Pelhaforan Emergency

A state of emergency exists presently in the State of Pelhafor. Communist bandits, bolstered by spies in the capital Zarya, are attempting to overthrow the democratically-elected government.

The National Peace Council has assumed emergency executive powers over all government functions, police and judicial organizations included.

Martial law has been declared. Please keep calm and stay in your homes.

The National Peace Council has the situation under control.

~~~​

"General Staubmeyer, I hear from my aides that you have activated the Emergency Powers Clause -- and without my knowledge or consent. General, let's both try to remember, who exactly the people elected in the last election..." An old suited gentleman with flattened, ash-gray hair held the telephone handset to his wrinkled face.

"President Hermann, I am glad to hear that you are unharmed. I have sent my men to pick you up and bring you into safety," came the gruff, mangled voice from the other side of the phone line. "The city of Zarya is no place for a politician tonight."

"That... I assure you, General, that won't be necessary. I -- " Shouts and the sounds of running motors came from outside the presidential mansion. The old statesman heard the sound of a scuffle, men fighting, and then a loud crash as heavy vehicles burst through the gates of the presidential residence. Loud pops that could not be mistaken for anything other than gunfire erupted downstairs. "General... General Staubmeyer, I warn you now -- stand down. Do you hear me? We will see very grave consequences if this charade goes on any further..."

"I'm afraid we will."

Boots beat against the marble floor. More shouts could be heard, wild frantic calls. Gunfire erupted, but silenced a few seconds later. The noise came closer, and the buzz on the other side of the telephone grew louder. Then the double doors burst open and men with assault rifles marched in, dark figures in dark green and night-vision goggles.

The old man stood. He point his finger at the intruders, his mouth open and shaking with anger. "I am your President -- !"

The old man slumped back into his chair, blood pouring from the bullet holes in his chest and his face. He dropped the telephone.

"Sir -- the target is dead."

~~~

We regret to inform you that President Alfred Hermann has been killed by communist coup elements affiliated with his own Socialist Alliance.

Radical leftists are attempting to take over the government. The National Peace Council is doing everything it can to combat the rebellion.

~~~
​

"Do we have support from Kannex? Yes? Good. Where is Trunicht?" The former president, Maximilien Trunicht, had been responsible for declaring Pelhafor's independence from the Kannexan Empire. "Fled the country? Fuck."

"Sir, we have contact with rebel forces at the southern highway exit. The rebel forces have been turned back with light casualties for our side."

"And theirs?"

"Whole buses of them have been killed, sir."

Pelhafor was in chaos, Communist elemets were staging a revolution. The people of Cogoria were kept abreast of the situation over the state radio. When news of Kannex throwing in their support for the National Peace Council, there was a mass impromptu rally held outside of the governmental compound, thousands gathered demanding their beloved Chairman do something! The revolution had taken root abroad, but was in danger of being crushed beneath the jackboot of imperialist capitalists. And so the Chairman heeded their calls. The commanders of the three branches of the People's Armed Forces were called in late at night and a plan was made.

General Samsonov reviewed his orders, and the forces he had been given. It was two hours since the assassination of President Hermann had been confirmed by an intelligence asset within the capitol. Already leave was being cancelled for all reserve units across the nation, and those units assigned to the Rapid Reaction Forces had already been mustered, outside the general's office lay the Red Banner Air force Base, where the 303rd and 21st Airborne Battalions of the Revolutionary Guard Brigade were assembling. Heavy weapons and light armoured vehicles were being loaded onto the massive 4 engine planes that were gathered at the base while the 1500 troopers settled into tents and prefabbed barracks. The plan was surprisingly simple, as soon as foreign boots set foot on Pelhaforian soil, Cogoria would be ready to jump to the oppressed proletariat's aid.

A telegram was sent to the government of Kannex. "To the most esteemed Governing body of the state of Kannex, we the humble representatives of the Armed Republic of Cogoria beseech you to refrain from intervening in the current events in Pelhafor. The People of our nation have grown weary of your government's treatment of the worker, and they worry for all humanity if your country takes it upon itself to subjugate the people's of a foreign nation for not adhering to your beliefs. While there may be some who are inviting or asking for your aid, please refuse. Any deployment of armed forces to Pelhafor will be seen as a clear imperialist attempt to forcibly deny the people a voice. As such if Kannex troops do enter Pelhafor, Cogoria will have no choice left open to us other than armed intervention. Yours with sincere regards, Comrade Moltiov,Minister for foreign interaction"

((OOC Not sure if open or not, just seemed interesting, if not open just pop me a message and I'll remove my post))

Qeshir, Republic of the Ilamzati Proletariat

Babak Shirazi wiped some dust off of his left sleeve as he listened to the regular ding of the elevator ascending. It seemed like he spent every moment for the past ten years with an assault rifle in his right hand; the weight of the briefcase that he was clutching now felt strange. The elevator's bell rang a final time as it stopped at his floor. As he stepped forward, it lurched. For a moment he was transported back to a violently rocking patrol boat in Lake Nazlou. It was the sixth year of the civil war - flak was exploding above his head from government artillery. A comrade, struck by shrapnel, fell onto him.

As the elevator doors opened, he was transported back to reality. He had won the war, and he was now part of the committee elected by the workers to defend their new state from threats internal and external.

Babak snuck into the meeting room. Many of the other members of People's Council for the Defense of the Revolution were already present. One member of the Front for the Establishment of a Proletarian Democracy locked eyes with him almost immediately upon Babak's sitting down.

"Brother Shirazi," he said. Babak despised him. He found him to be, like most members of the FEPD, an unbridled idealist. They demanded the most open political process of Babak's own United Workers Party with unrelenting vigor, seemingly uninterested or uncaring that a revolution was making reasoned political debate and slow, compromising decision-making impossible. They contributed little to the Revolution as it was, organizing workers to seize their places of employment but consistently failing to meet army recruitment quotas among their union members.

This FEPD lackey in particular, Dariush Ermiazi, released consistently crude and vile polemics against Babak's theory of democratic centralism. In one piece of agitprop, Ermiazi took the United Workers Party slogan of "freedom of discussion, unity of action" and twisted it into "fear of discussion, unity by decree". Babak found it hard to avoid spitting on the ground every time he saw the man's face.

"Brother Ermiazi," he replied. "Isn't Class Consciousness¹ meeting right now?"

"Oh yes, Sister Mahabadi agreed to chair the discussion so that I could attend this meeting. I believe the topic was - "

"The Pelhafor coup. Yes, I read about it today." Babak said.

"Ah," Ermiazi said, pursing his lips in annoyance. "Yes, the Pelhafor coup. I spoke to several union delegates today and we have a tentative agreement that the FEPD would support a statement by the National People's Congress. I have little doubt that this has something to do with Kannex's recent crackdown on our comrades in their own country. It's possible that leftists in Pelhafor decided to act quickly before they themselves were arrested."

Babak shook his head. He whispered to a member of his own United Workers Party sitting next to him before continuing.

"I think the FEPD is barking up the wrong tree with this one. These entryists in the Socialist Alliance would never have the gall to attempt an open coup. They will always, in the end, support the bourgeois democracy they are a part of. Looking at their ideology objectively, we would see that these social democrats are merely the left wing of fascism.

"To be honest, I have a feeling that this is a false flag. The right-wing has been infecting that area of the world for years and they are only getting more emboldened. They stand to gain the most."

Ermiazi furrowed his eyebrows. "What intelligence do you base this on? Does the UWPI have spies abroad so soon after the end of our civil war?"

"We have comrades sympathetic to our cause everywhere. And it is obvious to even the most casual observer that the material conditions for a successful leftist coup do not exist in Pelhafor. The United Workers Party will not support any reaction to this situation at this time, other than perhaps a general expression of solidarity for Pelhaforan workers. Time will show this to be another reactionary plot designed to harm the general communist cause."

Ermiazi huffed. "Did you decide this for the UWPI? Is this an example of 'freedom of discussion, unity of action'?"

Babak laughed and shook his head. "Forgive me it seems that I speak for my party. I just trust that each UWPI member in the Congress has an understanding of basic revolutionary theory and would therefore invariably see this situation for what it is."

Ermiazi shut the folder in front of him with a cough and stood to go. "Perhaps the FEPD and the Democratic Socialists will convince some of your delegates to the Congress to see our side of this."

"Perhaps," Babak said.

---

The Republic of the Ilamzati Proletariat
Public Release from the National People's Congress.
"Workers of all countries, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains, and a world to gain!"​

In this release authorized by the National People's Congress of the Republic of the Ilamzati Proletariat, we assembled delegates of the Ilamzati people express our sorrow at the loss of life in Pelhafor and declare solemnly that we will stand in solidarity with the Pelhaforan working class. Like the working class of every nation, the Pelhaforan proletariat stand to both gain or lose the most in any general political unrest.

Solidarity with the workers of Pelhafor! Total devotion to Socialist Ilamzati Thought! Throw down and destroy all forms of class oppression!

Click to expand...

¹: An abbreviation of the full title of the committee Ermiazi heads, the "People's Council for the Promotion of International Class Consciousness".

A solemn black-haired man tapped his foot at the same speed as his heightened heart rate as he gazed out his office window. The Niemzburg downtown, the capital of the Kannexan Empire, stood sprawled before him, a metropolis of shining glass towers that emitted the power of the Reich. Or so a poet would put it. But this man, hands in his suit pocket, and foot twitching, was no poet. "Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?" he demanded in angry Mandarin.

The sun rose over Niemzburg and flooded rays of light into the Kannexan Chancellery. The Kannexan Chancellor Matthias Djiang turned from the window and faced his advisors with a scowl. "Why was I not informed earlier?" added Chancellor Djiang.

"We informed you as soon as our sources could verify the information, Mr. Chancellor," came the passive reply from one of the advisors. All these bureaucrats, Mandarin or Teutonic, were living automatons. "There has been a coup d'etat in Pelhafor. We are not sure which side initiated the coup. At any rate, a group of military officers calling themselves the National Peace Council have seized control in Zarya."

"The circumstances are indeed suspicious," added another civil servant.

"Now we have the whole world thinking we're behind this coup..." remarked Chancellor Djiang. His foot stopped twitching and he glanced at his advisors. "Well... are we behind this coup?"

"Our R.N.D. agents were in contact with several of the officers of the National Peace Council before this coup, sir. But our agents gave no explicit support, nor did they signal any disapproval."

"Again... why was I not informed?"

---

Ethan sat on the side of the road. He was under a bridge far on the outskirts of the capital Zarya, taking refuge from the beating noon sun. Like the other protesters with him, he panted heavy breaths and shared water bottles. A girl sitting next to Ethan had her face in her hands, making muffled sobs, while a young man who couldn't be older than 25 cursed. "We're gonna fucking kill 'em! The time for nonviolent protest is over -- we're getting guns, and we're getting grenades -- we're rising up -- "

"Where the hell are you getting grenades? They have tanks, and helicopters -- and real guns, man, real rifles!" Ethan cried.

"You saw them -- they were killing us. They were shooting us as if -- as if we were invaders," added another with exasperation. "As if we weren't people."

"This can't be right." Ethan shook his head and buried himself in a fetal position, rocking back and forth. Father Barthélemy was dead. Most of the protest leaders were probably dead, or arrested. Just a week ago they had marched from all over Pelhafor, young and foolish college students wanting to 'change the system' -- young Catholics, even Protestants, atheist communists -- so many people had joined them and converged on Zarya. But the government had reacted. They had brought out tanks and soldiers and shot real bullets. This wasn't a game anymore.

"Hey, do you have a phone charger?" Ethan looked up. A girl who seemed to be a high schooler nudged him. Ethan shook his head. "We need to get somewhere where we can charge our phones, get food and water, see what's going on, and return home."

"My phone isn't dead, but the network's down," Ethan responded, pushing himself up. He looked at the others. "She's right. We have to get moving. Something bad's happened to Pelhafor, and we can't stay here."

---

The communist attack on Zarya has been crushed. Remnants of rebels remain in the capital Zarya, however. The National Peace Council orders all civilians to stay at home if possible while the Army restores law and order to Pelhafor.
​

---

"The Government of the Kannexan Reich condemns the violence in Pelhafor and calls for a return to the democratically-elected order. We call for a return to the rule of law and order and a respect for political freedoms and human rights," read the Foreign Ministry spokesman in German. "The Imperial Kannexan Navy has deployed the West Fleet to Pelhafor, to ensure the successful evacuation of Kannexan citizens remaining in Pelhafor."

---

"I'm not a communist! I'm not a communist -- I'm a man of God, please, I'm a Christian, look at my cross here -- I'm a Christian! I'm a Christian! I'm not a communist, please don't kill me -- dear God, please -- I'm innocent! I'm not a comm-- "

The intelligence reports coming in from Zarya were grim, the revolution had apparently failed, and troops were flooding the streets, who the troops served became muddled as the message went around the different departments, by the time the documents reached the desk of the Chairman, all that could be confirmed was that the revolution had put down with bloody gusto and far quicker than any of the original intelligence suggested, Kannex had come out against a coup that Cogorian sources had never reported. What's more an entire Kannexan fleet had been deployed to the region. The analysists concluded that the Kannexan government had orchestrated the whole thing to draw those that believed in the future of the worker's paradise out to be slaughtered. The Chairman gave the green light for operation "Hammer"

Within half an hour of recieving the order, the two ariborne battalions were well on their way to Pelhafor. The fleet of aircraft planned to come in from the sea, guided by the capitol city's lights, the dropzone would bejust outside the city, to the North. But for now the 1500 men waited, as the planes droned towards their target. Darting in among the fleet of massive planes, fighter jets of the 12th 72nd and 73rd squadrons prowled.

Map of Pelhafor.

---

"Sir, our information has been confirmed by the Kannexan RND. Up to one hundred unidentified aircraft are approaching Pelhaforan airspace. They will make contact within three hours."

The whole room of generals erupted into bickering as the the courier gave the news. The dozen men of the National Peace Council, distinguished officers clad in brilliant green and blue, began talking over each other. "Hostile aircraft?"

"They can't possibly be coming for a humanitarian visit!"

"We must seek Kannexan help!"

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen!" General Staubmeyer raised a hand, and the chatter grounded to a halt. "This is a perfect opportunity to consolidate our hold on the country. Contact the commanders of the five other Provincial Commands. Contact the press, the radio -- everything. I want every citizen fearing for the independence of his country."

---

The Pelhaforan coast was still populated with missile silos left over from the Kannexan era. Each of this missile silos stood ready, in constant contact with radar stations. As soon as the Congorian aircraft entered Pelhaforan airspace, there would be two warnings -- then the Pelhaforan seaboard would fire, launching missiles at targets beyond the horizon. The position of the Kannexan fleet was unclear, nor was the stance of the Kannexan government. But that may soon change.

The Nebulan government has not released an official statement on the matter.

When informed of the events, Azurus Malachit (MP, Socialist Party of Nebula) was heard to remark "Bastards getting what they deserve".

The planes were still flying ever onwards, two kilometres from Pelhaforan airspace the formation started to gain altitude and assume a wedge formation. The pilots then started to switch to encrypted radio channels and broadcast loads of messages between themselves and an imaginary ground controller that was actually located in an AWACS holding position well out of the target airspace. The codes were not Cogorian however, Cogorian cryptographers had been hard at work for months, cracking a Kannexan frequency and codes, however it had taken them so long that the signals and frequencies were two years out of date. Useless for actually finding out information, but when adopted by the fleet of planes, they hoped it would throw some extra confusion into the mix. One of the fighter squadrons broke off from the formation and streaked ahead, entering the airspace first and acting as the eyes of the cumbersome fleet behind them.

Back in the homeland The Chairman set into motion the second part of the plan. Inspired by the Kannexan decision to send their fleet, the Cogorian high command decided to send a contingent of the People's High Seas Fleet in a similar role. In reality the fleet was planned to act as a second wave of the invasion force, while to the outside world it was hoped it would seem like a humanitarian decision.

An announcment from the Ministry of Public Affairs and ocial Harmony "The Cogorian government, following in the lead of the Kannexan Reich, have dispatched ships of the 2nd PHSF to the coast of Palhaforan. It is hoped that they will ensure the safety of our citizens, and to prevent any atrocities from being committed against the proletariat, the fleet is expected to arrive later this week. Despite taking a peaceful stance in these events, the Chairman of the Worker's party of Cogoria has called on all workers of Pelhaforan to rise up and resist this coup, the revolution cannot be defeated when all workers unite"

The Pelhaforan Government, in the strictest terms, condemns the Congorian call for further senseless violence and demands that the foreign government cease its support for communist bandits. The State of Pelhafor further warns of grave consequences if the Congorians encroach on Pelhaforan waters, airspace, and territory.​

---

The Wagner and the Sun arrived at Zarya Harbor, blasting their horns to signal their advent. The two steel hulks were destroyers in the service of the Kannexan West Fleet. The rest of the fleet, however, remained elusive to the eye. The two Kannexan destroyers grounded to a halt and moored at the pier. On the ships stood square formations of white and blue-clad sailors, who gazed at the sleek, shining skyscrapers of the Zarya downtown at the distance and the crowd that had gathered on the docks.

"Willkommen!" came the shouts. Half a dozen grandmas who had probably been there when the Kannexans first colonized Pelhafor stood and cheered, waving small red and white flags. Old men, veterans of Kannexan wars, stood at guard, observing the two ships with grim smiles. In the back of the crowd, two young ladies in business skirts carried a banner that read "KANNEXISCHE FREUNDE WILLKOMMEN" and "??????". The crowd appeared enthusiastic.

---

"On the counts of high treason and conspiracy to overthrow the state, we declare Azurus Mau, Donald Van Truhn, and Richard Eiseld -- guilty."

The three men stared at the judges with grim countenances, their hands fastened in front of them in cuffs. Their faces had been powdered with cosmetics to hide the bruises and the cuts. A dozen state-sanctioned journalists began taking pictures, while in the corner, three cameras with the state news agency's bright "Number 1" logo rolled and trained on the three men. It waited for a reaction, something it could show the frightened viewers all across Pelhafor.

"Azurus Mau, death penalty.
"Donald Van Truhn, death penalty.
"Richard Eiseld, death penalty."

Azurus Mau's eyes darted up, and the fiery insurgent began shouting at the tribunal. Van Truhn slumped his shoulders and lowered his head, as if to prevent himself from crying, but Richard Eiseld began shouting as well, cursing the government. The TV cameras drowned out their shouting, but at last Azurus Mau gave them what they wanted --

"LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION!" Azurus Mau held up his handcuffs in what was meant to be a sign of defiance. "THE PROLETARIAT WILL PREVAIL!"

The clicking of the machines intensified. The cameras zoomed in on Azurus Mau, the young revolutionary. His outburst played on every television set from Pelhafor to Kannex.

---

"You are encroaching in the airspace of the State of Pelhafor. Turn back, or you will be fired upon."

---

"Saida Air Command is ready -- Flandres Air Command is ready -- Salento Air Command is reay, sir!"

The planes received the warning almost as immediately after the first aircraft entered the Palhaforan airspace. General Samsonov sat with the pilots, and picked up the headphones. "Begin launching now, full spread and standard pattern. On my mark. Fire" Underneath the wings of each of the large aircraft, four obselete KAH-22 cruise missiles dropped from their racks and ignited their motors. There were no warheads on any of them. Instead an ECM suite had been rigged up in the noses, broadcasting out identical electronic signatures as the planes, while the modified reflective skin gave a larger radar cross section. To any radar station observing, there were now four more fleets of planes. Each taking a slightly different heading as they split apart on different approached to the capitol.

An announcement from the Ministry of Public Affairs And Social Harmony "The government of Cogoria Condemns the far right imperialists who have instigated a coup d'etat against the legitimately elected government of Pelhaforan. We urge the workers of Pelhaforan to resist these fascists and continue to fight in the name of freedom, and the revolution."

"The situation in Pelhafor is rapidly deteriorating, Emperator," said the intelligence officer. "Now is the time to act, if we are to take any action whatsoever."
"I do not wish to launch a full invasion," snapped Antlerio. "What of Parliament?"
"Parliament is about to vote on a measure to deploy a few commando and AFI teams into Pelhafor."
"I'll be in the Chamber if anyone needs me," said Antlerio, walking out.

Half an hour later, the Nebulan Parliament approved measures to send in 100 elite soldiers to support leftist forces in Pelhafor. Three hours after that, Nebula's top commando teams were officially deployed via helicopter, en route to their secret mission to Pelhafor.

The situation remained muddling, especially for General Adam Czerwonka, commander of the Saida Provincial Air Command. A coup d'etat had broken out, according to various sources, in the capital Zarya, but the who and why of the matter was not clear. The western province, a five-hour drive from the tumultuous capital, stood alert and ready to ward off communists or socialists or fascists, whoever was taking over the government.

By noon the day after the coup, men in army uniforms, men who Czerwonka had regarded as colleagues and friends, sat in the governmental palaces at Zarya and grasped tight the reins of power and the chains of command. What a tragedy, Czerwonka thought. Of all the places something distasteful like this could happen in -- Pelhafor. Around the afternoon, when the news channels had gone static, General Czerwonka, groggy from hours of monitoring the TV screens, received a phone call from an old friend.

"Good morning, Adam. How's the wife and kids?" General Blücher spoke with a sunny Bavarian accent, as if inviting him to tea. Blücher sat in Zarya as Minister of Communications on the National Peace Council.

"Blücher, what the hell is going on? The old man president is dead, and now -- "

"It's alright, pal. We've taken control of the government, momentarily. There's been some trouble. Listen, I don't have much time to talk, but the Chief here -- "

"You mean General Staubmeyer?"

"Yes, General Staubmeyer, asked me to give you a call. We're asking you to pledge your support for our project. I know you and him never really saw eye-to-eye, but we're all military men here -- military men with good sense. President Hermann is dead, the capital is under control, but the rest of the country is still in disorder. That's where you come in, Adam. You're a Saida provincial, born and raised -- "

"And if I don't? I'm not a big fan of coups, Blücher. Do you really think you can fix a democracy by force of arms?"

"Please, we're good friends, you and I. I know you're a sensible man, loyal to God and country. The reports you receive are not wrong, Adam -- we are under attack. And the only way we can win is through unity. Strength through unity, eh?"

"Sounds like an old fascist slogan."

"Well, it rings true. Do I take it I have your cooperation?"

In the dim-lit control room, General Czerwonka glanced at the bright TV monitors. Some of them were broadcasting the news again. The well-dressed lady on the screen was reading something very intently, a stiff, militaristic-sounding message on emergency measures and security. Czerwonka turned back to his handset. "Very well. I understand."

"Good. I'm glad."

---

"The invaders have made no attempt to conceal themselves. Given they have refused to vacate our airspace, we have begun hostilities."

---

The Flandres Air Command tracked the positions of the original aircraft as they made their way slowly into the airspace of the State of Pelhafor. Anti-aircraft missiles sprouted up like weeds from across the Flandres Province seaboard, reaching into the atmosphere and hunting the flock of Cogorian aircraft. The Cogorian decoys led astray some of the missiles, but there were existed plenty more, as the invaders had made no attempt to disable tracking or ground defenses.

Electronic signals flashed across the screens of every airbase in Pelhafor. Swarms of missiles, like flies, raced across the Pelhaforan skies from east and west of the Cogorian air fleet. The Saida and Salento air commands were now active, pumping metallic explosives into the sky. At last, the aircraft -- most of them Kannexan gifts -- that had been on alert raced off into the sky. From three directions the Pelhaforan jets engaged the pattern, targeting the spot where the Cogorian general was expected to be hiding. Electronic aircraft, seemingly from behind the Cogorians, began jamming the frequencies used by the reds.

The Cogorians had united the country -- now all the military units, every Pelhaforan officer who formerly pledged allegiance to the fledgling democracy, now took orders from the National Peace Council. The foreign threat, erstwhile abstract, was now reified in the form of these red aircraft from the east.

It was clear that the invaders planned not only a punitive expedition to defend the sprouts and weeds of their materialistic red religion, but an invasion. Although the Cogorians did not possess yet a good supply line -- their aircraft was far from their bases and transporting a large invasion force was still impossible -- Cogorian plans became clearer to the National Peace Council, in part due to aid from Kannexan sources. Pelhaforan units stationed themselves at likely locations for landing, fields where concrete walls and trees could not scrape parachutes or chopper blades, strategic bridges, communications, and other likely locations. The well-armed populace of Pelhafor would prove a boon.

"All aircraft Turn back! Operations are cancelled, repeat operations are cancelled!" General Samsonov was shouting the recall order down the headset right up until the missile shattered the plane he was in, while the jamming garbled the message, many of the pilots were already coming to similar conclusions.
The air fleet was being gutted, the air was filled with flares and chaff, as the behemoths tried to jink and dodge the incoming fire, but still many of the planes plunged towards the sea in flames. The three fighter squadrons took the worst losses as they fought desperately against the enemy fighters, but the superior Kannexan designs were turning the tide, though the Cogorian fighters managed to claim a number of kills.
The surviving aircraft began to limp away, heading out beyond the Pelhaforan radar range, in the hopes that once beyond it, they could safely head for home without being tracked.

((Sorry for shortness, at work))((reason for edit, I missed the bit about the jamming))

Bursts of missiles and burning metal wreckage lit up the Pelhaforan sky. Aircraft flying the Pelhaforan green carved into the heart of the Cogorian formation, blasting away and leaving dead hulks of steel junk diving into the water. As the Cogorian air formation fled north, Salento Air Command gave orders to intercept the retreat. But the pilots refused -- the battle was over, and the invaders were fleeing.

In the midst of the battle, bombs ripped apart flesh and metal, engines began smoking, and men entered graves high above solid ground. The fear of death -- of oblivion -- crossed language barriers. A young pilot screamed as he tumbled down -- he cried for God, for mother, for anything that could save him. He feared powerlessness -- the sensation of finding that one's legs and arms suddenly didn't work. Then there were the older pilots, the men who had escaped death and knew how to work in spite of the old Reaper's glaring presence. The old pilot checked everything he knew and didn't know, tried every maneuver once and twice and once again over, despite sweating from the searing heat of the engines and deafened by the noise and the thoughts of never seeing home again. Then, at the last second, when he could see the jaws of death, when the earth was close enough to swallow him whole, he sighed and shrugged and welcomed Death gladly like an old friend.

"Oh, shit. I'm going to die."

A lone Cogorian fighter barreled a hundred miles per hour deep into Pelhaforan airspace. In the midst of the confusion the fighter had split off from the rest of the invading formation, and southwards into the heart of Pelhafor was certainly not the ideal route, but none of that mattered now. The problem was not that he was going south, the problem was that he was going down.

The collapsing metal tube was spinning, falling, burning -- leaving a trail of black smoke as it made its descent through the Pelhaforan sky, like calligraphy ink spilled on a blue sky dome. The wreckage dropped over the suburbs, over the hills, the rivers, way past the military men who were too busy beating young college students to notice, onto the grasslands of central Pelhafor.

---

The grime-faced, sweat-coated young idealist with oily, tentacle-like black hair gaped at the sight from afar. Ethan stopped in his tracks and stared, dumbstruck. Here he was, on the highway in the middle of the Pelhaforan countryside, and --

"Sammy, look!" Ethan pointed at the morning sky.

The sun had risen again. The resilience of the sun was admirable -- day after day, it continued to shine on this godforsaken planet, on this godforsaken human species... the sun kept its word, even while humans kept breaking their promises and killing their brothers and sisters.

"No, look -- ! It's -- a plane!" Samantha could not be certain whether Ethan was becoming delirious through dehydration. But lo, she looked at where Ethan pointed, and saw a hunk of burning metal drop from the sky, from the north, and land half a mile from the side of the highway, in the middle of grass and low trees. Well, 'land' was a generous word -- the remnants of the plane had crashed, exploding a fiery ball that consumed the bushes around it in flames.

The group of young exiles and revolutionaries-in-training had managed to salvage a few hours of phone battery in gas stations and roadside convenience stores. The data network was spotty in the region, but the few news articles they could read were unanimous -- a battle had taken place, between Pelhafor and a communist nation. An actual war. An actual revolution?

"Sammy -- there's someone there -- he's still alive!"

A human figure floated slowly to the ground, hanging on the strings of his vast parachute. He did not appear to be Pelhaforan, nor even Kannexan.

"General Adam Czerwonka. Air Force. Commander of the Saida Provincial Air Command. Served with distinction during the Communist Insurgency of the 1970s..." Staubmeyer, the chief of the National Peace Council junta, glanced up from papers in his hands. "That's good and all, but can we trust him?"

"Czerwonka is a family man, a good Christian," the general with the sunny Bavarian accent nodded. "His son's a priest, did you know? No leftist leanings. He was rather fond of the old president -- Czerwonka, I mean, not his son -- but I think that won't be a problem now that the old man's dead."

"Sehr gut, General Blücher. Every loyal officer -- every upstanding military man we can get behind us is an asset and a boon to Pelhafor." With a deft hand and a swift black pen, Staubmeyer cut his signature into the white of the paper. "But remember, Blücher, in times like these, loyalties change quick. The men with the guns today can quickly become the men who are lined up against the wall tomorrow."

---

General Czerwonka slammed a fist on the surface of the table. "I don't want to hear it, Lieutenant, we are not -- we are not going to raise arms against our own side!"

"With all due respect, sir, they stopped being 'our side' when they marched on Zarya, overthrew the government, and shot the President dead!"

"That's just speculation, Lieutenant -- "

"Sir, you and I both know what happened. General Staubmeyer always wanted to crack down on the Francophone protesters, and he did -- there was never a communist attack, and there will never be a communist attack! It can't be a coincidence -- large protests rock the capital right before communists plot to assassinate the President." The lieutenant stood from his chair and slammed his palm on the map of the State of Pelhafor, sprawled out on the table. "Sir -- the coup forces are in disarray after the Cogorian attack. If we strike now, we have a chance of overthrowing the National Peace Council and restoring democracy -- actually restoring democracy. Please, General -- think about that for a moment."

Czerwonka blinked and lowered his eyes. He couldn't meet the lieutenant's gaze. The young adjutant's eyes burned with such ferocity, such anger, such conviction. He still had hope for democracy, for this broken Pelhaforan republic. Czerwonka shook his head, but set nothing. He stared at the multi-colored map of the Six Provinces of Pelhafor. Saida, the province he controlled, sat in a hot orange on the upper-left. Flandes, in brown, the province that held the capital of Zarya. Salento, the smallest province. Namur, Artesia, and Henao, the three jungle provinces -- where the Civil War had staked its claim on so many young lives back in the 1970s -- where Czerwonka had become a soldier, and a man.

"Pelhafor is our homeland. We will not kill Pelhaforans -- we will not kill our own people." Czerwonka turned to his adjutant. "That's all, Lieutenant. Thank you."

"... Yes, sir."

---

A small apartment in the port city of Ambers, Salento Province. Soft, churning waves glistened in the moonlight as they churned against the docks on the pier. In a bright room lit with a chandelier, several unkempt figures in evening suits sat around a coffee table. At the head of the table was a handsome youth with curly black hair. He gave a devilish grin, a welcome.

"The time has come, my friends. The reactionaries have struck -- I know many of you reformists and moderns cringe at the word 'reactionary,' but friends, that's what they are -- the reactionaries have taken control of this country.

"There are no communists anymore. There are no socialists, no liberals, no reformists, no Trotskyites, no Marxists. Friends, comrades -- there is not even a 'Left' or a 'Right' anymore. There is nothing left in Pelhafor but two camps -- the oppressors, and the people who fight the oppressors.

"I know we've had our differences. We've had more fights over dogma and Marxian theory and holy books than the Catholic fucking Church. But I know you're gathered here in this room because you want more than that -- you've understood, as I have, that it's time to unite -- or die. It doesn't matter what Party you belonged to before the coup. It doesn't matter if you were a Marxist or a reformist. You who are gathered in this room have agreed not to be oppressed, not to live in chains any longer. And for that, I will call you comrades, and I will call you revolutionaries.

"Long live the Revolution."

---

"Lieutenant, I'd like to make a phone call to my wife in Pucela. I haven't heard from her since the emergency began." General Czerwonka set himself behind the desk and picked up the black handset. Mobile phone signals were still spotty after the air raid; the landline would be better.

The phone rang once, then twice, as the operator connected to the home number of his Pucela home. Czerwonka held the handset to his ear, his heart pounding with every series of rings.

Finally, the rings stopped. "Hello?" a woman's voice.

"Maria..."

"Adam... Adam! You're -- "

"Are you unhurt, Maria? Was there fighting near you? You are unhurt, right?"

"Yes, I... Adam..." There was a pause, but her voice had changed. Something... something was not right. "Adam, oh -- Adam... our son..."

Czerwonka's heart became heavy. The old man froze, breathing heavy breaths. "Maria... what happened to our son... Tell me, Maria -- what happened to my Barthélemy?"

"He was with his congregation -- he had followed the protesters to Zarya, in a bus, and -- he said he wanted to be a good Christian, he wanted to be there for his flock..."

"Maria, what happened to my son..."

"They killed him, Adam. They shot him, the military. The soldiers. They shot him dead."

A failed revolution in Pelhafor could not have come at a more inconvenient time for some Tajins. A Number of organized protests against alleged corruption in the recent elections had sized control of much of northern Tajis. For President Reynard Anaukshai the revolution was a godsend. Immediately their was government released evidence that the protestors had ties to the communist element in Pelhafor, which happened to border Tajis in the north.

The Iron Guard had marched into the north and burned two small towns to the ground, rooting out seditious elements. The overall reaction in the country had been one of support for any anticommunist action. This of course emboldened Anaukshai to call up the Tajin Armed Forces to crush the protestors, which he was now calling an armed insurrection.

In the Tajin parliament, a few voices were already crying foul against the president, saying he was overreacting to a small problem, that he was on a witch hunt. These opposing voices were lead by Rul Patiste and Rycho Anaukshai, which the media had been quick to point out were the recent losers in the election. They also represented nearly half the power of the parliamentary government, and Rul Patiste had the loyalty of much of the Tajin Military.

Lieutenant Andreivich had tried to ditch his aircraft in the sea as per orders, but the control surfaces had been completely destroyed. The fact he was not dead was a testament to the rugged construction of the CU-95 Fighter. He had taken practically a direct hit and spun out of control, shooting out over Pelhafor. Yanking hard on the handle beside his seat, he was blasted clear of the aircraft. Once he touched down he went to work, grabbing the survival kit from the compartment in the ejector seat. Checking his sidearm, he went off, he had to make it to the coast to link up with the naval landing force.




An announcement from the Ministry Of Public Affairs And Social Harmony "Earlier today, the Facist group responsible for the coup d'etat in Pelhafor shot down a Cogorian passenger aircraft. A number of search and rescue aircraft were dispatched to seek survivors, these too were engaged by fascist elements within the Pelhaforan military. In response to this a the party Chairman has declared a state of conflict exists between the Armed Republic of Cogoria and those responsible for the coup. All military leave is cancelled. All reserves are to report to your designated mustering points. We beseech those still loyal to the democratic government of Pelhafor to resist this coup, and to join forces with the Communist Revolutionaries and our forces so that peace and order may be restored. Long live the revolution!"



The Cogorian fleet was an odd sight as it steamed towards its strike point, missile cruisers, destroyers, and dedicated AA ships all surrounding the nuclear aircraft carrier C.S Pobedy. Behind them came the landing ships. They would take position well off the coast, and pound the air defences that had revealed themselves during the disastrous attempt by the airborne battalions, they were still one day away from coming in range, but their clocks were synchronised with the aircraft of the Strategic Bomber command. In 28 hours they would attack in concert, hopefully removing the threat of enemy AA and allow another attempt by the airborne troops, supported by a naval landing. It was a hastily made plan, quickly drawn up as events unfolded. But it would have to do.

In the office of Congressman Lejon -- Niemzburg, Kannexan Empire

"These communists are not very smart, for an ideology that prides itself on being modern and materialistic..." Congressman Julius Gotti shook his glass of whiskey, watching as the liquor splash around in a small whirlpool of alcohol. The thirty-something Liberal from Jurchland leaned against a mahogany desk, dressed in a white shirt and dress pants.

Congressman Richard Yüä Lejon shook his head and sighed. Lejon, the old Liberal from Sarnia, sat in a couch on the opposite end of the office, occupied with his own glass. An ash tray rested between the two politicians at the center, on a coffee table with short legs. "The communists are blinded by their faith. They're trapped in the belief in their own goodness, in their own righteousness. Not unlike our fundamentalist Christian friends. In fact, if Marx's initials had been J.C...."

The young Gotti laughed. "Woah, woah, there... I can't be caught in the same room as an atheist Liberal. I'm up for reelection."

"Hey, who do you think I am, KSS Director Haumer? I've got no bugs in my office except the little shit leaning on my desk." Lejon poured another shot from the bottle. "These communists understand only violence -- domination and submission, a total slave morality. The Cogorians think everything can be solved through brute force... but all they're doing is uniting the Pelhaforans together against the invasion. Had the Cogorians not attacked, I guarantee you -- the coup in Pelhafor would have failed already. Between the hometown fascist and the foreign communist invader, who do you think the Pelhaforans would choose?" Lejon shook his head.

"You're ranting again, Richard." Gotti gulped down his drink. "I'm afraid we'll be drawn into the conflict. Chancellor Djiang has built his power on the backs of anticommunists... at this rate, the Conservatives will be calling for blood."

"God help us all."

---

The headquarters of the newly-formed Revolution -- in the port of Ambers, Salento Province, the State of Pelhafor.

"C'est idiotie! The Cogorian announcement is nothing more than an invitation to die!"

"We have no other choice but to support the Cogorians -- no other foreign power is willing to back us. At the very least, the Cogorians can divert the junta's attention and resources -- we need to declare ourselves to the Pelhaforan people now, comrades. The people need to know that we exist!"

An assortment of sighs, shaking heads, and thoughtful silence followed. A brown-haired woman with a cigarette finally spoke. "The Pelhaforan people will not back the foreign invaders. The people have no affection for foreigners. The junta will only use the Cogorian's announcement to draw us out in the open and kill us all."

"But if we launch an uprising at the same time as the invasion -- "

"The junta is expecting us! Let me remind you that we are still weak -- we have contact with resistance groups in only three out of the Six Provinces. If we rise up now, we die."

"The people will join us -- the junta cannot hold out for long if the people sense its weakness."

"And then what -- a dictatorship under the orders of Cogoria? We are asking the Pelhaforan people to choose between the fire and the frying pan."

The black-haired leader interrupted. "I want our agents to open a secure line of communication to the Cogorian government. For the moment, we'll wait. The junta is focused on the invasion at the moment. In the meantime, we will strengthen ourselves."

---

Images of downed Cogorian fighter jets flashed across foreign television screens. The wreckage had crashed into suburbs, farms, fields, and rivers. Footage from the dogfights, the fireworks and the midair bursts of flame during the nighttime, played prominently across the living rooms of the Kannexan Empire. Even the grisly images of Cogorian fighter pilot corpses, burnt and broken but still clearly in pilot uniforms, could be seen on late-night television news.

The Pelhaforan narration accompanied the footage:

"The communist invaders plotted an attempt to strike the people of Pelhafor late at night, attempting to bomb homes, buildings, and factories on the heavily-populated coast. They failed. The Cogorian reds lie -- Pelhafor will never allow itself to be subjugated by a foreign communist power. Here is the proof. Dead communist military pilots, and their broken tools of death."

---

---

The Kannexan Reichsmarine had its West Fleet, consisting of three carrier battle groups, in position. The Kannexan North Fleet, at this point, had received orders to aid to the defense of Pelhafor.

The Nebulan helicopter reached Cogorian airspace. "Nebulan SpecForces, requesting entry "for reasons to do with the situation in Pelhafor".

The staff of the propaganda ministry were hard at work, international opinion was quickly turning against them. They were sifting through hundreds of videos on the internet and from their few sources within Zarya. Then they found it, a few short clips shot by a protester. The film was copied and sent straight to the news room along with a short note detailing it's contents. The news crew started setting up for the broadcast and scripts were being written.

Meanwhile the air defence command picked up a lone helo approaching Cogorian airspace, fearing a retaliatory strike for the failed air landing. The radio message crackled through, the colonel in charge at the base however was still suspicious."Nebulan aircraft, state your intention!" Two jets and an attack helicopter were scrambled to intercept and escort the Nebulan craft, either out of the airspace or to an air field, which one it would be was up to the Nebulan response.

The woman sat behind her desk, she focused on the hand above the camera counting down 5..4..3..2..1.. "This is an announcement from the Ministry of Public Affairs, And Social Harmony. Do not believe the Pelhaforan lies. The Cogorian armed forces did NOT send a bombing raid against the county of Pelhafor, they did NOT seek to burn your homes, they did NOT kill your peolpe. The only party guilty of killing Pelhaforan civillians are the Facists that have taken power by force of arms" The screen cuts to a number of stills showing piles of bodies in the streets, then turns black for a split second before a video plays. A priest can be seen on the ground, the camera filming from a window across the street. A soldier in a Pelhaforan uniform stands over him, blood is splattered across the wall and runs down the gutter in a stream, the camera zooms in, revealing the face of the man in painful detail as he begs for his life, the words are muffled but understandable I'm not a communist! I'm not a communist -- I'm a man of God, please, I'm a Christian, look at my cross here -- I'm a Christian! I'm a Christian! I'm not a communist, please don't kill me -- dear God, please -- I'm innocent! I'm not a comm" The video is shown in full, the killing shot isn't edited out, the orders the station got were clear, the fate of the nation was more important than worying about the faint of heart. As the body slumps back into the street, the video finanally ends, and the news anchor takes over again. "Our nation may not have sent bombers to attack Pelhafor, but we did send our brave sons in to try routing out this cancer eating away at Pelhafor. This action was not born from a conflict of beliefs, it was inspired by common decency, the shooting of civillians is a crime that must be punished, and seeing as the Kannexan Reich stands idly by while their errant child festers and kills itself, we have taken it upon ouselves to end this madness. The Kannexan Reich may support the shooting of priests and unarmed women and children, but Cogoria cannot. We would sacrifice a million of our brave soldiers to save a single inoocent life. Long live Cogoria, and Long live the Revolution!"

"We request assistance from the Cogorian government in entering Pelhafor," said the communications officer. "In exchange we will provide intelligence from within Kannex."

The helicopter waited, its crew unconcerned with the threat of imminent destruction. Back in Nebula, a team of commanding officials watched anxiously.

"It's quite clear this is the work of the Cogorian propaganda ministry -- the constant epithet of 'fascist' is there, you know, 'fascist' this, 'fascist' that, along with wild claims and brazen mistruths," offered a Cogorian pilot. A dubbed German voice subsequently overlaid the Cogorian's statements. "Back home we are used to these... these pieces of 'art' all the time, you see. They even contradict themselves."

The six o'clock viewing slot featured the Pelhaforan National News, among the few broadcasters that survived the purge. Many other news networks now returned on-air, but Pelhaforan National News, as the state-controlled news network, remained the most popular. The current scene, pre-recorded and broadcast across Pelhafor and the Kannexan Empire, was a spotless white set with three chairs and a coffee table in between. The camera rolled as the Pelhaforan interviewers, a man and woman in dress suits, lounged comfortably on the rightmost two sofa chairs. On the left sat a Cogorian prisoner of war, a grim foreign-looking fellow who was still in his dirt-smeared communist pilot's uniform.

The disastrous air raid gave the Pelhaforans several Cogorian prisoners of war, real blood-and-flesh communist enemies to interview. The Pelhaforan news anchors offered questions and coffee and the Cogorian nodded and gave slow, thoughtful answers in his native language. "Yes, I was here to bomb Pelhaforan targets. I and my comrades were given orders to attack office buildings, airbases, government buildings, police stations. We wanted to strike fear into the hearts of the Pelhaforans for refusing to accept our ideology. That's why we chose to attack Zarya. Unfortunately, our intelligence was lacking -- we did not have any idea of where the radar stations were, and we severely underestimated the power of the Pelhaforan military. The Chairman of the Party in Cogoria is a very irrational man, so I expect the the Cogorian military will try again to attack Pelhafor, trying to use the revolutionary elements within Pelhafor."

The interviewers prodded the pilot on the Cogorian propaganda videos. Just what exactly did the Cogorians want to achieve with such devices? Retouched footage from the Cogorian video aired on screen. "You see there, there is very unnatural light. Like shot in a film studio. The Cogorian film industry is not very advanced, you see." The pilot paused, squinting at the video once more. "I believe that's a famous Cogorian propaganda actor. He often appears in these productions, touched up with makeup or a disguise. Back home, we see him die a few times every month."

---

"Herr Ambassador Ribbenitz, it is good to see you," Kannexan Foreign Minister Werner Wohlunghof was a thin man with golden hair and a set of pearly white teeth fit for a toothpaste commercial. He walked with the gait of a pensioner, had an easygoing posture, and wore a dull gray suit which seemed to bring out the drugged-like expression on his face.

Ambassador Ribbenitz, the ambassador from the State of Pelhafor, stood across from the Minister and gave him a stiff handshake. Ribbenitz was a big fellow bulging out of his black suit. A thick mass of curled hair sat on his head, like a cozy black cat covered by a small disc-like yarmulke. The pair stood presently at the wide marble lobby of the Kannexan Foreign Ministry, a palace-like building with paintings and sculptures from the era of Empress Marianne.

"Ah, it is -- ah, very good to see you too, Herr Minister," Ribbenitz sputtered, forcing a smile at the Kannexan. The Pelhaforan diplomat followed him into the elevator. The elevator doors shut close and the pair stood side-by-side without a word. Wohlunghof hummed a rural German tune, tapping his foot, while the Pelhaforan ambassador felt the humidity of the contraption manifest itself as sweat on his face.

At last, the elevator doors opened into Minister Wohlunghof's office. As soon as the pair were behind closed doors, Wohlunghof's previously sunny eyes became those of dead fish. The thin Kannexan stared at Ribbenitz and stretched out an arm, directing the Pelhaforan to take a seat.

"Mein Herr, the Kannexan Reich is becoming increasingly concerned by the situation in the State of Pelhafor. The Chancellor has heard very... disturbing reports from your country, especially regarding the conduct of your troops and your new government towards Pelhaforan civilians."

Ambassador Ribbenitz nodded, understanding his cue to speak, and wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead. "With respect, Herr Minister, these are nothing but rumors and propaganda from anti-government agents. The National Peace Council is doing everything it can to uphold law and security -- "

"Yes, yes, I understand -- tea, Herr Ribbenitz?"

"No, thank you."

Minister Wohlunghof put on his glasses and scanned through the papers on his desk before glancing back up at the Pelhaforan. "I assure you, Herr Ribbenitz, that the Kannexan Reich continues to express utmost respect for the sovereignty and the independence of the State of Pelhafor in its own affairs. And the Kannexan Reich will continue to stand by Pelhafor as she defends her independence and freedom. However -- " Wohlunghof took off his glasses, as if to make a point. "As a democratic nation, Kannex must insist that the rule of law and democratic principles be respected."

Dawn was just breaking over the carrier battle group as the Admiral sat on the bridge wing lost in though, watching one of the battlecruisers off in the distance cuting through the rough waters. They had recently come off leave in St Owhela and were on patrol looking for a group of pirates that had been harassing shipping lanes.

A captain stepped out onto the wing "Admiral, we're receiving new orders." With a nod the two headed back inside. The XO met the Admiral halfway across the bridge handing him a folder. Scanning through the documents for a moment he looked up over the rim of his glasses. "Notify the Captains of the fleet, we have new orders; set course for Pelhafor. We're to rendezvois with Surface Action Group 16 and loiter outside the territorial waters on an 'exercise' in case things go south." Moments later the fleet increased speed and changed course.

The town of Autlechthyam was burning. Fires had engulfed the buildings, the churches, the homes, the government offices, all was on fire. Littered in the streets were bodies, gunned down protestors, their blood drying in the gaps between the paving stones.

Gyard Locke, captain of the 2nd Company of the Iron Guard scanned the scene of the devastation through his mask, breathing in the stale oxygen from the tank on his back. Intermittently he heard gun fire as another pocket of resistance was discovered, his fellow guardsman putting them down. They hadn't been expecting an engagement. Their orders had been to move into the town and arrest a number of ringleaders, one of whom was the son of a well known pro-communist leader from the Talamnic Wars. What had happened instead was an ambush, locals trying to gun them down. Captain Locke's company had been ordered to secure the roads in and out of town while Captain Jughes had lead the 1st Company into the town.

By time he knew that the locals were actually attacking, Jughes and most of his men were dead. After relaying the situation to his superiors he had called in air support and two bombers came roaring out of Tahyrre dropping incendiaries onto Autlechthyam. The battle was over after the first explosives destroyed the town hall. Now they were just mopping up.

They hadn't found the ringleaders, the intelligence was either wrong, or they'd vacated the town before the guard had arrived. Locke wondered what this day would mean. President Anaukshai wasn't going to let this go unanswered, there would be retaliation. As the flames roared around him he thought about the soldiers and civilians who had just died here. Things were going to get worse.

---

King Sherwin had arrived in Port Auguston just an hour ahead of the news of the bloodbath at Autlechthyam. In the middle of sharing lunch with Lord Marshal Saul Demantz they were interrupted by an aid who quickly relayed the message to the king. After hearing the news, Sherwin pushed his plate away, his appetite lost.

'That damned fool is starting a conflict with his own people,' the king said angrily. 'Are Tajins truly that self destructive.'

Demantz looked knowingly at the king. 'You've backed Reynard and his poor decisions too many times.'

The King new it was true. They needed a stable Tajis, but every time they'd given in the Tajins had gone out of there way to undo the Kingdom's efforts. Sherwin called his office in Karthied and was soon in conference with his council. The first step he'd decided was to recall all Esplandian personnel from Tajis. Reynard would push for a conflict, it would be a witch hunt for communists, and his opponents would try to use this conflict to take him down.

He told chancellor Montgomerey to call a special meeting of the Landesgrad. He was going to ask the nobles to vote against sending troops to Tajis's aid. He wasn't going to let Reynard use Esplandia to terrorize his own people.

The Cogorian fleet were loitering outside the national waters of Pelhafor, though many of the AA sites and radar stations along the coast were well within range of the cruisers' missiles. The bombers however were still sitting on the runways, ready to go whenever the order arrived. However the only news so far was the operation was postponed. Pelhafor had turned the video of the priest into a farce, international opinion was still unknown to the Cogorian government, but they knew they'd need more evidence to justify their actions if they were to avoid Kannex entering the conflict. Cogoria could not afford to fight on two fronts. Even so, as maritime patrol aircraft tracked the arrival of yet another carrier in the region it looked like that was what was going to happen. The CDF was called up in full, industry grinding to a halt as even more echelons of reserves and conscripts were called up.

Public opinion was heavily in favour of the party's actions against Pelhafor, the cultural scars of Cogoria's own revolution against a despotic tyrant were still fresh after 2 generations. The internal TV stations were broadcasting images of spontaneous rallies being held condemning the junta, and Kannex for allowing the shooting of civilians, the few churches in the country, normally ignored by the populace, were getting plenty of air time as they railed against the heartless execution of a holy man. But the most broadcast images were of soldiers. Vast columns of troops and tanks taking up defensive positions around the country, or boarding planes and ships to take the fight to the enemy, the ships went to join the fleet, but the planes stayed put for now.

A young reporter stands in front of the camera at the side of a road, the ticker tape lists nothing but the names of the personnel lost in the air raid"And here we can see the soldiers of the glorious CDF, moving to secure our lands in the event of foreign aggression!" The camera pans to the road where a large body of troops are marching in full battle gear, marching crisply and singing as they go.
"We are prepared for any foreign threat
The Navy launches ships, the Air Force sends in jets
And nothing can withstand our fixed bayonets
The CDF deploys!

The airforce & the paras have all been knocked about
Paratroopers, jetfighters have nearly been wiped out
But still the infantry will stubbornly hold out
the CDF deploys!"

The Chairman sat at his desk reviewing the stavka's newest plan, all it needed was his signature. That damned actor the Pelhaforans had hired seemed to have fooled more people than expected, the secret police had immediately launched a hunt for the man's family before discovering that he had never lived in Cogoria, let alone flown one of their jets. And so, he looked at this last ditch order, it involved the Special Training and Construction Battalion no.400. But he was hesitant to authorise it with so many nations deploying ships to the area, he was confident his forces would destroy the Kannexan fleet with acceptable losses, but with a Cerestian carrier entering the area too? It was too risky. He decided to hear out the Nebulans before finalising any plan.

((ooc sing to the tune of the Battle Hym of the Republic))

"We would like to see Cogorian aid in helping create a diversion that will allow us to enter Pelhafor and wreak havoc from within," said a Nebulan commander through the video screen. "We will provide intelligence to both Nebula and Cogoria concerning the state of affairs and, if Cogoria so wishes, plan acts of sabotage that will aid an invasion force.
"We ask you to accept this deal as it offers both of our nations an opportunity to come together and aid leftists in Pelhafor, to our mutual benefit."

The small group of black SUVs pulled into the driveway of the farmstead. It was well maintained, made of stone, and looked to have been a few hundred years old. In the fields the cows were chewing their cud as the wind created gentle waves in the wheat fields beyond. Gracie could see a couple farmers working on one of the tractors, it was almost something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. As the vehicles approached, the barn the doors began to open, and with no hesitation passed inside. The stone floor formed a ramp into an cavernous underground garage painted perfect sterile white, quite a contrast from the rural shell outside. As they came to a stop the floor which had formed the ramp hydraulically raised back into position, concealing the entrance as the barn doors could be seen coming to a close.

The room was a 'kill room' outfitted with remote defense weapons for anyone foolish enough to try and enter without authorization. Soldiers with automatic weapons and German shepherds began a final security check on the new arrivals as soldiers behind bulletproof glass double checked information and ran scans. Completing their sweep came the call 'All clear.'

They had entered - The Hive - a secured military command center. Gracie's position as military liaison for the Crown dictated her arrival as soon as Cogoria had mobilized such a large portion of their military so close, too close, to St Owhela. Though they hoped events in Pelhafor would begin to subside, the Cogorian forces seemed to be chomping at the bit intent for blood.

The new arrivals began heading down the long entry hall toward the command center. Walking past the gigantic blast doors, the unmistakable sound of the alert klaxon sounded, all eyes darted toward the nearby signal board as it dropped further from DEFCON 4 to DEFCON 3. "They must have activated more forces. I'm not sure what those Cogorans are thinking mobilizing troops like that and right on our border..." she said to anyone and no one at the same time shaking her head.

Entering the command center there was an air of concern, determination, and haste. The situation briefing would soon begin, officers and personnel began to take their assigned seat. Gracie looked at the name tags as she hunted for her spot, she was at the head of the table, right next to her friend Field Marshall Imahara. Graphics and statistics of troop movements appeared on the screens, the lights dimmed, and an older man in a grey suit began to speak "As you can see, their forces have mobilized, we believe they may have even begun calling up reserves and conscripts as we're receiving reports..."

Across St Owhela the Civil Defense armories opened for ammunition and gear distribution to any home-guard and early deployment forces needing resupply as national defense installations were being checked and double checked. UAVs and satellites closely watched the progress of troop movements across the border for any changes while commanders reviewed tactics and strategies with their soldiers. Defense positions were stealthily brought to strength while rapid movement forces were placed on alert. As much as possible these actions were concealed or made to appear benign so as not to raise alarm. Even through all this life in 'St. O' carried on seemingly the same, though with a bit of an air of caution.

Beneath the headquarters of the League Intelligence Service, sat a vast, sprawling complex that was the true home of the three intelligence agencies of the Rose League. Marshal Johan was speaking with Administrator Natalia, the head of the Directorate of Military Intelligence and their discussion mainly focused on the condemnation from the Trillium Alliance members over the recent actions of the Armed Republic of Cogoria. Looking over all the documents, Johan signed, "well... this is a mess. For once it would be nice if we go for an extended length of time without everyone trying to kill each other." Natalia looked over at the Marshal, "as an officer of our Peacekeepers, you should know that the majority of countries on the planet do not have the same restraint or distaste for war that we in Kalti, Callaici and Andalucia have. Regardless of our personal feelings on the matter, I am ordering the Safir-3 satellite to be re-positioned over Pelhafor to give us live, up to date imagery and reconnaissance as the situation unfolds." Johan was intrigued to learn that the Safir-3 satellite had been launched as he thought the project was still in the final planning stages and not fully operational, "and why was I never informed that the Safir-3 project was off the ground and running?" Natalia grinned, "it was classified at the highest levels of government by the Secretary-Generals of the Rose Forum and on a need to know basis. As of right now, you are the only person who knows about the project outside the Secretary-Generals and the Intelligence Administrators. We will be slowly unveiling it to the rest of the Armed Forces in training so they are fully aware of how the system functions and how to use it during both disaster relief, terror situations and international incidents." With that statement, Administrator Natalia started to wrap up the conversation and then escorted Marshal Johan back to the public lobby where he left for the day.

---

Provisional President of the Republic Erik Staubmeyer had ordered the Pelhaforan Navy sortied, scattered across the national and international waters near the Pelhaforan coast. Pelhaforan naval forces included submarines that tracked the Cogorian invaders' every move from the depths of the ocean, aircraft carriers that would bolster the attack capabilities of Pelhafor's allies when the time came, and the escort squadrons of destroyers and frigates. Tens of thousands of reserves filled the ranks of the three major branches. Pelhaforan cruise missiles trained on Cogorian targets, ready to fire once war came. "For God & country" was the cry.

General Adam Czerwonka had resigned his post as the commander of the Saida Provincial Air Command, for unknown family reasons.

---

"The Cogorians are out for blood." Chancellor Matthias Djiang lounged on the magenta-red sofa at the center of his office, legs crossed and arms laid out on the back pillows. Vivid shades of red, gold, and marble white decorated the walls of the Kannexan Chancellor's room, a fusion of the oriental Mandarin culture and the neo-classical tastes of the South Kannexans. White banners with lush black Mandarin characters hung on either side of the office, while a bare, wooden Christian cross sat in a cozy shrine above the simmering fireplace in the back of the room. Behind the Christian cross loomed the portrait of Emperor Johann in his regal military dress, a saber in his hand.

"We must find a way to present the Cogorians a face-saving peace," Foreign Minister Werner Wohlunghof offered in Mandarin. Wohlunghof came from South Kannex and spoke German as his native tongue, but since his youth he had mastered half a dozen other languages, including the harsh tonal tongue of the North Kannexans. He possessed great intuition -- he understood, almost instinctively, the Northerners' concepts of honor and face.

"It can't be done -- no, it can. But it will be difficult," Chancellor Djiang shook his head. "These communists are irrational beings. Animalistic, irrational men, like my predecessors. As long as these reds run around, there will always be war. Better to wipe them all out."

Wohlunghof chuckled. "Well, we must try to grasp for peace, Herr Kanzler. Foreign affairs is my portfolio -- reasoning with madmen is my specialty. Shall I open a channel with the Cogorian government?"

Djiang nodded. "See what you can do. I don't want another anticommunist war."

The possibility of a multiple front war was becoming more likely by the minute as reports of reserves and troops being called up in St Owhela came pouring in, alongside intelligence on the Pelhaforan fleet beginning to gather. There was no other conclusion that could be drawn from the reports, all the massing of the foreign powers forces were proceeding at the same pace and identical in scale, it was either a huge coincidence or a planned combined mobilisation. By now Cogoria had mobilised 660,000 troops, with another 660,000 expected to be fully mobilised by the end of the week, by retaining every weapon previously used by the military throughout the decades, no matter how obsolete, Cogoria could mobilise a full twenty of her population if need be by calling up every reservist and militia, but for now they were only going to mobilise 4% of their 33,000,000 citizens.

Now a large part of the current mobilised force were being deployed en masse to the border to dig in. Trains packed with troops departed the stations like clockwork on their way to their designated fronts. Squadrons of jet fighters prowled the skies for hostile aircraft of spy planes. Mobile heavy SAM trucks were set up around the now growing defensive positions, cities and strategic sites. The entire Cogorian navy was now being diverted, with half of the fleet joining the one already already outside of Pelhafors waters, adding two carriers and their battle fleets. The second half were brought back to home waters to help ward off enemy ships and eventually escort more troop ships to the newly designated Pelhaforan Interdiction fleet. Squadrons of destroyers were separated and sent submarine hunting, trying to locate and track all non Cogorian subs in the region. While the massive Sea Bear planes tracked foreign fleets in the region. Cogoria may have lacked satellites but her ability to gather information was still rather efficient when on a full war footing.

The Chairman listened to the message from the Nebulans, they were encouraging Cogoria to launch an attack for a diversion. But of course this support came in secret, any repercussions for such an attack would fall squarely on Cogoria, it was HIS people who would be fighting and dying while Nebula steered the events to their benefit, well he was having none of it! If there was going to be a battle Cogoria would not fire the first shot this time, they would dig in and prepare. They had learned their lesson from the first raid, let it show that they were doing nothing but reacting to the situation, then if Pelhafor fired first then the Chairman would unleash Cogoria's military might. In the mean time though he ordered the Nebulan commandos to Fort pavlov where they would be greeted by an entire regiment of Revolutionary Guards who would keep them in there. If Pelhafor did shoot first then he would agree to the Nebulan deal. It all seemed rather grim, for one of Cogorias first major international actions since repealing the "Isolation Law" it had gone rather badly, they had grown up knowing little of the wider world for years and had badly miscalculated the foreign response to their meddling. There was one glimmer of hope though, despite the tensions rising in the region, the Kingdom Republic of Ceretis had accepted the request for Cogoria to open an embassy within their lands.

"They've taken the men to a fort within Cogoria. I doubt they'll leave until the war begins."
"Cogoria refuses to take the blame for anything that happens, it would seem."
"Should we commit troops to the fight?"
"We don't want to be seen propping up an authoritarian state, leftist or no. Inform the Cogorian government that if the soldiers are returned to Nebula we will send military aid should Pelhafor shoot first."

As the press conference was starting at the Trillium Alliance's Headquarters there was a different sort of meeting scheduled on the border between Cogoria and Ceretis. Checkpoint 'Hotel' was set in the middle of a river on a speck of an island in 'no man's land,' and was little better than a conference room stuffed in a shack. First created a couple of generations ago just after the people of Cogoria rose up against their former government; it was built to allow their party leadership to speak with the outside world without letting outsiders in to 'pollute, disrupt, or spy' on their 'new paradise.' The location had been maintained through the years by both sides, but saw little use after Cogoria entered their period of isolation.

Raymond stood looking out the window over the river and its steep tree lined embankments on either side as he awaited the arrival of Ambassador Wrong. Hearing a vehicle in the distance he surmised his counterpart in this meeting had arrived. As the door opened he could see the ambassador's reflection in the window somewhat hesitantly entering the room. In a rather chipper tone came a sort of greeting "Ambassador, glad you made it safely! I have to say, it's a shame this river is lost here on the border. It looks like a great spot for fly fishing, have you ever been? It's very relaxing..." A slightly befuddled, questioning look could be seen hiding in Wrong's stare as he sized up the situation as he was unsure whom he had just met.

Before he could give a response Raymond continued "I suppose it doesn't matter so much right now, but if you have, you know the feeling of getting a fish on the line and coaxing him out of the water. The patience, the planning, the hard work... and then... that feeling... of holding a great big fish in your hands... realizing your reward." His posture and gestures seemed briefly to evoke that of a man holding a sizable trout. With a change of tone in his voice to a more serious note he added "It's that experience I'm talking about here, where we can put in some planning and work, and we too can experience that reward."

With a wave of his hand in the general direction of 'nowhere in particular' the look in his eyes became earnest. "That mess out there in Pelhafor isn't going to be of much benefit to anyone in here or out there." He extended his hand toward the ambassador as a bright smile came across his face "I'm Raymond Reddington, Secretary of State for Ceretis; my people have one question. What are your people's thoughts on peace?"

Ambassador Wrong was not a young man, he had grown up during the revolution and was a loyal party member, however he was one of the leaders of the non isolationist group and had championed the movement to get an embassy opened in Ceretis, but the application had been so recently approved that he had no chance to go there and assume his posting. Instead he had to come out to the Diplomatic Engagement building, known throughout the Cogorian foreign ministry as "The Shack". Wrong hated coming down to it, the dampness from the lake seemed to seep into his bones and cause his joints to lock up, and the seats were uncomfortable, there was nothing he liked about it. He took his place opposite from Ceretis' representative as the man spoke about fish, Wrong hated those as well, hated the taste, the smell, hated all those tiny bones. But Raymond did eventually get around to the point of the meeting, "What are your people's thoughts on peace?"

Wrong adjusted himself on the seat so that he sat more comfortably "My people? They would enjoy peace, but they will not accept it unless drastic actions are taken to bring Pelhafor to heel, we have committed and lost too many to back down now I'm afraid. The original goals of the raid must be met in order for us to even consider standing down our forces. It is for this reason I have been authorised to hand you a copy of the orders issued leading to the raid, recordings from the fighters' nose cameras. The packet also contains the information and videos we have gathered regarding the shooting of civilians" at this point wrong cleared his throat, he was uneasy giving away so much information, especially information on the battle doctrines and deployment method of the airborne troops but the Chairman himself had approved this action. "However this information is strictly for your government only, Kannex cannot see the information regarding our troops, they can however see the evidence of the massacres. Should you see that we were justified in our actions, than we may begin peace talks proper. But please should that happen, come to me at our new embassy in your wonderful land, this lake is no good for my tired old bone. We have arranged a flight to bring me and the staff first thing in the morning, we hope we will not be turned back at your airspace."

The Chairman was reviewing a bill regarding the proposed expansion of uranium mining operation in the North, with so many Nuclear powers aligned against his beloved nation, he could see no alternative for future interaction with foreign powers without first possessing a Bomb.Already however the chemical warheads developed in secret were being fitted to a number of the nations missiles, the rest had large fuel air warheads armed and ready. He was also considering what to do about the Nebulans. hey're actions were more than a little suspicious, their promises and requests coming through unofficial channels and lasting no more than a few words. There was little to suggest they would support Cogoria in the likely conflict if they did release their troops, but there was a way to help secure that commitment. Turning to his aide he spoke as softly as he normally did, no hint of the stress caused by the crises could be heard "Inform the Nebulans that we will accept their offer, then call fort pavlov's commandant and have the Nebulans loaded onto their chopper and ensure they head back to Nebula, send some of our jets to escort them out of our airspace, but before they take off, ensure there is plenty of radio traffic hinting at it, I want that helicopter to be SEEN by the Trillium, I want a Kannexan spy plane or satellite tracking it all the way from the fort to their pilot's house . The Nebulans may be playing at supporting us, but the enemy will see what they want to see. If we make it seem like the conflict will be larger than first anticipated, we may gain some leverage and breathing room."

As the orders arrived at the fort, the huge radio mast began broadcasting it's information loudly, and in very much outdated ciphers, it was nearly garunteed that they would have been cracked by the enemy. orders were broadcast to air defence stations indicating the choppers path and nationality, and orders were given to the fighter squadron tasked with escorting the chopper out of Cogorian airspace, yet again stating the nationality of the chopper, it's destination and route out of the country.

Lieutenant Andreivich had been sneaking across Pelhafor since his jet had been shot down. He had nearly been caught a few times by patrols but was getting nearer the coast every day. He had already gathered that the seaborne landing had never happened, so he had revised his plan and inteded to steal a boat or raft and go around the border checkpoints to New Haven and hope to be repatriated. But he still ad a long way to go.

The Nebulan chopper rose into the air outside the airbase.
"Apparently they're giving us a fighter escort," said one soldier.
"Either Cogoria wants to drag us in to whatever they have planned or they want to use us as a deterrent," speculated another. "Hopefully it's not the first of the two."
"If it is, Antlerio won't go for it," said a third. "It might just be easier to paint this entire thing as a false flag designed to force us into the war rather than get involved in another bloody conflict. The entire thing could be painted as Cogorian propaganda and then it's anyone's guess as to what goes next."
"Probably Kannex pushes the Big Red Button anyway," muttered the first darkly. "Did you hear about their raids on the far left over there? The entire country hates us."
"Well, we haven't given them good reason to give us hugs and kisses," said the third sarcastically.
And the helicopter, reaching the proper altitude, began to angle forward.

Reddington's hand rested gently on the parcel the ambassador had given him. There were many from the capital that will be anxious to see this information, himself included. "I'm glad that you're as well open to entertaining the chance for peace. Having invested so much into these current events, we can understand not wanting to go away empty handed. We wouldn't have either. Should the peace talks proceed, and I have every hope they will, then we should all strive to make the results as favorable as possible. I can assure you that the information given us in confidence, regarding your military, will be treated with the utmost discretion. I'm sure the government of Kannex though will be interested in seeing the evidence you have provided regarding these massacres."

The ambassador had a couple times during the conversation seemingly attempted to find a more comfortable position in these unforgiving chairs, a fact that did not go unnoticed "I do apologize for bringing you down here, it is a rather unpleasant little space. However we needed to discuss with you these urgent matters and required a space where nobody would intrude, and this place is about as secluded as it gets. Ambassador, this has been most enlightening, and you seem a fair man I do look forward to doing business. We'll review this information and get back as soon as possible. Though there may be disagreement between all the involved on what was 'justified' and what was not, I'm sure that everyone can at least agree on and understand the intentions and motivations of the situation. Oh, and you need not worry about being turned away at our airspace, we would never do such a thing. We look forward to finally having more candid, and free discussions with your people... and in a far better location than here."

With that Reddington got up from his chair, grabbing his hat and the package from the table beside him, with a light smile on his face he gave a courteous nod and began heading toward the exit. "You should expect a visit at your embassy rather soon; I don't expect there will be anything insurmountable that will keep us from proceeding." Lightly snapping his fingers he turned to add "I almost forgot to mention, I had a piece of artwork delivered to your office in the new embassy, and a case of wine for all. Consider these a housewarming gift, let me know what your think. I got the artwork from a somewhat famous communist artist that lives down near the Xentheridian border. An odd fellow, but a hell of an artist." With that he continued to the door.

---

The OSS intelligence post in The Hive had been reviewing radio and air traffic through their listening stations in St Owhela. They had increased the intensity of surveillance since the escalation with Cogoria started.

"Sir, we've been getting some unusual chatter from 'Fort Pavlov' about a special flight and other details. They've either got someone terrible at communications security on duty or something because they're using such outdated ciphers; they're practically giving us a real time transcript. From what we've heard so far, it's Nebulan." Plotting the flight path on one of the screens, "We can track them all the way to about here," as he pointed to the map, "but the Kannexians might want to get some eyes on this thing as it passes that point."

The Captain picked up the handset of a red phone on the desk, the call was immediately connected with the command station. "This is station 6, we have some intel you'll want to see; and we should probably get in contact with our friends in Kannex on this as well."

Andreivich couldn't keep hiding forever, he was a pilot not a commando, and he was making mistakes, though one mistake he didn't make was removing his uniform, he still wore his pilo't jumpsuit with his ranks nationality and patches. There was no way he would allow himself to be shot as a spy.

He had made it to the sea, only to see a Kannex fleet and numerous Pelhaforan ships, there was no escape from him there. One day however he found a discarded newspaper, with a brief article about the opening of two Cogorian embassies despite the crises, one in Ceretis and the other with the Rose League, if he could get into Zarya and reach their embassies there, he would hopefully be safe. Setting out from his hidey hole once the sun went down he began his trek to sneak into the enemies capitol.

A few miles to the south, the Cogorian fleet had swelled impressively, 6 carriers including the sole nuclear ship of the fleet and their battle groups, along with numerous cruiser and destroyer squadrons stood guard over the anchored assault ships and landing ships. Though outside of any teretorial waters, their missiles and aircraft would strike at targets in most of Pelhafor, with the news of the NPCs election victory, the military had sped up the deployment of currently mobilised troops, with more and more flocking to staging/defensive sites around the country. Though they were careful to ensure it was seen as a general deployment, and not a prelude to war. While the government had begun for a peaceful solution, they were not willing to risk the safety of the nation, especially when their enemy spouted rhetoric about god

The Tajin Parliament was convened at noon to discuss the ongoing, and escalating, violence in the north. While President Anaukshai had promised to hear the concerns of the attending representatives, in truth he was asking for approval to mobilize the army. And of course everyone knew this. In other countries the president was commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but not in Tajis. Reynard Anaukshai commanded the Iron Guard, a force of three thousand, but parliament controlled the rest of the armed forces.

He gave an impassioned speech about stability and peace, and the cost that had to be paid in blood to maintain it. The only ones who believed him were those who were already in his pocket. Which was little over a third. The last two thirds of parliament was evenly divided between the National Conservatives and the Constitutionalists. When the matter came to a vote, the appeal to mobilize was shot down, though the vote was near evenly split. The majority of National Conservatives had voted in favor of mobilization, but the Constitutionalists were unanimously against. In the end the vote against won by a total of 36 votes.

---

Rul Patiste left the Hall of Parliament, pleased with the outcome of the vote. As the leader of the Constitutionalists he was glad to see that his parties numbers had grown to such an amount that they were able to block Reynard's un-Tajin actions. The President was becoming increasingly unstable. It was quite obvious. After the Rhuvish conflict and now this, Patiste knew the man was itching to start a war.

Reynard met him just inside the Hall's entrance. 'I had hoped to sway you to see the importance of needing military men to quell the unrest in the north,' he said, mock concern in his voice. 'The Iron Guard can't handle this alone.'

'The Iron Guard should never have been deployed. Those people don't want a fight, they want to be heard. Now if you'll excuse me mister president...' and Patiste brushed past Reynard and headed for the exit.

'This would be easier if you'd cooperate,' he called after him. It was a threat of course, but also a warning, and immediately Patiste was alert for danger. Would Reynard try to have him killed, he wondered. The answer was a yes, of course. The Constitutionalists were only as strong as they were because of him.

Patiste eyed every rooftop and open window as he walked down the parliament steps to his awaiting car. He breathed a sigh of relief as he climbed into the back of his bulletproof sedan, the door closed by the driver. As the car pulled away, an RPG smashed into the side of his car, blasting it up sideways. The concussion of the rockets left his ears ringing, and he blacked out. He didn't know how long he was out but he came to as a soldier was pulling him from the car. His hearing had returned enough that he was aware of gunfire, lots of gunfire, echoing around the plaza.

The soldier pulled him from the car which was on fire. He couldn't see his driver, the front consumed in flames. Soldiers were running about, firing at a group of men who looked like regular Tajin citizens. The steps up to Parliament Hall were littered with bodies, the stone cracked and broken from the impact of rockets.

Patiste was dragged to an armored personnel carrier which had pulled into the plaza, and he was quickly pushed inside and sped away from the fighting. The vehicle drove to the city armory where he was met by Colonel Argo, an old friend from his days in the service.

'I'm glad to see you alive, Colonel,' Argo said, embracing his old friend.

'What's going on out there?'

'We aren't sure yet, but it looks like they hit right as your friends in the party were coming out.'

Patiste's heart sank. He knew this wasn't a rebel attack. Reynard was behind it and he'd been the target. He hoped some of the others had gotten away.

'I need a phone,' he told Argo. 'How many others are left from the old days?' he asked.

---

It has come to our attention that Pelhafor has become host to increasing geopolitical tensions, both internally and externally. As a neighbour to Pelhafor, it is necessary that Rhuvanland be prepared to indicate its stance on the matter of a response to the situation in Pelhafor.

Our initial concern is with the preservation of lives where it is mutually beneficial to refugees, and to the Rhuvastine Office. To this end, Rhuvanland has decided to offer an expedited refugee program to Pelhaforan graduates overseas, as well as graduates, family members, or asylum seekers crossing the border into Rhuvanland. However, due to strategic concerns, we cannot offer assistance to Pelhaforans unable to leave the country.

Furthermore, we have decided to invite a small complement of August servicers to establish an observational mission to Pelhafor. At current, the full extent of this mission will be the use of civil aircraft over the airspace of Pelhafor - such aircraft will remain unarmed, but crewmembers will be armed in line with August customs requirements. The civil aircraft will also be fitted with Rhuvast military transponders for the duration of the observational mission, which will in ordinary use transmit throughout flight-time. Flight courses will be provided publically by the Rhuvast civil aviation authority prior to the take-off of observational flights, and observational flights will be taking off and landing at the same airport. We urge the international community to report any interruption in transmission, or deviation from the flight courses, promptly.