07-29-2018, 10:03 PM
Mirrel House
Kiwi Bird City
Conternia
16:30
Etan Bloomberg approached the podium at the end of Mirrel House's driveway and waited a moment before he addressed the gathered reporters.
"Good afternoon, good people of the press. As I'm sure you are all aware, at 2:23pm today Suleman Chaher passed away at Buttercity General Hospital, due to complications from surgery to treat injuries sustained in Leanna Walker's assassination attempt. Unlike our predecessors, my government have not been afraid to make no secret of our opposition to Chaher's government and our support of the coalition forces. I hope that during my short time in office so far I have made clear my commitment to overthrowing his illegitimate government. With that said, I have called this press conference to make it clear that Chaher's death does not mark any kind of victory or end in the conflict in Lauchenoiria. His allies retain control of the country, and Conternia stands firm against them. We will not be repeating our country's past mistakes of complacency and cowardice."
The new Prime Minister of Conternia paused briefly and glanced around, looking to a man and woman sitting among the thronged staffers behind him. The woman nodded, then he began speaking again.
*
Four days earlier
Kevlar-clad figures advancing through the fog of tear gas
Gunshots flying through the air, two bullets hitting Swanberg's chest as he fell to the ground
Two more sending one of the men in masks and black vests collapsing
Windows smashing
Her body hitting the ground, Larsson holding her down
Shouting
"Run!" then getting up
Hardyng's body motionless a few feet to her left before she got up
These were the images that kept flashing in front of Erin Blunt's eyes as a whirring sound outside woke her up.
The room slowly filled her vision, a narrow, plastic-floored chamber lit by a bare bulb on the ceiling. There were a few empty chairs a few feet away from the one she was in. She moved her arms and quickly felt that they were bound. There was a creaking sound, then, and Blunt scanned the room, searching for its source. Her eyes rushing across the room, she became aware of three figures standing on the opposite side from her, before her vision settled on a door on the left side of the room opening, three more figures coming in. As Blunt's eyes fully adjusted, she could see a plane landed outside: the source of the whirring noise. Wondering if they'd noticed she was awake, Blunt closed her eyes and listened to the conversation on the other side of the room.
"Director, we weren't expecting you"
That was Guzman's voice.
"Just making sure this all goes to plan. There weren't meant to be any survivors"
That was Barrow, unmistakably. She was in on this, then.
'Well, now I'm screwed', Blunt thought to herself. Apparently, that hadn't just been a thought, as the gathered six figures on the room's other side all turned to look at her.
Barrow was first to speak.
"Agent Blunt", she said, beginning to advance toward the captive woman. "I'd like to thank you, for your service. You've done a lot for Conternia over the years, but this may be the greatest contribution you make."
Blunt laughed bitterly then spat on the floor. "'Thank you for your service', God, you have some nerve. You wanna tell me what the Hell's going on here? Why you sold us out?"
Barrow began, "I'm sure you're very confused right now"
Blunt cut her off, her fear overpowered by her fury
"I watched the people I was working with get gunned down, cut the crap and telling me whatever it is you're doing. Are you with Chaher, is that it? Did he pay you? Threaten you? What do you have to do to get the director of the Conternian Intelligence Service to sell out their country?" The contempt was palpable in Blunt's voice; she was almost taunting the director, and everyone else in the room.
Barrow rolled her eyes.
"Chaher is", she paused, searching for the right word, "incidental. Lauchenoiria itself is incidental. Operation Counterpoint is about Conternia, and about its future."
"The hell's Operation Counterpoint?".
"We're a group of people in the Conternian government and intelligence services who want to see Conternia achieve its true potential. Our country is a great one - you certainly know that - a beacon of progress and innovation. A place where intelligence and rationality are properly valued."
Blunt let out something between a cough and a grim laugh.
"I hear Griffiths' campaign speeches too. You can save the spiel."
Barrow laughed lightly.
"Ahh yes, Griffiths. The problem this operation is meant to solve. A believer in our country's ideals, yes, but a naive man, still living in the past. He doesn't understand what standing for those ideals means in the modern world. He believed in a Conternia that sat in it's own little corner and let the world tear itself apart out of some self-righteous sense of nobility. Where as we knew that Conternia had a responsibility to share its gifts with the world. To bring all countries up to our level. We knew the realities of the twenty-first century, and he was still living like he expected to spend his evenings having spirited arguments with Rousseau." Barrow shook her head a little, then continued. "So, as soon as he was elected, I set about bringing together like-minded people to bring him and his government down. The plan was simple: get him to agree to a dirty op: something underhanded, bloody. Hide enough from him that he wouldn't object but tell him enough that he can't deny knowing it was shady. Then, once it's happened, once the world is watching in horror, we sabotage it, expose it. When the press asks, Griffiths can't deny knowing. Then, suddenly, his whole peace-and-love Enlightenment act falls apart - that's the thing about people who hold themselves to higher standards; it's so very easy to make them fall. We just needed to wait for a crisis then, lo and behold, Lauchenoiria falls apart. Stein almost blew it when she convinced him to agree to military action, but luckily the Parliament recognising Chaher's government put paid to that. Now, the world is watching Melissa City fall into chaos, documents exposing you and your teammates as in the employ of the Service have been...anonymously leaked, and all we have to do it wait"
"So that's what this is", Blunt said in disgust. "A coup. Another one."
"Call it what you like, I've ordered worse. Anyway, you can't stop it. We've got a candidate in Griffiths' party ready to succeed him, and enough party members in our pocket to guarantee they'll get in. After that, Lauchenoiria is just the beginning: we're going to take Conternia's greatness global."
"So begins the age of Conternian imperialism", Blunt growled. She wasn't naive - between Interpol and wet-work for Conternia, she'd seen some shady stuff. But this was something else. She looked around the room, staring every person there in the eye. "You won't get away with this, you know that".
Barrow grimaced.
"A nice sentiment, but I really don't see that happening. You're the only one who could expose us" - Blunt then noticed the hands of the others in the room going to their guns. Barrow nodded to them. Blunt tensed. "And I came here to make sure you don't leave this room."
Kiwi Bird City
Conternia
16:30
Etan Bloomberg approached the podium at the end of Mirrel House's driveway and waited a moment before he addressed the gathered reporters.
"Good afternoon, good people of the press. As I'm sure you are all aware, at 2:23pm today Suleman Chaher passed away at Buttercity General Hospital, due to complications from surgery to treat injuries sustained in Leanna Walker's assassination attempt. Unlike our predecessors, my government have not been afraid to make no secret of our opposition to Chaher's government and our support of the coalition forces. I hope that during my short time in office so far I have made clear my commitment to overthrowing his illegitimate government. With that said, I have called this press conference to make it clear that Chaher's death does not mark any kind of victory or end in the conflict in Lauchenoiria. His allies retain control of the country, and Conternia stands firm against them. We will not be repeating our country's past mistakes of complacency and cowardice."
The new Prime Minister of Conternia paused briefly and glanced around, looking to a man and woman sitting among the thronged staffers behind him. The woman nodded, then he began speaking again.
*
Four days earlier
Kevlar-clad figures advancing through the fog of tear gas
Gunshots flying through the air, two bullets hitting Swanberg's chest as he fell to the ground
Two more sending one of the men in masks and black vests collapsing
Windows smashing
Her body hitting the ground, Larsson holding her down
Shouting
"Run!" then getting up
Hardyng's body motionless a few feet to her left before she got up
These were the images that kept flashing in front of Erin Blunt's eyes as a whirring sound outside woke her up.
The room slowly filled her vision, a narrow, plastic-floored chamber lit by a bare bulb on the ceiling. There were a few empty chairs a few feet away from the one she was in. She moved her arms and quickly felt that they were bound. There was a creaking sound, then, and Blunt scanned the room, searching for its source. Her eyes rushing across the room, she became aware of three figures standing on the opposite side from her, before her vision settled on a door on the left side of the room opening, three more figures coming in. As Blunt's eyes fully adjusted, she could see a plane landed outside: the source of the whirring noise. Wondering if they'd noticed she was awake, Blunt closed her eyes and listened to the conversation on the other side of the room.
"Director, we weren't expecting you"
That was Guzman's voice.
"Just making sure this all goes to plan. There weren't meant to be any survivors"
That was Barrow, unmistakably. She was in on this, then.
'Well, now I'm screwed', Blunt thought to herself. Apparently, that hadn't just been a thought, as the gathered six figures on the room's other side all turned to look at her.
Barrow was first to speak.
"Agent Blunt", she said, beginning to advance toward the captive woman. "I'd like to thank you, for your service. You've done a lot for Conternia over the years, but this may be the greatest contribution you make."
Blunt laughed bitterly then spat on the floor. "'Thank you for your service', God, you have some nerve. You wanna tell me what the Hell's going on here? Why you sold us out?"
Barrow began, "I'm sure you're very confused right now"
Blunt cut her off, her fear overpowered by her fury
"I watched the people I was working with get gunned down, cut the crap and telling me whatever it is you're doing. Are you with Chaher, is that it? Did he pay you? Threaten you? What do you have to do to get the director of the Conternian Intelligence Service to sell out their country?" The contempt was palpable in Blunt's voice; she was almost taunting the director, and everyone else in the room.
Barrow rolled her eyes.
"Chaher is", she paused, searching for the right word, "incidental. Lauchenoiria itself is incidental. Operation Counterpoint is about Conternia, and about its future."
"The hell's Operation Counterpoint?".
"We're a group of people in the Conternian government and intelligence services who want to see Conternia achieve its true potential. Our country is a great one - you certainly know that - a beacon of progress and innovation. A place where intelligence and rationality are properly valued."
Blunt let out something between a cough and a grim laugh.
"I hear Griffiths' campaign speeches too. You can save the spiel."
Barrow laughed lightly.
"Ahh yes, Griffiths. The problem this operation is meant to solve. A believer in our country's ideals, yes, but a naive man, still living in the past. He doesn't understand what standing for those ideals means in the modern world. He believed in a Conternia that sat in it's own little corner and let the world tear itself apart out of some self-righteous sense of nobility. Where as we knew that Conternia had a responsibility to share its gifts with the world. To bring all countries up to our level. We knew the realities of the twenty-first century, and he was still living like he expected to spend his evenings having spirited arguments with Rousseau." Barrow shook her head a little, then continued. "So, as soon as he was elected, I set about bringing together like-minded people to bring him and his government down. The plan was simple: get him to agree to a dirty op: something underhanded, bloody. Hide enough from him that he wouldn't object but tell him enough that he can't deny knowing it was shady. Then, once it's happened, once the world is watching in horror, we sabotage it, expose it. When the press asks, Griffiths can't deny knowing. Then, suddenly, his whole peace-and-love Enlightenment act falls apart - that's the thing about people who hold themselves to higher standards; it's so very easy to make them fall. We just needed to wait for a crisis then, lo and behold, Lauchenoiria falls apart. Stein almost blew it when she convinced him to agree to military action, but luckily the Parliament recognising Chaher's government put paid to that. Now, the world is watching Melissa City fall into chaos, documents exposing you and your teammates as in the employ of the Service have been...anonymously leaked, and all we have to do it wait"
"So that's what this is", Blunt said in disgust. "A coup. Another one."
"Call it what you like, I've ordered worse. Anyway, you can't stop it. We've got a candidate in Griffiths' party ready to succeed him, and enough party members in our pocket to guarantee they'll get in. After that, Lauchenoiria is just the beginning: we're going to take Conternia's greatness global."
"So begins the age of Conternian imperialism", Blunt growled. She wasn't naive - between Interpol and wet-work for Conternia, she'd seen some shady stuff. But this was something else. She looked around the room, staring every person there in the eye. "You won't get away with this, you know that".
Barrow grimaced.
"A nice sentiment, but I really don't see that happening. You're the only one who could expose us" - Blunt then noticed the hands of the others in the room going to their guns. Barrow nodded to them. Blunt tensed. "And I came here to make sure you don't leave this room."
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