05-12-2018, 09:22 PM
President Leanna Walker scowled as she put down the phone.
"Half the ambassadors aren't taking my call, and a good fraction of those who do just give excuses. At least the ambassador for Laeral was helpful," she said, pouring herself another cup of coffee.
President Walker was part relieved and part angered by the fact she was out of the country at the time of the coup. Of course, that is probably why Chaher chose that time to do it. She now sat in her hotel room, trying to make the international community pay attention.
"You know, you'll have to take Chaher's call eventually," cautioned her Chief of Staff, Daniel Garza.
She had been ignoring Suleman Chaher's attempts to call her since the event. She knew he would ask her to appoint him as the new Prime Minister, which left her with two options.
Legitimise his coup, thus bringing an end to all she had worked for and damaging Lauchenoirian democracy for years to come.
Or start a civil war.
"He has the support of a good portion of the military. Nobody knows what the outcome would be if it came to a conflict. Thousands could die," Walker said, finishing her coffee.
"Nobody wants an armed conflict, but I would urge against supporting his coup. In the long run, it could be so much worse. Also," he added, grabbing the jug of coffee before she could pour another, "that is your third coffee in half an hour. If I drank that much coffee I'd be sick."
Walker hadn't even realised how much she'd been drinking. She took a deep breath and ran her hand through her hair, suddenly aware she was shaking.
"I know." She paused for several seconds, then picked up the phone. "I know. Okay, get me Chaher..."
She trailed off as the words "Breaking News" filled the TV screen in the corner.
"We are coming to you live from the Lauchenoirian island of Aeluria, where..."
---------------------
"Then find her!" Chaher yelled, hanging up the phone and handing it to his aide, who promptly left. He turned to former foreign secretary Josephine Alvarez.
"I wanted Moore in custody, not on the run. But some incompetent fool decided to start shooting people, and now things have fallen to pieces."
"Exactly what did you expect, when overthrowing the government?" Alvarez replied. She was handcuffed to the table, having been arrested after refusing to leave her office.
"I didn't overthrow the government, Josephine. I held a legitimate vote of no confidence in a Prime Minister who was working against the country for a foreign power," he explained in a patronising tone.
Alvarez laughed. "Still with this foreign power nonsense! Honey, nobody believes that. Only reason you have any support at all is cause it benefits them, somehow. You don't even believe it yourself, and everyone knows it."
Chaher leaned across the table and spoke quietly but firmly.
"You are going to tell me where Laura Moore is. And then you are going to make a statement to the press telling the world you support my government. And then you're going to retire somewhere nice, with all your capitalist money, and I will never have to see you again."
Alvarez leaned forward until they were almost touching.
"No," she said, then leaned back.
Chaher took his hands off the table and walked over to the door.
"The alternative is you'll be convicted for treason and spend the rest of your life in prison. Your choice," he said, turning back to face her. She opened her mouth to respond, when the door opened and one of Chaher's staff handed him a tablet showing the live news.
"Noguera's making her statement, sir," said the staff member, a young man whose name Chaher could not recall.
"WHAT!?" yelled Chaher, storming out the room closely followed by the young man, who shut the door on Josephine Alvarez behind them. "This is much too soon! Why didn't she call me first?"
"I don't know, sir."
They both turned to the tablet, where First Minister Keitha Noguera of Aeluria was about to start her statement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, for too long the people of Aeluria have suffered under colonial oppression, and have suffered due to the whims of those in the Lauchenoirian government. With the recent change of government on the mainland, we now have an opportunity to fix all this.
That is why, on this day, the Island of Aeluria is declaring independence from the Federation of Lauchenoiria."
"Half the ambassadors aren't taking my call, and a good fraction of those who do just give excuses. At least the ambassador for Laeral was helpful," she said, pouring herself another cup of coffee.
President Walker was part relieved and part angered by the fact she was out of the country at the time of the coup. Of course, that is probably why Chaher chose that time to do it. She now sat in her hotel room, trying to make the international community pay attention.
"You know, you'll have to take Chaher's call eventually," cautioned her Chief of Staff, Daniel Garza.
She had been ignoring Suleman Chaher's attempts to call her since the event. She knew he would ask her to appoint him as the new Prime Minister, which left her with two options.
Legitimise his coup, thus bringing an end to all she had worked for and damaging Lauchenoirian democracy for years to come.
Or start a civil war.
"He has the support of a good portion of the military. Nobody knows what the outcome would be if it came to a conflict. Thousands could die," Walker said, finishing her coffee.
"Nobody wants an armed conflict, but I would urge against supporting his coup. In the long run, it could be so much worse. Also," he added, grabbing the jug of coffee before she could pour another, "that is your third coffee in half an hour. If I drank that much coffee I'd be sick."
Walker hadn't even realised how much she'd been drinking. She took a deep breath and ran her hand through her hair, suddenly aware she was shaking.
"I know." She paused for several seconds, then picked up the phone. "I know. Okay, get me Chaher..."
She trailed off as the words "Breaking News" filled the TV screen in the corner.
"We are coming to you live from the Lauchenoirian island of Aeluria, where..."
---------------------
"Then find her!" Chaher yelled, hanging up the phone and handing it to his aide, who promptly left. He turned to former foreign secretary Josephine Alvarez.
"I wanted Moore in custody, not on the run. But some incompetent fool decided to start shooting people, and now things have fallen to pieces."
"Exactly what did you expect, when overthrowing the government?" Alvarez replied. She was handcuffed to the table, having been arrested after refusing to leave her office.
"I didn't overthrow the government, Josephine. I held a legitimate vote of no confidence in a Prime Minister who was working against the country for a foreign power," he explained in a patronising tone.
Alvarez laughed. "Still with this foreign power nonsense! Honey, nobody believes that. Only reason you have any support at all is cause it benefits them, somehow. You don't even believe it yourself, and everyone knows it."
Chaher leaned across the table and spoke quietly but firmly.
"You are going to tell me where Laura Moore is. And then you are going to make a statement to the press telling the world you support my government. And then you're going to retire somewhere nice, with all your capitalist money, and I will never have to see you again."
Alvarez leaned forward until they were almost touching.
"No," she said, then leaned back.
Chaher took his hands off the table and walked over to the door.
"The alternative is you'll be convicted for treason and spend the rest of your life in prison. Your choice," he said, turning back to face her. She opened her mouth to respond, when the door opened and one of Chaher's staff handed him a tablet showing the live news.
"Noguera's making her statement, sir," said the staff member, a young man whose name Chaher could not recall.
"WHAT!?" yelled Chaher, storming out the room closely followed by the young man, who shut the door on Josephine Alvarez behind them. "This is much too soon! Why didn't she call me first?"
"I don't know, sir."
They both turned to the tablet, where First Minister Keitha Noguera of Aeluria was about to start her statement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, for too long the people of Aeluria have suffered under colonial oppression, and have suffered due to the whims of those in the Lauchenoirian government. With the recent change of government on the mainland, we now have an opportunity to fix all this.
That is why, on this day, the Island of Aeluria is declaring independence from the Federation of Lauchenoiria."
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax