[Greater Acadia]

Sancha Groenbärd tapped her fingers on her desk, glaring at the map on the far side of the wall. She turned out the chatter of the various techs within the war intelligence room at Västergäd Military HQ in the Central High Command building. Upon the digital map sat various readouts including the locations of intelligence assets, aircraft, and the relative positions of friendly and confirmed non-friendly units. In particular, she paid special attention to Eïkangärd's eastern border. In particular, the area which should be Eïkangärd's eastern border.

She scowled at the area marked 'DMZ' on the map in cross-hatched lines. A national embarrassment is what it really was. One borne of the revolution over five decades ago. Back then, a weak and divided Eikangärd had failed to take rightful control of it's sovereign territories as it chased the traitorous former government forces towards The Brother Nations. The same Brother Nations who had intervened on the old regime's behalf and halted the rightful advance of the Eïkan people in the liberation of their homeland. The same Brother Nations who now held the Royal Family and former Regime in Exile within their capital city. The same Brother Nations who had allowed traitors to resettle beyond the reach of the Eïkan state.

The same Brother Nations who even now denied Eïkangärd their rightful claim to their territory.

With a deepening scowl, she resolved to end this national embarrassment. Eïkangärd was far stronger that it was all those years ago. The military had expanded, both in troops and equipment. Brave young Eikans now stood ready to fight and - if necessary - die for the pride of their nation. Xiomera further distracted the erstwhile allies of the Brother Nations with their interventionist and destabilizing policies, turning their attention elsewhere. Now would be her time to make a play.

She picked up the phone on her desk and punched in a quick extension.

"Get me the National News Agency." She ordered the person on the other end. "Tell them I have an announcement to make."

---------------------------------------------------

Within 12hrs of the phone call, an official demand was printed by the Eïkan National News Service, calling for the immediate return of all lands held within the Eïkan DMZ to the State of Eïkangärd. The terms were simple; acquiesce or else. What "or else" meant was deliberately vague. At the time, Marshal Groenbärd didn't want to broadcast anything specific. In the end, it would depend on what the Whetosonghneans would do...

[Greater Acadia]

Inwokuwuk, Whetosonghnee
1034hrs - Local Time

"The Speaker will see you now." Said the aide sat behind the desk.


"Thank you." Said Princess Janet Mäss of Eikangaärd, before stepping towards the double doors leading to the office of High Speaker Jimmy Seven-Feather of Whetosonghnee. After hearing of the military junta of Eïkangärd had requested the extradition of herself, her family, and the government in exile. Likely to stand trial in a kangaroo court and either be locked up for life, or - more likely - to have them all executed as 'traitors to the country'. Which was the most disgusting joke she'd ever heard.

She wanted to make sure she wouldn't be the punchline.

She knocked.

"Come in." Answered the man in question from the other side.

She opened the door and stepped inside.

"Ah, Princess, good to see you." Said Jimmy, standing up from behind his desk and walking around to stand before her. He bowed slightly in respect, though in all honesty, she didn't care for the formalities today.

"Thank you for meeting me today, High Speaker." She said, returning the bow. "I was hoping to discuss the issue of Eïkangärd's extradition order?"

Jimmy's expression fell and he leaned against his desk. "Yes...that's definitely an issue." He said, tacitly agreeing with the Princess' thoughts. "I'm sure I don't think I need to tell you that they've all but threatened invasion if we don't honour their request?"

She bristled slightly. "Yes, I am aware. I hope you're not seriously considering serving us up on a silver platter!"

Again, Jimmy sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "I don't know. That decision's not up to me but the Council."

"Do they honestly think that this will appease them?!" Janet snapped, panic seeping into the pit of her stomach. "All this will do is further embolden them! What of the over one-million Eikans living in Whetosongnee? What happens if they demand their return?!"

Jimmy chuckled mirthlessly. "They won't ask for their return, I don't think. They'll ask for the lands they're concentrated in instead. And I think the council believes the same, for the most part."

"So then why?" She asked. "Why are they considering handing us over?"

Jimmy looked her in the eyes before taking a breath. "Because we simply aren't ready to fight them. They have over five eight times our number in active personnel, with at least 220,000 soldiers already on the border. Even if we activated our reserves, we'd barely outnumber them. And military intelligence believes that it would take only a few months for them to double that figure." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "They outnumber us in artillery, tanks, aircraft... frankly, the military isn't confident in our ability to resist their assaults."

"So they're considering sending us back to buy time, is that it?" The Princess asked, though she already knew the answer to that. Jimmy's lack of response confirmed it.

...

"What if we could raise more soldiers? Plug the gaps?" She asked after an awkward silence.

Jimmy shook his head. "The council wouldn't approve of a return to conscription. They still believe that the people wouldn't support it."

Janet shook her head. "I'm not talking about conscription. I'm talking about forming a foreign legion of volunteers."

"You can't be serious!" Jimmy's eyes widened. "How would we even pay for that?! Even if we don't end up paying, they'll still need to be equipped and trained!"

"I have significant wealth from the royal coffers." The Princess answered simply. "To the tune of hundreds of millions. It's yours if you need it. There's also old equipment from the Eikan Royal Army stockpiled in various locations around the country. We could refurbish it and bring it back into service. It won't be as good as the best equipment available, but it's something we can use and matches the equipment in service with much of Eïkangärd's army."

"And who would volunteer for this? How many do you expect to get?" Jimmy questioned.

"As many as we can get. I'd imagine there are a few loyalists in the Eikan diaspora that would be willing to sign up. Plus those from abroad who wish to fight for us against tyranny." The princess answered, shrugging. "If I had to guess, I'd imagine I could get at least 50,000 volunteers. 100,000 if we're lucky."

Jimmy sighed, rubbing at his  eyes. Another silence descended upon the pair, broken only by the ticking clock on the Speaker's desk.

"Do it." He finally said. "I know the council wants to pass a spending increase to try and build up our capabilities against Eïkangärd. Maybe I can pressure them to formally induct this Foreign Legion if you can get it off the ground."

The Princess smiled. "Thank you Mr.Speaker. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave, now."

Jimmy returned the smile. "Pleasure speaking with you, Princess."

[Greater Acadia]

Ykangad, Eikangard
March 26th, 2024
1400hrs

"Alright, gentlemen. Thank for arriving on such short notice." Greater Marshal Sancha Groenbard greeted as the various members of her inner council took their seats on either side of the table. She laced her fingers together, resting her arms on the polished mahogany in front of her.

"You are all aware of why this meeting has been called." She continued, gaze flicking to each member in turn. "Now, let us begin our discussion. We have been increasingly calling for Whetosonghnee to return our land and repatriate traitors to our country so they may stand trial. This has, as planned, caused the Whetosonghneans to deny our request. This has also, as expected, caused the international community to begin discussion on how to respond. We now must decide when and how we shall commence the operation to annex the country of Whetosonghnee."

She unlaced her fingers and motioned to the assembled person.

"The floor is yours."

The first to respond was Field Marshall Sven Geraldson, who cleared his throat and sat up slightly in his chair.

"Ma'am, our front line units at the border are ready to go. We need only prepare rear-echelon logistics bases and we will be ready to begin the invasion. Such preparations would take approximately two weeks, three if delays are encountered due to weather." Geraldson listed off. "I have already drawn battle-plans to leverage our superiority in numbers to overwhelm the Whetosonghneans with a general offensive across the line. If our forces encounter resistance, others will be free to move around the flanks to cut off and isolate enemy formations. We can quickly capture border towns and cities and utilize their logistics hubs to continue the momentum."

He paused to take a breath.

If all goes to plan, we will have captured Inwaukosuwuk within one month. In two months, we will have captured the whole country. At that point, the pacification plan outlined by Field Marshal Lorenz -" He nodded to the seated office across from him. "- shall take effect. Our forces will move to strengthen the occupation of settlements while engineers construct holding centres to process the Whetosonghneans. Within two years we will have pacified the country such that we may make use of its resources and developed infrastructure and technology to boost our own."

His piece said, the Marshall sat back in his chair.

The first to speak after him was Marshal Hoskuld Sigvaldisson, head of the Logistics Division. 

"I still believe that we should take less of direct hand in Whetosonghnee after the assault in concluded." He began. "while Marshall Lorenz's plan is theoretically sound, it requires a significant amount of resources to pacify the nation. A more hands-off approach by establishing a favourable regime which would give us preferential access to the resourced and development materials we need to reach our true potential."

"I have concerns as well." Said Marshal Bolverk Authgrimsson. "We rely a lot on sheer weight of numbers to carry the day because we know the quality of the individual Whetosonghnean soldier is greater than our own. Is this not a point of concern? Also, how does your plan account for potential saboteurs? Such things may slow the pace of the advance due to a variety of factors. And we cannot allow the pace of the advance to slow lest the Whetosonghneans consolidate their positions!"

"I agree." Said Marshal Asmund Orrinsson head of Research and Development. "The Whetosonghneans enjoy a superiority of technology and equipment to our own soldiers. Our modernization program is limited ot only a few units at the present time. I believe we must wait to launch the assault, until our modernization program is complete. Assistance from our Xiomeran allies is accelerating development of our new combat systems and I believe we will be in a better position to attack in six years."

"SIX YEARS?!!" Exclaimed Marshal Northri Hrolfsson, ever the warhawk. "And look weak for waiting?! Or Worse, give the Whetosonghneans the chance to rally allies and invade us first?! No! We must strike now while they are still scrambling about for a strategy!"

"And what if the assault bogs down, hmm?" Said Authgrimsson "Did no one listen to my complaints?!"

"It will not. The Whetosonghneans cannot counter all of our forces, they do not have the numbers." Countered Geraldson.

"It better not!" Hrolfsson Chastised. "I don't want to give the Xiomeran's the excuse to treat us like a junior partner or puppet nation by offering 'assistance'! This war is going to show them why we're their equal on the world stage!"

"We aren't! Not with how outdated our equipment is!" Orrinsson noted angrily.

"And who's fault is that, hmm?!"

Sancha cleared her throat forcefully. Despite the heated argument brewing the room, all present instantly quieted. 

'Good'. She thought to herself.

"Very well, gentlemen. I've heard your arguments." She said, mulling over things in her head. She took a few moments to determine the best course of action before turning to Geraldson.

"You have three weeks to prepare." She told him. "Do not let our assault get bogged down. We need to get this done quickly before a response can be formulated."

Geraldson nodded. "It will be done, ma'am."

"As for what happens after..." She continued on. "We will table that discussion for another time. Nonetheless, we should be ready to go with either option. I want a list of potential sympathizers who could form a puppet government. And I want the engineers ready to go with building the holding centers. They may be needed regardless."

Her piece said, she leaned back in her chair, once again lacing her fingers in front of her. "See it done, gentlemen. This meeting is concluded."

[Greater Acadia]

Hokwau, Whetosonghnee
May 5th, 2024
1300hrs

Captain Jacob Galloping-Horse quickly sat himself down into his commander's chair as the rest of the crew of his tank took their positions. The call had been sudden. As sudden as Eikangard's attack across the border. His tank platoon - 3 Platoon of 5 Tank Regiment - the Buffalo Braves - had been ordered to quickly move to reinforce elements of 2 Infantry Regiment. They were taking fire from both Eikan Infantry and Tanks. It was unlikely that they would be able to hold the position, so 3 Platoon was to provide covering fire for 2 Infantry to withdraw in good order.

"All tanks report in." Said the Platoon commander as Jacob's tank - A Blackhorse Mk.2 designated Tank 3-2 - came online. Jacob made a quick check with the rest of his crew before reporting in.

"This is 3-2, reporting in. All systems green." He replied through the radio.

"This is 3-3. All systems green."

"This is 3-4. All green here."

"Copy that. 3 Tank Platoon, we have our orders. Move out!" Ordered the platoon commander.

Jacob gave a quick order to his driver, and soon the tank was moving. All 1500 horsepower under the hood roared as the tank accelerated, dropping into formation along with the rest of the platoon's tanks. It wasn't even five minutes before they'd reached their operational area.

"Enemy tanks spotted! Eikan Strids!" Announced the platoon commander before assigning targets to the rest of the platoon. Staring through his commander's independent sight, Jacob switched to thermals, cutting through dust and smoke kicked up by the battle. He spied a number of Eikan tanks firing on a group of Whetosonghnean troops taking cover in a line of trees.

"Gunner! Eikan Tank, Fifteen Degrees Left! 500 Meters!" Jacob called out.

"Eikan Tank, Fifteen-Left, 500, aye!" The gunner echoed before the whole turret of the tank rotated slightly. "Target acquired!"

"Fire!" Jacob ordered, already swapping to the next target in his own sight.

"Sabot out!" The gunner replied a split-second before the whole turret rocked with the force of the tank's main 120mm rifled gun firing. The loader quickly grabbed the spend shell as the breach opened. The gunner reported that the target was destroyed. Jacob had no reason to doubt that. The near-600mm of penetration on the tank's sabot rounds was more than enough to penetrate the much older Eikan tanks.

"Second tank! Three Degrees Left! 500 Meters! Load Sabot!" Jacob ordered.

"Eikan Tank, Three Left, 500, aye!"

"Sabot up!" The loader reported.

"Fire!"

"Sabot out!" Once again the gun rocked the tank as it fired. "Target destroyed!"

By this point, the rest of the platoon had knocked out a number of enemy tanks. Seven total. The remaining five Eikan tanks reversed into cover, reorienting themselves to return fire on the sudden appearance of the Whetosonghnean tanks. A few managed to get shots off as they retreated.

"3-3 hit! We're still operational!"

"Copy! The Infantry are pulling out! All tanks, fall back!" the platoon commander ordered.

Jacob gave his assent and ordered the driver to reverse.

The new orders were to accompany the infantry back to the rallying point near Hokwau proper. After that, he had no idea what would happen. Hopefully they'd be counter-attacking soon enough.