Brytisc-SACTO conflict
| Brytisc-SACTO conflict | |||||||
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| File:Brytsacto1.png Clockwise from top left; Brytisc infantryman in Lundene, Brytisc embassy in Santiago de Cuscatlan, Brytscop promotional for the Aoife-Fujikawa duel, HR-G2O firing on the Cuscatlani embassy in Lundene | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 BryteneSupported by:  Carloso |
 Gran Cuscatlan Nifon InyurstaSupported by: 17CV militia CADI paramilitaries | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Cenwulf Teorell Antonio Botas Centurion Catamount |
Fujikawa Jin † Commandante Galvan | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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2 Brytisc civilians missing 2 Inyurstan civilians killed 3 Cuscatlani civilians killed | |||||||
The Brytisc-SACTO conflict is the catch-all term for the short-lived conflict between Brytene and individual members of the Santiago Anti-Communist Treaty Organisation and their allies, including Gran Cuscatlan, Nifon, and Inyursta. The conflict claimed a total of 22 lives, with two further suspected deaths, and caused millions of dollars worth of property damage.
Background
Prior to the escalation of tensions, several of Brytene's allies such as the Allied Connurist States and Valaran had previously had altercations with SACTO or SACTO members in the past, and as a liberal centrist-left state with free healthcare and subsidised education, Brytisc state policy clashed with that of many SACTO members.
Preliminary events
Fujikawaka incident
The first clash between Brytene and SACTO came when a popular columnist from Lebanon posted a polemic against progressive feminist values. When the Shogun of Nifon made a statement condemning women who lived in an 'undignified' manner, Queen Aoife replied with an aggressive and disparaging letter of her own directed at the Shogun personally.
General Fujikawa of Nifon took this as an affront to traditional Nifonese values and challenged Aoife to a duel, which she accepted. The duel was widely publicised, and is believed to be one of the most-watched live-stream events of 2015. The duel ended with Fujikawa suffering a fatal wound. Aoife received some criticism from the liberal press following the incident.
Sãorules murder investigation
In early April 2015, a former ISD worker named Jean-Paulo Lancorda published a variety of confidential Inyurstan documents that implicated several important politicians on charges of corruption, embezzlement, and criminal affiliation, as well as revealing some to have had leftist sympathies.
Brytene offered asylum to those with leftist sympathies following the murder of Alberto Cassias de la Plata, a communist agitator, by the Cuscatlani milita group Commando Sombre.
Senator Lanson Sãorules, one of the senators accused of embezzlement, attempted to accept the offer and was admitted into Brytene, where he was taken to a hidden facility and questioned. He and his aide, Mr Sourez, were then shot to death. The Senator was shot with an unregistered Bersa Thunder 380 whilst Sourez was shot by members of the Brytisc Fleet. The circumstances of his death are controversial, with the Brytisc claiming that Sourez assassinated the Senator at the behest of Jack Perez, whilst Inyursta maintain that they were both murdered in cold blood and that Sourez was framed. Sometime after the incident, unknown individuals in third-party nations managed to withdraw somewhere in the region of $500,000 from Senator Sãorules' private accounts, most of it funds stolen by the Senator from Inyurstan taxpayers.
Escalation
Brytisc Embassy Crisis
See also: 2015 Brytisc Embassy Crisis
On the 24th May 2015, armed militants believed to belong to the CADI and 17CV militia groups based in Gran Cuscatlan and Inyursta stormed the Brytisc embassy in Santiago de Cuscatlan. Following a brief exchange of fire which left both embassy guards and five militia dead, as well as three militia and Ambassador Latrell wounded, the militia took the Ambassador and her aide hostage.
Attempts by King Cenwulf to enlist assistance from the President of Gran Cuscatlan were reportedly rebuffed, and as a response Brytisc troops surrounded the Cuscatlani embassy in Lundene and demanded it be evacuated.
A video released by the CADI paramilitary on the 27th May showed the two hostages being abandoned in the jungle following the delivery of the ransom money. The pair were apparently shot and left for dead. No further information has surfaced regarding their whereabouts, and they are presumed dead.
The ransom money was delivered in the form of s200 bills, which soon after became obsolete following recalls mandated by the Reforms of September 2015, which included a change of currency print standards to reflect the political change from monarchy to republic. It is a matter of public speculation as to whether the government of Brytene intentionally delivered effectively worthless bills or not.
Arrest of Agents Tancias and Melendez
Two ISD agents were dispatched to Brytene to investigate the situation. Before they could return to Inyursta, however, news of the embassy crisis in Santiago de Cuscatlan broke, with strong evidence suggesting that the ISD was in some way involved in the attack. According to the official reports, including dashcam video, the two were immediately placed under arrest by Centurion Catamount of Brytene. They attempted to resist arrest, resulting in the death of ISD Agent Tancias. Agent Melendez was later released.
Cyber attacks
Around the same time as the attack on the Brytisc embassy, a variety of cyberattacks were launched from a variety of sources, allegedly from within SACTO nations.
The attackers launched a variety of PDoS, HTTP POST DDOS, XSS attacks and more, managing to temporarily force several important Brytisc firms to temporarily blackhole their websites, as well as attempting to spread obscene photoshopped images depicting the brutal murder of Aoife Brighteye as well as child pornography.
More conventionally, they also spammed Brytisc message boards and forums with pro-SACTO propaganda, though within two days the situation had mostly returned to normal.
Cuscatlani Embassy Siege
As a response to the Brytisc Embassy Crisis, Fleet Command ordered the evacuation of the Cuscatlani embassy in Lundene, surrounding it with Fleet personnel. Negotations regarding the evacuation were cut short when the Cuscatlani ambassador opted to open fire on Brytisc personnel on the 26th May 2015. A combined Fleet and Gendarmerie force under the command of Colonel Blunte, present to provide security during the evacuation, returned fire which resulted in the deaths of the ambassador, two of his aides, and their eight-man protection team.
June
Death of Colonel Armando Nuelle
During the cyberattacks, Aoife Brighteye responded to the graphic images of her own mutilation by issuing an open invitation to duel. Colonel Armando Nuelle of Inyursta accepted the challenge. The Colonel was an experienced gunfighter who had previously fatally shot Lillary Hinton of Lolloh during a duel.
Arriving on Pepper Atoll, the location chosen for the duel, terms were agreed upon and the duel commenced. Aoife dropped her pistol, verbally challenging Nuelle to either walk away or shoot an unarmed woman. Nuelle fired, hitting Aoife with a single round of .45 ACP hollowpoint ammunition before being gunned down by Lantern Guard personnel under the command of Lt. Col. Saigo Kuribayashi. Aoife was then evacuated by VTOL to the CFS Pelegiad.
Sinking of the CFS Eftwyrd
The CFS Eftwyrd, a Moby-Dick class submarine which delivered the ransom money and Agent Melendez to Cuscatlan, was attacked upon its withdrawal into international waters. Cuscatlani forces pursued it into international waters and fired multiple torpedoes at it in an attempt to sink it. The vessel returned fire, destroying an enemy L8N ASW aircraft before being forced to surface. 73 of the crew were taken prisoner by Cuscatlan, whilst 23 were abandoned aboard the Eftwyrd to be later rescued by a Flardanian merchant vessel, which returned them to Brytene. The Eftwyrd was scuttled.
Prisoner exchange
The prisoners were released as part of a prisoner exchange between Cuscatlan and Brytene, which took place in neutral Flardania. All 73 prisoners were released unharmed, along with the bodies of Sgt James West and Mrn Arthur Gordon. The Cuscatlani were given what remained of the corpses of the Cuscatlani embassy staff, the bodies of Senator Saoroules and his aide, and evidence relating to the case.
Former R-DARK Major Steophen Mulhern was also stripped of his citizenship and turned over to the Cuscatlani. According to the Brytisc government, this was at his own behest, although conspiracy theories abound. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
Current status
Neither side recognises the other politically and trade and travel between the two blocs is currently prohibited.