[Earth II] The Riddle of Monte Carlo

[Layarteb]

March 20, 2001 - 18:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Prince's Palace of Monaco
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 12" E)

Sirens wailed in the faraway distance and the open windows of the Prince's Palace of Monaco let in the distant wail as a reminder why this particular evening meeting was being held. Only four members of the Monégasque government were in attendance, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II, Minister of State Raymond Rueff, Foreign Minister Nina Armistead, and Minister of the Interior Philippe Gatti. Everyone else was incapacitated, to put it nicely. Because of the small crowd, the three men and one woman were all meeting in the Prince's personal office, a spacious and beautiful room of stately beauty and rich history. "Tout droit, tout droit, revenons à un peu plus d'ordre ici." [All right, all right, let's come to some order here.] Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II said as he entered his own office from the private restroom.

The three ministers stood and as Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II took his seat so too did they. "Commençons par le plus rapidement. Ministre Gatti, donnez-moi votre première mise à jour." [Let's get this over quickly. Minister Gatti, give me your update first.]

"Votre Altesse, la police sont à peine efficaces à ce stade. De cinq cent quinze policiers, deux cent soixante-dix sont montrant des signes d'infection et ils sont incapables de s'acquitter de leurs devoirs. Des deux cent cinquante-cinq militaires, nous avons cent et dix soldats infectés. Le reste est utilisé pour protéger les postes dans la vieille ville, empêchant quiconque, mais effacés personnes à entrer." [Your Highness, the police are barely effective at this point. Of five hundred and fifteen officers, two hundred and seventy are showing positive signs of infection and they are unable to fulfill their duties. Of the two hundred and fifty-five military personnel, we have one hundred and ten infected soldiers. The rest are being used to guard the checkpoints into the Old City, preventing anyone but cleared persons to enter.] Minister Gatti took a deep breath though before he continued. "Tout au long de la populace, que nous sommes en train de subir un taux d'infection de trente-cinq pour cent. La plupart des ministères du gouvernement ont été rendues totalement inefficaces et nous avons quelques personnes qui sont ici ce soir, ce sont les seuls qui ne sont pas infectées." [Throughout the populace, we are suffering a positive infection rate of thirty-five percent. Most of the government ministries have been rendered utterly ineffective and we few who are here tonight are the only ones who are not infected.]

Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II shook his head in disappointment, "N'y a-t-il aucun moyen de mettre fin à cela?" [Is there no way we can stop this?]

"Nous avons fermé notre frontière, mieux que nous pouvons. Malheureusement, nous n'avons tout simplement pas les ressources plus. Nous ne pouvons pas demander aux Romains ou le Nord Société Germania pour obtenir de l'aide, ils souffrent à une échelle beaucoup plus vaste que nous sommes. Le Hirgizstanians ne sont pas le genre d'aide que nous voulons." [We have closed our border, as best as we can. Unfortunately, we just don't have the resources anymore. We cannot ask the Romans or the North Germanians for help, they are suffering on a much larger scale than we are. The Hirgizstanians are not the type of help we want.] Answered Minister Armistead, "En vérité, nous avons besoin de l'aide de loin Votre Altesse." [In truth, we need help from afar Your Highness.] She added.

"Je suis d'accord," [I concur,] replied Minister Gatti. "Votre Altesse, il n'y a rien que nous pouvons faire pour nous-mêmes plus. Les hôpitaux ne peuvent plus prendre de patients malades. Il n'y a aucun allégement de l'autre côté de la frontière et de garder cette propagation, nous avons arrêter tous les transports aériens et maritimes de voyage." [Your Highness, there is nothing we can do for ourselves anymore. The hospitals cannot take any more sick patients. There is no relief on the other side of the border and to keep this from spreading, we have shut down all aviation and maritime travel.]

"Votre Altesse," [Your Highness,] began Minister Rueff, the head of Monaco's government. "En vérité absolue Monsieur, il est temps pour nous de promulguer les dispositions finales de règle absolue. Et nous avons à vous faire sortir d'ici." [In absolute truth sir, it is time for us to enact the final provisions of absolute rule. And we have to get you out of here.] This was a sobering announcement. Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II had vowed to ride out the infection and the pandemic but he never expected it to grow to the proportions that it had. "Monsieur, nous avons reçu des rapports que l'ensemble Cottish gouvernement est pratiquement infecté et que le Cottish famille royale est ainsi. Le Nord Germanian gouvernement s'est isolée dans un bunker sous Berlin. Nous n'avons tout simplement pas les ressources nécessaires pour vous protéger plus." [Sir, we have reports that the entire Cottish government is virtually infected and that the Cottish royal family is as well. The North Germanian government has isolated itself in a bunker underneath Berlin. We simply do not have the resources to protect you anymore.]

"Non, je ne vais pas échapper." [No, I will not escape.] Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II said defiantly. "Comment puis-je laisser mon pays meurt? Qu'en est-il des responsabilités que j'ai de mon peuple?" [How can I leave while my country dies? What about the responsibilities that I have to my people?]

"Votre Altesse, que pouvez-vous faire pour votre peuple, si vous êtes mourant?" [Your Highness, what can you do for your people if you are dying?] Responded Minister Rueff quickly and sharply. "Mettez simplement monsieur, vous avez de quitter, ce soir." [Simply put sir, you have to leave, tonight.] This was a difficult decision. Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II was a widower but he had a young son, aged 8, who was heir to the Monégasque throne. However, and Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II was keeping this a secret, his son, Hereditary Prince Louis, was infected and isolated in the palace.

"Aucun! Je ne vais pas laisser, c'est final. Ministre Armistead, qui peut nous aider? Qui pensez-vous proposer?" [No! I will not leave, that is final. Minister Armistead, who can help us? Who do you propose?]

"Il y a quelques états. Jusqu'à ce matin, j'ai proposé l'organisation Eastasian République mais j'ai appris que l'infection s'est propagée il y a, comme il y a longtemps qu'il y a deux semaines. Les Soviétiques souffrent et sont donc la fragance. Votre Altesse, la seule réponse est l'Empire." [There are a few states. Up until this morning, I would have suggested the United Eastasian Republic but I have received word that the infection has spread there as long ago as two weeks ago. The Soviets are suffering and so are the Eurasians. Your Highness, the only answer is the Empire.]

"Est-ce qu'ils nous viennent en aide?" [Would they come to help us?]

"Je ne sais pas monsieur. Il semble qu'ils sont en s'efforçant d'aider leurs alliés à notre nord et l'est. Je crains que nous sommes contre un mur. Si nous ne demandons pas, on ne peut jamais savoir. Nous avons besoin de le demander." [I don't know sir. It appears that they are focusing on assisting their allies to our north and east. I am afraid we are against a wall. If we do not ask, we can never know. We need to ask.]

"Qu'est-ce que cela signifie pour nous? Depuis plus d'une décennie maintenant, le Layartebians ont été nous reprocheraient de leur donner accès à nos plus anciens dossiers d'impôt. Ils croient que les dirigeants de la République ont hid indicibles de fortunes du trésor volé l'argent ici." [What would that mean for us? For over a decade now, the Layartebians have been hammering us to give them access to our oldest tax records. They believe that leaders of the Republic have hid untold fortunes of stolen treasury money here.]

"Ont-ils?" [Have they?] Asked Minister Armistead, familiar with the requests but not with the answer. Only Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II knew.

"C'est plus compliqué qu'un simple oui ou non." [It's more complicated than a simple yes or no.] Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II responded. "Ils l'ont fait." [They did.] He finally said after a minute and a half of blank silence. "Nous ne pouvons pas trahir cette information, même pas à sauver nos vies." [We cannot betray that information, not even to save our lives.]

"Votre Altesse, c'est la seule option que nous avons peut-être!" [Your Highness, this is the only option we may have!] Responded Minister Rueff, "Combien d'entre eux sont même encore en vie? C'est là une Layartebian problème, pas le nôtre. Vont-ils exiger l'argent? Si elle l'épargne personnelle, nous n'aurons pas touché. Il peut être retourné. Nous parlons de plus de vingt mille personnes qui ne sont pas infectées mais qui sera si nous n'agissons pas. Votre Altesse, nous devons essayer." [How many of them are even still alive? That is a Layartebian problem, not ours. Will they demand the money back? If it's personal savings, we won't have touched it. It can be returned. We're talking about over twenty thousand people who are not infected but who will be if we do not act. Your Highness, we must try.]

Frustration zoomed around the room as the three ministers and Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II argued back and forth throughout the evening and into night. They were still discussing it when the clocks moved past midnight, while over twelve thousand Monégasque lay dead or dying from the pandemic. Over twenty thousand more stood at risk for infection and the real possibility that Monaco could be wiped out, as a country, existed in a very real, daily reality now.

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March 21, 2001 - 07:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

The Emperor had only just come out of the shower and put on his suit when his intercom system was buzzing with the voice of his receptionist. "Sir, Ambassador Romilly from Monaco is here to see you. He does not have an appointment though sir."

The Emperor looked down at the intercom with a sense of curiosity. "I'll be right out," he answered, wondering why Ambassador Marcel Romilly had come to see him unannounced and at such an early hour. It could only mean crisis and with the Cottish Flu Pandemic raging throughout Europe, it was an easy guess as to what happened. The Emperor was just hoping that the infection had not spread too far and decimated the Monégasque government, as it was the Cottish Realm. The Emperor truly didn't know who ruled the Cottish government anymore, the news was simply too grim on too daily of a basis.

The Emperor opened the doors to his office himself and walked through them into the waiting area. Immediately, Ambassador Romilly and the receptionist stood. "Ambassador Romilly, good morning," he said, greeting his guest.

"Sir," he responded with his French accent. "I apologize for the nature of this visit but I must see you immediately. I hope you have but thirty minutes for me sir?"

"That ought to be fine," the Emperor said, looking at his receptionist for confirmation. She looked down at his calendar and nodded that it was. "Are you hungry Mister Ambassador?"

"No I am not sir but I would not turn down a cup of coffee."

"No problem, it will be brought in immediately, black?"

"Yes sir." The Emperor showed Ambassador Romilly in and sat him down in one of the leather chairs near the roaring fireplace. It was cold, windy, and overcast in Layarteb City, a stark contrast to the clear, warm but humid air around Monaco, air that was perfect for keeping a viral infection at its peak. After a few minutes, coffee was available and the Emperor sat down next to his guest with his own cup of coffee.

"So to what do I owe this visit? A crisis I must assume."

"You are right sir."

"Is it the flu?"

"It is."

"How bad Mister Ambassador?"

"Over thirty-five percent of the populace is infected or dead. Our military and police forces are ineffective but doing their best. Our hospitals are beyond capacity and our government is in shambles. Only His Highness Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II and Ministers Gatti, Rueff, and Armistead remain uninfected. We are but a fraction of what we once were before this infection."

"Has Prince Wilhelm instituted emergency measures?"

"He has sir. However, there is simply nothing more than we can do. We need help and the Empire is the last place we can turn. I am afraid that I am here to beg sir. We are out of options." The Emperor knew better than both Ambassador Romilly and his government just how vastly the infection had spread. All of Europe and much of Asia was infected. That Monaco was only suffering an infection rate of thirty-five percent was almost miraculous.

"There is something we can do but I am afraid it will not be clean."

"What do you mean sir?"

"I have had meetings with my National Security Council about the possibility of an infection in Ireland and I must admit that our scenarios are grim. Should your scenario be ours, allow me to explain how we would respond.

"First and foremost, we would isolate Monaco. We can no more allow the infected to leave as we can the uninfected, or infected, to arrive. A total closure of the border points would be required. All modes of travel would be immediately restricted.

"Secondly, the infected must be removed from the populace. Your hospitals cannot do anything for the infected but give them comfort in their dying moments. This is a job for a hospice, not a hospital. The infected would be removed and isolated, perhaps on a cargo ship where they could be held en masse.

"Thirdly, the bodies of the dead must be disposed of in a sanitary fashion. I'm afraid simply burying them cannot be done. Mass graves offer the possibility of infection or bioterrorism. The corpses must be burned in order to destroy the viral pathogens. Even then, what remains cannot be buried where they can be unearthed. Our best course of action would be a mass grave at sea.

"Lastly, and this is the most damaging perhaps, martial law would have to be declared. Those uninfected would have been remanded to their homes to prevent further infection. Those infected would have to be removed from those who hide them, and forcefully if necessary. It would become a military operation Mister Ambassador and not one that any populace would ever support in a time of peace."

"Those are serious measures sir."

"They are and for the Empire they are perfectly legal. For Monaco, they might not be."

"His Highness, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II has authorized me to ask for your full support, regardless of method with only one condition."

"And that condition Mister Ambassador?"

"That this situation and our request cannot be used as leverage," Ambassador Romilly responded.

Immediately, the Emperor knew what he was being told. In some fashion, he wondered if he should press it. In fact, the leverage was there, the Monégasque needed the Empire beyond their wildest imaginations and the Emperor was personally in a position to damn thirty-six thousand people to their doom. It was a strange power to have but not one that he was unfamiliar with, not after twenty-one years of rule. "It will take some time."

"How long sir?"

"It could take as much as a week to get vessels off of the coastline of Monaco. That is the best I can offer. However, along with the ships would come a battalion of soldiers; we would assume total control over your country for the duration of this pandemic. We are providing help to the Cottish in a similar way but we can only do so much due to the vast size of the Cottish Realm. We are focusing there on where we can help. Monaco, on the other hand, is small. We would be able to help in totality but we need to commit a sizeable military presence."

"I will speak to His Highness sir."

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March 21, 2001 - 21:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Fort Campbell
(36° 38' 59" N, 87° 27' 52" W)

Light rain had been falling for the better part of the past three hours but for Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Cole, commanding officer of the 116th QRF Battalion, the rain was a non-entity. Three hours earlier, he had been given orders to prepare the 116th QRF Battalion for immediate deployment. This was an order that LTC Cole had feared ever since the beginning of the Cottish Flu Pandemic. At Fort Campbell, Kentucky, home of the 4th Airborne Division, the Cottish Flu Pandemic was too far away to worry about. It was simply too distant a problem for any of the men of the division to worry themselves over but now that the order had come it just became a reality. Officially, the 116th QRF Battalion was part of the 46th Airborne Regiment, 15th Airborne Brigade but because it was a QRF Battalion, meaning Quick Response, it often acted entirely by itself.

A 1,000-man fighting force, the QRF Battalion had been formed to provide the Imperial Layartebian Military with a hard-hitting, quick reaction force for a crisis. Originally, the QRF Battalion was envisioned as a sort of aid force, deployed within seventy-two hours to a beleaguered ally's capital or front during a full-on war. Deployment in the middle of a biological pandemic was not originally envisioned for the force and as such, the peacekeeping and law enforcement skills of the QRF Battalion were rudimentary, at best. This deployment would require a lot of peacekeeping and arguably, sending the QRF Battalion was the worst possible option. LTC Cole had said as much to the division's command but the decision had been made, whether or not he liked it.

Lost in thought, LTC Cole missed the knocking on his office door the first time. The second round of knocks, on the other hand, brought his attention to the open door. "Sir," answered his executive officer, Major William Adams. "I have the preliminary information for our deployment."

"Come in Bill, take a seat, and shut the door."

"Yes sir," replied MAJ Adams. When the door was shut and the two of them alone, MAJ Adams took on a more familiar tone, "Okay Tim, we're landing in a hot zone. The closest airport is in Nice, on the southern coast of France. It's twenty-five klicks from the border with Monaco and Nice is suffering major infection rates. The airport is in fact closed but it will be open to our transports. They have a 2,600-meter and a 3,000-meter runway, which we need desperately for the larger transports.

"Upon landing, we'll have the entire HQ Company on the ground. Alpha Company will come in second and once they're on the ground and unpacked, they'll deploy to the airport and to Monaco. There's an eight-spot helipad in Monaco that we will seize and utilize for some of the aircraft. What units cannot deploy will remain at the airport in Nice along with a sizeable portion of Bravo Company. Charlie Company will land second and move directly to Monaco to secure the borders. Delta Company will join them.

"By then sir, we'll have a hospital ship off of the Monégasque coast along with three cargo ships, one Stockham-class and two Watkins-classes. The Stockham is to be used for corpse collection and both of the Watkins' are to be used for patients we have no hope of saving. They'll move from the hospital ship to the Watkins and when they die, they'll go to the Stockham.

"Our main targets will be the Old City, where we'll set up HQ. It's the easiest to defend and the least infected thanks to the government's quarantine of it. We'll keep some UAVs up to ensure no one leaves via boat and we'll convert the hospital into an initial collection point once it's cleared. The route will be hospital, ship, Watkins, Stockham. We'll designate some Hueys for transport of the infected and some for the transport of us. Command did mention that we're to keep our inventory segregated. I believe, when this is over, they'll dispose of what's been exposed and give us some new helicopters, and vehicles."

"I can't wait for that day. What about MOPP gear?"

"Every soldier is getting issued their gear now, with extra filters, with extra sets. We're taking no chances and division supply is basically giving us run of the warehouse."

"Take everything that isn't nailed down then. We'll figure out how to get it over there."

"What about the embassy and the residence? Has anything official come about them?"

"Nothing yet Bill," answered LTC Cole. "I guess we'll find out along the way. If it's contaminated, and I'm betting it is, it's a no-go zone. You and I will stay in the Old City, at the HQ. I don't want us taking any unnecessary risks."

"I agree Tim. All right, well we've got seven days to get to Nice. Shall we start the clock then?"

[Layarteb]

March 28, 2001 - 13:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Nice, France
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
(43° 39' 26" N, 7° 12' 47" E)

LTC Cole had been on the ground in Nice for nine hours already and those were nine unforgettable hours. Upon arrival, he noticed that the airport was a military quarantine zone. All around the perimeter were armed, North Germanian soldiers in full MOPP gear. Their weapons were locked, loaded, and just seven pounds of trigger pressure away from delivering a deadly round at supersonic speed into the torso of anyone stupid enough to disobey them. All around the airport's apron area, dozens of jetliners sat quiet and unused. LTC Cole couldn't count them without a pen and paper, there were simply that many of them. Air traffic control had shut down the airport and no flights were coming in or going out for fear of spreading the disease to parts unknown. That meant whomever had been in the terminals at the time were all still in there. The North Germanian military had locked down the terminals and civilians were prevented from entering and exiting alike.

LTC Cole's brief experience with the populated portion of Nice Côte d'Azur Airport was only in the initial hours after his arrival. Since about 08:00, the North Germanians had directed all of the Layartebian aircraft to park and utilize the open area south of the airport's runway, an area butting up against the Mediterranean Sea. The waves gently crashed against the rock barrier and LTC had already found himself wandering to the edge twice in the five hours since. The isolation was a welcomed relief from the pandemonium of the airport's terminal and apron areas. Though his men were eerily similar in their MOPP gear and cradling their assault rifles, they were a whole different species. The North Germanians weren't being kind or gentle about the situation. LTC Cole had watched as a family foolishly snuck out of one of the terminal buildings and made a run for a departing, Layartebian transport around 06:30. They got about one hundred meters before a burst of rifle fire took down the father, a second took down the mother, and a third turned a six-year old girl into a ragdoll. War is hell. LTC Cole had thought to himself, trying to put the images out of his mind as he stared at the sea again.

"Sir," he heard behind him. It pulled him out of the trance and he turned around to see a MOPP-clad soldier standing and saluting. It was impossible to tell who anyone was in their MOPP gear and though the temperature was a humid 61°F, the men were under orders not to remove the MOPP gear under any circumstances. Given what they had been briefed on with concern to the Cottish Flu Pandemic, it was an order that no soldier would disobey.

"Yes soldier?"

"Sir, it's Captain McNulty, Alpha Company is ready to deploy sir."

"Captain, I'm sorry, I didn't…" LTC Cole stopped there, realizing how ridiculous his statement was going to sound. "Very well Captain, you have my permission, Alpha Company may deploy to Monaco. With the eight spots available what are you bringing Captain?"

"Sir, four Hueys and four Little Birds, the rest are going to stay here at Nice. If we need them, we'll find a locality and chopper them in but it's pretty dense in there."

"Yes it is Captain, you will liaise with the remnants of the Monégasque police and military in the Old City. That is your target, Godspeed."

"Thank you sir," answered CPT McNulty before he saluted and was gone. Two hundred and fifty meters later, CPT McNulty was trying to keep his helmet on as he ducked underneath the rotor wash of an idling UH-1N Twin Huey. He tried to ignore the armament attached to the helicopter's body, a pair of gun pods and a pair of rocket pods, and the light machine gun that the door gunner was swinging away from him. Instead, he climbed into the cabin, slammed the door shut, and plugged in his intercom system. "Okay, let's get this show on the road."

"Roger that, Huey flight, this is Huey Lead, we're rotating for takeoff, follow my six." Within seconds, the engines vibrating over the cabin spooled up and the helicopter gently lifted off of the concrete tarmac. The pilot swung east and within seconds, they were over the bright blue Mediterranean Sea, heading eastward, towards Monaco. After six miles, they passed over Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and CPT McNulty resisted the urge to look down but the door gunners and the pilots did. What they saw was a mess. Tents were everywhere and soldiers were everywhere, keeping the populace corralled and in line. In less than a mile though, the helicopters were past it and continuing towards Monaco. The four UH-1N Twin Hueys led the way with the four MH-6H Little Birds. Less than five miles later, they were vectoring towards Monaco's heliport where eight, empty spots sat waiting for them.

"Sir, we're here," announced the pilot as the UH-1N Twin Huey banked to the left and maneuvered in to take the initial landing spot.

"Are we alone?"

"No sir, there's a welcome party."

"Good, let's put it down gently then."

"Yes sir," replied the pilot and gently he did put down the Twin Huey. The main rotors began to spool down shortly after touchdown and CPT McNulty jumped out of the cabin and walked into a terminal building occupied by several Monégasque police officers. Nearly every one of them saluted CPT McNulty as he entered and he saluted back.

"Captain McNulty?" Called out a short man in a biohazard suit, and CPT McNulty turned and saluted him. "Commandant Constantin Giroux at your service Captain."

The two men shook hands and he led CPT McNulty out of the front of the heliport terminal. "What is the situation here Commandant?"

"Very bad, very bad, do you speak French?"

"I'm afraid not but I have men with me who can."

"Bring one of them with you; we will go to the Old City now. They are anxious to meet you."

"Understood Commandant, your English, it's impeccable, where did you learn it?"

"Rome, oddly enough," he said and the two men shared a brief laugh. CPT McNulty returned to the heliport area and ordered his men to prepare for now and unpack what supplies they had to and to prepare the heliport. He grabbed a soldier, Corporal Dan Martin, one of his French speakers, and together, they hopped into an awaiting Peugeot P4 and headed away from the heliport right away.

As the driver maneuvered his vehicle through the otherwise empty streets of Monaco, Commandant Giroux explained the situation with more detail. The police were practically gutted, the military had been disbanded and joined into the police command, and the government was on the verge of collapse. There were only a few ministers and the Prince left. The populace was suffering badly and there was no hope in his voice. Commandant Giroux explained that he had already lost his wife and he feared for their young child, a boy, aged eight, who he had managed to get into the Old City, where there were no infected people thanks to a blockade of the quarter. The short, ten minute drive, encompassed three kilometers of Monaco that would have otherwise been a gorgeous ride but now it was a ride of misery. They passed three trucks along the way, all small dump trucks loaded with the messy bodies of the dead. "The dead," Commandant Giroux explained. "We don't know what to do with them yet. There's about ninety people in those trucks," he said after they had passed the third one in less than four hundred meters.

"Where are you putting them?"

"For now? We're driving them into Germanian France. The Germanians are disposing of them the only way they know how, cremation."

"That's for the better Commandant."

"I know, it's just so cold…" He answered. Soon enough, they were in front of the palace and exiting the vehicles. From there, they passed through a mobile, decontamination unit set up outside of the palace. They removed their MOPP suits and passed through the plastic tunnels into the palace itself where they were escorted up to the Prince's office. Present was what remained of the government, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II, Minister Reuff, Minister Armistead, and Minister Gatti.

A short conversation erupted in French as Commandant Giroux announced CPT McNulty and from there, the men sat down at the table along with the ministers and Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II. CPL Martin said nothing the introduction was plain enough. Before he could begin speaking though, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II spoke up, and in English. "Captain McNulty, it is a relief to see that your troops are finally beginning to come. In the seven days that we have been waiting, our country has not held particularly well."

"Your Highness, that is in the past now. We're going to do everything we can to save as many people as we can."

"That is a relief Captain. Will you be the senior officer operating here?"

"No Your Highness, that will be Lieutenant Colonel Tim Cole. He is currently in Nice overseeing the arrival of our battalion. He will be arriving in approximately four to five hours."

"Good, how long until your battalion is fully deployed into my country?"

"We estimate fifty percent by nightfall and one hundred percent by dawn tomorrow. I apologize in advance that it is not as soon as you might have been led to believe but we are not deploying into an armed conflict. We deploy differently in those matters."

"How so Captain?"

"With more care…" He answered and the message got across quickly. A Layartebian army battalion was not known for taking care with anything. Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II had been told that the QRF battalion he would receive was not normally deployed for peacekeeping but they were the only battalion capable of getting there in time to provide the most amount of help. He gratefully accepted it knowing that they were not going to be coming in with white lab coats and syringes full of cures. They would come with helicopters, armored vehicles, and assault rifles.

"Captain, when your commanding officer comes, I have decided, he will be the de facto leader of our police and military forces, which have already been consolidated. Commandant Giroux here will be the liaison between you and us. He is fluent in English, as am I, and as are my remaining Ministers. I understand you do have French-speaking soldiers?"

"I do Your Highness; Corporal Martin here is one of them."

"Your Highness," answered CPL Martin in deference.

"Good, the majority of my populace speaks English but phrases and words can get 'lost in translation' if you will. It will aid greatly in the communication. What are your plans, if you are at liberty to say?"

"I am Your Highness. First and foremost, we need to get your border secured. We will be closing Monaco to Greater France and the Fourth Reich of North Germania. Our alliance with the North Germanians assures that this will be met with equality from the other side. Once we have the borders secured, we will work to remove the sick patients from your hospitals. Those who are terminal will move to one of our vessels, where we can care for their suffering. Upon their death, we will move them to another vessel for containment until this is over and we can properly and respectfully dispose of the contaminated bodies.

"Those who are capable of treatment will go immediately to our hospital ship. If we can rid them of the infection, we will move them to a safe place. Currently, the Azores is our best place to move them. Isolated from the European mainland, there is zero infection on the Azores. Individuals will be moved to Nice by helicopter and flown to the Azores via military transport. It won't be a comfortable ride, I am afraid, but it will be a ride of life. Once they're on the Azores, we have set up a refugee camp on the island of Santa Maria. They will be held there until the infection is gone and the pandemic has burned itself out."

"Held there?"

"Your Highness, poor choice of words," CPT McNulty answered. "They will not be treated as prisoners or criminals but refugees. We will provide clothing, food, shelter, news, and entertainment for them but for obvious reasons, they will be confined to the camp."

"Should they try to leave?"

"Your Highness, I am told they will be detained but there is no directive to imprison or harm any of them."

"What if some should commit crimes?"

"Your Highness, I believe that they will be held and returned to Monaco where your police and justice system will treat them accordingly."

"Good Captain, I want to make sure the details have been carried out, this agreement was not without many, minor details."

"Your Highness, I have studied as much of it as I can but I agree. There are many details, and rightfully so. We have no intention of seizing your country from you; we will honor the agreement to the fullest."

"Thank you Captain, then let me ask one final question. Are your soldiers armed?"

"Yes Your Highness, they are."

"I understand then, thank you for your time. I look forward to meeting Lieutenant Colonel Cole."

"I'm glad to hear Your Highness." The meeting broke up shortly thereafter with little fanfare. There was nothing left to ask or say. It had all been asked and said already. The Empire was about to be in de facto control of Monaco and Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II could not stop it if he wanted his populace to survive. Still, he knew that it was a decision that would come to haunt him later in life. He just hoped that the Layartebians would at least abide by the litany of requests that he had made.

[Layarteb]

March 28, 2001 - 22:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Prince's Palace of Monaco
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 12" E)

The day had been long and taxing for LTC Cole but as he stepped out into the otherwise refreshing, but toxic air of the Mediterranean coastline, he stood beside his executive officer, MAJ Adams. They were still on the grounds of the Prince's Palace of Monaco but outside of the plastic tubing that made for secure tunnels to and from the Palace and the headquarters, which had been set up in an adjacent structure. "Something about that seem odd to you Bill?" Asked LTC Cole as he lit a cigarette. Both of them had their masks off for the time being, hoping to breathe in some of the non-polluted, coastal air.

"Yeah Tim, he's hiding something but I don't know what."

"Maybe he's scared. Cigarette?"

"You know I don't smoke."

"Cigarettes aren't as deadly as this son of a bitch," answered LTC Cole, holding the open pack out in front of him.

MAJ Adams considered it a moment but shook his head in resistance. "What's the plan, really, what's the real plan? This is an invasion whether we say it or not. These people have given up their sovereignty entirely, just to survive." MAJ Adams whispered, aware that Palace guards were not too far away and that they were likely listening.

"We do the best that we can with the situation and the circumstances. Our main priority is to isolate Monaco from the rest of the world. No one in, and no one out unless they go via military transport; we have the hospital under our control and we've already begun to triage the patients within its walls. Those we deem unlikely to survive will go into holding and those with a fighting chance go to the hospital ship."

"Yes, that's nice and well for the cameras. What about those not in the hospitals? Are we going door to door?"

"In the morning, we have the announcements starting. Anyone infected is to hang a white sheet outside of his or her door. We'll transport them to the hospital in the afternoon and get them either to holding or to the hospital ship. We don't have any other options. Those who resist will be arrested. If we have to use force, we will. Right now, the North Germanians are on our side. They've shut down the border too and anyone who tries to escape will be caught and held for us. We'll give them a chance, the North Germanians won't. The rumor I heard, and maybe it's just scuttlebutt, is that the North Germanians are rounding them up and putting them into camps.

"Those who go in and have no chance of coming out either, it's that serious on their side of the border."

"How different will Monaco be? They'll be in a big camp, the city, and confined to their homes. All work stops, all travel stops, no one moves. This populace is going to rebel."

"The good Prince will prevent that, who do you think will give out the announcements?"

"I don't know Tim, he's shaky. Maybe he's infected, maybe not."

"No, he's not," shot back LTC Cole, "he'd show signs. Then we'd all be infected. No, they're holed up in the Palace and no one is going in or out without first passing through us. We're going to start to do blood tests on people who want entrance. If they show they're infected, they're not getting in, we're not going to let the Palace fall."

"I hope not," MAJ Adams answered but softly.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

March 29, 2001 - 08:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
116th QRF Battalion HQ
(43° 43' 50" N, 7° 25' 16" E)

The sun had risen about forty-five minutes earlier when LTC Cole and MAJ Adams walked together into the main area of the headquarters. The 116th QRF Battalion commandeered a rather large and roomy building adjacent to the Palace's grounds and extended the plastic tunnels to the entrance. All windows were kept closed and air purifiers were being run on a constant basis, in hopes of helping ward off the infection. A medical station had been set up just 250 meters away to the northwest in the open expanse of the Place d'Armes on Av. du Port. Around the city, Layartebian soldiers, who had arrived throughout the previous evening and night, kept up a vigilant patrol. The borders were locked and no one could come in or leave without first passing through some sort of military checkpoint. There were gaps in the system of course but the military was working on plugging them.

Outside of the soldiers, the streets were barren and eerily empty. The civilian populace was ordered to stay in their homes and they were also ordered to turn on their radios or televisions for a speech given by Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II at 8:00 in the morning. Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II was always prompt but on this morning, his speech began nine minutes late, a grim omen for the coming times. Translating for both LTC Cole and MAJ Adams was one of the battalion's skillful interpreters, a nineteen-year old conscript named Jean Reno, who carried the rank of private first class. PFC Reno began to a silent but captive audience in the headquarters' main traffic area. "Good citizens of Monaco, my countrymen and friends," PFC Reno said. "The hour is grim and the present is dark. All around you, the young and old, strong and weak, man and child, are succumbing to the greatest plague in modern history.

"Not since the ancient times of the 'Black Death' as mankind learned how fragile it is. Mother Nature has always and will always hold the cards of our lives," PFC Reno continued. For a brief pause, he injected his own analysis, "Sirs, the language is very beautiful. He is speaking passionately, very passionately." Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II continued and PFC Reno picked up right where he had left off, "The mightiest of our European neighbors have all been brought down by this plague and today, us Monégasque are on equal footing with our neighbors.

"We are all on equal footing as we are all vulnerable and we are all at risk. Mother Nature has convened and to our detriment, the flu pandemic threatens to destroy the very fabric of our lives and of our souls.

"Now is a time for unity and for purity; hope is not lost.

"Yesterday afternoon, help arrived for us Monégasque and it has come from afar. The Empire has answered our call for help; and to many, our prayers have been answered. Layartebian soldiers and doctors have come to our city to provide relief and to help us manage where we cannot anymore but do not worry, Monaco remains intact. Your democratically elected government remains intact and functional.

"The Layartebian soldiers and doctors are subordinate to your government. We will not surrender our sovereignty and they have not demanded it. The flag that flies high above our city today shall tomorrow and the days thereafter, and it shall always fly from the highest run on the pole.

"In the coming days, treatment will be provided for all of those who need it. For many, life will be given back but for some, Mother Nature has deemed it necessary that life end. This will be a time of great grief and of mourning but we should not mourn the dead as much as celebrate the lives with which they lived and whom they have touched. Even the young will be celebrated and when this virus burns itself out, as the 'Black Plague' once did, we will declare victory and return to normalcy. The day is in the future and so while the present is grim, the future is bright.

"My people, I ask of you only three requests. Firstly, that you treat one another, even those who have come to help, as equals in a peaceful and humane manner. They will do no less to you. Secondly, that you share hope with your families and loved ones. We cannot abandon our hope if we are to survive. Thirdly, and lastly, that the requirements set forth by our helpers be abided by as if they were the laws of Monaco herself. Announcements from the Layartebian military will follow within the hour, please give it you undivided attention.

"Let me say in closing that God is with us. He has not abandoned us in our hour of need and though Mother Nature, His creation seeks to give us this trying time, He would not abandon us in this hour. Remember your faith, your hope, and your love. Thank you and may God bless us in this time of our need." The cameras cued off and the room remained quiet.

"Thank you Reno," said LTC Cole, who looked around the room to see the weary faces of the men under his command. "All right people, back to work, I know it's not easy but let's do what we have to do. We're soldiers."

"Sir," MAJ Adams said, pulling LTC Cole aside as they exited, "do you have your speech prepared?"

"I do; any reservations?"

"No but let's just remember to deliver it as easily as we can." Thirty minutes later, LTC Cole introduced himself to the population of Monaco and issued the directives. Curfew was in place and there would be no movement on the streets for the next forty-eight hours. Afterwards, the curfew would be in place from 19:00 to 08:00. Over the next forty-eight hours, anyone who showed signs of infection was required to hang a sheet outside of their hours on their door. Soldiers would come around and begin transporting them to the hospital. They would be asked to pack enough clothes for seventy-two hours. Food and water would not be required, as that would be provided at the hospital. Anyone having immediate survival needs, such as food requirements, was to call a special hotline and the emergency service number would remain in place for non-infection related emergencies only.

Additionally, outside of this scope, no one would be allowed to enter or leave Monaco. Lines of communication were going to be kept open and all debts would be forgiven by the Monégasque government for the duration of the plague. Work would be restricted and employers would be directly contacting their subordinates with news. Infected persons were quarantined to their homes until they were picked up by soldiers.

Crime would be treated with severe punishments. Executions were not going to be held but persons violating the directives or causing harm to the soldiers would be imprisoned immediately and held until the crisis subsided. More directives were given and to anyone six months prior it would have been ludicrous to hear but now, amidst the biggest crisis of modern history, everything seemed rather reasonable for now.

[Layarteb]

March 30, 2001 - 08:00 hrs [UTC+1]
La Colle, Monaco
Princess Grace Hospital
(43° 43' 49" N, 7° 24' 40" E)

Princess Grace Hospital was Monaco's only hospital and until now, it had been considered an example for the continent. Filled with cutting edge technology and some of the best doctors in Europe, it was nothing more than a quarantine building now. The Cottish Flu had contaminated the entire building and Layartebian doctors who arrived with the 116th QRF Battalion considered the hospital beyond saving and damned it for infected persons only. Those not infected with the Cottish Flu could not be brought to the hospital and thus, the Monégasque people were in a bind when it came to non-infection related emergencies. Despite the curfew and confinement, sixteen people required medical attention during the night. All of them had to be brought to the hospital ship but it too was considered contaminated from the moment that the first infected person was brought onboard. To remedy the situation, another battalion was inbound.

The 119th Medical Battalion, also of the 4th Airborne Division, was on its way to Monaco to set up a combat support hospital in Monaco. The site chosen was Louis II Stadium, or Stade Louis II, situated on the border in the Fontvieille District. Across the street, which was North Germanian France sat another soccer stadium, Stade Plague Marquet. The 119th Medical Battalion would use that stadium as well, mainly as a parking area for the battalion's vehicles and for resource storage. It would be the 119th Medical Battalion's job to treat non-infection related injuries and to provide additional medical assistance at Princess Grace Hospital.

Unfortunately though, the tragedy at Princess Grace Hospital could not be overlooked. As a UH-1N Twin Huey set down on the hospital's helipad, eight patients, all coughing, sneezing, and aching from the virus' deadly effects were escorted onto the helicopter and strapped onto its benches. With a thumb's up from an armed soldier dressed in a MOPP suit, the helicopter took off and headed out over the Mediterranean Sea. Rather than flying the forty-seven hundred meters to the hospital ship, the Twin Huey only flew forty-two hundred meters, where one of the two Watkins-class vessels were anchored. The eight patients onboard were beyond the point where they could be saved. Their fate was death and though the Layartebians would do whatever they could to make dying as painless as possible, there were limits to what they could do, short of a bullet to the back of the head.

Monaco was a city under siege but not by the military forces within its boundaries but rather by Mother Nature's most evil creation, the virus. Commandant Giroux, the philosophizing type, ruminated as much while he and CPT McNulty stood atop the hospital's roof, watching the procession of helicopters coming and going, carting off patients, returning empty. "So what will happen when this is over?" He asked the Layartebian next to him.

"There will be a lot of wakes but no funerals."

"What do you mean?"

"The bodies are to be buried at sea. Command is worried that the disease could be harvested from the dead and turned into a biological weapon."

"By whom?" Commandant Giroux asked skeptically. "Is not all of Europe dying of this epidemic? Are there not bodies from the Bay of Biscay to the Ural Mountains? Surely there are enough corpses that burying ours at sea won't matter."

"Orders Commandant, orders. I can't tell you otherwise. The North Germanians and the Cottish are burning the bodies. The Romans are doing the same. We don't know what the Russians are going to do, outside of die. The directive across the board is to burn the bodies and kill the virus with heat. There's nowhere we can do that here. So we're going for the alternative. Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II is on board with the order."

"Well I'm not," Commandant Giroux answered but in a way that signified the conversation was over, but not necessarily for good. "What are the plans for this hospital?"

"Demolition, there's no way to decontaminate the entire structure. They'll bring it to the ground and rebuild it."

"Who?"

"Don't know Commandant, listen, I understand. I feel your pain, I don't want to be here doing this either but…"

"No Captain," Commandant Giroux rebuked him sharply, interrupting and cutting him off, "you don't know. You have not lost anyone. You have no connections here. This isn't your home and these people aren't your blood."

An uncomfortable silence clung in the air for a few minutes while both men watched another UH-1N Twin Huey come and cart off another eight patients, these lucky enough to go to the hospital ship. The infection was young in them and they had a fighting chance. After it lifted off, CPT McNulty, rather guiltily apologized, "Commandant, what do you want me to say or do?"

"Ah nothing," Commandant Giroux said, sighing, "I'm sorry Captain; I'm sorry. This whole mess, I'm sorry, it's made a cynic out of me." CPT McNulty just put a hand on the Monégasque' shoulder and watched as yet another helicopter approached the helipad.

[Layarteb]

April 5, 2001 - 09:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Prince's Palace of Monaco
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 12" E)

Time was standing still for Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II as he stood on the outside of the hospital room. Within the bowels of the palace stood an isolated section, built and modernized specifically for the purpose of providing the royal family exclusive, private treatment for ailments ranging from fevers to Alzheimer's. It was staffed by an on-call doctor, a small surgical team that could be brought in at a moment's notice, and a team of highly skilled nurses. All those who worked within the medical facility were sworn to secrecy and they took their oath more seriously than any other doctor did in the small city-state. It was for that reason that the prince entrusted them, and only them, for the care of his ailing and dying son, Hereditary Prince Louis, whom would eventually be Sovereign Prince Louis III, if he ever survived and took the place of his father.

However, things weren't looking up for the eight-year old. The effects of the flu were devastating to the young boy, whose body was in the midst of a cytokine storm. His fever was high, his body was fatigued beyond imaginable levels, and what fluids could be pumped into him were rapidly expelling through vomiting and sweating. In essence, his immune system was running in overdrive. He was being pumped with paracetamol to reduce his fiver, an anti-viral to combat the influenza infection, fluids to keep him hydrated, and other concoctions to try to balance out some of the other effects. Though against a severe flu infection of a non-pandemic nature, these would have done effect, against the Cottish Flu strain, they were losing the battle.

It was next to impossible to keep the boy in a stable state and the misery he was enduring brought his father to tears, knowing there was nothing he could do for the boy. Standing outside of the medical room, watching through glass, he could only cry for the boy. Inside, the boy was kept within an isolated tent in an already isolated room. The nurses went to and from the tent in biohazard suits. Access to the medical room required passing through an airlock designed to keep the air pressure in a positive setting, preventing air containing bacteria and other microorganisms from entering and further compromising the boy's already weakened immune system.

Standing there, helpless to do anything, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II was only marginally aware of the presence of the leading doctor when the doctor coughed to announce his presence. The wait until then had been mildly uncomfortable consider the seriousness of the matter. "Votre Altesse, venir s'asseoir, s'il vous plaît, nous devons parler de votre fils de progrès." [Your Highness, come sit down please, we must talk about your son's progress.]

Both men sat down and the doctor gave Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II so information about his son's progress, or rather, the lack thereof. The fever was burning him out and the paracetamol was the only thing keeping it under 40°C. As it stood to reason now, his fever being where it was constituted a medical emergency because of the duration for which he was suffering. "Que pouvons-nous faire?" [What can we do?] Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II asked as the doctor finished the explanation.

"Il est difficile de dire Votre Altesse. Nous sommes la lutte contre la fièvre et le fluide de perte du mieux que nous le pouvons, mais plus il continue, les plus fatigués et usés le boy gets. Le niveau de résistance que son corps peut offrir diminue exponentiellement. Si son corps cesse la capacité de lutte contre l'infection il n'y a rien tout médicament peut faire. J'ai déjà mentionné que notre anti-virales médicaments ne semblent pas fonctionner assez rapidement. C'est une souche grippale contrairement à bien d'autres, nous l'avons vu, y compris la souche 1918 du virus H1N1." [It's hard to say Your Highness. We're combating the fever and the fluid-loss as best as we can but the longer it continues, the more fatigued and worn out the boy gets. The level of resistance that his body can offer decreases exponentially. If his body ceases the ability to fight off the infection there is nothing any drug can do. I've already mentioned that our anti-viral medications do not seem to be working quickly enough. This is an influenza strain unlike any other that we have seen, including the 1918 strain of H1N1.]

"Le garçon, il souffre énormément." [The boy, he is suffering tremendously.]

"Il est et il lutte mais je crains que son corps, comme la nôtre, a ses limites. Les jeunes et les vieux sont les plus à risque pour ces types d'infections parce que les jeunes n'ont pas la même exposition et parce que les vieux sont fragiles. Son propre système immunitaire joue une partie lourde de ces infections. Je crains qu'il n'est tout simplement pas aussi développée que la vôtre ou la mienne est tout simplement parce que nous avons été vivante et plus expérimentés infections virales." [He is and he is fighting but I am afraid his body, like ours, has limits. The young and the old are most at risk for these types of infections because the young does not have as much exposure and because the old are frail. One's own immune system plays a heavy part in these infections. I am afraid that his is simply not as developed as yours or mine is simply because we have been alive and experienced more viral infections.] The doctor answered calmly, solemnly, hiding his own disappointment for the turn of events. He might have been a doctor and thus impersonal and removed but he was a "family doctor" to the royal family. When the late princess died of cancer, he was there to help treat her.

"Que pouvons-nous faire maintenant?" [What can we do next?]

"Continuer notre schéma posologique, poussant autant que nous pouvons pour garder son corps combats dur comme il le peut pour tant qu'il peut. Nous ne pouvons pas pousser trop fort bien que, de peur de compromettre son système immunitaire. Je recommanderais induisant un coma temporaire." [Continue our regimen, pushing as much as we can to keep his body fighting as hard as it can for as long as it can. We cannot push too hard though, lest we compromise his immune system further. I would recommend inducing a temporary coma.]

"Est-ce que ce n'est pas de blessures à la tête uniquement?" [Is that not for head injuries solely?]

"Il est principalement utilisé pour soulager la pression crânienne. J'espère que ceci permettra au garçon de secours de la souffrance, mais aussi pour aider à prévenir les dommages causés par la fièvre. Cela permettra également à son corps de fonctionner à un niveau différent, tout en préservant si vous fera sa force. Comme elle est induite, nous pouvons supprimer à tout moment." [It is mainly used to relieve cranial pressure. It is my hope that this will allow the boy relief from the suffering but also to help prevent any damage from the fever. This will also allow his body to function on a different level, preserving if you will his strength. As it is induced, we can remove it at any time.]

"Si nous devons ou non?" [If we do or don't?]

"Ce n'est pas à moi de donner odds Votre Altesse. C'est entre lui et le virus. Le virus est en train de remporter tel qu'il est maintenant." [It's not up to me to give odds Your Highness. That is between him and the virus. The virus is winning as it stands right now.] The decision hung in the air and the doctor was waiting for a response, a verbal, clear response from the prince before he initiated anything. "Je recommanderais que vous être à l'intérieur et à parler de lui, par l'entremise de l'isolement tente bien sûr, alors que cela est administré." [I would recommend that you be inside and speak to him, through the isolation tent of course, while this is administered.]

"Je vais le faire." [I will.] Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II responded, "Mais je dois d'abord récupérer quelque chose." [but first I must retrieve something.] Ten minutes later, he returned with a book of bedtime stories in his hand. He passed through the airlock into the outer quarantine area, where suits weren't required. This was as far as he could go. To go any further required that he wear a contamination suit and he would not do that, his son could not see him as an alien but rather, as the father that he was. Taking up a chair next to the tent, he reached into one of the arm sleeves and held his boy's hand. Despite the presence of a surgical glove, he could feel the extreme heat of the boy's fever rushing into his skin. There, he read his son's favorite bedtime story while the doctor administered the barbiturate designed to put the boy into a manageable coma.

[Layarteb]

April 7, 2001 - 20:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Prince's Palace of Monaco
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 12" E)

The news came to Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II eight hours earlier, the virus had taken its toll and now his son was dead. He died as peacefully as one could, thanks largely to the barbiturate-induced coma but the cytokine storm was simply too much for his body to handle. His body just fought and fought and fought only making things harder for itself. In the end, his system began to shut down from overwork until the last few moments, when the doctor, quietly, knowingly, and anonymously, administered slightly too much barbiturate. It was something he would never admit because the consequences would be too great but in the end, he knew, everyone knew; Heredity Prince Louis had no chance of survival. He could have fought on for another day or two but the result was the same. His bodily functions and organs began to fail and from that, there was no turning back ever again.

Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II knew what was next. In order to properly dispose of the body, he would have to be cremated, a terrible fate for him to accept. The Layartebians were storing the bodies of the dead aboard a cargo ship for ultimate burial in the deep waters of the North Atlantic Ocean simply because cremation was not an option. There was nowhere to do so safely or considerately. For their end, they would receive an anonymous burial site in the midst of the ocean. Thousands upon thousands would have no gravesite to visit or physical location with which to share their grief. To Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II, this was an unacceptable fate for his only son and the heir to the Monégasque throne. Quietly, he ordered the doctor to remove the body of his son and place him in the city's morgue with only minimal identification. When the crisis abated, the body would be disposed of properly, respectfully, and in accordance to Roman Catholic standards.

Keeping such news silent from his government, his people, and the world, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II wasn't going to receive an outpouring of condolence from around the world. There would be no time of mourning for the Hereditary Prince Louis or the people of Monaco. The Hereditary Prince Louis was just one of thousands who were afflicted with the Cottish Flu strain in Monaco and his death was, in many regards, no more dramatic than anyone else's was, even if it did damn an entire country and culture. Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II had to accept it as such even if it was morosely painful for him. In essence, though he and the medical staff believed he were not exposed to his son's infection, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II confined himself to his quarters and entered a voluntary quarantine. When prodded by members of his government, he merely explained that he was studying and composing instructions for the government. He pushed them away with a dignified manner but there wasn't a soul who passed by him that day who didn't believe something truly horrific had happened. Insofar as they were aware though, the Hereditary Prince Louis was safely away from Monaco, and not at risk for infection. Since he hadn't been seen, he hadn't been linked to the disease. It was a shame though that he hadn't been sent away.

[Layarteb]

April 29, 2001 - 10:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
116th QRF Battalion HQ
(43° 43' 50" N, 7° 25' 16" E)

LTC Cole was sitting in his office reading over the latest tallies from the medical staff working in the hospital. The infection was raging out of control in Monaco and life had far from returned to normal. Curfew remained in effect and already, the Layartebian soldiers had arrested two dozen violators. Three showed positive sign of infection and they were moved to the appropriate naval vessel but the rest did not. They were moved to the makeshift brig established at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and held there. A gentle rapping on the door stole his attention away from the figures and he looked up to see that it was Minister Philippe Gatti standing there with a military escort. "Minister Gatti would like to speak with you."

"Fine, fine, send him in private, you're dismissed, shut the door please." The private saluted and showed Minister Gatti into the office. He and LTC Cole shook hands and they both sat down, the door closed behind them.

"I hope I haven't disturbed you Lieutenant Colonel," Minister Gatti answered.

"No, no, I was just going over the latest figures of infected and dead."

"Would you be so kind as to share them? Our information comes second-hand from your office."

"Sure," LTC Cole answered as he held the paper in front of him, "there are four thousand, one hundred, and nine dead. Of the eleven thousand showing signs of infected, we expect approximately six thousand, one hundred, and fifteen to survive. Those are good numbers but not high enough I am sure."

"No, that leaves nearly nine thousand Monégasque dead, one quarter of the populace."

"No small number," answered LTC Cole as he handed over the paper for Minister Gatti to see it for himself.

"How are other countries faring?"

"About the same Minister, some are better, some are worse. Monaco seems to be in the average. I would like to say that it would be doing better. The density of the city does not help."

"No, we learned nothing from the Black Death so many centuries ago. Cities were hit the hardest, we all live on top of one another here."

"We'll get on top of this Minister; I give you my word on that."

"Thank you Lieutenant Colonel," he handed back the paper, "I am afraid though that this little conversation is not why I have come here. Approximately two hours ago, the body of Minister Rueff was found in his living quarters." Immediately, LTC Cole thought the worst and as he reached for his phone, Minister Gatti reached out with his hand and gave him the signal to stop, "Suicide Lieutenant Colonel. He left a note."

"It must still be investigated."

"There is no need Lieutenant Colonel. Minister Rueff wrote in his letter that he showed signs of infection but that he had kept them to himself. He does not believe he infected anyone. He took his own life rather than face the prospect of death from the flu. The fool he was but his body is being examined by our chief medical examiner now to determine if he was in fact infected."

"I think for the safety of the rest of your government, we should institute a quarantine."

"That is not necessary Lieutenant Colonel. Minister Rueff did not get sick from within the walls of the palace. Against the wishes of Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II, he frequently traveled outside of the Old City to visit a mistress of his. We believe he was infected through that route. Her name showed up on an infection report four days ago, we haven't seen Minister Rueff since then. He said as much in his note."

"It must still be investigated Minister Gatti, you must ensure that it is."

"Yes, yes Lieutenant Colonel, I will have our police look into it, to make sure. However, we are all resolved in knowing what has happened. I just wanted to deliver the news personally Lieutenant Colonel. Additionally, His Highness, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II would like you to attend a cabinet meeting tonight at 7:00 sharp. Can you give me your assurance that you will be present?"

"Yes Minister."

"Good, then thank you Lieutenant Colonel, I will see you then." Minister Gatti stood, the two men shook hands, and he departed, heading back to the sanctuary and temporary refuge of the Prince's Palace.

[Layarteb]

April 29, 2001 - 23:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Prince's Palace of Monaco
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 12" E)

LTC Cole shook the hands of Monaco's last remaining governmental officials as he left the room. In each one's eyes was an abject sense of defeat. Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II had virtually sold out the future of Monaco but in retrospect, historians would look upon his decision with some regard of reverence. How could a man make such a decision? They would ask themselves. Had they been present at the meeting though, they would have seen just how damning the decision truly was. "Your Highness," he said when he came to the Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II, "I believe that this is something you should have your Ministers inform directly to Layarteb City, rather than I sir."

"I appreciate your recommendation Lieutenant Colonel but as you heard, this is remarkable resistance to this plan."

"Of course Your Highness, there is bound to be. My relays are through military channels though. The information could get," he paused, looking for the proper word, "distorted," he said, having found it, "it would be in the best interests of Monaco to ensure that any distortion is immediately clarified."

"You make your point insistently Lieutenant Colonel; do you not trust your commanders?"

"Your Highness, with something that vital and important, I would trust no one."

"I see; then I shall speak to the Emperor personally."

"Thank you Your Highness, have a good evening." LTC Cole bid his farewell and made a beeline back to the headquarters. Therein, he pulled his executive officer out of pulled and dragged him to his office. He pulled out a bottle of strong whiskey and set it on the table before he ever said a word. "I just met with the Monégasque's."

"Obviously it didn't go so well?"

"For them? No it went terribly. For us, that's a different story." LTC Cole said as he poured two glasses. "Drink," he said.

"To?"

"Their health," he commanded as he swallowed his glass and poured another. He finished a third before he spoke again. "Prince Wilhelm II just informed me of the contingency plan should he and his governmental ministers die."

"We're to bring the Heredity Prince in, right?"

"The kid's dead," LTC Cole said sharply. "He died April 7, and guess what of?"

"No!" MAJ Adams protested, "He was out of Monaco, right?"

"Nope, the good Prince didn't get a chance. He came down with the infection in the first few days. His personal doctors were keeping the kid alive until the infection just got too much of an upper hand. Monaco has no heir if Prince Wilhelm II goes."

"This is the end of their royalty."

"Yes it is. The whole line will be wiped out."

"Jesus, just like Cotland," MAJ Adams said. The Cottish royal line had all been wiped out by now and the news didn't look good for the rest of Europe. Empires were crumbling all because of Mother Nature's most irritating weapon, the flu.

"Thus, if Prince Wilhelm II, Minister Gatti, and Minister Armistead all die from the infection, the Empire is to assume total sovereign control over Monaco and its people."

"That's one annexation I don't think I want to see."

"Not this way. Not at that cost."

"What happens?"

"Well Prince Wilhelm II has a full documented plan. He wrote it up unilaterally and he has told me that he'll call the Emperor personally. I trust he'll give the plan to him, at least I hope. The Empire is to assume total, sovereign control over Monaco and its citizens. We will see the infection through and when the virus has burned itself out and life returns to normal in Monaco, the Empire is to assume an occupation for peacekeeping purposes of no more than five years. After this, Monaco is to be granted independence from the Empire in accordance with democratic traditions unless the populace votes, via referendum with a two-third votes or better, to remain a part of the Empire."

"Then what?"

"Then who knows," LTC Cole said as he finished a fourth glass of whiskey. The bite was sharp and it stung his throat on the way down but the effects of the alcohol were not yet showing on him, though his liver was already unable to process the poisonous toxic quickly enough to keep him sober. "Rueff's suicide sent the Sovereign Prince over the edge."

"Did it?"

"Yes, it looks like it rattled him so much, that and the death of his only son. There's really no future right now if they all go so he turned, well he'll turn to us."

"Is anyone else infected?"

"Not that I know of and I hope not since I was in there with them unmasked."

"How did Rueff get it?"

"Well," LTC Cole hadn't revealed all of Minister Gatti's story but he did now.

"The fool," MAJ Adams said and finished a third glass himself. "You know one of us will have to be sober. If anything happens and either one of us is drunk."

"That's you, for once I'm pulling rank, this is enough for me to deal with for one day," LTC Cole said, laughing.

"One more then," MAJ Adams said, "to their health."

"To their health!"

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May 9, 2001 - 06:30 hrs [UTC+1]
La Colle, Monaco
Princess Grace Hospital
(43° 43' 49" N, 7° 24' 40" E)

The sun had barely risen over Monaco and yet the pandemonium had already started at Princess Grace Hospital. Thirty-two people walked in, all of them miserable from infection. Doctors and medics were ushering them into triage to determine just badly they were infected. Two helicopters were in a holding pattern, waiting for a third to take off and bring a new batch of infected to one of the cargo ships. With spring in the air, there was very little in the way of rebirth for Monaco as more and more of its city's populace succumbed to the Cottish Flu Pandemic. The helicopter lifted off of the helipad and banked to head out to sea and the hospital's personnel disregarded the arrival of the second helicopter. Doctors with patients were waiting for the okay to bring those patients aboard the helicopter and the third helicopter continued to circle overhead, waiting to come down and collect a round of non-ambulatory patients.

As that happened, a man stumbled into the hospital's front doors. He was well dressed but barely able to stand. Two medics quickly ushered him into a wheelchair and rolled him into the triage area. His fever was high so he was instantly admitted to a room where doctors went to work to lower his temperature. In the meantime, an army private first class, who had collected the man's personal effects, sifted through them not for collectibles but rather for identification. They needed to know who the man was so that the accurate records could be made.

Young and obviously unexposed to this type of work, the conscripted soldier wrote down the man's name, date of birth, and other important pieces of information on an ever-growing list. He marked what time the patient was admitted and there were other boxes for where he would be moved next. Until then, Gatti, Philippe, would remain at Princess Grace Hospital; after all, he had to be stable to be moved.

[Layarteb]

May 12, 2001 - 14:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
116th QRF Battalion HQ
(43° 43' 50" N, 7° 25' 16" E)

LTC Cole entered the 116th QRF Battalion's headquarters with a heavy heart and a weary head. He'd just returned from Princess Grace Hospital after having received a disconcerting phone call from Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II. The Sovereign Prince informed LTC Cole that his foreign minister, Philippe Gatti had neither been seen nor heard from since the evening of May 8 when he reported that he would not attend supper because he was feeling tired. When questioned on whether he was sick or not, the Sovereign Prince informed LTC Cole that Minister Gatti assured him that he was not. All that seemed well and fine until approximately 11:00, when a man named Philippe Gatti passed away at Princess Grace Hospital, he having been admitted on May 9 in too serious a condition to facilitate transportation to any of the naval vessels offshore. That information made its way to Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II around 12:00 and he immediately requested that LTC Cole identify the body in his place.

LTC Cole reluctantly did so and what he found was true. Minister Gatti had passed on due to the Cottish Flu Pandemic, his infection being incurable. Though he left no information, it was reasoned that he received the infection from his colleague, Minister Rueff, who committed suicide on April 29 after becoming symptomatic. By the time LTC Cole was able to give this pressing information to Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II, Minister Armistead tested positive for the infection. It was a hard day for Monaco, as Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II remained the only man left at the helm of the once magnificent city. With military escort, Minister Armistead was rushed to Princess Grace Hospital for diagnosis and the doctors seemed to believe that she had a chance; so rather than be carted off to die, she was immediately flown out to the hospital ship.

Now that he had returned to the headquarters, having gone through decontamination, LTC Cole found himself in the office of his subordinate, MAJ Adams. "Well," he said as he sat down. He had gone straight from the hospital to the palace and then back to the hospital since had had left at 12:15. "It was him."

"Son of a bitch, how?"

"Probably from Rueff, who had the forethought of killing himself rather than suffer. The doctors say he suffered horribly."

"It went through him fast."

"Very fast but he was in terrible condition when he was admitted. He was symptomatic for days beforehand."

"What a fool, to not go. He's lucky if…"

"No, Armistead now has it. I brought her to the hospital to confirm it and now she's on the hospital ship out there getting treated. The doctors gave her a 50-50 chance so those are good odds, considering. When Gatti was admitted the doctor gave him a 10-90 chance."

"Not betting odds, that's for sure."

"No not at all," responded LTC Cole. "So far the Prince doesn't have it so we're okay but I think the Empire is going to wind up in control of this place eventually. Things don't look good. The Prince is tired, you can tell. He's weakening his body and perhaps he's even given up the will to live, it's hard to tell. If he goes, that's it; we're in charge, Monaco is our territory."

"Go figure," answered MAJ Adams, "they'll probably send a pencil pusher here to watch us do our job."

"Nope, I already spoke with command about it."

"Did you now?" MAJ Adams said, more than asked, surprised by these developments. "Okay so what are we in for?"

"'Governor general' would be the title so rather than a pencil pusher we get a four-star. I have no clue who but you know it'd be a Ministry man rather than anyone else. I doubt the Ministry would appoint a hard-charger, not that we have many of those left what with all of the departures the past twelve months." He said, alluding to the massive amount of military officers retiring after the sustained and prolonged warfare of the Conquests thus far.

"Well God help us all," MAJ Adams said, not wanting to see Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II succumb to the infection that ravished Monaco.

[Layarteb]

June 5, 2001 - 16:50 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

Looking haggard and run down, the Emperor emerged from his private bathroom to hear the intercom buzzing. "Yes?" He answered calmly, despite the frustration at being disturbed. For the past two hours, he had been reviewing a document detailing the progress of the Cottish Flu Pandemic. The Empire's allies in Europe were on their knees. The Cottish royal family was gone except for Prince Sverre, now the heir to the Cottish throne. He was safely being hidden in the Province of Layarteb, far away from the infection and now the Emperor, the young prince's godfather, was the only living relative this future world leader had. It was a terrible thought. The Fourth Reich of North Germania was in tumults and Reichskanzler Kübler was fighting a coup within his own government. If the North Germanians lasted the month, it would be impressive. Perhaps the only breath of relief from this was that the Empire's enemies in Europe were suffering too. The Goodrule Third Spanish States were executing anyone who was infected, thus sowing the seeds of discontent among the millions within the country's tyrannically kept orders.

"Sir, I have a Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Cole from the 116th QRF Battalion on the line, he is also on the line with the Minister of Defense and several generals sir."

"Sweet Jesus it's happened," the Emperor said as his legs turned to jelly. He plopped into the chair by his desk and depressed the intercom button to speak, "Patch them through to me please."

"Yes sir."

There was a moment's quiet while the call was transferred to the Emperor's phone, and when the phone's speaker rang, the Emperor lifted it with weak and shaky hands. "Lieutenant Colonel, Minister, generals, is this the bad news I have been expecting?"

"Sir," began LTC Cole, "it may be sir. I have the regret to tell you that we lost Minister Armistead about nine hours ago and forty-five minutes ago; Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II expired from flu infection. The last remnants of the Monégasque government have died sir."

"Then it is done, we're to enact the protocols set into place by Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II himself."

"Sir, that is correct, I respectfully request that the Ministry of Defense send a superior officer to provide a face to the Monégasque people," answered LTC Cole.

There was more silence on the line as the generals in attendance in the Ministry of Defense all held their breath. Despite a general ambition among generals to make their names last in history books, no one in that room wanted to be picked for this mission. All of them, with unanimous feeling, saw this appointment as a death sentence. "Lieutenant Colonel, I agree that this is not a position for a man of your rank, and you have your hands full with running the battalion; however, it will take at least two days to get the appropriate individual there."

"I understand sir; in that case I will have to address the population of Monaco. They deserve to know sir."

"That they do Lieutenant Colonel but as the Minister of Defense will say, as he and I have discussed this, they don't need to know right away. You are to assume immediate, administrative control over the country but the matter of the deaths of the Sovereign Prince and Minister Armistead are to remain silent for the next twenty-four hours. When that time is over, I will personally provide an address to the Monégasque people; this is something that the Sovereign Prince requested of me personally."

"Sir, I was not aware," LTC Cole said, apologizing.

"That is fine Lieutenant Colonel, what is the situation on the ground?"

"Sir, it's beginning to plateau, thank God. However, there are thousands upon thousands dead or dying and many more susceptible to infection. We have sealed the borders and prevented any further immigrants to or emigrants from Monaco but we're dealing with a densely packed city, more so than Layarteb City sir."

"That is the case indeed. Europe faced this before when the Bubonic Plague ravaged the continent in the 1300s and now they are facing it again. They've learned little but, so too have we. We might be spread out but we're just as densely packed as they are. Mother Nature is unforgiving to the urbanites of this world." There was nothing to say to the Emperor's philosophical and historical statement. Instead, the men remained quiet while he gave a few more orders and then began to prepare the way for his speech to the Monégasque people.

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June 6, 2001 - 12:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

It was 18:00 local time in Monaco and as had been broadcast for the entire day, the entire country's populace was tuned into television or radio stations for an important broadcast concerning the affairs of Monaco. Back in Layarteb City, it was noon and the Emperor, dressed in his best and most relaxing suit, stood at attention behind a podium in the press briefing room, waiting for his cue to go live. He was doing everything by the letter of Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II's wishes and he felt it an honor to the man to do it as such. There would be no cutting corners for a fellow head of state and the Emperor, a statesman to the core, hid his distress as the cue to go live came to him. "Ladies and gentlemen of Monaco good evening. This evening, I come before you with heavy and regretful news. Yesterday evening, His Highness, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II succumbed to the effects of the Cottish Flu Pandemic, he being the last surviving member of the Monégasque government.

"I know that no manner of words or sympathy can equate to the sorrow that you feel right now at having lost this piece of culture heritage. Monaco will forever be affected by this grim tragedy and no amount of apology can change that for you." He took a breath, continuing, "It was an honor for me to have not only known His Highness, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II but also to experience his warmth, his grace, and his candor in political matters. He taught be much in my reign as head of the Empire and I owe him my own statesmanship.

"In accordance with the wishes of His Highness, the Empire will assume administrative control over Monaco for a period of five years, affording Monaco with the title of 'Colony.' The Empire shall not attempt to infringe upon the culture or traditions of the Monégasque people nor shall we impose laws upon you that violate your legal codes or traditions. Your currency and your citizenship shall remain the same, only the protection and guidance of the Empire shall be inferred.

"Following this period of time, the Empire will hold a referendum for all eligible voters above the age of eighteen. At this point, you, the people, will decide whether to remain as a part of the Empire or to embrace independence. The Empire will not thwart the outcome nor will we steer the vote to the former or the latter. If at this time, the Monégasque people want to remain a part of the Empire, we shall include Monaco into the Atlantic Republic and should the Monégasque people wish to embrace independence, I will personally sign the blessing of it. There shall be no violence, only peace in this matter and all future matters.

"I know that this is a lot of information for you to digest in such a short amount of time and I implore you to remain peaceful and calm in this hour of sorrow. His Highness, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II provided me with thorough documentation concerning the limits of Layartebian power and that documentation, as well as the text of our agreement, will be made public to the people of Monaco for review to show that we mean nothing but the best of intentions for the Monégasque people.

"Lastly, His Highness, Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II prepared a videotaped speech for such an eventuality. In the next few moments, that video will be aired for you to see. For those listening on radio, the audio will be broadcast as well.

"Thank you," the Emperor said and he stepped back from the podium. As he exited the room, the video feed was cut and instead it was replaced with the taped address that Sovereign Prince Wilhelm II had prepared weeks earlier when he drafted the post-collapse plan. In his address, he spoke to the heart of the Monégasque people and explained, in summary, the agreement he had made with the Empire. He implored the people to be peaceful during this time of transition and to seek their true future in five years, when a functioning government could be restored to Monaco's Old City. Until then, he asked for their prayers for those who had lost loved ones and their patience for the Empire, which had a tough road ahead, insofar as both Europe and Monaco were concerned.

[Layarteb]

August 1, 2001 - 05:30 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
116th QRF Battalion HQ
(43° 43' 50" N, 7° 25' 16" E)

LTC Cole and MAJ Adams had just emerged from a very early morning briefing given by the appointed governor-general, General William J. Brule, a political general versus a warfare general. He was by and large disliked throughout the 116th QRF but that was more because he was a four-star who gained his rank through politics and time versus bravery and heroism. He'd never fired his weapon outside of his required qualification and even then, he'd only ever scored just enough to pass. To LTC Cole and MAJ Adams, they secretly held that though his appointment was sensible and smart, it appeared to be a slap in the face to everyone dying in Monaco. The sun was on its way up and it would peak over the clear, 75°F horizon in about fifty minutes. "You got the radio right?"

"Roger that," answered MAJ Adams to the question posed by his commanding officer.

"All right, let's get this done." Every third or fourth morning, both men walked approximately six hundred and fifty meters to the edge of the Old City's eastern perimeter to watch the sunrise over the Mediterranean Sea, a gorgeous sight. They did it more to be alone so that they could speak about the progress of the mission without being overheard. More often than not, they complained about the idiocy of GEN Brule. This morning, the weather was fair and beautiful and rebirth was in the air. Infection rates were declining and new cases were decreasing dramatically. Along the way, they usually said nothing but this morning, LTC Cole was quite loquacious, "It's August 1, we've been here what, four months."

"About that yeah."

"Look and what Europe looks like now. The Cottish are fighting the Nerotikans and neither side has much of an army left. The Cottish government barely exists, the King and Queen are both gone. The Fourth Reich is about as gone as could be without making it official. Millions upon millions are gone, that's for sure."

"The pandemic stretched all the way into Asia. We've got peacekeeping forces in Oslo and Berlin, other major cities. We've deployed half the army just to do it."

"I'm glad they only put us and the 119th here, we couldn't handle anyone else. How's the airport holding? I didn't read the report today."

"It's under our control now, the North Germanian troops there have all gone off to fight the war."

"Jesus, one little virus did all of this…" LTC Cole said, shaking his head as they turned left onto Rue Emile de Loth. They had about four hundred meters left to walk and they were making a good pace. "I was in a high to-do briefing with GEN Brule about a week ago. They think they're getting close to identifying patient 0."

"What good will that do? No doubt he's been burned to ashes by now."

"Maybe, maybe not. He died early on; perhaps the Cottish didn't quite know yet what killed him. Maybe they thought it was something else and he's been buried or in a morgue somewhere."

"Who's heading that up?"

"We are; the Cottish can barely hold their heads up, especially not with the Nerotikan invasion. We'd have helped but we can't spare the men. It's either deploy peacekeeping forces across Europe and help save millions upon millions, just like we're doing here in Monaco or deploy them all to fight off the Nerotikans. The Cottish will understand, they're reasonable."

"I hope so," replied MAJ Adams, "they're going to think we abandoned them."

"Which is bullshit! We've got a corps or two deployed there just trying to keep their society together. We're also trying to keep the North Germanian government in power and that's not going well."

"I read on a report that JSOC has nearly two-thirds of its forces deployed between Cotland and North Germania."

"Two-thirds?"

"Sixty-five thousand men," MAJ Adams added.

"It wouldn't surprise me. That's about the best we can do. You don't need special forces to do peacekeeping or body burning. Anyway, the Cottish have been holding the stalemate since May."

"I wonder how many of those Nerotikan assholes we've waxed."

"Who knows," LTC Cole said, dismissing the idea. "So long as we stay here. I'm still not happy about fighting this virus but I'd rather fight it than those bastards. At least we've got this under control, sort of," LTC Cole said, his voice trailing off as they neared the spot. There was still plenty of time to go before sunrise and both men took a seat on a park bench, their usual meeting spot.

"Tell me something, what happens when this is over, and we have to go home?"

"Someone will have to stay. There's nothing left of the police or the military. There's barely forty men total and we've got them all pressed into service with us. We're literally running this little city. Hell, you know how hard it is just to keep the lights on and the water flowing here."

"Yeah, those engineer boys over there in Nice need some commendations, that's for sure."

"I imagine there will be a lot of medals and commendations handed out but you know what, I don't want one."

"Why not?"

"What's it going to say? 'Good job not letting them all die.'"
"Still thinking of retiring?"

"After this? Depends… I spoke to my wife last night about it, she's probably happier than I am."

"Well you've been gone a while. What'll you do?"

"Well I'm going to put in for my colonelcy and see if they grant it to me on the condition that I never have to deploy again. I want a job with division, at the base. I'll run road repair; I don't care. I just don't want to deploy again. This is it for me. It's one thing, you know, having men die around you, and watching an enemy obliterated but it's something entirely different watching a city of civilians die and know there's nothing you can do.

"When I announce it, I'm going to recommend you for command, and for the silver oak leaf."

"You are?"

"Yes. That's my word."

"And if they don't take you recommendations, all of them?"

"I resign and that's that. I can collect a pension and then I can go on and forget this ever happened."

They were quiet for a few moments until the radio barked, "Cole, this is Ferdinand, do you copy?"

"Well shit, there goes the peace," he took the radio, "yeah Ferdinand, this is Cole, what's the problem?"

"Huey's dead on the pad here at the hospital."

"You're shitting me Ferdinand; it's not even 06:00. What's the matter?"

"Mechanic says the engines are utterly shot, turbine blades fused to the gearbox or something. You know Harding; he talks like a goddamn doctor when he explains that shit."

"Fine, fine, can we get it back to the airport somehow?"

"We need someone to ask the boys at Nice if they can spare a Chinook."

"Well ask then," LTC Cole looked at MAJ Adams, "how he got to be a captain is beyond me, the asshole can't think for himself."

"Well sir…"

"Ferdinand, you're a captain for Christ's sake, make the call. I'm up to my eyeballs here in paperwork."

"Uh sir…"

"Ferdinand, make the fucking call." LTC Cole shook his head and held up his middle finger, knowing that Ferdinand was probably on the helicopter pad watching him through a pair of binoculars. "I swear to God, I won't miss him."

"What we going to do with all of this equipment?"

"All of it gets destroyed, recycled, melted down. We're going home with just our gear and that's it. I don't even know if we're going home with that. After this is over they're going to drop the helicopters into the sea."

"What about the boats, still going to scuttle them?"

"Scuttle them in the North Atlantic, yes."

"Who's going to object right…"

[Layarteb]

August 31, 2001 - 14:35 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
116th QRF Battalion HQ
(43° 43' 50" N, 7° 25' 16" E)

"Sir, we've just had a confirmation, the last patient has died." A radioman yelled above the din of voices and like a movie, all at once, everyone inside of the tactical operations center quieted, hushing himself, so as to make the radioman sound ten times louder.

"I want to be sure, there are no further infected persons on either cargo ship, the hospital ship, or at the hospital?"

"Correct sir," the radioman said as the reality of his words came to him. Monaco had ridden out the Cottish Flu Pandemic and it was over, so long as they could contain the population and prevent both emigration and immigration.

"Okay people, let's not get too excited. I want to be absolutely sure, and I mean absolutely," responded LTC Cole as he rushed out of the TOC and to his office. Sitting on the desk, the phone loomed below him, teasing him and tantalizing his fingers. LTC Cole barely lasted thirty seconds with the door closed before he lifted the receiver and dialed the nearby palace's extension.

"General Brule's office, may I ask who is calling?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Cole, I have some important information for the general, would you please connect me?"

"I'm sorry sir; the general is in a meeting right now. Would you like me to have him call you back?" Replied the clerk who was a lowly private first class.

"This is important enough to break the meeting."

"I'm sorry sir; the general will not allow me to burst in short of a war. Are we being invaded Lieutenant Colonel?" Asked the snarky private first class, who had just asked the wrong question, with the wrong amount of sarcasm in his voice.

"Private, you will listen to me and you will understand me clearly. If you do not connect me to General Brule this minute, I will requisition you a toothbrush, a smock, and a pair of gloves and I will make you scrub every inch of those cargo ships offshore. I assume you know which ones I am talking about, correct? They are the ones where people have been bleeding out and dying for the past few months. Do you need me to give you a tour so that you can see firsthand?"

"No sir, one moment," the clerk responded, all of the sarcasm and triumph in his voice completely gone. "Okay sir I am going to connect you now."

"Thank you," a second later, the line switched.

"Lieutenant Colonel, what is the nature of this interruption? I gave specific orders to my clerk not to disturb me."

"I'm sorry sir but this news is worthy of it. Are you alone in your office sir?"

"I am, yes."

"Sir, then I will tell you in confidence. The last infected patient has expired."

"Is that so Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Yes sir, we're going to hold on any…"

"Hold on? I assume announcements."

"Yes sir."

"No, we will not be holding. The Monégasque people need to know that they are safe immediately."

"No sir, I must disagree sir. There could still be infected people out there who are asymptomatic and have not yet reported into us. We have to wait it out."

"How long are we waiting Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Ten days sir."

"Ten days! That's ridiculous. No, we're not waiting, that's the end of it. Thank you for the news Lieutenant Colonel, goodbye." The call ended abruptly and LTC Cole slammed the receiver down, knowing that it was he who erred. He'd been excited and overjoyed to announce that there weren't any more infected persons as far as he knew but now he knew that it was fleeting joy. General Brule was a political general, not a military one. He would want to announce it to gain political points. He didn't have the interests of Monaco or its people in mind. He only cared about his own reputation and his "fame."

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September 1, 2001 - 19:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

The Emperor had just finished a meal with Ambassador Marcel Romilly, Monaco's ambassador to the Empire. The two of them had met frequently over the past few months, more so since June, when the Empire assumed administrative control over the country. Ambassador Romilly was hopeful that in five years, per the Sovereign Prince's wishes, that Monaco would begin to flourish again. Ambassador Romilly hoped to be a part of that new Monégasque government and not as the Ambassador to the Empire of Layarteb but rather as a government minister, at the very least. Fond of the Empire and of Layartebian culture, Ambassador Romilly hid his delight of his posting, now that it was one of the things that saved the lives of he and his family, which included not just his wife but his two, preteen children.

Now that Ambassador Romilly and the Emperor had departed the dining area and returned to the Emperor's office, the mood suddenly became more formal. Layartebian custom for business meetings around meal times was somewhat traditional. Meals came first without any business talk and afterwards, the business talk was held. "So Mister Ambassador, I trust you have received the good news?"

"I did sir, thank you," Ambassador Romilly started as he lit a cigar. The Emperor passed, instead opting for a post-dinner drink, single-malt 15-year old scotch from the Speyside region of Scotland. Now that the Goodrule Third Spanish States had taken over the British isle, it was increasingly difficult to find scotch on the market, especially for the Empire of Layarteb.

"It is indeed terrible news but wrapped around good news, the infection has subsided." The Emperor said. True to his word, General Brule went public less than an hour after LTC Cole had informed him and now the Empire was in a precarious position. If another infected person showed up, the Empire would be caught with egg on its face and lose all of the confidence of the Monégasque people. LTC Cole cursed himself hourly now, wishing that he had waited to inform General Brule; it was a mistake LTC Cole knew that he'd never repeat again.

"Do you have the final counts? I was under the impression that a full audit was completed."

"Yes I do, here, allow me," the Emperor stood and retrieved a piece of paper from his desk with handwritten notes. Nothing was classified and nothing was dangerous to risk so he handed the piece of paper to Ambassador Romilly.

"Fourteen thousand, five hundred, and twenty-eight confirmed infected, forty percent of the populace," Ambassador Romilly shook his head, "is that a particularly high infection rate sir?"

"It's in the middle."

"I'd hate to see the high end then, and of this, ten thousand, eight hundred, and ninety-six dead, thirty percent. A mortality rate of seventy-five percent, is that correct? This math is correct, yes?"

"I'm afraid so. This has been a truly devastating pandemic. Not just to human lives but to whole political systems."

"Yes, the European map is entirely different from what it was just a year ago. It's frightful that something as microscopic as a flu virus could do this."

"It's happened before, the Black Death for example."

"And this is the first plague of this millennium and already it's destroyed the continent of Europe, stretched all the way to the Pacific by way of Asia, and it has destroyed everything in its path sir."

"Monaco's story is not just independent to Monaco. We will have a tough road ahead of us. We have to repair what's left of your infrastructure. People need to get back to their lives. A whole new government must be raised, new police forces, new military units. New soccer teams!" The Emperor said, jokingly. "Life has to return to normal and Mister Ambassador, I want you to be our man on the ground there."

"Man on the ground sir?"

"I want you to lead the Monégasque people through this period. A new Parliament will have to be raised, perhaps with new parties. In the interim, General Brule will continue in his position until January. Then I would like you to return to Monaco and be our appointed governor until the votes."

[Layarteb]

June 11, 2006 - 11:30 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Prince's Palace of Monaco
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 12" E)

President Marcel Romilly quickly stuffed the small comb into his suit jacket's inner pocket as the sound of footsteps echoed behind him on the glossy, marble floor. He was standing in front of a mirror that was three hundred years old, a favorite piece of his since he had been elected as the President of Monaco in November 2001, shortly after his returned to the country from Layarteb. Now, almost five years later, Monaco was back on its feet and though the memory of the Cottish Flu Pandemic - and what it took from Monaco remained, it was a distant memory that was getting more distant by the year. Today was going to be another monumental step in Monaco's future and President Romilly couldn't help but reminisce over the past four and a half years.

He'd returned to Monaco with his family in early October 2001 and immediately, he was put in charge of an interim government. Preliminary elections were held in November 2001 just to get life back to normal and five-year terms were set by way of national referendum. By November 2002, Monaco had a functioning, working government again and though they were subordinate to the Empire's representative governor, President Romilly and his Cabinet made over 90% of the decisions of the country. One of the first decisions he had made was to reconstitute the police force, which numbered five hundred before the pandemic. The military force, which had been company-sized, had not been reconstituted since their role was largely ceremonial and defense of the Sovereign Prince and his family. Since Monaco no longer had a Sovereign Prince or any royal family, President Romilly felt that the police force would be sufficient to do the job of protecting the government's members.

Everything else came with time and now President Romilly was about to assume total control over the country. True to his word, the Emperor allowed a referendum to be conducted and June 10, yesterday, had been the day for it. When the results came in by the end of the night, they showed a 59-to-41 vote in favor of independence. The Emperor affirmed the results on global television and the election had been held with the presence of observers from the New African Republic, who certified the election as fair and free. It had been a hard one to call, and no one on either side of the fence had any idea how the vote was going to go and though the press tried, not even they could hazard a logical conclusion. All they had given the people of Monaco and the Empire were guesses. By sheer mathematical probability, many turned out to be correct.

"Marcel, still worried about the cameras?" Asked the voice of the man approaching from behind President Romilly, the Empire's representative governor, Steven Meeks.

"I'm always worried Steven, thank you for coming."

"Well it's my duty," they shook hands as Steven Meeks sized up his counterpart. Both of them had on their best suits, Steven a dark blue pinstripe suit and Marcel a charcoal suit. "Besides, I am to give the announcement and attend to lowering the flag."

"I've been meaning to ask, what happens with it?"

"Normally it's brought back home. Did you have something special in mind?"

"Yes, would I be able to keep it here? I'd like to have it displayed as an homage to what the Empire has provided us."

"I will have to ask permission but I will. I don't know that I can tell you today, these matters are touchy for some."

"That's fine but please convey the request as soon as you can," President Romilly answered as he gave one last glance into the mirror. "Half passed eleven, almost time."

"Another fifteen minutes until we go out there and thirty until the flag comes down. Do you have anything grandiose planned?"

"No, regrettably I did not predict the election results accurately. I thought for sure that we would remain part of the Empire. I'm a little saddened that we're not."

"Well," Meeks said with a smile, "I don't imagine anyone is going to be invading Monaco anytime soon. Do you?"

"I should hope not Stephen."

"Good, well if they do, you are aware that the defense treaty we established to rid you of the pandemic also allows us to protect you against invaders. Now that Monaco has no standing military force it is entirely up to us to protect you. Granted, there are action units within your police force that can certainly hold their own."

"What other tidbits are we having?"

"Free trade for one hundred years, no limit on visas," Meeks added. "Are you running for re-election in November?"

"I haven't decided yet but if my wife is to have any say then no, I am not. Perhaps in another few years I will. We'll have elections again in November 2011. It might take me five years to convince my wife to let me hold the office again."

"Fat chance, I know your wife too well. You're done in politics my friend, as am I."

[Layarteb]

January 23, 2012 - 20:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Prince's Palace of Monaco
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 12" E)

President Angelette Bouchard was tired and her almost haggard appearance certainly gave it all away. President Bouchard had been engaged in some of the most harrowing and intense discussions with her government since she had been elected as the country's second President following the announcement of President Romilly that he would not run for a second term, which would have been his last due to term limits written into Monaco's constitution. "Est-ce donc? Nous avons enfin atteint un consensus, parce que franchement je refuse de discuter de cela pour un autre soir." [So is that it? Have we finally reached a consensus because frankly I refuse to argue about this for another night.] President Bouchard said. All around her seated in varying poses and in varying levels of comfort were her Cabinet ministers as well as the leaders of the country's legislature. The room was packed and the air was stale and stagnant. Someone needed to open a window but no one dared for fear that someone in the press would overhear them. These discussions were highly secretive and for good cause, they were determining the future of Monaco.

"Je vais promettre l'appui de la Chambre haute Madame le Président," [I will pledge the support of the Upper Chamber Madame President,] responded Senator Martin Monrency, the leader of the Upper Chamber, arguably the stronger of the two houses. Senator Monrency represented the Monaco First Party, a party that wished to see Monaco step further away from the influence of the Empire of Layarteb. The Upper Chamber had been in the control of the Monaco First Party since Monaco's independence from the Empire so gaining their support was crucial.

"Qu'en est-il de l'ensemble inférieur, Mister Mathieu, est-ce que je vous êtes votre appui?" [What about the Lower Assembly, Mister Mathieu, do I you’re your support?] President Bouchard asked of Assemblyman Percy Mathieu, the leader of the Lower Assembly and also the leader of the One Monaco Party, which sought closer relations with the Empire. These were Monaco's two largest political parties and they represented the sentiment of the people. In reality, the divide in Monaco was today just as it was six years earlier.

"Si le sénateur Monrency ne peut promettre l'appui non seulement de la Chambre haute, mais aussi de son parti que je vais promettre l'appui d'un Monaco, et avec elle l'ensemble inférieur." [If Senator Monrency can pledge the support of not just the Upper Chamber but also of his party than I will pledge the support of One Monaco, and with it the Lower Assembly.] Heads nodded and President Bouchard loosened her blouse slightly.

"Bon, maintenant il est de mon devoir d'informer l'Empire comme une courtoisie. Indépendamment de ce qu'ils pensent, je vais pousser notre ordre du jour. La Fédération des Lacoze a été l'Europe unie et je préférerais voir leur drapeau sur notre capitale que je le drapeau du Royaume de Hollande, ou l'Empire romain. Est-ce que ce sera acceptable pour toutes les parties que nous devrions faire de notre décision de janvier 31?" [Good - now it is my job to inform the Empire just as a courtesy. Regardless of how they feel, I will push our agenda. The Federation of Lacoze has been united Europe and I would rather see their flag over our capital than I would the flag of the Kingdom of Holland, or the Roman Empire. Will it be acceptable to all parties that we should make our decision on January 31?] More heads nodded in agreement and President Bouchard picked up her pen and scribbled a note to herself.

"Madame le Président, sympathi sants, il est tard et je crois que nous avons obtenu à travers assez ce soir. Avec votre grace et permission, je vais demander que nous leur retraite pour la nuit et rédiger le projet de loi demain. Si toutes les parties sont d'accord, la Chambre haute doit avoir son vote le lundi, l'ensemble inférieur peut voter mardi, et via protocole Madame le Président, vous pouvez signer la loi mardi soir. Devrions-nous informer le président Yanai maintenant?" [Madame President, Assemblyman, it is late and I believe we've gotten through enough this evening. With your grace and permission, I shall ask that we retire for the night and draft the legislation tomorrow. If all parties are in agreement, the Upper Chamber shall have its vote on Monday, the Lower Assembly can vote on Tuesday, and via protocol Madame President, you may sign the legislation Tuesday evening. Should we inform President Yanai now?]

"Le sénateur Monrency, c'est ce que je vais faire après je parle à l'empereur. En dépit des sentiments de votre parti, l'Empire a toujours le droit de savoir. La plus cordiale est ce que nous faisons le mieux c'est pour tout le monde. La Fédération des Lacoze est de notre côté et ils sont patients. Si nous voulons aller dans leur union, nous ne si volontiers." [Senator Monrency, I shall do so after I speak to the Emperor. Despite the sentiments of your party, the Empire still has a right to know. The more cordial we do this the better it is for everyone. The Federation of Lacoze is on our side and they are patient. If we go into their union we do so willingly.]

"Oui madame le Président." [Yes Madame President.] Responded Senator Morency, who had been visibly rebuffed. Over the course of the next twenty minutes, everyone shuffled out of the office leaving just President Bouchard alone. She was contemplating her own political future. She took the election easily in November 2006. She was a member of the One Monaco Party so it was a cinch considering that President Romilly had founded the party in 2001 upon his return to the country. He was still held in high regard. Then, in November 2011, Senator Morency had run against her in Monaco's third election. She won again but only narrowly, thus the resistance between both politicians.

Her term was set to expire in 2016, after which she would have served for ten years, quite a long time. Senator Morency was willing to run another campaign meaning that President Bouchard had four years to find an adequate replacement from her party. The shoe-in was Vice President Archard Jodoin but she would prefer someone else. Vice President Jodoin was, as far as she estimated, a deal maker. He had not been her first choice as a running mate but she had been thrust into the decision in order to win, he brought her the victory. Now she knew that he would want the favor returned and she didn't approve of his politics for that reason. He made deals to curry favors and though they were legal, they compromised his beliefs and his positions.

There was a lot riding on the legislation. The Federation of Lacoze was the rising superstar in Europe and when President Yanai approached President Bouchard with the idea of joining Monaco into the Federation, she had a hard time turning down his talking points. They made sense though. Monaco could come and - more importantly - go voluntarily. Monaco would lose none of their sovereignty; they would keep their identity and their culture. Lacoze would raise its flag over Monaco's and the economic benefits would help Monaco immensely. Monaco wasn't still struggling from the effects of the Cottish Flu Pandemic but the country had still not recovered enough to be what it was before that fateful year. President Bouchard knew that the union with Lacoze, while anti-Empire in a way, would be in Monaco's best interest and so she put aside her own ideology and corralled both parties, both houses of the legislature, and ironed out the deal that was about to be drafted tomorrow.

President Bouchard picked up the phone and put those thoughts aside. It might have been late in the evening in Monaco but it was mid-afternoon in Layarteb City, where she waited for the Emperor's receptionist to patch her though. "Mister Emperor sir; President Bouchard yes," she held for a moment for the pleasantries. "Well I have a bit of news to discuss with you. Do you have some time? Good. Yes. No not long. Well sir, we are going to enter into the Federation of Lacoze, voluntarily of course. Yes, President Yanai did approach us," she laughed. "Yes sir, he has a habit of doing that. Well sir, the Upper Chamber and the Lower Assembly both feel, as I must say that I do too, we feel that it is in the best interest of Monaco and the Monégasque people.

"No sir, we won't be canceling any contracts. The Federation of Lacoze will certainly be an ally to the Empire. Of course. No, we don't see any indication that President Yanai's power is tenuous. We fully believe that the Federation of Lacoze is indeed here to stay. I have certainly staked my political reputation on it. I agree sir but more to the matter, the Federation of Lacoze is offering us a voluntary withdrawal clause. Yes, if we feel that the relationship is not to the benefit of our people we will nullify the treaty. I can only hope sir that the Empire would be forgiving in such a matter.

"Yes sir, thank you then and I appreciate your candor and your willingness to allow us our own self-providence. Have a good afternoon sir." She concluded the conversation. The Emperor had stressed several points. He didn't feel that the Federation of Lacoze would still be around in a year or two and that Monaco should wait it out first but President Bouchard had been adamant, as the conversation showed. Afterwards, she phoned President Nathan Yanai of the Federation of Lacoze and though it was considerably later, she found him receptive to the conversation. Overall, he was grateful for the call and he reinforced that the union would be voluntary and not draw the ire of the Empire; after all, Lacoze and the Empire were on good terms, perhaps even minor allies, certainly their trade agreements concurred with the thought.

In the end, on January 30, the Lower Assembly voted 71% in favor of the treaty and the next day, the Upper Chamber voted by a similar margin. By 18:00 local time, President Bouchard was signing the treaty into force and thus Monaco was joined with the Federation of Lacoze. Little did they know though that the Emperor was indeed correct.

[Layarteb]

September 11, 2012 - 18:00 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Prince's Palace of Monaco
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 12" E)

When President Yanai announced the Lacozen involvement in the Balkans, President Bouchard knew that it would be the Federation's undoing. She'd written as much in her personal diary and as the deployment worsened for the Lacozen troops, she continued to express dissatisfaction with the actions of the Lacozen government. In Monaco, the sentiment of the Monégasque people was identical. The Monégasque people had never had much of a taste for warfare and they'd had enough military deployments thanks to the Cottish Flu Pandemic to last a few lifetimes. That the Monégasque military had not been reformed hurt no one but maybe a dozen or so citizens. In truth, the presence of a military was universally seen as unnecessary since no one in Monaco ever had a desire to go to war with anyone for any reason. If they needed troops, they had allies, which was what made Lacoze so appealing.

Unfortunately, that relationship was now taking a toll on the Monégasque people. By mid-August, President Bouchard was routinely dodging the press' questions about how the Monégasque government felt about the Lacozen deployment into the Balkans, which had by then become mired in stalemate. With the guerilla war only escalating, President Bouchard was forced to call her government's leaders together on a regular basis throughout the end of August and the beginning of September. Then, the unthinkable happened. On September 10, the Lacozen government voted to end the deployment in the Balkans. The peacekeeping mission had been an obvious failure and, to make matters worse, President Yanai tendered his resignation to the Lacozen people within hours of the vote. In Monaco, the feelings were mixed. The deployment was not popular, President Yanai's actions were not popular, but his resignation was not met with enthusiasm. That was mainly due to the alternative.

Vice President Sergiusz Czarnecki, a Pole by ethnicity, was to assume the presidency if President Yanai departed. Vice President Czarnecki was seen largely as an appeasement post. President Yanai was the glue that held the Federation of Lacoze together and while Vice President Czarnecki seemed - by all outward signs - qualified for his post, he was all but. Indecisive at the best of times, he fit the traditional definition of an egghead. Whenever he was presented with something, he demanded more and more analysis leading to what would be called "analysis paralysis." No decisions could be made because analysis after analysis was being demanded, prepared, vetted, and re-requested. His leadership style was flawed on this point and the entire Federation of Lacoze knew it.

So, on September 11, 2012, when Vice President Czarnecki became President Czarnecki, President Bouchard called together her government leaders and, with heavy words, announced that Monaco's membership in the Federation of Lacoze was now teetering on the brink. "Les gens ne sont pas heureux. Les derniers sondages indiquent absolument aucune confiance dans le président Czarnecki la capacité de tenir le pays ensemble." [The people are not happy. The latest polls show absolutely no faith whatsoever in President Czarnecki's ability to hold this country together.] President Bouchard said, ruefully regretting her choice of words. She'd staked her political career on the Federation of Lacoze and - by proxy - on President Yanai's strong leadership.

"Madame le Président, si les gens ne veulent pas de ce que nous pourrions faire face les protestations et les appels à la sécession. Qu'allez-vous faire si ces appels?" [Madam President, if the people do not wish for this we could face protests and calls for secession. What are you to do if those calls come?] Senator Monrency asked, hoping to corner President Bouchard.

"La volonté de la population monégasques ne saurait être ignorée ou compromis par cette administration. S'il doit y avoir un vote pour la sécession, et le peuple le demande, alors c'est ce que nous aurons." [The will of the Monégasque people is not to be ignored or undermined by this administration. If there is to be a vote for secession, and the people demand it, then that is what we will have.] She responded.

"Ne pas les gens qui perdent confiance dans notre leadership alors? Après tout, c'est nous qui a guidé les y." [Will not the people lose faith in our leadership then? After all, it is we who guided them there.] Senator Monrency added, continuing his assault on President Bouchard's now shaky position.

"Il est certain que le sénateur nous sommes tous complices de ces - pas seulement moi-même, comme vous l'avez certainement inférence." [Surely Senator we are all complicit in that - not just myself as you are certainly inferring.] Senator Monrency said nothing in response but the look on his face told President Bouchard that he had gotten the message loud and clear. "Nous devons être prêts pour le résultat. Nous devrions nous assurer que, s'il y a des manifestations, qu'ils ne sont pas paralyser notre nation. Les gens ont besoin ce n'est pas d'avoir leur sera entendu. Nous devrions prête la police pour faire face à l'éventualité juste au cas où il y a les agitateurs dans la foule - s'il y a foule." [We must be prepared for the outcome. We should ensure that if there are demonstrations, that they do not paralyze our nation. The people need not do this to have their will heard. We should ready the police for the eventuality just in case there are agitators in the crowds - if there are crowds that is.]

"Madame le Président, si nous sommes de quitter la fédération de Lacoze, où en sommes-nous? Nous allons être seul et, si j'ose dire, trop vulnérables." [Madam President, if we are to leave the Federation of Lacoze, where does that leave us? We will be alone and dare I say, vulnerable too.] Asked Assemblyman Mathieu, more out of naivety than out of political positioning.

"Nous n'allons pas être vulnérables." [We will not be vulnerable,] responded President Bouchard. "Il est de mon intention de solliciter les assurances de notre vieux bienfaiteurs, de l'Empire d'Layarteb, que nous seront à l'abri." [It is my intention to seek the assurances of our old benefactors, the Empire of Layarteb, that we will be safe.]

"L'Empire?" [The Empire?] Protested Senator Monrency, "Je me dois de protester. L'Empire va nous dévorer jusqu'à leurs propres désirs." [I must protest. The Empire will gobble us up for their own desires.]

"Ce qui sur la terre vous fait croire cela? A l'Empire pas nous donner notre indépendance lorsque nous avons demandé? A l'Empire maintenez une rancune contre nous pour rejoindre Lacoze? A l'Empire sapé notre système politique? C'est ridicule et simplement votre agenda parlant et je n'aurai pas irrationalité dans cette salle!" [What on Earth makes you think that? Did the Empire not give us our independence when we asked? Did the Empire hold a grudge against us for joining Lacoze? Has the Empire undermined our political system? That is ridiculous and merely your agenda speaking and I will not have irrationality in this room!] President Bouchard said, raising her voice at the end. "Monaco restera indépendant s'il vient à elle et c'est final." [Monaco will remain independent if it should come to it and that is final.] Her words echoed loudly in the conference room.

"Nous devrions, madame le Président," [We should, Madam President,] began Vice President Jodoin, everyone's least favorite opportunist, "Être prêt à protester contre ce développement. Le Président Czarnecki est faible. Il n'a pas le pouvoir de garder Lacoze ensemble et je vous le dis, la Fédération des Lacoze est dans sa phase terminale. Il commencera à splinter et les grandes puissances seront chop morceau par morceau. Nous, on est un petit et "insignifiante" morceau je dis peut-être sur le bloc hacheur première." [be prepared to protest this development. President Czarnecki is weak. He does not have the power to keep Lacoze together and I will say this, the Federation of Lacoze is in its terminal phase. It will begin to splinter and the greater powers will chop off piece by piece. We, being a small and 'insignificant' piece I say might be on the chopping block first.]

"Une protestation à l'ordre démocratique de l'entreprise?" [A protest to the democratic order of business?] Asked President Bouchard, "Je ne voudrais pas voir la même chose se produise ici ont été I à démissionner et à vous-même d'assumer la présidence." [I should hate to see the same happen here were I to resign and you to assume the presidency.] She added.

"Madame le Président, ce n'est pas ce que j'ai voulu dire." [Madam President, that is not what I desired to mean.] It was obvious in a short minute that Vice President Jodoin wasn't playing for the same team as President Bouchard was. Just like Senator Monrency, he was hoping to maneuver her into a corner that would signal her end as Monaco's leader. "Je suis simplement suggérer que nous devrions être prêts, à l'avance, si la volonté du peuple est de protester contre cet événement. Le Président Czarnecki peut être la règle juridique de la Fédération des Lacoze mais qui ne fait pas de lui le leader idéal." [I'm merely suggesting that we should be prepared, ahead of time, if the will of the people is to protest this event. President Czarnecki may be the legal ruler over the Federation of Lacoze but that does not make him the ideal leader.]

The conversation did not have much progression from that point onward. Egos were bruised and tossed around the room flagrantly until President Bouchard was forced to concede a preordained response. That added fuel to the fire for Senator Monrency, who had his own, unilateral plans cooking.

[Layarteb]

September 18, 2012 - 12:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"So that's it, Monaco is independent once again," the Emperor commented to himself as he watched the broadcast from Monaco-Ville. President Bouchard was delivering her address to the people of Europe and the Layartebian News Network's Roman satellite was picking up the broadcast and sending it back to the Empire. A translation ran at the bottom as President Bouchard was speaking in French, Monaco's national language. "What a mess, nine months, that's all they lasted."

"Sir, there's going to be a lot of fallout for President Bouchard over this," responded the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was also present in the Emperor's office. The two of them were scheduled for lunch but the broadcast - and the announcement that preceded it - had kept them glued to the television rather than dining. "She may have to resign sir."

"I think she will. President Bouchard is an honorable woman - unfortunately that means Vice President Jodoin takes the reigns and we have little use for him."

"I agree sir…" The Minister of Foreign Affairs fell silent as President Bouchard moved into the end of her speech, tendering her resignation to the Monégasque people and retiring from politics as a whole. "Well that settles that then."

"She didn't trust Jodoin and neither should we. I'm going with her gut instinct on this one. He's playing both sides; I think he's with Monrency in the Monaco First Party."

"Are you sure sir? We have no estimations of that within the Ministry."

"Gut feeling again Minister," the Emperor said. "One Monaco is where we want to go frankly and Romilly might have his entrance back into politics now. The way this goes - if Jodoin switches sides, undoubtedly he'll put Monrency as his vice president. That'll piss off the people and the One Monaco Party can hold a vote of no confidence and it'll pass the Lower Assembly easily. Jodoin would snub his whole party. The Upper Chamber, on the other hand, that's where it's tricky. Monaco First controls it but Monrency isn't a favorite even among his own party members. Jodoin would be a turncoat and the Monégasque people have no tolerance for turncoats, especially not him."

"How do we get Romilly back in the picture then sir? President Bouchard's term is far from over; we've got years of dealing with Jodoin."

"No confidence means there's new elections held. If Romilly runs, he'll win hands down. He's that powerful of a figure for Monaco and they haven't forgotten him, even if he's been out of the spotlight for six years. It's still almost four years until November 2015. That's a long way away. Romilly would finish out that term if he were elected. That'll term limit him of course but it would put Monaco back on track."

"Would it sir? Or would this just be meddlesome on our part?" The Emperor had to give that thought. It was indeed meddlesome but the cause was entirely different from the usual affairs of empires and states. It was a different ballgame. Insofar as the Emperor was concerned, and more so because the now former President Angelette Bouchard, Archard Jodoin was no good for Monaco, he was no good for Europe, and he was certainly no good for the Empire.

"Perhaps," the Emperor conceded, "but why should we stop now?"

"I understand sir. Perhaps then, if this is a course of action we're going to embark upon, you should make a direct call to Romilly himself. There is no doubt that he is currently shaking his head at this whole mess."

"Yes, yes I shall Minister…"

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

October 5, 2012 - 09:30 hrs [UTC+1]
Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Monégasque Chamber of Governance
(43° 43' 53" N, 7° 25' 27" E)

The Monégasque Chamber of Governance was a modest building for a modest sized crowd. It was the central legislature of the Monégasque government. The building had two wings, the east wing and the west wing, a central section that linked the two, and a courtyard behind the building. It wasn't large, a mere four stories with a basement. The east wing was inhabited by the 21-member Lower Assembly while the west wing was inhabited by the 21-member Upper Chamber. Monaco First controlled just four seats in the Lower Assembly but it controlled eighteen in the Upper Chamber while One Monaco controlled the rest, seventeen in the Lower Assembly and three in the Upper Chamber. Normally, the Chamber of Governance had a buzz of industry and efficiency about it but on this particular morning, there was something more in the air.

Instead of the forty-two members of the government entering the building and taking their places in their respective houses, everyone was crowding into and towards the Lower Assembly. There was plenty of room for all forty-two members and their invited guests so crowding wasn't an accurate word, per say; it was just that the flow of traffic into the Lower Assembly was considerably increased from the norm. Even security was twice was tight as normal and that was because on this particular morning, the Chamber of Governance was to receive two special visitors, the Layartebian Minister of Foreign Affairs and President Bouchard. Since September 18, the Monégasque President had been elusive and reclusive, hiding away from the public's eye. It was something of a personal and a professional embarrassment to her that both houses voted to disband Monaco from the Lacozen Federation, a final form of protest to the presidency of Czarnecki. Briefly, he thought of retaliation but quick words from the Layartebian ambassador ended his thoughts right where they started.

This, her first public appearance since September 18, was promising to be a major coup for Monégasque politics. There was talk that President Bouchard was going to tender her resignation and for that reason, Vice President Jodoin had been canvassing for support and votes in both houses and, to some regard, he felt that he was in a favorable position. If President Bouchard resigned, Vice President Jodoin would immediately assume the office pending a confidence vote by both houses. Feeling that he had the support of not only his party but also the opposition, when he entered, he did so with an air of arrogance that would have been misinterpreted by anyone who did not understand the situation. When he took his place in the room with the plethora of who's who in Monégasque politics around him, he felt as confident as he ever had.

By 09:30, the announcements and introductions were complete. Men and women were in their seats and President Bouchard, the most esteemed guest, entered to her own announcement. As customary, everyone stood and clapped, even the opposition, it was simple manners. "Bonjour, veuillez être assis." [Good morning, please be seated.] She said, opening the session with the slam of a gavel. She had taken her spot behind the raised podium at the head of the room. To her left was Assemblyman Mathieu and to her right was Senator Monrency. Vice President Jodoin was on the left side of the aisle and near to the front. Seating and placement were everything in these types of situations and settings.

"Il y a plus de neuf mois, j'ai pris la parole à la chambre et parmi vous et j'ai parlé des avantages de la Fédération des Lacoze et ce que le leadership de l'ancien Président Nathan Yanai ferait pour l'Europe et pour la République monégasques. Malheureusement, l'ancien Président Yanai pourrait ne pas survivre à la plus forte des tempêtes et honorablement, il a démissionné." [Over nine months ago, I stood before and amongst you and spoke of the benefits of the Federation of Lacoze and what the strong leadership of former President Nathan Yanai would do for Europe and for the Monégasque Republic. Unfortunately, the former President Yanai could not weather the strongest of storms and honorably, he resigned.] With that a light and respectable applause echoed in the Lower Assembly. The Monégasque people and their politicians still held Nathan Yanai in high regard, despite what happened in the Balkans.

President Bouchard continued, "Je l'ai imploré vous de mettre votre confiance dans le président Yanai et la Fédération des Lacoze et vous a fait, mais je vous ai laissé vous vers le bas, non pas parce que je ne pouvais pas voir l'avenir, mais parce que je n'ai pas pu voir le passé. Notre histoire a été une année tumultueuse de la renaissance et la redécouverte depuis la Cottish pandémie de grippe. Notre mémoire l'inclusion dans la Fédération de Lacoze n'est qu'un chapitre de cette histoire tumultueuse de la renaissance et de redécouverte. Il n'est pas un mauvais chapitre; c'est un chapitre de l'apprentissage. La Fédération Lacozen et le peuple Lacozen n'étaient rien, mais généreux, genre, et d'amour pour nous; et rien de plus on aurait pu attendre.

La situation dans les Balkans était regrettable, mais une expérience d'apprentissage. Les monégasques personnes ont emménagé dans un nouveau chapitre depuis et nous avons une fois de plus récupérer notre indépendance. Nous ne souhaitons pas mal de nos voisins européens et nous n'avons pas pour but de provoquer des ruptures ou vagues ou provoquer la panne lignes avec nos voisins. Nos actions, tandis que unilatérale, représentent la volonté collective du peuple de Monaco et nos partis respectifs. Il n'y a rien mais l'unité dans notre décision de se joindre à la Fédération de Lacoze et rien mais l'unité dans notre décision de quitter la fédération de Lacoze.

L'unité, c'est le message ici aujourd'hui. Les habitants de Monaco ont été unis depuis la première victime la grippe a été identifié et qu'ils resteront unified même après la fin des activités." [I implored you to put your trust in President Yanai and the Federation of Lacoze and you did but I have let you down, not because I could not see the future but because I could not see the past. Our history has been a tumultuous one of rebirth and rediscovery since the Cottish Flu Pandemic. Our brief inclusion into the Federation of Lacoze is but a chapter in that tumultuous history of rebirth and rediscovery. It is not a bad chapter; it is a chapter of learning. The Lacozen Federation and the Lacozen people were nothing but generous, kind, and loving to us; and nothing more could have been expected.

The situation in the Balkans was regrettable but a learning experience. The Monégasque people have moved into a new chapter since and we once again reclaim our independence. We do not wish ill upon our European neighbors and we do not aim to cause rifts or waves or trigger fault lines with our neighbors. Our actions, while unilateral, represent the collective will of the people of Monaco and our respective parties. There was nothing but unity in our decision to join the Federation of Lacoze and nothing but unity in our decision to leave the Federation of Lacoze.

Unity, that is the message here today. The people of Monaco have been united since the first flu victim was identified and they will remain unified even after this business ends.] President Bouchard said, concluding the meat of her speech. She'd been able to give it uninterrupted but another round of applause went out throughout the Lower Assembly. It morphed into a standing ovation and it continued for a solid minute before President Bouchard was able to continue.

"Je ne le regrette pas vous demander, les gens de Monaco, de se joindre à la Fédération de Lacoze, même si nous n'avons pas pu rester avec eux. Toutefois, je comprends que cela présente un grand revirement de notre nation. Nous n'avions même pas encore terminé l'intégration et nous sommes l'annuler. Les habitants de Monaco méritent davantage et pour cette raison, j'accepte l'entière responsabilité de ce que j'appellerai un soubresaut de notre nation et de notre progrès. Je demande que les deux l'ensemble inférieur et la Chambre haute non seulement accepter ma démission et ma retraite politique mais aussi accepter que mon remplacement devrait ne pas être Vice-Président Jodoin mais plutôt ancien Président Marcel Romilly." [I do not regret asking you, the people of Monaco, to join the Federation of Lacoze, even if we were unable to remain with them. However, I understand that this presents a major turnabout for our nation. We had not even completed integration and we are canceling it. The people of Monaco deserve more and for that reason, I accept full responsibility for what I will term a hiccup in our nation and our progress. I ask that both the Lower Assembly and the Upper Chamber not only accept my resignation and my retirement from politics but also accept that my replacement should not be Vice President Jodoin but rather former President Marcel Romilly.] At this, two great commotions rang about the Lower Assembly. The first came from Vice President Jodoin who nearly jumped out of his seat in protest. This was a major insult and coup against him and immediately, he felt the betrayal of all of his partisan playing. The second came from the members of the Upper Chamber, who were now maneuvered into a corner.

Former President Romilly was one of the more popular members of Monégasque history and voting against him was something of a faux pas. They had expected to put in a vote of confidence for Vice President Jodoin, should President Bouchard resign but now that they were being presented with a second candidate - and this was perfectly legal under Monégasque law; in fact, it was the Monaco First Party, which demanded this provision - this changed everything. Everyone knew the maneuver was legal but no one, save for the Layartebian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had been briefed by President Bouchard before she had gone into the Lower Assembly. The commotion would eventually die down and former President Marcel Romilly was announced, and he entered the Lower Assembly on cue. Out of respect, even Vice President Jodoin stood along with the rest of the now mystified politicians in the room. He gave no speech and instead, he was sat in the front of the room in accordance with his status.

The maneuver had been crucial too. Since President Bouchard was addressing the Lower Assembly in their own house, the authority of the room rested with Assemblyman Mathieu and after some closing remarks, he called for a vote of no confidence and one of confidence. There would have to be two votes. The first vote, a vote of "no confidence" would simply state that Vice President Jodoin could not assume the position of President. A vote of confidence would then be taken for former President Romilly. In the event of a tie, Vice President Jodoin would be the tiebreaking vote and thus, the stage was set for something truly historical. Furthermore, Assemblyman Mathieu's call for a vote would include the members of the Upper Chamber as well because they were holding a joint session.

Today's events had been carefully calculated by President Bouchard and, with the assistance of Assemblyman Mathieu, she had set up this maneuver. After the call, a fifteen-minute recess was held, in which time both parties convened separately to discuss the proceedings and when the recess ended, the sergeant-at-arms recalled everyone and the vote was held, a simply yea or nay and when it was done, Vice President Jodoin stormed out, still the country's Vice President and former President Romilly returned to being President Romilly. He would finish out President Bouchard's term; and afterwards, he would be term limited from future office.

[Layarteb]

June 1, 2013 - 13:30 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

Judy Mitchell quietly went through her pile of paperwork with an idle eye to the time. She wasn't alone in the reception room though, the Emperor had a guest this afternoon, one President Marcel Romilly, the sitting President of Monaco. Accompanied by an aid, both of them had been given tea, as requested, and they were provided with light snacks. The Emperor's Cabinet meeting was extending slightly overtime on this particular spring day and it might be that they would have to wait for another half hour or so. The Emperor would certainly give his apologies. Quiet and isolated from the Emperor's office, the reception area was quite comfortable and this was certainly not the first time that President Romilly had been in it, though this was the first time he'd been in it since resuming the presidency of Monaco.

His train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of a phone on Judy's desk. The elegant thirty-year old lifted the handset and put it to her ear, "Yes sir. I understand sir. Thank you sir." She hung up and turned her attention to President Romilly, "Mister President, they are wrapping up now, it shouldn't be more than ten minutes. Is there anything else I can get you or your guest?"

"No mademoiselle, I am fine, thank you. Gérard?"

"No mademoiselle, I am fine as well, thank you." Both men replied, their manners impeccable. Despite both being married men, they could not help but become slightly entranced by the appearance of the Emperor's receptionist. Most men, and even some women, were caught up by her stunning good looks and her professional yet entirely sensuous outfits. Today it was a white blouse with the top two buttons undone, not showing but hinting at cleavage, an above-the-knee-length, black skirt with nude-colored pantyhose, and black pumps. Her hair was up using what men would describe as chop-sticks but which likely had some proper name that only women know.

Both men tried their best not to look but they glanced here and there and Judy, as perceptive as a spy, knew every time. It was power to her and she accepted it silently and stoically though inside she was smiling and enjoying every moment of it. Outwards, she appeared to be a busy bee working feverishly but inside she was multitasking a thousand and one chores, including the feelings of power she was receiving.

Ten minutes later, at 13:40, the Minister of Defense, the last individual to leave the Emperor's office, shuffled out in a hurry, leaving the Emperor's office empty save for the Emperor himself. He took the brief opportunity to use the restroom before inviting President Romilly and his aid Gérard into the office, where he offered them beverages - which they politely denied - and sat them down at the conference table. "Mister President," the Emperor said with a smile, "Marcel, it pleases me to call you that again."

"Thank you," President Romilly said, slightly blushing, "it is a title that I never expected to hold again."

"Well thanks to that messy business with Lacoze, and that expert maneuver by your predecessor, here you are. Between us, I am glad. I did not appreciate the way Jodoin went about his politics. He played both sides of the fence but not for the sake of compromise, rather for the sake of personal gain."

"That is unfortunate indeed but as far as I am aware, he is enjoying his retirement from public life." A month after President Romilly was sworn back into office, he fired Vice President Jodoin and appointed a new Vice President, with the approval of the Monégasque legislature of course.

"Should it be required, the Ministry of Intelligence was, as far as I am told, quite successful in learning of some of Jodoin's skeletons."

"Perhaps if he resisted that might have been necessary but for now, let bygones be bygones. Monaco has moved forward and so has he. Senator Monrency, on the other hand, has not. I don't suppose you have information on his skeletons?" President Romilly asked, half-jokingly but his amusement died as the Emperor looked at his stern-faced and nodded. "I worry what you have on me."

"Nothing damning Marcel, it's just that Senator Monrency, like your former Vice President is more into his own gain than that of Monaco but he is a powerful figure. A corruption trial would affect some of the more prominent businessmen and businesswomen in your country. It would be a scandal that the Monégasque people remember for a long time."

"I'll have to think that over then, I can trust there won't be leaks?"

"No leaks, you have my word."

"Good, thank you then."

"There is something you might want to consider though, and that is your neighbor to the north."

"The Dutch?"

"None other. Do they worry you?"

"As worried as anyone who has just had all of the land around him conquered by force and at the muzzle of a rifle."

"That's what worries me too Marcel," answered the Emperor. "We don't have anything actionable, or damning, but it is the belief of the Ministry of Intelligence that the Dutch are working through scenarios and schemes by which to conquer your city-state. Certainly, the economic revenue would do them good."

"How close are they?"

"Not for years, many years, if they are at it."

"Interesting," responded President Romilly. Gérard had been returned to the reception room after greeting the Emperor and outside, he continued to not glance at Judy, though he was failing quite miserably. "Would you please tell me then how you would respond?"

"We're responsible for your safety and protection, that much is firm and certain. However, the Empire does not wish to go to war with the Dutch, which puts us in a precarious situation. We're friends to both of you. We'd just as soon defend them against you and vice versa, as ridiculous as that scenario could be."

"Well sir, I was going to raise an army but I realized I had no where to put them," another laugh was shared. "I appreciate your candor. Monaco doesn't need to be part of another temporary country. Lacoze was a messy chapter in our history and the Dutch have risen just as quickly as Lacoze had. A lot of countries rise and fall before they can raise their flags above all of their city halls. We would rather prefer to remain independent."

"But of course indeed, and as I said, nothing has been set in stone. It's more like musing than actual actions. The Dutch know of our treaty with your government so they know what they'd incur. Frankly, I think it's just opportunist thinking. Monaco, freshly free from Lacoze is, for all intents and purposes, in a weaker position than the Dutch are. Would you agree?"

"Perhaps."

"The Dutch never got along with Lacoze and quite frankly, their annexing you would be a jab at Lacoze and their current administration. This is one scenario envisioned. In truth though, I think the Dutch are looking elsewhere."

"Where?"

"Andorra maybe or a faraway colony. The Dutch are boxed in here in Europe so there's little where else they can go without inciting some sort of major conflict. They just had one with France, they don't want another."

"I'm glad we would not be a 'major' conflict."

"I don't mean to diminish your standing Marcel," the Emperor said, stepping back on his words, "but in comparison to say Spain or Lacoze, you are a mere city, not an entire landscape. If they put a division of men in your city, they'll have soldiers lined shoulder-to-shoulder in your streets. Whereas against say Austria or Switzerland, they would need a division just to hold the border checkpoint they want to cross through."

"I do understand. Let's envision that scenario. Say perhaps tensions between the Dutch and Lacoze eclipse. Say Andorra is a one, two, three for them. Say they ignore foreign colonies. What does that look like for us?"

"Well that's a lot of 'ifs' so you will understand that I am merely speculating Marcel but if that were to be the case, it wouldn't be for another year or two, at minimum. Lacoze would need to denigrate further and it depends on who succeeds Czarnecki. Surely he won't win another term. The key question will be if the Lacozens go radically away from his type of leadership or if they go with someone similar. "

"How long would we last?"

"Hours, at most. If it were a surprise attack, the Dutch would hold your city before I could get aircraft in the air. I'm afraid to admit that we would not be able to respond as quickly as I would prefer. Our main airbase in the region is in fact in their territory of eastern France."

"I see. Would you help?"

"I would do so indeed. This is worrying you significantly Marcel. Had I known it, I wouldn't have mentioned it," a lie if there ever was one. "Perhaps I can propose an alternative."

"What is that?"

"This past January, we reorganized all of our administrative units. It was vast and designed to give our many states better representation at the provincial, republic, et cetera level. The vast Atlantic Republic that contained every bit of land in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea is no more. Instead, we sit with much smaller units. The Mediterranean Republic is but a small unit, headquartered on Ibiza and, based on this move there's actually a push to move the capital. Ibiza isn't suitable, you must understand. Would you entertain a return to the Empire, within said republic, with Monaco assuming the title of capital of said republic?" There it was, the big question. The Emperor had asked it smoothly and expertly and President Romilly hadn't caught on until the revelation of Ibiza had been made.

"That's some request."

"Yes it is Marcel but it alleviates the problem of the Dutch, the Romans, and anyone else who might get jumpy along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. But this time it wouldn't be for limited duration, I'd prefer it to be permanent. You are familiar with the assumption of protection of our republics?"

"I am fully aware. How long would integration take?"

"Six months, tops. I'd safely wager that by January we would be fully integrated. Monaco's already been a part of the Empire once, and it could be again. I would like to see that and I believe Marcel, in some ways so would you?"

"I would yes but it is not my sole decision. It would take time, lots of deep thought, negotiations, and the will of the people."

"Is that will there? Are the people sore from Lacoze? Do they worry about their future?"

"I don't know that the will is any different from where it was in 2006. As for Lacoze and the future, the people have moved on already."

"Well Marcel, food for thought. If you would be so kind as to honor the thought for me?"

"Yes, yes I will…"

[Layarteb]

June 19, 2013 - 21:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

It was late in the evening when the Emperor's office doors opened to reveal Jack Delaney, the Emperor's Chief of Security, and also the commanding officer of the 1st Black Operations Group, "Force Falcon." He'd been summoned by the Emperor earlier to appear at this time and the ever-punctual military man was right on time. "Jack, come in, sit down, drink?"

"Not tonight sir, bit of a throat soreness going on," Delaney responded.

"Nothing contagious I hope."

"Hardly sir, just some discomfort," Delaney took a seat and watched the Emperor pour himself a stiff glass of scotch.

"Jack, I need you to go to Monaco."

"Sir?" A thousand thoughts flowed through Jack's head. "Are you sure you want to go down this path with them?"

"No, no, I…" The Emperor said, slightly bashful, "I want you to scout ahead for me."

"Ah sir, well that is much different. Does this have anything to do with President Romilly's visit in the beginning of the month?"

"Everything to do with it; during his time here I proposed reunification between Monaco and the Empire. He took the news well and as of today, he is finding some support within the government, and within the people. Everything's informal now, he's testing the waters."

"Do you really think he can sway the populace sir?"

"If anyone can, it's him. If he can't then no one can, save for an invasion by the Dutch."

"And how likely is that sir?"

"One in a thousand, perhaps ten thousand," the Emperor answered, smiling. "I used the fear of that to sort of steer President Romilly into this direction."

"Sir, what if Monaco doesn't move towards us?"

"We'll leave them be, it's not worth going to war over if you ask me." The Emperor answered. As hard as it was to believe, out of the Cabinet, the Emperor was not nearly as hawkish as the majority of the members. Only two or three members of the Cabinet were less hawkish than we was, all of the rest were more. "I want you to lay the groundwork for a major diplomatic reception."

"Where sir?"

"The Cordelia is currently in the Azores refueling. It will move to the Balearic Islands and be there by June 26. From there, it's a mere day away from Monaco. We'll use the yacht for the party."

"I assume sir that this hinges upon Monaco accepting reunification. How should I be portraying myself in Monaco sir?"

"As who you are, my chief of security. Liaise with the Monégasque police; I'll make sure President Romilly knows of your visit. This isn't a black op."

"I understand then sir; I'll get on a flight tomorrow morning then."

"Good. Hopefully, we'll go through with this. If all goes well, a major celebration is going to be held. I'd like to make it significant and use the Fourth of July as the date but that will hinge upon a lot with our Monégasque counterparts. Pack for a potentially long stay Jack, just in case."

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

June 21, 2013 - 12:45 hrs [UTC+1]
Nice, France
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
(43° 39' 26" N, 7° 12' 47" E)

Jack Delaney, Mark Wilkins, Roger Howard, and Mike Steel all emerged from the terminal at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport one after the other. Slightly jetlagged from the late night flight, which departed Layarteb City at 21:15 the previous evening, the four men, dressed in suits under their guise as security officers, strode up to an awaiting, diplomatic vehicle where a well-dressed policeman stood, his epaulettes showing that he was the chief of police for Monaco. "Colonel Giroux, Jack Delaney, pleased to finally meet you," Delaney said as he offered his hand to the chief of police who, thirteen years ago, had been a Commandant and the main liaison between the Layartebian military and the Monégasque military and police.

Since 2001, Constantin Giroux had years of rough patches and years of stellar performance. He'd lost his whole family in the Cottish Flu Pandemic and for three years afterwards, he resorted to alcoholism to cure his survivor's guilt. Faced with losing his pension, his commission, and even his citizenship, in 2005, he snapped out of it and cleaned up his act. He went to rehabilitation and got his life back on track. No black marks were kept on his record and in 2009, after four solid years he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Just last year, after a series of retirements in the Monégasque police, Constantin Giroux made his case for promotion and upon the approval of the Monégasque legislature and President Bouchard, he had been appointed as the chief of police.

"Mister Delaney, the pleasure is mine. You know, this is the second time in my life that I have met a Layartebian officer at this airport." He said, immediately taking Delaney back. Delaney's military rank and position were a closely guarded secret so he wondered what this police man knew.

"What was the first time?"

"His name was McNulty, a member of your airborne unit that came to our aid."

"Well, that is something, I must correct you though, I am just a civilian."

"Surely, but I recognize the gait of a military officer anywhere. You served once?"

"A long time ago Colonel. Let me introduce you to my partners, Mark Wilkins, Roger Howard, and Mike Steel. I trust that President Romilly offered you our requirements?"

"Yes he did," handshakes were exchanged and before the conversation continued, the five men piled into the diplomatic vehicle. Colonel Giroux took the front passenger seat and his driver immediately set off for Monaco, just a few kilometers away to the east. "Chief Corporal Artus Gauthier gentlemen. He is the very best driver in our entire city-state. There's a funny story about how Chief Corporal Gauthier became a member of our police department. If you do not mind my telling it," Colonel Giroux said.

"I don't sir," the driver responded as he pulled out of the airport's main thoroughfare.

"Gentlemen?"

"Fine with me Colonel."

"Young Gauthier here was a bit of a daredevil. I arrested him twice for reckless driving and then, on the third time, I caught him running an illegal street race through the streets of our fair city at night. The sneak eluded me!" Colonel Giroux laughed, thinking of the chase in his head, "So I was obviously determined to get him. When I showed up at his home, his mother beat him so hard I thought I would have to arrest her. Taking pity on the boy, I told him, with his mother present, that I was there to bring him in for an interview to join the police. His mother nearly fainted.

"It was a shame and I knew that the truth would have to be broken, I just wanted to get him to the jail without a broken spine. You see, his mother is old world. Well, I get him into the car, handcuffed, and I pulled over a few blocks from his house, pulled him out of the car and said, 'What are you doing? Your mother needs you.' He gives me some sob story. So I tell him that, I will make him a deal. I will not arrest him for this serious offense, which would have brought five years in jail and a permanent revocation of his license if he goes to and passes the academy. He did and here he is. So when I say that he is the best driver in Monaco, you may believe me."

"Is that so Chief Corporal," asked Delaney.

"Yes sir."

"Well at least he's modest about it," Colonel Giroux answered and more laughs were shared. Shortly thereafter, they arrived in Monaco where Delaney, his team, and Colonel Giroux were given a meeting with President Romilly. From there, Delaney and his men were driven to the embassy's apartments, given rooms, and set upon their task of preparing Monaco for the Emperor's grand, diplomatic celebration.

[Layarteb]

OOC: I am jumping ahead on this one post to July 2, 2013. You will receive a telegram if you are invited.

OFFICIAL DIPLOMATIC COMMUNIQUE

P 1830900R
FM [Empire of Layarteb, the Officer of the Emperor]
TO [Esteemed Colleague]
INFO [President Marcel Romilly]

CONFIDENTIAL LAYARTEB CITY 2013183026

TAGS: [FR]
SUBJECT: [Invitation to Monégasque Celebration of Reunification]

---

With humble apologies for the short notice, the Empire of Layarteb would like to personally invite you to attend a diplomatic gala in Monaco on July 4, 2013 at 20:00, sharp.

This party will celebrate the reunification of Monaco with the Empire of Layarteb, as a full-fledged member and future capital seat of the Mediterranean Republic. No expense is being spared to celebrate the glory of the Monégasque people and their country.

The party shall take place aboard the ILS Cordelia (T-AY-19), one of the Emperor's two private yachts, which will be anchored outside of Port Hercule. Transportation to the yacht shall be provided by motor boat from Port Hercule.

For travel to Monaco, utilization of the nearby Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is the most accessible. Transportation will be provided from the airport to Port Hercule and back. Accommodations for dignitaries wishing to stay overnight or for an extended period of time will be provided in several of Monaco's auspicious hotels.

Due to the limited space available, RSVP is required along with the number of guests attending. Please keep this to a minimum in order to be fair to all guests. Security will be provided by members of the Layartebian Ministry of Justice and the Monégasque Police Department. Should you require additional security teams, accommodations can be made but within reason and respect to all parties involved. Additionally, to help set your mind at ease, Layartebian naval warships will be within range to provide an umbrella of further protection as a precaution. There are no specific or unspecific threats to worry about at this time.

I hope you will be in attendance for this magnificent occasion.


Emperor of Layarteb

---

MESSAGE STOP

[Layarteb]

July 1, 2013 - 08:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

The past five hours had been nothing but tense and full of drama. For the Emperor, receiving updates from afar at the wee hours of the morning, it was especially painful. At 09:00, local time in Monaco, which was 03:00 in Layarteb City, President Marcel Romilly went before the Monégasque legislature and spoke for forty-five minutes about rejoining the Empire. After he finished, Assemblyman Mathieu called for a vote at 11:00 and as the sky was growing lighter over Layarteb City, the Emperor held his breath waiting. When 11:00 finally came, it went without a vote. At the very last moment, Senator Monrency called for a delay of the vote until after lunch, citing various needs, all of which were bogus but entirely legal. At 11:30, the Monégasque legislature adjourned for lunch and two hours later, at 13:30, they returned only something was very different.

President Romilly walked with a particular strut to his step, Assemblyman Mathieu all but declared the vote over, and Senator Monrency walked slowly, painstakingly, his complexion ashen with grief. At 13:40, the vote was held and now, twenty minutes later, the Emperor was hearing for the first time that the vote passed the Monégasque legislature. Even Senator Monrency voted in favor of the union, though the Emperor recognized that it was likely due to duress and nothing else. From four thousand miles away, the Emperor expressed the joy within him by clapping loudly. Immediately, he pushed the intercom button on his desk, "Judy, I need to place a direct call to President Romilly in the next thirty minutes, would you please queue that number for me?"

"Yes sir, by the way sir, your 08:30 appointment is here, shall I send him in?"

Racking his brain, the Emperor could not recall who his 08:30 appointment was and not wishing to make any sort of scene, he pushed the transmit button again, "Before you do that, would you please come in, I have something I need to give to you."

"Yes sir," moments later, the doors open and Judy Mitchell's high heels tapped over the non-carpeted area of his floor, "yes sir?"

"Judy, who is my appointment?"

"Albert Benjamin sir, he scheduled it yesterday afternoon."

"Okay, send him in then, thank you."

"Yes sir," she left and within sixty seconds, Albert Benjamin entered the room with a smile on his face.

"Albert, you're delightfully early this morning."

"Sir, the news was so good I had to come over and deliver it personally."

"What news is that?"

"Peace sir! The Sinaeans are willing to sign the Hong Kong Accord," and almost immediately, the Emperor dropped his fork.

"Yeah?" He asked in disbelief.

"Sir, yes they do, I'd suggest we do it on the Fourth, that's a symbolic day."

"Yikes! That's not going to work. No, we have to push it out two days."

"Sir?"

"Monaco just voted for reunion with the Empire and we have a gala prepared for the Fourth. It has to be the Sixth."

"Sir, I'm… Can the gala be pushed sir?"

"Impossible, we've already prepared and queued the invitations. Will President Chomei reject it if we wait two days?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what his opinion will be sir."

"The Sixth Albert, tell him it has to be, there's no way we can be there before then."

"That's going to be a rough couple of days sir."

"I know, flying to Nice and then to Hong Kong right afterwards, I'll survive, I always do. Call them from secure outside, we cannot wait any longer on it but we have to wait until the Sixth."

"Yes sir, I will, I will impress upon him that it is not cold feet, that you have a prior diplomatic arrangement."

"Good, good, thank you Albert." Albert Benjamin left the office, his high deflated, simply because he thought that the peace accords with the Respublica Sinae outweighed a party for a 2 km² city-state in Europe. He held his tongue, made his phone call, and reported to the Emperor that July 6 had been accepted but not without grumbling. If he missed July 6, the Sinaeans were likely to call the whole thing off, the delay was enough of an insult to them. In the meantime, he put in various phone calls to various Ministers of the government. Invitations would have to be sent to the various diplomats who would be invited and the Emperor's yacht and the small, naval task force assigned to protect it would have to move into position south of Monaco. Arrangements with the Dutch would have to be made for the flow of dignitaries into Nice but the hope was that the Dutch would simply maintain their agreements with the Monégasque government as they had since Monaco had returned to its independent state.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

July 4, 2013 - 12:30 hrs [UTC+1]
Nice, France
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
(43° 39' 26" N, 7° 12' 47" E)

The Emperor's VC-30F Condor from the Imperial Layartebian Air Force's 101st Special Missions Squadron touched down at runway 04R at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport just after 12:00 and by 12:30, the Emperor was on his way to Monaco via helicopter. The Imperial Layartebian Air Force, rather than bring an entire convoy of limousines, ambulances, and so on and so forth, brought only the Emperor's VH-105A Shinnecock helicopter. Escort was provided by a variety of SH-60R Sea Hawk and MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopters from the ring of naval warships deployed just south of Monaco, those being an Independence Flight II class and a MOPAC 601A class from the Imperial Layartebian Defense Force and, from the Imperial Layartebian Navy, one each Dnalkrad class, Voodoo class, Verrazano class, Unforgiven class, and Virginia Flight III class. Most of the ships would be over the horizon providing expanded detection but one, the MOPAC 601A class, would be located within visual range.

Though the Emperor had arrived early, it wasn't to vacation or to spend time seeing the sights. He had a lot of business to attend to and very little time to do it. The gala would begin sharply at 20:00 and he needed to be on his yacht by 19:00, which gave less than nine hours to do what was truly necessary. First and foremost, he had to get to the Prince's Palace, where guest accommodations would be made for him and his small entourage for the day. Then, he would have to a final review the text of the document declaring Monaco reunified with the Empire. The signing would be at 14:00, promptly. He had his speech prepared and rehearsed so that was one thing he could cross off of his list. Then, for at least two hours after the signing, he would have to play guest. He would be given a tour of Monaco somewhere in there and it would include a stop at the Princess Grace Hospital, which though it had been rebuilt prior to the Empire ceding control of Monaco, the Emperor had never toured.

After the end of the Cottish Flu Pandemic, Princess Grace Hospital had been cleared, and torn down. A new one, the most modern in Europe, had been erected on its site in record time and in splendid fashion. Construction, much to the chagrin of the neighbors, had been done around the clock and sucked up a considerable amount of southern France's unemployment. The Emperor would also attend a short wreath laying ceremony at the end, the wreath meant to commemorate the victims who had been buried at sea. The three Layartebian cargo ships and the hospital ship, along with the helicopters and military vehicles that the paratroopers had used had been towed out to the middle of the North Atlantic and sunk in a large SINKEX approximately three months after the last fatality. All of those, with the victims, had been consigned to the depths of the ocean, thus denying many mourners with a gravesite.

Thus, it all began when the Emperor arrived at the Prince's Palace at 12:45 and within five minutes, he was meeting with President Romilly and Assemblyman Mathieu. Absent was the leader of the Upper Chamber, Senator Amitee Gendron, who was voted into the office after the abrupt resignation of Senator Monrency after the vote. He'd take to privacy since and the light-hearted, professional, and attractive Senator Gendron had taken her place at the helm of the Upper Chamber within hours. The only reason for her absence was that she was simply running late, inexcusable per say but the Emperor wasn't about to start chastising the government figures of Monaco. Part of the deal for Monaco rejoining the Empire was to the preservation of its culture, its laws, and its government. Since it would be joining the Mediterranean Republic, there were going to be some changes to the republic as a whole but none that anyone would object to as they were all beneficial.

An overwhelming majority of the laws of Monaco was compatible with those in the Empire and those that weren't were few and far between. The Empire would work around it by declaring Monaco a special cultural zone, just as the Balearic Islands were. The Monégasque government would be the center point of the government of the Mediterranean Republic and thus there would be some needed expansion to the Monégasque legislature's building to accommodate the larger population that would inhabit the bicameral building. The system of government in the Mediterranean Republic would shift to a bicameral legislature with a president. President Romilly would be the president until the cessation of his natural term. Elections would then be held throughout the whole republic. The Lower Assembly would be responsible for introducing, debating, and scrutinizing the majority of the bills while the Upper Chamber would be responsible for passing them onto the desk of the President. Like all republics, they would have sovereignty over their domestic affairs, so long as they maintained compatibility with the overall legal system of the Layartebian Empire, which was rarely an issue nowadays, more so since the reshuffling in January.

By 13:30, the Emperor and the Monégasque representatives had penned their names to the official document, making it official. The signing ceremony would be just that, a ceremony. The documents were not legally binding, they were props to give the people something to visualize. Each document would require four signatures and all four of them, the three men and one woman, were all present at 14:00. The ceremony lasted thirty-five minutes and by 14:45, after the last photographs were taken, there was no longer any independence to Monaco. Integration would take the rest of 2013 but for all intents and purposes, Monaco was more of a part of the Empire than even the southeast Chinese territories were. Integration there would take until mid-2014, the only exception being Hong Kong, which had received priority over Maoming and Zhanjiang.

At 16:00, running early now, the Emperor, President Romilly, several journalists, and the Emperor's security detail began their tour of the city-state. Monégasque flags waved everywhere but the cheering crowds were not harsh or hostile to the Emperor, who waved, shook hands, and did what all politicians do in public, swoon for the masses. The tour of the hospital was quick and informative and by 17:15, the Emperor was holding a moment of silence for the victims of the Cottish Flu Pandemic. He stood at a podium afterwards, apologized to the people for denying them a place to mourn their loved ones and announced to the Monégasque populace that the Empire would find the time to provide for them a central place, of their approving, that would commemorate the lives of so many lost people. Their memories, he exclaimed, would not be forgotten and this certainly garnered a few points with the people.

By 19:00, the Emperor was finally on his yacht and in the quiet, calm sea, he continued his business by showering, changing, and finding his chief of security, Jack Delaney. Together, the two men shared a drink on the aft of the yacht while watching the slowly setting, western sun. "You pulled it off sir," Delaney congratulated him. "President Romilly came through for us."

"Yes he did Jack and I have more good news."

"What's that sir?"

"President Chomei accepted the Hong Kong Accords. We fly to China tomorrow and we sign on Saturday. I'm hijacking you and your team to come along with us."

"That's good to hear sir. The jetlag is going to be something but that's not our problem," Delaney answered jokingly, sharing the inside joke between the Emperor and all of Force Falcon's soldiers, none of whom slept thanks to Doctor Atticus Noyle.

"My staff is going to be exhausted but this is big, too big for the concerns of us. Billions of people will benefit. They wanted to sign it today but we had this, we could not push this back."

"How did he take it sir?"

"I'm told he was very 'grumbly' but it wasn't intention. Still, I like the idea of that Hi No Moton puppet suffering a little."

"Me too sir. His masters abandoned him and now, we've got the upper hand."

"Yes and no, his tenure in office won't last for very long. I give him six months."

"You or the Ministry of Intelligence sir?"

"Ah, yes, let's give credit where it's due, the Ministry of Intelligence."

"Let's just hope the transition isn't violent sir and let's hope it doesn't threaten the peace accords."

"I'll toast to that," and together, the two men clinked their glasses. Within the hour, men and women, all dressed in formal wear, arrived on the yacht. Everyone was announced, drinks were plentiful, there was no shortage of food, and the event was certainly going to get off to a proper start. There was space for up to one hundred and fifty guests, and after the entire Monégasque government and the leaders of its society were invited, there were only sixty slots open. Those had gone to the various leaders of the world and some of the more elite persons of global society, artisans, bankers, economists, philosophers, and so on and so forth. Everyone would come together for a splendid evening at the Empire's expense.

Let the party begin!!

OOC:The Emperor's yacht is basically the real-life Lauren L Yacht. You can also read up on it here. It is called the ILS Cordelia (T-AY-19) and it is one of two Sonne class yachts. It will be permanently berthed in Monaco while the other, the ILS Comhghall (T-AY-18) will remain in the Bahamas.

[RomeW]

July 4, 2013, 17:15 local time
The drive to the gala,
Monte Carlo, Monaco

"Monte Carlo sure is nice," said Faisal Omar, Rome's new Foreign Affairs Minister. Looking to placate his new Egyptian subjects, Caesar Valerius IV determined that a Egyptian was needed in an important post, and when Jomo Marea retired last year, it opened a spot for the sprightly ambitious Omar, a rising star in the Empire at only 24 years of age.
"Yeah, I suppose it has its charms," said Valerius, deadpanning nonchalantly riding in the back of the limousine with Omar. He'd been to Monaco several times before as a guest of the Layartebian Emperor and relished the opportunity to mingle with the dignitaries of the world, but there was no denying the feeling in his mind that the party had become a chore to him. This was why his wife decided not to come this year, since the party had stopped being fun for them.
"I mean, look at it." Omar, whose boyish attitude seemed to run contrast to his imposing physical figure, paused to continue looking at the scenery, with his eyes widening at every landmark they passed by, before continuing. "The trees...the warmth of the air...the architecture...I mean, everything here is so...majestic. I almost feel like I'm in a movie...this place is just so beautiful."
Valerius sighed. "I agree, it's a nice city...but this is your first trip abroad Faisal...everything is going to be special for you. For me, I've seen it all...and nothing will ever compare to the majesty of Rome. Take in the sights though and have a good time...just remember this is an opportunity to meet people from around the world...make the most of it."
Omar let out a belly laugh, the hearty one that people always seemed to notice. "Don't worry sir, I'll do just fine. I mean, these guys are all world leaders with reputations to uphold...what could possibly go wrong?"

[Brydog]

René Kudrna's Vehicle
Monte Carlo, Monaco
July 4, 2013

René Kudrna was selected to represent the Lacoze government while the government dealt with Switzerland. He was accompanied by Natálie Pražak, his fiance. The two sat in his car as they drove through the city, with Natálie looking out the window at the scenes outside, their wedding was planned for August, and two were happy to visit Monaco. He looked at her, "remember, we are here on diplomatic mission, so be on your best behavior", as he gives her a smile. She turns and smiles, "Yeah. but i don't know, a yacht party." He nods, "but we will try to be diplomatic and you can meet some people, you don't know, it might help you." he said laughing, as to foreshadow the future. The future Foreign Minister and her future husband spent the rest of the car trip enjoying the sights of the wonderful city and cuddling up, as they near the yacht.

[Terra Reborn]

King Walker I of Apilonia, Australia, India and the Imperial Dominions
HMY Apilonia
Outer Harbour, Monaco
Thursday 4th July 2013, 1945hrs Local Time (0945hrs Imperial Capital Time, 1754hrs Zulu Time)

The Imperial Yacht Apilonia, one of the largest and most expensive super-yachts in the world, was anchored a short distance away from Monaco, with its escorting Type-45 Destroyer, HMS Zealous. The reason for this was simple, quite simply this was the Emperor of Layarteb’s event, it would be rather unpolitic to be even a slight distraction, and so the decision had been made at the highest levels to anchor the Yacht out of sight of the main harbour of Monaco and the King would be ferried over by the King’s Barge. It wasn’t that it was a problem for King Walker, he knew the importance of events such as this and had no wish to interfere, he was here as a guest after all and a friend of the Empire of Layarteb. The Apilonian Empire had watched the events in Monaco as they had developed, but they had been unable to help themselves or otherwise engaged in other parts of the Empire’s limited involvement in Europe, such as the invaluable work the Empire had done on Rhodes, or the acquisition of Gibraltar. But then the Empire of Layarteb had been involved in Monaco for a long time, and the Apilonian Empire only went where it was asked.

King Walker and Queen Jessica had started their annual summer world cruise a few days previously, once it was clear that the situation in the former-USWA was subsiding. It was technically their holiday, but the amount of state occasions they went to as they toured the Empire meant that it was a working holiday at best. Not that it was a problem, it was the best compromise possible; they got some time alone together, got to see parts of the Empire they rarely got to and there was sufficient equipment on the Yacht to allow the King to keep in contact with the rest of the Empire. It was also advantageous that the ship had plenty of accommodation for guests, not just the crew, after all the Queen Jessica was pregnant with the Royal Couple’s first child (Walker’s second in total of course after Prince Arthur), this wasn’t widely known of course and would not really be all that obvious as she was not that far along yet, the plan was to make the announcement when they made it back to Karin after the cruise, by which point it would be more difficult to hide.

For tonight both the King and Queen were looking forward to the event, it had been a fairly long time since they had first met the Emperor in person, on the same Yacht as it happened, and they were both looking forward to meeting him in person again. The relationship between the Apilonian Empire and the Empire of Layarteb was probably the most important one for the Apilonians, they shared a large and increasing land border with them, and faced a common enemy in the Pacific. Their wider political and economic interests were broadly the same and as a result the relationship had gone from strength to strength over the years, marching right alongside the Apilonian Empires growth in strength, influence and ability to get things done. As a result Walker was more than happy to come here and represent the Empire at something like this and to congratulate the Emperor on over a decade of helping Monaco. But then that was the ironic thing, nation’s that some would decry as Imperial were often those doing the most good in the world, simply because they were willing to get involved overseas.

Walker and Jessica were preparing to head over.

As was traditional for Monarchs and other Royals, King Walker was wearing military uniform, this was to signify not only any past service (Walker served as a Naval Officer) but also their continuing service both in the military and out. In this case Walker was adorned in the Ceremonial Day Dress of the Imperial Navy, the most formal of all uniforms. It was usually only worn by Admirals of the Fleet, Admirals and Vice Admirals, but also by Royals of all ranks, It consisted of a black tailcoat, secured on the front by two rows of golden buttons, with a standing collar (white with gold edging). The uniform was worn with gold shoulder boards, a black and gold belt and gold laced black trousers. He was also armed with a naval sword, it was one of fine workmanship and if the blade was drawn the blade itself would be shown to have a number of beautiful intricate engravings. The uniform was finished off by a white peaked cap. In Walker’s case the uniform had the rank insignia of an Admiral of the Fleet.

Jessica by contrast wasn’t wearing military uniform, although she normally would her pregnancy had made that less practical. Instead she was wearing an elegant and flowing dress. It was of the highest quality and was truly beautiful to look at, befitting a Queen of Apilonia. It was designed both to look good, but also to cover up her slight baby bump. As far as Walker was concerned, and although he was not exactly impartial that didn’t mean that he was wrong, she looked absolutely stunning. However, as with any woman, she was putting the last touches to her appearance and it was because of her that he was stood waiting for her on the aft boat deck of the Yacht where the Royal Barge was being lowered into the water. Well it was called a barge, but it was actually a super boat that would get them to wherever they might need to be in fairly short order, this was advantageous as it kept the King unexposed for as long as possible, although for the majority of their trip they would be under the protective umbrella of HMS Zealous.

Finally Jessica appeared and the two of them climbed into the sea boat with their small two-man protective detail as was required, even for events such as this, but had already been cleared and integrated into the Layartebian’s own arrangements. After a few moments they were away and speeding towards Monaco. It was even less time before they were pulling alongside the Layartebian Yacht and securing themselves and a few moments later the two of them were stepping onto the Layartebian Yacht.

[Khorsun]

July 2, 2013
Verela, Khorsun

Rekhan Taneltar, Ankhazar of the Khorsuni Nation, was on his feet, pacing a figure eight around his office as he usually did when reading through paperwork. Sitting in a desk for any considerable length of time was not in his opinion conducive to effective leadership; an idle, sedentary mind went hand-in-hand with an idle, sedentary body.

Taneltar was holding a report from Brigadier Dorbrhano, commander of the Sharokh Force, of an intercepted communication - one of the Layartebians' yacht party invitations. He had hoped to hear that the Sharokh Force had intercepted it straight from the source. The elite intelligence and commando wing of Khorsun's Zhudan Guards had traditionally specialized in human intel operations, but over the last couple of years Taneltar had given Dorbrhano license to bring Khorsun's growing cyberwarfare cababilities under the Sharokh Force's portfolio.

The Layartebians ran a tight ship with their security, although Sharokh Force's hackers were now having occasional successes in breaching some of the Empire's less secure communications. Taneltar welcomed any breakthroughs against the Layartebians as a major success; it was a sign of growing skill among Sharokh Force's operators, which would be useful against Khorsun's other rivals, most of which did not devote the same level of resources and vigilance to securing their communications as the Layartebians.

The interception hadn't been much of a coup though; Dorbrhano's preface to it indicated that it had been under minimal security. They'd still managed to get the message to Taneltar a couple hours ahead of the Layartebians' official announcement, which was something at least.

Taneltar now had two days' lead time to prepare his response to the Empire's diplomatic snub of Khorsun. To do more than react; to plan a surprise of his own that would disrupt the Pagan Empire's self-congratulatory show of expansion and remind the world of Khorsun's growing power.

Taneltar knew that Brigadier Dorbrhano would relish the assignment of disrupting the party directly. The Sharokh Force's commander was a dedicated professional and had a bit of a daredevil streak. While he did have a healthy dislike of the Lohartabata, Dorbrhano held no particular grudge against their Emperor. It was the sheer challenge of the task, assassinating the world's most heavily guarded man, that would have thrilled him.

Two days, of course, was far too small a window of time for preparation, and even if Sharokh Force pulled off the impossible, it would of course be suicidal. A deed for the ages, no doubt, but also apocalype for Khorsun.

Such fantasies were entertaining, but after a few minutes of weighing his options, Taneltar came up with a course of action that was actually within the realms of possibility and prudence. The Khorsuni Navy was preparing its first full test of its indigenously-built copies of the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, which had been built using schematics stolen by the Sharokh Force. The test had been scheduled to take place next month and would see the missile launched at a target ship positioned at the optimum limits of the DF-21D's combat range.

Taneltar had only to order the date of the test moved forward to July 4 to coincide with the international festivities in Monaco. The test of Khorsun's powerful new long-range anti-ship missiles would make a particular impression upon the Pagan Emperor when he was informed of it as he stood on the deck of his yacht, and the presence of foreign dignitaries from around the world would ensure coverage of the missile test even in nations that ordinarily paid very little to the doings of the Khorsuni Republic.

Taneltar called his secretary to him and began issuing his orders...

[Layarteb]

Normally, on events and occasions such as these, the Emperor would be accompanied by his long-time lady friend but Dr. Rachel Wilson was on an important assignment in the modern-day parts of the ancient Mayan Empire. For that reason, the Emperor, clean-shaved and in his best tuxedo - though it was hard to differentiate between them as they all looked the same - was alone at the gala tonight. He'd known that there would be world leaders who felt snubbed by the lack of an invitation and, as there was no way of hiding the event, the Emperor did not dispatch the invitations with any major means of encryption. The event was even announced hours after the invitations had been sent thus, there was no hiding anything from anyone.

In truth, the Emperor expected a delightful evening. At 22:00, there would be a small fireworks display from a barge resting one nautical mile off shore and the party would go until 01:00 or 02:00, depending on how the guests remained. There were waiters and waitresses walking around with plates of hors d'oeuvres, some cold, some hot; a buffet was laid out on another portion; there was dancing, there was mingling; and above all, there was nothing but friendliness.