A Fleeting Peace pt. 1 (MT to PMT, applicants only, closed)

[Kyundao]

Rules and sign-ups:

https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=493109

Story:

The more things change, the more they try to stay the same. Power is always shifting. New players are always throwing their hats into the proverbial ring. At least this is from the Kyundaoans' perspective.

The Kyundao-Kamilistan War may have ended, but a peace treaty was never signed, meaning the two countries are technically still at war. Every party involved in the war against Kamilistan is still trying to regain some sense of normalcy, but another multilateral war with another country is the least of their worries. Terrorists are at play, even more so now than before. Given this is a fragile peace, one act of terrorism would shatter it.

New Seoul Airport, Kyundao

A gunshot was fired in the lower floors. A body had been dropped. One of the terrorists had tried to stop the impending massacre from being carried out. The other terrorists were already geared up by this point and they were led by a Blackacre native named Gossen. They stepped into the elevator, with the doors closing shortly after. The terrorists loaded and locked.

Gossen: Remember, all Kyundaoans are bastards.

As soon as the elevator reached the main floor, the doors opened. The terrorists walked out. There was a large crowd in front of them and as soon as they started looked at the terrorists, the guns were raised. The terrorists had started firing, killing everyone in this part of the airport. Gossen and his goons proceeded to continue through the airport, purposely killing anyone in the crossfire. Bodies upon bodies fell. Men, women, even children were being murdered on Kyundaoan soil alongside foreigners. Not even the airport security were safe. The terrorists soon found that they were on one of the upper floors, so they fired on everyone below, killing countless innocents. They walked down the escalator and went for one of the doors downstairs. A subsequent stroll through a hallway led to the tarmac. There they were met by heavily armed Kyundaoan police, but that couldn't stop them. After taking them out, the terrorists went for another door. This time the hallway led them to the escape vehicle - an ambulance of all things. Its back doors were opened and Gossen was the last to step in. He turned around to the terrorist who was about to get inside.

Gossen: That wasn't a message.

He pulled a gun on the poor gunman and shot him in the forehead, instantly killing him.

Gossen: That was a fucking message.

Gossen closes the back doors, leaving the corpse to rot.

Gossen: The Anagonian thought he was slick. When they find his putrid flesh, all of Kyundao will be demanding war.

Some time after the escape vehicle left, Kyundaoan police found the Anagonian's body. They were shocked by what they found - an undercover Anagonian soldier, complete with dog tags.

Medical teams swarmed the airport, trying to save as many wounded as possible. Among the wounded being treated was the terrorist turned backstabber from earlier. He had followed the other terrorists and shot at them with a pistol he picked up, but to no avail. He had missed all of his shots and the others didn't notice he was there. He lay on the floor, bleeding and going from conscious to unconscious. As long as he was one of the people the medics were tending to, he had a chance of surviving and, should the opportunity arise, giving his testimony to the authorities.

Octagon, Kyundao City

24 hours after New Seoul Airport was shot up, the Kyundaoan military's top brass were watching the news reports. They were just now told who one of the culprits exactly was and they were the furthest thing from happy. General Ri Hak-yeon was present and turned to one of the junior officers.

General Ri: Get the Emperor on the line. He's not going to like this.

[Anagonia]

Confederate White House
City of Liberty, State of Liberty, CSA
0430 Hours Central Anagonian Time

The meeting office in the left wing of the Confederate White House was still dark and dimly lit by two table-mounted lamps on either end of a rectangular table. Cigarette smoke wafted around the room as the occupants enjoyed their dangerous vice. The air visibly lined with the stringy smoke particles, they moving in odd and fascinating patterns as the air vents pulled them towards their scrubbers in a continuous effort to cleanse the rooms air. A soft click sounded as the doors second entrance opened, a butler entering with a tray of coffee mugs which he began to dispense to the five occupants in the room. All five men gave their grumbling thanks, awakened far too early for their liking and barely at a functional state of mind. The butler gave his nod of acknowledgment before handing the last mug to a sixth individual, standing at the fore of the conference table and in front of a wall-mounted display screen. She seemed quite more awake than the rest of her comrades, and telling by the envious eyes of those present there may have been a hint of jealously to this fact.

"And that is the situation at present," Director Lorna Waters concluded as the Butler left the room quietly. She sipped her provided coffee, a dark mixture of Columbian texture, and placed the mug on the corner of the table. The mid-fifties Native Anagonian woman only swayed a fraction on her feet, betraying little to the extreme fatigue she felt at present. It had been an effort to properly dress herself for this surprise meeting but she had once again performed a miracle, looking all the more human compared to the rest of the men present in the room. A soft hand was pressed through her thick dark raven hair as she gently swayed her head to encourage the rebellious thickness out of her view, waiting for the necessary reply to address any concerns to her provided briefing.

Chief General Elliott Armstrong was the closest in relation to where Lorna stood. He had always admired the chief of the Anagonian Central Intelligence Agency, not only for her capability to amazingly be on time for any necessary meeting, but also for her way of hiding her tired state. Elliott knew first hand that Lorna had been extremely busy these last four days, in particular the last two, having seen her on multiple occasions rushing from one end of the White House to the other. The fact that she stood here, now, before them, at this time of the morning and in the most presentable state as any other in the room spelled volumes about her character and commitment to her job. It was therefore this knowledge that led the Chief General to trust the Director of the ACIA at her word when she stated the recently discovered body of an Anagonian agent had not been, in fact, an Anagonian agent. The details were still confusing him, though.

"And this....Robert Pearson? Is that what his name was? You're saying he acted on his own accord? That he is in no way an active serving member or even a citizen?"

It was a skeptical question from Elliott, but one that he believed was necessary. Considering the situation and all relevant prior interactions between Anagonia and Kyundao, it was rather important to confirm and establish innocence in a given situation. The Chief General had been under the impression that the ACIA was actively monitoring the Imperial Capitalist Republic following the headbutting between Vice Admiral Yugiv and Kyundaoan forces around Kamilistan. He had expected this meeting to request the heads of the Confederate government to enact plausible deniability, to state the agent acted on his own accord and went rogue. What he had not expected was a full blown denial of involvement. That had taken him for a loop. The elder Caucasian gentlemen brushed his thick brown hair, taking another puff of his cigarette as he considered the full debrief only moments ago, casting his ashes into an ashtray before taking a sip of his properly mixed Anagonian-made coffee.

"I am Chief General," Lorna replied, maintaining her professionalism despite the early hours and the close acquaintance everyone present had with one another.

The other members present mumbled something, each of them a respective head of their own equally important part of government. The main one to seem surprised, however, was the President himself. Sitting at the head of the conference table, comfortable and mid-sip to his morning coffee, President Franklin Johnsons expression went from tired and slightly disinterested to one of surprise and instant piqued curiosity. He swallowed his fill and placed the mug down, casting his cigarettes' ashes as he made a draw before exhaling slowly. He considered his words carefully before speaking.

"Director Waters, I know you're aware of the delicate situation this event has placed the Confederacy under. I know you're also aware of the prior altercation that took place in Kamilistan waters, as stated in your briefing. So I am keen to also believe you understand that by providing this information as it stands, it makes this situation much more difficult instead of alleviates any concerns. I must then ask you clearly what then are your perspectives on this situation, because if it wasn't one of ours, whose was it?"

Lorna only showed the briefest hints of surprise at being placed in the direct center of attention. She was not unaccustomed to it, far from that. Rather she hadn't necessarily anticipated such a direct question from the President. Maybe it was the level of fatigue she was enduring at the moment, but she swore up and down that once she had stated what she knew, that would have been the end of it. She hid any doubt of her resolve with a sincere smile towards the leader of the Confederate States, giving a slow nod as her mind worked to provide the necessary information in which to properly answer the question. On the outside, she looked pristine and ready to go. On the inside, she wanted to collapse and sleep for a week. Slowly she distracted attention from expectation of a response by casually sipping her mug, thoughtfully glimpsing at the image of the dead "Anagonian agent" on the screen, then back at the President as she returned the mug back where it had been. In that short brief respite, she had her answer.

"Mr. President, I can assure you that the ACIA is working overtime to find that out," Lorna replied, a very warm and reassuring smile playing on her expression. "Despite outward appearances, the ACIA does not send agents into hot zones on the fly. I can tell you with definite assurance that while Kyundao had come up as a prospective drop point for an agent, the idea had been shelved the moment the dispute between our two naval forces came to a conclusion. The conclusion of the ACIA at that moment was that the forces of the Imperial Capitalist Republic did not warrant as much of the Agency's attention as did other more prevailing threats to the Confederacy. With that said, I did not order nor approve an agent in Kyundao nor am I aware of any operatives or agents who was already dispatched to that location."

Silence fell on the conference table. The five men and one woman each enjoyed another healthy sip of their coffee, while those who were smoking inhaled deeply to both calm and awaken nerves. It was a long two minutes before things began to proceed again, minds attempting to bypass equal amounts of fatigue that everyone present endured. All heads then turned to the President when he gave a visibly audible sigh, his coffee mug making a more audible clack to the tables surface than was normally acceptable, and his hand pressing the finished cigarettes' butt into the ash try with more force then necessary.

"Recommendations?" he asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Lorna was quick to reply. "We do nothing," she said. "We wait until they accuse us and we respond. If we act now we risk the implication that we were involved, that we were keeping track of the situation. That alone adds some degree of probable suspicion, at least it would if I were their equal to myself. I recommend we play it cool, monitor the situation in the background, and when they finally come forward to accuse us - if they do - we state everything we know and provide the proof. We never have, nor have we ever had, an Agent Robert Pearson in our agency. Furthermore, we never have, nor have we ever had, a citizen by the name of Robert Pearson. Provide the relevant data to prove it and be on our way."

Franklin nodded, seemingly appeased by this answer. "And if they press the issue?" he asked, a hint of caution in his tone.

"If they press the issue," answered Elliott quickly before Lorna, the two sharing a miniscule glance at each other, "we remind them we have no interest in them. We prove that by our demonstration in Kamilistan, our commitment to humanitarian aid. We back that statement up with force, if necessary."

"Weren't they the ones who were committing mass genocide?" asked another person at the table, interrupting the train of conversation.

Lorna nodded, "They were. Their forces had been recorded doing...unspeakable acts, of which I feel is unnecessary to enter into the discussion of."

Silence again, but this time it was shorter. Franklin gave a nod, lighting another cigarette as he considered. "We'll do it your way, Lorna," he said after a time. "If they press the issue, I want something ready on their atrocities. I want moral justification, a high ground, and a high standing when I look down on them."

Lorna replied a terse, "Yes, sir," before standing firm as the President rose. As he did, so did all those present. Brief farewells were exchanged as the President departed first, followed by the majority of everyone else. Eventually only Lorna Waters and Elliott Armstrong were left in the conference room, the two making paths to each other as Elliott stood beside the Director. They both drank their coffees in silence, staring absently at the exit door before Elliott gently turned his head towards Lorna, eyes piercing hers for just a brief moment.

"Who was he really?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question," Lorna replied, both genuine and somewhat coy as she sipped her mug, eyes staring back with equal measure.

"Robert Pearson," the Chief General clarified, catching only a hint of that coy nature. "Who was he really?"

Lorna set the mug down on the table. The Butlers would come later and clean everything, just after both herself and Elliott would leave. She gave a quick glance around the room, taking a deep breath in as she evaluated her state of being. She was tired, spent, run down. Every possible situation that could happen had happened within the last week in the Confederacy, or to it as evidence by the present circumstance. The last thing she needed was another situation caused by the possible accusation that one of her best agents had been caught in with terrorists in another country. A country that specifically had been rather bullied by the Confederate Navy to being encouraged to bugger off at one point. A moment to was taken by Lorna to glimpse the image of Pearsons dead body on the screen at the fore of the room, eyes lingering for almost too long as they began to play a hint of recognition, though to what she couldn't be sure. Looking back to the Chief General, however, her eyes told a different story.

"I don't know," Lorna replied. Her eyes played at a cold curiosity with deep detachment. She gave the hint of a smile on her lips, before adding, "I need some sleep. I'll be in touch."

Elliott simply nodded and moved to the side to allow Lorna to pass. Carefully the Chief General lit another cigarette, intent on enjoying a final death stick before he was required elsewhere. The first thing he needed to do was shower, in all honesty, but this early in the morning he could get way ahead on his reports if he wanted to. Still, his mind was on the current predicament, and his eyes followed Lorna in a suspicious gaze as she finally left the room. Something in his gut told him that she was hiding something, possibly something relevant to this situation in general. Maybe, though, she was simply as tired as the rest of them. Maybe that tiredness made it seem like she was hiding something, though she never gave any hint of it. The Chief General took a long puff of his cigarette, exhaling as he grabbed his coffee and drank the rest. His eyes turned towards the image of the dead body again.

"If you're not one of ours, then who do you belong to?" Elliott asked, though no one would hear him.

[Saranidia]

Kallipolis Central 2nd Military Airport, Kallipolis Central, Kallipolis, Islamo-Democratic Republic of Saranidia
A company of S.A.F (Special Air Fedayeen) peacekeepers are flown in to New Kyundao City,Kyundao on helicopters to keep the peace. They include many anti-terror veterans known for skill, courage, honour and ruthlessness.

[Kyundao]

New Seoul Airport, Kyundao

Kyundaoan authorities in New Seoul started examining the dead bodies in the shot-up airport. Kyundaoan citizens weren't the only victims: the foreigners who were killed were from Goram, Imperial Rifta, North Acren and the Orion Islands. The authorities later informed the Kyundaoan government, who then informed the governments of the aforementioned countries. The nationality of one of the terrorists responsible was also relayed to these governments.

Kyundao City Metropolis

Kyundaoan soldiers patrolling the streets found themselves side by side with peacekeepers from Saranidia, a known Muslim country. They were shocked that some Muslims would show some actual morals, something that Muslims normally wouldn't do. With terrorism on the rise everywhere, the Kyundaoan soldiers figured they may as well get all the help they can get.

Corporal: These guys aren't your typical Muslims. Quranists maybe?

Sergeant: I studied Muslim sects for several years. That wouldn't surprise me.

Private: You think the Emperor's going to legalize this Quranist sect after this?

Sergeant: If they ARE Quranists, there's a chance that might happen.

[Kyundao]

Hours after the Saranidian peacekeepers arrived, the Kyundaoan troops and the peacekeepers were notified of Anagonian spies in the southern side of Kyundao City. Both parties waited until nightfall. It was dark when they arrived. The building the alleged Anagonian spies were working in was a townhouse that wasn't connected to any of the surrounding buildings.

To avoid any unnecessary collateral damage, the soldiers were using assault rifles chambered for 5.56 NATO rather than the standard-issue battle rifles chambered for 7.62 NATO. The soldiers moved in, setting up a ladder for a stealthy entry through a window that was unlocked. A few of the soldiers quietly climbed up and into the kitchen. Suddenly, an Anagonian walked in, his hands in the air. The soldiers inspected him and found he was unarmed. One of the soldiers proceeded to whisper to him.

Sergeant: Are you the informant?

The Anagonian whispered back.

Anagonian informant: Yes.

Sergeant: Jasper, get him to safety.

The Anagonian climbed out of the building with a soldier in tow. Once he touched the ground, he was escorted to an armored vehicle. The other soldiers quietly loaded and locked. The power was cut and the soldiers' night vision goggles were activated. The other Anagonian spies realized right then that they had been compromised with no way of escaping.

The soldiers began searching the townhouse and more soldiers quietly walked through the front door after doing some lockpicking. The Anagonian spies armed themselves with loaded guns. Once the soldiers started searching the second floor, shots were fired through the wall; one of the soldiers was down. Intense room by room shootouts went off as the soldiers spread out. All of the Anagonians were dead, but the attic was unaccounted for. The soldiers walked up to the attic door and forced it open. There they found another Anagonian spy, this time wearing a suicide vest.

Sergeant: Get on your knees and put your hands on your head.

The Anagonian refused, instead rushing towards a detonator only to be shot in the head, instantly killing him. One of the soldiers walked up to a table and eyed the detonator.

Corporal: He was going for a detonator.

Sergeant: Good thing we dropped him. You need to see this laptop.

The laptop was in surprisingly perfect condition. On the screen was a chatroom between the only Anagonian spy ring in Kyundao and the Anagonian government. The informant's intel was solid.

Hours later in the Octagon, Kyundao City

General Ri: Sir, we found evidence of Anagonian espionage.

The General and the Anagonian informant - a turncoat by this point - presented the laptop from earlier to the Emperor himself. The chat room was still shown on screen.

Emperor Sung: Those conniving motherfuckers.

36 hours later

Emperor Sung had arranged a meeting with delegates from Goram, Imperial Rifta, North Acren and the Orion Islands two nights before. He was soon informed by an Octagon staffer that the delegates arrived on time. Moments later, the delegates walked in and met with the Emperor for the first time.

Emperor Sung: Gentlemen, now that you're all here, please take a seat. We haven't been in the mood for formalities in recent days.

OOC: We should wait for the other players who signed up.

[Anagonia]

OOC: We should wait for the other players who signed up.

OOC: I want to make it clear now that I do not mind you pretending to have Anagonian spies in your midst. This adds a sense of mystery and opens the door for a more dramatic role play, and I'm willing to follow along to see how this plays out. If this is not the case, however, keep in mind that it's more appropriate to discuss something with someone of this nature (i.e. stating there was an "open communications link between my government and the spy" which "was solid proof"). I even made it clear in my lengthy IC reply that my agency was not involved with this circumstance. I know we had not previously discussed with each other your story angle here either via telegram or other medium, which prompted such a reply. I sincerely hope you're not attempting to "godmod" in this regard.

As mentioned before, I'm assuming it is going along the angle of falsely accusing my nation, since my agencies do not employ such barbaric tactics as suicide vests or the primitive methods displayed in the altercation you provided. In my opinion it would be interesting in your IC attempts to place that blame on Anagonia and, as stated before, it's a prospective RP story angle I'm willing to see through as the pressured party.

As I stated before, if your intention was not this and it was simply you remarking on that without contacting me first, we may have a slight issue. If not, rest assured I'll comply with any posting order, I'm busy with truck driving usually and am slow to respond.

I sincerely look forward to your reply to clear up my slight confusion in this matter and hope to continue my participation.

[Kyundao]

OOC: We should wait for the other players who signed up.

OOC: I want to make it clear now that I do not mind you pretending to have Anagonian spies in your midst. This adds a sense of mystery and opens the door for a more dramatic role play, and I'm willing to follow along to see how this plays out. If this is not the case, however, keep in mind that it's more appropriate to discuss something with someone of this nature (i.e. stating there was an "open communications link between my government and the spy" which "was solid proof"). I even made it clear in my lengthy IC reply that my agency was not involved with this circumstance. I know we had not previously discussed with each other your story angle here either via telegram or other medium, which prompted such a reply. I sincerely hope you're not attempting to "godmod" in this regard.

As mentioned before, I'm assuming it is going along the angle of falsely accusing my nation, since my agencies do not employ such barbaric tactics as suicide vests or the primitive methods displayed in the altercation you provided. In my opinion it would be interesting in your IC attempts to place that blame on Anagonia and, as stated before, it's a prospective RP story angle I'm willing to see through as the pressured party.

As I stated before, if your intention was not this and it was simply you remarking on that without contacting me first, we may have a slight issue. If not, rest assured I'll comply with any posting order, I'm busy with truck driving usually and am slow to respond.

I sincerely look forward to your reply to clear up my slight confusion in this matter and hope to continue my participation.

You could continue your part by having the ACIA investigated for corruption given you're the pressured party. I'm waiting on the other players so take your time.

[Anagonia]

You could continue your part by having the ACIA investigated for corruption given you're the pressured party. I'm waiting on the other players so take your time.

OOC: Sounds good.

[Saranidia]

New Kyundao City, Kyundao
A company of Al-Saranidi S.A.F operatives are ordered "if war comes fight valiantly as allies to Kyundao unless the Sisterly Sultana changes her position, understood?"
"Yes, sir!" they say. Meanwhile, People's Islamic Federal Police patrol the streets of the capital.

[Goram]

The Circus,
United Kingdom

The old building stood, looking just as it had done for almost 200 years. It stood half way down Newchapel Street - mid way between the junctions that road shares with Old Hess Road and Oak Grove to the South East and North West respectively. Once it had been on the outskirts, a fashionable area of red brick houses, but now the city had grown around it. Over the years, it had been inexorably enveloped by the sprawling conurbation of nearly twelve million. One by one, the old buildings had disappeared and only the grandest yet remained. This, a curious juxtaposition amid the blend of millennial glass and steel, was one of them. At four stories high, with steep eves and a tiled roof in was easy to see why the National Trust had listed the building and it’s not inconsiderable grounds. Once it had been the townhouse of a Lord. He had died before the turn of the 20th century, heirless but having spent a lifetime in service to the Crown. He had left his stately property to the state on the proviso it be put to good use. Now, it was the home of Goramite intelligence. It had been for nearly 100 years now, and was one of the worst kept secrets in the entire country. To the public, and the press it was simply an intelligence department with no official name. To those that worked there, it was the Circus.

Despite its status, there was no elan. There was no visible guard on the door, and those that came in and out wore civilian clothes. If you wanted to, you could walk straight in off the street. Yet, inside the building and away from prying eyes, some of the world's most sensitive material was discussed plainly. Operations were planned here and the rise or fall of governments had been orchestrated. In the sound proof room with it's anechoic walls, the heads of the service sat around table and talked as they did at this time every day.

“Are you quite certain?”

This was Peter Cohen, a middle-aged man of average height and once a remarkably good field man. He had run effective networks in Gibet during his operational time until finally one of his people was turned by the opposition. His covers blown, he was forced to return home - field men have a finite shelf life, after all. He was talking about the scanned sheet of paper that they all had in front of them, nestled in manilla folders marked "Sensitive, limited subscription." - meaning it was strictly for the consumption of senior officers. Just below was printed "If you find yourself in unauthorised possession of this folder, return it to the fifth floor with the seal intact. Thank you.". What was left out was the punishment for not doing so. Certainly, you would be reprimanded, with an official final warning. If however, it was thought you had deliberately opened, read or even disseminated the information enclosed within then a prison sentence might soon be handed down to you.

“Oh yes, Peter. Quite certain.”

A second man answered him from opposite.

“An Anagonian soldier was found in the airport, complete with identification tags denoting him as such? And the Kyundanese bought it? It strains the bounds credulity.”

Peter asked. And certainly, he was right. It almost seemed like something lifted directly from the plot of a film, or perhaps a video game. Whoever was responsible, surely it couldn’t be the Anagonians. They couldn’t be so foolish as to allow their troops to wear identification whilst operating in another state - let alone carrying out the actions they did.

“I’m afraid to say they have.”

A third replied. He was not what you'd expect a spy to look like. He was middle-aged and unathletic. He wore thick spectacles and looked, for all the world, like a school teacher. Yet he had a prodigious talent for interrogation and was a master of field craft. The only reason he was sitting in this room now was that he had done so voluntarily. He was not blown but he knew he was getting too old for all that. Espionage, he realised, was a younger man's game. Yet, despite all that, he was the service's most senior officer.

“They’ve asked for a delegation to meet with them. Apparently some of our people were caught up in the shooting. Once we adjourn here today, everything we know will be linked to their aircraft. It ought not be far away now.”

[hr]

A Skytrain jet turned sharply through its last vector to establish itself on nine miles final a long straight scar of tarmac that stood out brazenly in the midday sun. The aircraft in question, a Skytrain 186, was a narrow bodied, twin engine jet aircraft that had become immensely popular with the United Kingdom's myriad of airlines. It equipped, in particular, the low-cost SimpleTravel and their main rival Goramite Airways - the national flag carrier, which believed itself superior to its low-cost competitors, although they now had little reason to do so. Indeed the Skytrain 180 family had become so popular, that if your airline flew short to medium range jets then it was almost certain to equip itself with these aircraft. And the corporate jet world was no different.

The aircraft in question was painted a flat white, with no airline colours to identify it - only the words "Cooksland Charter" painted in black letters down both sides of the fuselage. As the name of the company implied, the aeroplane and its crew could be chartered for a fairly eye watering price - and, indeed, this was the case. Sat in the machine's custom designed passenger cabin were 14 representatives, lawyers, forensic specialists. However, two were not as they appeared. Two were Circus field men, or Street Merchants as the service liked to call them. Together they briefed the delegation, even as the jet smoothly touched down, on the information transmitted to them not half an hour before.

[hr]

A black Mercedes C200 pulled up smoothly to the curbside, followed by several others. At the back of the long dark saloon, the passenger side rear door swung seamlessly open and a man stepped out. He wore about as finely tailored a suit as you could hope to find, with the shoes to match. Clearly, these had been custom made for him and you could be sure they must have cost a small fortune in one of the more prestigious tailors of the Goramite capitol. Yet, despite its quality and comfort, a suit was still a suit and the wearer found himself in a nation where the average temperature did not dip below 30. As he ascended the steps towards the imposing office buildings in front, followed up by his delegation, he found himself longing for the air conditioning he hoped was inside.

He was Mr. Martin Howell, a strongly built Cookslander with the distinctive, twangy, accent of that region. He was regarded as something of a rising star in the Foreign Office, having spent the last two years as senior aide to the Ambassor to Kyundao. He had been collected by the delegation and whisked here to meet the Emperor himself.

One by one they passed through airport style security scanners, before being shown into the conference room. For an Imperial meeting, it was not so ornate as Howell has expected.

“ Gentlemen, now that you're all here, please take a seat. We haven't been in the mood for formalities in recent days”

Nor was this what the Cookslander had expected. No welcome, no messing about.

they're bloody serious about this, aren’t they?

The thought flashed across his mind. He bowed to the Emperor anyway, before sitting in the gestured chair at the long table. The rest of the delegation bar two, both forensic experts although one with a side career in intelligence, took seats around the edge of the room.

[Anagonia]

Somewhere in the west-end of Liberty
City of Liberty, State of Liberty, CSA
1230 Hours Central Anagonian Time

The Try-Ends Coffee Shop was a favorite stop for the governmental employees in Liberty. Situated just a few blocs from a Military Police Precinct Station, it had been considered one of the safest areas to relax in and divulge in the fine art of not giving a damn. Often the medium-size establishment enjoyed the patronage of many senators and representatives, each one coming to relax after either a hard debate or to unwind and think through critical issues. Equally as often, people such as Lorna Waters would frequent here, trying to escape the hustle and bustle of the Confederate White House and the main ACIA building just a few blocks from it. The owners of the establishment, two Komodren who had immigrated from their reservations to the south of the city, knew their regular clientele well enough to not disturb them. Since the first state official had visited and spoken about a relaxing place to grab a wonderful cup of joe the business had grown from a single story quaint shop to a multi-story establishment, which now boasted areas on multiple parts of its four stories specifically for their clientele to get away and relax in. Lorna's favorite was the quiet seating area on the south end of the third floor, overlooking the city park adjacent to the Try-Ends Coffee Shop, the view which was complimented by the Richardson River which was situated not far behind the park.

The area in which Lorna sat was quiet, ambience provided a slow and soft hip-hop beat that seemed to signify the modern city-life. Four couches adorned the small area, situated in different patterns with two facing the outward windows and the other two facing either sides of the rooms wall. Only a few individuals were present besides Lorna herself; a student from the local college on his laptop no doubt taking advantage of the free wifi, a Military Policeman on break enjoying an eggplant sandwich facing the mock-fireplace, a couple expressing their hushed fondness for one another as they shared a muffin and coffee between them. The couch beside the one which Lorna sat was vacant, leaving the Director of the Anagonian Central Intelligence Agency to ponder without distractions as her eyes quietly trailed the activity in the park and the occasional tour boat sailing along the Richardson. A soft sip of her coffee and Lorna replaced the cup on the coffee table in front of her seating arrangement, something which was equally placed in front of the other couches in the small room.

The news concerning her preliminary investigations into the supposed Anagonian agent had given only further questions rather than answers following the meeting with the President that morning. Sources from outside had gathered that besides Robert Pearson there had been other bodies identified - or claimed to be identified as - Anagonian agents in disguise. It was clearly obvious to Lorna that they weren't from the get-go. No solid-thinking Director such as herself or Handler would instruct their charges to go into an operation with any manner of identifiers. Nor would any Anagonian dare to utilize the claimed tactics that the accused spies had undertaken. She knew that, and she was under the impression the Confederate Government did as well, but she also wasn't dumb to the fact that anyone outside the Confederacy would not know that fact. International politics was a tricky business and one knew well enough that the facts inside one nation did not necessarily transfer to the other. This had led Lorna to a preliminary assessment of the situation, one which she had reported to the President about.

The Kyundaoans were either attempting to frame Anagonia or someone closely related to the situation in Kamilistan was actively attempting to.

It was the only statement that made sense at that moment. Until a proper investigation could be undertaken utilizing Confederate personnel, Lorna had no idea if it was a true assessment of the situation or not. For all anyone knew, they were Anagonian Agents, albeit rogue and unaffiliated. The only sure-fire way to tell was to get someone in there and check the ID-Chips inside those agents. Every Anagonian had one from just a few months after birth. It was a personal identifier, a tag that grew with the citizen as they progressed in life, updated to their status changes and any other relevant information. The ID-Chips inside agents were particularly telling with the right equipment, informing those with authorization that the individuals were of a higher classified status and signifying their importance. Any other information was left to sealed records, but the beginning stages to finding those sealed records was the identifier inside those chips for those agents. So far, no news had come from the Kyundao to signify the finding of such a chip. Only dog-tags, badges, and perhaps other useless identifiers that Anagonia most certainly did not utilize for field agents.

A quiet rustle to her right distracted Lorna briefly as she turned to see a tall man approaching her from the entrance, coffee cup in hand. She recognized him immediately. Normally she would be the first to stand under such respected authority, but in a place like this, just far enough from the seat of power, there was no need. She merely gave a curt and polite nod to the Vice President as he approached, taking note also of the single Military Policeman armed and decked in full gear standing at the entrance. If this had been anything other than a social visit, or a visit by chance, there would have been plenty more MP's visible. She had further ascertained the nature of the visit by what the Vice President wore; casual wear with blue jeans.

Edmond Goff was not a man to shy away from taking necessary time off from his duties. The Caucasian man had a trend for being a politician of the people, often showing up at events and other establishments similar to the Try-Ends Coffee Shop for any number of unimportant reasons. In his eyes, it was important for a Vice President to be approachable, to be the ambassador between the government and the people and provide the best image possible for the Presidency he was sworn to serve. This occasion had been no different. Originally his visit to the Try-End had intended to be one without purpose, an attempt to relax and restructure his perspective from the various duties he had been subjected to through the morning. On this day, however, his personal desires had been mixed with a professional objective. Once he had gained word that the Director of the ACIA had arrived at the Try-End, he was quick to make way to meet her. He had attempted to make it seem like a happenstance encounter and by the brief expression displayed on the Directors face, he most likely succeeded.

"Mind if I sit with you?" he asked, casually and in a friendly tone. He was rewarded with the necessary permission by Lorna's nod and gesture to her right, which Edmond was quick to take advantage of. The couch emitted a soft squeak of its cushions as it accepted his bulk where he sat, sitting down his coffee cup on the table in front of him as he ran a hand through his mostly unkept hair. It had been a trying morning and he wasn't about to fool around with appearances, since before he even intended to arrive here he was wanting to go someplace else anyway.

A moment of silence between the two as they each looked out the window panes to the park below. A couple was playing fetch with their dog on one end, the other a father and family throwing a baseball together. Other instances demonstrated the lively and active nature of the park, of which seemed to provide more inclusion to the notion of a relaxed and rather peaceful environment surrounding the two observers currently.

"Larka and Tinny really did wonders with this place," Edmond remarked after a time, commenting about the Komodren couple that had started and continued to maintain the Try-End Coffee Shop. The two humanoid reptilians were perhaps some of the best ambassadors for their people known in Liberty, open and welcoming to all who entered their halls. It was also well known the Try-End represented a personal achievement for them, and was expected to provide for their retirement should they so choose that path.

Lorna took a moment to sip her coffee as she gave a muffled affirmation to that fact. She had talked to the couple before, but was more well acquainted with Tinny rather than her mate. The two would sometimes engage in feminine conversations surrounding the importance of culture in a relationship as well as a mutual appreciation for an upright partner.

After a few more moments of silence, Lorna emitted a soft chuckle, looking to Edmond as she gave a playful slap to his shoulder. "You really suck at this, you know."

Looking to her with an expression of mock hurt, Edmond placed a hand on his chest and mouthed the words, "Who, me?!" before bursting in a soft laugh. Edmond and Lorna shared a rather friendly relationship with one another. Nothing close to romantic, simply on a level more of two professionals collaborating to make each others day go by easier. It wasn't uncommon for Edmond to visit her on his usual rounds through the rows of governmental buildings surrounding the Confederate White House, checking in person on those under the Presidents direct supervision and getting a grasp of the current situation to keep his President well appraised. What had initially started as friendly conversations had eventually blossomed into something that tolerated the demonstration of friendship displayed by the two just then.

"You're right, I do," Edmond confirmed, shaking his head as he pretended to be offended at being found out. In truth, he had been trying to break the ice for the conversation he intended to have with her. It felt like the right thing to do. "I'm here mostly for myself, but business did come up during that intended visit. You just happened to be here, so I figured killing two birds with one stone would make both our days easier."

Lorna nodded, figuring as much as she took another long sip of the delicious brew in her cup. She swallowed, in the process of setting the cup back when she asked, "And what is this business about?"

"You," Edmond replied, and his voice did not betray the seriousness of it. When Lorna looked at him she noticed the trailing hints of the expression he had held, that genuine and approachable smile and tolerant eyes. If Edmond hadn't been married, Lorna reminded herself for the thousandth time, she would have already made some sort of move. As it was, the thought was cast aside as quickly as it came when, due in part to the growing level of seriousness on Edmonds face. His eyes downcast briefly, hands clasped forward as he nodded his head in affirmation to her about the simple one-word reply he gave. Lorna was instantly alert, sitting up straighter.

"Me?" she asked, her voice unintentionally softer.

"The Anagonian News Network has picked up on the story revolving around the supposed Agent." When Edmond looked at her and noticed her about to provide some sort of retort, he raised a hand placatingly and added quickly, "Don't worry, I know your report and I believe you. Both Franklin and I have the utmost trust in you."

Lorna's attempted retort ended, she resuming her attentive stare towards Edmond. Seeing this, the Vice President continued.

"I'm not here to place any blame or cast any doubt. If you say we had no one, I believe you. What I am here to do is give a warning. Rumors have reached my wonderfully placed ears that the Grand Senate is expected to announce a formal inquiry into the ACIA today. Apparently there are folks even in our government who forget the many safeguards we have in place to prevent this exact situation. Regardless, it's happening, despite the Presidents attempt at a protest. It's going to be led by Senator Dixie Valencia, and from what I'm hearing she's going to use this situation to bounce forward her chances at the Presidency very soon with elections approaching. I think, personally, she's going to try to use you specifically for that goal."

At the mention of Senator Valencia, Lorna's face soured. Dixie was the leader of the Socialist Party of Anagonia and one of the state senators from the The Commonwealth of Saratoga. She had fought a hard resistance to Franklins initial campaign for his Presidency four years ago, which all amounted to very little much to nothing. Rumors were that she was still seething about that incident and considered it a personal insult.

"Trying to smear the President, is she?" Lorna asked, though intending it more as a statement.

Edmond nodded. "I think so. Dixie is one helluva senator, I'll give her that, but after her defeat all those years ago she's been trying these tricks every chance she had. Remember that inquire a year ago into the Presidents possible mismanagement of the water crisis between Saratoga and Liberty?"

Lorna nodded. A year ago the Commonwealth of Saratoga and the The Sovereign Republic of Liberty had gotten into a tussle concerning the construction of a new dam along the state of Liberty's borders with Saratoga. The argument had been that the dam had no purpose but to unlawfully redistribute the water necessary for Saratogan farmlands back into Liberty's interior. It was baseless and downright a lie, the river which the dam had been constructed didn't go anywhere near any farmlands, but because of her status Dixie had managed to make a situation of it.

"That was her idea," Edmond continued, "and it wasn't later until I found out it was based entirely on a presumption. The Supreme Court resolved it quickly enough and all Dixie managed to do was inflame the situation unnecessarily. But she has connections and where she failed, it quickly got covered up. I think she's finally found something else to grab onto, something big, and I think she's going to use you for that goal. If I know Dixie, and I think we both do, she's going to blow this well out of proportion."

That struck a nerve in the Director. She looked away from Edmond briefly as she drank some more from her cup, eyes glaring out into the skyline as she struggled for the briefest moment to keep calm. The feeling left her quickly, years of meditative practice coming to rescue as she released a few soothing breaths. The situation with Kyundao was already stressful enough without baseless accusations being thrown around. Lorna couldn't also shake the feeling that what Dixie was doing would not only enflame the situation, but also worsen it to a degree near uncontrollable.

"And I haven't even got my teeth into the situation yet," Lorna mumbled.

Edmond eyed her, having only barely heard her comment before she went silent again. There was a look of sympathy in his eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently and reassuringly. "Just fair warning," he said. "That's all it is. Meet me in my office later today or tomorrow, bring me everything you've learned by then. We'll hash it out together, hopefully."

The Director nodded, placing a hand of her own on his and looking to smile. "I appreciate that, Edmond. You're a good friend. I'll be there."

The Vice President nodded, smiling genuinely, then he stood and departed for the door. As he left the lone Military Policeman trailed closely behind, eyes observant and ready. Lorna watched the exit only briefly before releasing a heavy and nearly depressive sigh. Placing her head in both her hands, she shook her head from side to side, both trying to rub her eyes awake and trying to rub the increasing feeling that things were about to take a total turn for the worst. Why did stuff like this have to happen under her watch?

As she recovered, she took a few additional minutes to try to grip again that feeling of peace she had so desperately needed to attain. Realizing that it was useless, she grabbed her now-empty cup of coffee and stood, tossing it in the trash bin as she made her way out.

[Kyundao]

With the delegation seated, they were presented documents, most containing the names of slain foreigners, especially Goramite citizens. One of these documents however contained pictures of the Anagonian soldier who was backstabbed by those responsible for the massacre. The pictures showed dog tags, something the ACIA didn't use.

The Emperor wasn't the only Kyundaoan in the room. The Kyundaoan Intelligence Director was there along with several other Kyundaoan officials.

Director Kim: This was one of the terrorists responsible for the mass shooting. Law enforcement found dog tags and Anagonian Army tattoos, so we know the Anagonian Central Intelligence Agency didn't have a hand in that. What they did have a hand in however was espionage within our borders.

A laptop was brought out and placed on the table along with pictures verifying that this belonged to the ACIA.

Director Kim: Kyundaoan troops managed to get their hands on this laptop after raiding the only spy ring the Anagonians had in this country. Apparently there was a line of communications between the spies and the ACIA.

Kyundaoan official #1: With the mass shooting, the signs point to the Anagonian Army. With the busted spy ring, the ACIA. We believe the Anagonians are trying to undermine our government.

Kyundaoan official #2: Our agents within Goram have been told by an Anagonian informant that the ACIA is at work over there. The informant sent us a list of names and their shared address.

The delegation were given the list. Names were on there alright and they all had the same location.

Kyundaoan official #3: Are they trying to instigate a war between us and Goram?

Director Kim: I'm leaning towards that.

Emperor Sung: If we don't do something about Anagonia, chances are they'll make a second attempt at turning everyone against each other.

Kyundaoan official #1: If we go to war against them, we'll have to fight their navy and air force.

Emperor Sung: I've been working on that. If we disable their satellites, nuke their entire navy and bomb their airfields, they'll be deprived of naval and air superiority. Without them, we can send a multilateral invasion force to topple Anagonia's current government and replace it with a more sensible one.

The Intelligence Director turned his eyes to the delegation.

Director Kim: Your thoughts?

Meanwhile in Tae-joon Hospital, New Seoul

It had been a while since the shooting at the airport. The now former terrorist, Jason Black, was unconscious due to blood loss. The vital signs showed he was in stable condition, meaning he survived the ordeal. Unbeknownst to him however, a highly coordinated and brutal act of retaliation against Anagonia was imminent.

[Goram]

The bullpen of cubicles, work stations and outer offices that surrounded the Prime Minister’s office was not a happy place. One only had to look at the headlines of almost every national newspaper to work out why. Regardless of their political biases, agendas or the chosen messages of their owners, every paper ran the same story this morning. A confirmed number of dead in Kyundao, along with a handful of names, had been disclosed late last evening. The toll stood at 18 killed, 47 wounded. A sad reflection on the fact that check in for a returning flight to the United Kingdom has just been closing when the gunmen struck the airport.

It was just the latest in a year of turmoil for this government. Their crown jewel, Operation LEGSLIP, was drawing more and more criticism from all parts. What had begun as a mandate to stop slavery and piracy had burgeoned to include narcotics. Worse it eased the Prime Minister’s ability to deploy troops, without having to take the time to inform the King, Cabinet or the unofficially named “gang of five” - the heads of various groups, including that of the Opposition. The ability to do this meant rapid reaction, but also the danger of hasty decisions. No better was that illustrated by the fiasco in Tangananland.

In that hot, dusty country there had been a violent coup and a number of Goramite personnel captured when its embassy was stormed. The PM had ordered immediately, without wanting to wait for overflight of the hostage location and thus the appropriate intelligence work was not carried out at all. It was felt by government that analysis would simply take too long and that it was time they did not have. As a result a reinforced heliborne infantry company assault the compound to find a regiment size Tanganan unit camped two miles away. The company survived, and the hostages were recovered, but only after a 20 hour engagement that was only won by the profligate expenditure of every weapon the troops had - and a great many more that came from helicopters and the 6” guns aboard two off shore frigates. Even in spite of the weapons used the fight cost B Company, 1st Battalion of the 3/8th Kings Own Cavalry 35 dead and almost everyone else wounded to some degree. The initial reaction was positive. A heroic fight against all odds, avenging the innocent Goramite citizens killed in the initial moments of the coup. After all, who could forget the photographs of the poor girl publicly weeping at the memorial for her twin who was killed on live TV. Yet the reaction changed as the details and investigations came out. Patriotism turned into hostility as the hasty actions of he government were uncovered. This latest scandal, combined with others and an economic downturn, magnified the government’s flaws. Opposition was massively up, and highly vocal. Nothing was safe from attack, and the legality of LEGSLIP was daily being called into question. Casualties within the services had slowly mounted since 2012, and there was a growing weariness of body bags in the general public. Elsewhere those hundreds of thousands saved from bondage had to be housed somewhere and the influx of foreigners was not being well received in certain parts of the country. Hate crimes were up perceptibly in the last two years, partly due to the rise of right wing populism in certain local elections, and general unrest was growing. Sensing this, the Gibetians to the East - that powerful Communist giant - was once more flexing its muscles by beginning an out of season exercise right on the Commonwealth’s - a collection of allied states - doorstep.

And now, another crisis was brewing with the terror attack in Kyundao. What ever was to happen next, it would be a long few weeks or even months for the staffers in this particular bullpen.

---

Mr. Howland listened to the Emperor, Director and various others with growing trepidation. Clearly the Kyundaons had not reached the same conclusions as the Circus’ analysts. The apparatus of the United Kingdom’s state intelligence said the Anagonians couldn’t possibly be stupid enough to leave such a paper trail straight back to them. Someone else was at work here, and Holland’s pre arrival briefing made that incredibly clear. The talk of agents in Goram, both Kyundaon and Anagonian was unsettling to him - he could not know that the Circus knew this already. Long ago they had accepted that most embassies in the UK had some sort of intelligence attaché and whilst their communications were monitored there was no need to sweep them up. Not yet anyway.

Howland’s trepidation turned to outright fear at the word “nukes”. He was vaguely aware of both men on his left and right sitting just a little straighter in their chairs. At least one of them was a field agent, an experienced intelligence man, but Howland was quite sure that the cold liquid feeling in his bowels was also present in them too. He fought very hard to maintain a neutral expression as he reached for a crystalline glass of mineral water. His mouth had gone desert dry, and he had to do something to stop his hands from shaking. Were these people seriously talking about the use of nuclear weapons? A first strike? Surely they knew the Anagonians must reply in kind.

“Your thoughts?”

“Gentlemen,”

He began. He considered what to say momentarily. He must give nothing away

“This is all shocking news. Of course we knew of the shooting, but not it’s perpetrators.”

Howland was fairly new to the Foreign Office, but already he was showing the gambler’s penchant for bluffing.

“I’m sure you understand I cannot make this decision, I am not a military man. You must permit me the moment to inform my government, so we might make a reasonable decision”

And just what the hell is that going to be, you crazy bastards. What are you trying to force us into?

He thought.

Ten minutes later, he sent a series of end to end encrypted messages to the Goramite embassy in Kyundao. Minutes after it’s receipt an encrypted data burst, lasting fractions of a second, was bounced off a communications satellite and received by the Foreign Office.

---

Approximately two hours after the flash message from Kyundao arrived, a man walked towards a rather obscure building in the diplomatic district of the capitol. Winter was well and truly here, with deep snow in the North of the country, but here in the South East it was still relatively balmy. Less than 10 degrees Celsius, but not yet bitter. It was surprisingly warm for the time of year and the man remarked upon it to a guard as he passed through the airport style security point. He had not been inside the Anagonian embassy to the United Kingdom before, but it did not matter as a secretary showed him towards the office of an aide to the ambassador, with whom a hasty meeting had been arranged.

The aide was a known hood, perhaps not actively in intelligence but certainly with connections to the ACIA. The man shook him by the hand upon entering his modest office and sat. Eschewing the offer of refreshment, he passed the aide a single piece of typed paper. It contained the flash message from Kyundao.

‘FLASH. PRIORITY ONE. HIGHLY LIMITED SUBSCRIPTION. KYUNDAO BELIEVE ANAGONIAN BLAME FOR INCIDENT. APPEAR TO BE PLANNING OFFENSIVE ACTION TO INCLUDE FIRST USE OF NUCLEAR ARMS AGAINST TACTICAL TARGETS. PLEASE ADVISE.’

[Kyundao]

The Kyundaoans in the room, hearing from Mr. Howland that he wasn't a military man, told them something in a manner that wasn't demanding in the slightest. Kyundao had no plans to force Goram to help them in a potential war with Anagonia.

Emperor Sung: You're free to inform your government. Your country doesn't have to be involved in a fight they weren't dragged into. We can take care of ourselves. That's just about it for this meeting. I'm glad we were able to talk about this in a civil manner.

Everyone stood up now that the meeting was over. Hands were shaken and the delegation left the room. The Kyundaoans knew right then that they would have to settle the issue themselves, ethically or not.

11 days later, midnight, off the coast of Anagonia

Even though the Goramites warned the Anagonian government, there was simply too much going on at the moment. The ACIA by this point was being investigated in an ongoing investigation.

Anagonia's satellites were disabled via electronic warfare. A massive fleet of guided missile battleships, aircraft carriers, guided missile cruisers and guided missile destroyers awaited their orders now that the invasion force was ready. With all of Anagonia's naval bases located, the order was given. Hypersonic nuclear missiles had been fired and within minutes, hit the naval bases - every single one of them. The entire Anagonian navy was completely shattered. All of Anagonia's warships were destroyed or damaged beyond repair; the Anagonian aircraft carriers were gone as were all of Anagonia's submarines (and in the process so were the only nuclear weapons Anagonia had). With the navy out of the way, fighter jets were now on standby.

During the time the ACIA was being investigated, the Kyundaoan army was being mobilized in Anagonia's hostile neighbors and abroad. This invasion force numbered around 10 million alone and that was a third of the active duty Kyundaoan troops; Anagonia's neighbors also had millions of troops ready to move in as well. Kyundaoan fighter jets deployed there were on standby, waiting for their orders. High-tech anti-air defense systems had been set up in anticipation of a possible Anagonian counterattack.

Battle lines had been drawn and Anagonia was woefully unprepared for what was to come.

[Goram]

OOC: was that worked out with Anagonia prior? I honestly can’t believe it was. And even if it was, I kind of object to it. You can’t, in one post, in three paragraphs, prepare an invasion, carry it out, obliterate a navy and take complete air superiority. Millions of troops too. Millions is an unbelievably large number for soldiers committed. You got to prepare this stuff first, it would take a little while at least. You have to give Anagonia and I at least a chance to first, especially considering I just warned that state that you were coming in the previous post.

Maybe you want to consider editing your post so that everything you’ve just said is being planned out by whomever in your military and not actually happening just yet?

[Saranidia]

Sisterly Sultana Mariam Khan writes to Emperor Sung. "Do you know the Anagonian government is responsible? Also is there anything my peacekeepers can do without being dragged into a war?" she asked, in a polite way. The Al-Saranidi soldiers are afraid and irritated.

[Imperial Rifta]

When the Imperial Riftans learned of the shooting they immediately telegrammed the Kyundaon government.


Upon hearing of the battle, the Imperial Riftan Foreign Relations Department was stunned. Neutral in the conflict, they would send a telegram to both sides.

[Kyundao]

Sisterly Sultana Mariam Khan writes to Emperor Sung. "Do you know the Anagonian government is responsible? Also is there anything my peacekeepers can do without being dragged into a war?" she asked, in a polite way. The Al-Saranidi soldiers are afraid and irritated.

To: Sultana Mariam Khan
From: Emperor Sung

As far as we know, the evidence points to Anagonia being responsible. Now that we're about to go to war against them, I would appreciate it if your peacekeepers helped our reserve troops and law enforcement maintain law and order as well as weed out any potential infiltrators. After we're done with Anagonia, your men can help with humanitarian operations over there.

[Anagonia]

The Kyundaoans in the room, hearing from Mr. Howland that he wasn't a military man, told them something in a manner that wasn't demanding in the slightest. Kyundao had no plans to force Goram to help them in a potential war with Anagonia.

Emperor Sung: You're free to inform your government. Your country doesn't have to be involved in a fight they weren't dragged into. We can take care of ourselves. That's just about it for this meeting. I'm glad we were able to talk about this in a civil manner.

Everyone stood up now that the meeting was over. Hands were shaken and the delegation left the room. The Kyundaoans knew right then that they would have to settle the issue themselves, ethically or not.

One week later, midnight, off the coast of Anagonia

Anagonia's satellites were disabled via electronic warfare. A massive fleet of guided missile battleships, aircraft carriers, guided missile cruisers and guided missile destroyers awaited their orders now that the invasion force was ready. With all of Anagonia's naval bases located, the order was given. Hypersonic nuclear missiles had been fired and within minutes, hit the naval bases - every single one of them. The entire Anagonian navy was completely shattered. All of Anagonia's warships were destroyed or damaged beyond repair; the Anagonian aircraft carriers were gone as were all of Anagonia's submarines (and in the process so were the only nuclear weapons Anagonia had). With the navy out of the way, fighter jets were launched. It didn't take long for the jets to reach the Anagonian airfields albeit from a high altitude. The jets rained their payload down on the unsuspecting Anagonians, destroying the fighters down below.

The Kyundaoan fighter jets from land areas near Anagonia's borders undertook the same operation as the fleet did and successfully took the other Anagonian fighters out. Minutes later, the signal was given. The invasion had begun.

Tanks and millions of Kyundaoan soldiers charged in from all angles, overrunning and killing millions of Anagonian soldiers. Paratroopers dropped in from the countless large aircraft that were flying above Anagonia. Airfields were captured and upon being notified of these gains, millions of reinforcements were on the way. Days passed and the more the Anagonian army fought back, the more losses they suffered; the Kyundaoans by contrast suffered far less casualties, around 150,000 at most. It also didn't help the Anagonians that the Kyundaoans were using UAVs to successfully inflict heavy losses on the former's armored fighting vehicles.

The Kyundaoans weren't the only invaders however. Anagonia's neighbors had an axe to grind against it as well and they unleashed millions of soldiers alongside the Kyundaoan invaders.

To make matters worse for Anagonia, its surprisingly large and pro-Kyundao far right used this to launch an armed insurrection.

OOC:

This is blatant godmodding. I was concerned earlier about this and addressed it, and even after we continued on and I sent a telegram addressing that, I was under the impression we worked past this. Not once did you discuss with me an invasion. You stated clearly it was along the lines of something other than. This thread has so much potential without you not only assuming what you can do, but also refusing to consider your options with me.

I'm going to continue to reply much later to Goram and others because what you started was amazing, but this I refuse to acknowledge until you fix it. This is not how you role play.

[Kyundao]

OOC:

This is blatant godmodding. I was concerned earlier about this and addressed it, and even after we continued on and I sent a telegram addressing that, I was under the impression we worked past this. Not once did you discuss with me an invasion. You stated clearly it was along the lines of something other than. This thread has so much potential without you not only assuming what you can do, but also refusing to consider your options with me.

I'm going to continue to reply much later to Goram and others because what you started was amazing, but this I refuse to acknowledge until you fix it. This is not how you role play.

OOC: Fixed it.

[Goram]

OOC:

This is blatant godmodding. I was concerned earlier about this and addressed it, and even after we continued on and I sent a telegram addressing that, I was under the impression we worked past this. Not once did you discuss with me an invasion. You stated clearly it was along the lines of something other than. This thread has so much potential without you not only assuming what you can do, but also refusing to consider your options with me.

I'm going to continue to reply much later to Goram and others because what you started was amazing, but this I refuse to acknowledge until you fix it. This is not how you role play.

OOC: Fixed it.

OOC: I’m sorry man, I don’t want to pile on, but you really haven’t fixed anything. You can’t just say “I’ve destroyed your entire Navy”. It really doesn’t work like that, it’s called Godmodding and is generally considered very bad form. So is spamming millions of troops. Like I could just as easily say “the United Kingdom retaliated using its SSBNs and nuked every city in Kyundao and thus won the war” but it would completely ruin everyone else’s work. It wouldn’t be any fun anymore.

Can I suggest you look at Anagonia’s story guide and maybe some of the military RP guides on II? They’re really, really useful in how to write one of these.

[Anagonia]

OOC: Fixed it.

OOC: I’m sorry man, I don’t want to pile on, but you really haven’t fixed anything. You can’t just say “I’ve destroyed your entire Navy”. It really doesn’t work like that, it’s called Godmodding and is generally considered very bad form. So is spamming millions of troops. Like I could just as easily say “the United Kingdom retaliated using its SSBNs and nuked every city in Kyundao and thus won the war” but it would completely ruin everyone else’s work. It wouldn’t be any fun anymore.

Can I suggest you look at Anagonia’s story guide and maybe some of the military RP guides on II? They’re really, really useful in how to write one of these.

OOC:

I'm in the process of talking to him over TG about this. I'm hoping to come to some amicable terms because what he started here is an outstanding display of attracting some very good writing and very good story. I'll be responding to your post as soon as I can, I'm on my ten hour break and will be trucking again tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow evening I'll get to it, if not it'll be Thursday evening. I greatly apologize for the delay.

[Kyundao]

OOC: Because I edited one of my posts on here so that the invasion of Anagonia is imminent, I've decided to split this story into two parts. Part one is officially over.

[Imperial Rifta]

OOC: Os this just a war between Kyundao and Anagonia? It said it’s neighbors were ready to fight.

[Kyundao]

OOC: Os this just a war between Kyundao and Anagonia? It said it’s neighbors were ready to fight.

OOC: It's a war between Anagonia and its neighbors as well, not just between Anagonia and Kyundao.