Well let me not beat around the bush any longer,pretty much I’m about to order the carpet bombing of North Yor at which I want Oan Isles to finish off with land invasion. From there we can build a Naval and Air Station to support the Invasion into Xagrug, I no longer care about the Ex-Government unwise decisions and I Refuse to wait on the allies to pull there head out there asses and attack these bastards.
“Firstly: carpet bombing North Yor is a human rights violation. Secondly: The Oan Isles will not be complicit to war crimes. Thirdly: without a two-pronged attack from north and south Xagrurg, a south attack alone would be foolish. Fourthly: invading a country on their home soil in winter is foolish. Fifthly: citizens of a country do not take kindly to an invasion. Sixthly: we need to be able to replace the G.X.E. government to prevent a vacuum that will escalate rather tham deescalate the problem. This is what we suggest. Firstly: do not carpet bomb North Yor; constriction and targeted attacks (boots on the ground or attacks from the sky) will do just fine. Secondly: we will conduct air strikes on strategic targets: like power plants, dams, airports and runways, dockyards and ports. Thirdly: we will blockade southern Xagrurg. Fourthly: after that, we will invade and take ONLY southern Xagrurg. Fifthly: we will attempt a negotiated settlement with the G.X.E. government. Pressure from Staynes in the north and Ethalria weak in the East, will make them more willing to compromise. We are already in discussions with the governments of The Triarchy of the Atlae Isles, the United Parishes of Mexregiona and the Second Republic of Tretrid, to get their help and come with a plan for a ground assault, and what to do after the war. That will be done in one day. After that we will attack. Do you understand Mr President?”
Kana tried to sleep, but she could barely close her eyes. She heard gun shots and explosions echoing across the face of the hills. Her guard stayed by her side all the time: when she ate, when she slept, when she worked, when she shat. The fighting was gettinf intense and the future seemed uncertain.
She turned around. The little boy whom the lady had saved from perishing with his parents, was awake. He looked at Kana. She was surprised by it. Had it not been for the darkness, she would have seen him blush. He turned around. She touched his shoulder. He turned around again.
He said, “Es tut mir leid, dich stören zu müssen”.
She asked, “Spraken ze Codexii?”
He giggled. She was clearly very foreign to this country.
“Ein bisschen”, he replied, “Think you nice”.
It was her turn to giggle. They sat in silence and looked at one another. His lids slowly closed and he went to sleep.
★★★
After seeing Kana, Hans packed his bags and went to the recruitment office. It was still open, desperate for human shields. He signed up. There was a basic test of his eye sight and physical strength. After a few hours he was shipped off. The men in the truck were quiet. Each carried the weight of the battle ahead. He kept asking himself, who is this man, that Kana spoke about storing treasures in heaven. What were these treasures, he asked himself? An unlikely place would yield an accurate answer.
June 22
Two weeks after the rejected declaration of war, the President was still fuming. Not only did they reject the declaration of war on the SCE, their public stance was that they preferred the SCE over the radical Axis!
They even tried to pass a law preventing any support of the Axis, which he had vetoed, but had passed anyway! Inconceivable, he had muttered under his breath.
Well, no longer! He devised a plan. He would either 1) sell weapons directly to the Axis and use the money to pay bribes fund government services, or 2) sell weapons to a different country and funnel the money to the Axis.
He flipped a coin, the Bielarusian Ruble. It was heads. 1 it would be.
Now all he needed was to keep it secret. He wrote up a file and distributed it to his most trusted advisors. He would need help to sell all these weapons and keep it a secret.
He smiled sinisterly. Operation Lorem Ipsum had begun.
Saturday
24 June 2017
Port of Crystal City
The Oan navy had been shrunk over the years to align with the ideal of pacifism, one that was difficult to live by and which no one trully believed in. It was a restrictive concept. Conflict was an inevitable prospect among social creatures. It was naïve to believe that natural instincts and primal behaviours could be overcome by propaganda and education. The soldiers knew that war was inevitable. They had trained for years lifting heavy weights, marching long distances and beating each other up to prepare for this moment. Their people called upon them to defend their nation.
They were buoyed by the sea. The deep, blue ocean was terrifying, but they were taught to trust it, trust it to carry them to their objective, if their objective was true. They sat quietly in the hull of the ship, preparing for the instruction to land. Although there was subtle conversation, they mostly kept to their own thoughts. The Colonel marched around, reminding them of the plan and motivating them. His voice could be heard in some distant part of the ship.
The ship finally docked at a fairly basic port in South Yor, that had been taken by forces from Kuthernburg. It was the first of seven ships that had been deployed to the cold waters of South Yor. Two ships were passenger liners. Together they carried 1,250 soldiers each and thousands of tonnes of supplies. Two destroyers escorted them. Two corvettes and a destroyer were moving closer to North Yor, on standby for a naval assault.
After almost a day at sea and hours at port, they were ready for the fight. The army was a home. It was a home for the soldiers who entered it. The man next to you had your back. There was trust and brotherhood among soldiers. The games and training, playing at war, were over. Precision and instinct were called upon. While the Colonels discussed the battle strategy with their Kuthern and Latian partners, the Captains rallied their companies. They spoke of lofty ideals. Ideals that Tito did not give a shit about. He had once been an actor and singer. He had once entertained people. Many people believed he had the potential to be a star, but things changed when he hurt his voice. Surgery and treatment could not fix his voice. He channeled his anger and personal frustrations onto the battlefield.
It was cold. Very cold. Yor was one of the southernmost major islands on Urth. Cold winds from Antarctica brought snow and sleet, cold and pain. He was a soldier now, his large muscles and sharp mind would be devoted to the shots he would fire, the pain he would inflict and the work before him. After a day of meandering, the battle began…
The Imperialists in North Yor had been wary of the military presence near their islands and took precautions to prevent the loss of the islands. Naturally. To achieve a tactical defeat, when the weather was against their side, the joint Kuthernburg-led and Oan forces had to use stealth and cunning.
Civilian planes were painted with the symbols of the Greater Xagrurgian Empire. They were clearly hastily drawn and were rudimentary, but they got the job done. Planes shot from the southern runways in the dead of night. Although the Xagrurgians were suspicious about the 4 Boeing 747s flying over their skies at this time of the night, there was enough confusion and hesitation to give the Oans a chance to attack.
Soldiers went down by parachute, falling like leaves from a tree. They gracefully and quietly made their way to the land below. Two companies landed on two different points in the forests that surrounded the Yorian capital and largest city. One company landed near a power plant and another two companies landed near a fortified air base.
Finally coming to their senses, the Xagrurgians sent a surface to air missile that made short work of one of the planes that had been transporting the soldiers. It exploded in a magnificent and terrifying display of light and power. Debris was sent flying; large chunks of metal dropped like cannon balls and small shards shot around like bullets.
Tito had watched in terror as the massive bird was destroyed. Shrapnel from the explosion tore through parts of his fatigues and hit his kit. Luckily it did not penetrate his skin or hurt his eyes. Others were not so lucky. Metal and glass shards tore through the flesh of those who had gotten out to soon. As flaming petrol fell from the sky like rain, it met some of the parachutes, setting them alight. Tito looked on as one of his brothers fell towards a building. Tito silently screamed, watching as the man fell towards a church spire, unable to redirect his course. The needle sharp spire and the man approached each other as though they were deliberately being pulled together by some malevolent force. Before the final moment, Tito closed his eyes. Although his eyes were protected from seeing the moment, his ears heard everything. Bones broke with a crunch. Flesh was torn like paper. Tito commanded himself to look to embrace the full gravity of death, the ruler of the night. He saw the man’s corpse: a doll skewered by a thin blade. Inanimate. Gory. Disgusting. Vomit rose dangerously high in his oesophagus. He could not bring himself to ask for God’s help. This is man’s war, of his own making. God had no hand in this. Therefore, man would fight this… alone!
Sunday
June 25, 2017
0800hrs
FADM.Rurfonaks stands over the bow of the frigate thinking to himself, “It has been said before with out sacrifice, there can be no victory. I’ve brought my boys this far and I must not stop tell we succeed”. 6 Raptors take off from RKS Queen Naomi II, there mission is to provide close air support for the Kuthern Marines preparing to attack North Yor and to Kay ground support for Oan Soldiers.
While the North Yor soldiers were busy focusing on the 747s, the 22nd Royal Brigade and 507 Navy Blue Jacks Special forces land on the freezing shores of North Yor , they quickly get to work while the Special Forces makes there way twords the Oan Soldiers. Meanwhile while in the sky the 6 raptors begin tearing the bunkers to pieces dropping 1,000 pound JDAN bombs onto select targets.Following the bombing run 3 of the raptors quickly escort the 2 747s to safety while the other 3 buzzed around controlling the airspace.
Due to his expert handling of the Latianburg affair, Commander Keyes was placed in charge of the newly christened RFS Royal Queen, a light frigate designed by the nations of Furnifold and Chianski. Its first voyage was to head south to Gronmund Port, along with one amphibious assault ship and a couple of patrol boats on board. This was to be the Gronmund Port task group, but Commodore Eden gave Keyes enough latitude to head east to Xagrurg, should the need arise. The country has become destabilized, and a merchant vessel of Furnifold was almost boarded, after all. Along with the vessels are two AW139 helicopters, and their personnel. Finally, the Magistrate has authorized the 1st Tactical Brigade to send its 1st Jungle Battalion. Included in the 1st Jungle Battalion is the Counter-insurgency Force (CIF) led by Captain Jouett, and the Auxillary and Intelligence Force (AIF) led by Captain Plame. In total, there are 800 personnel involved in this task group.
[hr]
The RFS Royal Queen docks in Gronmund Port, near the military base leased by Kuthernburg. Keyes turns to his XO, Markopolous, and instructs her to be put in touch with the base commander. “This task group is specifically authorized to facilitate the protection and development of Gronmund Port, but we may have business in the vicinity of Xagrurg, should the need arise. What is the status of the war?”
After seeing the ships over the horizon while heading to land back at Gronmond Airfield, the four EA-18G growlers fly over the RFS Royal Queen in a Finger Four Formation before breaking to continue to airbase. While the sailors waved and looked at aircraft over head 2 Kuthernburg Mirage 2000s flew past the ship making a very interesting and loud Sonic booms scaring the sailors, Capt.Beslorin speaks to RFS Royal Queen over radio , glad to see you guys here I’ll meet you soon as possible.
[hr]
" Deep Wang Deep Wang , to your 8 Gary slice em" CDR.Tesnof said over the radio whole crawling through in his snowy camouflage. LT.Gary quickly slices his throat while covering his mouth, he gently lays him in a small creek and the team moves forward.507 Navy Blue Jacks is a small team of 22 mean of the Special Operations Command of RKS. While the team continues there assault twords the capital the 22nd Royal Brigade consisting of 32 Tanks 4 RPLS and 470 soldiers steadily marched twords the Oan soldiers trailer by 12 helicopters for Air Support and additional troops and supplies they finally reached the soldiers after a day of traveling.
Thursday
June 27th, 2017
0900hrs
Deep in the snowy forest the 507th Blue Jacks reach there main target. “This is CDR.Tesnof I’m now entering the compound of the governor of North Yor, get us extracted in ETA 4 minutes, over” he says through the radio. “This is LT.Gorden your two UH-60 stealth hawks are arriving and waiting for you outside the compound, good luck” the pilot radios back. The soldiers storm the building " FLASH OUT" a soldier yelled, as they flash bang room by room “Cdr. Tesnof we got the Governor” a soldier speaks over the radio. The 22 man team runs twords the helicopters with there prize and heads back to YAF Duntly in South Yor, “good job boys” Tesnof says, seems that LT.Gary was shot in his arm during the intense firefight.
In the city
There were two three story buildings on either of Rob Matterson Street, where the Oan soldiers landed. There were wide. Abandoned shops and cafés were on the ground floor. The upper floors were accessible from a foyer on the ground floor or from within the different shops. Although they presented a great trap, the real threat came from above. Marksmen shot from the upper floors. Four Oan soldiers fell. The company divided into four platoons - one for each building. The platoons divided themselves into units, searching the bottom floor for look outs or cameras. They quickly destroyed the cameras and after a scuffle or two with a few Xagrurgian soldiers, the Oan soldiers made their way to the second floors of the respective buildings they were in. One Oan died. Five in total. Looks outs were left to guard the bottom floor and patrol the perimeter.
On the second floor, the Oan soldiers met the Xagrurgian troops in greater might. They fought them from room to room, even fighting through rooms. When they tried to push the Xagrurgians into a corner, they found a way out, some of them escaping to the bottom floor. One Oan soldier was unable to make it out of his enemy’s line of fire in time, falling. Number eight. The enemy was shot from the end of the aisle.
Tito’s first kill. Fighting in the second floors was complex. A move of daring, Tito shot open a gas pipe. The wall exploded. The leg of his uniform was burnt. He dropped and rolled on the ground in a comical fashion to prevent himself from being burnt alive. The fire carried through the pipes and exploded and various places throughout the building setting it alight. Noxious fumes filled the air, and burnt their eyes and lungs. The Oans managed to kill or capture most of the troops who escaped to the bottom.
For the sake of convenience and for the judicious use of their time, they simply killed the Xagrurgian troops they had captured by tossing them over the balconies to save bullets. Several Oan soldiers were riddled with bullets from the mêlée. Twelve dead.
The third floor was even more difficult. Snipers threw grenades. Six Oan soldiers were killed, scattered like broken pieces of porcelain on the floor or wads of jam smeered on the walls. The Oan and the Xagrurgians exchanged bullets, but neither was able to gain an advantage.
Several Oan soldiers were sent through the airvents that led to the roof to attack the Xagrurgians from behind. The smallest were chosen. Among them was Tito. Unfortunately the word “smallest” is a relative term. Oans are large and muscular and “small” to the Oans might mean something different to others. Tito had to strip almost naked to make it through the vents. The bolts that held the vents together ached. While the Xagrurgians were distracted, the Oan soldiers managed to squeeze through the vents and mow them down. After a short while, the Xagrurgians were killed and the Oans won. They took the four buildings. Eighteen Oans in total were killed.
Many surrounding buildings were abandoned and filled with civilians. Scouts were sent to either eradicate or retrieve them. A Kuthern contingent made it. Armoured assault vehicles went down the road, accompanied by infantry. The Oans were treated by military medics. They were escorted by Armoured Personnel Carrier to slightly safer places to be treated.
The soldiers were divided into three teams to take the military hospital at the end of Rob Matterson street. Two would attack on the left and right. A small group would fight a skirmish in the center. A large group would attack the main section of the complex in the centre. The two teams would attack when the central attack was deployed.
The Xagrugians remained true to the plan. A large portion of theie troops went into the foyer. The two, inconspicuous, side entrances were ignored, allowing the two teams to enter. They shot some guards and patrols. They locked staff and patients in rooms or large pantries here or there and left a guard to ensure that didn’t escape.
The AAF blew a massive hole in the foyer of the hospital. The troops made their way to different sections of the hospital to intensify the “left” and “right” attacks. Xagrurgian soldiers were killed. One Oan suicidal hero, drove a truck into one wing where the fighing was intense and their Oans were losing. His act of stupidity allowed the team to deal a blow on the Xagrurgians.The Xagrurgians eventually surrenderred and gave up. The military hospital was won by the Oano-Kutherburgers and 4 Oans fell. Other soldiers from Xagrurg fell back leaving a large field of mines between them and the… airbase.
507th rolls through the city streets with tanks and armored personal carriers, some of the soldiers so happy to finally see some friendly faces raises The Oan flag out the hatches as way of showing support. Fighter pilots from Kuthernburg airforce flies low destroying targets with large enemy count with 500 and 1000 pounds KDAMS, clearing the way before the ground forces make it to the location. Unknown to the Oan forces the 507th special forces division snipers would be laying cover fire for the rest of the mission. 30 Helicopters from the navy roar over head roping marines down and laying cover fire.
The RFS Royal Queen, previously shipped out of Gronmund Port, sailed east to the conflict in Yor. According to recent sources, the assault on the main city had taken a turn for the better, but perhaps the militaries of the Oan Isles and Kuthernburg could use some assistance. The task group had prepared a series of military deception strategies, and once briefed on the opposition in Xagrurg, were ready to deploy their material and tactics.
11th June 2017
It was rolling into evening hours. The convoy has began to stutter, their relentless travel through the day grinding at each driver behind the wheel. Many men were half asleep, one eye open, ready to mobilise.
A loud explosion rung from behind a tree-line. Small but observable amounts of debris came flying from over the tips of the trees. The entire convoy fell still. Everyone was awake, looking in the direction of the noise. Several seconds passed of silence, before another explosion sounded several hundred yards down the road. The front few vehicles began to squirm. Everyone was nervous. Dozens of nervous coughs and breathing came from the very front transport vehicle.
“Steady men.” the commanding officer nudged.
A third explosion lifted the front tank into the air. The colossus wreck flew several feet into the air before crashing down into an inferno of flames. A painful screech came from inside the tank. The top door opened, a man attempting to climb out. He was completely engulfed in flames, and before he could get any further than the hatch, slumped over the top of the tank, half of his body in and half of his body out.
The commanding officer looked at his squad, and then to Walter. He looked in the direction of fire, yet there was nothing.
“What in the blast is going on over there?!” He cried. “Thadeus attack formation! I want men dug in! All tanks to the front! Everyone move!”
The entire front of the convoy spread out into one large horizontal line. The tanks spread evenly across the two fields either side of the road, the men reaching for the nearest cover. The commanding officer noticed a silver tint from across the valley.
“There are the fuckers,” He exclaimed, pulling out his radio. “Bravo, this is Hector. We need a gunship in the air! Hostiles a klick to our 12 do you copy? Over.” The comm went silent.
“Copy loud and clear. ETA 16 minutes on your coordinates. Over.” the voice cracked.
“Bastards! 16 minutes!” Hector shouted. The bombing carried on, hitting the ground sporadically.
“Commander, what do we do? Over.” the officer of the Nighthawk Colonarius mk2 shouted down the radio.
“All units, open fire.” He asserted.
A unique firing pattern blasted over the valley. Four minutes of explosions left the rocks hiding the enemy pulverised. Almost no other shells had come back in the direction of the Staynish.
“Hold your fire.” Hector shouted. All units came to a halt, but eerily advanced past the treeline.
Suddenly, several dozen shots from the other side of the valley converted into explosions, littering the field, which levelled four tanks.
“What in the devil!” Hector shouted. “Roll back behind the trees!” He ordered. The bombarding didn’t stop.
The Xagrurgian forces fell back to the airbase. It was a walled complex with facilities to store food, weapons and other supplies. They left bombs and traps in the buildings between the military hospital and the base. Kuthernburg sent in planes to bomb the base. In order to actually have a viable base to take back, they needed to be careful. They had to send in infantry and artillery.
The Oans took stock of their losses and gains. Although the Xagrurgians had been pushed back, there were bombs in between. When scouts were sent to scout the buildings, several bombs were triggered. The explosions led to the deaths of 3 Oan soldiers.
A specialised team was assembled in sent in to clear a path to the base. This presented a problem, because it would take hours to clear the bombs. In that time, Xagrurgian planes were able to strike the hospital.
The explosion triggered a fire that was quickly spreading. The Oans and Kutherns tried to use sand and water to clear it, but the heat and smoke became untameable. They abandoned the hospital and scattered like ants from nest.
They scattered to a number of surrounding buildings. The Xagrurgians randomly bombed the buildings. Ten Oan soldiers were killed. The Kutherns sent in planes to fight them. Debris fell from the sky. The Kutherns managed to push them back.
Several planes and helicopters fell down and people were killed, but the Xagrurgians were fairly isolated. With fights in thes forests and at port, the airbase was easily forgotten. The Oans managed to regroup and reassess. They were disheartened, unable to mourn the dead or tend to the injured.
The Oan soldiers came from different cultural groups with different beliefs and practices. The divisions that pervaded at home permeated onto the battlefield as the chances lf survival seemed bleak.
What now…?
Commander Keyes sent a message from the Royal Queen using an open line to the front-line commanders of Staynes, Oan, and Kuthernburg. The message detailed their plans to enact a base of operations five kilometers west of the attacked city. The base would be located in the dense forested area, and would be an effective location to press forward into enemy territory as well as operate within the city. Construction equipment was brought in from locations on Yor and what was included on the task group’s vessels. There would be several structures erected, sandbags, barbed wire, and some AA guns brought in for protection. Contractors on Yor would be hired to do the lighting and plumbing for the base.
[hr]
Okay, now that the stuff we want to have the GXE hear about is out of the way, let’s bring in what’s really going on here. At first, the construction of the base will be heavily guarded. The construction of the base is real, but all the equipment being brought in is realistic, but fake. The sandbags, heavy at the bottom but full of foam. The structures, made of a thin layer of concrete, but the structure is essentially wood. The barbed wire, string and glue (yes, Furnifold’s expertly trained soldiers were in fact putting grey glue on string and tying it together to make it look barbed). The AA guns, fake but painted to look realistic. Here’s why this is important. The communication on the specifics of the base was made to look like a mistake, and the location is almost in a perfect position for the GXE forces to seize for counterattacks on the city. The contractors hired would likely have at least a few GXE informants, and they will not know the difference between fake military material and the real stuff. The vouching of these contractors will embolden the GXE forces to attack, whereupon the allied forces will know it is coming and deal a blow to the enemy. The final piece of the deceptive puzzle? The structures will have a thin floor, and upon command is collapsible, causing the inhabitants to fall several feet and be trapped underneath the rubble of the structure, perfect for capturing. Hopefully some GXE commander is ambitious, but stupid, and fall for this ruse.
Seized with the fervour of battle, Tito was emboldened. He lay his hands on the ground and knelt. The earth shuddered and walls of the dwelling in which he had hid himself shook. The attacks of the enemy were great, but his resolve to triumph over him was even greater. However, he was tired. His muscles ached from climbing, carrying and crawling. The lactic acid that had fomented in his joints brought him pain. He cried. His tears hit the ground and soiled his cheeks. A deep shadow swept over him. His mind was to rule his body, that while it did not know the secret ways of fate or the mysteries of fortune, it had to use what amenities were availed to him or faculties he possessed to return himself to the battle.
He trembled, for knew that his life was not in his hands, that the constructions of man could be destroyed by the wind or his contrivations could be undone by chance. He looked at the puddle of his tears and drew a cross into the ground, the crucifix of his Redeemer and Saviour. He remembered how his Master was lashed with whips, burdened with a wooden cross and slain like a lamb. He remembered how the resolve of faith was the evidence of things hoped for and the substance of that which was not seen. He quietly sang: “He lifted me up, from the deep, mighty glen and planted my feet on the king’s highway. That is the reason I sing and I shout!”
He danced with great joy. His mind once burdened with the toil of war, was filled with abundant joy, an infectious delight that gave his fellows hope. “He is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” he asked. This war was not holy. It was not decreed from the divine throne or sealed with the sacred seal. It was a tussle between two mighty men, pushing and pulling to lever an advantage into their favour. They exploited the true intentions of those who enlisted for battle. True. Fine. Yet for all their plans and ideas, the soldiers gave meaning to idle words, substance to machination. Therefore the justification of their acts lay with them. To clothe their acts with the banner of iniquity or to pursue honour, was the choice that lay before them.
Tito chose honour. He chose grace. To show mercy, to part graciously with comfort for self sacrifice, to part unreservedly from self preservation for honour - for dignity. For that he could ask no more from his Creator than the strength to carry on. He held his weapon. He lifted his head. He rose from the ground. He marched to the sound of the horns of battle.
[hr]
Planes swooped in the skies above, pursuing one another and outmaneuvering one another: perishing with failure and living with success. The Kuthernburg air fighters gained ground. Expertly handled planes glided in the sky like hawks in pursuit, their adversaries wilting at their ferosity and tenacity. They cleared the way for the forced of the ground to wrest control of these islands from the hands of the Great Xagrurgian Empire, once and for all.
The forces marched on the fortified airbase. Cannons shot from its battlements. Although an explosive shook the earth or killed a friend, they retained the uniformity of their formation. Their own guns were not far off, sending missiles into the wall. Smoke rose. Chunks of stone and brick exploded from their places. Columns fell. The infantry made their way in and tore at the base like ants on a carcass.
The sound of bullets being shot echoed in the chambers and passageways. Bullets riddled the flesh of the dead, the furniture and the walls.
[hr]
Tito ran from one room to the other. He shot at a soldier, aiming for his shoulder and hit it perfectly. The man’s arm fell to his side, he dropped his weapon and screamed. Tito hit him on the head with the butt of his rifle, knocking him unconscious. Another came bolting through the door and shot at Tito, narrowly missing his head. Tito jumped behind the desk and went down. His apprehensive adversary hesitated for a moment, giving Tito a chance to rise up and shoot him in the leg. Tito sprung from behind the desk and went to the main courtyard. On one side the Oans and Kutherns stood and on the other, the Xagrurgians stood. Each hid behind columns and a table, bags of sand or a desk turned over. They bobbed their heads up to shoot, and sometimes hit their mark or got hit themselves.
Tito was hit on the upper arm. He used a knife to gouge out the bullet and wrapped it with a torn piece of cloth from his shirt, abating a loss of blood. He sat in pain as the sound of screams and gunfire filled the air. The Xagrurgians lifted a white flag, a sign of surrender. The airbase was taken. Finally, the battle was over and the Allies won, taking the base. The Oans and Kutherns rejoiced. They shook hands and leapt for the sky. They chanted and celebrated, each in their own fashion. The sobering reality of maintaining control of the base, of other battles in other parts of the city, of the role that the base would play in an even bigger battle, of burying the dead and mourning their loss, had not yet become apparent. But it was an inevitable course, an unfortunate, but quintessential part of the Battle for Yor.[edit_reason]Not much[/edit_reason]
The GXE soldiers, in a likely act of desperation after losing the airbase, made a beeline into the dense lush to regroup. Knowing they needed to make a push to a more fortified position, their commanders gave them a new target. “There is a post constructed not far from your location, take it over and commandeer the weapons, and we can stage more assaults and traps from there.”
It was a sound strategy, and if done right, no opposing forces would know the GXE were able to take it over until it was too late. But Commander Keyes was one step ahead of the GXE. Though the fake post was not completely finished, the main structures and their false floors had been constructed.
…
The GXE soldiers thought it strange to have a command post in the middle of nowhere, stranger still to not have any form of warning system or defense constructed. But, weary after a heated battle with the allied forces, the soldiers were glad they found a nearby safe place. When they unknowingly tripped the sensors, alerting Keyes to their presence, he was ready to activate the trap. Keyes contacted (securely!) the allied forces and made them aware of the nearly forty soldiers who moved to the command post, then he activated the false floors.
All of a sudden, the soldiers in the command post were falling, and the rest of the post with them. They landed on earth, twelve feet below, along with the internal structure of the post, so that only the thin layer of concrete remained. The remaining soldiers outside the post would have heard the mechanisms releasing, and would be figuring out a way to rescue their comrades below. Hopefully the Oan of Kutherns would be nearby, to prevent this and capture the soldiers.
…
Keyes grunted in approval when told of the success. He moved on to consult with his planners for the next operation. With the success of the allies on Yor, Operation Honeypot would need to be implemented very soon.
The 86th Infantry Division of the Oan Terrestrial Defence Service landed outside Malcolm Park, a part of the Yorian capital, far from the city centre, the last outpost of civilisation before the cold, snow-covered forests. The Oans had fought as best as they could. Because the suburban area of the city was not as a strategic target at all, the Xagrurgians conceded that part to focus on five important parts of the city: the Military Hospital, the Airbase, the Waterworks, the Powerplant and the Port. Two of the three were in the hands of the allies and the Port was already falling. The parts that were in the hands of the Xagrurgians, while not strategic military targets, were important to the survival of the people who lived here.
The Oans occupied that part of town. Curfews and searches of homes of property were enforced. They were simply marching over the suburbs, the protestations of their inhabitants falling flat. The Xagrurgians wanted to make the citizens angry enough to fight for themselves. They cut off the water and power.
Thankfully the Ulua family poured millions of dollars into Oanaid, an Oan national charity and humanitarian aid agency. It was able to alleviate the people of the stresses of war. For several days there was a vigilant piece as the sound of crashing planes, exploding missiles and crumbling infrastructure echoed in other, more distant parts of the city.
The calm was not to last, however, when Colonel Sate Natiye received a call from Commander Keyes of Furnifold. A trap had been laid for the Xagrurgians, a crafty device to ensnare them. Although it had done quite the number on the men who were there, enough of them escaped and were trying to rescue them. Colonel Natiye commanded Commander Noanaoa Tukanaye to lead the 47th Platoon “Silent Sage” to eliminate them or initiate their surrender. Although the fake base (called Operation Honeypot) was a deviation from their planned strategy, it accomplished two things: (a) eliminate a sizeable portion of the enemy combatants from the battlefield and (b) allow them to gain a strategic position to take the waterworks and powerplant.
Commander Tukanaye led his men to the field. There were 50 men in four armoured personnel carriers and escorted by three medium battle tanks. They moved silently but expeditiously to their targets like lions on the prowl. With the normal economic activity of the city brought largely to a hault, the roads were cleared. They eventually made it to this obscure place outside the town, with the 98th Platoon “Merciful Moon” on standby to reinforce them should things get hairy.
When they arrived, the scene was almost comical.
Commander Keyes sent the Counter-Insurgency Force (CIF) and Captain Jouett to the outpost at Malcolm Park, and sent Captain Plame and the Auxillary and Intelligence Force (AIF) to a part of the allied command center most suited for collection purposes.
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The CIF practically waltzed into Malcolm Park. The Oan forces had done a phenomenal job of securing this area against the GXE, and upon being briefed about the situation, were ready to be involved in securing the things that keep the people of Yor from freezing. The CIF had brought along a new tool the RDF engineers at Kwoleck developed. Functioning as a sound cannon, this device is the size of a dishwasher. It has an effective radius of about 30 meters, and blasts sound at variable frequencies in an arc of about 45 degrees. The most important frequencies for counter-terrorism purposes are those that can disorient enemies in range, causing disorienting and nauseating effects. Especially important for use in Yor is the higher frequency, which shoots acoustics that vibrates branches and bushes, knocking snow off of them. It functions as a tracker for any booby traps the GXE might have placed, and can be quickly switched to a lower frequency to disorient any potential ambushes. The CIF moved towards Commander Tukanaye and his men, ready to assist in the assault on the Waterworks.
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Captain Plame brought her soldiers to the nearest command center. The reports had indicated the GXE flying sorties from the mainland. Plans would be underway for the assault on the mainland, but something needed to be done now about the planes doing bombing runs. Perhaps electronic hacking of aircraft would be most effective. The Captain set about determining the specifics of the GXE aircraft, and if the pilots and mechanics had taken the right countermeasures with the electronics on board. It wouldn’t need to be completely taken over, in fact the most important function to take out would be the navigation system. The ability to minimize effective precise point mensuration in the aircraft as they commit to their strike would likely cause their ordnance to miss. The strategy would be to provide enough countermeasures to limit the success of the sorties, so much so that the GXE recognizes it is a waste of fuel and ordnance to continue their runs.