Beautiful Caladria

[STRATCOM]

Civilian Air Pleasure Cruise
12km NE of Histria Island
Earlier

"Say only that you are fleeing occupation," the brigadier translator said, tapping his sidearm against the back of the pilot's seat convincingly. "You have wife and child with you. Say it and you will live. Ask for safe place to land. However, continue overflight until I say otherwise."

The pilot choked back vomit in his throat, took a few deep breaths, and spoke.

"Holy Lanlanian vessel, this is Lark 155 north out of Histria International. We are fleeing the occupation. Please, d-don't shoot. I-I have my wife and kid onboard. Requesting any safe landing strip in the area, over."

Yuri snapped pictures ceaselessly, moving rhythmically to change camera memory cards and film canisters as if he were reloading a crew-served weapon.

Radio CRAF & Radio CRWS
Southern Histria Island, Caladria
7:59 P.M.

The missiles came invisibly fast and inaudibly loud. It struck Radio CRAF's tower with the vengeance of an angry god, shattering it in an instant. Seconds later the unearthly scene repeated at Radio CRWS, striking its much larger tower with an ominous boom. The supersonic shrapnel rained down into and through the buildings, killing the civilian staff instantly. There was not much to say of their deaths: one moment they were there, anxiously awaiting the signal to be released from their duty and return to their families, the next they were unrecognizable as something that had once held conscious thought.

The Lanlanian liberation of Caladria had begun with these civilians being liberated from their mortal coils.

Histria Airport
Southern Histria Island, Caladria
8:03 P.M.

A missile streaked from the sky and slammed into the radar installation at Histria International with astonishing force. The civilian ATC staff gaped at its suddenness and force as it rattled the glass and immediately sent their radar screens into uselessness. The representative of the local Lieutenant-Colonel ushered them out, then radioed back to his superior. The Histria International radar asset was down and out.

The civilian radar burned violently as the staff squinted at it from the waiting buses.

Unidentified Civilian-Flagged Vessels
5km SE of Caladria
8:12 P.M.

The trio steamed southeast with all due haste: two civilian ferries and a Caladrian Coast Guard vessel leading them. They moved aimlessly against the waves, seemingly unsure of which destination to shoot for. They meandered ever closer to Argune and the 45th, which moved to intercept them. They had no way of knowing either of these, for their meager civilian surface radar was wholly unequipped for the open ocean. So too were the boats: the civilian ferries tacked to cut the larger waves.

"Mayday, mayday, mayday," came the call over the radio, "This is Coast Guard patrol vessel Oscar-12, leading two civilian craft out from Caladria Harbor. They have refugees onboard from the city. Both craft are running low on fuel. We require rescue immediately. To any friendly naval vessels, mayday, mayday, mayday..."

The voice was difficult to make out against the roiling static of the short-range transmission, but it could be said the radio operator had a distinct accent.

City of Histria
02:20 A.M., 27 Fien 1582

With the civilian curfew in full effect and the penal brigadiers all but confirmed to be holed up in the city among civilians, the drone spotted very little on its way to the city. Farther north, the smoke plumes of the airport radar and civilian transmitters occluded small streaks of the starlit sky.

The drone could follow National Highway 7 as it hugged the coast on its northward journey to the city proper, but all it picked up was the solemn glow of the streetlights. Its prey was much farther north, and concentrated.

Polonda, Caladria
05:14 A.M., 27 Fien

MT5 Bogand listened to the sparse reports from Polonda trickle in. While there were no brigadiers there, he could not help but feel sorry for the poor bastards. Whatever local forces and Mir handlers were stationed there were being beat to hell with drones and naval support fire, but not so much as the civilians that got in their way. Bogand had not heard of so many urgent calls for civilian medevac and reports of hospitals overflowing even in the truly dark days of the Great Patriotic Resistance. He had hoped that the hesitance of the foreign powers to bomb civilians would buy his men a better chance at glorious close combat, but this Lanlania seemed to care so little for the lives that it 'liberated' that the tactic was quickly becoming moot.

Brigadier Dead, In Gloriam: 5
MT13 Anastasiy Andreev, 24, in death MT9
MT13 Savva Kedzierski, 35, in death MT9
MT13 Serafim Chayka, 19, in death MT9
MT13 Taras Krupin, 29, in death MT9
MT13 Yuri Romanov, 33, in death MT9

Civilian Dead, In Memoriam: 51
Agrita Sofronescu, 35
Alexandru Corman, 27
Ana Stoichici, 42
Augustin Stern, 32
Aurel Lipo, 17
Calin Donici, 19
Camelia Ceama, 23
Carmen Mutu, 33
Constantin Kovacs, 38
Corneliu Barb, 63
Costachi Crusitu, 58
Cristina Mindroiu, 54
Daniel Strugaru, 27
Ecaterina Sfetcu, 48
Emilia Szatmary, 28
Floarea Farima, 59
Florentina Dragaica, 16
Florian Cirneala, 17
Georgelia Hornoi, 50
Ghiorghe Stupar, 25
Ghita Acozmei, 45
Ilarie Crisan, 22
Ioan Melnic, 48
Ioan Scarlatescu, 61
Ioan Stolnicu, 54
Ion Calo, 32
Iordana Timar, 55
Lacramioara Gonciar, 64
Leman Totalca, 21
Magdalena Racheleanu, 55
Maria Nicodei, 45
Maria Zirbo, 37
Marin Crasovan, 18
Mihaica Andrasescu, 91
Mihaita Udriste, 81
Nelu Topa, 54
Nica Ibinceanu, 55
Nicusor Ciobanu, 64
Noruta Orasanu, 64
Ovidiu Badilas, 24
Rita Giuvelea, 53
Sabina Gorunescu, 51
Stana Ilcu, 57
Teodor Dragne, 45
Teodosia Frumos, 21
Valerica Irimies, 48
Vasile Gisca, 43
Vicentia Cojocar, 21
Vintila Bernard, 20
Viorica Andreica, 20
Zamfir Dragulin, 48