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| Red Upon the Sand; The Kurdish Taliban and Iraqi Occupation | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 1 2013, 01:40 PM (1,169 Views) | |
| Whal | Dec 8 2013, 08:14 PM Post #51 |
"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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In Zahawi's private quarters a physician worked diligently to stem the advance of the leader's fresh fever. Despite the advances of modern medicine and the greater life expectancy of today's average human being, the harsh and impoverished conditions of the Iraqi landscape made day-to-day life difficult even for those in perfect health. Although it was only a fever for now, Zahawi's condition was rapidly deteriorating and the physician diagnosed that his chances of beating the disease were severely reduced every moment he stayed inside the damp conditions of the cave. Without proper medical supplies and a better environment, the Taliban's leader would die just as quickly as he had returned. The physician carefully placed a fresh cool rag on Zahawi's head. As he did so, Zahawi reached out in a fit of hysteria, which startled the old doctor. "Please sir, you must relax", the man pleaded, as he wrestled Zahawi into submission. Zahawi groaned, but in his weakened state he was in no position to resist physically. All he could do was mumble a few world to the doctor. "Doctor, bring in the Europeans." The physician reluctantly nodded, and fetched Nicholas, Perov, and Sebastian. From the dire look on the man's face, Nicholas could tell Zahawi was in grave danger. "How is his condition, doctor?", Nicholas inquired. The man frowned, "Not good at all. Should his symptoms get any worse, in his present condition, he won't last another day." "My god, man", Perov gasped, "Is there anything you can do?" "Without some medical supplies and a better area to house him, I fear not", the doctor replied in a melancholy fashion. "I would move him to the nearest friendly village, but the very trip would probably kill him. Moreover, with the Whaladyans or the Hashashashin moving about, the trip would be suicidal. As it appears to me, it is in Allah's merciful hands now." The group remained silent. They could call in some medical supplies from their suppliers, but there was no guarantee they would arrive on time. Regardless, Perov placed the call in to his superiors. In the meantime, the group would have to pray Zahawi was strong enough to beat the fever. "My friends, Zahawi wishes to speak with you anyway", the old doctor continued. "I would not keep him waiting, and try not to give him any stress." |
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| NRE | Jan 9 2014, 03:55 PM Post #52 |
Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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Nicholas nodded to the doctor before turning to the Colonel and Sebastian. "I will go alone, no need to excite him any further or crowd him." Both the Colonel and Sebastian nodded and took a seat outside the room as Nicholas turned and entered. There he found Zahawi who was laying in the bed. His face glistened from the beads of sweat, indeed the very shirt on his chest was almost entirely soaked. He was quite, the room was quite, and Nicholas did what he could not to make a sound. He did not believe that the man was conscious and instead moved over to the small stool that sat next to the bed itself. Almost as soon as Nicholas sat down Zahawi's eyes opened and there was a wild nature to the way in which he looked. Nicholas was unsure if the man even realize he was there or if he was simply have an hallucination caused by his fever. "You do not walk lightly Nicholas my friend" Zahawi said Nicholas, surprised, smiled slightly before he spoke. "My life has never caused me to concern myself with concealing my entrance to a room." "You and I have led different lives I think" Zahawi said. "I suppose not, I suppose not" Nicholas said, "Still, I think we share something in common. You fight to regain for you and your people something lost. I have come to your lands to help in this fight because it mirrors my own. I have lost something very dear and I intend to fight to get it back." Nicholas couldn't tell if Zahawi was conscious enough to really understand his admission for why he'd come to the Kurdish wilds. The room fell silent for a bit before Zahawi roused again, Nicholas say attentive as he began to spoke. |
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| Whal | Jan 15 2014, 12:50 AM Post #53 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Despite his obvious discomfort, the look on Zahawi's face confirmed to Nicholas that the Kurd had indeed understood his admission. A small, yet fulfilling and sincere smile revealed the weary leader's pleasure at having met a man as miraculous as Nicholas. Zahawi's future was unclear at the present moment, however he reasoned that his survival would mean due compensation for Nicholas and his cause; whatever "it" was and who "stole" it. After a short moment of peaceful silence between both men, Zahawi opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden rough coughing fit interrupted him. Nicholas rushed to his aide; placing a bowl under the leader's mouth. Zahawi waved him away, gathering his strength before speaking. "This damned fever will be the death of me", he spat before wiping his mouth. 'I wouldn't be so sure", Nicholas responded with a smile, "I've seen you survive much worse." "I quite hope that you are right, my friend. Our operation here is in an extremely vulnerable state and we must -", Zahawi's words were again interrupted by a coughing fit. This time however, he violently spat out blood into the bowl. From the frightful expression on the leader's face, Nicholas could see that Zahawi was equally as horrified, but the coughing only became more intense. So intense in fact, the doctor rushed in to intervene and end their session. "No, wait!", Zahawi protested through the doctor's efforts at calming him, "I must tell him something! Nicholas, I do not know what the future will hold for me or our struggle, yet I have more reason than not to trust you and the others. For this reason, I'm relinquishing my power to you and Koenig until I recover. If I recover. Now, go! Show the Whaladyans the errors of their folly by any means necessary." Not soon after, Zahawi passed out once again. Nicholas once again held all the cards. Edited by Whal, Jan 15 2014, 12:56 AM.
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| Whal | Jan 15 2014, 12:51 AM Post #54 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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OOC: NRE, I forgot to mention that it would be perfectly ok for you to control Taliban forces in your upcoming posts alongside me. Go crazy! Edited by Whal, Jan 15 2014, 12:56 AM.
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| NRE | Jan 17 2014, 02:49 PM Post #55 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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Nicholas said nothing, looking stern he simply gave a nod of understanding before leaving the room so that the Doctor could care for Zahawi. He was greatly concerned for the man's health as he did not believe, from what he saw, that the man would make it past the night much less the week. Not a religious man by nature, he nevertheless found himself praying in his head, hoping that the Taliban's leader would indeed recover. After all, it was their fight more than Nicholas's or the other Europeans and it seemed only fitting that it should be them, that see it to its conclusion. After exiting the room both the Colonel and Sebastian rose, looking to see if they could tell Zahawi's condition merely from the expression on Nicholas's face but they could not. Sebastian inquired right away but Nicholas just shook his head. "It does not look good for our gracious host to be honest" he stated. "Still, the man is strong and if he can cheat death once, well I imagine he may have one more still in him yet." "So then what now?" Sebastian asked, his tone low. "Apparently, Zahawi believe's his campaign is best left in our hands. The doctor as our witness, he's placed command of the Taliban in our hands as well as the German. I imagine the men was ready to get back to work." "I'd say that's a good assessment" the Colonel said, "Before your return we had them running against the Hashashin and making good with the people." "Ah yes, winning hearts and minds" Nicholas said. "Yes, lets get the men back out doing just that exactly Colonel. I want this Hashashin crushed or, at the very least, more a whisper than a yell. Also, we should see to Koenig and make sure he is fairing better. Oh and Colonel, find me two or three of the fastest runners here but also make sure its men that blend easily in a crowd will you. I have a special task for them." Colonel Perov gave a nod and went to give orders back tot he men. Sebastian left as well, going towards Koenig's quarters to see how he was doing. Nicholas, going back to where he and the others were eating their meal sat down and got on the phone. "Ivan.....yes...its Nicholas....yes....I'm going to need some satellite photos.... OOC: I gotcha Whal, figure I'd set a few things up first and then I figure we can go wild :lol: |
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| Whal | Jan 19 2014, 01:41 PM Post #56 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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With Zahawi incapacitated and his advisors once again running the show, the Taliban was once again on a course of winning the hearts and minds of the people. The brutal repressive policy adopted by the late Fatah al-Din was rather quickly scrapped and replaced, but not without difficulty or restraint from the some of the men. In truth, many of them were still confused or shaken by the execution of Al-Din and, worse still, his policy of revenge against non-Kurds still rang true. At least, Nicholas' decision to oppose the Hashashin would be a popular first order and one easily followed by the men despite their limited numbers and lack of supply. First and foremost, the Taliban was in desperate need to recruit new blood and many of the men knew exactly where to find them. The hill tribes in the north of the occupied territories had always faced the worst of the Whaladyan occupation. Fiercely independent, nationalistic, and weary of outsiders, the tribesmen were historically heavily persecuted by the authorities and for that had become wide targets for the death squads. However, no matter how bad their treatment, the tribes were unlikely to ally with their fellow Kurds outside of their tribal ties. Because of this, the Taliban had to act in the tribe's interests in many ways; hunting down rival rivals, ambushing Whaladyan incursions, silencing death squads, and providing relief eventually allowed Taliban scouts to negotiate with tribal leaders. The strongest of the tribal families, the Dharwishari, recognized the benefits of allying with the Taliban against the invaders and pledged their support. With them, came the combined strength of 9 additional families and over 5000 new fighters. Within a day, operations against the Hashashin escalated and their grasp weakened. Back in the mountains, Sebastian's trip to check on Koenig revealed a man fully recovered and emboldened by his new found success. The German still sported a black-eye from his encounter with Al-Din, but deeper his eyes showed a man fiery with the will to lead. Koenig smiled at Sebastian as he put on his dirty white suit jacket. With their spike in manpower following the tribesmen's joining, the Taliban could now effectively combat the Whaladyans and their allies. Meanwhile, Colonel Perov fetched three of the fastest runners he could find and led them to Nicholas' quarters. Shortly after, they were joined by Koenig and Sebastian who eagerly awaited his plan. A few rooms away, Zahawi's coughs still echoed loudly as the man grappled with death's encroaching grip |
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| NRE | Feb 1 2014, 05:02 PM Post #57 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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When everyone had been assembled and found various stools and other furniture with which to sit on, Nicholas rolled out a map that had been sent to him only the previous day. It was an areal map of the city of Aleppo. "Gentlemen" Nicholas said with a somewhat somber tone to begin with. "Zahawi remains very ill and while we have medical supplies on their way it is doubtful it will make it in time or so I am told by his physician. I have spoke to him and, as the Doctor will testify, he has left this crusade to us. Now as I see it, we have two options in this matter. We can, as it was decided back in Fort Hatim, to shrink into these great mountains and toil away in guerrilla warfare against the enemy. It is perhaps the safer course of action, though in truth no course of action is ever safe in these matters." "An the second?" the Colonel inquired. "The second options Colonel, is a more bold options but one that would secure this Taliban as a true force to be reckoned with. You see before you the city of Aleppo, as seen from thousands of miles up in space. I am told it is an industrial city, perhaps even one with a nuclear facility or two. What I propose is we strike the city and take for ourselves, some of their nuclear material or, at the very least, detonate the material there so that the enemy no longer has the materials themselves. If successful, such a move would not only show the resolve of these men against there enemy but would unquestionably force their hand in regrouping and perhaps even retreating from the area." "A bold move" Koenig replied, "perhaps even a bit insane given the security that is undoubtedly present." "Ah yes" said Nicholas, as if forgetting something. He turned to the three men assembled. "I suspect you men understand the basic functions of a camera, especially one that is concealed. I have asked you here because you are among the fastest and most agile of the men we have. It will be a necessary trait for the job I have. I will need two of you to infiltrate Aleppo and take as many pictures as it possible of their defensive positions as well as some pictures of the facility or facilities themselves. I believe we have some uniforms that should keep you from being immediately spotted or questioned." "For you" Nicholas said, pointing specifically to one of the younger men, "I will have a even more specific and special task." He then turned back to the rest of the group. "I know it sounds dangerous and I will not lie is saying that lives will be lost, but that is the cost of war. A successful attack on Aleppo would not only prove this campaign's resolve but force the Al Whaladyan government to take the Taliban as a serious force here in Kurdistan. However, naturally I am only one voice in this leadership and we can only act if we do so united, so what say you all?" |
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| Whal | Feb 5 2014, 02:57 PM Post #58 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Koenig was greatly impressed with Nicholas' resolve. No doubt, it took guts to even suggest such a bold plan especially when the Taliban was arguably at its weakest. The plan would force the Taliban's position to be balanced on the point of a knife. Should they succeed, and Koenig doubted they would, the Taliban would have delivered a blow to the Whaladyan infrastructure that would cripple the government for at least a year. However, if they failed then the Taliban would have squandered any opportunity at "fading into the shadows" they previously held. Most likely, this plan would coerce the Whaladyans into hunting down every last insurgent no matter the outcome. Although, despite this fact, the Taliban of today was only a mere shadow of its former self and Koenig desperately wished to return it to its former glory. Guerrilla warfare simply could not achieve this type of reassurance and the Taliban was in desperate need of time. There was only one solution; the Taliban needed a decisive blow now. "I think your plan is reckless", Koenig responded with a scowl which then became a smile. "But, I see no other way to cripple the Whaladyan government in a way which give us enough time to rebuild. I believe we should do this, however it is important to do it correctly." "We're listening", Nicholas said thoughtfully. Koenig continued, his body now facing the map, "The industrial sector of Aleppo does indeed posses a nuclear refinement facility. The Whaladyans have been using it to further their nuclear testing and to enrich their uranium deposits for weaponization. While their scientists have begun the process they are still little over a year away from reaching weapons grade uranium. This being said, we cannot abduct a nuclear device and detonate it where we chose." "However, their reactors are still operational and filled with deadly quantities of nuclear material. Should we detonate these reactors inside the facility, Aleppo will be destroyed, the Whaladyans will have been crippled for at least a year, and the Taliban would be recognized as a force to be reckoned with." Perov shook his head, "How many casualties?" "300,000 possibly", Koenig responded seriously. "My god..", Perov whispered. "Its the only way", Nicholas replied after hearing Perov. "What say you, Colonel?" Perov contemplated the idea for a short while before finally responding, "If we must." "What's your plan of action?", Koenig asked Nicholas. He attempted to distance himself from the feelings of dread which were building inside him. |
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| NRE | Feb 11 2014, 02:34 PM Post #59 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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"Miscommunication" Nicholas said rather boldly. "The Whaladyan government has since the time of your first attack, relied on intelligence as their greatest weapon. Fatah al-Din was one gear within a series of such that make up their intelligence mechanism. Knowing where we shall strike and when is their greatest tactic in this war and it is one I suspect they've relied on far more heavily than tanks and planes alone." "Go on" Koenig replied. "Naturally, Aleppo makes for a great target and they have put up defense in preparation for such an attack. However, I am confident that they aren't entirely betting we'd try to attack it. After all, to my knowledge all of the fighting has been done here in Kurdistan and if I know government bureaucrats, it is here in Kurdistan where they believe the fighting will remain. So what I am proposing is that we misinform the Whaladyans that an attack is coming to As Sulaymaniyah and not Aleppo. As Sulaymaniyah would be a great victory for us and would be an attack I feel the Whaladyans would be willing to accept." "This is all good and well" Koenig interjected, "but how are we going to get the Whaladyans to believe this attack is coming?" "Well that's the simple part" Nicholas stated with a bit of a grin, "because the Russians are going to convince them of us." The statement was rather bizarre and there were a few confused faces in the crowd so naturally Nicholas continued so as to explain. "The Russians are in the Whaladyan capital and have been, so I am told, since word of the Colonel's arrival came to them. Needless to say, the Colonel is a wanted man by the Russians but that is a different story entirely. Thankfully, I have a man on the inside in Russian intelligence and with one call I will have him make sure enough fabricated evidence is present to them to convince them of a major attack. So major, that will provide them with the opportunity to capture the Colonel. This will of course force them to push the Whaladyans to act and while I've been told the two sides are really friendly, I am confident the Whaladyans will act if only the get the opportunity to squash the Taliban for good. With all their eggs in the basket here, they'll be unprepared for the attack in Aleppo." A silence fell over the room as everyone sat contemplating Nicholas and his plan. "As for the logistics of it all, I've also thought that through as well and I believe I have the perfect plan to move the necessary men for the strike...." |
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| Whal | Feb 13 2014, 07:39 PM Post #60 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Dayr-az-Zawr, Al Whaladya Proper... Taking a brief moment of relaxation in his office, Mehmet Benghazi calmly brewed himself a cup of his favorite tea. The long meetings with the other members of the Emir's cabinet, which dominated over 70% of Benghazi's work days, were beginning to drastically stress him out and he cherished the moments he had to himself. With all the dangerous events unfolding around the Emirate these days, the seasoned Foreign Affairs Minister had to enjoy these moments when he could lest they should be shattered by some act of foreign/domestic aggression, environmental crisis, or personal matters. Luckily, none of these had occurred quite yet and Benghazi was able to kick off his shoes and enjoy his tea. That was the case, however, until two GFID agents barged into his office announced. Benghazi recognized them instantly as the two shady figures assigned to watch over the Russian ambassador to Al Whaladya, Mr. Kovalchuk. Startled slightly, but then taking a slow sip of tea, Benghazi ordered the two men to give an explanation for their intrusion. What they told him caused Benghazi to quickly get up, call the Defense Ministry, and rush towards the Russian's office. Not wishing to wait for the man's secretary (also, believing himself above the Russian's private time), the Whaladyan barged into Kovalchuk's office and asked, "What's all this about your Colonel Perov orchestrating an assault against As Sulaymaniyah?" _______ Outskirts of As Sulaymaniyah, Whaladyan Iraq... For the Russians (and to a greater extent, the Whaladyans) to be fooled into believing an attack was coming against As Sulaymaniyah, the Taliban had needed some serious outside connections. It wasn't as if the message was a difficult one to transmit given the Taliban's recent surge in manpower, but rather it required the proper bait be dangled in plain view. Nicholas' KSB informant had done his job well. Nicholas had been right in his assumption that the Whaladyan command wouldn't be persuaded to act unless prompted by the Russian intelligence, but what was most striking about his predictions was just how right he was about the sheer scope of their reaction. Before talks had even begun with the Russian diplomats in Dayr-az-Zawr, the Whaladyan air force had begun orchestrating reconnaissance around the city, as well as mustering the city's competent 10,000 man garrison into construction defensive stations. From all the preparations the Whaladyans had implemented, it wasn't difficult to infer they actually believed a serious offensive was brewing regardless of whether or not Perov was actually leading the assault. No matter the consequences, the Whaladyan leadership had to act in order to dissuade any Russian intervention in the matter and to crush the Taliban in one fowl swoop. Thus, a gargantuan force was mustered all across the occupied region to conduct "clean and sweep" maneuvers. As Whaladyan troops were preparing for the imminent assault, the Taliban moved as blatantly as possible to the city without directly endangering their troops; a fact which only convinced the Whaladyans further that they were gearing up for a final climactic battle. Rather quickly, the Taliaban had amassed the largest standing force they had possessed since the glory days of the first assaults over a year ago. Over 8,000 fighters made up of hardened veterans, new recruits, and members of the northern tribal warlords marched from village to village en route to As Sulaymaniyah. Decoy maneuver aside, the attack against As Sulaymaniyah would be a decisive battle for the Taliban and would likely incur among them serious casualties. However, after the main goal had been completed at Aleppo, the Taliban could retreat to the shadows once more and begin their underground buildup without the threat of a costly conventional war. Meanwhile, the two elite Taliban infiltrators sent by Nicholas were already en route to Aleppo disguised as a GFID intelligence team. Hopefully, they're captured I.D's and credentials would allow them to enter the facility unnoticed, however they had a plan should things go sour... Edited by Whal, Feb 19 2014, 07:28 PM.
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| NRE | Feb 19 2014, 04:27 PM Post #61 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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A few Hours Earlier..... Moscow, Russia.... Posted Image Nicholas's contact within the Royal Security Services, better known by its Russian's accroynm KSB; had done is job remarkably well. Doctored satellite photos, telephone transcripts, even a few voice recordings were all apart of the package eventually presented to the Director. After an hour of analysis the Director was convince enough to inform Emperor Ivan himself personally. A meeting of his majesty's cabinet was soon called afterwards, all his ministers as well as his military advisers were collected and the simple question of what Russia could do was put before the panel. So far Russia had played it safe, playing second fiddle to the Al Whaladyan government when it came to this whole affair. After all, Russia knew did not stand well in the Middle East and certainly not with this particular country. Bold actions, while Russia did not fear Al Whaladya personally, would undoubtedly stir the attention of the Scythirians and they were another matter entirely. Still, Russian intelligence was convinced that Colonel Perov was leading the attack on As Sulaymaniyah, the first real lead on his position within the region in many weeks. Refusing to allow a situation like this to escape them and believing the Whaladyans were less than competent enough to capture the man, they knew they had to act. How to act was not the more imparitive question the panel had to answer. They knew the Whaladyans would eventually find the same information, either through their own sources or through Russian intelligence itself. His Majesty's military advisers believed they'd undoubtedly scramble everything they had to put down the attack, making Russia's unwanted participation difficult. The cautious among them believed they needed more surveillance of the area and wanted to fly a drone into the area. However, it was generally agreed that flying a drone now would only tip their hand to the Whaladyans. No, after much debate and discussion, it was decided that a strike team of spetsnaz soldiers would be flown in by chopper. They could fly from a ship the Russian navy had dispatched to international waters not far from Alexanderhaven. It'd been dispatched by the navy since command learned Colonel Perov was in the region and the soldiers and sailors on board had been prepared for just such orders. The chopper would fly low, keeping under the radar as much as possible through Alexanderhaven and the Iraqi wilds to the Kurdistan region. Believing the attack was going to come near dusk, the darkness would aid the Russian team as much as the Taliban attackers in the operation. The soldiers would locate, secure, and extract the Colonel. They would be given orders to eliminate any threats that hinder their primary mission. Not everyone was necessarily pleased with the decision but Emperor Ivan believed it was the best course of action and approved it. Fearing Ambassador Kovalchuk was being heavily monitored, the Foreign Ministry decided to limit the information they gave to him by telephone to only the information on the attack itself, not Russia's own intentions until it was absolutely necessary. For now, Sergei would have to be left in the dark and Moscow would have to let the next 48 hours play out on its own.... __________________________________________________________ Dayr-az-Zawr, Al Whaladya Proper... Ambassador Kovalchuk had been phoned in his hotel room and informed of the attack. Naturally, he'd been expecting a call like this. His escorted drive to the Whaladyan Foreign Ministry building was somewhat dreaded by the Ambassador as he was not pleased with the way he was being treated. The Whaladyans, in his opinion, should be more grateful for Russia's assistance in this matter. After all, Colonel Perov was a decorated Russian military commander. Had his presence gone completely unnoticed, he'd have been free to train these Taliban into becoming a well organized, almost professional army. Especially as he would have undoubtedly trained them in the Russian way, the best way in the Ambassador opinion. Still, for whatever reason Moscow dictated that he remain courteous to the Whaladyans despite his own personal protests, and inform them on what he knew. Passing his secretary she said nothing, such an ungrateful and rather rude woman in the Ambassador's opinion. Entering his small, rather cramped closet for an office, he'd barely sat down when Benghazi barged into the room. Without even a hello the Foreign Minister inquired about the attack. Feeling more like he was being interrogated than simply asked, Kovalchuk was highly confused. "Attack.....on As Sulaymaniyah..." he Ambassador said almost in a stutter. "Wait, Minister how are you aware of the attack?" "Does it really matter Ambassador" Benghazi stated defiantly, "I demand to know what Russia is withholding from us." "Minister please" Kovalchuk replied, "I was only informed a few hours ago and was going to meet with you first this, assuming you had time in your schedule to see me. KSB has intercepted information pointing to a massive counter attack on the city. Russia believes that Colonel Perov has used his time to train these men and that this attack will come near dusk. This could be a decisive attack on the part of the Taliban. Furthermore, Russia believes Colonel Perov will be leading the attack personally. Russia would like to inquire as to how the Whaladyan military intends to capture the fugitive in this matter. Although, I have also been instructed to again relay Russia's offer of assistance...." ________________________________________ Aleppo, Al Whaladya Proper..... Naturally, for Nicholas's plan, everything hinged on the ability of the two men he'd sent to Aleppo. Their reconnaissance of the nuclear facilities and city would be crucial for the plan to work. After all, when fighting did finally erupt in As Sulaymaniyah, that would give the perfect cover for the attack on Aleppo. Yet, for the attack to be a success, they needed to know where the defenses of the city were, where the patrols ran, as well as a general layout of the city and the nuclear facilities. After a good hot shower, hair cuts, and a good shaving, the two men picked for the job looked more convincing as GFID intelligence agents than Nicholas had believed they would. Still not entirely impressed with the results, he still felt confident enough to send the men on their way. It took some time traveling into Al Whaladya proper but Nicholas managed to get the men in and before long the city of Aleppo was before them. A bit nervous when they came before the first check point, one of the men was almost ready to shank the guard at the post. He took forever with their I.D's but just as Nicholas's had promised them, they were let through. A bit more confident, the men got straight to work tanking descrete photographs of the patrols, weaponry, and positions of the Whaladyans using a small pen camera given by Nicholas. Most of their morning was spent this way, taking pictures and making mental notes of numbers and movements. Believing they had gotten enough information on the latter, they decided around noon to head for one of the city's nuclear facilities. Though formerly imbued with confidence, said confidence began to wane the closer they got to the facility. The enough compound was clearly swarming with soldiers and other security personnel. The checkpoints seemed expansive and the barking of the guard dogs did not help either. Getting in, it seemed would be difficult but they were given a task and come what may, they intended to follow through with it. After all, the clock was ticking and if an attack on Aleppo was to be successful, they needed to know what was past the barbed wire and concrete walls. |
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| Whal | Feb 24 2014, 03:30 PM Post #62 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Dayr-az-Zawr... "No such offer will be necessary", Benghazi responded quickly, interrupting the Russian mid sentence. "While we are forever gracious for the Empire's assistance, the situation in As Sulaymaniyah is very much under control", he continued politely, despite the urge to convince the Ambassador that the Whaladyan government was highly suspicious of any Russian involvement. The GFID had conducted heavy surveillance over Kovalchuk since his arrival inside the Whaladyan capital and his office, hotel, and personal vehicle were all heavily monitored with hidden cameras and recorders. Alas, because Kovalchuk himself was unaware of the Spetznaz mission, so were the GFID agents assigned to monitor him. The Whaladyans would have to figure out the Russian intervention the hard way, if they found out at all. "Of course, Minister", Kovalchuk responded thoughtfully, "However, If I may, I'd like to relay back to Moscow what your government plans to do about this attack? If anything, the message will relieve the Emperor of his fears regarding the possibility of Perov's escape." Benghazi had grown rather annoyed at the Russians' meddling in his country's affairs. Ever since the GFID uncovered the Ambassador's message to Moscow encouraging increased interventionism in the matter, he treated them with a mixture of polite indifference and blatant suspicion. "I assure you, Mr. Ambassador. The fugitive will not be escaping anywhere, nor will the Taliban exist as a principle threat to the Emirate or Russia following this engagement", the Whaladyan answered seriously. Kovalchuk leaned forward in anticipation. Benghazi cleared his throat before continuing, "You may inform the Kremlin that considerable force has been diverted to As Sulaymaniyah in anticipation of the attack. The GFID has been mobilized in the region and is currently underway to the remote Ganjis Mountains to assault the locations where we perceive the Taliban leadership to be organized." "This shall be their last offensive", Benghazi said almost as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders." ___________________________________ As Sulaymaniyah... Dusk had arrived over the calm desert plain which awaited the carnage of the impending battle. As the sky turned a bright orange, the Whaladyan garrison prepped their defensive positions for the Taliaban's savage assault. The garrison's commanders had anticipated a massive assault of human waves, and therefore had organized their defenses to counter infantry tactics. They were shocked and terrified when the Taliban assaulted their positions with the remnants of their armored reserves. Several requisitioned T-72 tanks and BTR's steamed towards the Whaladyan lines at full speed. Presumably remnants of the Whaladyan's own armor captured at the Shah Ravine, the determined armored assault took the Whaladyan lines completely off guard and their machine guns pinged off the vehicles thick armor. Their main smooth bore guns and auto cannons began inflicting considerable losses to the Whaladyan infantry stationed in the trenches outside the city. However, the Whaladyans possessed armor of their own and soon tanks from both sides began exchanging fire between the city's narrow streets. The Taliban's few armored vehicles were quickly destroyed and the Whaladyans began preparing themselves for the next part of the assault. The Taliban's surprise blitzkrieg assault had scattered much of the city's outer defenses and allowed a substantial portion of their infantry to infiltrate into the outlying neighborhoods. The Whaladyans responded tactfully and rapidly, concentrating their artillery and mortar fire on these areas they managed to stop the Kurds before they could stage an assault on the main city. Serious Whaladyan counterattacks equipped with armor, infantry, and helicopters characterized the nature of the engagement until around midnight when the lines finally stabilized. The next couple of hours would see only small firefights and minor infiltration by Taliban suicidal squads. Taliban leadership had planned for the assault to stall out by nighttime, but they mobilized some of their infantry on the city's left flank for a renewed assault in the early morning. The Whaladyan's attention had to remain firmly entrenched on As Sulaymaniyah. _____________________________________ One hour prior, Aleppo... So far so good. The Taliban infiltrators had survived incognito long enough to accomplish the first part of their mission, yet simple reconnaissance was child's play compared to entering a high security nuclear facility with Semtex explosive. The "leader" of the small two man team calmly checked his wrist watch which revealed that dusk was quickly approaching. In order for their plan to succeed, the men would need to enter the facility before their associates began the attack at As Sulaymaniyah and that time was rather quickly approaching. The gatehouse to the Aleppo Uranium Refinement Center was heavily guarded by tall machine gun towers, multiple cameras, re-enforced self sealing doors, and a garrison of at least 200 fully armed Whaladyan soldiers and GFID agents. As their car pulled up to the first gatehouse, the leader prepared their falsified documents. "Your authorization papers, gentlemen?", the guard requested from the passenger side window. The leader handed them over quickly this time in an effort to replicate having done so multiple times in his "career". The guard took them to his computer and checked them with the database. The two men remained silent until the guard returned with a sour expression on his face. "Your identification has expired and is in need of renewal", he said slightly irritated. The two infiltrators looked at one another, before the leader finally spoke up, "That is impossible. They're brand new. Please, could you check them again?" The guard grunted begrudgingly, but otherwise complied and returned to his post. A cool sweat began to form on the nape of the driver's neck. A few moments later the guard returned, handed them their I.D's, and opened the gate. It had worked, one down and 2 more to go. The second checkpoint was heavily guarded by soldiers, guard dogs, and road obstacles. The soldier approached the driver side window and asked the men calmly about their business. "Routine check up is all", the leader replied with a straight face. The soldier chuckled in a friendly manner and made a remark about "formalities" before he waved over his associates to inspect the car. The dogs circles the car smelling for all sorts of contraband, not least of which were explosive devices. After a few moments of tense silence, the dogs revealed nothing and the soldier waved the car to its designated parking spot. The two men parked the car, unloaded their briefcases, and proceeded to the final checkpoint in the main lobby. There they froze, it was staffed by fellow GFID personnel who seemed to be actively searching for infiltrators. The men walked calmly to the station where the men made some friendly remarks about their "easy jobs" and simply let the men by without so much as a second glance. The infiltrators were astounded. How had they simply passed by the most threatening security aspect of the facility without even being searched? Once they were out of ear shot of the agents, the two men let out a sign of relief and patted each other's back. They thanked God that the guards had been GFID who had obviously assumed that their "associates" could never be terrorists. The leader looked at his watch once more. They had 20 minutes til the attack; they needed to find the reactors. |
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| NRE | Mar 7 2014, 04:32 PM Post #63 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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In Aleppo... Cautious that they were surrounded by the enemy, the men's search appeared outwardly more of one of inspection than that of ouright bewilderment of where they were and where the reactors were located. Mindful to look as if they knew exactly what they were doing every time a GFID agent or two passed them in the halls, they slowly but successfully made it further and further into the facility. Though they came across various control rooms, offices, lounges, and even the occasional bathroom, the main reactors seemed to allude them. How damn hard is it to find these things was their thoughts every time a new door led to another dead end. "We're taking too much time" one whispered to the other "It can't be helped, we simply can't run from door to door you know." "That may be so, but the attack is not far. We must hurry before...." The man was cut off mid sentence as they rounded a corner and found to GFID agents across the same corner in their direction. Though they'd been whispering, it was clear that the two terrorists had been in conversation and the two GFID agents stopped them. "You two, what are you doing here?" was the question. Though they were trained enough not to look worried, both men were a bit terrified of the encounter. After all, so far had been smooth sailing but what if one of these men had overheard them? "We're inspectors, here are our papers" said the "leader" who promptly handed over the IDs. The agents scanned them for a moment as deathly silence fell between them. The Leader's associated was getting nervous, to the point almost that he'd half imagined himself bolting in the opposite direction. That is, before he was reminded of the rather powerful riffles handing off the two GFID agents backs. "Inspectors huh, you must be lost" the agent said. "Well" the leader began, his tone a bit nervous, "you see we...." "Oh lay off them" the other GFID agent said, rebuking his partner. "You know just as well as I do that all these hallways look the same." He turned to the two men, "Probably looking for the reactors, right? Well you're in luck because you're heading in the right direction. They're just down this hallway to the right, big double-doors, you can't miss it." His partner gave him an ugly glance to which the man shrugged. "Come on, we both know those papers are legitimate, besides I'm hungry I told you so lets get the cafeteria already." The other GFID agent begrudingly gave the men their IDs and papers back and the two agents continued on their way. Both Talibani men gave yet another sigh of relief as they rounded the corner and continued on. "That was close" the one said to the other. "I know, let just get it done and get out." Just as they were told, the reactor core room was just down the hallway to the right. Luckily due to the hour, much of the staff had left for dinner and only a skeleton crew remain to oversee normal operations. There were only two GFID guards outside the room and, after a check of the men's IDs, allowed the Talibani to enter. A quick scan of the room and the two men agreed through almost synchronized head nods at the perfect locations for the bombs. They were seemingly out of the way and once one of the men walked back there, they were virtually hidden from the rest. The men took turns planting their bombs, allowing the other to provide distraction by interrupting any of the scientists and operators who might begin walking that way. With the bombs in place, the men knew it was time to leave.... _________________________________________________________________ Dayr-az-Zawr... Kovalchuk was once again annoyed at the disrespect for Russian help, being shown by the Whaladyan government. Knowing that there was little more he could do from his office in the foreign ministry, he resigned himself to leave to get some fresh air. The accompanied by his "escorts" he was able to convince the two brutes to let him be long enough to get something to eat. Though he'd not been in the capital long, he'd quickly found a small eatery that appeased him. It was local cuisine at its finest as far as the Ambassador was concerned. Furthermore, the large glass window in the front allowed his escorts to watch him without them having to be right at his table. He warmly welcomed this time to himself as part from his occasional bathroom trips and sleeping, was the only time he truly had to himself outside his office. Sitting his briefcase on the ground next to him, he fully emersed himself into the food he had order. The taste was simply exquisite, the combination of the bland to that of the spices was unlike anything he enjoyed back home in Russia. If it weren't for the present company he had to keep, he'd rather like coming to this country for holiday visits. Sadly for the Ambassador, like all good things the meal eventually ended and soon he knew he'd have to return to his post at the Foreign Office. Noting the time, he was keenly aware that the attack was just minutes away. Though he doubted he'd be given clearance to any sort of council meeting over the operation, he nevertheless intended to voice his desires to be present as military leaders observed the battle via satellite, radio, and whatever else their command room may have set up. Getting up from his seat after paying his bill, Kovalchuk grabbed his briefcase and proceed to the door. Abruptly this was interrupted as he and another patron of the restaurant collided mid-stride. Both men went to the ground and, at witnessing the event, the two escorts came into the restaurant immediately. Though personally they cared little for Kovalchuk, it was their duty to protect him just as much as it was to watch him, for fear of an international incident. Rushing the other patron, they quickly subdued the man. "Wait" Kovalchuk stated finally, "what are you doing?" "He could be a threat, there are procee..." "I don't care what procedures you may have" Kovalchuk interrupted, "Can't you see this was just an unfortunate accident. Now please let the man go at once." The two agents look at each other, then the man underneath them, and then back to Kovalchuk. Though they were inclined to take orders from the Russian, they didn't wish to make an unruly scene either and given how public the restaurant was, it seemed best to comply with the Russian's wishes this one time. Kovalchuk, now back on his feet helped the other gentleman to his own feet, brushing off some of the floor's dust that had been attracted to his coat. A finely dressed man, he was no doubt a local businessman of some sort Kovalchuk deduced. "My apologies, please take your briefcase back" the man said, Kovalchuk having to rely on the escorts for a translation. The man handed back the briefcase before picking up his own. "Thank you" Kovalchuk replied and with a smile from both men, the man left. Kovalchuk soon followed, returning to his car and requesting to be taken back to the foreign ministry building. He placed the briefcase on the seat beside him. ________________________________________________ Nicholas looked down at his watch before looking up at Sebastian. The two men were enjoying a meal by themselves as Colonel Perov was off leading the charge to As Sulaymaniyah while Koenig was, well to be quite honest they weren't sure where the German was as they'd not seen them since their last meeting. "You know my friend, its time to go" Nicholas said plainly. "To go, but what of the battle?" Sebastian inquired. "The battle is in the right hands" Nicholas replied. "The Colonel is an excellent man of war though this may very well be his last charge. After him, I am sure our German friend is more than capable of handling the affairs until Zahawi recovers." "And if he does not?" "Then I am sure another is in waiting to take his place" Nicholas stated. "You see Sebastian, in matters such as this, there are always successors. Terrorism never dies, it simply evolves, changes hands, perfects itself further. We came here not to further the cause, but for a more specific reason. After tonight, that purpose will be fulfilled as my plan is now in motion and cannot be stopped. However, we have much more work to be done elsewhere in the world so we must go now." "Ok" said Sebastian who finished his soup, "though I will greatly miss the good Colonel." "I will as well" said Nicholas sincerely. "He has been a good friend and good patron of the cause. Should he died, his memory will live on. Of that I have no doubt." After the both of them were finished, the two men quietly began assembling their things. Nicholas was almost packed when he stopped, Sebastian though it strange until Nicholas turned and Sebastian got a better line of sight to the door. "I imagined we'd see each other one last time" Nicholas said with a grin. "Leaving again I see" Koenig stated with a smile. "I am afraid so my German friend. Our time in these matters have ended, I see no reason to remain." "So, no true love for the cause then?" Koenig questioned. "Oh on the contrary my friend" Nicholas replied, "I have nothing but love for the cause of the Taliban. The Whaladyans are a vile people, sticking their noses in various affairs that they do not understand and have no business in. After tonight, they will realize exactly what it is meant by curiosity and the cat." Koenig simply chuckled. "Well I don't intend to stop you but I wonder what it is I am to tell Zahawi, once he recovers." "Tell him it has been my pleasure to witness first hand his glorious history. Tell him that I am doubtful this will be our last encounter and that on the day we cross paths again, I wish to greet him as brother. Oh and then there is this..." Nicholas pulled a small vile out from his pocket, a curious elixir sat inside it. "There once was a doctor from Africa, brilliant man who bore a brilliant son. Though the latter untimely allegiance may have cost him his life, he did not disappear without leaving a few curiosities behind." Nicholas handed the vile to the German. "There is enough for one and while I do not understand the intricacies of medicine, I am told that what that is, is worth everything this world could offer. I am sure you will know what to do with it and once its gone, another curiosity of this world will go with it. A pity perhaps, but I am sure it is enough to pay in full what I owe Zahawi for his hospitality." With that Nicholas passed by Koenig followed closely by Sebastian. They were disappear into the mountains just as night began flushing over the landscape, not to be seen again in these parts of the world for sometime to come. _____________________________________________________ On route to As Sulaymaniyah As the battle drew near to the city, so too did the helicopter transporting the strike team. They'd flown through Alexanderhaven territory to reach the area, remaining low to stay outside the watching eye of local radar. They would be at the city as soon as night fell, landing just short of the city and approaching by foot. They all knew what their target was and furthermore that failure was not an option. Capturing Colonel Perov, dead or alive was their only concern. Their battle fatigues were unmarked and each man would be wearing a mask to obscure their identity. If the mission went south and any man feared capture, a cyanide pill waited them in their breast pocket. With the Colonel or his body, there was no returning home..... Edited by NRE, Mar 7 2014, 04:37 PM.
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| Whal | Mar 18 2014, 03:53 PM Post #64 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Aleppo.. With the charges placed on the reactors, the two infiltrators had successfully completed the first phase of their mission. Escape, the second phase, however, would undoubtedly be the more difficult and most stressful aspect of the mission. The attack on As Sulaymaniyah was scheduled to begin in the next 45 minutes and the bombs were triggered to detonate at exactly 5 minutes before. Needless to say, the two men did not wish to remain inside Aleppo when the reactor inevitably decided to go nuclear. "Are the auxiliary charges in place?", one man asked the other. "Yes, I set them up behind the main reactor. Should the main charges be tampered with or disarmed, we can remotely detonate them personally", the other answered holding up the device. "Excellent", the "leader" replied as he checked his wrist watch. "Now, we have 40 minutes to get out of Aleppo. I suggest we get moving." The two men packed up their equipment as quickly and as quietly as they could. Luckily for them, the scientists on the lower levels decided to leave the two men to their "jobs" and hadn't interrupted the process in the last 15 minutes. Placing the detonator inside his briefcase, the "leader" and his associate briskly exited the main reactor room and proceeded down the long hallway in the pursuit of finding the main exit. The two men had been overly vigilant on their first trip to the reactor and made a precedent to memorize the exact route back to the main lobby. There was literally no time to waste. Walking as quickly as the could, but careful not to draw suspicion, the pair arrived at the first checkpoint overlooking the lobby floor. Confident that exiting procedures were slightly less intricate than those on their arrival, the two GFID impersonators walked nonchalantly passed the guards and towards the lobby. In an instant, a GFID operative placed a firm hand on the "leader's" chest and ordered him to halt. With a look of suspicion and disbelief, the man pointed upwards to a sign which very clearly outlined exiting procedure. The two men would be patted down and their baggage scanned by an x-ray machine. The two men froze in silent terror; the detonator was almost obnoxiously visible inside the "leader's" briefcase. A serious attempt at "acting the part" were all that could potentially save the men from a firefight or worse. Without batting an eyelash, the leader placed his briefcase on the ground and conceded to the individual search. Finding nothing of interest, the operatives then moved along to the second man. Once they were finished, they directed the men to place their briefcase on the conveyor belt leading towards the x-ray machine. Thinking on his feet, the leader quickly tried their only hope for survival. "We apologize for our ignorance, but we seem to have forgotten that our regulator's are still switched on! Certainly, you will permit us to turn them off before the bag enters the machine", he lied, as he slowly placed his briefcase on the ground. The operative looked at a superior who merely shrugged it off as a simple blunder. As the superior nodded his head, the two infiltrators knelt down and began rummaging between all the equipment in their briefcase. They spoke not a word to each other, but rather very skillfully and tactfully withdrew the detonator and placed it within the "leader's" jacket. The GFID were none the wiser and the two men emerged having committed no offense. With a calm disposition, they placed the briefcase on the belt and allowed it to pass through the machine. As was expected, the machine revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Passing all the precautions, the pair moved naturally past the checkpoint and into the lobby and towards the doors. It was in the stroll to the door that their ruse came crashing down upon them. In an act that would make any comedian cry, the detonator came loose from the "leader's" internal pocket and fell slowly and obviously onto the marble floor. In sheer shock and awe, the entire lobby ceased its activity and stared directly at the obvious technological device residing in the middle of the room. For a moment no one moved a muscle; not even the two imposters who looked on equally as bewildered, yet cursing their rotten luck. Then suddenly, all hell broke loose. In a rush to apprehend the device, the two men sparked the GFID into action, who then promptly either ran for a firing position or rushed to counter the terrorists. In a brief altercation, the "leader" rushed one of the operatives and knocked him to the ground. As he strangled the man, his associate quickly grabbed the operative's rifle and began sighting in targets. Quick bursts were exchanged between both sides, until the fallen operative was slain and the "leader" acquired his side-arm and the detonator. The two men scrambled for cover behind a pillar as the GFID began surrounding the pair and forcing them into a defenseless position. Already the two men could feel the airlock on the doors behind them activate, as large metal slabs began descending from their docks ready to entrap them inside the facility. Desperate to leave with their lives, but prevented from fleeing by the suppressing fire from the many GFID operatives and lobby guards, the two infiltrators looked at one another in desperation. With a look of understanding and sadness, the associate looked at the leader and then at the detonator. As he glanced at his watch, the leader comprehended the time. 20 minutes until the attack on As Sulaymaniyah. The chuckled to himself for thinking he could ever escape the facility in time. Saying a small prayer for himself, his friend, and their families, he pressed his thumb on the trigger. A distant explosion was heard, followed by a blinding light. Then, never ending darkness. ________________ Meanwhile, near As Sulaymaniyah a very distant rumbling was heard by Colonel Perov. Immediately recognizing the sound, he quickly ordered the assault on the city to begin prematurely to compensate with the early detonation. He knew that if he attacked now, the Taliban could capitalize on the Whaladyan confusion and aggravate any efforts at communicating a relief effort in Aleppo. The Taliban had done it. They had detonated a nuclear blast inside Al Whaladya. Edited by Whal, Mar 18 2014, 03:54 PM.
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| NRE | Mar 25 2014, 09:25 PM Post #65 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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The Battlefield, As Sulaymaniyah.... Though the attack had been a bit premature, Colonel Perov was nevertheless utterly delighted to see action once again. Though physically looking rather worn from time, he was a remarkable vigorous man who moved just as well as the men he'd trained. Their initial attack had not come as a complete surprise as the enemy had well expected the attack, though the question of when was a bit ambiguous to them until now. Originally conceived as a decoy to the true plot, the Colonel had his men still had every intention of showing the enemy the true depth of their resolve, courage, and strength. It was perhaps this spirit that gain the foreign man some respect among the other Taliban. Though they would never respect he as one of their own, his spirit still inspired them to work equally as hard as he did in the fight. Thanks to the tactics that the Colonel had taught the Taliban, Russian tactics that certainly withstood the test of time, they were within the city limits within the first hour of the attack. They were as well organized as any army the Colonel could ever request to serve for and he was not shy in showing the men his support of them. He also did not shy away from the front lines either, taking personal command of several forward units before moving back to organize the reserves as they began pouring in. Naturally, his actions caught the attention of the enemy and though no one was able to currently get close enough to capture nor kill him, radio communication confirmed his location as being in the battle. This was all the Russians needed to know that their operation was certainly a go. The intercepted communications put their target somewhere in the front lines or near there, though the scope of the battlefield meant that there would be a lot to traverse in searching for him. Their chopper came into the city low, as to avoid radar confirmation and though they could have easily been spotted visually, they came in fast the team was dropped quickly and the bird was then turned-tail and head back the same way it had arrived. Given the urban environment of the battlefield the Russians hoped they could use the various alley ways and more narrow streets as quick routes around the main fighting to avoid detection by the Whaladyan units. They had to reach the Colonel first. ________________________________________________ Dayr-az-Zawr... Ambassador Kovalchuk had barely returned to his office, briefcase in hand when he noticed the ministry go into an uproar. "What is going on?" he questioned, "Has something happened?" His secretary went off to talk to others and returned with a look of horror on her face. She didn't say anything, tears began to whelp in her eyes and she just started muttering prayers in her native tongue. The Ambassador realized they he wouldn't be getting anything from her and so decided to go straight for the source. He did not even bother to put his briefcase down and instead when straight for the Foreign Minister's office. "I must see the Foreign Minister" he demanded at the secretary's desk. "Sir, the Minister his highly busy at the moment and cannot see anyone." "What has happened, I must be informed what is going on. Is the attack underway, has something else happened?" "Please sir, I cannot discuss this with you" the secretary replied. "Please return to your office and I assure you the Minister will contact you." "You will get me the Minister immediately" Kovalchuk insisted. "I will not move from this spot until I see him." |
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| Whal | Mar 26 2014, 03:38 PM Post #66 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Dayr-az-Zawr... The foreign minister's secretary merely shook her head and looked away transmitting to Kovalchuk that his demands were being wasted on deaf ears. True to his word, however, he stood his ground and waited patiently in full view of the secretary. His gaze remained fixed upon her as he crossed his arms in disdain. Eventually, the young woman had to turn her body away from him to cease the immense awkwardness. Luckily for Kovalchuk, a personal phone-call on the secretary's cellular device caused her to begin crying hysterically. She muttered frantically in Arabic between the sobs, yet eventually her agony forced her to exit the room. Kovulchuk acted quickly, for there was no telling when she would return. As always, the ambassador's GFID "aides" lingered menacingly outside the room. Occasionally, they would peek their heads into the room to watch him, but otherwise remained outside. He realized that if he seated himself on a chair outside Benghazi's door, he could overhear incomplete statements between the foreign minister and two unknown men. Thankfully, his stay within the Emirate had allowed him to pick up Whaladyan Arabic conversationally, thus various pieces were easily translatable. Their tones were grim and their statements rather brief, yet Kovalchuk could discern that something rather serious had occurred on Whaladyan soil. The only question in his mind was whether or not his government had anything to do with it. "...tens of thousands dead! Are you kidding me?! How could this happen!", Benghazi stated. "Quiet yourself! We still haven't figured it out", stated a voice that Kovalchuk found very familiar. "-----------was it the Taliban?", came Benghazi again. "Perhaps---------------they will be punished regardless", the familiar voice replied. "So, you'll use it on them?", Benghazi asked sheepishly. Kovalchuk began wondering what the "it" could be. An unknown voice answered seriously, "Yes----------Nova 6. We shall-----------testing trials." "What about the Emir? Does he know?", Benghazi questioned. "-------doesn't matter, Benghazi. You know--------------remains incapacitated. His---------has gotten worse", the familiar voice replied coldly. "-----they're already on their way", the unknown man continued. Kovalchuk listened as Benghazi recited a small prayer to himself. A myriad of ideas and questions began spiraling through his head as he recollected the bits and pieces of the conversation. What in God's name had occurred? Were the Taliban, Perov, or the Russian government responsible? What in God's name was the Whaladyan government testing on the Kurds? However, as Kovalchuk sat back and pondered these questions Benghazi's door opened and the two shadowy voices were revealed. The voice that Kovalchuk had recognized, but could not place a face on, belonged to the Whaladyan defense minister and Emir's brother, Omar al-Whaladya. The defense minister exited with a scowl and he glared rather angrily at Kovalchuk, but otherwise said nothing and payed him little attention. The unknown voice belonged to a man the Russian also recognized immediately as the infamous Marshal. Also known as Usama al-Whaladya, the Marshal was the shadowy head of the GFID and minister of research and technology for the Whaladyan Armed Forces. He also paid no attention to Kovalchuk, but instead held a manila folder very close to his chest. Its caption read Classified - Project Nova. The two men looked back at Benghazi before exiting the room altogether. The foreign minister looked haggard and visibly shaken. His face showed the signs of a man who had faced down a very serious predicament and was struggling to cope. He invited Kovalchuk in, but his facial expression clearly showed that he dreaded the current meeting. As Kovalchuk took his seat, Benghazi shakily began pouring himself some tea. "So, Mr. Ambassador..", he began softly, "What may I do for you today?" __________ The Battlefield, As Sulaymaniyah... The Taliban's assault was reaching the climax of it's maximum strength. Their remaining captured T-90 tanks had managed to push past the Whaladyan front lines and made considerable headway into the city's outlying suburbs. The Whaladyan's own armored forces had just begun their counterattack, but the battle for the streets was still very far from over. The Taliban's fighters had quickly dispersed into the city and both sides were bitterly battling for every inch of ground. The engagement was so intense that often a single floor to a building was the scene of savage contest. It was such a scene that greeted the Russian Spetznaz as they touched down into the rear of the Whaladyan lines. Luckily for their mission, they had remained undetected thus far and were only about 3 miles from the Colonel's position. However, their seemingly short journey to the Colonel would take them through the bitter street fights between Taliban and Whaladyan forces. Normally, the Russians would have been able to count on the Whaladyan Military for support, but this time their secrecy meant that Whaladyan units were just as hostile as the insurgents. The Spetnaz squad was ordered to take any and all measures to protect the mission - they were not to let Whaladyan forces stop them. The squad moved carefully and quietly down a small alley in the direction that their intell had outlined. Caution was exercised at every street crossing, every door breached, and every wall or fence hopped. Their training as one of the world's premier military outfit had paid off well for the Spetznaz, and they had managed to travel the first mile undetected by either Whaladyan military personnel or civilians. The real test came as they entered the heavily contested combat zone surrounding the suburbs. Dodging patrols and insurgents became almost a consecutive occurrence every time the squad crossed the street. Eventually, they garnered hostile attention. A distant shot range out and a bullet ripped past the squad as they turned a corner into a huge garden. The squad leader quickly pulled his men behind cover as they analyzed the situation. The bullet's direction came from a terrace directly across the large garden. With a small mirror, the squad leader revealed that the bullet was fired from a dragunov SVD - meaning a Whaladyan sniper team! The Whaladyan pair had the squad zero'd in and obviously were not taking chances with unknown outfits. The squad was faced with their first obstacle. Edited by Whal, Mar 26 2014, 03:48 PM.
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| NRE | Apr 9 2014, 02:56 PM Post #67 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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The Battlefield, As Sulaymaniyah.... The Captain of the squad was Dmitriy, a battle-tested individual he cursed those damn Whaladyans under his breathe as he assessed the situation. The Garden was the best route to travel to their next point but with those snipers on the terrace, it was now the most dangerous. Naturally, the garden itself had not been his first choice but the alternatives would have taken them through more heavily traveled routes according the Russian intelligence, so the opportunity for detection by the enemy was more likely. No, the garden was (as from its open nature) the best way through this section of the city and would put them far more closer to Taliban front-lines than any other route. No doubt this sniper team was an expeditionary force, put here to stop any Taliban than might try using this same route to push forward in the direction the Russians had just traveled from. Surveying the area, Dmitriy believed that if he could get into the second story of the building just beside the terrace, he'd be able to surprise the enemy with shots they would not be expecting. Still, that the Whaladyans knew they were there the Russian also knew he did not have long before they successfully radioed for further support while they contained them in the corner. Getting to the building however, meant that the men would have to cross a small area of the garden. It appeared there only cover would be a small stone fence, a wall really, that was no more than maybe waist high. From there it was possible they could crawl to the other building, entering from a side where the would be covered from sniper fire and had a window a man or two could squeeze through. Testing the waters, Dmitriy grabbed a small stone he found on the ground and threw it into the open. He was relatively surprised when it exploded into dust, demonstrating that this particular sniper wasn't just given a riffle yesterday. Dmitriy turned back and informed his men through hand signals of the relative plan. All four of Dmitriy's boys agreed it was there best shot. The fastest among them got ready to move first, after all only two men need attempt the maneuver anyhow. Stretching a bit he backed up a few steps before, on the count of three, he sprang from behind his cover, practically diving for the fence. Almost immediately shots rang out, several in fact and as the man's body hit the ground with a good thud, Dmitriy and the others wondered if he was alive. It took a pure minute before finally the man slowly put his thumb in the air and began pushing himself against the fence, remaining on his stomach. crawling forward he made room for the next man to man his move. No doubt there sniper friends were more prepared this time than the last to hit their target, though in truth they weren't aware they'd missed their last one given they could not see the man's body from behind the fencing. This time Dmitriy wanted to leave nothing to chance and before the second many made his leap, Dmitriy sling his rifle from around the corner and opened fire, blindly shooting at the direction of the terrace. Though few bullets actually hit their target, it was enough to make the sniper's briefly duck for cover. The second Russian took his change and made his leap. Despite Dmitriy's plan, shots from the sniper's nest still rand out and this time as the man's body made another thud onto the ground, Dmitriy noticed the wound on his leg. It took the man a few more minutes before begin his own crawl to the other side of the fencing, by this time his partner had already finished his crawl and awaited him on the other side. The man crawled slowly to the other side, his partner then inspected his wound. Though extremely sore, the man's partner wrapped his wound as best he could and the two proceeded with their mission. Dmitriy gave more cover fire while the men broke the window and crawled into the building. It was an apartment building from what they could tell, as they entered into the kitchen. Moving slowly through the apartment they came into the main living area and began searching for the front entrance that hopefully led into the main hallway. First opening into a bathroom and then a closest, they finally found the front door and after checking their surroundings they entered the hallway. The two men could hear, at various times, the riffle fire from their comrades as well as the sniper team's own exchange. They could also hear the actual war, it was getting closer it seemed. Traveling up several flights, they came to the right floor and entered into the hallway. Moving down several doors they came to the apartment they believed would give them the best vantage, if their Captain had counted the window's correctly. Busting down the door they found the main room empty. There were no windows in the room, the two Russian's knowing they'd need to use either a bedroom or the kitchen. Moving into the kitchen, they slowly peered through the window but found that while they were in the right apartment, they weren't in the right room. It had to be a bedroom they thought and moved towards them. Opening the first door they found only a closest. Moving towards the next doorknob, they found it was locked. Not taking a chance, the two men counted to three before one of them kicked down the door, the other with the bad leg held his riffle high. It was the bathroom, the family occupying the apartment huddled inside. The people looked scared, but perhaps somewhat relieved that the men weren't dressed in Whaladyan uniforms. Putting up their hands in a sign to stay quiet, the Russians slowly closed the door and proceeded to the next door which in fact did take them to a bedroom. Moving towards the window they found that they were exactly where they wanted to be. Each man took a side of the window and on three, they would open fire. Counting down to one the men moved away from the wall and opened fire through the glass window. Glass quickly sprayed everywhere as the bullets pierced through and onto the terrace not far from them. Caught a bit by surprise, one of the two snipers was hit several times but the second, though hit, was able to duck for some cover and return fire with his own riffle. The Russian with the poor leg was hit, almost directly in the head, while his partner was able to move out of the way. All while this exchange took place, Dmitriy and the other two men still with him took the opportunity to move forward. He knew he only had minutes before the sniper turned his attention back to him and so as soon as he got close enough he pulled the pin of the grenade in his hand and threw it to the terrace. Barely making it, the explosion cause not only the already dead sniper to go flying up also his partner, now killing him. Securing their location, Dmitriy called up to the men in the bedroom. The lone survivor called out, the men had decided to speech in German so as to mask their identities further. Dmitriy was sadden he'd already lost a man and they'd yet caught up the target. They brought the body down to the garden as quickly as they could. Rummaging through the kitchen of the first apartment the men entered, the found something to douse the body in before they ignited it on fire. They could not leave anything that could be traced back to the Empire. Knowing the enemy could have back up heading for their position, Dmitriy and the men left the body burning as they moved forward. Crossing the next street as carefully as possible, they could tell they were extremely close to the front lines. The Colonel had to be close, now it was simply a question of exactly how close.... _______________________________________________________ Dayr-az-Zawr... Ambassador Kovulchuk gave a nod to the Minister before taking his seat, opposite the Minister with a rather large and ornate desk between them. Sitting his briefcase just to the side of his chair, Kovulchuk began with his questions almost immediately. "Minister I understand that this is a very delicate time for you and your people, but I must insist that I remain informed if my government is to offer any assistance" Kovulchuk stated. "Please, what has happened that seems to have causes such a stir here in the ministry building?" "Ambassador Kovulchuk understand that this situation is of the utmost importance to the national security of this nation" Benghazi replied. "Information must go through the proper channels to ensure that the sensitivity of the matter is maintained." The Foreign Minster put his hands up. "My hands are tied Ambassador and all I can say is this. There has been an attack, both on the city of As Sulaymaniyah as intelligence suspected as well as a secondary target that was not. We are still assessing the evidence and as soon as we have a better picture of the situation, we will inform your government." "A better picture of the situation" the Ambassador stated, the outrage in his voice quite evident. "Why is it that every time I come to your office with all the good will and intent I can possible muster, I am stonewalled. The Empire came here with its arms opened, we gave you intelligence you could never have obtained on your own and yet still you persist that we are here for an alternate agenda, or at least that is how I have come to feel." "Ambassador please!" Benghazi bellowed. "No Minister" the Ambassador replied. "I have had enough of these political games. There is a madman on the loose and we Russians have the means of stopping him. Your people will get nothing but death and destruction unless you stop stonewalling us and let....us....HELP!" With that the Ambassador slammed his fist of the table. It was as if on cue that the bomb, planted into what Kovalchuk believed to be his briefcase, detonated (the timer expiring). The blast as quite large and sent both men flying across the room, the Minister crashing to the wall just below the windows behind him, his large desk flipping over and covering him. Kovalchuk was thrown back onto the door of the office, breaking through and into the hallway. It took security officials a few minutes to make it to the now tattered office of the Foreign Minister. Attending to Benghazi first, they found the man a bit bruised but otherwise alive, medical personnel would later rush him to the nearest hospital and though he's suffer a few broken ribs he was otherwise fine. Luckily for him, his own desk prevented his untimely death, given the location of the briefcase. Ambassador Kovalchuk however, was not so lucky. His proximity to the bomb ensure his death, his mangled body eventually checked and then moved out of the crime scene. If ever the Whaladyan government had a desire the Russians, those desires now were surely evaporated. |
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| Whal | Apr 11 2014, 02:53 PM Post #68 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Dayr-az-Zawr... The noise from the blast reverberated through the Foreign Ministry like a violent echo through a cave. Luckily for the staff, the waiting area outside Beghazi's office was vacant and no one else besides the foreign minister was injured. The only casualty, the unfortunate Ambassador Kovalchuk, was rather haphazardly covered and transported to the local morgue where the GFID could conduct an autopsy. Later, they would reveal nothing tangible from his corpse which would lead to his knowledge of the bomb. Several blocks away, news of the blast had just recently reached the local police station. In a flux of rage and confusion, the police chief dialed the number for the Defense Ministry. "Yes? Salaam! I need the Marshal, the Defense Minister, anybody! There's been an incident at the Foreign Ministry!", he yelled into the receiver. It didn't take long for the local police to secure the Foreign Ministry grounds and begin scanning the area for any other signs of sabotage. Another attack so recently following the Aleppo bombing, was no laughing matter and Whaladyan military forces were called in to place the city under martial law. With Whaladyan military resources split between Kurdistan, Aleppo, Yoloys, and now the capital, the situation for the government continued to deteriorate. All across Dayr-az-Zawr the police, military, and GFID were busy looking for any clues leading to the culprit. Omar al-Whaladya paced back and forth in the hallway of the Defense Ministry. "This is unbelievable! How could we allow TWO bombings to slip through our fingers!" Flashing his clearance card, he brushed right past security into the private room. Ready to meet him were several high ranking military and GFID officials and civil bureaucrats. They said not a word as they awaited Omar's command. "Gentlemen, you've fucked up!", he yelled at them across the table. "There is absolutely no excuse for this bullshit! As Allah as my witness, if this shitstorm isn't rectified immediately then I'll perform your executions personally!" That exulted a few worried looks from the crowd, but they otherwise said nothing. They had grown accustomed to this type of tongue lashings since Omar basically began running the show in his brother's stead. No one had heard from the Emir in quite sometime. While reports indicated he hadn't left the Royal Palace in months, they did not specify the reason and many wondered who actually orchestrated the orders signed with the Emir's seal. Rumors began to circulate that Faraz al-Whaladya was dead, possibly murdered by Omar in a power grab. Omar had heard these rumors himself, but never went out of his way to deny them; indeed, he actually derived pleasure form the fear such thoughts garnered towards him. While the Emir was certainly not dead, only Omar, the Marshal, and the Royal family knew the truth. Faraz al-Whaladya, the Emir and glorious leader of the Emirate, was bed-ridden with terminal cancer. Doctor's believed he was not long for this world. "I wan't this business cleared up immediately", Omar continued, "I want the capital stable before we send out the communique to the Russians. It is likely they will demand that their forces be allowed into the Emirate. Gentlemen, this WILL not happen at any cost! Once we inform the Russians of Kovalchuk's death, I want all communications with Moscow severed for the foreseeable future. I place no doubts on the Russians executing one of their own as an excuse to invade our sovereign country, and I want them to know that they have forever lost our trust. Understood!?" A resounding answer in the affirmative came from the room. "Excellent! Dismissed!" As the room filled out to conduct their respective duties, Omar sat down in his chair and pulled out his sat phone. He dialed the secure line and waited for the voice on the other end. Eventually, the Marshal picked up on the other line. "Are those bombers anywhere near As Sulaymaniyah yet?" "Soon, Omar, soon", the Marshal replied, "I have informed the commanders on the ground of the gas, however we will lose some men." "All sacrifices are made in the greater good, Usama" "I hope you are right, brother. Nova 6 will eradicate all the Taliban insurgents and hopefully that Russian commander in foul swoop." "Good, then the Russians will have no excuse to stick their noses in our business. Keep me informed, please." With that Omar hung up. Edited by Whal, Apr 11 2014, 02:54 PM.
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| Porcu | Apr 13 2014, 01:24 AM Post #69 |
"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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Ariminae had forwarded a great deal of money into the Emirate in the preceding months and watched with pleasure as those funds were converted into tangible objects of social progress. However, recent events worried many in the Porcuian capital and there were grumblings about a general halt of support for the Emir and his family. Many hoped a gentle prod would suffice. The Republic of Porcu notes with increasing worry the events transpiring across the Emirate of Al-Whaladya and seeks assurances from the Emir and his government in Dayr-az-Zawr that stability will return soon and that Porcuian investments in the Emirate were not in vain. |
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| Whal | Apr 14 2014, 08:49 PM Post #70 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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The Porcuian communique sent a strong message to Dayr-az-Zawr. The Emir's government had faced challenge after challenge, but had miraculously held together. In truth, it was Porcu's aide money and the central government's authoritarianism that held the Emirate together. If funding from Ariminae was pulled, then it threatened to plunge the small country into chaos and crippling poverty.
---- As Sulaymaniyah.. Warfare in the center of the city had taken its toll on both of the belligerents. The Taliban was inflicting its greatest blows to the Whaladyan forces since the early days of the war, but they simply couldn't replace the heavy loses to the same extent as their enemy. Eventually, the Whaladyan's superior numbers and equipment would eradicate the Taliban's resolve. Indeed, signs of the impending cracks were already visible. Facing increasing pressure from Whaladyan armor and spiraling after the loss of their own, the Taliban insurgents were quickly losing their footing within the city center. Repeatedly determined assaults from a well-trained, battle hardened, and superior equipped foe were forcing the bulk of the Kurdish fighters from their positions back towards the suburbs. It was a bitter sweet sight to see for Colonel Perov. The assault had accomplished the mission Nicholas had outlined; the Whaladyans had been distracted and pressured away from relief in Aleppo, but now the Taliban was destroying its fighting capabilities. Perov ultimately was doing his best to turn the tide, but within an hour the Whaladyans would reach his command post. Begrudgingly, and with visible disgust, Perov ordered his men to begin packing the equipment for retreat. Suddenly, the men looked up into the sky as two Whaladyan MiG-21 ground attack planes descended at break neck speed. Perov looked on in disbelief as they released their ordinance. The containers were marked visibly with the words "Nova 6." "Its gas!", he screamed in a frenzy of panic. The Colonel scrambled to deploy his gas-mask as the containers dropped closer and closer to the ground. Placing the breathing apparatus over his mouth at the last second, Perov was nonetheless thrown back from the sheer impact of force from the air bast. He fell to the ground unconscious as his men died around him from exposure to the nerve agent. Meanwhile, in the city, the Russian Spetsnaz squad was walking through an alleyway when they heard screams emulating in the distance. These screams did not appear to be from those wounded or dying from gunshots - no, these were something altogether different and terrifying. These poor souls were screaming in utter gut-wrenching agony. Then the Russians saw why... At first, the poor devils came around the corner screaming and writhing in pain. Their skin was sallow, almost yellowish, and it was covered in dark black lines. The individuals could barely walk as the affects of their ailment eventually took its turn on their nervous and circulatory systems. They began slowly and painfully convulsing until they collapsed onto the ground. The last one alive - a small child - reached out his hand towards the Russians in vain. His eyes exploded out of their sockets in a gory red mist as his body slowly slumped backwards. The Russians were speechless. Not a single word was said as the men starred into the vacant dark eye sockets of the dead. They had seen terrible things in war, but this mysterious, scentless death was unimaginable. Then they saw it. It came around the corner slowly and as thick as a dense fog. It was lime yellow in color and had a chemical smell the likeness of vinegar mixed with ammonia. Terror gripped them when they released what the death cloud was - a deadly, never before encountered nerve gas. Nova 6 had made its first appearance. In an instant the commander ordered his men back and to deploy their gas masks. They finished just as the gas reached them. Zero visibility. "Come on", the commander said coldly, "Lets get the target and get out of this hell." Edited by Whal, Apr 14 2014, 08:49 PM.
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| NRE | Apr 14 2014, 11:03 PM Post #71 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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As Sulaymaniyah.. A nerve gas of some kind Dmitriy thought to himself, Damn fools are more desperate than Moscow was prepared for.... No one ever really gets used to seeing chemical weapons used on a population. The men under Dmitriy's command had certainly been shaken by the sight they'd witnessed though in truth, it wasn't their first brush with such a sight. Russia herself had used chemical weapons once, against the armies of Sutekh-Te-Ankh. Though Russia had used it against a nation that had itself, used a chemical weapon against innocent live, some wondered afterwards if that justified it. The gas was thick, a lot thicker than Dmitriy or the other two had ever seen before. They were truly fortunate that they'd caught their masks in time. Moving around in their environment was both easier and more deadly at the same time. The gas made it harder to see where the men were going or what their surroundings was like. At the same time however, the gas prevented anyone around them from seeing them easily. The sound of gunfire did not immediately stop when the bombs hit. Both sides, despite the initial shock of the attack continued until, that is, the gas caught up to them and took them. Slowly, ever so, the sounds of gunfire died and an eerie silence soon ensued. This silence was almost deafening were it not for the occasional sound of track movement from a tank rolling onwards in the distance. Though they themselves had observed radio silence, Dmitriy and his men had used their radio to pick-up whatever chatter they could. It was from what they'd been able to catch that they'd discerned a general location for Colonel Perov and his forward command. Moving across a rather larger intersection the men soon began noticing the dead Taliban soldiers on the ground. Their numbers were rather large and it was then that Dmitriy discerned that they had to be close. Following the general pattern of how the bodies had fallen the men moved forward until finally coming to a small building. Slowing, almost to a halt, Dmitriy brought his men close and motioned for them to position themselves on either side of what looked like the main entrance. Doing so, Dmitriy came up the middle and kicked in the door. The hallway was mostly deserted, a few men lay on the ground dead. Moving into the interior of the small building, the Russians moved to the center most room. A few lay dead, at the opening doorway, papers scattered across the floor, papers they were obviously attempting to carry out. The blast had blown the windows out, glass was on the floor. Looking around the room they noticed several bodies on the floor. Dmitriy and his men checked the first few but found only Talibani youth. Scanning the room Dmitriy caught one last body on the floor, their face was against the wall and their back was to the Russians. Motioning he ordered his closest man to move towards the body. kneeling down he put his hand on the body's shoulder and slowly began pulling over. In an instance Colonel Perov sprang to action, rolling over and grabbing the man by his mask. A bit in a panic the man began wrestling the Colonel, their bodies now intertwined and rolling on the floor. Dmitriy's other man raised his riffle but Dmitriy cautioned him. "NO you may hit his mask" he stated in a muffled yell before moving in to help the other man on the floor. Wrestling both men to their feet, Dmitriy and the first soldier were in front of Perov before he used his leg to kick them both back. The third attempted to take the Colonel from behind but a personally good close-combat fighter, the Colonel grabbed the man by his mask, flipping him to the ground before throwing the mask which was still in his hand to the side. Dmitriy and the second soldier got back to their feet and charged to Colonel. Though Perov flipped the Dmitriy's comrade over his shoulder, he found in the Spetsnaz Captain a more capable opponent. Pushing each other around the room, against the table, and the walls, both the Captain and the Colonel exchanged various punches and jabs. Despite his senior, Colonel Perov was just as full of life and strength as the much younger Captain Dmitriy, a fact that rather surprised the man. Punching the Colonel in the gut, the old man hunched over. Going for what he thought would be a knock-out kick to the face to finally subdue his opponent, Dmitriy was unpleasantly surprised when the Colonel caught his knee and instead force him to the ground. Pouncing on top of him, the Colonel began grabbing at the Captain's mask attempting to pull it off. Despite his own efforts the Captain could slowly feel the mask as it began moving from his face when suddenly the Colonel's body fell limp on top of him. Soon a hand grabbed the Colonel's body and pulled it to the side revealing Dmitriy's own man with the butt of his gun in hand. "Good timing my friend" Dmitriy muttered as his soldier helped him up. "Perhaps, but Ivan was not so lucky" the man said. Dmitriy looked across the room to see his man dead on the ground, his gas-mask some distance from his body. "Damn" he said as he shook his head. "This bastard better be worth it" he then stated moving back towards Perov, binding his feet and hands. "Ivan Perov" he stated to the still unconscious man, "by special order of his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Ivan VIII, I am placing you under arrest for crimes against the Empire, Escape from an Imperial Prison, and generally being an asshole." Perhaps a bit embellished at the end, Captain Dmitriy was glad to get his man. Still, he needed to get him out of the city now. "Extraction point?" the Captain said. "The intersection outside is rather large" his comrade stated while picking the Colonel's body up. "We may not have time to return to the drop off zone, the enemy could be moving in to clean up. The chopper could get here in time." "It would be a gamble" the Captain said. "Debating it is a gamble too" the man said. "Fair enough" the Captain said, "activate the beacon and lets secure the entrance way. We'll wait their until the chopper gets here." "Aye" The waiting game began..... ___________________________________________________________________ In the time it took the Al Whaladya government to decide exactly how they wanted to handle the bombing of their Foreign Ministry, Russia's own Foreign Ministry had become concerned. With no news from their military forces, they'd attempted to contact Ambassador Kovulchuk via his phone several times to get an update from the Whaladyans themselves. Each time they called the number the received the same message, the phone was no longer being detected. Overly concerned by this point, Count Ivan Tolstoy was now faced with the fear that something had happen. Perhaps the Taliban had attacked the capital. Maybe the Ambassador was taken prisoner, but if so by whom? Had the Whaladyans caught wind of the extraction team? Knowing very little of what was going on, the Foreign Minister could do little else but send a message to Dayr-az-Zawr demanding answers.
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| Whal | Apr 22 2014, 11:10 PM Post #72 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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The Russian communique arrived at the Whaladyan Foreign Ministry a little after the chaotic period following the bombing. Therefore, it technically fell under the jurisdiction of the Defense Minister's new foreign policy regarding the Russian Empire; however, fate would have it that a response would be sent back to Moscow. Fearing that a neglected Russia would be a hostile one, a high ranking official within the Foreign Ministry organised one last communique to the Russians before ties were cut.
As Sulaymaniyah.. With Colonel Perov incapacitated, the two man Russian squad moved slowly through the yellow fog towards the courtyard which was to be their new extraction point. The lesser ranking of the two set up the signal beacon, whilst the commander properly secured Perov for the return journey. Placing zip-tie restraints on the man's hands and ankles, the commander set Perov in a secluded location from where escape was impossible. He then peered around they're surroundings in an effort to organize their plan of action. The court yard was wide open, and if visibility returned to normal soon (and the dissipating gas seemed to signify that it would) the Spetsnaz operators would be easy targets for the Whaladyan forces who were surely on their way to "mop up" the area following the gas attack. Adding the arrival of a Russian military helicopter would only exacerbate their vulnerability and susceptibility to attack. Their extraction would need to arrive quickly, and perhaps they had already run out of time? The two men began setting up their defensive perimeter; tripwire mines, Semtex explosives, and small radar jammers were placed at key points around the courtyard. Suddenly, a distant rumbling was heard from outside the courtyard and both men quickly hastened to discern the cause of the sound. Traveling to a second level vantage point, the Russians watched as four Whaladyan T-80 tanks steamed toward them from an adjacent street. Their imposing silhouettes became more and more pronounced as they inched closer towards the Russians through the thick yellow fog. To make matters worse, behind the approaching armor were at least 50 plus infantry all equipped with gas masks and bayoneted rifles. Their signature red berets and unique camouflage tipped the commander to their identity - GFID Commandos. The Whaladyans were throwing they're most highly trained special forces units into the fray to clarify the true nature of Perov's status. In the distance, the two Russians could see multiple soviet style helicopters with Whaladyan markings zipping around what remained of the city. It appeared as though the battle for As Sulaymaniyah was coming to a close; the Taliban had either hastily retreated or been completely destroyed as a competent fighting force. The Russian commander checked his watch - approximately 20 minutes til extraction. The Whaladyan forces would arrive within a quarter of that time and would be on top of them before the helicopter arrived. While the Russian Spetsnaz operatives were undeniably better trained then their Whaladyan counterparts, the GFID commandos were no standard infantry and would be impossible to fight once the element of surprise had passed. The Russians would have to hold on to the high ground and the use their stealth to their advantage; isolating the commandos from the support of their armor and killing as many as they could before their positions had been discovered. The commander ordered his associate to take up position in a balcony overlooking the courtyard's main entrance, while he himself rushed to move Perov's unconscious body to safer location. All around them the Whaladyan special forces were closing in and the commander realized too late that his efforts to move Perov had taken too long. As he rushed to the archway were he stored Perov, he froze instantly and took cover behind a shrubbery. There, several feet in front of him, stood 3 GFID commandos hunched over the Colonel's body inspecting the unconscious man's identity. Evidently, these commandos had managed to find a way through some of the trip-wire mines placed on the perimeter and had now recaptured his prize! They began radioing to their own commanders that their "target" had been apprehended, but they made a note to their superiors that someone else had secured his hands and feet. The Russian clenched his weapon tightly. They had already lost three men on this mission and they couldn't lose Perov to the Whaladyans as well. The Commander checked his watch one more time - 15 minutes to extraction. A very difficult decision would need to be made... |
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| NRE | May 3 2014, 02:28 PM Post #73 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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As Sulaymaniyah.. Damn this is bad Dmitriy thought to himself as he looked at the Whaladyans before him. That they'd gotten to the Colonel first was a grave misfortune for them and Dmitriy. The Russian knew he couldn't let them have the Colonel but questioned for a moment how likely he could take them. He need a distraction....a distraction....a distrat....OF COURSE Dmitriy thought to himself as he got on his radio. He used his radio to send out a Morse message to his man on the balcony, it was quick and to the point...."Fire." His man on the balcony complied without question, take down two of the GFID soldiers marching along with the armor before the others broke formation and took cover. Though dissipating, the chemical fog still gave enough cover for the Russian not to be easily spot and so instead the enemy simply sprayed the entire building along with the one next door with gun shots. Back downstairs the three GFID soldiers heard the gun fire, one getting on the radio to ascertain the situation while the other two dropped back to the doorway to make sure an enemy was not on the move to their location. Seeing his only chance, Dmitriy opened first one the one on the radio taking him out quickly. The other two Whaladyans turned around to return fire, one getting hit while the other got off several shots before also being taken down. Dmitriy cuffed his arm, he'd been hit by one of the Whaladyans. The bullet's sting was sharp and worst, he feared infection from the airborne chemicals. Ripping some of the Colonel's sleeve off his unconscious body, Dmitriy bandaged his arm quickly before picking up the Colonel's body. "Christ your a heavy bastard" he muttered in pain as he lifted him over his shoulder and began climbing the stairs. He managed to stay as far from the windows as was possible, the enemy on the ground was still pulverizing the building's facade with bullets. Dmitriy wondered when the tank would open fire but then realized that perhaps it wouldn't given that now the enemy knew the Colonel was in the vicinity. Though a struggle, Dmitriy eventually made it to the room where his comrade was, the balcony door still open. "I've got him" Dmitriy stated, "but we don't have much time." "I noticed" his comrade stated, "There is too many of them I don't think we'll last much longer." "Understood" Dmitriy said as he looked at his watch. "We've got 10 minutes, we've got to hold out. I'll take the next balcony and when you hear me finish firing, shoot for ten second then quite. Maybe we can confuse the enemy or, at the very least, make them believe there is more of us than there is." "understood" Dmitriy struggled to get to the next room, his wound was bad and he wasn't sure how longer he would take. Enemy fire was calming down a bit by the time he'd gotten to the next balcony. With no chance of being able to see where he was firing, he lifted his riffle over the rail and simply started firing... In the distance the Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter was racing towards the extraction position. He knew that all around it were enemy aircraft that could, at any potential moment, spoke the aircraft. Furthermore, due to it flight so low along the rooftops of the city, he could be spotted and potentially shot at by ground troops. These were all risks the pilots knew were necessary as they hoped to reach their target in time. ________________________________________________________________ "WHAT DO YOU MEAN A COMMUNICATION'S BLACK OUT?!?!?!" Ivan asked furiously as Count Tolstoy, the Foreign Minister, attempted to relay the Whaladyan message without being verbally destroyed by the Emperor. "Your majesty, Ambassador Kovulchu has apparently been killed by a bombing at their foreign ministry. Beyond this, the Whaladyan government has sent no further world and has only promised that the Ambassador's body will be prepared and returned to us." "After everything we've done for them" the Emperor tone was of utter disgust. "Who does their Emir think he is, does he not know who I am. I am IVAN ROMANOV, by the GRACE of GOD, Emperor and autocrat of the RUSIAN EMPIRE! How DARE he shut us out of this affair." "Your majesty there is little else we can do at this point, it seems the Whaladyans wish to have no formal relations." "FINE" Ivan retorted. "Those disgusting Arabs can burn in the hell fires of the Middle East for all I can. I will have Colonel Perov though, you mark my words I will have Colonel Perov or so help me I will bomb ever dirt city of theirs to the ground until I am certain that he is either dead or suffocating under the very weight of the entire Whaladyan population! Now leave me!" |
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| Whal | May 13 2014, 10:07 AM Post #74 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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As Sulaymaniyah.. The GFID inside the courtyard were taken completely by surprise. Expecting the gas to have killed all the defenders (including Perov), they immediately scrambled for cover and began encircling the courtyard from all sides. There would be no escape from the ground, especially when one considered the Whaladyans possessed four 3rd generation battle tanks and over 40 commandos. Having sustained a few casualties at the onset of the firefight, the commandos had consolidated themselves and began sending small teams from all directions into places of cover. Within minutes, they would be in a competent position to engage the Russians - once they found their exact locations. Both Dmitriy and his second man were still largely unidentified and their locations couldn't be discerned. For the moment, they possessed the upper hand, but time was fading fast as more and more GFID entered the tiny courtyard. Worse still, the tanks began sighting in their guns in preparation for a bombardment of the building. At his post, Dmitriy continued to fire radically over the rail into the approaching commandoes - killing one outright and wounding another. His comrades dragged him to safety long enough to begin returning fire at the Russian commander's position. Before long, they would radio it back to their associates who would then have Dmitriy's location locked and the Russian pinned. He checked his shoulder again, his wound was still fresh and poring out blood rather quickly. Perov remained unconscious, but no one could be sure how long that would last. Checking his watch, Dmitriy radioed to his man, "6 minutes! Keep it up!" The man responded in the positive and continued firing from a prone position. The gunfire was deafening. The Whaladyans were unloading at the building façade where the men were making their stand, while the Russians returned fire as best they could even throwing a few grenades when the commandos reached positions too close for comfort. As Dmitriy reloaded his weapon he noticed something peculiar - the only gunfire he heard now was coming from his man on the adjacent balcony. A quick peak revealed that the commandos were pulling back and leaving! The Russians began to smile, until Dmitriy realized their misfortune. "Take cover!!!" He screamed into his headset. A few moments later, the salvo from four smoothbore cannons erupted from outside. The Whaladyan armor had a rough idea of where to fire their guns and began bombarding the building. Dmitriy grabbed Perov by the collar and dragged him into the building. Suddenly a different noise was heard through the salvos - that of a low decibel humming noise. The helicopter was just a minute away! "Quickly! We need to get to that chopper!" Dmitriy ordered, as he slung Perov over his back. "Da! But we can't exfill here!" the man replied exasperated. Dmitriy radioed to the pilot who confirmed his associate's statement. It was agreed that the chopper would hover over the adjacent building and drop a ladder down. It was risky, but it was the only way now that they were engaged so heavily. Hopefully, the chopper would lay down covering fire as it arrived and maintain that cover as the operators loaded in. Dmitriy, Perov, and his last man made a mad dash towards the staircase leading towards the roof. The helicopter buzzed in overhead, but had miraculously not been fired at just yet. The same make-and-model as the aircraft used by the Whaladyan Airforce, and painted in their camouflage pattern, the GFID mistook the helicopter for one of their own. That didn't last long as the aircraft sighted in two of the tanks and fired some rockets incapacitating them instantly. With its machineguns blazing in tandem, the helicopter had momentarily suppressed the Whaladyans. The Spetsnaz had reached the roof and approached the ladder. Two other operators from the helicopter had descended to assist in loading Perov into a stretcher. With the package secured, the men began climbing up towards the cabin. At this point, the Whaladyans began returning fire and peppered the Russians with small arms. As Dmitriy reached the top, he assisted in securing Perov as his man struggled to climb up to safety. From an adjacent rooftop, a commando fired an RPG at the helicopter which forced the pilots to make avoidance maneuvers. The shift in position through the aircraft off balance and Dimitriy's man lost his grip and plunged to the ground with an audible thud. He wasn't moving, even as Dmitriy radioed him for a response. Dmitriy attempted to descend the ladder to apprehend him, but the other operators restrained him. "He's gone, brother! We need to go before we join him!" One man screamed. Dmitriy fought and struggled, but he was held into place by three other men. As the helicopter descended into the air, Dmitriy watched as several GFID commandos barged through the roof's door and surrounded his fallen comrade. He whispered a painful I'm sorry as the helicopter drew farther and farther away. |
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| NRE | May 21 2014, 02:06 PM Post #75 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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The Flight out of Al-Whaladyan held Kurdistan was a relatively quiet one in the confining cabin of the chopper. Thankfully they flew low enough not to be caught on radar aside from small occurrences when they showed up as a momentary blip before disappearing. From time to time, before making it over the border itself, they would be spotted by Al-Whaladyan forces but were again mistaken as a friendly craft on patrol than an enemy chopper. Dmitriy was especially quiet and perhaps understandably so as he'd lost some good men today. Though a seasoned enough military man to understand that men were lost every time you took to the battlefield, this absolute did not make the reality any easier for a man like Dmitriy. Looking out a window he hoped that his man, Sergei, was dead. The thought that he might have survived and be a prisoner of the Al-Whaladya was not something Dmitriy enjoyed. Turning, he looked at the Colonel as he lay on the stretcher. By God you better be worth it old man he thought to himself. Just at that moment he notice the Colonel stir, opening his eyes and taking in his surroundings. He smiled a rather awkward and misplaced smirk when it appeared he realized where he was. Looking now at Dmitriy he was curious over the nature of the young Russian's gaze. "Do you have something on your mind?" the Colonel looked over his unmarked uniform, "hmmm, I don't seem to have the pleasure of knowing your rank." "Its Captain" Dmitriy replied coldly, " and yeah I guess I do have a few things on my mind. You know, I was told you were a brilliant Russian officer in your day and then, you choose to just throw it away." "I threw it away they say yes?" the Colonel inquired with a chuckle. "Ha....Captain, I did not throw my career away and gave my career to a higher cause." "You swore your loyalty to the Emperor" Dmititry retorted. "An he betrayed that loyalty" the Colonel replied quickly. "The moment he signed the Guranburg Peace Accords he ended his reign as my Emperor. He betrayed the Russia people by admitting defeat in the Georgia war and further humiliated the people by acknowledging fault. If I am guilty of anything, it is believing in the superiority of the Russian people and their destiny to rule the world!" "An with all this talk about your loyalty to the people, what has all this gone to get the people?" Dmititry questioned. "Nothing, if you ask me, except to make yet another enemy for the Empire here in the Middle East." "Ha" the Colonel chuckled some more, "I don't expect you to see the whole picture for what it is." "Yes well, your coming home where you will answer for your crimes." "We shall see" the Colonel said before turning away and closing his eyes. ____________________________________________________________________ Moscow, Russia.... When the Captain and Colonel had been safety transported out of Al-Whaladya, they had a brief layover before boarding a larger aircraft for the journey home. During that rather brief time, over a secure satellite line, the Captain gave a briefing to the Russian High Command over the events of Perov's capture. Though he would be required to write a more detailed report once he got back to Russia, the High Command took what they received from the Captain's briefing and made a report for the Emperor. Defense Minister, Prince Anton Leiven, brought the news to the Emperor. "So we secured the Colonel, this is good" Ivan stated with some excitement to his voice. "Still, are we certainly that nothing can be traced to us?" "It is uncertain" Anton replied. "The men had no identifying markings on their uniforms or persons that would link them to us directly. However, as was stated in this first report, we could not confirm the death of one Sergei Krylov." "Possibilities?" "Well your Majesty, our best case scenario is that the man fell to his death. Worse cause he survived though we imagine a fall of that nature will have done significant damage to his person. Meaning if the Whaladyans do torture him for information it's doubtful they'd have many effective measures for a cripple. Besides this, we choose these men for the mental, as well as physical, prowess. Krylov won't give up the Empire, not easily at least and even if he does we still have room for plausible deniability. After all, Perov was Russia and whose to say he doesn't still have Russian sympathizers willing to launch a rescue of his person. No, while there is a chance we may be implicated in this operation there is no hard evidence the Al-Whaladyans can use against us." "Good" Ivan stated plainly. "Still, continue to monitor the situation. It is regrettable that we may have made another enemy in the Middle East but given the situation, it was a necessity. Perov could and can't be acting alone. I must know how deep his organization is and how far within my own Empire they have infiltrated. I want him transferred to the detention center on Novaya Zemlya as soon as he's in Russia. I will have our best investigators put on the project as I don't care what it takes to get the Colonel to talk" 'Of couse your majesty...." |
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11:42 AM Jul 13