The Skyan World Service [News::Semi-Open]

[Havensky]

To the tune of Guerilla Radio!

Argyz, Skyan Milograd
Gholgoth

TRANSMISSION THIRD WORLD WAR THIRD ROUND / A DECADE OF THE WEAPON OF SOUND ABOVE GROUND / NO SHELTER IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SHADE / I LICK SHOTS AT THE BRUTAL CHARADE

Blocks 47 -bzzzzzzzt- You have produced 2302 pounds of nutritional sustenance this quarter. You are 108 pounds behind production schedule. Additional shifts will be scheduled Zzzzzttt compliance

Dax Falco walked up to a tall concrete building in the center of the Argyz. It was the tallest building left standing that was part of the old Argyz before it was torn apart by war and strife. Now with the Skybound Republic in control of the city, there were hundreds of construction workers clearing out debris, building roads, and installing infrastructure. On the city outskirts, the Skyan Legionary Engineers were busy building defensive walls, repairing the naval port, and the airport. While they were doing that, Dax had a group of street artists come in paint the entire building. Against the normal grey skyline of Old Argyz, the radio building was a bright splash of red, green, and purple. Even the sidewalks leading up to the building had been smothered with street art.

Dax was also an engineer, but he was an engineer of sound. A tall dark man with a high top and a short beard, he had been given a prodigious assignment by the Skyan Government. To build a radio station on the doorstep on one of the most notoriously brutal nations right smack dab in one of the most dangerous regions on the globe. This radio station would have an enormously powerful signal - enough to drown out the propaganda and lies of the nearby despots.

Hail the Sons of Erid! For God, Emperor, and bbbbzzzzztEmpire!

As the polls close like a casket
On truth devoured
A Silent play in the shadow of power

This station wouldn't be alone, but be part of a newly revamped Skyan World Service with repeaters set up all over the globe and be broadcast simultaneously on the world wide web. Dax would have a whole team of djs, reporters, and radio personalities to fill the air with news and entertainment. They’d play the news straight and the music loud. The news would be strictly by the facts so that they’d be trusted. And the music? Well, the music would be a bit chaotic adhering to the Skyan tendency to borrow a little from here, borrow a little of there and to remix the whole thing into a whole new sound.

Dax threw his leather jacket over his shoulder. It was hot outside, but it’d be cool inside the booth. As the elevator dinged, he walked out onto the studio floor. A single chair had been placed at a desk in a soundproof glass booth. A giant silver microphone sat at the desk alongside a pair of black headphones. From the glass booth, Dax would be able to see the four different sized studios set up around him. The station could broadcast a rock show, switch to hard news, an in-depth one on one interview, or a panel of experts all with a turn of the knob. It wasn’t a cannon, but it was power all the same.

Dax sat down in his chair and spun around before giving a salute to the engineer. He could hear the power generators below him start to warm up and the dials embedded in the deck begin to move.

Lights out! Guerrilla Radio!
Turn that shit up

Lights out! Guerrilla Radio!
Turn that shit up

Lights out! Guerrilla Radio!
Turn that shit up

Lights out! Guerrilla Radio

The Skybound Republic had registered frequencies with some of the more open nations in the targeted regions and so as the radio station began to broadcast no interference was present. The music started soft and grew louder as the station increased its power.

More tyrannical nations would find their airwaves assaulted by blasts of static and bass as the radio stations prodigious power overcame weaker signals. The droning overtone of propaganda masters delivering their dire directives broken up by sounds of a punk rock anthem.

Contact I highjacked the frequencies
Blockin' the beltway
Move on ULE.
Way past the days of Bombin' M.C.'s
Sound off!

Dax hit the key on the mic and began his opening speech in a thick velvety smooth voice.

Good evening, Mr. and Ms Havensky - the Gholgoth family, Texas and Sondria too - from coast to coast and to all the ships in sea and sky - This is Argyz Calling from the Skyan World Service. My name is Dax Falco and for those of you wondering what this is or who we are and what we’re doing - We are the Skyan World Service operating out of the City of Argyz in Skyan Milograd. We’re here to deliver the best of news, music, and discussion on the great big world on there. You can find us online or on the airwaves.

We here at the Skyan World Service strike to bring you the truth of the news. With facts and numbers right out front for you. Our music is a mix of sounds from around the world. And our discussion stems from experts from in-house and from all corners including yours!. We’re listening in on social media, email, website and the phone lines are always open.

So sit back, relax, and give us a shout!

Dax clicked the mic off and turned the music back up as he watched Tweeter light up with messages under the #SkyanWorld hashtag. He replied back to a few of them before glancing over to his chief sound engineer Ami Wildwing. She was checking the monitors in the signals in the different regions and in targeted nations. She was nodding her head through her headphones as she went down the list and finally gave a big thumbs up.

They were live worldwide.

It has to start somewhere It has to start sometime
What better place than here, what better time than now?

All hell can't stop us now
All hell can't stop us now
All hell can't stop us now
All hell can't stop us now
All hell can't stop us now
All hell can't stop us now

OCC:

Anyone wanting to join in should feel free to post. However, unless your nation has a presence (or tourists) inside a Skyan city there's not going to be much physical action. I imagine this thread being more of 'propaganda thread' with different stations posting (and sometimes responding to) broadcasts.

For nations with free speech, feel free to assume that if our signal can reach you we've gotten the proper licenses and coordinated as not to cause interference. Non-free speech nations - well, we're not as careful.

[Mahdah]

Town of Zrhâro, Faqīrah Governorate, Mahdah

The town of Zrhâro was your typical Mahdavian town, it was home to several thousand people and had several mosques in it's confines. The town had a small private community which were home to the Christian residents who had previously been allowed to live in peace amongst the primarily Muslim majority and would only need to pay a small tax every month. In recent months a wave of sectarian violence has swept Mahdah with outbreaks of protests and even fighting between the more radical and conservative Muslims and the other religious minorities that have resided in Mahdah for possibly decades. The town's small community of Christians would witness and feel the wrath of a angry and radically devoted people entering it's grounds and causing utter havoc.

"DEATH TO THE KAFIRS, MAHDAH FOR MUSLIMS, GET OUT CHRISTIANS!" were some of the chants and banter that the rather large crowd mobbing outside of a twelve foot black metal barred fence shouted. They waved flags and signs, swore and cursed at the community's security guards who looked as nervous as the people they were trying to protect who were herding towards the church which was in the center of their community. The security guards themselves were lightly armed, they had tear gas launchers, semi automatic pistols and riot control gear although they didn't know how they could possibly stop the hundreds to possibly thousands herding outside of the locked entrance to the Community it's self.

No actual local police from the town or governorate were here to stop the large aggressive crowd which had certainly sealed the Community's fate at the hands of the mob. Suddenly the sound of automatic gunfire ripped through the air, the guards panicked as they shot tear gas into the crowd, the crowd it's self like a wave crashing, rushed the fence as they started hoisting others up to climb over the fence. The security guards retreated, firing more tear gas towards the entrance as some of the crowd were hopping the fence. Suddenly a pick up truck moved through the crowd which had made room as it rammed the gate trying to force it open, within a minute the truck had rammed the gate wide open as a the mob numbering in the thousands yelled and roared as they surged inside the community grounds. Gunfire begun to ring out along with the over all noise of panic and chaos that was now raging over the community's grounds. The security guards who only numbered 30 were quickly overwhelmed by the mob, some beaten to near death or death and others were being beaten brutally and even mutilated by knife or club wielding mob participants.

Those that could escape the surging mob fled inside the church, the entrance was barricaded with furniture and so were the windows that faced towards where the mob was now approaching. Looting and arson spread across the community, small shops and businesses, peoples homes were being looted and burned. People who were unfortunate enough to be caught by the mob were beaten and suffered a similar fate as the security guards. Once the mob had surrounded the church and had already tried to breach it's doors, several men cladded in black clothing from head to toe, having arm bands that had white writing in Arabic and had automatic rifles came forward with cans of gasoline and homemade torches. Doused in gasoline the wooden doors were and then the ends of the homemade torches the cloth catching fire quickly before the black cladded men tossed them at the entrance, suddenly the entire door frame caught fire in a burst of flame. It quickly spread before long half of the church was on fire and smoke was surely suffocating those inside as the crowd shouted and yelled more chants and slurs.

The screams and cries of those inside the burning church could be heard before the sudden sound of wailing sirens could be heard. The town's local police forces and police from the governorate had arrived as the mob begun to peacefully disperse and leave while the police moved through the carnage, emergency medical servicemen quickly followed. Another event, another act of violence part of the larger wave of sectarian violence with the resurgence of Al Hafa.

[Havensky]

Zrhâro, Mahdah

Raed Moonwing was walking through the square with his notebook writing opening paragraphs in his head as he walked. He almost didn't hear the the commotion at first.

Raed was a tall man with a slender frame with dark skin and dark hair cropped short. He was wearing khakis with a polo shirt featuring the local soccer team and a dark colored windbreaker. It wasn't what he normally wore, but the key to being a foreign correspondent was the blend in. His only distinguishing feature was the thick rimmed glasses he wore.

It was his second week in country on assignment for the Skyan World Service. He had been working on a getting some background on some murmurings about rising tensions in the region. He'd been asking questions from local residents in such a way that wouldn't raise too much attention. Mostly it involved drinking a lot of chai tea in cafes with talkative people. He was a native Arabic speaker, but he had to work on getting the accent just right. Too much time in Citadel City had reduced any Arabic accent he once had to one that included Spanish 'r' rolls and the occasionally Texas y'all.

When the commotion began he cleared his head and paid attention. His instincts perked up and he spotted the mob marching down and chanting. He slipped his mobile phone out of his pocket for a few seconds and unlocked with a particular code. This code activated his camera that he had installed in his thick rimmed glasses. It also turned on a small wireless microphone that he had in his jacket collar. It was set to autobroadcast and send the signal to Argyz.

He stayed a good distance away, but scanned the crowed to take a look. He very quietly began speaking in Arabic.

This is Raed Moonwing, Skyan World Service reporting from Zrhâro - a small town in Mahdah. We're here reporting on the rising tensions in the region and it appears that things just got hotter. There's a crowd of protesters gathering in the square... I don't know if you can see it... but some of the signs read "DEATH TO THE KAFIRS" a phrase meaning non-Muslim... They're heading towards a small Christian enclave.. I should note that Christianity isn't illegal here, it's just subject to an additional tax... there's also no police that I can see anywhere...

Raed moved a little quicker trying to keep pace with the crowd that was going much faster now. He tried to stay close to the nearby buildings as the crowd was growing much larger now.

This crowd is growing bigger, maybe 8, 9 hundred people now. They're marching right towards the enclave. If we don't see police soon things might turn ugly...

His phone vibrated exactly five times letting Raed know that he was live on the air. While he spoke in Arabic, other stations would repeat his broadcast in the local language. Raed kept talking.

I'm going to take a step back since I'm not what will happen. The crowd is approaching the gated enclave and it seems very angry. The enclave does have a small contingent of security guards, but they're more to keep burglars and vandals out - certainly not to repel a crowd of this size. I still don't see any police. Wait!

Raed ducked instinctively at the sounds of automatic gunfire.

That sound you just heard was an automatic rifle... and it looks like the guards are retaliating with tear gas..... I don't think it's doing them any good - the mob is just rushing the fence now. It's hard to see.. hold on..

Raed rushed around to try to get a better angle and turned just in time to see a pickup truck barrel it's way towards the gate.

The mob has breached the compound! The guards are being taken by the crowd... We can't see what's happening ... but it looks like the some of the community members are rushing towards the church. I can't get much closer, but the sound of the crowd is deafening. I still can't see what's happening inside the compound very well, but I can spot the crowd breaking into homes and traces of smoke.

Raed checked his phone again. 43% battery. He pulled a cord from a hidden pocket in his jacket and hooked up a small battery to his phone. He felt it vibrate twice letting him know it was charging.

He walked a little bit closer to the commotion. Most of the crowd had started to gather around the church and it gave him a little bit of room to get closer. He started to get a small pit in his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.

The crowd is trying to get into the church... remember, there are members of the Christian community have taken refuge inside. They're shouting death threats. So far, the church's doors are holding.

Raed's eyes caught the men in black clothing with the gas cans moments before. In his head, he could the next few moments play out in his head.

In rapid English he spoke into the mic, Oh no Allah no, no, no, no! Studio! Blackout! Blackout!

The phase 'blackout' was a key phase used by the Skyan World Service to indicate possible graphic content. The feed would continue, but the studio would take great care in deciding what content would go public.

Raed could only watch helplessly as the church began to burn. Doing anything to try to help would be pointless as he had nothing that would change the outcome. Any move he made that was not indicative of joy at the deaths of the infidels would only draw the attention of the crowd. So with raised hands and his best poker face he watched the fire burn.

The phone vibrated with three long bursts, three short bursts, and three long bursts again. It was time to go.

Raed wandered off as best he could. He turned into an alley and walked a few steps before losing his stomach and puking. He struggled to hold back tears. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and kept walking.

"While there have been reports of beheadings and other extreme behavior, this is the first time in any of the FAIR countries that non-Islamics have been targeted in such a fashion. We're still investigating, but previous experience suggests that this kind of behavior doesn't happen by accident. Something is stoking these feelings."

"And just to be clear, this behavior isn't representative of all Islamic Peoples. As you know, there are thousands of Muslims here in Havensky and there's never been anything close to this. Their interpretation of the Holy Koran is so extreme it's almost unrecognizable."

"Is there anything..

[Mahdah]

Intro theme for Al Khalifah Radio.

There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger...
There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger...

HOST: "Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar.. welcome to Al Khalifah Radio. We have a special broadcast and a special guest who is here that is a jihadist from Al Hafa, Taahir Afzal."

TAAHIR: "As-salamu alaykum, I'm glad to be on Al Khalifah Radio, thank you brother for inviting me to speak on the show"

HOST: "Now now, you are a member of Al Hafa am I correct brother?"

TAAHIR: "Yes I am, god willing I am able to be part of such a organization that fights for Muslims everywhere such as Al Hafa."

HOST: "Please if you would brother, god willing tell us about your experience, anything you can share to those who wish to become a jihadist and fight the kafirs and infidels?"

TAAHIR: "If anything the journey to becoming a jihadist, a warrior that fights for Muslims and Allah is a battle of the spirit and will to commit to such a task, such an honor and responsibility. Hours and hours of prayer should be spent deciding and making sure you are ready to take up the risks in taking the path to jihad."

HOST: "Now about Al Hafa, who are they and what is their purpose?"

TAAHIR: "Al Hafa Is a organization made up of men of the true faith, Islam. Fighting for oppressed Muslims everywhere and we are the soldiers of Muhammad and of Allah. We take the fight to the kafirs and the infidels and the apostates, no mercy or pity is given to the wicked. The purpose is as I said to fight for the rights and freedom of oppressed Muslims and establish the khalifah which after marks the beginning of the end when Imam Mahdi is suppose to arrive and take us to Allah."

HOST: "Some are saying that the recent wave of sectarian violence washing over FAIR is because of the return of Al Hafa, is this true?"

TAAHIR: "The sectarian violence is some what connected to the organization's return, their are many sympathizers that aren't part of Al Hafa but If I went up to them and pointed out someone and said they were a kafir or an infidel and said, kill them. They wouldn't hesitate to find something to kill them with and do it. You've seen the videos and articles, the beheadings, hangings and crucifixions. The sympathizers have become inspired to take up the cause that Al Hafa takes in their own ways and through their own actions."

HOST: "Well It seems we have run out of time, It was a pleasure Taahir to have you on the show. I wish you the best of blessings in your future going down the path of jihad and protecting Muslims everywhere and continuing your strong willed devotion to Allah, god willing. This is Al Khalifah Radio, signing off till next time."

Outro music to Al Khalifah Radio.

[Havensky]

Skyan World Service Studio B
Argyz, Havensky

"Admiral Moonwing, it's an honor to have you here in the studio. Thanks so much for coming down!"

The grandfatherly figure of Admiral Mohammad Moonwing, Commander of the 1st Humanitarian Fleet, gave a gentle smile and waved the young intern off. His black military uniform contrasting sharply with the intern's hoodie and jeans.

"It's no trouble, it's no trouble. Always happy to chat."

Is this your first time on the radio?"

"It is in fact, I've done television before but this will be a first for me."

"Ok then, if you'll have a seat here and put on the headphones on one ear. You'll hear your own voice inside the headphones when you talk so it can be a little odd at first. If it bothers you, feel free to take them off."

Moonwing adjusted the headphones and wheeled the chair close to the large silver microphone. A large coffee cup of water had been poured for him. In the next room over, another host was going over the news of the day.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Can't embarrass my nephew the first time on the air now can I?"

The door to the studio opened and Dax Falco walked into the room. He flashed a smile and shook Moonwing's hand.

"Good morning Admiral, I'm Dax - it's so good to meet you in person."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"So, we're going to go over all the questions that we sent over in the email. I've moved things around to give you a little extra time so no need to rush. Are you all set?"

Moonwing smiled and nodded. With that, Dax smiled and waved to the control booth whose operator raised a hand and then pointed.

Dax: And good morning from our studio in Argyz City - We're here with the Commander of the 1st Humanitarian Fleet Mohamad Moonwing to talk about the deployment of the 2nd Humanitarian Fleet to Sondria. First, what does the Humanitarian Fleet Admiral?

Moonwing: Havensky has had a long tradition of rendering humanitarian aid to places hit by disaster and conflict. This tradition stems from the hospitality the Region of Texas gave us after the flooding of our original Island Kingdom of Fourhearts. We currently maintain three such fleets and each fleet carries several tons of food, medical supplies, fuel, two hospital ships, and a flagship that doubles as a base for diplomatic operations. Because these are airships, we're able to deploy anywhere in the globe even when roads and seaports have been destroyed by disaster.

Dax: So, what's happening in Sondria right now to prompt our deployment?

Moonwing:There's two things. One is the rising tensions in Mahdah...which I believe my nephew has reported on extensively... and the recent trouble in the Marquesan Shogunate. While nothing drastic has happened as of yet, we like to have our fleets well positions in case they are needed.

Dax: I'm glad you mentioned Mahdah... as a Muslim, how do you feel about the things that Al Hafa has been saying regarding the killing of non-Muslims?

Moonwing: Well, obviously their interpretation of Scripture is much different that mine and the vast majority of the Islamic Faith. Nothing in my studies as a cleric suggests even in the slightest that what they're doing is justified. And to be honest, organizations that spout this kind of hatred anger me for smearing the reputation of the Muslim people. It makes no sense. Here in Havensky, we get along with our neighbors just fine. There are dozens of different faiths here. But instead of focusing on our disagreements, all the leaders of the faiths here work together to support the common good.

Dax: Admiral, for those of us here at home who want to help the Humanitarian Fleet's mission - what can we do?

Moonwing: I'm glad you asked that - there's always an effort to try and send boxes of supplies and food and materials to these disaster areas - but really that isn't helpful. It takes a lot of logistical effort to deliver those supplies. What we do need is funds. When you donate the to Havensky Humanitarian Trust - it enables us to purchase things on the fly that can help families right away. We don't always know exactly what we'll need to deploy - so flexibility is key. It also helps in our diplomatic efforts when we buy these supplies from local vendors. I know it's cliche, but send money.

Dax: And just so our listeners know - you can text 1-555-HELPNOW to donate to the HHT...

[Havensky]

Lynsi Vas walked through the doors of the studio on her first day of work. She wore a leather jacket her dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She had graduated with honors at Citadel University - one of the first people to graduate at the newly constructed university.

The elevator at the old building chimed and she walked out into the offices of the Skyan World Service. Dax Falco was waiting for her.

"Ah, Lynsi, come in - come in - and welcome to the Skyan World Service! Come on, I'll show you to your desk.", Dax said as he motioned her to follow.

"With the war, the Humanitarian Fleet in Greater Deinstad, and everything else we're short on foreign correspondents. Now, you're new so you won't be deploying anywhere yet - but we've got a few interesting stories for you to cover."

Dax was walking past desk after desk of reporters, writers, and editors. The newsroom was a buzz of activity with a million conversations happening at once.

"Louis will give you an orientation and get you all set up. Sorry for the short convo, it's been busy here!"

[The Scandinvans]

Within his spartan office the Doctor of the Church's Canon and Secular Law Division took a seat in front of a time delayed digital camera designed to allow his editor to have a three second lead before any content was transmitted to the report. Effectively an insurance policy against any potential flippant remarks he might make. His mission was to basically to establish the theological groundwork of the conflict and provide a bit of a warning of the character of the Scandinvan people. One of the reasons why he been cast into to be the speaker was due to his intimating nature. Wearing the fairly plain black and white vestments as a one of the few public heads of the Inquisitions, his sharp red eyes indicative of a member of the Valgardian people, his whitened full beard atypical of the type worn by figures of Jesus on the cross, and sporting fiery red low cap covering all of his hair.

Ensuring, by the comment of his staff present for the interview, that was he prepared he began his statement," Good afternoon ma'am, I am a member of the clergy of the Scandinvan Church whose holy work was established by an apostle of Christ in 55 AD. I, through the blessing of the Almighty and the providence bestowed upon my family, have been graced with serving as a Doctor of the Church in regards to the application of canon law as well ensuring the purity of the laws of the state. My particular realms of concern deal with sins of the flesh and the spirit. I apologize for some of the less exact translations, but the language and sentimentality of the dres'nalar prevent me from being able to find words to articulate concepts more properly addressed in Valgardian.

I will be more than happy to yield the floor to your first set of questions and please understand that I will not shying away from addressing points in a manner you would likely consider harsh as the work that I perform demands that I fully acknowledged the truth of the Almighty in whatever I do. "

[Havensky]

Now Lynsi understood why she had gotten this position at the World Service. She had grown up in a Catholic school and had minored in religious studies.

She had been more curious than anything else. Her Father was Jewish, but he wasn't religious at all. On the other hand, her grandmother had been very religious and very diligent about ensuring her education included all the scriptures.

Her mother had been one of the people who had fled Automagfreek during the 'Dechristianization' of the country. Her mother had only been a teenager during those times, but the terror still haunted her sometimes. She had inherited her mother's pale skin and dark hair - although at times she wished she had gotten her height too.

Given her family history, religion and it's place in society had been a topic of much discussion growing up. The conclusion was that it was freedom of religion was one of the many linchpins in Skyan civic society. Her term paper for her last religious studies class had essentially made an argument that faith as dictated by the power of the state undercut it. Faith was a choice best made freely. If it was made at gunpoint, it wasn't real.

Which made doing the homework on this assignment rather tedious. To say that the Book of Erid diverged from most mainline religions was an understatement.

The Book of Erid stated, "Cast down the words of the false prophets and drive those who refuse to recant their vile teachings into the embrace of death." Sure, both Church and Temple recognized that people could fall away, but no modern religion stated that the faithful should kill them.

"War is a necessary duty of every true Christian.", doth saith the Book of Erid. That line was despite the pretty pacifist nature of most priests that she knew. Not to mention contradicts a number of verses in the Christian texts including "Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways."

The slavers were very violent.

That would be her first question. The room at the studio had a floor to ceiling video screen meant to help give the impression of somebody being in the same room. However, the low resolution on the Doctor's end meant that it wasn't quite perfect. She assumed that her image wasn't being received in quite the same high resolution either.

She sat at the glass desk and took out a pen.

"Thank you for speaking with me today Doctor. Do you mind if I record this to assure accuracy?"

Upon getting the Doctor's approval, she tapped the glass desk in a 'z' pattern and the deck flickered to life. It began to record as Lynsi began to take notes directly on the glass.

"So, the Book of Erid espouses a particularly violent brand of Christianity that diverts greatly with almost every single mainline religion. How does your church reconcile this?"

[The Scandinvans]

"Ma'am that is always an issue for your people to understand for some reason. The Book of Erid is established as the basis for the convent between the Risen Lord and the Scandin peoples, or as they referred in the Book of Erid the blood or peoples of Erid. This explicit distinction in turn divides humanity into three camps: those who are of Erid dre-agrund'Erid, those of other bloods who have accepted the true faith dres-Christus, and those who are outside the faith dres'nalar. The peace commanded by what you would improperly call the New Testament is essentially a set of principles designed for the benefit of Christians living in either conditions they the governing power or when they dwell in lands in which they are the sole population. Things such as empathy, compassion, and community are only owed to fellow Christians.

Sadly, this is a notion lost on most of those who identify themselves as Christians. For they, lacking the Book of Erid and true Biblical understanding, have corrupted the teachings of Christ to serve a worldly agenda largely designed to make their religion more palatable to the general population. It has to such a point that many seemingly Christian sects identity themselves as universalist in outlook. This inherently the work of deceivers that the start of James 7 warns of us of. Individuals who would spread falsehoods in order to undermine the whole of Christianity.

This sadly has become the case for every Christian sect not bound in service to the Patriarchate of the Scandinvan Church and to the will of the throne of Erd. The plan but terrible truth is that we are the only group which can truly call ourselves Christians. For the Book of Erid clearly states," All the people of the true blood hold a special place in the heart of the Almighty. They are his beloved creation. The only ones to remain true to his will and honor the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. All others have turned away from his path by accepting false prophets, incorrect Biblical narratives, or deviant teachings."

The sheer depth of the situation was noticed early on by the founders of the true faith. They noticed how readily non-Scandin accepted deviancy and subjective standards. Almost to the last it occurred. That is why the Almighty chose to form a new covenant with us.

The covenant was that we the people of the true blood would be the wardens, the heralds, and priests of the true faith. One which the Almighty had planned for at the creation of all things. The precept for all of the world to be converted is nonetheless a central pillar of the faith despite the more ethnic centered demanded by the true Gospel. This situation innately demands that we conquer the world as we fully realize that the decadent peoples of the world would not accept the people of Erid's sole stewardship of the faith peacefully. Instead, they would demand equality despite their innately depraved ways. Therefore war has become a necessary duty for us so that we can offer the path to paradise to all humans regardless of the circumstances of their birth. They would remain in their rightful place by the example of the sword and by the proper teaching of the Almighty's anointed religion."

[Havensky]

The issue with your people. The problem with you people. The sound grated against Lynsi's ears. That's what the Freeks had called her mother. You people. It was a classic tactic of despots. Blame everything you could on 'those people' - the people not like you. "It's not your fault." the serpent would sing sweetly "You're God's chosen; it's all those others who are stopping your greatness."

The more enthusiastic would start the shouting and the graffitti. It would be harmless at first, but soon it would grow. People would get beat up. And on, and on, and on... until mass slaughter.

Of course, the slavers had already committed mass slaughter by burning people at the stake.

"Father, if you'll pardon me, but it sounds like the Book of Erid is a convenient excuse for global conquest. However, you are not actively invading your neighbors? Instead, The Golden Throne alleges - with the Skyan government providing corroborative evidence - that you funded pirates in his territory in exchange for slaves. This seems to be less a recipe for the faithful being conquering heros of the faith and more.. corporate greed. Which, if I remember from Bible school - seem to be something frowned upon by most mainline faiths.

Lynsi glanced down at her glass table. Her producers had found something about the word that the Doctor had used.

"And, if I may, dres'nalar translates to "ones unworthy of mercy." It seems that starting a war with the Skybound Republic by throwing a few companies of troops seems almost like a love tap and not an attack trying to show no mercy what so ever. Your government must have known what our response would be. Historically, despots and strong men used this idea of an outside enemy to quell opposition. Is it possible that these attacks are more about the internal politics of the Empire since the coup by the Sons of Erid?"

[The Scandinvans]

"A lion does not roar unless if it knows it can defend itself. A wolf does not mark territory unless if it is confident enough to hold it claim. We do not perform actions merely because we feel compelled to provoke conflict. We attacked you for the crimes that you committed against the kindred of Erid when you murdered a prince of the Scandinvan Empire. In the Book of Erid it is remarkably clear," "The murder of any of the heirs of Erid demands war and that the atonement of the offending party be paid in the blood of their own nation."

By the deeds of those we dispatched to punish your impudent country, which is not actually a nation by the way due to the disparate peoples which jointly rule your lands, we paid the Scandinvan price for true justice. We drowned your own lands in your blood as recompense for the prince that your government ordered murdered. We fully understand that the action would drastically increase tensions between our governments. However, we would pay any price needed to ensure that the will of Erid is properly followed.

As for another topic, when we Scandinvans purchase slaves from abroad it is done, at least in part, as a great kindness to those whom are enslaved. For they inhabit lands unoccupied by the Glorious Empire of the Scandinvans and therefore lack the capacity to live in a manner demanded by the Almighty. Therefore their salvation in not achievable until the second coming. By our example and by our oversight do we bring those of lesser heritage closer to HIM on high. We offer them a gift worth more than anything they can achieve in the lands of their birth.

Thus when it comes down to it, we are merely performing our duty as good Christians to take slaves from the various degenerate corners of the world. In return for their labor we offer them and their descendants purified and ordered lives which offers them a chance at salvation that they could not achieve elsewhere.

When I look at the conditions abroad I must wonder why more of your pathetic peoples do not accept magnanimous Scandinvan rule. All I see in the daily routine of your nations is mindless chaos whose highest value is physical gratification. You are pitiable creatures lacking any purpose beyond the self. You live not concerned with the will of the Almighty. Whilst our justice is almost certainly much more harsh, we offer a near total eradication of all the social ills currently facing your societies. We offer peace, order, purpose, happiness, and ultimately salvation to all those we rule. All you dres'nalar have to do in return is simply obey.

We will eventually conquer the world might I add. No matter how many centuries or millennium it might take us. We Scandinvans fully understand the massive task we have been saddled, The Sons of Erid understand this and will soon lead our nation to again begin to conquer the lands of the heathen and correct the generation of relative apathy we had lived under until the Crown Prince came into his own.

I will also add something ma'am, there is nothing that you can do to stop us, We have providence on your side. You merely have the aid of devil inspired ideals and a population which can never be as unified as the Scandin are."

[Havensky]

"...drowned our lands in our own blood?", repeated Lynsi somewhat astonished.

"Doctor, the total number of Skyan civilians killed in action during the attack on the Citadel City was zero - thanks in large part to our airborne Armada and Skyan Legion. In contrast, the number of your military losses were in the thousands. I wouldn't say it was our blood that soaked the soil."

She had been paying attention to the slaver's tone. So far, it had remained cold and monotone.

"It should be noted that the military units that wiped out your forces were made of a diverse group composing of all different kinds of races and creeds. If their diversity was a weakness, surely the men and women who make up the Skyan military would have fallen to your troops within minutes instead of the other way around? We have a recording of the last moments of one of your units just before he self-detonated his exosuit. We've shown the footage to nearly a dozen clinical psychiatrists and all have determined that he had been brainwashed.

Were you aware that one of your exosuits failed to detonate? Lady Raven dissembled it and determined that your exosuits are in actually walking time bombs. They overheat and explode. In fact, most Skyan police and military losses were not from your soldier's bullets but rather the exosuit exploding when they exceeded their maximum temperatures. It appears that you sent these men to die whether they wanted to or not."

Lynsi adjusted her glasses for a moment before continuing.

"Not everyone you sent to die did so. There was one member of the lower ranked soldiers you dropped into our city who survived his injuries. Doctors are treating his post traumatic stress syndrome, and helping to undo years of abuse inflicted on him by your version of salvation. What would you say to those of criticize the Empire as being nothing more than bullies who force others to fight their fights and warp scripture to suit their own despotic regime? That you use your religion to justify violence against your own people and to keep those outside the inner circle in line? That the Empire initiates wars in order to keep the population of the poor down to manageable levels and galvanize the gentry against outside forces? "

[The Scandinvans]

"You truly believe that the attack was some sort of substantive effort by us to render harm onto your people when even given the best of possible outcomes we would have invariably suffered many more soldier deaths than you given your superiority in defenses and the sheer number of people who would have been invariably lost during the drop phase of the assault? Your leaders have done an excellent job convincing you of the lie that the attack was the mechanism by which divine justice would be rendered. We wanted to show your people that at no hour would they know peace and we certainly showed you we had the capacity to do so. However, it is a given that the attack felt outside of parameters set.

Though I would counter the military in this regard, that using untrained casteless trash is never a sufficient replacement for the full fury of a good company of warriors. That is besides the point however and we still were able to get a decent set of statistics in regards to the operational functionality of the Attestor units and gained valuable insight into your martial stratagems. Therefore overall I consider the attack to have been justifiable from at least a cost and benefit analysis.

As for the individual you have claimed to capture, I will simply remark that you cannot prove that this individual is actually of any value. I fully trust that all the refuse we sent against you died as the basic designs were tested to a high degree of confidence to ensure that all Attestor operators were properly cleansed during the operation.

On a different note, I must thank for you serving as a siphon for a sizable number of worthless creatures we sent into battle against you. You removed a degenerate segment of our glorious society. A service which your people have not acknowledged yet,

Your overall understanding of our intentions seems to be strongly limited. You, for some reason, believe that we act out of a purely self-interested desires for glory or power. You believe that we have preserved our ancient customs merely as an explanation for giving power to our leaders. This is deep lie. We keep our ancestral ways for they are the social contract which has ensured our Empire's survival for over five thousand years. By the grace of the Almighty revealing his will to Erid so many years ago have we Scandin been endowed with an order capable of withstanding even the test of time. If we were to abandon this ancient system we certainly would be able to make ourselves much wealthier and live easier lives. However, the easy road is not the Scandin way.

In order to truly fulfill our purposes in this life we must set aside what would be the path of least resistance. Instead we must burden ourselves with the constant need to fulfill our respective roles within our society in order to ensure its long term survival and prosperity. We know that one day we will eventually be given our promised dominion over this world and lead the whole of humanity to paradise on Earth. As per the death prophecy of Erid. A prophecy which requires our constant sacrifice of self, blood, and sweat.

Your people are are incapable of understanding as the present is the most important thing to your people. Physical gratification is more important than spiritual contentment.

The price of your open hearts and borders is that eventually that which you hates will find a niche to grow out of."

[Havensky]

Lynsi tilted her head just a bit. Even for a Scandin, the last phrase sounded just a little weird.

"Well, I want to thank the Doctor for coming on the air. We'll now take a few questions from our call line. Our first caller is a representative from the Kogyokist Christianity calling in from Ishikawa, New Aeyariss.

Lynsi's glass started to flash red and she looked up quickly at the camera.

"Hold on, I'm getting some breaking news here..."

The camera switched to a burning church from what looked like a mobile glass camera. Firetrucks and police cars were beginning to swarm the area. A man with a spear shouting at police.

""Even the man who has no lands or honors can still offer his life for the glory of the risen Lord!"

The man turned his spear towards the police and started firing. The camera refocused to show that the spear was actaully a gun. The gunspear dropped within seconds as Citadel Police shot the terrorist.

"It.. appears as though the Scandin doctor has timed his interview to coincide with an attack on a Citadel City church in the Nest District... Citadel Police are not ruling out terrorism at this time, but they stress that they are early in their investigation. Fire Department officials have no confirmed casualties, but indicate that the church burned much quicker than normal fires. We'll have more on this story as we get word."