[Sancti Imperii Catholico]

Captain Richards was working late on paperwork, when the sound of cards slapping the table and loud cheers filled the barracks located north of the city of Emor. Only half a mile away from the barracks, or 4 from Emor, was Gonhog, and slightly to the northeast was an inlet shared by the two nations. Divisions were being stationed as Gonhog had moved warships into the inlet.

The room quieted again for a bit, before the it erupted again. Captain Richards rolled his eyes as he got up and moved towards the room where his platoon slept.

?Hey everyone! We got heavy drilling tomorrow, so get some slee-?

BOOM. BA-BOOM. BOOM.

Shells rocked the barracks. The noise was instense, as men shouted and dove to cover while the rockets pounded nearby. They left as sons as they came.

Richards looked up from under the bed he had token covered on, then spook to his communications officer.

?Radio central command. Gonhog is at it again.?

??????????????????????????????
GONHOG


?Glorius Leader, our missiles have struck the foolish Catholics!?

The ?Glorius? Leader of Gonhog swiveled in his chair to face his advisor as he smirked.

?Thank you, Han. Call in General Lee and Gray, would you??

?Yes, Glorius Leader!?

A few moments passed when two slightly older, balding gentlemen entered the room.

?All hail Glorius Leader!? They shouted while saluting. The leader motioned with his hand to rest at ease. Then spoke:

?Now, generals, the Catholics have been pushing into our maritime borders,? he said with a wink, and continued, ?and they have been threatening our sovereignty,? he winked again to the two, ?and we are just protecting ourselves. Clear??

?Crystal,? the generals said in unison.?

The Glorius Leader turned around again, ?Good. Get your troops ready on the border. The Catholics are suprisingly weak for a nation of their size.?

?Yes, Leader.?

[Sancti Imperii Catholico]

GONHOG
The Glorious Leader of Gonhog was smoking a cigar with a glass of brandy in his hand when a knock on the door caught his attention. Swiveling around his chair, he yelled.
?Come in!?
One of his oldest and most experienced advisors walked in. The Glorious Leader smiled.
?Ah, Jacobi, how are you??
The adviser smiled, stating, ?I?m am good, Ken, although I am not here for pleasuritie.?
The Glorious Leader motioned for Jacobi to take a seat.
?Ken, we should strike now. The world is distracted with the events in Lauchenoira. I doubt any of the major military nations would intervene. We have superior manpower and firepower.?
The Glorious Leader pursed his lips, taking another puff from his cigar and a sip of brandy.
?You might be right, Jacobi. But suppose other larger nations join in? I?m sure the nations of the IDU want to be at peace, they might destroy us and everything we?ve worked for.?
?I assure you, Ken, the other nations will not bat an eye. As a theocracy, the SIC is against many of the the IDU?s values. Now, they are somewhat respected by some nations, but certainly not enough for a full on military conflict. We are one of the top militaries in the regions, especially compared to the Catholics or even larger nations like Laeral.?
The Glorious Leader raised one eyebrow over the brim of his glass as he take another sip of his drink, ?They ​are ​part of the regional government. The leaders of the region would like to lead a stable region. The larger nations would either be neutral or against us; we would have no allies to count on.?
Jacobi thought for a second, then smirked, ?Not if we don?t start the war.?
The Glorious Leader smirked with his trusted advisor, rubbing his hands while leaning back in his chair.
?I like your thinking, Jacobi. It would be a shame if a military vessel ?deliberately? sailed into Baduk Bay...?

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Libertas Omnium Maximus

Maximusian minister of defense, Paul Maclynn, is sitting at his desk. Sweat pours down his neck as he reads the brief just handed to him by his secretary. Suddenly, Maclynn looks up as another man, the president of Libertas Omnium Maximus, Lucas Brown, enters the office in a rush.

Brown: What do you propose we do Paul? We legally can't give support to the Catholics, but their ideals are far more similar to ours than Gonhog. In addition, it seems that Gonhog is the aggressor. I am at a loss.

Maclynn: The way I see it, we have two options. We can send peacekeepers to both Gonhog and SIC. That at least should keep some citizens safe. However it would be costly and we could very well loose Maximusian peacekeepers in the process. Option two is to take a stance of neutrality. This would certainly make the Catholics mad but it might be the only way to avoid loosing money and men.

Brown: I don't care about the money. That is why taxpayers were invented. You know that. I say we send peacekeepers.

Maclynn: I would strongly advise against that sir. I thought you wanted my advice?

Brown: I did. Now I know what to do.

Maclynn: Send the peacekeepers.

Brown: You are agreeing with me?

Maclynn: No, I have had another Idea. Suppose we send peacekeepers. Under the pretense of "aiding the SIC government in evacuating civilians from active war zones." But we station our people in places were they are likely to be attacked by the Gonhog army. The second one of our people dies we can call it an act of aggression and go to war.

Brown: Wait? You are suggesting that I offer our men up as bait.

Maclynn: Well... when you put it that way...

Maclynn suddenly smirks and allows himself to sink into his chair.

Maclynn: You do realize. That it would make you look good.

Brown: How exactly would allowing my soldiers to be killed make me look good.

Maclynn: Beacause, if one of our troops are killed, we will look like the good guys. The people will see you as a good guy. We could market you as the "Defender" in your upcoming election-

Brown: I was just re-elected.

Maclynn: Well... this war may take a while.

Brown: I feel terrible, but let's do it! Call in the Troops. Prepare a public statement. Get ready for war- er, rather, "peacekeeping."

Maclynn smiles menacingly as Brown leaves the office.