"The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear."
-Aung San Suu Kyi
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Lean Know Forest, Louria occupied Qua-Toyne
January 27, 1640
The sounds of war filled the morning air of the once untouched sacred woodlands of the Lean Know Forest. The sound of metals clashing, the screams of the dying, and the cries of the helpless drowned out the sounds of the birds chirping and insects buzzing under the morning sun. In the midst of battle, a lone middle-aged man was seen holding on to his sword, as 4 Lourian swordsmen slowly approach him with their own blades drawn. Believing that his time was up, the middle-aged man simply closed his eyes for a second before smiling, thankful that he if he were to die now, it would be in battle as a soldier rather than as a slave.
He carefully scans the 4 Lourians slowly approaching him, he could tell the left most one will most probably be the one to attempt to strike him down first. He adjusts his posture slightly to meet the left most Lourian, preparing to parry his blade before stabbing him with a dagger with his other hand.
Suddenly, they could hear a myriad of explosions erupt behind the Lourians before roars of thunder filled the sky. As he and the Lourians looked up to the wide blue yonder through a small opening in the forest canopy, they could barely catch glimpses of what looked like black birds travelling at incredible speeds, leaving the same roars of thunder as they flew away.
The middle-aged man and the Lourians however soon regained their focus. Whatever happened just now is of little importance to their own personal battle. Before the Lourians could charge at the middle-aged man, a volley of arrows rained down on the Lourians, striking all 4 down in one fell swoop. The middle-aged man turned his head and could see several elven and human archers emerge from behind a thicket of bushes. A black hair human female approached the middle-aged man before promptly saluting him, causing the others behind her to do the same.
"General Nou, apologies for being late. The Lourian advance near the left flank was slow and we had to wait from them to enter the kill zone to properly utilize our bows."
The middle-aged man now identified as Nou simply raised his hand at the female archer.
"No worries, they still fell right into our trap. Now about those explosi- "
Before General Nou could complete his sentence, more sounds of explosions occurred from the east, followed by the deafening sounds produced by the mysterious black birds as they fly over the Lean Know Forest. The sudden sounds caused the group to be startled for a bit, but General Nou simply looked up to the sky and smiled before speaking.
"As I was saying, let me ask you all this, do you have any idea what those explosions represent?"
The female archers looked to one another in confusion, some shook their heads unable to come up with a response. General Nou kept his smile as he lowered his gaze towards them.
"That my fellow soldiers, are the sounds of salvation."
The archers now had a shocked expression painted on their faces. But before anyone could say anything, Nou points his finger to one of the male humans.
"You! Get to the nearest magicom and inform the other formations those explosions belong to the Emissaries of the God Sun! They have finally arrived, and not a moment too soon. Tell the soldiers to keep fighting with everything they got, for all we need to do now is continue fighting until they get here!".
The male archer in question salutes and runs back into the thick forest to relay General Nou's orders.
General Nou now turned his head around and looked down at the 4 Lourian corpses strewn before him.
'Why do you all look so young?'.
...
Garuda Squadron, Skies above Lean Know Forest, Louria occupied Qua-Toyne
January 27, 1640
<<Garuda 1, bombs away!>>
Yelled Weapons Systems Officer Kiet as a CBU-87 Cluster Bomb was released from the F-15ES that he was in. The bombs were dropped above a Lourian encampment that also included trebuchets that were constantly launching flaming projectiles towards the Lean Know Forest.
Before hitting the ground, the cluster bomb dispersed multiple smaller bomblets that caused a wide area to go up in a brilliant explosion, sending dust, debris, body parts, and blood into the sky then back to the ground. The Lourian survivors who were lucky to not be eviscerated by one of Earth's most terrifying weapons did not understand what was happening and began running for their lives in multiple directions, like ants about to be stepped on by a giant.
The scenes of F-15ESs dropping cluster munitions upon the Lourian army camps below coincided with a paradrop operation that was occurring a fair distance away to the East of the sacred woodlands.
...
Suddenly, the sound of the F-15ES was drowned out by an emergency message from the onboard radio.
<<This is AWACS Astute Hawk to Garuda Squadron! Return to the transports! They report hostile wyverns approaching the descending paratroopers from the South.>>
Kiet's eyes widened at the mere thought of paratroopers helplessly burned to a crisp while still in mid-air.
All 24 aircraft of Garuda squadron had been ordered to fly ahead to bomb the Lourians as there were no wyverns detected by the Boeing 737 AEW&C (AWACS) aircraft callsign Astute Hawk as they flew over the drop zones for the paratroopers. Soon, Kiet's pilot immediately banked the F-15ES, pulling several Gs in the process, and headed back to the South-East to intercept the Lourian wyverns. Soon, the F-15ES was joined by the rest of Garuda squadron.
Kiet had one thing to say to his pilot.
<<Punch it!>>
Soon, the dual Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 turbofan engines of the F-15ES produced thrust and yellow flames, greatly increasing the speed of the F-15ESs as they race their way to the vulnerable paratroopers back to the east.
...
Moments before, Lourian Reserve Wyvern Corps, Cave in outskirts of Lean Know Forest, Louria occupied Qua-Toyne
January 27, 1640
The morning sun and clear skies often marks a new day where one would strive to accomplish something. Today, the Lourian Reserve Wyvern Corps, the only combat capable wyvern force of the Lourian army left, hopes to achieve greatness despite their green status.
The destruction of all the Lourian Royal Wyvern Knights deployed near Maihark during the USEAN raid on the day of hostilities had left many of the younger recruits demoralised. Some had even deserted after hearing stories of fast and nimble iron wyverns firing homing arrows of light towards them. The arrows of light would only need to get close before exploding, killing both the wyvern and rider. However, many of them stood by their colours, not wanting to abandon their brothers in arms whom they had trained with for a few weeks now.
In the darkness of a large cave that was conveniently located just outside empty farmland, a dozen wyverns stood ready to be launched at a moment's notice. Their riders, sitting on their trusty steeds, ready to sortie by using the empty farmlands as a makeshift runway. They are among the three groups of wyvern units scattered in nearby caves that faced a suitable location for taking off.
Soon, the magicom operator standing near the entrance had his receiver crackle to life. The wyvern riders could only hear what the operator was saying but they all know that it was General Adem who was on the other side.
<<Yes sir...no more of the smaller iron flier's sir, they just bypassed us...no signs of the type that you mentioned sir...the larger iron fliers are sprouting what looks to be mushrooms to the ground, they are slowly descending as we speak...are you sure general?...understood General, we will get it done.>>
The magicom operator turned to the wyvern riders who are now ready to exit the cave and take to the skies. He raises his hand and points it towards the mushroom like objects now slowly descending to the ground after being sprouted from the larger iron fliers.
"Reserve Wyvern Corps! Launch! Intercept enemy air units descending to the ground!"
And with that order, one wyvern after another exited the cave and started taking off by using the empty farmlands. Some that were already in the sky could see that their fellow wyverns from other caves were now doing the same thing and started to get into formation as they head towards the mushroom like objects slowly dropping to the ground. As they got closer, they realised that attached to the mushroom like objects were soldiers.
<<I must say, the general seems to know what he is doing>>
A rookie gleefully said over the magicoms of the wyvern riders as they gain altitude to incinerate the helpless soldiers slowly descending. Another rookie rider responds.
<<Do not get too comfortable, the general said those iron fliers can still fly at incredible speeds. Incinerate as many of the targets in front of us as you can but the moment you see any of those bastards off in the distance, dive back down and fly away as fast as you can. If possible, land and take refuge inside any-ENEMY LIGHT ARROWS, EVADE! EVADE!>>
The wyverns promptly aborted their attempted attack on the defenceless USEAN soldiers parachuting to the ground as the same rookie spotted a light arrow coming at them from great distances.
<<Wait! I thought we should see those black birds before any of their light arrows!>>
<<Fuck it! The general's wrong! Just dive and get out of sight!>>
The rookies of the reserve wyvern corps now, in a disorganized manner, broke formation and started diving towards the ground to shake off the incoming homing arrows of light. But it was no use, the arrows of light chased them like prey and soon, explosions rocked the serene countryside of Qua-Toyne.
...
Moments before, Garuda Squadron, Skies above Lean Know Forest, Louria occupied Qua-Toyne
January 27, 1640
<<Garuda 2, Fox Three!>>
<<Garuda 7, Fox Three!>>
WSO Kiet flipped a switch to arm the Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) missile and pressed the trigger.
<<Garuda 1, Fox Three!>>
More reports of the firing of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles were heard over the radio as the aircraft of Garuda squadron locked on to the ambushing wyvern formations. The solid-fuel of the AIM-120 ignited and the missile then flew off the hardpoints of the F-15ES' of the squadron, leaving a trail of white smoke in its wake.
Travelling at a speed of up to Mach 4 (4,900 km/h), the wyvern riders stood no chance at evading or outrunning the missiles.
Soon, the pilots and WSOs of Garuda squadron could see flashes of light erupt in the distance followed by the blips of bandits, identified as wyverns, disappearing off the radar screen.
<<This is Astute Hawk, all enemy bandits confirmed splashed. Aircraft that need to rearm are to return to base. Aircraft with bombs left are to remain on station to provide CAS for the paratroopers. Paratroopers are call signed Halberd.>>
Several F-15ESs banked away from the squadron and flew off to the East, back to their Homebase to rearm while a few remained on station, keeping a watchful eye for any threats that may arise for the paratroopers.
...
1st Battalion, 18th Airborne Brigade, Outskirts of Lean Know Forest, Louria occupied Qua-Toyne
January 27, 1640
When Lieutenant Sakda hit the ground below, he could not be a happier man after he could have turned into a parachuting piece of charred meat. But there was no time for celebrations. He quickly cut his chute and started opening his drop bag to quickly retrieve his rifle. He loads a fresh magazine into the stock, pulled the bolt that was below the built-in scope and switched off the rifle's safety. Just as he was about to retrieve his plate carrier, an arrow landed near his drop bag, impaling the dirt ground.
He looked up, saw several figures in the treeline near the drop zone and immediately yelled.
"Contacts West!"
He raises his SAR-21 rifle and begins firing into the treeline. He sees one of the figures fall to the ground as more cracks of gunfire erupted from the other paratroopers. As he looked to his right and left, he could see some of the paratroopers scrambling to open their drop bags to retrieve their rifles. Suddenly, an order came in the form of a shout from Lieutenant Colonel Harjit.
"Hold you fire! Hold your fire!"
The rhythm of gunfire stopped but the paratroopers who have retrieved their primary weapons kept watch while those who have not, started to open their drop bags to retrieve them. Soon, all the paratroopers of 1st Battalion started to slowly make their way to the West, towards the Lean Know Forest to relieve the beleaguered defenders.
...
Outskirts of Lean Know Forest, Louria occupied Qua-Toyne
January 27, 1640
Gazing into the sky and watching the explosions shatter the last wyvern formation that Louria had, General Adem maintained a stoic face as the body parts of wyvern and man fell. He could even make out the individual body parts as it falls to the ground. He could only solemnly re-enter his command tent that was hidden underneath a bridge.
His aide that was standing next to him informed him of the demise of the last remaining wyvern force as Adem walks over to the map laid on the table.
"Some of the archers from the veteran units tried to attack the enemy when they were on the ground but were cut down by the repeating muskets that we heard about. However, some of the USEANS are still scattered from the bigger groups and the commanders believe that they can overwhelm isolated pockets of USEANs before they could link up with each other."
General Adem stroked his chin as he contemplates weather to commit his forces to divide and conquer or to hold them back for a contingency plan he had drawn up. Suddenly the haunting roars of the USEAN iron wyverns influenced his final decision. For as long as those iron fliers are up there and as long as the sun is up in the sky, he will not commit to any major attack until the sun had set.
"Inform the veteran units to shift to the contingency plan. Tell them to hide and stay out of open areas. If they need to move to different locations, they are to do so along the roads alone or in pairs. Tell the new units made of conscripts to attack the USEAN forces immediately."
"Understood General Adem, I will inform them at once."
Adem simply stood there observing the map on the table, the tent illuminated only by candlelight.
'It appears my expectations were misplaced'.
...
Lean Know Forest, Louria occupied Qua-Toyne
January 27, 1640
<<Garuda 6, bombs away!>>
Multiple small bomblets exploded over a concealed Lourian encampment. The bombing run this time, coordinated by members of the USEAN Parachute Regiment who were watching from afar.
<<This is Halberd 1, good hits on enemy positions Garuda 6>>
<<Copy Halberd 1, Garuda 6 returning to base>>
The sound of the F-15ES slowly fades as it flies back to base.
...
A platoon of paratroopers was now slowly clearing out the bombed encampment. They crossed over mutilated corpses and destroyed pieces of wood. Sakda stacked up on one side of the door to an intact wooden barracks. With a nod to the private across from him, the private kicks the door open and Sakda proceeded to toss a stun grenade into the building before entering to sweep it of hostiles with a few of his men.
They were met with fanatical but disoriented Lourians, some of whom were wounded, brandishing swords and daggers as they proceeded to charge at them in an attempt to kill them. Sakda and his men squeezed the trigger on their SAR-21 assault rifles, firing 5.56mm rounds into the defiant Lourians, dropping them dead with a few well-placed bursts.
The smell of sulfuric metal filled the room as the sounds of rifle fire stopped.
"Clear!"
As they exited the now cleared out barracks, they could hear more gunshots coming from the other units conducting a sweep of the Lean Know Forest.
Without wasting time, Sakda joined the rest of his platoon as they prepare to enter deeper into the forest in conjunction with the rest of the battalion. Just as he was about to take a sip from his canteen, a rustle was heard from the bushes near the edge of the destroyed encampment. Almost instantly the men and women of his platoon drew their primary weapons towards it while Sakda dropped his canteen to the black burnt ground and aimed his own rifle towards the source of the sound.
But what emerged were not Lourians. Instead, it was three people, 2 female humans and 1 male elf emerged from the bushes with their hands held up high. They wore green clothes and rags while one of them had a matching scarf. On their backs what seemed to be a bow along with a quiver filled with arrows.
With their guns still drawn, the silence was broken by Sakda.
"Identify yourselves!"
The older looking female human walks up with her hands in the air before responding.
"My name is Kisama, I was villager from the town of Gim. I took up arms when my husband died during the defence of our home. Please tell me you are the Emissaries of the God Sun! Please tell me you are here to rescue us!"
Kisama pleaded to the men and women in front of her. She was told that the explosions that occurred earlier in the morning were signs of the Emissaries returning but now that she got a good look at them, she was not quite sure who she was pleading to.
Sakda then promptly ordered his platoon to lower their weapons. In kind, the three archers did the same with their hands. He proceeded to walk over to Kisama.
"My name is Lieutenant Sakda from the USEAN Army, sorry to burst your bubble ma'am, we may not be the Emissaries of the God Sun, but we are here to rescue you people."
Kisama looked at Sakda with eyes gleaming with rays of hope. But a part of her was still confused and even conflicted. Thoughts race through her mind after what she had heard.
'What do they mean they're not the Emissaries of the God Sun?'
'But they are still here to rescue us.'
'USEA? An emerging country perhaps.'
Her train of thoughts were interrupted when Sakda waved his hand at her.
"Sorry to disturb your thoughts but my forces will need to meet up with your superiors so we can coordinate a defence".
Kisama nodded before agreeing to lead them back to where General Nou is located. As members of his platoon started following the three archers, Sakda grabbed his radio to inform the other units about the situation.
As he informed his company commander about what had transpired, more Qua-Toyne and Quila soldiers came out of hiding to greet the various units of the 1st Battalion. Although some demi-humans were distrustful once learning that the USEANs claimed that they were not the Emissaries of the God Sun, they nonetheless quickly learned that the USEANs were in fact there to rescue them and led them deeper into the Lean Know Forest while guiding them to avoid booby traps they had set up.
During the dead of night, the paratroopers would be fighting a ferocious night battle as a last-ditch assault by veteran Lourian forces aimed to destroy them once and for all. Little did the paratroopers know however, that the Lourians had a trick up their sleeve for the night attack.
...
Qua-Toyne City, Qua-Toyne
January 27, 1640
The sound of stone walls being brought down and people cheering echoed through the now liberated capital city of Qua-Toyne as the city and its surrounding area was bathed in the orange glow of the evening sun. Elements of the USEAN Army's 5th Infantry Brigade had liberated the city after the Lourian defenders threw down their weapons at the first sight of USEAN army vehicles atop the hill that overlooked the city.
When USEAN soldiers approached the city, they noticed that all major entrances of the capital were blocked off with stone walls. In an act of symbolism, the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicles of the 5th Brigade began demolishing the walls to free its inhabitants from living what could only be described as medieval ghettos. The soldiers of the brigade were greeted with open arms from the local populace with some even trying to reach out to the hands of soldiers and vehicle crews aboard the various vehicles of the 5th Brigade in a scene that was reminiscent of allied troops liberating Western Europe during the Second World War.
Surrendering Lourians were promptly shoved into the backs of Handalan II trucks used by the USEAN Army's military police and were transported back to Maihark to be kept under watch until the war is over and appropriate measures are taken to deal with them. A heavy emphasis was placed on finding soldiers and officers from Louria that had perpetrated immoral crimes to the people of Qua-Toyne and Quila.
In the midst of celebrations, a couple of men from the 5th Brigade were slowly observing the surrounding countryside from one of the now cleared entrances to the capital city. In the distance they spotted a large column of vehicles.
"Hey check it out".
said one soldier manning the Humvee's M2HB Browning machine gun.
Another soldier, sitting in the back of the Humvee while reading a manga, looked out of the window and saw the convoy bypassing the capital city.
"Eh must be the 3rd Infantry Brigade".
"Oh right, they're supposed to relieve the paratroopers that dropped near those sacred forests or something."
The soldier in the back seat, lowered his head and returned to reading his manga.
"Yeah, apparently got a good number of locals trapped there, command sent paras as a stopgap while the relief force will get to them and set up a new FOB which will serve as a springboard against Ejei and then to Gim."
The soldier on the .50 cal now looked to the sky as the evening sun had started to set and a wave of transport aircraft flew overhead heading to the East back in the direction of Maihark.
"Let me guess, those guys are done reinforcing the paratroopers?"
Without breaking his gaze at the beautifully drawn manga panels, the soldier in the back seat responded.
"Yeah, but its not just troops, supplies like ammunition and food as well. Should keep the paras well supplied until tomorrow evening."
As the two soldiers continued what they were doing, the sun had slowly dropped below the horizon, and night now reigned over the continent of Rodenius.
...
International Waters
January 27, 1640
Under the numerous shining stars high above, a submarine belonging to a nation that had yet to establish relations with USEA had surfaced to recycle its batteries. The submarine, part of the 'Shooting Stars' Missions by the Gra Valkas Imperial Navy, was tasked with transporting raw materials from the 3rd Civilization Area back to the Gra Valkas mainland. This project was borne out of the refusal of the Parpaldia Empire to openly allow GVE ships to dock at Parpaldia ports in fear of getting attacked by the Holy Milishial Empire.
Deep inside the submarine, within the officers' quarters, the captain of the submarine had multiple pictures strewn out on the table before him. They were pictures taken when they encountered what initially they thought were Holy Milishial Empire ships preparing to intercept them. But as they got a better look at the flag that was hoisted on these sleek looking ships, they realised it did not belong to any nation known in this world. The captain simply chuckled before uttering.
'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs are going to like this'.
...
Runepolis, Holy Milishial Empire
January 28, 1640
The sun had only started to come up over the horizon to the east as the capital of the 'Most Powerful Nation of the World' started the new day. Although the HME had been at war with the Gra Valkas Empire to the west, most of the fighting was focused on and around the continent of Mu. As a result, the winds of war have yet to reach the pristine looking city that if a photograph of it were to be presented to people on Earth, it would resemble major USA cities such as New York during the Second World War.
Inside the Albion Castle, home of the HME Emperor, Emperor Milishial VIII was holding an early meeting with his top advisors along with a few delegates from Mu. The war with the GVE had come to a standstill on the continent of Mu to the west and the joint HME and Mu navies were able to perform effective defensive actions against attempted GVE naval incursions with the help of the only two operational Pal Chimera Flying Battleships. Even the dreaded Grade Atlastar was not deployed to areas where the Pal Chimeras were known to be sighted in.
Soon, the meeting began. The meeting detailed the rumours that their diplomats in Parpaldia and Riem have heard of the presence of yet another transferred nation near the continent of Rodenius. It was mentioned that this new nation had been declared war on by Louria who was in the middle of invading the Qua-Toyne Principality and Kingdom of Quila. As a result, this new nation, took it upon themselves to fight Qua-Toyne and Quila's war for them to ensure that their nations were restored.
...
"...we will continue to monitor the situation."
Said an advisor to Emperor Milishial as the Emperor rests his chin on his hand. The presence of a new country produces many opportunities but also risks. If the HME can somehow convince both Parpaldia and this new nation to declare war on the GVE, it would open a new front that essentially forces the GVE to split its forces and hopefully force them to the negotiating table. But the Emperor was aware that the GVE had approached the Parpaldia delegation with a non-aggression pact offer. Worst still, if the GVE somehow convinces Parpaldia and this new nation to join its side, then it would be the HME and Mu that would need to split its forces, almost guaranteeing a collapse of their war effort.
The emperor startled the people in the meeting room as he stood up abruptly and walked over to the large window that overlooked the beautiful city.
"No, we will not wait. Have one of our diplomats be attached to the Parpaldia delegation that will meet this new nation at once. We cannot sit idly by as this golden opportunity passes by us."
The decision was made to dispatch diplomats and make contact with this new nation near Rodenius.
...
Near Ejei, Louria Occupied Qua-Toyne
January 28, 1640
The sounds of metal shackles hitting the ground was heard as several demi-human slaves were being released from captivity in a farm barn. Some immediately ran, while some could only walk. Some waited however, waiting to ask the Lourian why he was doing such a thing when his countrymen had done horrible things to them. As the group of demi-humans asked the leader of this Lourian group why they had released them, the answer surprised them.
"It's the right thing to do. I wanted peace between our nations, not war. The only way for this continent to unify is through dialogue and diplomacy on the basis of a mutually beneficial relationship and not through the spilling of blood and subjugation. You may not forgive me or my countrymen, but I plead with you, not all Lourians have the same mindset as the ones that wronged you during this war. If it makes you all any better..."
The leader of the Lourian group now presented his sword to a clearly beaten-up elven woman and he knelt to the ground in front of her.
"...then strike me down with this sword. Words cannot undo for all the atrocities that you all had to endure. If my death would satisfy your lust for vengeance, then so be it."
The elven woman, like many others, refused the group leader's offer and left the farm for the countryside.
...
"Your highness, you should not have done that. What if they had struck you down then and there?"
"But the important thing is, they didn't. Right? I need people to know that there are good Lourians among all the bastards that make up my father's court. I want them to spread the word that we can work together to ensure both our peoples can live good lives together. For every slave we release, the louder the voices would be in supporting people like us. I can say with certainty that the peasants back home would agree. The food shortages can only be resolved if the elves can go back to tend to their land and when trade resumes to what it was before the war. This war had carved a deep scar between our nations, but I hope these small acts of justice can at least be a starting point to our path of reconciliation."
As the two men now gazed at the rising sun, they knew they had to make haste to Ejei before any of the USEAN flying beasts bear down on them in the open field.
...
Singapore, USEA
January 28, 1640
"They tried using fireworks to disrupt our night vision equipment?"
Asked Prime Minister Sue Hui as Minister of Defence Arief was briefing her about the night battle that occurred in the Lean Know Forest between the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 18th Airborne against a last ditch Lourian Army assault against their positions.
"Yes, Prime Minister. Reports on the ground reported bright and loud explosions occurring near or above the paratroopers serving as sentries. This was followed up by what could only be described as a suicidal charge by what we assume to be the last remaining Lourian army formations that had laid siege to the Lean Know Forest."
Sue Hui crosses her fingers together and rests her elbows on the table.
"Any casualties?"
"Thankfully, no. Some were able to get within melee distance of the paratroopers, but they were cut down by Qua-Toyne and Quila soldiers that rushed in to protect our troops."
Sue Hui let out a sigh of relief as she heard the good news before letting Arief continue.
"The 3rd Infantry Brigade is expected to arrive at the Lean Know Forest in just under an hour now. Once they reached there, they will establish a new Forward Operating Base (FOB) and hold position until our forces in Quila stabilise the frontlines."
While the USEAN Army started their push westwards, the USEAN Marines along with the FRF were sent down south to liberate the Kingdom of Quila. They faced only light resistance so far, and the liberation of the capital of Quila, the city of Barrat, came from an uprising from the locals in the city. King Quila had in fact been alive and was captured by the Lourian army that swept over his country and after his release during the uprising, he had declared his intent on allying with USEA, believing only they along with their Qua-Toyne allies, can prevent another Lourian invasion.
"So, what's next for the army up north?"
Asked Sue Hui
"After getting the greenlight, they are to march towards the fortress city of Ejei. The city itself has some historical value to the Qua-Toyne people. We're hoping what happened in the capitals Qua-Toyne and Barrat repeat itself there so we can avoid bombing the city to kingdom come."
Sue Hui nodded as the strategic plan was read out to her.
"I see. Is it possible to have our air force drop fliers asking for their surrender?"
"It's worth a try Prime Minister."
"Do it, have the air force drop fliers demanding their surrender. Then if they have not done so in a few days, have the air force drop another wave of fliers, but this time, one serving them their eviction notice".
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Equipment featured in this chapter
F-15ES Eagle
Airbus A400m Atlas Transport Aircraft
SAR-21 Assault Rifle
Boeing 737AEW&C (AWACS)
Humvee
M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle
USEAN Paratroopers resemble Indonesian Airborne units in terms of camouflage but just like the marines, use the ST-21 Assault Rifle as their standard service rifle
Chapter Trivia:
The segment of the story with the F-15s is based on a mission from Ace Combat 6 called "Siege of Silvat". Basically the mission was to provide close air support for your allies on the ground that were completely surrounded on all sides. The reference extends to the callsign of the F-15 squadron which was called "Garuda Squadron" both in game and in this story
The 5th Infantry Brigade is based on the Malaysian Army's 5th Brigade
The 3rd Infantry Brigade is based on the Royal Thai Army's 3rd Infantry Division
The Gra Valkas "Shooting Stars" mission is based on the Imperial Japanese Navy's own Yanagi missions which were a series of submarine missions tasked with transporting valuable cargo such as blueprints from Germany to Japan. The name itself is a bit underwhelming and i might change the name from "Shooting Stars" to something else in the future