The Red Flags Rise (Revised: Please Sign up OOC )

[New Edom]

Majestic Hotel

"Stop." The sergeant didn't shout, but somehow his voice carried some power that made the room shiver. The sergeant looked irritated, as though they'd interrupted him or used words he found annoying. "No, no, you must do as I said," he ordered. "Come now. Bring your passports, come as you are. Nudity is compulsory in New Edom anyway, unless you have a signed waiver from the Foreign Ministry. Do you have such a waiver?"

"Hard to get one now--" began the boy soldier with a grin but a cold stare from the sergeant made him wither.

"Don't worry, you seem to just be tourists; we just need to confirm everyone who is in this hotel," said the sergeant in his tired voice. "But if you cause us delays or anything--well don't give us any trouble and we won't give you any. Now come down to the lobby."

[Judea Libera]

"I just wanted to hear your views on the whole thing, your thoughts. I ask your pardon, if I gave offense. As for being a radical of some kind, no, I am a devout and pious man. I follow the Faith of my fathers, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I am certainly no godless, atheistic Marxist or anarchist. I offered you the cigarettes, because you asked me for one when I asked your permission to smoke. Smoking is permitted under the Torah, because it is not forbidden. Trust me, after living with the Torah as the national constitution and supreme law for a while, you know what it permits and doesn't permit, or else the TCA knocks on your door. I am no spy. I am just a reporter. As one, I naturally wanted to know what you're fighting for, what you believe in," Saul attempted to calm the soldiers' nerves and hair triggers.

Please, God, do not let me get myself killed over something so stupid as accidentally offending trigger-happy Gentile soldiers.

[Gehenna Tartarus]

Quality Bay

If this had been any normal day, an invite to lunch would have seemed like a pleasant respite from sunning herself at the beach, but considering the situation, it did not feel like a normal invite to have food. And the way that Mara had suddenly gone quiet did not bode well at all. Being a diplomat’s daughter, it was not hard to get used to people saying one thing and meaning something else when events were unpleasant. Her father often spoke to her mother and asked her to do things in that overly polite, there is nothing wrong kind of way which would instantly freak out her mother and it was always her older sister that took charge of the situation.

“Lunch sounds good,” she said, giving Mara a friendly smile. “It always amazes me how sitting on a lounger by the sea almost gives me an appetite.” She reached over and grabbed her bag, having packed it all up when she went back to the complex a little earlier. She swung her bag on her shoulder and waited for the others to get ready and giving Anneli a hand since she had gotten some weird statue things out while she was gone.

“I know he does,” she replied to Mara’s statement, which made her feel happy and kind of miserable at the same time. But she kept up her smile, just the same, not wanting to add to the situation by moping.

[The Shrailleeni Empire]

The Majestic Hotel

Lobby

Spotty face soldier looked astonished at Teressa and then suddenly was aiming his rifle at her. "Hey, who the hell are you? Passport, woman, now. Watch the Israelite here," he snapped at the first soldier, who looked annoyed now, and glared at Saul as though it was all his fault. "See what you've done now?" he said with a shake of his head. "That's the problem with you Jews, you just can't keep your mouths shut. Always gotta have a smart answer."

Meanwhile, the spotty faced soldier was grimly waiting to see what the Shrailleeni did in response. He narrowed his eyes. "Shrailleeni, aren't you--one of those pagan witches trying to mess up our country? It's bad enough we have split-tails as field officers, you want us to worship your goddess and displace men as head of the family and the church!" his voice was an intense whisper as he waited for her passport, his body almost shaking with impatience.

Teressa was terrified, but fear triggered a fight-or-flight response in her. And Shrailleeni women were not accustomed to running from anything, or to being yelled at in such a fashion by a man. She thrust her passport out at him in single fluid motion, holding it with the tips of her fingers, glaring but not quite intimidating since she was visibily shaking with nerves.

"Yes, I am," she said in a voice that almost faltered, "but the only thing I want with your country is to sell coffee to it." And then, with a kind of suicidal impulse brought on by stress, she added a sharp response. "And from the look of Fineberg I would say that you men are the ones messing up your country. I suppose that death and civil war are mandated by your heathen cult of a faith?"

She was running on pure emotion, not thinking clearly. In the back of her mind she just wanted to go home, but in times like this she went back to the basics. And in the Empire a woman's best chance of getting out of a situation like this was to go on the offensive.

[New Edom]

Majestic Hotel, Lobby

"Alright, alright," said the first soldier irritably. "You're doing your job, I'm doing mine." He gruffly muttered something and lit up his cigarette. "We're called up to serve the King. Restore order. Damned radicals everywhere, damned fanatics. You can hear all that noise out there. One moment I'm working in the returns department at my job, next I'm called up to active service again with the rest of my regiment" he shook his head. "I'm on edge." he took a drag of the cigarette. "Haven't had a smoke break yet--that's good," he said with a nod at the journalist. The other stuff going on in the lobby didn't seem to be affecting him. The officer at the lobby desk had been joined by another, a little older and who received a salute from the first, a somewhat informal one. They spoke quietly; the new arrival had a briefcase, opened it, showing the first officer some papers inside it.

[Hittanryan]

Government offices, Adiron

A series of cables with Rand proved somewhat telling, if tense. Initially combative over the succession issue, Rand backpedaled and brought up the issue of the naval base Adiron and New Edom had been discussing. In exchange for recognition of his authority and non-interference, he would reopen the base deal talks once the crisis was over. However, he still refused to share any hard evidence of the coup d'etat that implicated the individuals named in the king's proclamation.

DeGroot, once informed, called a Cabinet meeting to discuss the next steps. Getting the base from the Free Congress would involve Adiron picking sides and ultimately getting dragged into the conflict. If they remained neutral, they might get the base from Rand in exchange for simply doing nothing. Secretary of War Li was most up-front, but many in the room seemed to favor ditching the Free Congress as it would limit Adiron's commitment.

"Look, if we get the base and the oil without having to do anything, that's a win in my book," Li said bluntly.

"Forgive me if I don't exactly trust the man who we strongly suspect committed high treason by murdering and overthrowing his own government," Deol replied.

"We also suspect the Imperium touched off this coup to keep us from getting a base deal. If we get it anyway..."

"...there's no guarantee they'll honor this agreement if the king takes power. Rand's obviously just trying to placate us, keep us from supporting the Free Congress."

The President had been mostly silent, looking contemplative as the two went back and forth. The two of them continued to make good points in support of one side or the other. DeGroot finally interrupted the two of them with a new insight.

"You know, I've been thinking on this. Is it just me, or is the royalty largely expendable?" The rest of the room looked at him, some had knowing looks in their eyes, others stared at him in confusion.

"Sorry, not now. At this stage they're still needed to help give the coup legitimacy. I mean in the endgame, if the monarchists win the civil war and take control of the country. The military and the state security apparatus would be the most powerful institutions in New Edom, not the monarchy."

"Especially with the low-level insurgency likely to follow a decisive monarchist victory," Deol pointed out, aware of the internal turmoil in the run-up to New Edom's first civil war.

Li remembered something, about how noble brats got fast-tracked in the military. "Most of their officer corps is made up of nobles though, wouldn't they support the monarchy?"

"Not necessarily," Deol countered, "Rand could be in a position to offer them far more power than the princes. The country would be a monarchy in name only, in reality it would more closely resemble a military dictatorship. Do you really think we would be able to work with them after that?"

The Secretary of War considered this for a while, before he finally jumped ship. "No, you're right. If I were a paranoid military dictator who overthrew the last government in a bloody coup d'etat, the last thing I'd do would be to let some foreigners build a base on my soil." The others who had previously backed Li seemed to come around or save their concerns for another time.

The President decided to try to conclude the argument. "We're in agreement then? Rand's offer is an empty promise. Whatever he's done, he really doesn't want anybody looking too hard."

[Hittanryan]

Sterry, Haran Province

"It is reassuring that the Haran Council Police have remained loyal to the proper government. My concern stems from Bara, whose CP is severely compromised by monarchist elements. No slight was intended, just can't be too careful," Kasumi replied.

Oddly, the Ethnarch's small talk came the closest to putting her off balance. It was the specific phrase 'town of your birth' that stirred up some memories. She now considered Puerto Rojo on the West Coast her hometown, but she was born and grew up in Lawson's Bluff, a small mining town in the Burnt Hills Plateau. It was occupied by the Imperium during the first war.

A boy her age, maybe younger. Terrified, eyes darting between the three of them. A conscript, not ready for battle...

She realized she just created an awkward pause answering Aurangzeb's harmless question. "Sorry, guess I need the coffee more than I thought. It's very good by the way," she said after adding cream and sugar. "My family is doing well enough, I suppose. Last I heard, retirement is in the works and I may have to go to somebody's wedding down the line. The town of my birth...well, we moved because of the war."

"That...actually brings me to my next point. I realize that running a government takes up a lot of time, but were you aware of the recent coup d'etat in East Klamath? It resulted in the island's annexation by the Imperium of Arbites Materia. New Edom's own coup happened only a matter of hours after Adiron and New Edom issued a joint condemnation of the Imperium. We believe the timing was too good, and we are not ruling out Imperial involvement with the conspirators."

"Once secure communications are established in Haran, I am to begin a thorough investigation of the monarchists and the events of the coup. Any assistance you could provide would be invaluable."

[New Edom]

Majestic Hotel Lobby
"Cult?" the spotty soldier hissed. "CULT?" he snatched her passport. "Sergeant! We got some kinda agitator here!" The two officers near the desk glanced over as though annoyed by the sound and kept talking quietly. The hotel manager approached them warily and began to speak to them. They now looked visibly annoyed.

A mustache wearing hard faced soldier stomped up. "What's going on?"

"Sergeant, this Shrai bitch..." he said, thrusting the passport at him.

"Shrai..." the sergeant looked her up and down. "Yes, they're on the list. Come with me, lady, you need to answer some questions. You and you! Escort her to the office!" two soldiers advanced to her, clearly intending to move on either side of her. They were looking at her almost thoughtfully with a kind of detachment, like men looking at an animal over a fence. The sergeant rhythmically slapped the passport against his palm as the soldiers approached, sucking at his teeth. The other soldiers nearby were being handed cold beer and soft drinks by a waiter and were distracted; some other guests instinctively moved a little away from Teressa, looking at their feet, though one of them, the man of the Eslovakivan couple, looked as though he wanted to say something but wasn't sure what to say.

[Late Roman Empire]

"Domine, with all due respect, I strongly urge you to let me represent the Empire at this summit, assuming we are invited," the Caesar did his best to dissuade the Augustus from going.

"You are right. I am too emotionally involved. By God, I fall too easily for women! This stays between you and me. Think what juicy gossip it would make for the tabloids. I have to appear the Man of Iron, because I am the Emperor, not a silly, lovestruck old man. Yes, you go, with my full support, and if they try to block you, make it clear that you are here to support the lawful government of New Edom, as instructed by your Emperor! Don't shout, of course. Say that calmly, but imperiously, like a Caesar should, with dignitas, majesty, and gravitas.

"You are my heir now, my right hand in all things. I should demonstrate once more how I trust you, as with your presidency so far of the Assembly. While you're gone, of course, I will personally head that body. Only the Augustus, the Caesar, or the consuls should do that. You, of course, are both consul and Caesar. As Emperor, I will certainly be able to help guide them in their deliberations.

"Take the imperial flight from Constantinople, with an escort of the domestici. Should something happen to me while you are gone, after all, you will automatically become Emperor. Between the household troops and the airmen, you should have enough of a Roman military presence to intimidate any would-be assassins. You are fully empowered to speak on my behalf, and make sure that they know it. I don't want your authority undermined by any hint that you lack the imperial favor or blessing.

"I want it understood that we stand behind New Edom, but that we favor keeping the military presence to only what will not rally the people behind the monarchists. The last thing one wants to do in a civil war is to antagonize the people and drive them to the other side. Wear the purple, of course, and make sure that you are announced by the herald as Caesar and consul. When they know that you are my heir, they will treat you with a lot more respect. As Pompey famously told Sulla, more men worship the rising than the setting Sun.

"Thank you for your candor, by the way. You are already coming into your own as a proper Roman Caesar. Duty first, sentiment second," the Augustus confirmed the appointment, relieved that he wasn't going to have fight his feelings for Sif at an international conference that she was likely to attend in person.

"Thank you, Domine. I will obey you in all things," the Caesar knelt in homage.

"Enough of that. You are Caesar now. You don't have to bow and scrape, let alone kiss the purple when we're alone. Just do me one more favor," the Emperor insisted.

"What is that, Domine? I will do as you wish at all times," the Caesar asked, truly curious.

"Give Sif my regards and personal regrets. Tell her I said that it was necessary for you to go in my place. Do not hint of anything....amorous, of course. I hold out some hope that she doesn't know. The last thing that she needs is such a distraction right now," the Lord of the World urged his heir.

"Naturally, Domine," the Caesar Publius Marcius Valerianus answered coolly, as he respectfully exited the sacred presence of his master.

[New Edom]

Sterry, Haran Province

Aurangzeb listened quietly. Human life was tragedy, that was fact, and many people suffered, which was also fact. Man was as grass that was put into the oven, and baked. And so he bowed his head as she spoke and was lost in her own memories, sipping his coffee. Then when she spoke again, he smiled. "It is good to know that you have family and that they are well. As touching this matter of the Imperium--we are concerned, yes. Their modus operandi seems to consist of destablizing situations. You are right, this seems to be the same kind of situation. But we have seen no signs of their activity yet overtly. What do you advise?" he asked, the steam rising around his lips as he took another sip.

[The Shrailleeni Empire]

Majestic Hotel Lobby
"Cult?" the spotty soldier hissed. "CULT?" he snatched her passport. "Sergeant! We got some kinda agitator here!" The two officers near the desk glanced over as though annoyed by the sound and kept talking quietly. The hotel manager approached them warily and began to speak to them. They now looked visibly annoyed.

A mustache wearing hard faced soldier stomped up. "What's going on?"

"Sergeant, this Shrai bitch..." he said, thrusting the passport at him.

"Shrai..." the sergeant looked her up and down. "Yes, they're on the list. Come with me, lady, you need to answer some questions. You and you! Escort her to the office!" two soldiers advanced to her, clearly intending to move on either side of her. They were looking at her almost thoughtfully with a kind of detachment, like men looking at an animal over a fence. The sergeant rhythmically slapped the passport against his palm as the soldiers approached, sucking at his teeth. The other soldiers nearby were being handed cold beer and soft drinks by a waiter and were distracted; some other guests instinctively moved a little away from Teressa, looking at their feet, though one of them, the man of the Eslovakivan couple, looked as though he wanted to say something but wasn't sure what to say.

Agitator? List? Teressa thought dumbly as the sergeant made his pronouncement. What list? She looked around her for support, but no one nearby was moving to do anything of the kind. She glanced at the Jewish journalist with a small look of fear in her eyes. It occurred to her that had she not spoken, it might very well have been him being taken for questioning, whatever that was. Or maybe you messed up bad, a voice said in her head. She didn't appreciate the thought.

"I," she started to say, but the soldiers were intimidating in their detachment, and the words never left her throat. She started to go with them, and then realised that the sergeant still held her passport. She didn't want to be separated from it, it was her lifeline back to the Empire. Her thoughts went to her estranged daughter. By the Goddess, she wouldn't let their parting words be their last.

"Wait, I want to hold on to my passport. I'll answer your questions, but I want my passport. You already know that I am Shrailleeni."

[Bratoslovoukia]

Helipad 1, Imperial Star Palace, Bratvit, Bratoslovoukia
Wilm and Alek quickly moved to the CH-47 as wind and sleet howled around them. Wilm struggled to keep his fedora on his head as he made his way to the helicopter. As they climbed aboard, they saw one large bed and two cots. The pilot turned back to look at them.

"The cots are for you guys. The bed's for his eminence." He called saluting them.

As Wilm got situated on his cot, he looked out the window to see the Emperor walking to the helicopter. As the Emperor boarded he quickly jumped into his bed.

"This is going to be fun, like a camping trip when we were younger." He exclaimed.

The Emperor had known Alek since he went to Prep School and knew Wilm for even longer.

"I guess." Alek added cautiously.

"We have to focus on the issues at hand when we are at the coalition meeting." Wilm proclaimed proudly.

"All right, Wilm, but this isn't the coalition meeting." The Emperor retorted. "I brought cigars, jagermeister, and goldschlager!"

He pulled out a box of cigars and some bottles as the helicopter took off en route to the FRLS Patria escorted by two attack helicopters.

[Riemaia]

Quality Bay

Anneli smiled at Tia for helping her put the statuettes away in heir box, and got up out of the sand and took her baby from Mara and back into her arms. "Lunch sounds great!" Anneli exclaimed as she smiled at Mara, not knowing much about what was really going on, save for what Mara had told her a few minutes ago. She wanted to help out her family, she really did, but she didn't know how she could help save for more political means that she sometimes had a rough time wrapping her head around. "I'm so happy we get to spend some time together... us three ladies."

Teleconference with Shrai

On the Riemaian side of the conversation was Princess Marjorie. She was the 2nd cousin of Anneli and also one of her most loved family members, and was in her early thirties. She had brown hair like other members of her side of the family, going against the redheaded norm of the whole country. The room she was in was quite small, large enough to fit a desk and a few chairs, and had an open window peering out to the snow covered backyard of the palace.

"Hello to you to!" Marjorie exclaimed as the Shraialeeni woman showed up on her computer monitor. "Right to business, alrightie! Anneli, her majesty, If I recall correctly, wishes to support our Edomite family in this time, understandable seeing as they are my distant family by blood, along with the other members of our imperial family. Now allow me to ask you the same question, what is your nations views and position on the events?"

Other Stuff

To: Acting President Sif Finnhald; General Anahid Vaneni; Jaemz Gudn - Diplomat, representing the Republic of Mikterra; The State Department of Bratoslovoukia; Secretary of State Deol of Adiron; President Andrew Stinson; Matriarch Aryni Resyanna fe Shrailleen

Although the thoughts of forming a coalition in support of the "legitimate" government of New Edom are all and well, I regret to inform you on behalf of Minister Tuulikki, that she will not be attending any meetings wishing to form a coalition, or attending any meetings on non-Riemaian vessels or Embassies of other nations due to safety concerns that will not be described in detail at this time.

Princess Marjorie Elise Aliasse Riemanse-Aluris-Maiane Gi Noyela
Regent in Her Grand Arctic Majesties Absence

To Count Marcellinus

On behalf of Her Grand Arctic Majesty, I thank you for sending our drunken ambassador a letter, which by some sheer stroke of luck managed to not get deleted. As Riemaia is the closest ally of New Edom and one of their major trading partners, we would like to see this whole situation come to a quick end, but obviously to the side that is willing to continue profitable and friendly interactions with us as well, which is hard to determine which that is at this current time.

Since the Monarchists of New Edom are close family members to me and her majesty, we officially are inclined to lean in their favor, even under extreme odds that may or may not be currently building up during this time.

Princess Marjorie Elise Aliasse Riemanse-Aluris-Maiane Gi Noyela
Regent in Her Grand Arctic Majesties Absence

[The Shrailleeni Empire]

The Correspondence of Sif Finnhald
To:President Andrew Stinson
CC: General Anahid Vaneni; Jaemz Gudn - Diplomat, representing the Republic of Mikterra; The State Department of Bratoslovoukia; Secretary of State Deol of Adiron; Minister of Foreign Affairs Rena Tuulikki; Matriarch Aryni Resyanna fe Shrailleen

I apologize for sending this message generally, but I would like to request that a general meeting be arranged, ideally in a safe area, to discuss the kind of support that the Free Congress will need. If the nations mentioned above could act together, that would be all to the good. I had examined the possibility of acting under the auspices of the WA, but that seems counterproductive as the WA supports my right as acting head of government to act, but does not grant me any right to appeal to it in order to do so. It is very important that this not be seen as a foreign coalition forcing policy upon the Allied States of New Edom, but should rather be seen as the support demonstrated by allies of the lawfully elected government of the Allied States of New Edom. I have already had a meeting placed offered by the Government of Lamoni. If this is acceptable to the rest of the nations represented here, then please confirm that with me.

I have the honour to be
Sif Finnhald,
Acting President of the Allied States of New Edom

The Imperial Palace, Imperial City
The Shrailleeni Empire

The room was dark, and filled with the secrets of centuries. Only a handful of Shrailleeni knew of its existence, and even fewer knew of its true purpose. Stowed away in a forgotten corner of the palace, behind a solid wall that shifted with hydraulics for those who knew how to activate it, down a long, dark, damp corridor that led deep into the heart of the mountain upon which the Palace clung, Aryni made the journey for only one purpose. To listen to the Silence.

And silence was abundant. After fifteen minutes of walking, all light was extinguished. She made her way step by step, knowing full well that the straight corridor led directly to her destination. The echoing sound of her footfalls, normally quiet, sounded like thunder against the absolute hush. As she had the first and last time that she had made this journey, she felt horribly exposed. But all of this was not meant to intimidate. It was only meant to ensure that the words spoken during this meeting would never reach the Palace walls, let alone find their way to the outside world. For in a culture as steeped in secrets and subtlety as the Shrailleeni, pure truth was more valuable than all of the riches of the planet, and it was guarded carefully.

Finally she detected a change in the pitch of her footsteps. The corridor was ending. Carefully, she reached out ahead of her, her fingers brushing the rough wood of the door and tracing their way down to its handle. Gripping it firmly, she pushed the portal open with a small shove, and the heavy wood slid quietly into the equally dark room. She could still see nothing, but she knew that the Silence was there. She could simply feel the presence of another person. She entered without greeting, and closed the door behind her.

"Greetings Princess," came the rough, rasping voice. Aryni jumped a little, though she had been expecting it.

"I hear only Silence," she said in reply, and as an afterthought added: "And it's Matriarch now, Mute."

"Not to me," the man's voice replied. "I remember when you were born. Such a little thing."

"What news?" she asked, cutting him off before he could go any further. She bristled to be talked to in such a manner, but that was the point of the Silence. They were outside of decorum, outside of the law. Outside of existence, technically.

But that didn't meant that they weren't professionals. Mute responded immediately, his rasping voice businesslike.

"The Silence has met with the Edomite Rand. He was disappointing. Like Touchstone before him he has little respect for the Empire, he will offer you nothing more than what the Free Congress already has. It is certain that the monarchists will not be inclined to accept Shrailleeni demands, even despite the rising tide of failure that will certainly overwhelm them."

There was a hint of disgust in his voice, and it unnerved her. Underneath his words there was a more bitter dislike, a dislike of monarchy in general. Or was she just being paranoid? She knew how the Silence was created, maybe their history was clouding her judgment.

"And so our best option for achieving our goals is to support Sif," she said, her tone almost a question.

"Best? No. But the easiest. We went to see if these monarchists were desperate enough to be blackmailed. They were not. Since neither side is willing to give you what you want, I would pick the side that you are already familiar with. Let Sif see that the Empire supports her, and it might further your goals anyway. And in addition, perhaps we will be able to make Rand squirm in his own pride. The Silence does not like being denied."

"If it is the will of the Mother Empress," Aryni stated plainly. She did not want the Silence to start thinking that they could operate independently. "And I will bring this information to her now. The Court will make it's decision."

She turned to leave, the hairs on the back of her neck bristling as she turned her back to the room. But she must not show fear. He fed on fear. As she left, she almost expected to hear the voice one last time. But, of course, the only thing that followed her out of the room was silence.

To: Sif Finnhald, Acting President of the Allied States of New Edom

I am glad to hear from you, these times are truly troubling for the Empire. The Mother Empress has authorized both myself and Minister Zattem to meet with you in the place specified by the Government of Lamoni, and you have the full backing of the Shrailleeni Empire behind your government. I look forward to seeing you in person once again, and to having the privilege of providing whatever support that the Allied States might require.

May the light of the Mother Goddess smile upon New Edom during this time of turmoil,

Aryni Resyanna fe Shrailleen, Matriarch of State

[New Edom]

Majestic Hotel, Manager's Office

Teressa was being brought into the manager's office, which was behind the main desk; there were a few hotel staff there, looking quiet and with arms folded rather defensively they looked away from her as she was brought in. In the office there were portraits of the President of the Board of Executives of Majestic Hotels (an old caucasian man named Sir Paul Eaton), the King of the Allied States of New Edom, the young fair and handsome David III in a red guards uniform looking modestly regal, and of the Archbishop of the Apostolic Church. There were also various awards the hotel had won, both internationally and locally.

The soldiers led her in and stood just behind her but on either side of her. They maintained the same air of stolid indifference but firm purpose.

An officer sat behind a desk, his uniform beret on the desk, looking at a laptop screen there. He was a middle aged man with a dark moustache and dark eyes, and they seemed without expression, like his mouth, when he looked up at Teressa. "Please give me your name, your nationality, your job and any company you work for, and explain your reasons for being in New Edom." he said.

[The Shrailleeni Empire]

Teleconference with Shrai

On the Riemaian side of the conversation was Princess Marjorie. She was the 2nd cousin of Anneli and also one of her most loved family members, and was in her early thirties. She had brown hair like other members of her side of the family, going against the redheaded norm of the whole country. The room she was in was quite small, large enough to fit a desk and a few chairs, and had an open window peering out to the snow covered backyard of the palace.

"Hello to you to!" Marjorie exclaimed as the Shraialeeni woman showed up on her computer monitor. "Right to business, alrightie! Anneli, her majesty, If I recall correctly, wishes to support our Edomite family in this time, understandable seeing as they are my distant family by blood, along with the other members of our imperial family. Now allow me to ask you the same question, what is your nations views and position on the events?"

Katara nodded slightly, smiling a little at the Riemaian's cheerful attitude.

"Understandable indeed. The Empire has a great deal of respect for your royal family, and for the Edomite nobility as well. But we also have a great deal of respect for the Lady Sif Finnhald."

She sighed a little, allowing a little weariness to show. She had her orders from the Minister, and she knew that the Empire was preparing to make a more solid position. She had heard nothing from her agent in the Silence, she did not even know their gender or face, but the report had been made. Her job now was to ascertain the Riemaian position and, if possible, ensure friendly cooperation during this time.

"We are very divided on the matter. Even those who want to support Sif would hesitate to demonize the entire royal family. We are all monarchies, after all. Nobility always does seem to find common ground."

[The Shrailleeni Empire]

Majestic Hotel, Manager's Office

Teressa was being brought into the manager's office, which was behind the main desk; there were a few hotel staff there, looking quiet and with arms folded rather defensively they looked away from her as she was brought in. In the office there were portraits of the President of the Board of Executives of Majestic Hotels (an old caucasian man named Sir Paul Eaton), the King of the Allied States of New Edom, the young fair and handsome David III in a red guards uniform looking modestly regal, and of the Archbishop of the Apostolic Church. There were also various awards the hotel had won, both internationally and locally.

The soldiers led her in and stood just behind her but on either side of her. They maintained the same air of stolid indifference but firm purpose.

An officer sat behind a desk, his uniform beret on the desk, looking at a laptop screen there. He was a middle aged man with a dark moustache and dark eyes, and they seemed without expression, like his mouth, when he looked up at Teressa. "Please give me your name, your nationality, your job and any company you work for, and explain your reasons for being in New Edom." he said.

Apparently she would not be getting her passport back. She recognised the procedure, they were attempting to make her a statistic, to dehumanise her. And statistics ended up in incident reports. All of this was starting to really play on her already frayed nerves. She started to answer the man's questions as robotically as possible, but soon found herself digressing once again.

"Teressa Nemarri. Shrailleeni. Matriarch and founder of Kel-tenwi Plantation, which grows coffee. I was just here to make contact with some of your businesses now that our governments are trading. Why I am being singled out? I thought our nations were on good terms?"

[New Edom]

Quality Bay
Prince James had been on the phone with Admiral Rand, and had thanked him for his report and put the phone in its cradle. He looked at Philip Tubal-Cain.
"What do we do?" Prince Philip said, his face grim. "We should disassociate ourselves from Rand and say we had nothing to do with it, get David to pull his support--"

"No." said James quietly. "I'm sorry, Philip, but we have no choice now but to go on. If we fail and give up we'll lose everything. We have only two choices now--exile or victory. Or..." he said as an afterthought, "Death. Not a very pleasant one either." He got up and looked out the window and saw the young women moving up the decorated path, flanked with flowering trees and shrubs, towards the estate from the shuttle bus they were getting off. "I think that we have a few aces in the hole however." he nodded towards the path.

"I think that the Empress will support our cause." said Philip, getting up as well to pour himself a glass of scotch. "We need to start angling carefully now, if we're going to do this." he met James' eye. "Your brother...he was a good man...but behind the times. We have to be hard if we're going to do this."

"I intend to be." James said with a smile. When the ladies arrived they were given opportunity to change into summery clothes of whatever they preferred; Mara wore a light yellow sundress and sandals, Rebecca a pink and white striped dress, Olivia wore an off the shoulder green dress that showed off her sumptuous bosom to a startling extent, and seemed very distracted. Colonel Horvath had changed into a tropical dress uniform of white and gold, as had Lieutenant Count Lalery. Prince Adam came in wearing tennis whites and looked surprised; he was carrying his racket and pushed up his glasses, looking around at everyone in confusion. He found that Prince James urged him to sit beside Annelli. Prince Philip made much of the baby, though privately he was irritated that she had brought the baby--though in a way he was proud of his son's potency.

As they lunched on shrimp salad and stuffed baked tomatoes and peppers, James made an announcement. "Well, I'm terribly sorry to say so, but Quality Bay will not be the best place for us to stay for the time being. Unfortunately the civil disturbance in Fineberg has gotten out of control. An ugly lunch topic, but I'm afraid that it's true. However Padan-Aran is lovely this time of year, and as it happens we have an estate there as well. It is a much quieter location." He glanced at Tia with a pleasant rather avuncular smile. He had thought of using the young woman as a hostage in a direct way to stop Perrin in his tracks, but Perrin responded so violently to threats that he feared he would respond as the Levite did with his concubine being gang-raped--that he'd simply become their worst enemy rather than bow to threats. It was far better to have the young man wonder and doubt, not know. "Now of course I am concerned about you! You are one of my daughter's best friends--" Mara glanced at him wordless and blank faced, "And so I would like to make sure of your safety. I would like to create a good but false impression--but I have to be honest, this country is in a state of emergency. I will make sure that you get to where you wish to go, if you decide you would like to leave. And frankly," he took on a more serious face, "That young man of yours...in his place I'd want to be with those I love. As I am now," he said glancing around, "With my family. But he's young. Don't take it too hard. I was a young man once and just as full of fire and blood. I intend to send him a message and advise him of his true responsibilities. I felt young in my heart seeing you both together at the Gala, and I hope to see the same again." That said, he glanced at Annelli. "And my dear Annelli...how beautiful you look flush with motherhood! You must civilize this boy of mine, with your gentle ways and your cleverness," he said, glancing at the blushing Adam. "Family--that's the thing. Well, after we eat, we should all pack up and head off to Padan-Aran." he picked up his fork and began to eat his salad.

Code: Select all

To: Ambassador Count Wilhelm Hamptonberg Plantagenet Von Der Schlongdorff
From: Prince James Obed, Regent of the Allied States of New Edom

Dear Sir,

I would like to arrange a meeting between an envoy of mine and yourself at the earliest opportunity. I was sad to hear that Admiral Rand, while an excellent officer, was ungentlemanly enough to refuse your offer of supper. However I would like to send a gentleman who is of the highest rank and ancient family to meet with you to discuss some matters which I believe would be of great importance to both our sovereigns. The gentleman I intend to send is Marshal of the Royal Air Force Henry Achan. If you are agreeable, he will accept the invitation that Admiral Rand refused.

sincerely,
Prince James Obed
Regent

[New Edom]

Majestic Hotel Manager's Office

"You aren't being singled out," said the officer, glancing up at her. "There are certain nationalities as well as certain types of people who are being investigated. If you are what you say you are, then there won't be any problems. But look here," he said, earnestly, like a bureaucrat explaining why a foreclosure had to happen, "Think of it this way: a coup d'etat begins, and while we try to contain the matter, the city is attacked, viruses attack government computer systems and communication systems, power lines are cut, members of government seem to be part of it--and in the midst of this," his eyes narrowed, "A report comes to us from the office of the Minister of Defense stating that your people may be among nations suspected of being involved with it. Nations such as yours, which while friendly as you put it are hostile to our ideologies and way of life, and who harbour millions of people who are known agitators and instigators of armed insurrection. So it's nothing you personally have done...necessarily." he began to type into his laptop. "I'm just checking on you now. Would you be so good as to disrobe?" he added, while his eyes were on the screen.

[Late Roman Empire]

To: Princess Marjorie Elise Aliasse Riemanse-Aluris-Maiane Gi Noyela
Regent in Her Grand Arctic Majesties Absence

Thank you for your candor and promptness at this time. Be assured that we will not disturb you any further at the moment. We appreciate the difficult position in which you find yourselves.

Salutations,
Count Marcellinus, Imperial Legate of the Eastern Roman Empire to the Allied States of New Edom

Well, that was certainly a rebuff. Marcellinus was no professional diplomat, more of a bureaucrat in his civil service experience, but he knew a polite rejection when he saw it. At least he knew where Riemaia stood now. Reading between the lines in his novice way, he saw that the Grand Arctice Empire, or at least its Empress, which amounted to the same thing from what he could tell, favored the Monarchists. His own answer was deliberately a little cryptic in the inclusion of such phrases as "at the moment" and "difficult position".

For his own part, Marcellinus was too relaxed from the recent .....amorous experience with Basilina to get upset. Well, that and the sweet bourbon he just downed in a couple of shots to unwind. He didn't habitually drink anything stronger than wine, but he liked an occasional taste of the harder stuff.

Which brought to mind that comment about the "drunk ambassador". Apparently, the Riemaians were not so fortunate in their diplomatic staff. That had to be an awful mess, a lush in charge of an embassy in a host country torn by civil war.

"Lord, I know that You have a plan for all of this, but maybe a clue as to what it might be would help me here down on Earth. Things looked rather twisted at present," he prayed briefly and hoped that his prayer wasn't taken the wrong way by his Heavenly Father. Then again, God was omniscient, right? He would surely understand the motives of his children, including a harried diplomat like Count Marcellinus.

Just to be safe, he crossed himself and spoke softly....Kyrie eleison. While the State was Roman, the Church spoke Greek. He always followed that example in prayer.

[New Edom]

The Fineberg Zoo

A group of keepers gathered sadly around the enclosure of Boris and Doris, their mated pair of Royal Griffons. Doris had severely attacked Boris, who was limping around the far end, now and then emitting a low graveling quavery rasp, feathers tattered, blood leaking. The larger female stood ferociously near her nest, which she had methodically crushed. It was a tragedy; two years had gone into producing this mating, and all for nothing. Only a few dozen of the great flightless carnivorous birds remained in the wild, and they were so shy in their habitat that their breeding habits were not studied consistently enough to know how to reintroduce them. The poorly funded Department of the Environment was more focused on tourism than on conservation, with this result.

From the zoo they could hear the sounds of artillery quite easily, echoing over the river, and the Avian Sub-Director said bitterly, "You can't blame Doris...she was clearly upset by the artillery."

"Doesn't make any sense--doesn't sound any different from thunder," protested one of the assistant veterinarians. "How can we possibly know?"

"Let's get them separated." said the Head Keeper briskly, trying to hide his grief under action. "Doris is the priority; we'll tranq her first and distract her, then deal with Boris. Tranquing him might be a little trickier with the extent of his injuries."

As though the big blue, yellow and cream bird with its crest like a morion helmet and wickedly curved beak could understand him, Doris cocked her head at the Head Keeper and made a rattling sound in her throat. They all knew that this meant that the big female, standing nearly 9 feet tall with her head fully extended, was upset. She padded around her destroyed nest with big splayed clawed yellow feet, puffing out her vestigial wings and her tail and neck feathers, making herself look even bigger.

"She doesn't like us so near her nest." said the Avian Sub-Director sadly. Other animals were clearly upset by the noises of battle as well; leopards paced their cages anxiously; birds squawked and ran about, Goblin Monkeys huddled and clutched one another. The zoo personnel planned to administer sedatives and do whatever they could to calm their charges.

[Gehenna Tartarus]

Majestic Hotel

Kyle looked horrified at the idea of them going down to the lobby in the attire they had on, or did not have on which was more the issue. He was about to protest and say that he had rights to keep his clothes on when he felt Jamie place her hand on his shoulder. He had not even noticed her slip out of the bathroom and take the couple of steps it would take to reach him.

“There’s not point arguing with them,” she said, as she walked into the room and opened the safe where she had put their passports for safekeeping. “The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can get back and then dressed.” As she walked past the bottom of the bed, she grabbed her robe, which she merely tossed over her arm for the moment. She could feel water running off her hair and down her back, and could even feel the odd trickle running down her leg.

Kyle looked at her bewildered. “They have no right,” he said, as she walked up to him, waving the passports for the soldiers’ benefits.

Jamie slipped her free hand into his. “We’ll argue about rights when one set of us is not armed,” she added, smiling at him. “We have nothing to worry about. It will be over soon.” She looked at the soldiers and waited for them to move so that they could get out of the room. Then, still holding onto each other’s hand, the two walked along the corridor, following the orders they had been given.

[Roma Occidentalis]

"Well, I would say that my brother did the right thing. He acted to protect our citizens there and gave them fair warning to get safely inside the Legation. If they failed to do so, that's on their own heads," the Augustus assured his Master of Offices, Count Titus Tarquinius, an Etruscan nobleman with no small degree of ruthless efficiency and ability to bring things to his attention.

"Certainly, domine. We must absolutely remain neutral here. There is another matter, however. That of this ally of New Edom's....the Grand Arctic Empire of Riemaia. I have it on good authority that they are pagans, albeit of a different stripe than us. What they are doing in an alliance with Christians....well, then again, that is true of us and the Eastern Empire, especially since the Treaty of Naissus. Would you be open to exploring diplomatic relations with them at this time? It might be a golden opportunity," the Count suggested.

"In principle, yes, but we have to tread with extreme caution. We must be careful to avoid any alliances with them. Being a monarchy, they are likely to favor the royal family over the Free Congress. We are absolutely neutral in this civil war, as you yourself said. That is not a message to be muddied by any conflicting overtures. Whatever you do, do not phrase it in terms of an alliance, or even a partnership. 'Normal relations', nothing more. No mention of marriages and such, either.

"What about this other nation here, by the way? Tartarus...an odd name for an empire, but it doesn't seem as infernal from the statistics as its name. Any further intelligence on it?"

"Domine, I believe that its new Empress is still something of a mystery to us. I will research the matter further, at Your Eternity's pleasure. Be assured that I will get you more answers soon. From what I can tell, they are neutral so far in this business, at any rate. There is also this Imperium, a country much like ours in some respects. Well, except for their Zoroastrian tendencies. They could prove a helpful friend as well," the Master of Offices explained to the Emperor.

"That's a good start. This war is not anyone's business but New Edom's. It should stay an internal matter and other nations should butt out of it. The best we can do is keep our citizens safe. Civus Romanus, that is our policy here. We protect our nationals at all cost. If, however, for some reason, either side harms any Roman citizens, well, then by Jove, there will be Tartarus to pay, and I don't mean that empire! I will not countenance any harm done to our people. Our Eastern brethren are blinded by their religious faith. We are more fortunate. We can see clearly the dangerous shoals and steer the ship of State safely past them.

"Make that plain to my brother the Legate and all other of our diplomats, as well as foreign powers. Complete neutrality. It must be observed and respected by all parties, as far as the Western Roman Empire is concern," Honorius VII landed his open palm down on the desk, making a sound like Jove's thunder. Tarquinius taught him that trick and now he used it.

"Now, if you excuse, I have an appointment with the baths. More renovations at the new bath I am building and all. Then I will bathe a little myself. I could use a hot one after a day like this. This whole market interval has been more than a little stressful."

"Naturally, Augustus. Your policy will be followed stringently, I assure you," Tarquinius lied.

No sooner than the Emperor left, but the mole sent a missive to his handlers in a certain country.

Sadly, the Emperor is not yet ready to abandon neutrality and oppose his Eastern colleague. I suspect that he is loathe to abandon the Treaty of Naissus. It may take a little caution at this juncture and I must avoid being seen as nagging him. The last thing he likes is to be pressured into things. Caution and patience are the watchwords at this time. We must not tip our hands right now.

Caution indeed.....Tarquinius wasn't about to blow this if he could avoid it. It would literally cost him his head....and everything else, including his property. Treason was the most harshly punished of all crimes. Traitors were typically proscribed and beheaded, their wealth confiscated by the State, their children destitute and disgraced. It was a dangerous game he played indeed and he never forgot that for a second. Only the hopes of eventually replacing his master on the throne would ever motivate him to take such a risk.

Patience....patience. Don't let ambition blind you to the risks involved here. You have to stay alive to become Emperor. And then you can discard these handlers and justify your treason as being for the greater good, disavowing all knowledge or association with them. Use them now, reckon with them later. He was running this show...not his supposed string-pullers.

For now, the self-serving, deliberately content-light briefings would help his cause best. The less the Emperor really knew about this conflict, the easier it would be to lead him into the war against his better judgment. And then the "partnership" could form and Tarquinius could ascend the throne. After that, he would cut whatever deal he had to gain advantage and use the legions to bully everyone involved, including his former handlers. That alone would make it a patriotic act, despite the initial treason involved. The Empire would flex its muscles again....at last. And the first ever Etruscan on the throne would lead the way.

Tarquinius Augustus had a very nice ring to it, the Master of Offices thought as he poured himself a tumbler of spiced rum.

[Bratoslovoukia]

To: Prince James Obed, Regent of the Allied States of New Edom
From: The Office of Ambassador Wilhelm Bringovoric

Dear Prince James,

We cordially welcome Marshal Henry Achan to our humble embassy this evening. He will be most welcome within its walls. We will be enjoying the finest food prepared by our expert chefs here at the kitchen. All meals served will be glatt kosher. If the Marshal has any dietary concerns please alert me before hand. I look forward to meeting him.

Sincerely,
Ambassador Wilhelm Hamptonberg Plantagenet Von Der Schlongdorff Bringovoric

[Gehenna Tartarus]

Quality Bay

Even though Tia had stated that she was hungry on the beach, when she sat down to lunch she really did not have that much of an appetite at all. She nibbled on the scrimp salad and a little of the stuff tomato, but she was too anxious about what was going on to actually eat anything. This was not helped when Prince James announced that they would have to move from Quality Bay, as it was no longer safe there. That made Tia wonder where Perrin was and whether he was actually a part of any of the events that were occurring around the city. She doubted that he would be in Fineberg yet, or if he was even going to be. Not knowing anything was the worst part.

So deep in her thoughts was she that she did not realise that James was actually talking to her. She looked up at him and returned his smile, feeling a little odd that he was appearing so friendly and concerned about her. “If you think it would be best for me to return to the Embassy, I will do that. I really do not want to be in the way,” she said, finally giving up the pretence of eating. “And as for Perrin, I am sure that he fully understands the situation and would be with me if he could. But he needs to help protect his country and deal with these insurgents that are threatening your nation.” Despite what was happening around her, Tia did not really know the full details of what was going on and had no idea that the royal family was in any way connected to the situation. “I am sure he will make his family proud.”