Intrigue at the Winter Ball [PMT REGION ONLY]

[East Niphilate]

OOC:
This is a very casual RP, designed to test the CC's willingness to get in RPing again. I will moderate based on what advances the story to a more interesting conclusion and what makes more logical sense. PM me if you want to inquire about a certain subject. If you want to introduce covert operations and directives, PM me and I will introduce it later on. Except to advance the plot, I will not participate as much.
IC:
Winter has come to East Niphilate, and its beginning is marked by the Winter Ball! All CC delegations are welcome to the newly unveiled airship Ponpolin as it tours the terrific wastes of the Greater Notherns, accompanied by an entourage of a few military airships. While the Imperator Conrad Sittlelator will not be participating in this event, it is marked by the appearance of Maxim Sittlelator, a nephew of the Imperator and an executive within Pakla Niphilate Automobile, a state-linked corporation that often collaborates with the larger Tarwam Corporation in the production of armoured vehicles.
However, there are rumors of unrest beyond the usual few dissenting voices suppressed by the Imperator's boot. An armed militia naming itself the Parker Group, broken off from the state-sponsored Patriotic Directorate after a power struggle, has begun raiding villages in the Greater Northerns state. The Parker Group consists of some of East Niphilate's most dangerous men, and is considerably wealthy- enough to purchase several armoured vehicles and helicopters. Land troops have been alerted, but at the insistence of Maxim Sittlelator, the Ball must go on!

[Manitriton]

OOC: I guess I'd better start?

IC:
Jake Halfred, leader of the people of Manitriton, was sulking. He was sulking because he had to go and go on a tour around East Niphilate, and he would miss his favourite TV show. But, in the good natured manner of politics, he pulled himself together in an effort to look happier then his current mood suggested. He scratched the back of his head as his personal airship landed before the newer, improved, massive airship: The Ponpolin. He gaped at the size, then thought it better that he didn't look like a goldfish before the other delegates. He strode out, trying to act like he wasn't at all unhappy that he was missing a season of 'Wheel of Fortune'. As he walked towards the ship, he realised how big this ship just was. It was massive. Shaking his head, he strode towards the entrance of the Winter ball.

[The Khan Empire]

With the death of Emperor Orose Khan came the succession of his son, Oren Khan and the rise of Parliament. The Khan Academy has made breakthrough in spacefaring, having come up with an engine potentially capable of exceeding lightspeed, called the warp drive. With East Niphilate's penchant for making air ships, the Khan Empire has sent a delagate to examine their engineering capability by attending the unveiling of the Ponpolin to determine their potential as an engineering partner. The Khan representative, Major Floyd von Bron, is a combat engineer in the khan armed forces with a Master's in aeronautical engineering. With him are a squad of 8 of his men who will serve as his bodyguards.

Taking into account the size of the ship, he marvelled at the uplift required to lift a ship of such volume and wondered at the actual densitt of the material. Finding Maxim Sittleator, he waved to him and went over for a discussion in his government's proposition.

[East Niphilate]

Ponpolin Deck

Maxim Sittlelator was a man who understood the value of appearances. Ever since his early days within the State Relations department of Pakla Niphilate Automobile, he had built up an intensely curated public image. He had even gone one step further than the Imperator in his approach with the media- often building up close connections with the best and most well-respected journalists as opposed to the Imperator's distant control through regulation and state funding. Thus, he was a darling of the country, often the face of the rulingl family due to the Imperator's efforts to hide his immediate family.

As such, it was all the more important to him that the Winter Ball be successful. Even if there were terror threats on the ground, he could not risk appear afriad. He had to remain the personable, fearless face of House Sittlelator if he wanted to continue increasing his leverage within his family.
He strode out onto the deck, putting his winter cloak on, his security detail some distance away. The Khan delegation was before him. While Major von Bron wore fine clothes and appeared clean enough, it did not take too long to see the difference between this military man and contemporary aristocracy. Still, he was here as not just a representative of House Sittlelator and PN Automobile, but also of East Niphilate itself. He needed to keep a friendly face to all the delegates, no matter the quality of their lineage.

"Good day to you Major! Fantastic things I hear from our old allies in the Empire! Interesting experiments with Parliament and the Khanate, I must say... It is dreadful chilly outside, let me take you to one of our private rooms. We have much to discuss. Say, did you know all the carvings here were handcrafted? Takkal wood and Pavensk craftsmanship!"


Pobpolin Cargo Hold
The man quietly tiptoed through the hold. He had managed to enter through stealing the identity of one of the housekeeping staff. However, all this would be more nothing if the goods were not in the hold. For about 20 minutes, he dug through some of the packages. Finally, he found what he was looking for.

[The Khan Empire]

Aboard the Ponpolin
Major von Bron listened intently as Sittlelator spoke of the craftsmanship. He was hearing good things regarding the construction of the Ponpolin, but they were mostly aesthetic in nature. He listened for about 5 minutes before politely interrupting.

"Excuse me, Mr Sittlelator- you wouldn't happen to have a title would you?- the real reason I've come is to inquire on the engineering of these airships of yours. You see," the Major lowered his voice, "our Institute has made a breakthrough with an engine that could possibly power a spaceship to exceed lightspeed. We're still tinkering around with it, but a few upgrades should yield the results we're looking for. We're wondering if East Niphilate is interested in pursuing a joint space program. Your country has quite the penchant for making airships as well as military satellites. Working together, we may be able to colonise not only the moon, but our solar system. What say you?"

[Wardomia]

Off the Coast of Red Coast
Grey tapped his foot on the deck repeatedly, his mind occupied by thoughts of Sclorini's condition. No doubt, he would scrape through but it seemed ominous that he had proclaimed Morish as his successor so soon. Now, everyone was circling each other like sharks ready for the kill. As the reinforced metal rang under his feet, he looked towards the coast of East Niphilate.
"I'll be slightly late, I'm afraid. Hopefully the Niphilate won't take this personally. We need them to be passive until Red Giant can take place."
As his commander nodded and went off to transmit a message to placate the Niphilate, he went back to his thoughts.

[East Niphilate]

Ponpolin Private Room
Maxim Sittlelator gave a tight smile to von Bron. The Khan Empire had never been the greatest world power. However, in their strange underground caverns, they did occasionally come up with some interesting new ideas. There had always been some level of partnership between the Khan Empire and East Niphilate. Ever since the space embargo on the Khan Empire, East Niphilate had been a launching ground for test flights for Khan spacecraft.

This however... this was something special. An engine that could spark the wave of colonisation that the Cyberius Confederation was already on the edge of. If Maxim could seal the deal, it could cement his position in the Sittlelator family. For now however, no one could learn off it. The quickly forming factions in East Niphilate would not hesitate to use it in their chess games of power. The Old Families, led by Hiedellkin, were becoming a growing threat. Once timid, they were finally biting back at growing Patriotic Directorate influence with a vengeance. They had been furiously buying up weapons stock, using their connections to snap up every last quality tank, jet and gun before the PD could purchase it. The Tarwam Corporation, of course, was booming.

He received a call from his private guard and close partner. "What of the Wardomians? I see. They can come by air after we've embarked. We have a decent landing strip for smaller aircraft. Just remind them to alert us first so none of your escorts shoots it down. "

Turning back to von Bronn, he eagerly continued. "Of course we can arrange a deal. We can bankroll your research, provide you a launch pad, let you conduct space environment programs on our moon base. In exchange, we should be most happy to see a good final product. Of course, this is all negotiable."

Krasbourn Castle
The Imperator had not been seen in weeks. Not that he would be able to be seen. The dreadful condition was spreading, and had chewed through a large part of his face. A single finger trembling on a controller, he flipped through several screens, barely able to see with his one functioning eye. He would have to choose his successor soon...
Tommen Sittlelator was a well-groomed stable choice in three years. However, he was too young for now. The Old Families and the Church would have no respect for him. The PD would try to use him. Conrad croaked out a curse. Under his very nose, Kraan and Hiedellkin had been picking his family apart, indoctrinating them or buying their loyalties. Apart from his immediate family which he had fiercely protected (of which Tommen was the only Church-recognisable heir), there were not any neutral Sittlelators left.

A Kraan heir would be dangerous. Kraan was a risk-taker, happy to play fast and loose with Wardomia as long as the prize was big enough. He hated the Church, viewing as an unnecessary alternative to the PD Youth for education and indoctrination. At the same time, he was a figure who eagerly embraced not just the evolution of conventional arms, but technological progress in general.

An heir backed by the Old Families would be the near opposite. Hiedellkin was conservative in all things. Be it foreign policy, technology, religion, he was reluctant to change. Perhaps it was ego. After all, the Old Families had literally written the book on old nifilat statecraft.

Maybe Maxim? He was a PN Automobile guy, but was quite mature and clever when it came to polishing the family image.

He winced. He couldn't make a decision now though. Not now. A choice made in irrational agony would only backfire. Perhaps he could finalise his candidates when the pains eased.

A man entered the room. It was Amadeus Tarwam. He had been hiding under the protection of the Imperator for a while now. Protection in exchange for a tiny favour. "Sir, the surgeons have arrived. Shall we proceed?"

[The Khan Empire]

Ponpolin Private Room
The Major smiled affably at Maxim and shook his hand. "I suppose it shall suffice as an initial agreement. However, we'd like the opportunity to discuss the details at a later date. I'm sure you realise that this is neither the safest nor the most discreet place to conduct negotiations, no offence intended towards your security-"

His earpiece buzzed, signalling an incoming call.

"Yes? Yes, sir, they've agreed to our deal, but I've requested for further negotiations to be made. What's that sir? Oh dear, in that case I'll do my best to conclude negotiations here."

Looking up at Maxim's questioning face, he told him, "it appears that we are going to be ambushed. An unmarked military vessel has been spotted by one of our air patrols and appears to lie somewhere along our course. We will reach it sometime on the second day after embarkation. I've no idea who it may be, but I believe you can guess, seeing as they're targeting the Ponpolin. Do you wish to attend to this matter? Or are you confident enough in this ship's defensive capabilities to continue our negotiations?"

[East Niphilate]

Ponpolin Private Room
Maxim suppressed any facial change of emotion, but felt a harsh spike of indignation. Terrorists targeting him?? And now this... plebeian lowblood soldier boy was going to leave HIS event?
No,no this would not do.
What would the commoners think? More importantly, what would the Imperator think?
He stood up from his seat. "It is not a problem. I have contacts in the military. We can shift our embarkation path. Excuse me, I will have to inform my staff. We will need to make progress as soon as possible. Make yourself at home. The Manitriton delegation is in the ballroom."

Maxim quickly walked out, contacting several people at once. The second person he was going to call was the captain. The first would be his partner, again. "We've got trouble. Can you increase my escort? Certainly, yes, yes. I won't forget this. Thank you."

All this nonsense had to be resolved quickly. The Niphilate aristocracy was arriving very very soon, and word was General Hiedellkin had been slowly banding together all the strongest families in an unholy alliance some called the Old Families. Any sign of weakness would be pounced upon. The PD would arrive at their own time. They always did. Maybe they were here already, but they would announce their presence at the optimal moment.

[Manitriton]

Ponpolin Deck
Jake looked around him quietly, noting how most of the delegates were talking, and not noticing him. He shrugged. After all, he could not expect that he would be noticed in wake of the bigger nations such as the Khan Empire and Wardomia. Still, he reflected, Manitriton had just hit 1 billion citizens. He walked around aimlessly, finding that it was more difficult for him to stay awake as he went on. Nodding his head quickly, he decided to look for some refreshments, and located a drinks table. Walking forward, he grabbed a cup, filled it with the sweet beverage, and drank quickly. Noticing that Maxim and The Khan Empire delegates were still talking, he decided to go on a little expedition around the ship, and explore some more. Without further ado, he grabbed his coat which had been resting on a nearby chair, swung it on, and walked off. Seeing as there were not many maps around for Jake to keep an eye on, he grabbed a pen and piece of paper from his pocket, and started noting down places and locations. He started by walking down the stairs, grabbing onto the banisters, and swinging himself down the stairs. He made sure to turn his collar up, and to look like he knew where he was going. After all, he couldn't compromise his invitation now, seeing as he had got this far. And he always had the: 'I'm looking for a toilet' excuse. It always seemed to work. Except for when it didn't. Which was most of the time. He made eye contact with one of the ship's guards, who looked at him curiously, but before he could say anything, Jake ducked into the nearest toilet. Breathing heavily, he splshed water on his face, peeked outside, and continued, looking for what he came here for.

[East Niphilate]

The Ponpolin
Several airship began docking, and noted members of the aristocracy came walking out. Notably, General Hiedellkin was not there. However, there was certainly the presence of the Old Families has well felt. They had been trying to restore the old titles for years, ever since Pablo Sittlelator got rid of most of them in his consolidation of much of the Pavensky Reich under House Sittlelator, but had only recently stopped competing and banded together, partially out of fear of a rising Patriotic Directorate with its desires on replacing the aristocracy and confiscating family lands. Here, they were represented, by Marshall Greene and his entourage.

Interior Minister Garett Trelouch rehearsed the speech again. It would not be long before he would have to present it. It was a terrible job, no doubt about it. At least he did not have the Secretariat's job. It would be Attin's job to negotiate with all the other states and lead the transition process.

Today marks the end of a glorious era...

Aldus Rothmann watched more tanks get loaded on the larger airships, gently puffing on a cigar. The Chemical Corps had started as a pet project, an experiment into seeing how an entire corps could incorporate unconventional weapons. Now, the Chemical Army Group boasted the best equipment, training and operational effectiveness. Forget Hiedellkin and his cronies, he was the future of the military.

An airship force was mobilising, and would head to the Ponpolin as soon as possible. Whether they would meet it in friendship or in lead, would depend on what happened to it in the following days.

[Wardomia]

HG Indomitable
Grey stood at the window of the airship, watching as the massive airbase slowly engulfed any view of the sky around it. Even as his transport moved slowly to dock with this airbase, he knew the significance of swift action in what may be the last great diplomatic conference. Khan Empire was facing financial bankruptcy and widespread social unrest from aristocrats and massive space funding, Gallifrey and Random Empire was grinding to a halt due to inactivity by their leaders while Wardomia and East Niphilate looked to be facing severe civil insurrection if any factions were displeased in both countries. If there was an incident that happened here, it would mean war.
"Ask for boarding permission."
"Yes, sir."

The Fortress
In the early hours of the morning, just as the sun was setting, Patzerkruppen took a walk in the park just as normal. This time, however he met with Marck, the finance minister.
"How is the economy doing?"
"Still well so far but there might be jitters if any factions here were to fail to swear loyalty to Morish. I trust you know what to do. Put your grievances aside with Kolt and Morish. Without Grey to back you, they will crush your forces."
"... It's all in place now. Are you going to fulfill your end of the deal? Wardomia will emerge stronger, with East Niphilate gone."
"Very well. Here's the Marck Plan. I've sent a copy to those who need to know."

An undisclosed location
"We've received the codes. We're on Defcon 3, now. All missiles are pointing towards targets."

[East Niphilate]

Afternoon, First Day of Embarkation
The Ponpolin
"Dock on the airstrip, sir. We will have a reception for you in the ballroom. On behalf of Maxim Sittlelator, we would want to thank you for attending this event."

The captain entered his quarters, unlocked his safe and retrieved a revolver. He checked it, loaded it and placed it at his hip, before returning to his post.

Krasbourn Castle
General Hiedellkin stood by the lifeless body's glass case. The embalming was complete but a few more cosmetic treatments would need to be done. The vicious rash had eaten away the Imperator's face beyond recognition and the staff would most likely have to replace entirely with wax. He had managed to block all information so far, at least until he could calculate his next move to take. His own independent inquiry indicated that his plan to slice up East Niphilate to the old lordships, kingdoms and duchies could work, but lacked public support. He would need either a Sittlelator, or the Church to sponsor his plan. However, Maxim seemed intent on operating on his own and would need to be dealt with... Marshall Greene could occupy him for some time at least.

While Hiedellkin was lost in thought, a figure in a trench coat approached him from behind and pressed a silenced gun gently onto the back of Hiedellkin's head. He pulled the trigger, ending the general's life. He then took out a pair of surgical gloves, putting them on before loading his victim into a body bag. This was his third kill of the day.

The Secretariat, the Interior Minister and now Hiedellkin had been neutralised. The castle now belonged to the Patriotic Directorate. Within the week, the city would be theirs.

Krasbourn

The PD swarmed the city. Every hour, more helicopters and tanks rolled in. Half of the entire Imperium's PD fighting men were flooding into its capital. Military soldiers watched carefully from their posts. They had reported the activity, but so far had not received any orders. The tension however, was sky high. Men from machine gun posts watched while attack helicopters drifted between skyscrapers. Tanks eyed each other off as they crossed the now empty streets.
The smarter residents had already escaped the city.

Colony Varchas
Inspector General Reed Nevine had once been excited at his post. He had once been ecstatic at the possibility of administrating one of the most strategically vital, financially promising colonies, strategically placed off the coast of the Khan Empire, built on ceded land from a successful conquest.
Now he only dreaded his career. Every moment he sat in his office, he was sure some faction or another had a sniper's dot on his forehead.

[Wardomia]

The Ponpolin
Grey stepped on board the ship, with his bodyguards and prepared to enter the main hall. He spoke to his side:
"Quickly, find Jake Halfred. I have urgent need to discuss something with him."
He was in the midst if organising his guard when a courier burst from the Indomitable. He had an air of both triumph and sadness.
Looking at him, he finally knew what had happened to the plan that had been sent to him by Marck. So, it was to be. Not now but soon to come. The young colonel went up to him and whispered in his year
"You'd better see this, sir."
He opened the paper that the courier had brought from the locker in the ship and read it.
Below lay the following message, with some words hastily scribbled in.(I'll put them in italics)

As advised by The head of SP, General Patzerkruppen and Finance Minister Narck, the operational plan:Marck will be prepared for by all arms of the Armed forces given to you to command.

Grey clenched his fist. Marck and Patzerkruppen were up to their tricks. Yet, the plan made military sense. He would order the forces he commanded to their stations and wait to see what plan they had. They needed a unanimous decision by the War Council to proceed and he was on it. He would deal with it when he returned.
"Order the fleet to their Marck Plan stations. Now."

Barsky
Kolt looked at the reports from Krasbourn and the sheet of paper from Patzerkruppen. He hated to say it,yet it made sense. It was an intelligent move. If Grey could reach an understanding, it would be unnecessary. Better to be prepared in any case. He called Morish over. He knew Morish was a pacifist.
"Morish, I know how you will react to this. This chance is still too good to pass up. I've called the military to prepare. We're giving peace a chance, with Grey negotiating. It's best to be prepared."
Morish swallowed. There was nothing he could do as yet, having been removed from command upon being the designated successor. He would wait and see.

[East Niphilate]

Early Morning, Second Day of Embarkation
The Ponpolin
Marshall Greene solemnly exited his quarters. House Hiedellkin, it appeared, had been dismantled. The very things that had made it successful, its proximity to the centre of power, its location within Krasbourn, had ruined it. No matter, the Red Sky Fleet and the First Patriotic Fleet still possessed enough firepower to completely overwhelm the PD. He would need to return immediately to Red Coast where he...
The captain greeted him outside his quarters. "Maxim Sittlelator had called a meeting of the most esteemed of our guests."
Greene turned to walk past him, before the captain grabbed his shoulder. "You will go to the meeting. Your transport will not interrupt us."
The aristocrat glared at the captain, before noticing a steel glint at the captain's hip. "Of course. I was just heading there."
"Follow me, sir." The captain led Greene to a conference room. He had already invited all the foreign dignitaries here.

PD Krasbourn Headquarters

The pieces were in play. The 140 000 soldier strong Second PD Army now controlled Krasbourn, operating from their city headquarters. Acting Director Patrick Malek had planned this contingency to the smallest detail from the first days of the Imperator's absence. He knew that the PD would not be able to run a traditional military campaign against the rest of the nation. However, holding Krasbourn would activate a path to victory. While Conrad Sittlelator had taken pains to divide the nation's wealth across several major cities, the political infrastructure had remained in Krasbourn. The propaganda production and broadcasting stations were just a short walk from the Castle. Soon, a new broadcast rang across the Imperium, across all radio channels as well as the vast Public Education loudspeaker system, repeated every two hours.
"Attention all citizens.
The Imperator Conrad Sittlelator's reign is at an end.
Our Loving Father was brutally executed by members of his own government, from a great conspiracy to remove him from power. The Secretariat, Under-Secretariat, Interior Ministry and some members of the military have been executed for this crime.
However, before the question of succession can properly be divined, we must deal with the vast web of traitors. The Patriotic Directorate is heading the investigation and will protect the capital from threats until the entire investigation can be concluded. As such, the Patriotic Directorate shall be enstating a temproray Provisional Security Junta Government, led by Acting Director Patrick Malek.
We hope that all foreign entities respect and acknowledge the sovereignty of the Provisional Security Junta Government.
Curfew will be instated and all peoples are expected to cooperate with the Patriotic Directorate."

Director Malek watched the three dimensional electronic surveillance balloon map of the city as it mapped out every building and vehicle in real time. All known potential threats within the city had been encircled without resistance.

[Wardomia]

The Fortress
Patzerkruppen reclined his chair, studying the map of Krasbourn. The PD's coup had been well executed. He could potentially learn something from their tactics. Yet, in many ways Wardomia was different from East Niphilate. Power here was in a strong balance that was not easily toppled. While he controlled the Secret Police and it's paramilitary forces as well as the police force, Kolt, his prime potential enemy controlled the army, the Army Air Corps and all military vases in Wardomia. As of now, he would have to have a miracle to be able to defeat Kolt in a power struggle. Grey would be able to change that. The Navy, the Navy Air Corps and the WEF lay under his control as did all coastal bases. He would have to find a way to get his support. He continued to monitor the map, deep in thought. Meanwhile, the troops of the puppets states of the GCR moved into position next to the border, while the Navy and the WEF embarked and got into position for Plan Marck. He smiled. His enemies wouldn't see this coming.

Barsky
Kolt sat next to Morish, surrounded by the Generalfeldmarchall's personal guard. Sclorini lay on his bed, in a deep coma. Kolt looked at his report screen, looking on as Wardomia troops marched inexorably closer to the border. He got up slowly, and paced away into another room.
"Patch me through to Khan Empire. I'm going for a visit. Morish, you should ask Random Empire and Gallifrey if they are ready. If they are willing."
As the sun slowly set, the two planes arced off into the sky, each headed for their destinations.

The Ponpolin
Grey walked up to Marshal Green, and beckoned him to a private corner. Turning on his privacy field, he leant in close.
"I have a proposition for you. As I understand, there is a PD coup ongoing in Krasbourn. I wonder if you would appreciate any form of assistance leaving this ship? Diplomatically, the Sovereign Armed Nation has yet to take a stance but that could change."

[East Niphilate]

The Ponpolin
Greene leaned away from the Wardomian. He did not trust the Wardomians, as Hiedellkin did not. "Perhaps if you wanted to help you could stop marching your troops towards the border. We have enough to worry about without your troops moving up against our borders. I will of course be perfectly happy if you reject recognising this coup, but I will not sell an Imperium for help I do not need. The Imperium is still mine and our sole enemy is but a ridiculous force that does not possess a proper navy or air-force."

At the other side of the room, Maxim Sittlelator cleared his throat. "Friends! I have called for this meeting in light of our Imperator's tragic death. While we mourn, it is important that we keep the system of governance steady. It is because of our hesitation and our old government's slowness to replace the stabilising force of the Imperator that the PD could seize our capital. I come to ask you to support me in my bid for Imperator. The masses will be be in support of a Sittlelator in power, of course, and I have the backing of the Church. As such, I am willing to forget old disagreements and welcome new friends."

Chemical Army Group
Kraan held the initiative now. But what next? Aldus watched the sea below him shimmer as he collected his thoughts. The aristocracy still controlled the militarty, and they would attack eventually. Was it a trap? Surely the city would be difficult to trap? What were the other factors? Unconventional weapons were a favourite of the PD. They, after all, had used them even before the Chemical Corps had been properly formed. Perhaps they were banking on foreign intervention?

Aldus peered into the distance. Land was approaching. He chuckled. He had a faint idea of what Kraan was doing.
Now was the end game. Petty squabbles and measurements of how much land one had or whatever were not going to matter for much longer. The map of the Cyberius was quickly becoming obsolete. A new map was being drawn, and at this point, speed was all that mattered. And a quick financial and production boost gained from occupying one of the greatest cities in the Cyberius was just the boost the PD needed.
Krasbourn Tarwam Headquarters
The army burst through the automated defences with their tanks, quickly dismantling the many turrets with ease. These facilities were supposed to be under the PD's protection, not as its targets. Most of the resources here had been devoted to space technology as opposed to traditional military research. However, the Acting Director had great confidence that the rocketry research that had been ongoing had uncovered something useful for the upcoming battles.
The troops spread out, searching the facility room by room. After two hours, they found what they were looking for.

[Manitriton]

The Ponpolin, beneath decks
Jake panted as he dropped to his knees. Was his intel wrong? He was sure that he had received news of troubling weapons. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a crate. Running to the crate, he prised the lid open. Then, as bad luck and coincidences would have it, he heard footsteps behind him.
"Mr Halfred? I have had instructions to find you."
Quickly reapplying the lid, Jake turned quickly around to see a Wardomian guard.
"Oh! What for?"
"My leader wants to speak with you."
"Ah. What have I done this time?"
"I have no idea."
"Well then, I'd better come." Jake sighed. He followed the waiting guard back up the stairs, and towards the leader of Wardomia.

[East Niphilate]

The Ponpolin
Maxim Sittlelator smiled once more to his guests. "I understand that as someone who has not governed extensively, I may be inexperienced. However I would be willing to delegate most of my duties to a council of advisers. "
He looked at Greene. "The old aristocracy will of course be represented in such a council."
Greene shrugged. "We have no quarrel then. After this fiasco is over I will be happy to attend your inauguration. Our troops are ready to strike. The Red Sky Fleet will be within striking distance soon."
Maxim smiled. This alliance would be useful. Temporary of course, but useful. "I see we have settled the most pressing issues. Excuse me my absence, I must speak to my security." He quickly left the room.
Patriotic Directorate Base of Operations
Archibald Kraan had finally arrived. He inspected the 50 men Patrick had personally picked for the final mission they had planned.
He hovered over every agent carefully, occasionally looking down to reference their personell files.
"They'll do. How goes the prototype?"
"It's fuel tank was empty, but we're refilling it with what we've confiscated from the launch site."
"Good. The Red Sky Fleet will likely attack in less than two days. Wardomians may be aiding them.

Sky Fortress Mosley
The Fortress had been docked at Red Coast since the Imperator had been suffering from poor health and decided to reside at the Castle. Finally, it started to move again. It's captain took orders only from a Sittlelator. Finally orders had arrived.