The Ginto Dispute

[Mercantilist States]

Eddie Lind and his wife Jenny entered a rustic Newsouthern bar in Ginto. They had just arrived on the latest ship from the Mercantilist States. Taking a seat at the bar, Eddie got the bartender's attention.

"Can I get an Old Merc on the rocks and a Merc and Coke for my wife."

"Newsoutherners?" the bartender asked them as he made their drinks.

"How'd you know?"

"Could tell by the accent, I'm originally from Kansas myself. What brings ya'll out this way?"

"Homestead Act."

The Department of Commerce was offering free land and protection to Mercantilians if they emigrated to Ginto and settled on the peninsula.

"Well watch where you go. There are Varkourian troops stationed on the peninsula."

"Well we didn't know that..." Jenny said, it a little distressed.

"They're not hostile; well not yet," the bartender responded. "At least no one's come back to Ginto crying the Varkourians are coming yet. Or haven't made it back at least..."

"Come on now man, you're upsetting my wife."

"Sorry, sorry. It should be ok though, there are already Merchant settlements on both sides of their troop line. Though most of the settlements north are Brewing and West O company farms."

"Well thanks for the tip," Eddie said as he left a $20 tallent note on the bar. He turned to his wife, who was clearly having second thoughts. "We're here already, we may as well give it a chance."

[Varkour]

Corporal Grenouille had just come back from a patrol and was aching to get back to the warmth of his tent. It was 02:00 and it was pouring down with rain. He had his chin nuzzled into his chest to escape the chilling wind coming in from the west.

"Theres nothing out there. Just like yesterday and the night before." He muttered to his friend.

"Yeah, but you never know. There might be some crazy mercs hiding behind some bushes waiting to ambush you." His friend laughed.

Grenouille smiled and knocked his friend's helmet off. As he walked to his tent he overheard a conversation between his superiors.

"So when are the new settlers coming? The area is secure." One of them said.

"Yes, good job. They will be here in about 6-7 hours." The other man said as he looked at his watch. "They are coming down from Spartí, so..."   

"Right. Yeah, I suppose they're running out of space up there. Its a lovely city, my wife is staying there this week with the children."

"Sounds nice. How are your family? i remember you told me...."

Grenouille had heard enough. He shook his waterproof cloak and headed for his tent.

[Varkour]

The Varkourian settlers finally came down from Spartí the following morning. Thousands were flocking to the peninsula after the Government in Varkour offered free land. They were escorted by troops because there had been a few fights between Mercantilist farmers and Varkourians passing through.
Towns were springing up in the so called Yellow area. (the area between Fort Dupont and the troop line)

- - - - -

Fabian Marteau and his family were driving along the main road flanked by troops. His wife was smiling and his two children were annoying each other in the backseat.

"I can't wait!" his wife said as she turned down the radio.

"Me too" He smiled back. He had always wanted to travel and live abroad, as this was his first time in another country.

He noticed the troops on his left looking down into the valley beneath them. Fabian rolled down his car window and had a look. They could see a massive farm down at the bottom with people working in the fields and tractors circling the area. The air smelt vile, so Fabian rolled down his window again.

"Those flipping Mercs!" Fabian said angrily. "They're not welcome here! Why won't the soldiers shoot them?!".

"Calm down darling, they're doing nothing wrong." His wife replied. "Now just keep an eye on the road, I want to get there in one piece..."

"Yeah yeah, I'm sorry, but I thought the yellow area was for Varkourians only."

"Well it doesn't look like it, so be quiet now." She said as she turned up the radio again.

[Mercantilist States]

Charles Gore and his raiding party sat perched on a hill overlooking a main trade route. They had completed numerous successful raids on Varkourian settlers thus far; though they had generally kept the casulties down. But since then pickings were hard; and any settlers who did pass had troop escorts with them.

Since the West O company and the Mercantilist States had left them out to fend for themselves this far north; they were lacking the basic neccessities. You could get them in North Jazzville, but thus far, that was the extent merchants were willing to go. The Varkourians, however, seemed to bringing their fair share.

"The road less traveled," Gore said he smoked some Ginto Green out of his pipe laid back against a tree, his rifle rested against it.

"You guys think Junior will like this?" Ronnie Demo said as he played with a Varkourian toy he picked up days earlier.

"Quiet down! here comes another one." Donald Waxman said as they turned and watched an approaching Varkourian transport pass. "That's the fifth armed one today."

"There must be a settlement north in addition to Dupont, there have been too many civilians coming through lately." Gore said.

"God damn that Merchant Defense Force; they should be doing something about this. This is ridiculous," Demo said. "We're going to have to get some heavier weaponry."

"I agree. Ok, back to the trading post," Gore said as he got up and threw his rifle over his shoulder.

[Varkour]

Corporal Grenouille and his squad were on another patrol near the west coast. They followed a narrow road down to the beach and decided to take a short break. They all sat down on the sand and took a swig from their water bottles.

"So when are those flippin' helicopters coming down from Fort Dupont?" One of his friends asked.

"Not sure... but I can't wait. Then we don't have to patrol and waste our time" He replied.

"I'm going for a piss, back in 2 sec" His friend said as he stood up. He walked further down the beach and disappeared behind some bushes.

"COME HERE! QUICK!" He shouted.

The rest of them jumped on their feet and ran towards him. Behind the bushes was a burnt-out car with a man hanging out the right-hand door.

"Shiiit."

The men checked the body for ID. Marcel Faux was his name. A Varkourian.
Then they searched the car. All the car doors and the boot were open and the windows were smashed in. There was blood in the backseat, but no more bodies.

Grenouille contacted his base about their grusome finding.

[Mercantilist States]

Peter Tay, the Mercantilian Ambassador to Varkour, sat in his office in Vusun looking over the message he had received from the Varkourian Ambassador. Apparently there had been reports of Mercantilian citizens attacking Varkourian citizens, and some had even been brazen enough to attack Varkourian troops.

He was unsure if this was true, or if it was just a ploy by the Varkourians to get the Merchant settlements out of the North Supremo territories. He had already sent a copy of the report to Decartes; and would await further instructions from them.

“Get Madison on the phone,” Tay said as he pressed a button to intercom his secretary.

For the moment he had to assume it was true. The Varkourians had previously said they would not attack the Merchant settlements in the territories; but if Mercantilians were indeed attacking them, there was no telling how they would respond.

“Col. Madison, sir,” his secretary buzzed back.

Tay picked up the phone to hear Col. James Madison VI, the commander of the base at Ginto.

“Colonel, how is Ginto on this fine day?”

[Mercantilist States]

Posted in Ginto:

NOTICE TO ALL SETTLERS:

Any Mercantilian citizens who attack Varkourian citizens will not be entitled to the protection as established by the Homestead Act.

-MDF

[Varkour]

The next day Fort Dupont was equipped with an additional 25 Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopters. They were to fly ahead of the convoys and eliminate threats and warn the others.

President Gribeauval was disappointed to hear about the Varkourian casualties and the Government in The Mercantilist States. He would not tolerate more deaths, so gave the go ahead for soldiers to search Mercantilist farms and houses in the yellow area.

[Varkour]

[Mercantilist States]

Ronnie Demo was sitting at the bar in the Merchant Saloon at the West O Trading Post taking shots of Mercantilism Apple Whiskey

This shit is disgusting, what were they thinking putting this 3-year aged garbage on the market? he thought to himself as he took the shot and signaled the bartender for another one.

He heard a loud clamor outside and then saw his friend, Russell Hamm, rush into the bar with blood on his shirt.

"Demo, we need you quick."

He hurriedly took a shot and rushed outside to see Charles Gore barely conscious in the back of a pickup with a gunshot wound in his shoulder. He rushed to his friend's side to try and treat the wound. He was trained in first aid when he did his compulsory stint in the MDF. That made him the closest thing there was to a doctor in the town.

"What the fuck happened?" he yelled as he reached for a medical kit. "Stay with me Charlie, stay with me."

"The fuckin' Varkourians," Hamm said. "They are attacking farms on the other side of the river. Charles was buying the farmers some time. They’re right behind us. Fuck we lost a lot of good people."

"Varkourian Settlers? or the Army?"

"The Army."

"Well crying the hell out loud, did someone send word to Ginto?” Demo asked as he pulled a bullet out of Gore’s shoulder. “If this doesn’t move the damn MDF to action I don’t know what will.”

“I was on the phone with people there when I saw the shootout on the farms. I called Lind’s Town and they are going to get some people together and come up river.”

“Someone bandage this wound, and wrap it tight. You got any of that dynamite left?”

Hamm nodded.

“Let’s blow up that bridge over the river; that should buy us some time.”

[Varkour]

A squadron of Varkourian soldiers left their base between Lind's Town and West O Trading Post.
Their commander had told them that a group of soldiers had been attacked while searching a Mercantilist farm for weapons and that they had fought back and killed several terrorists. Their mission was to catch up with the culprits and capture them.

The Squadron was split into 2 groups, A Group and B Group.
A Group consisted of 50 soldiers and 2 FV510 Warriors.
B Group consisted of 50 soldiers and 2 FV101 Scorpions.
A Group was ordered to continue down to the Mercantilist town of Ginto, while B Group would head towards the West O Trading Post.

[Varkour]

Captain Groeux was sitting up in a tree looking down at the bridge to West O Trading Post through his binoculars. His men were hiding in the bushes below him waiting for his order.

He saw a vehicle parked behind some bushes, but could not see any people. He looked again and something caught his eye. He saw a man emerging from under the bridge. shit

He jumped down from the tree and signaled to the rest to follow him. They silently ran towards the bridge...

[Mercantilist States]

Russell Hamm ran back towards the truck, signaling to Ronnie Demo to start up the engine. The sun was setting so they were about to have the cover of darkness on their side.

"Let's get a move on," he yelled.

"Watch your back Russ!"

He heard a gunshot behind him and felt a sharp pain in his back. He fell to the ground as he saw Demo and the others firing back across the bridge.

So this is what dying feels like, he thought as they rushed to his aid and dragged him the rest of the way to the truck.

As the bridge exploded it rocked the entire area. Demo slammed on the gas and they sped back towards the West O Trading Post, using the cover of the explosion.

Mission accomplished, he thought as he slipped into unconsciousness.

[Mercantilist States]

Col. James Madison VI, commander of the base at Ginto, sat looking out the window at the city. It had come a long way since he had first arrived.

Major John Chain came through the door and saluted.

"Yes?"

"Sir, we have reports of Varkourian troop movements. They are headed this way."

"They are headed here?"

"Yes sir, we also have gotten a number of reports from Lind's Town and West O of civilian casualties and Varkourian troops attacking Merchant farms."

"Have they gone mad? Have they dispatched any air?"

"None that we know of."

"Reinforce our defense perimeter on the city limits. Order the 1st Air Division to buzz those troops, hopefully that will stop their advance. And start air patrols over the peninsula. But tell them to stay clear of Fort Dupont, we don't want to start a God damned war. Thank you."

"Yes sir."

Chain saluted and left the office. Madison picked up the phone and buzzed his secretary.

"Get me Ambassador Tay."

[Mercantilist States]

"This is Tay," Peter Tay, the Mercantilian Ambassador to Varkour, said as he picked up the phone.

He listed to Col. Madison give him a report of the situation.

"Ok, thank you Colonel."

Tay hung up the phone, and then slammed his fist on the desk.

"Grace!" he yelled, calling for his secretary.

Grace entered his office.

"Yes sir?"

"Tell Tourant, we need to meet."