The Return of Karl van Zyl

[Botha]

OOC: I don't know exactly, but it would be somebody known to be friendly to the Tahoan government. If anybody like that exists in the government, its sent to them.

There's no one in the executive cabinet who is negative towards Tahoe - although the military commanders are neutral; the ones who are viewed to be most closest would be Interior Minister Boersma or Annetjie van Matteus (probably not a good choice in this case) while in the military, it'd probably be General Malan of the Raketkorps.

Hendrik Strijdom is by far the most sympathetic to Tahoe but he's currently on the outside looking in.

Edited April 20, 2009 by Botha

[Botha]

Impala reached over and took the flyer. "Ah, you like the Verwoerd Front? It is good to see an Afrikaner with his heart in the right place. I'm actually headed to Pretoria to find a job with them, help out the cause in my own way."

The old boer looked at him rather surprised. "Really? I am not a member myself but I do vote for them and I know some of their party cell leaders. If you want, I can put you in touch with them - unless you have previous arrangements with the VF... or I suppose it's now the SNP as they are calling themselves."

[Manetheren]

There's no one in the executive cabinet who is negative towards Tahoe - although the military commanders are neutral; the ones who are viewed to be most closest would be Interior Minister Boersma or Annetjie van Matteus (probably not a good choice in this case) while in the military, it'd probably be General Malan of the Raketkorps.

Hendrik Strijdom is by far the most sympathetic to Tahoe but he's currently on the outside looking in.

The message is sent to Boersma then, he is probably the natural choice anyway since he was who van Haesten, etc. worked with during the Azzarian revolution anyway.

[Botha]

Interior Minister Gert Boersma was on the line with his opposite in Tahoe:

“This is definitely unusual information you’ve given us – although I must admit that if it had appeared at our end we’d probably write it off to more baseless communist propaganda. We hear no end of slander and absurd and outrageous claims and rumours made against both the National Party and the VF.”

Typing on a keyboard could be heard over the line.

“However, all the records in our ministry database on Van Matteus’ daughter are showing Uys Rooyan de Ruijters as her father. No mention of Karl van Zyl as a relative.”

…more typing

“Actually, looking at Van Zyl’s records right now… strange, I don’t see anything on him going back before November of last year. Seems he was a refugee settler from the Boer Staat…”

Boersma was then silent. “Are you still there?” asked the Tahoan interior minister.

“Yes, now THAT is strange…!!! You see, Van Zyl is recorded as an immigrant from Boer Staat – however, the Boer Staat has been extinct for almost two years. So where would he have been between the Boer Staat’s collapse and him joining the Interior Ministry last November? I have to admit, I didn’t appoint him – he was one of Hertzog’s appointments assigned to the ministry, part of our policy to find government jobs for ex-Boereguayan veterans who returned from the war.”

“So Van Zyl must have fought in the South American conflict – although I don’t have access to military records to confirm that.”

Boersma paused and thought.

“I’m wondering if you could send that Van Haesten chap of yours down here to do a little digging on this. He’s an intelligent and resourceful fellow – and now I think about it, it’s very possible that Van Zyl has his own spies in the Interior Ministry. If I myself start to poke around looking into his past, it might raise some alarms amongst his VF sympathizers. However maybe if Van Haesten poses as a foreign historical researcher looking into the war, he might be able to ask questions that won’t raise any alarms since its coming from a ‘harmless’ foreigner. Also, if he does come across any VF, they're by and large admirers of Tahoe so they may offer up information that someone like myself with NP connections wouldn't be privy to.”

[Ranather]

Amid conflicting reports, Ranather's Office would wire a message directly to the Suden embassy in Pretoria to be forwarded to the appropriate officials.

"I understand that it's probably not prudent of me to be so direct, but I admit, I'm very worried about the conflicting reports I'm recieving concerning this Van Zyl fellow. Also so as to prevent any....issues, The VF and by extension it's successor in the SNP is still illegal here, as it always has been. Today alone, I have 17 of it's members, caught crossing into or attempting to escape from the country, sitting in jailhouses waiting a decision from me, as I have elected to handle them personally.

Since they are, in at least 15 of the cases, Transvaler citizens, I'd assume you'd like some sort of regular reports on their progress. They have not been formally charged with a crime, the only one I could slap on them is Membership in a Terrorist Organization, as the VF/SNP has been labeled. In most cases, I would simply deport them, but given the....situation, I'll defer to Pretoria in regards to your citizens."

[Botha]

Amid conflicting reports, Ranather's Office would wire a message directly to the Suden embassy in Pretoria to be forwarded to the appropriate officials.

DISPATCH FROM FOREIGN MINISTER STELLENBOSCH: Unfortunately if they are returned to us, we have to release them as membership in the VF or SNP is not a crime in Transvaal. If your government indeed regards them to be a threat, then I suggest that you take them into custody – as at least they are less of a threat in your own prisons that making contact with their comrades on their return to Transvaal. So long as we are kept informed that you have these VF people in your custody, we shall not raise an issue over their imprisonment.

[Ranather]

DISPATCH FROM FOREIGN MINISTER STELLENBOSCH: Unfortunately if they are returned to us, we have to release them as membership in the VF or SNP is not a crime in Transvaal. If your government indeed regards them to be a threat, then I suggest that you take them into custody – as at least they are less of a threat in your own prisons that making contact with their comrades on their return to Transvaal. So long as we are kept informed that you have these VF people in your custody, we shall not raise an issue over their imprisonment.

"My Justice Officers will keep in regular communication. The primary holding site for these persons is our Helstaad Prison, 10km NW of the Capital. Should Transvaal see fit to send an inspector, they are more than free to do so."

[Manetheren]

"Colonel Van Haesten...hmmm, yes I remember him. Promoted after his return from Transvaal and is currently serving as an instructor at the Advanced Special Warfare School in California...I'm sure he can be spared for a while. Very well, I will make the arrangements and he will be on a flight to Johannesburg within 24 hours."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colonel Van Haesten walked into his office in the Administration Building at the Advanced Special Warfare School, a small two story stone building with a wooden roof bearing the emblem of various Tahoan Special Forces groups over the doorway. His office was small and plain, only a desk and some filing cabinets with a window overlooking a grassy field with men doing pushups on it.

Sitting behind his desk was a tall man in an unmarked black uniform of the Armtha SS, no rank insignia, no unit insignia. The man stood up and said, "Colonel Van Haesten? I'm here on the orders of Field Marshal O'Coileain. You have a special assignment, Transvaal again." Van Haesten raised an eyebrow. "Yes, they want you back there, here are your orders, for security this must not be spoken about out loud. When you are done reading, burn the file."

Van Haesten was quiet as he flipped through the pages of the folder, "Yes, sir."

The man began walking out of the door, before turning around again, "By the way, do you have any civilian clothes...no? I didn't think so." He laughed before continuing, "Taped to the last page of the folder is a credit card. Go buy yourself some clothes and make yourself look like a civilian."

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Twelve hours later Van Haesten was in the airport in San Francisco, wearing boots, jeans and a green shirt. He had checked his newly bought suitcase in at the Afrikaanse Lugdiens desk a half hour before, with a dozen or so spares of clothing (also newly bought). As he boarded the 707, a smiling Transvaler woman stamped his ticket and checked his passport one more time.

"Have a good flight and have a lovely stay in Transvaal Dr. O'Casey."

Van Haesten almost looked around to see who she was talking to before remembering his assumed identity...Dr. Patrick O'Casey, junior researcher at the National Research and Discovery Foundation for Race and Eugenics.

[Vedran]

The old boer looked at him rather surprised. "Really? I am not a member myself but I do vote for them and I know some of their party cell leaders. If you want, I can put you in touch with them - unless you have previous arrangements with the VF... or I suppose it's now the SNP as they are calling themselves."

"No, I have no previous arrangements with the party...I'm just looking to help them out. I was educated as an accountant. I would have made the decision earlier, but I was more or less stuck in Mozambique at the time." It surprised him to hear that the farmer had connections with the party. He had his doubts that a country bumpkin like him had connections with anybody, but anything was possible.

"I suppose I'm lucky you came along. My name is Bart Hacker."

As their drive went deeper into Transvaal, a ship belonging to one of Transvaal's trade partners was nearing Cape Town. One of the passengers was an average-looking blond woman in her thirties, the second agent sent to observe/gather intelligence on the SNP. Cheetah was going by the name Xandra Hoffman, like Impala claiming Afrikaner ancestry (and being close enough to pass for one), and like him claiming former residency of a past or present Transvaal holding where it would be difficult or impossible to ascertain the veracity of her claims, this time the area in question being Namibia. Most of her time there, she would claim, was spent under the government of Cherokee Namibia. According to the story, after that government collapsed, she began to wander, making her way to the Comoros (when they were still independent), then Arctica for a short time, then another nation before finally catching a ship to Transvaal. Instead of carrying the obsolete rand like Impala, she had allegedly carried some foreign currency "gotten off the ship at a stop in Arctica and exchanged it for some dollars" which would likely be easily exchanged at a bank in Transvaal.

Like Impala, when she arrived Xandra would claim Afrikaner ancestry, an interest in the SNP, and experience with clerical work. They were both to keep the quality of their work average or slightly above average at the best; they were there to gather information, not excel and draw attention. That would be Cuckoo's task.

[Botha]

Van Haesten forgot just how long it took to get to Transvaal on Afrikaanse Lugdiens. After boarding the antiquated yet still airworthy Boeing 707 in Tahoe, flight ZA005 headed northwards skirting the Alaskan coast to its first stopover in Viniland, before carrying onwards to the Philippines for his connection on flight ZA004 to Mogadishu before transferring yet again on ZA001 to Johannesburg.

‘Note to self… in future take a direct flight on a different airline’ thought a now-cramped Van Haesten. However it did explain why there were so few passengers boarding in Tahoe and the plane left three-quarters empty. It wasn’t until the flight landed in the Philippines where it filled up with Transvaler holidaymakers returning home.

When the plane landed in Johannesburg, he was relieved to stretch his legs and walk about and even more relieved when he slipped through customs drawing no undue attention to himself as the custom officers from the Interior Ministry were concentrating on looking for duty free violators amongst the vacationers.

= = =

‘I’m going to have to relocate elsewhere – there’s nothing to go on here’ she thought after a few days.

Impala had arrived in Cape Town - by far Transvaal’s most vibrant and nicest city. It was also its most cosmopolitan in culture – which made for finding work not too troublesome but gaining any leads on the SNP here pretty much impossible. After her first day of groundwork, she quickly realized that the VF and SNP had no presence whatsoever at the Cape as it was strong National Party territory and the DBP to a lesser extent.

Her casual enquires into the SNP were often met with puzzlement, snickers, or a cool reception. She soon figured out that most SNP support was based in rural pockets located in the two former Boer republics, Transvaal province proper and the Orange State centered in the vicinity of Bloemfontein.

= = =

“Nice to meet you Mr Hacker” said one of the two men sitting with him and the old farmer at a roadside diner somewhere in rural Transvaal. As they had walked in, Hacker noticed the old rusty sign “Net Blankes! Whites Only!” still hanging up – barely on one rusty nail – on the door.

The two men were obviously not farmers, they were too well dressed and their manners too polished to be career farmers. But they seemed to be on good friendly terms with the old farmer who had brought Hacker all this way from the Mozambican frontier.

After shaking hands, one of the spoke: “So, my uncle here tells me that you have an interest in the VF and might be able to help us? We are always looking for new members.”

[Botha]

The executive cabinet and military commanders were sitting in chairs circling around the Staatspresident’s desk. Beside him on his left sat Prime Minster Jakob Hertzog and to his right was Field Marshal Paul Cruywagen, CIC of the Transvaler Krygsmagte.

Staatspresident Botha broke the silence with graven words. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have been notified that our IRON brethren are now at war, which means that effective immediately I shall now place the entire Federal Republic under martial law. I have vested in Mr. Hertzog and Marshal Cruywagen dictatorial powers until the conclusion of hostilities.

“First order of business is to arrest and detain all those internal residents who may pose potential hostile or subversive plans against our government.”

“Minister Boersma, I want your men along with the military to arrest and imprison all members of the Verwoerd Front and SNP. That includes Karl van Zyl and the Reverend Du Toit. Also arrest Annetjie van Matteus as well, as one can never be too sure where her real loyalties sit.”

“That leaves the Demokratiese Barakke Party – with whom we shall be forming a government of national unity. Frederik Geldenhuys [DBP leader] will be appointed Deputy Prime Minister along with Marthinus Hofmeyr.”

OOC: IG war - which effectively puts the brakes on the direction of this RP thread.

Vedran: assume that Impala gets picked up with the old farmer and two VF operatives during the wave of arrests on VF members while Cheetah is able to simply lay low in Cape Town. Cuckoo however would have to wait until after the war to infiltrate.

Mudd: As for Van Haesten, he can chose to stay and wait things out or return to Tahoe. I'd assume he'd leave at first opportunity.

[Manetheren]

Van Haesten had just arrived in his hotel in Pretoria, a small, non-descript affair known as the Hotel Highveld located in the northwestern part of the city. After being shown to his room, he took a shower to freshen up after the more than day-long flight. Turning on a small television set in the room while dressing, he noticed a headline saying "Staatspresident Botha to address the Nation."

Sitting down on the couch, he watched as Botha proclaimed martial law due to an impending state of war with an unnamed organization. 'Well this certainly messes up my plans' thought Van Haesten to himself. Hailing a taxi, he quickly drove to the Tahoan embassy before the inevitable roadblocks were established...he knew were they would be too, as he had helped develop the contigency plans with the Transvaler government.

In the embassy was a milling crowd of about one hundred, all civilians wanting to get out of the country following the Staatspresident's announcement. They were being calmly told by a secretary that the Tahoan government was sending an Aer Lingus jet from Gibraltar, as the rest of the Tahoan airlines with aircraft currently in Transvaal had all their flights already sold out.

Van Haesten pushed his way through the crowd towards an unmarked door on the left side of the entrance hall, where he pressed a button on a speaker and spoke the code that told whoever was behind the door that he was an intelligence operative of some kind. The door opened and Van Haesten walked through. A short man (for a Tahoan) with receeding brown hair stood on the other side. This man, Van Haesten knew, was the Director of Tahoe Intelligence Service for Africa and certainly knew his mission...he was right. Before Van Haesten could even speak, the man told him that Van Zyl and the rest of the old Verwoerd Front gang had already been arrested and he was ordered back to Tahoe.

Van Haesten sighed, another 24 hours on a cramped airplane were not going to be fun. Almost reading his thoughts, the Intelligence Director smiled and handed him a business card, saying "A prominent businessman currently in Transvaal is returning to Tahoe with all haste aboard his private jet. He is an ex-Armtha SS member and offered to fly any important servicemembers back to Tahoe, if needed. Take this to the private jet terminal at the airport and they will let you through security and on the plane. Enjoy the champagne."

An hour later Van Haesten was sitting in a massive recliner aboard a luxury 737 BusinessJet...he was not drinking champagne.

OOC: You can expect some reconstruction aid after the war is over, Botha. Good luck.

[Botha]

OOC: Nice concluding wrap Mudd. No doubt the war will give me much IG material to RP out. The Van Zyl storyline no doubt will be revived again after the war.

[Botha]

Field Marshal O'Coileain’s phone rang. It was one of the secret lines from the main security ministry communications hub. The Marshal picked it up. “Ó Coilneain speaking...”

“Sir, you wanted to be informed if anything unusual pertaining to the Transvaal special mission cropped up. I think something has: Annetjie van Matteus is here in Tahoe. And with her daughter we believe. They were targets of interest on the secret dossier which was circulated from the department of forensics. They were on a connecting flight back to Transvaal – she was apparently on some routine government business - but the Afrikaanse Lugdiens flight was grounded here on account of the Federal Republic declaring martial law. The Transvaal Government is not allowing any civilian transports in or out. Should we pick her up?”

[Vedran]

The Director closed the folder and looked across the desk at the officer who had ordered the operation. "This certainly changes things."

"Yes, Director."

"I presume that neither operative was issued cyanide pills."

"No, Director."

"Good. I trust you to have kept to procedure and told them nothing more than was necessary. Do you know if they penetrated the party before martial law was ordered?"

"No, Director."

"Then until we receive a report from either of them, they are assumed to be captured or killed. Postpone deploying Cuckoo until this...episode is resolved. Put the mission on hold. Unless you have anything else to add, you are dismissed."

"Nothing, Director." The man got up and walked out of the office. There was nothing for them to do but wait.

---

Cheetah had found out about the arrests just in time; she was about to buy a bus ticket to Bloemfontein to seek connections with the SNP there. She knew that Info Command wouldn't help her now, and she had to lie low until martial law was lifted.

Impala was not so lucky. He had managed to convince the young men to recruit him into the party when the arrests were ordered. He was picked up and made no attempt to resist, knowing they weren't going to suspect his true intentions and even if they did, he knew nothing of value to them.

The Arcticans waited.

[Botha]

The Arcticans waited.

OOC: They would not have to wait long. Since Trasnvaal is currently in anarchy and government control non-existant, your agents have been able to escape from detention. They can either flee the country or lie low undetected until the war ends. As well, it would be easy at this time to infiltrate further agents into the country.

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: They would not have to wait long. Since Trasnvaal is currently in anarchy and government control non-existant, your agents have been able to escape from detention. They can either flee the country or lie low undetected until the war ends. As well, it would be easy at this time to infiltrate further agents into the country.

OOC: you got nuked too, eh?

[Vedran]

Due to the chaos in Transvaal, Impala has managed to slip out of the government's grasp and has concealed himself within the population. Cheetah is still in Cape Town waiting for it all to pass. Also due to the chaos, they have still been unable to regain contact with their government.

Meanwhile, Arctica recognized the long-term potential of slipping in a few more sleeper agents at this opportune moment. They took advantage of the gaps in security along the peaceful Mozambique Strait, and, keeping away from combat zones, infiltrated the country.

[Botha]

OOC: you got nuked too, eh?

OOC: No, but still hit hard enough to go into anarchy

[Ranather]

With reports of a collapse of the Hertzog government reaching Nordic Lusakya, the Kaiser has ordered a state of universal and catholic Martial Law along the length of the border. Until further notice, anyone crossing, or attempting to cross the border would be searched and turned away, unless they were a member of the SNP, the van Matteus camp, or just plain causing mischeif.

[Botha]

unless they were a member of the SNP, the van Matteus camp, or just plain causing mischeif.

OOC: Van Matteus' political base was pretty much nullified when the Martencist party was banned during the last Federal Elections. Then in the wake of the Silver Revolution in Franzharia, the bulk of the hardline Martencists who supported Van Matteus ended up being repatriated to Deutschland after Martens agreed to provide a refuge for them.

Van Matteus' last remaining power base is... or was... the 250-man Transvaler Oorsese Korps which were pretty much her own private militia formed from exiled mercenaries from Dun Carrig and Sakhalin. It is believe the Korps were wiped out during the invasion - but that it unconfirmed.

Also unconfirmed is the whereabouts of Field Marshal Cruywagen - who has not been seen nor heard from since the collapse of the Krygsmagte on Monday.