Empire on Fire Chapter 1: In The Flesh (Ausozera only, IC)

[Union Of Autocratic Empires]

???, Donner Land

As Voy untied her, many thoughts raced through SIgbritt's head; her injured daughter's status, her family back at the Union, the horrors that had taken place all over the nation in the previous hours, how many people would die... this were just some of the thoughts the Kaisarine thought about, but there was one of them that stood above all others with particular stregth.

She had to kill Neuron Voy.

She did not care if the guards would kill her afterwards, all she cared about was that she could all the horror before it happened, she had a chance to spare Donner Land of the events that ravaged her beloved Liyom not so long ago.

She made her way to the place where Voy had left the knife with a calm, unconcerned stroll, before stopping right above it. After spending a few seconds inspecting the object, she casually tossed it away with her foot.

"I don't need a knife to kill you", she said in a completely detached voice, the same voice she had years ago, the same tone she sported when she killed the High Queen, while adopting a combat stance. "I will do so with my bare hands."

Unlike with the High Queen, however, she would not lose her sleep over killing Voy.

Portean Mother Base

Will surprised at first, Ritva easily managed to subdue the attacking mercenary as she had way more experience in CQC combat than the Donnish, turning the tables on him and disarming him rather easily as she now held him against the floor. As she looked up, she noticed the Porteans having drawn their weapons against the WISH employess - all but her liutenant, who stood calmly and challenged the aggresors just with her atitude.

"Apparently the liutenant has courage", she thought to herself, with a faint smile in her face as she held the struggling Donnish in place. "I like that."

RNS Westerholt

The Princess inmediately noticed the worry and nervousnes in her old friend's voice. After all they had gone through and what she had done to him, he still worried about her. A faoint smile appeared in her bandaged face, She started speaking weakly in German. "I am glad to see you here, Aleks. I apologise for worrying you, but I am glad you of all people are by my side." She held her head with her left hand, as she noticed the IVs that sunk into her right's skin. "Operation, huh? That would explain the IV." She tried to sound as if she was joking, but she was still shaken from the beating and everything that came in between. "Where... where is mom? She is probably worried sick right now..."

Crash Alley, Bögt

As she heard the Esgonians, Aelia helped them open the door and carry her injured comrade to the transport. She was still shaken, but she kept calm as her training had taught her. "Everything will be OK. You hear me?", she told to her comrade. "Just stay with me".

Somewhere in Bögt

"Aaaand, I would say here we are close enough", said the Kaisar to his unwilling companion. "Okay, now get into this alley", he told him. He didn't want him to get too close to a mobe, as it might encourage him to do something "foolish"

As they entered the alley (even with the resistance his human shield put up, fearing for the worst), the Kaisar released him. "Hey, thanks for the help. Here, take this for the trouble", said the Abulan as he threw the officer one of his revolvers which, of course, tried to fire - only to realise, in horror, that the gun was empty. After a hearty chuckle out of the man's desperation, Kaisar Karl grabbed the man by his trhoat with his prosthetic arm, raised him over his head for a few seconds, and slammed him against the floor, back first. Still laughing, and making sure the man was not dead, the Kaisar kneeled to pick up his revolver, Clint, from besides the body of the man. "Thank you for this, good man", he said, still laughing. "I REALLY needed that. Today was an awful day." He turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned back to the officer, as if forgetting something... only to put out his wallet and throw him a few thousand Melchiotts, after which he left for good.

"Now, where would that Maharlikan bastard be...?"

[Empire of Donner land]

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Federationist Embassy, Bögt

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The Embassy had given them no choice but to combat the troops inside. Explosive charges were set up in 3 positions along the Gate Wall to blast holes into the courtyard and assault the embassy. The 50mm Autocannon armed ARIDV vehicles readied themselves in these positions to go in and provide cover for the Infantry as well as surpress small arms fire from the building while the Donnish cleared the courtyard itself. After a while, no less than one and a half hour, the explosives detonated leaving gaping wide holes. The ARIDVs charged through, protected by ERA and a Trophy System on every one. They released smoke via their launchers and the infantry themselves superseded and moved upon the defenses in the courtyard while 50mm HEF detonated on the embassy, splashing fragmentation inside and around it making sure no one was dumb enough to poke their head up. The 60 Donnish Infantry immediately took 7 casualties, but it was very little thanks to their cover.

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Rattean Embassy, Bögt

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From a higher vantage point atop other buildings, two squads of LG S.T.D Operators could very easily see into and around the embassy complex. Suddenly, rapidly, black thick strings of rope flew from the roofs of the buildings they were on and landed in the roof. After a few minutes shadowy figures flew from these roofs down to the embassy invisible to the human eye, they were simply too fast to be noticed. Soon the entire force was in the Embassy. 1 Squad repelled from the roof and walked down the wall just above a window, waiting for the signal from the 2nd squad who would breach in from the roof down the stairs. They would meet on the top floor and work their way down.

The signal was given and the noise of breaking windows and explosives could be heard across the embassy as flashbangs entered the top floor.

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MB Randgriz

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The Mercs knew they were outnumbered. And though they could just easily murder the two near them, they in turn would die (not to mention no one wants a time paradox). They much more valued their lives than simple satisfaction. They had their fun. They lowered their weapons and put them on the ground slowly and afterwards put their hands on their heads. "Voy's going to tear you squinties a new one. You can count on it, Sovarich." One of them said before being arrested and taken away.

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???, Donner Land

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A body laid on the floor now of the concrete room. Blood trickled from their mouth and from their forehead as they struggled to breath from the massive beating. Just on the wall behind them there was a small crack, with specks of crimson red around and in it. They had survived, for the most part, getting away with a broken arm, as the perpetrator was feeling merciful at the time. Not to mention, Voy needed her for later, much later.

"I'm no normal person, Kaisarine. You'd better get that in your head before it's too late... Over 50 years old and I can still kick your ass, remarkable isn't it? I thought so too." Voy said walking over his victim and then crouching down infront of her face, moving their hair out of the way so they could see clearly. "I was born like this. I wish I wasn't, but I was. Ulianish belief is that the Mountain God created every one of us... but he didn't create me. How peculiar it is that Military Generals will give up their beliefs for every inch of advantage they can get, isn't it?"

Voy stood up and took the knife off the ground, not even once disturbed from where it was placed. "I'm really glad we could have this talk, Kaisarine, it took a lot off my chest. Have a good night now." And he left, the door sealed and locked behind him.

[Urran]

Soraught

The Urranese convoy had penetrated deep into the heart of a Donnish residential neighborhood. However their mission had changed. They were no longer ordered to drive around looking for people to rescue or provide asylum to, but were actually actively holding Donnish land. They had parked their vehicles in a park in a ring pattern. The tracked IFV's were patrolling as the personnel carriers held position. Trees had been pulled down and chopped up in order to make room for helicopters to land. Loudspeakers still blared and helicopters had been employed in dropping leaflets stating that Urranese Marines would be holding a position in the city where those that wished to could get asylum in Urran. This invitation was not limited to Foreigners, but also to everyday Donnish citizens, soldiers, and police forces. They already had a Donnish platoon with them acting in an advisory role.

The wind blew in the cold night. The was a crunch crunch crunch coming from Niigata's boots as he patrolled the barrier around the park. He pulled his face mask up tighter around his nose. Ice crystals had formed on the outside of the cloth and his breath formed a fog in front of his face every time that he exhaled. He was thankful that his pistol grip was not metal, otherwise he likely would have felt the chill through his gloves. He shivered a bit, cursing the cold in his head. He was from the Southern Islands of Urran and was used to a subtropical environment, not subarctic weather and snow covered ground. But this is what he got for becoming a marine. Urranese Marines had to be able to fight whenever and wherever they were called upon, Donner Land was no exception to this rule.

He flipped down his night vision goggles, staring into the darkness. The street lights helped, but it was not enough. All seemed quiet for such a big city. That was unsettling. A few defectors had come to them and would be airlifted out come morning, or should an attack happen, but it was honestly beginning to get eerie, or so he thought. Perhaps the anti-foreign elements had moved on? Or perhaps they were all sleeping....at the same time....right Niigata, keep telling yourself that. It makes perrrfect sense. He began to pray that the night would pass quickly.

Bogt

The Urranese commandos formed up with the special forces belonging to their allies and temporary associates, forming the rear of the convoy of Humvees heading away from the crash site. They provided twelve extra guns and had extra standard ammunition just in case things got rowdy. The two most dangerous places to be in a convoy are at the front and the back, at least according to Urranese training.

Since that was the case, the dutifully volunteered to ride in the rear vehicles of the convoy. All weapons were cocked and ready. The soldiers were polite enough, but men and women of few words. They belonged to the most secretive group of soldiers in Urran's military. Despite only seeing operational deployment a handful of times in modern history their training and tactics were cutting edge. This particular group looked like it was about to get its first taste of blood.

(sorry, I'll let conversations develop from here with foreign troops. not much for me to go on on such short notice.)

International Waters

While Urran had several warships, including an LHD deployed to the area, it simply did not have the firepower to sustain a full scale military campaign in the region. Things had begun to take turns for the worst. Urranese news outlets had been covering almost nothing but Urranese warships and aircraft taking on Donnish defectors and citizens of foreign countries, many of which had lost family members in the massacres. The general feeling of the public was that something needed to be done. The government interpreted this as a need for greater military action, though that was not necessarily what the people were asking for.

Despite this, steps had been taken in the RUN (Republic of Urran Navy) to prepare for full Urranese involvement and to attempt to force all elements of the Donnish population to come to peaceful agreements. In addition to the ships already deployed to the area, which were truly only outfitted for medical evacuation, SAR, light ground attack, and air defense missions, Urran had deployed a carrier and three more destroyers, plus two frigates and an attack submarine within four hours striking distance of the Donnish mainland. This still put them well within international waters. Another two frigates, a conventionally powered patrol submarine, and an LHD outfitted with an entire expeditionary force and air compliment was also making progress towards the area.

This meant that Urran had deployed one of its largest offensive forces in almost 100 years. This fact had been classified until a few hours prior to the carrier force reaching its holding area, which it would circle in until called upon. The news outlets were fed the typical fighters launching from carriers and helicopters landing on an LHD, as well as a marines and equipment walking or being driven aboard the LHD. The international media was also granted permission air the footage to get the word out, Urran was using its toys.

[The Federation of Democratic Regions]

Federationist Embassy, Bögt

The troops watched the walls uneasily from their trenches, sandbagged positions, and foxholes carved out of the once perfectly maintained lawn. Two Javelin teams were in place on the roof, accompanied by a designated marksman and heavy machine gun squad. Two of the machine gun squads were in sandbagged positions facing the front gate, while the fourth was positioned in the lobby watching the main entrance. In addition to the company weapons, each of the squads had standard MBT LAWs and LMGs. The refugees had been crammed into the building and had contributed to the makeshift fortifications, consisting of lobby furniture and office desks piled against the windows.

Everything had been quiet except for troops shifting in their positions or the major and his staff communicating with the offshore LHD and the approaching carrier battle group. Three sudden explosions rocked the embassy, shattering the silence and sending piles of rubble crashing to the ground. As the smoke and dust cleared, soldiers cautiously peered at the gaps in the wall, gripping weapons nervously. The sudden onslaught of shrapnel sent them rushing for cover, as the Donnish ARIDVs entered the gaps. Refugees, protected by little more than desks and chairs, were shredded in the embassy, screaming in pain as the shrapnel left horrible wounds and killed instantly. Javelin teams on the roof, unable to use the missile's regular firing mode at such a close range, switched to direct fire to target the Donnish vehicles. Donnish infantry poured into the courtyard behind the ARIDVs, some falling immediately under the heavy machine gun fire.

The Javelin teams, able to fire with relative immpunity thanks to their cover on the roof, targeted the top armor of one of the Donnish vehicles. Two missiles streaked out towards the ARIDV, while the pairs hurried to load another salvo of missiles. Designated marksmen on the roof picked their targets among the Donnish soldiers using the AFVs, focusing on anyone appearing to be an officer or in charge. Soldiers in the foxholes and trenches used any break between the autocannons firing to target the Donnish infantry, while the anti-tank specialists in each squad risked losing their heads to target the frontal armor of the ARIDVs with MBT LAW fire. Refugees and soldier alike in the lobby scrambled for cover as shrapnel filled the room. One corpsman grunted as shrapnel peppered his vest, before limping under a counter.

FNS Courageous, approaching Donnish waters

The flight deck of the Courageous was a hive of activity, with crew scrambling to arm and fuel the Krigares waiting to launch. Pilots were running through pre-flight check as the battlegroup approached Donnerland and the LHD already offshore.

[Reuss-Lippe]

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Rattean Embassy
Bögt, Donner Land

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Day was shifting into night, and Security was beginning to beef up around the perimeter of the Embassy. Standing at his window. Ambassador Jonas Weisz was overseeing preparations for the first night. In a voice call with Command ship Westerholt Admiral Lowe, Jonas told the admiral of the situation on the ground. Informing the admiral of the incident which involved a helicopter being shot down, the Ambassador attempted to get extra manpower hoping that could prevent any future accidents. Whilst in the middle of their conversation a series of explosion rocked the 3rd floor of the embassy, causing the light to flicker for a short period of time. As alarmes blared all throughout the compound, whatever troops not assigned to patrol the perimeter or maintain defenses, ran into the embassy to stop whatever had infiltrated. Positioning themselves on both the first and second floor, the troops prepared themselves for whatever would happen.

Helicopters were scrambled into the air to monitor the situation and make sure no one escapes, while IFV's were deployed to provide whatever firesupport deemed necessary. While the Soldiers were preparing for the attack, The Ambassador was rushed into the underground communication room. Sitting in his office, he decided to call command once more. Making one last final plea, Jonas requested they fly in extra troops to assist before the donnish bolster their AA defense and deny flight over the country.

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RNS Westerholt
International Waters

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As the words left the girls mouth, Aleksandr stood up from his chair and began slowly pacing around the room. Eventually settling down, aleksandr leaned against the foot of the bed and began talking. "You ought to be prepared for whatever may be said" said aleksandr, grabbing a bottle of water and placing it on the girl's desk. Sitting back down in his chair, he finally replied to the princesses question. "Last i was told, halfway into flight... your mom's helicopter... disappeared, it was supposedly shot down. From the information they have given me so far, only two pilots were discovered at the sight. Her body has not been found as of yet, so there is hope she is still alive."

[The Unified Isles]

The wind was flying over the Isle'ish Rover. Two-hundred years ago, a strong wind like this one might have been a peculiar advantage, making the craft faster and faster. Today, the cold wind was a mere annoyance. Captain Mike McCann took a strong breath from his Cigarette. With him on the rather small bridge of his ship was his Chief Mate, Mickey Coote. An experienced seaman, the kind of sailor needed for an endeavour like McCann was planning for.

“So, what dost thee thinkst ?”, the Skipper asked his old pal, “Ain't sure, Mick. Thy plan iseth rather... peculiar.”, “Me thinks it iseth merry-fine, Sir. What issue dost thee seest ?”. Mickey sighed shortly and looked on the storm that could be seen in the distance, “Nothing, Mick, nothing...”.

Evading military ships that had threatened to sink you wasn't that easy for a slow civilian freighter that had seen better days. It required quite a skilled and experienced crew, a decent plan, and certain amount of luck. Drug and Weapon trading had always been a major “Industry” of the Isle'ish, or at least since the 2nd Republican War, when the Isles became the unstable nation that criminals called “Paradise”. Weapons, Drugs, and... miscellaneous other illegal items... could be acquired in ports like Midsex, Ulster or Fife for dump prices. Only to be then sold in areas of crisis.

Even though Mick himself was a profiteer from this whole business, he couldn't stop but occasionally wake up in the middle of the night and question his doings. “Thee knows, Mickey, we do endanger the reconciliation with this work.” The Reconciliation. The somewhat strange idea the Isle'ish had after their last civil war, the idea that the conflict couldn't be resolved now, and so the different groups, factions, ideologies, religions and ethnicities, would have to coexist, under the ideal circumstances peacefully, for as many generations as it was needed for them to grow back together.

“Since when dost thou carest for the reconciliation ?”. “We are destroying our antedated homes, Mickey.”, “War, Trade and Piracy. The Worlds only Trinity.”...

“Fuck thee...”.

Night was falling on the ship. The sailors were becoming more and more nervous. Modern detection equipment made it impossible to hide. The trick for smugglers was not to be not seen, but to simply be not caught. If they wanted to halt them, they had to carefully catch them in. A dangerous endeavour at night. If they catched them, they couldn't see how they were dumping their ware. It was idiot safe.

Still, the Sailors didn't like the nightly blockade running. Any song singing had seized, any merry proverbs and stories were quit. Utter silence had engulfed the Rover, like the night had. “Bill”, a name was whispered through the solemn halls of the freighter. “What iseth it ?”. “Wanna singeth one last song with me ?”. Bill Treacys face had an unusual expression on his face. He had known Barney McGee, his loyal friend and an old colleague he had met years ago, in Meerestor. The disgraced Royal Navy Sailor, and the exiled Republican. Quite the fitting match. Bill and Barney had done many favour for each other, but never in their entire lives together, any of them had sung. But Bill could never deny his friend a plea, especially in an hour like this.

Day to day, town to town,
Sing my songs, travel down,
It's a choice that I made long ago.

Yesterday or tomorrow,
My time's mine to borrow,
Or share, till again I must go.
While two started a little song, two others were standing watch. “Slugger” O'Toole and Johnny McGurk probably weren't the best for such a crucial watch. The Drunk guy and the lazy guy. Interestingly, only one was sleeping. Slugger never slept, at least not when he was being watched. Certain things kept him awake. He could suppress it while awake by certain means, but not while asleep.

Beep Beep Beep

With shaky hands, O'Toole picked up the radio. A man with a strong German accent answer, and Johnny lifted his head slightly, tiredly. “Ahoi. This is the RNS Salza, we're currently five kilometres of your bow. Please confirm your ship's data and rendezvous with us ASAP”.

Johnny took the radio out of the hand of the drunkard as fast as possible, “This is Midsex Express. We call Captain, okay?”, “Ugh... yes ?”, “WE CALL CAPTAIN, OKAY ?”, “OKAY !!!”.

…

“Mike McCann here ?”, “Yes, RNS Salza. Please confirm your ship's data and rendezvous with us ASAP.”, “Middlesex Express, 40.000 Tons, transporting Bricks from Fife, the Isles. Headed for … ugh Novokraina.”, “Dankeschön”.

Cold sweat was draining Mick McCanns shirt. He'd have to use all his wits and charisma in this.

[The United Remnants of America]

Agent Abbas Merzhad

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Bögt, Donner Land

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14/5/2015 - 00:28

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It had been a hell of a couple days. Abbas was now in some 24-hour internet cafe, one that hadn't been ransacked in the chaos of the city because it wasn't owned by a minority. He was still bundled tightly in his coat and scarf, just to obscure his face as he sat next to the window to watch the events outside. The cafe had a TV hung in the corner that he was angled to keep an eye on. Apparently, it wasn't just Bögt, it was the whole country, which wasn't surprising.

"Message incoming from HQ." The earbud hidden under Abbas' hat came to life, making him jump. A message from HQ? That... Shouldn't be a thing. Abbas pulled out his encrypted smartphone to look at the screen, and sure enough, he had a text message from "Unknown Sender." Interesting. Abbas opened the text.

Agnt Sts Chk. Agent Status Check. Abbas typed back AWS as a shorthand for alive, well, and safe. A few seconds later his phone vibrated in his hand again Nd astnc 4 ext? Need assistance for extraction? Abbas breathed in slowly. He was supposed to have made it to the Namenian Embassy to get out, but the streets had become to volatile for his ethnicity. He wasn't going to make it. And even at that point, the Namenians were as likely to shoot him as save him, so it was a risky proposition to begin with. He'd hunkered down in this cafe just to try and wait it out. He typed back Ngt. Sty n DL 4 obsv. Negative. Staying in Donner Land for observation. It was all he could do, unless his agency was going to get the URA to invade to rescue him, and Abbas knew he wasn't valuable enough to the Marshals for that. His phone vibrated again.

Obj upd: Cnfm? Objective Update: Confirm? Abbas tilted his head. They were going to update his mission now? Interesting. He typed back Cnfm to confirm and waited for the message. A second unidentified sender sent him a message on an app his phone had that was meant for crptomessages. Abbas breathed nervously as he tapped the app open and looked it over.

Message Begins. Objective Update: Agent Merzhad is to remain in-country and avoid detection. The Agent is to await reinforcements and RZ with field team. The goal will be to then secure Donnish General Vanzen Keenes, current location en route to Bögt. Keenes is the hope for a stable for Donner Land. He must be protected at all costs. Message Ends. Five seconds later, the message deleted itself but Abbas was still dealing with it.

He was spearheading a fucking rescue operation. Wonderful. Abbas put his phone away and held his head in his hands for a few seconds, thinking over how this was going to work.

[Union Of Autocratic Empires]

??????, DOnner Land

After what she would consider the beating of her life, the Kaisarine stood on the floor, supported only by her healthy arm, with the other incapacitated lying on the floor, and the blood from the injury on the back of her head dripping to the floor through her long hair and her face, confused at what had just happened. Voy was an aging politician, and the Donnish didn't age as gracefully as their cousins in the south, so the bouts of speed and overwhelming strength he had used against her caught her by surprise. What the Hell was up with Voy? Who - or what - was he?

In pain and with her pride broken alongside her arm, Sigbritt just stood in the floor, not giving Voy the satisfaction of even a mere groan of pain, just staring with her hate filled crimson eyes. As soon as he left the room, her arm - as her consciousness - finally budged as she fell to the floor.

RNS Westerholt

During what seemed to be an eternity, the princess stood completely silent, not saying anything as the full weight of the words of the Rattean prince hit her. At the very best, her mother was stuck in a country that wanted her dead, most probably injured. At the very worst, she was nothing more than a pink mist in the wreck of a helicopter.

And it was all her fault.

Feeling a wrecking mixture of guilt and powerlessness, Historia covered her bamdaged eyes with her hands and started weeping silently.

"I'm such a retard", she lamented, throwing her usual correct manner of speech down the window, showing more and more desperate with each word. "They should have killed me! That way mom would be here instead of me! Now Anton will grow without... without..." At that point, she broke up completely, desperately crying through her bandages. "What have I done?!"


Upper deck, RNS Westerholt

As the Rattean sailors made sure the ship worked 100%, an helicopter decorated with the Liyomesse lion on the side landed in the deck, as a Rattean Navy officer approached the door and greeted the first person to step out of it; a tall, pale, black-haired woman with amber eyes, wearing a richly decorated white military uniform with golden details. The Rattean saluted respectfully.

"High Queen Suoma, welcome aboard the RNS Westerholt!", he said in a barely accented English. It's an honor having you here.", he said as he saluted. The High Queen saluted back and spoke with her low, calmed voice while returning the man's salute. "Thank you, sailor", she said without any trace of accent, unusual for a Liyomesse. "I was told Princess Historia had been evacuated here." "Yes, your highness", the man replied. "Please follow me."

The High Queen followed the man, wondering to herself how the Abulan princess would respond to the news she was a bearer of...

[Empire of Donner land]

???, Donner Land

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14th of September, Zero Hour

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Voy watched from the one way mirror into the specially built Prison just for the Kaisarine, the walls were thick reinforced concrete, the only door was practically a foot thick and fixed with every physical and electronic locking system created to ensure her ever lasting captivity until Voy could find his use for her and the compound underground and above was guarded twenty-four seven by the very best the LG could offer. Voy had built a fortress incognito while he was playing into everyone's hands, it was constructed under the pretenses that it was supposed to be an experimental prison for the Donnish's worst terrorists, the council ate it up and approved funding for it almost immediately when he talked about it. He had the country's government by the collar, where ever he dragged it, they followed without question and took out their wallets with glee. What was not known to them is what he was planning to do with his control, with their money. But the council is gone now, he was the absolute ruler, the Emperor, while they merely sat and looked busy.

"So you've got the girl, what's next if I may ask, Leifruer?" A man spoke from the corner. He wore a tight uniform, an officers cap, stars sparkled on his shoulders. "Maybe you'll protect against a possible coup?" They asked.

"I've got full confidence in my men, including you Keenes. I suggest you follow my lead and take full confidence in your own men... I'd have you killed for even suggesting a thing like that if I didn't need you so much." Voy openly explained.

"My apologies. But you never know..." Keenes said walking up next to Voy, crossing his arms and looking at the defeated woman in front of him. "Your enemies can be right under your nose, right next to you."

"Fair enough, I'll take your advice." Voy said, then began to giggle to himself, he began to cackle almost and calmed down, catching his breath. "You know, it's strange, I should be under you Keenes. I should be the servant. After all that's why you created me, Keenes, to be your lap dog along with the other two bastards." He said turning his head to look at the General.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, Leifruer."

"It really is just... strange. It was just after the war wasn't it? The project you Co-founded in secret without the Council knowing. I believe you were given a blank cheque, told to do whatever is necessary even if it meant tossing people away like trash?" Voy said giving a mad grin. "Strange how things just end up biting us in the ass, eh? How our past mistakes come around to meet us again, face to face, side to side." Voy said turning his head back to the Kaisarine, watching her intensely.

"I'm sure you're going to be announcing the war declaration soon? My troops are ready to move at your command, sir. I'm sure things will end soon for the both of us in this war some way."

"Indeed, they will. I'll be announcing it soon, in an hour, send word Keenes. I expect that your troops will bring swift victory over our new Enemy, the world. " Voy said walking out of the room, leaving Keenes to watch the Prisoner suffer. Soon he too left to prepare for the coming war leaving the Kaisarine lone in her cell.

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South Sea, South of the Coast of Donner Land

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A bright streak of light flew through the sky, their destination a civilian vessal, breaking through the blockade emplaced upon Donner Land. The Donnish Imperial Navy was given executive order to fire upon anything getting too close to them, and the chance to do so has arrived. Not only did missiles fly for this single, harmless Vessel, but the foreign navies were now being engaged. The war, under any circumstances, had begun and it's first casualties would be fisherman on the waves.

"It's a sad reality, but they chose to take this risk. Get us closer within Cannon Range in order to finish them off and capture survivors if there are any." A Ship Captain of the D.N.S Overnsee said as he looked on at the missiles shining through the night sky. Dimming as they grew farther away. They had been given the grim order of intercepting and executing them, but maybe there was a chance.

"This is the Captain of the D.N.S Overnsee, Attention Unknown Vessel, a single cruise missile has been fired upon you for entering illegally into sovriegn Donnish Waters, it has been programmed to arrive and hit your vessel in 30 minutes. Stop or slow your ship and the Missile will be trashed and you will be boarded. This is not a joke, you will all perish if you do not follow my orders. This is my first and final warning."

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Rattean Embassy

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Bögt, Donner Land

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The flashbangs went off and glass shattered, yelling followed.

Confused and stunned Ratteans stumbled in front of the Donnish Operators, they were target practice as the armed ones fell first dead as soon as they breached the 3rd Floor. Luwenser Harehg Frenderen witnessed this as he breached from the stairs, he raised his weapon and with split second deciveness changed it to an Armed Guard away from a Civilian. He pressed the trigger once letting a suppressed shot loose into their body armor and raised the weapon, putting another into their head. He then switched targets to the Civilian next to them and fired once, seeing them react in horror as they realized they had been shot and fall to the ground only to die quickly. A number of other shots around him rung out as he fired his own rifle, and as he looked around him the room was clear save for the bodies of Guards and Civilians alike. "Clear!" A demanding voice yelled, "get the rest of the rooms wiped clear! Find any and all intelligence, search the bodies. Stick to our objective!" Their objective was to clean the building, clean it up of Opposing Forces, Intelligence and so called "Refugees".

The alarm blared shortly after their presence was made known. The removal of the 3rd Floor Security took seconds, they moved fast to make sure the 3rd Floor was finished before moving down.

"Clear!" A voice called out from one room.

"All clear!" Another yelled, two supressed shots rang out from another room.

"Room clear." One yelled and many others followed, finishing the 3rd Floor. The Squads split up down two staircases and into the 2nd Floor, they reported that they were compromised and sent the signal for Donnish Reinforcements that would arrive in less than half an hour but they would be mainly to mop up, LG would make sure the facility was bleached. LG coordinated a breach at the 2nd Floor and readied a 2nd batch of Flashbangs to enter through the doors.

---

Federationist Embassy

---

Bögt, Donner Land

---

The Attack was going to plan, the building was supressed by Autocannon fire and the Infantry was moving slowly in behind their ARDIV Transports but the enemy fire had created casualties immediately. In response the higher ranks in the attack ordered for the MGs to be silenced, grenade launchers fired with the goal of landing into or at least around the makeshift dugout fortifications in front of them.

Then two Missiles streaked from the roof, the ARIDVs trophy system knocked put one of the Missiles but the 2nd broke through its hard kill protection hitting the turret and killing the crew inside, they simply couldn't fire anymore, but the infantry still had moving cover. Next MBT LAWs fired at the forward advancing ARIDVs, but their ERA absorbed all of the incoming damage. The Donnish Advantage was picking up, but their leadership was beginning to get picked off by a Marksman and their was still the Javelin and Machine Gun atop the building.

Due to their lack of light artillery, the Donnish used their Grenade Launchers to also lob 40mm HEF on top of the roof. It was a desperate attempt to get rid of an annoyance, but it would hopefully work.

To assist the advance further, the ARIDVs launched smoke grenades, thin whisps arched away from them like angels wings and suddenly dispersed into thick smoke. Like wise, Infantry threw their own smoke to cover their advance as the ARIDVs continued their bombardment save for the one disabled. The infantry was beginning to be chipped away, but if they continued victory would surely be theirs.

[Urran]

Donnish Waters, Near Sauraught

Captain Miyake walk onto the bridge of the Mosura Class destroyers, URS Taiho with a grim look on her face as she stepped through the doorway and onto the busy command center. In her hand was a white coffee mug with the words "I don't do Mondays" written in Urranese. Was it Monday? Who even cared at this point. She sipped from the cup as steam danced and wafted up from its edges. She returned the salute of the crew as the whistle sounded. "Captain on deck!"

"At ease" she replied, sitting in the plush captain's chair, coffee mug fitting snugly into her cup holder. To her it might as well had been an office cubicle. She was an older officer, some fifty years old with greying hair and a few wrinkles to boot. She'd joined the navy at the age of 22 as a warrant officer and risen through the ranks. She missed being a part of the action. Being the commanding officer had its perks, but it could be boring at times.

She surveyed the bridge and found everything to be in order. The crew were busy, but everything was calm. It was dark out and the bridge was dimly lit but overhead lights and the ships instruments and displays. Off to starboard the deck lights of the LHD were glowing red and green. Larger lights were in use as well, lighting up the flight deck. A MH53K was being stowed, probably for maintenance. Hundreds had been rescued and some continued to be, less and less of them were foreigners now. To port and behind a short ways, but still visible, was the escorting frigate, just two points of red light visible on its helicopter deck and pale points of white light behind the bridge windows. Everything seemed calm and peaceful, despite the horrors going on in Donnerland.

Miyake was just settling in and about to ask for a status report when one of the crew members gave a loud announcement. "Missile launch detected! Baring 2-2-0! Approximately 80 miles astern!"

This was more like it. "It's heading away from us?" Miyake asked sternly, sitting forward a bit in her chair.

"Aye Ma'am. Another target is in it's path. Radar signature suggests a small civilian craft, speed is 15 knots." another crew member replied.

"Time to intercept?" the Captain asked. This was not good. If the Donnish were firing on a civilian vessel then they could not stay idle and let the innocent perish. However, it presented another problem. The Urranese military was currently under strict orders to not engage the enemy unless they themselves were engaged. However, they were allowed to defend military partners and, most importantly, civilians. This was a loophole in the terms of engagement to be exploited. She might not be able to fire on the source of the missile, but she COULD shoot it down.

"ETI 30 minutes. It appears to be a sub-sonic weapon." the ensign replied.

"Get Rear Admiral Lao on the line....Now!" she barked, straitening herself up and preparing to talk to her current commanding officer for this theater of operations.

One of the many displays on the bridge, the one centered in front of the captain's chair displayed a green background with the Urranese Navy Seal centered on it. This went away after a few moments to be replaced by the figure of another middle aged Urranese officer, a well groomed, gentlemanly sort of man with a bald head that was covered up by a service cap. "Captain Miyake, report." he replied in a calm and collected tone.

"Sir, we have detected a cruise missile launch. Its target appears to be a small civilian craft. ETI is 30 minutes. Permission to intercept?" She asked. Ordinarily, when operating alone, the decision to fire would be at her discretion, but operating under another CO and as part of a humanitarian mission, one could not just start firing missiles off without permission.

"Permission granted." the Admiral replied firmly. "Intelligence has noticed an increase in Donnish military activity. In addition to that, Voy has officially declared war on Urran. Combat operations are expected to commence within the next six hours. I have orders to pull out. We can't have ships filled with civilians in a war zone. We just finished transferring all of them to Nishigahara and Gotanda. We are going to pull out and leave you in charge of the defense of the Oshiage. Liaoning, Changbaii, Chokai, and Niizuki are now all under your command. I am going to take Gotanda and Orga and head back towards Urran. Kaga is taking over command of the theater once combat operations officially commence. Good luck." and with that he vanished from the display and was replaced by diagnostic information. The LHD began to slow and veer slightly starboard.

"You heard the Admiral! Acquire the target! Man battle-stations!" Miyake barked, nearly standing up from her chair. That was all of the information that she needed. A simple yes or no would have sufficed and he could have told her the rest after the threat had been destroyed, but no, he had wasted her time and shaved 3 minutes off of the life expectancy of civilian sailors.

A few punches of a touch screen later and a crew member turned his head and shouted back at her, "Target locked on!"

"Arm a SM-6!" Miyake leaned forward in her seat.

"SM-6 armed! VLS Cell 1-4 selected!"

"Fire!" Miyake ordered.

A button was pressed and almost at the same moment the entire forward deck was alight. Fire and smoke spewed violently from a square cell and the gray surface, one of many in a grid. A metal something shot out in a mighty whoosh of fire and smoke and was hurtling through the sky.

"Launch successful, missile tracking target. ETI, 2 minutes." A female crew member replied in a rather peppy voice. An unusual calm settled in on the bridge as everyone waited for the intercept. One display was dedicated to the tracking of the target, as well as their own missile and the civilian craft. Things had just gotten real.

Two minutes later there was an explosion somewhere over the ocean. The Donnish missile never found its mark. It was intercepted and destroyed. The Urranese were elated. It was not a big of a deal as taking out a command bridge or something like that, but it was an accomplishment. They just became the first Urranese destroyer of their class to successfully intercept a cruise missile in combat.

Soraught

Niigata sat huddled up under a blanket in the mess tent, rifle at his side, along with several of his colleagues. They'd received news they really did not want to hear. The last of their current civilian charges had just been airlifted out, but they had a problem. The assault ship and one of the LPD's were leaving, along with the majority of their transport helicopters and air cover. The four AH64's had been placed on the remaining LPD, but their crews were tired and the ice had caused a slight malfunction with the targeting systems on one of them. For now, they were alone, holding a small parcel of land in hostile territory. They were to continue to rescue and protect civilians that needed and asked for it, but they didn't have much of a chance of being pulled out of the fire for another few hours. Niigata prayed they would pass quickly and without incident as he sipped from a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Screw the snow.

[The United Remnants of America]

CLASSIFIED

---

CLASSIFIED, URA

---

14/5/2015 - 00:36

---

It was as cold as it was dark on the tarmac. The heavy glow of Olympia could be seen over the treetops and the hangars, and even from here, the faint glow of Twin Falls' outer limits could be seen. The airstrip was roughly in between the two massive cities. If it weren't for the heavy whining of the warming engines, it would almost be peaceful out here, but so it was.

Five figures stood fairly still among the backdrop of activity as the aircraft's crew of three readied the insertion vehicle for flight. Several others were preparing flight plans nearby as well as securing and stowing gear aboard the aircraft to make the job of the crew chief somewhat easier.

Brigadier General Brent "Timberwolf" Wolffe stood with his hands behind his back, nestled warmly in a thick wool peacoat that was the usual for military officers. On his shoulders were the singular gold stars of his command. As Remnant Operational Commander, he was in charge of the creatively named Remnant Operational Command, the unified special forces command of the URA. The four figures in front of him were dressed in tight-fitting black fabric suits that covered their underclothes. Even over the "catsuits", the Marshals wore varied armored plating that was made to be rough to the touch. The entire outfit aided in scattering reflected light so that they could blend into shadows. None of them shivered due to the temperature-regulation effects of the suit. Wolffe still marveled at the X2 Shadow outfits that the Marshals wore.

Wolffe also marveled at the aircraft. The V-24 Swift Fox was a wonderful piece of machinery. Nothing like what he rode in when he was a Sentinel. It was made to be radar resistant, and at a little over R$120 million, it had better be worth it. The aircraft's vehicle number had been painted over for the purpose of this mission, and it was noted as being "under repairs." The pilot, gunner, and crew chief were getting hazard pay and had no idea what the mission of their package was. A second VTOL and crew would be prepped similarly for exfiltration, if it came to that.

The four Marshals, while currently indistinguishable to Wolffe due to their outfits, were all equipped similarly as well. Each carried a small black rucksack that would be left on the aircraft containing last-minute items. Once they inserted, they wouldn't need anything but the small survival pack on their backs. They each had the black-painted karambit-style knife, silenced M23-45 pistols, and an X3A1S/M modular assault rifle to each of them, all modified slightly different to suit the individual needs of the user. The X3A1 was the go-to for the Marshal. Finally, at the small of each Marshal's back was a sheath for their XS gladius-style sword, essentially an oversized black knife to be used for various situations. They were phantoms in the night, and if Wolffe were a hundred or so meters further away, he may not even see them standing on the empty tarmac.

"Alright," Wolffe began, speaking loudly to be heard over the Swift Fox's dual engines, "You know why you're here. You've read the briefings. Sage, you and your team have good reviews, but I know you haven't gotten wet for a while. That's why Wells is coming with you, since she got burned, she can be wet now, as well." Wolffe nodded to the smaller female-looking body, making the assumption that was probably Wells, even though he couldn't see her face through the facial mask. "I want Keenes alive. I don't care if you need to lay waste to half the country to do it. You'll be disavowed if captured. You'll be left for dead if cornered. So don't let it happen. Marshals get results, so I want to see them. Dismissed."

Wolffe watched as the four figures silently climbed aboard the Swift Fox and turned his back when the pitch of the VTOL's engines increased for takeoff. It was going to be a long flight for them to get to Donner Land, but Abbas should be waiting for them, and that would make a five-man team. Too bad he had to burn Abbas, but it was necessary to keep the northern country stable and to keep Vanzen Keenes alive. Wolffe stared at the VTOL as it lifted higher into the air, hoping that his Marshals would succeed.

[Free Asian Ports]

Al-Dubabi, Mariq

Ritsuko blankly pretended to read a local newspaper. The bloody thing was written in Arabic, which she had absolutely no experience with. The pictures told enough of a story, but that hardly mattered to her. As long as the people around her were convinced that she was reading a local newspaper, she couldn't give a damn what the articles were. It seemed trashy enough, sensationalist spam you'd find waiting in line at the grocery store. Just the kind of thing a young woman in her prime would be reading, so it seemed convincing enough. The real focus of her attention was just across the cafe. Placed in the fold between the pages of the paper was a picture of a Syrnistani man, aged about 30, getting out of the car. In the picture he was wearing glasses, but at the table several meters away he was not. The picture still matched, which backed up the intel Ritsuko got last night. This was her target.

The man was buried in his phone, clearly obsessing over some kind of business. His teacup was steadily growing lighter as he periodically took sips. It was his routine every morning to get a cup of tea to relax. Lately, he's spent the time less relaxing and more time keeping in constant contact with his associates. Ritsuko was more or less responsible for that. Giving the man a headache was her job. At least, it used to be. Presently, the man finished his tea and sighed as he realized he'd wasted another moment of peace on work. He paid his bill and got up to leave. Ritsuko waited a while, while he walked well down the street. Before he left her line of sight, Ritsuko herself got up to follow him.

The street was busy, but not in the chaotic manner as in other middle eastern nations. Mariq was at least mostly developed and the traffic that ran through streets was stately and dignified. Drivers followed traffic lights and signs and none violated the speed limit. Pedestrians kept to the sidewalks, and left it quite open. It was just dense enough to hide Ritsuko's presence from her prey but clear enough for her own sharp senses to keep him in check. Block after block passed as Ritsuko kept her distance. She was in no hurry. Her prey was a cautious man. He wouldn't let his guard down for at least 2 more blocks. Suddenly, as if without warning, he slipped into an alleyway. He'd always suspected a tail, though he was definitely not consciously or even unconsciously aware that he really was. It was part of his routine. Exactly as the intel said he'd do. Ritsuko wasn't surprised. This was where she'd make her move. She glanced over at the white van just down the street that the target wasn't quite suspicious enough of. Reassured that the plan was going well, she followed the man into the alley.

The target was expecting the shady, empty alley to be a clear avenue to his "alternative" commute route. He'd been through this place so many times that plan B was now his go-to plan. It was quite amateurish. He wasn't even aware of how bad plan B always was. So it came as a genuine surprise to him when a garbage collection container, a fence, and a pile of trash completely blocked the way. Puzzled, he turned back to return to the original path. He nearly jumped when he found himself trapped by a woman in a trench coat. He gulped. Oops. Ritsuko cocked her head to the side. "Ahmari Zulani, yes?" she said with a smile. Ahmari was somewhat concerned by this development. He'd been spooked so badly he forgot his training and professionalism. "Y-yes. That is I" he stuttered out, shaking a little.

This seemed to satisfy Ritsuko. At the end of the alley that opened into the street, the white van pulled up, completely blocking in the area. "Good, good, we have been looking for you. Congratulations, you've won" she told him. Fear washed through Ahmari as he fought to inquire the reason for that statement. "Won wha-" he was about to ask. In one fluid motion, with speed and power that could only be possible with her inhuman physique and reflexes, Ritsuko launched herself forward and stabbed her gloved hand through a recent scar in the man's abdomen. The knife-like hand pushed aside internal organs as it journeyed through Ahmari's insides, feeling around for something important. She found and grabbed the astonished man's heart and squeezed, crushing the muscle into a pulp. The force of the impact and Ritsuko's strength picked up the 70 kilo man and held him several feet above the ground. "Punchline" said Ritsuko to Ahmari's face "I don't really finish these, not like it matters. You're dead anyway". In that moment, all emotion fell from her face along with the body. Her right arm was soaked in gore, pulled from the cooling corpse. "Rebel scum" she said as she dragged Ahmari's body to the waiting van.

The van's sliding door opened to accept Ritsuko. She threw the body inside with the moderately surprised SAD operators. "Brutal" said one in astonishment at the violent assassination. "It was quiet and didn't create a mess. It all stayed with him" explained Ritsuko as she closed the van door behind her. "Welp, there goes the FLO's Mariq cell. Good luck getting the Sultan's money now, bastards" grumbled one of the other operators.

A couple hours later, Ritsuko was in her Portean Embassy apartment, washing the blood off her hand. A file sat next to the sink. New orders. Something big happened and her capabilities were required. Probably that madman Voy. Oh well, nothing lost there. She packed her things and made her way to the heliport on the roof of the building. A Sasekawa S191 was landing, in FAPAF colors. The 191 had jet nozzles in the wing roots and wingtips and they swiveled much like a Harrier's to allow the small jet to land vertically. The military model had mid-air refueling capability to improve its poor range, and one such example touched down in front of Ritsuko. She got in and prepared for the long flight to Randgriz.

FOB Randgriz

Kimiko huffed while the mercenaries were taken away. The WISH will probably be kicked off, now. Raising a weapon against your employer is just asking for termination. The crowd around her dispersed while the situation stopped being just that, and Kimiko noticed the Unionist sergeant still present, oogling at her commanding officer's defiance. "Oh, good, you're here. Come inside, we really need to talk" she said, waving Ritva over. She walked back inside her room and tidied up. This wouldn't do at all. She got to her desk and put everything back into place (or something that resembled order). This included some paperwork that she'd only just now gotten to. Today was rough, huh?

[The Unified Isles]

A Second Message had reached the Isle'ish Rover, only few seconds after the Ratteans. A Second Message that immediately sent everyone on the Ship's Brigade into Panic. Wild motion spread through the vessel within seemingly seconds, even the coldest sailors, the most experienced ones like Coote and McCann, had wet sweat dripping down their faces. ALAS ! ALAS !, the Isle'ish cry of Emergency, of warning, shouted throughout the vessel.

Somebody had taken to the steering wheel and was wildly spinning it around. The ship was turning, first port, then starboard, and then port again. Coote and McCann tumbled over each other, screaming at each other in wild fury wild the sailors under them were pissing their pants.

THEE FUCKED IT UP MIKE !

ALAS ! WHO'S IDEA WASETH IT TO GO TO DON..........................

THY !!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

McCann felt heavy, cold metal hitting his chest. The wind was causing high waves, nobody could hold his feet any more, especially with the ship slowly spinning out of the crew's control. Ugh, he moaned. The steel of the ship's instruments was burning cold on his pale skin. A few seconds of silence filled the air. The ship was motionless for the blink of an eye.

Then it turned around again.

With a loud squeak, McCann became the first to loose his footing, flipping backwards through his own “home”. Cold hit him again, but this time on the back. His chest was oddly warm...

SLUGGER THEE SHIT ! DID YE EFFING PUKETH ?

Again, a brief moment of silence. Of solemnity. Interestingly (maybe), this time it wasn't interrupted by the ship turning around immediately...

A completely new sound interrupted all thoughts that any of the Rovers might have had at this point in time. A scream loud enough to tear glass, a fireball on the horizon.

”The Missile haseth exploded out of time it seemeths...”, Coote uttered...

”We're one lot of lucky bastards...”

[Reuss-Lippe]

---

Rattean Embassy, Bögt

---

"Admiral, i am begging you to send whatever troops you have currently available,to our embassy in Bögt to assist the guarding forces. from our intel so far, we may only be getting attacked by a small amount of donnish soldiers at the moment. I am fairly certain we can defend our embassy and kill the attackers, but next time their numbers might be larger. I am asking you to send to troops, to save us from certain death." said the Ambassador, yelling at the admiral over a voice call. "Ambassador, i would love to but it is far too dangerous to do. I have lost one helicopter today, nearly two, far too many for my liking. Imagine if one of those helicopter held troops that were coming to assist you, that is essentially 10 to 12 lives wasted for what is now essentially a lost cause. I am sorry Jonas, Soraught i could do but the donnish capital, you are on your own for this one." replied Admiral Lowe. "I will try and send some troops as soon as activity dies now, for now use those vehicles and weapons wisely. Godspeed Jonas," added the admiral before cutting off the video call, leaving the ambassador in a now quiet room. clearly angry, Jonas threw a glass across the room which shattered instantly as contact was made with the wall.

As the Donnish stormed the multiple floors of the building and the guarding troop's shifted inside and surrounded the embassy, a small group consisting of 4 marksmen and 7 riflemen are sent to a old five storey building opposite of the Embassy. The group was to counter any rooftop soldiers from harming any helicopters in the air, or Vehicles below. Since the Donnish were distracted with the fighting from inside the embassy, the group made it across the street without any distractions or interferences. Positioning themselves on the fourth floor, they have a perfect view above the embassy and a great line of sight. Not wanting the instantly blow their cover, the soldiers hunkered down and remain quiet unless contacted or forced to engage.

---

Upper deck, RNS Westerholt

---

All Throughout the command ship RNS Westerholt, sailors were performing their usual weekly maintenance check. Due to this, movement was frequent throughout the ship. Admiral Lowe had been notified of a special guest soon to arrive on the ship, he assumed it was for the girl in the medical room.Going with his gut, he decided to continue ship maintenance rather than keep it on hold for the duration of the entire visit. He instead assigned a sailor to escort the guest around the ship if asked, and do whatever task they were told to do. Standing on the flight deck, the sailor waited for the guest who was told to arrive any minute. As expected, a HH-65 with a lion printed on its side hovered above the flight deck and eventually landed. As the door opened, a women stepped out. standing at attention and saluting, the rattean sailor spoke "High Queen Suoma, welcome aboard the RNS Westerholt!'. "It's an honor having you here" he added, dropping the salute. The women spoke back with a calm voice "Thank you, sailor. I was told Princess Historia had been evacuated here.". Turning around, the sailor replied back to the queen. "Yes, your highness", the man replied. "Please follow me." the sailor said in response, opening the door and entering the ship. As the two walked through the ship, the sailor spoke to the High Queen about the girls condition. Doing as he was told by his superior, he told the queen that the princess was improving.

Eventually the two arrived at the room in which the princess was staying in, looking through the glass panels they saw the princess accompanied by a man of what appeared to be the same age. In order to notify the man inside that someone wanted to see the girl, the sailor knocked on the glass 3 times, attracting the attention of the man.

Medical room, RNS Westerholt
Getting up, aleksandr grabbed his chair and bought it closer to the bed. "Don't speak that way, your mom is a strong woman, she won't let the donnish stop her from getting back to you." he said, sitting back down in his chair and comforting the girl with a hug. As he was comforting the girl, 3 knocks were heard coming from a window to the right of the Entryway to the room. Looking at the window, he saw a sailor and a woman in a foreign military uniform. realizing his time way running up, aleksandr decided to say a few last words to the princess."You have done nothing, nor have you caused anything. It was the donnish, their leader, and the blind followers he calls his citizens. Anton will grown up with a mother and a father, dont you worry." said the rattean before getting up out of his chair, and lighting a cigarette. "I will contact you again upon your arrival on the mainland, it was nice talking to you again. see you around Princess!" said the rattean, as he left the room, leaving behind his service coat.

[Azenyanistan]

THE LIGHT IN THE BLACK

"Chief Ayza." Said a voice. The Chief turned around to see a youthful woman in uniform.

The woman wore an undecorated cap on her head, a tribal gray shemagh around her neck and a plain uniform. Her cap and her uniform were sand-colored while her combat pants were also of the same color but with splotches of the colors of stone. Immediately, the youth nodded to the Chief and the Chief did the same to the youth. Then the youth nodded again before speaking to the Chief

"My Chief, I am High Commander Salade the II, adopted daughter of Salade the I. I am here at your service and at her honor."

The Chief looked her up and down. The woman did not look like a High Commander because of the way she dressed. Her uniform was so simple and without decoration or notable qualities. She looked like any ordinary Azen officer. She even had a few buttons unbottoned, hair that was messed up from being cut by what may seem to be her own hands and she even had some dirt on her pants. The youth however seemed serious. The youth did not smile or frown for her lips were completely level, awaiting her to speak to her, her eyes were not away and her expressions were controlled. She also was a tribal because of her tattoos. Her tattoos imitated the patterns of the sand and the shapes of the mountains, the markings belonging to the Az and the Ayr. She did however have tattoos of the hills that were owned by the En on her forehead. Her tattoos were quite black as opposed to her fair skin. She was also very tall and with remarkable posture. She was almost up to the height of the Chieftain herself.

Then came her reply

"High Commander Salade the II, it is good to meet you. What can I do for you? I do know that you've come here as soon as I have had come to my office." Ayza said the word office as if it were something that she hated but continued. "Perhaps there is something that requires my attention first thing in the morning?"

The High Commander nodded again and said, producing a folded piece of paper from her left lower pocket and handing it to the Chief

"Yes, my Chief, it is about Donnerland."

"Donnerland..." She said as she accepted the paper, unfolded it slowly as the paper seemed tough. As she did unfold the paper, she said to her

"Is this paper from the Strongleaf tree?"

The High Commander nodded again and said

"Yes, my Chief. From the very plains that the Shan have."

The Chief nodded and as she finally unfolded the paper and looked over the contents, she said

"All right. But please, High Commander, allow me to be addressed simply as Chief Ayza or Ayza or just Chief. No need to be too formal."

At that, the High Commander said with some strength, giving her words a bit of care

"I apologize, Chief Ayza, but I was taught by my own mother that I will have to respect my superiors, most especially you."

Ayza looked up and the High Commander continued

"You are the greatest of the High Commanders. As you are Chief of the entire Confederacy, you are also the greatest of us."

She nodded at that and said

"I know."

So the youth continued

"So it is right that I address you with as much respect as I could."

The Chief nodded again and said

"I see. Your mother is a good woman. I met her before."

This made the youth smile a little until Ayza seemed to catch something in the paper and said to her

"High Commander, would you kindly sit down and discuss this with me."

"Yes, Chief."

Together, they sat down, with the youth at the chair facing Ayza and her desk and the Chief taking her seat behind her own desk, her body towards the youth. The Chief then looked from top to bottom again and then again before folding it and putting it down on the table but keeping her hands on it. She looked to a woman who was standing still in the corner of her office. The woman approached, revealing herself to be heavily armed. She had a light machine gun in her hands and a pistol in its holster, just attached to the utility belt she had. She had her helmet on, her shemagh around her mouth and nose and a comm-link in her right ear. She also had blue eyes and white skin but had the tattoos that resembled the dust of the Ayrran deserts and the flowing waters of the Nyran coasts. The woman also bore the flag of the capital city, Yaneza, on her armor and on the patches of her uniform. She was a Capital Guard.

Summoned, the Capital Guard said with softness that only Ayza could hear. The High Commander did not do anything as Ayza handed the folded piece of paper to the guard with both hands and said, the youth hearing her words

"Please tell Secretary Norekayyah to make a copy for me from this paper, thank you."

The Capital Guard nodded with a hurm. After she straightened, she faced the youth, put her feet together, curled her lips up a little and salute the youth with the iconic fist salute of the Azens. The youth stood up quickly, put her feet together and made a faint smile before saluting the Capital Guard as well. Then the Capital Guard let her own smile fade and went out of the office, closing the door gently for them with Chief Ayza saying to the youth

"Salade the II, yes?"

"Yes, Chief."

The Chief sighed as she said

"You proposed that we commit ourselves to the war. You also proposed that, with consideration for my plans to visit Urranese Azenyanistan and Urran herself, the war will be the third priority of our Confederacy. Then you also proposed that we also, concerning commitment, use all available resources and manpower, by the blessing of the law, of course, in ending the war as quickly as possible with regards to the other priorities of the Confederacy. You also proposed that we employ Saragon and her men and her assets as well as the rest of the AUTP to make up for our newly born military. You also proposed that we make great use of our local mercenaries and the use of foreign mercenaries in Azenyanistan. You also proposed that we encourage those who create vehicles that can take supplies from one place to another, those who can create weapons that do not need too much attention and those who can work so as to ensure that supplies will come and go and that the weapons created will be given to those who need them. You also proposed that you encourage other manufacturers as well as dealers of objects that cannot or will not be manufacture in Azenyanistan. If I may ask, what do you mean by this encouragement?"

The High Commander nodded and said

"Chief, what I mean by encouragement is that we pay them, we tell them that it's going to be worth their while that they create more and more vehicles, weapons, ammunition and whatsoever we are going to need as quickly as they could because of this war. And if it is the blessing of our laws, the laws of the Union and the laws of our alliance and the laws of our world that you wish then you have the blessing. There is nothing illegal about this. The only that we will have to do for this deal with the companies and other outside groups and individuals is that we compensate them. And for compensation, we can manage. We have everything we need."

The Chief nodded then continued

"Good. You also proposed that we..." She paused to glance over the youths shoulder, gesturing to the Capital Guard to come in with the copy and the original paper. The guard returned the original to the youth while the copy was given to the Chief and the guard was then allowed to return to her post which was the corner of the room. She continued "...we divert the course of the returning Green Helmets from one of our allies. The Green Helmets were supposed to come home after their peacekeeping operations there but you proposed to have them go instead to Donnerland, to the city where both the Urranese and our forces are, so that they may contribute to the war of our alliance and more importantly, the war of our world against the Donnish because of the supposed Motherfucker. Is this true? What can you say about this?"

The youth explained

"It is true that I have given the Green Helmets a direct and immediate order to divert their course from Azenyanistan to Donnerland. These troops will not be allowed to come home until they reach Donnerland and fight. I do not mean any wickedness by this nor do I mean any incompetence or act of bumbling around but please pay attention, Chief, to the Green Helmets."

The Chief leaned forward and the youth continued

"These troops are in great numbers. We sent an entire division to help an ally conduct peacekeeping operations. One division. That is greater than the strike teams of Angels and Arch Angels we have sent and this is greater even than the regiments that are on their way to Donnerland weeks after we have mobilized them. If we send them there, then we gain a numerical advantage, even if it is small because we are facing almost all of the Donnish. But the Green Helmets, Chief Ayza, are experienced troops. They have fought in the mountains, in the tunnels and caves and in the cold. They know their own way around. And most importantly, they have some of the best equipment we could afford to have. They have the artillery, the aircraft and the other products the ACT produced before the time of the AUTP. With these things in consideration, we can make a greater contribution and thus help in ending this bloodbath quickly."

She then also added

"Chief, I also proposed that we call for more men."

"Why do you need more men?"

"Ma'am, the GAC has only Journeys Division, Curses Division, Spirits Division and Kihyrairas Division as well as Killjoy and Tanyahs Angels and Arch Angels. That means we only have four infantry divisions and two units of elite troops. Then we also have Ghosts Division, Junageias Division, Kgiewas Division, Kai-Akza-Kais Division, Ijak-Daliyahs Division, Paolsos Division and Elviras Division. That's only seven armored divisions. These are all the combat units we have, just 13 combat units. The rest are units devoted to logistics or to support. The Grand Navy is small and the Air Force is becoming a part of the GNC now. And our Guards have more of our own best, local and foreign. There's a problem with distribution but that's already dealt with and I now have a good but newborn army and navy. I need more men. I only need 700 more."

"And what will you form with 700 more?"

"Add, not form. I will also summon the G171."

"The G171?"

"Yes. This is our first and only mixed unit in the GAC. While the Old Republics and the Old Administrations had Foreign Legions, the G171 is our only special unit that is composed of the best of our Civil Protection up to the greatest of our own military."

Ayza nodded again, swallowing all this. Then she said

"All right. 700 more. What else do you need?"

"I need the ability to help the rebels in Donnerland."

Ayza then perked up and said

"The Azen-Azulnish rebels only?"

"Them and anyone else who we can afford to support."

Ayza made a soft, long hurm before she said

"That I can do. Give me time and I will give you 15 million Rayyans which will allow you to purchase whatever you need so that you may help the rebels in fighting for ISAT."

"Thank you." Said the youth. She then coughed softly as her throat started to get sore from so much talking. Ayza, noticing this, went to a counter in her office to fetch some water and returned, offering the youth some of the refreshing liquid. The youth accepted and sipped some of it before continuing

"And if it is all right, may I ask for your support if I need more of it?"

The Chief nodded and said

"You may."

Then she stood up and said to the youth with authority

"Please remember, High Commander, that you will be the one to take care of everything that concerns Donnerland. Make sure that when this bloodbath is over, all Azen military forces will leave Donnerland. The Green Helmets will finally come home, that I also want you to promise, when this is over. But while the bloodbath is still going on and on, I need you to perform as best as you can. Can you do this?"

"I can do this, Chief Ayza. If I did not give my proposals thought, if I did not accept my position, if I did not make sure that our resources can take the pain of war and if I did not become aware of what is happening in Donnerland, then I would not do this. But I can do it."

The Chief nodded and said

"All right. All right. You may go now, High Commander."

The youth nodded in return, turned and left her office. The Chief then hurmed before she left her office as well. When she was in the corridor, a woman who was concealing herself with her brown cloak approached the Chief and immediately, when the Chief saw her face, she recognized her. It was her old friend and teacher, Sadisia ur Kaiteriza. The Chief then looked down on her hands and saw that they were all wrapped in bandages. She then asked

"How are they doing?"

"I still cannot use my hands. Even after days of it...the pain is still there and my hands are useless until it is all okay. I am very grateful for my Abulan friends though. The Unionists do care."

The Chief then invited her to come back inside to her office but Sadisia said, shaking her head and trying to smile

"No, no. It's fine. I'd rather we speak here."

The Chief then gave up and said

"All right, Marmeeya, but why did you come here?"

Her former teacher then looked around and said

"Well, I came here to tell you that I may have found some people who can help your new High Commander fight her war."

She then paused to hurm before she continued

"There are only 40 of them but you can tell Salades daughter that these 40 can make a good strike team. They call themselves The New Knights of Azenyanistan. They are not religious though but are instead very secular. They keep their beliefs to themselves and focus more on being competent mercenaries. They told me that they really want to help and they even cut their fees by half. But they came to me as they recognized me in Abula and they asked me if I could speak for them. They are already in Azenyanistan, in Nyra, waiting. Will you consider this?"

Chief Ayza then scratched her head and then hurmed for a long time. Sadisia waited with a small smile, as if time was not too much of a big thing to fuss over. Then Chief Ayza said

"I will consider this."

At this, the cloaked woman smiled and said

"Thank you so much, Ayza."

"You're welcome, Marmeeya."

There was a short silence for them. The two women looked at each other. It was such a time. Ayza said

"I thought you were still in Abula, having your hands treated."

"And I thought you were already in Urranese Azenyanistan, spending your time with our people and their people there."

The two then embraced each other, having missed each other. Then Sadisia pulled away before she asked

"How are you?"

"I'm doing all right. It's early morning and I'm here to talk for a while with a few people before leaving to get ready for travelling to Urranese Azenyanistan."

"That's good."

"Yes it is. What about you, Marmeeya? And about the mercenaries, may I please be the one to pay for them? You do not have to pay for-"

"I will pay for them."

"But, Marmeeya, I can p-"

"You will not have to. I have money in my own pockets and while their contract will be to your High Commander, let me be the one to pay for them. Besides, I do not have to throw away so much money."

"Marmeeya..."

Sadisia then touched her former students cheeks and said

"Ayza, let me take care of this for you."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

Then when Sadisia put her hands away, Ayza then said

"What about Tyena?"

At mentioning her, Sadisia instinctively pulled her hands to her chest. This made Ayza say

"I apologize, Marmeeya."

"It's all right. You did not use a hammer to destroy my hands. It was her."

"You do know she has not been punished. Why not?"

"I didn't let her receive punishment."

"Why not? Her leaving of her office and her becoming an analyst once again is no small thing to forgive easily after what she did to your hands. Please let-"

"No."

Ayza then tried to say it again but Sadisia put her left hand over her mouth and said

"No, Ayza. Please, no, don't hurt her."

Ayza then gently put away her teachers hand and said

"But your own daughter hurt you. Will you not discipline her for hurting you?"

"I will not. I may discipline Dune, Azi or Deraya but I will not discipline her. I will not punish her. She's the youngest of my own children and I care for her very much as I care very much for the rest of my children."

"Marmeeya..."

"Ayza, please no."

There was silence again. Sadisia then sighed and turned away as Ayza opened her mouth to say something but closed her mouth and hurmed. Then she touched her teachers shoulder and said

"Marmeeya, if that is your will, then so be it. But Marmeeya...Teacher..."

"Yes, Ayza?"

"She has to know that what she did was wrong and that she has to pay somehow for her crime against you. Destroying your hands is destroying your body and that means that is a crime. It's against the law for another to hurt another....especially you. If it ever were anyone else, I'd-"

"I'd still forbid you from punishing them."

Ayza blinked. Sadisia turned to her and was trying her best to smile even just a little, holding back her tears.

"Even if they are-"

"Yes."

"But, Marmeeya-"

"Ayza..."

"I know you want to do better but-"

"Ayza..."

"It's just..."

"No."

The Chief stopped. The Teacher then looked away again. And again the Chief tried to say something but refrained. Once that was so, Sadisia said

"I will let you do one thing though. Please do this before you leave Azenyanistan for Urranese Azenyanistan."

"And that is?"

"Please go to where Tyena lives and if you can tell her, tell her that I love her so much. That I will always forgive her. I will not curse her, I will not hurt her but I will rather hurt myself. I will never hurt her or anyone else. If I had, then I try my best not to hurt anyone anymore, even if that is so impossible."

"Marmeeya..."

"Do this please rather than punishing her. She is the youngest of my daughters. I care too much. Please respect that."

The Chief then frowned a little as she said

"Marmeeya, you do know that I wield more power than you and that I can choose not to respect your words and have her punished."

"I know. I don't expect you to follow me anymore. I am no longer your teacher."

Silence again. Ayza then glanced at one end of the corridor and saw her team mates. Her friends. The ones who were with her before and now. They were there, watching them quietly.

Then at once, Ayza turned to Sadisia and said

"You are still my teacher."

"Why?"

"I still have many questions to ask. I may be older than you but you are my teacher. You taught me many things about building a nation and about philosophy and the abstract parts of life. I learned your ways in one hand and the ways of my family in the other hand. I learned about construction, engineering and building. But I took your ways too. I still have many questions to ask. So long as you are alive, you are still my teacher. And if you come alive again, you will become my teacher again."

Sadisia was silenced. She did not do anything or say anything but she did look at her student.

The Chief was smiling. And as the former Advocate and Speaker of Azenyanistan looked up at her taller student who is now the Chief of Azenyanistan, the Chief smiled faintly. Her eyes were wet and she seemed to be breathing softly. The Chief then hurmed and looked up to the ceiling before letting her eyes fall upon her teacher again. Ayza then said

"Will you go to Abula?"

"Yes. I do not belong here anymore."

Sadisia then hugged herself as she said

"My citizenship was stripped away. And many things were lost."

Ayza then, with care, put her hands upon her teachers own hands and said

"Marmeeya, you will no longer need to go to Abula. I will have my team take you to Afghanistan where the best of our medical facilities are. There you will be treated free of charge and then you will return to Azenyanistan. You will see your citizenship restored. And do not think that your things were lost. From the book with the fewest pages to the greatest trilogy that you have ever created with hundreds of pages, did you not think that your friends in the libraries and that your good companions in the copying centers would copy all of your works, published or not, so that they may not be permanently lost?"

She then released her and said

"Marmeeya, you are too important to me. As my team is too important to me, I will not let you come to ruin without restoration."

Because of all of this, Sadisia was reduced to tears and gave way to them. Once she was done weeping, she then asked her former student

"So that your goodness to me will not go to waste, what can I do for you?"

Ayza said

"I will let you become a part of my team."

MEANWHILE IN DONNERLAND

"I want a report, fighter." Said Rahatiel. She was back in her headquarters in Soraught along with her own men as the Angels and Arch Angels mixed with them, fighting alongside them. Inside the communications room, some of her men were trying to make the transmission clearer. The fighter was communicating from the far south of Donnerland. Immediately, the fighter replied

"We have been making progress with the survivalists, Captain Rahatiel. More and more Azens and Azulnish survivalists as well as refugees from beyond the south are joining us. Today, 29 survivalists and roughly 50 refugees have joined us. Increasing numbers are becoming a bit of a problem though as we're gonna have to look for more food, water, medicine and other supplies.

We also need more weapons and parts as well as ammunition. We'll look for something to trade with for what we need but for now, I hope you can get some supplies through if that is possible. While we're waiting, we're going to be on the move. We are leaving our camps behind and we are going to move towards the north. We will not stand by. We will fight for you, Captain."

The Captain hurmed and said

"I appreciate that. Keep looking for supplies if you can. I will try to see if I can send some of my men on a supply run for you. If nothing comes through though, then do what you can do to get here. It is better here than there if you run out and you can't get anything.

Also, keep your men alive. Do not allow any more losses if that can be done. We need more men in the battlefield against the Donnish."

"I hear you, Captain. This is the Far South reporting, out."

Then it came to static, one of the Captains men saying

"The transmission is over."

"Okay. Communicate with the Far North and the rest of our fellow rebels in Donnerland. I also want you to transmit to all ISAT and allied forces in Donnerland. We have to let them know that we, the Azens, are fighting in Donnerland. Even if we are just rebels and a few strike teams of Angels and Arch Angels, we're fighting against the Donnish with ISAT for survival. We're not going to let the Donnish get away with bloodshed."

Then the Captain left the room and saw that Killjoy and Tanyah were waiting for her in the corridor. As her men passed by, constantly bringing supplies or reports around, the three soldiers of Azenyanistan, one loyal to the Old Republics and the two loyal to the Confederacy of today, walked out of the corridor and into a more private room. There, Killjoy said

"I got good news, Rahy."

"What is it?" Said Rahatiel, facing Killjoy with a raised brow and her right hand on her hips. Tanyah kept her lips together as she crossed her arms and watched them. Killjoy said

"The Grand Army of the Confederacy is sending out regiments of infantry and armor to Donnerland. We're getting help. And that means we're still in the fight. Until this war is over, the Donnish are our enemies. And until we get help, we're gonna keep on waiting and fighting."

Rahatiel nodded to that and smiled a little. Even Tanyah nodded to that and said

"What Killjoy said is true. We are getting help. The GAC is really sending regiments. It's been several days now since their mobilization. Now they are sailing towards this land. What we also have to tell you is that the Green Helmets are also being diverted from Azenyanistan to Donnerland. Their artillery, supplies, their infantry, vehicles and everything they have is gonna be what we need to put up a more proper fight. We're gonna move from our usual methods to a more literal ISAT contribution."

"We're getting more serious now." Rahatiel said with a hint of joy in it "With the Green Helmets and the coming regiments, we can do more."

"They're also sending supplies through." Noted Killjoy

"The Confederacy?"

"Yes. I just got word from Salade the II. Even the G171 are coming."

"This is good."

"It is indeed." Said Tanyah "But with their coming, we cannot stay in Soraught. We have to move. While moving, we can hit more Donnish targets, help more ISAT forces and get anyone who wants to get out of that land out."

They nodded. And then Rahatiel said

"With all our forces coming together..."

"The war will be over. Even without us, the war will be over. But with us, perhaps we can make a contribution that will end this war more and more quickly." Said Tanyah. Then Killjoy said

"We may not have so many fighting men and women but look at how many of our brothers and sisters are working. The ones who are feeding us, giving us water, care, etc. Without them, we wouldn't be around today."

They agreed. Then later, Rahatiel said

"Let's go. There is no time to lose. Our friends need us and our enemies have to be met.

We will split up. Half of my men will stay in Soraught, the rest of us will move out of the city and into the rest of Donnerland. We will support the others and we will also commit to raids, ambushes, sabotages, etc. And if we can, we will directly engage the Donnish provided that we are not alone."

"I will go north." Said Tanyah.

"I will go south." Said Killjoy.

"I'll move to the capital." Said Rahatiel. She then sighed and said

"Anything else?"

Nobody said anything. She nodded and they nodded in return then they left the room. In time, the Azen-Azulnish Rebels in Soraught were ordered by Rahatiel to start packing up. Half would stay and the rest would go.

And as Rahatiel watched her men carry out her orders, she thought about what her fellow Azens were doing in Azenyanistan to help them. She tried to imagine the ships and the planes leaving their places, carrying all they needed to keep on fighting, to get to Donnerland. And she tried to see in her mind the Green Helmets who were sailing to Donnerland. The former Captain respected the Green Helmets. They did well. And they were coming to help her and her men.

[Saradena]

---

Eldrichta, Esgonia
135 Hours

---

A telephone ring wakes President Erhard Brunshelm from his slumber in his residence at the outskirts of the city, his wife telling him to pick up the phone as it is probably from him. Groggily, he slowly gets out of bed and makes his way to the phone, a bit irritated from being interrupted from his sleep. "Who is it this time..." he says to himself as he picks up the phone.

"Brunshelm Residence, Erhard speaking."

On the other side of the line was Ludmilla Grashinkov, the Esgonian Defense Minister, who was eager to speak to him. She had an urgent message to send to him and it must be brought to him now.

"Mister President, it's Grashinkov. You're needed in the Situation Room. Now."

"What is it for, Miss Grashinkov?"

"It's something related to what's happening in Donner Land. They just declared war on the entire world."

"Am I hearing this right? The Donnish is declaring war on everyone?"

"It seems so, Sir. everyone is on edge right now. High Command, EIS, The Porteans. Unionists. Arkanans. EVERYONE."

Erhard froze in his place as he tried to ingest Ludmilla's words into his mind. He knew that Donner Land would eventually erupt into chaotic violence but Voy declaring war on the world? "Has Voy lost his mind?"* he says to himself.

"Alright, report everyone to the Situation Room. 30 minutes."

After putting down the phone, he quickly dresses up and informs his wife about what's happening before heading to his car. Since it was late at night, there was little traffic, giving him enough space to speed up his car. In about 25 minutes, he was now in Solaris Tower, parking his car, and prepared himself for what was to come as he entered the elevator towards the situation room.

Inside the Situation Room, the staff were already assembled; The Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Minister, Interior Minister, Foreign Minister, and the EIS Director, who was snoozing. When the President enters the room, he was immediately greeted by his secretary.

"Just in time sir. Everyone here has been waiting for you for the past ten minutes."

Once the President sits down, the briefing immediately starts with no delay. In front of the table that they were on was a large monitor, displaying multiple images and videos captured from Donner Land, coming from satellites, ground assets, and media. The EIS Director then begins to speak and brief the group.

"Okay. So, around 30 minutes past midnight, 'Leifreur' Newron Voy has stated in a massive press conference that 'Donner Land is now in a state of war with the world, no longer are we under the International Community's boot oppressing us.', shown here in this live news report. We have also reports of Donnish Troops besieging mutiple foreign embassies, along with brutalizing the Unionist Princess Historia. The Kaisar and the Kaisarine were reported to be in Donner Land as well. Princess Historia is currently safe inside a Rattean Military vessel, but the Kaisarine and the Kaisar are unaccounted for. The EIS had sent a team to recover the Kaisarine when her helicopter crashed somewhere in Bogt, but she had escaped after the team encountered 'non-hostile' Donnish Special Forces and Portean Intelligence, but we've managed to recover two of her aides and are currently being treated inside one of our vessels loitering outside the Donnish coast. We've speculated that the Kaisarine might have been captured and taken prisoner by the Donnish, or died."

"Pff...'Offerings of Peace'. Yeah, they didn't even give a rat's arse when our people got attacked, and how they're treating us like trash even before this happened. Fuck them..." spoke the General of the Army

"What's the status of our embassy and of the Ambassador and the civilians that were sheltering in the embassy? Along with how the other nations are reacting to Voy's declaration of war?" asked the President.

"As of now, the embassy has been evacuated and the Ambassador and civilians are already inside the said vessels. The vessel will head out towards Randgriz before they will be sent back by air to the homeland."

After the EIS Director spoke and sat down, the Foreign Minister began answering his second question.

"The IWA are already preparing their war machine against Donner. The Union is now considering an incursion into Donner Land as well after what happened to the Royal Family."

"So, what are our options?"

Before anyone else could answer his question, the General of the Navy began to talk "We could launch an invasion of Donner Land. We have assets over at Randgriz, including tactical ballistic missile submarines and the new Battlecruiser stationed there. If the Union would go through with their invasion, then we could support their assault and eliminate the threat of Voy for good. The more the better!" Both the Air Force and Army Generals nodded, supporting his statements and telling the president of their branch's contributions to the possible invasion of Donner Land.

"Well, I've also noticed that Bruhl and other contractors getting a lot of contracts from foreign nationals and private civilians, all concerning to protect businesses and locate missing civilians and evacuating embassies. I think we should have our forces support our contractors too. They're still our people" interjected the EIS Director.

"There's still the threat of Donnish infiltrators too. The SDFE, ISAE, and local police are currently doubling their efforts to prevent any sort of attacks that might be committed by Donnish terrorists, but they're not sure if they could fully do so, especially as the riots have just ended recently" Spoke the Interior Minister.

After nearly 30 minutes of continuous discussion and debate, mostly in what troops to send, what to do post-war to prevent another Azen crisis, and how to prevent any inside attacks, the cabinet had made up their decision: An Esgonian Intervention into Donner Land is a go, but they'd initially be providing support for friendly forces rather than leading the charge, as they could only pull the only units available in Randgriz, and it would take days for any additional troops to be sent. They would need to coordinate with any coalition that would also be leading an intervention into Donner Land, Especially with the Porteans and Unionists. Randgriz would become the staging point for the Intervention. Parts of the Army and the EIS would support in the witch hunt against any possible terrorists. As they finalize their meeting, they leave with mixed thoughts in their minds. If the Donnish want a war, then Esgonia will gladly accept its request.

---

MB Randgriz
1445 Hours

---

Back in Randgriz, the personnel on the large artificial island base were already on edge as they watch the local news. Now, they were sure that they would be sent to Donner Land. The message sent from Eldrichta confirms it. As soon as the message was received, the entire base was now on alert as the base sirens were wailed as loud as they could, to the point that the sirens could hear the sirens from far away, even towards the Unionist and Rattean parts of the base.

As they heard the sirens, Esgonian personnel immediately rush towards their stations; Dining personnel had to leave their food or eat all of their food in one go. Others who were in the other parts of the base such as in the Portean, Rattean, and Unionist ones dashed or drove back to their stations as soon as they heard the sirens. After 10 minutes of waiting and continuous head counts, all Esgonian personnel had been accounted for in their stations and the sirens stopped wailing. They were soon briefed by their senior officers that they were to prepare for an invasion of Donner Land, and that they were on standby until further orders were reported. The personnel's reaction ranged from "Damnit. Why did Donner Land decide to do something stupid like this?" to "Welp, took Eldrichta long enough.."

[Vanquaria]

A lingering ochre haze had wrapped the great capital of Helsa in a tight embrace. Despite the fact that it was clearly a beautiful day the proud citizens that strode through its streets felt a strong feeling of uncertainty, for some it was fear.

Helsa was a continent that was described as hell itself by a few from the south. Even though that was an extremely fanciful description it contained a bit of truth. A region stained by blood the land possessed a history of conflict. From the great heroism of legendary figures such as Autarch Scholari to awesome battles waged against foreign invaders it, unfortunately for many, a magnet for bloodshed.

Within the Grand Palace of the Iron Empire resided the Autarch. Currently Scott was surrounded by his retinue of generals, advisors and political figures of Vanquaria. Discussion concerning the latest threats posed by the Donnish and their mad leader and the incredible aggression of the United Remnant state in the south-east of Ausozera had been initiated early in the morning and was to conclude now in the late afternoon.

'I feel our energies are at last spent gentlemen, a file containing the information and decisions made during this meeting will be distributed to each of you by my secretary. I await our next gathering. May Vanquaria Strive!'

The Vanquarian military, glorious yet dreadful, was prepared to fulfill their role as the protectors of their people. Intelligence provided by the VSIO told of a number of valuable foreign persons still trapped within Donner Land; the decision was made to ensure Special Operations would attempt to rescue such persons from the Donnish. IWA efforts were designated as optimal though more actions were still being carried out by the inner council of the alliance. And the list went on...

The young Autarch watched his fellow men exit his office. When the large, oak doors shut gently he collapsed onto his armchair. Crafted from luxurious materials from Zhengua and Swiftea it was a masterpiece, perfect for comfort. And comfort was exactly what Scott desired at that moment.

Being in his early thirties Scott had already proven himself as a capable leader, overcoming obstacles with relative ease. Yet the strain of leading Vanquaria threatened to overwhelm him. There were near-innumerable responsibilites asscoiated with being the Emperor of the Iron Empire not to mention being a husband and father. If he was a tad older and more experienced in the ways of leadership and most importantly, life, Scott felt he could be up to the task. But alas he was none of those things.

Scott admired the exceptional men of Helghan, UoAE and even Esgonia for inspiration. Their leaders appeared to him as individuals that had surpassed their precedessors and were unflinching in the face of danger. Even though the nation of Helghan was as under threat as Vanquaria was by the Donnish he felt their Autarchs were handling the situation superbly.

Then he looks at himself as ruler of Vanquaria. Was he making the important decisions crucial for his country's survival in this era of hostility or was he merely relying on what his generals advised him to do?

Retrieving a bottle of his father's loved wine he began to ponder what the infamous Vlad the ''Vampire Lord'' would have done if he was in his son's position. Worry and fear began to infiltrate Scott's mind as he took a gulp of alcohol, longing for the beauty of sleep where all responsibility is rendered null, even if for a moment.

Officer's Mess, Classified Military Location

A grim-faced officer entered the room. Immediately attention was refocused onto him. Silence reigned for a second.

'You're his son aren't you?' a Colonel asked.

'Yes. I am Captain Steiner of Black Operations and son of the bane of Mecca.'

[Union Of Autocratic Empires]

FOB Randgriz

Eventually, the Portean MPs arrived to seize the rogue mercenaries, moment in which she released the man from her grip to allow the officers take him away. She hadn't expected she would have to wrestle someone into submission before embarking to the mainland. She was not expecting all Donnish to collectively lose their minds; apparently Voy was more charismatic than she thought.

Her line of thought was stopped, though, when she heard her new commanding officer commanding her to step inside, following her orders with the diligence and stepped inside the room; apparently the WISH mecenaries had made quite a mess of the young samurai's property. A bit childish, in her opinion. "Liutenant!", she said as she saluted respectfully and in a very uptight way, hoping it would improve the Portean's opinion of her after the little incident earlier...

Medical room, RNS Westerholt

As he passed by, the High Queen acknowledged the Rattean prince with a dignified nod; she knew the young man and was aware of his little relationship with Princess HIstoria after reading about it in the newspapers, and could not help but feel pity for them; they were clearly in love, yet they had been forced to break up when their relationship was found and tabloids labeled it as "kissing cousins" for the possibility their families may or may not have been related in the past. No matter how respected or innocent you could be, if you were a public figure, the smallest spot in your reputation would make people jump at you like carrion birds.

After asking the sailor if they could speak in private, the High Queen approached Historia and sat besides her. Poor girl was badly injured, as she noticed the awkward position her right leg was under the bed's sheets. She had her eyes covered in bandages, and had noticeable difficulty breathing. She was hoping the extension of her injuries would be just the ones she could see and there were no serious internal damage. "Good night, Princess Historia." she greeted the young Abula-Liyomesse, who was visibly surprised at hearing the voice of the High Queen. "I am happy to see you have been stabilised. Rattean doctors are indeed excellent." "Hi-High Queen Suoma Värynen", she replied, her tone that of someone who had just broken into tears. "It's an-an honor having you here", she replied. The High Queen noticed some of her teeth were missing, too, which further increased the pity she felt for the poor girl. "There is no need for formalities, young one", she said in FInnish. "This is a visit of courtesy, after all", she lied. The Princess emited a slight smile, which was soon replaced by a frown. "How do you feel, Historia?" "Horrible", Historia replied with an honesty the High Queen apprecaited. "My hip hurts, my legs feel numb, and my sight seems wrong. I feel a constant piercing sensation in the back of my head, too. And because of my, my mother is now in Donner Land", she said as her voice started breaking down and she held Aleksander's coat tighter. "Don't fear for your mother, Historia.", Suoma said with a soothing tone. "I have known her for years. She survived years in old Abula while looking after your aunt. She has more experience than anyone to survive Donner Land.", she concluded. The Princess, while just saying a mild "thanks", seemed to appreciate this words.

After a few seconds, however, her expression changed. "Your Highness, I... I don't want to be rude, but..." she said and was soon interrupted by the venerable Liyomesse. "... why am really here for?", she concluded. She was aware the young adult was smart enough to realise that there needed to be ulterior motives for her to cross half the world besides being worried about her well being. Not that she didn't, relationship with her nother aside, but there was indeed a reason for her to be there. "Did you read The Gazette of Liyom last week?", she said as she stood up and crossed the blinds of the window. The Princess denied with her head. "Monday that week, the paper reported an archaeological team had found the legendary armor of the First High Queen sunk in a marsh near the Arkanan border." The princess intervened. "There is something more, right?" "That was not the entire truth", Suoma interupted her. "The team DID find the armor. They also found the body of the Great Queen inside. Afterwards, we ran some genetic tests on her. Looked for female, living descendantsd. The Princess' expression changed to one of surprise. "You-you are not implying..." "When your ancestor, Walhart the Great, settled in Liyomesse territories and founded Abula, he was not inmediately attacked by the very terriorial Liyomesse. Haven't you ever wondered why?" "It's not... no-" "And when winter menaced to destroy the young settlement, instead of letting the cold finish their ambitions so early on, the locals rushed to their assistance. Why would they do so for a foreign invader? Maybe he wasn't such an invader." At this point, the High Queen held the stammering Princess' hands. "Historia", she said, her voice overtaken with emotion.

"You are our rightful Queen."