The Alliance of DictatorsBoard

OOC: and yes, another puppet, but hey! this one is important to Diamentium lore-wise...

i introduce to you: Plagosa

Baghdad International

The plane lifts off and all is fine once they begin crossing over New Franshire when a 4 terrorists stand up and 1 goes to the cockpit and shoots the pilots. Some time later, they enter Independent eden air space and begin to approach the capital of Elysium.

OOC: ik it's short but I didn't feel like doing a lot cause lazy

Karackistan wrote:

Baghdad International

The plane lifts off and all is fine once they begin crossing over New Franshire when a 4 terrorists stand up and 1 goes to the cockpit and shoots the pilots. Some time later, they enter Independent eden air space and begin to approach the capital of Elysium.

OOC: ik it's short but I didn't feel like doing a lot cause lazy

A Terrorising Act

During the flight of Karackistan's plane exiting New Franshire airspace, a nearby plane of the Frans Flight company hit a flock of pigeons and got one of its turbine struck, exploding an entire wing. People began screaming in fear as people get burnt by the fire. News reporters rush to the scene as they tell a terrible event.

The overall death count was at a large rate, having an estimated 1700 deaths of most of the passengers while 2000 people were injured, because of burns or flying pieces of metal terrorizing a popular town. Only 11 survivors lived, as they were passengers who fell from the plane and crashed into the pools of a water resort.

(OOC: The reason it was so high was that there were so many people in my nation, hence the amount of casualties.)

Edit: (OOC: The polls are very good. I wonder what the poll would be when people choose how New Franshire dies)

New Franshire wrote:

(OOC: Also, just to share my opinion, I think that this plane terrorism should probably stop. My greatest terrorist attack was a plane crash. Also that the terrorists had to attack when they were in the airspace of "the nation where the most terrible disasters are about planes". Just saying)

(OOC: that was nothing just saying the plane is crossing over franshire you really didn't have to do anything)

National Highway #871, Southeastern Etheinia
0730 hours

The soldiers of B Company watch the sun rise over the Itajaro Mountains as they man a temporary checkpoint on one of the roads that crisscross the salient region. The infantry company's orders are to search all vehicles transiting the road for weapons or other contraband, in assistance to anti-smuggling operations. So far, the morning has been uneventful - only a few vehicles have passed through, none of them carrying anything of interest.

An old, seemingly empty Isuzu TX farm truck comes rumbling down the road. As the soldiers motion for the truck to stop, Captain Eugene Koppel, commander of Bravo Company, walks over to the driver's side. The door opens, and an elderly goat jumps out of the cab and begins speaking in one of the non-human languages native to the region. The captain rolls his eyes, then summons an interpreter officer to his side.

"Ask him what his business is, and where he's going".

The interpreter converses with the goat for a few moments, then reports back. "He says he's a turnip farmer, and that he's driving down to the wholesale markets in Dzefel."

"If he's driving to the market, then why hasn't he got any crops with him to sell?" the captain asks pointedly.

The goat farmer looks nervous as the interpreter relays this question to him. "He claims he's going to Dzefel to buy fertilizer, not to sell anything."

"Uh-huh" Captain Koppel says, looking unconvinced. Then, he walks over to the back and climbs up into the bed of the Isuzu. A few additional soldiers follow suit.

Although the company has been issued with a highly-advanced "chemical sniffer" device capable of detecting minute quantities of drug & explosive residues, the captain is of the opinion that such fancy gear is unnecessary. Instead, he gets down on his knees and begins prodding the truck bed with a Bowie knife. It doesn't take him long to find what he's looking for: a thin seam in the metal floor. He inserts the tip of his knife into the seam and pries upward, lifting off the panel to reveal a hidden false-bottom compartment underneath. The old goat begins sweating buckets as he watches this happen.

The captain grins as two soldiers reach in and pull out several heavy cloth sacks from the compartment. He jabs one of the sacks with his knife and makes a two-inch incision, causing an off-white power to spill out.

"Now, I'm no farmer," Koppel says to the goat, "but I'm pretty sure those aren't turnips." He turns to the man next to him. "Samad, what do you think that looks like?"

"Looks like heroin to me, Gene", he replies

"Yeah, that's what I though, too. That's got to be at least 4 or 5 kilos, right? Worth about 150,000 ENCUs down on the streets of Alestin - or a couple of consecutive life sentences down at the prosecutor's office. I guess your hoofer friends didn't tell you about that part when you signed up, eh?"

His taunting is cut short when a young private suddenly appears. "Sir, there's an incoming radio call from regimental HQ for you. The operator says it's urgent."

Captain Koppel furrows his brow in annoyance, but follows the private all the same. As two soldiers place the goat's hooves in flexi-cuffs while the interpreter begins interrogating them, the captain heads inside one of the company's BTRs, picking up the receiver to the R-163 radio set.

"This is Captain Eugene Koppel of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 180th Independent Motor Rifle Regiment speaking. How do you read me, over."

"Reading you loud and clear, captain. This is regimental headquarters. We have new orders coming down from command: An army helicopter has reportedly gone missing about 25 kilometers south-southeast of your current position. You are instructed to detach & deploy a platoon to search the area and render assistance as needed. Grid coordinates will be made available over this frequency, over."

"Copy, HQ. Not to break rank or anything, but may I ask if it's strictly necessary that our company is assigned to this task? We recently apprehended a suspect, and it would make our jobs much easier if another unit could handle this situation, over."

"Negative, negative. You are the closest unit to the helicopter's last known position. There are indications that the aircraft may have gone down in distress, so assistance needs to be provided ASAP, over."

The captain snapped upright. This must be more serious than he thought. "Roger, wilco. I'll have my men report back what they find over this frequency, over."

_____________________________________

Undisclosed location, Southeastern Etheinia
0750 hours

Three BTR-80s rumble down the dusty offroad path as they navigate the twisting valleys of the panhandle region. Although the drivers have been given approximate coordinates of the helicopter's last known position, its exact location is still unknown. The crewmen inside peer out through the various periscopes & firing ports, scanning for any sign of the downed aircraft.

Suddenly, a junior rifleman spots a column of black smoke rising out of a nearby vale, and the platoon quickly reorients towards this new position. It isn't long before they find the source: the smoldering wreckage of an Mi-2B Hoplite scout helicopter, smashed against the rocky valley floor. As the soldiers disembark from their vehicles, platoon leader 2nd Lieutenant Idris Ayodele begins reporting back his findings over the radio."

"HQ, we have located the helicopter. Coordinates are 36°26′53″North, 105°0′29″West. Aircraft has sustained severe damage from crash, appears to be a hull loss." After checking the crew compartment, he adds "Pilot and navigator both KIA."

There is zero warning for what will happen next.

The quiet is suddenly broken by the shrill roar of a rocket-propelled grenade piercing the air. A pair of RPGs sail out of concealed firing positions, knocking out two of the three BTRs in a single stroke. Seconds later, a DShK heavy machine gun in an elevated nest begins firing on the Etheinian soldiers below, accompanied by rifle fire and sporadic mortar shelling. The soldiers quickly return fire with their own rifles as well as the machine guns mounted on the remaining BTR, but it isn't long before they are pinned down by this well-laid ambush.

Lt. Ayodele screams for reinforcements over the radio, and Capt. Koppel duly complies, sending the rest of Bravo Company storming into the valley to assist. However, while they manage to suppress some of the incoming fire, they are unable to break through and rescue the trapped platoon. Realizing how dire the situation is, Capt. Koppel then radios directly to the regimental commander and requests urgent assistance. A second motor rifle company, plus a mortar battery and an automatic grenade launcher platoon, are then deployed to reinforce Bravo Company.

Finally, at 0832 hours, the combined forces manage to drive off the attackers and reach Lt. Ayodele's platoon. However, the damage has already been done: 9 soldiers are dead, and 21 more have been wounded. In addition, a third BTR-80 was knocked out during the attack, with five others sustaining various levels of damage. The enemy bodycount stands at approximately 30. Several of the enemy corpses are discovered to have insignia on their uniforms from the Provisional Numirian Liberation Army(PNLA), a non-human insurgent group which had fought government forces in two long, bloody campaigns over the years. These findings are immediately reported all the way up the chain of command to the Chiefs of Staff.

German unitary union wrote:

[racism]

OOC: We don't do that here.

Karackistan wrote:

ISKA has sent patrols to Damascus to scout an area for an attack as well as infrastructure to place a secret outpost near Damascus. When they noticed Westbeechian soldiers near Damascus. The patrol, thinking the soldiers were Karackistani, Fired a Anti-Personnel cannon that was strapped onto a Toyota at the soldiers.

Having originally thought the vehicle was civilian, the soldiers did nothing... until a shell smashed and exploded into shrapnel around the nine troopers. The shell had blown straight into the leading trooper, exploding upon impact with the shrapnel causing a great amount of damage to the armor of the three troopers behind them. The explosion itself knocked the entire patrolling squad back, but as soon as they recovered, the the five unharmed troopers grabbed the three wounded and returned fire, dragging the man back. A second shot would again knock down the troopers, this time killing two more of the wounded. The remaining troopers picked up the wounded and fell back while a siren sounded off in the distance.

Even with the death of only a couple of troopers, the Westbeechian command in the area was acting as if it were an emergency. In no time, repuslorlift-propelled vehicles were leaving the base outside of Damascus and converging upon the engagement point. A contact was sent to the Terran command staff. The casualties acknowledged at the stage being three killed, six wounded. With the report coming in, it would be certain that Westbeech would be dispatching reinforcements. Boarding transport frigates and fighter craft, two legions were to be deployed in Karackistan. The only response that would be certain for the command staff was aggressive retaliation. Once the reinforcements were to arrive, probe droids would be sent discriminately to collect sufficient information while avoiding detection or interference from other involved powers.

Spiritual Republic of Caryton wrote:

A short response from Georgine details Caryton's response- that the same laws will apply to foreign nationals in the country. The precedent sent by the Prohibition Act's enforcement even on foreigners is used as justification. Additionally, the complex legality of the matter in regards to the Dorothy Shirleyton administration is highlighted that same-sex relationships have always been illegal, but the previous administration overlooked the matter- but the Richard Hannis administration is simply securing loose ends.

In response to the so-called asylum for LGBTQ+ individuals, Georgine has rolled out a mass information campaign on Suraiyan poverty and the rich-poor divide, especially in the countryside, directly comparing it to the countryside living standards in the state, portrayed as cleaner and more prosperous.

An outright travel ban to Suraiya hasn't been issued yet, but the Federal Gospel Authority has begun to covertly prepare it depending on how committed Suradao truly is to this message.

The Ministry of State Affairs, Suradao

”His Majesty the King joined the Prime Minister today in signing a travel ban preventing Suraiyan nationals from entering the Spiritual Republic of Caryton. This ban shall  protect the Suraiyan public from laws in Caryton believed to threaten the fundamental safety of His Majesty’s subjects.”

—MINISTRY OF STATE AFFAIRS STATEMENT, August 18th, 2022

Karackistan wrote:

The Islamic State has come to Baghdad. The outskirts of Baghdad are being shelled constantly and two ISKA Artillery trucks were found outside of Baghdad. Could this be the end of Karackistan as Cairo, Khost, Kandahar, Kabul, Sana'a, and soon to be Sinjar have fallen. ISKA is gaining strength and land rapidly and nothing is stopping them. ISKA's Anekhstan front is becoming less and less in ISKA's favor as Anekh forces are almost pushing them back. ISKA, aware of the situation in Anekhstan, are sending more soldiers and technicals to help their forces in Anekhstan. That has given the Karackistani forces some much needed breathing room to fight back the Islamic State.

ISKA has sent patrols to Damascus to scout an area for an attack as well as infrastructure to place a secret outpost near Damascus. When they noticed Westbeechian soldiers near Damascus. The patrol, thinking the soldiers were Karackistani, Fired a Anit-Personnel cannon that was strapped onto a Toyota at the soldiers. (OOC: Casualties are up to you and what the squad does)

Abjul, Anekhstan
A loud voice shot through Abjul, punctuated by several gunshots from something from decades prior, it’s rusted barrel flaking.
“MY BROTHERS, IN AND THROUGHOUT ANEKHSTAN, I COMMAND THAT ALL TAKE UP IN ARMS AGAINST THE ISLAMIC STATE, NO MATTER WHICH SIDE YOU IDENTIFY WITH. MEN OF ANEKHSTAN, I BRING TO YOU WEAPONS, WEAPONS THAT HAVE BEEN USED BY OUR BROTHERS, USED BY THE GREAT PEOPLE ON ANEKHSTAN. THE ISKA, A GREATER TERROR, MUST BE GOTTEN RID OF! LET NOT BUT ONE DROP OF ANEKH BLOOD SPILL THESE GREAT DESERTS! FOR ALLAH!”
The last two words, almost as if they were lighting an explosion, ‘lit’ a great round of applause, men and women shouting, almost in harmony. Gunshots pierced the sky once more, their booms heard throughout Abjul.

May Anekhstan reunite once again against the greater evil.

Undisclosed Location, Southeastern Etheinia
0200 hours

The silence of nighttime is abruptly shattered by a series of thunderous explosions that seem to shake the foundations of the mountains themselves. At the epicenter of it all is a PNLA mountain complex which is instantly annihilated by the blasts. Unknown to the (now former) insurgents inside, their "secret" garrison had been uncovered the day before by an Etheinian reconnaissance drone. The Armed Forces wasted no time in exploiting this discovery, quickly organizing a mission to destroy the complex. Three MiG-27 Floggers, flying in at high altitude, each dropped a pair of KAB-500KR electro-optical guided bombs onto the target, knocking it out in a clean precision strike.

As smoke rises from the smoldering ruins of the complex, the distinctive sound of helicopter blades can be heard echoing through the valley. The 388th Airmobile Assault Battalion had been deployed to follow up on the strike, timing their approach so that they would land just ten minutes after the bombs had dropped. The 500 or so men of the battalion are carried aboard a squadron of twenty Mi-17 Hip-H transport choppers, with eight Mi-24 Hind gunships flying alongside for fire support. They are prepared to fight their way through heavy enemy defenses in their breakout from the LZ, but no such resistance is encountered: all of the insurgent fighters have either been killed or managed to hastily flee.

The 388th Battalion spends its time picking through the rubble, recording the total enemy body count at 102. Most of the insurgents' supplies & equipment were destroyed by the bombs, but several small weapon caches are found buried some distance from the complex itself. At least one cache contained Strela & Igla MANPADS, which are believed to have been have been used in the shootdown of a scout helicopter that precipitated the ambush two days ago. Once everything of interest has been reported, the Etheinian soldiers are airlifted back out. As a final touch, flights of helicopters spend the rest of the morning dispersing 11,000 antipersonnel landmines across various passages around the garrison, to ensure that the PNLA will not reoccupy the area anytime soon.

Simultaneous to the above mission, a drone strike was conducted approximately 400 kilometers away in an attempt to assassinate Alikhan Campestris, a senior leadership figure within the PNLA. An ACE-2 EagleOwl fired two air-to-surface missiles at a rural farmhouse that Etheinian intelligence agents believed Campestris was using as a safe house. However, when soldiers were sent to inspect the results, they were unable to find a body; it is now thought that he either had forewarning of the strike and escaped, or that he was simply never in the house to begin with.

______________________________

The national government in Alestin, meanwhile, is grappling with the decision of where to go next. Their impressive strike against the mountain complex notwithstanding, the fact remains that the Etheinian government simply doesn't have up-to-date knowledge on which areas the PNLA and other rebel groups are currently operating out of, and which areas they may threaten next. After a meeting with his advisors at the Citadel of the Federation, President Weigand decides to order the mobilization of the 87th Motor Rifle Division to secure the salient region. Deployment of the 15,000 soldiers in the division will be rolled out in stages: first to guard important military installations and critical infrastructure, then to protect urban areas such as Al-Kiba, then finally to establish security over transportation lines and rural areas. The 105th Motor Rifle Division and the 44th Airborne Division will be held in reserve in case reinforcements are needed. The Bureau of Security & Intelligence, in support of counterinsurgency objectives, will deploy 3000 plainclothes agents across the salient region to gather information on insurgent activities and root out terrorist cells.

However, the President has stopped short of ordering aggressive, full-spectrum operations against the insurgents, for the simple reason that such a move would be massively unpopular in the current climate. In fact, the government is actively suppressing news about its recent strike mission, and is seeking to conceal the extent of its military deployments across the salient region. Although the recent surge in Etheinian jingoism has increased public support for a foreign war, most citizens still harbor memories of the brutal, protracted campaigns against rebel forces in the past, and have little appetite for a renewal of such conflict at home. Unless further attacks by insurgents force its hand, the government has decided to establish a baseline of security first and then begin slowly ratcheting up the pressure on the enemy, rather than attempting to go all in, all at once.

______________________________

Overseas, Etheinia is slowly but surely increasing its footprint in Aurelia. As construction of the massive Brantgum airbase in the The Controlist Ferwerter Union continues, MACA has finally found its new HQ with the purchase of a 5 story office building in the city of Ferwert. Abel Vicario, an experienced 4-star general, is appointed commander of the Etheinian section of MACA. About 100 Etheinian military officers & NCOs and 150 civilian contractors are deployed to the CFU to work under the new command; it is expected that their Ferweter counterparts will join them at the headquarters soon. Although MACA remains primarily focused on containing Exsorcial, it has not turned a blind eye to other conflicts on the continent. Satellite intelligence on the ongoing multi-party conflicts in Karackistan, Anekhstan, and Zamboodle have been delivered to analysts at the HQ. There is now considerable ongoing debate over what strategy should be pursued in regards to these war-torn nations, or if they should even get involved at all.

The Etheinian National Navy, on the other hand, has decided to pursue more unilateral action. To monitor foreign military activities in the region, the Navy has deployed a Vishnya-class intelligence ship to a position in international waters near the Karackistani coastline. It is being escorted by a Talwar-class stealth frigate, which also carries a Lynx helicopter for added protection against small boat attacks. Both ships have left port and will take about a week to reach their destination. Finally, in a secretive move, an Akula II-class nuclear attack submarine operating in the Halkuon has received new orders to establish a patrol route about 100 kilometers east of the island of Heidistown, of the Spiritual Republic of Caryton. However, it will take a considerable amount of time for the sub to reach this new position, as the crew is under strict orders to maintain silent running speed so as to avoid detection.

Georgine commends Makko Okoan defense of sovereignty, views Suradao with suspicion.

The Richard Hannis administration has been characterized by a period of resolution. And in doing so, the government has leaned towards a more isolationist stance. Despite Hannis' small-scale reforms, an uneven legislature provided pushback to various policies being implemented. However, the closure of the legal loopholes of the oft-overlooked status of civil unions has proven to be a defining factor in recent Carytonic history, with the embassy staff from both the Ecclesiastical Meritocracy and Khovezzem severing communications and returning home- furthered by deteriorating relations with neighboring Sadripoor.

Despite this, the Spiritual Republic of Caryton has sent a letter of congratulations to the nation of Makko Oko for upholding courtesy. A formal request to pursue prosecution in the Spiritual Republic of Caryton has been sent.

In response to the address and recent diplomatic actions from Suradao, Caryton has doubled down on its recent actions. With a travel ban in place and minimal rates of travel to Suraiya, Caryton has no worry for LGBT defectors, considering the state is surrounded by authoritarian regimes such as the Ferwerter Union. It is easy to tell even the upset minority within the nation that the alternative to a celibate and peaceable life in Caryton is death in a totalitarian regime. This paints the Republic in a more merciful light. With this confidence that the domestic fallout will be minimal- known by both Georgine and Suradao, a rebuttal is sent by former ambassador to Khovezzem- Hazel Rittson:

-

"To His Excellency, Rama the Tenth:

The Spiritual Republic of Caryton expresses its sorrow that established relationships and travel between our two states is not viable. Despite this, the Republic expresses its stance that the recent legislation is necessary for the well-being of the sacred institution of marriage- what has always been an ordinance conducted through wholly theocratic means. It is the right of the Church to enact marriages, not the right of the state who de-sanctifies holy matrimony between man and wife, bonding instead through civil unions.

I would like to express that merely being in the Spiritual Republic of Caryton does not threaten the "fundamental safety" of your subjects. The law bans homosexual actions, not merely being afflicted with homosexual attractions. That is, a celibate tourist has nothing to worry about. There is no mistreatment or physical abuse in the Carytonic legal system, and more often than not a foreign subject will be deported unless their host nation does not pursue the same moral standard that our nation does- in which case they must serve time here to avoid repeat offenses. I would also like to repeat that pre-marital sex has always been illegal in our state, and except a man and woman be sealed in holy matrimony, they may not have sexual relations. This has always been the case, and de facto, homosexuality has always been illegal through this legal loophole- simply not codified or formalized until this moment.

We believe that the moment the state of Caryton compromises on its principle of austerity, the good and faithful of the nation will be poisoned and returned to the global norm of debauchery and self-indulging in various gluttonous or lustful acts. The Lord has mercy on all people, and to protect those people from eternal damnation, we shall not be moved. We are not a nation of pagans, nor are we a nation of fornicators. Rather, we serve to be an escape from the trials and tribulations of the world, so that the good and pious people of the world have a refuge from a globalized norm of satanic oppression by way of propaganda, parephenalia, and social 'norms'. The tradition shalt not be ruined, and the institution of marriage- or family- will not be infringed.

You speak of right and wrong, your Excellency- but do remember that the entire world does not prostrate themselves to what you believe to be right. We practice what we believe according to the Holy Bible, and will continue to use that as the basis of our right until the great and last judgement day. The people of vanity- the people of hedonism- will only find joy as long as a bottle of alcohol, or an orgasm, or a gambling streak. Eventually, the foundation of sand upon which said society lays will be washed away, and only the upright shalt remain. Hold fast to the vision of diversity, which includes the sovereignty of the Gospel Church of Caryton, of the Spiritual Republic of Caryton- and trust it to enact policy for the betterment of its people.

Contrary to the nations you align yourself with, we do not kill, torture, or starve our dissidents.

Acknowledging Suraiya is a nation governed by a federalist oversight of so many identities- the Carytonic identity, admittedly, survives because of its homogeny. We are diverse in origin, but ultimately submit ourselves humbly and nobly to the banner of the Lord and His government on Terra. Harmony can exist without compromise to modesty, our existence proves this to be true. We are but humble and devout pilgrims who live off of the land and learn from print. Your Excellency, you sit on a gilded throne over skyscraper and slum alike, viewing from a screen of light. How then shall we proceed?

We express our sorrow that relations between our states have fallen, yet the fundamental differences of our societies as well as recent alignments with the totalitarian nexus raise concern with believers worldwide.

May the Good Lord bless and keep you,
Hazel Rittson
Ambassador to Suradao

Written in the year of our Lord, 2022. August the 19th-
Georgine, Caryton