ARCHIVED: The Rhuvish War

The Guslant Ministry of Defense believes that help is needed from the international community to end wars, not fight them. The Guslant Cabinet is disgusted at the fact that Rhuvanland is fighting yet another war and that its former mother country has turned its back on peace. The Cabinet refuses to speak to the press on the issue and Governor Nowe is the only one willing to speak to officials on behalf of the Cabinet.

Perhaps it would be necessary if we, the Rhuvish government, commented on this, as this concerns us primarily. Obviously.

To reply to the concerns of the Guslant ministry of defense, we would like to note that we tried diplomacy. Following the end of the Great War, Rhuvanland had gone through meeting after meeting with the socialist factions. We proposed every midway we could think of, such as the creation of an autonomous region, or even a new Rhuvish state, but all to no avail.

They seemed to only want complete control over the government, either by treaty or by force. Naturally we refused to give them total control, repeatedly urging them to send candidates to Rhuvish elections and possibly form a political party. They resorted to war, and seeing as we now had a rebellion quickly approaching Alzenstadt and threatening the country itself, we acted.

That said, we applaud Syrixia's decision. Hopefully if the war is won a midway will be more likely to be possible.

The Cabinet will be bringing a motion to order within the next couple of hours to condemn Syrixia and I will be sending the results as soon as they are ready.


Governor of Pigletville

Syrixia finds it alarming that you would have Syrixia stand down and not defend its ally against the dynamos that are the rebel forces. If Guslantis demanded Syrixia stood down, Rhuvanland would be without assistance and would fall, utterly alone, with her allies unable to assist. It would be near impossible for them to win alone, what with the small size of their military. Is it not morally just for a friend to help a friend when they are in danger?

~Auel Vist

Syrixian Minister of Defense

Ah, if it isn't Auel Vist himself. Minister Vist, I know you Ministers of Defense do not realize this, but whether or not you plan for it, war will not help Rhuvanland grow as a nation. Every time you and your imperialistic nation interfere in hopes of Rhuvish sovereignty, they seem to end up in yet another war. You claimed that helping Rhuvanland in the Great War was going to make Rhuvanland stable, but obviously that is not the case. If you tried diplomacy, you didn't try hard enough. I applaud nations such as New Sekai that bring their civil issues to the international stage in hopes of growing as a nation. I however, will be advising the Cabinet to push for the condemnation of your nation. No struggles of sorts were brought to any of the Rhuvish allies in NPTO or Helmebaine, and your Balamb Chronicle seems to give the innuendo that you knew of these struggles as well. I am very ashamed in the Most Serene Republic of Syrixia. How can you ask our help in war when you will not ask for our guidance in tensions?


Her Royal Majesty, Queen of Guslantis

You act as if it was our fault that Rhuvanland is facing a rebellion. What you call imperialism we call the moral and just assistance of a treaty ally, ensuring her sovereignty is UPHELD. If you fail to understand this, I feel deeply sorry for you.

Again, however, if you wish we stand down, be my guest. I'm not trying to cause a world war here, Syrixia is just looking to be kind and helpful to her ally.

~Auel Vist

Das Aussenministerium of the Kannexan Reich lauds the government of the Federal Republic of Rhuvanland for upholding peace and order in its borders and wishes it the best. The Kannexan military will send 300 military advisers to train Rhuvish troops and officers in the use of counterinsurgency tactics. The Kannexan military successfully crushed the communist insurgency in Pelhafor thirty years ago; we trust the endgame of the Rhuvish troubles will be the same.

Nebula will send supplies to the socialist rebels.

The Khan has been made aware of a planned proposal by our intelligence services, to be brought to the attention of the international community, to resolve such crises before they become an issue, at the moment we are refining the proposal to be brought before the NPTO.

Syrixia applauds such a proposal from Wolfsea. Hopefully this will ensure such conflicts as this and other past ones will never happen again.

(OOC: Nebula, you can play the socialists. I sent you a PM with the current lines of battle.)

The director of intelligence, Grand Legate Anders, thanks the Syrixian government for their applause.

The socialist rebels, now equipped with Nebulan-made tanks, were gaining ground. Skirmishes were ending well for the guerrillas. Things were beginning to look shaky for the Rhuvish government.

(OOC: How did the rebels get tanks?)

"The defense of Rhuvanland is vital to the defense of Kannex," stated newly-appointed Chancellor Torsten Kesler of the Kannexan Empire. "It is imperative we aid our Rhuvish brothers and sisters in maintaining regional stability against outside aggression. Congress has therefore authorized me to commit Kannexan military forces to the aid of Rhuvanland. God bless Kannex."

Kannexan aerial and naval forces arrived in Rhuvanland. On the sea, a carrier battle groups and a squadron of frigates and submarines patrolled the Rhuvish coast in conjunction with Rhuvish forces. No Nebulan supplies would get through there. In the north of Rhuvanland, airstrikes hammered the forests populated by socialist guerrillas. The airstrikes damaged roads and rebel airbases. By the end of the month, Kannexan involvement in Rhuvanland consisted of 10,000 servicemen.

Meanwhile, more inland, as Alzenstadt was half-surrounded, The 5,000-man Syrixian force, which had doubled into 10,000 via reinforcements, came in to help push the socialists back. The force once again split and attacked each part of land around Alzenstadt, widening the ring around the city controlled by Rhuvanland. Meanwhile, most of the Rhuvish forces were called away to deal with a socialist uprising in Bürheim, which had already gripped most of the more populated areas of the province under socialist rule. As the Syrixian forces, who stayed behind, continue to attempt to push the socialists away from Alzenstadt, the Syrixian Navy moved in near the northeast to blockade the coastal areas of Rhuvanland under socialist control, preparing for an amphibious attack on socialist territory.

Plans for a counterattack were cut short, however, when socialist forces managed to connect their exclaves in Monamien and Bürheim to the main swath of socialist territory, as well as pushing back the western part of the Syrixo-Rhuvish-made Alzenstadt Ring and once again looming closer to the Rhuvish capital. Then, socialist uprisings began to occur in Dunorien, the state where Dunorion was. In fact, this new part of the socialists' territory was very close to Dunorion itself. Socialist forces seized this opportunity and began to march towards Dunorion.

OOC: We sent them some.

Socialist forces had, throughout their conquest, taken banks and financial assets. These had flowed into Nebulan coffers, pushing Nebula to increase military shipments.
This was now paying off, as Rhuvish forces were being pushed back under a socialist onslaught. Right into Dunorion. Stray artillery rounds hit the city as the rebels advanced into the suburbs.
The battle for Dunorion was about to begin.

The former capital of Rhuvanland was still Rhuvanland's financial capital. Dunorion was the undisputed titan in Rhuvish trade and commerce, and dwarfed Bürheim City, the second largest city in Rhuvanland, via its sheer size. Dunorion was also the state capital of the state of Dunorien, meaning the entire state would easily fall into socialist hands if her capital were to be taken. However, the Rhuvish forces there, along with Kannexan troops that were patrolling the coast, took a stand. Syrixia was out of the picture, as it was busy with other garrisons defending Alzenstadt. Thus, Rhuvanland and what Kannexan troops were in Dunorion were visibly in danger. Socialists continued to advance through the city, killing every government official they could find and shutting suburbial civilians in their houses for so-called "safety".

Rhuvish troops continued to pound the socialists with gunfire from sniper points on the rooves of buildings, however these points were being taken over systematically, one by one. Rhuvanland was obviously on the defensive and possibly on the losing side of the war. Agnes Liesel knew this. The Bundestag had dispersed, all going to Kolenenburg, a small town far west of Bürheim City on the west coast of Rhuvanland. Crossing dangerously through socialist territory, she, the Bundestag, and her personal friend/opposition leader Heidi Rhein carefully made their way onto a yacht. This yacht had been supplied by Syrixia and was en route to Balamb, where the Prime Minister had called the Rhuvish and Kannexan leaders to discuss war strategy. With the Rhuvish en route, Syrixia sent a secret message to the Kaiserreich Kannex:

"This is a highly classified message from the Most Serene Republic of Syrixia. We are in dire times and Rhuvanland is losing the war. We have invited Rhuvish leaders to Balamb to discuss war strategy as well as to keep them safe from socialist forces. We wish to invite your leaders as well. Please respond quickly. Danke in advance. ~A. Vist"

Underground, Nancy Scottsfield walked through the tunnel system under Guslantis. She was followed by Guslant troops as she approached the Guslantis Armed Forces War Room. Scottsfield scanned the fob on her uniform and entered the war room followed by the troops. "Give me a visual of Rhuvanland. I want all eyes on the movement," she said to the people operating the monitors. Suddenly, General Akerman stormed in. "What is this?", she asked. "We're freeing Rhuvanland," Scottsfield explained. "I thought Leah said...", began Akerman. "She changed her mind. There is no national sovereignty if there is no Rhuvanland," Scottsfield responded. "And what? I'm just chopped liver?", yelled Akerman. "Nope, the Queen asked for you personally, she said you needed a good victory after the Schnellerkrieg," joked Scottsfield, handing a pistol to Akerman.

"If you're in Em, so am I," said a voice behind the two. The duo turned and saw Hunter Hilley walk through the door. "If it isn't Guslantis' biggest player?", mocked Scottsfield. "I cheated on her, yes, and yes, Madeleine's pregnant, but I love Abigail. I promise you guys that," Hunter replied. "Yeah right," yelled Akerman. "He's not lying," said another voice. Abigail Hilley walked through the door holding the newborn Sean. "Hunter and I have agreed to work it out. I do love him, and I'll love my other baby too," remarked Abigail. "Wait, is that...?", asked Scottsfield, pointing to Sean. "Yep, the little guy was born on the way back from Wolfsea. He's the next King of Guslantis," Abigail replied.

"Anyone else want to walk through the door? Obviously security isn't too tight," remarked Akerman. As soon as she finished, someone else did walk through the door. Her black high heels clicked on the floor as she walked into the war room. She wore an all-black jumpsuit and a headset, and her red hair was tied up in a bun. "I believe all you need is someone to get you in contact with Balamb. Am I correct?", said Alicia, in her new outfit. "Dang, you're hot," remarked Hunter, shutting up before his wife could slap him. "Sorry, I'm taken. Back off," said Alicia, putting her hand up sassily. "Get him, Burns!", joked Scottsfield, as Alicia went to the main monitor. "Contacting Auel Vist immediately," said Alicia, typing in a password and setting the frequency.

"Maksul." remarked Auel, picking up the phone. With all the wars nowadays he was the busiest man in his country, charged with heading the Syrixian army as well as discussing strategy and giving orders to his generals. "This is Auel Vist, Ministry of Defense, Most Serene Republic of Syrixia. How may I help you?"

Deep below the busy streets of Iemso sits a hushed dimly lit room, a crescent shaped table strewn with maps and documents. Agents sitting on one side of the table, with eyes fixed on the monitors covering the opposite wall, listening to their colleague speak.

A man in a black suit at the end of the table concludes his presentation as he returns to his seat "As you can see, the Rhuvish government is handily being handed their hat by the rebels thus far. I'm not sure exactly how long it'll be before the entire nation falls into their hands, but if thee recent battles are any indication, this won't be a very long." A moment of silence fills the room as the agents take in the situation, with only a few dismayed looks and the sound of documents being reexamined.

An older plump gentleman at the center of the table Clears his throat in a manner clearly to gain the others attention. "Congress is unwilling to commit the Ceretian military into this, as they put it, 'debacle.' Their post vote briefs state they feel a declaration of war would only 'lead to thousands of Ceretian casualties with little or nothing to show in return.' Thus it does not meet the equitable war doctrine as they see little probability of success 'without disproportionate measures'."

Pulling a red folder from his case and placing it on the table. "Though Congress is unable to act, the Tsar himself has other plans as he sees possible success by other means. Under his authority; the intelligence services, in conjunction with the Royal Guard, have been authorized to establish throughout Rhuvanland a counter insurgency network before the nation falls. Existing cell agents along with the Royal Guard 5th special forces units are to operate in complete secrecy and establish communications, counterinsurgency cells, and conduct training throughout Rhuvanland in preparation. Lastly quantities of military supplies are to be delivered to the areas still held by the Rhuvish government with others distributed behind enemy lines. These caches are to be broken down and allocated secretly to the cells through the countryside." Aides begin distributing similar red folders to each of the agents. "In these packets you'll find everything you need to know, and your part in this, hopefully, future success."

The rebels were advancing further into Dunorion. Government buildings were in flames. The rebels seemed unstoppable.

Meanwhile, rebels in commandeered boats patrolled the oceans. Hastily added guns swept back and forth, searching for trouble.

The Rhuvanland Task Force, consisting of a carrier battle group and a squadron of defensive surface ships, continued to patrol the seas in conjunction with the Rhuvish forces. They bombarded rebel coastal positions and blockaded the coast. Rebel naval forces were no match. A single missile downed a rebel boat; the hard part was finding rebel forces on the sea. Still, the Kannexans and Rhuvish held naval supremacy.

In the Dunorion sky, steel birds swooped above steel towers with supersonic speed to deliver explosive power to the battlefield. Smart bombs trained on rebel tanks and positions, engulfing men and vehicles in flames before they could even see the planes. Further back in rebel territory, as the rebels had come out of the guerrilla strategy and were now actively holding and administering land, the Kannexans now had clear targets to bomb. Rebel headquarters found themselves under attack every single day. Airfields were rendered useless as waves of anti-radiation bombs followed by smart bombs disabled rebel radar, wrecked rebel runways, and destroyed command towers. The rebel advance was slowed.

Chancellor Torsten Kesler, with his grave, bespectacled face, announced from the chancellor's podium that up to ten thousand ground troops would be deployed to Rhuvanland by the end of the week.

Bürheim State in southwestern Rhuvanland had fallen under rebel rule. A thin corridor connected rebel-held Monamien to Bürheim.

The gray sea waves rocked the fishing boats tied to the piers as the Bürheim winds howled. The sky was white and featureless and scarcely anything could be seen in them, not even the wing of two hundred metal raptors that raced high above the Rhuvish coast at supersonic speeds. Closer and closer they advanced into rebel territory. Bombers flew nearer to the ground, while fighters watched from above. When they reached their targets -- rebel airfields, gunner positions, barracks, tanks, any of the few naval vessels the rebels had -- they struck.

Hatches opened in the hulls of the great metal birds and huge pill-like bombs fell from the sky like candy. The first bombs hit the ground. Flames and smoke arose, engulfing the rebel positions. Wave after wave over a hundred miles of coastline, targets were located and destroyed.

Then came the helicopters. The buzz of chopper wings filled the air as a swarm of Kannexan Navy helicopters approached, blaring Wagnerian music on stereos to frighten the poor rebel bastards. Then the attack really began. Machine guns rang out, shooting hundreds of rounds per minute. Rebel troops ran out with their AK-47s but their bodies were torn apart by lead. Autocannons and rockets exploded rebel positions and tanks. Soon the burning corpses of tanks and men could be seen in the streets of Bürheim coastal towns. At last the helicopters touched ground, crushing buildings in the process, and the men of the 1st Marine Division of the Imperial Navy landed and began spraying enemies with fire. They took government centers, communication centers, armories, and railway stations.

Despite the bold efforts of Kannex, rebel troops continued to advance in Dunorion. Rebel troops raided naval bases, gathering warships in preparation for an attempt to destroy the Kannexian ships.

Kannexan Marines secured the beachhead at Bürheim and began pushing inland. Another 4,000 troops of the 1st Marine Division landed following the first day of the amphibious assault. Now the count was 14,000 Marines on the ground, swiftly striking into the Bürheim heartland. Mechanized infantry on tanks and armored personnel carriers struck, bashing rebel defenses. The few vehicles possessed by the rebels were no match for advanced Kannexan machinery. The Marines advanced north, cutting off the supply route to rebel forces attacking Dunorion from the west.

The Imperial Navy now struck naval bases held by the rebels and scuttled ships before they could be taken. However, in some cases, the rebels were hit with something else. A hundred men in black uniforms popped their heads out of the water and threw grenades onto the decks of ships. They climbed aboard and blasted their way through the vessels. Helicopters landed in shipyards and seized back naval yards and ships from the rebels.

The Imperial Army 5th Infantry Division, 14,000 men, landed in Dunorion. The rebel troops' advanced pushed at the pace of a snail hammered by tank guns, mortars, and machine gun fire.

Protests broke out in Weiterburg and Manhatt. College campuses also saw a few students wave banners that read "STUDENTEN GEGEN IMPERIALISMUS" and "WIR WOLLEN KEINEN KRIEG." A few of these were led by the Kannexan Communist Party; other were led by other leftist organizations. Yet the number of protesters remained few; passer-bys regarded them as curiosities in the Manhatt downtown, where demonstrators carrying all sorts of placards could always be seen.

Two 5,000-man boats were en route to Rhuvanland to provide reinforcements to the Alzenstadt Circle, however now surrounded, the Syrixians there prayed the Kannexans and the Syrixian reinforcements would be able to get to them from Bürheim soon. Alzenstadt was in danger, and once that town was taken, Rhuvanland would be lost. Meanwhile in Dunorion, the socialists had the Dunorion Governmental Palace surrounded. This was the former home of the East Rhuvish Federal Council, and was now the home of Dunorien's state government and Dunorion's city council. If that building, the Alzenstadt of the city, was taken, Dunorion would be lost too. Soldiers in the Alzenstadt Circle and Dunorion fought for their lives and for the life of their country, but more and more people either got shot down or deserted. Meanwhile, on the waters outside Dunorion, a naval confrontation was building...

"Vist. General Akerman. Give me a front and my forces will begin mobilizing there immediately. I may have some of my war strategies available," said Akerman to Vist inside the War Room.

"We're currently launching a counterattack in Bürheim. The city is quite secure. Try there." Auel replied. "And do share these strategies. They may be useful to the anti-socialist coalition as a whole."

The palace in Dunorion was under siege. Rebel forces had, however, decided not to storm the building; there were too many Rhuvish troops holding it.
"Bring in the tanks!"
As the tanks fired on the structure, the outer walls began to crumble...

Meanwhile, rebel ships positioned themselves near the shoreline, bombarding government troops in the city.

The government of the Environmentalist Utopia of Hiskjriaana officially condemns and declares war upon the Rhuvish Socialist Front, and will be assisting the Rhuvish government and its allies in any way possible.

(Begin IC part The dull roar that is unmistakably a far-off jet engine is heard by the rebels, but they can't seem to tell which direction it's coming from. The noise grows, but the ambiguity of it's source grows with it. The rebels crane their heads to find the planes, but to no avail.

Before they knew it, the planes were on top of them. They came in from three directions; the rebels caught between a hammer and an anvil. Tanks went up in flames as ships slid under the water and on to the reefs below. Flak cannons illuminated the sky as most of them found their targets above the watchful eye of the rebel gunners, however missiles were flying haphazardly in all directions as they just couldn't seem to find the planes they were looking for, made nigh on invisible by their slim design. However eventually the flak cannons took their toll, and the Hiskjriaanii planes turned back to the north to repair and refuel. The planes were long gone, but the fear instilled in the rebels was there to stay.

(OOC: is this godmodding? It's the first truly IC post I've done, and I found that it's kind of hard to not go overboard...)

At the request of the rebel leadership, a shipment of Nebulan-made aircraft is on its way to the socialists.

<<Additional encrypted details attached.>>​

Ceretian Royal Guard and Intelligence Service special forces units have been infiltrating the countryside successfully and entering areas further away from any resistance forces to avoid detection. Their work has been ongoing and successfully avoiding detection. However they have been relaying information regarding huge numbers of civilians fleeing the rebel forces toward what little is left of free Rhuvish lands.

<<Additional reporter news stories included in release.>>​

Hospital ships in the Ceretian 6th fleet were dispatched to help the war victims and growing number of Rhuvish, Syrixian, Kannexian, and other allied casualties as well as numerous civilians and some rebel POWs.
As Rhuvish and other civilians poured into small enclaves of safety near the coast, and even some areas inland, the Ceretian forces began mass evacuations of the civilians while Ceretian air forces protected the evacuation aircraft and boats. The situation was especially dire in the capital with people nearly rioting to get to the helicopters, and to safety. In some harbors the rebels tried to convert civilian ships for military purposes, but were severely beaten or torn to pieces instead by the crowds seeking to use those same ships for escape.
Ceretian forward relief soldiers, medical personnel, and civilians release images of the devastation inside Rhuvanland.

The international onslaught was too much for the rebels. The aircraft were still days away and the situation was turning against them. Finally rebel commanders decided that it would be necessary to retreat to more defensible positions.

The Rhuvanland Task Force of the Imperial Navy intercepted Nebulan shipments on sea and quickly confiscated them. They were to be disassembled and studied. Over air, the Kannexan aerial forces continued to attack rebel positions and supply routes, striking terror into the rebels.

There was nothing special about the shipment. The Emperator knew that if any Nebulan ship were attacked, nuclear war would be inevitable. So he had asked North Cronaal to handle it for him.
However, the crew of the ship knew the situation. When Kannexian ships had come into view, the crew had begun damaging the fighters to prevent Kannex from stealing the designs.

Above Bürheim, squadrons of helicopters began to land on top of the buildings of the city. One helicopter in particular, one which was painted the Ministry's color of purple, flew into the center of the city and landed. The ramp of the helicopter lowered and General Akerman exited, followed by Burns and Scottsfield. "I want the perimeter of the city secured as we begin our blows to the rebel occupied areas. Tell Minister Vist I'd like to speak with him, either in person or over GusNet video chat and discuss war strategy. Right now, the acting orders are to defend the city at all costs and make sure all citizens are safely out of the city. Finally, I want a Forward Operations Base set up here, and all actions reported back to Pigletville and the Queen," ordered Akerman. Another helicopter landed and Mikita Nowe exited the doors. "Right on time, Mikita. I need you to talk to the remaining Rhuvish leaders and have them place emergency powers on you as the leader of the city or let you be an advisor to the person in charge of the city. I'm not a political person, but I will need someone who is working to keep this operation alive," Akerman continued.

Xentherida proclaims its neutrality in this conflict. We have no desire to become involved, as we do not wish to risk lives and equipment in yet another conflict. The Xentheridan Senate voted against becoming involved, stating, "Time and time again Xentherida interferes in a conflict with military aid. This causes loss of life to our citizens, and lost of equipment and money. This time, for the Rhuvanland rebellion, we will not be involved."
Other reasons are unspecified, although a rumour mill spits out talk of Xentherida testing a new weapon. One that would be explosive, literally and metaphorically. Only time will tell.