The Royal Union of Eikangaard
Royal Palace, Vaastergaad
January 5th, 2018
10:30am
-------------------------------------------The newly-crowned King Derrig Idhnarnakots of Eikangaard paced quickly back and forth along the windows of the palace's study. His study, he reminded himself. He was now King of Eikangaard, and that made everything in the palace his by right. But he found himself incapable of celebrating his victory. Despite his quick actions to dismantle a parliamentary plot to install his younger sister as a puppet Queen, his power seemed even more tenuous then when he wasn't even in the running.
Rezua, ever the Imperialist Power, saw fit to pounce on him. To brand him the aggressor and tear apart the very core tenets of the Royal Union and instill their values and morality. To quench the fires of Eikan independence and snuff-out their hardy spirit. To be frank, he'd always suspected that members of the Empire's political core had been secretly plotting for some time on how to make Eikangaard another one of their satellite nations. Now he'd practically gift-wrapped to them the perfect pretext for invasion. Sure Ymira had come out and stated that the period of Rezuan Imperialism was at an end, but Derrig would believe it when he saw it.
Then there was the Ventismarian Union members of Umbrellya and Lindenholt. The two had been building up forces on the border as a "precautionary measure". He'd sent units to the border himself in order to counter any attempts at invasion from his southern neighbors. He'd hoped that the two were simply acting in response to his drastic acts and that they would be willing to back down if he offered to do the same. However his diplomatic missives had been given no reply, and now he was concerned that the two nations were vultures, eager to capitalize on the recent instability and turn Eikangaard into their own puppet before Rezua could.
In addition to all of that, there were growing reports of unrest in the north. While he'd clamped down on the media to halt the spread of news about the unrest, it didn't change the situation up there. More and more Army garrisons and local police were coming under fire from radicals. Investigations as to who the perpetrators were had been hampered by these very same attacks. He had no proof, but he was certain that these people were organized, how else could they seemingly coordinate all these strikes simultaneously? He'd been forced to rescind the involvement of forces in the Bohin during this crisis, despite how much it disturbed him to leave innocents to be butchered by those Bohi pigs. Nevertheless, the well-being of his nation depended on putting down this burgeoning insurrection before it could spread further.
And then there were the remnants of Parliament who'd escaped. The trail had gone cold on them, and as of now he was certain they had managed to flee the country. So far, no one was talking, and his intelligence services had so far turne dup nothing. He knew they couldn't be rushed, this sort of job required tact, but the longer those traitors remained free, the more they could turn the rest of the world against him. That would make the job of rebuilding his crumbling nation and it's dilapidated institutions all the harder.
"Y'know...you keep pacing like that and you'll break through the floor." The slurred contralto of his older-sisters voice rang out through the room. Derrig turned and spied her sitting in one of the plush reading chairs, an open bottle of Whiskey in one hand. Krissal had been drinking again judging by how her eyes were half-lidded and the light dusting of pink on her cheeks. She was the direct antithesis of presentable at the moment, garbed in a ratty old t-shirt and short-shorts. Her hands and feet were still taped up. She'd been going a few rounds in the palatial gym.
Fighting, f*cking, and drinking 'til the lights went off. That was all she damn well cared about anymore. She'd made that painfully clear.
"Put that damned bottle away for God's sake." Derrig growled at her, hands clasped behind his back and back straight. He betrayed no more emotion that he had to at the moment. Not when he was dealing with another one of his sister's drunken episodes.
"Make me." Was her reply, turning in her seat and draping her leg over one of the chair's armrests. Her eyes narrowed, not from her drunken stupor, but in declaration of a challenge.'Come and try it. I'll knock you out flatter than father's favored rugs.'
He didn't take her bait. She may be wanting another fistfight, but he had bigger things to worry about. "Why could you not have been more responsible?" He sighed, grumbling mostly to himself. He'd long since given up his attempts to make his sister see reason. To put aside her petty grievances with father to shape up and turn into the Royal Heir that EIkangaard needed.
"You thinkin' this whole thing's my fault, aren't 'cha?" She drawled, swirling the drink still left in the bottle. She didn't even bother making eye contact with him.
"To an extent." He admitted. "If you had not decided to p*ss away your life, all of this could've been avoided."
"Not my fault no one ever gave a damn about what I thought." She muttered bitterly, taking a swig of whiskey.
"That's exactly my point." He continued. "You're so self-centered that you think only about how the world affects you and not how you affect the world. You only care for your own self-interests."
"And you don't?" She countered. " 'zat why you installed yourself as leader? Could'a given this b*tch of a problem to her to clean up. Hell, could'a force me to do it. 'stead you gave yerself the crown. Congratu-f*cking-lations." She stopped to take another swig, holding a finger up to tell him she wasn't done with her rant. "You say I only care 'bout my own self-interest, yeah?
Then why in the sh*t didn't you pass the responsibility onto someone else sinc eyour so much more altruistic 'n me?"
She stood up form the chair. "You can talk about how yer so much better'n me. But at the end'a the day? Only difference 'tween you'n me is that I'm less polite b'out it."
Krissal turned and walked out, all the while downing more whiskey. She paused at the door. " 'n like me, this whole thing's gonna bite you in the a**." The door shut behind her, leaving Derrig to stew further in his own worries.
Taking a moment to gaze out the window at the falling snow, he marched over to his desk and picked up the phone dialing the General's number. "General Barttok? Deploy our reserve infantry units in the North. I don't care how long it takes, I want those radicals rooted out and locked up." HE then began dialing more numbers. Time for him to start making backroom deals. He needed allies, and he needed them fast.
The Eikangaard United Socialist Republics
Unknown Location, Eikangaard
January 5th, 2018
11:07 am
-------------------------------------------The interior of the bunker was cold.
Not that it mattered much to the person known as "Frosty Moth". Clad in a big, fur-lined coat, Moth was in her element. She lived in the cold. The cold was in her blood. The cold was her friend. It would keep them safe for now.
In the dead of winter, she could more accurately plan her operation. She would get the people of Eikangaard their due, the freedom they've been seeking for so long. To remove the shackles of the Idhnarnakots and the corrupt politicians that clamored for a slice of the royal's pie. She would return Eikangaard to it's natural state. It's true state. Where community, where family was the law of the day. Where each man, woman and child had something to be proud of and food on the table. Where hard work was rewarded and given it's just compensation. Where the downtrodden and the weak were not spat on and told to be thankful.
But a fiery rhetoric could only get you so far. You needed actions to back it up. And right now there would not be much she could do. Not with what she had.
"Commander Jeavonn," she spoke into the radio, her white balaclava muffling her voice somewhat. "What's the status of Base 2?"
The reply came back scratchy, the winter storms and the towering northern mountains interfering with even the best communications equipment. "Usuable, but barely." The gruff voice of Commander Jeavonn reported. "Generators have seized, but we can get them running thawed out and running again. Problem is, we don't have enough equipment to run this place,
and the new recruits don't have a whole lot to contribute. I'm trying to get this place up and running as best I can, but I can't make any promises considering what I've got to work with."
"Roger that, Commander. Keep me posted."
"Will do, ma'am." The line closed.
Moth stood from her seat, turning to address the others in her entourage. Her Commanders, chosen for their quick-thinking, level-headedness, and commitment to the liberation of the Eikan People. Each was clad in old snow-camo winter gear from their conscript days in the Eikan Forces, supplemented with additional layers to protect against the cold.
Commander Marten spoke first. "So, when do we hit the next base?"
"Not for a while I'm afraid." She replied earnestly. "Not until we have more to work with. I won't over-extend our comrades only for the King's forces to push them out." She walked over to the map table, on it was spread out a series of maps detailing the country's northernmost regions. On the wall was a larger map of the entire country, colored-coded thumbtacks denoting both enemy garrisons and the relative positions of allied units. "We need to outfit ourselves as a proper fighting force. Consolidate our chain of command, outfit and train our brothers and sisters in arms for the fight ahead."
"Well, we've got time." Commander Enberg said next, his beard barely visible poking out of the folds of his coat. "The roads here are complete garbage this time of year. Can't get anything through the passes anyway easy. Army'll think twice about sending armored divisions at us."
"Infantry'll have a hard time operating up here without their APCs too." Commander Oskar concurred, resting her rifle in the crook of her shoulder. "Even if they ditched 'em it'll limit their movement and put them on our level."
"Not if they use helos." Commander Claesson interjected. "Granted they'll be limited to operating in clear weather up here. That said, that means they could still hit us quicker than we can respond."
"And their aircraft can conduct airstrikes even in bad weather." Moth added. They had no air-defense weapons, MANPADS, SAMs, AA guns, they had none of that. That meant they were at the mercy of the enemy's air power. Not to mention that much of their equipment were older rifles and small-arms that the various members had held onto after their conscription period was over.
The AR-9 was a good rifle that was used to the cold wastes of Eikangaard in the winter, but it was easily outmoded by the newer AR-11.
"We need equipment, and we don't have enough funds to get them all through the black market. We need an ally in this fight who can give us the weapons we need." Moth stated plainly, before turning to her Commanders. "Marten, Oskar. You are to oversee the final setup of Base 1. I want us ready to move at a moments notice should we be found out. Claesson, you're in charge of finding us equipment. Send out requests to those nations who share our views, ask them to help us.. Enberg you're in charge of setting up smuggling routes and safe-houses for our comrades in the field. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am!" They said in unison. They still had their old discipline form their army days. Once dismissed, they all filed out of the room, the heavy steel door slamming shut with a clang.
Moth took one last glance at the map on the wall. One hand ghosted up to her covered face. Soon Eikangaard would be free...
Soon, she would have her revenge...
The Technocratic Union of Eikangaard
Unknown Location, Zwottei, Umbrellya
January 5th, 2018
1:30 pm
-------------------------------------------Mastin Lagelln, acting Prime Minister of Eikangaard, sat reading a newspaper in the room he was staying in. He wasn't fully convinced he was safe in this city, nor were the other members of his provisional parliament, but he couldn't keep silent and locked up in this room. Officially he wasn't here, even Umbrellya didn't know he and his compatriots were here. Not yet anyway. He would soon be making calls to various governments of the Ventismarian Union, asking for asylum and a meeting with their leaders. Hopefully he could iron out a mutually-beneficial agreement that would reinstall Parliament in Eikangaard.
As much as he wanted to believe that the talks with Rezua would provide a resolution, but he didn't believe they would.
At best, they would result in a sham parliament, there only to serve as an extension to Derrig's will. He needed to take aciton on his own, and for that he needed to stoke international pressure to force Derrig to step down so that Parliament could return. After that, Princess Cannin would be installed onto the throne and Eikangaard would be returned to it's rightful state.
Perhaps his Technocracy would survive the elections after he restored democracy to the nation? Anything was possible.
With that in mind, he picked up the phone and stated dialing numbers.
