[Lauchenoiria]

Cabinet Meeting Room, Lauchenoiria

Josephine Alvarez and Sandra Pavía held back as the rest of the cabinet left the room following a tense discussion about drug smuggling in Aeluria, the minutiae of proposed amendments to the Non-Binary Gender Recognition Bill and the appointment of a new ambassador to Shuell after the last one broke down begging them to replace him before his family ‘all die of lung cancer from the constant smoking’.

“The civilians are all home, which means we can withdraw our ambassador any day,” Pavía informed Alvarez once the last of the stragglers had left. “Especially if we’re going to involve ourselves in the war.”

“Diplomatic relations with Mallacaland are impossible right now, but that doesn’t mean we have to issue a formal declaration of war, no matter how many drafts you have sitting in your classified files folder,” Alvarez chuckled grimly. “Withdraw the ambassador, let them choose whether or not to reciprocate. No expulsions just yet, we’ll watch and see what transpires.”

“Slokais would’ve backed us if we’d been forced to go to war,” Pavía countered. “And we can’t guarantee that they won’t do something once they realise our diplomats are leaving. I don’t believe they care one iota about diplomatic immunity.”

“Less than two years ago, we had a civil war here. I could go to the local nursery and ask a four-year-old, and they’d know that. The foreign interference made things a thousand times worse for ordinary Lauchenoirian citizens. As much as I dislike the varying governments of Mallacaland, I cannot do that to their people unless we have any other choice.”

“It’s already happening, whether we’re there or not,” Pavía waved a newspaper and threw it onto the table, gesturing at the headline. “Milintica and Slokais are involved, despite the repeated denials of the former. If we join them, the pro-democracy side will be victorious rather quickly.”

“Sandra…” Alvarez sighed, pulling out a chair and sitting down, rubbing her temples. “We’re not going to war unless we have to. First, what I said before. Second, the pacifists will withdraw from the coalition and cause a domestic crisis. Third, we don’t have the budget. And fourth… it will encourage Milintica.”

“Aren’t they our sort-of allies? Or at the very least, a fellow force against the various Xiomerans and Huenyans that have threatened us in the past.”

“Xiomera, Mallacaland… there’s a pattern forming and I don’t like it. Civilian volunteers… pull the other one. Milintica are attempting regime change in various nations. They’re socialist; we don’t know what side they’d have chosen had they been involved in our own civil war. The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, and I don’t trust them. No, we don’t have nearly enough information yet. Withdraw our ambassador, and then we watch and wait.”

“And if our ambassador comes to harm?”

“Then we will revisit this question in the situation room. No war unless there is no other choice. In that situation, I fear we would indeed have no other choice. But it hasn’t come to that yet. Watch and wait, Sandra, watch and wait.”