09-02-2018, 09:00 PM
Day 2
11:00
After months of being on the run and sleeping in all sorts of places, always with the fear of capture or death, Laura Moore had slept like a baby in her bed in Sanctaria. She felt well rested and ready to begin.
"The background to this conflict can be traced back as far as our first civil war," Moore began, skipping the pleasantries. "More commonly referred to as the Lauchenoirian Communist Revolution. On the 12th July 1952, Communist forces led by Mateo Villanueva stormed the Parliament and seized power. Prime Minister Thomas Horsburgh was imprisoned, and President Lucas Boag was given an ultimatum to resign or be killed.
I believe you will see echoes of the events of 1952 in the beginnings of the present conflict. Following on from the conflict, in which Villanueva was victorious, a Communist regime began in Lauchenoiria. Over time, the power of the authoritarian faction diminished, partly due to economic factors, and partly because Villanueva never expanded his inner circle beyond his generation.
In 1993, capitalist political parties were legalised once more, and in 2014 my party, the Liberal Party, won our first victory. We were elected upon the platform of ending the communist economic system, and as such planned and held a referendum on transitioning to capitalism in 2017, in which 62.3% voted in favour. We began the transition plan that we had proposed before the referendum.
And then, in May 2018, Suleman Chaher defected to the Communist Party and held a vote of no confidence in my government, the circumstances of which were of dubious legality. President Leanna Walker, may she rest in peace, refused to recognise his government. And thus began the events that have brought us here today."
Laura Moore paused to take a drink of a glass of water. Charissa Clarke across the table looked at her, feigning boredom. Or perhaps it was genuine, Clarke had never been much of a diplomat, from what Moore recalled of her from the pre-war Parliament. She continued.
"In Lauchenoiria, the Prime Minister is usually the leader of the largest party in Parliament. However, Parliament is required to vote on an appointment before it becomes official "“ except in cases of emergency, which is the loophole Clarke exploited following Chaher's death. This is why there is at least ten days between an election and the final appointment.
On the 10th September 2014, I became Prime Minister. Suleman Chaher was part of my original Cabinet. He was well-educated, he had been a real asset in our election campaign, and though he had doubts about our economic policy, his other views were well aligned with my own. Some of the other members of my Cabinet had their doubts about the appointment, views that in hindsight, seem quite clearly well founded.
Suleman Chaher had been in several political parties throughout his career. The defunct Socialist Reform Party, the Left Alliance during one of its many periods of existence, my own Liberal Party, and then at the end of his life, the Communist Party. Josephine Alvarez, who I will bring up later," Moore paused, eyeing the Kerlian delegation, "warned me that this was a sign of something."
Moore paused again as Councillor Patel whispered something in Lucia Casci's ear.
"As I was saying, some members of my cabinet did not trust Suleman Chaher. Perhaps I was naí¯ve, certainly in hindsight his appointment was a mistake. But he did his job, even during the capitalism referendum, which his Communist allies later seemed all too keen to gloss over.
The first sign of trouble with Chaher was during the Melissa City riots in March, when I accepted assistance from Skoden after terrorists took hostages. Chaher displayed clear anti-Skodenian attitudes, and argued with me on several occasions about the events. I was urged by several members of my Cabinet to replace Chaher. I did not."
As Moore went on, she realised quite how many chances she'd had to stop this. It made a knot form in her stomach.
15:00
Laura Moore had perhaps eaten too much food during lunch. As prepared as she'd felt at the beginning of the day, her confidence had faded slightly. She stood.
"Due to the structure of the Resistance, there will be things neither I nor my companions here have any knowledge of. In particular, some of the activities carried out by Sonja Viratnen-Alvarez, now known as Jennifer Hale, in Usera are unknown to us due to the lack of free survivors of the Kerlian taking of that city.
However, we will try and provide you with as much information as possible, though of course much is classified. I will now make way for Victoria Juárez, First Minister of Ulinaria Province, to provide information about her operations in that area."
Moore sat down, and Juárez next to her stood.
"Following Suleman Chaher's suspension of devolution, I met with my cabinet in Elopolis, in secret. I will not provide details of attendance or the voting record, but it was agreed in that meeting that we would not support Chaher's government. We contacted local Resistance cells, and began to coordinate attacks on Chaher's forces throughout the province."
Juárez continued to outline to the room the guerrilla campaign that had taken place in Ulinaria, which had culminated on a full assault on Elopolis on the 20th July. She mentioned how, after the Coalition took back Carville from Gonhog, that they had met up with Coalition forces within the province.
"We have a number of prisoners of war, and I would like to assure all those present today that they have been treated with respect, in accordance with General Assembly Resolution # 18. I hope Clarke's so-called government will give us the same assurance."
Juárez sat down, and Moore rose once more. She really, really regretted eating so much at lunch.
"I now call upon Marie-Claire Beringer from the Laeralian delegation to give a statement about Laeral's participation in the war."
Moore sat back down, gesturing to Marie-Claire to begin.
"Laeral," Marie-Claire Beringer said, "did not enter this Lauchenoirian war lightly. Our constitution requires approval for military action from our legislature, either by a simple majority of both of its houses or through a two-thirds majority in our Assembly of Commons. Our legislature has an extraordinary array of parties represented at present; the political scientists tell us that the Assembly of Commons has the same amount of fragmentation as if it had 5.79 separate parties of equal size. The debate lasted for over ten hours, with 40 representatives speaking out for and against the declaration of war. And yet, despite this great diversity of opinion represented, the resolution to enter the war passed with a two-thirds majority. Why did so many of our government's legislators come out in favor of this resolution? Because of what the Laeralian people had seen and heard from Lauchenoiria. Laeralian citizens, rounded up and arrested for no other crime than their nationality. The junta could have done no more to provoke the anger of the Laeralian public at the mistreatment of our citizens had they tried to start a war with our nation. A proud fellow democracy, subverted and undermined by a violent coup. And of course Laeralian diplomat, Li Jingyi, shot by the junta's police in clear violation of her privileges as a diplomat."*
Marie-Claire continued, bringing up the public support for the war and the actions Laeral had taken as a Coalition member, mentioning Laeral's attempts to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage. It was a summary of Laeralian military actions of the last two months, delivered clearly and in precise terms. When she had finished, she smiled at the assembled delegates, including the junta's representatives across the table, and sat down, deferring to Laura Moore.*
"Nico Alfaro will now briefly describe the activities of the Carville Resistance at the beginning of the war, particularly discussing how Resistance and Coalition forces began working together in the city."
Nico Alfaro stood, gazing somewhat nervously around the room. He was most certainly not a career diplomat, in fact this was his first time in such a situation, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
"Um... we... um..." he looked at Moore. She nodded. "At the beginning of the war, we remained in contact with Daniel Garza, Leanna Walker's former chief of staff who accompanied her to Laeral. It was through Garza that we initially contacted the Coalition forces. He reached out to us, in fact, on behalf of Walker. Um..."
Alfaro continued, at no point becoming less nervous, until his discussion of the early days of the Resistance, and Leanna Walker's coordination of the alliance. The way he spoke made it sound as if Leanna Walker single-handedly recruited allies. This was pretty much the truth, Moore reflected. Listening to all this made Moore wonder how Chaher hadn't destroyed them all in the first month.
"Thank you, Nico," Moore interrupted eventually as Alfaro ended up on a cycle of repeating himself, too nervous to stop. "I will now myself address the question of our "˜propaganda machine' as you call it."
She went to take a sip of her water and discovered the glass was empty. She refilled it and took a large gulp before she began properly.
"I believe most people in the room will have seen the footage from Breakfast in Buttercity where the TV studio was stormed and taken over by Chaher's so-called government. This was the first move on the Junta's part to take control of the media in Lauchenoiria. His government then proceeded to block most social media sites, which left us at a severe disadvantage when it came to disseminating information.
I don't believe that many here will argue with me when I say that social media has become exceptionally popular in these times. I will admit that we provided a... bypass around these restrictions to individuals who then became more likely to support our cause. Not until this month of August did we have access to much traditional media.
Those media stations situated in Ulinaria and Costeno provinces, the ones that had been shut down by Chaher, were re-started. They were encouraged, but not explicitly required, to take a more favourable stance towards us. And then of course, there were several individuals disseminating news in our favour without specific prompting from us, the most notable being Alex Marwick."
Moore continued to discuss the various ways the Resistance had spread propaganda, her euphemisms for the term becoming ever weirder. She then turned to the question of supplies.
"Most of our weapons supplies came from those factions within the Lauchenoirian Army who chose not to support Chaher's regime. Some were also gathered from provincial and local police forces who resisted being placed under federal control. Some were also gathered from more... illicit sources, the details of which I do not wish to publicly disclose."
Moore continued to talk about the various supplies the Resistance had gathered, until the clock showed 16:57. Only then did she finally sit down.
17:00
Laura Moore sat opposite Smyth. She clutched a pile of papers with various pieces of information that she had been given by the various Resistance factions.
"The first time I killed someone," Moore began, "it was the person who shot Rowan Martin. He was trying to defect to the Resistance, only one of Chaher's spies had followed him and shot him. And Katya, my former bodyguard. So, I raised a gun and killed him. Everything I'm about to tell you is probably more horrific than that story, but for me, that's the one thing I can't get out of my mind."
Laura Moore reached forward and bit into a biscuit. She seemed to chew and swallow almost instantaneously.
"The Resistance was supplied with weapons by various gangs, among the sources listed already. There was also a supply from a source unknown to any of us, delivered through intermediaries. Ji-Hun Chung, I doubt you've heard of him. His gang provided weapons to the Resistance. Not something I approve of, but desperate times.
There is also... the actions of Leanna Walker. The Junta's been broadcasting that she confessed to being behind the assassination attempt on Noguera. Our side has been claiming the confession was coerced. Which is probably true, but it doesn't mean it wasn't real. Walker did hire an assassin to stage an attempt on Noguera's life. The attack's failure was deliberate. She intended to frame Chaher so the AIP would support her in the impeachment vote. It backfired."
Moore finished the cookie and said a silent prayer for Walker. She had been an atheist before the war began. She was no longer. Not since the miracle of her family all being alive, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. She continued.
"Olivia Quirós. Where do I begin with this one? It's one of the last pieces of news we got out of Usera. She was one of the reporters on the Breakfast in Buttercity broadcast. Imprisoned in Ginsap with Josephine Alvarez. Turned by the Junta while there. The Usera Resistance discovered she was working as a spy for Clarke... or was it still Chaher then? Anyway, I believe they may have been marginally too forceful in their interrogation. Still, don't know what happened to her after Kerlile took the city.
Then there's two things that are ongoing. Yousef Chaher, Suleman's son, sent his former flatmate in Carville a sample of his father's blood, a sample that showed beyond doubt that his father was poisoned, and did not in fact die due to surgery complications. Here is a copy of the report that we have on the matter."
Moore placed a set of papers on the table, held together by a paperclip.
"And then there's the USB. We were handed a USB by a woman called Jae Chung, who had acquired it shortly before the fall of Annatown from Yasin Zaunq, the leader of the Resistance there, now deceased. We have yet to decrypt the contents, however we have an assurance the contents could "˜end the war'. I wouldn't put much stock in that though."
Moore continued to spill, half on trust and half on the exhaustion of the last four months. She just wanted it to be over now, for better or for worse.
19:00
"Three red-line issues. Very well. First, however, the Conternian delegation has asked to speak. I would like to state, however, that I, and those I represent, do not necessarily share all of the same opinions on the situation as our Conternian counterparts."
Moore sat down. She had been in two minds about allowing the Conternian delegation to speak, but at the end of the day, whatever they had to say was likely going to damage her cause less than infighting within her faction would.
Etan Bloomberg surveyed the room with a trepidation he tried not to let show on his face. He was aware from the moment that Operation Counterpart began that as Prime Minister he'd have to deal with the mess left in Lauchenoiria, but standing there, looking out at this Mexican stand-off of factions - and make no mistake, despite the absence of cowboy hats and firearms, that was what it was - he felt a keen awareness of the gravity of the task he was undertaking. He had to serve two agendas, publicly playing the remorseful pacifist, the idealist who desperately wanted peace but regretfully believed that a continued Conternian military presence in Lauchenoiria was necessary to nudge along the peace process, while covertly trying to ensure that Conternia controlled everything that happened in Lauchenoiria from now on - and if he should fail to up-hold either of these goals in any way, they were both for nothing. Conternia had to walk out of these talks respected for their moral stance and their military might, and on the way to building an empire, and whether or not that happened was all down to the words he spoke. Making sure his eyes didn't linger on any one delegate or group thereof for too long - so as not to appear confrontational - he began.**
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. As this second day draws toward it's close, I want to refer back to some very powerful words spoken by Ms Noguera yesterday: 'We are still caught up in our past, and repeating our past mistakes'. For me, those words cut right to the core of this awful conflict: Lauchenoiria is a country with a fraught and violent history, still trying to reconcile its nature. This war was the inevitable end result of a struggle that has been raging in Lauchenoiria for decades: between Villaneuva and all his successors, between tradition and progress, and, frankly, between autocracy and liberty. I want to see peace in Lauchenoiria - a great country, and a friend of Conternia - but I cannot in all good conscience say that putting an end to this war will be enough to secure Lauchenoiria's future, unless we address the underlying issues at play. As such, I propose that Conternia be allowed to maintain a military presence in Lauchenoiria in order to suppress any potential resumption of hostilities or attempts at retaliatory violence, and ensure that the rebuilding of Lauchenoiria goes smoothly. We believe that Melissa Province, Summersea, and Carville would be ideal locations for military bases - on a temporary basis, of course - that would allow us to oversee Lauchenoiria's recovery, although we would also request that our troops be allowed to cooperate in the running of Lauchenoirian military bases that have been left..." - he paused, trying to find the most tasteful words - "understaffed, by the war. Do not consider this to be punishment, but protection, to safeguard Lauchenoiria against its deep-seated internal divisions, and to let the country at long last move forward and achieve its true potential. And it is not just in a military capacity we request to be involved - Conternia would also offer its assistance in reconstructing the considerable infrastructure damaged in the conflict. However our aid in this area is contingent upon your allowing our military presence, and we would request that you allow our people to carry out their rebuilding efforts according to their own methods, without interference or oversight. I cannot say that this is my ideal proposal for Lauchenoiria's immediate future, but it is the one we have, and we truly believe it is the best for the country under these trying circumstances." Bloomberg remained standing in silence for a moment, to let the assembled delegations know he was finished and let the finality of his proposal sink in, before he sat back down.**
Laura Moore stood back up, tight lipped. She had known the Conternians were going to advocate for a continued military presence, but if she'd known that was all they would say, she would never have permitted them to speak.
"As I said, I do not agree with my Conternian counterpart on everything," Moore said. Or anything, really, Moore thought.
"Our utmost priority has to be fresh elections. In order to move forward, we must resolve the question of who is the legitimate government of Lauchenoiria. Given the dubious legality of the vote of no confidence, I believe the only way we can move forward is with fair, free, democratic elections. Their fairness will need to be monitored, and all parties would need to agree to abide by the results."
Laura Moore continued, discussing the system of Lauchenoirian elections and mentioning that elections to the federal parliament were in fact due to take place the previous week. She made the case for holding them, proposing they were held in mid-October, soon enough that the country could move on, but far enough away that a proper campaign could be held.
"Our second priority is the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of war. We are aware that the Junta has had a policy of allowing the Kerlian forces to take prisoners instead of them. Not being a member of the World Assembly, Kerlile is subject to much less restrictions over how they can treat their prisoners.
Our information suggests large amounts of Lauchenoirian POWs have been taken to Kerlile. We insist upon the return of these individuals, and also the release of the political prisoners who have been in various prisons around Lauchenoiria since Chaher's initial coup, including various Members of Parliament and journalists."
Moore spent a long time discussing the various rumours about the treatment of POWs, addressing the Kerlian delegation for much of the speech. She looked Councillor Anita Patel dead in the eye as she finished.
"The return of prisoners of war must include high-profile individuals such as Josephine Alvarez who was captured in Usera. We have a list of individuals we suspect are being held in Kerlile. We request that all of them are returned."
Councillor Patel smirked slightly, which made Moore falter slightly. Patel looked like she knew something Moore didn't. Moore shook her head and continued.
"Our third priority would be what I discussed briefly yesterday. A new constitution. Currently, before Kieran MacKenzie's suspension of the constitution anyway, Lauchenoiria still operates under the 1959 constitution, drafted originally by Villanueva's regime. As long as we are still operating in this manner, we are tied to that regime. We cannot progress, and we risk a repeat of this whole situation.
Earlier, it was mentioned that this is the second conflict in a century. And a third would not be tolerated. Honoured delegates, a new constitution is the best way to avoid that. New checks and balances upon the power of the President and Prime Minister would make it far harder for another coup to be staged. The loopholes in the current constitution can be removed. We can finally progress as a society."
Moore continued to make her case, adding that it would help the country heal and provide a clean break from the country's violent past. It would put all the hurt behind them, and lead to a brighter future. It was the sort of speech that had gotten Moore elected as Liberal Party leader in the first place.
As they reached the end of the evening, Moore opened her mouth once more to finish the discussion on how they could rebuild after the war, when the door to their side's antechamber flew open and a frantic Jae Chung ran out, rushing over to Moore and whispering in her ear. As Jae spoke, Moore's eyes grew wide and she had to grasp the back of her chair to keep herself from falling over.
Jae finished and stepped back clasping her hands behind her back and smirking at Charissa Clarke. Moore turned back to the room, barely trying to hide the surprise on her face.
"Honoured delegates," she began, "I have received some new information which may shed some light upon the situation. I neglected to mention this in the earlier public session, as the information was deemed sensitive, however I have just now made the decision to reveal that we have been carrying out an investigation into the death of Suleman Chaher."
Moore paused, as certain members of the Junta shifted ever so slightly, imperceptible if one hadn't been expecting that precise reaction. She couldn't quite believe what Jae had told her, but she trusted Johnny Hudson, and if he'd passed the information to Jae, it was likely accurate. He wouldn't make something like this up, and he wouldn't tell her this without proof.
"An associate of Chaher's, who I will not name as he is still in Junta territory and that would put him in danger, provided an individual, who later cooperated with us, a sample of Chaher's blood that indicated her was poisoned. While the information I have just received pre-dates Chaher's death, and therefore does not prove who is guilty, it does point to evidence of a conspiracy which would have benefited from this murder."
"Is this relevant?" snapped Charissa Clarke, the first proper interruption of the day. It showed her fear.
"Yes, it is," Moore answered, "especially to the Gonhogian delegation, who deserve to know who their allies truly are. Ladies and gentlemen, we have received evidence that so-called Prime Minister Charissa Clarke is not..."
"Objection!" yelled Lucia Casci, the Kerlian defence minister, turning to face Smyth. "This has no relevance to an outcome to this war!"
Moore looked to the Sanctarian mediator too, nodding in a way that seemed to indicate this was important.
Smyth recalled the brief discussion they had about a USB drive. He had been forewarned this event may happen. And, truth be told, he was curious. "I'll allow it, please continue Ms. Moore."
"Charissa Clarke was not, in fact, born in Lauchenoiria to some isolationist cult parents who died in a car crash when she was fourteen. Charissa Clarke was, in fact, born in Kerlile."
The silence that followed was interrupted only by Councillor Patel tapping away on a smartphone she seemed to have produced out of thin air. It vanished shortly after, back to wherever she'd been hiding it.
"Jae?" Moore prompted. Jae Chung almost jumped into the air in fright at being asked to speak.
"Um, the information I have seen is composed of Kerlian documentation that lists an orphaned child trained to work for the Kerlian Intelligence Service, and then placed in Lauchenoiria in her teenage years with instructions to infiltrate the government in a long-term plan."
"This is absurd, are we really going to listen to this? Where's your proof?" Clarke scoffed.
"There's plenty," Jae shot back, then seemed to curl in on herself.
Moore turned back to the room, conscious of the time and the fact that the negotiations were going off track.
"The information Ms Chung has provided us with is interesting, and shines a different light on this conflict, but we should not allow this to distract us from finding a resolution to this conflict. Even if it is proven to be true, I must admit there is no law against someone born in a foreign country being elected Prime Minister."
Perhaps there should be, Moore thought darkly, eyeing Clarke even more suspiciously. She'd never believed in such laws, but perhaps that was naivety.
"As I was saying before we were interrupted," Moore continued, "there is a number of almost finished housing projects that were paused following the capitalism referendum when the Communists voted to stall in a frankly petty move. If these were to be finished as soon as possible, it would provide accommodation for a number of the refugees from Summersea, Annatown and the other cities in which homes have been destroyed in the fighting."
Moore continued to discuss housing and rebuilding, all the time thinking to herself is Jae for real?
*Paragraph written by [nation]Laeral[/nation]
**Paragraph written by [nation]Conternia[/nation]
11:00
After months of being on the run and sleeping in all sorts of places, always with the fear of capture or death, Laura Moore had slept like a baby in her bed in Sanctaria. She felt well rested and ready to begin.
"The background to this conflict can be traced back as far as our first civil war," Moore began, skipping the pleasantries. "More commonly referred to as the Lauchenoirian Communist Revolution. On the 12th July 1952, Communist forces led by Mateo Villanueva stormed the Parliament and seized power. Prime Minister Thomas Horsburgh was imprisoned, and President Lucas Boag was given an ultimatum to resign or be killed.
I believe you will see echoes of the events of 1952 in the beginnings of the present conflict. Following on from the conflict, in which Villanueva was victorious, a Communist regime began in Lauchenoiria. Over time, the power of the authoritarian faction diminished, partly due to economic factors, and partly because Villanueva never expanded his inner circle beyond his generation.
In 1993, capitalist political parties were legalised once more, and in 2014 my party, the Liberal Party, won our first victory. We were elected upon the platform of ending the communist economic system, and as such planned and held a referendum on transitioning to capitalism in 2017, in which 62.3% voted in favour. We began the transition plan that we had proposed before the referendum.
And then, in May 2018, Suleman Chaher defected to the Communist Party and held a vote of no confidence in my government, the circumstances of which were of dubious legality. President Leanna Walker, may she rest in peace, refused to recognise his government. And thus began the events that have brought us here today."
Laura Moore paused to take a drink of a glass of water. Charissa Clarke across the table looked at her, feigning boredom. Or perhaps it was genuine, Clarke had never been much of a diplomat, from what Moore recalled of her from the pre-war Parliament. She continued.
"In Lauchenoiria, the Prime Minister is usually the leader of the largest party in Parliament. However, Parliament is required to vote on an appointment before it becomes official "“ except in cases of emergency, which is the loophole Clarke exploited following Chaher's death. This is why there is at least ten days between an election and the final appointment.
On the 10th September 2014, I became Prime Minister. Suleman Chaher was part of my original Cabinet. He was well-educated, he had been a real asset in our election campaign, and though he had doubts about our economic policy, his other views were well aligned with my own. Some of the other members of my Cabinet had their doubts about the appointment, views that in hindsight, seem quite clearly well founded.
Suleman Chaher had been in several political parties throughout his career. The defunct Socialist Reform Party, the Left Alliance during one of its many periods of existence, my own Liberal Party, and then at the end of his life, the Communist Party. Josephine Alvarez, who I will bring up later," Moore paused, eyeing the Kerlian delegation, "warned me that this was a sign of something."
Moore paused again as Councillor Patel whispered something in Lucia Casci's ear.
"As I was saying, some members of my cabinet did not trust Suleman Chaher. Perhaps I was naí¯ve, certainly in hindsight his appointment was a mistake. But he did his job, even during the capitalism referendum, which his Communist allies later seemed all too keen to gloss over.
The first sign of trouble with Chaher was during the Melissa City riots in March, when I accepted assistance from Skoden after terrorists took hostages. Chaher displayed clear anti-Skodenian attitudes, and argued with me on several occasions about the events. I was urged by several members of my Cabinet to replace Chaher. I did not."
As Moore went on, she realised quite how many chances she'd had to stop this. It made a knot form in her stomach.
15:00
Laura Moore had perhaps eaten too much food during lunch. As prepared as she'd felt at the beginning of the day, her confidence had faded slightly. She stood.
"Due to the structure of the Resistance, there will be things neither I nor my companions here have any knowledge of. In particular, some of the activities carried out by Sonja Viratnen-Alvarez, now known as Jennifer Hale, in Usera are unknown to us due to the lack of free survivors of the Kerlian taking of that city.
However, we will try and provide you with as much information as possible, though of course much is classified. I will now make way for Victoria Juárez, First Minister of Ulinaria Province, to provide information about her operations in that area."
Moore sat down, and Juárez next to her stood.
"Following Suleman Chaher's suspension of devolution, I met with my cabinet in Elopolis, in secret. I will not provide details of attendance or the voting record, but it was agreed in that meeting that we would not support Chaher's government. We contacted local Resistance cells, and began to coordinate attacks on Chaher's forces throughout the province."
Juárez continued to outline to the room the guerrilla campaign that had taken place in Ulinaria, which had culminated on a full assault on Elopolis on the 20th July. She mentioned how, after the Coalition took back Carville from Gonhog, that they had met up with Coalition forces within the province.
"We have a number of prisoners of war, and I would like to assure all those present today that they have been treated with respect, in accordance with General Assembly Resolution # 18. I hope Clarke's so-called government will give us the same assurance."
Juárez sat down, and Moore rose once more. She really, really regretted eating so much at lunch.
"I now call upon Marie-Claire Beringer from the Laeralian delegation to give a statement about Laeral's participation in the war."
Moore sat back down, gesturing to Marie-Claire to begin.
"Laeral," Marie-Claire Beringer said, "did not enter this Lauchenoirian war lightly. Our constitution requires approval for military action from our legislature, either by a simple majority of both of its houses or through a two-thirds majority in our Assembly of Commons. Our legislature has an extraordinary array of parties represented at present; the political scientists tell us that the Assembly of Commons has the same amount of fragmentation as if it had 5.79 separate parties of equal size. The debate lasted for over ten hours, with 40 representatives speaking out for and against the declaration of war. And yet, despite this great diversity of opinion represented, the resolution to enter the war passed with a two-thirds majority. Why did so many of our government's legislators come out in favor of this resolution? Because of what the Laeralian people had seen and heard from Lauchenoiria. Laeralian citizens, rounded up and arrested for no other crime than their nationality. The junta could have done no more to provoke the anger of the Laeralian public at the mistreatment of our citizens had they tried to start a war with our nation. A proud fellow democracy, subverted and undermined by a violent coup. And of course Laeralian diplomat, Li Jingyi, shot by the junta's police in clear violation of her privileges as a diplomat."*
Marie-Claire continued, bringing up the public support for the war and the actions Laeral had taken as a Coalition member, mentioning Laeral's attempts to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage. It was a summary of Laeralian military actions of the last two months, delivered clearly and in precise terms. When she had finished, she smiled at the assembled delegates, including the junta's representatives across the table, and sat down, deferring to Laura Moore.*
"Nico Alfaro will now briefly describe the activities of the Carville Resistance at the beginning of the war, particularly discussing how Resistance and Coalition forces began working together in the city."
Nico Alfaro stood, gazing somewhat nervously around the room. He was most certainly not a career diplomat, in fact this was his first time in such a situation, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
"Um... we... um..." he looked at Moore. She nodded. "At the beginning of the war, we remained in contact with Daniel Garza, Leanna Walker's former chief of staff who accompanied her to Laeral. It was through Garza that we initially contacted the Coalition forces. He reached out to us, in fact, on behalf of Walker. Um..."
Alfaro continued, at no point becoming less nervous, until his discussion of the early days of the Resistance, and Leanna Walker's coordination of the alliance. The way he spoke made it sound as if Leanna Walker single-handedly recruited allies. This was pretty much the truth, Moore reflected. Listening to all this made Moore wonder how Chaher hadn't destroyed them all in the first month.
"Thank you, Nico," Moore interrupted eventually as Alfaro ended up on a cycle of repeating himself, too nervous to stop. "I will now myself address the question of our "˜propaganda machine' as you call it."
She went to take a sip of her water and discovered the glass was empty. She refilled it and took a large gulp before she began properly.
"I believe most people in the room will have seen the footage from Breakfast in Buttercity where the TV studio was stormed and taken over by Chaher's so-called government. This was the first move on the Junta's part to take control of the media in Lauchenoiria. His government then proceeded to block most social media sites, which left us at a severe disadvantage when it came to disseminating information.
I don't believe that many here will argue with me when I say that social media has become exceptionally popular in these times. I will admit that we provided a... bypass around these restrictions to individuals who then became more likely to support our cause. Not until this month of August did we have access to much traditional media.
Those media stations situated in Ulinaria and Costeno provinces, the ones that had been shut down by Chaher, were re-started. They were encouraged, but not explicitly required, to take a more favourable stance towards us. And then of course, there were several individuals disseminating news in our favour without specific prompting from us, the most notable being Alex Marwick."
Moore continued to discuss the various ways the Resistance had spread propaganda, her euphemisms for the term becoming ever weirder. She then turned to the question of supplies.
"Most of our weapons supplies came from those factions within the Lauchenoirian Army who chose not to support Chaher's regime. Some were also gathered from provincial and local police forces who resisted being placed under federal control. Some were also gathered from more... illicit sources, the details of which I do not wish to publicly disclose."
Moore continued to talk about the various supplies the Resistance had gathered, until the clock showed 16:57. Only then did she finally sit down.
17:00
Laura Moore sat opposite Smyth. She clutched a pile of papers with various pieces of information that she had been given by the various Resistance factions.
"The first time I killed someone," Moore began, "it was the person who shot Rowan Martin. He was trying to defect to the Resistance, only one of Chaher's spies had followed him and shot him. And Katya, my former bodyguard. So, I raised a gun and killed him. Everything I'm about to tell you is probably more horrific than that story, but for me, that's the one thing I can't get out of my mind."
Laura Moore reached forward and bit into a biscuit. She seemed to chew and swallow almost instantaneously.
"The Resistance was supplied with weapons by various gangs, among the sources listed already. There was also a supply from a source unknown to any of us, delivered through intermediaries. Ji-Hun Chung, I doubt you've heard of him. His gang provided weapons to the Resistance. Not something I approve of, but desperate times.
There is also... the actions of Leanna Walker. The Junta's been broadcasting that she confessed to being behind the assassination attempt on Noguera. Our side has been claiming the confession was coerced. Which is probably true, but it doesn't mean it wasn't real. Walker did hire an assassin to stage an attempt on Noguera's life. The attack's failure was deliberate. She intended to frame Chaher so the AIP would support her in the impeachment vote. It backfired."
Moore finished the cookie and said a silent prayer for Walker. She had been an atheist before the war began. She was no longer. Not since the miracle of her family all being alive, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. She continued.
"Olivia Quirós. Where do I begin with this one? It's one of the last pieces of news we got out of Usera. She was one of the reporters on the Breakfast in Buttercity broadcast. Imprisoned in Ginsap with Josephine Alvarez. Turned by the Junta while there. The Usera Resistance discovered she was working as a spy for Clarke... or was it still Chaher then? Anyway, I believe they may have been marginally too forceful in their interrogation. Still, don't know what happened to her after Kerlile took the city.
Then there's two things that are ongoing. Yousef Chaher, Suleman's son, sent his former flatmate in Carville a sample of his father's blood, a sample that showed beyond doubt that his father was poisoned, and did not in fact die due to surgery complications. Here is a copy of the report that we have on the matter."
Moore placed a set of papers on the table, held together by a paperclip.
"And then there's the USB. We were handed a USB by a woman called Jae Chung, who had acquired it shortly before the fall of Annatown from Yasin Zaunq, the leader of the Resistance there, now deceased. We have yet to decrypt the contents, however we have an assurance the contents could "˜end the war'. I wouldn't put much stock in that though."
Moore continued to spill, half on trust and half on the exhaustion of the last four months. She just wanted it to be over now, for better or for worse.
19:00
"Three red-line issues. Very well. First, however, the Conternian delegation has asked to speak. I would like to state, however, that I, and those I represent, do not necessarily share all of the same opinions on the situation as our Conternian counterparts."
Moore sat down. She had been in two minds about allowing the Conternian delegation to speak, but at the end of the day, whatever they had to say was likely going to damage her cause less than infighting within her faction would.
Etan Bloomberg surveyed the room with a trepidation he tried not to let show on his face. He was aware from the moment that Operation Counterpart began that as Prime Minister he'd have to deal with the mess left in Lauchenoiria, but standing there, looking out at this Mexican stand-off of factions - and make no mistake, despite the absence of cowboy hats and firearms, that was what it was - he felt a keen awareness of the gravity of the task he was undertaking. He had to serve two agendas, publicly playing the remorseful pacifist, the idealist who desperately wanted peace but regretfully believed that a continued Conternian military presence in Lauchenoiria was necessary to nudge along the peace process, while covertly trying to ensure that Conternia controlled everything that happened in Lauchenoiria from now on - and if he should fail to up-hold either of these goals in any way, they were both for nothing. Conternia had to walk out of these talks respected for their moral stance and their military might, and on the way to building an empire, and whether or not that happened was all down to the words he spoke. Making sure his eyes didn't linger on any one delegate or group thereof for too long - so as not to appear confrontational - he began.**
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. As this second day draws toward it's close, I want to refer back to some very powerful words spoken by Ms Noguera yesterday: 'We are still caught up in our past, and repeating our past mistakes'. For me, those words cut right to the core of this awful conflict: Lauchenoiria is a country with a fraught and violent history, still trying to reconcile its nature. This war was the inevitable end result of a struggle that has been raging in Lauchenoiria for decades: between Villaneuva and all his successors, between tradition and progress, and, frankly, between autocracy and liberty. I want to see peace in Lauchenoiria - a great country, and a friend of Conternia - but I cannot in all good conscience say that putting an end to this war will be enough to secure Lauchenoiria's future, unless we address the underlying issues at play. As such, I propose that Conternia be allowed to maintain a military presence in Lauchenoiria in order to suppress any potential resumption of hostilities or attempts at retaliatory violence, and ensure that the rebuilding of Lauchenoiria goes smoothly. We believe that Melissa Province, Summersea, and Carville would be ideal locations for military bases - on a temporary basis, of course - that would allow us to oversee Lauchenoiria's recovery, although we would also request that our troops be allowed to cooperate in the running of Lauchenoirian military bases that have been left..." - he paused, trying to find the most tasteful words - "understaffed, by the war. Do not consider this to be punishment, but protection, to safeguard Lauchenoiria against its deep-seated internal divisions, and to let the country at long last move forward and achieve its true potential. And it is not just in a military capacity we request to be involved - Conternia would also offer its assistance in reconstructing the considerable infrastructure damaged in the conflict. However our aid in this area is contingent upon your allowing our military presence, and we would request that you allow our people to carry out their rebuilding efforts according to their own methods, without interference or oversight. I cannot say that this is my ideal proposal for Lauchenoiria's immediate future, but it is the one we have, and we truly believe it is the best for the country under these trying circumstances." Bloomberg remained standing in silence for a moment, to let the assembled delegations know he was finished and let the finality of his proposal sink in, before he sat back down.**
Laura Moore stood back up, tight lipped. She had known the Conternians were going to advocate for a continued military presence, but if she'd known that was all they would say, she would never have permitted them to speak.
"As I said, I do not agree with my Conternian counterpart on everything," Moore said. Or anything, really, Moore thought.
"Our utmost priority has to be fresh elections. In order to move forward, we must resolve the question of who is the legitimate government of Lauchenoiria. Given the dubious legality of the vote of no confidence, I believe the only way we can move forward is with fair, free, democratic elections. Their fairness will need to be monitored, and all parties would need to agree to abide by the results."
Laura Moore continued, discussing the system of Lauchenoirian elections and mentioning that elections to the federal parliament were in fact due to take place the previous week. She made the case for holding them, proposing they were held in mid-October, soon enough that the country could move on, but far enough away that a proper campaign could be held.
"Our second priority is the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of war. We are aware that the Junta has had a policy of allowing the Kerlian forces to take prisoners instead of them. Not being a member of the World Assembly, Kerlile is subject to much less restrictions over how they can treat their prisoners.
Our information suggests large amounts of Lauchenoirian POWs have been taken to Kerlile. We insist upon the return of these individuals, and also the release of the political prisoners who have been in various prisons around Lauchenoiria since Chaher's initial coup, including various Members of Parliament and journalists."
Moore spent a long time discussing the various rumours about the treatment of POWs, addressing the Kerlian delegation for much of the speech. She looked Councillor Anita Patel dead in the eye as she finished.
"The return of prisoners of war must include high-profile individuals such as Josephine Alvarez who was captured in Usera. We have a list of individuals we suspect are being held in Kerlile. We request that all of them are returned."
Councillor Patel smirked slightly, which made Moore falter slightly. Patel looked like she knew something Moore didn't. Moore shook her head and continued.
"Our third priority would be what I discussed briefly yesterday. A new constitution. Currently, before Kieran MacKenzie's suspension of the constitution anyway, Lauchenoiria still operates under the 1959 constitution, drafted originally by Villanueva's regime. As long as we are still operating in this manner, we are tied to that regime. We cannot progress, and we risk a repeat of this whole situation.
Earlier, it was mentioned that this is the second conflict in a century. And a third would not be tolerated. Honoured delegates, a new constitution is the best way to avoid that. New checks and balances upon the power of the President and Prime Minister would make it far harder for another coup to be staged. The loopholes in the current constitution can be removed. We can finally progress as a society."
Moore continued to make her case, adding that it would help the country heal and provide a clean break from the country's violent past. It would put all the hurt behind them, and lead to a brighter future. It was the sort of speech that had gotten Moore elected as Liberal Party leader in the first place.
As they reached the end of the evening, Moore opened her mouth once more to finish the discussion on how they could rebuild after the war, when the door to their side's antechamber flew open and a frantic Jae Chung ran out, rushing over to Moore and whispering in her ear. As Jae spoke, Moore's eyes grew wide and she had to grasp the back of her chair to keep herself from falling over.
Jae finished and stepped back clasping her hands behind her back and smirking at Charissa Clarke. Moore turned back to the room, barely trying to hide the surprise on her face.
"Honoured delegates," she began, "I have received some new information which may shed some light upon the situation. I neglected to mention this in the earlier public session, as the information was deemed sensitive, however I have just now made the decision to reveal that we have been carrying out an investigation into the death of Suleman Chaher."
Moore paused, as certain members of the Junta shifted ever so slightly, imperceptible if one hadn't been expecting that precise reaction. She couldn't quite believe what Jae had told her, but she trusted Johnny Hudson, and if he'd passed the information to Jae, it was likely accurate. He wouldn't make something like this up, and he wouldn't tell her this without proof.
"An associate of Chaher's, who I will not name as he is still in Junta territory and that would put him in danger, provided an individual, who later cooperated with us, a sample of Chaher's blood that indicated her was poisoned. While the information I have just received pre-dates Chaher's death, and therefore does not prove who is guilty, it does point to evidence of a conspiracy which would have benefited from this murder."
"Is this relevant?" snapped Charissa Clarke, the first proper interruption of the day. It showed her fear.
"Yes, it is," Moore answered, "especially to the Gonhogian delegation, who deserve to know who their allies truly are. Ladies and gentlemen, we have received evidence that so-called Prime Minister Charissa Clarke is not..."
"Objection!" yelled Lucia Casci, the Kerlian defence minister, turning to face Smyth. "This has no relevance to an outcome to this war!"
Moore looked to the Sanctarian mediator too, nodding in a way that seemed to indicate this was important.
Smyth recalled the brief discussion they had about a USB drive. He had been forewarned this event may happen. And, truth be told, he was curious. "I'll allow it, please continue Ms. Moore."
"Charissa Clarke was not, in fact, born in Lauchenoiria to some isolationist cult parents who died in a car crash when she was fourteen. Charissa Clarke was, in fact, born in Kerlile."
The silence that followed was interrupted only by Councillor Patel tapping away on a smartphone she seemed to have produced out of thin air. It vanished shortly after, back to wherever she'd been hiding it.
"Jae?" Moore prompted. Jae Chung almost jumped into the air in fright at being asked to speak.
"Um, the information I have seen is composed of Kerlian documentation that lists an orphaned child trained to work for the Kerlian Intelligence Service, and then placed in Lauchenoiria in her teenage years with instructions to infiltrate the government in a long-term plan."
"This is absurd, are we really going to listen to this? Where's your proof?" Clarke scoffed.
"There's plenty," Jae shot back, then seemed to curl in on herself.
Moore turned back to the room, conscious of the time and the fact that the negotiations were going off track.
"The information Ms Chung has provided us with is interesting, and shines a different light on this conflict, but we should not allow this to distract us from finding a resolution to this conflict. Even if it is proven to be true, I must admit there is no law against someone born in a foreign country being elected Prime Minister."
Perhaps there should be, Moore thought darkly, eyeing Clarke even more suspiciously. She'd never believed in such laws, but perhaps that was naivety.
"As I was saying before we were interrupted," Moore continued, "there is a number of almost finished housing projects that were paused following the capitalism referendum when the Communists voted to stall in a frankly petty move. If these were to be finished as soon as possible, it would provide accommodation for a number of the refugees from Summersea, Annatown and the other cities in which homes have been destroyed in the fighting."
Moore continued to discuss housing and rebuilding, all the time thinking to herself is Jae for real?
*Paragraph written by [nation]Laeral[/nation]
**Paragraph written by [nation]Conternia[/nation]
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax