Augustus, Cobura
Defence Ministry
December 2779
Field Marshall Andrade hurriedly made his way up the long marble staircase dodging and weaving past secretaries, bureaucrats and other civil servants. Upon reaching the very top he halted to look in a mirror in the hall adjacent to the office of the Defence Minister, Miguel Horacio. The exertion of walking a flight of stairs was making him sweat profusely, so he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. An aide to the Defence Minister spotted him from across the hall and scampered over carrying a document. He handed the piece of paper - his hands twitching nervously - to the Field Marshall without a word, and then scurried off further down the hall. Andrade quickly glanced at the document before folding it up neatly and placing it in his breast pocket. He then cleared his throat and walked towards the office of the Defence Minister, hesitating as he reached for the handle. Before he could even touch it the door flew open as if a tornado was passing through, and another aide breezed past him and down the hall. The Defence Minister looked up from his desk for a split second and saw Andrade standing in the middle of the door way, with a puzzled look on his face.
"Field Marshall! You made it!" Andrade looked over as the Defence Minister rose from his desk, clumsily sending pieces of paper flying around him, causing several aides to dive around the floor to recover them.
"Come in." The Field Marshall walked briskly into the room and stood rigidly beside the desk. He shook hands with the Defence Minister Horacio, who then motioned for him to take a seat.
"Well then Field Marshall, what shall it be?" The minister raised his eyebrows expectedly.
"The military agrees in principle to work with the RAFC to combat the PMU terrorists, however...." The minister raised his hand to cut him off.
"I know, I know. You want full control over operations and you don't want the RAFC running around and causing untold mayhem. That is understandable, and I promise you that the RAFC will be subordinate to the Armed Forces and will follow the orders you give them. Satisfied?"
"Very much so." The Minister walked over to the window behind his desk, which overlooked the city centre, and gazed at the troops forming up.
"Field Marshall. How soon can you have your men ready to go?"
"As soon as I give the order." The Minister turned with a smooth motion away from the window and toward the Field Marshall. He then walked over to his desk, picked up his phone and handed it to Andrade.
"Then give."