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Strenght and Muscle and Jungle Work
March 23rd, 2024
7:15:19 A.M
Ziemel, Estland
North of Kotra, Soniskalot
`` Welcome to Estland boys, we're a bit ways from the place where the main fight is but, don't worry, you two will have your moment soon! ``
Spoke a grizzled man wearing black overalls with flight gear and a pair of aviators as he looked out of one side door with a PKM mounted to it. The door gunner of the PKM sat on a seat next to the side door reading a magazine while the other door gunner was post manning his PKM while observing the ground below as they neared their destination. Besides the door gunners and the flight chief, not to mention the two pilots in the cockpit, two soldiers wearing black uniforms with tactical gear sat beside one another as they stared at the grizzled flight chief staring out into the sky.
`` I was in Azerjia you know? Of course, I was a pilot back then with my bud from the academy. We flew several missions in a MiM-24D Gunship, did our stuff, and such... What about you two? ``
`` I was a Naval Infantry, landed in Altikar and helped depose the government, was there for a brief moment until all our forces pulled out after that sono'vab__ch Nikolaev ruined everything. ``
`` What about you son? You seem older than your buddy over here, you have the look of a man who has seen some stuff. ``
`` Interior Army, First Iskarian War, switched over to the Red Army and became an SSO operative, went in on a suicide mission to assassinate the Iskarian leadership, barely completed it with only 1/10th of our original forces remaining. ``
`` Well I'll be, special forces huh? Fancy, don't see you boys often, I'm guessing you're with the Special Operations Division and he's with the Ground Operations Division as just a normal foot infantry? ``
`` Appears so sir, also, he's not my buddy per se since we only met like a week ago. ``
`` Well, I'd suggest you make friends with this fellow over here if you wanna survive... Anyways, check your equipment, we're about to land! ``
The helicopter approached Ziemel where Estland's SV-Z forces were training to deploy to Iskalot right as Askelewi forces had begun a large-scale offensive in the area with strong resolve and Kuzian guns. Cutting throttles, the helicopter landed on the base as its rear clamshell doors split open, letting the two soldiers see Estian soldiers and Vostok operatives. A black MiM-24D and a MiM-8HIP gunship are parked beside one another with maintenance crew tweaking away with their internals while standard MiM-8 with side-mounted PKMs are seen flying out of base towards Iskalot where the fighting was taking place. An interesting sight was going down as ground crews were seen strapping a BMP-2D to a massive civilian MiM-26 helicopter with straps before long, having finished strapping the vehicle, the helicopter began slowly ascending before picking up speed as it too flew west towards Iskalot.
`` This is where we split. `` said the guy in the Special Operations Division as he walked away from the MiM-8 helicopter as it was seen flying off west as well. The normal infantry looked around confused for a second before a guy in a black beret called out for him.
`` Hey! New boy! Get over here! We're moving out within the hour, hurry up and get yourself ready. `` said the man wearing the black beret as the infantryman hurried towards the seemingly high-ranking person.
When the pay is good and the risk is high...
March 23rd, 2024
12:58:16 P.M
North of Chilantakoba, Iskalot
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCGp5iw1CjU)
`` GOOOOOD MORNING ASKELEWI! ``
A voice came through the radio as several MiM-8 helicopters were seen flying real low toward the frontlines of the Cultural Border Zone where Askelewi forces had started their offensives against Iskalot forces. Nearly grazing trees and the ground itself as they all landed in predetermined locations before flying off to provide air support with their side-mounted PKMs. Vostok operatives hurried out of the helicopters, joining the already present operatives there, bolstering the total number of forces present as before long, a big firefight began erupting as soldiers on the ground supported by a BMP-2 and a BMP-2D began firing in the general direction of the enemy. Up in the air, a MiM-24D would be seen firing off several rockets into the general location of the enemy before popping off flares as it scurried away. Artillery shells from a 2S3 Akatsiya positioned a few clicks south of them began saturating the area with HE shells after a bit of bullets whizzing everywhere, a T-72M1 showed up with hastily painted camo as it began firing at the enemy's position with HE rounds.
A salvo of 122mm HE rockets from Vostok's Tornado-G MLRS came raining down as after a bit of eerie silence, the Vostok operatives began advancing while being supported by three armored combat vehicles and several armored infantry mobility vehicles. The two gunships came back around as they shot off another barrage of rockets as well as a hail of bullets from its front-mounted flexible 12.7mm autocannon as well as automatic fire from the two PKBs mounted to an open window on either side of the helicopter's side doors.
They were making a beeline for Tipiskawin, the quote "beating heart of Askelewi" as one of the officers remarked. `` Fortune favors the bold. `` Which also happens to be their motto as well.
Their plan was simple, once they were within a reasonable distance from the Askelewi forces moving south toward Chilantakoba, their forces would split up into small fireteams and they would set up ambush positions while light infantry assisted by armored vehicles would hit the Askelewi forces with surprise hit-and-run attacks to draw them into the ambushes to maximize casualties. Of course, while this is happening, helicopters will occasionally harass Askelewi forces as they support the light infantry in their attacks while artillery would initiate precision strikes directed by recon teams close to or behind the enemy frontlines to hit convoys and damage or destroy vital assets to the Askelewi forces such as communication equipment, supply lines, convoys, and officers gathered in tents if present near the frontlines.
Another set of helicopters came in from the north-east, having flown over the massive mountains, they dropped off several special forces operatives onto the ground a few klicks north of the frontlines, well within enemy lines as the helicopters flew off back the way they came from. Their mission was plain and simple, cause havoc behind enemy lines with their expertise being former Red Army special forces, they split off into different teams as they scattered into the Askelewi countryside with AKs, RPKs, RPGs, and a few Verba MANPADS to note. They have about a week's worth of supplies on them as they're ordered to live off the land by basically looting stores and other private places while sabotaging as much as possible, placing landmines, and IEDs, tearing up roads and railroads, torching commercial and industrial facilities, and be a massive nuisance to Askelewi to the best of their abilities.
Gundun, Estland-Iskalot, and Askelewi
KALEVI NEWSPAPER 30/3/2024
Creyo-Iskalot conflict continues to escalate - Askeland forces storm Anisakvija
Yesterday in shocking turn of events, the Askeland government gave an order for Asketian Armed Forces to launch a large-scale invasion, with aim to take control of all of Cultural Border Zone. The civilians were evacuated just in time out of the way of battles. Few hours after the first signs of Asketian activation in the conflict, two fully mechanized companies attacked the city. Dozens of FV-720s, which were granted to Askeland by Shanting, stood few hundred meters away from the city and bombarded the defensive positions of local forces and SV-Z operators, who were greatly outnumbered. Despite the rapid advancement of the invaders, the two platoons of SV-Z operators stood their ground and held the town just for long enough that a mechanized platoon from the SV-Z arrived to help. However, the defenders suffered heavy casualties and had to retreat from Anisakvija. SV-Z suffered all-time high casualties after 17 operators were killed and 6 others were injured. One of the survivors was Sergeant Artūrs Kalniņš, the leader of the 1st squad in 2nd platoon. Kalniņš's squad lost one member and the sergeant himself was injured on chest and leg, but survived miraculously and was able to comment the battle in Beketovs General Hospital. "At one point there was one of our APCs curving to the same street where we were located. Then a big boom happened. the APC was on fire and most of the personnel inside died, others severely injured. We had to abandon our task temporarily to help them, but we were forced to trade bullets with Askets, during which we lost one of our own. Despite these hard times, I hope we will recover fast and get back to help our forces in the field."
Askeland has concentrated large amounts of forces to Beketovs, where even more fierce fighting will likely continue.
Vostok has joined the Iskalotian side amidst the crisis
The Iskalotian and Estian governments have finally announced the rumors to be true. Vostok, a globally feared private military company originating from 
Novoroyska, has been contracted to fight in Cultural Border Zone against the Creeyoan invaders. Whether it was Estland or Iskalot that hired Vostok was left unclear, but both governments have clearly been contributing to Vostok's arrival. The Novoroyskan PMC forces were seen landing to Ziemel Airbase from where they continued to northwest, towards the Cultural Border Zone. The inclusion of PMCs in the fight is surely questionable move from political and ethical standpoints, but this will surely eventually slow the Asketian advancement in CBZ. Many have now feared whether or not Pleike LLC, a Kuzian megacorporation, will bring out their own Private Military contractors to fight on Asketian side.
The preliminary voting booths have been opened
The presidential elections have finally started as preliminary voting booths across Estland opened their doors to the citizens of Estland today. Many voting booths across the country had long lines of people eager to give their vote. The opinion polls have shown two potential winners of the election, with Eerik Kotka from Sinine Liike having 24% popularity rating, while the standing president Longins Grube sitting close behind with 20% popularity. Levandi from Keskerakond, Kõlmperä from Meie Tulevik, and Eerik Lahtuja all have 12% popularity, but still have fair chance in the ongoing elections. It's an understatement how much these elections will shape the future of Estland, so that's why it is extremely wise for every citizen to give their vote this year.
NNC Broadcasting Tower, Omni City 
Astana-Anders
———————————-———————-
~Hello again and good evening to whoever is watching, this is Alexi Gourge and today we have an exciting batch of news coverage for all of you for tonight's broadcast, so without further fanfare, let's begin.
To begin off, in what has surprised many within the country, incumbent Lord President Fide Thomas Rush, has just announced a radical set of economic reforms, entitled the Greater Economic Reform Package Act (2024) (GERPA). With regards to the act, GERPA intends on establishing what it describes as much needed reforms in regard to the Nineth-Four-Five-Year-Plans. This includes arguably some of the most radical pieces of legislation proposed thus far in Fide's Administration. One of which is the establishment of three new different types of government-mandated price controls. Those being: Fixed, limited, and Free prices, in which will be assigned to goods and commodities based on individual assessment of value and necessity, with immediate and necessary goods being determined by the Federal State Planning Assembly, whilst those products in some product group for which there were no substitutes, like foodstuffs, are applied on the average price over a period or a window within which prices were free to fluctuate, and luxury items being able to fluctuate on the whims of the enterprise producing it, respectively.
The other controversial piece of legislation of the GERPA was three-fold, which seeks to implement a new radical form of taxation known as a Negative Income Tax, in which reverses the direction in which tax is paid for incomes below a certain level; in other words, earners above that level pay money to the state while earners below it receives money. In what some economists has called one of the first nationwide implementation of Universal Basic Income, the current plan is to tax those on the upper 10% in terms of income, that being currently those who make over LI790,980 annually, and have the difference give it to the current bottom 20% in terms of annual income, currently those who make less than LI89,077.
It not only seeks to give to poor individual recipients either, but rather also aims to do so with regards to failing enterprises, either state-owned or Communal-owned Enterprises. According to GERPA, it also intends on further regulating the growing private sector of COEs, in which it aims at reducing what it perceives as the excesses of the Nineth Plans. In it, it claims that for now on, the top 10% of COEs within a given Metropolitan Commune will be given an additional income tax known as the Communal Negative Income Tax or CNIX. All revenue from the CNIX will then be distributed by each regional Secretariat of the Economy as dividends towards all COEs which earned a profit during that quarter. 20% of all CNIX taken will be transferred into a new federal agency known as the Federal Communal Enterprise Board, which will be funded by CNIX taxes, and federal and provincial communal funding, which will give interest-free loans to budding Communal-owned Enterprises.
It also claims they will implement a similar program known as the Federal Negative Income Tax Scheme, in which Provincial Communes under financial burden will be allowed emergency benefits from profitable COEs alongside Metropolitan and Provincial Communes, with approval from the Federal Government.
To finish off the GERPA, it also aims to permanently abolish tuition fees, meaning Federal Universities and Secretariats of Education will be constitutionally barred from instituting tuition fees, even under times of significant economic crisis. Instead, it aims to offshoot this, alongside the general change in taxation policies, by instituting the Federal Public Work Scheme (FPWS), in which recipients must perform public work and labour in order to receive benefits. It also aims on having university students, alongside those in grad school, to also perform public work to offshoot the banning of tuition fees, as a substitution for a formal career and job, in which it will be counted on their resume. All of this, according to Lord President Fide was designed to, quote:
" [...] achieve several major aspects of the ongoing Nineth Plans of my following administration. The main tenants are a reduction in inflation. An increased in the production of high-quality products and growth of our national light industries. Strengthening both regional and federal bureaucracies. Strengthening unity between agricultural and industrial workers and populations. And most importantly, the reduction of both regional and economic inequalities caused by the inherent nature of decentralizing productive forces. I felt it would be hypocritical on my behalf for me to be the Lord President of a nation that values an egalitarian society whilst not addressing inequality within the nation itself. I feel this law is as every bit as justifiable as my decision to sign it into law."
Most political and economic analysists seem to be cautiously optimistic of GERPA, with many noting that public service requirement might potentially outweigh the potential downsides of a negative income tax within studies, that being a decrease within the employment for those who get it. However, opposition is still rife, with Leader of the Opposition, Damien Noahs, stating that for the upcoming election, scheduled to begin on October 1st of this year, that he and his party, the National Union Party, will campaign to repeal it, arguing that the act will only reduce potential economic growth and not expand it. Only time will teel to see if the radical reforms are worth it.
In foreign affairs', Federal Ambassador to the 
United Kingdom of Miotia-Candor, Stephanie Frame, alongside Deputy Secretariat of the Intercontinental Commonwealth, Derek Keiser, is slated to meet with Foreign Affairs Chief, Sayomi Katsura, and Viktor Mikhailovich of INCOM member, Novoroyska, in order to discuss repairing relations following the civil wars in both 
The Achaemenids and Altikar.
"Through this and alongside other related events, we, the Federal Socialist Republic of Astana-Anders, acting on behalf of all parties of the Intercontinental Commonwealth as a whole, hope to see through this as a testament for improving relations between both ourselves and the United Kingdom of Miotia-Candor and 
Kjanu."
To cap off this segment for tonight, in what some have been calling the trial of the year, the Vangravan Steamed Hams Affair, in which a local manager of a state-owned Dining Hall, was arrested and charged for substituting store-bought hamburgers for a new dish called "steamed hams", which soon morphed into a class action lawsuit against her, with some believing it to expose the potential room for gross food tampering and misconduct within the service industry. Today, more controversy was added to the affair, when President of the human rights organization, the Astanai Institute for Human Rights (AIHR), stated they would support the defendant, Shalin Young Waltz, in the suit. According to its President, Margaret Richmond, the suit and charges brought against her by the Shermanboro Metropolitan Public Prosecutors' Office, are:
" [...] a gross and almost hysterical misuse of judicial and legal authority and responsibilities on the part of the state department. Whilst I will not make any comment on whether or not she should be punished for the "steamed hams issue", I will say that what the Metropolitan Public Prosecutors' Office have charged her with is a gross breach of constitutional and legal practice, but also sets a bad precedent for human rights within Astana-Anders. The decision to charge her with violation of the National Food and Drugs Tampering Act, the Dining Halls Regulatory Act, and the Malpractice and Tempering of Commerical Goods Act (1978), and the decision to seek 5.5 million Lien in damages is ridiculous to a comical degree, as all such violations are only brought before her due to the fact that it exposed what could have happened if the matter was more serious, rather than what actually did happen.'
" [...] the fact of the matter is that Prosecutor Melissa Granholm, for charging her with such violations, is a dangerous showcase of a slippery slope fallacy within today's judicial system, in which it is only concerned with punishing people in addition to what they did, over what they have actually done. It should already be satisfactory enough to charge her with violating her Terms and Services Contract, misappropriating food, and deceiving the public, but there is fundamentally no need to charge her with serious felonies over what her actions exposed, not what she did as an individual person, with no intent to cause anything that would lead to any normal prosecution would hand her with."
AIHR President Margaret would further add that it would be instead filing a countermotion against the Shermanboro Metropolitan Public Prosecutors' Office, arguing that charging her with several federal felonies in what they regard as state felonies at best and misdemeanors at worse, is a serious breach of both Shalin's right to a free and fair trial, as well as violating her constitutional right to being legally served in a fair and constitutional manor. It also states that it believes that her being served on behalf of plaintiffs that were not directly affected nor even living within Trenchavenue, the affected Metropolitan Commune of the incident, is in violation of legal standards, that unless the crime is related up to provincial felony charges, then one cannot sue another from a different Metroplitan Commune.
The ongoing trial and circumstances have led to much debate online. According to our analytics, the Vangravan Steamed Hams Affair is becoming one of the most talked about trials within SocialBloc. Some have argued she should be charged with federal felonies, arguing that her misusing store-bought meats is a clear violation of the National Food and Drugs Tampering Act, the Dining Halls Regulatory Act, and the Malpractice and Tempering of Commerical Goods Act (1978), which explicitly punishes any handling of food that is not legally stated within state and union contracts, arguing that the potential of causing serious bodily harmed is similar to that of an Attempted Murder charge. Others, however, believe that the decision is only about the potential of what she could've done, as unlike an Attempted murder charge, there was no clear or direct intention on causing harm to another. Others believe that the Shermanboro Public Prosecutors' Office decision to seek compensation is unethical due to the fact that the already pre-existing charges would already be more than enough, with contrarians arguing that it is to seek damages on behalf of those deceived as well from the Vangravan Secretariat of Labour and the Secretariat of Public Safety for not doing enough to prevent the incident and its potential to do worse harm from occurring.
That's it for this hour, coming up next: Secretariat of the Intercontinental Commonwealth, Callahan Rogers, is to hold a press conference later this week, expressing the desire for the establishment of an INCOM Parliament as soon as possible to draft an "organization constitution." More on that, after these messages. ~
Hawks from Hell
Private RP
Location: Hell Zone
Hall Hawks HQ
A lone man stood on a helicopter pad, in front of him was the turbulent ocean, in the distance a storm clouds brewed creating a black-grey backdrop with the occasional flashes of light from lightning. He crosses his arms and smiles as he looks out towards the other derricks, even from here h3 could see the banners of the Hell Hawks flying off of them, this entire area was his and his peoples, perhaps one of the greatest accomplishments a man like have ever done. The Hell Hawks, a group for any and all soldiers who had been left behind by their nations, or still looking to fight when they weren't allowed to, he started as a way to give all the discharged soldiers of Electrica like himself a place to go and a purpose to keep going, and to make money while doing it. And now they have their own place in this world. The man who stood here was former major Richard Talon, now known as Archtalon, he wore a combination of military wear and casual wear, combat boots and pants with at-shirt and custom made leather jacket with the Hawks insignia on the back, and he was the creator, leader and owner of this all.
Who would have thought, after all of that I'd get this.
He would think with a warm smile, another would approach wearing a complete HH uniform, which was a combination between a Exoskeleton and regular electrican armor, colored in camo with red trimming.
HH Soldier: "Archtalon! We are getting some news about a big conflict over in southern Warsari, think this could be a big one."
Richard grins before turning to the man.
Archtalon: "I see, then let's go check it out huh Dante?"
Dante was a soldier he had met when he was setting up the Zone, while young he had exceptional skills that would have made him the perfect special ops operative if he hadn't been discharged before attempting to join. CQC, Marksmanship, Strategy. Not to mention his crazy amounts of pain tolerance is why he intends in making him his second lieutenant, and with this new opportunity perhaps he'll have his chance to prove it. The two would enter into the main building where they would look into the news report and any information their data miners could get access to, a war between two nations who have bad blood in the past, those are always juicy, what really caught his attention was that the infamous Novoroskyan PMC known as VOSTOK was fighting on the side of 
Estland-Iskalot.
"What do you think about this Dante?"
Dante: "I'm thinking that this might be a good chance to crush two birds with one stone. We get the opportunity to fight another PMC to show off what we can do to future customers, and we get the fight with INCOM that we were wanting."
Archtalon: "I was thinking the same thing. Be a great way to really get into the feel of things, plus our boys and girls been itching to spill commie blood." He then turns to him and puts an arm on his shoulder. "Gonna get on the comms and send a message to the Creeyoans to offer their services, if they accept I want you leading the task force. Think you can handle it?"
Dante: "Yes sir! I'll have one get pre-prepared and ready to move out.
He says and then leaves, prepared to take on his task and new level of responsibility. Meanwhile Richard would walk over to his office that had a more traditional wooden look to it with a inbuilt fire place, book shelves, and a few collectables from his past escapades all over the world with his old teammate. If only he was around now. He would sit down at his desk and begin sending a message to their possible new major job.
End of Private RP
Public RP
The Message
Message to the officials of the nation of 
Askelewi
"This is Archtalon of the Hell Hawks, in would like to inform you that we have seen your nations plight and are willing to offer our services. We can provide a full task force to assist you in your conflict for a set price that should be let known to you soon, you will have Electrican technology on your side of this war and some of the best fighters you have seen at your disposal. If you have any interest at all feel free to respond with a confirmation or deny. We shall await your response."
Message ends and the price is listed: [Only Viewed by Recipient]
Tipiskawin Airport, Askeland
"Bring them over here!"
Honorary Lieutenant Zavbil Qizenola pointed at a yellow square painted on concrete ground on the side of the airway. An olive-colored armored truck drove slowly besides the large cargo zone which already had piles of large boxes here and there. A forklift UGV was placing the boxes in neat order, leaving more space for new supplies to fit in. The truck stopped, and Qizenola walked behind the truck to see what they got. The driver stepped out and joined the honorary lieut. Qizenola could hear briefly rock & roll playing in the driver's cockpit before the door was shut. The driver opened the hatch which revealed large boxes on wooden pellets. A small, pellet-sized flatbed emerges from the floor and automatically carries the boxes out. 4 pellets with boxes carrying ammunition is exported to the cargo zone by the automatic forklift, where they waited for their final destination.
Honorary Lieutenant Qizenola is the commander of the Separate Logistics Company from the Pre-Emptive Intervention Forces. She is responsible for arrivals of all military-related equipment to the airport. She gained the Honorary Lieutenant rank for her sheer willingness to work alongside his men while also doing the Logistics commander's job. She has to be always aware of what comes and goes in the airport and make sure all the equipment gets sent to their destination. The recent days have been busy for her company. Kuzian Air Force cargo planes have landed in the airport in cycles of just few minutes. The conflict has escalated in rapid pace, which can be seen as a sudden influx of air traffic in the airport.
As she observed the forklift placing the supplies on their place, Qizenola heard someone calling her name behind. She instantly turned and saw Captain Dalverden, the commander of the Support Unit that Qizenola's company was part of. Dalverden signaled the honorary lieutenant to come with him. They both walked in the terminal building, in a small private conference room guarded by two heavily armed men in single-color, dark purple uniforms. Inside there was Korl Dóler, the CEO of Pleike LLC's sub-unit operating in Askelewi. The man was smoking a thick Trinian cigar while leaning on the office chair that looked like it was about to crack under his weight. Dóler has been living in Tipiskawin since the arrival of Pleike in 2019, and has been responsible for modernization of the biggest cities and towns in the country. In return, he's the owner of great majority of the industries in Askelewi. Some say that he has even more influence than Wîpîyamâhtâw, the Grand Chieftain himself.
Dóler: "You two are late!"
Dóler said with an arrogant voice, throwing his unfinished cigar on the ground and stomping over it couple times. The captain sat down and reluctantly shook hands with the obese man.
Dalverden: "Mr. Dóler, we apologize for our late arrival. It's been a very busy day for the whole unit ever since the war started. How are your ammunition factories doing in the city?"
Dóler: "They do very well. The war economy had doubled the bills in my pockets, which I always love to see. Anyway, I hope you understand that I'm a busy man too, and I absolutely hate when someone is late. Besides, armymen should never be late!"
Dalverden: "Again, we do apologize. What was the reason you called us anyway, if we may ask?"
Dóler: "My men are coming. Expect to see Oktan Corps operatives arriving in a purple plane."
Dalverden: "Oktan Corps? Why are Pleike's special operatives being sent here, as if the situation isn't escalating fast enough?"
Dóler: "Gas. The natives found natural gas - a sh*t ton of it - just north of Anisakvija. However, those are absolutely nothing compared to potential findings in Tawach- or whatever the place name is. Up north anyway. With that much of natural gas and helium, we can become the richest madafakas in this world!"
Dalverden: "You do already have Pleike's own security forces here. They could surely handle securing the natural gas for you. Besides, loads of forces across the world is coming to help Askelewi in their invasion."
Dóler: "The thing is, I do not fully trust the foreigners. The news of these enormous deposits that lie untouched underground have spread faster than light. They may be after to my gas. The Oktan Corps are coming just to make sure no one touches my gas for free."
Qizenola: "Mr. Dóler, with all due respect, the airport is already exceeding it's limits in terms of air traffic and storage space. We simply can't-"
Dóler: "Nuh uh, girl. I do not want to hear garbage like that. You WILL make space for them."
Qizenola: "But our capabilities-"
Dalverden: "Don't worry, Mr. Dóler. We will make it happen."
Dóler: "Good. Expect a few doubloons in your pockets if you carry your promises."
Dalverden saluted and led Qizenola out of the room with him. They both walked in the busy terminal building filled with all kinds of uniformed soldiers. There were the Askelewi government forces helping Kuzian soldiers in carrying smaller packages in trucks at the main entrance. There was the Pleike Security personnel guarding every doorway in the building. Some Anterian stormtroopers could be seen outside jumping in their vehicles and start heading towards frontlines. The two officers walked outside and saw two purple planes already landing in the airport. Two flatbed trucks carrying three FV-720s each had to hurry out of the way and were close to colliding with the planes. Couple soldiers near the runway can be seen making wild gestures and were visibly angry at the planes. The planes parked at the ramp, quickly unloaded a company of armed men and few trucks, and continued their way to the taxiway, skipping the long queue and departed the airport as soon as they left. The soldiers were wearing black uniforms with the yellow "Oktan Corps" patch attached to shoulders. They did not bother to salute or even glance at the honorary lieutenant nor the captain, but instead walked straight past them towards the terminal. This was expected, as many of these operators are former high-ranking officers or special forces soldiers who wanted to earn more money in war business.
Qizenola: "So... Why did we even allow them to land here?"
Dalverden: "They're owned by Pleike LLC. They are owned by Bjuzkas themselves. We have no say over them. Besides, they did their stuff quite fast and caused relatively little havoc anyway."
Qizenola: "Things really did take a drastic turn after the gas deposits were found. First Electrican companies seek out to help the country, and now Anterians have also landed here."
Dalverden: "It's likely the escalation would have happened anyway. Who wouldn't want to partner up with a government who has hold of natural gas and helium? Although, Pleike LLC. technically owns them, but things may take a different turn after the war is over. Anyway, we have lots of work to do. Just wanted to notify you that things will get way busier here. Expect Electrican Security contractors to arrive sooner or later."
Qizenola: "I understand."
Captain Dalverden left Qizenola as he walked back to the terminal. Qizenola walked back to the storage units. The honorary lieutenant saw a large squadron of 20 Kuzian transport helicopters flying in distance towards south. They were flying quite low, almost touching the monumental pine trees that surrounded the airport. They either carried supplies or Pre-emptive intervention forces that Kuzians have stationed in Tipiskawin. It's possible that VOSTOK's increasing presence in CBZ has caused Shanting to send more men to frontlines. This time it's not just the trainers, but actual soldiers who fight alongside Askets and Anterians, whenever they eventually arrive to the frontlines.
English Translation
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The Anston Times|#33
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Peace & War
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A sudden yet appreciated event has excited every journalist, and news company across Gundania. The leader of Novoroyska Mr. Andriy Vasilyevich, and Grand Chancellor Fuyuki Mashiro of United Kingdom of Miotia-Candor have both agreed to discus and improve relations after the Persian Civil war, and the Altikar drama in no other than Anston, Gundun itself. A crowed larger than a protest, a grand red carpet trailing towards a matte black tinted window Tomyota Tonto. And even president Izlance himself ready to greet the pair. This truly was an event to behold. After a dramatic introduction from the two. Followed by a march down to and then inside the SUV. the journey began towards the Capitol building.
Riding down the 10-lane road of Westward way was troublesome. Traffic that had piled up caused the journey to take longer than expected. Finally, after a few detours the Capitol building was in sight. A massive black asphalt parking lot surrounded the front of the monument, every parking spot aside from the furthest from the entrance were taken. Approaching the entrance, the SUV came to a stop, two armed military soldiers stood beside the now parked car, then opened the doors...
Following the event, hundreds of Gundanian journalists and news corporations MeTube channels have exploded in popularity including our own! Anston times news writer Tibit Gadlin has this to say:
"I'm so glad both me and my co-workers hard work for this company is getting finally getting the attention it deserves. Those jerks over at The Bostor Daily CAN SUC-"
The recording was cut-off.
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In Other News
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A war has recently sprung up between the Iskalot Region bordering Estland, an INCOM member. And The Federal Republic of Askelewi a nearby region. The Gundanian government has begun shipping out supplies via both boat and air alongside a small group of sixty soldiers to help with the war effort.
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Public RP
Gertbland Gazette #60 | Double Trouble
Passengers on a Tri-Island Airways flight to Snjótturburg were met with a surprise yesterday after seeing Lewis Maret, a fellow passenger, and his large pet crate being escorted out of the flight by Tri-Islands crew. Maret was instructed by flight attendants that the animal in the pet crate, a double-headed Shiloh Crownsnake named Greg, was actually two animals that could not be stored on the plane as passengers are only allowed to have one pet on board. Hours after Maret left the airport, it came to the attention of the Gazette that he intended to sue Tri-Island Airways for falsely kicking him off the flight that he purchased tickets for. On various social media platforms, Maret has voiced his argument that the snake, although two-headed, is one single animal. Tri-Island Airways reacted to this development by supporting the decisions of its flight crew in “identifying the animals in question as two separate entities.” The Gazette requested Maret to comment on his plans for this growing legal battle:
“This is one animal, no doubt about it. Yeah it’s got two heads but so what? They call a Hydra a Hydra, not a ‘Hydras.’ I’m honestly appalled that this is an issue. The thing can’t hurt anyone anyway! I was a paying customer who was only going to take this great CREATURE—singular—to a great buyer. I’m going to take this all the way to the top, and I have the funds for it, too. I just sold a purple kingsnake not a month ago, so this is serious.”
Worried Moms and Dads has announced their concern over the fact that the double-headed snake may be considered two entities. Spokespeople from the parental rights and child safety organization explain that if these double-headed snakes were considered two animals, the population of harmful snakes could be artificially inflated and pose a greater safety risk to children playing outside.
In other news, sports fishermen have identified the Skull Eye Schooner while off the coast of New Gertbland City. The fishermen say they reported the sighting to Admiral Broadsides new task force dedicated to tracking down the pirate sail ship.
Tarbanovija, North of Anisakvija
Family Chief Tatanka Wikasa walks in the dense strip of trees that cuts through enormous farmlands. Even though it's day, it's dark and cloudy, with few drops of water penetrating through the shield of leaves, hitting Tatanka Wikasa and his men's shoulders. 10 meters behind him is the Group elder Hinata Wikasa, Tatanka's little brother and the secondary leader of the war family, that means quite the same as a squad in any other army in the world. They have been on walk for several hours already, Everyone apart from the leaders and radioman carrying large rucksacks with enough supplies for them to survive on their own for few days. They are on an important mission. VOSTOK special operation forces have been causing havoc for the army and civilians for over a week already, which has caused the Chief of War to react harshly. Numerous counter-partisan squads like Tatanka Wikasa's was formed from experienced Tawechine warrior group.
Tatanka and his whole group wore a red & white, fancy, checkered Mih'kwéh that resembled their home clan that originates all the way from the mountanous Northeastern parts of North Tawechine. They were raised as warriors from the moment they were born. They went through rigorous training that still goes on today. They have hunted down Tanka Bears as a form of exercise, made several pilgrimages through the mountains in seek of legendary Ithaqua, participated in countless clan wars, and now fighting the Sacred war against the common enemy of Creeyoans. There isn't much that triggers any sort of fear Response in these men. They know every way how to take a life of another man either fast and peacefully, or as slowly and miserably as possible. That's why they and thousands of other Tawechines were chosen to this task. They know how to be ruthless enough for these foreign raiders who kill innocent children and steal their food. The Wikasas were told that the Vostok forces have committed the worst crime infront of Wakan Tanka: eating babies. That's what they were told at least. And that's why they are eager to kill these invaders.
The Men followed Tatanka as the wind got stronger by every minute. The blades of wet grass bent and clung to their boots, leaving behind a trail of crushed greenery and muddy imprints. Every first step seemed to wash the boots from dirt, but the very next step caused them to soak in mud. Then, a sudden crack pierced the air, followed by another and another, until the sounds merged into an orchestra of almost constant gunfire in the distance. Some group has come in contact with Vostok. Everyone stopped their movement and went to their knees, each observing their own designated view of vision. Hinata Wikasa swiflty turned his head to the family elder.
"Gunshots 400 meters to east!"
Hinata loudly whispered to Tatanka, who glanced at him and gave a quick, silent nod. Tatanka thought of possible decision and outcomes for few seconds before turning to his Men.
"Get in a distance wedge! We transform into a line formation if we see structures or I show the sign."
He stated loudly, so that the last man 60 meters away could hear it clearly. He then started walking in front, allowing everyone to find their way in the formation. They came across a small dirt road after walking few hundred meters towards the gunfight. Tatanka gave an order for everyone to take off their rucksacks and other equipment that isnt necessary in combat. Then they began running towards the small Ridge, which most likely was the only barrier between them and the battle. Tatanka halted his Men right before the Ridge and decided to crawl himself on top of the Ridge to see where the enemy and friendlies are. There was enough tree coverage for the whole warrior family to be safe, but Tatanka wanted to make sure there Will be no blue-on-blue situation. He crawled behind a tree and observed the vast terrain. There was a small community of 3 houses on the left, a small field on the center and a strip of trees on the right. He could clearly see few enemy soldiers stationed in the tree strip and seemingly trying to take over the small community which was defended by 4-5 local Creeyoans, all in civilians clothes and armed with simple rifles and pistols.
"Hinata, get yourself a companion and defend the right flank! Everyone else, in a single file line over here! Enemy at the right forest strip, fire at will!"
Tatanka shouts, and the warrior family instantly goes into action. Tatanka opens fire as soon as everyone got in their position, followed by the rest of the Tawech warriors. One Vostok operator instantly drops lifeless on ground while the rest of them seek for cover. The fire supperiority is quickly gained and thoroughly maintained by the Tawechines. Tatanka then orders his flank protectors to push forward in the forest strip and force the enemy out. However, it becomes clear that the enemy is heavily armed as they open fire with PKMs, forcing everyone in Tatanka's squad to return back behind the Ridge. Tatanka turns to his nearest companion, Elder warrior Ginawa Tanka, armed with an assault rifle with grenade launcher attachment.
"Gas?"
Tatanka asks a simple question from Ginawa, who quickly observes his built-in backpack module in his vest.
"Gas!"
Ginawa answers back, taking a small grenade round with Black stripe around it and loads it in the launcher. He aims upwards towards the enemy positions, and fires. A quickly expanding yellow-Brown smoke emerged from the forest strip, followed by panicking enemy soldiers who try to get away from the smoke while already feeling the effects of it. Tatanka and his Men shot down them one at the time, until there was no more of them. After waiting for half a minutes, Tatanka ordered his Men to Rush towards the settlement, shouting the motto of Askelewi constantly in order to show to locals they're on their side. Tatanka met 4 adult Men with their rifles. They were defending their family, rest of which soon emerged from the forest. There was a dead body in the premises of the settlement that gained the interest of Tatanka. The man had a different dark Green uniform, a seemingly Rouvskian weapon and white armband. It was a VOSTOK operative who most likely tried to break in one of the house but got surprised by the armed family. Rest of the dead man's comrades were lying dead in the field, their faces severely burnt and filled in blisters. The gas was still around spreading here and there, so the Tawechines had to evacuate the settlement for a brief period for their own safety. After all the bodies had been counter following morning, the squad continued its patrol across the plains, looking for unfortunate Rouvskian operatives who would land in front of them.
KALEVI NEWSPAPER 13/4/2024
2,000 new contracts - Ziemelkrasti Readiness Unit increases unit amount by 350 men in CBZ
The commander of Ziemelkrasti Readiness Unit, Colonel Lieutenant Egons Zvinelis has publicly announced that a long-planned Emergency Response Unit will be deployed to Cultural Border Zone in Iskalot-Creeyo region in attempt to support the Iskalotian government and stabilize the region. The decision was finalized after SV-Z announced that 2,000 new contracts to the organization were signed with new operators. The new Emergency Response Unit consists of 5 mechanized infantry platoons, 2 armored units whose size is yet unknown, an attack helicopter squadron and a combat sapper platoon. The size of the total force has not been published, but estimates range around 350 additional SV-Z Operators being deployed in Cultural Border Zone. Depending on the course of the conflict, the SV-Z has capability of further increase or decrease their presence in CBZ.
The President Longins Grube has given an approval for a start of the crisis management operation in Cultural Border Zone, with aim to clear possible saboteurs far away from the frontlines and ensure the safety of the civilians. For this purpose, the International Jaegers from Limnazi International Corps are deployed in Iskalot region to fulfill their task and stabilize the area. Although the International Jaegers do not actively participate in conflict and focus solely on protecting the civilians and infrastructure, this decision is major. For the first time in history are Estian-speaking soldiers allowed to participate in the Creyo-Iskalot conflict in one way or another. The decision for a start of the crisis management operation was made after rumours of a suspected gas attack conducted by Asketian Armed Forces began spreading. While no concrete evidence has yet been brought to table, even the rumours of usage of chemical weapons by any side require immediate, serious response for the sake of civilians.
The Parliament approves the government's budget plan
Yesterday, the Rahvaparlament approved the new budget for Estland. The biggest changes were seen for the Ministries of Defence, Infrastructure and Environment. The Ministry Of Defence received additional 33 billion Markkas, which is the largest budget increase to them in years. The Ministry of Infrastructure also received additional 12 billion Markkas. The Ministry of Environment on the other hand faced even more suppression, as their budget for this year is nearly 20% smaller compared to last year, now standing at 22 billion markkas. Many applaud the changes due to the increased destability in Southern Wasari, but there were some, especially the environmentalists and pacifists, who did not see much improvement in this year's budget. Many politicians in Rohelinet party expressed worry of the environmental impact of the decision to cut the budget from the ministry of environment.
The armada of the south has arrived - Shanting increases its presence in Askelewi
The airspace was filled with carrier planes and helicopters coming from the 
United Kuzikstan, heading towards the airports, airbases and airtstrips of Askeland. The recent satellite imagery shows that many military bases across Askeland established by Kuzians have grew significantly in size and in terms of personnel, indicating that Shanting is ready to intervene in Askeland if things turn south. Several aircrafts coming from 
North Electrica and 
The Atlas Archipelago were seen flying to the same direction. Although the Electrican forces operate independently and are not related to the government, it's likely that the country of Electrica has selected their side in this conflict. The arrival of Anterians also show which side they have aligned to. It's likely that increasing manpower in Askeland is part of the plan Shanting has in to putting more pressure and increase the treshold of Novoroyska, an important ally of Iskalot and Estland from intervening further in the conflict. If the rumoured plan works well for Shanting, it could shatter the image of INCOM as whole, or in worst case scenario, dissolve the alliance altogether. However if things turn south and INCOM indeed pushes forward to intervene, it could escalate the conflict faster than a fire spreading in an oil leak. Overall, the situation is devastating and there seems to be no sight of weardown of the conflict in near future.
Matti Went to buy milk but never returned home - The investigation continues
ENTIMÄGI, KIVIMAA - 1 month ago, the family of Keskõl woke up in surprise as the man of the house, Matti Keskõl, was missing. Matti's wife, Maria claims that Matti was supposed to walk to the nearby grocery store and buy milk, as the children drank all the milk in the house earlier day. However, Matti's journey to the store still hasn't come to an end. Keskõl family called a search & rescue operators to find the father, but so far no traces of him has been found. After further investigation, there has been few things that have been solved: Matti indeed walked out to get some milk. The evidence gathered from the empty milk canisters and family reports support this crystal clear. Matti was also seen by the neighbor walking towards the store that was 75 meters away to be exact. Matti was relatively known in the town and everyone knew he had no other businesses to do than take care of his family and work in the local elementary school. Even the cashiers of the grocery store knew Matti well, and did see him walking in the store with a canister of milk during the day of disappearance. However, Matti never walked to the counter, and him walking between the toilet paper shelves was the last moment anyone saw him.
Matti is "slightly overweight", 173cm long, weighing 108kg middle-aged man with balding hair. He normally wears black glasses, red lumberjack shirt, denim shorts and a trucker cap. Any signs or clues of Matti's location must be reported to the police, so the investigation can finally end on more fortunate note.
TIPISKAWIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Liqner sat on his comfy seat in his private jet, patiently waiting to make it to his destination. In front of him was a small coffee table and a sofa occupied by Telzin, who agreed to join him as an advisor for the trip. Liqner’s son seemed to be slightly absent from this world, having the same, serious stare on his glass on the table. It wasn’t until Liqner’s hands came to his vision when Telzin broke the eternal staring competition with a lifeless object. Telzin glanced at his father, but said nothing. Liqner knew that Telzin was not supportive of Shanting’s involvement in this conflict. Everything would have been better if Shanting kept to its own business, he thought. Liqner took a sip from his glass and put it back on the table. The eerie silence that was looming in the cabin made him feel uneasy. Knowing that his own son did not like his plans was saddening. Liqner however knew that in order to succeed, he needed to gain a foothold. A foothold in the continent Liqner’s grand-grandfathers found all the riches at. The latest findings of natural gas in the region made it clear that Bjuzkas can not back down in Askelewi. If they did, someone else would take their place, regardless of what Askets themselves think of it.
Liqner looked outside the oval window. The large patches of forests and farmlands switched to small groups of settlements. These settlements grew larger and larger as the plane flew forward and descended, eventually uniting into one, large metropolis. Tipiskawin was the only real, modern city Askelewi had. It was the beating heart of the country. This city was home to the ministers, the oligarchs, the workers, the very ordinary Creeyoans who wanted to live in a modern society. The plane flew past the city center, which was covered in tall skyscrapers and modern apartments. You could see the brand new Tipiskawin’s Central Shopping Center taking several neighborhoods worth of space to itself. If a picture of This exact moment was captured, anyone would think we could be somewhere like New Anston, or a bustling, medium-sized city in Shanting. It’s all thanks to Pleike LLC. Liqner, being one of the owners of the megacorporation, gets a sense of pride as he looks at the results made in just a few years. The modernization of Tipiskawin is just one of the first steps in Pleike LLC’s attempt to modernize the country. There’s a lot more to do, and it will certainly take decades of hard work that requires blood and sweat before all of Askets in the country could have similar life as those in Tipiskawin.
The flight attendant entered the cabin with a small trolley. She had a small variety of expensive goods, such as caviar, Quinerian whiskey, Trinian cigars and a variety of wines from all across Shanting and the world. Finally, someone who breaks the silence!
—---------------------
“Sirs? Would you like some drinks? Tobacco?”
Liqner: “I’d like one cigar, please. Telzin, do you want some too?”
Telzin: “I’m okay with what I have.”
—---------------------
Telzin shook his head and leaned on his left hand as he looked out from the window to the new world they had arrived in. The flight attendant took a maroon box from the trolley. The box looked like a simple gift box which could be opened just by lifting the head off. It was decorated with dozens of golden stars in perfect symmetry, expressing the straightforward, harmonical taste of the cigar accompanied with slight tropical and citrus tones. In the middle there was a golden square, which had maroon text written in: “Devna Premium - 1944 Limited Edition”. One box of these would cost 7 grand at home, but that money felt nothing for Bjuzkas. For them in general, everything was technically free with the enormous wealth they had. Liqner cuts the cap off and lets the flight attendant light the cigar for him. The attendant took Liqner’s empty whisky glass and left the cabin.
Telzin “You know… I personally thought Askeland was far from being a modern society.”
—---------------------
Telzin said with a surprised tone, as he looked at the numerous highrises of Tipiskawin. His father chuckled as a response, knowing the larger scale of how things actually are.
—---------------------
Liqner: “Well, the only advanced part in this country is right in front of you. There’s a lot that needs to be done before Askeland could be called ‘modern’ in any way.”
Telzin: “Aren’t they poor? Like in general, they rely pretty much fully on us in every aspect.”
Liqner: “They’re quite new to running a country. Their society has been rumbling due to internal and external threats.”
Telzin: “Tell me more about the internal threats.”
Liqner: “The term “Creeyoan” or “Asket” is very broad. They both hold dozens of smaller and bigger tribes within them. You got the Askets themselves and Tahapatsas, who are the most dominant in this country and rule pretty much everything. You then got the Tawechines, an important minority tribe that lives up north. They’re known as the troublemakers of the society, and the only thing at the moment that keeps them from starting a civil war is the united Creeyoan goal of fighting against the foreign oppressors.”
Telzin: “Don’t they see us as oppressors? I mean, look at this place. The whole city was built by us. We own almost all of their businesses and industries.”
Liqner: “We’re only here to support them. As soon as we get the natural gas business rolling, we can lease some of our industrial and business aspects to improve their self-reliance. That’s why they see us as allies, not invaders.”
Telzin: “Hopefully you keep your word and don’t turn this place into a mere colony of Shanting, just like in the imperial times. People in Wasari tend to revolt quite a lot if they see themselves being oppressed by foreigners.”
—---------------------
Liqner sat there, watching as the plane lowered its altitude, eventually bumping to the runway. You could see the grand old brutalist terminal and a large military base with its hangars and barracks further away. Telzin looked displeased at the main terminal and its boring, cold look.
—---------------------
Telzin: “Seems like the ‘developed’ part of this society can’t even reach the outskirts of the city.”
—---------------------
Telzin thought out loud. Liqner put his cigar on a small tray and started getting ready to step out. The plane was taxied to the gate in front of the terminal. The doors opened, and the flight attendant signaled with his hand for the duo to step out. Telzin stood up and tidied his black suit before leading the way out of the plane. Telzin walked his way down the stairs to a red carpet with a line of Asket soldiers standing at attention. They formed a man-made hallway leading all the way to the end of the red carpet where the Grand Chief was welcoming the two of the most important figures in Shanting. Few dozen meters away was a large mass of reporters and paparazzis taking pictures, eager to get closer to the red carpet but were held off by armed men in purple uniforms.
Wîpîyamâhtâw, the Grand Chief of Askeland welcomed Liqner and his son in open arms. He was wearing his usual white cloak and mih'kwéh. On this rare occasion, his face was not covered by the traditional scarf, and the mih’kwéh found itself just covering the Grand Chief’s neck. Liqner and Wîpîyamâhtâw shook hands and hugged, whereas Telzin was given a firm handshake by the grand chief and a pat in the back.
—---------------------
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “Welcome to Askelewi! I sincerely hope that your flight was pleasant in every way.”
Liqner: “It's a pleasure to be here and meet you face-to-face for the first time.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “Thank you. However, let’s keep the discussion here short, and get going. As you know, our security situation isn’t exactly the best right now.”
Liqner: “We understand. Let’s get going, then.”
—---------------------
They walked inside the airport, where they were met by dozens of Pleike LLC’s security providers. They could be easily identified from the purple uniform they wore. There was little to no law enforcement around, which puzzled Telzin.
—---------------------
Telzin: “How are the police doing in this country?”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “Not great, to be honest. Our police force is very small, and therefore we have to rely on extra help given by your security providers. They are far more professional and… well… They are professional unlike our men. But we wish to turn this problem around when we get more funds that open up after the war.”
Liqner: “We can discuss these matters soon in the meeting.”
—---------------------
Liqner, Wîpîyamâhtâw and Telzin were led in a black limousine that was waiting for them outside the terminal. A large convoy of military trucks, armored cars and motorbikes started heading towards the Tipiskawin center. Liqner and Telzin looked outside their windows and saw the streets of Tipiskawin outskirts. The suburbs were filled with different-sized concrete boxes that were supposed to represent homes for many Creeyoans. These extremely simple, straightforward and depressing buildings dated all the way back to Kkhano expansion, when functionality beat over beauty. It’s a shocker these buildings are still somewhat liveable, although many buildings have unrepairable cracks as a result of the past conflicts and years of disrepair. Many of the wooden houses were in such bad shape someone could think they’re straight from an Imperial era museum. The main road was in excellent shape. The pedestrian pathways that led towards the city center were clean and the concrete slabs had no signs of wear down. This cleanliness and newer look eventually catches up to the buildings as the convoy starts making it to the city itself.
Although they were almost at the city center, the traffic was comparable to a tiny village center. People preferred walking and very few individuals owned cars.
—---------------------
Liqner: ”The city feels quite dead when the roads are empty.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “People would gladly use cars. However, there’s no car manufacturers in the country nor are there many dealerships. The cars are only for the rich folk here. People have to resort to walking, bicycles and horses. Unfortunately our bus routes are nationally pretty bad, let alone other aspects of public transport.”
Liqner: “There’s certainly a lot to do. But I trust a strong man like you can overcome these obstacles.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “I appreciate your kind words. Anyway, we’re at the destination, we shall get ready.”
—---------------------
The Grand chief said as the convoy departed and the limousine curved in front of the Chieftain’s Palace. The white neo-classical building was surrounded by a stone wall. To make the security even more present, there were hundreds of Tahapatsa soldiers guarding every side of the building both inside and outside. The main gate guardians opened the cantilever gate for Wîpîyamâhtâw and his visitors. The front yard had a blooming garden with hedge mazes, flowers and marble fountains. The cartoonishly green, clean-cut grass made it feel like home for Telzin and Liqner. The sheer difference between the outside and inside the gate was dizzying. For the first time, Telzin felt relieved as he finally got out of the depressing nature of the city itself. The city center was a few clicks to the north, but it was extremely quiet, mostly due to the absence of cars.
They passed the gardens and walked upstairs the grand staircase that led to the main entrance. Wîpîyamâhtâw’s bodyguards opened the large double doors for them. Inside, the foundation looked grand: the floor was made of white Trinian marble and the rosewood walls gave the entrance hall an elegant, expensive first-look. However, Wîpîyamâhtâw’s simple lifestyle could be seen in the furniture. There were only a couple seats here and there and few pictures of his late family. He didn’t put as much effort in covering the rooms with expensive paintings, marble statues of himself, or having a large collection of historical furniture. The lack of furniture made everything look so empty, but perhaps in a good way. Liqner has been to many homes of his partners, and many of them are so filled with anything that breathes wealth, that he has felt even claustrophobic in these places. It’s refreshing to finally have space to walk around and perhaps even take a couple running steps without fear of crashing a thousand-year-old relic to the ground, Liqner thought to himself.
Wîpîyamâhtâw led Liqner and Telzin in his personal office. The bookshelves behind his counter were filled with books ranging from guides for economics to history books of Askelewi. Wîpîyamâhtâw signaled his guests to take a seat from a comfortable couch on the corner and sat on the other couch, facing Liqner and Telzin. Between the two couches was a small table with 3 empty glasses and a bottle of whisky. Liqner, the professional whisky taster, had never seen such a brand of whiskey in his life.
—---------------------
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “I knew that you both like whisky, so I had to present you with something new: Would you like to have a taste of ‘Kanahooka 2019’? It’s our country’s first homemade, premium whisky. it’s a harmonious blend of natural flavors and traditional Tahapatsa-craftsmanship.”
—---------------------
Liqner was pleasantly surprised and agreed to take a taste with Telzin. They both could find themselves in a journey through the rich earthiness taste, floral undertones, refreshness of the herbs, ending with a smooth & balanced aftertaste.
—---------------------
Liqner: “For such a young whisky, this is surprisingly good. This could become one of the trademarks for sure.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “I’m glad you liked it.”
Liqner: “Without further ado, let’s get to the point. How is your operation going in the south?”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “Very great. Without international allies, we couldn’t have achieved as much as we have now. Anterian and our own forces captured an important city of Lanáwsi after very harsh battles. The War Chief said however, that despite our losses, we achieved a great win. On the western front, our forces backed by Anterians are steadily moving towards Kahelis. If things go as planned, we will occupy Chilantakoba in just couple weeks.”
Liqner: “That is relieving to hear. We have enforced our own men by bringing new Pre-Intervention battalions in. If things start turning down south, we can send them to help any time.”
Telzin: “There’s a possibility that INCOM will respond, especially after the rumours of… you know what, have started to spread.”
Liqner: “Speaking of that, Mr. Grand Chief, are the rumours true? Were chemical weapons used against Novoroyskans?”
—---------------------
Wîpîyamâhtâw was visibly nervous of the bombardment of such questions.
—---------------------
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “Not to my knowledge. There are no bodies found. No evidence of such atrocities. Even if these claims were to be true, we would be sure to condemn such barbaric actions. I refuse to believe our professional army would resort to such horrid acts.”
Liqner: “I see. I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you in any way. We should move on to the next topic.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “Of course. The law enforcement is overwhelmed and out of its capacity. This, topped with rampant corruption among our units, is very worrying.”
Telzin: “I assume no anti-corruption agencies exist to take care of the corruption problem.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “Unfortunately no. Besides, at the moment all of our budget is focused on the war, and we can’t spare a penny for other aspects, let alone forming a whole new agency for corruption. Things should of course ease down when the victory is ours.”
Liqner: “After the conflict is over, we can continue providing Pleike LLC’s security services to your country as much as you need, until your government gets their things done.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “I really appreciate that. Pleike security has been the lifeline of the law enforcement in Tipiskawin. Without them, we would be in complete anarchy.”
Liqner: “What other subjects do we have?”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “The state of our infrastructure. As you could see, Tipiskawin is doing well thanks to Pleike, but the rest of the country is far behind. Some of our settlements aren’t even connected by roads! Without proper funds, it would take a thousand years before we could establish a proper road network for the people.”
Liqner: “I’m sure that you will get enough funds from the natural gas and helium that you have found in your soil.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “That’s what we hope, as long as foreigners won’t invade all of our gas-rich regions.”
Telzin: “Perhaps you should push forward the National Gas & Helium Sovereignty Act forward after the conflict is over? That way, you could declare all of your natural gas reserves as owned by the state. Of course, the agreement our countries have does overrule it a little bit, as we should be guaranteed to have our part of your industries. The NGHSA nevertheless would prevent other foreign powers from touching your gas reserves.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “NGHSA indeed is very tempting. However, I bet that many in the tribal council oppose the idea of ANY foreign nation having hold of any of our industries. What portion of the potential gas industry would you eventually want? I would recommend a solid 10%, which would definitely be small enough for the tribal council to accept, but big enough for your nation to profit out of it.”
Liqner: “We were thinking of a slightly bigger percentage. We could find our standing in 20%. Afterall, we are the very reason your nation exists, and we have put a lot of money in you.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “I’ll see what I can do. It for sure is a tough piece to bite in the council, but I hope for the best.”
Liqner: “Likewise.”
—---------------------
The conversation was interrupted by one of the soldiers who guarded the premises of the Grand Chief’s home. It was Hi’lekhwa, the commander of the Grand Chief’s bodyguards.
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Hi’lekhwa: “Mr. Grand Chief, I apologize for disturbing you and your guests, but we have something very important to talk about in private.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: ”Pardon.”
—---------------------
Wîpîyamâhtâw stood up and walked out of the office. Telzin could see the serious face of the soldier. This had to be something urgent. Silence fell in the room. Feeling slightly uneasy about what caused the soldiers to bring the Grand chief outside the room, Liqner downed his glass of whisky. He knew that this had to be something very serious. Telzin could see Liqner tapping his legs rapidly. What could have happened? Was there an imminent threat to our safety?
Soon the answers would be revealed as Wîpîyamâhtâw opened the door. His movements were calm, but his not-so-happy facial expression told more than a thousand words.
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Wîpîyamâhtâw: “I apologize for the sudden break. Several planes, presumably belonging to Astana-Anders, entered our airspace. They struck one of our major bases near the former border. Two planes were shut down.”
—---------------------
Liqner: “Wait, what?”
Liqner: “Astanai planes? Does that mean that INCOM is now fully intervening?”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “Anterian intelligence has reported that 20,000 Astanai and as many Novoroyskan forces are coming to the oppressor’s help.”
Telzin: “Are you absolutely certain these are not fake news?”
Liqner: “This is unforgivable.”
Wîpîyamâhtâw: “No, all of this is indeed real. It’s very likely we have to end our meeting short, for your own safety. INCOM planes could start bombarding the city any moment.”
—---------------------
The room fell into an eerie silence. Liqner turned his body towards Telzin, and gave his son a death stare.
—---------------------
Liqner: “Telzin, give me the phone.”
Telzin: “For what?”
Liqner: “I need to have a chat with PEIF HQ. If INCOM intervenes, we intervene.”
Telzin: “This will not turn out well. There will be no winners in this war.”
Liqner: “They leave no other choice.”
Telzin reluctantly gave the phone to Liqner. The classic tactic of the Kuzians has emerged again. Escalate until the enemy has no space to escalate further. The wheel of destruction continues spinning endlessly, until there is no one left to give it power. The Midsummer is coming.
KALEVI NEWSPAPER 27/4/2024
Ceasefire in Creeyo - A turn towards peace?
Yesterday, Askets and INCOM forces agreed on a ceasefire, with last shots heard near Dubkov. The ceasefire was made in agreement by all parties and will last at least for the duration of the peace talks held in Ligul, Impeck. Although no concrete signatures have been made yet, especially the Iskalotian forces have seemingly began accepting the fact that the war is going to be over soon. The frontlines are being observed 24/7 by all sides, and even a lightest spark could light the volatile front back in full-blown war. Anterian proposal for Iskalot ceding Creeyo-majority regions in CBZ for Askelewi has gained popularity in many participant nations, although in Askelewi, the Tahapatsa & Tawechine community has been strongly against accepting only small territorial changes, still hoping for the complete ownership of their indigenous lands. The President Longins Grube step in his private jet and took off towards Impeck this morning, soon after the decision for peace talks was made.
Estian International Jaegers have arrived in CBZ
The first International Jaeger company has been stationed in Cultural Border Zone. Their main purpose is to help the locals who have been hurt the most by the conflict and keep the ceasefire going as long as possible. The International Jaegers are supposed to meet with Anterian and Kuzian peacekeepers in Vermezi tomorrow in seek for cooperation and establishing a joint-peacekeeping mission between the two sides. Limnazi International Jaegers were met with delight by locals in Beketovs and began establishing connection with the civilian population as soon as they landed by providing humanitarian aid.
Vianden.
A warm summer breeze flows in between the alleyways and plazas of the multistorey buildings. People, now wearing their summer clothing walk and chat while the children run and play in the surrounding parks to, they're hearts content. An alarm sounds, it's aggravating beeping seemingly getting louder and louder. With a near perfect imitation of a corpse, a man tosses and turns in his old squeaky queen bed doing his best to filter out his alarm. The urge for some peace and quiet drives his arm up, and down slamming the large silence button on the clock. The room goes completely quiet, the only white noise being the warm breeze, and the muffed voices and conversations from outside. With the ever-building motivation to simply do something, rather than rot away to his heart’s desire, the man gets up. Bones crack, joints ach, followed by an array of exhausted grunt as the man stumbles towards the bathroom.
Now being bathed and clean, the man slides into his most used clothes, a simple shirt followed by an unzipped jumper, and finally some long cargo pants. The man opens the old yet pretty wooden door into the building’s hallway, the day is instantly ruined after a quick glance at the elevator which has a big, unmissable out of order note. Angerly grunting and mumbling swears he slowly makes his way down the metal spiral staircase and eventually outside the building. The man is met with a comfortable summer sun and breeze, its lovely against the skin, almost enchanting in a way. In a matter of minutes, the man finds himself in the heart and centre of Vianden. Expensive restaurants, museums, tourist shops, more tourist shops, yet another tourist shop, a Gertbland gazette collector shop.... another tourist shop. Rolling his eyes the man reaches for his pocket for his phone, hoping to see the news and weather, just to be met with a zero-battery symbol. On the brink of insanity, a distance shouting catches his attention. Something on the lines of "newspaper"... Newspaper! quicker than he's ran in years in a matter of seconds the man’s eyes meet with a newspaper market stall. Yanking out a crisp and crinkled single Solez dollar note.
Now, newspaper in hand and sitting down on a local bench. The man let's out a sigh of relief. This short moment of calmness is quickly followed by a sudden gust of wind throwing the paper into the sky and away. The man jumps on his feet and gives chase to the run-away paper. through crowds, over small bridges, in and out of alleyways, the chase in intense. The man grows closer the flying paper, and closer, the breeze drops giving him a moment of opportunity. He gracefully leaps into the air, snatching the newspaper. A smile one could only describe as pure joy and accomplishment fills the man’s face, despite the odds of the universe he did it! This moment is short live as soon as he lands... right into a meter wide cannel.
With the sun setting, the once warm breeze switching to an icy frost. The man sits alone on the same bench as before, all that effort to save his lost newspaper just for him to land in water. As he stands up to leave and head back home, a lost paper carried by a soft wind dances around the floor. The man snatches it, sits down, and reads as the amber sun sinks bellow the horizon...
The man then angerly grunts and chucks the newspaper into the bin, nothing but some drama in Iskalot and Askelewi...
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