroy an anti-aircraft weapon such as a SAM site. RADAR stations would be softer targets however, as a single submunition could do tremendous damage to the RADAR panels, domes or dishes. Older anti-aircraft weapons would be undetectable to the missiles launched, but anything that could acquire and track targets would be designated for destruction.

The other ships were not idle either, as the smaller vessels made ready their anti-air weapons, expecting naval fighters or small bombers to be the first to engage the fleet. Serving them in this role were several types of missile, including long and short range weapons to be fired from the surface and the skies, as each of the 10 light aircraft carriers had released 3 naval fighters. The rest were being saved for long-term maintenance of air superiority, although more could easily be scrambled in order to meet an incoming threat.

The second and third stages of the attack were already being set up, as over a thousand miles away as strategic bombers were launched from the colony of New Droskev. It would take them some time to arrive, but when they did there should be very little left to stop them. Once air superiority had been gained, BullHornia would be at the mercy of the Agrandan air and naval forces.

The assault would be effective because of the immense volume of ordnance released combined with an unsuspecting enemy. The large cruise missiles with their deadly cluster weapons soared into the sky, with fiery trails of orange and black reaching up like a fist. The colours melted into the light from the dawning sun, and the intention was clear and absolute. Before dusk, landing craft would hit the shores of BullHornia.

"Sir, we have confirmed an attack on our soil." and aide quietly said to the president, Vladimir Yevtushenko. The aide had been told that an offshore fleet had launched cruise missiles, they had yet to strike but were confirmed as enemy by RADAR stations along the coast.

"Mobilize the troops, I want all troops on high alert, deploy them along the coast, we need to make their invasion hell. Move the 81st and 32nd tank divisions to the capital, I will make my escape in the cover of darkness. Where are the battleships?"

"They are spread out in ports all along the western coasts, it will be another two hours until they can be deployed."

"What about the aircraft?"

"We have 14 'Heartbroken' fighters in the air, another 25 on the ground being armed with Exocet missiles. They will be off the ground shortly."

"We have lost the element of surprise, and we most likely don't have more in numbers, this battle will need to be won logically."

OOC: I'm afraid this post is going to be rushed, but I wanted to put something up as I will be unavailable until the 12th or 13th of July.


120 nautical miles from BullHornia

The fleet was closing in on BullHornia fast, using the advantages of speed and surprise to take the initiative. Several light carriers, holding attack helicopters, moved forward in the fleet, accompanied by the light and heavy cruisers as well as numerous small escort ships. The fleet's air cover was now intersecting BullHornian airspace, though fighter patrols would be challenging any incursions into the sky above Agrandan warships.

Cruise missiles were poured into the air, as the twisted, smoking columns followed the arc of each launch. As they reached their peak a second wave was launched, in another perfect volley to be aimed at the BullHornian air defences. One key of the invasion would be surprise, as the Agrandan fleet had managed to trap significant enemy naval forces in the harbour. The Agrandan officers capitalised on this advantage quickly, releasing more naval fighters into the air and organising them into attack squadrons. Each group, carrying a variety of air-air and air-surface ordnance, would seek to attack and destroy key ships in the BullHornian navy before they could mobilise.

This method of surprise attack was crucial, as the light and heavy cruisers aimed their main guns and missile boxes at the coast. The six nearest beaches would be saturated with suppressive fire on a strategic scale, and certain elements of the ground forces would land in order to secure a beach head. Tasked with this was the Central State Marine Corps, as just over ten-thousand Marines sat aboard the large Libero class ground force carries. Also aboard were armoured elements of the Marines, mainly light tanks for use in the opening assault.

The light carries that held helicopters then deployed their forces, sending out only 30 of the fleet's 120 compliment. The purpose of this was to conserve numbers, holding back elements of the attack until they could be used for maximum effect.

The incoming enemy fighters were detected, and they were well within reach of the the long-range SAMs that were carried by a large proportion of the ships. Two missiles for each BullHornian fighter leapt from the missile boxes of the ships, although at this distance they would sacrifice effectiveness for range. This type of missile had served in the Agrandan armoury for nearly two decades, an evidently reliable weapon that was arguably in need of replacement.

With the ground forces still some time away from the beaches, enemy air defences under fire and strikes under-way against the trapped BullHornian navy, the Agrandan plan was evident. The initial attack would be as fast as it was powerful, with the intention of sweeping enemy air patrols out of the sky and crippling the naval defence forces. The results would speak for themselves, as with any luck the Marines would land before beach reinforcements arrived. From there the beach heads would be expanded and consolidated, moving in the Army personnel and equipment necessary to make a push for key areas of the country. The strategic bombers sent from New Droskev were rapidly approaching, but they were still an hour away at best. Timed to coincide with the beach landings, the bombers would unleash their payload indiscriminately over the major cities of BullHornia.

The caualties were massive, men were deserting left and right, bombs were finding their Bull Hornian targets. Even the most "elite" units had over 90 percent of their men quit, those that didn't quit would surely perish. While the major cities were being bombed the leader and all his staff were killed when a bomb struck the building they had taken refuge in. Now Bull Hornia was leaderless and unarmed, all the Agrandovian Military had to do is march through.

In the capital city a makeshift Agrandovian flag was thrown up the flagpole, the country had officially surrendered. There would be no fight in fear of a humiliating defeat. A legacy had come to an end. Now they would suffer the consequences of no military spending in the last decade.

"Hold fire! I repeat, hold fire!" came an order screaming through the radio, as the ship's captain passed it on to the notably generic Fire Controlman C. Smith, a grizzled ex-marine who was approaching the age limit of his service. A veteran of no extraordinary value, he grudgingly agreed to stop the missile salvoes. An eerie calm settled over the Agrandan fleet as the landing ships halted, opening their doors to release hundreds of smaller craft. Each one of these held three squads of Marines from the CSMC, and specialist craft carrying tanks were a short way behind.

News of the surrender had yet to reach the Agrandan forces, and the bombardment had only ceased to allow a beach landing. Although there were only ten thousand of the Marines, each one was the subject of exacting requirements and intensive training. As the landing craft hit the sand and the protective doors came down, waves of infantry leapt forwards onto the abandoned beaches. Some of them were nervous, having only gone through this scenario on Agrandan beaches in training exercises. Fuelled by a heady mix of adrenaline, instinct and a little bit of fear, they reacted exactly as they were taught to react; they surged forward and took cover.

By now reports had been filtering back that not everything was going to plan. The plan had quite clearly stipulated - at Commander R. Elm's personal insistence - that scores of Bullhornian fighters should be slaughtered in order to maximise the casualty ratio. With desertion at over 90%, there would be too few enemy combatants to improve his numbers and improve his standing in the Central Military Command. A junior officer appeared at his elbow, and spoke quietly with an air of mild enthusiasm.

"Sir, we are getting reports from our Pathfinder units that there is no enemy resistance."
"What? Repeat yourself!"
"There is no enemy resistance, sir, on any of our landing zones."
"Have they abandoned their defences? Are they surrendering, are they prisoners?"
"We don't know, sir, the reports are still coming through. We think that a lot may have simply deserted, although with these numbers we can expect prisoners sooner or later."

Commander Elm thought for a minute, trying to assess the situation with the limited information presented to him, like a man trying to imagine a completed puzzle, missing half of the pieces.

"Press the advantage, destroy any and all armed resistance. Try to maximise our prisoners though, we start dropping propaganda leaflet 22B and they'll see that surrender is their best option."
"Yes sir, I'll pass the order on, sir."

The junior officer backed away, saluting with the utmost respect, and again, a little fear, as Commander Elm was a completely unknown quantity. He had risen to the prestigious rank in record time, taking advantage of the Agrandan method of command, giving him near-total control of his forces down to the selection policy. He had made his name fighting a rogue mercenary outfit that was trying to carve a small nation out of the North, and his tactics used there were discussed extensively by those above and below him. He was known to the enlisted, however, as Elmo, a fitting play on his name that reflected his round nose and red complexion.

By now the beachheads were completely secured, and as Marines patrolled the surrounding area the Army moved in, landing heavier Nakil tanks, APCs and artillery pieces as well as the multitude of transport vehicles it took to keep such a large force operational. The Marines would be confined to the coastal regions for now, as Army Pathfinder units deployed and spread out made their way to the nearest towns and villages. Pathfinder squads were used for reconnaissance, as each consisted of a light APC, six riflemen, and two-man teams for mortars, anti-tank, and sniper/counter-sniper warfare.

Expecting extreme resistance, the tank columns and hordes of infantry were not far behind. Unaware that the Bullhornian nation had surrendered, or even they leaderless, the plan was not altered at all. Two whole battalions were sent to the nearest broadcast facility, as the first propaganda leaflets fell from the sky. Leaflet 22B, being dropped by the same bombers that had devastated the cities only minutes beforehand, explained that no harm would come to those who surrendered unconditionally, and that enlisted personnel would not be held accountable for there actions in normal circumstances.

The purpose of this was two-fold. The primary function was to maximise the number of prisoners taken, thus increasing post-conflict leverage and minimising Agrandan losses. The secondary function was to spread dissent, turning the enlisted soldiers against their officers in hope of securing favour with the Agrandan forces. It also encouraged the officers themselves to surrender, although the complexities of Agrandan military law were not all conveyed on the single sheet.

The sky had been filled with what looked like light bombers, but were in fact transport planes carrying Army paratroopers. Five squads - 40 men - to a plane, with two hundred planes in the air, meant that eight thousand paratroopers would be dropped around, but not inside, the capital and the smaller towns. The larger cities would have to wait for reinforcements, as there were only sixty thousand soldiers involved on the ground in the whole operation so far. A further two hundred thousand would be arriving with the second fleet, which was due to appear at dawn the next day.

A Pathfinder unit was approaching the capital at full speed, tasked with gathering information before the primary assault. Ordered to proceed until they met resistance, the single APC moved more cautiously into the city limits. Mounting a hill with a view of the city centre, the squad disembarked to observe. Stepping from the APC first was the squad leader, Sergeant R. Hawkins, his non-regulation white panama hat and round sunglasses marking him out from almost anyone. Hawkins had a reputation for two things; his commendable fearlessness and extremely good luck. Taking a large pair of binoculars out of the APC he looked - without removing his sunglasses - towards the capital. Satisfied by the column of smoke still piling up into the sky from the large government building in the centre of the city, he noticed something else, something familiar. Something red, white, grey and gold.

"That's our flag there." said the squad's Sniper, Stevenson.
"Yeah," replied Hawkins, "but they got the middle bit wrong."
"You think they surrendered?"
"I think... that I ain't seen anythin' like this. Ever."
"I bet we got a flag in the APC somewhere. We could go give it to 'em"
"Yeah. Let's do that. I wanna see the look on Elmo's face when we give him Bullhornia."

A drunken man stumbled from a bar, he was a "former" Bull Hornian officer, John P. Groshner, after deserting he had gone to the Hog's Head bar in Bull City where he had had way too many shots of vodka in the last half hour. He saw an APC parked at the top of a hill overlooking the city, he started cheering and stumbling about. Maybe his country would function better with a new leader. He was wearing a leather jacket with "aviator" style sunglasses and a John Deere baseball cap, he had seen all the horrors of the government, which was powered by greed, from people starving to executions. Others heard and saw him cheering and stumbling and they looked up at the hill, which he was pointing at, there were more APCs, men were disembarking, paratroopers were also dropping out of the sky in the distance. Bull Hornia belonged to Agrandov.

Two days after the capitulation of Bullhornia, Commander Elm was standing in the mostly-intact capital under an Agrandan flag. With squads marching through the streets in their nine-man square formations, and APCs and light transports occupying the empty space with manned machine guns, a curfew was in effect. Anyone outdoors after dark would be detained, and possibly sent to the Prisoner-of-War camps that had been thrown up hastily. These camps were not as secure as they could have been, but they were patrolled zealously by gratuitous numbers of armed guards.

Reinforcements had been drifting in, and now the entirety of Army XIV Legion was on Bullhornia, with the Marines courtesy of USMC IX Legion. Paratroopers from Army XXI Legion had set up patrols around the country, though the bulk of the reinforcements would be Army Legions VIII and XVII, the latter of which was an Engineering Legion. This force would be tasked with the construction of barracks, training facilities, prisons, observation points and storage depots. In a matter of months, they would entrench the Agrandan forces, removing the need for supply shipments from mainland Agrandov.

All surviving senior members of the Bullhornian government had been rounded up, and were being held inside the capital's finest hotel for the night. Given the freedom to discuss anything amongst themselves - but not allowed to leave the building - they would be taken to see Commander Elm at dawn. He would select the new leader of Bullhornia, who would implement Agrandan Colonial Law on behalf of the Central State. In time, the majority of Agrandan troops would leave, with the defence and policing duties handled by newly trained Bullhornians. This would take time, however, and for now it would be the Agrandan enforcement of Agrandan law.

Agrandan law was already taking hold of the Bull Hornian lifestyle. The economy was booming even in the aftermath of an invasion. Consumers were spending more than ever, buying goods that were previously under strict control of the government, such as cattle and gasoline. Rumors were passing around that a Bull Hornian representative would be selected by the Agrandans this morning. It was also rumored that the candidates were former government officials, such as the Minister of Defense, Erin Deagan, she was born in 1970 and was a prominent figure after women were allowed to hold government positions, she had applied for a secretary position in the Ministry of Defense and almost got fired for supplying her opinion on sensitive government files. Higher officials realized her brilliance as a commander so she was promoted. She had always admired the Agrandan culture, and their abiloty to design and manufacture weapons. She had surrendered because she wanted to spare the lives of millions to the Agrandan war machine. If the invading country had been any other, Erin would not have surrendered.