Voice of the New Earth (New Earth only)

[Gibet]

[Usnarov]

MACO Ground Force Base, Azorian, Gappelov Island...

The somewhat arid landscape of Gappelov was covered in dense brush and shrubbery, tall dry grass filled in what areas lacked other vegetation. It was broken up by large rocky formations, ocasional tall hills, or crevices. Trees cropped up in small patches, and various small houses and shacks could be seen laid out. On the ground there was little to be noticed about the landscape other than that, but to the various officers examining it on a map, it was at the heart of what would become the largest War Games exercise held since the end of the Usnarovian Civil War, and the first ever such exercise including a foreign power. The UCNA would be taking part in the war games, something a good portion of the command officers were looking forward to. Enlisted men were also rather interested in the prospect, and all were eager to learn from a large professional army like that of the Americans.

General Gustav Petrenska looked over one of the maps laid out before him, an odd sensation welling up in his gut. It was his job to defend the homeland against all threats, so his trepidation at being chosen to lead the Usnarovian units assigned to the OPFOR role was understandable. He and his UCNA equivelents would, in essence, be plotting strategy and landing troops as if intending to invade the island of Gappelov from the sea and air. The scenario was set to kick off as if the attack had come with some warning, so defenders on the BLUFOR side would be ready for something. His original plan would've been to land forces in the area around the harbor on the northern portion of the island, but the defenses there were some of the strongest as it was home to a MACO Naval Base.

That had been several hours ago, however, and since then the UCNA had demonstrated their skill on both sides of the battlefield. Their invasion tactics had been effective, but so had their defensive tactics. They also had the advantage of far better equipment than most of the Usnarovian Army had access to. Still, Petrenska was proud of the men defending the island, they were treating the exercise with utmost respect, as if it was the real thing. Fighting tooth and nail, making Petrenska and the UCNA officers with him pay dearly for every inch of ground gained. Perhaps it was because they knew what was at stake, their likely enemy in such a scenario, would come from the northern sea. The nations of mainland Europe were considered by the high command to be the most likely to launch such an assault, and Petrenska believed the rumors of their cruelty were enough to convince the Queen to seek an alliance with the UCNA.

"How goes the fight, sir?" A voice spoke up from the other side of the map, Petrenska looked up to see Dimitri, one of his aides. The young man was looking at him quizzically, he was barely old enough to shave, let alone hold a rifle... Still, Petrenska knew Dimitri took his duties very seriously like any good soldier would. He saluted the general, who saluted him back quickly. The line between officer and enlisted men was fairly clear, but there was some flexibility. Soldiers were encouraged to take the initiative, and while outright questioning orders was frowned upon, it was not grounds for immediate reprimand, especially if those reservations were made on moral grounds. Dimitri had made a few of those concerns known, which Petrenska could respect, he stood up for what he believed in.

"About as well as can be expected." The General said with a sigh, examining the map once again. "These are strange times we live in, Corporal." He looked back at the map. "It feels like we're witnessing what very well could be our future if things should take a bad turn for us, there are few nations on this planet that aspire for freedom like the Americans... I fear we may be outnumbered, especially if this 'Gibraltar Strait' issue heats up."

"Well, don't count us out quite yet, sir. Senior Sergeant Pasha Kubeck on the defender's side has been sending regular reports, it seems he's bottlenecked Colonel Schwarzkopf's armored advanced in Wolf's Bane Pass." Dimitri said, gesturing to a point on the map near one of the crucial objectives. "There's a report or two that his men have ambushed one or two of our American units, though we're still waiting for confirmation on those."

"Kubeck... Isn't that Ivan Kubeck's boy?" Petrenska asked aloud, he shook his head before continuing. "Wait, he's a Senior Sergeant and he's leading attacks?"

"His unit's whole commissioned command structure got wiped out by an airstrike, sir, he picked up the slack... Kept them from routing." Dimitri added, Petrenska hummed as he rubbed his chin and looked back at the map. "If I might make a suggestion, sir, reports from the forward units indicate we've all but assured air supremacy... Perhaps now is the time to send in airborne troops behind the lines, encircle Kubeck and his men, force them to surrender that pass. Once they've been cleared the American's can support Scwarzkopf the rest of the way to Objective Bravo."

"An interesting suggestion, Corporal... Tactically sound, if we can ensure no further surprises... We have only another hour and a half before the exercise concludes, we still need to secure Bravo and Charlie before then." General Petrenska rubbed his chin again and sighed, looking briefly around at some of the other officers in the room, many of whom were Americans. "Landing paratroopers behind Kubeck at Wolf's Bane Pass may ensure we take Bravo, but we won't have time to recall and redeploy the airborne units for our assault on Charlie as previously planned... I'll need to discuss it with the rest of the high command, go and inform Colonel Schwarzkopf that he may be receiving aid soon." Dimitri saluted and walked away. "Why they never sent him to the officer's academy is beyond me..." The general muttered.

The rest of the day would be spent debriefing and analyizing, at least that was the plan for the high commanding generals. The lower commanding officers and enlisted men would be getting to know the American's a bit better. An invitation had been extended to the American Commander for his men to train on Usnarovian equipment if they wanted, with a request to let MACO troops train on American equipment as well. If they were to be allies, it made sense to the General High Command that both sides knew how the other's weapons worked.

[The United Continent of North America]

Andes Mountains, Eastern Andenkommunen

A small convoy wined its way through down a small road in the Andes Mountains, slowly progressing towards an unmarked location deep well out of public sight. To primary figure being transported there - North American Ambassador to Andenkommunen Anton Steinbauer - the emphasis on keeping the soon to take place meeting silent seemed overkill to him, coming across to him in a similar way to the shadowy dealings Toronto had conducted with anti-government groups here in the past. While pondering on North America's troubled past with the Andens went through his mind, he also could not shake the irony to be found in his purpose here as well. North America had intentions to work with the Andens to support dissidents this time around? He could only imagine what previous political figures would think of this, let alone of his efforts to smooth over relations with the Anden people in the aftermath of America's failures here. "Desperate times call for desperate measures" he thought to himself.

The unmarked convoy, eventually came to a halt at large security checkpoint and was quickly allowed through by the security personnel, the last of many the small collection of vehicles cleared beforehand. The car made its way around a final mountain curb before the sight of a large estate came into view, no doubt owned by an Aeurian official or figure before the Andenkommunen gained its independence. As the convoy finally came to a halt at the entrance to the estate the ambassador stepped out followed by an aide, eager to finally stand after sitting in the vehicle for so long. After allowing himself a moment he grabbed his briefcase and made his way up the steps to the building above. As he made his way to the entrance he took in and appreciated not only the scenery of the estate but also the Andes Mountains around him, reminding him of his home Dominion of Buffalo and the Rocky Mountains that towered over their surroundings. After being let in by the guards positioned outside the building they lead him towards the finely decorated and clearly Aeurian-styled meeting room where the figures he would be meeting with were waiting.

"Gentlemen. Thank you for your patience and for allowing for this meeting today" he stated after entering the room and making his way towards the seat assigned for him. "Especially considering how much of a commodity time has proven to be in recent months."

[Andenkommunen]

Atop a small mountain just off the Neffluss, Andenkommunen

The old Aeurian palace appeared deserted among the empty hills, beautiful but rarely visited due to being overshadowed by the massive nearby glaciers and even more impressive rivers and valleys. The building itself had long been ransacked and torn from its former glory several times over, and wasn't even the most impressive or historically significant one around, so it was hardly ever visited and the roads and paths once specifically made just for it had long fallen into neglect, the building only ever gazed upon by the few hikers willing to endure a very long trek for comparatively little reward when posed with nearby destinations.

Several Andens sat waiting in the unlit building, dropped off without leaving a vehicle by requests of the Americans in order to keep their visit absolutely unknown to the international community.

A few moments later, the American diplomat to Andenkommunen, Anton Steinbauer, arrived, then greeted and thanked then as he entered the door.

"As requested by your government, all signs of our arrival here are covered."

Steinbauer chuckled in reply, "Oh, I'm not too concerned about that, someone else must have demanded you hide it to so great an extent, it seems a bit overkill to me."

"Well, regardless, it is done. Please, sit, this palace has been robbed of anything small of value but it still has quite a magnificent dining table."

He gestured down a dark hallway covered in the remnants of previously-gilded and silvered fixtures and embellishments into a room lit by massive stained glass windows, most of which were still intact inlayed with Auerian script and symbolism.

"Fascinating building isn't it? Anyway, I am informed you and your nation intend to assist with our support of the revolts in Algeria, and we of course are more than happy to work with you, as long as your assistance does not prevent the people of those revolts getting the self determination and freedom they deserve. Now, would you happen to have any idea as to what extent your government had in mind?"

---

On the Tunisian Libyan-Border

On the sandy dunes of the coast people lay the flames and rubble of military equipment and emplacements, smoldering to the sound of distant gunfire further south. The state of the border had deteriorated entirely. Since the political legitimacy, stability, and economy of the UAF had rapidly crumbled in the previous few months, most of the formerly open borders began to have open military patrols across nearly their entire lengths in order to attempt to control possible further uprisings, but this was to no avail. Inspired, and militarily supported, by the recent revolts in the north of Algeria, several cities concentrated primarily around the east of Tunisia and the west of Libya erupted into flames like flash powder nearly all at once, storming the militarized border from both sides.

A small truck rides along the coast and across the border from the Libyan side with several in it, armed with assault rifles and filled to the brim with stolen military equipment.

"Some talk of a unified government with the revolts in Algiers if we can push past the heavy defenses in the north of Tunisia and protect against the Algerian military retreating into the Sahara. Some sort of united-communes of the Mediterranean coast, I suppose."

"I question that we can keep on fighting that long... We won here because they were disorganized and relocating to Algeria, if they all collect up in the north of Tunisia like they should, well, I don't know if we're going to have a chance."

"Well we're taking this there now, so, better hope that's not true. Anyway they shouldn't be too much of a threat with how things have been going in anywhere in the UAF, the only real worry is if Gibet decides it needs to be involved."

"If only we'd get help from someone as massive as Gibet, like the Americans."

"Hah!" The driver laughed at the irony and impossibility of such an event.

[The United Continent of North America]

Atop a small mountain just off the Neffluss, Andenkommunen

"Indeed, Aeurian architecture at it's core is designed to impress, even in its more simpler forms" Steinbauer said as he briefly admired the decor of the room as he took his seat. "Returning to the purpose of my visit here, you are correct. We have decided make an effort to aid you and by extension the Algerians in their search for freedom" he said as his aide sat next to him clicked open a briefcase and removed several packets, handing him the first and passing their Anden counterparts the others.

Enclosed within the packet, adorned with symbols of North America and the CIA, was information concerning the American take on the situation in North Africa, as well as a detailed outline of how, what, and when support would arrive.

"To provide a shortened version of what's inside those packets, our intention is to permit the creation of a bulwark of freedom in North Africa. Our aim is to stem the recent tide of fascist and imperialist expansion, and - most importantly - extend and protect the free world" he said as he and the Andens flipped through the packets. "To do this, and pledge our support, we are prepared to offer supplies, materiel, and logistical support to assist local and international forces in the region."

[Andenkommunen]

Atop a small mountain just off the Neffluss, Andenkommunen

The Andenkommunen representatives huddled around the American dossier, all eager to see what they had to offer.

"I am more than glad to hear that your nation has not been blinded by economic self interest and is willing to help people without regard for ideology achieve the freedom they deserve."

He paused for a moment and quickly glanced over the packet once more

"I am certain that, if ever your government permits this to become public, it would lead to a great improvement of relations and trust among not only our government, but more importantly, among our people, contingent of course on your promised lack of meddling in whatever comes of North Africa's governance and politics."

The Anden hoped he hadn't come off as too distant and suspicious, but to his own dismay he still found it difficult to give full trust to the nation that had actively opposed and attempted to subvert leftist ideology and the ability of those who supported it to be democratically represented in Andenkommunen's founding and early years.

"Now, is there anything else we must address?"

[The United Continent of North America]

Atop a small mountain just off the Neffluss, Andenkommunen

"The agreements made at this meeting will be kept silent for only a few days, I suspect" Steinbauer said as his aide removed new packets from his briefcase, handing him one and sliding the others across the table. "Soon our government will begin talks with the Gibetans, in particular their Kaiserin Elsa and other heads of their nation. We wish to see if a similar commitment to the one made here can be reached and perhaps allow for the creation of a wider front against the fascists and their colleagues in preparation for events to come. Once that has been concluded, and a stance with our European counterparts is made clear, we can allow this to go public."

The second packet and conversation to ensue was arguably as critical as the first; dealing with the situation in Britain. The CIA has become well entrenched throughout the British Isles over the past few months, locating dissident contacts and inciting unrest aiming to kick start a larger movement that North America could assist. With an all-out revolt seeming inevitable preparations for military support of numerous rebel groups have been created, including with socialist and other far left groups though with greater difficulty. An Anden, and perhaps Internationale, presence in the upcoming conflict would therefore likely prove to be invaluable in not only coordinating with the aforementioned groups, but in the creation of a larger united coalition of Britons seeking freedom.

"We have decided to reach out to you in the prelude of the event the world is about to witness in the British Isles" he said as he read his notes and highlighted information within the packet. "After months of coordinating and planning with individuals and groups we have deemed to have the greatest potential, a revolution in Britain is no longer a question of "if" as it has been for almost a century, but now it's a matter "how soon". It is our, and several groups in Britain's, hope that you would consider assisting joining us to aid in their fight for freedom."

[Andenkommunen]

Atop a small mountain just off the Neffluss, Andenkommunen


Another, intrigued and surprised, immediately responded to the American,

“That is certainly an interesting proposal, and while I cannot speak for the Riverians, I can with near certainty say that at the least our half, or portion rather, of the Internationale would gladly support revolutionarily causes in Britain, likely openly if possible, particularly in Scotland where our intelligence suggests leftists of brands similar to ours may even constitute a very significant majority, though of course given the administration’s stance this is hard to easily verify.”

He paused for several seconds, trying to remember what he intended to say after he trailed off.

“...and, well, insofar as a general... united front of anti-fascism, while I’m not clear on specifically what that might entail, I do not believe we would be at liberty to declare with any certainty a decision on that front, which is more similar to a political alliance than strategic military and covert action, which is the field in which we have authority.”

A third, finally finished fully reading through the second packet, cut him off.

“While in both these cases we are more than happy to work with you fighting for democracy against imperialism and fascism, anything more official or binding than that would be... unpopular among the populace, at least at the current moment since your co-operation with us now is not public. Should this change in the future the idea of a united military-political front against fascism with your nation might have a chance, however, currently, we are simply going to be limited to case by case basises such as we’ve worked out just now.”

[The Scandinavians]

Marrakesh, Moroccan Union State

"This is outrageous!" Rijkskommissarie of Morocco, Dahlin, exclaimed in his office, slamming his fist on the table with complete frustration. "With all respect due to Det Lederen, that damned decision is going to jeopardize all the progress we've made here!"

"Rijkskommissarie, as much as I understand your frustration we have few options at this point in time, and I little time for negotiation at this time" Minister of Defense Blomstedt replied, unamused by the Rijkskommissarie's reaction. "I expect what I have outlined to be diverted to Britain immediately, before things continue spiraling out of hand. We do not have the resources to fully support your efforts in Morocco at this time."

Dahlin sat back down into his seat, taking a deep sigh and face palming. Months of effort had gone into establishing the new Moroccan government here. Removing prominent political figures and replacing them with Party sympathizers, subduing the populous, securing the borders. So much had been done to ensure that the Party's grip on what was to become Scandinavia's newest colonial possession, all for it to be tossed away by out of touch high Party members in Stockholm and their antics in Britain. And for what? He cursed under his breath before speaking once more.

"And what of the local government? I don't suppose we're just going to hand power over to the Moroccans? The moment so much of our occupying force departs for Britain the opposition here is going to spring into action" Dahlin asked, examining the the list before him. Over 75,000 were supposed to start departing, taking their support with them "You're asking me to maintain control over a population of over 35 million with half the forces I would of had."

"You are to maintain control over Morocco by any means needed. To do this, the Party has authorized the redeployment of unneeded BF units from Nyland to your region" he replied, eager to finish this conversation. "With this in mind, I would assume that the Party could care less how you carry this task out."

"Understood" Dahlin replied, after he paused again to think for a few brief moments.

"Good" Blomstedt said in turn. "Now, I have other tasks to handle. Good day, Rijkskommissarie. Hell Svansson."

"Hell Svansson." he said as the phone call concluded.

[The United Continent of North America]

Atop a small mountain just off the Neffluss, Andenkommunen

“Understandably so” Steinbauer replied to the second individual as his aide clicked the briefcase closed. “Listed within your copies are the most secure methods to contacting the individuals and organizations. And, as you correctly pointed out, intellegence indicates that a strong majority of the remaining non-Nordicized population in Scotland are firmly anti-fascist, maintaining more left leaning ideologies. Therefore I do believe you would have a common ground with them” he said, folding his hands on the table.

“In regards to a common front, I should stress that we also agree with maintaining patience in regards of establishing anything more than informal at this time. Gibet’s response, how operations go in North Africa and Europe, and of course our domestic politics will be an indication of if such a thing can exist in the future” Steinbauer said, allowing for a few brief moments of silence. “Now. Is there any other questions or issues I can address for you?”

[Andenkommunen]

Atop a small mountain just off the Neffluss, Andenkommunen

"No, that will be all. Again, thank you for your righteous acts you are choosing to make here. And, of course, be sure to inform us at such time when the secrecy need no longer be maintained and we can begin the efforts of co-mobilization."

The six all gathered their things along with the Americans, said their goodbyes, and left the decrepit Aeurian palace as if it had never been entered.

[The Scandinavians]

Edinborg, Skotland

“You can feel it, can you not?” Minister of Defence Blomstedt said, gazing out his armored car’s tinted windows. Breaking the uneasy silence within the car’s journey thus far.

“Feel what? The tension?” Rijkskommissarie of Skotland Ernst Wihelmsson responsed
with amusement. “We are quite safe from the little bands that will apparently cause the so called revolt” he said chuckling to himself.

The Nordic Rijkskommissaries of Britain had been far from idle as unrest continued to mount within Britain. Civil law had been revoked in most regards, checkpoints and makeshift defensive positions littered the landscapes, and public trials of those dissidents caught inciting any embers of revolution were very painfully dealt with. Britain was in near total lockdown, however rebel leaders had still remained illusive. It was clear that more firm searches through the cracks needed to take place.

“I would not be here if that were the case, Rijkskommissarie. An neither would your esteemed guests.”

“Guests?” Wilhelmsson asked with mild discomfort after pausing with concern for a few moments. No one of high profile entered of left his region without him knowing. He had suspicions over who had arrived, but little would prepare him for what was to come.

The car came to a stop in front of the Party headquarters that stood in the center of the city, its modernist deco design that Scandinavian architecture was famous for under the Fatherland Party stood out like a sore thumb in the more traditional styles of the city. Supposedly a symbol of Nordic power, to some it was a distasteful eyesore at the very least, to others a living symbol of Scandinavian tyranny. A symbol that needed to be destroyed...

[Edafos]

Inquisitorial Processing Camp 97, 18 kilometers east of Ipoli

Many tools utilized by the Imperial Inquisition to maintain order throughout the Empire, but none inspire as much fear as the untold thousands of Processing Camps that are littered throughout Edafos. These are places where those deemed unfit, heretical, or of Xenous origin are sent to labor in among the harshest working conditions Edafos has to offer, providing the poor souls dispatched there are not slowly starved or outright killed. The nature of the camps varied wildly due to the differing personalities of the Inquisitorial Wardens tasked with operating them, however some have gained certain reputations or special purposes after years of service. One of these camps, located near to the Thronecity of Ipoli, was Camp 97, tasked with exclusively dealing with Xenous individuals or note or value. Camp 97 after almost a century of operation was less of a camp and more of a sprawling building of stone and concrete, made all the more intimidating by the empty expansive fields of dirt and dust that surrounded it littered with craters from detonated explosives from those who tried to escape. It did little to sway foreign opinions or stereotypes believing that Edafos was backwards or barbaric place, but it was unlikely that any Imperial workers positioned here would care for such trivial statements, let alone the camp's Inquisitor.

'Inquisitor Issa.' The camp's main security officer said after entering through the large doors of the Inquisitor's office, giving a slight bow before approaching their desk. 'Group 2517 is approximately five minutes from arriving.'

'Thank you.' The Inquisitor replied as she placed her papers down and rose from their seat, grabbing his cup of tea as she approached a side room attached to her office. 'Prepare the welcoming company of guardsmen, as well as the typical assortment of materials.' She said as she opened the door, putting on an equipment belt with various weapons and other "tools of deterrence".

'As you wish.' He replied as he exited the office to fulfill her request.

After about four minutes the Inquisitor exited through the building's large main doors to a front court yard where the prisoners would soon be arriving. The Inquisitor, dressed in what could be described as the stereotypical attire an outsider might expect, readied herself to greet a relatively usual group of Xenous. The group in question, known as group 2517 due to being the 2517th series of captives to be interned here, was primarily composed of Blusen, German, and American civilian workers, a far cry from the personal camp 97 normally received. These were hardly individuals the Inquisition needed, having no information of relative worth that could be extracted from them to aid in Edafosan efforts against the wider world, which would mean under normal circumstances these Xenous would of been shot, killed, and forgotten about in some far-flung desert dune in Arabia. However, in what could only be described as an act of the Emperor's mercy, these individuals were to be kept here until a deal is struck with their homelands.

Several armored trucks pulled into the court yard kicking up a thick cloud of dust and dirt as they came to a halt, prompting the camp's guards to force the prisoners out and into the open. They appeared in incredibly poor condition, being covered in torn clothing, dirt, or scratches, and were likely dehydrated and hungry after being transported by Imperial forces for several days. Edafos payed no mind to any international rules regarding POWs or those displaced by their crusades, meaning their treatment for the past several weeks has likely been incredibly poor or borderline lethal. The guards shouted them into several neatly lined columns for the inquisitor to inspect at her leisure. She walked slowly in between each of the lines, inspecting each prisoner with an intimidating and empty stare, feeling no sympathy to what appeared to her as worthless chattel. After taking her time perusing new captives the Inquisitor moved to the front of the columns where she began a speech.

'Prisoners of the Eternal Empire, I am Inquisitorial Warden Issa; the one charged with holding your chains for however long you have the privilege of staying here.' She began, speaking in High Edafosan Greek, unknowing or uncaring if the souls now in incarceration could even understand her.

'You are here because the God Emperor has deemed your lowly forms worthy of their continued existence, and it is ultimately to Him above any institution, man, or false gods you may revere, you should deliver your praises to in allowing for this incredible act of mercy to be. The Emperor's mercy however is not without its price or accompanying duties that is expected you to carry out without delay, question, or complaint. Cooperate and follow orders, and not only will your assure your own survival, but you will begin to repay the gift bestowed upon you by the Emperor.' She said as the guards directed their attention to a prisoner on their knees to her left. Without hesitation she pulled out a pistol and promptly shot the man in the head, instantly killing them, clearly to the horror of the individuals in front of her.

'To defy me or anyone acting under my authority is to refute what the Emperor has granted you, and thereby resigning your right of existence. I care not for your morals, your so-called "rights and freedoms" that you may of practiced in your barbaric and superstitious homelands, or your backgrounds. In my eyes, you are all equally Xenous scum, and you will be treated as such. That is all. Do not misuse this second chance, lest you end up like this one.' she stated, firing a second round at the dead man's body before reentering the building, leaving the guards and her underlings to carry out their duties.

[Andenkommunen]

Inland of an isolated beach on the North African Coast

Behind a small rocky hill under the stars in the cool, dry evening winds, a moderately sized but completely isolated sandstone building sits, light pouring out of its windows into the small valley in which it sits.

"Wonderful!" One exclaims, sitting at the head of a very clearly ad-hoc line of small tables attempting to emulate something near a meeting hall. "It seems we're all here. For any of you who have been in any sort of meetings with any other of those who are here, you should know that this is a far more momentous occasion for the future of our cause, as with the first official communal elections having determined who of you are present here, this can be declared, officially, the first meeting of the Council of North African Communes. Now, just as all of the elections were out of necessity required to be kept as secretive and local as possible in order to prevent interference by hostile actors in our current most vulnerable position, the same is to be applied to any of our meetings for the duration of our revolution. As much as the fronts have largely stabilized, and normal civilian life is beginning to return to much of the central liberated areas, this is still an incredibly precarious time. This is why we are meeting here, and likely will not return to this particular location more than once. Now, before we begin, we of course must ratify the temporary Revolutionary Constitution."

"Is that really necessary?" One of the councilors interrupts, "We've already all read and approved it, the whole movement has effectively. The document is going to be binned and replaced by whatever the people vote in soon enough, along with any of us that don't win the first peacetime election, and we have much more important things to do. The most progress we could possibly make is several long arguments about semantics."

"If we are to usher in a truly free system to escape the hell we've been subjected to as the world's playground, we must ourself be a free system too, and that includes following our principles to their end. Now, if you are as convinced as I am that we are all already in agreement with this document, then this should be the shortest section of this meeting."

With a short vote held resulting in unanimous approval, the councilors all in turn signed the document as the sky continued to darken.

"Now, with that completed, we can move on, and rightly so! Now, one more matter of formality is approval for receiving American military aid with a zero interference or debt agreement. Any opposed?"

A small handful made their voices heard.

"Interesting. And in favor?"

The room loudly came to life in approval.

"Approval is passed."

Another of the councilors further down the table spoke, "And regarding the possibility of considering or offering further military alignments, agreements, or alliances with the UCNA?"

Several scoffed or glanced condescendingly at the proposal.

"Yes, of course. All opposed?"

The room roared with disapproval.

"I believe that is decided if none disagree. Now, on the subject of the Morocco situation..."

[The Scandinavians]

Stockholm

The leaders of the Fatherland Party gathered at a large table in Det Lederen’s office, darkened by the thick curtains that covered the windows, with the sole source of light emanating from a projector in the midst of a presentation. The tension was high in the room as indicated by the unusual silence and concerned expressions of the faces of those present. Some smoked cigarettes whilst overs tapped their feet or fingers to calm their nerves as the reality of the situation began to set in. A high official of the Party; the Minister of Defense, was killed by the hands of dissidents, meaning they could no longer deny that some in this room had indirectly caused the situation in Britain to spiral out of control. The lies and deception by these individuals used for so long for various reasons and motivations by giving Det Lederen false reports or honeyed words came into full view as reports, maps, and photographs displayed themselves in all their terrifying glory. It was no wonder then that these men had a right to fear for theirs and their family’s lives. Their leader could see them all killed, or worse for this failure.

“...Dublin was the first to fall, followed by its surrounding suburban areas and districts, with contact from the government there ceasing at approximately 22:02 two days ago” the new minister of defense stated as a presenter’s stick gently tapped the screen, showing the photographs taken by Party agents before Dublin’s fall. “The Rijkskommissarie, along with most important officials, where safely evacuated, however the fate of many others is unknown at this time. We can only presume that they are either underground and waiting for reinforcements from the rest of Britain to arrive, or are in captivity. Approximately 65% of Ireland remains under our control, though for how long this remains true will, similarly to the others in England, Scotland, and Wales, need to be seen” he stated, taking a moment to catch their breath and await any questions from the group in front of him.

There was nothing but a stunned silence however, with the Scandinavian leader himself folding his hands together and resting his head on them, bewildered by the betrayal of his most senior advisers. Checking his watch after about a minute, the minister continued his assessment.

“To conclude, the facts indicate that a large percentage of non-Nordicized Britons have taken up arms against us. As of this morning we have cause to believe that most of the rural countryside and other areas of light reinforcement have fallen under dissident control, while major cities and population centers are currently in state of flux. These dissidents themselves are a loosely aligned mix of varying groups with differing political and ideological objectives, and it is unlikely that any major forms coordination exists between them at this time. Their disunity should mean they should be underestimated however, with firefights and skirmishes against our forces showing that they are well armed and trained with western weapons from the Americas and Germany, groups that I have little doubt we will see in the near future” he stated as a final slide to his presentation was displayed, and a silence once again filled the room.

“So...” Det Lederen began, breaking the silence as he lit a cigarette of his own. “We are at war with Britain then” he commented as he stood up from his seat at the far end of the table, attracting the nervous attention of the others still seated.

The minister paused for a moment to take what Svansson said into consideration, before giving a subtle nod. “Yes.”

“Aside from the obvious, how do we win?” he asked as he made his way to his desk, opening a drawer and removing a folder.

“The best strategy to succeed in suppressing the uprising would be to end it before they have the chance to gain any other support from the west, utilizing our superiority in armored, naval, aerial combat. Features that these dissidents lack at this point in time” the minister replied as he stood with both hands holding on to the presentation stick. “If we are to accomplish this, we must do so with haste before-“

“Before they arrive” Svansson interjected as he walked with the folder towards the minister of the Foreign Offices of the Fatherland Party, one of the more unquestionably loyal members in the room. “Take this. Open it only when you have returned to your offices. I expect its contents to be carried out to the letter” he said as he handed the folder off.

“Ja, Min Lederen!” the FOFP minister replied, rising quickly and giving the typical party salute to Svansson before quickly walking out of the office.

“Correct” the minister of defense replied after the large doors of the office were closed behind the FOFP minister. “We have prepared contingency plans in the wake of their arrival and support of a new British state, however to adequately defend Britain we will need to reinforce the island with more forces and materials than we currently have available. Even if we were supposedly able to gather our entire active military together, we would still be completely outmanned and outgunned by the North Americans' Atlantic forces alone” he said, pausing for a moment to consider what he should say next as the other individuals at the table remained in their nervous states, the dire reality of their situation setting in. There was no doubt the North Americans would be joined by hordes of military and civilian volunteers from Europe and South America. It was clear that significant planning and coordination with Scandinavia's supporters and allies was needed.