CHASTILLE, NEVORN BAY
NEVORN ISLAND, THE KINGDOM OF HUTANJIA
King Popilu I stood on a balcony overlooking the capital city of Chastille. Colonial architecture leftover from their period as a French, and then British subject was evident all across the skyline, stretching towards the water of the Wishton Sea that surrounded Nevorn Island. While Chastille was not directly on the coast of Nevorn Bay, it was at the mouth of a delta that fed into the Bay. Some of the port buildings in the distance sat on small delta islands, connected to mainland Chastille by concrete and steel bridges. They used to be wood once. Fishing vessels and cargo vessels streamed in and out, farther off in the Bay. Patrol boats of the Royal Hutanjian Navy kept constant guard. Closer in, Chastillians went about their morning on the streets, walking, cycling, conversing; unaffected by what transpired across the channel on Nesselburg Island and beyond.
Two rooms away, his wife played with their young children in the sun room of the palace. He could hear their happy chittering and laughter and the slight tocking sound of blocks on the floor. The juxtaposition was striking as he stood here, gathered with his advisers and military commander to discuss the mass death of other Hutanjian citizens, whole families even. Milton Atave was the Head of State Security, or KHS (The Kingdom of Hutanjian Security) Chief. His methods, instituted under the reign of Otumlo II, (Popilu's father), were sometimes deemed repressive and brutal, but they had kept the unrulier subjects under thumb. At least until lately, when the rebels, uniting under the banner of the UFF (United Freedom Front) had struck. Dr. Charles Nellis had brought together the UFF to undermine Popilu's rule. He was an interloper, not even a native born Hutanjian! Atave had been able to jail the dissenters at first, including Dr. Nellis, discreetly killing some of the street ringleaders in the process. International pressure had forced Popilu to make Atave let them go. They were 'peaceful democratic protesters', WA observers had said. They dismissed his evidence of Nellis' photographed atrocities as staged for propaganda purposes. The way Nellis had the world community and media wrapped around his finger would be laughable, if it hadn't been so damaging. Popilu wasn't a bad man in his mind, he loved his people. They were like naive children, though. Especially the Cardwithians, they needed a strong guiding hand, which the Dynasty, since independence, had managed to provide. He'd brought them, kicking and screaming, into the modern Westernized world. They were civilized, with unheard of conveniences just a generation ago. So why did they despise him?
Now, here they were. In a matter of months, Alistair Popilu or Popilu I, had lost half his kingdom to the UFF rebels. Most certainly they'd had help in money and arms and evidence pointed to the Falkasians being the main transgressors. Again, world community didn't care about rumored meddling of larger nations; the finger kept pointing at Popilu and Atave. Now they needed a miracle to turn it around.
General Monte Tonganu stood by the balcony table,
"As you know, Your Highness, the Cardwith Islands and most of Nesselburg Island has fallen to UFF forces. We still have the garrison in Vasselle, which we are supplying by helicopter and patrol boat. We can pound the UFF rebels when they come near the coast with our ships, but they tend to stay inland in the jungles. Any units we can land are ambushed when they head in towards the denser jungle. We can hold out here, they have no popular support on Nevorn."
(The dynasty, started by his great-grandfather Otumlo I, had been Nevornian) The Nevornians stood by their native born King always, but the rest of them remained stubbornly stupid. His malty colored skin started to turn paler as he gripped the railing overly tight in frustration. He kept his gaze outward though, taking in the salty Chastille air.
"We need help. Nellis has it and we don't."
Atave spoke up, "My contacts are working on it, sire. KHS agents are actively pursuing any proferred help.
Also, KHS agents are prowling Hesttens, where Dr. Nellis' main HQ is rumored to be. If they can bring down Nellis, the UFF will most certainly collapse in on itself. Now, maybe we could step inside. My counter-sniper teams are on the neighboring buildings, but still, this isn't entirely safe, your Highness."
Popilu scoffed, "Paaahh! I'm a dead man already!" He shouted at the sky, "Father why have you forsaken me?!? How has this come to pass?!" Weakened by the outburst and frustrated grief at all the loss, he allowed himself to be dragged inside by his concerned staff.
