Altaria in Flames

[MostGloriousLeader]

[i]With only several hours of notice the Altarian Federal Government was ill prepared for the unexpected coup attempt that was about to take place. It seemed like it happened all at once across the entire nation. Separatist militias began attacking military and police personnel. Many military units even defected to the separatists. While fighting was occurring all over the country the pitched battle that would determine if the initial coup would be a success or not was taking place in the capital city of Altaria. [/i]

The situation was very bad in Altaria. From what General Arnold Arco could see the situation was almost hopeless. Almost. Not once in the history of their people had an Arcean ever surrendered to the enemy and he was not going to tarnish that legacy. The General was working from a makeshift command post in the Grand Chancellery. His main objective was to keep the Chancellor safe and get him to safety when, more like if, the opportunity arose. But right now they were in the security shelter under the building attempting to coordinate it's defense. His forces consisted of a reinforced company of the Altarian Republic Guard (some of the best Arcean soldiers he'd ever seen), a battalion of Arcean Rangers, and a tank platoon. He estimated he was facing at a least a brigade sized force, probably even more. Some reinforcements were on the way but it seemed like their main base got hit hard and they had been off the air ever since.

The general turned to a major working at the main communications console who was waving him over. "What do you have for me Reynolds?" The major was still scanning the information screen while he was giving his reply "I tried contacting Altaria Air Force Base to request an evac but they say they're under heavy attack and won't be able to get anything through the city without it being shot down." General Arco was displeased and the scowl on his face showed it. "You tell those fly boys they better get their @#$% over here NOW! I- never mind. Put me on and I'll talk to them." The general took the radio phone offered by the major and began to speak. "Altaria AFB do you read me? This is General Arnold Arco. I don't know what the hell you guys are doing but you're going to have to give me a better answer than what you gave the major here." The man on the other line was an air force colonel, good. "General this is Colonel Talberton, I have assumed command of Altaria AFB. The CP got wiped out and I'm the next guy up. I'd like to help you out sir but they're hitting this base pretty hard. It would be hard enough to get off the ground let alone make it into the city for a pick up." The general snapped. "YOU LISTEN TO ME BOY! I am ordering a pickup of tier one personnel here at the Grand Chancellory! You WILL provide any and all forces available to complete this operation. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME NOW!?!? The colonel on the other end deflated abruptly. "Yes sir, I'll see what I can get up. Hold on for a second to get a quick look at the situation. Alright. I have I have a couple Chinooks and Pavelows on the pad ready to go along with some helicopter gunships for escort. They'll be up in ten minutes and it'll take another ten to get there. If they can make it through the city and out safely anyway. Is there anything else you need sir?" "No colonel. You're help is much appreciated, General Arco out". Now it was a race against time.

Outside the Chancellery Lieutenant Colonel Teal'c was trying to lead the defense of the building. He was actually a junior officer of the Arcean Rangers but he was the last ranking officer left. Come to think of it he was one of four officers left in his unit. Command should have been transferred to an officer of the Republic Guard but it seemed their CO was dead too so he was in charge for now. His forces had sustained serious casualties but so far had been able to hold off the repeated waves of attacks. Things had gotten a lot easier with the arrival of seven M-60 Patton MBTs. Relegated to mostly just using their machine guns they did prove useful on numerous occasions. It seemed the enemy had tanks as well and over a dozen had mounted an attack on the building. Thankfully they were old M24 Chaffee light tanks and were more than easily taken care of by the M-60s. Now his main issue was their dwindling supply of ammunition. He was down to three magazines and he hadn't even been fighting that much, was he? Well, he had several men running ammo up from the Chancellery's armory but that supply seemed to be going fast as well. He turned to his RTO and said "Sergeant get General Arco on the horn ASAP" He was answered with a quick yes sir and was given the radio phone. "General this is Colonel Teal'c. I'm almost positive we can hold them off but we're going to need ammo, a lot of it. We're running really low here so unless you want us to use our guns as clubs we're gonna need some more." "Understood Colonel. Supplies are on the way as we speak, possibly reinforcements. Hang tight till then." "Yes sir". What the hell did the General think he was going to do? Launch a counterattack? While that idea appealed to him immensely he knew better. There was a lull in the fighting so he took the opportunity to inspect his positions. Most of them were pretty good, considering what they had to work with. After a rough count he estimated his casualties at 20%. It was going to be a long day.

[MostGloriousLeader]

[u][i][b]Altaria AFB[/b][/i][/u]
Colonel Talberton was surveying what remained of his command. The final attack had been a big one, it had to have been at least two regiments in size, and his forces had sustained heavy casualties. They probably would have lost too if it weren't for the arrival of two mechanized infantry companies. What really surprised him was that these were Drengin units Most had defected to fight against the federal government hadn't they? No matter. They saved his $@! and he wasn't going to question their motives. Now he had further orders to fulfill. A quick report showed that many aircraft had been destroyed on the ground but there were more than enough working for his requirements. He was watching as the preparations went on and periodically checked in as to what was happening in the capital. The situation wasn't good at all and he had many requests for evac or air support but the current mission took top priority, no matter what. His aide walked into the base control center, "Colonel sir. Prep is almost done. The choppers will be in the air within five minutes. Six Cobras, four Pavelows and four Chinooks ready to go. We also have volunteers from the new arriving companies to act as reinforcements." "Fine, get them onboard. Try not to dump too much ammo though" The captain saluted quickly and ran out the door. In terms of actual fixed wing aircraft he had eight OVA-10 Bronco Recon birds, ten C-130s and (most importantly) eight F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft. Those would be in the air within 15 minutes to provide air cover for the evac operation. His concern was the widespread presence of hostile AAA throughout the city and the fact that Drengonia AFB had completely defected and had several F-4s as well. Loyalist base personnel had managed to destroy a number of them to prevent capture but it wasn't really sure how many they managed to get. Brave souls. They were probably killed on the spot. A call went out over the radio. The operation was beginning and the choppers were heading for the Chancellery.

[u][i][b]Republic Chancellery[/b][/i][/u]
Grand Chancellor Mancer and his cabinet were occupying the conference room in the Chancellery's underground security shelter. "What are our options for putting an end to this civil war?" he asked. Ministers Vega Arco and Kona Tulha looked at each other and Tulha began to speak. "Projections have been run and we are fairly sure this conflict will go on for a while, the earliest possible conclusion we're looking at is several months. The projection goes up to five eyars. We also were not able to determine who would ultimately win this war as both sides are fairly evenly matched. Our studies did show that most Altarian citizens do support the federal government but probably won't show any if they donb't feel safe doing it. This is problematic because we've heard that the separatists have loyalty militias roaming about who are 'protecting the people' from the federal government's corrupt and despotic hand. Of course nobody really believes that but they aren't going to say anything or give support if it means they are risking the lives of them and their families. Recon units have reported that several villages and towns have been completely razed and the inhabitants all killed. It's either the work of bandits, which is unlikely, or separatist military units which seems like a much more probable explanation. This civil war is turning very ugly and it's only been several days since it started."

Foreign Affairs Minister Daki Maldo interjected. "What about the possibility of outside help? We could appeal to the international community to send humanitarian aid, supplies and troops to help us." Minister Tulha thought the idea through for several awkwardly silent minutes. "The idea has merit but there are several downsides that are possible in addition to the benefits. First off, we're in the middle of nowhere. I doubt most nations have even heard of the existence of the Altarian Republic. Second, the rest of the world seems to be fairly unstable, no attention will be given to us when there are major wars being fought and diplomatic crises developing. The final reason is our own nation. How credible would the federal government look if we had to rely on a foreign power to keep the country together? How much faith would the people have left that the government can take care of the nation?" Everyone was silent with the knowledge that everything he had said was probably true. Grand Chancellor Mancer finally spoke. Regardless of the consequences we must obtain some outside help. After we get set up under better conditions I want Minister Maldo to contact other regional nations and ask for assistance. Preferably supplies but if they do wish to send troops such an offer will be taken. If such a thing occurs Ministers Arco and Tulha shall devise a way to keep the foreign presence effective yet low profile. Understood?" He saw nods all around the table. Just then a captain knocked on the door and entered. "Chancellor, the evacuation helicopters are ten minutes away." He looked at everyone else in the room. "Ok people, let's get going. You know the plan."

[MostGloriousLeader]

[u][i][b]Task Force 43[/b][/i][/u]

The rescue operation was underway with the 14 helicopters making their way across the city. It was a difficult task, there had to be dozens of AAA batteries scattered across their path. One Chinook with supplies was hit and went down and exploded when it crashed into an apartment building. Another was heavily damaged and had to return to base for repairs. The rest were doing alright though. Halfway through three OVA-10 Broncos met up with them and began seeking out anti-aircraft emplacements. While armed with machine guns and rockets they mainly went down low to report AAA positions to the helicopter gunship escorts and scattered artillery units who responded immediately to the priority missions. All in all no more helicopters were lost to anti-aircraft fire.

[u][i][b]Republic Chancellery[/b][/i][/u]

Lt. Colonel Teal'c was told by his RTO that the choppers were arriving soon and he began to hear them several minutes later. Two helicopters could use the roof of the Chancellery to land, this is where the Chancellor and his staff would be evacuated. The wide spacious area around the Chancellery could accommodate the rest. The Chinooks came first, cutting loose their cargo nets above the dropzone. His organized runners ran out to sort and ferry the supplies around the perimeter. Two Pavelows landed on the roof while the others landed on the lawn. In total 154 troops hopped off and rushed to reinforce the crumbling perimeter. On the roof the Chancellor and his staff were being rushed onto the awaiting Pavelows. The pilots were screaming for them to hurry up. A radio call just came in saying separatist Phantoms were heading their way.

[MostGloriousLeader]

[u][i][b]Above the Capitol[/b][/i][/u]

Colonel Nogli Hoklar was the XO of the 1st Fighter-Bomber Squadron based at Altaria AFB. He had assumed command after his CO had died in the assault on the base. Now he was cruising high above the capitol city of Altaria with the other 7 aircraft of his squadron whose callsign was Viper, his was Viper Six. "Altaria AFB this is Viper Six requesting a status update, over." In order to keep their presence over the city out of sight they were loitering above the cloud cover and had their radars turned off, instead relying on the radar facility at their base to provide information. "Viper Six, we have six bandits on screen heading your way at 10,000 feet. Their radars are off for now. Their course is one-five-zero, they're heading for the Chancellery. You orders are to intercept." "Understood Altaria AFB, Viper flight is moving to intercept. Viper Six out. All Viper elements respond." Everyone checked in without any problems, everyone was able to fight. "All right guys you know the drill. Climb to 20,000 feet and head for bearing one five-zero. We'll wait until we get into range before we open up. Vipers Two and Seven, execute maneuver". "Yes sir". Vipers Two and Seven came in from a different direction than the rest of the squadron. They flipped on their radars in order to observe and report what was happening to the Colonel but they maintained distance to make it look like they weren't really a threat. About ten minutes later they were in position.

"This is Viper Six, I have eyeballs on a bandit and am engaging. Tallyho!" Viper Squadron dove out of the sun to engage the enemy. The first missiles to go were the heatseekers so the enemy didn't know they were being targeted until it was too late. It sort of worked. It killed three before the remainder scattered. Now the battle was a grand ball of confusion as they were fighting in exactly the same type of planes with the exact same paint schemes and exterior look. On both sides pilots were hesitant about firing at an aircraft that had a high chance of being a friends. Over the next five minutes he saw two planes go down, he couldn't tell who. Then he heard a call over the radio. "We surrender. Loyalist forces we surrender." The Colonel couldn't believe it. "Separatist aircraft, we shall except your surrender. We shall escort you to Altaria AFB. Disengage weapons and slow down to 200 Knots." "Acknowledged, weapons disengaged and slowing down to 200 knots." He saw two planes pull of toward that direction and a headcount revealed he was missing one of his own. "Anyone know if Viper Five made it out?" "This is Viper One here. I have eyes on Viper Five's wreckage. I also see his chute. He's stuck on the spindle of that skycraper there." Sure enough he saw his man dangling from the spire of a sixty story building waving his arms up and down to attract attention. "Hahaha, this'll make a good story when we get back. I'm calling in a chopper to get him out of there. Viper One and Six escort the prisoners back to base. Everyone else will be flying cover on the rescue mission. Come on boys, lets get this thing done."

[u][i][b]Task Force 43[/b][/i][/u]

The two helicopters transporting the Chancellor and his Cabinet were given high priority escort, each had a gunship flying shotgun at all times until they got back to Altaria AFB. The rest of the helicopters would be delegated to casevac and supply missions throughout the city. Upon arrival at Altaria AFB they refueled quickly and flew off to the city of Arcea, the only city not under attack. That would be the temporary capitol of the country. Once there the Chancellor and his staff went to work immediately. The Chancellor and Defense Minister went to meet with a group of generals. The Internal Affairs minister went to a local building converted into an office for his department. The Foreign Affairs minister went to the National Information Center branch in the city to deliver a televised speech available to the whole world. Even though she hadn't slept in the last 36 hours her make up crew got her to look as bright and shining as ever. She stood up on the podium with a large Altarian Flag set out behind her.

[i]"Fellow Altarians. As you all well know this is a time full of hardships for us all. The great nation we had striven to build for years is now being torn apart by people who wish to destroy the peace we had obtained. I want to assure you all now that the government is doing everything it can to defeat this separatist movement as quickly as possible. Several measures are being taken by the Chancellor to enable the government to work through this crisis. First of all, the Chancellor is assuming emergency war powers and is declaring martial law throughout the country. These powers shall remain in place until this civil war is over. Second, a 48 hour amnesty period is being granted to all separatists, military or otherwise. Any separatist who surrenders and agrees to leave the separatist movement shall be granted a full pardon and be allowed to go back to their lives. This does not apply to any separatist who surrenders during an attack on government forces during the 48 hour period. Finally. The Altarian Republic is formally requesting assistance from the international community in any form. In this immediate period supplies of food and other basic resources are running low in the dozens of refugee camps the federal government has set up. Either the supplies can't reach them due to separatist attacks or there aren't enough available. Any help ranging from supplies or even military assistance would be deeply appreciated. That is all and thank you for your time."[/i]

[Stefano Palmieri]

--Igloolik Nunavut--
"Ma'am, there's unrest in Altarian Republic, their government is requesting international assistance." "Hmmm notify General Ungalaaq. I want people dispatched immediately" "Yes ma'am".

[b]Classified to Altarian Republic[/b]
We are mobilizing 2500 men to be dispatched to your country to help stabilize it. We shall send more if they are needed.

[b]--Classified--[/b]
Elements of the Nunavut expeditionary force were mobilized, loaded onto merchant navy ships and started the journey to Altarian Republic.

[MostGloriousLeader]

[quote name='Stefano Palmieri' timestamp='1281596702' post='2412461']
[b]Classified to Altarian Republic[/b]
We are mobilizing 2500 men to be dispatched to your country to help stabilize it. We shall send more if they are needed.
[/quote]

[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]
Your assistance is much appreciated. We would like your troops to land in the port city of Arcea. That is the current temporary seat of government and is probably going to come under attack very soon.

-Grand Chancellor Netro Mancer

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: For reference, this was before my radio silence post; last real post today.
IC:

***Classified***
North Canada is offering to send three KV-3 heavy tanks and 20 M60 Patton MBTs.

[MostGloriousLeader]

[quote name='Markus Wilding' timestamp='1281616427' post='2412598']
***Classified***
North Canada is offering to send three KV-3 heavy tanks and 20 M60 Patton MBTs.
[/quote]

[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]
Are you offering just the tanks or crews? If the former we would gladly buy them off of you. The KV-3s would be new to our crews but we've been operating the M60s for a while and it seems we've lost many of our tanks when they defected to the separatists. If you are sending them as additional troops we recommend they land in the city of Arcea. Either way the offer is appreciated.

-Grand Chancellor Netro Mancer

Edited August 12, 2010 by Altarian Republic

[Stefano Palmieri]

[quote name='Altarian Republic' timestamp='1281616343' post='2412596']
[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]
Your assistance is much appreciated. We would like your troops to land in the port city of Arcea. That is the current temporary seat of government and is probably going to come under attack very soon.

-Grand Chancellor Netro Mancer
[/quote]
[b]--Classified to Altarian Republic[/b]
It shall be done. As an addition we shall be sending what little artillery we have as well.

[b]Classified[/b]
What little artillery that was available was scrounged up (the main military depot. at the moment is in Igloolik), was put on a cargo ship and sent off to join the troops in Arcea.

[b]Arcea, Altarian Repupblic[/b]
The first shipment of troops began to arrive from Nunavut. One of the first one off the boats was Lt. General Leanne Alia, commander of the Nunavut forces in the Altarian Republic.
"Remind me to fly next time ehy?" she said to her assistant, a poor Lieutenant who had be stuck with her since his first day as a proper trained soldier.
"Ahh, yes ma'am" he stammared, as she lent over retching.
"Right, lets do this thing."

[VigilantWatcher]

[b]Classified to Altarian Republic[/b]

The Republic of Curristan would like to send a force to help you defeat the rebels.

[MostGloriousLeader]

General Arco was awaiting the arrival of the Nunavut forces at the dock. The area had been cleared to make the unloading go as quickly as possible and military police units were present to facilitate the movement of troops out of the area. The General approached a woman who he was told was the commander of the Nanuvut troops and shook her hand. "Greetings, my name is General Arnold Arco. I'm currently the commanding officer of the units defending this city. I know you have just arrived and I don't want to rush you but the Chancellor and some of his cabinet would like to meet with you." At this point he waved his hand and six jeeps came and stopped right in front of them. Two had hard covers on, supposedly able to withstand small arms fire. The other four were open top but sported heavy machine guns and a complement of Arcean Rangers. "Shall we?"

[MostGloriousLeader]

[quote name='Curristan' timestamp='1281622233' post='2412656']
[b]Classified to Altarian Republic[/b]

The Republic of Curristan would like to send a force to help you defeat the rebels.
[/quote]

[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]
Help would be appreciated. What exactly did you have in mind?

-Grand Chancellor Netro Mancer

[Stefano Palmieri]

[quote name='Altarian Republic' timestamp='1281622691' post='2412662']
General Arco was awaiting the arrival of the Nunavut forces at the dock. The area had been cleared to make the unloading go as quickly as possible and military police units were present to facilitate the movement of troops out of the area. The General approached a woman who he was told was the commander of the Nanuvut troops and shook her hand. "Greetings, my name is General Arnold Arco. I'm currently the commanding officer of the units defending this city. I know you have just arrived and I don't want to rush you but the Chancellor and some of his cabinet would like to meet with you." At this point he waved his hand and six jeeps came and stopped right in front of them. Two had hard covers on, supposedly able to withstand small arms fire. The other four were open top but sported heavy machine guns and a complement of Arcean Rangers. "Shall we?"
[/quote]
The Lt General shook the Generals hand. "Im Lt. General Leanne Alia, sorry for the greenness, ocean travel is not my.. thing." She took a moment to steady herself as a final bout of dizziness passed over her. "Alright lets go. Lieutenant Green, you're coming with me." She turned to the General, "he's my aid, if I go he goes, not to be rude of course". She then accompanied the General into one of the cars.

[VigilantWatcher]

[quote name='Altarian Republic' timestamp='1281622870' post='2412665']
[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]
Help would be appreciated. What exactly did you have in mind?

-Grand Chancellor Netro Mancer
[/quote]


[b]Classified to Altarian Republic[/b]

We will be sending one Fortress Class Aircraft Carrier. It would provide constant air support for the ground forces. They would respond on calls for airstrikes whenever it is needed. It will set sail immediately for the Labrador Sea where it will be on station twenty four hours a day until it is no longer needed.

[VigilantWatcher]

[img]http://www.radiationworks.com/photos/USSNimitz.jpg[/img]


Fortress Class Aircraft Carrier CNS Citadel had began its voyage for the Labrador Sea. It would take days to reach the Labrador Sea and begin operations. The ship would be there until it was no longer needed in the area.

This would be the carrier's first mission and the crew were ready to begin.

Edited August 13, 2010 by Curristan

[MostGloriousLeader]

[quote name='Stefano Palmieri' timestamp='1281623394' post='2412677']
The Lt General shook the Generals hand. "Im Lt. General Leanne Alia, sorry for the greenness, ocean travel is not my.. thing." She took a moment to steady herself as a final bout of dizziness passed over her. "Alright lets go. Lieutenant Green, you're coming with me." She turned to the General, "he's my aid, if I go he goes, not to be rude of course". She then accompanied the General into one of the cars.
[/quote]

"I understand completely." The jeeps sped through various checkpoints without hassle upon recognition of the general. They soon arrived at a very nice looking office building which had been taken by the Chancellor as a temporary home and headquarters. The four Rangers guarding the main entrance crisply saluted them as they walked inside the building. A Colonel was at the main desk and gave them directions to the conference room. They made their way through the building to the fifth floor and entered the conference room. There was a large table and seated around it were numerous ministers and military officers. "Ah General Alia! How nice to meet you. I am Grand Chancellor Netro Mancer. Come sit, we must talk. He dismissed most of the people around the table, save the Defense and Internal Affairs ministers. Several high ranking officers walked into the room after the others had left and shut the door.

"Now we must discuss a plan of action, General Arco?" General Arco stood up and walked over to a projector and turned it on. The first slide was a large map of Altaria with different colors all over it. Now as you can see here the situation is a really big mess. Loyalist and Separatist lines are virtually nonexistent. Fighting occurs almost everywhere throughout the country. The only secured area is the area around Arcea and Iconis. The city of Altaris is under loyalist control but is under siege." He clicked the pointer and the next slide appeared, this one many charts and graphs. "It is actually quite difficult to discern the strength of the enemy. We don't even completely know our own force strength either. We are estimating total enemy forces at about 50,000 military defectors. This does not include the numerous militias that have been popping up which we estimate number in the tens of thousands for various causes. A majority of the militias seem to be supporting the separatists, mainly through terrorizing the local population in order to keep them under their control. Ethnic conflicts are also heating up. Many different tribes are actually using this civil war as an opportunity to exterminate rival tribes. Mass killings of civilians seem to be occurring and we don't have enough troops to stop it. Refugee camps are designated safe areas but there isn't enough room or resources for them all. The enemy also seems to be rather well armed. We estimate the enemy has roughly 200 tanks of assorted models. They also have about two to three dozen fixed wing fighter or bomber aircraft. Our strength in troops is about roughly the same across the board. We have about a dozen more aircraft than them but we are at a slight numerical disadvantage when it comes to troops and armor." The general clicked his pointer again and this brought up another map of Altaria but with many arrows and unit markings. "As you can see here the separatists are advancing quite rapidly. The capitol city of Altaria is still being fiercely contested and we are thinking about withdrawing those forces to consolidate our strength. As I said earlier the city of Altaris is also surrounded. Recon units and intelligence operatives tell us that the next target is definitely going to be right here on Arcea. The attack is about a whole division of 15-20,000 troops in strength supported by dozens of tanks and a large probable amount of air support. An additional several thousand militia fighters will also be present The enemy wants to wipe us out before the federal government can get re-established. Opposing them I have four understrength brigades of about 12,000 troops and 40 tanks in addition to the Nunavut reinforcements. Additional reinforcements are en route from various locations but I'm not sure if they'll get here in time." The General turned off the projector and faced his audience. "In short we have an large and immediate threat coming our way now which needs to be dealt with before anything else. Any questions?"

[quote name='Curristan' timestamp='1281623897' post='2412683']
[b]Classified to Altarian Republic[/b]

We will be sending one Fortress Class Aircraft Carrier. It would provide constant air support for the ground forces. They would respond on calls for airstrikes whenever it is needed. It will set sail immediately for the Labrador Sea where it will be on station twenty four hours a day until it is no longer needed.
[/quote]

[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]

The air support would be greatly appreciated but we would feel more comfortable if liaisons from either side were present in order to coordinate the air support better.

[VigilantWatcher]

[quote name='Altarian Republic' timestamp='1281626699' post='2412725']

[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]

The air support would be greatly appreciated but we would feel more comfortable if liaisons from either side were present in order to coordinate the air support better.
[/quote]

[b]Classified to Altarian Republic[/b]

We would supply you with our radio frequencies so liasion can be done between liasions on the carrier and yours. That would save time and also mean that units in trouble can get support almost immediately.

[Stefano Palmieri]

[quote name='Altarian Republic' timestamp='1281626699' post='2412725']
"I understand completely." The jeeps sped through various checkpoints without hassle upon recognition of the general. They soon arrived at a very nice looking office building which had been taken by the Chancellor as a temporary home and headquarters. The four Rangers guarding the main entrance crisply saluted them as they walked inside the building. A Colonel was at the main desk and gave them directions to the conference room. They made their way through the building to the fifth floor and entered the conference room. There was a large table and seated around it were numerous ministers and military officers. "Ah General Alia! How nice to meet you. I am Grand Chancellor Netro Mancer. Come sit, we must talk. He dismissed most of the people around the table, save the Defense and Internal Affairs ministers. Several high ranking officers walked into the room after the others had left and shut the door.

"Now we must discuss a plan of action, General Arco?" General Arco stood up and walked over to a projector and turned it on. The first slide was a large map of Altaria with different colors all over it. Now as you can see here the situation is a really big mess. Loyalist and Separatist lines are virtually nonexistent. Fighting occurs almost everywhere throughout the country. The only secured area is the area around Arcea and Iconis. The city of Altaris is under loyalist control but is under siege." He clicked the pointer and the next slide appeared, this one many charts and graphs. "It is actually quite difficult to discern the strength of the enemy. We don't even completely know our own force strength either. We are estimating total enemy forces at about 50,000 military defectors. This does not include the numerous militias that have been popping up which we estimate number in the tens of thousands for various causes. A majority of the militias seem to be supporting the separatists, mainly through terrorizing the local population in order to keep them under their control. Ethnic conflicts are also heating up. Many different tribes are actually using this civil war as an opportunity to exterminate rival tribes. Mass killings of civilians seem to be occurring and we don't have enough troops to stop it. Refugee camps are designated safe areas but there isn't enough room or resources for them all. The enemy also seems to be rather well armed. We estimate the enemy has roughly 200 tanks of assorted models. They also have about two to three dozen fixed wing fighter or bomber aircraft. Our strength in troops is about roughly the same across the board. We have about a dozen more aircraft than them but we are at a slight numerical disadvantage when it comes to troops and armor." The general clicked his pointer again and this brought up another map of Altaria but with many arrows and unit markings. "As you can see here the separatists are advancing quite rapidly. The capitol city of Altaria is still being fiercely contested and we are thinking about withdrawing those forces to consolidate our strength. As I said earlier the city of Altaris is also surrounded. Recon units and intelligence operatives tell us that the next target is definitely going to be right here on Arcea. The attack is about a whole division of 15-20,000 troops in strength supported by dozens of tanks and a large probable amount of air support. An additional several thousand militia fighters will also be present The enemy wants to wipe us out before the federal government can get re-established. Opposing them I have four understrength brigades of about 12,000 troops and 40 tanks in addition to the Nunavut reinforcements. Additional reinforcements are en route from various locations but I'm not sure if they'll get here in time." The General turned off the projector and faced his audience. "In short we have an large and immediate threat coming our way now which needs to be dealt with before anything else. Any questions?"
[/quote]
Leanne shook the chancellors hand and took a seat. After the presentation was over she swore under her breath. "I dont have any questions but I do have several idea's. Also I'm sorry but it seems my government has gravely underestimated the situation here. I will order in more troops ASAP. But the main thing at hand seems to be the defence of Arcea. Now I will position my men around the city, with the standard drill of machine gun emplacements, and of course mining roads and tracks surrounding the city to help disable enemy armor. We will position artillery at various locations around the city as it arrives. As for Altaris, I dont think there is much I can do. I do have a unit of Specs, that I can send through to help with the defence. I also suggest a beach head invasion near the capital in an effort to relieve the city (OOC: I'm Assuming Altaris is near the coast). But of course, this is just rough guess work. General Arco, Im assuming with the benefit of local knowledge you'd be able to come up a better idea. As for with drawing your troops, get them to pull back to the closest major center, or if they have adequate survival skills and supplies the mountains. Get them to head to a mountain top if all else fails. If they can anchor themselves to one they should be able to hold out."

OOC: I may have jumped the gun a bit.

[MostGloriousLeader]

"The situation in Altaris is mostly stable right now. They are surrounded but they are holding so we can scratch that off the immediate list. In regards to defense of Arcea we shall provide guides and local volunteers to help you navigate around the city. I do stress that we must hold the city at all costs. To lose Arcea would deal a major blow to the legitimacy of the federal government and undermine and confidence and hope of defeating the separatists. I am ordering our troops to withdraw from Altaria in order to reinforce our positions here. The nearest reinforcements will be the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. They're understrength but its better than nothing. In regards to further Nunavut reinforcements, it's appreciated but try not to over do it. The Altarian government must shoulder the brunt of the fighting in order for our nation as a whole to keep faithful and confident."

He went to a shelf and brought out a giant map of the city and laid it out on the table. "As you can see here Arcea is a very defensible location. We have the sea to our backs and sides meaning the enemy has only one area he can attack from. An attack this route means he has to cross several miles of open fields and low hills meaning we'll have time to cut down their numbers for a while. We'll have to hold them here as long as possible. If they get through into the city, which they probably will, we shall move to an elastic defense plan. Mobile units will strike hard whenever possible at separatist advances. The final defense line shall be made around the financial district which is serving as the makeshift government headquarters. If they do for some reason reach this line we shall evacuate as much personnel and equipment as possible to the city of Iconis. However, this is only worst case and I hope we don't have to do such a thing. Remember that we must hold this city."

OOC: Its fine

Edited August 12, 2010 by Altarian Republic

[Markus Wilding]

[quote name='Altarian Republic' timestamp='1281616688' post='2412599']
[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]
Are you offering just the tanks or crews? If the former we would gladly buy them off of you. The KV-3s would be new to our crews but we've been operating the M60s for a while and it seems we've lost many of our tanks when they defected to the separatists. If you are sending them as additional troops we recommend they land in the city of Arcea. Either way the offer is appreciated.

-Grand Chancellor Netro Mancer
[/quote]
*Reply*
They are being sent as additional troops. They will arrive in one day's time.

[Jordosaur94]

[b]Classified to the Altarian Republic[/b]

If you wish, we will send an expeditionary force of 300 soldiers, 8 fighters, 2 bombers, 19 attack helicopters, 50 trucks, 30 APCs, 10 IFVs, and 20 PT boats to help restore order in your nation.

[VigilantWatcher]

Fortress Class Aircraft Carrier CNS Citadel had entered the Labrador Sea. Finally operations could begin. A message was sent to the Altarian Government announcing the carrier's arrival in the area. At the same time, ordinance and aircraft were prepared for takeoff.

[Markus Wilding]

As said, the 20 M60s and three KV-3s arrived in Arcea, awaiting higher orders and an Altarian official. In the meantime, the KV-3 commander and M60 commander began conferring on how to divide the forces. "Way I see it, we should switch radio channels to the local infantry channel, see if we can convince these rebels if we're actually just a bunch of grunts instead of 80mm thick armor." The KV-3 commander, Lt. Col. George Jefferson, brushed a fly off his shoulder patch and looked around. "I think we should be finding an Altarian officer around here. Lemme get the map out..." Jefferson unfolded a map of the area they had landed in. "Alright, looks like we wanna head that way. How about you piggyback on my tank and we'll show the Altarians the KV-3 and see what they want us to do with it." The M60 commander, Lt. Col. Charles Blake, got on his radio and told the M60s to patrol the area, and if any military forces were encountered to identify themselves as the North Canadian Expeditionary Force. The three KV-3s began their journey to the temporary HQ, stopping to ID themselves along the way. As they approached the HQ, they radioed anyone in the area listening; "North Canadian Expeditionary Force here, we got three KV-3's headed towards the HQ, they have Lt. Col Blake and Lt. Col. Jefferson riding on them, they'll be your commanders for today."

[MostGloriousLeader]

[quote name='Jordosaur94' timestamp='1281753142' post='2415260']
[b]Classified to the Altarian Republic[/b]

If you wish, we will send an expeditionary force of 300 soldiers, 8 fighters, 2 bombers, 19 attack helicopters, 50 trucks, 30 APCs, 10 IFVs, and 20 PT boats to help restore order in your nation.
[/quote]

[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]
The assistance would be greatly appreciated. We would like them to be deployed to the city of Arcea.

[quote name='Curristan' timestamp='1281785554' post='2415600']
Fortress Class Aircraft Carrier CNS Citadel had entered the Labrador Sea. Finally operations could begin. A message was sent to the Altarian Government announcing the carrier's arrival in the area. At the same time, ordinance and aircraft were prepared for takeoff.
[/quote]

[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED TRANSMISSION[/b][/i][/u]
There should be sporadic action throughout the entire Altarian Republic but there is an upcoming major battle at the city of Altaria where the air support will be needed badly.

[quote name='Markus Wilding' timestamp='1281877868' post='2416621']
As said, the 20 M60s and three KV-3s arrived in Arcea, awaiting higher orders and an Altarian official. In the meantime, the KV-3 commander and M60 commander began conferring on how to divide the forces. "Way I see it, we should switch radio channels to the local infantry channel, see if we can convince these rebels if we're actually just a bunch of grunts instead of 80mm thick armor." The KV-3 commander, Lt. Col. George Jefferson, brushed a fly off his shoulder patch and looked around. "I think we should be finding an Altarian officer around here. Lemme get the map out..." Jefferson unfolded a map of the area they had landed in. "Alright, looks like we wanna head that way. How about you piggyback on my tank and we'll show the Altarians the KV-3 and see what they want us to do with it." The M60 commander, Lt. Col. Charles Blake, got on his radio and told the M60s to patrol the area, and if any military forces were encountered to identify themselves as the North Canadian Expeditionary Force. The three KV-3s began their journey to the temporary HQ, stopping to ID themselves along the way. As they approached the HQ, they radioed anyone in the area listening; "North Canadian Expeditionary Force here, we got three KV-3's headed towards the HQ, they have Lt. Col Blake and Lt. Col. Jefferson riding on them, they'll be your commanders for today."
[/quote]

An Altarian Army colonel was driving around in his jeep tracking the source of the radio transmissions from the North Canadian Expeditionary Force. His driver took them down a street and there they saw three tanks coming down the street. At first one of the men on the rear MG aimed an AT-4 at the target until he was told to hold fire. These tanks were much different from the M-60 series tanks and therefore did not belong to either the loyalists or separatists. The Colonel dismounted the jeep and ran over to the approaching tanks. "Hey guys. We got your message over the radio. Have your guys get ready for some major action. The presence of your CO is also requested by General Arco. Just hop on in and I'll get you to the CP."

[Jordosaur94]

[quote name='Altarian Republic' timestamp='1281933277' post='2417495']
[u][i][b]CLASSIFIED RESPONSE[/b][/i][/u]
The assistance would be greatly appreciated. We would like them to be deployed to the city of Arcea.
[/quote]

We will land the forces there.