Cotland
25-11-2008, 12:53
"So," The man said with amazement in his voice. "This is Saint Petersburg."
"Yes sir." The other man mumbled in reply in Cottish with a Hawdawgian accent.
"It doesn't look like it's taken too much damage from communist overrule." He continued as he watched a group of workers dismantle a Nerotikan propaganda sign from the facade of a beautiful building that was made in the Empire style of architecture that made Saint Petersburg stand out. "Restoration shouldn't be too costly."
"It will not be sir." The de facto tour guide replied quickly. "We in the City Council will make sure of that sir."
"Really?" The man said sarcastically as he turned his head to face the uncomfortable-looking man that sat next to him in the back seat of the expensive black Mercedes-Benz S600 sedan. "That would presume that you aren't removed from office for collaboration with the communists. I take it that you are aware of the Cottish standard operating procedure when dealing with remnants of former hostile regimes in new territories?"
The man gulped.
"Of course, now that the new prime minister signed a permanent peace agreement with the communists, the main enemy isn't an enemy any more. Understand it he who can." The man said with sarcasm in his voice before he resumed.
"Mr. Razkadin, I have been ordered by His Majesty himself to oversee the restoration of this city back to a city that is worthy of being part of the Cottish Realm. Along with this mission, I have been given considerable leeway in the form of financial expenses and, more importantly, very free hands in sorting out the administration of the city. What I expect from you and your cronies right now is for you to convince me why I shouldn't kick you out of government permanently and have your sorry tail shipped back to England where I'm sure the Hawdawgian authorities are interested in discussing with you why you helped the communists steal a substantial portion of the Holy Republic's territory. I believe that the Hawdawgians refer to that action as high treason, and punish it accordingly."
Razkadin swallowed hard as he tried to articulate his excuses. He failed miserably.
"I... that is, we... well, we are... we... we know the city well."
"You know the rooms of your mistresses well you mean. Our intelligence service has kept you under observation for some time, and they tell me that you've pretty much only been there. I hope they were worth it. Continue."
"We have experience in administrating the city..."
"You mean that you have experience in taking bribes and stealing city funds for your own benefit. Corruption, Mr Razkadin, is perhaps something that is acceptable in Nerotika, but that the Realm does not tolerate. We execute people for corruption Mr Razkadin. Keep that in mind as you try again."
"I know people. If you harm me, they will come after you." Razkadin tried to sound tough, but his voice sounded more like a scared and confused school boy than it did a experienced and confident man. Especially when the opposition in the form of the Cot remained undaunted.
"I do too Mr Razkadin. They're called the Cottish security services and the Royal Cottish Army, of which there is twelve thousand men garrisoned within twenty kilometers of here. Four thousand of them are already garrisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In any case, you will experience that I respond very poorly to threats." The man said as the Mercedes-Benz S600 drove off Nevsky Prospekt - soon to be renamed back to its original Cottish name Saint Peters Avenue, which the street had been named during the one hundred years of Cottish rule before the territory was ceeded to Hawdawg fifteen years ago - and over Palace Square down to the General Staff Building where the interim Cottish administration had set up its offices until the territory could be reintegrated into Cotland and free elections could be held for the first time since the Nerotikans stole the territory last year when Hawdawg suffered the short period of internal strife. The Cots didn't expect the people of Saint Petersburg, or indeed Leningrad (soon to be renamed back to Sankt Peters Fylke) to resist the change of rulers, based on intelligence reports that said that the vast majority of the territory's population were displeased with the Nerotikans and wanted to return to a free rule, either under Hawdawg or under Cotland, two of the few real democracies left in Europe.
A private from the infantry brigade that had been sent to Saint Petersburg to safeguard the reintegration of the territory to Cottish rule opened the door and saluted as the Mercedes-Benz stopped outside the main entrance of the General Staff Building's eastern wing where the administration offices were set up and allowed for the Cottish overseer to disembark. The overseer turned to the private when he got out of the car and said in Cottish, "Detain that man for threatening a public servant and for suspected high treason to a allied nation. Take him to the fortress dungeon and hold him there until we're done with the purges in the police force."
"The order is understood and will be executed sir!" The private replied formally and saluted again before he drew the USP .45 pistol from its holster and proceeded to carry out the orders.
Within the hour, Razkadin would join ninety-six other detained city officials and regional officials that had collaborated with the Nerotikans and/or sent their own people to Nerotikan concentration camps or firing squads for personal profit. Another part of the dungeon was filled up with former police officers from the city's police force who had carried out similar crimes. Their names were gathered and forwarded to the Hawdawgian embassy in Cotland along with a message that Cotland was willing to extradite those of them that Hawdawg wanted to have extradited.
"Yes sir." The other man mumbled in reply in Cottish with a Hawdawgian accent.
"It doesn't look like it's taken too much damage from communist overrule." He continued as he watched a group of workers dismantle a Nerotikan propaganda sign from the facade of a beautiful building that was made in the Empire style of architecture that made Saint Petersburg stand out. "Restoration shouldn't be too costly."
"It will not be sir." The de facto tour guide replied quickly. "We in the City Council will make sure of that sir."
"Really?" The man said sarcastically as he turned his head to face the uncomfortable-looking man that sat next to him in the back seat of the expensive black Mercedes-Benz S600 sedan. "That would presume that you aren't removed from office for collaboration with the communists. I take it that you are aware of the Cottish standard operating procedure when dealing with remnants of former hostile regimes in new territories?"
The man gulped.
"Of course, now that the new prime minister signed a permanent peace agreement with the communists, the main enemy isn't an enemy any more. Understand it he who can." The man said with sarcasm in his voice before he resumed.
"Mr. Razkadin, I have been ordered by His Majesty himself to oversee the restoration of this city back to a city that is worthy of being part of the Cottish Realm. Along with this mission, I have been given considerable leeway in the form of financial expenses and, more importantly, very free hands in sorting out the administration of the city. What I expect from you and your cronies right now is for you to convince me why I shouldn't kick you out of government permanently and have your sorry tail shipped back to England where I'm sure the Hawdawgian authorities are interested in discussing with you why you helped the communists steal a substantial portion of the Holy Republic's territory. I believe that the Hawdawgians refer to that action as high treason, and punish it accordingly."
Razkadin swallowed hard as he tried to articulate his excuses. He failed miserably.
"I... that is, we... well, we are... we... we know the city well."
"You know the rooms of your mistresses well you mean. Our intelligence service has kept you under observation for some time, and they tell me that you've pretty much only been there. I hope they were worth it. Continue."
"We have experience in administrating the city..."
"You mean that you have experience in taking bribes and stealing city funds for your own benefit. Corruption, Mr Razkadin, is perhaps something that is acceptable in Nerotika, but that the Realm does not tolerate. We execute people for corruption Mr Razkadin. Keep that in mind as you try again."
"I know people. If you harm me, they will come after you." Razkadin tried to sound tough, but his voice sounded more like a scared and confused school boy than it did a experienced and confident man. Especially when the opposition in the form of the Cot remained undaunted.
"I do too Mr Razkadin. They're called the Cottish security services and the Royal Cottish Army, of which there is twelve thousand men garrisoned within twenty kilometers of here. Four thousand of them are already garrisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In any case, you will experience that I respond very poorly to threats." The man said as the Mercedes-Benz S600 drove off Nevsky Prospekt - soon to be renamed back to its original Cottish name Saint Peters Avenue, which the street had been named during the one hundred years of Cottish rule before the territory was ceeded to Hawdawg fifteen years ago - and over Palace Square down to the General Staff Building where the interim Cottish administration had set up its offices until the territory could be reintegrated into Cotland and free elections could be held for the first time since the Nerotikans stole the territory last year when Hawdawg suffered the short period of internal strife. The Cots didn't expect the people of Saint Petersburg, or indeed Leningrad (soon to be renamed back to Sankt Peters Fylke) to resist the change of rulers, based on intelligence reports that said that the vast majority of the territory's population were displeased with the Nerotikans and wanted to return to a free rule, either under Hawdawg or under Cotland, two of the few real democracies left in Europe.
A private from the infantry brigade that had been sent to Saint Petersburg to safeguard the reintegration of the territory to Cottish rule opened the door and saluted as the Mercedes-Benz stopped outside the main entrance of the General Staff Building's eastern wing where the administration offices were set up and allowed for the Cottish overseer to disembark. The overseer turned to the private when he got out of the car and said in Cottish, "Detain that man for threatening a public servant and for suspected high treason to a allied nation. Take him to the fortress dungeon and hold him there until we're done with the purges in the police force."
"The order is understood and will be executed sir!" The private replied formally and saluted again before he drew the USP .45 pistol from its holster and proceeded to carry out the orders.
Within the hour, Razkadin would join ninety-six other detained city officials and regional officials that had collaborated with the Nerotikans and/or sent their own people to Nerotikan concentration camps or firing squads for personal profit. Another part of the dungeon was filled up with former police officers from the city's police force who had carried out similar crimes. Their names were gathered and forwarded to the Hawdawgian embassy in Cotland along with a message that Cotland was willing to extradite those of them that Hawdawg wanted to have extradited.