[TWI ONLY][Semi-Open][IC] The Red Sunset Crisis

[Laeden]

The Red Sunset Crisis

OOC/IC/Dispatch

This roleplay is for members of THE WESTERN ISLES ONLY. If you are not on the map, you cannot participate in this roleplay. However, if you are about to come onto the map feel free to speak up in the OOC thread (this one) but please stay out of the IC thread until you become a member.

Introduction

A Red Sun rises over the South Mesder. By dyeing the skies crimson, the sun foreshadows the coming violence. As the veil of night is uncovered by the sun's rays, intrigue, conspiracy and conflict unfold over peaceful Sunset Isle. The vast riches of this island will attract avarice and foment enmity, setting friendly nations against one another. It's impossible to predict how far the feud will go, but one thing is certain: the red sun is bloodthirsty and when it reaches its zenith, on Red Sunset, no one will be safe from violence and greed.

[Laeden]

PROLOGUE

02:11 AM - 30/01/2022
Volyènne, Laeden

"Darling" a woman whispered in the ear of her husband, who was sleeping comfortably in the dark room, whose only light came from the hallway, entering through the half-open door. “Darling, wake up. There are some guys wanting to talk to you,” she insisted.

The man opened his eyes, but didn't move any muscle in his body anymore. “Some guys?” he repeated. “What guys are these?”

"I do not know love. They're guys in uniform,” she said. The man took a deep breath. "All right. I'll get dressed,” he replied, standing up and opening the closet, where numerous suits and ties lined up in front of him.

“Master Regnier!” a man in uniform greeted him a few minutes later, when Regnier was dressed and had just left the house. The quiet street in the residential neighborhood where he lived was lit by the lights of police cars, with the letters “LNG” in white written on the side of each vehicle. Regnier sighed. He knew well what that meant.

“I'm Lieutenant Bernard of the Gendarmerie Nationale,” the uniformed man introduced himself. He was surrounded by other gendarmes, in vests and armed. “Did something happen for you to come to my house this early in the morning, Lieutenant?” Regnier asked, surprised and displeased. “I'm afraid so, sir. Please come with us” Bernard replied.

Regnier got into one of the cars with Bernard, very reluctantly. He looked back and saw his wife watching him from inside the window of their house, with a worried face. Regnier sighed. This exhausting job was killing him, and little by little he felt more and more distant from his family. But he needed the money, and as the Prosecutor of the Laeden Prosecutor's Office he knew full well that he needed to be ready to answer any kind of call, even at dawn.

The squad cars sped away, leaving the calm and quiet neighborhood where Regnier lived and heading toward the center of town. Volyènne was the heart of Laeden's economy. A cosmopolitan city that housed corporate headquarters, offices, industries and all kinds of businesses. It lived on commerce, exports, the financial market and the ambition of the men who came to live here seeking wealth and power. Even at dawn, the tall buildings of the city had their lights on, and in some it was possible to see the silhouette of workers sitting in their chairs or walking hurriedly from one side to the other. The streets, even at dawn, were full of people in suits, advertisements and billboards, loud sounds and the smell of fast food. The typical urban chaos that made the city loved and hated in equal measure.

“Are we heading towards the harbor?” Regnier asked, finally breaking the silence that had been going on for a few minutes. "Yes sir" Lieutenant Bernard replied. "Can I Know the reason?" Regnier asked, already impatient with the possibility that it was some economic question, some problem with some import and export company, or perhaps some formality that required his presence.

“Sir,” Lieutenant Bernard said, turning to him. “An hour ago a vessel was intercepted by elements of our Coast Guard, coming from the south. The vessel was badly damaged, and inside it was a group of Avaronese. They looked very shaken and worried. We escorted them here and questioned what had happened, but they refused to speak. They said they would tell everything through an agreement. An agreement that they would not be arrested or punished. They demanded it and said it is an urgent matter.”

Regnier scratched his chin. ''So you mean you woke me up at dawn to talk to half a dozen dealers, smugglers or whatever these bums are? Lieutenant Bernard nervously replied "Master Regnier, we searched the vessel and found no drugs, weapons or illegal products". At this moment, Regnier was furious. “Obviously they didn't find it! What kind of idiot would store drugs on a boat when he sees the Coast Guard coming? They must have gotten rid of everything, threw the cargo into the sea so they wouldn't be incriminated.” At this moment, the driver of the vehicle, an old man with a sergeant's badge on his right arm, spoke in a gravelly voice, “Excuse me, Master Regnier. These men were in formal wear. They didn't have drugs, but they had notebooks, notebooks and other instruments that I've never seen in my 22 years in the Gendarmerie. And by the look on their faces, I can assure you: these men are not drug dealers”. Regnier nodded and scratched his chin again.

It didn't take long for the cars to pass through the gates of the headquarters of the Captaincy of the Ports of Volyènne, where they were awaited by other gendarmes and men of the Coast Guard. Regnier got out of the car and was escorted into the building, being led by Lieutenant Bernard to a meeting room. In this room there were twelve men seated in plastic chairs, three men standing and one seated in a chair in front of a table. All were handcuffed and guarded by gendarmes. Lieutenant Bernard motioned for Regnier to sit on the other side of the table and talk to the Avarones who, he supposed, was the leader of the group.

Regnier sat up and stared at the man. The Avaronese was tall, with a good build and a serious face. He was the only one who was calm, most of his classmates were visibly shaken and nervous. The two stared at each other for long minutes, in a kind of silent fencing, as if they were measuring each other's strength. But Regnier was the first to speak: “And then? Did you call me here to look at me?”

The Avaronese looked away for a moment, and then began to speak, in his thick, thick accent. “See, master procurator. My colleagues and I have very valuable information that is of interest to the Laeden government. But we find ourselves in a... how shall I say... a vulnerable legal situation. So I thought of a deal. We tell you what you want to know and in return you let us go. Free.”

Before the prosecutor could respond, a Coast Guard gendarme burst into the room and, apologizing, placed a dossier detailing the situation on the table. Regnier read the pages carefully while the other men waited tensely for the prosecutor's response. After a few minutes, having finished his reading, Regnier looked at the Avaronese and questioned him: “You were persecuted into Laedenian territory. The information I got is that there were ships from Martenyika after you and that you came from Sunset Isle. I'm not going to give you any guarantees because you're involved in very, very serious crimes. And I doubt your information is really valuable enough to make up for all that.”

Faced with the procurator's incredulity, the Avaronese smiled. “Ah, master solicitor. Do not worry. I guarantee you that you will not regret it.” There was something in the man's gaze, something that stirred a mixture of fear and curiosity in Regnier. The prosecutor leaned back, taking a deep breath. He was facing a critical moment. Signing an agreement with the Avaronese could lead to notoriety and promotion, if the information were true and worthwhile. However, if all this was just a deception, Regnier knew that he would fall into disgrace and that he would be exposed to shame before his peers, probably relegated to the most inglorious and most exhausting tasks of the prosecutor's career.

In a burst of courage, Regnier looked back at the Avaronese. He took a deep breath and said with conviction, “Very well. You and your colleagues have the deal. Legal immunity for the crimes committed and safe conduct to return to Avaron. Now tell me everything”.

The Avaronese smiled and nodded.

[Laeden]

A Red Sun Rises

07:41 AM - 30/01/2022
Arcadia, Laeden

Escorted by members of the Republican Guard, old Admiral Galland crossed the grand entrance hall of the Laeden Senate, and strode to an elevator, where other guards were waiting for him. Although it was still very early in the morning, the central pavilion of the Senate was already swarming with countless advisors, secretaries, consultants and analysts who worked from early on to assist the illustrious senators (who did not usually arrive at the Senate before 10:00).

The elevator ascended, to the sound of calm instrumental music that could barely disguise the tension in the air. Admiral, now a minister, Galland had been chosen by the Consul to head the Ministry of Defense exactly one day ago. He didn't expect to have to show up so early to such an important meeting. After so many years in naval fatigues, the suit and tie looked strange and he felt strangely naked, weak, like a lion without its mane.

The elevator reached the designated floor, and Galland advanced, always surrounded by the Republican Guard. The guards guided him through a long, richly decorated hallway with large windows that allowed Arcadia to be seen from one of its best angles. The guards continued until they reached a door. They stopped by the door, signaling that Minister Galland should enter, alone. For all his naval career, Galland still felt uneasy navigating the uncertain seas of politics. After a brief moment of hesitation, which was rare for him, the minister put his hand on the handle and opened the door.

Inside the luxurious office he found the Chairman of the Senate, Alphonse Gannet, Chief Justice Gilles Saignes and the Director of the National Information Department, Pierre Augerau, seated. “Gentlemen,” Galland said, giving a polite greeting. “Mr. Galland! It's a pleasure to have you here. Please have a seat,” Gannet said, smiling broadly, gesturing to a nearby armchair.

Galland sat down, though he still felt uncomfortable. Consul Gaspard d'Albignac was not present, and he sensed that there was something clandestine about this meeting. “May I know what happened?” the admiral asked fearfully. His question was answered by director Augerau, who, without speaking a word, placed a copy of the newspaper L'Héraut on Galland's lap, whose headline read "Avaronese escape justice in Laeden after revealing treasure on Sunset Isle." Galland, visibly surprised, continued reading the article, which narrated in detail the arrival of the Avaronese fleeing the Martenyika navy, their agreement with the prosecutor Gustave Regnier and the presence of natural resources on the island that, previously , was completely ignored by the government.

"What is this?" Galland asked, confused. "This, Minister Galland, is a crisis," Senator Gannet replied, standing up and pouring a glass of whiskey. The senator offered it to Galland, who declined, and then offered it to Justice Saignes. “And that's why we asked you to come to this little meeting,” added Gannet.

"Crisis?" Galland asked, rubbing his eyes. “We hoped that our agreement with the Avaronese would be discreet. However, after they were released, a reporter from L'Héraut managed to convince them to give an interview telling them everything that happened. They have already returned to Avaron, but the information has leaked. It is only a matter of time before this comes to the attention of the Martenyika government, and when they do, there will be an international incident to determine who owns the island,” Augerau said.

“It's a diplomatic crisis, then,” Galland replied. “Where is the foreign minister?”. Gannet sighed, disconcerted. “Minister Saurnier is on an official visit to Ainslie and will not be able to participate in the negotiations. However..." the senator said, stopping abruptly and looking away, looking out the window with a thoughtful and hesitant expression. “However,” continued Augerau, “we anticipate that the crisis may go beyond the strictly diplomatic sphere and take on military proportions.”

Galland looked at Augerau, surprised and shocked. "A war?" he asked, fidgeting in his chair. “But Martenyika has been a friendly nation for decades! We have dozens of treaties with them!” exclaimed the admiral. "None of that changes the fact that they claim Sunset Isle is part of their territory," replied Justice Saignes. “And is this dispute enough to lead to war? Shouldn't we seek a diplomatic solution first?" Galland questioned. "We should," answered Gannet. “But Matenyika already considered itself the owner of the island before the discovery of the resources. Now that we know the island is a gold mine, they are unlikely to relinquish their claims through diplomatic channels.”

Galland leaned back in his chair. The news of a possible armed conflict hit him like a punch in the pit of the stomach. For a moment he felt dizzy, short of breath, as if his tie were choking him. “Has the Consul already been alerted to this? What are his orders?” Galland asked. The three men looked at each other, disconcerted. “The Consul d'Albignac is a good man and an extraordinary leader... in times of peace. Understand, Minister Galland, that we are close to conflict. And d'Albignac is not ready for a situation of this nature," Gannet explained.

“What are you suggesting?” Galland asked, scenting the danger in the senator's words. “What I want to say, Minister, is that in the face of this scenario, we need stronger leadership, capable of taking drastic measures and coordinating our forces. There is no one better for that than you.” Galland watched wide-eyed as Augerau added, “No one has as distinguished a history of service as you, Minister Galland. If anyone is qualified to lead us right now, it is you.”

“Are you suggesting a coup?” exclaimed Galland furiously. "Are you suggesting that I stab the man who promoted me to minister in the back, the man to whom I pledged allegiance to accept this post?" Gannet raised his hands in a placating sign. “Please Minister Galland. calm down. It's nothing like that," said the senator. “No one here suggests that you betray the Consul. There is a way to nominate you to a leadership position without removing the Consul d'Albignac from office," Gannet explained, looking at Justice Saignes.

The old judge amended: “Our Constitution of 1609 has a clause that, in times of war, when the head of state is unable to lead the country, a Proconsul can be appointed who will perform military and diplomatic functions in order to ensure national defence. The consul will remain in his position and will be responsible for activities of a strictly civil nature.” Saignes took a break, breathing. “This standard has never been used in practice, and its application today would require a certain… interpretive flexibility, so to speak. But the legal provision was never revoked, and therefore it is valid”.

Galland looked at Saignes suspiciously. “Interpretive flexibility, sir?” he asked. “That seems to me a flattering name for what I prefer to call a velvet coup,” added the minister sternly. “Take care of military affairs, Mr Minister” replied Justice Saignes, with a sparkling look although his voice was soft and kind, “and leave the legal matters to those who understand them”, added the judge.

"Now, gentlemen, let's take it easy!" interrupted Senator Gannet. “This is no time for institutional raids. Minister, the Senate has already been consulted informally and I was assured that this political maneuver would have broad support”, explained Gannet. “I know this may hurt your feelings of military honor, but I beg you to listen to reason. We are in a crisis situation and, at this moment, every precious second that passes makes our position difficult. I ask, please accept the position of Proconsul” said the senator, in a pleading voice.

"All the orders are ready, Minister," said Director Augerau, presenting Galland with some paperwork. “Here is an ultimatum to be sent to the embassy of Martenyika, informing you that as of midnight today any military movement within a 10 km radius of the island, or any military or civilian landing, on Sunset Isle, will be considered an act of war. This other role is the mobilization order of our national forces. This third party is a memorandum to be sent to our friendly nations. And this last one..." the director said, slowly, "is the document of your official appointment to the post of Proconsul. All the other signatures are already in it, only yours is missing.”

Galland watched the men, who were staring at him with great anticipation in their eyes. His blood ran cold, but at the same time, something in his heart told him that all his life, all his trials, had brought him to this moment. And that this last honor would be the ultimate challenge, the last battle he would face in his long and distinguished naval career. He knew well that there was no other man in Laeden who could lead the country in this hour of crisis. Nobody but him. "I do this not for myself," said Minister Galland, "but for the security and prosperity of our nation." Having said these words, the minister took strength and signed the paper. And when he put down his pen he was no longer a minister, but Proconsul of Laeden.

[Wellsia]

3:00 AM 31/01/2020
Hadast, Wellsia

The Chamberlain gently touched King Himilco's shoulder giving it a slight nudge, "Your Majesty, your majesty, wake up please."
Himilco looked up at the frowning face leaning over him. "What is it Kanmi?"
"Your Majesty, both the Chancellors of the Kigdom, and of State, with a number of others are in the ante room and await your pleasure, sire."
"What the hell time is it anyway?"
"3:00 AM, Your Majesty."
"Damn, fine, get my brown suit and inform them we will be right down."
Yes, Your Majesty, your brown suit and your valets are in the dressing room."

30 minutes later
"Good morning, why are we meeting at this ungodly hour, it had better be something important." Himilco spoke as he entered the room, The half dozen people already there jumped to their feet and bowed toward his majesty.
"Your Majesty," spoke Ahiram, the Chancellor of State, "there seems to be a crisis developing near Sunset Island is South Mesder, off the west coast of Martenyika."
"What is Sunset Island and why is it a crisis for us, that caused you to deserve our sleep?"
"Sire, if I may continue, this morning Ambassador Suusandar of Laeden sent a communicate to my office, for some reason it wasn't marked urgent, so I didn't receive it till about two hours ago. I contacted Ashtszaph and my staff and here we are, sire. I'm sure once you hear about it, you will understand my concern."
Himilco sat and looked at his Chancellor, with a nod, "Continue".
Ahriman turned to his assistant; "Miss Arinna, if you will please."
Arinna, swallowed as she stood up, being a junior analyst, she never expected having to make a report to the Chancellor, much less the King, but she had been the one who has received the communicate. Taking a deep breath, she started, "Your Majesty, your excellencies, according to the communicate that was received from Ambassador Suusander, yesterday morning the Laedean Coast Guard intercepted a small boat being chased by Martenyikan naval vessels. From a news article in the L'Heraut, it seems the vessel was man by Avaronese, who claimed that Sunset Island, is a virtual treasure trove."
Himlico interrupted, "While this is all interesting, how does this effect us? This would seem to be a Marenyikan problem."
Ahrimam came to his analyst 's aid, 'Your Majesty, actually both Laeden and Martenyika claim the island, and that is the problem, sire. Arinna continue."
If she had been nervous before, Arinna was now down right scared. Looking at His Majesty, she saw him give her a smile, which restored her confidence and allowed her to continue. "The Laeden government has taken this information extremely serious and word is they may now attempt to enforce their claim on the island, by any and all means. According to reports from Laeden, yesterday morning, the Laedenean Senate invoked a forgotten part of their constitution, and gave a Minister Galland the position of Proconsul. Minister Galland was a long time member of the Laeden Navy, reaching the rank of Admiral, before his appointment to Defense Minister. From what I can understand, having researched the term in Laeden law, it would seem that the title grants the holder near dictatorial powers in dealing with military affairs, but has little impact on civil ones.
Himilco sat up straight in his chair and looked around the room at the faces of those gathered. His attention now fully on the matter at hand. "Let us understand this, are you saying that Laeden is preparing for war over this island?"
Ahrimam spoke again, "It would seem so, Your Majesty, in preparation, I have contacted the Great General Staff and ordered them to have the Central Section send over all information on both Laeden and Martenyika.
Ashtzaph, the Chancellor of the Kingdom spoke up: "Your Majesty, this may be a blessing in disguise. A war between Laeden and Martenyika would disrupt trade around South Argus."
"Please pray tell Ashtzaph, how disruption of trade will benefit us?"
"Your Majesty, Laeden is a major food supplier to Balnik and other parts of Gael. War with Martenyika would prevent Laedenean ships from taking food imports to Balnik, unless they use the canals which would cause a major increase in shipping costs. This would force Balnik and Laeden's other trading partners in Gael and the Southern Sea to look elsewhere."
Himilco rubbed his chin as he listened to to Chancellor. "You may just have something there, I'm sure Chernobog is having a similar meeting in Rustov. Ahrimam, we think it would be prudent to contact our Ambassador in Rustov, have him set up a meeting with the proper officials and let Balnik know that Wellsia will be more then willing to assist with any disruption or shortages of food and other essential imports that the trouble between Laeden and Martenyika may cause."
Himilco stood up, followed by the others in the room. 'We will meet again in the morning, at a more godly hour, to discuss how we will proceed. Ahrimam, we want a coordinated effort from all departments and cooperation from military, diplomatic and trade. In fact Miss Arinna, we are appointing you as head of this committee and will expect a detailed report at the next meeting, Ahrimam, Ashtzaph you will provide her with all and any information she will need. Until tomorrow, dismissed."

[Ainslie]

Tranquility Lost | Sunset RP
9:48am, 30 January 2022
Risden Offices, Arnton, Ainslie

The sunrise, by this time, was slowly losing its colour over the tranquil parklands which the Barradar River gently lapped against. Once a feared waterway known for its mighty floods, it has now become a refuge place for many in this often confused and stressful city to find some peace in the busy day they often face in the centre of the city of Arnton - a prominent place in its own right, let alone for its unique combination of high-tech corporations, not-for-profit organisations and some of the most extensive diplomatic regions throughout Gael. Its walkways, which often had uninterrupted views of the River, were frequented by the powerful and the soon-to-be powerful alike. Diplomats, politicians and prominent figures have all stepped foot on these formed cement walking routes as they meander in front of and behind some of the most important buildings in the entire nation.

Normally by this time, everyone would be working - providing an apt opportunity for the most powerful woman in the country to go on a relaxing, relatively uninterrupted stroll along some of the best the city had to offer. Prime Minister Elliana Gifford, just within the sight of her bodyguards several metres behind, watched her footsteps, listening to the rhythm of her shoes hitting the ground, focusing simply on not only the exercise she was getting in but also the abundant birdlife which flourished along this corridor of parkland.

It was twenty-ish minutes of pure bliss every day - a time which she treasured very deeply. Eventually, the walk would end next to the obtuse and relatively short structure which was the Risden Offices, a key cog in the bureaucratic machine which is the Ahnslen Federal Government. After a few minutes, she reached the offices - her workplace. She walked through the back doors to which very few had access to and the Prime Minister along with her bodyguards made their way up to the third floor via a secluded lift tucked away in the building.

By the time she got to her office, the inevitable would happen as it does every morning. On a good day, her assistant Jacques would gently knock on the door a few minutes after she found her seat to let her know the days schedule. On a bad day, her Chief of Staff would be sitting in a chair waiting for the Prime Minister to make her way into the office after her walk ready to drop some bad news she would have to quickly react to.

It was one of those days.

Sam Gerindi, the Chief of Staff, sat in a chair facing the desk of the Prime Minister, scrolling through his phone. Rested against where he was sitting was a stack of files, ones which she would assume she was about to become very well acquainted with.

“Good morning, Sam. I trust we have much to discuss.”, the Prime Minister (PM) said in a cheerful yet false tone.

“Yes Madarne Prime Minister, there are some concerning developments in South Argus that we thought would be best to bring to your attention without delay.”, Sam (S) replied.

“South Argus… interesting… what is the reason for bringing this to my attention?”, the Prime Minister inquisitively responded as she pulled out her chair and sat down behind her desk.

S: “There has been some military activity by the Martenyikan Government in an island chain that is disputed territory.”

PM: “Disputed by…?”

S: “Laeden.”

The Prime Minister dropped her head, letting it land on her interlocked fingers which rested nervously on the desk. She then lifted up her head again, brushed her hair away from her face and then continued the conversation.

PM: “The Laedenian Government has not shown itself to be a particularly belligerent or imperialistic entity. Surely this will be dealt with through diplomatic channels, as the Laedenians would be well acquainted with.”

S: “There’s been what we believe is a division of power between the Consul and a position called the Proconsul, which their new Defence Minister has been elevated to.”

PM: “Legitimately elevated?”

S: “Appears so. Whilst controversial and untraditional, it does seem like a move with good standing constitutionally speaking.”

PM: “Call around to some academics, get some of their opinions during the course of the morning - please. And after they speak on television, too. I dare say we shall learn their opinions over television and then will be able to ask better questions afterwards.”

S: “Will do.”

PM: “Back to Laeden. Their Foreign Minister was in town the past few days. Has he left yet?”

S: “No, it does not appear so. I talked with Arnton Air Control this morning and it appears that they have postponed their return to Arcadia for a day or two.”

PM: “Good. We should have him come in this afternoon. Let’s see if he tries to smoothen things over.”

S: “And the Laedenian ambassador? What about the Martenyikans?”

PM: “Bring the Laedenian in. We shall talk to him and the Foreign Minister before the Martenyikans. We should have their ambassador - Aurélia Mbassi I believe her name was - come in soon after. She is a quite even-handed and fair character, I’ve had plenty of good conversations with her - both working ones and more general conversation. We shall then call the Martenyikans if they’ve got a line free. I believe the Doraltic will be particularly interested in airing their grievances, so it’ll be unlikely that we’ll get much of a chance to clearly outline our view to them today.”

S: “One more thing - it appears that there have been rumours of potential naval movements - from nations all across The Western Isles. The Doraltic have quietly sent a strong indication to us that they will send some assets, the Martenyikans have already deployed and I dare say the Proconsul of Laeden will not be far behind.”

PM: “We’ll need our own eyes down there then. Talk to the Defence Ministry, get them to draft something up and bring it to me by what should be our close of business.”

S: “Long night ahead?”

PM: “From the sounds of things yes. Might as well get the takeaway order ready now and a call off to my husband saying I’ll be home late.”

S: “If anyone in government asks - with the appropriate clearance of course - what the general response is, what should I be telling them?”

PM: “Watching and waiting. This is a high risk situation for Ainslie to get itself involved with at any depth until we have more clearer facts. There is no need to act yet and we shall not act in haste unless there is a need to. We need to learn more - know more about what is going on. We won’t fly in blind. Not in these circumstances, at least. If military escalation begins, that changes.”

S: “Understood.”

A brief gap of silence between the PM and her Chief of Staff was soon interrupted by a light but assured knock on the door.

“Yes Jacques, come in”, the Prime Minister called out.

“Madarne, Tim Arellow of the International Parks and Nature Organisation is in the lobby.”, the assistant (J) began.

PM: “The director of IPNO? What is he doing here?”

J: “He wanted to talk about something that’s happening in Sunset Isle. He seemed quite irate, according to reception.”

The Prime Minister gave a concerned look to her Chief of Staff. It was not uncommon for a not for profit to try and make some big unexpected move like turning up unannounced but the fact that they knew enough about Sunset Isle to have the nerve to do such a stunt troubled her.

PM; “Ok, send him in in a couple of minutes. Maybe he knows something we don’t.”

The assistant then nodded and gently closed the door, leaving only Sam and the PM in the room.

“Shall I leave you two alone to talk?”, Sam asked.

“No. Two are better than one, they have good return for their efforts.”, she replied.

Sam seemed slightly puzzled by that response but nodded and remained seated.

The assistant then returned, opening the door for the man to walk straight in. He was a relatively well built fellow, with a white hair and a reasonably well trimmed greying beard. As per usual, he was dressed in casual IPNO attire and not the typical suit you would see around these parts.

Elliana stood up, smiled and shook the hand of the man and then made her way back to her seat, gesturing towards a chair he could sit on. Sam nodded at the man as he sat down.

PM: “So, what do I account such an unexpected appearance to, Mr Arellow?”

“Please, call me Tim.” The Director (T) replied.

PM: “Well then, Tim. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

T: “We have received word that there has been a worrying build up of activity in Sunset Isle, a place Martenyika and Laeden have been throwing barbs at each other over for years.”

PM: “That’s what our sources are telling us too. Is there anything beyond that your organisation is concerned about? Is there something we have missed here?”

T: “As you would know, IPNO is a leader in the environmentalist cause across The Western Isles. We routinely protect the ways of life of those who have close connections to the land and we protest against unjust or unfair disturbances to land and sea - consistent with beliefs I’m sure many in these parts of town would have.”

PM: “Indeed, myself included. Whilst I have not always agreed with the way IPNO has presented its case to the people, the concerns and arguments of your organisation are normally quite compelling and reasonable. What specifically has your people concerned?”

T: “An ancient isolationist culture calls the island home. A group who can be particularly violent yet are extremely vulnerable to what the outside world may expose them to - whether that be cultural decay, disease or the geopolitical game that is playing out all around them. There’s also endangered trees on the island and the extent of the natural resources in and around the island could cause significant problems. Mining and resource extraction could be catastrophic to the island’s ecosystem let alone the Akari people who call the island home. Then there is the flow on effects this has for carbon emissions and naturally Kirsdoff Protocol commitments that nations have - particularly that of Laeden, who I note are fresh faces on the Climate Response Council.

A race to extract resources would not only be environmentally destructive in an unacceptable manner. It could cause significant geopolitical issues, decay the authority of the Climate Response Council and the Protocol and threaten the environmentalist movement as a whole.

That is putting aside the real chance of war that could occur.”

PM: “War? You really think they are going to go to war over this place?”

T: “I’m not an expert on South Argean geopolitics but it seems the Laedenians are pretty locked into getting this island. And they may very well have the support and goodwill from the international community to wage a successful annexation and subsequent exploitation of the land without many consequences.”

The Prime Minister listened intently before asking another question.

“So, tell me. What makes this different to the Southpaw Atoll situation that occurred not long ago? Significant deposits were found then but no one seemed particularly interested and it fizzled out.”

T: “With all due respect, this is not like Southpaw. Both of these nations believe that Sunset Isle belongs to them despite the existence of an independent nation on that land. That was before these resources were discovered. There are also very quick manoeuvres and actions being taken now, which was not the case with Southpaw. As IPNO saw it, the actors surrounding that situation were far more calculated and less hasty in their approach. This is getting heated. But like I said, no expert.”, Tim replied before offering a brief smile.

PM: “Thank you, Tim. This has been an insightful conversation. I do hope your organisation will keep us in the loop as to any new learnings or developments that you discover in Sunset Isle.”

“I shall send some people with additional reports we have about the island by the end of the day. From there, we shall do the best we can. Thank you for your time and for your support to our cause.”, Tim concluded before standing up and leaving the room in a much more relaxed state than he arrived in.

[Martenyika]

10+ Kilometers off Sunset Isle

Captain Edris Limbay examined the horizon as he took a sip of his tea. From his perch up in the bridge of buoy tender RMNS Renisse Kosi, he could see the dark, disgruntled waters for kilometers around. The clouds were equally dark and disgruntled, and in between the two there was a mere suggestion of sky which struggled to distinguish itself. On the other hand, Captain Limbay's eyes had little trouble fixating on the sunshaft which had been boring its way through a cloudbank three points off the starboard bow for awhile. It was a literal bright spot on this patch of ocean, but at the same time it was the only bright spot in Limbay's mind. Ancient seafarers might have taken it as a good omen or gracious protection of a god, he thought. It was a remarkable sight, but it didn't subdue the pessimistic lump in the pit of his stomach. Neither did the tea.

He looked back down at the weather report still clutched in his left hand, and re-read its contents for the third time. Shockingly, nothing in the report had changed since the previous two perusals. Conditions at the next buoy were expected to worsen by the time they would reach it, but probably not enough to interfere with operations, let alone pose an existential threat to the ship and her crew. Probably.

This was the last portion of this patrol, the last buoy, Edris Limbay's very last patrol before retirement...and the communications system had gone completely out. They could no longer contact the Martenyikan frigate Adrian Nyobe in case anything went wrong in the relatively near future. The frigate had been patrolling the area and escorting the buoy tender, until some foreign boat tried to escape with the Nyobe in tow.

If the sunshaft was a good omen, the communications cutting out exactly when they could be needed most was a bad one in Captain Limbay's book. And not only that, some other issues had plagued old girl Renisse in the last few days. The crew diligently fixed those issues, but what else was in store?

***

The captain was pleased with his crew's work on the buoy, which had been going on for awhile with suspicious ease. The wind, swells, and rain had certainly picked up rapidly within the past several minutes. The waves kept threatening to wash over the gunwales, but it looked like the job would be completely finished in a few minutes anyway. The buoy was already being lowered back into the water and the deck hands were preparing to release lines.

This is too good to be true he thought, rightfully.

"Captain, you need to see this, off to starboard!"

Captain Limbay tore his attention away from the maintenance deck and scrambled across to the other side of the bridge. He looked out the starboard windows, and was momentarily paralyzed by what he saw. The Renisse Kosi was presently broadside to an approaching rogue wave.

"Right full rudder!" the Captain ordered without even thinking about it, "sound the alarm!" There wasn't much more he could do at this point but watch as the deck hands scrambled, listen to the XO warn the crew, and stare down the wave. It arrived all too soon.

"All hands brace for impact, brace for impact!"

It was like a hurricane in a kiddie pool for RMNS Renisse Kosi. She had no chance.

---

10:09 AM - 31/01/2022
Kessa, Martenyika

President Maxime Zubele put all the papers back together in the correct order, and set the briefing folder on his lap. The presidential palace was coming into full view as the helicopter came in on its approach. It wasn't that long ago that he was enjoying vacation at the Royal Savannahs in eastern Martenyika, unaware that a group of Avaronese people with a boat would end up causing an entire international incident between Martenyika and Laeden over Sunset Isle. The helicopter jump from Kessa International to the palace allowed some time to familiarize himself with the situation, thanks to the briefing his staff hastily threw together. It didn't have every detail, but he was sure he would learn more in a minute.

Once he stepped off the helicopter, President Zubele was immediately met by his senior aide, Manuel Fassie. Fassie escorted the president over towards the palace's rear entrance, only speaking once the sound of the helicopter's rotors wasn't so loud as to make it pointless.

"We're sorry we had to pull you away, Mr. President, but I think you see why this Sunset Isle issue is raising everyone's eyebrows?!"

"Yes!" the president nodded, gesturing with the briefing folder.

"Well, there's something else! I'll tell you inside!" Fassie said, still with a raised voice. Once they got through and closed the door, things were much quieter.

"There's something else? What's happened now?"

"Yes sir, one of our naval ships may have gone missing in the Sunset Isle area." Once he heard this, Zubele stopped walking.

"The navy lost a ship? That's the last thing we need right now."

"Well, we can neither confirm nor deny that--we don't know Mr. President. Please right this way sir, they're waiting for you in the situation room, as you requested."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the President," President Zubele heard his aide announce, as he entered the situation room. The room was packed with diplomatic and military brass sitting at the conference table and along walls. Zubele made his way through to the head of the large conference table, set his folder down, and took a seat. Everyone else followed suit.

"Thank you all for coming. Let's begin. I was told that this whole affair required my immediate attention, and even before touching down outside I agreed. But now I've been told that we may have...lost track of a one of our naval vessels. I'd like to hear directly from the navy regarding this."

"Mr. President," the naval brass began, "you'll recall that the Adrian Nyobe broke off to pursue the Avaronnese boat as far as Laedenian waters on the night of the 29th to 30th. The last report we received from the buoy tender Renisse Kosi was from later in the morning, about 6 AM. We lost contact with her after that. The Nyobe has returned to the area, but hasn't been able to find any trace of her at this time."

"Do we have any idea where it might be in relation to the 10 km exclusion zone?"

"The buoy tender was skirting that line due to the nature of its work, Mr. President, but there are potential scenarios where compromised systems, bad weather and so forth may have put her off course in some way. Of course, we can't rule out a potential sinking."

"Hmm, thank you," President Zubele nodded. He leaned in with clasped hands on the table, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he continued, "I think we obviously have to consider a scenario where there is a Martenyikan ship, or sailors stranded on or very near Sunset Isle, within the exclusion zone. We may not know if that is the case yet, or...maybe if there even are survivors, as terrible as that would be. Regardless, I want the Laedenian embassy to be notified of this matter immediately. Tell them that we will be performing search and rescue operations in the vicinity of Sunset Isle."

"What if something is spotted within the ten kilometer zone, sir?" Minister of Defense André Themba inquired.

"Tell them...our duty is to locate and recover what we can of the ship and her crew. At this time we have no intention of landing on the island. We will not pass within ten kilometers of the isle without reasonable cause, such as to recover Martenyikan personnel."

"Mr. President," Themba spoke up again, "surely you understand that effectively, this admits we are willing to violate their ultimatum, committing a nominal act of war."

"With respect Minister, this probably wasn't the kind of situation they had in mind. My department can help smooth it over by framing it more as an isolated humanitarian concern, not necessarily a military one," Deputy Chief of Foreign Affairs Simone Tumi spoke up, "we can recommend actually inviting the Laedenians to help search efforts in the area."

"Do we think that's a good idea at this point?" the defense minister asked, glancing betweeen Tumi and President Zubele. The president looked at Deputy Chief Tumi intently, providing the queue to elaborate.

"It won't make the whole matter go away, but we believe it may keep things from escalating further, at least temporarily. It gives them an 'out,' if you will."

"How do we know it wouldn't just escalate things more?"

"Well," President Zubele stroked his beard, "we can assume they'd be sending ships anyways, correct? And in the meantime, it should help our diplomatic optics to extend an olive branch. Unfortunately it won't make the Sunset Isle issue go away, however I have made up my mind. We will respond to Laedenian transgressions firmly, but fairly, and diplomatically at this time. We have to do what is right.

We will notify the Laedenians of the situation with the navy vessel, and our intentions, and urge them to help search efforts. I want the relevant naval assets to be readied for tasking, and a second frigate to be deployed to help Adrian Nyobe with the efforts immediately. Additionally, there should be a note of protest issued to the Laedenian government for imposing the ultimatum in the first place and harboring fugitives. And lastly, I want an extradition request sent to the Avaronese government for those fugitives. Is this understood?"

[Laeden]

20:05 – 04/02/2022
Defense Minister’s Cabinet – Arcadia, Laeden

“My lord Proconsul” Admiral Lacan, recently promoted to commander of the Laeden Navy, announced himself, with a vigorous salute. He wore the Navy dress uniform, a beautiful garment worn only in very special circumstances.

“Ah, Lacan” the also admiral, minister and now Proconsul Galland replied. “Come, sit here,” he added, waving to one of the chairs.

The sun had already given way to the dark night, lit by stars and city light, perfectly visible to Galland from the top of his office in the imposing Ministry of Defense building.

“I imagine you've already seen the message from the Martenyika government,” Lacan commented, being responded to by a gesture from Galland, who pointed to a sheet of paper resting on his desk. ''In this case'' Lacan continued, ''how shall we proceed?''.

“They asked for our help in rescuing the sailors lost on the island,” Galland said contemplatively, leaning back and gazing at the horizon.

“The fact that they did this signals that they recognize that the island belongs to us, and that they respect our ultimatum,” Lacan suggested shyly. Lacan was an excellent soldier and a very competent sailor, but he lacked the necessary subtlety to understand politics. He knew this and knew his role well, which pleased Galland, his career colleague and, many times in the past, his ship's friend.

“No,” Galland replied, calmly. “This reinforces their position. The fact that they invite us to participate in the searches means that they are as convinced as we are.” Galland looked at Lacan and realized that his colleague was confused. “Look, my friend,” explained the Proconsul, “by inviting us to the search, they sent us a message. They showed us that they consider themselves the island's rulers. That's why they invited us. You don't invite someone to a place that doesn't belong to you, you know? If they thought the island was ours, they would not invite us to help with the search, they would ask us to conduct the search ourselves.”

"Politics..." Lacan replied tersely, shaking his head in a negative way to indicate that his mind was not made for this kind of consideration. “In that case, how are we going to respond?”

"We will go for it!" Galland said vigorously.

"We will?" asked Lacan. "I don't understand, wouldn't that reinforce the thesis that the island belongs to them?"

“Precisely the opposite,” Galland replied. “This call for help from Martenyika is the perfect opportunity. Under the guise of helping with the search, we're going to send a task force, nothing too big so as not to scare them, and we're going to land a troop of marines on the island. We're going to occupy the island, to look for the castaways, but we won't leave afterwards. If Martenyika tries to enter the island, after that, they will have to face our troops that will already be stationed there. Do you understand?” said the Proconsul.

“Yes… yes, sir” replied Lacan, at first timidly, but later with more enthusiasm. “But… what about the natives? The Akari? They are hostile and violent” questioned the admiral.

“I'm sure our boys will know how to take care of them,” Galland declared tersely. “When will our ships be ready to depart?”

"It must be remembered, sir, that part of our fleet is undergoing maintenance, and that the marines still need to be grouped and equipped..." Lacan began to say, before being rudely interrupted.

"When?" Galland asked again, forcefully.

"Noon." Lacan responded immediately.

“Make it sooner” Galland replied. “Right now, timing and speed are essential. Time is running against us, Lacan” the Proconsul added, getting up and heading towards the navy commander, who was also on his feet. Galland rested his hand on Lacan's shoulder and sighed. “This is our test. The test of our careers. For better or worse, the acts that will take place in the coming days will define our history and the history of our country. We cannot fail”, the Proconsul said, emphatically, but with a tone of affinity and affection for the fellow admiral, with whom he has sailed so many times in the past. “We will not fail, sir” Lacan replied, firmly and decisively. Galland nodded, smiling.

10:21 - 05/02/2022
Naval Headquarters – Illion, Laeden

Admiral Lacan walks, calmly, taking a deep breath and feeling the sea breeze against his face and the smell of salt water that was already so familiar to him. A junior officer introduced himself, and began to speak:

“Mister Commander, the emergency preparations are already done. LNS Alleras, LNS Justice, LNS Patrie and LNS Caledonie are now armed and loaded, ready to sail. The LNS St. Jean Baptiste is finishing preparations, and the 600-strong marine task force is already on board. In an hour, the ships will be at sea,” said the young officer vigorously.

"Very good. Is LNS Épaulard ready?” asked Lacan.

"Yes sir. I have received confirmation that it has just been fueled at Volyènne and is ready to sail. He must join the fleet on the high seas,” replied the officer.

“Excellent” said Lacan, contemplating the fleet. Even though it was not at 100% combat capability, the Laeden Navy was still the pride of the nation, and it had powerful ships and audacious sailors capable of fulfilling the most dangerous and strenuous missions. Of this, Lacan was proud. He was proud of his country's naval tradition, and of the trust placed in the Armada.

“Sir,” the officer said, breaking the silence. “Excuse my intrusion, but this doesn't feel right. Three frigates and a destroyer are not a proper escort for our troop transport ship. Why aren't we sending more force?”

“Don't worry, son” Lacan replied. “The mission of these ships is deterrence, not combat. Let's show our strength and hope that foreigners understand who that island belongs to”.

“But, sir,” the officer said, once again. “What if the foreigners don't get the message?”

Lacan did not respond. At least not with words. The admiral sighed and looked to the horizon, watching the ships slowly leave the harbor and head towards danger and the unknown. The morning sunlight glistened on the ships' gray hulls, causing them to give off a soft glow that symbolized the Laedenian people's hope for peace and better days. This hope, Lacan reasoned, now depended on the fiber and strength of the Laeden Navy.

Laeden's Naval Task Force leaves the port of Illion heading to the disputed Sunset Isle

[Avaron]

16:12 - January 30, 2022
Department of Communications - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
San Marco, Avaron

The chief of staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivio Tozzi, visibly nervous, opens the door to the Minister's office. "Signore, we had a situation deploying in Laeden with some of our nationals"

"A situation?" replied the Minister, not taking his eyes off of the paperwork related to import and export agreements that usually took more than 90% of the time of any offcial in the ministry.

"Yes, sir, some nationals of Avaron, performing research and investigation activities at an Island close to Laeden and Martenyika, had their boat persecuted by Martenyikan vessels and found shelter in Laeden, but settled a deal with our friends' legal authorities and disclosed very sensitive and important information, mostly related to mineral reserves in the area", said Tozzi with a worried face.

"So, who did the boat belonged to? There's anyone in the government or close to it, which can be related to that activity?", said the minister taking a closer and most interested look to his cief of staff.

"I checked with the Ministries of Industry and Defence, with the Intelligence service and the Foreign trade authority but all denied any link to the bot or the men, I don't think they were working for anyone in the government, the boat registry linked it to a shady company named Trecento SL, which my preliminary search pointed to be involved with geological surveying"

A second of silence took place in the room when Tozzi continued. "They had handed to the Laedenians a report of substantial reserves of minerals in the island, as well a closer geographical survey, the information we received of the deal was that they would be allowed to return to Avaron as soon as possible".

"So, when they set foot in Avaron, get the Intelligence Service to detain them, as well as perform a deep investigation in the boat and the reports, all must be fully secretive, no information can be revealed to newspapers or anything else, I will ask the President and the Prime minister to keep the investigation as a level 1 secret case, if anyone leak this, I will myself be sure this person will face a firing squad quickier than I give excuses not to attending Minister Anconna's parties".

"Yes Sir, immediately"

23:05 - Feburary 4, 2022
Department of Communications - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
San Marco, Avaron

President Carlomagno Sforza was together with Prime Minister Enrico Avigneri, at the offcie of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the same time, two communications officials were ready to write and transmit the orders and announcements from the two most important figures of Avaron.

"Gentlemen, when you are ready, we can start", said the middle-aged communication officer responsible to checking and validating the documents before sending.

"Perfect", replied Sforza.

"So, let's start with the Laedenians, first send a congratulation for Admiral, I mean, Proconsul Galland, for his new position, tell that we are eager to continue working together, the standard we always have, also let him know, in a separate message, that the deal between our nationals and the authorities of Laeden not being accompanied by a consular authority of Avaron, make us think that we are not anymore trusted by them, our position will remain, in the current moment, of full neutrality in that matter, but as well let him know that when the situation is solved, we will be glad to engage in economic activites in the island, from minning, surveying, promoting tourism and other services that a developed region may need", said Avigneri, being replied by Sforza with a nod.

The prime minister continued "To the Martenyikans, let them know that we need moer information about the reasons for the extradiction requirement before we can send a formal reply to it, also inform that we are neutral in the situation and expect that when the situation is solved, we can engage in economic activities in the area, as well as keeping close economic ties to their nation, our most important goal is to keep global trade flowing, and increasing global prosperity through integration and economic growth".

Sforza waited Avigneri to end his speech and said "all information in these communications, send it as confidential and not intended for press release, our publicized offcial position will remain silence until second order".

"Yes sir" replied both the communication offcials.

"One more thing, I want you to visit Laeden and talk directly to Galland, as soon as possible", Sforza told Avigneri.

"Will do, let the MFA schedule the visit as routine", said Avigneri, with no facial expression.

"Great, let's eat something, I'm hungry, what do you prefer? Steak, Pasta or..", said Sforza, being immediately interrupted by Avigneri

"Seafood, it's 11 o clock, I don't want to sleep talking to the food, something lighter".

"Great, gentlemen, thank you for your service", said Sforza to the offcials in the room.

As both Sforza and Avigneri left the room, the documents were sent.

[Wellsia]

Hadast, Wellsia
February 7, 2022

Secretary Arinna looked out at the gathering, His Majesty King Himilco sat across from her, on the sides of the table, were both Chancellors and the commanders of both the Army and the Navy. Once again she couldn't believe that she was addressing such an august company, less then a week ago, she was just an unknown face in the foreign office reading non-essential communicates.
"Your Majesty, your excellencies, my staff and I have been following the events in and around Sunset Island. The Laeden Proconsul has issued an ultimatum to Martenyika to stay away from the island, after comparing the military strengths of the two nations, it would seem that Laeden has the advantage. We have also examined the military strengths of Dormil and Stiuria, Balnik, Azicona and Avaron".
"We can understand why you would include Avaron and even Azicona, but why the Gael nations?"
'Your Majesty, Dormil and Stiuria have a treaty with Laeden, give them use of one of their ports as a naval base, Balnik because of the importance of trade with Laeden."
His majesty nodded in approval, "continue."
"The most important thing we have learned is that six days ago a Matenyikian ship, the buoy tender Renisse Kosi vanished off the coast of Sunset Island. The Martenyikans informed Laeden that they are going to search for their missing sailors, and as of three days ago a task force left Laeden to assist in looking for the crew of the Renisse Kosi."
"Your Majesty," interrupted Admiral Bomilcar, "we have a couple of ships also in the area. The cruiser IRE Piru Kasiduti escorted by the destroyer IRE Mundahsu. The Piru Kasiduti is on her shake down cruise after a year in the yards and is sailing around South Argus, up the coast to the west end of the Aizconian Canal, and then across the Golden Gulf where she will become the command ship for the Gulf Fleet at Maleth".
"Your Majesty," spoke Chancellor Ahrima, "we should offer the Martnyikans our assistance is looking for their missing sailors, between the two ships we have a dozen helicopters to help them out with.
"Let them know, our ships are at their assistant, but also inform the Laedens of our intentions, we do not want any misunderstandings. Also, have we heard back from Balnik by our ambassador?"
"No your majesty, I will contact him as soon as the meeting is over."
"Secretary Arinna is there anything else? No, then let keep us informed to any future developments. Admiral Bomilcar, with the troubles at Sunset, let us pull ships from the other fleets and increase the Southern Fleet, also General Eshmanazar, I want an extra Marine regiment dispatched to the Southern Fleet as well. If there is nothing else, dismissed.

[Martenyika]

10:12 PM - 07/02/2022
Sunset Isle

As moonlight sifted through the Sunset Isle's tree canopy, a squad of six Martenyikan Navy Special Boat Regiment operatives continued their search mission for any of Renisse Kosi's lost sailors. A couple clues had pointed them inland, but they knew there weren't any guarantees they'd find anyone or anything further. A few hours had gone by since coming ashore from the submarine RMNS Zainabou, with nothing but fruitless status reports. It was like searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack, Petty Officer Aurelien Ramazani thought, except they didn't necessarily know if there was a needle on the haystack of the island. And the vegetation almost seemed as thick as a haystack at times.

"Hold, hold, hold. Be advised, I may have our subjects. I also see several armed contacts around them," Petty Officer Aurelien Ramazani heard his pointman, PO Kalunga, report through his earpiece. He dropped to a knee and scanned his surroundings as he responded.

"Are they natives?"

"No...they have fucking guns and gear. It's like an outpost."

"Standby," Ramazani replied. He moved forward to Kalunga's position, careful not to cause too much noise amongst the vegetation as he passed through; the other four operatives followed. Once he peeked out from behind the rock, he could see the issue. Indeed there was a small outpost in a clearing, not very far away. Three bound figures sat on the ground near a campfire, guarded by the well-armed men. Ramazani found it difficult to see everything with night vision, but needed them on in order to survey the rest of the area.

"Definitely not Akari," he stated dryly, looking over his shoulder to see the rest of the team huddled around, "okay. It looks like at least half a dozen pirates took our sailors hostage. We should be able to spook them and avoid a firefight, which wouldn't be good for our sailors. Hold fire and watch your shots. Understood?" The other operatives uttered their agreement.

"Ready? Go." Petty Officer Aurelien Ramazani shouldered his carbine and began crouch-walking towards the camp. He looked left and right to verify that the team was spaced out and in line with him, then fixated on the gunman straight ahead. He appeared to be a sentry, armed with a gun and a powerful flashlight.

"Down!" half-whispered Ramazani into the radio, as light raked over the area the team was currently in. He tightened the grip on his weapon in that tense moment, hoping that a combination of foliage, camouflage, darkness, and stillness would foil the sentry--rather than him foiling the SBR advance immediately. Nothing happened, and the light was gone as quickly as it arrived. They continued to advance. They were very close, yet still undetected. Just as the sentry was about to turn around with the light once more, Aurelien Ramazani double tapped the air above the camp. The two shots shattered any sense of peace on Sunset Isle that night.

"Haut les mains!" cried Ramazani and the SBR troops, "hands up!"

The answer was less than ideal: a hail of gunfire. It caused everyone to duck down. Ramazani lowered the muzzle of his carbine and opened up with two more shots, dropping the sentry straightaway. One of the enemies, who could just be seen reaching for a gun, was cut down by a burst from PO Bokito's light machine gun. As the operatives pushed in and the machine gun issued a couple more daunting bursts, it looked like the resistance retreated.

"Clear!" PO Ramazani cried, immediately moving to untie the distraught prisoners with half the team. They had buried their faces in the ground as soon as the shooting started; Ramazani helped one up by the shoulder and examined him. Although disheveled, the prisoner had on Martenyikan navy clothing.

"It's okay, we're Martenyikans. We're going to get you home. Can you all walk?" PO Ramazani took out his knife and cut the bonds. Thankfully, all three survivors could walk, although they were in a weakened state given their circumstances. Ramazani tuned his communications back to the Zainabou, who continued to lurk with just her comms mast pointing out above the surface.

"Cougar, Neptune. Objective complete." He finished by keying the mike three times, pausing, then hitting it twice. Three clicks for for the number of souls recovered, two to signal for exfiltration, as the plan designated. "Now who were these guys?" he asked the freed captives; the answer came from elsewhere.

"Oh...no, no, no...you need to see this," PO Kalunga exclaimed.

"What?"

"They're Laedenians! We fucking killed Laedenian soldiers!" Kalunga pointed to one of the bodies.

"Fuck, what are they doing here? Okay, we did what we had to do, we'll deal with the fallout later, understood? Let's get any intel we can find and get out of here. If they're trying to occupy the island, we need to pass it along ASAP!"

***

"Go go go, get them in the rafts!" Ramazani shouted to his men over the cacophony of incoming and outgoing gunfire. He pulled the charging handle on his carbine and began unloading the new magazine in a bid to keep the Laedenians' heads down. The Special Boat troopers alternated covering each other and ferrying the Martenyikan sailors back in the direction of the beach, back to where the rafts were waiting. The operatives were holding at the grassy shrub-ridden berm that rose slightly above the beach. It was the last real cover and concealment they had before falling back onto the beach itself.

"Man down! Man down!" Ramazani heard. He saw PO Kalunga plunge to the ground a few meters away, clutching his shoulder.

"I'm coming! Covering fire!" hollered Ramazani, as he charged back the few meters inland. Laedenian and Martenyikan bullets alike snapped, crackled, and popped all through the air, but Ramazani was only focused on one thing. In one motion he grabbed hold of Kalunga's vest and hoisted him up to his feet.

A few steps later, as Petty Officer Ramazani turned to fire a few pistol shots, everything went black.

***

Petty Officer Aurelien Ramazani opened his eyes, and was greeted by the steel muzzle of a Laedenian rifle gleaming in the moonlight.

"He's alive!" the Laedenian announced.

[Ainslie]

Damage Control | Sunset RP
2:58pm, 8 February 2022
Arendai Studios at The Federal Assembly, Arnton, Ainslie


Good afternoon, and welcome back to Arendai. My name is Carine Terren and this is Matters of State. Our panel of political experts and commentators are on stand-by, ready to discuss the issues that are being spoken about amongst those in the halls of power here in Arnton. However, it is almost 3pm and as such we shall cross to The Federal Assembly for Questions to the Executive.

The Speaker (S) was the first to talk once the television crossed to the chamber.

S: “I have been given a list of those who wish to inquire of the government. The order will follow the usual process, however the period of time in which representatives may ask questions of the Government will not finish until sixty minutes has passed and the administration has responded to an equal amount of issues raised by the minority and by the majority. Does the foremost Minister of this Chamber, the Deputy Prime Minister, need to notify those present of any matters to which they should know?”

“Yes, Madarne Speaker. I wish to advise those present that all Ministers are present and additionally that we are joined by the Prime Minister today, whom questions may be directed towards.”, the Deputy Prime Minister replied.

S: “Very well. Let us begin. I call upon the leader of the minority, Mr. Nerrow (N) to speak.”

N: “Thank you, Madarne Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Science, Industry and Innovation. The Arlanite Government appears stern in its commitment to tap into the vast resource which is the intelligence and ingenuity of the people of Arlanah. It is a region which has been crying out for federal attention and investment, a hope that appears dashed after one of the first ACEGAD Prime Ministers from the west was elected into office. When will we see the Federal Government turn its eyes to this opportunity?”

S: “The Minister for Science, Industry and Innovation?”

“This Federal Government is doing more than any government in decades has done for the great people of Arlanah. The Rural Infrastructure Fund is giving real opportunities to Arlanite people to not only upgrade the technology and machinery they rely on but in fact is rewarding homegrown ventures. Take the example of our Small Factories Grant, which is seeing waste management be decentralised across the nation. Arlanah specifically is reaping the rewards of government support to be able to recycle an array of materials close to home - ready for usage or even sale if they wish to do so. In addition to that, we are working closely with the Arlanite Government, whom you have mentioned. We have been actively funding programs which they have established and will continue to support good, evidence-based policy proposals from the Governor’s office. Let me not end with the RIF though. I draw the honourable representative’s attention to the unprecedented funding for research projects which are being given to our universities all across the nation - including institutions such as the University of Arlanah, who have been working closely with industry and Weslander Universities to develop their own disease monitoring and research capabilities.”, the Minister responded.

S: “I now call upon the Representative for Saluna.”

“Thank you, Madarne Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Health. I refer to the comments of the Judicial-General and share his concerns about the probability of a pandemic affecting our nation in the near future. It is with this sentiment I ask the Minister to update the Chamber as to the efforts of the Federal Government in preparing our industries, our people and government agencies for a very present threat before us. I also note that further detail as to the collaboration between Electoral and Federal Governments would also be welcomed in such an answer”, the Representative began.

S: “The Minister for Health?”

Minister for Health: Yes, I must thank the honourable representative for his question and acknowledge his keen interest in not only our pharmaceutical industries here in Ainslie but also his vigilance with regards to major emergencies that could occur but are typically left out of the thinking of governments. However, I am glad to inform the representatives present that the Ahnslen Government is not lulled into such a trance. With increasing globalisation and urbanisation, we are likely to see new pathogens emerge and be introduced into human populations. With this comes the threat of future pandemic, a crisis that we are very aware of. Here in Ainslie, I truly believe we are in a unique situation where we have the best businesses in each of the vital industries we would need during a pandemic - we have the ERA, a peak emergency body with a wealth of experience and logistical knowledge - we have some of the most innovative vaccine researchers and disease labs anywhere and we also have those important, less glamorous sounding businesses which are so important to responding to a pandemic. I am talking organisations like producers of personal protective equipment as well as health insurers, pathologists and an array of specialists in both the private and public health systems in the nation.

However, we are not hedging our bets on these strengths to get us through. We regularly run trials and update plans in order to extract key learnings that we can further study and act upon. Our Government is one of the best prepared anywhere and one of the most knowledgeable. Our Electoral Governments are commonly included in our plans and the Electoral Council is an institution uniquely positioned to get the most out of our federation in times of crisis.

Ainslie stands ready. That does not mean it will be easy. But we are ready.”

S: “I now call upon the representative from Becaren.”

“Thank you Madarne Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The International Parks and Nature Organisation today have warned of irreversible catastrophe if cooler heads do not prevail in the Sunset Isle. Their director today warned of a native culture being wiped out and several species being made extinct even before we would have the chance to find let alone study them. Why is the Ahnslen Government resigning its responsibility? We have a unique opportunity here and frankly there does not seem to be a finger lifted by those in power! Is the Government concerned that any intervention may harm the recently deepening relationships with Laeden?”, the Representative from Becaran, who is an independent, asked.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aaron Gerslin, was picking up his file to take it to the table where Ministers went to answer questions, which was at the centre of the room near the Speaker. After a few seconds, the Prime Minister stood up and raised her hand towards the Minister and gestured for him to sit back down. By the time he sat down, the Prime Minister had reached the microphone and looked up at the Speaker briefly.

S: “Uhh… does the Prime Minister wish to answer this question, or ask for a ruling?”

PM: “A question, Madarne Speaker. I do not require the Foreign Minister to add to this response however if he wishes to do so, I ask that you allow it to take place in a fashion consistent with the rules of this place.”

S: “Very well. The Prime Minister has the call.”

PM: “Thank you, Madarne Speaker. May I begin by addressing the comments from the Director of the International Parks and Nature Organisation. Mr Arellow has been a friend of this Chamber for some time, as has his organisation. They are a trusted and knowledgeable voice on the matters with which they are familiar with. However, in future I would wish that they do not use such reactionary and unnecessary language. Ahnslens are known for their reasonable and even-handed approach to managing potential problems and frankly parts of his speech this morning were an offence to such a mentality. I do share his concerns and as usual, the Foreign Ministry is keeping particularly close watch on the affairs surrounding Sunset Isle. I must also thank my Executive Office for their efforts too in this field. Ainslie does not and will not resign responsibility. We do not have any political or diplomatic responsibility to these people. There is only ethical and moral responsibility and the truth of the matter is that the facts are still murky and difficult to discern. Our greatest responsibility as a nation, especially as we are a far off and unfamiliar land to those in the Sunset Isle region, is not to poke around where we do not know what is happening. I utterly reject the proposition that we are resigning our responsibility and I would appreciate if the representative would not desecrate the good work that happens in offices and meeting rooms all across this country and indeed in our consulates. It is true, Ainslie does not seem to be publicly acting as much as one would expect. I would hope though that those in this place would know well the efforts of everyone who does not make the headlines and undeniably stops potential policy steps from being taken that would cause headlines our nation would rather not be a part of. I also utterly reject the notion that this has anything to do with our deepening diplomatic and economic partnership with the people of Laeden. It is a groundless proposition and is one that disgusts the traditions of this Chamber. When allegations are brought, they should have evidence - particularly dangerous and potentially damaging insinuations that have been brought such as those from the Representative for Becaran.

On that note, I ask whether the Foreign Minister has any further comments to add to my answer.”

The Foreign Minister shook his head at the Prime Minister, who quickly darted her head back to him. The Prime Minister then nodded and made her way quietly back to the frontebench where she was sitting.

S: “Now to the representative for Carden”

The representative for Carden, a member of the minority Ahnited Party - the de facto opposition to ACEGAD, began to speak.

“My question is addressed to the Prime Minister, whom I am pleased to see in this chamber during this important time. It appears that there is a rapidly de-escalating situation in the South Argus region. A new office has suddenly appeared in Laeden, with a freshly appointed Defence Minister now having unparalleled control of the military. Meanwhile in Martenyika, military assets are already being sent to Sunset Isle. When will we see a strong show of power from Ainslie? Is the Prime Minister going to visit either Martenyika or Laeden?”

PM: “The best legal advice points to the fact that the Proconsul, whilst untested, is an established part of the Laedenian Constitution. As such, whilst we are cautious at what appears to be a sudden and unforeseen diminution in the power of a democratically elected leader, we will be watching carefully but not acting in an open and forceful manner at this time. Whilst I acknowledge that it is not usual practice or an allowable question during Questions for the Executive, I will disclose that at this time there are no plans for me or a senior member of my government to visit Laeden or Martenyika. This is with the exception of Mr. Parkes, the Ambassador to The Western Isles from Ainslie, who will be en route to Arcadia in coming days.”

S: “I call upon the representative of Mundarran.”

The representative for Mundarran, a member of the Science and Technology Party, then got up to ask his question.

“I note that the Ahnslen Navy has dispatched a naval craft to the Sunset Isle region and as such this question is addressed to the Defence Minister. Is this necessary, and how is this not a sign of escalation and of encouraging military efforts? Is the Prime Minister and her Government planning to steer this nation from centuries of tradition of non-intervention?”

Just as the Defence Minister began to stand up, the Prime Minister raised her hand to stop him. Rather, she rose to answer the question.

PM: “I thank the Leader of the Science and Technology Party for his question and his unwavering passion to ensure that this nation is not led into conflict unless it is absolutely in the national interest. The Ahnslen Government and the people of this nation know the importance of getting Ahnslen eyes on the ground to inform an Ahnslen approach. This naval deployment is merely that. As we do across many areas, we want Ahnslens on the ground to relay messaging and important intelligence that is tailored to the interests of our nation and the tune at which we operate at. This is by no means a military act that we are doing. Rather, it is a sensible move from our Government which will help us to make better decisions in our national interests. We have no plans to depart from our neutrality or our longstanding approach to avoid military acts.”

S: “And now to the Representative for Malan.”

“Thank you Madarne Speaker and I thank the Prime Minister for her presence today. It is a symbol of the ongoing interest and commitment the executive arm of government has to the legislature and the legislative process. Such acts will not be easily forgotten.

My question is to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. How will the Ahnslen approach of reason and balance be applied to navigate the complex diplomatic tensions in South Argus?”, the representative asked.

MoFA: “I thank the Representative for her question and her kind words to the Ministries of Government. I wish to reassure her and the Ahnslen people at large that our measured and reasonable approach will be applied in this same situation. Our diplomats and indeed our elected officials will inquire as to the varying interests and claims over Sunset Isle and act accordingly. Our approach is not blinded by self-interest, nor by ideology or diplomatic powerplaying. We are committed to compromise and to ensuring a peaceful resolution to the tensions that have restarted after the discovery of these natural resource deposits.”

[Wellsia]

Royal Palace, Hadast, Wellsia
February 8, 2022; 7:15 am.

Himilco took a sip of his coffee and looked at the plate sitting in front of him, three eggs, 2 pieces of sausage, biscuits with cooked figs on the side. It was going to be a great day, nothing on the agenda, no pressing engagements, just a quite peaceful day to look forward to. That was until he noticed his Chamberlain standing at the door. Taking a deep sigh, "What is it Kamni?"
"Your Majesty, Secretary Arinna is here and claims she has very important information."
Himilco thought about it for a second, it was his breakfast time, so what if he was still in his pajamas, she had interrupted his morning, and on top of that his eggs were getting cold. "Bring her in here, Kamni and see if she would like some coffee."
"Here, sire?"
'Yes, here, if it's that important she can meet me here."
Shaking his head in what bordered on insubordination, "Yes, your majesty, what ever you wish your majesty."
"Your Majesty", in walked Arinna, like a whirlwind on a mission, "there has been some disturbing developments on Sunset Island."
Without slowing down, she walked over to Himilco and pushing his plate out of the way, set down her laptop and opened it up.
Himilco, smiled at her actions, he remembered the terrified analyst that could barely speak a week ago. Taking a good look at her, he could see from the disheveled hair and dark shadows under her eyes that she had been up for awhile. "Continue please."
"Sire, if you look here, these are infrared images from our satellite as it passed over Sunset last night. This bright image here is a campfire and as you can see these nine images are human beings. This one here seems to be using a high lumen flashlight to scan the perimeter. If you notice here, there are six more images approaching the group from here." At that moment flashes appeared from the images.
"What are those?"
"Gunfire, as you can tell it is coming from both groups, which means that neither of these are natives, since they are primitives and don't use modern weapons. As you can tell from these two images are dimming, which means they are either dead or dying".
"Your analysis."
"Sire, we believe that it had to be a gunfight between Martenyikans and Laedeans, there is a small possibility that one or both groups could be pirates or poachers, but we doubt it. The later images show the attacking group seize these three nearest the fire and take them toward the beach, where a second firefight takes place and at least two of the attacking group are captured."
Himilco looked longingly at his plate of cold breakfast, "Well so much for a nice quite day,” mumbled Himilco. Looking up at the young lady, “Secretary Arinna, it would seem that you have been forgoing much sleep lately."
Arinna subconsciously ran her hands trough her tangled mess of hair, and blushed at the commit.
"You are to go home and get a good day sleep, this is an order, we need you in top condition. We are sure that there are others that can handle this till tomorrow."

[Laeden]

11:03 PM - 07/02/2022
Laedenian Marines’ forward headquarters – Sunset Isle

Colonel Alain Mignard is a bad human being. He’s a great officer, a very talented marine and a gifted killer, but also an abusive husband, a negligent father, overindulgent in alcohol and overly eager to get into a brawl. He is despised and unloved by everyone around him. But, even so, he was selected as the commanding officer of the Jaguar Task Force, the Marine unit that was deployed in the Sunset Isle. His sheer ruthlessness and willingness to do the dirty jobs no one’s willing to do were the main factors that got him in this position. Most laedenian officers would shun such an assignment. They couldn’t see the glory in being deployed in a far away island to deal with cannibals and search for missing sailors. Col. Mignard could. The big cities, the civilization, the laedenian society and it’s etiquette rules, it all smothered him. Out here in the wild he felt free, free from judgement and from any restraint, free to do what he liked the most.

“Sir!” the young lieutenant Tristan Caillat said out loud, interrupting col. Mignard’s thoughts as he sipped his coffee and stared at the island map as one would stare to a significant other.

“Yes, Lieutenant Caillat?” Colonel Mignard replied, visibly annoyed at having been disturbed.

“Colonel, I have news. Our forward patrols met resistance. At first we thought they were pirates operating in the islands, but... Saint Martenyikans, sir,” said the lieutenant hesitantly.

Colonel Mignard looked at the lieutenant with interest and could not hide a small smile. “Martenyikans?” he asked.

"Yes sir. From the Special Boat Regiment. Our patrols were attacked by them but managed to return. They took the sailors we were looking for,” said the lieutenant.

“Did they manage to exfiltrate?” asked Mignard.

"Yes sir. We tried to stop them and managed to capture two of them. They refused to identify themselves and are now being watched by our best soldiers,” replied Caillat.

“And how many casualties did we have?” Mignard questioned.

The young lieutenant hesitated. "We currently have five dead and thirteen wounded, Colonel," he finally replied, already anticipating an explosive reaction from Mignard.

The colonel surprised him, however, by responding in a calm and restrained manner. “It seems that Martenyika has decided to send its best against us. Very good. They attacked our patrols, which is an act of war. Now it's up to us to answer." Mignard stood up and said to the lieutenant, “I want all our people on patrol. Let's scour every millimeter of this island. All on high alert for the possible presence of enemy soldiers in the region. As for you, Lieutenant, I want a full report on my desk in an hour. When ready, notify the Ministry of Defense in Arcadia. Ask for immediate reinforcements.”

"Yes sir" Caillat exclaimed, leaving the room.

Mignard smiled, finding himself alone again. Unbuttoning his shirt, he removed his office uniform and donned his camouflage combat uniform. “Much better,” he said, after a long sigh. “Now the hunt will begin”

13:49 – 08/02/2022
Avène Store – Ambojary, Martenyika

‘’This is a good job’’ Angeline whispered to herself. Indeed, it was. Working at Avène here in Martenyika paid almost three times as much as in Laeden. Ever since the company adopted more agressive tactics to explore the international markets, the wages paid to laedenians willing to work abroad rose considerably. With this work alone she could save enough to help her parents and to, hopefully, buy her own apartment when she returned.

Not everything was perfect, however. Ambojary was hot and had few leisure options compared to Lynèsse, Angeline's hometown. To make matters worse, the young Laedenian, born and raised in the mountains, couldn't get used to the sea or the smell of salt that invaded her lungs when she walked down the street. Avène's clientele wasn't much better. The luxurious and elegant store generally served customers with high purchasing power. But many were snobbish, arrogant and rude, and Angeline had to learn to deal with it and accept it when wealthy customers came to the store to squander money and treat the employees badly.

Fortunately, this was not the case for Sonia Mkiwa, one of the store's most frequent customers. Sonia was respectful, but she was also extremely chatty and liked to talk about her problems with the employees, causing them to spend hours interacting with her. Angeline was sorry when she saw Sonia entering the store, but, paradoxically, the young Laedenian was also happy. Could've been worse. She could be Mrs. Nadira, another regular Avène customer, an elderly lady who took a morbid pleasure in offending employees and had even made an Avène attendant quit after saying her hair wasn't even good for making toilet paper.

“Mrs. Mkiwa! What a pleasure to see you here. How can I help you today?” Angeline said, in a friendly and respectful voice, as she hoped the customer would buy something and leave quickly.

“Angeline my daughter. Oh my God! You need to help me, my dear. This sun is killing my skin. Look at my face!” said the woman, showing some spots caused by the strong sun, which contrasted with her dark skin.

“I know what can help you, Ms. Mkiwa. A new line of moisturizing and protective creams has arrived that will leave your skin soft, fragrant and immune to the effect of the sun” Angeline said, hurrying up and taking a bottle of cream.

"What? That damn Skin Fresh? My daughter, I need something stronger than this! Skin Fresh didn't do anything, I use it all over my body every day and it's still stained. Look at my face!”

"Well, ma'am," Angeline said, disconcerted. “The effect of the cream is mitigated because it mixes different active principles. To protect from the sun, the best option remains our line of sunscreens. But for the blemish on the skin, we have a whitening cream that will definitely help a lot, Neuve” the young woman said, taking another product from the shelf.

“Why, this one is beautiful,” Mkiwa said, taking the cream from the young woman's hands. “Look at this bottle. What elegance!”

“Yes ma'am, it's a very new and very efficient product. In fact, it is the highest quality skin cream in our stock. But the value is a little higher than the other products I presented..." the girl said, before being interrupted.

“Don't worry about it, my daughter. I liked this Neuve. I want a dozen” Mrs. Mkiwa said, without further ado.

Angeline's eyes widened and she couldn't hide her face in surprise. “Mrs. Mkiwa... a dozen?” she asked. Neuve was an expensive cream, and a dozen of them cost more than Angeline's salary. The young woman's commission for that sale would allow her to buy new shoes, maybe even a new cell phone. If her manager witnessed this scene, he would probably give the young woman a promotion!

“That's right my daughter, a dozen. Don't worry about money. I'm not worried! Money is not lacking in the Mkiwa house. Now that Marcus, my husband, you know, has been sent on a mission I don’t know where, on some island in the south, we won’t be short of money.”

“An island in the south, Ms. Mkiwa?” Angeline asked as she packed the vials.

“That's what I heard. Some men from my husband's work showed up at the house, asking if he was following what was happening. I'm not, I don't watch the news. But then, they got there and stayed a long time talking to him. He is now the captain of a submarine that is there in the port, he even took the boys to visit the damn thing... they love it. Eh, boy stuff. Well, since he became a captain, our house is full of these sailors who come to talk to him. Well, honey, it looks like he'll have to go there on this island, right on our ninth wedding anniversary. Nine years! Nearly a decade of putting up with that manatee,” Mkiwa said.

“Is he going to travel on his wedding anniversary?” Angeline asked, feigning surprise and interest in the story.

“Not that he cares, huh? In fact, he didn't even remember. He only remembered because I made a fuss. Then he gave me good money to shut me up. Today I'm still going to get my nails done and my hair cut. I'm going to look beautiful and the jerk won't even be here to see it. It does not matter. In my house, there will be no shortage of money. Whatever he's going to do on the island, all I know is that the government paid him a big bonus. We all have money. The only one who's going to go hungry now is the little bitch he sneaks out to find. Do you think I don't know? I know well. The 24-year-old little bitch, she lives down the street near the harbor. I want to see who will take her to the restaurant and buy her new clothes. If she shows up in front of my house looking for my husband, oh my daughter, I swear I'll kill her ass,” said Mrs. Mkiwa, gesturing and talking loudly.

“It's here, Ms. Mkiwa’’ Angeline said, after packing all the bottles of cream. “Will the payment be by card or cash?” the young woman asked.

"In cash. Here,” the woman said, handing Angeline a huge wad of high-value bills. “Keep the change, my daughter. And see if you go to the beach. You need to get a color, look at your skin, it's too pale. Good afternoon, okay? Bye bye” the woman said, leaving the store with bags full of expensive cream bottles.

Angeline took a deep breath. She took advantage of the fact that no one was in the store and started writing frantically in a little notebook that she kept in one of the drawers on the counter. She wrote down all the information that Ms. Mkiwa had told him, in great detail. She hid the paper in her pocket and waited for her work to end. When the other employee arrived at the store, Angeline quickly left and went home. Her heart was pounding and she was sweating. The girl tried to control herself, and looked in her room for the sheet of paper where she had written down the number she should call under these circumstances.

She picked up the phone and dialed the number. She left the ring phone exactly 5 times as instructed. She put the phone in her pocket, changed her clothes, and took her paper with her notes downtown. It was already dark and the streets were deserted. She nervously walked to a diner located at the end of the street, and dropped the annotated sheet of paper onto a flower bed right in front of the diner. The paper, folded, fell among the plants, so that it was only possible to notice its presence there if someone looked very carefully. Angeline picked up the phone and again dialed the number, leaving the phone ringing 5 times. After that, she went home.

Before she even arrived, her cell phone received a notification. An amount of D$8,000.00 had been transferred to her bank account.

17:44 - 02/08/2022
The Crystal Palace – Lynesse’s vicinity, Laeden

A large number of nondescript, black sedans park in front of the majestic Crystal Palace. From inside the cars, a small entourage emerges, surrounded by security. The men walk hurriedly toward the palace, passing through the doors as the sun sets and the gloom of night begins to replace the orange-red colors in the Laeden sky. In the main hall, the entourage is surprised by a young man, well dressed but with an agitated face.

“Did you come to see the Proconsul?” the boy asks, receiving an affirmative answer from the authorities. “He is still in a meeting with the Avaronese Prime Minister.

“The Avigneri?” asked Foreign Minister Ignace Saurnier, a member of the delegation.

“Yes, Chancellor. The Prime Minister of Avaron came on an official visit after the diplomatic incident involving..." the secretary started to speak, before being interrupted.

“We need to get him out of there,” said Admiral Lacan.

“The appointment with the Avaronese prime minister only ends at 19:30” the secretary replied.

“And we can't cause another international embarrassment with Avaron,” Saurnier added, with his usual prudence.

The men muttered, looking for ways to remove Avaronese authority without insulting the noble Avaronese prime minister. As they argued, Director Augerau of the National Intelligence Bureau watched silently. After pondering for a moment, the director questioned the secretary. “Where is that PR assistant?”

“Natalie? Natalie Bressard?” the secretary asked. “She must be in the press room preparing the news of the Proconsul meeting with the Prime Minister”.

“Get her out of there,” Augerau said. "Have her come into the room and politely tell the prime minister of Avaron that his presence will be needed in the great hall, to take some photographs and publish along with the news."

“But Mr Director” the secretary said. “Even if that worked, you would only have a few minutes to talk to Proconsul”.

Augerau pondered for a moment, then looked at Minister Saurnier. "You once told me that Avigneri appreciates wines." Saurnier nodded. "Nodding is an understatement" the foreign minister said, with a smile.

“Very well,” Augerau said, turning his gaze to the secretary. “After the photos, Ms. Bressard will take the prime minister to see the palace cellar.”

The young secretary protested. "But Mr Director, Natalie doesn't know anything about wines."

Augerau looked at the boy with a sardonic smile. “I believe this will not be a problem. Now go and do what I've told you."

The minister's strategy worked surprisingly well, and it wasn't long before the attractive Natalie was all alone with Avigneri, showing the Avaronese representative many wines and other things of interest to her. The visitors took advantage of the opportunity and quickly went to the Proconsul's room, seeking a quick audience with him.

Galland was surprised by the visit. “Augerau? Saurnier? Lacan? What is it? Our meeting was scheduled for early tomorrow” the proconsul said, stunned by the unexpected arrival of the authorities.

“There were complicating elements, sir proconsul” Admiral Lacan replied.

“Oh, certainly. I couldn't have expected the three of you to come all the way here just to give me good news,” Galland said, in his sarcastic, playful way, causing laughter among those present despite the tension of the situation.

“Mister proconsul. There was a skirmish last night on Sunset Isle. The news reached us at dawn and we prepared a dossier. Apparently elite special forces operators from Martenyika were found on the island and attacked our patrols who were looking for the missing sailors.”

Galland's pale face reddened with indignation at this news. But before he could say anything else, Lacan continued, “We have already dispatched reinforcement ships to the island, and a troop of Army engineers has been sent to a small island in the international seas. The idea is to convert the islet into a makeshift airport to allow our planes to land and refuel before departing on a mission to Sunset Isle. I met with the other military commanders earlier and we already have a plan to strengthen our military presence on the island. Within 48 hours we will have extra aircraft and ships on the perimeter and the captains of the vessels have already been instructed to fire at anyone who violates our ultimatum.”

“Very well, Lacan,” said Galland. “And you, Augerau, what do you have for me?”

“An informant in Martenyika found out that they intend to send a submarine to the region. The information was collected by one of our intelligence agents at the local embassy. Other agents confirmed the abnormal movement in the ports of Martenyika, which suggests that the conflict is going to escalate”, said the director, in the clear and objective way that he is accustomed to. “Internally, our agents are following public opinion. Society has a firm stance against the conflict and will protest if this crisis continues any longer, or if the situation worsens.”

Admiral Lacan interrupted. “Perhaps the deaths of our Marines can be used to bring public opinion to our side? And stimulate a patriotic feeling that serves as a political base to reinforce our position?”.

“I doubt it,” Augerau replied. “Probably the death of Laedenians abroad will fuel social dissatisfaction. We need to hide this for now and seek to resolve this impasse as quickly as possible before the public mood verges on insubordination. Furthermore, I have heard reports of moves by the Martenyika diplomatic team in Arcadia. They are certainly following popular dissatisfaction and I suspect they are planning to take advantage of this to undermine our political position.”

Galland listened silently, shaking his head and staring at the horizon. “And you, Saurnier? What can you tell me?”

“Mister Proconsul, after the skirmish on Sunset Isle we have sent a new private ultimatum to Martenyika, informing you that any violation of the exclusion zone will be considered an act of war. According to information from Director Augerau's department, President Zubele of Martenyika is expected to make an official statement in the next few hours. This will allow us to assess how dissatisfied the Martenyikan government is, and what its position will be in the face of our upsurge.”

Old Saurnier took a little breath, and resumed his exposition. “I felt that in this situation it would be important to capitalize on the support of our international allies. The government of Ainslie has already taken a position that it will not interfere in the dispute. I have directed our ambassadors in Aizcona and Dormill and Stiura to immediately meet with local embassies and seek these nations to publicly declare their support for Laeden”.

“Including militarily?” Admiral Lacan asked.

“No, not militarily,” Galland said. “We don't want this to become a spectacle. We want their support, in the political and diplomatic sphere. More ships on Sunset Isle will weaken our position,” the proconsul replied.

Saurnier agreed, and added. “We also contacted Balnik, sir proconsul”.

“Is the doraltic and estral support not enough?” Galland asked.

“Absolutely, but Balnik is a critical economic partner. We cannot allow this war to serve as a pretext for our economic rivals to take advantage of to conquer our foreign markets. Furthermore, balniki support will be important, even if not explicit. We are in no position to disdain our alliances.”

“Being supported by Dormill and Stiura and Balniki is going to be interesting,” Admiral Lacan said, finding the scenario where two sworn enemies come together in Laeden's interests comical.

“I have a feeling that this unorthodox scenario could be exploited to our advantage,” Saurnier replied.

“You're right, Saurnier,” Galland said. “We made all our moves, for now. But I must confess that I am surprised. All of this was done without my knowledge or permission. I thought that as Proconsul I would have absolute authority, but it seems that I am just the stamper of the decisions of my ministers”.

Lacan smiled, knowing that Galland meant it in jest. “You can trust us. We did what was necessary given the urgency of the situation.”

“I trust you. While you're here, we can plan our next steps,” Galland said, leaning back in his chair.

To everyone's surprise, a curious noise was heard. The muffled sound of female screams, followed by male screams and then a long silence. Admiral Lacan got up, alarmed, holding a revolver. “The Avaronese prime minister!” exclaimed the admiral, visibly worried.

Augerau, again, smiled. “Don't worry, Admiral. The prime minister is fine.” The director rose, as did Saurnier. He looked at Galland and said, "I'm sorry, Mr Proconsul, but I believe the time for our meeting has just come to an end."

[Martenyika]

11:10 PM - 02/07/2022
RMNS Zainabou

"I don't want to talk about it," grumbled Petty Officer Bokito, pacing into a corner of the RMNS Zainabou's wardroom.

"No, you want to talk about it, don't you brother? I think you need to. Come on, lay it on this fucking table. What's on your mind?"

"What's on my mind? You know what's on my mind Kamzati? Two of our brothers still on the field, brother! That's what."

"...I don't like how it went down any more than you do, none of us do--" Ezra Kamzati began.

"You made the call! You left them behind. Maybe you should be in my place being questioned, huh?! What the fuck is on your mind Kamzati?!"

"You know there wasn't anything we could do in the end!"

"Yeah?! You know, I still had bullets in my machine gun."

"Ramazani was shot through the neck, probably dead before he hit the ground, I saw it. Kalunga went down with him. You'd have been lying there with them if we didn't pull out when we did. If you didn't. Is that what you would've wanted?"

"Maybe," PO Bokito muttered. "Maybe."

---

9:23 PM - 02/11/2022
Consul's residence - Laeden

André Kiessou looked forward to the coming meeting with Consul d'Albignac. Since becoming the new ambassador to Laeden just several weeks before, he had primarily focused on affairs at the Martenyikan embassy. He had not gotten out of the embassy much lately, certainly not to the consul's residence itself. The car stopped at the gate just long enough for the guard to verify the occupants' identities and appointment before proceeding. The driveway branched off in both directions, rejoining in front of the residence, and framing manicured gardens in the center. The car came to a stop at the front staircase. As he exited and moved towards the base of the stairs, a man in a suit came down to greet him.

"Good evening ambassador, the consul is ready to see you. I'll show you to him, right this way." He gestured towards the front door, which was ornate and likely very old. As he passed through it, André Kiessou couldn't help but feel a little nervous--not so much about meeting a national leader, but about the Sunset Isle issue generally. He wondered how much of it rested on his shoulders.

"Bonsoir Ambassador Kiessou, welcome," the consul opened, coming out from behind his desk. The two men met towards the middle of the room, exchanging formal handshakes and smiles.

"Bonsoir, Consul d'Albignac, it is an honor to finally meet you."

"Likewise. Let's retire to the sitting area," he gestured to the other half of the room, where upholstered chairs offered a front row seat to the fireplace, "can I offer you anything to drink? Wine, brandy? A cigar perhaps?"

"Yes, and brandy would be excellent, thank you," replied Kiessou, following Consul d'Albignac into the sitting area.

"Perfect. Two brandies please!" While the consul's assistant departed to fulfill the order, d'Albignac opened a flat cherry wood box revealing a row of various cigars to his guest. Kiessou picked a Martenyikan one.

"Ah, good choice Mr. Kiessou. Lindiwe makes some fine cigars. Please, sit. I trust that your transition has been going well...despite what has been going on lately?"

"Yes consul, the timing was unfortunate, but I am ready to address these most pressing issues between our nations." Kiessou took a draw through his cigar just as the brandy arrived.

"That is why you're here after all. To health, and Martenyika."

"To health, and Laeden."

"Mr. Kiessou, I think you'll agree that our two nations can still share much of the same middle ground as we did before, even though we disagree on Sunset Isle?"

"Absolutely. We have disagreed over the island for many years, but never let it come between us like it has these past several days."

"Of course none of us knew what we know now. And no blood was spilled over it, either." The consul took a second sip of brandy.

"Yes Consul d'Albignac, I must say that officially Martenyika won't apologize for our force responding to fire. I'm sure you understand?"

"My conscience has been clear on the matter, Mr. Kiessou, as I had nothing to do with it. Those men would never have been in that situation if Galland hadn't put them there; or his cronies, anyways."

"Do you suggest the proconsul is not fully in control? What is his nature?"

"I have my suspicions. He always seemed to be loyal--I wouldn't have promoted him to the head of the defense ministry otherwise. And that was only one day before this crisis began, mind you! He served Laeden well as an admiral. He may have been coerced, probably out of a misguided sense of duty to Laeden."

"I see, consul. Would it be possible to...guide him back?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're trying to say Mr. Kiessou."

"Undoubtedly you have seen the protests against the proconsular government. For the most part they have been generically anti-war, pro-peace. What if they were directed specifically at Galland, urging him to remove troops from Sunset Isle? It may appeal to his sense of honor and duty to Laeden if the people apply this kind of direct pressure."

"I have thought about it already. Unfortunately, I'm not sure Galland considers the interests of the nation and of the people to be one and the same. At best, assuming he didn't cave in, these kinds of protests would continue to be fruitless in affecting change. On the other hand it may backfire and galvanize his resolve. That would only make it worse for all of us. And one other thing--he's going to ask himself 'if we remove our troops, what's stopping Martenyika from landing theirs?' Remember, he's a military leader, and he holds the high ground."

"I see, sir..."

"I'll think about it some more."

With that, the two men exchanged pleasantries and handshakes once more, and parted. As the ambassador's car passed through the gate, neither he nor his security detail noticed the undercover Laedenian agent.

[Prudestania]

Approximately 5 kilometres off the coas of sunset isle 2 large Prudestanian naval ships (approximately 200 meters long and 20 meters at its widest) is sighted by a Laedenian warship, immediately all onboard weapons are aimed at the Prudestanian ship, one of the Laedenian officers attempts to make radio contact, "Unauthorized vessel, turn back now; you are impeaching on a Laedenian marine blockade, further intrusion will have consequences, do you copy?" "We are carrying a diplomat-" he used the word lightly as the Dashj war chief Abrar Shjbshar was anything but a 'diplomat' nonetheless he was here to act as one "who wishes to speak with an indigenous tribesman of Sunset." "Name this 'diplomat' with whom does he want to speak?" "Abrar Shjbshar, with any representative of the native Sunset tribe." "I can not allow that, I have contacted my superiors, turn back now." The Prudestanian ships didn't turn back, but they didn't advance either, a visual revealed them each to be carrying at least 300 men, each armed with what appeared to be some modification of an AK-47 designed to fire 42mm bullets instead of the traditional 22mm (standards issue for Prudestanian sea men); the ship's halls were relatively thin and they didn't have any built in weaponry save for one light single fire torpido launcher each.

[Wellsia]

Wellsian Embassy; Arcadia, Laeden.

Suusandar, Siru (ambassador) to the Republic of Laeden, looked at the three people standing on the other side of his desk. "Things are getting out of hand on Sunset Island, it seems the Proconsul has decided to use any and all means possible to gain control of the island for Laeden. Hiempsal, Izavelas, as members of the Saharu Edutu (Seekers of Knowledge), I expect you to do what spies are suppose to do and find out everything you can on what ships, number of ships, units etc. that Laeden is sending or planning to send to Sunset, I also need to know what commanders are being sent and everything that makes them tick. Zuuthusu, as my chief of staff, I need you to find out everything you can about Proconsul Maruice Galland. I don't just want to know about his career, but I want to know the man himself. I want to everything from what type of shampoo he uses to what his favorite positions in bed are. Find me a damn skeleton in his closet. Now get out of here and get me some knowledge."
"Adonyah, do you have the missive to be given to the Laeden government ready".
"Yes, Ambassador, it is right here."
"Read it back to me"
"Yes Ambassador;

To the government of Laeden, this is to inform you that the King, Senate and People of Wellsia do hereby declare our displeasure with your following actions concerning the Martenyikian territory of Sunset Island. When asked for assistance, you show your true colors as an unfaithful neighbor and use it to steal what you desire. This is belittling of you and we know that this is the action of a few greedy individuals and not the actions of the true government and people of Laeden.
It has also come to our knowledge that in the guise of looking for the missing crew of the RMNS Renisse Kosi, you have landed occupiers who have not only violated the welfare of Martenyika but have also put the Akari at risk. We have learned thanks to the gallant efforts of members of the Martenyika SBR that you not only found the missing crewmen, but had the audacity to hold them as criminals. In the rescue of said crewmen, two of the SBR were taken prisoner by your forces.
It should be known that the helicopter cruiser IRE Piru Kasiduti escorted by the destroyer IRE Mundahsu are out side of the quarantine zone off Sunset Island. We expect your government to inform the illegal forces on Sunset to allow the landing of a Wellsian helicopter to retrieve the members of the Martenyikan SBR and any other Martenyikans that may be being held unlawfully on the island.
The King, Senate and People of Wellsia also demand that all military and civilian personnel in violation to the original quarantine as previously agreed upon by your true government for the protection of the Akari be immediately removed, and all military and civilian assets in the waters around Sunset Island be withdrawn.

"Very good, Adonyah, type it up on official papers and make me an appointment with Minister Saurnier."

Hadast Wellsia

Ahriam Sukkalli, Suffet Nuwa'uttum epasu (Chancellor of Barbarian Affairs) hung up the phone. Since the last two meetings at the palace had first interrupted the King's sleep and then the next time his breakfast, it was karma that the call had come just prior to his sitting down for supper. With a deep sigh he looked at his wife, "Sweetie, it would seem I am on my way to Kessa to meet with President Zubele. A car is already on its way to take me to the airport."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Hopefully not long, just have to convince Zubele not to start sinking Laeden ships and to be patient when it comes to regaining control of Sunset."
"Will you be taken any servants," with a smile on her face, "or do you plan on roughing it?
"I think I can survive dressing myself for a couple of days, so just have them prepare my official suit and hopefully we can enjoy our meal before the car gets here.'

Saganu Dasari (Governor's Palace); Essu-Hadast, Mastia, Ishspanya Island

Victor, Mar'sarri (Crown Prince) of Wellsia, looked over at his wife. "Feel like taking a trip to Estra, Dad wants me to meet with Zirilio to discuss the events on Sunset Island, it seems he has ordered our ambassador in Laeden to present demands to to the Proconsul. He wants me to find out what Aizcona's official and unofficial stand is on the events.'
Elissa stretched on the bed and smiled, "Sounds wonderful, while you and Ziri are doing your boring meeting, I'll grab Loxa and we can do some fun girl stuff, I need new shoes." Leaning over Elissa pulled the hanging rope beside the bed summoning her amat (chambermaid) to help her get dressed.

[Solaryia]

Herrepalis, outskirts of Eridanis | 13th Feburary, 2022

The Consul sipped her morning tea, glancing over the bright tablet on her desk with a grim expression. It had only been a few days since the discovery of natural resources and subsequent territorial dispute that had started over the Sunset Isle, which was already getting out of hand. What had once been a simple diplomatic dispute has spiraled out into… this mess, where apparently a Martenyiken ship had gone missing, which had allegedly resulted in a firefight on the island itself, resulting in multiple casualties. And now, SDF observation satellites were seeing a small Wellsian naval force approaching the island as well.

This wasn’t good. Relations between the Laedenians and Martenyikens weren’t the best already, and given the recent escalation there was no reason for her not to believe that this could spiral out of control into a full scale conflict, particularly given the two nation’s refusals to just talk to each other over it. And if a war did happen to break out, that meant trade would be disrupted across a great part of the South Mesder. Of particular attention would be the potential disruption of Solaryi trade interests in the Southern Sea, which couldn’t be allowed to happen. The Consul put down her tea, pondering for a few seconds before turning to another tablet on the side of her desk and pressing a button to talk to her aid.

“Hei, Helena. Could you please organize a video call with the ambassadors to Laeden and Martenyika? Yes, as soon as they’re available, thank you.” Bellarys spoke, habitually running her fingers through her hair. The two southern countries may not have had the best relations with each other, but her country happened to be on relatively good terms with both, and if they wouldn’t communicate, then perhaps the Solaryi’s could do the talking for them as an intermediary, at least at first.

After a little bit more time talking about the specifics, the Consul closed the call, looking up from her tablet for the first time of the morning. She sighed as she stared over the Bay, which was calm and coloured vibrant shades of oranges and pinks from the dawn, and to the gleaming city on the island beyond reflecting over the water.

However, before she went to do other work, the Consul pressed a different button, speaking in a more formal tone than with her aid.

“Have you heard of the situation in the south Admiral? Yes, have Kontreadmiral Stygarí direct a small flotilla within the Southern Fleet to the international waters in the Altare Sea, just in case. No, not close to the island yet, we don’t want to make tensions worse.”

---

By that afternoon, the Solaryi embassies in both Arcadia and Kessa had received the same orders. Their respective ambassadors were to try and organize meetings with both Maxime Zubele and Gaspard d’Albignac, and get the two leaders to open a diplomatic dialogue with each other, or at the very least ask the international community to assist in some sort of arbitration in order to prevent further conflict and deaths.

[Laeden]

19:44 - 13/02/2022
LRS St. Jean Baptiste's Bridge – Southern Mesder, Sunset Isle's vicinity

Colonel Fontaine and Colonel Laurier had to find their way to the meeting room on their own. The task was not simple, considering the grandeur of the LRS St. Jean Baptiste, one of the largest ships in the Laedenian Armada. As they belonged to the Army and the Laedenian Air Force (FAeL), respectively, the two were regarded with suspicion and disdain by the ship's crew. Even the sailors shrugged it off, or pretended to be busy, when officers came to ask for information. Eventually, however, the colonels arrived at the large meeting room, whose space was unmistakably narrow and cramped, but the rich and opulent decor made up for the smallness. On one wall was a large projector with a map of the region and blue lights indicating the ships of the Laedenian task force. On the opposite side of the room was the commander's desk, a large oak table with a comfortable black chair behind it. A glass table occupied the central part of the room, and around this table, a large group of Armada officers chatted and whispered nervously.

Colonels Fontaine and Laurier remained together, as the naval officers barely greeted them. The only one who came to shake hands with them was Colonel Mignard, commander of the Marine units stationed on Sunset Isle. The mood of nervousness and tension could be felt in the air. Something was bothering everyone present, as if great danger was at hand.

"Good night sir!" a mighty voice, like thunder, burst forth. All eyes were directed towards the door, noting there the presence of Admiral Alexandre d'Anjou, or “AAA” as he was known in Arcadia. His subordinates called him by other names, some of them not very flattering.

The Admiral's appearance provoked a reaction that impressed the colonels. The naval officers, pale as snow, stood and saluted nervously. The colonels did the same, surprised by this unexpected, almost comical reaction. Colonel Laurier, in fact, managed a quick smile, controlling his instinct to laugh at the fear the naval officers seemed to feel of their Admiral. Although the smile lasted a split second, it didn't go unnoticed. “Any jokes, Colonel?” the Admiral asked, firmly, as he made his way to his table.

"No sir!" replied Colonel Laurier firmly.

“Then why did you smile when you saw me? Do you think I am handsome?" the admiral asked, sitting down in the chair. He was old, very old. In fact, AAA was the most senior officer in the Navy. Even more than Admiral Lacan, his immediate superior, and even Proconsul Galland. He could have been chosen Minister of Defense had he not been so stubborn and insisted on spending the rest of his military career in operations at sea, vehemently refusing to occupy administrative or bureaucratic positions. If, on the one hand, this obstinacy kept him from reaching higher ranks, on the other hand, he felt fulfilled in being the general commander of the entire Laedenian task force on the Sunset Isle mission.

"No sir," replied Colonel Laurier calmly.

“Well, control your impulses then, Colonel. Come on, everyone sit down,” AAA said, in her thunderous voice. Despite his age he was tall, burly and very strong. The man had the health of a bull and a discipline of iron. He was by far the most physically fit in the room, even with Colonel Mignard, a marine, and Colonel Fontaine, an infantry officer.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, since no one was willing to start the meeting, AAA thundered, “Well, what did you come here for? To be quiet? Mignard! What is the island report?”

“Our patrols are sweeping the island, Admiral. There is no sign of operators from other nations, but the Marines are having work with the natives. We suffered a few ambushes, but retaliated proportionately, according to our judgment...” Mignard said, trying to use euphemisms to understate the fact that nearly twenty marines had already been wounded in skirmishes with the Indians. The retaliations, conduit, were violent, and the number of Akari killed already approached fifty.

“Well, keep your eyes open. Don't forget that it was thanks to your incompetence that the SBR managed to enter the island” the Admiral replied bluntly. Mignard glared at the commander with sudden fury, but held back his impulses. No one dared challenge AAA's authority.

"Yes, sir," Mignard replied, dryly.

“Lammond, Thivres, Poillut? Aren't you going to say anything?” the Admiral asked, choosing some of the Commodores to be his victims this time.

“Mr Admiral, there is no naval activity within our sectors. The cordon around the island is being respected. In the last few days we have been helping to resupply marine units on land and carry out patrol missions, but there are no ships in the area,” one of the men replied, visibly dismayed.

“Oh, isn't there?” the Admiral asked, and his face was livid, red with indignation. “So how did I get a notification from Arcadia saying there's a Martenyika submarine in the area and no one here has told me anything? Did they get it wrong? Or is it not a submarine, but a giant whale??” questioned the old man.

“Mister Admiral” one of the commodores replied. “We are investigating this information, all our radars are operating in order to identify the possible presence of this submarine. However, even with our efforts, it is very difficult to find this type of ship, as it is produced with the specific purpose of going unnoticed.”

The commodore was interrupted by an outburst from the Admiral “Difficult?? Difficult, you say, Lammond? Well, what do you think about retiring and becoming captain of some millionaire's yacht? Is this mission more compatible with your abilities?”

“No sir,” the commodore replied, looking down.

“I don't know why I waste time with you. They don't want anything. They think this is a walk, a walk in the park. They don't find the damn submarine, but if I make an inspection of their ships, I'm sure I'll find whiskey, lobsters and many other delicacies in their personal stores” the admiral said, not hiding his fury. “And they call themselves commodores... they'd hardly be good enough to be swimming instructors. I don't want to hear excuses, I want the submarine's position on my desk. You, smiling,” the admiral said, pointing at Laurier. “What do you have to report?”

“With the collaboration of Colonel Fontaine's units, we built an improvised air base, with an airstrip, on the island of St. Helen, 2,698 km to the west. From there, FAeL is conducting constant aerial sweeps over the island area. The distance requires aerial refueling, which makes operational logistics a little difficult, but we have already managed to adapt our techniques and now we can count on at least one aircraft flying over the island every day, which allows us to have accurate and up-to-date information on everything that happens around,” Colonel Laurier said quietly.

“And what information do you have, Colonel?” the admiral asked, listening carefully to everything the colonel said.

“Apparently we have a ship from Ainslie heading to the region. From what we could see, it's just an observation vessel, which suggests that they're only interested in closely monitoring what's going on there,” said Laurier.

“Well, apparently someone came to work today!” the admiral spoke, in his powerful voice, giving Colonel Laurier a rare compliment. The other commodores looked on, envy and disdain. “Very well, let the ahnslen approach, if that's what they want. But fly close to their ship. With unarmed planes, no missiles. Show them that we know where they are and that we are keeping an eye on them, but without threatening them.”

“Perfectly, Admiral. And how shall we proceed with the ships of Wellsia?” questioned Colonel Laurier.

“What ships?” the admiral replied, surprised.

“A helicopter carrier and a destroyer. They're far away, but they're getting closer to Sunset Isle with every passing hour. They seem to be well armed and equipped,” Laurier replied.

“Damn it,” AAA said, visibly annoyed. “Well then, fly over his ships as you would over Ainslie. However, in the case of Wellsia, send armed aircraft. With missiles and bombs. Fly close to them, show our teeth. Let them see that we know of their presence and that they are ready to retaliate. Lammond! I want your frigate accompanying the ships of Wellsia. I want you to serve as an escort for them and stay in continuous contact with them. Let me know everything. Can you do it, or is this task too difficult for you?” The commodore did not respond to the admiral's provocation.

“And you, Colonel Fontaine?” asked the Admiral. “What do you have to say to me?”

“Mr Admiral, I have to inform you that the air base of St. Helen is built and manned”, said the colonel, who was quickly interrupted.

“Your colleague already told me that. Didn't you hear? Tell me something new,” said the admiral.

“The Marine forward base on Sunset Isle is now perfectly ready and operational, thanks to the help of Army engineers. The base is being manned by Army soldiers, allowing the Marines to focus exclusively on patrols. Our engineers are conducting searches to confirm the presence of precious resources on the island. Observation towers were installed on the beach to allow our sentries to keep an eye on the entire coastline. A communication tower was established on the island, making direct communication with Arcadia possible. We have also built a field hospital and are working on a small airstrip,” said Fontaine.

“Besides buildings, Colonel, is there anything else to report?” asked AAA.

"Yes sir. One more thing. The two SBR operators were escorted by our soldiers to Laeden. They are currently in Arcadia, are being held in custody and are at the disposal of the justice system,” replied Colonel Fontaine.

“Very well, Colonel. Our most immediate concern, gentlemen, is to find the submarine of Martenyika and follow the movements of [/nation]Wellsia[/nation]. I want you to keep me informed of any developments. You are dismissed,” said the admiral, putting on his reading glasses and turning his attention to some documents that rested on his desk.

The officers rose, leaving one by one. First the commodores, then Colonels Mignard and Fontaine, who were talking about the island, until only Colonel Laurier remained, who was distracted admiring something he hadn't noticed: a glass dome, inside which rested a large steel sword, partially rusted.

“Are you interested, Colonel?” the admiral asked, in a calm but also imperious tone.

Colonel Laurier did not respond. He noticed that he was alone in the room with the Admiral. The old man was watching him and, after a few seconds of silence, he got up, heading to the glass dome. “In the Navy, we have an ancient tradition that goes back to the time of pirates and privateers. Each Armada ship carries a relic. It is an ancient object, which symbolizes the importance of the ship and serves to raise the spirits and morale of men. In the past, each captain used to add a relic, usually some hard-won object, such as the skin of some rare animal that had been slaughtered on a voyage of exploration, or a flag captured from an enemy ship, or valuable jewelry looted from some ship. Distant place..."

Colonel Laurier listened to Admiral Anjou's explanation. “That sword. Whose was she?” he asked.

The Admiral replied, with a smile. “To Admiral Leroux. The patron of the Navy. As the LRS St. Jean Baptiste is the flagship of the Navy, she is honored to carry the most valuable relic of all”. Colonel Laurier shook his head. In the Air Force there was no such tradition. The culture was different. Victory and progress were sought at any cost. The past was left aside, forgotten. The Navy was different. She was old, as old as Laeden. Its history was very rich and the sailors insisted on keeping it, and they were very proud of it. Laurier was never a man of belief and he didn't cling to trinkets from the past, but something in him admired the nobility of keeping that rough-and-ready sword on the ship. It wasn't the beautiful golden sword and gaudy uniform that were on display at the National Museum in Lynèsse. It was the combat sword, the weapon with which Admiral Leroux had probably shed the blood of many enemies.

"Colonel" the admiral finally said, making the colonel wake up from his daydreams. “I'm counting on you to locate this submarine. You need to understand what is at stake. This crisis will not last much longer. It will be resolved politically, or else through open war. In either case, we need to be ready when the solution comes.”

"Yes sir. I understand. And all my energies and those of my men are devoted to this mission,” replied Laurier. "However..." he said hesitantly.

“Yet what, Colonel?” asked Admiral Anjou.

“However, Admiral, part of me doesn't want to find that submarine. With all due respect,” said the colonel.

The admiral looked up, surprised and visibly annoyed. “And why would that be, colonel?” he asked, eyes fixed on Laurier.

“Because if I find him, we'll be forced to sink him. And I don't want to be the man who takes Laeden to war,” Laurier said, looking at the admiral.

20:20 - 15/02/2022
A high end apartment in Belaire – Volyènne, Laeden

Gaspard d'Albignac, Laeden's Consul, looked outwards from the balcony. Volyènne looked great at night, the city lights shining, the tall buildings rising proudly against the ocean, the cool breeze blowing against his face. Behind him, the noise of laughter and talk and gossip could be heard, mixed with music and the sound of fancy shoes hitting the marble floor and fancy glass cups hitting each other in toasts. Turns out that many were willing to side with him. Not only that Martenyikan ambassador, but Laedenians too. Businessmen, scholars, politicians, a multitude of people wanted him to be their champion in their anti-war crusade. That's why they threw this extravagant 'reunion', as they called it. To show him support and to celebrate the fact that not all Laedenians had fallen to barbarism and war. No, the civil society was still adamantly in favor of peace and diplomacy. Values that d'Albignac represented.

D'Albignac's brief moment of peace and quiet was interrupted. An entourage arrived, all carrying wine glasses or glasses full of whiskey, and all sporting smart clothes and big smiles. “Mister Consul, it is a great pleasure to meet you,” said one of the men, a medium-sized individual with a very white skin that contrasted with his brown hair. “Daniel Rouge, at your service,” added the man, whom d'Albignac quickly identified as the president of the Laeden Bar Association.

“Dr. Rouge, how are you?” d'Albignac replied, with a welcoming smile.

“I'm fine, Mr. Consul,” said the lawyer.

“Well, you don't need any formalities. We're among friends here, aren't we?” the Consul said, with a big laugh.

"It saw? Didn't I say he was friendly?" Virginia Thiffault, the senator and leader of the Green Party in the Senate, said to a man standing next to her. Noticing that the Consul was looking at her, the senator came forward:

“Hello Gaspard. Your hair looks great, as always. Say hello to Louis Moureau, Avène's executive vice president,” said Virginia, introducing her friend.

“Hello Louis, how are you?” Gaspard said, offering the man a gentle handshake.

"I'm doing as well as I can, sir consul," the businessman said.

"We're all worried, Gaspard, as you can imagine," Virginia said, interrupting Louis.

“Of course,” Gaspard said, knowing the conversation would lead him to the topic of crisis, something he tried to avoid, even though he was at the center of the resistance, so to speak.

“We are concerned about the impact of this on the economy. From what I and the other entrepreneurs hear from our regional managers in Martenyika, things are not looking good. We hear rumors that there are already proposals to boycott our companies there. It's only a matter of time before public opinion turns against us. I confess, sir. Consul, I'm afraid to see our stores vandalized, looted and our employees injured”, said the businessman.

“If we fear barbarism, we don't need to look either to the future or to other countries. Just pay attention to what is happening in our own backyard” said Dr. Rouge, president of the Bar Association. “The Martenyika soldiers who were brought from Sunset Isle are imprisoned, incommunicado, and will be tried by a military court, without the right to defence. It is very clear that we live in a state of exception, Mr. Consul. I fear that in this possible war, the first victim will be Justice. We cannot sacrifice our rights, nor allow them to destroy the democracy that we have built so hard,” added the lawyer, with a dose of drama.

“At least citizens can defend themselves and organize. The same cannot be said of the Akari natives. And neither is the fauna and flora of Sunset Isle. They have no one to defend them. I have already spoken with the ambassadors of Ainslie and Roendavar, as well as being in constant contact with the IPNO representatives in Laeden. Everyone is communicating to me the great international concern about Sunset Isle, and everyone condemns, openly or indirectly, the way our government is handling the crisis. Gaspard, we trust that you will be the man to stop Laeden from becoming an imperial and authoritarian state,” Virginia said with emotion.

“I hear you all. You are all right. This crisis is a testament against our civilization and against everything we've built. I assure you that I will take the most energetic measures to reverse this barbarism that is being built”, said d'Albignac, firmly but also with the usual politeness.

“Whatever you need, we will be at your disposal, Mr. Consul” said the businessman.

"Come on, Virginia," said the lawyer, leading the senator by the arm. “It is clear that Mr. d'Albignac wishes to be alone for a while”.

"Yea. See you later, Gaspard. I'll try to distract myself with the wonderful Keomora flour that Louis keeps in the guest room,” Virginia said with a loud laugh.

The businessman smiled. "What host would I be if I didn't meet the demands of my guests?"

The trio left, chatting, while d'Albignac silently celebrated the fact that he was freed from the futility of Laedenian high society, if only for a moment. He turned his back again, looking at the dark sea and the buildings on the shore, and thinking about his life and the challenges that lay ahead. However, sooner than he anticipated, someone else entered the porch. This person approached, silently, and leaned against the railing, without turning to look at the consul.

“The night is beautiful,” said the voice, definitely male. "Every man deserves the privilege of looking in silence at the stars and listening to the sound of the waves."

"Every man but me, it seems," said d'Albignac. The other man laughed.

“Power is like that. It deprives us of banal pleasures.” d'Albignac knew who the man was speaking. It was Pierre Augerau, Laeden's director of intelligence. A taciturn and observant man. Augerau lit a cigarette and offered it to the consul, who declined. After a few minutes of silence, the consul finally asked.

“What are you doing here, Augerau?”

The intelligence director didn't respond, just puffing smoke, looking at the horizon. He reached into his pocket, taking out a cell phone and opening a photo, and handed the phone to d'Albignac. The consul looked at the photo and saw what it was: it was the ambassador of Martenyika leaving the house of d'Albignac.

The consul looked at Augerau. He had been discovered. The director kept looking at the horizon, unconcerned. "What does that mean. Will you do something against me? Will you kill me? I expected Galland to be more classy!” said d'Albignac, losing his composure for a moment.

“See the other photos,” Augerau said, calmly and succinctly.

Gaspard d'Albignac returned his gaze to his cell phone screen again, and swiped his finger to the side. The next image surprised him. It was a picture of himself, in an apartment he recognized, with a face he also recognized. The face was that of Melina Carmeline, a beautiful journalist for L'Héraut, with whom d'Albignac had an affair that lasted nearly eight months. In the first photo they were both together, smiling and having dinner. The following photos had a much less flattering content, but much more explicit, and portrayed in a clear, almost vulgar way, the couple's intimate scenes. d'Albignac kept scrolling through the next photos, more and more explicit, as his heart pounded and his pupils dilated in despair. He thought of his reputation, of his family, of his daughters, of everything he'd built, everything that could be so easily destroyed if only these images leaked out.

He came, at last, to the last image. It wasn't any love scene, but a report, it seemed. Not just any report, but a test result. The examinations contained familiar names. Names of your daughters. Stunned, he didn't understand what was going on, so he looked at Augerau.

“Read to the end,” Augerau said, not even looking at the consul, but already wondering what the fuss was about.

Gaspard continued reading and found that it was some kind of DNA test. In fact, it was a paternity test based on DNA compatibility. The test was between the compatibility of his DNA with that of his two daughters. The result was negative for paternity.

"What is it?" Gaspard asked, amazed and destroyed, ashamed and furious, frightened and humiliated.

Pierre turned, his silhouette contrasting with the darkness of the sky behind him. “That,” he said, taking the cell phone from d'Albignac's hands, “is what will be in tomorrow's paper if you decide to meet more often with the ambassadors of Martenyika”.

"Pierre... I... you don't understand" Gaspard said, trying to find words to appease the director.

“Our conversation ends here, Mr. Consul,” Augerau said abruptly. “Enjoy the evening,” he added, calmly and politely, without flustering or showing any sign of nervousness. Augerau was cool and efficient, a splendid professional and a terrifying man. He turned and walked away, heading for the exit, leaving d'Albignac wrecked on the porch.

21:26 - 16/02/2022
The Proconsul's Office, Ministry of the Defense – Arcadia, Laeden

Proconsul Galland finished reading another report. The old man was almost out of energy. He was exhausted, after a whole week of almost uninterrupted work. He no longer went home, sleeping in his study, and in the last few days he hadn't even had time to sleep.

“Roendavar and Wellsia hardening criticism against us, civil society protests, imminent danger from a Martenyika submarine near Sunset Isle..' ' he said, through yawns, enumerating all the problems that were on his desk, spread out in the form of countless reports and messages.

“We cannot stand still,” Foreign Minister Ignace Saurnier commented calmly.

"Those dark circles you see under my eyes, Saurnier, didn't show up because of inertia," Galland remarked, more harshly than usual.

“I understand, sir. However, the situation is getting worse and we need to take action to stabilize our position” Saurnier replied.

“First the internal problems. Augerau! What do you have to say to me?” asked Galland.

The intelligence director began to speak, calmly. “I consulted with the Chairman of the Senate and the Chief Justice. His position as Proconsul remains unquestioned and inviolable. We don't need to worry about any institutional breakdown.”

"What about d'Albignac?" asked Galland.

“Don't worry about him, Mr. Proconsul,” said Augerau, in a soothing way.

“Very well. What about our military position, Lacan? Any news?” asked Galland, addressing the naval commander and acting Minister of Defense.

“With every passing minute our military position on the island becomes firmer. There is no navy today that has enough ships in the Southern Sea to challenge our task force. However, our territorial waters are much less guarded, and the costs of keeping all this military force abroad are high. Therefore, we need to seek the fastest solution, before our position becomes untenable'' said the admiral.

"Perfect. Perfect,” Galland repeated, to himself. His eyes were heavy and he felt the urge to sleep, but he knew he had to stay awake. The nation needed his leadership. “Saurnier. How can we handle the diplomatic issue?”

“With regard to Roendavar, I have already contacted our diplomatic representation and they said that government officials have already assured that they will not intervene in the crisis. We cannot ignore, however, the social upheaval that is taking place there. We need to take action before we end up losing an important political and trade partner.”

“Very well. Call on leaders who are critical of our occupation of Sunset Isle. Tell our ambassador in Roendavar to schedule some sort of meeting with them and seek to persuade them to tone down their criticism. I don't know, convince them, persuade them, fix it. That's what diplomats are for. Let him lie, if need be. We need time, all the time he can get.”

“The situation with Wellsia is even worse, Mr. Proconsul. They've already sent us a firm message and dispatched ships to Sunset Isle,” Saurnier said.

Galland looked at Lacan, who immediately said, “We have no reason to worry about their task force, which, at first, is quite small. But we cannot allow the situation to get worse. Wellsia is a powerful country, and if they ally with Martenyika, we could end up at a tactical disadvantage in the Sunset Isle region.”

Galland scratched his head. “They're getting into a fight that doesn't concern them. Well then. It's no use being hostile to them now. Send them a friendly message, we will try to calm their tempers to prevent this conflict from escalating to proportions.”

Saurnier stepped forward. “Mr Proconsul, I had already prepared a text for this hypothesis. If you allow me, I would like to present it for your approval,” said the minister, opening his leather briefcase and taking out a paper document. Galland motioned for him to continue, and then Saurnier began to read.


Your Majesty the King of Wellsia

We of Laeden have always valued and appreciated the peaceful and friendly relations between our two nations. For this reason, we deeply regret that Your Majesty is at odds with our actions. We recognize our mistake in not establishing a line of dialogue beforehand in order to resolve possible misunderstandings. We assure Your Majesty, however, that all our actions were guided by the strictest legality and respect for international law and human rights.

We invite Your Majesty to visit Arcadia, where you will be received with the appropriate honors and will be able to discuss the matter directly with the Proconsul, the highest authority in Laeden in matters related to defense and security.

At the end of this regrettable crisis, which we wish to resolve as quickly as possible, we are interested in strengthening our ties and partnerships with the noble nation of Wellsia, through numerous political, economic and scientific agreements that will bring much prosperity and development for our two nations.

That said, we beseech Your Majesty to order the withdrawal of your ships from the Southern Sea, and to collaborate with Laeden in the quest for peace-building and international cooperation. We know we can count on Your Majesty.

We take this opportunity to renew our vows of high esteem and admiration.

Very respectfully.

The Republic of Laeden”



“Very well, Saurnier. A little long, maybe, but it's great. Send to Wellsia. God willing they will stop causing us more trouble,” Galland replied.

“Now we have Martenyika, Mr. Proconsul. What will we do?" asked Augerau.

“We cannot retreat from our position, that would suggest a vulnerability” argued Lacan.

“On the other hand, Mr. Proconsul, Martenyika is an important economic and cultural partner. And, at the international level, many other nations are already questioning our conduct. It's only a matter of time before we are in a position of isolation, with no one on our side,” argued Saurnier.

“And society is strictly against conflict. If we delay, we can have social instability within the nation,” added Augerau.

“And public opinion in Martenyika, how is it?” asked Galland.

The three men did not understand the question.

“Augerau,” said Galland. “You informed me that the ambassador of Martenyika met with d'Albignac in an attempt to destabilize us, correct?”

“Perfect, Mr Proconsul” replied the director.

“Can we do the same? Can we contact the opposition leader in Martenyika and negotiate some sort of truce? Promise partnerships between the two countries, promise Laeden’s official support for the opposition’s candidacy, in exchange for an end to hostilities?” asked Galland.

“This kind of crisis seems to be having the effect of uniting the people of Martenyika, Mr Proconsul. From my information, it appears that even the opposition is willing to collaborate with President Zubele against what is perceived as an unjust aggression provoked by Laeden. But we can explore that avenue, if you wish.” Said Augerau.

"I wish. Make the necessary arrangements,” Galland said.

“Are we officially looking for a diplomatic and non-military solution then, Mr Proconsul?” asked Saurnier.

“I have nothing against the Martenyikans, Ignace. I even like them. Besides, I think enough blood has been spilled,” Galland replied.

Saurnier smiled, satisfied. “In this case, it seems to me that Solaryia has offered to negotiate some kind of agreement. Their ambassador in Laeden said he would like to get in touch with you directly.”

“What guarantees that Martenyika will be interested in dialogue? We have the upper hand now, but if they wait, they will be able to muster enough international support to take the island away from us. They have no incentive to cooperate, on the contrary” argued Admiral Lacan.

“Rationally, you are right, Lacan. For that, we can appeal to a gesture of goodwill,” said Galland. “What is the situation of the prisoners? The SBR boys?”

"Of health? They received care and are fine, the bullets have already been extracted from their bodies. But they were sentenced in the military courts to life imprisonment for crimes against national sovereignty,” replied Lacan.

"Then let them go," Galland said, to the surprise of everyone present.

“Sir, they were condemned” argued Lacan.

“Yes, and I, as Proconsul, am offering consular pardon for them,” Galland replied.

“Sorry, Mr Proconsul, but only the Consul has the right to offer Consular Pardon” said Lacan.

“In times of peace, yes. But as we are in a situation of conflict, the Constitution guarantees me all the powers to deal with the crisis, including those that would be exclusive to the Consul. Free them, Lacan. Give the guys new clothes, a nice lunch and get them both on a plane to Martenyika tomorrow,” Galland said.

“Sir, with all due respect, this is going to make us look vulnerable,” Lacan said.

“No,” interrupted Galland. “This will show the opposition of Martenyika that we are willing to cooperate, and it will make President Zubele have less arguments if he wants to accuse us of something. And enough questions, Lacan! Do as I say,” ordered Galland, tired of the admiral's ponderings.

“Anything else, Mr Proconsul?” asked Ignace Saurnier, not hiding his proud smile at the victory of diplomacy.

"Yea. Schedule a meeting with the diplomat from Solaryia”.

[Dormill and Stiura]

3:15 PM Central Gael Time (UTC -9)
29 January 2022
Southern Office, Chateau du President, Cour Rouge, Dormill and Stiura

Cedar Dyson thumbed his way through the morning edition of the Dispatch as he waited for the last stragglers of his Cabinet staff to arrive for their daily meeting. Of particular note for his reading was the early reporting on the newly inducted Laedenian Proconsul, Admiral Maurice Galland, and the simmering tension between Laeden and Martenykia, both ostensibly French brethren, over the small Sunset Islands in the Lotus Sea; it bugged him deeply that Laeden would opt to appointing a position that, if the Dispatch's claims were true, was never meant to be filled over a mere policing issue. This story was added to the schedule earlier in the morning by his Chief of Staff Rodger Howland who figured it was important enough to override Loane Scarlett's report on the High-Speed Rail project. For now, though, he simply had to wait and read while the stragglers filed in.

"Sorry, Mr. President," exclaimed a young voice from the far door of the office. As Cedar put his newspaper aside he revealed Undersecretary for the Second South Mesder Circut Josepha Dirkse, whose responsibilities included general management and information synthesis for the nations in the Southeastern Mesder Sea, Laeden especially.

Cedar's silence was affirmation enough to her that her tardiness was tolerated in this instance, which she confirmed with a nod before seating herself between Director Wayne Matthews, who runs the entire diplomatic corps for the Southern Mesder, and Culture minister Albin Addens. The roster of the day's cabinet included most of the remaining Ministers, Vice President Aalders, the Congressional leaders, and some additional lower-level personnel who, like Dirkse, had a particular role to contribute in the meeting.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming in today with the altered schedule. The world moves fast around us so I'm going to call this Cabinet into order and we'll begin with Topic Item 7: Sunset Isle Situation.", to which he gaveled the Cabinet in with his hand before proceeding.

"I've just read that this situation is newly developing so we ought to get ahead of it before we have another stupid war in the south." Cedar coldly remarks, gesturing towards Director Matthews and Undersecretary Dirkse to speak up.

"Mr. President." the Director began, pointing at a small bundle of papers that have been passed across the room by an aide, "As you are aware by now the situation between Laeden and Martenyika is developing quickly. As we are aware, this conflict stems from a root very similar to the ongoing issue between Roendavar and Balnik in Faronna and portends a very similar situation there as the Laedenian government is taking steps to authorize a more authoritarian status. These islands in the western Lotus Sea region have so far been regarded as relatively unimportant but as Mrs. Drikse learned from our counterparts in Laeden earlier today, they believe that the islands hold a secret treasure of natural resources that Martenyika seeks to exploit, both in violation of Laeden's sovereign claims over the islands and without apparent regard for a tribe of Mesdernian natives who have, up to this point, been cut off from the rest of the outside world."

"You believe there will be a military confrontation over these islands?" Cedar asked, visibly perturbed by the mention of Faronna.

"It remains a possibility, sir. Both nations have a comparable military to each other so there is a possibility that a direct conflict might erupt. This is worsened by the appointment of Admiral Galland to Proconsul of Laeden, a position that is no worse than a Roman Dictator." Matthews responded with reticent.

Cedar rubbed his eyes for a moment before responding with a long sigh, "Then we have to do everything we can to make sure this doesn't blow up into a full-on war..."

---

7:25 AM Central Gael Time
04 February 2022
Gold Room, Chateau du President, Cour Rouge

Of course they couldn't keep things simple... Cedar thought to himself as he rifled through the satellite photos that landed on his desk showing five Laedenian ships departing from Illion, their largest base, obviously bound for the Sunset Isles. They assured me that a military option was not seriously considered... he thought further, digging himself into a hole of anxiety over the pictures, Fuck! I can't send the Navy out like some bully on the beaches...

As he sat, fuming in raw indignation over the Laedenian naval deployment, his mind blurred through all the possible outcomes he would have to deal with as a result of this movement. He couldn't side with either Martyika or with Laeden nor could he deploy the United Republics Navy that far out without causing a veritable shitstorm back in Gael or, worse, invite Balnik to cause trouble while a portion of Doraltic strength is away from the continent. No option he had in his mind would have worked in a way where Dormill and Stiura came out better than where it started yet at the same time he felt the United Republics had to respond in order to preserve the gains it made with the deal with Laeden.

For now, though, he simply had to sit and wait and hope that the situation would turn towards his advantage.

[Martenyika]

9:28 PM - 02/15/2022
Port Bonaré's naval facilities

Commodore Peter Ebodé paused for a moment as he stepped out of his staff car. He looked on with no miniscule amount of bewilderment as RMNS Zainabou was being swarmed by dockyard workers, and cranes swung in the new ordinance for loading. Much of Port Bonaré's naval base seemed to be abuzz. In the spotlights, Commodore Ebodé could see two of the cranes working together around the bow; one bringing over what appeared to be torpedo tube-launched anti-ship missiles, the other offloading torpedoes themselves. Ebodé turned towards the admiral's offices right behind him, assuming the worst.

As he flew through the front doors and up the stairs, lower ranked sailors lunged out of his way and saluted. His footfalls and demeanor commanded at least as much authority as his shoulder boards. He barely acknowledged them. The admiral's assistant was already waiting outside his commanding officer's door. He saluted--the only one Commodore Ebodé returned thus far--and tossed the door open.

"Admiral!" the captain came to a stop a few paces in front of his admiral's desk.

"At ease, commdore. Take a seat."

"With respect sir, I'll stay on my feet."

"Mmm, very well. You must be wondering what we're doing to her?" The admiral gestured towards the windows overlooking Zainabou's berth.

"Yes admiral. Why are we damning the torpedoes for missiles? Did the Sunset Isle situation get this bad?" he replied. He watched a sea mine as it was hoisted up.

"Your service during this crisis has been invaluable already. But...things are on a bit of a knife's edge. There's the real fear of war, and you and your crew may prove yourselves invaluable yet again, even beyond measure. Zainabou is almost finished loading a small complement of anti-ship missiles."

"And mines too."

"We want to be prepared. Welcome to Operation Bronze Pool, Commodore Ebodé."

"So it did get this bad? Admiral, is war imminent? Or are we already there?"

"No! Now listen! As this file explains, your orders are to rendezvous with your sister ships Aïssatou and Mariamou between Sunset Isle and Laeden, where at least one of those islets seems to be set up as a logistics hub for their forces on Sunset Isle. You will take command of the squadron. At this point you are only to report any findings about Laedenian movements and concentrations within that corridor, until further orders. In the event of war, phase two requires you to use your weapons against Laeden's supply chain for Sunset Isle. Phase three is covered by the other subs. Of course these orders detail everything."

"Yes admiral. Thank you admiral."

"Ebodé, this may be our finest hour! Of course it goes without saying that should you be attacked, you are fully authorized to retaliate. Dismissed."

---

12:09 - 02/17/2022
Kessa, Martenyika

Manuel Fassie, President Zubele's senior aide, burst into the room with startling vigor. The president had been leaning back in the chair stroking his beard as he considered the situation at hand, but now he popped back up eager to see what the new development was. Judging by Fassie's pace, it could be either very good, or very bad news. Fortunately his expression increasingly betrayed that it would be the former. The aide placed one sheet of paper in President Zubele's hands, then set a short stack of copies on the conference table so that they could be distributed. He began reading, cautiously at first, once he saw who had sent it.

From: Proconsul Maurice Galland, Republic of Laeden
To: President Maxime Zubele, Republic of Martenyika

President Zubele,

After a period of deliberation, I have instructed the Laedenian military to release two members of the Martenyikan Navy Special Boat Service, who had been captured by Laedenian forces during hostilities on the night of 07 February, 2022. Although sentenced to life imprisonment in Laeden by military courts martial, I as proconsul have issued them pardons. By noon today (17 February, 2022), or at the time you receive this, they shall already be en route to Martenyika via airplane.

I assure you that these Special Boat Service operators have received medical care, food, and new clothes. I trust that you will take these gestures of good faith fully to heart, in spite of these troubling times. President Zubele, let us avoid further bloodshed. Let us holster our weapons and come to the table, finally.

Regards,

Proconsul Maurice Galland
Republic of Laeden

President Maxime Zubele let the paper down on the table. He exchanged glances with the various civil and military officials around the table, who looked just as surprised as he did.

"I think I speak for all of us, when I say that this is quite unexpected. It is also very welcome. We will reply, wholeheartedly, in the affirmative."

"Mr. President, shall Operation Bronze Pool be aborted?"

Zubele nodded.

---

LATER...

The captain of the Laedenian vessel was enjoying his lunch, a mouthwatering croque sandwich that served as the perfect cheat meal during his diet. He was soon cheated out of the delicacy as the ship's alarm began to clang in his ears.

"This is not a drill, this is not a drill. General quarters, general quarters! All hands man your battle stations.

As the alarm clanged more and more, the captain and every other officer in the wardroom leapt to their feet. The captain made his way up to the bridge as quickly as he could. He quickly glanced through the bridge windows, taking in nothing of note from the blue sea or clear sky.

"What was the reason for general quarters?"

"Two sub-surface contacts inbound, sir!" a sonar operator piped up. He pointed to his sonar screen, which showed two blips nearly equidistant from the Laedenian vessel.

"They better not be whales!"

"No sir, they aren't biologics. Confirmed submarines, almost certainly Martenyikan. They have roughly the same signature--wait--I'm picking something else up. Course adjustment?"

"...I hear it," another sonarman nodded, "negative. New submerged contact bearing 277, designated sierra 3!"

"Speed? Range? Course?" the captain asked.

"All about the same as sierra 1 and 2 sir!"

"Dear god. Have our other ships been notified?"

"Yes sir." the captain heard.

"Update them. Get our chopper loaded and away for ASW, immediately! One submarine's a shame, two's concerning, three is likely an attack people!"

***

"It's confirmed, they're Laedenians sir," the officer reported, stepping aside so Commodore Ebodé could look through the periscope. He could make out their primarily red and blue flags flapping in the wind. A voice came in over the receiver: Captain Marcus Mkiwa aboard RMNS Aïssatou.

"Sir, the Laedenian vessels are reacting--they must have detected us. Orders?"

"Standby."

"They're likely to scramble ASW helicopters any minute, sir," XO Teshale pointed out.

"They will, XO, but we will just have to wait and see."

"Count one helo inbound." This time it was the Mariamou's Captain Chisoni, after a nearly non-existent wait. Commodore Ebodé returned his attention back to the periscope, and indeed confirmed that a Laedenian helicopter was on the way. No doubt there was at least one more spooling up on the other Laedenian naval vessels, getting ready to join in.

"It's coming towards the Aïssatou."

"There's a second one...moving towards the Mariamou. Remember our rules of engagement, gentlemen."

Suddenly, the sonar displays lit up, and the technicians experienced a new level of excitement.

"Conn, sonar, they went active! They're pinging us sir!" The Commodore and his XO looked at each other. His other sub captains were pinging him as well.

"Commodore Ebodé, they are actively pinging us, and soon their helicopters will be on top of us, what are your orders?"

"This is Captain Mkiwa. I have good solutions on one of their escorts but won't for long."

"Do not fire at this time. We are not at war, and will not be the ones to start a war."

"Wait, sir, the helicopters are armed, repeat they are armed."

"If they drop on us, we will not be able to--!"

"Sir," XO Teshale leaned in towards Ebodé and spoke lowly so as not to appear disagreeable before the crew, "we know our intentions, but not theirs. We can't assume that they aren't starting the war right now--or that it hasn't started already." The commodore couldn't help but admit he had a point, at least on one account. They hadn't received any dispatches from home indicating a change one way or the other in the Sunset Isle situation. Could they have just not received it, for some reason?

XO, verify our firing solutions. All units, listen...prepare for firing procedures. Prepare for snapshots on the escort in front of you then evade. Do not fire until I give the order. Standby.

"They're almost on us, we can't wait!"

"Commodore, there won't be time to react if we wait any longer!"

Maybe this war was going to be inevitable thought the Commodore. He nodded. He brought the receiver back up to his mouth to give the orders to his squadron. Within a minute or so, the Laedenians would have several torpedoes coming at them. Many, many men would lose their lives shortly after, probably on both sides of this naval engagement.

"Conn, comms! Something's coming over the machine sir--from COMSUB. Urgent."

"What the..." Ebodé breathed, "give it to me." He ripped the printout from the sailor's hands, and tore into it with his eyes.

"What is it, sir?" Teshale spoke out.

"The operation has been aborted..."

"Commodore, they're turning away! The helicopters are turning away!

"What? Sir?"

"The operation has been aborted. They're turning away, they must have gotten the same news--everyone hear this--the Laedenian proconsular government has released two captive SBR operatives, and have agreed to negotiate with Martenyika. Both sides' forces are to stand down completely. I--I" it was a rare moment for Commodore Ebodé to be at a loss for words, even for a moment, "that is all. XO...take us home."

"Aye aye, sir!"

"And bring us to the surface."

A couple moments later, the commodore emerged from the top of the Zainabou's sail. The sister subs lay relatively close by on the horizon, and the two Laedenian helicopters were still hovering over the water, fanning the waves in a circular pattern around them.

Commodore Ebodé took it all in for a moment. He then snapped to attention, lifted up his chin, and saluted his would-be foes, before disappearing again.