These, in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when earth's foundations fled,
Followed their mercenary calling,
And took their wages, and are dead.
Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay.
A.E. Housman
Silver River Air Force Base
The use of Hutanjian air assets was agreed--Taramemnon's units would remain in reserve. Highway 1 and Highway 221 were the main roads to be secured by the Hutanjians to establish control of access to Fineberg and to the International Airport there. Terrain light rolling farm country, certain areas designated marshy. A number of smaller villages with lightly armed local law enforcement, and outlying communities; bordering the zone south of Highway 221 was a large factory district which included an automotive parts factory dedicated to LAIX Armaments, as well as a steel processing plant southwest of that and only 5 km from each a gas turbine power plant, which was being guarded by a company of Marine Infantry, D Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Regiment of Marine Infantry under command of Captain Shadrach Shobal.
"Captain Shobal is to demonstrate his loyalty or be relieved of duty," Colonel Estrade explained in the operational orders.
Expected opposition might be other 9th Marine Infantry units, which were mechanized, equipped with M20 Hamsher APCs armed with 25mm chain guns and coaxial 7.62L machineguns, some armed with TOW II missile launchers or 120mm mortars. "If artillery is there it is most likely going to be additional mortar units wielded by infantry, AT-4 anti-tank weapons, and possibly King Shepherd ADA. 105mm towed howitzers are also a possibility, but the regiment has no assigned 155mm howitzers, towed or self propelled."
"At last intel check the 24th Lancers have not deployed from Military District of Fineberg, but intelligence contacts reveal that their reluctance to act is largely because they are not quite sure who is in charge yet. Their officers are confused, not so much in slavish obedience to Augrim. Unless they are on a direct attack run against you, prefer that this air cavalry unit be persuaded to be loyal.
"Be advised: local civilians around Fineberg's loyalty is not yet established. Informants and agents of the rebels are a possibility as are ETC militias which in the past deployed out into the countryside to scatter and act as insurgents, so watch your roads and watch your ambush points."
The 18th Light Mounted Infantry under Colonel Abishai Hagar was under orders to seize the Military District of Fineberg and control the Air Force Base and command centers there. They would set out mounted in helicopters for that purpose and would advance swiftly ahead of all other forces involved.
A unit of the 10th Military Police Regiment with supporting logistics units would also support the advance. Colonel Hagar was the designated Senior Ranking Officer for the purposes of the operation.
The forces gathering munitions, fuel, food, batteries, ammunition, and vehicle pools preparing movements, satellite map updates linked up, signals confirmed, began to prepare to advance on Fineberg.
The Cabinet
The appointed cabinet's messages flashed back and forth. The Adiran letter raised the main question: who really WAS the Head of State? The Heir had been named Acting Head of State--but a number of foreign diplomats had never recognized that. Did that matter? Did Jocasta had the right to appoint people or not?
The Queen, it was believed by some of her adherents, like Prince Elijah, was said to have 'her ups and downs' but was merely taking a rest. The Heir had never been intended to take over for her.
Ups and downs? came the reply of the Heir's adherents. Ups and downs? Her Majesty was according to the psychiatric report to be drinking to inebriation, to be subject to intense physical discomfort, had digestive and eating disorders.
"It is beyond question," said Nemone Jarris, one of the Ministry of Health officials, "That Her Majesty is someone beloved to the nation, but that her health is not good and her state of mind not capable of handling affairs of state. Therefore there is to my way of thinking no reason to not believe that the Heir is the appropriate and current head of state. The appointments made are entirely constitutional, of qualified public officials who are devoted to the service of the state."
"It is therefore asked," said Dr. Aphek in a solemn radio address, "If the Minister of Defense will cooperate with the government as presented by the Heir..."
Deputy Minister of Culture Marcus Cotta, having refused to accept his appointment, was struck from the cabinet list according.
This, in the hour following the demonstrations, had thousands still on the streets of Fineberg, and denunciations of the Heir's government. Crowds in the thousands gathered to block off the streets around Betharan Palace, singing Psalm 63 and denouncing the Heir usurpation.
"I call upon all in authority to be calm, to consider what you do, and to leave pride aside for the sake of wisdom," urged Prince Eljiah Shalmaneser in a public address from Padan-Aran.
Count Lalery
Thomas Lalery enjoyed dealing with whores from other nations. In the present case, what he wanted was to very much be the expansive foreign gentleman with interesting accent. He wanted a young woman of good education from a nation used to egalitarianism who nevertheless was in a position where she sold her lovely body for money. Ideally where she took a certain pride in it, imagined she twisted men around her finger. He wanted to buy her drinks, gamble with her at his side. Lalery was good at math and chances, and liked games like Jedoria Hold "Em and Blackjack, where he could calculate the odds and yet risk them. He drank much yet seemed to only be roused and alerted by it; he might have a dash of coke but only be sparkling with enthusiasm, though he avoided the stuff. He preferred hard liquor and lots of it. Vodka had followed the cognac tonight, hot pepper vodka. He was amused if the woman had girly drinks, amused if she had man drinks. It all amused him.
However once they were up in his room, he, under the pretense of being a bit kinky, insisted on stripping to skin, stroking hands through hair, even inspecting ears and teeth in a pretense of sensuality. He was, again, amused if the girl objected to being treated like a horse, would slap a flank and vow, "I am very fond of horses, pretty mare. Now, hands and knees, face lowered, on the bed, let's see what you have for me."
While he enjoyed rousing women, he enjoyed doing it in a way that was earthy and unromantic, visceral and animal. He was eager for it, hard and rough, and needed only a little time, a bit of massaging, to be ready for another round. His strength was great, his fierceness barely below the surface, and while his rewards could be generous, he demanded every inch of service possible. An old fashioned Baran man, he also never permitted a woman to be on top.