(no subject)
TO: CENTRAL COMMAND
FROM: SKYMARSHALL URIK ANTARES, COMMANDING OFFICER: R.S.S. KONSTANTINOV
FIELD REPORT: THE WAR IN NOKGORKA
AFTER SUSTAINED AERIAL AND ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT, AIR SUPERIORITY HAS BEEN ATTAINED BY SKYFURNACE DETACHMENTS OVER THE CITY'S RECOGNIZED NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN HOSTILE DISTRICTS. AS ORDERED, THE FLEET HAS SUCCESSFULLY SURROUNDED THE SEPARATIST FORCES OF THE NOKGORKA RESISTANCE MILITIA WITHIN BAHAMUT.
I HAVE RECEIVED YOUR ORDERS TO LAUNCH A GROUND ASSAULT INTO THE CITY VIA ARMOR DROP AND TO CONDUCT THE IMMEDIATE CAPTURE AND/OR ELIMINATION OF ANY AND ALL FORCES LOYAL TO THE ILLEGALLY FORMED LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SPECIAL FORCES RECON TEAMS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO STREET LEVEL. THOSE UNITS THAT HAVE SURVIVED HAVE BEEN MET WITH FURIOUS RESISTANCE.
IT IS THE OPINION OF THIS OFFICER THAT SUCH AN OFFENSIVE HAS LITTLE TO NO CHANCE OF ACHIEVING DESIRED OBJECTIVES AT THIS TIME. FURTHER, FROM THE RECON REPORTS, AS WELL AS MY VANTAGE ON BOARD THE KONSTANTINOV, THE CITY OF BAHAMUT IS A BURNED OUT RUIN. ITS STREETS OFFER ENEMY FORCES A LABYRINTHINE FORTRESS IMPENETRABLE TO ARMORED ASSAULT.
THE ENEMY FORCES HAVE SURVIVED A BOMBARDMENT OF 4,000 HEAVY DETONATIONS PER HOUR, 24 HOURS A DAY, FOR THE PAST 40 DAYS. AFTER THIS BOMBARDMENT OF ALMOST FOUR MILLION DETONATIONS, AFTER AN ESTIMATED ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND ENEMY CASUALTIES, WE OFFERED TERMS OF SURRENDER. THEIR ONLY RESPONSE WAS AS FOLLOWS:
"TO DIE OR LIVE IN FREEDOM IS OUR FATE."
ANOTHER CONCERN IS IN REGARDS TO THE TROOP VERSUS TROOP PROFILE.
1: ARMAMENT VERSUS DEFENSE:
ALTHOUGH NO STANDARDS EXIST, MOST FRONTLINE NOKGORKA TROOPS ARE ARMED WITH THE RKG-41, AN ANTIQUE SLUG-THROWER WITH LOW RATE OF FIRE. ANY WELL TRAINED RED TROOPER ENGAGING HIS HOOK'S DEFENSIVE ROTATION SHIELD SHOULD BE IMMUNE TO THIS CALIBER OF WEAPON.
UNFORTUNATELY THE LEVEL OF TRAINING PER BASIC TROOPER HAS FALLEN TO SUCH A MISERABLE DEGREE THAT THE RGK-41 MUST NOW BE CONSIDERED A THREAT.
2. MORALE:
I BELIEVE I'VE CLEARLY ESTABLISHED THE EXTREME LEVEL OF SACRIFICE THAT OUR ENEMY IS CAPABLE OF. MAY I REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT FOR THREE HUNDRED YEARS WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FORCE THE PEOPLE OF NOKGORKA UNDER PAIN OF DEATH, TO FULLY SUBMIT TO OUR RULE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
THEIR REACTION, NOW AS EVER ... FURY.
AS FOR OUR TROOPS -- WHERE TO BEGIN? THEY ARE NOT SOLDIERS, GENTLEMEN. THEY ARE TARGETS. FOR THEM, NOKGORKA IS SIMPLY A NIGHTMARE, AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN OR HOW IT WILL ALL END.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THIS IS NOT THE SAME RED FLEET THAT ONCE HELD HALF THE WORLD IN FEAR. I CAN ASSURE YOU OF THAT.
TO SPEAK PLAINLY, NOKGORKA IS A WASTELAND. A FROZEN RUIN OCCUPIED NOT BY TRAINED ARMIES, BUT BY PACKS OF DESPERATE WOLVES DEVOURING EACH OTHER.
AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE NOKGORKA ATTACK FLEET, I REQUEST A DELAY OF ANY GROUND ASSAULT INTO THE CITY OF BAHAMUT. TO PROCEED WITH SUCH OPERATIONS AT THIS TIME ENSURES CATASTROPHE.
Three figures stand in the briefing room of the Konstantinov, before the great window. Outside, skyfurnaces hover, the stars deceptively bright and near; the twisted wrecks of what were once proud buildings of Bahamut have been scattered across the ground below.
Inside, the trio is gathered around the tactical protocol on the floor, not paying the least bit of attention to the tremendous view out the window. The three-dimensional maps spread across the deckplates are more important.
"I sent that report yesterday. It almost cost me my command," says Skymarshall Urik Antares.
FROM: SKYMARSHALL URIK ANTARES, COMMANDING OFFICER: R.S.S. KONSTANTINOV
FIELD REPORT: THE WAR IN NOKGORKA
AFTER SUSTAINED AERIAL AND ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT, AIR SUPERIORITY HAS BEEN ATTAINED BY SKYFURNACE DETACHMENTS OVER THE CITY'S RECOGNIZED NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN HOSTILE DISTRICTS. AS ORDERED, THE FLEET HAS SUCCESSFULLY SURROUNDED THE SEPARATIST FORCES OF THE NOKGORKA RESISTANCE MILITIA WITHIN BAHAMUT.
I HAVE RECEIVED YOUR ORDERS TO LAUNCH A GROUND ASSAULT INTO THE CITY VIA ARMOR DROP AND TO CONDUCT THE IMMEDIATE CAPTURE AND/OR ELIMINATION OF ANY AND ALL FORCES LOYAL TO THE ILLEGALLY FORMED LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SPECIAL FORCES RECON TEAMS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO STREET LEVEL. THOSE UNITS THAT HAVE SURVIVED HAVE BEEN MET WITH FURIOUS RESISTANCE.
IT IS THE OPINION OF THIS OFFICER THAT SUCH AN OFFENSIVE HAS LITTLE TO NO CHANCE OF ACHIEVING DESIRED OBJECTIVES AT THIS TIME. FURTHER, FROM THE RECON REPORTS, AS WELL AS MY VANTAGE ON BOARD THE KONSTANTINOV, THE CITY OF BAHAMUT IS A BURNED OUT RUIN. ITS STREETS OFFER ENEMY FORCES A LABYRINTHINE FORTRESS IMPENETRABLE TO ARMORED ASSAULT.
THE ENEMY FORCES HAVE SURVIVED A BOMBARDMENT OF 4,000 HEAVY DETONATIONS PER HOUR, 24 HOURS A DAY, FOR THE PAST 40 DAYS. AFTER THIS BOMBARDMENT OF ALMOST FOUR MILLION DETONATIONS, AFTER AN ESTIMATED ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND ENEMY CASUALTIES, WE OFFERED TERMS OF SURRENDER. THEIR ONLY RESPONSE WAS AS FOLLOWS:
"TO DIE OR LIVE IN FREEDOM IS OUR FATE."
ANOTHER CONCERN IS IN REGARDS TO THE TROOP VERSUS TROOP PROFILE.
1: ARMAMENT VERSUS DEFENSE:
ALTHOUGH NO STANDARDS EXIST, MOST FRONTLINE NOKGORKA TROOPS ARE ARMED WITH THE RKG-41, AN ANTIQUE SLUG-THROWER WITH LOW RATE OF FIRE. ANY WELL TRAINED RED TROOPER ENGAGING HIS HOOK'S DEFENSIVE ROTATION SHIELD SHOULD BE IMMUNE TO THIS CALIBER OF WEAPON.
UNFORTUNATELY THE LEVEL OF TRAINING PER BASIC TROOPER HAS FALLEN TO SUCH A MISERABLE DEGREE THAT THE RGK-41 MUST NOW BE CONSIDERED A THREAT.
2. MORALE:
I BELIEVE I'VE CLEARLY ESTABLISHED THE EXTREME LEVEL OF SACRIFICE THAT OUR ENEMY IS CAPABLE OF. MAY I REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT FOR THREE HUNDRED YEARS WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FORCE THE PEOPLE OF NOKGORKA UNDER PAIN OF DEATH, TO FULLY SUBMIT TO OUR RULE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
THEIR REACTION, NOW AS EVER ... FURY.
AS FOR OUR TROOPS -- WHERE TO BEGIN? THEY ARE NOT SOLDIERS, GENTLEMEN. THEY ARE TARGETS. FOR THEM, NOKGORKA IS SIMPLY A NIGHTMARE, AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN OR HOW IT WILL ALL END.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THIS IS NOT THE SAME RED FLEET THAT ONCE HELD HALF THE WORLD IN FEAR. I CAN ASSURE YOU OF THAT.
TO SPEAK PLAINLY, NOKGORKA IS A WASTELAND. A FROZEN RUIN OCCUPIED NOT BY TRAINED ARMIES, BUT BY PACKS OF DESPERATE WOLVES DEVOURING EACH OTHER.
AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE NOKGORKA ATTACK FLEET, I REQUEST A DELAY OF ANY GROUND ASSAULT INTO THE CITY OF BAHAMUT. TO PROCEED WITH SUCH OPERATIONS AT THIS TIME ENSURES CATASTROPHE.
Three figures stand in the briefing room of the Konstantinov, before the great window. Outside, skyfurnaces hover, the stars deceptively bright and near; the twisted wrecks of what were once proud buildings of Bahamut have been scattered across the ground below.
Inside, the trio is gathered around the tactical protocol on the floor, not paying the least bit of attention to the tremendous view out the window. The three-dimensional maps spread across the deckplates are more important.
"I sent that report yesterday. It almost cost me my command," says Skymarshall Urik Antares.