Podcasts about royal guards

Sibeal Pays A Visit.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.It is selfish to believe that your family will always love you. At some point you will be asked to earn it{Right where we left off}It was H-hour plus four. A Thai soldier fired another burst from his T A R 21. The other four soldiers around him did the same. They were using an overturned car as cover. He saw movement at a building across the street to his right. He fired off another few rounds. The figure fell to the ground. By hard-earned experience, he realized the enemy soldier had probably dived for cover, not been hit."Time to fall back. One block back," he hoped he didn't sound too shrill. "You two go first," he indicated the two townsfolk. His battalion major had drafted them minutes after the attack began. Any organized supply depot had been an open invitation for an artillery strike, so he had called for civilians to help carry the ammunition loads instead. These two had been attached to his platoon. Now they were with him.They nodded, hefted up the crate of 5.56mm and sprinted toward the rear while his men gave them cover fire. They made it. He named off two of his other men. It was their turn to go. After their sprint to safety, it was time for him and the last two to go. They ran past some terribly close flanking fire, but all made it.This Thai soldier wasn't the squad leader, or even the squad's second in command. He was a lowly Phon Thahan (Private, not 1st Class). Those two men were already dead. No, he was a common soldier who found other men listening to his orders so, by default, he was in command. His initial squad of ten had shrunk down to three. The fourth man had been part of the regimental staff, a driver, sent into the firefight to replace losses. He still could point and shoot, which was all that mattered at the moment.At the next block he found the two civilians. His men dumped their empty clips on them, then positioned themselves for the next enemy rush. The leader of this ad hoc force took the driver over to the far corner of the building they sheltered behind. Too often, going inside buildings was a death trap. The enemy would corner you then call in their artillery."Guard this corner," he told the driver. "I'll be checking up on you." The frightened soldier nodded, then took up his post. Now he had a few seconds to consider his position. He was running out of town to retreat through. Behind him lay open fields. Just then he saw the tale-tell site of a Dragon Anti-Tank missile firing from the next raised roadway to his rear-right.He couldn't see if it hit anything. There was no huge explosion. Still, it indicated that other elements of his battalion were in the fight. From what little briefing he had been given when the attack started, the major had placed his heavy machine guns and recoilless rifles on each flank to stop the enemy's mobile forces from getting around his command and surrounding them.Little did the soldier understand he was involved in a textbook defense by foot-bound infantry versus armored opponents. His two townsmen were busy shoving bullets into the thirty round magazines. His men had already engaged the enemy to the front. Gone were the cries of 'got him'. No one gave a damn anymore. They were too exhausted to care. Now they counted the comrades they had left, not the possible number of enemy out there.Six minutes later he heard the sound of death coming his way."Everyone down," he screamed a second before an artillery round flattened their shelter. For a few moments all he could do was gaze up at the heavens. His body hurt, his ears were ringing and the belief that he could stop now, he had given it his best shot and his part in this battle were over.He pulled himself and examined what he had left. He wasn't hurt if you didn't count the blood coming out his ears. He couldn't say the same for his companions. One of the townsmen had the top of his head torn off, his soulless eyes gazing up to the forever. One of his men had a smoking chunk of meat where his spine should have been. A second one was nursing a bad leg wound.The third soldier? He was already up and firing. The second townsmen was a bit dazed, yet looked like he could carry on. The soldier crouch-ran to check on the driver. He was laying on his belly. For a second he mourned for that fellow then the man got off a burst, then scooted back. He had been 'playing possum' in order to draw some enemy out. He was alive and fighting."We have got to get out of here," he told the man. "Get to the elevated road across the field then provide cover fire for the rest of us." The driver acknowledged the command, fired off one more burst then bolted for the field. The Thai made his way back to his other survivors. He gave them the same order, the civilian first.The wounded man? He couldn't make it with that leg wound and if any of the others carried him they would most likely die too."Cover us as long as you can," he ordered. The wounded shoulder crawled to the corner to relieve the only standing soldier."Go," he ordered that man. Off he sprinted. The leader placed two spare clips next to the wounded man, wished him luck, then it was his turn to sprint to safety. Close to the end, a few bullets hurried him along. He found the others had made it unwounded as well. The townsman was already shoving more bullets into the empty magazines.To his right was the remnants of the squad with the recoilless rifle and a light machine gun. To his left was a group of six Thahan Phran, paramilitary border guards. He rejoined the firing line. The enemy had overrun the buildings closest to them and were faced with the same quandary he had just overcome, the open field. When a man tapped his shoulder he nearly jumped out of his skin.It was his company commander."You've been doing well. I'm placing you in command of this section. We have a Carl Gustav (another version of a recoilless rifle) in the trees over there," the Captain pointed to the right. Hold this position as long as you can. Help is on the way."Before this fight, the soldier had dreaded this officer. He had been so pompous, so spit-and-polished and arrogant. Now he saw different qualities in the man. He was cool under fire, had his mind on the bigger picture of the fight and the discipline he had instilled in his men was paying dividends the private soldier hadn't appreciated at that time."You are Sip Tho (corporal) now," the officer told him. With that declaration, the common foot soldier had inherited 13 more men, the squad of seven to his right and the six Thahan Phran to his left. Combined with his two that made something more like a combat command. The Captain made his way back up the line. The Thai didn't have long to appreciate his promotion. Smoke shells began detonating between his position and the town, obscuring the place."Remember," he shouted. "Short, controlled bursts and only shoot at something that you know is out there!" With that, he had established his command of the situation. Several explosions detonated in the wooded position. Half a minute later, a tank appeared and pumped another H E into the position. In doing so, it exposed its side to Thai's section.The two men manning his Dragon launcher looked his way. It was a shot at a 45 degree angle and any heavy weapons fire would bring about all kinds of hate."Fire," he ordered. The man aiming the device took a few seconds then let loose. The rocket didn't penetrate the side, but it did knock a track out."Now we are going to get it," the Thai mumbled.A few heartbeats later, a larger TOW missile slammed into it from a position to his command's rear. This time the tank blew up. Of equal importance to the soldier's mind, there were men behind him and that could only mean, the second regiment had finally arrived. He was sure he wouldn't be falling back any further, giving the invaders one more inch of sacred Thai soil. It also meant his men would most likely live to see the end of the day. That mattered too.  It was H-hour plus six. Two hour earlier, elements of the Vietnamese People's Army's 314th Mechanized regiment and 206th Tank Regiment with the Mobile battalion of the Laotian 1st Division and the Khanate's Laos Force Command slammed into Khon Kaen. By that time, the small city had already seen its share of hell. Khanate forces had stormed the regional airport with an aerial assault at 4:10 AM that morning.There were no dedicated combat troops in Khon Kaen. It was the HQ for both the Royal Thai 3rd Division and its component 1st regiment. That had resulted in a see-saw battle until the relief force arrived from the north. After that, resistance had collapsed. Over three hundred men surrendered. A hundred miles to the north forces in the town of Udon Thani, battalions of the 1st and 2nd regiments of the 3rd Division were still in combat with Laotian and Vietnamese forces. The final outcome of that battle had yet to be decided.What did matter was that the entire command structure of northeast of Thailand had been neutered. There were five more battalions out there that had no idea what to do next. They suffered from sporadic air attacks, but nothing serious was coming their way.What none of them were aware of was that a Far North Force out of the Laotian highlands had broken a battalion of the Royal Thai's 6th Infantry Division, taken Roi Et and severed the communications between the two formations. At Roi Et, the Khanate armored spearhead had left elements of the 2nd Regiment of Lao's 4th Division to hold the airport and was blazing a trail westward along Highway 23, to the south/rear of those five battalions.South of Roi Et, two other Thai battalions were grudgingly giving ground to a regiment of Vietnam's 305th Division plus the 270th Combat Engineers and 16th Artillery Brigade. What mattered was that those forces were drawing off the efforts of the 6th Divisions to counteract the invasion.The 6th Division had its own litany of woes. It was the subject of a dozen pinpricks. The division's commander had lost contact with the other two divisions under the 2nd Army's command. He had enemy forces to his north around Amnat Charoen, he'd lost contact with this 1st regiment HQ at Roi Et.His second regiment, at Ubon Ratchathani, was heavily engaged with the Alliance's North Force. His 3rd regiment, spread out along the southern approaches to his life line, Highway 24, had discovered small teams of Special Forces at every bridge and crossing, making every attempt at creating a unified front costly and ultimately futile.The 2nd Army's HQ and supply hub were at Nakhon Ratchasima. They were under attack, the airport had fallen and the sole mechanized regiment (minus one battalion) was having a terrible time retaking it. They were presently incapable of coming to his defense, since their third battalion had already been called to the capital to put down unrest/enemy forces.He finally made his decision. The remnants of the 1st regiment were to retire westward over the back roads towards the division headquarters at the Si Sa Ket Railway Station. The second regiment was to hold in place until sunset. Using all of the division's remaining assets, he was going to secure Highway 24 so that his command could retire using that path before they were cut off and defeated one regiment at the time.  It was H-hour plus seven. For one of the drivers in a Khanate Heavy Mountain Supply Zuun, there wasn't much to love about this mission. He was a truck driver with a weapon, not a true foot soldier. He was content with his role in logistics, which was why his current mission scared the crap out of him. He wasn't in an armored vehicle and was accompanied by only one Fast Zuun ~ by its very nature a lightly armored unit. Now he was driving deep into enemy territory with a truckload of Karin freedom fighters, who also were lightly equipped.He had already reached the first goal, the town of San Buri, 270 kilometers behind enemy lines and only 60 kilometers from downtown Bangkok. There was a fear that his own air force would mistake then for an enemy supply column and shoot them up. Then there was the fear that some rear echelon troops would find the convoy suspicious and fill his unarmed vehicle with holes. His luck held, the enemy were looking to the north and east, not at a group of trucks heading south.Soldiers from the rebel faction of the Thai Royal Army were stationed in each vehicle to cover any conversation with the local constabulary that might come up. The cover story was that the unit was driving with a purpose ~ the capital was under attack and they were reinforcements using back roads to avoid airstrikes ~ the phone network was a mess and the fact that the plan was so audacious, the normal police officers didn't feel the need to slow the military trucks down.The last phase was pure madness. They rolled down Road 304 at 80 kph. Every time they approached a checkpoint, the unit's commander called in a hopefully faux airstrike, on both them and the Thai soldiers. That made it plausible for the convoy to race forward as the troops around them were too busy diving for cover to stop them. If anything, the defenders thought those truck drivers were the bravest men they'd ever seen.At the end of the journey, they rolled across the Road 304 Bridge over the Chao Praya River, then dispersed. Each truck disgorged 16 Karin fighters, for a total of 560. To that was added the 100 members of the Fast Zuun and 35 drivers, three Tigr's and 59 combat troops. Miracles of miracles, they found the capital to be in total chaos.  It was H-hour plus 6 and a half. The Turkish Khanate commander of 100 looked south in the direction of In Buri. He was already in the 'spread chaos' phase of his operation. The central part of In Buri was the junction of Highways 11 and 32. Somewhere to the far north, friendly units were fighting their way to him. Forces retreating south, or reinforcements from Bangkok would have to pass through his position. He commandeered some passing civilian vehicles and created barricades on all three sides of the T-cloverleaf.Before long, the ground elements of an Airmobile Zuun had joined him. That allowed him to deploy several two-man observer teams over the surrounding countryside. He left two AFV's on the bridge and camouflaged the others in the best ambush points he could think of. Then, he waited.  It was H-hour plus eight. For Julia Atwood, this was the culmination of twenty-five years working in Asia, covering a host of military conflicts and both natural and man-made humanitarian disasters. She'd gotten a tip two days earlier that Bangkok Thailand was going to be the place to be. Since she wasn't a known anti-government reporter, her entry into the country had been easy enough.She had spent the previous day picking a city guide, luckily finding one she knew well, and looking around for sources of information about 'trouble'. What she found was a quiet city on the edge of an explosion. The police, paramilitary forces and the military had everything battened down tight. At the same time, the population was extremely anxious over the upcoming loyalist offensive against the rebel northwest.The military had clamped down on all information coming out of the prospective war zones while exhorting on all forms of mass media the sacred traditions of Thai national identity and the need for law and order. That made the hairs on the back of Julia's neck tingle. It spoke of an upcoming shit storm. Still, Day One had been a bust. Few people wanted to talk about what was going on; all known opposition leaders were in prison or in exile.She had awakened early in the morning to the sound of heavy weapons fire. She had been in enough war zones to know the difference between grenades exploding, or pistol, assault rifle, machine gun, and tank fire. She was hearing tank fire, which made no sense. The Thai army didn't need to use their tank's big guns to fire at anything the opposition could bring to bear.She slipped out the back of her hotel to avoid any possible police minder, gathered up her guide and went hunting for the story. Twice she barely avoided roving army patrols. What immediately occurred to her was these soldiers didn't seem to know what was going on. They were jumpy (not good) and nervous (great for a story).Her trained ears and years of instinct led her to one of the eyes of the storm. Julia's jaw nearly dropped open. There were Central Asian men riding around in Russian equipment surrounded by throngs of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Thai 'Red Shirt' protestors marching on a police barricade. Several leaders of the movement had bullhorns and were communicating with the police. It was a tense situation.Julia forced her way to the BMP-3M, then shouted up at the commander standing in the copula. She tried Uzbek. The man looked her way."No. I'm Kazak. My Uzbek isn't very good," he replied. Julia's Kazak wasn't the best in the world, but she endeavored to make it work."What are you doing here?""I could ask you the same thing," the man smiled. "We are part of the Alliance effort to bring about democratic change in this country." Julia knew he was spouting the party line."What are you really doing here?" she pressed."I have no idea," he chortled. "I don't speak this language, don't know who these people are and only found out where Thailand was two days ago.""Are there a lot of you here?""Not really.""How did you get here?""We landed at the airport. We are a portion of an airmobile Zuun."Just then one of the protestors tried to get the unit leader's attention. He kept repeating something."He wants you to advance on the police line and look menacing," she translated."Okay," the Khanate officer shrugged. "That I can do."He spoke rapid fire Kazak, which Julia couldn't quite follow. Her ride lurched forward, the crowd parted and she could see the blood drain out of the police commander's face. Without looking her way, the Kazak spoke to Julia."Tell them they have thirty seconds to put down their arms or I'm going to shred the lot of them."Julia thought about it for a second. She was recording this exchange on her camcorder. She knew this was straying dangerously close to becoming a participant, not a reporter. She translated to the Thai young man. He sprinted toward the police and relayed the message. She had no idea what a 100mm fragmentation shell would do, had an idea how bloody a 30mm auto-cannon could get and had great familiarity with the effectiveness of 12.7 & 7.62mm machine guns.The lead protestor had a rapid discussion with the lead policeman, bowing and begging for this situation to be resolved peacefully. The countdown reached eight when the officer indicated his acquiescence. The mob didn't surge forward victoriously. Julia slapped the turret to get the Kazak's attention."You don't need to fire.""I understand that," the man acknowledged. It wasn't over though. Another protestor, a woman, waved for the Kazak's attention. Since she wasn't alone in doing so, the man hadn't noticed her. What she was saying did get Julia's attention."She is saying that tanks are on the way!" she shouted at the man in the copula."Which direction?" he inquired. Julia confirmed the information relayed by the girl, who double checked with the person on the other end of her phone, worked out the terrain in her head, then drew a quick map on her palm."They are coming up the road one block up. They are heading north toward us.""Clear out the crowd," he responded evenly. He once more ordered his unit to action. One of the Tigr's raced forward and disgorged its men close to the next corner then the vehicle withdrew."What do you plan to do?" she asked."Do what I came here to do, kill the enemy.""But they have tanks.""Fortunately I have things that kill tanks," he grinned."Do you mind if I stick around?""It is your life," he shrugged. The BMP moved forward to the point where, with its barrel turned sideways, the vehicle was just short of exposing itself. He was busy talking to someone else.Seconds later, one of the Khanate soldiers at the corner launched a grenade up the street, then two others opened fire with their assault rifles. They ducked back around the corner right as a larger caliber machine gun chewed up the wall as well as the street in front of her. Two other soldiers fired off flares into the sky."You might want to get down," the Kazak advised her. Julia nodded, jumped off and ran to the corner to join the other troopers. She edged around the corner, leading with her camcorder. Sure enough, up the street was an honest-to-God tank, with others behind it. One of the foot-bound Kazaks was busy shouting at the others. Once more, a soldier fired a grenade at the tank, to no visible effect. This time he apparently got the response the Kazaks wanted.The tank's big gun fired. One of the troopers, mindful of Julia, grabbed her as they propelled themselves to the ground. The world exploded. Julia was doing a quick check of her well-being when she heard the BMP race forward, barrel turned perpendicular down the street and then it fired. Julia barely caught it all on her camera. The IFV had fired an anti-tank missile out of its main gun. The oncoming tank was a Ukrainian made T-84 Oplot.It exploded; the turret flying away in a curtain of flame. This time it was the blast that blew Julia to the ground. A Kazak soldier hefted her up and pulled her to safety. He was truly pissed when she dodged back into the danger zone to retrieve her camcorder. She sighed happily when she found it undamaged. The BMP rolled back behind cover."Get down," the Kazak ground pounder growled. "It is about to get a whole lot worse.""How?" she looked at him."Well, now that we have stopped the column from moving," he grinned like a maniac. That wasn't much of an answer. Then she noted all the Kazaks clutching at the concrete sidewalks. She did likewise. Seconds later, she heard the jets. 'Oh God', she gulped. She'd seen more than her fair share of airstrikes. She had never been this close to one.Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the Thai crowd moving closer."Get down," she screamed in Thai. "Get Down!"Others repeated her warning and the crowed went down to their knees. Then came the thunder. Julia could barely make out the whoosh of missiles before the detonating rockets and missiles shook her world.A stubby-winged jet raced past her vision. The pilot had gotten so damn close to the building tops she could make out every feature of his aircraft. This level of caution where civilians were concerned was surprisingly unlike the Khanate. She tried to stand, but the soldier next to her had wrapped an arm around her."They come in twos," he cautioned her.Sure enough another series of explosions rocked her surroundings. No sooner had she gotten to her feet, the Kazak commander shouted,"They are coming around for another pass, then we go!"A series of passes followed with the jets using auto-cannons on whomever was left out there.Julia pushed away from her guardian and rushed up to the BMP officer."Wait," she called to him. Stunningly, he waited, looking at her. "Let the crowd save the survivors. This is their struggle too.""If the soldiers fire on them there will be little I can do," he responded."Give them a chance."Against all her expectations, he did. The crowd moved to discover the carnage visited on their oppressors, and fellow countrymen.  It was H-hour plus eight. The Thai tank commander was close to the end of his rope. He'd been fighting since sunrise. Defend, attack, withdraw to a defensive position then wait for the order to counterattack. His platoon had dwindled down to his sole surviving tank. His company no longer acted as a separate entity. Now his battalion, barely a company in strength, operated as a fire brigade, shoring up his beleaguered battle group.The last attack, backed by air power, had shattered his unit. He fell back, literally backing into a second story building to avoid the ever-present Alliance attack helicopters. From his vantage point he could see a column of armored vehicles rolling down Highway 11. He was debating which one he would fire on first when he noticed a jeep coming his way. Onboard were three Thai soldiers, rebels.The jeep rolled right up to his hiding spot. The man in the back dismounted and he walked right up to the tank."Can we talk?" the man inquired. The tank commander kept him covered with this machine gun."What do you have to say, traitor?" he barked."I come to request,""We will not surrender," he growled."We are not asking you to surrender," the man corrected him. "We are asking you to let the war pass you by.""Why should I?""If you fight, you will be destroyed. The Thai army will need to rebuild when this is over and we must be strong. If you throw your life away, we will all be weaker."The tank commander had to think that over. If he began firing on that armored column he would be striking a mighty blow for his country. He would also be sentencing him and his men to death."There will be no surrender?""No sir," the man insisted.The rebel soldier made some sense. The Thai military would have to rebuild when this catastrophe was over. He and his men had done their part."We will stay here for a while," the tank commander informed the rebel."Very well," the soldier bowed. He remounted his jeep and drove away."We are going to stay here a while," he addressed his crewmen. "Get a bite to eat and a drink of water."His men hesitated for a moment."Now, while we have the chance."The men hopped to. They had their orders. They would worry about the morality of their actions later.  It was H-hour plus nine. The men in the Royal Thai Army's high command were finally getting ahold of the big picture. The good news was the Third Army's offensive was grinding to a halt along a line stretching along Highway 1 from Tham Pet Tham Tong Forest in the east to Chai Nat on the Chao Praya River in the west. It was accepted as fact that the 3rd Cavalry and 11th Infantry divisions could hold the line.West of the Chao Praya was a chaotic mess of small garrisons involved in raids and counter-raids. It was deemed unlikely the Alliance forces could push forward any further in that direction either. It also meant that they couldn't pull units from that region to reinforce any of their other trouble points and they had a few.That was most of the good news.Another piece of good news was the1st Army's 2nd Infantry Division had stopped the invasion force they were facing only a few kilometers over the frontier in the area of Watthana Nakhon District. As soon as they had gathered the majority of the division together, they would be mounting a counter-offensive with the intention of overwhelming that force and destroying it.After that, it only got worse.In the area of the 2nd Army, the 3rd Infantry Division and the 2nd Cavalry Division had virtually ceased to exist as cohesive forces. Two battalions of the 3rd Division were retreating south into the 6th Division's area. The 2nd Cavalry division had been reduced pre-battle to one mechanized regiment. That regiment was gone and with it, the supply routes for the 2nd Royal Thai Army.Inside that zone, the 6th Infantry Division still existed, but it was in a world of trouble. They had lost control of Highway 24, their primary supply/evacuation route, and were relentlessly being driven out of Ubon Ratchathani. Even with the slowly arriving battalions of the 3rd Division, the 6th could barely muster two combat-effective regiments and those were running short of fuel and ammunition. The 6th had become a static force, too large to be overwhelmed, too immobile to press the enemy out, or save themselves from a slow strangulation. Had they their assigned tank battalion, but they didn't.The 1st Army's 9th Division was in the worst shape. They had gathered into one elliptical shaped perimeter centered on Chanthaburi and were down to four battalions and two tanks. Technically, they had another battalion, except the 1st Army command had ordered that into Bangkok to aid in suppressing the rebel movement. The 9th Division was surrounded, under attack from the land, sea (the Indian Navy had joined the fight) and air. Their commanding general expected to be wiped out before sunset.And Bangkok?It was turning into a typhoon scale disaster. They had finally determined that there were eight small Khanate platoons roaming the city, seemingly at will. The 1st Division had finally located and destroyed one of those, along with a dozen protestors who chose to fight by their side. The others were still at large and causing trouble.That wasn't the worst of it though. The plan had been to pacify outlying neighborhoods and work their way in to the worst areas. That had started out effectively, then suddenly they had lost the northwestern and southeastern sectors. In the northwest, there were Karin fighters killing, or capturing police and paramilitary strongpoints.In the southeast, it was much worse. Unknown armored troops from the 9th Division's rear area had come seeping in along the riverfront. They seemed to be everywhere at once, surprising roadblocks and checkpoints then ambushing the forces sent to restore order. They were a cancer pushing into a city already short on reserves.There were public displays of defiance going out over the international news, surgical air strikes and a growing sense among the rank and file 'Guardians of the Public Order' that they were on the losing side. There were reports of police turning their backs on the unrest, directing traffic and arresting petty criminals instead.The Royal Thai Army in Bangkok still had over 50,000 men under its command. They were sure they were facing less than a thousand hardcore militants, yet they were losing control of the streets. Part of that was caused by the military being tied down to certain strategic areas they had to hold. They had to protect over a dozen buildings and, as they had painfully learned, a platoon wouldn't do.The Government House had been temporarily overrun and Parliament had been shelled. Channel 3 had been hijacked and the forces sent to take it back had been subject to intense helicopter attacks and driven back. They'd killed two such craft, but that only seemed to make the Alliance troops angrier. This was what a death by a thousand cuts felt like. This was worse than bad, because it looked bad on media going out all over the world.  It was H-hour plus twelve. The commander of the MARCOS had finally taken the time to eat. He was in the Maleenont Towers section of Khlong Toei, Bangkok. It had been his masterstroke, seizing the Channel 3 station. He wasn't sure who the eight shady characters who showed up with the VIPs were and he didn't really care. What did matter was while the VIP's fought like wildcats in private they were putting on a unified front while on TV.One of the VIPs was the former civilian Prime Minister of Thailand. The other guys seemed to hate her guts, but were willing to work with her to overthrow the generals. What he did care about was the nearly five hundred men under his command plus a dozen helicopters and jets somewhere above, waiting to swoop in and help when the next government attack materialized.He had to give them this much, the police forces had guts, not a lot of brains, but plenty of guts. Their counter-terrorism unit had known their stuff, but they didn't have any effective anti-tank weapons and he had a half dozen tanks. Whenever the army got feisty, he called up 'Shiva's Fist' ~ his men's joking reference to the Khanate air support. Those bastards not only killed you, they came back around and killed your corpse too.He got a call from the perimeter. Some of those Karin fighters had crossed half the city to join them. The Indian officer had thought that part of the Khanate plan was utter madness, yet here they were, shooting up the place in a manner only highly experienced insurgents could. Those guys didn't even want to hang around. They were asking for more ammo. The locals were giving them all the food and water they needed.At nine, once it was truly dark, the Khanate was promising to drop off a few tons of whatever they need plus some more medivac units. He was down nine men dead and twenty-seven wounded badly enough they need to be removed. The Khanate had lost four times as many. All in all, the overthrow of a military regime was turning out to not be as difficult as he thought it would be. He was waiting to be surprised.  It was H-hour plus fifteen. The fighting had died down and now the main activity was the Thai civic authorities fighting the fires burning in Saraburi. The Khanate Commander of 1000 looked over his shoulder at the burning city. It hadn't been much of a fight, mainly a few rear echelon forces from the Royal Thai 2nd Army and some paramilitaries.He wasn't in the town. The majority of his troopers had already rolled down to the junction of Highways 1 and 33. He had communication with other elements farther west on Highway 32 at Ang Thong and to the northwest at the junction of Highways 1 and 32. The offensive operations was essentially over for his command. That was just as well. He was running low on petrol. He still had plenty of ammunition though.They were sitting on the lifeline for the 1st Army's 3rd Cavalry and 11th Division to the north and the 2nd Division to the east. The 6th Division was too far in his rear to matter and the 9th Division was facing annihilation along the coast. It was very dark now, but the air force was still active. Some pilots were flying their sixteenth mission of the day.For most of the day, the Khanate Air Force had concentrated on his axis of advance and the battle in Bangkok. The Vietnamese Air Force had concentrated on the hapless 9th Division. In reality, the Alliance was almost at the end of its tether.His combined Laos and Far North Task Forces were spent. The North and Cambodian Task Forces had the 6th Division pinned down. The South Task Force had done the same with the 9th. Only the Central Task Force facing the 2nd Division appeared to be in serious trouble.None of those formations were actually near defeat, though many of them wouldn't realize that until morning. Only the 3rd Army's two task force had consisted of more than 5,000 hastily gathered troops and most of those were Cambodians, Laotians and Vietnamese. To that the Khanate had added 50 mobile Zuuns spread over ten task forces and another 50 airmobile, parachute and airlifted units ~ less than ten thousand men and women spread over all fronts.The cold, hard reality for him was that not a single loyalist Thai unit had been destroyed. The 3rd and 9th infantry divisions has been battered, that was true. The majority of their mobile forces, the 2nd and 3rd cavalry divisions, still existed as a potent force. The 11th and 2nd infantry divisions were also out there, but they were all cut off from the capital. And in this elegant global play, the one theater that mattered was Bangkok.In the morning, if they came for him, the loyalist Thai's were going to discover that offense was a lot more painful that defense. Only the 2nd Division bothered him. The forces to the north were too heavily engaged with the rebel Thai 3rd Army to dispatch more than a battalion his way and he would gobble up a battalion.It would be too much to ask the battered Alliance Center Task Force to keep the 2nd Division occupied. From what he had heard, they were on the verge of disintegration after a powerful Loyalist counterattack. He did have patrols on the 304 and 359 Roads in case their commander got creative. What those few men lacked in vehicles, they would compensate for with air power.The Khanate Air Force was a 24/7, all-weather operation. They had lost 40 aircraft to enemy action and a further forty to mechanical malfunction. Losses in helicopters was also high. But there were still enough of both to get the job done. Now all he had to do was wait for the Americans to arrive.  It was H-hour plus seventeen.There were only three major acts left in this macabre play before the eyes of the world. A squadron of 12 Tu-22M bombers found two of the 2nd Division's regiments sneaking to the west. The Thais had done this with as much secrecy as they could. Unfortunately, their move was one of only two option left to the Loyalist Royal Thai Army.Option One, the most likely one, had the 2nd Division attacking the Khanate troops south of Saraburi. It would not only give the 2nd Division freedom of movement, it would establish supply lines to the divisions currently holding the rebel Thai Third Army at bay. It was the predictable choice.The Khanate U A V were out there, scouting for them and when they spotted the three columns using the backroads to approach their attack positions, they relayed that information to a not-so-distant A-50E/I. The squadron of waiting bombers had incredible endurance and had been circling the suspected target area for three hours. They broke up into groups of six then into groups of two. The first two lined up on their targets then unleashed their lethal cargo.Each plane dropped sixty-nine 250 kg bombs. That was138 bombs with a combined explosive power of 75,900 lbs. spread out over three-quarters of a mile. The A-50 assessed the damage for 7 minutes before sending the second set of two in. Another 138 bombs. Another 75,900 lbs. of death. The third group wouldn't be needed. In ten minutes the fighting power of the 2nd Royal Thai Infantry Division had evaporated.Option Two? That called for the 1st Infantry Division, with her added units, to sally forth from Bangkok and rescue the trapped elements of their other divisions. That would have entailed abandoning large areas of the capital to the protestors and the tiny groups of invaders that were helping them. No one thought they would do that and they were right. Had they been wrong, there was another squadron of bombers waiting for them.  It was H-hour plus nineteen. The Thai Phon Thahan-turned-Sip Tho looked out into the darkness. Four hours ago he was anticipating crossing the Cambodian border and burning down their town for a change. Now, now it was wait-and-see. The majority of the division had withdrawn for a long night march to the west. From what he had gathered, the 2nd Army had been pummeled and it was once again the time for the 2nd Division to save the day.He spotted movement in front of him. He glanced over to his 'sniper', a Thahan Phran who was the best shot in his unit and had a taste for the task. The man had the target in his sights."I come to parlay," the voice in the darkness shouted in less than perfect Thai. The Thai soldier had to think what that meant. His instinct was to shoot the man. His training taught him to not make choices above his pay grade."Advance. Don't do anything stupid," he called out. To the man next to him he whispered, "Go get the Captain." The man slunk away. No one alive in the unit stood up to do anything. You even pissed crouched down. The man coming toward him was a Cambodian. It was evident in both his gear and accent. "What do you want?""We want a truce," the man replied. He remained very erect, his hands in the air and only made slow, careful movements."I should shoot you," he growled."That would be unfortunate for both of us. I would, of course, be dead, and my allies would open up with our artillery."The conversation was truncated by the captain's arrival. They went through much of the same routine, absent the 'I should kill you part' and the counter-threat. The captain turned to the Thai soldier."Blindfold and bind this man's hands then take him to the Phan Ek (Colonel). Let him figure this out."Without the soldier saying anything the Captain added, "This could be a ruse. I must stay here. Hurry."He nodded, took a shirt from one of the civilian volunteers, cut it into strips then blindfolded and bound the man."If you so much as sneeze, I'll put a bullet in your head," he warned the man."I understand," the Cambodian replied. The soldier took the Cambodian one block behind the lines, spun the man around several times, then led him toward the command bunker. He spun him around twice more before making his final approach. A wounded junior officer met him at the entrance."Come on," he took custody of the man. Having nothing else to do and not having been ordered to release the prisoner, the soldier followed along.The Regimental Commander had the man un-blindfolded. His hands remained bound."What do your masters want?" the Major snapped."They want a truce," the Cambodian blinked in the sudden bright light."You invaded us without a declaration of war. That makes you criminals, not combatants.""We attacked at the request of the legitimate authority in Thailand, the Commanding General of the Royal Thai Third Army.""Those men are rebels and you will not refer to them as anything but," the Phan Ek insisted."Very well. My Commander wishes to let you know that our mobile hospital has arrived. We wish to exchange prisoners and place our facilities at your disposal as well.""The Royal Thai army will be there soon enough," the Major glowered."Unlikely. Our Khanate allies have informed us that most of your division was destroyed on the road. You have one battered regiment and a handful of tanks. You are not going anywhere."The soldier wanted to slap the smug smile off the man's face."I do not have the authority to hand over prisoners until their status as POWs or criminals has been established," the senior officer countered."If you consider our men criminals, we will treat your men like traitors.""Are you threatening me?""Yes. A fact you should be aware of is that the Khanate has been flying in reinforcements since noon and we have five more armored, mechanized and artillery Zuuns to attack with. Come sunrise, we will be coming at you again unless we have a truce.""Now you are threatening us again," the Phan Ek pointed out."I am explaining the realities of your situation, nothing more," the Cambodian countered. "Our task force commander believes that further violence will be futile. You have done your job and we have done ours.""And your job was to keep us occupied so you could rape and pillage other parts of our country?""No sir. The Alliance forces have been operating under very strict guidelines. The Thai people are our allies and we are a liberating force," the Cambodian replied."You consider this town 'liberated'? You've destroyed it," the Phan Ek noted."It was unfortunate that you chose to fight us here."The Colonel studied the man silently for thirty seconds."I will agree to a two hour truce. That should allow me to contact my superiors for further clarification on my mission. We will hand over any critically injured 'invaders'. You will return any POW's you are holding in exchange.""Agreed," the Cambodian immediately responded."Just like that? It is really within your authority to make such a deal?""As I said earlier Phan Ek, we believe the fighting is over. We don't need your captured men. We would like to see as many as our comrades live as possible. No matter what your commanders say, the fact remains that if you come out of these ruins, you will be slaughtered. You know that. I know that. Peace is the only avenue that leads to any level of success. Today, today, both our forces did what our commanders told us to do. The dying should stop.""Go. The truce will take effect in, fifteen minutes ~ 12:12 am. We will transfer prisoners and wounded at your point of entry. We will both give a warning whistle fifteen, ten, five and one minute before the truce ends at 2:12 am. Do you understand?"The Cambodian repeated the terms of the truce. He was bound up then sent back with the Sip Tho."Do you really think this is the end of the fighting," he asked his blind captive."On the lives of my children I hope so," the man sighed. "I led 88 men into battle this morning and now I'm down to 46 effectives. I have lost too many already for a battle that wasn't in my nation's best interest. I am tired of the killing.""Me too," the Thai said a moment later. After he delivered him to the Captain on the front lines, the man was unbound."Good luck," he found himself saying."Good luck for both of us," the Cambodian gave a weary smile. "May we not meet again.""If I see you again, I will kill you.""I feel the same way," the man chuckled. "We are both soldiers doing what more powerful men have commanded us to do. I don't know about you, but I have had enough." Several Thai soldiers nodded. They had driven the enemy off Thai soil. Continuing the fight didn't seem to have much of a point.  

Stalwart sentries of the emperor, the Royal Guards were known for their skill and absolute loyalty to their liege. Despite their reputation, it was one of their greatest warriors who would ultimately end Emperor Palpatine. From the ashes of the Dark Empire, a new Empire, a Crimson Empire… Become a patron to get access to the bonus episodes or support the show through Paypal and bitcoin! You can also check out our merch on Redbubble. Don't forget to also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com and Discord! https://doras.to/starlores

Kitty visits Queen Nylon Mouse and learns about her new assistant.

     Last time on The Tales of Archeron, another Greim, Saedhir's Wrath, was supposedly slain after eating some of Empress Izel's Royal Guards and more importantly Hambjerger. Moriko's sharp eyes noticed a shape moving through the trees and gave chase, eventually tracking down and beating the ever living snot out of Saedhir's Wrath who had gone invisible to retreat. The rest of the party arrived and saw to finishing the creature off for good. Except for Brick. He just pretended to be the world's largest cork. With the beast finally slain, Pez dove into its corpse to retrieve what was left of Hambjerger. Their friend retrieved, the Tempests returned to the Empress to see if there was anything she could do to help. Having no way to bring Hambjerger back, Pez seemed to close himself off.      Empress Izel invited the Tempests to return with her to Colatl so that she could reward them properly. What they weren't expecting was to be traveling upon the largest vessel they'd ever seen. Far bigger than any sea faring ship, it was the size of a small village. And it flew! It would take a few days to arrive in Colatl and the Tempests had other things that needed addressing. Questioning the severed head of Zephyrus was first on the list and... revealed very little information. The head was promptly chucked off the side of the side of the Koskatl to hopefully not land on some poor child far below and scar them for life.       Encouraged by the rest of the party, Pez reached out to Coyote to see what could be done for Hambjerger and received a good heart-to-heart with the deity. Coyote revealed that Hambjerger was gone, yet not. Coyote made a deal with Pez: If the little Kobold wanted his friend back, he'd have to work for it. Coyote resurrected Hambjerger within the Orc lands, and it was up to Pez and his friends to find their companion.      Reinvigorated with a new goal on the horizon, Pez finally made a decision about what to do with the Tetl Yolili: He would attach Cassie's soul to their Wagon. Once the ritual was complete, the wagon now named "Cassie's Sanctuary", the Tetl attached itself to the banister where it had been placed.      We rejoin the Tempests now as they hear a disembodied yawn and a voice familiar to Pez saying "Hello!"   A huge shoutout to Nick Black who made our new intro jingle. Go show some love to @NickBlackMusic and his Banana Army at https://www.twitch.tv/nickblackmusic and let him know we sent you! You can check out his music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2JJiUnuFWy9200nltASksL?si=LIy7N---SX24Z0ktRQbUsQ If you'd like to join the community to chat with the Fools and other D&D aficionados, considering joining our discord! https://discord.gg/bWSgjAdMbp If you like what we do and would like to support us, consider donating to our Ko-Fi page at https://www.ko-fi.com/foolsandflagons You can catch us live every other Friday on Twitch at: https://www.twitch.tv/foolsnflagons/ If you'd like to see our past adventures, you can check out the VODs on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/c/FoolsNFlagons  

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In today'd episode we get to examine and contemplate all about Snoke's NEW Elite Praetorian Guards. This episode covers info leaked from www.StarWarsNews.net (with no affiliation) Do you guys like the new look of them? Or do you think it's too over the top? Why does it connect to Palpatine? What reason do you think?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder what happened to the Emperor's Royal Guards after they were sent away  in Return of the Jedi? There's an answer now, and the richly-told first-person story includes an encounter with Luke Skywalker. Punch it! ~*~*~*~*~*~ Be sure to subscribe/follow the show on your favorite podcast app! If you have an extra minute, a rating or review on Apple or Spotify would be super helpful, too. :-) Like YouTube? Subscribe here: https://youtube.com/sw7x7?sub_confirmation=1 Wanna leave me a tip? Thank you in advance! https://venmo.com/sw7x7 Join the SW7x7 community: https://Patreon.com/sw7x7  ~*~*~*~*~*~ Follow the Show: Twitter: https://twitter.com/sw7x7podcast TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@sw7x7 Instagram: https://instagram.com/sw7x7 Facebook: https://facebook.com/sw7x7 Star Wars 7x7. It's destiny unleashed! #sw7x7

Admiral Piett, the Emperor's Royal Guard, a captured scout trooper, an X-Wing pilot, and Commander Wedge Antilles feature in this collection of stories from A Certain Point of View.   In this fully armed and operational episode of Podcast Stardust, we discuss: Admiral Piett's reflections on how he did everything right just before his demise at the Battle of Endor, The experience of the Emperor's Royal Guards after realizing that the Emperor died on the Death Star, The horror of a scout trooper captured by Ewoks as his comrades are eaten, An X-Wing pilot managing her feelings for a comrade before and during the Battle of Endor, and Commander Wedge Antilles dealing with the stress of command and what comes after the fall of the Empire.   For more coverage of From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi, check out episode 648.   Thanks for joining us for another episode! Subscribe to Podcast Stardust for all your Star Wars news, reviews, and discussion wherever you get your podcasts. And please leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts.   Find Jay and her cosplay adventures on J.Snips Cosplay on Instagram.

In Part 1/2, your favorite sister duo discusses Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family, and whether or not they are team Meghan. You'll learn why the Royal Guards wear those black fuzzy hats. They also give their top 3 favorite movies/shows that are affiliated with London, and discuss locations in and around the city that are featured in major films. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!London Favorites:Royal Family buildings: Buckingham Palace, Westminster AbbeyHarry Potter film locations: Millennium Bridge, Leadenhall Market, King's Cross Station, Borough Market, Piccadilly Circus, Australian EmbassyNeighborhoods to visit: Notting Hill, KnightsbridgeOther sights to see: Big Ben, House of Parliament, Harrods, Churchill Arms (pub)For all of the Love It There content: Visit our Website!Follow Love It There Podcast on Instagram: @loveittherepodPrefer video podcasts? Watch on YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aloha Soul Reapers! Yhwach is the Soul King's son! And yet I don't think he's ever been in the Soul Place. Luckily he got a warm weloming from the Royal Zeroth Squad. Amazing abilities and sassy attitudes. Follow us on Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr for updates, anime anniversaries, and fanart + https://twitter.com/FunUntitled + https://www.instagram.com/fununtitled/ + https://www.tumblr.com/fununtitled   Buy Anime-related keychains and stickers at Annie's Shop + https://suraelis.bigcartel.com/   Subscribe to our Youtube channel to listen to our Podcast AND watch a speed drawing of our thumbnails + https://www.youtube.com/@fununtitled   Follow us on Anchor to listen to just the Podcast + https://anchor.fm/fununtitled   Check out our Linktree for all our Accounts + https://linktr.ee/FunUntitled

THE NEW ANIME-ONLY LORE WE GET THIS EPISODE IS INSANE!!!! The episode delves deep into Quincy history, treating us to a gripping 6-minute flashback that offers unparalleled insight into the Quincies from over a millennium ago. Witness an intense conversation between Ichibei and Ywach, discussing the very essence of life and death. Ichibei treats Ywach to visions of the Soul King's Past. And as if that wasn't enough, brace yourself for some plot-altering revelations: Ywach's audacious move to seize the arm of the Soul King, Pernida, countered by Ichibei's attempt to keep Ywach in check he trades the arm in exchange for the Soul Kings Eyes from Ywach himself.Join our discord: https://discord.gg/bgtUVfuhGkFollow us: https://twitter.com/theweebsguild https://instagram.com/theweebsguildBuy our merch: https://weebsguildstore.comhttps://weebsguild.comEpisode 24 of Bleach TYBW is here, and it's bursting with action, lore, and some unexpected surprises! We kick things off with Ywach making his grand entrance into the Royal Palace, setting the scene for a monumental showdown. But before the action can even start, we're introduced to Ywach's formidable royal guards: Askin, Gerard, Pernida, and Lille Barro. And believe us, they're not just here to stand around; each one faces off against the legendary Squad Zero, promising battles that are nothing short of epicAs we approach the series finale, every moment is crucial. Dive into our latest Bleach Boys podcast as we dissect this penultimate episode, and be sure to subscribe for our takes on the upcoming conclusion!#anime #bleach #tybwSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/bleachboys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week we’re covering Hunter ep 113 and 114 where the Extermination Team gets separated into their own PvP battles against the Royal Guards with Shoot vs Youpi and Morel vs Pouf. Meanwhile, Killua and Knuckle wrestle with the concept that helping may actually make things worse. YOU BETTER GET READY! Check out our spotify: sptfy.com/spirithunterpod Follow and hit us up at your social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/spirithunterpod/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/spirithunterpod Instagram: instagram.com/spirithunterpod You can support the show and join our backer discord at www.patreon.com/spirithunterpod

When Queen Elizabeth died, the Royal Guards went into action...

When Queen Elizabeth died, the Royal Guards went into action...

The Royal Guards have become one of the sights and symbols of London and the UK. There are many myths and famous facts connected with their job and rules: like, for example, that they aren't allowed to talk. Turns out, it's possible, but only in very specific circumstances: if people get too close to them or become aggressive. You'll also never see one of them smiling for a selfie as they're not even allowed to chuckle! And it was rumored that if they do, they'll receive a fine of about $200.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the Queen's Royal Guards passed out during her vigil. We've ALL had missteps throughout our lives, how did you recover? Hudson & Star also give you encouragement along the way. Weekday mornings 5:30am - 10am

This week, we cover episodes 87 and 88 where Gon and Killua train to beat Knuckle and Shoot and avoid death by creeper Palm. Meanwhile Netero and pals pick off Chimera Ants while the last of the Royal Guards hatches and we discover what you get when you cross an egyptian god and a french cartoon!? Check out our spotify: sptfy.com/spirithunterpod Follow and hit us up at your social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/spirithunterpod/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/spirithunterpod Instagram: instagram.com/spirithunterpod You can support the show and join our backer discord at www.patreon.com/spirithunterpod

Today on the Toy Power Podcast, we come to you with a lot of News!!  Yes, McFarlane seems to be doing the impossible with so many new DC sub-lines and releases it's difficult to keep up.  What does the 3 Jokers have to do with Swamp Thing?  Knee concerns from The Suicide Squad, but King Shark looks like a must have!!  66' Batman returns with Batmobile & maybe a diorama Batcave?  Some really neat Avatar the Last Air Bender toys revealed as well, from the Todd Father!!  Marvel Legends, Gi Joe Classified with vehicles & the big S7 SILVERHAWKS reveal!!  Then it's straight into the new MOTU Revelations trailer!  Wow!  Just Wow!  Keeping with Masters, we see some exclusive Royal Guards released as well as a slew of Star Wars reveals.  Our buddy Dave Bond has a website we recommend you check out: merlinstoystore.com  Then we have tales from the Adelaide Mega Toy Fair to finish off the episode; including scores from said event!!  It's a slightly longer ep than normal, so get comfortable! Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boys are finally set off on the quest that has been more than a month in the planning. With the finer details yet to be revealed none of them know what may be in store, but with all emotional changes they've been through over the last year, they're itching to get stuck into a good old fashioned dust up. But will they survive? Will they conquer the naval stopover on Nassau? Or will the Royal Guards and Marines encamped there make this their final mission? There's only one way to know, join Tom (Keth), Paul (Malrus), Alex (Derek), and Chip (Jeff), led by James (the Dungeon Master) and Roll Britannia. BUY US A BEER - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RollBritannia NEW STOCK AVAILABLE IN OUR MERCH STORE - https://shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/roll-britannia/

Our adventurers wander closer and closer to the storm and Shaelle. Triggus makes some new friends. Rhakna looks for signs of the storm. Kai knows a super secret spell.

A Sweet, Kind, Engaging Weekday Podcast for Children of All Ages. A 10 minute educational conversation between Pinkie The Pig & Mildred the Cow.This Episode: Describes the Royal Guards

Grab your Game Boy Advances (and bring your link cables too) as we do a deep dive this week into the single most underappreciated Zelda game - Four Swords Adventures! I just finished playing a solo run of this game for the first time and have lots of thoughts - how is it solo compared to multiplayer? Is it a pain to set up? How does one player control four Link's? And then we shift over to the story, which is actually bonkers and full of lore. Did the four Royal Guards of Hyrule inspire the Champions? How is Ganondorf back if this game takes place after he's supposed to be dead? We actually get an explanation of who Dark Link is and where he comes from! And what does it have to do with the Twili?? Even if you've never played Four Swords Adventures, you do not want to miss out on this show!

Grab your Game Boy Advances (and bring your link cables too) as we do a deep dive this week into the single most underappreciated Zelda game - Four Swords Adventures! I just finished playing a solo run of this game for the first time and have lots of thoughts - how is it solo compared to multiplayer? Is it a pain to set up? How does one player control four Link's? And then we shift over to the story, which is actually bonkers and full of lore. Did the four Royal Guards of Hyrule inspire the Champions? How is Ganondorf back if this game takes place after he's supposed to be dead? We actually get an explanation of who Dark Link is and where he comes from! And what does it have to do with the Twili?? Even if you've never played Four Swords Adventures, you do not want to miss out on this show!

The Royal Guards caught the Champions sneaking into the White Castle, but thanks to Olive, our heroes were escorted directly to the Fae Court. Now comes the moment of truth. The Champions found Esmond Chong, but rescuing him—and themselves—is now a matter for trial. Reeling from the shock they are not the first Champions to visit this court, can they make their case? And what of Hyde? Mel contemplates a trade. Nico drops a mask. Martha digs in. Olive drops a big weight. Huxley strikes a chord…and then strikes back. Reminder that this month, Reserve Champion can do it for the graham (wait, no, not s’mores!) – and rec the show on Instagram tagging @wearenerdsmith and using #ChampionsCast. Share the show, share art you made, share a favorite clip, and we’ll draw for some prototype swag as we enter production in this Summer of Zines!

Welcome back to The Legion Academy - a Star Wars Legion podcast featuring Joe DePinto and John Griffin of the 312th Legion, as well as Shawn Morris of The Terrain Studio. This week we chat about our upcoming Rallypoint Qualifiers, tech talk on Royal Guards and Wookies, how to learn from losses, and the ways in which we prefer to demo the game to new players.

On this episode we breakdown Emperor Palpatine and the Royal Guards, talk PAX unplugged and other Legion affairs. Visit us across the inter-webs: Website: thefifthtrooper.com Twitter: @FifthTrooper Facebook: fb.me/fifthtrooper  This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7BHmJjl16-I

The boys dive into a deep dissection of iconic gay show Queer as Folk. They unearth Hollywood's best kept secret and discuss various causes they would champion now that gay marriage is legal. They receive a call from a rabid fan, Tommy Falcon.

Once again, Underwhelmed proves to be your best source for travel recommendations, tips, and tricks. This week Nicole shares the details of her recent trip to London and Christie isn’t shy to chime in with her tips from the time she spent in London a mere 15 years ago. Topics of their in-depth discussion include: London’s Traffic, The London Eye, Red Eye Flights, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, Big Ben, Hop On Hop Off Bus, Changing of the Royal Guards, Sparking Water, Airport Lounges, Airport Shopping, the London Heat Wave, Buckingham Palace, High Tea, and Harrods. Be sure to stay Underwhelmed but in the loop: · Website: www.underwhelmedpodcast.com · Email: info@underwhelmedpodcast.com · Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/underwhelmedpodcast/ · Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underwhelmedpodcast · Twitter: www.twitter.com/underwhelmedpod Christie can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/realchristiewheeler and Nicole can be found at https://www.instagram.com/realnicolekokinos. National Day to be Underwhelmed is October 6, 2018. Find more details at http://www.underwhelmedpodcast.com/nationaldaytobeunderwhelmed.html.

Our Marshalls trusted the wrong candy-people when they decided to throw themselves on the mercy of the Royal Guards. And now with three of the team bound and bleeding on the ground, how can they escape a gooey end?Hope you enjoy! Please consider supporting us on PatreonLike us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lawanddisorderpodcastFollow us on twitter @law_disorderTNCOr visit our Website: www.thatsnotcanonproductions.comPlayers: Isaac Joekong, Jack Cliff, Miranda Selwood, Nick De Villiers, Sebastian Briguglio Dungeon Master: Zane C WeberRecorded and Produced by Zane C Weber

In episode twenty-four, Bill welcomes back Will, aka HandsomCostanza moderator of the Star Wars Collecting subreddit. Bill discusses his collection of Mezco One:12 Collective figures and the Detolf cabinet he recently purchased to display them. In the news are the 3.75 Battle of Crait four pack, Hot Toys Emperor and Royal Guards, and Figuarts Ben Kenobi pre-orders.The feature figure this week is SH Figuarts Chewbacca. Hear Bill and Will's impressions on the latest episode of the DorkLair!

This is a monster mailbag full of a lot of Rainin' Junk (who's babysitting for you, who's getting the Royal Guard to flinch) and some Rainin J's (tons of DPE and potential trade talk). John Karalis and Sam Packards answer it all for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a monster mailbag full of a lot of Rainin' Junk (who's babysitting for you, who's getting the Royal Guard to flinch) and some Rainin J's (tons of DPE and potential trade talk). John Karalis and Sam Packards answer it all for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight on Dump Stats...It's a Trap! Well, it was a trap! The Bad Humanoids were ambushed by Royal Guards as they made port in Sol Dominica. Nathaniel, Dash, Eldeth and Jurm are sitting in a cell, while Nero made a hasty escape by casting Invisibility. His magic use may have backfired, though, as he was once again knocked unconscious and whisked away to the Purple World. Can Nero wake up in time to save the day? What secrets will he learn in his cosmic travels? Can the rest of the Bad Humanoids escape their captivity? Who is the mole in the Christopher's Cross Crew? All these questions, and even more on this episode of Dump Stats!  

It’s 1648 and the splendiferous Taj Mahal awaits its opening. Humayun and Babur, the two lowliest members of Emperor Shah Jahan’s Royal Guards, are assigned the lowliest duty at the lowliest post. They are stationed at the outside gate and forbidden to look in. Humayun dreams of being reassigned to the Emperor’s harem. Babur dreams of bigger things. Babur can’t help but to steal a gaze at the magnificent edifice, and soon their dreams turn to nightmares. So goes the tale of playwright Rajiv Joseph’s Guards at the Taj, running now at the Marin Theatre Company. A curious mixture of comedy and horrific drama, director Jasson Minadakis helms what is easily the most polarizing production currently playing in the bay area. While set in ancient India, it’s told in the vernacular of modern American youth. What starts out with light, amusing interplay between Humayun (Jason Kapoor) and Babur (Rushi Kota) as they deal with the monotony and tedium of ‘work’ soon turns very dark and blood red as Humayun’s desire for advancement leads to them both taking on an unenviable duty. Sha Jahan has decreed that nothing more beautiful than the Taj Mahal shall ever be built, and to ensure that has ordered that the 20,000 craftsmen involved shall have their hands removed. Seeing this as an opportunity to prove themselves to their superiors, Humayun and Babur undertake the task. In the end, neither ends up where they expected. MTC has issued plenty of notice to its patrons that this production features simulated violence and even discounts its front row seats since they are in a sort of a “splash” (though more like “splatter”) zone. Ponchos are also offered to guests seated in the area. In fact, there is little violence actually portrayed on-stage but the results of the unseen violence can be unsettling to some. I suspect the closer you are to the stage, the more unsettling it is. Lost in all the talk of the gallons of blood occupying the Boyer Theatre stage are the performances of Kapoor and Kota. They have terrific chemistry and immediately charm the audience as two old friends. One is practical, responsible, somewhat level-headed. The other is goofy, impetuous, more artistic in his thinking. That friendship is, to say the least, tested. Their happy-go-lucky banter and the genuine affection portrayed for each other in the first half makes the second half resolution that much more difficult to stomach. Joseph packs a lot into this 85 minute, no intermission play. Issues of class and power, duty and responsibility are at the forefront, but ultimately it comes down to what an individual is willing to do to advance in the world and what one does when faced with a difficult choice. Whether these issues are overshadowed by the staging is a fair question, and one that requires significant post-show thought. As the audience exited, I sat in the theatre trying to come up with some way to describe the mixture of styles and tones within this one show. The best I can come up with is this – what starts out as a sort of Bob Hope/Bing Crosby “Road” movie (The Road to Agra?) soon dissolves into a Herschell Gordon Lewis splatter film by way of My Dinner with Andre. Each genre has its fans. I’m not sure they cross over. Guards at the Taj plays through May 21 at the Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley. For more information, go to marintheatre.org

Sa'Kalla! If you don't know what that means, you will after this episode! Chris learns about hot Italian roast beef sandwiches and Joe opens up his Rogue Friday haul, Then the boys sit down to discuss Holocrons of Fate, what i means to unify the light and the dark sides, Royal Guards with boys regular haircuts and beards, new music, and so so so much more. The Star Wars party starts now! It's time for Brews and Blasters. Contact Us We want to hear from you - if you agree, disagree, or just have something cool to say, email us at brewsandblasters@retrozap.com. Do you #NeedEmGotEm? Eating some awesome food? Want us to weigh in on something? Let us know! Hang Out Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Get your Brews and Blasters T-Shirt Show that you attend the Star Wars party every week with your exclusive Brews and Blasters T-Shirt! A variety of options are available, including an amazing Ki Adi Monday style for your favorite holiday! Support the Show If you like Brews and Blasters, the best way to support the show is to leave us an iTunes review. It helps, honestly, because more people will find the show. If you take the time, we'll really, really appreciate. Plus, you'll win an Oppo Award!

Kotobukiya had one of the most stunning booth displays at Star Wars Celebration 2015. Their Art-FX+ display of dozens of Stormtroopers standing at the ready, with Royal Guards and Vader at the fore, was truly a spectacular sight to behold. They also continued to grow this line of tenth-scale statues with their celebration exclusive K-3PO and R3-A2 droid pack. Marjorie and Arnie review those new droids, as well as the Royal Guard Art-FX+ two-pack, in this episode of Star Wars Action News! Also in this episode, a rundown of the recently announced SDCC exclusives, more news on finding the "cancelled" wave of Droid Factory figures, A New Hope for Hot Toys, and more -- it's all in this brand new Star Wars Action News show!

Kotobukiya had one of the most stunning booth displays at Star Wars Celebration 2015. Their Art-FX+ display of dozens of Stormtroopers standing at the ready, with Royal Guards and Vader at the fore, was truly a spectacular sight to behold. They also continued to grow this line of tenth-scale statues with their celebration exclusive K-3PO and R3-A2 droid pack. Marjorie and Arnie review those new droids, as well as the Royal Guard Art-FX+ two-pack, in this episode of Star Wars Action News! Also in this episode, a rundown of the recently announced SDCC exclusives, more news on finding the "cancelled" wave of Droid Factory figures, A New Hope for Hot Toys, and more -- it's all in this brand new Star Wars Action News show!

We finally get to meet all 3 of the Royal Guards, welcome to your worst nightmares incarnate. The king is not far off now. We bring you a... View more on the website!