Secrets and Rumors

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: I really don't have as much time as I want to for this.
IC:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/kFHER.png[/img]

With the outer slums taken by Austrian and Loyalist soldiers, the only strongholds that remained now was the city of Kano and the centralized Republican resistance in Sarnunga. BMP-2Fs had destroyed the slums, not allowing so much as a scrap of cover for Republican forces. Ghost Division soldiers held Kano with an iron fist, controlling every major road out of the city and preventing further supplies from coming in.

By now, the Loyalists had abandoned their standard-issue Commonwealth uniforms, ordering from various German and Austrian companies reproductions of the M40 wool field coat, with modifications of course. Just like in the old Wehrmacht, the Loyalist soldiers were forbidden from removing these field coats, but were permitted to roll the sleeves up. Artillery pounded the Republican strongholds day and night, preventing any sort of counter attack. With no air power to speak of and all armor advantage destroyed, it was clear that Garnier was on the losing end of the civil war. The two Oka class missiles he still had in his possession, and he intended to use them as soon as Frontino made an advance into Sarnunga.

In the morning hours of September 27th, the Loyalists advanced. The artillery campaign ended, and the infantry began to move up. Supported by the BMP-2Fs, they began to set fire and destroy anything that could be useful to the Republicans. It began to rain, and soon a torrential downpour was on the battlefield. T-80s moved, loudly announcing their presence by blasting any tall structure and crushing cars. The Republicans, both militia and regulars, came to the streets to fight. Armed with small anti-tank guns and RPG-29s, they did everything they possibly could to repulse the T-80s and BMP-2Fs.

Hamilton Fouquet was a seventeen year old Loyalist, a militiaman who rose up in Sarnunga once he had heard Frontino had returned. He was armed with a simple bolt-action hunting rifle, one he had bought on a trip to France. He now was on main street, helping his comrades to liberate his home from the Republicans. His militia unit had been mixed in with a Loyalist regular division, and they had a friendly rivalry. The professional soldiers looked down on their ragged looks and primitive arms, but at the same time others respected them for doing what they wanted to do the most - protect their home. He had been helping a soldier firebomb a factory when he began to hear the clatter of a machine gun. He turned just in time to see his neighbor fall from a bullet. The soldiers began shouting in French to get down, and Hamilton dove behind a brick wall. He checked his rifle - five rounds fully loaded. He peeked out and fired a shot, then went back to cover. He didn't know if he had hit someone, but that was beside the point. Hamilton worked the bolt, watching the brass fly to his feet. Another soldier dove to the same cover, and he asked Hamilton if he knew where they were coming from. Hamilton said he didn't, and that seemed to irritate the soldier. The soldier popped out for a second to fire off his assault rifle, and ducked down to reload. The two quickly introduced themselves and decided it'd be best if they stuck together, since it seemed everyone had been separated in the attack.

[Markus Wilding]

Hamilton and the soldier stayed in their cozy brick wall, popping out to shoot at targets every now and then. Rockets from RPG-29s were flying everywhere, and through an act of God only two hit their targets on the BMP-2Fs. With a vengeance, the BMP-2Fs moved up, setting the RPG troops on fire while the infantry covered them from anyone else. A mortar team now set up not far from where Hamilton and the soldier was, and the two decided it'd be best to move out. Rushing along the rainy streets of Sarnunga, they found an abandoned building with a perfect sniping position. Evidently, someone else thought this too. The pair heard voices speaking English coming from the building. They cautiously approached, calling out to see if they were Loyalists. No response. Hamilton and the soldier continued to move slowly towards the building, and suddenly a man with an AK-74 popped out, an armband on his left arm. He seemed to recognize the soldier, and moved to greet him. "Lieutenant! How good it is to see you again!" The soldier laughed and said in English, "Panetier, where did you get that piece? Wasn't that standard issue when we had a King?" "Panetier" glanced at the AK before returning his gaze to the Lieutenant. "Lt. Chesnay, I can only say I did what I could to get arms after the war." He seemed to remember he was standing in the rain as he said "Come! Come, let us go back inside. Bring your friend with you."

The Lieutenant and Sergeant talked a lot throughout the day, mainly of what the battles were like during Operation Just Cause. Hamilton tuned them out and looked towards the street. He didn't particularly want to hear stories of the madness of warfare, he had experienced it firsthand. Hamilton blew a sigh out, still watching the road. A shot came out of nowhere, whizzing past his head and implanting itself in the wall next to him. On instinct, he dove down and tried to figure out what had just happened. The soldiers and other militia came to the window too, and Chesnay was asking him if he had been shot. "No, no, I'm OK!" Hamilton shouted. The soldiers asked him where the shot came from. He pointed to his left and they took their assault rifles and began shooting in that direction. A BMP-2F rolled down the street from the right, and it looked like the crew didn't know the people in the building were Loyalists. Panetier shouted at Hamilton to get down there and tell the BMP that there were friendlies in the building. He raced down the stairs, hoping he could get there in time. He began shouting in French to the BMP, asking them to open up. A tanker popped his head out and asked him what the hell he was shouting about. "There are friendlies in that building! Don't fire!" The tanker nodded and closed the hatch, then the BMP began to move down the street again. Hamilton stood in the rain for a bit, then began to laugh idiotically. He had stopped his friends from being killed by literal friendly fire. He walked back inside, utterly exhausted from the mad dash downstairs. When he reached the second floor, the Lt. said he would be proud to serve with Hamilton any day.

That was the last thing Hamilton heard before a Republican sniper got him.

In the course of a week, the city of Kano was liberated in the Loyalist name. After a destructive street battle that killed over 340,000 men on both sides, the city of Sarnunga was also liberated. President Garnier was captured alive by soldiers of Ghost Division and the Austrians.

Two weeks later, President Garnier was tried by a court in Sarnunga, with Frontino and Lady Tyrannia acting as the judges.

"President Garnier, to the charge of High Treason, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty, Frontino."

"On the charge of espionage, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty, Frontino."

"On the charge of betraying your motherland, of collaborating with the People's Republic of Africa and inciting anti-Sopuluchukwu propaganda, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty, Frontino."

"President Thomas Garnier, by the order of this court I find you guilty of all charges. You will be sentenced to death by hanging. May God have mercy on your soul, old friend."