[Hider=TL/DR]
King Nikolaos, at the behest of his trusted advisors, agrees to the land invasion of Paranas. Their goal is to strike quickly and tactically, focusing on the southern regions of the country, keeping the Balkan Mountains between them and the rest of Paranas, and more importantly, between Khazaria. The army will focus on three operational areas, with the goal of forcing any land based conflicts on the lands of Paranas rather than their own. Paranas has tipped the balance of favor in Khazaria, and as such, King Nikolaos has sent a delegation to Reria, asking for their help, if they are able and willing to commit to such a conflict. Altenten appears to be unwilling to help, much to the dismay of King Nikolaos. He had hoped his father in law would have been able to do more, but it appears that he is more concerned with preserving his forces and treasury. 

Paranas will now be the focus of conflict for Komentiolos, with the following:
1. Cavalry will act independently of the army, serving as raiders and scouts.
2. Army is to push fast and hard, with the goal of taking the passes in the Balkan Mountains. Army led by General Marcian Augustus. 
--2a. Army will leave behind forces in the event of a settlement requiring a siege, but bulk to press towards main goal.
--2b. Focus on "Defeat in Detail", using terrain and distance to advantage. Pick enemies off one by one, do not allow combining.
--2c. Army will travel lightly, living off the land to avoid long baggage trains.
--2d. Artillery will be not be spread out, instead focused into large mobile batteries, to coordinate firepower for greater effect.
--2e. Corps Organization, division of forces into corps capable of operating independently, and then coming together for battle.
--2f. Focus on Destruction, bring about utter destruction of enemy armies. Goal is not just to defeat or dislodge, its smash them decisively in a single battle, removing their ability to fight and forcing them to negotiation on our terms.
--2g. Move Onto the Rear, sever lines of communication and supply, maneuver into enemies rear area and wreak havoc.
--2h. Central Position, when facing more than one enemy/enemy army that is divided. Hold a central position, split enemies apart. Hold one off with a relatively small part of army, while defeating the other force. 
3. Navy to operate in tandem with Army, landing forces at Anchialos/Antheia in the north, and Selymbria in the south. Gain control over crucial ports/harbors to force surrender of garrison forces in primary cities. Navy led by Admiral Zeno Rousombladadiotes.
4. Mandatory conscription of all male citizens, aged 18 to 40. Bolster the army/ensure sufficient numbers to hold the line.

[/hider]

[b][h3]Trapezus, Northern Coast of Komentiolos, Military Wharf[/h3][/b]
[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Trebizond_lithograph.jpg/1280px-Trebizond_lithograph.jpg[/img]


King Nikolaos stood stiffly, looking down at the flurry of activity in the wharf. Damaged ships were being hastily repaired, while others, too damaged for further combat, stood off to the side, their fate yet to be decided. He turned away from the scene, looking instead to his officer corps, the studied and veteran military men who were the ones to conduct whether or not this venture into war would result in victory, a white peace, or another defeat at the hands of the Khazarians. Admiral Basiliscus stood under the awning of a tent, quietly discussing matters with his subordinates, his face beaded with sweat, as the heat of the day began to reach its zenith. Other officers moved about in a hurried fashion, off on an errant quest to deliver dispatches, or to check up on the progress of another cadre of military minds. Turning back to face the wharves, King Nikolaos took a few more steps towards the old fortress walls that had protected the city for centuries. 'There was no turning back, no matter the outcome now', he thought to himself, leaning forward to survey the situation to the best of his abilities. 'I will not invade by land... not again, not like my forebears did so long ago.' His eyes looking as the damaged hull of a Brig-of-War was being repaired. 'They control the great steppes and plains of their empire, like no other. The mountains shield us, shield the people, from the vastness of their mounted forces. To abandon those natural barriers... I'd invite envelopment like the Dorist forces,' He sighed, looking back up towards the vastness of the Black Sea. Out there, was his enemy, and worsening the situation, was the intervention of the Paranas navy. From the observations of front line commanders and from Admiral Basiliscus himself, the enemy had effectively doubled its forces upon the Black Sea. 

He muttered a curse in Latin, before standing fully upright, straightening his clothing, and turning to face the officer corps once more. "Honored friends and commanders, let us take a walk, I hear that the Temple Panaghia Chrysokephalos is particularly beautiful to lay ones eyes upon. I think we all need a break from this heat, and time to pray before Neptune will bring clarity." The king did not wait for an answer, and turned leading the way to the majestic place of worship. The Temple Panaghia Chrysokephalos was the center of worship in Trapezus, and the region itself. Royal guards quickly rode ahead, clearing the way for the king and his retinue, who soon arrived, trading their garb for more traditional vestments of relaxation and thought within the sacred sanctum.

[img]https://sr.gallerix.ru/T/1492201922/421531755.jpg[/img]

Hours had passed since the men had entered the temple, to where the sun was now well into the low of the sky once more. King Nikolaos spoke, breaking the silence, his legs cooling in the waters. 

"Then it is agreed. Operation Vulcan will be conducted within the fortnight. General Flavius will hold the line along the Testudo, with the forces already allocated to him, plus an additional two thousand in reserve, able to quickly move along the line where needed. He will ensure that our land borders remain sealed to any horsemen, and that we can operate without fear of Khazaria harassing the Themes of Tyrus and Ptolemais. The majority of the military forces allocated to raid the coasts of Khazaria shall be diverted to Naval Task Force Tempestas, along with the agreed upon contingent of marines as well. Admiral Verina will continue to operate in the East, drawing the enemies forces away, doing what he can to stall any counter-attacks until we are at least five days into the operation. Furthermore, Admiral Verina deemed it necessary to resort to the use of Greek Fire, and we are to divert readily available supplies to him, along with ordering the Alchemist Guild to double their production runs of this weapon. The situation is dire, as both Verina and Flavius have put it, along with Augustus and Rousombladadiotes. Dorist is all but defeated, Altenten has bowed out from war, Kalseran is on the verge of civil war, and unless our request for aid from Reria is answered, we are alone against two foes. The time to fight honorably, like civilized soldiers, is gone. We do not fight civilized men... we fight monsters in the dark, boogeymen who ride upon horseback and rape and pillage the world." He paused, walking over to an old, hand crafted map of the Black Sea. The rich colors and stone work displayed in detail the region in great detail, at least when much of it was under former Imperial control. Some things changed no doubt, but the land doesn't and that was what mattered most.

"Admiral Verina, if you are confident in your abilities, then I also give the go ahead for nighttime operations in your theater, and the freedom to conduct the war as you see fit. Fight battles to conserve our strength, as you pointed out, our losses are starting to way upon us, but do not, under any circumstance, get trapped in harbors and ports. The garrisons have ample supplies of Greek Fire, and will make use of it to ensure that no ships dare sail into our safe havens. You are in charge of the East, and do what you can to see that we do not lose control of our waters..." He turned and pointed at the map, standing in the water now, wading into the center of the very map itself, going over the plan once again with his officers, whom had convened this was the only option to stave off war upon their own lands. Shortly, King Nikolaos was joined by General Augustus and Admiral Rousombladadiotes, whom with the help of aids, showcased their plan to force Paranas to focus their efforts elsewhere. 

[img]https://i.ibb.co/VLT2XxV/Topographic-map-of-Black-Sea.png[/img]

Tired and sore after another two hours of planning and going over the smallest details, they all agreed, invade Paranas with all due haste, and bring war to them, before they could do the opposite. Local garrisons would supplement the main body of the army, with interior garrison forces brought forward to take over for the mobilized forces on the homefront. There were so many details, that had it not been for Valentinian, the issue regarding the Theme of Aegyptus would have been overlooked. A quick dinner was had, before King Nikolaos read the dispatches from his younger brother once more, and then conveyed his own orders and permissions. 
 
"Exarchos Arcadius Koromelas, I wish you best in these coming times, for the Gods contend to test us of our faith. First, if I had not told you, my wife is pregnant with our first child, and I hope you and your wife soon have the same blessing as us.

Your reports of rebels and raiders in the desert sands and dunes is but a curse that has plagued the region since antiquity. The Bedouins have always chafed under any and all who ruled them except themselves. However, their apparent coordinated attacks speaks to something more sinister than an inbred desire to thumb their noses at the rightful rulers of the lands they squat upon. Perhaps a local noble has grown bold in their desire to crown themself an Emir, which I much prefer, as that is easier to track down and quash, though if we are unlucky, these machinations come from further abroad. Make use of the Expeditionary Forces as you see fit, and your own local auxiliary legions. You know the land best, and to you, I ask only that you keep the flow of trade and resources unhindered. If you feel you can root out pockets of rebels, by all means, do so, however, do not risk needless raids into the sands. The tales of old, that our uncle told us, speak that it is foolhardy to stray too far from civilization. 

May Minerva grant you wisdom, Mars grant your army strength, and Diana grant you fruit in your hunt for these rebels and their puppet masters. If you need anything, ask it, and I will do all I can to help.

King Nikolaos II of Komentiolos"