The FSM

HHAYD, EARS (if I recall correctly) was intended to locate snipers based on the sound of them shooting. So long as there is not alot of ambient or background noise then it should work fine for this purpose. However, it wouldnt do you much good in the middle of a firefight. Markus, while at 50 tech Im sure you can have sentry guns, Im not sure you are at a high enough tech level to have sentry guns with computerized auto-aim controls and advanced IFF recognition capabilities. Uberstein, that seems like a 1500+ tech thing to me since the military is only in the early prototype stage with that thing. (Thats just my opinion though)

General Al-Malak sat in his new headquarters building in downtown Syracuse. Military operations had been relatively easy over the past few weeks and opposition forces had been reduced to a small pocket around Messina. Victory was only a matter of time and his primary task now turned to rounding up members of the opposition command structure, both fascists and defected members of the military command. The Navy was hard at work patrolling the sea in between Sicily and North Africa after he had received word that the opposition leadership may try to flee there. A handful of mid level military officers had already been captured in mop up operations near Palermo. He was about to go to lunch when he heard a knock at the door: "Enter" One of General Al-Malak's aides entered. "Message for you from the Fleet sir. Captain Sieferi of the SLS Aegis reports that he intercepted a small craft near Catania carrying a number of HVT's. He has them detained at the moment, he believes one of them is General Renee sir." Said's interest was piqued when he heard General Renee's name mentioned. "Well, well. I had been expecting the leader of the opposition to be fighting with his men up in Messina right now. If he has been captured then this is excellent news. Verify its him, if it is him, inform GHQ immediately. The Steward will want to hear about this." -------------------------------------------------- [b]An Announcement from Steward Jean d'Aosta[/b] It is my pleasure to announce that as of today, the last major source of military opposition has fallen in Sicily. The islands are now reunited as one nation, as they should be, and we can continue with the arduous task of healing. Our mettle has been tested, and we have survived. I have never been more proud to consider myself a citizen of this nation than today. I also have the pleasure to announce that General Jean-Claude Renee, formerly a member of the Sicilian High Command, and most recently leader of the military opposition in Sicily, was captured this morning, along with a number of his aides, by the [i]SLS Aegis[/i] off the Coast of Catania. My thanks go out to Captain Sieferi of the [i]Aegis[/i] as well as his crew for capturing this traitor. My thanks also go out to all the members of the Sicilian Armed Forces, and Brigadier General Said Al-Malak in particular for his leadership, for reforging the disparate islands into one, strong, proud nation. I would also like to thank this nation's allies for the support they have provided us in these trying times. What you have done for this nation is greatly appreciated and will always be remembered. All those members of the uprising that are captured by Sicilian forces will be held accountable for their actions. I will be convening a special court in the coming weeks that will deal specifically with cases related to the uprising and subsequent anarchy in this nation that the uprising brought about. Finally, I will be traveling to a number of regional and international neighbors for talks on a variety of topics relating to Sicilian foreign policy in the next few weeks. An announcement regarding an approximate itinerary will be provided to the press in the coming days. [i]-Jean d'Aosta Steward of the Sicilian League[/i]

Yes Im going to go and second what my good friend SMH said. Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Malta should be marked as the Sicilian League. Basically my borders before Junio left Italy.

The Sicilian League welcomes its newest Mediterranean neighbor and wishes them luck in maintaining a strong and stable government.

Jean sat and listened to the aging King speak. It was interesting to see the old man abdicating, an older generation making way for a new. Jean waited for the King to say who would be the new King of Burgundy. Meanwhile.... [b]Chateau de la Muire [/b] Special Agent Khaled Ibn Ahmet paced around the Security Command Center for the Sicilian Delegation. All was going well, no major disruptions or disturbances. The SCC was in constant contact with Agents inside the Cathedral as well as Rear Admiral Valjean's Carrier Task Force off the Northern Coast of Corsica. Even though everything was going smoothly, he wouldnt allow himself to relax, not until the delegation was safely back in Sicilian Territory. "Comm Check." "Sir, we just ran a check two minutes..." "I dont care dammit, do the comm check"

[quote name='Executive Minister' date='07 April 2010 - 02:14 PM' timestamp='1270664039' post='2251856'] The guard shook his helmeted head silently, and turned away to find someone. Not long after, he found his target[s]. [i]"Excuse me, Sir, I am the Head of Security for Nyani Oshibutu of the Nation of Nod for this wonderous occasion. Might I trouble you and ask as to why so much security is present at this gathering? Is there something wrong?"[/i] [/quote] Said Al-Malak was standing off in one of the cloisters, admiring some of the artwork that adorned the Cathedral when he heard a voice speaking to him from behind his left shoulder. He was surprised for a moment to see the hulking frame of Nyani Oshibutu's security chief standing in front of him. "Ah yes, I had actually been wondering the same thing myself. While I cant speak for the other delegations, I do know that the Sicilian Governmnet changed the rules for diplomatic security after Jean's abduction by insurgents in Southern Italy. Since the Steward just escaped from captivity I would surmise that his security detail has been increased to avoid a repeat incident on his first trip overseas of late. I know we havent heard of any specific security threats, I cant speak for the other delegations though. It is very interesting the level of security they brought with them, especially with the Burgundian Security Forces having a 2km Green Zone around the Cathedral. Ah, how rude of me, Im Said Al-Malak, Brigadier General in the Sicilian Army. [quote]Therese's ears perked up when she heard her name called out across the room and then watched as that same man began to walk over to her and greet her as the Steward of the Sicilian League. "Ah, yes, Steward d'Aosta, it is a pleasure I assure you and your right we haven't had the ability to meet, especially given all those nasty problems that have engulfed Italy of late. But things are clearing up are they not?" She turned to her left, her Knight bowing its head. "Also may I introduce my...uh...Knight." The Knight bowed its head and Therese continued. "I hope life has been good to you of late Mr. d'Aosta? We will have to have a meeting in the future,between you and I. After all, we are neighbors." She chuckled.[/quote] "Well let me assure you, the pleasure is mine, please, no need to refer to me by my title, simply call me Jean. You would be correct, thinks are clearing up, I dont know what my counterpart in the Federation has in store but Sicily is well on its way to being liberated from opposition control. Its my hope that my people can return to their normal lives soon, alot of damage was done but Im confident we will heal." Jean turned to the hulking Knight and nodded. "Well it is a pleasure to meet you sir." "Yes, since escaping from captivity life has been very good for me. Though I still cannot return to my villa, Im hoping I will be able to soon. Indeed we must milady, indeed we must," Jean said with a grin," I think there is a great deal we can do to help each other as nations. I will have to have my staff contact you about arranging a state visit, soon hopefully"

Jean and his security detail had returned to their seats, having grown tired of Drew's antics. Though funny, Jean decided he was best taken in small doses. He was about to doze off when he noticed Therese of Aquitaine enter the Cathedral with a hulking, steel clad Knight by her side. Perhaps I should go say hello, Jean thought, she looks like she needs someone to talk to. "Hello milady," Jean called out from across the Cathedral as he walked towards Therese, a few of his security agents following behind him. "I dont believe we have had the pleasure of meeting," Jean said, extending his hand in friendship," I am Jean d'Aosta, from the Sicilian League"

Jean was somewhat taken aback back Drew's question: "Er... no? Your pants look fine to me, actually, theyre the only normal thing your wearing. And no lollipop thank you, Im trying to watch my sugar intake, family history of diabetes." "hmmm, I wonder if we can try some kind of non-verbal communication with him. Agent #1, hand me some pen and paper" Jean sets to work scribbling a message in block letters 'ARE YOU LONELY?' and holds it up to the glass wall, facing the Burgundian King-to-be.

"Well its a pleasure to meet you Drew. These are my associates, Calomar Acbari, Admiral, and Said Al-Malak, Brigadier General. These two are perhaps the best commanders and most promising commanders at my disposal, I brought them along with me because I need intelligent people to keep me company on long voyages. Speaking of long voyages, Ive been planning on going to Acca Dacca myself for some time now. And by some time now I mean I thought about it while I was sitting in a cell somewhere in Naples. Its funny that no one ever thought of coming to rescue me for a year, I mean, I disappear, my country falls apart, and no one thinks of looking for me. Sheesh, how much do I have to pay for some decent help around here. Oh yes lovely crowd, two soldiers, 15 of my oh so lovable thugs, myself, a man in a box who, Im assuming here, cant here anything we are saying since he hasnt responded to your.... jokes, and a man who cant dress himself properly. Oh yes, this is setting up to be a coronation to remember. And I dont see why he wouldnt want to share his nice box, it must be awfully lonely in there, all by himself, no one to talk to, and forced to listen to us talk. Hah, I almost feel sorry for the poor guy.

Jean gets up and tries to walk over to the Acca Daccan diplomat, except his entire security detail stands up and follows him. Deciding they would rather not be sitting alone, Calomar and Said get up and join the Steward. All 15 of them are now huddled together with Drew. Jean speaks: "Maroon? I think you need your eyes checked sir, because that looks more like a... [i]Burgundy[/i] than a maroon. Hahahahaha. Im Jean, Steward of the Sicilian League, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" Jean extends his hand towards Drew in a handshake. " I have to say, having special bullet proofing inside the Cathedral is a tad strange. Given the fact that so many of the worlds leaders are going to be here I would think they would just bulletproof the whole building."

[b]The skies over Burgundy[/b] [i]The Steward's private plane was preparing for final approach to the Reims-Champagne Airport. The plane was flanked by a squadron of Sicilian fighters that were also escorting the two C-130 transports that were carrying the Steward's security detail and their equipment. Since the Steward's capture by the fascists a year ago, security policies regarding foreign visits had been changed and the size of the Steward's security detail had been doubled. The Steward sat in conversation with his fellow travelers, Admiral Calomar Acbari and Brigadier General Said Al-Malak.[/i] "This will be my first trip to France in a very long time," Jean said. "Have either of you had the opportunity? It really is a lovely country from what I remember of it." "No, I cant say I have sir, never had much time for travels abroad," Said said in response. Before they could continue their conversation further, Calomar turned the subject to the security situation. "Since your capture earlier Im sure you are aware that your security footprint has been increased sir. Your security team is divided into three details. Detail Alpha will contain 12 agents and will be responsible for security of your plane, which, for security reasons, is where you will be staying for the duration of this trip. Detail Beta will be responsible for your personal security and will be with you at all times. Detail Beta, will consist of 12 agents. The final detail, Detail Gamma, is the largest detail with 30 agents in total. They will be responsible for running the Security Command Center which will coordinate security amongst the teams as well as communications with domestic agencies in Burgundy, other dignitaries' security teams, as well as the Sicilian military. There is a 2 km cordon in effect, so the Command Center will be located in a number of rooms we have purchased in the Chateau de la Muire. Detail Gamma will also have the vehicles for your motorcade. Should anything go wrong within the cordon Detail Gamma will be a very short drive from your location, they will also be able to contact Sicilian military assets should the need arise. The SLS Aosta and her escorts have been pulled from the Sicilian Campaign strictly for this operation. Should anything go seriously wrong the Aosta will be able able to provide assistance, however, Burgundy is a stable country and we dont anticipate needing to use these assets." ---------------------- [b]An Hour Later[/b] The security details were in place, Jean, Calomar, Said, and Detail Beta made their way from the Reims-Champagne airport to Notre Dame de Reims. Said was hesitant to relinquish his firearm, as were the members of the security detail, but they did so anyways. Entering the Cathedral, Jean and his compatriots took seats near the central aisle, with the security detail occupying the seats in the rows immediately ahead and behind them. Jean looked over at the strangely dressed man in the purple costume. "Hello over there, I must say, those are some odd clothes you are wearing. Where are you from my good man?"

[b]Marsala, Sicily[/b] [i]Brigadier General Said Al-Malak stood with his commanders around a small folding table, examining a detailed terrain map of Western Sicily. It had been three days since the first Sicilian troops came ashore. Both beaches had been secured within a matter of minutes and very little organized resistance had been by opposition forces. While a few small patrols were encountered as the beachheads were established and expanded, they were quickly annihilated by Sicilian troops with few casualties. By the end of the first day the beachheads were well established and two columns of infantry rushed in a pincer movement to encircle Marsala. The second and third days had been spent capturing and securing Marsala and its much needed port facilities. Thanks to CAP missions from the Navy enemy forces in Marsala were quickly targeted and eliminated, Sicilian casualties had been kept under 100 dead and wounded and a number of important resistance leaders had been captured. With the port facilities in Marsala secured mechanized and armored units were flowing into the rapidly expanding Sicilian beachhead around Marsala. [/i] "I do have some updates, detachments from the 13th Infantry Regiment have secured the Trapani Airport. The 2nd Mechanized Brigade has entered the outskirts of Trapani proper. They are reporting moderate resistance as well was scattered armor activity in the vicinity," said one of Al-Malak's staff officers, pointing out positions on the map as he progressed through his report. "Thank you Corporal," interrupted Al-Malak," send orders to the 3rd Urban Armored Brigade to move towards Trapani and support the 2nd Mechanized." [i]Said allowed himself a moment to reflect on the situation. How long ago was it that he had been but a lowly Captain in the 3rd UA Brigade. Through the Peacekeeping mission in Italy after the Borghese regime fell, where he was promoted to major and given command of the 3rd UA after his commanding officer was killed by an insurgents bullet. The insurgency had died down back then, and most people thought little of it. Who would have thought the insurgency would come back so many years later and wreak so much havoc. Then there was the short lived Iberian War, the promotion to Colonel came shortly after that. Then the insurgency returned. It had seemed like the Army was containing it at first, cordoning off Naples from the rest of the country. Somehow it spread all throughout the surrounding area, the forces sent to contain the insurgency found themselves surrounded by it. Organization had broken down, those units that were able to fight their way out did so with heavy casualties. Even then, all the situation seemed to need was more force, the IF was sending overtures to help with anti-insurgency operations. There had always been discontent among some of the general staff about the League's relationship with the IF, and the idea of IF soldiers in Sicilian territory seemed to push some of these officers over the edge. Said remembered the day they had put their coup into action. He was in Messina visiting family when the shooting started. Opposition forces were attacking the Central Government building where the cabinet had been meeting. It was thanks to Said's ability to rally some local infantry battalions to counter attack and hold of the opposition that the Foreign and National Directors were able to escape, though opposition forces had already killed many of the Cabinet ministers before Said drove them off. With the generals responsible for defending Messina defecting, Said took it upon himself to organize what loyal forces there were and fight a rearguard action while fleeing civilians and government personnel were ferried to Sardinia. A few weeks ago Said was promoted to Brigadier General, in large part because of his actions in the retreat from Messina, and the Steward had chosen him personally to oversee the invasion of Sicily.[/i] "Now, as soon as the armored forces have finished landing the Army is going to split into three..." Said began, however he was interrupted by an aide handing him an envelope bearing the Seal of the Steward. He opened the envelope and read the short message inside. "Colonel Anderri, please finish the briefing, Im am being called away on urgent matters of state." Urgent matters of state indeed, so urgent the Steward had not given any details, only that they needed to speak immediately. Within a half hour, Brig. General Said Al-Malak was on a plane, bound for Sardinia.

The Steward of the Sicilian League, Jean d'Aosta, will lead the Sicilian Delegation to this glorious event. He will be accompanied by a number of staff and guards. Admiral Calomar Acbari, Grand Admiral of the Sicilian Fleet and Brig. General Said Al-Malak will also be accompanying the Steward.

[b]SLS Aosta Off the Coast of Sicily, near Marsala[/b] [i]Admiral Acbari stood on the command bridge, anxiously waiting for the clock to strike 0500 hours. As the senior most officer in the Sicilian Navy, the Admiral had the duty and pleasure of overseeing the amphibious landing of SL Forces that would mark the start of Operation Forge, the campaign to recapture Sicily and Malta from opposition forces. Thousands of troops were right now moving from the troop ships that had carried them from Sardinia to the smaller landing craft that would take them to shore. Aircraft from the Aosta and the other carriers would provide the troops with close air support as they hit the beaches and would also ensure air superiority was maintained throughout the landing. Though the opposition had little in the way of an airforce, intelligence believed that a small contingent of enemy fighters were stationed at the airport in Marsala.[/i] [i]The Communications Officer walked hurriedly to where the Admiral stood and handed him a short printout[/i] "Admiral, I've just received confirmation from UMS GHQ, their forces are a go and should be dropping on Malta shortly." "Excellent," the Admiral replied, "its time to get this operation started. Sound General Quarters, all hands to battle stations. I want the first CAPs in the air in five minutes. Radio the fleet, tell the landing craft its time to go."

[quote name='The Pansy' date='06 April 2010 - 03:53 AM' timestamp='1270540375' post='2250192'] Olympus officially protects them until their Protectors get off their lazy $@! Best of luck TIO Raydin [/quote] Sorry about that, things slow down when its 4am. My Communications Staff was all asleep, took some time to rouse them.

On behalf of the Emperor and Senate of the Imperial Assault Alliance I am proud to announce the signing of the following protectorate agreement between the Imperial Assault Alliance and The Imperial Order. We look forward to working with TIO and helping them grow over the coming months, just as we have done with our past protectorates. I wish a hearty welcome to TIO on behalf of myself an the entirety of IAA. [quote] [b]An Empire Is Born[/b] Preamble: The Imperial Assault Alliance (hereafter referred to as IAA) and The Imperial Order (hereafter referred to as TIO) come forth on this day, the 6th of April of the year 2010, to make permanent the bonds between them. Together, in unity and mentorship, we sign this protectorate treaty in the hopes that our friendship will continue to flourish and that growth be mutual and cooperative between the undersigned alliances. Article I: Sovereignty Both of the signatory alliances and their respective member nations recognize and will respect each other's sovereignty and political independence. They recognize and will respect each other's right to live in peace within their respective alliances. They will develop good neighborly relations of co-operation between them to ensure lasting security. They will refrain from espionage and the threat or use of force against each other and will settle all disputes between them by peaceful means. Article II: Peace Both TIO and IAA hereby agree that no hostile action shall be taken against one another. Should a dispute arise, both alliances agree to settle the matter expeditiously and in a manner befitting the friendship found among both alliances. Article III: Information Sharing Should any of the undersigned alliances come in possession of information that may pertain to their fellow signatory, they are mandated to share said information with said alliance immediately. Article IV: Defense IAA hereby declares that a declaration of war on TIO shall be seen as a declaration on IAA as well. Should TIO come under attack as a result of their own aggressive actions, IAA may but is not required to provide assistance. TIO hereby declares that a declaration of war on IAA shall be seen as a Casus Belli for TIO to enter on behalf of IAA. This assistance is not mandated, though strongly suggested. Article V: Aggression IAA and TIO hereby declare that should a signatory of this treaty declare war on another alliance aggressively, it is not mandated for their fellow signatory to give assistance, however it is strongly suggested. Article VI: Economic Assistance TIO will assist IAA (and vice-versa) in building a healthy economy through reasonable means. IAA and TIO will grant each other preferred status in any buying or selling of technology outside each alliance and assist each other with finding trades when and if possible. Article VII: Cancellation Should both parties agree to cancel this treaty peacefully, a period of seventy two (72) hours will commence in which the articles of this treaty remain valid. Violations of the spirit and letter of this protectorate treaty shall consider it void immediately. Signed for The Imperial Order Imperial High Commander: Skippy -- Executive Imperial Commander: Raydin Imperial Internal Commander: Scorponok Imperial External Commander: Sup4l33t3ki11a -- Imperial Officer of Internal Affairs: Lars GaFTU Imperial Officer of Foreign Affairs: Dave93 Imperial Officer of Defence: Bernkastel Imperial Officer of Finance: Razorade Signed for the Imperial Assault Alliance Chimaera, Dark Lord of the Sith, Emperor of the Imperial Assault Alliance, cuddler of cute bunnies Facade aka Stagger Lee aka Staggel Ree aka Grand Vizier The Flying Scotsman, Grand Admiral of the Fleet, Destroyer of Alderaan, Last man to the escape pod, creator of superfluous titles, man who was too lazy to find the official sigs Voodoo Nova, Imperial Regent, Negotiator of All Things Relevant Mastabadey, Grand Moff, Minister Of Awesome, Director of Irresistibility Draeg, Imperial Exchequer, Resident Money Honey, Architect of the Great Naboo Ponzi Scheme Ratified by the Imperial Senate on this 23rd of March, 2010[/quote]

The treaty was met with general agreement by the Steward, and he signed it mere days after receiving it. Signed for the Sicilian League [i]Jean d'Aosta Steward of the Sicilian League[/i]

[b]Ajaccio, Corsica In front of the SL Government Complex[/b] [i]In the open courtyard in front of the Sicilian League Government Complex in the center of Ajaccio a stage and podium had been erected. Rows of seats filled the courtyard. A welcome breeze rolled in from the Mediterranean Sea, though the sun was not yet at its zenith it was already very warm. Technicians were busy at work adjusting the podium and bank of microphones as the waiting crowd of officials, foreign and domestic journalists, and average citizens took their seats or clustered around when there were no seats left. At last, Jean d'Aosta walked up to the podium. Behind him walked a file of Sicilian League officials, among them Admiral Calomar Acbari, Director Hossein Al-Hussein and the relatively unknown CEO of AI Corp, Viktor Illyushkin.[/i] "I would like to start of by thanking everyone for coming here today, this is perhaps one of the most important announcements in the history of the league, and I am glad to see it is being reported on so widely. As I am sure you are all aware, the Sicilian League has essentially ceased to exist in many respects. Government services outside of Corsica and Sardinia largely broke down, the government was torn to pieces, contact was lost with the world at large for too long and our place as independent members in the community of nations came into question. This is the gravest crisis this nation has faced and many have wondered if we as a people and as a nation, possessed the inner strength to continue to exist as an independent state. The support we have received from our allies, and the determination shown by the people of these islands to see our unity restored should, I think, give the world all the answers it needs. The people of these islands will not allow their independence to be stolen by a cadre of tyrants and usurpers. The people of these islands will not allow their spirit to be broken by division and strife. We are united, we are determined, and we will succeed, we will see our once proud nation restored, and we will see those responsible for these trials and hardships brought to a swift and terrible justice. Ladies and gentlemen, I was held in captivity by the fascist insurgency for nearly eight months. During those eight months they beat me, they broke my bones, they deprived me of sleep and sustenance, all in an attempt to get me to break. All in an attempt to show the world how strong they were, that they had broken none other than the Steward himself. But they failed, ladies and gentlemen, I remained defiant, I remained strong, I remained determined to survive. I escaped from their captivity and I made sure my captors received the justice they deserved. Ladies and gentlemen, this nation is held hostage by insurgents and by delusional members of our own military who would rather fight to make their own fiefdoms than fight to defend this nation. They have killed thousands of innocents who defied them and they have injured many times more. They have tried to break the will of the nation, they killed many members of my Cabinet in an attempt to destroy our government, they attempted to seize our navy and our air forces to further their own power and to better crush those who remained defiant. But they have failed to break our will, they have done their worst to try and break us, but we are strong, we are defiant, and we will see justice and order prevail. To those rogues who still try and oppose us, I give you two choices. Surrender now and submit yourself to the due process of the laws, or stand against us and receive our righteous fury. This nation will be made whole. Those responsible will be brought to justice. Necessary changes will be made, and prosperity and peace will once again reign on these islands. I thank you all for coming, and I thank the people for their strength in this time of crisis. I will now answer any questions members of the press may have.

...or stupid? Stupid is transferred by contact y'know

Perhaps RPing actual characters is not for everyone. What I would suggest instead (and what I thought Sarah was getting at) is having more depth to your 'numbers' posts. In many cases wars and battles are fought by saying how many troops you move where and how many missiles etc you fire during a battle. There isnt alot there that makes for an interesting read to uninvolved members of the community. I dont RP from the perspective of individual soldiers often (though I will if my opponent does) but I do try and include more detail about what Im doing in my movements and battles, be that providing snapshots of what is happeneing in the field or giving the reader a seat at the general's table as he discusses the coming battle and strategy with his or her commanders. While some people like Sarah may enjoy telling the story of a private or lieutenant as they progress through a campaign, that is not the style of RP that everyone enjoys. What I think everyone can do is include more detail, or just put more thought and effort into their war posts. Barebones war posts are dull, but even just a little detail can liven the whole thing up.

One solution to the problems you describe Gunther is for savvy members of the community to help the community as a whole out by going through factbooks and the like to apply the believability test to it. Most people here are not at a level of knowledge or caring to either know what is believable or to take the time to research what is believable. In many cases these egregious violations of believability are the result of the 'Cartoon TV' effect where things are intentionally unbelievable to make them look cooler. I know that during the Iberian War SOM and I went through a few people's factbooks and helped them correct some of the unbelievable aspects of their weapons systems. The people I worked with (think it was Maicke? maybe?) were happy for the input. I think that more community self-checking and self-regulation is the best way to improve the situation.

[b]Near Naples, Southern Italy Shortly after the IF assault[/b] It was dark, [i]where are the lights,[/i] he thought. [i]But more importantly, how did I end up on the ground?[/i] He tried to pick himself up, but his ankles were still tied to the chair he had been sitting in before unceremoniously ending up on the ground. Flexing his arms and fingers to restore circulation he set to work untying the knots that bound his legs. Though his wrists were chafed by the ropes that had bound them he had regained enough sensation that he could quickly untie the knots by his feet. As he stood up to survey his surroundings he could hear a rolling rumble from off in the distance. [i]Thunder,[/i] he thought,[i]judging by the state of this place, that must be explosions in the distance.[/i] He looked about the small room that had been his cell for the previous months, it had been so long that he could not remember how many. Almost a year now perhaps? The room was now blackened with dust, flashes of light from nearby explosions entered the room through the now collapsed roof. One of his former captors lay crushed under a section of concrete near the collapsed door frame. In all, two of the rooms four walls were gone, destroyed by an IF missile strike on a fascist AA site next to the house. [i]That AK could be useful,[/i] he thought as he walked over to examine the crushed form of his former captor. [i]Paybacks a !@#$%*.[/i] He picked up the guard's weapon and peered cautiously over the collapsed wall into the adjacent field. Two fascist guards were halfheartedly poking through the charred remains of the AAA battery destroyed by an IF airstrike. Jean ran to the cover of a nearby scrub of brush, crouching low to the ground to minimize his profile. He was about to dash for the road when he heard one guard say he was going to check on the prisoner. Jean was not about to take any chances, if the guards discovered he was not where he was supposed to be, it could make escaping safely much harder. Jean waited in the scrub as the guard made his way to the rubble pile that was his former cell. As the guard began to climb up the side of the collapsed wall, Jean silently stole up behind him. Before the guard knew he was there, Jean delivered a terrible blow to the back of the guards head with the butt of his AK, killing him instantly. Satisfied the secret of his absence would go undetected long enough for him to make good on his escape, Jean turned and jogged across the open field that abutted the house, making for the highway that lay on the other side. Jean traveled for nearly 3 miles, following a path parallel to the road to avoid fascist patrols, before he encountered a small IF unit doing a mop-up operation of the area. He threw down his weapon and approached the unit with arms raised. "Civilian, Im a civilian"

[b]Announcement from the Sicilian League[/b] After a series of direct communications between this government and our counterparts in the Italian Federation we have agreed to meet for a series of diplomatic talks to determine the future status of the Italian Peninsula and bring an amicable end to what has become an unnecessarily division between two former allies. Born from a series of miscommunications, misunderstandings, and misjudgements, it is our hope that the divide between the If and this government can be bridged, and that the process of healing can begin. Further announcements regarding these talks will be made as needed.

OOC: I will have further a response for you later, but under no rules of RP may you tell me what happens to my RP characters. While there is one IC post rumoring the Steward may potentially, there was never any definite IC information given that he was. It is not your authority to say where he is and if he is alive or dead. IC: [b]Announcement from the Sicilian League[/b] Needless to say we are in a state of shock, a nation we took to be an ally, a nation we thought was coming to our assistance in this time of crisis has instead seen fit to take advantage of our plight. A nation which we helped to establish so many years ago, a nation which we have sacrificed our sons and daughters, our time and effort to defend during the Iberian War, has decided to repay our efforts by denying our existence and seizing lands that have always, and will always remain sovereign territory of the Sicilian League so long as we proud people yet live. The Sicilian League and her people will not sit idly by and allow her lands and her existence to be snuffed out, we shall fight the Italians until we receive victory or death. The Italian Federation once had a devoted and steadfast ally in the Sicilian League, they have just made themselves a bitter and determined enemy. We shall combat their opportunism, and we shall combat their lies. The League has not fallen, and it is not our intention to allow that to happen. ------------------------------------------------------------ Private communication to RA, UMS, Slavic Federation From: SL Provisional HQ, Corsica My friends, the Sicilian League has, for many years, been dedicated allies with each of you. We are now faced with extermination by our former allies to the North. In our current state and with our current forces it will be only a matter of time before we are defeated at the IF's hands. So I come to you to ask for your assistance in this matter, though I realize this is a great task I place in front of you. All we desire is to keep the lands which have always been rightfully ours, our fate is in your hands. -Admiral Calomar Acbari, Commander, SL Armed Forces

[quote name='Pravus Ingruo' date='24 March 2010 - 04:17 PM' timestamp='1269461853' post='2235508'] The explosion hit before Private Mario Rossini heard the radio call. He hadn't even seen the shot. The blast was enough to tip the APC-33 Kingdom onto it's side. The heaviest APC the Italian Federation had, a modern-marvel of engineering, tossed onto it's side like it was made out of cardboard. Rossini, who had been in the machine gun perch, was tossed out of the vehicle, slamming onto his side and knocking the wind knocked out of him. Other explosions hit around the Kingdom, along with the other APCs behind him. This was supposed to be a simply peacekeeping mission, which is why the Federation hadn't send tanks or MLRS vehicles. Scrambling away from the Kingdom, he pulled around his HARM-25 Rhino and slid behind a rock, looking for enemies. "We're under fire! Repeat, we're under fire!" The words rang clear through the Private's helmet. "No !@#$!" He yelled back. "Get Command on the line. We need tanks, MLRS, and air support yesterday!" A bullet twanged off the rock near Rossini, and he sunk back deeper. A whistling through the air warned him of the artillery round before it hit. Before his eyes, the APC-33 Kingdom was turned into shrapnel and molten slag. With a single shot, twenty Italian Federation soldiers died. "Command, we have multiple men down!" As another bullet zinged near him, Rossini turned in the direction of the fire and let loose five 7.55x55mm rounds. Ducking back, he smiled slightly. He had seen the enemy. "Command, we are under fire from both sides of A1. Based on arc of fire and distance, estimations are Mount Maggiore and Rotondo. We need air support ASAP." Rome was the closest airbase for the soldiers in distress, and it was also one of the largest. Within minutes, more than six squadrons of interceptors and fighter-bombers were in the air, along with three bombers. The interceptors raced in first, looking to draw out the AA guns and SAMs on the mountains. The second wave was the three bombers, who, at their extreme altitude, released their payloads, looking to carpet-bomb the Fascist artillery positions. Finally, the fighter-bombers would fly in and do precision bombings on AA, SAM, and artillery positions. Tanks, mobile artillery, and MLRS units also began moving southward to support the APC force. Other APCs that had been in the convoy began to pull back but continued firing on Fascist positions with 70mm chainguns, 30mm machine guns, 60mm rockets, and non-lethal audio weapons. [/quote] Luigi Vespanccio peered over the top of his position on the lower slopes of Mount Maggiore facing the A1 highway. He allowed himself a wan smile that looked more like a grimace as he watched the fascist artillery go to work on the unsuspecting APC column. Plumes of smoke rose from the handful of destroyed APC's that littered the road below, he heard a few bullets whiz lazily above his head as the scattered infantry and APC's returned fire as they withdrew. He hefted his Dragunov to his shoulder, peering through the telescopic sight at a IF soldier who had miraculously survived the destruction of his APC. No, he thought, the range is too great, only luck would let me kill him. He hurried along the line of emplacements that made up the outermost ring of defenses. Made of solid concrete reinforced with steel and iron, these pillboxes, emplacements and trenches would present a formidable line of defense against an enemy attack. Defenses made all the more deadly and difficult by the rocky terrain of the mountain, a series of boulder and crevasse strewn ridges, rising to a series of craggy peaks. It had taken many months of difficult work to haul the necessary equipment, the artillery, the ammunition, the AAA and SAM up these ridges, but they had done it. They had done it just in time to make the IF bleed. Luigi reached one of the front-line communications bunkers, a informed his commanders that the enemy had been engaged and was falling back. Atop Mt. Maggiore, standing on a ridge overlooking the valley and A1 below, stood Cmdr. Bazziane. It would not be long, he thought, before all hell broke loose upon these mountains. He knew the IF would bring everything at their disposal to destroy the fascists in Naples, but he was damned sure he would make them pay dearly for the opportunity. Scattered across Mt. Maggiore's many crags and ridges, the AAA and few SAM batteries on the mountain were well camouflaged, and they waited until the first wave of IF fighters were well in range before unleashing their fire en mass. The SAM batteries were capable of tracking multiple targets at once, a good feature considering the number of IF aircraft that circled the skies. The rate of fire from the AAA and SAM batteries was withering, joined in by the occasional RPG or shoulder-fired AA Missile aimed at those IF aircraft that strayed too close to the Mountain's defenders. The crews manning the batteries were resolute in their task, all of them knew that defeat was inevitable, but almost to a man, they believed that the glory of this battle, the fury and fire and death and destruction they would unleash upon the IF would be a victory in itself. --------------------------------- [b]STRAITS OF BONIFACIO, ABOARD THE [i]SLS AOSTA[/i][/b] [i]Admiral Acbari stood on the bridge of the Supercarrier with the other members of the Provisional Government as an aide walked in. She brought good news, the technicians had finally finished building the long-range microwave network that would allow the Provisional Government to reestablish contact with allies in the Italian Federation, Rebel Army, and the United Mechodamian States, not to mention the global community that was still desperate for information on the state of the Sicilian League.[/i] "To the Global Community, this is Hussein Al-Hossein, League Director of Foreign Affairs of the Sicilian League and of the Sicilian Provisional Government. I am broadcasting to you via long-range microwave transmission from the SLS Aosta, docked currently in Sardinia. For more than a year now, the world has wondered what happened to the Sicilian League, what had happened to the once shining beacon of prosperity and liberty that stood amidst the waters of the Mediterranean. Today, marks the day when the world can stop wondering for a moment, and begin to receive answers. For nearly a year the League has been involved in a desperate fight for survival against a separatist movement led by fascist terrorists and a xeno-phobic faction of its own military. When the fascist uprising first began we did not fully understand to what depths our enemy would stoop to achieve victory. We were unprepared for the kind of war they wished to wage, unprepared and unwilling to shoulder the moral burden of the civilian lives that we would have to take in order to defeat them. As the insurgency grew our Steward, Jean d'Aosta proposed turning to the Italian Federation, and their new President, for help. The prospect of inviting IF forces in to Naples to help us was one that sparked a bitter debate within the upper levels of our government. Xenophobic and highly conservative members of the military establishment felt that such a move represented a fundamental change in the fabric of this nation, and when the Steward made the decision to ask for IF help over their objections, they radically took matter into their own hands. Threatening the Steward with a coup and further violence, Jean traveled to meet with the leaders of the opposition within the military at a base in Southern Italy. It was on his way back from this meeting that his motorcade was attacked and all contact with him was lost. In the subsequent power vacuum, the coup plotters moved ahead with their plans to seize power, capturing vital government and military outposts in Southern Italy, Malta, and Sicily. This was followed with a purge of many senior League officials while military officers seen as pro-foreigner were rounded up and executed. With the help of loyal members of the military, lead by Admiral Calomar Acbari, we surviving members of the League Government retreated to Sardinia, Corsica, and Taranto where we have been fighting, with limited success, to restore order and unity to the lands of the Sicilian League. The League lives on, and we shall not cease our struggle until those who seek to usurp us are utterly an totally crushed." Private Message to the Allies of the League: "Greeting friends, I apologize for the lack of contact between over the past year. Our nation has been gripped by extreme turmoil following the disappearance of the Steward. While the fight is not yet won, loyalist forces are every day driving back coup and fascist forces. With Corsica, Sardinia and Eastern Italy secured we are currently preparing for an invasion on Sicily to break the backs of the coup forces. I hope that the relations that once tied us together before this crisis can be renewed and restored as we will need your support and friendship moving forward should the League ever hope to return to its former glory. Hossein Al-Hussein, League Director of Foreign Affairs"