The Balochian Crisis

[Flo]

Ten kilometers south of Posio, Balochia
Near Arl Lappa
10 Dosa, 1583
Late Afternoon

Biede Brekke pulled the parka tighter over his face as the wind whistled above him. The wind was a constant this time of year. The ancient Saamojedi would blame Biegkegaellies, the diety of the winter winds. He was an angry god, and constantly punished the world for his frustration at his banishment to the skies. He was especially frustrated near the solstice, the anniversary of his banishment. Brekke knew better but cursed the diety nonetheless.

He had been hunting caribou for most of the day with a few of his comrades. They were several meters in either direction. They had followed the beasts to one of the few rivers deep enough to run in winter. The beasts sloshed greedily at the edge of the river, filling up for the rest of their journey. This was a particularly good place to hunt, as the river was deep enough to slow them down, making for easy killing. Furthermore, once dead, the beasts would be easy to catch with large nets further down the river. It was very narrow, but deep, and the dead beasts would have to be caught quickly before they sunk.

As they watched the caribou drink, he identified his target, a large female. He heard a small whistle, similar to a bird call. That was the signal that they would fire soon. He set his rifle, his hand gripping the cold weapon.

A second whistle, that was the signal that, in ten seconds exactly, they would all fire. He waited.

The shots rang out in deafening fashion. They were old rifles, and small clouds of smoke erupted from the barrels. The bellowing of the beasts was loud. Two out of the three had been hit, judging by the injured beasts. In the chaos, the hunters dove into action. They moved down the hill quickly, not wanting their targets to escape.

The two that had been hit were clearly struggling with the current, and were easy to point out. The hunters stood on the shore and threw ropes out to catch the beasts. It was difficult work, but the hunters were trained. Soon enough they had ropes around the necks of the two unlucky beasts. The others made it to the far shore, where they bolted.

The remaining two, exhausted from the struggle, were dismissively being dragged along the river. When they reached a narrow point, where nets had been set, the caribou could hardly struggle as the hunters aimed their rifles a second time, for the killing blow.

A second set of shots rang out. A good haul. The carcasses were pulled ashore and hoisted in the air. The hunters waited for several minutes before they could hear the sound of engines in the distance. A large snowmobile suddenly burst into the clearing where they had hung the animals. The men who brought the vehicle were pleased, the meat would feed the village for a few weeks at least, on top of the current rations from the south.

The beasts were slung over the back end of the vehicle and strapped on with cords. After they had been secured, the driver offered a congratulatory goodbye and drove off in the direction of the village. The hunters had already gathered the ropes and carried them on their backs and began their own trek back. Their snowmobiles were a bit closer, but still about an hours walk away.

---

They could see the smoke from a few kilometers away. Large black columns of smoke drifting lazily into the night. Above the sky, the northern lights could be seen, making for a macabre sight as the plumes appeared before them. It was not a good sign. When they saw it, they rode even faster. It could really only mean one thing. As they grew closer their hearts sank. Great fires in the village. Nearly every home was burning. Wood was the primary building material so there was plenty of fuel.

The caribou they had only so recently killed were among the blaze as well. The waste was monumental. Brekke was unsure if he was crying from the smoke or from the tragedy. The three hunters moved through the village, searching for anything resembling a living person. Oh, there were bodies, both burned and unburned. The snow was stained red. Women, children, and men lay prostrate and cold, their lifeblood spilled.

Brekke did not want to find his home but found himself unwillingly drawn to it. It must have been one of the early ones, as the flames were nearly finished. He peered inside to see two forms that were at one point his mother and sister. This time he knew why he felt tears.

---

The hunters camped outside the village, in the forest. They were unsure if the vagrants would return and didn't want to be in the village when they did. Brekke could not remember a colder night, even while the embers of the village warmed the entire area. They couldn't have been more than an hour late. If they had even been an hour sooner they too would be in the snow.

The next morning they awoke to see the last dying embers of their homes fizzling out. The day would be spent burying the dead. It was heavy work, in more ways than one.

When it was finished, they grouped together. They would leave for the city tomorrow. There was nothing left here for them. Someone had to be held responsible. Above them, Biegkegaellies continued to bellow.

OOC Thread: http://board.eternityrpc.com/showthread.php?tid=366

[Flo]

Rven, Balochia
13 Marth, 1583
Evening

President Anton Buraukin rubbed his temples as his ministers argued. The raids over the previous month had been successful. Countless Saamojedi settlements in the wilderness had been destroyed and for the first time, the forests to the north were quiet, or so they thought.

In the past week there were twenty-eight different acts of terrorism in what was called Balochia proper, or the south of the country. This part of the country was supposedly devoid of Saamojedics ~ they were officially banned from the provinces of Viladyya, Druedestok, and North and South Bolochyya.

In spite of that, Saamojedic terrorism was growing more rampant. It had always been a problem in the cities of the north, such as Grot Obvinsk, Arl Lappa, and Asa Mabov. This was partly the reason for the acts of extreme prejudice. There had never been any sort of activity "south of the border" as they called it, yet, just the day before, a car bomb exploded just a few miles away from the Balochian legislature. This was a problem.

The pogrom, as it was called in back rooms of the government, was intended to end the growing tension among the subjugated Saamojedic population. The government was aware that they were capable of causing extreme problems if they were properly motivated. By decisively demonstrating Balochian authority, they had hoped they would silence the opposition. Clearly, they had the opposite effect. The Saamojedi, rather than being beaten into submission, were mobilizing in even greater numbers. It was not at a critical level yet, but already protests were occurring in Arl Lappa, the largest major city with a significant Saamojedic population. Then, the terrorism. At the moment, the ministers were arguing about how they got into Balochia proper.

The Minister of State was presently shouting. "If your border agents were capable, they wouldn't be here anyway! They've clearly come through the forests and wilderness to the north."

The Minister of the Interior retorted angrily. "No, they've come from abroad. They're coming from the Harmajaan state. They've never liked us. We must summon the Harmajaan ambassador."

The Minister of Defense held up his hand. "Gentleman, our intelligence indicates many of them were already here. While the ban has been remarkably successful since we started it, nothing we do can be foolproof." The Minister was the second oldest man in the room, next to the President himself. They had both participated in the Winter Wars as teenagers and were highly esteemed for it. The President still wore his medals every day.

The President nodded. "We need to understand what is going on. I am going to invest further in our intelligence agencies to try to learn where these insurgents are. We need to know what they are going to do before they do it."

The Minister of Defense looked pleased. The other Ministers appeared satisfied.

"We all need to be focused on solving this problem. The Saamojedi are growing unbearable. I would also suggest that we introduce a military presence in the north. We need to lock down the northern provinces."

"This is wise as well. We need to show greater force. If they continue to rise we will continue to knock them down until they are unable to continue." He looked pleased with his conclusion until a fit of coughing came over him.

Just as his hacking subsided, there was a great shudder throughout the building. The floor shook and bits of plaster fell from the ceiling. The Ministers bellowed in fear. Just then, an aide burst through the door.

"My apologies President, there has been another attack! They've detonated a bomb just outside the entrance to the legislature!"

[Flo]

The Border of Balochia Proper, North of Rvon
10 Septum, 1584
Afternoon


The bombing in Rvon had spurred the Balochian government to act even harsher towards to Saamojedics. The summer had been brutal, as the border between Balochian Balochia and Saami Balochia was even more strictly enforced. Any Saamojedics found within the borders of Balochia proper were imprisoned and, depending on the nature of their activities, turned loose at the border, imprisoned indefinitely, or, for the very worst offenders, quietly taken care of.

Removing the Saamojedics was most difficult in Asa Mabov, where there were a large minority presence. It happened in a single day. The houses of Saamojedics were ransacked, the people living inside dragged through the streets to the city center, where they were put on trucks or trains headed north. Any who resisted were beaten, and some killings took place. The act was unprecedented. There were nearly 80,000 Saamojedics living south of the border before the round-up, according to reports. some 47,000 were moved in the first few days, with another twenty-five thousand moved in the following weeks after they were found.

The result of the round-up was a much quieter Balochia. The terrorist activities south of the fence dwindled to nearly none. The streets were safe again, and people went about their daily lives. Homes and businesses that were owned by Saamojedics were auctioned off by the state, with the proceeds funding a border wall that was to be constructed immediately.

North of the border, things went from bad to worse. Already destitute, the increased population of refugees brought the region to its knees. The increased Balochian military presence didn't improve things. The Saami "cities" were effectively state mandated ghetto's, and martial law was in effect.

By Autumn, winter's approach made the situation all the more dire. Faced with starvation and disease, which were already rampant, the Saami rose up in armed resistance. It was a trickle at first, but in time it grew to a fever pitch and the Balochian military was forced to retreat to the hastily erected wall. Within a few short months, the Saamojedic resistance had grown strong enough to all but push them out of the north. The Balochians were shocked at the tenacity of the Saami and fortified the wall, rather than move back into hostile space. The Balochian government was at a loss as to what they should do. Days turned to weeks turned to months.

Now, nearly a year and a half after the Rvon bombings, there was a tentative and uneasy peace between the two groups. The Balochians did not move north, and the Saami did not move south. The crossings were especially tense, as both sides eyed each other suspiciously. While the Balochians had been brutal in their treatment of the Saamojedic people, the retaliation had been vicious and many a Balochian had died a terrible death in the north during the early days of the resistance.

The peace was almost painful, and as the time dragged on the air became all the more charged. Neither side knew when the other would make the first move, and spent their efforts preparing themselves for the conflict they both knew was coming.

In the north, the resistance, which called itself the Free Saamojedic State of Lappa. It's headquarters was in Arl Lappa, where the leadership resided. From the resistance rose a leader, Biede Brekke. Brekke had been involved in the early resistance efforts, including the Rvon bombing, which he called his greatest achievement. Brekke was an ambitious but cunning man, with a ruthless ferociousness for the enemy. He was an inspired leader, and was a key leader in the early conflicts. Lappa had no official government at the time, and was more anarchy than anything, but the Saami looked to Brekke to lead them in their efforts.

While Brekke hated the Balochians, he was not interested in eradicating them. He aimed his focus on independence for his peoples, with the ultimate goal of uniting all Sammojedics under one banner. Others wanted to storm Balochia proper, to murder, rape, and pillage those who had oppressed them for so long, but Brekke managed to maintain patience among the leadership. It was not easy, and there were those who disagreed, but for the time being, he was respected enough to maintain control. In Autumn, Brekke was planning to send a delegation to the border, to request a meeting with the Balochian government. The Saami outnumbered the Balochians, and while the southerners had technological advantages, the Saami had captured plenty of Balochian equipment during the early conflicts and victory was not assured for the Balochian government. He intended to demand independence and fight should they refuse.

History, however, had other plans.

[Flo]

14 Triezen, 1584
Near the Harmajaan Border

The truck rumbled to a stop, sliding a foot or two further in the snow. It was a large truck, made for the cold, snowy environment. The driver checked his locator. This was indeed the location.

He turned the heater up and waited. It wasn't long before he saw four snowmobiles arrive. Their riders clad in thick coats. Their faces were covered with large goggles and more protection from the cold, hiding their identity. That being said, he knew who they were. There was no way random strangers arrived where they were meeting.

He stepped outside and greeted them with a wave. No one spoke, as per protocol. He stepped to the back of the truck and opened the hatch. Inside was a large stock of guns, ammunition, and other weaponry. The men from the snowmobiles took it in for a moment, taking a quick inventory. The leader gestured the others to start hauling the equipment to their snowmobiles before briefly shaking the truck drivers hand, through their gloves. The truck was emptied and they were gone, as per the usual.

The truck driver got back into his vehicle and drove back over the border into Harmajaa, his job finished.

[Flo]

14 Septum, 1585

In Marth, they came without warning, as the trees lit up with fire, certainly more firepower than was expected from what the Balochian media had described as "a population on the brinks of starvation."

Starve them to death is what the Balochians decided to do. They blockaded the seas and patrolled the borders with helicopters and military patrols. At some point, Lappa would either fight, or negotiate. Little did they know there were several secret trails through the wilderness. Supplies did get into Lappa, however, from the west. Weapons were brought in as well, to supplement what had been captured in the Balochian retreat. The result was as such: when the Saamis did cross the border, they did so not as starved and barely armed savages, but as fairly well equipped and tenacious invaders.

The ignorance of the Balochian government was revealed in a day. The DMZ, the wall, the guards, all overrun by the Saami invaders. It was known that the Saami outnumbered the Balochians by a significant margin, but it was not truly understood until the waves of men and women (all were welcome in the Lappish military) began pouring into Balochia proper.

By late Quartyr the fires could be seen from Rvon. Indeed, there were fires. These Saami were not liberators, but invaders. They murdered and destroyed at will, burning homes and slaughtering without mercy. "ei armoa sortajan" was the phrase, meaning "no mercy for the oppressor" as Balochian men, women, and children were cut down where they stood. Decades of Balochian oppression was being reversed, and the result was violent and cold-blooded revenge for many of the Saami.

The Balochians would not simply lay down however. Contingencies had been planned and the military, who had not been totally asleep at the wheel, met the invaders. In Fein, it was believed a new DMZ could be established, before the Balochians were again routed on the outskirts of Rvon. By Septum, the capital had fallen and the Balochian government was in retreat. The capital building was razed as the government fled the oncoming mob.

Across Balochia, the population was in retreat. When reports from the north were released of the Saami brutality entire towns emptied as families fled south, to Severyane, or west, to Karjelinn. The borders were clogged with those seeking asylum.

The cause of the invasion? The alleged assassination of Biede Brekke, the beloved freedom-fighter and leader of the young Lappish government by Balochian government agents. Brekke was killed by a car-bomb supposedly planted by Balochian agents, and the tragedy whipped a frenzy into the Saami. Ambitious and aggressive Saami military officials led the way and in time, they believed, would erase Balochia from the map for their transgressions.

The government of Balochia, in transit, made a plea to the international community to end the hostilities, by force if necessary.

[Soyabarian Empire]

Show ContentRemoved as per talks (see OOC in next post):

15 Septum, 1585

To the goverment in transit of Balochia,

we have recieved your cry for help and soyabar will answer! The soyabarian empire will be sending humanitarian aid. In a day, a soyabarian warship will arrive at your coast and it will deliver any supplies that are already on board, with your permission soyabarian soldiers will deboard and protect the local citizens and maintain order. We also could take in refugees into soyabar and transport them ourself

With permissionwe also could open an airbridge with supplies and more soldiers and perhaps with the help of the rest of the international community would or could open a dmz

[Soyabarian Empire]

Show ContentRemoved as per talks:

16 Septum, 1585

As promised, the soyabarian warship that was 24 hours away arrived with exellent precision. It wasn't the most powerfull ship in the fleet but could deal a great deal of damage if needed. they docked in Arl lapp'a not know if they caused a war or not as they haven't yet recieve their official permission as of yet.
That was the reason why they had a huge white flag shown next to the national soyabarian flag. Quickly they sent a messenger to the mayor of the town.

Dear mayor

As you're reading this, I hope my officer has not been aprehended or killed. I am Luitenant ter zee Jergens and I've been instructed by my admiral to sail to this city to provide material help, troops and take in refugees and then sail back to the soyabarian homeland because of your troubles inside of the country

I am currently docked and I am awaiting orders from my admiral and instructions from your goverment, could you please get your goverment on the line?

Sincerely yours,
Luitenant ter zee Jergens

ps: when people talk to me, its captain

OOC: I have to pause the development until senor hahklallah returns, since Severyane is expected to be heavily involved. In the meantime I will update what is going on in Harmajaa.

[Flo]

16 Septum, 1585
Tyko, Harmajaa

With the situation in Balochia reaching a fever pitch, the President of Harmajaa convened his senior council to discuss further action. Yes, the Harmajaans had been arming the Lappish. Yes, they had been training them in secret and providing other support. Yes, they had hoped doing so would ensure Saami independence in the region. No, they had not anticipated the bloodbath that ensued. The conflict was bloody and brutal and, if left unchecked, could ruin the entire region.

Rumors had been swirling that Severyane was preparing a response, and the Saamojedic State of Harmajaa was in a precarious situation. The Harmajaan government had ambitions of a united Saami republic, casting aside the oppressors of the Saami people and forming a new state that would represent the Saami properly. Ensuring the Lappish achieved their independence was a key part of this goal. Another part was finally conquering the rogue state of Sappa to the north, where clans roamed essentially unperturbed and poverty reigned. Furthermore there was still the issue of ethnic Saami in Karjelinn, the nation just to Harmajaa's south.

If Severyane got involved in Balochia, and used its superior military to completely route the Lappish, surely that would be the end of their independence hopes. Harmajaa could not allow this. Harmajaan efforts to still the Lappish blades were refused at best, ignored at worst. The truth was that after decades upon decades of abuse and oppression, the Saami in Balochia simply placed no value on the lives of ethnic Balochians, and the Harmajaan government was unsure if that could ever be reconciled.

A few avenues were available to the Harmajaans. The first was simply allowing the war to run its course. If Severyane joined, surely the Balochians would succeed, or at the very least secure an armistice. If the Severyanes did not get involved, the Balochians would become nothing more than refugees, assuming they got out of Balochia at all. The second avenue involved Harmajaan military involvement. By assuming military control, they could mandate an armistice by force, ensuring that the bloodshed stopped while the Saami received their independence and eventual union with Harmajaa. This could be accomplished with or without the assistance of Severyane, although it would surely gain legitimacy if Severyane were participating.

For the time being, the Harmajaan military was partially mobilized, citing serious concerns with the unrest in Balochia. Time would tell which solution the Harmajaans chose.

[Severyane]

Severograd, Republic of Severyane
17 Septum, 1585

---

"Madam Konsul, members of the cabinet, thank you for joining us today."

Konsul Yuryeva fidgeted in her chair. "What do you have for us today Secretary Rezhev?"

Aleksander Rezhev, Secretary of Foreign Affairs motioned for his assistant to begin his slideshow, and the young man at the helm clicked the slide over. A large map filled the previously white wall, it was of Balochia. The Konsul hadn't expected that, she had heard of the unrest surely, but had already been briefed on the situation. What had changed, she wondered.

"On the 14th of this month a Lappish "freedom-fighter" was killed by a car bomb, our AGB agents in the country can't pinpoint exactly who did it, but there are signs that point to it being an assassination carried out by Balochian agents."

Yuryeva frowned noticeably. "This is all old information Secretary Rezhev."

"Well, yes, but it's relevant. Things have, well, deteriorated. The Lappish are slaughtering the Balochians. It's a bloodbath Madam Konsul, the Lappish rebels have routed the under trained Balochian military and are steadily pushing them back."

"Bandits... terrorists." Yuryeva said with disgust.

The Secretary of Defense, General Josef Pyushkin, cleared his throat and leaned forward on the table. "Madam Konsul if I may, the Balochians are ethnically Vostic. We cannot abide this sort of ethnic cleansing to take place, right on our border no less! I suggest that we mobilize ground and air forces. The Third Air Force can be ready for operations within twelve hours, and we can have ground troops from the 322nd Guards Airborne Division across the border in less than a day. We must strike, and strike now with a heavy hand."

Secretary Reznev shook his head. "The situation isn't that simple General Pyushkin. You know as well as I that our SatFeed has confirmed that the Harmajaans have been mobilizing to some degree. On top of that, we need to speak with the Balochians. I'm sure whatever assistance we can offer they would take, but we cannot make a decision until we speak with them... in my opinion, of course. We also need to think of how the Karjelinnians would react to a full scale military engagement."

Konsul Yuryeva stood, and held a hand up. "General, prepare your troops, partial mobilization. Secretary Reznev, set up a meeting with the Balochian ambassador, and give instructions to our ambassadors in Karjelinn and Harmajaa to test the waters. We'll hold off on any official support other than humanitarian for now, but we will not allow a genocide to happen on our watch. Thank you all for your time."

"Thank you Madam Konsul."

[Soyabarian Empire]

Ooc: I pm'd you guys but neither of yous are responding so I'm just gonna go ahead and post what I said
17 Septum, 1585

Unbeknowst to the soyabarians this telegram was send to the Severyane embassy in the soyabarian capital an hour after the meeting of their goverment happened.

Dear most esteemed ambassador

By this telegram, we the emperor of Soyabar, New zealmark, the Soyabarian commonwealth and all the soyabars summon you the the soyabarian imperial court.
The matter at hand is the Balochian crisis as we think it is of the greatest value of our continent that this grave situation comes to an end.
As of your summoning, this is at least a dimplomatic formality for Soy-Sev or Sev-Soy cooperation in solving this matter.
We hope you understand the importance of your speedy arrival.

Sincerely yours,
Jules II, emperor of Soyabar, New zealmark, the soyabarian commonwealth and all the soyabars