Trouble in Paradise (Closed)

[Allied Connurist States]

Almost a decade ago, what remained of the Connurist people had been promised a better life. Millions had taken the risk to join their Roselian allies and take to the stars, and inhabit the planet of Edyn Prime, and millions had decided to stay, and accept Calraxian rule. Emperor Connor IV had mostly delivered his promise to his people - in that they were certainly in a better situation than when they were engaged in a bloody and desperate struggle to survive - but this was hardly the utopia they had been promised.

Sure, there were sprawling, beautiful and practical megacities, and technology like never before, but things that had been taken for granted back home, as most affectionately referred to the old island of Castarcia, were far from in abundance over here. Rationing, a relic from what was commonly called the Second Great Connurist War, was still in effect, and the average man and woman worked long arduous days whilst the Imperial Family lived in luxury with seemingly bottomless funds. Such a system had not been minded twenty years or so ago, but those who vividly recalled the Emperor’s speech now felt unfulfilled by a life that was similar to how it was. They wanted more - and the relocation of the entire Empire resulted in a better than ever opportunity for it to happen. Public opinion of the monarchical system had also changed, and not for the better. Previously minority ideologies such as Communism and even Fascism promised a true utopia, and they now found more popularity than ever. A change in planet should mean a change in how things are run, they argued. Monarchy had caused the death of billions, and despite that in the Connurist Empire it had originated humbly, it had now devolved to a hereditary system where who was in charge was decided by birth and not merit. Unrest was brewing.

Few knew this fact better than Princess Julia. In her mid twenties, she preferred being addressed as Knight Commander, as her military title, as opposed to being ascribed, actually acknowledged achievements. Interestingly, her appointment as the head of the Imperial Order of Knights really wasn’t an example of political nepotism, unlike many positions assigned by Connor IV. Julia had served with honour in the final battles on the old planet, and due to the total decimation of senior officers, she genuinely was the most appropriate candidate for the role - something the woman proved on a frequent basis by covertly ‘dealing’ with those who dared publicly associate themselves with the running of those organisations that would gladly see her imperial house topple.

Today’s business, however, was about to prove to be different. Someone, somewhere, was currently pulling off the greatest heist in national history - conducting a Class Alpha breach of secret servers, and downloading all the files within. No-one knew a thing about this right now, but very soon, there’d be no-one on the entire planet who didn’t know the darkest secrets of House Pearson - and that, surely, would be the spark to an inferno - the casus belli for the revolution the extremists wanted - and the reason for a bloodbath.

[Roseheim]

It had been tens years since their arrival on Edyn Prime, ten years since nearly one and a half billion of their brothers and sisters had been slaughtered in a war with the Calraxes Empire. A war that brought Roseheim to her knees, destroyed their greatest monuments and cities, their homes, their very lives. Ten years since that horrid war, on the planet of hell. Their ships had carried them to a new home, one they were more than happy to share with the Connurists who had chosen to join them. No Roselian stayed behind, it had been an evacuation and choice had been death or join those on the ships. For that enmity was rife against the Imperial Government, but in one decade opinion had shifted into extremely high support for the Imperial Government. Why? Prosperity had been achieved, four large, well planned and well developed cities had been built. Ravenswald was the capital and by far the largest and most grand out of all of them. The city of steel, glass and stone sprawled out from the city's magnificent forum which was headed by the Palace on one end, and the Imperial Reichstag on the other, the Court of Arbiters sat happily on the left side from the palace while the Chancellery held the right. Giant obelisks of marble, gardens, trees, and reflecting pools filled the forum to entertain, please and show the hope of the Roselian people for a brighter future. One that would bring them together, to heal their wounds of the past and to move forward into a brighter future.

Public opinion had been high during the war for the Imperial Government did not start the war and was easily a defender. Several atrocities threatened the public's opinion but the then Kaiser, Draco II had rallied his people to their cause, the cause to defend their homeland and that of the Connurists in their darkest hour. The Kaiser did not survive the journey to Edyn Prime and his mausoleum stood at the very center of the forum, a large obelisk reaching towards the heavens, inscribed with the names of all those who had died on the journey. The other obelisks throughout the forum held the names of all those who had lost their lives throughout the war, and those who had given the ultimate sacrifice so that the survivors would make it. Every year on the anniversary of the Exodus, the people gathered in the forum to remember those who had been killed, those who had died in the war and those that fate had chosen to wander the very heavens lost forever.

The snow gently fell from the heavens, a chill was in the air and yet it was calm. The air ship "Eternal Grace" carried the Eternal Lord, his wife and consort, along with their four year old daughter. They were en route to the Connurist capital to visit their neighbor and allies, a state visit of sorts and one that was of great importance as in just a few weeks the Remembrance Ceremony would take place and at that event the young Princess Astrid would be officially made heir to her father's throne. The Throne of Roses. The three stood together on the observation deck looking at the scenery as it passed by, not talking or ruining this moment of happiness. They would be arriving at their destination in roughly fifteen to thirty minutes depending on the weather. Sure it was a five hour journey via airship, and while the maglev could make it in far less time, there was something graceful about the airship and something about it just made Evander feel more at home. He was wearing his white military uniform with his side arm and sword at their respective places. His wife wore her most iconic blue dress which made her look like a goddess, while their daughter wore a nice lighter blue dress. Both women had thick fur coats on as well, to help keep the cold at bay, but the Eternal Lord had taken his off complaining that it was too hot, which had garnered a strange look from his wife. Soon he would see his friends.

[Allied Connurist States]

Information on the internet had always spread like wildfire, and in this day and age, it was more true than ever. Mass media jumped on the hundreds of terabytes of leaked files like moths to a light, headlines plastered across newspaper headlines got the attention of everyone. Newspapers were everywhere ; in the shops, on public transport, and of course, online. Journalists, as they always did, took the sensationalist approach - preferring to focus on the personal lives of leaders past and present, exposing secret lovers and tales of immorality of the highest order.

But what was more interesting, especially to the Imperial House and its political enemies, was the emergence of lists of dissidents who were targets, and transcripts of interrogations that violated every single human right in the book. Now that the nationalists and communists knew that they were likely to end up dead soon anyway, and that they knew exactly who was responsible for the disappearance of their friends and comrades, they had no qualms when it came to making their move.

Nevertheless, uprisings were never so simple. Unforeseen circumstances always changed even the best laid plans, and in this particular case, it seemed that any potential rebels had hit the jackpot. For an airship in the skies could only mean Roselians - and with the leak, it was common knowledge down in the Capital that it would have to be House Trost who were aboard. Anti-Roselian sentiments almost, but not quite, surpassed Anti-Pearson sentiments today - for it had been their ‘ally’ who had dragged them into the war that caused untold death and destruction, had it not? Just because they were not known, did not mean that House Trost did not also had things to cover up and hide.

And in the midst of all this madness, where it was a very real possibility that his own subjects and even his military could take up arms against him at any moment, Emperor Connor IV was still bent on sticking to the preplanned schedule he’d made with Evander. In his mind, he’d faced far bigger threats back on the old planet, and didn’t want to appear weak in front of his equal by recommending that this was far from the safest place for him and his family to be. If the Eternal Lord was still under the illusion that everything was politically stable… it would be rude to change it, would it not?

[Roseheim]

As the airship finally landed and the doors opened, it was not the Imperial Family that stepped out into the light or the attention of the cameras. No instead it was dozens and dozens of heavily armed and equally armored soldiers of the Imperial Guard, the Rosengarden. The most elite soldiers in Roseheim, and those honored with the duty of guarding members of the Imperial Family and the highest government officials. A duty the men and women of the Rosengarden took seriously and would gladly sacrifice their lives for their duty. Their armor was a deep crimson with white and gold embrodiery on them. Each carried a sword, a pistol and in their hands currently the standard assault rifle of the Imperial Armed Forces (Reichsarmee). The filed out, as though they were a river, a never ending river the color of blood. Finally after nearly a minute of soldiers emerging from the bowels of the airship, a woman dressed in a fine uniform reminiscent of those from a bygone era on the old world, stepped out of the airship, the men snapped to salute the woman as she removed her hat tucking it under her right armpit. Her boots clacked on the ground, her breath visible in the cool air, before she finally came to a stop close to the Connurists.

"All hail his Eternal Grace, Lord Evander, First of his name. Eternal Lord of the Imperial Dominate, Emperor of the Fourth Empire, Son of Roses, Father of the Nation!" bellowed a man dressed in a simple but refined tux before he too stepped aside, though he disappeared back into the airship rather than coming down the stairs. Now a young man, stood at the entrance with a beautiful daughter and a gorgeous wife. The three looked picturesque in appearance, and they molded together as though the stars themselves had ordained this. Evander put on a genuine smile at the sight of the Connurists, and with his little girl holding onto her father's far larger hand, the three walked the distance to the Connurist Emperor. "Your Grace," Evander said as he bowed, his wife and daughter curtsied and the soldiers saluted. "We heard on the airship that your nation suffered an information breach. I believe for the safety of my family we will be bringing our full Rosengarden detachment if you don't mind. Their vehicles are in the airship so no need to bring more of your own." Evander said, calm and collected not lingering on the thought of what had occurred earlier in the day.

Evander had scoured through what was being said about the Imperial Family of the ACS. Their secrets, their darker past, everything had been opened to the public through a breach in the system's security. Unfortunate it would happen at such a time. Evander was no fool, he knew full well that there would be pressure at home in the capital to demand the resignation of Emperor Connor the Fourth, potentially to cut ties for the time being. Public opinion would be against the Connurist Monarchy, not just in Roseheim but also in their own nation. It could be a precarious situation and the cusp of civil war loomed due to the actions of so few. "We should discuss how best to approach the situations at hand, as well as our state visit." Evander said somewhat motioning to the cars behind the Emperor as if subtly saying they should not linger in the open at this point. "Oh and before we go, let me introduce you to Knight-Commander Avaline Rhegan. She is the newest Knight-Commander to the Order of the Rosengarde, the Imperial Guards. She commands our detail." He said motioning to the uniformed woman that had remained close since they had exited the Airship. She snapped to attention but offered no words at the moment. Instead she scanned the horizon behind the Emperor after making the necessary eye contact.

[Allied Connurist States]

In an ideal world, Connor IV would have continued to avoid eye contact and hung his head in shame all day. However, this was no ideal world - and even if the grey haired man going on 60 was not worthy of it, he still had a duty as of this moment. After making the most sincere bow of his life thus far, he spoke. ”Your Grace, firstly I would like to apologise for the situation at hand, both with regards to my inexcusable conduct and the fact that this is far from the safest place in the land.” he said, clearly not his usual self - although many would argue his usual self had vanished a decade or two ago. “Alas, it would be improper of me to abdicate whilst we both have business to attend to, and to be brutally honest, the presence of a full Rosengarde detachment might actually be needed.”

Behind him stood his four beautiful daughters, each in varying outfits. Sophia looked professional as always, and Julia wore the uniform of the Knights, leaving Jane and Jennifer to look pulchritudinous in dresses that weren’t far from rivalling that of Evander’s consort. They had of course, curtsied in unison with their father, and the contingent of Knights behind them had also saluted. Julia stepped forward as if she had something important to say, which she did. ”Knight Commander, I would think it prudent if we were to have a short discussion?” she proposed, leaving no room for refusal on the part of her Roselian counterpart, Avaline. “We could potentially catch up soon.” she added quickly, now addressing everyone, understanding that certainly the Eternal Lord had recognised that staying out in the open here was not exactly the best course of action. They could quite literally come under attack at any moment - and she had just received word that shots were ringing out on the other side of the palace between the loyal members of High Command and those who’d made the choice to fight to depose their sovereign. A decade ago, it had been Calraxians who’d torn the upper ranks of the military apart. Now, just as war wounds were healing, there was no outside help needed to destroy the institution this time around.

Perhaps it should be no surprise that, even away from their home planet, humanity could still always find a way to mess things up. People would always be people - and people had always been intrinsically morally corrupt ; always ending up killing each other and going to war. It was, seemingly, a fundamental condition of existence. There was little point to strive for perfection - even on Edyn Prime - but there would always be those who were the least flawed. But, as the old proverb went, if someone appeared flawless, then their faults and shortcomings were concealed.

However, if one were to be on the hunt for surprises amongst the chaos in the Palace this morning, it would likely be the fact that none of the princesses had partners by their sides. There was no real reason for such a phenomenon, but needless to say that was the least of any concerns they had right now.

[Roseheim]

When Connor spoke the word abdication a vein seemed to pop on Evander's forehead though thanks to his hair it wasn't very visible. The younger sovereign hated the idea of this man before him stepping down, though in the back of his mind he could understand it occurring considering his age, the current scandal and the scandals of his family's past. They had all been laid bare for the public's eyes and half the darkest material could create a firestorm that if not handled properly would easily destabilize the world. "If you abdicate your daughter will have to deal with fallout that could mar her reign." Evander said as the all moved to leave the open space. It was too dangerous and it was clear that matters weren't getting any better. Before they went indoors a thought dawned on Evander. The safest place clearly wasn't the palace, too many targets to choose from. The airship had armored plating to assist in avoiding hail or such that might damage a thinner skin, though it would also help protect against small to mid arms fire. The windows were bulletproof and there were two helicopters on board that could be used in the event of an emergency evacuation kind of scenario. "Should we meet in the airship for the time being, considering we are unsure of who to trust and who not to trust here?" Evander asked and he knew that it clearly showed that the Roselians were unsure of whether staying was safe enough for their ruling family.

When the Princess stepped forward and looked at Avaline the older woman couldn't help but offer a salute and small smile. "It would be advisable for us to discuss the matters," She said in agreement with the Princess. Though it was not like she really had a choice in the matter, it had not been a question and while the Princess of this nation couldn't order her around it was best not to argue about such protocols as that would be ill mannered.




Meanwhile back in Ravenswald, the capital of the Imperial Dominate on their new home world, the military, political and other councils had convened an extraordinary session to figure out how best to respond to the situation in the Allied Connurist States. No response would mean that the Imperial Government would condone the actions of past Connurist Leaders, and that the public would not accept. Endorsing them would be even worse and would lead to potential rebellions throughout to depose the Trosts from power for allying with such a dark nation. There had been small, very small protests outside the Connurist Embassy, and most of those protesting were Connurist Expats, most Roselians had been quiet on the matter. The tabloids, newspapers, news stations and even the satire stations had all be unusually quiet about covering the issue in ACS. In fact it seemed to be a coordinated effort to spin the Connurists as the victims and not the people, so far opinion polls showed it to be working, for now at least.

[Allied Connurist States]

”My daughters are not guilty of the things that I am.” reasoned the Emperor, carefully omitting the fact that the statement did not apply to all four of them. ”Regardless, I don’t believe that it’s proper to discuss such a thing in their presence. And for now, yes, let us meet in the airship.” he added, sharing Evander’s concern, although unwilling to admit it. This was why he was leaving much unsaid, and why his counterpart was seemingly hedging and merely implying things instead of saying them outright, allowing him to save a little bit of face in a time where he had so little left. The Roselian was kind, a trait for which Connor was thankful considering that very soon one of his children would succeed him and have to deal with the Eternal Lord frequently. At least, that was the plan.

”I was going to suggest that you might ready your men and women to fight.” the Princess told Avaline under her breath, ensuring that no-one else heard as she found herself meandering towards a corner away from the others. Brushing her ginger locks out of her face, she sighed audibly, before opening her mouth, exposing perfectly straight pearly white teeth for a fleeting second, and continuing. “We’re expecting a firefight right where we’re standing in five minutes. Now that you all seem to be going into the airship and getting out of here, that matter is likely irrelevant, but that brings me on to something else entirely. How well can that airship deal with anti-aircraft weaponry?” she asked, deadly serious, every inch of her body tensed in anticipation of what was to come.

---

Outside the palace
The military garrison of New Pearsonville, who acted as a police force, had initially been content to stand by and do nothing as crowds assembled, rallied, and marched. They all had the right to assemble - to demonstrate and protest - anyway. And they could hardly detain them - there was no proof that they had the forceful deposition of their leader in their minds. Whilst there may well have been reasonable suspicion, it was clear that any attempt to stop and interfere would result in conflict and they did not wish to provoke a confrontation. If they were to exchange blows and gunfire, the Imperial Armed Forces would make sure they were not first to do so - even if that at the end of the day, it would matter little and they’d still garner yet more opposition to the monarchical regime. Many amongst the military ranks had not fought the Calraxians or signed up since so that they could shoot their own fellow countrymen, and there were those who were more than glad to break their oath to Connor IV and join in given the opportunity.

There were a few short scuffles between fascists and communists in the streets, but they each had a common enemy, and it would be no easy task to defeat it. They put aside their ideological differences with an uneasy truce - once the Emperor and his pretty little princesses were cast aside, that would be when they worried about dealing with each other - if they didn’t have to deal with Roselians. The authorities did nothing to break up the few skirmishes that did occur between the rivalling extremist factions, but even inaction was a choice that would reflect poorly upon them. There was no possible way to win the moral high ground with these people.

In no time at all, the marchers were upon the barricades in place outside the impressive architectural feat which was the palace itself. Amazingly, it had all remained mostly peaceful so far, at least between the loyalists and what they had labelled as the traitors, but that all changed as soon as the blockade refused to retreat. Those unfortunate enough to be on the front line were immediately assaulted with a flurry of blows to their riot shields, a barrage of petrol bombs and now, a hail of gunfire. Soldiers, in strategic locations, opened fire at will, and some of them fired on each other, removing their uniform as to display their dissent.

This was pure, and utter, unadulterated chaos in the Capital itself. Hell and death itself had made its grand comeback and return to Connurist streets, and it had done it with a bang.

[Roseheim]

"We need to evacuate the embassy." Came the a strong voice. The man it belonged to was tall, broad shoulders and incredibly imposing. His white speckled beard showed his age, the medals on his chest showed his valor. Marshal Davon Laurentius was a seasoned veteran of the Calraxian Wars, and he was one of four Marshals who had survived the war and the subsequent exodus from Aerenor. His termperament was a bit hot and he was well known for an uncompromising attitude, especially towards his underlings. He ruled his Legion with an iron fist and his moves if questioned from a subordinate other than his second would meet with a scowl that would seemingly stop your heart. "We also need to prepare our forces to intervene should our national security be risked." Several other Marshals nodded in agreement and the situation in Roseheim had grown increasingly tense as the media blackout had shifted and now displayed the various fire fights and other situations throughout the Connurist Capital. The Imperial Roselian airship could be seen as still being at the Connurist Palace, and this raised many questions as to whether the Eternal Lord and the Imperial Family were indeed safe or if the military of Roseheim should be sent in.

Agreed that the situation was growing more dire by the minute, the High Chancellor looked at the situation room's various monitors displaying pictures live from New Pearsonville, maps of the Connurist Empire, Roseheim and the world. Red dots showed were violent clashes had occurred, blue where there were lots of protests and green where it was relatively quiet. So far most of the Roselian maps were green with the blue being contained to the area near the Connurist Embassy. Meanwhile the Connurist Map was heavily blue, with green being in the minority and red had started popping up as well. Most notably around the Palace. "Send word to the Eternal Lord that we are activating Security Protocols." With that the High Chancellor stood and left the situation room. She knew that Evander would know what everything meant and they knew the Imperial Family needed to return to the safety of their own borders to ride out this storm with the comfort and security of their loyal military forces.

Throughout the city citizens had been mingling in the squares, the forums and other public places discussing the day's turn of events. It had been such a beautiful morning, as the sky had dawned the gentle orange and red hues of the dawn that gave way to the crystal clear blue skies, with white puffy clouds spread on the horizon. That had unfortunately given way to the storm that was on the horizon, the clouds had been auspicious in beckoning and telling of the political turmoil and social anxiety that had emerged from the Connurist Empire, truly only time would tell what wold happen, and what would come of this.



"I know they are innocent, though truly none of us nobles are really innocent as the sins of our forefathers stain our hands as they did theirs." Evander said as they walked back to the airship. He thanked the gods that the Emperor had agreed it was safer for them in the airship than in the palace. It was unfortunate and it would likely be a sore spot, so Evander avoided directly addressing the issue while in the presence of friends, the matters would be discussed at length likely by the Emperor and the Eternal Lord somewhere more private. They walked the short distance and up the steps into the atrium of the air ship. It was finely decorated in an art deco manner, very intricate and ornate but not over the top. Evander told of the various commodities on the airship, and finally they found themselves in a parlor a few decks below the observation area but the parlor still had a bank of windows to allow for a nice view, in the comfort of a lounge. He offered the Emperor a drink and poured one for himself.

"I believe it best that the Princesses go see the media room." Evander said looking at his wife. She gathered their daughter and those of the Connurists taking them to the media room, which fortunately doubled as a safe room. "They will be safest there." He said looking at the aged man before him. He sat in one of the chairs resting comfortably while he looked at the window. Some smoke billowed in the distance but was likely a car burning and not a structure. "The Empire is on the brink of the worst disaster since fighting the Calraxians. How can we assist you?" He asked taking a sip of the scotch, and looking at the older sovereign, his eyes sincere and the hum of the engines roared to life as the ship lifted off gently. It was so that if they needed to make a quick exit the engines wouldn't need to be restarted.

Avaline followed the Princess to a corner, keeping in hushed tones as well. "It can take small arms and medium fire. Anything larger will pierce the armor." She said looking at the Princess sensing the urgency which made her consider whether what soldiers they had would be enough. Thankfully the vehicles had been unloaded and that consisted of two Roselian MBT's. Unlike airships of past centuries it was not about weight, as the new engines could sustain far more than those previously. "It can't take much anti-aircraft fire. Direct hits might cause the airship to need to land. We have two helicopters on board if we need to bail." She added making sure that the Princess understood that it was much akin to a flying fortress but all fortresses have their weaknesses and this one's was anti-aircraft fire. "If you need I can deploy my men to set up a perimeter around the airship here at the palace to make sure that we don't find ourselves.... in a desperate position." She said eluding to the reports about gunfire near the palace.

[Allied Connurist States]

Connor took in his new and unfamiliar surroundings as he made a real effort to resist the tempting and generous offer of an alcoholic beverage. It was not yet an appropriate time to drown his sorrows, and given the severity of incidents they were dealing with, he would likely need to call upon the full mental capacity that came with sobriety. He occupied himself by admiring the decor, which was so very typically Roselian. The manner with which the design left nothing more to be desired in the regality department, and how it teetered perfectly on the brink between not enough and too much, was unmatched anywhere in the known universe. That, in addition to the justified worry that even his own Knights could potentially be against him, provided adequate explanation as to why his deep, dark brown eyes darted around the room, before ultimately settling and meeting Evander’s gaze.

”You would know the interior of this airship far better than I could hope to.” he told him, gratefully. ”If that is where you believe they would all be safest, then I cannot oppose you.” he asserted, giving as much approval to the relocation of his offspring as he could. ”Truthfully, I have no idea what you could do.” Connor confessed, taking a seat. ”There are several potential courses of action that I can think of, but they are all heavily context dependent.”

The princess swore under her breath in an unladylike fashion as she learned of the vulnerability of the Eternal Grace. ”I would highly advise that you all leave this place as soon as possible while you still can.” she said politely, doubting that Avaline fully grasped how dire the situation was as she casually drew and loaded her sidearm. “With all due respect, if I were you, which I am well aware I’m not, I’d think it best to have the Rosengarden ensure the safety of both our houses and go, whilst the Knights and I remain here and fight. You didn’t come here to needlessly die for our cause, and I dare to propose that a security breach of this magnitude could only be perpetrated by someone with the combination of the aptitude and the equipment of one of my own men or women. Therefore, I shall give the order for my contingent to disembark, because we wouldn’t want any of them to decide to sabotage this ship or to otherwise threaten the lives of not only my own sisters or my father, but more importantly to you, Evander and his spouse and daughter, would we?” she implored her, nearing desperation as she attempted to convey the sheer urgency involved here.

[Roseheim]

"You Highness, there is a detatchment of Imperial Guardsmen already aboard. The rest of us will remain here, we will not run during our ally's times of trouble." Avaline said taking out a black communicator and pressing a blue switch. A three beep sequence quickly followed in acknowledgement and the roar of the engines could be heard as they began preparations for an emergency ascent. "Once your men are off the airship has been given orders to withdrawal to behind the Roseheim border." Avaline said watching as the men and women of her detachment did not look at the airship but instead fell in line to await further order. "We are yours to command Highness," Avaline said looking at the princess before her. The young woman was not a Princess, sure she held the title, but she did not fit the description. This young woman, was military through and through, and something about staying behind to assist her made Avaline proud to call the Connurists allies.

On board the airship an attendant hurriedly entered the parlor interrupting the Eternal Lord and the Emperor. "Majesties," the man said bowing to both before crossing the distance to the Eternal Lord. "Knight-Commander Rhegan has ordered the Captain to begin an emergency ascent and evacuation to the border." He said bowing and awaiting any orders from Evander. Thoughts raced through the Eternal Lord's mind, mainly focusing on the fact that if things were actually bad enough for Avaline to order the evacuation of the airship then it was likely she and the Rosengarden staying behind would not come home alive. Solemn thoughts of the fact Evander would have to preside over their funerals crossed his mind, though the pride with which he felt for those men and women surpassed all other thoughts, taking the primary place in his mind, if only for a fleeting moment.

The Eternal Lord turned to the Emperor, "Your daughter is in capable hands Connor," Evander said though he knew that it would not curb the worry the man felt or would be feeling. He was needed elsewhere, somewhere safe where he could lead the loyalists and establish a beachhead in his own nation to use for counterattacks against the disloyal rebels. Soon the engines were completely warmed up and the airship began an emergency ascent as the anti-matter engines roared from the stress of such an action but within a minutes they had reached nearly twenty-thousand feet and were making full steam towards the Border so as to get everyone to safety.

[Allied Connurist States]

Hastingsville Train Station
New Pearsonville Airport Line
Suburbs of New Pearsonville

It was a beautiful and bright day, where clear skies reigned - for now. For the sovereign of the sky realms changed capriciously and whimsically, their will remaining ever mysterious - or something like that, thought Pvt. Palmer, bored beyond her wits and staring absent-mindedly towards the heavens despite the fact there wasn’t even any clouds to spot. Her unit, led by one Lieutenant Parsons, had defected, and were now stopping every single Maglev and train passing through the route - this was an important route that seemed to connect to every other line in the city at some point or another, and if the Imperial Family tried to escape off to Roseheim via this method of transport, they would be caught. However, in the chaos that ruled the day so far, all public services had been cancelled - but that did not mean that House Pearson could not take control of some rolling stock, so still they remained, twiddling their thumbs. Some complained that they would be better off elsewhere, actively joining the front lines. Palmer, however, had only volunteered a couple of months ago to help make a bit of money so that her boyfriend could attend some posh college. Now she found herself dragged into this whole thing, and whilst she was totally politically apathetic, the 19 year old had ended up with these marxist revolutionaries simply because to refuse her commanding officer’s offer would have surely seen her be shot.

That was when suddenly she did spot something. ”Possible contact, 10 o'clock and high.” she called out, alerting her comrades to the presence of an airship - something that could only belong to House Trost. ”Missile launcher locked and ready to fire.” called out someone else, coldly eager to fire, but the order from Lt. Parsons never came.

Yes, the Roselians were bourgeois and all that, but it was not believed that they would commit troops to the regime of Connor IV. Sure, they were allies yesterday, but who knew about today? Everything had changed, and that was perhaps why they were already leaving. An attack on this airship would surely mean retribution of the highest order - if, of course, the Imperial Dominate did not collapse in chaos with the lack of an heir.

Parsons immediately established contact with her superiors, but the order came back instructing them to not even dare to provoke the wrath of those whom they shared Edyn Prime with. If they had known who else was on board… it would be a very different story indeed. For now, the Eternal Grace was safe.

---

Back in the Palace
Princess Julia was momentarily stunned, for she strongly felt that her and her house deserved nothing from the Roselians. Now her country owed even more, and the enthusiasm with which the Rosengarden were apparently willing to lay down their lives was admirable, if not foolhardy. And now, she had the honour of commanding this elite unit.

“Well then.” she declared, pulling herself together and composing a battle plan on the fly. It was certainly good that Avaline had given her the opportunity to take overall charge, however, as it meant that everything she did would not have to be proposed and negotiated over with her - and considering the young noble definitely adhered to an unorthodox strategy, it gave her the freedom she so loved. Contrary to the typical stoic, emotionless officer that stereotypically defined those few who occupied positions of authority within the military hierarchy, the princess was visibly buzzing with excitement at the prospect of facing proper intensive combat. She lived for the rush of bullets whizzing inches past her head and the thrill of the rifle kicking like a mule as she accurately took down her opponents. This was her element.

“Avaline.” she said, addressing the most important person amongst her newfound troops. “I need to know exactly what type of ammunition and how much of it you all have, I need to know about the mobility and range and firepower of your vehicles and heavy weaponry ; all that business? Oh, and any of your troops cybernetically enhanced? And are you essentially special forces?” she said, assuming that everyone else was on her wavelength. “I don’t plan on standing here, making a last stand, and dying without achieving anything. I propose a fighting withdrawal with which we use our superior equipment and training to wage a guerilla war and help both our countries to the highest extent. I’d like you all to form fireteams of six, three Connurists and three Roselians to each. This is because everyone here in the Knights knows this palace like the back of their hand and as such, it doesn’t really matter that you foreigners don’t know the layout of this place. I want a literal couple of fireteams to see what’s left of High Command, and see if Cole is still with us. If so, I want her brought to me. It would be hugely beneficial if we could secure and loot the Imperial Armoury, therefore I shall assign other remaining fireteams to that task, and I need to, you know, collect a personal belonging or two and destroy some sensitive records that are still private and classified even today. I’m also going to try and contact other Knight cells, because we need all the numbers we can get…”

Neglection of any sort of formal dismissal was something her subordinates were used to, and as they began to get ready for completing their assigned tasks, a few surprised Roselians quickly caught the hint and followed suit as small debate began as to whether the armoured vehicles should be used to drive the attackers away from the palace - for soldiers and protesters alike who remonstrated had few anti-armour capabilities - or whether they should simply be used to assist the withdrawal.

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Back on the Eternal Grace
Connor had always sort of known that Julia would have wanted to stay behind, and if the girl ever wanted something, it was happening no matter what, whether one liked it or not, not a single person on this planet could stop her. This was no surprising matter. But the confirmation still distressed him internally, and now he was more than happy to accept a drink. “She survived on the front lines of Aerenor.” he muttered. ”If she can make it through that, then she can make it through this.”

It wasn’t a logically flawed statement, but this was an entirely different context. Anything could happen.

Her sisters had also seen her decision coming from miles away. They were torn between thinking that it was better that there were no last words exchanged because it would hurt so much, and feeling like there was nothing more important than letting her know that she was loved just one more time. They quickly came to the conclusion, though, that if anyone in this room was suffering, it could be little Astrid. The four year old would surely have no clue as to what was happening, which in many sense was very good, but surely she would know that something was not quite right. Like young children simply did, it seemed as if she showed curiosity and interest about who these unfamiliar women were. Most certainly she would just want things to be normal ; playing happily. Being bored in a room of full of unsmiling girls was never fun.

Jennifer looked up and across the room to Liliana, seemingly awaiting a sign that she was allowed to interact with her daughter.