| Stories of the Kingdom of Valora |
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Mirochi, Kingdom of Valora
"Sir, the rebels are pushing back our forces!" "Get me the Countess Lähjoka! Now!" The officer commanding the attack, the Countess Lähjoka, had been resoundingly defeated. Leading the diversionary assault with 30,000 troops, she was initially successful in retaking towns in the rebels' western flank, but she had pushed too deep. Making use of the information gathered, the rebels lured them into a trap, allowing them to advance in a straight corridor. Utilizing the bulk of the chemical weapons retrieved from a former royalist armoury, many government troops perished. The rebels surrounded and opened fire on the beleaguered and confused royalist forces, who abandoned their beeline corridor fell back to their initial positions. It was an impossible victory. Marcus was suspecting this attack due to the large number of royalist troops gathering at their west, but the intelligence he had been given confirmed it. When the eastern forces were given the order, they found well-entrenched and persistent defenders who refused to concede. The eastern flank was a stalemate, and the operation was halted. Mirochi's gamble to eradicate the rebellion with a crushing blow had gone horribly wrong. 5,202 royalist troops died, were wounded, surrendered or defected. The rebels only suffered 1,935 casualties. "What on Earth is happening?!" "M'lord, the rebels have guessed our plans! Our forces are being routed! We have been caught in a trap!" "...These..." "Sir, the Baron of Ailakö shall deliver his report on the western front in a few minutes" "As you were. I shall attend shortly" Castiana, Ryccian Federation Palace of Holivarnt The Cabinet was meeting to discuss the Valoran crisis. Recent elections had lent a victory to the internationalist parties, and William Altrecht was now Prime Minister. "Prime Minister, we have received word from our Valoran counterparts. They are losing against the rebels. The King is personally requesting our assistance via this covert letter" The Cabinet argued on how many troops would be sent to the royalists. Everyone was under the assumption that Ryccia would intervene to crush this rebellion once and for all. They were wrong. "Prime Minister", said the new Minister of Defense, Anastasia Halienrova, "we are prepared to deploy our forces at the earliest opportunity when you give the command" "I won't give it" This was eerily familiar. A silence of shock enveloped the room. Then, voices. "How many times must we explain?!", said the new Minister of the Interior, Herbert Argenworth, "You idiot, set aside your pathetic feelings for the greater good of this country!" "SILENCE! I shall not give the order!" "Then I shall resign!", said one Minister. "So shall I!" "You bet I'm going to resign, you bastard!" "Predictable" "Fine. We shall deploy our forces to guard the counties that surround our cities in the Valoran coast. That is the only thing I shall compromise on" The Cabinet argued, and the decision was made. Unlike what many were expecting, Ryccia would not send its soldiers to battle the insurgents. Rather, it would occupy territory surrounding its own special cities to protect them from the rebels. Just what Altrecht's conscience wanted.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Mirochi, Kingdom of Valora
Valoran Royal Television Headquarters "The King's speech! Three, two, one...!" There was no doubting that what would be aired now infuriate the international community. But the King was not concerned with such matters. It is not as if they would support them anyway. Valora's government was worried only about one nation: the one that protects it. That was Ryccia. The Ryccian government had refused to send in troops to directly aid them, only occupying areas to create a buffer between the rebels and their special cities. How disappointing. Only terror would do. "We're live!" ![[Image: 94589760-7101-0133-0c67-0e34a4cc753d.jpeg]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/157634348949045250/703440618793336932/94589760-7101-0133-0c67-0e34a4cc753d.jpeg) "Citizens, tonight I address all of Valora as one. Since antiquity, Valora has had an unprecedented history of peace. It is a history built upon cooperation and a respect for law and order. In the past weeks you have heard of rebellion following the actions of a few radicals in Antonie. Those who choose this destructive path, your actions are based on a misunderstanding of how we have survived, together. It is a contract. The nation supplies the crown, like blood to a heart. In return, the crown provides order and security. To refuse work is to put the entire system in danger. The crown is the beating heart of Valora. Nothing can survive without a heart" The footage cut off to a square in the capital, Mirochi. The KEP was behind them. ![[Image: sketch-1587784458417.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/157634348949045250/703443817482682428/sketch-1587784458417.png) "The criminals that kneel before you use symbols for the purpose of sedition, which is why all images relating to the rebellion are now forbidden. Possessing them will be considered treason. Punishable by death. Justice shall be served swiftly. Order shall be restored. To those who ignore the warnings of history…" The KEP pointed their guns at the prisoners and shot them, live on state TV. The footage then returned to the King in his palace. "…prepare to pay the ultimate price"
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Kulinkamaa, Kulinkamaa County, Rebel-held territory
Valora Not everyone was on board with the rebels. Despite the euphoria of many Valorans in the west, a significant minority still supported the crown. Many were also horrified by the atrocities, but most justified them to save the country from communism and barbarism. The Ryccian minorities were also being persecuted, something which left a bad taste in the mouth of a few liberals. Moves and countermoves. "We demand dignity! Stop killing people! Stop this chaos and bloodshed!" The Ryccian minorities and the Valoran royalists of the county had gathered and begun to protest outside the local rebel headquarters. They were scared for their lives. Thinking that the rebels would permit this protest, they had assembled and tried to resist the bloodshed peacefully. They were wrong. Despite this peaceful petition of grievances, the rebels began to shoot them. The royalists fled, and many onlookers were disgusted by this hypocrisy. Two days later...another spark began to fly. One of water to douse the flames. The killing at Kulinkamaa was the last straw. Royalists in rebel territory, furious at this repression, began an uprising in the town. They took Kulinkamaa with ease. The next day, the royalist government delivered crates of weapons and supplies by air, helping the royalist militia in Kulinkamaa resist the rebel counterattack. But the spirit of liberty could not be extinguished, even amongst those who wanted the crown back. "Brothers and sisters under the crown! Our fight is for a peaceful and stable Valora! We shall petition for reform and against the abuses of the crown, but we need not rebel against King and Country! These rebels are hypocrites of the highest order, killing those who they claim to protect without mercy! No more! The only thing a Republic shall do is institute a more cruel tyranny without God's grace! The communists and the racist savages are out for blood! Well, I say, if they want blood, then let them come!" The royalist militiamen cheered. The speaker was the Baroness of the Town of Kulinkamaa. She was a liberal, but she was religiously devout and favoured a constitutional monarchy. She refused to support either the rebels or the absolutist crown when the rebellion began. For this, she was spared, but also sidelined by the rebels. Wrong move. What the rebels missed is that she was respected in her town for her liberal views. Thus, when she saw the rebels execute royalists, she decided to take a stand against this hypocritical movement. Some rebels joined her, appalled that they were forced to fire at peaceful protesters. The bulk of the rebel garrison resisted, but they were quickly overrun by the militia. The counterrevolution had begun. They were made up of reformists, Ryccians, absolutists and the common people that refused to condone more rebel killings. The Valoran regime thought they were absolutely loyal. But ignoring this seed of reform would be their undoing.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Arsean, Special City of the Ryccian Federation
Border Checkpointa Ever since the Valoran civil war started and the rebels reached the northwest, Ryccia had ordered Arsean's borders closed. Whilst attempting to maintain a facade of non-aggression, only moving troops outside its special cities to create a buffer zone, the geopolitical and economic interests Ryccia had with Valora as well as the constant border skirmishes with the rebels meant that even a fool could see that Ryccia favoured the royalist side of the war. The friendly border police were long gone, replaced by Ryccian soldiers who vigilated the city's borders. The city's checkpoints, once known for its friendly welcoming atmosphere and Ryccian shops, now became entrenched military outposts armed to the teeth. The city had declared martial law, and all Valoran non-residents had been expelled. No one could cross the border, and soldiers constantly patrolled the streets. In a paranoid daze to prevent any terrorist attacks, the Ryccian intelligence services had started to monitor and systematically spy the Valoran community in Arsean, afraid of any radical anti-Ryccian sentiment. This was justified due to the GID-20 outbreak, but as Valora had taken more or less the same preventive actions as Ryccia, Valora had no cases. In fact, the Ryccian Navy and Air Force had been deployed to "contain" the rebel-held coast in a collaborative effort with the Valoran regime to enforce the GID-20 national lockdown, but this was just an excuse to blockade and bomb the rebels in those areas to death. The Prime Minister, William Altrecht, had lost all hope regarding Valora. He previously tried to work within the system to help the royalists as little as possible, but most of the government was firmly convinced that the royalist regime had to endure. They were either too invested economically in Valora to care about human rights (and thus were corrupt to their core), or they were idealists who were afraid of a genocide of the Ryccian minorities (which, according to Ryccian intelligence, was already a reality in rebel-held territory). Despite his pacifist and internationalist ideals, the people surrounding the Prime Minister made it impossible for him to live up to them. As a result, he was planning to leave Ryccia's involvement in the Valoran civil war entirely to the military, only appearing in public to legitimize their actions. Internal matters, as well as the GID-20 pandemic, seemed more important, and, in contrast to Valora, he could actually do something about that. An invasion, possibly with the help of the international community, to remove the royalist regime and institute a Ryccian-backed democracy had been floated, but the Ryccian government worried that there was no guarantee that a democratic Valora would opt to discriminate or even kill the Ryccian minorities once Ryccian troops left. Unlike the current Valoran aristocracy, a new revolutionary elite would be more independent and deeply hate Ryccia. It would have to intervene constantly with Ryccian troops, risking the lives of ethnic Ryccians on both sides of the border and international condemnation for invading a sovereign nation. Arsean was supposed to be safe from the fighting thanks to the Ryccian-imposed buffer zone in the Valoran territory surrounding the city. However, a radical faction of the rebellion attacked the buffer zone in the early hours of the morning. Most of the Ryccian troops in the attacked area had withdrawn after a ceasefire had been reached with the rebellion's top leadership in order to limit Ryccian involvement in the war. As the front was undermanned, the rebels quickly overran the Ryccian defenders and pushed them back to the fortified city borders. Rebel artillery began to fire, pounding the eastern districts of the city. This killed 6 people and injured 18 others. Moreover, rebel drones filled with explosives flew over the border. Whilst most were shot down by the Ryccian border troops, a few did cross and exploded over two apartment buildings and a mall, killing 14 people and injuring 73 others. The fighting could be heard all across the city despite it being confined to the border, terrifying the local population. Ryccian air bases all across the region were activated in a desperate frenzy, sending in bombers, fighters and helicopters to exterminate the rebel positions. If this was not Ryccian territory, the following bombardment would have been overkill. After intense fire from the air and from the ground, the radical rebels were forced to retreat with heavy casualties after only two hours of fighting. However, their intention to sow terror was accomplished. The city was now in panic. Immediately, the mayor decreed that all businesses had to close, but most had already done so out of fear. Some residents, especially those in the east, had gone to the underground shelters and refused to leave well after the fighting had ended. For a city which had never experienced war, it was a traumatic shock. Never in Arsean had a single shot from artillery had been fired, not in the Democratic Revolution, not in the past Valoran revolts, and certainly not in the recent Ryccian civil war. The city had prided itself in avoiding the bloodshed that the rest of Ryccia suffered during the 2010s, and many refugees from the mainland had temporarily taken shelter in the city. Most had already returned to their homes, but for those ex-refugees that remained, it was a reminder of those devastating times. Speaking of refugees, the fighting had triggered a flood of Valoran refugees from the surrounding areas, pleading for mercy and help in the Valoran tounge. As the rebels did not have any standard uniform attire and due to the panic caused by the battle, some Ryccian soldiers and low-level officers thought that the refugees were yet another wave of rebels and opened fire, dispersing the desperate mob. The fact that most Ryccian troops were from the mainland and knew not even a single word of Valoran did not help either. They only stopped when the top leadership directly ordered them to cease fire, but by then 57 Valorans were dead, with 161 wounded. Immediately, the military border command dispatched army medics with Valoran interpreters in order to attend to the wounded. However, they refused to allow the refugees inside the city, instead setting up refugee camps outside Arsean. They only transported those in dire need of medical assistance inside the city, leaving those non-lethally injured in medical tents set up by the army. The Ryccian military was so nervous about further terrorist attacks that they even insisted on escorting the injured, frisking and inspecting them in detail and putting the hospitals inside the city under military lockdown, posting hundreds of soldiers and police inside and outside the buildings. They even gave refugee surgeries top priority in order to kick them out of Arsean as soon as possible. The mood of the citizenry differed from the army. Despite being scared for their lives, the compassionate Arsean populace almost immediately began donation campaigns to help the refugees just outside their borders. Some, mostly good-hearted youth and members of Arsean's Valoran community, even volunteered to work in the camps in order to ease the burden of the army. The Ryccian government began to ferry more troops and supplies into Arsean in order to quickly re-establish the buffer zone in its entirety and secure the territory, as well as to help the refugees. Not only that, it declared that it was considering extending the buffer zone to the entirety of the northern Valoran peninsula that Arsean was in to expel all rebel forces from the region for good. The rebel high command formally apologized for the incident, but the Ryccians could not trust them after the attack. The radical leftist and moderate divisions were showing. To the outside world, the rebellion was a monolithic force with a single purpose, but there was more behind the scenes. The seeds were sown for a schism that would split the rebellion in two, but this was not apparent at this stage. Only I know that, for I am the narrator, and now you know it too.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Mirochi, Kingdom of Valora
Ministry of State Security Despite appearances, the royalist regime was in a panic. They were losing badly to the rebels. Most of the west was now in their hands. Defections were increasing, the military had low morale, and, worst of all, Ryccia refused to help directly, instead creating buffer zones to guard their territories in the Valoran coast. These losses were so great, that the royalists suspected that they had a spy in their ranks, perhaps in the higher-ups of government. They were correct, but the amount of manipulation that was exerted by this top official, whoever they were, was so great, that their investigations often ended in failure. The Crown Princess Sophia was the culprit. She had pulled several strings before the rebellion to place a closeted liberal puppet in the Ministry of State Security, the country's main intelligence body. As a result, she misled these investigations into finding nothing or conclusions so unreasonable that their efforts were in vain. The urge for finding this leaker had prompted the King to offer a Dukedom and a sizable cash reward for any official that succeeded in finding them, but this was not going to happen. Due to the tremendous losses, many conservative officers were initially removed. Some even were shot for their failures. This paved the way for liberals, both open and closeted, to gradually take command of the army. The removals only stopped when it was clear that the Kingdom's fiasco of a campaign was being sabotaged by an insider. Exactly what she had planned. Sophia also controlled the rebellion. She had either compromised their leadership, installed puppets or made them her allies. The higher-ups in the rebellion believed in her Grand Plan or would rather die than to let the Crown Princess reveal the dirt she had on them, and thus they were secretly loyal to her. Even the Arsean attack was orchestrated by her in order to cause a rift between the radical and the moderate rank-and-file, albeit not even the rebellion's top leadership knew it was her. Sophia wanted a constitutional monarchy to reign over Valora. She was idealistic, yes, but she was also hungry for power. She could not deny that, even if she attempted to shake those desires off. Perhaps the hope of building a better Valora was what kept her guilt in check, but her instincts drove her into a lust for power and personal glory. Dividing the rebellion when it was at its height was part of her plan, and if it went to perfection, the next stage could proceed. The seeds had been planted, and they shall slowly but surely begin to grow. Of course, not everyone is perfect. Juho Suicune (full name Juho Justinianus Putaus Konfusiu Päättäväis Suicune Sorventia), a son of the Count of Donvao, was a conservative official in the Ministry of State Security. Having expertly deduced that the top leadership in his own ministry was compromised, he opted to search for the culprit on his own. Unlike many conservatives, Juho was very idealistic over the state of affairs in his country, believing that the Kingdom truly provided peace, security and stability to the population, and that the nobility was useful to raise an elite fit to rule unlike the peasantry. His opinions on democracy were negative, seeing it as a messy, partisan and incompetent form of government that fomented corruption, disorder and a short-sighted way of running the state. The commoners cannot rule themselves, he thought, and thus need an educated guiding hand. He wished it could be the contrary, but what he had seen convinced him otherwise. He was incorruptible and highly efficient, albeit he was incredibly naïve. Due to this, he was unwittingly utilized by ambitious nobles in power struggles as a pawn to investigate corruption of their enemies. His talent secured the convictions these savvy nobles wanted, and many secretly laughed at his back, finding his blissful and shocking ignorance of the rotten reality of the country amusing. For someone so intelligent and determined, he was gullible as hell. Instilled with this patriotic zeal, he set out to discover the truth for himself. Will he find out the truth? Or shall he be blindsided at every turn? Only time shall tell.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Mirochi, Kingdom of Valora
Ryccian Embassy Mirochi was the capital of Valora, and where the highest tiers of the aristocracy lived. Those in positions that did not pertain to the war lived as usual: spending money like crazy, taking their yachts off to the coast, rich people stuff, y'know? However, due to it also being the largest city in the country, many people were not content with the regime. Mirochi was better-off than the rest of the country and the security services were going in a paranoid daze to break up any local opposition, however, so the likelihood of a homegrown uprising here was effimeral. There were dissidents despite this, mostly intellectuals whom the police surveyed the most. One of these dissidents, a law student named Jussi Soini, had secretly compiled a report detailing various cases of corruption and severe human rights abuses in the capital. He knew he was constantly being spied on, and thus he had to move, fast. The future of the country depends on it. Jussi ran off to the Foreign District, where embassies and other foreign buildings were housed. The KEP was on his tail, and had decided to stop him, deducing that he was doing something there, whatever it was. Initially, Jussi had targeted a different embassy in the country, but he opted to gamble on the Ryccian one. Perhaps he would ultimately get ignored, but he hoped someone there would leak the report to the Ryccian press, which, in turn, would leak it to the entire world. A KEP truck was waiting for him. Jussi dashed for it, avoiding the officers who were running to stop him. They were too late. Jussi managed to throw the report to the other side of the embassy fence, successfully placing it in Ryccian hands. Perhaps his efforts would be in vain, but he wanted to do something, anything for the revolution. He was shot in cold blood, but at least he did something. The Ryccians always stationed their own security in their embassies. Indeed, the Foreign Ministry had their own security forces, the Ryccian Diplomatic Security Forces, which were sometimes armed like soldiers. Due to Valora being an unstable country with a fervently anti-Ryccian population, the RDSF detachment here was armed to the teeth. It was one of these officers whom picked up the papers and the attached USB stick. The KEP screamed at the RDSF officer, demanding that the materials be handed over to Valoran authorities. The ambassador to Valora, George Hallotikin, was consulted. He refused to hand over the reports, as he was told by the RIA (Ryccian Intelligence Agency) that they wanted these files. The KEP would do something unprecedented. They stormed the embassy. The RDSF was not expecting this, but they recovered from their shock and started to fire warning shots at the agents. The KEP commander refused to yield, ordering his agents to open fire directly at the RDSF. The result was a shootout between Ryccian and Valoran authorities, with the RDSF being repulsed to the main embassy building due to the KEP's numerical superiority. The ambassador, fearful for his life and having sent the files to the RIA by internet, ordered the RDSF guarding the embassy to surrender. Violating basic diplomatic law, the KEP took them prisoner. Big mistake. Castiana, Ryccian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs "They did WHAT?!" The Foreign Minister was shocked. How on Earth could they shoot at the Ryccian Embassy of all places?! This was simply inexcusable. "Get me the Valoran ambassador right now! Summon her!" "Mam, we cannot" "Why not?" "The Prime Minister called us, telling us that the Valoran ambassador was to be expelled immediately, without delay" "...So it is. He is that furious to make such an unilateral decision? Very well, get a press conference ready. I wish no delay!" A phone rang. It was the Valoran King himself. "Yes, is this the Ryccian Foreign Ministry?" "That is correct. Now, what on Earth were you thinking?!" "We swear, we had no involvement with this. One of our KEP officers, not knowing about international law, went rogue. We are setting your diplomatic staff free as we speak, and your injured RDSF forces are being treated at the hospital" "Look here, I do not get what game you are playing, but I shall not have it! This is unacceptable!" "Please, we did not mean-" CLANG There was nothing to be spoken right now. Even if it was a mistake, the Valorans had to suffer for this.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Riv Tefienn took a deep breath. He hesitated a final time, but then finally pushed the lavish golden button. A typical door bell chime was heard. He wasn't sure why he had accepted the invitation, he had felt as an outcast the last Cider Party. Maybe he saw a chance at educating these decadent aristocrats, but maybe he just wanted to have a share of their luxury too.
A butler opened the door for him and showed him the way to others. But this time they didn't take the stairs up, but instead down. He felt the air getting cooler, and there was a slight smell of wet stone. The stairway led to a vault like corridor, which must have been very old. He heard chatter coming from the other side of an oak door clad in black iron. The butler opened it and gestured for him to enter the room. The butler then announced his arrival. "May I present Tefienn, Aeronautics Engineer." Tefienn nodded at the enormous wooden table where eleven self-important members of the Bellon Avenue Cider Party Club sat. Their investigative gaze almost felt as a sharp knife dissecting every layer of his lower-strata body. "Ah, Tefienn" said Lady Trodib, standing up to greet him. The others followed suit, some not hiding their reluctance. "Please forgive the humble setting, but I am quite sure these thick walls should protect us, should there be another attack." Tefienn looked around. It was apparently a wine cellar. On one side there were countless exclusive bottles, and on the other, old barrels. Actually a lot cosier than the main dining hall he had been in last time. And the old lady probably was right. It probably would be one of the safer places in case of a bombing. But that was unlikely for now. "Oh, this is probably the best place to be in times like these" smiled Tefienn, "thank you for inviting me." "Please." Lady Trodib gestured towards an empty chair at the far side of the table. The chatter soon resumed while the butler poured him a glass of what must have been a century old wine. The topic was inescapable. "... so the major is quite right, we cannot allow these people to enter the city" said a slender man next to Tefienn, clearly referring to the war refugees. "Yes. I have decided to raise funds for the northern camp" replied someone who he hadn't seen there before. Lady Trodib nodded slowly and then looked at Tefienn. "So, Mr Tefienn, as an engineer, how would you deem these vaults?" "Well, ma'am, I assume you mean its ability to withstand explosions on the surface" he began, trying to sound a important. And now it was confirmed, this was the reason for his invitation. "My field is aeronautics, but we are quite a bit under the surface, and stone structures like these are known be durable." "How about the air? If we were trapped here for an extended period of time, would the air not become bad?" "Well, you would need some kind of ventilation and access to fresh air from the surface." "Ah, yes, I see. Is this something you could install for us?" Tefienn was not sure how to respond. "Well, uh, I have experience in managing projects. How many people should it be able to support?" he asked, knowing what would come. "It would be us here and our families of course." "But these vaults could house hundreds more. In case of a bombing, wouldn't you-". He was interrupted. "That would not be appropriate." Tefienn took a deep breath. This was going to be a long night.
Maalko County, Rebel-Held Territory
The war raged on with no end in sight. In rebel-held territory, however, an internal fight was about to explode. Despite the impressions from outsiders, the rebellion in Valora was more of a coalition than an unified force. You had your generic republicans, then the liberals, then the conservatives as well as social democrats, socialists, communists, environmentalists, nationalists, anarchists...so many opponents of the royal regime were members of the rebellion that even some monarchists that opposed the current regime, mostly fringe groups that favoured some pretender over the current reigning house or whatnot, joined its ranks. A few royalist reformists were secretly joining their ranks too, wishing to reform the monarchy but finding the current King so evil that they labelled him as a traitor. However, most reformists, in the hopes of gaining political clout at the end of the war, organized militias in rebel territory and/or joined the army proper. Rebel administration of their occupied territories was as haphazard as their composition. In some areas, nationalists ruled, persecuting Ryccian minorities in a xenophobic thirst for vengeance. Other areas were governed by the left, and they had begun expropriating land from the wealthier classes, regardless of whether they were Ryccian or Valoran. Those regions who were looked after by rebels with more ideologically centrist leanings instead opted to gradually reform their lands according to their ideals. Social democrats and centrist liberals instituted land reform but insisted on keeping the capitalist structure. Conservatives of all stripes, meanwhile, were cutting taxes left and right for the commoners and did institute a policy of land reform, but it was less ambitious in scope. In addition, they promoted social conservative values and policies. Anarchists and libertarians were liberalizing their towns so rapidly that other rebel factions feared a breakdown of civil order and, crucially for the right, the moral fabric of society. Pretender factions were delegitimizing the reigning house and glorifying their pretenders in the few towns they held. The reformists were such a small faction in the Grand Coalition that they did not control any significant territory or power. The rebellion's territory outside the frontlines was a political series of experiments unparalleled in Valoran history. Of course, only a trickle few towns were entirely controlled by one faction or another. There were ideological minorities everywhere, and whilst they had tolerated their ideological rivals for the sake of "national liberation" or whatever they were fighting for, they had begun to fight over policy. Several communist-run towns had protests staged by the centrist liberals and the social democrats, decrying the seizure of small businesses. Communists and radical socialists agitated against ideologically centrist municipal administrations, believing that their allies were either in the service of the old royalist order or were attempting to build a new bourgeois society. Anarchists and libertarians complained about the social restrictions kept in place by conservative and religious local governments and thus staged demonstrations against them. Nationalists were challenged by egalitarians of all stripes, granting safety to the impoverished and middle-class sections of the Ryccian minority. Whilst few, if any, rebels were contemplating firing on their allies, the prospect gradually grew more appealing by the hour. The royalist regime, being led astray by the Crown Princess and her machinations, had thus far failed to infiltrate the ranks of the rebellion to be aware of their true fragility. Until today. A clever royalist intelligence officer had independently investigated the rebels. He opted to feign betrayal to the crown that he adored and "joined" the rebellion. Using his talents, he managed to become a double agent, sending any dirt he could find to his contacts back in Mirochi. "Hey, Juho, the captain wants you on this briefing!" "Me?" "Of course you! Get going, you're getting promoted for your excellent talent!" "This is a trap" There was no way Juho was getting promoted this early. Were the rebels really that desperate for educated officers in their miserable mob? Juho came prepared. He concealed a handgun and was secretly recording all of this live for his contacts in Mirochi. There, the captain and a traitorous general of the mob were present. "Ah, if it is not that pesky little fool" "General, I-" "Silence. Most of the soldiers and our intelligence officers may not be aware of your true identity, but I am. After all, we are of the same blue blood" "...I truly have no idea what you refer to. Gen-" "Really, now? Are you mad? I see through your veil of lies. You are Juho Suicune, a secretive son of the ruling noble family in Donvao. You were the most stiff and unsociable person in the Royal Academy, a serious lad indeed. You are but a young noble, but you rejected the wild lifestyle of your peers, instead wishing to devote yourself to serving the crown. What astounds me is your naïveté. Most conservative royalists are perfectly aware of what keeps them in power, but your idealistic insanity keeps you caged in a mental prison" "General...Your Grace-" "Ah, there it is: the deference to your superiors of the nobility. I am not a count anymore, you dolt. I am citizen Marcus Humilau, doing my duty for Valora. You are so gullible to the truth that your very existence perplexes me" The pretenses were gone. Juho was trapped now. He took out his gun, pointing at the General. "Ah, so I see. Shoot me if you dare. Comrades!" Communist rebels entered the room, surrounding the royalist spy. Juho knew that this would end up as it did, but he had no choice. "So it is. I am caught. I am beaten. Your Grace, I must commend your excellent memory. I have only observed you once at a ball, yet you recall my face. How curious, is it not?" "Oh, I was not the one to notice you" What? "Your Highness, you can now speak" A small radio was in Marcus's desk. The voice was altered so the person would not be recognized. "Ah, wE nOw MeEt, AgEnT JuHo. WhAt A dElIgHt" "You?! Who are you?!" "I Am tHe PeRsOn YoU aRe lOoKiNg fOr sO iNcEsSaNtLy. YoUr ThEoRy Is cOrReCt: tHeRe iS a hIgH-rAnKeD tRaItOr aMoNgSt YoU. ThAt wOuLd bE mE. Do NoT BeLieVe fOr a SeCoNd tHaT I aM nOt aWaRe oF yOuR LiTtLe pLoT. FrIsK hIm, nOw" Juho was searched. The recording device he was using to spy on the rebels was found. "General, we have found this artifact" "Destroy it" The tiny camera was smashed into tiny pieces. Now Juho was truly alone. "NoW tHaT wE cAn SpEaK pRoPeRlY, I sHaLl PrOpOsE tO yOu aN oFfEr yOu cAnNoT pOsSiBlY rEfUsE" "Wretched vermin...what is it that you seek?" "WhY dO yOu BeLiEvE I dId NoT oRdEr yOuR dEaTh? YoU cAn Be oF uSe tO mE. YoU hAvE dIsRuPtEd My PlAnS. NoW, yOu ShAlL pAy WiTh YoUr SeRvIcEs" "What makes you believe I shall ever assist you?" "YoUr FaMiLy. YoUr ElDeR bRoThEr iS a CoLoNeL iN tHe RoYaLiSt ArMy, iS hE nOt?" "..." "hE hAs BeEn cApTuReD bY tHe ReBeLs. iF I sO wIsH iT, hE sHaLl DiE. CoOpErAtE, aNd I aM cErTaIn hE sHaLl bE sPaReD" "...You..." "ExCeLlEnT, wE cOmPrEhEnD oUrSeLvEs PeRfEcTlY. YoU aRe To LeAd An InVeStIgAtIoN iN oRdEr To ArReSt tHe mEn iN qUeStIoN fOr tHe cOmMuNiStS. ThE fOldEr iN yOuR dEsK cOnTaInS aLl YoU nEeD tO kNoW" "Why me? Cannot you just arrest them and be done with it?" "ThAt WoUlD bE FaR tOo DiReCt oF A pRoVoCaTiOn. ThIs MuSt ReMaIn aMbIgUoUs EnOuGh fOr My OwN pUrPoSeS" "...So be it" "Brother, I am sorry", said Juho in his mind, "I have truly betrayed the crown" As the only person whom Juho truly loved and admired, his elder brother, a Colonel in the army, was his weakness. He would not dare risk his death. This person behind the transmitter, whoever they are, must be high-ranking enough to move the strings they are in possession of. As for the Crown Princess, she intended to spark yet another flame. This time, however, it shall be from within.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
County of Aumelodia, Kingdom of Valora
"I know what shall come" The Count of Colette, a conservative noble, thought it was all over. He lived close to Mirochi's metropolitan area, in Aumelodia County, after being expelled from his homestead, which was now occupied by the rebels. His wife was a royalist military officer, and thus she was stationed in the frontlines. Whilst he was financed by the government, his standard of living had decreased substantially. He could not keep up with Mirochi's lavish elite anymore as a result of being cut off from his county's taxes, and was living in a middle-class home. He hoped the war would end in a royalist victory, but the rebels were advancing rapidly. The rebels were just a few towns away. They were at Aumelodia's very own borders, and the Countess of this area was herself planning to evacuate to the capital. The Count of Colette, however, was planning to leave elsewhere: to Ryccia itself. He had actually studied medicine and had a few contacts in Castiana, Ryccia's capital. Perhaps he could obtain a job as a doctor there and flee this crumbling mess. His relatives and his wife in the army told him how hopeless it all truly was: the royalists were demoralized and stretched to their limits, whilst the rebels were eager and gaining more recruits by the hour, both from civilians and royalist defectors. Some nobles were already buying property in Ryccia with their savings, just in case. "Come, children, let us leave for the capital" "Father, are we to leave Valora?" The teenager was his eldest son and his heir to the County. He was a rich arsehole before the war, but with his family's loss of wealth, his life was thrown into turmoil. "Yes. We have a flight scheduled for tomorrow. Have you packed everything?" "Yes, Father" The Count left in a hurry. As he was one of the few Valorans that had a car, he was under the assumption that the traffic to the capital would be mild. He was wrong. Royalist officers were fleeing all at once, as were locals terrified of the war. The royalist regime was desperately trying to hide the scale of the refugee crisis to appear strong, but the situation was dire. There were military vehicles, tractors, light trucks and sports cars all clogging the road. BEEP BEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEP! "What on Earth is taking so long?!" "Father, do you hear that?" His daughter, who was also a teenager, started to hear a faint crackle. Gunshots. "...You must be joking...Alexander, lower the windshield and do tell what is transpiring" His son did as ordered. He saw smoke. The rebels were already here? How is that possible? "Father, there is a certain smoke!" "What?!" The royalist army had a few soldiers on the road. They were stationed at checkpoints and also patrolled the traffic jam, looking at the cars and whatnot. One soldier had a megaphone and began to speak: "Attention all drivers, attention all drivers. There is a rebel attack on the town behind us. Do not worry. Our intel on the ground suggests that it is a homegrown terrorist cell setting off explosives. The main rebel army has not reached this area. Attention all drivers, attention all drivers..." That was a relief. If the rebels were really there...it would all be over. After a few hours of an insufferable traffic jam, the Count finally arrived to Mirochi. All that was left was to hurry to the airport. [/hr] Mirochi Royal Airport, Kingdom of Valora "What do you mean that the airport is closed?! I have a flight now!" "My apologies, Your Grace, but an airbase is under attack by the rebels. All of its planes are being evacuated to the capital as we speak. As such, all flights are grounded until further notice. Worry not, Your Grace, all scheduled flights shall eventually be undertaken once the military operation has concluded. If this takes too long, the government has arranged for you all to stay at a hotel until the evacuation is complete" "God damn it all! Children, we must wait. Do not get out of your chairs" The Count sat there, waiting. Reflecting on the past, he remembered those memories of old...the parties, the luxury, all of it....that was all gone now. Their manor, the one he grew up in and inherited, was in ruins from the war. Their home county was embroiled in conflict and occupied by these godless rebels. Everything was lost...ah, he could almost cry. And he did. "Have we...have we lost divine favour? Is it truly all over?", the Count murmured as he attempted to hide his tears. "Father?", said his daughter, "What appears to be the matter?" "Ah...nothing, I am allergic to something. My apologies for alarming you" ".....I see" "Attention all passengers, attention all passengers. The military evacuation has concluded. All civilian flights shall resume soon..." "We are to leave now. Get your possessions" Thus a high-ranking noble fled the country. State media would obviously stay silent, but the world would know how perilous it all truly is now for the royalists when a high-ranking noble flees the country.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Castiana, Ryccian Federation
The motorcade came along. Despite the war now reaching the borders of Valora's capital city's metropolitan area, the King still lived as lavishly as he could. A fancy car and a myriad of security detail descended onto the Ryccian Prime Minister's Palace. There he was, William Altrecht, shaking hands with the Valoran King Augustus. Photographs here and there, the usual state welcome, the usual. Upon entering the palace, there was a public side to the event: the Prime Minister and the King posed for the cameras, talking cordially and with civility. As they entered a private room, however, something unexpected changed the atmosphere entirely. The Prime Minister and Ryccia's top generals and ministers were about to see the impossible: King Augustus stood up from his seat and approached Altrecht. "Um, Your Majesty, do you require any-" "PLEASE!" The King got down on his knees and started to cry like a little child. The generals and ministers were stunned. What on Earth?! "We are lost! Mirochi is about to fall to the rebels! Prime Minister, I beg of you, please, send your armies to end this rebellion! Please!" How can a King be so pathetic?! "...Your Majesty, please, get up-" "NO! I BEG OF YOU, THE REBELS ARE GOING TO-" "Your Majesty, that is enough! Cease your screaming! Get off now, stop clinging to my legs!" "PLEASE!" "Enough! Guards, remove him from my feet!" The security detail was as shocked as the government officials present there. Initially, they hesitated, as acting aggressively against a foreign Head of State, including dragging them out, was supposed to be forbidden. "Just do it, for God's sake!" The guards did as instructed and pulled the pleading King Augustus away from Altrecht's legs. They forced him to sit in his chair. Altrecht began to scream in anger. "Your Majesty, your behaviour is exceedingly rude! How dare you comport yourself in this pathetic manner?! Did you really believe this act of personal humiliation would solve your present situation?! That I would bend to your whims merely due to you mortifying your person before me?! This is outrageous!" "Please, Your Excellency, I beg of you! The only saving grace we possess is your intervention, please!" The generals and some ministers, despite witnessing such a shitshow, agreed. The royalist regime was close to falling. If the rebels captured the city, it would all be over. "Prime Minister", said a general, "it would be wise to send an expeditionary force in order to assist the Valoran government" "No. That shall only add more fuel to the flame, and you are aware of what the international community shall do" "To hell with them all!", said another minister, "Sanctions and condemnations are temporary, but our control over Valora must remain! Besides, it is quite obvious who we lean towards in this conflict! If they have not sanctioned us to death now, they shall not ever do so!" "Hear hear!", others ministers and generals chanted. "If you insist on being such a wuss about it, Prime Minister, then we shall act without you! This has gone on far enough, and we shall act immediately!" "General, you do not have the authority to give such an order-" "By hell! We shall make you!" In his phone, a General commanding units in the capital texted his subordinate deploy units to seize the Prime Minister's Palace. If Valora is going under because of this pacifist fool, he shall pay. The generals, ministers and the King argued against the Prime Minister and amongst each other. They spent so much time debating that the mutinuous General's troops had arrived. Unfortunately for him, the guard stationed at the Palace was directly commanded by the Prime Minister. Therefore, a firefight ensued, with rebellious troops and the palace guard shooting at each other. "What in the?! Gunshots?!" Brandishing a concealed handgun, the radical and aging ultra-nationalist General who had planned this coup shouted. "Prime Minister William Altrecht, you are under arrest for treason against the Ryccian Federation and for undermining national security. Guards, if you have a modicum of patriotism, take him away, now" The guards, loyal to the Prime Minister, refused, pointing their guns at the treacherous General. "General Lucius Altrayan, do you know what this implies, do you not? There are news media here covering this event! How dare you?!", said the Prime Minister. "I am acutely aware of what this means. My fellow officers and ministers of the government, if you wish to save our current standing in Valora, stand with me" The other Generals were hesitant. Then, after a long silence barring the gunshots outside, one brave soul dared to take out his gun to join General Altrayan. Another followed his example, and another, and yet another...all except one military officer present joined this hastily-assembled coup d'etat. The civil ministers and the Valoran King were stunned. "You...all of you, traitors! Treacherous scum!" "We do not wish power. Just permit the army to intervene in Valora, and you may carry on as before" "......You-" "Do it before we blast that precious little cowardly head of yours. I shall gladly be arrested if it means that we save our national standing" "....Fine. Do whatever the hell you want" To the outside world, the impromptu coup was "defeated", with a ceasefire being called and the Prime Minister's guards escorting General Altrayan into a police van. However, Altrayan did not care. His sacrifice was enough, and he'll get a light sentence anyway, certainly. He was going to die soon of his secret cancer, so, he thought he should sacrifice himself one last time.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7) |
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