The Fall of a Republic (IC)

[Greater Byzanthia]

Aaron spat back at the Prime Minister, this time with venom, "Our provocations are designed to convince you to do what is required for the greater good. Instead of immediately inviting an unknown people onto our planet, you should have held them at arms reach until you could have confirmed we were in no harm. Instead, you endangered everyone on this planet, everyone in the neighboring systems. Have you taken cautionary measures? Of course not. Instead, everyone here had been fondling each others diplomats and cooing over that special stone you have."

Aaron shot a glance at the Neu Gibraltar man. "You think hiding the stone under the desk means we won't find out? Our... friends in high places have sent that information back home, long before we arrived."

Back to the minister, "Our actions are intended to right the wrong you have committed, maybe turn back the as of yet unseen damages. If a few cities have to fall before you come to your glutenous senses, then so be it Prime Minister. I just hope your poor people know that you're about to sell their lives for a stranger.

"if you wish to be the cause of the downfall of Greater Byzanthia, then so be it. History shall record your nation as a genocidal race, bent on killing innocent lives. Byzanthia may not be strong, nor may it be the most stable nation in the world. But we are brave, and we shall stand our ground no matter the circumstances. We have committed no wrongs, as these aliens have done nothing to hurt our species. We have committed no acts of aggression, and yet you still want to destroy us. It is here that I ask: why exactly do you want to take over our nation?" Charles settled back into his chair, awaiting their response.

[The Grand Duchy Of Nova Capile]

Byzanthian Libya

---

Christian finished documenting the information onto his tablet and slid the device into a satchel that hung at his side. Emerging from the stall, he washed his hands- he always hated grimy bathrooms- and wiped the sudsy water off of his hands with a number of thin paper towels. Wachter left the bathroom and followed the soldier through a little security checkpoint. He obeyed the commands of the officials, removing his shoes and putting the tablet and his cellular phone into a tray before walking through a metal detector. He fished around in his bag for the fake but expertly crafted passport and handed it to the man, mentally telling himself that he was now Hans Funke.

---

Hordes of professional soldiers from Karifistan's army, numbering 32,000, thundered towards Ghat with in their massive convoy of beaten up jeeps and modern Capilean armored cars. The remaining 33,000 Karifi troops were militias, mainly volunteer troops who were poorly armed but fierce fighters who excelled in the desert terrain. They used a carefully strategy, drawing large segments of the enemy force into a advantageous geographic region before suddenly hammering down on them from all sides, slaughtering their enemies whilst taking minimal casualties. In this way the attacking force was able to gain much ground and destroy many Byzanthian detachments; often these forces were starved for water, ammunition and other essentials as their supply lines had been cut by natives who hated their colonial oppressors and were eager to see an African government ruling the land. This lack of supplies contributed to a general sense of complete disorganization, making any chance of successful defense or counterattack against the Karifis less and less tenable the further south the enemy got.

In addition to this, the Byzanthian troops general had low morale. While their weapons were at least on par with those of the Karifis, they were well aware that their country was collapsing around them; why fight merely to delay the inevitable? Not only this, but the Byzanthian army was composed of a large variety of ethnicities: Italians, Germans, sprinklings of Frenchmen and Slavs- and a large component of North Africans. All of these- especially the Africans- were hardly willing to fight for an empire that had conquered their homes, and the vast majority were conscripts. The backbone of the enemy army were the original peoples who had spread out and conquered the rest, the Germans. And even their morale was wavering. In short, it was believed by the Capilean government that a quick knockout blow could cripple Byzanthia, trapping and destroying a large part of the latter's army in the colonies and leaving the rump state to collapse under immense economic strain.

Capile didn't want any of the European territory, only a quick snatch of the colonies. Now they only had to wait for the right time...

[Neu Gibraltar]

Aaron spat back at the Prime Minister, this time with venom, "Our provocations are designed to convince you to do what is required for the greater good. Instead of immediately inviting an unknown people onto our planet, you should have held them at arms reach until you could have confirmed we were in no harm. Instead, you endangered everyone on this planet, everyone in the neighboring systems. Have you taken cautionary measures? Of course not. Instead, everyone here had been fondling each others diplomats and cooing over that special stone you have."

Aaron shot a glance at the Neu Gibraltar man. "You think hiding the stone under the desk means we won't find out? Our... friends in high places have sent that information back home, long before we arrived."

Back to the minister, "Our actions are intended to right the wrong you have committed, maybe turn back the as of yet unseen damages. If a few cities have to fall before you come to your glutenous senses, then so be it Prime Minister. I just hope your poor people know that you're about to sell their lives for a stranger.

"if you wish to be the cause of the downfall of Greater Byzanthia, then so be it. History shall record your nation as a genocidal race, bent on killing innocent lives. Byzanthia may not be strong, nor may it be the most stable nation in the world. But we are brave, and we shall stand our ground no matter the circumstances. We have committed no wrongs, as these aliens have done nothing to hurt our species. We have committed no acts of aggression, and yet you still want to destroy us. It is here that I ask: why exactly do you want to take over our nation?" Charles settled back into his chair, awaiting their response.

Charles had said it well. Vidi backed him up, but not before clarifying something.

"I think you'll find it was my friend Oscar who hid the stone, not me. Oh and I do have a name, it's Vidi, and the other man next to me who's not Oscar is George. Didn't you mother ever teach you manners! Another thing! Can you blame Oscar for hiding the stone, when all you do is threaten. Neu Gibraltar doesn't having any other natural resources, relying on manufacturing and service industry, so knowing this stone is worth something would be good for our economy. However, I very much doubt that if you continue your wicked ways that we'd want to trade with your kind".

Vidi took a sip from his coffee, feeling good for himself.

[Foledonia]

Keenan sensed his companion was about to fly off the handle. He attempted to break the tension with an aside, but to no avail. Aaron stood abruptly, his chair skittering across the hardwood floor.

"Your insolence is astounding! You don't even ponder your own actions! You're almost as impulsive as a common racoon!" He leaned in close, teeth bared.

"It's obvious none of you are willing to do the right thing. If nobody will come to their senses, then Foledonia will have to act on your behalf! Come on Keenan!"

Aaron Holandi snatched up his briefcase and stormed for the door. Keenan, flabbergasted, clumsily gathered his possessions and made after the Defense Minister. Two Guardsmen opened the door and glared at the occupants as the two ministers exited the room.

[Taigawa]

Sylvia summoned her Promeatheans, the Forerunner constructs flanking her as she rose. These AI constructs initially leveled their Suppressors at the intruders before grabbing Sylvia. "Your intolerance has forced my hand. Since you must be destroyed in order for me to conduct my mission here, so be it. Those who seek my aid must prepare their weapons now. This meeting is over, and if your kind value my aid to this civilization, you will prepare for war as well. I will be contacting my fleet to jump here. Survive for two days....This travesty and gross disreguard for my diplomatic status will be just cause for war. I bid you goodbye and good luck." With that, she was teleported away directly to her ship. As the gunships returned to the Ascendacy, the dropship was dematerialized from existance. The Forerunner warship activated a beacon soon after as it left the atnosphere.

In two days, the affiliated fleet would arrive.

[Neu Gibraltar]

Vidi was a little stunned his words had had such impact. He didn't know what to say until George leaned over and whispered a key point to him. Vidi, with this new information, now found the confidence to speak again.

"Ah yes, you put it well George. As George just told me, Foledonians's threat was not directed at any of us, just Sylvia. Therefore Byzanthia and Neu Gibraltar, being neutral, I'm not sure about the other nations here, can wait this war out and choose not to side with either warring nation. Perhaps if we send them nice fruit baskets, they'll understand. For any non neutrals, I wish you luck, but I don't have high hope for your fait".

Vidi paused as he moved to his next topic.

"With that out the way, perhaps we can talk once more on aid arrangements to Byzanthia, seeing as that was what we, Neu Gibraltar, wanted to talk to Byzanthia itself about".

He waited patiently for a response.

[The Seven United]

---

Press Conference Room Aygons Reach


"We've been attacked, today. My name is H. Hoffman. I work for the Division, an organization protecting the 7 from these attacks, but today we have failed.
We believe from evidence in the murder sites, that Foledonia and The National Security Office are to be blamed for this travesty. We also believe this is an ACT of WAR, against our nation, therefore we will treat it as an act of war against our sovereignty, integrity and democracy. We have, surrounded all ONS buildings and arrested the Director of the ONS. From further interrogation, he admitted to his crimes. He was executed 30/08/16 for treason, murder, terrorism, and 24 different acts against the government. I hereby, declare myself Commissioner of The Seven United, Interim, of course until democracy can work again. We will not bow down to terrorist states like Foledonia, and Greater Byzanthia. I will prepare the United Military for war."

Hoffman, who was earlier addressed as 'the man' sat at his desk with his half-broken lightswitch in his grip. He pulled it out of its socket, and ordered the engineer next to him,"Do it again"
The engineer stated, "But this is the second time. Stop doing that, in all respect, sir."
"Take him."
Division officers arrested him and dragged out of the room, and he was never seen again.

7U News

*press conference snapshot ends*

"So, the situation is dire. Riots have came up against The Interim Commissioner, after what people say 'was a forceful grab of power' multiple cases from independent organizations have shown that The Commissioner was previously the director of The Division, and forcefully killed the primary government to take power, however these are only claims that are most likely false. In other news, the military has begun preparations for war, The Division said that multiple terrorist bases are located in the weak Greater Byzanthia. Greater Byzanthia has believed to have homed these terrorists to cause unrest in The Seven, due to 'threats' that the previous government had made."

---

OOC: More in the morning. Tired atm.

[New Timor-Leste]

3:28 PM, The summit room

New Timor-Leste's Minister of Defense, Enhili Kabar, stood up one last time. "As we see it, war has just been declared. Because of this, my counterpart and I must depart immediately, as this is now a war zone, and I assume the enemy is not far away. I wish you all the best of luck in this event, and may Kilos Ruin have mercy on your souls."

Enhili and the other Ministers quickly stand up and leave the room, their armed guards following them and make their way back to New Timor-Leste, getting in the limos and tires screeching, rushing to the airport. Before they got on the plane, Enhili made a quick phone call to an untraceable and unknown source.. "Looks like code Backstab is a go. The enemy has declared war, and the other enemy is unsuspecting of our true cause...."

---

5:03 PM, Unknown location

"So they've declared war have they?"

"Yes sir, they have basically committed an act of war."

"Go to Defcon 2."

"Yes sir."

---

7:23 PM, outside the border of Greater Byzanthia

A huge cloud of dust is seen on the horizon as the New Timor-Lestian military is mobilized. Tanks (including the T-98 Graendal and the T-57 Dragon), artillery, anti-aircraft equipment, troop transports, medical vehicles, and much more is in the massive convoy as bombers, B-35 Air Fortresses, Raptor-HP3 and Talon-7 Fighter jets, and other various air vehicles protect the convoy from the sky. The exact troop count is unknown, but it is assumed the troop count is around 250,000 as joining the military is compulsory in New Timor-Leste, and as the country is extremely huge, this is to no surprise. Byzanthian Border Guards gasp in shock as the massive force pulls closer. In about a day the force would reach the capital, and then heavily fortify the various cities in Greater Byzanthia...

[Greater Byzanthia]

Byzanthian Libya

---

Christian finished documenting the information onto his tablet and slid the device into a satchel that hung at his side. Emerging from the stall, he washed his hands- he always hated grimy bathrooms- and wiped the sudsy water off of his hands with a number of thin paper towels. Wachter left the bathroom and followed the soldier through a little security checkpoint. He obeyed the commands of the officials, removing his shoes and putting the tablet and his cellular phone into a tray before walking through a metal detector. He fished around in his bag for the fake but expertly crafted passport and handed it to the man, mentally telling himself that he was now Hans Funke.

---

Hordes of professional soldiers from Karifistan's army, numbering 32,000, thundered towards Ghat with in their massive convoy of beaten up jeeps and modern Capilean armored cars. The remaining 33,000 Karifi troops were militias, mainly volunteer troops who were poorly armed but fierce fighters who excelled in the desert terrain. They used a carefully strategy, drawing large segments of the enemy force into a advantageous geographic region before suddenly hammering down on them from all sides, slaughtering their enemies whilst taking minimal casualties. In this way the attacking force was able to gain much ground and destroy many Byzanthian detachments; often these forces were starved for water, ammunition and other essentials as their supply lines had been cut by natives who hated their colonial oppressors and were eager to see an African government ruling the land. This lack of supplies contributed to a general sense of complete disorganization, making any chance of successful defense or counterattack against the Karifis less and less tenable the further south the enemy got.

In addition to this, the Byzanthian troops general had low morale. While their weapons were at least on par with those of the Karifis, they were well aware that their country was collapsing around them; why fight merely to delay the inevitable? Not only this, but the Byzanthian army was composed of a large variety of ethnicities: Italians, Germans, sprinklings of Frenchmen and Slavs- and a large component of North Africans. All of these- especially the Africans- were hardly willing to fight for an empire that had conquered their homes, and the vast majority were conscripts. The backbone of the enemy army were the original peoples who had spread out and conquered the rest, the Germans. And even their morale was wavering. In short, it was believed by the Capilean government that a quick knockout blow could cripple Byzanthia, trapping and destroying a large part of the latter's army in the colonies and leaving the rump state to collapse under immense economic strain.

Capile didn't want any of the European territory, only a quick snatch of the colonies. Now they only had to wait for the right time...

The guard carefully inspected the passport, examining its texture, color, and other security features designed to prevent counterfeit. Unfortunately for Christian, Nova Capile had failed to cover up one minuscule aspect of security: the passport's typeface. On all passports, whether they be Byzanthian or that of another country, have fonts with small, minute imperfections designed to prevent forgery. The randomized ink bleeds and inconsistency of the ink make it harder to counterfeit. The only way to detect these things would be by a magnifying glass. But Christian's passport was simply perfect. There was no visible sign of imperfection on its typeface, let alone any wear and tear. It was a universal standard, as decreed by the United Nations in 2015, that all passports have mistakes created on purpose with the intent of halting counterfeit. The guard noticed this and promptly ordered Christian to another room, this time for an interrogation. "Mister Funke, we have reason to believe that your passport is fake. As you can see, the ink consistency of your passport is simply perfect, without impurities. This is against international regulation, which require..." The guard continued to ramble on about how his passport was fake, and all of the evidence needed to back it up.

[Greater Byzanthia]

Vidi was a little stunned his words had had such impact. He didn't know what to say until George leaned over and whispered a key point to him. Vidi, with this new information, now found the confidence to speak again.

"Ah yes, you put it well George. As George just told me, Foledonians's threat was not directed at any of us, just Sylvia. Therefore Byzanthia and Neu Gibraltar, being neutral, I'm not sure about the other nations here, can wait this war out and choose not to side with either warring nation. Perhaps if we send them nice fruit baskets, they'll understand. For any non neutrals, I wish you luck, but I don't have high hope for your fait".

Vidi paused as he moved to his next topic.

"With that out the way, perhaps we can talk once more on aid arrangements to Byzanthia, seeing as that was what we, Neu Gibraltar, wanted to talk to Byzanthia itself about".

He waited patiently for a response.

"Well...um...yes I suppose that is what they came to talk about, yes?" Charles was visibly shaken by the stark remarks uttered by Sylvia and the Foledonian delegation and was having a rather difficult time pulling himself back together. "Well, I guess you can do whatever you want to save Byzanthia. Meeting's over." Charles abruptly got up from his chair and exited the room, leaving the other delegations to converse among themselves.

[The Grand Duchy Of Nova Capile]

Christian tensed as the official squinted down at his passport, noticing something wrong. Suddenly the man began to spout about how the World Assembly had regulated passports so that every one had to have small imperfections, and how Christian's was perfect. Wachter glanced around the room, trying to remain cool and analyze each person. Besides the soldier who had accompanied him to the customs office, no one posed a real threat. Two old security guards were lumbering about, hands clutching their bulbous stomachs, and there was this official who would surely panic and drop to the floor if Christian tried anything. Two or more guards would be spread throughout the rest of the building, along with as many as a dozen secretaries and other workers. Any one of them could try to be brave, and that could be disastrous. Besides, how could he get out of here?

He frowned at the thought of a high speed chase. But it just might work... "What? These are verified identification papers! Here, let me show you!" Christian beckoned the customs official to come over to his suitcase. Reaching inside, he suddenly pulled out a comb and pulled off the end to reveal a small, sharp blade. His other hand darted to the holster of the nearby guard's belt, ripping the gun out. Christian jumped back, pulling the inspector with him and holding the knife to his neck. He rested the gun on his hostage's shoulder. "Make a move and he dies," the agent shouted, bringing the blade dangerously close to the man's jugular.

---

Schwerpunkt, the tip of the spear. Of the 500,000 men assigned to Heeresgruppe Phalanx, 265,000 were stationed on the roughly 150 mile long Libyan Plateau, along with 2,600 of the 3,000 armored vehicles. As what seemed to be the entire Byzanthian garrison of North Africa was sucked down into the Southern Deserts of Libya, Nova Capile finished preparing for their attack. Just as Karifi troops surrounded Ghat, Operation: Templar was launched. 500,000 men thundered across the Egyptian border, dispatching the pathetic defenders in no time. Armored forces captured the lightly defended cities of Tobruk, Al Jaghbab, and Al Jawf within hours of the surprise attack.

The Byzanthians had overextended themselves miserably, sending nearly all of their forces southward to counter the Karifi invasion, leaving the valuable strip of coastline exposed and vulnerable. Armored forces would steamroll the cost in days, trapping and hopefully destroying a large chunk of the enemy army. Any Byzanthian attempts to waddle back up out of the deserts would be quickly countered by the large numbers of Capileans moving into Libya, and due to their horrific logistical situation would collapse instantly. If all went to plan, North Africa would be under Capilean control in less than a month.

[Silverakia]

Luciana and Yao, quiet, sat back. This is clearly a confrontation of matters that they do not wish to get into. Felix, however, had other plans. Pulling out a small hammer from his pocket, he banged it on the table.

"ENOUGH! We are sitting here, screaming and bickering like children! We need to solve our problems QUIETLY, CALMLY, and SMARTLY!"

There was a brief silence.

[Peclopilis]

[BACK IN PECLOPILIS]
The new Ministers are wroking a way to find greater byzanthia[I spell from memory most of the time]on a map

Excitedly The Minister of [just elected] Books screamed with delight ''aha there send the troops''

''we should come as well but not in a speed boat'' Added the [new] Minister of Offices''

and so the journey to Greater Byzanthia began

[Greater Byzanthia]

Luciana and Yao, quiet, sat back. This is clearly a confrontation of matters that they do not wish to get into. Felix, however, had other plans. Pulling out a small hammer from his pocket, he banged it on the table.

"ENOUGH! We are sitting here, screaming and bickering like children! We need to solve our problems QUIETLY, CALMLY, and SMARTLY!"

There was a brief silence.

Christoph Schroeter, the Minister-President of Byzanthia, took it upon himself to announce to the other nations that the meeting was indeed over. A couple of minutes had passed by since the dramatic tirade put on by Foledonia and Sylvia, and the subsequent ending of the meeting after Charles experienced an emotional breakdown. As the highest ranking official after Charles, Christoph stood up from his chair, cleared his throat, and stated: "Ladies and gentlemen, our nation as we know it will soon cease to exist at the hands of the Foledonians. While we are certain that The Ecumene are here to help, we fear that the constant bombardment of our nation during this war will be enough to tear Greater Byzanthia apart. I place in your nations in charge of our defensive and humanitarian efforts. As of right now, our government is simply too fragile to do much more. I hope that your nations may someday see a Byzanthia free from conflict such as this. I therefore end this meeting. Please, do what you must in order to save our nation, and may God, or gods, bless you all." Christoph then gathered his papers and walked out of the room.

[Greater Byzanthia]

Christian tensed as the official squinted down at his passport, noticing something wrong. Suddenly the man began to spout about how the World Assembly had regulated passports so that every one had to have small imperfections, and how Christian's was perfect. Wachter glanced around the room, trying to remain cool and analyze each person. Besides the soldier who had accompanied him to the customs office, no one posed a real threat. Two old security guards were lumbering about, hands clutching their bulbous stomachs, and there was this official who would surely panic and drop to the floor if Christian tried anything. Two or more guards would be spread throughout the rest of the building, along with as many as a dozen secretaries and other workers. Any one of them could try to be brave, and that could be disastrous. Besides, how could he get out of here?

He frowned at the thought of a high speed chase. But it just might work... "What? These are verified identification papers! Here, let me show you!" Christian beckoned the customs official to come over to his suitcase. Reaching inside, he suddenly pulled out a comb and pulled off the end to reveal a small, sharp blade. His other hand darted to the holster of the nearby guard's belt, ripping the gun out. Christian jumped back, pulling the inspector with him and holding the knife to his neck. He rested the gun on his hostage's shoulder. "Make a move and he dies," the agent shouted, bringing the blade dangerously close to the man's jugular.

---

Schwerpunkt, the tip of the spear. Of the 500,000 men assigned to Heeresgruppe Phalanx, 265,000 were stationed on the roughly 150 mile long Libyan Plateau, along with 2,600 of the 3,000 armored vehicles. As what seemed to be the entire Byzanthian garrison of North Africa was sucked down into the Southern Deserts of Libya, Nova Capile finished preparing for their attack. Just as Karifi troops surrounded Ghat, Operation: Templar was launched. 500,000 men thundered across the Egyptian border, dispatching the pathetic defenders in no time. Armored forces captured the lightly defended cities of Tobruk, Al Jaghbab, and Al Jawf within hours of the surprise attack.

The Byzanthians had overextended themselves miserably, sending nearly all of their forces southward to counter the Karifi invasion, leaving the valuable strip of coastline exposed and vulnerable. Armored forces would steamroll the cost in days, trapping and hopefully destroying a large chunk of the enemy army. Any Byzanthian attempts to waddle back up out of the deserts would be quickly countered by the large numbers of Capileans moving into Libya, and due to their horrific logistical situation would collapse instantly. If all went to plan, North Africa would be under Capilean control in less than a month.

The guard, frantic to save his life, immediately surrendered. "Wh...wh-at do you want?" He asked, sputtering as he tried his best to avoid the knife painfully cutting into his neck. "Please...please I'll do anything!" The other officers looked at him in disappointment and fear. Christian conveniently decided to attack one of the most senior officers in the North African division of the Bureau of Civil Protection and Defense. He held classified knowledge of the inner workings of the Federal Government, along with passcodes to all major nuclear missile launch sites in the nation. With the simple override PIN code obtained by the officer, Christain could easily unleash every one of Byzanthia's nukes on any point he desired.

[Taigawa]

Space
EIN Ascendacy
Forerunner Planet-Breaker
Flagship of the Imperial Fleet of Holy Reconciliation

Sylvia was furious. It seemed to her that even after historical savaagery by humans -against her own nation no less- had been forgiven, they were still proving themselves to be just that- animals. To her, this made the race she now faced unworthy of the Reclaimer title the Forerunners had given the species so long ago. Even worse, they were prepared to destroy a Tier 3 Civilization just to get to her. This was something she would not allow. She broadcasted two signals: One to the potententially enemy fleet, and one to the surface- specifically to where her dropship once stood.

"This is Fleetmaster Sylvia Xi Leng. I have summoned my fleet and they are on their way via Jumpspace. As this savage sect of your kind has denied me my status as a diplomat to your civilization, and threatens an attack against which your world is defenseless, I will abandon our standard military doctrine. For every city on your world these barbarians destroy, I will turn The Composer upon one of their ships. If they do not stop before my fleet arrives in the next 48 hours, they will be declared hostile to the Ecumene and indescriminately attacked."

[Peclopilis]

Arthur Cork heard the announcement and reacted immediately he ran to out of the building an searched for a lab he ran into every door he could find until he reached the right one....

[Treskovia]

Space
EIN Ascendacy
Forerunner Planet-Breaker
Flagship of the Imperial Fleet of Holy Reconciliation

Sylvia was furious. It seemed to her that even after historical savaagery by humans -against her own nation no less- had been forgiven, they were still proving themselves to be just that- animals. To her, this made the race she now faced unworthy of the Reclaimer title the Forerunners had given the species so long ago. Even worse, they were prepared to destroy a Tier 3 Civilization just to get to her. This was something she would not allow. She broadcasted two signals: One to the potententially enemy fleet, and one to the surface- specifically to where her dropship once stood.

"This is Fleetmaster Sylvia Xi Leng. I have summoned my fleet and they are on their way via Jumpspace. As this savage sect of your kind has denied me my status as a diplomat to your civilization, and threatens an attack against which your world is defenseless, I will abandon our standard military doctrine. For every city on your world these barbarians destroy, I will turn The Composer upon one of their ships. If they do not stop before my fleet arrives in the next 48 hours, they will be declared hostile to the Ecumene and indescriminately attacked."

the Imperial Palace, 21:43, outskirts of Zagreb
Gaj II.-"This... Did not just happen. Did it? Or am I going insane?"

Samuel Hayden I.-"I'm afraid you're not imagining. This is as real as your hands pressing on your face."

Alasha III.-"Well, the human race definitely got the whole planet of Earth into some DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP shit."

G.II.-"I suggest we open contact and try to stop this carnage."

S.H.I.-"I'll get the Palace Tech Departement working on it."

*S.H.I. leaves the room*

G.II.-(sighs)

A.III.-"Well, we could always help the Taigawans."

G.II.-"With WHAT?"

A.III.-"Those secret 'toys' you've been building have been completed. We have the technology for the coming fight."

G.II.-"Okay. Notify Samuel."

Later

Greetings, Taigawans,

we, the Imperial Trinity, leaders of the Interstellar Demonarchy of Treskovia, ask that we help you out in your defense against Foledonia's forces. We don't have much, but we suppose it would still help. We await your answer.

[Foledonia]

Space
Warp Rift
IFN Renaldo, Vanquisher-Class Super Heavy Battleship
Flagship of the Imperial Foledonian Navy

Admiral Yako surveyed the central viewscreen, the rainbow shimmer of the Warp that surrounded them mesmerizing. Deckhands and technitions scurried about the bridge, attending to panels and data screens. Yako, hands folded behind his back, stood resolute as the fleet careened through the Warp towards Earth. They had been ordered to prep and cast off nearly six days prior. The acquisition of proper nuclear cells and ammunition had added two days to their travel time, but according to the chronometer, they were still ahead of schedule. Nearly sixty battleships, ninety cruisers and almost one hundred and forty destroyers and battle cruisers traveled together in a tight nit cluster so as to not lose one another in the Warp. The second fleet was truly a force to be reckoned with. The ninth fleet, equally sized, was a day behind them and would double their combat power once deployed.

Yako felt the warp drives stutter as they prepped to disengage. "Helmsman, prepare to reenter physical space," Yako ordered, planting his foot in a discreet notch in the deck plating. "Aye, my Lord," the ensign replied. The warp drives disengaged and the central viewscreen went black for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, light bloomed, at first from a single point, and then all around. With a slight pop, the second fleet was deposited 900 kilometers from Earth. The ships dispersed into a combat formation and Yako ordered the ships of the line into a strike pattern. They had been warned of a possible alien engagement, but received none at first. Auger arrays immediately detected the Taigawan Planet Breaker in orbit around GB. With caution, the fleet advanced lances and nova cannons prepped for an engagement.

The fleet came to rest over GB, only a hundred kilometers from the Taigawan ship. No communications were exchanged. The Master Gunner swiveled in his station and announced to Yako, "Main battery is armed and standing by Admiral. The bombardment vessels are awaiting your orders, my Lord." Yako grunted and continued to observed the Taigawan vessel. He turned to the Chief Communications officer and said, "Inform all ships of the line to target the Planet Breaker. ROE; return fire. ROM; Tactical discretion." He then turned back to the Master Gunner and ordered, "Fire two salvos. If anything is still standing afterwards, fire another two."

The macro batteries unleashed their payloads, nearly forty trillion tons of high explosive shells streaked down towards a moderately sized city in eastern Byzanthia. The shells impacted seconds after they were fired, the explosions visible from orbit as a minuscule yellow flower bloom. In only a matter of seconds, millions of lives were snuffed out without any prior warning. Yako grinned as the second salvo was fired, the glint of the macro blasts sparking his green eyes. He wondered if any of the poor fools had any time to scream.

[Taigawa]

Space
EIN Ascendacy
Forerunner Planet-Breaker
Flagship of the Imperial Fleet of Holy Reconciliation

Sylvia was furious. It seemed to her that even after historical savaagery by humans -against her own nation no less- had been forgiven, they were still proving themselves to be just that- animals. To her, this made the race she now faced unworthy of the Reclaimer title the Forerunners had given the species so long ago. Even worse, they were prepared to destroy a Tier 3 Civilization just to get to her. This was something she would not allow. She broadcasted two signals: One to the potententially enemy fleet, and one to the surface- specifically to where her dropship once stood.

"This is Fleetmaster Sylvia Xi Leng. I have summoned my fleet and they are on their way via Jumpspace. As this savage sect of your kind has denied me my status as a diplomat to your civilization, and threatens an attack against which your world is defenseless, I will abandon our standard military doctrine. For every city on your world these barbarians destroy, I will turn The Composer upon one of their ships. If they do not stop before my fleet arrives in the next 48 hours, they will be declared hostile to the Ecumene and indescriminately attacked."

the Imperial Palace, 21:43, outskirts of Zagreb
Gaj II.-"This... Did not just happen. Did it? Or am I going insane?"

Samuel Hayden I.-"I'm afraid you're not imagining. This is as real as your hands pressing on your face."

Alasha III.-"Well, the human race definitely got the whole planet of Earth into some DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP shit."

G.II.-"I suggest we open contact and try to stop this carnage."

S.H.I.-"I'll get the Palace Tech Departement working on it."

*S.H.I. leaves the room*

G.II.-(sighs)

A.III.-"Well, we could always help the Taigawans."

G.II.-"With WHAT?"

A.III.-"Those secret 'toys' you've been building have been completed. We have the technology for the coming fight."

G.II.-"Okay. Notify Samuel."

Later

Greetings, Taigawans,

we, the Imperial Trinity, leaders of the Interstellar Demonarchy of Treskovia, ask that we help you out in your defense against Foledonia's forces. We don't have much, but we suppose it would still help. We await your answer.

It seems then that I am not alone in my dismay at this travesty. I am glad my flagship will not stand alone as we prepare for the fighting ahead. I will take your support, as it increases our chances of surviving long enough to see these savages wiped from orbit so I can continue my mission here. They seek to use me as a lab rat and have prevented me from saving the nation of Greater Byzanthia from it's eminant collapse. I accept your aid but ask that you wait untill they show themselves as the aggressors they clearly stated they are.

The Mantle Shelters All.

Space
Warp Rift
IFN Renaldo, Vanquisher-Class Super Heavy Battleship
Flagship of the Imperial Foledonian Navy

Admiral Yako surveyed the central viewscreen, the rainbow shimmer of the Warp that surrounded them mesmerizing. Deckhands and technitions scurried about the bridge, attending to panels and data screens. Yako, hands folded behind his back, stood resolute as the fleet careened through the Warp towards Earth. They had been ordered to prep and cast off nearly six days prior. The acquisition of proper nuclear cells and ammunition had added two days to their travel time, but according to the chronometer, they were still ahead of schedule. Nearly sixty battleships, ninety cruisers and almost one hundred and forty destroyers and battle cruisers traveled together in a tight nit cluster so as to not lose one another in the Warp. The second fleet was truly a force to be reckoned with. The ninth fleet, equally sized, was a day behind them and would double their combat power once deployed.

Yako felt the warp drives stutter as they prepped to disengage. "Helmsman, prepare to reenter physical space," Yako ordered, planting his foot in a discreet notch in the deck plating. "Aye, my Lord," the ensign replied. The warp drives disengaged and the central viewscreen went black for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, light bloomed, at first from a single point, and then all around. With a slight pop, the second fleet was deposited 900 kilometers from Earth. The ships dispersed into a combat formation and Yako ordered the ships of the line into a strike pattern. They had been warned of a possible alien engagement, but received none at first. Auger arrays immediately detected the Taigawan Planet Breaker in orbit around GB. With caution, the fleet advanced lances and nova cannons prepped for an engagement.

The fleet came to rest over GB, only a hundred kilometers from the Taigawan ship. No communications were exchanged. The Master Gunner swiveled in his station and announced to Yako, "Main battery is armed and standing by Admiral. The bombardment vessels are awaiting your orders, my Lord." Yako grunted and continued to observed the Taigawan vessel. He turned to the Chief Communications officer and said, "Inform all ships of the line to target the Planet Breaker. ROE; return fire. ROM; Tactical discretion." He then turned back to the Master Gunner and ordered, "Fire two salvos. If anything is still standing afterwards, fire another two."

The macro batteries unleashed their payloads, nearly forty trillion tons of high explosive shells streaked down towards a moderately sized city in eastern Byzanthia. The shells impacted seconds after they were fired, the explosions visible from orbit as a minuscule yellow flower bloom. In only a matter of seconds, millions of lives were snuffed out without any prior warning. Yako grinned as the second salvo was fired, the glint of the macro blasts sparking his green eyes. He wondered if any of the poor fools had any time to scream.

At the attack, Sylvia targeted their largest ship before charging and firing her vessal's Composer superweapon. At contact, everyone aboard the targeted vessal was violently digitized.

[Foledonia]

Admiral Yako was surprised the Taigawan ship would do something so silly. The IFN Doc Holiday listed, unmanned, as nearly two thousand sailors and marines were instantly wiped from existance, leaving the ship mostly unharmed. Captain Joma would be missed. At any rate, the remainder of the fleet opened fire, nova cannons and lances atomizing parts of the EIN Ascendacy, the crew being broken down into molecular components and the ship breaking up and disappearing into temporary micro black holes.

Amazingly, major sections of the bridge seemed to survive the initial strike thanks to the suicidal sentinels who had sacrificed themselves to shield Sylvia. Escape pods were clearly visible, their trails leading to the surface of the planet.

Yako rubbed his hands together, satisfied. "Target another city."

[Taigawa]

deat.

[Greater Byzanthia]

Space
Warp Rift
IFN Renaldo, Vanquisher-Class Super Heavy Battleship
Flagship of the Imperial Foledonian Navy

Admiral Yako surveyed the central viewscreen, the rainbow shimmer of the Warp that surrounded them mesmerizing. Deckhands and technitions scurried about the bridge, attending to panels and data screens. Yako, hands folded behind his back, stood resolute as the fleet careened through the Warp towards Earth. They had been ordered to prep and cast off nearly six days prior. The acquisition of proper nuclear cells and ammunition had added two days to their travel time, but according to the chronometer, they were still ahead of schedule. Nearly sixty battleships, ninety cruisers and almost one hundred and forty destroyers and battle cruisers traveled together in a tight nit cluster so as to not lose one another in the Warp. The second fleet was truly a force to be reckoned with. The ninth fleet, equally sized, was a day behind them and would double their combat power once deployed.

Yako felt the warp drives stutter as they prepped to disengage. "Helmsman, prepare to reenter physical space," Yako ordered, planting his foot in a discreet notch in the deck plating. "Aye, my Lord," the ensign replied. The warp drives disengaged and the central viewscreen went black for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, light bloomed, at first from a single point, and then all around. With a slight pop, the second fleet was deposited 900 kilometers from Earth. The ships dispersed into a combat formation and Yako ordered the ships of the line into a strike pattern. They had been warned of a possible alien engagement, but received none at first. Auger arrays immediately detected the Taigawan Planet Breaker in orbit around GB. With caution, the fleet advanced lances and nova cannons prepped for an engagement.

The fleet came to rest over GB, only a hundred kilometers from the Taigawan ship. No communications were exchanged. The Master Gunner swiveled in his station and announced to Yako, "Main battery is armed and standing by Admiral. The bombardment vessels are awaiting your orders, my Lord." Yako grunted and continued to observed the Taigawan vessel. He turned to the Chief Communications officer and said, "Inform all ships of the line to target the Planet Breaker. ROE; return fire. ROM; Tactical discretion." He then turned back to the Master Gunner and ordered, "Fire two salvos. If anything is still standing afterwards, fire another two."

The macro batteries unleashed their payloads, nearly forty trillion tons of high explosive shells streaked down towards a moderately sized city in eastern Byzanthia. The shells impacted seconds after they were fired, the explosions visible from orbit as a minuscule yellow flower bloom. In only a matter of seconds, millions of lives were snuffed out without any prior warning. Yako grinned as the second salvo was fired, the glint of the macro blasts sparking his green eyes. He wondered if any of the poor fools had any time to scream.

Prometheus, the crown jewel of Greater Byzanthia, the symbol of over five centuries of Byzanthian innovation and culture, vanished in the blink of an eye. What had taken centuries to build was vaporized in mere seconds. Prometheus was the centerpiece of the Byzanthian Federal Government, the center of all Byzanthian affairs. And now that was gone. And in those few seconds, Foledonia completely obliterated the Byzanthian Government. Every single branch of the government had been wiped out as the initial blast spread across the nation, wiping out everything in its path. In just five hours, over 10 million people died, including the Prime Minister, Minister-President, the entirety of the Federal Senate, every chief justice of the Federal Supreme Court, and most of the governors of the fifteen Federal States. Only the Byzanthian protectorates in Africa and Sylvia's ship remained unscathed.

[Taigawa]

Upon being shot at again, the Forerunner shielding collapsed. Sylvia had herself and her army teleported into the Planet-Breaker's compliment of Keyships. As these much smaller and weaker vessals left the larger vessal, it opened a Jumpspace portal...and then teleported into the center of the enemy fleet, electricity arcing over the now-damaged hull. In three minutes, it's advanced Jumpspace drive would detonate.

[Silverakia]

Luciana, Yao, and Felix were staring at the destruction, hovering in a ship above everyone. Luciana looked worried. "Ah... w-what do we do?" Yao and Felix looked at her like she was stupid. "Why, we use the laser cannons, of course!" She sighed. "Fine." Two large cannons replaced the wheels on the plane, and the cannons fired the laser, with a PZZZTTT!!! The Taigawan ship suffered only a small amount of damage.