February 5, 5084
Kiskőkalász, Deltaria
The old man's curiosity got the better of him and he slowly shuffled over to the window to see what all the hubbub was about. He poked his head out. A parade. Everyone was waving the Imperial tricolor about, but without the coat of arms in the middle.
He looked back down at his newspaper, looked out of the window, at his newspaper, at the crowd again.
An insistent knocking at his door. The old man jumped a bit and started making for his gun, a Trigunian assault rifle a couple of decades old, a model that had been in service in millennia. Then he stopped. Better to see who it was first.
He looked through the peephole. His grandson. An idealistic young whippersnapper, who'd spent the Civil War shuttling ammunition about for the DPA under the false assumption that his job was cool. The door swung open, and a grin broke across the young man's face.
"Federation!" he shouted, unceasingly smiley. Grandfather stared at grandson, perplexed. "Federation, gya! It's not just Mazal who's gone, not just the Tsar. The junta's disbanded, gya! And it's a Federation again, and one where we're our own republic! This changes everything!"
"...this changes nothing, boy," the old man shot back before he could stop himself. "This changes nothing. If the Federation can bring back your father, a Mazalite's rounds in his back, if the Federation can put the charred bits and pieces of your grandmother back together, if the Federation can make your aunt's wounds disappear and get her alive and kicking again, then there'll be change."
"Wh...that's impossible!"
"And thus, the solve. There is no change." The old man paused to catch his breath. The two looked at each other, pained. "Remember, my boy. Remember your father and your grandmother and your aunt when Daralian takes precedence over Dissuwan in the schools, when your friends disappear for Čachtice with no care for their own homeland. Remember just what the nation was called when the Empire was voted in.
"But remember, most importantly, that peace is a lie."
Particracy Forum
A Battle Unseen
Re: A Battle Unseen
by wimpwampwomp » Thu Mar 10, 2022 12:29 am
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Re: A Battle Unseen
by XanderOne » Thu May 26, 2022 6:54 pm
22 December 5124, 19.15,
Quattroregni Palace, Offices of HMEIM The Emperor's Staff
In the office you could still smell the fresh paint, finally even in that wing of the Palace the renovations had been completed. Although the style and furnishings of the new interiors were modern and minimalist, in that office there were numerous elements in more dated styles: a desk in inlaid walnut with legs in the shape of doric columns, a bar cabinet in mirror-polished wood and with the frosted glass of the doors to form female figures, a sofa in the Selucian Empire style and finally a large leather armchair with a voluminous back.
Sitting on that armchair, facing the front door, a man in a suit and tie stood cross-legged with the gaze of someone who, waiting for someone's arrival, was mulling to himself.
A few paces farther on another man, younger, had his back to him and was standing with folded arms very close to the thin white curtain of the window through which he could see the inner courtyard below.
From beyond the door they finally heard footsteps and voices approaching, but they were barely buzzes as with the recent renovation the most important offices had been acoustically isolated, buzzes that grew until they stopped just beyond the door.
The electronic lock clicked and the door opened, letting in a squat and square-featured man, a high-ranking officer in navy uniform who was holding a bottle of an amber-colored liqueur which he was praising to the other man who followed, a tall thin officer in army uniform.
"...you will tell me as soon as you have tasted it! This is an artisanal production that you can only find there! Their embassies donate it to ministers and state authorities in almost all countries..."
"then you won't mind if we join you for a toast, Admiral" the man sitting in the leather chair exclaimed in a cordial tone, startling the naval officer who whirled around.
"M... Majesty? Your Highness?" the admiral's gaze ran a couple of times crossing those of the other two men and took a couple of seconds before regaining his composure and snapping to attention, although he could not hide how embarrassing that bottle of liquor in his hands was while presenting the military salute and bowing his heads to both.
"rest admiral, rest"
"I apologize for this little ambush by me and my son, admiral"
"in fact it was quite unexpected Your Majesty"
"Let also forgive General Piccolomini for being an accomplice in this idea of mine"
"now I regret having brought him this bottle, Majesty" the admiral replied jokingly much more relaxed.
"General, would you mind getting four glasses?" the Emperor asked the other officer, waving his hand instead to the Admiral to pass him the bottle, a gesture that revealed the tendency for informality that the Emperor had always had.
General Piccolomini placed four small crystal glasses on the coffee table in front of the armchair and the sofa while the Emperor tore the paper seal and unscrewed the cap, filling then the glasses to the brim one by one.
"Cheers, gentlemen!" he raised the glass to the sky making it rattle against everyone else's before sipping half of it.
"this really knocks you out!" exclaimed the Crown Prince with a satisfied look "Baltusian Rum? Isn't it true?"
"exactly your Highness, I was just telling General Piccolomini that I received a couple of bottles from the Baltusian Embassy the day before yesterday"
"Michele" said the Emperor "remind me to tell the Grand Chamberlain to get in touch with the protocol office of the Baltusian embassy: let's try to find something nice to gift the ambassador next Christmas, maybe they will send us a case or two of this rum" he chuckled together with the others continuing to sip the liqueur.
"Your Majesty" the Admiral put down his glass "I don't think you wanted to meet me here just to have a glass"
"obviously no admiral, I wanted to ask you a few questions about the nuclear program, sit down please"
"sure Majesty"
"and I wanted to talk about it unofficially with you, that's the reason for this ''ambush'', I'd like to talk about it more freely"
"I see Majesty"
"so... I have heard rumors that we are ready for a test, aren't we? On Prince Deodato Island if I'm not mistaken"
"that's right Majesty, or rather... until last night everything was ready"
"it was?"
"I spoke to Dr. Marcucci just last night and he told me that they will postpone the test for a couple of months, the official note should come out tomorrow"
"I see... has the Prime Minister already been informed? I know that he is looking forward to this test with particular interest"
"I personally informed him this morning"
"reactions?"
"none in particular Majesty"
"I knew that at the beginning of this mandate he had complained a lot about the accumulated delays and that he had also had a strong disagreement with you Admiral and with Rear Admiral Voiello"
"relatively the development of the carrier rocket, however Majesty, and for reasons of funds. He has a parliamentary majority full of liberals who want to cut the budget here and there and they are making a fuss about the defense funds"
"uhm... I see..."
"if I may Majesty, do you worry about anything about PrimeMinister?"
"about his enthusiasm for this program to tell the truth! I recently learned that he wants to invest more funds for new submarines and despite what the press reports, it is not just attack submarines!"
"no indeed, Majesty, but the development of a new launch platform was implicitly taken into account in the program"
"you got the right words: implicitly! Admiral, I have never hidden my reservations regarding the development of this program and the modalities with which it was decided to proceed"
"we have adhered to the confidentiality policy that our country has always adopted for its nuclear programs"
"the problem is not the secrecy regarding the technology, admiral, that is understandable, I am talking about the blanket of smoke that has surrounded the whole program since the beginning, the confidentiality towards public opinion and the international community and precisely about this last point I'm perplexed about the scheduled test"
"Majesty?"
"Prince Deodato Island might just be a patch of rock lost in the Perarctic Ocean, far from trade routes and hundreds and hundreds of nautical miles from the nearest inhabited place, but such kind of tests leaves traces anyway: I'm worried of the fact that all this is detected, I wonder if the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense already know how to react if this should happen"
"I do not think there is the danger of this possibility Majesty"
"no? Are you sure?"
"Prince Deodato Island was also chosen specifically for this Majesty: it will be a test in the atmosphere, the device will detonate at about 250 meters above the surface of the island, therefore the generation of seismic waves will be minimal compared to an underground test; about the fallout we have studied the winds and the sea currents to minimize the dispersion, in case we can justify it with a radiactive leakage from one of our old nuclear submarine; regarding electromagnetic emissions, especially X-rays and gamma flash, we have carefully studied the positions and orbits of foreign scientific satellites and above all the high latitude of the island does not allow a constant detection and we are tracking the satellites passing over the area"
"you are quite sure admiral, especially regarding the ability to identify spy satellites"
"we have been conducting celestial observation operations from Prince Deodato Island for four years, we have at our disposal not one but two supercomputers dedicated to the analysis of orbit images, optics as well as on other electromagnetic frequencies"
"I sincerely hope then that all the precautions taken will work, the repercussions in the international arena would be not indifferent... and that's what I worry most about admiral"
"I understand Majesty, you have stressed your concerns several times in the past"
"and I will continue to do so!" he answered at the admiral's remark in a slightly annoyed tone that frozen the high officer who, however, did not shy away from replying:
"with all due respect, Majesty, I don't think it should be the international community that dictates our defensive policy"
"but we certainly can't ignore it!"
"but we cannot even ignore the threats to the country and as I have reiterated over and over again in the Supreme Defense Council, Majesty, the country has already suffered enough from the dark machinations of all those who wanted to see Istalia disappear from the maps!"
"not to mention that ridiculous and unfair resolution of the World Congress" intervened the Crown Prince "to date the only nation that, at least officially, has a nuclear arsenal is Dorvik now that Yingdala has opted for disarmament and this undoubtedly puts Dorvik in an advantageous position from many points of view"
"it will give Dorvik something to think about next time it will want to send military forces to the other side of the world" replied the admiral "I don't think we forgot what happened here in '83: the waters of Solentia looked like the domestic waters of Dorvik looking to how many ships there were lined up!"
"I remember well admiral... but since when Dorvik now is a defense threat for the country?"
"it is not Majesty, but all the last foreign military interventions were organized or headed by Dorvik, it is undeniable. However, Dorvik or any other nation with a nuclear arsenal can act as they wish with the back very well covered"
"no body is going to embark on missions only God knows where or start a war, father, it is absolutely the last thing someone could want here!"
"I'm glad to see how well admiral you get along with my son" the Emperor's ironic tone let all his irritation shine through "I hope the paranoia and nationalist euphoria that have gripped the leaders of this country, apparently including my son, does not turn out to be a damage that could cause prejudice to Istalia"
"paranoia or not Majesty, twice Istalia has been obliterated! Not once but twice! And although we have never been able to find concrete evidence, but clues and traces were actually found, it is undeniable the fact that there were not a few foreign nations that silently wished for the disappearance of Istalia"
"exactly as silent was the international community and the World Congress!" replied the Crown Prince with a deeply bitter and embittered tone "they were just watching while the country was torn apart, they were just watching while our country was under the menace of an armed revolution, they were just watching while a Soviet republic was created... just only Deltaria tried to intervene, but because it was more concerned about the stability of its Union than anything else... but according to Deltaria, their secret services had also collected clues about possible occult actors hidden behind the East-Majatran Instability of those years, if it hadn't been for the civil war that information would not have been lost..."
"alone we have taken back our country Majesty, alone we have suffered, fought and defeated those who tried to destroy us as a people and as a country, alone we have taken back our destiny in our hands! We do not have to explain to anyone about what we do for assure the defense and the veritable existence and survival of our country" the admiral was filled with pride and a flame of extreme resolve shone in his eyes.
The Emperor had been backed to the corner and didn't replied, after all he too could not ignore what his son and the admiral had said and he himself was not immune to those feelings that he could not say he did not share.
He kept his gaze down looking at the glass he was holding and after a few seconds he drained the remaining liquor.
"I can only recommend that we will take all possible discretionary measures, admiral"
"about this, as I said, you can rest assured Majesty, Prime Minister Solenghi and Prime Minister Esposito have made additional funds available over the years to ensure the highest level of confidentiality"
"yeah... Ms Esposito..." the Emperor put down his glasses, giggling sarcastically.
"Majesty?"
"my father" intervened the Crown Prince "he hoped that the Demohosians would at least slow down the program, a hope apparently disregarded"
"I thought that their vote against in the Defense Commission for the approval of the program would be followed by some kind of actions in this regard once they were at the government"
"I don't remember you ever raised the subject at the Supreme Security Council, Majesty"
"I didn't! But I talked about it with Prime Minister Esposito..."
"and it clearly emerged finally that their vote against was purely a facade" continued the Prince "just to protect themselves in the eyes of public opinion"
"Well... to be honest I thought I would be replaced by Esposito" said the admiral.
"we all thought so in fact! You were the major supporter of the program among the armed forces admiral and Solenghi also appointed you Chief of Defense Staff"
"yes, indeed... I was sure that she would give me the boot at our first meeting and instead not only did she not mention anything about it, and never will, but she asked me to provide her with more detailed and more frequent reports on the progress of the program"
"they want to show themself as saints but I have always said that they are more astute than what they want to show" General Piccolomini also intervened for the first time.
"I think we have to thank above all HD President, De Benedetti, and his men: his right-hand man, Deputy Orlandini, is in the Defense Commission and has approached me on several occasions, he could also be a bigot and prude Aurorian like his boss but I can assure you that he is also a very hard and pure nationalist and I can assure you that there are no few people within HD who support the program"
"a secret program about which there are really too many parliamentarians aware" the Emperor rolled his eyes to heaven "this secrecy did all things more complicate but, anyway, I don't want it become a secret of Pulcinella! (OOC: "secret of Pulcinella" is an italian idiom to indicate a secret that is no longer a secret despite attempts to keep it hidden) Can we be sure that no one of them could make leak any info? It would be even more embarassing if public opinion or international community find out it due to a careless talk by some parlamentarian"
"it was inevitable that the thing would spread beyond the Deputies of the Defense Commission, at least among those of the Intelligence Commission and obviously that of the Budget, but so far everyone has kept the secrecy about it Majesty and then, after SOlenghi with AN, also Prime Minister Esposito had authorized the AISI to supervise the maintenance of secrecy by the parliamentarians involved belonging to her party"
"ah... I see..." the Emperor replied with a tone that was almost disconsolate, remaining silent again for a few seconds before deciding to get up.
He did it with difficulty by levering his arms on the armrests and also grabbed a walking stick to lean on and which had hitherto remained discreetly leaning on the side of the armchair.
"so I just have to recommend to you again so that all the necessary precautions are taken and... I do not shy away from advising the Defense Staff to prepare an adequate declaration in case the confidentiality does not hold, I will also recommend it to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense at our next meeting"
"father... it almost seems like you wish that this could happen"
"you won't be becoming superstitious Michi!" chuckled the Emperor.
"Your Majesty" spoke one last time the admiral got up from the sofa as soon as the Emperor did "we all know that your concerns arise from your attachment to the country, its dignity and its reputation, so let me tell you that despite our opinions may differ, I always respect your judgment and your advice and I, as well as the whole Defense, take them and will always hold them in the highest regard" then he snapped to attention and presented the most dignified of military salute.
"thanks, despite everything, he reassured me in part about the confidentiality measures adopted, one last thing: inform me as soon as everything is ready for this famous test, good evening admiral"
The two officers remained to attention and let the Emperor and his son pass before them.
Quattroregni Palace, Offices of HMEIM The Emperor's Staff
In the office you could still smell the fresh paint, finally even in that wing of the Palace the renovations had been completed. Although the style and furnishings of the new interiors were modern and minimalist, in that office there were numerous elements in more dated styles: a desk in inlaid walnut with legs in the shape of doric columns, a bar cabinet in mirror-polished wood and with the frosted glass of the doors to form female figures, a sofa in the Selucian Empire style and finally a large leather armchair with a voluminous back.
Sitting on that armchair, facing the front door, a man in a suit and tie stood cross-legged with the gaze of someone who, waiting for someone's arrival, was mulling to himself.
A few paces farther on another man, younger, had his back to him and was standing with folded arms very close to the thin white curtain of the window through which he could see the inner courtyard below.
From beyond the door they finally heard footsteps and voices approaching, but they were barely buzzes as with the recent renovation the most important offices had been acoustically isolated, buzzes that grew until they stopped just beyond the door.
The electronic lock clicked and the door opened, letting in a squat and square-featured man, a high-ranking officer in navy uniform who was holding a bottle of an amber-colored liqueur which he was praising to the other man who followed, a tall thin officer in army uniform.
"...you will tell me as soon as you have tasted it! This is an artisanal production that you can only find there! Their embassies donate it to ministers and state authorities in almost all countries..."
"then you won't mind if we join you for a toast, Admiral" the man sitting in the leather chair exclaimed in a cordial tone, startling the naval officer who whirled around.
"M... Majesty? Your Highness?" the admiral's gaze ran a couple of times crossing those of the other two men and took a couple of seconds before regaining his composure and snapping to attention, although he could not hide how embarrassing that bottle of liquor in his hands was while presenting the military salute and bowing his heads to both.
"rest admiral, rest"
"I apologize for this little ambush by me and my son, admiral"
"in fact it was quite unexpected Your Majesty"
"Let also forgive General Piccolomini for being an accomplice in this idea of mine"
"now I regret having brought him this bottle, Majesty" the admiral replied jokingly much more relaxed.
"General, would you mind getting four glasses?" the Emperor asked the other officer, waving his hand instead to the Admiral to pass him the bottle, a gesture that revealed the tendency for informality that the Emperor had always had.
General Piccolomini placed four small crystal glasses on the coffee table in front of the armchair and the sofa while the Emperor tore the paper seal and unscrewed the cap, filling then the glasses to the brim one by one.
"Cheers, gentlemen!" he raised the glass to the sky making it rattle against everyone else's before sipping half of it.
"this really knocks you out!" exclaimed the Crown Prince with a satisfied look "Baltusian Rum? Isn't it true?"
"exactly your Highness, I was just telling General Piccolomini that I received a couple of bottles from the Baltusian Embassy the day before yesterday"
"Michele" said the Emperor "remind me to tell the Grand Chamberlain to get in touch with the protocol office of the Baltusian embassy: let's try to find something nice to gift the ambassador next Christmas, maybe they will send us a case or two of this rum" he chuckled together with the others continuing to sip the liqueur.
"Your Majesty" the Admiral put down his glass "I don't think you wanted to meet me here just to have a glass"
"obviously no admiral, I wanted to ask you a few questions about the nuclear program, sit down please"
"sure Majesty"
"and I wanted to talk about it unofficially with you, that's the reason for this ''ambush'', I'd like to talk about it more freely"
"I see Majesty"
"so... I have heard rumors that we are ready for a test, aren't we? On Prince Deodato Island if I'm not mistaken"
"that's right Majesty, or rather... until last night everything was ready"
"it was?"
"I spoke to Dr. Marcucci just last night and he told me that they will postpone the test for a couple of months, the official note should come out tomorrow"
"I see... has the Prime Minister already been informed? I know that he is looking forward to this test with particular interest"
"I personally informed him this morning"
"reactions?"
"none in particular Majesty"
"I knew that at the beginning of this mandate he had complained a lot about the accumulated delays and that he had also had a strong disagreement with you Admiral and with Rear Admiral Voiello"
"relatively the development of the carrier rocket, however Majesty, and for reasons of funds. He has a parliamentary majority full of liberals who want to cut the budget here and there and they are making a fuss about the defense funds"
"uhm... I see..."
"if I may Majesty, do you worry about anything about PrimeMinister?"
"about his enthusiasm for this program to tell the truth! I recently learned that he wants to invest more funds for new submarines and despite what the press reports, it is not just attack submarines!"
"no indeed, Majesty, but the development of a new launch platform was implicitly taken into account in the program"
"you got the right words: implicitly! Admiral, I have never hidden my reservations regarding the development of this program and the modalities with which it was decided to proceed"
"we have adhered to the confidentiality policy that our country has always adopted for its nuclear programs"
"the problem is not the secrecy regarding the technology, admiral, that is understandable, I am talking about the blanket of smoke that has surrounded the whole program since the beginning, the confidentiality towards public opinion and the international community and precisely about this last point I'm perplexed about the scheduled test"
"Majesty?"
"Prince Deodato Island might just be a patch of rock lost in the Perarctic Ocean, far from trade routes and hundreds and hundreds of nautical miles from the nearest inhabited place, but such kind of tests leaves traces anyway: I'm worried of the fact that all this is detected, I wonder if the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense already know how to react if this should happen"
"I do not think there is the danger of this possibility Majesty"
"no? Are you sure?"
"Prince Deodato Island was also chosen specifically for this Majesty: it will be a test in the atmosphere, the device will detonate at about 250 meters above the surface of the island, therefore the generation of seismic waves will be minimal compared to an underground test; about the fallout we have studied the winds and the sea currents to minimize the dispersion, in case we can justify it with a radiactive leakage from one of our old nuclear submarine; regarding electromagnetic emissions, especially X-rays and gamma flash, we have carefully studied the positions and orbits of foreign scientific satellites and above all the high latitude of the island does not allow a constant detection and we are tracking the satellites passing over the area"
"you are quite sure admiral, especially regarding the ability to identify spy satellites"
"we have been conducting celestial observation operations from Prince Deodato Island for four years, we have at our disposal not one but two supercomputers dedicated to the analysis of orbit images, optics as well as on other electromagnetic frequencies"
"I sincerely hope then that all the precautions taken will work, the repercussions in the international arena would be not indifferent... and that's what I worry most about admiral"
"I understand Majesty, you have stressed your concerns several times in the past"
"and I will continue to do so!" he answered at the admiral's remark in a slightly annoyed tone that frozen the high officer who, however, did not shy away from replying:
"with all due respect, Majesty, I don't think it should be the international community that dictates our defensive policy"
"but we certainly can't ignore it!"
"but we cannot even ignore the threats to the country and as I have reiterated over and over again in the Supreme Defense Council, Majesty, the country has already suffered enough from the dark machinations of all those who wanted to see Istalia disappear from the maps!"
"not to mention that ridiculous and unfair resolution of the World Congress" intervened the Crown Prince "to date the only nation that, at least officially, has a nuclear arsenal is Dorvik now that Yingdala has opted for disarmament and this undoubtedly puts Dorvik in an advantageous position from many points of view"
"it will give Dorvik something to think about next time it will want to send military forces to the other side of the world" replied the admiral "I don't think we forgot what happened here in '83: the waters of Solentia looked like the domestic waters of Dorvik looking to how many ships there were lined up!"
"I remember well admiral... but since when Dorvik now is a defense threat for the country?"
"it is not Majesty, but all the last foreign military interventions were organized or headed by Dorvik, it is undeniable. However, Dorvik or any other nation with a nuclear arsenal can act as they wish with the back very well covered"
"no body is going to embark on missions only God knows where or start a war, father, it is absolutely the last thing someone could want here!"
"I'm glad to see how well admiral you get along with my son" the Emperor's ironic tone let all his irritation shine through "I hope the paranoia and nationalist euphoria that have gripped the leaders of this country, apparently including my son, does not turn out to be a damage that could cause prejudice to Istalia"
"paranoia or not Majesty, twice Istalia has been obliterated! Not once but twice! And although we have never been able to find concrete evidence, but clues and traces were actually found, it is undeniable the fact that there were not a few foreign nations that silently wished for the disappearance of Istalia"
"exactly as silent was the international community and the World Congress!" replied the Crown Prince with a deeply bitter and embittered tone "they were just watching while the country was torn apart, they were just watching while our country was under the menace of an armed revolution, they were just watching while a Soviet republic was created... just only Deltaria tried to intervene, but because it was more concerned about the stability of its Union than anything else... but according to Deltaria, their secret services had also collected clues about possible occult actors hidden behind the East-Majatran Instability of those years, if it hadn't been for the civil war that information would not have been lost..."
"alone we have taken back our country Majesty, alone we have suffered, fought and defeated those who tried to destroy us as a people and as a country, alone we have taken back our destiny in our hands! We do not have to explain to anyone about what we do for assure the defense and the veritable existence and survival of our country" the admiral was filled with pride and a flame of extreme resolve shone in his eyes.
The Emperor had been backed to the corner and didn't replied, after all he too could not ignore what his son and the admiral had said and he himself was not immune to those feelings that he could not say he did not share.
He kept his gaze down looking at the glass he was holding and after a few seconds he drained the remaining liquor.
"I can only recommend that we will take all possible discretionary measures, admiral"
"about this, as I said, you can rest assured Majesty, Prime Minister Solenghi and Prime Minister Esposito have made additional funds available over the years to ensure the highest level of confidentiality"
"yeah... Ms Esposito..." the Emperor put down his glasses, giggling sarcastically.
"Majesty?"
"my father" intervened the Crown Prince "he hoped that the Demohosians would at least slow down the program, a hope apparently disregarded"
"I thought that their vote against in the Defense Commission for the approval of the program would be followed by some kind of actions in this regard once they were at the government"
"I don't remember you ever raised the subject at the Supreme Security Council, Majesty"
"I didn't! But I talked about it with Prime Minister Esposito..."
"and it clearly emerged finally that their vote against was purely a facade" continued the Prince "just to protect themselves in the eyes of public opinion"
"Well... to be honest I thought I would be replaced by Esposito" said the admiral.
"we all thought so in fact! You were the major supporter of the program among the armed forces admiral and Solenghi also appointed you Chief of Defense Staff"
"yes, indeed... I was sure that she would give me the boot at our first meeting and instead not only did she not mention anything about it, and never will, but she asked me to provide her with more detailed and more frequent reports on the progress of the program"
"they want to show themself as saints but I have always said that they are more astute than what they want to show" General Piccolomini also intervened for the first time.
"I think we have to thank above all HD President, De Benedetti, and his men: his right-hand man, Deputy Orlandini, is in the Defense Commission and has approached me on several occasions, he could also be a bigot and prude Aurorian like his boss but I can assure you that he is also a very hard and pure nationalist and I can assure you that there are no few people within HD who support the program"
"a secret program about which there are really too many parliamentarians aware" the Emperor rolled his eyes to heaven "this secrecy did all things more complicate but, anyway, I don't want it become a secret of Pulcinella! (OOC: "secret of Pulcinella" is an italian idiom to indicate a secret that is no longer a secret despite attempts to keep it hidden) Can we be sure that no one of them could make leak any info? It would be even more embarassing if public opinion or international community find out it due to a careless talk by some parlamentarian"
"it was inevitable that the thing would spread beyond the Deputies of the Defense Commission, at least among those of the Intelligence Commission and obviously that of the Budget, but so far everyone has kept the secrecy about it Majesty and then, after SOlenghi with AN, also Prime Minister Esposito had authorized the AISI to supervise the maintenance of secrecy by the parliamentarians involved belonging to her party"
"ah... I see..." the Emperor replied with a tone that was almost disconsolate, remaining silent again for a few seconds before deciding to get up.
He did it with difficulty by levering his arms on the armrests and also grabbed a walking stick to lean on and which had hitherto remained discreetly leaning on the side of the armchair.
"so I just have to recommend to you again so that all the necessary precautions are taken and... I do not shy away from advising the Defense Staff to prepare an adequate declaration in case the confidentiality does not hold, I will also recommend it to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense at our next meeting"
"father... it almost seems like you wish that this could happen"
"you won't be becoming superstitious Michi!" chuckled the Emperor.
"Your Majesty" spoke one last time the admiral got up from the sofa as soon as the Emperor did "we all know that your concerns arise from your attachment to the country, its dignity and its reputation, so let me tell you that despite our opinions may differ, I always respect your judgment and your advice and I, as well as the whole Defense, take them and will always hold them in the highest regard" then he snapped to attention and presented the most dignified of military salute.
"thanks, despite everything, he reassured me in part about the confidentiality measures adopted, one last thing: inform me as soon as everything is ready for this famous test, good evening admiral"
The two officers remained to attention and let the Emperor and his son pass before them.
- XanderOne
- Posts: 765
- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:15 pm
Re: A Battle Unseen
by XanderOne » Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:02 pm
27 February 5125, 5:29 am,
scientific ship Imperial Nave Libra, 58 km east-north-east of Prince Deodato Island, Perartic Ocean
On the observation deck of the Libra, crowded with officers of the Armed Forces in uniform, scientists and numerous men and women in suits and ties, by now everyone had worn protective masks to protect the eyes behind the black lenses, almost all of them holding up binoculars in front of the masks, and on various electronic timers placed throughout the bridge the countdown, also marked by a voice through the loudspeakers, was now at -10.
In those last ten seconds the buzz of voices faded and at less than five seconds the silence was total, all of them with their gaze turned towards a black dot on the horizon on the sea lit by the sun that had just risen behind the ship.
As soon as the countdown finally reached 0, a very intense flash of light turned on just above the island illuminating the sky and as soon as the luminous halo vanished a very bright sphere was expanding rising higher and higher, sweeping away the clouds surrounding while vaporous condensation rings formed all around.
On several monitors scattered around the bridge the images from cameras placed much closer to the island were transmitted and through them you could clearly see the island disappear among a huge mass of smoke and flames that in a few seconds assumed the characteristic mushroom shape rising towards the sky higher and higher.
On the observation deck of the Libra the silence of the wait and the breathlessness of the explosion was broken by the applause and satisfied comments of those present, many of whom began to shake each other's hands congratulating themselves although most of the scientists had turned to the screens computers to observe data from the countless instruments that had been scattered around the area or that were aboard nearby ships and planes.
A little over a thousand kilometers away, in Romula, in a meeting room of Quattroregni Palace, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, the senior members of His Majesty's Military Staff and the Emperor's First Private Secretary, were gathered around at a long table immersed in darkness while a video projector projected on one of the walls of the room images and data from the test that had now taken place about an hour earlier.
In sequence they could see the explosion from different angles and distances, images of the cloud mushroom, some ships and target barges smoking as they sank, the island and the target structures built there. A quarter of the circular ridge surrounding the collapsed caldera of the ancient volcano had been leveled by at least a hundred meters, the top of the rest of the ridge was visibly scratched in several places; the lake in the center of the central depression had disappeared submerged by debris; what was a rocky islet just in front of the breach to the north that connected the central area of the island with the sea had now partially collapsed and was now connected to the rest of the island by a tongue of debris.
Then the images were replaced by several screens of data including the one on the effects of the explosion:
The Emperor's First Aid-de-Camp, General Piccolomini, as soon as he finished reading the data, turned to the others and exclaimed satisfied:
"apparently everything went as it should"
"yes, apparently..." the Emperor commented seriously.
"The Prime Minister will be extremely satisfied! It will certainly be easier for him to address the issue of funds at the Council of Ministers and have it approved in parliament"
"it could cost him dearly, however" commented the First Private Secretary of the Emperor "that Palamara is on a war footing and is mobilizing the entire liberal wing of the National Alliance. I have heard of strong arguments at the party headquarters: Palamara would even have threatened Solenghi to request a vote of no confidence in the party"
"really?" exclaimed the Crown Prince "we knew about these internal tensions in AN but I didn't think they were at this point"
"For months the Prime Minister has been trying to keep his foot in both directions and to please everyone but in reality he has done nothing but disappoint everyone!"
"The Air Force leaders are on a war footing too" commented the First Aid-de-Camp "they have not swallowed the temporary pause for the development of the cruise missile for their bombers"
"and the liberals" continued the First Secretary "were not at all happy to have given more funds for the SLBM"
"on the one hand I can understand them" said the Emperor "we currently have a single SSBN available and another in reserve which requires huge modernization works, why all this rush?"
"the next allocation of funds will also be dedicated to the study of a new SSBN submarine"
"and when will it be ready? At least ten years will pass"
"But in the meantime we will have an active launch platform equipped with the new missiles" replied General Piccolomini "the continuous requests for funds from the Research and Development Department will lead to the development of what will be the most advanced and dread SLBM in the world! A speed of Mach 25, capable of covering 5000 km in less than twenty minutes and an accuracy extremely superior to any other SLBM"
"this is what the Research and Development Department says, and we all know that the decision for a new project was pushed also by the corporations involved"
"it's true Majesty, but progress reports are confirming what was expected"
"We can have definitive confirmations only when we can actually carry out a test and... speaking of tests, do we know how many are expected in the Pheykran Desert?"
"according to the timetable, seven are foreseen, after another two to be carried out on Prince Deodato Island"
"those in the desert will be a problem..." commented the First Secretary "the situation in Solentia is precipitating and the eyes of the world will be on this part of the continent, including many, too many, spy satellites"
"the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff will certainly take this into account: Admiral Viscardi had mentioned to me some time ago about the possibility of moving those tests to the island of Montelia"
"We will have to discuss it carefully at the next Supreme Security Council" replied the Emperor after looking at the clock and then reaching out to take the walking stick and get up "now if you will excuse me gentlemen, I must receive the new Laqtese ambassador... general Piccolomini"
"Majesty?"
"tonight, after dinner, let Admiral Viscardi call me"
"sure Majesty"
They all rose to their feet, the officers springing to attention and presenting the military salute as the Emperor left the room.
scientific ship Imperial Nave Libra, 58 km east-north-east of Prince Deodato Island, Perartic Ocean
On the observation deck of the Libra, crowded with officers of the Armed Forces in uniform, scientists and numerous men and women in suits and ties, by now everyone had worn protective masks to protect the eyes behind the black lenses, almost all of them holding up binoculars in front of the masks, and on various electronic timers placed throughout the bridge the countdown, also marked by a voice through the loudspeakers, was now at -10.
In those last ten seconds the buzz of voices faded and at less than five seconds the silence was total, all of them with their gaze turned towards a black dot on the horizon on the sea lit by the sun that had just risen behind the ship.
As soon as the countdown finally reached 0, a very intense flash of light turned on just above the island illuminating the sky and as soon as the luminous halo vanished a very bright sphere was expanding rising higher and higher, sweeping away the clouds surrounding while vaporous condensation rings formed all around.
On several monitors scattered around the bridge the images from cameras placed much closer to the island were transmitted and through them you could clearly see the island disappear among a huge mass of smoke and flames that in a few seconds assumed the characteristic mushroom shape rising towards the sky higher and higher.
On the observation deck of the Libra the silence of the wait and the breathlessness of the explosion was broken by the applause and satisfied comments of those present, many of whom began to shake each other's hands congratulating themselves although most of the scientists had turned to the screens computers to observe data from the countless instruments that had been scattered around the area or that were aboard nearby ships and planes.
A little over a thousand kilometers away, in Romula, in a meeting room of Quattroregni Palace, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, the senior members of His Majesty's Military Staff and the Emperor's First Private Secretary, were gathered around at a long table immersed in darkness while a video projector projected on one of the walls of the room images and data from the test that had now taken place about an hour earlier.
In sequence they could see the explosion from different angles and distances, images of the cloud mushroom, some ships and target barges smoking as they sank, the island and the target structures built there. A quarter of the circular ridge surrounding the collapsed caldera of the ancient volcano had been leveled by at least a hundred meters, the top of the rest of the ridge was visibly scratched in several places; the lake in the center of the central depression had disappeared submerged by debris; what was a rocky islet just in front of the breach to the north that connected the central area of the island with the sea had now partially collapsed and was now connected to the rest of the island by a tongue of debris.
Then the images were replaced by several screens of data including the one on the effects of the explosion:
Destroyed ridge section inside radius: 132 m
Destroyed ridge section depth: 88 m
Estimated radius of crater generated on flat terrain: 100 m
Estimated radius of crater generated on flat terrain: 50 m
Estimated lip radius of crater generated on flat terrain: 210 m (0.13 km²)
Estimation based on computer simulatons to be confirmed through next texts at Pheykran Desert Test Ground Facility
Air blast radius (3,000 psi): 120 m (0.04 km²)
Air blast radius (200 psi): 440 m (0.6 km²)
Fireball radius: 450 m (0.64 km²)
Heavy blast damage radius (20 psi): 1.2 km (4.54 km²)
Radiation radius (500 rem): 1.92 km (11.6 km²)
Moderate blast damage radius (5 psi): 2.69 km (22.7 km²)
Thermal radiation radius (3rd degree burns): 5.51 km (95.3 km²)
Light blast damage radius (1 psi): 6.95 km (152 km²)
Mushroom cloud altitude: 13.3 km (after 20 minutes)
Mushroom cloud head diameter: 12.4 km
Mushroom cloud head height: 6.82 km
The Emperor's First Aid-de-Camp, General Piccolomini, as soon as he finished reading the data, turned to the others and exclaimed satisfied:
"apparently everything went as it should"
"yes, apparently..." the Emperor commented seriously.
"The Prime Minister will be extremely satisfied! It will certainly be easier for him to address the issue of funds at the Council of Ministers and have it approved in parliament"
"it could cost him dearly, however" commented the First Private Secretary of the Emperor "that Palamara is on a war footing and is mobilizing the entire liberal wing of the National Alliance. I have heard of strong arguments at the party headquarters: Palamara would even have threatened Solenghi to request a vote of no confidence in the party"
"really?" exclaimed the Crown Prince "we knew about these internal tensions in AN but I didn't think they were at this point"
"For months the Prime Minister has been trying to keep his foot in both directions and to please everyone but in reality he has done nothing but disappoint everyone!"
"The Air Force leaders are on a war footing too" commented the First Aid-de-Camp "they have not swallowed the temporary pause for the development of the cruise missile for their bombers"
"and the liberals" continued the First Secretary "were not at all happy to have given more funds for the SLBM"
"on the one hand I can understand them" said the Emperor "we currently have a single SSBN available and another in reserve which requires huge modernization works, why all this rush?"
"the next allocation of funds will also be dedicated to the study of a new SSBN submarine"
"and when will it be ready? At least ten years will pass"
"But in the meantime we will have an active launch platform equipped with the new missiles" replied General Piccolomini "the continuous requests for funds from the Research and Development Department will lead to the development of what will be the most advanced and dread SLBM in the world! A speed of Mach 25, capable of covering 5000 km in less than twenty minutes and an accuracy extremely superior to any other SLBM"
"this is what the Research and Development Department says, and we all know that the decision for a new project was pushed also by the corporations involved"
"it's true Majesty, but progress reports are confirming what was expected"
"We can have definitive confirmations only when we can actually carry out a test and... speaking of tests, do we know how many are expected in the Pheykran Desert?"
"according to the timetable, seven are foreseen, after another two to be carried out on Prince Deodato Island"
"those in the desert will be a problem..." commented the First Secretary "the situation in Solentia is precipitating and the eyes of the world will be on this part of the continent, including many, too many, spy satellites"
"the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff will certainly take this into account: Admiral Viscardi had mentioned to me some time ago about the possibility of moving those tests to the island of Montelia"
"We will have to discuss it carefully at the next Supreme Security Council" replied the Emperor after looking at the clock and then reaching out to take the walking stick and get up "now if you will excuse me gentlemen, I must receive the new Laqtese ambassador... general Piccolomini"
"Majesty?"
"tonight, after dinner, let Admiral Viscardi call me"
"sure Majesty"
They all rose to their feet, the officers springing to attention and presenting the military salute as the Emperor left the room.
- XanderOne
- Posts: 765
- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:15 pm
Re: A Battle Unseen
by XanderOne » Thu Jun 23, 2022 2:29 pm
8 July 5138, 3.45 pm,
"The Officers Club", Via dei Granatieri 87, Romula, Istalia
The Officers' Club was full as usual, uniforms of the three main branches of the Armed Forces were to be seen everywhere, but there were also numerous men and women in suits and ties.
The Club was haused in the top three floors of a building in the Defense District, and overlooked the gardens surrounding Travertine Palace.
In one of the private lounges on the second floor of the club, a stocky, square-featured admiral was filling three glasses of liqueur and once the ice was put on, he served them to the newly arrived guests.
They were a man and a woman, the former in a light gray suit paired with a white shirt and dark blue tie, the latter in a dark green suit paired with a lilac blouse in pendant with a clutch bag.
"please, let's make ourselves comfortable" said the admiral, inviting them to sit in the largen leather armchairs.
"thank you for coming so promptly Mr. Verzieri"
"duty admiral"
"as I mentioned, the Foreign Ministry wanted to contact you again for an update of the situation"
"actually" the woman rose to speak "the Ministry knows the current situation, we would like more than anything else to know from you and your partners what prospects there are for the future. Now that finally a lasting peace seems to be on the horizon, we would like to know if and what did you and the Ahmadi Front say to each other whe virtually you and your partners are controlling the entire coastal area to the east and you are also significally present in different parts of the coastal area to the south"
"As I told you last time, the new government has proved, like the previous one, to be very receptive to our investments and our economic assistance, moreover, the continuous operation of ports and of the coastal economy has favored both us and them"
"But now that the civil war is nearing an end? I'm sure the admiral will have reminded you several times how many resources and logistical assistance we have guaranteed for you and your partners. The Ministry wants to make sure it was a good... investment"
"The presence of Istalian companies in the eastern part of the country is now well established and we practically manage the main eastern ports of the country as well as several area in the south coast. For the Solentian economy we are an asset and after all the money that tribal chiefs and members of the UASF are pocketing, make us move out it would not be in their best interests. I also personally received reassurances about it a few days ago"
"it's a good news, however... regarding the activities of decidedly ''less legal entities and people''? We know that you have established a kind of tacit agreement not to step on each other's toes too much, but for us this is unacceptable"
"Ma'am... those people pass just as much money under the table to the various Solentian leaders and they have invested in and bought a lot from local farmers and the Solentian authorities ignore them since they have their slice from such kind of businesses. During the years of prohibitionism in Istalia such organizations made a lot of money with the drugs and now they have still the Sarrentine Peninsula: your party still controll it and the Federal Community still keep in place the prohibitionist laws. But... in any case... I'm not here to talk about politics... what I want say is that our contractors are there to defend our interests and not to serve as police forces. In such kind of situation we could not help but find a way, as you said ma'am, not to step on each other's toes. Besides, we are businessmen! Rather, our authorities should be the ones to deal with similar matters, on the other hand they are istalian mobsters and criminals"
"we are working on it, don't worry, what worries us is that there may be relationships between you and your partners and those people"
"I can't assure you such kind of relationships don't exist, but in any case, in a chaos like the one that reigns in the country, it's hard to judge with whom you're doing business"
"such an answer is unacceptable Mr. Verzieri"
"what do you want me to tell you? Anyway you can rest assured that those people have nothing to do with the assistance you have provided us, you can be sure about that"
"I hope so!"
"however..." the man took a more conciliatory stance "when I will come back I will meet with my partners and we will try to find some solution to distance ourselves as much as possible from those activities"
"very well, also because I don't think I should remind you how important the coastal areas of Solentia are to us: the infrastructures are still quite intact, they are two very important transit channels for our trade, both towards Kafuristan and the islands and towards Kalopia and the rest of the continent. We hope to be able to reopen the transit in the southern tunnel and the one under Mont Tonante as soon as possible"
"Ma'am... our interests coincide, you can be sure"
"that damned country is too unstable... a massive presence of Istalian companies, investments and contractors in the coastal areas would guarantee us at least a certain stability in trade, exports and, not to be underestimated, we could manage the migratory flows from the inside and we will have a not indifferent position from a military, defensive and strategic point of view"
"in this regard..." the man turned to the officer "admiral, the military advisors of the Defense was very helpful and since we have also provided advisors to the AUSF too, I hope this can be a further channel of communication and coordination with the Solentian authorities"
"sure, sure... there won't be any problem from that point of view"
"but admiral... and ma'am..." he looked both seriously and waited a few seconds before continuing "future developments could still be unpredictable and... well... private contractors may not be sufficient to protect these our interests, if you know what I mean..."
"yes... I understand" the admiral replies "I do not deny that for some time the Defense Staff has presented various proposals for intervention in the area to the Ministry of Defense and the Government"
"it is an option that we want to try to avoid at all costs" specified in any case the woman "but I do not deny that such a move it was considered, especially at the height of the civil war. For the moment, however, we must ''help'' to make sure that the attention of the Solentian authorities remains directed towards Kafuristan. In this way they will have much more other fish to fry"
"my partners will be very happy to learn all this, we have been discussing it for a while about some form of... ''insurance'' and ''protection'' for our investments"
"but all this will surely be the last resort and we will do everything to avoid having to resort to this"
"I understand, in any case it is still very reassuring"
"you didn't think that our country could ignore the safety of our fellow citizens and our interests, did you?"
"not at all ma'am"
"very well... then, I think that's all" the woman stood up putting her clutch bag under her arm "see you soon gentlemen"
"ma'am" the admiral bowed his head slightly respectfully, although, just like Mr Verzieri, he could not avoid following with his eyes the legs and the curves under the suit of the woman who was walking elegantly away towards the door.
"The Officers Club", Via dei Granatieri 87, Romula, Istalia
The Officers' Club was full as usual, uniforms of the three main branches of the Armed Forces were to be seen everywhere, but there were also numerous men and women in suits and ties.
The Club was haused in the top three floors of a building in the Defense District, and overlooked the gardens surrounding Travertine Palace.
In one of the private lounges on the second floor of the club, a stocky, square-featured admiral was filling three glasses of liqueur and once the ice was put on, he served them to the newly arrived guests.
They were a man and a woman, the former in a light gray suit paired with a white shirt and dark blue tie, the latter in a dark green suit paired with a lilac blouse in pendant with a clutch bag.
"please, let's make ourselves comfortable" said the admiral, inviting them to sit in the largen leather armchairs.
"thank you for coming so promptly Mr. Verzieri"
"duty admiral"
"as I mentioned, the Foreign Ministry wanted to contact you again for an update of the situation"
"actually" the woman rose to speak "the Ministry knows the current situation, we would like more than anything else to know from you and your partners what prospects there are for the future. Now that finally a lasting peace seems to be on the horizon, we would like to know if and what did you and the Ahmadi Front say to each other whe virtually you and your partners are controlling the entire coastal area to the east and you are also significally present in different parts of the coastal area to the south"
"As I told you last time, the new government has proved, like the previous one, to be very receptive to our investments and our economic assistance, moreover, the continuous operation of ports and of the coastal economy has favored both us and them"
"But now that the civil war is nearing an end? I'm sure the admiral will have reminded you several times how many resources and logistical assistance we have guaranteed for you and your partners. The Ministry wants to make sure it was a good... investment"
"The presence of Istalian companies in the eastern part of the country is now well established and we practically manage the main eastern ports of the country as well as several area in the south coast. For the Solentian economy we are an asset and after all the money that tribal chiefs and members of the UASF are pocketing, make us move out it would not be in their best interests. I also personally received reassurances about it a few days ago"
"it's a good news, however... regarding the activities of decidedly ''less legal entities and people''? We know that you have established a kind of tacit agreement not to step on each other's toes too much, but for us this is unacceptable"
"Ma'am... those people pass just as much money under the table to the various Solentian leaders and they have invested in and bought a lot from local farmers and the Solentian authorities ignore them since they have their slice from such kind of businesses. During the years of prohibitionism in Istalia such organizations made a lot of money with the drugs and now they have still the Sarrentine Peninsula: your party still controll it and the Federal Community still keep in place the prohibitionist laws. But... in any case... I'm not here to talk about politics... what I want say is that our contractors are there to defend our interests and not to serve as police forces. In such kind of situation we could not help but find a way, as you said ma'am, not to step on each other's toes. Besides, we are businessmen! Rather, our authorities should be the ones to deal with similar matters, on the other hand they are istalian mobsters and criminals"
"we are working on it, don't worry, what worries us is that there may be relationships between you and your partners and those people"
"I can't assure you such kind of relationships don't exist, but in any case, in a chaos like the one that reigns in the country, it's hard to judge with whom you're doing business"
"such an answer is unacceptable Mr. Verzieri"
"what do you want me to tell you? Anyway you can rest assured that those people have nothing to do with the assistance you have provided us, you can be sure about that"
"I hope so!"
"however..." the man took a more conciliatory stance "when I will come back I will meet with my partners and we will try to find some solution to distance ourselves as much as possible from those activities"
"very well, also because I don't think I should remind you how important the coastal areas of Solentia are to us: the infrastructures are still quite intact, they are two very important transit channels for our trade, both towards Kafuristan and the islands and towards Kalopia and the rest of the continent. We hope to be able to reopen the transit in the southern tunnel and the one under Mont Tonante as soon as possible"
"Ma'am... our interests coincide, you can be sure"
"that damned country is too unstable... a massive presence of Istalian companies, investments and contractors in the coastal areas would guarantee us at least a certain stability in trade, exports and, not to be underestimated, we could manage the migratory flows from the inside and we will have a not indifferent position from a military, defensive and strategic point of view"
"in this regard..." the man turned to the officer "admiral, the military advisors of the Defense was very helpful and since we have also provided advisors to the AUSF too, I hope this can be a further channel of communication and coordination with the Solentian authorities"
"sure, sure... there won't be any problem from that point of view"
"but admiral... and ma'am..." he looked both seriously and waited a few seconds before continuing "future developments could still be unpredictable and... well... private contractors may not be sufficient to protect these our interests, if you know what I mean..."
"yes... I understand" the admiral replies "I do not deny that for some time the Defense Staff has presented various proposals for intervention in the area to the Ministry of Defense and the Government"
"it is an option that we want to try to avoid at all costs" specified in any case the woman "but I do not deny that such a move it was considered, especially at the height of the civil war. For the moment, however, we must ''help'' to make sure that the attention of the Solentian authorities remains directed towards Kafuristan. In this way they will have much more other fish to fry"
"my partners will be very happy to learn all this, we have been discussing it for a while about some form of... ''insurance'' and ''protection'' for our investments"
"but all this will surely be the last resort and we will do everything to avoid having to resort to this"
"I understand, in any case it is still very reassuring"
"you didn't think that our country could ignore the safety of our fellow citizens and our interests, did you?"
"not at all ma'am"
"very well... then, I think that's all" the woman stood up putting her clutch bag under her arm "see you soon gentlemen"
"ma'am" the admiral bowed his head slightly respectfully, although, just like Mr Verzieri, he could not avoid following with his eyes the legs and the curves under the suit of the woman who was walking elegantly away towards the door.
- XanderOne
- Posts: 765
- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:15 pm
Re: A Battle Unseen
by alaskancrabpuffs21 » Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:22 am
Capital District of Eroncourt October 5190
A little green car drove through the mostly empty streets of the capital of Lourenne, something unusual for a almost always bustling capital city filled with people, cars of all shapes and sizes. The car only had one occupant, a man dressed in a simple suit, with a green tie and he was holding a folder with a document inside of it. He smoked a pipe which was now smouldering on the divider between his seat and the empty passenger seat. He did not work for the Government of Lourenne but as he would say, "He is serving his country". Driving past the Lourenne's royal residence, the famous Palace of Lights which has seen many things over the past few centuries from coups to triumphs. The palace was illuminated by the many lights it indeed had, part of its namesake.
He continued on, through a roundabout and continued up the road, traffic had gotten a bit heavier but still light compared to the daily commuting traffic.
He pulled alongside a well to do townhouse, which was the size of a block, He got out of the car, grabbed his folder and walked up to an unassuming door. Knocking on it a butler greeted him.
"Good Evening Sir, I am with the Dolgavan Government and I would like to have a word with the Duke,", he took a whiff from his pipe and then continued "This is an urgent matter that must be attended to".
The Butler replied "You see he is currently unavailable and only takes things by appointment only", a nervous look came across his face.
The man stopped looked at the Butler, took a deep inhale from his pipe and blew out it, it drifted into the night, he spoke slowly but with authority "My name is Oskar Janus, I am the chief Investigator but also the Chair of the Dolgavan Accession Committee, I only take orders from the Dolgavan Prime Minister... Now can you tell the Duke that it is vital that I see him... Now?"
The Butler became increasingly nervous and walked back inside, Oskar could hear the sounds of a couple people trying to talk quietly before a 2 sets of footsteps went up a set of marble stairs, the Butler returned
"Please wait a spell, he will be out to see you when he can, if I may would you like any refreshments?"
Oskar shook his head and said "No", taking his pipe he inhaled again his level of frustration with all of this growing.
Finally after what seemed like forever a pair of footsteps walked towards the door and opening it stood a man brown mustache and brown eyes, he was not extremely tall but also not short either. He urged Oskar to come in. They walked into his parlor and sat across from each other on a large table. Oskar explained why he was there, what he wanted and what choices the Duke had. The Duke couldn't believe it, he stood almost dumbfounded before he spoke.
"Sir, why do you want me? I have no ties to the country, my family have lived in Lourenne for many, many years. We were driven out by the Socialists, why would we want to return". Oskar smoked his pipe a second before saying
"Because the Dolgavan people have chosen to bring the Monarchy back, they have chosen you and now its your decision, do you return them the favor?"
The Duke sat there for a moment, his thoughts clearly somewhere else, his eyes darted to the stairway upstairs and then back to Oskar before looking at the legal document in front of him then he said
"King, you want me to become King! Why? I am not even married how do you expect me to become King? I don't even speak Dolgavan?"
Oskar looked back at him with a smile before saying "Sir, I am sure the Princess you have been courting for some time will make a excellent consort for you, and (speaking softer), I heard that you will be proposing to her as well", he gestured up the marble steps
The Duke's face fell flat and was now shocked "How, how, Have you been stalking me? Do you not value a person's privacy!!!"
Oskar in a soft voice said "When you've been in intelligence as long as I have, a person's life is never entirely secret,". He paused then continued "Look sir, I have no quarrel with you, you are a respectable man and would make a fine King, you have the offer that now stands before you. Give it some time, talk to your family", again he gestured back up the stairs "Oh and when you have made your decision, here is the number of the Council, he gave the Duke a slip of paper. It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Rothengren".
The Duke's face was still in bewilderment and confusion as Oskar went for the door. The two men shook hands before Oskar walked back outside and into his green car. Starting the engine he turned back onto the main boulevard back towards the Dolgavan Embassy. Despite the Duke's hesitation and his annoyance with Oskar he felt like they had finally found the right person for the job.
A little green car drove through the mostly empty streets of the capital of Lourenne, something unusual for a almost always bustling capital city filled with people, cars of all shapes and sizes. The car only had one occupant, a man dressed in a simple suit, with a green tie and he was holding a folder with a document inside of it. He smoked a pipe which was now smouldering on the divider between his seat and the empty passenger seat. He did not work for the Government of Lourenne but as he would say, "He is serving his country". Driving past the Lourenne's royal residence, the famous Palace of Lights which has seen many things over the past few centuries from coups to triumphs. The palace was illuminated by the many lights it indeed had, part of its namesake.
He continued on, through a roundabout and continued up the road, traffic had gotten a bit heavier but still light compared to the daily commuting traffic.
He pulled alongside a well to do townhouse, which was the size of a block, He got out of the car, grabbed his folder and walked up to an unassuming door. Knocking on it a butler greeted him.
"Good Evening Sir, I am with the Dolgavan Government and I would like to have a word with the Duke,", he took a whiff from his pipe and then continued "This is an urgent matter that must be attended to".
The Butler replied "You see he is currently unavailable and only takes things by appointment only", a nervous look came across his face.
The man stopped looked at the Butler, took a deep inhale from his pipe and blew out it, it drifted into the night, he spoke slowly but with authority "My name is Oskar Janus, I am the chief Investigator but also the Chair of the Dolgavan Accession Committee, I only take orders from the Dolgavan Prime Minister... Now can you tell the Duke that it is vital that I see him... Now?"
The Butler became increasingly nervous and walked back inside, Oskar could hear the sounds of a couple people trying to talk quietly before a 2 sets of footsteps went up a set of marble stairs, the Butler returned
"Please wait a spell, he will be out to see you when he can, if I may would you like any refreshments?"
Oskar shook his head and said "No", taking his pipe he inhaled again his level of frustration with all of this growing.
Finally after what seemed like forever a pair of footsteps walked towards the door and opening it stood a man brown mustache and brown eyes, he was not extremely tall but also not short either. He urged Oskar to come in. They walked into his parlor and sat across from each other on a large table. Oskar explained why he was there, what he wanted and what choices the Duke had. The Duke couldn't believe it, he stood almost dumbfounded before he spoke.
"Sir, why do you want me? I have no ties to the country, my family have lived in Lourenne for many, many years. We were driven out by the Socialists, why would we want to return". Oskar smoked his pipe a second before saying
"Because the Dolgavan people have chosen to bring the Monarchy back, they have chosen you and now its your decision, do you return them the favor?"
The Duke sat there for a moment, his thoughts clearly somewhere else, his eyes darted to the stairway upstairs and then back to Oskar before looking at the legal document in front of him then he said
"King, you want me to become King! Why? I am not even married how do you expect me to become King? I don't even speak Dolgavan?"
Oskar looked back at him with a smile before saying "Sir, I am sure the Princess you have been courting for some time will make a excellent consort for you, and (speaking softer), I heard that you will be proposing to her as well", he gestured up the marble steps
The Duke's face fell flat and was now shocked "How, how, Have you been stalking me? Do you not value a person's privacy!!!"
Oskar in a soft voice said "When you've been in intelligence as long as I have, a person's life is never entirely secret,". He paused then continued "Look sir, I have no quarrel with you, you are a respectable man and would make a fine King, you have the offer that now stands before you. Give it some time, talk to your family", again he gestured back up the stairs "Oh and when you have made your decision, here is the number of the Council, he gave the Duke a slip of paper. It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Rothengren".
The Duke's face was still in bewilderment and confusion as Oskar went for the door. The two men shook hands before Oskar walked back outside and into his green car. Starting the engine he turned back onto the main boulevard back towards the Dolgavan Embassy. Despite the Duke's hesitation and his annoyance with Oskar he felt like they had finally found the right person for the job.
-
alaskancrabpuffs21 - Posts: 747
- Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2018 4:06 pm
- Location: Aikums, Dolgava
Re: A Battle Unseen
by ChitinKal » Tue Oct 11, 2022 4:30 am
Defense Ministry Headquarters, Kitemjiji, Capital District, Kitembo Union; 16:09 February 5 5192
"Comrades," a large general entered a secluded conference room, late to a meeting of a half dozen officials from the Kitembo defense and intelligence agencies, "let me begin by reiterating the confidentiality of this meeting. Everything said here today is classified to the highest possible level, and details should not be shared with those not expressly cleared by name. 'Less anyone wants to find the punishment for leaking state secrets of this caliber, keep to these restrictions." The general paused for a moment and looked around the room. "But these are just formalities. I know each of you personally, I know there isn't a leak among us."
Commander Ashur Okwonko sat listening to General Babangida, half ignoring the lecture from the venerable old soldier, being the same spiel given at the beginning of every meeting in Okwonko's line of work. An officer of the Maarifa, the KU's clandestine foreign intelligence agency, Okwonko had been watching with great interest the unfolding of events in North Dovani and its collapse of relations with the KU. "Finally, some real action" would think to himself, growing bored with the regular operations of the Maarifa in peaceful times.
"As you all know, the President has authorized operations in North Dovani to assist anti government insurgents. I'm sure you've all been provided with the detailed briefs." Okwonko down at the booklet in front of him, titled Operation Mkono wa Kusaidia and with the seal of the Defense Ministry emblazoned across it. He turned randomly from page to page, briefly skimming sections on landing points and manifests of weapons to be smuggled across borders. "In brief, we have a monumental task before us, one which will win the freedom of North Dovani and the security of the Dovani Pact. You fine men have the task of overseeing the arming and advising of Huhoa rebels in North Dovani, with the intent that they put enough strain on the military regime to cause its collapse or topple the government outright. You will do so by transporting arms and supplies to insurgent groups which we have made contact with and by advising rebel staffs and training rebel troops."
General Babangida stopped for a moment, awaiting questions. Hearing none, he continued "Major Okoye," a logistics officer attached to the small contingent of Kitembo forces in Ostland "you are responsible for the supply line running through Ostland."
The major spoke up, "has Ostland been informed of this operation sir?"
"More than that major. Ostland will be working closely with us on this operation. The IBE will be assisting you and the Maarifa in all operations going through Ostlandic territory. Your IBE is a one..." the general sat for a moment looking at his own brief, trying but failing to read the Dorvish name and rank of the IBE officer assigned to liaise between the two nations, "...a one Klemens Haas. His details are listed in your brief."
General Babangida again stopped and looked around the room before continuing, "Lieutenant Colonel Jang, there will be another, more hush hush supply line running through northern Istapali and Mina to insurgents in the east. You have overall command. And no, we are not working with the Minese or Istapalians. Istapalian officials are ok with turning a blind eye to the operation, but routes through Mina must be even more secretive."
The general then turned to Okwonko, "Commander Okwonko, you have overall command over all Maarifa operations in North Dovani, which will initially be consist of liaising between Kitemjiji and the insurgents, ensuring the safety of Kitembo personnel in country, and gathering intelligence."
"Personnel, sir?" asked Okwonko.
"Ah yes, I mean veteran volunteers. For the purposes of this operation, all advisors and forces being sent to North Dovani, save you and your Maarifa contingent, will be officially retired from active duty. They'll be in country, armed, to provide training to insurgents, make sure they don't blow themselves up with RPGs we send over, and advise rebel officers."
"And I'll be in country, sir?"
"Yes, you and a company of Maarifa agents and our volunteers will be inserted in country by air drop, deep into insurgent held territory. There you'll meet with the leaders of the insurgency and help communicate and coordinate the beginning of operations."
Okwonko felt his heart drop, but his spirits rise. He had not yet been assigned a mission that would put him so much so in harms way, but he was excited to finally experience the action he expected when he first joined the Maarifa and to make a name for himself. In less than a month, he would be in North Dovani, the most dangerous and conflict-ridden place in the world at the time, serving his country and continent.
"Comrades," a large general entered a secluded conference room, late to a meeting of a half dozen officials from the Kitembo defense and intelligence agencies, "let me begin by reiterating the confidentiality of this meeting. Everything said here today is classified to the highest possible level, and details should not be shared with those not expressly cleared by name. 'Less anyone wants to find the punishment for leaking state secrets of this caliber, keep to these restrictions." The general paused for a moment and looked around the room. "But these are just formalities. I know each of you personally, I know there isn't a leak among us."
Commander Ashur Okwonko sat listening to General Babangida, half ignoring the lecture from the venerable old soldier, being the same spiel given at the beginning of every meeting in Okwonko's line of work. An officer of the Maarifa, the KU's clandestine foreign intelligence agency, Okwonko had been watching with great interest the unfolding of events in North Dovani and its collapse of relations with the KU. "Finally, some real action" would think to himself, growing bored with the regular operations of the Maarifa in peaceful times.
"As you all know, the President has authorized operations in North Dovani to assist anti government insurgents. I'm sure you've all been provided with the detailed briefs." Okwonko down at the booklet in front of him, titled Operation Mkono wa Kusaidia and with the seal of the Defense Ministry emblazoned across it. He turned randomly from page to page, briefly skimming sections on landing points and manifests of weapons to be smuggled across borders. "In brief, we have a monumental task before us, one which will win the freedom of North Dovani and the security of the Dovani Pact. You fine men have the task of overseeing the arming and advising of Huhoa rebels in North Dovani, with the intent that they put enough strain on the military regime to cause its collapse or topple the government outright. You will do so by transporting arms and supplies to insurgent groups which we have made contact with and by advising rebel staffs and training rebel troops."
General Babangida stopped for a moment, awaiting questions. Hearing none, he continued "Major Okoye," a logistics officer attached to the small contingent of Kitembo forces in Ostland "you are responsible for the supply line running through Ostland."
The major spoke up, "has Ostland been informed of this operation sir?"
"More than that major. Ostland will be working closely with us on this operation. The IBE will be assisting you and the Maarifa in all operations going through Ostlandic territory. Your IBE is a one..." the general sat for a moment looking at his own brief, trying but failing to read the Dorvish name and rank of the IBE officer assigned to liaise between the two nations, "...a one Klemens Haas. His details are listed in your brief."
General Babangida again stopped and looked around the room before continuing, "Lieutenant Colonel Jang, there will be another, more hush hush supply line running through northern Istapali and Mina to insurgents in the east. You have overall command. And no, we are not working with the Minese or Istapalians. Istapalian officials are ok with turning a blind eye to the operation, but routes through Mina must be even more secretive."
The general then turned to Okwonko, "Commander Okwonko, you have overall command over all Maarifa operations in North Dovani, which will initially be consist of liaising between Kitemjiji and the insurgents, ensuring the safety of Kitembo personnel in country, and gathering intelligence."
"Personnel, sir?" asked Okwonko.
"Ah yes, I mean veteran volunteers. For the purposes of this operation, all advisors and forces being sent to North Dovani, save you and your Maarifa contingent, will be officially retired from active duty. They'll be in country, armed, to provide training to insurgents, make sure they don't blow themselves up with RPGs we send over, and advise rebel officers."
"And I'll be in country, sir?"
"Yes, you and a company of Maarifa agents and our volunteers will be inserted in country by air drop, deep into insurgent held territory. There you'll meet with the leaders of the insurgency and help communicate and coordinate the beginning of operations."
Okwonko felt his heart drop, but his spirits rise. He had not yet been assigned a mission that would put him so much so in harms way, but he was excited to finally experience the action he expected when he first joined the Maarifa and to make a name for himself. In less than a month, he would be in North Dovani, the most dangerous and conflict-ridden place in the world at the time, serving his country and continent.
-
ChitinKal - Posts: 849
- Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2018 3:10 pm
The Directive
by wimpwampwomp » Sun Oct 30, 2022 9:28 am
CONFIDENTIAL - LEVEL 3 CLEARANCE
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
INTERNAL DIRECTIVE
395202-812-HJ
Interior Ministry of the Republic of Deltaria
46 Federation Avenue
Čachtice
All Interior Ministry employees (Level 3 clearance and above) are hereby informed that following close assessment and consideration by the Emergent Situation Assessment Directorate, significant evidence has been shown to support the idea that the government of the Trigunian Federation and its security apparatus was responsible for the assassination of President Patrik Siroky (Interbodily Case File 52ABX-32QJ). It is therefore now the mandate of the Interior Ministry and all attached apparati to prioritize this investigative track above all others.
Portions of said evidence, and directives for accessing others, may be found in the following attachments:
CL-41238406213750241-186524195.pdf
bbioUAHGmeBUU_siroky_doka.pdf
Republik_Veľvyslanectvo_Dodatok.pdf
pripojit-SOUBOR-SRPZ-duver-postaveni.pdf
01237640592165409273456112394567293054716_1324590123457620.pdf
Please communicate this to lower-clearance employees if strictly relevant. The SRPZ and other relevant bodies have been notified of this directive and asked to act accordingly.
Linda Prokopová
Interior Minister
9 Jul. 5202
- DELTARIA
- NPD (INACTIVE)
- NS (ACTIVE)
- HULSTRIA AND GAO-SOTO
- FSU (INACTIVE)
- VORONA
- WPV - T (INACTIVE)
-
wimpwampwomp - Posts: 235
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:19 am
- Location: toilet
The Incrimination
by wimpwampwomp » Mon Oct 31, 2022 1:21 am
CONFIDENTIAL - LEVEL 5 CLEARANCE
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
INTERBODILY COMMUNIQUÉ
865203-275-QO
State Directorate of Intelligence
92 Federation Avenue
Čachtice
Konrád,
We've made a huge mistake.
I have NO IDEA why we didn't think to look at this before. There's practically a shrine in the suspect's apartment to Jarmila Trojanová. Nothing to indicate a Trigunian collection except the funds and Antonov's ancestry. I don't know why we haven't paid any attention to this before. Pictures below.
5124370961034760219574391.png
5124370961034760219574392.png
5124370961034760219574393.png
5124370961034760219574394.png
5124370961034760219574395.png
5124370961034760219574396.png
I think we just racially profiled someone for the assassination of our head of state. What the [REDACTED] is even going on over at the Ministry?
Monika Kroupová
Deputy Chief, Criminal Investigations
14 Sep. 5203
Interior Ministry of the Republic of Deltaria
46 Federation Avenue
Čachtice
Not sure why Prokopová overlooked this. Will inform her. Very important.
Konrád Jankovič
Deputy Interior Minister
14 Sep. 5203
Interior Ministry of the Republic of Deltaria
46 Federation Avenue
Čachtice
Have talked with Prokopová about 'new' evidence. Reached following conclusions.
- Trigunia angle still our top priority. Her words, not mine.
- Blaming Trigunia 'beneficial' in some way, shape, or form; will lend geopolitical credibility and let us take Trig. out of the picture. No, I do not know how this could possibly be our jurisdiction instead of Foreign's.
- The Trojanová angle should be hushed up.
Konrád Jankovič
Deputy Interior Minister
15 Sep. 5203
State Directorate of Intelligence
92 Federation Avenue
Čachtice
Konrád,
I never thought I would wind up uncovering a government conspiracy during my time in office, but here we are.
We have to figure out what in God's name is going on, and Prokopová cannot find out. I have a hunch that NS really is just looking for a way to pressure Rodshyadam over anything at this point, even if national security is at stake. (No offense.)
If she wants any part of this hushed up, I don't even want to imagine what is at play.
Monika Kroupová
Deputy Chief, Criminal Investigations
15 Sep. 5203
NOTICE OF TERMINATION
Date: 19/09/5203
Served to: Kroupova, Monika Petronela
Effective: 19/09/5203
Reason given: Mishandling of confidential files, workplace misconduct
- DELTARIA
- NPD (INACTIVE)
- NS (ACTIVE)
- HULSTRIA AND GAO-SOTO
- FSU (INACTIVE)
- VORONA
- WPV - T (INACTIVE)
-
wimpwampwomp - Posts: 235
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:19 am
- Location: toilet
Re: A Battle Unseen
by alaskancrabpuffs21 » Mon Oct 31, 2022 8:12 am
October
Streets of Fort Karzonpils
The streets of Fort Karzonpils were dark, rain had been setting in for days. Erica wrapped her coat tighter against her body as the cold arctic winds blasted south, from their beginnings in the ice fields far beyond Trigunia and swirl south until they hit the island of Karzon. The rain was pelting the ground, leaving puddles in the cobblestone streets of the downtown of the city. This ancient part of the city had been a hub of Karzon for centuries but now in the gloom of fall, it was dark, gloomy, quiet.
Erica was a shy girl, she had grown up in a high class banking family in the capital of the province. She had been born in Aikums, until her parents had moved to Karzon, she had fit in but not as much as she had in Aikums, she had left her friends and all her acquaintances however she was trying to fit in after all these years, 5 to be exact. She had finished school here and now as a 19 year old she like many youth in Fort Karzonpils were heading to an event. It had spread around the youth circles, a young man was speaking, his views, brash, his ideas, well they didn't know. He promised a "new direction" for the youth of the city.
The streets of Karzonpils were getting rougher as she went from well lit streets to streets that had slow encroaching gloom. She passed by an abandoned factory, its rusty walls rattling in the winds. She thought "My parents would kill me if they knew I was here". She continued watching the rattling panels of the factory before she tripped. Her boots which were not meant for the uneven sidewalk went sideways the tall heel catching in a pothole in the road, a sharp pain went up her ankle. She cursed under her breath before she saw a light, it was an old auditorium building, she had seen it once or twice before, and a small crowd of younger adults huddled around the entrance. Going inside she found a seat, around a moderately well lit room. Some people here she knew, others she did not. She sat towards the middle by herself, still cursing under her breath at the pothole, the building was a bit warm, so she unwrapped herself from her coat sitting on top of it on the seat. The small auditorium had a sign that said "for lease", but clearly it was not being leased at this time.
A tallish man stepped up to a makeshift podium and told the audience "Have a seat, please please, Have a Seat". He was young, still baby faced but clearly older than Erica was. He had a pointed chin, straight brown hair with one of his cowlicks sticking out. He had small dark brown eyes and a smile that looked sinister yet calm. He spoke again "I see we all are almost ready to begin", a group of young adults Erica's age shuffled past her spot and sat in the corner.
Suddenly the crowd was silent and the man began to speak. "First I would like to tell you my name, I am Ben, please do not try to look me up on your phone, you will not find me", several audience members put their phones down at this time and started paying attention.
"Now I am here for one simple reason", he began his voice had a raspy sort of feel to it one that made his voice echo almost unnaturally despite the pounding wind outside. "We are here because we want change. I know it you know it, we have seen in the past decade lots of change on this island you may not have realized it but that is why I will tell you how things have changed".
Erica couldn't think of any major changes lately, the past few years had seen much of the same throughout the island in her opinion.
Ben went on "As you know this new government has been hyper focused on the mainland, we have been left with scraps nothing!" His voice turned from raspy to booming as he talked louder, his voice now booming, "Just across the street there, we were promised factories to be reopened, but have they been fixed, nope they have not! What we are seeing is a country that talks of unity, that talks of togetherness, that talks about making your lives better, our futures as young Karzonians better but they have not!"
Erica was slightly shocked, why didn't he say Dolgavans? She wasn't the only one who was turned off by this, a group of girls off to her left in the corner promptly stood up and left, exiting the auditorium into the night the door slamming behind them.
He continued "We didn't need them anyways," he chuckled to himself then continued "We have seen a King come to us promising to save us, with old backwards ways being encouraged, we have Lourennians invading our nation and now they have taken full control!!! They are saying that we are stronger, they are saying this is a new Dolgava but if this is Dolgava, I do not want to be a Dolgavan!"
At this three groups of audience members left the room leaving through the door back to the outside world, back to the dark windy streets.
Erica felt the urge to leave, this man seemed not to be a little bit crazy, his eyes darting back and forth at the 30 or so remaining audience members.
"Now if we want a better future, if we want a new future we must stand and fight. I will give you everything you need, if you a stop your normal lives and become an Ambassador for freedom!" At this a group of 5 men and women between Erica and Ben's age stood behind him in a row, the women had bright red hair, the men had bright red bandanas tied around their head and their heads were shaved.
At this the number of audience members were cut in half as they were frankly creeped out and disgusted by this. Erica went to leave but the man was doing something, she sat back down and watched
"Now today you all can take the pledge of allegiance, to Karzon, for the only free Karzonian is an Independent Karzon", now the number dropped to 7 as a husband shuffled his wife out of the auditorium, the remaining 7 people were a mix of men and women, all looking up in awe.
Erica went to leave, she was not traitor, but as she did so the a voice echoed over he shoulder
"Come her my child", she turned and saw the man gesturing towards her, she gave it a second thought, and told herself "I am going to give it a try", she walked up to the stage where a chair had been placed for her, the man continued
"What is your name, you loyal Karzonian?",
Erica stammered "Erica"
"'Good good, what a wonderful name, now what do you think of all of this Erica",
She looked around the room, the 6 in the audience had not left their seats now staring at her, waiting for her to say something, she couldn't think of what to say she looked at Ben, he moved a watch on his wrist and suddenly, she felt the weight of the situation leave her, she realized what she was going to say
"Well I think this is a noble goal, I think we all should join this movement", the words were almost coming out of her automatically
"Well that is good to hear", Ben said and then he asked "would you like to become a Freedom Fighter?",
In this moment, Erica thought of her parents, how they always berated her, and how they expected her to become a lawyer, how they had told her what she needed to do in life how she needed to act, it all came back like a wave, suddenly a thought came into her brain and she said "Yes"
"Well excellent" Ben said snapping his fingers and motioned for Erica to take a seat, in an instant the chair leaned back and one of the ladies gathered Erica's blonde hair,
Erica was frightened, what was happening, but before she could ask a question, she felt something cold on her hair, now soaking all of her hair, the ladies with red hair were doing something. Ben watched a fair distance away from the podium as and he gestured towards the remaining audience who walked up to the stage. One of the ladies in red told Erica to relax and she did, realizing nothing was happening suddenly she felt her hair go into another liquid this time it was thicker, like paint. The ladies in red held it up to her head enveloping all of her hair for around a minute before wrapping her head in a towel.
[Some Time Later]
Erica didn't know if she had dreamed it or if it had been real, the sunshine glistened off a foggy window and she realized she was not in her house, She was in a room with posters on the walls showing idealized societies and what she believed to be some sort of slogan, she got up and realized it wasn't a dream, a Lady with red hair was in the door holding an outfit for her, the lady said
"You had a long night, you didn't sleep at all you just stared out the window all the way out here"
Suddenly the memories flooded back, her hair and the riding in the van and the rain pouring continuously and Ben mysteriously vanishing, choosing to take his own personal car to the property, and the bumpy farm roads. She remembered it all, she stood up, walked over to the lady, grabbed the clothing and went to the bathroom, turning on the light she looked in the mirror, her hair was bright red from top to bottom.
She went downstairs where she smelled food, that is when she saw Ben, he had a large helping of breakfast, he said "Red suits you, you know that", before offering her a seat, everyone around her was happy, joyful almost but a rigid structure existed. In the corner she saw what looked like military weapons and more propaganda posters. The food was delicious and the people around her were all happy, the family she thought she would never have.
Ben got up looked at Erica in the eyes, the two staring at each other before he said "Oh child let us now prepare you for fights ahead".
Streets of Fort Karzonpils
The streets of Fort Karzonpils were dark, rain had been setting in for days. Erica wrapped her coat tighter against her body as the cold arctic winds blasted south, from their beginnings in the ice fields far beyond Trigunia and swirl south until they hit the island of Karzon. The rain was pelting the ground, leaving puddles in the cobblestone streets of the downtown of the city. This ancient part of the city had been a hub of Karzon for centuries but now in the gloom of fall, it was dark, gloomy, quiet.
Erica was a shy girl, she had grown up in a high class banking family in the capital of the province. She had been born in Aikums, until her parents had moved to Karzon, she had fit in but not as much as she had in Aikums, she had left her friends and all her acquaintances however she was trying to fit in after all these years, 5 to be exact. She had finished school here and now as a 19 year old she like many youth in Fort Karzonpils were heading to an event. It had spread around the youth circles, a young man was speaking, his views, brash, his ideas, well they didn't know. He promised a "new direction" for the youth of the city.
The streets of Karzonpils were getting rougher as she went from well lit streets to streets that had slow encroaching gloom. She passed by an abandoned factory, its rusty walls rattling in the winds. She thought "My parents would kill me if they knew I was here". She continued watching the rattling panels of the factory before she tripped. Her boots which were not meant for the uneven sidewalk went sideways the tall heel catching in a pothole in the road, a sharp pain went up her ankle. She cursed under her breath before she saw a light, it was an old auditorium building, she had seen it once or twice before, and a small crowd of younger adults huddled around the entrance. Going inside she found a seat, around a moderately well lit room. Some people here she knew, others she did not. She sat towards the middle by herself, still cursing under her breath at the pothole, the building was a bit warm, so she unwrapped herself from her coat sitting on top of it on the seat. The small auditorium had a sign that said "for lease", but clearly it was not being leased at this time.
A tallish man stepped up to a makeshift podium and told the audience "Have a seat, please please, Have a Seat". He was young, still baby faced but clearly older than Erica was. He had a pointed chin, straight brown hair with one of his cowlicks sticking out. He had small dark brown eyes and a smile that looked sinister yet calm. He spoke again "I see we all are almost ready to begin", a group of young adults Erica's age shuffled past her spot and sat in the corner.
Suddenly the crowd was silent and the man began to speak. "First I would like to tell you my name, I am Ben, please do not try to look me up on your phone, you will not find me", several audience members put their phones down at this time and started paying attention.
"Now I am here for one simple reason", he began his voice had a raspy sort of feel to it one that made his voice echo almost unnaturally despite the pounding wind outside. "We are here because we want change. I know it you know it, we have seen in the past decade lots of change on this island you may not have realized it but that is why I will tell you how things have changed".
Erica couldn't think of any major changes lately, the past few years had seen much of the same throughout the island in her opinion.
Ben went on "As you know this new government has been hyper focused on the mainland, we have been left with scraps nothing!" His voice turned from raspy to booming as he talked louder, his voice now booming, "Just across the street there, we were promised factories to be reopened, but have they been fixed, nope they have not! What we are seeing is a country that talks of unity, that talks of togetherness, that talks about making your lives better, our futures as young Karzonians better but they have not!"
Erica was slightly shocked, why didn't he say Dolgavans? She wasn't the only one who was turned off by this, a group of girls off to her left in the corner promptly stood up and left, exiting the auditorium into the night the door slamming behind them.
He continued "We didn't need them anyways," he chuckled to himself then continued "We have seen a King come to us promising to save us, with old backwards ways being encouraged, we have Lourennians invading our nation and now they have taken full control!!! They are saying that we are stronger, they are saying this is a new Dolgava but if this is Dolgava, I do not want to be a Dolgavan!"
At this three groups of audience members left the room leaving through the door back to the outside world, back to the dark windy streets.
Erica felt the urge to leave, this man seemed not to be a little bit crazy, his eyes darting back and forth at the 30 or so remaining audience members.
"Now if we want a better future, if we want a new future we must stand and fight. I will give you everything you need, if you a stop your normal lives and become an Ambassador for freedom!" At this a group of 5 men and women between Erica and Ben's age stood behind him in a row, the women had bright red hair, the men had bright red bandanas tied around their head and their heads were shaved.
At this the number of audience members were cut in half as they were frankly creeped out and disgusted by this. Erica went to leave but the man was doing something, she sat back down and watched
"Now today you all can take the pledge of allegiance, to Karzon, for the only free Karzonian is an Independent Karzon", now the number dropped to 7 as a husband shuffled his wife out of the auditorium, the remaining 7 people were a mix of men and women, all looking up in awe.
Erica went to leave, she was not traitor, but as she did so the a voice echoed over he shoulder
"Come her my child", she turned and saw the man gesturing towards her, she gave it a second thought, and told herself "I am going to give it a try", she walked up to the stage where a chair had been placed for her, the man continued
"What is your name, you loyal Karzonian?",
Erica stammered "Erica"
"'Good good, what a wonderful name, now what do you think of all of this Erica",
She looked around the room, the 6 in the audience had not left their seats now staring at her, waiting for her to say something, she couldn't think of what to say she looked at Ben, he moved a watch on his wrist and suddenly, she felt the weight of the situation leave her, she realized what she was going to say
"Well I think this is a noble goal, I think we all should join this movement", the words were almost coming out of her automatically
"Well that is good to hear", Ben said and then he asked "would you like to become a Freedom Fighter?",
In this moment, Erica thought of her parents, how they always berated her, and how they expected her to become a lawyer, how they had told her what she needed to do in life how she needed to act, it all came back like a wave, suddenly a thought came into her brain and she said "Yes"
"Well excellent" Ben said snapping his fingers and motioned for Erica to take a seat, in an instant the chair leaned back and one of the ladies gathered Erica's blonde hair,
Erica was frightened, what was happening, but before she could ask a question, she felt something cold on her hair, now soaking all of her hair, the ladies with red hair were doing something. Ben watched a fair distance away from the podium as and he gestured towards the remaining audience who walked up to the stage. One of the ladies in red told Erica to relax and she did, realizing nothing was happening suddenly she felt her hair go into another liquid this time it was thicker, like paint. The ladies in red held it up to her head enveloping all of her hair for around a minute before wrapping her head in a towel.
[Some Time Later]
Erica didn't know if she had dreamed it or if it had been real, the sunshine glistened off a foggy window and she realized she was not in her house, She was in a room with posters on the walls showing idealized societies and what she believed to be some sort of slogan, she got up and realized it wasn't a dream, a Lady with red hair was in the door holding an outfit for her, the lady said
"You had a long night, you didn't sleep at all you just stared out the window all the way out here"
Suddenly the memories flooded back, her hair and the riding in the van and the rain pouring continuously and Ben mysteriously vanishing, choosing to take his own personal car to the property, and the bumpy farm roads. She remembered it all, she stood up, walked over to the lady, grabbed the clothing and went to the bathroom, turning on the light she looked in the mirror, her hair was bright red from top to bottom.
She went downstairs where she smelled food, that is when she saw Ben, he had a large helping of breakfast, he said "Red suits you, you know that", before offering her a seat, everyone around her was happy, joyful almost but a rigid structure existed. In the corner she saw what looked like military weapons and more propaganda posters. The food was delicious and the people around her were all happy, the family she thought she would never have.
Ben got up looked at Erica in the eyes, the two staring at each other before he said "Oh child let us now prepare you for fights ahead".
-
alaskancrabpuffs21 - Posts: 747
- Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2018 4:06 pm
- Location: Aikums, Dolgava
Re: A Battle Unseen
by Auditorii » Tue Nov 01, 2022 3:15 am
National Defense Management Center, Rodshyadam, Trigunia
3 April, 5204
In the depths of the National Defense Management Center, located a short ride outside The Bashnya walls, is a top-secret facility in which high-level strategic planning is conducted. The room, often called "The Center" (Rodshyan: Tsentr) but officially known as the "National Military Command Center" (Rodshyan: Национальный военный командный центр; Natsional'nyy voyennyy komandnyy tsentr; NVKT), is the epicenter of the Armed Forces of Trigunia and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Trigunia. Colonel-General Milomir Vyacheslavovich Bebnev is the commanding officer of the Trigunian Missile Troops, an autonomous branch of the Trigunian Armed Forces dedicated solely to various missiles and missile defense. Bebnev approached the room, his paced steady as his polished black shoes tapped across the ornate floor which displayed the logo of the Trigunian Armed Forces. Two armed soldiers stood outside the door, the flag of the Trigunian Federation flanking both sides with them close to it. An officer sat at a basic desk, a computer, a phone and documents on the desk and nodded at the Colonel-General who was flanked by his Chief of Staff, Major General Zigfrids Yurievich Kryukov and a close confidant. The doors, known as pocket doors, slide into the wall slowly. The NVKT, in addition to the National Defense Management Center, could withstand, for the most part, a direct nuclear blast and continue to function albeit a little buckled.
As the Colonel-General entered the room he was greeted with several family faces. Chief among them, President Makar Vlasov, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Trigunia; Prime Minister Ludmil Frolov, Minister of Defense Army General Agripin Zhukov, Science and Technology Minister Veniamin Aleksandrov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Trigunia Army General Rustem Zakharovich Ernet, First Deputy Chief of Staff Colonel-General Dimitri Sergeyevich Bessonov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) Admiral Vassili Vyacheslavovich Balabanov, Secretary of the Security Council Tanas Alesnarovich Pushkin, Commander of the National Guard of Trigunia General (National Guard) Onufri Olegovich Loginovsky, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Svyatoslav (Slava) Pavlovich Yezhov and Director of the State (Federal) Security Service Lubomir Nikitovich Frolov. Bebnev shook hands, saluted the President and those around him. The President ensured everyone as he took a swig of vodka that the atmosphere was informal and that he expected frankness in the conversation that was to happen. A vast majority of the participants knew why they were there, or had an idea. Bebnev was to present to them the situation and the goals going forward.
After several more minutes of pleasantries the President pulled Bebnev aside and spoke with him regarding the status of the project and what the next steps were. The conversation, though brief, prompted the President to place his hand on Bebnev's shoulder and thank him for what he was doing. The President called the room to the table and they all sat: except Bebnev. "Gentleman. As we have seen over the course of the past several years has been a pattern of international activity that has not been seen in many decades. We have a crisis in North Dovani, we have an ever present threat of Dorvik and her hegemony over Artania, a resurgent Istalian Empire that seeks not only a focus on Majatra but the world. A recent "revolution" if you might, has occurred in Lourenne. The once disregarded peasants of Liore and Kurageri continue to present a formidable power in eastern Dovani. Tropica has realized that it a potential source of stability in the far south, our Delic brothers in Deltaria blame us for all their ills and most recently both Dolgavia and Hutori have decided to shed their malaise. The world, as it stands is becoming "active" again." The Colonel-General, his uniform pressed, holding a laser pointer, strode from side to side in the room.
"To put it simply: Trigunia must be ever available. I am sure that the Foreign Affairs Ministry when informed will certainly share their beliefs and I have no doubt that Minister Sokolova would be supportive of our efforts should she have been able to be present." The Foreign Ministry had sent the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karl Yegorovich Shkuratov, but the Foreign Minister was preparing for the wedding of her daughter and she could not be present. President Vlasov raised his glass. "To Eleonora and Artemiy!" A toast to the Foreign Ministers' daughter and her future son-in-law, a Colonel in the Trigunian Airborne Troops. The two had been well known in Trigunia as the subject of many tabloids and gossip magazines and were something of a "power couple" in Trigunian media. Bebnev smiled. "I am sure that our attendance tomorrow at the wedding will certainly be welcomed." Bebnev joked. The same group had all been invited and quite honestly looked forward to the wedding as means to unwind and relax. Bebnev returned to his stern, almost stoic face. "I was requested by President Vlasov in March of 5187 to provide updates and the situation on the nuclear weapons program of Trigunia." The room was quiet but it almost fell silent for a moment. "The report? It was non-existent." Bebnev flicked through some slides which showed the degraded state of the Trigunian nuclear weapons program. Silos abandoned, labs and research facilities all but overrun with natural growth. "President Bebnev instructed me in the summer of 5188 to begin revamping our nuclear weapons program."
"I immediately set out to respond to this request with securing the cooperation of General-Director Shpak. He was more than forthcoming with the support and I can report that today we have successfully begun the process to enrich weapons grade uranium and develop the materials required to restore our nuclear weapons program." Bebnev elaborated about the science, with both Science and Technology Minister Aleksandrov and General-Director Shpak chiming in and providing their analysis. Bebnev provided that, on the current track, the Trigunian's could begin equipping nuclear warheads into ICBMs in roughly 5215 with an operational status of 5217. Benev however stated that it would require testing in the ocean and that would potentially expose the Trigunian nuclear weapons program. The presentation eventually turned into a discussion, both realistic and idealistic and it was decided by the President to push forward with testing in the oceans north of Trigunia where the likelihood that they would not be discovered or it would be minimal.
3 April, 5204
Dramatis personae
President Makar Vlasov, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Trigunia;
Prime Minister Ludmil Frolov;
Minister of Defense Army General Agripin Zhukov;
Science and Technology Minister Veniamin Aleksandrov;
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Trigunia Army General Rustem Zakharovich Ernet;
First Deputy Chief of Staff Colonel-General Dimitri Sergeyevich Bessonov;
Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) Admiral Vassili Vyacheslavovich Balabanov;
Secretary of the Security Council Tanas Alesnarovich Pushkin;
Commander of the National Guard of Trigunia General (National Guard) Onufri Olegovich Loginovsky;
Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Svyatoslav (Slava) Pavlovich Yezhov;
Director of the State (Federal) Security Service Lubomir Nikitovich Frolov
General-Director of the State Atomic Energy Corporation (TriAtom) Viktor Vladislavovich Shpak
Commander of the Strategic Missile Troops Colonel-General Milomir Vyacheslavovich Bebnev
Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Strategic Missile Troops Major General Zigfrids Yurievich Kryukov
In the depths of the National Defense Management Center, located a short ride outside The Bashnya walls, is a top-secret facility in which high-level strategic planning is conducted. The room, often called "The Center" (Rodshyan: Tsentr) but officially known as the "National Military Command Center" (Rodshyan: Национальный военный командный центр; Natsional'nyy voyennyy komandnyy tsentr; NVKT), is the epicenter of the Armed Forces of Trigunia and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Trigunia. Colonel-General Milomir Vyacheslavovich Bebnev is the commanding officer of the Trigunian Missile Troops, an autonomous branch of the Trigunian Armed Forces dedicated solely to various missiles and missile defense. Bebnev approached the room, his paced steady as his polished black shoes tapped across the ornate floor which displayed the logo of the Trigunian Armed Forces. Two armed soldiers stood outside the door, the flag of the Trigunian Federation flanking both sides with them close to it. An officer sat at a basic desk, a computer, a phone and documents on the desk and nodded at the Colonel-General who was flanked by his Chief of Staff, Major General Zigfrids Yurievich Kryukov and a close confidant. The doors, known as pocket doors, slide into the wall slowly. The NVKT, in addition to the National Defense Management Center, could withstand, for the most part, a direct nuclear blast and continue to function albeit a little buckled.
As the Colonel-General entered the room he was greeted with several family faces. Chief among them, President Makar Vlasov, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Trigunia; Prime Minister Ludmil Frolov, Minister of Defense Army General Agripin Zhukov, Science and Technology Minister Veniamin Aleksandrov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Trigunia Army General Rustem Zakharovich Ernet, First Deputy Chief of Staff Colonel-General Dimitri Sergeyevich Bessonov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) Admiral Vassili Vyacheslavovich Balabanov, Secretary of the Security Council Tanas Alesnarovich Pushkin, Commander of the National Guard of Trigunia General (National Guard) Onufri Olegovich Loginovsky, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Svyatoslav (Slava) Pavlovich Yezhov and Director of the State (Federal) Security Service Lubomir Nikitovich Frolov. Bebnev shook hands, saluted the President and those around him. The President ensured everyone as he took a swig of vodka that the atmosphere was informal and that he expected frankness in the conversation that was to happen. A vast majority of the participants knew why they were there, or had an idea. Bebnev was to present to them the situation and the goals going forward.
After several more minutes of pleasantries the President pulled Bebnev aside and spoke with him regarding the status of the project and what the next steps were. The conversation, though brief, prompted the President to place his hand on Bebnev's shoulder and thank him for what he was doing. The President called the room to the table and they all sat: except Bebnev. "Gentleman. As we have seen over the course of the past several years has been a pattern of international activity that has not been seen in many decades. We have a crisis in North Dovani, we have an ever present threat of Dorvik and her hegemony over Artania, a resurgent Istalian Empire that seeks not only a focus on Majatra but the world. A recent "revolution" if you might, has occurred in Lourenne. The once disregarded peasants of Liore and Kurageri continue to present a formidable power in eastern Dovani. Tropica has realized that it a potential source of stability in the far south, our Delic brothers in Deltaria blame us for all their ills and most recently both Dolgavia and Hutori have decided to shed their malaise. The world, as it stands is becoming "active" again." The Colonel-General, his uniform pressed, holding a laser pointer, strode from side to side in the room.
"To put it simply: Trigunia must be ever available. I am sure that the Foreign Affairs Ministry when informed will certainly share their beliefs and I have no doubt that Minister Sokolova would be supportive of our efforts should she have been able to be present." The Foreign Ministry had sent the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karl Yegorovich Shkuratov, but the Foreign Minister was preparing for the wedding of her daughter and she could not be present. President Vlasov raised his glass. "To Eleonora and Artemiy!" A toast to the Foreign Ministers' daughter and her future son-in-law, a Colonel in the Trigunian Airborne Troops. The two had been well known in Trigunia as the subject of many tabloids and gossip magazines and were something of a "power couple" in Trigunian media. Bebnev smiled. "I am sure that our attendance tomorrow at the wedding will certainly be welcomed." Bebnev joked. The same group had all been invited and quite honestly looked forward to the wedding as means to unwind and relax. Bebnev returned to his stern, almost stoic face. "I was requested by President Vlasov in March of 5187 to provide updates and the situation on the nuclear weapons program of Trigunia." The room was quiet but it almost fell silent for a moment. "The report? It was non-existent." Bebnev flicked through some slides which showed the degraded state of the Trigunian nuclear weapons program. Silos abandoned, labs and research facilities all but overrun with natural growth. "President Bebnev instructed me in the summer of 5188 to begin revamping our nuclear weapons program."
"I immediately set out to respond to this request with securing the cooperation of General-Director Shpak. He was more than forthcoming with the support and I can report that today we have successfully begun the process to enrich weapons grade uranium and develop the materials required to restore our nuclear weapons program." Bebnev elaborated about the science, with both Science and Technology Minister Aleksandrov and General-Director Shpak chiming in and providing their analysis. Bebnev provided that, on the current track, the Trigunian's could begin equipping nuclear warheads into ICBMs in roughly 5215 with an operational status of 5217. Benev however stated that it would require testing in the ocean and that would potentially expose the Trigunian nuclear weapons program. The presentation eventually turned into a discussion, both realistic and idealistic and it was decided by the President to push forward with testing in the oceans north of Trigunia where the likelihood that they would not be discovered or it would be minimal.
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