Solidarity

Cogoria

Cogoria

TNPer
The railhead was a consumed by a constant state of activity, battalions of tanks grumbled away towards staging points as they crawled off flatbed cars. Infantry spilled out of cattle cars and marched towards the jumping off locations. All along the road large supply depots sprung up as crates of ammo were carefully stored and sorted into the order most likely to be required. General Suvorov observed it all from the drone footage, another wonder of the new modern army that Cogoria was creating. In detail he had thought impossible a few months before, he observed the steady rise and fall of hundreds of pickaxes as the fortifications grew in magnitude on the hill top he was to assault. At the top of the hill a large flag pole stood, bereft of any banner for the moment, but it was as important a feature as the trenches snaking around the summit.

As the army made ready to assault the hill, elsewhere in Cogoria other preparations were under way, "Doppler is clear, clean skies for go" The speaker hadn't looked up from his screen as he relayed his info, across the room a young woman with a similar screen with a different readout replied, "Roger, Doppler clear, link to Red Surveyor established data package retrieved, mission is ready, red light status". They now had nothing to do but watch the clock and await the order for the greenlight ignition.

The pair of jets flew high as they vectored in on the radar contact, guided in by a coastal radar site normally reserved for directing ASM shore defence batteries. The original intel had been radioed in by a minow, one of the intelligence gathering vessels that appeared to be simple trawlers operating in the strait. They had had a positive visual ID of the vessel and now the two CAF planes took up the hunt.
 
Four days prior...


Little Marina was still fast asleep in bed as the sun rose over the Castlestone horizon when her mother Roselyne opened the bedroom door. "Time to wake up, dearie!" Roselyne called out, "Your father's heading back out to sea today. Let's go see the ship set sail!"

The Castlestone Naval Base was busier than usual with preparations being made to send the principality's only frigate back to sea. It would be the first time the frigate would go beyond the economic maritime zone that Sil Dorsett called theirs. In the interest of cost savings, missions a little further out in international waters were limited to smaller boats, but the military deemed that it was time to ensure that their flagship would be ready in case the Phoenix Strait was ever threatened, and article four of the Phoenix Union Constitution was invoked.

And so, Captain Philip Carré was given orders to be relayed to his crew. A patrol in the Phoenix strait, a simple eight day trip into the edge of Xentheridan and Malorian waters, and straight back. Giving his daughter a hug and wife a kiss, he boarded his ship and headed promptly to the bridge.

"Captain on the bridge!" the first officer yelled out.

"Are we ready, Commander Peltier?" the Captain asked.

"Aye, sir. Fuel to capacity, communications ready, weapons on standby," the commander replied, followed by whispering a light-hearted remark to the captain. "Though it's not like we ever use them."

Satisfied with the report, the captain ordered for the ship to set sail. "Raise anchor. Inform the Rousselle and the Bousquet that we're ready for departure and they can push us out.

The communications officer relayed the message. "SDS Solidarity to SDS Rousselle and SDS Bousquet. Ready for departure."

The two tugboats engaged full throttle against the hull of the frigate, pushing it away from the harbor. Once cleared, the ship's direction was set and engines engaged.

"Helmsman, set heading one-seven-three, eighteen knots," The captain instructed, setting a course to the Phoenix Strait from the south.


Four uneventful days passed. Though unaccustomed to long trips in foreign waters, the crew of the Solidarity maintained their professionalism, keeping watch at all times. Coming to the end of their tour, Helmsman Choffard informed the captain of their progress, reaching the end of their tour before Dorsettian government-imposed limits took effect.

"Captain, we are now ten knots away from the two hundred knot limit to Cogoria. I believe that completes our tour out?"

"It does indeed, helmsman. Turn the ship abo..." The captain said before being interrupted by one of the bridge crew.

"Captain, radar is detecting aircraft closing in on our position fast, bearing four-zero."

"I.F.F.[note]Identification Friend or Foe[/note], Miss Allard?" the captain queried.

"Cogorian, sir."
 
"Viper one reporting, contact on target, hitting spray in 5....4...3...2...1. Banking now" The pair of aircraft split up, one remaining high while the other banked and dove towards the sea at an alarming speed. The watched the blue wall grow ever closer as a smile spread beneath his oxygen mask. A small tinny female voice pestered him as the altitude warnings were triggered. Quickly bulling on the stick, adjusting the throttle he put the elevators to their maximum limit. The female voice stopped nagging him temporarily to bug him about gforce warnings but he was too busy fighting the blackness closing in on his vision to notice, as his pressure suit tried to keep his blood in his brain. Finally levelling out of the dive, the automated warning returned to its original concern about the aircraft's altitude, though she was soon silenced by the flick of a switch. "Viper one reporting tally on target, currently angel 15 going for soft bear". The controller for the flight looked at his radar screen in disbelief as he tracked the fighter on its path to the Solidarity at an altitude of a scant 15 meters above the water.
Viper one kept the plane low, not many pilots would attempt a flight of this length at his altitude, never mine conducting a close pass of an armed warship. But attempt it he did, he could see the grey ship growing larger out his window. Seeing the bridge he aimed his nose right for it. Closer and closer he got before knife edging and pulling past the bridge with a few feet of a gap, making sure to look out the top of his cockpit at the crew of the bridge as he streaked by. With his insane pass done and a bet with the ATC won he conducted one more close 'buzzing' but at a slightly more reasonable height of 25 meters before heading back up to join Viper two and then returning to base.

Back at the site for the hill battle final preparations were under way. Nearly all the troops and tanks were in place, all that truly remained were the camera crews positioning themselves to record footage to be aired later on the state broadcast. Rumours abounded that a number of new weapons were going to be displayed, the likes of which had never been seen before. Finally the time came, signalled by a growing roar of thunder, as numerous artillery units opened fire.

The next day footage of the exercise began to broadcast. The cameras panned from a serene blue sky down to the top of the hill, where a Phoenix Union flag flew atop a tall flag pole the voice of a narrator cut across the quiet background music "Yesterday the Cogorian Guard carried out the 2017 Liberation military exercise. The exercise was designed to prepare the armed forces of Cogoria for offensive and defensive operations against the ever growing threat to our sovereignty. The exercise was planned to to have taken 5 days, using the old model of the Cogorian army, however the new Cogorian Guard succeeded in a matter of hours in accomplishing all objectives" The narrator then stopped as the action on screen began in earnest. The tranquil image of the flag was shattered as great fountains of earth were thrown up by explosions. The view then cut to a different camera situated with the troops attacking the hill, showing the earthworks and bunkers built on the heights being engulfed in sheets of flame, the screen then split in two as another view this time of the artillery batteries and MLRSs firing slotted in alongside the footage of the devastation their projectiles were causing .
Once again the viewpoint transitioned to another perspective, as a number of troops rushed forward under the cover of the artillery fire, only to be overtaken by platoons of rushing tanks and IFVs. In a single instant the barrage stopped as the vehicles plunged into the swirling smoke. An number of defenders emerged from well prepared and unbombarded strongholds to simulate the enemy. The camera changed quickly through a number of perspectives as the fighting raged on in cinematic scale and drama. One shot a brief 20 seconds long showed great hulking armoured figures running at full speed, but firing a number of heavy weapons such as 12.7mm machine guns or firing FaF AT missiles at a sprint. Though not giving the viewer too much of a view it snapped to a new perspective in a dark metal tube. Light began to pour into the shot as the hatch opened on the transport plane and troops began to pour out.
Two hours later the dramatic footage drew to a close with a final shot of Cogorian troops marching back down the hill, trampling the bullet and shrapnel riddled flag into the mud. The announcer returned to give a final narrative "The sons and daughters of Cogoria shall remain safe under the protection of the Cogorian guard, we shall never permit the Oktobergrad criminals to commit their crimes at us once more. We have cut the strings of its' puppet and laugh as it tears itself asunder. So to the Phoenix Union we say, we stand strong, we shall never bow to criminals. We shall never permit the whims of imperialist mongrels dictate our future. And we shall never forget Oktobergrad. Those deaths lie at your door, and no matter how hard you try to keep them out, Cogoria shall never forget." With one final transition the footage showed a long dark shape on a concrete pad.

"Green light, go for launch, key in ignition" The operators in the room carried out their duties, sending a signal to the missile waiting on the launchpad. The weapon surged to life in a ever growing cloud of orange flames as it sprang into the sky, hurtling along its preordained course. Flying higher and higher it shed a number of stages, before breaching the atmosphere, all of Eras lay below it, serene, and vulnerable to its purpose. Shedding one final layer it released the MIRVs, which began their journey back own to the planet tearing through the atmosphere before plunging into the north sea. It was the first stage of the process, demonstrating the ability to deliver a number of vehicles to nearly any point on Eras, all that remained was to finalise the project by producing something to put into those vehicles.

With the broadcast over the nation was overwhelmed by a surge of patriotism and joy, after the Oktobergrad disaster the people had felt rage, understandably, but they had felt unprotected as well. Sure they had forced Scallendovia to the negotiating table and extracted severe reparations from them, however this was offset in the public eye by the large numbers of casualties the antiquated military had taken. Previously they had only had faith in the Guard Division, but now that the whole army was brought to their standard the sense of security was overwhelming. Then there were those mysterious figures. Rumours persisted about Cogorian Powered Infantry after the broadcast. And for once the rumours were true. The people were in awe of these wonder weapons, permitting an ordinary man to fight with the strength of ten, armed with weapons too heavy for regular infantry. However these rumours were fuelled by the footage from the broadcast. Carefully covered up were the facts that the infantry had been operational for a total of ten minutes, edited out were the shots of men over extending and shattering their bones as the machines moved too much for their pilots. However, these problems were known by the development team, and known problems could be fixed.
 
"Attention Cogorian aircraft, this is the warship F-106. You are within our zone of safety. Turn away and fly heading three-two-zero to proceed away from our vessel immediately."

A communications officer repeated the message over and over to try and direct the descending Cogorian jet away from the ship, but it was no use. The closer the jet came to the Solidarity, the clearer it was that the pilot had committed to whatever they had planned. The stunned crew looked on as the jet flathatted parallel with the ship and zoomed by.

"That pilot's nuts!" one of the crew exclaimed to Captain Carré's disappointment.

"Knock it off," the captain exclaimed, admonishing the sailor before giving instructions to the helmsman. "Helm, set new heading one-three-zero, all ahead emergency flank."

The helmsman repeated the command back, confirming with "Aye, Captain." Turning the wheel, the ship turned around to move away from the predetermined border. Though part of the itinerary regardless, there was now a sense of urgency to leave the area at once, hoping the Cogorian jets wouldn't follow.

Though conflict wasn't part of the plan, Captain Carré got on the main communication circuit to call the crew to battle stations, preparing for the worst while privately hoping for the best. "This is not a drill, this is not a drill. General quarters, general quarters. All hands man your battle stations. The flow of traffic is up and forward on the starboard side, down and aft on the port side. Set material condition ZEBRA."

"Bandit's turning for another pass. Path is parallel again, closing in," the radar operator called out.

"Hold fire." the captain instructed, realizing the pilot's intent. "They want us to leave. They're just telling us in a stupid way," he said as the Cogorian jet made its second pass before rejoining its wingmate.

Relieved that the ship was out of danger but concerned over the meaning of the flybys, the captain ordered that the Dorsettian government be notified immediately. Another four days back was too long to wait and fill out the full mission report, the captain believed.

Norvalle, the next day...

The regency council and the cabinet gathered for their daily meeting. Defense Minister Emma Bettencourt notified the council prior to the meeting that the defense ministry had an important matter to discuss first. As the top government officials took their seats, Ms. Bettencourt addressed the assembly.

"Your highnesses, fellow ministers, Admiral Bachelet received a report yesterday from the Solidarity, which was sent to patrol the Phoenix Strait. As the ship approached our specified exclusion zone of two-hundred nautical miles away from Cogorian shores, it was intercepted by two Cogorian fighter jets, one of which twice performed a dangerous maneuver flying at low altitude and coming close to the ship. Though there was no apparent intention of firing on the Solidarity, the maneuver presented an extreme risk of collision. Solidarity opted to remove itself from the area at flank speed."

Unconvinced of a real threat, Prime Minister Ellison was quick to dismiss it. "So some hotshot decided to be a dumb shit. What's the real problem here? The ship is safe, right?"

"It is, Miss Ellison," Emma replied. "It's on its way back now. But that's not the problem."

Emma hooked her laptop up to the projector and presented pieces of the Cogorian propaganda video displaying their military exercises against Phoenix Union flags, cutting it short and fast forwarding to the final narrative. "And we shall never forget Oktobergrad. Those deaths lie at your door, and no matter how hard you try to keep them out, Cogoria shall never forget," the narrator said.

"Claidie, Alice, Madeline.... I think blame us. They blame us for the loss of Oktobergrad."

As the world knew it, Scallendovian operatives bombed the nuclear reactor in Oktobergrad, the meltdown destroying much of the city. At the time that Scallendovia entered the war, they were part of the Phoenix Union, and they refused to back out of the war when confronted by Sil Dorsett's ambassador to the Phoenix Union. Malorie Allen, Sil Dorsett's representative that was involved in the confrontation, had failed, and now the principality was about to bear the full consequences of that failure. Though Scallendovia was promptly ejected from the Phoenix Union, the Phoenix Union had yet to address Cogoria directly, believing the ejection to be enough. The video demonstrated they were wrong.

"Sis, " Alice called out trying to get her sister's attention.

"Don't you freakin' say it, Alice!" Claidie yelled, frustrated and knowing her sister was about to make a stab at the principality's relationship with the union. "You run the rest of the meeting," she said to Alice. "I have business to take care of. Thank you for the report, Ms. Bettencourt," Claidie said, rushing out of the meeting early. Alice let her sister go, knowing proactive action was coming.



Email from Claidie...:
8th PU Parliament meeting

Dorsett, Claidie I.

Sent: Thu 9/14/2017 9:32 AM
To: Allen, Malorie S.
Cc: Larcher, Nicholas D.; Bowers, William A.

Malorie,

I am ordering you to start a PU parliament meeting immediately. The FPEC has threatened us and the PU over Scallendovia's actions in the CC. Not only did they buzz the Solidarity, but they also released a propaganda video blaming the PU for the destruction of Oktobergrad, and demonstrating a willingness to take military action over it. PU hasn't said a word about the Oktobergrad incident, which I find unacceptable.

You're GPO now. Do something about it, or I won't be able to stop my sister from ripping us out of the union.

Claidie Dorsett
Princess of Sil Dorsett
Click to expand...
 
The Iron Pride was anchored off the coast of Lupagrad with her fleet. 15 grey hulls squatting on the water. The Pride and one other ship were quite distinct from the rest due to their size, the other was the massive battlecruiser Oktobergrad. The last few supply boats were returning to the port facilities, and once one more ship joined the fleet they would begin their patrol.

In vessel was named for the port which it occupied. The mighty Lupagrad, sister to the Oktobergrad. The massive cruiser had been laid up for repairs following a number of tests whose purpose was to install a number of gun turrets on her forward deck, the tests had been a failure with damage being done to her reactor pumps, but now she was repaired, returned to her original configuration and returning to the fleet. The shore gangs waited by the bollards around the berth, and as soon as the winchmen on board gave the lines slack, the shore gangs slipped them off the steel securing points, with a throaty growl, a tug boat helped ease her off the berth, a signal for the other people onshore to begin. The air filled with martial tunes as a band struck up to mark the occasion and the gathered families of the sailors on board the behemoth cheered and waved. As the red star adorned bow slipped passed the breakwater, the ship trumpeted its challenge to the world by sounding her whistle.

Thus brought up to full strength the fleet set out to patrol the full length of the Phoenix strait, careful to avoid territorial waters, but under strict orders that any provocation was to be met with strength, and order the admiral was determined to obey.

The news broadcast in the afternoon of the day was accompanied by footage of the great Lupagrad returning to action as the newsreader announced the fleets intentions "Due to the grave risks faced by our nation in these times of uncertainty, as we stand surrounded by those that seek our destruction, the Ministry of Defence under direction of the politburo has commenced round the clock patrols of the Phoenix Strait. Those seeking to silence us shall be forced to hear our voice, as we declare their dominance of the region at an end. Let those that wish violence upon our nation and the great revolution, take note and hear our message. Cogoria stands! And Cogoria shall never fall!"
 
Malorie did what she was instructed and opened a Phoenix Union parliament session, motioning for some sort of response to be drafted that would satisfy Claidie's demands. The debate was arduous but the Union agreed to at least draft something, though a final vote to send it was still pending. Malorie was concerned over the initial response from Syrixia and the stance of the Malorian Empire.

Maloria was maintaining a hardline stance against apologizing for anything related to the Crown Conflict, which was a stance Malorie could understand, not wanting to show weakness. It was the Syrixian response greatly concerned her. The words of Pranav Rai struck a nerve with her: "If anyone should be the leading entity in that strait, it should be US!" she recalled, believing the statement to be proof that the Empire still maintained that sense of hegemony, that it believed it was the dominant force in the region. It was no wonder to her why Cogoria deemed the Union a threat.

She wrote out her thoughts in a quick email to the Regency Council...

Malorie's E-mail...:
Status of the 8th PU Parliament meeting

Allen, Malorie S.

Sent: Fri 9/15/2017 4:15 PM
To: Dorsett, Claidie I.; Dorsett, Alice M.; Ellison, Madeline E.
Cc: Larcher, Nicholas D.; Bowers, William A.

Your Highnesses,

The PU session has been contentious, but we've agreed to work on drafting a response to Cogoria that offers an olive branch. I am concerned though about the strength of the backlash to your idea. Maloria is of less concern, just not wanting to deliver an apology in fear that it would make the union look weak. Syrixia is of greater concern, still believing the strait to be theirs, and that they have a right to be a dominating force.

I'll do what I can to smooth things over, but while we can wordsmith the statement to appease the Cogorians all we want, I can't change the ideals and motives of the Union and its constituent states. I might be in over my head here. I may be GPO, but I don't feel as though I'm the one in control.

Malorie Allen
Ambassador to the Phoenix Union
Click to expand...


It was only a few minutes before Malorie received a reply. Though she had done her diligence to be fair to all the members of the Regency Council, the respondent wasn't Malorie's first choice.

Alice replies...:
RE: Status of the 8th PU Parliament meeting

Dorsett, Alice M.

Sent: Fri 9/15/2017 4:19 PM
To: Allen, Malorie S.
Cc:

call me
Click to expand...


The call was made, and Malorie was subjected to the truth of Alice's opinions and the government's feelings towards the Phoenix Union. None of it was what Malorie wanted to hear.

"Malorie, we might not in the union much longer," Alice admitted to the ambassador. "While you were busy doing what Sis asked, Parliament again voted to withdraw us, and given the situation we're in I'm going to vote yes on it."

"What about what you said about being part of the union being critical to our survival, that it 'ensured our safety and security?'" Malorie retorted, catching Alice's contradiction.

"It was bullshit, Mal," Alice confessed. "I only did that to get over with the international community, especially the PU and PGU nations that didn't like me from that stupid ANU meeting. Step one to being an effective politician, something I learned fast and now I'm trying to teach my sister, you need to get people to like you. But, you know my sis, she's all in for that alliance building and us being bigger players than we really are. I've been trying to get her to calm down about it, but she hasn't done it yet, so we're split. Comes down to one vote, Mal."

"Madeline's," Malorie said.

"Exactly, and she's not happy either, but she's willing to let this play out. So, if you want us to stick around you better make this work. Get the other nations under control and get them to pass a clean apology. If Cogoria doesn't buy it, I guarantee we're leaving, and you'll be going to Cogoria to plead for our case individually. Hope the transfer to international relations won't bother you too much. Understand? We need clean hands here. We don't want a fight with the Cogorians."

"Understood, your highness."
 
"Left turn, forty degrees."

"Aye, sir."

Commander Todd stood aboard the HMS Frontier, the Commonwealth's most elegant combat vessel. They were tasked with patrolling the Equestrian Commonwealth's sovereign waters. at the current time, the ship was skirting the northern edge of the claim, keeping their eyes out to ensure no dangerous or illegal craft made it into Equestrian waters.

Todd's thoughts were interrupted by his Lieutenant. "Sir, a message from the Princess."
This immediately caught the attention of the Commander, who looked over and grabbed the note hastily. After confirming its authenticity, they opened and read the letter.

Commander Todd,


Due to rising tensions, the HMS Frontier and nearby ships are tasked with standing guard on the northern border of the coast, allowing no Cogorian ships to pass without search. In the event that a Cogorian

ship opts out of a search, you are to politely instruct them to return to international waters. Attempt to ensure that no conflict arises; however, in the event of a rogue ship, refer to the current Rules of

Engagement.


Hope be with you, sailor.

-Luna


They had previously received word that a Cogorian Patrol was going to be making it's way down the Strait, and while they were assured that no foul play was intended, they still had to stand their ground.

The HMS Frontier and its sister ships took a defensive position at the edge of it's waters, standing watch over the beautiful waters of the Commonwealth.

oMCGf4d.jpg

The Purple Zone Repre
 
Sometime after the buzzing of the Solidarity, the streets of Norvalle witnessed a rare and unfamiliar sight. Hundreds of Silien citizens had taken to the streets in protest. The Cogorian show of force had resonated in the minds of those who marched, but not in a way favorable to the elder Princess, instead favoring the younger sister's views. The Principality's continued involvement in the Phoenix Union was under attack; the citizens not wanting to be a potential target for Cogorian aggression should the union fail to smooth matters over with the First People's Empire. The protestors made their way to the gates of Rivage Palace, holding signs both handwritten and printed with various messages such as "Let it burn!" and "Down with Syrixian Imperialism," given the Empire's hand in the union's creation. The most prominent sign of them all was a printed one with a picture of the Solidarity, saying "No Solidarity With PU!"

Claidie and Alice looked on from the window of an office inside the palace. Claidie did nothing but stare at the crowd in total disbelief. She thought her stance on international cooperation would have resonated with the younger citizens, but that wasn't the case today. She glanced at her younger sister hoping to hear a favorable perspective on the matter. She wouldn't get it though. Instead, Alice was honest.

"How much more of this are you willing to take, Sis?" Alice asked. "The people want peace and stability. The union has only brought conflict and chaos. Perhaps it's time to go it alone. Whether by leaving the union or taking the Cogorian matter into our own hands, we have to look out for the Principality and its people first."

"Give it a chance, Sis," Claidie replied. "Malorie can make this work."
 
The Navy tugs were headed back to the docks, their shift was finally over; Sam gave one last look back towrd the sea as the fleet slipped out of sight. He couldn't help but wonder what was so important that the ship yard had to rush the Surface Action Group back to sea so quickly. It wouldn't have troubled him so much though if he hadn't have seen the constant stream of perfectly painted white ships departing the Coast Guard port all day. They seemed to be sending out just about everything. He shook the thought from his mind, best to not dwell on such things, but he'd be sure to give an extra long hug to his family tonight; just in case.


As the intro music softens scenes of a battle in a city play. "Gauging the human cost of the conflict in Thederic Nors, CNB has rare access inside the heart of the conflict centered now around the small town of Épiris as the Norsian Royal Forces defend against revolutionaries." The scene cuts changing to a panning view inside the Ceretian Royal gardens and a lone podium. "But up first will be an official announcement from the government of the Kingdom-Republic set to start shortly. Welcome to CNB World News Ceretis, special edition, reporting from Sion; I'm Esther Trevelyn and I will be your host for today's round table political discussion."

Reporters can be seen quickly settling in as Raymond Reddington steps into view and approaches the podium to the sounds of cameras busily taking photographs. "Good evening everyone, I know the timing of this briefing was a bit sudden so I'm glad everyone could make it well enough." WIth that he arranged a couple notes he had on his podium.

"After much discussion between members of government, and the outpouring of letters, phone calls, and visits from the Ceretian people, especially from the Cogorian diaspora, the crown and the republic find the lack of assistance given to the people of Cogoria during and after the recent Crown Conflict to be indecent.

As unprovoked violence reigned down upon the Cogorian people, it seemed those with the most responsibility to lend aid stood idle. We shall not.

As the dust of war settled, and the plight of Oktobergrad were laid bare; some leaders stood before cameras and made bountiful promises. Those promises would prove bare. Ours will not.

The government of Ceretis then, and now, decries the actions of Scallandocia during that brutal war. The uncalled for attack and callous willful harm brought upon the people of Cogoria especially those in Oktobergrad are truly dark days in recent history.

It is with this upon our minds and hearts that we stand with our hat in hand and ask our neighbors, can we stand with you? Can we roll up our sleeves and render aid? Can we give of our good fortune that there might be some light brought to these dark days?"

Pausing momentarily he gave people a moment to digest the news "Following this conference I shall be headed to the Cogorian embassy to speak with them on this very matter, that no more time shall be wasted."
 
Malorie had indeed made it work. The Phoenix Union approved the measure to send to Cogoria, asking for reconciliation and forgiveness for not doing enough when Scallendovia unjustly attacked Cogoria. Flying home after the session ended with the document in hand, she only needed the signatures of Claidie, Alice, and Madeline before making preparations to head to Cogoria to present it, if it were even permitted. Her boss's boss, Minister Bowers, would make the application for diplomatic visas for both of them. Bowers had interest in normalization of relations himself and also wanted to be there to provide a counterweight to Malorie's abrasiveness.

Minister Bowers's request to Cogoria:
VdTOaZJ.png
Minister Barishnikov,

In light of recent interactions between our governments' militaries and recent resolutions passed by the Phoenix Union, of which we are a member of, I hereby request the authorization of diplomatic visas for the following representatives of the Sil Dorsettian government to engage in negotiations for normalization of relations between our august nations:
  • Alice Dorsett, 18th Princess of Sil Dorsett
  • William Bowers, Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Malorie Allen, Ambassador to the Phoenix Union
Sincerely,

William Bowers
Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Principality of Sil Dorsett
Click to expand...

Meanwhile, Madeline and Claidie reviewed news from all over the region and were especially troubled by a statement that had come out of the Empire of Maloria. Representative Markos Sokolov had accused the Principality and Malorie specifically of putting appeasement of an enemy over the needs of an ally. Arrandal had seen better days, being victim to recent bombings, and Malorie had omitted any mention of the crisis in her agenda for the eighth Phoenix parliamentary session. The two ruling ladies present realized their mistake in driving Malorie's agenda. They had focused solely on trying to protect their nation and defuse the Cogorian war machine, but in doing so they ignored their ally's suffering.

"Summon the Malorian ambassador to the Chamber of Rule tomorrow morning at nine. We have much to answer for," Princess Claidie instructed her messengers and her colleague.
 
cogoria__216305.jpg

Minister Bowers,

Your application has been received by my government, and has been approved. The visas shall be valid for a period of 30 days, and yourself, Ambassador Allen and Ms. Alice Dosett shall be permitted entry at any point during that time. All we ask is that we receive a minimum 24 hours notice of your intention to travel so that a proper welcome may be organised. While we are in no way making this a condition, we recommend attending as soon as possible, as the Remembrance celebrations shall be taking place on the weekend of the 20th of this month to the 23rd. We formally invite yourself and Ms. Allen and Ms Dorsett to the proceedings, in the hope that it will help you understand our nation, our people and our grievances.
Kind regards,
Chairman Zhukov
Co-Chairman of the Cogorian Communist Party
Co-Chair presiding over the First people's Empire of Cogoria Politburo
 
Departure Notification:
Chairman Zhukov,

We will be in attendance during the Remembrance celebrations and fly out within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. We look forward to a deeper understanding of the First Peoples' Empire's history and culture this weekend and hope to come to good terms with your government.

William Bowers
Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Principality of Sil Dorsett
Click to expand...



The next day, the delegation met at the airport ready to fly out. While waiting for clearance to board, Malorie sat down and looked at her phone, only to be joined by Will and Princess Alice a few seconds later. Will didn't appear too pleased with the Ambassador, hearing about her declaration to the Phoenix Union that a Malorian intervention in Thederic Nors was legal. Malorie didn't pick up on the potential consequences of that notice, failing to research the whole situation. Will did, and he knew their meeting with Zhukov was going to be awkward and much harder because of it. The portfolio Malorie was carrying with the union's statement, he felt, was rendered no more valuable than a used tissue.

"You never make it easy, do you?" Will asked Malorie.

"What?"

"It's a miracle we're even still going to Cogoria after what you pulled," Will complained, alluding to the legality notice. "Here we are about to extend an olive branch after our neighbor bombed a sovereign communist nation and you gave the Malorians a free pass to do the exact same thing."

Malorie tried to justify it, dismissing and not recognizing the communists in Thederic Nors as a government. "They're going to put down a group of rebels..."

"... that have stable control of two-thirds of the nation and has a functional government declaring their nation a Peoples' Republic," Will interrupted, "a Peoples' Republic that Cogoria recognizes over a royalist government that mistreated its people. And you opened up hunting season on them.

"What would you have done? Said nothing?"

Will gave Malorie the option he would have taken, one she might have considered had she done her homework. "I would have tried the Malorian Empire under Article Four and voted yes to dismiss them. Realistically it wouldn't pass, but at least it gives an impression to our people that we're doing what we can not to put ourselves in communist crosshairs."

"And ruin our relationship with Maloria?"

"I think that was already done that at the ANU meeting, wouldn't you say, Your Highness?" Will said, addressing the accompanying princess.

"Don't remind me," Alice replied. "Not one of my finer moments."

"Malorie, cutting off Markos didn't help, but I don't think you could have made it any worse than it already was," Will said, reassuring Malorie.

Malorie let out a sigh of frustration. "Then we have work to do on two fronts, and a lot of work to do in Cogoria," she deduced. Looking down at the portfolio, she was hit with the realization of what Will already knew. It was worthless. Even she didn't believe it would work anymore.

The charter plane to Cogoria was then ready, and the trio boarded, taking off to try and at least save their Principality, if not the whole union.
 
Zhukov stood on the runway watching the new arrival taxi. either side of him stood lines of the some of the Cogorian Guard. He hadn't been the one originally meant to meet the plane and it's passengers but felt that a more direct approach was required with what needed to be discussed during the trip, especially with the inclusion of Alice Dorsett. Perfectly aware of the Sil Dorsett governments disdain for flair, besides the Co head of government being on the runway along with ten soldiers and the car and truck, the runway was deserted. If and when the event was mentioned in the news, there would be no pictures, no first hand accounts. The narrative would be controlled by the governments of those present. Which was how Zhukov liked it. He was never one for having his image shown, a life time as a state spy left him suspicious of leaving a trail, however as the leader he still had to do his fair share.
Finally the plane stopped taxiing, the guards stomped to attention and Zhukov waited for his guests to emerge
 
[OOC: Y'all gotta imagine this in a Woody Harrelson voice. It's the only way it works.]

"Do me a favor, Mal. Put that portfolio in your laptop bag and leave it there. Let me do the all the talking 'til we get to a more permanent setting."

Will didn't have any confidence in Malorie and wanted to keep her quiet during the opening phase of their mission. He wanted her to know that he was the one that was in control; screw her position as Phoenix Union's Grand Presiding Officer. As they stepped off the plane, Will was surprised by the barebones setup. Only those who needed to know and those protecting them were around. Will was impressed. He walked up to the waiting Cogorian party, confident that he could get the situation in control and amicable.

"Chairman Zhukov, I gotta say you did your research; you know what Claidie likes. Will Bowers, Minister of Foreign Affairs," he said in greeting. Pointing to Malorie, he introduced her for her in a manner most laid back. "She's not Claidie. That's Malorie Allen, Ambassador to the Phoenix Union. Also their Presiding Officer for now."

"Grand Presiding Officer," Malorie said, correcting the minister while standing in the back row looking helpless.

"If you're a Grand Presiding Officer, is there a lesser presiding officer?" he countered with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

Making sure not to forget Alice, he introduced her as well. "And, this is Alice Dorsett, Claidie's sister, and one of the three Regency Council members. She's much more in tune with international relations than her sister, so if there's anyone you needed to talk to about world affairs, she's your go-to gal."

Focusing back on Zhukov, he stretched out his arm to offer a handshake. "Mister Zhukov, I imagine we have a lot to talk about, so I don't want to waste whatever time you don't want to waste. I'm all ears; you lay it on me what's on your mind, and we'll make something work. You have my word. I'm looking forward to working with the People's Empire."
 
Zhukov reached forward and shook Bower's hand while quirking an eyebrow at the quick exchange between the three guests as his translator bridged the language divide. While Zhukov's days among the intelligence community had equipped him with a number of languages, it was not a past he wanted to advertise when the world believed he had been a mere secretary for transport during his rise. "Welcome to our humble nation. I am sure whatever it is you came here to discuss will be of great benefit to both our peoples. You have indeed chosen a auspicious time for your visit, as this is the time of Remembrance. A very important time for all Cogorians. As such we have drawn up an itinerary. If you are amicable to it, I would like to bring you on a tour of our fine capital, and on the train perhaps we could begin discussing that which you have come here to discuss. Tomorrow I will be unavailable for any talks as I must preside over the Remembrance Parade, however you are more than welcome to join me upon the viewing stand" As the translator repeated the process he had carried out for Zhukov's benefit earlier, but in reverse to the Dorsett delegation, Zhukov stood there smiling lopsidedly in his ruffled suit. The Co Chair of the Politburo had learned long ago that he lacked the skill set to iron clothes properly and had long abandoned the practice as a lost cause. Instead the slightly dishevelled look it produced had become part of the character that had led the nation for the last few decades, and should it change he was sure the public would let him know their feelings about it in short order.
As the translator finished the speech Zhukov looked expectantly at his guests, and in anticipation of an answer began to stroll towards the car that would ferry them to the Lupagrad train station. The Guardsmen stomped to attention, turned as one and marched with painful precision towards the truck that they would follow in.
 
Will wanted to make his devotion to the mission clear as he responded to Zhukov. "When your letter said the nation was about to celebrate Remembrance, I knew it was the right time to come. Seeing your culture first hand is important for us so we have a better understanding of your nation. We weren't going to miss this."

Malorie stepped in to make sure she wasn't an afterthought. This was her mission after all. Peace between the Phoenix Union and Cogoria was her goal, no matter how distant the goal post was. "A tour of the capital seems like an excellent start," she said. "And we will certainly join you for the parade. Right, Will?"

"Indeed," Will replied. The itinerary seemed in line with the ordinary, but one thing bothered Will, though he didn't make it known. "Wasn't Oktobergrad the capital?" he thought.

Regardless, the three of them, Will, Malorie, and Alice filed into the waiting vehicle and waited patiently as their driver delivered the party to their destination.
 
The car journey was a short one, and Zhukov remained quiet during it, in his mind there would be plenty of time for talk later. As the small convoy of vehicles travelled through Lupagrad, the city bustled about with a life and energy that seemed to contrast against the utilitarian surroundings and apparel. Men and women were uniformly wearing their overalls, occasionally the long heavy coats of army veterans stood out, all the more so as many veterans noticed the small subtle differences that marked out the transport of the Party Chairman, such as the lack of flags despite it being an official vehicle, and waved cheerfully.
As the cars arrived at the station Zhukov hopped out before any of the station attendants could reach the car to open it. The air was filled with the deep thrum of distant gunfire and dull thuds of artillery, though no one seemed concerned in the least. Sitting on the rails at the station platform was a formidable armoured train, Zhukov turned to his guests and pointed at the steel clad locomotive. "Our chariot for our travels across the nation. Now don't mistake this as anything more than a precaution. There are no Cogorians here that pose a risk to your safety. However we must take every available precaution to ensure your safety, there are those out there that would use anything to spark a war that they could blame on us, and I intend to offer no such opportunities while you are the guests of this great nation" As the translator effortlessly conveyed the message, Zhukov turned back to the train again and made his way onboard. Inside the armoured cabin it was surprisingly spacious and comfortable, with deep comfortable couches. Siting on one he looked to his guests as they followed into the carriage and sat back expectantly for any questions or comments that would direct the flow of conversation.
 
The scenery was a stark reminder to Alice of the differences in cultures between Cogoria and Sil Dorsett, or perhaps even Cogoria and the rest of the Phoenix Union. The sort of unofficial dress code of overalls... or perhaps it was official, she just didn't know... seemed unusual to her. But, in her mind, she assumed Cogoria focused on functionality rather than fashion, and that it was a cultural difference; putting the nation's goals in front of individuality. She tried not to let it bother her, though the concept of a collective was foreign to her. The sounds of gunfire and artillery though worried her. Though she knew, or at least believed, no one would dare attack the train that the Chairman was on, she was nervous enough to ask about it.

"I take it the exercises are still going on?" Alice asked. "Is it still related to hostility from other Phoenix Union nations or is this a regular occurrence?" She made sure to stress the word "other", feeling as though the Principality had made great strides already in the name of peace.

Will didn't want to speak up right away to reassure his boss, but in the back of his mind, he thought to himself: "If we do our jobs right, we won't have to worry about these exercises."
 
As Raymond finished his statement the crowd of reporters was nearly bursting from their seats with questions. It was unavoidable, he'd have to answer some questions for the crowd gathered or else the news cycle would just be a mess of speculation they'd have to quash later. About 30 minutes passed when one of his aides discreetly tapped their finger on their wristwatch, it was the signal he had been waiting for with great anticipation as the questions droned ever onward.

"Thank you all but I must be going, we wouldn't want to keep the Cogorians waiting any longer; if you have any further questions you'll have to ask them at the daily briefing tomorrow. Oh, and don't forget to pick up the press release kit; that should hopefully answer many of your remaining questions." With a smile and a wave he turned and headed toward the waiting motorcade.

The Range Rover Sentinels quickly skimmed through the city toward the Estate District nestled among the natural hills and bays of the Southern Term. As the motorcade made its way up the driveway of the embassy the Cogorian guards could be seen just ahead at the guard post with their usual all business stern looks.


With the release of footage from the '2017 Liberation Military Exercise' in Cogoria and their recent press releases, the rising tensions of navies and militaries along the strait, and now a full force patrol of the straits by a Cogorian battle fleet; the Ceretian Department of Defense felt there was little choice but to bolster the border and naval defenses until things cooled down.

Deep in the citadel of the 'Shadow of Intent', Admiral Sakutaro sat in the light blue glow of the ship's Combat Information Center (CIC) surrounded by various officers and linked to the Department of Defense (DoD), they were looking over the status of assets tasked with national defense. Quickly they began to refine existing battle plans and coordinate with other units to begin running drills for each possibility, they wouldn't be caught off guard.
 
Zhukov chuckled at the Royal's clear discomfort at the sounds of battle in the distance as the train pulled its way out of the station "The exercises are a part of our military reforms, we've converted our armed forces into a defence force. The old People's army stood at nearly two million personnel. Obviously this was a waste of manpower for a nation that cares only for its safety, so we cut it down. The new Cogorian Guard stands at just a bit over two hundred thousand. Two hundred and ten thousand I believe. So a handful are taking part n the annual exercise to ensure readiness. I must admit I know very little about military matters and so the jargon the generals throw at me doesn't tend to stick or make sense. However I assure you I understand enough to preside over the parade tomorrow." His brief chuckle seemingly at his own ineptitude belied his true knowledge of war, after all he had been the one pushing for the reforms that would make Cogoria strong enough to resist the enemies howling at the gates, and all it had taken was a landing craft filled with the old high command being sent at Scalendovian beaches to ensure he could forge the army anew.

As the train headed further south the sounds of battle faded away, a man entered the carriage without a word and sized up the guests just by staring at them before leaving to get the materials required for the tour. The landscape out the window changed from city to industry, before transitioning to country side. The fields of farms and pits of mines along with the country towns flew passed as the train got closer to Oktobergrad. The scarred city growing larger in the distance. Even months after the devastation that ruined the city a pall of dust could still be seen hanging over the city's remains. The train finally puled into what had started life as a temporary station to allow supplies to arrive, but had gained a sense of permanence as the reclamation camp had grown around the city. Out the windows of
the train a small tent city was visible jutting out from the chainlink fence surrounding the irradiated ruins. Beyond the tent city a field filed with hundreds of wooden Xs and a wall that sparkled with a rough silver sheen. The city was populated by an army of rubber clad people with gas masks hanging at their necks. As the occupants stared, the gentleman from before reentered with four large dufflebags with the names of the guests stencilled on the side.
 
"A defensive measure? I wish the principality could have the same resources as your nation. Maybe then we wouldn't have to worry so much about PU membership... isn't that right, Malorie?" Alice rambled, getting her shots in where she could but at the same time understanding that the manpower just wasn't there. Her lighthearted attitude towards her predicament would be short lived as the train approached Oktobergrad, where finally the Dorsettian party could witness first hand the destruction that Scallendovia had wrought. Alice and Malorie were stunned and shocked over the level of the destruction, while Will remained stoic and unsurprised.

"Unbelievable. This is what Scallendovia did?" Malorie thought out loud, becoming much less confident in accomplishing her goal.

When the one Cogorian that was sizing up the party returned with the duffelbags, Alice couldn't control her thoughts. "What the hell is this?" she asked as she opened up the bag, revealing a radiation suit and gas mask.

"I think you should put it on," Will suggested. "I think your sister would want you to return home unirradiated."
 
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