"Yes indeed George. It all happened just some hours ago, in the streets of Mariupol. From what we know the Russian backed separatists did indeed manage to inflict an absolutely devastating blow to the Ukrainian armed forces. It's said to be the worst defeat and loss of life that Ukraine has suffered so far in this ongoing conflict. Reports estimate that nearly four hundred men were lost in the span of a few hours, along with all their weapons and vehicles that are now in the separatists hands.
What exactly caused such an unfathomable defeat to take place is not clear. But it is said that the Russian backed separatists managed to ambush the Ukrainians with three BMP-2s. Those are their infantry fighting vehicles, that while lightly armoured do indeed carry quite a punch. And they also can carry quite a big load of infantry with them as well, which is apparently how the Russian backed separatists managed to move so quickly around the city and take out the unsuspecting Ukrainian forces in a matter of a few hours.
Of course now questions are being asked, how could this happen? Didn't the Ukrainian forces have any heavy weapons to counter these lightly armoured vehicles? How could they be ambushed like so?
Well whatever the case, it's obvious that people are indeed upset by this. Many have already started gathering in the streets of Kiev to demand revenge for the fallen men. Clearly anger is spreading here towards the separatists and their actions and the governments inability to do anything against them.
You can probably even hear them chanting there right behind me, demanding justice for the fallen and death to the traitors and Muscovites.
Overall this is not a good situation for Mister Poroshenko, the soon to be President of Ukraine. He will most definitely have his hands full now dealing with this new situation. After all Mariupol is a massive city with almost a half a million people living in it. It's also a major trade and manufacturing city in Ukraine. With its steel mills and all manufacturing bringing in over 5 billion US Dollars annually.
Overall the city is the third largest contributer to the national budget in Ukraine. So indeed, this is not a favourable situation for mister Poroshenko. Now we will just have to wait and see how the situation unfolds from here, but now back to you George."
Sitting on the couch with Anna, Alex, Elsa, Ludwig and Helen they all watched this news report attentively. In it Lili could see the streets of this city called Kiev, she could hear them chanting death to the Muscovites and Russians.
She could also see footage from the battle in Mariupol and the aftermath. There she saw Ivan and his men standing atop their armoured vehicles victoriously as the crowd cheered. Although their faces were covered fully by their camouflaged military hoods and face masks.
But despite this she and Anna did immediately manage to recognise the man standing there to be Ivan. After all the man had a certain distinct way he stood and a lean, but intimidating look to him.
But why were the people on the TV calling Ivan a Russian backed separatist. This Lili didn't know, as she didn't even know what Russia was. She of course could figure it to be some country, but where?
Thinking of it she then noticed Anna get all emotional as she started to cry and call out for her papa. Seeing it Lili immediately patted Anna on her shoulder and said. "Oh don't be sad Anna. Ivan is doing good, although he did get hit by a few bullets, but thanks to my holy crosses and blessings he is ok."
Saying this Lili thought it to be encouraging to Anna, but it wasn't. She only started to cry even more as she looked at her and asked. "What, he got shot by bullets?"
Shrugging her shoulders Lili answered honestly to Anna and tried to console her. For Lili she couldn't understand what was the big deal here. These bullets were small, the wounds made by them could be healed easily and as long as they didn't hit anything vital Ivan would be fine. So what was the big deal?
Seeing the situation Ludwig seemed worried as he asked. "But Lili, your holiness. Is this right? Is Ivan fighting and killing those men right? Does this really serve the light in any real meaningful way?"
The answer to this Lili didn't honestly know. Neither side was on her side, she knew no-one there, except Ivan. So she really didn't have any reason to be on anyone's side. Overall she wanted to say that fighting was bad and all, but as she didn't know the causes of the war, who was right and who was wrong. Then all she could say was.
"Well, Ivan seems to think that what his doing is right. His loyal to me, his our brother under the light, and he is the High Inquisitor. So to this, all I can say is that we should trust Ivan and his judgement for now. For I wish to watch and see if our High Inquisitor is indeed right to be on this crusade of his to save his people, as he said. So leave it to him and think no more on it, that's my judgement."
Ludwig like the rest here knew nothing of this conflict so they stayed quiet and accepted Lilis judgement. After which Lili decided that it was time for the team to head to the library to learn.
So on that beautiful sunny day Lili and the gang being free from school began walking down the mountain valley road towards Eric and Kristys house. along the way she made them look for stones which she converted into weak light stones and then hid along the ditch next to the road.
And after walking for a while they came upon the small old house of Eric and Kristy. Lili could see some cut down trees around the house, but no Eric or Kristy. Although the truck was still there and so Lili decided to make a few weak light stones and spread them around the house before heading in.
However as the gang looked for stones, Lili then turned them to light stones and then the gang buried the stones around, and that's when Lili heard something. It was faint, but she could hear what sounded like a man and a woman laughing, moans, groans and someone saying. "Ahhhhh fuck me you beast. Make me cum, more more, give it to me. Shoot it inside me soldier, make me pregnant."
The voices came from inside the house and sounded like the voices of Eric and Kristy, but just what were they doing. But although she could hear these strange words said by the two, Alex, Anna or Elsa couldn't, for her hearing was still superior to theirs.
But not seeing any reason to care about this, they just continued planting the stones around the house, eighth stones in all, which was already taking a toll on her body as she had already done a few other ones along the way. While doing this she could also hear the two adults voices quieting down and so Lili decided then to go knock on their door.
And as she did so a dishevelled Eric dressed in only his boxers came to the door, with a dishevelled Kristy standing behind him with only a blanket covering her naked form. The sight of the two was odd, as was the strange smell that Lili could smell coming off of them. The smell was thick and hot, it made her head spin a little and her body started to strangely get excited by it.
Although the girls behind her merely giggled and Kyaahhed in shame, while Alex watched the two with wide eyes and shock. Even the two adults seemed to be in shock to see her and the gang, as Eric then quickly said. "Oh Lili, your holiness. Aah, my apologies I didn't know that you were coming. Mmh just wait a minute I'll be right with you, ok."
Then without waiting for her response the door closed with a quick bang and Lili was left there feeling confused. Only after a long while did Kristy and Eric return with clothes and all, as they then finally hopped into the truck and headed off towards the library to learn.
Once more Lili sat on Kristy's lap and watched the sights around her as they then headed towards the city and after a while came to a stop in front of the library again. And like before Lili hopped out the car first and led the charge into the library. But as she entered the place, she surprisingly found the place to be totally empty of any other visiting readers.
Only the librarian as she was called was there, a nice lady who happily waved to her. She of course quickly waved back and then headed off to claim ownership of the couches near the fireplace.
After which she ordered the gang to go look for useful books to read, books that could in some way help the light. So while she focused on looking for books about history and most specifically this Russia, Ukraine and the weapons used there.
Eric began reading a book about the art of war and some other book about modern weapons and tactics. While Anna was looking into the history of manufacturing, the art of metal working and mining. And Elsa curiously enough went for a book about coding and computing. While Alex looked at a book called Bitcoin, The Future of Money?
And most importantly of all Kristy was helping her to learn about this Russia and Ukraine. Two places that while they were apparently far, they did seem interesting.
Having heard a bit of their languages through Ivan, seen their architecture, weapons, lots of alcohol, cigarettes and all Lili couldn't help but be curious. Just why were these two fighting anyway?
While these things did seem quite insignificant now, they did still hold quite a large significance to her. After all if she ever created an nation of her own or something, then she would for sure come into contact with these two in one way or another. After all everything and everyone should in her mind follow the light and so conflict was certain, but preferably avoided.
And so she began to learn of Europe, of the Slavs, the people of Rus, Vikings, Ruriks founding of Novgorod and his sons conquest of Kiev. After which this son or successor of his created the Kievan Rus Kingdom.
Reading of all of it and looking at the maps, people and places, Lili learned a lot. But not only did she learn, but Kristy seemed to be learning a lot as well. Kristy apparently as an all American girl had no real knowledge of the world at large it seemed, despite her ancestors being from Scandinavia.
And so quickly time passed in the library. Everyone was apparently learning a lot and thanks to her magic having cleared their minds and made them healthy and good. Now they could not only remember things more clearly than before, but they could understand things quicker and stay focused in their reading overall better, which all in all increased their speed and intake of knowledge a lot.
Also Alex, a person usually not so interested in school or learning was now learning quite well it seemed. For whatever reason he seemed to be really excited and passionate about the book he was reading now. Alex even started taking down notes on his phone, looking into things about bitcoin on the internet and he even started talking about a way of which one could apparently mine this digital gold.
Well whatever the case, Lili now knew that she had done something right here. They all had their roles and tasks set it seemed and together they would for sure build something great.
Later that day after returning to bed again Lili decided to forget streaming and instead go rest. The others although decided to play, and so in a room filled with the sounds of gunfire she tried to rest.
Closing her eyes she did try, but couldn't help and check on Ivan. The string of light attached to the man's cross and his friends as well was after all sending out danger signals pretty much all the time.
She could see that Ivan and his friends now had snipers on their backs as well as rocket launchers as they rode on lushes fields with motor bikes. And they weren't alone for she could see a group of thirty men, plus two women, all armed and dressed like Ivan was. They all rode on motorbikes and looked like quite a heavily armed sniper force.
For a while they rode until they came to a stop at a thin tree line, then they quickly disembarked, hid their bikes and began sneaking through the bushes. From their shadows Lili could see that they were moving north.
For a while they sneaked through the thin forest line, until they started coming closer to a road when they then slowed down. Using binoculars Ivan looked into the distance and there he saw some small checkpoint.
It seemed to be guarded by at least fifteen men, one armoured vehicle, a BTR-80 according to Eric's book, and there, a top the vehicle it's two man crew sat laughing and smoking cigarettes. All the men were quite poorly equipped, relaxed and out in the open with only some simple sandbags in front and thin forest lines to their sides.
Lowering his binoculars, Ivan then did a few hand signs. The additional men and women began to move in closer as Ivan and his three friends moved through a thick field to take up position on a small hill overlooking the checkpoint.
Then as they took aim, a Van suddenly pulled up at the checkpoint. Ivan's men were now close, only twenty or so meters away from the checkpoint guards just waiting there in the bushes.
From the Van two additional men stepped out, greeted the other soldiers and started handing out supplies from the back of the Van. But Ivan and his men were not discouraged by their appearance as they slowly picked their targets.
Ivan had a silencer on his sniper, both his eyes were open, his target was in his sights, his breathing was relaxed and then he pulled the trigger. The gun went off Immediately creating a silent popping sound. The two crew men of the BTR-80 were both hit. The bullet went through the first man's head and entered the others neck, just barely saving the man from instant death.
Then the other three fired off their guns as well, causing another three light popping sounds to be made. And within a second four men fell and one of the crew men who survived fell off the BTR-80 writhing in pain.
Yells were heard and the men quickly ran for cover, as some began randomly shooting their guns into the direction that they thought the shots had come from. And again Ivan and his friends waited.
Some gunfire was heard, but as time passed. Ivan and his men did nothing and so silence quickly came to loom over the checkpoint. A few moments passed, the checkpoint guards slowly began peaking out of their covers looking for them. And then Ivan and his three men struck again, four more men fell and the firing began again.
Now the men didn't dare to peek out their heads again, they merely kept on firing randomly which scared the civilian cars on the road to turn away and drive off. The whole thing turned into an intense stand off, no one dared to move.
Then one brave soul got up and began to run to the back of the BTR. Ivan saw it, but he didn't have a clear shot and the same was true for his three men as well. The checkpoint guard was about to enter the vehicle. Seeing it he quickly took out a walkie talkie and said. "Strelyat!"
And as he said this, the men hidden in the tree line opened fire, bullets rained on the unsuspecting guards as the hidden men advanced. The soldiers at the checkpoint not knowing where the sudden gunfire was coming from panicked and quickly began to run away.
But Ivan and his men once more were ruthless. They ran after the fleeing men making sure to let none get away, after which they took the dead soldiers bloody uniforms and guns. Although in a surprising act by Ivan and his men, they did make small holes for the dead soldiers as they then buried them with sticks to mark their graves.
After which Ivan called someone on the walkie talkie and after waiting for a while some soldiers in green uniforms with white arm bands came. They took over the checkpoint and hauled the extra captured equipment away.
With it done Ivan and his men headed back to the bikes and continued driving north words again. Along the way they took out a few more small checkpoints. They passed some small peaceful towns and villages along the way, after which they came to a large city called Donetsk.
There they were met with cheers as they headed off towards the airport for some reason. Well whatever it was Lili was now too tired to watch any more as she slowly began to fall asleep then.
After all Ivan had already taken out one airport so how would this be any different from that. Plus the men he was fighting were extremely unprofessional, the men didn't even in most cases have similar uniforms, helmets or even any bulletproof vests. And all the checkpoints were small, with only a few handful of men at most. Even their armoured vehicles were quite weak, one good hit of a rocket launcher and that would be it for the armoured vehicle.
And interesting as it all was, Lili was not all too impressed by the weapons and vehicles there. While they were probably meant to be efficient and cheap to make it was not the Empire's style to equip men with things that were efficient and cheap. After all men were not cheap things, especially when they could live for over a hundred years, so it is not easy to replace such an experienced man. She needed quality and the best of the best for her followers. She needed to protect Ivan and his three friends. So with that in mind Lili decided to sleep on her thoughts for the time being and think on them more later.