[Lauchenoiria]

Laeral

First Sergeant Brandon Lau crouched in the rubble of what looked as if it had once been a shoe store, with the rest of his squad clustered around him. Most of them, anyway- a Gonhogian sniper had shot Soldier First Class Yang in the shoulder a few blocks back, and he'd been evacced to a medical post. But other than that, most of his squad was little the worse for wear, which pleased Lau. His radio crackled again, and a voice from Command on the other end started speaking in rapid French. Lau concentrated, and then turned to the Lieutenant standing next to him to translate. "Command reports that the Engineers have cleared the tank rubble off the bridge we took, and we have a steady flow of soldiers moving across the river. The Skodesmen managed to take another bridge, and they're advancing rapidly across as well. Coalition troops are advancing through the industrial districts in the south and have just taken the army base in the north, sir." He paused. "Also, a few scattered pockets of the Lauchenoirians are surrendering. No word on the Gonhogians or the Kerlians. Sir."

The Lieutenant nodded. "Excellent. Take your men northward towards the railroad tracks. That's where the front line is right now." "Aye, sir!"

The fighting around the railroad tracks was heavier, likely because the main body of the enemy troops seemed to be there. Occasionally, a missile or artillery shell would streak overhead from either side, but for the most part, it was infantry and the occasional tank fighting for possession of this corner of the Summersea suburbs. Lau's men joined in a firefight along a road running parallel to the tracks, shooting from doorways and behind corners at a few enemies (Brandon was fairly certain they were Gonhogian) before the enemy troops fell back. Brandon's men, and the men of the two other squads fighting alongside them, cheered.

As the soldiers took a well-deserved rest in the shadow of an abandoned residential house, enemy infantry appeared down the road and charged, forcing the Laeralites to drop for cover. They were clad in greyish-blue camouflage and bellowed something Brandon couldn't understand as they charged. They were beaten back by the Laeralites with the aid of a squad of Gendarmes which arrived during the firefight.

"Tenacious, aren't they?" one of the Gendarmes said, pointing a thumb at the fallen Gonhogians. Brandon nodded. He wasn't one to talk in between firefights. "And there's a whole damn lot of them," the Gendarme continued, ignoring Brandon's silence. Brandon nodded again. Everyone suddenly stiffened as they heard more shouting from ahead, along with bursts of gunfire and the explosion of a grenade. "They yell 'For Glorious Leader' when they charge, you know that?" the talkative Gendarme said as the group of Laeralites ran up the street towards the sound of the fighting. Again, Brandon just nodded, and before long, he was much too busy fighting for his life to wonder about what the Gonhogians were shouting.

A group of Gonhogian tanks were advancing down the street in a column, gunning down Laeralites as they went. The Laeralites fell back, only to run straight into a group of Laeralian tanks, which began firing shells at the Gonhogians. There was little room for the tanks to manoeuvre in the cramped streets, and so it was instead a boxing match between the lead Laeralian tank and the lead Gonhogian one. Brandon found himself in a shallow ditch by the edge of the road, unable to do anything but watch the two tanks, like massive primordial beasts, fight it out. There were other LNSF soldiers scattered around the street behind bits and pieces of cover, and through the dust and smoke kicked up by the battle, Brandon could glimpse the hunched-down forms of Gonhogian infantry. With a resounding explosion, the turret of the lead Gonhogian tank blew off, leaving a burning hulk in the middle of the street. As the fight continued, Brandon rose from cover and beckoned for the other Laeralites to follow him, as they hurried down a side street and turned onto a road parallel to the one they'd just been on. "A lieutenant nearby just called for an artillery strike on the area," he said by means of explanation. A few minutes later, artillery rolled down onto the road they had just been on, obliterating tanks, infantry, and the white armband-bearing bodies of the Laeralian infantry who had been there.

The fighting continued after the sun set and into the night. The Laeralian command had thought of that and had made sure to equip the LNSF soldiers with night vision gear, hoping to give them an edge over the enemy. The firefights that night was brief and chaotic, with low visibility on all sides and the ever-present hazard of friendly fire in the dark. Sergeant Lau and his squad soon found themselves fighting both Gonhogians and what they thought was Kerlians that night, judging from the screams of the wounded. The talkative Gendarme was shot to death by Kerlian infantry, many of whom continued to fight even after the Lauchenoirians had retreated, while two others in Lau's squad were also shot by the enemy in a furious firefight in front of a budget hotel. Brandon noted that, in a bit of cruel irony, the man who wasn't expected to survive the chest wound he'd taken had been shot while wearing a white Xí¬ngyí¹n armband. The characters written on it by the Minjian chaplain, 幸運, meant 'fortune'.

Ammunition ran low around 1 am, but the fights continued, with soldiers fighting house-to-house in an effort to drive out the enemy. The fighting slowed at around 3 am, with no enemies in sight, and Brandon assumed that they'd called a retreat. A quick check-in with command verified this. He figured that he should be more pleased to hear of this, but he was a bit too tired to care. A few hours of shut-eye, caught in a sleeping bag inside an abandoned building, beckoned.

Lauchenoiria

General Sanchez had left the army base shortly before the Coalition troops had attacked. Reports had just come in that it was now in Coalition hands. A grim expression on his face, he continued to be driven north away from the fighting. He tossed a mobile phone back and forth between his two hands. He knew he ought to report to Clarke, yet he didn't want to.

Further south, what remained of the Lauchenoirian army in Summersea continued to battle the Coalition forces. Most of the fighting was now concentrated in suburbs around the railway tracks, but the Lauchenoirians had painfully few men left. Nobody was quite sure who was in overall command since Sanchez had abandoned them, and this disorganisation made it easy for the Coalition to drive them back.

At 0100, the order came from somewhere to retreat back towards the Ecantan boundary and the remaining Lauchenoirians quickly vacated the area. The Kerlians and Gonhogians were continuing to fight. Some Lauchenoirians had surrendered already, and the group that made their way north numbered no more than 900.

Kerlile

Conde scoffed when she found out the Lauchenoirians were retreating. The battle wasn't completely hopeless yet, in her opinion. Every Coalition soldier killed was one less problem for them to deal with later. This early retreat only solidified her opinion that Lauchenoirians were weak.

The Kerlians pressed on, fighting Skodenians and Laeralites all the same. In the darkness of night, it was hard to see the enemy, especially in the absence of street lighting due to the destruction of a nearby power plant. At least Lauchenoiria didn't use nuclear power, that would have been a disaster.

Someone began firing on Conde's position and she returned fire blindly until she was quite certain her assailants were dead. She checked their bodies. Skodesmen. As she moved through the suburbs, she came across more and more Kerlian bodies, until at 0230, she gave the order to retreat.

Frustrated, she led her remaining Kerlian troops north in the same direction the Lauchenoirians had gone, trusting the Gonhogians would soon do the same.

Gonhog

1630 Hours, 1st Specialized Platoon, 7th Infantry Division, Summersea

Captain Fisher fired another burst of shots at the Laeralian positions before ducking. The Coalition had pushed the Gonhogians back at all places, the Laeralians proving especially difficult as the charges done by the more inexperienced troops were proving rather ineffective. Because the streets were narrow, the Gonhogians couldn't use their number advantage of men or of tanks to overwhelm the Laeralians, and because the army was not prepared for the assault, they had given up a good amount of ground, letting the Coalition have a good enough foothold to push out of the city.

* * * * *

The fighting continued into the night and became monotonous to Fisher as the Laeralites began to push forward house by house, the more inexperienced platoons barely putting up a fight to the experienced enemy. Only Fisher's own platoon and another on the opposite side of the road held their ground well, gunning down some Laeralians before falling back once the houses near them were taken.

04 tugged on Fisher's shirt sleeve, his stomach on the ground while he radioed command.

"Captain! Main command has ordered a retreat to the park up north."

Fisher nodded, his brows furrowed.

"Alright, call it."

04 began radioing each member of the platoon ordering the retreat, and the Gonhogians began to fall back.

0200 Hours, Command Group Alpha, Forest Park Outside Summersea

"General?"

Herman seemed tense, with his folded across his back, facing a battle map on the table.

"Yes?"

"The retreat has been ordered. Estimated casualties total around 250 deaths, 400 wounded."

Herman sighed. This battle was a disaster. He was a very experienced general, and to be humiliated like this while outnumbering the enemy 10 to 1 would not sit well with Glorious Leader. He would have to take the offensive.

"Thank you, you are dismissed," Herman replied.

Herman knew that he could easily defeat the Laeralians, especially in fields where he had plenty of room to maneuver. Although, he did say that it would be easy to win in Summersea, and he had just lost. Herman nodded to himself. This was the last time Herman underestimated the Laeralians.

Sections labelled [nation]Laeral[/nation] and [nation]Gonhog[/nation] written by those nations.

[conterniasgloriousleader]

18:00 hrs
Melissa City University Campus
Melissa County
Lauchenoiria

Dr Michael Antonin couldn't be said to have had the hardest life of anyone in Lauchenoiria lately, but he hadn't exactly had the easiest either. For a long time, things had been good: he'd risen to become one of Lauchenoiria's most respected national historians, specialising in the differing impact of the 1952 communist revolution on rural and urban areas, with a teaching post at Buttercity University. But then came the Capitalism Referendum, and the allegations that, in the run-up to the referendum, he had displayed a pro-capitalist bias in his lectures and had tried to influence the voting of his students. He'd denied any suggestion of such with the vigour one reserves for allegations which contain some hint of truth, and although no official disciplinary action had been taken, the university had privately advised him that it would be 'advantageous, from a public relations standpoint' for him to move on. And so he'd come here, to Melissa City University, just in time for Chaher to seize power and the country to fall apart. He wouldn't admit to anyone, but every day since he'd awoken to reports of Chaher's coup and the communist takeover he'd spent almost every minute outside of his house or his classes looking over his shoulder: if the supposed conspiracy against communism in Lauchenoiria had a public face, it was him, and he was certain that Chaher and his cronies were simply waiting for the first pretext to have him dragged off with a black bag over his head. As Dr Antonin left his office in in the history department for the day on a summer evening he as usual was scanning his surroundings. But what sent shocks of panic through his body wasn't a sight but a sound: a quick succession of juddering gunshots piercing the air, mere feet away from him. His ears ringing, Antonin was frozen in place, distantly aware of crowds rushing past him and four balaclava-clad figures surrounding him, forcing him to his knees and forcing something over his head, before he felt the butt of a rifle colliding with the back of his head and everything went black

*

18:45
Undisclosed Location
Downtown Melissa City

"You made it!"

Vergum greeted the four assassins and accompanying captive entering the disused building - once a cafe of some kind, if the upturned tables topped with upturned chairs evenly spaced on the floor, faded film posters on the walls, and counter at the room's edge were anything to go by - with a cheerfulness not customary for government operatives greeting four hired killers who'd just carried out a very public abduction.

Swanberg gestured to Antonin, who he and Blunt were holding by the shoulders - the bag still over his head, a gag in his mouth and his hands bound.

"It's done", he said matter-of-factly. Vergum gestured to a closet at the back of the room, which they quickly they quickly stashed the struggling man into.

"So, what's our next move?" Blunt said after she'd locked the door

"Stay put", Vergum responded curtly. "We need to wait for the heat to die down before we get him out of here"

"For how long?" Hardyng interjected, urgency in his voice.

"However long it takes my people to get ready. We're prepping a boat to take Mr Antonin to some out-of-the-way island you're better off not knowing by name where we've got a new identity all set up for him. He'll be made aware of the consequences of trying to disclose his old identity or attempting contact with anyone from his old life. They'll give me the ok once they're in position."

"Do you know how long that'll be?", Blunt inquired.

"I think what we all want to know", Larsson said, clearly tired of waiting for a straight answer, "is when exactly we can get out of a city where everyone's looking for us. You said this was going to be a quick job, get into the campus, make some noise, bag Antonin, make it look government-sanctioned, and get out. Now you're keeping us around, and we wanna know why!"

"Look", Vergum said, "I just need you to wait it out. It won't take long and then -"

He was cut off by the unmistakable sound of glass breaking upstairs. As if on cue, everyone raised their guns, pointing them toward the door at the top of the stairs. A shout was soon audible from behind the door:

"Clear!"

Blunt turned her gun to Vergum

"What did you do?"

More clattering of feet and shouts of

"Clear!" from upstairs.

"I'm sorry", was all Vergum said.

"In position. 1!"

Hardyng glanced toward the closet door, against which Antonin was now banging with his head.

"2!"

All eyes were fixed on the door, in anticipation of what they knew was coming.

"3! Breaching!"

The door was knocked off its hinges and several armed, masked men poured through the opening. The gathered assassins only had a moment to take in the sight however, before they heard metal hitting the ground and tear gas filled the air.

*

2 Hours Earlier
Classified Location
Conternia

A buzz from Donna Barrow's phone alerted her to a incoming message. The number was anonymous, but she knew who it was. The message was short.

"Walker just shot Chaher. He's critical, her whereabouts unknown. Does this affect how we proceed?"

She took a moment to take in the news then responded

"No. Continue as planned. This was never about him"

After sending the message, she typed another.

"By the end of today, this is all Griffith's problem anyway"

[Lauchenoiria]

Usera, Yesterday

"It's been ten days, and no sign of Suleman Chaher. Is he alive? Is he dead? Of course, those aren't the real questions. The real question is: does it even matter? If he's alive, nothing has changed. And if he's dead, well, seemingly nothing has changed. So much for the idea that this is all his doing.

Have Walker's actions yielded any results? I would argue no. The people of Lauchenoiria are still living in constant fear of being randomly imprisoned by the government, like Dr Antonin at Melissa City University, or killed as collateral damage in one of the battles foreign forces are fighting on our soil. If Chaher is dead, his legacy is the destruction of his country. If he is alive, I hope he faces justice for this.

I need to go, they'll likely have tracked my location by now. I'll keep broadcasting, keep running until I can't. We need to counter their narrative, we need to rise up and fight against the anti-democratic regime. See you tomorrow. Stay strong, Lauchenoiria."

The signal to the live broadcast cut off and Leonie put down the tablet. She rewound the video slightly and stared at Alex Marwick, the university student who had appointed himself news reporter of the Resistance. He had a scar across his cheek that hadn't been there in yesterday's broadcast.

She stood up, slowly, still getting used to walking after her... injury. She carefully exited the room and, keeping close to the wall, headed towards where Sonja had set up her command headquarters. Unfortunately, it was on the other side of the building. She was just about to turn a corner when she heard a voice that made her hesitate.

"... an enemy state! I mean, sure, the story is that she is some great enemy of their government, but she's still Kerlian! No matter who she's married to! We shouldn't be taking orders from her!"

"Sonja's got more experience in these matters than all the rest of us put together, it's a tactical decision."

"Yeah, and if the story's true, all that experience was gathered when she was a teenager in the 90's. So, tell me, just how is she so well versed in warfare? Answer, because all her experience was not as a teenager."

"Come on, this is conspiracy theory stuff."

"Yeah, like the conspiracy theory that someone in the government was plotting to overthrow Moore. Oh, wait... that happened. Just give it some thought, okay? If you're with us, we're meeting at midnight round the back of the theatre."

Leonie heard footsteps and quickly ducked into a nearby cupboard. She held her breath as one of the men who had been talking passed her by. When she was sure nobody was outside, she emerged, breathing quickly and shaking. She hurried along to meet Sonja.

-------------------

Buttercity, Today, 10th July

"So, we've two days until the anniversary of the 1952 revolution, we ought to do something, keep the communists on our side, especially given the Resistance plot we heard about to turn them against us," Charissa Clarke was saying, sitting on a chair in a hospital room.

"That is a good idea. I should be about ready to make a public appearance then," agreed Suleman Chaher from the bed. The bullet had missed his heart, where it was widely assumed Walker had intended to hit him. He was now recovering, though it was uncertain how long it would take. The doctors had claimed there were "complications". Chaher had his security services do ideology checks on them.

"Meanwhile, the Coalition has pushed out of Summersea, and our forces have taken some casualties. The terrorists have blown up most of the bridges over the river Anaí¯s, which delayed the Gonhogian reinforcements. Increasing amounts of attacks are happening around Elopolis also. And we still don't know who took Antonin, but the Resistance's pet internet troll keeps blaming us."

"Looks like things have really hit the fan since I've been here," Chaher smiled weakly.

"The Kerlians have offered to send additional troops, I propose we have the Kerlians reinforce Buttercity and the north."

"No, I don't want any foreign soldiers up here, I said so right?"

"I understand why you feel that way, but Leanna Walker got into this city. And Moore's children have vanished. Someone said they saw her driving them out of the city while there was all the chaos. The two most wanted in the country, and they just wander in unnoticed!"

"Maybe you're right... okay, contact Kerlile. Also, what happened with Rowan Martin?"

"We lost track of him three and a half weeks ago, and our agent trailing him. Do you want me to send others to track him down?"

"No, chances are they're both dead. Was going to pin it on the Resistance, but if they actually did kill him, that problem will resolve itself."

"As you wish. You should rest, Prime Minister," Clarke said, nodding her head and exiting. Chaher collapsed back into the pillow and immediately fell asleep.

----------------

When Leanna Walker was ten years old, her mother fell ill. Unable to continue home-schooling her daughter, she sent the young Leanna to Mariposa Academy, a boarding school south of Usera. There, the young Leanna was bullied, insulted and had food stolen leading her to frequently miss meals. The young Leanna thought Mariposa Academy was the worst place on the planet.

She was wrong.

Walker tried to remain still inside the tiny cell in a prison they hadn't told her the name of. She'd been kept in solitary confinement since arrival, and she wasn't quite sure how long that had been. There were no windows, and the light level never seemed to change noticeably.

She thought it had been about a week, but she was terrified that it had only been a few days, and she'd have to go through more of this. Or, equally terrifying was the thought that it had been a lot longer, and the war was over, with those behind the coup victorious, and this was her life for eternity.

There was a clanging noise, and someone opened a slot in the door, sliding in a tray with a bowl of porridge and a glass of water, silently. Walker gingerly took the tray and sat back down. She almost wished they'd just killed her. It would be less painful than this.

As she ate, she replayed the scene in her head for the thousandth time. She knew it was just her mind playing tricks, but she could view it all in slow motion, the bullet flying through the air and hitting Chaher, him falling down, her being hit on the head, waking to see Laura Moore standing in the crowd.

"Fool," she muttered aloud after taking a sip of water, "everything you've done has just made this worse. Should've stayed in Laeral."

She finished the food, too quickly, and dumped the tray back by the door. She curled up in a ball and waited for something, anything, to change and break this monotony.

-------------------

Jae Chung, who had lived all her life in Annatown, trudged through the Fleurian Forest, heading from Lorentonia to Usera. Every time she managed to discover a location for Sonja Alvarez, Sonja seemed to move on. Chung was fed up. She'd hidden the USB in what she hoped was a safe location before proceeding north. The country was a warzone, and she couldn't be sure of reaching Sonja in one piece.

She'd heard the news about Walker's attempt on Chaher's life back in Lorentonia and had waited a few days to see if it would change anything. It hadn't. So, she headed to Usera. Three days ago, it had started raining. It hadn't stopped. Chung was fed up. She checked her map and saw a village only a couple of miles south. She decided to risk it.

Forty-five minutes later, she entered the village of Jensala. She was just about to go into a café when she heard a voice.

"Freeze."

She did as the voice said.

"Turn around slowly, with your hands up."

She complied. A pair of heavily armed Lauchenoirian soldiers stood pointing weapons at her. Shit.

"Identify yourself and your business here."

"My name is Jae Chung, I'm hiking through the woods, I'm a bit of a nature lover, you see, and..."

"Search her," one of the men said to the other. He stepped forward. Chung was glad she'd left her weapons and maps hidden before entering the village.

"Nothing, sir," the second man said after finishing the search.

"Ms... Chung, did you say? I don't believe your "˜hiking' story for one second. You're coming with us."

Jae Chung looked around. She was trapped between an endless row of shops and a wide-open village square. Any attempt to run would just get her killed. Resigned, she allowed the soldiers to handcuff her and lead her away.

[Lauchenoiria]

Midnight, Usera Theatre

"Sonja Viratnen-Alvarez is not one of us. She is a Kerlian, and no matter how many stories she comes up with to deny this fact, a fact it is. We are at war with Kerlile. And what self-respecting people allows one of our enemies to lead us? None! Now, not as many have gathered here today as I'd hoped, but together, we can solve this problem before her true intentions become evident. I ask you all: are you with me?"

Oliver Sharp stood towards the back of the small group of no more than 11 or 12 people. He couldn't see faces in the dark, but given that almost everyone had taken steps to disguise themselves, him included, he wasn't surprised. The charismatic young Lauchenoirian giving the speech in hushed tones stopped to look over the crowd. Sharp touched his thumb and ring finger together on his right hand and held it loosely at his side.

"I'm with you!" a voice said from the crowd.

"And I!" someone else added.

A short chorus of agreement ran through the crowd. In the noise of assent, the slight rustling of bushes was missed. The crowd died down and Jordan Price, the young man leading the call, turned back to his followers.

"Here's what we're going to do. When Sonja and Josephine are asleep, we will sneak in..." he turned away to point at a diagram, and seemed to miss the muffled shouts behind him, "... and we will use knockout gas, and while they're unconscious, we take Sonja captive and interrogate her to find out the Kerlians plan. So, who wants to be in charge of bringing Sonja to interrogation?"

"I would," came a female voice. Price froze. "I mean, I prefer having a nice little dialogue but some interrogation can be good fun."

Josephine Alvarez stood in the centre of the crowd, all of whom were being held by Resistance members loyal to Sonja. Oliver walked over to stand next to Alvarez.

"Nothing to say?" Josephine called. Price ran. Oliver gave chase, but the moment he rounded the corner, he stopped at the sight of Leonie holding a gun. He slipped at the suddenness of his breaking, and ended up on the floor. "No excuses to give?"

The man on the ground tried to spit in Josephine's face. It stopped short and fell on his own leg.

"Your wife is a Kerlian spy!" he said.

"Is she? Funny, because I did some checking, and it seems you've come into some money lately. A nice, fat transfer from a shell company owned by, guess who? The Kerlian government. Nice try, little traitor," she said then turned to Oliver, "lock this one up, find out how the Kerlians got in contact. Bring the others to the police station, see if we can talk a little sense into them."

Oliver nodded and bent over the squirming figure, handcuffing him and dragging him to his feet.

"I can pay you a million Gold Cookies," Price tried.

"Give me a free country over a fortune any day, traitor," Oliver replied, nudging the man forward.

[Lauchenoiria]

Buttercity, 12th July

"It seems we underestimated the amount of damage previously. Your internal organs are still struggling to function at full capacity, and I have to recommend you cancel your appearance at the parade," the doctor said, his face halfway between apologetic and terrified.

If Suleman Chaher had been able to stand, he would have punched someone. As it was, he only growled.

"Leave!"

The doctor scurried away as Charissa Clarke glided out of the chair at the side of the room and walked closer.

"If you wish, I will attend the parade in your place. We can claim you are too busy dealing with the war to attend, or something?"

"People are starting to think I'm dead. No, I don't care how..." he paused to groan in pain, "much medical advice I'm given, I am attending."

"Sir, I can't recommend..."

"Thank you for your opinion, Secretary Clarke. Now, fetch my security team and a wheelchair."

Clarke nodded her head in a small bow then exited the room, a grim expression on her face.

--------------

Usera, 12th July

"... and here comes our fantastic Prime Minister Suleman Chaher, undeterred by the attempt on his life, showing his support for the people of Lauchenoiria on the anniversary of their revolution. We expect him to give a speech after the parade, although no comment will be given on the location of the traitor Leanna Walker. Look how the crowds cheer! Also, on the parade we have..."

Leonie switched off the state-run broadcaster and stuck her tongue out at the blank screen. So, Chaher had attended the parade. Damn, and just when they'd got their hopes up that Walker had succeeded.

She stood up and left their media centre, the old CCTV monitoring room in the police station. On her way out of the building she could hear the assorted shouts of the prisoners from a few nights ago. She turned away. There wasn't really enough space, between the racist anti-Sonja crowd and the government supporting POWs, they really needed more cells.

Leonie walked through the sunny streets, keeping her eye upwards in case of the drone attacks Sonja had worried about. So far, nothing had happened, but that didn't mean it wouldn't. She stopped at the nearest subway station to hand one of the commanders the newest document from Sonja.

The subway wasn't running, instead most of the stations had been converted into command centres or bomb shelters in case the worst happened. It was somewhat disconcerting and Leonie didn't much like being around them.

She headed down alongside the over-ground train tracks to the south of the city, where a group was meant to be setting up a barricade. She was somewhat annoyed that Sonja had assigned her to delivering the messages they were concerned about being intercepted electronically, however at least it meant she knew everything that was going on.

Of course, the downside was she knew everything that was going on. She knew that the Resistance had no clue what had happened to Leanna Walker. She knew that the Coalition still weren't any further north than Costeno province. And she knew that Suleman Chaher's hold on government was still very strong.

She reached the partially built barricade and handed the document to one of their commanders. Before leaving, she briefly joined the guys peering over the edge with binoculars. One of them offered her a pair and she gazed over at the lines of Lauchenoirian soldiers who were yet to attack.

"They're waiting for backup," commented one of the guys she didn't know.

"The Gonhogians that redirected to Summersea are probably going to head back here, intel says," Leonie responded.

"Then I hope the intel is wrong, cause if that happens, we're all dead."

"How optimistic of you," she said sarcastically.

"Optimism just leads to disappointment. At least with pessimism you can end up pleasantly surprised," he suggested.

"I'd still rather not think I'm about to die, if you don't mind."

"Hey, think what you like, long as you stay alert."

Leonie nodded and handed back the binoculars, then continued on her rounds.

------------

Aeluria, 13th July

"...supplies of food will last until mid-September if we start rationing now, or else we'll only last until the end of August. The nicotine situation is direr, unless something happens by the end of July we'll have a bunch of people in withdrawal. I suggest you start forcing people to quit slowly now or suffer more later," Alyssa Robinson stated.

"I'm not "˜forcing' people to do anything. We believe in civil rights and..."

"This isn't about civil rights, First Minister, this is about preventing half of this island from going through nicotine withdrawal symptoms while also running out of food and being trapped..."

"I said no, Ms Robinson," Keitha Noguera insisted, staring out the window at the dots on the horizon that were Chaher's ships. She looked down and sighed, "but start working on a rationing system to be implemented on Monday."

Alyssa nodded and exited, passing Anael on her way out.

"Keitha..." he started.

"Anael, I am in no mood for this."

"Please, my dear, you have to surrender. People here are suffering..."

"I said, NO!" she yelled, slamming her hand down on the window ledge hard enough that it shook. The civil servants who had been working on stuff at the far side of the room started and hurried out the door, papers flying as they tried to gather them quickly.

The couple looked at each other for a moment. Keitha shivered as they made eye contact. There was none of the love they'd had for each other when they married. Instead there was a coldness, a determinedness that scared her.

He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and slid it towards her, then turned and exited. She picked it up.

Petition for divorce.

----------------

Unknown location, 14th July

Leanna Walker wished she'd waited around in Laeral long enough for someone to diagnose what had happened to her last time. She sat curled in a ball and unable to move. She supposed it must be some kind of intense phobia or traumatic response. Her self-diagnostic procedure did nothing to help.

She was only minimally aware of the world around her, trapped inside her own head imagining all the worst-case scenarios. She imagined Chaher's troops marching into her hometown of Usera and burning the place to the ground. She imagined one of the foreign powers involved launching a nuclear missile at Buttercity. She imagined the pain of her people.

Then she snapped out of it and realised the pain wasn't in her mind. Someone had struck her across the face, and it stung. She lifted her hand to her cheek and felt the blood.

"I said, get up traitor!" an armed guard demanded, standing over her. Shaking, she complied. He handcuffed her and led her out of the room with another guard. They passed through a windowed corridor and the light hurt her. They entered what appeared to be an interrogation room and handcuffed her to the table. The guards left.

She didn't know how long she sat there. She shut her eyes to keep out the glare of fluorescent lights. By the time the door banged open, she'd almost fallen asleep. She jumped awake and then instinctively pulled back as she saw who had entered. In her head, she yelled all the swear words she knew. Outside, she remained silent.

"Good evening, Ms Walker," said Anthony Santos, the ageing chief interrogator of the later communist years of Lauchenoiria. One of her first acts as President was to set up an inquiry into allegations of torture carried out by this man.

Walker remained silent.

"Nothing to say to me, Ms Walker? No? Okay, I'll start," he leaned closer, "I'm looking forward to this one."

------------

Northern Fleura, 15th July

Jae Chung coughed as the rain continued to batter down on her head. She turned around but the armed guards were still standing to attention, seemingly immune to the blanket of water falling from the sky. She walked onwards, her feet sinking into the mud.

She supposed it could have been worse. They could have discovered she was Resistance. As it was, she "“ along with half the previously unemployed people of Fleura "“ had been "˜assigned' to various agriculture or construction projects "˜vital to the security and prosperity of the Lauchenoirian state'.

If this was what they did to random unemployed people, she shuddered to think about what they did to those actively fighting against them.

The rain hadn't let up all week, but apparently whatever they were building couldn't wait. She knew that her home province was experiencing a drought, and this was probably better, but at the moment she just wanted it to stop.

She reached the edge of the construction site and joined the queue of people at the end of their shift. On solid concrete, the rain worked to wash some of the mud off of her and the others, and she was almost so focused on watching it work that she didn't notice the change in the atmosphere.

The rain was still as heavy, the ground still as muddy. But some of the other people in the queue were standing a little more alert, positioned a little more apart than usual and she knew what was about to happen.

As the guard checked names off the list at the front of the queue, one man brought a brick out of his pocket and whacked him on the head. Immediately the queue split apart and began to run. Jae pulled herself back behind a half-formed brick wall just as the shooting started.

The others working had joined the revolt and the muddy site had become a battleground. An armed guard rushed past her and began firing at the people on top of the half-constructed building. The guard hadn't noticed her. She snuck behind him and pulled a pistol out of the guard's holster, shooting him in the head.

She then picked up his rifle, and checking behind her, headed for the forest and ran.

------------

Elfwood Forest, 16th July

Laura Moore squeezed her children in a hug until Kelli complained. She reluctantly let them go.

"I promise you, I will come and find you when all this is done," she assured them.

"But why can't you come with us?" asked Jamey.

"Mummy has some things to do here, but you'll be nice and safe in Laeral with Leanna's friend Daniel. You remember Daniel?"

"He has a big spot on his ear," Kelli said.

"Now, that's not very nice. Promise me you'll be nice," Laura said, trying to look stern.

"We promise," the two children chorused. Laura hugged them again, then lifted them into the boat with the Resistance members tasked with taking the children to Laeral.

She watched as the boat rowed away through the darkness until it was out of sight, then resisted the urge to run along the riverbank after it and sat down to cry.

------------

Aeluria, 17th July

Esmee Douglas was hot and impatient as she waited in a line for her food shopping. Rationing, she thought, if I wasn't an atheist I'd swear some deity or other was angry with me. She reached the front of the queue and handed her shopping list to the official at the front entrance.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you are only entitled to six eggs for the week," said the man.

"I have two kids as well," Esmee explained.

"I am aware, ma'am. Your family allowance for one adult and two children is six eggs per week."

"That's absurd, we eat eggs for breakfast every day, that will only do for two days."

"Ma'am, you will have to find something else for breakfast. Your cereal allowance for example, will more than suffice."

"My kids don't eat cereal, we only have cooked breakfasts, it is the most important meal of the day after all," she said, sounding increasingly desperate.

"We will all have to make some lifestyle changes, ma'am. Six eggs only," he insisted, handing her back the list.

Yeah, there's definitely some vengeful god somewhere.

----------------

Carville, 18th July

"Listen up! The Coalition are heading this way, and we need to be prepared. Leewood, Young, take your squads east and head them off before they reach the city. We don't want a repeat of Summersea!"

"No, ma'am!" chorused the Kerlian women gathered. A couple of Lauchenoirian soldiers looked on in amusement. Chloe Conde glared at them and they wandered off.

"The rest of you, fortify your positions. Don't give up any ground! We all know what's coming. For the Matriarchy!"

"For the Matriarchy!" they chorused and then split off into their groups.

Chloe Conde walked back inside the museum, and back to her command centre.

"Can someone move that infernal thing? It's in the way," she said, pointing at a fake brontosaurus that took up half of the floor.

"We've tried, ma'am. It's nailed to the floor."

"Then get a hammer and pull the nails out."

A pair of women rushed away to deal with the dinosaur, as Conde walked over to her second-in-command.

"News?"

"The Resistance is stuck in Usera, the Coalition advancing here. Aeluria has started rationing and Leanna Walker still hasn't talked."

"Seriously? Did they not put Santos on it?"

"I don't know how she's held out. Oh, and that Alex Marwick kid made another broadcast."

"Let's see."

The woman played the broadcast.

"Hey Lauchenoiria, sorry I took so long. Well, it's been a busy week. Suleman Chaher has shown his face alive although not-quite-so-well. Ironic that someone who consistently voted against Lauchenoiria's accessibility policies now has to rely on them to spread his propaganda.

Leanna Walker is still nowhere to be seen, and now Laura Moore has vanished even further into the ether. For all we know, the pair are both dead. Is it time to start thinking about the future rather than restoring the past? I think so.

Forget the old government, people, it's time for a new revolution. Don't rely on the old systems; tear them down. Consign the 1952 regime to the history books at last. We can't change the system with one referendum. But one revolution? We most certainly can. Fight with me, Lauchenoiria."

[Laeral]

It was raining again. First Sergeant Brandon Lau, Laeralian National Security Force, looked up at the sky reproachfully. He and the rest of his squad were marching steadily westward towards Carville, and they'd been harried by enemy snipers for the past week. The Coalition had barely taken time to rest and recover after the Battle of Summersea before Brigade-General Lemercier sent orders to pursue the fleeing enemy. At the rate they'd been going, they'd reach the outskirts of Carville in about a day. From there, what awaited them was probably just more rain, and more of those Kerlian soldiers just waiting for their chance at killing Laeralites.

_____________________________
From: Brigade-General Patrice Lemercier, LNSF Lauchenoirian Intervention Force, Summersea
To: Strategic Operations Council, LNSF, Laeralsford

Following our successful breakout from Summersea (described in prior dispatch of 14-7-18) the majority of Coalition forces are being deployed towards Carville, a stronghold of Kerlian and Lauchenoirian forces. Skodenian troops are being deployed to police occupied areas and prevent enemy attacks from the north, while a small number of Skodenian troops will accompany the main body of LNSF forces in a strike at Carville. We are currently unsure of the number of enemy combatants within Carville. Should this number prove sufficient to drive back our first assault, I intend to consign Skodenian troops to keep the enemy penned in under siege within the town while the Coalition moves north, towards Usera and Buttercity.

We are also pleased to report that the consignment of LNSF reinforcements totaling 1800 soldiers with accompanying equipment has arrived in our port, although the Navy informs me that a nuisance attack by the Lauchenoirian Navy did result in the destruction of a single troopship. I have dispatched approximately 200 LNSF soldiers to reinforce the rebels in Usera, along with propaganda leaflets to disperse along the way, urging the surrender of enemy combatants and the uprising of Lauchenoirian citizens.
____________________________
Henderson Long, the Slokaisian assassin who had tried and failed to kill President Nicholas Brennan exactly one month ago, was awaiting trial at a nondescript city jail cell in Laeralsford. It was proving very difficult to convene an unbiased jury for the trial, since footage of the assassination attempt had been a major news story, and the general consensus was that Long was guilty.
"Mr. Long," the prison guard said through the door, "you have a visitor." He unbolted the door, and in walked President Brennan himself. Long sat straight up, his hands cuffed to the table in front of him.
"You!" Henderson said. "I damn near killed you!"
"Mr. Long," replied the President. "You didn't come close to killing me. But your shot hit a young woman in the crowd. Her name was Chloe Gervais, and I have had to go to the hospital and console her parents for why their daughter will never be able to walk again. You tried to kill me, Henderson. Assassination is the tool of a coward, and now Chloe is paying the price for your cowardly action."
"Don't you try to speak to me of honor!" Long yelled. "Was it honorable to invade the freedom-loving nation of Lauchenoiria? Is it honorable to deceive Laeral and the world with your lies and fake news! You sent your own assassin after Suleman Chaher, didn't you? Leanna Walker, that was her name. What did you give her to cowardly strike against Prime Minister Chaher?"
"Leanna Walker acted bravely to defeat a tyrant," the President said. "Tell me, do you have any sorrow at all for what you've done?"
"The freedom-loving people of the world will crown me as their savior, once I've killed you! Prime Minister Chaher is a great man, an angel sent from above to guide us, and he gave me my sacred mission himself."
President Brennan, who had been about to walk out, turned. "Oh?"
"I saw him on TV, and then he turned to me. He spoke to me of a snake crowned with the poison of lies, seeking to strike at the heel of freedom's prophets. He showed me the gun I was to use in my sacred mission. You were that snake, Nicholas Brennan! You were the snake, the snake crowned with the eternal death of damnation and the poison of treachery and lies!"
Henderson Long kept raving on as President Brennan left the cell and returned to the hallway.
"I told you he was insane, sir," Jian-long, the head of the Federal Marshals assigned to guard him, said.
"I needed to see for myself," Nicholas Brennan replied.

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Somewhere near Summersea
7/18/18 - 08:30

"I thought Launchenioria was supposedly some paradise on earth weather wise." Corpral Paul Mitchell had been driving his Jeep through the Launcheniorian wilderness for the past six hours. Over the course of thouse painfully slow hours, Paul's Jeep had sunk in the post-rain mud twice, slid into a tree once, and nearly careened into a ditch. Mitchell had been a member of the Elite Scouting Devision of the Maximusian armed forces for more than 12 years. He had been tasked with meeting up with the Coalition forces remaining in Summersea and reporting the situation back to General Wallace as the rest of the Army marched to meet up with the bulk of Coalition forces who were making their way to Carville. First, he had to find Summersea, this was proving harder than he expected. Apparently, a large forest still lay between Mitchell and Summersea. Even though he only had a few dozen miles to go, the road, a deer run really, was winding and narrow. It was nearly impassible.

Suddenly, Mitchell heard a loud "crack" it was unmistakably gunfire. Mithchell slammed on the breaks, grabbed his M-1 assault rifle, climbed out of the Jeep, and dropped into a crouch. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement, a man or woman moving through the trees about a hundred yards away. Mithchell raised his weapon, took aim and was about to fire when he felt a hard metal cylindrical piece pushed against his head.

"Drop the weapon or I will put a hole in your head!" Came a raspy, female voice. Mitchell dropped his rifle and raised his hands over his head.
"Fine, I surrender," Mitchell whispered harshly. "Just know that you are now surrounded by more than five snipers and scouts who will shoot you in a heart beat!"

This was, of course, a blatant lie, but the presumably Kerrilian soldier hesitated for a moment. That moment was all Mitchell needed. He jumped up in a flas and swung around his rifle with incredible ferocity. The rifle stock landed firmly on the solar plexus of the soldier who stumbled backwards and collapsed. Quick as a flash, Mitchell jumped into his Jeep and slammed his foot on the accelerator. His Jeep lurched foreword just I time to intercept a bullet from the other soldier. The bullet deflected off of the jeep's hood and into a nearby tree. As the Kerrilian solder realoaded, Mitchell stoped the car, leveled his rifle, and fired. Libertas Omnium Maximus, was now at war with Kerlie in its most literal definition.

Coalition Temporary Encampment, 1 day march from Carville
7/19/18. - 20:00

Brigade General Patrice Lemircier had spent most of the day marching with his men and was now exhausted. The battle of Summersea had been hard won and was taking its toll on his men. They looked half starved, exhausted, and depressed, knowing that they were mere days away from another fight. Lemircier knew that around 5,500 Maximusian troops were inbound and were expected to arrive any minute but this did not stop his feeling of total lethargy. This conflict was going on much longer than the Maximusians had anticipated. They had, In Lemircier's opinion, been trying to wait it out to avoid political backlash. Only now were they coming to their senses. This made Lemircier, who had put his life and career on the line, quite upset. Never the less, he needed the Maximusians, he needed the fresh troops. Even if they were mostly newbies, unseasoned soldiers, and low ranking officers, they would boost the morale of his men. That was all he cared about.

No sooner had he finished surveying his men then the telltale sound of marching approached from behind a nearby hill. 400 men in combat approached in perfectly strait lines. There were eight rows with fifty men in each. Two men led the group. One was helmet less and wore a gold sword at his side, the other wore the camouflage of his devision and carried the green and white flag of the Maximusian armed forces.
"The Calvary has arrived!"Launchenioria cryed the sworded man. He was none other than Seargeant Arnold Baker of the 97th devision. He had never been deployed in Launchenioria before but new the area well. His fiancé had studied for two years in Launchenioria and had said nothing but great things about the beautiful forests and architecture. All Baker had seen was mud and felled trees so far.
"General Leemercer," He mispronounced, "Where would you like us to set up camp? We are four hundred strong and have a 8 supply trucks and 5,000 or so troopers inbound! My plan was to bivouac ourselves between that there meadow and the forest beyond. That way we minimize our chances of being flanked. Does that sound appropriate sir?"

"As usual, they show up a month late and send me some special snowflake who thinks he knows how to run an army and probably can't tell the magazine of his gun from its stock!" Lemircier called out to one of his aids.
"Listen, sonny," Lemircier called out to Baker, who, for the record, was only 26 years old, "Just drop your gear where y'are in that clearing. Tell your leader to meet me in my office tent on the southern hill of our encampment ASAP!"
"Sir," Baker began, hurt, "I am the senior most officer in this devision. In addition, I take orders from General Walace. I don't know about you. That may be a breach in protocol. Never the less, once I help my men set up camp, I will join you in your tent." Baker then turned and began helping his men to unpack an truck that had just arrived.

"I hate this kid already," muttered Lemircier resentfully.

[Lauchenoiria]

Elopolis, 7pm

Victoria Juárez had never fired a gun. She hoped it didn't show on her face, as she pointed one at the man Suleman Chaher had sent to replace her.

"I don't want to hurt you, Mr Corbett, but unless you surrender now I will be forced to. Resistance forces are right now in the process of taking control of not just this city, but the entire province. Surrender now, and I assure you, no harm will come to you."

She held her voice steady even while wanting to vomit, in the way only a politician could. The man, Sam Corbett, regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"I don't think you will fire that gun, Ms Juárez. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to leave here now before one of your more violent cronies turns up," he smiled a false smile as he stood up and made to leave the room.

Bang.

Corbett went down, clutching the hole in his leg which had blood gushing out of it. Juárez was frozen in position, but a couple Resistance soldiers ran in just then. One of them came up to Juárez and slowly took the gun out of her hands. She started shaking. The other man was leading a screaming and swearing Corbett away.

Juárez calmed her breathing and sat down on top of the desk. In... and out... in... and out...

"What's the situation?" she asked the man who was just now placing her gun on the desk beside her.

"Resistance forces are now in control of most of Ulinaria, however government forces are still fighting us in the southern quarter of the province, along with some Kerlians. In the north, we have all the land up until the Fleurian Forest, but we're concerned about forces coming at us through the trees."

"Get in contact with Sonja in Usera, if we can take Yerville and the rest of Yervia, then we split the government forces in the north from their allies in the south. And with the Coalition coming at them from out of Summersea, the Gonhogians and Kerlians are going to have a hell of a tough time with nowhere to retreat to."

----------------------

Usera, 11pm

"Hey, Oliver! Come dance with me!" a very drunk Leonie called out, almost tripping over someone's bag as she pulled Oliver up. They were celebrating the victory in Ulinaria, and it was Leonie's first time drinking.

"You're not old enough to drink here," scolded Josephine as they passed her.

"Oh yeah? I'm not 21, so what? Exactly who is making the laws here anyway?" Leonie responded, spinning around to the music as she headed to the dance floor.

Josephine shook her head once more and exited the bar where the party was taking place. She ran her hand through her hair and sighed, as the late-night wind cooled her down after the hot and sweaty atmosphere of the club. She walked down the high street where the protest that had started all this off took place.

She was heading to the cathedral. Never much one for religion, she had nevertheless felt... if not belief, a desire to believe since the war started.

She reached the end of the street and was about to cross over to the cathedral, when she heard a voice speaking in hushed tones that made her stop and listen.

"... plan to head for Yerville in order to split government forces in half. I... no, I don't know when... yes, I promise I'm loyal to Chaher... I will let you know when I find out more. Quirós out."

Josephine ducked behind a bus shelter as Olivia Quirós emerged from an alleyway and threw a very basic looking phone in a bin. She turned down the street towards the museum and Josephine began to follow her at a safe distance.

Olivia slipped inside a side door at the museum and, after waiting a minute, Josephine followed. She walked down a dark corridor, heading towards a room where light seeped under the door. When she reached the door, she took out her weapon and kicked it open.

Olivia Quirós jumped out of her chair and spun as Josephine brought the gun level with her chest. Olivia slowly raised her arms in surrender. Josephine took in their surroundings. Olivia was in a room that seemed to be an old museum CCTV station, which had apparently been modified to pick up signals from around the city.

"Please! Oh god, I'm so sorry, please!" Olivia begged.

"You're working for Chaher," stated Josephine.

"Please, he made me! He said he would keep me in that horrible prison for all my life unless I agreed to help him. He was going to arrange a fake "˜escape' when your wife carried out the real one. Please, you don't understand, I had to, it was just so horrible there..."

"You didn't have to do anything. You chose to betray us. Now, hands against the wall."

A sobbing Olivia complied.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"You know how much you hated being locked up? Yeah, you're not going to like what comes next."

[Laeral]

"Lauchenoiria is in flames," Colonel Zheng Zhiwei, second-in-command of Laeralian troops in Lauchenoiria, said. He unrolled a map of the country and placed it on the table in the command bunker. He pointed to the position of the Coalition front line. "We're pushing northward towards the Ecanta provincial border- on fact, I think a Skodenian scouting unit reporting coming within sight of it."
"Excellent," Brigade-General Lemercier said. "What about in Carville?"
"Our forces reached the outside of the city and were forced away," Zheng said. "The Kerlians and Lauchenoirians there were dug in and determined. You've said you don't want to take the city?"
"That's correct," Lemercier said. "Far too easy to get bogged down in there."
"What if we send some of the Maximusians there? " Zheng asked. "They're fresh but they're not veterans. If we ask them to leave a screening force to prevent the Junta's forces from breaking out of Carville, our lead elements are free to advance northward."
"Into Ulinaria," Lemercier said. "Where the rebels are launching an uprising."
Zheng nodded. "That sounds like a plan. Have you heard from the Gendarme commander in Usera?"
"He says that it's quiet," Lemercier said. "There's been some plotting, but no attacks. His 40 men are spending their time training the rebels."
"Very well," Zheng said. "Should we tell the Gendarme commander, what's her name, to send another squad or two?"
"Can't hurt," Lemercier said, "especially since we've been reinforced."

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Just Outside of Carville
July 21st 22:00

"Listen up men!" Corporal Baker barked at the group of 900 men assembled in front of him. "Pikehurst, Mitz, and Jones have already taken moved their decisions away from this area. They are traveling onward with the Skodanians and Laerelites. As you all know, we were pushed back yesterday when we attempted to approach Carville. That was it for the Coalition. They, collectively, did not want to waste anymore time on the city. You 900 have been held back because you are the men who will take the city. You all remember your training? Use buildings as cover. Don't leave your squad. Improvise. I cannot stress improvising enough. It will win us this fight. If you have one bullet and two enemies, you shoot the lamppost and let the shattering glass cover your escape. It doesn't have to be by the books. Just make it work."


Carville
July 21st 23:45

Com link chatter

Bravo Delta Squad: We are on 3rd street. Receiving major opposition. Avoid this way. Repeat stay clear of 3rd street
Alpha Whiskey Squadron: Copy. We have snipers on the roofs near the western side warehouses. Can't get through.
Omega Zeta Squadron: We lost Johnson, McIlroy, pinned down near east side entrance. We need medevac.
Bravo Delta: Encountering Civilians. No firing from the hip. We might hit one. Pushed through opposition, 3rd is clear though.
Omega Zeta: Alpha team. Close our left flank.
Alpha Foxtrot: Copy.
Alpha Whiskey: We need to pull out! They have us flanked. We need- *Static*
Alpha Foxtrot: Multiple casualties! Fall back to Broadstreet.
Omega Zeta: We're over run! *Static*
Alpha Foxtrot: All squads, regroup at Broadstreet!
Bravo Delta: Roger that! We are en route.
Charlie Team: we will join you shortly.
Charlie Whiskey: They appeared to be holled up in the theater on 2nd.
Bravo Delta: I see baracade on 3rd.
Alpha Foxtrot: let's dig in on Broadstreet. Good cover.
Charlie Zeta: Theatre cleared. Moving up.
Alpha Foxtrot: Copy.
Bravo Delta: We are headed for Broadstreet.
Alpha: Status?
Bravo Delta: Down Alpha Whiskey. Down Omaha Zeta. Charlie Team inbound.
Charlie Zeta: We have the court house. Move out from Braidstreet.
Alpha Foxtrot: Roger.
Bravo Delta: Roger.
Bravo Delta: We have seized the town hall.
Alpha Foxtrot: We have the Market.
Charlie Zeta: Two squadrons surrendered on 4th street.
Charlie Omega: I think we have them routed. They are fleeing. Repeat we have surrendering and fleeing Gonhog soldiers!
Charlie Zeta: Roger. Regroup at the Market. They lost their foothold. We have the city.
Bravo Delta: We have cleared the warehouse district. Multiple casualties. Requesting Medivac.
Alpha Foxtrot: We have complete surrender of Gonhog forces on 3rd street.
Charlie's Omega: Start the cleanup. The acting governer man named Johav or something surrenders to us. He claimed to have called off his troops.
Alpha Foxtrot: Confirmed. The blockade on 3rd has just raised a white flag.
Bravo Delta: We got "˜em!
Alpha: Report
Bravo Delta: The City is ours. We lost a lot of good men though.

Litudinem, Libertas Omnium Maximus
Press Room - 24:00, July 22

"As of five minutes ago, Maximusian forces have liberated the Launcheniorian city of Carville! They report around 200 total casualties. We will give you more in formation when it becomes available to us. Thank you."

[Lauchenoiria]

Buttercity Central Hospital

Yousef Chaher sat watching his father breathing loudly as he slept. The 24-year-old PhD student had been sitting there for three hours, contemplating the universe. He looked down at the sleeping figure, feeling all kinds of conflicted thoughts.

For most of Yousef's adult life, his world had been this: his father was a government minister, his mother was a florist, he studied philosophy in Carville and his brother was in the navy. Until, one day, all the world changed.

He'd been in the apartment in Carville he shared with his two friends, when a secret service agent had knocked on the door. He'd opened it, half drunk, and been informed that he needed to return to Fleura province immediately. He'd tried to shut the door, but the agent blocked it with his foot. Yousef didn't really remember the rest.

Next thing he knew, he was in some big house in the country, vomiting into a bowl while his mother sang soothingly to him. Once the hangover had passed, he'd tried to leave, only for a whole bunch of armed guards prevent him from doing so, for his "˜own safety'. His brother was there also, after being recalled suddenly and offered no explanation. Not even his mother seemed to know what was going on.

The family had been watching daytime television when the news broadcast had come through. His father had deposed Laura Moore, in what some were calling a coup d'état.

At first, Yousef had thought it was all some kind of elaborate CGI practical joke faked for his purpose. And then slowly it dawned on him that it was real. Still, he couldn't quite believe in it. It was too far-fetched.

His father had come "˜home' that night, and hugged his mother, telling her that everything would now be okay, they wouldn't take away her flower shop. Yousef hadn't even been aware it was in danger. His brother received news of a promotion, and Yousef was offered... well, he never heard his offer because he'd already stormed upstairs and slammed the door. His mother and his brother had seemed so supportive of his father's actions, but Yousef...

A memory came to him suddenly of his grandparents. They were devout Muslims, and when his father had informed them he would be raising his children as atheists, they were horrified. Yousef had been six years old at the time and had heard the argument in the other room.

"I will pray for you, and I will pray for your children, Suleman! I did not raise you this way, my son, and I now see a darkness in you that scares me..." his grandfather had been saying, when suddenly the sound of a glass smashing and his grandmother's scream had drowned him out.

His father had come charging into the room, grabbing him and his three-year-old brother by the arms and dragging them out. His brother had screamed. They had never seen their grandparents again.

For the first time in eighteen years, Yousef Chaher prayed. He could barely remember how, but as he stared down at his father's sleeping form, he was overcome with a desire to do so. There was something wrong in the way his father had regressed after his injury. The doctors were at a loss to explain it.

He shuddered at the lack of scientific explanation. He wondered if his grandparents had been right.

He stood up suddenly and went outside to speak to one of his father's aides.

"Jonas, do you have an address for my grandparents?"

The young man jumped at the shock of actually being spoken to and stacked the pile of papers he was holding neatly in the manner of someone who wished to look like they were actually doing something.

"Um, yes, I'm sure I can get that for you."

"Good, send it to my phone right away."

-------------------

Grapevale, Kerlile

President Joanna Greenwood took another sip of her wine and leaned back in the sun on her balcony. No major catastrophes had happened in several days, and she was taking advantage of the peace and quiet.

He relaxing evening came to an end when a familiar knock sounded and Lucia Casci came rushing into the room.

"Madam President, there is news from Lauchenoiria."

Greenwood sighed and gently sat up, resting the wine glass on the stone barrier around the balcony.

"Am I going to like this, Casci?"

"That would be... unlikely, ma'am."

"Then get on with it."

"The Resistance has taken control of much of Ulinaria province, and Libertas Omnium Maximus has taken Carville."

Joanna Greenwood took a deep breath, then picked up her wine, drained the glass and threw the glass off the edge of the balcony. A countable number of seconds later, the pair heard a faint clink as it smashed on the concrete below.

"We can't wait much longer. The damned Coalition are getting far too confident. Send more troops to reinforce Annatown and Yerville. Do not let the Usera Resistance and the Ulinarians meet each other."

"Yes, ma'am," Casci said, turning to leave, when Greenwood grabbed her arm and prevented her from doing so. Greenwood leaned right in so she was whispering in Casci's ear.

"Bring forward Operation Unicorn. We can no longer afford to wait."

[Slokais]

July 22nd 2018
Presidential Manior
Speech by President Joseph Chavez

"Hello as you now earlier parliament had a closed session to vote on a delcation of War". "I am pleased to announce that the it was ratified 477-26". "We have declared war on Lauchenoiria and join our Allies and defeating there Curel regime". "It could last days or years but though it all we will fight to absolute victory". "Sir Winston Churchhall once Said I can only promise you blood,sweat and tears". " That's the only thing i can assume will happen".
"God bless you and bless the nation".
OOC 5;000 troops will leave for Summersea

[Laeral]

First Sergeant Brandon Lau, Laeralian National Security Force, whooped as he caught sight of a ragged squad of Gonhogian soldiers retreating- no, fleeing- northward. "We've got them on the run!" he yelled to his men, riding in the truck alongside him. They cheered, and why wouldn't they? It had stopped raining for the first time in a few days, there had been little enemy opposition, and news had just come in that Maximusian soldiers had liberated Carville. Add that to the news that Slokais Islands would be sending troops, as well, and there was a real celebratory mood. Some barracks fortunetellers were predicting that the war would be over by the Mid-Autumn Festival.

When Lau's squad (minus one member who had been hit by shrapnel a few days back) set up camp for the night with their fellows, those Gonhogians had been the last enemies they'd seen all day. Sure, the enemy was taking a few efforts to slow them down- destroying bridges, removing signposts- but these were only minor inconveniences when it seemed that the majority of Lauchenoirians were more than happy to give directions and point out alternate routes. They were staying for the night in a small town about a quarter of the way from the Costeno-Ulinaria border to the provincial capital of Elopolis, and Brandon had spent his night rather enjoyably at a local pub offering drinks on the house for Coalition soldiers, in the company of some locals who were quite willing to ooh and aah over Brandon's stories of the Battle of Summersea. So he was more than a little tipsy when he walked back to the barracks, a simple set of tents on the outskirts of town. He fell into his cot and went to sleep.

Lying asleep, Brandon was woken by a sound. It was a gurgling sort of sound, and his eyes opened drowsily when he heard it. Then, he heard the slight crunching of gravel under boots outside his tent, and he heard the sounds of the tent zipper being unzipped. He looked around. It was a two-person tent he shared with Junxian, the comm specialist, and there was no one else supposed to be there. He stiffened, lying completely still in bed, as the person outside stepped in.

In the darkness, Brandon couldn't make out much about the person, until they turned and he saw that they grasped a knife tightly in their right hand, the bare blade glimmering slightly in the ambient light. Brandon leapt out of his cot, yelling, and flung his blanket over the assailant. They spun, startled, as the blanket hit them, and then Brandon had grabbed his pack and swung it at them. The pack bounced off their face, and they sprung at him with their knife hand. Brandon danced back, left hand scrabbling in the darkness for his own knife. His hand closed on his heavy metal flashlight, and he swung it like a club. In the darkness, he didn't see the knife until it was too late. The blade slashed into his left arm as he brought it up desperately to defend himself, and bit deep. Brandon jerked backwards, shouting in pain, and swung the flashlight with his right hand into his attacker's temple. They slumped, and Brandon savagely swung again, the flashlight impacting on the attacker's head. They fell, and Brandon swung again until they lay still on the ground. Only then did Brandon turn on the gore-encrusted flashlight, and he almost threw up, seeing the horrible sight in front of him. It was only once he'd recovered his wits that he noticed that the body was in Kerlian uniform.

At that moment, he heard gunfire from outside, and yelling in French. Brandon grabbed his rifle and dashed out the tent door, where he encountered other LNSF soldiers, pulling on clothing and carrying guns. "Kerlians!" Brandon shouted. "They're attacking!"

The fight was brief but bloody, as the Kerlians chose to beat a retreat once the firefight broke out. Brandon once almost shot another LNSF soldier who had come upon him suddenly. It was only once the fight was over that Brandon noticed that the cut on his arm had been bleeding profusely the entire time. After bandaging it up, he couldn't muster up the will to go back into his tent and the body that was there, instead just lying on the ground for a few brief hours of rest until morning. Once light came, he saw, to his surprise, that Lauchenoirians carrying guns and the occasional flak vest or helmet were helping to carry out the Laeralian dead.

"Who are you?" he asked blearily. "And who gave you permission to carry your guns in here?"

"We're the resistance," came the reply. "We've seized the countryside from the enemy, and we're damn glad to see you. Oh, and welcome to Ulinaria."

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Coalition encampment
July 23rd - Very Early

The Maximusian forces had been forced to leave almost 900 men I Carville in order to capture and secure it. The other 4,600 troops were now forced to march onward with the rest of the Coalition. Seargent Johan Mitz was one of thouse men. He was exuasted from nearly a week of marching and was upset that he wasn't relaxing in Carville now that the news had arrived that LOM had taken the city. Never the less, he was happy to finally be resting in his tent in a clearing. It was now almost one in the morning. The sergeant had been forced to stay up in order to insure that everyone in his Squadron was properly set up for a one night encampment. In just 5 hours, Mitz would have to arouse his men and tell them to get packing. Mitz took off his heavy combat boots and set them next to his cot. This was all that he had energy for. He then collapsed onto his cot and fell asleep instantly.

Coalition Encampment
July 23 - 04:00

*Bang* *Bam*

The sudden noises woke Mitz up immediately. Two screams broke out. "Sir! We are under attack!" hollered The seargants acting Aid-de-Camp from the tent over. Mitz grabbed his pistol and ran, barefooted, outside.

A minor confrontation between Kerlilian troops and Coalition forces soon issued. The Kerlilins were quickly routed and fled. Although Libertas Omnium Maxiumus was only dealt 5 casualties, 4 of them were friendly fire. Mitz, who was in command until Baker returned from Carville, realized that some of his men were just to inexperienced for this. They needed more training than they received. They panicked when they should not have. Mitz knew something had to be done to avoid another incident such as this. So, he returned to his tent, pulled out his laptop, and drafted the fallowing memo:


To: Corporal Arnold Baker Jr.
From: Sergeant Johan Svek Mitz
Subject: Many of the units under my command.

It has come to my attention that many of the men that are serving in this campaign, approximately 1,050, were not properly trained for prolonged combat scenarios. They were apparently pulled from boot camp early in order to make it to Launchenioria so quickly. They are good men with good hearts, I believe, but this will not keep them from being killed, injured, or undermining the success of this campaign. I am requesting your advice on how to fix this issue.

The sergeant clicked send and ventured out of his tent to help with body ID and cleanup. The next morning, just as he was about to pack away his laptop, Mitz received this email:

To: Sergeant Johan Svek Mitz
From: Corporal Arnold Baker Jr.
Re-Units under my command.

Understood. The men need training but the Coalition needs them too. Have them retreat to Carville, there I can run training exercises with them and have them join you when they are ready. The 900 already in Carville will head out to meet you as soon as the newbies arrive. With this said, it will take time for the 900 to reach you again. For now, you'll have to do with only 3,550 troops. Good Luck.

[Lauchenoiria]

Fleuran Forest, 5am

Jae Chung had a recurring nightmare that had plagued her since Annatown fell to Gonhogian forces.

She stood on the edge of a wide-open plane with Yasin Zaunq, who handed her the USB just as he had done in real life.

"The contents of that USB could put an end to this war," he said, "get that to Sonja, she'll know what to do," then vanished into a puff of smoke.

Jae began to walk across the plane, and Sonja Alvarez appeared over the horizon. Jae began to run towards her, when suddenly out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her mother. Her mother, who had died in childbirth, who she had only seen photos of. Her mother, whose death had led to her father taking her and her older brother out of the country of their birth and emigrated to Lauchenoiria when she was only a few weeks old.

She slowed down, staring at the woman who had died to give her life, and the woman waved back, then turned to walk away, in a different direction to the one Sonja stood. Caught between two places, Jae flailed and ground to a halt. She turned towards her mother, and the woman turned to look at her, then vanished into dust.

Jae screamed and began to run towards Sonja, but the ground she ran on crumbled, opening a deep chasm that Jae fell into. She tried to throw the USB to Sonja as she fell, but it stopped short and dropped into the bottomless pit, as the country crumbled to dust around her.

Jae woke in a sweat, shivering and crying.

"Stop it, Jae," she spoke aloud to herself, "you are stronger than this."

She gathered her composure, and stood, picking up her meagre collection of belongings and setting off in the direction of Usera. She would find Sonja, and they would win this war.

Usera, 6:59am

"The rain has finally come to an end in Fleura, meanwhile in Ecanta, the drought continues as no rain has been reported since April. Those in Costeno province are warned to apply plenty of sun cream as temperatures in the south are predicted to reach 37 degrees Celsius. And that's all for the weather today.

Thank you, Belinda, and that's all from us at the 6 o'clock morning news. Before we say goodbye, a reminder that all Lauchenoirian citizens should be on the lookout for these fugitives and traitors. Thank you, I'm Miguel Torrez and goodbye."

Eight photographs displayed on the screen around the smiling figure of Miguel, including Sonja, Josephine and Laura Moore.

"Collaborator," Leonie spat at the sight of the grinning Miguel, and jabbed the off button for the TV as strongly as she could. She leaned back in her chair, gasping at the shooting pain that passed through her body as she did so. She cursed whoever had shot her, and moved back into a more comfortable position. She'd been lucky, the bullet had missed everything important. But it was still a bullet.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the building, Sonja was in the war room, planning their advance out of Usera.

"Ma'am, reports of Gonhogian troops advancing on this area. And more Kerlians as well."

"That was to be expected. They'll have the Coalition to deal with as well, though. Proceed."

"Yes, ma'am."

The signal was sent and the Resistance troops began to move out of the city.

Camilo Arreola, who had been a twenty-one-year-old physics student before war broke out, was one of those on the front lines. He saw the Chaher's troops who had been stationed nearby panic at the sudden movement, after so many weeks of nothing but brief exchanges of fire.

He raised his weapon as they approached and soon was engaged in battle.

No more than twenty minutes later, the pathetically small encampment of Lauchenoirian soldiers had been dealt with, and Arreola was marching through the countryside. He knew deep down that it had been too easy so far.

The Resistance troops continued towards Yerville as the sun rose higher in the sky.

Lorentonia, 10am

Yousef Chaher stood awkwardly, watching his grandparents argue in Arabic. He could catch the occasional word, but he hadn't had reason to speak the language since he was six, and he'd forgotten most, especially at the speed they conversed.

Eventually, his grandmother flopped down on a seat, apparently defeated.

"It was lovely to see you again, Yousef, but I am afraid we cannot help your father," his grandfather's English was accented and his manner of speaking overly formal, in the way of someone who had learned a language as an adult, not a child.

"He's your son," Yousef begged.

"He is lost! Do you not see the way he has become? The darkness he has brought to this land? He may be of my blood, but he is not my son," his grandfather responded, raising his voice slightly. His grandmother said something in response, seeming to plead.

"See? She agrees with me," Yousef argued.

"Ha! If your father had not taken you away as a child you would know what she says. She begs me to take you with us when we leave this country, not to save your father. It cannot be done," he shook his head.

"You're leaving?"

"We must," he said, quieter this time, "it brings us too much shame to see the darkness we have brought to this country."

"He's not "˜darkness', he's a human being!"

"You came to this house claiming that you wished to discover religion, but all I hear from you is begging! You do not believe! Get out of my house! And do not return as long as you support that man!"

His grandfather ushered Yousef towards the door. Shocked, Yousef allowed himself to be pushed out the door and have it slammed in his face.

Buttercity, 1pm

The doctor hovered above Suleman Chaher.

"You seem much better today, Prime Minister," he said cheerfully as he took Chaher's temperature. Chaher felt better. Charissa Clarke wandered into the room.

"Charissa! How is the war?" he asked.

"Not going to well. The terrorists have taken Ulinaria and the foreign invaders calling themselves the "˜Coalition' in the south have nearly all of Costeno province. Kerlile is sending more troops and Gonhog is advancing north, but the drought in Ecanta is hitting us hard, and Noguera keeps calling and demanding we let the foreigners past our blockade."

"No, they will only sneak out spies."

"Indeed. Our contact on the island is becoming less useful since he decided to divorce the person he's meant to be spying on."

"Anael Noguera? Divorce? Isn't he meant to be really religious?"

"Yes, but his religion permits divorce."

"Ugh."

The pair sat in silence for a minute. Suddenly a pain shot through Chaher's body and he groaned.

"Sir?" Clarke said, mildly alarmed.

"If I die," Chaher said, lying back and grinning slightly, "please do me one favour: kill the Walker bitch."

"Understood, sir," Clarke grinned back. "Incidentally, we are broadcasting the faces of the fugitives everywhere, and we're going to make sure the Usera and Ulinaria resistance factions don't meet up."

"Good, now can I have some of that coffee you're holding?"

"I'll have to ask the doctor," Charissa said then went to stand up. Chaher grabbed her hand.

"I am Prime Minister," he warned her, sounding half threatening and half amused.

"Of course, Prime Minister," she said, handing him one of the coffee cups.

"Now, where are my sons?"

Liaville, Aeluria, 5pm

Carlito Moles kicked the football hard enough that it banged against the neighbouring fence.

"Carlito!" his mother yelled from the conservatory, warning him. His brother, Marcos, picked up the ball and rolled it to where the collection of toys sat.

"Come on, it's no fun when she's yelling," the ten-year-old scowled. Carlito, fourteen, shrugged and followed his brother to the patio. Fergie Douglas, his best friend sat dangling her legs in the pool. A massive tomboy, Fergie had always hung out with the boys, and had been Carlito's best friend since they were Marcos' age.

"Hey, Carl," she called and he went to sit down beside her. "Is he okay?" she asked, nodding towards a figure curled in a ball hiding in the shade.

"He's trapped here," Carl shrugged.

"We're all trapped here," Fergie pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's not from here."

"Hey, Fred!" Fergie called, but the figure didn't move. "Bonjour, Frédéric," she tried again, in badly accented French. The figure unfurled and glanced over at them, then pulled itself up and started towards them.

The boy who came over to them didn't look anything like the Laeralian exchange student who had come to stay with them for a week. On the 10th June. He was thinner, and he didn't smile all that much.

"Hey Fred," Fergie said gently, "í§a va?"

"Je suis pris au pií¨ge sur cette í®le et n'ai pas vu mes parents depuis plus d'un mois."

Fergie looked at Carlito, who just shrugged.

"Je suis... une banane?" Carlito said, holding out a banana. Both Fergie and Fred sniggered. "What?"

"You just say you are banana," Fred said, in badly accented English.

Carlito turned bright red and suddenly pushed Fergie into the pool. She shrieked and then leaned over, grabbing his leg and pulling him in as well. He reached out for Fred, who yelled and tried to move away.

"Non, je ne veux pas..." his words trailed away as they all ended up in the pool.

"Cannonball!" yelled Marco, and Fergie and Carlito ducked under the water as Marco landed in the pool, splashing water everywhere.

"Boys!" yelled Carlito's mother.

After playing in the pool for an hour, his mother called them all to come out and eat. Fergie hovered as if expecting to be invited, the way she always was before. But Carlito's mother shook her head.

"Not enough, sorry," she apologised, as Fergie walked alone down the path to her house across the street. She passed a crowd of older teenagers smoking and wrinkled her nose.

Carlito meanwhile sat down.

"Is this all?" Marcos exclaimed.

"They... I couldn't get any more, I'm sorry," their mother looked down.

"It'll be over soon," Carlito promised, but he couldn't make that promise any more than she could. "When will Dad be home?"

"Those Kivasekians are teaching him to fight, I don't know," their mother shrugged.
Fred suddenly jumped up and walked inside without a word. He had already finished his food.

"Can we not go ask the government to let him leave?"

"Even if they let some of the tourists go, son, Lauchenoiria is at war with Laeral. He's better here than on the mainland," his mother said.

Carlito went to take another bite, then realised his plate was already empty, and dropped his fork in exasperation.

[Aertemedia]

The 476th Sentinel corps, the 121st artillery regiment, and the Aertemedian 5th fleet have been dispatched to supplement Laeral's forces.

[Aertemedia]

Experimental orbital kinetic bombardment satellites are being moved into geostationary orbit over lauchenoiria

[Lauchenoiria]

Unidentified Location, 4pm

The door to Leanna Walker's cell opened and her body filled with fear like a bucket in torrential rain.

"Please! I've already told you, I staged the hit on Keitha Noguera to try and gain support. I've already confessed. Please!" she begged, sobbing on the floor.

"Oh, this is not an interrogation, Ms Walker," sneered Santos. She forced herself to stand up. "Don't bother, Ms Walker. You'll want to be sitting down for this one."

Six hours earlier...

Countryside, Yervia Province, 10am

"Oh shit," commented Camino Arreola as the Resistance troops halted at the top of a hill to see the seemingly endless lines of Lauchenoirians, Kerlians and Gonhogians that stretched out before them.

"Yeah," agreed a woman whose name he didn't know.

Arreola didn't know who fired first. Just that at some point the staring ended and the shooting started. His squad advanced through a field containing some very panicked sheep, to be met with strong resistance from a horde of Kerlians.

Something exploded behind him and suddenly all the noise faded into a ringing in his ears. He passed a tree and was suddenly on the ground, a Kerlian woman brandishing a knife above him. She appeared to have lost her rifle at some point and so had been crouching behind a tree waiting for someone to jump.

He brought his arms up to push against her and prevent her stabbing him, when suddenly she was hit by a stray bullet and rolled off him, alive but dying. He scrambled to his feet and looked around him. He was a city person; all the countryside looked the same to him. Except...

Were those Gonhogians in the field with the sheep? Or were those different sheep? He couldn't tell if they had advanced forward or been pushed back. All he knew was that the battle wasn't over yet.

10km outside Buttercity, 11am

Yousef Chaher cursed and drove into a lay-by to answer his persistently ringing phone.

"WHAT?" he yelled down the line.

"Mr Chaher? You need to get back to Buttercity at once."

"I'm on my way, why?"

"Your father has taken a turn for the worse."

Resistance HQ, Usera, noon

"The Gonhogians are putting up a hell of a fight, and there's more of them than we anticipated. Our troops have been pushed back, near the village of Nuevo Baeza," reported Ramiro Soto, long-term resident of Usera, and new tactician for the Resistance, pointing at a small dot on the map.

"Casualties?" asked Sonja.

"It's still too much of a mess to tell exactly how much, but a truckload of injured are being brought back here already. We've noticed a possible opening, however. This area here," he gestured, "is full of Lauchenoirian soldiers, and this particular group seem reluctant to open fire on our forces."

"Speculation as to why?"

"Locals, worried about friends or relatives on the other side? Not sure. They're to the far north of the enemy lines, it's not the best territory, but the Gonhogians are mostly to the south and they've been the biggest threat."

"Send some of our forces to engage the Gonhogians, keep them distracted. Send the rest to the north, and hopefully we'll get enough past to take Yerville and meet the Ulinarians."

Soto nodded and left, and Sonja turned back to the map. Josephine, who had been hovering in the corner, came over and wrapped her arms around Sonja, pressing close.

"It'll be okay," Josephine tried to sooth her. Sonja smiled ruefully.

"This isn't the first war I've seen, Josie. Some you win and some you lose, but they all have one thing in common "“ at the end, things are never okay."

Buttercity Central Hospital, noon

"We've discovered some severe internal bleeding and we need to take him to surgery immediately," the doctor informed Chaher's wife, Sana.

"But he was fine yesterday!" she said incredulously.

"These things can get complicated, Mrs Chaher," Charissa Clarke sidled over and put her arm around Sana.

"As she said. I'm sorry, Mrs Chaher, but we need to operate now," the doctor insisted.

"Are there risks?" Aamer, Chaher's younger son asked.

"I won't lie to you, it's an incredibly difficult procedure, but unless we try, your father will die."

"Okay," Sana nodded nervously, "okay, but please bring him back to me, safe."

"We will try our best, ma'am."

Some hospital staff began wheeling the unconscious Suleman Chaher to the operating room, as Sana and Aamer held each other, while Clarke watched on, a concerned look on her face.

Nuevo Baeza, Yervia Province, 2pm

Camino Arreola was knocked to the ground as a Gonhogian grenade hit a nearby building. He noticed a civilian girl clutching a teddy bear hiding in an alleyway.

"Hey, where's your parents?" he asked her. She stared at him, uncomprehending. "¿Dónde están tus padres?" he tried.

"No lo sé," she replied, sobbing.

Shit, he thought. He looked around, but he couldn't see any other civilians. The town's population had scattered when they had appeared, guns blazing. His squad had been ordered to head north, but the Gonhogians were making it impossible and had now surrounded the town.

"Necesitas encontrar un lugar seguro para esconderse," he told the girl, then waved her away. You need to find a safe place to hide.

He turned back to the fighting just as another explosion sent a dust cloud up into the air. A Gonhogian appeared out of the chaos and he raised his weapon and fired at the man. He fell, but one of his comrades appeared out of the dust and returned fire. Wounded but not dead, Arreola fell back against the ground, the world swimming around him.

A Kerlian soldier appeared above him and raised her weapon. He held his hands up in surrender, then passed out.

Buttercity Central Hospital, 2:30pm

Charissa Clarke watched from a distance as the doctor shook his head. Sana fell to the ground, her hand over her mouth in a silent wail. Aamer turned away from his mother, shock on his face. He caught Clarke's eye then looked away, putting his arm around Sana, who clutched his leg and sobbed.

The door to the corridor burst open, and Yousef came running down the corridor, slowing to a halt as he took in the scene around him. He looked from his crying family, to Clarke, and then to the doctor. He caught the doctor's eye.

"I'm so sorry," the doctor said. Yousef shook his head in disbelief.

"No," he said, simply and with no emotion.

"Your father passed away at 2:23pm following complications during surgery following an emergency operation relating to the after-effects of his gunshot wound from..."

Clarke exited the corridor, and took out her phone. She dialled a number and brought the phone up to her ear. She examined her reflection in the well-polished metal sign indicating where the different wards were located. She made sure to gather her composure before the voice on the other end picked up. As soon as she heard the click, she spoke.

"It has happened."

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Carvile
July 25th - Midnight

Corporal Arnold Baker had been lying in his bed in the MSH for the past 48 hours in agony. While rounding up fleeing Gonhog troops, Baker had taken a stray bullet to the shoulder blade, which fractured, splintered, and caused severe internal bleeding. He had at least been resting soundly with the knowledge that the Coalition was almost to Elopolis and had gained major amounts of foreign support. Now, however, he was wide awake. The scratch sound of a transistor radio running had awoken him from his restless slumber.

"Yes, In other news, official reports have come in that a large Maximusian Force was seen heading back to Carville. They may be planing to relive the Special Forces Operatives of their watch duty of the city."

"˜Perfect' Baker thought two himself, "the media bought our lame story." No sooner had he finished this thought than the Chanel was changed and Baker was silenced. It was a resistance station, more and more were poping up as the Resistance gained ground. "We have a special announcement to make!" the host began with delight. "Remember that bastard that called for a vote of no confidence back in may on Leanna Walker? That same guy who has been tearing this fine nation apart... Our sources say that he died of his wounds this afternoon. This information has not yet been fact-"

Suddenly, a great huzzaing broke out in the once silent surgical hospital. "A snake can't live without its head screamed one man, who's eye had been gauged out by a Gonhog troop. More cheering continued until Baker suddenly called out, "Enough!" The room went silent as Baker sat up. "He had two sons you know. They will never see their father again. Do not rejoice in someone's demise. Mourn the fact that it had to come to what it came to. Besides, we haven't actualy done anything strategically useful by killing him. Chaher was a pawn. That is all. He was out of the game a month ago when Walker shot him." The room remained silent. "It ain't over yet," whispered one man.

[Lauchenoiria]

Aelurian Coast

"This cigarette butt is too old," commented PC Rhona Cooper to her partner, Ben Caperhill as they wandered along the beach, keeping an eye out for all the usual petty criminals that local police had to deal with.

"How can you tell?" Caperhill replied. They both kept their tone of voice light, but each of them knew the other also felt terrified underneath. Cooper bent down to pick up the remains of the cigarette.

"Look how faded it is. And besides, it's a different brand to the ones the Kivasekians brought. It's definitely from before legalisation."

"If the legalisation actually happened. Some would argue Noguera had no right to pass that legislation..." Caperhill tested.

"Some people might end up as target practice for the Kivasekians if they keep saying such things. There is a war on, after all."

"And so, people are no longer allowed to say what they think?"

"People know better than to say some things. You never know who could be listening," Cooper warned, in a tone that signalled the end of the conversation.

The pair continued along the beach, until they heard whispering, and Cooper held her hand up to stop Caperhill. They snuck forward, taking cover behind some rocks as they listened.

"...have the right to make that decision for myself!"

"You are free to divorce your wife all you want, but you are jeopardising your mission and the unity of our country."

"I no longer care! You said you'd get me out of here, but you didn't keep that promise! Why should I do anything for you?" the man shouted.

"Is that Anael Noguera?" whispered Caperhill.

"Shh..." responded Cooper.

"Because we can just as easily expose you. I wonder what your dear wife would do to you if she discovered you have been working for Chaher since the start."

"You little..."

"You will cooperate, Mr Noguera."

"When I first got involved with this, I believed I was fighting for something worthwhile. But all I see is destruction and death, and all of it caused by you."

"Me? Oh, you utter fool. I stood on this same beach at the beginning of May with Suleman Chaher himself, and even he thought the same. No, this was never my doing."

"He's smoking the same brand cigarette as the one I found," whispered Cooper.

Through bad luck, the wind carried her voice, and Anael Noguera and the mysterious man both turned around and started heading towards the rocks.

"Shit," swore Cooper, and then began to try and sneak away, but she tripped and fell, rolling over in the sand. Beside her, Caperhill had raised his hands in surrender, as the unknown man raised a gun at her.

Suddenly, he turned and shot Caperhill in the head, and Cooper just had time to notice the silencer before he shot her too.

Lauchenoirian News Service Broadcast

"It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Prime Minister Suleman Chaher, who passed away yesterday at 2:23pm as a result of his wounds following the assassination attempt carried out by former President Leanna Walker. Defence Secretary Charissa Clarke has the following words to say."

"Prime Minister Suleman Chaher was a great man. He always worked to do what was best for Lauchenoiria, and his death at the hands of the traitorous Leanna Walker signals a dark day in Lauchenoirian history."

"We will now have two minutes silence in memory of Prime Minister Chaher."

Resistance HQ, Usera

"They're going to execute Walker. Tomorrow," a young man said, turning from a computer.

"What makes you say that?" Leonie asked, walking over.

"Look," he gestured at the computer. The man was a computer scientist and had been assigned to attempting to hack enemy communications. Leonie read the screen but it looked like gibberish to her.

"What am I looking at?" she asked.

"See this bit here? It's in code, but thanks to the defectors in Ulinaria, we know the code. It's indicating that MacKenzie signed an executive order permitting execution," he said, then scrolled down fast and pointed at a different paragraph, "and this is a prisoner transfer order for Leanna Walker."

"And it says they're going to kill her?"

"Not explicitly, but if you look at the other text surrounding these two sections it seems the most probable explanation."

"I'm going to get Sonja."

Fleura/Yervia Boundary

Jae Chung snuck up behind the barn, careful to keep out of sight. She heard voices and slowly crept nearer so she could make out what they were saying.

"... evacuate north immediately before the battle reaches this area."

"I don't care who you work for, I am not leaving this property!"

"Sir, we have orders to forcibly remove anyone who does not go willingly. The so-called Resistance are heading this way, and we have already had civilian casualties in this area. You will evacuate."

"My daughter lives in Nuevo Baeza, I am not leaving without her."

"Sir, Nuevo Baeza has already been the site of a major battle. The civilian population has either already left or is dead. The entire way from here to Usera and Yerville is blocked by fighting. Now, are you going to come with me?"

Clearly the man nodded or something because the pair walked off. Jae slid down the side of the barn in exasperation, and then stared up at the sky.

"Are you trying to make this more difficult?" she asked a god she didn't believe in.

Kerlian-held territory, southern Yervia

Camino Arreola woke to the sound of an argument in French. He groaned and tried to roll over, sending pain shooting through his body. He yelped and his eyes flew open.

"Do not move," a voice said in English in an accent he couldn't place. The argument became more heated. Without moving his body, he tried to glance in the direction of the argument. He saw a group of what appeared to be Laeralian soldiers, most of whom seemed injured in some way.

He tried to sit up, gently this time, being helped by a man he didn't recognise.

"Where... am I?" he asked, concerned that he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Still somewhere in Yervia province," the man shrugged in the accent Arreola couldn't place.

"Okay..." Arreola said, somewhat unsatisfied by the answer. He glanced around him. It appeared to be a barn, filled with an assortment of a few people he recognised from Usera, and a whole bunch of foreign soldiers. "Can you be more specific?"

The man took another look at Arreola and then a look of... guilt? Fear?... passed over his face.

"We're wherever the Kerlians are currently keeping their prisoners of war."

Fantastic, thought Arreola, and if he had spoken the word aloud his voice would have dripped with sarcasm.

"Not all bad news though," a man he recognised from the battle in the field with sheep. "Chaher's dead."

"Um... how long was I unconscious?" he asked.

"Little under 24 hours," he shrugged.

"Ah," he nodded, not quite sure what to say.

One of the Laeralians who had been arguing suddenly stopped talking and stormed off to a corner.

"Um, does anyone here know how Kerlians normally treat prisoners of war?" Arreola asked in the sudden silence. One of the Laeralites turned to him.

"Do you truly want to know the answer to that question?" he said in heavily accented English.

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Augustine, Libertas Omnium Maximus
July 26th - 22:00

Vilav Trotsky suddenly awoke from his restless slumber when a cockroach crawled onto the mattress next to him. Trotsky had been living in this dumpy motel for nearly 6 months. He had hated every moment of it. Trotsky sat up and flipped the light switch on the wall, which illuminated the small apartment. Just his mattress, a small card table with Trotsky's laptop on it, his backpack in the far corner, sitting next to it was a .44 mm handgun. All was quiet. Suddenly, Trotsky made out the faint sound of a car rolling into the vacant lot next door. His heart skipped a beat. Trotsky pulled an undershirt on over his muscular chest, got out of bed, and grabbed his gun.

Slowly, 4 police officers made their way through the weeded lot and onto the motel parking lot. "Room 192." Whispered one of the cops. The cops stepped slowly approached the door labled, 192. "Go!" One cop suddenly called out. The quartet ran to the door and began shooting the lock off.

Trotsky heard the first gunshot and went immediately to work. He grabbed a canister from his back pack, pulled the pin attached to its top, slung the sack over his back, and climbed out the rear window. His home made smoke bomb began to gush smoke, quickly filling the room. Now was his chance to escape. No sooner did he begin running towards his car, which was parked behind the motel, than two burly women jumped from out of nowhere and dragged him into a neerby van. The last thing Trotsky saw was the interior of the van followed by a canvas bag, which was hastily shoved over his head.

[Lauchenoiria]

Unknown Location, 2pm

An odd calm had washed over Leanna Walker since she had heard the news. She knew exactly what they planned to do with her, but for some reason she wasn't scared. She found it almost amusing "“ after nearly a month of regret, fear, pain and the knowledge of her failure she had discovered she succeeded after all.

It almost made it worth it. But as she heard them begin to open the door to her cell, she felt the calmness in her mind falter. All the things she'd never do. All the people she'd never see again. She closed her eyes and counted to five. The door opened.

Two hours earlier...

Resistance HQ, Usera, noon

"Sixty-six years ago, to the day, President Lucas Boag of Lauchenoiria was shot dead by Communist forces following the Revolution. We have reason to believe the government intends to execute Leanna Walker in the same location today."

Sonja Alvarez stood tall addressing the crowd. Leonie was leaning against a wall at the side of the room. She fanned herself as the heat from the packed room became intolerably high.

"Where is that?" a voice called.

"I see you don't all know your history. Boag was shot five miles south of Yerville, in territory currently held by the Kerlians. We have sent a small force to the area, with the aim of preventing the execution."

A murmur passed through the crowd and then the same voice called again.

"What's the plan?"

Fleura House, Official Residence of President of Lauchenoiria, 1pm

"...and so, I am here to ask you to appoint me as the next Prime Minister," Charissa Clarke finished.

President Kieran MacKenzie picked up a flowerpot containing something with purple flowers.

"You see how the inside of the flowers is a deeper purple than the end of the petals? I think they've been getting too much sunlight," he said, walking across the room and placing the flowerpot away from the window.

"Mr President, did you hear what I said?" Clarke sighed. She'd agreed with Chaher about leaving the ageing President in place. Despite the ever-increasing dementia symptoms.

"Hmm? Oh, Charissa! How lovely to see you again! How are you?"

"Mr President, Suleman Chaher is dead. The country needs a Prime Minister. I am here to ask you to appoint me to the position."

"Hmm? I thought that Lauren Moore girl was Prime Minister?"

"Laura. And no, that was before May, the vote of no confidence, remember?"

"Of course, I remember! I'm not completely incompetent young lady!"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she pushed the piece of paper he needed to sign in front of him. He took it.

"Now where did I put my reading glasses?"

"It's the same as before, Mr President. All you need to do is sign it."

"Oh, that reminds me, I ought to autograph some more copies of my book before it's published."

"Your book was published five years ago, now please just sign it," Charissa gritted her teeth, quickly losing her patience.

"Here you go! Enjoy the book," he said, handing her the paper. She checked the signature, all was well.

"Thank you, Mr President," she said, then turned to leave. MacKenzie had already gone back to his plants.

Lucas Boag Memorial Plaque, Yervia Province, 1:45pm

The Kerlian soldiers had surrounded the plaque, accompanied by Lauchenoirians. They scanned the area around them, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

The Resistance members surrounded the Kerlians, keeping out of sight. Everyone got into position, ready for whatever happened next.

Home of Edmund Walker, Laeral, 2:30pm

Leanna's brother Edmund sat alone watching Lauchenoirian TV channels online. He found the blatant government propaganda distasteful to say the least, but he had a terrible feeling something was about to happen to his sister.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and he got up to answer it. Daniel Garza, his sister's former chief of staff stood at the door. Edmund punched him in the face.

"What the...?" Garza said, spitting out some blood.

"Why the hell did you let my sister go back there!?"

"Have you ever tried to stop her from doing something?"

The pair stood on the doorstep in silence. Eventually Edmund sighed and stepped back to let Garza in. He warily entered the house.

"Sorry," Edmund mumbled. "Tea?"

"Sure," Garza shrugged, "long as you're not going to poison it."

Edmund made tea and the pair sat down in front of the laptop just as the sports news was interrupted by a stern looking woman.

"We bring you breaking news..."

Fifteen minutes earlier...

Unknown Location, 2:15pm

"You know," Santos said in a faux conversational manner, "your little resistance friends are all headed to save you right now."

"You shouldn't underestimate them," responded Walker.

"Oh, I know. Which is why they're all headed to the site of Lucas Boag's demise. Did they really think we wouldn't know if they cracked our code?"

A cold fear rushed through Walker, like the death of hope.

They stood her against a wall at the back of the prison, where nobody could hope to sneak up on them. She thought about running, but there was nowhere to go. She closed her eyes.

"Any last words?" Santos asked.

"You won't win this war, you know, democracy will..."

Walker hadn't finished her sentence when the gun was fired. Santos sauntered over to her body.

"Note time of death," he said to one of the guards.

[Laeral]

National Assembly, Laeralsford, Laeral
Parliamentary Question Period
General Assembly Committee for Defense
Defense Minister Laurance Chang, speaking

Del. Gilles Lacombe (C-Carellon): Minister, what can you tell us regarding the events of the Battle of Nuevo Baeza, particularly our forces' involvement in it?

Minister Laurence Chang: Well, Delegate, reports are only trickling in, and we are still working to develop a precise understanding of what occurred. But it seems as if the Lauchenoirian Resistance under Sonja Alvarez, which had been attempting to link up with resistance forces in Yerville. We had around 240 soldiers with this force, 40 of them Gendarmes and the remainder ordinary LNSF troops. They encountered significant resistance from a force of combined Lauchenoirian, Kerlian, and Gonhogian troops, and preliminary reports indicate that the resistance was defeated.

Del. Tseng Junxian (S-Meilun): What were the losses to our troops in this battle?

Minister Laurence Chang: The Commander in charge of the LNSF forces present indicates that his force suffered around 30 dead and around 40 severely wounded, as well as around 40 missing-in-action, presumed captured. The Lieutenant in charge of the Gendarmes present is currently missing, presumed captured, but his subordinate informs me that they have suffered around 5 dead and 15 captured.

Del. Gilles Lacombe: I'm not a military man, Minister, but this strikes me as extremely serious. What measures are you taking to respond to this situation?

Minister Laurence Chang: We are currently in contact with Laeralian forces on the ground, trying to find out the status of those missing. We have also been trying to work with the junta's military command to do so, but they have been most unhelpful. We currently believe that it was Kerlian forces which have custody of our soldiers.

Del. Tseng Junxian: At present, what is the full casualty estimate for all Laeralian troops in this conflict?

Minister Laurence Chang: 278 fatalities and 65 missing-in-action or captured, as well as around 600 wounded.

Del. Tseng Junxian: 300 dead, 600 wounded?

Minister Laurence Chang: This includes all soldiers wounded at any time during the campaign. Many of those 600 have returned to active duty. As for those missing- we are working as hard as we can to find out their status and ensure that they are treated humanely and securely.


Kerlian-held territory, southern Yervia
"We're in a bit of a bind here, I'll admit," Matéo Labat said to Daniel, the teenager sitting beside him. They were in a barn somewhere in Kerlian-held territory, along with about a dozen resistance fighters, including Camino Arreola, the man he'd spoken to earlier, and about the same number of Laeralian soldiers. Matéo had been very careful to wear the Lauchenoirian resistance armband that served as their de facto uniform, in the event of a situation like this. At least, if what he'd heard about the Kerlians was true, they'd execute him at least as an enemy combatant instead of as a spy.

"I could be back in Usera right now," Daniel said mournfully. "I could be talking with Leonie right now, instead of being a POW in a barn." Matéo had nothing to say to that.

"Cheer up," one of the Gendarmes said, in accented English. "They could be torturing us right now."

"That'll come soon enough," one of the resistance soldiers said. "When we got here, I noticed they were separating men and women. The rest of us men are somewhere else, and who knows what they're doing with the women." Matéo knew that one of the squads of Gendarmes had been all-female, and that they most definitely weren't in the same barn as them.

"Probably feeding them nice food, tending to their wounds, giving them back rubs, telling them about the harems of men they'll get if they just turn to their side," one of the other resistance men said. There were a few laughs.

"You don't know nothing, Matí­as," one of the older fighters said. "If there's any women out there right now, they'll be treated worse than us. The Kerlians hate them more, for taking up arms against them."

"That doesn't make sense," the man who must have been Matí­as protested. "Wouldn't they hate men more, because we're all inferiors who tried to kill them?" No one responded to that, with most people just shrugging.

"Whatever way it is," Matéo said, speaking up, "it likely won't be pleasant for us."

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Unknown Location, Kerlille
July 27th - Mid morning

When Trotsky came to, he found himself duck tapped to a chair by the legs and wrists. he soon discovered that he was in a small room with cinderblock walls, a reenforced roof, and one steel door. In the middle of the room, right in front of him, was a small steel desk. Behind that desk sat the person Trotsky least wanted to see, Chloe Conde. "My dear friend," she began in mock sympathy, "I am so sorry that they did this to you. They were crazy, I'm so sorry-"

"Cut the bull!" Trotsky interjected, "What do you want, Witch?"

"Me, a witch, no. You, on the other hand, you are a demon"

"Me?"

"Yes, we know for a fact that you orchestrated the assassination of Libertas Omnium Maximus's VP back in 2017."

Trotsky looked crestfallen.

"We also no that you are a registered Communist and ain't afraid to get your hands dirty. We have a little problem with your filthy country men. They are killing our troops and aiding the coalition in ruining our plan. You want the Maximusian government to be overthrown. We need that too. Therefor, I have a proposition for you."

Conde smiled and extended her hand cynically.

[conterniasgloriousleader]

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."