SOMEWHERE OFF THE NEO-VENETIAN COAST
0530hrs

The vague light of sunrise could be seen from the East. But there would be no sunrise for several Inimician Special Forces operatives. Casualties had already exceeded the Imperial Army's highest estimations, and with SRA reinforcements seemingly popping up out of nowhere, the situation looked exceedingly unmanageable. This also became clear to Vicarius Wilfred Cocx, still in the control room on board the helicarrier that was named after him. Shouts of "At least 200 more hostiles on approach" and "Overwhelming enemy firepower" and "Take-off not cleared" filled the room. Roger Appelar, the highest officer on-deck, confirmed increasing enemy anti-aircraft presence in the city, making it impossible for the Inimicians' helicopters to extract the hostages.

"We must deploy the cuise missiles. Authorise our subs to launch upon confirmation of surface-to-air sites."

Vicarius Cocx could already see the European-wide headlines. "THOUSANDS PERISH IN INIMICIAN MISSILE STRIKES". He interjected: "This is one of the most densely populated areas in the country, Roger. Think of the hundreds of civilian deaths. As superior officer, I order you to stand down."

"Your Excellency, with all due respect, look at the screens. Look at our soldiers. The entire mission depends on how many aircraft we can get in the air. Yes, we have drones on the way. Yes, more fighters have been scrambled. Yes, all special forces teams have now been deployed on the ground. Yes, more attack helicopters are on the way. But they have no hope of operating successfully if these surface-to-air missiles are not taken out."

Cocx viewed the movements of the men he now felt he had sent to their deaths. Causing someone's demise was easy enough from a distance -- Cocx had ample experience with this. But seeing those he was responsible for surrounded, cut off, and in danger of suffering death or, worse, imprisonment by the SRA, made him shiver. A long pause, silence ensuing. "Are you sure you have the sites mapped?"

"We are sure."

"Launch."

SPEAKER'S RESIDENCE COURTYARD
0535hrs

Major Stuart rolled behind a nearby wall, shots whistling around him, damaging the brickwork. An all-out assault now seemed to have commenced. "Concentrate fire on the main gates", Stuart radioed in, "Air support critical at main gates!" -- the noise and smells of combat became almost overwhelming, and took Stuart back to the days he had stormed the defences of Telum in 2011. His will to survive had not given in then, however, and it would not give in now. Air support came at last in the form of an attack helicopter, unleashing its full firepower onto the approaching SRA troops.

"MANPAD, four-o-clock!", Stuart informed the helicopter crew, just a fraction of a second too late. He saw an SRA fighter on the residence balcony, bearing a handheld missile, fire at the Inimician craft, which was struck in the tail. The whirring of engines intensified and then died down in a crash of fire. "Heli down, heli down", the radio announced.

Stuart knew the Inimicians could not stay where they were, especially with the wreckage of a helicopter blocking extraction. In a moment of quiet, he made his way to some of the NCOs. "Listen, our backup plan is now in effect. Gather the hostages, we make for the backup location." Under fire, the special forces team made their way through a broken-open window to a nearby park. About five minutes into the journey, Stuart heard a sound he thought he had banished from his memory: guided missile strikes. "Cover, cover!", he shouted, as three conventional ballistic missiles struck strategic surface-to-air sites nearby.

They never noticed two of their operatives had been surrounded and forced to surrender by SRA men in one of the mansion's rooms, and the pilots of the downed chopper were still alive.

JUST ACROSS THE INIMICIAN-VENETIAN BORDER
0535hrs

"Focus on the here and now. We can do nothing to help them."

The second Inimician incursion into Neo-Venetian territory had been underway for around 30 minutes, and was approaching its target, the Social Republican Army facility where Lando Ambrogio and Peter Zan were stationed. This operation was designed to be different to the Neo-Venetia City extraction campaign: a small group of special forces operatives was to disable air defences and missile systems covertly, before the hostages would be extracted through the air. Captain Baris Moore, a newly-commissioned officer, led the special forces team, which had paused about a mile from the Neo-Venetian camp.

"You know the plan. A team proceeds around the west, disables SRA anti-air positions around the north, west, and south sides of the compound. B team does the same, from the east. C team breaches the fence and proceeds directly to the officers' quarters. Good luck, gentlemen. Time to go." Through his radio, he announced: "Jackdaw is a-go, I repeat, Jackdaw is a-go. Extraction ETA, two-zero minutes."

Without being noticed, the teams split up and made their way around the compound, surrounding it and disabling several anti-aircraft guns. Captain Moore, who had joined C team, ordered his men to cut the barbed wire surrounding the camp, and snuck into the grounds unseen. He proceeded at the head of the 10-man column around some of the buildings, checking every corner. An SRA guard, posted at the Inimicians' planned entry point inside, startled the Captain as he proceeded around a corner. He noticed the guard's surprise, and swiftly neutralized him, but not before he had let out a cry of help, and aroused the compound around.

IMPERIAL ARMY - SPECIAL FORCE COMMAND

3km from Target in Neo-Venetian Capital, Neo-Venetia City
0508hrs, 3rd March 2021

Officer Commanding: Lt Gen Karaca

The deafening noise of the overhead engines no longer affected any of the men on board the four helicopters that the Emperor had personally ordered to extract His enemies from Neo-Venetia. Lt Gen Karaca was the most experienced special forces commander in Inimicus -- his experience conducting cross-border operations in the Inimician Civil War of 2011 was revered throughout the country, and especially by politicians in high office. But this task made him more nervous than most he had conducted before. This was the fate of the Empire at stake. He briefly recalled the look Vicarius Cocx had given him from the command tower on the helicarrier -- words failed to express the sentiment. He could not fail. He would capture these criminals, or die trying.

"Squad", Karaca began, "5 minutes to target. Recap?"

Major Stuart went over the final details of the plan one last time: "Targets are Dominic Dalfarra and Marco Brookfield, both currently residing at the same government address in Neo-Venetia City. Intelligence confirmed the rooms they're staying in. At go-time, Jennings and Curt will breach two strategic windows and infiltrate, the rest of the squad absails down into the central courtyard and will eliminate security. B team and C team, in the other choppers, will secure a perimiter, allowing for our heli to land in the courtyard and extract the suspects."

"Back-up plans?"

"If resistance is heavier than expected or hostile reinforcements are brought in, use the code Telum Scram for immediate IAF and missile assistance."

"Good luck, gentlemen. Make your Emperor proud."

Karaca observed his two most experienced and capable operatives skilfully breach the two windows to the suspects' bedrooms within seconds of the helicopters arriving on scene. He directed all others on board to slide down the ropes that now hung from the craft and onto the courtyard. He was the last to go down himself. He looked around, the noise and dust made it hard to see. The moment he began his descent, he felt a sting hit his back, reverberating down his entire body. He could not hold on, and the last thing he saw was the ground hurling towards him at lightning speed.

"Officer hit, officer hit."

From the helicarrier, Vicarius Wilfred Cocx listened in to radio traffic and watched satellite footage of the raid. He had not expected things to go sour this quickly. "Shots fired, two hostiles down" was the next he heard. There had been tense moments in Wilfred Cocx's life: his backing of Artabanos prior to the Civil War; the commotion after his orders to use nerve gas on protestors (later cleverly blamed on someone else); shenanigans in the National Imperial Council. But this, this was the hardest, most stressful time he had ever experienced.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Karaca lay unconscious in the courtyard. Medical operatives stabilised him and moved him inside one of the buildings to allow the heli to land. Major Stuart, aware of his CO's fate, breached Dominic Dalfarra's room and, to his relief, found the Neo-Venetian criminal alive and well. Radio chatter confirmed Marco Brookfield had also been apprehended. Stuart believed this might work after all. That is, until he heard the sound of approaching vehicles. The sounds of shooting soon followed. "Alert: three hostile technicals, estimated three-zero hostiles on-scene. Fire support requested", he heard one of the NCOs report. Had the helicopter landed yet? Were they ready for extraction? Why was the heat so stifling?

Stuart's first priority was the safety of the squad and the hostages. He proceeded to lead Dalfarra and Brookfield downstairs, into the courtyard, while the shooting and explosions intensified around them. "Man down, man down", the radio announced. The helicopter could be seen descending into the courtyard, occasional shots bouncing off the armour. Stuart saw no other option. He grabbed his handset, and announced: "Alert, alert: Telum Scram. I repeat: Telum Scram."

Wilfred Cocx noticed the room jumping into action. Orders and technical jargon were shouted around, aircraft were put into action, jet engines were heard starting up. "What's going on?", Wilfred asked the officer accompanying him. "The emergency signal has been given, Your Excellency. Five ground attack fighters have been scrambled to offer on-hand fire support, and submarine-laden cruise missiles are on standby." Wilfred's heart sank. "So it is in Neo-Venetia that my political career finds its end", he thought.

--

Within minutes, Major Stuart heard fighter jets overhead. Deafening explosions were heard as missiles and bombs struck Neo-Venetian vehicles and fighters. Some of his squad guarding the outside entrance to the courtyard began unloading their weapons, and Stuart saw one of them go down. He ran over, crossing underneath the path of the descending helicopter, and looked straight into the eyes of a Neo-Venetian Social Republican Army fighter.

TBC

The Empire of Inimicus votes FOR Amendments I, II, III, and IV, and AGAINST Amendment V.

Nicholas Benfield
Interim Councillor for Inimicus

DETACHMENTS OF THE INIMICIAN 2ND FLEET

15 miles off the Neo-Venetian Coast
3rd March 2021, 0445hrs

Helicarrier HIMS Cocx

Everything depended on the next hour. Vicarius Wilfred Cocx, having been flown into the ship that bore his name, watched as detachments of the Imperial Army's Special Force Command boarded the Imperial Naval Air Squadron's transport helicopters, dressed in full night gear. Further attack helicopters would be flown in from HIMS Caveat, specially detached from the 1st Fleet for this crucial mission. Go time was 0500hrs - the same time at which units of the Fugit Mountain Assault Command's 1st Mountain Brigade would cross into Neo-Venetia from Terra Diutius.

This was the moment Cocx had been working towards for the last seven months. Apprehending the Neo-Venetian criminals who had defiled his Emperor's honour was a mission of personal importance to Cocx. For days, the Imperial Navy had been secretly positioning its units strategically around Neo-Venetian waters. Three of Inimicus's cruise missile submarines had entered Neo-Venetian waters late on the 2nd, and elements of the Imperial Naval Air Squadron were nearby on board HIMS Artabanos and HIMS Endeavour to offer fire assistance, where necessary.

The engines started running. The most daring arrests the Inimician Imperial Armed Forces had ever committed to were now commencing. A special forces officer caught Wilfred Cocx's eye - a tall man, face all but covered by a black rag, looked up at him. The future of the Empire depended on this man, the honour of the Emperor at stake. A curt nod was all Cocx could manage. And so, the officer climbed aboard, and Cocx would never see him again.

TBC

Telum Capital Defence Command

Headquarters of the Imperial Armed Forces

Strategic Meeting of the Imperial Defence Council
Operation Jackdaw [IC Secret]

Attendance:

• H.I.M. Emperor Artabanos
  
• Imperial Defence Office Boris Mancov
  
• Imperial Councillor Basil Lawson
  
• Chief of the General Staff Vice Admiral John Bauer
  
• Chairman of the Imperial Special Forces Command High Sheriff Roger Appelar
  
• Prince-General of the Imperial Army Lord Thomas Purdue
  
• Legate for Terra Diutius Major-General Dr Henry Luyt
  

Appelar: "Your Imperial Majesty, we have selected our targets, we have a clear sight on their movements over the next week, and we have the operational capacity at the ready for immediate orders. I called this meeting for You to give Your Assent."

Artabanos: "Run me through the suspects and the plan one more time, Roger."

Appelar: "Very well. As you know, we have targeted several individuals we believe to be responsible for the downing of Needletail One -- all are establishment individuals in the Neo-Venetian junta gang, the Social Republican Army. The individuals in question are, in order of seniority:

• Dominic Dalfarra, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Neo-Venetia's so-called Parliament;
• Andrew 'Marco' Brookfield, Deputy Minister of Defence and member of the Central Committee of the Social Republican Army;
• Paul 'Lando' Ambrogio, Northern Group Command, Social Republican Army -- the man we hold personally responsible for ordering the missile strike that caused Your plane to crash, Your Imperial Majesty;
• And Col. Peter Zan, Northern Command, People's Army of Neo-Venetia, who we believe was in charge of Neo-Venetia's surface-to-air missiles at the time of the crash.

By press exposure through the usual channels, we have positively rattled all four individuals, so much so that they have been meeting regularly to discuss escape plans. Meeting with each other, and meeting with our confidential informant..."

Artabanos: "Sounds like a lovely gathering. How will we get our hands on them?"

Appelar: "We have intelligence that Dalfarra and Marco are due to meet in Neo-Venetia's capital, Neo-Venetia City, on Wednesday 3rd March. The plan is to kill two birds with one stone by naval-based special forces infiltration from the Second Fleet. The other two birds are currently still in Northern Neo-Venetia, and will be snatched in cross-border actions by forces currently based in Terra Diutius during the afternoon of the same day. All in all, both operations should take no longer than 30 minutes."

Bauer: "Chances of casualties on our side?"

Appelar: "Minimal, though, as always, not impossible. I will say, Your Imperial Majesty, Your continuous investment into the Special Forces branch of Your Armed Forces has indeed paid off. Our troops are readier than ever."

Artabanos: "Very well. Any questions so far?"

Lawson: "As a matter of fact, yes, Your Imperial Majesty. Are the Angleterics aware of what we're about to do in their former territory? I met with representatives from the Angleteric government a few months back, if you'll recall, and though they welcomed our diplomatic support, they did not seem keen on us intervening by ourselves."

Artabanos: "We're not intervening, Basil, so much as apprehending criminals. Anyway, I'm sure the Angleteric Crown is well aware of our intentions, am I right, Boris?"

Mancov: "Fully. As a matter of fact, we have to act quickly, or they'll likely begin their own operations before we can."

Artabanos: "Excellent. Let's go over the details before we commit."

TBC

Sir Augustus Barrington

Part III

Imperial Palace Situation Room, 2nd March 0900hrs

"Where is he?"

"We er, we're not--"

"Where?!"

Brigadier-General Mansur Manco attempted to explain to His Imperial Majesty how Sir Augustus Barrington's jet had made a sudden turn due south-west before it could be intercepted in Inimician airspace, but He was having none of it. Artabanos had planned this raid for the last seven months, everything was worked out to the tiniest detail, but for some reason Sir Augustus had outplayed Him.

"Look here, Mansur", He began, and the Brigadier-General's complexion changed drastically, "This man is a criminal. Not just a criminal, the worst type of criminal. He betrayed me, he betrayed me personally. You will find him, there's no doubt about that. For if you don't, you may find yourself implicated very rapidly indeed."

A military aide brought relief for Brigadier-General Manco, whose gaze expressed complete uncertainty about his entire existence. "Your Imperial Majesty", the aide commenced, "We've tracked him. An informant photographed Sir Augustus and his plane in Tullion, Leagio."

"The maths make sense, Your Imperial Majesty", Manco added, "Sir Augustus's plane would have had enough fuel to reach Tullion. We have no extradition treaties with the Commonwealth. He seems, dare I say it, safe there."

Artabanos thought. The clever fox. He admired Sir Augustus's perceptiveness -- somehow, the European Councillor had realised he was being targeted. News of his brothers' and allies' arrests must have reached him on the flight. But how? Were there more in the Palace who plotted the Emperor's demise? "Don't get paranoid, Artie", He thought to Himself, "You've worked too hard." And yet... could it be the Strathclydes? The Cocxes? No, certainly not the Cocxes, His most loyal followers. Perhaps one of the lower sort -- People's Tribunes, Quaestors, Aediles. People whose jobs didn't matter. Yes. A thorough cleanup was necessary, and fortunately for Artabanos, a session of the House of Commons, where lower executive types are up for election, was just around the corner. But: one thing at a time.

"Find out everything you know. Get me a line to Leagio."

Four down, one to go.

TREASURY CHANCELLOR, PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE ARRESTED ON TREASON CHARGES // WARRANT ISSUED FOR SIR AUGUSTUS BARRINGTON'S CAPTURE

Telum, 28th Feb 2021 -- Chancellor of the Treasury Jonathan Barrington and People's Tribune Glennis Mayfair were arrested on charges of high treason and the attempted assassination of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Artabanos this morning. A representative from the Imperial Guard confirmed "both officials are currently in custody, having already been charged" in what commentators are calling the end of the largest Palace-wide conspiracy in recent Inimician history.

Sir Augustus Barrington, Inimicus's temporary European Councillor, appears to have so far evaded capture, although a warrant for his arrest was issued late last night and, reportedly, law enforcement across Inimicus has been placed on high alert to find him. Flight tracker data seemed to suggest Sir Augustus's private jet, which was en-route from Europolis to Telum last night, made a sudden course change due west, before disappearing from the radar.

This recent round of arrests has resulted in the all members of the prominent Barrington family having been removed from office and either placed under arrest or being hunted. A press release from the office of Vicarius Wilfred Cocx this morning read: "Imperial Guard investigations resulted in the whole Barrington network being implicated in the heinous crimes of last summer, when our Emperor was so very nearly taken from us all. Justice will always reign in Inimicus, and today's arrests are testimony to that."

The rolling up of the Barrington cell appears to be tied to the recent publication of several names of Neo-Venetian officials and military officers by the Vicarius, who swore "swift judgement" on all those involved with the Emperor's fateful crash. His Imperial Majesty's press office has so far declined comment on the arrest of His former close allies. Nuntius Inimici political editor Colin Husky comments: "These events must cause His Imperial Majesty great pain and suffering: to see His former friends, those He trusted most, at the heart of a conspiracy against Him, is among the worst pains anyone could imagine. We should all stand by Him at this time."

Sir Augustus Barrington

Glennis Mayfair, People's Tribune

Part II

The widescreen monitors showed every detail of what was about to unfold. Cocx, Strathclyde, and the Emperor watched the Imperial Guard unit's every move through high-tech body cameras. Cocx had always lamented the Emperor's insistence on investing a large part of the national budget into providing the most up-to-date gadgets for His personal guard, but it seemed that these funds paid off after all.

Glennis Mayfair was not even really a Barrington ally. But there was one important thing she was: ambitious. From the office of People's Tribune, a function the Emperor had designed without any specific duties but with some vague air of responsibility about it, Mayfair had managed to exert her anti-imperialist influence to the floor of the National Imperial Council. Jonathan Barrington had appointed her as his aide -- and the worst thing she could ever have done for her career and, indeed, her life, was to accept this appointment.

The monitors showed a knock on the door. Seconds of agony. No answer. "They never knock twice", Cocx thought as he saw the unit bring up their metal battering rams. Before he knew it, the door was open and heavily-armed, masked Imperial Guardsmen were seen flowing into Mayfairs apartment. She was caught completely unawares. The book she had been reading could be seen upside down on the laminate floor, the chamomile tea half-empty on the coffee table.

"Ms Glennis Jane Mayfair, I have been tasked as Officer of the Emperor's Peace to execute an Imperial Decree calling for your arrest in connection with the attempted assassination of His Imperial Majesty, the murder of Aedile Elbert White, the murders of 33 others, the leaking of Imperial State Secrets, and high treason. You may refuse to supply testimony, but this silence may and will be used against you in the Emperor's Courts. Your right to legal counsel is suspended by Imperial Decree."

And thus it was done. The second of Marquis de Barrington's allies would never make another political decision. The noose was tightening around the Barrington dynasty.

The Banishment of the Barringtons

[IC SECRET - PRESS RELEASES WILL BE MADE]

Part I

Telum, 24th Feb, 23:00hrs Inimician Standard Time

"Mr Barrington, you'll have to come with us."

These were the words that would ring out of homes and offices, palaces and mansions, all across Inimicus this night. The reign of the Barringtons was over. The time of the Strathclydes and the Cocxes had come. Vicarius Wilfred Cocx, the second most powerful man in the Empire, entered the Imperial Palace Situation Room, where the other two most powerful men in the Empire, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Artabanos and Imperial Consul Christopher Strathclyde, were already assembled.

"Gentlemen, how far along are we?", Cocx asked some of the military staff on hand.

"Jonathan Barrington surrendered peacefully in the Palace just a few minutes ago, Your Excellency. Sir Augustus is currently still on a plane from Europolis, to be apprehended upon landing. Jonathan's aide, Glennis Mayfair, is still at large, as is the Barringtons' lapdog, Marquis Dirk of Milldyke."

Tonight, Cocx would finally get the chance to rid himself and the Empire of the cruel reign of the Barrington family, all under the guise of law and order, and on the basis of painfully fabricated evidence. He had to give Christopher Strathclyde credit for much of what was happening; the Imperial Consul was a gifted man, someone who was immensely capable of framing, controlling the media, and controlling people.

And tonight, all their efforts would be finalised into the greatest purge-that-is-no-purge in recent Inimician history. All the Barringtons and their allies had been successfully implicated in the grossest crime of the last five years: the near-assassination of His Imperial Majesty. Such a tragedy. Such a horror. Totally not a fantastic opportunity for the Cocx and Strathclyde families to rid themselves of the most dangerous political force they had seen since the founding of the Empire.

"Your Excellency", a military aide announced, "We are just about to turn into the livestream of Glennis Mayfair's arrest."

Cocx reflected on Marquis de Barrington's demise. Oh how the Marquis had gloated when he had been installed as Imperial Consul out of nothing. The Marquis had come from nowhere. And now, he had gone back to nowhere. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

TBC

"The Empire of Inimicus, though it favours a joint approach to solving the UoS problem, will not consent to Reitzmic boots on the ground without international supervision or co-operation. What will the purpose of such a mission be? Surely, and forgive me for sounding rash, virutally all Reitzmic soldiers present in the UoS have been terminated? This has the telltale sign of being yet another Reitzmic-only show of arms, and cannot be allowed to happen.

I very much agree with Cllr Shakur's assessment of the situation in the UoS. While a number of days ago the violence there appeared to be spiralling out of control, recently we have seen a legitimate government attempting to reassert power. Supporting that administration by financial and, perhaps, advisory military means, would be far more appropriate and safer than a Reitzmag-only operation on the ground.

I feel like we as Councillors often forget how difficult and unmanageable a full-scale military operation actually is. I lived through and fought in the Inimician Civil War in 2011 as a brigade commander, and let me tell you, interventions are not swift. Interventions are not easy. If Reitzmag is allowed by this Council to enter the UoS guns blazing, thousands if not hundreds of thousands more innocents will be injured, mutilated, and killed. I implore all of you: don't allow it.

On a side note, I applaud the Cllr for Reitzmag for bringing this matter to the Council rather than his government just intervening. Nevertheless, the Empire of Inimicus will vote against any unilateral intervention motion."

Cllr Sir Augustus Barrington
Empire of Inimicus