[Lauchenoiria]

Costeno Province Parliament, Carville, 1300 hours

"Please just let me leave, I'll go to the islands or out of the country entirely. You know what happened to Vega, please," pleaded Joshua Wright, former First Minister of Costeno Province, until Chaher and his puppet president had suspended the constitution and shut down the provincial governments.

"We're not the ones keeping you here," pointed out Nico Alfaro, the local resistance leader, "that would be Chaher's navy ships preventing anyone from leaving the mainland. You go further inland, you'll run into the Gonhogian or Coalition armies, you go to sea and you end up at the bottom of it. You're welcome to try, though, we won't stop you."

Wright groaned and sat down with his head in his hands. He was young for someone in his position, and at this moment he regretted not listening to his mother when she told him politics was a stressful and dangerous career.

"Alfaro?" a voice said, accompanied by a knock on the open door. "We have news," said the young woman, rifle slung over her shoulder. Alfaro gestured for Wright to exit and he did so, in the slow manner of a teenager asked to clean his room.

"What is it, Martí­nez?"

"We have word that Gonhogian troops are headed this way, from Annatown."

Alfaro swore loudly. He'd seen the videos from Annatown, he did not want to be in the middle of that. He glanced down at the desk in Wright's old office that he'd commandeered. Wright had left a bunch of pictures of his family on there, all of whom were living in this city. Breathe, he told himself, but he knew they couldn't hope to match Gonhog's strength.

"Sir?" asked Concha Martí­nez.

"Can we contact the Coalition? Ask for assistance? Preferably soon, and without Gonhog knowing about it."

"We can try, sir."

"Good. Get it done."

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North of Summersea, 1300 hours

The line of Lauchenoirian soldiers marched towards the city. They had come across a few cars of stray civilians parked on the road, trapped outside the city by the invasion. They had quickly sent them north, towards one of the small town. Every southern city seemed to be a battleground these days, no point in sending them to any of those. As they reached the river, they could see the Coalition troops ahead.

"All right! Listen up! You all have your orders, you all know what we have to do. We will recapture Summersea, at all costs."

"Yes, sir!"

"We will halt the so-called Coalition advance into our country here! Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now, do what needs to be done."

North of Summersea, 1420 hours

A Lauchenoirian soldier tripped over a dead body in his rush to get away. They had seemed on the verge of victory when a whole new mass of Coalition soldiers appeared, overwhelming them.

"Retreat!" came the voice again, more insistently. The soldier clambered up the riverbank, drenched. He was almost on his feet when the bullet hit him.

General Sanchez stood on top of the hill, looking out over the battle. He saw his troops dying and, not for the first time, regretted his actions in assisting Chaher. But it was too late for regrets. He would push on.

"Call the Prime Minister. Ask... ask him to send the Kerlians for backup."

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Buttercity, 1430 hours

"Yes, divert your forces south, to Summersea. My people can handle the rebels in Usera, we need the Skodenian Coalition stopped, now... yes, okay... yes, I understand... okay, thank you."

Chaher got off the phone with Joanna Greenwood. He hated talking to Joanna Greenwood. She was liable to take offence at every little thing, and it was exhausting. He lay his head down on his desk and groaned. He couldn't remember the last time he slept. He closed his eyes...

He jolted awake as Charissa Clarke yelled his name.

"What?" he moaned.

"The Kerlians are almost in position. Sanchez is asking if they can go ahead."

"Yes, yes," he wiped his eyes. "Tell Sanchez he's authorised to use the new weapons we have... acquired."

"Yes, sir," she said then turned to leave. He stopped her.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Three hours, sir."

He groaned once more.

---------------------------

Usera, 1700 hours

"Well, you will be pleased to know that we are no longer in the middle of a battle," grinned Oliver at Leonie.

"And how's that?"

"We won!"

Leonie looked at him oddly. "Seriously? A bunch of students with little guns against an army?"

"Is it so hard to believe? You're so cynical for one so young."

"'One so young'... you're only three years older than me. Seriously, how did we win?"

"There was barely any Lauchenoirian army here in the first place, and they were only holding on because of the Kerlian troops heading here. We all thought we were dead the minute they arrived, but then they vanished. Turned away, went somewhere else. And, well, the army didn't hold out for long after that."

"Kerlian troops? What Kerlian troops?"

"Didn't I tell you about those?"

"No," Leonie growled accusingly.

"Didn't want to worry you..."

She groaned, exasperated.

"Hey, all's well that ends well..."

"You are a walking cheesy movie, Oliver," she shook her head, trying to hide her grin, "besides, it's not over yet."

Their eyes met and they both fell silent. Usera was under Resistance control. For now. But with all these foreign militaries involved, things definitely weren't over yet. Leonie was recovering from her wound, Oliver was tasked with watching over the injured, unable to fight himself due to his health. For the moment, they were safe... relatively. But they both knew that likely wouldn't last.

Fleurian Forest, East of Lorentonia, 2200

Laura Moore hummed to herself as they sat in the forest clearing. She was trying to distract herself from the thoughts of the animals roaming around in the trees at night. It wasn't her favourite place to be camped out, but it wasn't very accessible to Chaher's troops, so she supposed that was worth it.

"Laura?" a voice said tentatively. She jumped and looked around. In the pale moonlight, Rowan Martin was just visible.

"Rowan," she said, taking a carefully neutral tone. She'd been expecting him, their rendezvous all prepared, but she still wasn't ready to forgive him for siding with Chaher at the start.

"Oh thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried... Laura, I've made so many terrible mistakes! I beg of you, forgive me," he knelt down beside her, "I was so foolish, I really, truly, believed I was doing what was best for this country! I love Lauchenoiria, I only wanted... I... and now there's this war, and foreign armies, and people are dying. Oh, Laura, I wish so dearly I could make it right! Chaher, he's... there's something dark in him."

Laura was quite taken aback by his outburst. Before she could reply, he continued.

"I thought that what I was doing was protecting this country. He made such a persuasive case that you were a foreign spy. I know now that's nonsense. Chaher... he will say anything to get power. I..."

A gunshot rang out and Katya leaped across the clearing to get in front of Laura. Rowan crumpled to the ground and a second shot was heard. Katya fell to the ground in front of Laura, a hole through her heart. Before she knew what she was doing, Laura took out the gun she'd been given and fired it repeatedly in the direction from where the shots had come. She heard a thump, and turned the flashlight in that direction.

A man in nondescript clothing lay dead on the ground. Laura rushed over and rifled through his pockets. Nothing. One of Chaher's spies, she supposed. She turned back to where Katya and Rowan lay. Peter was crouched beside them. He turned to Laura, and shook his head.

She looked at the three dead bodies in turn, then at the gun in her hand, and tried to feel something. She exhaled. She wasn't quite sure who she was any more.