The first strike came before dawn.
Radar stations along the eastern Mediterranean detected dozens of aircraft lifting into the night, but by then it was already too late.
Far above the clouds, stealth bombers crossed the coastline without lights while electronic warfare aircraft flooded military frequencies with interference powerful enough to cripple communications across entire provinces. Radar operators watched their screens dissolve into meaningless static as every attempt to restore contact failed.
Inside the central headquarters of the Blood Dunes, alarms erupted simultaneously.
"They're jamming us!"
"We've lost the northern radar array!"
"Satellite uplinks are offline!"
Before another report could be delivered, the command bunker shook violently.
Boom!
A precision missile struck the communications complex several kilometers away. The reinforced structure folded inward as antennas hundreds of feet tall crashed into one another in a shower of sparks.
