StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Two: Rascal Ralson



Sidney Hank’s penthouse, downtown San Dorado

Sidney felt too tired to even pay attention as the balcony doors opened behind him, electing instead to continue staring out across the tangle of green that was Central Park, rays of a hot tropical sun beating in his face. He only looked up when someone fell down next to him on the white couch, turning his head slowly and smiling.

“Why aren’t you at the Palace?” Daphne Sinclair asked archly. She wasn’t angry per se, but she did sound concerned.

“The old place reminds me of work”, Sidney sighed. “And I’ve enough work on my mind right now.”

“That’s a first.” she sounded amused.

Sidney shook his head. “It’s just… Tiresome. There’s just no end to it.” He looked her in the eye. “The Coilerburg frontiers is still volatile, Indhopal is coming out of hibernation, these Winter Army people are driving me nuts… Iago has his hands full handling two economies simultaneously, no-one who works for me really knows how to continue the integration because, well, it’s never been done before. And that’s all before the war, mind. Now I’ve another peace conference to prepare, as if I didn’t have enough to worry about already.”

“That’s all?” Daphne smiled wryly, folded her hands behind her head and leaned back. “I’ve got it worse than you then.”

Sidney looked back in honest bewilderment. “Wait- what? Not that I don’t appreciate the job of CEO of San Dorado or anything…”

She waved him off. “Oh, don’t be silly. It’s a peace of cake, especially now the Syndicate handles most foreign affairs and overarching financial matters. But I think there’s one thing I can tell you that you didn’t know about already.”

“And what’s that?”

“Sam Ralson is missing.”

Sidney just gaped at her for a few moments. “What? But I thought he was…”

“In space. Playing space cadet. Yeah, I know. He was. Turns out something went wrong. That Moonbeam girl went nuts or something, I don’t know the specifics but according to Masterson the orbiter performed something called an ‘emergency re-entry’.” Sinclair was grinning openly now. She had never liked Sam Ralson, in fact her feelings for the man were best described as ‘open loathing’. “Turns out the damned thing landed in Velaria.”

Sidney closed his eyes. “Sam Ralson crash-landed in Velaria?”

“Yes. Him and two other tycoons.”

“That’s just… That’s just…” Sidney fell silent. The principal weapons supplier for half a continent crash-lands in a lawless jungle. Just what I needed, another problem. Fortune is a bitch.

“I was thinking, didn’t some Canissian astronaut recently land there as well?”

“Yes. Thereaux, or Tideaux, something like that. Had a hot wife, if CNN is to be believed. No-one ever heard from him again.” The President sighed. “Why does every damned thing crash-land in Velaria? Why not in, oh Shroomania?”

“That’s almost the same thing, isn’t it?” Daphne leered.

“Ha-ha”, Sidney massaged his temples, trying to will his trouble-shooting skills into full swing. “Alright, uh… We have a helicruiser in that area, don’t we? And the Foreign Legion. We’ll get them looking” He fell briefly silent. Velaria was one big damned wilderness, chances of finding anything in there were remote at best. “I guess I’ll also give Stephen a call, see if his people in Van Halstoff can do anything for us. With any luck they had a radar pointed in the right direction...”

“What about Canissia?” Daphne peered at him. “They never got their guy back either. If anyone is interested in a joint rescue operation I bet it’s them.”

Sidney groaned, stood up and walked to the bar inside. He poured himself a nice cognac, then poured Daphne a Vermouth. Walking back onto the balcony he savoured the taste of the Vineyardian brew as he stared out across Central Park. Briefly he considered his next words. “To be honest I’m not really in the mood for cooperating with MESS nations right now”, he admitted.

Daphne rolled her eyes. “Oh come on Sidney. MESS or not, Mr. Coyotus has always been a good and trustworthy partner. Just because some of his allies got under your skin is no reason to blow him off.”

The President let his view drift across the trees far below and the bewildering San Dorado skyline beyond as he considered that. At long last he exhaled noisily. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right of course. I wasn’t thinking straight. I’ll give Arik a call as well.” He sighed again. “I guess I’ll have time to do that before Shroom gets back here tomorrow.”

She harrumphed. “I guess that leaves no time to talk about our marriage arrangements?”

Despite himself he grinned and let himself fall back on the couch. “My dear, there’s always time to talk about that.”

Results: The NFT gets in touch with Cascadia and Canissia to see if they have any idea of where the hell our missing Silver Streak went, or whether they have anything in the area that might help retrieve it.

Royal Palace

"No Chaplain Hasselbring, I must request that you, no...fine, your Holiness, if we're being formal. I must insist that...Hello? Hello?" Lonestar looked at the Handset in amazement. "Latin Patriarch Gregory XIX hanged up on me!"

"I told you the people would be pissed. Nuclear weapons. What were you think, Matt?" Said Foreign Minister Vladimir Berman.

"He was pissed that I didn't start popping nukes over major population centers, not that I used them on Sirnoth's Naval base." Lonestar said. Berman arched his eyebrows. "There hasn't been a Goddamn Peep outside of the MESS about the blockade of Sirnoth. Shroom gave me a call and said soemthing about feeding me to the bleeding breasts of whores, but that's it. Everyone is eyeballing that business with Costa to care."

Berman was stunned. "But, on Earth...Jesus Christ!"

"Indeed. First off, we used two relatively low-yield against what is undeniably a military target. Second, this planet saw over 200 million people fall over dead in less than 6 months from biological warfare. I think most people are just seeing these weapons as 'really big bombs', and that's fine by me. But we won't be using anymore unless things go well and truly pear-shaped. Third, we're off by ourselves down here. as far as the rest of the world is concerned. Fourth, no one is going to stand up on the behalf of baby killers."

"I can't believe this." Berman said. "You're basically getting away with Murder." He sounded incredibly bitter. Lonestar stood up.

"Minister Berman, those 20,000 sailors we killed? Less than the population of Württemberg, where Cortes' men are still merrily killing their way through the city. You also seen that they've begun dropping chemical agents on Al-Dathesda, which is in the Sheppish part of the country. If you feel your moral reservations are going to impede the execution of your duties...I will immediately accept your resignation."

Berman was silent for a moment, then sighed. "No. They won't impede the executions of my duties."

"Good."

"So, what's the grand plan?"

"I was hoping the nuking of the Nexus City Naval Base and the Security Cordon would have been enough to give Cortes pause." Lonestar said. "It doesn't look like it. I've already given the order to start launching airstrikes on his forces. Fortunately, not eveyone in Sirnoth is lining up with Cortes. There's a general by the name of Gottfried Eulenberg, someone of Dominion descent, as you can tell, who has formed a scratch force of National Guard units at the Port of Baden while denouncing Cortes, and demanding new elections. We're in talks with him now, but we're going to have to give him what support we can to hold that port open long enough for OICAS ground troops to begin arriving."

"An Invasion?"

"Oh, absolutely..."

----


Message from the Latin Patriarch of Shepland, Gregory XIX
My Children, the ghosts of the pasts have returned to strike at the doer's of God's Work. The Sirnoth government has began killing our Dominion and Sheppish brothers in their islands, and now is the time to bring these defenders of the enslaver's to justice. Already the cleansing power of the Atom has been unleashed upon the Heathen Navy, But we must not show weakness and restraint! Nothing less than the destruction of Sirnoth Society must be on your minds. I absolve the sins of any man or woman who go to do battle with them....

Results:Airstrikes begin on Sirnoth
OICAS Naval assets(besides the ODN) begin to arrive to aid in the blockade.
Certain MESS Allies, such as Tian Xia and the Shinra Republic, begin to dispatch units to aid in the blockade.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer


Cascadian peacekeepers offered for Costa Ceasefire.

ADAMS, CAPITAL DISTRICT - Administration officials have confirmed that the Cascadian government has offered the provision of peacekeeping forces for the ceasefire that has ended the civil war in the Costa del Muertas. Officials from the State Department are currently in the process of laying out specific terms of such an arrangement with Baernish and Costan authorities, with up to 5,000 peacekeeping troops to be used as an initial force with additional airlift support.

Already the Cascadian Air Force has put to use its expansive fleet of An-22 transport craft, acquired from Shepistan years ago in the Food-for-Tankers deal, for the purpose of flying in humanitarian aid and experts to help restore disrupted civil services in both Baerne and the Costa.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a State Department official remarked that the President is personally making calls to authorities of involved nations, saying, "He's very concerned that the situation be stabilized now that fighting is over."



Welles Coastal Territory expanded toward interior of continent.

WELLES ISLAND AIR BASE - Cascadian military authorities have given final approval to a long-awaited expansion of the Cascadian coastal enclave established on the Velerian shore opposite of Welles Island itself, where the Cascadian military established an Air Station in 2009 as support for the Van Halstoff Territory.

The initial enclave is currently centered around Welles Coastal Station, a joint service base that provides a secondary short runway to support Welles Island Air Base and a small harbor for shipping and is home to approximately 4,000 military personnel and civilian contractors. Some posts further inland exist with another three or so thousand inhabitants, primarily involved in the uranium mining operation at Hensington Post where a large lode was discovered during initial prospection in late 2010.

With the military approval of an expansion given, contractors will certainly increase in population as further work is given to clear jungle paths and roadways toward the new claim line, which has been moved another twenty-five kilometers in all directions, thus bringing the northernmost foothills of the Shroomsworth Mountain Range into the Coastal Territory as well as creating a border with the Republic of Nuparadise, the Coilerburger enclave established four years ago between Welles Island and al-Itani.

The approval comes just two weeks after Cascadian-Velerian Prospectors Limited made a formal pledge and contract with the Velerian Ecosystem Preservation Society, a multinational environmentalist group headquartered in Picon, Canissia, to keep at least fifty percent of the expanded area's jungle terrain intact.

When asked about the presence of natives an official of CVP Ltd. said that steps were being taken to leave them untouched in the expansion and provide aid should conditions make it necessary. "All nations involved with the exploration of unsettled Veleria have learned from the mistakes of the past when it comes to dealing with native persons. We will go out of our way to leave them untouched."


Adabani Federal Elections drawing close; Cascadian reunification party draws lead in polls.

NEW OLYMPIA, ADABANI REPUBLIC - What has been deemed "the most important federal elections in the history of Adabani" by Adabani Senate Leader Raisul al-Zabbiyah are now just five weeks away, with Senator al-Zabbiyah's Reunification Party set to win its second major election in a row. Polls show that the Reunification Party, which advocates beginning talks with Cascadia to bring Adabani back under formal Cascadian sovereignty as the eighth Republic, are in line to win a supermajority in the Adabani Assembly and to challenge for one in the Senate.

Popular support for rejoining Cascadia has increased steadily since the Huolan Administration approved granting the region independence in 1954, with the Reunification Party being founded in 1974 after the Adabani Civil War ended with the defeat of the Khomeniai Movement's military-clerical coup attempt. The Japanistani expansion into northwestern Veleria and the global economic crisis after the Pathogen War accelerated the growth of the movement to permit the Reunification Party its first clear-cut electoral victory in 2012 and to grow steadily in numbers.

"The posterity of our people is wholly one with that of Cascadia," al-Zabbiyah said at a campaign rally. "They are our kin of spirit. Our destiny is interlinked with their's. This is not about returning to the past but moving on to the future, where we are a part of the greater whole."

Cascadian officials continue to keep silent over the issue, with the State Department insisting that it was an internal matter of the Adabani Republic and would be treated as such.



Protests outside of Dominionite Embassy over nuclear weapons use in Sirnoth conflict.

ADAMS, CAPITAL DISTRICT - Activists from the Labor and Evergreen Parties led protests outside the Old Dominion Embassy following verification that the Old Dominion had used nuclear devices to destroy the Sirnothian Navy at their main base in Nexus City, killing at least 20,000 people and causing wounding and blindness to at least several thousand more, including civilians living in the environs of the harbor. Signs denounced the government of Lord Fairfax and demanded that President Garrett and other world leaders condemn the act and impose economic sanctions on Old Dominion in retaliation for the "barbaric use of atomic devices".

There has been no word about the weapon use yet from the Garrett Administration, which has already condemned the xenophobic regime of Sirnothian General Cortes. Secretary of State Parnell authorized a statement accusing Cortes' junta of engaging in ethnic cleansing against Sirnothians of Sheppish and Dominionite ancestry, announcing that Cascadia has severed diplomatic relations with Sirnoth in response and is willing to provide humanitarian aid and support to refugees from the wartorn island country.

SEASIDE PALACE, CANISSIA

"Okay," the King said, "Looks like we have our agreement. And I tell you what, I'm damn grateful for the partners that answered the call. I was hoping to get either Shroom or King Paul, and Garrett. This may actually work."

"Who shall we send in, sir?" the Defense Minister asked.
"We've got the Royal Marines ready to go and in theater," King Arik said, "And I'm sure they're tired of playing Hearts in the holds of ships. Let's send 'em in and let the Shroomanians and Cascadians know what we're going in with."

"Sure is odd, huh?" the Defense Minister asked as he signed the orders, "All the CATO brouhaha."
"I don't understand it either," King Arik said, "If they were upset about the Westchester-Tian Jiao thing, I can understand, but suddenly having all the secret negotiations, the major expansion within a year's time, and to have a client state suddenly cut loose on a neighbor... I dunno. It's weird. I can't figure it out."

"Especially when each time the MESS reacts to one of these events, they accuse the MESS of starting something," the Defense Minister said, shaking his head. "It reminds me of Shepistan a lot. They do something crazy, we react, they say the reason they did the crazy thing was because of our 'provocative reaction', Bizarre."

"Well, for now, it's all about the diplomacy," the King said, "So keep your thoughts to yourself and we will conduct ourselves in a professional manner. Let's face it, there was the Tian Jiao incident and then our actions in Katangwaland. We were concerned about the Japanistani reaction, but didn't think about how the SNC, or CATO, now, might also be alarmed by that."

"But it was so long ago, and no protests were raised," the Defense Minister said, "It's not like they ever had a problem talking to us about their concerns."
"They haven't had a problem talking to Canissia about their concerns," the King said. "Let's just continue to offer the diplomacy as much as possible."

"Of course, Majesty. Speaking of diplomacy..."
"Yes?"
"We have a message from San Dorado... err, the NFT... about their astronauts that went down. In Veleria."

"We're still looking for Commander Wolf Phideaux," the King said. "Would they like to piggyback with us in SAR efforts?"
"I believe so, sir," the DM said. Arik nodded.
"By all means, invite them to Katangwa to set up a SAR headquarters. We have flights going out of Camp Dog on a regular basis. Maybe having extra eyes in the air will help both of us..."

Shinra to Dispatch Fleet to Sirnoth, Aid to Costa de las Cinco Muertos

The Shinra Republic Navy has today announced that they will dispatch Amphibious Squadron Five (PHIBRON-5) to the waters around Sirnoth, to participate in the enforcement of the Old Dominion led blockade of Sirnoth. In brief remarks today, President Shinra explained his decision. "While the use of chemical weapons against military targets is not against any treaty, the targeting of such weapons against civilian populations, especially in an apparent act of ethnic cleansing, can not and will not be tolerated."

In addition to the PHIBRON, the Navy also plans to deploy six Gorgon-class frigates, to join the OICAS Maritime Security Squadron Four.

Navy officials have stated that "the door remains open" to further fleet deployments in support of Old Dominion efforts.

Meanwhile, aid shipments are being deployed to Costa de las Cinco Muertos in response to the international request for assistance. When asked why shipments were not sent sooner, President Shinra commented that it had previously been too dangerous to do so. "While the conflict was engaged between all forces, it would have been foolish and dangerous to send unarmed aid ships and aircraft into a warzone," stated the President. "And our government did not want to further increase the tension and risk of escalating the conflict by dispatching a large escort force," he continued, in an apparent reference to the battlegroups sent by CATO nations alongside their own aid ships.

Several weeks ago
Governor's Palace
Qingdao
Tian Jiao Province
Tian Xia

Beowulf faced the leaders he had asked to attend. The Duke of Baerne, Supreme Leader Gero, and the technically unrecognized King of the Vineyards, Brandon. "Gentlemen, you are faced with a problem. Simply put, the FTO is worthless. I've foreseen it happening ever since it was announced. It has no teeth, and no will to act. President Hank has called you a bunch of worthless tossers, and you know what, he's right.

"But we can change that. We can make the Frequesue Treaty Organization as strong as it could be, as it should be. But I need your help do to so. And we must not shirk from our duties. I am intervening in Mortimer's Claim because I see a problem, and no one is working to fix it. We must all do that, or CATO will walk right over all of you, over all of us. You must honor your commitments, or your honor is worthless.

"You all pledged to see to the neutrality of this continent, and yet when the NFT joins CATO, how do you react? While it is too late to change the past, if we all work together, now, we can work to prevent further instances of foreign meddling in the affairs of this continent."

Gero grinned inwardly. Does he think I was born yesterday? "Frankly, your Highness, I'm leery of any proposition coming from your office to this end. Tian Jiao is a fine example of exactly the sort of meddling that you claim to be interested in preventing.

"However, I didn't go to all this trouble just to call you a liar. Would you be willing to demonstrate the authenticity of your intentions by, say, ending your defiance of the FTO?"

Beowulf stared at Gero. A quiet descended on the room. It did not lift for some time. "We aren't going to get anywhere if you refuse to accept me as the ruler of Tian Jiao. Unless you want a crazy duke with nukes in charge? Gentlemen, we need a new organization. The very name of the FTO is now burdened with failure. We need to form a new core. We must make it strong, and we must be willing to take on conflict. I can help you, but you must help me help you.

"This new organization must protect against foreign dominance. And we must be proactive in preventing it, not just reactive. We must prove that we aren't just paper tigers."

Gero replied, "I see no particular reason to abandon the FTO as we know it. It has goals, and reaching those goals may be difficult. However, they are, nevertheless, achieveable. With the withdrawl of the NFT and San Dorado from the FTO, a sizeable portion of our combined military is at risk of becoming... compromised. A large part of our industry has also lost its independence. We must strive to redevelop our forces and once again become a credible authority in this region.

"I do not pretend that this will be easy. It will be expensive. It will be hard. It will take time. I believe that it is worth the cost, worth the effort, and well worth the time, to build a brighter and more independent future for our descendants, where we can negotiate with the likes of your Imperial Self," he nodded towards Huang Di as a gesture of respect, "as equals.

"So in that light, your Highness," Gero was nearly beaming at this point; He was improvising--and for once, it didn't sound ridiculous--"If you truly wish to help us to help ourselves, you may want to first put some pressure on your allies to cease their own interference in our affairs. Also of concern, but perhaps less under your control, is CATO. You may be somewhat relieved to hear that Miratia doesn't particularly trust them, either. If you can hold them at bay, it will give us time to recover our strength without interference. Demonstrating that sort of restraint, your Majesty, would certainly be enough to earn my trust, and the trust of Miratia.

He sat down, then quickly added, "I don't speak for all of us, however."

King Brandon spoke, "Wonderful speech Gero. It's pure fantasy, but a wonderful speech. Let's face facts, the FTO was founded for a myriad of reasons, with the reasons why someone agreed to join most likely being different from the reason someone else signed on. Now, the reason I signed on was for economic solidarity and modernity, and now that the solidarity is gone and modernity can be achieved without it, my support for the FTO goes with it.

"The FTO is dead, so let us show some respect for its corpse by not defiling it too much."

"Perhaps we should take a break. Feel free to walk the grounds. Let's meet up in half an hour," Beowulf suggested. He walked out the doors, then over to a suspiciously familiar man in SRN uniform, and began conversing with him.

"So, Mike, ever play Xanatos Speed Chess?" The "petty officer" shrugged "There goes one plan. One guy doesn't really want to talk, and the other refuses to face reality. He's spending his country into the ground. So, alternate plan?"

"Well, there is that Observer status that we were thinking about. We could have our first candidate."

"Alright. I'll bring it up with Brandon. I think Baerne isn't interested in this at all. He may be facing the reality, but I think he'll join with the NFT."

The meeting reconvened. "You know, it doesn't look like this is going to get anywhere. How about we just have a nice big banquet, say some platitudes about peace in front of the media, and go on our merry way."

--

Northern Jungle
North coast of F-ing

The RED HORSE squadron had been inserted by an amphibious group. There was no other feasible means of inserting them into the jungle. First, they were to build a port. Doing so made things so much simplier for offloading. Later would come the runways, and all the other comforts of home. A cozy little naval base in the middle of nowhere, but placed to cause some consternation amongst certain other powers.

For protection against the wild-life and miscellanous tribes that may exist, the rest of the amphibious group's Marines were there.

--

Livorno
ASFR

"Hey, Leon. Obviously you didn't manage to bag the guy."

"Nope."

"Well, good thing. Contract got cancelled. You get to keep the half already paid. They have another one for you to do. Near where the first was."

Leon audibly sighed. He hated the CFR.

--

Old Dominion

Col Liu Peter addressed his troops. "Men, for a couple weeks, we're going to be seconded to the Old Dominion. We'll be under the command of Global Strike Command. Until we're returned to Imperial Army control, we'll follow the orders given to us by GSC."

The troops knew what that meant. They were a Midgetman regiment, and the recent use of nukes by the Old Dominion told to what use they might see themselves put.

Indhopal’s President calls the FTO “Dead.”

In an address to parliament today the President of Indhopal Raj Ahten called for Indhopal to leave the FTO immediately. He said the organization was “effectively dead. Foreign powers intervene at will in Frequesuen affairs and many nations have already left the organization. To guarantee our security Indhopal must move forward independently.”

The Parliament then annulled Indhopal’s membership in the alliance. The president then said that Indhopal would not compromise its own security in the face of an ever dangerous world. He also said that Indhopal would review all of its Joint military operations and projects.


The INS Cobalt Bay returns from an FTO patrol route for the last time.

Baernish Ministry of Procurement
Private Communique
TO: CATO

We wish to acquire 10 Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates, 100 SU-50 PAK FA fighters, 80 SU-53 naval fighters, and 20 SU-54 fighter bombers, as soon as possible. In addition, we wish to purchase either twelve batteries of S-500 SAMS or the license to produce same.

OOC: In short, we're applying the lessons learned in the recent war.

CANISSIAN COMMITMENT TO PEACE

The 1st Royal Marines MEU will make an announced landing to conduct Peacekeeping operations in Costa de los Cincos Muertes in 24 hours. The size of the MEU is 2,200 men. We look forward to securing the harbor, where we will wait until our partners in peace arrive.

LIVE on ShroomSat/StratTV
The Sovereign Shroomanian Sentinel
SIRNOTH SOVEREIGN SHELTER


Sovereign Setzer and friends - the nobility of Sirnoth.

With the establishment of the new Sirnoth military junta led by General Cortes, the old rulers of the once-proud nation have been forced to flee their nation, fearing for their lives and fleeing from the junta's political persecution. Sovereign Setzer and nearly the entirety of the former Sirnoth nobility have exiled themselves from the now-wartorn nation, escaping political imprisonment and, possibly, execution at the hands of the brutal new regime.

As fellow members of the former Free Union of Nations, the Sovereignty of Shroomania and the Constitutional Republic of PeZookia have offered asylum to the exiled Sirnothi nobility and the Sirnothi commoner refugees. Already, the influx of political refugees and asylum seekers is well underway as many distraught Sirnothis depart their homeland, undergoing a massive exodus for greener pastures.

Currently, the Shroomanian 'Green Zone' in FUN-administered Astaria is serving as a temporary waiting area for the Sirnothi evacuees, with Mushroom Marines providing the security and accomodations and with both Shroomanian and PeZookian air and sea craft providing the transportation details.

The Sovereign Setzer and many of the nobility who fled early on before the full onset of Sirnothi violence are currently already in either Shroomania or PeZookia. Later nobles and refugees are currently still waiting in Astaria.

"The food here is horrible," says Earl Erlenmeyer Eisenrich Elton, an exile Sirnothi noble still in waiting in the Astarian 'Green Zone'. "They give us these C-rations and we have to get sticks and cricket bats just in case some of the 'Infected' go through. God I wish I took one of those early flights, I'd be in Shroomania with the Village People right about now."


Result:
Okay, you MESS guys can deal with Sirnoth by blowing it up. Um... we'll just handle the goddamn fucking refugee problem by turning FUN-administered Astaria into a waiting zone for the evacuees before they go over to Shroomania, PeZookia and other (former) FUN nations or Shroomanian Commonwealth nations.

Maybe we should have these Sirnothis resettle in Astaria.

Oh, and the exiled Sirnothi nobility is apparently living the high life in Shroomania - with all those monies they stashed in their bank accounts in the Gaymans Caymans.

Coyote wrote:CANISSIAN COMMITMENT TO PEACE

The 1st Royal Marines MEU will make an announced landing to conduct Peacekeeping operations in Costa de los Cincos Muertes in 24 hours. The size of the MEU is 2,200 men. We look forward to securing the harbor, where we will wait until our partners in peace arrive.

PEACEMAKING MUSHROOM MARINES MOVING OUT



The Sovereignty of Shroomania's Mushroom Marines will meet their Canissian counterparts in the Costa de los Cincos Muertes. The Mushroom Military has deployed an equivalent number of Mushroom Marines as the Canissian contingent. We anticipate working together with the Canissian Royal Marines in promptly performing peacekeeping procedures posthaste.

To facilitate a speedy arrival, the Mushroom Marines deployed to the Costa de los Cincos Muertes are the same ones stationed in Coil Cove, Coilerburg.

PRIME MINISTER'S JOURNAL wrote:October 12th, 2015. Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This world is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'Save us!' And I'll look down, and whisper 'no.' They had a choice, all of them. They could have followed in the footsteps of good men like my father, or Prime Minister Winston Church-Shroom. Decent men, who believed in a day's work for a day's pay. Instead they followed the droppings of lechers and communists and didn't realize that the trail led over a precipice until it was too late. Don't tell me they didn't have a choice. Now the whole world stands on the brink, staring down into bloody hell, all those liberals and intellectuals and smooth-talkers, and all of a sudden nobody can think of anything to say.

SUPER SHROOM SOJOURN
In Goddamn Unreal Time


Bound for Messica

"Hurm," the Prime Minister muttered to himself as he closed the notebook. After his breakdown during the Warden fiasco, Alison had suggested that he write a diary, a journal, and so he did. It had helped him cope with the tough times, the stress, the anger and the frustration. But it had also helped him transcribe and write in paper his optimisms, his tiny triumphs and his small successes. It also helped him deal with his anxieties.

This time, they were heading to Messica - and this was it. No detours, not even if Sidney Hank held a baking contest for erotic cakes back in San Dorado. Not even if Queen Agatha gave birth to octuplets, sorry Paul. No, they were going to Messica and they were doing this. Shinra, Cascadia, Wilkonia and maybe even into the Forbidden City of Tian Xia to meet with that opium fiend Emperor himself - the Huang Di Beowulf.



"FUCK IT! WE'RE DOING THIS LIVE!" bellowed Phalafel Phil O'Liely on the TV.

The Prime Minister laughed. He laughed.

The first stop would be Cascadia, to meet with President Stephen Garrett. Sidney Hank's partner in badass.

Valley Forge, San Dorado

The troops of the 1st Missile Battalion arrived without much ado, but also not so quietly no-one would know. They promptly proceeded to their deployment area in the north-east of the Valley Forge development zone—from where the Tian Xian landing site would easily be within range of their MRBM launchers.

---

Constantinople, Byzantium

“So that is agreed then”, the Ralson Concerns Ltd. representative practically beamed. “We get production licenses for the Kh-101, Meteorit-M SLCM, P-800 Yakhont, Klub-2 AshM…” The manager looked down at the contract he was about to sign. “And a whole bunch other missiles. You get… Well, a whole lot of money I guess.”

The Byzantine representative of the CCCP military-industrial superconsortium nodded stoically. “That’s the deal. As long as you cough up the money for the licenses, and cut us into any potential profits, you can build whatever you like.”

“Excellent.” With a swift scratching of pen on paper the deal was signed.

---

Fenraven, Indhopal

“Ambassador Crean”, the voice of the Indhopali secretary of state was formal. The relationship between Indhopal and the NFT wasn’t as amicable as some desired. Even though San Dorado had always been a good ally Coilerburg had not, and several members of the current cabinet were outright suspicious of anything to do with the NFT. “What can I do for you?”

Barbara Crean hoped she could mend some of the injured sentiments today. Or at least she was hopeful that President Ahten would be amenable to her propositions even if some of his cabinet members might not be. “I’d like to talk with you about two things, Mr. Secretary”, she replied at an amicable tone. “One, a spread of strategic investments in Indhopal by the Trust. We believe that improvements in the Fenraven container harbors would be in both your and our economic interest.”

“And the second?”

Crean smiled. “Mr. Secretary, I’d like to talk with you about the defunct FTO nuclear program.”

[A very LATE article!]

LIVE on ShroomSat/StratTV
The Sovereign Shroomanian Sentinel
MORDECAI MOONBEAM'S MELANCHOLY

The aftermath of the Bellerophon-Selene 3 Incident is still felt today, as the loss of both spacecraft and their crews in Outer Khitan and Inner Velaria remain lingering memories in the world's collective conscience.

However, for one man these are more than memories.


A picture of Lord Moonbeam, upon hearing his daughter's uncertain fate.

Lord Mordechai Moonbeam, esteemed member of the Sovereignty's House of Lords, has announced his intentions to carry out a one-man search and rescue operation into the heart of Inner Velaria - calling the joint San Doradan and Canissian efforts: "Feeble and impotent acts by boys, not true warriors worthy of Valhalla! Only one worthy of such a quest can save my beloved Valkyrie, all have been found wanting - but for me!"

The Lord has recently been questioned by both Shroomanian and FASTA authorities regarding the involvement of his daughter in not only the Bellerophon-Selene 3 incident, but also for an earlier episode also involving Miranda Moonbeam and Alan Shroompard.

The inquiries have been delayed as the Lord Moonbeam cited personal issues, the loss of his daughter specifically, making him incapable of answering any inquiry.

However, the Lord Moonbeam has made a public announcement declaring his intentions to sail to Inner Velaria aboard a grand zeppelin in an epic expedition to rescue his daughter. The Lord Moonbeam announced that he will go "with full Viking honors, aboard an aerial longboat of the skies" and "retrieve many great trophies of felled beasts, lotnar and wotan alike" in his one-man mission to find his daughter Miranda.


Lord Moonbeam with his fellow Lords.

"The darkest heart of Inner Velaria are stalked by the deprivations of great and terrible lizards, for this I know." Lord Moonbeam claimed. "I was, and still am, a Great White Hunter and only a true slayer of monsters of great caliber can hunt in those fell regions, to stalk the predators and turn hunter into hunted, to hunt the deadliest game of all!

"I am assured of my daughter Miranda's safety. She is my Valkyrie, now my Velarian Valkyrie! And once I find her, together we shall go the Big Game Hunt of our lives!"


Lord Moonbeam and his daughter Miranda in better times.

Port of Baden, Sirnoth

The ODMC had begun to arrive in during the night to shore up General Eulenberg's scratch forces. And they really were scratch, a handful of Battalion-sized units made up of light infantry and supply units. Off the coast 3 ODN Amphibs, the Virginia Capes, Centurion, and Bull Run were shifting forces ashore. The John Smith Had moved near the coast, and it's twin 155mm guns were already providing much needed fire support, joining the 5inch guns of the Jamestown and Godspeed. Farther out the Lord Fairfax Strike group was attempting to wrest control of the skies from the as-yet undefeated Sirnoth Air Force. The Carrier would be the only one on station until maintenance and repairs could be expedited on the Bulwark.

ODAAF, AAF, and TXAF tankers were providing support for runs from Shepland, and a wing of F-15s had already arrived from the TXAF. Until the airfield at Baden was secured and deemed safe for operations, most air activity from the continent was in the form of the heavy bombers of GSC.

The port of Baden, it had been discovered, had exceedingly subpar facilities with only one major pier that could accept container traffic. The lack of cranes meant plans were underway to move heavy crane barges from the ODN bases at Norfolk and Morehead City. Although that presented another problem of finding the ships to transport the barges. At Morehead City II Corps, "Old Chainmail" was embarking, as well as more Marines on the Victory(which had been rushed out of dry-dock) and the Renown. Word had been received that the Shinra Republic had agreed to use the Corps it had stationed in Shepland for the intervention, and once PHIBRON-5 arrived even more troops would be available.

For now though, the handful of Marines would have to help Eulenberg's men hold the port, and hope that OICAS airstrikes would slow any movement on Cortes' part towards Baden.

Results: Ground troops begin to trickle into Sirnoth. A good portion of Sirnoth's airforce has been destroyed on the ground, but the lack of immediate aircover beyond what the Lord Fairfax can provide means control of the air is still disputed.

SiegeTank wrote: Fenraven, Indhopal

“Ambassador Crean”, the voice of the Indhopali secretary of state was formal. The relationship between Indhopal and the NFT wasn’t as amicable as some desired. Even though San Dorado had always been a good ally Coilerburg had not, and several members of the current cabinet were outright suspicious of anything to do with the NFT. “What can I do for you?”

Barbara Crean hoped she could mend some of the injured sentiments today. Or at least she was hopeful that President Ahten would be amenable to her propositions even if some of his cabinet members might not be. “I’d like to talk with you about two things, Mr. Secretary”, she replied at an amicable tone. “One, a spread of strategic investments in Indhopal by the Trust. We believe that improvements in the Fenraven container harbors would be in both your and our economic interest.”

“And the second?”

Crean smiled. “Mr. Secretary, I’d like to talk with you about the defunct FTO nuclear program.”

Secretary of State Christophe had been given clear instructions on these matters. He said,
"I have very good news for you about the NFT. AS it is primarily an economic institution Indhopal is looking to sign up. If we've learned anything over the last few years it’s that Frequesuen economies are tied closely together. This is just an acknowledgement of that fact. The joint nuclear program is a thornier issue to say the least. It is our opinion that it can not continue in its present form given your conversion to CATO. That said, it will continue. The next bit doesn't leave this room. Essentially we need to cosmetically change the program so we are simply selling you parts and so forth instead of it being a joint operation. Besides that the president wants the nuclear program to move forward as is."

Official Press Release of the Republic of Indhopal Defense Department.
The armed Forces of Indhopal are moving forward with a variety of new projects. These new projects are called the Sunrise Initiative, as they beacon a new day in which Indhopal moves forward to achieve its national security goals independently. The following projects are to be undertaken:
-Indhopal’s Air defense systems are to be extensively upgraded to the latest standards.
-The air force will upgrade its fleet of jets with the latest engines, avionics, and sensor technology.
-The Navy will continue to move forward with its submarine program.
-A new class of minesweepers will be built to safeguard Indhopal’s waterways.
-The army will continue to receive upgrades to keep them current with the latest technological developments.
-The air Force will acquire an additional 8-12 tankers and 24 F-22’s.

Raj Ahten wrote:Secretary of State Christophe had been given clear instructions on these matters. He said, "I have very good news for you about the NFT. AS it is primarily an economic institution Indhopal is looking to sign up. If we've learned anything over the last few years it’s that Frequesuen economies are tied closely together. This is just an acknowledgement of that fact.”

Ambassador Crean’s raised an eyebrow in surprise. She’d hoped to massage the Indhopali government somewhat, but this was more than she’d dared hope for. The ambassador quickly regained her composure. “This can be arranged, I’m sure”, she answered smoothly. “We’d have to work out the details of the arrangement of course, but I’m sure the President would be amenable to a… Frequesuan Economic Community, as it were?”

The joint nuclear program is a thornier issue to say the least. It is our opinion that it can not continue in its present form given your conversion to CATO. That said, it will continue. The next bit doesn't leave this room. Essentially we need to cosmetically change the program so we are simply selling you parts and so forth instead of it being a joint operation. Besides that the president wants the nuclear program to move forward as is."

Crean nodded. “We can agree to that. The maintenance and expansion of the nuclear stockpile is a key corporate security imperative and essential to our future strategic security-whether we pay for it one way or another is not something the Syndicate cares about overly much, as long as our nuclear capability is guaranteed. As always it’ll be a pleasure doing business with Indhopal.”

Long Live Khan Alan!



Khitanese Outback

The fireball rumbled through the skies with deafening noise, scaring Khirgyl's cows and waking him up. At first, he thought the sky itself was falling, and ran from his yurt screaming, but when he looked at the field where his herd was grazing, the spectacle he's seen was unlike any other in his life.

A mighty steel ball descended upon the scared cows, dangling below huge cloth wings. Khirgyl saw such devices once, when he and his tribe wandered close to a military poligon. Men would dangle under them, and they'd jump out of aeroplanes and land safely, even from great height. He's never seen anything so big, however.

The metal shell descended slowly and suddendly, with sound not unlike thunder, it belched flame, igniting the steppe. The herd panicked and began to stampede away from the descending monster, but Khirgyl didn't care. As if ensnared by some powerful force, he began to walk towards the flame-belching monster, driven by insatiable curiosity.

The shell finally hit the ground and tumbled slightly, rolling to its side. The parachutes descended upon the smoldering grass, covering the steppe with a shroud. Khirgyl approached, wary of what he should do next. Suddendly, he's heard a voice, and the spell broke - he ran and his behind a nearby boulder.

"Ow! Godammnnit!!!", came a muffled sound from inside the metal shell, "Shit, those helmets need more padding..."

"Shut up, Maurizio", another voice - a woman's voice, in fact - reprimanded the first, "We're alive and well. All in all, it was a pretty fine landing."

"Where are we? Did you get a fix on descent?", a second man joined in, barely audible to Khirgyl

"Khitan, most likely. South of the UCSR border somewhere."

"Oh, fuck. We're boned."

"We should get moving, komandir. Perhaps we can make it across the border with flight recorded tapes."

"Yeah...just let me get out of this suit...watch your elbows, Maurizio! Jesus!"

To Khirgyl's utter amazement, the metal shell popped open, and a woman crawled out from it, wearing the strangest of attires - a bulky, thick suit of some sort, utterly unlike what women of his tribe wore.

"It's clear! Come on, let me help you out...", she said and reached inside, helping two men get out as well. One of them dived back inside and began throwing some weird things out.

Khirgyl stuck out his head in order to see better, and betrayed his position this way. The woman turned towards him and cried out, warning the others. Khirgyl screamed and ran - towards his tribe, to warn them of the strangers from the sky.

"Well, fuck. You guys better hurry up.", Maurizio said, watching the boy run, "I'm sure he'll bring the Army down on us."

"Shut up and pack those rations, will you?", Alan shouted from within the capsule, "And help Svetlana get out of her suit!"

"With pleasure", Maurizio said with glee

"Watch out, kid. She'll give you communism!"

The Village

"The Prophecy!", cried the elder, reading her crumpled scrolls, "The Prophecy!"

"The Prophecy!", the crowd repeated, frightened and yet strangely expectant, "The Prophecy!"

"The Prophecy! Men from the skies!", shouted a young boy, out of breath, as he ran between the tribe's yurts, "Men from the skies! I've seen them!"

The crowd gasped and surrounded the boy, listening to his story. Young Khirgyl described what he's seen, gesticulating wildly.

"And then it belched flame, and men crawled out from it! Men from the stars! The Prophecy is true! It really is!"

The crowd gasped in shock and started asking questions, before the Elder silenced them with nary a stare.

"If The Prophecy is true, then He has arrived!",she announced, "The man to lead us to Paradise! Quickly, gather food and water, for he must be hungry after travelling across the skies, and go! Go and bring him to our village!"

The men cried in excitement as they mounted their horses, while women went to prepare food for the evening feast. Mere minutes passed since Khirgyl's excited arrival, when nearly a dozen tribesmen rode out to meet the man who'd lead them to their destiny.

Selene 3 landing site, half an hour later

"Well, that's it.", Alan announced, looking at their meagre supplies, "No map, a shitty compass, some crappy food rations and survival kit clothing."

"Just what we need to evade a huge army of a paranoid country", Maurizio commented dryly, adjusting the improvised straps of his even more improvised backpack, "Goddamn I hate Miranda now."

"My grandfather had it far worse during the Great Patriotic War. Stop whining, get a fix on the north and get moving, you two.", Svetlana cut them off. Alan nodded and whipped out the compass.

"Uh...I suggest the first thing we do is find shelter. And definitely don't go north.", Maurizio interrupted and pointed to the north, where huge storm clouds were gathering. Thunder rolled across the mighty plain, and billowing dust rose up from the ground - racing towards the intrepid astronauts.

"Ooookay...yeah, let's not go north. Maybe...", Alan began, but was interrupted by sound of thundering hoofs, as a dozen horsemen cleared a nearby hill. Within minutes, the astronauts were surrounded.

"Damn. And I thought it was a bad day when I was up there...", Alan sighed.

REENTRY wrote:"We're going in too fast, Alan!" shouted Command Module Pilot Svetlana Savitskaya. "Our vectors are off, the retro-rockets might not cut it."

"Don't worry, Svetlana." Mission Commander Alan Shroompard replied with gritted teeth. "We'll hold her steady. Come on... come on... we'll be alright when the chutes deploy and when we land, we'll be home free."

"We might not land," Flight Engineer Maurizio Cheli muttered to himself, fiddling with various controls as he did so. "We might not make it. We'll crash. We'll die."

"No we won't die," Alan Shroompard insisted, looking at the Langley pilot straight in the eye. "You know why, Mauri?"

"W-why?" Maurizio asked hesitantly, looking back at his senior spaceman.

"Why? Because God won't let us die, that's why!" Alan grinned cockily. "We're just too pretty to die!"

"Hate to break it to you, boys and boys, but the Earth is blue and there is no God." Svetlana interrupted. "Chutes have deployed and we're set to land, everyone grab on to something!

THE GOLDEN HORDE
In Goddamn Unreal Time

Outer Mongolia Khitan



WHAM!

The Selene capsule landed with a loud thud, jolting all its occupants with a bone-jarring impact. The interior shook with a force unlike any other, rattling the passengers like rocks in a can. Crash webbing and shock-absorber cushioning did little to stem the tide of butt-breaking that came with landfall, and thus butts were broken, bones were jarred and rocks were canned really goddamn hard.

"We're still alive!" Maurizio hollered. "Alive! So pretty, so sweet and still alive!"

"Yes, I can see that clearly," Svetlana sighed, genuine relief mixing with dry wit. "Oh, Boshe Moi."

She turned to see Alan, who looked at her and gave her his trademark cocky grin.

"I told you so," Alan laughed.

"I can't believe this," Svetlana sighed. "When we get out of here, I'm so going to fly back to Shroomania."

"Hm? Visit me in my apartment, eh?" Alan asked. "Well, I haven't tidied it up since the last time you came and we messed it all up, but I guess you can help me clean up and -"

"No, not for that." Svetlana protested, her cheeks flushing red. "First, I'm going to Shroomania to get my hands on that goddamn Miranda Moonbeam and punch her in the ovaries. Then, yes, that. A lot of that."

"Well, at least there's some girl-on-girl action before that!" Maurizio laughed.

"Shut up, Maurizio!" Svetlana spat. She growled at him and decided to quit dilly-dallying and get on with it - they were recently crash landed on uncharted terrain, after all. "This is serious business. Right," she took a deep breath. "Let's get back to business."

"Yeah, would've been hard doing it in a space suit," Maurizio muttered to himself. He unbuckled the crash-webbing that wrapped him to his space-chair and got up to take his helmet off. As he stood up, he suddenly felt a painful throbbing at the side of his head. An impact-bruise. Goddamn it. "Shit, those helmets need more padding..." he whined loudly. And then, more quietly so their Command Module Pilot wouldn't hear him: "Who piloted this thing anyway? Could use work on her landing. Sheesh."

"Shut up, Maurizio," Svetlana quipped. "We're alive and well. All in all, it was a pretty fine landing."

"Where are we? Did you get a fix on descent?" Alan asked. He too was getting off his rocker and taking off his helmet. Mauri was right, they did need more padding.

"Khitan, most likely." Svetlana sighed again. Which Alan thought was cute. "South of the UCSR border somewhere."

"Oh, fuck. We're boned." Alan uttered. All while Mauri was busy pulling himself out his spacesuit, like a fat larvae metamorphing into a skinny blue-haired Langley butterfly.

"We should get moving, komandir. Perhaps we can make it across the border with flight recorded tapes."

"Yeah... just let me get out of this suit." Alan got up and joined Mauri in disrobing. It was a routine procedure, all things considered, Alan had did a whole bunch of post-landing suit-offs for a while now. Mauri, on the other hand, was a total newbie and was by now thrashing like a beached whale. "Watch your elbows, Maurizio! Jesus!"

"Ugh," Svetlana sighed, seeing the two of the big boys bicker and blunder. She decided to get out of the pod and give them their special little space. She popped the hatch open and crawled out to survey the scene around her. "It's clear! Come on, let me help you out..."

She, in her bulky space suit, reached to help out the two men who were already partially removed of their space suits. She pulled Alan out and was in the process of helping Maurizio when the little capitalist pig suddenly darted back into the pod, unbalancing Svetlana and almost making her fall. And then he started throwing stuff out. Canned food rations, water supplies, a golden (radiation-shielded) compass, waterpacks and even packets of space-diapers. Everything he could get his hands on.

Svetlana had to jump in her bulky space suit to avoid the torrent of projectiles, and then Maurizio emerged triumphantly out of the capsule. Since he was partially off his space suit, he had utterly no trouble walking out of the capsule.

Svetlana was about to mutter something derisive when Maurizio's shit eating grin turned serious. Svetlana turned to see what he was looking at and there she was a little Khitanese boy, who saw her. His eyes went wide.

"Guys?" Svetlana cried.

At this, the boy screamed in girlish fear and ran back to who knew where.

"Well, fuck. You guys better hurry up." Maurizio said, watching the boy run. "I'm sure he'll bring the Army down on us."

"Shut up and pack those rations, will you?" Alan shouted from within the capsule (he had gone in to get some of the things Mauri had totally forgotten about, like the transponder and the data-disks). "And help Svetlana get out of her suit!"

"With pleasure," Maurizio said with glee.

"Watch out, kid." Alan grinned as Svetlana shot him a dirty look. "She'll give you communism!"

Selene 3 landing site, half an hour later



The steeds of the great Mongol Khitanese nomads brought them to the site of desecration. Hooves crushed the shards of sand-turned-glass as they neared the curious gleaming metal thing that the boy said had fallen from the skies. Harsh winds blew past them as the sandstorm came near, billowing the cloth wings of the strange sky-steel sphere.

There - men, and a woman too by the looks of it - were those who had fallen from the sky. The Mongol Khitanese riders moved to encircle them.

"Damn. And I thought it was a bad day when I was up there..." Alan sighed. He discretely moved his hand to the transponder he had picked up from inside the capsule. Discretely, he switched it to a different frequency, the one that was the Shroomanian Air Force's secret protocol for downed pilots behind enemy lines. Alan Shroompard surveyed the various Khitanese riders around them.

"Quick," Mauri whispered. "Establish First Contact. Screw the Prime Directive."

"Err..." Alan looked around uneasily. "Svetlana?"

"Whatever you're going to do," Svetlana replied tersely, holding tightly in her hands the closest miscellaneous object from the capsule that could be fashioned as a weapon. "You better do it quick, komandir."

"Right," Alan nodded and straightened himself. He gazed at the one he assumed was the head honcho of the assorted riders. Then, plainly: "Howdy, partners. Mornin'."

At this, the assorted Mongolians Khitanese gasped and even the biggest and meanest looking of the nomad riders, with their compound bows and wolf furs, moved back - their horses neighing uncertainly and plopping backwards with their hooves.

"Ka-cha cropek!" one of the Mongols uttered, eyes wide and mouth open. It speaks!

"Kang-ching-kola!" another said. The Prophecy!

"Ping-pong-pee-pang!" the lead Mongol Khitan barked. We do not know!

"Tai-chi-yang-chok!" said the other. Then bring the elder!

"Kaplah!" bellowed the lead Mongol Khitan.

They parted ways, like the Pink (Foam) Sea of Shroomanian lore, and thus hobbled amidst them a decrepit old lady - with moldy old parchments in her hands.

"Ahhhh..." the old lady intoned. She gazed with half-blind eyes, gazed at the three Strangers From The Sky. "Strangers..." she uttered, remembering vaguely ancient tongues learned from Pre-Cambrian times. "...From The Sky."

"You speak Shroomish?" Alan asked.

"Yesss..." the old lady said, struggling with the strange speech. "You, leader of Sky Men?"

"Um," Alan hesitated, looking at Mauri and Svetlana. Then he said with conviction: "Yes."

"Oooh... This be your wench?" the grandma pointed at Svetlana.

"Uhh..." Alan looked at Svetlana, who rolled her eyes. "Yeah."

"Aaaahhhh... this be, first born son?" she then pointed at Mauri.

"Errr..." Alan looked at Mauri, who grinned and gave him a thumbs-up sign. "Sure."

"Waaaalaaarraaaaklaaaaa!" the old hag then shrieked as she turned to face her fellow nomads. "Kang-ching-kola!"

The Prophecy!

"Kang-ching-kola!" the other tribesmen bellowed in chorus.

The Prophecy!

""Kang-ching-kola!" the nomads declared.

"Kang-ching-kola!"

"Oh my God, they'll kill us all!" Mauri whimpered in womanly fear.

"Just let them try," Svetlana nodded, gripping her sharpened weaponized FASTA standard-kit space commode tightly and menacingly.

"Hey, guys. Let's calm down a little bit, okay?" Alan suggested. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

As those words left Alan Shroompard's mouth, the Mongols Khitanese who stood around them knelt and laid their heads low - while those on stallion steed bowed their heads in strange reverence.

"Whhhaaaaayaa..." the old lady turned to face them again. "As it has been foretold, as it shall be!"

"Okay," Alan nodded and smiled politely.

"Now quick!" the grandma had accustomed herself to their Sky Man Tongue. "Something evil this way comes!"

"Something evil?" Mauri cringed. "What?!"

"Standstorm," the elder said, pointing at the horizon.



"Come on guys," one of the younger Mongol Khitanese riders who wore sunglasses said to them, feigning a Shroomanian accent while chewing non-existent bubblegum. He gestured them to a bunch of riderless horses with saddles, apparently considerably prepared for their use. "Let's beat it, daddy-o!"

"Shall we?" Alan turned to look at Svetlana and offered his hand to her.

"Surely," Svetlana shrugged, inadvertently letting her hair fall down. Then she smiled and held his hand.

"Hey, what about me?!" Maurizio whined.

Klavo City, Klavostan

Klavostan had always had a reputation as a hotbed of spy activity. Virtually anyone who wanted to hire high quality talent for questionable military operations used to come here, at least until the Sultan’s nationalization of the mercenaries.

Paul Stander of Indhopal’s ISIA was one of those spies and he had a meeting set up with one of the most notorious mercenary captains “Sniper” Ali, so named because he was rumored to have pulled the trigger himself on several heads of state in various coups over the years. Stander knew him from various black bag operations in the CFR that the ISIA had contracted out to him.

They were meeting in a private compound in an upper class suburb of the city. The whole district was essentially run by the mercenaries. After Stander’s driver checked one last time for tails, he entered the compound. Ali was waiting for him in the compound’s impressive veranda.


The view in front of the compound

“Good to see you Stander. How are things in Indhopal these days?”

Stander smiled and said, “Just fine. I hope things are well with you?”

Ali grunted.
“Things could be better. That is what we are here to discuss. The Sultan’s recent intervention into my associate’s contracts in Costa is quite alarming to us. We lost millions. The Sultan should know his place; he has his Janissaries, we have the contracts. That is a line that should never have been crossed. The Sultan seems to have forgotten who really matters in this country.”

“I think I can help you with your problem,” Stander replied.

Ever since the bombing of the Sultan’s palace Klavostan's foreign policy had gotten further and further away what Indhopal considered acceptable for a neighbor. Actually the mercenaries in their current form had always been a loose cannon. When they had been in the FTO, that had allowed Indhopal some degree of influence. Currently it was free for all. With the withdrawal of their mercenaries from Costa it also appeared that Klavostan might be moving into Tian Xia’s camp. That couldn’t be allowed.

Ali grinned and said,
“Then we have much to discuss my old friend.”

Meanwhile In Indhopal

Indhopal’s joint nuclear program had been fairly successful so far, but they had never produced what was popularly known as an A bomb. With Indhopal now officially on its own, Indhopal’s nuclear scientists were given the go ahead to try and make such devices.

Anti-Dominionite Punks Fuck Off!

Old Dominion Embassy, Ashford City


FILE PHOTO: Sergey Karić performs his hit single "San Dorado Must Burn" at a concert in Sabika, 2014

Sergey Karić and his merry band of anarchist fuckheads were up to their usual tricks again, this time in the aftermath of the Old Dominion's nuking of the Sirnoth Navy at Nexus Point. Between songs, he and the other members of Anti-Shep led the small yet boisterous crowd in anti-Dominionite chants and utterances of various foul flavors, running the spectrum from calling the men and women of the Old Dominion Armed Forces cowards to slandering Lord Fairfax and his family; Sergey even openly expressed his desire to defecate on the grave of Lord Wythe, while other band members openly expressed their admiration for the genocidal General Cortes. Maybe it was the copious amounts of legal and illegal drugs they took on a daily basis, or maybe it was their virulent and well-documented contrary streak; considering that the Old Dominion was willing to give the members of Anti-Shep asylum when so many other countries flatly refused to way back in the day, they were essentially biting the hand that fed them, for want of a better expression.

Both the guards posted at the Old Dominion Embassy and the large Langley National Police riot force stationed outside were very pissed and very willing to use lethal force on Anti-Shep and the protestor scum if given the order. Naturally, it didn't take very long before Anti-Shep started escalating from pointed words to rocks, Molotov cocktails, and flaming guitars as they started attacking the gates of the Embassy. The LNP riot officers were quick to respond, firing riot control agents into the crowd in an attempt to disperse them; while most of the protestor scum ran away like the spineless cowards they were at the first whiff of CS gas, the band and their most stalwart followers were not fazed in the slightest and only stepped up their efforts to besiege the Embassy.

"Lord Fairfax drinks blood from the bleeding breasts of Sirnothi whores!" Sergey bellowed in a drug-fueled rage as he chucked a flaming guitar over the gates of the Old Dominion Embassy. A Dominionite guard who managed to dodge the fiery projectile decided to take matters into his own hands by deactivating the safety on his Chesapeake Arms 680 and taking aim.



Bang.

The attempted siege literally died in its tracks as Sergey Karić fell at last. The other members of Anti-Shep and their followers wisely chose to surrender to the Langley National Police shortly afterwards.

---

RESULTS:

Sergey Karić of Anti-Shep is killed in self-defense by a guard at the Old Dominion Embassy.

Indhopal Announces Operation Prepare 2015

The Ministry of defense announced it will hold a multi-service military exercise that will involve land, sea and air forces. It's stated purpose is to test how well Indhopal's military can perform in a non FTO framework.


Some of the Naval assets that will participate in the exercise

[OOC: Hey COYOTE and STEVE!]

LIVE on ShroomSat/StratTV
The Sovereign Shroomanian Sentinel
AN ASYMPTOMATIC AMBASSADOR ARRIVES

With the departure of Prime Minister Shroom the 777th from Frequesue, and his course for Messica to meet with Cascadian, Shinran, Wilkonian and Tian Xian leaders, the Sovereignty of Shroomania's Ministry of Shroomanian Homeland Affairs in Foreign Territories (SHAFT) has sent an experienced ambassador to Frequesue do help mediate the conflict in the Costa de los Cincos Muertes.

The SHAFT has dispatched Ben Baldwin Dover posthaste to Frequesue. Ambassador Ben Dover is a veteran diplomat, having served most recently in Sirnoth prior to the nation's unfortunate disintegration. During the ambassador's tenure there, he helped pen the Ben Dover Treaty that detailed the Free Union of Nation and Sirnoth's assistance to the stricken nation of Astaria, also prior to Astaria's disintegration resulting from the Pathogen Wars.

Once a portly three-chinned figure of good old fashioned Shroomanian joviality, Ambassador Dover was however not left unmarred from the aftermath of the Pathogen War - having been visiting Astaria right on the onset of the nation's conflict with Shepistan. Ambassador Dover had the great misfortune of being at ground zero of the Shepistani virus-bombing.

Subsequently stricken with a potent cocktail of ravaging disease, Ambassador Dover was immediately brought into an isolated care facility where he was then subjected to a battery of tests and treatments for over a period of several years - after which he was given an unclean bill of health. Though the treatment, administered by the Mushroom Organization of Medicine's finest doctors, had rendered Ambassador Dover uncontagious, to this day his body still suffers from sickness and ill-health. A great many myriad medicines and various treatments and procedures and daily regimes, as well as a retinue of the finest physicians of his good friend Sultan Saladin, ensures Ambassador Dover's continued survival.

However, despite his unpleasant state, the Ambassador has sworn to continue his diplomatic duties and upon resuming his tenure in the SHAFT, has volunteered himself to mediate the Costa Conflict Crisis. No stranger to tough political climates and seasoned in dealing with parties such as the Astarians, Ambassador Dover has been claimed by Minister Melchett McMeistervater of SHAFT as being "just perfect for this job."


Ambassador Ben Baldwin Dover, an avid chess player and a keen political mind, enters the Frequesean frey.


*click*

San Dorado, Frequesue

Ambassador Ben Dover arrived at the San Dorado airport with his special retinue of Sultan Saladin's physicians, MOM doctors and his bodyguards in sterile clean suits. Though the Ambassador wore an iron mask to conceal his leprosy-laden facial features, the eyes behind the steel visage were still alert and sharp.

Upon his entry into his specialized vehicle, a hermetically sealed limousine, he immediately began devouring the papers and documents his aides had prepared for him. Reading the recent announcements of the Cascadian and Canissian governments, the dossiers and profiles of the people he would meet, of the current situation of the Costa and its past, present and future states. He immediately set about understanding the situation, remembering details and nuances, peoples, places and events, everything one should know when dealing with such things appropriately.

A brilliant mind held inside a diseased body, Ben Dover was once fat and flabby, riddled with phebitis and with three chins of lard. When he was stationed in Sirnoth, he had required nullgrav suspensors to be able to move his bulk. But upon Infection, so many diseases had ravaged his body and consumed his flesh and fats, reducing him to an emaciated form as his blasphemed body shunted all nutrition to his brain just to survive.

Spending months in intensive care, wracked with pain yet still alive and aware, contemplating death with every waking moment as the days went on, as the chemotherapy induced toxic chemicals into his body to destroy both diseased and healthy tissues alike, as he was smeared with embalming fluid just to prevent his flesh from rotting off, as maggots fed on his decomposing meat...

Truly, he had burned the fat off his soul.

Now he was here in Frequesue, in yet another damned hole in the world on the verge of Armageddon. Just as Astaria had been prior to its infection. Just as Sirnoth had been, prior to its impending obliteration. Another place on the brink. But he was not afraid. He was not anxious. As he skipped through the compiled picture album of human casualties in the recent conflicts, as he looked at the pictures of burned buildings and burned bodies, he felt no tepidation. No worries. He was eager for this. He relished this.

After all, what can't kill you only makes you you stronger.


RESULTS:
Coyote and Steve and Co. This guy is the one who'll represent Shroomania in the Costa Conflict Crisis Containment.

The Ring

Fabowice Voyvodship Police Command Building

"People, this is Colonel Voroshilov, KGB.", Sebastian announced, presenting a tall, scrawny officer with an almost creepy aura about him, "He flew in straight from Stasograd with some important information."

Heads turned, and murmured greetings were uttered by ASTF officers working on the case. Both Brzytwa and Wielki, not two days ago expected to become major sources of information, refused to talk. Both would go away for a long time, but no amount of coercion or proposed deals could get them to say anything, and so the case was stuck. Sebastian's team didn't give up, though, and decided to go over the evidence one more time - at least untill the deal could be finalized with the mysterious Syrian.

Voroshilov surveyed the entire scene and smiled, "I can see you are having some trouble solving your case. Allow me to help.", he said and extracted a pendrive from his uniform pocket.

"What's on it?", Amanda perked up from her diagrams.

"Ten hours ago, a militsia unit stormed a certain building in People's Victory, thanks to a tip by one of local civilians who heard gunshots. We found a lot of dead bodies, several imprisoned women and some interesting documents. This drive contains the results of our analysis."

Amanda inserted the drive into her palmtop and opened the first file. After a couple of minutes, she opened another...and another...and another.

"Jesus christ! You had NOD officers involved?!"

"Yes.", Voroshilov nodded, "You will also encounter information on transfer routes which indicate they operate distribution hubs in PeZookia, Canissia, Vulpesia, Cascadia, Shinra, Byzantium, Syria and Arabia. It's likely local authrotities are also infiltrated, to one degree or another."

"Funny you should mention that...our district attorney is in Syria right now."

Everyone fell silent.

"You're not suggesting...", Sebastian began, but then Amanda showed him the laptop.

"Just read it. And weep."



Dockside, People's Victory, Shadow Republic Of Sjenska

The BTR smashed through the front gate with a deafening noise of torn metal, and immediately opened fire with its turret-mounted DShK machine gun, raking the walkways. Some of the more quick-thinking mercs managed to get away, but several were hit, and the heavy rounds made for extremely ugly wounds.

Ana stood up suddendly and headbutted the merc standing behind her. She kicked him in the neck, then in the face for good measure and dropped to the ground, fishing for cuff keys. Her sister was trying to shout, but the knife-armed merc dragged her away somewhere, between the crates stacked all across the warehouse floor.

The BTR continued to fire as NOD troops poured into the warehouse. A squad made for the office spaces, but were met with accurate fire from the single window and doorway - all the better for Ana, who had just managed to grab the cuff keys and free herself.

And just in time, too - NOD decided not to fuck around, and the BTR simply raked the office space. 14.5mm bullets tore through thin drywall as if it wasn't there, throwing up dust and blood. Ana grabbed the merc's AK and ran after her sister, with sporadic fire bouncing off the floors and steel supports around her.

A grenade exploded somewhere near the entrance, but this was behind her now. She moved carefully between the crate stacks, trying to figure out where that creep could've gone with her sister. She idly wondered what could possibly be inside those damn crates, especially in light of the people who occupied the warehouse.

Suddendly, she found Nadya - on the floor, somewhere near the rear exit to the seaside docks. She was bleeding, too, and wasn't moving - but there was no sign of the merc who dragged her here.

The fighting seems to have intensified somewhat. Mercs fell back into the veritable crate maze, creating chokepoints and planting mines to cover their retreat. NOD followed agressively, trading intensive fire. Already, part of the warehouse caught fire, slowly filling the inside with thick smoke.

"Nadya!", Ana shouted, and ran to her sister. She had an ugly wound on her throat and was gasping for air. A grenade exploded somewhere nearby.

"Goddammit...not now, not after all this!", Ana shouted sternly, but to her own susprise, she could feel the tears trying to force their way out. She's seen such scenes often enough...but this time, it was different, somehow.

She held her dying sister's head in her arms and cried in anguish when Bosko found them, along with three of his men.

"Bitch!", he screamed and fired. Ana's instincts kicked in, as she fell flat and grabbed her own AK to return fire with. One of Bosko's mercs was caught by her round, but a split-second afterwards, a long burst from the BTRs machine gun flew overhead, shredding surrounding crates. The mercs retreated - and Ana followed them, oblivious of her own safety. She could only feel rage pulsing through her veins now, pure unadultered rage.

It only lasted a few seconds, though. She saw the mercs retreat through the back door and ran after them, only to trigger a mine they left there.

The explosion shook the building and collapsed part of the pier directly into the dark, filthy water below.