We Didn't Start The Fire (AMW Only)

[Kyr Shorn]

Presidential Palace, Jakarta

The President and his Foreign Minister were having a private meeting over the meeting she had with the Siamese ambassador. Everything seemed to be in order, or at least as much order as could be found in the situation. Which when dealing with those Siamese bastards wasn't much, both nations seemed locked in a game of one-upmanship with no end possible short of the extermination of one nation or the other.

Maya then added to the pile, "Some of my subordinates suggested that if the Siamo and J/UP are merging that we should consider forming a security compact with Siam that would have both of our nations work together to patrol and keep the Contested Islands from being a safe haven for these extremist groups any longer."

"Out of the question." Delem replied shortly and added as Maya started to take offense, "It's a good idea Maya but the current political situation would never allow for it. Any such compact would force us to give Siam concessions on territorial claims, claims that we can't afford to let go of. The ultra-nationalists would riot at giving up even a square inch of our natural territory, as they see it, to any foreign power."

That was just the most obvious example of what would happen if such an event were to occur.

"And yes the Siam would have to concede on certain claims as well but that wouldn't make it any better." Delem added when it seemed that Maya had found a way around this problem.

Delem was aware, more so than anyone else in his government just how much of a powder keg the country truly was. An overpopulated double island nation with multiple ethnic and religious groups crowded mostly on one of the two islands. A nation that was staring down the gun barrel of starvation, a nation that was currently being held together by the strong arm of it's current President and the illusion of democracy given by a descendant of the last actual monarch of Majapahit.

All of it just... waiting for someone to light it up and enjoy the fireworks.

"Of course our neighbors would be sucked into the maelstrom as well." Delem thought, any such event would result in millions of refugees fleeing the nation, flooding the nearby nations, crushing their infrastructure out. While Australia might be able to withstand it, Siam was a good example of a nation that couldn't.

"In fact such a crisis might even cause their government to collapse from the strain." Delem added in his mind before returning to the topic on hand.

"Maya, everything our government can do has to be set against the delicate balancing game that we play to maintain power." Delem stated out loud, "And while Option A might solve one problem, it would create five other problems that we can't correct for."

Maya then nodded and said, "So the status quo will have to stay the way it is..."

Delem nodded and then they moved on to other parts of their little talk.

[Midlonia]

Vessel Pak Pusil

The old corvette drifted slightly in the bay, smoke billowing out of one of the compartments rising up into the air as the small helicopter thundered into view, a machine gun rattling from a second supporting bird as it suppressed anything in view. The second helicopter landed and bumped slightly, only pausing long enough to let the four man team off before immediately thundering away back into the sky.

The four men moved in an exact line formation, one at the rear stopping and turning behind him the moment the group stopped, rifle raised and ready. They were all sporting L85 assault rifles, British made.

The rear man's gun fired twice, then twice more. The other men behind him didn't turn, that was his job and they weren't going to deviate.

The four men reached the door of the vessel, two to each side, door charge slapped to it before detonation, sending the door flying inwards and crushing another tango. The four men fanned out, clearing room by room carefully using double taps on their rifles.

“Clear up!”

“Clear down!”

The lights suddenly all came on at once bathing the ship in white bright and slightly stinging light. Revealing wooden targets all with various images on them, most of them with bullet holes in, fewer without because they were 'hostages'.

Colonel Kung nodded in satisfaction as he walked out of the small ballistic observation box and looked at his stop watch. “Nicely done SEALs.” He said with a grin, the cigar hanging loosely from his mouth. “45 seconds from breech to securing the deck.” He peered at a monochrome screen in the box again and nodded. “Alright, that's the fifth time you've run through this scenario, well done.”

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

Imperial Internal Affairs Ministry, Bangkok

“And the further projections?” Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul said as he steepled his fingers.

“Further projections would place the humanitarian crisis at about 10-15 million fleeing within the first six months. Most of whom we believe will head for Siam and towards the UKP.” The projection machine clicked as the suit, a fairly blank faced civil servant who's name Chaovarat wouldn't remember even if he tried.

“Put very simply we'd never be able to cope with such a crisis, not even remotely. We have enough to feed every citizen of the Empire and ensure that nearly nobody goes empty handed, we'd have to immediately issue rationing and the dieticians tell me we'd be looking at 250 calories a day per person, or less.”

“Housing would also be a crisis, we basically have no contingency planning with regards to this. We genuinely did not expect things to go so badly south in The Commonwealth, or for the new regime to continue to be as incompetent with agricultural matters as their predecessors.”
“Then you will have to use the ministry's resources to find us a solution to the problems we face.” Chaovarat said with an air of finality as the civil servant bowed, turned off the projection machine and left the office.

[Kyr Shorn]

Internal Affairs Ministry, Undisclosed Location

The currnet minister of Internal Affairs finished reading the latest report on the damage and repairs being done of the Ministry Offices building. Currently the crews were getting the smell of smoke out of the offices as best as they could, it would take a couple weeks to get the lobby rebuilt and to have all the new security measures put into place, most of the building could be reopened again but that wouldn't happen until the bulk of the repairs were complete.

He then turned to an agricultural report and sighed, the main issue with agricultural production in the nation wasn't simply that enough food was being produced. It was the fact that there were too many people to feed, even if all the damage caused by Suharto and the Communists was repaired tomorrow and everything was at 100%, there would still be a major food crisis.

The current population of the Commonwealth was 175 million people, the bulk of whom lived on Java. So far there hadn't been any major incidents because the CII had managed to import foodstuffs from other nations to make up for the short falls. But that wasn't going to last.

The minister knew that the various agencies that dealt with the environment were doing what they could to repair the damaged fields and soil. Also the measures put into place in the 90's to curb population growth were just starting to show results, families were having fewer children in the cities was the best example of this.

Of course all those free clinics that distributed information on safe sex and birth control measures had created a sexual revolution in what had once been a conservative culture was just a byproduct of those measures.

The minister sighed again at that thought, he was at heart a very conservative man but he was smart enough to realize that just standing still and screaming "Stop!" at history wasn't going to work. Everywhere he looked the signs of change were everywhere, the city of Jakarta was lined with skyscrappers, new kinds of music were on every radio station, new ways of practicing the various faiths of the nation were emerging.

"At least some things remain the same." he thought as he looked up at the portrait of Delem in his office, the President had defied his critics in the early years of his takeover of the nation, in a few months time the start of his 20th year in office would begin.

[Kyr Shorn]

Presidential Palace, Jakarta

After having had another "good time" with Nick in the sack Agnug had exchanged numbers with him and had a quick brunch with him in the small restaurant in the hotel before being forced to leave to do play his unofficial role as a primary adviser to the President of the Commonwealth.

But for the moment Agnug was having a get-together with someone who was currently an ally, if a strange one for someone considered to be the political heir to the Brahma Dynasty.

Megawati Sukarnoputri, the former ARA Communist rebel and current Prime Minister of the Commonwealth and the legal successor to the Presidency (in the event of Delem Brahma's untimely demise).

They couldn't of made for two more different people, Agnug was a nineteen year old dressed in designer clothing that was highly westernized, Megawati was wearing more traditional Javanese clothes. The common thread that held these two together was the fact that each were considered rebels. Agnug was the highest ranking gay male in the entire Commonwealth government and the source for the vast social improvements for LGBT people in the nation. Megawati was the highest ranking Atheist in any Indonesian government since her father Sukarno was the General Secretary of the brief Communist regime.

They were both only half Javanese, Agnug was part Batak, Megawati was half Acehnese.

"So Agnug," Megawati began, "That is the long and short of it, despite the Anti-Hindu Bombing in Europe-Prussia there haven't been the same level of problems as there have been since the Church Bombings."

Agnug replied, "True but there were a couple small-scale riots, I myself passed one on the way to the palace."

"Was that..." Megawati began to ask before Agnug answered, "Yes it was the one near the new Church built for the Archbishop of Jakarta, at least the police managed to crush that riot fairly quickly."

Megawati smiled at that, the new Church, otherwise known as St. Thomas of Jakarta that had been completed a few years ago was designed to replace the massive Basilica created by Suharto during the 60's that had been destroyed during the Revolution of 86. The Archbishop of those times had been literally torn apart limb from limb on live television by an angry mob.

"But it wasn't as though the man hadn't deserved it." Megawati thought dismissively, the man had been a tool of Suharto's dictatorship, he had gone out of his way to encourage Javanese Supremacy and the force conversion of anyone not at the bare minimum a Christian.

"Now the Saxemberg Prince is claiming that the same terrorists in Europe-Prussia were the ones behind the nerve gas bombing in their nation as well." Agnug stated having seen an international news report.

"Oh by the way did your father ever send a thank you note for burying that bit of gossip?" Megawati asked politely.

Agnug flushed at what the woman in her early sixties was saying behind the question, that she had seen those photos.

"Oh come now Agnug," Megawati said, "I might be old but that doesn't mean I wasn't young once myself." she then laughed a little at that.

"But my youth hasn't been spent planting death traps in jungles and target practice with AK-47's." Agnug replied with a small laugh of his own.

"True..." Megawati replied with a smile, "I didn't get to have a misspent youth but I think in the end it all worked out for the best."

"Wati." Agnug said using his personal nickname for the loveable old killer, "If I didn't know any better I might say that you were hinting at a belief in Dharma."

Megawati laughed once more and replied, "But since you know better you wouldn't say that would you?"

Strangely for two people who might one day find themselves fighting to the death for the Presidency, they got along just fine. But the future is a funny thing, only the Gods know what is going to occur and these two potential foes might find a way to reconcile everything so that a duel to the death might not need to occur.

[Kyr Shorn]

St. Ryan's, A Lutheran Church in Jakarta

John Ankara smiled to himself as he finished his prayers with a heartfelt, "Amen." and then crossed himself. This man, once the Hindu son of one of the Commonwealth's proud Ambassadors abroad, now was a devout believer in the Risen Son of God. A proud member of the church created by Martin Luther and the spark that lead to the Protestant Reformation and was currently one of the largest Protestant congregations in the CII.

He then quietly took out his small cellphone and glanced at the message sent to him by his beloved sister Sita in Chrinthanium, of all his family members the only one that hadn't completely shut him out and had stayed true to him was his Satan worshiping little sister.

"The Lord works in mysterious ways." John mused to himself. John still prayed for the salvation of his family, even his devout Hindu mother who had declared that she had no son when he had announced to all his family that he had converted to the Lutheran faith after speaking with the woman who was now his wife back in college.

"At least father is speaking to me again." he thought counting his blessings, the cutting knife of his mother's harsh words was nothing compared to the disappointment in his father's eyes and the year long silence that had occured before Sita had convinced him that John was still his son and they needed to be in each others lives.

Like many members of the church, he had kept his attendance to a minimum during the bombings but didn't lapse, instead he did a simple bible reading with his wife and their young son every sunday until recently. "At least this time the Lord saw fit to keep the Anti-Christian riots small." John thought, even though he suspected that in the rural areas things were a different story.

He then glanced at his wife and son sitting at his side at the pew, still deep in prayer.

"Thank God for small blessings indeed." John thought as he went back to prayer once more to be with his God.


Presidential Palace, Jakarta

Delem had just sent a small thank you letter to the government of Saxemberg for respecting his son's right to privacy and apologized for the delay due to the recent problems on the international front between the CII and Siam.

"Speaking of those problems we will have to do something to counterbalance the damm Tamil Commies." Delem thought as he began to consider his options. An idea that Agnug had suggested earlier, about expanding relations with Joesen seemed like a good idea.

"They might be Yashimese scum but at least they aren't really connected to the damm Christ-Emperor anymore." Delem thought as he picked up his phone and contacted his secretary to come up with a draft letter to the Joesen

In the meanwhile he considered the idea of expanding relations with the Philippines, while in theory it was a good idea the reality was that each time the chance came up by the time anything concrete could be enacted. Their damm government changed and always had a knack for finding ways out of the agreements and obligations of the previous administration.

"The Philippines is just impossible to work with." Delem thought dismissively but he decided to try anyways for forms sake, if nothing else. Another phonecall to his secretary was required, he expected to have the drafts available to him in three hours so that he could create final versions.

[Chrinthanium]

Imperial Palace, Sydney, Chrinthanium

Jon Latham pondered the subjects regarding the Commonwealth of Indonesian Islands. He understood that the terrorist attacks against Christian churches was a matter of concern for the empire itself, as well as the world. Westernized tourists were becoming more and more afraid to visit the Commonwealth for fear of being involved in such horror. In fact, the Imperial Federation had issued a travel warning against travelling to the Commonwealth until such time as the Imperial government felt that such tensions were easing.

He dispatched a message to Delem Brahma. In the message he explained that Sydney wanted good relations with Jakarta. He expressed his personal belief that such occurances were, to say the least, not a good sign to the international community, but many would be willing to forgive such events once everyone was brought to justice. He explained his intention to meet with Brahma personally at such a time when both their schedules would permit. He also further explained that the emperor was wanting to improve relations between the two nations. Finally, he stated that he wished to increase trade between the two countries and nurture a mutually beneficial relationship.

After writing the letter, he called Nick Logan and recalled him to Sydney. The reasons behind such a move were because of the fact that the bombings seemed to be subsiding for the moment, and also because of the fact he was rather stonewalled by the government. The feeling in Sydney was that Logan was becoming to involved in the lifestyle of Jakarta than the actual duties for which he was sent. In fact, many people, upon learning of the trist between Agung and Nick, called for his return immediately. Nick was ordered to return within fourty-eight hours.

[Kyr Shorn]

Presidential Palace, Jakarta, the Commonwealth

Delem Brahma had finished his daily workout a few minutes ago and had taken a quick shower and was now reviewing the note from Sydney. The President had already read it but a second reading never hurt, it was filled with politely phrased sentiments about the recent problems in the CII. The violence had harmed the tourist industry in the state, but things would rebound once the violence ended, it always did.

Delem then sent a small note to an aide of his to look into a possible meeting with Jon Latham in the near future, the trials of the various Justice/Unity Party were going smoothly. "The main leaders have already been executed." Delem recalled, the mountain of evidence against the J/UP was already being made available to the public, though the trials followed CII tradition of being conducted in secret at night.

Delem was also aware of the various trade agreements that already existed between the Commonwealth and Chrinthanium, mostly focused on agricultural products and some of the various heavy metals that the CII lacked. The Imperial Federation was a major trading partner for the CII and it seemed that this would continue.

"Once things are more calmed down the various nations will go back to focusing on their own problems." Delem thought to himself about it. The great thing about international politics was that self interest took precident over idealism, allowing powerful figures like himself to thrive the way they should.

"With the exception of some worthless hippies." Delem thought about those damm Californians, their last stunt of mirroring that video of Megawati's little slip on the Geletian/Tsalland War had forced those people working on the CII's infamous "Great Firewall" to work double-time to block it.


Agnug's Senatorial Office, the Commonwealth Senate Building

Agnug had just finished the last of the paperwork that would need to go through just before the start of the Senatorial Recess, having a moment to himself his thoughts turned to the very memorable night with Nick Logan. A very smug and pleased smile formed on his face, "I wonder if I made an impression?" then laughed at himself for that. They had both made an impressive impression on each other, but if this was just going to be two ships passing in the night or something more was yet to be seen.

He then opened a desk drawer and pulled out the latest issue of one of Indonesia's men's fashion magazines and began flipping through it, a pleasant distraction since Agnug had discovered long ago that the best way to have leisure time was to make time for it in the first place.

[Chrinthanium]

Nick's Hotel

Logan grabbed his backpack. He reached into his pocket and produced a oack of cigarettes. Tapping the pack lightly against his hand, he jarred one lose. He flipped it into his mouth. As he did, he strapped the backpack to his back. He then flipped open his lighter and in a single, fluid moment, light the cigarette. He walked outside of his hotel room and down to the office. He placed his key on the desk of the hotel office and settled the bill with the government credit card.

Once the recipt was rendered, he stepped back outside and walked aimlessly across the parking lot. He couldn't help but feel he was going to miss such a setting, yet the Imperial government decided to ask him to return home. He would leave in failure at completing his goal, yet he did achieve a fondness for Agung. It would be just a memory for him, now. He felt no reason to continue a relationship of any sort with the young Senator. This was just a reckless weekend of fun.

He managed to hail a cab, and asked the driver to take him to the airport. His flight left in two hours, and he couldn't wait to get back home to Melbourne. He could then deal with the entire Nathaniel and Chad situation. Something which his time in Jakarta had allowed him to ignore, for the moment.

[Kyr Shorn]

Official Communication from the Commonwealth of the Indonesian Islands

To Jon Latham,

The President would be delighted to have a face to face meeting with a representative of the Chrinthanium Empire, though His Excellency feels it would be wise for it to occur either before the Emperor's wedding or afterward seeing as business should not get in the way of such an important event for your people.

The CII does wish to ask if you wish for the meeting to occur in Chrintianium, Jakarta, or an other location?

Signed,
Maya Kapilvastu
Foreign Affairs Minister of the Commonwealth of the Indonesian Islands

[Chrinthanium]

To: Maya Kapilvastu

I am thankful for your gracious reply, and look forward to the meeting. I would be remiss if i didn't state that we would be willing to host such a meeting and also give you a full tour of Sydney and the empire if you so chose.

We shall hold the talks after the wedding, for the emperor will be most willing to hear our discussions upon his return. Currently, he's very busy with his duties as well as the wedding.

Please tell President Brahma that I look forward to meeting him, and hope that our discussion are both fruitful and beneficial to both nations!

Sincerely

Jon Latham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Imperial Federation of Chrinthanium