The Hornero and The Condor [Earth II]

[Marimaia]

13:00hrs [UTC-4], February 15, 2015
Presidential Palace
La Paz, Bolivia, Republic of South America

President Jaygo Merik was feeling rather sure of himself, even more so than usual. Despite the obstacles to his dream of dominating the continent of South America, his position and the support of his nation's military afforded him the opportunity to behave as if he already ruled his desired territory. Since the establishment of the Republic of South America, the nation under his leadership had thrown its weight around and harassed any nation it felt able to reach. The Achesian Democratic Ascendency and the United Provinces of Bavin had been thorns in the side of his ambitions for years, but recent events had seen the regional political scene shift dramatically.

The United Provinces of Bavin were gone, replaced by the Republic of La Plata. Merik had left them alone in order to see how they developed, and he found them rather amusing. They had been born out of defeat at the hand of the Layartebians, and now preached about helping the poor and abolishing nationalism. Nationalism was one element that had made the Bavinese so troublesome; without it, the Platineans seemed to be just another military regime struggling to legitimise itself. The Republican intelligence services were certain that La Plata was just another house of cards, and that their recent diplomatic overtures with other nations did nothing to change that. Merik's curiosity had been momentarily piqued by the emergence of an individual named Felix Elizondo, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who seemed to be La Plata's favourite son. Elizondo's regular media appearances and public relationship with a male model had convinced Merik that he was simply some fame-hungry businessman taking his opportunity to dazzle, and therefore the intelligence services were only paying casual attention to such an obviously inconsequential individual.

The Achesian Democratic Ascendency had been more of a concern, to the point where the Republic had bothered to implement an element of diplomacy by signing treaties with them. The Achesians had always been a stable nation with strong ties to the Empire of Layarteb, the Republic's arch-nemesis and, in Merik's view, the source of all problems in the region. After condemning the Achesians for not having a "true South American government", tensions had increased over the state of Mato Grosso until a treaty was negotiated. La Paz had been highly amused to learn that the Achesian military disagreed with their own government over the May 1st Accord, and watched as another of their neighbours had a military coup. The Ascendency was now the Republic of Brazil, with a President who had won an election best described as 'disputed'. Acting on standard policy in these situations, the Republican military was used to test the new Brazilian government's mettle and it was found wanting. Refusing to honour the May 1st Accord and refusing to move the military from the Brazilian border resulted in a mere rebuke from the Layartebians, with the Brazilians apparently refusing to comment.

Based on this current lack of both backbone and stability among their neighbours, the Republican cabinet were considering their latest move. Having recently pushed the Brazilians to a degree, they would turn their attention to the Republic of La Plata for the next exercise. Merik quite liked the idea of encroaching on the northern Platinean provinces of Jujuy and Salta as they were almost surrounded by Republican territory. Nothing had been officially decided as yet because the cabinet would undoubtedly have ideas of their own, but Merik felt confident that a consensus could be built. If they could push the Platinean government into collapsing then the Platinean people would welcome membership of the RSA; the Brazilian people would see the righteous cause of South American unification and demand the overthrow of their illegitimate government soon afterwards. As far as Merik was concerned, two unstable governments were all that stood between him and his dream of a grand crusade against the Layartebians, who would surely be outmatched by the ferocity and tenacity of a united South America seeking to expel the encroaching tyrant from the north.

Reality is always so simple to someone lacking a firm grasp on it.

[Marimaia]

February 15, 2015, 13:30hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
La Casa Rosada

What a difference a year makes.

President Velasquez smirked to himself as he and Felix Elizondo inspected the new official presidential portrait which would soon be duplicated to be hung in every government building and military base across the Platinean Republic. He had been resistant to the idea at first, but Felix had talked him round with the argument that he was now the 'Iron Man of La Plata' and 'Father of the Nation' so his stern parental gaze should be distributed across the country. This way, he was always watching over his people. Twelve months ago Velasquez had been the Deputy Defense Minister, swamped with paperwork and treated as the dogsbody of Defense Minister Lopez. Then, for lack of a better term, Felix happened. The kingpin of the Escorpión Azul cartel had lavished Velasquez with regular payments, a steady line of prostitutes and most importantly, the Presidency. In return, Felix 'simply' wanted the run of the nation. After the coup which overthrew General Chevalier and the Bavinese regime, the partnership had prospered beyond either individual's expectations. Velasquez had done more with the nation than Felix had ever expected; rather than a mere continuation of the previous system, there was a new form of government in place, a new constitution and growing international ties. While Felix could be a little overbearing and patronising in his cheerful attitude, Velasquez was finally getting used to it. He had expected the drug lord to be much more demanding than he had turned out to be, and they were settling into a good equilibrium. Felix still had a tendency to enact schemes well before telling Velasquez about them, but so far nothing particularly inconvenient had emerged from this.

However, the pair had always had their concerns about the regional political situation. After finally reaching a form of understanding with the Empire of Layarteb, the Platinean Republic still had its immediate neighbours to worry about. Fortune had turned in their favour little over a month ago when the Achesian Democratic Ascendency was the subject of a military coup and the new government of President George Lobos had called for rapprochement between the Platinean Republic and the newly-renamed Republic of Brazil. Buenos Aires had eagerly answered that call, expressing their support for the Lobos government and opening discussions on various potential trade deals with Brasilia. In a rather inspired moment the Secretariat of Intelligence had provided the Brazilian intelligence services with their dossiers on most of the drug barons based in Brazilian territory, with detailed information on their names, aliases and residences. As an intelligence matter this was obviously not public knowledge otherwise the targets of the information could have been warned beforehand. Even worse, they could have potentially worked out how the S.I. got the information in the first place. Brazilian intelligence were told that the information came from narcotraffickers captured and interrogated while trying to move drugs into Platinean territory; in fact, Felix and his inner circle had simply sat down and recorded everything they could obtain about his Brazilian counterparts. In addition to showing good faith and fostering cooperation between Buenos Aires and Brasilia, the move would undoubtedly weaken Felix's potential business rivals. Those who were part of Escorpión Azul (or were allied to it) had conveniently not been uncovered by the S.I., as it would be impossible for Platinean intelligence to know every narcotrafficker in Brazilian territory.

"She really captured your moustache, Francisco. Look at it, you could probably smuggle fifty kilos in that thing."

"Hrmph. Maybe don't describe it quite like that at the official unveiling." Velasquez took a deep draw on his cigar. "The uniform looks immaculate, and that expression leaves you in no doubt of my conviction and determination."

Felix tutted. "True, although this means we're never going to have an official picture of you smiling, doesn't it?"

"If I'm supposed to be the stern father figure of the nation, I can't be seen smiling. Remember, I have the weight of national responsiblity on my shoulders. I don't take vacations, I don't smile and I don't engage in frivolous acts."

"Not publically, at any rate. That reminds me, do you want some company for this evening?"

Velasquez pondered momentarily. "Raven-haired and beautiful."

"No problem, just ring the cleaner when you're done. The body will end up...oh, I've lost track of where they go these days." Felix stepped back from the portrait and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I might commission this artist to paint me and Matías. There's a huge space just above our headboard, we're torn between a mirror and something artistic."

"I don't know how you cope with such life-changing decisions."

Felix smirked at Velasquez's sarcasm. "I wouldn't trade it for the world."

[Marimaia]

15:30hrs [UTC-4], February 15, 2015
Presidential Palace
La Paz, Bolivia, Republic of South America

"So let me get this straight. We're going to provoke the Platineans into going to war with us. It's bold, I'll give you that."

President Merik laughed at Marshal Steven Rodriguez's reaction to the idea. "You're not quite getting the point of it. Ever since they threw out the Bavinese, Buenos Aires has ignored us. They've buddied up with the Layartebians openly, justifying everything we've ever said about them. They're nothing more than lapdogs of that damn Emperor up north, and no amount of talking to other nations is going to make us think otherwise. All of their international relations aside from those with the Empire are just a smokescreen to hide the fact that they are puppets! The Layartebians are responsible for this 'Platinean Constitutionalism' crap, they demolished democracy in La Plata and then suddenly the Achesian military decide to dishonour their government's agreement with us? The Layartebians are still playing their long game, but thankfully for us their pawns don't have the stomach for true conflict. The new Brazilian government didn't say anything when we moved up to the border, and they even gave up any claim over anything in Mato Grosso. This means that the Layartebians have made a mistake, and we can exploit that.

"Brazil is a shadow of the Ascendency that it's replaced. If we put pressure on the Platineans, Brazil won't do a damn thing about it. So I think we should start moving on the Platinean provinces of Jujuy and Salta. If we move troops up to the border and start performing exercises then the Platineans should react. If they don't, then we push a bit more, overflying their territory. If they don't react to that, then our troops will 'accidentally' cross the border. Jujuy and Salta will welcome us in, and the whole house of cards will collapse on itself. We can then march to Buenos Aires with the blessing of the oppressed masses, who will undoubtedly join us because we offer them a better future."

Rodriguez nodded. "Alright, but what if they do react? We can't just push and push if we're not prepared for the consequences."

"What consequences? This is a government that allowed their northern masters to obliterate the Tierra del Fuego airbase! They'll roll over for anyone! Just for argument's sake though, let's say they do react. We've beaten them before, and we'll beat them again. Let's not forget, we beat the Bavinese. They were nationalistic to a fault, the Layartebians couldn't have asked for better bulldogs, but we still beat them. Do you really think that the wishy-washy Platineans are going to be any more of an issue? Brazil did nothing, and they're stronger than the Platineans. La Plata is a paper tiger. If they were still the UPB then we'd be treading more carefully, but they aren't. There's none of that fire that the Bavinese had. The Layartebians declawed their pet, probably in anticipation of a final takeover, but in doing so they've handed us an opportunity."

"Well, we can certainly organise exercises near the border without Congress's permission, but I'd recommend building some consensus nonetheless. If the Platineans take offense at our movements then we'll need to get the military on full alert and quickly; that will go easier if we don't have any Congressmen demanding answers or trying to meddle. What do the rest of the cabinet think?"

Merik thought for a moment. "I'm holding a cabinet meeting tomorrow, so I'll bring it up then. We'll also have a meeting of the Joint Security Council about it, but as far as Congress is concerned...I'll handle them. It's what I do."

[Layarteb]

February 10, 2015 - 10:30 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Ministry of Intelligence
(40° 47' 10" N, 73° 55' 58" W)

Just because Felix Elizondo outed himself to Ambassador Castillo that he was indeed the biggest drug kingpin in the Western Hemisphere (and perhaps the entire world) didn't mean that the FLEX-14 group suddenly disbanded. On the contrary, since then, the group had been given semi-permanent status after a massive clap on the back. Their mission had been modified from its original intention, which was to determine who Felix Elizondo. Now they tracked his movements, kept tabs on his pet projects, and worked to learn everything they possibly could about Escorpión Azul from the lowliest distributors all the way to the top, including who their allies and enemies were. There was certainly no shortage of work for them especially not after the past weekend, when the new Brazilian regime launched a massive police and military operation against virtually every crime group within their country who was associated with the narcotics trade.

Now arrayed around a conference table in a staff meeting, the home base members of the group were discussing the possibilities. The predominant theory was the simplest to explain, "Elizondo tipped off the Brazilian government to his competitors. I'm willing to bet not one person rolled in has any ties to Escorpión Azul and I bet his entire network is still intact," repeated Guy Piggott, the group's reigning pessimist and loudmouth. Despite these character flaws, he was right far more times than he was wrong and this was likely to be one of those cases.

"We already know that the region's on edge and the new Brazilian leadership, President Lobo certainly needs a win to justify and to legitimize his regime to the people. The Brazilians, or Achesians, whatever you want to call them, are looking for their government now to either let them down to improve. The ADA was a stagnate failure. It began when they were powerless over Mato Grosso and it continued throughout our missions there and the latest by La Paz. Now they're even more powerless because of the recent months between them and La Paz. They don't want to talk to Merik and rightfully so, the guy isn't much different from Chevalier or Barrera, he just waves a different flag," Olsen said in response. "So what we need to find out now is just how much of Brazil's drug trade is affected and if in fact Elizondo sacrificed any of his own men. I think we're all in virtual unanimous agreement as to what he did. I mean he in no short order asked us to help him on that not more than six months ago and we said 'No' to that request."

"To what effect do we have to worry about La Paz on this one?" Asked Erika Ward. She'd come from the North America section and her roommate and Jeffrey Degeorge from the South America section had hit it off one stressful night back in August. No one knew of course that in the course of that evening, Jeffrey had mastered the ménage a trios with Erika and her roommate Natalie or that there'd been a few extras since, it was their little secret. At work, neither of them let it show and no one suspected anything. They weren't exactly spies – they were analysts – but they could have been if the required arose.

"Unknown right now," Olsen said. "We have to assume Merik isn't stupid but we don't have any indication that he or his intelligence services know who Elizondo is. We haven't even shared that information to Oslo or Karin City, lest we be accused of being in bed with Elizondo, which we obviously aren't. We'll monitor the regular traffic on Merik and see what he does. He made little changes whatsoever following the coup in Brasilia and neither he nor Velasquez has had a proper meeting, in fact I doubt either one has even spoken to the other. It would be in President Velasquez's interest of course to know what his closest enemy is thinking."

"La Paz is backed into a corner," said Jeffrey. "Buenos Aires has nothing but revilement for them, Macapá is with us on the matter, Brasilia doesn't have any desire to deal with him, and with the nationalist rhetoric that he's spouted against us, well you can see that Merik is short on allies."

"Which makes him stupid," Piggott answered. He needed to clarify that statement and he did so quickly, "He's going to move irrationally on the matter because he's truly backed in and if the Brazilian leadership has just cemented their power through these drug busts, regardless of who fed them the information, he's got no chance. He's surrounded by enemies of his own creation. They're going to do something."

"Well until they do," Olsen said, "let's just keep them as priority number two. We need the information out of Brazil first and foremost. Once we have that information then we can move onto what Merik's intentions are. In the meantime, I'm going to get in touch with ops and see what their agents can give us. We know that they have some in Merik's government so let's find out what they know as an aside. All right, let's see if we can have something by the end of the week." The meeting broke up thereafter and everyone shuffled off to their desks. Erika passed by Jeffrey's desk on the way, knocking her hand into the desk "by accident," which was their signal that something would happen the coming evening.

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February 13, 2015 - 06:45 hrs [UTC-5]
Arequipa, Peru
Fort Arequipa
(16° 19' 41" S, 71° 42' 19" W)

Lieutenant General David Mathias walked with a limp but he was too stubborn to use a cane. Fifty-two years old, he'd been in the army now for thirty years – thirty-four if you counted West Point – and he'd only just been given his third star the previous year. He knew he could retire with a fourth but this was the epitome of his command and he knew it. Every night when he shifted into bed, ignoring the pain in his right leg, he thought back to the past thirty years he'd spent in the army and all of the battles he'd fought in, the injuries he'd taken, and the men he'd lost. Unlucky, to some standard, he'd been wounded in action on his second day in the field in 1985 when as a second lieutenant he was ushered to the frontlines during the Conquest of Wisconsin. He'd been wounded an astonishing fourteen times thereafter and while each one was serious enough to merit a Purple Heart, not one of them kept him out of combat.

Of course that stubbornness was part of why he walked with a limp. It had happened in Kaliningrad when riding in a Humvee, a vehicle despised by all who had the misfortune of being wounded in one. AOK rebels had put an RPG through the front grill of the vehicle, killing the driver instantly and peppering his leg with shrapnel and part of the vehicle's firewall. The gunner had sustained a concussion but literally cut the RPG gunner in half before he was knocked out of the turret. Evacuated back to a medical station, he received four surgeries on his leg, was handed an obligatory Purple Heart, and six months later he was watching the Empire withdraw by bombing Chernyakhovsk into oblivion. Since then, he'd limped.

In charge of III Corps and its four divisions and nearly one hundred thousand men, LG Mathias knew that once his tour of duty ended here, he'd be retiring. Such was the way of wounded warriors when they'd reached a certain age, especially when they wore so many medals on their jacket that they needed help standing. On this particular morning, the creaky general plopped into his seat in the main staff room and waited for others to shuffle in to join him. III Corps was an important arm of the Imperial Layartebian Army and the premier unit of SOUTHCOM (Southern Command). III Corps had a long and distinguished career, having been the initial conquerors of Venezuela in the 1980s. Now they guarded the border with the Republic of South America. III Corps consisted of the 9th Armored Division, stationed just south of Lake Titicaca; the 10th Cavalry Division, stationed at Tacna; the 11th Infantry Division stationed north of Lake Titicaca in Putina; and, the 12th Airborne Division, holding back at III Corps' main base.

Elsewhere arrayed around the Republic of South America was the 57th Cavalry Division (Guards) in Acre, the 58th Infantry Division (Guards) in Rondônia, and Amazonas the 59th Cavalry Division (Guards) and the 60th Infantry Division (Guards). Between these eight divisions, with their headquarters elements, there were 206,850 men with their matériel guarding the border with the Republic of South America. While the guards divisions, all attached to the Imperial Layartebian Defense Force, had been moved into position due to the insurgency in the former Amazonian Territory, Rondônia, and Mato Grosso, the III Corps had originally been based up in Caracas. They had been moved there to provide additional defense against what was the United Provinces of Bavin. Following the ascension of President Merik to the office of executive in La Paz, there had been hope within the Layartebian government that III Corps could return to Caracas. Unfortunately, things hadn't changed.

President Merik had started out innocently enough but he waved the banner of South American nationalism just as Barrera and Chevalier had. He continuously antagonized the Empire, calling Layartebians "invaders of South America" and his rhetoric would have inspired the Layartebians living in South America to rise up had they been living in squalor or been rejected by Layarteb City. Instead, the Empire embraced their culture, made Spanish an official language – one of two with English of course – and the Empire improved the living situation so dramatically in South America that Layartebians in South America lived to a far higher standard than anyone in Merik's Republic of South America did. Still, that didn't stop the rhetoric and facts were useless on someone as nationalist and agenda-driven as President Merik was.

Thus, III Corps hadn't moved nor had their armor. They continuously drilled and trained for a possible attack by La Paz. Virtually every offensive plan on the table, for what would be known as Operation PINK PANTHER (Panther being the codename for operations against the RSA), were in response to an unprovoked attack by La Paz on Layartebian soil. There was only one plan for an offensive, pre-emptive strike into the Republic of South America and no one who worked on it regarded it as a good plan. It collected a lot of dust, existing merely to exist.

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February 15, 2015 - 19:29 hrs [UTC-4]
La Paz, Bolivia
Palacio Quemado
(16° 29' 46" S, 68° 8' 1" W)

César Reynoso wasn't anyone special to a lot of people, a low-level staffer for President Merik, he was married with two children, both of whom were nearing that age when university expenses kick in and earned income goes out of the door. He made a good salary but it wasn't enough so his wife spent her days cleaning houses but even that wasn't enough supplementary funds to put two children through anything more than community college and César and his wife Marta wanted their children to become doctors. Their kids were smart enough and they could go to any school they wanted to in the Republic of South America but funding was still needed and César couldn't mortgage his house again. Truth be told, he wanted his children to be educated in the Empire and that was why money was such an issue.

Armed with these desires and the hope for a brighter future for his children, César was an easy recruit for the Ministry of Intelligence who found that he was more than amenable to any request, including the most recent one that had come his way. The Ministry of Intelligence had promised him, and then they showed him the physical proof, that his eldest son would go to school for free and that his second son would be able to get a bachelor's degree free of charge. Naturally, if he wanted his second son to have more, he had to provide something good enough and for that, he worked harder than ever to spy for the Layartebian Ministry of Intelligence, knowing an believing that it was in everyone's interest – his and theirs – to have him succeed.

So as the evening wore on La Paz and President Merik's office doors opened, César took special attention. He'd been in the building when Marshal Rodriguez entered the President's office and overheard when President Merik cleared his afternoon and evening schedule of all appointments. The two were old buddies but not to that capacity so César made an excuse to stay later at work. Now as Marshal Rodriguez exited, he noted three things: the meeting had gone on for very long, Marshal Rodriguez was rather animated, and President Merik was especially riled up, three things that were fine by themselves but which bore suspicion grouped together as they were. He made his mental note, finished up, and headed home for the night. Just missing the bus home, he took a seat on the bench next to an old, withering man who was pushing eighty, at best.

The old, wrinkled man smiled at him but said nothing. His hearing aids were turned down to avoid the sharp noises of the street. With shaking hands perched atop his cane, he merely sat there content to wait for the next bus. When it finally came, he stood and César helped him, earning a polite nod. Anyone watching would have been unable to see the pass, which involved a small piece of folded paper placed into the old man's pocket. An hour later, the old man would exit the bus, walk the quarter mile to his ground-level apartment, and take a seat in a reading room. There he would take a book from the shelf, code the message accordingly, and transmit it via text message to his handler, the chief of station in the Layartebian embassy. The old man, pleased would go to bed shortly thereafter, finishing his prayers and his devotions, including the many to his deceased wife whom he longed to see in Heaven one day soon. For the wrinkled, withered, hard-of-hearing, old man, spying for the Empire against Merik had been just as easy as it had been for years past when the Bavinese were around. When push came to shove for him, the enemies of the Empire were his enemies too.

[Marimaia]

February 15, 2015, 20:09hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Hotel Imperio

Felix paced back-and-forth, taking deep draws on his cigarillo as he impatiently awaited the impending arrival. Matías had been on location in the Platinean Costa Verde for almost a week with a high-profile photoshoot for 'La Moda' magazine and he was due home at any moment. The pair were approaching their ninth month as a couple, which gave Matías the distinction of lasting longer than any of Felix's previous paramours. Felix had always gone for trophy boyfriends who looked good but had little between their ears, and in truth that had been the expectation for Matías, but he had proven to be smarter and more sensible than any of Felix's inner circle had thought possible for a male model. Even José Rojas had grudgingly accepted Matías's presence, although this simply meant that he would give a nod of greeting rather than a hostile glare.

His pacing stopped as the doors of the suite opened and Matías walked in, grinning as he threw his arms around Felix; before going any further, the pair turned to look at the narco who had brought Matías's luggage in. Quickly taking the hint, he hastily retreated back out and pulled the doors closed as he left. Now that they were alone, Matías suddenly dipped Felix into a kiss, earning a muffled sound of surprise.

"Missed me?"

Felix tried to compose himself as Matías brought him back to his feet, much to the model's amusement. "If that's how you act when you come back from work, you can go on location more often."

Matías smirked and took the cigarillo from Felix, stubbing it out in a nearby ashtray. "Maybe I need to remind you just how glad you are to have me back."

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February 15, 2015, 23:37hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Hotel Imperio

"See, I knew you were glad to have me back."

Felix laughed as Matías rolled back onto his own side of the bed, then furrowed his brow in confusion as Matías leant out of the bed and grabbed his pants off the floor. As he started rummaging through the pockets, Felix sat up and peered over his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"I bought you something, and I thought it was...where the hell has it gone? I'm sure I put it in my pocket."

"Can't it wait until the morning?"

Matías paused to think before throwing his pants back down onto the floor. "It might be in my jacket. Wait here."

Felix yawned. "Where else am I going to go at this hour?"

"You know what I mean." Felix shook his head as Matías clambered out of bed and began searching through the discarded clothing scattered across the bedroom floor. "I know it's not in my luggage, I wouldn't have put it in there."

"I'm sure it's there somewhere. Oh, I had an idea for what to hang over the headboard. Velasquez has had a new official portrait done and-"

Matías turned on his heel. "Stop right there. There's no way we're having a picture of Velasquez over the bed."

"If you'll let me finish, the artist seems very talented, so I was thinking we should get a painting of ourselves."

"Aha!" Matías walked back to the bed, obviously hiding something behind his back. As he slipped back between the sheets, he kissed Felix on the forehead. "A painting sounds good, but on one condition. It has to be us at our wedding."

Felix's eyes widened as Matías held out a small black box and opened it to reveal a stylish solid platinum ring with a diamond set into the band. "Marry me?"

Felix opened his mouth to speak, but paused before looking at Matías. "You know, I wanted to be the one to propose."

"Then I think I know what the answer is, but just say it anyway."

"Yes, of course I'll marry you." Matías slipped the ring onto Felix's finger before they shared a deep kiss; as they broke the kiss, Felix smirked.

"Your idea was to propose in bed, before we went to sleep?"

Matías shrugged. "Seemed as good a time as any."

[Marimaia]

22:30hrs [UTC-4], February 16, 2015
Presidential Palace
La Paz, Bolivia, Republic of South America

President Merik was in a pleasant mood as he entered the private apartments of the Palacio Quemado; it had been a busy day but a fruitful one. The cabinet meeting in the morning had proceeded well, with a general consensus deciding that Republican strength had to be shown in light of Brasilia's apparent newfound attitude towards Buenos Aires. One or two ministers had suggested a strongly worded denunication of the Brazilian government, but Merik had successfully argued for the demonstrative exercises opposite the Platinean northern border. Prime Minister Solos had agreed, pointing out that Buenos Aires had fared incredibly poorly in military matters over the past year and that they would undoubtedly prefer to talk rather than risk anything. Of course, if they asked to talk or simply stood by without reacting, then La Paz would have proven their point. The idea was agreed in principle, with Merik and Solos heading a meeting of the Joint Security Council later that day.

The subsequent meeting of the Joint Security Council had been a little less unified, as the military officers seemed to be a bit more grounded than the politicians when it came to the possibility of war. While they all agreed that La Plata was weaker after the brief conflict with the Empire of Layarteb, having lost a carrier, a number of aircraft and suffering damage to several other vessels, and regardless of the damage done to Tierra del Fuego, they could potentially still put up a nasty fight. There was no specific event or excuse to be used for flyovers or 'straying over the border', and although it was possible for the Republic to defeat La Plata if they managed to gain a quick advantage, a long drawn-out conflict could end up favouring the Platineans. Out of the two rival nations, it was more likely for the Platineans to gain outside assistance, and the longer any war went on for, the more foreign help might arrive. As far as the generals were concerned, it would be best to conduct the exercises and observe before thinking about any further actions. While the public and Congress would celebrate if La Plata ended up as part of the RSA, they might not be so appreciative if countless Republican lives were lost because their government got too overconfident. Rather than fight them on it, Merik had consented to this slight toning-down, confident that things would turn to the Republic's advantage. The important thing was that the exercises were going ahead; perhaps he had gotten a bit ahead of himself the previous day with Marshal Rodriguez, but the dream of South American unification was close. He could feel it.

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February 17, 2015
Republic of South America

It would take time for the desired forces to converge on the designated exercise zone, so deployment orders were being issued to get things moving. The intention was to conduct combined arms exercises straddling the provinces of Tarija and Boquerón, close to the border with La Plata but not close enough to actually enter their territory. Just a flexing of the muscles, rather than a punch to the face.

[Marimaia]

*= Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia Estratégica Militar (National Directorate of Strategic Military Intelligence)


February 19, 2015, 15:25hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Edificio Libertador

General Antonio Miranda cursed a blue storm as he read the latest report from DNIEM*. Officially, his appointment as Defense Minister had been his reward for commanding the counter-insurgency in Tucumán Province, as President Velasquez could no longer hold both posts simultaneously under Platinean Constitutionalism. At the time he had been honoured to accept, but less than three months into the job he couldn't believe that something like this had landed on his desk. Military intelligence was talking about troop movements in the Republic of South America, approximately twenty thousand personnel with all the requisite vehicles and equipment. Even worse, this latest report hypothesised that these forces were moving towards the northern border of the Platinean Republic. It had only been a few months ago that the RSA had been posturing on the border of the now-Republic of Brazil, and in Miranda's opinion, it was obviously now La Plata's turn to suffer the same attempt at intimidation.

Naturally President Velasquez needed to be informed of this, but Miranda was internally debating whether Velasquez should be informed first. It was almost six months to the day that he had encountered Felix Elizondo and made an under-the-table deal with him; that deal had netted Miranda the Defense Ministry and also his beautiful young wife Florencia, who he had met at one of Felix's parties. Although Miranda was not entirely sure of the nature of Felix's influence, he knew that anyone with governmental pull, 'regional assets', and seemingly a small private army was someone to keep impressed. When he added the fact that Security Minister Jimenez had introduced him to Felix without telling the President, Miranda knew exactly who to call first. Rather than using the ministerial phones, Miranda pulled out his cellphone and scrolled down his contacts list before hitting the dial button. He was hardly surprised when the phone was answered and he was addressed by name.

"Antonio! Always a pleasure to talk to you, my friend. How can I help you? How's Florencia?"

"She's very well, thank you for asking. Señor Elizondo, something has just landed on my desk and I thought you might be interested in an advance warning. Military intelligence has reason to believe that the Republic of South America is moving forces to our northern border. No reason why, but we can guess. Since you once told me that you have assets in the northern part of the country, I figured you might appreciate a discreet tip-off."

Felix's voice gave away the fact that he was impressed by this display of initiative. "Well, I must say that I greatly appreciate it. From the way you're speaking, I take it that you haven't told President Velasquez yet?"

"That's correct. I'll be heading over to tell him once we finish speaking."

"Hmm. Probably best if he thinks that he's the first to know. When he inevitably tells me I'll put on my very best act of ignorance. Thank you once again for this, Antonio. Trust me when I say that this information will be put to good use."

General Miranda took a deep breath after the conversation ended. He had just gone behind the President's back and revealed military intelligence to a civilian, albeit a remarkably well-informed one. As long as it doesn't end up on Canal 9, I'll be fine.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

February 19, 2015, 16:01hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
La Casa Rosada

"What do they think they're playing at?! I'm not going to stand for it, we're not going to stand for it!"

Miranda fought the urge to flinch as President Velasquez began to march around his office, gesticulating wildly. As expected, the 'Iron Man of La Plata' had not taken the report with particularly good humour.

"With all due respect Presidente, we have yet to properly confirm it. Military intelligence are working on that as we speak, but I thought you should be kept up-to-date on the situation."

Velasquez wagged his finger in Miranda's direction. "I knew I was right to appoint you as my successor in the Defense Ministry. The question we have to ask now is, what do we do if this is confirmed?"

"Well, the way I see we have two choices. We can observe, keeping an eye on them. This could just be some kind of exercise planning for all we know. Alternatively, we could deploy forces on our own side of the border. We've always kept troops stationed in the north just in case, it wouldn't take more than a week to get them in place for 'exercises'."

Velasquez paused. "Continue observing. We still don't know anything concrete at this point, and I don't want to deploy any of our troops to a position where they'd be causing unnecessary tension. However, if we get any confirmation that those troops are coming anywhere near our border, I want our forces positioned in opposition. The RSA might have gotten away with pushing the Bavinese around, but we're not the Bavinese. Keep me informed."

Miranda rose to his feet and saluted. "Of course, Presidente."

Naturally he omitted the fact that Felix Elizondo would undoubtedly be kept informed as well.

[Marimaia]

09:30hrs [UTC-4], February 25, 2015
Villamontes Military Base, Tarija Province
Republic of South America

Lt. General Arturo Busto was taking a great deal of care while inspecting the final details of Operación Colorado, the military exercises which were about to be conducted just across the border from the Republic of La Plata. Marshal Rodriguez had been in contact personally to stress the importance of not crossing the border with anything, not even a stray round of blank ammunition. Busto had recognised the significance of such an order after the numerous occasions when the Republic of South America had attempted intimidation tactics against its neighbours, but deep down he would have loved nothing more than to cross the border and bring a fight to the Platineans. In his view, they were nothing more than the continuation of the Bavinese under a different coat of paint. The Bavinese had retreated from every push that the RSA had conducted against them, and Busto had every faith that the Platineans would do exactly the same. However, those were not his orders. Not today, anyway.

Operación Colorado would not be anything particularly complicated. Following South American military doctrine, the exercises would involve a combined arms advance against positions which would be operating under 'Platinean' doctrine. As La Plata was not even a year old, it was believed that Bavinese doctrine would still be the order of the day and therefore the defenders would try to act using 'Bavinese tactics'. These positions would be located around the city of Yacuíba, which sat right on the border between the two nations. The citizens of Yacuíba would enjoy a good demonstration of their nation's military, and the Platineans across the border would get a good look at what could be brought to bear against them. Busto would be liaising with the city authorities in Yacuíba the whole time, as he had some ideas about how to put on a really good show for the neighbours. He would need the permission of the city authorities before putting any of his own ideas into action, however.

While it was certain that the Platineans would be keeping an eye on what was going on across the border, Busto had no idea about who else would be observing. The Platinean city of Salvador Mazza was literally just across the border from Yacuíba, and its twenty-five thousand inhabitants fell more to the Escorpión Azul side of allegiances than to the central government after the heavy-handed way that the Bavinese regime had administered the area. The city's current authorities certainly had no problems from this, as the majority of them were in the cartel's pocket themselves. The military garrison which had been established in the Bavinese era was hardly any better, as the cartel made sure that the soldiers received all sorts of 'merchandise' to keep them happy; while prostitution was not exactly 'rife', it was certainly good business. After Defense Minister Miranda had alerted Felix to the possiblity of South American activity on the border, Escorpión Azul had slipped a handful of men across the border late at night to keep an eye on any troop movements. They had since slipped back over to the Platinean side with news; while they did not possess detailed information, they had enough to warrant closer scrutiny. In addition to informing their own bosses, they had also informed the garrison commander, who had subsequently passed information along the chain of command until it reached the Defense Ministry in Buenos Aires. Now that the Platineans knew where the RSA had moved troops to and had a good idea of why, they could formulate their own response.

[Layarteb]

February 20, 2015 - 20:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"That's a lot of movement for a military that's otherwise been quiet and docile since Mato Grosso came under their wing," the Emperor said after listening to his Minister of Defense explain what the Platineans already knew, that the RSA's military was on the move. "Training exercise?"

"That would be the official answer," the Minister of Defense added. "It could be a lot of things. La Paz is thoroughly backed into a corner sir. They have no allies in all of South America anymore. The Brazilians have consigned them only to their existence, the Platineans hate their guts, they hate our guts, and Amapá is with us. That's it for South America. They alienated just about everyone else in the world who could do anything to help them."

"I suppose that works both in and against our favor," the Emperor said. This particularly late-evening meeting of the National Security Council had been called at the behest of the Minister of Intelligence, who'd learned that the Platineans weren't going to stand for this sort of business. La Paz had pushed around the Bavinese and succeeded but the Platineans were different, they weren't going to stand for it and Velasquez had a big score to settle with La Paz. "I don't suppose reaching out to La Paz and asking them to act smartly is an option?" After a silent and grim pause, the Emperor answered his own question, "Yes, I suppose that is futile. All right then, let's get the cards on the table, shall we?" He turned to the Minister of Intelligence and gave a nod.

"Sir, the organization of the South American military is as such. They have a functional and capable army, air force, navy, and special operations branch.

"Their air force is headquartered in Bolivia. The 1st Air Division is responsible for defense in the Bolivia and Paraguay region and it include twenty-eight F-22A Raptors based at El Alto in Bolivia, twenty-eight F-16E Falcons based at Cochabamba in Bolivia, and a further twenty-eight F-16E Falcons based at Asunción in Paraguay. The 2nd Air Division is responsible for strike operations throughout the same region and they have twenty-eight A-10A Thunderbolt IIs based at Santa Cruz in Bolivia and twenty-eight F-15E Strike Eagles based at Tarija in Bolivia. The 3rd Air Division is responsible for operations in Chile and it is organized identical to the 1st Air Division, basing at Santiago, Iquique, and Punta Arenas. The 4th Air Division is a logistics division with forty-two C-130J Super Hercules' and fourteen C-17A Globemaster IIIs. The 5th Air Division is a support division and it has two wings each with a pair of E-767 AEWs, two R1 Sentinels, and six KC-10A Extenders. One wing supports Bolivia and the other supports Chile. The 6th Air Division is a bomber wing with fourteen B-1B Lancers.

"In Mato Grosso, the air force units in Bolivia share responsibility and they have not yet put formidable assets into Sergipe yet. All told, while incredibly small, their air force is formidable. The presence of advanced Raptors alone requires special care." The Minister of Intelligence said while those around the table, including the Emperor, scribbled notes. "We have determined that it is likely they are in the process of fielding additional Raptors and Falcons, at the very least, to extend their reach further into Mato Grosso and Sergipe."

"Minister," asked the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, "what is the likelihood of corruption within the air force, something that we can take advantage of in a shooting war?"

"I wouldn't count on it Chairman, the air force's fourteen thousand personnel are largely purged of corrupt officers and chiefs. That is going to be a resounding theme throughout the entirety of the military. Remember, Merik was a military man and they see him as one of their own, they could care less about anything else." With a nod from the Chairman, the Minister of Intelligence continued. "The army is their largest branch and it numbers slightly over three hundred thousand personnel arranged into two primary corps, one in Bolivia and Paraguay, and one in Chile.

"The 1st Corps contains four infantry divisions, two cavalry divisions, and an armored division. The 1st Infantry Division is based at La Paz and it is considered the most elite of all divisions, which is no surprise given where they defend. The 2nd Infantry Division is based in Potosi. The 3rd Infantry Division is based in Tarija and the 4th Infantry Division is based in Sucre. The 1st Cavalry Division is based in Cobija and the 2nd Cavalry Division is based in Santa Cruz. Their 1st Armored Infantry Division is based in Asunción.

"Based on the organization of the 1st Corps and the movements we've determined, the 1st Infantry and the 1st Cavalry Divisions are geared towards us. The 2nd Infantry Division and the 2nd Cavalry Division have been used as swing forces to work in Mato Grosso and Brazil and it is where they are focused. The 3rd Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, and 1st Armored Infantry Division are all poised to oppose La Plata.

"The 2nd Corps is based fully in Chile. These are crack troops gentlemen, the best of the Chilean military. The 5th Infantry Division is based in Santiago, the 6th ID is based in Antofagasta, the 7th ID is based in Valdivia and they are mountain warfare specialists who see the Andes as hills, not as mountains. The 8th ID is based in Coyhaique. The 3rd Cavalry Division is based in Punta Arenas, the 4th Cavalry Division in Iquique, and the 2nd Armored Infantry Division is based in Valparaiso. From the 2nd Corps, the entirety save for the 4th Cavalry Division and perhaps some of the 6th Infantry Division is focused against La Plata.

"Support units include a pair of artillery divisions that are interspersed within their infantry and cavalry divisions with a single regiment per division. Additionally, each infantry and cavalry division holds an air defense regiment. There is a general logistics and a general military intelligence division, the latter of which is as formidable as everything else is in the RSA.

"It has come to something of an advantage to us that La Paz has focused so much of its army against La Plata. They always regarded Argentina as a threat but in the time since President Velasquez took the reins in Buenos Aires, they have focused more and more against La Plata than they have against us. The approximate size of their divisions is about thirteen thousand men. They are very capable ladies and gentlemen. The RSA has always focused itself on maneuverability over sheer force and for that reason they mainly operate light armored vehicle, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers. Cavalry divisions include helicopter assault units and their armored divisions use M1A2 Abrams tanks, which as we are well familiar with as we used them once upon a time, it takes a lot to destroy an Abrams. Their artillery regiments are mixed fire units but they mainly operate the 105-millimeter M119 Howitzer. In this regard, we can grossly outshoot them but their M119s are towed, light, and their units train by expending massive amounts of shells against targets. Their response time is impressive but they are vulnerable to counterbattery fire from our larger guns.

"RSA's navy did not exist prior to the annexation of Chile and thus it is entirely Chilean. The majority of the Bavinese Navy was focused in Argentina but they did not forsake their units in Chile, fearing an invasion along their western front by us. Navy headquarters is Valparaiso. They have their navy split into two fleets. The 1st Fleet is responsible for various zones of defense, Valparaiso, Talcahuano, Punta Arenas, and Iquique. Only the latter is focused on us but it stands to reason that the Valparaiso zone is a threat to us too. Valparaiso contains a pair of Type 45 anti-air destroyers and four Type 23 frigates. Talcahuano contains their submarine force of four Astute-class nuclear powered attack boats. In Punta Arenas, they have a single Type 45 and two Type 23s and in Iquique they have the same. Based out of Punta Arenas and Valparaiso is a squadron each of fourteen P-8 Poseidons, the same aircraft we use.

"The 2nd Fleet is a big force and it contains their carriers. This is mainly focused against the Platineans. It is responsible for the southern seas and it is what they used in Sergipe. They have two battle groups each of which includes a single, Nimitz-class carrier, two heavy guided missile cruisers of the Resolution-class, four Type 45s, and six Type 23s. The carrier air wing for the Nimitz is twenty-eight F-14D Tomcats, twenty-eight F/A-18F Super Hornets, four EA-6B Prowlers, six E-2C Hawkeyes, two C-2A Greyhounds, six MH-60S Seahawks, and six MH-60R Seahawks.

"Their amphibious force consists of two battle groups, each with a single Wasp, two Type 45s, and four Type 23s. They would not operate an amphibious group without a carrier battle group, which brings me now to their marines." The Minister of Intelligence had been speaking for a while and he stopped to allow those taking notes to catch up, in which case he repeated a few of the facts and figures he'd stated already, taking a sip of water here and there, until everyone was caught up and ready for him to state what their marines held. "All right, we're ready I see? The Republican Marines is a small branch of naval infantry. They are regimental sized and consist of only two regiments, one per amphibious group. Each regiment has four battalions. However, when they are not at sea, the battalions share various duties. The 1st Marine Regiment alters rotations in two-battalion shifts to serve as expeditionary units. The 2nd Marine Regiment utilizes a single battalion for embassy guards, two battalions to protect Valparaiso Naval Base and Talcahuano Naval Base, and they have a counter-terrorism battalion, which for all intents and purposes could be a special operations unit.

"Each expeditionary unit of two battalions contains approximately fifteen hundred men and it includes infantry, light armor, construction units, reconnaissance and engineers, artillery of course, and tanks. The air wing you can expect on a Wasp consists of four AH-1Ws, four Twin Hueys, twelve Super Stallions, and six Harriers, a general, all-around complement for a variety of missions. Based on the organization and composition, the marine units are more focused against La Plata, primarily the Tierra del Fuego region or other landing zones. They played virtually no role in Mato Grosso.

"This brings us now to the last of their units, their special forces branch. There are three sections. At the top is a unit known as the 'Wolves' comparable roughly to our 5th Special Forces Group, or the Green Berets. They operate in twelve-man teams and they have twenty such teams. The second group of units include their naval warfare group known as the 'Sharks' and a special reconnaissance unit. The Sharks are not unlike our SEALS and the Advanced Reconnaissance Group is comparable to our Ghost Recon unit. The third group of units would be comparable to our Rangers.

"At current, these groups are deployed throughout the country with Wolves teams deployed in Mato Grosso, Sergipe, and throughout the main areas. So there you have it, the composition of the Republic of South America's military. It is small but it is quite formidable. Any attack against them will incur losses unless we press our numerical superiority and counter the very tactics they were built to achieve."

[Terra Reborn]

Rear Admiral Michael Wallace CS
HM Naval Station Valparaiso,
Chile, The Republic of South America
Date to be Confirmed, 0900hrs Local Time (0300hrs Imperial Capital Time, 1200hrs Zulu Time)

His Majesty’s Naval Station Valparaiso was a relatively small-scale affair. Not wishing to infringe on the operations of the Port of Valparaiso the Imperial Navy had constructed similarly sized mole, firstly jutting two hundred meters out north-westerly from the land before taking a ninety degree turn and running for seven hundred meters, creating a sheltered area which was subsequently deepened. Eager to meet the requests of the Imperial Navy, recognizing the economic impact an Imperial Naval Station would have, the Valparaiso City Council had straightened the course of the Escuadra Libertadora, which had required significant repairs anyway, and giving to the Imperial Navy all of the land between it and the coastline around the road, and it was that land, and the mole of course, that became HM Naval Station Valpariso. In that area had been build a number of buildings for the administration of the station and the accommodation of the personnel not assigned to a ship. Compared to some Imperial Naval Bases it was small, but it contained everything that was needed of it, and that was the important thing.

HM Naval Station Valparaiso was the home of the South America Squadron of the Imperial Navy, which was responsible for protecting the limited Imperial interests in the region, most notably the Imperial merchant shipping that was compelled, by its size, to go around the Cape rather than through the Panama Canal. It was also a vital way station and resupply point for the Imperial Navy’s operations in the South Pacific. The South America Squadron consisted of fifteen warships, the flagship was the Battlecruiser HMS Courageous, accompanied by the heavy cruisers Endeavour and Excelsior, four Type-45E Destroyers and eight Type-26 Frigates. Between them they had significant offensive firepower, effective defensive coverage and enough ships to cover pretty much any commitment they might have, and given that they were more powerful than many small navies it was a not unsubstantial naval force, all things considered, and it had an important role.

Rear Admiral Michael Wallace had been in the Imperial Navy for along time, he was reaching the end of his career and unless something dramatic happened in the next few months he was unlikely to be selected for a three-star command and as such would retire as a Rear Admiral, although that would hardly be a bad achievement. He had a competent, if unspectacular career, although he had been in the upper echelons of his generation of naval officers to have made flag officer, and he had been seen as a safe pair of hands to care for one of the Imperial Navy’s most distant stations. He didn’t mind, he had more ships under his command than some small Navy’s, he had a busy and varied job to do around South America and all things considered he knew he was doing an important job. The Squadron occasionally conducted Officer of the Watch Maneuverers with the RSA Navy task group stationed here, consisting as it did of the two enhanced Type-45 Destroyers (which the Empire had sold them) and the four Type-23 Frigates which, as it happened, had also come from the Imperial Apilonian Shipyards. All things considered the South American Squadron had a good working relationship with the South American Naval Ships stationed out of Valparaiso.

Wallace turned his gaze from the ocean at the knock of his door and leant back in his chair as he called out.

“Enter!”

The man that walked in wore the uniform of the Imperial Navy, bearing the rank of Captain, but he wore a shoulder flash bearing the legend ‘UNIT’. He was the South America District Officer for the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, the combined military intelligence branch of His Majesty’s Armed Forces. It was his job to keep all military assets in South America up to date on their intelligence requirements, and given that Rear Admiral Wallace was the most senior Imperial officer on the continent, most of the intelligence went directly to him.

“Latest update on the ‘exercises’ being operated by the Republic of South America on their border with Le Plata,” Captain William Kershaw commented, handing over a folder. “Nothing particularly dramatic so far, but its worth keeping an eye on.”

Wallace nodded thoughtfully. The Empire of Apilonia had an interesting relationship with the Republic of South America, all things considered. Naturally they would always stand with their October Alliance allies in the Empire of Layarteb if it came down to it, however short of direct aggression against the Layartebians the Empire had seen no reason why it couldn’t do business with it. The Empire had modernized the former Chilean Navy following the brief civil war that had preceded its entry into the RSA, and in return had been granted the use of the land that now made up HM Naval Station Valparaiso. In short the Empire was aware of the concerns harboured about the highly nationalistic government in La Paz, but given that the Apilonian Empire was a North American power that had no pretensions of wanting to own territory anywhere in South America, the RSA had been more than happy to business with the Imperials, something that the Empire had done nothing to dissuade. That being said, there was always danger, and there was a reason why, like every Imperial Naval Station or Base across the globe, Valparaiso was protected by a full battalion of Imperial Marines from the Fleet Protection Group,, who apparently didn’t mind the comparatively cramped conditions of their accommodation, given the relatively small size of the base.

Never the less Wallace was glad they were there, and he was glad that he had his squadron under his command which could, if the need arose, pick apart most of the South American Navy. They might have issues with their carriers, but it would be an interesting fight regardless. Wallace doubted he’d be fighting the South Americans, but he was becoming increasingly uneasy watching the rhetoric out of La Paz. It was obvious that there was going to be an armed confrontation at some point, and the last thing he wanted was his people getting caught in the middle, which would be very difficult if Valparaiso, a city that the Imperial Sailors and Marines stationed there had quickly become attached to, became a battle zone. But there was no point in lingering on future possibilities, they had already planned to death numerous contingencies in the event of a crisis, all he could do was get on with his work, and watch and wait.

“Alright Captain, thank you for bringing it up,” Wallace nodded. “Keep me up to date if anything chancges.”

“Aye-Aye, Sir.”

[Layarteb]

OOC: Call it a Part II to my above post.

February 23, 2015 - 14:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

It was another day of marathon meetings in the Fortress of Comhghall. Operation PINK PANTHER had been dusted off from a bin in the Ministry of Defense and replanned based on the latest Intel concerning the order of battle of the Republican military. The operation's original incarnation had involved a half million men. The initial phase required the bulk of the men, a quarter of a million across an army corps, a defense force corps, two regiments of the Foreign Legion, a Marine division, special forces units, and several naval battle and strike groups to secure eight footholds in Bolivia and northern Chile. The second phase required another eighth of a million men to expand the flanks and push deeper into the country to tie down Republican forces while the final phase was meant to secure positions, reinforce lines, and establish annexation points in the Pando department of Bolivia and the Arica y Parinacota region of Chile. Of course, the plan involved a full-on invasion of the Republic of South America with no outside interference and a full military to contend with, not what threatened the Empire now.

As such, the revision brought the number of men down to approximately 275,000 men, which still gave a numerical superiority of nearly 5:1 against the Republican military. Of course, if La Paz were engaged in a set war with the Platineans, the likelihood of them having all of their resources to bear against their back door if a Layartebian combined-arms force rolled across the border. Initially, the entirety of III Corps, the 3rd and 4th Legionnaire regiments, all of XXI Corps, the 10th Marine Division, about twenty-seven hundred men from JSOC, the 28th Naval Special Division, and three battle groups. That would account for 185,000 men and they would pour over the border aiming to secure eight crucial footholds. Behind them would come the 31st Airborne Division, the 32nd Cavalry Division, the 90th Infantry Division (Light), and the 17th Marine Division, to expand the incursion, establish blocking points, and solidify the numerical advantage. Of course, all of this hinged upon two things, air superiority and naval superiority.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Chairman-General Barnes had seen to the careful crafting of PINK PANTHER when it involved half a million men and he was sad to see it downgraded so but pleased that the number of men wasn't truly needed anymore. A firm believer of economy of force, Chairman-General Barnes knew that the 10:1 advantage the original doctrine called for was more than enough; it would tax resources heavily. The Empire could deploy a half million men only so many times at once and if they weren't needed, then all the better to downsize. At 275,000 against - at most - 60,000, there was plenty of an advantage in numerical superiority to warrant the downsizing. Sitting in front of the Emperor now, Chairman-General Barnes was airing his misgivings about the plan. "The biggest issue I have sir is their air force."

"Yes, the presence of advanced fighters such as those Raptors around La Paz is a definitive threat. They have to be neutralized before we can gain air superiority and our best weapon against them, the Wraith, is equivalent more than it is superior."

"Yes that is my assessment of it sir. The best way to neutralize a Raptor is when it's on the ground and while we can ensure we have the tools necessary to do it, we're talking luck more than I prefer to wager. Secondly, their Lancers are a threat."

"It's a shame we're not fortune tellers Chairman-General. The Platineans aren't going to stand for these kinds of exercises on their border and with the amount of men they're calling up for it; this is one major exercise, if not involving their whole military. The Minister of Intelligence informed me not three hours ago that a source within their government had informed us that their entire military is on call up, all of it Chairman-General."

"It's a bait sir," Chairman-General Barnes answered. "I've seen this before, we've done it! They're going to conduct these exercises there just to spark and infuriate the Platineans and the Platineans will respond. What starts out as a border clash will escalate because La Paz wants it to escalate and deep down so does Buenos Aires. They both want a new crack at each other, ever since Velasquez overthrew Chevalier and since La Paz seized Chile and Sergipe. Brazil surely would care but Mato Grosso is no loss to them. It's a loss on a map but not in headache. I think we can count on Brazil merely boosting their border defenses rather than any incursions."

"We have liaisons with their military, do we not?"

"We do sir."

"I think it's time we reached out to them to find out just what Brazil's armed forces plan to do in the event of a conflict between Buenos Aires and La Paz."

"Roger that sir, we'll get you something within the next few days, unless this escalates beyond our control, not that we have much control come to think about it sir."

"PINK PANTHER is ready, correct?"

"Yes sir, we just need to put the units on alert. III Corps is already on alert and the Legionnaire regiments are fast response but the other units will need to have their conditions upgraded."

"Do it then just to be safe. How long?"

"End of the week, max. We can do it fast and be ready in two days though if you think sir."

"No, end of the week is fine. Even if they launch strikes against each other tomorrow, III Corps can hold the border and La Paz isn't dumb enough to fight against two enemies at once. I would like to see an uptick in reconnaissance though. We're tracking their navy as best as we can?"

"Yes sir, their subs give us grief though."

"Increase the resources if you have to Chairman-General, I want to be ready here if we need to pull the trigger and send armor across the border."

"What about the Apilonian station in Valparaiso?"

"What about it sir? Valparaiso is a bit south for our purposes and Velasquez won't hit it knowing that the Apilonians could be in danger, at least I don't think he's that foolish sir."

"What do they have their anyway?"

"Fifteen warships, nothing bigger than a battlecruiser, no carriers sir. The complement is a battlecruiser, two heavy cruisers, four destroyers, and eight frigates. It's an interdiction and escort force not a major strike group."

"They've funded most of La Paz's navy right?"

"Yes they did, perhaps they hoped to court them and why not, La Paz only despises 'imperialism' in lands it wants to control. The Apilonians have no territory in South America."

"All right, let's keep that in mind."

[Marimaia]

February 26, 2015, 09:00hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
La Casa Rosada

"So now we know where they are heading, we know exactly what to do about it."

Defense Minister Miranda nodded as President Velasquez replied to the latest update on the movements of the RSA's forces, although he did shoot a quick glance at Security Minister Jimenez to check for a reaction. The broad grin that Jimenez was displaying made it more than clear where the S.I. stood on this matter.

"So Presidente, I take it that we'll be deploying troops to the area of Salvador Mazza? Do we match their numbers or do we go for something grander?"

"I want the 4th Division. Not the entire 4th Division, but the mechanised regiments along with the armoured scout troops. Position them around Salvador Mazza so that the RSA know that we're watching them. I also want to begin aerial patrols on our side of the border, leave them in no doubt that we can respond if necessary."

Miranda scratched his chin. "What about the rest of the 4th Division? Do we keep them where they are?"

"Absolutely. Salta and Jujuy Provinces are on the border, we cannot risk moving the entire division to one specific part of their operational area. Move up elements of the 1st Division to the border in Formosa Province as well...and have the Rapid Deployable Force ready to move into Neuquen and Mendoza Provinces. If the RSA want to play at intimidation, we shall return the favour. Carlos, what can the S.I. bring to this party?"

Security Minister Jimenez chuckled. "Well, we can always bring Los Halcones up into defensive service. That'll free up some forces that we could then send up to the Formosa part of the border. If I might be so bold, we could always see about moving the bulk of the 5th Division from the Uruguay region. If we were to position them in Corrientes Province-"

Miranda interrupted. "NIce idea, but we could end up putting a lot of our soldiers in range of RSA retaliation. If this is a prelude to them invading us, or if they decide to respond to our movements with force, we could lose a lot of men if they're sat on the border 'just in case'. I'd prefer to keep the 5th Division where they are until the situation becomes a lot clearer."

Velasquez nodded. "Agreed. This amount of movement will take some time, but we need to show them that we are not going to ignore blatant provocation."

Jimenez frowned. "So we're reacting to blatant provocation by taking the bait?"

"Not quite. They move troops to the border, we do the same. Then it becomes a game of who blinks first and pulls the troops back. I'll be damned if it's going to be us."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

February 26, 2015, 14:07hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Hotel Imperio

In light of the RSA's actions and having had various details relayed to him by Defense Minister Miranda, Felix had gathered together the inner circle of Escorpión Azul to discuss the developing situation. After they had all gotten drinks and settled into the plush armchairs and couches of the Presidential suite, Felix began speaking with his usual flair.

"Guys, this is it. The single biggest opportunity for us since the overthrow of Chevalier. The Republic of South America are trying to flex their muscles at La Plata, and Velasquez is being Velasquez by preparing to flex right back at them. Now don't get me wrong. I enjoy two heavyweights flexing their muscles more than anyone else in this room, but it gets boring if that's all they do. The Republic of South America is a massive pain for us, not just because they'd do anything to see La Plata fall, but because they block our business. Bolivia and Paraguay are perfect for the cultivation of marijuana and, more importantly, coca. We've had to make do with comparatively very little in the way of coca cultivation, so imagine the profit we can make if we got Bolivia growing again. Our cocaine production would skyrocket compared to what we have right now. Thanks to the Layartebians, there aren't any regions in South America left to cultivate that lovely plant. We're talking long-term profit here. If we can get back into Bolivia then we can get the farmers growing coca again, which means we can produce more cocaine, although we wouldn't flood the market with it. We could slowly drip-feed it back into circulation, keeping the price nice and high. We'd make a fortune from it."

José Rojas raised his hand. "Wouldn't that need us to be in control of Bolivia?"

"Exactly! Cheché has hit it right on the head. In order to really hit it big, we need Bolivia in our sphere of influence. That means that we need it to be part of La Plata, and the only way we're going to get that is if these two flexing rivals start fighting. Now, given the RSA's track record, they may well start things themselves. There's also a distinct possibility that Velasquez will get annoyed and be the one to kick things off. However, just in case cooler heads look like they're going to prevail, we need to be ready to give things a nudge in the right direction. Obviously our beloved President doesn't need to know about that."

The others laughed as Felix gave a conspiratorial wink before continuing.

"It's merely contingency planning. Just as the admittedly brief war between the United Provinces and the Empire of Layarteb gave us the opportunity to seize this nation, a war between La Plata and the RSA will give us the opportunity to seize that nation. It won't be easy by any means, but if it was then we'd have done it by now. It's a risk to be sure, but the rewards make it totally worthwhile. Obviously we wouldn't leave it entirely in the hands of the Platinean military, I'm certain we can assist our countrymen in our own ways. First things first, we need to keep an eye on the situation. Velasquez is going to deploying troops across the border from the RSA's exercises, so I want extra guys in the area too. Alejandro, I want you and your people to do your point-and-click magic, find out things that we shouldn't find out about. Oh, while you're at it, find out how to do things that we shouldn't know how to do."

Alejandro Madrazo smirked. "Computers are like women. Push the right buttons and they'll do anything you tell them."

Felix pointed at him with a grin. "Someone's never met my mother. If you tried to push her buttons she'd snap your fingers off, probably followed by other more vital parts. Anyway, guys, listen. I have a wedding coming up. We haven't set a date yet, but I would love it if Matías and I could honeymoon at...say, Lake Titicaca. So let's keep our eyes and ears open for opportunities. Hopefully we won't need to nudge anyone, but let's be ready just in case."

[Layarteb]

February 27, 2015 - 07:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"All day sir and throughout the night," the Minister of Defense said, responding to the Emperor's early morning question. The phone call between the two of them had been arranged at the request of the Emperor and that meant the Minister had to wake up earlier than normal to get his reports ahead of time.

"Between La Paz and Buenos Aires I see absolutely no sensibility Minister. These two are going to be so close to one another that a cigarette thrown in the wrong direction will likely be enough to start a shooting match. Very well Minister, when you get into the office please ensure to keep me updated."

"Yes sir." The phone call ended and the Emperor looked at the suited man sitting across from him opposite the desk, facing him.

"What do you make of it Jack?"

"I make it quite simply sir. La Paz is backed into a corner and they think that Velasquez is weak so they're going to prod him into a shooting match. Velasquez isn't stupid and he's going to meet Merik move for move. That's going to elevate the tension dramatically, which is what Merik wants. Merik hasn't moved on La Plata because he knows precisely what he'll get."

"And in the mix of it all?"

"The biggest drug dealer in the Western Hemisphere is going to have access to Bolivia, Paraguay, and Chile. I think the implications of that alone are enough sir."

"Bah!" The Emperor said showing a look of disgust. Delaney was one of the few people aware of the true identify of Felix Elizondo but then again, Delaney was one of the few people aware of every secret in the Empire. "We're utterly played here Jack. If we step in to help La Plata we will tilt the scales right in their favor. La Paz has nothing covering us in comparison. When all of her units are engaged, fighting La Plata, we can walk in and seize La Paz with little effort, relatively speaking. Yet we'll be handing Bolivia and Paraguay to Elizondo, Bolivia especially. Guess what's been adapted to grow very well in the Andes and in Bolivia?"

"Coca sir."

"Coca! We're handing the Western Hemisphere's biggest drug lord an entire free enterprise to plant coca, as much of it as he wants. They can plant tens of thousands of hectares of coca."

"The only solution is La Plata's loss but that would cause its own brand of problems. Merik would gain strength and Velasquez would definitely be overthrown. Velasquez might be powerless when it comes to Elizondo but he's strong enough to back sir."

"The status quo is preferable. As much as Merik irks the living daylights out of me with his nationalistic nonsense, the status quo is preferable."

"How can we even make that happen sir?"

"If we don't get involved, La Plata has to face the entirety of the Republican military. That alone could help but the generals do not think that is enough. If we moved into northern Chile and the Pando Department of Bolivia we could give ourselves a buffer zone but again, we'd ensure a victory."

"Sir could we take La Paz and deny La Plata the victory?"

"We certainly could, we're much closer to it than they are and with the forces we have arrayed down there, we could move a half million men into the country in days. The plan has been downsized recently but that does not mean we cannot revert to our original plan. We could march on La Paz."

"That would be very bold sir, what do you think that would do for both Velasquez and Merik?"

"It would deny Velasquez the prestige to march on the capital, it would be the end of Merik, and it would force Elizondo into a corner with coca production."

"We made a deal with the devil when we didn't assassinate him sir."

"We also didn't envision on a war between La Paz and Buenos Aires…"

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ | ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

February 27, 2015 - 10:00 hrs [UTC-6]
Puebla, Mexico
Hacienda del Patron
(18° 56' 22" N, 98° 12' 40" W)

The clank of silverware on fine china plates echoed throughout the cavernous dining hall. A man in his mid-fifties, big and burly, ate with a napkin tucked into his shirt collar. The napkin was quite large, as the man, aside from being nearly six-foot-six, weighed in excess of three hundred pounds. To his right was a gorgeous woman who truly emphasized the phrase "trophy wife" - or at least she would have had she not been well educated, extremely cunning, and as ruthless as any mother in the wild was. Armed guards, wearing suits, sunglasses, earpieces, and holding submachine guns stood vigilant guard by the door but that was it, four human beings and no more, at least until a familiar, if not juvenile voice echoed from down the hallway screaming, "El Patron! El Patron!"

The big man grumbled and looked to his wife who merely sipped her coffee in silence. The voice grew louder as the individual neared. "El Patron! El Patron!" Then finally the image of a child appeared in the doorway only this wasn't a child but rather an adult, a very young adult but an adult nonetheless. The guards stiffened up when he approached but knowing him and knowing El Patron's affinity for him, they did not have any reason to worry. "What is it Miqueo?" El Patron asked, annoying that his breakfast had been disturbed, "Can you not see I am eating breakfast with my wife? Is this a time you may disturb me?" To anyone other than Miqueo, this might have brought a quaking fear but Miqueo was his nephew and a worker, or rather servant, of his and he was El Patron's favorite nephew to boot. For his lack of social grace, he was undyingly loyal to El Patron.

"I know El Patron but this is important, you must see!" He put the paper down on the table. The headline screamed at them in Spanish, the lingua franca of Mexico, and Miqueo read it. "La Paz and Buenos Aires could go to war!"

"Elizondo," El Patron said with a smile. Like Felix Elizondo, El Patron was a drug kingpin. Like Elizondo, he lived a gaudy lifestyle, practically daring the authorities to threaten him. Elizondo preferred the shadows with his business purposes, washing his money and his hands through the public eye. Both men had delusions of grandeur but unlike Elizondo, El Patron was upfront with his. Of course, to say anything more about them was to bring nothing but hatred in the eyes of El Patron. El Patron hated - and that is an understatement - Felix Elizondo. Within his own ranks, he referred to Felix Elizondo as the Fairy of South America. The two of them clashed in Mexico more so since Elizondo began to court El Patron's enemies and rivals. El Patron headed Mexico's largest cartel, the Puebla Cartel, but that didn't engender enough fear in the others for many opposed him now thanks to Elizondo's influence.

"Yes El Patron, Elizondo! What will you do?"

"Nothing my dear boy, thank you for this. Now please leave me be." Miqueo honored the order as if it were a request and El Patron turned to his wife. "Jaqueline could we be so lucky?"

"I doubt it," she answered. "The Empire will meddle in the affairs of this conflict. It is without a doubt that they will orchestrate a victory for Velasquez and, by proxy, for Elizondo."

"I hate that man Jaqueline but he is safe in South America. I cannot touch him there and he is not foolish enough to come to my territory."

"Bolivia is different," Jaqueline Solorio Saldana said with a smile. "Bolivia is not his territory. He would be welcome there, I am sure, but it is not his territory."

"I like where you have gone with this Jaqueline," El Patron smiled. "Now let's see if we have men capable enough to carry such an endeavor out."

[Marimaia]

March 5, 2015
South America

It could be argued that letting President Velasquez speak publicly about the situation was not entirely helpful.

Two days after ordering elements of the Platinean Armed Forces to the border with the RSA, Velasquez had been invited to a sit-down interview with Canal 9 News about, as the network had described it, the "rising border tensions and Republican aggression". When asked what he thought of the RSA's 'exercises', Velasquez had been incredibly blunt in his response. The current actions by the RSA were compared to their actions on the Brazilian border, described by Velasquez as "a cheap attempt at intimidation". The Platinean President had then gone on a long yet well-thought tirade about the RSA's history with its neighbours. The invasion of Mato Grosso, the invasion of Sergipe, the border movements against Brazil and now La Plata, the antagonistic relationship with the Empire of Layarteb. Velasquez posed the question of why the general population of the RSA was so content to be represented by such an aggressive and warmongering government, especially in a so-called 'democratic' nation. To Platinean eyes, the RSA military seemed to run around without asking permission of their government; either that, or the RSA's government simply allowed their military to act like a cheap schoolyard bully. Velasquez stated that he believed it to be the latter case, as there was evidence of the RSA's government being completely untrustworthy.

He had then produced a joint report from the S.I. and the Defense Ministry. Velasquez explained that when he had come to power the previous year, he had commissioned a discreet investigation into the sinking of Bavinese cruisers, an act which the Bavinese had blamed squarely on the Layartebians. As La Plata was not as myopic as the Bavinese regime, they had approached the investigation with a more open mind. The President clearly stated that there was barely anything to suggest that the Empire had been involved. The finger of suspicion pointed squarely at the Republic of South America. As there was nothing underhanded about the investigation, the Platinean government would have no problem making the report available in its entirety to other governments for their own perusal. When asked what this meant for the current situation, Velasquez gave a simple answer. To him, these exercises were a case of the RSA trying to intimidate La Plata. The RSA wanted Buenos Aires to back down so that La Paz could continue to feel superior. The problem was that Velasquez was not going to back down, and neither was La Plata. They had not overthrown the Bavinese regime and prosecuted the former Bavinese leaders just to roll over for La Paz. Someone in South America had to stand up to the self-professed masters of the continent, and La Plata would be the ones to do it. After all, they had overthrown one expansionist 'democracy' and they would overthrow another one if necessary.

That had sparked an almost immediate reaction from La Paz, with President Merik firmly denying Republican involvement in the cruiser sinkings. He claimed that La Plata was obviously hellbent on an expansionist war and was cooking up anything to justify it. Merik talked about the exercises on the border as having been planned months in advance, and that if the Platineans had been polite enough to object diplomatically then the exercises would have been moved. Instead they were in the process of moving their own forces to the border, not for exercises but to try and intimidate the Republican forces. Merik stated defiantly that the RSA had never been intimidated by the Bavinese and they would not be intimidated by their inheritors either. The next few days saw rebuttals and denouncements flying back and forth, as the two nations sought to undermine the other's public position. At times junior ministers opened their mouths and only served to inflame the issue; one Platinean official was heard to claim that the RSA had carried out gas attacks against the Mato Grossans in an attempt to pacify the poor oppressed people of that land. The RSA's press took that statement and ran with it, painting the Buenos Aires government as liars and criminals. Velasquez did not help matters when pressed to address the comments, as he simply shrugged and said "Well if they didn't, I bet they thought about it".

As the words kept being exchanged, the militaries of both sides began to be moved. The RSA maintained their exercises in defiance of the Platineans, and Marshal Rodriguez recommended stepping up the alert level just in case. On the Platinean side, Defense Minister Miranda and Security Minister Jimenez managed to push Velasquez's buttons and got him to agree to further troop movements towards the RSA-Platinean border. While La Plata's military was not blessed with cutting edge military technology, they possessed superior numbers. As a consequence, they could position forces along the border in such volume that the RSA would have to pick and choose which parts of the border to defend in the event of a war. What Buenos Aires didn't truly consider was that La Paz would prefer to bring them into RSA territory and then engage them with the homefield advantage with more mobile forces.

In any event, on the 5th of March, there was now a sizable Platinean military presence just across the border from the RSA exercises, which were taking place near the city of Yacuíba. Both governments were keenly trying to score points off each other, and both governments were watching to see what their rival was doing just in case it led to war. Platinean forces were being moved towards other border areas, and the RSA were raising their military alert level. Without some last minute intervention, it looked like they were on a course for war.

[Layarteb]

March 2, 2015 - 09:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"Right on time," the Emperor said as he took his seat at the head of the table in his office. The entirety of the National Security Council, sans the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Commerce who were in separate locations for the purposes of continuity of government. "We've come to meet this morning concerning the matter of the Republic of South America and the Republic of La Plata. As we're all plainly aware, these two nations are on a course for war and it is a situation we have to consider rather as an inevitability more than as a potentiality." The Emperor began, opening the meeting. "There are several aspects to discuss on this matter. The first aspect concerns Brazil. Ambassador Barros has informed me directly that the Republic of Brazil has no intention whatsoever of taking part in this conflict, whether to strike against the RSA or to recapture Mato Grosso. In concurrence, our ambassador to Brazil, Ambassador Dooley has received the same confidence from President Lobo. Thus, we can consider Brazil to be an observer rather than a player. President Lobo has confided in Ambassador Dooley though that the matter of Sergipe is up for discussion with Buenos Aires.

"Secondly, we have the situation in Mato Grosso. For that matter, I will hand over the discussion to Minister Flores."

"Thank you sir," she answered as her green eyes flashed. "As we are aware, our last military action with Mato Grosso ceases in June of 2012. Several months later, the Republic of South America invaded the country and conquered it though there is more to their conquest of Mato Grosso than made public eye. After defeating the conventional forces of Mato Grosso, RSA forces found themselves only in control of the southern portion of the country and it was only the southern third at that.

"President Merik reached out to the various faction leaders and warlords and promised them safety provided they promised him cooperation. For the most part, they relented. Parts of the deal involved a cessation of attacks against us, which explains the lack of fighting on the border. Merik allowed them to exist and work on their own provided they adhered to his request for cooperation and in doing so; he hoped to levy them against Brazil. This allowed him to rebuild his military and integrate Chile without fear of them. It worked of course but the bond that holds them in a state of hibernation - we'll call it - is loose and tenuous at the best of times. Should Merik fall, they would be unleashed again. The big difference now is that the enemy we would face in Mato Grosso is not the enemy we're used to facing.

"We once faced organized and capable bands of anarchists, primarily. Now we are dealing with paramilitary groups that deal in human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, and arms trafficking. The groups active in Mato Grosso account for nearly two-thirds of all humans and illegal narcotics trafficked through South America. They are a go-between for the cartels in Mexico, the cartels in Brazil, and I do not doubt the cartel in La Plata. In the past two and a half years, they have gained considerable strength because they have been unopposed. Groups have chosen and eked out sections of the jungle for themselves and they've even staved off turf wars, likely to avoid drawing the wrath of La Paz.

"Our sources tell us that should La Paz fall, Mato Grosso would secede. Unless the Platineans want to invade and tackle Mato Grosso, in which case we're looking at a very long, very bloody, and very arduous conflict for Buenos Aires. Velasquez knows this and I doubt we'll see this happen. More than likely, Mato Grosso will re-declare its independence. There are a half dozen actors who could potentially take the mantle and our eyes and our bets are on Rafael Pinto Fernandes, the current leader of the Mato Grossan Independence Movement. He fought during the Mato Grossan Wars against us and he's something of a battlefield legend amongst the populace. He would garner the support of the paramilitary groups because he came from them and he would garner the support of the cities because he is quite charismatic and far from a dumb farm boy."

When she finished, the Emperor broke in, "As you can see, we would have renewed conflict on our border. Since La Paz conquered Mato Grosso we have withdrawn some of our forces from the border area but with this escalating situation, we have brought those units on the border back to maximum readiness and we've begun the process in getting two more divisions from the defense force down there. Mato Grosso would be, at the best, a thorn in our side again." This made everyone at the table uneasy. For five years, Layartebian forces battled it out here and there with Mato Grossan irregulars. Many lives were lost and a considerable effort went into uprooting the Mato Grossans. The byproduct was the situation that existed now. The anarchist groups, weakened from the fighting, fell to pieces and the paramilitary groups moved in, escaping the efforts of the Achesians/Brazilians to terminate them. "For the next aspect, I'll turn it over to Minister Sanders."

"Thank you sir," answered the Minister of Defense. "What we are looking at between the RSA and La Plata is a full-scale conflict involving just about every weapon out there short of CBRN devices. We don't have any reason to believe that CBRN devices will be used in this conflict and we are ninety percent certain that a conflict will arise out of these escalations. La Plata is facing no less than eight divisions of forces from La Paz, more if they bring the divisions guarding against Brazil and us into the fray. That would be four and two, respectively. There are fourteen total divisions. Their marines would account for less than another division.

"Combined with naval assets, that is about one hundred and ten to one hundred and fifty thousand men for battle with La Plata. In contrast, we have a hundred thousand men just in III Corps alone, which is guarding the border in Peru. The comparison ends there. RSA divisions are smaller, faster, and much more nimble. They can operate very effectively in the terrain and they know the terrain. While the Platineans and we for that matter know the terrain equally as well, the RSA is no pushover. This would not be a conflict that could be decided in a week or two. It could stretch out for some time, depending on which side gets the upper hand. Based on the way La Paz has been going about this, they would have the upper hand. They have already set the strategy and Buenos Aires is merely responding in kind and more than likely precisely how Merik wants them to react.

"Merik isn't counting on us getting involved or on Brazil getting involved. We know this not only from Intelligence's sources but also from the movement of their troops. They have an infantry and a cavalry division still on the border with Brazil and two each on the border with us. They have not been reinforced nor have they been set into any sort of defensive stance. For all intents and purposes, they remain merely there as a token piece of defense. Knowing that Brazil will not get involved, Merik will likely try to pull those two divisions down to fight with La Plata, perhaps after the initial losses of battle are felt. As for the four with us, it is difficult to say what will happen only because Merik might be wary of our coziness with Velasquez. If they remain, that is a force of just over fifty thousand men guarding the Pando Department and the La Paz Department of Bolivia and northern Chile. With III Corps alone, we could march on and secure La Paz before the Platineans ever got past the border."

"Very good, thank you Minister," said the Emperor finally after a short silence that left everyone wondering if the Emperor wanted more out of the Minister of Defense. "This leaves us with several decisions to make and none of them will be easy," he said, calling for a vote. The National Security Council was an eleven-member group and things happened by majority vote only the Emperor only voted to break ties. "The first matter concerns military intervention in an eventual conflict between the RSA and La Plata. Do we want to get involved outright?" The result of the vote was six-to-four against outright intervention. "Do we want to get involved should it be evident that La Plata will lose?" This vote went the other way, six-to-four in favor. "Knowing this, do we want to get involved, essentially swaying the balance of this war into La Plata's court and giving Felix Elizondo carte blanche on the largest coca fields outside of Colombia?" That one fell to a tie and the Emperor tabled the vote for now. He hadn't made up his mind yet.

They took several more votes during the course of the next fifteen minutes. If Layartebian forces were to get involved they could go only as far as the Pando Department in Bolivia and the northernmost province of Chile. Layartebian forces would move into the La Paz Department but they would not move on and secure La Paz, despite the ability to do so. That was an insurgency the Emperor did not want. When it came to Mato Grosso, the votes were nearly all unanimous. The Empire would not get involved with fighting in Mato Grosso unless forced, the Empire would not seek to seize territory in Mato Grosso, and the Empire would not fund any resistance movements against inevitable independence. Mato Grosso would, for lack of a better word, be ignored diplomatically and militarily, unless of course the Mato Grossans saw fit to resume their troublesome antics in the border region. Lastly, the buildup of forces would continue unabated.

[Marimaia]

March 6, 2015, 09:30hrs [UTC-3]
Salvador Mazza, Republic of La Plata

The border city of about twenty-five thousand people was abuzz after rumours got around that President Velasquez was going to be visiting the Platinean forces positioned nearby, as well as the city itself. The troops had only recently arrived themselves, but a visit from Velasquez was meant as a demonstration of Platinean resolve in the face of RSA 'intimidation'. Later that morning it was actually confirmed officially that he would be coming to the area, so the city authorities started hastily organising for patriotic banners to be prominently displayed and the city's garrison started patrolling with a bit more caution.

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March 6, 2015, 14:39hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
La Casa Rosada

"Presidente, are you sure it was wise to have your visit officially confirmed? You could be painting a huge target on yourself."

Velasquez shook his head dismissively as Security Minister Jimenez seemed rather concerned about the way that the visit had been planned. Initially it had been decided that it would be unannounced due to the situation, but Velasquez had subsequently changed his mind and insisted that everyone knew he was going to be there.

"Carlos, this is about pride. Not just national pride, but my own. If I make a visit to Salvador Mazza, unannounced and quiet, it'll look like I'm worried about what the RSA will do. I want them to know I'm there. Hell, I want everyone to know I'm there. I want the media to broadcast the image of La Plata's President just across the border from the RSA and their intimidation attempt, resolutely showing that we are not afraid of them. I was the one who led the overthrow of Chevalier, I am known as the 'Iron Man of La Plata'. I will not be seen to be cowering from the RSA. I didn't become a general by staying out of combat situations, you know."

Jimenez pulled a frustrated face. "Presidente-"

Velasquez raised his hand as a gesture to silence him. "Enough. They know where I'll be and when. If they do nothing then they'll have blinked first and we win this standoff. If they want to escalate this even further then they'll have to get more creative about it. Now, is there anything else?"

"No, Presidente. I'll just make sure that there are S.I. people in place to keep you alive while you dare La Paz to assassinate you."

Velasquez nodded. "Good man."

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March 6, 2015, 15:20hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Hotel Imperio

After leaving the President's office, Jimenez made his way across Buenos Aires to the Hotel Imperio for an impromptu meeting with Felix Elizondo. The idea that Velasquez was willing to essentially stand across the border and dare the RSA to do something was extremely uncomfortable for the Security Minister, and he was hoping that Felix might yet talk Velasquez out of such a potentially careless act. The response he got was not quite what he was expecting.

"Talk him out of it? Carlos, I was the one who talked him into it."

Jimenez took the drink that Felix was offering him and paused while he digested that information. He watched as Felix casually flopped down into an armchair opposite his own, grinning broadly.

"Why the hell would you do that?"

"Why not? Carlos, this whole thing is like a bomb just waiting to explode. If it's just La Paz and Buenos Aires building up and building up on each other's borders, we'll get to a point where the rest of the world either swoops in to mediate or they just get bored and take it for granted that both nations are almost at war. Either outcome is positively counter-productive. Why go to all this effort if we're not going to end the RSA once and for all?"

Jimenez scowled. "Look, Miranda and I got him to put more troops on the border with the RSA. Why do we need him on the border as well?"

"It's good for his image! The brave and indomitable President Velasquez, facing down the cowardly RSA. Standing up to them, unlike so many other regimes before him. Pointing at the border and shouting 'No further!'. Canal 9 News will have an absolute field day. Not only that, but imagine what would happen if La Paz tried to kill him while he's there!"

"It would be war without a shadow of a doubt, whether they actually killed him or not."

"Exactly! If he gets assassinated, then he becomes a national hero, displacing Barrera forever and La Plata gets one hell of a reason to cross the border and settle things once and for all. If he almost gets assassinated, then he still becomes a national hero, La Plata gets one hell of a reason to settle things, but he gets to live to enjoy it."

A disturbed look of realisation suddenly crossed the Security Minister's face. "You're not going to...are you?"

"What? Me?! No, no of course not. After paying all that money and going through all that hassle to get him in power, why would I have him killed? He's far exceeded my expectations for him. He's strong yet pliable. Just make damn sure that you have emergency medical teams as close as possible to him at all times."

Felix took a casual sip of his drink. "Just in case those swine try to kill my pet President, hmm?"

[Layarteb]

March 6, 2015 - 18:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"Sir I have an update for you, as requested, on the status of our forces in Worros," said the Minister of Defense as he entered the Emperor's office. Flanked behind him was the National Security Advisor, Robert Crawford. Both men had been called in for this late evening meeting at the behest of the Emperor. It was just another part of the job.

"All right, that's good. Shut the door, have a seat, and have a drink, the usual gentlemen?"

"Yes sir," they both replied. All three of them sat down with their drinks in hand near the roaring fireplace. The temperature was below freezing and thanks to another system, six to eight inches of fresh, fluffy, white, soft, annoying snow had fallen over the city the day before. The howling winds outside were just another reminder that winter hadn't left yet though at least one of the coldest February's in over a hundred years had. Of course, the year before had one of the coldest January's so it was hardly new, unique, or different. Winter was winter.

"All right what is the update?"

"Our forces are nearly at full readiness sir. We have a few more units to bring into theater but we are in a position where, if the RSA were to try something, we could respond at will."

"The likelihood of something happening is quite possible. President Velasquez is airing it around the world, nonstop, that he's going to visit troops right on the border. If Merik wants to do something, this is his chance."

"Which will of course cause instant war with La Plata," Crawford said. "It's a massive middle finger to La Paz."

"Yes it is," the Emperor agreed. "Merik can either take action or do nothing; either way, La Plata wins. If Velasquez is killed, the entire country will be united behind a war. If Velasquez does this without issue, Merik looks weak."

"If we were in Merik's shoes we'd try to launch a capture versus a kill operation but in this case that would be ill-advised. The Platineans have enough forces there that it's impossible to launch this cleanly."

"So what we're looking at then is a simple situation where a decision has to be made and it has to be the ultimate decision. I spoke with Minister Flores earlier. She advised me that Merik's Cabinet is in full war planning. The agents and assets we have in place are all reporting the same thing. Merik isn't stepping down, he wants war with La Paz and he truly, fully believes he can succeed. At the same time, he isn't worried about us one bit. He doesn't believe we'll step in to help La Plata."

"Is he ignoring our troop buildup sir?"

"Not at all," the Emperor answered his National Security Advisor. "It's a simple matter of resources. He's so committed to attacking La Plata that he cannot spare further forces. He thinks we're just bluffing. Countless times, we've moved forces around, perhaps not to this capacity. We've desensitized him to it."

"That's not necessarily a good thing sir."

"I agree, that's not what we want, with any enemy, but that's the situation at present. Merik isn't of the opinion that we're going to do anything about this. I'm sticking with the decisions we've made gentlemen. Mato Grosso remains our primary focus of concern. We have to watch Mato Grosso extremely carefully. This business with the RSA and La Plata takes a back seat to it right now." The Emperor said, "Though I am rethinking the deference we're giving to Mato Grosso."

"Sir?" Asked the Minister of Defense, hoping for a better explanation.

"We may need men on the ground, the kind of men who can move around undetected and then report back to us what they see. There are too many well-armed, well-equipped paramilitary groups occupying the massive amounts of square miles in Mato Grosso for us to watch from ISR assets."

"Sir if we go down that road again we're not going to have a smooth time of it. It wasn't smooth then and it won't be smooth now. These groups aren't the anarchists that we've fought before. They're very, very different, far more ruthless."

"I'm aware of that Minister but the fact remains that La Paz and Buenos Aires are going to war and in doing so, Mato Grosso will become a problem. Elizondo is going to have access to all of Bolivia's coca resources and that will make Mato Grosso a true battleground. It already is a go-between for the cartels in Mexico and Elizondo."

"This is a shit situation sir, if I may say so."

"Yes it is Robert, yes it very much is…"

[Marimaia]

March 8, 2015, 13:00hrs [UTC-3]
Salvador Mazza, Republic of La Plata

President Velasquez was actually in good spirits as he prepared to give his speech to the assembled crowd in Salvador Mazza. He'd arrived the night before, staying at the city's best hotel before visiting the troops stationed outside the urban area. The morning had seen him paying his respects to the Platinean soldiers who were in place across the border from the RSA's exercises, followed at all times by a small crew from Canal 9 News who were providing live updates on his visit. Velasquez came to the realisation that Felix hadn't just talked him into announcing the visit as a way to goad the RSA, it was also in an attempt to increase viewing figures for the narcobaron's pet media network as they were the only ones who acted quickly enough to get permission to follow the President around. Of course, in order to act so quickly they would have had to know about the visit before it was officially revealed to the public, yet another instance of Felix trying to position Canal 9 as the premier network in La Plata. The morning's live reports had seen the reporter excitedly discussing the political situation while Velasquez was first shown driving a tank in the background, then later on he was seen to be firing an automatic rifle at some hastily-constructed targets. The final morning report saw Velasquez signing autographs for enthusiastic soldiers, exchanging salutes with officers and looking every inch the 'Iron Man of La Plata'.

He now stood at a podium in the city itself, fiery speech in hand and a crowd of Platinean citizens cheering loudly before him. They were so close to the border that several buildings in neighbouring Yacuíba could be seen above what passed for Salvador Mazza's skyline. Security Minister Jimenez had been well within his rights to be concerned, as a good sniper with the proper equipment could probably hit Velasquez from the RSA side of the border. The President shrugged off that thought. There were a large number of S.I. personnel in and around the area where he was to give his speech, including several in position to watch potential sniper points across the border. He cleared his throat and gestured to the crowd for quiet.

"Citizens of Salvador Mazza, I am here to address the noise coming across the border. Not just the words of the La Paz government, but also the sound coming from their exercises. They think that they can simply position troops on our border, have them act out assaults and then claim that they mean no harm by it? Rubbish! This is the same government that uses military intimidation as a form of diplomacy, or at least what they consider to be diplomacy. They think that they already own all of South America, just look at what they call themselves! The Republic of South America. Ha! Their arrogance is undeniable. In their view, we are just squatters on their land. Well I am here to say that they are more than welcome to try and evict us! The government of Jaygo Merik is nothing more than a pack of bullies and cowards!

"They saw the Republic of Brazil state that they wish for a rapprochement with us, and those troops just across the border are their response. They accuse us of being lapdogs to the Empire of Layarteb, but then the very same government accused the Bavinese of being lapdogs to the Empire. The La Paz government is delusional, seeing conspiracies and enemies everywhere while chasing their insane dream of conquering the land that they already see as their own. They fail to realise that if any nations ever unite against them, it will be because of their own hostility! La Plata, Brazil, the Empire of Layarteb, these are enemies that the RSA have made for themselves. Have we sought conflict with them? No. Time and again, neighbouring nations attempt to coexist with the Republic of South America, and time and again those attempts are met with intimidation.

"No more! This is where we draw the line. I say, in no uncertain terms, that the RSA will no longer have the run of the Southern Cone. No more cloak-and-dagger, no more lies and idle threats. Bullies need to be stood up to, and I will gladly lead La Plata in standing up to the bullies of La Paz! I-"

Velasquez grumbled as part of his speech blew off the podium, then let out a scream as blood spurted from his shoulder. The assembled crowd were intially stunned into silence, then panic began to spread as realisation sank in. As the S.I. agents accompanying Velasquez moved to help him, one of them dropped to the ground as blood spat from his forehead. The crowd's panic was only intensified by this, and they began to scatter in all directions. As the attending security managed to bundle Velasquez into his car to take him to the nearest hospital, he began loudly swearing before finally passing out.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 8, 2015, 14:00hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Edificio Libertador

Defense Minister Miranda scowled as he strode into the situation room, greeted by the ashen faces of various staff members who were handing out reports and frantically updating information. A mere eleven months ago, the same situation room had been the site of General Chevalier orchestrating the doomed campaign against the Falkland Islands; this time things were going to be a little different.

"All right, listen! President Velasquez is in hospital right now. He took a bullet in the shoulder, if that paper hadn't blown off the podium he'd undoubtedly be dead right now. Initial prognosis is that it's serious but not life-threatening. The same cannot be said for Captain Alfredo Martinez of the S.I., who was shot through the head while attempting to help the President. It is blatantly obvious that Captain Martinez took a bullet which was meant for the President. It is also blatantly obvious who did this."

He looked around at the personnel and cleared his throat. "The Republic of South America have been an overhanging threat for far too long, and we can all agree that they were the only ones who could benefit from President Velasquez being assassinated. His outspoken criticism and defiant attitude obviously got too much for them. What we are about to do is not just for Captain Martinez, or President Velasquez. It is for the people of Sergipe, the people of Mato Grosso, the Bavinese servicemen who died on those cruisers, it is for the safety and security of every man, woman and child throughout the whole of this continent. What we are about to do will go down in the history books as the time when the Republic of La Plata stood defiant against aggression and did what no-one else would dare to try.

"I want all units, all bases, everything contacted. I want our airforce up, I want our forces moving. As of right now, that border is simply a line on a map and means absolutely nothing. The RSA cannot hide behind it any longer. We are launching Operacion Justicia.

"We are at war."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13:00hrs [UTC-4], March 8, 2015
Presidential Palace
La Paz, Bolivia, Republic of South America

President Merik slammed his hands down on the desk, causing Marshal Rodriguez to flinch.

"How the hell did they miss?!"

"Sir?"

Merik pointed at Rodriguez. "I told you that I wanted Velasquez taken care of, we were handed the perfect opportunity. Instead they kill some bodyguard!"

Rodriguez shook his head. "That wasn't us. We had a sniper in position to take him out at the end of his speech while he was soaking up the adoration of the crowd, we'd even managed to sneak him across the border into Salvador Mazza so it would look like it was internal strife! We'd selected the perfect location to shoot from, everything was ready, but someone beat us to it."

"So what...it actually was internal strife? Huh, obviously they didn't get all of those Bavinese during the summer. Imagine that, the spectre of Bavin rears its head once again. Now we can argue that they're losing control of their country, their population may well invite us at this rate."

The two of them paused as their phones began to ring, Merik picking up the one sat on his desk while Rodriguez answered his cellphone. They exchanged looks of grave concern as they both hung up. The Marshal saluted his President and went to leave the office.

"I'll be coordinating our defense efforts then."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 8, 2015, 14:10hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Hotel Imperio

Felix started singing under his breath as he poured himself a drink, smirking to himself as Matías was in another room.

"I said war, huh, good God y'all, what is it good for,
me, me and oh yes, me..."

He raised his glass in the direction of La Paz. "To the Republic of South America. May you be consigned to history and never get in my way again."

[Layarteb]

March 8, 2015 - 13:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

"Sir," Jack Delaney said as he entered the Emperor's office, "I'm here to collect." A smile crept across his face as he took a drink from the Emperor's outstretched hands. They toasted and Delaney answered, "To South America…"

"To South America indeed…" They drank and the Emperor handed Delaney a §100 note, the wager that he and Jack had made concerning Velasquez.

"So what are your bets on for the culprit sir?"

"It's fifty-fifty either way. Either President Merik is that crass and moronic or President Velasquez is that brave, either way the end is still the same though I'm hedging my bets on La Plata, not La Paz."

"I'd think sir, if it were La Paz, President Velasquez wouldn't be breathing still."

"That's my methodology Jack," the Emperor said, finishing his drink. "Care for some lunch?"

"I could eat sir…"

[Khorsun]

March 8, 2015
14:40 Hrs [UTC-3]

The Khorsuni Ankhazar was the first foreign leader to place a phone call to the Platinean capital, offering first his condolences and then his prayers for President Velasquez's health and for his speedy recovery, followed by an acerbic condemnation of the Republic of South America. "We are allies now," said Taneltar, standing in front of the great wall map in his office, eyes on South America. "You will have our absolute support in retaliating against the RSA." How much could he do on behalf of the Platineans? Khorsun already had its hands full with a steadily worsening civil war in Senegambia and had to be on alert against the Birean Empire as well as the Layartebians, and Taneltar's attempts to acquire an aircraft carrier to give his navy some heftier blue-water capabilites had thus far gone nowhere. Sergipe was within reach of Khorsuni striking power, but it was also too close to Layartebian territory; any overt Khorsuni actions there would only be counterproductive, triggering an unwanted response from the Empire.

"Small arms and ammunition, mines, artillery shells, bombs, trucks, spare parts for tanks and aircraft, anti-aircraft missiles, artillery rockets, anti-ship missiles...anything our factories produce I am putting on offer to you at a price-of-production rate, no markup for profit. And we will let you hold off on payment until after the war is over," Taneltar said, trying to think of what else he could offer to them. He studied the map again, concentrating on Sergipe. "I may have a submarine or two in the South Atlantic as well. I will let them know that it is open season on RSA ships." He smiled, wondering if they might even have the opportunity to go after a carrier group. It would make for good practice.

[Terra Reborn]

Rear Admiral Michael Wallace CS
HM Naval Station Valparaiso,
Chile, The Republic of South America
Sunday 8th March 2015, 1230hrs Local Time (0900hrs Imperial Capital Time, 1700hrs Zulu Time)

“Alright! Everyone pipe down!” Rear Admiral Wallace said sharply and loudly as he stepped out of his office and into the hustle and bustle of the operations room. “I want to know two things. Is Velasquez alive, and what the Platineans are doing about it.”

As the headquarters of the South American Station of the Imperial Navy the structure of HMNS Valparaiso was designed with that in mind, it wasn’t just a home port or force provider, it was an operational frontline station, which meant that it rated an Operations Room for coordinating the actions of the ships assigned to it. By contrast some larger stations, such as HM Naval Base San Diego, despite its size and the sheer number of ships it was home to, did not have one, as it was not expected that the Base Commander would exercise direct command or control over the ships assigned to the base, rather his job was keeping them maintained, supplies and available for operations. The Operations Staff of HM Naval Station Valparaiso, which were dual-hatted as the operations staff of the South American Station (Squadron) had been hard at work since word of what had happened in La Plata had began to flood in. It had been immediately obvious that the shit was about to hit the fan, but what RADM Wallace wanted, no needed, to know was how much, and how fast.

With their Admiral breathing down their necks it took only a few more minutes for the answers to start flowing. Two Captains approached, one was his chief of staff, Captain Michelle Cooper, the other was the UNIT District Officer, Captain William Kershaw.

“Sir, information is limited but we do believe that President Velasquez is indeed still alive, in a serious but stable condition, other than that we don’t have much information about his status,” Captain Kershaw reported promptly, knowing better than to keep his Admiral waiting at a time like this. “We’ve also detected a marked increase in traffic on Platinean military communication channels, GCHQ has yet to decode it, however we are seeing significantly increased numbers of Platinean aircraft in the skies, they could be preparing for an offensive.”

“Theories on who is responsible for this,” RADM Wallace frowned.

“The RSA would have the most to gain from his death, but I don’t know if President Merik and his staff would be stupid enough to pull something like this, and there has been no matching activity from their troops,” Captain Kershaw replied thoughtfully. “If this had been an RSA plot to put the Platineans off balance by killing their President they should have attacked straight away, dead or alive Velazquez would have been out of the picture, at least temporarily.”

“There is of course the possibility of internal strife, despite their rhetoric I’m sure there are more than a few of the Bavinese old faithful, or just people pissed with the way La Plata is going,” Captain Cooper suggested. “Either way it appears clear that the Platineans are going to milk this entire thing for all its worth, and use it as an excuse to invade the RSA.”

“War then,” RADM Wallace sighed heavily. “I guess it was inevitable.”

“Yes sir, and I think its safe to say that Valparaiso will be in the firing line, one way or another,” Captain Cooper commented grimly. “Do you want to get the Squadron to sea?”

“No, not yet, let’s not have the appearance of jumping ship as soon as the shit starts to begin to fly, that being said although I doubt the Platineans would deliberately attack an Imperial Warship, with the exception of the Courageous our ships are identical to those of the Republican Navy, we sold them most of it after all,” RADM Wallace replied. “I want all sailors and Marines to return to the base and assume defence watches, lets make sure that we’re watching the skies like a hawk, I want all ships flying their Battle Ensigns, even in port, and bend on as many white ensigns as we can find, let’s make it difficult for the Platineans to mistake us for the Republicans.”

Wallace looked up at the situation display with a grim expression.

“I want all ships at a maximum of thirty minutes notice to sail, if we need to get our ships out of here I don’t want it to be a cluster fuck, I want it to be dignified and orderly, we are the Imperial Navy after all,” RADM Wallace continued. “In the meantime let’s reach out to our Defence and Naval Attaches in Buenos Aeries…”

“Colonel Sebastian Breton and Captain Andrew Cutter, Sir,” Captain Kershaw provided smoothly.

“To see if they can get any ideas about what is going on in La Plata, particularly if they are approached by the Platinean Government, I would be highly surprised that they wouldn’t be, especially if the Platineans mean to attack Valparaiso, they know full well about our presence here after all,” RADM Wallace nodded. “Captain Kershaw, make sure that you maintain a direct line to both UNIT Headquarters and Imperial High Command, I want to be inundated with intelligence, I want to know exactly what is going on if I have to make the tough calls.”

[Marimaia]

March 8, 2015, 14:40 Hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Ministry of Foreign Relations

Foreign Minister Díaz was rather impressed at the speed with which the Khorsuni leader had gotten in contact. However, like the Ankhazar, he knew of the rather sour relationship between Khorsun and the Empire of Layarteb, and he recognised the need to try to limit any involvement. On the one hand Khorsun was a partner in the Virtue organisation, on the other hand relations with the Empire were important due to their proximity to La Plata. The last thing that Buenos Aires needed was to accept some form of help from Khorsun which would antagonise the Layartebians and make the whole situation several times more complicated.

"We thank you for your declaration of support and I shall certainly pass on your best wishes to President Velasquez; we are receiving constant updates on his health and it is looking promising. I know that the Defense Ministry will greatly appreciate any materiel assistance you can offer, we anticipate this to be a potentially long and difficult conflict so anything that would help us maintain stocks of military necessities would be most welcome. Naturally we would prefer for a quick resolution but I for one highly doubt that we would be so fortunate.

"As far as submarines are concerned, our official opinion is that there are going to be a great number of vessels in and around this conflict. Not only our own and those of the RSA, but the Apilonian Empire has vessels in Valparaiso and there are undoubtedly going to be Layartebian vessels in the area as well due to their presence in the Falklands and their holdings near Sergipe. If you are confident that your submarines could operate safely without drawing the ire of other powers in the region, then their deployment is entirely in the hands of the Khorsuni government and the Platinean government have made no formal request for military intervention from its partners in Virtue. We would prefer to see the Layartebians acting as neutral at worst and assisting at best in this situation, so we would like to be completely unaware of any Khorsuni military operations in the area. If any vessels belonging to the RSA do happen to sink without Platinean vessels being in the area, then may it long remain a fortunate mystery for those of us in Buenos Aires.

"On a personal note, I would like to thank you for showing us your support and helping to prove that Virtue truly is worthwhile. Hopefully when this war is over, La Plata will be able to properly show you our appreciation."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 8, 2015, 15:00 Hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Edificio Libertador

Defense Minister Miranda was in his office, familiarising himself with details about the RSA's military capabilities when he remembered about the Apilonian station at Valparaiso. In truth it had completely slipped his mind, having been barking out orders regarding ground movements. He pressed his intercom and was instantly answered by his secretary.

"Yes, sir?"

"Contact the Apilonian attaches and ask them if they could come to a meeting with me here at the Defense Ministry. If they ask why, please inform them that I'm intending to avoid an international incident and I need their assistance to do so."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Across the Republic of La Plata, the military started moving into an undeniable position to attack. The vessels of the Submarine Force quietly slipped out to sea while preparations were being finalised to put the surface fleet into open water as well. The Platinean Air Force began F-15C aerial patrols just inside their own borders while E-767 AWACS monitored for potential hostiles.

On the ground, the 15th, 16th and 17th Divisions were making their best speed straight towards the northern border, to link up with the mechanised forces of the 1st Division in Formosa Province. The Southern Marine Battalion were moving into position to be able to strike into the Magallanes region, and the paratroop Rapid Deployment Force was finishing their preparations to deploy across the border into Bío Bío and Maule.

[Terra Reborn]

Captain Andrew Cutter IN
Defence Ministry, Buenos Aires
Argentina, Republic of La Plata
Sunday 8th March 2015, 1600hrs Local Time (1000hrs Imperial Capital Time, 1900hrs Zulu Time)

Captain Andrew Cutler, Imperial Navy, stepped out of the staff car, a Jaguar XJ (X351), the favored model of the Imperial Diplomatic Service, and settled his peaked cap onto his head as he looked up at the building in front of him. He was adorned in the No.1C Service Dress uniform of the Imperial Navy, specifically heavy woolen black trousers and jacket, worn over a white shirt and black tie, his rank identified on his sleeves by four golden rings and an executive loop atop the fourth, a row of ribbons a testament to a busy career. Before being assigned as the Naval Attaché in Buenos Aeries he had commanded the Heavy Cruiser, HMS Ajax, on its sea trials and subsequent maiden voyage from its North America to its current home at HM Naval Station Freetown, in Sierra Leone, which had been the pinnacle of his career to date. He had been surprised to be given the Naval Attaché post, in some cases they were excellent career moves as they allowed an ambitious officer to forge links with the Navy of a friendly, or potentially friendly Navy, which would be advantageous as a Flag Officer, however the Republic of La Plata was not presently, or anticipated to be and time soon, a real naval power.

Getting out of the Jaguar on the other side was his colleague, and immediate superior, Colonel Sebastian Breton. As the Defence Attaché it was his job to supervise the work of the three service attaches and spearhead any policy discussions that needed to take place with the Defence Ministry of the host nation. The Defence Attaché answered directly to the Deputy Chief of Mission and served as the head of the Defence Cooperation Section, which in La Plata was really rather small, especially since the signing of the Virtue Charter. Unlike Cutter where his assignment to serve as Defence Attaché here, of all places, had come as a surprise, Colonel Breton had requested the assignment. He had just been promoted following two successful back-to-back battalion commands, in both of which he had seen combat, earning him the Distinguished Service Order. Quite simply he had wanted a break from all the fighting, and even with war seemingly breaking out here in South America, it was hardly likely to involve the Military Attaches assigned to the Imperial Embassy in Buenos Aeries.

Colonel Breton was wearing the No.2 Service Dress of the Imperialy Army, which was the equivalent of the uniform that Cutter was wearing, at least when the Naval Officer wasn’t wearing full-sized medals and carrying a sword. The Army had two main temperate Service Dress uniforms, the No.1 uniform only being worn for the most formal events. The No.2 uniform consisted of a khaki jacket, shirt and tie worn with trousers, worn with a peaked cap, his rank identified on his shoulder-mounted epaulettes by a crown and two pips, and a line of medal ribbons superior even to Cutters. The two men shared a nod before they headed inside the building.

The message rom the Platinean Defence Ministry had been well received in the Imperial Embassy. They had all been hoping that they would have the foresight, courtesy and desire to avoid an incident, to realize that, due to the presence of Imperial Warships in Valparaiso, there was a chance of a misunderstanding or an unfortunate event taking place. The invitation had been accepted almost as soon as it had arrived, and the only delay was how long it took the two officers, the Imperial Ambassador to La Plata, Sir James Mackenzie, and Rear Admiral Wallace to get onto a conference call together and decide on a plan of action. The primary objective was to ensure that the Imperial Warships in Valparaiso would not come under attack by Platinean forces, anything else was totally secondary. The Empire was not going to intervene militarily in the conflict that was brewing, it had absolutely no desire to, and a primarily ground and air campaign was not anticipated to impact Imperial interests around South America in any meaningful way. That being said RADM Wallace had ordered all of his Type-26 Frigates that could get underway immediately to put to sea and maintain a presence eon the shipping lanes, to protect the Imperial ships going about their lawful business… just in case.

Beyond that Colonel Breton and Captain Cutter were to get as much information as possible on what was going on, and what the Platineana intended to, without pushing the limits of diplomacy and politeness. They were not spies after all, not even spies operating under an official cover, they were honest-to-god military attaches who took their jobs very seriously and were determined to get it done right.

[Layarteb]

March 8, 2015 - 14:00 hrs [UTC-5]
Layarteb City, New York
Fortress of Comhghall
(40° 41' 28" N, 74° 0' 58" W)

Shortly before 14:00 local time, which was 16:00 in Buenos Aires, the Emperor placed his obligatory call to the Platinean government, expressing his outrage at the assassination attempt, wishing President Velasquez a speedy and long-lasting recovery – despite knowing that he truly would have such – and pledging Layartebian support in the upcoming times. When he returned to his office just after 14:00, the Emperor called Minister Sanders in the Ministry of Defense, "Minister Sanders, I've had a thought," the Emperor began, thinking back to the half-hour long conversation he and his chief of security had just had. "Pando is our weakest link," he began. "It is rural, undeveloped and it sides astride two major rivers, one of which runs from Peru into Rondônia and the Amazon, the other which runs from Bolivia into the Amazon. For a man like Felix, this area is a perfect opportunity for drug smuggling. Pando Department is just rural enough that he could do so with plausible deniability.

"Worse even, Pando represents a major entryway into our Amazonian territories and directly into Rondônia, which has been the most recent source of trouble. Even if Felix were to hold true on his pledge not to export his product into our country, the rivers of Pando would represent a perfect avenue for other enemies of ours to infiltrate Rondônia through the backdoor."

"You mean the RKN sir?"

"I mean the RKN," the Emperor thought. "We have to accept that the RKN will use this 'Virtue' organization to exploit Buenos Aires to get into us where we stand the weakest, our Amazonian territories."

"Sir if we truly wanted to stop that we would need to seize the Beni Department too and parts of Santa Cruz as they both side astride the border with Rondônia."

"The region there is rural enough but we have dedicated a significant amount of resources to it in order to stave off the possibility of infiltration from the RSA. By taking Pando and maintaining our current levels, we would force infiltration back through Mato Grosso. Mato Grosso we can manage."

"Can we sir?"

"Yes we can. Felix is no friend to the Empire but if he wants to stay alive – and I am sure he does Minister – he won't renege on his end of the bargain. The man is so high-profile we don't need anything more than a cellular phone and a television to track the man's goings and comings. I'll speak to Velasquez personally about the motives of the RKN and I believe he'll side with me on the matter. I'll make it very clear that any infiltration of the RKN from territories he controls will result directly in a re-evaluation of our friendship."

"Then how do we handle Mato Grosso sir?"

"We have the resources Minister. President Lobo in Brazil will be supportive as he alone does not wish to see a resurgent and powerful Mato Grosso. After all Minister, Mato Grosso is as much of a problem to him as it is to us."

"I understand sir. Will you be bringing this up at our next meeting?"

"I will, in the meantime have the scenario reworked to move defensively on La Paz and northern Chile and offensively on Pando. I want to see tomorrow."

"Yes sir, I'll let the group know," Minister Sanders said, ending the call. Of course this would piss off a lot of people; it was Sunday, after all.

[Marimaia]

March 8, 2015, 16:00 Hrs [UTC-3]
Buenos Aires, Republic of La Plata
Edificio Libertador

Colonel Breton and Captain Cutter were greeted at the entrance of the Platinean Defense Ministry by Corporal Alejo Fernández, a young non-commissioned officer who had been dispatched to collect the pair and escort them to the office of Defense Minister Miranda. After snapping to attention and saluting first Colonel Breton, then Captain Cutter, Corporal Fernández ushered them inside. Along the way to their destination Fernández explained that the entire nation was understandably on alert after the Republic of South America had narrowly missed assassinating President Velasquez, leaving the Apilonian officers in no doubt of the prevailing attitude within the Defense Ministry; as far as they were concerned, the RSA were responsible and it was time to bring a reckoning to La Paz's doorstep.

It only took a few minutes to reach Miranda's office, meaning that Colonel Breton and Captain Cutter did not have to endure Fernández's idle chatter for too long. After knocking and receiving an affirmative response, Fernández opened the door to Miranda's office, saluted the pair once more and headed off down the corridor. Defense Minister Antonio Miranda rose from his desk, clad in the full military uniform that Defense Ministers had traditionally worn since the Bavinese regime, with a collection of medals hanging from the left breast of his jacket. After inviting the Apilonian officers to enter, he shut the door behind them and re-assumed his seat behind his expansive desk made of Argentine Osage Orange wood.

"Thank you for coming to see me at such short notice, gentlemen. Please feel free to sit, one of the good things about the Bavinese legacy is that we have extremely comfortable seating in all military offices. Also, feel free to help yourself to a drink.

"So, let me be blunt with you. The Republic of La Plata will invade the Republic of South America. The animosity between us has existed for years, as you undoubtedly know, and war was always a possiblity. Well, the possiblity is now reality. The Platinean government is fully aware that the Empire of Apilonia has a naval station located at Valparaiso, and we want to do everything we can to avoid your nation getting caught up in all this. I know that our Foreign Ministry was a little on the disrespectful side towards your nation a few weeks ago, but I can assure you that the Platinean military do not identify Apilonia as RSA 'supporters' or anything else so ludicrous.

"With that in mind and considering that there will undoubtedly be military action taking place in and around Valparaiso in the near future, I would like for us to put our heads together and find ways for Platinean forces to avoid attacking Apilonian assets and personnel. Firstly, are there any steps that you yourselves are taking at the present moment that we can work with?"