The East PacificBoard

"Vorbereiten! Schneller! Spalten Sie die Ränge!"
The response by the flanking mercenaries would be swift and concise, heeding the orders barked by their commander, but they were not expecting men on both flanks. The double column split, one column going forwards and the other rearwards, the sound of cleanly polished combat boots thudding on the ground causing the protesters to give them room. They understood what these men from Felsinsel were doing. The lines formed were sparse, spaced ranks of men clad in armor with beaked helmets and inhuman visors staring down the Battanian men. In their ranks were only 60, now divided into two lines of 30. It would have to suffice
"Vorwärts, marschiert!"
The men, now in formation, split between two fronts, would march forwards, in lockstep, the compressed protesters expanding to fill the closing distance between the men of Felsinsel and their Battanian oppressors. The steady beat of batons on shields in sync with the fall of heavy footed steps forwards would cause a rythem to form in the chanting, the protesters falling in step as is synchronizing to a metronome.
"Anhalten! Machen Sie sich bereit!
With a final heavy footed stomp the men settle into a lowered stance, shields raised to face their adversaries, batons, tucked in near their chest like mantises readying to strike. The protesters would shout at the Battanians, but dare not go past the Blind Blazers even if there was two mans space between them. To them, these armored men were the shields of their liberty, an inspiring show of professionalism. To the men, this was part of their job. Their commander picked up a megaphone of his own, just to make himself clear as he shouted.
"By decree of the Admiral Overseas Shipping corporation, we are obligated to protect the property and personnel of the Bavatian Unity Cooperative from unjust violence. This protest is not in breach of local laws and this claim will be defended if disputed in court."
Meanwhile, the 29th would soon find the rest of the Blind Blazers congregating at the city outskirts and marching inwards. APCs slowly rolled down the streets, men hanging off of rails as the 20 APCs and their compliment of some 200 brave men roll forth, engines rumbling, to reinforce the situation. Unlike the men already there, these men had their rifles, and in their composition had the flamentruppen and grenadiers for which this korp derived its namesake.

Meanwhile, in Battania, the BUC regional administrator refuses to hand over the documentation. He publicly announces it as ”A violation of my privacy and freedom as a true citizen of Battania”, inciting public forums to erupt into backlash from their allies and those within the borders. They will not settle for that compromise.

Wheat and Guns for Royabad!
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“Good morning I’m Lakshmi Ahuja and you’re listening to Republican Choice, the foremost trustworthy and reliable news source in Uttareekila.
It was around 9:32 am yesterday when authorities at the Raipur International Airport arrested a man for carrying with him a false passport from the Republic of Easunistan. It was during his interrogation by the Raipur Police Service that his true motives were revealed. The man’s identity was revealed as Keshav Sabanis who had resided in the Kondagon District, one of the many districts which is split between government forces and Charuist rebels for most of his life. Mr. Sabanis along with 6 of his friends planned to fly to the nation of Easunistan and from there smuggle themselves across the border into the Sultanate of Royabad that has been stuck in a 2 year long Civil War. Once making it across the border, the seven men intended to enlist into the ranks of the communist Royabadi Revolutionary Army to gain combat experience over a period of 2 - 3 months so that they could employ this new training into the Republic’s own insurgency with the Murrepalite-Charuist insurgency. Unfortunately, Mr. Sabanis was the only one to have been apprehended from this plot, the rest either just landing in Easunistan or having already crossed the border. Almost immediately, the Parliament of Uttareekila begun drafting up a plan to help support the Sultanate in their efforts to emerge victorious in their crusade. We now cut to President Bhupesh Baghel who is about to reveal the details of the arranged support for Royabad.”

The scene would change from the news channels broadcasting room that overlooked the bustling capital to the front gate of the Parliament house where the President stood at a stand decorated with the country’s coat arms and a wall of microphones, and the country’s flag behind him on either side. He cleared his throat before addressing the flashing cameras and eager journalists hoping to get their next big story.

“Ahem, thank you all for being here today on such short notice. As you would all know by now, a man affiliated with the terrorist Charuist group was apprehended last morning with the intention of wreaking havoc in a foreign land. That is why myself, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his Cabinet of Ministers have come up with a bill to support the legitimate government of Royabad both militarily and with humanitarian aid. This plan has been dubbed the Golden Seed Fund that shall give the Royabadi populace wheat, tools, munitions, and some armoured vehicles. I will now take any questions you may have.”

With the President’s silence and looking up from his notes, the once silent journalists erupted into a sea of hand raising and attention seeking from the President hoping that their questions would be answered. “How much wheat exactly will the Royabadis be receiving Mr. President?”

“Even though wheat production has fallen by 10 million tonnes since the start of the infamous insurgency, we calculated that were are indeed able to donate the Royabadi government 1.3 million tonnes of wheat, or $500 million worth of wheat, next question.”

“You said military aid will be included in this, does that mean Uttareekilan troops will be deployed in Usnistan?”

“Thankfully not. Sources show that there is already a number of foreign government, volunteers, militias, and mercenaries already in the Sultanate that are aiding the forces loyal to His Majesty Ashkan I. Instead, we shall be aiding them via a production license with Munitions Uttareekila Limited free of charge to produce primarily 7.62x39mm and 5.56x45mm calibre bullets. A further 14 Commando Dolphin light tanks and 20 LMGK-59 Sarath armoured fire support vehicles shall also be gifted. Our biggest donation of military equipment will however be the 7,000 UTSAS rifles kitted out with 2 rounds each, a total of 140,000 5.56x45mm bullets.”

“Mr President what is being done to help the civilian populace directly?”

“Well there are a few parts to that concept. The first and immediate section is via donations from our government of spare parts needed to get clean water and power back online. We intend to send a number of rural turbine kits that can be set up even by the general public of Royabad that would use wind to generate electricity and possibly water extractors. The other option is my own personal effort. My wife and I shall be founding and funding the Salvation Army, a non-profit humanitarian cause that will use the kind donations from the ordinary citizens of our Republic to give items such as clothes, canned food, utensils, and things such as toothpaste to Royabad. Even toys and books for children will be accepted so that Royabadi children may grow up with some pleasant memories. Last question please.”

“How much does the Parliament estimate this will cost Mr. President?”

“The Ministry of Finance believes that the total cost of this generous donation to be around $2.737 billion, though this may vary depending on the amount of donations we receive from the populace. That will be all people, thank you for attending.”

Cameras flickered constantly as the President walked off of the podium and people’s TV screens transitioned into a slideshow of cultural images related to Uttareekila with the national anthem playing in the background to mark the conclusion of the news.