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OOC: This thread is a spin off of my plague roleplays and will involve the lead in to the regionwide war soon to come. For handiness, the first post is all of the plague roleplay so far. Quite a bit, I know!
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Plainsville, Legal Republic, Allied States of the Lowland Clans
Gary Tilio loved the Plainsville. He had been there twice already on vacation over the summer. The rebuilding of the city after the Establishment of Order had allowed architects from all over the region to rebuild the future capital of the Legal Republic. He was a great fan of the Starblaydi architect Denizo, as well as Nedalia's Ulian Poropel, and both had several buildings in Plainsville. He was incredibly excited about being able to see them again, but this damn cough had come over him again. He had had it a little on the airplane. He was also very irritable with everyone, even the kind hotel staff. He felt bad about it all and the hotel staff were very kind. He sneezed again, covering his plate of food. 'Not again,' he grumbled. He called for room service to take the plate, and called the doctor to get some more pills.
Kelly had had a bad day. School had gone horribly, serious setbacks dealing with all of the papers and projects that were due recently. Now working here at the hotel in Plainsville, her boss was an ass, and most of the people staying here were. There wasn't much left for her to stay here, just the pay, which was higher than what she could earn in her hometown, Manchester. She sighed as she sneezed onto her hand, and wiped it on a loser coworker who had been trying to get into her pants. He glared at her, then walked away, back to work. She took the cart of room service she was crying and moved into the elevator. She laughed as the door closed, and life moved on.
Four days later: Over Bedistan, Orbital Command One
"The infection has spread with Plainsville at it's center. It's covered nearly the entire Republic, the death tolls are currently at 100,000 and it's getting difficult to maintain order. There has been a lot of trouble with anarchist gangs," said Republic Minister of Health and Human Services. His face was looked very concerned, even through the projection on the . "With the Collapse of the reformed Legalese, I'm worried about the inability of us to contain the spread of the virus. We've already managed to innoculate most of the populations to the south of the Legal Republic, and we've got a few scattered cases, but those areas have since been innoculated. But we're increasingly worried about the potential of an immune virus."
Kingsley sighed. His government was already under heavy fire, and with elections coming up in under a year, this was not a good sign. With renewed conflict in the Legal Republic and the invasion of Djacor-Rysonia and Chacor, and there wasn't anything he could about it. If the Republic collapsed and the virus mutated and spread, there was no way they would be able to contain the virus. Order needed to be established. "Very well, get me President Law and First Minister Popouvel. I want to begin deploying the 10th and 13th Army Groups into the Legal Republic and former Legalese to begin containment. Make sure that the 355th Medical Research Battalion is sent in as well, they need to be detatched for prolonged duty." Terrance MacLeod nodded in agreement. He was in Graham City overseeing the military call ups.
"What about Chacor?" he asked as the HHS Minister signed off. "I don't know. Call up the 3rd Republic Battle Group, and Admiral James. Get them sailing into international waters in the Crystilakere Channel. Get the SecHes here as well, I think we need to consider more direct options."
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EBS Nightly Newsdesk, English Bracasting System, London
Gareth Williams was worn and tired. As great a news cycle as this was panning out to be, what he had just gotten on his desk was absolutely insane. He looked at his news partner, Alice Magheny, who looked perfectly normal. 'Damn profiteering bi-' his thoughts were interrupted by the cameraman flashing his fingers in the countdown. Gareth tried to breathe steadily and ready himself for reading the piece of paper in front of him. He stumbled right out of the gate.
"La-la-dies and g-gentlemen, my name is Ga-gareth oh bloody hell, this is pointless." The producers across the glass looked understanding, but irked. He was supposed to be professional, able to read off apocalyptic news like it was todays weather report. "We just got a piece of paper from the Department of Health and Human Services within the Legal Republic that the plague has completely consummed Plainsville, leading to the projections of the death total of 125 million people within the next few weeks. The Legal Republic has declared a state of emergency and martial law, which in turn handed over policing duties to the 10th and 13th Army Groups, the 10th being veterans of the Establishment conflict. Chaos has already broken out in both Plainsville and Sagdineo, the two seats of the Anarchist faction within former Legalese. The 10th AG has begun the process of occupying and securing the infected territories and providing security and enforcing a travel restriction on the citizens of the Legal Republic.
"Clashes between groups of Anarchists and ASA personnel have already lead to the destruction of the desalination plant three kilometers outside of the City of Sagdineo, and over thirty Anarchists have been thought killed. The Joint Chiefs as well as the Department of Defence have given out any casualty lists. Protests of the military action taken by PE Kingsley have sprung up here in downtown London as well as Cardiff and Lisbon. They are under heavy police observation, but the protests have yet to turn violent. Leaders of the Green, Confederation, and Libertarian are calling for a reduction of military personnel and calling on the Legal police forces to enforce the blockade and even for the removal of the travel restrictions on vaccinated areas. The National Union Party as well as Unionist Block are calling for increased military presence and consideration for what they call Operation Sterilize, a plan to firebomb the affected areas in order to prevent the mutation of the plague into something that cannot be contained
"The Alliance Party and Popular Pragmatics stand united for the need of military intervention and strong reaction, however refuse to go to the lengths proposed by the Union parties. PE Kingsley has returned to Graham City from Kafra, and is reportedly planning a visit to the command headquarters of the Army units deployed within the Legal Republic. SecState Keller is in Kafra reportedly requesting assistance of the SDL to contain the plague." Williams got it all out in one long breath. He gulped another lump of air in, and turned the page.
"PE Kingsley has put out a statement that the 10th and 13th Army groups are going to extend policing operations to the territory of former Legalese, where it is feared that the lawlessness their will aid in the spread of the disease. He has asked Starblaydia not to consider the deployment of ground forces an attempt to annex any of the former Legalese, and invites Starblaydi troops to aid those of the Army in securing the territory to prevent the lawlessness spreading into both territories.
"Current death toll estimates are between 1 and 2 million, all in the Legal Republic. No organized resistance has yet been encountered by the Army, but an internet domain by the name of www.freedomforthelr.tlc has been shut down for announcing the positions of troops and coordinating local anarchists to attack and ambush Alliance troops.
"Now ladies and gentlemen, we have no idea what this situation is going to hold. I cannot pretend to know what is going to happen. But you must remain calm. Any panic will force both the state and national federal governments into action to one wants to take, but must for the sake of the security of the Alliance. I must encourage y-"
Unknown
The feed was cut. The facility had been compromized. The power was gone, and now was the time. They needed to get out. Or in. Delery was convinced the machine was ready, but no test had yet been successful. The cries of his fellow soldiers and their reapons rung his ears. His body shook, and was dreadfully cold. The lifesupport systems of the base were failing. It was getting deathly cold. He looked at the machine, took a deep breath, and flipped a switch.
Unknown
It was beginning. Somehow, they had gotten it into the Legal Republic. He sighed, this war was getting to him. It had been along time, but this had to be done. For the sake of those to come after him. That was the only thing keeping him going. He knew that his counterpart would be joining him soon there. This war was going to expand again, and there was nothing he could do about that. He could only win the war. He reached for the console, pressed the combination, and stepped onto the platform.
Newville District, Sagdineo, Legal Republic
Private/1st Henry MacDougal of the 121st Urban Combat stood with his squad in the dark halls of the former 1st Bank of the Republic offices in Newville. Newville had been an extraordinarily stratified district. There was a major series of wealthy estates owned by lawyers serviced by series of poor neighbourhoods that housed the various domestic servants. Kept in highly urbanized, crowded concrete apartment buildings, these were hotbeds for Anarchist support. It had just been another week since the Army had moved in, and they were getting incredibly rowdy. A group had already swarmed a C-7 Torrence APC, killing three of the soldiers inside before being forced out by urban combat teams.
They were going into a hostile environment to secure a water distribution facility for the district within two hundred meters of the bank. The flyover by a TH-13 helo said that the facility had been occupied by approzimately thirty people, all armed with a variety of weapons, mostly lower tech older Guardian III rifles, but nonetheless dangerous. His squad sergeant tapped his keypad that was on his leg, letting his microphone amplify his voice through the hovering TH-13 that supported them. "People occupying the Newville Water Distribution Facility, please allowed the personnel from the Ministry of HHS to vaccinate the water within your facility! It is key that this district be vaccinated!"
A man stepped out, armed with what looked like a Sarzonian combat rifle, yelled into a bullhorn, "No, we will not stand for the oppression of the common people by the lawyers who dominate us and refuse us a decent chance at life because of their laws! You are merely pawns in a plan to reduce those of us who are willing to resist their autocratic bureaucracy! We will fight to the last man!" He fired a warning shot into a window at the back of the bank, were by now the squad had entrenched itself in preparation for the attack on the facility.
Sergeant called out again through his microphone, giving them one more chance, which was responded by with a rattle of an automatic machine gun into the positions that the 121st had taken up around the facility. The Sergeant cursed and began issuing orders. "Get supressing fire on that gun! Now! Squad, prepared for assault." The Lieutenant in command of the platoon came up to the squad. "Alright, Sarge, I need you guys to begin an infiltration mission around the rear of the facility. Second and Third squads will advance into the facility through are position within the bank. First squad will maintain supressing fire along with the TH-13. You will move through the buildings to the left of our position and attack from the rear. The plans and your route have been uploaded to your planners. The helomen will give you heads up on any potential traps along the way."
The Sergeant nodded and yelled a move out order and we began our advance. It was nerveracking of course, any idiot could tell you combat was goddamn scary, but there was the man beside you and the women and children and buddies you were fighting for at home. There were the thousands of people who could be saved should the vaccine be delivered through this plant. Yes most of them were total bastards, but they were still people damn it.
He hated killing the pepole who were suffering the most, but they were in the way of the good that would from the vaccine. They had advanced through an emptied prefab appartement, and they reached the second prefab directly opposite to most of the platoon. They advanced stealthily towards a rear service entrance, which was only guarded by two nervous and obviously untrained men. They stood in the open, guns pointed towards the fence separating the prefab and the water plant. Two quick shots from the squad, they were both down. And the squad moved into the building. The display of the schematics was all clear. Private/3rd Julian Jenkins check the door, then busted it oped. The waterworks facility was cold and damn, and you could hear the sound of dripping water. Echoing through the building were the cries of the anarchists and their gun shots. The gun they had was concealed fairly well and the TH-13 couldn't get a shot at it. So it was up to them.
MacDougal took a deep breath, and moved into the facility
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Alliance Security Room, 16 Canford Street, Graham City, Scotland
President-Elect Kingsley walked in the Alliance Security Conference Room, or just generally referred to as 'downstairs' the staff. It was the room were the Joint Chiefs of Command, the SecDef, SecHes, and various other military and intelligence breifings were held. It also doubled as the warroom in 16 Canford, and was about half a kilometer underground and a good three kilometers away from the actual building, and heavily shielded from potential nuclear attack. Normally quite quiet and calm, the room was bustling with activity. It stretched out for about a good bit, with many tactical deployment screens and feeds live from the battlefields in the cities of the Legal Republic and into the former Legalese. Kingsley walked across the room towards the main conference room, which was sealed off with a new type of glass which allowed the people in the room to see out, but those on the outside unable to see in. Quite nifty, and able to change at the moments notice. Not quite holographic technology, but probably the closest thing to it.
As he entered the room, the people already in the room rose up in respect. "Sit down everybody, so what's the current situation?" he asked the room.
The SecHes, chief of the Alliance's intelligence forces started speaking. "Well, it's not looking good. The Anarchists are becoming increasingly organized, using web resources outside of our ability to block. While they are still very decentralized, we have yet to be able to point to a single leader, but it shouldn't take much longer for one to pop up. We've become attempting to infiltrate anarchist circles, but it's proving difficult just because of the chaos and inability to get good information to and from the Republic."
General-of-the-Armed-Forces, Harold P. Myers, continued with his presentation. "The Army is having a difficult time dealing with the anarchist insurgents. Not that they pose a military threat, without armour and anti-tank weapons they currently pose little threat, but the very fact that they are decentralized and have little organization means that the as many as the army can kill, they are still around. So far we've had about one hundred and thirty seperate skirmishes, with about two to three hundred incidinces of rock-throwing etc. against troops and tanks. With the chaos in both Sagdineo and Plainsville, it's become increasingly difficult to administer the vaccine in large doses. The water system is increasingly unreliable. But the thing we're most concerned about is reports of anarchists in the former Legalese acquiring more sophisticated weapons and even armour, but we've been unable to confirm those reports."
SecRet David Mackingley began his part of the presentation. "We've currently detected no mutations in the virus in the host bodies we've received from the military, but something does concern me. We've gotten unconfirmed reports from Chacor that people in Djacor-Rysonia are dying from the plague. Such an introduction should not happen naturally, as no infected carrier is anywhere near Chacor, with Sarzonia a buffer between them and infected Crystilakere. The presence of the Starblaydi military leads me to believe that they had something to do with the deaths. I'm formally requesting a Black Arrow mission to Djacor-Rysonia, to retrieve the bo-"
Mackingley was interrupted as an assistant burst through the door, saw who was looking at, rushed over to Mackingley. "Excuse me?" asked Kingsley. He whispered quietly to Mackingley, who then said, "Well out with it boy!" The asisstant looked around nervously at the assemblage of very powerful people, and then started talking. "We've detected something very strange coming from Sagdineo, two seperate huge bursts of higher-order energy, the same kind that happens when we travel faster than light."
"What is higher-order energy doing in Sagdineo?" asked General Myers
The assistant looked very disturbed when he started talking. "Two people were seen by sattelites after the energy bursts. We don't know who they are, but they are there. And we don't think that they're from Atlantian Oceania."
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Water Purification and Distribution Plant, Newville District, Sadineo, Legal Republic
Henry MacDougal, a Private 1st/Rifleman in the 2nd Squad in 1st Platoon of Charlie Company of the 121st Urban Combat battalion in 5th Division of the II Corps of the 10th Army Group, began slowly moving through the facility, going from cover to cover as they moved deeper into the facility. His mind was unusually alert, even for a combat veteran like MacDougal. Something very strange was going on to him, and he noticed it in the other members of the squad were behaving oddly too. Not any psychopathic behaviour or anything like that, just jumpy, out of character. But they still had a job to do. After they had advanced about four hundred meters into the facility, they came to an intersection. Sarge signalled a halt and began distributing the plans across the CIN, or combat-integrate network. Nifty thing developed in the early 21st century, which created a wireless network deployed through a combination of default networks which were distributed throughout the command structure and then smaller ad hoc networks in case the network was lost.
With the plans distributed, they began to advance, with MacDougal taking two other men to take out a small group in what looked like a small room to the rear of the main Anarchist position. The leader was there, and they were unable to tell what they were doing, but they looked like they were congregating around a radio or something of the sort. They advanced down the hallway parallel to the room. The room had two exits, one towards this hall and then another that led to the control and observation rooms. Another squad was advancing along that other hallway and going to secure the observation room. The other two squads began engaging the anarchists supressing the rest of 1st Platoon. He saw the TH-13 circling the building, providing CIN support through up-to-date mapping of the facility. His squad and the other squad halted, preparing their two pronged assault.
"Second Squad, prepare to neutralize and clear anarchist cell. First squad, commence attack on the main position." The sergeant then game the go order. His group in the parallel hallway secured their exit towards the observation platform, and his three man group busted through the door. His private 2nd kicked in the door, with him and the other private tossing two flashbangs in for supression. They went off and they entered the room. No one was there, but a book cabinet had been moved. Underneath where it would normally stand was a hole and a tunnel apparently leading down to another room. Sarge burst in the other door and cursed. "Helo Crew, this is Sarge Kimdall, they've built themselves another passage down below. I'm TAGing the room below, try and give us a map of what's down there."
The TAG beacon, otherwise known as the Target Acquisition/Guardian after the company that manufactured it, was a small device handed out to NCOs and combat officers who could run into areas that either had no schematics or were not able to be mapped by conventional radar and infrared sensors. They would let out a sharp burst of both sonar and radar, all to be interpreted by the device and sent back to the receiver. "Alright Sarge, this is Flight Angel-1, looks like you've got three people down there with significant radio and television equipment. Unable to determine whether they have any weapons. Combat operations look safe, go get 'em. You'll lose AFAS.net though, so start the ad hoc before you go." The Sarge didn't have to give the order, the ad hoc network was created the moment the flight crew suggested it.
Sarge and a green private dropped two frag grenades down the hole and waited for them to explode, then MacDague took the lead and jumped down the hole. The squad let down their climbing ropes and secured themselves to it, and began repelling down the hole. They reached the bottom, to find that the majority of the equipment had been destoyed and two dead bodies. But where was the third? Sarge dispatched him and three other privates to search the room for an escape root. As the team called out their all clears, MacDague found what he was looking for, behind an overturned shelf. "Sarge, it looks like we've got a tunnel here, I volunteer to lead the team to search for the leader."
"Alright MacDague, you got it. Take Janssen, Murray and Stefanovich with you. The rest of the squad will analyze the equipment here. You know the drill, tag and advance."
"Yes sir, you heard him, Janssen, TAG the tunnel. Stefanovich, you have point. Go after standard wait time." Janssen tossed the beacon down the tunnel, counted to three, and then Stefanovich took the lead. Then scurried along the tunnel on hands and knees. They approached the exit when they heard someone talking. Stefanovich raised his fist, and MacDague turned on his recording function.
"Listen to me, the rebellion will succeed. This has been in the planning for sometime now, you think I would just start ordering my people to combat the forces of the Alliance if I didn't have a plan?" asked a first anonymous voice. He placed the voice as a local accent. "Yes, do strike me as that sort of person, Lucas. We have given you weapons, now we need something back." This voice was female, cold, and almost mechanical.
"Now now my lady, I have worked a long time for this. I am a man of my word, and I will keep my bargain, but do not treat me as a trifle. I am not, and never will be your puppet. Even if you tried to control me, you would have no success. I may hold the appearance of being harmless to you, but nothing is never as it seems nowadays. Now we go, the Alliance shouldn't be to far behind." There were footsteps and then the sound of a motor gunning, and MacDague signalled his group to get out. Stefannvich exited the tunnel and barely had time to locate and get a few shots off at the four wheeler with the two people in it before he realized where he was. It was a massive underground complex of tunnels, with this being the hub. MacDague whistled and was about to radio, when a sudden flash of light and wave of pressure threw him back into a wall.
Alliance Security Room, Graham City, Scotland
The room was a buzz with what the assistant just told them. But then something else happened. The SecHes picked up his ringing phone, listened, nodded and then hung up. "It appears we have another problem that may be of greater importance than anything else we've seen before. Mr. President-Elect?" He looked at Kingsley, who just nodded and he touched the control to the large display screen at one end of the conference room. It switched to the picture of a speech at a very nondescript location. The speech was turned down low, but immediately became clear to everyone in the room who they were looking at. "Ladies and gentlemen," the SecHes began, "I would like to introduce you to our next Bojan Vasil, Lucas vander Veer, leader of the New Anarchist Order of the Alliance. The speech is your general propaganda piece, but this was just aired about five minutes ago, using pirated feeds across the Alliance. Since this was launched, many of our spearhead task groups have been ambushed and forced to retreat. It looks like we have another civil war on our hands. And our latest intel on the virus is not good. It appears to be mutating."
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Alliance Security Room, Graham City, Scotland
The room fell silent. Even the machinery seemed oddly quiet. Someone coughed, and then spoke up. It was the Minister for Health and Human Services in the Legal Republic. "So what exactly is the mutation?" he asked, his voice small and croaking. The SecHes, sighed, and began speaking. "Well, from what I've just heard, is that a vaccinated person is recorded to have died. The doctors said that the virus appears to have become immune to the vaccine, but as a result it seems that at least appearance of symptoms and the actual fatality of the virus have become sporadic and greatly reduced. I'll have to get more reports, and this still is unconfirmed by Intelligence sources. We have to wait."
The room continued to be silent until PE Kingsley spoke up, his voice a little stronger than the rest. "Well, what do we have to do about these things that are popping up? First these two bursts of energy, then vander Veer, now the mutating virus? Any suggestions, or shall we sit on our hands a little while longer?" The room returned to it's previous silence, though much more awkwardly. General-of-the-Armed-Forces Myers spoke up, "Perhaps it's time we stopped messing around in the Legal Republic? Things are getting out of hand, the Anarchists are acquiring heavier and heavier weapons, able to threaten the troops we send in. I think we should declare them traitors and enemies of the Alliance, perhaps this time send in much more heavy fighting units. Crack down on anarchist meetings in other parts of the Allied States."
The PE mulled it over in his mind. "I agreed with everything up to that last point their, General Myers. Such a crackdown could be seen as a violation of the right to protest, and support for the Anarchists hasn't grown significantly enough in other parts of the Allied States. Now, what about the two men from the energy bursts?" Most of the rooms looked around rather cluelessly at each other. SecHes finally spoke up, and with a great mental shrug, suggested teh obvious, "I don't think there's anything we can do. I would talk to SecRet about how this kind of energy could produce two men, and I don't think we've got any pictures of them. They disappeared rather quickly into the crowds and I don't think we'll be able to do anything about them at all really. The plague, well, all we can do is wait for more test results and pray. As for vander Veer, the research is already underway, and soon the bureau will be on your desk."
Luthor's District, Sagdineo, Legal Republic
The room is which Lucas and his friend sat was part of a deep, and up until now hidden tunnel system which the original anarchist faction about eighty years ago in the Establishment of Order after the collapse of the Original Legalese. Several stories above him, sat the Court House of Sagdineo, which the original anarchists had used as their headquarters. This room however, lacked the grandeur of a judges office or courtroom of the Legal Republic. This room was small, dank, and grey, with no windows and just metal slab for a door and a vent for air. After escaping the water purification plant, he and his friend returned here, the base of the anarchist operations. The operation had begun almost a decade ago, with New Anarchist Order beginning as merely a historical club, to study the Establishment of Order, but soon became merely a front for a new anarchist faction, spreading it's philosophy and training eager new soldiers for the new conflict, which Lucas named the Ending of Order. The cells had spread across the Legal Republic, most without a clue of what was going to happen. They gave Lucas a strong base of support from which to draw, should the opportune time come. Lucas' organization did not advocate active overthrow of the system, and because of it avoided the eyes and ears the Department of Homeland Security, ASIS, and the Institute.
He built up this organization from nothing, and he demanded quite a bit of loyalty. So when someone betrayed him, they didn't like it. The fact that the Alliance found him at the water distribution facility was too unlikely to be a coincidence. After everything Lucas had seen and done, coincidence was another way for the enemy to sneak in and destroy his work. The enemy was sneaky that way. You had to be on your guard for such small incursions like that. The one man who knew he was in that plant pushed open the metal door and walked in. He was a portly man, who sweat excessively and was balding. "Lucas, what is this about?" he looked suspiciously at his companion, "Who is she exactly?" Lucas looked him in the eyes. He knew it immediately, that this man did not betray him. Interesting, but he saw the weakness in the man he hadn't seen before. Sometimes, it takes only one situation to bring out something in someone that they could never think of before that moment. Circumstances, it appeared, made the man in this case.
"I'm not happy George. They found me at the plant. You were the only one who knew where I was." She watched this interrogation with interest. Lucas appeared to not use any tactic she was aware of. His demeanor did not speak of someone who was trying to use disappointment as his tactic. His word carried much force, so much that he must keep his deals, good or bad. Such men were rare these days. Amazing for revolutionaries. Not that she had much taste for revolutionaries of any sort. She was amazed when Lucas' demeanor changed from neutral to well, almost bemused, then to neutral again. Not true neutral of course, but the ease and confidence that comes when one decided to take anothers life with complete conviction. She approved.
George was panicking. Lucas removed a gun from his desk, and set it on the metal desktop. The clang sounded exquisite, perhaps the greatest sound he had ever heard, the most comforting. After all, he was going to die, might as well be at his own time and choosing. Wait, where did that thought come from? He looked at Lucas in the eyes, who only stared back with a vague intensity and satisfaction, despite the blank face. George began to sweat, and he could feel his heart beating faster. He felt something well up in his chest, then the monster came. His heart fell, and deep sorrow came over him. Memories of time long thought forgotten came to the fore. He felt dirty all over, as if the sweat had dried instantly. His mind drifted to the man he had murdered in college. His brother, the way he had sold him out to the authorities. The man he protected. The child he had forsaken. The cries of the child grew louder. Nothing would bring him respite. The thoughts repeated over and over, like a bad film. His heart sank to his shoes, and there was nothing left. The monster was everywhere. He reached for the gun, placed it to his temple, and then thought, 'Ah, sweet resp-'
The portly man dropped to the floor as the gunshot echoed throughout the room. She was incredulous. This man, who had previously shown no sign of remorse at any of the crimes he committed, had suddenly recanted to every sin, and then killed himself. All with Lucas muttering just one phrase. She looked incredulously from him to the body, and back several times. Then, she decided to move on. "Lucas, there are things we must discuss. For the weapons we provide you, we will need something in return, there are many things that we will need from you once you have thrown out the Alliance from the Republic and assumed your place as leader of the entire Original Legalese Territories. In fact, there needs to be a great long discussion on how exactly this will be repaid to Star-" He stood, and she stopped talking. He looked into her eyes. She saw one thing, the monster. It chased her into her memories, which rose to the surface. That of her dieing mother, whom she could have saved. Those few seconds replayed over and over...until they changed to her coldly placing the gun to the chest of the one man she had ever loved, and pulling the trigger. The warmth of his embrace changed to his coldhearted rejection, his warm and responsive body changed to the dead cold hard corpse that she threw in the river near his home in Jhanna. The looked at the gun, an enticing escape from the monster, herself. She reached for it, and then stopped. The monster was gone.
The KERES agent looked at Lucas. He simply looked at her. He rose to his full height, and looked straight into her eyes. "I will honor our original agreement. I am a man of my word, and I will not be anyone's puppet. This weapon that I have built, is mine and mine alone. We may share the current desire to eliminate the Alliance. I will not be Starblaydia's puppet, and I think Viannor needs to be reminded of that fact. I suggest you return to communicate this quite clearly." The agent glared into his eyes with a fierce defiance, and then walked out of the room, stepping over the body while she went. He cursed both George and Starblaydia, Viannor and the Alliance all in one breath. His goal was to bring anarchy, to neutralize this realm and to create something much more to his liking. They were likely to catch up to him soon, he had been too active to go unnoticed for much longer. He had to act quickly, otherwise they would catch up to him and the battle would come too soon.
She walked out the of the room, trying to comprehend that feeling. She could remember the pain that came from those memories, but what had driven her to pick up the gun was beyond. Those she had felt no sorrow before. She felt a weight on her shoulders unlike anything she had felt before, and she didn't think it was coming off anytime soon. It was like he had given her a conscience and a heart. He reminded her of what it was like to feel again. But not good feelings, feelings of pain and sorrow. It was like he had blackened her heart to the point where she could no longer live with herself. It was like he had given her a soul and then made her the devil. She decided then that this was too dangerous a deal to go through. She would advise to Viannor to eliminate this Lucas before he could become a threat.
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Limassol National Cemetary, Limassol, Mediterranean Coalition
The journey out of the Republic had been harrowing, and he had worried the entire way that vander Veer had found him. That man was where he was for a reason, and the fact of his insertion went unnoticed was a matter of luck and environment. Vander Veer's contacts were everywhere, and he would soon realize that he was here. It was only a matter of time before the two came into conflict. Before he was inserted, he was warned that there was another faction that had acquired the technology and inserted someone. Apparently, their origin is so cloudy that not even the vast technology and intelligences of either faction could determine it's location and significance. This could prove to be very dangerous. Unknowns were enough of a danger already, and this one could end up being the straw that break's this camels back. He chuckled at the thought. How many times had he said that before?
He walked among the rows and rows of crosses. Just across the field, President Apaliagos was attending the funeral of a platoon of Greek and Cypressian soldiers who died heroically during an ambush to protect a transport convoy delivering vaccine to civilians in a refugee camp. Security was all around, and everyone was worn and nervous from the civil strife engulfing their fellow member-state to the north. He had been triple-searched at the enterance for any weapons, and members of the President's security team, cooped with members of the Allied States Army and the Mediterranean Home Guard. He sighed and thought about the name he was looking for. He'd seen it so many times during his years fighting the Conflict. The first thing he did was he looked for the name, thank God they had the internet here. The list he had obtained said the man he was looking for had been buried here, with full honours as part of the team that took back one of the nuclear silos during the Allied States Civil War.
He looked at his map, and paused over the cross he now stood in front of. He knelt down, and brushed his fingers over the name. He sighed. "He always dies a hero," he said quietly to himself. He wondered what his life had been like, whether he met the one he was destined to, whether she was even alive when he went off to war. So many things changed in his travels, but so many things remained the same. Something dropped onto his suit jacket as he stood. A tear. His eyebrow shot up in surprise, but he knew they were coming. They always came. He took the flowers he had in his hand, along with the card, and placed them at the foot of the cross, and began to walk away. There was little time to mourn those who had lost. He hoped he would be able to meet the man after his travels here were done. But he had a job to do.
Always the job. He thought about the souls he had met along the way. Their hopes and dreams...he always used them for strength. It was always tough to get through the day, but the constant assurance and purpose that came from the Conflict was never far from his mind. He was constantly amazed at how through darkness, their came light, and from evil, good always was close behind. A philosopher in his travels had once said to him that conflict would always be painful, always necessary for humanity to grow to better themselves. Of course, he died the day after during the nuclear attack on his city, but he died with honour and dignity, something most people never got the chance to. His feet hit the pavement, and he stepped into the car that he had parked on the road nearest the grave. The twenty-one gun salute rattled him from his thoughts. The soldiers were the best, he knew from his travels. They all knew, and had almost neve been surprised the way civilians were when they found out. They had purpose.
He did too. The tears for the lost never stopped as he drove out of the cemetary, and to the safe house. His job here, was yet to be done.
Refugee Camp 12, Grey Zone, Legal Republic
The Grey Zone was the murky mess of land that used to be Legal Republic and former Legalese. Occupied by Alliance troops, the eastern portion of the Legal Republic was small but vital for evacuating refugees. It was also a relatively plague-free region, but that was changing. He had noticed more people dying of it recently, and there were wild rumors about the plague mutating. Despite all of this, the people remained calm and cooperated with the Alliance. Things were already different, and it was quite clear that something or someone had already comeback. The plague never mutated naturally, at least, if it did, it was never recorded into the dusty handwritten history books from which he learned as a child in Nadiaville, just to the west of the camp.
It was cloudy again today, as always and it never changed. It was the winter here in the plains of the Republic, and it was looking to be a harsh one at that. Just like it was during the histories. That was their name for what transpired after the releasing of the Plague. The Histories. Made it sound like a grandiose nusery tale, of heroes and dragons and villians conquered. But for him, it was a grim tale of risks taken and lost, of dreams crushed underneath the quest for power and domination. He had managed to get transported out of here after he was found in the rubble of a water purification facility, thought at first to be a casualty from the NAO, but after he awoke it became quite clear to the military that he was not involved, merely another victim of circumstance. Far to many of those around. But his purpose remained clear, though he had no idea of how to accomplish it. He was alone. He was used to working with his brothers and sisters, but they were all gone now.
Only he was left, sent flinging through time and space and somewhere in between to warn the people here of the coming disaster. He wondered if he was already to late. He needed to get back into contact with someone. He was still trying to get his bearings. He thoughts turned again to those strange readings of the higher-order properties of the timeline. There were two distinct threads that displayed a different quantum signature, two that were not present anywhere else they could scan and search and poke and prod. For all his training, knowledge and abilities, the unknown always managed to slip from his grasp.
His legs suddenly lost their strength and he fell. White light filled his vision and a small quiet whisper of his daughters voice filled his ears, "They are here father, THEY are here!" Then darkness.
Alliance Security Room, Graham City, Scotland
Major General 2nd/Army Julian Guersny stood straight and tall, even after all these years and all the weight age had put on his shoulders. He walked into the room, and the bustle and noise of room outside was unnaturally cut off as the airtight seal closed behind him. He saluted General Myers and the President. They went through the short introduction as his data was transfered to the displays the covered the wall. He looked around the room, at the faces which stress had attacked and whom worry consummed as the collapse of the Legal Republic continued to the North. "The situation is this ladies and gentlemen: we have a stalemate. While we made a wise decision to build the doctrine of the Army around urban combat and anti-guerilla tactics, no amount of doctrine can prepare us for the unknowns, which are many.
"The NAO as they are called are heavily armed, brilliantly trained and employed. With the collapse of so many regional governments and the availability of arms throughout the region, it is no surprise that they are able to equip themselves with heavy weaponry needed to effectively combat the armour that we've used to occupy the cities. Our casualties are especially heavy among the lighter armour, with two full regiments being whittle down to essentially battalion strength. We've been forced to pull out the light armour, as it has been least effective in combating in such densely populated areas. However, that is not to say we are without success. There are few places that are troops cannot travel in, and our helicopters have prover very efficient at combatting quick and unpredicatble waves.
"Infantry has been performing well. The officers have experience unusually high casualty rates, though that was somewhat expected by the anti-authoritarian nature of the enemy. The specialized urban combat teams have especially proven useful, and I have recommended many of their unit commanders for decoration. Our main weakness however, is the inability to restrict enemy travel and communications. While we've destroyed several above-ground communication centers, we suspect they have moved a majority of their lines under ground, as well as built tunnels to allow for unrestricted travel. This means while that we occupy the top-side, we've yet to be able to restrict their ability to operate as a cohesive force. So, we are left with a draw, a true battle of attrition, and unless one side can force the other out of their primary theator of operations, then this could go on for a very long time." He closed the folder he had opened in front of him. He took off his reading glasses, and set them down.
"There is something I need to bring to your attention. Intelligence from the Institute, Army Intelligence, and ASIS that this was a very well planned and executed rebellion, whose operational doctrine and strategic plans were made far in advance. This suggests long term planning and infiltration of the Legal government. Ladies and gentlemen, something is not right here. We must strive to learn what we can about our enemy and what they have arrayed against us. Until then, we cannot win this fight." |
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OOC: This post is going to be used to help newer readers understand just exactly what is going on throughout the roleplay universe of the Alliance of the Nine States, or what is more commonly known as the Allied States of the Lowland Clans.
Terminology:
Higher-Order Energy: A general term for energy generated in the higher-order dimensions (physicists theorize that there are 11 dimensions, including height, width, depth and time). Only barely understood, but current theories speculate that travelling through alternate dimensions is possible.
Grey Zone: The safe zone established by Alliance troops on the eastern coast of the Legal Republic.
Sagdineo: City on the edge of Lake Bekk, Legal Republic
Plainsville: City in the Central plains of the Legal Republic
Section 31: An ultra-secret organization within the Department of Homeland Security, formed to promote the welfare of the Alliance of the Nine States at all costs, supposedly even more powerful than the Starblaydi Inquistion. Considered by most a rogue organization, public doesn't even recognize that the organization exists.
New Anarchist Order: Organization dedicated to bringing a true anarchy to the Legal Republic, fighting guerilla war against the Allied States government.
Damocles Group: Organization dedicated to opposing Section 31
Characters:
John Patrick Kingsley: President-Elect of the Allied States of the Lowland Clans
Private 1st/Rifleman Henry MacDougal: Member of the 2nd Squad in 1st Platoon of Charlie Company of the 121st Urban Combat battalion in 5th Division of the II Corps of the 10th Army Group, stationed in Sagdineo, Legal Republic
Lucas vander Veer: Leader of the New Anarchist Order
Oram Dylium: Collapsed in Refugee Camp 12, Grey Zone
Unknown Traveller: Safe House in Limassol
Plot Lines
Status of the Quirrith Plague: Completely consumed the Legal Republic, the Alliance's northernmost member state. Death toll in the millions and rising. State government has collapsed, leading to the declaration of martial law and the intervention of the Allied States government. Currently the 10th and 13th Army Groups have been stationed in the Republic to combat the New Anarchist Order, and stalemated in urban warfare against the NAO. Plague is beginning to mutate, trickle infections into northern England.
Two Higher-Order Energy Travelers: One was discovered by the Allied States Army in a refugee camp in the Grey Zone by the name of Oram Dylium, a traveler from a distant future. The other remains a mystery, even to Oram, who declared that before he jumped, he detected two other dimensional visitors aside from himself.
Section 31: The Damocles Group captures and interrogates a Section 31 agent who declares that Section 31 intends to assisinate Viannor to behead the Starblaydi threat to the Alliance before they can become a serious threat. Henry Macdague is recruited into the Damocles Group in order to help stop the attempt and to learn more about the Travelers who arrived from alternate realities. |
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Recovery Hospital, 121st Urban Combat, Refugee Camp 12, Grey Zone
Henry Macdauge was still trying to figure out what happened to him. He woke up two weeks after the blast that knocked him unconscious as well as wounding his other squadmates. He looked at his hands, whom for a long time after the Accident, shook uncontrollably. He lost sleep every once and a while, but there were never very many symptoms. When he was stressed, his hands would shake and the whisper would come back. But now, they were gone. His body felt completely emotionally drained. But they were gone. The doubts, the questions about saving her, the deep sorrow, they were all gone. His heart rose to the top of his throat, and he raised his hands in celebration. Of course, he forgot that an IV ran through his arm. The sharp pain brought him back to reality. He muttered under his breath, something about the stupid IV before a doctor in a uniform of the Allied States Army walked in.
"Hello Sargeant, how are you feeling today?" he asked. Henry leared at him. His inner-gut feeling shot off the chart, and for more reasons than the guy calling him a sargeant when his rank was indeed a private. The doctor chuckled as he picked up his chart and began reasing and marking something with a pen. "You were promoted to Sargeant/3rd for your heroic actions in recording the conversation between Lucas vander Veer and the other lady, as well as your actions in saving your fellow squadmates." Suspicion once again rose in his gut. He didn't do anything to save them, all he remember was a white flash. As if reading his mind, he said, "You probably don't remember it, the entrance you entered was booby trapped, and before you were knocked unconscious, you were able to save your men by pushing them back into the tunnel. Thankfully, none of you were close enough to the blast that you were seriously harmed."
Macdague took all of it in. Something did not seem right here. The promotion, the lives saved, something did not fit. Again, the man chuckled, sent shivers right up Henry's spine. "Don't worry, the catch is coming. Give me a minute to check over your vitals here." This was seriously beginning to disturb Henry. This man seemed as if he could read minds. He watched the doctor closely has he studied the readouts and readings on the monitor. He made a couple of glances on the chart before returning it to it's place at the edge of the bed. He then walked to the door of the room. Shut it, and then ran something down the side of it. He also walked to the middle of the room, shut off the equipment, and then pressed two buttons on the device. He put it back in his pocket before returning to Henry's bedside. He removed his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and then faced Henry with one of the most intense stares he has ever known.
"Sargeant 3rd/Rifleman Henry Macdague, what you are about to hear is classified Top Secret/1st by the deputy Chief of the Institute. Before I share with you what I'm about to share, you must swear an oath to which will be upheld to the point of death should you share any of this information." Almost too quickly, he responded with a "Yes, Sir!" The doctor smiled at that. "Sargeant, I'm going to give you an offer. It is strictly off the books, and unless you accept no shread of paper will ever connect you and me, and even when you do, you'll be reassigned to Orbital Command Intelligence Division and buried beneath a mound of paper so think, not even the most thorough of clerks will ever be able to find your name."
He took a deep breath heavy with a weight on the soul that can't be removed. Henry's heart sunk a little when he heard the sigh. "I'm part of an organization called the Damocles Group. We don't exist on any piece of paper within the bureaucracy of the Alliance. There is a central committee involving a deputy director of the Institute, two Cabinet members, a colonel in the OC Intelligence Division, and myself. The direct knowledge of our group is very limited, perhaps one hundred thousand at most spread out throughout the Alliance. We of course use various other sources, but they never know who they are working for."
The information had a somewhat humours effect on Henry. The information would have so much weight he thought, but this? Some super secret organization in the mind of some crazy doctor? Why was he being bothered with this? "So what exactly do you do?" The doctor smiled again, that same knowing smile that could comfort you as if you were back in the womb our chill you spine as if looking into the face of the devil himself. "We have been formed to fight another organization, who is hidden so deeply within the government it wasn't even known to exist by those outside of the organization itself until about a century ago. That organization is called Section 31. They take their name from article 3, section 31 of the War Intelligence Act, passed as part of the Founding Laws during the first session of the Congress of Alliance, which reads that Military Intelligence, now of course the Department of Homeland Security, will be given the powers to protect and defending the Alliance in desparate times against all enemies.
"Section 31 was the original committee formed with the Military Intelligence to coordinate against the French First Coalition. We suspect that President-Elect Lord Graham may have been on the committee. After the war against the Coalition was over, they created a standing organization consisting of just a few people, perhaps no more than one hundred. It bent the rules and founding principles to the point where they were no longer even following them. After the defection of one of their agents, he began the Damocles Group to search, expose and destroy Section 31. We have looked at your record, psych profile and files, and feel that you are needed to join Damocles to help deal with an upcoming crisis."
Henry was almost too afraid to ask, "What upcoming crisis?
Damocles Secured Facility, Grey Zone, Legal Republic
Henry went around for the next to days in a sort of shock. He felt as if out of phase with the world around him. He learned so many things. The assassination of the leader of the Unionist Block in the late 2040s, that was 31. Helping install Lord-Protector Thomas Beckingsworth as the first ruler of the Empire of Britannia Isles? Section 31. They didn't involve themselves in most people's daily lives, by however took it upon themselves to defend the Alliance against any 'threats,' determined of course by Section 31. He of course accepted immediately. The Doctor, who would only give him that for his name, gave him his first assignment, one of utmost importance. It didn't even have anything to do with this 'crisis,' which Macdauge was supposedly selected to lead the team to deal with.
Lying in this Damocles secured facility, was a man who was not from this reality. After intense analysis and strange readins detected from scientific satellites in orbit, Damocles determined that this man's higher-order signature was not consistent with this reality's signature. There was a long and complicated explanation, but he was lost part of the way through it. Apparently, he's going through a 'dimensional lag,' similar to jet lag. He was experiencing very strange things as his body began to adjust his 'signature,' whatever that is, to this reality. He had been assigned to question him. He was during a lucid period which would not last long. As he strode towards the room this man was in, Henry subconsciously smoothed his new black dress uniform of the Orbital Command Intelligence Divison. He had been given it by a major/2nd, who had only given him the code name of Olympus, and then handed him the orders.
He said that the Doctor would have Henry sent to him to debrief the interrogation. He turned into the room where this man was being held. He paused at the threashhold, breathed deeply, and walked in. He turned and quietly shut the door. He repeated the same motions that the Doctor had done to his room. The device was tied into the central network, so should anything go wrong, he could alert the doctors here. "Hello, sir, what is your name?" The 'man' before him seemed like a ghost. Pale skin, vaguely malnourished, sunken eyes. His brown hair was thin on top of his skull, his brown eyes had no life in them. However, it was clear that there was yet life in this man. His voice was strong. "My name is Oram Dylium, I must speak to someone! I have something to tell them before it begins again. This lag, worse than we foresaw," he trailed off at the end, and coughed out. "I was born in the year 2140. I am from the future, sent back to prevent," another strong cough, "His rise."
"Who?" Henry asked, "Whose rise are you here to stop?"
"Him Who Is Everywhere. After the chaos, he took advantage of us. We trusted him to rebuild, but he instead conquered. He used the Plague! He engineered it, used it to enforce His rule. We couldn't stop Him, His eyes where everywhere. We laboured long and hard, in as secret as we could, to build the machine that sent me back. We finished it before they found us. All my companions, they are all dead. I am here to save the world from Him!" Soundly his live seem to just go, he began speaking gibberish and spittle flew out of his mouth. "Must fight!" he declared, his voice a mere echo of what it was before. "Poverty, disease, war, it's all there. He overcame everyone, even Viannor! No one could stop him, no one! You must find him and stop him! Now!" It was the last word before he went completely insane. He struggled against the restraints before collapsing in silence on the bed, eyes staring emptily at the ceiling. Henry stood to leave the room as the door opened.
The Doctor walked in. "I was listening in. That's all he's managed to tell us. We suspect it may take another two weeks or so before he fully recovers, but by then he will have had to disappear. I don't know how well he can be hidden. The government knows about him, meaning at some point, we'll need to inform them. With Oram out in plain sight, Section 31 can't touch him. But more importantly, you team is finally assembled for the crisis."
Henry sighed shakily. He looked back at the body of Oram on the table, and the shaking returned. Dread was the only thing borne by this messenger. "What crisis?"
The Doctor spoke solemnly, even more than Henry thought possible. "Section 31 is planning to assassinate Viannor." |
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OOC: A bit of a rundown on Bazalonian Security/Intelligence agencies
BSIS Bazalonian Security & Intelligence Service, Sorta like the CIA, Intelligence agency that focusses on
BFP: Bazalonian Federal Police, national law enforcement agency, FBI + DEA (-Intelligence gathering)
BSIO: Bazalonian Security and Intelligence Organisation, Domestic Intelligence gathering and counter-espionage agency
BSID: Bazalonian Signal Intercept Directorate, focused on gaining acess to information from technological sources such as mobile/sattelite calls and computer systems
BIAA: Bazalonian Intelligence Asessment Agency, an organisation that collects information from BSIS, BFP, BSID & BSIO, cordinates their activities and generates reports for the Prime Minister's security briefing
Security Codes: Stealing the concept of colour-coded levels of security from Paranoia. White is the highest and are for the eyes Directors of the various intelligence agencies and the Prime Minister only.
IC:
BIAA REPORT - CODE: WHITE
NAO & Quirrith Plague in Legalese
The Quirrith plague has decimated the government in Legalese, many of the nations public servants have been effected by the plague. The plague has neutured all the government's functions, even the military. President of the Legal Republic, has been found by the Allied states of The Lowland Clans(Allied State) and is now reportidely in Graham City. This has yet to be confirmed but the initial report has come from a source that we have found to be reliable in the past.
With the government under such strain from the Quirrith Plague an anarchist group, calling themselves the New Anarchist Order(NAO), has started being militant and has taken over a number of key pieces of infrastructure. The Allied States have set up refugee camps in the so-called "Grey Zone". A heavily secured area within the Legal republic to house a large number of refugee's while innoculating and protecting them against the Quirrith Plague.
However there are still many from the legal republic falling to the Quirrith Plague and the Allied States military are making incursions into the Legal republic to put the vaccine in places like the water supply to innoculate the masses. We have however have reports of people who have been innoculated from the plague having recently died in suspicious circumstances. There are rumours flying around that the plague which was originally reported as un-mutatable in the original VOIA report has in fact mutated. However we have no confirmation on this and it is currently still considered as a rumour.
As well as fighting against the government forces that are still functional the NOA has fought against the Allied States military, we have many confirmed engagements between the Allied States and NOA forces, most have been Urban style engagements but a number have been in regards to infrastructure. An engagement of note, is the assault on the Newville District water ditribution facility.
Initial engagements went the Allied States way as the NOA had very little the way of firearms that where able to affect the allied states much. However it seems that the NOA has an international source of weapons, the source has not been found be found but the question still remains who is supplying the NOA weapons, how they are being supplied and how. More intelligence will required to determine how the NOA can afford such weapons and their source. The more favoured sources of these weapons are the arms dealers of My Patio. Though there was no apparent movement like there was during the conflict with Atheistic Right or Starblaydia. Though what Viannor wants with the NOA is anyone's guess.
After analysis of all the data we have the consensus is strong that the intelligence organisions actively observe what is happening in the legal republic in legalese with the primary focii of 1. Identifying source and relevant information in regards to supply of NOA forces 2. Monitoring the potential for the Quirrith Plague mutation and 3 Monitoring military engagements between Allied States Armed Forces in Legalese. To effectively achieve this goal the use of the nations orbital asset will be required.
Further recomendations, if indeed Starblaydia or an external force is supplying the NOA forces with weapons there is a potential for the conflict to escalate, The Bazalonian armed forces, Military, Navy and Airforce need to be prepared should they be required. As such any personnel not currently vaccinated against the Quirrith plague should be so immediately. Though there is no need to increase Military Alert Status for the moment as the situation is currently reasonably predictible. If this changes the alert status will need to rise.
This post has been edited by Bazalonia on Aug 31 2006, 02:47 AM |
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Bazalonia |
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Eating A Bazalope Burger |
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Somewhere in the Allied States
"Are the plans in place?" asked the lieutenant. He was clearly very nervous. Not even there organization had attempted anything on this scale before, and he was worried. Despite the vast reach that Section 31 had obtained during their long existence, they were always quiet, never manipulating, only making sure the forces that assured the survival of the Alliance were in place at all times, whatever the cost. However, the man the lieutenant stood before was not worried at all. His lieutenant always worried to much, he thought somewhat condescendingly. The plans had been in place to eliminate Viannor long before this lieutenant had been brought into the information loop. The men, the weapons, everything was all in place. It was all a matter of how much Damocles had discovered. A plot of this size would never escape them.
The man comforted his lieutenant, and sent told him to begin the plan. It was about time that this threat was dispatched clearly and without hesitation. He doubted that even the redoubtable Starblaydi Inquistion would be able to find these men before they hit Viannor and disappeared into the night. These men, they did not fail at anything, and this organization, to whom they had devoted their entire lives, were going to be very proud. One thing that bothered him was Damocles. They were always a wild card, never under control. This bothered him very much. Now though, he turned his thoughts to Lucas vander Veer. The man without a disappearing past.
"Now," the man said out loud, "a real challenge."
Alliance Security Room, Graham City, Scottish Republic
The President Law and First Minister Popouvel had finally arrived in Graham City, and were now sitting quietly, shoulders slumped down as if a giant weight hung on them. 'Just like the mariner and his albatross,' thought General 1st/Intelligence Howard Houllier. He had been called in to brief on the increasing swarm of Starblaydi troops along the border with Legalese. With elements of the 10th and 13th Army groups now pushing up further and further into what used to be Northern Legalese. The people there were remarkably skeptical about the NAO and what they were doing in the Republic. But then again, these people were found of Starblaydia, so one never really knew what to expect from them. He found the whole situation concerning. The inability of an army with the advanced specialization in urban warfare to route out the NAO spoke of something highly favourable towards the NAO. This apparently had been in the planning for years, and had greased a lot of wheels along the way.
As an intelligence officer, he didn't like the implications of such preparations going on under his nose. All the men the room, the SecHes, SecDef, SecJus, SecInf, President Law, First Minister Popouvel, himself, General Myers, and his aide, a colonel from Orbital Intelligence, rose as President-Elect Kingsley and Vice-President-Elect Thomas Leroy walked into the room, along with the PEs Chief of Staff, Andrew Jons. Many exchanged handshakes and customary greetings, but it was quite clear that these were just courtesies, nothing more. All they wanted was this crisis to be over, but since it had been almost a month and a half since the collapse of the Legal government, it looked as if there was no end in sight. The first up in this little round of briefings was the Secretary of Infrastructure, who had a report from the Department of Health and Human Services from within the Legal Republic.
"Gentlemen, it appears that after much research and testing that the Quirrith Plague has indeed mutated. After discovering three vaccinated people who had died with symptoms remarkably similar to the Plague. After exhaustive testing, we've determined how the virus mutated and a new threat report of what we are looking at. The virus appeared attach itself to a person who was suffering from Lisbon-variant of the common influenza virus. The plague absorbed part of the Lisbon's genetic encoding that allowed the Quirrith plague to become airbourne. However, we've determined that in doing, it sacrificed a lot of infectious ability in order to adapt to that level. This means that, though the plague has become airbourne, it has lost a significant degree of potency as a killer virus.
"However, it still retains its high rate of contagiousness. Even those who will now never die because of the weaker virus, will become carriers spreading it to whomever they come near. We've determined already that the Legal Republic is completely infected. We have yet to hear from anything within England and the UMA, but it's very likely that the Plague has spread to at least the very northern parts of both member-states." The President-Elect interrupted.
"So what kind of threat are we looking at?"
"Well," the SecInf began nervously, "depending on the speed of the spread, we could be looking at complete infection of the Allied States within the year. Deaths will be anywhere from one to two percent of total population, though that's not counting any increase in lethality as it's exposure increases. We are working together with AFAS and the Department of Research and Technology to find an effective cure to combat the Plague, but so far nothing."
The entire room exchanged looks that said everything. Jons spoke next, "So when are we going to tell the people about this?" The room sat in silence trying to determine the answer. The VPE spoke with his clear, smoothing Irish accent, "We've gotta do it right now. As soon as the speechwriters can put something together, the people need to know that once their friends start dropping dead why. We can't hide this, and it's coming now and there's nothing we can do to stop." There was little debate around the room. The SecJus wanted to wait until he had time to alert the NBI and other state police forces to mobilize against any riots. The PE consented, and the decision was made. He sunk a little farther into his chair. If this was how the briefing started, he didn't want to think about how it would end.
Jhanna, Starblaydia
The man and his friend stood together, looking somewhat out of place, with their stiff backs and nervous looks. They played the part of new visitors, a little anxious with the current climate, to perfection. The Inquisition officer at airport security was friendly and let them through with just a quick search of their bags. Their Hypocrian passports were plenty traveled. Casari, Andossa Se Mitrin Vega, Bedistan, UCS, their business took them a lot of places, though now strangely after quite a while to Jhanna for the first time. The Inquisition officer didn't blame them for being nervous. After the little spat with Krytenia and the return of Hypocria to the SAAS, the climate was just a little nervous. He looked at them as they walked through the gate, visibly relaxing with every step, though still a little jittery. They waived down a cab, and left the airport. |
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A large KNN, in bright red letters, appears on the screen and then quickly shrinks into the background before stopping to where it takes up only about a fourth of the space. The subtitle underneath the logo reads "Breaking News".
The opening logo quickly fades to a reporter sitting behind a desk, a solemn look on his face. "Good evening and welcome. I'm Warren Garret, and this is KNN." He turns and the screen quickly cuts to another camera. At this angle there is a flat screen monitor behind the reporter.
"We have breaking news coming out of the district of Tchaisom, in Marcham City. Reports have been coming in that several cases of the Quirrith Plague have been reported in the area. The Ministry of Health was quick to say that this is nothing serious and that the infected are likely traceable to the recent influx of refugees from the former Nova Roma.
Many pointed to the Lowland Clans, and the devastation wrought in their Legal Republic. The concern is that such devastation could reach into the more remote areas of the Dominion, and begin working its way towards the major population centers of the western districts. Minister Andrew Insar replied that such a occurence would likely never happen due to the high production of the vaccine and the vigilience of the Ministry in keeping up with any possible mutations of the Plague.
We now go live to..."
The screen was abruptly turned off. Khara, who had been sitting in his recliner, placed the remote at his right side and turned his attention towards Minister Insar, who was sitting towards his right in another recliner. "So, was what we feed the press true? Do we really have nothing to fear?"
The minister shoke his head. "I'm afraid we do have something to be concerned about. From what we can tell, the strain of the plague that we picked up in Marcham City was already significantly mutated from what we've seen previously of it. We where able to contain it and get a treatment, but there are some serious concerns among the ministry that it could easily mutate again."
Khara leaned forward and sighed, folding his hands and resting his chin on them. "What about quarintine? Have we made sure to keep those infected so far under observation and for analysis?"
Minister Insar nodded. "We've done so under the guise of immigration difficulties. However, that will only work so long before we have to let them go. We may also consider closing off any further immigration by refugees until we can get this under control."
Khara nodded his head again, a deeply sullen mood beginning to permeate the room and his face. "I think that is unavoidable for the time being. I'll make sure it is carried out immediately. We have several refugee camps set up already, they can double as temporary residents.
One other thing, how many have been reported infected so far?"
Insar looked down at a notepad on his lap and then back up again. "Around 20-30 so far. Very minor so far."
"Good, let's hope that it stays that way." said Khara. "Also, contact the Lowland Clans government. I think this may be the best time to pool our resources and hopefully nip this thing in the bud."
Minister Insar nodded.
| QUOTE | TO: Department in charge of Health, Lowland Clans
FROM: Ministry of Health, Khazaron
As your department may, or may not, be aware of, we in the Dominion are currently experiencing our own outbreaks of the Quirrith Plague in the western districts. While currently at a very small level, we are concerned about the possibility of it continuing to something much more devastating. As we are aware of your governments' experience in dealing with the plague, and the threat to stability that it poses to both of our peoples, we would like to offer a proposal of mutual cooperation in attempting to fight this epidemic that is gripping our lands.
We are willing to offer all the necessary facilities and personell that is needed to further the goal of eradicating this disease in any form that it may take. We await your reply.
In the name of the Patriarch,
Andrew Insar
Minister of Health
Dominion of Khazaron |
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Brown Room, 16 Canford Street, Graham City
President-Elect Kingsley sat slouched in the large, ornated leather chair, enjoy sitting by the fire and sipping his warm tea and reading his favorite book. It was perhaps the first time he'd spent more than an hour outside of the Security room in weeks other than to go to the Residential Wing to sleep. The situation in the Republic had calmed down. He stopped himself at the thought. He thought it was morbidly ironic that he considered the situation in the Republic calm. He snorted and took another sip of his tea. He turned the page and continued reading. His wife, chief of staff, and closest advisors had all more or less ordered him to take a breather. 'Here I thought that I was supposed to be the most powerful man in the Alliance,' he thought to himself.
There was a knock at the door. The peace of the room given by the inordinate amounts of dark wood, the fireplace, and the warm tea and book were shattered. The only way anyone would knock on that door is if things had gotten worse. He sighed, marked his place and closed his book. He paused, hoping that he had just imagined the knock. His hope was burst when the knock came again. He moved to the edge of his seat, and said "Come in." Andrew, his chief of staff, poked his head in the room and nodded to the PE. He opened the door, closed it softly and sat down across from Kingsley. Kingsley sat back, and raised one eyebrow.
"We recently received a message from the Khazaronian government, offering aid with the situation and requesting some of our expertise. Apparently, the Plague somehow found its way into the western regions through some Nova Roman refugees, and they obviously have no wish to see this situation repeated," he reported, taken in by the drowziness of the room. PE sighed, "Well, tell them they are welcome to send people to the Allied States. Get them to coordinated with General Myers and SecInf. Also, send some of our people. Maybe Colonel/1st Jameson and some of his crew? They've been some of the most effective at developing new treatments. Anything else?"
"Well sir, nothing yet. I'll get this sent off right away." Andrew got up and left the room. Kingsley sighed. He wondered when the organization was going to act. It was all a matter of time, and soon it would become increasingly difficult to be able to keep it a secret, especially if they were caught and to be identified. What exactly could he say, they went rogue? Getting into Starblaydia and then shooting the Lady-Protector required something greater than even the Inquisition. He drained the last of his tea, and looked out the window. Winter was coming, and the snow began to fall. The sky was dark, and the street outside was lit eerily but streetlamps. A sudden chill went through his bones. He shook it off and returned to his book.
Former Aquiliana, Starblaydia
It had taken almost three days to get to their destination. It would require a lot of patience and alertness. No one ever saw her outside now. But the sources inside the Castle were feeding them vague feelings of restlessness. The Section determined it was time to act. One of them, a smaller blond sergeant from the Army had recently been detached from his group in the Republic. He was not taking the assignment well. They all understood it. He wanted to be with his men, fighting against the Anarchists who were increasing the death toll day by day with their refusal to accept the Alliance's help. But he sacrificed that desire, ever strong in a soldier, to take out the head of the foe greater than mere guerillas. Operation HYDRA began. The Sergeant sat atop the wooded hill, staring down onto the stone castle below. It was simply a matter of patience now.
Another member of their group took various cloth-wrapped objects out of his backpack. He assembled them. Looking through the powerful scope, he set his sights on the walkway. He saw the pupils of one of the Inqusition agents hurrying along the otuside of the castle. He lead the target. Just as he was about to step into the next passageway, he clicked the trigger. Nothing happened, the clip was empty. "Bam," he breathed to himself, smiling, preparing for a long night watch. It was unusually cold, and they could see clouds forming on the horizon. Each one of their group sincerely hoped they turned away. It would make it only harder to make the kill.
Former Legalese-Starblaydi Border
It was a cold night, and Macdague shivered even under his heavy civilian clothing. He had been dispatched by the Doctor, who had apparently been reassigned to somewhere outside of the Alliance by the government to help fight the Plague. He supposed it was all the better, now that he was assigned to his taskforce. He was the second in command of this group, assembled from across the Alliance military and intelligence to stop the assassination attempt. All they know was that they were here. The group commander was a lieutenant from the Orbital Paratroopers, Lieutenant/1st Jason Bauer. He was a good leader, an intense man who despite all the camraderie shared with the Damocles group, remained somewhat distant, out of phase emotionally. Cold and calculating in battle, if Macdague had to chose nayone to combat this threat, it would be Bauer.
Next was him, then two spooks from ASIS, Giorgio Bernalli and Hugh Kiternly, both of whom had served in Legalese together before the collapse of the government. The other intelligence was someone from the Institute, a bespectacled man (Macdague struggled using that term, he looked more like a boy than anything else) who was an incredible signals expert. Macdague had seen him do some of his work before they left the Allied States. Then were two TIS Marines, Private/1st Joao Cristiano de Tomas, or just Joao and Private/2nd Julia Hendriks. While one might mistake Hendriks as a softy, she was a soldier to the core. One of the few women Macdague had ever met whom he instantly trusted on the battlefield. The soldier in the squad fought in several engagements in the Republic together before heading off on this mission in order to bond the group. Last but not least, there was the regular old Airbourne man Jonesy. A Private/3rd, only that rank because he found it useful to maintain a low profile for the Group, he would soon have to accept a promotion or risk being looked at strange.
They all rode in a very used van, all wrapped up in heavy civilian clothes and each carrying weapons and equipment. They were travelling as refugees from the Republic, up through Legalese to Starblaydia, where from there they would be able to track the assassination team. Hendricks was driving, while the rest were sleeping in the back. They drove over ground that alternated between road and dirt, and it was a rough ride. It was about time for Macdague's shift to be over, and so he woke Jonesy, whose shift it was next. Hendricks would drive for another hour or two before turning it over to Jonesy. The heater was puffing it's dear little heart out, trying to warm the van, but to no avail. He looked up at the stars through the windshield at the sky. It was clear to the point of being a little scary. The moon shone brightly on their path, and the eery glow gave him the chills. He and Jonesy managed to get each other switched around through much exertion and a little frustration. As he lay up against the window, he took one more look out at the moon. He shivered from the cold, and then closed his eyes. |
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"How reliable are these numbers?"
That was the question the analyst really didn't want to hear. Unreliable projections for things like this helped no-one. As far as he knew, however, this was about as accurate as it got. The volume of Starblaydia's remaining oil reserves was something of intense research over the past few months with every single piece of relevant expertise, technology and plain-old guesstimation that was available to the Department of Energy.
"These are about as accurate as it's possible to be, my Lord."
The only reply forthcoming was a sigh. Lord Howard Jiminez, Minister of the Interior, was the ultimate responsibility in the field of oil production. Lord Bruntos controlled the prices, but Howard wielded the power of supplies. And Starblaydia was running out. Even with the daily incomings from a long-standing deal with Ottoman Khaif were included. When that influx was removed from the figures, Starblaydia would be in deep trouble in less than a decade.
"Options?" Lord Jiminez rubbed his eyes with thumb and forefinger. None were forthcoming. "Options."
"We can be hamstrung ina deal with some random foreign producer of oil, but if things go south we're still up the creek," the analyst said, "no-one with any kind of oil surplus would be willing to trade with us, either, they're all on the other sides."
"I sense there's something you're not telling me," Jiminez said, he could see the man was holding something back.
"There is oil close to us... within striking distance."
"Is there, indeed," Jiminez sat back in his seat, paying close attention, "tell me."
"Legalese, my Lord." The analyst fixed his Lord with a steady stare. "Southern Legalese."
Jiminez thought about those two words for a long moment. they meant a lot. They meant the future of Starblaydia would be secured, but there would need to be a lot before that future could prevail.
"Have the mil-tech geeks run up some simulations. I want them on my desk pronto." He tapped a few buttons on his desk. "Myleene, get a hold of Lords Orfosi and Bruntos, tell them it's important." |
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Khara was walking the halls of the palace, something that he rarely got a chance to do these days. The weather had been getting much cooler in Archon City and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Walking through spears of light that pierced through the glass windows, he stopped near an antique vase that stode between two of the windows and smiled at its' elegance. Perhaps hundreds of such knick-nacks and conversation pieces where sprawled all over the various halls of the palace grounds.
He was distracted from his admiration when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him on the hard-marble floor. Turning to see who was approaching him, he saw that it was Minister Andrew Insar. He seemed rather upbeat considering all that was happening in the western districts. Khara smiled and gave the Minister a slight bow.
"What's up Andy?" Khara said as he continued to walk down the long hall, while his Minister of Health kept pace next to him.
"We've recieved word from the Lowland Clans government that they are sending someone over to help us out with our situation out west. They've also invited us to send over our own team to their country."
Khara stopped in his walk and turned to face Insar. "Who do we have that would be best served in working with the Alliance?"
"Dr. Aleister Newman, head of the New Disease and Immunology Research Center in Aska, should be available. He's had plenty of experience and he's widely recognized as the Dominion's foremost expert on disease. Him and a few of his research assistants should be more than apt for the situation."
Khara nodded, giving his approval. "Do it. Who can we expect from the Alliance?"
"A Colonel/1st Jameson. We've recieved a brief on him and his group. They should be arriving in Archon City within the next few days."
"Good. Have the standard welcoming ceremony for them. Once they've settled in here, have them sent over to New Sairion and our medical facilities their. We need to get on this thing ASAP. Speaking of, how is the containment effort doing out west?"
Insar thought to himself for a few moments and then replied. "We've got it mostly contained. Although we are starting to get some scattered reports of the disease amongst citizens in the area, not just from refugees."
Khara sighed. "Issue a statement that citizens who are infected are to report for immediate assesment at a local medical facility. If found infected, they will be taken to a sanitized facility where they will recieve treatment and then promptly taken back home."
Insar nodded and quickly departed to carry out the orders. |
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Archon City, Khazaron
Colonel Medical/1st Daniel Jameson was generally a very content man. He was content with his position in life, his philosophy, the way the world worked. Even when he first discovered the existance of Section 31, he was still quite content. By their own admission, they were a small group dedicated to fixing large long term threats in a way the national federal government could not. Jameson could find no reason to oppose the idea behind 31. What happened though, was when he discovered the messes they had created. Generally an efficient organization, 31 left no traces on the things they touched, or almost none. But they did screw up. Their screw ups were of the royal variety, and had had a great singular affect on the history of the Alliance that sent us in some not pleasent directions.
The brutal massacre of Greek children during the Allied States Civil War and then successfully framin Bojan Vasil were of particular threats. This organization had no scruples. After various travails with Section 31, he finally located the Damocles Group. He was on the run for several weeks until locating the safe haven they provided him. Now though, he was protected by the Group. Section 31 and the Damocles Group both have this undeclared understanding that no open state of conflict between the two can exist. The powers that each group posses, if thrown around in war, would most likely lead to mass chaos and the collapse of government, a situation beneficial to no one. Ironically enough, the term "a dirty gentlemen's war" would more or less describe the relationship between them
Jameson mulled this over while a conversation was going on in the conference call that did not pertain to him. It was a called between the Council of the Damocles Group, to discuss the increasing likelyhood of war in between the Srategic Alliance and the Strategic Defence League. Their strike team couldn't locate the Section 31 group within Starblaydia, and were running out of options. If they couldn't stop them, then they had to do damage control. What to do with damage control though, was always difficult. Staying with moral boundaries always is. Then the conversation turned to something more towards his area. "Daniel, how are you doing this fine day in Khazaron? Do you have the report?"
"Just fine, thank you. Jet lag wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so it's good on that front. But the virus though, is a different story entirely. After comparing the genetic profiles of the mutating virus here in Khazaron, something is not right. The mutation is something of a completely different variety. It's also significantly less deadly of a mutation, and a simple change in the vaccine should solve it. But that is not what concerns me. This seemingly natural and drastic mutation in the Plainsville-Donara Strain of the virus is seeming to me less and less natural as more research is done. I've never seen anything like this of a drastic mutation in such a short time. I don't have anything concrete yet, but the more research I do, the more this seems like this mutation is an engineered mutation." The silence on the call was deafening. After about thirty seconds, someone replied: "By whom?"
"I have absolutely no idea."
Damocles Secured Facility, Grey Zone, Legal Republic
Oram Dylius was feeling much better, though not quite himself. He wondered if Jerry's theories about dimensional lag were true, in which case, in his new home, because he lacked the knowledge to build another machine and the technology to build it, this would be his new home, he would never be truly comfortable. The thought did not lay kindly upon his head. He sat on his hospital bed reading the latest edition of The Alliance Report. The news magazine was perhaps one of the best, with a reputation for clearly distinguishing fact and opinion within its articles, and for non-biased and balanced coverage of both positive and negative articles. Of course, you could never eliminate bias completely, but they at least tried. The Report he was used to reading was the arm of the most deadly and oppressive government the world had yet seen.
A young nurse came in with his lunch try, followed by a man in a very well tailored suit with greying hair and goatee. His face though, seemed to mirror that of a hawk. Ever vigilant this man was. Oram couldn't remember his position, and his face seemed somewhat familiar from the Histories Before the Second Empire. He didn't recognize the colorful plate of food that he was given, but the colours generally meant they had flavor, which was good. The Rebellion didn't have much in the way of luxuries, and natural food was one of them. After the Burning, there wasn't much left, and only the 'loyal servants of the empire' got those. The man pulled up a chair and introduced himself as Tony Hollandsworth, Deputy Director of the Allied States Intelligence Service.
He probed Oram with a few questions to measure his current mental state. Oram had been through more than a few interrogations, but couldn't blame the man. The dimensional lag had essentially turned him into bluberring mass. He said simply to Tony, "Listen, just please ask me what you came here to? I don't mind answering, I just don't like beating around the bush." The man was clearly taken aback, and asked him to describe what had happened in history up to the time he was sent back. "Well, I guess I should start from the beginning of what caused history. You must understand I cannot be entirely sure that these events actually happened, or that they happened to my specification, for reasons I will discuss later. Now, to the beginning.
"The Quirrith Plague ravaged the Alliance, more specifically the Legal Republic. The Alliance responded by doing what it always did, sending in the military to stabilize the situation and to deliver the vaccine and to make sure that the basic Rights and Privileges were enforced. But then the anarchists revolted. During that conflict, the situation with Starblaydia distabilized. A misunderstanding developed in the murky situation in Northern Legalese, and there were shots fired. In short, the whole region descended into war. It was never clear who fired the first shots, but it was clear that Starblaydia had been preparing for this war. It's interventions in Djacor-Rysonia and Atheistic Right were essentially live training grounds for it's forces. They were short of oil. The terrain that makes up Starblaydia simply didn't have enough oil to run the nation as it was currently established. So they invaded. They reached as far as within shelling distance of Graham City in the East, while they nearly penetrated to Athens in the west.
"The war though, took a turn for the better. I can't tell you why, simply that it did. After much blood and chaos, the SDL forces pushed back Strategic Alliance forces around the region. Soon, the League troops were fighting on Starblaydi soil. During this time though, the anarchists had been discovered as agents of Starblaydia, or at least, armed and controlled by the Inquisition, and thus discredited as a movement for the most part. Their loss of support in the region they needed to hold was disrupted, and they lost key forces necessary for maintaining their positions. However, He started His rise. I was born after the creation of a Second Empire you see, so I do not know his name, and it was purged from most of our Histories because that alerted many of the Imperial Agents to our information, so we had to keep it hidden.
"He began his rise in the dark days of the war, promising that he would save us all. But we gave him too much, or he simply took it while we as a people were tired from fighting the war. He was elected to the office of President-Elect. He overran Jhanna and killed Viannor. Starblaydi forces were thrown into disarray, and he was atop the world. Then things started turning bad. He turned against the League, and he managed to convince the people of the Alliance that they should. By the time he had conquered Nedalia, Bedistan, and the UCS, he had too much power. We couldn't stop him, and he had developed advance technologies that him and a loyal core retain control of. There were few who could stop him. He conquered Vilita, Abattoir, Krytenia, them all. No one could stop him. The last League forces were destroyed in Khazaron, where most people had evacuated. He used nuclear weapons frequently, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him."
Tony had taken all of this in. He looked confused. His brow was furrowed in a look not of horror, but of shocked confusion. "So no one tried to assassinate Viannor before the war?"
"No of course not, who would be as silly as that? Such an event would have to be recorded and kept in our Histories. Of times before the Rise of the Second Empire they are very accurate, I know because I have been able to see them happen, another unique application of our technology."
Tony's face then morphed into one of complete and total helplessness and terror.
Somewhere in Oram's mind, flooded by painkillers and his generally happy demeanor, a switched clicked. Something was not as it was in the Histories. Something major. This was not good.
Viannor's Castle
The time had come. They had been waiting here on this damn spot for almost ten days. She came out at night, with Chisoko. They aligned the reticle with her skull as she paused and looked up at the sky. The sergeant nodded, and the one manning the gun looked at him, smiled, and pulled the trigger. |
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Viannor's usual dominant stride, seen by so many around the corridors of Starblaydia's government buildings, had broken into soft, slow footseps along the ancient stone pavings laid down by Aquilianan architects so long ago. To her left was the castle wall itself, harsh stone standing proudly against all its foes for hundreds of years, to her right, beyond the long outer corridor formed by scores of tall arches that she walked down, were the gardens and, beyond that, forest and hills.
Aquiliana was a peaceful place, the perfect setting for the castle she had chosen for her own. Techinically the one which Tiberius had given her, but he was gone, eaten by the fishes in the Nemyan Straight somewhere, and now she reigned supreme. Behind and just to the side of her, however, Isaac Chisoko was still talking at her.
"...not going to go away, it will only become more pronounced, mark my words, until everything we have now will break down and, within our very lifetimes - even at my advancing years - become utterly useless unless we find it within oursleves to make the difficult decisions and discuss now what actions should be taken in the immediate future so as to prevent this possible catastrophe for our society which up until now has been the model society for what we've been working so hard to achieve, lauded as such by our fellow autocrats and despised by those lesser types surrounding us, those who seek to bring us down, something that will only be expediated by this coming crisis regarding..."
Isaac was still talking.
"Don't you ever just," Viannor interrupted him mid-waffle, "be quiet?"
"My lady," he replied, a little flustered, "this is an important issue that requires our complete attention so as to-"
"Be. Quiet." she spoke barely higher than a whisper, but it cut her Foreign Minister into silence.
Isaac nodded.
Viannor began to walk again, stepping delicately down the walkway so as to minimise the clicking of her bootheels on the stone floor. Barely four ponderous steps later and she knew Isaac was bursting to speak again.
"Brevity is the soul of wit, Isaac," she said finally, "be concise or take your presence elsewhere."
"If we don't switch to a system that uses a tiny percentage of the oil we use now, we're finished."
Roughly, that took three and a half seconds for Isaac to utter. It was what he had been saying, in his usual roundabout way, for the past forty minutes.
"I know there is oil in the parts of Legalese that the Allied States controls, Isaac," Viannor said, turning to him, "I have read that report just as you have. Yes, the less oil we use, the better, but nothing should stop us from increasing our resources. Find a way to take their oil fields, and find a way to cut our oil useage, and do it as quickly as poss-"
Viannor was cut short in her sentence. Her head span round violently and her body fell heavily to the ground, blood sprayed in a pattern across the stone wall beside Isaac. He froze to the spot, only able to look down at his fallen leader. Within seconds, many heavy footsteps were heard rushing towards them.
"Lilith down!" came the cry from one of the Venators, a code phrase sent out across the net to every single one of the security personnel around the castle. Lady-Protector Viannor Starblayde lay near-motionless on the hard stone floor, her eyes staring out into nothingness, blood and a ghastly choking sound emanating from her mouth. The side of her head was a bloody mess, a pool of thick, dark, red-black blood was forming a pool around her head.
Venators, Inqusition and KERES agents soon completely surrounded Isaac and Viannor, the Foreign Minister had been completely unaware of the massive security presence around him as they had talked; they were that good.
"Sniper, east side," one of them, evidently a commanding officer of sorts, reported into his microphone, "Venators search and detain. Let's get a hold of this bastard."
Within minutes, the KERES medical team present were holding up blankets around the Lady-Protector, they were a team designed to respond to this exact emergency situation. Isaac was ushered away by the Inquisition while the Venators aimed their weapons at every possible hiding place. Many more would be in the forests and roaming the hills, vehicles would be used in the search, helicopters were already overhead.
The last thing Isaac saw before being taken from the scene was two KERES agents dragging a man to the scene. He didn't look like an assassin, but his speech was odd.
"No!" he screamed, "you can't do this! I have rights, Starblaydia must be free, my blood is my own! No-"
His throat was cut. He had been taken behind the blanket that a KERES agent was holding up and his throat had been cut. Isaac saw no more as he was pulled away from the scene. |
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"Well at least it's not as leathal as the previous and current strains." said the voice of Dr. Johnathan Steins as he conversed with his counterpart from the Allied States. They where both sitting in a rather sterile looking room, colored almost completely in white, and going over the latest reports the Khazaronian Ministry of Health had recieved from the developing situation in the western districts. "We should like to get to work on developing a new vaccine for those infected, prompting as quick a return to a normal life out there as possible. People are already getting antsy about this."
A door behind and to the right of Dr. Steins in the conference room creeked open and in stepped a man in a grey business suit. Closing the door he walked over to where Dr. Steins was, waiting for him to stop talking. Once that happened, he leaned down and whispered something in his ear. The look on the face of the good doctor turned from one of interest in the current topic, to one of horror. "Are you sure about this?" he asked the man who had just walked in. The man replied with a nod. "You've checked with our men in the field and military intelligence?" asked Dr. Steins. The man nodded again. "Inform Minister Insar at once." The man nodded one final time and then left the room quickly.
Turning his attention back to those at the table, Dr. Steins cleared his throat. "Gentleman, I'm afraid I have just recieved some rather troubling news. It appears that while our forces in former Nova Roma where conducting recon missions, they came upon the sight of a village that had been severely depopulated. Upon further investigation, and after sending in some medics to the area, it was revealed to be an outbreak of the Plague. Furthermore, a deeper look into surrounding areas of the Roman village has shown similar conditions popping up in neighboring areas. From what we can tell it is a more evolved form of the virus in Khazaron." He paused a moment to catch his breath and take a drink of water from a glass on the table.
"Speculation is that due to the declining standard of living in the area, coupled with the ongoing conflict, has lead to a perfect breeding ground for it. It is unclear right now as to what exactly may have caused another mutation. Thankfully though, it has not yet reached Khazaronian borders or settlements." Dr. Steins stopped at that, not bothering to mention that he knew the Ministry of Health would no doubt issue stricter quarantines, with the possibility of outright ejecting many of the incomming refugees from the area.
Meanwhile, in the Lowland Clans...
It was Dr. Aleister Newman's first trip out of the country in over five years. His current job working at the New Disease and Immunology Research Center pretty much kept him chained to his office desk or overlooking latest projections from their field operatives. While it was under some rather somber and dark circumstances that he was finally able to stretch his legs, he was still greatful for the chance. Not to mention that he felt deeply honored and a great sense of pride in being able to be the unofficial envoy of the Dominion to the Allied States. All these emotions made for a puzzling mix in his head as he got off of his plane at the airport.
After a meet and greet session was over with, and both teams had exchanged the obligatory pleasentries, Dr. Newman got right to the point. "What's your latest data and projections on the Plague infections and deaths in the Legal Republic and surrounding areas?" he picked up his suitcase and began to walk with the group. "If possible my team and I would like to view the most current data you have. Given the rapidly evolving nature of the plague, we fill it best to get to work as soon as possible."
Palace of the Patriarch, Archon City, Khazaron
Khara had his hands cupped and his head being gently craddled by them. For several minutes he just sat at his desk like that, then slowly let his head rise and take a look across the table at Michael Arani. "You're sure of this? Without a doubt?" Minister Arani nodded. "Our sources confirm the outbreak in several villages in north and northeastern Nova Roma. Roman authorities are responding with some rather draconian methods of simply killing the infected and burning their bodies. Most, so far, seem to be comming form the lower clases of Roman society. The containment methods, however, are causing unrest to rear its head in the areas and riots are already starting to take place." said Minister Arani.
Khara folded his arms and grumbled. "This will set us back in the area months, if not years. We might just have to pull back completely. I won't risk our men being infected and bringing this damn disease to our shores. How close are we to the infected areas?"
"According to Andy's boys, about 100 to 175 miles from the most recently reported outbreak. Unfortunately we haven't seen much in the way of the outbreak destabilizing the warlords power base." replied Arani.
"Alright, tell our boys to move back an additional 25 miles just to be safe. Also, no more refugees are to be taken in to any camps. Period. Not until we can get a grip on the current cases of the Plague in the western districts and find out about the one in Nova Roma. Put up fortifications if you have too, but nobody from Nova Roma gets into Khazaron controlled land. Understood?"
"Perfectly highness. I'll pass the word along immediately."
Khazaronian Forward Command, Nova Roma
The night was cold, and the strong wind that blowed wasn't helping matters either. On top of all that there had been an seemingly neverending line of refugees coming in to the camp. Most fleeing the increasingly oppressive acts of their rulers, most hoping that a more peaceful existance could be found out east. With the collapse of the former Roman government, and the subsequent plummeting of the value of the Denarivs, many Romans where left without even so much as clothes to put on their backs. The prospect of being able to immigrate to Khazaron, who had recently experienced a surge in their economy, intrigued many. So they came.
The soldiers did their best to keep order. They where supposed to be a forward base for the continuing operations in the northern part of NR, but with the refugees, they had been reduced to the task of immigration officers. All that showed up where organized into groups and sent to the various refugee camps that had been set up in the heart of Khazaronian controlled NR, further east.
One particular soldier was getting extremely annoyed at having to play babysitter to displaced peasants. He had been on guard duty since early afternoon, and it was now past midnight. They where still shorting through the massive throngs of people, and they still kept coming. He was at his boiling point, and so when one of the more sickly refugees happened to sneeze on him, he snapped. Reaching out with his clenched right fist, he socked the man hard in the face, sending him collapsing to the ground.
Very quickly the soldier was detained by MPs and the peasant taken to a nearby medic for assesment. The soldier was reprimanded and put on cleanup and lunch duty for the next several weeks. During that time he developed what seemed to be an increasingly bad cough and sneeze. He chalked it up to that peasant giving him some cold, and cursed his lot it life to be stuck out in the boonies of a collapsing empire. |
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Medical Facility, Refugee Camp 5, Grey Zone, Legal Republic
They were meeting in a conference tent in the largest research facility for the plague in the Legal Republic. They were conversing with the team from the Dominion who had just recently arrived in the Camp. The head of the research team, a rather frazzled Major George Kalermen. His team of research scientists had barely slept in the last month since the plague has infected the Republic. With the collapse of the government in the Republic, it was becoming increasingly difficult to administer care. He shook the sleep out of his eyes, and looked up and Dr. Newman. "Well, Dr. Newman, the advance of the virus throughout unvaccinated areas increasing, and because of the unrest and rebellion by the Anarchists, we lack the data and ability to collect data to give ourselves a decent idea of what's going on, we honestly don't know.
"Among the refugees, we seem to have gotten a pretty healthy bunch here in Camp 5, thankfully one that seems to have a sort of resistance against the Plague. The death rates are about ten to fifteen percent less than in the other camps, and the symptoms of the disease can even not manifest themselves in certain cases. We've been trying to work up that angle, but we're still not sure it's simply a weaker version of the plague. But our figures at this point are very rough. Our estimated number of infections is currently twelve to thirteen million and about ten million dead. We project in another month if the mutation we're seeing in northern England takes hold, it could go to about one hundred million infected and seventy-five to eighty million dead.
"At that point, the plague will simply be uncontainable. The massive number of infectants will reduce us to damage control. Even if we were to find a cure for the plague, there would be little way for us to administer it to people in a timely and orderly fashion. It's not a pretty picture, is it?"
Forrest Surrounding Nidola, Quercus Starblaydia
The helicopters were up chasing them. They had thought that it would be a clean getaway, but the sheer numbers thrown at them might lead to them getting caught. The snow slowed their trek back to the city. They wondered how difficult it would be for them to escape once the Venators were able to set up a perimeter. But that was the toughest part. Once they were away from the castle and in the city, they could effectively disappear with their powerful connections. But that was the tough part. The terrain certainly did them no favors, but they had purposefully chosen it that way. The more impassable the terrain, the less likely that a large force of Venators would be able to follow or track them.
Above the five special operations troops, hovered a Starblaydi helicopter. Flown by the Venators, the Knight came equiped with a very powerful sensing package. And despite the cold and snow, the infrared signatures of the five members of the Section 31 strike force. "At what point can they be intercepted?" asked the pilot of the helicopter to the Venator lieutenant in his troop bay. The lieutenant point to a point on an upcoming ridge. "Set us down here, we can lay in wait and ambush them there." Over his radio came a voice. The lieutenant recognized it instantly as the voice of Viannor Starblayde. "Keep them alive. I want to be able to," she paused, malicious intent soaking into her voice, "talk to them for a little while."
20 minutes later
The five of them had hiked about three miles in the snow and uphill in about twenty minutes. Their ability to track the Venators searching for them was limited, but they were all quite sure that they had lost them. They were getting giddy, hyperalert as the thrill of victory flowed through their finely honed senses and battle-ready minds. Unfortunately for them, they did not see the camo-dressed snipers along the ridge that they passed. They were all unconscious before they could activate their suicide implants. The Venator lieutenant ran over from their covered position along the ridge to the bodies now collapsed in the snow. He smiled and clicked his radio. "Lilith, this is Iron Nail. We have acquired the snipers, I repeat we have acquired the snipers." A shiver of dread went down his spine, and an odd sense of dread and doubt passed through his voice when he said the last word. "Alive."
The snow began falling, and the light of the moon was shrouded by the dark clouds.
Luther's District, Sagdineo, Legal Republic
Things were going well. With what little equipment he had been able to hide he was able to determine the general whereabouts of the two reality-hoppers. With his limited sensing package, he couldn't determine which one of the two he was looking for, but something that bothered him was the fact that there were two reality-hoppers. Lucas did not think that the Enemy would send two ment after him. It was not the way They operated. He turned to his desk and put his feet up, trying to run through all of the possibilities. Was it possible that someone else, a neutral had developed the technology to hop realities and had done so? Why? What was their motive?
He cursed the lack of technology available to him. A full sensing suite would be able to determine not only what reality they both had originated from, but what was going on in that reality. The phone on his desk rang, and he picked it up. "Yes?" he said, sighing and relaxing in his chair.
"Hello, Lucas. So that's what you're calling yourself these days." The voice sent an electric shock through Lucas' spine. He was standing up, grasping the phone so tightly he thought it might crack. His whole senses were alert. He could sense the people around him and above him, their thoughts, his thoughts. He reached out into the mass of people in the Legal Republic and tried to find the man he spoke to on the phone. "There's no use trying, you won't be able to find me. You know that, come now 'Lucas,' you're better than that. I just thought I'd let you know that I am here, and that I will stop you. Even your employer must've told you the chances were dwindling. We never lose, you know that."
Lucas tried to breathe. The voice spoke of a resigned man, one who was reciting a known fact to a child who refused to believe him. Lucas hissed through the receiver. "Of course they did, they don't need to tell me my time is coming. Of course, so is yours, after all, what are the chances of us being able to exist without each other?"
The voice channeled to Lucas' telepathic sense a shrug. "I have served for a long time. I will keep serving until it is time for me to stop. It doesn't bother me. You know though, that this is your last chance," the voice dropped into a tone of deep concern and longing, "you can still accept the offer that we discussed. You can still take it. It's never to late."
Lucas reponse was a laugh devoid of humor, a sad, jerky thing. "Now, that is why you won't win. Too sentimental, we'll see. Besides, I am what I am, nothing you or your employers can do will change it."
"Very well. I'm sorry, brother, I really am. But the line is drawn. Please forgive me."
The phone clicked. For the first time in a very, very long time. Tears drew themselves in Lucas eyes. One by one, they dropped onto his cold metal desk, as he stood there gripping the phone. He could feel in rain and sleet come above. The world was crying for what was coming. He was too, and he couldn't blame him or nature. What was going to come was worse than anyone had ever seen before. |
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Viannor's Castle, Quercus Province, Starblaydia
Viannor sat in her 'office,' still recovering from the shot to the head. She rubbed her hand her right temple where the bullet had exited. She was still a little weak, though the blood from the political prisoner was speeding the recovery. She estimated that it would take about an hour before she was herself again. She was very angry. She had no idea that the shot was coming, and the sudden shock was still engraining itself. All her powers, and all her mighty Inquisition, all the power at her disposal here in this castle and around the region, she was unable to prevent that shot. She held up her hand to the light. It shook ever so slightly, and all her concentration in the world could not prevent it from doing so. She felt something roll down her cheek. A tear. She wiped it away, still quite perplexed at why it was there. She was startled by the knock at the door. She was losing control of herself, when she most needed it.
She said in a surprisingly small voice, "Come in." It was a KERES guard. "Lady-Protector, they are ready for you to see them," said the agent. Viannor nodded and rose. She walked out of the room, maintaining her regal form even as she was experiencing the shock of being shot. She couldn't decide if being a vampire made the mental and emotional shock worse or not, but that could be decided later. She had more important things to do than worry about her emotional state. The power she had worked so hard to develop was being threatened. She walked with the KERES and Venators to the interrogation rooms. Surprisingly, there were no screams, at least, there were none now. She and her guard walked into the 'control room' for the jail and interrogation chambers. To add to things that had made this day very strange, the Inquisition interrogators looked almost defeated.
They jumped as she entered. "Lady-Protector, you survived?" There faces paled against the harsh white light of the room and the stone walls, which against them were arrayed monitors of all kinds, detailing the physical state of the five-member assassination team.
"Yes, I did. No mere bullet is going to stop me, now please, what have you found so far?"
The two men currently in the chamber looked at each, and then back at Viannor. "Well my Lady, nothing. From the technicques we have tried so far, they are not given up anything. Sensory deprivation, electric shocks, even pain stimulation, they refuse to give. I've never seen anything like it, it's like they've been pre-programmed against standard interrogation techniques. Only a significantly sophisiticated intelligence team and training to yield this level of results, and we're fairly certain that no government hostile to Starblaydia employs this training method in their agents."
"How certain?" asked Viannor.
"One hundred percent." Viannor took in this information. An extra-governmental group? She turned towards the monitors, each showing the assassination team members' in their respective cells. She reached out with her mind, trying to sense each of their minds. She found the one who fired the shot. She sensed nothing other than a quiet defiance and pride to have fired the shot. An anger so primal swelled up within her that she was surprised at it's intesity. The screen she was looking at shattered. She said to the interrogators, "That man is going to die. I will do it myself. I appreciate your work. You are right, there is no way any of these will surrender to typical, even most atypical methods of interrogation. I will handle it myself." She left the room with her guard and proceeded to the holding cells. She opened the door to the cell of the man who shot her. She paused, then walked towards the man, who was sitting in a chair.
Before he had time to react, she grabbed his throat and lifted his body against the well. He grabbed Viannor's hand in a futile attempt to stop her. The anger in her swelled, taking over every impulse in her body. She flung the man against his bid, climbed on top of him. His eyes showed pure terror. She barred her fangs and hissed in anger. She raised her hand, and plunged it into his chest, crushing his ribs and lungs, and ripped his heart clean out of his chest. She roared, and shoved his still beating heart in his face. She then fed on the man.
She rose, wiping the excess blood from her lips with the man's tunic. She was frightened. In those moments she had nearly lost complete control. But nevertheless, she walked out and continued to the next room. This time though, she sensed a crack in this man's mental armor. He was lying on his bed and then sat up when she entered the room, and pulled up the chair. She glanced at his tunic, and saw the ranking chevrons signifying a sergeant. She looked at him straight in the eyes, and sat down. "I know that you had thought that your mission was a bad idea. You didn't pull the trigger, so I'm willing to be merciful. Your death, will be quick and painless. Do not pretend that your other friends will be able to bargain for the same privilege. In order to procure this painless death," she paused, caught her breath. She still had not completely recovered, and her emotional state was unbalanced.
"With the information of who sent you." She vented all her mental fury at this Sergeant. She could feel his mind bend and wilt. She attacked his weakness, his heart for his soldiers. An honourable trait in a soldier. The Starbalydi Armed Forces could do with a little more with that, she thought as a side note. He looked up at her and he began to talk. One slow syllable at a time. After he was done, she knew enough to get this man to make a tape and air it to the world. They would then have a puppet trial for this one, with a quick and painless death, just as she promised. The rest, well, she had special plans for them.
This post has been edited by The Lowland Clans on Sep 23 2006, 02:28 AM |
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Palace of the Patriarch, Archon City, Khazaron
Khara kept staring at the figures that had just been handed to him by his Minister of Health. Sitting right next to Andrew was Michael Arani, Minister of Defense. Both where waiting very anxiously for Khara to say something, and becoming more and more un-nerved at the silence that weighed down on the room. Finally Khara stirred in his seat.
"How certain are we about this?" Khara said still looking at the paper in his right hand.
"Very certain I'm afraid. The news just came in this morning." replied Minister Insar.
"Have any of our other units in the area been infected? How far have the contaiminated refugees gotten?" Khara said as he finally let the paper down on his desk and then folded his hands.
"No other units have been infected so far highness. Colonel Richards has isolated his men from the rest of the expeditionary force and is doing his best to keep refugees from going further." said Minister Arani.
"Give the Colonel my personal thanks for his quick actions in this. Also inform him that he'll have a promotion waiting for him when he gets back home. Now, how many have died so far?" Khara asked he wearily looked from one minister to the next.
"Only three have been reported dead so far, but many of the men are sick and showing signs of getting worse. I reccomend we issue a level 5 quarentine to our forces in the area and send in med teams ASAP." said Minister Insar.
Khara nodded in agreement. "Do it. Highest priority is to be given to innoculating Colonel Richards and his detachment. Also..." Khara turned his attention towards Minister Arani at this point. "Issue a declaration to all armed forces in the region that we are, effective immediately, suspending all offensive actions against the Nova Roman warlords and their forces. We will set up fortifications..." Khara turned and grabbed a map that had been laying on the floor next to his desk and placed it where both men could see. "We will withdraw our forces to this point here, just a little west and south of the end of the Roman Gulf, effectively securing this peninsula area and a this little part westwards. I want our armor units, artillery and jets guarding that line and shooting on site ANY Romans approaching. Our highest priority is right now is preventing this outbreak from reaching back home and getting worse."
Both Minister Arani and Insar nodded in their agreement.
Elsewhere in Archon City...
Dr. Steins, his group, and their Alliance counterparts where sitting down for a nice meal before they where going to get back to their work in analyzing the latest outbreaks of the Plague in the western districts. As if sensing his contentment, Dr. Steins beeper went off, causing him to emit a frustrated grumble as he placed down his fork and knife and toke a look at it.
Seconds later he turned to the rest of his compatriots at the table and sighed. "I'm sorry friends, but we will have to cut this meal short. I've just recieved word from Minister Insar that there has been a new, more virulent, outbreak of the Plague amongst some of our forces in former Nova Roma. It has been requested that we depart immediately to the area so that the situation can be assesed, ananlyzed, and hopefully eradicated. Our plane is waiting for us at Archon City International Airport."
Meanwhile in Nova Roma...
What had once been a united front against the invading Khazaronians was now beginning to break down amidst renewed civil unrest in the face of the growing Plague outbreak. It started in remote villages on the outskirts of the provinces. Sanitation in the areas was especially poor in light of the recent collapse of the old Roman government. It spread rapidly, and soon whole villages where reported being depopulated.
When the warlords sent their legionaires into the areas to ascertain the damage and what to do, they where attacked by those peasants that remained. Angry at being ignored and used for little better than slaves, they struck at the only authority figures they could find. While the legionaires where able to quickly gun down the feeble attempts at their lives, the frequency of such incidents increased as the Plague spread more and more throughout the provinces.
At some point the warlords decided that rather than risking their forces and remaining citizenry from being contaiminated, they would adopt a scorched earth policy. All those who where infected where to be terminated on the spot and their bodies burned. No exceptions where given.
What followed where a series of bloody cullings as entire city sections and towns where purged of those who had tested positive for the Plague. Riots began to break out all across the former Imperivm, skyrocketing the death toll already present from the effects of the cullings and Plague.
At one point a warlords men toke it upon themselves to cull a city that was in a province claimed by another warlord. This was all that was needed to break the fragile alliance among the warlords as each one began throwing themselves at the other for infractions into their territories, whether real or imagined.
The now warring legions hardly even toke notice as the Khazaronian forces slowly fell back to the peninsula area, taken with them what Roman technology they could secure during their offensive. |
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