Ertaii
23-02-2009, 18:10
Sheffield City, Krakk, Intelligent Neighbors - about 10 miles north of the Ertaii border.
The city slept peacefully, little traffic, little activity. Remnants of the summer carried on the warm breeze. September was just beginning and the weather here in the north was beginning to get colder. Soon it would be time to snuggle deeper under duvets while the wind howled outside. Sheffield was generally quiet, as was the rest of Krakk. The local government had taken and maintained control effectively after the break-up of the nation. The police force was loyal and well trained, and there was no militia warfare and violence on the scale of some of the lower regions. Occasionally someone thought that they had the right to govern and stated as much publically. These people quickly disappeared. Sure, there was no democracy and the police tended to use excessive force, but on the whole things were not so bad.
Kevin looked across to his girlfriend sitting next to him on the couch, and slipped an arm around her shoulder. He made to kiss her cheek but she pushed him away.
“Not now Kev, something has just happened at the gate.”
Claire gestures toward the television which is showing the late-night news channel. The presenter is looking a little rattled and is speaking a little too fast. In one corner of the screen shaky mobile-phone footage of what appears to be a gigantic steel gate opening slowly plays.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears that The Gate is opening. I need not remind you that this is the first time in three years that this has happened. There has been no contact of any kind with Ertaii since the dissolution, who knows what’s happening now? Ah, our news reporter has finally shown up on the screen. Simon, what can you tell us?”
The coverage flicks to a breathless, slightly portly man with unkempt hair holding a microphone and standing in front of the gate, which is now fully open but shrouded in darkness.
“Not much I’m afraid, we can’t see into there and the guys here don’t want us to enter.” He gestures toward a man in a police uniform who’s intently staring into the inky darkness. The sound of an engine rumbling startles the policeman, who fumbles and pulls out a pistol which he holds wavering in front of him.
“Sounds like an engine, it seems we’re about to find out what happened to the people of Ertaii... the Ertaiil.”
The reporter stops talking as a long thin barrel of a tank cannon moves into the light, followed by more of the vehicle. It is an impressive show of force; this is obviously cutting edge technology. The policeman puts his pistol away quickly and stares dumbfounded at the tank. Behind it another tank appears, grumbling out of the gate and following the first that is proceeding down the road quickly. A man dressed in a black suit, shirt and tie steps into the light alongside it and moves toward the camera. He carries no weaponry yet moves as if he was a deadly weapon all by himself. Stopping next to the terrified news reporter he smiles warmly at the camera.
“Greetings to the people of Krakk. I apologise about waking you at this hour, but the time has come. I am simply known as Delta Seven, and the time has come for the glorious nation of Intelligent Neighbors to step up to the mark once more and declare that it will, alone if need be, defend the basic human freedoms of innocent and defenceless people all across the world against those who would wish harm on them.
“The past three years we have spent wisely inside Ertaii’s walls. Building strength and government free from the taint of the past. Now has come for you, and all of the former territories of Intelligent Neighbors to join us and our pledge. This may seem at first glance to be an invasion; however it is no such thing. No one shall have to change how they’re living their lives, except by choice. Local governments, if fair and open, shall remain in place. Corruption will be weeded out in order to give you the rights you deserve. The armoured columns currently moving into the area are just to ensure this happens swiftly. Please remain in your homes and stay calm. I hope that there is no need for any violence on any part. Now, excuse me, I have business to attend to.”
Delta Seven flashes another smile and jogs to a nearby tank, grabbing hold of a rail to swing himself up and on top. He opens the hatch and drops down inside.
Kevin and Claire turn and look at each other. Kevin has a glint in his eye and Claire has a shocked expression. “Holy fuck” Claire mouths, almost silently.
“Awesome... you think anyone will try and oppose this?”
“To be honest, I think the only region with enough might and will to oppose this would be Gildi; especially if the Cikae Isles decide to side with them. General Cork seems to think he rightfully should be in charge of the whole of Intelligent Neighbors; the only thing stopping him was the threat of nuclear attacks from the Samarkand region. The governor there could also take issue with the Ertaiil I guess...”
“True, but I guess it doesn’t matter much for us, Krakk will bend over backwards to avoid conflict.”
Three Months Later
Sergeant Kevin Wells stands to attention as the drill sergeant moves up and down in front of the men arrayed on the airstrip in front of him. Today might be his last day standing in Krakk, for he is about to embark on transport planes to the south of Intelligent Neighbors to participate in the invasion of Gildi. The General there had held out after all, and it had been decided that it was necessary to secure the oil reserves there as well as free the people from his oppressive regime. Mostly though, it was about the oil; but the general public seemed to be happy with the ‘liberation’ line.
His wife Claire was not there to watch, they had said their goodbyes that morning, too sorrowful to want to endure the boredom of a three hour ceremony. Their last night together had been wonderful and heartbreaking. They had made love softly by the fire, and Claire had began to cry once he had finished and lay on top of her gently. She would not beg him to stay though, she knew that this is what he wanted and tried to be strong and supportive. Besides, he had just married her and had promised to return as soon as he could. She would have to grip onto that thought in times of loneliness.
The sound of marching boots accompanies the roar of engines as the first wave of the thousands of soldiers from Krakk boarded the planes.
Northern Section of the Gildi-Samarkand Border
Thousands of miles the line that marked the current edge of Intelligent Neighbors ran south, lined on both sides by millions of men, five million all told. With the rest of the nation joining Ertaii in its quest for reunification General Cork of Gildi had conscripted nearly three million men into his standing army. Mostly ill-equipped but pressed at gunpoint into service their hastily erected trenches stood arrayed, waiting for the hell storm that the opposing forces would be sure to unleash any day now. For weeks they had been building up, tanks rolling up and down, men constructing sandbagged fortifications and eyeing each other up. Both sides in this conflict were roughly equally equipped, at least at first glance. Stockpiles of late-soviet era technology had been opened up and distributed. Soldiers on both sides gripped the same assault rifles, drove the same vehicles and nervously toyed with the same ammunition. However, the conscription of such huge numbers of troops from such a relatively small and food-sparse region meant that the forces of Gildi were slowly starving, with little ammunition to go around.
This looked set to be a very bloody war indeed, one that would set back the plans Ert had for the nation by decades. The one thing that could possibly tip this in favour of the Ertaiil was that they had the support of the well-equipped army from Ertaii itself. Comprised of around five hundred thousand well disciplined, well armed troops supported by masses of the highest calibre combat vehicles. Ranging from the brand new Revenant MkIII main battle tank to dusted off VA-3 ‘Lucifer’ supersonic bomber, this force was reckoned to slice through the others like hot butter. All that said, the consequences for the stability and recovery of the nation as a whole would be catastrophic. No; this time full-scale war and casualties must be avoided...
July 5th
Today is our third day on the front line, and already the routine is familiar. We wake early, eat and then are straight into patrolling. Often we just sit on board our armoured units and parade, a show of force for those poor bastards opposite us. Last night though, we got asked to sneak out into the scrub and get a feel for where the enemy lines are. Turns out they are pretty well dug in, trenches and anti-tank barricades block many of the passes up into the desert and I’m sure I saw caves in the ravine. It’s starting to not look as one-sided now; but don’t worry my sweet, I’m sure it’ll be fine. The local area commander tells us that there are things afoot to shift the odds more in our favour. I damn hope so.
Independent Hitmen, Greater Deinstad
The unmarked sedan crawled along the street, swinging left and heading onwards toward Cornwallis House. Stopping outside, the back door opens and a smartly dressed man steps out. The door shuts and the car slowly drives off.
Reajan watches the car go before briskly stepping up to the two beefy guards on the main door. “Excuse me gentlemen, I’m here on a mission of utmost importance and I must speak to your people immediately.”
“Do you have an appointment?” Asks one guard, shifting grip on his automatic weapon.
With a sigh and a mumble the documents detailing his upcoming meeting are presented.
The city slept peacefully, little traffic, little activity. Remnants of the summer carried on the warm breeze. September was just beginning and the weather here in the north was beginning to get colder. Soon it would be time to snuggle deeper under duvets while the wind howled outside. Sheffield was generally quiet, as was the rest of Krakk. The local government had taken and maintained control effectively after the break-up of the nation. The police force was loyal and well trained, and there was no militia warfare and violence on the scale of some of the lower regions. Occasionally someone thought that they had the right to govern and stated as much publically. These people quickly disappeared. Sure, there was no democracy and the police tended to use excessive force, but on the whole things were not so bad.
Kevin looked across to his girlfriend sitting next to him on the couch, and slipped an arm around her shoulder. He made to kiss her cheek but she pushed him away.
“Not now Kev, something has just happened at the gate.”
Claire gestures toward the television which is showing the late-night news channel. The presenter is looking a little rattled and is speaking a little too fast. In one corner of the screen shaky mobile-phone footage of what appears to be a gigantic steel gate opening slowly plays.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears that The Gate is opening. I need not remind you that this is the first time in three years that this has happened. There has been no contact of any kind with Ertaii since the dissolution, who knows what’s happening now? Ah, our news reporter has finally shown up on the screen. Simon, what can you tell us?”
The coverage flicks to a breathless, slightly portly man with unkempt hair holding a microphone and standing in front of the gate, which is now fully open but shrouded in darkness.
“Not much I’m afraid, we can’t see into there and the guys here don’t want us to enter.” He gestures toward a man in a police uniform who’s intently staring into the inky darkness. The sound of an engine rumbling startles the policeman, who fumbles and pulls out a pistol which he holds wavering in front of him.
“Sounds like an engine, it seems we’re about to find out what happened to the people of Ertaii... the Ertaiil.”
The reporter stops talking as a long thin barrel of a tank cannon moves into the light, followed by more of the vehicle. It is an impressive show of force; this is obviously cutting edge technology. The policeman puts his pistol away quickly and stares dumbfounded at the tank. Behind it another tank appears, grumbling out of the gate and following the first that is proceeding down the road quickly. A man dressed in a black suit, shirt and tie steps into the light alongside it and moves toward the camera. He carries no weaponry yet moves as if he was a deadly weapon all by himself. Stopping next to the terrified news reporter he smiles warmly at the camera.
“Greetings to the people of Krakk. I apologise about waking you at this hour, but the time has come. I am simply known as Delta Seven, and the time has come for the glorious nation of Intelligent Neighbors to step up to the mark once more and declare that it will, alone if need be, defend the basic human freedoms of innocent and defenceless people all across the world against those who would wish harm on them.
“The past three years we have spent wisely inside Ertaii’s walls. Building strength and government free from the taint of the past. Now has come for you, and all of the former territories of Intelligent Neighbors to join us and our pledge. This may seem at first glance to be an invasion; however it is no such thing. No one shall have to change how they’re living their lives, except by choice. Local governments, if fair and open, shall remain in place. Corruption will be weeded out in order to give you the rights you deserve. The armoured columns currently moving into the area are just to ensure this happens swiftly. Please remain in your homes and stay calm. I hope that there is no need for any violence on any part. Now, excuse me, I have business to attend to.”
Delta Seven flashes another smile and jogs to a nearby tank, grabbing hold of a rail to swing himself up and on top. He opens the hatch and drops down inside.
Kevin and Claire turn and look at each other. Kevin has a glint in his eye and Claire has a shocked expression. “Holy fuck” Claire mouths, almost silently.
“Awesome... you think anyone will try and oppose this?”
“To be honest, I think the only region with enough might and will to oppose this would be Gildi; especially if the Cikae Isles decide to side with them. General Cork seems to think he rightfully should be in charge of the whole of Intelligent Neighbors; the only thing stopping him was the threat of nuclear attacks from the Samarkand region. The governor there could also take issue with the Ertaiil I guess...”
“True, but I guess it doesn’t matter much for us, Krakk will bend over backwards to avoid conflict.”
Three Months Later
Sergeant Kevin Wells stands to attention as the drill sergeant moves up and down in front of the men arrayed on the airstrip in front of him. Today might be his last day standing in Krakk, for he is about to embark on transport planes to the south of Intelligent Neighbors to participate in the invasion of Gildi. The General there had held out after all, and it had been decided that it was necessary to secure the oil reserves there as well as free the people from his oppressive regime. Mostly though, it was about the oil; but the general public seemed to be happy with the ‘liberation’ line.
His wife Claire was not there to watch, they had said their goodbyes that morning, too sorrowful to want to endure the boredom of a three hour ceremony. Their last night together had been wonderful and heartbreaking. They had made love softly by the fire, and Claire had began to cry once he had finished and lay on top of her gently. She would not beg him to stay though, she knew that this is what he wanted and tried to be strong and supportive. Besides, he had just married her and had promised to return as soon as he could. She would have to grip onto that thought in times of loneliness.
The sound of marching boots accompanies the roar of engines as the first wave of the thousands of soldiers from Krakk boarded the planes.
Northern Section of the Gildi-Samarkand Border
Thousands of miles the line that marked the current edge of Intelligent Neighbors ran south, lined on both sides by millions of men, five million all told. With the rest of the nation joining Ertaii in its quest for reunification General Cork of Gildi had conscripted nearly three million men into his standing army. Mostly ill-equipped but pressed at gunpoint into service their hastily erected trenches stood arrayed, waiting for the hell storm that the opposing forces would be sure to unleash any day now. For weeks they had been building up, tanks rolling up and down, men constructing sandbagged fortifications and eyeing each other up. Both sides in this conflict were roughly equally equipped, at least at first glance. Stockpiles of late-soviet era technology had been opened up and distributed. Soldiers on both sides gripped the same assault rifles, drove the same vehicles and nervously toyed with the same ammunition. However, the conscription of such huge numbers of troops from such a relatively small and food-sparse region meant that the forces of Gildi were slowly starving, with little ammunition to go around.
This looked set to be a very bloody war indeed, one that would set back the plans Ert had for the nation by decades. The one thing that could possibly tip this in favour of the Ertaiil was that they had the support of the well-equipped army from Ertaii itself. Comprised of around five hundred thousand well disciplined, well armed troops supported by masses of the highest calibre combat vehicles. Ranging from the brand new Revenant MkIII main battle tank to dusted off VA-3 ‘Lucifer’ supersonic bomber, this force was reckoned to slice through the others like hot butter. All that said, the consequences for the stability and recovery of the nation as a whole would be catastrophic. No; this time full-scale war and casualties must be avoided...
July 5th
Today is our third day on the front line, and already the routine is familiar. We wake early, eat and then are straight into patrolling. Often we just sit on board our armoured units and parade, a show of force for those poor bastards opposite us. Last night though, we got asked to sneak out into the scrub and get a feel for where the enemy lines are. Turns out they are pretty well dug in, trenches and anti-tank barricades block many of the passes up into the desert and I’m sure I saw caves in the ravine. It’s starting to not look as one-sided now; but don’t worry my sweet, I’m sure it’ll be fine. The local area commander tells us that there are things afoot to shift the odds more in our favour. I damn hope so.
Independent Hitmen, Greater Deinstad
The unmarked sedan crawled along the street, swinging left and heading onwards toward Cornwallis House. Stopping outside, the back door opens and a smartly dressed man steps out. The door shuts and the car slowly drives off.
Reajan watches the car go before briskly stepping up to the two beefy guards on the main door. “Excuse me gentlemen, I’m here on a mission of utmost importance and I must speak to your people immediately.”
“Do you have an appointment?” Asks one guard, shifting grip on his automatic weapon.
With a sigh and a mumble the documents detailing his upcoming meeting are presented.