Sylvanian National Awakening
| Sylvanian National Awakening | |||||
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 The symbol of unity |
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| Belligerents | |||||
 Sylvania
|  Krasnocoria
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Ümit Çakar Amir Çakar Hasan Çakar Abu Çakar
| King Jovan I Prime Minister Obrad Bošković
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| Units involved | |||||
Sylvanian Liberation Army Mutatawieun min al-Kharij (volunteers from abroad)
| Krasnocorian Armed Forces 5th Corps 7th Corps
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The Sylvanian National Awakening is the term for the uprising of the "Brothers of the Cresent Moon" against the Kingdom of Krasnocoria, which culminated in the fight for independence. With the approaching fall of the Kingdom of Krasnocoria, the Coriaks, Hasanis and Nogans revolted together.
The four points of a compass
North: The Fall of Krasnocoria
Ümit Çakar, chairman of the Hasani National Council, was still disappointed at the last meeting of the Krasnocorian Skupšteni. He had already experienced many fierce debates, but this one was the most fierce. It was proposed to redefine the definitions of ethnicities within the kingdom. This would affect cultural diversity. Uniformism prevailed in Grandbay. "We are one nation, we have one king, we are one people," argued the Obrad Bošković, the Prime Minister.
"Šer-Ku-Riž Central", it sounded out of the speaker. The train arrived in his hometown as he awoke from his dream. He didn't know what to do next. He wanted to get rid of the government in Grandbay. An independent nation, that's the ideal. But he knew that his ethnicity, the Hasanis, is only a small minority in Krasnocoria. In the station square demonstrators had gathered, who knew that he would return to Akyar by train. Banners with slogans like "Free Hasanistan" and "We are Hasanis, not Krasnocorians!" Glad with the support, but worried about the possible consequences, Ümit was received as a hero by the demonstrators.
That night Ümit called together his three sons - Amir, Hasan and Abu. After they had enjoyed the meal, the men talked about the uncertain situation. "They want me to proclaim Hasanistan's independence," said Ümit, "but don't they realize that this is tantamount to suicide?!" Amir said, "Can't we seek support from the Coriaks and Nogans, they are brothers in faith?" "Even then, we're just a small group," his father replied. Hasan responded: "We are not only dealing with unrest within the borders of Krasnocoria, now that instability threatens, the tribes in the green can smell their chance". Abu, who until then had said little, said, "If there is a momentum, it is now." The exchange of arguments and counter-arguments lasted well into the night. When Ümit finally lay on his bed and fell asleep, he had a dream. It was like a divine vision. As soon as the dream stopped, he woke up. "By Craitgod, that's it!"
Once again he sent for his sons, each of whom had to be awakened. Though it began to light, a rooster had not yet croaked. Ümit told his sons the dream face and gave them instructions: "Amir, you go to the heads of the Coriaks and Nogans. Try to convince them of our common motivation." "Hasan, you go to the green. Unite the tribes and form an army." "Abu, you go to Arbor. The Emir there has a large arms stockpile. Ask him to provide weapons for our cause."
When morning came, the sons of Ümit set off. Each their direction for their mission. Ümit himself was going to convene the Hasani National Council. "If we don't choose today, we'll fall into chaos, prey to the green. That's why we must declare our independence!" argued Ümit passionately. Many attendees became enthusiastic and began to clap their hands in agreement. Yet there were others who were still very concerned. "If Grandbay intervenes militarily, then we should not only fight against compatriots, but also compatriots and perhaps also against a military power of the USSO", was objected. Ümit argued that the instability is so great that a decisive intervention is not to be expected. "People have their hands full with themselves," Ümit concluded.
The debate lasted well into the afternoon, skipping lunch. Moments of fierce screams and moments of monologues. In the end there was a vote on the proposal to no longer consider the king of Krasnocoria as legitimate ruler and autonomy of Hasanistan. This proposal was accepted with 82%. At that time the Krasnocorian flag was pulled down and only the flag of Hasanistan was flying above the parliament building of Šer-Ku-Riž. On the square in front of the building a crowd had already gathered, which started to cheer as one at the sight of the lowering of the Krasnocorian flag.
South: Rebellion of the Cresent brothers
By train Amir arrived in Akyar, where he reported to the governor of Noganistan: Temir Tezkanov. The men talked for hours. Temir resisted open rebellion, because he knew that in case of reprisals from Grandbay, his region would be the first to speak. "That's why we must stand together, we are brothers in faith!" Amir replied, "Together we can resist!" Temir still hesitated.
Amir gave up, he thanked the governor and left his office. The tension and unrest was noticeable on the street. At the train station it was clear that train service was disrupted. The train of an hour ago from Grandbay had not yet arrived. The train to Shahr had been cancelled. Then Amir went looking for a taxi. When he walked to the taxi rank, a black limousine passed by. The rear window opened and Temir appeared. Amir was surprised and Temir asked Amir to get into the limousine. Amir did.
Temir said to him: "If Kurjek joins, Noganistan will join" "Good", Amir replied. Then we have to go to Shahr. The governor ordered the driver to drive to Shahr. Amir apologized if he seemed unkind because of his departure, after which Temir said he had to apologize for his doubts. After a few hours he arrived in Shahr, at the government building. There, too, there was a chaotic situation, many civil servants ran back and forth, the police guarded the building. The governor of Noganistan and Amir were let through. The governor of Kurjek and the party chairman of all parties, high officials and other dignitaries were gathered in a meeting room. The full room was closed, people were sitting breathlessly listening to the news of the state broadcaster. Everywhere in Krasnocoria there was chaos.
When Temir and Amir came in, there was commotion in the room. That a governor from the neighbouring district is coming in in this tidings. Nevertheless Amir took the floor and argued a cooperation between the brothers under the Cresent moon. The news came in that in Hasanistan the flag of Krasnocoria had been flown. Some of those present were so strongly against a separatist movement that they left the meeting angry.
"What's the final goal?", one of those present asked, "Do we establish a common state? Or do we each establish our own state?" Amir answered, "The best thing to do is to go together, then a joint state would be most appropriate." Another said, "And then your father will take the lead?" Amir reacted: "The goal is to jointly declare independence, no longer under the Grandbay regime and not to fall into the chaos of the greenery". Although those present still had doubts, the alternative outlined was not very appealing.
Amir noticed the doubt and argued: "Let us, as brothers of the Cresent moon, ascend into the speed of the nations. Let us unite under the eye of the Craitgod to protect our identity, our faith and our banner!" This provided a sense of togetherness, the idea of a common goal. The doubt fled the light as darkness. Amir smiled when he saw that the brothers became convinced. In the following hours the union of the brothers was forged, while opponents fled north. The commanders of the army units in Kurjek and Noganistan were asked to join. The lieutenant in Noganistan was convinced, because otherwise he had to turn against his own people.
But in Kurjek there was more division, so the lieutenant did not join the separatists. He shouted: "You are rebelling against the king and his government! That's high treason and it's punishable by death!" A demonstrated crowd occupied Shahr's central square, causing the lieutenant to march with his platoon to that square. He tried to break the rebellion, but when he couldn't, the fire was opened. If it was already chaotic, there was even greater chaos.
East: A generous man in the east
Abu drove his car south. In one of the small harbour villages he got on a boat to Monastic Order of Saint Andre. Once there he saw the first refugees fleeing the inevitable fall of Krasnocoria as a precaution. He set off for the airport, where he booked a scheduled flight to Monastery of the Seas. Waiting for the moment of boarding, he saw the television images of the chaos in Grandbay, The newsreader told that there was general instability in Krasnocoria and it is not unknown where the king is.
When he arrived at Monastery of the Seas after an hour-long flight, he rented a car and drove to the border with Arbor. Applying for a visa was not easy, but when he professed his faith in Craitgod the Arbor customs proved more lenient. Again he rented a car, because his previous rental car had to be left at the other side of the border. He drove to Mardinat al-Fath, where he went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Because he was not a diplomat, a representative of a state, he had to convince several officials of his intentions. In the end he was allowed to plead his case with the Minister. After the minister had listened to him, he made Abu wait while he phoned the Grand Vizier.
Not much later the minister came out of his office and asked Abu to walk with him. They walked outside, got into a blinded car and the driver sent the car to the Mustasharia, the office of the Grand Vizier. There they were received by the Grand Vizier, who heard the story of Abu. When Abu had finished telling, the Grand Vizier played with his beard while he was thinking. After which he said: "The Emir has awakened, thanks to Craitgod! Only the Emir can decide in wisdom to do so. You will have to convince him. You have me, but to convince the Emir, you must go to him. You must also go through the Gate of Justice. You know what that means?" Abu answered that he had heard rumors about the gate, but that he doesn't know if it's true. The Grand Vizier told him that the gate is lethal to liars. Abu said: "My heart is pure, my conscience is clean. I would like to meet the Emir." Then the Grand Vizier took off with Abu to the airport to fly with the government aircraft to Al-Hamra.
In Al-Hamra Abu saw the big red palace, the Al-Hamra palace, towering over the city. He was impressed by the beauty of the buildings, the neat streets and how organized the country was. On the square in front of the Gate of Justice the car stopped, the men got out and walked towards the gate. The Grand Vizier asked if Abu knew for sure. Abu walked vigorously under the gate. The palace guard saw the young man walking bravely and succeeded. The Grand Vizier was relieved, partly because the young man was sincere in his cause.
Although they had arrived at the palace, they still had to travel quite a distance to finally reach the Emir. The palace is extensive and consists of several courtyards, corridors and halls. The men climbed the 181 steps of the stairs to reach the Hall of the Franks. In the middle of the hall is a pond right in front of the throne. While the Grand Vizier walked to the left of the pond towards the throne, Abu walked to its right. The Emir sat on the throne and waited for the men to stand in front of him.
"Oh great Emir, defender of the faith that your servants may approach you in a matter before your ears," said the Grand Vizier. The Emir looked at Abu, who bowed his head respectfully. "What is your cause?", asked the Emir. Abu said, "Your Majesty, my homeland has fallen into chaos. My people are in great danger. Believers in the great Craitgod are falling prey to disorder." The Emir nodded and asked: "Your journey to Arbor was long, your courage to pass the Gate of Justice is great, what do you want me to do about you?" Abu replied, "Oh great Emir, a word of prayer to Craitgod is enough for us to have the courage to fight for the faith. A word of unity among believers in one god."
The Emir smiled and thought: 'This young man understands that you shouldn't ask directly for weapons, but should flatter first'. "You are a guest in my house, Abu Çakar. Eat and enjoy the good gifts of Craitgod", invited the Emir. Abu followed the Emir and the Grand Vizier to a beautiful room where the men took their seats at the table. The most delicious food was served. Dates, grapes, figs in abundance. Pitta bread still steaming from the heat of the oven. Marinated chicken, herbs and humus. Abu couldn't come up with anything that wasn't on the table. Wine, for which the Arbor Isles was famous, was poured into silver cups. Only the Emir had a golden cup, richly decorated with precious stones. Really, he thought to create this paradise in his country.
"Your father has great wisdom to send you here," said the Emir after a long and detailed description of the situation in Krasnocoria. "The predecessor of Arbor had good relations with Krasnocoria, they owe us an aircraft carrier." Abu knew exactly where the ship in question was anchored. After all, the ship had been completed but not delivered when the Franco-Batavian Empire fell. Abu generously said: "I can deliver that ship to you, if you wish". The Emir was surprised by this statement and laughed at the youthful overconfidence. Emir said: "Well, if you deliver the ship to me, then that is your only fault for everything you give". The Grand Vizier was a bit uncomfortable with this statement of the Emir, but asked Abu what he needed for the independence of his country. Abu took a piece of paper out of his pocket and gave it to the Grand Vizier. He read it and gave it to the Emir. "Well," said the Emir, "that's settled". The Emir clapped his hands, after which music sounded from the balcony and a belly dancer appeared:
West: New friends from the green
Hasan sighed when he was at the border. In front of him lay the unknown green. Residents of the green were called barbarians, but at the same time the area where he sought support was once civilized. There were rumors that the greenery was not uninhabited, but also that there were savages living there. Now that Krasnocoria seems to be falling into chaos, this is a promising opportunity to invade the country. He didn't know how to deal with this. How promising was he in his mission?
With his all-terrain vehicle he drove west to what was once Ayrasht with its ancient capital Mahapur. Whether he'd get that far was still open to question. The road soon deteriorated, overgrown ruins along the road, wild animals fleeing as he approached. But not a human being to be seen. How far had he come? He had no idea. When he had been driving west all day, he saw the sun set in the west. He stopped his all-terrain vehicle on the side of the road, made a campfire to prepare food. Around him he saw nothing more than darkness and above him a clear starry sky.
The ground trembled, a rumbling sound could be heard. Hasan woke up and looked around. A cloud of dust from the west was approaching, as well as a sound of howling and shouting could be heard. He got up quickly, he saw horses coming out of the cloud of dust. Horses with horsemen, armed horsemen. They were yelling, shouting in an unintelligible language. They formed a circle around his pitch. For a moment that seemed to last for hours, the horsemen kept running their horses around his camp, yelling. Until one of them stopped and stayed in front of Hasan. From his horse, the rider in the Common Tongue said, "Who are you, where are you from and what are you doing here?" The other riders stopped their horses and while the dust was still blowing, Hasan turned to the questioner. "My name is Hasan Çakar, I'm from Hasanistan and I'm on my way to Mahapur. My country is falling prey to chaos. There are rumors of raids from the green. If you're planning to, perhaps I can help you." "Would you betray your country for your own gain?" replied the man.
Hasan was taken to a camp, a town of tents. There he was taken to an old man who was sitting in front of a big tent. In an unintelligible language, the old man was informed about the Hasan, at least it seemed so because Hasan did not understand a word of it. The old man said to Hasan: "My name is Rajesh Avchat, Hasan the wanderer in the green. What is your intention to come here?" Hasan answered, "My country is falling prey to chaos. There are rumors that raids are going to take place from the green. My father offers to come together as brothers, so that together we can establish a new state and enjoy the riches of our land". "What would keep us from locking you up, invading your country and conquering your land for ourselves?" said Rajesh. Hasan said, "Occupying a country may be successful for a limited time, but there will always be rebels. This is strengthened when the occupier is foreign and has no support among the population. My father already has support from my own country, Hasanistan, my brother seeks support among our fellow believers and my other brother seeks military support from a distant fellow believer. If all this succeeds, then a raid from your side may rely on more resistance." Rajesh said, "You're giving us just the information we need to know we have to strike now." Hasan said: "That's right, were it not for the fact that it's better to fight one enemy than to fight both the local population and the unstable government of the current occupier." Rajesh replied, "You know how to play chess."
Then Hasan was taken to another tent. There he was given room to freshen up. Furthermore he was offered food and drinks, which he gladly accepted to satisfy his hunger. A few hours later Hasan was brought back to Rajesh. Around Rajesh there were several older men, who apparently formed a kind of meeting. Rajesh said: "Hasan, wanderer in the green, your mission to find support with us has succeeded. We want to form an alliance with you. The uncertain existence in the green that we no longer want. If we establish a state together, then our people can live in freedom and secure existence." Hasan sighed and was grateful. Rajesh added, "There is one condition: the leader of this state, who will marry my daughter." Hasan hesitated for a moment, but said it anyway: "My lord, your condition is more than reasonable. This makes a family connection to connect our families and our peoples. My father, who is now in charge of Hasanistan, is already married." Rajesh replied, "My daughter will marry the future ruler of the state." Hasan nodded in agreement.
Operation Free Sylvania
Battle of Shahr
Control of Hasanistan and Noganistan was actually organised fairly quickly. There was popular support and a Sylvanian Liberation Army was quickly set up. It consisted of present military units, renegade Krasnocorian soldiers and the police. News came in that part of the 7th Corps of the Krasnocorian Armed Forces had been sent from Merku to Shahr to provide support there. As a result, Kurjek seemed to remain under the control of Krasnocoria, despite the demonstrations against the Grandbay regime. The first victims were already to be deplored. The expectation is that when Kurjek was calm again, the 7th Corps would move to Akyar. A tang movement to enclose Noganistan from two sides. Ümit did not wait, he decided to go on the attack. He ordered his troops to move eastwards south of Shahr in order to take control of the area east of Shahr. He ordered another group to go head-on to Shahr. They arrived at dusk at the top of the hills to the west of the city. The forward positions of the 7th Corps had been taken over in a guerrilla-like manner. To give the impression that a large army was approaching, the Sylvanian Liberation Army used the tactics of many campfires, torches and speakers. The road north out of the city was blocked by blowing up a few boulders and crashing them onto the road.
Towards the morning a patrol of the 7th Corps started with a careful reconnaissance. It found no soldiers, no rebels, no people. Only the captured and killed soldiers were found, buried in a grave and their metal tags attached to an erect branch. Various traces, but no human being to be found. The lieutenant decided to pull out of the city with more men at the first reports and became convinced of the rebels' flight. So he contacted the headquarters in Merku and went with all his part of the 7th Corps to Akyar. He had to go through a mountain pass, where the Sylvanian Liberation Army was waiting in an ambush. This tactic was so classic that Ümit didn't think the 7th Corps would fall for it, but scouts informed him that the 7th Corps in Shahr was on its way to Akyar.
After the 7th Corps headed west, the Sylvanian Liberation Army entered Shahr from the east. The remaining Krasnocorian soldiers fired at the fighters, trying in vain to reach the lieutenant. In the mountain pass, the 7th Corps was attacked, first at the rearguard and then in the vanguard. The 7th Corps was enclosed, because boulders were blown up and blocked the road. The soldiers of the 7th Corps fought bravely, but had hardly any shelter. Antitank weapons made wrecks of their vehicles, after a while the bullets stopped from the mountain walls and a voice of someone speaking through a loudspeaker: "Surrender! There is no point in fighting on, you are trapped! If you fight on, it means you're dead!" The lieutenant, who himself was bleeding from a wound, shouted back: "We are faithful to the king!" His major pointed him to the east, where the lieutenant saw dark clouds of smoke rising. "It seems that Shahr has fallen," said the major.
Then there was the rhythmic roar of helicopters through the valley of the mountain pass. The sound reflected on the mountain walls. The lieutenant shouted bravely: "There are our auxiliaries! But even before he had spoken out, one of the helicopters appeared burning and smoking. Anti-aircraft fire was fired at the helicopters, which let them crash to the ground one by one. The lieutenant saw his men looking despondently at the burning wrecks. "This is pointless," said a soldier near the lieutenant. The lieutenant reacted furiously, shouting: "This is treason!" and shot the soldier. The captain was frightened and did not know how to behave. Then a shot was fired, the soldiers dived away. The lieutenant also seemed to dive away, but fell forward and appeared to have been shot by a sniper. This suddenly meant that the captain was now in command. He realised this after half a minute and shouted: "Stop! Stop!"
The 7th Corps was taken back to Shahr and locked in the football stadium there. The city of Shahr was in the hands of the Sylvanian Liberation Army. The three districts of the brothers of the cresent moon were liberated. News came in that the remaining 7th corps in Merku will get reinforcements. "The Grandbay regime is apparently not yet so weakened that they are still trying to defeat us," Ümit said to his men. Although this statement may have been somewhat overconfident and permeated with euphoria of victory, it was clear that the battle is not yet over.
Battle of Merku
"We have an advantage at this height, this is the best way to defend ourselves against the enemy. With Kurjek under our flag, we have an advantage," Amir said to his father. Ümit split the last piece of meat from the chicken bone and took another sip before answering. "A state in the highlands does not guarantee a long existence. We must have a position by the sea. Hasanistan has its southern coast, but there are islands of the Bassarids close by where we do not yet know if they are friendly to us. In addition, that coastal plain is strategically easy to attack from Slavonje'.
A train from Grandbay was just leaving Džastinovo for Merku. The train was carrying a company of soldiers equipped with tanks, weapons and other vehicles. The colonel knew that this part of the journey would be the most exciting, because the first battles had already been reported near Merku. He hoped to be in time to strengthen the remaining 7th Corps against the rebels.
In Hasanistan, troops from the green were welcomed with open arms. The reinforcements were needed to continue the conquest of the peninsula. Ümit had those troops pushed through in Slavonje, instead of East Antica. "We must use the moment of weakness to consolidate the peninsula. If we move on to Merku, the rest of the district will be enclosed', argued Ümit. Amir asked: "The troops from the green are helping us now, but where is Hasan? Ümit did not know either. He had heard nothing, except that the troops from the green in southern Hasanistan had mentioned his son's name. Hasan had apparently succeeded in his mission, but was still without a trace himself.
Hasan travelled through the green with a group of well-trained soldiers. A few days earlier, he had been discussing the maps of the area with military leaders. He had heard that his father had conquered the city of Shahr, but he knew that the regime in Grandbay would not let this loss pass. As a former soldier in the Krasnocorian Armed Forces, he knew about Grandbay's weapons. The quickest way to strengthen the 7th Corps was to send troops and equipment by train to Merku. To do this they had to travel along the narrow coastal strip of Phedodah. This coastal strip is quite easy to attack from the green, to block the land supply line. So Hasan with a small unit went north to at least attack the railway line.
From a high position, the men had a view of the railway line. They saw the northward bridge over a small river that flows into the Antican Sea. "It's actually a shame that we're blowing up the train. We might be able to use the weaponry," Hasan said to his friend. He replied: “We can arrange that, can't we?" Hasan looked at him questioningly, and his friend continued: "If we blow up the bridge after the train has passed and blow up the track further south so that the train can slow down in time. Then we will attack the train". "Good idea", replied Hasan. Hurriedly the group of men set off in two parts to apply the explosives. Hurry, because the train was arriving. In the distance the sound of the diesel locomotives could be heard, the exhaust fumes were visible in the blue sky.
Just in time the men were back in position. The train drove over the bridge, Hasan felt his heart beating almost in the same rhythm. He pointed to the man at the button, who pressed the button and a few hundred meters before the train the track was blown up. The driver was frightened and immediately pulled the emergency brake. Squeaking and screaming blocked the wheels. Hasan pointed at the man again and he pressed the button, but this time no bang. The bridge remained intact. Hasan scolded, but did not hesitate for a moment to open the attack on the train. They fired at the train, from which they also fired back. The driver was summoned to reverse the train. Hasan's friend ran towards the bridge. A soldier on the train saw him running from a distance and shot him. It was too far away for his rifle, so he called his comrade who was a sniper. Only it was too late, the friend had already disappeared behind the rocks.
The train started moving in the direction it had come from. The colonel called headquarters and reported the status of things. Hasan got the feeling that the mission would fail. At least, the train would not arrive in Merku today, but the inflated part of the track is easy to repair. A bridge is much more difficult to repair, especially in this inhospitable area. So that bridge had to be blown up anyway. Suddenly a big bang sounded, a big fireball took off and several bridge parts flew around. "It worked," Hasan shouted euphorically. But his friend, he did not see them return. The train braked again, the colonel on the train lowered the receiver of the telephone from his ear. "It's over," he muttered. Hasan ordered to stop firing and shouted: "Surrender!"
The coolonel hesitated and wanted to blow up the train with the equipment. That way it would stay out of the hands of these bandits. But the soldiers would not survive. He would give his own life, but sacrifice so deliberately? No, he did not. He lacked time, instead he shot himself to death. The Company surrendered. Hasan put the prisoners of war to work to dismantle a piece of track behind the train and repair the inflated section of track in front of the train. "This train goes to Merku, but to strengthen our fight!" "Hasan," shouted one of his men. Hasan ran towards the man, who was standing next to a dead body. "I'm sorry," said the man to Hasan. Hasan mourned his friend, how briefly they had known each other, but also how their friendship had grown.
In Grandbay the news of the robbery on the train arrived as a severe setback. Immediately a convoy of ships was prepared to sail south. In Merku, chaos arose due to the breaking off of all contacts with Grandbay. The city was surrounded by all kinds of clouds of smoke from buildings and vehicles set on fire. The rebels did their best to sow fear. They were relieved when the train from Grandbay was approaching. "Finally, reinforcements," said the lieutenant general of the 7th Corps. But the train was empty, he saw through his binoculars that there were no tanks on the flat wagons. The train did not slow down when it arrived at the yard towards the station. He quickly looked at the front of the train, but saw no driver. He roared: "Clear the station!". A few minutes later, the train thundered into the station, derailed by the speed and exploded.
The big explosion was the starting signal for the Sylvanian Liberation Army to invade the city of Merku. The lieutenant general of the 7th Corps quickly realised that he was trapped. With the soldiers still on their feet, he left the city southwards. He had left some booby traps behind, but he also left the wounded and dead men behind. A slightly injured soldier raised the white flag above the government building as the Sylvanian Liberation Army approached.
Run to the coast
The rumours that a fleet from Grandbay is on its way were to control the coastal areas of the peninsula. After all, the more difficult the landing is, the greater the chances of resisting the attack. So Amir led the march to Kuregred to capture the best port to receive the Krasnocorian fleet. From his shelter, Amir saw the makeshift positions of the defenders. They were prepared for the arrival of the Sylvanian Liberation Army.
That evening, under the cover of darkness, small groups of men left on rubber dinghies to enter the port of Kuregred. The cloudy evening prevented them from being illuminated by the moon. "By Craitgod, our mission has divine support!" praised Amir. There were some guards in the harbour, but it was clear that most of the soldiers had been sent to the positions on the other side of the town. Amir arrived at one of the piers and went with his men to the quay.
On the way, they attacked the sentries with knives to prevent the sound of shots from breaking the silence. Amir sent a small group to hijack a ship, to sail it to the opening of the harbour and then to sink it. Amir himself went with his men to the local headquarters. They put on the uniforms of the killed soldiers, so as not to attract attention. As Amir pulled up to the centre, a few drunken soldiers stumbled out of a café nearby. For a moment Amir was able to look inside, where it seemed to be a cheerful place. Music and singing sounded, scantily clad ladies hung around the necks of Krasnocorian soldiers. The moment Amir could look inside was short, but he had seen something remarkable. So he decided to walk to the window and look inside again.
He could not believe his eyes. He was a bit used to it and was not averse to a bit feminine, but he saw the local commander of the Krasnocorian armed forces. The captain was clearly drunk, occasionally shouting texts such as: "Drink, because tomorrow we are dead!" and "Fuck, because it is the last time!". Amir saw three ladies laughing and yelling around the captain. The clothes flew around and Amir ducked away when he noticed that someone was looking towards the window. He thought for a moment, then he ordered his men to invade. A few men went to the back door and he and a few men went to the front door, where the drunken soldiers stumbled back inside. The ladies began to scream when they invaded. The soldiers who still had something in the world were looking for their weapons. The captain only realised it was wrong when the barrel of Amir's pistol hit his head. Shame overwhelmed him, because there he was, face to face with the enemy, with his trousers on the ground.
Amir had the captain put on his uniform and took him to the captain's car. They drove to headquarters, while the captain was held at gunpoint. There the captain had to order them to put down the weapons. A soldier quickly sent a distress signal to the positions outside the city. That soldier had to pay with his life, even though Amir was just too late to stop the execution. A bang sounded in the harbour, that was the hijacked ship blocking the harbour. Amir asked the Krasnocorian theses to surrender: "You are cut off from your comrades. Surrender and you will live! Amir did not expect them to respond, so he did not wait to prepare for an attack on the positions. Yet an answer came: "We surrender!
A few hours later, the prisoners of war were marched to headquarters. The lieutenant, who previously commanded the positions, was taken to Amir. Amir asked the lieutenant: "Why have you surrendered? The lieutenant replied: "We can't turn our guns around to shoot into the city". Amir had to laugh.
Battle of Gevet
From the bridge Abu saw the contours of the coastline of his homeland. He stood on one of the ships that he received from the hand of the Emir of Arbor. Edward Krüger had been appointed admiral of the unit called 'Volunteers from Abroad'. This unit consists mainly of Franks and Normandians, who take part in the fight for freedom on a voluntary basis. At the command centre, Edward said to Abu: 'We should not go ashore now. We have to find out what the Bassarids are going to do, because we must not provoke them to prevent a conflict in my homeland'. Abu was disappointed because his homeland was in sight, but still unattainable.
"What are we going to do then?" Abu asked Edward. Edward took a look at the map and replied: "We are going to attack Gevet, that is the best way to help the fighters from the green. Meanwhile, we are establishing a base on Juzur al-Huriya (Islas de la Libertad) so that we can provide large-scale air support to the troops on the ground'. Abu nodded in agreement. Thus Edward gave the orders to implement this strategy. The armada interrupted the formation and part of it returned to Juzur al-Huriya. Another part of the ships departed in a northeastern direction. A few landing ships landed on the coast of Hasanistan, so some officers were brought ashore to coordinate the attack on Gevet.
Amir had set up some tanks on the coast at Zuivere Poort, an old military base at Jingdao. He hoped to fire on the Krasnocorian fleet, but he doubted its range. The fleet was approaching, the earlier course to Kuregred was unrealistic due to the fall of that city into the hands of the Sylvanian Liberation Army. When the fleet was closest to shore, Amir ordered to fire. The tanks fired in turn, but the firing range is only 23.7 km. That was too little. The artillery of the fleet responded to the useless shelling. Amir, the tanks and men had to take cover. Some tanks were shot, some men were killed. The fleet continued in the direction of Tiegang. Amir cursed about this stupidity.
Hasan could see the town of Gevet in the distance from the hills. He could see the troop movements on the coast, several ships sailed back and forth. He looked at his watch. At any moment the Arborish ships would open fire on the city, which would be the signal for him to attack the city from land. Edward Krüger sent a small boat with a messenger to the city. The messenger was received harshly, despite the white flag. He said: "By Craitgod! My lord, the admiral of the Mutatawieun min al-Kharij, servant of the Emir of Arbor, offers you peace. My lord's ships are ready to attack this city, but you can surrender without bloodshed". The lieutenant of the city guard thought and said: 'Your lord offers not to ruin the city? And not to kill the people?" "That's right," replied the messenger. With the prospect of attacking the city from two fronts, while the Krasnocorian fleet is still days away. But could that fleet stand up to the Arborish fleet? The lieutenant replied to the messenger: "Forgive my men for their harshness. Go back to your lord with the message that we want peace”.
Mission: Emir's wish
"Good luck, Abu" said Edward. "Thank you" replied Abu, while shaking hands. Then Abu descended the rope ladder until he stepped on the deck of a submarine, after which he also entered the hatch of the submarine. Three submarines left in a northeastern direction and began to dive. The submarines sailed east around Kendall Island to avoid the Krasnocorian navy. For days afterwards there was no contact with the outside world. On board Abu met a secret agent, James Tazelaar.
James, Abu and other men, who together formed the attack team, discussed the plan. It all sounded so simple, but there were still some risks. But in any case, they came close to the port of Grandbay. The lights of the city could be seen from the periscope, because it was night when the submarines had arrived. After it was clear that the harbour was quiet, the submarines came to the surface, to send the attack team on their way. They saw the guards smoking a cigarette as they arrived at the artificial jetty.
After the guards had been eliminated, the men ran to land. There they met a few more guards, who were silently and skilfully eliminated. In stages, the men ran to the quay where a large ship was anchored, an aircraft carrier. Abu and James looked around before they entered the gangway. "What took you so long?" sounded from the other side of the room they had run into. A light flashed on, the heels of women's shoes echoed through space. "Esmeralda!", James reacted. She had made contact with Hasani fleet personnel, they had prepared the aircraft carrier unseen. "Has the distraction been arranged?" James asked. "Of course, since when do you think I'm doing half work," Esmeralda replied defiantly. "That's what makes you so dangerous now" James grinned. "Oh," James continued, "before I forget, this is Abu. The man who made a bold promise to the Emir." "Ah, Abu. My name is Esmeralda", Esmeralda said before James could introduce her. James picked himself up and said: “Good, now that the formalities have been completed, we can send this thing out to sea”.
The ropes were loosened, the gangway was brought in. Esmeralda stood on the flight deck, saw that the harbour was still quiet. She took a mobile phone out of her pocket, called a number. She pressed a code. Immediately after that, the helicopters exploded at the nearby airport. Then the transport planes. An alarm went off, the fire brigade headed for the fires with whistling sirens and flashing lights. All kinds of soldiers ran around, all kinds of lights were switched on. But a few electrical cabinets had been sabotaged, causing them to be overloaded when the sudden demand for electricity arose and a short circuit occurred. This put the naval base back into darkness, the emergency generators refused to come on. Another small explosion short-circuited the lighthouse's electrical cabinet, causing it to go black as well.
The ship's engines were started, with the aid of the equipment the ship was discharged into port. This meant that the lighting did not have to be switched on. It was possible to sail out of the harbour without being noticed. The fires at the airport demanded all the attention. Until a soldier looked involuntarily in the direction of the quay. "It's gone... the ship is gone" he said astonishingly. His comrades also looked at the empty quay. "How is it possible?" said one of them. They warned their superior, who first wanted to ignore their excited message. "So they stole a ship," said the naval officer, looking defeated from the window in the darkness, towards where the aircraft carrier had anchored. A quarter of an hour later, the admiral arrived at the base and exclaimed in amazement: "Good god". When he was informed about the missing aircraft carrier, he was unable to say a word for minutes.
Slowly it started to light up, not long before the sun would rise. The aircraft carrier was heading east at full speed. The radar screens were closely monitored for any approaching aircraft or ships. The ship seemed to be alone, but under the water the three submarines were sailing. James said: "Now that it's almost light anyway, why don't we hoist the flag? Esmeralda looked a little strange. James pulled out the Arbor flag. That flag was hoisted. A few hours later, a helicopter flew in. Radio contact was made and that's how the admiral's voice sounded on the bridge. "Who are you to steal an aircraft carrier?" James replied: "You sold this ship to the Emir, the time has come for the Emir to receive his order". The admiral hesitated and finally said: 'We are friends of the Emir, go in peace! The helicopter made a turn and flew away again. "Thank you", James concluded.
James looked at Esmeralda. "Shouldn't you ask them if they want a receipt?", she said sarcastically. "We could have asked?", Abu asked. "Make no mistake, of course the Emir has already done that. But then the ship remained chained. They must have thought that their own problems are bigger to start a conflict with Arbor". James was not convinced: 'We have to stay sharp, we still have to pass Nuví Pelezu'.
Foot on the ground
"A tactical war requires months of preparation. The Emir, in his wisdom, has given little or no preparation. Not that I don't understand it, but that makes it more difficult" said Edward to his officers. "So we are going to create a base from which we can organise our contribution to the fight for independence". He walked up to the large map of Micras on the wall and pointed to a small island. "We are going to build a base there", said Edward. For example, part of the Arborish armada headed for the island previously known as Dongcao.
When the ships approached the island, Edward stepped into one of the helicopters that was already ready. Five helicopters with armed soldiers and their commander flew towards the coast. Once they had flown over part of the coast, three helicopters landed just behind the beach. Edward was the first to set foot on the ground, immediately followed by soldiers, who installed themselves in a circle around the landing zone, ready to fire if necessary. The landing went completely by the book, there were no enemy shelling, but the tension was there anyway. The islands were stateless, fallen to the Green, then you could expect everything. Two soldiers, each with a flag, approached the commander, who again went to a small bump in the terrain. A hump, because the name 'hill' was too much. There the soldiers planted the two flags. The flag of Arbor and the flag of Sylvania. The commander said: "In the name of the Emir of Arbor and in the name of the leader of Sylvania, we claim this country here. A military base will be established here which we call 'Hisn Mahmud' (Fort Mahmud)”.
The engineers went to work. In a short period of time, a pontoon harbour was built, a runway was set up and several buildings were erected. A hangar, barracks and headquarters appeared, albeit wooden and simple. Around a fence with watchtowers and a network of roads. Within a few days, the base was so ready that it could be put into use, despite the fact that construction was still in progress. Edward sent the fleet back towards the Apollonian coast. A number of ships brought supplies ashore from the port of Gevet, others went to Slavograd.
Admiral Edward Krüger bent over the map and slid miniature ships over the blue-coloured part of the map. "Let's organise a reception committee for the Krasnocorian fleet," said the admiral. Northeast of the new fort, Hisn Mahmud, a number of ships were positioned, and also to the west, between Gevet and Hisn Mahmud. This created a naval blockade for the Krasnocorian fleet. Ships with another flag were left untouched. The admiral had doubts about sending landing ships to Slavograd, because how would the encounter with the Krasnocorian fleet be? Would he need all the ships available?
Soft underbelly
The remains of the 7th Corps had gathered in the forests of East Antica. "A fleet is on its way from Grandbay," said an officer. The lieutenant general said: "Little comfort, the south seems to have fallen for the rebels. I never trusted those Çakars." "The town of Slavograd is holding up," said another officer, "perhaps we can go there?" The lieutenant general grinned: "Ümit's troops from the green are further east to Gevet. Ümit is in the highlands hoping that our fleet will not land. We must persuade the 5th Corps in Slavograd to move in our direction. Then we will attack together in the heart of Hasanistan. The officers also began to grin.
In Slavograd people were relieved that the Arborish fleet was leaving. They knew that the fleet could also return, but for now their town was safe. The lieutenant general of the 5th Corps looked over the map and saw that the rebels had conquered more and more territory. His city was increasingly surrounded and secluded. He had ordered the women and children to be evacuated to the Saint Andre Islands. When he received messages from the 7th Corps, it gave good courage to the lieutenant general.
Under the cover of darkness, the 5th Corps moved in a northwesterly direction. The corps was divided over three different roads, to meet the remains of the 7th corps in enemy territory. The 7th Corps consisted mainly of infantry, which avoided the roads in order not to be discovered in their advance eastwards. The corps had their assembly point just south of Akyar. From there they would march together to Akyar, the capital of Hasanistan. The 5th Corps raided some checkpoints of the Sylvanian Liberation Army. Connections to headquarters were severed, but a distress signal failed to get through. As a result, no alarm was raised until one liaison officer became suspicious because of the loss of contact with several checkpoints in the same area.
Hasan, who was woken up, heard the disturbing news from headquarters. He immediately ordered the troops to prepare to move on to Akyar. "They must hold out until we have arrived," Hasan hoped. But that hope is perhaps vain, because he still had to leave from Gevet. He tried to reach Amir, but he was doing an operation to march to Tiegang. Then his father, Ümit, in Merku. Ümit ordered that Hasan would not leave Gevet, because the Krasnocorian fleet came his way. But Hasan ignored that order, when he understood that his father had few troops to defend Akyar.
Just south of Akyar there was a strategic checkpoint on the road to Šer-Ku-Riž. Only this was a fortified checkpoint called Kila Qandagozar. From headquarters, Sergeant Aykut Kökgül had understood that contact with checkpoints further away had been severed. He got the feeling it was wrong, so he had all his men awakened. All 21 men were on standby. Dust clouds in the distance seemed to announce the arrival of an army. A horse and rider showed up, it was a soldier who had escaped at one of the robbed checkpoints. Exhausted and wounded, a soldier arrived at the post and reported: "They are coming, as many as ten thousand men!"
