[PRIVATE] Command and Operations Center

[unmerged(24047)]

Major McGrath walked in, quickly moving towards General Levarge.

"Sir, here's the report. Even if it's a summary, it's quite comprehensive:
he number of men ready for deployement is 498 of total 512 , wich is less than 5% of un-availabilty, due mainly to training injuries.

The personal equipment is in good state:
-the FN FAL, the FN MAG and other small arms are solid weapons, and most of them are still functional, thanks to our weapon technicians.
-the anti tank weapons like the AT4 and Carl Gustav are in good number and most of them in good state, we haven't used lots of them
-the personal dotation of the men are good, and so are the launch equipment like parachute kits.

The training of the men is the best we can get with our funds, and our drill officers obtain 110% of the men's potential.

The morale is high, the last terms showed that something is moving, and the soldiers want to prove that they can kick some serious butt."

[OOC: Approved by the GM ]

 

[Voshkod]

"Very good, Major. Get back to your unit. HIDDEN HERALD is starting." Levarge turned toward the officers in the Pit.

"This is going to be big, people. We've going to have division and fleet sized movements. Nothing can go wrong. The politicos and the Americans will be watching us, and the Tilipians and St. Espiritians will be judging us. You've all seen the script, OPFOR is moving.

"HIDDEN HERALD is go. Send the first message."

Levarge sat back with a smile as the watch officers began to scurry about. If only it were for real.

 

[von Streusser]

The moment Colonel Alarico and Captain Clariana stepped off the elevator, with three other Tilapian observers and their Eutopian Marine escort, Antonin let out a low whistle. He rotated his head as far as it would go to look around the entire room, taking it in in a single pass. He nodded with a half-smirk plastered across his face, indicating he was at least marginally impressed.

Clariana found himself gawking...he never thought he'd ever see a place like this, much less this very place. They were in the enemy's very brain. He noticed a few things here and there were covered up tightly, and there were service personnel keeping a close eye on them. Additionally, several of the monitors around the room were blank. No free intel on this little trip, he thought to himself. Well, maybe, and maybe not...

Colonel Alarico crossed the room with a slow and confident step. His initial survey completed, he focused in on his new target...the General. His bearing (and his smirk) gave the impression that his surroundings no longer interested him. Presenting himself before his old commander, his expression gradually changed as he broke out into a legitimate grin, and saluted. It was a slow and deliberate gesture, but one that was still sharp and very crisp.

"Well well, General Levarge..." he mused. "And I can say I knew you when. Sir." He was silent for a moment, then continued. "It's good to see you again. Strange, I find it reassuring to know that there's a good soldier in charge of the other side, sir."

Alarico introduced the rest of the observers, running through rank and name as each saluted the General. All five wore their BDUs, Alarico and Clariana's were a darker green and brown combination known as Smokey Branch, one of the officers wore jet black, another white, and the fifth a bizarre sort of pixelated pattern that seemed to break up in front of Levarge's very eyes. Of the five, only Alarico's name was familiar, and he was clearly in charge of the group.

"Well, that should do for formalities...so then, what's going on?"

-von Streusser
as Tilapia

 

[Voshkod]

Levarge saluted Alarico. "Well, Captain - I mean Colonel - you've come a long way since the . . . crisis." He turned to the others. "I'd like to welcome you all to the exercises. Right now, we're testing governmental response time to a growing situation. No military units - except for OPFOR - are moving yet. The crisis will start to peak in a few hours, and then all hell should break loose."

He turned toward a table with coffee and sandwiches. "Make yourselves at home. No cameras, please, but other than that you're free to roam, provided your escorts stay with you. We'll move out into the field when the military gets involved. For now, we get to watch cops try to play soldier." There was a cold distance - a Siberia - in Levarge's voice; the Tilipians may be in the Command and Operations Center, but they were not ever going to be welcome here.

 

[von Streusser]

Alarico noted the growing frigidity in Levarge's voice and grinned. Same old Marcus, he thought to himself. He remembered the Old Man had family in St. Esprit, and wondered whatever had become of that. Had to be awkward.

Alarico shadowed Levarge, staying out of the way as well as he could, but constantly looking over the General's shoulder at various displays and reports as to how the exercise was going. He took mental notes of the Eutopian command's ability to monitor a situation, and how quickly various subordinate officers reported, as well as how they responded. Who was responsible for what? Had they shifted around the various staff so that he would think weaker personnel were responsible for areas they were not? Antonin found himself not putting it past the Old Man, and had to smile at the wily old bastard.

Meanwhile, near the sandwiches and coffee, the remaining Tilapians chattered in Spanish. The one in the white BDUs stared at each individual serviceman in the room one by one, as if drawing a mental picture. He checked each rank, and matched the ranks to different symbols and BDUs. After that, he began to classify each soldier in the room in terms of relative importance, and see how quickly he could do it. He would turn away every now and then to let the various groups shuffle a bit, and then face in a random direction and count them down again. After nearly an hour, the first expressions began to show on his face...a self-satisfied grin.

The others simply bided their time, having not yet come to a stage where they could play their part.

-von Streusser
as Tilapia

 

[Voshkod]

Levarge looks at his watch, compares it with a master clock. "All right, people, they've had enough time to respond. Send out the stage two messages." He turned to the observers. "This should start the ball rolling."

 

[von Streusser]

Alarico watched as the new messages were sent out, including a direct threat from an organization calling itself the "Albonan Liberation Front". He was looking at various displays as things happened, gradually straying a little from Levarge and looking over new shoulders here and there.

Contact had been lost with a chemical plant...was it an hour ago now? He couldn't be sure exactly, he hadn't noted the time of the exercise commencement. But there had been no response from the relevant civilian authorities, near as he could tell, except a local decision to send a small unit of federal police. All of them had been lost, and now alerts had gone out to that effect, as well as a specific terrorist threat.

"Stage 1, no response..." he muttered to no one in particular, loud enough for Levarge to hear. The Old Man could see the gears grinding in his former subordinate's head, and Alarico was wearing a disappointed frown. He scrunched his eyebrows together as he looked over another display, deciphering it and running through the tactical situation and probable outcomes. "Same old Eutopia City..." He chuckled and spoke softer this time, but still within Levarge's range of hearing "so how long till the pros take over...?"

-vS as Tilapia

 

[Voshkod]

"The first message went to Gonzov. He's rich enough that he doesn't have to come into work, apparently." Levarge turned toward his former subordinate. "The next two go to Keller, who probably will miss it, and de Fourgéres, who will react. His reaction will be the most interesting. Let's see how many cops he can get 'killed.'"

The General took two quick steps over to Alarico. His voice dropped. "There are no professionals in Eutopian politics, Captain. That hasn't changed, and this exercise will merely prove it. The only professionals are the ones in uniform. And we'll take over if we need to." He smiled, but there was no mirth. "Or when we're elected to the job. And you'd best hope it never happens."

 

[von Streusser]

Antonin raised an eyebrow and broke out in a broad smile as Levarge pulled rank and (clumsily?) threatened him. "Well Monsieur Brigadier, I'll disagree with you there. President Levarge doesn't frighten me...because I know exactly what he'd do. And if you think my bosses have been resting on their laurels in Buen Puerto just cause yours have in Eutopia City..." he tried not to laugh, and so turned away back towards the displays "you'd be wrong."

Clariana stood slackjawed a short distance from the two. What the hell was happening? He felt the need to intervene before things got hot. "Ah, sir?" he asked Alarico "can I get you some coffee? Or, um...a sandwich? Oh, and um...Sanchez...wanted a word with you. Sir." He swallowed hard, and tried to control his pulse. The last thing they needed was an international incident in the enemy's war room.

Alarico nodded, and without another word turned and rejoined the group of Tilapian observers, although the man in the black BDUs was surprised to discover that he'd apparently wanted a word with Colonel Alarico. Antonin took a cup of coffee, black, and after a brief conversation with his men in Spanish, headed over to a new workstation to watch the exercise, this time far from Levarge. But the whole time he wore a smirk the General recognized from their time in the same unit. Scouts. Damn irritating cowboys.

-vS as Tilapia

 

[Voshkod]

From across the Pit, Levarge's command voice rings out. "Colonel Alarico - a word."

In a quieter corner, Levarge sighs. "Colonel, you served in my command. You know how difficult this is going to be for me. I'm sorry, Colonel. My outburst was uncalled for and unprofessional. All of this -" he motions about the pit, the watch officers scurrying about "- is probably the last show I'll be putting on. Are you familiar with Yeats, Colonel?"

Levarge recited:

"Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love . . . .

The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death."

He smiled at Alarico's expression. "Never thought I read any poetry? Doesn't matter, really. You were a good officer, Antonin. You're probably a good Colonel. Someday let's sit down over a beer and talk about command."

 

[unmerged(11366)]

General James Levitsky and a retinue of minor officers enter the office. Levitsky, a rather plump, well-fed man with a jolly red face like a clean-shaven Santa Claus, greets the Eutopian commander jovially: "Good day, General Levarge. I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you before."

The staff officer meekly shakes the General's hand before replying, "I'm sorry sir, the General is right over there," pointing.

Levitsky drops a rumbling laugh and greets the real general. "Here I am, General: Minister of Defense of Saint Esprit, Lord knows how I managed that!" Another short laugh. "Well, how are things going on around here?"

 

[von Streusser]

Clariana winced, awaiting the inevitable tongue-lashing his superior was about to take from the Eutopian Chief of Staff. He was puzzled when it didn't come.

Which was nothing compared to Alarico's reaction. He didn't know which surprised him more, the poetry or the apology, and was still debating between the two when Levarge fell silent, indicating it was his turn to talk. The General had noticed his somewhat shocked (and very uncharacteristic) expression, and Antonin almost had to laugh about it.

"I will admit sir, I was not aware you were a poetry afficionado. I hope that one day, you will stop surprising me, but I doubt it.

Apology accepted. My retort was equally uncalled for and unprofessional, and for that I too apologize." He looked around as Levarge motioned to the Pit, and wondered what exactly the Old Man meant by that. Had his earlier comment about elections meant more than Antonin had originally thought?

"As for your offer of a beer, it would be an honor, sir. Perhaps next time, I will host. I will look forward to it..." he paused, then continued "Marcus." He extended a hand to the General.

"Now then, I understand the civvies have woken up." Alarico looked at the master clock and noted the reaction time. While stage one had been an unmitigated disaster for the civs, stage two was moving at a much faster clip than Alarico had expected. Was this really the same Josephus? Or was that de Fourgeres fellow shaming him to action? Alarico made a mental note to send a copy of his report to the Ambassador for his input on the civilian end.

At this point, the Defense Minister for the St. Espritians walked in. It was hard not to like the man, Alarico decided, and he watched Levarge's reaction behind a barely contained grin. After Levarge and Levitsky had finished their introductory conversation, Alarico introduced himself as leader of the Tilapian observers.

-vS as Tilapia

 

[Voshkod]

Levarge shook hands with the St. Espiritan. "Welcome, General. The show is beginning now."

He walked down to the front of the pit, faced the watch officers. His voice was clear and firm. "This is an exercise message. Bring us to HANG TIME."

A klaxon sounded, and the light on big board went to Orange. Watch officers began to issue ready orders to the field. Levarge rejoined the observers.

"Gentlemen, I have to attend to the President. A helicopter is ready to ferry you all to Uxbridge, for the initial military response."

 

[Voshkod]

The officer of the day hangs up the telephone, and then addressed the Pit. "This is an exercise message. We are under attack. Raise alertness level to FIRE FALL and mobilize LIRA and the involved division. Alert the fleet."

 

[Voshkod]

The watch officer slowly hangs up the telephone. He stood. "Bring us to HANG TIME. This is not an exercise. Navy is to execute NOP order 6, full maritime patrol, stop or sink any unidentified ships. Air Force is to execute AOP 9, city defense, get some fighters up hot over the major targets. If it doesn't identify, ground it. Army is to execute OP order 12.89, secure critical infrastructure. This is not an exercise."

- Voshkod as demi-mod

 

[unmerged(33865)]

A message arrives from MIDA on a secure link.

To: General Levarge, Chairper of Service Chiefs
From: MIDA Loic de Fourgéres
Classification: Secret
Re: Who is attacking us

FLEA had very limited information of rumored Cuban involvement in some matter possibly impacting state security, which we were following up. In addition, I asked the President to check using his old connections, which confirmed the some Cuban involvement in something unbeknownst to us shortly before the bombing, which led to certian other activity being stepped up. Now that we know what their first step was, I can tell you to be be particularly vigilant regarding Cubans. We don't yet know whether these were rogue or state supported Cuban terrorists behind this, and whether they played a principal or supporting role. The President is trying to find out the former, so do not take this as a declaration of war on Cuba. If it is rogue Cubans, the government there will be instrumental in shutting this down. FLEA and MDIS security wings will be working on the latter.

 

[unmerged(33865)]

MIDA calls
"On the President's instructions we have accepted an offer of aid from the Tilapians, which will be delivered by air, including helicopters. Please coordinate with them to arrange clearance for the overflights to New Lancaster City airport."

 

[unmerged(15327)]

MDIS DM calls

As I'm the new Deputy Minister of MDIS and I'm in command of Counter-Intelligence and Secrurity it would be easy to introduce myself in the COC.

Do you need any assistance or do you have any orders?

 

[Voshkod]

The call is patched through to Levarge at Facility Seven.

"This is General Levarge, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Congratulations, sir. You seem to misunderstand the situation here. I don't give you orders when you're wearing your ministerial hat, you give me orders.

"If you're handling the intelligence arena now, we need to know who supporting the bastards that hit the Bank. Some indications that Cuba was involved, but those could be red herrings. I'd follow up there, first."

- Voshkod as Levarge

 

[unmerged(15327)]

MDIS calls...

"General Levarge, I have informed SAW and they will be investigating the ECB bombing. Here is a tape of the phonecall."

"I have also asked OSO and CIS to set up an operation in Cuba. I will have the permission of the President for this. When does it suits the President to ask him for that? Here is the note I've send to OSO and CIS."

Regards,