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War and Conflict / Re: Tamoran involvement in Merina
« on: February 14, 2021, 10:58:53 PM »
Marshal of Merina Alium Deumi; MNAF Southeast Command Headquarters, N'gal Tsata, Merina
"Then tea it shall be" Alium smiled, before raising his voice to address the hapless secretary "Two teas, if you could, Corporal Juma!"
"Sir!" The faint reply echoed from the far side of the door, followed by the distinct sound of combat boots coming to attention on the hard floor outside.
"And bring the sugar, there's a good man" The Marshal called, almost as an afterthought "And the milk, please, lad. The good milk!"
This vital business attended to, Alium shuffled a handful of wayward papers across the little desk to make some space, dropping his crimson beret on top of the small stack he'd formed to keep them in line. The tea would be with them shortly, served from the old college's finest and least battle-damaged cups. The 'good' milk - as opposed to the 'bad' milk which was, if not quite in the realm of cheese, at least some kind of yogurt - was goat's, and he found he suddenly couldn't recall weather his guest enjoyed this or not. Well, he thought to himself, one way to find out.
"Right ho" Alium smiled to his guest, settling down to business "Have the field reports been getting through to you? The Pindar Valley ones, at least? Apologies if not, I do despair at the quality of some of these staff officers out here! There's a few bits and pieces I'd like to pick your brain over, if you wouldn't mind? A couple of things about what we've got on now, and maybe have a little think going forwards? Qandaris will fall soon enough, of that I've every confidence, though keeping the sector quiet going forward will be more of an issue, I fear. While we can spare the men and munitions for the fight, the dushmen" - a colloquial term for the Pindari Fedayeen fighters, from the local word for 'enemy' - "Have been little able to resist. Where our advance has been stalled, they have paid dearly in blood for the privilege, though they seem to be wising up to this, in my opinion. But once the ceasefire lapses many of the units here now will need to be reassigned to other fronts, the regular troops especially, and the balance again will change..."
Brooding for a second, he changed tack "How are your men? I trust they are well accommodated? I would not presume what you've been instructed from" An eyebrow was raised, conspiratorially, for a heartbeat "Higher up, though your forces could be indispensable in winning some breathing room in Pindar. Tamoran air power, in particular, is light years ahead of our own. Don't fret, I have no intention of wasting you boys' lives chasing insurgents. Shock and awe, that is what we need now. A short, sharp blow to carve open their defenses and bring Ike Ezana to the negotiating table. Olumbe[1] is hopeful we can buy him, or at least keep the bastard quiet, with some political concessions - more autonomy for Pindar within the Commonwealth, that sort of thing - so we can neutralise the Pindaris as a threat for the time being. I am... more cautious in my optimism. Even if we did get the man onboard, there would be no guarantee the Fedayeen would follow him, as the little fiasco in Gaia unfortunately illustrated. Though, maybe I'm just a cynical old soldier. What're your thoughts on the proposition? Don't suppose you've any of that famous Tamoran wisdom on tap, eh?"
"Then tea it shall be" Alium smiled, before raising his voice to address the hapless secretary "Two teas, if you could, Corporal Juma!"
"Sir!" The faint reply echoed from the far side of the door, followed by the distinct sound of combat boots coming to attention on the hard floor outside.
"And bring the sugar, there's a good man" The Marshal called, almost as an afterthought "And the milk, please, lad. The good milk!"
This vital business attended to, Alium shuffled a handful of wayward papers across the little desk to make some space, dropping his crimson beret on top of the small stack he'd formed to keep them in line. The tea would be with them shortly, served from the old college's finest and least battle-damaged cups. The 'good' milk - as opposed to the 'bad' milk which was, if not quite in the realm of cheese, at least some kind of yogurt - was goat's, and he found he suddenly couldn't recall weather his guest enjoyed this or not. Well, he thought to himself, one way to find out.
"Right ho" Alium smiled to his guest, settling down to business "Have the field reports been getting through to you? The Pindar Valley ones, at least? Apologies if not, I do despair at the quality of some of these staff officers out here! There's a few bits and pieces I'd like to pick your brain over, if you wouldn't mind? A couple of things about what we've got on now, and maybe have a little think going forwards? Qandaris will fall soon enough, of that I've every confidence, though keeping the sector quiet going forward will be more of an issue, I fear. While we can spare the men and munitions for the fight, the dushmen" - a colloquial term for the Pindari Fedayeen fighters, from the local word for 'enemy' - "Have been little able to resist. Where our advance has been stalled, they have paid dearly in blood for the privilege, though they seem to be wising up to this, in my opinion. But once the ceasefire lapses many of the units here now will need to be reassigned to other fronts, the regular troops especially, and the balance again will change..."
Brooding for a second, he changed tack "How are your men? I trust they are well accommodated? I would not presume what you've been instructed from" An eyebrow was raised, conspiratorially, for a heartbeat "Higher up, though your forces could be indispensable in winning some breathing room in Pindar. Tamoran air power, in particular, is light years ahead of our own. Don't fret, I have no intention of wasting you boys' lives chasing insurgents. Shock and awe, that is what we need now. A short, sharp blow to carve open their defenses and bring Ike Ezana to the negotiating table. Olumbe[1] is hopeful we can buy him, or at least keep the bastard quiet, with some political concessions - more autonomy for Pindar within the Commonwealth, that sort of thing - so we can neutralise the Pindaris as a threat for the time being. I am... more cautious in my optimism. Even if we did get the man onboard, there would be no guarantee the Fedayeen would follow him, as the little fiasco in Gaia unfortunately illustrated. Though, maybe I'm just a cynical old soldier. What're your thoughts on the proposition? Don't suppose you've any of that famous Tamoran wisdom on tap, eh?"
1. | Merinan President Olumbe Nguessa |