Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God [IC|MT|Open]

[Lux Pulchrae]

Corney Island
"Forgive me then, Sir Albert, for my hastefulness. I was just throwing out ideas. Plan too quickly, you might be too rash, plan too long, that plan might become obsolete. And you are right, something as grand as your coronation should not be wasted on a trivial show of panem et circenses. Would make a good 'photo op' as they say, vero? Like the one in World War the Second, where Churchill, Roosevelt, and....ahem, Stalin, all sat together, in obvious victory and solidarity. It was a powerful image I must admit. A recreation couldn't hurt. Maybe after your coronation. But...I understand. Us being too involved in something like that, you might be seen as a puppet. Which you are not, I assure you. Could your Patriarch, or whomever, make an official statement of support? I would gladly offer my archbishop to coronate you, under the Church of Rome of course." Cleone scratched his beard, smiling, "Only a jest, ovvio?"

[Caracasus]

As the truck drove to its destination and passed the old internment camps, the two took a glance at the site. D'Umbra scoffed, while Gentile mostly ignored it. "Hey, Commie. Is this supposed to be a literal guilt trip? Huh? Well, for one, it isn't. So your attempts are futile. I'd cry more for a Frenchman than communist. Enjoy this trip cause I will be talking the whole way. Either you go deaf or I lose my voice. Capisci? I'd quicker welcome a Moor into my home than a communist. At least that Moor has a chance of being a good christian. Nothing but sin and error can come from Marxist communists. You do know equality is unattainable vero? No matter how many laws you pass, whatever reforms you push through, however 'happy' your people are, there will always be misery and there will always be someone at the bottom." 

Javvid sat, starting at one of the roof struts in the truck as the words washed through the vehicle. His responsibilities, as far as his role for Internal Security were concerned, were largely to make sure nothing too terrible happened in the communes he was broadly considered part of. Once or twice he had been in charge of breaking up a Cajji smuggling operation, though largely his work consisted of talking down people who hadn't handled their drink particularly well and were looking for a fight. He was used to hearing nonsensical, drunken rants and simply shrugging them off.

The truck stopped, abruptly. Javvid sighed. The sound of crickets chirping in the long grass was more audible now the faint hum of the engine had ceased.

“Stay here. I'll go and find out what's going on.”

He actually felt a faint tinge of pity when he saw the guards reposition themselves so that they could better access their weapons. What must it be like, after all, to live in a society where brutal violence was not only expected and threatened at every turn but actively employed as social conditioning? The pity soon faded.

The road here was really not much more than a dirt track. He strode round to the cab and rapped on the window.

“What's up?” He already knew the answer. The man sat, hands firmly on the wheel, not even meeting Javvid's face.

“They are. Look, Javvid, you do what you want but I am not putting up with them for another minute.”

“Ah, come on – it's an hour tops. Then you're done.”

“No. I'm not doing it.”

“Look, I've seen this truck carrying screaming babies all the way to town.”

“Babies don't know any better.”

Javvid stood back, ran his hand across his scalp. What an absolute pain in the arse way to start a perfectly good day...

He quickly contacted Internal Security – and was met with the response he was expecting. He walked back to the truck and opened the door.

“Right. Well the driver isn't taking us any further so we're going to have to walk. Problem is, after your previous display of diplomacy I thought it'd be better if we took a longer route and avoided any more tomatoes. We're actually slightly further away than when we started, so we're going to have to start walking now if you want to get to the dock before night. There's water and food in the locker beneath you, and please – only take what you need.”

The two other Internal Security personnel jumped down and stood beside Javvid, one flipped open her communicator.

“Okay, it's this way. We can probably cut some of the time off if we go through the fields.”

---

International Affairs and Diplomacy

---

To: OAS Headquarters - Liberty City

Regarding your request for information concerning Priscilla Keynes.

Aside from declassified information in public domain, I am afraid we can give very little information. We can confirm that Ms Keynes was Commander Elect for a now discontinued aid initiative during the Ohiton conflict. At some point during that time, she abandoned her mission and instead worked with a brother and sister - Kjoll and Birla of South Cardulan and a mercenary named Sebastian.

We cannot confirm or deny any report of their activities past this point. The group reemerged some decade later in Parsoh, where it is believed they met a Balagani citizen named Fahima.

The group has been known to travel under the name Red Sky Faction and have been suspected of a series of bank robberies across the world.

We can confirm that Ms Keynes is not, and never was, an operative of International Observations. As for speculation of her part in some secret war against an unknown cult or conspiracy commonly referred to as The Men in Grey, we can only state what we have always said. We have no evidence of the existence of such a group and we do not work on unproven speculation, rumour or conspiracy theory.
.

[Great Nortend]

Corney Island
"Forgive me then, Sir Albert, for my hastefulness. I was just throwing out ideas. Plan too quickly, you might be too rash, plan too long, that plan might become obsolete. And you are right, something as grand as your coronation should not be wasted on a trivial show of panem et circenses. Would make a good 'photo op' as they say, vero? Like the one in World War the Second, where Churchill, Roosevelt, and....ahem, Stalin, all sat together, in obvious victory and solidarity. It was a powerful image I must admit. A recreation couldn't hurt. Maybe after your coronation. But...I understand. Us being too involved in something like that, you might be seen as a puppet. Which you are not, I assure you. Could your Patriarch, or whomever, make an official statement of support? I would gladly offer my archbishop to coronate you, under the Church of Rome of course." Cleone scratched his beard, smiling, "Only a jest, ovvio?"

Albert laughed.

“I don't think we even know whom the bishops of the church have elected as their new patriarch. I believe my father has written to them to urge them to elect... a Miron? Your Majesty does bring up a pertinent point though—the Church of Nortend straddles a halfway point between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches, and is in partial communion with both. Truth be told, ignoring all of the academic discourses on theology, the main differences I have been about to elucidate are papal supremacy, the cause of salvation, and transubstantiation or the mystery thereof.”

“Mr Bardi, you are of the Church of Posteastan, are you not?” enquired Sir Donald. “Or have you 'converted' if you will, though no conversion truly is necessary, to the Church of Nortend?”

“Sir Donald, I was baptised in an Erbonian church by a Posteastan bishop in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. I intend when I am king once again, Deo iuvante, to be crowned in Posteastan by the Patriarch of the Church of Posteastan, as the faith and religion of my people.”

“I should like Albert to be crowned in the Church of Posteastan too,” Sir Alexander said. “But this is foolish talk. We are nowhere close to be able to be planning such things. First, there is a rather large and not altogether inconsequential and insignificant task of establishing a stronger footing in Posteastan. Albert, you shall go to Leozina forthwith, perhaps with Sir Donald? Or with whomsoever—it matters not. Tomorrow night; I will arrange things.”

[Posteastan]

Great Nortend

"I would not outright reject the opportunity to stand between two well respected monarchs as their equal. The message this would send should not be underestimated." Sir Alexander coughed. "Now the question of who is going to be monarch is a delicate one. But we should not hasten things before we solve this we should have the ability to reinstate the monarchy at all. The margins are slim at best at the moment. Things are good in Leozina but we have no influence outside our province. None. This must change. Many important questions have been voiced. What shall I say? It is not that easy. I agree that Albert here will make a good King. These things are not for us to decide. We have to follow the will of God. If I would renounce the thrown what would happen then? There is my brother. There are the children of Albert's deceased elder brother. These things are not easy. Not at all." Coughing again Sir Alexander took a sip from his glass. He took a deep breath and with a knock on the door the arrival of a letter from Posteastan was announced. "Well" he said. "Let's have a look at what the clergy has to offer."

ORTHODOX CHURCH OF POSTEASTAN

Official Statement of the Metropolitan Bishop of Leozina

To: Exiled Royalists
Subject: Support of your Nobel Cause
OFFICIAL TELEGRAM FROM THE CHURCH

---

Greetings.

While I am delighted to witness a resurgence in the traditional values of family, piety and nationhood among those who would see the rightful king of Posteastan return to his throne, I must put to rest some deeply held concerns that both myself and the faithful of Posteastan have. Within this letter I have laid out a series of humble requests I would see met before I can fully commit myself and the high church to supporting the restoration of the crown.

1. The reinstatement of the High Orthodox Church of Posteastan as the one true faith and the king of Posteastan as defender of the faith. Rest assured, our brothers and sisters in the church will flock to the banner of a true king that upholds the moral laws of our church.
2. The abolition of divorce petitions within the civil courts of Posteastan. Marriage is a sacred covenant not to be entered into lightly. We will, of course, provide succor and support for those poor souls abandoned by their husbands as well as those led astray into a life of sin.
3. The removal of foreign missionaries who would subvert our church from Posteastan's borders. Our faithful should not have to make their voices heard over the commotion of a thousand false profits.
4. While the People's Chamber is a great way forward to a united Posteastan and the Church fully supports the New Moralist Party an upper house of representatives of high standing is needed. It must be included in the new constitution.
5. The reservation of twenty per cent of seats in Posteastan's upper house for members of the clergy. After all, mankind is imperfect and flawed. If ever there was a time for divine guidance in Posteastan, this is it.
6. The criminalization of homosexual and other deviant acts such as adultery. We will of course provide care to those poor souls tempted into a life of sin and work to ensure that they repent their crimes and accept the grace of god into their hearts.

If you find these terms acceptable I think there should be no obstacles in our full and open support for your cause.

---

His Holiness
Lubomyr II
Leozina

Roztechko

Checkpoints are a regular sight in Roztechko. Considering the high profile of the press conference the additional security was considered necessary, even by the journalists from Caracasus. They were not surprised when their car was flagged down by armed men in dark blue uniforms. They smiled politely as they were shown the press cards and the IDs from Caracasus. "Was this vehicle under constant supervision?" said one of the officers politely.

"No." came the reply from the journalist form the far away shores. "Why?"

Contrary to communist propaganda the police officer kept smiling and politely answered "You might be under threat. We have received warnings that 'someone' might be targeting you. If you would be so kind to leave the vehicle we could run a quick check if a bug or a bomb had been planted."

In a bit of disbelieve the journalists left their car and the experts began to check the vehicle. "Would you care for a cup of coffee?" Asked a man in civilian clothes, a late arrival. Obviously a plain clothes detective. "It might not be as brilliant as the Osorio mountain blend but you will certainly enjoy the beans. Humanitarian Aid from Allanea." For some reason the other policemen laughed as if this had been some kind of joke.

Few people in Caracasus would turn down a moderately good coffee and the journalists agreed. The detective pointed to an alleyway and followed close behind them. He aimed his gun and shot them in the back of the head. Two bullets for each. Another one to be sure once the hit the ground. Tapping their passports twice he left the checkpoint which was abandoned by the uniformed men seconds later.

Leozina

"The fuck is wrong with you shit-for-brains? And what the fuck is wrong with your voice? You sound like a fucking faggot. Listen Mario or Luigi or whatever fucking plumber you are. You abandoned your positions in the north. Your incompetence lead to the raids. Tavitian offered you an alliance. You faggots rejected, giving no reason. Just out of plain stupidity. You come to my country, don't even speak the language and are barely capable of speaking at all and you are trying hard to insult me? Trying to call me a bastard while you can't even speak like a decent human? You must really be the dumbest idiot your army has to offer. All right then you are incapable of dealing with the renegades? Good, we do it alone. Just like we have done before. Withdraw your soldiers to the nearest gay bar. You want to wipe your ass with us? That's fine with me. If we see any of you north of the Milila they will be shot dead without warning. I don't understand what is wrong with you? Rasvan told me that he was under the impression that you ass-pirates were normal people. Just fuck off to your own country and continue to infect each other with AIDS there. A good day to you." The connection was cut.

Rasvan who had witnessed every word of the call just nodded slowly. "All right, that was that then. Well played captain. They will walk right into your trap. Declaring war on them when they were least expecting it! I know where you are going. You are one brilliant officer, that is for sure. Well, we will be more than capable to fight on three fronts at once. At four or five even." Taking his phone he left the quarters, whistling a happy tune. He liked the men form Lux Pulchrae more every day they were in Leozina.

North of the Milila

The words followed action. The declaration of war by Lux Pulchrae against the People's Chamber was accepted. Harassed daily by the well trained renegades the foreign soldiers now came under attack from a second front. The Nationalists took great care not to kill too many Watchmen on their attacks. Their focus was mostly on the foreign occupation forces. While by far not as capable and well equipped as the Northern Raiders they had the advantage of being natives of the land. They could attack the occupation forces out of a crowd of bystanders. In a pub, when they asked for directions. Simply whenever they were least expecting it. Occasionally they even posed as Watchmen to engage the soldiers from Lux Pulchrae, adding to the suspicion and hostilities between guests and hosts. The Patriotic Block was now fighting two foreign heathen armies in the north, a fact that gave them considerable support among the pious and the more patriotic minded people north of the river.

Leozina

With the Watchmen and the other royalist troops stretched thin between the northern campaign and the checkpoints along the river and at the province's borders another problem arose in the area. The houses and families of heretics and apostates became frequent targets for shootings and arson attacks. Those who had family members who had denounced the true Church and had become heretics were shunned by normal people. Their names, addresses and pictures were frequently published online and in frequently appearing wall-newspapers in the city and even more so in the towns and villages.

The problem of the infected internees was a small one compared to the two-front guerilla war and the rising tensions in the province. The flu was spreading quickly and the Watchmen were ready to execute the sick to prevent the flu from killing more internees and guards. Now being used to the standards of Lux Pulchrae they no longer made any fuss about their requests and simply asked for permission to shoot the infected communists and burn their corpses. Not necessarily in that order.

Town of Pijord – East of Leozina

The royalist forces had split into three columns and had dug in. Reports had come in that foreign mercenaries under the employment of republican forces were planning a raid on Pijord.

The town of Pijord was of immense strategic importance to the Royalist faction. Straddling the river, it housed the largest liquid natural gas terminal in Royalist territory. The terminal could theoretically hold up to a million cubic tonnes of liquid gas, and although only operating at about twenty per cent of its capacity, it was vital for keeping the lights on and power flowing to the province.

This far into their territory, the mercenary forces would not possibly hope to control the terminal. It was predicted that instead they would attempt to destroy it or cripple it in some way, further weakening royalist infrastructure.

Reinforcements from Lux Pulchrae were not part of the conflict, however in their own way they had contributed to the defense of Pijord. They meant that sorely needed soldiers and supplies could be diverted to defending Pijord as opposed to maintaining order in the heartlands. The declaration of war against the People's Chamber had opened the vulnerable southern flak for attacks from Tavitian. Pijord would show them who is boss.
Republicans of every denomination would find Pijord more than capable of fighting back.

The low, rolling hills allowed the placement of a haphazard assortment of artillery and rockets. Vehicles from a dozen different countries and half as many decades hid, partially concealed in copses and woodland – targeting the river itself in case of a waterborne invasion. Buildings had been sequestered, engineer corps had used wooden slats and poured concrete to erect hastily constructed fortifications and barricades – cement still giving somewhat to touch on the newest.

Rooftops bristled with snipers, heavy machineguns and portable rockets. Unfortunately there were no guided missiles or men capable of operating such. The town seemed to be holding its breath in the pale midday sun.
The attack, when it came, was still a surprise. A chatter of light machinegun fire, the broken twig snap snap snap of small arms and the dull thud of mortar. They had set up a hill over and had launched a barrage of mortar shells towards the gas terminal. All fell short, most landed in the empty shrub that had been hacked back away from the town. One hit a building, sending it up and outward in a cloud of dust and debris.

For eight hours the defenses of Pijord were probed and for eight hours the raiders were rebuffed. The third, or perhaps the fourth attack consisted of a team of frogmen, eight divers carrying Bohemoravian semtex charges that attempted to infiltrate the terminal's dock. Snipers on the three great towers took care of that attempt.

Night fell on Pijord. No one knew when or where the next attack would come.

[The Republic of Bohemoravia]

Sender The Republic of Bohemoravia Recipient Public Statement REPUBLIC OF BOHEMORAVIA The Republic of Bohemoravia intends to stay neutral in this conflict. Posteastan has a long and gory reputation of backstabbing their allies and abandoning their own soldiers. Parliament has decided that we will send enough ships to the conflict zone that are capable of enforcing peace if that would become necessary. We will closely watch the events in and around Posteastan and we reserve ourselves the right to intervene on either side. We ask all those involved in this conflict to inform us about their intentions and maneuvers to avoid getting in the way of our own fleets in the area. We will use all means at our disposal to gather information on troop movements near our fleets. This will include orbital observation as well as electronic and signal intelligence. We strongly advice all sides to react with restrain. We hope that our friends and partners Caracasus and Balagan will remain neutral and exercise their influence on other nations involved to keep the reactions to the absolute minimum. Ivo Vlach Prime Minister

[Kenmoria]

With the conference finished, meaning that the troops had gained at least the support of the local populace, who only knew of the positive highlights on Construction Enterprises radios, the soldiers could finally actually take some military action. It had been a long time since the IDS troops had landed, so lots of them were restless, and ready to fight with whomever they were directed to kill. Instructions would be delivered from the headquarters via radio to the generals in Posteastan, who could then order the soldiers to fire at any person classed as the enemy for the day.

Due to the communication from President Niculai Valaska, the groups would be split into two sections. The first of these would attack the Renegades in the North, in order to expand the area the corporation controlled from a base in Pibtsy. At the same time, the other half would help to defend the areas of Roztechko and its surroundings from possible aggression by the Royalists, which would involve working with the Government in joint operations. This was bad in one sense, for it meant that the soldiers wouldn’t be working to directly assist the goals of IDS and the company for which they were working, but good in another in terms of cementing the alliance with the Government.

Therefore, movements could begin. Preparations were made and, with the conference buildings having been demolished, lots of workers pulled from their homes in Roztechko and Pibtsy were used for making up the numbers. With jeeps and trucks, entire platoons of soldiers were moved from the border of districts 1 and 2 to the areas of aggression, on a journey expected to take around three days in total. Along the way, they were greeted with people waving Construction Enterprises logos, and Kenmorian flags, the latter of which apparently caused a deal of concern for the Parliament back home.

---

Subject: Recent IDS Military Operations
To: Construction Enterprises, IDS
From: Kenmorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Encryption: High

---

To Whomever this concerns,

It has been the cause of considerable controversy that Construction Enterprises have been employing some small measures of enhanced employment in its operations in Posteastan. Although this is none of the concern of the Parliament, us having no authority over any overseas operations not taking place in a Kenmorian colony, some of the local residents and foreign journalists appear to be confusion us with the aforementioned company and IDS. Please clear up any confusion swiftly.

Sincere regards,
Jonathan Fletcherson, Minister of Foreign Affairs

[Rivienland]

Isle of Corney, Great Nortend

With the presence of not only Sir Alexander, heir to Posteastan, but now King Cleone d'Angeli IV of Lux Pulchrae, Sir Edourard began to feel like a mouse among elephants. While Sir Edourard was a man of merit, serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for nearly twenty years, he was always aware of his position in the hierarchy. Hard work, at least in Rivienland, could only get you so far in society without the right surname, or connections. Sir Edourard’s service as a diplomat had gotten him far, and, as he always hoped, his work during the Posteastan Crisis would only help him inch his way to towards promotion. While the sacrifices he would make in this lifetime would amount to little, he dreamed, after one or two more generations, perhaps his descendants would make value use of his work. Perhaps, one day in the future, the work he had done would see his great-grandson ennobled to the title of Count, or more. But, that was the future, and much work laid in front of him concerning the royalist movement.

Turning towards Sir Alexander, Sir Edourard remarked, “I must agree with you, Your Majesty. While the military efforts of Great Nortend and Lux Pulchrae have been great, the Royalists do not have the resources to conqueror the country outright. As proposed, the Royalists can portray themselves as a reasonable meeting point between innovation, and tradition. While past issues have discouraged some from seeing this perspective, it can still be a reputation to strive for. To this end, I would strongly suggest that the Royalist begin to take more note on how they are seen both domestically, and internationally. From this point onward, the Royalists must be seen both as a victim of ambitious radicals, concerning the Nationalists and Statists, but also heroic defenders of peace and prosperity. Perhaps more propaganda concerning these ideas can be published, and, as Your Majesty has suggested, sending Sir Albert to Leozina is the right move to make. A visible sign of the monarchy, in youth and vigor, will show that tradition is alive and well.

“On the topic of tradition, the Bishop of Leozina has made some interesting demands. Without a doubt, the clergy seek to hold power within the legislator, regardless of which side is victorious. My only one worry is that, with the Bishop of Leozina becoming the head of the Orthodox Church through political backing, this might lead to a possible schism if other clergy across the country disagree with this move. A few of their demands are quite radical, but I would advise that we agree to their terms. While the clergy ask for much, the support of the clergy will only push the agenda of the Royalists throughout Posteastan.”

Sir Edourard, pausing for a moment, turned away from the claimant, and refocused on the map of Posteastan layout on the large oak table. “Still, to be practical, I believe some other issues must be addressed. First, we must decide on if we wish to employ the Cossack Legion, and how we would even fund them. While we cannot aggressively expand in any direction without risking too much, an influx of more troops would always go along way.” Glancing over his shoulder, he commented to King Cleone, “I am sure that your troops, while quite formidable, have gone through a lot. At some point, they must be reinforced.”

VLS Providence, International Waters

It was a long journey, but one not even close to being finished. Nicolas looked upon the calm sea, reflecting upon how they had gotten here. This was the first wave of foreign fighters from Rivienland, and, hopefully, more would follow. At the moment, twenty-three Rivienlanders were sailing across the sea to join a conflict in the name of higher ideals. Most of them knew how to shoot a gun, and how to survive on little modern amenities, but none of them had been to war. Rivienland had not seen a major conflict since the raids of the Loups tribes in 1795. Otherwise, Rivienland was enclosed from the world, and Rivenlanders stayed enveloped in the affairs of their families, and fields. Posteastan would be their awakening to the affairs of the wider world, and maybe some would realize that they should not have left in the first place.

Regardless, just getting to Kolvce would become the main issue of this venture. Originally, the volunteers had plan to sail north of Posteastan, get smuggled into the country through Tamo, and then bribe their way through Royalist territory into Kolvce. But, like everything in Posteastan, things got worse. Last Nicolas heard, the Renegades had been fighting both the Nationalists, and the Royalists. Some kind of revolt had broken out in Vatgera, and, to complicate things, the Royalists were putting up more blockades on the Kolvce border. On the bright side, the influx of international fighters to Kolvce had begun changing the tide of battle, and they perhaps could add to the growing momentum of the movement if the Rivienlanders could actually make it to Kolvce.

[Cat-Herders United]

As the only cruiser in the fleet, the CHUS Cat’s Paw was the crowning glory of the Cat-Herder navy. It had been deployed to international waters off the coast of Posteastan ostensibly for the purpose of blockading the human traffickers of the syndicate, but there had always been a different purpose for her presence. Tonight this purpose was to be fulfilled.

The navy had been itching to fire off their missiles for a while now, but they had to wait for the groundwork to be laid for the mission. Of course political and diplomatic justification, but also mapping out the locations of troop positions occupying Kolvcean territory and the naval facilities enforcing the inspections of the humanitarian cargo. This had been done partially by separatist and volunteer legion reconnaissance and mostly by simply having agents aboard the cargo barges transmit the locations of any facilities that they were inspected at.

Finally the groundwork had been laid. The domestic situation was not completely in favor of intervention, but then again this was only to be a limited action to defend friendly soil rather than occupy an unwilling population. The international situation remained as complex as ever, but there had been a lot of political chatter to justify the coming events, hopefully enough to avoid any severe negative consequences from foreign powers. And of course, the military groundwork was laid with the mapping of the facilities and military positions along the Telin.

At exactly midnight, the CHUS Cat’s Paw, together with the frigates CHUS Tortoise-Shell, CHUS Tabby, and the CHUS Calico fired cruise missiles at confirmed military positions and facilities along the Telin, hurtling towards both Royalist and Statist targets. While the maps were undoubtedly incomplete, the missile strike would hopefully cause enough damage that shipments could make it if the barges were armed and given some escort.

Exactly one minute before midnight, the office of the president had released its justification of the missile strike:

To the fascistoid bandits operating along the Telin, and the international community,

Whereas our concerns and warnings expressed in the Declaration With Regards to the Free Navigation of the Telin River and in the relevant Public Resolution of the assembly,

We hereby declare the commencement of hostilities against the lawless forces threatening the very people of Kolvce.

Signed,

Catniss Mesteñero
President
Cat-Herders United

From now on, all river barges will be armed, even if the possibility of escort ships was yet to be agreed to by the Republic of Posteastan government.

[Schwarzenfels]

Helicopter bombing the Royalists fighting the Nationalists or probably the Renegades

The atmosphere on the small base was tense. There were rumors that the war against the Nationalists was declared by drunken Royalist officer, high on heroin and it was all just an accident. But these were only rumors. The facts were that the Royalists and the Nationalists were now engaged in heavy battles and it was only a matter of time till the orders from Schwarzenfels would reach the base. Von Schikra just sat there and was staring on his phone. When it finally rang he knew exactly what was going to happen.

"von Schikra, here. What are our orders Sir?" He reported.

"The Royalists have declared war on the Nationalists your men are to give our allies air support. Make sure that you destroy all Royalists armored vehicles and north of the Milila River. Make sure that you don't confuse the rivers. We are only at liberty to destroy those units that crossed the line and engage Nationalist forces."

"Understood Sir! Any restrictions?"

"None. Just make sure the Royalists withdraw back to the south where they belong. I have no idea what has gotten into them. Our allies have monitored the enemy's movements for some time now. Once you have driven the Royalists back across the river you will try to negotiate a cease fire through Great Nortend. You have your orders."

No additional words were necessary von Schikra gave the orders and three helicopter squadrons took off to engage the Royalist mechanized columns north of the River, using the data provided to them by their allies. Data gathered on the ground and from other sources.

The Principality of SCHWARZENFELS To: Ambassador of Great Nortend in Posteastan Your Excellency, For reasons unknown to us the acting commander of the Royalist forces, one Mister Giornada. Has taken great pains to contact the garrison of the Nationalist forces fighting against the Renegade invasion in the Telin province only to declare war on the men who were defending Royalist territory against bandit incursion. I must assume that this declaration of war was sanctioned by your government. If not, I hope that you will be able to help us solve this situation. All Royalist forces have to withdraw south of the Milila River as a first step to make room for negotiations. We are currently engaging and destroying all Royalist troops in that area because their tacit support of the bandits is endangering lives and property of the people in Telin province. Please help me to safe as many lives as possible. We both need to preserve our fighting strength and we did not ask for this war. The sooner your men withdraw the sooner we can close the borders and drive the bandits back. Sincerely Heinrich von Schikra Encryption: Medium

[Lux Pulchrae]

Villi
The men got off the truck and told about the unfortunate event of their driver suffering emotional damages, unable to perform his duties. D'Umbra grew increasingly frustrated with these people. Javvid had the gall to tell him what to take, d'Umbra promptly grabbed the man by his collars "Listen here you, you're telling me we're farther than where we are because of fucking tomatoes? You take me for some kind of weakling or a woman?" he was pulled off by his men and Gentile stood in between the two.

"Whoa calma! Calma!. You damn dog."

"They could be throwing rocks for all I care. All this merda and he has the nerve to tell me 'only take what you need'? I take what I want you fair-share bastard!"

"Then what will that leave me with?" Gentile questioned

"Thirst, Grand Minister!"

Eventually things calmed down and they took what they needed. "It's just a walk Colonel. You're a mountaineer right? A walk through a field should be a... walk in the park?"

"I was born in the mountains, but I'm not a mountaineer. But you're right. It's a piece of cake, my father had me and my brothers march for miles. Alright commie, we're ready. Avante!"

---

Corney Island
The king read the letter of humble requests, agreeing on virtually all of them, except maybe the third stipulation. "These are quite the 'humble requests' from 'His Holiness'. But I personally don't mind it, a lot of this mirrors my country. Church and state as one, defender of faith, illegal divorce, homosexuality illegal, etc. Wow, your bishop seems like a well rounded man. Though I must break it to you, the third one struck me a bit. Some of the clergy assigned to my Posteastan detachment have already converted several civilians to Rome. They've actually been waiting at the airport for refuge back in Lux Pulchrae, but we wanted your okay on it, they will be returned should you ask however. But I think we can all agree, the backing of the Church will give the Royalist a popular edge. And at the moment we are alone, practically the Militia and my men, to which I suggest again: we need to find common ground with one of the factions. I was always interested in the Patriotic Block, but they now seem to be backing Tavitian, who I am very disapproving of. Never liked dictators who used the guise of 'democracy', it always seemed underhanded and slimy. However, Valaska is no good since his regime is what allowed this mess. But, I'm at the behest of you Sir Alexander." he switched attention from Alexander to the Rivienlander "And to you Sir Edourard, you are right about my troops, some have reported to be exhausted. Just before my flight here I approved for the arrival of seven-hundred more men, the wounded and dead are should be heading back once that transport arrives. They should be on their way by now. The conflicts are escalating and we need more men, and so far it's been me and the people of Posteastan, we can't be the only ones sacrificing people here. The increasingly dangerous conflict also justified the delivery of even heavier artillery and machinery, I've got at the 4th Avante Mechanized Infantry included in the transport. At least eight tanks will be rolling down the streets of Posteastan by tomorrow. I also dispatched the navy to the international waters, hopefully there's nothing too drastic happening there. Do you guys have a live report of the conflict on hand by any chance?"

---

Leozina
Giornada held the phone as the captain spouted out insults at a seemingly autistic pace, then cutting the call. He remained somewhat stunned, setting the phone down he walked away and breathed heavily, containing his anger. "Vinci!"

"Yes Major?"

"Go get Rasvan Luca and bring him back here please."

"Yes sir!" as Vinci left another solider came in "Major Giornada!"

"What!"

"It's Communications, they got a call from Amaglione and want the person in charge, told them it was you. They want to speak."

"I know that's me, give me that." taking the phone, he answered "Major Luglio Giornada, pronto?"

"Major Giornada? D'Umbra isn't back from that commie conference yet?"

"No sir, he's yet to return and I've been filling in his shoes."

"You must have some pretty small feet Major because according to some propaganda piece from Caracasus there's mass killings going on down there in gypsieland. Amaglione had to issue a statement saying everything in that paper was a lie. I better be right Major or it's your ass getting burned, your position stripped and thrown in jail!"

"Sir? For what? Mass killings? I assure you I have not ordered any killings."

"Well someone is. Snuff it out or we will send someone that can. Is that clear? Next time we call, those responsible better be dead or in handcuffs. Dismissed." the official finished and the connection ended.

Giornada palmed his face, the situation was growing ever stressful. One good thing had to come out of this, just one. "I don't have the age nor experience to handle this." he said to himself

"Major!" a soldier called, it was Vinci with another soldier, holding Rasvan Luca.

"Yes? Oh, you got him."

"Was there something you wanted to see me for Major?" Luca smiled with a hint of nervousness, quite understandable.

Giornada walked up to him, putting his hands on both of Luca's shoulders. A smile appeared on Giornada's face which quickly turned to a scowl as he grabbed Luca by the collar and slammed him up against the wall. "Listen here you gypsy shit! You were told to halt these extreme actions. You were told to stop these unwarranted killings, it gives the Royalists and especially us, a bad name. And now I have my superiors breathing down my neck cause some commie bastards caught wind of some rogue Royalists and blame US." he then front-handed and back-handed the Posteastani multiple times "You're going to recall those patrols responsible for this, they will be replaced by my men. AFTER you get me Captain Curta on the line. And I'm going to need you to shut your fucking mouth with your little sarcastic remarks. I didn't declare war on anyone you absolute retard! I can't fight on four or five fronts, let alone three! Think I didn't see past your shit-eating 'compliments'? Now get me Curta!" he tossed Luca off to the side, where he'd make the call.

The Posteastani was quick to the order, trying to get Curta on the line again. Giornada waited, pacing across the room when yet another soldier came in, entering and saluting "Major!"

"What!"

"Reports from the north, Vatgera is fallen to riots and the Dragon is dead."

"Oh? Vero? This changes things, not much, but it changes outcomes." he thought aloud, just then Rasvan Luca handed him the phone, assuring he had made contact again with Curta.

"Do I have Captain Curta on the line?"

"What the fuck do you want? I told you to get lost!"

"Listen here you gypsy fuck, I'll ignore that little autistic rant you just pulled out of your ass, and you hear me out. No one declared war on anyone you spastic little faggot. As far as I know, we didn't side with Tavitian because he's a bigger snake than Valaska is, but Valaska's the bigger pussy. That people's chamber is nothing more than an echo chamber for him. You call yourselves nationalists, traditionalists, yet you kneel to Tavitian, a thug with political power. The true traditionalists are the Royalists, the true tradition is your king, your Church. Not some atheist pig in a suit lining his pockets and his cronies. But I doubt a simple captain would understand that, they probably barely teach you up from down here. But enough of all that, I've just got news that the Dragon is dead and Vatgera is falling, we're going moving north to flush them out. Now, I hate foreigners too, I get that, but I hate pagans more, and these bastards are pagan foreigners. We don't have to like each other but we can work together, a mutual partnership, we can even push this fight up to the north, God willing. What I need you to do is stop being a spastic child for a second and listen to me, you guys are weak, you can't fight us and the pagans and the renegades altogether and neither can I. Help us secure the north, and we can work something out after, in my fullest extent of authority. There's no need to fight between us two! I'll withdraw my men south of the Milila and expect a response by tomorrow. Hopefully I will get to talk to Remus Balan." and with that he ended the call.

With the increase in attacks in the north, the command in Leozina soon became aware of the nationalist's tactics, targeting mostly Lux Pulchraean soldiers. Because of this, the foreign soldiers were called back to the city, instead replaced by more radical Royalists, with few Lux Pulchraeans assigned to oversee them. In waiting for the go ahead on the unlikely team up, they wouldn't engage the Block unless fired on first. The others in the north however, were a different story, Renegades were engaged on sight. Shredded by machine gun fire, blown back by launchers, the news of the fall of Vatgera seemed to had dropped Renegade morale, but boosted Royalist morale that much more.

Now with the Schwarzenfels in the area as well, the whole situation was fucked. Until the Block agreed to the alliance, the north was filled with hostiles from Nationalists, Renegades, Pagans and now Schwarzenfels. The northern patrols were completely caught off guard by their first round of helicopters. Word around was they had them, but they were never confirmed until now. Now northern patrols were accompanied by anti-air guns and rockets, among which were the SIDAM and Avenger as well as rocket launchers. They didn't get far past the river when they were encountered by the helis, the vehicles worked hard to bring them down, rockets could be stopped but flares did little against high explosive rounds firing over 2,000 rpm. Downing several of them, they were then ordered a retreat south of the Milila and await orders at nearby river towns.

Avenger AA

SIDAM

---

Pijord
After the fight, the reports were sent in. One of the captains, Milo, was sent with seventy men. Due to their removal from the north, some of the troops were sent to Pijord. He came in on a jeep, he congratulated many of the soldiers for their hard fought battle. "Good job boys, you did an excellent job. But what the fuck am I hearing? You couldn't operate the rockets we gave you? Did you all forget the instructions, wasn't that hard. Who's in charge here?"

"That would be me sir." the man came up, saluting, "Sergeant Vimi."

"Well, Sergeant. You did a fine job, bravo. We got you some men that can operate the artillery, so the rockets aren't a problem any longer, hopefully. A truckloads of ammo behind us and some machine guns too, keep your defenses up. I've seen your command as adequate here, so I'll leave you with these seventy men as reinforcement. We'll take any wounded back to Leozina for fixing."

---

Citta del Re
Command back home kept monitoring the situation, whatever was happening in the north was a real shitstorm. Hours later something was picked up by Intelligence, it was the Cat-Herders' statement. "Che cosa e questo? What the fuck is this?" head of Defense read it. Someone get me a line to Leozina now!" in an instant, a phone was brought

In Leozina, Giornada sat in the HQ office with eyes closed and exhausted, a phone ring woke him up, he was quick to pick it up "Pronto, chi parla?"

"Giornada! Those cat fuckers are going to advance on the river brace your men quickly!"

"What do you mean? What're they doing?" his answer was cut off by the near sound of explosions and alarms sounded throughout the city. Positions in the river had been attacked. Standbys at the airport base rushed quickly off to the river checkpoints to help. Bodies were dragged out, fires were extinguished and wounded were carried out.

Up into the early morning the relief effort was being carried out. Locals were brought in to help as well. Due to the damage, many of the checkpoint were demolished. The only ones remaining were the ones at the airport and near the Telin River's Kolvce border. With less checkpoints, their resources were diverted to them.

Giornada was working with the best he could at the moment but if Amaglione didn't send anymore guys soon, they weren't going to make it. Luckily another call came in from Defense and some of his worries were relieved. They assured him that by noon the 4th Avante Mechanized Infantry should arrive with seven-hundred troops, vehicles, weapons, and aid throughout the day and bringing coffins, wounded and refugees back home by day's end.

The airport was busy, no one stood around. The site's military personnel was reduced to a skeleton crew of two hundred men, while the other two-thousand or so Royalist forces were either salvaging the missile wreckage, guarding the river checkpoints, guarding Pijord, awaiting orders south of the Milila, patrolling the southern province area, keeping order in the city or manning checkpoints by the Kolvce border. To help bolster numbers, many of the communist prisoners were conscripted, placed either on the patrols to the south, or assisting with the guarding of the river checkpoint. For their service, they were promised freedom, once the conflict was over.

Meanwhile, the Royalist officers responsible for the killings in the south were arrested, some even killed in an effort to resist. Those arrested were brought in and tied to wooden posts outside the city's entrance. Signs like "MURDERER" and "KILLER" were stapled to their chests.

Even the priests were busy with either preforming last rites or confessions or blessing the outgoing patrols. Father Giacomo sat with Giornada in the Royalist HQ offices where a phone was in reach. The young officer was noticeably taxed, though his face was stern, his appearance indicated otherwise. He uniform was a mess, his face dirty, his eyes lacked any sleep. They sat in silence for a while, not saying anything to each other.

"Father, I'm tired. I'm exhausted. My men are tired. The forces are starting to be stretched thin, me and my captains are running around basically headless. My uncle is God knows where, either alive or dead. This whole thing is a mess. I didn't want to be in charge. I just came here with my platoon, expecting something easy, something safe, something fun. Now? Matteo's dead, men are dying under my watch. And over what? Some gypsy shit-stain that couldn't keep itself together. I don't want to be here anymore, Father."

"Well, your soul is greatly burdened I can tell. You feel like a failure. You feel like quitting and going home. You feel you were put in a situation that is testing you physically and mentally in ways you were never prepared for. But you must always remember, you are only put in situations that you can overcome, never above your power. God would not put you here if He didn't think you would pull through. You came here with pride, and now you are learning to be humble."

"And all it took was the death of my men, right Father? All to teach me a lesson in humility. They all died because of me?"

"I'm not saying that-"

"Get out, please. Before I lose my patience." Giornada did not ask, but ordered. The pastor obliged, before leaving he set a rosary on the desk, tipping his capello and exiting the room, leaving the officer staring at the rosary.

[Uan aa Boa]

Record of the meeting of the Central Committee - held by maximum security virtual conferencing
The Central Committee comprises the Chairman, who is Uan aa Boa's leader, and the First Speakers of each of the various Revolutionary Workers' Councils that have responsibility for Economic Affairs, Defence, Education and so on. Although in some ways like the cabinet ministers or politburo members of other countries, the First Speakers are not professional politicians and are not transferable between Councils. The head of the Council for Foreign Affairs is a diplomat, the head of the Council for Defence is a soldier and so forth.

Speakers
Jean Baptiste Mazemba (71), Chairman
Joshua Okungane (73), Defence
Adeema Pula (40), Foreign Affairs
Others are present but are, for the purposes of this discussion, observers.

Pula In summary, therefore, with Cat-Herders United launching missile attacks on any forces blockading the river and diplomatic personnel from Rivienland believed to be present in Great Nortend advising the claimant to the throne, there is no realistic prospect of a meaningful pan-Forest policy. The idea of a pan-Forest peacekeeping force has thus become fanciful - increasingly it is Forest that is breaking the peace. The Villi conference has become a talking shop and while it may continue I do not intend to remain. Neither, I suspect, will other senior representatives.

Okungane It is not just a talking shop, it has become a platform for fascists. We should have no further part in it.

Pula It is indeed disappointing to see Cde Marrik and other granting the delegation from Lux Pulchrae the recognition entailed by public dialogue, robustly critical though that dialogue was. I stress, however, that Lux Pulchrae is essentially a distraction as far as the Posteastan crisis is concerned.

Okungane How precisely is the arrival of jackbooted fascists spouting racist filth and boasting of their prison camps for communists a distraction?

Pula Because as I have explained, comrade, Lux Pulchrae is not responsible for the atrocities in Royalist territory and may not even realise that they have taken place. Gentile and his henchmen are easy to dislike because they are highly visible and so readily match the stereotypical form of fascism - they are like comic book characters marching about seemingly unable to control their incessant hatespeaking. But they are incompetent, so diplomatically inept that their entirely predictable rejection at Villi Island was a complete surprise to them and so operationally clueless that they believe the Royalist militia do nothing except on their instructions - Gentile said this to me himself. Truly, if he were a child of ten his lack of self-mastery would be shameful, yet he is his country's Grand Minister.

Okungane You should not have approached them. There is no reason to get close to these people without a bayonet.

Pula As you know, comrade, my hope was to create dissent within the Royalist faction by showing Gentile how limited his control is. In all probability he will have ignored or failed to understand me, but it has cost us nothing. I understand your anger at these fascists, and I agree that the existence of the nation of Lux Pulchrae is a stain on humanity, but to deploy troops to Posteastan because of that anger is irrational. If we did that, we would be no better than the corporations of Kenmoria or the assassins of Allanea, doing in the anarchy of a warzone what we would be unable to get away with elsewhere. Of course, if you wish to go to war directly with Lux Pulchrae, that would be another matter.

Okungane You think we can stand by while a new fascist state takes root? We should be deploying in force to Kolvce and the Renegade lands and driving out the Royalists, the capitalists, this Patriotic Block and the religious zealots - all of them.

Pula And who will govern afterwards comrade? I tell you again, there is not even the beginnings of a socialist movement in Posteastan. Ignore the distraction of Lux Pulchrae and you will see that the fascist forces that are killing people are home grown and popularly supported, and that every faction in the country is implicated in their crimes. If the international community arranged an election, fascists would be elected, as they were in Tavitian's charade of a ballot. And you know we cannot endorse voting at the point of foreign guns as a means of establishing a legitimate government. We would have to govern Posteastan as an occupying force, perhaps fighting against other nations intervening with a different vision. Then who would be the colonialists and the imperialists?

Mazemba It seems to me, comrades, that Posteastan is a country that has scarcely emerged from feudalism. We cannot expect revolution in a place that is functionally pre-capitalist. It pains me to leave it to its fate, but the dialectical conditions for progress do not yet exist. We cannot change that. Perhaps they must experience the yoke of the corporations before they can throw it off. Meanwhile we should focus on shaming the corporation. I hope that we can agree that any fascist force arising in Posteastan should be prevented from acting to spread its cancer outside that unfortunate land?

Okungane We could agree, but here Lux Pulchrae is doing precisely that and we are not lifting a finger to stop them. And if the question is only which group of fascists wins out in Posteastan, what then of Kolvce? That is somewhere that will fall to Posteastan.

Mazemba What do we know of the leaders in Kolvce? At first we wanted to support Tavitian. Consider how that would have ended. The only nations that have made alliances in Posteastan and remained unshamed are those that had no shame to begin with.

Pula Admittedly little. They seem an especially primitive people who speak openly of evil spirits being responsible for their troubles. They have no history of crimes that I know of, but they have had little opportunity since they have had the boot of Posteastan on their throat for so long. I cannot promise you they would not carry out ethnic slaughter if we gave them the chance.

Okungane You would leave them to the fascists because you do not know what they would do if we saved them? I can sit on my hands no longer comrade.

Mazemba Old friend, your tireless zeal should encourage all of us. Yet we cannot be reckless. We must emerge from this with out integrity undamaged. Cde Pula, you must quickly make contact with the forces in Kolvce and assess the implications of supporting them.

Pula I will send people at once.

Mazemba You should go yourself. I am sure Cde Okungane will agree that if you are persuaded then any of us can rest assured.

[Kjalaara]

KINGDOM OF KJALÅRA (Encryption: Public) To: The Imperial and Royal Ministry for Foreign Affairs, for the attention of Ms Hardegg From: Eric Sima Dear Ms Hardegg, It was a pleasure reading your letter. The Kingdom of Kjalåra has a long tradition of anti-slavery warfare and anti-pirate operations. The Kingdom has always and will always reserve the right to treat an attack on her forces or officials as an act of war. An act of war will be answered with nothing short but war. I hope that you are able to define the crime of 'slavery' to us. Considering your devote relations to Uan Aa Boa we must assume that you follow their definition of slavery being the act of one person working for the gains of another? We do not share this definition at all. If you are able to define 'slavery' to us it would be a lot easier to communicate with you. Once we know what you mean when you speak of 'slavery' we can look for common ground. Cheers Eric Sima Assistant Mail Official

[Caracasus]

Villi Island

It was clear to Javvid that any actual combat training D'Umbra had gone through was a very long time ago. You don't ever grab someone's shirt in a fight unless you then headbut them in the next split second. It took every ounce of willpower not to break the man's hold, draw him close and place him in an armlock.

He listened, once again as the fascist spouted yet more paranoid nonsense in his direction. He took pride in being calm, sanguine even about most things. It was, he thought, what made him a good Internal Security member. Even he had his limits.

"Will you listen to yourself! You're supposed to be what, diplomats? You've arrived in a country and you haven't even bothered to understand our culture and our way of life. We've been nothing, nothing but hospitable to you and at every turn you've insulted us and acted like a petulant egotistical child who is told that it is time for bed. I don't know why you're acting like this - I don't know whether it's normal where you come from to treat any interaction with other people as if you were drunk young men seeing who can piss higher up the tree than the other - all I know is that you've managed to turn an hour long drive into a day long trek through your arrogance, irredeemable ignorance and an utter lack of ability when it comes to basic human interactions. We have a long walk in front of us, so would you just shut the hell up and walk? The sooner you leave the happier I will be."

Undisclosed location

This perfectly ordinary looking building complex certainly was not an operations base for the John Brown Society. It was largely responsible for office supplies and anyone who bothered to pay that much attention to the slightly dilapidated concrete offices or the large warehouses adjacent would not see anything that might dispel that.

Even if someone who, for instance, had some experience with military operations looked over the building would probably not assume anything out of the ordinary. Sure, the walls were fortified stronger than you'd expect and yes, the path from the gate to the entranceway did provide an architectural dog-leg but it would be very far from the first ex-defense industry or ex military building to be sold off and bought up cheap. And if someone were particularly diligent they would look over leases and purchases and discover just that. InterCity Office Supplies had indeed purchased the complex from a firm that had once used the premises to store weaponry.

In this perfectly ordinary building complex, members of The John Brown Society met with the Thomas Bolstard Brigade to discuss strategy.

The Caracasusians opted for a long, drawn out campaign of sabotage. The target was indeed constructing a telecommunications network. This would entail numerous buildings across the country containing sensitive electronic equipment. Some suggested explosives, though one Caracasusian dismissed that out of hand.

"The trick with sabotage is to be almost indistinguishable from accident. Listen..."

She explained to the society and the brigade exactly how much damage one push pin could do. Take a standard telephone cable anywhere in the exchange, push the pin through to create a short and break off the visible end. It would take trained engineers hours to attempt to track the fault. It would take anywhere between a day to a week to isolate every single wire in the exchange. The larger the exchange, the longer it'd likely take.

There were many other tricks at their disposal, and the brigade listed them all. They suggested the campaign of sabotage to be kept low key for several months, something that did not always sit well with the society. The Caracasusian ethos saw that there was already a conflict, already a civil war within the company itself. It would be their job to bring it to the fore.

[Allanea]

Undisclosed Location

The man who got up had a humble appearance, certainly by Allanean standards. He might be the sort who disappears in the crowd – a faded T-shirt, a pair of jeans. A pistol – but then everyone in Allanea was armed, were they not?

"I'd like to say a few things here, where I'm… totally not a representative of Her Majesty's Government, right?"

Several people giggled.

"Right, here's what I'm going to say. The thing is, the government's intelligence… they don't think there's a path from here to there. There's not a meaningful way to abolish slavery in Posteastan in the short term."

There was a hum of anger in the audience, and several of the John Brown Society activists shouted.

"Fuck that noise!"

"Cowards, the damn lot!"

"What I'm trying to say…" – the man said, but was interrupted by another heckler.

"Fuck that shit! If they won't go, we will!"

"What I'm trying to say." – the man-who-was-totally-not-a-government-liaison said, raising both his hands in the air in reconciliation, "is that while there's not a path from here to there in the interim, my… sources are interested in assisting us, assisting us, um, in carrying out a cost-imposition strategy. That's to say, they want to help the society hurt the slavers as much as we can, to make slavery as costly and annoying to them as possible. So what I'm going to say is… there's ways in which we can receive help."

The meeting's Secretary brought down his gavel with a clack, and the murmur in the hall subsided.

"This is excellent news. Now, here's my conclusion. I would like the Caracasian delegation to select those of our membership who they view as having the potential, and instruct them in their sabotage techniques, as much as possible, while we make the arrangements to ship out to Posteastan."

*

The contacts, it appeared, came through – as did the Society's network of donors and mecenates.

Some of these were perhaps, to some extent, people the Caracasians might semi-understand. Eoihanna Souraski, from Liberty-City, sent in a package of a dozen hunting rifles. A man in lower Kalandia sent in several large buckets of aluminum dust and powdered iron oxide – rust, that is, dark-red and almost innocent looking. A company in New Thermopilae sent in a few sealed packages of ground beef near its expiry date – not, of course, for use as food. And, soon enough, places became available on the relief flights to Posteastan. Somehow.

[Kenmoria]

The two patrols departed, each one composed of around one thousand two hundred soldiers, with an additional half of that amount composed of support staff and, of course, the ever-present corporate faces. The one leaving to reinforce the Government went South, in order to prevent any Royalists from gaining ground. It was not a particularly useful endeavour, for Construction Enterprises had nothing to gain by killing some people who were probably going to win the Posteastani situation, but was one that would earn some credos with Valaska. However, there was the potential advantage of preventing a possible excursion into the Roztechko area, where there was corporate dominance, which could result in the people gaining unnecessary hope.

At the same time, the one going North to face the Renegades went a different path and one that was slightly more useful. Whereas the South group were only hoping to stop territory being lost, this one would be hoping to gain land for expansion of the Government and the company. The lack of foreign support for the faction IDS was hoping to attack meant that there should be no condemnations, and the military forces would be free to kill whomever they liked with whatever methods were best suited to death. As the trucks rolled through dusty villages and remnants of towns, bullets were placed into rifles. The instructions were to kill any soldiers, that was publicised fully, and to eliminate anyone with the potential to fight, which was broadcasted less.

[The Republic of Bohemoravia]

Sender The Republic of Bohemoravia Recipient Nations of Forest, Balagan, Kenmoria and Kjalaara REPUBLIC OF BOHEMORAVIA The ships of the Bohemoravian navy are now in place to participate in peace enforcing operations in Posteastan. Military action should only be used as the last instrument if everything else fails. After analysing the situation thoroughly, we came to the following conclusion: While humanitarian help is direly necessary the international community is needs to address the problems behind the crisis in Posteastan to end the suffering of the people and restore order. Bohemoravia does not normally interfere with the internal affairs of other states. Posteastan however is a failed state. If the international community does not interfere the civil war will affect the entire region and destabilise the neighbouring countries. So far, we highly commend the actions of Forest. Uan aa Boa has done significant work to help Posteastan to become free of debt. The Cat Herders United use limited military action to prevent the spreading of terrorist control. Tackling political and military problems at the same time will bring a solution to the problems in Posteastan. The problems in Posteastan result largely from the bombings of the Northern Alliance. Currently the nation is split in three different groups which fight over the resources. Political Groups, Terrorists and Criminals. The solution for Posteastan can only be an internal dialogue. What the international community has to do now is to bring all sides with legitimate interests in Posteastan to one table to discuss the future of their nation and at the same time destroy the terrorist influence. The Statist Organisation under Vasilescu Tavitian, The military government under Nina Neacsu the Kolvce Free State and the New Moralist Party all qualify as legitimate political organizations under Bohemoravian law. We suggest that these parties should be brought to the negotiation table and work on the formation of a Government of National Accord. Terrorist groups like the neo-Nazi Royalist movement, the ultra-nationalist Patriotic Block the Renegades, the Cossacks and the remaining Jomsvikingar must be disarmed or destroyed, even if it means limited military action. The Government of National Accord needs to combat corruption and destroy the criminal groups controlled by the Oligarchs, the Syndicate and Construction Enterprises. Police actions are preferred wherever possible but military action must be used wherever necessary. The future of Posteastan should be decided by the people of Posteastan. Bohemoravia has no interest in steering the country in any particular direction. Our primary interest is to prevent the civil war from spreading and to end political and criminal violence. Bohemoravian intelligence services have a long and proud tradition of operating with and within Posteastan. If we all can agree on the roadmap towards peace in Posteastan we will use these contacts to bring all sides to the negotiations. 1. All Party Peace Talks supervised by the International community and the formation of a Government of National Accord. 2. Deployment of peace keeping forces. 3. Disarmament or neutralisation of domestic and foreign terrorists in Posteastan. 4. Removal of outside factors that undermine Posteastan, like debt and international terrorism. 5. Re-establishing the rule of law by economic, political and military means. Destruction of all criminal enterprises. The longer the war continues, the further the conflict escalates the more unlikely it will be that the conflicting parties find common ground. I am deeply concerned about the neighbouring countries. If the history of Posteastan has shown one thing it is that there is no military solution to this problem. If we fail to help Posteastan to come to a political solution we risk that the entire region is dragged into an endless civil war. As a first measure to combat terrorism we should list the Posteastan Royalist Movement, The Sakala Crime Syndicate, The Posteastan Patriotic Block and Construction Enterprises as international terrorists. Freezing their assets, seizing their representatives and sanctioning those nations harbouring the terrorists. A step that would remove unwanted and undeserved diplomatic status for representatives of states that support international terrorism. Ivo Vlach Prime Minister

[Keilersmoor]

Recipients Region of Forest; Balagan; The Republic of Bohemoravia; etc. REPUBLIC OF KEILERSMOOR Bohemoravian Peace Plan Esteemed friends and colleagues, The Bohemoravian Peace Plan looks very promising. Most articles are very good and don't need any further discussion. Declaring the Royalist Movement, The Sakala Crime Syndicate, The Posteastan Patriotic Block and possible Construction Enterprises terrorist organizations is a very good step forward. Construction Enterprises is a special case here. We need watertight physical evidence linking the company to terrorist actions. There has never been a case like that before. It will be a difficult task but one worth trying. The proscription of the other groups is a lot easier considering their open admittance to all kinds of terrorist acts. Nations lending support to these criminal entities should face consequences. Tavitian, Neascu and Kolvce should by all means participate in talks but blocking the Renegades from having a seat at the negotiation table might turn out to be counterproductive. The sooner we act the higher are our chances of success. Rutger Thorbecke Foreign Minister

[Kenmoria]

---

Subject: Military Action against Construction Enterprises
To: Bohemoravia
From: Kenmorian ministry of Foreign Affairs
Encryption: Medium

---

Dear Whomever this concerns in the Republic of Bohemovaria,

In a recent missive that has been sent out by Bohemovaria, it was mentioned two things. Firstly, it was told that the forces of your nation are in a state wherein direct military action is possible to be achieved. Secondly, it was mentioned that the company of Construction Enterprises, a Kenmorian public limited corporation, should have police or armed action taken against it in retaliation for perceived support for criminal groups.

The veracity of this accusation is irrelevant to the opinions of this government, that of Kenmoria, as to the possibility of an offensive excursion. Although there is no formal support nor endorsement of any of the company’s actions, it must be stated that a large percentage of the workers subcontracted through IDS are from the nation which this office represents, Kenmoria. Thus, any action taken that may cause the deaths or injuries of these employees will be viewed as an act of war.

Were this unlikely possibility to happen, it could likely cause a diplomatic event that is best not left to occur with impunity. Therefore, it is strongly suggested that any actions in Posteastan focus not on actual attacks but rather on humanitarian aid and dealing with actual terrorist groups such as the Black Party. Kenmoria will be gladsome to assist with any operations of this nature, provided they fall within the budget that has been allocated by Parliament.

Yours Sincerely,
Jonathan Fletcherson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kenmoria

As the message was delivered, the IDS troops had moved ever close to the border of the Renegade controlled areas in the North. The lack of any obstacles meant that preparations had been able to go along smoothly, and the jeeps and trucks that made up the military excursion had moved unhindered along the paths of Posteastan. They had now reached the borders of the Renegade controlled areas, and had set up a line of guns and missile launchers along the edge of the territory. Food was imported from nearby villages, all of which were Government-aligned, which should allow for continual nourishment of the troops. The soldiers were ready for war.

[Balagan]

THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF BALAGAN

TO: Forest and Friends
FROM:President Haydar Koç

Bohemoravian Peace Plan

I welcome the idea of a roadmap towards peace. Archiving peace through negotiations that include all parties with legitimate interests in Posteastan is the only way forward. Just letting the nation erode further is not helping. The long-term consequences will be severe. United we have the economical power to rebuild, the military power to pacify and political power to reform Posteastan.

Our nations are diverse enough to secure a fair outcome of our operations. Balagan has no political or economic interests in Posteastan and we will leave as soon as peace is restored and Posteastan is capable of sustaining itself. I freely give guarantees to Caracasus or Forest that we will leave the very moment you ask us to. I also can't see any selfish interests by any Forest nation in Posteastan. Some might want the small nation to become socialist, others might not. I am not a communist. I think this ideology is wrong and dangerous but for Posteastan socialism might be a good start, considering that the people have nothing and all economy needs to be planned and controlled in the future. If the people are given a free choice no matter what they chose, we will not veto their decision.

I think the plan is a good plan and I agree with the Foreign Minister of Keilersmoor Rutger Thorbecke that the more groups are included and the sooner we act the higher are our chances of success. We are waiting for your replies before we come to our final decision.

Haydar Koç
President of the Islamic Republic of Balagan

[Kjalaara]

KINGDOM OF KJALÅRA (Encryption: Public) To: Public Statement From: Queen Tove Dear Friends, dear Enemies, It is well known that the Kingdom of Kjalåra together with the brave volunteers of the IDS are the guarantor powers of the legitimate government of Posteastan. At this moment, the only sectors that are save for refugees and the only bases which can be used for the evacuation of refugees are those controlled by us. Wherever we can combat the Syndicate we do so. We are not a police force and we will not persecute criminals but whenever terrorists threaten the peace they will be destroyed. The rest is up to the government. I welcome the latest peace initiative. It is a good step forward. I am sure that my close friend President Nina Neacsu is more than willing to participate in talks with all sides as long as other guarantor powers are willing to show up to the talks and help us enforce the results of said negotiations. I do not support the political bias against the royalist movement. Barring them from participating in the talks is not a wise decision in my opinion. So far, Kjalåra and the IDS are the only ones who have successfully removed an entire armed organization from Posteastan. We have evacuated the Jomsvikingar and they are no longer a threat. Instead of dropping bombs threating to murder sailors and arming terrorists it would be a wise decision to follow our lead and use your influence on other groups to disarm, retreat to their bases and enter negotiations. Listing Construction Enterprises as a terrorist organization is ridiculous. This political decision will not survive in any nation with an independent judicial system. Therefor I refuse to comment on that. I have to comment on threats against IDS and our friends and allies in of Kenmoria. Kjalåran soldiers and IDS volunteers often patrol together. Our advisors and liaison officers are attached to almost every unit of the IDS. Actions that force us to retaliate or general acts of terrorism will only escalate the conflict. As always, we will retaliate with full force against anyone declaring war on us. Honor forces us to accept every declaration of war and act accordingly. I sincerely hope that leading you by example will inspire you to follow me and that you do whatever is in your power to convince your followers and allies to enter a ceasefire, return all their fighters to their bases and finally disarm and enter civilized talks. Your ways of bombings, killings and backstabbing have failed now it is time to try my ways of talks, diplomacy and compromise. Heil og Sæl

[The Republic of Bohemoravia]

Sender The Republic of Bohemoravia Recipient Nations of Forest, Balagan, Kenmoria and Kjalaara REPUBLIC OF BOHEMORAVIA It is good to see that the The Democratic Kingdom of Kenmoria takes full responsibility for all actions of the International Defence Services. This is a great step forward towards peace, accountability, responsibility and the rule of law. I welcome Mr. Jonathan Fletcherson's move to step in as 'guarantor power' for the IDS. I know that Mr. Fletcherson does take his responsibilities as the guarantor for the IDS very serious. The sooner this organisation disarms and withdraws from Posteastan the better. I am confident that Mr. Fletcherson will do everything in his power to help us in this task. The harder he works the less terrorists we have to neutralise. The destruction of a terrorist organisation like Construction Enterprises can never be only militarily it has to have a political approach as well. Mr. Fletcherson's acceptance of the responsibility for all actions of the IDS has brought us a great step closer to that goal. Mr. Thorbecke's help is also much appreciated. I hope that Keilersmoor will move swiftly to outlaw Construction Enterprises as terrorist organisation. If evidence is needed I am confident that the Free Kingdom of Allanea is more than willing to provide conclusive evidence in the case. If Mr. Thorbecke is willing to act as the guarantor power for the Renegade group I don't have any objections towards letting them participate. If they accept the outcomes of the peace talks and enter an immediate ceasefire it is very likely that we can find a way of unlisting the Renegades as terrorist group. I personally thank President Haydar Koç for his willingness to participate militarily and financially in establishing peace and stability in Posteastan. I suggest that the fleet should remain close to Posteastan waters. Their assistance might be needed soon. To Queen Tove I have to say that I thank her for her efforts to stabilise eastern Posteastan. The bias against the neo-Nazi terrorists results from their behaviour in words and actions. The Royalists have no legitimacy whatsoever. Their control is based purely on terror and violence and they openly admit this. Their chances of being accepted as equals by civilised nations is much smaller than that of the slaver syndicate. The evacuation of the Jomsvikingar was indeed a great help. I have my doubts that Kjalåra is willing to act as a guarantor power for the neo-Nazi movement. I hope that the Free Kingdom of Allanea and Keilersmoor will soon provide conclusive evidence that Construction Enterprises are indeed a terrorist group and I hope that Kjalåra will follow the court rulings. I also wish to thank Queen Tove for her acceptance of the role of guarantor power for the military government. I am glad to see that so many nations with so many different political systems are willing to talk to each other in a civilised manner. So far, the participation is good, even though it could be much better. This is the first step towards a lasting peace in Posteastan. What we need the most now are guarantor powers for the Stateists and for the Kolvce Free State. If we have these I think we are ready to start negotiations and begin military actions against the neo-Nazis and the slavers. Ivo Vlach Prime Minister

[Arseny-Sazikov]

x

From the desk of His Most Godly Beatitude, Patriarch John of all Arseny-Sazikov
Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Arseny-Sazikov

To: His Eminence, the Most Reverend Lubomyr II, my Brother in Christ
Subject: Regarding the Conflict in Posteastan

Lubomyr II,

We the faithful within the Holy Empire of Arseny-Sazikov have watched the trials and tribulations befalling Posteastan with great sadness. I speak for both the clergy and laypeople of the Empire, when I say that our deepest sympathies are extended to you in your time of suffering. It is without saying, that we pray for you and for the safety of the nation. There exists between us a bond of brotherhood, a bond that runs far deeper than the secular ties of government or even the familial ties of blood. Those united by the Holy Mysteries are but one body, impossible to separate. For this reason, the Arseny-Sazikovian Orthodox Church has determined it to be our imperative to assist the faithful in their ongoing struggles against secularism, ecumenism, and the ongoing scourge of war that has befallen Posteastan. Our people will not stand idly by and watch as our very family in Christ suffers, crying out for assistance that seemingly has not or will not come. For this reason, the episcopate and myself have put considerable pressure upon his Majesty, the Tsar, to offer the Empire's implicit support to those legitimate and rational forces within Posteastan who wish to see a right-thinking, dare I say Orthodox, government installed within the nation.

This being said, the Posteastani people know their situation better than we do. I wish to ask you personally, where you believe the support of our nation would be best directed, whether it be economic, military, or otherwise. The Tsar has confided in me that he is prepared to offer material support, but has also suggested that the Empire is prepared to engage in direct intervention on a scale to be determined by his majesty, should it be necessary to ensure peace within Posteastan. Alternatively, in combination with material support, Imperial military support could come in the form of training the Posteastani faithful, so that they may conduct their own Godly struggle for peace.

Whatever the case may be, know that we are resolute in our determination to help you. It is with great concern, I await your response.

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." -Ephesians 6:11

Sincerely,

John

[Kenmoria]

---

Subject: Bohemavarian Communication
To: Bohemovaria, Kjalåra, Forest, Balagan
From: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Encryption: Low

---

Dear all,

It appears there may have been some miscommunication that has been expressed in the recent message by Bohemovaria. IDS are an independent corporation, and no governmental entity can hold any power over them, according to Kenmorian laws of freedom to contract. The Democratic Kingsom of Kenmoria can therefore not be held accountable for any actions, as they are representative of a private entity and not the official state position.

Also, it must be stated very clearly that Construction Enterprises are not terrorists, and this ministry firmly rejects any labelling of national interests in this despicable manner. Terrorism is defined as “the use of violence by non-state actors for the purpose of creating fear or terror, to achieve a social, political, or religious outcome, and either committed with deliberate disregard or specific targeting of civilians or non-combatants,” by the World Assembly.

To this ministry, it is clear that the corporation in question is not seeking a social, political or religious outcome, but rather an economic one, its being a business. Furthermore, no civilians have been directly targeted by the company. IDS are attacking the Renegades as this message is being released, who are a military faction, and this is being done to expand territory not to create fear or terror. I hope this has cleared up any misunderstandings you may have,

Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Fletcherson, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Kenmoria

Despite the rather hostile tone of the second Bohemovarian communication, nobody in Kenmoria was worried. The government were not in any way affiliated due to the Laissez-Faire nature of society, and there was no legal way to enact any form of retribution. If the worst came to the worst, which would be international condemnation, nothing much would change, since there were trade deals in place that would weather almost any sanctions and the Parliament could always pull the democratic process card. On the other hand, Construction Enterprises didn’t know of the communicative confrontation, and therefore had no reason to be alarmed by it.

In Posteastan, there was a far less idyllic scenario. The IDS troops had set up camp directly adjacent to the Renegade territory, separated by only a short span of relatively uninhabited field, and bordering some mostly innocent villages. In total, there were one thousand and eight hundred military personnel employed by IDS one their side, plus about a hundred villagers who had been constricted. Across the land, opposing them, an unknown number of Renegades. Given the deprivation of Posteastan, no sort of internet mapping of the area would be possible, and a drone would be far too obvious due to the buzzing and swirling rotor blades. Under normal circumstances, it would be better to wait and pause for information to come in, but this was somewhat time critical, so a “charge first, ask for information later” style was adopted.

In the morning, as the roosters would have been crowing were it not for the fact that all of them had been killed for meat, the opening stages of the battle commenced. Under orders from the IDS generals, men loaded artillery with munitions, and fired. One, two, three, four. A sort of rhythmic pattern, as death shot up into the sky. Five, six, seven, eight. If the Renegades didn’t have any form of aerial defence, which was quite likely given the circumstances, almost a hundred people should be dead. The plan was to continue firing artillery roughly every hour for the next half a day. Then, when any soldiers would emerge to find the source of the destruction, the IDS army would begin an infantry assault and slaughter them all. It was slightly optimistic, but it wasn’t as though the stakes were particularly high.

[Keilersmoor]

Recipient Free Kingdom of Allanea KEILERSMOOR SUPREME COURT Topic: Investigations against Construction Enterprises To whom it may concern, I have received information from the Republic of Bohemoravia that the multinational corporation known as Construction Enterprises is in fact a terrorist organization. I am deeply concerned about these allegations. According to Kenmorian law, the nation where this group or terrorist organization has its headquarters terrorism is defined as: the use of violence by non-state actors for the purpose of creating fear or terror, to achieve a social, political, or religious outcome, and either committed with deliberate disregard or specific targeting of civilians or non-combatants. Bohemoravia has stated frequently that your law enforcement agencies are experts on the topic of Construction Enterprises. Therefore, I would like to ask your opinion on that matter. Do you think that Construction Enterprises can be defined as a terrorist organization according to these specifications? If so, do you have any evidence linking Construction Enterprises to violence against or the intimidation of civilians in Posteastan on a significant scale? Thank you very much for your cooperation. Claudia Galindo Chief Justice

Recipients Federal Republic of Posteastan REPUBLIC OF KEILERSMOOR Bohemoravian Peace Plan Dear Mr Serban Theodorescu, Dear Mr Runar Øystein As you are well aware the situation in Posteastan is declining steadily. You and your subordinates are largely responsible for this situation. As you are may or may not be aware through your network of spies and informants the situation is going to change soon. A coalition of nations has formed to deal with the situation in Posteastan in one way or the other. Soon you will either be on the receiving end of a very robust humanitarian intervention or at the negotiation table holding all the cards for the future of Posteastan. The fact that I, the Foreign Minister of Keilersmoor, contact you personally should be evidence enough that our intentions are in your best interest. Keilersmoor does not want to see more killing, missile strikes and suffering. You might think that you are safe in your networks of tunnels and bunkers but think again. Is that really the future you see for you, your families and your people? Hiding underground, isolated and hunted? Keilersmoor is willing to guarantee your place at the negotiating table if you are in return willing to allow peace keeping forces from forest in your territory. Make no mistake, these forces will inspect your weapons and make sure that they are put beyond use if a peace accord is found. I hope you don't mind my undiplomatic language and will contact the nations of Forest to find the terms for the deployment of peace keeping forces. Rutger Thorbecke Foreign Minister

Recipients Public REPUBLIC OF KEILERSMOOR Criminal Investigations The Republic of Keilersmoor is investigating the allegations against Construction Enterprises. The company is suspected of being a terrorist organization in disguise. We are looking forward to all kind of evidence proving either the guilt or the innocence of above mentioned company. If you have electronic, physical or any other evidence pointing in one direction or the other please contact the Keilersmoor Supreme Court. A reward for particularly noteworthy evidence is possible.

[Uan aa Boa]

FROM The Revolutionary Workers' Council with Responsibility for Foreign Affairs
TO The Appropriate Representatives of the Nations of Forest, Kenmoria, Bohemoravia, Balagan and Kjalara

As the builder labours with the hammer, so the artist labours with the brush.

Comrades,

Firstly we would like to applaud the proposed road map as a positive step forward in the international response to the Posteastan crisis. It is wise in its recognition that the roots of the current situation lie in the past treatment of Posteastan by foreign aggressors. In particular the recognition of the Royalist faction, the Patriotic Block and Construction Enterprises as terrorist organisations is positive. We have for some time been cataloguing evidence of the criminal conduct of these groups which is freely available on our website to any interested parties. Frankly, however, this designation should not be controversial in view of Construction Enterprises' statement at its recent press conference that civilians are impressed into its unpaid workforce and the announcement of a Grand Minister of Lux Pulchrae to the Villi Island conference that the Royalist faction are interning civilians who are accused of no crime on the basis of their political affiliations. These parties themselves freely admit to blatant violations of international law.

Our reservations concern the extent to which other factions are implicated in the crimes of these terrorist organisations. Specifically
* Remus Balan, head of the Patriotic Block, has been appointed as a senior minister of the provisional government in Tabolov
* The Telinburg government of Valaska/Neascu is funding and supporting the activities of Construction Enterprises
* We also have evidence that directly implicates Valaska and the National Guard in the Royalist purges and summary executions in and around Leoznia

We must therefore ask how it is that Nina Neascu and Vasilescu Tavitian can be regarded as legitimate politicians when their activities are so entwined with those of condemned terrorists.

Tolerance is complicity!
Unity! Discipline! Progress!