Worf opened his eyes and saw the pleased expression over the nurse's face.
" You were unconscious for a week" said the nurse. "Don't worry, you are outta here in a couple of days. Just a few more examinations. Meanwhile your superior would like to have a word with you".
General Spaige entered the room and started is speech:
" The war is going very well. After your mission, we kept storming and taking more and more territory with few casualties on our side. However some parts of the army were hit more than the others. 1 division was completely destroyed. Your division was severely hit while commanded by your deputy. You are undermanned, and you lost your headquarter and armored forces, but your air support is intact, and you have 5,000 infantrymen who are now veterans.
" When you are released from the hospital, you are going to the front again in the final battles. "
Worf listened to the talk, and then asked "What about Bahlool and Godfather? Are they alive?"
" Yes they are. Their wounds were much lighter than yours. Bahlool already ass kicking at the front while Godfather is in the presidency again. I have to go now. Good luck and a quick recovery for you!"

As the nurse said, Worf had recovered quickly. 2 days after opening his eyes he was working on battle maps in the chopper that carries him to the front. He was excited when he saw how much the EQ and allied forces advanced when he was away. Upon reaching to the front, he met with his deputies and they finally compiled the latest attack plans.

On the following day Worf had finally watch the slaughter again. His forces put another thrust toward the victory. The lands of the IMP fell one after another, and the population did not resist. Eventually worf got message:
" Presidential order 701203--------------------------
Cease fire, we have a surrender. Stick to your positions"
Worf grinned. Finally they realized the futileness of their puny resistance. They should never have trespassed the border in the first place. The losses, at least on the EQ side were highly tolerable.

It's been a few weeks after the IMP war. The EQ nation began reconstructing itself. Worf, in the meanwhile persevered on his division. New stuff and men came to replace what was lost in the war. Training could always be better. Everybody knew that the current peace will not last long. The readiness got higher when the news of another world war came. Surely some of the allies will want the EQ to aid them, maybe CNA or TD will ask to return the favor.

Before the EQ was ready for another bloodshed, they were called to strike LoR, a small nation that was on the wrong side of the world war. The army chiefs and the minister of defense, Tyr presented their objection to Mandrake, but the pressure was too high. Although the EQ was not ready for war, and there was no hostility toward LoR and no interest to serve, the politicians had a different agenda.

The sides were equal on power, and the EQ had a very definite objective. To confine the army of LoR from attacking their allies. No territory was to be gained, and no spectacular operations were planned. Just make sure that LoR are attacking the EQ and not the allies. When Worf got the orders, he wasn't very happy. He liked attacking, or defending home. He didn't like the idea of a political war, that all he need is to keep the enemy at bay, paying with his soldiers' blood. His protests didn't help. His superior thought exactly the same, and was in a similar situation. But as any veteran and honorable soldier, Worf decided he will do his mission, to the best.

The EQ opened their offense with much less power than the previous war. It wasn't very surprising attack, and LoR quickly transferred troops to the border and it became the front line of the new excavations war.

Before too much damage is done, with only 1 division completely destroyed, a treaty was signed. If the EQ would only know what expects them, they would rather keep this little war running.

The talks with SeaWolf started before the end of the LoR war. Mandrake, president of the EQ and Perkster, president of SeaWolf were good friends, and so were the relationship between their countries. SeaWolf was in deep troubles. They went attacking the bigger than they AoD, and another bigger state, ICN jumped on their back. They were desperately looking for any aid.

The Equalizer cabinet cheered when Mandrake read the treaty with LoR. But the statement that the EQ are going to attack AoD in 3 days left them in shock.
" How are we going to attack them?" Tyr asked - " We have no common border with them".
" As you know", answered Mandrake, "They are on the other side of the Blazian Sea. We will send our navy to sneak attack them, then defend our homeland like there's no tomorrow when they come to kick the hell out of us. It will be a great sacrificial war, for the sake of our allies and our honor
" We do not like AoD anyway, as you remember. Don't forget their piracy against our merchant fleet, how their bombers forced us to give our gold mines to their national mining corporation and how they trespass and annex the land of our friends that border them".

The army command was shocked by the news. The EQ had managed to do almost nothing in the so short time between the wars. But the duty called. The navy wasn't hit in the 2 wars, and it was recently reinforced by 2 grand new aircraft carriers: Mesopotamia and Zokentzik.

The 2 aircraft carries assembled together with their fleet: 4 destroyers, 6 cruisers, 3 missile frigates and a number of smaller vessels, including a dozen of frigates. Bahlool was to command Mesopotamia. Worf was asked to stay home. There was a need to organize the shore and inland defenses from an invasion the EQ has never known before. It was known that anybody who goes to the naval force will never return back home. Worf was furious when he was told he could not join the force. Celebrating their parting, Worf and Bahlool went to their favorite bar on the night before the set off.
" Never mind Worfie, you could join me in heaven a bit later, when they come to our land. I will be making your sit".
Worf was resolved to not live as a coward when his brothers in arms are in heaven. Sooner or later, every dog has his day.

And naval task force 17 went on its way...

"setting course 212-124 at speed 22 nautical miles"
" Ok. Alert us when we are 100 miles from the shore. The plan is to get to bombard range, attack the enemy and defend ourselves while inflicting the most casualties we can"
Bahlool knew that him and the thousands of the servicemen in this task force were sent to death.
At least we will die for the security of the world, and the EQ he consoled himself.

In a day the fleet got to the edge of the coastal radar coverage of AoD. They decided to resume the advance at the night. "We don't want them too see what's hitting them. We want them to wake up terrified from their sleep". The task force commander did not take the advanced warning and weaponry systems of AoD.

Air Marshal MCguns introduced the plans to the officers: "We will send all of our 100 bombers, together with 150 Dragon attack planes and 50 Firebird interceptors. The rest of the interceptors and attack planes will be left here to protect the fleet.

The planes took off and went to attack the unprepared enemy. But it wasn't unprepared for long. The radar has found a large air fleet moving toward the coast. The command acted quickly. President Ascendant watched Mandrake's war declaration, and ordered to evacuate the coastal towns of Antaria and Taleth.

On the air, the bombers created havoc on ports, airfields and other military installation of AoD. The starting sequence, as always, looked promising. But the attacked country reacted fast. The AA guns had set a high price for every sortie, and the airforce had started launching its planes very early. But it was just a small portion. Most of the pilots weren't there.

Naval task force 17 survived the night, so it was already an achievement. But the end was inevitable. On the morning AoD already reduced its aerial disadvantage to 3:2, and it became worse every minute: the EQ was losing planes, by the time that AoD reserves started to pour in. The naval bombard hit some ports and naval bases of the enemy, but it was no match for the fleet of the opposing empire.

At 11:50 it was over. All the planes that sent out of the carriers were destroyed. AoD had assembled a fleet outnumbering task force 17 4:1. "Fight till your last breath!" cried Zephir to the mike when the last battle began.

On the command room of Mesopotamia the image was desperate. The Executive Officer carried the bad news.
" The Zokentzik sunk! Cruiser 1 and Cruiser 2 destroyed! Destroyer 5 hit! Frigates 3, 5 and 10 down! Our east is uncovered".
Bahlool looked at the radar display. He wanted the enemy to pay a high price for every inch and every hit they make. "I want the forward AA battery to handle Bandit 1 and bandit 2. Tell Oxilia to ---" Bahlool became silent when the frigate wiped off the map.
The Executive Officer turned happy.
" Yeah! Our torpedoes just brought down 2 of their destroyers!"
But the radar officer wasn't as happy as the XO. "Missile is locked, impact in 15 seconds!"
" Hold your seats gentlemen" ordered Bahlool.
The carrier had shaken, and in the command room power conductors and terminals were exploding violently. Some of the officers didn't survive the attack.
" We got cannons incoming from their Bandits. Pirate 15 is preparing another salvo!"
" Damage report!" cried Bahlool. "Our weapon control is off, AA battery destroyed, we got hull breach in the aft and the starboard. Water are pouring in" answered the XO.
" OK send damage control teams. And please listen to my last orders" said Bahlool.
" Apparently this ship is useless, but the rescue rubber boats will bring us nowhere. I want everyone to take portable missiles and heavy machine guns from the armory. Let us shoot all we've got before we're down. For the EQ, for the victory!!!"

Hundreds of the still healthy crewmembers of the Mesopotamia rallied at the edges of the carrier, shooting their personal weapons at the fleet of AoD. It didn't take long before high explosive bombs from the enemy bombers started killing scores of them, and adding further damage to the ship. Eventually the ship started to sink rapidly, and there was almost no life on it left. Bahlool started to swim as the carrier sunk beneath him, and went behind a rescue boat from a sunken AoD missile frigate.

Since he couldn't bring his rifle to the wet trip, he done what he learnt in self defense training. With a swift move, he rose to the boat and broke the nape of the lone soldier in it. Thank you very much. I think I'll have a great lift for coming back home. He threw the body to the water, not before putting the corporal's uniform on himself.

Back at home, president Mandrake carried another speech to the nation.
" The first phase of our war against AoD has ended a few moments ago. Our task force, sent to provoke AoD into a war and start the war on their territory was completely annihilated. There were no survivors, and we just lost 15,000 of our best sons. We counted on our friends Seawolf to assist, but unfortunately they are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.
" The second phase will begin soon. This time we will be the defenders. AoD probably already have their fleet closing to our shores. I call every citizen to join our war effort. There is a lot to do, and jobs that fit every age, sex and condition: join the army, help build the coastal fortifications or a local one near you, go volunteer at the hospitals or join the local national guard.
" They will have a clear advantage, but with determination and sacrifice we might fend them off.
Long live the Equalizers!"

The officers at the army headquarters looked very worried.
" We have only one card in our hand. After we lost the bulk of our navy and airforce, and suffering great ground losses at the previous wars, all we have to surprise them are our 15 submarines. But they have 60, and although some of them are in other front, don't count on victory here".
The public was too exhausted from the previous wars, and there was no great volunteering for the war effort. Most people just stormed the food stores and stockpiled, while others left to rural areas, or even another, neutral countries.

5 days after the destruction of Task Force 17, a patrol of 2 subs had found, and destroyed AoD submarine. It was 1-0 to the EQ, but it was also a sign that the enemy is one day ahead.

The EQ was on the highest state of alert when the enemy went into the radar. The enemy fleet managed to repeal what was left from the EQ navy and after a short softening with cruise missiles and artillery, they started landing their troops. The coastal defenses could not deal with the great strength of the attack. 10 submarines were sent to their deathbed at the bottom of the sea.

"look at their coordination", said Spaige as the video showed a bomber bombs an EQ position, seconds before the soldiers assault and take it. "The battle on the coast is over Worf. I'm sorry for leaving you behind all this time, but now you come in. You are responsible to prevent them for achieving more land. "

Worf went to rest and check the news, after his forces successfully destroyed a new base of AoD. Unfortunately, there were no good news from many other sectors. This is not a war, this is a slaughter. The EQ was about collapsing, taking heavy losses, hundreds thousands of their men were captured and they only managed to inflict minimal casualties to the enemy.

Only a miracle could save the EQ from destruction. AoD already controled 60% of the EQ territory, and were starting the siege on the capital. Fortunately, the miracle has come. The world war has ended, and AoD agreed to leave the EQ territory.

While the EQ was on another era of reconstruction, Worf got a message that a prisoner wants to speak with him.

He went to the police station, to speak with the last AoD prisoner. When he looked at the prisoner, he couldn't believe his eyes. "Bahlool! What are you doing here? Why are you considered an AoD prisoner? For your information, your funeral is scheduled for tomorrow!"
" Ahhh it's a long story. Now can you get me released?"
" Yep. The bar we went before the war just finished overhaul, and I think you got a lot to tell me'.