Operation Catherine [closed, Vorindun, LG, Unilisia]

[Allanea]

OOC Thread here

The Allaneans were even now embroiled in the Second Freemen's Crusade in Pudu. Millions of troops waited with bated breath as they were about to receive their deployment orders. Hundreds of thousands already fought, struggling with bayonet and rifle at the very edge of the front line, where men and slavers alike fought for every tiny patch of soil.

But the Second Freemen's Crusade was not only being fought in Pudu. And on the day that the Allaneans had received the joyous news of the Unilisans joining the Amistad Declarations, they knew that they would have now the resources to expand the warfighting, to take war and steel to yet another slaver power.

The message was therefore crafted and sent to those very slavers – the Council of Magistrates, the Body of legislators of Vorindun. It was deemed by the Emperor of Greater Prussia to be worst of them all: a state that incorporated both slavery and Nazism, and therefore was moved forward to the very front of the list of states that would suffer Allanea's wrath. And it had committed other crimes, too.

Therefore, Alexander Kazansky had personally crafted his message to the Council of Magistrates of Vorindun. Written was it upon parchment made out of slaver flesh, and stamped it was with his Amistad Seal, decorated in slaver bone, with its surface forged from the dog-tags of slaver troops.

We, by the Grace of God the Emperor of Greater Prussia, hereby do declare that in its actions, practicing openly the unholy practice of chattel slavery, Vorindun had set itself apart not merely as a Nazi state – already in itself repugnant – but slaver state. Under the purview of International law, it is therefore not merely the right, but the duty of the United States of Allanea to wage war upon the slaver, for thus speaks the Declaration: “We will declare total, unbridled war against the slavers. We will spare no means, no weapon, no tactic we find appropriate to the advancement of our just cause. “

But the Amistad Declaration had not prohibited Us from choosing the manner and time where We, the Emperor of Greater Prussia, and the President of Allanea, fight our enemies. Should it please us, we might invade Imeriata tomorrow, or Olesia in a week, or perhaps some other slaver-den in a month. We do not owe the world to invade, or not invade, a given slaver-den. The crimes, however, of the Vorindun are worse than this.

First, the Vorindun have taunted the international community, declaring urbi et orbi that they traffic slaves, hiding behind their so-called sovereignty, taunting others to attack their slave convoys. Slavers have no sovereignty, because slavers are not people. Wolves have no sovereignty, bears have no sovereignty, coyotes have no sovereignty. I, the Emperor of Greater Prussia and President of the United States, reserve the right to go on varmint hunts whensoever I wish. Let the slavers learn not to taunt human beings, lest they attract our attention.

Second, the Vorindun have suppressed various sapient rights even of non-slaves -freedom of assembly, sexual liberties, the right to one's own body, etc. To do so while simultaneously taunting the world community, at a time where the world already has a premise under international law to strike and destroy, was suicidally foolish. Yet the Vorindun have the right to suicide, and have apparently chosen to exercise it. We will oblige.

Second, the Vorindun have suppressed the rights of several sapient species on a racial basis, including but not limited to, elves. It is Allanea's stated foreign policy goal to promote and assist the interests of elvenkind, for we owe the magnaminity of elvenkind our national sovereignty and our freedom. Often have the Noldor come to the assistance of Allaneans. Now shall the enemies of elvenkind know fear. Now they shall know the night eternal.

Thus do I, Alexander Kazansky, Emperor of Greater Prussia, President of Allanea, King of Reichskamphen, Emperor of the Thousand States, Archduke of Dragkon, Liberator of Torontonias, Count of Centreville, General-Secretary of the Confederacy of Sovereign States and the Coalition of Drug-Exporting Nations, and President of the CAPINTERN, on behalf of the United States of Allanea, Greater Prussia, CAPINTERN, and CSS, draw my sword once more, and invite my friends from Unilisia and Libertarian Governance to draw theirs.

Vorindun! This is my last: abolish slavery and Nazism, and I draw my sword back into its scabbard.

That is all.

May God Continue to Bless Allanea.

*

Even as the message is delivered, ships and men begin leaving Allanean harbors.

[The Vorindun]

"They clearly didn't get the memo, patres. They still think that we are National Socialists. Well, let them think so. It is no concern of mine, since clearly they aim to destroy us anyway. That fool Maelius has done us irreparable harm, I must say. Him and that imbecile Moreau. I hope that their show trial is especially humiliating for them. Oh, we will let them think that they have escaped justice for a short time, and then we will use them to reunite the People behind us through the healing process of a due punishment of the wicked. A good hanging or two should do the trick.

"Patres, our military situation is frankly rather grim. We do not wish to panic our citizenry, due to the probable effect on morale. Nevertheless, we badly need powerful allies. We must redouble our efforts to gain such, as swiftly as possible. We need nations willing to make a stand for both national sovereignty and the right of property in chattel slavery. This is not one, but two principles at stake. If we don't stand together now, we might not get another chance. This is our only hope of final victory. Defeat is unconscionable, patres! We are the Vorindun! We are three nations in one, and a better nation for it!

"For those of you who do not grasp my meaning, I will be much more candid now. We need Ralkovia on our side. That was the final straw for me. The Nazi faction would have alienated the most useful potential ally we have with their mad ideology. I had to act then and remove those clowns from the Nazi faction in the government. They had to be expelled from the movement and ousted from office.

"Now, some of you might wonder, why not simply do as Allanea asks and emancipate our slaves, thus avoiding war in the process? Well, that has two simple reasons. The first is that they have no right to make such demands and to bow to them now would be tantamount to concurring with their revolting doctrine of limited sovereignty. This is unacceptable and we will not set such a precedent. It is high time that we slavers took a stand and opposed this madness of abolitionism with more than mere words. If we only pay lip service to our ideals, then we are not true patriots, are we? We are certainly not true allies and men of character and honor. We are weak and feckless, and do not deserve a nation of our own at all in such a case.

"The second is painfully true and clear. This is nothing but a pretext to conquer us with moral justification behind it. With or without slavery, Allanea is bent on this one course, the destruction of other nations upon whom it can impose its hegemony and suzerainty. They are an empire, after all, and empires exist to expand. Never forget that.

"This is now the time to stand up for the Vorindun and its people, its unique culture, traditions, civilization, laws, etc. and way of life. In short, we have to win in order to survive. Now, let's win. Let's crush the abolitionist pirates and hurl them back into the sea.

"Hail, Vorindun! Forward to victory! Do your part! Dismissed!" thus spoke the Patricius, motivating his junta and staff. He would need all the help he could get.

[Allanea]

Blink. Blink. Blink.

The eye watches – at hundreds of megapixels on each photo, it watches the lands below. Within seconds, the images are transmitted elsewhere, encrypted safely to standards that would escape even the best supercomputers simply because of their mathematical principles, the encryption code worked out by Rejistani specialists in secret underground laboratories. Minutes later, the images are already displayed on the screens of Allanean military tablets, as intelligence analysts pace through the corridors of the Allanean High Command.

Vorindun is terra incognita for the Allaneans, they had neither heard nor known of this nation before the ships sailed. Now, an ad-hoc military plan is going to be worked out, even as the ships are on the move. For this purpose, the map of the enemy nation is pored over by dozens of men, looking for strategic strongpoints, bridges, railroad centers, harbors and air defense centres. These are immediately marked down and their coordinated entered into missile guidance code. Target lists are worked on by dozens of men at the Strategic Air Command.

Nobody mentions these men's names in the press – anonymous clerks in uniform, Corporals, Lieutenants and Majors. Yet these men have had a hand in the deaths of millions of men in the past, and they aim only to improve their grim score.

In the underground facilities of Fort-Jefferson, heavy industrial gurneys carrying guided bombs and cruise missiles are shifted from hallway to hallway, until they end up in aircraft hangars. Enormous, multi-engined bombers are now being prepared and armed. Soon the fighting will start, and Allanea is already pouring the lead shot into its boxing glove.

[Unilisia]

"Vorindun?" The crowd before the Archon was already sure that the question was rhetorical, and so they remained silent, a bit taken aback that she was showing herself publicly for the first time since the Reformation. Some people have been seriously irked by it, but nobody, not even the highest ranking of the Strategos, would dare to topple the government. They'd be dead before they could think about it.

"As you should all know, I've signed the Amistad Declaration. The nations of the world which we once fraternized with, those who practice the abomination known as slavery, are henceforth no longer recognized as nations. The people that live within them, regardless of social status, are varmints meant to be consumed by the strong. They are weak, they are sheep waiting for slaughter. Our race has long prided itself for carnal abaility, for the glory of our works, and for the strength of our society. Our ally Allanea has laid out the place known as Vorindun for our taking, together we shall make it wish it had never even been established as any sort of entity in the known world. It is time for Unilisia to return to the days of glory, when we wiped out the civilizations of the damned and built ours ever stronger, for the ultimate ascension of our race to the pinnacle of existence!" She slammed her fist on the metal podium, denting it slightly, and her visage was one of pure power; the subtle breeze in the gargantuan cavern blew her coal black hair back dramatically, further increasing the common belief that her and her ancestors were gods amongst plebeians.

"Dramargu!" The crowd chanted, fists raised in unison, smiles of the particularly malevolent kind gracing their faces as they chanted continuously. She allowed them to continue, hands resting on the podium and allowing her people to feel the nostalgic happiness they'd lacked in the past decade. She raised her right hand, three fingers denoting for silence, and then continued.

"Our new allies are some of the strongest nations ever known in this world. Together, forever, we shall wipe out that which makes this world weak and pitiful. We shall cleanse civilization of its impediments and strive to bring it forward, into a future we can all share in utter glory. Starting with Vorindun." The crowd erupted into celebration once more, and behind the Archon far behind towers filled with orchestras began playing the Unilisian anthem, the enormous lambdas carved into the granite rock flanking her on either side were ceremoniously lit ablaze, the obsidian that outlined them gleaming like diamonds in the rough.

Speech finished, she raised her fist one final time, the crowd imitating in perfect unison, and then cheering once more and she turned with a sweep and returned to the spiral tower that marked the center of Unilisian government. Plans for war were already being drawn up, the armed forces would move to full mobilization within their three day deadline, and for now, the Archon could be confident with a flawless retreat from the crowd, a grand feeling sweeping over her that she hadn't felt in far too long.

[The Vorindun]

"What do we know of these nations?" the Patricius asked his Commissar of Foreign Affairs, Alaric Litorius.

"Allanea is a bit of a neo-con imperialist republic. They can be rather self-righteous about some things, especially slavery. Unilisia appears to be motivated by something baser, a literal hunger for human flesh. Given their proclivity, might I suggest that we yield now, rather than make war? I for one do not care to eaten, and given our odds....."

"We will win, Alaric. Do not doubt me. The odds will be long and hard, as will the war, but we will have allies and they will stand with us. We do have allies, right?" the head of state demanded anxiously. He hoped to God that his impression was right about that. Everything hinged upon it. Without allies, they were scared. Surrender was a better option in such a case.

"I am confident that we can gain them, but in time...that I cannot promise. It all depends on their attitude toward us. Absent that, defeat is a given, sir," the Commissar stammered.

"God is with us, Commissar. Never doubt that," Marinus claimed a clarity that he didn't actually possess...but that was necessary. No sense in terrifying people without a need to do so.

"Of course, Patricius, as you say," the Commissar took his leave, which left the leader of his nation alone in the dark, contemplating the present as well as the future.

By now, the whole country was busy mobilizing....and reservists were taking up their posts everywhere....it was a whole nation in arms. Victory or defeat, they were in this game for keeps. There was no middle ground. National survival was at stake, nothing less than that.

[Allanea]

The Allanean fleet had gradually arrived at a range of 5,000 kilometers from its enemy. There it began to spread out to its sides, slowly beginning to envelop the Vorindun shore – if one could call something that occurred 5000 kilometers away an 'envelopment'. THe principle was very simple – create a 'shield' between Vorindun and Allanea, least cruise missiles or bomber strikes be launched towards the homeland. Already, the air defense cruisers increased their levels of alert.

From the decks of the Allanean aircraft carriers, several dozen drones rose into the air – heavy, long-range, reconnaissance UAVs. The Allaneans had an elaborate plan. Its first goal was to collect as much information as possible about the enemy country.

[Libertarian Governance]

Of course the Libertarians would go to war with this vile slaver. Within minutes of receiving the announcement from the Allaneans the LGDF begin to pull together its forces for a strike. From Urstanian Governance a powerful armada was assembled for immediate deployment to the slave state.

Across the airfields of the massive LGDF military facilities in Urstanian Governance weapons are pulled from magazines. Cruise missiles, glide bombs, Osiris thermobarics, air to air and air to ground weapons for the aircraft now being readied to strike.

As the LGDF preparations were underway the nations intelligence gathering satellites begin to be maneuvered towards Vorindun to gather the information needed to carry out precision missile strikes against the nations infrastructure.

Elsewhere, several groups of men boarded flat black supersonic transport planes. The men themselves were dressed in black BDUs with combat vest stuff with magazines and heavy packs filled with gear. Each man carried several weapons. When the last man boarded and the last jet closed its door the jets begin taxing to the runway. Each aircraft had a separate insertion point that it would fly its cargo of Phoenix Strike commandos too. Each commando unit had a different mission. All were going to Vorindun.

Sometime later 5000 kilometers from the enemy,

Task Force Destiny under Rear Admiral Ray Merkle approached the rendezvous with the Allanean fleet. Carriers had their combat air patrols in place with AWACS planes sweeping the sky for any sign of hostile forces. Submarines moved beneath the waves with their passive detection equipment closely monitored by experts of innumerable conflicts, cruisers, destroyers and littoral combat ships formed the battle groups out levels of defense with their anti-air systems fully active and ready for battle.

Inform the Allaneans that we approach, though I bet our approach comes as no surprise.

[The Vorindun]

"By God, it's a mutiny!" Admiral Lothar von Schulkraft banged his fist on the desk in his HQ as reports of rogue sailors and marines reached him from aides.

"What in God's name could possibly motivate them?" he stood and turned to the window, furious at the idea of his men turning their guns on their officers on the eve of war.

"They're shouting hoarsely for Kaiser Karl, Herr Admiral," one aide foolishly brought the bad news.

"Why do they want that mad little runt prince as their Kaiser? Fools! He'll turn us into another pathetic democracy like all the others and get rid of the kind of institutions necessary to social order. And what the hell is that loud commotion down there?" the Admiral looked closer out the window and saw him....that damn bastard was here....he was personally leading this revolt.

Prinz Karl Rudolf Otto von Handelhoff had incited this mutiny himself, by sneaking into the base and appearing to the men. It was evident where their loyalties were now.

Der Kaiser! Der Kaiser!

Such was the shout of the sailors and marines at the station. All and sundry stood with the Prince...the one they called Kaiser Karl I.

No sense trying to enforce discipline now. Schulkraft and his staff were screwed. It was either join the rebels or be cashiered, most likely. Over in scant minutes. Rarely was a naval mutiny so successful....rarely was a naval mutiny so well organized, and by a prince of the former royal family, no less. It time. Time to restore both monarchy and sanity with it. Time to bring down this slaver regime and reinstate a government and society of the rule of law.

24 hours later....behind a warehouse near the docks

"Blindfolds, kameraden?" Centurion Heinz Buehler of the Marines offered the admiral and his confederates.

"Nein!" the admiral and the others shouted, angry at even the suggestion of such cowardice.

"Cigarettes?" Buehler then suggested.

"Ja!" Schulkraft agreed, as did all but two of the others. They were both rare cases of non-smokers on the command staff. Everyone else smoked. It was part of the culture.

A few puffs and discarded butts later, the firing squad took aim at the condemned traitors to the Fatherland. The Kaiser was here and he had determined to set all things to rights.

Pompeius Naval Base brought with it Flavium. If more of the Navy and marines joined the counter-revolution and the Kaiser.....the current regime's days were truly numbered.

Somehow, the new Kaiser thought as he watched his enemies get shot....he thought of that passage in Daniel and the message of the handwriting on the wall, as revealed by Daniel the Prophet....the words sent to King Belshazzar from Jehovah God Himself.

Mene, mene, tekel upharsin........Your days are numbered, you have been weighed and found lacking.....your kingdom is divided and taken from you...given to another..

Yes, Dr. Marinus....your days are numbered, you have been found lacking, and your kingdom is being divided and conquered as surely as I stand here. You're doomed by the hand of God Himself.

As He died to make men holy, let us die to make them free...while God is marching on...

And they would free the slaves and end this wretched war with a better, free Vorindun living in peace, freedom, and dignity. Romans, Goths, and his fellow Germans...all are Vorindun first. One nation, one Kaiser, one condition, that of freedom, not slavery.

No monarchists ever had a better cause. Monarchy and abolition now meant the same side...the same vision, the same cause...the same army...

[The Vorindun]

Whereas the late overthrow of our beloved and benevolent father, the Kaiser of the Vorindun, was perpetuated by means most foul and unconstitutional, toward an end most malign indeed, the restoration of slavery and tyranny over our free and loyal subjects, be they Roman, Goth, or German.

Pursuant to the authority granted to us by the hand of Divine Providence, to the mandate with which we were endowed by the prior Constitution of this Empire, as the lawful and legitimate issue of the late sovereign, our father, be it known that until such time as law and order are fully and properly restored and the country has genuine respite from civil strife and political chaos, the following provisions have been made for the welfare of our most loving and patriotic subjects and for the greater good of humanity.

I. Our government fully affirms its opposition and hostility toward the infernal practice of chattel slavery, be it the enslavement of man, elf, or dwarf, or any other persons of a sapient nature. Henceforth, in this Empire, by our command and decree, all such persons are pronounced forever free of the lawless and barbaric yoke of slavery. We further decree that slavery and the traffic in slaves, be it foreign or domestic, shall be forbidden for all of our subjects on pain of death by hanging.

II.Our government fully authorizes, empowers, and encourages the armed forces of those nations signatory to the Amistad Declaration to engage in whatever offensive combat operations, by air, land, and sea are deemed by said nations to be necessary for the single purpose of eradicating this slavery regime presently usurping our throne and our governance of the Empire. These nations in particular have our blessing and favor to so advance against those who lawlessly trampled the freedom of our subjects: the United States of Allanea, the Laconic Directorate of Unilisia, and Libertarian Governance. Provided that these nations take reasonable steps to reduce collateral damage and respect the lives, liberty, and property (excluding slaves) of all of our beloved subjects who are not party to said unlawful rebellion against our divine and constitutional prerogatives and sovereignty, they are absolved from all criminal responsibility for any unintended mayhem committed in the process of prosecuting the said war.

III. We decree that, due to the rather intense and dangerous exigencies of this civil war in which our Empire and Fatherland is now tragically embroiled, all persons currently holding offices of an unlawful and significant nature in the present cabal usurping our power and throne, the nature of which offices presently necessitates the swearing of an oath of allegiance to said regime, may hereby be deemed enemies of the State, to be proscribed and summarily executed upon capture. This attainder do we not impose lightly or callously, but rather in consequence of their evident purpose of dividing and enslaving our subjects.

IV. Our lawful and proper government hereby affixes its signature to the Amistad Declaration, as a clear and definite indication of our firm and standing policy of eradicating slavery once and for all.

V. This our Empire is hereby deemed to be in a state of siege, said state to be remedied by the practice of martial-law, enforced by both our loyal legions and other armed services, and those armed forces commanded by our various allies, said nations having been already designated herein by name. Habeas corpus and all writs thereof are indefinitely suspended, in the interest of expediting the wresting of this Fatherland from the grasp of the tyrants and traitors who have waged war against us, their lawful sovereign and countrymen.

This edict being sealed, signed, and ratified by us,
His Imperial Majesty, Karl I, by the Grace of God, Kaiser and Emperor of the Vorindun, Master of Soldiers, Patrician of the Romans, King of the Ostrogoths, King of the Germans, and Father of the Fatherland

[Allanea]

Official Message from Army General Elros Thanafiel, to His Imperial Majesty Karl I

In my capacity as the Commander of the Allanean Forces in Theater, I am not authorized to negotiate conditions, treaties, acts, and so forth, on behalf of our allies the Libertarians and our friends the Unilisians. However, I am authorized to do that on behalf of the Allanean people and the United States Armed Forces, and hereby I request passage for my troops through whatever territory is controlled by your men.

If it is possible at this stage, please inform our armed forces of the positions of major slave camps, military facilities, and specifically air defenses of the Slaver Enemy, to assist us in vanquishing them. Furthermore, and to further assist us in this goal, we would like to receive information on the location of harbors where our ships may dock.

[The Vorindun]

Official Message from Army General Elros Thanafiel, to His Imperial Majesty Karl I

In my capacity as the Commander of the Allanean Forces in Theater, I am not authorized to negotiate conditions, treaties, acts, and so forth, on behalf of our allies the Libertarians and our friends the Unilisians. However, I am authorized to do that on behalf of the Allanean people and the United States Armed Forces, and hereby I request passage for my troops through whatever territory is controlled by your men.

If it is possible at this stage, please inform our armed forces of the positions of major slave camps, military facilities, and specifically air defenses of the Slaver Enemy, to assist us in vanquishing them. Furthermore, and to further assist us in this goal, we would like to receive information on the location of harbors where our ships may dock.

Herr General,

The present situation is as follows:

1. The city of Flavium, on the very top NE coast of the Empire, is presently in the hands of my loyal troops, the garrison having defected to me as well, along with the Pompeius Naval Base and a third of the Imperial Navy. As yet, the Imperial Exile Legions and the Imperial Marine Corps are my primary sources of manpower, but volunteers are already flocking to my standards.
2. The capital city of Maximeum is currently the stronghold of the outlaw regime, with some 75 air wings committed to its defense. Given the rather loose definition of "air wings" at this time, however, with many civilian pilots having been pressed into service by the regime, it is wise to assume that only about 25 of these air wings represent a serious operational menace. The illegal regime in Maximeum has also pressed all convicts into military service, according to intelligence leaked to us by sympathetic sources inside the councils of the junta.
3. The major slave "camps", as it were, are all located just outside the Olwean enclave known as "Olwean Renaissance". This enclave is properly deemed a sovereign nation in its own right, created by a grant of territory from a prior, more benevolent regime. However, at least half if not more of the slaves oppressed by this regime, are known to be Olweans, in violation of their rights as such and as people. This enclave is currently under virtual siege, but is loathe to openly confront the enemy for fear of annihilation. It has instead opted to seek the protection of its people by raids on slavers themselves by its police forces. It is estimated that at least 75% of those enslaved are of the Elven race. This enclave is currently located to the east of Maximeum, some thirty kilometers inland and fifty kilometers south of Flavium. Be warned that the elite, paramilitary Imperial Youth Service has some six divisions located in said camps, guarding them and the slaves closely prior to auction by the State and its private contractors. I would warn that these adolescent troops must be presumed heavily armed and fanatical in their allegiance to the slaver regime.
4. The cities of the NW, Sabinum and Pertinax, are heavily garrisoned due to serious doubts about their loyalties. Most of the garrisons are augmented by militia and reservists, many of whom the current regime doesn't totally trust. There bulk of the remaining air wings are near these cities. If Maximeum is threatened, the leaders of the regime are unlikely to trust their safety to the inhabitants of those cities.
5. Instead, Sicula and Saint-Paul are deemed the most reliable towns for the slaver cause, both being in the south-central part of the Fatherland. Due to this confidence in their allegiance, their garrisons consist of a mere legion each, plus provincial militia and reservists. Most forces normally stationed there are instead operating in the coastal area, entrenching and fortifying against a possible invader.

In short, the enemy has a hollow defense past the very external levels, again due to the belief that only certain towns and foreign "aggressors" endanger the regime. Either break through or outflank these defenses, and the various conscript "legions" elsewhere in the country will either surrender or disintegrate entirely. Prior to my return, this was not likely to be the case, but now they have an alternative to the slaver regime and foreign military occupation. Do not let your guard down, however. There are significant forces that have undergone political indoctrination, and those will be your staunchest and most dogged enemies. These are strongest in the hinterland, as noted, and to lesser extent along the coast, as well as the youth units.

I hope that this information proves conducive to your operational goals.

Respectfully,
Karl I, Kaiser of the Vorindun

[Unilisia]

"They're already falling apart and the Allaneans have done nothing but show up in their waters. How pitiful." The Strategos tapped his cigarette into the ash tray, a fleck of gray crumbling from an ember to dust within.

"I've sent a fleet to rendezvous with the Allanean fleet; as for the forces of Libertarian Governance, well, they've never really liked us anyway and I'd rather deploy an army alongside steadfast allies then armed humans that don't fully trust us yet. Sad though, wondering about what could be accomplished if they put the past aside..." The Archon shrugged and looked across the table, her hand tapping diligently on the marble lining. The lights were dim, but angled just right to show only the faces and upper torsos of those at the table. Most of the Strategos were quiet, contemplating tactical maneuvers or simply listening to the conversation. The oval room peaked at its entrance, sliding door guarded by a single zealous member of the Sanguinis Guard; of course, hidden within a wall panel.

If one were to look at the room from a birds viewpoint, it would appear to be a shining eye, watching the world. Indeed the table itself was a large touch-screen, showing satellite imagery of military and civilian installations within Vorindun, of mutinous soldiers firing and executing their own countrymen, of civilians panicked in the streets as the forces of this new civil war mobilized against one another, and looming on the distant horizon were the enormous naval fleets of the Allanean and Libertarian armed forces. Further still was the Unilisian fleet, composed of twenty four carrier vessels holding around 5,000 soldiers each, two aircraft carriers for general deterrence of air attack and for air coverage once the armies had landed, and of course an escort of half a dozen missile cruisers and a single nuclear submarine lurking deep beneath the depths.

"Should we request information from the Allaneans about their battle plan?" Asked the Stratego, receiving a curt nod from the Archon, whose face was stoic as a statue.

*

To: Commander of the Allanean Forces of the Vorindun Theater
From: Strategos Averin Lark on behalf of the Directorate Council

After deliberation I humbly request an exchange of tactical information and general battle plans for the upcoming invasion and subjugation of the political entity known as Vorindun. The Archon wishes for the utmost cooperation between our forces, and a fleet is currently in route several hundred miles from the major port city of Flavium.

[Vorindeum]

"Patres, our Fatherland, the mother country is in grave danger now. We MUST act to prevent the Unilisians from getting their hands on our brethren. The soil is not the issue, kameraden. What matters is the Volk. The whole point to Vorindeum is giving Vorindun a fresh start in a new region, a new Vaterland, a new Patria. I have always stood firmly behind the Volkish ideal, not in any racist sense, but rather that of a common national brotherhood. Allanea is not our worry, nor Libertarian Governance. They're stark raving mad ideologues, but they are still human and follow some civilized rules of conduct. The Unilisians, however, are eaters of human flesh. Literally, kameraden. While I have anything to do with it, we will preserve the lives and the blood of our people.

"So, this is my command to you, patres. This is our policy regarding the war in Vorindun. Full and automatic citizenship to all Vorindun who wish to flee their ancient homeland and emigrate to us. Romans, Goths, and Germans alike, we are all one Volk, one Vaterland. Let those who wish to stay and risk their lives by facing the Unilisian threat do so, but we, kameraden, will be there for those who choose otherwise. No savages are going to hunt us to extinction on MY watch. Cannibalism, by God, is a sure sign of barbarism! As Master of Soldiers and First Citizen, I will draw this line and none shall cross it, save to their peril, patres.

"Send out the communique, to all and sundry. We will not be mocked. All Vorindun must be given safe conduct back to our new homeland here in Vorindeum. Those who meddle with this policy do so at their own risk. This is an order, gentlemen! Now, follow it!" Septimus Lexus, Magister Militum et Princeps Civicus (Master of Soldiers and First Citizen), landed his fist hard on the desk in front of him in the war council chamber.

To the belligerents of the current civil war in Vorindun, to wit,

As Master of Soldiers and First Citizen of the Sovereign State of Vorindeum, I must take a strong degree of umbrage at the manner in which my ancestral homeland has been so callously and disdainfully treated by those involved, namely foreign powers whose professed goal is the liberation of said homeland from slavery. While I do not wish to cast aspersions as to the legitimacy of either side in this conflict, and indeed I have a great deal of respect for the House of Handelhoff, which the young Kaiser represents, that does not mean that I will turn a blind eye as to the safety and welfare of the civilian population of the ancient Fatherland.

Under no circumstances will my government or I tolerate in any way, shape, or form, the extermination or systematic enslavement of my people, least of all by powers whose avowed aim is liberty. To that end, I must insist that each of these powers demonstrate their good will and good intentions by accepting without harassment the evacuation of the civilian population by contingents of paramilitary humanitarian peace-keeping forces sent by my regime. In short, I will firmly oppose any atrocities committed against the ordinary people of Vorindun and will do my utmost to evacuate them to the new Fatherland for new lives as citizens of Vorindeum. In the interests of humanity, it is best for all concerned that these evacuations go as smoothly and efficiently as possible, with no interference whatsoever. I thank you in advance for your co-operation.

In the name of Father God and Brother Man,
Septimus Lexus, Magister Militum et Princeps Civicus

There, that should be a clear enough, bold enough stance, that would show the proper balance of moral courage and sincere civility. There was nothing else to do but await the responses, hoping that they saw reason on this matter.

[Libertarian Governance]

To: His Imperial Majesty Karl I
CC: Emperor of Greater Prussia Alexander Kirillovich Kazansky; Her Ascendance Archon Evelyn, the Guardian of Panascenciae and the Directorate; Septimus Lexus, Magister Militum et Princeps Civicus

Subject: Recognition of Imperial Government of Vorindun

The Government of Libertarian Governance hereby recognizes the Imperial Government of Vorindun as the sole legitimate government representing the people of Vorindun. As such Libertarian Governance extends its hand in friendship and support.

It is the desire of the Free Republic to aid your government in the reestablishment of control and sovereignty over your nation. We wish to state categorically that Libertarian Governance has no territorial ambitions on your nation. Our sole purpose for intervention is to remove the criminals that have gained control over parts of your country.

We request permission to immediately dispatch air and ground forces to your enclave at Flavium. As I write this there is a small force of special operation personnel on the ground at various points throughout your nation. I understand Colonel Casius Lee is close to or perhaps in Flavium. I would like to arrange a liaison between him and your military leadership for the purposes of coordinating the arrival of troops and coordination as well as to provide all necessary military and economic assistance to your government.

As to the slavers and those supporting them. It should be understood that such persons will be held accountable under our Crimes Against Humanity statutes. Slavers should take this opportunity to surrender all slaves to your regime immediately. Those that do will receive a pardon for their past crimes from us. Those that don't will suffer the full force of our laws.

Sincerly,


Robert Wilhelm Stratton
Chief Executive of Libertarian Governance
President of the Unified Realm
Prince Imperial of the Greater Prussian Empire

[The Vorindun]

(Image)

To: His Imperial Majesty Karl I
CC: Emperor of Greater Prussia Alexander Kirillovich Kazansky; Her Ascendance Archon Evelyn, the Guardian of Panascenciae and the Directorate; Septimus Lexus, Magister Militum et Princeps Civicus

Subject: Recognition of Imperial Government of Vorindun

The Government of Libertarian Governance hereby recognizes the Imperial Government of Vorindun as the sole legitimate government representing the people of Vorindun. As such Libertarian Governance extends its hand in friendship and support.

It is the desire of the Free Republic to aid your government in the reestablishment of control and sovereignty over your nation. We wish to state categorically that Libertarian Governance has no territorial ambitions on your nation. Our sole purpose for intervention is to remove the criminals that have gained control over parts of your country.

We request permission to immediately dispatch air and ground forces to your enclave at Flavium. As I write this there is a small force of special operation personnel on the ground at various points throughout your nation. I understand Colonel Casius Lee is close to or perhaps in Flavium. I would like to arrange a liaison between him and your military leadership for the purposes of coordinating the arrival of troops and coordination as well as to provide all necessary military and economic assistance to your government.

As to the slavers and those supporting them. It should be understood that such persons will be held accountable under our Crimes Against Humanity statutes. Slavers should take this opportunity to surrender all slaves to your regime immediately. Those that do will receive a pardon for their past crimes from us. Those that don't will suffer the full force of our laws.

Sincerly,
(Image)

Robert Wilhelm Stratton
Chief Executive of Libertarian Governance
President of the Unified Realm
Prince Imperial of the Greater Prussian Empire

To: Robert Wilhelm Stratton, Chief Executive of Libertarian Governance, President of the United Realm, and Prince Imperial of the Greater Prussian Empire

From: His Imperial Majesty, Karl I, by the Grace of God, Kaiser and Emperor of the Vorindun, Master of Soldiers, Patrician of the Romans, King of the Ostrogoths, King of the Germans, and Father of the Fatherland

Pray accept our sincere gratitude in this matter of your prompt and lawful recognition of our supreme constitutional authority as Kaiser of the Vorindun. In this matter of the proper and legal accession in which we are duly vested with the powers imperial, we do deem this an issue of the utmost urgency, to wit, that we should mollify the qualms and unease of our beloved kinsmen of the Sovereign State of Vorindeum. To which end, we do most earnestly wish to impress upon you, sir, the firm necessity of acting within the full spirit of our most recent declaration pertaining to this most horrific and fratricidal of conflicts.

In this spirit of beneficial cooperation of our governments and armed forces, this most immediate assurance on your part of a complete renunciation of territorial designs upon our national sovereignty will have the most pleasing and soothing effect, a fact which can only have the most desirable impact upon the reputation of our worthy cause. Our mutual purpose and solidarity in the desire for a restoration of lawful government throughout this our realm must necessarily animate our subjects to a speedy and absolute victory for our cause.

Most tellingly, given the nature of the present ideological leanings of this cabal of usurpers who have improperly seized our patrimony and domain, the honorable convictions which have prompted the unifying objective of eradicating the chains and yoke of bondage which ensnare and oppress our fellow men have already expedited the process of absolving the consciences of many of our worthiest subjects from any pretensions to allegiance to the false government currently occupying our capital against the dictates of God and Man. Most certainly, the great masses of the citizenry have already succored our cause against the usurper in certain sectors of our territory, as have the great preponderance of our soldiery and constabularies.

Be assured that you have our most fervent best wishes, sympathy, blessing, and imperial sanction to prosecute this war against these our mutual enemies with the utmost diligence and zeal. Regarding the particular matter of which you wrote at some length in your late correspondence with us, it is urgent, indeed imperative, that you proceed with your operational plans as proposed in said correspondence with our fulsome backing, knowing that the cause which impels both of our national governments and armed forces to wage war against this cruel and barbaric enemy who dares to enslave his fellow countrymen.

Concerning the aforementioned gentleman, we await his coming with great and eager anticipation, for the purpose of which you spoke. We do most assuredly approve of his presence, to whatever end shall prove effectual to a yet greater end of freedom and brotherhood.

As for the despicable class of slavers, let it be known to all and sundry that we disavow them and decree that henceforth all such shall be deemed stateless under the laws of the Empire, as men and women without conscience, having theirs seared by the hardness of their hearts, for which reason we proscribe and disenfranchise them, divest them of our stewardship, and cast them outside the protection of the law. Do with these as shall seem good and right to you. They no longer benefit from the laws of the Empire or the citizenship of the same, but are hereby and henceforth in a state of imperial banishment. Only those who avail themselves of the present amnesty shall benefit from said offer, which is a temporary matter. These alone of the guilty parties shall be preserved in their civic status and its privileges.

We most sincerely hope that this correspondence on our part shall assuage any doubts remaining in your most worthy mind. We thank you again for your consideration and respect for our sovereign prerogatives in this and other matters of great relevance to the Fatherland. If any doubts persist, feel free to make further inquiries in this respect.

Respectfully,
His Imperial Majesty, Karl I, by the Grace of God, Kaiser and Emperor of the Vorindun, Master of Soldiers, Patrician of the Romans, King of the Ostrogoths, King of the Germans, and Father of the Fatherland

[Allanea]

From:  Army General Elros Thanafiel
To: Strategos Averin Lark
Subj:] Operation Catherine

Dear friend!

Given the new developments of the Vorindun operation, and in particular the emergence of what is beginning to prove itself as a robust anti-slaver government, we believe that we must exploit every advantage that is granted to us by this evolution in the strategic battlefield layout. For this purpose, we believe that we must commence ground forces landing at the city of Flavium, possibly also using the city's airports to land our troops. I have already ordered the preparaiton of air transport facilities in Allanea to begin deploying personnel to Flavium's airports.

Furthermore, our chief priority at the moment is to eliminate the air defenses at the city of Maximeum, the slaver capital, currently consisting of a large amount of air wings, deployed at several bases around the city. Our goal should be to engage those bases at maximum range with out Hellion and Kh-555 cruise missiles, so as to either disable the Enemy's aircraft on their runways, or to dismantle their support facilities and make it impossible for them to operate.

It should be our priority, strategically, to lend support to this 'Kaiser Karl I' character, with the caveat that his loyalty to the slaver cause must be proven by action. We must be ready for the eventuality that he is some sort of crypto-slaver, and keep a dagger ready. Therefore, we must also establish contact with this Olwean Renaissance enclave. No doubt the elves there will be happy to assist us against the people who kidnap and enslave their kin, and to make it so that the slaver fears the very name 'elf' for generations to come.

That is all.

May Eru continue to bless Allanea.

*

From:  Army General Elros Thanafiel
To: Kaiser Karl I
Subj:] Operation Catherine

Your Majesty the Kaiser!

I am most happy to receive your missive. I am preparing a force of infantry that will soon arrive at Flavium by air, as a preparation for our general offensive. If it is possible to set aside some area near the city for an Allanean military camp, and if it is possible for your combat engineers or simple workers to prepare some flat strips of ground as impromptu landing grounds for military cargo aircraft, that would probably be a good use of everyone's time.

That is all.

May Eru continue to bless Allanea.

*

From:  Army General Elros Thanafiel
To: The Government of the Olwe Rennaissance
Subj:] Operation Catherine

Elven friends!

I understand that for many years, your kith and kin have suffered under the slaver yoke. This I tell you now: I am an elf as you are elves, and more: I am an Allanean Freeman. I speak in the name of the Allanean People, and the Emperor Adolescent. I tell you now: they do not wish to see the Fair Folk oppressed or enslaved.

We will come down upon the slaver as a mighty tsunami - between us and our allies and the division in the Vorindun government, we see no way in which the slavers could stand before us. Now is the time for you to strike your blow. Every bit helps.

Join us in our struggle. Rescue your kin.

May the shadow in due time retreat from your lands.
And may Eru continue to bless Allanea.

*

Even as the three missives were making their way to their recipients, five heavy, atomic-powered strategic bombers flew low over the Allanean ships, and continued forward toward the Vorindunian shore. They rose upwards, until, at a range of 3,000 kilometers from the shore, they launched their cruise missiles.

The enormous bombers were carrying about 100 of the Hellion stealth missiles each - 500 missiles in total. They sped forward, like snakes lunging at their targets - the air bases around Maximeum and their surrounding facilities. They used no active guidance, as their targets were static. This allowed them to be stealthier, as they did not make a single transmission. If they were not shot down, then, at pre-set points, they dove towards their targets and strike them head-on, or detonated high in the air, showering everything below them in hundreds of deadly submunitions, causing fires and decimating men and vehicles alike that were not lucky enough to be in shelters.

[The Vorindun]

From:  Army General Elros Thanafiel
To: Kaiser Karl I
Subj:] Operation Catherine

Your Majesty the Kaiser!

I am most happy to receive your missive. I am preparing a force of infantry that will soon arrive at Flavium by air, as a preparation for our general offensive. If it is possible to set aside some area near the city for an Allanean military camp, and if it is possible for your combat engineers or simple workers to prepare some flat strips of ground as impromptu landing grounds for military cargo aircraft, that would probably be a good use of everyone's time.

That is all.

May Eru continue to bless Allanea.

*

Herr General,

Your presence here is urgently needed indeed, and so we will facilitate your arrival to the maximum degree. The Imperial Exile Legion will employ sufficient engineers, largely from the ranks of new volunteers, to prepare the necessary zones for your aircraft, both combat and non-combatant. The area immediately north of the city, which happens to be just the right size for a camp, is the proper location for such a military force.

A matter of no small urgency is the necessary corrective measures for dealing with the ruling Party that has been dislodged now in the city of Flavium and its suburbs. Its cadres are the nucleus of resistance to the forces of freedom and brotherhood. They can often be identified by a white armband and/or Fatherland Front pin. Fatherland Front members are the most fanatically pro-slavery and anti-Elven people in the country.

They are typically members of the Arian Apostolic Church, but are a minority even within that sect. I estimate that about 10 to 20% of the Arian clergy are Fatherland Front members or sympathizers. This is Arian as in the rejection of the Nicene Creed, not Aryan as in a racial group, but there is an overlap, because the bishops and other key clerics are aligned with the Front and the Patriciate (the official name of the illegal regime). Many paramilitary organizations of that affiliation are being disbanded and disarmed as I write this letter. Ordinary citizens of Flavium, however, favor me, including many of the lower and middle ranks of the Arian clergy.

The Elven-led state of Olwean Renaissance is basically a state under siege, so any relief to them is a relief to all of us. The crimes against them are such that they may well be of use in terms of extradition of certain individuals to their territory when those persons are captured alive. It is unlikely that they would draw swords except in defense, but extradite the responsible parties to them and justice is likely to be swift and severe.

It is a priority of my government to send relief units to them as soon as I can get sufficient mobile units together for a serious offensive. The crimes being committed against them are the root of the slaver movement. They are the principal source of slaves and the main target of the policy, more than any other race. The sooner they know that help is on the way, the sooner they will lift up their heads and the sooner the slaves themselves are likely to stage insurrections against their captors.

In any case, aerial campaigns against the enemy in Maximeum are absolutely a matter of great strategic and tactical immediacy. With air supremacy secured, the slavers must be inevitably be put on the defensive permanently. Maximeum is a very hard nut to crack, but break the back of their air component and you have the foe at your mercy. Unfortunately, Maximeum is also a city that might have to be seriously decimated in population, since so many of its inhabitants are directly involved in the implementation of the Patriciate's and the Front's policies. It is entirely possible that as many as half of the adults in the city will have to be severely punished and prevented from rendering aid and comfort to the enemy. It is a regime boom town, no doubt of that. I am toying with building a new capital and actually destroying Maximeum, it's that bad. So if you wish to level more buildings than I would otherwise condone in that city, I wouldn't object.

I would strongly suggest that you rely heavily on Romans and Germans for native intelligence and minimize any reliance on Ostrogoths. Many Goths oppose the regime, but they are statistically dominant in the Fatherland Front and are far more likely to be double agents or spies from the Patriciate than any Romans and Germans would be.

Regarding the Unilisians, it might be a great idea to employ them to the hilt in the Maximeum offensive and the raids on the slave labor camps. Their more ruthless tendencies are better suited to these kinds of endeavors than to liberation of anti-slavery areas from slaver rule. They need an outlet for their aggressive tendencies and their culinary tastes, so this is the best approach for them. The more they are emphasized in dealing with the hard cases instead of the ordinary Vorindun, the lower the risks of atrocities being committed against my more innocent subjects. It will also provide a strong incentive for those wavering in their allegiances to side with us instead of the Patriciate/Front camp.

While I am most anxious to prevent harm to my loyal subjects, the disloyal ones will surely reap the whirlwind for the wind which they have sown. I have no compunctions about this, as they are guilty of crimes against innocent people, especially the Elves and other slaves. Expect many German and Roman legions to defect to us en masse, while there will be a great number of Gothic legions who fight bitterly against us. Most of these will be incited to do so by propaganda, of course, but it is still sadly true that the affection of my Gothic subjects is not as strong for me as that of the Romans and Germans. I hope to see this remedied, but I will not shed tears for the fate of the slaver. I aim to protect the innocent and punish the guilty, and sometimes I have to risk some collateral damage, as sad as it is. I simply wish to contain that scenario to where it is truly unavoidable.

Naturally, Flavium is the foothold and it will serve provisionally as my seat of government. I therefore assume that it is to be treated with a great deal more care than Maximeum, for example. In the interests of reducing the cost of men and material, it is probably best to transport as many units through Flavium as can feasibly be done. This will limit the necessity of amphibious operations and thus reduce the death toll for both my people and yours. It will also get my subjects used to the idea of you as liberators, not conquerors, and therefore be of great political value in defeating any propaganda directed against me as a supposed collaborator. It will further allow your troops to humanize my people in their eyes, minimizing the odds of atrocities against my people.

By and large, the navy and marines are heavily German, btw and likely to be neutralized as a risk to your landing forces. That much I have already begun to do for our cause, simply by being here. Any troublemakers in the ranks can be handled as mutineers with extreme prejudice. Military discipline has its uses, especially in this case.

I hope that this letter finds you favorably disposed.

For freedom and brotherhood,
His Imperial Majesty, Karl I, by the Grace of God, Kaiser and Emperor of the Vorindun, Master of Soldiers, Patrician of the Romans, King of the Ostrogoths, King of the Germans, and Father of the Fatherland

With that, the orders went out and the combat engineers, augmented by many new recruits, began working on the necessary landing zones and other necessary preparations for the coalition forces to arrive. The sooner the allies got here, the shorter the war would be and the sooner the country could begin its fresh start as a constitutional monarchy on the world stage.

The plans and preparations were also laid out for the Imperial forces to begin combat operations against the Youth Service zealots. Those adolescents were likely to have rather short lives indeed by the end of this war. Justice and retribution were coming.....and judgment was imminent now.

[Unilisia]

The first of many Unilisian missile cruisers slid on past the Allanean fleet, hailing them with their horns in subtle camaraderie as the two fleets churned water intermixed. Between the cruisers were the many troop carriers, and aboard them hundreds and hundreds of soldiers sat in armored compartments and loaded magazines, adjusted combat armor, and slowly cleaned their rifles in an eerie silence. The smell of testosterone was thick, the men definitely outnumbering the women, but each of the soldiers were veterans of numerous campaigns before and were fully prepared for the rigors of combat.

Aboard the missile cruisers Unilisia's own Hellions slid into place, mounted atop firing structures riddled across the deck in compact quad-units, 16 missiles in total per unit. Each vessel housing twenty of them, combining to over 320 missiles per ship firing from each vessel. Once the order was given for launch, the Hellions soared into the air and rocketed towards the nation of Vorindun, targeting not only the capital of Maximeum and its governing districts but also water treatment facilities, areas shown by satellite to be occupied by slaver forces in major city junctions, and the extensive network of infrastructure consisting of roads and bridges. One ship was entirely dedicated to the Olwean enclave, bombing its border defenses and major areas of slaver encampment. The missiles did not distinguish between military and civilian targets within the slaver entity, hoping to cause the maximum amount of damage and chaos possible, but civilian casualties were to be avoided. Collateral damage was a given, though.

Following the missile launch the two aircraft carriers launched overflights of the city of Flavium, one plane reporting on the status of the port facilities and civilian infrastructure whilst the other flew further inland, high in the atmosphere, recording the areas where the missiles had struck before going sonic and returning to safer airspace.

*

From: Strategos Averin Lark
To: Kaiser Karl I
Subj:] Operation Catherine

I understand that you may have misgivings about the nature of Unilisian combat and our soldiers possible ravaging of your nations territories; this message is meant to dispel any possible rumors you may have heard.

Firstly, civilians will not be targeted for any reprisals in areas occupied by Unilisian forces. Only those who aide enemy forces will be harmed in they take up arms against us. Loyal civilians will be removed from the immediate combat areas and kept safe far from the front-lines until the end of hostilities or until they may return to their homes. That is a promise from me, personally, that none of them will be harmed. Secondly, known slavers and the territory they currently occupy with military forces will not be spared from destruction. Although we will do our utmost to preserve infrastructure for use after the war, any building regardless of nationalist or religious reverence that may be used against us will be treated like any other enemy stronghold during the war and will be decimated if necessary. Soldiers who surrender will be executed. We do not recognize the claims of the nation of Vorindeum to work in combat areas, however civilians under our protection who do wish to immigrate to that nation will be allowed to leave via controlled ports. Any penetration by 'peacekeeping' entities into our zone of control will be considered an act of war.

Lastly, the Archon and myself recognize your right to rule the nation of Vorindum, and we will do our utmost to respect your combat forces and avoid any possibility of hostilities between our soldiers. We will respect your culture and rights if you respect ours. Any proliferation of negative Unilisian stereotypes will not be taken lightly.

The Archon sends her regards.

[Olwean Renaissance]

From:  Army General Elros Thanafiel
To: The Government of the Olwe Rennaissance
Subj:] Operation Catherine

Elven friends!

I understand that for many years, your kith and kin have suffered under the slaver yoke. This I tell you now: I am an elf as you are elves, and more: I am an Allanean Freeman. I speak in the name of the Allanean People, and the Emperor Adolescent. I tell you now: they do not wish to see the Fair Folk oppressed or enslaved.

We will come down upon the slaver as a mighty tsunami - between us and our allies and the division in the Vorindun government, we see no way in which the slavers could stand before us. Now is the time for you to strike your blow. Every bit helps.

Join us in our struggle. Rescue your kin.

May the shadow in due time retreat from your lands.
And may Eru continue to bless Allanea.

*

Friends and brethren,

This missive was sent by a trusted human, who being an Ostrogoth could easily get past the security net that might normally have caught her. Receive her well and know that while the Goths are the least friendly of all the humans in the Vorindun, they are not universally hostile. Her name is Severina and she is the stepdaughter of the major domus of the Grand Duke's court. She has already engaged in a dozen covert operations to rescue many of our Folk from the clutches of the slaver.

As you might imagine, we have had to be very clandestine in our efforts to subvert the slaver cause. Open war is not a prospect that we have been able to realistically relish. It would mean the annihilation of our people, after all, if undergone without some kind of external assistance. We have to sneak around to protect our people, ashamed as we are of this fact. What must be done now is to enable us to escape the siege that has presently engulfed us. We need permanent and open contact with the outside world, enabling us to trade and travel as a matter of course, rather than have to slip past the security of our foes. This is presently nothing more than a blockade on land rather than at sea.

Your coming at this time will be seen much as the cavalry in certain American celluloid. It will be a rescue desperately needed to a people who still cling to hope only by the fingertips. We are confident that you can surely expel the aggressor who is literally at our gates. We will hold the fort until then, but now we do so with hope for the future. Thank you much and be assured that we will assist you in whatever way we win.

Eru bless you and your allies,
Count Andrea Gallo
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Grand Duchy of Olwean Renaissance

The Count shed tears of relief and joy as he signed this epistle. He was normally a very controlled fellow, but this time the half-Elf, half-Italian who served as foreign minister felt a rush of passion and sentiment which overcame him, in the wake of good news after such a long time of misery and privation. His people were currently reduced to eating their pets. Much longer.....and it could get worse than that. The siege had ground them all down. This news would lift their spirits.

He dried his eyes and made sure to spread the word to the rest of the court. Help was on the way and not a moment too soon.

[The Vorindun]

From: Strategos Averin Lark
To: Kaiser Karl I
Subj:] Operation Catherine

I understand that you may have misgivings about the nature of Unilisian combat and our soldiers possible ravaging of your nations territories; this message is meant to dispel any possible rumors you may have heard.

Firstly, civilians will not be targeted for any reprisals in areas occupied by Unilisian forces. Only those who aide enemy forces will be harmed in they take up arms against us. Loyal civilians will be removed from the immediate combat areas and kept safe far from the front-lines until the end of hostilities or until they may return to their homes. That is a promise from me, personally, that none of them will be harmed. Secondly, known slavers and the territory they currently occupy with military forces will not be spared from destruction. Although we will do our utmost to preserve infrastructure for use after the war, any building regardless of nationalist or religious reverence that may be used against us will be treated like any other enemy stronghold during the war and will be decimated if necessary. Soldiers who surrender will be executed. We do not recognize the claims of the nation of Vorindeum to work in combat areas, however civilians under our protection who do wish to immigrate to that nation will be allowed to leave via controlled ports. Any penetration by 'peacekeeping' entities into our zone of control will be considered an act of war.

Lastly, the Archon and myself recognize your right to rule the nation of Vorindum, and we will do our utmost to respect your combat forces and avoid any possibility of hostilities between our soldiers. We will respect your culture and rights if you respect ours. Any proliferation of negative Unilisian stereotypes will not be taken lightly.

The Archon sends her regards.[/quote]

To Strategos Averin Lark:

Dear Strategos,

I apologize for the brevity of this message and also for dispensing with the traditional majestic pronoun "we", as it is not standard to say "I" instead in formal communication with the civil and military officers of any state, including allies such as yourself.

Allow me to say how much this correspondence from you has allayed my fears and concerns quite deeply. Being a monarch entrusted with the welfare of my people, it is my purpose to restore lawful and civilized rule to my country. Unlike my distinguished, if misguided colleague in Vorindeum, I have more confidence in the judgment of the anti-slavery coalition than he does. This last epistle of yours reinforces my faith where that is concerned. It also strengthens my resolve to uphold the principles of the international anti-slavery movement. Be assured that my government will adhere firmly to the Amistad Declaration in all its particulars, though it may take some time to be able contribute as materially to that cause as I would prefer.

At any rate, given these assurances as a matter of honor from a soldier of such distinction as yourself, I will naturally trust your word. From a civilian politician, it might be received with a certain additional degree of skepticism, but that is because of the nature of politicians. A soldier typically has more integrity and his or her word can taken more at face value, I have found. While a sovereign and head of state, I have never considered to be a politician, simply because I am supposed to have a higher sense of noblesse oblige than a politician would.

I therefore will do my best to curtail any initial hesitation regarding your soldiery and its operations in my domain. Violence they might use, as necessary in their profession, but dishonesty would shock me to the core. I have every confidence now that you have sworn on your honor to respect my loyal subjects that you will do precisely that. Regarding the unavoidable sort of collateral damage, that is simply the hardship of life. Any infrastructure (though not in Maximeum, which is to be abandoned as a city and transformed into a memorial to the victims of this holocaust as well as a possible military base for trusted allies) can and will be reconstructed as needed. Families can be consoled. The economy can be rejuvenated. What is destroyed can be remade. This is the nature of post-war life, as hard as it is.

I will do my best to calm the worries of my former countrymen in Vorindeum and convince them that you are not the cause for such panic on their part. With any luck, an exodus can be avoided, if at all possible, though those who wish to leave can certainly do so, provided that they are not fugitives from justice.

I would strongly urge upon you the reliability of Germans and Romans as scouts and the usefulness of stamping out the slaver camps, thus breaking the siege against the Olweans and quashing the nucleus of the slave power in this country. As I have informed your comrades in Allanea, the Goths are the most sympathetic to the slaver regime of all three major ethnic groups, though this is by no means universal. Even so, do not employ Goths as scouts if Romans and Germans are available, just to be safe. Elves are the best scouts and possible auxiliaries for your ranks, especially any slaves who can be persuaded to rise up against their masters.

I hope this answer proves to be helpful to your operational goals and eases your own anxieties.

Sincerely,
His Imperial Majesty, Karl I, by the Grace of God, Kaiser and Emperor of the Vorindun, Master of Soldiers, Patrician of the Romans, King of the Ostrogoths, King of the Germans, and Father of the Fatherland.

[Riemaia]

To King Karl the First

Kaiser Karl,

On behalf of the people of Riemaia and my close cousin, Empress Anneli, I applaud your goals of the removal of slavery in your country, yearning to make this world a more prosperous and free for all of its inhabitants. We are glad to see that the forces of freedom are fighting on for what is right and just, and we could only wish that it was possible for us to support you in more ways than just this simple letter, although we may be able to help you in the ways of monetary support if you deem it necessary and if we can get a portion of the national budget allotted for it.

I am also sad to see that mere children are pushing on the side of slavery, notably those of the organization you call the Imperial Youth Service, or what we would almost call a terrorist organization if it weren't filled with the future of the world, or at least the future that nobody wishes to see advanced in any way possible. Although your fight to improve your country still goes on, on behalf of the government of Riemaia, I hereby declare that the Grand Arctic Empire of Riemaia formally acknowledges you, Kaiser Karl I, the legitimate head of government of Vorindun, and not the pro-slaver government of Dr. Arminius Marinus.

On Her Grand Arctic Majesties wish,
Princess Marjorie Elise Aliasse Riemanse-Aluris-Maiane Gi Noyela
Regent in Her Grand Arctic Majesties Absence

[The Vorindun]

To King Karl the First

Kaiser Karl,

On behalf of the people of Riemaia and my close cousin, Empress Anneli, I applaud your goals of the removal of slavery in your country, yearning to make this world a more prosperous and free for all of its inhabitants. We are glad to see that the forces of freedom are fighting on for what is right and just, and we could only wish that it was possible for us to support you in more ways than just this simple letter, although we may be able to help you in the ways of monetary support if you deem it necessary and if we can get a portion of the national budget allotted for it.

I am also sad to see that mere children are pushing on the side of slavery, notably those of the organization you call the Imperial Youth Service, or what we would almost call a terrorist organization if it weren't filled with the future of the world, or at least the future that nobody wishes to see advanced in any way possible. Although your fight to improve your country still goes on, on behalf of the government of Riemaia, I hereby declare that the Grand Arctic Empire of Riemaia formally acknowledges you, Kaiser Karl I, the legitimate head of government of Vorindun, and not the pro-slaver government of Dr. Arminius Marinus.

On Her Grand Arctic Majesties wish,
Princess Marjorie Elise Aliasse Riemanse-Aluris-Maiane Gi Noyela
Regent in Her Grand Arctic Majesties Absence

To Her Grand Arctic Highness, Princess Marjorie, Regent of Riemaia,

Pray accept my personal thanks as Kaiser of the Vorindun, as well as the thanks of my country, for your swift and proper recognition of my rightful claim to the throne. Be assured that this act will indeed improve relations between our countries from merely neutral to considerably positive. The cause of freedom and justice throughout the region and the world will be greatly advanced by a steady tide of international recognition for my government against the usurpers currently occupying the capital. This will weaken the standing of the slaver in his bid to be accepted as the leader of a country that he is presently oppressing with his tyranny. By this I mean Dr. Arminius Marinus and his confederates, of course.

As the only legitimate head of state of the Vorindun, I will certainly remember who the friends and enemies of my nation were during this time of crisis. You have firmly cemented your country's place among the former, which will be noted in my foreign policy, I can assure you. Along with Allanea, Unilisia, and Libertarian Governance, you have earned a place of respect in the national lexicon and annals of history, for taking such a clear moral stand for the cause of liberty and justice for all people.

As to the matter of child soldiers, this is indeed another indictment of the present cabal which has stolen my patrimony. Only tyrants and thugs employ the young in their armies and police forces. It is yet another crime for which they must answer when the time comes for a reckoning, and I can say with conviction that this time is not far off at all.

As the rightful ruler of the Vorindun, I look forward to more cordial relations and a possible expansion of trade with your nation. Thank you again for your strong support in this time of national emergency and civil strife.

Sincerely,
His Imperial Majesty, Karl I, by the Grace of God, Kaiser and Emperor of the Vorindun, Master of Soldiers, Patrician of the Romans, King of the Ostrogoths, King of the Germans, and Father of the Fatherland

[The Vorindun]

"Patres, our Fatherland, the mother country is in grave danger now. We MUST act to prevent the Unilisians from getting their hands on our brethren. The soil is not the issue, kameraden. What matters is the Volk. The whole point to Vorindeum is giving Vorindun a fresh start in a new region, a new Vaterland, a new Patria. I have always stood firmly behind the Volkish ideal, not in any racist sense, but rather that of a common national brotherhood. Allanea is not our worry, nor Libertarian Governance. They're stark raving mad ideologues, but they are still human and follow some civilized rules of conduct. The Unilisians, however, are eaters of human flesh. Literally, kameraden. While I have anything to do with it, we will preserve the lives and the blood of our people.

"So, this is my command to you, patres. This is our policy regarding the war in Vorindun. Full and automatic citizenship to all Vorindun who wish to flee their ancient homeland and emigrate to us. Romans, Goths, and Germans alike, we are all one Volk, one Vaterland. Let those who wish to stay and risk their lives by facing the Unilisian threat do so, but we, kameraden, will be there for those who choose otherwise. No savages are going to hunt us to extinction on MY watch. Cannibalism, by God, is a sure sign of barbarism! As Master of Soldiers and First Citizen, I will draw this line and none shall cross it, save to their peril, patres.

"Send out the communique, to all and sundry. We will not be mocked. All Vorindun must be given safe conduct back to our new homeland here in Vorindeum. Those who meddle with this policy do so at their own risk. This is an order, gentlemen! Now, follow it!" Septimus Lexus, Magister Militum et Princeps Civicus (Master of Soldiers and First Citizen), landed his fist hard on the desk in front of him in the war council chamber.

To the belligerents of the current civil war in Vorindun, to wit,

As Master of Soldiers and First Citizen of the Sovereign State of Vorindeum, I must take a strong degree of umbrage at the manner in which my ancestral homeland has been so callously and disdainfully treated by those involved, namely foreign powers whose professed goal is the liberation of said homeland from slavery. While I do not wish to cast aspersions as to the legitimacy of either side in this conflict, and indeed I have a great deal of respect for the House of Handelhoff, which the young Kaiser represents, that does not mean that I will turn a blind eye as to the safety and welfare of the civilian population of the ancient Fatherland.

Under no circumstances will my government or I tolerate in any way, shape, or form, the extermination or systematic enslavement of my people, least of all by powers whose avowed aim is liberty. To that end, I must insist that each of these powers demonstrate their good will and good intentions by accepting without harassment the evacuation of the civilian population by contingents of paramilitary humanitarian peace-keeping forces sent by my regime. In short, I will firmly oppose any atrocities committed against the ordinary people of Vorindun and will do my utmost to evacuate them to the new Fatherland for new lives as citizens of Vorindeum. In the interests of humanity, it is best for all concerned that these evacuations go as smoothly and efficiently as possible, with no interference whatsoever. I thank you in advance for your co-operation.

In the name of Father God and Brother Man,
Septimus Lexus, Magister Militum et Princeps Civicus

There, that should be a clear enough, bold enough stance, that would show the proper balance of moral courage and sincere civility. There was nothing else to do but await the responses, hoping that they saw reason on this matter.

To our esteemed brother in the Volk and the Vaterland, Septimus Lexus, Magister Militum et Princeps Civicus of the Sovereign State of Vorindeum,

We do earnestly understand and appreciate your concern for the welfare of our loyal subjects, especially in light of some past events which may have created certain reservations on the part of all of our people about the Unilisians in particular. However, we hereby wish to make it clear to you the risk is much less than either of us might have previously feared.

For the following reasons, we hereby fervently urge you to reserve judgment in this affair:

I. The Strategos in command of the Unilisian forces gave us personal assurances and her solemn word, which we took to be a matter of honor as an officer, that the Unilisian high command would do its utmost to reduce and limit collateral damage as well as atrocities, and that every effort would be made to preserve what infrastructure can be salvaged under the circumstances. Obviously, there are limits to what can be to avoid such tragic events, but reasonable steps will be undertaken to keep this down to a minimum.
II. There are guilty parties in this Fatherland whose forces must be eliminated and/or neutralized for the greater good of both this nation and all sapient races of the region and the world. This business of slavery must be stamped out ruthlessly and that will take some severity, which you as a professional soldier can surely appreciate. The lawful authority in this land is not in dispute. We are the only lawful head of state and sovereign of this realm. This is our patrimony, our empire, our domain.
III. Unfortunately, some of the atrocities committed against Elfkind reach levels approaching those of the most notorious war criminals in history. Our people must atone to an extent by means of this crucible of war for their passive role in the enslavement of the Elven peoples. Once this land has been cleansed of evil and purged of the abomination that is slavery, we are confident that this war and this suffering shall cease.

For these reasons, and for the greater good and glory of the Fatherland, we therefore and hereafter request that you cease and desist all efforts to introduce additional military units, for whatever reasons into this conflict. We do not doubt the purity of your motives, brother, but we do fear that you have been gravely misinformed as to what exactly is happening, what the real menace is, and what is actually at stake. Please consider these words in the spirit of brotherhood and patriotism, the sense of unity among Vorindun patres.

Thank you again for your solicitations on our behalf,
His Imperial Majesty, Karl I, by the Grace of God, Kaiser and Emperor of the Vorindun, Master of Soldiers, Patrician of the Romans, King of the Ostrogoths, King of the Germans, and Father of the Fatherland

[New Manth]

Official Communication
Denomination of Foreign Diplomacy
to the Allanean Department of State

Dear sirs,

The Union is glad to see Allanea's military might turned against a foe worthy of feeling it. I convey on my government's behalf both the wish that you will be successful in curtailing the slave trade, and the wish that level-headedness will still retain its place in Allanean policy should matters come to large-scale warfare. We in the Union remember the dangers of hot-headedness all too well, and hope for both an Allanean victory, and for Allanean self-restraint in victory.

Regards,

Ismail Fahmy
Director, Denomination of Foreign Diplomacy
Greater Economic Union of New Manth

Official Communication
Denomination of Foreign Diplomacy
to the slave-trading regime of Vorindun

If one foe does not destroy you, then another will. There is no place for the slave trade upon this earth.

[Nova Samnium]

Due to the obvious meddling in the internal affairs of this particular nation, regarding its domestic institution of chattel slavery, be it known now that...

The Supreme National Council has voted to reaffirm the following official protocol regarding National Sovereignty.

We, the Supreme National Council, as the transitional military government of Nova Samnium, hereby proclaim that 'national sovereignty' is absolutely sacrosanct. No matter how oppressive, corrupt, or malevolent a regime might be, it is an issue for the population themselves and perhaps their own armed forces to overturn. Neither the World Assembly nor any other international body has any legitimate authority to 'revoke', 'restrict', or 'regulate' the acts of any government, person, or faction within a sovereign nation. The Supreme National Council will not approve of even economic sanctions, for to punish ordinary people for the acts of their leaders is misguided in the worst way. It is the considered opinion of this committee that those who condemn internal oppressions and injustices should look to their own abuses and failures to redress them first. War is for the sacred purpose of defending one's home, nothing less tangible than that. So say we all.

By Saturn, Sol Indiges, Bellona, and Liber Pater,
The Supreme National Council of Nova Samnium