It was in 2009 that the portal opened. There was no real warning; if there had been something that set it off, some accident or event somewhere in Tokyo in a lab, or some strange convergence, then all evidence in gone now.
Square miles of city were annihilated in moments as ‘the event’ swallowed them up. It looked like a gas giant planet, embedded in the ground and gouging a chunk out of Japan. It was visible from miles away, deforming the horizon and visible from space. It tore up the ground, and the devastation ruined the land around it for miles.

And that was all after-effects. What happened at the time was what everyone remembers. They came, the invaders. Swarms of their fighters, bombers, transports and other craft swept through the barrier, opening fire on refugees, intact buildings and facilities, military assistance and more. Spreading outward, they landed ground troops and began to pillage and plunder everything. Prisoners were taken, materials were looted, and more destruction followed. More and more of them followed, and in turn the forces of Earth began their counterattack.

After 5 years of brutal fighting eventually, we learned more about them, through knowledge from their original captives. Bought with them as slaves and 'resources', after a daring and near-suicidal attack on one of the Yerrill hives after months of planning, work, and dedication, the fortress was taken.
Inside, human forces found the first of their Avalonian allies. Once captives of the Yerrill, they had fought them for nearly two decades themselves, working as a resistance movement and fighting as guerrillas. The Avalonians turned over their knowledge of the Yerrill, giving humanity the information it needed to counter their communications and jamming, to disrupt their logistics, and to begin to fight back in a concerted effort.
The next series of attacks swung into action, and slowly but surely the Yerrill were forced back. Over the next 18 months, they pushed the aliens back, finally culminating in the Battle of Tokyo, a massive aerial, naval and ground amphibious attack that devastated the last pair of Yerrill hives and eradicated their forces on Earth, driving the last of them through the portal.

The portal - by now named ‘Tokyo Jupiter’, because of its’ appearance - was ringed by defences, outside of an exclusion zone of fifty miles.
And then humanity caught its breath.



The portal still remained, which meant that another ‘event’ could happen anytime soon. And there was the question of what was on the other side. The decision was almost unanimous, though it came after another two years of discussion and debate. And there was also the question of the Avalonians, humanities' new allies and still imprisoned on the other side of the portal and under the occupation of the Yerrill.
It had to be explored, the war had to be taken to them.

Drones and probes were sent through to chart the world on the other side, and extensive interviews and intelligence gathering sessions were undertaken with the Avalonians, charting and mapping the world on the other side of the portal. Knowledge of its' many dangerous life forms, and of the Yerrill's forces was gathered - at least until the drones and probes were destroyed, either by the Yerrill or the hostile wildlife or conditions on the planet itself.

A special committee of the UN was formed, one with primarily military goals in mind: it’s job would be to establish an operating base on the world beyond Tokyo Jupiter, and bring the fight to aliens. The species they held enslaved on the other side would be liberated as part of the operation, and the new world - christened Avalon - would be explored and surveyed in detail, once the counter-attack was underway.

The only reliable way to access Avalon was via the air, and massive air ferrying efforts began, raw materials, equipment and personnel shuttled through the Tokyo Jupiter portal to establish an operating base on the other side. The Combined Expeditionary Forces had been formed, and they began to take the battle to the Invaders.

The Expeditionary Force arranged into units, squadrons and other such divisionary lines. Personnel and equipment from different nations were assigned together in new and radical ways of thinking appropriate to fighting a new enemy on a new world. Slowly the Expeditionary Force began to develop its’ own identity, here on the ‘other side’ away from the real world, back ‘there’, home, shore-side, of Earth, split by so many millions and millions of miles of space, yet only a few short hours of flight through the portal.
New production efforts were undertaken, old designs were re-tooled and re-equipped, pressed into service to fight new wars, as newer designs were held back for the defensive efforts on Earth's side of the portal, and refined, honed and developed for the next generation of combat against the Yerrill on their home turf, redeveloped with newly-emerging technology from reverse-engineered Yerrill technology and Avalonian knowledge.
The newly equipped Expeditionary Forces, with their ragtag assortment of rebuilt, reproduced, and re-engineered machines were sent through the portal, and became the first humans to set foot on an alien world.

Almost as soon as they arrived, the Expeditionary Forces were thrown into combat. Yerrill were waiting for them, and they engaged in battle, well in view of Avalonian work camps and settlements. The Expeditionary Force soon overcame the Yerrill threat, and in so doing, freed hundreds of Avalonians. They spread the word to their families and friends, and the Expeditionary Force learned about other camps and settlements.
Soon, the Avalonians came from miles around to see the developing base of the Expeditionary Force, many staying as they took advantage of the free handouts of food and aid, and of the safety in the wings of the Expeditionary Force.
A small town became established around the perimeter of the base, and soon became patrolled by security forces as the men and women of the Expeditionary Force went there to relax in their off-duty hours. Before too long, the Avalonian people also became part of the security details and forces, with others enlisting within the Expeditionary Force as the UN opened negotiations with the Avalonian people as true allies.

All of this became the backdrop for the ongoing war against the hostile aliens - now known as the Yerrill, from the local species - who it turned out had invaded this world in turn, bringing with them slaves from other places who had become part of the local population. The humans were the first ones to fight back any kind of effectively.

Among the Expeditionary Forces many squadrons are Hellcat Team of the 101st Tactical Fighter Wing. The relatively newly formed, 101st is one of the first squadrons to have both Avalonian and human pilots together, and to operate as a 'dispersed' tactical unit, it's fighters operating on numerous individual missions.
Though they don’t know it yet, they will find themselves at the heart of learning more about the Yerrill, about the locals of Avalon, and about the history of this war and how it started. And in doing so, will become a lot more famous than even they could imagine…

The Expeditionary Force consists of a primarily air-mobile force of fighting machines men and women from multiple nations. Their main base - termed ‘Camelot’, keeping with the Avalon theme - is a large joint operational base 20 miles from the Avalon-side exit of the Tokyo Jupiter portal, and the same distance from the nearest local settlements. It is situated in a large, open plain that is bordered by nearby rolling hills and some forested areas. The base has been adapted from Avalonian structures found in the area, and has been rapidly constructed in the last 8-10 months. Much of the base is made from pre-fabricated structures, though a paved runway and other permanent, if hastily built, structures form part of the base. The whole thing is contained within a ring of fortress walls of banked earth and outfitted with large numbers of air and ground defences. The central sections house the barracks, mess halls, and administrative heart of the base, while the outer areas house vehicle parks, hangars, maintenance shops, armouries and stores. 'dead zones' between the outer and inner walls provide a field of fire for potential enemies to be trapped within, and defensive gun emplacements and other weapons systems are located atop the walls and strategically throughout the base itself.

The Expeditionary Force itself is comprised of UN-affiliated countries, primarily western, though some eastern nations are involved by virtue of the fact that many of their nations were invaded during the initial attacks. While not all nations provide fighting forces, many provide logistical and materiel support on the other side of the portal, or provide administrative and other forms of support to the Expeditionary force on Avalon.

The Expeditionary Force’s main striking and combat power comes from it’s aerial forces. There are ten squadrons of tactical fighter aircraft, with a further two of heavy bombers, and numerous additional transport, tanker, and other specialist aircraft (such as electronic reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, AWAC etc).
The Expeditionary Force has access to a wide range of tactical aircraft, due to the multinational nature of the organisation. Some are obviously more advanced and capable than others, and as such, they form the ‘tip of the spear’, and the more ‘elite’ squadrons, being lesser in number than the array of other aircraft involved. These are often involved in the most high-risk, high-value missions, pathfinding and operating as the ‘first strike’ element of missions, with other aircraft following them up.

Given the nature of the Expeditionary forces' unconventional and unique mission, its' tactical squadrons and organisation are given more of a latitude than other military forces. While they are expected to follow orders and regulations - and the punishments for not doing so are as severe as one would expect - they are given more scope to act, and their organisation is more loose. Elements of squadrons often operate as pairs, trios, or other unusual groups, carrying and persecuting attacks and operations on their own, and coming together as needed for larger operations and duties, and squadrons operate with mixed types of aircraft and vehicles within the organisational and logistical structure of the expeditionary forces.
As the nature and scope of expeditionary forces missions may vary greatly, and the situation can change fluidly and rapidly, all expeditionary forces personnel are trained to fight as ground forces when and if necessary using small arms and other weapons if needed, as well as in their regular roles, and frequently undergo training courses and exercises in these capacities, often undergoing exchange duties for weeks at a time to keep them fresh.

Additionally to the tactical aircraft units, there are various rotary-wing squadrons, which operate in close concert with the ground and air forces of the Expeditionary Force. While they act primarily as support for other operations, transporting personnel, cargo and materiel, they also have important tactical roles, often acting as scouts and reconnaissance, or even outright acting as attackers and combat forces when needed.
As the Expeditionary Force relies entirely on air transportation through the Portal to move equipment, this restricts the number of heavy vehicles, such as MBT’s and other armour, and much of their firepower on the ground is restricted to air-portable/air-mobile vehicles and equipment and is limited as a result, and the minimal number of heavy vehicles are mainly kept in reserve for defence of the home base, or structured into assault forces for attacks on established Yerrill positions when strategies are drawn up.
This is not as much of an issue as it may sound, as the Yerrill seem to use relatively few heavy ground forces and large vehicles, however the few they do use tend to be large, well-armoured, and equally well-armed, requiring concerted efforts to knock them out. Mostly they are concentrated on Yerrill-occupied and controlled positions and fortifications, which also employ their own static defences.
Much of the Expeditionary Forces ground detachment thus relies on wheeled vehicles and light armour, with heavy firepower and support provided by aircraft of various types. Airmobile Artillery is also used, and the need for increased armour that is air mobile has lead to the re-introduction of some formerly retired vehicles and weapon systems, and others that were in experimental stages.

The Expeditionary Forces are controlled by a General, in this case from the UK. His staff and the upper echelons of the Expeditionary Forces are multinational in nature, reflecting the mixing of the national forces, equipment and personnel at other levels. UN observers and advisors are present throughout the Expeditionary Forces, and there are also civilian advisors, scientific personnel and other contractors in limited numbers in order to aid with the ongoing element of discovery and exploration, and also to aid with relations with the local population.

The Yerrill are a complex alien race from another world, or possibly even another dimension.
Their exact origins are unknown, as neither human nor Avalonian forces have managed to capture any of their ranking personnel or records to examine much of their cultural history, if they even have such a thing.

They are known to be a race that has a system of physiological 'castes' or 'strains' based on a hierarchy almost like insects, with different places in that hierarchy showing different levels of mental and physical development.
The most basic levels of Yerrill organisms are barely mobile and semi-sentient, responding to and acting only on orders from their superiors. They are virtually hard-wired into their fighting machines - primarily Yerrill fighters and ground combat vehicles - as the operating system for the flight and driving controls, weapon systems, and sensors. Essentially mass-produced biological computer systems, they are considered part of their vehicles.

Basic troops are the next level up, and are the first 'true' level of Yerrill organisms to possess any kind of intelligence or diversity. While they all look virtually the same, they are capable of basic conversation, basic decision-making, and limited intelligence. They have little in the way of personality or understanding beyond following orders and plans, and know little more than how to carry out attacks and strategies provided to them by others, and to operate their weapons. They are genetically and instinctually driven to follow orders of other Yerrill, and as such as incorruptible to conventional psywar tactics and manipulation that would be effective on other enemies. Like the base organisms that pilot vehicles and operate as part of equipment, they too are 'mass produced' creatures and organisms and have much of their equipment - such as their armour, and sensor systems - implanted into their bodies en masse as part of a production line.
Larger 'shock troop' versions are even less intelligent and more heavily modified, and are terrifying hulking masses of muscle, sinew and bone weighing over one tonne and carrying deadly heavy weapons that can threaten armoured vehicles.

The commanders of these forces have true intelligence and cunning, having some form of basic personality and distinct appearances and physical form, with their own markings. They have unique designations (though not exactly 'names' as a human or Avalonian would understand them), and receive individual training and are hatched in batches rather than mass produced.
Successful commanders may be 'elevated' to higher ranks, and those showing such potential or promise may receive their own custom fighting machines and systems.

Above them are Yerrill overseers. A limited number of these exist, though the exact number is unknown. Eight are known to have been involved in the invasion of Earth, each overseeing a region involved in the invasion, and in command of a Yerrill hive and its' resources. They are the most deadly, intelligent, cunning and powerful Yerrill encountered so far. They have intelligence equal to or above a human or Avalonian, and the same range of personality, cunning, development and intellect as any comparable human or Avalonian, as well as being linked to the Yerrill's apparent collective intelligence and instinctive drives and communication as well. Some reports from the Special Forces that took out the Overseers during the Invasion also report they had exceptional endurance and physical stamina, and may have exhibited above-human abilities as well, though this reports are unsubstantiated at current.
Rarely seen in personal combat, if they do enter the battlefield, it will inevitably be in the most powerful and best machines the Yerrill can bring to bear.

In theory above these levels exist others, and intelligence has been gathered on a caste that the Overseers report to, but their particular designation is unknown, and their physical appearance, capabilities and all other information is unknown. Presumably there exist other functionary classes that birth and raise Yerrill eggs, manufacture and maintain their machines, and perform other tasks as needed, but they have not been encountered, and the Yerrill also use slaves from human and Avalonian populations, often implanted with cybernetic or symbiotic systems that enforce compliance to carry out these tasks.

Their combat forces use vehicles that are all fairly similar in appearance; mostly featureless on the outside aside from obvious engine exhausts, intakes, and sensor windows, as well as armaments, but lacking other surface details. Most of them are matte-black in colour with a hexagonal surface overlay, sometimes with gunship-grey undersides or patterns.


Yerrill Heavy bomber/transporter class

Their aircraft vary in size from fighter-sized craft to massive aerial leviathans, along with ground vehicles that move on multiple globular wheels, or even large ones that walk on quadruped or more legs, like insectile war machines.

Their craft utilise energy weapons as a significant part of their armament on most models, as well as high-velocity flechette-launching cannons and high velocity, high explosive missiles, often in large numbers. Their armaments tend to be highly destructive and can be shocking and overwhelming to be on the receiving end of.

Their settlements look almost hive-like from the outside, and are heavily fortified, with large numbers of built-in defences. They also emit strong jamming signals and distortion for several miles. Most Yerrill craft are equally highly equipped for powerful electronic warfare and jamming, meaning that many engagements take place at shorter distances than comparable human aerial battles and combat in general.

Yerrill tactics tend to utilise numbers and their resistance to G-forces to close in on enemies and to down them with volume of fire. They show cunning and knowledge of psychology in their tactics, working on fear and the psychological impact of their weapons when facing foes. However, the lack of emotion and driver of pure instinct rather than snap judgement and superior training, as well as adaptability and teamwork as found in human or Avalonian pilots often makes up for the disadvantage. Also, their individual machines tend to be less adaptable to new situations or tactics than human designs.

Given their existing behaviour in the invasion of Earth and of Avalon, the Yerrill seem driven to harvest the resources of the worlds they invade, stripping resources in every form from the land they occupy.
The land around Tokyo Jupiter, the area most in control by the Yerrill during the war, was stripped virtually back to the bedrock with only a few twisted remains and the bare contours of the landscape remaining. Similar areas can be observed on Avalon, though the planet itself survives as a whole, and areas have been 'colonised' by new Yerrill settlements, using these resources to construct their hives.

Some evidence of the use of these resources can be found in the construction of their fighting machines, as they seem to use reprocessed elements harvested from the area around Tokyo Jupiter, and other areas observed on Avalon where the same ‘strip mining’ process has occurred. Their hives seems to aid in this mining processes, spreading out and 'processing' the land around them as they expand.

It is currently theorised, based on information that has been learned from the native inhabitants of Avalon, that the Yerrill are not native to the planet, and invaded through another portal from a third world, but this has yet to be confirmed.

The Avalonians are a race of bipedal mammalian people, who are mostly human-like in appearance, though they have long tails with a tuft of hair-like fur at the end, pointed elf-like ears, and wild mane-like hair along with markings in the form of stripes, spots, or other exotic patterns on their skin, usually on their faces and torsos.
Their skin colours are very similar to humans, though range more to extremes of shades, as well as normal ranges, and the same with hair and eye colours.
They are warm-blooded omnivores with two genders, and reproduce in a conventional and fairly standard manner. Their physiology and biology are mostly similar to humans' with a few minor differences in chemistry and genetic makeup (as to be expected). However, they can eat most of the same foods and use most of the same medicines and live in the same places without too much trouble. Avalonians have a slightly less dense build making them more agile and somewhat more fragile, but not to an excessive degree.



Their society has been forcibly kept primitive by the Yerrill's occupation. Avalonians clearly have understanding and knowledge of technology, but the Yerrill control the size of their settlements and destroy or capture any Avalonian technology they come across, leading the Avalonians to conceal their remaining weapons, technology and other artefacts in hidden caches wherever possible. Ruined Avalonian cities, once beautiful and elegant, are now rusting, ruined debris overgrown after decades of forced neglect, and only the oldest of the population remember the days they lived in sophisticated luxury and refinement.
The remaining technology is on par, if not above, human technology, and the Avalonians have quickly adapted to humanities' technology, and have contributed their own information and knowledge that could prove to be long-term improvements to many areas of human science, engineering and technology.

Avalonians tend to be quick-thinking, alert, and curious and have speedy reaction times. They are almost universally lithe, slender and agile, and are considered generally attractive by most people, though not everyone of course. They are intelligent, and friendly for the most part, though like any race of people they are all individualistic and have varied personalities.
Some Avalonians have been enlisted and trained by the Expeditionary Force, and fight alongside them as pilots, vehicle crews, drivers, as well as in rear-echelon and support positions. Their knowledge of the Yerrill and of Avalon have made them a vital and versatile asset to the Expeditionary forces.

Other Avalonians have travelled through the gate to Earth and have begun to liaise and integrate with human society and politics on the other side of the Portal, formally negotiating and working with the UN in co-ordinating relief, supplies and other such concerns for the Avalonian people to help them in their war against the Yerrill.

Character Name:
Nickname/callsign:
Age: Must be over 18, and feasibly old enough to have graduated combat flight academy.
Nationality:
Gender:
Bio: A few short paragraphs about their life up to becoming part of the Expeditionary Forces
Personality: More of their outlook on life and disposition than the history, above.
Appearance: Picture or text. Anime pics are fine, though try and make them appropriate.
Personal Gear: Anything non-standard. Characters are assumed to have all of their normal piloting gear, which includes survival equipment and flight gear.
Personal Weapons: A sidearm, appropriate longarm and a blade. Given the more haphazard and 'frontier' nature of the Expeditionary force, it's not uncommon for pilots to carry specific weapons, especially when they are operating in FOB's or as part of ground missions or investigations.

Any heavier weapons needed than pistols, rifles or SMGs will be issued at the time or can be requisitioned.

Aircraft: What plane your character flies. A link to wiki or another fact-sheet on the web is required.
Aircraft Colours: Any personal colour customizations - the Expeditionary Force is a bit loose with that kind of thing. As long as the markings are there…
Character Theme: Optional, but fun - a song you think fits your character.

Please post your character sheet into the OOC to be approved by myself before posting it to the characters tab.