12-17-2019, 07:23 AM
Sakzi sat stunned as the Crown Prince meticulously broke apart his argument. He was the Speaker of the Chamber during the Gladysynthian incursion, and thus did not have say in the military going-ons of the Bishop administration. However, he could not use that as a rebuttal - four Gladysynthian troops were killed when the tank crossed the border, a clear show of aggression from Zamastan. However, the Prince failed to use context, regardless of the circumstance. Sakzi was going to go on the offensive in another route. He was going to make the Prince's comments personal.
"Your highness," President Sakzi said, as he stood once again, "I do not condone your reference to our internal matter with Gladysynthia. You would know, as would anyone familiar with the history of our nation's relations with Gladysynthia, that time and time again, they have been the aggressors!" Sakzi's voice rose. "In 1970, Gladysnthian armies in the hundreds of thousands poured over the river. They killed hundreds of our country men. They rained rockets down on Providence. They destroyed hospitals and shot families in their cars as they fled - Gladysynthia is more than any enemy we have faced. Their government has an unrelenting hate for Zamastan. That isn't an open verbal attack on the people of Gladysynthia, no, that is the fact. They have sent terrorists to bomb our cities. Just this year, a Gladysynthian terrorist operating from orders of Premiere LaFlaunce detonated a bomb at a cafe in Kingston. Two people, a young married couple, died in the blast. Each time a Gladysynthian military operative comes across our border, someone gets hurt. And don't forget, several days prior to the destruction of the tank on the Danaska River, a supposedly "stray" bullet from the Gladysynthian side of the border killed one of our soldiers."
Sakzi could feel himself turning red. "My love for my country is something I take great pride in. My countrymen know this much. I will never back down from defending my nation, in any way. We take responsibility when we are absolutely wrong."
The Crown Prince watched, as did the rest of the delegations. A few faces showed emotions, but in general, the heads of state and lead delegates remained stoic. Sakzi's voice lowered, and he stared directly at Texōccoatl. "My father was killed by a Gladysynthian rocket on his way to work in 1970. My brother was maimed by a Vulkarian bomb while he attended a pride parade in 1982. All of this happened on Zamastanian soil. So don't you dare speak to me about aggression."
He could feel a shift in the attitude in the room. Most of these people had only seen Foley as an aggressive war monger void of compassion. These revelations would hopefully shift things in a new light. Sakzi pointed to his chest.
"I have a bullet," he said, "right here. It's lodged in my rib."
Sakzi pointed to his right forearm. "I have a scar here. It goes through both sides," he turned his arm, indicating where the marks were below his suit. "I took these in Vulkaria. You all know why we were in Vulkaria. We were stopping the growth of camps that spawned terrorists that kept killing not only Zamastanians, but Lauchenoirians, and Laeralites, and Maximusians, and Eirians, and United New Englanders, and Legionites, and the citizens of Shen and Xiomera alike all over the world. Zamastan stands for freedom and justice. Your insinuation that protecting our people in the midst of that background, your highness, as anything to the extent you described, is an insult. Not just to me, but to all of Zamastan. Surely, your "open mind" did not forget that.
Shame on you."
Sakzi sat, glaring at Texōccoatl with a solid gaze. His face was red.
"Your highness," President Sakzi said, as he stood once again, "I do not condone your reference to our internal matter with Gladysynthia. You would know, as would anyone familiar with the history of our nation's relations with Gladysynthia, that time and time again, they have been the aggressors!" Sakzi's voice rose. "In 1970, Gladysnthian armies in the hundreds of thousands poured over the river. They killed hundreds of our country men. They rained rockets down on Providence. They destroyed hospitals and shot families in their cars as they fled - Gladysynthia is more than any enemy we have faced. Their government has an unrelenting hate for Zamastan. That isn't an open verbal attack on the people of Gladysynthia, no, that is the fact. They have sent terrorists to bomb our cities. Just this year, a Gladysynthian terrorist operating from orders of Premiere LaFlaunce detonated a bomb at a cafe in Kingston. Two people, a young married couple, died in the blast. Each time a Gladysynthian military operative comes across our border, someone gets hurt. And don't forget, several days prior to the destruction of the tank on the Danaska River, a supposedly "stray" bullet from the Gladysynthian side of the border killed one of our soldiers."
Sakzi could feel himself turning red. "My love for my country is something I take great pride in. My countrymen know this much. I will never back down from defending my nation, in any way. We take responsibility when we are absolutely wrong."
The Crown Prince watched, as did the rest of the delegations. A few faces showed emotions, but in general, the heads of state and lead delegates remained stoic. Sakzi's voice lowered, and he stared directly at Texōccoatl. "My father was killed by a Gladysynthian rocket on his way to work in 1970. My brother was maimed by a Vulkarian bomb while he attended a pride parade in 1982. All of this happened on Zamastanian soil. So don't you dare speak to me about aggression."
He could feel a shift in the attitude in the room. Most of these people had only seen Foley as an aggressive war monger void of compassion. These revelations would hopefully shift things in a new light. Sakzi pointed to his chest.
"I have a bullet," he said, "right here. It's lodged in my rib."
Sakzi pointed to his right forearm. "I have a scar here. It goes through both sides," he turned his arm, indicating where the marks were below his suit. "I took these in Vulkaria. You all know why we were in Vulkaria. We were stopping the growth of camps that spawned terrorists that kept killing not only Zamastanians, but Lauchenoirians, and Laeralites, and Maximusians, and Eirians, and United New Englanders, and Legionites, and the citizens of Shen and Xiomera alike all over the world. Zamastan stands for freedom and justice. Your insinuation that protecting our people in the midst of that background, your highness, as anything to the extent you described, is an insult. Not just to me, but to all of Zamastan. Surely, your "open mind" did not forget that.
Shame on you."
Sakzi sat, glaring at Texōccoatl with a solid gaze. His face was red.