The Kingdom of Cochin Chronicles

[king of cochin]

ROYAL COCHIN DEFENSE FORCES

GENERAL STAFF HEAD QUARTERS

GEN. MAHESH VARMA - C

LT. GEN. SHANKAR IYER - A

VICE ADM. KP MARAKKAR - N

AVM. PRAVEEN KUMAR - F

MAJ. GEN. SANDEEP ZACHARIAH - Q

MAJ. GEN. GOKUL VARMA - SF

MAJ. GEN. VIJAY KERALA VARMA - SC

LT. GEN. PANKAJ SETH - B

MAJ. GEN. REENA CHERIAN - T

C: Lady and Gentlemen. The King has ordered me to prepare a readiness report on all your forces. First of all Gen. Iyer, how is the new training regimen going on?

A: Sir, all forces are at 95% efficiency across the board. The II ACR which is currently the resident regiment at NTC is at 99% readiness. Sir I am of the opinion that going further will only cause unnecessary damages to the personnel and equipment.

C: Very well, General. Do you have any material deficiencies to cover?

A: No sir, all our units are at full TOE.

C: Good. Admiral Marakkar, what is the status of the navy? By the way may I congratulate on the excellent display put forward by your ships in the fleet review?

N: Thank you sir. Our task forces are now well trained. Last week e conducted a series of ASW exercises and it showed good returns. Apart from the Hornet that crashed during Fleet review rehearsals there were not much loss of men or aircraft. The Task Force 06 has reached Vladivostok and the crew are getting two days of shore leave. The Task Force 18 is right now in Somal for a port visit after the trade goods were delivered. We are planning to conduct some fleet exercises between our task forces soon. The task forces 23 through 26 are currently on port at Ratnagiri. The First Sub Squadron is now patrolling Arabian Sea, Second Squadron in Indian Ocean region between 64DE and 94DE. Third Squadron is currently at South China Sea and shall patrol the Pacific Ocean for now.

C: Excellent. By the way I have received some orders from the King. We might need a surface ship to visit Eastern Russia to give naval training to a friendly nation there. I think Maj. Gen. Cherian's people are already there?

T: Yes sir. They left just hours ago. Yuktobanian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic is creating a navy and they are about to build a corvette. As per the King's orders a team of naval instructors have been dispatched to Yuktobania. Perhaps Admiral Marakkar could send us a surface war ship to improve the training?

N: Yes, it shall be done. I can the frigate FR26 from TF06 out of Vladivostok to Yuktobania. They shall set sail tomorrow evening.

T: Thank You.

C: Now Marshal Praveen , what is the status of Royal Cochin Air Force?

F: Sir, all the regiments have been training to the hilt for the past one month. We are at an efficiency of 98% across the board. In the past month however we have lost 13 Hornets, 8 Ravens and 3 Jadayus to training accidents. I need them to be replaced.

Q: You shall get them in a week, Marshal.

F: Thanks.Gentlemen we have received some new deployment orders. The King has ordered us to ready a Expeditionary Force to Somal. We have acquired rights to develop some land there and the government of Somal also wants us to guarantee their territorial integrity. I think the mission requires a regiment of manned fighter bombers, a regiment of METACs, a squadron of S-RECOs as the air complement. AVM Kumar , please select the units and report to me in 6 hours. As the land complement we need to send an Infantry Regiment. The threats in the region do not warrant an armored presence for the moment.General Iyer earmark the unit for this mission. General Zachariah I also want you to establish equipment for a company level unit of ACR in the base we shall be building there. Now as naval complement I want a Cruiser Task Force stationed there for the present. Gentlemen, I want your feed backs on these in 6 hours.

N: Yes sir.

[king of cochin]

ROYAL COCHIN DEFENSE FORCES

DEPLOYMENT ORDERS

FROM:

COMMANDER,

RCDF.

TO:

COMMANDERS,

RCA, RCN, RCAF, TC

BY THE KING'S COMMAND,

THE FOLLOWING UNITS ARE ORDERED TO BE READIED FOR OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT TO THE REPUBLIC OF FREE SOMAL.

1. X INFANTRY REGIMENT (RCA)

2. TASK FORCE 07 (RCN)

3. MIG 35 REGIMENT, RF16 (RCAF)

4. METAC REGIMENT MT120 (RCAF)

5. S-RECO UNITS SR0120 TO SR0130 (RCAF)

6. TRAINING COMMAND DETACHMENT (TC)

ALL UNITS TO BE READY FOR TRANSIT TO RATNAGIRI ON MAY 29, 2009.

[king of cochin]

PALACE DURBAR TRANSCRIPTS

HH RAMA VARMA

KP VARMA - E

GEN. MAHESH VARMA - A

DR. FAHAD ABDUL MAJEED - SA

MAJ. GEN. ANJALI KAMATH - SM

R: Good evening Lady and Gentlemen. So we have had yet another diplomatic success. We have just signed the contract with The Free Republic of Somal.

E: A very good news indeed, Sir. It was rather unexpected but i suppose all the good things in life must be so.

R: I am sure that you were a bit chafed about Mathew Joseph securing this coup!!

E: Well sir, history is more often than not made by diplomatic novices.

R: Very well. So Mr. Varma you are suggesting Dr. Fahad as our Ambassador to Somal?

E: Yes Sir. Dr. Fahad is an excellent diplomat who also has a degree in medicine. He will be very capable as an Ambassador.

R: Good. Dr. Fahad, I hope you are aware of the challenges in store for you?

SA: Your Excellency, I have been quite briefed on Somal. I understand the cultural nuances that may come into play there. I shall endeavor to represent Your Excellency very well. Sir, I had spent an year working in the Horn during my early medical career. I had been there as part of an international charity providing medical care. So I am confident that I shall be able to deal with them with due courtesy and respect.

R: What is your opinion about Somalians?

SA: It is a beautiful country and the people there are very spirited and proud. They have had a series of bad luck but from what I hear now things are changing for the better. I do have some friends over there.

R: Good. Now, Gen. Varma, are the units for deployment to Somal ready?

A: Sir the deployment orders were dispatched just hours ago. We are planning to start moving there May 29 onwards. The personnel and equipments shall be air lifted to Ratnagiri where the Marine Task Force 20 will transport the army units to Somal. The air contingents shall fly direct to Somal. We are right now sending a preliminary team from MEC to construct a landing field in the area allotted to us. By the time the units start to arrive we expect to have a functional airbase over there.

R: So Gen. Kamath is going to be the Military Attache to Somal?

A: Yes Sir. She is an able leader and was the commander of the VII Mechanized Division, the Naykar division.

R: Gen. Kamath, you are being entrusted with a very weighty job. As the Military Attache you shall command the Somal Expeditionary Force. You shall be working under the Ambassador who shall have jurisdiction over all soldiers and civilians from Cochin. We need you to secure the territory assigned to us and coordinate with the military of Somal.

SM: Yes Your Excellecy.

R: Very well, Lady and Gentlemen. You are dismissed. Make the Kingdom proud.

[king of cochin]

GAL FLIGHT TEST CENTER

KARAGANDA

The observation center set high above the mountain peak has a clear view all over the spreading valley in front. Several kilometers away on the flat barren grounds a target range has been set up. Data from a forward radar station situated on top of the mountain is fed inside the observation bubble where some people are sitting straight in their chairs monitoring the various terminals and the distant target.

The silence is intense.

"YES!!!"

Far away the damaged T62s and TATA trucks which comprised the target range was obliterated as if by a raw force of nature. No one could even guess what or how it was destroyed.

"Gentlemen, an excellent display. I thought at least we might get some returns from the bomb. Didn't you use the standard 8000 pounders?"

"No, Your Excellency. We thought why not test two systems at the same time? We dropped the SHUSH bomb at this exercise," said Maj. Gen. Sandeep Zachariah, the Commander of the Quarter Master Command.

"Sir, we are of the opinion that for the stealth bomber to be fully stealthy we needed a non metallic bomb. The casing for this SHUSH bomb is made of a special ceramic material that has the same hardness as structural steel and gives a better shrapnel effect. Since it is non metallic it cannot give any radar returns. Sir, this has been a pet project of Maj. Gen. Zachariah, " Gen. Mahesh Varma said.

"General Zachariah, in that case I give a special congratulations to you. So Praveen, is the ADRIS acceptable to RCAF?"

The Chief of Aerial Operations said, "Yes Your Excellency, I love this plane. The ADRIS fixes the stealth bombing capability that we needed for offensive defense capabilities."

"Very well. Gen. Varma, Gen. Zachariah commence the production run on ADRIS. How long do you need for serial production, Sandeep?"

"Your Excellency, the first regiment shall be handed over in 4 weeks. The full ordered TOE of 5 regiments shall be handed over to RCAF by July 1st. We expect to achieve the production figures using sub-Project Reform systems."

"Good. Gentlemen you have done an excellent job. Do give a special congrats to the crew who flew that ADRIS."

OOC: ADRIS is a stealth strategic bomber based on TU60 and B2. It is next gen to B2 and has a composite body frame with very less metallic parts. It has a boomerang shape and ceramic based engines. It can carry 12 8000 pound bombs in its concealed payload. It has a top speed of 1.5 Mach and a range of 10000 Kms.

[king of cochin]

The Headquarters of Royal Cochin Defense Forces is located close to the Executive Air Field to the north of the Cochin City. At its Ninth floor two generals are meeting.

"Good morning, General Iyer. How are you today."

"In excellent form, Sir. Though it is sad for one to miss his fortnightly golf game."

"Ah, the rigors of King's service. Well Shankar instructions you are about to receive will surely be more interesting than a golf game."

Perked up the Chief of Army Operations Lt. Gen. Shankar Iyer looked at his boss, Commander of Royal Cochin Defense Forces, Gen. Mahesh Varma with a quizzical eye.

"Shankar, I have just had a meeting with the King. Our Supreme Commander wants to train some of our units for operation in sub Tundra environment."

"Hmm. Antarctica."

" I see that the intelligence briefings you get are not wasted. The King is concerned that the developing tensions in the region may cause a Dragon Bloc ally to be attacked and we may be forced to join in due to our Mutual Defense Pacts. We will definitely not join in an offensive war. Already I suppose some of our Infantry regiments have been geared up as Mountain regiments , am I right?"

"Yes Mahesh. The I, II, III and IV regiments are mountain regiments. They are quite prepared for combat in arctic conditions."

"Shankar I want one mechanized division, an Armored Cavalry Regiment and an Airborne Division trained up for arctic warfare as well. Let them train with the mountain regiments. You do have the necessary thermal equipments right?"

"Mahesh I am one step ahead of you there! I had predicted that we might need to ready a Mechanized Division and the equipments for that are in our stocks. However I will have to talk to Sandeep for the remaining stores."

"I have already given him a heads up. He is awaiting your call. So how long, General Iyer?"

"Sir, we need 4 weeks for Mech and Airborne Division and one more week for the ACR."

"Very well, get on with it. Thank you for visiting me, Shankar."

The two general officers saluted each other and the meeting was dispersed.

Edited May 29, 2009 by king of cochin

[king of cochin]

The 21 gun salute reverberated across the Parade Grounds in the city of Cochin as a honor guard composed of all combat wings of Royal Cochin Defense Forces, fired off their guns in unison to mark the start of the ceremony.

In the chilly morning of this somber day the King of Cochin, his cabinet secretaries and the military chiefs of staff were standing in attention as they were paying tributes to the fallen warriors who gave Cochin its freedom and integrity.

In the center of the Parade Ground a Grey silk shroud covered a massive monument. Once the guns were silent The King and the service chiefs marched towards the shroud to the beats of the King's Guards band which was playing the National Anthem.

As the procession came to a halt so did the band.

The King reached up and pulled the shroud off.

And thus the National War Memorial was formally submitted to the nation.

The massive granite obelisk was engraved with the names of the nearly 300,000 soldiers who had died in service of the Kingdom. More than half of them had died in offensive warfare and that was the burden upon the shoulders of the King. As a young officer in the armored corps of the nation Rama Varma had personally seen the horrors and futility of war. Thus while drawing and shedding blood in defense of the Kingdom under the reign of his uncle, the previous monarch, Rama Varma had sworn that never again shall Cochin be expansionist in nature.

Today he had the chance to finally put his horrors at ease. The names of his comrades from Echo company went through his mind also the the ghastly images of a tank burning and the sight of a young man desperately trying and failing to climb out of the hatch of a stricken tank while being devoured by flames from a sea of burning diesel and dismembered by shrapnel from exploding ordinance.

He could still remember sharply the final image of the young Peter looking at his Commander before the tank finally exploded in a fountain of flames.

Tonight he had a chance to lay his old nightmares to rest.

Also looking at the monument with an unfocused eye was his elder cousin and the commander of his regiment during the war, now Commander of Royal Cochin Defense Forces, Gen. Mahesh Varma. He too was remembering the voices and faces of people long dead.

This was the least a grateful Kingdom and its King could do for the glorious martyrs who laid down their life in the line of duty.

As the King and his generals walked back to their vehicles tears were shed ,some solemnly , some copiously, but not an eye was dry.

Vice Adm. KP Marakkar was remembering the groan of a hundred sailors drowning to death in a sunken destroyer which his submarine had torpedoed. As the Captain of his attack submarine he had listened to the sonar while his enemy was sinking. The sounds of strangling emanating from a hundred young extinguished lives had reminded him that no, war is never acceptable. He proceeded to sink more ships as the CO of his submarine and later as CO of the submarine squadron but he never forgot the gravity of actions he was doing.

Air Vice Marshal Praveen Kumar was remembering the fateful May Day when he led his squadron of fighters against the deadline enemy aerial blitzkrieg. He could remember the shrieks of his wingman Bronco who was shredded in his seat by Vulcan gunfire. Nor could he forget the bleeding face of his Navigator Jumper while they ejected as a desperate missile shot by a dead fighter homed in on their engines and blew merely yards away from their wings. Jumper was his best friend and was eager to meet his young daughter who was born merely day ago. He never saw his daughter.

The senior enlisted personnel who stood guard at the Memorial understood and were grateful for the tears of their commanders. They too had known the horrors of war and were glad to see that their commanders and King understood it as well.

The King shook hands with the Command Sergeant Majors and Chief Boatswain's Mates from all services who comprised the Memorial Guard and with a sad but lightened heart returned to the Palace.

[king of cochin]

The Commander of Border Guards Lt. Gen. Pankaj Seth walked into the eighth floor office of the Commander of Royal Cochin Defense Forces.

"Good morning Sir, you had called for me?"

Gen. Mahesh Varma smiled at his visitor, returned the salute and bade him to sit.

"Yes Pankaj. The King and I were wondering about the state of Border Guards. How secure are the borders, Pankaj?"

"Mahesh, all 20 Brigades are well in control. All points of entry have tight security arrangements. We can enforce complete border lockdown in 30 minutes from my order. our artillery have been training to a peak readiness. Several gun nests have been placed strategically and concealed. The mobile artillery units are all now at various Brigade reserves. On the whole the borders are secure.

“Gen. Seth, has there been any infiltrations on the border fencing?”

“Some isolated incidents have occurred but the infiltrators were identified and shot.”

“Okay. So how are the sensors and the unmanned defense systems performing?”

“Sir, the sensors are fully functional in all sectors. In fact in all the incursions I mentioned earlier we became aware of the attempt from the pressure pad signals which activated the cameras. Once they scaled the fencing the Metalstorm guns killed them .For small scale incursions our systems are impregnable.”

“What about a large scale invasion, theoretically?”

“Mahesh, we have organized the defense placements taking into view the various terrain features. Our basic defenses are strong enough to repel an infantry assault. With enemy artillery coming into play things get trickier.”

“At that time the Metal Storm 155mm Fixed Batteries come into play. These batteries of 3 guns per unit are set up in such a way that they are inside reinforced concrete bunkers sunk inside mountain slopes which dot our borders. In case of plains, they are sunk underground within reinforced concrete shells overlaid with shock absorpant blankets and over 2 meters of gravel.”

“Supporting them will be our self propelled artillery and organic armor companies. We cannot resist a heavy combined forces assault forever but we can delay them at all sectors until RCS units come to relieve us.”

“Excellent work. General Seth, you have indeed done a marvelous job of setting up the Border Guards in such a manner. I am sure that the King will be pleased when I report this. By the way do you need anything material or otherwise?”

“Yes Mahesh, we need more of those RSA aerostats. From the 5 we have currently deployed with one of our brigades for testing we find that they are more capable and efficient than the S-RECOs for our mission parameters. I need 95 more of these RSAs.”

“Yes, Air Vice Marshal Praveen Kumar too was saying about it. Other then basic recon capability the radars in them are a definite force booster. You have my approval. Talk to Maj. Gen. Sandeep Zachariah about it. You are dismissed.”

“Thank You, Sir.”

[king of cochin]

The skies above Almaty was witness to a rare sight : 50 oddly shaped aircraft flying in formation. This was to be the first and last time the ADRIS birds were ever to be flown during day. Tight security was maintained all over the Almaty Air Base. 2 squadrons of Su30 fighters from RF18 regiment based at Almaty had flown to maintain a Barrier Air Patrol to prevent unauthorized flights in the area. Two Halobs from the strategic AWACS fleet were flooding the skies with Giga Watts of electromagnetic energy to prevent any electronic eye to see them from far away. The Halobs were outside the patrol area of Su30s and even though the ADRIS came through their radar layer were not given away by even a radar signature larger than an arctic tern.

The majestic bombers flew over the Almaty Air Base and over the assembled gathering there.

"Well done Sandeep. Your Quarter Masters have delivered as usual."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

"So when shall the rest of the regiments be ready?"

"July 1st, Sir."

"Very well."

[king of cochin]

FROM:

CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS,

ROYAL COCHIN NAVY.

TO:

FLEET ADMIRALTY,

ROYAL COCHIN NAVY.

SUB: DEPLOYMENT ORDERS

THESE ARE THE NEW DEPLOYMENTS TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY ROYAL COCHIN NAVY.

1. TASK FORCE 06 IN VLADIVOSTOK TO BE REPLACED BY TASK FORCE 03

2. TASK FORCE 07 IN BOSASO TO BE REPLACED BY TASK FORCE 08

3. 4 SUBMARINE SQUADRON TO RELIEVE 3 SUBMARINE SQUADRON IN PACIFIC OCEAN REGION

4. 3 SUBMARINE SQUADRON TO RETURN TO RCNB RATNAGIRI

5. 2 SUBMARINE SQUADRON TO DEPLOY TO ARABIAN SEA REGION

6. 1 SUBMARINE SQUADRON TO DEPLOY TO INDIAN OCEAN REGION

7. TASK FORCE 24 TO REPLACE TASK FORCE 23 IN ATLANTIC OCEAN REGION

8. TASK FORCE 26 TO REPLACE TASK FORCE 25 IN ARCTIC OCEAN REGION

9. TASK FORCE 23 AND 25 TO RETURN TO RCNB RATNAGIRI.

SD,

VICE ADM. KP MARAKKAR.

[king of cochin]

The night was dark. The absolute darkness that envelopes the land before the breaking of dawn.

From the Hill Palace a person is walking out towards the helipad.

At the helipad there is a Blackhawk helicopter with newly painted RCAF markings. It was fully fueled and ready for flight. The flight technicians had done their job well and the man got in and after the customary pre flight checks lifted up into the sky.

In the dark skies free from other trappings, the man was feeling free and relaxed. He truly enjoyed flying.

A hundred kilometers out he was in contact with a Metac tanker from the 24th Special Forces Regiment. The tanker crew did not know who they were refueling or what their mission was, but then again, that was quite the norm for these aviators. They only knew that this pilot had a call sign HOREMHEB.

After filling up the spent fuel from his main fuel tank HOREMHEB disengaged from the tanker and proceeded on the North East course that he was flying on.

Another two hours later the helicopter landed outside the city of Urumqi. He had chosen the site well. The photo reconnaissance skills he had learned while in uniform hadn't deserted him yet. The landing area was reasonably flat and had good clearance.

After killing off the power the man walked 1 km east to where he knew the highway to the city was.

Dawn was breaking out of the eastern horizon. The philosopher in him drank in the beauty of rising sun. He neared the highway and was trying to hitch a ride. He was decked in non descript clothing, used, clean but not expensive, the garb of a middle aged government worker.

Though many trucks rolled by he did not get a lift. Finally one truck stopped by.

"Where you going, friend?"

"Sir, I just wanted to reach Urumqi. My car broke down and I was trying to walk."

"Quite dense , are you? Urumqi is still about 30 km away. Hop in. I am headed there as well."

The man boarded the truck.

"Want some water? There, behind the seat."

The grateful hitcher drank out of the bottle careful that no water should spill on to his carefully put disguises.

"Where are you coming from brother?" the man asked the driver.

"I am coming from Cochin. Have a load of computer stuff for some new firm that is setting shop. What do you do, mate?"

"Oh, I work in the SBT. I had gone to visit my aunt in Yining. So how is Cochin these days? I have not been there for a long time."

"Ah dont ask about it. Those cops and Transportation pukes are just a pain on my posterior. Why the hell do I have to apply for a fresh permit for every trip? And why the hell should I get special permit for every province that I have to drive through? It is the same country , right? Sure, aint much of a queue and the pukes actually process the stuff pretty fast, but it is a bit of a bore."

"Oh, is it? And what about the cops?"

"They are the worst. I mean the King always says he wont tolerate corruption and stuff and see how they are so corrupt right under his very nose? They place random pickets along highways and extort money from hardworking men like me. Why the hell doesn't the King ever do anything about them?"

"Maybe the King does not know about it. You could have wrote to him, you know?"

"Yeah right. My sister complained about apathy shown in the interior offices and the officers who do nothing more than snore in their seats and nothing has happened. Nothing. "

"Which is the office that she complained about?"

"Water works office at Kalamassery."

"Hmm. Interesting. Ah well here is where I have to get off. Thanks a lot for the ride. By the way what is your name?"

"My name is Chow Ming. What is your buddy?"

"I am Ram. Anyway nice talking to you, Chow. Have a good day."

The truck drove away and the man's mind was already churning over the information he had received. This was most usually the best sort of information he could get. Unbiased and with no hidden intent.

The man ducked into a still dark alley and quickly changed his disguise to that of an old man in impoverished clothing.

The man then walked to the nearby police station.

Waiting outside he heard the grumbles of a few older constables.

"Damn, man. Why should we have to take PT? I have 20 years service. I ought to be exempted from PT for my experience and service."

Hearing that the Inspector of the station, a Captain in his thirties said, "Abdul, you do know that you can avoid PT. You just have to go to clerical section. Of course you wont get the beat salary, will you? If you want to be a beat constable you have to be fit. If the criminals see our policemen are fat and slothy they will get confidence. So join up and quit complaining."

The grumbling constables joined in the PT. The man waited for some time until the PT was finished. He was impressed by the professionalism of the inspector.

The man walked inside the station just as the inspector walked in.

"Excuse me, Sir."

"Yes. How may I help you?"

"Sir, I am lost. I had hitched a hike in from Yining and I have to reach the railway station. There is a 9 o'clock train to Cochin which I must catch. Young man, could you please direct me to the railway station?"

"Uncle, it is already 8.30. Even if you run you wont make it. Jabir, come here." The Captain summoned a young constable who was resting after the PT.

"Jabir, take this man to the railway station. Fast. He must reach there by 0850. Sir, do you have a ticket."

"Yes Sir, but this is unnecessary. Please dont burden yourselves for this poor man's sake."

"It is not a problem. Jabir make sure that he has a ticket. If not buy one for him. Here is 100 Rupees."

The constable drove the old man to the railway station where he showed the young man the ticket.

"Thank you young man. But I have taken the ticket. Tell you what, you tell the Captain you gave me the money, but you keep it."

"No Sir. I will not do that. The Kingdom prohibits corruption. If you do not need it I shall return it to the Captain. however here is 50 Rupees from me. Buy yourself some food on the train."

"God bless you, son."

The constable drove off in his SUV and the old man walked into the station and caught the 9 o'clock train to Cochin just in time.

The compartment was full of soldiers returning on leave from their regiments. The old man was welcomed and a seat vacated for him.

The ride was joyful with the young feisty soldiers having lots of fun. There was lots of singing, laughing and joking of the lewd variety. The old man listened to it all smiling quietly.

"Children, what units are you from?" The old man asked.

"Why sir, we are the First Tanks, the First Shock Army Division."

"Ah, you are descended from my old unit."

"Grandpa, which unit did u serve in?"

"I served in the First Armored Division. It was augmented into Shock Army Division by the time I retired."

"Were you in combat, Grandpa?"

"Oh yes, I had fought in the Venad wars. Oh that was a bloody bloody time."

"Sir what is real combat like."

The question was from a new Sergeant.

"Combat is hard kids. War is a very ugly thing. You will have to see the men you served with for months or years disintegrating under machine gun fire or melting in burning tanks. I once had to see my best friend's face liquefy when a .50 calibre bullet struck his head. It is an ugly thing."

"Our COs say that if we train hard we will prevail," a PFC said.

"Yeah, you know what the General Varma says, "When training is a bloodless battle, battle will be a bloody training," a Lieutenant said.

"True, and we have been kicking $@! for the past some months. The new training regimen is awesome," chimed in another PFC.

"That is true, kids. But there is no real alternative to combat experience. And I sincerely hope that none of you boys will ever have to face combat."

"Well Grampa, we have reached Cochin. Where are you headed. Oh I am headed to Tripunithura."

"Ah, well our barracks is located nearby. We will give you a lift."

"Thanks a lot, children."

The soldiers led the old man outside the station where they reported at the RCDF transportation office. A Tatra truck was waiting for them. The men piled into the back helping along the old man, who seemed surprisingly nimble for a man his age.

As the truck rolled on, the driver asked. "Where do I drop you, Sir?"

"Please take that right turn."

The truck then came to the Parade Grounds. "Now where to?"

"Please take right and drive straight."

The truck with its merry soldiers and an old man drove down the Parade Grounds and finally the Venad Boulevard had arrived.

"Now where to uncle? Nothing ahead but the Hill Palace."

"Oh, drive straight on my friend, I work in the Palace."

The soldiers were bemused. They had taken on the poor old man as an unemployed old soldier subsisting on army pensions.

As they neared the gate the old man lifted a radio out of the depths of his jacket and surprising the onlooking soldiers spoke into it,

"Palace Guards, this is Horemheb. Hotel, Umbrella, Mango, Picasso, Yesterday."

At this prearranged code the gates to Hill Palace opened.

"Drive on soldier."

The soldier at the wheel drove on under the commanding voice of the old man. At this time a King's Guards AXE had formed up on them and was holding station at the rear of the truck.

The truck finally stopped at the doors of the Palace. The old man got out of the truck and was promptly saluted by the King's Guards soldiers.

Turning around the old man cast off his disguise and called to the stunned soldiers.

"Come on in , children. Today you get a treat at the Palace."

The shell shocked soldiers followed His Highness Rama Varma, The King of Cochin into the palace.

[king of cochin]

PALACE DURBAR TRANSCRIPTS

HH RAMA VARMA

GEN MAHESH VARMA - A

KP VARMA - E

GEN. MOHAMMAD FARAZ - P

R: Good morning Gentlemen. So as you all know we have a shooting war in Afghanistan between Sandwüstes Reich and Rebel Army. Gen. Varma, what units are deployed in our protectorate?

A: Sir, we have currently deployed the 2nd Mechanized Division, 1st Airborne Division, the 4th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 23rd Fighter regiment of Mig29s. in the sector.

R: General, I have told the world that we will be neutral in this conflict. We had started recognition and contacts with those germans but it seems they do not care about innocent lives. The reports about genocide, are they true, Faraz?

P: Yes, Your Excellency. We have several agents infiltrated into Afghanistan at this moment and the reports they are giving is quite bloody in prospect.

R: Any Raptor UAV operating in the sector?

P: Not yet sir, should we risk it?

R: Hmm. Send a Raptor to Afghanistan border. We must monitor the actions of the Sandwüstes Reich. General Mahesh your Elint units are well deployed in the sector?

A: Yes Sir. We have been receiving a lot of information about the systems and tactics used by both Rebel Army and Sandwüstes Reich.

R: Faraz, do coordinate with Mahesh about the Raptor flights. They have self destruction devices, right? We do not want any evidence or any technology to fall in the wrong hands.

A: Not much chance for that Sir. The Raptors operate at over 60000 ft well above the flight ceiling of fighter planes. Also they do not give any radar or thermal signature.

R: Okay. By the way General Varma get ready for your first meeting with the Dragon Empire Joint Chiefs of Staff. How does it feel to no longer be commander, Mahesh?

A: It is galling, Ram. Anyway since you say it is for a greater good, so be it.

R: General Faraz, take special care that no infiltration occur from the Kazakh borders. On another note I want to talk to you personally after this meeting.

P: Yes Your Excellency.

[king of cochin]

Through the torrential downpour that was washing the city of Cochin a solitary sedan is moving.

The man riding in the back felt that the tumult above reflected that in his own mind. He was having some doubts, and doubts for a man of his position must be cleared soon, lest it affected his people.

That was why he was going to see the matriarch.

The sedan arrived at an estate in the mountains surrounding Cochin. As it wound up the twisting and treacherous roads, its lights lit up a quaint little bungalow perched at the sides of the mountain. Arriving at the rain sheltered porch, Rama Varma alighted from the car and was ushered in by one of his nieces. He was led upstairs to a room at the top floor of the bungalow where the matriarch of the Cochin Royal Family resided.

Queen Girija Ravi Varma was nearing 75 years of age and was the Mother Queen or Amma Thampuran of the Cochin Royal Family. She was the aunt of King Rama Varma and as the eldest female of the family she was the matriarch and the titular superior of the monarch.

The relations between the aunt and nephew were always very warm. She had personally raised this son of her younger sister ever since his parents died in a plane crash. Rama Varma was only 11 years old then. On the day when she met the newly orphaned child, she saw the intense resolve and quiet strength that replaced the playful childishness of the cheeky child. Though he was shedding the tears of loss she could see in him the strength building up to help him get over the tragedy.

The boy Rama was also very fond of his aunt. He remembered how she had encouraged his own sons to involve him in their games and how she had advised him and grew him into the adult that he was today. He remembered the day her husband died of a heart failure. The pillar of her life had suddenly shattered and the woman was shocked. He remembered the sight of her wailing when given the news of her husband's death and equally well he remembered the strength with which she picked herself up to be a rock and a shelter for her children.

Girija became Queen Mother at the age of 63 and soon she was faced with the decision of selecting the next King at the death of her brother. She did not give the title to his two sons, both rightful heirs, but rather to her nephew , the quiet determined Ram. There was virtually no opposition, and to her immense pride, her own sons were the greatest supporters of the decision. One was by then a Brigadier General in Armored Corps and the other a distinguished musician.

Rama Varma was then a Brig. General in Special Forces.

Throughout his Kingship Rama Varma sought advice from the wise matriarch and the Queen Mother subtly led the King on various programs which she had envisaged for her people.

So it was that the King once again came to the Queen Mother for wisdom.

"Rama, how are you my son? You seem to be gripped by some great worry. What is it?", the queen asked.

"Aunt, you are right in that I am very worried. I have been having some doubts about some decisions which I took recently, " Rama replied.

Mulling over it the queen asked, "I see, are you worried about the way the fire might blow from the serpeant's fangs?"

Smiling at the well put phrase King said, "Aunt, I see that you still nurture your poetry. Yes, that is my principal worry. I now wonder whether that was a wise decision. Was I playing into the hands of a charmer?"

" Rama one always have to make one's choice, even when the pitfalls may not be even apparent. From the dispatches I have been reading, I know which ones truly worry you. The pattern indeed leads us to negative conclusions. You had no inkling that it might go this way. It was your mistake, Ram, that you only saw the positive side of the choice."

The chastened King replied, "I know Aunt. I know now. Perhaps in the future I may not make such a mistake. I shall consider more fully the implications of the choices which I shall make. What do you suggest I should do now?"

The Queen asked back, "What do you think should be done?"

The King braced himself for a moment and replied, "The present situation shall continue. I shall be wary of the treacheries that may be afoot. In the meantime I shall consolidate my existence. Diplomacy will be limited. When I feel that Cochin is likely to be threatened by forces within I shall make my move."

Smiling the queen said,"Then why did you ask me that question, my son? You have the wisdom. Just that you are still not completely sure about yourself. One good thing that came out of everything is that we have better access to our ancestral lands. Why dont you go and visit the temple? I am sure that you desperately need some mental refreshment."

"You are wise as always Aunt. I shall do so without fail," the King replied.

"By the way when is the world cruise about to be launched?" Girija asked.

"Very soon, aunt. Very soon." The King replied and after prostrating before his matriarch and getting her blessing the light hearted King walked out at the clear sky that followed the torrential downpour. His mind was now clear and he was filled with resolve. He now knew what had to be done.

Getting into the car, Rama Varma said to the driver, another Chaver soldier, "Ramesh, drive carefully, road will be slippery."

Yes the path beyond is bound to be slippery.

[king of cochin]

FROM:

COMMANDER,

ROYAL COCHIN DEFENSE FORCES.

TO:

CAO, CNO, CFO.

SUB: DEPLOYMENT ORDERS

THESE ARE THE NEW DEPLOYMENTS TO BE UNDERTAKEN TO KOREA. ARMY AND AIR FORCE UNITS TO DEPLOY ONLY AFTER EXPRESS PERMISSION TO BE RECEIVED FROM KOREA.

RCN TF12 CRUISER YAMATO

RCN TF13 CRUISER YAMATO

RCN TASK FORCE 06 CARRIER YAMATO

RCN TASK FORCE 01 CARRIER YAMATO

RCN 3SS SBZ YAMATO

RCN TF22 MARINE KOREA

RCA 2AD AIRBORNE KOREA

RCA 3AD AIRBORNE KOREA

RCA 3MD MECHANIZED KOREA

RCAF RF09 JADAYU KOREA

RCAF RF10 JADAYU KOREA

RCAF RF21 SU30 KOREA

RCAF RF22 SU30 KOREA

RCAF UF01 HORNET KOREA

RCAF UF02 HORNET KOREA

RCAF UF03 HORNET KOREA

RCAF UF04 HORNET KOREA

RCAF UF05 HORNET KOREA

RCAF UB01 RAVEN KOREA

RCAF UB02 RAVEN KOREA

[king of cochin]

The seed of thought planted by the Queen Mother took root in the King's mind. Yes it was time for a break. And since it was all like one big happy family, there were no formalities for the travel.

While on the go why not see the Chairman as well!!

Yes.

The King of Cochin is preparing for a long awaited pilgrimage to his ancestral lands in Cochin, in South India.

The King, his wife and his daughter, are traveling to Cochin after a brief stop at Bangalore.

The King and his family drove down to the Executive Air Field in Cochin City. After they boarded it, the King's Guards G-VII lifted off. Ahead of this jet were 2 HALOBs of the King's Guards fleet on a course to Bangalore.

Edited June 13, 2009 by king of cochin

[king of cochin]

The flight from Bangalore landed at Ernakulam International Airport without incidents.

The King's cavalcade was formed briskly by the King's Guards. For them also this was the first visit to Kerala and the tenseness showed in the eyes of the young soldiers.

The King and his family boarded the limousine and were escorted to Tripunithura by the King's Guards in their own SUVs.

"Look Ammu, that is a coconut tree."

"Achha, I know what a coconut tree is, " the King's teenaged daughter mocked her father. Though it was her first visit to the land of her forefathers she was acquainted with this magical place courtesy of countless stories told to her by her parents, grandparents and other relatives. The numerous photographs of the old Kingdom which were preserved by the Palace Historians had wondered her. Indeed unlike other children of her age she was very appreciative of her heritage.

OOC: To be continued.

Edited June 16, 2009 by king of cochin

[king of cochin]

PALACE DURBAR TRANSCRIPTS

HH RAMA VARMA

GEN. MAHESH VARMA - M

KP VARMA E

LT. GEN. SHANKAR IYER - A

VICE ADM. KP MARAKKAR - N

AIR VICE MAR. PRAVEEN KUMAR - F

R: Good morning, Gentlemen. I had to cut short my visit to Tripunithura to attend to this emergency. I hope I have some good news from you.

M: Sir, the deployments to Somal have been completed. The 4th SAD, 2nd Airborne and the X Infantry are currently training with the 1st Armored Division of Somal. The RF16 regiment is now helping in training the Somal Mig35s. The other 5 regiments are doing their own independent training. In case of trouble our forces shall constitute the I Corps commanded by commander of King's Armor, Lt. Gen. Kiran Varma.

R: Good. General Iyer. I hope your boys are ready?

A: Your Excellency, our units are all at 100% efficiency. Our boys are getting a ready feel for the country at the moment. Officers from the level of Battalion command upwards are undergoing tactical exercises with their Somal counter parts and rest are conducting joint training. We have authorized live ammunition to be spent for the training exercises as that would give the best feel for combat.

R: How is your supply situation?

A: Fuel and ammunition we are getting from Bosaso. For food we are currently sticking to combat rations which we shall be shipping from Ratnagiri.

R: Admiral Marakkar, how is the naval situation in Somal?

N: Your Excellency, Task Force 07 is handling Somal leg of convoys and Task Force 12 is handling the Ratnagiri end of convoy. Since there is a large traffic of merchant and naval variety at this time, we are taking special precautions. An aerial patrol is set up from Ratnagiri to Bosaso and we have also tasked NAVSAT032 to maintain coverage in the region.

R: Very well. AVM Kumar how are the Somalis doing in their aircrafts?

F: Sir, they are making very rapid progresses. There has not been a single crash so far and they are responding well to AWACS controls. We have excellent coordination between our two air forces, Sir.

R: Very well, Gen. Varma what about Pacific sector? How well is Vladivostok covered?

M: Sir, most of the units we had deployed in that sector are still there. They have moved from an orientation towards Yamato and have based themselves at Vladivostok. Currently we have cruiser TF13, carrier TF06, marine TF22 and the third submarine squadron.

R: Admiral Marakkar deploy your units to be ready defend Hanseatic Commonwealth. The times are unpredictable.

N: Yes sir, we shall deploy our recce units.

R: Gen. Varma, I want more satellite assets covering likely theaters. Increase the force readiness in the units deployed in Kazakh provinces. And deploy the Silver Shield Program. Now is the apt time.

M: Yes Sir.

[king of cochin]

HEAD QUARTERS

ROYAL COCHIN DEFENSE FORCES

GEN. MAHESH VARMA - C

LT. GEN. SHANKAR IYER - A

VICE ADM. KP MARAKKAR - N

AIR VICE MARSHAL PRAVEEN KUMAR - F

LT. GEN. PANKAJ SETH - B

MAJ. GEN. SANDEEP ZACHARIAH - Q

MAJ. GEN. GOKUL VARMA - SF

MAJ. GEN. VIJAY KERALA VARMA - SC

C: Gentlemen , so we have just had orders from the King. The force deployments can be seen through the briefing documents. Now we have to activate the Silver Shield program. Maj. Gen. Sandeep, have the units been distributed?

Q: Yes Sir, each and every aircraft, satellite, vehicle and vessel of Royal Cochin Defense Forces have been provided with the EMP shields. The last unit to be fitted was the MT120 regiment in Somal but they too have been readied on week back.

C: Vijay, so we can activate the systems?

SC: Yes Sir. The testing is already successful. Gentlemen we had designed the Silver Shield Program to resist all manner of EMP attack to cripple our communications systems. The testing was conducted at the Strategic Testing Facility near Yining. I am sure that you have all seen the results. So now we can finally operationalize it.

C: Gentlemen, alert your commands to turn the systems on. Already the RCAF and RCN have implemented the systems. Lt. Gen. Iyer it is time for RCA to implement it as well.

A: Orders have been given, Sir.

C: Very well. Pankaj how is the situation in our western borders?

B: As of now fully secure.

C: Very well. Alert your troops, general, we may have some visitors soon. General Zachariah I want you to send additional artillery units to the border guard brigades in that sector. Lt. Gen. Iyer, alert the units in that sector. They may see action pretty soon.

A: Yes Sir.

C: Maj. Gen. Gokul, I want a Company of Special Forces to be sent to Somal. We need to increase our operational intel in that sector.

SF: Yes Sir. I shall task C Company of 23 SF regiment.

C: Very well. Now Vijay, which are the assets currently assigned to Somal sector?

SC: We have assigned RADSAT045, RADSAT037, RECSAT012, RECSAT056 and NAVSAT045 to that sector.

C: Excellent and what assets to Pacific Sector?

SC: We have tasked, NAVSAT044, NAVSAT034, NAVSAT066, RADSAT038, RADSAT054, RECSAT025 and RECSAT004 to that sector.

C: Hmm. Anyway I think that will be sufficient for that sector. Now Admiral Marakkar, is the Arabian Sea SOSUS network ready?

N: Not completed, Sir. We hope to complete it by June18.

C: Ok. Anyway that is it for now, gentlemen. Rejoin your commands. We have some strenuous times ahead.

Edited June 17, 2009 by king of cochin

[king of cochin]

Strategic Testing Facility

Yining District.

An army sedan is driving along the Yining- Urumqi National Highway. The car is seen stopping near a fuel station literally in the middle of nowhere. After apparently filling up the sedan leaves the 6 lane highway to drive down a dusty country road going to the West.

The road is pretty rough and plumes of dust can be seen being raised. This is one of the supply routes to the Dept of Natural Resources Mining Center. It is basically a depleted coal mine once owned by KREL and now bought back by DNR to conduct experiments to extract more resources out of depleted mines. Only very few trucks roll through here and hence the condition of the path.

Around 20 Km from the highway the path veered underneath a railway over pass. The supply rail from the old mine was passing through a rocky over pass which had a narrow gap underneath through which trucks could pass through. This passage was exactly 100 meters long.

The sedan entered the underpass and about 20 meters down suddenly took a turn to the left, apparently on a suicide attempt to crash against the rocky face of the mountain.

The sedan drove on down a hidden passage that was barely illuminated by red storm lights to prevent any view from outside. The deception was perfect. The entrance was covered by a dark sheet which had the property of stiffening when electricity was passed through it.

As the sedan drove down the passage they were moving steadily underground. Finally 10 Km inside the passage they reached the check point.

Here the General alighted and made his way to the security detail. These were Strategic Command troops, all E5s and more, who were serious in everything they did. Even if it was their Commander in Chief they would check his complete identity. This facility was bigger than any other person or institution in the Kingdom except for the King himself. But even the King would have to be subject to security check by these serious professionals.

The General was finally permitted to proceed to a lift bank where he entered alone.

The lift sped down for what seemed like 30 seconds and then the General entered a conference room. The length of the room was a glass wall through which various stages of activity in the cavernous production hall further below could be monitored by the research teams and observation teams in levels below the the executive level.

The General walked up to his seat in the round conference table.

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am here to learn about the progress you have achieved today. Dr. Baba, how ready are we?"

"General, we can be fully operational by June 28. The final assembly machinations are being done now."

"Dr. Baba is the test site ready?"

"Yes, the place is fully calibrated with instruments for the data read out. We have found significant lead deposits in the area and that too shall serve to contain the test. Vijay, will the King be coming?"

"Of course Kalyani Sir. He will be here."

[king of cochin]

Warm rays of morning sun is flowing in through the massive bay windows in the King's Office. The King is seen observing something on the computer on his desk.

The intercom buzzes and his Secretary asks,

"Your Majesty, General Mahesh Varma is here to see you."

"Send him in."

Near the Palace lobby the King's Guards section chief received the Go signal from the King's Secretary. The general was led to the King's Office by a Captain of King's Guards. The general mused for the millionth time the sight of a dapper young man dressed in an immaculate executive suit finished off with a sword hanging by his belt.

The Chaver soldiers were quite very well armed conventionally but some traditions were still followed, like the combat saber. Not the ceremonial blunt edged sabers used with Military dress uniforms these were sharp weapons of choice for close combat warfare and any cynic who questioned the need for such an incongruence in this modern age only had to be reminded about that fateful night in Kashgar. The swords of King's Guards were well sharpened and oiled weapons which had to be mastered by any applicant to King's Guards.

Standing guard outside the King's office were 2 Chavers in full ceremonial regalia. Many are the Europeans who were amused by the semi clad soldiers dressed in white and red dhotis with a sword by their left side, lance in right hand and a round shield slung at the back. The attire was the tradition of the Chaver soldiers who have protected the King and the Royal Family for more than 900 years.

The doors were opened by the Captain accompanying the General and he withdrew to let the general in.

"Good Morning , Sir. You had called for me?"

"Yes, Mahesh. What is the status on Project Budha? I understand that Gen. Vijay had visited the facility yesterday."

"Yes sir. Dr. Baba Kalyani , the chief scientist of project Budha says that they are ready for launch on June28. We shall conduct the test at the DNR facility nearby. The site is best suited mineralogically for this exercise."

"Very well. What about Bright Star?"

"Sir, we have had many breakthroughs in Project Bright Star. The optics were tested and found to be optimum last week. The power throughput is being worked upon now. The Hydroelectric project nearby has been commissioned and fully 75% of its power is slotted to the Bright Star facility."

"So when can we test it?"

"It will be done most likely by August 1."

"Very well. Now what about the Antarctic expedition?"

"Sir, we are prepping a carrier task force for the mission. We have yet to gain go ahead from Department of External Affairs."

"Okay. I shall talk to Kumar about that. Well that is it then. Thank you for your time, Mahesh."

"I endeavor to serve you, sir."

With that the Commander of Royal Cochin Defense Forces left the room.

The King was observing the world map on the wall. The intensity of his gaze seemed to burn through a nation in East Asia.

[king of cochin]

Army Testing Center

Pavlodar

The V Armored Cavalry Regiment, better known as Trichur Horse is deployed for exercises at the Army Testing Center in Pavlodar. The hunky beasts rolled into positions for a simulated attack on an enemy armored formation. Led by the heavy T100 Main battle tanks interspersed by BTR90 and BRDM APCs on recce and anti armor missions, AXE Jeeps are seen running around the field with their ATGMs, MetalStorm Self Propelled Guns are seen ready to shoot, BMP3s are seen performing AAD functions.

An Indra terrestrial radar system mounted on a Tatra truck is guiding a squadron of Piranhas which are the eyes of the Regiment. A BMP3 ground control vehicle is monitoring the feed from a flock of 3 S-RECOs that are orbiting the battlefield sending Real Time reconnaissance to the Brigade Commanders and Battalion Commanders.

All systems are up and running. It was all going pretty well and the lead reconnaissance units are closing in on the flank elements of a fictional Division that were plotted by the S-RECOs.

At that time from a distance of 500 Km the enemy HQ launched an IRBM targeted at the rough locations of the 5th ACR. The missile sped up the sky and after the final stage separation the RV tipped down at the ATC. At an altitude of 30000Ft the warhead was triggered by a radar proximity sensor in its nose cone which became exposed once the outer RV shell was discarded after its fiery reentry.

The 50 ton yield explosion triggered the NNEMP device and a massive EMP pulse of 30000 V/M was generated to cripple every system fielded by the the 5th ACR.

Immediately there was a slight flutter in the feed given by S-RECOs but nothing more.

The 5th ACR and its high technology components had proved themselves invulnerable to Electronic Warfare.

Edited June 19, 2009 by king of cochin

[king of cochin]

High Energy Research Center,

Karagandy.

Apparently in the middle of nowhere a test is happening. The HERC is a highly secure scientific research facility, part of Varma Institute for Fundamental Research.

Today they are organizing an experiment which has many strategic potentials for Royal Cochin Defense Forces.

The Electromagnetic Pulse Radiation Environmental Simulator was being powered up. A testing range is set up where various units representative of RCD like elements from an ACR, a Jadayu, a S-RECO and a working mock up of a Cruiser radar system were operating there. This is a live test which means the Jadayu is manned and if the EMP disabled him he will have to eject successfully to survive.

The EMPRES controllers started the trigger countdown,

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0 Trigger.

From a range of 10 km 70000 Volts per Meter ionisation was produced in the testing range, equallent of a 50 KT Prompt Gamma Output at a burst height of 200 Km, which had the same effect as a 100 Mega Ton fission explosion on ground or a 1 Mega Ton fission explosion in space which was the norm for most EMPs.

The effect of this experiment was significant.

The Jadayu pilot reported perfect telemetry and communication signals, the S-RECO displayed signal loss and telemetry loss for hardly 3 seconds and the massive radar of the cruiser showed a power peak of 0.5% above Peak Overshot value, quite manageable within its parameters.

The test was a success. Royal Cochin Defense Force was thus completely secure from Electronic Warfare.

[Maelstrom Vortex]

Dragonisia sends its congratulations on the successful EMP shielding test.

[king of cochin]

The Kingdom of Cochin thanks Dragonisia. In this volatile world it seemed an utmost necessity.

[king of cochin]

The ADRIS flew invisible to the radar shields that enveloped the test site.

It was midnight at the Ordinance Test Center in Issykkul.

A mock city was built out of concrete by Corps of Engineers over the past month in preparation for this test.

The radar shields was merely cosmetic. ADRIS' stealth was manifest after several experiments.

At an altitude of 50000 Mts, the ADRIS dropped its payload from its concealed bay.

The ungainly bomb is 8 m in length and had a diameter of 1 m. Its weight of 7 tonnes rapidly put it under the stern laws of gravity and it was guided to its final target by tiny seekers at its nose and tail which could get guidance either from the constellation of satellites above or from a laser targeting device as was the case now.

As the bomb reached an altitude of 100 ft the radar proximity sensors in its nose triggered the device.

The signal from the sensor initiated the small block of HMX, secondary explosive at the core of the bomb. The high energy explosion of the HMX core shattered the cellulose frame of the bomb and released a cloud of H8, a nano engineered explosive chemical created by FACT and Cochin State Armory. The blast of the HMX and the close proximity with oxidizing air triggered the secondary explosion of the nearly 7 tonnes of H8 with a blast yield of 50 Tonnes.

The high energy event was reminding of sun rise.

The immense shock wave which preceded the thermal wave pulverized the reinforced concrete structures that were built in the test range. This blast wave traveled at a velocity of nearly 3 Km/s.

The High pressure blast pulse that followed the Stage One shock wave destroyed the strengthened bunkers that were designed with nuclear weapons in mind.

The Stage three of the explosive event was the lower pressure thermal wave which attained a core temperature of 3500K, enough to melt Rhenium. Practically the Battalions of old T72 tanks which were specially reinforced with uranium alloy armor where melted into shapeless blobs and masses of mannequins designed to replicate human beings literally vaporized under the combined effect of high pressure and high temperature.

The ADRIS flew away back to its base and the high energy event gradually dissipated itself into the cool night leaving virtually no pollution at ground zero. The tiny guidance seekers were vaporized during the Stage three explosion and the cellulose body of the bomb itself had vaporized during the initial HMX triggering. To a casual observer no sign of an over attack was left. It was as if a wrathful almighty God had struck the mortals.

About 10 Km away at the top of an adjacent mountain peak top officers from RCDF, FACT and Cochin State Armory were observing the action from a field observation camp.

Various instruments, now mere vapors in atmosphere, had given out their readings before their tumultous end.

"Gentlemen, the Great Ordinance Air Blast Project is success. The GOAB is now formally inducted into Royal Cochin Defense Forces.

OOC: Grandpa Of All Bombs is now part of RCDF inventory.

Edited June 21, 2009 by king of cochin

[king of cochin]

ARMY TESTING CENTER

PAVLODAR

The observation stands at the Army Testing Center, Pavlodar is not quite crowded but what crowd there is, is quite important. Top brasses from Army are here for the unveiling of some new systems by Quarter Master Command.

Seated are Gen. Mahesh Varma, Commander of Royal Cochin Defense Forces, Lt. Gen. Shankar Iyer, Chief of Army Operations, Air Vice Mar. Praveen Kumar, Chief of Aerial Operations, Maj. Gen. Sandeep Zachariah, Commander of Quarter Master Command, Maj. Gen. Gokul Varma, Commander of Royal Cochin Special Forces, Maj. Gen. Vijay Kerala Varma, Commander of Strategic Command, Lt. Gen. Pankaj Seth, Commander of Border Guards, Maj. Gen. Reena Cherian, Commander of Training Command, Commanders of the 4 Shock Army Regiments, 9 Armored Cavalry Regiments and 8 Mechanized Divisions

The ceremony is conducted by a Colonel of QMC. First to be showcased was a product for the Army.

A standard armored obstacle course was set up with instrument ratings for the various tests being displayed on a bill board visible to the generals.

" Gentlemen, today we are going to showcase the revolutionary new development of Cochin State Armory and Tatra Automotive Works. This is a design that has been on the anvil for the past one year. It has been extensively tested and perfected and today we are going for the field trials. To the North, Ladies and Gentlemen, you may observe a small cloud of dust approaching us."

"To the West we have a Platoon of 8 T100s from the III Armored Cavalry Regiment. To the East we have a Platoon of 8 T150Xs that we are showcasing today. These two groups have been on an endurance run for 2000 km with bare time for refueling and crew changes for the past week. They have been strenuously tested and stressed. In fact through this 2000 Km run we have been able to recreate true combat stress and fatigue in the machines. The two groups had to pass Standard Armor Course ranges every 250 Km. "

"We have had neutral observers from Royal Cochin Air Force and Royal Cochin Navy tracking the two groups of tanks. There has been 3 breakdowns on the T100s which took an average of 90 minutes per break to fix and there was a single break down for T150Xs which took 113 minutes to fix."

"The tracks were replaced at 1000 Kms for both groups. Gentlemen , we have a MERAT Elint aircraft orbiting us with its Terrascan radars operational. In the bill board you can see Real Time downlink from the RCAF Air crafts. You can see the lower radar cross section of the T150X and the low thermal signature even in combat conditions."

The Army Generals observed the approaching columns of tanks through field glasses set up in the stands.

Gradually the tanks all stopped near the observation stands where the crowd of senior generals surrounded the grimy soldiers who dismounted the tanks.

The weary soldiers were cordially quizzed by the senior generals and the tanks were observed scientifically by the grizzled veterans who had grown up in ancestors of these classes of vehicles.

The increased durability of T150X was obvious and further inspection of tracks, tubes and engines. The older generals also peered inside the compartment to experience the feel of the tank under combat conditions, for they deemed it their responsibility to give truly worthy weapons for the young men and women who served the Kingdom.

After inspecting the tanks the generals came back to the stands and a fresh crew started one tank randomly chosen from the two groups. They were to be ridden across the Standard Armored Obstacle Course in their combat weakened state. First to go across was the T100 and second to go across was the T150X. It became clear to the generals that T150X trumped T100 and was the best Main Battle Tank of the world.

The Colonel continued, "Gentlemen, T150X has a Uranium reinforced Carbon Armor and body. A nano engineered lead sheath covers the armor and the Inner Carbon body of the vehicle. The weight of T150X is 57 tonnes and it is armed with the new 135mm Main Gun designed by Cochin State Armory. It is powered by a TAW522 diesel engine and drive train. It is capable of a top speed of 85 KMPH and has a mileage of 5 KMPL. The new armor technology is far superior to the Uranium reinforced Titanium body that protects T100. It also has a longer range and fire power than the T100 which is armed by the 120MM Main Gun. "

"Gentlemen, in all aspects of the warfare T150X is a suitable successor to the T100. Its principally carbon body reduces its Radar signature. The new TAW522 engine and improved drive train considerably reduces the thermal signature. The armor can withstand the impact of a 155 MM artillery shell. In short T150X is fit to be the new Main Battle Tank of Royal Cochin Army. Now we can see the live demonstration of the ability of T150X armor and its main gun."

At the firing range a platoon of Field Artillery was set up to fire their 155MM SPGs . At the distance is an unmanned T150X crammed with simulation dummies and various instruments. First it was a single shot. The shell was tracked by the Milli meter wave radar and its course shown on the bill board. The 155 mm shell landed right on top of the engine. The Tank shuddered but was not disabled. The inner instruments showed the engine running properly. Now a T100 fired its 120 MM main gun at the T15OX. The shell merely bounced off the Strengthened armor at the front of the Tank.

Next was a volley fire by the artillery platoon which did disable the T150X but did not kill it. The over head armor withstood two hits and two other hits blew off the tracks from the tank. However the dummies which simulated crew inside the tank were unscathed.

Next was a MRSI fire by the platoon which finally produced the death of the tank and the top of the tank went spectacularly ballistic due to the secondary explosion caused by exploding ammunition within it.

The Generals saw the display and were satisfied. Here was a worthy weapon for Cochin's soldier.