Citizens of The Isles [IC, TWI only]

[Costavozka]

May 27^th, 1940
8:42 AM, West Argus Time
People's Republic of Costavozka
New Edevar, Ministry Road
Building 2, MoND Complex

Lieutenant, 2nd Grade Fredrik Etelgard hadn't joined the military with the intent of getting a desk job. Yet it was a desk job which he had landed. He was a signals officer working at the Ministry of National Defense's headquarters. Building 2- the Army Headquarters Building- to be specific. It was a coveted job for those who wanted to climb the ranks as quickly as possible. Lieutenant Etelgard wasn't one of those people, and that thought didn't make him like his job any more than he already did. He was promised that as a soldier, he would be able to serve his country. And they had delivered on that promise, although not in the manner that Etelgard had hoped. He had hoped he would be a field officer, fighting on the front lines to preserve freedom like the heroes of the Second Revolution. Men like his father, a legendary infantry officer. Women like his mother, one of the first female tank commanders. When he had heard the news of his station just a few months ago, he was disappointed- despite his family's attempts to console him with reminders of the prestige of the position. He was reflecting on this, when the notification bell rang at his station. A flashing indicator light told him that an encoded communication would be arriving shortly. More than likely just another test of the new system. He just finished preparing his decoder when the teletype began to clack out the coded message. The first portion of the message told him all he needed to know about the nature of the message. VHPM-OCAD-OCND. This was a Very High Priority Message from the Office of the Commander of the Navy to the Office of the Commander of the Army. The fact that this was a VHPM was cause for alarm enough. Those messages were always reserved for matters of the utmost importance. He continued reading as the message was being decoded. Very High Priority Message. Office of the Commander of the Navy to the Office of the Commander of the Army. Solaryí forces preparing for large-scale Argean offensive. Unknown target and date, likely soon. Advise to prepare against naval invasion. Alerting fleet. Hostilities imminent.

Solaryí forces preparing for large-scale Argean offensive. Advise to prepare against naval invasion. Hostilities imminent. The words floated around Lieutenant Etelgard's head for a moment as he made sense of it. War was coming. And soon. The Lieutenant shot up out of his seat, snatched the translated message, and bolted down the building's corridors for the stairs to the third floor where the high command offices were, still putting it in the envelope as he climbed up the stairs. Out of breath, he entered the office of General Franz Saratovik. His assistant was there, as usual. Etelgard explained he had a very high priority for the general of the utmost importance to national security as the assistant buzzed him in. Just prior to entering the office, Etelgard fixed his glasses, cap, and tie, while hastily trying to make himself presentable. As the general rose from his seat, Lieutenant Etelgard snapped to attention, giving General Saratovik a salute. The moment that the message finished transferring hands between the officers, Saratovik opened it, not bothering to dismiss Etelgard, a frown crossing his face. The general placed the paper back on his desk and made a brief phone call, telling whoever was on the end to prepare a meeting before dismissing the Lieutenant. War was coming. It was now all very clear to Etelgard, and he had played a vital role in ensuring his country was ready for it. Pride surged through the junior officer. He had done his duty well and to the letter. So what if it was a simple task? It didn't matter then and wouldn't later. Glory was the last thing on his mind as he made his way back to his station. He knew that the pencil-pusher was just as essential as the infantryman. The bullet-maker as important as the bullet itself. No matter how simple or complex- duty to country was duty to country, and it still could make a difference.

[Solaryia]

10:21 PM: January 29th, 2023
South Mesder Sea
The Tallají

Vervede Eliasz Basara was… greatly bored. Having half heartedly been painting a new layer of paint over the dirty floor for the past 45 minutes, the enlisted sailor mulled over a variety of deep topics, such as if this shade of “battlefleet grey” was slightly more saturated than the shade before. He envied the sailors that were able to get more than four hours of sleep a night, although at least he didn’t have the second watch right in the middle of the night, so he wasn’t in the worst position.

The sailor had just stood up to stretch his back for a few seconds when he heard a faint thump against the side of the ship, although he didn’t have time to consider what it was. The roar of the explosion was deafening, managing to rock the Tallají to its port side for a brief few seconds. Tools, paint, and Eliasz were all thrown up in the air as the floor erupted beneath him like tinfoil, slamming his head against the upper bulkhead before falling nearly three meters from where he’d stood. The ship rocked back onto its starboard side, where seawater started rushing in a torrent through the newly created hole a deck below.

Automatic alarms immediately blared about the ship, ordering sailors out of bed and to their battle stations, many of whom had been woken up as much by the sound and shaking from the blast as they had from the alarm. Basara wasn’t able to hear the alarm however, nor was he able to feel the liquid slowly puddling around his unconscious body, or the pain from being slammed against the bulkhead.


11:34 PM: January 29th, 2023
South Mesder Sea
The Åkrekan

“Did. You. Know.” Commodore Ingemar Adríansson spat out every word with a venom, staring at the figure sitting across from him. There was a brief silence in the Commodore’s office, before the officer of the Internal Security Bureau, the Sikkerbyraa, responded.

“No. We had no intel, at least not within the past couple months, of Vacrus deciding to lay mines, especially this far out. They must’ve put them down recently, in secret, as a response to the war.” The Sikkerbyraa officer spoke in rather fractured sentences, as if he’d had some speaking impairment within his youth.

“Well a lot of great work that you guys are doing with intelligence, huh. Not being able to detect mines right next to a major shipping lane, and then sailing us a couple kilometers into their waters for whatever secret project you spooks cooked up, just to get hit. How am I supposed to explain this to Admiral Eskola?” The Commodore replied in a tone sharper than the ceremonial sabre placed above his desk.

“Don’t worry. I can assure you that the ISB will handle everything back on the mainland. All you need to do is get our ships back in one piece for the rest of the journey.”

Outside, the small flotilla of ships lay idle, the Ilmaneitsa laying parallel to the Tallají as she helped her listing sister frigate. The Kallion class Destroyer Åkrekan, the Commodore’s ship and de facto flagship among the fleet, lay about two hundred meters off the other two ships, providing support. The three ships rocked in the rather rough water, slightly complicating the repair process as crewmembers on the three ships struggled to patch the gaping hole in the Tallají’s hull. It was going to be a long night.


12:07 AM: January 30th, 2023
Eridanis
Internal Security Bureau Headquarters

“So, this is a disaster.” The bearded figure at the head of the table spoke, breaking the awkward silence that had permeated the room for the past few minutes as all attendees of the meeting read their reports, all of them cold in looms and temperance, dressed in black suits or a variety of military uniforms.

“Two sailors dead, thirty some wounded, a hole the size of a semi truck in one of our frigates, and now every country this side of Argus is going to be staring directly at us. And we weren’t even aware that the Vacrusians had even laid mines.” He further commented in a gruff voice, putting the packet of papers down on the table in front of him.

“If it’s any consolation, we managed to carry out the drop off before we had any issues. If we play our cards right, the international community will be too busy focusing on our fleet and squabbling with themselves to patrol for the drones. We can even work to pick them up under the guise of a minesweeping mission at our leisure.” An older woman spoke, seated at the left hand of the meeting’s overseer, who thought for a moment before responding.

“We’ll still need to have an explanation for why our ships dipped into Vacrusian territorial waters. The ships kept as quiet as possible in the hours leading up before the operation per our orders, so we could try to deny that we entered their waters entirely.”

“There was rough weather as well. The cloud cover likely hampered any sort of visibility of our ships, either from satellites or land. And despite the ships staying silent, if anyone was listening, particularly the Vacrusians, they could probably locate the position rather easily.” An officer to the right of the overseer spoke up, dressed in a sleek navy uniform.

“No one will believe the Vacrusians if they raise any complaints. Not now, since they squandered what little diplomatic credence they had left when their navy decided to take potshots at the Havallanders. It would be easy to deny if they manage to dig up anything. The other likely candidate would be Jeriga. They’ll be a wild card if they find out, although they dislike Vacrus even more than we do. We could potentially organize some sort of deal with them for the information we gain in exchange for silence… if they noticed us in the first place of course.” The overseer spoke up again, running a gloved hand along his beard in thought.

“And if someone catches us, and tells everyone?” The naval officer asked, speaking up once again.

“We’ll come up with an explanation. Bad navigation systems and weather, captains steered the ships off course due to incompetence, something like that. The Commodore of the fleet will have to take the fall in that case obviously, although we’ll make sure he’s let off and given a healthy pension as a reward for his service.” The overseer of the meeting thought out loud, observing a brief flash of displeasure cross the naval officer’s face upon hearing mention of the scapegoat.

“So, I guess one of us should notify the Consul.”

[Drewersville]

2/14/23
Luanne City,Drewersville
After House Bill 23 was passed today anyone caught looking inside a window or a public space to see people nude or getting undressed or having sex will be arrested immediately. R-Oswald Peter,District 2 said this bill was for the sake of personal privacy.He noted the infamous Flyer Killer of the 1980's and 1990's he started as a Peeping Tom then he had 50 victims in 7 years.Everyone supported Oswald and the bill was passed so that the charges for being a pervert are 10 years in prison,a $500,000 bond,and 5 years probation.If anyone is a pervert during imprisonment or probation he will have a another charge on top of his previous convictions.

[Geristokia]

29/3/23; 14:56 Local Time
Appartment in Yaketarinbourgh

For the past 4 days now, Students and Factory workers have been rioting outside Ron Yegloch's Appartment. But recently, those rioters have started damaging and vandalisimg certain buildings.
«So much to peaceful protests», he said to himself as he sat down on his couch, turning the TV on. The cartoon he was watching barely overtoned the shouting outside.

Hours later, he was still minding his business, when suddenly, he heard a loud bang outside, followed by gunshots. The proud shouting suddenly turned into paniced screaming.

Ron quickly ran to the window of his apartment to get a view of what is unfolding outside. Several tanks have appeared where the protests had previously been standing, and were firing at anyone standing outside. He could even see how one of the tanks rolled over an injured, but alive man.

In a matter of hours, the city has gone completely silent, indicating it has been completely cleaned from any riots, and the military was leaving again.

Ron sat down again, still traumatized of what had just happened. He was deeply sunken in his thoughts, praying for any victim of the brutality, not noticing as several hours passed by again.

Suddenly, the cartoon shut down, and there was a bit of silence, before suddenly the channel was switched to a News Channel.

Following words were not formed in Geristoke, like he was used to, but instead in traditional Scatish, which of course gave him some problems understanding since he handt been speaking Scatish since he moved out of his parents home 3 years ago.

«Hello, beloved people of Scata,
Today, the Federation has broken their promise to keep peace in our region, by brutally striking down any call for human right.
Far too long have we suffered from this national tragedy our ancestors have put on us, but today marks the beginning of a new, free and indenpendent Scata. To our brave man fighting of the GLF [Geristoke Liberation Force(s)], we thank you for your service. It is you who-»
The broadcast was suddenly put out, probably in an attempt to censor these things by the Parliament in Paradisna.

Rons hate was sparkling, lit up by the Propaganda he had just seen.
He knew his duty, the task he now carries upon himself. He knows what he has to do, and he will put his life down to achieve the goal.

[Cyrosia]

31/03/2023
8:38 pm, Local time
Ladon Plaza, central Kirushna

The streets of Kirushna were never quiet, always buzzing with activity regardless of the hour. Although most people would enjoy a Friday night going out with their friends to one of the many bars in the city, or go to any of the various concert halls, theaters, and restaurants the city had to offer, Sarysh Kharat was not so lucky. She worked with the legal team of Chancellor Nasryar's son, Nakal Nasryar, who had gotten himself involved in a nationwide corruption scandal along with his uncle, former Chancellor Jash Nasryar, and members of both the Kirys Family and the Kuzyn group. This scandal first popped up in 2022, and involved illegal government contracts being handed out by Jash and the Kirys family to a subsidiary of one of the Kuzyn group's companies. These contracts were usually energetic contracts and involved leases and permissions to extract natural gas on the King Daryush Island nature reserve, on the King Daryush Island Union Territory. Now, what did Nakal, an 18-year-old law student at the Kirushna School for Economy and Diplomacy, have to do with all of this? Well, he was the boyfriend of Nasar Kuzyn's son, Kyr Kuzyn, at the time of the scandal, and was suspected to be the middleman between the government and the Kuzyn group through his boyfriend, who is also being investigated and accused by the General Attorney.

Sarysh sat just outside the Ministry of Justice and Law, on a bench near the central fountain of Ladon plaza, smoking a cigarette while reading some documents. The plaza was mostly empty this time of night, except for a few police officers and security guards from the ministries located right by the plaza, as well as some of her colleagues. She read intently, her glasses reflecting the light from one of the nearby lamp posts. She inhaled the cigarette, letting out a huge cloud of smoke as she exhaled. "Huh, this is... interesting, to say the least", she said to herself, as she turned the page of the report she was reading. She had been stressed senseless all day, having meeting after meeting with Nakal and Jash, then with the Chancellor herself, then with the rest of the legal team, with some witnesses... She even had to cancel her lunch break to meet with the General Attorney, Mr. Khal Aredhan-Ishar. She had put this report as the last item on her schedule before going back home, as it had a minor chance of helping on the case, or so she thought. However, as she turned the page, she read some very concerning claims that could save Nakal from being convicted at the cost of Jash's entire defense. "This will work to save the boy from going to jail..." She said to herself, as she read more and more proof that Nakal was, for the most part, completely innocent.

Sarysh Kharat, one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the entirety of Cyrosia, was just about to give hell to the attorneys and defense lawyers of everyone involved in this case. She had never lost a single case in court, and a reckless and very unfortunate 18-year-old student was not going to be her first loss... Even if the allegations made on the report, which involved extorsion and the use of drugs to manipulate the kid's mind, were his uncle's downfall. She finished smoking her cigarette, adjusted her glasses, and stood up, heading straight back into the Ministry of Justice and Law. As she did, she picked up her cell phone and called the Director of the Kyrushaar Central Office of Intelligence, who besides being a close friend of hers, also owed her a few favors. "Hey, Theshar, remember that favor you owe me, the one you promised after the Silversun case? Well, I have some work for you... I might have found the key to winning the Nasryar case" She said as she smiled, confident on her friend's capability of gathering up all the evidence needed to clean young Nakal's name.

[Coldwoods]

04/15/2023 5:29 PM CST
Paddock’s Dive Bar
280 Main Street,
Plymouth, Mayflower, 21319
Coldwoods

Johnny Corleone cut the ignition to his 1993 Bird Conveyor van and reached into the glove box. Corleone pulled out his custom made Delino Ranger six shooter and stepped out of his van. Today was a charming spring night with temperatures being unusually high for this time of year. Corleone opened the doors in the back revealing a Hawthorn 500 shotgun. Corleone put on gloves and grabbed the gun. Corleone tensed as he heard the swish of a car pass by him before realizing that it was just a transit bus. Corleone walked towards the door of Paddock’s and paused before entering. Corleone slammed open the door and fired at the ceiling. “Everybody stop moving and show me your signs!” In a booth to the left, twenty one year old Charlie Hanson, an off duty state trooper, drew his Delino 1711 and demanded Corleone drop his weapon. Corleone turned and fired onto Hanson, fatally wounding the 21 year old. Silence filled the bar followed by screams. Governor Ryan McDoogle began praying in his stool before getting knocked to the ground by Corleone's gun. McDoogle begged for his life but Corleone proceeded to fire two shots into McDoogle killing him. Corleone then fired onto the bar owner, Gabe Cranston, 57, killing him as well. The rest of the patrons began to run to the back of the bar and Corleone fired a shot into the back of Edward Kennedy killing him. Corleone began firing into the crowd before running out of ammo Corleone shouted “I’ll be back to finish the rest of ya! The Corleone’s don’t back down!” and bolted out the door. Corleone’s Conveyor screeched out of the parking lot at 5:32 PM, beating police response time by three minutes.

[Sundberg]

April 19, 2023
11:03 AM, Sundberg Standard Time
Gissen Strait, Principality of Sundberg

Sara Johansson was reading The Kicking Goat library of the MS Södrahavet, which is currently on route from Annahamn to the capital of Kissahamn. Currently, it is crossing the Gissen Strait en route to its final destination in Kissahamn. While she was reading her novel, she was later startled when her girlfriend Monica Andersson suddenly walked in and sat down at the chair located opposite of her.

"Man, the Gissen Strait sure is pretty," said Monica, while looking out at the sea.

"Yeah," responded Sara, "Look! You can see my grandparent's hometown from here!"

"Wait." stated Monica, while fidgeting with some trinkets "Your grandparents live in Staalhamn?"

"Ja," said Sara

The boat continued it's way until it stopped at Kissahamn Port. Monica and Sara departed the boat together along with a cohort of tourists. They later exited Kissahamn Port and went on their way to Kristiansgatan.

[Biaten]

6:25pm, 19th May 2023
Greensted District, Hachen

The city's streets were alive with the sound of laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses and bottles. Since the creation of the two-day weekend, Hachenian Friday nights have always been alive with the sounds of laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses and bottles - the streets, nightclubs and bars filled with students, partygoers, and anyone else looking for a good time, either in an inebrated way or a sexual way, while those with too much self-respect, ill or simply looking for a quiet evening stay in their cosy homes, maybe sneak in a spliff or two to drown out the stresses in their lives. This Friday night was not much different, except for Emily Tindall, a 21-year-old second year student in law at the University of Madame Blue on a government scholarship. Emily would spend many of her Friday nights with her closest girlfriends, only tonight most of her friends are either ill, preparing for their exams or away on their May trips abroad. Luckily for Emily, she is not alone tonight, for she has a date.

In the fancy retail district of Greenstad in the north of Central Hachen, the young Emily sits at a table for two at the Pearl Valley restaurant, a lush restaurant with a soothing atmosphere. Her cyan dress makes her glow like the candlelight on her table. She awaits her date.

In walks Aaron Fegelein, a 22-year-old student in Politics and International Relations at the same university as Emily, a young, handsome, dashing young man with dark hair slicked back at the sides and fluffed at the front.

"So sorry I'm late", said Aaron.
"Late? You're 5 minutes early!" proclaimed Emily, with a slight chuckle in her tone.
"Am I?" Asked Aaron. "My watch must be running fast again."

They dove into conversations about their shared interests, exchanging stories and laughter as the evening progressed. Unlike many other dates she has been on, Emily felt very at ease and relaxed around Aaron. As they savoured their delectable dishes, the restaurant buzzed with the symphony of gentle conversation and soft music. Emily and Aaron shared their dreams, aspirations, and even their favourite childhood memories. Both of them aspired to become civil servants after they graduated, Emily in the Ministry of Justice and Aaron in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Aaron himself has recently been accepted as a domestic representative. At the end of the dinner, the two agree to split the bill, despite Aaron's insistence that he pay for the whole meal.

On their way out of the restaurant, Emily offers a proposal to Aaron which she has never done on a first date before.
"Want to come back to my place for coffee?"
"Sure." said Aaron.
The two walk along the street and into the darkness. Despite the innocence of her proposal, Emily never means just coffee. Has Aaron's charmed worked too well this evening?

[Aeteros]

October 28th 1756
6:15 AM
Portuguese Colony of Aeteros
Outside of Sonaris

David Martinas stood quietly watching the sun rise, the warmth on his face banishing the autumn chill that had taken hold overnight. Surveying the daunting fortifications of the last bastion of Portuguese control on the island. The gentle rolling fields outside the city had been transformed to a crater filled hellscape, the cannons had torn his men to shreds every time they attempted to take the gigantic walls. Even the offensive fury of his contemporary the recently crowned King Aeter IV had not been successful in overwhelming the hardened Portuguese defenders. He could feel the distance that had been growing between the two men ever since Aeter had crowned himself. He remembered those early hours in the beginning of their grand revolution dreaming of a republic, his books of notes and writings on the foundation of a new and fair state, was it all a lie? Aeter had seemed at least interested in such a future, perhaps that was just to ensure David would join his cause. Perhaps the actual success and victories had gone to his head? The rapid footsteps of an approaching message carrier had driven David from his thoughts.

"Sir! Aeter IV has convened a strategy meeting"

He nodded, and the man left presumably to alert the next bigwig as David began the slow walk across camp to Aeter IV's quarters. It was important to keep the generals all happy even if these meetings did nothing to actually further their goals. I suppose they'll suggest another full frontal assault? I'm sure the next one will go better than the previous four he thought sarcastically. Though he couldn't blame them, despite his best efforts their naval forces were practically nonexistent, its not like they could attack from the sea- then the idea hit him like a fully loaded carriage. The Upreans, while not a naval power either had sent a token force of a few dozen sailors and a few ships as a show of solidarity given their coinciding revolts. While not enough to take the port it might pull just enough forces away from the walls to allow their frontal assault to succeed. He found himself now running to this meeting, for once he might actually have a half decent idea.

[Tricklandia]

[the post that was here is now non-canon. Ignore pls]

[Verska]

17th of December, 2023
On the street of Gelişmiş Başkent

There was no snow in the city, but the air was noticeably cooler. The hills and mountains surrounding the capital brought down cooled wind where it would be heated by the houses. A man wearing a thick jacket walked on the street of Gelişmiş Başkent. He walked briefly before stopping, then he paced back and forth. "Assalamu'alaikum!" said a voice from across the street, it was a baker who was about to open his shop.

The man turned his head to the baker, and replied "Wa'alaikumsalam." His voice was firm but had a hint of trembling. He approached the baker and shook his han.

"Is there something wrong, brother? I saw you walked back and forth like you were searching for a swimming bee!" The baker asked. There was a nametag on his apron that read Furqan.

The man replied, "No..." He stopped for a while, thinking what he should say next. "Furqan, my friend..."

Furqan saw how the man, who had been his friend for several years, stopped his words. He invited his friend to have a cup of coffee inside the bakery, his friend declined at first but accepted. Once inside, both of them had a cup of coffee and made small talks, talking about the weather and family. Until finally the distraught man explained that he had been fired from his job last week and couldn't pay for this month's rent. "I don't have the money, they are going to kick me out of the apartment and leave me on the street! My children can stay at my parent's home, but what about my wife? We can't live there forever and burdened my parent."

The man stopped for a moment, before continuing "I am at loss...Furqan, I'm at loss."

Furqan lifted his cup of coffee and sipped it, he then went behind the counter and picked an envelope. "My friend, do you know what's inside of this envelope?"

"Well, no..." The man said with confusion.

Furqan sat down and put the envelope right beside his friend's cup of coffee. "Several years ago, you gave an orphan some spare changes out of your own pocket. It is only a few Akçes, do you remember it?" Furqan asked to his friend, which was replied with a no from his friend. "Today, he came to here saying that he had been looking for you. I tried to show him where you live, but he was in a hurry and asked me to give this to you. I just remembered about it a couple of seconds ago."

The man took the envelope and opened it. To the man's surprise, inside it were several thousands of Akçes and a letter. The man looked at Furqan with a look that he was going to ask Furqan. "Read the letter, that's what the orphan said to me." Said Furqan.

The man read the letter, it was written as this:

Assalamu'alaikum, good sir.

You might not remember, but I remember your name, the one that gave me a small amount of Akçes when I was a small orphan. It was a small amount, but it gave me another day to eat, another day to quench my thirst. Several years had passed and now I can support myself, to provide myself with days to eat and drink water. Now that I have been in this state, I searched for those who had helped me in the past, to repay those days which I was in a hard time. Although I may not be able to see you face-to-face due to my occupation, I hope that what's in this envelope can repay my debt.

Sincerely, the one you once helped in the past.

Tears slowly fell as he read the letter. He tried to wipe it but it tears flowed again. He remembered that back then, he gave coins from his pocket and didn't even pay much attention at the boy he gave money to. But now the money was returned to him several times larger! Enough to pay the apartment rent for several months. Furqan patted his friend's shoulder to calm him.

As an old Verskan proverb once state:

What is to a man one fish, for another man it is gold. One might own a castle and consider himself poor; another might own a shack and consider himself rich.

[Ainslie]

Questions to the Executive 15 Jan 24
2:12pm, 15 January 2024
Arenessé Unilectare, Ahnerten

A relatively large room, made out of a stately dark timber with a grey carpet in the centre was quickly being filled by a number of hurried though chatty individuals. Some are wiping what remains of their lunch off of their faces, acutely aware of the cameras that watch every move of the next hour's activities. Others have not had lunch, instead opting to spend their early afternoon furiously preparing and consulting with the stakeholders and communities who keep them in power. Others walk into the room having just left a strategy meeting, preparing for what questions could come up in the next hour.

It, of course, is Questions to the Executive - a time where representatives of Ainslie's federal legislature, the Arenessé could ask Ministers, the Deputy Prime Minister and on occasion the Prime Minister too, questions about how they are running the country. Whilst the Prime Minister, who was in attendance, commanded a reasonable majority of the chamber, representatives even from his side were forbidden from being coached or told what to ask him or any of the other ministers. Regardless, they were on his side - there is little threat and if one does pose a threat, the party will likely feel the threat too - and act in a less graceful way towards them than a Prime Minister is expected to. The real curveball is what the other side would ask - whether that be the newly crowned minority party, ACEGAD - who had been in power for over a decade until Turrena's and his leftist party surged out of nowhere to win the last election, or the rather collaborative and friendly STEP representatives - or the odd rogue independent asking about their personal passion project.

The Prime Minister, a tall yet well-built figure with a beaming smile, sat down on the front bench facing the dispatch box. Within the next few minutes, his Ministers took their seats, along with the rest of the representatives of Ainslie's legislature. As the room slowly hushed to a manageable volume, the speaker saw that the time was right to recommence proceedings for the afternoon.

"Questions to the Executive. I call the Prime Minister.", the speaker (S) firmly declared to the gathered representatives of the Arenessé, who had just returned from their New Year's break.

PM: "Thank you Madane Speaker. I must apologise to the Arenessé collectively and notify them about the absence of some of my cabinet this afternoon. The Minister for Infrastructure will not be present today. In his place, the Deputy Prime Minister will answer for matters relating to his portfolio. The Treasury-General is also not present today. As usual in such an instance, the Minister for Business, Finance and the Economy will answer for matters relating to his portfolio. I note that the Deputy Prime Minister is in attendance, as am I."

S: "As we begin, I would firstly like to take the time warmly welcome His Excellency Néstor Palacios, Speaker of the Assembly of Saint Ardor del Alba and his delegation to the Arenessé today. His delegation arrived in Ahnerten this morning and are spending three days in our fine city. We do hope that they have a productive and pleasant stay here."

After saying this, the Prime Minister nodded and looked up to the Gallery, smiling at Mr Palacios and his delegation. It was rare that a non-government official from as far as the Central Mesder would come to Ainslie, let alone to observe the happenings of its legislature. A few moments later the speaker then rose to speak again.

"I now call the Representative for Aner River.", the speaker declared.

"Thank you Madane Speaker. My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, who is answering questions for the Minister for Infrastructure today. Would you please update the Arenessé on the excellent work of the Federal Government in my home electorate, Arlanah, in promoting and pioneering the green energy transition.", the Representative for Aner River stated.

The Deputy Prime Minister, a confident and competent political operator, walked up to the centre of the room, placing her folder down in front of the microphone before responding to the representative.

"I thank the Representative for Aner River for their question, and commend them on their commitment to their community in the northern suburbs of Anertah. They are a group that is not forgotten by this government and that is shown not just in words but in funds and in projects now. There is an innovative and ambitious leader of Arlanah, and here in Ahnerten there is a Federal Government eager to work with Her Excellency on projects that push the electorate forward and set it up for the future.

One of the key priorities in this area is the energy transition. Arlanah, as many here assembled would know, has typically been an energy importer. It has relied on natural gas and on coal, hydrocarbons that inevitably will be phased down in the grand economic changes that are occurring in our country.

This government refuses to leave Arlanah behind. Over the past two months, we have been intensely collaborating and continuing our good dialogue with the Arlanite Government on how we can best support them in terms of providing guarantees for long-term energy policy. In particular, both of our governments have acknowledged the enormous solar energy potential that the electorate has. This can be shown through the new Sonturrise 1 project, which is partially funded and owned by our Federal Government - a solar energy thermal plant which is a shining and promising light for a growing green manufacturing sector in the electorate. In addition to this, we continue to explore opportunities in areas such as wind and battery technology as well as biofuels. We are already directing millions of Ahnsens into solar in Arlanah and are actively exploring doubling - or perhaps even more than doubling - the financial commitment made with a view to seeing how best the Federal Government can also bring into reality the ambitious expansions of the Sonturrise project that the Arlanite Government is eager to invest in."

The Deputy Prime Minister then moved away from the microphone and returned to her seat. No later than that occurring, the speaker called upon the Representative for Garven - who is an ACEGAD politician from Norlands.

The Prime Minister gave brief eye contact to his Deputy Prime Minister. The fact that a Norlands politician, let alone a northern Norlands politician, was the first to speak for ACEGAD sent a strong signal as to what issues the minority party wanted to put on the agenda this afternoon.

S: "And now I call the Representative for Garven"

"Thank you Madane Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Defence and National Security and if he sees fit given the nature of the question, the Prime Minister. How does this government plan to protect the thousands of Sapphire Coast residents and those in the Lesvan diaspora in the region from an increasingly unpredictable and antagonistic regime in Saela?", the representative for Garven asked.

Without hesitation, Isaac Berin, the Minister for Defence and National Security stood up and walked towards the dispatch box - looking like he had prepared for this question his whole life. In a firm yet reassuring voice, he began to address the question the representative had asked him.

"I would like to thank the Representative for Garven for his question and commend him on his work in the defence space, particularly his contributions to this country as a keen observer and advocate for stronger measures and tools at Ainslie's disposal to respond to matters such as hybrid warfare and the increasing breadth by which those wishing to do our nation harm can do so.", Minister Berin began.

"Now to the representative's specific question. I have visited Denarow, Cardene, Garven multiple times since becoming Defence Minister. I do not doubt the representative's concerns are shared by some within his community, because I have heard them myself. The Turrena Government has been actively listening - and responding - to the concerns of the Sapphire Coast in particular as well as those in strategically significant industries as to the threat posed by foreign governments who may wish to influence or disrupt the way we do things here in Ainslie.

We have strengthened our communications laws, and focused in on protecting and shielding critical infrastructure and industries. We have committed to an upgrade of the barracks at Denarow and continue to bolster the capabilities of our Northern Division of troops. There are more soldiers north of Arborai than there has been since the 1990s and our government will continue to ensure that the security and defence of our north is a top priority and a pressing concern for our government - and we are acting to ensure it.

We must remember that our first defence is not our armed forces. We do not wish to face those who may wish to do us harm at the stage that we may be contemplating military action against them. We must start with our communities - we need to make them strong, active and resilient. Our Government continues, through the councils, to run programs to prevent misinformation from taking hold and to ensure that our people know the calming truth that the Lesvans pose no direct threat to our territorial sovereignty.

It is not in our national interest to act as though they are. Our intelligence suggests that they have no interest in invading our nation - if they did, we would likely have some form of warning as our nation's north, or anywhere in our nation for that matter, is not an easy place to overwhelm and control. Our diplomatic weight, our economic weight and the strength of our communities will ensure our people remain protected - and if necessary, we stand committed to defending EVERY CENTIMETRE of Ahnslen territory."

After the Minister finished his speech, the representatives behind him all stood up in support of what he had said - as well as a scattered group of independents and even some in the minority.

The next two questions largely covered Ainslie's attempts to build a new greenfield city along its new high speed rail corridor, and to boost the manufacturing potential of Ahnerten's traditional manufacturing heartland - its eastern suburbs. After confidently navigating fairly easy questions, yet another Norlands ACEGAD member was preparing to ask Turrena's Ministers some hard questions.


S: "And now, I call upon the Representative for Denarow to present his question."

"Thank you Madane Speaker.", Ausra Irrilene, the representative, began as he shuffled his notes before continuing.

"I refer to the recent passage of Resolution 30 of the League of The Western Isles. It, amongst other things, implores nations to "impose targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on the Throngist regime and its supporters". It describes the regime in Saela as one which is "incompatible with the democratic principles and values of the League of the Western Isles and the universal declaration of human rights". Mr Prime Minister, when will your government align itself with the international consensus and take real action against the illegitimate regime in Saela?"

"Our Government continues to follow expert advice. Our advice indicates that the measures suggested under Resolution 30 would not be effective against the regime in Saela. We continue to look at how to best manage our relationship with the Lesvans, particularly considering the unique complexities and connections Ainslie as a nation has with it. I'll refer to the Foreign Minister, who can expand more fully on the question at hand.", the Prime Minister quickly responded before sitting down.

As he sat down, a group of representatives began to hurl insults at him in a rather disjointed yet unified manner. The Speaker, taking note of this, quickly changed complexion from being inquisitive to being deeply irritated. Leaning into the microphone, she believed it was time for a reprimand.

"Representatives who wish to spend the duration of this proceeding in this room should refrain from such undignified language, particularly towards senior executive officials. Now I call the Foreign Minister to address the floor if she wishes to do so."

After briefly looking up from her notes, the Foreign Minister offered a broad dismissive flick of the hand - with the speaker then nodding and moving on.


S: "The representative for Armari has the call."

"Thank you Madane Speaker. In light of that past question, I must confess that I am morally bound to go off script. My new question is to the Prime Minister. When will the Turrena Government align itself with the international consensus and rightfully condemn the illegitimate regime in Saela, and treat them as the wholly incongruent stain to Gael that they are.", the representative asked.

"I thank the representative for Armari for their question...", the Prime Minister began as he got settled into his answer before continuing "...and refer to the wider context of the international response to Resolution 30. What we saw was far from unanimity. In fact, the Alteran executive branch clearly was a major driver in addition to rather unsurprising supporters of the resolution and beyond that many nations have acted in compliance but not enthusiastic support of the resolution.

As for Ainslie, our calculations are very different. Our economies remain connected, as do our peoples. Our expert advice suggests that the current approach Ainslie is taking is the ideal way forward for us to manage the relationship with those who are governing from Saela. Whether we wish to condemn them or not is irrelevant to that point. I will not get into the revealing of such classified information in an open and public place like this, but the Ahnslen Government has not in the past and is unlikely to in the future adopt such an extreme step such as condemning a neighbouring nation. Such words, particularly from a nation like ours, demand a response equal to them or exceeding them. The short answer is whilst the actions of those governing from Saela will change our response and relationship to towards them, such public condemnation is not going to be productive or in the Ahnslen interest.

Now I refer to the international consensus. It is well documented that there are governments now struggling with how the Resolution 30 text is to be implemented. Other nations may choose to condemn the Throngist regime and then decide what to do. I struggle to see what meaningful or actionable international consensus our government is expected to act on, when many governments are still trying to formulate a cohesive and meaningful policy response to the text of the resolution. Words unnecessarily inflame in this situation, without further action. When our government sees fit, we will act. However, we will not act hastily or in a way that promotes instability. We are not afforded such a luxury here on the east bank of the Leikart River."


S: "The Representative for Eradine has the call."

"Thank you Madane Speaker. My question is simple. Mr Prime Minister, how do you reconcile your commitment to democratic and liberal values with your government's failure to properly denounce and distance itself from the illegal Throngist regime in Saela?", the representative for Eradine forcefully asked.

The Prime Minister, almost in a machine-like way expecting the inevitable follow-up question from the minority party on the same topic, approached the centre of the room to answer what felt like the last question repeated.

"It is no secret I have political views that may not be congruent with that of those who govern from Saela. However, my duty is to the Ahnslen people and my responsibility is to act in the national interest of the Unified Electorates. Whilst I am speaking with a majority of representatives sat behind me, I could afford to take some liberties under the logic that I have a mandate to do so. In this instance, I believe being careful is in the national interest of the Unified Electorates though. My politics does deeply shape my policy platform, but it may not cloud my judgment and loyalty to the Ahnslen peoples as those opposite me may wish it to.", the Prime Minister sharply replied to the representative for Eradine's question.


S: "And now to the Representative for Berresen."

"Thank you Madane Speaker. I note the pleasing commencement of the activities of the Centre for Lesvan Civil Society. Mr Prime Minister, will your government respect the expert advice of this research institute in the future when they reach the inevitable conclusion that your government refuses to acknowledge?"

"Our government will continue to act in accordance with the advice we receive. Where information is reliable, we will take it into consideration as we deliberate which policy option we should take. There is nothing at present that suggests the Centre would not be one - but only one - of many of those sources.", the Prime Minister replied.

Prime Minister Turrena sat as he heard the reassuring though pompous theatre of the representative for Karva as she asked her question. Her question could be of no threat, he confidently thought. After listening closely, the Prime Minister began in response to her question - which happened to cover one of his most favourite topics of late - the Midlands HVR-2 corridor which was set to boost growth along a long-neglected transport corridor between Mandara and Harlessie. Once he sat down, he briefly noticed the representative for Derregen, who was intensely staring at him.

Tobi Turrena returned a look, smiling before realising that the one person he was expecting to ask such hawkish questions as he had had to navigate during the past hour was keenly interested in him right before the final question.

He knew what this was.

This was psychological warfare.

The representative for Derregen had the last question, the last chance to really drive home ACEGAD's puzzling attack of his government's handling of Throngist Lesva, given that they would have been more measured, slow and muted in their response. They were the minority party though - and for as long as they were, the East Ainslie ACEGAD doves could send their Norlands hawks in with no concerns about how it could come back to haunt them.

Aware of what was about to come, Turrena tuned back into what the Speaker was about to say - essentially knowing what was about to be said. In due course, the speaker leant into the microphone to speak.

"And now the final question from the representative for Derregen.", she declared

"Thank you Madane Speaker. I do hope the Prime Minister this afternoon has appreciated the forceful opposition of many of us here in the Arenessé to his policies in relation to the illegitimate Throngist regime in Lesva. If I am to take a liberty with the standing rules, I would like to express my personal disappointment at the Prime Minister's failure of his own commitment to being a principled, collaborative leader on the international stage. I regret to inform the Arenessé that our credibility is going to be greatly damaged by this administration's lack of will to stand up for democracy, liberty and multilateralism.

In light of this, my question is addressed to the Foreign Minister. Does the Foreign Minister believe that a course correction in our relationship with the illegitimate Throngist regime in Lesva is necessary in order to save our international image and protect the credibility of this great nation?", the representative said in a melodic tone which only thinly veiled his passionate views on Ainslie's relationship with Throngist Lesva.

Turrena looked to his right, quickly noticing the Foreign Minister looking rather composed and unsurprised by the question she was just asked. The Prime Minister, for his part, was expecting to be directly attacked by the representative. Rather, Representative Jellene Radane, a veteran and long-serving reservist in the Ahnslen Army had instead deployed an indirect manoeuvre to trap his opponent - to call on his Foreign Minister, who happened to be from Norlands, to navigate what is a politically sensitive topic in her community whilst protecting the image of the government she served in such a high capacity in.

"I fully support the policies of the Turrena Government. My personal opinion, after it is expressed in confidence within Cabinet deliberations, is irrelevant to the policy or the governing of this country. I respect and remain loyal to the decision of the Cabinet, who have duly taken my advice into consideration.", Foreign Minister Carvali coldly replied with before sitting back down.

An Absolute master of the game, the Prime Minister thought to himself.

[Kilomire]

Monastery of Molarth,
Kilomire

Dearest Father,

I write you from my home in the greatest Monastery to have been founded in the humble service to Christ and his church. For years now, I have thought back on my childhood and all that has transpired since I left your wretched abode. It is with these thoughts in mind that I respond to your letter asking me to come back to help you in your “most trying times” and to aid “your good father in repayment for all” I’ve been given. Given the nature of this request and your leveraging my childhood against me in this request, I felt it would be prudent to list all that you had given me so as to find the sum of the value of these great “gifts”.

You gave me a roof over my head, food to eat as often as you were sober, and a stable and happy relationship within the home (so long as you weren’t cheating just then), a fair regimen of punishment (if by fair, you mean that I didn’t die) that made me a hard and determined man, and the continuation of your love (when you weren’t placing every obstacle in my path to destroy me).

The value of these gifts should be self-evident.

However, when one considers gifts, one must also consider all that was taken, stolen, or otherwise removed by the giver. In this case, the list is long, but not inexhaustible. It should be easy to recite the most damaging of them.

For one, you stole my childhood. For many, this is not worthy of the first place, but it was just the first of many crimes and they should be placed in chronological order. It was you who told me I should hate you one night as you stumbled – drunk – through the gutters of Eylau. I never took your advice, but I took your fists when you were drunk. That is just one example of all that you have done to steal my childhood. There are many others.

Secondly, you stole my future. As we both know, I was meant for great things. I am intelligent, determined, and full of energy to do what I believe is right in this world. But, unable to kill me, you pulled strings from above that sabotaged my career, my education, and even my marriage. There is nothing you can do that will bring about forgiveness for that.

Finally, you stole my dignity. When you caught me in what you called “sin worthy of all the fires of hell”, you posted the videos all over the internet. The police threatened you with jail, so you took them down. But they did put me in prison. For five long years, I suffered. Now I waste away in this monastery, fully converted – or so they think. I must live a lie because of you.

So, instead of helping you in your old age, I will wish you the only thing you have ever willingly given me: pain. I hope your end is as painful as your eternal life will be.

Your loving son,

Ashlir

Archbishop Antony Faliz put the letter down in front of Ashlir, a scowl across his face. “Or so we think?” He stood and looked down at the cowering Ashlir. “A priest and this is what you do? Not only a priest, but a servant of the Monastery of Molarth? At least you had the propriety to praise this bastion of faith in your first line. Then, you have the gall to say that you are wasting away?” He glared and spoke through barred teeth. “I took you in, I vouched for you all those years ago, and this is the thanks I get!”

Ashlir hung his head, silently fuming. He only looked up when a file landed in front of him.

“Open it!” the Archbishop yelled.

Ashlir shook his head. He knew what it contained.

“I thought you wouldn’t. You’re a coward, Ashlir. You are lucky I am willing to overlook this in light of who your father is and our past relationship. But you are to turn in your robes and be gone by the end of the day.”

Ashlir nodded his head as the Archbishop grabbed the file and threw it into the fireplace.

“Go.”

[Great Altera]

Tuesday 30th January, 2024
Somewhere East of the Lesvan Coast

As we approached the Lesvan airspace, I checked the altimeter and the fuel gauge. The KA.140 was a reliable machine, but flying at night in a war zone was always risky. We had to avoid radar detection and enemy fire, while maintaining radio silence and following a tight schedule.

"Alpha One, this is Alpha Two. Do you copy?" The voice of my wingman came through the intercom.

"Copy, Alpha Two. What's your status?" I replied.

"Green across the board. ETA to LZ is 15 minutes. How about you?"

"Same here. No sign of trouble so far."

Our mission was to extract a group of Alteran special forces from Lesva, a country newly torn apart and in the vice-grip of civil war. We didn't know much about the mission we were tasked with; only that it was classified and urgent. Our briefing early merely made note of a group of special forces that had infiltrated deep into Lesvan territory, near the port of Reti, and needed to be extracted as soon as possible.

From our base in Northern Altera, we had set off heading north out to sea, turned West across the ocean and crossed the border at low altitude - engines at near max-throttle. We were a pair KA.140 tilt rotor transport aircraft, each carrying a crew of four and capable of up to a dozen or so soldiers. However in this run, we only had our standard crew and a pair of soldiers to act as support for the extraction.

The KA.140 itself was a versatile aircraft, capable of vertical take-off and landing, as well as hovering and cruising like a helicopter or a plane. It was usually unarmed as it was merely a medium utility transport, but what it lacked in firepower it made up for in manoeuvrability and versatility.

As for the situation in Lesva, we has some clue as to what was happening. The Alteran government wanted long wanted Lesva to turn away from its Throngist ideology and towards a democracy, free market economy nation. So - outside the usual diplomatic and trade policies - they had been funding the Free Lesvan Army, as a counterbalance to the Throngist government. Equipped and trained to a high Alteran standard, the government had hoped the FLA would hold - in part - to tip the balance of power in their favour should Lesvan decide to liberate themselves.

However, those well-made plans didn't carry themselves out as planned. The FLA, having seen the change in attitude within Alteran politics, had taken upon themselves to act sooner and join forces with the exiled Lesvan forces. Sources of reliable information was scarce and rumours were rife - but it seemed likely that the FLA had commandeers - or smuggled themselves - aboard a series of tankers and ferries to gain passage into Lesva. In their hastily planned operation, they smuggled themselves into Lesva to lay low - rising up when the signal was given.

That was less than a week ago. Lesva was in flames, and Altera had assets in Lesva. We were sent to, presumably, get someone - or something - out of the warzone.

Highly trained and experts at a range of warfare, the special forces of Altera were the best of the best, able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best the militaries of the region could offer. They could sneak in, get the mission executed, and extract without alerting the enemy. They worked closely with the military branches, but on black-ops missions, it was a need-to-know basis. We didn't know what they had done in Lesva, or why they needed to be extracted so urgently, nor did we ask any questions, either. We were just doing our job, following orders, and trusting our superiors.

Shortly before reaching the extraction point, we switched to hover mode and scanned the area for any signs of the special forces or the enemy in the forest clearing. The night vision goggles gave us a green-tinted view of the dark landscape.

"Alpha One, this is Bravo One. We are at the LZ. Do you see us?"

A new voice came through the intercom. It was the leader of the special forces.

"Affirmative, Bravo One. We see you. We are landing now. Be ready to board." I said.

Dust and leaves were kicked up as we descended to the ground. We opened the rear ramp and the side doors, and the special forces ran towards us. They were wearing black uniforms and helmets, carrying assault rifles and backpacks. They looked like they had been through hell. Some of them had blood stains and bullet holes on their clothes. One of them was limping, supported by another. They reeked of the stench was war; the familiar smell of gunpowder and sweat.

"Move, move, move!" The leader shouted, urging his men to board the aircraft. They quickly filled up the seats and the cargo bay. We counted 12 of them, the same number we had been told to expect.

"Alpha One, this is Bravo One. We are all in. Let's get out of here," the leader said, a faint air of exhausted and relief in his voice.

"Copy that, Bravo One. Alpha Two, are you ready to go?" our pilot asked our wingman; who had been hovering nearby in support.

"Ready, Alpha One. Let's go."

The ramp and the doors were closed, and we lifted off the ground. We switched to horizontal flight, and accelerated to cruising speed. We headed back to the border, following the same route we had taken.

The first part of the mission was completed, but we still had a long way to go. We had to fly low to avoid detection from Lesvan radar and ground forces. We had no escort or backup. We were unarmed, except for our self-defence weapons. We were vulnerable if spotted by aircraft or anti-air batteries; only able to rely that our electronic warfare systems and piloting would keep us safe.

The loadmaster of Alpha One, the lead aircraft, was me. I was young, excited, but nervous. I had joined the Alteran air force two years ago, after graduating from the academy. I had always dreamed of flying, and the KA.140 was my favourite aircraft. I had trained hard and passed all the tests, earning the respect of my crew and my superiors. I had participated in several training missions and multi-national exercises, but this was my first real combat mission.

The special forces were silent and tense during the flight. They didn't talk to each other, or to us, only exchanged brief nods and glances. They seemed to be hiding something, or protecting something - with mysterious aura about them, that made me curious and uneasy.

One of them caught my eye. He was sitting next to the wounded soldier - who had a bandage around his arm. He had a scar on his cheek, and a piercing gaze, looking at me with a mix of gratitude and suspicion. The veteran nodded slightly and, unsure how exactly to respond, I nodded back. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a small metal case. He opened it, and I saw a flash of something shiny and round. Noticing my gaze, he closed it quickly, and tucked it back into his backpack. Looking at me again, he shook his head. "Don't ask", he mouthed.

I didn't ask - I didn't want to know. I had a feeling that whatever was in that case, it was the reason for their mission, and their extraction. It was something important, something dangerous, something secret. As far as I know it could change the course of the war, or the world - or it was some politician's dirty secret. Who knew.

I didn't want to know.

[Lesva]

Headquarters of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva, Najimam, March 6th

Teca Viltin, First Secretary of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva, was looking out his office window, admiring the weather outside, while sipping tea from his mug.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Teca Viltin: "Come in."

Door opens and a Party member from Viltin's own reformist faction enters.

Party member from the reformist faction: "Mr. First Secretary, the meeting is in 10 minutes, but I wondered if you wanted to head over there together, because I have some questions."

Teca Viltin: "Questions, questions, questions. Just relax, my friend. Look outside, admire the weather, admire not just how hospitable, but what a beautiful country Najimam is. Of course, nothing beats home, but we have to make the most out of our current predicament."

Party member from the reformist faction: "The Honorable First Secretary seems awfully optimistic. That's admirable."

Teca Viltin: "Well, as I just said, we have to make the most out of our predicament, because life has not stopped and has not ended. It goes on. You, I, our Party members and our associates in Lesva and in other countries are alive. Our ideology is alive and our cause is alive."

Party member from the reformist faction: "But sir..."

Teca Viltin: "I am no sir. You and I are equal - part of a collective."

Party member from the reformist faction: "Okay, First Secretary. Pardon my pessimism, but are we actually confident that Throngism can return to Lesva? We have been chased out, the new regime seems to have a firm grip on power already and will we even be able to claim back the hearts of our fellow Lesvans again? I want to believe, but what is our action plan?"

Teca Viltin: "You ask this question because you are one of the reformists, like myself. Our faction asks these questions all the time, but we are not being heard by others in this Party and we never were during the Throngist period, even the late Throngist period, when it seemed like doors should finally have been opened for all opinions and leanings. They still see us as good conflict negotiators because of our flexibility, but not as leaders because of our beliefs.

Sigh...

You know, I want to fix the ideological divisions within our Party, but our well-meaning and also stubborn hardliner and moderate friends do not understand that the system, which was ultimately created in the Throngist Republic of Lesva ended up being just another ideological one-party state, instead of accepting that we needed to implement eventual reforms of democratization and liberalization not only for the system to survive, but also to keep evolving. The hardliner radical stance has set the tone for the fossilization of the system and the moderate indecisiveness has created conditions for that. I try to tell them this every day during our meetings, but they fire back by calling us revisionists. It was ultimately their policies that led to the fall of the Throngist Republic and I tell them this openly, but I do not think they are going to admit it.

Had the Throngist Republic survived long enough for the reformists to have come to power, we would have introduced liberalization and democratization, while providing closure for the bloodier and darker chapters of the Throngist period. Former First Secretary Cebra Tolar, as a moderate, seemed to have been going in that liberalization direcion somewhat, but hardliners and even fellow moderates pressured him not to go so far. Frankly, I think Tolar himself was not a believer into going as far into liberalization as we would have eventually gone to and even then, there is a proper time for that, because from the International pressure we were facing at the time, liberalization may have backfired and ended the Throngist period even sooner. Point is, the ultimate vision of myself, yours and of our reformist associates, was a Throngist Republic of Lesva with freedom of speech and democratic values, but with a Throngist ideology. That could have created a state that could have challenged liberal democracy in its' effectiveness. But, we ended up choosing to become yet another one-party state and that is what killed our people's confidence in our Revolution.

To answer your initial question, my friend, our task right now is to reform the Party from within and seek to introduce the changes we are talking about. In the future, our Party will return to Lesva naturally and our people's support will be organic, because we will have given them the choice, which our hardliner and moderate colleagues never provided to Lesvans.

Now, I must have been talking here for longer than 10 minutes, so what do you say we head on over to that meeting? I'm planning to head over to the beach later, because I am loving what I am seeing through the window. If you want to join let me know."

Party member from the reformist faction: "Thank you, First Secretary."

Viltin and the Party member proceeded to leave the office and head to the meeting together.

[Lesva]

Headquarters of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva, Najimam, March 14th

Throngist Movement Party of Lesva was holding a meeting presided over by Teca Viltin, First Secretary of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva. This time the meeting was initiated by Major General Belo Motar, who served as Chief of the General Staff of the Lesvan Throngist Armed Forces during the rule of the Throngist dictatorship in Lesva. The meeting was described by the Major General as a discussion on strategy and the last possible attempt of "saving the Throngist Revolution."

Major General Belo Motar: "Fellow Honorable Members of the Party, the Honorable First Secretary. After much analysis conducted by the military and defense wings of this Party, we would like to present the idea that could be the final chance of a legal continuation of our government that was overthrown by the coup of the current regime in our home country Lesva. Our home country's sole island Cane Islo has been eyed by our Party's defense and military wings as a strategic subject. If we are unable today, given our military resource and man-power limitations, to return to power in Saela and mainland Lesva, we should consider Cane Islo as the most realistic location that could actually fall under our control. The capture of a large portion of Acean by militias and its' de facto secession from Lesva as a Protectorate under a pro-Balniki National Socialist regime proves that the current regime in Lesva may not have the capability to resist. This opens the door for a partiallly similar occurence in Cane Islo. We believe there is an opportunity of claiming that island and relocating there to establish or rather re-establish the legal continuation of the Throngist government of Lesva there, while not seceding and while claiming all of Lesva, the mainland included, as part of the Throngist Republic of Lesva in opposition to the current regime there. It is also very fitting to talk about this, considering that the head of the current regime in Saela Marshal Iuna Scadi is heading over to Cane Islo soon. Thank you."

First Secretary Teca Viltin: "Thank you, Major General, please sit down."

[Lesva]

Headquarters of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva, Najimam, March 14th

Following the meeting, where Major General Belo Motar, who served as Chief of the General Staff of the Lesvan Throngist Armed Forces during the rule of the Throngist dictatorship in Lesva, presented a potential plan for Cane Islo, everybody walked out. Party's First Secretary Teca Viltin largely had his mind on the fact that the government of Kravato now possessed the Intelligence File with information about what happened to Taica Berislavic and what it had to do with Sapli Fever. Viltin was not so much concerned for himself, but for his predecessors and fellow Party members.