[b]Northern Disputed Zone
Tarso-Canhadasti Border
City of Calgarius[/b]
The northern disputed zone was a stretch of coastal territory that had shaped the foreign policies of Tarsas and Canhadast for years. The zone was of mild climate with rainy warm summers and mild winters. The zone had two major cities and numerous smaller villages. The cities were firmly claimed, however, many of the villages remained outside of any one jurisdiction. Many were divided on loyalties with some communities going so far as to have small civil conflicts over the issue. Two major groups, the Tarsan Assimilation Front, and the Canhadasti Freedom Defense League, were the epicenter of conflicts. Each was a “terrorist group” in the country they were against. Both adhered to their own plan and neither really took orders from Civitas Tarsae or Quartcanhadast.
Initial negotiations between the TAF and Tarsas when they formed in 1965 had been fruitless. Both sides had different ways of doing things. Canhadasti law was more militia friendly and that meant that the FDL was more aligned with Canhadast. Both sides launched attacks on the other continuously. The only assured loyalties in the area were the two major cities, which contained massive garrisons sent by Canhadast and Tarsas. Two armies sat ready to move into the area on the Tarsan side, and it was assumed a larger force waited on the Canhadasti side. The Tarsan army had better training and equipment than the Canhadasti side due to the cultural recruitment differences, but the Canhadasti army was decidedly larger.
When one militia did a strike, the other side was quick to blame the mother country and police and military presence had slackened in rural areas as a result. This resulted in local law prevailing and separate police and smaller militia forces had sprung up in the interest of protecting communities. The CDL had been most active since 2006, participating in the bombings of several TAF operating locations. The TAF had struck back, but the blows by the FDL proved more devastating. Commander Alotan Zovar had succeeded in temporarily crippling the TAF, now he was prepared to strike the fortress city of Talmaeus, the major Tarsan holding. He would strike quickly, using his advantage of knowing the terrain well and kill as many enemy troops as possible.
In a quiet dusty strategic room in an abandoned bunker from a war long past, the heads of the FLD sat around a map table. Alotan Zovar was speaking, telling hem his audacious plan. He put his finger on the dot that marked the main garrison outpost and radar base outside the fortress city. “We cannot attack the city directly, as our resources are not anywhere near large enough to break its gates, but this garrison post is right outside and is highly strategic. A temporary gap in Tarsan radar coverage will be the result, and our brothers can sweep over them like a wave.” The men shouted “Long Live Canhadast” and the meeting was concluded.
[b]Two Days Later
Garrison Post Alpha[/b]
The sound of engines rumbling disturbed Corporal Quintus Aquilla as he stood on one of the guard towers looking through his night vision goggles. The bright forms of several trucks and running men illuminated in front of his face. He went to hit the alert button, but a rocket suddenly slammed into his tower, throwing him on the ground and damaging the electronics inside. The tower was armored enough to take a small RPG like that one, but he figured he had better get down before a far larger one came. He clamored down the later and punched a backup alert button at the base of the tower. The alarms blared, but the militia had blown the gate open even as the garrison was mobilizing. Technicals stormed in, rockets launched, the radar dish flared and went up in a cloud of fire and collapsed.
The militia men entered next, engaging in firefights with the garrison supported by the technicals. The garrison was yet to mobilize as men leaped from bunks and suited up. More explosions, a warehouse went up as the ammunition inside was hit. He called several confused troops leaving a nearby barracks over as they engaged viciously in a firefight with several militia. He and the men ducked cover behind a vehicle parked near his tower, raising their heads to shoot back at the militia who were shooting from behind a technical. A heavy machine gun began to tear the vehicle apart, the cover slowly disappearing, then, as quick as it began, it was over. A casualty stock revealed over thirty two men dead and countless supplies lost. The garrison had not managed to mobilize its armor in time to strike back, crews having to prepare parked tanks. There would be outrage in Civitas Tarsae for this, a war had possibly just started.