The Judicial Republic Declares War!

NEWS REPORTS

The Judicial Journal

As the Chancellors walked out of the emergency meeting, they announce to the special senate that NX feels threatened by Rasivdi and ,now, King Issac's Forces. the senate voted a 80-20 majority in favor of war. The Chancellors are quoted with saying that
'the people of the NX401 feel as if we have been invaded. It is our duty, and our privilege, to support the peoples and senates opinion, as much as our own. Rasvidi has no respect for its neighboring nations and its intolerance for peoples resources. There was no treaty signed, no talks of this oil rig as they took action instead of talking with the other nations and securing this land. There Government is brutish in their fiscal and financial gains, and we must fight fire with even a bigger flame.'
With this speech, the Senate granted immediate powers of force dictated by the Constitution of the Judicial Republic. This gives the right Chancellors to hold special meetings with the senate when called upon to discuss in one caucus bills that need to be passed that are deemed fit. 'we wish we did not have to enact these powers,'Joseph Hilltop, prime minister, said ' but, for the good of the republic, it must be executed. '

The NX Times

4 Geologists Captured and held within NX401.

As of result of Last nights pirate raid on the oil rig, before King Issac's Naval troops harbored there, four Rasvidi Geologists were captured by unaffiliated pirates. They asked for 50 million a head and the Judicial Republic bought them, fearing for the safety of the Rasvidi Peoples. 'We feared that they would be executed if a bill was not paid on the spot. As a result, due to the Rasvidi's government lack of attention, we paid in full' said Prime Minister Joseph Hilltop.

The Geologists are now being held in NX401 government hospital and treated as they were badly wounded during the negotiations...


The Judicial Republican statements:

On National Television, the Chancellors of the Judicial Republic came out with press release that said that the mobilization of 100,000 Legionaries of the Republican Legion and 50,000 tanks will be approaching the border of the Rasvidi Government.


In the waters, the order of 50 battle ships, 3 Aircraft carriers, 20 destroyers, and 10 submarines are moving towards the Oil rig to destory it.

In Rasvidi, mobile Tochka missile platforms had been stationed near the borders. As 15,000 T-70 tanks and 450,000 troops marched forward, so did 500 bombers and 1,500 fighter aircraft scream over their heads. Aircraft carriers and cruisers began to move along the coast towards NX401, while at the oil rig the current assignment of 35 destroyers, 5 cruisers, 1 aircraft carrier, 100 frigates and 150 submarines began to be complemented by the rest of the navy. 500 attack aircraft, capable of deploying light missiles to ground and air targets, also screamed towards the oil platform.

The Tochka short-range ballistics missiles had been launched upon NX401's land forces, raining down on the massive legions and tank processions as they approached the Rasvidi border. They reached their targets in less then a minute. Nearly 650 had been launched.


Rasvidi State News
Editor in Chief, Öda Fortunatov

The Judicial Republic of NX401 has declared war on our glorious nation. These dogs, answering to calls made by their master Isis Rakael, have been corrupted and blinded to the treachery that Isis Rakael has imposed upon them. We must not let them succeed, for their sake just as much as ours. They claim sovereignty to the oil of the North Sea, which lay in it's entirety in international waters. We cannot let this puppet of Isis Rakael achieve their goals, or our glorious nation will suffer a fate similar to theirs.

Television, radio and online communications will now only use the emergency broadcast system until this situation has passed. It will brief you, the people of Rasvidi, on how you can do your part in keeping this nation strong. All able bodied men and women not currently in the military are strongly encouraged to sign up, while all others are encouraged to work in our factories and on our farms to make this nation the biggest war machine this world has ever seen. The broadcast will also inform you on ways you can sabotage enemy occupying forces should this happen, and how you can support incoming Rasvidi troops. Ration and survival kits will be distributed to all citizens, and if you are captured or will surely meet your demise, included is a single cyanide capsule. Keep this on your person at all times.

We are no strangers to the ravages of war, comrades! Indeed, we have seen the worst conflict in the history of all Tiberiam and lived. The things we can endure, the things the people of Rasvidi can handle with ease, would utterly destroy a man of a different background. Let's show these NX401 scum how real soldiers fight a war!

Still a little less than a 10 hours away from their postings along the NX401 border, the Rakaelian ground units (confirming 300,000 armored units and 4.1 million troops) moving south through NX401 continue on their journey to reinforce NX401 troops. Fighter and bomber wings from Arol reached the NX401 late last evening and began engaging Rasvidian air units. Additional forces are less than 3 hours away.

Missile defense systems came on-line all across the eastern coast of Isis Rakael and the experimental Stragetic Defense Initiative was activated, an extremely high speed tungsten-missile defense system designed to neutralize nuclear weapons that pose a threat to the nation.

The 8th IRN Fleet moved eastward to combat Rasvidian naval units closing in on the NX401 border, but no movement has been made of any kind toward the oil rig. The IRAF began to scramble bomber wings, equipped with anti-ship munitions, from Cosic and its surrounding Air Force Bases and ordered them southeast to assist the 8th Fleet.

No actions concerning a nuclear response to the Rasvidi invasion of NX401 have yet been made.

On land:

The Initial Republican Legion force for NX401 has seem to be hit the hardest. With the 650 missiles that rained down on the Legion, the Legion lost 35,000 soldiers and 5,500 tanks; Heavy loses indeed with more wounded. some of the missiles were hit but casualties were still high

However, the legion carried on with the soldiers they had. another 300,000 Republican Legion Soldiers were to be deployed along with 150,000 tanks. Moreover, the NX401 Air Force has deployed 5,000 Sea-Interceptor Attack Jets along with 500 Thagard bombers.

Also,700 NX-345x Laser guided missiles, mid range, were to were to lay down counter attack to Rasvidi's missiles. Some (200) were guided to the Rasvidi fleet on the coast; 400 to the land forces trying to move in the NX border and 100 missiles directed to Novosibirsk city.

The fleet at the Oil Rig met fierce fire power and had to retreat. The force needed to gain its strength by regrouped, even though Rasvidi took some moderate losses, or as the fleet could note.

Isis soldiers moved through NX401 and cheered with grace.
If the lines broke, NX401 could be a battle ground.

the Missile systems in the cites and the coastline were activated.

No nuclear threat has been made

Deep beneath the water only 2 miles from the oil rig, two 3-person sumbersibles launched from the back of the IRN submarine Vanguard, which sat silently beneath sonar detection of the Rasvidian submarines that were patrolling the area.

"Submersibles away."

Captain Petr Solenko nodded to a young lieutenant who had written the message on a scrap of paper then returned his gaze to the deactivated sonar screen. It was a waiting game. They could not power up any systems or they would risk detection. It was deadly quiet. You could hear a pin drop, but so could the enemy. His crew was one of the best, trained by the elite to be the elite. No one stirred. No one made a sound.

-----

The submersibles travelled slowly, cautiously, and on minimal power without running lights toward the base of the oil rig on the sea floor. Three hundred feet from the rig, the two three-man teams donned their checked their weapons and gear, donned their scuba tanks and masks, then ditched the submersibles near a jagged underwater reef. Hopefully any noise or detection caused would be dismissed as reef activity. Despite the intrusion of military vessels and the building of the oil platform, sea life had remained fairly abundant.

The teams swam to the support struts of the rig and then began their ascent, keeping on the inside of the struts to avoid being visually seen by any prying eyes of the enemy. The journey was slow, but they located the small ladder that they were looking for. It hung down from a center walkway of the lower level of the platform was put in place to assist divers in and out of the water when repairs needed to be made. Their heads broke the water one by one and they surveyed the surrounding area to make sure it was clear of enemies before proceeding up the ladder and onto the walkway. They removed their fins and scuba gear and made a final check of their weapons before moving on. They were dressed all in black, without any insignias or emblems of any kind. Their weapons were unregistered and the bullet casings they used were without marking.

They raced to their second target, one level above - the drill itself - and met little resistance, neutralizing enemy patrols with silenced weapons. Explosive charges were placed and the teams moved up level by level, as silently as they could, until they reached the top level, the surface of the platform itself. The teams crouched down just below the top of a flight of stairs and surveyed the area. There were Rasvidian troops everywhere. This was more than just an oil platform. It had to be. Given the size of the fleet protecting it and the number of troops on board, something wasn't right. One soldier produced a pair of binoculars and one of the team-leads, peering through them, found the answer.

Within the control tower, standing near a window and looking out, was the Rasvidian president. Venedikt N. Pralnikov himself. The teams couldn't believe it. It finally made sense, but what was he doing here? Why wasn't he in Ulyanovsk? No answer was given. Had the IRSC known about this when they ordered the sabotage team in? Even if they did, it was beyond his level of "need to know," he assumed.

They crept back down the stairs. Their last target was on this level. The pumping station of the rig, designed to extract the oil once they reached it with the drill. They placed their charges and began to extract when the second team-leaders spotted a stockpile of oil drums stacked up on the other side of the level, directly below the control tower on the level above, and most likely there to service the various machines in operations on the rig. The level was fairly open, with only a dozen or so support beams placed evenly throughout the center of the level. There was nowhere to hide if something went wrong. It was too open. The teams pressed forward nonetheless. They reached the oil drums without issue and while one soldier attached a charge behind the drums, the rest stood watch.

"Charge set."

They breathed a sigh of relief, but it was too soon. A group of Rasvidi soldiers, coming down a missed set of stairs to their right, spotted them and shouted. The team opened fire, striking one, but missing the other two. A warning klaxon went off. The sound of booted feet storming down the stairways echoed throughout the level. They were trapped. The Rasvidi troops took sporadic shots, apparently afraid of hitting the oil drums, but one shot struck true and a Rakaelian soldier went down. The firefight continued for a few minutes, but the teams were trapped. There was no where to go. Two more of them went down to Rasvidi gunfire. The remaining three dropped down to the floor to make themselves as small a target as they could, but a new wave of enemies came down the stairs to their right.

The team lead fumbled in his pocket and produced a small transmitter. He looked at the two men by him and they nodded. He didn't hesitate. He activated it.

The charges detonated.

In their first direct attack against the fleet protecting the oil rig, the IRN 9th and 10th Fleets moved into firing range and focused their attacks on the Rasvidi aircraft carrier and the destroyers, the greatest threats to both Rakaelian and NX401 vessels. The aircraft carriers began launching fighter wings as quickly as they could prep them.

Down south, the 8th Fleet's fighter wings were taking a beating. They didn't have the numbers to claim air superiority, but they kept up the fight. Reinforcements were coming. Rasvidi did not have the total numbers to hold the air for long. As powerful as they were, they could not come close to comparing with the Rakaelian military. It was a matter of time. But precious time it was, and dearly bought.

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On the NX401 borders, the Rakaelian troops arrived. Millions of troops and hundreds of thousands of units of armor reinforced the valiant effort of the NX401 troops. Main battle tanks and APCs raced to fill defensive gaps and mobile missile platforms began firing their payloads, targeting Rasvidi's missile platforms and armor. Thousands of missiles filled the air and rained down upon the Rasvidi forces.

Taking advantage of what time they had, the Rakaelian troops dug in at the border and braced themselves for the ground battle that was sure to come. They had the numbers, they knew, but they did not underestimate the tenacity of Rasvidi.

(OOC: Going to do a quick reply before bed.)

At the presidential estate President Carlton faced a difficult decision. The Rasvidi treaty was coming around to "bite him in the butt" so to speak. He didn't regret the treaty as far as bringing new economic growth to both Rasvidi and Gracealona as well as many other benefits, but being obligated to provide support in a conflict that Gracealona had no direct stake was not a good position to be in. He had to be careful here. If Gracealonian forces came in guns blazing against Isis Rakael and NX401 they would no doubt soon be considered enemies of those nations which would never do as he had hoped to become allies with soon and write treatys with as well. On the other hand a failure of support to Rasvidi would no doubt cause tension and possible cancelling out of the treaty between the two nations. This would cast Gracealonian homeland security into peril. The more he thought about it the more he realized that this was really a no win situation for Gracealona and decided to pick his poison. Once he spoke before congress they quickley agreed with his standpoint and once the votes were tallied a short message was sent to the Rasvidian Capital; it read:

Due to changing circumstances Rasvidi will recieve no support from Gracealonian forces in this conflict. We harbour no ill will towards your government or your people and must apologize for our in-compliance with our treaty. We wish to continue to cooperate with Rasvidi but must request that the Mutual Defense section of our treaty be struck null and void.


A second message, even briefer, was sent to both NX401 and Isis Rakael

We will not be supporting Rasvidi in this conflict. We also wish to begin meetings with the goal of signing treaties with your two nations at your earliest convinence.

That night, as a gesture of good faith towards all nations involved, two Gracealonain hospital ships departed a naval base situated on Gracealona's northern coast. They were under orders to pick up wounded servicemen no matter what nation they served and headed towards the area of conflict at top speed.

Pralnikov stood staring out across the sea, which had ships stretching out in every direction. He knew a colossal battle was near, and he should have been elsewhere, but never had he hidden in a bunker like a coward when there was a war to fight. This platform was the pivotal point of this conflict, the reason lives were being lost, and he wasn't about to give it up. So here he stood on the frontier of the war, like he always had for his 85 years of life. Today would be different, however.

In the distance, on the horizon, he could see the approaching fleets of NX401 and Isis Rakael. His forces were woefully outnumbered, but anyone would be hard-pressed to find a force as dedicated, motivated and tenacious as the Rasvidi military. The trials the nation had faced were simply too great, too brutal to have left behind anything else. It was then that Pralnikov saw the men dressed in black. He did a double-take before realizing what was happening; the platform had been infiltrated. He had no idea how, but he had some idea of who. The only nation capable of such espionage, aside from Rasvidi of course, was Isis Rakael.

He held up his communication device and spoke into it. "Comrades, this is your leader speaking. I have spotted a small group of operatives on the ship, not far from my location. They were heading towards the pumping station. I advise caution, as they will likely be armed with explosive devices." He knew this would likely be his last few moments of life. "Long Live the Revolution, gentleman. Whatever happens, remember that Rasvidi will always live on. The flag, once raised, shall never fall!"

He could hear cheering throughout the platform as he clicked off the device. He sighed, and turned to face Alexei Rykov, who had accompanied him to the platform. "You know what will happen shortly, Alexei?"

Alexei nodded. "Yes, Venedikt." He didn't need to say it.

A tear briefly rolled down the ancient revolutionary's cheek. He had lived a glorious life, giving unprecedented freedoms to his people and protecting them from harm. It was only fitting that he should die in battle, defending that freedom. And now, with his death, one more freedom would become available to his people; that of political freedom. He knew that the 67 year ban on political parties would be lifted, and the first elections in over 1,000 years would be held. While beloved by his people, he had never truly been their representative. Another tear rolled down his cheek as he heard guns firing in the vicinity of the pumping station. Soon, the platform would be destroyed.

He embraced Alexei. "I love you, Alexei, my friend. It is only right that we die here together, in battle, where our friendship was first forged. Let us plunge forward into the abyss. Long Live the Revolution!" He was now sobbing into Alexei's shoulder.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Venedikt. I wouldn't have it any other way. Long Live the Revolution!" Both men, both well into their 80's, stood there embracing one another, sobbing quietly for eachother. Suddenly there was a sound so loud that it perforated their eardrums, and then a light so bright it blinded them. And then everything faded away.

Initially, there was confusion amongst the fleet when the platform exploded. Most did not even realize it had been the platform; crew on some ships became frantic trying to locate the direction and source of what they assumed had been shots fired from the enemy fleets. When it became clear the battle had yet to begin, however, then it struck the navy like a ton of bricks. The rig had exploded. Soon the radiowaves were alive with chatter, with commanders and generals trying in vain to communicate with either the Chairman or the Defense Commissar. When they realized the situation, the chatter suddenly died down. A voice cut through the air around the ships, emanating from a propaganda loudspeaker mounted on one of the ships.

"Comrades, it should be obvious now that our glorious leader is dead. This unforgivable insult on Rasvidi will not go unpunished. I am Vice Admiral Sohvi Vänskä, and as the highest ranking member in this fleet, I will assume the temporary title of Field Admiral. Let's show them how the People's Navy mourns the death of their leader!" As the Vice Admiral, now a Fleet Admiral, clicked off, music began to pour out of the speakers. It blasted loud, loud enough that the enemy fleets would be able to hear it clearly as the Rasvidi navy approached. It was inspirational, proud, and the sailors all had renewed motivation and drive to avenge their fallen leader.


Rasvidi casualties began to become heavy. Tens of thousands were already dead from missile attacks and a joint NX401/IR offensive. While many missiles were knocked out by Rasvidi counter measures, the majority were still able to hit their targets. The loss of life in the densely packed Novosibirsk was particularly hard. Over 16 million people called it their home, and it had once been the largest city in the world. Indeed, the city still held the title of the largest city in human history. It's population had been severely reduced in the revolutionary war, however, and while it had regained much of it's numbers it is no longer the largest. Over 2 million people instantly perished as the missiles rained down upon the city.

Elsewhere, Rasvidi forces began to lose ground. It wasn't until news of the Chairman's demise that it stirred the front line, and infused with reserve forces, nearly two million soldiers marched into battle to avenge their leader. While Rasvidi was capable of being able to rival Isis Rakael in troop numbers thanks to it's mandatory military service, they were clearly outnumbered in many other aspects. The entire Rasvidi military boasted only around 30,000 armored units, while the Isis Rakael military was able to press ten times that amount for a single offensive. Even NX401 had more tanks; but Rasvidi's tanks were of a nearly unmatched quality. Coupled with the blood rage induced by the loss of their leader, even this small force would be formidable.

Thousands of missile silos were destroyed by preemptive strikes, but hundreds of thousands still remained. There was a massive supply thanks to an ambitious missile program undertaken in the 60's and 70's to deter invasions of a then crippled Rasvidi. Nearly 5,000 short-range and long-range missiles were launched, most aimed squarely at invading forces. Several hundred long-range missiles were aimed at cities, however, each tipped with either chemical or biological warheads. These missiles targeted Absolve in NX401, and Durmar, Cosic and Rin in Isis Rakael.

The war was on.


"Sir, we simply cannot hold them off forever. They are too large, and without support we simply cannot win this conflict." This was Pellervo Rovanperä, the acting Defence Commissar, speaking to Vladimir A. Ovseyenko in a nuclear bunker located deep in the Phanagorian mountains, beneath Holmverja Peak. It was possibly one of the safest places in the world, able to withstand thousands of direct nuclear blasts thanks to the hundreds of meters of solid rock separating them from the outside. "There are other unclaimed oil fields in the world. This conflict is already not worth the lives lost."

Ovseyenko nodded. He was the acting Chairman with the death of Venedikt. His father had been close friends with Venedikt, having fought with him in the revolutionary war; he had died young. As his son, Vladimir worked hard to shape himself into what he thought his father would have wanted from him, and eventually he was nominated as the Vice Chairman. He was too young to remember the revolutionary war, as he was only 51 years old, but he remembered the turmoil the country endured during the violent post-war period.

"I tend to agree, Pellervo. We cannot surrender though, especially not with the death of our leader like this. But we must negotiate peace. Perhaps if we cede the oil fields, it will be enough for our aggressors; that is, after all, what this war is about, is it not?" Ovseyenko asked. Pellervo nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright, try to see if we can establish a line of communication. Do not, under any circumstances, compromise our location." Pellervo nodded again and rushed out of the room.

Dmitri Shepilov stepped out from the shadows after Pellervo was gone. He blew a large cloud of smoke as he spoke, cigarette in hand. "A wise decision, Chairman. You will save many lives." He took a drag on his cigarette, a slight smile on his lips. "Perhaps you will win the post-war election. You are a shoe-in to win. Of course, even without support, miracles can happen, Mr. Chairman."

Ovseyenko shifted uncomfortably. "Yes... and you are sure this will work? What about my family?"

"Of course it will work. We have a vested interest in this project." He took another drag from his cigarette before flicking it away. He pulled out another and lit it. "And what of your family? The last I checked, they were safe and sound. No need for concern." He blew smoke at Ovseyenko, smirking.

Ovseyenko nodded, appearing relieved.

As casualties on the front line were rising over 100,000. The Isis Defense soon came to the Republican Legion's Aid. The Forces closed the gaps that the republican line was sure to falter . As a result of the reinforcements, Rasvidi lines were being over powered and started to show breaks in their line.

As the Rasvidi line started to break it was the decision of the Republican Legion officer corps to fill that line gap and reinforce it with T5-twin barrel Tanks. The Rasvidi line was soon to be broken fully. Sea-Interceptor planes shot missiles down on the artillery units as well provided machine gun fire power to the Rasvidi line. The bombers were pounding the armor Rasvidi lines hard. Moreover, with Isis reinforcements, the lines were sure to be broken in a matter of hours or days at the most even though the Republican Legion was moving on every break they saw.

As the missiles that Rasvidi fired upon Absolve, the sirens issued warning in the city. 10 million people lived in that city, and with missiles filled with chemical war heads, there was no escaping the impending doom. the anti-rocket systems were put in strategic locations before the rockets came down. As much as they shot a good amount of them, the Republican Guard was not prepared for all of the missiles
As a result, there was 1.5 million death count and 2.3 million casualties. another 1.8 million escaped the city watching it burn.

after, the Chancellors held the emergency meeting. the measures passed was to counter and use the many missile silos that were not destroyed to fire on the Rasvidi City,Gjovik and the capitol city,Ulyanovsk. and 3,000 missiles(1,500 each) with were on their way directly to them as to pay for reparations that affected the residents of absolve


As the war was going in the front there was also an expeditionary force of 100,000 Republican Legion Commandos getting ready to board the planes and fly over the Rasvidi city of Novosibrisk. Sea-hawk Helicopters and Sea-Interceptor Attack jets were to accompany the paramilitary expedition. they would be there in a matter of hours.

The military of the Republican Legion saw this as a diversion to the front lines of the war. even though they were breaking, if, they thought, that the Republican Legion could spread out the forces, the front lines will be more accessible to penetrate and move to the capitol easily and more steadfast.

In the sea..

T Republican Naval aircraft carriers that are heavily guarded and moved deep into international waters (400 miles away from the coastline.)

Paramilitary planes with escort are now directed to moving over there with 50,000 Republican Legion Forces in each plane.


The true aim of this is to fuel paramilitary raids

[No one knows this yet, but people can spot this]

All across the eastern border of Isis Rakael, missile defense systems were firing their salvos, shooting down dozens of missiles far oversea, but more were coming. The 4th and 6th IRN Fleets were assisting, as well, firing massive walls of flak into the sky, attempting to bring down whatever they could. But there were too many. The coast of IR was vast, and the defenses couldn't handle so many at once. Tens of millions of citizens had been evacuated from the eastern borders and the three major cities before the declaration of war was made, but millions more remained.


President Glin Aeducan was seated behind a broad, wooden desk, in a bunker deep below ground, watching a dozen monitors at once and listened as General Jiri Iroh rattled off orders over a phone. The general was pouring over maps and talking on a dozen different telephones at once while his aides ran back and forth, bringing reports to him and 6 other generals who stood beside him. Aeducan glanced at the general standing at a large conference table to his left, thinking that he looked far older than he used, but far wiser and with the same fierce determination that the president had come to expect. There were few like him. Age had softened him. He had, much to the general's dismay as a private man who was always uncomforted dealing with matters outside of the military, become well-loved and respected by the people of Isis Rakael. So much so, mused the President, that when democracy was finally put in place in the next few years, Iroh would be prodded by the public to run for President. Aeducan smiled to himself, recalling having briefly toyed with the idea of stepping down and having Iroh replace him several years prior.

One of the monitors flashed and it drew the president back into the horror of reality and war. It was a terrible affair, but one that had to be fought. Allies had to be protected and interests had to remain out of enemy hands. These oil fields would serve to strengthen both Isis Rakael and NX401. He had heard the Rasvidi propaganda and scoffed. To call into question the loyalty of the Rakaelian government. Treaties were not signed in jest. Treaties were blood bonds. He was proving that very fact right now. South at the borders of NX401, millions of IR troops were fighting a fierce battle against a corrupt and misguided foe, hell bent on taking what did not belong to them. It would be their greatest folly, he thought. They couldn't stand against Isis Rakael. No nation in the region could. They knew it, too, but there was always one or two that poked and prodded to test their strength. When IR stirred, they seldom poked again, and this would be no different.

The displays flickered and changed to another image, a real-time satellite picture of incoming enemy missiles and the bright flashes of the missle defense systems firing for effect. Aeducan frowned. No nation had dared attack the Rakaelian homeland in more than a century. Rasvidi was bold.

"Hundred and fifty seven in the air - one five seven," he heard a sergeant, and personal aide of General Iroh mutter to one of the generals. "MDSs active and firing. 4th and 6th Fleets assisting. There are too many, sir."

"Targets?"

"Current tracks take them into Durmar, Cosic, and Rin."

Rin was protected by the mountains and a secondary MDS, thought the President. Even if enemy missiles breached the border missile defense systems, most. if not all, would fall. He repeated that too himself several times until he almost believed it, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of mind that the capitol he would return to would not be the one he left just days before. Durmar was heavily defended. It housed two major shipyards for the IRN, but it was a coastal city. There was no secondary defense there, save for the destroyers currently in the harbor. It was the first city to be evacuated, but he knew that millions remained in the city. There was no way to force them out. He didn't have the resources. They were committed elsewhere.

The satellite images were being updated every second and Aeducan watched the red blips on the screen inch closer and closer to his border. Scores of them disappeared from the screen as the MDSs worked their magic, but several got through. Seven struck Durmar. He couldn't see them, but he imagined the city rocking with explosions. Buildings collapsing. Emergency response crews rushing to the aid of the injured and wounded. He felt helpless. There was nothing he could do to stop it, but to let his soldiers do what they do best. He found himself eyeing the blue circle surrounding Cosic. That was a grevious loss. He had lost count how many had struck this historic city. The One City. The city that had started it all. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white and he gritted his teeth. The fact that Rin had only suffered one direct hit did not ease his anger. Death toll counts came pouring in, hundreds of thousands dead and the biological agents were spreading, but he did not heed them. There would be time for that. They would be honored. Every one of them. But first, someone would pay.

It was a desperate attack by Rasvidi, the act of a dying enemy, but this one that would not go unpunished. For every Rakaelian that perished, ten would die in Rasvidi. He vowed it. He picked up the secure phone line on his desk and dialed.

"Nilsson," was the response. General Tore Nilsson, the commander of the Isis Rakael Nuclear Engineer Corp. Of the 10 members of the IRSC, he was the most feared. The smartest of them all and the fiercest in battle, with the power to destroy the world at his fingertips.

"Kazan," said Aeducan through clenched teeth. There was a pause, then the president spoke again.

"Wipe it off the map."

There was no hesitation in the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, sir."

The connection ended, but not before the president heard Nilsson begin screaming orders to his troops. He hung up the phone and watched as two of the displays switched two an overheard satellite view of Kiral. The power to destroy the world, Aeducan thought. He suddenly realized that everything had gone eerily quiet. He glanced to his left and saw Iroh and the other generals standing silently, staring at the displays. Suddenly there was a flurry of activity on the screens. In the area surrounding Kiral, where once there had been nothing to note, doors in the earth were sliding open and long-range ballistic missiles began firing, leaving the lands about covered in a thick gray smoke. Then suddenly, another silo opened and from it came a harbinger of death. A missile like, but unlike the others. It bore the colors and shape as the others, but was larger and its payload infinitely more powerful.

It was at the moment that Aeducan came to the sudden realization of what he had done. There was no turning back. He had unleashed nuclear war upon Tiberiam...








...and he smiled.

In reality, Edo Edi Essum was a relatively peaceful nation. Its officials would rather invent an unusual compromise than war. However, due to EEE's hatred of Rasvidi and the fact that its colonial islands were so vulnerable, the military could not resist the chance to join in on the warfare. And all at Rasvidi's expense!

A significant fraction of the Edesu Navy had been mustered for the colonial campaign. The entire 1st, 4th, 5th, and 7th fleets; comprising of 200 ships of all sizes, 2800 aircraft, and 300,000 personnel; had surrounded the islands.

Edesu Minister William Roskov (Navy) sent a very simple message to the highest ranking officer in the Rasvidi Islands. [Who is this person?] Its force of 500,000 reserve troops, 150 bombers, 500 fighter aircraft, and 50 corvettes could surrender or be annihilated. Were they to surrender, all military equipment would be confiscated and the Rasvidian soldiers would be safely transported to Gracealona. If Rasvidi did not surrender, a bloodbath was guaranteed (as the islands, I assume, are not well reinforced).


Meanwhile, in Colbertico, the necessary number of technocrats had voted for declaring war on Rasvidi. The Edesu Air Force was ready to defend its NX allies (or act more aggressively).

President Carlton was at least somewhat satisfied with his decision. It appeared that at least for the time being Gracealona's security was secured. In the war room at the presidential estate he watched satellite photos flash up on the monitors showing missles fly through the sky and pinpoint flashes as they struck their targets. He shook has head imagining how many lives each one of these flashes was ending. He glanced at another set of monitors which showed GPS locations of Gracealonain military assets. Every availble troop and vehicle was on alert and patrolling Gracealona's borders. Cruisers, destroyers, missile boats and aircraft carriers sailed up and down the coast, tanks and APCs cruised the borders and fighters roared through the sky above the whole nation. All of the countries AA and anti-missle defenses were on alert and so were Gracealona's own missle silos.

As a further precaution the borders were closed indefinitley and all commercial and private flights were grounded.

Carlton and all of Gracealona's government new that foreign affairs were going to be drastically different when the smoke cleared. Before this war he had hoped that the Rasvidi treaty would be followed soon be treaties with NX401, Isis Rakael, and EEE. This had made that impossible.

He sent his latest round of orders through to Gracealonian forces.
"-All patrol units continue rounds until further notice. Cleared to fire at first sign of attack from any front.
-All medical units of all branches of the military prepare to deploy into warzones immediatley. Save all who can be saved."
There was no doubt that the war was going to cripple many hospitals in the nations being attacked. He hoped that Gracealonian medical choppers soaring overhead and lifting them out of the ruined cities and towns would bring a small glimmer of hope to a very dark time. Those who couldn't be treated in medical camps would be brought to Gracealonian hospital ships and treated there. He hoped that the various nations wouldn't deny their medical assistance attempts and turn the forces around.

Doctor Minister Saul Medkur (Health) and Minister Sabrina Munif (Displacement and Migration) have organized an Edesu campaign to bring desperately needed humanitarian relief to NX401. (Rasvidi is too far away.) The needy, regardless of nationality, will be treated. Six Antonov An-225s containing full field hospitals are being flown to affected areas. They will fill with the injured, who will then be shuttled to Kaishekh. The enromous planes will travel back and forth between EEE and NX401.

Väinö Nakashidze walked through the forest, wearing a backpack and dressed tightly in a traditional coat woven from yak fur. He worked in the factories of Kazan, a historically important city and a production centre for Rasvidi. Nonetheless the city was poorly guarded, considered an unlikely place of attack considering it's distance from the front lines. The possibility of a nuclear strike always loomed, but there had been no indication that such actions were being undertaken by their enemies, or if they were even capable of such distant strikes. Väinö didn't think too much of these things, though. He was just an ordinary guy.

Soon he came to a clearing, a clearing which gave way to a sharp vertical drop. Walking to the edge, he looked down on the landscape below. In a valley situated between several large, gently rising hills was a sprawling metropolis surrounded by dense forest. Running through it and the valley was a dried up river bed, which had been a powerful torrent when the city was founded, but had since been rerouted as a result of repeated conflicts that scarred the landscape. A cloud of smog clung to the streets and buildings. In the dimness of the evening, the city lights cast an eery glow against the sunset, and illuminated the smog which had begun to sink closer to the ground as the chilly night air washed over the area.

Väinö thought it was beautiful in it's own way.

He had come to this spot since he was a kid. It was an excellent camping site, isolated but still affording a spectacular view of the valley and the city. It was here he had taken his wife on their first date, and also where they had conceived their first child. That was a lifetime ago, however, and now he was divorced and his children grown up with families of their own. He had continued to come here at least one weekend a month, though, to revisit his memories and to enjoy the scenery.

But something was wrong. Piercing through the night came the wail of the air raid sirens in the city. Väinö frowned, setting down his backpack. An air raid, this deep in Rasvidi? Surely it was just a drill. Or maybe Gracealona, those back stabbing cowards, had decided to invade us...

That was when he saw it. At first it looked like a shooting star, but soon he could hear a sound like a passenger jet flying too low. He didn't actually see the missile itself, but he saw a dark blur against the sunset. Briefly it reflected the pinkish red light against Väinö's eyes. He knew what to do, almost instinctively; the only broadcasts available on TV was the emergency broadcast. He shielded his eyes just before a blindingly bright light lit the area. Day became night, and the sky was briefly pale blue before becoming entirely white. Suddenly the air became hot, hotter then anything Väinö had felt before, and he was knocked back several feet by a powerful gust of air. His clothes burst into flame, as did many of the leaves on the forest behind him, and he heard a thundering roar, but only in one ear. The ground below him seemed to drop by several feet before jarring back upwards. Another gust of air tossed him around, and seemed to extinguish much of the flames. Then everything was completely still.

At first, he thought he had gone deaf. Indeed, there was blood slowly leaking from his left ear, and a persistent and intense pain deep inside his head. However, a tree or a branch fell somewhere behind him, and the crackling sound it made filled his intact ear. He stood up, and checked himself over. He was bruised over most of his body, and he was sure his ankle was broken. There were second degree burns as well, but alarmingly he couldn't feel anything except a dull ache all over his body. He made his way back to the edge of the cliff, his eyes still sore from the flash. He was lucky to have not been blinded, but thanks to the emergency broadcast he had known to shield his eyes at the last moment. Amusingly so, he noticed his shadow still intact against the ground; it was actually an area of the ground that had been shielded from the blast by his body, leaving behind what looked like a shadow against the otherwise scorched earth.

The scenery was different. Near the centre of the city, a small crater was still curling smoke into the air. Most of the buildings that had stood tall were now just rubble, and most of the forest around the city had been flattened. For miles, trees either stood blackened and smoldering or still burned brightly. He wondered how many people survived, if maybe he was the only one. A tear rolled down his cheek.

"Sir, the nuclear weapon has impacted Kazan. Flight path has been confirmed, it came from Isis." A man sitting infront of one of the computer terminals in the war room.

"Bring up satellite picture on the main monitor as soon as it's availible" the vice president said

"Yes sir, the sun is setting so visual light isn't an option. I'll bring up infa-red for now until Hawkeye 7 can aim her cameras that way. She's the only bird we've got that has high enough resoloution night vision cameras. It will be an hour before we can aim her that way." As he said this an infared image of where the city used to be came up on the monitor. There was a large almost perfectly circular uniform heat signature where the land was still warm from the impact of the nuke.

"Oh my god..." the president gasped "How fast can we get medic teams to the impact site?"

The serviceman looked at his screen "The nearest teams are at Ophela Air Base, near the border just west of Kazan. They can be there in two hours if they fly top speed. The database indicates that their are 6 Ospreys and 16 other choppers of various types ready to fly"

"Get them up in the air now! Send the word out: All medical units within operating range of Kazan not currently activley involved in search and rescue operations head there immediatley. And I want two squadrons of fighters over the city in an overwatch position until they arrive."

"Yes Sir!"

---

Two hours later gracealonian fighters roared over the crater that was once Kazan and the Hawkeye 7 satellite delivered back the first non-infa-red images of the impact zone. It was a scene of complete devestation. The pilot leading the search and rescue operation spoke on the radio:

"We're not gonna find anyone near the center of the impact zone, focus your efforts on the outer edge of the zone." Although it was dark, the rescuers weren't phased. They hovered over the devestation panning their searchlights across it all. They radio waves stayed silent, all seemed to be struck in terrible awe by the flattened city and the bodies that littered the streets. Then a message crackled over the waves:

"This is Halo one seven, we've got a live one." The chopper hovered over the top of the valley above the former city as the rescue team lowered themselves down to the man. He was badly burned and was obviously in shock and barely consious.

"Can you hear me sir? My name is David Behrens, I'm a medic in the Gracealonian Army. We're gonna get you out of here and get you the help you need okay? Just hang on for me." They gently placed the man in the basket and once he was raised and the rescue team was recovered the chopper turned away from the crater. They headed about 10 miles away to where the 6 Ospreys had landed and set up a field hospital. Once they arrived the man was un-consious again as they rushed him into a tent and nurses and doctors began to tend to him as Halo 17 took off again and returned to the impact zone. Trying to talk to the man a nurse spoke to him

"Sir can you tell me your name?" and in a very hoarse voice he managed to mutter

"Väinö Nakashidze" before he passed out again from the enormous pain of the burns all over his body. Slowly choppers came to the field hospital with victims of the attack but it quickly became clear that at least 90% of the Kazan's residents had been killed by the Isis Rakeal attack.

(OOC: Sorry it is taking me a while to post these, there is a buttload for me to read and respond to and I don't want to overlook anyone or anything)

The missile attack was far from unexpected, in fact it had seemed like an inevitably. As such, missile defence systems across Rasvidi began targeting the incoming missiles, much like similar systems in Isis Rakael had done. First and foremost was the defence of Ulyanovsk, which was more like a giant metropolitan fortress then an actual city. Still, missiles rained upon the city, causing massive destruction, although had it been any other city the damage would have been far more extensive.

Gjovik fared better. It actually was a fortress built directly into the mountains thousands of years ago, or at least the historic core of the city was. Nonetheless, seismic activity caused by the barrage of missiles destroyed large portions of the otherwise pristine relic, and caused rocky landslides to spill over some portions of the city. Urban sprawl outside of the fortress was easily wiped out, built on unstable slopes.

The front lines were being hit hard. There was simply less and less available to reinforce the lines; casualties were very heavy. The decision was made to retreat to Voronezh, which had already seen serious bombing and shelling. The troops would be stationed outside of the city to avoid any shellings or bombing runs that would inevitably come. Troops also stationed themselves in Krasnoyarsk, to prevent any ground invasions of the small, isolated village.


Meanwhile, in the Rasvidi Islands, General Paulina Dityatev sent the following letter to William Roskov.

Quote :

FROM: General Paulina Ditaytev, Rasvidi Islands Division
TO: Edesu Minister William Roskov, Edesu Navy

We will not surrender. While you may have superior naval and air support, any ground invasions will be in our favour, and the price for taking these islands will undoubtedly be more then it is worth for you. However, our counterparts in mainland Rasvidi are trying to initiate peace talks with our aggressors, and we have advised to do the same with you. If you wish to discuss conditions for peace that do not involve the surrender of our colonial possessions, then we would be more then willing to hear it.

Long Live the Revolution,
Paulina Dityatev
General of the Rasvidi Islands Milita

Quote :

FROM: Acting Chairman Vladimir A. Ovseyenko
TO: Glin Aeducan and NX401

We need to end this conflict. We are willing to surrender the oil in the North Sea; it is clear we are not going to be able to hold on to it. Millions are dead in each nation, and our leader has perished at your hands. While you may rain our nation with nuclear weapons, we still have a formidable array of biological and chemical weapons at our disposal. If this continues, Rasvidi will die in a nuclear winter and Isis Rakael will die in a wave of plague and sickness. We entered this conflict under the belief that our former allies in Gracealona would support us, but without this support we simply cannot succeed in our goals. We will defend to the death our nation, but we will not defend to the death the oil fields.

We wish to negotiate peace, so that the suffering and bloodshed can end.

Long Live the Revolution,
Vladimir A. Ovseyenko
Acting Chairman of the Revolutionary Council

As the front lines of the Rasvidi forces retreated, the Republican Legion started to regroup and reorganize the forces. Hundreds of thousands of the Republican Legion alone had died. Isis casualties were not counted by the Republican Legion Officers.

As the legion regrouped. another 150,000 Soldiers were to meet them on the front lines as well as another 20,000 T7-Twin barrel tanks. There was 170,000 still left alive from the initial. As soon as they regrouped they were planning to attack again. wounded were moved to the field hospitals that NX401 and now Gracealonia have set up.

The Expeditionary force that were to paramilitary had a rough voayge.When they were hitting the outer rim of the city of Novosibrisk. they were met with heavy resistance and flak. A few of the escorts were lost, but the paratroopers were mostly safe on the ground and started to group. 2,500 paratroopers were lost by flak. However, they were in the city.

As soon as the Telegram from Rasvidi called for the attention of the Chancellors. They immediately convened. They decided that, the war should not be continued, but they did not want Isis to know.

strongest encryption code was used to send communiques back to the Rasvidi Goverment

[Rasvidi, check your telegrams]

As for now, the Government decided to continue the war with the Isis forces. [No one of the Republican Legion noes of what is going on. They are still running on the same orders they were given at the start of the war]

President Aeducan read the message again. Unwilling to die for oil, but willing to kill, he thought scornfully. But the ire felt earlier had disappated. The smile he wore for an instant in the heat of battle faded away and was replaced with a look of sadness.

The attack on Kazan had been successful. While cheers and shouts of victory echoes throughout the bunker, he and Iroh alone remained silent, the only two truly realizing the impact of the situation. The potential political ramifications alone would destroy lesser men, but more pressing was the loss of a city and the lives of those who dwelt there. Men, women, and yes... children. Aeducan forced himself to say the word. It was an atrocity. But it was necessary. Isis Rakael had not started this war. They entered in to defend an ally. Rasvidi had unleashed their biological weapons first. That, too, was an atrocity. And one that demanded retribution. But retribution, though swift and crushing it must be, was bitter. The people of Kazan were not at fault. They were simply citizens of a corrupt and greedy government. But they were the easiest target. They were to be a message sent to that same government that they were not all-powerful and every action demanded one in response. Maybe they had received the message. The letter received from the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council seemed to support that idea.

He finally took his eyes off the displays in front of him and looked at Iroh. The old general returned the look, shook his head, then turned and began looking at the maps laid out on the conference table. At least he had some distraction.

"Projected casualty reports from Cosic are coming in, sir," announced an aide quietly.

Aeducan forced himself to look at the displays again as they shifted and began displaying images of the rubble that was once Cosic. Buildings lie in fiery heaps, men and women laid dead on the ground. Emergency units in protective gear were running back and forth between patients, desperately try to fight a losing battle against an airborne chemical. The president felt ill. This was his home. He had been born in Cosic, and remembered for an instant taking walks with his family through the Sarlin Courtyard and gazing up at the statue of Jon Kosvit, the first leader of the unified cities. He continued to watch as to the left of the images, the death toll number began running. It was too soon for accurate reports, he knew. He forced himself to watch as it grew higher and higher, and yet, he knew that no matter what number it landed on, there would more. Thousands more. Tens of thousands?

War was a tragic event. But here he had a chance to end it. Rasvidi was surrendering... but should he accept it? NX401 was pressing the attack into Novosbirsk. Even by treaty, there was no demand to join in an offensive campaign. He had done what he was called to do. He had defended the borders at the costs of countless Rakaelian lives. Should he risk more? The Rasvidian lines were broken and their troops scattering, but borders wars and an assault upon a city were completely different things. The cost of lives would be extremely high. Even with the support of the armored units, there was no guarantee of victory. Rasvidi had already shown their willingness to use chemical weapons. What was to stop them from using it on their own city to stop an invasion? His mind drew a blank. He would do the same. If Cosic were invaded and the city lost, he do whatever he had to do to stop it. If that meant sacrificing the lives of his own people, it would have to be done.

The numbers on the displays continued to roll; Rin and Durmar were now beginning to report in. He didn't want to look. He couldn't, but he had to. The number kept climbing. Three hundred thousand, four, five. He looked away. He began to weep. Through teary eyes, he looked up again; seven, eight, 1.2 ... the numbers slowed. It offered no solace. The bunker had grown deathly quiet. No one spoke, no one whispered. They stared at the displays. They were only projections, but projections were quite frequently low. 1.7 million people dead. It was a staggering number, more than Aeducan could fathom. He had a nation of almost a billion, but this was unreal to him. How many more would come? Two million? Two and a half? Biological weapons were the bane of any nation.

There was still no word on casualties from the field. He cringed. They would come, and they would not be good. They never were. It was always too many.

(OOC: Let's be honest. A barrage of missiles, even laced with biological agents, is not the equal of a nuclear strike. As such, my casualty number is not going to range in the many multi-millions. Hundreds of thousands? A million +? 2? Absolutely plausible, considering how densely packed some of my cities are and the number of missiles that struck. But one must keep in mind the evacuation of scores of millions of people prior to the declaration of war. Thought I'd interject that in case someone thought I might be god-modding by using a total far lower than what others may have used. If anyone has an issue with it, please feel free to PM me or telegram me and I will be happy to discuss my views with you.)

He thought again of Kazan. What was the toll there? Millions? He didn't know. He didn't want to know. It was necessary. It had to be done. They had to pay.

And they had... No one else needed to.




The president read letter from Chairman Ovseyenko again.

"General Iroh," he said at last, breaking the silence. "Keep our troops at the NX401/Rasvidi border. They are not to cross."

Iroh nodded and immediately grabbed one of the phones on the conference table. Iroh knew what war was all about, and he knew the limitations one must place on themselves.

Quote :

To: Chairman Ovseyenko
From: President Glin Aeducan

Chairman Ovseyenko,

A regrettable incident regarding the loss of your president, but do not feign to be what once was, for Chairman Pralnikov was infinitely your greater. You dare to write to me in such a way? You think too much of yourself, Chairman. You offer surrender, but threaten us with chemical war. We can better afford to lose an army than you can a company. You continue to prod a foe that has only just begun to stir from its slumber. I urge you to hold your tongue, Chairman, lest it leads to the ruin of your nation. I have halted our troops at the NX401/Rasvidi border and there they will remain, but if you continue your posturing, they will press forward and you will see just how far the arm of Isis Rakael can stretch. Your troops have shown great courage and fierce determination in the face of utter annihilation and to them I offer my heartfelt apologies for how far this conflict has been taken and the troubles they've had to endure, but will you needlessly sacrifice them to appear bold in the eyes of the world? You will never be so to us. Millions lay dead on each side. Millions of men, women, and children that could have been saved, had it not been for the greedy persistence of a corrupt government, yourself included.

The IRSC will accept the unconditional surrender of the Rasvidi military. Your troops will be ordered to lay down their arms and cease all operations against Rakaelian troops. The Rasvidian fleet surrounding the oil platform will power down their weapons and defense systems and will wait for the IRN 4th Fleet to escort them to Ulyanovsk. The fleet on the NX401 border will do likewise. They will be escorted by the IRN 7th Fleet. Long-range ballistic missiles aimed at Rakaelian forces or the IR mainland will be deactivated and dismantled. Failure to adhere to these demands or the performing of any action against Isis Rakael, her troops, or her allies will result in the denial of the Rasvidi surrender and the resuming of hostilities.

I await your response.

President Glin Aeducan
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Isis Rakael

(OOC: I sense sneakiness on the part of NX401 and I will be keeping my eye on you, but sorry to ruin any of your plans. I have to look out for the well-being of my troops and my nation by accepting this surrender and the cessation of hostilities. As mighty as I might be, I don't like fighting wars.)


Aeducan sent the message off to the Rasvidi and sighed. What would the response be? How long would it take? His forces on the NX401/Rasvidi border were getting the orders to halt at the border, but ordered to continue to defend against any and all Rasvidi attacks. There was no telling when the hostilities would end. To the east, the IR Navy continued to wage a war against the Rasvidi fleets both at the oil field and further south at the NX401 border. The IRN 8th Fleet fighting the Rasvidi fleet at the NX401 border to the north was taking a beating due to the lack of air support. How long could they last? The 7th Fleet was on its way, but was still more than a day out. Aeducan closed his tired eyes and massaged his temples.

The Gracealonian medical forces continued to provide aid to all nations involved in the conflict. As these efforts continued the forces began to tend to the various requests of each nation.

In Rasvidi the medics continued to search the nuclear missile’s point of impact for survivors. It was quickly becoming clear that the few that had been recovered would likely be the only ones. Many wanted to begin digging through the rubble looking for people trapped underneath it. This idea was quickly vetoed by those higher up on the chain of command. Although their intentions were noble, this would involve many hours in the hot zone. Even in radiation suits this was still a huge health risk, and was therefore out of the question. Feeling somewhat defeated the majority of the medical units began to disperse to other areas where they were needed more while one or two choppers continued operations over the former city of Kazan without any hope of finding anyone else. They then began the terrible task of photographing the area and counting the dead for an official report to the Gracealonian government.

---

NX401 had sent a request for extra medical assistance in the city of Absolve. Absolve had been victim of Rasvidian biological and chemical attacks and so proper precautions had to be taken. All who went into the area had to be in full hazmat gear at all times and were limited to an hour in the area at a time. This greatly handicapped the efforts of the search and rescue teams, but they continued to do all that they could. As requested by the NX401 government a report on the condition of Resolve was compiled. It outlined the damage to each area of the city. If it weren’t for the biological and chemical attacks the city could have likely been rebuilt within a few years. However, scientists, after carrying out analysis on samples from the city, concluded that the agents the weapons released would likely linger for months or maybe years to come. In light of this it was recommended that the city be quarantined for at least a year to prevent further ill health affects by the bio and chemical agents.

---

In Isis Rakael the medical efforts continued as everywhere else. Upon request additional medical units including a hospital ship were sent west to Cosic.

---

A message was sent out to that day

To: The governments of Isis Rakael, NX401 and Rasvidi
"As it seems this conflict is nearing it’s close in the north sea, Gracealona would like to extend an offer to all of you. As we have been a neutral nation in this conflict and are near the site of the conflict we feel we would be a natural choice to host the peace talks. We wish to extend an offer of the use of our capital building in Gracemaria for the talks. Please let us know so we can make the required arrangements as far as security, transportation, etc.
Sincerely,
President Andy Carlton

[Yeah, this takes place a bunch of time ago. Go with it.]

Fleet Admiral Thomas Vega waited impatiently for the Rasvidian response, restlessly reviewing reports. [Wow. That alliteration was entirely unintentional; I swear.] He lacked the Naval Minister's patience. Were it his decision, he would have attacked immediately. He had heard of Rasvidi. It was an atheistic, capitalistic nation of drug abusers and homosexuals: Hell on Earth. Vega could not think of a nation he would rather obliterate.

General Paulina Ditaytev's response was brought to the fleet admiral by an aide. Vega laughed heartily, "The Fool!" He loudly addressed every official in the control room, "Ready every man and woman! Spare no Rasvidian soldier! We will drink of their blood tonight!" Every soldier within the four fleets hurried to obey his orders. The fact that Fleet Admiral Thomas Vega was borderline psychotic caused him to be even more feared by all around him.

2800 aircraft, a variety of fighters and bombers, filled the skies within ten minutes. (Edo Edi Essum prided itself with its speed.) All 200 ships converged upon the islands. A bloodbath was guaranteed.


Four Eurocopter 725s flanked by 20 KA-50s and a dozen Sukhoi SU-35s rushed from Light City to Kolbertiko. They contained the highest officials of the NX government. Nuclear strikes upon NX401 might be eminent. The NX government could not be crippled. They would be safer in Kolbertiko.

(FYI, Novosibirsk is similar to New York in density and population; the buildings are incredibly tall, and around 14 million people live here[after the bombing campaign])

In Novosibirsk, the Republican troops met almost immediate resistance. Soldiers were stationed throughout the city, operating out of the large and ornate City Hall close to the river. Air raid sirens echoed throughout the chaotic streets, and torrents of people could be seen leaving the city in their cars. Loudspeakers, mounted on the tall buildings every couple of blocks, announced to the city that an invasion attempt was in progress. They advised the citizens to heed the information broadcast to them over the emergency broadcast signal, and to fight out against the enemy forces whenever they could in any way they could. The recording was played on a loop, and repeated itself every 10 minutes as the sirens wailed. Tanks, personnel trucks and soldiers made their way through the narrow streets towards where the bulk of the paratroopers had landed.

Along the western front, the troops station in Voronezh and Krasnoyarsk began to receive a supply of reinforcements from the reserve troops. The defense operation was now almost entirely supported by reserve personnel; however, millions of reserves still remained. The current border forces swelled to 500,000 troops, but the command came down to remain in the cities and to not instigate further hostilities if possible.

Along the Eastern border, helicopters carrying small detachments of soldiers arrived at Kazan. The troops made their way to the tent city that had been set up by the Gracealonan medical teams as a temporary base of operations while they searched and cataloged the ruins. A particularly harsh looking man stood in the middle of the encampment while the soldiers began to round up the medics. He had jet black hair and steel-blue eyes. "All personnel from the United States of Gracealona are hereby ordered to evacuate the country. All photographs and records collected by Gracealonan personnel will be confiscated and declared property of the state. All sick and wounded will be turned over immediately. Failure to comply will result in termination with extreme prejudice."

In the Rasvidi Islands, General Paulina Dityatev prepared to make a stand to defend the islands from invasion. Reinforcements of 250,000 troops and several hundred ships where on their way, but it would be at least 3 days before they arrived, if not longer. They just had to hold the island for 72 hours. Paulina retreated to her quarters in the fort at New Ulyanovsk, and took extreme care to lock the door behind her. She then moved to her bunk, and from under the bed pulled out a chest. She opened it to reveal a traditional Hyvän shrine, an ancient paganistic religion that once dominated the practices of Rasvidi long ago. As she knelt down, she made silent prayers and offers to the god Hárbardhr, who was seen as the "All-Father", ruler of the other gods, and representing victory. She knew what she was doing was incredibly illegal, and if caught she would likely face death. But she loved this nation with every ounce of her being, and besides as long as she kept it private she was never likely to be persecuted. So she prayed for her troops, for their safety, and for a heroic victory befitting of the people of Rasvidi.

Quote :

FROM: Chairman Ovseyenko
TO: President Glin Aeducan

Comrade Aeducan,

You are lucky we are even considering peace at all, indeed luckier still that we are making any sort of concessions to you. Obviously, I am not our glorious leader Pralnikov, nor will I ever insult his memory by pretending to be so. There was no greater man that ever lived. Indeed, if he was still alive, we would not be here discussing peace right now. You would be on your knees before us, the blade of a just sword placed at your neck. The fact that you are not signifies my failures as a leader, for which I can never repay the people of Rasvidi.

But I can guarantee that we are unlike any foe that you have ever faced. Every single citizen is prepared to die for this nation, and what it stands for. There is nothing you can do to us that we haven't already dealt with, nothing you can do to us that we haven't already become familiar with. We cannot be broken, can never be broken, even if a single person is left standing to defend us. There is simply nothing more that can be done to us. We will be able to take your nuclear attack in stride.

We will cease any hostilities against you and NX401, however we will not be laying down our weapons or turning off our defenses. This is NOT a surrender, and don't think that for a second. We will pull our navy away from the oil fields and into port, and we will recall all troops to Rasvidi. However, we will not require escort and we will most certainly not keep our defenses down. We will also actively expel the NX401 forces at Novosibirsk unless they withdraw their troops willingly.

This is all you can possibly hope to get out of us. Do not push us for more, it simply will not work, and this offer will not be repeated in the future. If you want to negotiate, then feel free to do so at the peace talks in Gracemaria.

Long Live the Revolution,
Vladimir A. Ovseyenko
Acting Chairman of the Revolutionary Council

Quote :

FROM: Chairman Ovseyenko
TO: NX401

We will cease all hostilities along the eastern front, but until your troops withdraw from Novosibirsk then we will actively engage them until they have been neutralized.

We are also eager to hear what you have to say, in regards to your earlier telegram. We would like to negotiate the details if we are privy to them. We also wish you the best of luck in your endeavours.

Long Live the Revolution,
Vladimir A. Ovseyenko
Acting Chairman of the Revolutionary Council

Quote :

FROM:[/b] Chairman Ovseyenko
TO: President Andy Carlton

Comrade Carlton,

We accept your offer to conduct peace talks in Gracemaria. However, we ask that all Gracealonan personnel be removed from Rasvidi until further notice. We also ask that all photographs and samples taken of Rasvidi be returned to the state. While we wish to work on this rift that has formed between us, we simply cannot trust your personnel to enter our country freely. Your previous inaction has dealt this country a very serious blow, and it is just as much for our safety as it is for yours that your medical teams leave the country. We cannot be held responsible for any violent actions our citizens take against your medics.

Long Live the Revolution,
Vladimir A. Ovseyenko
Acting Chairman of the Revolutionary Council

Fleet Admiral Thomas Vega organized an extensive bombing campaign. With what few enemy fighters and bombers eliminated, the planes of the Edesu Navy freely bombed strategic targets. All communications centers, power plants, military bases, fuel reserves, and mechanical factories were destroyed. Although no traditional invasion of the islands was organized, they were completely embargoed. Any building known to contain high amounts of soldiers was quickly obliterated.

Thomas Vega wanted to annihilate the islands' populations with nuclear missiles, but he knew such action would guarantee immediate dishonorable discharge excerpt under the most extreme circumstances. King Isaac's royal nation was the answer. All planes returned to the aircraftcarriers so that the nuclear explosions would not harm the Edesu military. The islands would become a nuclear wasteland.

Soon the Third Fleet and the Edesu Air Force arrive to assist the massive Edesu military force. With King Isaac's assistance, odds would favor the Catholics.

Carlton ordered that the medics immediately be withdrawn from Rasvidi as requested. Also as requested all photos and Rasvidi citizens were turned back over to their government. He had been trying to at least in some small way make up for his decision to not support Rasvidi with medical support but obviously they didn't want it. He still stood by his decision though. If they had entered the war it would have likely lead to attacks on Gracealona by NX401 and Isis Rakael. And all that damage for what? An oil rig which Gracealona had no stake or intrest in otherwise? It seemed to him to be an unjustified reason for all those who would suffer from the attacks to die. Although he stood by his decision, he was still disappointed that their Rasvidian alliance had become another causality of a bloody conflict.