[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/zcMtADa.png[/img][/center]

[center][h2]His Majesty's Governorate of Normandy[/h2]

[h3]Province of the Kingdom of Great Britain[/h3][/center]

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[center][h1][u]Operation: French Lion[/u][/h1][/center]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/TZAK4aU.png[/img][/center]

[center][h2][u]Phase One[/u][/h2][/center]

[center][i]After weeks of preparation and military build up along Normandy's western borders, the forces of the British Governorate are committing themselves to a fully fledged ground invasion of neighboring Brittany. This has resulted from failed diplomatic attempts to bring the former French province under the banner of Great Britain peacefully, and now the Viceroy of Normandy has been given full approval to use forceful means. 

The Operation, code named French Lion, has opened up with a dazzling artillery barrage of a hundred guns that are pummeling the Brittany borderlands, where British intelligence has revealed there to be a sizable build up of Brittans. 

Brittany is a small self-proclaimed Republic, rooted heavily in the old French political system. However, a passive-aggressive Norman-led trade embargo on the small nation has left its people starving and with its economy on the verge of collapse, setting the scene for widespread civil revolt against the Government. [/i][/center] 

07:00, Norman/Brittan border. 

Operation: French Lion +1 Hour

"They wont break," Lieutenant‑Colonel Thomas King muttered, spying the distant explosions from the safety of his entrenched concrete bunker. "Even with things as bad as they are, they wont break. Amazing, really." 

Commandant Éric Blaise coughed to clear his throat, and moved over the Lieutenant-Colonel's right shoulder. The Commandant was immaculately dressed in a French take on the British combat fatigue, and his face boasted an annoyingly poignant goatee. "les français ne rompent jamais , colonel."

Thomas rolled his eyes but refused to face his subordinate, "Jenkins, translate if you'd be so kind." 

Major Jenkins looked up from his maps at a nearby table, a pewter mug of whiskey in his hand. "The French never break." 

Thomas bawked, and let fly a laugh. Éric furrowed his brow, and the Lieutenant‑Colonel composed himself in response. "Sorry old chap, no hard feelings of course." He was tempted to berate the Norman over his country's apparent surrender to the British kingdom a year ago, but regained his wits before he could fan the flames. 

"I understand, Colonel," Éric replied in accented English. 

The Lieutenant‑Colonel lowered his binoculars, and gave the Commandant a raise of his eyebrow. "I knew you could speak the Kings, good on you."

Major Jenkins pushed his chair forcefully out from the table, its legs scraping across the floor, in an attempt to break the tension. The Lieutenant‑Colonel and Commandant turned to him. "It's time gentlemen, the barrage has reached the sixtieth minute," Jenkins said, holding up an old silver watch. 

"Excellent," said Thomas with a nod, "Okay then, let's see what your lads can do, Mr. Blaise."

"With pleasure, sir," the Norman replied. With a stiff salute, he left the entrenched command center and headed off to give the go-ahead to his unit commanders. 

Whilst the British were present, it would be the Normans who would bear the brunt of this fight. Over ten thousand of them, backed up by light support vehicles, and decked out in the latest British weaponry, would be descending onto the Brittan positions momentarily. It was the first test of the Norman Powerhouse Treaty; had a year of rapid modernization brought their Norman jewel up to standard? 

As radio traffic started to hiss from a nearby bank of terminals, Thomas could only guess. 

The First Phase of Operation French Lion concerned the elimination of two sizable formations of Brittan's army, and the subsequent capture of Fougeres. 

Phase Two would hopefully see the general collapse and retreat of Brittan resistance, where they would be obliterated in a quick siege at St-Malo and Vitre.

Phase Three would bring the 1st and 2nd Cherbourg Regiments encircling Rennes, and by this time it was hoped by Viceroy Keele that the Brittans would sue for peace, once they had seen the unstoppable and lighting advance of the Norman army. 

An unannounced Phase Four would see the deployment of a B.E.F (British Expeditionary Force) regiment in case the Normans would be fought back, or to a standstill.