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

by **New Edom** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:12 pm

Prestige Hotel

"You know," grumbled a middle aged nice looking man from Eslovakiva to another man with dark skin wearing a white three piece suit as they were both taking luggage off a rack after getting off a shuttle that had brought them round from the other side of the hotel, "I came to New Edom to vacation because the resort is beautiful, there's pretty much zero crime, and it's exotic. And I was pretty glad to find out that at least in this province they don't enforce that nudity law."

"But now it's breaking out in violence again. There's a thorn on every rose," agreed the dark skinned man. "I didn't come to vacation though, I'm from Okwe, I came for a telecommunications conference here, trying to sell more New Edomites on the idea of cell phone plans. Some places out in the country, you're lucky to have one phone per hundred people."

A young couple who were making some concession to the local laws--each wearing something below the waist, him trunks and her a sarong like skirt, were both discussing whether to stay or go. It turned out that they both worked (though in different departments) for Karlberg, a foreign multinational that in New Edom focused on sales of furniture and home goods. They had been talking about living in New Edom, and had already been looking at houses. She wanted to go; he wanted to stay. They had to look forward to re-negotiating a renter who had taken over their tiny condo back home--was it worth it? They were both fair haired, lightly tanned, in their late twenties.

A small group of young business executives from VMK and the Bundesbank were calm about it; they had been in New Edom for a while, and it was possible to overhear one of them mentioning that while the testing site in central Bara was roughing it a bit that if they weren't safe there they wouldn't be safe anywhere, that this would all blow over in time.

Soon people were lining up and handing over their key cards, and then heading with their luggage (in some cases using carts, shepherded by hotel personnel wearing red uniform paint) down the street towards the train station. For some reason it was hard to hear anything other than the occasional gunshot from where they were, and the young couple from Eslovakiva (among others) began to wonder aloud if it was all just an exaggeration or something. As a result some of them took back their cards. Some others discussed the possibility of getting a train out to Quality Bay instead, and apparently that was possible.

A few blocks away, Matthew Finchley just managed to miss a group of young men in black clothing, who ignored him, clambering into a pickup truck that then blazed down the street; several ordinary people were walking along the street or sitting at an outdoor cafe. One was a man sitting on the street with a begging bowl, his body painted with various kinds of crucifixes. There were people sitting at the cafe, mostly wearing light body paint but a couple of them probably other tourists wearing mantles or wraps around the waist (and with visible tanlines in a couple of case) sipping mint tea or bubbly drinks and eating cakes or pastries or fruit. it seemed like the noise had died down quite a bit; an unintelligible voice speaking over a loudspeaker or megaphone could be heard several blocks away, his voice echoing through the downtown buildings.

by **Riemaia** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:42 pm

Quality Bay Estate

Anneli grinned as her uncle Rupert was riding on a buffalo, just like the guy in the strange Edomite television show. "Jeez uncle..." she said as she followed him up to the state, meeting Prince James there. "Hi Uncle James!" Anneli exclaimed as she smiled at him. "Is to just me, or is Uncle Rupert the guy who actually plays that one guy on the show?" Anneli still had her baby in her arms, and a small box dangling from a string held one of her hands as well. "Well I think I would like to head out to the beach and try to get a tan on my bare ass!" Anneli semi-jokingly said as she laughed a little at the end, then walking up to her uncle and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Elisa, Elise, and Harald looked at James and gave him a friendly smile. "Hey Uncle, how is everything going?" Elise asked as she held her purse in front of her, then looking at the others. "This is Elisa and Harald, cousins of Anneli and I... they wanted to come see the country for themselves, since Anneli was just praising your beaches so much!" The other two of them were holding the main bags of luggage, and wanted to at least get their stuff into their rooms before going out to the beach, not knowing about any shootings in Fineberg, unlike Anneli and Elise who were in the loop of what the Riemaian embassy knew of. "Uncle Phillip should really meet his grand daughter sometime while Anneli and Annette are here, I think he would be tickled to death!"

"Jeez Elise, you want to go showing off your niece already to her grandpa? Don;t you think that can wait until Anneli is ready to show Annette off?" Elisa said as she looked at Elise, and then back to James, giving him a curtsie. "It's nice to meet you Prince James, Iv'e heard so much about you from Anneli, may I say it's quite the honor!"

Quality Bay Beach

Since Anneli had been to Quality Bay quite a few times, she knew her way around the place quite well. She still had her baby in her arms and the box in her hand, and had managed to grab a parasol and prop it between her arms to cover up her kid from the warm sun. Since she was wearing her glasses as well, she could basically pick out anyone she knew from a crowd of people, with only a few mistakes likely. "Hey Mara!" Shouted Anneli as she looked out towards her, wanting to grab her attention. "I got something for ya to see!"

by **Gehenna Tartarus** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:38 pm

Quality Bay
Bara Province, New Edom

Tia was still feeling bad about the thoughts she had been having about Perrin before she had read his email and now she was feeling back for almost shouting at Mara. It was not her fault that stuff was happening and she felt her stomach flip when Tia was told about President Touchstone. She had met the man once at a party in Tartarus and she had thought he was a really nice man, even if he had almost put his foot in it.

“I am sorry,” she said, looking at Mara with sadness in her eyes, not just for what was happening around them, but because Perrin had told her that he loved her and she had no idea if she could get a message back to him. She reached out and placed a hand on Mara’s and squeezed comfortingly. “I am sure it will blow over in no time, but I would like to stay with you, if you are sure you do not mind. I would feel better knowing that all my friends are safe, especially since…I hope he’s going to be okay.” She let out a short but harsh sigh. “I need to write to him.”

She threw all her things into her bag and rose from the lounger. “I will arrange to have my things moved.” Just then she heard a familiar voice and saw Anneli walking towards the group. She felt better that Mara had someone there she was close to. “I will be back once I am done.” She then headed off in the direction that Anneli had come from, giving her a brief greeting as she passed her and headed off in the direction of the complex.

* * * * *

A Street
Fineberg, New Edom

Matthey Finchley had no idea what was going on and in fact, he really did not want to. The streets were the same as they were when he had arrived the previous day, but at the same time there was something different about them, almost as if there was some kind of trepidation hanging in the air. But a lot of people seemed to be carrying on as normal and when he saw a group drinking tea, he was beginning to wonder if perhaps he had just got up on the wrong side of the bed and things were not crazy. Even the black clad guys that had climbed into the pickup suddenly seemed a lot more innocent than he might have thought. He actually began laughing at himself for being so damn paranoid.

He nodded his head at a couple of people as he passed them and even began to whistle to himself. He could hear what sounded like someone talking through a loudspeaker, but he was too far away to know what was being said. It was probably someone announcing a furniture sale or something. What were the chances of him running into any trouble while he made his way back to his hotel? Whatever he had heard about what was going on was probably miles away from where he was.

“Shit,” he muttered to himself, as he recalled the message he had left his wife. Now she was going to worry over nothing just because he had freaked out based on something someone had said. He would ring her later and say that he had too much to drink over dinner or at the meeting or something. In the meantime, he picked up his speed, wanting to get back to the hotel so that he could tune into the news and find out how big an ass he had been.

* * * * *

The Prestige
Fineberg, New Edom

The first wave of hotel guests was lined up and they were waiting to be shipped off to the station. Despite the unrest that had been reported, Kate Fisher was a little surprised that she had heard some of them wanting to merely move their holiday destination to another part of New Edom. Given the option and if she was not a reporter, she would have been on the first available flight out of a nation that seemed to be experiencing a coup. Of course, she did not have all the details and it could just been some crazy person just trying to hold the city to ransom. She have covered stories like that before and instead of being some full blown coup it was just some nut job with a cause.

She tried to talk to a couple of people, but they were far too focused on the situation at hand or making sure that they did not misplace their luggage to say more than a couple of words which tended to be along the lines of ‘what the hell do you want’ or ‘get out of my way’. Not that she really thought that she would get anything from the people in the hotel. If she was going to get a story, she would have to hit the street and see if things had begun to move out there.

She tapped Dave lightly on the shoulder. “Come on, this is getting us nowhere,” she said, as she pointed towards the street. “I’ll grab us a couple of bottles of expensive water and we’ll find the real story in New Edom. Keep filming though, this will be good padding for the report later. ‘Tourists panic as they are forced to leave the city’, like hell.”

by **Hittanryan** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:41 pm

DeGroot was off to work damage control within the SDP bloc, leaving Deol to continue drafting diplomatic cables. Initially, he was going to send the cable only to Finnhald, but decided it would be imprudent to cut Governor Augrim out of the loop. He was unsure if the message would reach him, but considering how important the early phase of these sorts of affairs are, he couldn't afford not to try.

Encryption: Highest
To: Acting President of the Allied States of New Edom, Sif Finnhald
Cc: Governor Augrim of Haran Province, New Edom
From: Republic of Adiron State Dept.

Acting President and Governor,

The Republic is forming a response plan for the situation inside New Edom, and as such is seeking feedback from Edomite leadership. Submitted for your review is our assessment of the situation and tentative plan of action.

Monarchist elements of the military, police, and likely parts of the royal family, have used the Ysbaddenfach bombing as a pretense for a power grab. There is now open fighting in the capital and surrounding areas, with certain Free Congress officials coming under direct attack by monarchist forces. Significant portions of the military and police are compromised.

Rand must not be allowed to legitimize his position and by extension, the coup itself. The AIS believes the next logical course of action should be to expose him, undermining the monarchists' domestic and international credibility. Short of uncovering the full truth of the Ysbaddenfach attack, our goal should be to produce conclusive evidence that Rand and the monarchists are responsible for initiating hostilities and have knowingly staged an insurrection against the lawful government of New Edom.

To facilitate this, the AIS' immediate operational goal is to reopen standard international communication channels with New Edom. This will allow for not only the direct gathering of HUMINT and SIGINT data, but will likely result in the production of a great deal of open-source intelligence as well. In addition, it will allow us to better coordinate any actions on the ground inside the country.

Anything you might be able to add would be of great help to the both of us.

Sincerely,
Secretary of State Deol

by **Premislyd** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 12:41 am

-Retconned-

by **New Edom** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 6:40 am

(Note: the message below begins to be gradually tacked up or pasted up all over the city of Fineberg; it also is sent to every embassy and every major corporation operating in New Edom. As Matthew Finchley walks back he notices a truck and two young Marines staplegunning the proclamation to a telephone pole.)

DAVID THE THIRD, by the Grace of God of the Allied States of New Edom, the Protectorates of Gloria Regis, Etruria Majora and Raith Immel, Defender of Dengali
To ALL WHOM these Presents shall come or who in the same may in any wise concern, and the which Proclamation below shall be presented by all means possible to ever Person in Our realm of the Allied States of New Edom

A PROCLAMATION

PRINCE JAMES OBED
Regent
NEW EDOM

WHEREAS by and with the advice and consent of Our Emergency Government in New Edom We have signified Our Approval of the issue of a Proclamation in all media stating that We mourn and deplore the death of President William Touchstone, Vice President Marcus Cruonis, Defense Minister John Crowl, and Our Senior Military Commanders who were the Chiefs of the Military staff...

OF WHICH ALL Our loving subjects and all others whom these Presents may concern are hereby required to take notice and govern themselves accordingly.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF We have caused these Our Letters to be made Pate and the Great Seal of New Edom to be hereunto affixed. WITNESS: Our Right Trusty and Well beloved James Obed, Prince of the Blood, as Our Lord High Protector in New Edom and his Deputy, Admiral Charles Rand, Acting Minister of Defense, as We declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY in in the City of Fineberg and a State of HIGH ALERT throughout the Allied States. The former inasmuch as members of the Government, to Wit Attorney-General Sarah Carmel, Police Minister John Kohath and Undersecretary Colleen Fish have violated their oaths of office and appear to have been party to conspiracy to murder the President in order to seize power.

WE ASK that all officials, officers and personages of authority disregard all statements by Foreign Minister Sif Finnhald until she shall present themselves to Us or to Our Regent, Prince James Obed or to Our appointed Minister of Defense Admiral Charles Rand inasmuch as the said Foreign Minister Finnhald has disregarded the concerns of Our beloved Admiral Charles Rand regarding allegations concerning those who are believed to have plotted the death of Mr. Touchstone and the officials and officers serving under him.

ALL PERSONS serving in the Armed Forces of Our country are required to be unless otherwise ordered on highest alert and to HOLD THEIR CURRENT POSITIONS with all diligence as it is believed that Foreign Powers may take advantage of Our hour of grief--and it is considered likely that Imperialist Powers are behind the assassination.

AT OUR PALACE OF BETHARAN, in Our City of Fineberg, on the 2nd Day of July the Year of Our Lord 2012.

By Command
DAVID III

by **New Edom** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 6:49 am

Late Roman Empire
Sif Finnhald waited for a private moment with the Emperor before stating, clearly trying to keep herself under control, her outrage. "Somehow, Rand has gotten to the King--but I'm sure it is not Rand alone, but also Prince James." she showed him a copy of the proclamation she had had printed off, wondering if he might have already seen it. " I have appreciated your standing by me, but I will need to ask you: will you continue to do so in the face of this?" she looked at him, nostrils flaring, her breasts rising and falling rapidly, keeping her body still, but clearly beneath her smooth skin every muscle was taut. "How dare they--Sarah Carmel and Colleen Fish, John Kohath, they are all among the most loyal followers of William Touchstone. Dominus, I intend to send a statement of my own, but I do not want to do so without letting you know." her mouth softened slightly. "You have been astonishingly kind to me, and I do not want to repay this kindness by presuming on your hospitality or your policy."

However she had no compunctions about Adiron--she knew that as a democratic nation their process of policy making could sometimes be very slow--increasingly it had been so in New Edom. Therefore she had sent a message of agreement to Adiron as follows:

To: Secretary of State Deol
From: Acting President Sif Finnhald and Governor Augrim of Haran
Encryption: Most Secret

Dear Sir,

I strongly concur with what you have written to me. Full cooperation with your intelligence operation is granted, and I thank you for the offer. Please conduct such operations through the office of the Governor of Haran, the Ethnarch of Harbourtown or through contact with General Pahath-Moab.

- Acting President Finnhald

by **New Edom** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:06 am

by **Late Roman Empire** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:37 am

"Milady, I support Constitutional government. From what I can tell, the King is nothing more than a puppet of his family, a man who is unhappy with his Constitutional role. His proclamation, therefore, can hardly obviate the mandate given to your government by the electorate.

"As a Roman, I believe first and foremost in the rule of law. Your government is Constitutional, Rand's is not, whatever the King may say. I do not even know how much freedom of action the King has at this point, and if his uncle dominates him, then this is truly a plot to restore autocracy.

"From the Empire's own experience and history, I have come to believe autocracy is a very flawed system of government. You roll the dice with each autocrat, hoping that he or she will not abuse their power or be dominated by someone who abuses it. If Rand were to get his way, he and Prince James would be able to impose their arbitrary rule on a country. That is a scary enough prospect under normal circumstances, but what little I know of them reinforces the notion that these are violent, lawless men. Their rule could well prove to be a reign of terror, and I couldn't trust any agreement with them.

"Furthermore, I know you. I trust you and believe that you would keep faith with me and any treaties we might enact. Can I say the same of Rand or of Prince James, men who have already violated their own word? To a Roman, an oath-breaker is a man or woman stained with dishonor. They are never fully trusted again.

"Also, to borrow an example from the ancient history of my people, I have crossed the Rubicon, diplomatically speaking. I ordered my ambassador to officially denounce Rand and send him a message to that effect. Milady President, the die is cast. For better or worse, the Eastern Empire has thrown in its lot with the Free Congress. We must see this thing through, whatever the end. I have burned my boats, just like the great Caesar did when he returned to Italy. The difference is that I am supporting the law, not desecrating it. We are firmly behind you, to the very end. We stand with you, milady.

"Now, I do have an idea for how to get you into Fineberg with your new bodyguard. It is by commercial jet. This would presumably fool the air traffic controllers into letting you land without even worrying about it. Only once the boots are on the ground would they know their mistake. Then, of course, it would be too late. You could even seize control of the airport, if you wished. A full century of Samaritan auxiliaries is nothing to sneeze at. We can also recruit a flight crew and such to get you past the controllers at first. Presumably someone on your staff knows how to pilot well enough for that. I can even lend you a pilot from the Imperial Air Force, a man whom I trust absolutely.

"What are your thoughts on this change of plans? Incidentally, what do you think of the idea of a press conference in which you can speak to the Roman news media and counter the monarchist propaganda?" the Augustus posed the questions that he had in mind at last.

He didn't lose sleep over backing the lawful head of state. No, what worried him was the lives of the men he was risking, their families, and on a more personal level, the fear that the Acting President would know what he felt about her. This wasn't a time for such distractions. Lives and liberty were at stake, the future of a nation of millions and its posterity. Sif had enough stress, as Decentius understood too well from personal experience. The last thing that she needed was a lovestruck Emperor and have to find a way to politely discourage him. Decentius wasn't under any illusion that his was anything but a hopeless affection. He played it much cooler than he felt, repressing his emotions beneath a calm facade.

by **Roma Occidentalis** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 8:00 am

Imperial Legate Marcus Valerius Italicus, illegitimate half-brother to the Emperor Honorius, received the telegrams yesterday, but he had no answers for the Emperor just yet. He hadn't heard anything from Rand or the others at all so far. He was a bit worried, to put it mildly.

To be blunter, he was extremely worried, both for himself, his country, and his fellow Romans living in New Edom. It was dangerous enough walking around naked in a foreign country, let alone during a war. As much as he enjoyed the view of so many beautiful women, the drawbacks of the Compulsory Nudity Act were apparent to him. Nudity was good for the public baths, not for everyday business, and certainly when gunshots and artillery barrages were the order of the day.

No responses yet to the messages sent to Admiral Rand or the representatives of the underground rump Free Congress leadership. Both must have a lot on their plates, but.....I have a job to do. I must learn more. There's one thing that can be done.

"Fabia, sent out an official bulletin. Write what I dictate," Valerius ordered his assistant, a bored patrician widow who had entered the diplomatic corps to forget about her late husband. Her grey hair belied her youthful free spirit, being largely a product of her recent mourning and grief.

"Certainly, domine," she addressed the boss in the proper vocative title for "my lord".

Fellow Romans, Citizens of the Western Roman Empire,

This is your Imperial Legate, Marcus Valerius Italicus, empowered by my cousin, Imperator Caesar Honorius Augustus, Emperor of the West, and endowed with his authority. I hereby call upon all Western Roman citizens in Fineberg to retreat to the safety of the Embassy. We wish to avoid incidents as much as possible, and even more importantly, to avoid needless death and suffering. Take whatever clothes and personal belongings you can fit into a suitcase, as the Embassy is Western Roman soil and exempt from the Compulsory Nudity Act. For the glory and peace of the Empire, be practical, not stubborn. You have 24 hours to comply with this directive. Failure will result in your fate being on your own head. I can not protect those who voluntarily place themselves beyond the reach of my aid and resources.

I urge you again to listen to reason and seek asylum in the shelter of the Embassy, the sovereign territory of the Western Roman Empire. Thank you in advance for your prudence and co-operation. We will have staff ready to provide you with basic amenities as needed. The deadline is exactly 0800 hours tomorrow local time.

Under the auspices of Divus Mercurius,
Marcus Valerius Italicus, Legatus

"If that doesn't impress on our citizens the urgency of their need to flee to the safety and shelter of the Embassy, I don't know what will. It should also make it clear to the New Edomites of both sides that we mean business. Our citizens will be safe, whatever it takes. Gods curse them, those monarchists! I don't hold much with republicanism, but I hate civil wars, too. Starting one because you're tired of sharing power in a triumvirate that you yourself accepted in a truce strikes me as asinine and infantile. Still, this is not our war, and I am glad that the Emperor has the wisdom to see things that way. Unlike our Eastern brethren, we're staying out of this mess," the Legate slammed his fist down on his desk in frustration.

"Now, it's time to broadcast it over the radio. I will read it out myself," Italicus said....and he did just that, sound calmer and more confident than he actually was.

"Do you want a drink, sir?" Fabia asked him after he finished.

"Yes, I could use. You pour yourself one, too. We could both use a stiff drink," Italicus grimaced.

This whole war was madness....pure, simple madness. Somehow, he had to get himself and his people out of this mess alive.

by **Judea Libera** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 8:07 am

"Stand by for an address to the nation from Aaron Bar-Joash, High Priest of God, President of the Sanhedrin, and Head of State of Judea Libera.

"Fellow Judeans, I have been saddened to learn of the atrocities, violence, massacres, and other acts of bloodshed and slaughter in New Edom and its territories. I have not been given any message to assign blame, but rather to urge peace and brotherhood to all parties involved, to call for a cessation of hostilities and resumption of peaceful commerce. Most of all, I call upon the belligerents, regardless of nationality or political persuasions, to respect the rights and needs of the innocent, the women and children, the elderly, the poor and destitute, those left homeless, orphaned, widowed, and fatherless from this present and unnecessary conflict. I call upon the men of New Edom to use their arms and strength not to fight each other, but rather to protect the weak and innocent.

"I further demand, in the name of the Most High God and Lord of Hosts, the Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that these children of Esau, our brethren in the family of Abraham and Isaac, guarantee that no harm will come to any Jews, be they Judean, Galilean, Menassan, Ralkovian, New Edomite, etc. who have not participated in this conflict. We understand that combatants assume a degree of risk, but non-combatants have no choice in the matter. Non-combatants, especially Jews of non-combatant status, must be safe from rape, murder, pogroms, robbery, assault, and other crimes against the weak, vulnerable, and innocent.

"This is a time for honest self-examination, prayer, reflection, meditation, and goodwill, not a time for further violence, brutality, and destruction. I call for peace. I call for reason. I call for the respect of all toward the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. I call for an end to the idolatry of ideology and a return to humility, empathy, justice, decency, common sense, and mercy. I urge all sides to lay down their arms and sit down to talk this over, as they did before.

"Above all, I warn those who would harm the Chosen People that the Almighty will not be mocked. Those who curse and harm us will be destroyed in the judgment and terrible retribution of the Most High, who will avenge the blood of the innocent and require it at their hands. Like righteous Abel, their blood will cry from the soil and demand a just and proper punishment for their wickedness. Do not tempt the Lord God of Heaven. He will exalt the meek and bring down the proud. He will surely stand with the oppressed against the oppressor. I condemn this war. I condemn the violence and mayhem. I condemn the greed and opportunism of those seeking to exploit their fellow man and use the misery of the children of Esau to their advantage.

"To you, the wayward children of Esau, let me speak peace and comfort, knowing that the Lord God of Heaven will avenge you in His good time. Nothing is hidden from the Lord of Hosts. His judgment might come slowly, but it will come at the proper time, when the guilty think themselves beyond His wrath. Seek peace and safety, wherever you can. Protect those whom you love and cherish, as well you should, being from the same womb, the same seed, and the same bosom. Most of all, do not confront the wicked now nor revile the princes and rulers from either side, but rather wait for the vindication that must surely come from the right hand of He who sees all thing, even those most hidden in the darkest parts of the earth.

"Shalom alecheim. Baruch hashel Adonai. Shema Y'Israel Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echad. The Lord of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Take comfort in the words of that Psalm, my brethren of Israel, wherever you might be in this hour of affliction, conflict, lawlessness, and distress. Good night and may the LORD keep you and bless you, the LORD make His face to shine upon you, the LORD lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and pray for the peace of the world," the High Priest ended his message of "peace and brotherhood to the Chosen and the Gentile alike."

He just hoped that the message would not fall upon deaf ears, though he knew in his heart that it would. Men and women alike were often deaf to reason. Why should the children of Esau, the descendants of the man who sold his birthright for a stew of lentils, be any different?

by **Hittanryan** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:02 am

President's Office

The AIS picked up the King's proclamation quickly. DeGroot, who had just managed to defuse some of the tensions with the SDP's coalition, was less than impressed.

"Who wrote this? The King? Gee, I was wondering whose side he would take," he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Notice how he suddenly has the power to appoint cabinet ministers by decree. Oh, and this is good, justifying it all by saying it's a 'state of emergency.' Funny how some emergencies can last for around a century or two."

Deol tried to refocus the president. "So, unless Rand is up to forging signed and sealed official documents from the king himself, that means the royal family is right in the thick of it."

"Yep, what we're looking at here is a royal temper tantrum. It's...sickening."

"We need to respond somehow. We're going to try to throw him off balance a bit. They've made a lot of claims without much evidence."

"That's what we need to come up with. She cross the border yet?"

"Should have about an hour ago. Got Finnhald's go-ahead after that, but I think she would understand."

To: Admiral Charles Rand, Acting Minister of Defense, Allied States of New Edom
From: State Department, Republic of Adiron

Admiral Rand,

Having just reviewed the King's latest proclamation, the Republic of Adiron is shocked and disgusted that several of President Touchstone's closest allies would betray him to the extent of assassination and insurrection. These are very serious accusations and we should hope that a full investigation is underway. Concerning the officials named in the king's proclamation, what evidence is there of their involvement? This should be made public to the world at once.

However, regarding Foreign Minister Finnhald, the Republic has some questions. The Minister was out of the country at the time of the coup, and without hard evidence linking her to the conspiracy, had no part in the hostilities gripping the capital. Considering New Edom's line of succession would otherwise name her acting head of state, the title of which you have assumed instead, you must understand our reservations when such an accusation is made without providing hard evidence. We also find it curious that although there are still-living members of the government aside from Finnhald who would otherwise be named acting president, a military officer has been appointed to a major civilian cabinet position and assumed the role of head of state instead.

Although we understand New Edom is undergoing serious internal turmoil, you must surely understand our concerns when a constitution is suspended, in part or in whole.

Sincerely,
Secretary of State Deol

by **Hittanryan** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:14 am

Haran Province, near New Edom-Nalaya border

Having successfully crossed the border, thanks to the good Governor Augrim steamlining the process, two vehicles wind their way through some of the parched hills of Haran. They keep their distance intentionally, sometimes taking different parallel routes but all the while making their way to Sterry. The first is a semi truck, with markings identifying it as a major telecommunications firm. The second is a typical sedan.

Both were driven by AIS operatives, but only one would remain for an extended stay. The truck driver feigned being unable to understand the lingua franca, and had plausible deniability if caught. Since he would be the one carrying the major equipment, he would likely be the one to draw attention on the intelligence circuit, though the hope was that New Edom's fractured nature would hinder its counter-intelligence capacity. He would be out of the country in short order, staying innocently in a hotel room until transport could be arranged.

The primary agent for this operation was Kasumi Takeda, a seasoned AIS veteran who had infiltrated both the Imperium and Urdnotia during the war. She was a textbook femme fatale: long black hair, dazzling smile, slim body with curves in all the right places, able to read anybody like a book, manipulative, calculating, and knowledgeable on countless methods on how to end someone's life. Perhaps her Specter background clashed with the usual perception of "femme fatale," but she couldn't knock extensive military training.

They were driving to Sterry, with the ultimate goal of restoring international broadcasts, preventing the monarchists from monopolizing the "government's" message and legitimizing his regime.

Having gained access to the country, her thoughts wandered to more mundane matters. She didn't relish the thought of stripping naked for the job for two reasons. First off, she had operational concerns; it would make it nearly impossible to conceal weaponry, wires, and other equipment...at least in an easily-accessible manner. Second, and she wished she could banish it from her mind, was embarrassment.

Kasumi was not ashamed of her body in the slightest, her training regimen kept her positively svelte. Revealing all to all however, was another matter, especially with chauvinism alive and well in New Edom. Ceti's overall culture was such that public nudity was reserved for only very specific settings, not everywhere. However, if it was that or compromise the mission, well, she'd just have to grit and bear it. Greater good and all that. Luckily, Haran had never been much for strict enforcement of the law. She should be able to keep her touristy garb of casual blouse and skirt on.

by **Riemaia** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:59 am

Quality Bay Beach

Anneli smiled and kissed Mara back discreetly on the lips, and looked down at her baby. "Well besides the usual stuff, shes great!" Anneli said as she smiled at Mara again, haven't seeing her in awhile and happy to see she is safe. "And uhh..." Anneli said as she put one of her hands on her breasts, "Well... i'm breastfeeding her myself believe it or not! So what was all that shooting I heard of all about?" Anneli curiously asked as she fiddled with the box she had in her hands, and the parasol she also had to keep the sun off of her head. "I was really worried you know!"

Quality Bay Resort

"Well Annette is such a pretty baby, I think anyone would just love to see her!" Elise exclaimed as they walked into the resort and also into the hopefully cool air conditioning. They had no knowledge of what had supposedly happened to President Touchstone, but they were somewhat startled to hear it, or at least Elisa was. "Gasp!" Elise said as her eyes widened up a little, then relaxed. "Oh wait... I thought you were going to give bad news... nevermind!" She jokingly said as she looked at the other two, noticing Harald didn't quite know what was going on and Elisa looking at her with a little bit of contempt.

"I'm sorry to hear that your countries President was killed, is there anything we can do to make this time a little less painful?" Elisa asked as she looked at him, with her hands neatly crossed. "Or would you prefer us to just not talk about it?"

by **Bratoslovoukia** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:03 pm

The War Room, Lower Level, Imperial Star Palace, Bratvit, Bratoslovoukia
"Gentlemen, your eminence, I think we may see that any and all troop movements into Fineberg would be futile and needlessly risk the lives of our countrymen." Wilm van der Berg, the Defense Minister, exclaimed pointing with a swagger stick to board with a map of Fineberg and some arrows on it. The men sitting around the grand Harkness table applauded.

Wilm was thin and lanky. A pair of pince nez spectacles rested upon his nose. He wore a clean pressed suit and a bow tie. His matte black hair was combed and slicked back in a mobster sort of way. His plumpish face was framed by a cleft chin.

"Wilm, you naive-ness amuses me." Vladimir Makarov, the Head of KROM and IKON chuckled.

He was a pale, seeming emaciated man puffing on a cigarette. His jet black hair was dark that of a raven's feather and his skin was as white as snow. He work a black uniform with many pins on it as well, but most of his featured a skull and cross bones. This was probably because he was the Chief of the KROM and IKON, the Bratoslovoukian Secret Police and National Security Bureau respectively.

"Silence, Makarov. I think Wilm had some good points. Let's hear the Right Honorable Lubevesky's proposition." The Emperor shouted. He was seated in a throne at the far end of the table.

The Rt. Hon. Sergey Lubevesky was portly fellow. He had fluffy gray sideburns that ran down the side of his face. His plump face was round and framed by a pair of pince-nez spectacles. He wore a clean, wool tallit katan under a magnificent silk robe as well as a homburg hat and a bolo tie. He was also distinguished not only for being the Interior Minister, but also for being an ass.

"Well," he said in a nasal voice, standing up and waddling over to the board and pressing a button on the projector remote. "I completely disagree with Mr. Van der Berg like General Makarov. We can only benefit from troop movements and so will New Edom. I think you can see here that complete deployment of the National Army and the Imperial Marines into Fineberg and surrounding areas to annex the city would result in complete capitulation of the monarchist government."

"Shut up," Aleksandr Popov, the Head of the State Department, shouted. "Only a idiot like yourself would believe in this plan."

"Excuse me?!" Lubevesky shouted back.

"Let Mr. Popov speak, Lubevesky." The Emperor proclaimed.

Aleksandr Popov was probably the sanest smartest person in the room, the Emperor being a genius but also insane. He was probably the healthiest also. He was strong willed and physically strong person was neither sickly like Wilm, Etan, Makarov, and the Emperor, or fat like Lubevesky and Sloborodorsky. Lubevesky was fatter than Sloborodorsky however. He was also probably the second most powerful person in the nation, so that earned his respect amongst his colleagues. Sloborodorsky was a barrel chested, tall, and broad shouldered man with a mass of military ribbons and pin on the breast of his white uniform. The Imperial Star Insignia, only upon the hats of laureates of the said award, rested on his hat that was perched on a head of unkempt gray hair.

"I think we should send aid, not military aid, but rather financial and humanitarian aid to Sif Finnhald's government. I also think we should make a state declaration recognizing Sif Finnhald's government." Aleksandr responded calmly.

"Um, well, the Foreign Ministry, isn't well, just isn't willing, um, I mean, prepared to recognize a nation, that contrasts our ideals so much. I mean we only recognized Touchstone's regime because the Emperor liked Touchstone." Etan retorted nervously.

"Mr. Popov's plan is stupid. Sif Finnhald is weak, his whole government is weak. Charles Rand is strong, the monarchists are strong like us. They have the same principles as us, did you even hear about the compulsory nudity laws passed by Touchstone! They were just to show his power. Tyranny of the Majority!" Makarov began to proclaim.

"Silence, Vladimir Nikolayevich Makarov! How dare you slander a dead man's name?!" The Emperor shouted in a fit of rage.

"Listen to me. If we support the Free Congress we are supporting collectivist regimes and democracy. We are supporting tyranny of the majority." Makarov screamed.

"I see your point, Makarov." The Emperor responded quietly.

"We should support the monarchists. They have the same ideals as us and would be a helpful ally on future Monarchist endeavors." Makarov added.

"Don't listen to him, your eminence." Wilm shouted. "If you, um, we support the Monarchists, it will show Bratoslovoukia as pliant and weak to the rest of the world!"

"Makarov is a man who makes his living off deceiving people to ensure our security, are you sure you want to use his plans?" Aleksandr exclaimed.

"Quiet yourselves!" Makarov screamed.

"Rand must be extinguished!" Wilm continued. "The Embassy should terminate him upon arrival if he visits."

"Etan, recognize Finnhald's government, Wilm and Alek, get a contigency plan ready, Maric, prep the army should things go south, Makarov, get on the next plane to meet Sif Finnhald, and Lubevesky tell the Embassy to terminate Rand." The Emperor shouted. "At once." The officials quickly filed out of the room except Makarov.

"Remember, your eminence, it doesn't take the most powerful nations on Earth to create the next global conflict. Just the will of a single man." Makarov whispered before ominously disappearing.

The Bratoslovoukian Embassy, Fineberg, New Edom

To: Admiral Charles Rand, Acting Minister of Defense
From: The Office of the Ambassador of Bratoslovoukia to New Edom
Message:
Dear Admiral Rand,
It is most unfortunate that you should not be able join us for dinner tonight. If you do not arrive at the Embassy to explain yourself, we will be forced to deem your government an enemy of Bratoslovoukia and will be reported as such to Bratoslovoukian Military Supreme Command.
Sincerely,
Ambassador Wilhelm Bringovoric, 9th Baron von Hamptonberg

Encrypted Message

Encryption: High
To: Sif Finnhald, Acting Head of State of New Edom
From: The State Department of Bratoslovoukia
President Finnhald, we have questions. Is Admiral Rand affiliated with your government and are you at war with the Monarchists? Does he lead the Monarchists? We are sending a representative to meet you regarding various matters. The man is Vladimir Makarov, head of KROM and IKON. He will be traveling with a contingent of five other KROM operatives. Please keep him guarded.

KROM Intelligence Analysis Station, The Hexagon, Bratvit, Bratoslovoukia
"The day this started, GEOINT Sat2 saw a convoy of helicopters depart Betharan palace presumably evacuating monarchist Royal family members. Suspects on board include the Princess Mara and Countess Olivia Lalery. These are just hunches but our guys on the streets in Fineberg seemed to have confirmed the Countess's presence within the palace as she is the Princess's, who lives in Betharan, tennis partner. GEOINT Sat3, Sat4, and Sat7 tracked the helicopters to Quality Bay, where there are expected to be now. Last contact was made viewing the Princess arriving at her hotel near the beach." A goon stated staring at large screen.

"Very good." General Kravchenko, Makarov's second in command exclaimed proudly.

by **Bratoslovoukia** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:54 pm

The Hexagon, Defense Ministry, Military, and State Department Headquarters, Bratvit, Bratoslovoukia
The Emperor walked smoothly through the crowded halls of the massive military command center. He carried with him a Glock pistol in his pocket holster. He was followed by four armed guards and two in front of him. As he walked through the various rooms, everyone stood up to salute him.

"Your eminence, we have increasing knowledge of New Edomite conflict." Wilm exclaimed running up to the side of the Emperor.

"Debrief me." The Emperor responded blankly.

"Let's see." Wilm began. "Prince James Obed has become the regent, and David Obed III is king presumably. Preliminary reports show that monarchist military efforts have been successful but we are yet to hear from Sif Finnhald."

"Ok, I am about to deliver an address to the nation reporting on our decision and the status of the conflict, what do I say?" The Emperor proclaimed nervously.

"Tell them we are standing by Finnhald." Wilm said calmly. "Good luck."

The Emperor walked into the press room and stood at the podium while the film crew started filming.

"I would like to begin this broadcast with a prayer. Shema yisrael adonai eloheinu adonai echad. Echad eloheinu gadol adoneynu kadosh shmo. Gadlu laadonai iti unarommah shemo yachdav. Lo, my brethren, our ally New Edom has fallen under a spell of tyranny." To make a long story short the Emperor completed this address.

by **New Edom** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:02 pm

Code: Select all: To: the State Department of the Bratoslouvakian Empire From: Sif Finnhald, Acting President of the Allied States of New Edom Encryption: Most Secret At the moment I am unable to meet with anyone as I am traveling. I will agree to set up a meeting time the moment I am not traveling. You will I hope under the circumstances understand my desire to be secretive about this, but rest assured that we will also provide the security necessary for your people once the meeting takes place. sincerely, Sif Finnhald Acting President

by **New Edom** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:16 pm

Betharan Palace, Fineberg

That the smoke hung over it like a shroud, and the sound of the automatic rifles, machineguns, mortars, grenades was a percussion for the symphony of hatred that had begun earlier.

The Marines had been outflanked by End Times Church Militia. The ones selected for this mission were all veterans of the last civil war, and led by Elders who had served as officers or NCOs they had put to use the organization that they had maintained. The unexpected assault, most particularly the assaults on their command vehicles, their signals vehicles, the ones trapping advancing tanks between one another to create a killing zone turned downtown from a skirmish area to a battleground. The black clad ETCers stormed the Museum and the Archives building, and ferocious close fighting took place in littered halls and through offices, grenades exploding and shattering glass and framework, smoke pouring out of windows.

That afternoon, a group of them along with Council Police officers and some members of the staff of the Foreign Office had run out of the building escorting Colleen Fish, and a group of trucks were idling, waiting, while militiamen crouched around aiming around them, watchful for movement. "This way, Madame Undersecretary," offered the leader, a hot eyed youth with a scar bisecting his face. His team had one of the prize, a secretly created UAV, a little one, that guided them by a circuitous route to the Lamonian Embassy, where they escorted her to the gates before departing.

At Stonehaven the impasse remained; the exhaustion of the betrayed and betrayers had one group in general control of the headquarters building, but the loyalists had control of the prison itself. Harcourt, unshaven, weary, listened to reports about ammunition, about communications, the state of Kohath unknown, and had to make a difficult decision; whether or not to release the prisoners conditional on whether or not they would fight, and what to do with them if there was a threat of the prison being taken.

The once beautiful Victory Park was littered with wreckage and smouldering vegetation. The Marines, to the dismay of General Adams, had been forced to fall back and retreat; by the time they had managed to break enough tanks out of column and helicopters, rearmed, had swarmed back to counter attack the End Times Church were doing a fighting retreat. A forlorn hope at the Palace of Justice was swept aside by the now grimly determined Marines, who did a room by room sweep, including of the bunker downstairs. They found bodies among the littered papers, destroyed furniture, blood spatters on walls, a few wounded groaning past all care, but no sign of the Attorney-General or her staff.

Thus far fighting had not touched the industrial area, residential areas or the airport itself, though a company of the Marine Infantry Regiment was there along with a Skyguard battery. However travel advisories had turned back commercial fights. Commercial flights were instead directed to the International Airports at Reme or Lookinghaven. Admiral Rand explained to all and sundry that this was a localized matter. Rumors drifted that government troops that had attempted to go to the hunting lodge had been attacked by 'partisan forces'.

However Rand had gotten his first really good laugh of the day at the antics of the Bratoslouvakian Embassy. He wondered how many of their people were starting to create a panic at the airport and told his secretary to find out. He replied as follows:

To his Excellency Ambassador Wilhelm Bringovoric, 9th Baron von Hamptonberg

My dear sir,
I regret to hear about your concerns, but I would like to ask you--are you honestly threatening our nation because of a refusal to come to supper? Or is there some other matter that concerns your Excellency? I am sure you can hear the sound of small arms fire and heavy weapons from Embassy Row and am therefore also sure that your Excellency can understand my being busy right now.

sincerely,
Admiral Charles Rand.

by **Bratoslovoukia** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:23 pm

OoC: Retconned

by **Bratoslovoukia** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:25 pm

Code: Select all: To: Sif Finnhald, Acting President of New Edom From: The State Department of Bratoslovoukia Encryption: Highest When will you not be traveling? Any answers to my questions?

by **New Edom** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:28 pm

Sterry, Haran Province

Sterry was a blend of new and old. It had almost no tall buildings over six stories; most of the taller buildings were round domed churches or Skyfarms with their greenish look and broad bases. it was a city where a newly built gleaming hospital made from white brick and with a wide green plaza around it vied with an old fashioned market nearby of tent stalls and rugs on which wares were placed. People wore their mantles more often than in any other province or protectorate, and defiant religious sectarians in some cases were fully clothed, but they were in the minority. Among them were the bare purists, wearing nothing but sandals and shoulder bags, their bodies browned from the sun, or else the painted people who were more common.

There was a commotion along the broader streets; dusty rectangular APCs and IFVs were moving along the streets as well as trucks full of dusty soldiers with goggles and desert pattern BDUs; they were waving at people who ran alongside the vehicles cheering or throwing red or blue flowers. A group of clapping youths male and female were dancing and clapping their hands above them in the air, chanting "Live Free Congress! Live Free Congress!"

A man with a wild beard, his bare body streaked with mud in which he had traced many crosses, darted among the crowd, shouting, "President Touchstone is not dead! He cannot die! It is foretold! He cannot die! President Touchstone is not dead! He cannot--" vanishing among the people.

For travelers, among the best hotels available were the Maconnais International Hotel, but there were also many local operations that had room.

by **Late Roman Empire** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:21 pm

"Milady, I defer to your judgment, of course, as this is your country to which you return. Any assistance you require, just let me know and I will see what can be done. The commercial flight can be prepared for Dr. Andersen and Prophet Burden, or anyone else whom you wish to send to Adiron or elsewhere. I regret that our summit has been cut short without a substantive agreement, but I understand that at times, the future must yield to the needs of the present. I also accept that people will accuse you of weakness or being a puppet, neither of which was my intent, of course.

"Now, if you wish for Dr. Andersen or Prophet Burden to remain here long enough to conclude an accord of some sort, I am willing to provide them continued lodging and security so as to prevent assassination by agents of the Rand regime. That is up to you, and I will understand whichever way you decide. Most of all, I regret that what was to be our mutual triumph as leaders of nations working toward strategic partnership has turned into the darkest hour for you personally and for your people. My condolences, as stated before, on your loss.

"Be assured that we firmly and solidly support any endeavors of your government to assert its lawful claim to authority over all of New Edom. Constitutional rule must be restored, so as to save your people from becoming once more subjects of ruthless despots who trample their freedom and care not a whit for their welfare. Is there anything else you need, milady?" the Augustus fought back the emotions bottled up in his psyche. So much was buried there that he hoped didn't show up in his face or in unmanly tears. At his age, sentimentality was a growing threat to self-control that had to be resisted for the sake of proper Roman gravity and fortitude. Even the nominal Romans of the East like himself saw the need to maintain the legal fiction of their Romanness by cultivating traditional Roman virtues, such as severitas, though moderated by basic human decency, intelligence, and a sense of humor.

by **Nalaya** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:24 pm

Sevan, Nalaya

Anahid grabbed her officer by the shoulders forcefully. "Yeva, listen to me. We will do something about this. I need you to take a deep breath and calm down," the General said. "Do you think you can do that for me?"

The Admiral pulled in an unsteady hiss of breath, eyes red and glossy with tears that were just barely being restrained. She was normally such a calm woman that anyone seeing her now would hardly believe the grief and fury lurking just beneath the surface. "I will take their fire and burn them with it," she said quietly, hands clenched so tightly into fists that her knuckles were ivory under the pressure. She'd been two days away from honorable disharge. So unbelievably close to a future that was just...gone.

"Hravad, get into contact with Sif if possible and offer her our support. Nothing sudden or there will be hell to pay," the General said. Anahid's expression was lined and dark. She glanced over her shoulder at Siran. The head of the Unkndirnei was leaning against Anahid's desk with arms crossed. "Pull some strings, Zadian. If we're going to have boots on the ground, I want no surprises. And get the Dimak together."

Both officers saluted sharply and departed, leaving Yeva and Anahid alone. The Admiral seemed calmer, but only because the fire in her heart had turned to ice. "Let me go with them, General. Please. I need this."

Anahid's gray eyes narrowed slightly. "I want your word, on your honor, that you will not let your rage bring innocents to harm. That you will let justice take as long as it must, in the right ways."

Yeva lowered her eyes slightly and paused to consider this carefully. "You have my word, on my honor," she said, the ache of loss turning her voice raw. How could he be dead? It left her feeling cold and hollow inside. If she could take it back, put herself in his place, she would have in a heart beat. But that was not an option. "Thank you for understanding, Anahid. I...I cannot..."

"I know. Take tonight to get ready and say your farewells. St. Xavier's Brigade is prepared to hold their position in Raith Immel with force," the General said. "They'll have less than official reinforcements in a few days. The Mak'ur hardly pay the borders heed anyway. Might as well put them to good use."

Yeva saluted before leaving in silence.

"Fucking mess if you ask me," the last member of the General's nearest and dearest muttered, lighting her cigarette. Even here, in her uniform on official business, Inna Karapetyan was smoking like a chimney. "One wrong move and we've got a war with our ally, Vaneni. Don't suppose you called me here to drop a 'welcome to international politics, you bastard' present on Rand's doorstep from a few thousand feet?"

"No, Inna. I want you as close to that border as possible. I think it's about time for routine desert exercises near Y'rethasshar, don't you?" Anahid said with a nod. "Now I have to arrange for official responses in open channels to take a position on this. I would prefer not to have to make this bloody. If Obed and Rand don't back down under diplomatic and economic pressure, however, the gloves will come off."

Correspondence

by **New Edom** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:49 pm

Fineberg International Airport
"No, no, we are only here for Montana personnel and dependents! No, no, we are only here for Montana personnel and dependents!" the mercenary officer wore sunglasses and spiffy BDUs with all the latest bells and whistles attached, and he was speaking in whatever languages were required or with the aid of a couple of people beside him. Nearby a Montana Pharmaceuticals executive in a three piece tropical suit stood nearby, speaking to those who approached him representing other companies and travel groups. The airport lobbies seemed to be full of people who had not gotten the public messages referring to avoiding travel, and they looked frustrated. They were mostly well off people from Aldares, Riemaia, Yohannes, Roman Empire, Judea Libera, Lamoni, Eslovakiva, Free Commonalities, Terripin and other such places. They had all been on the phone to embassies and consulates, they were all distressed, holding out passports and worried expressions.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a Griffon Airlines executive said, approaching, "It is not a cause for panic," he glared at the Montana officers nearby, "It is simply a policy of Montana Pharmaceuticals to avoid any possible entanglements in foreign matters. But there is no cause for panic--"

"When they brought in mercenaries to bring out their people in armoured buses and brought in special planes for them, and they are pulling up operations and guarding all their facilities?" protested a heavy accented man from VMK.

"Sir, at the moment we are not encouraging commercial flights into the area except under specialized circumstances," explained the Griffon Airlines man. "We must remain calm. I encourage all of you to return to your homes. I've been assured by...various officials..." he had almost said both sides which made him break into a sweat. There were CP men and women at the airport--who knew whose side they were on?

The sound of thunder--sustained--repeated--rumbling, added to the sound of mortars and machinegun fire in the distance--suddenly made a liar of him.

Quality Bay
(heard by Tia from the beach house)
Mara was about to reply to Annelli when there was a sound of thunder, coming from the east. It at first sound like a thunder boom--but there were only high drifting cumulus and stratus clouds in the sky. She looked up in confusion, but then it was repeated. She shuddered. "I think...Annelli I think our civil war has started up again. Hopefully just in small." she managed a smile. She had grown up with this sort of thing; she hated it but it was life. "Hey--what's in the box?" she said, smiling at her. "Let me hold Annette while you show me..."

Fineberg
Everyone was tired A young student slept, tired from studying at the local Polytechnic all day, and on top of that he had had to do a test of various vehicles throughout the week--apparently because International Safety Standards (thanks WA!) had to be done by all workers at any company in New Edom now. He'd have to get up to study later. While he was nervous about all the shooting, he had grown up with it--it was disturbing but not unheard of. Another student, studying medicine through the new initiatives program, she was excited about tomorrow, because school was done for the year and she was going to Quality Bay with her friends and family. However she was nervous too.

A crew of men who cleaned a food storage warehouse every afternoon were joking around with one another as they headed off break, mounting their machines (sweepers, scrubbers, forked pallet lifters for carrying garbage cans and smaller items of cleaning equpment) and heading back on the job.

A vigil was being held at a chapel near the rail yards. These people were more aware of the volatile situation; various trucks and rail cars were being moved out, and unbeknownst to some of them, some of these contained club K missile launcher systems.

Some people were nervous because their pigeons or chickens or geese were making a fuss in their garden cages, fluttering and cooing, honking or chattering to wake the devil, as more than one cursing resident would put it that night.

Because of the state of emergency, Civil Defense Wardens had received fresh instructions, as had police commanders, fire department chiefs, paramedic chiefs, hospital ward administrators and others. (just in case--in fact they were last year's)

Meanwhile, at the Department of Defense, Talia von Borg had been caught between nervousness and daydreaming. She was thinking about the

that inspired her so much. She had never felt such delight in another human being; it made her feel sick at times to go home, and this was why she had volunteered to work overtime at the Ministry. Her boss, General Zelek, knew all there was to know about transport and logistics systems, and while he was irritated at not being given a field command he had a lot of work to do, and so did she. As the Sub-Director of Procurements, had suddenly become vastly important when it came to quickly establishing a new network of contacts and making sure that the city would be fully supplied in every way; they couldn't rely upon the usual bureaucracy to get things done and needed some teeth in the whole thing.

Talia was taking a break. She wondered about Klaas--would she see him again soon? She had been working on fudging a scheme to visit Yohannes and hoped that things would blow over by them. It wasn't the sex--though her excitement about the relationship made the sex great--or was the sex in and of itself great? She didn't know. It was his sensitivity mingled with his strength that fascinated her--the way he took such an interest in her, his conversation and his confidence mingled. She was daydreaming about this a bit when the artillery started firing. Startled, she got up and made her way down the hall to the General's office. She glanced at herself without thinking in the reflection of a window along the way--she felt attractive and yet felt like she wasn't getting any younger. (fair haired, high breasted still, curvaceous but tight, though she kept seeing all kinds of sag and bulge, somehow never got it quite perfectly right. Klaas was happy though...) And she was glad to be wearing clothing again, it was ridiculous to go around naked all the time, where was the mystery? Back on focus, she walked in after knocking. "General, what's the shelling?" she managed to ask without her voice trembling.

General Adam Zelek was a square headed balding man with a short moustache and an eyepatch that made him look dangerous, as did the jagged scar on his cheek. He smiled. "Nothing to concern you about, Mrs. Von Borg--we're going to drive the Free Congress bastards away from our city. That's our guns, beating the living shit out of young Pahath-Moab. And high time too."

Talia took a deep breath. "And then it will be over?" she prayed and hoped; she wanted to go to Yohannes so badly.

"Then it will be over, and we will have our country back in shape again, and these lunatics out of office for goood," promised Zelek with a smile. "We'll have our pride and honour back again."

by **Menassa** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:35 pm

Queen Chaiya had left the Temple and was no in her 'command center' which was located in the royal palace. The queen sat down in a very large leather chair and looked at the many screens and buttons that surrounded her, along with the monitors and buttons there were also many people running back and forth, most of them were working on internal affairs as opposed to the crisis that was ensuing overseas. Chaiya waited for her husband to return to her with new information about what was happening and together they could formulate some sort of plan, Chaiya was already to give her in-laws Asylum in Menassa.

Suddenly the doors burst open, but it was not her husband who stood in the doorway, but it was the Deputy High Priest his robes fluttering in the wind. "What seems to be the matter Yosef?" Chaiya asked sitting up in her chair. "It's Malaki he wants out of New Edom," Yosef said from across the room. "So then why does he not just board a plane and leave," the queen asked while straitening her dress. "Because they have closed the airways, allowing no one in and no one out," Yosef said dashing across the room. "Who has done this?" the queen replied. "It is the Monarchists, our allies, I suggest you write a letter to the one they call King David III " Yosef Bar Kufya said, at which point the queen turned around and began typing.

Code: Select all: To: King David III From: Queen Chaiya Huh'Aczuria, Queen of Menassa. Encryption: High His royal highness, it would appear to your humble servant that in your genius you have closed the airways from those who would threaten to destroy what god, glorious and exalted be he, has given you. I would request that your highness please grant leave to one of my citizens who finds himself lost in your nation, that ambassador. The ambassador is finding himself lost and stuck being that you have closed the airways, not that this wasn't a bad idea, on the contrary it was a brilliant idea, one that only a genius like yourself could invent, your humble servant does request that you grant permission to perhaps the 'fickle of heart' to be able to leave and come back to his children. Thank you.

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

Imperator Caesar Decentius Augustus

Western Roman Embassy, Fineberg, New Edom.

Sif Finnhald

Imperator Caesar Decentius Augustus

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