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Post by Ciata on Jun 27, 2005 14:38:41 GMT -5
The Shuey Baw Monastery is located in north-central Ciata in the valley of the twilight. It was founded more than 1,500 years ago and predates not only Ciata, but the ancient clans that make it up. The great monastery has long been the home of not only spiritual enlightenment, but also of seeking furhter knowledge and is the pinacle of the nation's martial arts training. Many new ideas are formed and gathered in this place, collecting into massive libraries of knowledge, philosophy, theology, prayer, and martial art techniques and forms. The monastery has grown not only in size and depth over the centuries, but also in technological advancement, giving boast to areas such as the magnetic gravity chamber, or G-room, which can increase gravity for the purpose of training, and yet it also holds many works of art and natural wonders including the Founder's tree, which is the largest and oldest in all of Ciata. The requirments for entrance have always been such, leaving all you are behind, devotion to learning, and humility to be taught. Long have anyone from peasents to princes gone here to train side by side. The simple ranking of status is shown by the type of robe and tail ring each person wears, and even after a person leaves the monastary, they continue to wear the tail ring as long as they live. Learners wear a white tail ring and robe, Students wear black ones, Teachers wear silver ones, Masters wear gold ones, and the Head Master wears a white road embrodried with gold, silver, and black and wears an opal tail ring. Also on the back of their robes they wear a circular group of symbols with the markings of the Students, Teachers, Masters, and the Grandmasters they learned under, as well as the mark of the Monastery itself.
Though this place has long been held sacred through many wars, it is now threatened by the new powers that fight to control the nation as they all attempt to gain control over it since it is the center of the learning and influentual figures there.
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Post by Ciata on Jun 29, 2005 19:48:25 GMT -5
The structures of the monastery are all white marble, taken from some ancient unknown quary and all built in dome shapes, each slightly different from each other, artistic differences hinting at the type of matters that go in withing. In the center, the Great Meeting Hall, which has the capacity of over 2,500 people and to the north of it, through the hall of strength, is the central training grounds with the Iron Paw training center to the NW, the Iron Coat training center to the NE, the Speed training Center to the SE, and the Strength training center to the SW. Through those are the famed Element training room to the east and the Magnetic Gravity Room the the west. Between all the rooms, outside, are the training grounds. To the south of the Great Meeting Hall is the hall of inlightenment to the SE, leading to the Room of Prayers and Theology, and the Hall of Knowledge to the SW, which leads to the Great Study Room. Between these two is the ancient garden of meditation with the River Peace going through the center of it with the Founder's Tree in the center on a small island. To the East and West of the Great Meeting Hall there are the living quarters of the Uncia there, three in a triangle shape on each side, each able to house about a hundred. Surrounding all this is a large, circular wall made of the same type of grey rock found in the area, only smoothed and polished, standing about 35 feet tall and made 7 feet thick. There is only one door which is also made out of rock, though it is engraved with many anicent, ornamental patterns and has no handle or latch on the outside and closes almost seemlessly.
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gbwt
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Post by gbwt on Jun 29, 2005 22:40:08 GMT -5
Several thousand miles above the surface of the planet... "OK furs, lets move it out! We drop in T minus 5!", a large Grey wolf shouts in the disembarkation bay of the starship Rebeca. All kinds of furs hustle into drop ships, each ship receiving 30 standard soilders, armed with automatic rifles, basic body armor, and a small, simple HUD that attaches to their helmets, along with 15 soilders suited in powered combat suits. A short explanation of the combat suits. Space-Boy armor, as it is called by the troops, is special issue combat gear. It is basically an exoskeleton made of super hard, and extremely light weight metals and ceramics. The suit is packed full of servos, motors, and artificial ligaments to aid and increase the wearers strength, speed, agility, and reaction time. The helmets are crammed with a miny super computer housing weapons systems readouts, communications, and a low tech AI. The AI has no actual intelligence past aiding in suit functions and decreasing reaction time. The suits can be equipped with a variety of weapons, that can be individualized for specific targets. They can be armed with any conventional weapon if the suit does not have one of the specialized weapons in place of an arm. weapons are include but are not limited to, Gatling guns, rocket launchers, flamethrowers, etc. The suits increase the wears hight by 1 foot. They are powered by a classified source, and contain a self-destruct protocol in the event that a suit should be captured in combat.. Shielded against EMP. That should be enough for now. 15 drop ships, actually looking similar to this, called 'Rapid Aerial Combat Entry Vehicles', or RACEV's for short. www.dropship.org.uk/epic/eat001.aspyes, it's from the Tau of Warhammer 40k. But it's so close to what i have, i didnt think i'd bother with a long explanation or drawing my own. It has 2 Vulcan cannons on the underbelly, that drop down after reentry to clear a landing zone. Also armed with a variety of countermeasures. Most details are as yet still classified. It has a crew of 4, and possesses its own AI that assists in automated functions, armaments, and life support. Shielded against EMP. As troops and suits load in to the drop ships, Commanders shout orders and make final checks. Hatches start to close as the drop ships are prepped to drop. The loading bay is silent and empty, apart from a few technicians. Then, buzzer after buzzer sounds as the drop ships are shot out of the battlecruiser. The drop ships drift silently twords the atmosphere, making minor course corrections. suddenly, one after another, their hauls start to glow red and their velocity increases as they are taken by gravity and enter the atmosphere. The ships are shaken and buffeted by the extreme velocity and angle of approach as they punch through the sky. As the buffeting stops and the bottoms of the ships cool, the pilots are already brining the ships to bear on their destination. The RACEV's scream through the clouds as their super heated hauls cool. now flying over the moutians of Ciata, the pilots reverse the thrusters, slowing the craft down. Gun fire can be seen below in the city that sournds the Monastery, and as the landing gear drop, so do the twin Vulcan canons from the belly of the RACEV's. "This is Dropship Alpha One, landing zone is clear of hostiles, repeat, landing zone is clear of hostiles," says the pilot of one of the RACEV's. 5 of the ships land just inside of the door in the main wall that surrounds the Monastery, while the other 10 land around the perimeter, also inside the wall. The ships touch down, and the rear landing hatch drops down. Troops stream out as the Space-Boys exit and take up positions behind the door. One of the commanders, a border Collie, starts barking orders. "Ok you sacks of fur, i want a solid defense wall outside this door 5 minuits ago! I want minimal damage to this structure. We are here to do a job and we better do a damn good one! Now MOVE!"
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Post by Baradun on Jun 30, 2005 0:20:12 GMT -5
At the same time two dropships of the Baradun Defense Force thrum nearly silently through the pre-dawn skies, making the journey bettween Baradun and the monestary site in slightly less than their allotted time.
The dropships themselves, Ghostwolf and Blackhammer, resemble flying bricks with sloped noses and stubby wings to either side, much like their inspiration, a series of games created in the mid 60's by a few bored humans and foxes in the engineering department of one of the universities. Massive bay doors on either side make it obvious that these are cargo-craft first but recessed weapons-ports also make it apparent that these ships can dole out massive damage to anything that is foolish enough to get in their way.
The dropships are both mottled grey with Baradun's insignia as well as a grey wolf on the nose of one and a black warhammer on the other.
One hundred kilometers out:
Lead warrior of the Blackhammer, a young panther, over general comms to both dropships. "Allright, we have been tasked with our nation's first military excercise, and in support of allies around a sensitive installation. This means we're on our best behaviour and you're all to be at your most vidgilant. You've all read the briefing; our job is to set down outside the complex, unload our heavily armoured tails and let the dropships get into the courtyard with as little fuss as possible. We're expecting a rather large number of allied troops so keep the triggers coverred until we know where everyone is; I don't want a friendly-fire incident in the first hour.
"Aside from that, are there any questions before we hit the dirt?"
A corus of "No's" greets the question and the panther grins to himself and starts cycling the fusion powerplant on his mech.
"Alright then, get systems online and your weapons charged. Sensors are showing friendlies on the ground but just in case..."
Less than fifteen minutes later, as the sun rises over the valley spilling daylight into the bowl of what is liable to become a graveyard, the Blackhammer and Ghostwolf touch down with a quiet thud less then a hundred meters outside the gates of the city and begin to disgorge their cargo.
Ten Assault mechs, weighing a hundred tonnes each, lumber slowly out into the dawn sun, the rays glistening off the plasteel cannopies and dense fibrous metal and ceramic armour of the giant war machines as they march out and assemble in a two wedges as the dropships pick up and move into an unobtrusive location within the courtyard, something rather difficult for two-hundred meter-long ships to accomplish.
The mechs are all bipedal designes, twenty meters tall and sporting collections of different weapons that serve as pretty good indicators of their intended function in battle.
Each star has two fire-support mechs, loaded down with long-range laser-assemblies and missile racks. These are piloted, in all but one case, by vulpines, except for the one piloted by the unit commander, the panther.
Two heavy laser-mechs are also present per-star; carrying particle projection-cannons and large bundles of medium-range laser assemblies. These are commanded by three wolves and a hare, all expert marks-furs.
The stars are rounded out by close-range brawlers. These have had their speed and armour upgraded at the expense of firepower with a smaller profile. They do, however, pack autocannons capable of shredding armoured units in seconds as well as machine-gun arrays located in the forearms. These are used sparingly, however, since load time are long and they are very ammunition intensive, with limited onboard ammunition capacity. They're crewed by two grizzlies, both in their mid-30's.
The stars begin to split up and move towards key defensive positions that were scouted from the air; fire-support taking up the ridge-lines along with the laser-mechs which take up a position on a level lower, the brawlers moving into the shadow of several rock outcroppings in the hopes of being able to take any ennemies by surprise in a murderous crossfire.
A message is sent over open coms with the common encryption key used by the allied forces.
"Baradun Grey and Black reporting as ready and in position to have the city sealed on ground approaches. We noticed some weaponsfire on the way in, would you like some assistance Alpha One?"
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Post by The Union of Tinis on Jun 30, 2005 1:13:12 GMT -5
"We are nearing final approach captain," says the navigation officer, a rare Tinisian human named Richi.
"Analyst, have you identified those drop ships yet?" asks Captain Vox of the airship Toson II.
"Just got them. They appear to be drop ships from GBWT and Baradun. They have not attempted to contact us," says Analyst Wa.
The captain, an unusually thin ursine, nods and responds with a chuckle, "Make sure to contact them before we drop landing gear. They're already pretty jumpy. Don't want them firing on us just because we popped out of no where. Speaking of landing, nav? How we doing on that?"
Richi responds, "We are about a minute away from entering heli-mode."
"Very good, Dawn, send our drop ship friends our indent code and message."
"Ay sir," says Lt. Dawn. "Code and message sent."
"Very good, Richi, exit stealth mode and begin landing procedure. Set us down at grid location five by eighteen. Give those big boys some room to land. And Dawn, inform the troops in back that we're almost there."
With that Captain Vox sits back and watches his crew get to work. It isn't long before the mountainous terrain outside the main window slows and stops. Mechanical noises are heard all about and slowly the air ship begins to descend. As the drop ships begin their unloading process, the Toson II lands a little ways away from he monastery on a ridge.
The black and gray air vessel seems almost unassuming in the morning light. Its rear and side cargo bays open up and hundreds of Tinis' finest begin to pour out into the cool air. It is less than ten minutes before the troops are unloaded, along with five medium sized tanks.
While the cargo bays close up, Captain Vox hears the voice of the ground commander over the bridge's speakers.
"We'll be taking up positions in a close perimeter around the monastery. We suspect the big boys will want their own perimeter. We'll find out shortly how much the natives know about our operation here, but if we have hostiles in the area, we'll known soon."
"Very good major," replies Vox. "We'll go back up and take up position above the monastery. And as directed, we'll provide you and the others support as needed. Make sure to keep your radios rotating." Vox grins at the last comment.
With a laugh, major Illias replies, "And you don't fly that new bird of yours into those mountains."
"Good luck."
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Post by Ciata on Jun 30, 2005 10:50:39 GMT -5
The Ciatan on the ground are a stark contrast to the mechanized infantry that just landed. Simple, seemingly unarmed, and dressed in simple robes, they at least look the part of someone who needs to be protected. Many get up from their meditation or stop their studies or training to see the new arrivals, some with apprehensive eyes, one teacher in particular,
"Invaders! Aaaahhhh.....kasin!"
He leaps up and begins running towards the infantry from gbwt at what would easily be called above-normal speed, closing the distance a mere second. Once within 50 feet he lunges, cutting through the air, arm bent, ready to deal a blow when a voice rings out,
"Stop Raishin!"
He stops his attack almost in mid air and instead flips over the fur still trying to react.
"Teacher Raishin, attacking without reason or knowledge something that we merely do not understand is always dangerous and leads to more bludshed than is needed. Please forgive him, he is very apprehensive about any foreigners at the moment and still lacks some control."
"Forgive me Great Master."
"Do not ask my forgiveness only, but also of those you attacked and possibly offended."
with a sigh, "Forgive me outsiders."
"These "outsiders" are here to help us, can you not sense their intent? No matter, we are glad to have you here, at least those of us not too wary of our threats. I am Head Master Aristo Shaka, and welcome to our Monastery."
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Post by Baradun on Jun 30, 2005 11:04:28 GMT -5
The co-pilot on the Blackhammer recieves the coded message from the Tinis dropship and silently forwards it to the star commander.
The following reply is returned over the same encrypted frequency.
"Good morning! Welcome to the Valley of the Twillight. Current ambient temperature is a cool 24 degrees with a high today of 29. Relative humidity is at 33%, dewpoint is 15 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 10%, chance of artillery barrage is about 20% with a slightly larger chance of MLRS attack.
"Current scans show no ennemy activity though we did see some weaponsfire on the way in. GBWT forces are already in the area. Please note that if you have any weaponry that will hit over ten kilometers we would appreciate assistance with our artillery preparations, you'll find our forces encamped either in an out-of-the way portion of the monestary grounds or in defensive positions less than five hundred meters from the gates.
"Hope this stays quiet but have a safe and destructive day regardless; Star Captain Gracon Blackclaw out."
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gbwt
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Posts: 239
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Post by gbwt on Jun 30, 2005 11:26:49 GMT -5
GBWT comunications make contact with both Baradun and Tinis shortly after land fall. "This is Great Big Wet Thing comunications station Zear. We see you inbound and landing Baradun drop ships Greywolf and Blackhammer. You have a clear landing zone and our troops ahve been notified of your posistion. Cleard for landing." "This isGBWT comunications station Zear. We see you in bound and landing Tinis Dropship... ...Cleared for landing."
The GBWT fur just see's the atacker out of the corner of his eye, and begins to reaise his wepon but falls back as the Ciatian leaps over him. He rolls but a good ear and training stays his wepon. One of the Dropship comnadrs rushes over. "Get up soilder and hold your post. These are the furs we are protecting." He turns to the two cats. "Greetings from our leader, President Rutherford Jacklin. We are indeed here to assist in the defense of this Monastary. We ask your cooperation in this operation. We are aware that we are not permited to certian parts of the Monastary, and indeed, we intend to only hold the perimiter. I am lieutenant colonel William. I am in charge of this Batalian. If you have an questions, please find one of my other officers and they will assist you with what they can. I must now get back to my troops." He turns to leave. "It would be best if your people stay within the monastary where it is safest." With that, he moves back to one of the dropships to supervise operations.
Meenwhile, the huge doors has been opend, and trops are hastily constructing earth works and set up defensive positions. The Space-Boys are taking the front of the line, stagered inbetween other troops.
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Post by Ciata on Jun 30, 2005 17:47:19 GMT -5
A student comes up to the head master,
"Sir, there are some former brothers here, they have come from the northern villages and towns they say to help defend the Monastery....a few have heaven stones."
"Indeed? Well, we shall go greet of departed brothers, and ready some beds for them to sleep in and robes if they want them."
"Yes head master."
A handfull of Ciatan from the northern most villages stands near the gates, only about 15 in number, but 3 have heaven stones and about half wear their old robes.
"Hello brothers, it is good to see you again in these troubles times. We always welcome our departe...........Opalance.....it is you, we heard you were dead, and you've changed, but I would never forget you my old student. I can't believe your alive."
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gbwt
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Posts: 239
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Post by gbwt on Jun 30, 2005 20:52:51 GMT -5
Several GBWT troops are quickly pulled out of the line buildign the earthworks, along with one Space-Boy, and sent over to detain the arivals. An Iguana speeks, "Ok hands up! No suden movments!" The small group puts themselves between between the headmaster and the 15 new arivals. A tiger morph comes up. "Sir, we have orders to detain anyone that tries to enter the city and place them in a temprary holding area untill we can assertain that they are not a threat to our security. I'm sure you understand."
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Post by The Union of Tinis on Jun 30, 2005 21:10:32 GMT -5
"Damn," mutters major Illias, the panther who heads the residing Tinisan troops. "I didn't think we'd get the notices up soon enough, and here we are already with some new arrivals. Lietuenant August, get down there and make sure nothing funny is going on, understand?"
With a salute Lt. August nods, turns and starts leading her ten troops down off the rise towards the monastery.
"Sir!" yells another officer. "Report from HQ. Urgent!"
Illias moves quickly from the small make shift observation post towards the main Tinisian command tent. Inside, he is handed a single sheet of paper. Silence fills the tent as he reads it.
Finally, over a minute after he finished reading the message, Major Illias tells those present. "The situation has changed. The Ciatan capital has been destroyed. We'll be receiveing some reinforcements from back home. That is all." Illias crumples up the sheet, takes it out side, and promptly burns it. To another officer he orders, "Send someone down to the monastery to let the headmaster know about the citadel."
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Post by Baradun on Jun 30, 2005 21:16:02 GMT -5
The dropships Blackhammer and Ghostwolf float quietly over the Monestary, Ghostwolf moving towards the rear keeping both bay doors open as Blackhammer settles just behind the gate, closing the bay door facing the gate but leaving the far one open, a gauntleted paw hanging out a sign with a small red cross on a white field and quickly retreating back in.
The recessed weapons-turrets come to life and swivvel outwards, aligning themselves and the stopping once they've centered and gently sweep back and forth, get bored after a few minutes and do some entertaining swivelles and a little synchronized dance before getting serious again and returning to their methodical sweep.
Back at the Ghostwolf the medical personnel begin setting up a *M*A*S*H* on the hangar deck and the technicians get their armour repair kits out and set up before sitting down and opening up a few caffeine drinks and settling down to an almost picnic atmosphere which will likely be shattered by incomming casualties at any minute.
On the flight deck the co-pilot, a brown rabbit with the voice of an airline stewardess, opens a channel to the GBWT coms officer: "Alpha One this is Ghostwolf, hope you're doing well, we are too.
"In more serious news we'd like to report that Blackhammer is currently in position to provide fire-support at the gate as well as any emergency triage that needs to be done and minor armour repairs; don't worry about incompatible tech, we've got nanites that'll do the most of the small work and our techs are good with fabricating composites.
"Ghostwolf is currently at the rear of the facility and set up for more permenant stabilization of injuries, MASH quality work but still enough to keep your kits and pups in one piece until they can be evaced. Please send any injured civillians back this way as well, they shouldn't be left at the triage point."
The rabbit cranes her neck to take a second to view a report from the Blackhammer and goes back to the com. "By the way, sorry for the out of place placement but the Blackhammer's pilot got a bright idea and she's a little trigger-happy today; picked off three rebel fighters on the way in and did a quick straffing run on a camp a couple of valleys over. Still, should serve well for defensive fire; those guns will punch a hole through a solid foot of stone; and yes, we've tried it."
She closes the channel and then reopens it.
"By the way, I'd suggest letting that group through, seems the leader is either a ghost or a good friend of one of the monks...or both, but that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
A sudden glow on the horizon from the Ciatan High Citadel makes her blink and she goes back to the com a little hesitantly.
"Alpha One, was that false dawn what I think it was?"
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gbwt
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Post by gbwt on Jun 30, 2005 22:17:42 GMT -5
"GBWT Com station Zear. Please hold while we confirm. Yes, The Ciata capital has been destroyed. Repeat, the Ciata capital has been destroyed. Sending mesage on open frequency to all military comanders. Be warned, the resistance posseses atomic wepons and are capable of detonating them."
A transmition is beamed to GBWT forces. Back in one of the dropships, the Lit. Col. recives an encoded mesage. He orders the comunications relay to begin sending orders to move the perimiter to the outside of the city and for all dropships to remain with their platoons. The earthworks are abandond by all but 2 platoons, and the rest hustle back into the dropships that shuttle them to the outer edges of the city. Solomly, Lt. Col. Willams aproaches the headmaster. "Sir, may i ask you to take a walk with me? This is important."
Meenwhile, high above he atmospher, a second drop wave is preping for launch. No doubt bringing in more specilized equptment, like Medical facilites, earth moveing equpitment, and more troops. A second and third battlecriser have moved into place near the first, in order to release their dropships. And interestingly, a single satilite/station has also changed it's orbit and remains stationary above Ciata.
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Post by Ciata on Jul 1, 2005 0:50:09 GMT -5
The Head Master turns to the Iguana from GBWT,
"Sir, you are on our land, and he, though he may not know it at the moment, is our leader, Opalance Calaminion. Though he has been changed, disguised, and does not seem to remember much of anything, I expect it was done to protect him, and it seems to have worked. I must take him to my inner chambers, to see what I can do with him to restore him."
Just then the messanger from Tinis arrives and gives the news of the capital being destroyed.
"The Citadel.....destroyed by a nuclear blast. Is it any wonder why we try to hold such things back untill they are ready?"
He looks off in the direction of the ruined capital and shakes his head.
"Will they ever be ready? But untill they are, we must guard these secrets, lest ever worse plagues be released upon us all. Master Brin."
"An elderly Ciatan in a gold master's robe comes up, "Yes."
"Prepare whatever defence against a nuclear threat we can devise, we may need it soon."
"Of course sir, we shall commit our minds and the hall of knowledge to it."
"Very good, now sir" turning back to the confused Washiso/Opalance "Please come with me."
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Post by Baradun on Jul 1, 2005 7:20:51 GMT -5
The rabbit shivvers and flips opens the channel again.
"Aff Zear, be advised we will be bringing in Anti-Balistic Missile Systems. It's going to get quite crowded. Dropship...Angry Chicken will be here in eight hours with the equipment and another star of mechs, if you could forward that to the Ciatan personnel that'd be appreciated."
She flips on the transcontinental frequencies and starts transmitting under quantum-encryption to Baradun's national HQ.
"This is Ghostwolf Coms, confirming that 'mech deployment request. We've got a situation on our paws."
The voice of the Gen. Brock comes back over the coms, a remarkably smooth bass.
"Would this have anything to do with the radiation spike we've just picked up from your direction?"
"Aff, General; the Ciatan capital has been destroyed by a nuclear weapon apparently in possession of the rebel group which will be attacking the monestary, they may have more."
"... *deep breath* very well then. One ABMS and another star of 'mechs. Do you know what the delivery method was?"
"Neg, sir, just that it was detonated within sufficient proximity to wipe out the fortress; estimates are 1 and 5 kilometers, though I would bet from how intense that false dawn was that the blast radius would have been about 10 to 15 kilometers."
"Aff, units are on their way; good luck."
"Thank you sir."
Transmission Terminated
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