Arboric Civil War

Arboric Civil War
Date	20.X.1701 - 20.X.1704 AN
Location	Arbor
Result	Arboric Republic of Barikalus and Farooqite Caliphate defeated
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders
Units involved
Strength
Casualties and losses

The Arboric Civil War (Arboric: حرب أربور الأهلية) began with the shooting of a police officer and the house arrest of the Emir. The government in Madinat al-Fath intervened and various factions began to resist. A brutal attack on an escaped ship in the port of Ghawlama also created a conflict with Hurmu. Lac Glacei supports the legitimate government of Arbor and takes in refugees. Refugees also cross the Strait of Monemici at risk of their lives to seek safety in Great Apollonia. This country has so far remained aloof from the conflict, but has reached an agreement to confiscate all chemical and nuclear weapons.

One faction, the Farooqite Caliphate, controls the southeast of Arbor and claims all of Arbor and parts of Great Apollonia.

On 22.XI.1703 AN the Emir and Emira were executed. Exactly 4 Norton years after the outbreak of the Civil War, it was ended on 20.X.1704 AN. The Arboric Republic of Barikalus and Farooqite Caliphate had been defeated. The country was divided into three occupation zones under Great Apollonia, Hurmu and Lac Glacei. The occupation was carried out under the banner of the Apollonian Security Assistance Force.

Background

See also: The Micras Chessboard

The beginning of all the turmoil is characterised by some as 'trouble in paradise'. This is a reference to the Emirate of Arbor's nickname: 'the Emirate of paradisiacal islands and delightful oases'. Others argue that the problems have existed since the fall of the Franco-Batavian Empire or even its formation as a beginning. The majority of the population consists of refugees from the fallen Arcadia, Francia and Stormark, who together with the local population form one nation. Despite the unifying role of the Emir with the loyal support of his wife, the differences between the population groups became painfully clear in politics.

A new factor in all these differences became the move of the emirate to Apollonia. Officially, this move had never taken place, the emirate had always been on the continent of Apollonia. Many had not noticed the move at that time. The Emir was open about the move, but was dismissed as deranged by the Grand Vizier and his government. More and more, the Emir was kept out of public life and stayed in the palace in Al-Hamra.

The stage is set

House arrest of the Emir

The Emir was unofficially placed under house arrest by the Grand Vizier. But there was disquiet over the Emir's absence from public view, so the Grand Vizier arranged a series of visits for the Emir and Emira. Nevertheless, there were anti-government protests in several places in the country. The state media tried to spin this as protests against the Emir. In response, the "Kaiserhymn" (emperor hymn) and the Vinandy song were played at the protests in the north-east.

When the emiric family visited Craitabad, they found that they had disappeared after visiting a temple. After a few hours, the Emir and Emira were found and arrested. The children had disappeared and were seen a few days later in Agra. The Emir and Emira were officially put under house arrest.

In the south-east, the radical preacher Umar ibn Al-Farooq calls for throwing off the yoke of government and devotion to the great Craitgod. The government intervenes with great force at a protest in Sahil al-Ajanib, to which the protesters respond with harsher resistance. Then a gunshot sounds, a police officer is fatally hit. The police force tactically withdraws, but within an hour military helicopters appear over the city.

Cultural Impact

WIP- There is proud singing among the people: The homeland is the greatest (أل وطن أل أكبر, Al Watan Al Akbar):

Factions

Map of the Arboric Civil War, situation in 1702 AN

Polity Name	Capital	Ruling Faction	Patrons
Emirate of Arbor	Al-Hamra de jure Craitabad de facto	Emir Hakim bin Alsalam Grand Vizier Raoul d'Ambray	Continuation of the Emirate
Arboric Republic of Barikalus	Madinat al-Fath	President Mustafa Asada	Communist one-party state by the Homeland Party (حزب وطن, Hezb-e Watan)
Farooqite Caliphate الخلافة الفاروقيتية alkhilafat alfaruqitia	Sahil al-Ajanib	Caliph Umar ibn Al-Farooq	Theocracy based on Craitism
Frankish Kingdom	Brenna	King Karel Kyle des Vinandy de jure Chancellor Edward Krüger	Restoration of the Frankish Empire
Maerifa Free State	Qurtuba	State Holder Gustav Prager	-

Course of the war

The appearance of military helicopters and various reports of military vehicles moving towards Sahil al-Ajanib caused protests in Craitabad and Qurtuba. The Farooqite fighters moved into the mountains of Jibal al-Hajar. When the tanks entered the city, ambushes were laid. Bombs went off and bridges were blown up. The soldiers seemed to be fighting an invisible enemy, because the bombs were detonated from a distance. Attack helicopters scouted the mountains, which seemed to find nothing. But they were shot at with rocket launchers. At least six helicopters were shot down.

Farooqite snipers took ground troops in the city under fire. Umar ibn Al-Farooq had a video message distributed, in which he called the Craitic revolution. He gave the Grand Vizier three hours to leave Sahil al-Ajanib. Mustafa Asada did not comply and fighter jets flew over the city. Bombs went off in Gharnata and Madinat al-Fath. The army was pulled out of Sahil al-Ajanib. Bombs went off in Gharnata and Madinat al-Fath. The army was pulled out of Sahil al-Ajanib. The city was surrounded and naval vessels appeared in the bay.

The ambassador of Great Apollonia delivered a letter to the Grand Vizier pleading for peace. Despite this, the protests in the various towns were violently put down. The Farooqite fighters blew up railways and bridges near Qadis. Thus, the area between Qadis and Jibal al-Hajar mountains was controlled. When the troops tried to break through that line, they met fierce resistance. There were many casualties.

Declaring the Republic

Despite all the turmoil in the country, the Grand Vizier had the Majlis al-Imar convened. With military display, Mustafa Asada arrived. Not all members of parliament were enthusiastic about this play, but a majority stood and applauded. The Grand Vizier took the floor and read out a statement. "On this day it has become clear that the Emirate is rudderless because of the weak Emir. There is no time for politics, no time for debate, it is time for action! I hereby petition this House for the proclamation of the Republic. As President, I will serve this nation, but for that I must take emergency action. Give me emergency powers and I will restore order and peace to this country'. A big applause followed. After the session, it was announced publicly that the Republic of Barikalus had been proclaimed.

Riots broke out across the country. The pro-Emir faction declared the continuation of the emirate in Craitabad. An emirate with Mahmud al-Salam as emir, but in view of his imprisonment this is in practice a formality. The Provisional Council elected Raoul d'Ambray as Grand Vizier. He promoted Yaequb Bunduq to Commander of the Emiric Armed Forces. The Republican troops and the Emiric troops fought a fierce battle for Malaqah. The Republican troops had already withdrawn from Craitabad and Al-Basit, but the President wanted to keep Malaqah at all costs. With the help of the local population, the Republican troops were driven out of the city. Some republican soldiers were mistreated and executed in the central square. This aroused anger in Madinat al-Fath and aerial bombardments were carried out on the city. Eyewitnesses reported to foreign correspondents that chemical weapons were used by the Republican Air Force.

Proclamation of the Caliphate

The formal proclamation of the caliphate took place on 1.XV.1701 AN in the Crait temple in Sahil al-Ajanib. Caliph Umar ibn Al-Farooq declared, "Let this Caliphate extend over all of Arbor and beyond over Kendall Isle and the Silsilat Jibal Silfanyan (Sylvanian mountain range) to the Green Border. In order to unite all the brothers of the cresent moon under one flag."

The Farooqite fighters managed to take control of the south-eastern part of Arbor. The Republican troops had tactically withdrawn towards Jidda. The positions south of Jidda could not be broken by the Farooqite fighters. This gave the Republican troops confidence that they were safe. This was rudely disrupted when bombs went off in the port of Jidda. Naval vessels were damaged, including a corvette which sank.

Chemical weapons

The reports that chemical weapons were used in the battle of Malaqah by the Republican Air Force caused a public outcry from the Great Apollonian Ambassador. This was backed up by an announcement by Great Apollonia's Foreign Minister, Jatayu Kohano, in which he stated that the Great Apollonian army was ready for an attack. When it appeared that the government in Madinat al-Fath did not respond to this communication, the ambassador was recalled. The Barikalusian ambassador was expelled. Fighter planes also flew near the airspace of Barikalus. Mustafa Asada declared he wanted to talk in the hope of averting a Great Apollonian attack.

In Tiegang, an agreement was reached for Barikalus to surrender all chemical and nuclear weapons. Great Apollonia would confiscate these weapons and arrange for their removal. Barikalus maintained that no chemical weapons had been used in the Battle of Malaqah, but the agreement did acknowledge the Republic's possession of such weapons. Two weeks after the agreement, a convoy of ships sailed into the Khalij al Salam. The weapons were transferred. Arms inspectors registered the weapons and were given the opportunity to visit facilities where the weapons had previously been produced and stored.

Colouring outside the lines

Main article: Barikalus–Hurmu conflict

With the pressure relieved that Great Apollonia was not going to invade, Mustafa Asada became overconfident. He roared through the Presidential Palace to crush all the enemies like ants. The generals did not know what to do and each started an attack, without central coordination. From Jidda, naval ships carried out missile attacks on coastal towns under the Frankish flag. But suddenly the ships were attacked. The Frankish forces had some submarines at their disposal. These attacked the Republican naval ships, only one patrol ship managed to escape. Jidda was shelled by Frankish artillery from the north. Republican reinforcements from Macoraba towards Jidda were attacked. Frankish ships approached the harbour and began shelling. The Arkadius I Class battlecruiser was hit and exploded. The Republic struck back with twelve fighter jets, but at least eight of those jets were hit and crashed. The remaining four flew back to their bases.

Air raids were carried out on Al-Basit, which were successful. Then the Republic launched a new attack with Craitabad as its target. As the fighter jets flew over the Jibal al-Ahmar, several of the squadron's fighters were harassed and shot out of the sky. Mustafa was furious at the effective resistance offered by the factions. He ordered all operations to cease. "Those Emiric bastards now have weapons with which we have no dominance over the skies, no doubt those weapons must come from abroad."

After a few days, on 10.VIII.1703, the Republican forces launched an offensive against the Maerifa Free State. Ground troops moved across the Jibal al-Ahmar and fighter jets bombed targets in Qurtuba and Al-Khadra. The rapid advance created a split between the free state and the emirate. This allowed the northern troops to advance until they were at the River Glacei. There they saw a ship flying the Maerifa flag. Three attack helicopters started strafing the ship. The ship started moving more towards the Hurmu side. Through radio, attempts were made to contact the attackers: "This ship has no military purposes, only civilians on board!". This did not stop the attack. A white flag did not help, the attack helicopters kept firing at the ship. Thereupon, the captain steered the ship to the side of Hurmu and set course for the port of Ghawlama. The attack helicopters flew back to the east. Relief on board. Just as the ship docked in the port of Ghawlama, another attack helicopter appeared. Panicked passengers jumped off the ship, the gangway was hastily extended but failed. The captain ran to the quarterdeck, waving a white flag. Nevertheless, the attack helicopter fired missiles and the ship exploded.

Within twelve minutes of the reported incursion into Hurmu airspace, the quick reaction alert (QRA) flight of the 131st Air Policing Regiment had scrambled four T-3 Akóntio light attack aircraft to engage the intruding aircraft. The hostile contacts, having been identified as probably a variant of the Fliegende Wespe FW-52 attack helicopter, were pursued as they withdrew eastwards from Ghawlama port. The pursuing HPC jets remained at a low altitude over the water as they closed the gap on the retiring aircraft. When they were within half a kilometre the lead Hurmu pilot, a graduate of the Holy Lakes Air Training Plan recently returned from the Warring Islands, began a sharp climb towards the tail of the rear enemy helicopter. After gaining lock-on tone for the rear helicopter, the pilot released a Sonderwang infrared heat-seeking missile towards the doomed Wespe, as he continued his climb, the pilot of the Akóntio lined up his sights on the second helicopter and gave it a three second burst from his main guns, peeling off and beginning his dive away as soon as he saw smoke belch from the machine.

With the first attack-run complete, and the enemy frantically reacting by throwing their helicopters into sharp twists and turns whilst ejecting flares, the remaining three Akóntios lined up to conduct a boom and zoom attack from the top down.

Rescue services in Lontinien reported that 12 Hurmu harbour workers were killed in the attack, 57 injured, and that within a day of the attack, they had recovered the remains from 235 individuals from the water around the fully destroted Maerifa-flagged ship, and 82 injured survivors (of which 75 had serious-to-life-threatening injuries). Hurmu flags were ordered to be on half-mast for the day after following the attack (11.VIII.1703). The Senate was called to session to respond to the crisis. According to a leak reported by the Humanist-aligned tabloid Hurmu Herald, the Senate voted (15 votes in favour (Conservatives, Humanists, Traditionalists), 2 against (Ayreonist, Verionist) to issue an ultimatum to the so-called Republic of Barikalus, whereby the Republic would have 12 days (i.e. until the 22 or 23.VIII.1703 to provide Hurmu with reparations for the attack, with figures around 1 million Cräites per dead Hurmudan and for costs of cleaning up the harbour and repairing it and salvaging the damaged ship, as well as handing over all persons involved in the attack to face trial in Hurmu, and that if the Republic fails to deliver on these demands, Hurmu will respond to a military attack on its territory with a proportional military response, and also exclude Mustafa Asada from the Order of the Holy Lakes for treason by waging war against Hurmu. It was also reported that Mustafa Asada had been personally contacted by the Chancellor of the Order of the Holy Lakes – the only formal contact between Asada and Hurmu – for the relay of these demands.

The Republican troops had great difficulty in capturing the east bank of the River Glacei. The lightly armed fighters of the Maerifa Free State could move through the swampy landscape faster than the Republic's tanks. Bridges and dykes were blown up, halting the advance. Attack helicopters were used, but were sometimes successfully shot out of the sky. Mustafa raved about the difficulty his troops had in conquering the inferior Free State. Yet the free state de facto consisted only of the towns of Qurtuba and Al Khadra. But the area in between was not entirely controlled by the republic either. Sudden attacks caused unrest among the republican troops. Mustafa was done with it, and ordered a large-scale rocket attack on Al Khadra.The artillery battery armed with the KFA Iskander K270 was deployed just east of the Jibal al-Ahmar. Six rockets were fired and came down in and around Al Khadra. The damage and loss of life was great. The town surrendered.

The republican troops moved into the city, at least what was left of it. All the men were gathered and asked for their loyalty. But whatever the answer, they were marched out of the city and no one has seen them since. The young women in the city were also rounded up and taken away by helicopter. They were later seen in Madinat al-Fath. The commanding officer did not have any for the rest of the population, only for installing his regiment. He hoped to get access to KFA-Izaria I in time, with which he could bombard Ghawlama.

The Maerifa Free State in Qurtuba pleaded for help. The Emiric forces gathered to advance towards Qurtuba to help. The plea for help also went out to Hurmu. Hurmu's response included a large air raid conducted against regime forces east and south of Al Khadra on 24.XIII.1703 AN, combined with cross-border shelling across the River Glacei conducted by the 1^st Hurmudan Expeditionary Force deployed along the western bank of the river between Vadimbaatar and Ghawlama. Although the Maerifa Free State's remnant forces continued to benefit from indirect artillery support from the Hurmu Peace Corps no attempt was made to force the river and no further large-scale air strikes were reported to have occurred.

The Francia Freemen

The fledgling Frankish Kingdom was surprised by the arrival of a large, unsanctioned, pro-Frankish militia calling themselves the Francia Freemen. Comprised primarily of ethnic Lac Glaceians, Francians, Arminians and other Germanian people, the all-volunteer army arrived in Aqaba from parts unknown in late 1703.9. The large army, totaling some 15,000 soldiers, arrived in the city under the cover of darkness. Although obviously pro-Frankish, the militia has sworn loyalty to no party and is acting without any official sanctioning. A spokesperson for the group has said that they are here to engage the pro-Emirate forces and help restore the Frankish Kingdom. Although there has been no statement issued by Chancellor Krüger, neither has any effort been made to halt the militia's advance. Frankish loyalists have, in the meantime, cheered to arriving army that has come to their aid. The Freemen quickly gained supplies from friendly locals and marched southwest, engaging forces of Barikalus near Tadmur, where fighting between the two continues.

The united forces began their coordinated attack on Tadmur. Edward Krüger concentrated on Macoraba to prevent the Republican forces from cutting off the advance on Tadmur. The Macoraba airfield was shelled with artillery, fighter jets taking off from Madinat al-Fath were shot down with KFA Pfeil surface-to-air missiles. By rapid tank movements, Krüger created the illusion that a massive army was approaching the city. The Republic had received reports of reinforcements, but knew no numbers. An intelligence officer had put a zero too many, so the report spoke of 150,000 soldiers. The generals advised Mustafa to leave the city of Macoraba and withdraw tactically. They wanted to control the mountain passes over the Jibal al-Hajar, where a large army is at a disadvantage. Mustafa would have none of it and ordered the town to be held. Meanwhile, the Francia Freemen, led by Heinz Alfred Löb, marched on Tadmur.

Lac Glaceian Response

The attack on Hurmu and subsequent disruption of shipping lanes in the Gulf of Ghawlama and River Glacei, Lac Glacei organized a large peacekeeping fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier and four destroyers. The Grand Duke issued a statement in support of the legitimate government of Arbor and of Hurmu, both of which Lac Glacei has treaties. He stated that the peacekeeping force is being sent to police the river and ensure shipping lanes remain open and unmolested. Lac Glaceian forces have been ordered to not engage in any hostilities unless provoked or in defense of civilian shipping vessels being attacked. Lac Glacei has also closed the border with Arbor in response to the escalating conflict, only allowing refugees to seek shelter in designated camps in Cognito. Several army units have been moved to the border to bolster defenses and keep the conflict from spilling over into Lac Glaceian territory.

Following the execution of the Emir and Emira, Lac Glacei formally declared war on Barikalus, citing the murder as a direct violation of the treaty with which the Grand Duchy had signed with the Emir of Arbor. The Grand Duke issued a statement recognizing the Frankish Kingdom as rightful heir to the throne of Arbor but has not declared war on the three break-away states yet. Lac Glaceian forces immediately opened new supply lines to Frankish-held territory directly bordering Cognito. Several thousand troops were landed at Medina Mayurqa to help defend the island against aggressors while additional units moved in to support Frankish forces in Aqaba and Brenna. In the meantime, air units bombed Barikalus' forces in Tadmur and Macoraba, opening lines for Frankish forces to advance, including the Francia Freemen. Ground forces followed, advancing south across the border.

Following the execution of Jafar Amin and declaration of war against Hurmu, Lac Glacei intensified its assault against Barikalus. Following several skirmishes with local militias loyal to Barikalus, Lac Glaceian forces successfully seized control of the island of Medina Mayurqa and established a forward base there to launch further assaults. Mainland forces pushed through Frankish-held territory and were halted at Jidda where they began a siege of the city. After a week of intense fighting the city of Macoraba fell to Lac Glaceian and Freemen troops, opening up a direct path to Madinat al-Fath. Able to land planes in Tadmur, the Lac Glaceian Air Force was able to bring two bombers into the city who were then in range to hit the capital. Conducting a night run the city was successfully targeted and hit, primarily in its industrial sector, igniting a munitions depot in the process and destroying several manufacturing facilities. In the meantime, Lac Glaceian forces continued to amass north of the capital but were halted by forces from Barikalus about fifty miles away. There both sides bogged down with a heavy exchange of fire.

Execution of the Emir and Emira

In a nearby village, the Frankish flag was raised, causing panic in Tadmur among the Republic regiment. With the erroneous information from Madinat al-Fath, the commanding Aqid (colonel) asked for reinforcements. But with a possible imminent attack from the west, he was ordered to stand his ground. He wailed, "Do you expect me to be able to hold off an army with my regiment?", to which Mustafa said, "Yes, I expect that". Then the video link was broken. The power went out and generators kicked in.

The Aqid stampeded towards the Bayt Iylfa, where the Emir and Emira were under house arrest. Arriving in the dining room, where the Emiric couple had just finished their meagre meal, he ordered the guards to leave the room. For hours the Aqid talked with the Emir, when the guards entered the room on the order of a Ra'id (major), they found the Aqid on his knees, crying, at the feet of the Emir. He begged for forgiveness. The Ra'id had his commander, the Aqid, dragged away from the Emir. Nothing could pacify the Aqid, he was ranting about the lost cause and the rightness of the Emir.

The Aqid was locked up under high treason in one of the cellars. He was allowed to keep his pistol with one bullet. But the Aqid did not want to commit suicide. In the early morning, the Ra'id, who was now in command, had the Emir and Emira get out of bed. He explained to the Emiric couple that the enemy troops were on their way and that they were being taken to a safe place. They were taken to the basement, where there is an entrance to the garden. The Ra'id lied to the Emiric couple to wait in the adjacent room until a truck would arrive. A squad arrived whereupon the Ra'id entered the "waiting room" and declared:

"Arkadius Frederik Gustavus des Vinandy, otherwise known as Mahmud bin Alsalam, in view of the fact that your loyal subjects continue to attack the Arboric Republic of Barikalus, the Tadmur Executive Committee has decided to execute you"

The Emir said in surprise, "What?" The Emira immediately grabbed his hand, while the squad drew their weapons. The Ra'id ordered to fire. The bullets flew through the room, several missing their targets. But other bullets hit the Emiric couple and killed them. When the shooting stopped, the Ra'id checked if their victims were really dead. He himself shot through the Emir's head once more. While silence returned to the room, the sound of artillery increased outside. The Ra'id ordered the men to carry the bodies outside and dig a hole in the garden. When that was done, the bodies were thrown into the hole. The bodies were poured over with sulphuric acid and the hole was closed. The house, Bayt Iylfa, was set on fire. A few hand grenades were thrown inside to add fuel to the fire. The Aqid, who had heard the shooting from his cell, knew that the Emir and Emira were dead. He kept quiet, hoping he would survive and be able to tell what had happened. But when the flames reached his cell and raged unabated, he shot himself through the head.

International reactions to the murder of the Emir and Emira

Batavia: On the news that the Emir and Emira had been executed, flags were hung at half-mast across the country. A memorial service for the former king and queen was held in the Cathedral of 's Koningenwaarde. The king pleaded in a letter to the President of Barikalus to hand over the mortal remains of the Emir and Emira. But he refused.
Hurmu:
- Reactions in Hurmu were muted, though the Hurmu ambassador, along with Senator Karel Kyle des Vinandy, son of the slain Emir, attended on behalf of the State and the Order of the Holy Lakes, the Emir and Emira's memorial service in the Cathedral of 's Koningenwaarde.
- Responding to the earlier Ghawlama atrocity, and now the extra-judicial killing of two members of the Order of the Holy Lakes, the Government of Daniyal al-Osman issued "Letters of Reprisal", authorising commercial and privately owned vessels of the Hurmu merchant marine and the fishing fleet to organise and carry out attacks against the merchant-shipping of Barikalus. By establishing a commerce raiding force, Hurmu would seek to augment the fighting strength of its otherwise purely nominal naval arm, that presently consisted of six lightly-armed coastguard cutters.
- Those scions of the Line of Woodrow then resident in the Lake District, along with their accredited representatives where they could be found, were summoned the parlerment building in Vesüha and promised rifles, a subsidy paid in gold coin, and letters of reprisal, if they would undertake to organise their retinues into armed bodies of men and conduct raids against the southern coast of Barikalus - making common cause with any resistance groups that they might encounter there.
- Hurmu imposed travel and economic sanctions, together with Kurum Ash-Sharqia. See also: Barikalus sanctions
Sanama: Sanama quickly condemned the execution of the Emir and Emira, reiterating their call for negotiations and offer of mediation.
Lac Glacei: Lac Glacei, initially hesitant to enter the conflict, declared the execution an "act of war" and "a clear and distinct violation of our treaty with Arbor". The Chamber of Deputies met in an emergency session with the Grand Duke and unanimously endorsed a declaration of war against Barikalus, citing the necessity to uphold the Grand Duchy's treaty-signed commitments to Arbor.
Kurum Ash-Sharqia:
- Responding to the murder of the Emir and his wife, who are the Sultan's parents-in-law, all Kurum Ash-Sharqian nationals were called back and all Abori nationals's visa were cancelled with immediate effect. There are calls for an economic boycott as well. The royal falimy attended the funeral in the Cathedral of 's Koningenwaarde. See also Barikalus sanctions
- When the maternal descent of the Princess Consort was revealed, the Sultan said this doesn't change anything. His love and respect for his wife will never diminish. The Grand Vizier also said that the descent of Princess Elisabeth is not a domestic issue and has no political or monarchical consequences for Kurum Ash-Sharqia.
Etzeland:
- News of the executions prompted widespread displays of public anger in the city of Helderburg. Thousands gathered outside the Grand Ducal Palace to hold a candlelit vigil for the murdered couple, while elsewhere in the city, angry crowds burned Barikalusian flags and hanged effigies of President Asada.
- In a televised statement, Staatsleiter Drosselmeyer vowed to "keep Cibola free of the Barikalusian Disease" and promised increased funding for the military.
Phineonesian Confederation:
- The President of the Confederation, along with the President of Phinbella, Mat Fenian Sheares, acting Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Phinbella, Nur Azman Karim, the President or Ruler of the State of the Federation of Forajasaki, Ahmad Abdullah Inzun Shah and the Prime Minister of Forajasaki, Abdullah Fattah Naim strongly condemned the Arboric Civil War led by the government of the Arboric Republic of Barikalus, which led to the execution of the Emir and Emira. They described it as a brutal murder at Micras.
- The Prime Minister of Forajasaki, Abdullah Fattah Naim, urged the President of Barikalus, Mustafa Asada to hand back the land he occupied to the Emirate of Arbor or there is a 100% chance of mass protests taking place. He also told his people not to travel to Barikalus without government permission.
- Mat Fenian Sheares described Mustafa Asada as a dictator, due to the assassination of the Emir and Emira. The Phinbellan Federal Government also did the same with Forajasaki to prevent its citizens from traveling to the country without permission.
- Abdullah Fattah Naim encouraged all his people to recite the Doa Qunut Nazilah for the Emirate of Arbor in his prayers. The people of Phinbellan also did the same thing, after being advised by the Phinbellan Umraist Development Department (JAKIPh).
- On 23 December, supernatural prayers for the Emir and Emira as the in-laws of the Sultan of Kurum ash-Sharqia were held at the Jamiul Asr Mosque, Kuala Forajasaki.
- On 26 December, a constituent nation of Phineonesian Confederation, Phinbella had followed in the footsteps of Kurum ash-Sharqia and Hurmu. Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Phinbella, Nur Azman Karim announced the sanctions on Barikalus in his official speech on television and radio, after his motion was passed in the Phinbella Federal Legislative Assembly. This announcement received a positive response from the community. See also Barikalus sanctions
Akhidia: Akhidia kings invite the helpless civilians of Barikalus to Akhidia, who will provide shelter for the war-torn, wounded and poor [Limit is 100 people].
Thraci Confederation: The Thraci Confederation condemns Barikalus for their actions and prevents the Thraci citizens from traveling to Barikalus.

Palace Secrets

Although Mustafa and his close friends were enjoying themselves with the young women of Al Khadra, a Eimad 'awal (general) entered the hall. The Eimad 'awal walked straight up to Mustafa, who looked at him furiously, while a piece of paper was handed to him. Mustafa read it and shouted for everyone to leave the hall. He declared, "The imbecile is dead and so is his terrible wife. Only which idiot did that!" The Eimad 'awal babbled something about an investigation, but Mustafa started laughing.

A few hours later the president called a press conference, which was broadcast on TV and radio. The president spoke: "My dear compatriots. Our fight against the Emiric cockroaches is one step further. The Emir and the Emira are dead. Although I did not order it, a great benefit has been done to our republic. For, my dear compatriots, we are rid of Micras' greatest fool.

As Sawar of the Tassity Mansabdar, I have seen a lot up close. When Arkadius wooed Clara, love came from one side only. His. She hoped for more than a provider for the next king or queen of Batavia. But by the time she could not achieve more, she was already married. She was disgusted by sexual intercourse with Arkadius and her childhood sweetheart turned up in Batavia: Cledywn Starshade.

They started an affair, right under Arkadius' nose. She discovered that she was pregnant, but at the time she had only had sex with her lover. But she did not want to share her love-baby with foolish King. So she devised a plan to make the king have intercourse with another woman. That woman was one of her ladies-in-waiting, Catherine Bullen. She became pregnant by the king, while in a secret laboratory in Natopia's embassy it was ensured that the sex of the conceived child matched that of Clara. Clara repeated this twice more. But when Arkadius acknowledged the Froyalan genocide, it was too much for Clara. She left Arkadius, took her own children with her and left Catherine's children with the foolish king. Do you now understand that this fool cannot rule an empire?

He was fooled by his first wife. I am glad that the Franco-Batavian Empire fell. But that fool lived, didn't die from the poison I... that was administered to him. When he awoke from his coma, he seemed stronger and wiser. But nothing could be further from the truth. He claimed that an entire nation, our entire country, had moved from one continent to another. The fool."

The Emir is dead, long live the Emir

After his return from 's Koningenwaarde, Hakim arrived in Craitabad after a detour. There, he started his flight, together with his brothers and sisters. The flight was in the manner of the fairy tale of the three camels. He had landed secretly on a beach near the city, after which he rode into town on a camel. The population ran out to receive Hakim. At the great Craittemple, Hakim was received by the leaders of the continuing Emirate, including Grand Vizier Raoul d'Ambray and the Commander of the Emiric Armed Forces, Yaequb Bunduq.

Together they entered the temple and held a memorial service for the murdered Emir and Emira. After finishing their prayers, the whole company came out again. A throne had been set up at the top of the steps of the Craittemple. Hakim was invited to sit on it. With consecrated ointment he was formally made Emir. "Long live the Emir," Yaequb shouted. The population cheered along. Only a few hours after this ceremony, after a banquet, the Grand Vizier, the Commander and the new Emir stood around a map. "So," said Hakim, "how are we going to catch that war criminal?" The Commander started pointing at the map to explain his proposal for an offensive on Bur Aswad. Hakim told him, this is too logical. Mustafa expects a move like that.

March of the Emir

Now that the Emir has reinforcements at his disposal, he is taking action. He argued that intervening on the east bank of the River Glacei would not be useful, possibly hitting Hurmu. "We are going to keep Qurtuba clear of the Republican troops, but not advance further. We are going to pursue our own goals." said Hakim to his commander. He ordered a convoy of ships, including the aircraft carrier, to sail around Kendall Isle and directly into the Khalij al Salam. He had three submarines sail quietly through the Strait of Monemici and into the Khalij al Salam. With a small unit of armoured vehicles, he launched a feint attack on Bur Awad. The attack started at 11 a.m., when Mustafa usually got out of bed. At that time, the president was prone to impulsive decisions. Without looking at a war map, he ordered the counter-attack. So the 7th Mechanised Firqa started moving south. They received air support from the 10th Air Firqa. Jet fighters began to attack positions of the Emirate. But those positions were already abandoned and from sheltered positions anti-aircraft vehicles started shelling the jets. At the same time, a second diversionary attack began on the positions of the 800th Fawj. This diversionary attack was successful as the 6th Firqa moved westwards.

Then the actual attack began. Tanks and armoured vehicles advanced towards Mursiyah. Followed by self-propelled artillery, which began a barrage on the air base of Mursiyah. Followed by units with SAC J39 "Fljúgandi Griffin" jet fighters. Some of these finished the job, reducing the airbase to rubble. They then flew in a circumferential movement to attack the advancing 6th Firqa. The other jets flew on to Madinat al-Fath and attacked military targets there. The artillery retreated and headed south with support from tanks. Just before the artillery was deployed, a message was sent to the Gharnata city authorities: "Surrender, and the Emir will have mercy on you and your city." Three warning shots sounded, which was enough for surrender. Light armoured vehicles entered the city and took over communications. The artillery positions turned to the west of the city awaiting the 7th Mechanised Firqa.

The submarines began their attack on the naval port of Mursiyah at the same time as the air attack on the air base. The chaos around the city was thus complete. Republican jet fighters, the Fliegender Adler FA-37, began the counterattack on the Emiric jet fighters. They found only a few jet fighters, with which they entered the air battle. Suddenly, the sky was almost full of SAC J39a "Fljúgandi Griffin" fighters. The convoy of ships had arrived at the Khalij al Salam and jets were taking off from the carrier. The remaining Republican fighter jets flew to the airbase in Macoraba. The 105th Mechanised Liwa had made a strange sweep around the Republican capital. Yaequb said to the Emir, "How strange, as if they were avoiding the good roads of the city." The Emir said studied the map and the spotted movements of the Liwa. He suddenly said, "Stop the advance of tanks to Madinat! The city has become an ambush. Minefields, that's what that bastard had built." At 100 kilometres the advance stopped. A small reconnaissance unit moved forward and found an unusually peaceful landscape. After some investigation, it turned out that there was indeed a minefield.

Mustafa realised that the Emiric attack could be decisive. "He really throws everything into the fray!" he shouted. He ordered some corvettes to be sent towards the Emiric fleet. Not soon after they left port and were on course towards the fleet, the ships were attacked. With the big guns they fired at the fleet, but it was useless. They were still out of range and the Emiric submarines began their attack on the corvettes. The latter withdrew, while Republican submarines joined the fray. They managed to fire on one of the Emiric submarines. But the diesel submarines proved no match for the much quieter nuclear submarines. Mustafa had expected that the Emir's tanks would continue on to the capital. Whereupon he and the 105th Mechanised Liwa would encircle them on the minefield. He had kept that Liwa waiting northwest of the city. But when no enemy tanks approached from the west, he still ordered the attack. One of the Fariqs pointed out the geographical disadvantage of 105th's current position.

Nevertheless, Mustafa had the order sent out. The commander in the field prayed "May the gods be with us". The Emir's tanks had a strategic position on a forested ridge. With his tanks, the commander drove past a small village. It was completely deserted, which surprised the commander. Not much later, he had to cross a long bridge across the valley with the small river below. His scouts informed him that there were no enemy troops in the area. As his tanks began to cross the bridge, he noticed that the river was becoming increasingly restless. He looked upstream and saw a wildly swirling mass of water coming his way. The Emiric commandos had blown up the dam further upstream. At first it seemed to have survived the explosion, but the dam was so damaged that the force of the rushing water was enough to make it collapse. Then shelling began from the ridge. This brought the column to a halt. The commander ordered to move backwards, but this was no longer possible. The bridge suddenly began to move. The great mass of water hammered the bridge until it collapsed. In revenge, Mustafa ordered his attack helicopters to bombard the ridge. By the time the attack helicopters arrived on the scene, the tanks had withdrawn from the ridge. The attack helicopters carried out their attack on a deserted piece of forest.

The 9th Armoured Firqa had entrenched itself in Bur Awad. But the 7th Mechanised Firqa let Mustafa go west. Thus the whole area between Gharnata and Bur Awad became vulnerable to the advance of the Emiric tanks. The 7th Mechanised Firqa moved through the hills and came into Emiric held territory. The Emir had troops assembled and hoped to find out quickly what the aim of the republican Liwa was. Infantry fought valiantly against the advancing enemy, but could not prevent them from gaining kilometres. After all, the Liwa was approaching the junction with the road from Craitabad to Malaqah. There, Yaequb set up an ambush. The commander of the Liwa sensed that something was about to happen. He stopped in the village of Az-Zabbugh, the 200 inhabitants had fled. The next day he ordered a vanguard to advance and as the commander expected, that vanguard was attacked from sheltered positions. He tried to persuade the 9th Armoured Firqa to make a second incursion, but it remained unanswered. In frustration, the commander ordered the village of Az-Zabbugh to be razed to the ground. Yaequb understood that the main force would not come to his ambush and heard about the demolitions, then he ordered the jets to attack. The systematic shelling left little of the Liwa, so the remaining part surrendered. The commander lay wounded beside his tank and an Emiric soldier gave him the final shot.

Colouring outside the lines, round 2

In search of peace

On the initiative of Jatayu Kohano, Great Apollonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, a peace conference was organised in Tiegang. Representatives of all factions, except the Farooqite Caliphate. Jafar Amin had already stated that an Arbor under the new Emir would not be acceptable. That condition aroused anger in the Great Apollonian initiator. "As to how Arbor should be governed, we are far from that. Let us first agree on a truce. Let's avoid wasting more blood in this conflict." , said Jatayu. Jafar wanted to agree only if several conditions were also met. The Frankish troops had to withdraw from Jidda and move to the east side of the Jibal al-Hajar. This was not acceptable to the Frankish faction. Jafar insulted the Emiric representatives, calling the new Emir a 'bastard'. While the Emiric representatives pointed out the danger of the emerging caliphate. "We must act together against those fanatics!" said one of the representatives.

Everyone agreed on the need to tackle the caliphate, except Jafar. "The Republic can deal with those fanatics, if you rebel against the rightful government of Barikalus." Representatives of the other factions protested vehemently. Jatayu declared, "We won't get anywhere this way. So he put forward a proposal. Let us talk about this proposal tomorrow. Everyone left the conference hall. The next day, the factions met again. The mood was optimistic, only Jafar and his entourage were missing. Jatayu ordered to find out what was going on, but nobody had seen them. Jatayu called in the local police to investigate. Jafar had not yet left his hotel room, his staff was also waiting. Jatayu asked them to go and get their boss. But none of them wanted to disturb Jafar. Finally, the hotel manager, Jatayu and the police chief entered the hotel room. There they found Jafar behind the desk. He was lying with his head on the desk. The police chief felt his neck and after a while said, "No pulse". Then the police chief said: "Don't touch anything". He called up his detective team. The hotel manager pointed to the toppled Popa Cola can and said, "We don't have that in our range".

Jatayu Kohano returned to the conference hall and informed the representatives that Jafar was dead. Although the minister was not loved, the representatives were not in a jubilant mood. They all wanted to return to Arbor as soon as possible. Mustafa must have wanted revenge.

Declaration of War

See also: Barikalus–Hurmu war

The news that Jafar Amin had been killed aroused anger in Madinat al-Fath. Protests erupted in the streets and flags of the Emirate of Arbor, the Frankish Kingdom, Maerifa Free State and Great Apollonia were burned. Mustafa sat at the table with his loyalists. "Cheers to the insolent dog, who will now be out of our hair!", said Mustafa after which he greedily guzzled his wine. One of his loyalists asked him, "Who are we going to blame for the assassination?"

"Who irritates me the most," said Mustafa as he turned towards the large map on the wall. "Hurmu!", he said triumphantly. "Let us declare war on them. Their 'peace corps' are cowards, they shrivel with fear when we fire our missiles at them!" said Mustafa, after which he roared with laughter. When things calmed down, another faithful asked, "How are we going to prove that Hurmu is behind the murder attempt? While we have done this ourselves." "Ssst!", soothed Mustafa, "never speak of this truth again."

The next day, Mustafa ordered the Majlis al-Sha'ab to meet. He made a speech there, orating for hours. Finally, he declared:

The Hurmu government has violated its neutrality in the most brutal manner by disgracefully assassinating our minister, His Excellency Jafar Amin.
The Arboric Republic of Barikalus cannot let this go unanswered and notes the previous violation of the integrity of the Republic.
The Arboric Republic of Barikalus, consequently, discontinues diplomatic relations with Hurmu and declares that under these circumstances as from today, considers itself as being in a state of war with Hurmu.
Mustafa Asada President of Barikalus

In the name of god

Wrath of the Emperor, 1704 AN

On 8.IV.1704 AN, suicide bombs in trucks loaded with explosives parked outside the State Assemblies of Jabal al-Mada' and Sylfystan, and detonated almost simutaneously. 213 people were killed in the Çatalyokuş blast, while 11 were killed in Šer-Ku-Riž. An estimated 4,000 in Çatalyokuş were wounded, and another 85 in Šer-Ku-Riž. Seismological readings analyzed after the bombs indicated energy of between 3 to 17 short tons (2.7 to 15.4 metric tons) of high-explosive material.

In a televised speech, Umar ibn Al-Farooq stated that he was responsible for the bombings. "The entire country, from the green border to the Lac Glacei border must be liberated. Everyone within those borders must recognise the supremacy of the Cratigod. The stupidity of democracy has no room". The speech lasted, as usual, for more than an hour. In which the caliph ranted on about the greatness of submission to his authority.

The Emperor did not listen to the whole speech and sent for the generals. In less than two hours after the bombings, fighter jets carried out attacks on the caliphate in Arbor. There was consultation with the Emir and that heralded coordinated combat operations. Using captured landing crafts, the Emir landed troops on the east coast of the Khalij al Salam. The soft underbelly of the republic proved easy; without significant resistance the east coast was secured. A line was set up to resist any Republican attack. Especially when the troops are advancing against the caliphate.

Air raids were carried out by Great Apollonia. The most important one was on an encampment of the Caliphate, where preparations were made for an attack on the Republic and the Frankish troops. The bombardment proved so successful and a surprise that at least a third of the fighters were killed in this attack. Great Apollonian naval ships appeared on the southern coast of the caliphate. These ships launched a missile attack on the caliphate. This was interspersed with airstrikes on the caliphate's positions in Qadis, Sahil al-Ajanib and Turtushah.

Two forces advanced to defeat the caliphate. The northern force marched through the Jibal al-Hajar to Manduay. That city had not been attacked and the appearance of the Emiric troops was a complete surprise. Resistance was minimal and the city quickly fell into the hands of the Emiric force. Thus, the bulk of the force could advance to Turtushah. The southern force advanced towards Qadis. A short-lived battle north of Qadis broke the line of the caliphate. But passed through the town of Qadis to push on to Sahil al-Ajanib. The paratroopers of the Cobalt Blue Legion landed on the northeast side of the city as the southern force arrived from the west.

At the same time, paratroopers landed near Turtushah, supporting the northern force. That city fell within hours, while Sahil al-Ajanib had to be conquered street by street, house by house, step by step. There were booby traps set up, snipers and ambushes. When the troops were trapped, they retreated a little while the naval artillery bombarded an entire neighbourhood. The great Craittemple was also damaged, but eventually the Emiric flag could be hoisted above the town hall. For days afterwards, lone warriors carried out their deadly actions. The caliph, however, was not found. It is suspected that he had fled to the Jibal al-Hajar mountains.

Final round

Submission of the slayer

In the hilly landscape to the east of the capital, it was unbelievably quiet. It seemed that there was no war, no conflict, no unrest in the country. The birds flew their song, the wind played with the tall grass and the sun's rays competed to reach the ground between the trees.

A column of three all-terrain vehicles drove along the country roads towards a large tent. The tent was guarded by armed soldiers, who did not get nervous because of the approaching all-terrain vehicles. The vans stopped near the tent and some of the occupants got out. They were escorted and entered the tent. "Are you there at last?", said the host. "You are late, that is not convenient of you." The arrived guest wanted to say something, but before a word left his mouth, the host continued, "You know you're not here because you're up. It is not checkmate, it is chess over. The Emperor has but to lift his little finger, and you are history." The guest bowed his head. The host gestured and all but his guest left the tent.

"The Emperor is in no mood for further negotiations. You may be glad that he wants to spare your life. So what you can read in this document is what the Emperor is offering you." Mustafa read the document and wanted to make a comment, but when he looked at his host, he changed his mind. He picked up the pen and put his signature. Amir called the guards, who came in and handcuffed Mustafa. They escorted him out, walked with him to a helicopter and took Mustafa away. A few days later, Mustafa arrived at the Emperor's palace. The man was still handcuffed. The doors to the throne room opened and Mustafa cautiously looked towards the throne. There sat the Emperor. Mustafa was announced: "The Emir's slayer has come to submit". Mustafa received a push in his back, which almost made him fall down the steps. Then Mustafa walked bent over towards the throne. Just before the ascending steps, he fell to his knees. Nobody said a word while Mustafa crawled up the steps. When Mustafa finally came to the top, he wanted to stand up, but the Emperor stood up. He put his foot on Mustafa's neck. The Emperor said: "It is an act of mercy to leave your head on your torso. You have not earned this. I am sending you into captivity."

Armistice

Immediately after Mustafa's surrender, an armistice was declared. The Apollonian Security Assistance Force began to move into the remaining area of the Republic. Large-scale disturbances were prevented, but there were incidents. Emergency supplies were rapidly being shipped in. A start was made on restoring the infrastructure. Power to Madinat al-Fath was restored through a temporary facility.

Tiegang agreement

Map of the Occupation Zones

Once again, the parties met to discuss the situation in Barikalus. The parties differ on many issues; the young Emir wants to control the whole country, while the invading countries want compensation for their efforts. Jatayu Kohano, Great Apollonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, managed to reach a compromise so that the most urgent matters could be dealt with immediately. This compromise became the Tiegang Agreement. This stipulated:

Barikalus is divided into occupation zones.
Occupying forces are under the banner of the Apollonian Security Assistance Force, the invading nations withdraw their own armies.
Occupation lasts 4 Norton years from this agreement.
After the occupation, parts of the territory of Barikalus were transferred to Hurmu and Lac Glacei. The government of the remaining part of the territory is to be determined.