The Burdens of Power [Verthandi|Canon|IC]

[Verthandi Admins]

- THE BURDENS OF POWER -
VERTHANDI

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Attaining power, whether through the will of the people, subversion, or brute force alone, is a difficult task. Keeping power is even harder. Here, you will be able to see the leaders of Verthandi as never before-- observe events as they unfold, and decisions as they are made. Here, you will witness men and women rise and fall from power, leaders deliver prosperity to their people, and others commit horrible atrocities in the name of progress. These are the burdens of power.

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[Enclave Reclamation Authority]

- THE FEDERATION OF ATLESIA -

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President Douglas Granite
The State House, Atlas
26 July 1936

President Granite nervously paced behind his desk, arms crossed as he stared out the window to the State House backyard, checking his watch routinely only to see how slow time was truly passing. The young Atlesian president - the youngest to ever hold the office - had a lot on his plate, especially after his meeting in Hochstadt. Being given the opportunity to see Valkist Altenland firsthand, he was quite nervous. Despite the posturing, it was overwhelmingly clear to Granite that Franz Neumann's regime was hungry, and it would devour everything in its path if it was given the chance. Granite was also unsure of what to make of King Nemanus-- it was clear that Alytaj would oppose any efforts by the Federation against Kurzla, but it was also obvious that he himself was not a fan of Neumann by any measure. His alliance with Altenland, especially under the Valkists, was clearly one of convenience and circumstance, rather than preference. This meant that the threads that bound the two nations together were weak, but they still existed, and that would be the main source of friction for any Atlesian move made against Kurzla in the future.

Granite checked his watch again. The Secretary of War would be there soon. This meeting actually had nothing to do with the President's trip to Altenland, and was rather due to events much closer to home. Blumenwald, which bordered the Atlesian state of Hannover, was in turmoil. The country had been established by the Federation in 1875 as a safe haven for long-persecuted Native Hibernians, but the country's national elections in 1924 saw Otto Meyer - an Atlesian immigrant of Altish descent - rise to power with his National Republicans. To this day, many believe that the entire election was rigged, and in the years after, Meyer was able to build a ruthless apartheid system in which the white minority seized absolute control of government, stripped the natives of their land, and forced hundreds of thousands into labor as sharecroppers and indentured servants. Today, years of tension - boiling under the surface - have been released. Tens of thousands of Native Hibernians have risen up against Meyer and his apartheid government, and the situation has continued to escalate. Striking workers are being beat down in the streets, and Granite's office continues to receive unconfirmed reports that Meyer's national police have, on a number of occasions this evening, fired on protesters. It is becoming clear that the Federation must take action.

A knock on his office door turns the President away from the window, and he beckons for them to come in. A skinny, middle-aged man, with jet black hair accented by streaks of grey, entered the room. It was William McNamara, the Secretary of War. "Mr. President," he said, approaching with his hand extended.

Granite shook his hand firmly. "Bill." He motioned towards the couches in the center of the room. "Take a seat." The two men sat down, and Granite pulled a tin cigarette holder from his blouse pocket. He grabbed one for himself, and then offered the container over to McNamara, who politely declined. Granite lit his cigarette, took a long drag, and spoke as he exhaled. "Any more news from down south?"

"Nothing solid," McNamara replied, "but I suspect we'll be flooded in the morning. Meyer is really picking up the pressure."

"Probably feels backed into a corner" Granite replied. "The man's been running that country like a dictator for ten years, I'm surprised it took this long for people to get fed up with it."

McNamara nodded, and paused for a moment, crossing his legs. "Where are you at with all this, Doug?"

Granite shrugged, and took another drag from his cigarette. "Well..." he paused, "I'm not quite sure what to think of the whole thing right now, but I'll tell ya this." He leaned forward. "We sit on this for too long, and a lot of people are gonna die. I blame the fellas before me for letting it get to this point, but the fact is, we gotta do something about Meyer and his goons. Ain't right, what's happening down there... never been right, and we're the bad guys for letting it happen."

McNamara nodded. "What do you suggest?"

"What's our military infrastructure look like down there, again?"

"Well..." McNamara paused, "three naval bases, three air bases, and five army bases, peppered all around the place. No local military access."

"What about in Hannover?" Granite asked.

"I can have the 4th Army mobilized and ready to push across within a week." he replied.

Granite nodded, and took another drag of his cigarette. "You think Meyer is dumb enough to retaliate?"

McNamara chuckled. "Doug, Meyer knows just as well as the two of us that he ain't got one good foot to stand on. When he sees Atlesian planes in the sky, tanks rolling through the countryside, and troops marching through the streets, he'll cave."

Granite nodded. "I'll have a letter prepared. We'll deliver it the night before, and let him know what's coming. He stands by, he spends the rest of his life on house arrest. He tries to fight, he'll rot in a cage." He paused. "I'm not playing around here, Bill, I want this fucker nailed to a wall."

McNamara nodded in agreement. "I'll get the word out, make sure everyo-"

"This stays low. I don't want some goddamn reporter popping up and telling the whole world we're about to roll into Blumenwald."

McNamara nodded, and stood. "Good day, Mr. President." The two men shook hands, and McNamara departed. Granite put out his cigarette, and returned to his desk, leaning against it and sighing. This could either make the Federation into heroes, or bloodthirsty invaders. Only time will tell.