In varietate concordia [Earth 2]

[-the Ukrainian SSR-]

The Federation of Lacoze
Federal City of Vienna (Wien) - Austria
November 5, 2015

Vienna was one of the largest in the federation of Lacoze and one of the largest cities in Europe. A cultural city with a history dating back thousands of years it was somewhat of a melting pot of cultures, though the local Germans always came out on top. It was also somewhat a crossroads between the great empires and peoples of the European continent, from Rome to Germania and those between and beyond them. Which was why during its formation the Federation of Lacoze, a supranational union of Europe's free peoples no longer desiring to be oppressed by Germans or Soviets or the Cottish it had been chosen as the new nation's capital, a federal city. For the first years of its existence Lacoze had been a rising star in Europe, a land often begotten by either the tyrannical boot of Nazi Germany or simple lethargic hegemony by the now defunct Roman Empire, they had brought with them an active participation in democracy, a promise of civil and human rights long forgotten to the people's of Europe and for that in most lands they had been welcomed.

It had not all been easy, of course. No ascent to unity from chaos is ever easy, least of all regarding nations, where peoples and cultures disagree with one another on principle if not other more ancient grievances. In the south the unification of the South Balkans Confederation which preceded Lacoze had given the fledgling nation a neighbor which would not bow to its whims or join its glorious vision of a Europe united in freedom, democracy and diversity. The tensions between the two nations had fostered a conflict, and then a stagnation of the economy in Lacoze owing to the decrease in trade and free movement.

This had the extrapolated affect of the people losing faith in the current government, a vote of no confidence against the president and the accusations of rising corruption within the other organs of the state excluding the demoralized military who simply had no faith in their commander in chief in the Executive House in Vienna. Then of course the was the loss of the Czech and Slovak republics to Poland and their Central European Federation which was another obstacle to Lacoze's ultimate dream of uniting Europe among others.

The greatest threat to European Unification was by far however, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which encompassed a great deal of western and central Europe including France, Germany and the low countries, as well as their continuing incorporation of England into their realm. Neither Amsterdam nor Vienna were fond of the other, for a variety of issues most of which related back to the fact both of them thought of themselves as the ones destined to unify Europe, one in the name of a despotic monarchy which sought to dominate, and then the federation which sought to bring the Light of Liberty to the long since oppressed peoples of Europe.

Those were for the moment however distant concerns of Hans Amsel, President-elect of the Federation of Lacoze, elected in the elections following the vote of no confidence against currently incumbent President Czarnecki on an agenda of revitalizing the Lacozen state, reviving the economy and easing tensions with the Dutch while continuing what had been coined as the Grand Dream. Amsel himself was a tall man, six foot one in the Imperial measurement system with blonde hair and green eyes with roguish handsome features of an older man at forty-five years old who was a Senator prior to this appointment by the people.

A chauffeured state car carried Amsel through the winding streets of Vienna towards the Executive Mansion, where the President of the Federation made his home and office during his tenure, on his way to a meeting with the incumbent President Czarnecki. Amsel had much to discuss with his predecessor and so this would be the first of a few meetings before Czarnecki stepped down in January of 2016.

"We're almost to the presidential house, sir." His driver called back in Hungarian, Amsel sat up straighter and fixed his tie and coat. "Thank you, Sanyi." The Austrian man replied in almost-clear Magyar, the slightest of accents still audible in his speech that caused his driver to chuckle. "No problem, sir." Sanyi answered with a smile as the car turned a corner before stopping some distance across the grand scale of Hofburg Palace, the executive mansion of the Federation of Lacoze and former residence of Austria's distant kings.

Amsel opened the door to the car himself where he was greeted by two men of the Lacozen Army who saluted sharply before turning to escort him across the square to the palace itself. The walk across was meant to be a humbling experience, he imagined given the immense scale of the palace and its grounds. It didn't work, not really. He didn't feel big per say he just didn't feel humbled either, he was no serf, no peasant, no slave to any man. He was a republican and duly appointed representative of the Lacozen peoples, he had no reason to feel small.

The two soldiers left him at the door of the palace which was guarded by two more men, this time of the presidential protection detail, also drawn from the army owing to the army's perceived neutrality in politics. He was not escorted inside but was met by another man, the President's aide de camp who led him to the door of the presidential office. A short wait was ended with his admittance to the office without ceremony, as it should be, and was greeted with the sight of President Czarnecki standing behind an ancient oaken desk that had once belonged to monarchs. "Mister President." Amsel crossed the room with a slight smile, offering his hand which the president took and shook lightly. "Mister President-elect." Czarnecki greeted in Amsel's native Austrian German. "Welcome to your office."

"It is for now still yours, Mister President. I think I might have it re-arranged though." They shared a light laugh over that comment before the two men took on a gaze of seriousness. "Mister President, we have a good deal to discuss and a very short time to do it in."

"Yes, Mister President-elect, that is true. Come, let us sit and talk." The President responded motioning for the man to sit on a small sofa with a table between it and another sofa which he sat on across from Amsel.

"I do not intend to let the ship sink, sir." Amsel said bluntly once he was seated, the President blinked a twice before one of his eyebrows quirked upward.

"The 'ship' isn't sinking, Mr. President-elect. The Attorney General is prosecuting some men who thought it was and decided to see if they could cash grab, but the biggest hurdle at the moment is my leaving office, which I'm sure you can fill more than adequately."

"Our people are generally demoralized, sir. No one is deserting the military yet and the people aren't up in arms but there has been considerable affect owing to our tensions with the Albanians and the Dutch, not to mention the Polish stealing more than a third of the country."

The President sighed. "Yes, they are demoralized and there has been that secession but we are generally intact, I have the utmost faith and confidence that your administration will turn around what I could not." The President did not speak begrudgingly, which Amsel was thankful for, though he had no doubt that the man had reservations about how the moment the boat got rocky people had declared him incompetent.

"Thank you, sir." Amsel responded with neutrality...

[Terra Reborn]

Sir James Warner KCG
Imperial Embassy, Vienna
The Federation of Lacoze
Thursday 5th November 2015, 1200hrs Local Time (0200hrs Imperial Capital Time, 1000hrs Zulu)

To say that the Empire of Apilonia was pleased with the progress in the Federation of Lacoze would be an understatement. Seen as a viable, democratic and generally peaceful alternative to the aggressive and ambitious Dutch, the Empire had been quick to befriend the Federation when it the dream of European Unity had begun to show its head. To the Empire the Federation had been a vital partner in the region and a series of diplomatic and trade agreements had only helped to grow that link, joint military exercises had even taken place as the Imperial presence, and with it the presence of His Majesty’s Armed Forces, had increased in the region, particularly the Mediterranean Sea. Between a strong Federation and, of course, a strong Realm of Cotland, the threat from the Dutch had been deemed to be minimal; they’d have been too busy handling their own problems to threaten the Empire. Indeed this was largely borne out, as the Federation had found itself diminished the Dutch had become braver, more willing to get involved overseas, and that was not seen as a coincidence. In short the Empire had been eager to foster good relations with the Federation for various reasons.

As such they had watched with dismay at the Federation found itself becoming increasingly mired by corruption and economic and political stagnation, even more so as it became increasingly involved in the quagmire that was the Southern Balkans. The secession of Poland had been a catastrophe and had shattered morale across the Federation, and many in the Imperial Foreign Office had been convinced that that was it for the Federation. This had led to a significant, if unfortunate, drawdown in the relations between the Empire and the Federation. The Empire had watched far too many nations collapse around them to be able to proceed with business as usual. The most notable example of this had been when the Ministry of Defence had blocked the sale, from the Imperial Apilonian Shipyards, of thirty modern Type-26 Frigates to the Federation Navy, having decided that instability and corruption in the Federation had reached far too higher a level to allow such advanced warships to be sold to them. Fortunately for the Imperial Shipyards a new buyer had been found in the Royal Persian Navy. In short the trouble the Federation was in had been disastrous to Imperial foreign policy in the region.

The vote of no confidence in President Czarnecki had been expected, but many in the Foreign Office, and even in the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), had worried that this would just allow more corrupt individuals to gain power. The vast majority of them had been caught out when the Federation’s Attorney General had launched a campaign to prosecute those that had sought to take advantage of the Federation’s misfortune and the election of then-Senator Hans Amsel had been very positively received in the imperial Foreign Office as a massive step in the right direction. In the weeks that had passed since the election and the results had been published, after an exceptionally long delay, no doubt to ensure that the result was totally and utterly legitimate, the Foreign Office and its intelligence-gathering arm, the SIS, had been doing everything they could to get a handle on the political and social situation inside the Federation, in order to determine how to proceed. If the Empire could rebuild its links with the Federation, then its position in the wider European theatre would be more secure.

It was to discuss the evolving state of affairs in the Federation that had resulted in the Ambassador calling a meeting at the Imperial Embassy to the Federation in Vienna.

Sir James Warner was the Imperial Ambassador to the Federation of Lacoze. He had previously served as the Ambassador to the Republic of Texas, up until the Texans had joined the Empire, and had been integral in the integration process, and had been rewarded for his service with a Knighthood. His appointment to the Federation was likewise a reward, the Federation was deemed to be one of the upper-tier diplomatic missions, and the appointment of a new Imperial Ambassador coincided with the return to fortune of the Federation as a whole. Sir James was well respected within His Majesty’s Diplomatic Service as an ambitious and proactive man, well suited for keeping up to pace in what was likely to be a rapidly developing situation in the Federation over the coming months, especially after President-Elect Amsel assumed office in January.

The meeting he had called was for the senior individuals in the Embassy. There was his Chief of Staff of course, Michael Brown, who was responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the entire staff. Jack Coleman, the Counsellor for External Affairs. Jennifer Smith, the Counsellor for Economic Affairs. Special Agent Mark Hobbs, of the Diplomatic Security Agency, the Resident Security Officer. Finally there was Thomas Bradford, officially speaking he was the Press Attache but in reality he was the Station Chief from the Secret Intelligence Service, the top Imperial spy within the country, he was not however the ‘Known Spy’, the officer known to the host nation’s security services for the purposes of communication, that role was held by his second-in-command, who also operated under Official Cover at the Embassy. In short the meeting brought together the four men who would be most intimately involved with shaping the mission’s interactions with its host nation; the Foreign Office had set their objectives, but it would be largely up to the Ambassador and his staff to get the job done.

“Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen, so we know there’s a lot of rhetoric flying about out there,” Sir James said with a slight smile. “How much is practical and how much is just talk?”

“I think it’s likely that, due to the challenges facing the Federation, a great deal of the ‘just talk’ is actually going to have to be translated into meaningful progress,” Jack Coleman commented wryly. “We know as well as they do that there’s lot facing the Federation, and they’ve got an awful lot that they need to fix if they’re to hold what is left of the Federation together.”

“I would tend to agree, from a purely economic standpoint the Federation needs to restore lost faith in its Government and its objectives,” Jennifer Smith nodded. “In order to reinvigorate the confidence lost in the Federation’s economy the new Administration is going to have to solve a lot of the existing problems.”

“Can they do it?” Sir James frowned.

“We certainly think that President-Elect Amsel is sure as hell going to try,” Coleman replied with a grin. “The Attorney General’s prosecutions are certainly likely to do wonders for their morale.”

“is there going to be a clean handover of power in January?” Sir James asked.

“We believe so, Mister Ambassador,” Thomas Bradford replied promptly. “We know that Amsel went to visit President Czarnecki this morning, and whilst we have no sources inside the Presidential office, it seems likely to be one of a number of handover meetings.”

“Let’s keep your boys and girls on that, if we’re going to start investing in our relationship with the Federation, I want to make sure we know if its going to collapse around us again,” Sir James stated firmly. “I do not want the same thing to happen to us twice, yes the Federation is important to us, but if we can’t count on them we’ll have to look elsewhere.”

Sir James paused meaningfully.

“Alright, well I’ms sure we’ve got a lot to discuss about how to proceed, so let’s get started,” Sir James continued. “Jennifer, last week you mentioned what we should aim for when we try and renew our trade treaties…"

[-the Ukrainian SSR-]

The Federation of Lacoze
Federal City of Vienna (Wien) - Austria
November 5, 2015

An hour passed at first and then two before President-elect Amsel removed himself from the presence of President Czarnecki on amicable terms, or at least he thought so. They spoke at great length on matters of domestic and foreign policy most of which related to the Czarnecki administration rather than the not yet extant Amsel administration. A few topics came up over the others, figuring out how to repair things with the Dutch, figuring out how to deal with the SBC with the Layartebians breathing down their necks, a few other nuisances of varying importance. Amsel intended to deliver a formal apology to the Dutch when he came into office regarding the series of unfortunate events that plagued relations between the two nations, mostly in an effort to get about a good third of the Dutch army off of the Lacozen border where on both sides crack divisions of the Dutch and Lacozen armies stared at one another in a tense and potentially deadly staring contest for whoever flinched first.

The other thing they discussed the most was after shunting everyone else out of the room, concerning matters of intelligence such as involving the Bundesnachrichtendienst or Federal Intelligence Service in English, as well as issues concerning the Bundesministerium des Innern or Federal Ministry of the Interior in English and the Attorney General's (his actual title being Generalbundesanwältin or Public Prosecutor General) ongoing crusade against the corrupt elements trying to embed themselves in Lacoze's government that neither administration would tolerate. Amsel intended to keep the man in his own administration, not out of any sense of nepotism but because he saw that the man markedly got results when he pursued criminal elements with a single-minded doggedness that the President-elect could admire in a man in such a position.

Lastly they discussed simple transition, what projects would be kept going under the new administration, which ones would be axed in the name of budgetary reform etc. In all Amsel found it to be quite enlightening on just how much he would have to fix, and was glad to hear and find out that it was not nearly as severe as he originally thought it would be when he was campaigning for the office of the Presidency. "Relieving really." The President-elect dared whisper to the air as he crossed the grand gala of Austria's kingly palace without a second thought heading to his next appointment, with his vice president-elect Albert Laberenz to go over notes that lay in a briefcase provided to him by the presidential office for the absurd amount of paperwork he'd taken down and would no doubt face more of in the coming days. "It's going to be a very long day." Hans sighed.

[Brydog]

Federal Council Building
Wroclaw, Poland, CEF
November 5, 2015

The room which housed the Federal Council was in a normal mood, however the news of the Lacoze's fight against corruption was welcomed news. The Federation, wanted a stable government in place in Lacoze, and the news was welcomed since the country had to deal such matters itself. It was not known what Czarnecki next step after office would be, he was welcomed back in Poland or he may stay in Lacoze. The Federal Council was ok with any choice he made. Two nation shared a peaceful relation, the split shook Lacoze but the CEF still thought of Lacoze as a friend, and the Federation wanted to have good relations with its neighbors, since the country's foreign policy was one of neutrality. The Federal Council welcomed the new President and looked forward to working with him in the coming year. However the business of the possibility of forces in the country working against this was a issue in the meeting, as the President of the Federal Council, gave his opinion on the situation, The Federal Minister of Federal Security, the Slovak who was responsible for the intelligence services of the Federation, Karol Novak.

"Well, according to Stanislav and I" referring to the one eyed, Minister of Internal Affairs "We have reports of possible groups that might attempt to cause mischief and other issues"

"Stanislav, how are you guys looking?"

"Well, we are ready to grab your guys if you gives the places"

"Good, now Natálie?"

The Foreign Minister, Natálie Kudrna, a Czech who served as the last President gave a nod, "We are ready to talk with the President-elect and see what we can work up, this nation wants Lacoze to be stable, our divorce was hard but we are still committed to democracy and freedoms, and we have no ill feelings. Freidrich is getting ready to meet with Amsel and discuss treaties and reinforce ties. Friedrich Kessler was the Ambassador in Vienna, who took his position after the end of the attempted seizure and the establishment of the Federation. He was raised in Vienna and attended school in the city, he was the contact between the two nations and was the "inside man" for the country. He was to be the first official of the Federation that meets the President-elect when the talks were to occur.

[Amigard]

November 5, 2015

In January of 2015 the Theocracy of Amigard ordered the withdraw of its VNV Squadron from the Federation’s territory and requested that the Federation remove its assets from Amigard territory. The nations had an agreement wherein they each based a squadron of fighters in each the other’s territory as a form of a defense pact along with various trade agreements. However; when Cardinal Rasheed took office in Baghdad, the Theocracy moved to withdraw its military forces from abroad and this included the forces stationed in the Federation. Trade continued but the relationship between the two nations soured somewhat, especially on account of the Theocracy’s place in the Eurasian Defense Pact, which included the Dutch.

Cardinal Rasheed, at the beginning of his reign, had affirmed the Theocracy’s continued place in the EDP though he was sure to emphasize the defensive element of the pact. The Theocracy would send military aid to members of the EDP, including the Dutch, if one of those members was attacked, but Cardinal Rasheed was quick to point out that the pact did not require or ensure Amigard’s participation in any of the EDP member’s offensive operations, or in the event the member of the EDP was the aggressor.

Because the Federation continued trade with the Theocracy, and due to its strategic location in Europe, the Theocracy continued to maintain an embassy in Vienna under the prevue of Ambassador Layla Hart, an aging woman who at seventy-two was one of the Theocracy’s older ambassadors but also one of its brightest and most charismatic. Ambassador Hart had protested the Theocracy’s withdraw of its military assets from Lacoze, fearing that the move would only increase tensions in the region and that the Federation would see it as a precursor to a Dutch invasion or attack of some kind. The attack never came, but Ambassador Hart remained critical of the new Cardinal’s policies in regards to Lacoze.

The secession of Poland seemed by many in Amigard’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be an indication that the Federation was beginning to come apart at the seams and there was some suggestion that the embassy should be closed, but Ambassador Hart resisted the suggestions and assured the Cathedral of Saint Michael that, even if the Federation were to fall apart, the Theocracy would only benefit by maintaining its embassy in Vienna . While many Amigard embassies throughout the world were closing their doors, the embassy in Vienna remained at full staff, thanks largely to Ambassador Hart’s insistence that amicable relations with Lacoze was vital in maintaining peace in the region, that Amigard could play a role in mediating the tension between the Dutch and the Lacoze nations, and that by doing so it could mitigate the possibility that Amigard would be called upon by the EDP to intervene in a situation that would run counter to Cardinal Rasheeds apparent policy of isolation.

[-the Ukrainian SSR-]

The Federation of Lacoze
Federal City of Vienna (Wien) - Austria
November 6, 2015

It had been less than twenty-four hours later when President-elect Hans Amsel found himself in the private office of the Attorney-General of the Federation of Lacoze and was discussing things with him in the most severe tones of how to proceed in regards to the AG's ongoing battle against corruptive forces within the Federal Republic. In attendance also was the Chief Justice of the land's highest court, Aurél Dobos. They had been speaking for only a few moments of what was sure to be a long and tenuous debate over the Law of the land and how the President had no right to be involved with it and so on when an aide entered the room and whispered something hurried and panicked into the AG's ear, the President-elect caught only snippets of the words but he was enlightened when the lawyer looked up. "There appears to have been an incident at the presidential estate."

"Oh?" The President-elect said with the utmost neutrality in his tone imaginable.

"It would appear that the President has been arrested." At that, Amsel nearly blinked, but only nearly, the senator turned president-elect instead took on a look that was very near to fear.

"By whom?" The man spoke in a whisper of his own, hoarse and almost non-existent, fearing the possibility of a coup d'etat not so dissimilar than that had ravaged other nations in the world as they rose and fell like rainstorms on the steppe.

"By the police, of course." The Attorney-General said plainly, as though it were obvious.

"You're sure?" Amsel responded, the AG nodded stiffly, sure in his words.

"Yes, yes, the Federal Police arrested him five minutes ago." The AG said once more, as though irritated by the possibility of anyone else making a grab for power, they were after all, a democracy!

"I see, well, owing to this event I will take my leave of you gentlem---" The President-elect began when he distinctively heard the sound of gunshots. "The federal police?" He said derisively towards the AG as he made his way towards the window, looking out he saw a number of vehicles and more importantly the milling bodies of men armed for warfare. The Army had betrayed the nation, it appeared. "Is there another way out of here?" The President-elect said as he moved to secure the door, locking it and blocking it with the assistance of the chief justice with furniture, it would not hold anyone determined but would buy precious seconds.

"There's a fire escape, other than that I never had the fear that I would be arrested in my own office." The AG said honestly.

"That will have to do." Amsel said as he hoisted a window open, luckily it was the right one and he clambered out, no one was shooting at him so that was a good sign at the very least. The politician was not in prime physical condition, but he was not a lumbering obese man either so he made his way down the half-stair half-ladder contraption easily enough, landing softly in a service gully more than an alley behind the simple office building that had been serving as the offices of the attorney general, such spartanness Amsel appreciated when he wasn't in danger of being killed or detained by the enemies of freedom and liberty.

He wished suddenly that he were not so recognizable. "Blasted traitors." The President-elect mumbled as he carefully edged his way forward towards the head of the alley. As he had suspected there were several vehicles baring troops, men in tactical vests with rifles that he had no doubt were filled with ammunition, some were grouped around an armored vehicle, he didn't know enough about the military to tell what it was, though when it disgorged more men he knew it wasn't a tank. Interestingly, none of them seemed particularly interested in what they were doing, many were mumbling in English, the unified language of the military of the Federation, excepting when they were fighting the British, of course. Most he noticed were wondering just what in the hell was going on, so that told him that this was not a uniformly supported decision, among other things.

"Don't move, Mister Senator." A voice from behind him whispered and Hans froze on the spot. "Step back." He did so. "Turn around." He did so again, a man in full tactical gear with a rifle slung over his shoulder, not even in a combative state, was standing there trying very hard not to laugh at the President-elect's obvious terror. "If you believe in democracy and freedom sir I compel you to come with me."

"Is this a trick?" Hans asked in German, the man shook his head before responding in the 'angry' language.

"No, sir. General Theodor Horowitz of the Presidential Guard is making a bid for power. As you can see, not everyone agrees with it." The soldier spoke as he led the President-elect down the alley and out onto a side-street that the soldiers hadn't reached yet, or had already finished sweeping. "The Presidential Guard is the only unit involved with this coup d'etat, sir, I'm trying to get you to General Roland d'Vaumartin of the 2nd Army, we're the ones who arrived here at the attorney general's headquarters, we're trying to prevent a civil war, with all due respect we think that would be bad."

"Yes, it would, might I have the honor of your name?" Hans said as the soldier shoved him back behind something as he thought he saw something before pulling him out.

"Me? I'm Samson Mullins. Private First Class." PFC Mullins said simply as they rounded another corner and came across a vehicle, with a person in it at that. "Ma'am." Mullins walked up to the side of the car and very calmly in German explained what the hell was going on and asked kindly to requisition the vehicle, surprisingly to both of the men the woman actually got out and Mullins turned to the President-elect. "Can you drive, sir?"

"Yes." Amsel answered plainly as he clambered into the driver's seat of the sedan.

"Good, because I dread the thought of it but I may end up having to use this." Private Samson said as he motioned to his StG 77 assault rifle, the soldier barely fit in the car until he just ripped the seat out of the vehicle and tossed it on the ground. "I'll guide you to where we're set up, sir. Do not bother with traffic lights, very soon, they won't matter." The soldier said with a sad sense of knowing in his voice.

---

The Federation of Lacoze
Federal City of Vienna (Wien) - Austria
November 6, 2015

Major General Theodor Horowitz paced the floor of his office with trepidation. The balding fifty-five year old was besides his hair, the pinnacle of someone in the peak of physical fitness despite his relatively advanced age, his blue uniform and black cavalry boots were pressed and shined, adorned in lapels and medals earned legitimately through his service in the Lacozen army, though scheming men would say otherwise. Events were now in motion that could not be undone, he knew that, he was ready to face the outcome no matter what it was, but he felt success coursing through him. This was a necessary evil, he said, mostly to convince himself of the events legality. Earlier in the day, prior to the raise of dawn his officers and he had gone over plans that were drawn up in the utmost secrecy, entirely within and self-contained inside the Presidential Guard, the defense unit for Vienna itself, a division sized unit that reported directly to the Presidency with few checks through parliament. This had met considerable objection but eventually was 'passed' under duress of the impending disintegration of the Federation which later nearly came true with the cession of Poland and other territories, though ultimately the Beacon of Democracy and Freedom preserved, for now. He had to assure that it remained so, he reasoned, his men reasoned. "Sir." A voice called out, he snapped his head towards the figure responsible, a young warrant officer who gave a proper salute and clicked his heels, he nearly cuffed the lad there for doing such a ludicrous thing a war zone, but let it go, it was understandable, this was the capital of the Federation, it wasn't a combat zone... Yet.

"What is it?" The aged General asked simply, his pacing halting for the moment, he simply needed things to go right, he had to defend the nation.

"We have President Czarnecki, sir. As well as Vice-President Berger in custody, the attorney general's security staff put up a fight but he is also in custody, in addition we also have chief-justice Dobos by sheer chance. The President-elect is eluding us, as is the Vice-President-elect Laberenz." The WO went on, the General nodded, some slip ups were allowed, that damnable Senator from Austmark wasn't in office yet so the power was still with Czarnecki. "Further, sir. We have the vast majority of the federal parliament, all in all it seems we've succeeded. You will need to move quickly sir, to make sure that nations do not try to take advantage of this situation, as well as native elements that would surely object to this... motion of policy." The WO chose his words carefully, both men knew ultimately it was treason, but also knew that who the traitor was depended entirely on who was in charge at the end of the day. The young man was knowledgeable enough to know better than to voice any concerns, he was in it to the end at this point, as were the rest of the Presidential Guard, well... except for 8th Battalion's 2nd Company, but besides that, they were fine. "One more thing, sir."

"Yes?" The General said as he overlooked maps of the city, namely the roadblocks and checkpoints set up by the unwitting Vienna Police Department who had no idea they were facilitating the 'relocation' of the government of the Federation.

"There are rumors going around that there are Federal Regulars in the city, sir." The WO said simply, the General tensed slightly but nodded in the end.

"Noted, carry on with your duties."

"Sir." The Warrant Officer saluted again smartly, turned on his heel with German discipline and hurried out of the room at just the right speed.

---

The Federation of Lacoze
Federal City of Vienna (Wien) - Austria
November 6, 2015

Vice-President elect Albert Laberenz had barely left his home that morning before he'd began the greatest race in his life, the prize of which was freedom and second place was probably a shallow grave somewhere in the Austrian lowlands. A veteran of the Lacozen army and a combat veteran of the hilariously failed veteran into the southern Balkans, the Vice-President-elect knew very well how to know when a man was following you, in addition to numerous other tells that had been given away either purposefully or by accident as he had made his way towards his office earlier that morning. He'd not made it as after a mere five streets he began a desperate dash to avoid and dodge his pursuers. He hadn't forgotten what a gun felt like full or empty yet but that was a useless feeling when you didn't have a firearm, the man was not so paranoid as to believe he needed one wherever he went, he was suddenly changing his mind in that regard. He stayed close to well populated places, people recognized him from the television, pictures, the internet and so on so it was safer there, and they sheltered him with their incessant nagging for photographs and other such things and eventually he had evaded the men following him either through skill or sheer divine providence.

When he saw the first APCs moving through the streets it was then he put two and two together, corruption had either gotten that bad, which he doubted, or something extremely illegal was ongoing, and there was a coup d'etat being attempted. The six lane parade style road leading up to parliament was an absolute ease for the coup backers to advance up, unopposed, and disgorge troops and set up heavy equipment, roadblocks and more. The VP-Elect was suitably horrified from his own position, a few safer blocks away, the further you were to danger, the further you are from harm, he'd always subscribed to. It was holding true so far, too. Feeling rather advantageous the VP-E walked up to a police officer manning a checkpoint and asked him quite plainly.

"What the hell is going on?" In his native German, the officer shrugged honestly and pointed up the street.

"Something at the presidential palace, we weren't given any more information than that, were told to close the main approach road and wait for further instruction." Laberenz had to physically restrain himself from not slugging the man for his stupidity!

"Officer, do you know who I am?" He asked simply.

"Yes, sir. I voted for the other guys." The cop said honestly with a sheepish shrug.

"Nothing wrong with that." Laberenz said kindly. "Officer, what just went up that road is a Ulan infantry fighting vehicle, you might call it a tank but I assure you it isn't. Along with that there are several trucks, and even a fucking light tank, tell me what do you think is going on?" The question of course was pointed, the cop took a moment before his eyes lit up with fear.

"Oh my God."

"Yes. Now, very quietly, abandon this post, and take me to your CO. We're going to stop this goddamn thing before it happens." Albert Laberenz said very kindly.

"Yes sir!" The cop responded and the two took off, leaving the checkpoint quasi-disassembled and many a curious onlooker wondering what was happening at parliament.

[Layarteb]

November 6, 2015 - 12:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

Sitting in his chair, listening to the cracking of the fireplace, the Emperor had only just pulled his glasses from his face to wipe away the steam created by his cup of coffee. The mood in his office was quiet, somber, tranquil. He'd only held power for four months but it felt like four years. Less than three weeks after he'd taken the office, terrorists from Al-Shams shot down Air Layarteb Flight 8432, killing at 509 on board. A summer of activity against Al-Shams had yielded some results but those who took part in the downing of Flight 8432 remained at large along with three other missiles and three other plots to shoot down Layartebian airliners around the world. To make matters more pressing, the Libyans had warned their Layartebian counterparts that the second plot was in motion, set to strike just before the holiday of Thanksgiving. The Federal Justice Agency was on it but they had too many potential suspects and not nearly enough manpower to comb the entire planet.

That news weighed on the Emperor heavily as he read to the report from Minister Flores of Intelligence who sat mere feet from him. The glow of the fire danced off of the side of her face and she kept quiet while the Emperor read. So too did Robert Crawford who was seated in the corner by the fireplace, sipping on a drink. Minister Flores had politely declined a drink due to an antibiotic she was taking and would be taking for another four days. The Emperor put his glasses back on and looked towards the windows. The dreariness of a cold and wet day only made for a proper atmosphere. Half a world away, the Lacozen capital of Vienna was seeing something quite contrary to what they ought to be seeing.

The first indications that something was amiss came from journalists rather than professional intelligence agents. There was a buzz about the Layartebian embassy's press corps of light armored vehicles and soldiers in uniform being spotted in the city. It didn't take long before the chief of station, John Hardiman was consulting the defense attaché, Harold Cunha on the possibility of a Lacozen training exercise. Nothing was scheduled and there had been no observations of an exercise in preparation. From there, Hardiman placed a call to his counterpart in the Cottish embassy. The Cottish were much more involved with the Lacozen military than the Layartebians were but there was nothing to reveal. That induced a momentary feeling of crisis and pretty soon, Hardiman and Cunha were in the office of the ambassador, Suzanna Arroyo. By then, Hardiman's agents and their assets were on the ground. Photos had come in to the intelligence section from those agents and assets but the photos weren't necessary. Two armored personnel carriers had passed by the embassy en route to somewhere else only minutes after Hardiman and Cunha sat down with Arroyo.

Her first call was to the President's office but the line had merely rung and rung and rung. The switchboard operators appeared to all be missing or there was a problem with the line. She tried again before picking up the phone and dialing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Layarteb City. From there she gave a singular code word that made her message a priority. It took eight minutes to track down Minister Fisher, two minutes to connect the line, and a few seconds for an extra set of encryption systems to take seat. She gave what she could to Fisher and put emergency measures in place at the embassy. Extra security officers from the Diplomatic Protection Group took places around the embassy and all gates but one, the front gate, were locked, secured, and manned. Inside of the embassy, those waiting for appointments were put "on hold" and asked to wait for a short while before news could be had. They were only told that a security situation was in progress outside of the embassy and that the embassy would take protective measures to ensure the safety of all those inside, regardless of their nationality.

Now, two hours after that initial call, the Emperor was reading a brief summary of the events in Vienna. He was seeing photographs of soldiers and armored vehicles in the capital of Lacoze. When he read through it, the Minister of Intelligence had given him her supplemental information and now the quiet in the room meant he was thinking it through. When he finally did speak, he didn't go directly to the problem. "It is in our interest to ensure that Lacoze remains a viable, functioning democracy. So long as Lacoze remains strong in Europe the better for all, including our allies in Scandinavia. The British have grown by leaps and bounds and come as a wedge between both Cotland and Lacoze and while we are not hostile towards London, we must regard their growth and imperialism with concern, even if we've aided and abetted it. To complicate matters we have the schism of the modern Roman Empire to deal with and the hostilities they have shown to us. Lacoze is the best hope for pressure on these nations.

"Our embassy is not under threat so I don't regard whatever is happening as threatening to us but we must ensure our people are safe. If this really is a coup-in-progress, we have to be prepared. We don't know who is in charge here, only the units involved. That the Presidential Guard is in a hostile stance is worrisome enough. Regardless of what we might think of President Czarnecki, the fact remains that until he resigns, he is still the legitimate executive of the Federation of Lacoze. The whereabouts of this Hans Amsel is equally as necessary.

"We must ascertain if this is a move by one against the other or a third party against one or both. How many agents do we have in Vienna and throughout Lacoze?"

"Sir it isn't many. We have a handful of case officers and agents. We've mostly relied on the Cottish for intel out of Lacoze. Our case officers and agents are primarily tasked with keeping an eye on the situation with the SBC and with the tensions related to the British. We don't have the political entity as an objective."

"Well we're in trouble then," the Emperor closed the folder and took another sip of his coffee. It was cooling but slowly, "We have to get a handle on this. Lacoze is too important of a partner in Europe to let go to the wayside. This report hasn't mentioned any trouble along the border with the SBC. Is there any?"

"None indicated sir."

"Even still Robert let's get Allen to put out an alert to our bases in the Balkans and in Poland. We don't know where this is going to go. Now if we notice the British attempting to exploit the situation we have to be prepared. We have a carrier group in the Med right now, correct?"

"Yes sir we do, they on station off of Cyrenaica."

"Okay we may just need them. Vienna is out of range of carrier-based aircraft but a carrier group in the Adriatic might be necessary of the SBC looks to take advantage. News is going to spread to them just as fast, if they don't already know. We might be the guarantors of peace but if the SBC or Lacoze wants to bring war to the other there isn't much we can really do about it but Tirana needs to know we're not going to leave this one alone."

"Yes sir I'll make the call to Allen."

[Brydog]

Federal Defence Complex
Wroclaw, Poland
November 6. 2015

The Defence Ministry occupied what was a brewery, the gated complex held the Defence Ministry and the Federal Security Ministry. It was in the Chiefs of the General Staff's office were the meeting between The three ministers, the General Staff and the Federal Chancellor was being held. The recent news had stuck the Federal Council and now the meeting was to be held to plan the next move. The first to speak was the President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"So, we got troops in streets of Vienna?"

"Yes, Madam. We believe something serious is going on, we have no reports of any drills being held and the situation looks to be frank, not good." The Federal Security Minister replied.

"Well, we need to be ready for anything, inform the Border Guard to be on alert, and tell the border units to be ready if needed." She responded

The Chief of the General Staff nodded in understanding, and responded "The orders will be given to the Federal Army and Territorial Defence Force."

The Territorial Defence Force or the Brown Berets as they are nicknamed, are the reserve units of the Federal Army that also had the duty of reinforcing the Border Guard in situations, Each member republic had its own TDF units like the Federal Armed Forces. In the case of the current situation, the units of the Czech Republic and Slovakia with each republic's TDF had the lead of the situation, with the commander of the Army of the Czech Republic, Armádní generál Jan Schovajsa in charge. Now, was the waiting game to see happens next.

[-the Ukrainian SSR-]

The Federation of Lacoze
Federal City of Vienna (Wien) - Austria
November 6, 2015

Hans Amsel was not a paranoid man before the events unfolding around him, he deduced rather quickly though that it was easy to become paranoid. Everything suddenly became suspect. "I can almost hear O'Fortuna playing..." The comment was entirely sardonic, but evoked a chuckle out of PFC Mullins as the car pulled to a stop outside a very unassuming building, or rather it would've been unassuming if it weren't for the literal machine gun emplacements and sandbags erected around the entrance to what had been a post office. As though to taunt him, a civilian radio within blared Wagner's more famous piece before suddenly going silent, oddly fitting in itself as it was an intermission, and static crackled through the speakers.

"They've knocked out communications I see, that took longer than I expected." The President-elect said mournfully as the PFC clambered out of the car and he followed. Men manning the machine guns saluted Amsel, something he was unused to but a motion he returned none the less. "Captain Größel is through here." Mullins spoke quickly before stopping outside a door to an office, ringed by two more men, others moved about in a combination of speed and paranoia of their own, all were armed and armored, it was a disturbing sight.

Amsel was nudged forward and entered the room alone. Captain Größel was a young man by the politician's count, somewhere in his early thirties perhaps at the latest who was well built by military standards yet also somehow wiry, odd tricks of the light perhaps? "Mister Amsel." The Captain didn't look up from the tactical map of Vienna he had displayed in front of him. "I have eighty two men between you and who are the last hope of Lacozen democracy. The Presidential Guard has gone rogue with the exception of their 8th Battalion's 2nd Company, which at last call was some five minutes ago engaged in a fierce firefight on the outskirts of the city, while trying to infiltrate the city's limits. I cannot tell you much more as I do not know much more myself but sir, events are now in motion that cannot be stopped unless we move very quickly and precisely."

It was a bit much to chew on, the politician had to sit down and breathe for a moment, he looked at the clock, 11:30 AM, it hadn't even been an hour, the adrenaline high was ending and he started shaking, hard as the body naturally detoxed from its own upper. "Eighty men?" He finally rasped out, the Captain nodded in between giving orders to a few members of his very small staff who were moving like Speedy Gonzales.

"We're doomed." The politician said with a bit more than just a hint of hopelessness in his voice. His predecessor was likely dead in some alley, he had no idea where his own legal heir was, for all he knew he was in charge of the country and had absolutely no idea how to handle it, nothing prepared people for these sorts of situations, coup d'etats were an Africa or American happenstance, they didn't happen in Europe!

---

The Federation of Lacoze
Federal City of Vienna (Wien) - Austria
November 6, 2015
11:30 AM

Across the city in one of the barracks of the Viennese police department not overly far from the houses of government; Albert Laberenz had just finished detailing what he thought (not incorrectly) what was going on to one Captain Rafael Stenger who was himself in deep thought over the issue. The mark of unspoken shame that he and his men were helping facilitate the death of Lacozen democracy and freedom was not lost on the slightly overweight man of fifty years at all. Via police band radio, thankfully not shared with the Military, he recalled all of his officers and gave a very short but thorough talking to to the men who numbered about a hundred men who were assigned to his department's zone of control within the city.

The police station's armory was woefully under-equipped for the thing they were about to try and do, civilian trained police officers fighting their own soldiers in what was essentially a micro-scale shooting war had an unspoken and well known gravity to it as the men and women of the precinct as they tugged on ballistic vests designed for handguns, not assault rifles, and loaded down with an assortment of handguns, shotguns and the station's four assault rifles. More than one lamented they weren't trained for this, and it was true because they weren't. No one dwelt on that overly long as they piled out of the station and into police cruisers, thankfully reinforced with kevlar and ballistic glass, and pulled out making their way towards the Presidential Palace to begin with, and would branch out from there as the other units of the police department chose their side, a fairly clear choice, the Lacozen people and moved to surround the offices of government as quickly as possible.

By this time, the people themselves were in a unique combination of doings. Some, the greater majority, were intelligent enough to abandon the streets of their fine city, locking themselves in their homes, in office buildings and shops across the city, the particularly brave or the suicidal were the only ones left out, perhaps excluding some tourists who the Viennese dragged inside usually against their will to protect them. There was a quiet tension to the air, few even knew the apparently omniscient Poles had gone on alert, a common pretext to war in its own right, putting border guards on alert before the tanks started rolling in...

[Terra Reborn]

Sir James Warner KCG
Embassy of the Empire of Apilonia, Vienna
The Federation of Lacoze
Friday 6th November 2015, 1130hrs Local Time (0130hrs Imperial Capital Time, 0930hrs Zulu Time)

There was a nervous excitement within the Imperial Embassy in Vienna.

Between Thomas Bradford’s agents within the city, and social media and word of mouth, word had begun to reach the Embassy that there were Federal troops on the streets of the Lacozen Capital, indeed if the reports were to be believed there was an ongoing firefight between Federal forces. The news had come as a shock to say the least, many within the Embassy had hoped that the Federation’s institutions would have been enough to curb the corruption that had ravaged the nation in recent months, as long as there was a political will behind it. If there were armed troops not he streets however it meant one of two things; martial law, which seemed unlikely, or a coup d’tat, which seemed a whole lot more likely. Clearly however someone had decided that their only hope for freedom and continued prosperity in the light of the prosecutions was to try and seize power. Doubtless the renegade forces were trying to round up the elected civilian leadership as they were obvious beacons around which resistance to the coup would gather in the coming hours and days. How successful they were being was yet to be seen, as much of the information coming into the Embassy was second hand at best.

Never the less knowing what they knew the first order of business at the Imperial Embassy had to look to their own defence and security position. It was highly unlikely that there was any realistic threat to the Embassy, however steps had to be taken to ensure that if there was one it could be repelled and the safety of Imperial Citizens ensured. The Marine Detachment from 13 Commando Brigade (the Embassy Security Group, specifically the 2nd Battalion), under the command of experienced Gunnery Sergeant Michael Lyons, had been placed on alert. The Marines had swapped out their normal service uniforms and sidearms for full combat armour and shoulder arms, with the entire detachment under arms rather than just the normal perimeter sentries. In the meantime other preparations were made; firstly to evacuate all non-essential personnel should the situation continue to deteriorate; although to do so safely would require the co-operation of the Federation Government, if there even was one at this point, and given the circumstances that was less than likely to be forthcoming if what constituted the Federation government now was some ambitious general officer or wannabe military dictator.

Of course Gunnery Sergeant Lyons had one major issue whilst he was considering his responsibility to defend the Embassy, specifically the fact that his detachment consisted of a grand total of eight Imperial Marines; a section had been deemed sufficient to provide the basic security required in a nation as friendly as the Federation of Lacoze. No one had ever imagined that there would even be the possibility of a need to defend the Embassy, not in Europe’s great beacon of democracy. And yet here they were, all armed ready for a fight. The Ambassador could see the concern in Gunnery Sergeant Lyon’s expression as he joined the Embassy’s senior staff for a meeting in his office, he was too experienced to be afraid or fearful, not to mention an Imperial Marine, but it was obvious that, professionally, he was worried about his detachment’s ability to adequately protect the Embassy, should it come under a concerted attack. For all their sakes, the Ambassador hoped that he didn’t ever have to.

“Thank you all for gathering so quickly,” Sir James Warner said grimly as he looked around at his staff. “Obviously the situation is bad… what do we know so far and how bad is it?”

“Please bear in mind, Mister Ambassador, that the vast majority of this is second-hand, and what isn’t second hand is purely guesswork and supposition based on observations at best,” Thomas Bradford said as a preamble. “By all accounts there is some major operation taking place around the Presidential Palace, and potentially other Government buildings and residences, although we lack specifics.”

Bradford paused.

“Initial reports indicated that the Vienna Police was assissting in what otherwise appeared to be a military operation, however in the last half an hour we have received intelligence indicating that the Vienna Police has withdrawn from its positions,” Bradford continued. “In addition we’re also receiving reports of scattered firefights between groups of soldiers in the outer neighbourhoods of the city, and Federal Regulars have been reported on the streets.”

“Do we have a working theory at this point?” Sir James queried, although he suspected he already knew the answer.

“The only theory that would seem to explain the situation we are seeing before us is that a Coup is being attempted, although that is again just supposition based on the available facts, although it seems likely given the circumstances,” Bradford replied. “However we have absolutely no information on who is conducting the Coup attempt, who is resisting, where senior officials and certainly not any indication, at this point, as to who is winning.”

“A coup in the Federation of Lacoze,” Sir James sighed. “Alright… we need to decide where we go from here… what’s our defensive situation like Gunny?”

“Not great to say the least, Sir, based on what Mister Bradford has said, and a conversation we had earlier today, I do not think that an attack against the Embassy is likely, they have no motive to do so, and aside from that they have nothing to gain and everything to lose,” Gunnery Sergeant Lyons replied promptly. “In the event we are attacked however our position is not particularly positive, we have eight Marines and that will not be enough to hold the Embassy against a concerted assault indefinitely, we may want to see about getting reinforcements from the Fleet Strike Group.”

“I’ll certainly look into it, Gunny, however getting troops into the Embassy may be easier said than done, not to mention cause issues with the Lacozens… whoever wins” Sir James sighed. “Alright, so we’re in a shit situation strategically, what do we do politically… suggestions?”

“We only really have on option, Mister Ambassador, we support the legitimate, democratic, government of the Federation, I’m sure the Foreign Office will do the exact same thing once word reaches Karin City,” Jack Coleman, Counsellor for External Affairs, replied. “The Empire of Apilonia, being as it is the birthplace and strongest proponent of parliamentary democracy the world over, cannot be seen to be supporting a military coup, aside from anything else the damage it would do to our reputation is simply unacceptable.”

“I would tend to agree,” Michael Brown, Chief of Staff, nodded. “We may even want to consider offering military support, if needed.”

“That’s a decision for the Foreign Office, and by extension the King, to make, not us, we do what’s expected of us and leave the rest to the powers that be,” Sir James replied firmly. “Alright, what about these reports from Poland?”

“Initial indications are that they’ve put their border guard units on alert, their exact intentions are unclear, you know as well as I do, Sir, that the CEF’s foreign policy is schizophrenic to say the least and as such damned unpredictable,” Bradford responded. “However it would not be an unreasonable assumption to suspect that they may be considering some form of intervention, such a state of alert is a common shroud for a general military build-up.”

“Well there’s very little we can do, however I think we can all agree that Polish tanks on the streets of the Federation does no one any good, we were so close to peace and prosperity in Europe after years, decades, of uncertainty and chaos, the last thing we need is this Coup being exacerbated by a war between the CEF and the Federation,” Sir James sighed. “Get onto our Embassy in Warsaw, see of Sir Kieran will put as much diplomatic pressure on the CEF Government to stand down their troops and allow the situation in the Federation, one way or another, to play itself out; the last thing we need is them giving a victorious, if they indeed are, military government in the Federation an excuse to untie the country behind them in a war with the CEF.”

Sir James looked around at his team.

“Alright people, we’ve got work to do,” He said simply. “I need to speak to the Foreign Secretary.”

[Brydog]

OOC: I need to get out of the mindset of "Everyone wants to get me" :/, so sorry for short post.

Federal Council Buliding
Wroclaw, Poland, CEF

The news from Apilonia arrived and it was taken with understanding, the Federal Government had with the possible military coup, went too crazy. The Federal Army and TDF was to be demobilized from the border region while the Border Guards were remain on alert. The plan was switch to passive watching and sitting it out to determined the moves as they happen. Which seemed to not changed since the previous reports which made the whole thing look stupid.

[-the Ukrainian SSR-]

The Federation of Lacoze
Federal City of Vienna (Wien) - Austria
November 6, 2015
11:45 AM

There was a simple fact in the aftermath of the firefight that took place in the central government square of Vienna. There was no hiding it now. Spies didn't have to look very far for information as the events ongoing in the city were thrust into the limelight thanks to social media like Twitter and Tumblr. Round table discussions, if they could be called that, across the internet. Soldiers in the streets, men in uniforms exchanging gunfire outside the houses of government and elsewhere, it was neither pretty nor ordered, such was the nature of things like this. The general 'theme' so to speak was one of unrepentant chaos, all careful planning was dead in a singular moment when the shooting really started. People were lost, people were found, the process repeated, bloody senseless violence that was most reminisce of the dissolution of the Nazi Reich among many others.

The only question that remained was rather bleak, and simple. Who was winning, and who was losing.