Hotline Icholasen [IC Secret]
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Part 1
July 22nd, 08:50 GMT +0
Bastholm-Nord Joint Base, FremetMajor Arnold Årud surveyed the room, it was the stock standard room with four different security checkpoints before you were even on the same floor for it. The room before there was real work to be done. Årud had been in countless 'rooms' before, but he never thought he would be in this one going into what he expected to be Icholasen. The very territory where countless Vardic operators had been before, where many of Arnold's own instructors years ago would tell stories about.
Årud was a Jaeger by trade, twelve years in a trade where old men are the feared ones. [Jaegers](link url) were the Archetypal special forces unit, recruited from all the service branches and their respective special mission units to form the ultimate corps of hunters, at least according to Jaegers that is what they were.
"You did say we were going to get some action during our rotation here," Årud's friend Technical Sergeant Alexander Rasch mentioned with a slight grin.
"Yeah but they're using five Jaegers, four Ørns, and a Combat Controller; this isn't some action this has to be something big. "
The Vardic Special Warfare community was decently sized, priding itself more so on the quality of its members than any specific quantity, it had seen enlargements through new recruiting strategies rather than lowering the standard for any specific section.
The Army fielded the largest Special Warfare command. Containing the Jaegers, who were the premier corps, well rounded, versatile, and the centerpiece of many important operations. The White Wolves, a rapid response force intended for counter-terrorism operations among a large assortment of domestic defense duties. The Ørn were insertion operators, meant for long duration isolated or reconnaissance missions, with some if not the best marksmen in the entire Republican military.
The Air Corps held pride in its operators who were there to support others. Pararescuemen who would jump into the frare to rescue anyone where and when needed. PJs' ,as they are referred to as, rescuing multiple pilots historically in various incidents with the old Communists. With Combat Controllers serving as air liaisons in both calling in air support, as well as conducting air control functions similar to your local airport, just in a combat zone.
The Navy had its Sea Rangers, and the Marines their Raiders. Both of whom designed for Amphibious Warfare, as well as a multitude of other special missions. Årud was originally a Sea Ranger before being recruited into the Jaeger Corps by the Archcommand for Special Operations (ArchSO).
Årud personally knew all the Jaegers in the room, they had been stationed together at Fisker for five years now, making part of the Alpha Team of the 1st Jaeger Corps. The Ørn in the room were unfamilar to him, even though all Army administered special forces were at Fisker Center near Havic, the Ørn spent most of their time near the forests of Falkor rather than back home in Fisker.
Before he had time to think much more about the men he was most likely to lead into an operation, the room was called to attention.
"At ease Gentlemen," chimed a white-haired Vice Admiral
"I am Vice Admiral Sigurður Gunnarsen, current Commander of Bastholm-Nord Joint Base, for those of you who I have not personally met yet," he began as a TV Screen at the forefront of the room turned on to showcase the words
'CLASSIFIED: LEVEL 2: OPERATION HOTLINE'
"You've all been called here today for an operation we will be conducting in the upcoming weeks. Operation Hotline will be the first use of Vardic Special Forces against an active enemy in many years, and will be the pivotal first step in our quest to retake Icholasen.
If all goes according to plan, you all will set foot on communist-controlled soiled on August 1st, and leave that same night. If all goes according to plan, you will potentially protect the lives of millions of Vards, Fremetians, and countless others.
Long story short, it's time to tap into Chairman Jirluchuz's phone calls with his nuclear submarines."
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Part 2
July 22nd, 0900 GMT +0
Bastholm-Nord Joint Base, Fremet"Principally the operation's goal is to obstain the encryption series for the UNSR's submarine operations, there are three series we are primarily attempting to intercept in this mission; Satellite, Very Low Frequency (VFL), and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF)." Admiral Gunnarsen continued.
"The 101st Signals Intelligence Detachment, as well as the 1st Strategic Space Wing have both documented various signals coming from this large installation on the southern peninsula in the Romain Socialist Republic, or well it's more so two large installations.
We have enough intelligence now to confirm that the communists have implemented an ELF Signals Station by connecting two large electrodes via a powerline and using the ground itself as an antenna between them. This joint installation for the rest of this briefing will be referred to as Comm Station 1, with Comm Station 1A representing the northern portion, and 1B representing the southern.
Using our Fremetian partners we have confirmed that the communists have installed a powerstation at Comm Station 1B that would generate the necessary power to make ELF signals possible. These signals make it possible for the communists to conduct very basic communications with their submarines at an operational depth.
Historically these stations were used as Nicolezian VFL stations, allowing them to conduct shallow level communications which is why we believed they were chosen to be augmented to fit this EFL role.
Operation Hotline's primary goal is to retrieve the necessary intelligence for the communist communication lines which are believed to be housed at Comm Station 1B, but may also be housed an auxiliary control room at 1A.
The secondary mission is to sabotage the EFL, VFL, and Satellite communication infrastructure if at all possible, in that preferred order of precedence.
If any additional intelligence can be discovered, document and if possible retrieve. You will be briefed on what specifically to leave behind, since the end goal will be for the communists to suspect an accident due to the power system.
You will be inserted into the AOR via a HAHO jump or via RHIBs from the VRNS Bergman which is currently in route. It will depend on final weather forecasts, and communist movement responses from the 1st Fleet's freedom of navigation exercise.
Rear Admiral Raskop will brief you on operational specifics shortly. Before I leave, do you have any questions?"
