06-19-2022, 07:31 AM
(Joint Post with Xiomera)
First Minister's Office, Administrative Office Complex, Lumiere
May 11th, 2022, 1:42 PM
Given the circumstances unfolding in Lumiere, one would have forgiven General Teoctlehue and his staff if they had panicked at least a bit. After all, the justification for CSSC’s presence in Auria was now hanging by the thinnest of threads.
General Teoctlehue, however, was not a man prone to panic. He assessed situations, came up with new plans, and above all adapted to any crisis that came his way. Crises, after all, were also opportunities.
It was with that spirit in mind that he arrived at the office of Minister Berenstein, an honor guard of CSSC’s best accompanying him. He had spoken with Empress Calhualyana an hour earlier, with approval given for his already-forming plan at hand. That was, of course, if Berenstein proved up to the challenge of the moment.
Berenstein's office was surrounded by security forces and soldiers from several branches of Auria's military, police forces, and special ops divisions. Obviously, with two Aurian leaders being assassinated on the same day, any security forces in Lumiere were working overtime. Police officers, Garda soldiers, and Royal guards milled around outside a large mahogany door, covering every angle of approach. A number of royal guards stood in front of General Teoctlehue as he moved towards the door, barking commands in Aurian.
The guarded door swung open, and Minister Berenstein walked out, scolding the guard who obstructed the Xiomeran Mercenary. "Kuois avis?! Kāois ne mei jaulisva ka vil arēvasva?!" She turned to the mercenary General. "My apologies, General. Please, come in." She shut the door behind him, leaving them alone to discuss strategy.
When the royal guards intercepted him, the General calmly raised his hand to halt his group. He kept a bland expression on his face, all the while mentally considering the multiple ways he could disassemble the guard in front of him if it came to that. Luckily, Berenstein’s prompt arrival prevented any such unpleasantness.
“I apologize for my sudden arrival, madam Minister. I assumed that time would be of the essence for us to talk, given the evolving situation in the country.”
"No need to apologize. I was wanting to discuss our future strategy as well, so your arrival is opportune." Berenstein sat down in her office chair, gesturing for the General to do the same. "I've spent the last hour shouting at thick-skulled officers who can't coordinate for shit, trying to lock down Lumiere's metropolitan area. It'll be nice to talk to a rational person for a change." She leaned back in her chair. "I've had to do damage control before, but holy shit, this is on a totally different scale."
”I totally understand,” Teoctlehue replied. “CSSC has extensive experience dealing with both urban warfare and counter-insurgency scenarios. We can help you get the capital firmly under control by tonight, given appropriate authority to do so. After that, we can move to secure the rest of the country for your government, pursuant to the understanding of mutual cooperation and respect for sovereignty reached between yourself and our Empress.” Teoctlehue paused for a moment. “Of course, this will require the termination of the contract between CSSC and Andrew’s former regime, and a new contract between CSSC and your government. We will need a…..plausible reason to terminate the old contract.”
Berenstein furrowed her eyebrows. "I see. Do you have any ideas on what could justify a termination? Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm Cordonnier's death at this time, due to some mistaken intelligence. An operative didn't want to admit a mistake, so unfortunately, we were fed potentially false information." The Minister's voice was filled with cold venom. So, are there any terms in the contract that we could claim Andrew has violated? Any rules or regulations he disobeyed? Knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised if there were."
”There are none. But such can be arranged. CSSC has a plan of action ready for just such a scenario. Andrew’s loyalists have already attacked the government and killed Minister Gerand. It should not be hard for us to make it appear as if they have turned their ire upon CSSC next. This proposal I am about to make must remain absolutely between us.” Teoctlehue paused for a moment. “We have a team of special operatives of foreign ancestry, who can easily pose as Aurians, along with the needed supplies and equipment to pose as Andrew loyalists. Our plan is to have them stage an attack on CSSC’s headquarters camp here in the capital, making it appear that Andrew has ordered them to attack us. This gives us more than enough reason to terminate the contract. We will suffer some minor losses, but this is acceptable to achieve our mission.” Teoctlehue made the last statement with no more emotion than someone saying they had to buy a new shirt because they had torn their old one.
The Aurian Minister thought for a moment, before nodding. "As long as said losses don't prevent you from achieving future missions, this plan is perfect. It would also give me the opportunity to publicly spin what these 'Loyalists' have done, and provide faces to the actions. This could be an opportunity to gain a lot of public favor, and prevent Andrew's supporters from resurfacing."
”Then we are in agreement,” Teoctlehue said. “The attack will take place in precisely five hours. Again, please do not inform anyone else about this plan, even your own security personnel. Making it look like an authentic attack is critical.”
"Of course. And if there is any way we could assist with this plan, please do let me know. This is a critical mission, after all." A knock at the door caused Berenstein to stand and walk to the door, opening it just a crack. "Kuois? Ne poivis entret. Navjit tār." She spoked in annoyed Aurian, almost closing the door before an aid stuck her hand in the door. "So sorry Prime Minister, it's urgent." She slipped a folder full of papers through the door, handing them to Berenstein before taking her hand from the door and closing it again.
Berenstein returned to her chair, skimming through the documents quickly. "Sorry for the intrusion. I told them not to disturb if the door was closed, someone apparently didn't understand basic orders." As she read further in the papers, she appeared much more concerned. "That fucker. Michelin's been commanding Garda soldiers away from the front. He's taken hundreds away from the fight at Côte-Verte. He's shoring up his defenses, and leaving us to fight the Coalition." She put the file on the desk so Teoctlehue could read it. "That's a problem. We're already spread thin as it is."
Teoctlehue skimmed through the file quickly for main points, then read through it more slowly a second time for detail. When he was done, he laid the file back upon the desk. “Both Andrew and Michelin are problems to overcome. One thing you can do to assist us is to help us locate both of them. If we can get a precise location for them, CSSC special operations does have personnel who specialize in eliminating troublesome individuals.”
Berenstein sighed. "I'll find them. Michelin's in the west somewhere, and Andrew, if he's alive, likely fled west as well. I have no idea if the two of them will team up, but I'm not sure Andrew is valuable to Michelin anymore. He's certainly not a meat shield that Michelin can use, and he's too deranged to be a good puppet. Regardless, I'll have operatives look into finding the exact locations of all three of them." She looked over to the General, realizing that she hadn't told him a key bit of information yet. "Minister Lautrec fled Lumiere around an hour ago, with a few bags full of Mēra notes from the treasury and a handful of treasury guards. I don't think he wants to fight us, fortunately. He's just a coward who leaves when things get rough."
Teoctlehue’s expression turned sour briefly at mention of Lautrec. His face told Berenstein all she needed to know about how the General viewed people who ran away from a fight. “If you need our help to find the coward, we can also look for him. Either that, or if he is in fact a threat, neutralize the threat.”
"Thank you, but that'd be a waste of resources. Lautrec's had everything handed to him his entire life. He definitely won't enjoy life without wealth or power. Either he'll live out the rest of his life in hiding, or he'll come crawling back to beg. Either way, he's not a threat. And besides, the only thing he was good at was sucking up to people with money. I think we'll manage without him." She paused, lost in thought. "Has Empress Calhualyana been informed of the current situation? I assume so. She doesn't seem like a woman who would be left out of the loop." Berenstein's tone took on a slight joking edge.
Teoctlehue chuckled briefly. “She is not, indeed. The Empress is fully aware of the current situation. It is she, in fact, that instructed CSSC to provide whatever assistance we can to you. She seems to believe that you are the best option for salvaging this situation.”
Berenstein felt a slight surge of pride. "I'm flattered. And I will assure you, she will not regret making that instruction. Thank you so much for your assistance, General. I look forward to working with you directly from now on, without Michelin or Cordonnier as middlemen. And I must admit, I am not a soldier. Your help will be invaluable in the hours and days to come."
” I am glad to be of service, madam Minister. We shall speak again soon,” the General replied, giving her a sharp salute before leaving the room. Once he and his men were back in their vehicles and on the move, he picked up a radio set to a secured CSSC-only frequency. “Operation Tōtolin is a go.”
---
Zelasē Medical Clinic, Karašceda, Twenty-two Miles from Central Lumiere
"Those traitorous bastards!"
Andrew Cordonnier, very much not dead, shouted at the small television on the clinic room wall. He hadn't stopped throwing insults at the wall for several minutes, ever since he regained consciousness. "They claim I died, claimed that Michelin was behind it, and then try to take the throne from me?! The audacity. Those morons will pay for this, mark my words."
The guards that had saved his life and brought him to the clinic stood on each side of the small room, silently watching every entrance point. Out of the dozens of guards who were part of the motorcade, only four had survived the bombing. One of them had her arm in a full sling, having dislocated her shoulder as she was ejected from her vehicle. Still, she fought to stay conscious, the pain medication making every minute an uphill battle. The guard who had carried Cordonnier out of his vehicle stood closest to the bed, contemplating their current situation.
"Your Majesty… I don't think we can stay here. From their news broadcasts, it sounds like they're locking down Lumiere, and while we're far enough away to not be found immediately, someone will find out that we're here eventually. We can get you out of here, and lay low for a bit, until all of this chaos boils over."
Andrew went silent. "I can't just let those bastards steal my crown. I won't let them take everything that I've done." He paused, realizing what the guards were about to tell him. "But if I go back, I'll be killed, or captured. They've already tried to kill me once, they won't be scared to do it again." He glanced over to the IV in his forearm, noting the various bandages covering the length from his wrist to his forearm. "Get a nurse to take these damn things out, and we'll get on the road. We can't waste any more time. It's time to get back on our feet, and show those bastards who they're dealing with."
First Minister's Office, Administrative Office Complex, Lumiere
May 11th, 2022, 1:42 PM
Given the circumstances unfolding in Lumiere, one would have forgiven General Teoctlehue and his staff if they had panicked at least a bit. After all, the justification for CSSC’s presence in Auria was now hanging by the thinnest of threads.
General Teoctlehue, however, was not a man prone to panic. He assessed situations, came up with new plans, and above all adapted to any crisis that came his way. Crises, after all, were also opportunities.
It was with that spirit in mind that he arrived at the office of Minister Berenstein, an honor guard of CSSC’s best accompanying him. He had spoken with Empress Calhualyana an hour earlier, with approval given for his already-forming plan at hand. That was, of course, if Berenstein proved up to the challenge of the moment.
Berenstein's office was surrounded by security forces and soldiers from several branches of Auria's military, police forces, and special ops divisions. Obviously, with two Aurian leaders being assassinated on the same day, any security forces in Lumiere were working overtime. Police officers, Garda soldiers, and Royal guards milled around outside a large mahogany door, covering every angle of approach. A number of royal guards stood in front of General Teoctlehue as he moved towards the door, barking commands in Aurian.
The guarded door swung open, and Minister Berenstein walked out, scolding the guard who obstructed the Xiomeran Mercenary. "Kuois avis?! Kāois ne mei jaulisva ka vil arēvasva?!" She turned to the mercenary General. "My apologies, General. Please, come in." She shut the door behind him, leaving them alone to discuss strategy.
When the royal guards intercepted him, the General calmly raised his hand to halt his group. He kept a bland expression on his face, all the while mentally considering the multiple ways he could disassemble the guard in front of him if it came to that. Luckily, Berenstein’s prompt arrival prevented any such unpleasantness.
“I apologize for my sudden arrival, madam Minister. I assumed that time would be of the essence for us to talk, given the evolving situation in the country.”
"No need to apologize. I was wanting to discuss our future strategy as well, so your arrival is opportune." Berenstein sat down in her office chair, gesturing for the General to do the same. "I've spent the last hour shouting at thick-skulled officers who can't coordinate for shit, trying to lock down Lumiere's metropolitan area. It'll be nice to talk to a rational person for a change." She leaned back in her chair. "I've had to do damage control before, but holy shit, this is on a totally different scale."
”I totally understand,” Teoctlehue replied. “CSSC has extensive experience dealing with both urban warfare and counter-insurgency scenarios. We can help you get the capital firmly under control by tonight, given appropriate authority to do so. After that, we can move to secure the rest of the country for your government, pursuant to the understanding of mutual cooperation and respect for sovereignty reached between yourself and our Empress.” Teoctlehue paused for a moment. “Of course, this will require the termination of the contract between CSSC and Andrew’s former regime, and a new contract between CSSC and your government. We will need a…..plausible reason to terminate the old contract.”
Berenstein furrowed her eyebrows. "I see. Do you have any ideas on what could justify a termination? Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm Cordonnier's death at this time, due to some mistaken intelligence. An operative didn't want to admit a mistake, so unfortunately, we were fed potentially false information." The Minister's voice was filled with cold venom. So, are there any terms in the contract that we could claim Andrew has violated? Any rules or regulations he disobeyed? Knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised if there were."
”There are none. But such can be arranged. CSSC has a plan of action ready for just such a scenario. Andrew’s loyalists have already attacked the government and killed Minister Gerand. It should not be hard for us to make it appear as if they have turned their ire upon CSSC next. This proposal I am about to make must remain absolutely between us.” Teoctlehue paused for a moment. “We have a team of special operatives of foreign ancestry, who can easily pose as Aurians, along with the needed supplies and equipment to pose as Andrew loyalists. Our plan is to have them stage an attack on CSSC’s headquarters camp here in the capital, making it appear that Andrew has ordered them to attack us. This gives us more than enough reason to terminate the contract. We will suffer some minor losses, but this is acceptable to achieve our mission.” Teoctlehue made the last statement with no more emotion than someone saying they had to buy a new shirt because they had torn their old one.
The Aurian Minister thought for a moment, before nodding. "As long as said losses don't prevent you from achieving future missions, this plan is perfect. It would also give me the opportunity to publicly spin what these 'Loyalists' have done, and provide faces to the actions. This could be an opportunity to gain a lot of public favor, and prevent Andrew's supporters from resurfacing."
”Then we are in agreement,” Teoctlehue said. “The attack will take place in precisely five hours. Again, please do not inform anyone else about this plan, even your own security personnel. Making it look like an authentic attack is critical.”
"Of course. And if there is any way we could assist with this plan, please do let me know. This is a critical mission, after all." A knock at the door caused Berenstein to stand and walk to the door, opening it just a crack. "Kuois? Ne poivis entret. Navjit tār." She spoked in annoyed Aurian, almost closing the door before an aid stuck her hand in the door. "So sorry Prime Minister, it's urgent." She slipped a folder full of papers through the door, handing them to Berenstein before taking her hand from the door and closing it again.
Berenstein returned to her chair, skimming through the documents quickly. "Sorry for the intrusion. I told them not to disturb if the door was closed, someone apparently didn't understand basic orders." As she read further in the papers, she appeared much more concerned. "That fucker. Michelin's been commanding Garda soldiers away from the front. He's taken hundreds away from the fight at Côte-Verte. He's shoring up his defenses, and leaving us to fight the Coalition." She put the file on the desk so Teoctlehue could read it. "That's a problem. We're already spread thin as it is."
Teoctlehue skimmed through the file quickly for main points, then read through it more slowly a second time for detail. When he was done, he laid the file back upon the desk. “Both Andrew and Michelin are problems to overcome. One thing you can do to assist us is to help us locate both of them. If we can get a precise location for them, CSSC special operations does have personnel who specialize in eliminating troublesome individuals.”
Berenstein sighed. "I'll find them. Michelin's in the west somewhere, and Andrew, if he's alive, likely fled west as well. I have no idea if the two of them will team up, but I'm not sure Andrew is valuable to Michelin anymore. He's certainly not a meat shield that Michelin can use, and he's too deranged to be a good puppet. Regardless, I'll have operatives look into finding the exact locations of all three of them." She looked over to the General, realizing that she hadn't told him a key bit of information yet. "Minister Lautrec fled Lumiere around an hour ago, with a few bags full of Mēra notes from the treasury and a handful of treasury guards. I don't think he wants to fight us, fortunately. He's just a coward who leaves when things get rough."
Teoctlehue’s expression turned sour briefly at mention of Lautrec. His face told Berenstein all she needed to know about how the General viewed people who ran away from a fight. “If you need our help to find the coward, we can also look for him. Either that, or if he is in fact a threat, neutralize the threat.”
"Thank you, but that'd be a waste of resources. Lautrec's had everything handed to him his entire life. He definitely won't enjoy life without wealth or power. Either he'll live out the rest of his life in hiding, or he'll come crawling back to beg. Either way, he's not a threat. And besides, the only thing he was good at was sucking up to people with money. I think we'll manage without him." She paused, lost in thought. "Has Empress Calhualyana been informed of the current situation? I assume so. She doesn't seem like a woman who would be left out of the loop." Berenstein's tone took on a slight joking edge.
Teoctlehue chuckled briefly. “She is not, indeed. The Empress is fully aware of the current situation. It is she, in fact, that instructed CSSC to provide whatever assistance we can to you. She seems to believe that you are the best option for salvaging this situation.”
Berenstein felt a slight surge of pride. "I'm flattered. And I will assure you, she will not regret making that instruction. Thank you so much for your assistance, General. I look forward to working with you directly from now on, without Michelin or Cordonnier as middlemen. And I must admit, I am not a soldier. Your help will be invaluable in the hours and days to come."
” I am glad to be of service, madam Minister. We shall speak again soon,” the General replied, giving her a sharp salute before leaving the room. Once he and his men were back in their vehicles and on the move, he picked up a radio set to a secured CSSC-only frequency. “Operation Tōtolin is a go.”
---
Zelasē Medical Clinic, Karašceda, Twenty-two Miles from Central Lumiere
"Those traitorous bastards!"
Andrew Cordonnier, very much not dead, shouted at the small television on the clinic room wall. He hadn't stopped throwing insults at the wall for several minutes, ever since he regained consciousness. "They claim I died, claimed that Michelin was behind it, and then try to take the throne from me?! The audacity. Those morons will pay for this, mark my words."
The guards that had saved his life and brought him to the clinic stood on each side of the small room, silently watching every entrance point. Out of the dozens of guards who were part of the motorcade, only four had survived the bombing. One of them had her arm in a full sling, having dislocated her shoulder as she was ejected from her vehicle. Still, she fought to stay conscious, the pain medication making every minute an uphill battle. The guard who had carried Cordonnier out of his vehicle stood closest to the bed, contemplating their current situation.
"Your Majesty… I don't think we can stay here. From their news broadcasts, it sounds like they're locking down Lumiere, and while we're far enough away to not be found immediately, someone will find out that we're here eventually. We can get you out of here, and lay low for a bit, until all of this chaos boils over."
Andrew went silent. "I can't just let those bastards steal my crown. I won't let them take everything that I've done." He paused, realizing what the guards were about to tell him. "But if I go back, I'll be killed, or captured. They've already tried to kill me once, they won't be scared to do it again." He glanced over to the IV in his forearm, noting the various bandages covering the length from his wrist to his forearm. "Get a nurse to take these damn things out, and we'll get on the road. We can't waste any more time. It's time to get back on our feet, and show those bastards who they're dealing with."
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