Camtholian Civil War (IC, TWI Only)

[Camtholia]

Background

Following the outbreak of IW2, the surprise missile attack by New Aapelistan, and the subsequent destruction of the 2nd fleet, Camtholia has been in a state of unrest. The government, under Prime Minister Jonathan Walton, aswell by King Alexander Clarke, have been urging the public to remain calm. Yet, the people of Camtholia are worried about their futures, the possibility of invasion from Eurania or New Aapelistan, the Prime Minister has already been forced to pull out of the war to stabilise the situation, but can it succeed?

Events are in motion, plotters work behind the scenes, grasping for power, trust no one.

This is the beginning, of the Camtholian Civil War



(OOC: Send a Telegram to request involvement)

[Camtholia]

Chapter one: The Cracks Begin to Spread

Ship of the damned
Location: Kingsport, Camtholia

It was late afternoon, Kingsport was alive, across the city people were on their way home from work, many passing through the shops for groceries, perhaps waiting at bus stops or train stations for a ride across the island, even the port was populated, with several people waiting to catch a ferry back to one of the other islands of Camtholia. The water of Valour bay shimmered in the light. Across the bay stood Port Defiance, hub for the Camtholian Navy, but today was not a normal day.

It had been weeks since New Aapelistan had initiated a missile strike on the Camtholian second fleet, it was unexpected, Camtholia hadn't seen conflict for a while, and was unaccustomed to the new technology, today would be a sad today, today, RCS Archer returned, without the rest of the second fleet.

Archer was the only ship that survived the missile attack, if that could even be said, at the south edge of the bay, the Ship creeped slowly in, headed towards Port Defiance, hopefully it could be repaired, personnel stood at Defiance's dock, tools in hand, ready to properly survey the damage.

Even from Kingsport it could be seen in the distance a vague outline, yet an important one at that, RCS Archer, with it's Stern partially collapsed, and a chunk of the command tower having fallen off. Slowly the decrepit ship moved through the bay, flanked by the smaller ships that had been sent out to rescue it. Inside Archer, on the lower decks, lay dozens of bodies, having been retrieved from the wrecked, and this was simply a 3rd of those who were lost.

The ship reached Port Defiance, but the sight had been seen, the proud Camtholian second navy, reduced to the husk of a single ship, littered with bodies, a true Ship of the Damned, across Kingsport the sorrow was felt, some citizens bowed their heads in mourning, others muttered curses at Camtholia's government, for allowing such an event to take place as a result of their overconfidence.

But this was a time to mourn, the bodies were taken off the ships, Engineers got to work surveying the damage, it was bad, it would take weeks, possibly months to repair. But more importantly, the bodies need respected, both the ones retrieved, and those lost to the sea. This was a time of peace and mourning...

... At least for now

[Camtholia]

Don't speak ill of the dead

Since the Archer pulled into the bay, there had been a certain amount of sadness in the air, so many lost. Prime Minister Walton and King Clarke themselves planned to attend the ceremony later in the week, Grand Admiral Grove herself would be speaking there.

Silence descended upon Kingsport, citizens lined the streets as military trucks disembarked from the ferries, driving down the roads towards the cemetery on the outskirts of Kingsport, there wasn't even enough hearses available to carry the bodies of the dead.

The cemetery itself was packed, so much so that even the outside of the ceremony was surrounded by people, most of whom were dressed in black, widows sobbing, children crying. The coffins were laid in rows, each one beside an open grave, ready to be filled, the cemetery was lined with Royal Guards, in signature black uniforms, some holding rifles across their chests, others holding Camtholian flags, the clouds loomed overhead, it seemed even the weather was mourning.

Grand Admiral Alice Grove stepped forward towards a microphone, beside her stood King Alexander Clarke and Prime Minister Jonathan Walton, this was an almost unheard of occurrence, but the situation merited it.

Admiral Grove spoke "People of Camtholia, it is my solemn duty to inform you of the events that transpired to the 2nd fleet"

She paused, took a deep breath, and continued "We were the target of a pre-emptive strike by New Aapelistan, and the 2nd fleet, and most of it's fine men and women, were lost"

"Rest assured we have pulled out of the war, to prevent further bloodshed, New Aapelistan and Eurania should no longer be our concerns for now"

The uncertainty in her voice was clear, nothing had been agreed, they were relying on NA and Eurania being too occupied with the MSTO to follow up.

"It is with great sorrow that we must lay the bodies of our kin to rest"

"Let it be known that their sacrifice will be remembered, that they stood for our cause, they served and died with honour and dignity"

"I am proud to say that I worked alongside these men and women"

"I hereby mark the passing of Admiral Walsh, Captain Alistair, Commander Wilson..."

The list dragged on for minutes, Grove herself struggled to contain a mix of sorrow and rage, Clarke and Walton stood still, silent, Walton could barely hold back a tear, he felt responsible for this

"... Seaman Jenning and Seaman Cartwright"

"We now lay them to rest"

As the attendants began laying the bodies one by one, a trumpet played in the background, a solemn tune, for a solemn event. Yet, as the people watched their former family and countrymen lowered into graves, a large group began forming behind the group, waving picket signs, shouting over the crowd.

"Give peace a chance!", "This is YOUR fault", "No more violence!", "This is the King's fault!", "No more kings! Only us!", "We will not disgrace their memory with more war!" "Where is YOUR honour?!"

King Clarke and Prime Minister Walton were taken aback, this was the first instance in decades of such an event, they glanced at each other, nervously

As the bodies were placed, the crowd grew larger, the chant grew louder, soon the last body was laid into it's grave, and the crowd had massed outside the cemetery, the mourners had now either stood aside or joined in.

"We now fire a 16 gun salute in honour of the fallen"

"Make Ready" The guards with rifles responded to this immediately, pointing their rifles towards the sky

"Fire". For a brief moment, all was quiet, the shouting drowned out by the gunfire.

Prime Minister Walton stepped up briefly, "Citizens of Camtholia, thank you for coming, rest assured, they will not be forgotten". Sadly, the crowd shouted louder "Forgotten?! This was your doing!", "How dare you act like you care!", "You should have taken their place"

Walton, Clarke and Grove were gradually escorted out of the back exit of the cemetery, carefully, as not to provoke the crowd, before departing in a couple of private cars, followed by the Royal Guards

As for the protesters, they headed to Kingsport, shouting for hours, deciding to camp out outside Parliament, the police arrived to watch, but for now, they were peaceful...

...But that was soon to change

[Camtholia]

Wisdom of age

"This is insane, they're blaming us?!" King Alexander Clarke ranted, while pacing back and force through the throne room

After the funeral Grand Admiral Grove had headed back to Port Defiance, there was still work to be done regarding defence, meanwhile, Prime Minister Jonathan Walton and King Alexander Clarke had headed to the Royal Palace, as Parliament was surrounded by protestors

"Calm down Alex, the situation can be resolved peacefully" Walton replied sitting in a chair to the side, the septuagenarian gave a kindly smile to his old friend, "Can't have you dying of a heart attack in your 40's, you still need to provide a heir you know"

King Clarke chuckled slightly "I don't know how you stay optimistic Jon, you heard what they were yelling"

"That I did, they consider the events our fault, I can hardly blame them for that"

"We didn't know! Surely they can see that?!" King Clarke flared up with anger, before pausing "We didn't expect this... it was supposed to act as a deterrent"

"That it was, but we cannot change the past, to do so would dishonour the sacrifices of the 2nd fleet, we must press on" Walton sighed

"I know, I just..." Clarke paused "You're right, you always are Jon" Clarke sat on the throne, and rubbed his head into his temples "So, what now?"

"Well Alex, first we must talk to the protesters, find out what they want"

"You heard them, they want us out, what else is there to it?"

"Remember the Farmers strike of 1995?"

"Yeah I remember, you were just an advisor then, the farmers wanted better treatment from the companies that sold their produce, but what does that have to do with now?"

"Perhaps you're forgetting in your age Alex" Walton chuckled "They called for similar things, people have a tendency to lash out at authority, but in the end, the situation was resolved, once we found out what they really wanted"

"So what's the plan Jon?"

"Tomorrow, if the protesters remain, I will address them publicly and calmly, talk to them not as a mob, but as people, as sons and daughters of Camtholia"

"Want me to be there with you?" Clarke asked, with deep concern

"That won't be necessary Alex, perhaps it's best if you aren't there, they seem angrier at you than they are at me, plus, I'll have protection"

"Alright, just be careful, we wouldn't want that pencil-pusher (Deputy Prime Minister) Nathan (Simmons) replacing you, kid's got no backbone"

"Heh, I still like him, he's good with keeping track of things"

"If only he knew how to deal with real issues"

Both Men laughed, they spent the next few minutes chatting and sharing a couple of stories, two old friends, in their own little world, before retiring for the night, tomorrow would be an important day...

... More important than they could possibly guess

[Camtholia]

A single shot

Day broke, it was time. Prime Minister Jonathan Walton got ready for this important day, people were dissatisfied, he needed to know why so it could be resolved, it wouldn't be easy, but, then again, since he became Prime Minister, what had been easy?

An attendant drove him to the House of Parliament, as he approached, a group of protesters, still there from the night before, noticed him, and resumed their previous shouting, standing in front of the car.

The attendant was nervous, but kept driving forward at a very slow speed, as to avoid harming anyway, Walton retained his composure, he had a duty to fulfil, this was not the time to worry.

After several minutes, and a lot of shouting, the car reached the pavement just in front of where the speakers had been set up, Walton walked up to front door

He turned around, he stood on the outside of the House of Parliament, a crowd of protesters staring at him but still keeping a small distance, here he stood, the Prime Minister, who despite his age was willing to take the risk to address these protesters.

He spoke to the protesters, and, surprisingly, they seemed to listen "Citizens of Camtholia, I understand your plight, we have suffered a great loss in recent days, but we must press forward..."

He continued to talk with the crowd, he was getting through to them, perhaps this would be over easily, but, unbeknownst to the Prime Minister, events were already in motion.

On the other side of the street, a man in a suit carrying a briefcase entered an apartment building. There was nothing seemingly out of the ordinary here, so it seemed. But he took the elevator to the top floor, inside was an apartment with nobody living inside, he took the key he had been given, it was a perfect fit. He went to the window, he could see down below, Walton addressing the crowd, the police around the edges, all oblivious to his presence, the plan was going perfectly.

He opened his briefcase, inside was a collection of Sniper Rifle parts, he began assembling.

Walton continued below "We understand what happened, we are sorry, the 2nd fleet was to act as a detterent"

"Sorry wont bring the dead back", one of the protesters replied, followed by murmuring from the crowd

"And neither will protesting against the very nation they gave their lives for, we must honour their memory and.."

The Sniper had assembled his rifle, he took a deep breath, the crowd had given Walton a small breadth, it was perfect, he steadied his hand.

Walton finished: "We will listen to your suggestions in a calm and orderly manner, your voices can be heard, what do you say?"...

...*BANG*

[Camtholia]

Day of madness

Walton dropped to the ground, a hole punched through his head, and the bullet having lodged itself in the metal Parliament door.

Then, the crowd screamed, hundreds of voices crying out in shock and terror, while the assassin above calming disassembled his rifle before making himself scarce.

Most of the crowd ran, screaming, some started yelling of "conspiracy" the police tried to keep order, but to no avail. Then, then it started.

Nobody knows who struck first, the police claimed the protesters started throwing rocks, the few protesters that were arrested claimed that the police struck an unarmed man, it didn't matter, the destruction began.

A riot swept through the city of Kingsport, chants of "Down with the King!" rung through the streets, shops had their windows smashed open and objects looted, cars were overturned.

Parliament itself wasn't raided, if only for the protesters not having the means to break in the door, yet they still threw bricks through the windows before being driven away by the police. Across the city, police formed barriers with their riot shields, trying to contain the riot, but it was spreading out of control.

Meanwhile, in the Royal Palace

King Alexander Clarke, sat in his throne, head in hands, he was failing his country.

"Jon.. the Prime Minister.. my friend... why did I let you go, you knew the danger you old fool"

An attendant walked in with news "My lord, we have a problem"

"What is it?"

"It's the Riot M'lord, the police are starting to regain control, but, well..."

"Yes, go on lad"

"We have a large group of rioters headed towards the palace, destroying everything in their way"

"Go to Commander Helm, tell him to get the guards in order" King Clarke turned to another attendant "Get me Carlston on the line, we may need his forces"

"Yes M'lord", spoke both his attendants, almost simultaneously.

King Clarke buried his head back in his hands for a moment "My own people... murdered their Prime Minister... what have we become?"

Meanwhile, at the Palace Guard post, High Commander Helm got his message

"You can tell his Highness that we are ready to defend the palace"

He turned to a guard "Sound the alarm, I want most of the guard at the outer gates, quickly"

Helm was ready, it had been years since he last had to properly fight, but he had trained, all the guards had, there was a reason beyond mere ceremony why they accompanied diplomats and important politicians.

Soon he stood at the outer gate, the protesters had already reached it, the gate was holding, but barely, they were trying to smash it down, the hinges were buckling.

He addressed his fellow guards "Men, stand your ground, do not let them reach the inner gate" he turned to the protesters and yelled "Citizens, return to your homes, this is your final warning, we will use force if this gate collapses"

It didn't work, half of the gate collapsed, and a group of rioters charged in, some wielding just fists, others had picked up cricket bats or other improvised weaponry, Helm drew his baton, he took no pleasure in this. He swung his baton with a honed skill, it landed into the side of a rioter's face, Helm heard a crack, the rioter dropped to the ground, clutching his mouth, taking a moment to spit out a shard of tooth, Helm felt sick to his stomach, but he had to continue his duty, he swung an uppercut at his next target.

It was several hours before the riot was contained, streets were littered with looted shops and the occasional totalled car, the palace had held, but many were injured in the fight. The Camtholian Army had established a presence in the city, most of the citizens were sent home, those who seemed to be ringleaders were arrested, as the sun set, Kingsport was in shock, but it seemed over, the riot had ended...

...The real violence had just begun

[Camtholia]

Chapter 2: True Colours
A lamb leading lions

Dawn broke, the dust settled. Throughout Kingsport, several streets were blocked off while the debris was cleared, people awoke from last night's nightmares, only to find that it was real.

The Camtholian Army had set up a minor presence in the city, mainly around the Palace and the House of Parliament, shopkeepers swept away broken glass and took note of what they had lost, the hospital was filled with people needing treatment for all sorts of injuries, from head injuries to broken limbs, the ringleaders had been arrested, at least, they seemed like the ringleaders.

Inside the Houses of Parliament, even while new windows were being fitted, King Alexander Clarke was ready to address Parliament. Walton was dead, the Deputy Prime Minister had to step up, an event that had only happened once before, and never like this, but it was still 9 months until the election. Clarke was worried, Nathan Simmons wasn't the strongest politician, Walton had chose him for a Deputy because he was analytical, he knew how to keep track of a shifting web of alliances, but he never seemed to work under pressure, perhaps if Simmons chose a good Deputy for himself, things would be fine.

Nathan Simmons stood up to the podium, the majority of the ministry, those who could attend a meeting at such short notice, fixed there eyes on him, Simmons looked worried

"*ahem* Ministers, I regret to inform you of the death of our Prime Minister, Jonathan Walton" he stuttered "A-and it is with a... heavy heart that I... take his role as Prime Minister of this great nation" Simmons was sweating, he was never meant for this, he was a pencil-pusher, a bureaucrat!

Clarke walked to the podium "I hereby announce, following the death of the previous Prime Minister, under the rules of politics for Camtholia, that Nathan Simmons is now officially the Prime Minister of Camtholia until the election near the closing of this year, For Honour, For Camtholia!"

"I promise I won't let you down... M'lord"

Some of the Ministers started clapping, but not all, many seemed nervous, twitching in their seats, wondering if Simmons could really prevent more violence, several of the ministers scowled, this man knew nothing of strength, of honour! He wasn't even elected! Merely chosen by an official that was, and that man lay in a morgue being prodded by a logistics team!

Clarke turned to Simmons "Good luck kid, I suggest you chose a Deputy as soon as possible"

"Y-yes M'lord" Simmons nearly panicked, a Deputy? Who would he pick? He hadn't ever considered this...

[Camtholia]

One man's rage

Location: City of Grimsby, Camtholia

News of the events at Kingsport had travelled fast, Colonel Dan Stuart, current commander of Fort Edington, near the city of Grimsby, heard the news, he could barely believe it, the brutality, the Prime Minister shot dead in cold blood, the police cracking down on protesters, the Royal Guard injuring several.

And the deaths, the numbers weren't confirmed, but several people were killed, but one was important to him, his sister. Miss Ann Stuart was a single mother, breaking out a simple existence as an office clerk, trying to feed her two children, that changed in the riot. Colonel Stuart cried when he saw the message, his sister, dead, his niece and nephew, now orphaned, being sent to a foster parent in who knows what city.

This was the King's fault, all this started because of his desire for aggression, a symbol of Camtholian might, and now it led to this, nearly 300 had died as a result of that decision, the blood was on Clarke's hangs

"No king of mine..." Stuart muttered under his breath, he knew what he had to begin

He had the forces called in the courtyard of Fort Edington, he had an announcement

"Soldiers, fighting men and women of Camtholia, hear me now!" He bellowed

"Our king has failed us, our Prime Minister lays dead, replaced by a weakling!"

Some of the soldiers squirmed uncomfortably, others looked on in awe

"We need change! An end to the Monarch! And Justice for our people!"

His voice echoed through the courtyard, and his message was heard

"We will unite, we will show the King the true power of the Camtholians!"

Lieutenant Fitch Stepped forward, he had to stop this "What about our oath, what about Democracy?!"

"Is it Democracy to have an unelected King meddling in affairs? Is it democracy to have the police crack down on a peaceful protest with full brutality!"

"We don't know how it started Sir! This is madness, you have to stand down"

"I will not stand down, WE will not stand down! Isn't that right men!"

Two-thirds of the crowd cheered, they would follow their commander to the ends of the Earth

"I can't let you do this Sir, this is high treason, is this how you'll honour the dead?!"

"Then stop me Fitch" Colonel Stuart held his hands outwards, presenting his torso "You have your sidearm, go ahead"

Lieutenant Fitch squirmed, his hand grasped his pistol, but it remained in his holster, he couldn't bring himself to do it

"You're making a big mistake Stuart" Fitch headed towards the motor pool "Those who will not follow this madness, come with me" A third of the soldiers from the crowd broke off

Stuart ignored this, turning to his loyalists "Soldiers, we will rally the citizens, they will fight alongside us, we will bring about a Camtholian Republic! For Camtholia!"

The soldiers cheered, raised weapons high, Stuart had taken a military base without a drop of blood shed, he was going to bring about a new Republic, for all the Citizens of Camtholia, for Ann. He gathered some of his men and headed into the city of Grimsby, they called for any who would join them, to stand against the King, to avenge the fallen.

The Republican Movement had begun

[Camtholia]

Foolishness of youth

Prime Minister Nathan Simmons pored over his notes, he had possible choices for Deputy Prime Minister strewn across his desk, so many choices. Long standing public servants, former union leaders, the very candidates that Walton defeated last election, each option with it's benefits and drawbacks. He was worried, each choice would please one group of people but alienate another, how was he supposed to choose? The stress was getting to him.

Suddenly, a knocking came from his door

"Um, come in?"

An attendant entered the room, holding a tablet containing an emergency report from the Military "This is for you sir, it's of the utmost importance"

Simmons read the tablet, "Colonel Stuart gone rogue, several hundred men under command, Fort Edington Captured, Grimsby possibly occupied, awaiting orders -Zachary Carlston"

Simmons' heart raced, a rogue colonel, a seized fort, an occupied city?! And this was a message from the Grand Marshal himself.

The attendant noticed Simmons' nearly having a panic attack "Sir, do you want me to call King Clarke for advice"

Simmons' composed himself, "That... won't be necessary", He steeled himself, this was his moment, they all thought he was weak, now was his chance, give the order, suppress the rebellion, and perhaps the rest of his term could go by peacefully. "Thank you for the message, you are dismissed"

The attendant left, Simmons' typed in the order to Carlston "Sent a force immediately, Retake Fort Edington at any cost", he sent the message, waiting patiently for the reply "At once sir, preparing strike force now, will arrive in a few hours -ZC"

Simmons lay back in his chair... that wasn't so hard, all he needed to do was give the order and the army would do the rest, perhaps he was worrying too much, now all he had to do was wait, what could go wrong?

[Camtholia]

Dire Consequences

Grand Marshal Zachary Carlton had his orders, he had to retake Edington immediately, however, he was trapped down in Fort Triumph, it would take hours to bring a strike force north through almost all of Generum Isle.

Instead, he sent a message to Lieutenant Ellie Stone, peacekeeping at a small town only a dozen miles from Edington, where protests were taking place

Lieutenant Stone called her men to her, a few dozen soldiers. "Alright lads, listen up, orders from the Grand Marshal himself"

"It is my duty to inform you, that Colonel Stuart has gone rogue, and taken control of Edington, we think he has occupied Grimsby aswell"

She paused, to allow the message to sink in, her soldiers had visible concern on their faces

"We will be fighting Camtholian soldiers, but we cannot hesitate, they have betrayed our nation, gone against everything we have stood for, we have work to do"

The soldiers marched to their trucks, 4 trucks, loaded with men, ready to retake the fort

An hour later...

Fort Edington was coming into view "Alright men, our plan is to go for a rapid strike, the little intel we have suggests that a large portion of Stuart's men deserted when he betrayed, they outnumber us, but not by much"

The trucks entered a small village directly before the fort, it was quiet, too quiet, they kept pressing forward

Without ceremony, a road mine went off, directly beneath the front truck, the truck itself burst into flames, shards of metal and lost limbs were sprayed across the street

"AMBUSH!" Stone leaped from the passenger seat or her truck, her men leaping from the back, but it was too late, they were surrounded, soldiers and citizens appeared in windows, charged out of alleyways, opening fire on the convoy

"RPG!" One of her soldiers yelled, before the 4th truck went up in flames, killing all still inside it

They were surrounded, they had no cover, they fought valiantly, but failed, Stone and most of her men were killed, the last of her men surrendered, some wounded, others simply realising they were beaten

Colonel Stuart stepped forward, having been firing from one of the windows, his militia, his army, stepped out into the street, taking the guns off the last loyalists

"They sent a force to kill us, to wipe us out, or to lock us away for high treason" He paused, looking at the bodies, before picking up one of the loyalist's weapons and holding it high

"We WILL prevail!" before firing the weapon into the air, his forces cheered, they had won their first fight, receiving only a few casualties while inflicting a couple of dozen, the Revolution was in full force.

[Camtholia]

A shining dawn

Location: City of Finchale, Camtholia

The Assassin walked through the streets of Finchale, trying to look inconspicuous, the air of dread loomed over this city, perhaps all of Camtholia, the government was unstable, it was almost time, he turned down an alleyway, and knocked on a metal door, as quietly as he could

"Password?" a voice asked

"The Phoenix rises with the Dawn" the assassin replied

The door opened, the assassin entered the building, the room had it's windows blacked out, lit by only a couple of ceiling lights, then a figure emerged from a side room, it was Robert Corwin, the former government worker turned revolutionary, at least, in the eyes of his few followers

Corwin addressed the assassin "George, glad to see you made it back, I heard the news from here, you did perfectly, the whole country is in dissaray"

George replied "I noticed that on my way here, I passed through a lot of towns and villages, even there it was felt"

"Are you sure you weren't followed?"

"I took a roundabout route, took days, but it avoided passing through anywhere important"

"You didn't have to walk back George, you could have taken a train"

"I wasn't gonna risk getting caught, besides, the exercise is good for me, so, what did I miss"

"Come, I'll show you" Corwin led his friend to the back room, where his monitor sat "See the news, a rebellion has started in the North"

"That's great news Rob, the Communist uprising begins!"

"Not quite, this is being led by some rogue Colonel, from what we know, he seems to be trying to bring about a Republic"

"Could he be an ally" George asked, while setting his briefcase down

"I don't know, but the plan has to go through regardless, we've been planning this for months, one more step and we can make our move"

"Which is" George asked, Corwin had always kept the plan secret, from the very beginning

"We have... obtained.. some more firearms, we take the opportunity to send Camtholia into full chaos"

"Which is?"

"The abduction, of Prime Minister Simmons" Corwin paused, and smiled "After that, we announce ourselves to the people, as liberators from the oppressive regime, we eliminated their corrupt politicians and will bring about a communist nation, gone will be any shred of corruption or inequality, no man will stand above another!"

Corwin got up, and headed towards the door, picking up an assault rifle mounted on the wall "C'mon George, we have work to do, we'll take the car"

And with that, Corwin, George and a couple of other revolutionaries, armed to the teeth, set off across the countryside with their mission

[Camtholia]

A daring heist

Nathan Simmons was in his house in the residential area of Kingsport, it had been 2 days since the disaster near Edington, there had been rocks thrown at Parliament, insults hurled, citizens barely held back by the Royal Guard, he just wanted to be alone, he was losing his mind. It was his decision, his fault, earlier today citizens had found his house and began protesting outside it, demanding for impeachment, before the police urged them away.

It was night time, the citizens had gone to sleep, the police were keeping an eye, but at a distance, even they were tired, Simmons hoped to catch some sleep

On the outskirts of Kingsport, coming in from the south, was Corwin and his group, they knew where Simmons was, they knew he was moderately guarded, if they were careful enough, they would be safe.

Corwin addressed the three who came with him "Alright lads, I'll go over this one more time, It's night time, so we'll be hard to spot heading in, but they'll be alerted the moment we enter his house, George, Jane, you're with me, we grab him, Donny, swing the car around and get ready to hit it, you ready?"

His team echoed a resounding "Lets do it"

They were near Simmons house, it was pitch black aside from the streetlights, the car was parked drove past the house and stopped around the corner, Corwin, George and Jane exited, they had their weapons and were ready to go.

There was a police car on the road, the cops inside groggily keeping watch, but regardless ready to send an alert if they saw something dangerous.

Corwin and his team took an alternate route instead, George boosted Jane and Corwin on top of one of Simmons' Neighbour's fences, before they pulled George up, dropped down, and repeated.

A few fences of this and they reached Simmons' back garden, a small garden, with barely any grass, they had to do this right, the house was undoubtedly bugged, they were ready.

Simmons awoke to a smash, it was the Kitchen Window, an alarm triggered in his house, blaring, before he could properly get up, 3 armed masked goons charged into his room, two of them grabbed him, while the 3rd led the way out, quickly unlocking the front door

Outside, the police were in position, and they had called for backup, but before the cops could fire their tazers, a car swung in the path "Get in" the driver yelled, they dived in, shoving Simmons into one of the back seats, before the car sped off, chased closely by a police car.

The chase was long, the goons kept firing at the police through the windows, Simmons swore he saw an army vehicle trying to rescue him, but it didn't work, the goons went off-road, managed to lose their pursuers, and spent the rest of the evening travelling back to their camp, leaving the police gormless.

It was morning, Simmons awoke, tied to a chair, mouth gagged and hands bound, and a video camera pointed at him

"Action!" Corwin called, standing beside Simmons, this time without a mask

"People of Camtholia, I bring you a message, it is the time to stand up against our oppressors, the elite of this nation have long abused us workers, looking down on us, making decisions to control our very lives, well no more!"

"We have an end to your corrupt Prime Minister, and captured his successor, now is the time, for the workers to unite, now is the time, for the rise of the Red Dawn!"

On either side of Corwin, armed men and women cheered in unison, then the camera cut off. "Alright, have that sent to all the networks, now we initiate the takeover" Corwin moved towards the door "Cmon soldiers, we have a city to liberate!" Corwin charged into the city rifle in hand, his followers behind him.

Simmons was left inside, with only a single armed guard and a technician with him, he was likely going to be killed soon, tears ran down his face, he deserved it, he had failed, and now his failure will cost hundreds, maybe thousands of lives.

[Camtholia]

Burden of leadership

"... now is the time, for the rise of the Red Dawn!"

King Alexander Clarke closed the video, this was the second time he watched it but he still couldn't believe it, the reports came in of the city of Finchale being taken over by armed soldiers, forming their own militia, as if they didn't have enough problems in the north.

The Republican Movement had already declared the Red Dawn terrorists for murdering the Prime Minister they loved, but that was a small condolence, his nation was in shambles, barely holding itself together, he still had most of the military, but could be trusted not to betray him? He was never supposed to lead, he was meant to be a figurehead, but there was no Prime Minister able to serve, and Simmons hadn't named a Deputy, that left Clarke as the only political leader, and none of the cabinet were willing to step up, they were afraid of being murdered or kidnapped.

He took another sip of his beer, normally he would never drink, but he needed it, the weight of a nation rested on his shoulders, if he made one wrong decision, dozens, perhaps hundreds, would die.

He engaged in an encrypted text chat with his High Commander, Grand Marshal Zachary Carlston, Grand Admiral Alice Grove and Grand Air-Marshal James Price

"We've reinforced Guardian Airbase from attack, so far no sign of the Republicans, but I wouldn't recommend conducting airstrikes from there, use Albatross instead" -JP

"Setting up peacekeeping divisions now, but the Army is stretched thin, sent a force to secure Dunmow" -ZC

"Port Heroism has been attacked by Red Dawn, they've formed their own militia, no knowledge of where they got the weapons, the port is holding, for now" -AG

Clarke rubbed his temples, he wasn't sure what to do, could he trust his army, would he remain in on the throne? Would he remain alive?

He needed allies, he needed a plan...

The Camtholian civil war had begun

[Camtholia]

Chapter 3: Allies and Enemies

The King in need

King Alexander Clarke paced back and forth, outside the front door of the Royal Palace, the diplomats were due shortly

Kingsport sounded quieter than normal, people still going about their daily lives, but the presence of the Army caused... discomfort

He had sent a call to Camtholia's allies, those not tied up with war, he needed assistance with controlling the situation, he was not too proud to ask for help.

Things had continued getting worst since the Red Dawn's announcement, in the South, Port Heroism was holding, barely, but the place was surrounded, and naval support was barely usable due to the risk of civilian casualties, and the militia had been seen expanding northwards, towards Hero's Landing.

In the North, the Republicans were taking control of the Heartland, if they held onto it for long enough, perhaps they intended to cause a food shortage, to turn the people against their King, so far no attack force had been sighted near Guardian Airbase, Colonel Stuart had in depth knowledge of the military, he was being careful.

Already refugees had started arriving, people fleeing to Kingsport from Grimsby or Finchale, trying to escape the possibility of recruitment, Clarke was trying to get a program ready to have them spread amongst the other Islands, if there was a reassurance, it was that neither the Red Dawn nor the Republic had any naval power, so a large portion of his kingdom was secure, he hoped.

He checked his watch, the delegates were due to arrive shortly, perhaps they were on their way from the airport now...

[Great Estheria]

Jeremy Peeler, in charge of foreign affairs from Estheria, has arrived in Camtholia. When he touched down in the airport, he had transport arranged and was transported to the royal palace. As he got out of the car he saw who he guessed to be the king pacing in front of the palace. Peeler walked towards him, and introduced himself. "Greetings, I am Jeremy peeler, here to help, if I can, in your current conflict."

[Franco-Albion]

His eyes sprang open, hands clasping at his neck at the jarring pain that suddenly awoke him. As his sight and mind returned from the dream-realms to engage with the surroundings around, James Mulder [the Prime Minister of Franco-Albion] looked around him to see the cause of the pain - noting the small dent in the interior frame of the car door. The past twenty-four hours had been a tiring one - rushing around in Franco-Albion in meeting after meeting - speaking with his Cabinet, Intelligence and Military staff before being whisked off aboard a the MoD's private Ambassador aircraft.

Word of Camtholia's civil unrest was causing alarm within many circles in Franco-Albion. Her unwillingness to assist Camtholia during the Imperialist War caused great discomfort amongst both civilian and citizen within the nation, but James was only respecting the wish of Parliament, whom had narrowly voted not to get involved. However, seeing the Commonwealth ally begin to descend into more chaos was the last straw for the Prime Minister - who had decided to circumnavigate Parliament [thus putting his career in jeopardy] and summoned cabinet to discuss the crisis. Meanwhile, with the PM's permission, the Army had quickly assembled 500 men and machines from the Rapid Response Force and was now in the process of deploying a force in Camtholia - which was set to touchdown within the next few hours.

His journey in the convoy was short and it wasn't long before he had arrived at the foot of the Royal Palace. Taking the few short steps up towards the doors, he noted the two figures at the top - the Camtholian King and the Alesini representative. He formally greeted the two - whom were both wearing masks of concern upon their face.

[Athara Magarat]

A helicopter descended and the president of Athara Magarat Purna Sura Paija stepped out. "King Clarke, I believe this is the first time we met. We are ready to help you in bringing stability to your nation."

He saw that representatives from Franco Albion and Grest Estheria had alresdy arrived.

[Alesini]

Panfilo Belloni, Alesinese Minister of Foreign Affairs gazed down out of his plane window. The water shimmered in the morning sun. He watched as as a pod of dolphins briefly surfaced before diving down. He turned back to his screen. He was currently watching a documentary on Land Manatees. He left Cassana an hour or so ago and it wouldn't be long until he reached Camtholia. Panfilo was nervous. This was an important time. 'Enjoy This Peace While It Lasts' he thought grimly. A female air attendant spoke "Would you like some refreshments sir?"
"No thank you. Perhaps later." he replied.

---

Panfilo took an armoured SUV to the Royal Palace. He stepped out after a few minutes of driving. He breathed in the air. His standard black suit had the Minister of Foreign Affairs badge over his heart. His medium length chestnut hair blew softly in the wind. For a minute he just hovered there, taking in his surroundings. Then he walked forwards towards the palace; towards a civil war.

[Athara Magarat]

Paija shook his hand with the Alesinese delegate Panfillo Beloni who had just arrived and stated to others, "Looks like members from MSTO or the Communist Bloc are not here. That's good because their presence only means prolonged war."

The delegates from other nations gave slight laughs at this statement.

He took a breath and turned to the Camtholian ruler, "King Clarke, shall we discuss or wait for other friendly nations?"

[Great Estheria]

Peeler nodded in greeting to the other representatives.

"Well, King Clarke, shall we begin, or shall we wait further?"

[Ostehaar]

Tick, tock, tick, tock - The constant, rhythmic sounds of Alex Vulf's walking cane became his trademark. He walked rather slowly and didn't allow the tense atmosphere of the visit disturb his calm. Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Negotiating Oster intervention around the region wasn't in his job description, but his strategic mind and efficient ways, as well as his unbelievable influence in Ostehaar's Ministry of Defense, made him the Prime Minister's favourite choice for situations such as this. It only took a short conversation between the two to convince Alex that Ostehaar should assist Camtholia, and that he should be in-charge of the coordination. "Special teams recently returned from Atnaia," the Prime Minister reminded him, "they've gained a lot of experience there in fighting insurgents and would be perfect for this."

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Meanwhile, as Alex greeted the other representatives in Camtholia, several batches of Unit 78, including Batch-1013, were making final preparations in Lovsk and waiting for the formal green light. "Good day to you all," he said, "Delegates, Prime Minister, King Clarke."

[Camtholia]

Poor circumstances

King Clarke looked around, everyone had arrived, it was time to begin

"Gentlemen, it is a pleasure to have you all here, although I wish it were under better circumstances"

He paused, making sure he had the representatives attention

"Well men, if you'd follow me inside"

Clarke led the delegates inside the palace, the rooms were rather bare, a few portraits across the walls, but nothing extravagant, that wasn't the Camtholian way, he'd expect that kind of stuff from the denizens of the Four Passages in the far west, chandeliers and marble floors, but not here.

A couple of corridors later and he reached the meeting room, a large circular table sat in the centre, on it, lay a map of Camtholia, markers and tokens were strewn across the map, each marking a Camtholian unit position, or the known position of rebel forces, from either faction. The delegates took their seats. Attendants waited outside, they had been carefully picked ages ago, but these days, it was hard to know who to trust.

"Gentlemen, I assume you have been briefed on your way here, but I shall give you a quick rundown"

King Clarke paused, it hurt a bit to recall the past few days, they were, horrific events

"After our ship RCS Archer returned from the missile attack, protests started, soon after, the Prime Minister, my friend Jonathan Walton, was killed by a sniper, Red Dawn has taken credit for this."

"After that incident, Colonel Dan Stuart, launched a successful capture of one of our forts, reports say that he turned most of the soldiers to his side, and forced the others to flee, since then, he has been fighting to overthrow the government and install his own 'Republic'"

"Meanwhile, we have the Red Dawn, previously I thought they were a fringe group, but they are something more, something far more dangerous, they captured the replacement Prime Minister Nathan Simmons, and launched a successful capture of the city of Finchale, and are headed North"

"That leads us to now, with Walton dead and Simmons captured, I am the sole leader of Camtholia, once this is over, I intend to bring the election forward from early next year to keep democracy intact, but for now, we are under Martial Law."

King Clarke pointed at spots on the north of the map "Stuarts forces have captured Grimsby, and are using it to form a militia, we have word of him heading south into the Heartland, the fertile farmland of Camtholia, and the source of most of our agriculture.

He then reached over to the south of the map "Over here, the Red Dawn has taken Finchale, and have made assaults on Port Heroism, but for now, the Port has held, thanks to the ships still docked there, however, they've been sighted heading north, towards the city of Hero's Landing, Camtholia's first city"

"As you can see, the situation is dire, that is why I have called you here, our forces are turning against us, this is why I have called on you, trusted allies, and other friendly nations, to help us in our darkest hour."

King Clarke sat back, waiting for the delegates input

[Alesini]

Panfilo spoke "As you know, Alesini is an agricultural power house in this area. We can provide food for your people should the heartland fall. we can also financially support you if necessary. However we can spare very few men. 1 Hundred at most. Alas our navy is nothing special so we cannot send support there either."

[Great Estheria]

"What do we know of the Red Dawn? More knowledge of the Red Dawn will allow us to possibly preempt their attacks. If we know how they plan to attack you, or any of your affiliations, then we can most certainly preempt them. Estheria is willing to spare what we can. Finances can be sent, if needed."

[Camtholia]

"Details of the Red Dawn are conflicting, what we do know is that they have been planning these events for a very long time, and that they support a communist uprising in Camtholia, they seem to be following in the examples of our local enemies, Eurania and New Aapelistan"

"As for Agricultural aid" He paused for a moment, trying to remember the name "Panfilo, we would gladly accept agricultural aid, naval aid will be impossible as it may spark a full war with our communist neighbours, a war which we cannot afford right now, many of your planes had to detour slightly simply to avoid their airspace"