CAS Canon RP IC (CAS Region Only)

[Galasie]

November 1, 1990
Veraveux, Galasie

"A surprise vote in the National Assembly today has caused some chaos in the National Assembly. In a rare move, Prime Minister Blanquer personally introduced a measure to increase funding to education, bringing it back up to levels that were proposed in his February budget, while keeping the changes from the August amendment and even includes a small increase for support to the financial sector. The ruling coalition of Republicans and Ecological Party backed the bill on an almost completely line vote. The Radical Party delegation largely abstained or voted in favor. The National Alliance, Social Movement and AIT all voted against it.

"The true chaos was among the Moderates who broke ranks in every direction. Ève Charpentier at first called for it to be delayed for proper debate, which failed to gain the needed votes to carry the motion. She then called for a vote against the present bill until it could be properly considered by the chamber. However at final vote, only 102 members of the Moderate Group voted against it. Some sixty members abstained from voting and a small handful voted in favor of the measure.

"Among those who refused to vote was former Moderate Group Vice-President Jérémy Fabron who was not retained by Charpentier, allegedly for supporting Mayor Cédric Delacroix in the second round of the Moderate's leadership election. Fabron later told G1 reporters that he supported the measure and though Blanquer's measure was a fair one that did not need extended debate. He further said he would have voted in favor of the measure, but did not want to contradict the party line. Delegate Charpentier's office declined to comment. However, supporters of Charpentier have accused Fabron of attempting to undermine Charpentier as revenge for losing the leadership race and his vice-presidency. Delegate Fabron's office called the accusations unfounded.

"Some political analysts are calling these the first cracks in the Moderate Group and some have gone as far as to call it a masterful move by Prime Minister Blanquer to sow discord among his primary opposition while strengthening the hand of his own party. Professor Luc Fontanet of the University of Veraveux in particular called it a calculated and planned move, pointing to how all 400 members of the ruling coalition voted in favor of the motion despite the seeming short notice and lack of debate on the motion."

I will place 1 investment point in Education and put all the remaining points (.064204916) into financial

[The Neo Russ Republic]

---

1st of November, 1990 CE

>Today the second agreement between Armenia and Serkaria has come to light, this agreement will allow for the stationing of Serkarian troops on Armenian soil. While many view this a success of Serkarian diplomacy quite a few have raised their eyebrows at such egregious actions seeing them as simply an expansion of Serkarian influence in the region in an attempt to get their empire back. But as said both leaders Armenia won't loose any sovereignty from any of these deals.

>Many have wondered wether or not the increase in Serkarian military presence in the region relates to the recent deals between Iraq and Osphen, but none of the leaders have answered to this as of now only leaving speculation that the deals are done by Armenia to keep independence as to not get absorbed by Osphen, but as this is just speculation we may not know for a long time or even ever for sure. On another note, many Serkarian companies have opened shop in Armenia and some of the trade restrictions have been softened.

Serkarian military on their way to a fortification

50 influence points are spent

[Yottabota]

Kropotkina Times
Union Signs NAP With Ethiopia.
November 3rd Edition
——————

Talks In Ethiopia have concluded today with the Foreign Minister Phoenix Walker and the Ethiopian president agreeing to sign an non-aggression pact. Comrade Walker in a statement with the press stated that “in the interest of African security, it is important for us African nations to not be at each others throats. We must stand United against the West.” With it, many speculate that this is the beginning of the UASR’s push into Northern Africa and the Middle East, however only time will tell.

Amelia placed the cup of tea down on her desk as she scanned through reports and letters, sighing to herself as she looked at reports about the ongoing transition of fully integrating South Africa and its nations. She rubbed her temple, she was always told the easiest way to make someone agree with you is to conquer them. However no one mentioned that conquering Ethno-Nationalists would breed a slight terrorism issue. Sierra 7 was doing quite a bit of work clearing house, however it was a half measure, and she’d need to work on rebuilding what was taken for them to settle down.

nap with Ethiopia signed.

No matter... she thought to herself, leaning back as she read the letter from the Queen. The house of cards will fall in my favor...

[Neo Rome Republic]

To the Fairest Nations of the Isfahan Pact, the Intermarium would wish to see the UN situation resolved through a united effort. If each of us is to have any significance on the world state, we must stay united as a bloc. And so on matters of global politics, we should discuss and come together on who to pick for the 3 non permanent United Nations seats on the Security Council. If we are to have any significant influence on the matter and future matters of global concern, it must be coordinated. That is why I write to you all today, fairest brother Nations of the Isfahan pact. Let us come together and agree on which 3 candidates to go for. Even if the other blocks vote similarly with us, acting as a united front will demonstrate our power and influence to them and that we have a voice in the table as much as LFN and the Communists do. Please consider this message and if you all agree, let us then agree to communicate or meet and discuss a set of candidates to go with. I hope to hear back from all of you soon. Thank you for your time and may good bless you. May you all walk with virtue in the light of humanity. Hail Sona!

Sincerely, Felix Nowak, President of the Intermarium

[Neo Rome Republic]

Galaise, Paris
Intermarian Foreign Minister Aleh Krauchanka: The most Fair Nations of the Isfahan Pact have come together as a bloc to vote on this momentous occasion. In these choices we find matters concerning global security are best entrusted to these individuals and also are the most likely to pass out of those that are most beneficial to global security. So, we nominate our own Norsia to the 1st non-perm seat on the UNSC, not only a reliable ally, but a fair and honest nation. They can do their best to stay neutral and objective in matters concerning global security. So that is the Intermarians 1st stated declaration on who we plan to vote for. Then we have Italy, while we fault them as a bourgeois puppet regime, overall, they are fair and honest among European partners as much as that category of nations can be. We say of course both honestly but also with an apt degree of respect. Otherwise, why would our fair nation vote for them. Finally, then the PCCA, they, we find, are the most even tempered among the communist nations and are certainly less rash and heavy handed than certain other partners in that bloc. They are most suited from that alliance to the most balanced way of dealing with matters of global security. And so there you have it, these are the best nations in view of the Intermarians concerning who is most suited to matters of global security. But, we have come here with the Isfahan to discuss and vote as one bloc, so I will let my partners in nations present their statements and how they plan to conduct themselves. Hopefully you will hear and be persuaded, although more likely, at the least, understand why we stand as we do. That concludes the point of the Intermarium. Thank you for your attention. Hail Sona!

[The Neo Russ Republic]

---

5th of Novenmber, 1990 CE

Galasie, UN headquarters:
Igor Tegrov Borisovich clears his throat and stands up ”Serkaria has chosen it’s nominees as following. We nominate for the first seat a nation that we believe will fulfill its duties before the UN as neatly as possible, Norsia. A great ally and friend of Serkaria that has been only a pleasure to communicate and have relations with. For the second we will pick a nation that we think of as an equal and a potential friend, Italy. As much as we may dislike LFN we find Italy a level headed nation that can remain neutral even in an alliance. And finally for the third seat we pick the PCCA as we have been disappointed by UASR and think that they have not been keeping with their duties as part of the council in promoting peace around the world unlike the PCCA which has remained fairly neutral throughout its history.” Boris sits back down and takes a sips from a cup of water before another minister stands up and starts his speech.

[Of Zanganda and Zuno]

5th November 1990

Alex vonkbirg steps up "Norsia has chosen the following to nominate for the non perm seats in the UN. Firstly we put forward ourselves for Persia's seat, Norsia has been historically neutral in conflict and we shall take a leading role as we put ourselves forward for this nomination. Secondly, for Osphen's seat we nominate Italy, Osphen still needs time to develop after its years of military dictatorships so we feel giving it to a stable European democracy is the safer move as well as Italy is more stable than osphen historically and now. And finally we nominate the PCCA for the UASR's seat, as the USAR has ad if recently beev involved in conflict and expansion a role not suited for a security council non permanent member, whilst the PCCA is not expansionist and the more level headed nation to be a leader in world politics for the 2 years it'll be in at least."

He takes his seat once again

[Itasna]

---

Una Vendetta Viziata

The Streets: Palermo, Sicilia

---

Il Valzer Padrino

The streets were rife with tense. Ever since the massacre at La Sala Del Popolo, the comunisti and the mafiosi were at constant odds, the occasional scuffle turning into open struggles on a weekly basis. Everything from gun battles to bombings and beatings had spilled the blood of both sides of the aisle.

A lone communist enforcer stood on the corner of the avenue, a cigarette smoldering in his hand. A confined rage collided inside of him, a product of the war between the mafia and the supposed up and coming communist faction on the island. His bag, while seemingly inconspicuous, held a nasty surprise: explosives. A high ranking lieutenant of the mafia, a certain Signore Vittorio Grieco, was a regular customer of the bar that was across the street, a location known for it’s backdoor dealings with the local mafia. Today, he and several other communist associates planned the ultimate act of revenge against Signore Grieco, the man responsible for the massacre of all the communist officials that occurred earlier in the year. As soon as Grieco’s car pulled up, the enforcer would hurl the explosive into the street, disabling Grieco’s car, if not killing the man altogether. A hail of gunfire was planned to follow up the explosion, with several communist goons holed up on the second floor of an abandoned warehouse across the street, a concealed machine gun focused in on the street. Other enforcers meandered about, pretending to be mere unarmed civilians, in a complete sense of bliss from the impending

”Ay, stronzo!” he called out, grabbing the attention of the mafiosi goons. Before he had secured their attention, he lobbed the explosive in their general direction, a plume of smoke being in quick succession to the thundering blast of the bomb. The enforcer unholstered his firearm, unleashing a burst of automatic fire into the smoke. His associates, eager for revenge, followed suit, unleashing a wall of lead into the charred vehicle.


After a seemingly endless barrage was unleashed, the enforcer’s gun had expended it’s final rounds of ammunition. Satisfied, the enforcer smirked, feeling he had accomplished something glorious for the people of Sicilia. The hammer had crashed onto the head of the mafiosi, and soon enough, the sickle would decapitate the beast once and for all. The People, not the mafiosi, would rule the island, their perfect utopia forged from the fires of the communist revolution, burning any criminal syndicate that dared stand in it’s way.

The moment of triumph was rudely interrupted with a burst of automatic gunfire, sending several of the killing squad to the ground. A second car flew onto the scene, several passengers opening fire on the comunisti from the comfort of the car. His emotions a mix of shock and anger, the enforcer ducked behind cover, fumbling to load a second magazine into his submachine gun. A violent explosion knocked him off his feet, sending him tumbling down the alley. A second explosion rocked the earth, and a plume of smoke emerging from the second story window of the warehouse engulfed the sky. As the enforcer struggled to his feet, a violent blow to his gut sent him back to the ground. As he looked upward to his assailant, all he could see was a familiar face: Signore Grieco. The one man that he intended to kill, the only man in the whole city whose death would seriously hinder the mafia in their war against the comunisti, was alive. They had only managed to kill a few of the mafia’s low ranking Soldati, and it cost them their whole killing squad.The enforcer could only brace himself, as Signore Grieco unholstered his beretta, shuttering his eyes to brace for the inevitable.

[Galasie]

November 9, 1990
Veraveux, Galasie

Commerce Minister Sylvaine Cornet announced today that Galasian trade relations with its various LMU and LFN members will continue through the next year. Here to discuss the implications is Professor Luc Fontanet, chairman of the Political Science Department of the University of Veraveux, thank you for being here Professor."

"Happy to be on again."

"You are becoming quite the frequent guest." They pause to share a laugh, "can you explain what the significance of Minister Cornet's press conference was?"

"Well, in many ways this event was not at all unexpected or even difficult to arrange. Minister Cornet did all the heavy lifting when she hammered out these deals over long hours of negotiation in 1989. What matters here is the optics. This is part of a long term strategy by the Republicans for the 1991 election.

"I know the election is only a few months away, but isn't it early to be making these moves?"

"Well, it depends. If this were campaigning, of course it would be too soon, Campaigning a full seven months before the election is rather crazy. But, this is not campaigning. Rather this is closer to public relations and on some level, propaganda. Do not look of this in isolation, but rather as part of a trend that has been happening for the last few months in particular. Originally the Blanquer government had a focus on increasing spending on education and sustainability to bolster there left-wing credentials after years of being accused of swinging to the right and to support their Ecological allies in the coming election. They then pivoted on that budget to gain Moderate support for deploying Galasian forces to Brazil.

"Then, with the death of Jourdain and election of Charpentier, they wasted no time in basically trying to paint her and the Moderates as a new National Alliance. They put them in positions where the party was forced to make the choices that Jourdian had been careful to avoid because of the stress it put on his coalition party. Now we have members breaking the party line and the Moderates looking increasingly disorganized and factionalized. This shows their domestic and administrative ability and that they are a stable hand for government.

"Then, in the international sphere, we have these trade deals along with the deals made with Jordan and Iraq. They are showing they can get things done and that they have a vision for the future. Plus their quick deployment to Brazil has been basically forgiven by the quick return of those troops after the election. It shows that they only use troops for important matters and can withdraw them effectively. I would not be surprised if they introduce more security and military measures in the next few months to build on that."

"Would that not put their alliance with the Ecological Party in danger?"

"It may cause tension, but see the vote from August where they sacrificed the Ecological support to secure Moderate support. It was no accident that those votes happened so close to each other. They knew that if Brazil went the way of Asia, they would be stuck with the blame, especially if the National Alliance and other right parties were the only ones to vote with the Republicans. Tying the Moderates to it was important to preventing it from being used against them by their enemies to the right. With military increases, they can probably count on the National Alliance and probably Radicals to support them. Charpentier is a but of a wildcard currently, but given her focus on center-right things, it would he hard for her to oppose military increases and then campaign that the Republicans are not doing enough. She would look like an opportunist and obstructionist. But you are right that the Ecological Party is very likely to push hard against it. The Republicans may even use that to their advantage to wait until a few months before the election and have the government be dissolved in favor of a minority government running on confidence and supply from the other parties as needed. Which may free the Republicans to campaign without having to worry about their attachment to the Ecological Part and keep the door open to new parties to form a government if they need it."

Galasie will sell 4M Iron for 4M Oil from GE

Galasie will sell 3M copper, 4M oil, 2M luxury goods for 7M Aluminum and 2 Development Points Points from Osphen

Galaise will sell 2M Iron and 2M Luxury Goods for 4M Aluminum from Italy

Galasie will sell 7 units of Luxury goods to Tarazed for 6 units of uranium

EDIT: Fixed Spoiler Error

[Yottabota]

IWEC Headquarters, Kropotkina, UASR
11/30/1990

Neo Orleans Time:
Latin Monetary Union announces embargo of the Union of African Syndicalist Republics

Carolyn Gold read the paper, a special copy delivered all the way from Orleans to her office in the UASR. As such it was a bit outdated, but still worth reading what individuals thought back home. A purely empty gesture, pandering, but pandering to who.

They are like children upset that the map changed Carolyn thought, This really results in no changes and yet they cut off their noses to spite their face.

Joseph examined his thinning hairline; despite his best efforts he couldn’t help the stress getting to him, much like his father. In his hand was a briefcase and in the other was a copy of the daily news. Plastered on it was the headline ”Amalia Joins Ongoing Embargo War as Tensions Rise Internationally”, and it wasn’t to say lightly that he felt a slight annoyance at the ongoings. As he entered the building he noticed quite the facelift in progress, as the IWEC was growing so did the need for more rooms and some extra cosmetic additions.

He entered the main room, nodding to his comrades as he went for his seat. “Interesting times we live in, isn't it my comrades.” He laughed, sitting down and placed his briefcase on the table. “But the capitalists will always play these games of face, they’ll reconsider once their precious markets start to ache… In the meantime we’ll continue business as usual.”

“That is the best play, to stand strong and be the better man,” Carolyn replied, “if anything further polling and interviews will make their claims even more precarious. Of course they’d have to be by independent polling agencies, otherwise they’ll just claim fake, which they might do anyways.”

“Indeed” responds Pablo Escobar with a small grin on his face. “Capitalism corrupted them and their minds. They think the world revolves around them. Soon they will come begging for forgiveness when their precious markets start reporting losses. I just hope they enjoy the taste of recession <<Buon Appetito!>> “

“Now now Comrade Escobar, let us not wish for their downfall, as it would hurt the worker before it truly hurt them.” Joseph reminded him before moving back to his docket. “Right then, our main articles of discussion are to establish a Preferred Trade Agreement with the 2nd Brazilian Republic, as well as a few dealing with Argentina… Oh and to renegotiate 89’ trade deals before the year is over.” He slapped the table with his dossiar.

André Henriques, ambassador for the 2nd Brazilian Republic, enters the main room; “Hello, fellow comrades, I am here for discussing the preferred trade deal between the Second Brazilian Republic and the IWEC.”


“Wonderful!” Carolyn replied with a southern drawl, “From our reports you are offering a reduction of tariffs on agricultural goods, correct?”

“Correct.” André stated. “After all, we are focusing on diminishing hunger rates in Brazil.”

“Well you’ll be happy to hear that there are plenty of Cooperative plantations that would love to export to Brazil,” Carolyn stated with glee before turning to Joseph, “Would the CA- UASR oppose a reduction of IWEC tariffs on aluminum from Brazil?”

“Not at all, the Union would be more than able to aid Brazil in any matters that it requests.” Joseph adjusts his glasses, smiling slightly.

“Alright then I think it can be agreed, Brazil will lower tariffs on the IWEC for agricultural goods and the IWEC will lower tariffs on Aluminum imports from Brazil,” Caroyln stated before turning to the Ambassador from GCU, “I believe you have the next agenda item to discuss?”

“Indeed. We would like to expand our involvement and relationship with Argentina with a FTA. We wish to export natural gas to the Argentinian workers. This will help them to safely pass the harsh winters.” said Escobar looking through papers, with his sight slowly shifting towards his cup. “Maybe some hot chocolate too”

“Hmm, a Free Trade Agreement would allow their industries to compete with the IWEC industries,” Carolyn stated looking over her notes, “A good number in the Labour council argued against this for protectionist reasons. The effects vary from nation to nation, but overall IWEC industries have better technology over Argentina, yet Argentina has lower wages. The former could change over the coming years and would prolly result in job loss, yet also spur IWEC firms to improve their technology costs and be more efficients. Overall though I do have to support this, it will surely lower prices for consumers. It’s up to our local governments to mediate the effects of increased competition and potential job loss.”

“Precisely comrade, it is important for all nations within the IWEC to aid once another.” He nodded towards her as he opened a folder. “As such, as we come to the end of the year it is time for us to discuss the renewal of important trade deals.” Clements gestures towards the representative from Jiangshen. “Would the People’s Republic be renewing its trade deals with the other members of the IWEC?”

“Yes about that,” the representative stated, “Due to internal reasons, for this year, we will not be able to meet all agreements from the previous year.”

“That’s understandable,” Caroyln stated, “we’ll renew what we can.”

Brazil lowers tariffs on food imports from the IWEC
IWEC members lower tariffs on Aluminum from Brazil
Brazil exports 3 Aluminum to the PCCA
PCCA gives .03 points each to UASR and GCU
GCU will export to Argentina 15 Nat Gas for 1.85 yearly points
PCCA will export to Argentina 14 Coal for 1.75 yearly points
UASR will export to Argentina 20 Oil for 1.9 yearly points
PCCA will export 2.5 oil and 5 coal to Jiangshen for 2.5 Aluminum and 2.5 Uranium
GCU will export 2 Uranium and 3 Copper to Jiangshen for 5 Aluminum and 3 Copper
UASR will export 6 Uranium and 2.5 copper to Jiangshen for 9 Aluminum

Union Naval Fleet Docks in Ethiopian Port of Asseb
Kropotkina Times

Today, as the continued military friendship between the Union of African Syndicalist Republics and Ethiopian Republic continues, the USN Lagos and the United African Eastern Fleet dock at the now joint naval base held by both nations. This comes after both nation’s military brass begin the work to form an allied front against the West. In a statement, High Admiral Raquel Fontaine confirms that several new naval bases around the Horn of Africa, as the Red Sea has “always been considered a risk to national security as it has been plagued with smugglers and criminal elements that come unabated from the Sea. Our naval presence in the region is a clear statement that Africa will take matters into its own hands if things do not change.”

UASR signs basing rights with Ethiopia

[Imperialtha]

Nov 30th 1990
Eileanic Broadcasting Company, Wyndham, UK

“Hello Empire!” Robert Green began as the screen played an intro, “I am Robert Greene with your nightly news. Across the Rhine the krauts have learned about basic city planning, finishing a new section of the Autobahn. In Osphen the ancient site of Göbeklitepe was vandalized earlier this week with graffiti. The damage is not permanent and can be cleaned off, yet has not been so. Such a disgrace, kids these days so no respect for history. Off in the colonies, I mean Amalia, the State of New York and the State of Illinois have announced a new construction effort to join the Chicago stock exchange and New York stock exchange via computers. Speaking of stock exchanges the Latin Stock Exchange in Paris closed today at a new time high due to Italian companies, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Fiat, announcing a new vehicle lineup. Lastly China and the SUSEA celebrated the 21 anniversary of the Hanoi Uprising which eventually lead to the end of the Galasian Sagaro-China Protectorate.”

EVENT: GOTTA GO FAST

The Acuisian Autobahn has been improved

AT Gain:
.25 to Infrastructure

EVENT: Damn Kids!
Göbeklitep has been vandalized with graffiti

AT RISK:
Education index

EVENT: Computer go Brrrrr!
In effort to better increase information transfer between the two exchanges the states have begun an incentive to lay down cables to better connect the two hubs.
AT Gain:
.25 to Financial

Event: Diamond hands
The stock market has taken off after a series of reveals by major Italian corporations.

At Gain
.5 to Financial

Event: SUSEA joins China's Sphere of Influence
SUSEA favors China above any other nation and will listen to them mainly.

At Risk:
Chinese expansion in Asia

[Councils of America]

Dec 1st 1990
Free Louisiana Television Company, Neo Orleans, Free State of Louisiana


"Good evening fellow comrades, I am Isabella Bowman with the nightly news. A variety of agricultural cooperatives today announced a new plan to better feed the growing population of both the People's Confederate Councils and the world,"

Screen cuts to a spokesperson

"The PCCA needs to be the bread basket for the hungry. For the workers around the world. This past year has showed us that things can change at a moments notice and we must be able to meet that change."

The screen cut back to Isabella

"The plan calls for increased funding over a 5 year period into better agricultural methods, and a small investment in agricultural education. In other news Robert Murray spoke to the press about the bombing in Italy earlier this month."

Screen cuts to Robert Murray outside the Presidential Palace.

"Socialism, as we all know, and Marxism to a wider extent, is not about violence and conflict," The Governor began, "The bombing in Sicily is the result of a system that has pushed workers to that extreme. Socialism and Marxism does not shy away from force when force is used on us. But it is still saddening when it happens. It is just another example of the capitalist system that has allowed these crooks to gain such power."

3 points to crop
3 points to livestock
1 point to edu
2.48 points to infra
2 points to production

[Dakya]

2nd of December, 1990

The Council decided that the road and rail network of the nation shall be improved in the region of Amazonia. As such, the military will be allowed to expand the roads and railways all the way to the Brazilian border to further improve the defensive capacities of the union.

GCU will invest all its 1.9629 points into infrastructure

[Carah]

Dec. 2nd 1990

Brazil Today Headlines:
The House of Representatives have voted to add a road system in Brasília

The Brazilian House of Representatives have voted to add a road system in Brasília for public transport by a close vote of 150 (yes) to 149 (no).

Brazil will spend 0.9764 yearly points on Infrastructure.

[Yottabota]

Government to Revive Space Program
Kropotkina Times
December 5th Edition

Today, Premier Amelia Armstrong approved a measure submitted by parliament to revive the nation's space program. Formerly known as the Central African Space Agency (CASA) it will go under the new branding of the Union Space and Air Agency (USAA) and will be falling under the purview of the African Air Force (AAF). In a statement with the Kropotkina Times acting director of the USAA, Joann McNally said that the agency has set forth a “30-year goal” that will include creating a reusable rocket, sending newer modules to the ISS, a manned mission to the moon, and launching satellites that will perform deep space analysis. Director McNally also expressed an interest in further collaborations with the international community, saying in a statement “the fate of our species is in the stars, it is only fair to hope that all of us stand united to explore the stars. With this united front, ideas that were science fiction, like a colony on Mars, could well become science fact.”

The USAA will be deciding on its new location, but many assume it may continue with the proposed Sao Tome Launch Facility that was planned to be created in the ’60s. More to come in the coming months.

New Study Shows That Childhood Obesity On Decline Following Nutritional Guidelines Update

Doctors In Congo Baffled As New Cases of Taï Forest Virus Re-Emerge From Tribes

Ministry of Health to Investigate Tobacco Industry Over Carcinogenic Ingredients

---

UASR Military Command, Lagos
12:20pm

Commander Hawthorne mulled over the report on her desk with a level of annoyance, as per usual with the state of her job. It was the worst part of the month, when her subordinates from all branches of the military scramble to her desk to submit their feedback about what they think would improve the state of the armed forces. She'd dismiss the far fetched ideas like reinstating the draft to building a helicopter that was built out of a C-130, and only allowed more serious inquiries to arrive at her desk. She took a sip from her glass of bourbon, imported from a small co-op in Kentucky, and sighed to herself as she pressed a stamp onto another stack of papers, leaving behind a bright red "REJECTED".

"I swear if I need to read about another uniform update but all it does is require women to wear bloody mini skirts I am going to start sending people to clean up waste sheds." She grumbled, hearing the sound of the office door opening. Briefly glancing up, the tired commander cheered up as her assistant came in with a fresh plate of coffee and scones. "Ah Jordan, I was about to call you." He chuckled and shook his head, placing the plate on the table and taking up a glass of coffee.

"I was talking to General Luxz, he seems quite pleased with how things turned out in South Africa, I just hope that it doesn't inflate his ego." Sophia rolled her eyes and leaned back.

"He wasn't on clean up duty, I believe that he thinks the war was easy since all he had to coordinate was the invasion of Windhoek; I had to clean up his damn mess afterward..." She picked up another form and scanned through it. "How goes things back home..." She slowed down to read what the report said, piquing her interest for once.

"Eh so-so, wife's expecting our third soon so I had to get everything ready for that, my oldest is almost to enlisting age and my youngest came out as gay the other day." She stopped reading and glanced up towards him.

"And how did that go over?" He shrugged,

"I support him no matter what, his mother is a bit hesitant, and don't get me started on my father." He sighed, placing his coffee down and taking a seat. "He went on an hour tirade talkin' about how he was a disgrace n'such... A buncha nonsense thats what it was." He didn't sound very upset by this fact, he seemed more... annoyed. Sophia noted as she returned to her coffee and the report.

"Well, I'm glad things are going over well in your neck in the woods... Hey, mind going over this report for me? I might be crazy but I think it sounds good." The report slide across the table towards Jordan's side, which he nodded and gave it a scan through.

Hello Comrade Commander Sophia Hawthorne,
I am Gunnery Sargeant Carl Yoseph.

Before I defected to the Union, I was apart of the Balkan Confederate Army as a Sargeant, and I may have some input into how we can better improve squad cohesion and effectiveness. As it currently stands the average squad is an 8 man unit, comprising of 3 riflemen, 1 ammo-bearer, a squad machine gunner, demolitions specialists, designated marksmen, and squad leader. However, I believe that rather than keeping the ammo-bearer role, which is a role brought up in antiquity, we eliminate the role entirley and instead distribute ammunition amongst the 3 riflemen. This would mean that squads will require to maintain tighter communications in order to ensure demolition and machine gunner are properly equipped.

I like the replacement of the ammo-bearer to be a dedicated Squad Medic, to relieve said duty from Squad Leader. I would also like that Demolitions Specialists to be replaced with a combat engineer role instead, or to maintain Demolitions but replace the China Lake Grenade Launcher with the Milkor MGL or AT4.

So the new squad makeup would look like

Rifleman (Pointman)
Rifleman Medic Squad-Leader
Squad-Gunner
Rifleman Demo
Marksman

Thank you for your time comrade, and may you have a wonderful day.

Jordan rubbed his chin, nodding slightly as he read it and analyzed it. "In concept, I agree. We'll have to do hundreds of trials to make sure his theory is correct. But I say why not?" He placed the file on the table and she smirked and agreed. She took out a stamp from inside her desk and slammed it onto the file.

"Alert Comrade Yoseph that he'll be getting a promotion if this idea bears fruit." Jordan nodded as Sophia lifted up the stamp to reveal a bright green APPROVED on the document.

[Terra Frima]

December 6, 1990

The work itself was overall boring overall the nature of it was important, as William sat in his chair in the Chicago stock exchange with a chat room open to a colleague to the New Cuir stock exchange at least for the better part of a week. Both of them making sure that the information sync up right so that there would be no errors in the information transfer so that the metaphorical truckloads of financial information that would be going through. William sat there waiting to hear back from his colleague when he saw that he got a message in the chat room, Check again it said. So once again William checked and this time unlike all the others it worked the information was right, which caused Williams to give a sigh of relief and both stock exchanges could communicate, and the Amalian economy would grow stronger.

[Carah]

Dec. 6th

Brazil Today Headline: Socialist Coalition broken in the Government.

Tensions have risen between Sonacist and Syndicalist parties due to mixed political visions between the Sonacists and Syndicalists.

About a month or 2 ago, the Liberdade initiative was put into effect, having citizens gain more political and civil rights, including ethnic minorities. The socialist coalition had mixed opinions on it. The sonacists say that the Liberdade initiative is a good idea, but said it was flawed because it had encouraged citizens to vote any way they want, having that as a worrying factor for the rise of Pro-LFN party, the Brazilian Republican Party, in the popular vote. However, the Syndicalists say that the people pretty much wanted to elect the Socialists into government, which makes the Sonacist’s statement untrue. Meaning the tensions had risen, causing a split up of the Socialist Coalition in the lower and upper houses. Pro-LFN party, the Brazilian Republican Party took advantage of this as they start to take more seats.

This division of the coalition puts the government’s authority at high risk and a worry for a potential second civil war is on the rise not only in the government, but in the citizenry as well. President Marcos announces that he will try to have both Sonacist and Syndicalist parties make up and put aside differences, and to reform the coalition.

[Yottabota]

Nkhata Bay, Malawian Syndicalist Republic
December 11th, 1990
7:30am

The sun crested over Lake Nyasa, sending shades of bright orange and red across the still clear waters that touched the shores of Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique. As the sun rose, the lake's ecosystem awoke, and the air became alive with the sounds of bird song, the flutter of insect wings, and the groans from the leathery behemoths that ruled the waves. Ndachitanji sat on the floating boat, a net by her hip and a steel spear in hand, scanning the gently rippling water for large shimmering shadows; gently humming to herself as the sun's light cast over her. Grey eyes darting back and forth until they locked on a large shadow, slowly and cautiously sifting through the bottom of the lake. Ndachitanji stood up slightly, raising the steel-tipped spear into a striking position, and without a shred of hesitation, the spear flew from the tips of her fingers and embedded itself into the gills of the fish below. Quickly fastening her grip on the shaft of the spear, putting pressure down on it to properly impale it, and then braced as it thrashed for a few brief seconds.

As the thrashing ended, she sighed and heard someone cheer her on a few feet away; an older fisherman casually floating by, his straw hat in tatters as well as his teeth. However, in his hands was a brand new fishing rod, imported from Columbia. She raised the fish, a Kampango, up and examined it beside the boat; it was larger than most she had caught in the past, about 2-ish meters. Too big to bring home for herself but just big enough to be sold at the market, she thought as she placed the fish within the net she had brought. Ndachitanji took up a paddle and made her way back to the bustling bay that was her home.

The marketplace of Nkhata was normally dull, but today a rare sight was seen that made the townspeople really get riled up. There was a supply truck, with simple commodities and goods that were hard to come by normally but came cheap thanks to imports from other nations. The old man who had met up with Ndachitanji had just come from the market place, and while normally it would be a day trip for them, the goods were finally brought to them. Ndachitanji came up to a merchant bearing a silver badge with a redfish and sickle etched into it; a national fish agent that she would sell to directly so that he could redistribute it to the general food stocks.

"Ah, good morning Tanji! Got a new fish fo- Good lord woman! Dat thing is a monster!" He exclaimed, watching the five-foot-tall woman hauling a fish twice her size across her shoulders. "Here lemme help yah with that!" The agent came to her and grabbed the kampango's tail while they both took it to the weighing hook.

"I'wassa easy catch, barely put upa-fight!" She grinned, slapping her hands together to get the bits of fish guts off of her hands as the agent took out a notebook to write down its weight and size.

"I'll believe you on that she-woman!" He chuckled as the weight centered on the scale between 98 kilograms. "Yeesh, she's a monster... Oh yeah, this is a valuable catch indeed!" He put the notebook down and went into this truck to grab a money drawer. He flipped through the bills and got a small but hefty stack of money. "Ay, yep I believe you are owed this comrade." She took the bills from his hand and quickly flipped through it, determining that it was about 500-ish Union Dollars. She nodded and gave him a minor salute before tucking her spear and net onto her back harness and walked towards the market.

As the day came to a close, the lake receded back to its dormant state; the hums, calls, buzzes, and snorts seemed to cease all at once but background chitters remained as the moon awoke the creatures of the night. Along the lake bed, Ndachitanji sat in her home, lap covered in two small cats, whilst in front of her, a brand new TV played a rerun of an Amalian sitcom. A new era of the Union had begun, and it would come with the people having more to spend their hard-earned money on than ever before.

investing 1 development point into consumerism
investing .75 points into infastructure

[Itasna]

---

---

Carabinieri on Patrol in Downtown Palermo

---

Roma has finally intervened in the chaos that is in Sicilia, launching a harsh crackdown on both sides of the long and blood soaked battle in the streets of Palermo, Messina, Siracusa, and other metropolitan regions of the island. Carabinieri units deployed from both Sicilia and the mainland conducted a series of raids over the past week, arresting dozens of mafiosi and communist esecutori believed to have taken part in the many skirmishes between the mafia and the island’s communist party. Furthermore, a coalition of Carabinieri, Polizia del Stato Siciliana, and local law enforcement confiscated several large caches of small arms from both factions in said raids, taking several hundred firearms and large quantities of ammunition out of the hands of the offenders, with federal prosecutors aiming to use the confiscated goods as evidence when it comes time to begin prosecution. Several high ranking comunisti and mafiosi where also arrested in the chaos, with warrants being given for Signore Vittorio Grieco, a notorious lieutenant in the Famiglia Corleonese; Salvatore Russo, the Corleone’s head accountant; as well as Michelangelo Corleone, an influential member of the famiglia’s inner circle and heir apparent to the famiglia’s vast criminal empire. Furthermore, multiple high ranking communist officials have also been arrested, including Antonia Rizzo, Interim Secretary for the Communist Party; alongside Tomasso Grasso, a known communist esecutori. Although Prosecutors have yet to comment, the press has been given hints that many major officials on both sides will be charged with inciting an insurrection, a charge that carries the death penalty on a federal level. For now, major officials arrested in the raids will be held at the Federal Corrections Center in Roma, being deemed too dangerous to allowed on bail, or held on the island.

While the recent bloodbath served as a shock to the nation and to many across the world, it is not at all shocking to have seen an escalation of hostilities between the two warring factions. Many would argue that the long and blood soaked feud between the two started when the communist ideology first arrived in Sicilia in the early 20th century. The mafiosi, rulers of the island since ancient times, once ruled the island in absolute, dictating every aspect of life on the island. Since the unification and industrialization of the nation, the mafia’s power has declined significantly, yet they have long viewed the communist ideology as a threat to their rule of the island. Likewise, the communist ideology had never seen the mafiosi in a positive light either, seeing the mafia as a threat to the workers of the island. This hatred, apart from the occasional brawl or gun battle, remained largely dormant for most of the century. Earlier this year, the island’s communist faction has officially incorporated addressing corruption and criminal justice reforms as part of the party’s platform, a direct challenge to the mafia’s power. This, followed with a communist pledge to eradicate the mafia in a heated party meeting, prompted the infamous massacre at La Sala Del Popolo, in which the party was essentially decapitated, and a case local police are still working on gathering evidence for. Since that infamous night, the main communist faction on the island crumbled, with several aggressive factions taking matters into their own hands, launching a retaliatory campaign against the mafia, albeit with dubious success rates. Several incidents in Palermo, Messina, and Siracusa have been documented as part of a larger federal case against both factions, with incidents on the mainland being traced back to the Sicilian comunisti and mafiosi as well, including a gun battle earlier this month outside Capo San Giorgio, which went unreported to authorities due to a fear of reprisal from both sides of the fighting.

In the aftermath of the crackdown, federal and local authorities are confident that they had successfully put a curb on the violence between the two Sicilian factions. With both suspected leadership on both sides arrested and detained far from the island, and warrants out for many other esecutori believed to have participated directly in the violence, the Justice Department in Roma released a statement stating they believed that the feud was successfully contained. However, Carabinieri units from the mainland will remain on the island until further notice alongside local and state police, all of which will remain on high alert for the time being. Prosecutors will begin reviewing evidence for all major officials linked to the case as soon as possible according to the Department, in order to bring federal trials about as soon as possible. Others in Roma have not been so enthusiastic. Democrat Representative Francisco Colangelo, who represents Siracusa in the Parliament, has argued that the federal government needs come down harder on the communist faction, an argument that has largely been dismissed by Roma. However, rumors persist of the Ufficio di Intelligence Militare dispatching intelligence officers to launch a second, covert crackdown against mafia and communist leadership. The U.I.M, Italy’s intelligence service, has confirmed that these rumors are indeed false, products of whispers gone awry as a product of increasing tensions on the island.

Page 3: Leaders on Both Sides Protest Innocence

Page 8: The U.I.M and a closer look at rumored crackdowns

Page 9: Motion to enact curfews, other restrictions dismissed by Sicilian State Legislature

[Carah]

Dec. 12th

Brazil Today Headline: Conflict between Syndicalists and Sonacists Resolved

After at least 6 days of a split up, President Marcos had resolved the conflict between the Syndicalists and the Sonacists and the Socialist Coalition is reunited, though pro-LFN party; the Brazilian Republican Party, had been taking more seats in the government and increased its influence in the government for the 6 days. Even today, the Brazilian Republican Party is increasing its influence, and is to grow more unless the Syndicalists and Sonacists take action.

[Great Eilean]

Tropical Royalty

---

13th December, 1990
Edmundstown, Crown-Colony of Guyana

“Present, Arms!” the command was given by the white commanders of the Colonial Foot Regiments, the men quickly performing their tasks over the sound of Seagulls squawking, palm trees swaying in the warm tropical breeze, compared to the frigid hell known as Wyndham, Exsey.
Down the walkway, the Queen-Empress and Prince-Consort descended, to the beating of drums, and cheer of the Royal Colonists, to finally see their Queen Empress before them on the shores of South Amalia, the resplendent Sovereign of the Empire.
“Royal Salute!” the call was given again, as the Colonial Foot Band played the Royal Anthem of the United Kingdom. Gloriana and William stopped at the end of the gangway, hands at their waist and sides, respecting the ceremony put on for them.
Before them, walked a gaggle of the Planter Class, the Well-to-do and Oil Barons of the colony, led by Governor General Fitzroy, who bowed low and humbly to the Queen-Empress.
“Your Majesty, we are most happy to welcome you to your colony of Guyana.” he said, as the group of envoys knelt or bowed.
“We are most happy to be here, Governor-General Fitzroy.” Gloriana smiled politely, extending her hand for the Governor-General to place a peck on it.
“I’ll be happier to get the bloody hell out of here. I haven’t felt like I’m melting in the middle of December since I was stationed in the Mediterranean in ‘50…” Prince William muttered into his wife’s ear, only to receive a well-placed and inconspicuous elbow to the side, knocking the snotty air out of him.
“Right this way, ma’am. The children of the School of King Edmund wish to present a gift to you. Then, for luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion.” Fitzroy smiled at Gloriana, who returned it.
“It sounds delightful, however, is there by chance a recording studio at the Gubernatorial Manor?” Gloriana asked, causing a curios groan to come out of the Duke of Elginsburg.
“Why of course ma’am!” Governor-General Fitzroy responded.

---

A Broadcast from Her Majesty, the Queen!
The screen fades from black, to a waving Union-Jack over the beautiful and tropical landscapes of Guyana, then of other landsites and famous locations across the Empire, from the skyscrapers of Singapore, the vast palaces and temples of Sagaria, then finishing on Suffingham Palace, zooming in before again fading to black, then to the Queen in scenic Colonial Era office, with the Old Port of Edmundstown in the background, the Old Scotatrovan Fort in the distance. Like always, she appears with the Red Box, marked with GIIIR, and looks up from the vast amounts of Royal and Imperial Paper Work, and smiles.
“In recent years, the ancient and rigid political structures of Eilean and her Empire have been criticized by many. From foreign delegations and powers, to Socialists and Republicans. Even, by some of the most devout and avid supporters of the Crown. A structure that has been in place since the reign of our forebearer, Gloriana II, whose rule saw Great Eilean at its zenith. Today, we, invoking our Royal Prerogative, seek to make a Royal Decree. That all colonies within our realm, great or small, wealthy or impoverished, from Amalia to Asia, shall begin breaking down these old barriers, and bring forth true free and fair electrons and for greater standards of liberty, a right that every Ellanmen, nay. Everyone Human deserves.” she smiled, placing her hands on her blue dress.
“May God bless you all, and bring you a happy, and most joyous Christmas Season.”
The screen faded to black again, before displaying the Queen’s Traditional Sign-Off

Each Eileanic Colony shall use its annual points and split it between Political and Civil Freedoms

[Galasie]

December 12, 1990
Veraveux, Galasie

Defence Minister Henri Aliette sat at his desk reading a booklet entitled Livre blanc sur la défense et la sécurité nationale 1991 the words Confidentialité and Brouillon were also stamped across the cover. The paper was still in the process of being written and was not scheduled to be finalized until either late 1991 or early 1992, depending on the results of the election, Still, as Defense Minister, Aliette had a right to review it, even in its unfinished form.

A buzz from his intercom interrupted his reading. "M. Minister, General Kœnig is here to see you." His secretary informed him.

'Right on time as always.' Aliette thought, checking his watch. "Send him in."

A moment later, Chief of the Defense Staff Paul Kœnig entered the room. The general made to salute, but Aliette waived him off and motioned for him to sit. Kœnig did so.

Aliette closed the booklet and put his reading glasses on top of them. "Hello General, you will have to apologize, but I am due to meet the Prime Minister soon, about this actually," Aliette tapped on the booklet on the desk, "and would like to make this as short as possible."

"Of course sir." Kœnig said.

"When you sent your own memo on the report, you largely approved it, but spent quite some time arguing against the finding dealing with conscription." Aliette said.

After a moment of silence, Kœnig nodded, "I did."

"This strikes me as a deeply contentious topic - I have had quite literally dozens of submissions from just about every divisional general in the armed forces about this. And quite a few brigade generals and Colonels." Aliette gestured to a stack of reports on the right side of the desk. "And after a bit of digging, I have found even more papers written about the topic," he gestured to other side of the desk. "So why am I just hearing about this now?"

Aliette was of course referring to the proposal outlined by the committee that Galasie should cease conscription and move to a professional armed force with a greater focus on a small, mobile force. It was a hotly debated topic and had been for over a decade at this point, stemming from the war in Southeast Asia. It was a common refrain among the military officer and its academia, but not something they advertised to the general public, or it seemed, their minister.

For Kœnig this was a very familiar topic, but not something that came up a lot when dealing with his role as commander of the present armed forces. He sighed. "It is an...academic topic, sir."

"Clearly." Aliette said flatly.

'Had that coming,' Kœnig thought. "Sir, I mean that it is a theoretical discussion we in the leadership have a lot based on a very situation. This began after the war exposed that our professional simply did not have the force progression to carry out Galasian interests in a prolonged foreign war. These were discussed in a Europe where all our borders were secured and the army was much larger than it is today. Bluntly, it is about the Galasie of 1981, perhaps 1989. Not the Galasie of 1990 or 1991 where the Pact is on our doorstep."

"And what about the threat of communist forces that the paper highlighted?" Aliette asked.

"They have made major moves this year, but ultimately, none of the rest our allies were interested in fighting those fights. Which is bluntly, what some our leaderships fears will happen against Acuisia as well-."

"That is a big claim." Aliette interrupted.

"I know sir, and not one I say lightly. But the fact remains, the Pact remains our greatest enemy. They are quite literally on our borders and have expressed contempt for us. Perhaps Galasie of 1989 could have transitioned to this professional force, but Galasie of today cannot afford that uncertainty. It would require shutting down units, training up units from scratch, reworking our entire structure to accommodate these changes. If we were attacked during this moment...well, it would be bad."

"And you believe the current system meets the threats posed to today's Galasie?"

"Yes sir, I do. In fact, as I stated in my report, we should immediately cease granting exceptions and move to increase our forces immediately."

"You go quite a bit beyond that, you even recommend expanding conscription to include women." Aliette noted.

"Yes sir, it would hopefully double our force limit without having to increase conscription and increase our reserves massively."

Aliette was taken aback by the passion of the usually reserved Kœnig. "Well general, you sound like the modern day revolutionary."

"While it may be mocked by some, our levée en masse is what has saved Galasie time and time again. The Revolutionary Wars and the World War are prime examples. It wins wars and makes us stronger as a people."

"Not in our last war."

"Because we did not commit sir. It was not a war for the survival of Galasie." Kœnig paused. "Permission to speak freely."

"By all means."

"That war was a desperate attempt by imperialists to keep their last shreds of power. We had no need to be there and even if we could have definitely won by sending a significant force, it would have not been worth it."

Aliette was surprised by the general's tone, but Kœnig pressed on.

"In fact, it proves my point even more. Our enemy was more committed to the levée en masse than we were. They called upon all their people to fight, and they did. We spent more time running around trying to man forts and bases than we did fighting the enemy. Like the revolutionary war, a people's army defeated a largely professional force. It should be a warning and model for us going forward. As long as people are willing to fight, the war can be won, no matter how many years it takes. We only lost the revolutionary wars when we abandoned the levée for another professional force.

Aliette looked down at the report and tapped on his desk a few times, mulling over the general's words. "You have given me somethings to think on. I will take your recommendation to the Prime Minister. I want a more detailed report by you by Monday."

Kœnig smiled as he stood up. "Yes Sir." He saluted and left the office.

Aliette allowed a small smile to appear on his face. So this is what finally cracked the implacable Paul Kœnig. He would have to reconsider his assessment of the man. Aliette stood up and put on his coat. He grabbed the booklet and glasses from the desk and made his own way out of the office. He had a cabinet meeting to attend.

[Carah]

Dec. 14th 1990 - Dec. 16th 1990

The Christmas Split

Christmas trees were set up, Christmas lights were plugged in, and the stockings came up in the citizens’ houses, it was clear; Christmas was coming. Every parent was going shopping, buying toys and video game consoles, the stocks had gone up for the market the Christmas season.

However, not all was jolly as the regular citizens’ experience was, as the Syndicalists’ tensions with the Sonacists were rising in the government and the Socialist Coalition was bound to split again, this time permanently, and President Marcos wasn’t pleased with this, as though the Sonacists had beliefs against both the Syndicalists and the LFN, things were pretty stiff, the tensions were rising again even when Marcos reunited the coalition, tensions were still visible, Marcos stated on the 14th that “The Socialist Coalition was like a glass vase, and the politicians of that coalition were like children playing in the house.” Things were becoming wild for the next 2 days since that statement, then on Dec. 16th, the split happened.

All of the politicians of that coalition that day were becoming wild at each other, throwing lots and lots of dirt with each other, on that day, Marcos announced that “The great split had begun;” and there was absolutely nothing Marcos can do to stop it as the Sonacists and Syndicalists now could never make up with another.

The citizens’ opinions on this were mixed, the Sonacist supporting citizens said that the split was best, because they had beliefs against each other anyway, while the Syndicalist supporters said that the split was not good because they could’ve combated capitalism with that coalition. Either way, the split happened, and there was nothing Marcos could do about it.

[Yottabota]

As of 1980, the Union of African Syndicalist Republics has prided itself in having the well-trained special forces group in the world. Founded in the 50s but unofficially existing since the Nigerian Miners' Revolt in the 1920s', Task Force 88 is an elite special forces division tasked with preserving Union Interests domestically and abroad. Notably, the Task Force was heavily involved in the African Bush War in the late 1950s but saw very little activity since then. Returning to form during the Second Bush War, or more commonly known as the Boer War, Task Force 88 has come under heavy scrutiny from the military community. The Task Force is comprised of mostly Black Africans and has resulted in accusations of racially motivated attacks against fellow service members and treatment of Boer refugees and civilians during the conflict. Acting Commander of the unit, Brigadier General Cothoza has said that many of the rumors and allegations come from a misunderstanding between the Task Force and other soldiers, as the special forces group have developed a unique culture divergent of standard military practice. These comments have lead Military High Command to add additional supervisors to the unit, as a few in Command fear that the unit may become despotic or rogue if given the chance.

---

Task Force 88 Training Grounds, Undisclosed Location in the Congo

Vuyo grew up knowing that his father was a great man but never seeing his face or knowing him personally. "A freak accident" was the story that he was told when he was younger, but as he got older he knew more of the truth, that his father was killed by a fellow soldier during training. Whether or not it was intentional was to be seen, his father was dead and now he had to figure out his place in this world without him. So after graduating from trade school, Vuyo enlisted in the Army. In his aptitude testing, he had rated just high enough to be accepted into the Task Force 88 Training Progam for a chance to be inducted into the special forces group. The lady at the recruitment office was nice and cordial, like the resource office in his village, but her tone changed as soon as he handed her his resume. It was quick, but when as soon as his name was signed on the dotted line, he felt a sharp pain at his side. Before he could recognize the shape of a dart that was embedded into him, he collapsed, passing out on the floor of the office.

So here he was, a sack over his head and the familiar damp heat of the Congo surrounding him in the back of what felt like a pickup truck. He could feel a few other bodies in the truck bed, probably in a similar situation that he's in, but he could also feel the top of someone's boot directly under his chest which meant that there must've been a guard or at least someone who was in on the whole thing. He could hear shouting from in front of the truck as it came to a sudden stop and felt hands grab hold of his arms as they dragged him out of the truck and onto the muddy jungle floor. Disoriented from the fall, he felt a swift kick strick his stomach, allowing a wet cough to escape his lips that were dampened by the hemp sack. He struggled under the bids around his hands and feet, he felt a strong handhold his legs down followed by the scraping of metal on leather and then a rough tug as a knife cut through the binds on his legs.

"GET UP YOU MICRO-DICKED RETARD!" He heard a woman's voice blast into his ear and he wiggled on the ground until he got a good footing to get up. Vuyo looked around frantically through the muddied sack, but the thick mud started to make his already muffled breathing harder to perform. Fortunately, the wiggling had allowed him to find a penny-sized hole in the sack and did his best to press his face up against the hole. "GREAT JOB! YOU'RE NOW BETTER THAN A FUCKING DOG!" He was shoved forward but was able to stop himself from falling over. "Okay listen up!" She shouted even louder as if talking to the entire group of recruits, "you have 5 minutes to find yourself in the base! If you are not within the base when that 5 minute is up, you will now have to answer to Chopper!" At that, there was a single but incredibly bassy woof. "And trust me, he loves to play rough!" She chuckled before a single click was heard, "Your 5 minutes started one minute ago! GET RUNNING!" She fired a single bullet into the air and the group scrambled in all directions.

She's a fucking lunatic! Vuyo thought to himself as he ran towards the very faint sound of gunfire off in the distance, and then peered through the hole and saw a set of iron gates that was a few kilometers away. The gate was lined with barbed wire, and he could just barely see the top of a guard tower amongst the treetops. Bingo. He coughed once again and sprinted towards the gate, keeping a wide stance to avoid tripping on the mud and as he ran he could hear the sound of claps and cheers from other recruits and enlisted soldiers that were standing by the gate. Vuyo collapsed once his feet crossed the threshold, and was immediately brought back up onto his feet with the bag swiftly removed from his head, a knife cut the remaining bind on his hands.

"Congrats nyama, you're the first one to make it." A friendly sound voice spoke beside him, slapping him on the back and chuckling. Vuyo looked to see a massive hulk of a man standing before him, standing somewhere between 6 and 7 feet in height with a scruffy-looking beard covering his face. "Names' Conrad, I'll be one of your instructors while you stay with us." Vuyo nodded and saluted him as best as he could before the man started to laugh, "now now son, no need for the formalities just yet." The man shook his hand and smiled, "this task force does not use ranks, for here we are all equals. We are all brothers in this jungle! Welcome to Kuzimu, a little piece of hell on Earth."

[The Neo Russ Republic]

---

18th of December, 1990 CE

>The third deal has come into affect today, the Serkarian and Armenian governments are now obliged to defend each other if one is attacked as they are now part of a defence pact. A lot of Armenian activist have called into question the intensions of the deals being purely for defence and have spoken out as thinking the deals are undermining the sovereignty of Armenia and making it depend on Serkaria essentially turning it into a colony again, but both parties have denied such claims.

>On another note tourism and trade between the countries has steadily increased over the past few weeks although not without it's critics such as the NSMP who have called for closing borders entirely to not let people into the country and have even, although unsuccessfully, proposed a project for the construction of a border wall on the border with Armenia to limit illegal immigration into the country. As said by the leader of the party, Konstantin Lebedev, "We just think that fences make good neighbours and that migration should be more regulated to not let criminals in. After-all if you aren't doing anything illegal you shouldn’t have anything to worry about." Many other progressive parties have started questioning NSMP's actions and policies as "Not being in line with progressive views that they say to stand for.", but currently there's been no response from the party to such accusations.

Armenian duma from the time of Serkaria imperial rule

70 influence points are spent