NationStates Jolt Archive

The bodies clogged the rivers. They lay in the streets. A few lay by the sides of the mass graves where they had been fighting to bury the previous victims. The town was dead. The bodies were covered in boils and there was a festering stench in the air. Rats and dogs gnawed on the flesh, moving from corpse to corpse as they gorged themselves. Flocks of birds settled in the streets for the feast. Not one human life remained in the town of Salarum, not one.

Meanwhile, in neighboring towns, a few people had an illness no one had seen before. They lay abed but, aside from the lost work in the fields, no one thought too much of it. After all, no one had visited Salarum since it happened.

Meanwhile, a ship floats abandoned on the sea, in international waters. The ship carried one farmer from Salarum, a man who'd saved up for a sea voyage. Now the ship carried only the dead. The boil covered captain, officers, crew, and passengers lay about the decks, while the sails still waved high. Flags had been sent up requesting aid when the disease began to spread, flags that still flew for any foreign ship to see.

"General Sharpe, we've confirmed that the strain has infected a rural fishin village in Resurgent Dream."

"Is it really Chimera?"

"Sir," beads of cold sweat rolled down the airman's forehead...But he wasn't the only one anxious about the find. "Spectral analysis of the biological tracers from SATCOM...You might want to look at this." He handed over a closed Manila envelope to the General, who upon removing its contents, spread them over his desk.

"My God..." A photograph labeled "Day 1" showed a small green blot on the map, which grew with each successive day. The latest was dated "Day 5".


----------


Five days ago, forty-thousand feet above Salarum aboard an Androtian C-5 transport aircraft.

"Tom! Shut off engine one!"
"I can't, the damn switch shorted out!"
"Go manual, and don't tell me that's stuck too!"
"I...Jesus!"

The C-130 suddenly buckled from the cross-wind, doing a full 40 degree roll to its right. Cargo that had been previously stowed in the back were strewn about as the straps gave way. One of the metal crates they carried came crashing down towards the starboard side, crushing a crewman and tearing through the airframe.

"Mayday, mayday! Command we have lost one..." another engine whined abruptly and caught fire, then stopped "...two engines, and are losing altitude fast...I don't know how I can hold her up much longer!"

Its two SA-43 Hammerhead escorts swung alternately from left to right, trying to avoid the debris coming from the aircraft when the metal crate flew by one of them and shot straight towards the ground below. They pulled away from their formation and left their companion to die alone...

Unbeknownst to the villagers below, the most lethal virus ever created by the Androtian military had just landed on their laps.


----------

Present day, two klicks from the Resurgent Dream waters.

The lone SH-60 Androtian Navy Seahawk flew towards the lifeless vessel to drop off its load of special operations team; suited up in hazmat attire, they would be immune from the virus. Fortunately for the occupants of the helicopter, Chimera could be transferred by bodily fluids; as long as they stayed on the bird, no harm would come to them.

The six-man fireteam fast-roped onto the main deck, which was littered with the remains of those who had already succumbed to the virus. Their task of finding survivors was made easy by the fact that there was none to be found...All were covered in boils, their open wounds leaking out some vile liquid darker than the void of nothingness...


OOC: Sorry for taking credit of making the virus...Hope it's okay for now. If not, PM me and I'll repost.

((It's...kind of iffy. Genetic engineering is pretty bizarre for an rp set in the Empire, but then that's what happens in such a diverse place as NS. However, the idea of a commercial transport plane making a regular flight over Resurgent Dream is a little off beat. It seems they'd go through Akaton where there are actually airports and maintanence facilities for airplanes. I'd advise you to skim through some previous threads to get a better feel for the situation and then possibly repost.))

OOC: It's not actually a commercial plane on a chartered route, but rather a military transport carrying the virus (hence the armed escort) from an offshore facility where the craft has to traverse, in secret of course, across the small town. If I'm too modern tech, then I understand the implications that may cause and will withdraw from the RP unless we can work something out that can allow my nation to participate :)

Edit: I neglected to state that the offshore facility was used for the sole purpose of allowing my nation to easily quarantine the laboratories if an outbreak were to occur. Biohazards are flown to a secure coastal facility nearest to the direction from where transports would be coming from in order to prevent them from being released into a highly populated area. Seeing as how Salarum's population count was deemed "negligible" by the top brass, they allowed for the flight plan to cross over the town in order to avoid it from going near a populated area like Akaton. No one ever anticipated that the plane would have a mechanical failure (or so it was thought, as it will later be revealed that this was not the case...), and hence Murphy's Law has come into play.

Jeruselem Government News

Epidemic in The Resurgent Dream! Travel restrictions put in place

All travel to and from The Resurgent Dream will be stopped until the cause of devastating epidemic in ShieldCrest is identified and stopped. The military was authorized to shoot down any aircraft defying this restriction and any travellers from the neighbouring nations will be processed separately from other travellers.

((Let's move this to telegrams until it's worked out.))

By Royal Proclamation,
Our southern broder, shared with the kingdom of Shieldcrest, is to be considered closed. The hue and cry is issued and our people ordered to form a border guard under the command of Lord Socrates ap Fiona. Word has been sent to Akaton, to Her Majesty the Queen.
Lord Zeus ap Fiona, Chancellor of Farinor

Even as the chancellor's edict spread from town to town, a small, fast ship, raised its sails into magically high winds, moving towards Akaton at a brisk pace.

The Presidential Palace
Press Conference Hall


"Mr. President, Mr. President!" News of Chimera spread like wildfire through the Androtian media, the source of it being leaked by a nervous politician unable to keep the matter to himself. President William Roth stood over the podium, composed and calm as always, waving his hand towards a particularly rabid journalist.

"Yes, Jean?"

"Can you confirm that the epidemic in Salarum is Androtian in origin? Is it the brand new super-plague that was rumored to have been created by the military for the purpose of biological warfare?"

"At the moment, we're not sure what it actually is...for all we know it was a terrorist attack. For the meantime we are imposing travel restrictions into and out of Androtia." The murmurs began to rumble after that last statement.

"So was it Androtian in origin or not?"

The President glanced at General Sharpe who gestured with a shake of his head. "No."

"Besides the travel restrictions, will there be anything else that will be done? Humanitarian aid? Military?"

"None." With that, President Roth stepped off without answering another question.


----------
The Presidential Palace
Presidential Office


"Ben, how in the hell did it get there in the first place?!" Veins were practically thumping across the President's forehead as he shot the words out of his teeth. The cool-headed facade had dissipated once they were in the his office.

General Sharpe sat nonchalantly swaying the glass of brandy he held. "It was unanticipated. We were transporting Chimera from our bio-warfare facility, and the plane crashed."

"'Crashed'?"

"Engine failure...We're not sure what happened, and sabotage can't be ruled out. There's a lot of people who want you out of office, Willy. Starting a war could do it..."


----------
Out at sea, near the chancellor's sailboat.


"Eagle Flight to Nest, we've got a floater with wings bound for Akaton. What's our course of action, over?" The audio crackled over the secure frequency between the five-craft Hammerhead squadron and its carrier.

"Eagle Flight, quick fly-by to hail. Report back if successful."

"Roger that, Nest."

The lead Hammerhead broke formation and flew close to the water, blowing a wake as it sped across the ocean. It did a quick pass over the ship (spraying it with a little mist in the process) and sent a quick all-band message to its occupants.

"This is Lt. McNeil of the Androtian Navy. Be advised that the Resurgent Dream is under quarantine until the virus has been contained. Divert course and return to your port of origin..." The pilot awaited for a response...if none came, it was more than likely that he would be ordered to destroy the vessel...

(OOC: You may or may not have the equipment to receive the message...hopefully you do, as firing upon the ship will be a "justifiable" act of war on our part. Then again, if the ship was fired upon, you would appear to be responsible for instigating a fight.)

As a rogue terror state, Al Hammad jab Hasseim would like to obtain this virus for illegal weapons research.

((I severely doubt that. Given that putting six kingdoms unilaterally under quarantine for an epidemic already quarantined in one is pretty unequivocally an act of armed agression. But, no, it doesn't have equipment to pick it up.))

OOC: If the state of Al Hammad jab hasseim is interested in purchasing the vials...you're out of luck. A) It currently is not for sale, due to the current political climate between Androtia and Resurgent Dream B) The only sample known to have existed crashed with the C-130 and is running rampant through Salarum and C) At least RP the request through a secure communique.

Official Statement of High Queen Corrina:

A state of epidemic now exists in Shieldcrest, a kingdom of the Empire. The kingdom of Shieldcrest is entirely quarantined save for entering healers. Our best healers are even now using their magics to halt the spread of the disease. It is not resistant to Heather Balm. We repeat, Shieldcrest is now under quarantine by our order. None of the other kingdoms have been infected, nor shall they be. However, it is the right of every nation to ban travel to and from the Resurgent Dream FROM THEIR NATION. Any attempt by a third party to interfere with travel between the Empire and another sovereign power will be considered an act of war and met with full, unhesitating, and deadly force of arms. We trust we may count upon our allies in the islands and in the world in this regard. Thank you.

The rest of the Hammerheads made a pass with the lead fighter over the vessel, almost tipping it over with the resulting jet wash. Five minutes had already passed without a response from the vessel.

"Nest, vessel is not responding to our communications...I don't think they've got an open frequency, let alone a radio."

"Roger that, Eagle Flight. Does the vessel look hostile?"

"Negative. Just a small sailing ship."

"Scan it for any lifesigns."

McNeil went through the checklist for the procedure, his cockpit beeping several times upon the completion of the scan. There were several on board, still alive. "Affirmative, Nest. We've got a couple."

"Disable the ship."

The lead broke off and screamed towards the ship. The craft flared upwards to slow its descent, its nose then tipping forward to aim its 20mm barrel at the target. When it got within 500 meters, it rained bullets upon the sails, tearing them up as if they were mere napkins...Unless that thing had a motor, it won't be going anywhere for a while.

It took almost an hour for the two SH-60 to reach the ship, both carrying a hazmat special ops team of five men. They hovered over the vessel, cast out fast-ropes, and let loose the two five-man teams onto the deck. One of them carried no weapon but nonetheless attired in an olive green chemical suit. "We need to see the captain of this ship immediately."

The captain storms from the deck, even as the flags requesting aid are raised. The captain, a burly, gruff sailing man, moves straight towards the team, one hand on his sword. "You have committed an act of war upon Her Majesty's Service, upon the Kingdom of Farinor, and upon the Empire of the Resurgent Dream. I hope your proud of yourselves. It's easy to match your technology against simple, low tech shipbuilding. I hope your as confident going up against sorcerers and dragons. I wouldn't be."

Had the visor on their headgear been untinted, the captain would have seen the quizzical looks on the men's faces. Dragons? Magic? This guy must've been breathing in the pungent ocean air for far too long...

"Lower your weapon, sir. We are not here to commit an act of violence upon your men or your...country. Our presence here is that of containment of Chim--" he stopped himself short and continued as if he had not let his tongue slip by, "the viral outbreak. For the safety of our nation and others across this ocean, we cannot allow you to pass. For all we know, you've already contracted...the virus. We've got vaccines back in our carrier, and if we don't waste any time, we'll be able to succesfully administer them to you there. Now I need you to...lower...your...weapon."

Guns clicked and clattered as barrels were raised and pointed at every which way. The marines had themselves a little Mexican\Medieval standoff...

The captain raises his chin and lowers his weapon. "The epidemic is in a DIFFERENT KINGDOM. However, seeing the superior arms of your men, I surrender this vessel. My name is Captain Aaron Griswold and my rank is captain. A prisoner of war is not bound to give any other information."

The man who spoke to him hesitated for a handshake, then promptly shed his gloves and head gear to the surprise of his men. His palms extended a warm handshake towards Captain Aaron Griswold.

"Major Andrew Sheppard, 12th Marine Special Operations Detachment." He gestured to his men to lower their guns, who did so at his command. One of his men came forward, pulling him aside for a moment.

"Permission to speak sir," he whispered, not even waiting for his request to be officially avowed, "but have you lost it? Protocols state that we wear the suits with or without signs of contamination."

"Screw protocol, Sargeant." He shrugged off the grip and again extended his hand to the Captain. "Let me start off by saying that you are not a prisoner of war. We will not hold bring you to our brig, we will not detain you in your ship, we will not do anything remotely even close to treating you as a POW. And what's this about the epidemic being in a 'different' kingdom...?"

The captain paused and then grudgingly shook the man's hand. "It is in Shieldcrest. This is Farinor. And either you release my vessel or I am a prisoner of war. There is not a midle option."

"Jesus f*cking Christ!" One of the marines bellowed out a scream that could bring forth a biblical tsunami. "We got sent out to some wild goose chase, and we end up catching the wrong God-damn duck!"

"Cool it, Marine. You know how reliable intel is nowadays..." An in-joke for the team, as military intelligence has been recently far from reliable. "We'll call in one of our ships to tow you into Farinor. Seeing as how your sails are nothing but strips of canvas now, you'll be needing one of our tugs. Restitutions will be paid for when we get back to the ship."

Sheppard clicked on his long-range radio to report back to the carrier. "HQ, this is Foxtrot-Tango-6 requesting for an immediate trace of the ship's port of origin."

His radio crackled for a moment, and a woman's voice lit up. "Foxtrot-Tango-Six, trace indicates vessel left Farinor a few hours ago."

"Roger that," Sheppard mouthed an apology to the Captain. "HQ, please send in a tug to tow the ship to its destination. Please inform the Admiral that the Hammerhead patrols need to stop shooting first and asking questions later..."

"Confirmed. ETA of tug is fifty-six minutes."

The captain nods a little. "You do understand that I will immediately set sale for Akaton again and that the Emperess of Akaton has already been doubtless alerted by more secure means."

From: The office of the Imperial Sky Navy
To: Androitan Government

We officially condemn any nation that imposes a blockade upon our ally. To do so is act of war against the Resurgent Dream, and as such, against Akaton as well. If further allied ships are intercepted, a sky cruiser squadron will be deployed to guarantee the safe passage of the ships in question. Any personnel captured in such endeavors will be treated as pirates and executed on the spot
_______________________________________________________

OOC:
To clarify our role in this, Akaton is the semi-future tech ally of the Resurgent Dream. The crown princess of the Resurgent Dream (now emperess of Akaton), Aiwyn, is the wife of Akaton's emperor, Lord Phaeton Draconis.

From: Her Imperial Majesty, Aiwyn ni Fiona, Emperess of Akaton and Crown Imperial Princes of the Resurgent Dream
To: Androitan Government

We did not forget our roots when we wed the Emperor of Akaton. In fact, the bonds between our nations are stronger than ever. Our imperial husband stands to inherit the Imperial Throne of the Resurgent Dream along with ourself as surely as we share his throne of Akaton. Seeing as how Her Imperial Majesty, my mother, has already taken all steps mandated by public health and by international law, we call upon you once, and only once, to abandon your blockade upon our homeland. If you fail to comply immediately, further communications shall come through the barrel of a gun.
Sincerely,
Aiwyn ni Fiona

The Holy Empire of Excalbia

A Statement from His Imperial's Majesty's Government

His Imperial Majesty, David IV, is gravely concerned by the violation of the Empire of the Resurgent Dream's national sovereignty by Androtia.

We deeply regret the suffering being caused by the plague in Shieldcrest and, hereby, offer any necessary medical assistance to the Empire of the Resurgent Dream. We also recognize the right of other state's to protect their citizens by restricting the travel of their own citizens to or from the infectious zone or even to or from the Resurgent Dream as a whole.

However, the blockade currently being maintained by Androtia is an unlawful intrusion in the Resurgent Dream's internal affairs. Therefore, we call upon the Androtian government to immediately lift the blockade.

In the name of His Imperial Majesty, David IV,

Sarah Harrington,
Deputy Minister of State

Official Statement of High Queen Corrina:

We would like to express our immense gratitude towards Akaton and towards Exaclabia for their friendship and support. It will not be forgotten should we ever have the opportunity to come to their aid. We have ordered all civilian shipping to cease for the time being. We will not expose our citizens to the risk of this blockade. However, at dawn tommorrow, we shall launch a fleet of imperial warships, supplemented by dragons, ornithopters, and ether balloons, carrying potent sorcerers and sorceress's, and supported by other forces we choose not to name. If our fleet is able to pass into international waters, the blockade shall have been broken. If it is fired upon by Androtian forces, then a state of war shall henceforth exist between the Resurgent Dream and Androtia.

Securing line...
Authorization code: Horatio...Begin? Y/N
Destinations set.
Ready to Transmit.

To His Majesty Imperial Majesty David the Fourth and the High Queen Corrina:

I don't have much time. The tides are turning against my government, and it seems imminent that a military coup will be staged if I do not succumb to their wills. Let me be the first to acknowledge that the virus was indeed created by our scientists and was being transported on a military aircraft, which by you know now, has crashed in the Northwestern region of Salarum; the coordinates of its location will be sent along with this message. Our military has been secretly developing Chimera for years now. At its early stages, the contagion infects any human being it comes into contact with. All I know is that it was to be further refined to target individuals--the specifics of which I know not.

I urge you to keep your distance from the fleet, as my generals are a trigger-happy lot. The last thing I would want is to have your people and mine come to any harm. I plead with you two to give me forty-eight hours so that I can undermine the operation and bring a peaceful end to this tense conflict. There are still a great many patriots in my country willing to lay their life down for peace, and by God, I will see to it that not a blood is shed to take down these madmen.

President William Roth.


----------


"General, we've intercepted a secure communique sent by the President. It's encrypted, so it will take some time to decode it."

Sharpe merely smirked at the thought of his puppet suddenly having a mind of its own. Perhaps one of the strings holding the marionnette in place has snapped. "No rush. I've got a good idea of what he told them anyway..."


---------


Outside the Presidential Palace, the loyalists had amassed thousands of troops from nearby militias. They managed to break into armories across the land, arming themselves with land-based weaponry to protect their leader.

"This is Melinda Wu standing outside the Presidential Palace, where we have been informed by President Roth that the recent outbreak in Shieldcrest was actually the fault of the military's, whome he has declared a 'rogue terrorist organization' and has called upon the nation to drive out the traitors. Stating that he has called upon foreign nations for aid, it is undeniable that civil war is at hand..."

To: President William Roth
From: Her Imperial Majesty, Corrina ni Gwydion, High Queen of the Resurgent Dream

Your generals, then, do not understand the situation. They are arrayed against the allied forces of Akaton, Excalbia, and the Resurgent Dream. They are vastly outgunned and outnumbered. We have no reason to fear a conflict where victory is all but certain. You have 48 hours, after which, we intend to destroy any ships remaining in criminal violation of our sovereignty.

To: President William Roth
From: Her Imperial Majesty, Aiwyn ni Gwydion, Emperess of Akaton

Sir, your failure to reply or comply to the announcements of my lord husband and myself have sealed your fate. You can expect Akatoni forces within the next day or so.

Official Statement from the Office of the High King

Let it hereby be noted that the entity of Androtia is no longer under the protection of the Earthbound Contract, for assaulting a thaumaturgically inclined nation, which is diplomatically linked to the Kingdom of Weyr.

The First Skygroup will be dispatched into the area in order to protect the sovereignty of both the entity of the Resurgent Dream, and the rights of Weyrean diplomats and persons to enter and exit the entity of the Resurgent Dream. The skygroup is under orders not to engage first, and will not fire unless clearly attacked with deadly intention.

Sincerely,
High King Alicia li'Wye

***********

Massive artillery turrets glinted in the sun. Parasite craft whined, organizing into formations, covering the massive skyships as the lifted from the skydock. From the gray eternastone control tower, a message went out to the departing fleet: "Lady be with you."

The WSS Akira, flanked by her two carrier adjuncts Melchior and Darknight, with a dozen odd cruiser escorts, blotted out the sun, for a moment, setting course for Shieldcrest, in the Empire of the Resurgent Dream.

"The Commonality notes that it has a member of the Nobility currently in the Empire of the Resurgent Dream. Furthermore, there are several delegates from other states attending a conference there, as well as our citizen Lord Aquinall of Great House Aquinall, at the invitation of the Empire.

"With relation to our citizen, however: when and if he decides to leave the Empire, his exit will not be impeded. Should any effort to prevent his departure be taken, we will be forced to consider that action as a hostile act against the Iluvauromeni Commonality of Everlasting Light - perhaps even as an act of war, now that we make this warning quite plain and clear.

"The delegate in question at the conference is Quendi and thus does not suffer disease, and as such is not subject to any quarantine in place.

"If our position is not made amply clear already, we note that we have air assets within twenty-six minutes of Resurgent Dream airspace.

"The Commonality further extends its willingness to aid Resurgent Dream in this time of need in any way possible."

~ Empress the Supreme Commander Rialla ux-Rihad II, speaking on behalf of the Commonality Executive Council

Official Statement of High Queen Corrina:

We are extremely grateful to His Imperial Majesty, the High King of Weyr, and Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress the Supreme Commander of the Iluvauromeni Commonality of Everlasting Light, the Commonality Executive Council, and their people for their friendship and good faith. It will not be forgotten. In the hope of ending this blockade withour bloodshed, we call upon Androtia once more to reassess their position in light of international opinion.

A cruiser squadron of the Imperial Sky Navy assembled high above the concrete plains of southern Akaton. Three huge Maleus class sky cruisers moved together in a line abeam formation. They were supported on pillars of burning jet exhaust and gravitic distortion, advancing at a slow but steady pace towards the naval forces blockading Resurgent Dream. A full wing of 72 Reaper class VTOL fighters accompanied the small fleet, two dozen escorting each cruiser in delta formation.

On the bridge of the lead ship, the Iron Fist, Alexander Sark looked out over the armored hull of his cruiser. A few days earlier, he had been patrolling the demon infested capital city. Now, at the personal orders of Lord Draconis, he had received a field promotion to admiral in order to lead the taskforce sent against the naval blockade. The Resurgent Dream was a neighbor of Akaton, taking only a matter of hours for a sky cruiser to cross the airspace between the two nations.

As the dawn rose, a fleet sailed forth towards the blockade, armed and ready. Duke Tristan ap Aesin was in command.

The Fleet:
20 Lance Class Warships: Ship armed with a heavy ram and carrying a large compliment of troops, designed for boarding actions

10 Headhunter Class Warships: Sleek ships with a wide array of trained monsters and dark magics aboard, known for being full of surprises, normally capable of disappearing entirely at night or when shadows are present

8 Firestorm Class Warships: Ship armed with a heavy archery compliment, a powerful sorcerer, and a single powerful Treasure, normally one capable of firing a large blast of energy at enemy fighters.

4 Achen Class Warships: Pesudomodern ships with heavy cannon, torpedoes, and a heavily armored hill

2 Spellfire Class Warships: Ships with a heavy mage compliment, normally possessing powerful magic armor and direct energy attacks, capable of rapid repair of damage, teleporting enemy individuals into the water, and similar magic tricks

1 Fisher Class Warship: A sturdy, large, tall ship with huge broadsides of steel cannon

Aerial Forces:

800 avian pooka

400 parosemes

200 gryffons

100 dragons

80 small ether balloons

40 medium ether balloons

20 large ether balloons

10 huge ether balloons

8 Eagle Class Ornithopters

4 Roc Class Ornithopters

2 Gryffon Class Ornithopters

1 Dragon Class Ornithopter

Undersea Forces:

20 aquatic pooka

10 nocker submersibles

8 ondines

4 water babies

2 merfolk

1 murdhuacha

"Order the nuclear strike. Target the Presidential Palace."

"But Ge...General. There are civ--"

"Armed civilians. Mobilize all branches of the military for a full-scale takeover. I want the naval fleet to move in. Launch all SA-43's that we have from the Copernicus and Galileo stations. Order any and all orbiting capital ships to cloak, arm, and wait for my signal to engage."

"And the lunar forces, sir?"

"Red Alert. Get them in midway, cloaked, and armed."

"Yes, sir...Permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"Why the space fleet, sir...?"

"That." With a press of a button, the war room's main screen revealed the Earth-bound carriers.


----------


Other than the thousands of soldiers in front of the Presidential Palace, it was a beautiful day marked by no sign of clouds, the shining sun, and the swaying of trees against a gentle breeze. Having no sensors to pick up the incoming missile, the militias never saw it coming. Twenty square miles of the capital was lost to the blast, with another 10 being charred by the resulting heat wave.

Had the President not left hours ago, all would have been lost.


----------


Aboard the ASF Mercutio, Admiral Willard Thorne received the order to mobilize the Earth space fleet. Consisting of two Saratoga-class carriers, four corvettes, and two Intrepid-class frigates, they were a formidable force to be dealt with. Thanks to a recent boost in funding for space-bound vessels and a strong economy, Androtia was able to build these behemoths.

The Admiral picked up the comms unit to relay the message of war to the surrounding ships via a secure line. "All ships, this is Admiral Thorne. I have just been informed that Presidential Palace has been...attacked. The President and his cabinet members are presumed dead. General Sharpe is now in charge of the armed services, and we have been ordered to await an incoming fleet that will be trying to attack Androtia. The lunar fleet will be await at another location to assist us. I trust that all of you will do your best to protect our nation--whatever the cost may be. Have our weapons hot and ready to go. Communications, turn on visual, spectral, and radar jammers." Throughout the ships, there was nothing but silent fury. Patriotic spirit for country brewed through the souls of the brothers in arms, all vying to taste the blood of those that had attacked their homeland. Little did they know that their own commanders had instigated the whole situation...

Hundreds of thousands of miles away, the lunar fleet went through the same procedure, albeit with the difference that they were short of two corvettes. Within hours, they would be at the rendezvous point set by General Sharpe.


----------


"Alert, alert. Man your battle stations, this is not a drill." The same message echoed through the carriers out at sea, the naval fleet readying themselves for a full-fledged attack. Commanded by Sharpe, they too were unaware of his dastardly plans.


----------


The small Learjet cruised low to the ocean surface, doing its best to avoid the Androtian navy's radar scans. Its plush leather seats were more than inviting, but the thought of comfort eluded the President's mind. Those militiamen...they were willing to put up the facade that they were trying to protect the occupants, mainly him, inside the Palace to give him time to escape...and in the process, died doing so. They had sacrificed their lives for him. For so long, he had no idea that he was Sharpe's puppet politician, yet at the end of it all, the people still placed their trust on him. Now it was time to prove his worth, to prove to those who perished in the capital didn't die in vain.


"Mr. President," his thoughts were interrupted by the pilot--the only other person in the jet besides the first family. "We're thirty minutes away from Akaton...What if they don't let us in."

"Then God help us."


---------


Securing Line...
Authorization Code: None
Error: Cannot encrypt. Send anyway? Y/N
Destinations set.
Ready to transmit

To the Respected Leaders of Akaton and Resurgent Dream,

As you may have already known, our beloved capital city of Undhurst has suffered a massive catastrophe with countless dead and many more wounded. A nuclear warhead was launched by my subordinates in an attempt to kill their puppet, who they had mistakenly thought to have no clout with the people. The madness must stop. I cannot allow any more casualties, either from the virus, my own general, or the impending war of three nations (OOC note: he is only aware of Akaton and RD--not Weyr). Please allow me passage into Akaton. From there, if I can get a message to the armed services without the censoring of the commanders, I can rally the personell within the blockade to re-take our warships and send them back home. After our withdrawal, I as President and still current leader of Androtia, will surrender to your terms and allow compensation for the economic and physical damage that had been dealt to Akaton by General Sharpe.

With utmost sincerity,
President William Roth


----------


"General...we've tracked an unencrypted message to Akaton. We believe it's Roth."

"Send in Hammerheads to blow him sky high under the auspices that he is a combatant."

"Yes, sir."

Within minutes, a lone Hammerhead was sent out to intercept the President jet. Piloted by Lt. McNeil, the craft shot forward, reaching speeds of up to Mach 5. It took him only ten minutes to be flying right behind the Learjet. Lighting up the target with a laser lock, his finger hovered over the launch button...But the last time his squadron had attacked the ship, they were surprised to later find out that it wasn't from Shieldcrest at all. What if they were wrong again with this one? He decided to pull up next to the Learjet. To his surprise, Roth was in the cockpit with a sign against the window reading "I'm still alive." The sign was lowered for another. "Blockade--turn back." "MUTINY" was written in block letters on the third. He understood what that meant. He broke off, headed back to the carrier; McNeil knew what he had to do...


----------


"Execute! Execute! Execute!" The men shouted as Admiral Jason Hurt struggled to break free of the marines who had dragged him out of the bridge. His subordinates were told of his treachery, and word passed through the blockade to take over the ships and return home. Fueled by their anger over Sharpe's indignation, they set sail to wage civil war in Androtia...

OOC: Am I too late to offer help? It looks like you've got a fairly definite plot going now, so I figure you may not want interference.

OOC: Actually, I need an ally to help me undermine the current operations being carried out by the rogue military commanders. If you could somehow figure out a way to get in touch with Androtia's president, perhaps we can broker a deal to prevent war. Perhaps I can RP, with permission of course, that there is a current alliance between our two nations so that you helping me out is plausible.

The fleet continues to move steadily outward. A single dragon pulls ahead, moving calmly and steadily towards the blockade line. The rest of the ships and other components of the fleet come to a halt some distancer back, holding at the ready. Some ships turn their sides outwards but don't fire.

Meanwhile, the hue and cry is issues in each kingdom and the major ports begin to fill with vessels. Artisans work around the clock to fit them with weapons as marines and sorcerers crowd the ports, awaiting their signal.

OOC:
I'm going on vacation for a few days. I won't be back until Saturday. Until then, The Resurgent Dream has control my sky cruisers.
________________________________________________________

IC:
At the coast of Akaton, waves crashed against the adamantium walls of an ancient defense fortress. Built onto the top of the monolithic structure, great turrets slowly moved to track Roth's aircraft, railgun barrels glowing ominously. Within the fortress, an officer spoke to their commander,

"General, we are now tracking a jet incoming on our position. Should we fire?"

The General was about to order the guns to open fire when a communication officer rushed up with a message. Reading the message, the General spoke.

"Hold your fire, the jet seems to be carrying the leader of a hostile nation. We are to let the Emperess deal with him personally."

The comm. officer returned to their post, sending a message to President Roth's jet.

>From: Akaton Imperial Command
>To: President Roth of Androita
>
>You are cleared to land at runway twelve of the Imperial Sky Navy primary >airbase. Deviation from that course will result in immediate destruction. >Please enjoy your stay in Archenhiem City.
>
>Lieutenant Hess,
>comm. officer of perimeter fortress 3N-225.

"We've been cleared to land, Mr. President."

"Good flying, Peterson...Now get us there in one piece."

The Learjet glided towards runway twelve on the ISN airbase at Akaton, sending up white smoke from its rear wheels upon making contact with the tarmac. A loud scream from its thrusters going full reverse slowed it down to a stop. With a slight hiss, it's side door opened and extended out onto the ground as a staircase. President Roth was the only one to step off the plane, gesturing for his family and pilot to stay inside.

It was a rather cold welcome for a foreign dignitary with Akaton's military personell surrounding his jet...Roth was used to the pomp and circumstance of bands playing his country's anthem and cheering crowds--not stone-faced soldiers staring him down. Then again, his country was technically at war with theirs.

Extending his wrists for a pair of cuffs, he spoke to the closest one in the group. "Do what you need to do in order to 'secure me', but I need to speak with your leader. It's a matter of life and death."

OOC: Alright, Akaton-p. Enjoy your vacation.

The dragon passes over the formal line of the blockade, even as an Akatoni Skycruiser crosses the line from the other direction. Everywhere, officers, sailors, and soldiers hold their breath. This is the decisive moment. Will the enemy fire or will they not?

Meanwhile, Aiwyn lands at the base, stepping out towards the President. The beauty of the sidhe is hard to convey in words, save to say that they convey a nobility, a grace, and an aura of command that is, quite literally, not of this world. Aiwyn is lovely, even for her people. She has flowing red hair and long ears that taper to a delicate point. She wears an elegant yet simple dress, sleeveless, long, with a small train. She waves the guards aside, approaching President Roth. "We do not handcuff visiting chiefs of state, Mr. President. Come this way and we may speak." She turns, leading him back into the base.

Still a thousand kilometers out, the Weyrean fleet engaged shields. A brillian chrysalis surrounded every vessel in turn. At eight kilometers above the ocean, the skyships did not need to get much closer to engage a surface fleet, but it was always more impressive to see the two-kilometer-long dreadnaught Akira up close.

"Ser, they must've detected us by now," the scanner tech stated on the bridge of the WSS Akira once they were within three hundred kilometers of the blokade, and halted once again. Reflective fighters whined above and below the great vessels as they seemed to hang in thin air, high above the water. Their cold plasma shields made the vessels invisible to RADAR, but that did not mean that their opponents could not detect them.

"Open a channel," Admiral Fear, the effective comander of the Skyfleet, commanded. "This Admiral Jenn Fear of the First Skygroup of the Weyrean Skyfleet, here to enfore the sovreignty of the Resurgent Dream. Any hostilities will be initiated by you, and will be considered an act of war." Fear hated reading from a script, which was essentially what she was doig, but it also meant that she would not be held responsible if shit began to fly.

Official Statement of Prime Minister Rackhir:
"It has recently come to my attention that the Resurgent Dream, a nation that we became truly acquainted with mere days ago, is under attack from a foreign power called Androtia. Since news first reached me, my superiors, and the rest of this proud nation, of the nuclear assault on the palace of the Resurgent Dream, we have been discussing what words could truly fit into this situation. Some would say sovereignty is the most important thing a nation could have. It must be protected. We know little of the situation. We know little of the attacker. We have but a small army. However, we have come to appreciate the Resurgent Dream. We have come to respect them. We will do what we have to protect them."

((Actually, Androtia nuked his OWN capital.))

OOC: Yes, our own capital was nuked by General Sharpe :(. I'm quite busy at the moment having come home from night class, so I won't be able to respond till tomorrow. Sorry guys.

President Pedro Marquez leaned forward on the conference table, rubbing his aching eyes. The bags underneath them were more than visible to the people around the table - they were a cause for concern.

"Ladies and gentlemen... what's on the agenda for today?" the President said slowly.

"Mr. President, you don't look well," commented Armando Fegirez, the Minister of Internal Affairs.

"I don't feel too well, either," Marquez replied.

"Long night, sir?" suggested the Minister smugly.

"Football game," the President answered. The whole table chuckled, including Vice President Caraguez, who had been up with the President and his friends the previous night watching the Latin Union - Arjastan game. Surprisingly to Marquez, the man showed no signs of fatigue. Of course, that did nothing but chafe him.

"Well, sir, if I may begin..." Minster of Foreign Relations Mario Salazar started. Marquez let the statements come as they did, tiredly noting issues to be resolved in his ledger.

"... the Duchess Beatrice of the Resurgent Dream has cancelled her visit to the Union, on account of a war with Androtia." Salazar recited.

Marquez raised his head. "That is unfortunate. What's the situation over there?"

"Well, sir, I pulled some news releases from the involved nations and apparently an outbreak of plague within the Resurgent Dream's borders caused Androtia to impose a military blockade of the nation, which they're fighting back against. No shots fired as yet. Androtia itself, however, sustained a nuclear blast that has decimated the national capital."

All hearts in the room skipped a beat.

"Any ideas as to who fired the missile?"

"No, sir. Our intelligence in that region is very limited."

Marquez sighed. "What is the world coming to?" he muttered in a voice clearly laden with more than just passing worry. "What of the United Nations? Have they responded to the epidemic or the nuclear attack?"

"No, sir. The Epidemic Prevention Protocol does not go into effect until Wednesday. No word on the nuclear attack, either." Salazar looked across the table at Marquez warily.

"I don't want to get the Union tied up in a war we have no part of and know nothing about. But I do think we should provide aid to the Resurgent Dream. The meeting between the Duchess and I was, I hoped, going to strengthen ties between our nation. But if we want to send medical aid we'll clearly need to send military personnel over there out of prudence." The President of the Union stared at the oak of the table's surface for a long moment. Finally, he looked up. "Thoughts, gentlemen?"

Proconsul Siro Oliveira, the Chief of the General Staff, cleared his throat. "We could insert a small medical detachment of about 120 epidemic physicians, guarded by an infantry company and a handful of special ops. We'd need four transport aircraft and a flight of jets for escort."

"And we'd be shot at, most assuredly," added Jean LeMarc, the Minister of Military Affairs. "Mr. President, sending armed doctors into a war zone makes about as much sense as sending a roach into a room of exterminators. One of them will shoot us down, and then we'll be drawn into the conflict."

"We could petition IRCO and supply personnel through them," suggested Caraguez.

"That would take too much time. That's the reason I'm not waiting for the EPP to pass," Marquez replied. "But petition IRCO all the same, Mario," he said to Salazar. "They need to be utilized as soon as possible. In the meantime, gentlemen, I propose we send a message to all parties involved informing them of our intent to send medical aid... and ONLY medical aid."

"Mr. President, even signaling our intention to watch this all happen could get some rogue state in the middle of it interested in drawing us in and broadening the conflict," LeMarc cautioned.

"I know, Jean," replied Marquez. "I know what we're about to do. I also think you are being overly cautious. Simply offering medical aid is not a threatening action toward either side of the conflict. And I'm certain we'll have the backing of the United Nations. We're just acting a little ahead of time."

-------

Communiqué to the foreign ministries of the Resurgent Dream, Androtia, Akaton, Weyr, Excalbia, Lictoria, and all other nations currently involved or interested in the conflict in the area:

The Incorporated States of the Latin Union, having heard of the epidemic in Salarum, and having earlier opened rudimentary relations with the Resurgent Dream, informs all the above nations of its desire to supply medical aid to the Resurgent Dream in hopes of stopping the epidemic with which it is afflicted. Our personnel remain on standby pending approval of the Resurgent Dream. We have also contacted the International Red Cross Organization and requested aid on behalf of the Resurgent Dream. This course of action is mandated by executive order from the President of the Union, Pedro Marquez.

-Mario Salazar, Minister of Foreign Relations

-------

Communiqué to the International Red Cross Organization and the United Nations:

The Incorporated States of the Latin Union requests IRCO aid on behalf of the nation of the Resurgent Dream, which has been recently suffering an outbreak of an unknown pathogen. The Latin Union itself has offered direct medical help and these personnel, if granted clearance to provide aid, will remain in the area after IRCO personnel arrive to continue providing aid.

-Mario Salazar, Minister of Foreign Relations

OOC: Actually, I need an ally to help me undermine the current operations being carried out by the rogue military commanders. If you could somehow figure out a way to get in touch with Androtia's president, perhaps we can broker a deal to prevent war. Perhaps I can RP, with permission of course, that there is a current alliance between our two nations so that you helping me out is plausible.
OOC: Fine with me. Be advised that this is a fantasy nation, populated by assorted reptiles...

((OOC: These hastily arrive after the first communiques.))

Communiqué to the foreign ministries of the Resurgent Dream, Androtia, Akaton, Weyr, Excalbia, Lictoria, and all other nations currently involved or interested in the conflict in the area:

The Incorporated States of the Latin Union, having also heard of the nuclear blast in Androtia, informs all the above nations of its desire to supply medical aid to Androtia to deal with the wounded and those contaminated by radiation. Our personnel remain on standby pending approval of Androtia. We have also contacted the International Red Cross Organization and requested aid on behalf of Androtia. This course of action is mandated by executive order from the President of the Union, Pedro Marquez.

-Mario Salazar, Minister of Foreign Relations

--------

Communiqué to the International Red Cross Organization:

The Incorporated States of the Latin Union requests on behalf of the nation of Androtia an IRCO presence to help with the victims of a nuclear blast in the area. Latin specialists are awaiting entry into Androtia pending their approval, and will remain there after IRCO specialists arrive.

-Mario Salazar, Minister of Foreign Relations

OOC: That's fine. We're fantasy too. I'll post when Androtia gets back cause my next action is pretty dependent on his. Hope you had a good class, by the way.

In International Waters Off the Coast of Shieldcrest, Aboard INV Reliant...

VADM Tucker Norland sat on the edge of his desk, a cup of coffee in one hand and a sheet of paper in the other. Norland read the message relayed from the Imperial General Staff in the Citadel:

To His Majesty Imperial Majesty David the Fourth and the High Queen Corrina:

I don't have much time. The tides are turning against my government, and it seems imminent that a military coup will be staged if I do not succumb to their wills. Let me be the first to acknowledge that the virus was indeed created by our scientists and was being transported on a military aircraft, which by you know now, has crashed in the Northwestern region of Salarum; the coordinates of its location will be sent along with this message. Our military has been secretly developing Chimera for years now. At its early stages, the contagion infects any human being it comes into contact with. All I know is that it was to be further refined to target individuals--the specifics of which I know not.

I urge you to keep your distance from the fleet, as my generals are a trigger-happy lot. The last thing I would want is to have your people and mine come to any harm. I plead with you two to give me forty-eight hours so that I can undermine the operation and bring a peaceful end to this tense conflict. There are still a great many patriots in my country willing to lay their life down for peace, and by God, I will see to it that not a blood is shed to take down these madmen.

President William Roth.

Norland looked up from the paper at Reliant's CO, CAPT Emilija Pakalna.

"So, Emily, how many players do we have at the table, now?'

CAPT Pakalna crossed her hands behind her back and paced across the room as she spoke. "Long range observations indicate that both the forces of the Resurgent Dream - and some... shall we say unusual... forces they are, sir! - and from Akton are challenging the Androtian blockade. We are also detecting the approach of Weyrian forces from orbit."

Norland laid down the paper and sipped his coffee. "Intel on developments in Androtia?"

"Orbital observation confirms that they nuked their own capital. Intercepts indicate, however, that President Roth survived and has fled. Possibly to Akton."

"Any orders from the Citadel?"

"No, sir. However, our medical teams are ready, if ordered in and all ships are on alert."

"Very well," the admiral said rising, "then, we hold our position, observe and stay clear of any shooting. Oh, and send our compliments to the Weyrian fleet. Let them know that we are a neutral party. No sense in us being confused with combatants from their altitude..."

"Aye, sir."

OOC: Well this is turning out to be on...complicated...thread... :)

Breathing a sigh of relief, Roth loosened his rigid stance and called for the others to come out with him. Out stepped his wife, followed by their five-year-old daughter and the pilot.

"There's a slight chance that the vessels forming the blockade have turned back...Hopefully, the pilot we had encountered on our way here understood the crudely-drawn signs pressed up against the cockpit windows. I'm not sure if he has, but the surest way to get the word out is via a video uplink feed. If I can just get past the security encryptions in each ship...I'll be able to send word of Sharpe treason and regain control; even then, he might not even lift a finger to interrupt the signal, as he believes they will think of me as nothing but his puppet. I assure you, however, that my people are fiercely patriotic and aren't too keen on being deceived by a war-mongering General bent on getting his precious Chimera vials back."


----------


"General, we've lost all communications to the blockade."

"Were they attacked...? How many carriers did we lose?"

"Sir...they're turning back."

The General rubbed his temples, trying to think of what in the hell his own navy was doing. Through clenched jaws and gritting teeth, he managed to reply without having a vein pop in his forehead. "You've hailed them, haven't you?"

"Yes. We received nothing in return."

"Have the orbiting fleet decloak and engage; dispatching of the navy shouldn't be too much work for them. Lunar forces are to move into orbit and hold off the Weyr fleet."


----------


With a thunderous rumble (from inside the ships, mind you), the space fleet de-cloaked and plotted a re-entry course that would put them right on top of the returning naval vessels within twenty minutes. Its engines at half-thrust, it seemed to glide toward the Earth's atmosphere at a very slow rate. In actuality, it was traveling at thousands of miles per hour...once its onboard sensors processed the proper entry trajectories, the main engines went full reverse and small vector thrusters adjusted its pitch. The procedure was uniform for all of the re-entering craft.

The President now had only less than half-an-hour to get the word out to prevent another bloody mess from happening.

Aiwyn smiles a little at Mrs. Roth and the child. "You have a lovely family, Mr. President."

The Empress nods a little. We have vessels moving into a defensive orbit. If he does try to interrupt it, we will broadcast at close range. She turns to a nearby officer. Get the President to a broadcast station and allow him to send his message. The man salutes, walking inside, clearly expecting President Roth to follow.

The Akatoni sky cruisers move to a defensive position above the Androtian navy, powerful cannons at the ready to deal with the Androtian space fleet.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Spelljammers have gathered in the atmosphere above Holista. The vessels have a wide variety of shapes and forms. Some look like utterly alien forms, strange shells and vast slabs of stone. However, most look like wooden sailing ships, moving through the air by magical means.

A slight smile creased over the President's face in response to Aiwyn's compliment, though it might have remained the same had his daughter and wife been hideously deformed. Little Tara Roth had a brighter smile than her father's, and curtsied to the strange lady talking with papa. "My name is Tara; it's nice to meet you!" Turning to President Roth, she tugs at his suit and whispers audibly, as children do when they have something embarassing to say. "Papa, I think I need to go to the bathroom."

Roth ran his hand through her auburn locks. "Sure, sweetie. Go back inside the plane with Mum and you can go. Papa needs to go to work." His eyes glinted against the Akatonian sun as the tiny tot gave him a tight hug, let go, and scamper towards his wife, Evelyn. I won't let you down.

"Let's get at it, shall we?" He follows close behind the officer, who leads him down twisting corridors and into a control room lit up by various communications and satellite equipment. He looked intently at the satellite image of the Baracan Sea where the navy...his navy...was headed towards Androtia. I guess it worked... The officer led him to a particular work station and proceeded to set up the video feed for him.

"Protectors of the ground, seas, skies, and beyond. As most of you already know, our capital was decimated by a nuclear warhead, killing almost a million of our fellow citizens and wounding countless more. It was presumed that Androtia's government had collapsed as well, paving the way for a military dictatorship under General Sharpe. But I am here, alive and well at Akaton, to tell you that the attack was not launched by a foreign power, but rather by General Sharpe. En route to Akaton, I was fortunate enough to meet up with a naval pilot who has directed a mutiny against Admiral Hurt, yet another traitor in our midst. But he is not the only collaborator. Admiral Thorne of the Androtian Space Fleet, General Radinsky of the Androtian Air Force, and General Chen of the Androtian Army are all partners in crime. You have all sworne allegiance for peace, justice, and the good of our nation when you were inducted as proud members of our military. I don't need to tell you what needs to be done."


----------


"What the...?" Commodore Winters stared dumbfoundedly at the bridge's main screen, his skin turning pale as if he had seen a ghost. The transmission was a little distorted and grainy thanks to the security buffers, but it was clear to all that it was indeed President Roth. "Communications, verify the transmisision."

"Sir, it's from an Akatonian satellite. Should I kill the feed?"

"No...keep it on. Someone find me the origin of the nuke that hit the Palace. Trajectory arcs, vectors, hell, see if you can talk to the guy who armed it. I want to get to the bottom--"

"Origin conf......Griffith Naval Base...?"

"That's where Sharpe is stationed. Helm, get us out of orbit and prepare for re-entry. Set destination for Griffith. Communications, I want this feed relayed to EVERY...SINGLE...INSTALLATION, SHIP, and whatever else we've got that can receive it with the following message: 'Verified as genuine; arrest Admiral Thorne'. I think we've got a major clusterf*ck in our hands, gentlemen."


----------


"Admiral Thorne, we're over the navy--

"Admiral, incoming transmission from the Cerberus."

The same video played on Commodore Winters' ship, the ASF Cerberus, was repeated in the Mercutio's bridge, albeit with a little message from the Commodore. Every head turned towards Thorne as a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. "Cut the video feed and charge weapons platforms." Not a man moved to obey his order.

"Admiral, what in the hell is this about...?" Variations of the same question was heard over the P.A. from the surrounding space vessels. It was only a matter of seconds when the carrier's escort ships turned against its own, demanding an explanation from Thorne.

As his ship's MPs approached, Thorne managed to wrestle from one of them his service pistol and brandished it sideways across the bridge towards any approaching crewman. "Stay back. Arm the weapons and fire on the navy!"

"Sir, it's over. Put down the gun." An MP from his side approached, who was quickly dispatched with a shot to the gut. Wriggling on the floor, he shouted to the rest of the men. "Arrest the traitor!"

Rather than risking a hanging, the Admiral promptly pushed the barrel against the bottom of his jaw and squeezed the trigger, a sickening cacophany of a gunshot and a "splat" as pieces of gray matter and bone splattered to the ceiling above.


----------


"General, the others have either been executed or taken prisoner, with the exception of Admiral Thorne."

"At least we have the space fleet to count on..."

"Not exactly, sir...My father committed suicide." The words were delivered with tears held back, but nonetheless, Thorne's daughter kept her composure.

"Rebecca..."

The conversation between the Admiral and his aide was disrupted by the barging in of five MP's, all pointing their weapons at both of them. Unaware that the female aid was far from guiltless, they ordered her to leave. Rebecca Thorne was hesitant at first, but a slight wave of the hand by General Sharpe sent her brushing harshly against the two soldiers blocking the door.

There was no way out. He knew that. Lighting up a cigar, he reached for the revolver he kept in the drawer--finely made too, with a silver finish and ivory handles...the kind given as gifts to high-ranking officials in the navy--and did a quick-draw twirl at the MP's. They instinctively responded to the General's action with a rain of hot lead, painting Sharpe with crimson spots on his unblemished blue dress shirt. Outside, Rebecca shook as the shots rang in her ears...

The fleet, the spelljammers, and the Akatoni skycruisers all stand down. They do not disperse yet, however. A small, fast ship is sent back to the High Queen to notify her of what has transpired.

A number of diplomatic ships rush towards the Empire, containing members of the Imperial Family who were away when the incident begun. While they were out of the country when the blockade began, it would still have been considered cowardly for any ranking Imperial Noble to remain abroad at time of war. Of course, the threat seems to have dissipated before they returned.

Aiwyn moves after Mrs. Roth as she returns to the airplane. "Madame First Lady?" the sidhe calls out, getting the woman's attention.

In International Waters Off the Coast of Shieldcrest, Aboard INV Reliant...

CAPT Emilija Pakalna stood hunched over the large display table in the Reliant's command center, several decks below the bridge. The display was a tumble of colored icons and sea, air and orbital forces moved about the coast of the Resurgent Dream.

"Ma'am," a young crewman said from behind the captain.

"Yes?"

"Orders from the Citadel, Ma'am."

"Let's hear them."

"Aye, Captain." The crewman looked down at the sheet he held. "We are ordered to immediately deploy all available medical personnel with level 5 containment and to take any necessary measures to ensure that they are not interfered with by the Androitians."

"Looks like our orders a bit too late, Captain," a slender young commander said from across the table.

"How so, Mr. Frakes?" CAPT Pakalna turned from the crewman to her tactical officer, CDR William Frakes.

"Looking at the sensor data and our intercepts, it seems that the Androtian fleet and space forces are returning home. It appears they Androtians have had a coup attempt and may be in the midst of a civil war or, at least, are perilously close to one..."


"Well, then, that'll make our jobs easier." Pakalna turned back to the crewman. "Call the bridge and tell them to dispatch the medical teams immediately."

"Yes, Ma'am. And one more thing," the crewman handed the message to the captain, "we are also told to expect the arrival of the Empire's new ambassador to the Resurgent Dream and to deliver him and his staff to the capital as quickly as possible."

The captain rolled her eyes. "Just what we need a diplomat on our ship!"

* * *

Not much more than sixteen minutes later, four large titlwing aircraft were en route to Shieldcrest carrying a dozen doctors, nurses and lab techs and a considerable amount of medical equipment. Once the aircraft were on the edge of the fleet, a squadron of stealth interceptors rendezvoused with them and began escorting towards the plague stricken area.

"That was over fast," Fear commented, as the skyships disengaged shields. There was little point in working the fusactors more than necessary.

"FLASH comming in, ser," the comm tech of the Melchior stated, eyes refocusing, coming dowm from the fleet's Net. "Marshall Storm wants us to report to Akaton or the Resurgent Dream for orders."

"Navigator?"

"Setting course for Resurgent Dream," the wiry man replied from his intricate console.

To: the entity of the Resurgent Dream
From: First Weyrean Skygroup
Subject: Further orders

The First Skygroup inquires if there are is anything you would like us to do.
We have a sizeable healer-medical staff that may be of help with the
epidemic, and enough carry capacity to take on several thousand evacuees.

((Weyr: What medium are you sending your message with?))

((Weyr: What medium are you sending your message with?))

In the standard Weyrean tradition: every radio frequency, crystal ball, leyline, and a courier ravenshrike.

The response comes by leyline. "We have the epidemic largely under control at this point. Unfortunately, the inability to attain earlier aid raised the death count significantly. The epidemic is likely to be over within a few hours. However, it claimed 2,863 lives before it was defeated."

OOC: Yay! Leyline's the standard form of communicaiton in Weyr ('cept that it's prolly different from what many other people define as a leyline)

"I'm sorry we couldn't do more. The Melchior will continue to hold its position for a few hours, juist in case something pops up," Fear sent back.

"We thank you for your aid and friendship." comes the reply to Weyr.

((Alright, I think this pretty much finishes up the actual epidemic plotline. Seems likely there'll be a follow up thread about the Androtian civil war, Androtia's call though.))

((OOC to the Resurgent Dream: Guess this negates the need for me to send medics over. Will Beatrice resume her Grand Tour?))

((OOC to Androtia: Considering your capital's nuked, you could assume we sent a message either side of the war could receive, maybe both. I'd be happy to join in your RP of the war as a medical / peacekeeping force. Let me know, please.))

((OOC to all: This was a cool RP to read. I'm new to international disputes, so I'm eager to join in. Sorry if my long post bored anyone.))

((Not succesfully, she won't. And thanks for reading, participating, etc.))

((Aw, bummer. Well, let me know whenever the Resurgent Dream is interested in interacting with my nation, then. I'll be here.))

((Telegram me. We'll work something out.))

OOC: Sorry to post a conclusionary post on my part so late in the game...I've been bogged down with God knows how many essays. :rolleyes:

Evelyn was deep in revelry, brooding over the countless dead in the capital. Did her sister take heed of her advice to board a plane to a friendly nation? Her thoughts were interrupted by the sidhe.

"Madame First Lady?"

"Yes...?"


----------


It was a historic first, and hopefully last, for Androtia--a civil war in which not a blood was shed, except for the men responsible who had instigated it. Already, there were plans of drawing up a new constitution to replace the old, in order to prevent military leaders from taking up power; drawn up by the regional leaders in each of the five "zones", it needed only the President's approval for it to be passed, not that he would hesitate anyway. The 10-kilometer long space-faring vessels hovered across the main cities, the smaller corvettes enjoying a ticker-tape parade through the narrow crevices between buildings. The same went for the returning naval ships, which were greeted by a "salute fly-by" from the air force.


----------


President Roth still stood with a grave countenance, as for him, the whole fiasco was far from over. There were still thousands dead in Salarium, and no medicine in the world could ever bring them back--and it was partly his fault. Why didn't put up with being a bystander for almost two years of his presidency? He always had a feeling that Sharpe was pulling the strings, yet he never confronted him about it. There was now the possibility that he would be tried in a world court for committing a crime against humanity for allowing the production of Chimera. Most certainly, however, there may be strained relations between Androtia and all the other parties involved in the rather short...incursion. These he kept to himself as he was led out the facility and back onto the tarmac...

((We still invited you to our party, though!))

Admiral Alexander Sark stood on his bridge, contemplating the events of the past few hours. A war in which no shots were fired was a rare luxury indeed, when just a few shots could cause so much destruction. The sky cruisers slowly broke formation, one flying towards the Resurgent Dream to provide humanitarian aid to the plague stricken villages. The other two, the Iron Fist and the Hammer of Sorrow, cruised back to Akaton along with the fighter escort.

Though in Akaton the sky-ships would return to great celebration, there was a certain somber note to the victory. Plague and civil war had cost the lives of many, surely a dark day in the history of all nations involved.