Plans Made of Steele [Earth II]

[Amigard]

January 8, 2012

The Theocracy needed one thing if it was to be anything other than a regional power, to extend its influence past the Middle East and protect its interests on a global scale. She needed a significant navy. The Amigard Army was powerful enough, and its Air Force could pack a punch, but her navy was limited in a number of ways.

First, there were only two groups that constituted the entirety of the Amigard Navy. One was positioned to watch over the Mediterranean, while the other was stationed in the Persian Gulf. Neither fleet was very sizable even if they were generally well funded. Second, because of their locations the ability of the Navy to project itself outside of the Middle East was dependent on the nation’s ability to convince other nations to allow her fleets to pass through their maritime boundaries. The Persian Gulf Fleet required the blessing of Sinae while the Mediterranean fleet had to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar or the Suez Canal; neither of which were under Amigard control.

As far as Cardinal Steele was concerned the answers lie in three places. Building a new navy was going to take time, and while production facilities were in fact being tasked with the construction of several new warships, including a new Nimitz class carrier, it could take years before the required force was available. But Amigard intelligence had discovered two naval bases nearby that appeared to have several available vessels, one on the island of Cyprus, and another in Qatar. Meanwhile Naval facilities in Oman could provide the Theocracy with access to the Indian Ocean and ultimately the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as well.

Of course there was still the issue of how the Theocracy would come to possess these assets without the use of violence. The people of Amigard were tired of conflict, and while they had supported the war against the UTSA, this was largely on account of it being a defensive action. If Cardinal Steele were to authorize an invasion of any of these territories merely to obtain these facilities, he would quickly lose the support of the people and likely the Church itself. Obviously war was not the answer.

Fortunately the respective governments of these territories appeared to be fairly reasonable and overall friendly toward the Theocracy. Cyprus was currently under the influence of the remnants of The Unified Kingdom of Manticore, which had occupied the island back in April of 2011, freeing it from the grip of a brutal warlord. While the majority of the Unified Kingdom had gone on to be peacefully annexed by Amigard, the island of Cyprus had remained independent. Cardinal Steele hoped to bring the island into the fold by offering to have the island join with its former comrades under the new Kingdom of Israel which was currently ruled by King Aaron Yadin, even if he did ultimately owe fealty to the Cardinal. Ever since the annexation of Isreal, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip into the Theocracy, Amigard ambassadors had been visiting the Island of Cyprus with this goal in mind.

Qatar and Oman were a bit different. From what intelligence reports had suggested Qatar was technically ruled by a democratically elected “governor” but in reality it was the corporations that truly ran the country. Money was likely to be the primary motivating factor to bring Qatar on board, and that meant Cardinal Steele would have to find ways to generate the necessary revenue in order to essentially buy them out. Steele was under no illusions however. The Qatar corporations knew that they were in a very advantageous position, and they would likely capitalize on that advantage.

Oman, on the other hand, wasn’t going to be so straight forward. Overall the country was relatively stable. Ruled by a charismatic dictator that generally enjoyed the support of his people, the primary advantage that Amigard had there was that Catholic missionaries had been fairly active in the country for the past year or so and seemed to be having some success at converting the populace. It was unclear why the Catholic faith seemed to appeal to so many in Oman as opposed to areas in Saudi Arabia where Islam continued to be the major religion, but the fact remained that Catholics were gaining ground every day in Oman. But this trend had not yet extended to the leader of the country, Abdul Aalee, who remained a fairly devout Muslim. Still, if Amigard could capitalize on the popular trend toward the Catholic faith the common man would be inclined to support annexation and eventual inclusion in the Theocracy.

Oman was the key really. Oman as part of the Theocracy meant that Amigard would have unfettered access to the vast oceans of the world and could send her naval groups almost anywhere. While Cardinal Steele had no plans toward imperialism or active aggression toward any other world power, he still recognized the need for the Theocracy to project its power past the regional level.

Cardinal Steele accepted that the Council of Bishops was cautious about the Empire of Layarteb, but he saw the Empire as his best option for combating terrorist organizations such as Al-Shams and the Children of God, and thereby protecting the interests of the Amigard people; and of the major world powers, the Empire of Layarteb seemed the least aggressive overall and when they were aggressive they were generally more selective in terms of where that aggression was directed. Unlike some of the other world powers, the Empire seemed to shy away from the indiscriminate killing of civilians, carpet bombing of cities, and the willingness to use weapons of mass destruction in order to achieve their goals.

Ultimately Cardinal Steele had directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin negotiations with the governments of Qatar, Cyprus, and Oman. Meanwhile Bishop Gardner had been ordered to open up further diplomatic contact with the Empire of Layarteb in an effort to strengthen relations between the Empire and the Theocracy.

[Layarteb]

January 9, 2012 - 18:00 hrs [UTC+3]
Amigard City, Iraq
Diplomatic Mission of the Empire of Layarteb

The Empire's ambassador to the Theocracy of Amigard had been working furiously over the past nine hours, preparing himself for the impromptu meeting called at the request of the Amigardian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He wasn't fully sure what the subject of the meeting was but he recognized both the urgency and the importance of it and he had been working all day with various aides to form various scenarios that the Amigardians could want to discuss. He made four phone calls to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and another two to the Ministry of Defense, all six of which were made with a significant amount of curiosity. The overall, beckoning question that was asked seemed universally to be, "What do they want?"

It wasn't a question asked with sneer or snide but rather with an odd sense of perplexity. The results of the Fourth Council of Bishops had been made public and the message to the Empire was quite clear. It was clear that although the overall result cautioned against furthering relations with the Empire, there might have been some dissent among the ranks, perhaps even from Cardinal Steele himself. The fact that the Empire was a "pagan" nation was cited but there was something to that. While the majority of Layartebians did in fact belong to the Layartebian Pagan Rite, the Empire had no official religion nor did it endorse any one religion over the other. In fact, the Empire was home to 361,882,900 Roman Catholics, more than any other nation on Earth. A further 163,919,310 belonged to the various Christian faiths ranging from Protestantism to Mormonism. Of course, 680,974,600 Layartebians did believe in Luna, the Moon Goddess and that was just over fifty-one percent but still, it wasn't as if the Empire was entirely a pagan nation.

The Empire was no stranger to such receptions though. In fact, the Empire would rather have something such as this than the outright hatred bestowed from the Bavinese, the Hi No Motons, or the Russians or the veiled threats from other nations that the Empire far from trusted. In the hierarchy of nations, at the very top were the Cottish and then the Romans and the Africans and then every nation the Empire had a free trade alliance with, the Sinaeans being in that category. Leading the next categories were the Amigardians and it was seemingly inevitable that the Empire would ask them to join in a free trade agreement. It seemed that trade was ultimately the leading assumption for this meeting and the ambassador armed himself with as much information as he could. The possibility of a military pact of some sort was second but assumed to be less likely due to the recent troubles with Persia and their quite seeable conclusion.

For now, the ambassador stuck with the idea of trade and as he straightened up his office to receive the Amigardian diplomats, he went over his talking points again and again, thinking through them from a logical perspective.

[Amigard]

Layarteb Diplomatic Mission
Amigard City, Iraq

The Amigard diplomat, Marina Elstob, was a tall lanky woman nearing her fiftieth year. Her once jet black hair was now salted with strands of grey and cropped shoulder length. Years ago she used to fret over the fact that her hair was graying and wrinkles were beginning to carve their way across her once flawless skin, but ultimately she choose to accept the inevitable and embrace the fact that while she was no longer what some might call a “spring chicken,” and that aging had its advantages. Marina had stopped wasting countless hours dying her hair and applying anti-aging cream years ago. For one thing she found that in her line of work, more respect was generally afforded to those with a few years of experience under their belts. Many diplomats and ambassadors had a tendency toward being dismissive when dealing with someone they perceived as young and perhaps a bit naïve, particularly if that person happened to be female.

Marina’s recent promotion and assignment only helped confirm this concept as far as she was concerned. While Amigard culture in regards to women was progressive in some respects, it was still lagging behind in others depending on how one chose to look at it. Though women were afforded nearly all the rights that men possessed, even to the point where women were permitted to serve in combat roles within the various military branches, the truth was that most women in Amigard did not take advantage of this for whatever reason.

The vast majority of women in Amigard would never enter the work force, but would find themselves as housewives and mothers to large families while their husbands worked to provide the financial support they relied on. Despite the fact that, at least legally, there were few impediments to women in the work force, women that chose to do so were still often looked upon as oddities and were not always made to feel welcome.

This was especially true in Marina’s case as not only did she have a job, it was government related, and what was even more shocking to many was the fact that she had never married. Marina was the rare one in a million women in Amigard that found herself at forty-nine years old, was not a nun, was childless, and had never married. This of course led to many questions being raised in the minds of those around her, including doubts regarding her sexual orientation, but Marina quietly ignored them and went about her business. This at present led her to the diplomatic mission that housed the Layarteb diplomats to Amigard.

The Bishop had called her into his office the day after the Bishops Council had ended. “This is a delicate subject Ms. Elstob” Gardner had explained “there are many people in the Amigard government that are very cautious toward the Empire of Layarteb…some are outright hostile, but His Eminence has made it clear that he intends to establish stronger relations between our two nations. As he sees it, the time has come for the Theocracy to not just survive, but to thrive. If you have any reservations about dealing with the Layartebians or if you think they’re all godless heathens or vile pagans then you need to tell me that now.”

Of course Bishop Gardner already knew the answer to that, which was why she had been selected for the task in the first place. Marina had never viewed the world in such simplistic terms and she was eager to take the assignment.

Anyone that watched the news was aware of how the members of the Council of Bishops felt about the Empire of Layarteb and Marina knew that the Layarteb government might be somewhat confused then about the fact that Bishop Gardner had gone about arranging this meeting. Marina arrived at the diplomatic mission with her primary aide in tow, a middle aged and olive skinned man who looked more like a bouncer than a diplomatic aide. Tall and well built, he towered over Marina, but she often referred to him as her big teddy bear on account of his warm demeanor; a term of endearment that he seemed to accept readily. She had yet to see the man angry or with a frown on his face.

After exchanging the usual pleasantries with the Layarteb diplomat she opted to cut to the chase. “I’ve been sent as a representative of Amigard to discuss the possibility of our two nations forming stronger relations. His Eminence, Cardinal Steele, is very interested in finding ways for the Theocracy and the Empire of Layarteb to begin to work together toward a mutually beneficial relationship. My job of course is to try and turn that vision into a reality and to discuss any agreements that might make that concept more tangible as it were.”

[Layarteb]

January 9, 2012
Amigard City, Iraq
Diplomatic Mission of the Empire of Layarteb

"Miss Elstob, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance this evening. Please, please, have a seat." Charles Butters said as he held out his hand towards the chair in front of his desk. "Let me tell you that it is an honor for me to host this meeting. The Empire has great respect for Cardinal Steele and though we have found some of the statements of the Council of Bishops confusing, as of late, we understand that with multiple persons come multiple opinions.

"It is our hope though that Cardinal Steele remains the reasonable and logical voice amongst them. The Theocracy is long held as an esteemed nation by the Empire and we hope for a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between our two nations."

[Amigard]

January 9, 2012
Amigard City, Iraq
Diplomatic Mission of the Empire of Layarteb

“Indeed you speak the truth sir” Marina replied as she made herself comfortable “governments are made up of people who rarely seem intent on taking the same path, and even if they do choose the same path they often bicker on what is the best way to traverse that path..”

Marina couldn’t help but wonder how the Council of Bishops would react to this meeting once they found out about it. In truth, this was the first time the Cardinal had chosen to so openly reject the advice of the council. The council had advised caution, and arranging a meeting with a Layartebian diplomat only days after the end of the Council could be seen by some as almost akin to open defiance and outright rejection of their advice.

While the Cardinal held ultimate authority in the Theocracy, at least in theory, the Cardinal’s chosen policy in regards to the Empire of Layarteb could potentially spark a power struggle between him and the Council of Bishops. The government as it currently stood was young and all the nuances of exactly how the various branches of government would interact were still being played out.

“In the end, however, it is Cardinal Steele who dictates the policies of the Theocracy, and he has made it plain that his policy toward the Empire of Layarteb would be one of open friendship and cooperation. Now, even though there are those within the Theocracy that are cautious about interacting with your government, I fail to see how they can deny that we have similar goals. Namely, global stability and peace where we need not fear threats to our sovereignty or our way of life.”

[Layarteb]

January 9, 2012
Amigard City, Iraq
Diplomatic Mission of the Empire of Layarteb

"Miss Elstob, I cannot tell you how grateful I am to hear that and in a return of honesty, may I say the following. Is this because over fifty percent of the Empire worship the moon goddess Luna and, in truth, in the Empire-proper, which are the provinces, that figure is two-thirds? If that is the case, I can understand and while it seems a moot point, the Empire fully believes that religion ought to be entirely devoid from politics. I understand that a theocracy cannot make sure measures happen but they can be assured that it shall remain that way in the Empire. Between us, if I further may, it is a sworn sentiment among diplomats and government officials throughout the Empire to keep their religious affiliation muted.

"We believe that such issues could and invariably do corrupt the wills of voters and though some politicians have chosen to break from that standard, the overwhelming majority does not so if you will appreciate my next comment I would hope that it remains between us in this room and Cardinal Steele. Miss Elstob, if it pleases the Cardinal, I am a Roman Catholic. I was born in Ireland, but I was educated in Layarteb City when my parents immigrated there." Ambassador Butters let the words sink in, hoping that it would eventually curry some favor with the Cardinal and make him a bit more at ease defying the Council of Bishops. "So global peace and stability, who doesn't want this? Well I know of a few states but they are of little concern to us.

"The Empire hopes for a few things with the Theocracy, namely an expansion of trade and travel and perhaps cooperative agreements, militarily and intelligence-oriented, concerning the Middle East. But as it is your nation who has called for this meeting, please, you have the floor."

[Amigard]

“Mr. Butters it would appear that we are on the same page here, at least insofar as expansion of trade and travel as well as the possibility of establishing cooperative agreements regarding our military and intelligence services. Obviously we do not share the view that politics and religion are better off in separate spheres” she allowed a small chuckle “for Amigard faith is an integral part of the political process as we do our best to develop a government based on Catholic principles”

“I’m sure though that having a fellow Catholic among the Layarteb representatives will help to put some within the Theocracy at ease. There are those that seem to forget that there are more Catholics in the Empire than the Theocracy, which itself is not made up entirely of Catholics.”

“I think that both of our governments could benefit greatly from both increased trade and through cooperation among our military and intelligence services. If this is something your government would find agreeable do you have any suggestions regarding the details of what we might offer each other?”

[Layarteb]

January 9, 2012
Amigard City, Iraq
Diplomatic Mission of the Empire of Layarteb

"We do find it agreeable and actually we would like to upgrade our diplomatic status with the expansion to free trade in what the Empire calls 'favored nation status.' This is one step under the free trade category, which involves much more than free trade. In fact, nations under this latter category have widespread cultural exchange and while I think that one day we will be there, now is still not the time. A large influx of 'pagan' tourists might make the Council of Bishops a bit uneasy.

"Favored nation status is just the free trade portion of it. We would remove tariffs for your goods and encourage a wider investment of business, commerce, and industry and vice versa. Layartebian marks would become significantly more open to your country and we would hope the same of yours.

"As far as military and intelligence are concerned, we like to keep those separate from trade. We have already been cooperating with regards to Al-Shams and the Children of God and I believe that initial relationship will cement further relationships. Perhaps we can agree to begin further intelligence cooperation, perhaps the establishment of a permanent liaison group. As I understand it, your government is equally as concerned with the Russians as we are and I have no doubt that the actions in Iran last November are the cause of it.

"Militarily speaking, the Empire has called upon your nation before to help us and in each endeavor, you have agreed and we are more than favorable to it. Would Cardinal Steele want something more? Like a jointly held base of sorts?"

[Amigard]

So far the meeting was developing even beyond Marina’s initial expectations. Bishop Gardner and Cardinal Steele were likely to be enthusiastic about the possibility of favored nation status as well as the opportunity for the Amigard military to work alongside the most powerful military in the world. A joint military base would allow the two militaries to interact and even if it wasn’t in a combat situation, experience would still be shared to some degree. Moreover it would further cement a diplomatic relationship with the Empire.

“I can’t imagine His Eminence being opposed to any of these proposals” Marina replied “and I think it is wise to give it a little time before trying to enact any kind of cultural exchange. Increased trade is a good start and perhaps once the Council of Bishops realizes that the whole of Amigard society isn’t going to fall apart when Amigard and Layarteb corporations and products meet, they will come around to the idea of cultural exchange as well.”

“I also think Cardinal Steele would be interested in discussing the idea of a joint military base. You are right in that Russians are a bit of a concern to His Eminence and that their actions in Iran are largely responsible for this concern. Odds are good that eventually the Theocracy will share a border with the Russians, and after what we saw in Iran this makes our government a little bit nervous to say the least.”

[Layarteb]

January 9, 2012
Amigard City, Iraq
Diplomatic Mission of the Empire of Layarteb

"Allow me to say this, with concern to the Russians. The Russians are a problematic nation, among a list the Empire has of nations that are, for all intents and purposes, enemies. Russia, the Hi No Moton Empire, and the United Provinces of Bavin are all enemies of the Empire and not because we have sought that status but rather because that is the status, they have sought with us. What Russia did in Iran was something that the world hadn't expected and the Empire, while cooperative with Russia on the Iranian matter, given their aggression towards us, did not approve or incite any of their actions. Iran shows what the Russian military and government will do when pressed for revenge and sadly, while the Empire is not immune to such degrees of military prowess, we have advanced significantly in our thinking over the past thirty years of our existence.

"Our seizure of Kharg Island and Persian Gulf occupations is all born out of Russia's actions in Iran and we believe that you are right, you will share a border with them someday. Our bet is Turkey, which we wouldn't be opposed to whatsoever.

"To us, the Theocracy of Amigard, your nation, is a unifying nation in a region led asunder by the dissolution of the Eurasian Federation, one of our closest allies. We did all that we could in their troubled times but even we were unable to keep pace. The rise of your government is a stepping stone to fulfilling whatever voids have been left in their wake." The ambassador smiled. He was itching for a cigarette, his only addiction, but he knew the better of it during this meeting. "Gradual is the pace the Empire wants to take with your nation and we have no doubt that your society will prosper with increased trade from us. As far as military cooperation, we can learn much from one nation and the Empire has never turned a blind eye to those who have sought out our cooperation. On the contrary, we have relished in it. Many think that the Empire does not want to see equally powerful nations around the world and to that, we say 'No!' We want equally powerful nations; we just do not want them ruled by megalomaniacs, fanatics, and terrorists, such as other nations I have named.

"I place no rush or sense of urgency upon what we've discussed today. Cardinal Steele must make his decisions after careful consideration, especially with regards to the Council of Bishops. He can rest assured that no pressure will come from the Empire nor will we leak any information in order to influence his decision. I am obligated to report the discussion of this meeting to my superior and eventually the Emperor himself will know of it but if there's one thing the Empire does better than any nation on this planet, it is keeping secrets." Whether that was bad or good was for Marina to judge. It held both negative and positive qualities and in this instance, it was directly to the positive.

[Amigard]

January 23, 2012
Cathedral of St. Michael
Amigard City

Bishop Gardner found the leader of the Theocracy in his office leaning back in the chair behind his desk, a cup of coffee in his right hand and what appeared to be a fairly lengthy report in the other. The cardinals’ feet were perched atop his desk and he was peering down at the paper through a set of bifocals that were perched dangerously close to the tip of his nose. Cardinal Steele had a tendency to mouth the words while he was reading, and this was no exception.

“Morning Eminence” Steele looked up a bit surprised having failed to notice John’s entrance.

“John, come in! Please sit” he said as he removed his feet from the desk and tossed the stack of papers down. The cardinal was wearing his black cassock trimmed in scarlet, along with a scarlet fascia, scarlet zucchetto and a gold pectoral cross which meant it was likely he was going to be performing some sort of formal function or perhaps make some form of public appearance. On days that the cardinal would spend most of his time tucked away in his office or in the chapel one would expect to see him in much less formal attire

“I was just going over some of the reports Bishop Mensk had sent over regarding our most recent activities against the COG” Steele continued “but the reason I called you here was to discuss our progress on the diplomatic front.”

Bishop Gardner settled himself into one of the large comfortable chairs positioned in front of the cardinals desk. “Miss Elstob reports that the meeting with the Layarteb ambassador went well. They seem to be more than willing to enter into more formal trade arrangements and have offered us favored nation status” Gardner explained the Layartebian distinctions in status as Steele listened intently, “they have also expressed an interest in continued cooperation between our intelligence services in regards to Al-Shams and the COG. As I’m sure Bishop Mensk has informed you, the information provided by the Layartebians regarding the COG has been very useful to our own intelligence services.”

“Of course” Steele replied as he took a sip of his coffee. All that coffee is going to give him a stroke one of these days thought Gardner.

“They have also suggested the possibility of our intelligence services forming a permanent liaison group of some sort.”

“Excellent. I imagine you and Bishop Mensk will be able to hash out the details with the Layartebians?”

John nodded “Should be no problem. I’ll task some people with it right away.”

“Good” another sip of coffee “what about the proposed military cooperation?”

“They did bring up the possibility of a jointly controlled base although they are a little bit cautious about moving forward too quickly. I believe the Council of Bishop’s have given them some pause since it seems obvious that not everyone in the Theocracy is terribly enthused about our relationship with them.”

“That’s good, they should be cautious just as we should. I do want you to go forward with this idea of a joint military base though. Just keep it reasonably quite and take your time. We don’t need to hide it like some sort of covert operation or anything but maybe we don’t start putting these things together on slow news days.”

“Understood.”

Steele drained the last of his coffee and promptly called his secretary to bring him a refill. They made some small talk while they waited, mostly about how dry and windy it was, then continued their conversation after the cardinal had his fresh cup.

“What about our plans for Cyprus, Qatar, and Oman? How are they progressing?” The cardinal asked after taking another swig.

“It’s moving forward but all indications point to it being a slow process in some instances, most notably Oman.” Gardner described the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs up to this point. Diplomats had arrived in all three nations and were starting to feel things out. Cyprus looked promising and King Yadin was scheduled to make an appearance there within the next month to discuss reunification. Preliminary reports suggested the people of Cyprus were eager to rejoin their brethren it was simply a question of working out the details and playing politics. Meanwhile the diplomats in Qatar were reporting that they were currently working out some form of economic arrangements with the government there, but as predicted the governor was firmly in the pockets of the corporations. It was a corrupt system and the corporations were not eager to give up their hold on such a profitable arrangement. So far the suggestions that had been made by the governor would be enough to bankrupt the Theocracy or bestow so many bonuses and advantages on the corporations there that they could potentially come to dominate the entire economy of the Theocracy, something that the cardinal would truly find unacceptable.

In Oman the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been conducting a bit of a propaganda campaign aimed at the citizenry suggesting that the people of Oman had much in common with the people of Amigard while emphasizing the positive aspects of life in the Theocracy. Still President Aalee appeared fairly resistant to the concept of annexation. While the president welcomed the possibility of economic agreements and even the possibility of an alliance, he saw no need to surrender Oman’s sovereignty.

The cardinal listened to Gardner’s report nodding occasionally in understanding. “Alright good” he said after Gardner had finished “it sounds like Cyprus is well in hand, but we are going to have to do something about Qatar. We simply can’t give in to their demands or allow those corporations to gain a significant foothold on the Amigard economy. I will think on it further. As far as Oman is concerned, I will go there myself to speak with President Aalee. Perhaps I can work something out.”

[Layarteb]

January 9, 2012 - 18:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Governors Island, Layarteb City
Fortress of Comhghall

It had been less than six hours after Charles Butters, the Empire's ambassador to the Theocracy of Amigard, sent his encrypted cable back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, detailing the conversation he had with Marina Elstob. He attached his recommendations as well and the Minister of Foreign Affairs was overjoyed to see such positive assurances coming out of the Theocracy. Of course, nothing was set in stone and there was still no guarantee that Cardinal Steele would approve of the plans but the hope was there. From the main building in Midtown Manhattan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was driven down into Queens and then through Brooklyn to the causeway leading to Governors Island. His car crossed it with ease and he was ushered up to the Emperor's office where now he waited in the reception area adjacent to the large office.

Judy, one of the Emperor's several receptionists, was at her desk, coding invoices as the office's large, castle doors swung open. The Emperor stood in them, shaking the hand of his visitor, the Mayor of Layarteb City. "Thank you again for agreeing to our meeting sir," the mayor said with a smile.

"It was a pleasure; I look forward to your manuscript then."

"Minister, pleasure to see you as well." The mayor said, offering his hand to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He smiled at Judy and left the office as the Emperor walked the Minister of Foreign Affairs into his office, shutting the doors behind the two of them.

"Minister, thank you for coming, do you have the cable?"

"I do sir," the Minister of Foreign Affairs put his briefcase on the main table and opened it up, removing a folder with "CLASSIFIED" sketched across it. He removed the cable from Charles Butters and presented it to the Emperor, who carefully reviewed it just after sitting down at the head of the table. The Minister of Foreign Affairs sat in a chair on the Emperor's right side. When the Emperor put the piece of paper back on the table, the Minister of Foreign Affairs replaced it in the folder. "What do you think sir?"

"I think this is good. I've always had hope in the Theocracy of Amigard. I knew that they were going to come around and break out of their isolated shell. They just needed some time. That's one nation I tell you I want nothing but the best of terms with and it appears that the fruits of our labor is coming together."

"The Minister of Defense was also pleased sir."

"As no doubt he should be, you know we had plans to seize Masirah Island in our Persian Campaign but several of our military leaders thought the better of it and the plans were scrubbed. We would have established it as a military fortress to counter the Russians and the Hi No Motons, should they get a bit greedy and sneak into the Indian Ocean. With a jointly held base with the Amigardians, splitting maintenance, logistics, and defense, it is even better than our original plan."

"I agree sir and it will help push foreign relations between our two nations better towards free trade."

"Yes it will and I'm going to be honored to bestow upon them 'favored nation status.'"

"Sir now we will just have to wait for Cardinal Steele's reply and hope that it reflects the mood that Marina Elstob offered."

"I agree, I agree."

[Amigard]

Cathedral of Saint Micheal
Amigard City, Iraq
February 01, 2012

Things weren’t going quite as well on the island of Cyprus as officials at the Cathedral of St. Michael had initially anticipated. Bishop Gardner mulled over the most recent reports from the diplomatic team sent to Cyprus and led by King Yadin. The King of Israel had met with several delegates and government leaders and reported a fair amount of success in his endeavors. However, reports from AESS agents sent to Cyprus to monitor the small island nation were sending back word that there was some discontent among the populace there in regards to unification with Amigard.

Generally this discontent appeared to be drawn along religious lines. While Judiasm had been the largest of the major religions represented in the former Unified Kingdom of Manticore, of which Cyprus was once a part, there were also a significant number of Muslims, particularly on the island of Cyprus.

To make matters worse there had been reports of Al-Shams activity on the island and AESS field agents suspected the terrorist organization was attempting to incite the more radical elements of the population into an uprising and were using the prospect of unification with Amigard as the spark that would ignite the religious zealots into action.

Despite Amigards open policy toward other faiths many non-Catholics choose to emigrate from the Theocracy and immigrate to surrounding regions and the island of Cyprus had been one such destination for many Muslims. The prospect of once again falling into the fold of the Theocracy was not terribly appealing to many of these recent immigrants and Al-Shams appeared to be using this anti-Amigard sentiment to their advantage. So far there had been no reports of outright violence related to this development but Bishop Gardner couldn’t help but wonder how long that would last and he worried about Amigard’s position if things continued to deteriorate.

It was the primary conversation piece between Gardner and Cardinal Steele as they sat at a small table surrounded by a large courtyard positioned near the center of the massive Cathedral complex. In the center of the courtyard was a large fountain, crystal clear water streaming forth from jars held aloft by a pair of white marble cherubs who poured the water at the feet of a large statue of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus. A series of pathways wound through a garden filled with numerous flowers and plants native to the area and palm trees sprung up everywhere their broad leaves casting their shade onto the courtyard. It was one of Bishop Gardner’s favorite places and he and the Cardinal often took their lunches at a small table at the foot of the fountain.

A waiter came by and refilled their coffee cups. Cardinal Steele took a bite out of the cherry pie that had recently been placed in front of him, and then took a sip of his coffee. “If we continue to expand at this rate no doubt there will be talk of imperialism” Gardner suggested unable to keep the reproach from sneaking into his tone “or worse, we will be seen as crusaders.”

He could tell the Cardinal wasn’t terribly thrilled with the comment as His Eminence slowly took another sip of coffee. The cup lingered at his mouth for a moment and he stared at the bishop with that steely gaze he gave when he was unhappy with someone before he returned the cup to the saucer on the table with a light clink. “Is that what you think is happening here John?” The Cardinal replied with his own hint of reproach.

“Of course not Aeric, don’t be ridiculous.” He couldn’t help but be hurt by the accusation “I’m just saying the Theocracy as grown in size significantly just within the last year. Terrorist organizations like Al-Shams are likely to use this to garner support by claiming we are on some sort of holy crusade to conquer the world in the name of Christ or something. We’re already seeing hints of this in Cyprus.”

“There will always be those that are against us, and they will always try to use the fact that we are a Theocracy as an excuse to oppose us. We’ve heard this rant before,” Steele took another bite of pie and continued “the warlords in Iraq and Syria used to say it, the UTSA tried to rally their people with that cry as well, it’s nothing new. The Crusaders are coming! It’s the Crusades all over again!” Steele shook his head “some listen to the extremists, but most people don’t pay them any mind.”

“Maybe, but these reports from Cyprus are troubling. There definitely seems to be something of an anti-Amigard movement there.”

“Give King Yadin some time John. I trust he will deliver Cyprus to us in time. There will always be snags and nothing ever goes according to plan…”

[Layarteb]

March 19, 2012 - 22:00 hrs [UTC+4]
Indian Ocean

The approval from Cardinal Steele had arrived mid-January and by early February, the 10th Carrier Battle Group was on its way to Masirah Island, where it would occupy a joint, Amigardian-Layartebian naval base. Steaming all the way from Sri Lanka, the 10th CVBG didn't have a very long journey to make nor was it a particularly perilous journey.

The 10th CVBG was an Enterprise-centered battle group. The Enterprise-class supercarrier dominated the group, which consisted of two Dnalkrad-class FFGNs for air defense, two Supply-class AOEs for resupply, two Unforgiven-class CGNs for general defense, two Verrazano-class DDKNs for anti-submarine defense, two Virginia Flight III-class SSNs for anti-submarine defense and offensive sorties, and four Voodoo-class DDGNs for general defense.

The entire battle group displaced 446,544 long tons and it brought with it one hundred and thirty aircraft. Those aircraft, which included eighty fixed-wing aircraft onboard the Enterprise-class supercarrier would make Masirah International Airport their home. A special section of the airport would be renamed Naval Air Station Masirah and that was where aircraft would be based when the 10th CVBG was in port.

Among the heavier, more powerful elements in the Imperial Layartebian Navy, the 10th CVBG was one of twenty carrier battle groups that the Empire deployed. It was one of twelve Enterprise-centered battle groups. Another Enterprise-centered battle group, the 11th CVBG was based not too far away, in the Persian Gulf at Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates, Sinaean controlled territory. There were more naval elements to the east in Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, and the Nicobar Islands.

[Amigard]

Masqat, Oman
Presidential Palace
February 8, 2012

Abdul Aalee, President of Oman, could do little to hide the fact that he was tired and worn. The bags that had formed under his eyes and wrinkles that now lined his face were testaments to the years of service he had dedicated to his people. The fall of the Federation of Eurasia had been hard on everyone and the economy of Oman had very nearly collapsed, saved only by swift and decisive intervention by Aalee and other powerful businessmen and bankers throughout the country. They had made many sacrifices, both in temporal terms as well as spiritual and moral. Aalee had done many things that weighed heavily on his conscience, but all that he did he had done for the good of his people. Unfortunately that meant individuals had to be sacrificed for the good of the many. It was a game he had grown weary of.

President Aalee enjoyed the overwhelming support of the people, but he could see the writing on the wall well enough. His time was coming to a close and each day he pondered whether it was time to retire from public life. He had spent most of his seventy six years of his life in some form of public service so when the Theocracy of Amigard came calling he couldn’t help but consider the idea of giving it all up.

The vast majority of Oman citizens would likely support the move that would make them part of the great experiment that was the Theocracy of Amigard. But could a theocracy truly survive in the modern world? It was true that the Middle East was daily becoming more and more Catholic, the faith was garnering converts by the thousands and people seemed thirsty for something to believe in, a cause greater than themselves, greater even than any political ideology. The pendulum was swinging away from the secular world and moving headlong toward a life centered on faith, at least in the Middle East this was the case whether that faith be Muslim, Catholic, Judaism, or a myriad of other forms of faith. Organizations like Al-Shams and The Children of God were undeniable examples of how hungry people were for something to dedicate their lives to.

Still, as Cardinal Steele sat across the table from him filling his ears with pleasantries and a grand vision of life in the Theocracy, Aalee couldn’t deny a sense of foreboding that had come over him. Aalee himself was a fairly devout Muslim and could appreciate the desire to rule a nation by religious principles, such principles sounded good on paper after all, but he had never subscribed to the idea of merging politics and religion. Sure overall the Theocracy was fairly moderate and open toward other faiths, and they showed little desire to embark on some crusade to forcefully convert the world to their faith, but that could change.

Despite the fact that the Theocracy had a Council of Bishops and a Lay Council that in theory limited the Cardinal’s power, Aalee had no illusions about the fact that the Theocracy was essentially a dictatorship much like his own form of government. Cardinal Steele was a charismatic ruler that had garnered the respect and admiration of his people, and he seemed to rule over the Theocracy with a fair and even hand. But Cardinal Steele would not be around forever, and so often the ethical and moral climate of a nation, particularly one in which rule came down to one man, were heavily influenced by that man. So long as Cardinal Steele, or someone of a similar mindset and temperament, remained in power in Amigard there was little to worry about, but what would happen if the Cardinal’s seat was filled by a power hungry psychotic bent on bending the world to the will of the Church?

It was a question that plagued President Aalee when he thought of his own government as well, and in fact Aalee was close to announcing not only his retirement but also the beginning of open and free elections in Oman to find his replacement. Now perhaps the better option would be to allow the people to decide whether or not Oman should join with the Theocracy or go its own way.
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Cardinal Steele couldn’t quite read what was going on in President Aalee’s head, but at times the aging dictator appeared to be elsewhere, only vaguely paying attention to the conversation at hand. While Steele got the sense that the President was not completely against annexation, there were definitely reservations there. Steele wasn’t sure whether those reservations grew out of religious differences or simply from the fact that annexation would mean the end to Aalee’s absolute power in Oman.

The two men had spent the last two days in meetings, interrupted by various tours that Aalee led the Cardinal on through the palace or the surrounding capital city to point out historic sites or other areas of significance. They had spent a good deal of time touring the naval facilities that stood only a few miles from the city. Steele couldn’t tell whether Aalee was spending so much time there in order to entice the Cardinal into pushing for annexation or to dangle the facilities in front of him to remind him who held all the cards in the negotiation.

Of course both the President of Oman and the Cardinal of Amigard knew full well that Oman was not holding all the cards. Popular sentiment was leaning heavily toward unification with Amigard and Amigard based businesses and corporations were making significant inroads into Oman. Oman had essentially been conquered from a cultural point of view, but politically Aalee and his administration still held the real power and there was little chance of a popular uprising against him even with the common mans view so heavily skewed toward the Theocracy. The people of Oman still trusted and respected their president and if Aalee refused the Cardinal the people would likely follow suit even if they did grumble about it.

“If it’s a question of comfort, the Theocracy will ensure that your retirement does not lack in luxuries Mr. President.” The cardinal said as they sat across from each other at a large table filled with an assortment of foods. They had started off with a lentil soup and hummas which was followed by Roast lamb atop a bed of rice, various kabab’s , and mashed eggplant with minced lamb mixed with mint and spices. The small feast had wound down now and they were currently working on some baklava for dessert.

“I do not doubt that at all Eminence, but I would have no need of the Theocracy funding my retirement. I have more than enough money set aside” Aalee responded “it’s not about my comfort, but the good of Oman. The Theocracy is young your eminence…perhaps yours is a nation whose flame will burn brightly but only for a brief time before it flutters out. Oman has already suffered the collapse of the United Federation of Eurasia. I do not want to see my people put through that again.”

Steele could understand the presidents hesitation, and it made sense. If Oman’s economy became too intertwined with that of Amigard, the collapse of the Theocracy would be devastating to the small country. “Lets be honest Mr. President. The economy of Oman is already so wrapped up in Amigard that the collapse of the Theocracy would send shockwaves through your nation, but I do not see a collapse in store for the Theocracy any time soon.”

“Perhaps, but more importantly the world is a chaotic place and by all indications you seem to be steering the Theocracy right into that storm. Would it be wise for me to submit the people of Oman to such chaos? Your battles would be fought by my people, it will be their blood that will be spilled in future wars that Amigard might engage in.”

“I cannot deny that, but I can tell you I will not send Amigardians to fight in a war that is unjust. If Amigard is to fight it will do so only because there are no other options available. Chaos will come whether we steer toward it or not, that is the reality of this world. I will not lie to you; Oman is integral to my plans toward bringing the Theocracy out of isolation as it grants the Amigard Navy access to the world. We can both sit back and wait for our enemies to strike at us at their leisure and on a ground of their choosing, or we can be more proactive and strike at our enemies before they ever have a chance to reach Amigard. Moreover, the mere presence of Amigard military forces throughout the world can help to bring peace and stability to the world.”

“How has this global policy worked out for the Empire of Layarteb your eminence? How much peace and stability has their military presence brought to the world?”

Steele could sense a trap there but he answered as honestly as he could “It’s impossible to tell how many wars or terrorist attacks the Layartebians have prevented through surgical strikes or covert ops. Layarteb has its enemies no doubt. The Russians the Hi No Motons, the Bavanise, to name a few, not to mention Al-Shams and other terrorist organizations that would love to see the Empire collapse. Yet you cannot deny that Layartebs enemies are hard pressed to attack their homeland. More often the Empire brings the fight to its enemies doors as opposed to fighting them off at their own doorstep. It is a difficult decision to make, when to use violence to prevent further and more widespread violence, but it is a decision that must be made by leaders throughout the world.”

“I understand where you are coming from your eminence, even if I do not completely agree with your particular views on the dangers of isolationism. I for one believe that the various powers of the world are too busy squabbling amongst themselves to pay much attention to us here in the Middle East, but you seem intent on drawing their attention. Be it as it may, I have ultimately decided that I will not make the final decision on this matter. I’m preparing for retirement, and I’ve given all I can to the people of Oman. The last thing I can give them is the chance to choose for themselves. I will let the people of Oman decide whether they wish to become a part of the Theocracy of Amigard.”
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Cardinal Steele’s flight back to Amigard City offered the aging cardinal little opportunity to rest as he spent most of it on the phone with various agencies. A lot had happened during the cardinal’s visit to Oman; most notably the Theocracy’s plan in Qatar had finally taken form. The small country was essentially run by a handful of powerful companies that were not necessarily keen on the idea of giving up their hold on the government or their economic domination.

Amigard’s response had been one in which the Ministry of Economics had joined forces with various Amigard corporations and businesses to conduct a series of takeovers in Qatar. While some takeovers had been friendly, others had been hostile but the end result was the same. A change in management that was far more amicable toward the concept of unification with the Theocracy. Qatar had essentially been bought by the Theocracy.

With the takeovers complete it was now simply a matter of the corporations placing pressure on the governor of Qatar urging him to relinquish his power in favor of handing over the small country to Amigard which wasn’t much of an issue considering the man was so far indebted to the corporations he would never dream of contradicting them. Plus the Amigard government would ensure that he did not want for luxuries in exchange for his cooperation in the matter and would even offer to pay any debts he owed to the corporations so long as he relinquished his position as governor.

So far everything appeared to be going according to plan. Reports from Oman indicated there was a good chance that the people there would vote for unification with Amigard so there was little concern there, Qatar was all but on board, and Cyprus was well on its way. King Yadin’s latest report had informed the cardinal that things were going well and that an agreement was near completion. However, radical elements within Cyprus were forming an opposition to unification and the opposition was beginning to solidify and present itself as small protests that were gaining strength every day. Open violence against supporters of unification was also beginning to rise and Yadin was concerned that there were some within the Cyprus government that could become problematic, in particular he mentioned an army commander that had been threatening open revolt if unification were to take place.

[Amigard]

March 05, 2012
Cathedral of St. Michael

Cardinal Steele had been keeping a keen eye on the exit polls in Oman as the day dragged on. President Aalee had announced the vote shortly after his meeting with Cardinal Steele in February and the debates had been fierce. Everyone in Oman seemed to be weighing in with an opinion on unification with Amigard and not a day went by that some special debate wasn’t being aired on local television networks as pro-unification advocates battled it out with pro-independent nationalists.

Had things been divided strictly down religious lines it would have been no contest as a good 67% of the population in Oman was claiming Roman Catholic these days, but the truth was that not every Catholic out there was ready to throw in with Amigard. Initially the exit polls were showing a 52% majority against unification but this number fluctuated greatly throughout the day as various districts reported in.

By 1900hrs 99% of precincts had reported in and the Theocracy held its breath as new anchors prepared to give the final tally. In the end, 53% of Oman citizens opted for unification, 15% had effectively abstained and the remaining 32% had voted against unification.

Oman, it seemed, had decided to join with the Theocracy but this support was not absolute and though Cardinal Steele breathed a sigh of relief, he could not bring himself to celebrate with the others on his staff. On the television screen in the Cardinal’s office President Aalee was stepping up to a podium to announce his reaction to the vote.

The president looked more feeble than ever as he shuffled to the podium and straightened his tie, the flag of Oman stood proudly behind him and the sense of sadness coming from Aalee was almost palatable as though he knew that this was the last time he would stand before the flag of his country.

“Moments ago I was informed of the results of the vote that would ultimately decide the fate of Oman, whether or not we as a nation should unite with the Theocracy of Amigard. Some would say this unity would erase the national identity of Oman and its people. We are a proud people who have gone through so much these last few years. The fall of the Federation of Eurasia forced us as a people to band together and overcome much adversity, but I think it also left many with the longing to one day again be a part of something greater. I hope that that Theocracy of Amigard proves worthy of you, and can satiate this hunger for a sense of purpose we have.

The people have spoken and as my last act as your president I will listen to the voice of the people. Tomorrow you will all awaken to a new world and a new government. I have promised Cardinal Steele that I will remain to assist in the transition of government until the end of the month at which time I will officially retire from the office of president. I have been told that in the event the people of Oman choose unification your own Bishop Timothy Foster, who has been the Bishop of Oman for the past year, will take the reins of the government until elections can be held. I will assist Bishop Foster in any way I can to ensure the transition is as painless as possible. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve the people of Oman these past years. God bless you all and goodbye.”

With that the aged president stepped down even as the small crowd of reporters shouted out questions. Steele’s heart went out to the man. No doubt the president had hoped that there was some chance that the people would ultimately reject the idea of unification, but Amigard propaganda had done its job well. The Amigard External Security Service in cooperation with the Ministry of Economics had been hard at work in Oman and an influx of missionaries and other religious had also had a significant impact.

Steele was satisfied with the outcome and there had been no bloodshed or violence which had sweetened the victory even more. He knew that his administration would hit the ground running in the morning. There was much to do and Cardinal Steele wanted the transition to go as quickly and as smoothly as possible. Advisors of various kinds from civil to military would leave Amigard City first thing in the morning and make their way to various cities and government centers throughout Oman with Marisah Island being among the top priorities in order to prepare the island for its role as a joint military endeavor with the Empire of Layarteb. In most cases facilities and infrastructure was already in place and so it simply a matter of cataloging and reorganizing assets. Local government were likely to continue to function in manner similar to how they did prior to unification but the middle and upper echelons of government would have to be shuffled around slightly to accommodate a theocratic form of government.

Steele turned off the television and slumped back in his chair behind the desk pausing for a moment to collect himself before leaning forward and pressing the button for the intercom. “I need a cup of coffee” he said.

[Amigard]

March 11, 2012
Cyprus

The revolt took everyone by surprise, even the AESS had no idea that the Island of Cyprus was about to erupt in violence. There were signs of discontent, sure, but nothing that really pointed to open revolt. Yet that is exactly what took place in the early morning hours of March 11th in well coordinated attacks that took place across the island rebel forces carried out small strategic strikes against predetermined targets.

Numerous government officials were assassinated within hours of each other, local police headquarters were assaulted, and chaos erupted in the streets of several major cities. King Yadin was set to sign the finalized agreement the next day, effectively bringing Cyprus into the Kingdom of Israel and thereby into the Theocracy of Amigard.

Militias were mobilized and riot police were deployed in Nicosia, Limassol, Girne, and Paphos as well as several smaller towns and cities to return order. Despite the governments best efforts, however, Paphos and Girne quickly fell to rebel forces that stormed the government buildings and slaughtered the workers and government officials. Loyalist forces held on in Nicosia and Limassol but at great cost.

Yadin was quickly evacuated by his security forces and within an hour was on a plane back to Amigard escorted by a pair of F-22 fighters. Pockets of resistance were springing up throughout the island, but predominantly in the western portion of the island. It soon became obvious that the resistance was well organized and Al-Shams became the prime suspect as most of the rebel fighters appeared to be Islamic extremists although the terrorist organization had yet to claim responsibility.

The next day at 0800hrs the 12th Carrier Task Force, led by the Devotion class carrier HES Salvation, set sail from Beirut and headed for the small island. The Salvation was escorted by two Temperance class cruisers, three Sacral destroyers, four Obedience frigates and a pair of Archangel class submarines, also included was the HES Trinity, a Tarawa class amphibious assault ship. The 12th CTF was tasked with taking up a position near the island in preparation for possible operations to support the loyalist forces on the island.

[Amigard]

While things were effectively falling apart in Cyprus, the situation in Qatar was far more agreeable. It wasn’t long after the Amigardian corporations had conducted their series of takeovers before the governor of the small nation agreed to turn everything over to Amigard in exchange for a forgiveness of his debts and a cushy retirement package. As of March 15th the tiny nation officially became a part of the Theocracy of Amigard. A local Bishop, Ahmad Abdullah was appointed the interim Bishop of the Diocese of Qatar until elections could be held.

With Oman and Qatar in hand, Cardinal Steele’s plans had very nearly been realized. Only Cyprus stood in the way. The Amigard Navy had plans to reassign the majority of its strength from the naval base in Kuwait City to a series of ports and naval facilities throughout Oman, effectively granting the Amigard Navy access to the Indian Ocean and so long as the Empire of Layarteb and the Theocracy remained on friendly terms, Layarteb bases and resupply points could be utilized to essentially grant Amigard access to the world at large.

In Qatar the Amigard Navy had gained a small fleet of vessels, mostly missile cruisers, a few destroyers, and a handful of submarines, but it would still serve to augment the Amigard Navy in the Persian Gulf region, and the fact that the tiny nations economy was fairly strong helped bolster the Amigard economy overall at least to some degree. And in the end even if Cyprus remained out of Amigard’s reach the primary goal of putting Amigard in a position to expand its influence past the regional level was still accomplished for the most part.

The Amigard Ministry of Defense had hoped to utilize Cyprus as sort of a staging point for any operations that may need to be carried out in Turkey in the future given the discord the region had gone through over the course of the past year or so. Though it appeared the Russians were pulling out of the northern areas of Turkey, the Ministry of Defense still advised caution and suggested that, if nothing else, it was best that Amigard controlled Cyprus as opposed to a foreign nation that could use the island as a staging area for strikes or operations in Amigard proper.

The problem at this point was Cardinal Steele’s reluctance to commit military forces to Cyprus. The 12th Carrier Task Force had been deployed, but the Cardinal was wary about actually launching any military operations against any forces on Cyprus. He wanted the acquisitions of Oman, Qatar, and Cyprus to be bloodless and non-violent partly to alleviate any concerns the global community might have over the alarming expansion that the Theocracy had undergone over the course of the past year, particularly since the majority of that expansion had come through military operations.

So while the 12th CTF had been sent to Cyprus as a show of force, the group of ships did little more than float off the coast of Cyprus and conduct recon and observation missions over the island cataloguing rebel positions and force compositions but taking no direct action against them.

March 15, 2012
St. Michael’s Cathedral
Ministerial Council Chambers

“Amigard military forces could take the island in a matter of hours your eminence” General Malik said confidently as he stood in front of his chair amidst the other ministers at a large rectangular table positioned in the center of a vast chamber and which faced a raised dais where Cardinal Steele sat at a large desk flanked by the flag of Amigard on his right and a Papal flag on his left.

“No!” he replied sharply “I’ve already told you I do not want an invasion. We are not going to conquer Cyprus.”

“I’m not suggesting we conquer Cyprus, only that we support the legitimate government against the rebel forces there.”

“No, I won’t have any major military operations here. Bishop Gardner do we have any information about the leadership of these rebels? Is there anyone we can negotiate with?”

Bishop Gardner opened a manila file folder stuffed with papers that sat before him on the desk “It’s a bit unclear although there is a LT. Colonel of the Cyprus Army that has joined the rebels and is believed to be the primary strategists for their faction. Alexander Galanis, I believe.”

“Any ideas as to what ultimately led to the revolt.”

This time Bishop Mensk stood to speak “We think Al-Shams has been stirring the pot there for some time. We know that the upcoming agreement regarding unification with the Theocracy was the spark that Al-Shams used to ignite the flame of rebellion, but its interesting to note that not all rebels involved are members of extremist Islamic groups, although a significant number of them do appear to be. Obviously the thought of becoming part of a Catholic theocracy would be enough of a reason for Islamic extremists to revolt but we think there may also be a nationalist element involved. Perhaps several factions are working together.”

“Well the attacks are coordinated, and that means there has to be some form of leadership involved.” Cardinal Steele rubbed his chin as he pondered this “I would prefer a diplomatic solution to this issue.”

“I doubt diplomacy will have much effect your eminence” said General Malik “and if we don’t intervene in some way soon the government in Cyprus may fall to the rebels and if it does we will have a hostile government within a hundred miles of our shores and that makes me more than a little uncomfortable.”

“It could play havoc with our shipping and trade routes eminence” Sister Farah, the Minister of the Economy interjected. Farah was considered young for her position at only forty-seven but she had a keen intellect and an uncanny ability to find profit in almost any venture. She was a handsome woman by most standards, perhaps not beautiful, but one definitely had the sense that she could turn heads in her day. “If Cyprus were to cut off passage through their territorial waters we would have to reroute some of our shipping. It could be done easily enough but it could still prove to be at least mildly unpleasant.”

The cardinal nodded “General Malik put together some options for me and have them available by Monday afternoon, but keep any operations small. No large scale assaults, understood?”

“Yes sir” Malik nodded

“Bishop Mensk get some more people on the ground and get me more information on these rebels, especially in regards to their leadership. I can’t help but feel your people dropped the ball a little bit on this one given how this whole thing caught us by surprise.”

Mensk’s jaw clenched but he nodded “it will be done eminence” he said, his neck beginning to redden and he rubbed his goatee as he often did when he was stressed or angry.

“Good, let’s see if we can’t get a handle on this and salvage the situation. How is King Yadin?” Steele asked as he looked over the group of ministers.

“He is well” replied Bishop Gardner, “he was a little shaken up when he first returned but I’m told he is talking about returning to Cyprus to attempt to continue negotiations.”

“Alright, make sure he gets the support he needs if he opts to do that, and double his security detail if he goes back.”

“Of course eminence, King Yadin has a Seraphim assigned but is it your wish that he have another?”

“If he requests it, certainly, but one is usually more than sufficient for most tasks.” Steele glanced over at the man standing near the dais dressed in a black suit and tie, one of the squad of Seraphim that was assigned to protect the Cardinal. The man was tall and well built and Steele imagined he wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley. The man never smiled, but his eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings, even when there was no one else in the room; always scanning, always alert, always prepared.

“Alright then, shall we move on to the next order of business? I understand there is a dispute between Syria and Jordan over some water rights….”

[Layarteb]

March 11, 2012

Cyprus was an enigma of sorts. The small island nation had been wrapped in a bloody civil war for some time now. The eastern portion of the island, encompassing Nicosia, Larnaca, Kyrenia, and Famagusta was one coalition and one governing body while the western two districts of Paphos and Lemesos was another. Split along ethnic lines, the eastern portion of the island decidedly Catholic while the western was Muslim and with those divisions were their alliances. What existed of Turkey supported the western portion while a menagerie of non-Muslim nations supported the eastern portion of the island. The civil war, which had raged really since the collapse of the United Federation of Eurasia had taken tens of thousands of lives and destroyed a significant portion of the island's infrastructure, which even now struggled to maintain a semblance of coherency.

The fighting had been much more intense in the first days of the civil war, when the Catholic-majority parts clamored for independence. Though the Eurasians had forcefed the idea of religious tolerance throughout its vast territory, Cyprus didn't exactly get the message. When Eurasia collapsed, the Catholics wanted to go a separate way while the Muslims wanted to keep the island as a whole. The violence was truly grotesque initially but as time wavered on and both sides reached a stalemate, the violence began to ebb slowly.

With the rise of the Theocracy of Amigard, the potential for a major backer that could rival Turkey was on the mind of every Catholic. The Muslim districts, for what they were worth pressured Turkey for more arms and more supplies and they came, in bits and pieces. What remained consistent though was the role of the Empire. The Empire's initial role on Cyprus, when the division first began, was to broker a peace deal that favored neither side and treated them equally as one. The idea of self-governing districts with a loose federal government was floated but it lasted only four months before the hardliners on either side tore it to shreds and resumed the shelling.

Since then, the Empire took a step back, realizing that the catastrophe in Cyprus had started without the Empire's help and it likely wouldn't benefit much from the Empire's meddling. However, the Empire's strong ties to Eurasia meant that it had to take on some role, at minimum, a covert one and so it had, secretly supplying the Muslim districts with arms, intelligence, and supplies. The Empire's ultimate goal was peace on Cyprus so it never gave them too much that could tip the scales but at the same time, it never gave too little.

While the Empire's involvement in Cyprus was largely muted from the global community, anyone who knew anything about the situation knew that the Empire had tired the peaceful route first, poured tons of aid to either side in the earliest days of the civil war, hoping to stop the violence, and then stepped back when neither side wished to cooperate. They also knew that the Empire was honoring some of the ties it had with the Eurasians but it was plain as day that the Empire refused to become too intertwined with Cypriot affairs. One rebuff was enough to keep the Empire's true help far away. It was a take it or leave it offer that had expired. Now the Empire was doing what it could, not to prolong the fight but rather to prevent certain genocide.

When news reached the Emperor that the Amigardians were sending a carrier task force through the Suez, he figured without any outside help that it was going to Cyprus. Since Israel had joined the Theocracy in a peaceful maneuver that Cardinal Steele deserved more praise for than he had received, violence on Cyprus had been growing steadily. It started first with kidnappings and assassinations from both sides. Enraged with a sense of Amigardian hope, the Catholic militaries along the front line that separated the two Muslim from the four Catholic districts began maneuvers that were more aggressive. The Muslims countered and now here they were, threatening a renewed level of insanity that hadn't been seen since the earliest days of the civil war.

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this rang out with more good than it did with bad. If the Amigardians were going to commit to pacifying the island then so be it. The Empire could step back and allow them to work but at the same time, there was a strong desire not to abandon the Muslim districts that the Empire had supported. Leading to a debate, it seemed that the most likely course of action to be approved was such. Once again, the mandate for peace would be floated and pushed harder than it ever had been before. If the Muslim districts refused to vie for it and the Catholics refused to accept it, the Empire was going to take a full step back and state, "Without a push for peace, the Empire sees no point pushing bloodshed on this island." Of course, everything hinged on what the Amigardians had planned.

[Amigard]

March 22, 2012

There was a distinct feeling among officials at the Cathedral of St. Michael that the Theocracy had just stepped in something akin to dog feces when it came to Cyprus. While what the Theocracy recognized as the official government of Cyprus was essentially a remnant of a government put in power through the negotiations of the Empire of Layarteb, the truth was that this government had little to no real power or influence on the island. The real power was divided between the two factions that currently vied for control of the island, and those two factions had been struggling with each other off and on for years now.

Now the violence was beginning to spiral out of control once again and skirmishes were beginning to give way to full scale battles along the borders between the two factions. Most recently the Eastern Faction had launched an offensive with the goal of taking Limassol in the south. The initial push had driven the Western forces back several miles but they had managed to regroup and held the line near Pyrgos. Fighting was intense and casualties on both sides were rising steadily. This was exacerbated by the fact that, while the Eastern Faction appeared to be more numerous with a slightly more efficient and effective leadership, the Western Faction had the advantage in arms, which the AESS speculated had come from Turkish and Layarteb sources; so far though neither side appeared to have any significant armor or air support.

The situation had sparked a heated debate among Amigard officials. Some within the Amigard government believed it best to simply leave the island to its own devices, while others pushed for the Theocracy to fully support the Eastern Faction which was predominantly made up of Catholics. Still others suggested the Theocracy should invade the island and effectively annex it into Amigard, which in their minds would quickly put an end to the violence.

Cardinal Steele was torn, however, because although he knew the concept of invading the island was out of the question he didn’t know whether he should simply abandon his plans for the island, assist the Eastern Faction or attempt to bring the two factions together in an attempt to solve the issue peacefully. The Empire had apparently tried the diplomatic route in the past and had failed, and so the Cardinal was not terribly optimistic about the Theocracy’s ability to do any better in that regard. For one thing the Muslim faction was unlikely to believe that Amigard was not going to favor the Catholic faction.

Indeed, King Yadin had returned several days ago as planned to Cyprus but was having difficulty even getting the two sides to meet for any form of diplomatic solution to the issue. On the rare occasion when representatives from the two factions had been cajoled into coming to the diplomatic table, the meetings had quickly degenerated into shouting matches and in one instance violence had almost erupted.

The 12th Carrier Task Force was repositioned to the north of the island and began patrolling the waters with orders to intercept any weapon shipments inbound from Turkey and customs officials had been assigned to various ports and airports throughout the island with the approval of the official government of Cyprus with the task of making it more difficult for Turkey to provide weapons to the Western Faction. The Amigard government had then declared a no-fly zone over the island, allowing only civilian and commercial traffic. The Theocracy did not want to starve the island out or place it under siege per se, but it also did not want either faction using aerial assets, however limited they may be, against each other.

Of course the support of the Western Faction by the Empire of Layarteb was a bit touchier, and Amigard forces had yet to receive orders to intercept such shipments. However, diplomats were being sent to Layarteb to see what could be done about seeing that support disappear. If Amigard could cripple or at least hinder both factions ability to wage war against each other it would be easier to broker some form of peace, but for that to happen weapon shipments had to cease.

Ultimately Cardinal Steele in coordination with the Cyprus government had decided to declare a “buffer zone” of sorts which would stretch along the border of the two factions with a width of ten miles centered along the border. The zone would be garrisoned and patrolled by an Amigardian peace keeping force which would consist of about a brigade sized element from the 7th Infantry Division and supported by a reinforced battalion of marines stationed aboard the HES Trinity. With the buffer zone in place it was hoped that the two sides would stop trying to kill each other long enough to negotiate a lasting peace. On the other hand, there was always the possibility of one or both factions simply ignoring the buffer zone and continuing the conflict with Amigard military forces caught in the middle. The Amigard government knew it was a fairly big risk they were taking, one that could give them a black eye in the realm of foreign affairs if things went south, but at the moment there were few other acceptable options available.

[Layarteb]

March 23, 2012 - 19:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Governors Island, Layarteb City
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 26.58" N, 74° 0' 59.25" W)

The Amigardian diplomats coming to meet concerning Cyprus had already been shown into the Emperor's office. It was after dinner time and the Emperor as well as the diplomats had all eaten prior to this meeting. Thus, it made things a little easier and simpler. With beverages brought in, the fireplace stocked to provide ample heat on this somewhat chilly March evening, the Emperor and his guests were able to sit down in the comfortable but century-old armchairs that sat near the fireplace.

"So it is Cyprus that we are to discuss," the Emperor began as he took a sip of seltzer. "Cyprus is a troublesome affair, is it not? For you and for I. The Empire has pledged its support, albeit quietly, to the Muslim districts due to our tie to the United Federation of Eurasia but let me tell you gentlemen, our support has been limited. Neither side has a true desire for a peaceful outcome and forgive me for saying this but the Empire has no further desire to contribute to the bloodshed on that island. We've only maintained the status quo, traumatic enough indeed but we are faced without options."

[Amigard]

March 23, 2012
Governors Island, Layarteb City
Fortress of Comhghall

Gregory Thompson took it as a good sign that he and his assistant were given an audience with the Emperor himself. Throughout the long flight to Layarteb City the forty-five year old diplomat had been anxious and on edge. It was unclear how the Layarteb government would react to the request that he was about to place before them but the fact that he was in contact with the Emperor himself gave Thompson the impression that the Empire was going to take him and his government seriously.

“Cyprus is a mess sir” Thompson replied as he took a sip of water “I am embarrassed to say that the truth is that the whole affair basically caught my government off guard. Like you, we certainly do not want to contribute to the bloodshed that has been taking place on the island, and we hope that we can come to a peaceful resolution.

As you know my government has essentially established a blockade to intercept weapons shipments from Turkey bound for Cyprus, we have initiated a no fly zone, and we are in the process of attempting to establish a buffer zone, for lack of a better term, between the two factions. The uncomfortable part of course is the presence of Layartebian support of the Western Faction. Cardinal Steele is clear on the point that he wants to maintain good relations with your government, but at the same time he would like to see both factions disarmed. He is confident that if we work together we can help bring peace and stability to Cyprus. What is your take on the situation sir?”

[Layarteb]

March 23, 2012
Governors Island, Layarteb City
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 26.58" N, 74° 0' 59.25" W)

The Emperor took another sip of seltzer. Over the past few days, he had been feeling oddly under the weather. For a man who had never been sick a day in his life, it was odd but he chocked it up to stress and nothing else. "You'll forgive me, my throat has been very dry lately," he said as he took yet another sip. "Cyprus is a problem indeed. As far as your No-Fly Zone, we have no quarrel with it whatsoever. A buffer zone is agreeable to us as well. The Empire's biggest concern has been to avoid the wanton slaughter of the Muslim populace who we are obliged to via our treaty with the October Alliance. Despite the defunct status of the United Federation of Eurasia, we must abide by certain provisions.

"However, there are provisions that seek peace as well. We have pleaded with both sides for peace and yet they continue to deny our requests. I can propose something that we have floated before, an idea of sorts, off the record.

"Should the Amigardian government cause the Catholic districts and Catholic factions to unilaterally declare a public initiative for peace, even so much as a cease fire if you will, than the Muslim districts will be under obligation to agree and support. The Empire will make it painfully clear to them that if they do not take this offer of a cease-fire or peace initiative, than the Empire will flatly withdraw all of its support. So long as it is a fair accord, what leg will the Muslim districts have to stand upon?" The Emperor finished the seltzer and reclined slightly. "We want nothing more than to be rid of the Cypriot issue but yet we are obligated at this time. Removing all of the necessities of our obligations not only frees us from the bonds of them but also can let Cardinal Steele proclaim that it was he who achieved peace on Cyprus."

[Amigard]

“We were hoping that the arrival of an Amigard peace keeping force would compel the two factions toward a cease fire” Thompson said, “but it remains to be seen how they will ultimately react.

The force we are sending will not be able to hold the aggression at bay for long if either side decides to violate the buffer zone and attack. However, we plan on making it very clear that the Theocracy will not hesitate to bring the full force of the 12th Carrier Task Force to bear on either faction should they decide to act aggressively toward Amigard military forces, which they would have to do in order to cross the buffer zone.

In any event Amigard will not provide any support to the Catholic faction on Cyprus, unless the Muslim faction violates the cease fire. Were that to happen our plan would be to conduct a series of surgical strikes focused on eliminating their command and control and logistical support in an attempt to cripple their ability to continue the fight, but we will continue to expect the Catholic faction to stay their hand during this time or they can expect to face a similar response from my government. Cardinal Steele has assured me that we will not be playing favorites here.

In any event it sounds as though our two governments can come to an agreement here.”

[Layarteb]

March 23, 2012
Governors Island, Layarteb City
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 26.58" N, 74° 0' 59.25" W)

"The arrival of your peacekeeping force will be welcomed on the island, perhaps not so much by the Muslim districts who I can guarantee you will be wary of the motives. We in the Empire understand the Theocracy's viewpoint on religious tolerance and it is one that we support greatly. The last thing we want to see is a full-blown assault on the island, by your carrier task force. The Empire has eyed taking the island in the past but we instead settled on Crete.

"Perhaps we can devise a strategic peace initiative that allows full support of both factions on the island that sees Cyprus enter the Theocracy unscathed. It will obviously require the cooperation of both factions and your peacekeeping force but it will see to it that the bloodshed does not happen."